
A voyage between Heaven and Hell: Delve into the world of this most renowned of Italian poems!
This captivating adventure is set in a fantastical version of Renaissance Italy and provides a wealth of background information about this thrilling period in history.


Coming in pdf and offset print, this massive book has 140 full color illustrations showing NPCs, monsters, items and locations.
Background chapters detail everyday life in the Italian Renaissance, the worldview of its protagonists and the supernatural aspects unknown to most people, as well as extended character creation guidelines tailored to the setting.
Discover two exciting new character classes as well as a new bard sub-class, all of which reflect this era of transition between the Middle Ages and modern times. The new classes come with new game mechanics as well as with new skills and spell-like abilities.
Most of the classic character classes are of course still eligible for play, but they have been fine-tuned and in some cases expanded to better fit the setting. The warlock has been fleshed out to offer specific patrons with their own optional invocations, and there is also a whole new patron type replacing the Old Ones.


Play one of two new races or choose from the classic 5th Edition peoples adapted to be in tune with this setting.
Interact with numerous historical personages and change the course of history!


Confront a multitude of new monsters and foes like the Strangler, the Souleaters and the Malebranche.
Please note that in TSWL the necessity of violence is not a forgone conclusion. Depending on the composition of the adventuring party, there will always be options to use trickery, flight or negotiation instead of battle.
Encounter the fallen angels in Hell and their counterparts in Purgatory and Heaven!
Embark on a perilous journey that takes your characters from moments of soul-wrenching terror to scenes of rapturous wonder and ultimate triumph!

The story is based on the ancient tale of a voyage into the underworld and back again, one that lies at the base of all classical and medieval sagas:
It is the year 1492 in the mighty city-state of Florence. Girolamo Savonarola, the charismatic prior of San Marco is fighting to rid society of the decay that has beset it under the reign of the Medici family. The adventurers are drawn into this political game of intrigue and set out to find a cure for the evil that has befallen their home. Their journey will lead them into the realm of the mysterious fey queen of the Apennine, but only after following in the footsteps of Dante Alighieri through the netherworlds can the heroes return to face the tyrant and help create their City On A Hill.
The Straight Way Lost is a drama in seven acts that will inspire a dedicated group for many months or even years of exciting and challenging roleplay.
TSWL will be published on Kickstarter by Vortex Verlag in June/July 2023.