A new supplement for mature audiences, Sins of Our Mother, introduces a collection of horror-themed character options and adventures for D&D 5e.
The project is built around five new classes, each inspired by a sin, and four “Narrative Dungeons”. The classes are designed as self-contained horror stories; for example, the Medusite gains a natural snake-like weapon and ancestral memories by binding itself to a primordial serpent. Another class, the Vow of Beauty adherent, is a zealot who pursues physical perfection to the point of transforming their own body into a living religious icon.
The Narrative Dungeons offer distinct horror experiences, such as The Traitor Duchess & Estate of Undeath, which traps characters in a gothic mansion with an immortal tormentor who kills them repeatedly, only for the estate’s dark magic to resurrect them for her continued amusement.
You can buy Sins of Our Mother from DriveThruRPG, where it’s flagged as ‘adult content’, and check out a preview of the Medusite chapter below. Needless to say; if you don’t like a bit of gore or mature themes, then don’t read on.
After that, we’ve an interview with Ashton.
Sins of our Mother preview
The supplement’s creator is Ashton Baker, a designer with a long history in roleplaying games that began with a borrowed copy of the Player’s Handbook and now includes influences from titles like Invisible Sun and Bluebeard’s Bride. Baker’s approach to this project is guided by what he calls immersive design, aiming to make the physical book feel like an in-game artefact.
An interview with Ashton Baker
Who is Catacolyte Games? The “About” page says it’s a solo TTRPG development studio, so I’d love to hear the story behind it.
I’ve been playing D&D and other TTRPGs since I was a kid, but I actually never saw myself working in the industry until I wound up as a playtester for Kingdom Death: Monster. I realized quickly I wanted to be a game designer more than anything. It just felt right, like I had finally found something I could be proud of. After designing for the Gambler’s Chest Expansion, I knew I was hooked, but I wouldn’t be satisfied unless I was working on my own ideas. I left Kingdom Death in July of 2023 to found Catacolyte Games. Being a solo-dev isn’t easy. It can get really lonely, but the creative freedom and sense of satisfaction is unlike anything else.
For our readers who are just hearing about it, what is “Sins of Our Mother”?
Sins of Our Mother is a supplement for D&D 5E that’s presented as a cultist’s bible. I’ve blurred the line between the book’s voice and its game text so that it feels more like a holy relic instead of a compendium of information. Sins features 5 sin-inspired classes and 4 one shot narrative adventures, as well as new creatures, equipment, and spells.
The tagline for Catacolyte Games is “Ascend Through Sin.” How does “Sins of Our Mother” explore that theme?
Change and transformation is the heart of Sins, especially when brought about by taboo or uncanny acts. Lore wise, the Blood Queen’s worshippers strive to become something more than human, something that better fits their goddess’s grand designs. Mechanically, this means most of the classes have transformation built into their features. Take the World Bearer for example. As they level up, they grow in size, gain wings, and even build rooms inside of their body to carry other creatures. This process is gradual, though. Many players don’t realize they’re evolving into a literal spaceship until it’s too late.
This transhumanist design asks players to re-evaluate their assumptions about who their character is, what they can do, and what they want.
What makes this supplement unique for D&D 5E players?
I love Dungeons and Dragons, but it’s because of that adoration that I want something more from the game. Sins is a proof of concept for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with design. Each of the five classes strives to do something unique using D&D mechanics. For example, the Medusite can use their symbiote as a second hit point pool to block attacks.
At a more meta level, Sins asks people to see the world differently. It pushes players to contort their minds to grapple with a new, compelling perspective on the world and humanity’s place in it. Even just a nudge, a slight realignment of thought, would be a huge victory for me.
You’ve mentioned that horror can be a healthy way to explore parts of ourselves we wouldn’t otherwise know. How do you hope your games help players do that?
Horror isn’t something we get to access in our daily lives. Not safely, at least. Yet emotions like fear and disgust are undeniably part of us, and engaging with them reveals something about ourselves. One of my goals as a game designer is to help people imagine themselves in horrifying situations, and thus explore aspects of themselves they couldn’t otherwise. More traditional narratives are great, but high adventure can only reveal so much about our own nature. Horror is where we access the truest, most primordial parts of ourselves.
Your work touches on mature and complex topics. How do you handle the responsibility of designing content that deals with things like cannibalism, sex, and torture in a way that is both meaningful and not just for shock value?
I don’t think there’s really a single answer as each topic deserves its own careful consideration. I have to constantly ask myself if I’ve gone too far or whether something I’ve made has anything valuable to add. I just try my best to be honest with myself and players wherever possible. I flag my work as containing horror and mature themes so there’s a certain expectation going in. However, I still ended up including a content warning at the beginning of the Hospital of Quiet Minds one shot.
This adventure has the GM torture their players in grotesque experiments as they try to force the players to behave in a certain way. I stand by my work, but I knew it was a step above everything else in the book. Games are supposed to be fun, even ones that ask players to explore darker themes. So, after talking it over with people, I put the warning up to make sure players knew what they were getting into. I think it was the right move.
Thank you, Ashton!
Quick Links
- Download: Sins of Our Mother.
