Shifting Sands

The Shifting Sands is a D&D 5e desert setting of risk, scarcity and desolation. Rain never falls; extreme heat, sandstorms and shifting dunes make survival fragile. Fauna and bandits prowl, titanic beasts and orcish hordes press from the south, while poachers raid from the north. Tribes endure through fragile alliances and rivalries. Spirits shape the desert, ancient evils stir beneath. The world shifts between solitude, scarcity, betrayal, harsh enviroment and sudden peril. The tone is gritty.

Last Author's Note update: 07/01/2026 ⚠️Author’s Disclaimer — Please Read Before Playing Shifting Sands is a setting-driven world with deliberate design choices around danger, culture and consequences. Shifting Sands is a Dungeons & Dragons 5e campaign set in a vast desert world where travel, survival, and exploration are core pillars of play. 🧭 Important Things to Know Factions and Races relations In Shifting Sands, race and faction are closely tied. Outsiders are immediately noticeable, and some races are rare or unwelcome in certain regions. For example, an Orc in a human settlement will likely face fear or hostility, just as a human entering an orcish camp may be treated as an enemy. These reactions exist to support immersion and meaningful choice—preparation and roleplay matter, and ignoring social realities has consequences. Large areas may seem “empty.” This is intentional. The world places great importance on travel and exploration. These open stretches are rich with dynamic possibilities—roaming monsters, hidden locations, environmental hazards, and emergent events. Danger escalates geographically. The northern regions are generally safer and more forgiving, while danger escalates the farther south you travel. Deadlier creatures, harsher environments, and fewer safe havens await those who push deeper into the desert. Not all encounters are balanced to your level. The world does not scale around the party. Some threats are meant to be avoided, outsmarted, or fled from. Retreat is often the smart choice. 🏜️ Starting Locations Choose one of the following starting points, each offering a different tone and style of play: 🏕️ Communal Fire – Zhainin Encampment (Northern Desert) Nomadic tribal life near the northern frontier. Stories focus on poachers, skirmishes, and expeditions into unknown lands. 🏚️ Dark Alley – Sacred Caverns City Slums A brutal urban start in the largest desert city. Expect crime, intrigue, conspiracies, and political tension. ⚔️ The Ember Ring – Qarroshy Camp (Redsands Plains) A militaristic tribe defending the southern frontier from orcish incursions. Heavy combat and wartime survival. 🍶 The Thirsty Camel – Greenreach Village (Green Republic) A frontier tavern at the desert’s edge, ideal for characters entering the sands by choice. 🔥 Great Orcish Firepit – Ironclaw Camp Home of the Sun-Scorched Orcs, living in exile and constant struggle against both desert and enemies. 🏕️ The Cracked Crucible – Indaks Tribe Camp A roaming camp of Dune Dwarves traveling in massive Sunstone Wagons, fiercely guarding their craft and artifacts. 🌊 The Tidemender’s Hull – Endless Beach Waking up after a shipwreck. Perfect for outsiders who never chose the desert—only to survive it. __ Feedback on Discord is greatly appreciated, it helps evolve this world. The art prompt used for official visuals can also be found in the Discord channel for anyone wishing to match the campaign’s visual style.