Legions of Mars
The Roman Empire expands across Europe using war beasts, divine blessings from Mars, and siege magic.
Mechanic: Legion Formation & Favor of the Gods: Fighting in formation grants physical defense; sacrificing to gods grants rerolls.
D6 Storyteller: Historical & Alternate History Companion
A Fiction-First Tabletop Roleplaying Expansion & 10 Historical & Alternate History Settings
Available in: Paperback · Kindle
About This Book
D6 Storyteller: Historical & Alternate History Companion grounds the D6 engine in the weight of real history and the imaginative potential of speculative deviation. These ten settings occupy actual historical periods (or close parallels) where the documented record collides with mythological forces, supernatural adversaries, and technologies that never were.
History provides drama that invented settings must work hard to match. The personal stakes of a Roman legionary defending a formation under a divine contract, the cultural weight of a samurai maintaining Bushido while negotiating a Yokai pact, the paranoid intensity of Allied soldiers discovering that their enemies have genuine demonic support: these are conflicts rooted in documented human struggle. The D6 Storyteller system translates that weight into mechanics that honor the genre.
Each of the ten settings is carefully constructed to explore its historical period authentically while allowing the fiction-first engine to introduce speculative elements that deepen play rather than contradict the history. Every setting includes full atmospheric overview, a unique mechanic, three archetypes, a period-appropriate condition palette, and a complete starter scenario.
The Historical & Alternate History Companion is fully compatible with the D6 Storyteller Core Rulebook and all companion volumes.
Inside This Companion
- Ten complete historical settings, each fully playable from the first session
- One unique genre mechanic per setting, integrated with the D6 dice pool system
- Three character archetypes per setting with descriptors, drives, flaws, and approach distributions
- Genre-specific condition palettes covering physical, social, and psychological harm
- Complete starter scenario seeds with three-layer scene design
- Custom character sheets for each setting's specific mechanics
The Ten Settings
Each setting is a complete playable world with its own tone, mechanic, archetypes, and starter scenario.
Ragnarok Frost
Norse warriors fight to survive Fimbulwinter as frost giants invade Midgard during the apocalypse.
Mechanic: Rune Magic & Valhalla Favor: Carving Nordic runes grants elemental weapon effects; dying heroically grants allies Momentum.
Shadows of Sengoku
Sengoku-period Japan where warlords contract demonic Yokai spirits to turn the tide of feudal wars.
Mechanic: Bushido Code & Yokai Pact: Adhering to Bushido grants morale bonuses; summoning Yokai inflicts spiritual corruption.
Sands of Anubis
Ancient Pharaohs use mummification rituals and sun-god magic to rule over an empire of immortal god-kings.
Mechanic: Sun & Shadow Balance: Solar magic excels during the day; necromantic rituals require midnight darkness.
Occult Frontline
1944 Allied forces confront Nazi occult secret societies unleashing summoned demons on the European front.
Mechanic: Relic Countermeasures & Trench Strain: Holy relics disrupt occult rituals; prolonged artillery fire inflicts shell-shock conditions.
Terra Incognita
16th-century explorers chart a newly discovered continent inhabited by living elemental spirits and sea serpents.
Mechanic: Cartography & Scurvy Strain: Mapping unknown terrain yields discovery points; long voyages require managing food supplies.
Spear of Ilium
Heroic warriors of ancient Greece battle mythical monsters and seek glory to achieve immortality in song.
Mechanic: Heroic Hubris & Divine Favor: Bragging increases Effect but draws divine intervention from jealous gods.
Penny Dreadful
1890s London street detectives solve macabre murders involving spring-heeled jack, jack the ripper, and monster cults.
Mechanic: Tabloid Fame & Fog Cover: Sensational newspaper coverage alters reputation; thick London fog grants stealth bonuses.
Liberty & Alchemy
1776 Colonial revolutionaries use secret alchemical explosives and native shaman magic against British automaton redcoats.
Mechanic: Liberty Flame & Black Powder: Firearm volleys require reloading rounds; revolutionary zeal boosts morale.
Silk & Dragon
Martial monks and wuxia scholars defend the Tang Dynasty against demon emperors using internal Qi gong techniques.
Mechanic: Wuxia Lightness & Qi Strike: Running across rooftops and water uses Finesse; Qi strikes bypass physical armor.
Questions About This Book
What is Historical & Alternate History?
D6 Storyteller: Historical & Alternate History Companion is a historical volume in the D6 Storyteller series by Alex Merced. It contains ten complete settings, each with a unique mechanic, character archetypes, a condition palette, and a starter scenario.
Do I need the Core Rulebook to use Historical & Alternate History?
Each companion contains a summary of the core mechanics sufficient to begin play, but the D6 Storyteller Core Rulebook provides the full rules reference and Storyteller guidance. New groups are encouraged to start with the Core Rulebook.
How many settings are in this book?
D6 Storyteller: Historical & Alternate History Companion contains ten complete, ready-to-play settings, each with its own lore, unique mechanic, archetypes, condition palette, and starter scenario.
Can I mix these settings with other D6 Storyteller books?
Yes. The D6 Storyteller engine is modular. Any setting-specific mechanic can be imported into other worlds, and lore from multiple companions can be combined freely.