A world-defining expansion to D&D 5e! Two epic tomes of innovative mechanics, inspiring player options, and realm-breaking monsters!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Playtest Wave 2! New Species & Subclasses Out Now!!
10 days ago
– Tue, Sep 22, 2026 at 08:25:39 AM
Playtest Wave 2: Part 1!
Hey everyone! I'm delighted to bring you Mythozoology Playtest Wave 2: Part 1! This is the first of two documents being released as part of this wave. This one updates the BETA PDF to include ALL character creation options from Ryoko's Forbidden Myths (aside from our original classes; the Bender, Tamer, and Maker are coming in a later update!)
Oniborne are back, baby!
If your order included Ryoko's Forbidden Myths, you will be able to find the updated BETA PDF on Backerkit to start playing right now! Please note, we haven't yet implemented your feedback from Wave 1 into the PDF yet, so material that was there before is unchanged at the moment.
In the updated PDF, you'll find the following new additions to explore
Species
Chromakin (with three subspecies) Nezukin Inukin (with three subspecies) Oniborne (with two subspecies)
Chromakin draw inspiration from Shodō, traditional calligraphy, with the various subspecies expanding into an exploration of different mediums of art. The inkborne gave us a design opportunity to give a loving nod to Final Fantasy's Black Mages, with a body formed of ink, a wide brimmed hat, and large gloves. Viva la Vivi!
Subclasses
Sorcerer: Tengu Sorcery Warlock: The Cartomancer Ranger: Orochi Conclave Paladin: Oath of Balance (formerly called Oath of Wild Magic) Cleric: Jiang-Shi Domain
+ Various New Spells
You're not ready for the Cartomancer Warlock. Oh, you THINK you're ready, but you're not. We went through a lot of options on bringing this subclass to life, optioning the use of traditional hanafuda and karuta cards as a game piece vs. more accessible playing cards. We've landed on a subclass that wields both dice and playing cards as game pieces for an experience unlike any other subclass, with a TON of references and cool mechanics built in to enjoy!
Next steps
The second part of this playtest wave will be new content for Heliana's Forgotten Monsters! The arrangers and artists are cooking on that right now, after being busy with this and another project I'm sure a lot of you have already seen (glances to the bottom of this update).
After the Heliana's PDF is updated with new material, the next Ryoko's playtest wave will include Armour Mastery mechanics, backgrounds, and the feats from Forbidden Myths, which will bring us to about 98% of player content in the entire book released. The Maker, Bender, Tamer, and bestiary will follow after that. I've also pretty much finished the Mech Manual, but the plan is to get the core books out to you first for maximum playtesting time, and follow swiftly with the other books.
Some mechs are truly MASSIVE, kaiju-battling warmachines! Others are speedier, two-pilot vehicles to dart around the battlefield. Can't wait to share the full rules expansion with you in the Mech Manual Playtest PDF!
My pal Pointy Hat has just launched his own Kickstarter, Wild Hearth, with Loot Tavern! Wild Hearth brings you tons of player options, a plethora of spells, a myriad of new monsters and items and expands your campaigns with new cooking rules, town building, farming, and traveling mechanics! Plus an all new NECROMANCER class, and tons more! You can check it out here, for that epic trailer animation if nothing else...
And as always, remember you can reach out to us directly for support at [email protected]
Take care and see you soon!
Will and the Team
Mythozoology Playtest Wave 2 Is On The Way! Full Content Breakdown
about 1 month ago
– Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 05:21:05 AM
Mythozoology Playtest Wave 2 Outline!
Hey everyone, hope you're well! We've been deep in the mines forging content all month, and we're delighted to let you know that the Mythozoology Playtest Wave 2 is being arranged right now for release. There's a lot to implement, but here's what you can expect to arrive on Backerkit for you to dive in to next month! We're anticipating a release date mid-September once the artists and arrangers complete the PDFs!
Blade Master Druid in action - you're a homemade kamaitachi!
Here's what you can expect to find in the next wave of playtest material:
Ryoko's Forbidden Myths Playtest Wave 2
Subclasses
Tengu Lineage Sorcerer
Cartomancer Warlock
Orochi Ranger
Oath of Balance Paladin
Jiang-Shi Domain Cleric
Species
Inkborne
Nezukin
Inukin
Oniborne
An Ool-Guri Adventure(?) We have the Ryoko's adventures underway, and this one is very nearly finished, but MIGHT not be arranged in time for this playtest. If not, it'll appear in the following playtest, but we're hoping we can make it for this one!
Tengu to the rescue!
Heliana's Forgotten Monsters Playtest Wave 2
Subclasses
Path of the Saurian Barbarian Evolution Cleric Pack Leader Fighter Oath of Armaments Paladin Painted Lady Warlock Grovekeeper Ranger
Species
Inukin Wishborne Crystolith Hoofborne
Command the Undead as a Jiang-shi Cleric!
Projects We Love: Wild Hearth!
A good friend of mine and legendary content creator, Pointy Hat, has enlisted Loot Tavern to help launch his next project, WILD HEARTH, on Kickstarter! Wild Hearth will bring you tons of player options, a plethora of spells, and a myriad of new monsters and items and expand your campaigns with new cooking, town building, farming, and traveling mechanics! And the pre-launch page is live now!
It's also got the brand new NECROMANCER class, filled with undead thralls, necromantic formulae, and a grimoire of forbidden spells, and the whole thing is Heliana's Crafting Compatible! There's even playtest content available right now,check it out here!
And as always, remember you can reach out to us directly for support at [email protected]
Take care!
Will and the Team
Zodiac Dragons & Draconic Domains!
3 months ago
– Sun, Jul 19, 2026 at 12:33:59 PM
Mini Update!
Hey everyone! The Zodiac Dragons and their domains will be rampaging on Backerkit within the next week, so be sure to head over there to download the PDF and unleash them on your players ! The domains give each dragon stat block different abilities depending on the real world cycle of the zodiac (we're in the year of the Fire Horse right now) letting our world influence your epic boss battles!
Always ready for a surprise encounter when the shopping episode starts to drag-on!
Ryoko's Guide Nominated For The ENNIES!
Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms recieved THREE ennie nomations, and we need your help! Voting takes just 10 seconds and makes a HUGE impact!
Thanks so much! Enjoy the zodiac dragons, and we'll hit you up again next month when Mythozoology playtest wave 2 is ready to start rolling out! 🥳🥳
Will and the Team
Get Ready to Game - Mythozoology Playtest Wave 1 Is Live!
3 months ago
– Mon, Jul 06, 2026 at 10:52:12 AM
Playtest Wave 1 is LIVE!!!
It's Here!
Hey everyone! Mythozoology Playtest Wave 1 is now LIVE! It's like a much more beautiful Unearthed Arcana. That means, if you've filled out your Backerkit survey, you'll be able to download the playtest material from your purchased books that forms Playtest Wave 1! There's a ton of player material from Ryoko's Forbidden Myths, and 6 adventures from Heliana's Forgotten Monsters up right now.
The deathless yūrei step into Ryoko's Forbidden Myths alongside a ton of other player options! Dive into new species, subclasses, and adventures right now!
More playtest material is also dropping within the next week or so, including the Zodiac Dragons and their Domain Expansion, so remember to check Backerkit every now and then to catch the latest version of the playtest, and any new stuff we drop!
Dragons incoming in the next week or two, complete with their adapting stat blocks and the Zodiac Domain system!
Your Feedback
Mythozoology is YOUR project! Your support has brought it to life, and you dictate the path we take when finalising the material across all books. The playtest PDFs all include a link to feedback survey where you can leave your thoughts and ideas; everything from spelling errors, formatting mistakes, balance tweaks, and positive comments on things you really love. We read all feedback and implement changes before the final release to ensure every book is the best it can be!
For example, I noticed only after releasing the playtest today that the Natsumin have a walk speed of an incredible 45 feet (it should be 35!) Never underestimate our ability to make a typographical error!
Survey Reminder
Remember, you won't be able to access your playtest material until your Backerkit survey is completed and your order has been locked (which we do every Monday night). If you need help with your survey,this update explains how to access your survey and fill everything out. We're always here to support if you need us, too, either at [email protected] or on the Loot Tavern Discord server.
Projects We Love - Free Stuff + 1,500 More Pages of D&D Expansions!
If you're enjoying Mythozoology and Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms, you can grab 1,500 MORE pages of D&D Expansions I've created over on the DnD Shorts Patreon right now! By joining at the Red Dragon Tier, you get INSTANT access to over 25 full expansions, complete with Subclasses, Species, Feats, Rules Expansions, Maps, Spells, Ready-to-Play Adventures, and more, with stunning original art.
That's like 6 entire D&D books for £10, and I release a full additional expansion every month on there too. There's even three FREE expansions for you to check out on the Patreon right away. If you're a fan of the content I create for Ryoko's and Mythozoology, check it out for tons more awesome material for your games as well.
Hope y'all Americans had a wonderful July 4th, and we'll ping you with another update when the next wave of playtest material is finalised!
Will and the Team
Mini Update: Locking Orders!
3 months ago
– Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 07:43:29 AM
Just a tiny update, real small!
Hey everyone, just dropping by with a mini-update to remind y'all that orders are being locked today for folks who have completed their Mythozoology Backerkit survey! This is in advance of Mythozoology Playtest Wave 1, which is dropping just after the July 4th long weekend. When it arrives, you'll receive playtest material for anything you have in your locked basket!
Survey's are also the place to upgrade your book covers to the Deluxe versions if you'd like to grab them!
Been Busy? If you have yet to complete your survey on Backerkit, you can do so anytime - moving forward we will be locking orders every Monday night. After your order is locked (upon completing the survey, picking up your add ons, and confirming any free bonuses on Backerkit) you can access any playtest content for any of the material you have purchased!
Unlocking & Changing Orders. We lock orders so that we can give the right playtest material to the right backers. If you want to change anything in your order after it is locked, you can do so - it's possible to amend your order all the way until we start shipping. To make changes to your order you'll need to contact us directly (see the Need Help section below).
Kaiju Summoning mechanics also form a part of this first playtest!
Playtest Wave 1
As a reminder, here's the material coming in Playtest Wave 1 early next month!
Material from Ryoko's Forbidden Myths
Half of the playable species from Forbidden Myths, including the Hakkai, Tantakon, Kappa, and Konomin
Half of the core subclasses from Forbidden Myths, including the Yokai Knight Fighter, Ceramicist Bard, Nexus Rogue, and Demon Soul Monk
Various monsters from the Ryoko's bestiary, including all 12 Zodiac Dragons and the Zodiac Domains
Kaiju Summoning mechanics
Heliana's Forgotten Monsters
6 full monster hunt adventures
50+ craftable items
20+ spells
6 bespoke familiars (trainable by the Tamer!)
60 + monsters
Zodiac Dragons in full power, with the force of their domain behind them? Buckle up, y'all, TPKs are back on the menu!
Projects We Love
SoManyRobots is part of the Mythozoology team, helping out with species balance testing, and they've also got an awesome campaign live right now: Machines of Bone & Blood! The book details the terrors of the Necroindustrial Revolution — a massive upheaval as reanimation magic advances to the point of remaking society.
It includes two new terrifying classes, dozens of subclasses, plus species, monsters, items, spells, and more! Machines of Bone & Blood transforms your game with horror rooted in real history, whether you're playing 5E (2014) or 5.5E (2024)!
