tag:athas.org,2005:/articlesAthas.org articles2024-03-27T12:00:08ZAthas.orgtag:athas.org,2005:Article/692bf148-177c-40c7-aba0-eec89ba0376e2024-03-23T14:29:45Z2024-03-27T12:00:08ZLawful Stupid blog #204 - Druid Kits{% illustration c6c021b1-e230-4b61-80ba-219730ddedc2 aspect="wide" %}
# Druid Kits
Druids are a popular class in 2e Dark Sun – they have the widest selection of spells and enjoy access to the most powerful non-elemental spells in the game. Unless you have a templar in your party, your druid may well be the only character capable of casting raise dead and similar spells. There’s more to druids than just seducing hunting cacti.
The current season of To Tame a Land has two druids in the party and the first season also featured a druid. One of our current druids uses a version of the Hivemaster kit from the Complete Druid’s Handbook, but the other two use homebrew kits. In this week’s blog, I’m sharing those with you: the Landless Druid, who has no single guarded land, and the Living Conduit, who specializes in harnessing the energies of the Sphere of Cosmos for healing purposes.
### Landless Druid
Not all druids tie themselves irrevocably to a single locale. Some elect to wander Athas, listening to the spirits of the world wherever they travel, protecting the lands and creatures of Athas wherever needed.
Landless druids typically have a better idea of the “big picture” in the world than other druids, and usually remain on good terms with rangers and the tribes of the desert. More powerful druids often use landless druids as messengers or missionaries.
Landless druids tend to be more gregarious than other druids, enjoying meeting and talking with people – especially those who dwell outside the great cities of the Tablelands. Although they may seem carefree, bereft of ties to any one place, this attitude masks a keen mind and a strong interest in everything going on around them. Many landless druids have animal companions, finding friendship with them during their travels.
**Recommended Weapons**: Quarterstaff.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Animal handling, expression, healing, herbalism, knowledge (religion), mountaineering, running, survival, tracking.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Navigation.
**Equipment**: The landless druid should spend their initial allotment of wealth entirely on equipment, as they lose any unspent starting money in excess of 1 cp.
#### Special Benefits
**Pathfinder**: A landless druid is expert at finding the best and quickest route in overland travel. The druid and anyone who travels with them receives a 3 point bonus to their movement rate for overland travel (e.g., MV 9 becomes MV 12).
**Respected**: The landless druid receives a +2 reaction bonus from rangers, travelers, and any member of a desert tribe or small settlement.
**Wanderer**: The landless druid still has a guarded land, but is not tied to one area. Each day, the druid may spend one hour in communion with the local spirits of the land and choose a new guarded land for that day. The druid’s major Elemental Sphere is chosen at character creation but their minor Sphere is chosen during this consecration ceremony.
#### Special Hindrances
**Loner**: Constantly on the move, a landless druid never allows themself to be burdened. The druid cannot have followers, retainers, hirelings, mercenaries, or even servants until they reaches 12th level (but animal companions can travel with the druid).
**Restricted Gear**: The landless druid cannot possess more treasure than they can carry; they must either convert the excess into a portable form (gems, etc.) or donate it to a worthy cause.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
### Living Conduit
Most druids feel an intense kinship with the flora of Athas – the grasses, trees, cacti, fungi, and other similar forms of life - but not all druids feel this way. For some, the connection with fauna - the creatures of the world - is far more intense. These druids experience a deep harmony with the spirits of the land and see themselves as a conduit between those entities and the creatures that call Athas home. Such druids are often filled with a deep compassion for life and can draw increased powers of healing through this connection.
The living conduit is a druid who experiences a particularly strong connection to the spirits of the land and, through them, the greater powers of the cosmos beyond. This manifests in them being able to cast healing spells with greater potency and frequency than other druids. The living conduit also feels great compassion for the lifeforms of Athas. This does not mean that the druid eschews combat or refuses to kill when necessary – many are the creatures that prey unnecessarily on those around them – but a living conduit will always weigh the consequences of such actions carefully.
**Recommended Weapons**: None.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Animal handling, animal lore, herbalism, riding (any), survival.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Healing.
**Equipment**: The living conduit has no particular preference for equipment but does not favor weapons that cause unnecessary suffering such as scourges, master’s whips, or the like.
#### Special Benefits
**Bountiful Healing**: A living conduit gains one additional spell slot per spell level that can be used to cast a healing spell from the following list: cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, cure serious wounds, cure critical wounds, heal, heroes’ feast, regenerate.
**Maximize Healing**: Starting at 5th level, the living conduit may cast a spell from their Bountiful Healing list at maximum efficiency – all dice are treated as if they rolled the maximum amount. The living conduit can use this power a number of times per day equal to their Will Bonus.
**Twin Healing**: Starting at 9th level, the living conduit rolls twice as many dice when casting a spell from their Bountiful Healing list. The living conduit can use this power a number of times per day equal to their Will Bonus.
#### Special Hindrances
**Blighted**: The living conduit’s resistance to the elements is weakened due to their focus on the powers of the cosmos. The druid loses the Boon class ability, no longer receiving a bonus on saving throws against fire or electricity.
**Floral Ineptitude**: The living conduit is intensely focused on the creatures of Athas and, as a result, has little time for its plants. The druid does not gain the ability to speak with plants when on their guarded lands at 5th level, and does not gain the ability to speak with plants wherever they are at 9th level.
Intelligent plants automatically view the living conduit as a threat, with reactions starting at Hostile. No matter what the living conduit does, reactions from intelligent plants may never improve beyond Indifferent.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
A brand new series of Lawful Stupid blogs, this one featuring new druid kits.
Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/a3adcbc3-2a19-46b6-9b06-54240b8952682024-01-23T15:50:21Z2024-03-24T12:00:00ZHostile Takeover - RepostPerhaps more of an adventure summary or playthrough than an actual adventure, Hostile Takeover is a 2e adventure for 3 to 6 PCs of 4th to 8th level.
Hostile Takeover is a direct follow-up to the events of the adventure The Road to Urik. In it, the PCs become embroiled in the machinations of the merchant houses of House Troika and House Vordon during an attack on a House Ianto fort located near Tyr.
The adventure is hosted in Athas.org’s Resources page: [Hostile Takeover](https://athas.org/resources/4f316f01-9006-4b11-a94d-f058047182b7)A repost of the adventure Hostile Takeover by Brax.Adam Cieszlaktag:athas.org,2005:Article/7dd1b547-5543-40dc-a47d-6218a3bb489d2024-03-16T14:13:23Z2024-03-17T12:00:08ZLawful Stupid blog, Repost #9 - Additional Dark Sun Races{% illustration c2ff510e-309a-4df2-9ca1-a551e0cb5293 aspect="tall" %}
Athas features many races beyond those detailed in the Dark Sun core rules. This blog takes a look at the jozhals – diminutive reptilians with a love for magic. A pdf at the end of the blog also covers several other new races, including dray, ssurrans, tareks, and tari.
### Jozhals
Jozhals are small, lightly built reptilian creatures which may be distantly related to crodlu. They are known for their curiosity, timidity, and their ability to change the colouration of their hide at will. In some areas, jozhals are seen as pests, but they are in fact an extremely intelligent species, who strive to live in harmony with the land and make the most of what meagre offerings Athas has to give.
#### Personality
Jozhals are naturally shy and secretive creatures. Jozhals avoid combat if at all possible, fleeing or using their chameleon-like skin to hide. If forced into combat, a jozhal will attempt to defend itself first with psionics or spells, then with any magical items it currently possesses. If left with no other option, the jozhal will attack with its claws.
#### Physical
Standing about four feet tall, the jozhal is a small, two-legged reptile with a skinny tail, a long flexible neck, and a narrow, elongated snout. Its mouth is filled with needle sharp teeth, and its lanky arms end in small, three-fingered hands with an opposable thumb. Although the jozhal’s hide is covered with scales, they are so small as to be unnoticeable at first, and it appears more akin to a man’s skin or a boneclaw’s rough hide. The jozhal can change the hue of its skin at will, either to match the colour of its environment, or stand out against it.
#### Relations
Jozhals are so insular that they rarely learn the languages of other races. The leader of a family will learn the common tongue, so that he or she may communicate with outsiders on the rare occasion that interaction is necessary. When around those they do not know, especially other races, jozhals become very withdrawn and are unwilling to even speak to outsiders unless necessary.
They will often travel days out of their way just to avoid encountering non-jozhals, especially elves and humans, whom they consider destructive. If forced to interact with members of another race, jozhals will attempt to make the experience as short as possible.
#### Lands
Jozhals do not normally form permanent settlements, but travel in nomadic family groups between the fertile areas of the Tablelands and Hinterlands, beyond the Ringing Mountains. These families forage for roots, nuts, and small reptiles and insects.
Jozhals always make use of every little bit of anything that they find, to the point of extremes, practicing cannibalism and fashioning the bones of their dead into weapons and tools. The only time a jozhal family will permanently settle in one area is when a member of that family becomes a druid of great power and takes custody of his guardian lands.
#### Language
Jozhal is a language composed of clicks, pops, and whistles. Due to its unusual nature, many who are not familiar with the tongue will not even recognise it as a language. Most jozhals do not keep a written form of their language, and the pyreen alphabet is the only known writing system that can be adapted to writing the jozhal tongue.
#### Jozhal Society
Jozhals live in small family groups of four to five creatures. They are extremely intelligent and cunning, but regard humans or demihumans as foolish, dangerous creatures and will rarely tolerate them.
Jozhals are attracted to magic items of all sorts, believing them to hold the power of the land. They will often track passers-by and attempt to ascertain if the group is carrying any magic items. If they are, the jozhals will try to sneak into camp and steal them.
Jozhals forage for food (roots and tubers), and eat almost any sort of small reptile, snake, or insect. They favour the magic of elemental clerics because it is not destructive to the environment.
Despite their curiosity, jozhals are deeply suspicious of all arcane spellcasters. They will tolerate preservers, but watch them closely for any signs that they may defile, and criticise them harshly if they use magic wantonly or carelessly. Jozhals do not tolerate defilers in any way. A jozhal may even put himself at risk to stop a defiler from damaging the land.
Jozhal children are taught from a young age the proper use of magical items, both arcane and divine, so even non-spellcaster jozhals will be comfortable with most magic items they come to possess.
Jozhal adventurers are rare. Only a few are able to overcome their natural shyness to mix with strangers and fewer still are willing to be separated from their families for long periods of time. Those who do follow the adventuring path have usually had their families wiped out by raiders or some natural disaster. A few have allowed their obsession with magical items to overwhelm them and see adventuring as the quickest, easiest way of finding and possessing such items.
#### Role-playing Suggestions
Why are you an adventurer? What compelled you to leave the relative safety of you home and set out into the world where more or less everything is larger and more ferocious than you are? For a jozhal character, this question is at the heart of their identity.
This is because timidity, shyness, and an aversion to interaction with other creatures are all key elements of the jozhal psyche. They are the traits that have allowed the diminutive species to survive in the uncompromising Athasian wilderness. Even when you have made the choice to become an adventurer, these aspects of your personality do not simply go away.
You remain averse to conflict and will seek to avoid it if possible or hide if it becomes inevitable. This does not mean that you are a coward – only that you have no desire to seek your own death for reasons of appearance. Should you be cornered and unable to escape, you will turn on your enemy with vigour.
In the wild, jozhals use their claws and bite when pressed. An adventurer will have far more devastating options in their arsenal, and you do not shy away from deploying these.
Jozhals are uncomfortable around other Athasian races and this colours all your interactions with other Athasians. Due to their insularity, jozhals are not fluent or even conversant with other cultures. Simply put, they frighten you and it will take time for you to understand the ways of other Athasian races.
Humans and elves are a particular source of concern for you. You have seen how these two races behave and consider them destructive and alarming. If you cannot avoid them, work to change their ways so that they are less wasteful and more considerate of the world they share.
Always remember your curiosity, particularly for magic. It is an embodiment of the planet’s life force and you consider it almost sacred. Those who abuse magic – defilers – come in for open criticism and mockery from you. If you are able to convince a defiler to give up his ruinous ways, you consider this a great victory in life.
The other great jozhal trait is practicality. Do not allow resources to go to waste. Scavenge whatever you can and steal what you cannot more easily obtain. Waste not, want not.
Your ability to change the colour and pattern of your scales is not merely a defensive ability. It is more often a method of emotional expression and artistic creativity. You enjoy changing your appearance for pure pleasure, forming patterns and shapes in the same way that others enjoy tattoos.
#### Jozhal PCs:
The following game statistics apply to the jozhal player character:
**Ability Adjustments**: –2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, –1 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom.
**Movement Rate**: 18.
**Natural Armour**: +2 natural Armour Class bonus.
**Claws and Bite**: A jozhal can use its talons to attack twice per round and bite once per round, each for 1d4 damage.
**Camouflage**: A jozhal can change the colour of its hide by concentrating for one round. If used to hide, a Wisdom check is required to spot the jozhal.
**Magic Resistance**: Jozhals have 10% magic resistance.
**Surprise Attack**: When attacking from camouflage, jozhals impose a –2 penalty on surprise rolls.
#### Jozhal Racial Ability Requirements
Strength: 5/20
Dexterity: 10/20
Constitution: 5/20
Intelligence: 8/20
Wisdom: 8/20
Charisma: 7/20
#### Jozhal Class and Level Limits
Bard: 12
Cleric: 12
Druid: –
Fighter: 10
Gladiator: –
Psionicist: U
Ranger: 14
Templar: –
Thief: 16
Trader: 14
Wizard: 16
#### Jozhal Rogue Skill Adjustments
Bribe: +5%
Climb Walls: -10%
Detect Magic: +10%
Detect Illusion: +10%
Detect Noise: +5%
Escape Bonds: +5%
Find/Remove Traps: –
Forge Documents: -5%
Hide in Shadows: +10%
Move Silently: +5%
Open Locks: –
Pick Pockets: –
Read Languages: +5%
Tunnelling: -10%
#### Jozhal Height and Weight
Base Height in Inches: 48/46
Modifier: 1d8
Base Weight in Pounds: 60/55
Modifier: 2d10
#### Jozhal Age
Starting Age: 15
Variable: 2d6
Base Maximum Age: 120
Variable: +2d10
#### Jozhal Aging Effects
Middle Age: 60
Old Age: 80
Venerable: 120
A repost of articles from the Lawful Stupid RPG blog, this one featuring rules for additional Dark Sun races.Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/8a1a03af-f847-4a19-92d4-34ec6a9a661e2024-03-12T00:07:23Z2024-03-13T12:00:05ZLawful Stupid blog #203 - Elan Expanded### Elan Expanded
{% illustration aba254a2-817d-4ae9-a897-a32345adf967 aspect="tall" %}
The elan are a race of constructs made to imitate humans but possessing innate psionic powers. Said to have originally been created as covert agents by a group of psionicists known as the Order, some elans are now breaking free of their programming and forging new lives for themselves. This blog expands on the elan for AD&D 2e.
The elan race originally appeared in the Revised 3rd edition *Expanded Psionics Handbook*, where they are presented as a race made from volunteers who undergo a strange transformation. When Dragon and Dungeon magazines tackled Dark Sun for the Revised 3rd edition, they added the idea of the elan being created by the Order and that’s the interpretation we use in our streamed To Tame A Land campaign – along with the idea that not all elan chose to become what they are.
The elan featured heavily as antagonists in the first season of our campaign, but now, in the second season, we have an elan character in the party. This blog presents the core elan race again, along with some additional content for elan, including ways to modify elan using the Skills & Powers system from AD&D 2nd edition’s Player’s Option books, and four new kits for use with elan characters.
#### Elan
Originally created as a secret network of court agents by a powerful group of psionicists known as the Order, elan are not born; they are made. It is said that the Order erred when it created the first elan because it gave them too much free will. Some elan enclaves still owe allegiance to the Order, while other elan have turned their backs on the Order and are determined to forge their own destinies in the harsh landscape of Athas.
The average Athasian has never heard of an elan, but most noble families, merchant houses, and high-ranking templars have learned of their existence within the last few years.
Elan all have one thing in common: an origin as a human. Members of the Order and, more recently, a special elan council, would screen living humans from a pool of possible volunteers and targets who were identified for replacement with an elan. Those who are approved for replacement were taken to one of several hidden enclaves, where alchemy and psychometabolism were used to create a duplicate of the chosen human.
To create an elan, a psionic power known as transition life is applied to the human, transferring their awareness, memories, and identity into the duplicate. This kills the human and the newly created elan awakens. Newly created elan retain the basic memories and personalities of their previous lives, but they keep none of their class skills, powers, or spells (if any), or previous class abilities.
Elan are a secretive lot when or comes to their origins, and they do not publicly reveal their enclaves or places of making.
Non-human elan are never created, and it could be that the transition life power simply doesn’t work for any other creatures but those who were originally human.
**Personality**: Elan are nearly as adaptable, flexible, and ambitious as the humans from which they are made. Because their state of existence sometimes leads other races to think the worst of them, elan practice a certain restraint, especially In regards to their origin. Otherwise, their personalities vary widely.
**Physical**: Elan typically stand just under 6 feet tall and weigh about 180 pounds, with men sometimes taller and heavier than women, but not always. Elan vary in looks as widely as the humans they have been chosen to replace. Elan dress in the styles similar to humans, including the adoption of unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, body piercings, and the like. Elan have unlimited lifespans – as long as they are not destroyed, their mental arts can conceivably continually energize and rebuild their bodies indefinitely.
However, the Order only recently established the first elan enclaves, so no known elan are more than twenty five years old (not counting time they spent as humans before having been transformed into an elan).
Elan do not sleep. Instead, an elan meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours a day, gaining the same benefit a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While in trance, an elan concentrates on suffusing their body with psionic energy, healing the hurts and random lacerations of the day, restoring animation and resiliency to their tissues. Elan, most notably, have white blood, and internal organs that seem grown from plant matter rather than flesh.
**Relations**: Elan mix well with members of other races, especially humans. It is probable that their relations would undergo a shift should their true nature become widely known, so one of the essential tenets of elan existence is secrecy.
**Lands**: Wherever humans are found, there, too, are elan.
**Language**: Elan speak Common. They typically learn other languages, including obscure ones, and they are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: pterran curses, elven musical expressions, thri-kreen military phrases, and so on.
**Elan Society**: Elan society is an artificial thing, growing around elan enclaves that have been created and put in place to further the desires of the Order. Still, elan are lifeforms and cannot help but build culture as they continue to grow. One area that elan take great interest in is that of names.
Elan names vary greatly and often are simply the same as the human name they possessed before crossing into their new existence. This is particularly true when an elan wishes to pick up their old life where they left off. Othertimes, an elan will view their new existence as an opportunity to start fresh and might pick a completely new name.
Titles, however, are important to the elan - though they are used only among themselves. Freshly transitioned elan have the title of Newmade, those who have seen at least a few years of their “new” life have the title of Made, and those over two decades old have the title of Eternal. Those that belong to the group that chooses new elan have the title of Culler (although any elan who knows the power transition life might also take this title, whether part of the Culler Council or not).
**Role-playing Suggestions**: As an elan adventurer, you are akin to humans in their daring and ambition. Because some effects that afflict other races leave elan unscathed, you sometimes seem extraordinarily brave to those who do not know the secret of your existence.
This secrecy is paramount. You were made from a human, either willingly or at the behest of the Order, and they can unmake you as readily as they gave you life. Always remember that the Order is watching. If you are a loyal servant, then act to impress your distant masters. If you seek freedom from their control, focus all your thoughts and deeds on winning a new life for yourself and discovering who you truly are.
### Game Statistics
The following game statistics apply to the elan player character:
**Ability Adjustments**: +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, –2 Charisma. Elan are mentally powerful, yet their status as artificially constructed beings means that they lack a strong sense of identity.
**Movement Rate**: 12.
**Size**: Medium.
**Construct**: Elan are created beings, and thus are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or hold person.
**Naturally Psionic**: Elan gain 2 bonus Psionic Power Points (PSPs) at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as a wild talent or levels in a psionic class.
**Resistance**: Elan can use psionic energy to increase their resistance to various forms of attack. At any time, an elan can spend 1 PSP to gain a +4 bonus on saving throws until the beginning of their next action.
**Resilience**: When an elan takes damage, they can spend PSPs to reduce its severity. At any time, they can reduce the damage they are about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 PSP spent.
**Repletion**: An elan can sustain their body without need of food or water. If they spend 1 PSP, an elan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.
**Trance**: An elan meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours a day. An elan resting in this fashion gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
#### Elan Class and Level Limits
If your DM chooses to use this optional rule, apply the following limits to elan characters:
**Bard**: 16
**Cleric**: —
**Druid**: —
**Fighter**: 12
**Gladiator**: —
**Psionicist**: U
**Ranger**: —
**Templar**: 14
**Thief**: 16
**Trader**: 16
**Wizard**: 16
##### Elan Rogue Skill Adjustments
**Bribe**: –10%
**Climb Walls**: —
**Detect Magic**: +10%
**Detect Illusion**: —
**Detect Noise**: —
**Escape Bonds**: —
**Find/Remove Traps**: —
**Forge Documents**: –5%
**Hide in Shadows**: —
**Move Silently**: —
**Open Locks**: —
**Pick Pockets**: —
**Read Languages**: +5%
**Tunneling**: —
#### Elan Height and Weight
**Base Height in Inches**: 60/60
**Modifier**: 2d8
**Base Weight in Pounds**: 150/150
**Modifier**: 6d10
#### Elan Age
**Starting Age**: varies – the elan is created from an existing human
**Variable**: 1d4
**Base Maximum Age**: none – elan are unaffected by age
**Variable**: N/A
#### Elan Skills & Powers
Elan start play with 50 character points to assign among their various abilities.
**Standard Abilities**: Naturally psionic (10-point version), resistance, resilience, repletion, trance.
**Body Fuel (10)**: The elan can take ability damage in return for gaining PSPs. Each point of ability damage taken grants the elan 2 PSPs. The ability damage heals at a rate of one point per day.
**Closed Mind (10)**: The elan’s mind is naturally closed, even if they are not a psionicist. This power grants no benefit to psionicists.
**Deep Schooling (10)**: The elan starts play with two additional non-weapon proficiency slots.
**Force of Will (10)**: The elan can add their Will Bonus to any saving throw rolled, even if the save does not normally allow it.
**Hostile Mind (10)**: Anyone who uses a telepathic power against the elan (even if it is beneficial) must save vs. spells or suffer 2d6 points of damage.
**Human Blood (10)**: The elan’s blood is red, not white, allowing them to more easily pass for human.
**Naturally Psionic (10/15)**: For the 10-point version, the elan gains 2 bonus PSPs at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain that ability through another source, such as a wild talent or levels in a psionic class. The 15-point version increases this to 4 bonus PSPs.
**Resistance (10)**: Elan can use psionic energy to increase their resistance to various forms of attack. At any time, an elan can spend 1 PSP to gain a +4 bonus on saving throws until the beginning of their next action.
**Resilience (10)**: When an elan takes damage, they can spend PSPs to reduce its severity. At any time, the elan can reduce the damage they are about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 PSP spent.
**Repletion (10)**: An elan can sustain their body without need of food or water. If they spend 1 PSP, an elan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.
**Superior Talent (15)**: The elan starts play with two additional wild talents and the PSPs to manifest each twice. No matter what the elan rolls on the wild talent table, they cannot start play with more than two wild talent powers. Psionicists may not choose this option.
**Trance (10)**: An elan meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours a day. An elan resting in this fashion gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
### Elan Kits
#### Crucible Guardian
The Order created its first elan at a secret location known as the Crucible. Among those early elan were warriors created to defend that location as dedicated guardians. Since then, the secret of creating crucible guardians has been taken up by other elan and used to forge those who defend more than just the Crucible – although the name has remained, as part of the nascent culture of the elan.
Each crucible guardian is dedicated to defending a specific ward. The crucible guardian must declare their ward at the start of each day in a small, personal ceremony. For the remainder of that day, the crucible guardian’s powers apply when the elan is defending that ward – they cannot be applied to other targets and the crucible guardian cannot change their ward until they perform their ceremony at the start of the following day.
Crucible guardians may declare individual locations or people to be a ward. The location must be a single, stated, easily defined place. On Athas, this generally means something up to the size of a city. A crucible guardian cannot meaningfully defend something as large as the Forest Ridge or the island of Morgazh, nor readily identify when such a location is truly under threat.
Crucible guardians function well as bodyguards, pledging themselves to the defense of a valued person or organization. Those who defend a location are often loathe to depart from it for any length of time.
**Recommended Weapons**: None.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Armor optimization, craft (armorer and weasponsmithing), information gathering, mental armor.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Observation.
**Equipment**: Crucible guardians start play with one suit of light armor and one medium bone weapon free of charge, granted as part of their training.
**Special Benefits**
**Psychic Riposte**: The crucible guardian can spend one PSP to make a free melee or missile attack against anyone who attacks their chosen ward. The elan can do this twice per day, or four times per day if they have the 15-point version of Naturally Psionic.
**Psychic Strike**: The crucible guardian can spend one PSP to add 1d6 damage to any melee or missile attack made when defending their chosen ward. The elan can do this twice per day, or four times per day if they have the 15-point version of Naturally Psionic.
**Special Hindrances**
**Emotional Response**: Whenever their ward is in danger (DM’s discretion as to when this applies), the crucible guardian must save vs. spells or be compelled to attack the source of that danger.
**Exclusive Focus**: The crucible guardian suffers a –1 penalty to hit and a +2 initiative penalty when not engaged in combat directly linked to defending their ward.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
#### Perfected Infiltrator
Elan are most known for their role as spies and infiltrators, being used to replace influential and useful individuals and carry out the designs of the Order under the guise of their new identity. Some elan are designed to fulfill this role flawlessly, chosen when there needs to be minimal or no chance of discovery. These are the perfected infiltrators, elan who are constructed to exacting standards of deceptive ability.
A perfected infiltrator is first and foremost skilled at masquerade, at becoming someone so completely that even those closest to the person being impersonated would struggle to tell that anything is wrong. Elan use this power to pass unnoticed through the halls of the powerful, carrying out the plans of the Order.
Not all perfected infiltrators serve the Order, however. Since that powerful group of mindbenders’ recent dissension within its ranks, many perfected infiltrators have gone rogue – or been created independently of the Order – and now pursue their own designs, making use of their skills to further their own goals without discovery.
Perfected infiltrators make excellent spies and their skill in social situations means that they are well-suited to most urban undertakings. They are less comfortable out in the wilderness, understandably, but even there the infiltrator’s abilities can come into play with deep desert tribes and merchant caravans. With enough preparation, a perfected infiltrator can make their mark anywhere.
**Recommended Weapons**: A perfected infiltrator selects weapons most suited to their mission. That aside, they favor size S weapons for their ease of concealment.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Forgery, information gathering, intimidation, knowledge (local), language (modern, sign), observation, reading lips.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Disguise, etiquette, fast talk.
**Equipment**: The perfected infiltrator receives equipment that allows them to carry out their mission, usually three outfits and 100 cp in incidental gear.
**Special Benefits**
**Assess Opportunity**: When entering into a social situation, a perfected infiltrator can make a Wisdom check to assess that situation and gain insight into how to make the most of the social opportunities offered. They know when it is best to use flattery, intimidation, or bribery, when to rely on etiquette and manners, when to play dumb or seek to impress, and so on. If the perfected infiltrator makes the Wisdom check, they receive a +4 bonus to all related reaction rolls and non-weapon proficiency checks for the remainder of that social encounter.
**Unfailing Disguise**: A perfected infiltrator attempting to take the place of the original human upon which they were based automatically passes all non-weapon proficiency checks required to convince others of their identity. This includes disguise, etiquette, fast talk, forgery, and the like.
**Special Hindrances**
**Emotional Attachment**: A perfected infiltrator can become attached to friends and relatives of the person they are impersonating. The perfected infiltrator must save vs. Spells whenever they wish to take action that might harm one of these people. If they fail, the infiltrator must choose a different course of action.
**Mental Stress**: The effort of maintaining a flawless cover identity causes the perfected infiltrator considerable mental stress. They never receive a Will Bonus, regardless of their Wisdom score.
**Wealth Options**: Standard, plus the bonus gear listed under Equipment above.
#### Psionic Prodigy
With the elan famously created by the Order, it is little surprise that some of them boast impressive psionic abilities. A psionic prodigy is an elan who has been designed to make the most of their psychic potential, resulting in an individual destined to take their place among the great masters of the Way.
A psionic prodigy gains enhanced psionic abilities in addition to those granted by their elan nature, but their true power lies in leaving the bonds of flesh behind and becoming entities of pure mind. As the psionic prodigy grows in power, they become less and less tied to their corporeal form, and are eventually able to shed it entirely for extended periods.
Naturally, a psionic prodigy is best suited to the psionicist class, although some have proven to be potent wild talents, never bothering with the strict schooling and methods of Tarandan psionics. If their psionic reserves are sufficient, any elan can explore the realms of pure mind that are home to these elevated beings.
**Recommended Weapons**: None.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Crystal focus, harness subconscious, meditative focus, power manipulation, psionic detection.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Knowledge (cosmology, psiology), psicraft.
**Equipment**: Psionic prodigies are seldom interested in material possessions and generally only carry that which they need to survive.
**Special Benefits**
**Innate Talent**: The psionic prodigy starts with an additional 2 PSPs and gains one extra PSP every time they gain a level.
**Shed Body**: The psionic prodigy can take an action to spend one PSP per level in their highest-level class to become incorporeal for 1 round per level per day. The character gains a fly speed equal to their normal movement rate.
Initially, the character’s equipment does not become incorporeal. At 5th level, the character may cause all worn items to become incorporeal and gain any benefits granted by those items. At 10th level, the character may cause an item held in each hand to become incorporeal and use these items normally in their new state.
While in this state, the psionic prodigy gains a +2 bonus to all power checks and to their MAC. Their base Armor Class is 10 plus their Will Bonus (plus any bonuses granted by incorporeal armor or other items from 5th level onwards) and they gain all the benefits of being incorporeal – they can pass through solid objects, are only harmed by magical weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, and psionics, and can only be held at bay by force effects such as wall of force. Attacks with the psionic prodigy’s incorporeal weapons ignore physical armor.
While in this incorporeal state, the psionic prodigy is not invisible but appears as a ghostly form. They are silent and weightless, cannot fall, drown, or suffocate, but also cannot interact with physical objects except to make an attack, cast a spell, or manifest a power.
**Special Hindrances**
**Susceptible to Magic**: Their focus on the Way makes psionic prodigies especially vulnerable to magic. They suffer a permanent –4 penalty on saving throws against all spells and may never receive the benefit of magic resistance from any source.
**Weakened Physique**: Psionic prodigies are physically weaker than other elan. When rolling for hit points, the psionic prodigy uses a die one size smaller than is normal for their class (i.e., d10s become d8s, d8s become d6s, d6s become d4s, and d4s become d3s). From name level, the psionic prodigy receives one less hit point per level. This can result in the character receiving no hit points above name level if they would normally receive only one hit point.
**Wealth Options**: 1d4 x 30 cp.
#### Renegade Operative
The Order controlled its elan agents with a firm hand, deploying them on missions and using them to stir dissent and spread their influence across the Tablelands. But even the firmest hand must falter and, as time passes, more and more of the Order’s elan servants have won their independence.
A renegade operative is an former elan agent of the Order who no longer follows the dictates of that organization. Instead they have struck out on their own and now seek to forge a new existence and identity beyond the control of their creators.
Renegade operatives take the skills they were given and subsequently honed under the tutelage of the Order and put those to personal use, pursuing their own goals. They must always be wary of their former masters, however. The Order – even in its weakened state – does not forget or forgive easily, and renegade operatives live hunted lives.
**Recommended Weapons**: A renegade operative favors a spread of melee and missile weapons so that they are ready to meet whatever threats arise. Smaller, faster weapons give them a needed edge.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Disguise, endurance, heat protection, intimidation, knowledge (any), navigation, riding (land-based), survival.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: A renegade operative gains one bonus weapon proficiency.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Fast talk, information gathering, observation.
**Equipment**: A renegade operative starts play with one bone melee weapon and one bone missile weapon.
**Special Benefits**
**Expanded Skill**: A renegade operative is treated as having an additional class when it comes to spending non-weapon proficiency slots. In addition to their actual classes, the renegade operative picks another class and purchases non-weapon proficiencies at the cost listed for that class or their own, whichever is lower.
**Psychic Inspiration**: A renegade operative may spend one PSP to reroll any die once. The elan can do this twice per day, or four times per day if they have the 15-point version of Naturally Psionic.
**Special Hindrances**
**Hidden Enemies**: Renegade operatives run the risk of encountering loyal Order agents. Whenever the renegade operative visits a new settlement, there is a chance they will be identified by an agent of the Order, who will take action against them (as decided by the DM). The chance is 1 in 10 for a village, 2 in 10 for a town, and 3 in 10 for a city. Roll once per visit.
**Overly Cautious**: Renegade operatives struggle to trust others. They may never have followers, hire henchmen, or employ hirelings for a task that lasts for more than a single day.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
A brand new series of Lawful Stupid blogs, this one featuring rules for elan.Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/37f04d0b-73d8-41da-b873-5e94471bb6cc2024-03-08T13:23:43Z2024-03-10T12:00:02ZThe Athasian Survey Project 26 - Crossing the Jagged Cliffs“*Concentrate…focus on your breathing…push further downward with each breath…get lost in the breaths themselves…use your mind to reach for your core…and lift!*”
I evenly parsed out my instructions to Adicios. Both of our eyes were closed, but I did not need to see him to know where he was. I could tell from his breathing rate and from the gentle sound of fabric falling limp that his first efforts at levitation were successful.
With a smile, I said to him: “*Now open your eyes*.”
I knew what his reaction would be even before he let out a gasp and looked around in wonder.
I had chosen this spot just outside of Summil to train precisely because of the dramatic view over the Jagged Cliffs. It was just close enough to Thamasku to let us hide if we needed to, but not so close as to be dragged into the bustle of that crowded settlement. Like most Rhul-thaun villages, Summil is built along the ledges of two neighboring cliffs connected by a grand and ancient life-shaped bridge. We were standing in the middle of that bridge.
At this point, we were both hovering a good twenty or so feet above the ground, adding some height to our already impressive view.
“*...it’s incredible.*”, Adicios quietly said.
In spite of how quickly he was learning advanced techniques of The Way, I found it endearing just how he reacted to each new experience with such fresh eyes. It was all like an adventure to him.
I could see why the Veiled Alliance went to such lengths to protect him. A powerful preserver and a budding psion. They might finally have found a successor to Nerad…
“*Nicely done. You’ve now mastered Levitation. Let us discuss your next technique…*”
—--------------------------------------
Greetings my friends. Now the time has come to cross the Jagged Cliffs at last. And so I will provide an update on my journey and a new clairvoyant missive in the name of the Athasian Survey Project.
Upon concluding our business in Thamasku, we flew north over the modest Rhul-Thaun village of Sunnil. As I passed over this village I recall the time I had lived there among the Rhul-thaun. I must confess I wanted to see the village again out of nostalgia, not least because of the memories which have lately been resurfacing regarding Adicios. Even now it is painful to remember him; I continually replay in my thoughts what I could have done differently, and ponder how I could have better prepared him.
After a time, the land gave out from underneath us, dropping away to reveal unfathomably deep cliffs, extending far below into a narrow river of bluish-gray mist. Turning around, I was able to stare at the full glory of the Jagged Cliffs of Athas for only the second time in my life.
This image you are now seeing is what I saw when I looked back from atop our pterrax, looking west across the sunrise-painted cliffs just west of Sunnil.
Even seeing this in my memory still leaves me awestruck. The Jagged Cliffs seem endless, running as far as the eye can see not only across from left to right but also downwards. The Misty Border lay thousands of feet below us, a terrible unknown realm into which few have been foolish enough to venture into, and from which even fewer have ever returned. The only individuals I had spoken to within the Consortium who had knowledge of the region told unhinged tales of being pursued by the “Horrors of Rajaat”.
I’ve often wondered about the Misty Border’s permanence. Being the product of Rajaat’s personal magical experiments, surely a mere curse wouldn’t have produced an effect as long lasting as this. Either something in the climate itself must have been permanently broken, or the mist itself has an unidentified source at the foot of the Cliffs.
Sadly, in spite of my curiosity, I knew we would have been woefully unprepared for even a cursory fly-through of that region, so any exploration would have to wait for another day. We have a contact in Nirik waiting for us.
Until next time, may the moons guide you.
{% illustration 75d2c359-7f9f-4fed-b557-ec9ecae048ee aspect="full" %}
(*For those who recognise this picture from Earth, I have a copy of something the people of Earth call a CD-ROM, with the word “Myst” written on it. I have no idea what this is…*)
Source:
* *Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs*The Athasian Survey Project travels to the Rhul-Thaun village of Summil and then crosses the Jagged Cliffs.Neujacktag:athas.org,2005:Article/9a31cefe-037e-4b00-8695-47c16470de882024-03-03T15:41:49Z2024-03-06T12:00:02ZLawful Stupid blog #202 - Templar Wives# Templar Wives
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The Shadow King of Nibenay defines and controls the power of his templars through a smooth autocratic machine. With the exception of the lowest ranks, all are his brides, duly appointed in a special ceremony when they reach the age of sixteen. The templars are assigned to one of five governmental organizations known as Chambers, housed in specific Temples, through which they assist their husband in running his realm.
Below are presented five kits for Nibenese templar-wives. Each kit represents membership in one of these Chambers, with each granting unique abilities to templars. Each still enjoys the benefits of the templar class, modified according to their membership in one of the Chambers. A templar who is reassigned from one Chamber to another changes kit automatically and, after a period of re-training, replaces their old kit abilities with their new ones.
### Chamber of Air
Housed in the Temple of Thought, the Chamber of Air is also known as the University of the Naggaramakam (the Shadow King’s hidden city). Templars from this Chamber carry out magical and psionic research, and help train other templars and Nibenay’s arcanamach defilers.
The Shadow King also uses the Chamber of Air to handle certain special research projects, including translating writings found in ancient ruins, and has also made the Chamber responsible for the administration of the city’s state schools.
**Recommended Weapons**: None.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Etiquette, heraldry, information gathering, knowledge (arcanology, local history, psiology), spellcraft, teaching.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Bureaucracy, literacy, psicraft.
**Equipment**: Any.
#### Special Benefits
**Elemental Aptitude**: Templars of the Chamber of Air are treated as one level higher for all spell statistics when casting spells from the Sphere of Air.
**Psionic Schooling**: Templars from the Chamber of Air gain one additional psionic wild talent.
#### Special Hinderances
**Decreased Weapon Skill**: Templars of the Chamber of Air are less skilled with weapons. They receive one less weapon proficiency than normal at 1st level.
**Reduced Hit Die**: Templars of the Chamber of Air spend less time in physical training than other templars. They use d6 to determine their hit points instead of d8.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
### Chamber of Fire
Housed in the Temple of War, the Chamber of Fire is Nibenay’s chief military organization. It controls over a thousand half-giant warriors, commands undead war beetles, and oversees hostilities with neighboring Gulg.
Templars of the Chamber of Fire are trained first and foremost as warriors, before beginning their training as templars. They are drilled in close-formation fighting, making them dangerous opponents on the field of war.
**Recommended Weapons**: Spears or one-handed polearms are favored as these can be readily used in formation fighting along with shields.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Armor optimization, craft (armorer, weaponsmith), etiquette, heraldry, information gathering, intimidation, knowledge (local history).
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: The templar receives one additional weapon proficiency.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Bureaucracy, literacy.
**Equipment**: Any.
#### Special Benefits
**Elemental Aptitude**: Templars of the Chamber of Fire are treated as one level higher for all spell statistics when casting spells from the Sphere of Fire.
**Formation Combat**: Templars of the Chamber of Fire gain a +1 to hit, damage, and Armor Class when fighting alongside fellow templars from the Chamber of Fire in close formation.
#### Special Hindrances
**Delayed Spells**: Templars of the Chamber of Fire do not start gaining spells until they reach 3rd level instead of 2nd. Spellcasting ability is thereafter always one level behind that of the standard templar.
**Slow Advance**: Templars of the Chamber of Fire are used to fighting in a regimented manner. As a result, they have their movement rate reduced by 3 when fighting alongside their fellow templars in close formation.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
### Chamber of Earth
Housed in the Temple of the House, the Chamber of Earth is primarily a civic organization, handling all activities deemed necessary for keeping Nibenay’s “house” in order.
In addition to managing the day-to-day running of the city, including its reservoir, grain supply, public works, fields, roads, festivals, and taxes, the Chamber of Earth also oversees the Naggaramakam’s slave laborers and concubines.
**Recommended Weapons**: Any.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Craft (blacksmithing, carpentry, pottery, stonemasonry), heraldry, information gathering, intimidation, knowledge (local history).
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Bureaucracy, etiquette, literacy.
**Equipment**: Any.
#### Special Benefits
**Elemental Aptitude**: Templars of the Chamber of Earth are treated as one level higher for all spell statistics when casting spells from the Sphere of Earth.
**Requisition Slaves**: Templars of the Chamber of Earth may requisition slaves starting at 3rd level. The templar can call upon 1d4 slaves per level per day, accompanied by an overseer. The slaves cannot be ordered to leave the city without permission from the Shadow King. The templar cannot use this power to requisition troops of any kind.
#### Special Hindrances
**Civic Focus**: Templars of the Chamber of Earth lose the ability to requisition troops – this is replaced by the ability to requisition slaves, as noted above under Special Benefits.
**Proficiency Restriction**: Templars of the Chamber of Earth must start play with one of the craft non-weapon proficiencies listed under Recommended Non-Weapon Proficiencies above.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
### Chamber of Water
Housed in the Temple of Trade, the Chamber of Water has responsibility for Nibenay’s city gates and tariffs, as well as overseeing business licenses and relations with the dynastic merchant houses.
The Chamber of Water also coordinates all purchases and sales of government property. This includes trade goods such as grain and other exports, as well as slaves.
**Recommended Weapons**: Any.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Appraising, etiquette, fast talk, forgery, heraldry, information gathering, intimidation, knowledge (local history).
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies: Bargain, bureaucracy, literacy.
**Equipment**: Any.
#### Special Benefits
**Elemental Aptitude**: Templars of the Chamber of Water are treated as one level higher for all spell statistics when casting spells from the Sphere of Water.
**Welcome Bribes**: Templars of the Chamber of Water are frequently on the receiving ends of bribes and other gifts to garnish their daily activities and ensure the smooth flow of trade. The templar gains a monthly income of 100 cp per level in addition to any other earnings.
#### Special Hindrances
**Favors**: Templars of the Chamber of Water are enmeshed in a system of mutual favors with the merchant houses. Whenever the templar wishes to use any of their secular authority powers on a merchant (the ability to access homes, command, accuse, or judge an individual), the templar must first pass a Charisma check. Failing this check means the target calls in a favor and the attempt is negated.
**Unwelcome Bribes**: Templars of the Chamber of Water are expected to pay bribes as well as receive them. Whenever the templar wishes to use any of their secular authority powers (the ability to access homes, command, accuse, or judge an individual), the templar must pay a bribe of 1d10 cp per level to the target or their owner (in the case of slaves).
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
### Chamber of Order
Housed in the Temple of the King’s Law, the Chamber of Order is a feared organization. It enjoys sweeping powers within the Nibenese government and society, and has direct responsibility for supervising law enforcement, administering justice, and maintaining the city’s rolls of citizenry.
The Chamber of Order polices Nibenay and its templarate, resolves civil disputes, and manages the prisons. It additionally runs the city’s myrmeleon program, used to infiltrate local chapters of the Veiled Alliance.
**Recommended Weapons**: Any.
**Recommended Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Cryptography, disguise, etiquette, heraldry, information gathering, knowledge (local history), language (sign), observation.
**Bonus Weapon Proficiencies**: None.
**Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies**: Bureaucracy, intimidation, literacy.
**Equipment**: Any.
#### Special Benefits
**Accuse Templar**: A templar of the Chamber of Order can accuse any templar of lower level of a crime. Regardless of evidence, the accused templar will be locked in Nibenay’s dungeons for as long as the accusing templar wishes or until pardoned by another templar of 17th level or higher.
**Commandeer Resources**: Templars of the Chamber of Order can commandeer resources or subordinates from any lower-level templar in any other Chamber. Generally speaking, the lower-level templar can be forced to use their abilities to meet the commandeering templar’s needs (including requisitioning troops or slaves, as appropriate), or provide resources of a value up to 100 cp per level of the commandeering templar.
#### Special Hindrances
**Enemies**: Templars of the Chamber of Order make enemies as part of their normal activities; enemies who may choose to act against the templar, given opportunity. A Templar of the Chamber of Order starts play with 1d2 enemies of low level. As time goes by, the templar will probably make new ones. Old enemies may grow stronger as the templar gains levels. Good choices might include other templars, nobles, merchants, criminals, and bards. The DM should judge when and where enemies show up. Their actions may range from simply spreading rumors about the templar to deadly attempts on their life.
**Lend Resources**: Whenever a Templar of the Chamber of Order wishes to use their ability to requisition templars or funds, they must pass a Charisma check. On a failed roll, those resources are instead diverted to some covert program or other project, and not made available to the templar.
**Wealth Options**: Standard.
A brand new series of Lawful Stupid blogs, this one featuring rules for Nibenese templars.
Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/7aa5de4c-11aa-42ab-8779-8e17cf6115082024-03-02T20:50:22Z2024-03-03T04:33:47ZCreatures of Athas: Fidari### Fidari
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CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Common
ORGANIZATION: Pack
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night
DIET: Omnivore/Scavenger
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
TREASURE: U ( 1%)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-6
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 12 (leap 15)
HIT DICE: 3
THACo: 18
No. Attacks: 3 or 1
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: D6/D6/D8 or 2D8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Headbutt
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Leaping, Immune to Poison
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: M 4' Long
MORALE: 7 (Irregular)
XP VALUE: 270
PSIONICS SUMMARY: None
Players Option: MAC: 9, MTHAC0: Nil
**Description**: Fidari are about six feet long and usually stand on all four limbs. They have the elongated snout and rough skin of an alligator, but their body shape is that of a kangaroo, with large hind legs, a long tail, small forearms, large ears, and a pouch. Fidari skin is usually gray and brown with sandy yellow stripes. Their teeth are much like those of a human in regards to the shape: some are sharp for rending meat while others are flat for grinding plant matter. They feed themselves with their forearms, which have four fingers, using their tails to balance when standing on their hind legs to reach the foliage on higher branches. The top of a fidari's head is covered in bone plates that extend down to the tip of their snout.
**Combat**: Fidari detest combat, being shy and extremely skittish, and they leap away at the first sign of danger; the only exception to this being if their young are endangered. When in combat, fidari headbutt an enemy (2d8) on the first attack to knock them off balance (save vs. Breath Weapon). They can only headbutt if the opponent is at least 10' away (they can leap up to 20 ft), as their leap carries them the distance . If the opponent is knocked down the fidari leaps away if it can do it safely; if the opponent is not knocked down the fidari attacks twice with their front claws (1d6 each) and a vicious bite (1d8). Fidari are completely (100%) immune to all poisons.
**Habitat/Society**: Fidari live in small family groups consisting of a mother, father, and up to 4 young. They mate every year for about one month. The mother carries the young for 4 months, in a litter of 1-4 young. The young grow up within the year and leave when the mother gives birth the next year. If no young are born, then the previous year's litter will remain with the parents. Both the mother and father take care of the young. Both sexes have pouches which are used to store food. The pouch is like a fourth stomach, slightly digesting food which is then given to the young. The young eat this predigested food for their first three months, but then they must switch to regular food, as the digestive fluids in the pouch dry up and the parent uses the pouch to store food for their own later consumption.
**Ecology**: Fidari are hated by all civilized folk, being seen as a scourge to both herders and farmers. Even though they are skittish, fidari hunt livestock. If they cannot find a suitable herd animal, they will feast on a farmer's crop. Fidari have been known to eat anything, and they will even eat carrion if necessary. When eating an animal, they will eat and digest all the parts, including bones, and the same goes for parts of plants that are not edible to other animals. This indiscriminate appetite is due to their strong stomach acids and complicated digestive system - fidari have 3 stomachs, each with powerful acids.
There are many parts of fidari that humanoids find useful: their hide can be made into excellent armor (AC6); their stomach fluid acts as a potent acid capable of eating through metal in 1d6 rounds; their stomachs are highly durable and, if made into pouches, will be about the size of a large cantaloupe and only have a 5% of tearing (roll of 1 on a d20 roll). Fidari meat is inedible due to their diet of poisonous plants.A new creature for your Dark Sun games - the ravenous Fidari.Raddutag:athas.org,2005:Article/4d46dfe3-c04a-4b36-9f93-81f4b5aeb7082024-02-25T14:28:37Z2024-03-03T15:42:20ZLawful Stupid blog #201 - Campsites## Campsites
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Like lots of people, I’ve been playing too much Baldur’s Gate 3, and one of the most enjoyable aspects of that game has been hanging out at camp. Not just for all the fun interactions that happen there, but for the overall vibe of the place: the tents; the campfires; the feeling that these characters have a place where they can rest, recuperate, and relax between all the murder.
I thought it would be cool if there were a way to model that for Dark Sun (or other games) but adventurers don’t always go to the trouble of setting up tents or making their campsite look nice. Sometimes they just collapse on a grimy dungeon floor or tie themselves to a tree or bed down inside a rope trick. So maybe there should be a way to represent different qualities of campsites and lay out some good or bad consequences for how your gladiator spends the night…
This blog details a basic campsite system for the AD&D 2e *Dark Sun* game, but you can easily modify this system for the edition of your choice. It’s largely based around proficiency and skill checks, with simple consequences that you can adapt as needed.
### Resting at Camp
Resting during or between adventures brings several benefits. Characters can heal injuries, regain spells and class abilities, and prepare for the next step of their endeavors. There are three levels of rest in the game: **inferior rest**, **standard rest**, and **superior rest**. Each comes with its own drawbacks, benefits, and requirements.
#### Inferior rest
This type of rest occurs when a character takes no effort to ensure a restful night. They do not have so much as a bedroll, sleeping instead on an open dune, bare stone, or floorboards. They have no tent or other protection from the elements, and are not shielded in any way from adverse environmental effects; food is poor or scavenged. The following consequences apply for a night of inferior rest:
**Disease**: All characters taking inferior rest run the risk of contracting a disease or parasitic infestation. If you have access to the *AD&D 1e Dungeon Master’s Guide*, there are systems on pages 13 and 14 you can use to model this type of thing. You could alternatively allow a saving throw against poison to avoid being infected with an equivalent of the infestation spell from *Earth, Air, Fire, and Water*. You could look at Athas.org’s 3.5e [*Terrors of Athas*](https://athas.org/products/toa) and [*Terrors of the Dead Lands*](https://athas.org/products/totdl) and draw ideas from the diseases presented there, including tari fever, sitak fever, wheezing death, red ache, or filth fever. Finally, there is also Rajaat99’s excellent work on Athasian diseases at their Adventures under the Dark Sun blog [https://darksunadventures.blogspot.com/2022/12/athasian-diseases-and-treatment-pdf.html](https://darksunadventures.blogspot.com/2022/12/athasian-diseases-and-treatment-pdf.html).
**Healing**: Characters taking inferior rest do not heal any injuries naturally overnight. If the character takes an inferior rest for an entire day, they heal a single hit point. If you are playing another edition, reduce the effectiveness of the appropriate healing rules to their minimum.
**Spellcasters**: Spellcasters taking inferior rest must save vs. poison or fail to get enough rest to prepare spells the following morning. (This mirrors the standard Dark Sun rule for sleeping during the day and the effect it has on spell recovery.)
**Rogues**: Rogues taking inferior rest suffer a -20% penalty on all rogue skills the following day.
**Warriors**: For the following day, all warriors taking inferior rest lose their ability to attack once per round against creatures with less than one Hit Die. If you do not use this rule, you can substitute a different low-level ability. Rangers might suffer a -20% penalty to their Hide in Shadows and Move Silently skills. Gladiators might lose their 4-point modifier for unarmed combat. Fighters might lose their ability to instruct others or oversee the operation or construction of war machines or defensive emplacements.
The point here is that characters suffer a minor inconvenience for not getting a decent night’s sleep. And maybe also a horrible parasitic infestation, but that serves them right, honestly.
#### Standard Rest
A standard rest occurs when a character sleeps on a bedroll or in a bed and is protected from the elements by a tent, inn, or other structure. They enjoy a fire, ample rations, and sleep in relative comfort.
A standard rest is the normal level of rest expected for characters in the game and carries no penalties. Spellcasters may prepare their spells as normal the following day and other classes lose none of their class abilities. The following conditions apply:
**Healing**: The character heals a single hit point overnight, or two hit points if they are tended by someone with the healing non-weapon proficiency.
If the character takes an entire day of standard rest, the character heals three hit points, or five hit points if they are tended by someone with the healing non-weapon proficiency.
If the character spends a full week of standard rest, they heal 21 hit points plus their Stamina Bonus, or 42 hit points plus their Stamina Bonus if tended by someone with the healing and herbalism non-weapon proficiencies.
If you are playing another edition, substitute the appropriate healing rules.
#### Superior Rest
With a superior rest, the character enjoys the best possible conditions. They sleep on a bedroll or in a bed, are protected from the elements by a tent, inn, or other structure, and have the benefit of a fire. They enjoy fresh, nourishing food (not trail rations). If camping, their campsite is cleared and prepared by someone familiar with the environment. Their spirits are further lifted by good company, song, or cheer. Spellcasters may prepare their spells as normal the following day and other classes lose none of their class abilities. The following requirements and conditions apply:
**Food**: The character consumes freshly cooked food prepared with the craft (cooking) non-weapon proficiency. This food may be gathered with the herbalism, hunting, or survival non-weapon proficiencies beforehand. Substitute the appropriate skills if you are playing another edition.
**Campsite**: If not at an inn, the campsite must be prepared by someone with the appropriate survival non-weapon proficiency for that type of environment. Substitute the appropriate skills if you are playing another edition.
**Good Cheer**: The character must have their spirits lifted by experiencing a song, tale, or other use of the expression non-weapon proficiency. Substitute the appropriate skills if you are playing another edition.
**Healing**: Characters who enjoy a superior rest receive all the benefits of healing listed under a standard rest.
**Initiative**: Characters who enjoy a superior rest receive a -2 bonus to all initiative rolls the following day (or a positive modifier if you are playing another edition).
**Free Reroll**: Characters who enjoy a superior rest receive one free reroll the following day. Under D&D5e, this might be represented by awarding inspiration.
The overall purpose of this system is to add flavor to something that is usually glossed over – but it can easily be handwaved by declaring all rests to be standard rests if the players do not wish to engage with this type of system. For those that do, it makes choices of food, equipment, and proficiencies more meaningful: now it matters if you brought a bedroll or a tent; now it matters if you are eating dried z’tal jerky yet again or are instead feasting on a haunch of juicy erdlu freshly caught by your kreen hunter and prepared by your halfling chef; now you can use your skill with the Nibenese nose-flute to lift your companions’ spirits around the campfire and enjoy the benefits the next day when you fail your saving throw against that hunting cactus’ *ego whip*.
Rules on how to most effectively romance the druid are not covered in this blog.
A brand new series of Lawful Stupid blogs, this one featuring rules for campsites and resting.Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/3fa496da-9845-4e1f-aa1e-8fa7ebc2dbf52024-02-25T01:25:56Z2024-02-25T17:08:25ZThe Dangers of Travel, Part 1 – The Crimson Savannah{% illustration f4f5582a-077a-4abf-9983-ad80f8823319 aspect="full" %}
*Oronis,
I know what and who you are.
I taste your aspirations like the sweat dripping from your brow.
I see where you are going if you continue on your course. You don’t even see it.*
*I share these secrets with none but you as my part of our agreement. My messenger presents you here with the first of my gifts of knowledge. Each of these cards holds an eyewitness account of travel in distant lands, describing the dangers the peoples of the Tablelands face should they stray too far from their relatively safe city-states. You can place this catalog of “The Dangers of Travel” cards within your Wisdom of the Drylanders manual.*
*I know my messenger Dijja desires your company and wisdom on her own account, and offers herself to be your servant at my bidding. Take her services and her wisdom as another gift from me. In return for all of this, I demand what you provided to Wheelock the Poisoner: Immortality. Wheelock dwells in his pit without aging.*
*Now that I have delivered my messenger into your hands, you have a choice. Should you kill Dijja, or otherwise reject my gift and send her back to me, then we shall proceed to war. Try your best to find me while I foil and expose your spies and spill your secrets to the sorcerer kings and queens, the Mind Lords, and what is left of The Order.*
*Should you accept my gifts and commence our gift war, I swear to give up all attempts to find out what you are really doing in Orohna Valley. Take your secrets to the Gray. I know neither you nor even your minions dream about it - that is power I can respect. Yet I lost a brother, a sister’s daughter, and a dearer-than-life friend whilst trying to probe the mysteries of Orohna Valley. Pay me their blood price – I want more life! – or I will avenge their blood upon you and yours.*
*Xain*
### The Crimson Savannah
I first scouted the Floorlands seeking sources and samples for Wheelock the Poisoner. Wheelock found it impossible to grow any of the plants or to sustain any of the substance-producing life forms from the Floorlands of the Crimson Savannah in his dry-houses & wet houses of the Ivory Triangle. Using much inducement and one dire threat, Wheelock engaged me for years to travel to the Crimson Savannah and gather what could not be cultivated in the Tablelands despite all of the art of all of his many contacts. I continued in this capacity until the end of the Psionic Event dramatically closed my business in the Crimson Savannah.
The Floorlands contain parasites, diseases, and poisons which can kill, cripple, or drive you mad – if you are lucky. If unlucky, you may bring home something (or someone) that kills everyone that you know. The Floorlands’ greatest danger to our minds, bodies, and everyone that we know – to the very survival of the Tablelands - comes not from the climate, parasites, flora, fauna, diseases, or even the lack of resources, but from the Floorlands’ primary inhabitants – the Kreen.
Do not think of kreen as “fauna.” Make no mistake – to Floorlands kreen, we are the fauna. Their word for us – dra – connotes “thinking meat” amongst the kreen: prey are not people, even if the prey are smarter than the people. Prior to the Psionic Event, Floorlands kreen regarded the few local dra as tasty curiosities. I found kreen tolerated my presence if my kreen companion introduced me as his slave. Sometimes I would prick my shoulder & let my “master” sample my blood, like one might milk livestock. Other Floorlands kreen even occasionally tried to capture or eat me, if they did not sufficiently fear or respect my kreen “master”.
Over the years, my team gathered herbs and minerals, and traded with kreen packs, the bvanen of the Swamp, and the sentient amphibians of Kano Swamp. We learned to carry our own food, to give ourselves time to acclimate to the low-lands, to eat sparingly of the creatures and herbs taken from the waters. We suffered many casualties at first, but Wheelock developed remedies for the parasites, diseases, poisons, and unique conditions suffered by Tablelanders (even kreen!) who venture into the Floorlands.
Notwithstanding Wheelock’s salves and remedies, conditions within the Floorlands were the least hospitable that I have experienced, with the Crimson Savannah only somewhat safer than the swamp at the Cliff’s base. Our mounts died no matter what we did. We had to carry in our own food and water at first. Wheelock gave us preparations to purify the water, but it’s impossible to stop your kank from licking dew from the saw-grass, or to get any mount to mask its face or breathing holes. The saw-grass seed tufts look like the plants you Kurnans call “weasel-tail.” The kreen call them thok-dul - earth-life’s dancing egg. The saw-grass tore at our clothing and laid flat from our passage, leaving a clear path wherever we went. Our latrines attracted clouds of invisible flies that could be heard for miles.
During the months of the Psionic Event, the kreen – including my kreen guides – went into a frenzy. Trade with the kreen packs became impossible and attacks increased. We only survived because their organization was poor and because packmates sometimes fought each other out of frustration. Seeing the Kreen threat abated, one of my partners flouted Wheelock’s advice, established a trading post in the Floorlands between the Savannah and the reptile-inhabited marshes.
Since the Psionic Event, at least one settled kreen group in the Crimson Savannah is said to have begun to mark its border with humanoid skulls engraved with story-telling kreen syllables. The Floorlands packs have apparently ceased seeing dra merely as tasty prey temporarily in possession of rich untapped hunting grounds, now seeing us as dangerous hostiles – a threat to their survival.
With the Psionic Event at an end, my party – experienced in handling ordinary Floorlands terrors – fell to waves of kreen attacks. The kreen gave us no time to rest or to recover - one pack after another would attack and then move on. Those of us that survived used a psionically empowered stone to travel to what we thought was a safe place – the trading post - but parasites and diseases had doomed the settlement even before the kreen recovered. Our priest retrieved the grisly story from the dead. As Wheelock had predicted, tragedy befell the traders - parasites had devoured their animal’s bodies from the inside and an insect-borne disease caused a madness that drove the traders to violence against each other.
Our only recourse was to leave the Floorlands, returning to the Cliffs on foot. My skill and Wheelock’s balms allowed our survivors to travel the grass unmarked, and we built tents over our latrines and covered the holes when we left to avoid the tell-tale clouds, but the kreen caught us before we reached the Cliffs. When their attacks had reduced us to half our number, the kreen offered surrender terms.
Terms they did not honor. The settled kreen we were sold to were polite at first, feeding us while asking us questions. When we ran out of answers, they began to feed on us, while asking the questions that we had not answered, one bite at a time. I watched my arms and legs reduced to bone over a few days. They used some yellow mixture to staunch the blood flow while not reducing the pain.
You might wonder how I survived this torture. I did not survive; I do not know what skill or magics recovered me from the Gray, and as to who revived me, I will not say.
#### Dangers in Game Terms
* Psionic solitaire worms lay eggs in the edible fruit of many scrub bushes. The fruit’s seeds and the eggs pass safely through the stomach and the eggs hatch in the intestines where the larval worms fight each other, causing gastric distress & loud gurgling noises for approximately 3 days. When only a few survivors remain, they cause the host to feel energized and driven to cover as much distance as possible. This increases the host’s walking speed by 33% (usually an additional 10 feet per round) for 3 days and increases their endurance (giving them advantage on Constitution saves for traveling long hours). After another 3 days, the host loses the ability to sleep and begins to panic if they cannot keep moving. At this point, the immature worms stop bolstering the host’s endurance and allow the host to suffer the full effects of the induced stress (both mental and physical); hosts rarely survive for more than 3 days like this. When the host parishes, a new bush sprouts from the host’s remains. The adult solitaire worms colonize the bush and lay eggs within its fruit, perpetuating the cycle.
* Swarms of small, biting insects hover around watering holes and other stagnant pools of water, eager for tender, unprotected flesh. The insects’ droning and biting are often infuriating, but the disease they carry can be deadly. The disease usually begins to manifest in 5 to 10 days, causing headaches, agitation, and increased thirst. Five days after the initial symptoms appear, victims start to show a severe aversion to light and fire, and become prone to random outbursts of violence. For those few who survive that long, at 15 to 20 days after infection, victims develop an unquenchable thirst and have been known to drink themselves to death (an extremely rare cause of death on Athas).
* The change in elevation from the Hinterlands at the top of the Jagged Cliffs to the lowlands of the Swamp at the base of the Cliffs can be difficult on those not acclimated to the change. After descending the Jagged Cliffs down to within 100 miles of their base, heavy exertion - including fighting and running - for more rounds than one’s Constitution score leads to hyperventilation.
* While it's not something usually addressed, in the Crimson Savannah, if the PCs don’t specifically state that they build a covered latrine or otherwise cover their waste after relieving themselves, the chances of having an encounter double in that camp or while in the general area, as small predators and parasites will be drawn to the smell and target the PCs.
There are more dangers in the world of Dark Sun than just the monsters. This series explores the dangers one might encounter when traveling through various parts of Athas.
Today we examine the dangers of the Crimson Savannah.braxtag:athas.org,2005:Article/a6ddc9f7-be0a-449f-a4f6-36fb5ca52ea72024-02-18T12:56:54Z2024-02-18T15:47:28ZLawful Stupid blog, Repost #8 - ClassesDark Sun classes differ from the standard PHB classes in several ways, and these differences extend into higher-level play. Dark Sun’s *Dragon Kings* sourcebook gave rules for playing characters up to 30th level but a few years after this, another book for Core AD&D 2e – *DM Option: High-Level Campaigns* – also presented rules for play up to 30th level. But there was no real overlap between these two rule-sets. So here’s how you can use ideas from the High-Level Campaigns book with your Dark Sun characters.
We’re going to take a look at fighters in this blog, but at the end of the blog there’s a pdf with all the main Dark Sun classes expanded out to 30 levels of play, incorporating ideas from **Dragon Kings**, **High-Level Campaigns**, and a few other sources as well. Enjoy!
Fighter
Ability Requirements: Strength 9
Armour: All
Weapons: All
From the small forts in sandy wastes of Athas to the guards of the merchant houses in the city-states, fighters can be found everywhere in the Tablelands. On Athas, the fighter is a trained warrior, a soldier skilled in mass warfare. Every society on Athas maintains an army of fighters to protect itself from attack or to wage wars of plunder and annihilation against its neighbours. Fighters are both the commanders and soldiers in these armies and, at higher levels, are experts in individual and formation combat, leadership, and morale.
Fighters can be of any alignment. While fighters cannot cast spells, they can use many magical items, including potion fruit, protection scrolls, most rings, and all forms of enchanted armour, weapons and shields.
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#### Class Abilities
**Proficient**: Fighters are automatically proficient in all weapons without spending any weapon proficiency slots.
**Specialization**: As a master of weapons and combat, a fighter can use a particular weapon with exceptional skill, improving his chances to hit and cause damage with that weapon. Initially, a fighter can only specialize in a single weapon.
A fighter can also develop his skill in a number of fighting styles. A fighter buys specializations with weapon proficiencies. [See Blog #6 - Fighting Styles](https://athas.org/articles/lawful-stupid-blog-repost-6-fighting-styles)
**Combat Dominance**: The fighter can attack once per level every round against foes with less than one Hit Die.
**Instructor**: A fighter can teach other characters weapon proficiencies when he reaches 3rd level. The fighter can train students in the use of any weapon. The fighter may train a number of students equal to his level in a single class – a class requires 8 hours of training each and every day for one month. At the end of that time each student must make an Intelligence check; those who pass become proficient in that weapon. A student may only be trained once, regardless of success, with a specific weapon. Students can become proficient with any number of new weapons in this manner.
**Danger Sense**: From 4th level, the fighter can make a Wisdom check to discover threats that are not obvious to less perceptive characters. The fighter can sense if hidden enemies are lurking in any area he can see well, scanning an area roughly 200 yards square in a single round, and discerning approximately how many creatures are hiding in the area and their approximate size. On the individual level, the fighter can tell if a creature is prepared to attack, determining the battle readiness of every being in an area the size of a 30-foot cube. He can study a single creature to determine if it has any concealed weapons, noting their general size, location, and type.
**Operate War Machines**: A fighter can operate and supervise the use of war machines when he reaches 4th level, including bombardment engines (like ballistae, catapults, and trebuchet), crushing engines (like rams and bores), and siege towers. In addition to being able to serve as crew for these machines, war machines under his supervision can be prepared for fire without any additional delay.
(We’ll be covering war machines and defensive emplacements in an upcoming blog.)
**Construct Defences**: A fighter can supervise the construction of defensive emplacements when he reaches 5th level. The fighter can build them at half normal cost due to his skill and efficiency, if he does not already have access to the raw materials required.
**Commander**: A fighter can command large numbers of troops when he reaches 6th level. He has mastered the skills and techniques to take charge of 100 soldiers per level – this includes terminology, use of messengers and signals, use of psionic and magical aids to communication, etc.
The fighter gains a Command Diameter equal to his level plus his Loyalty Adjustment. Note that this ability allows the fighter to command troops assigned to him, but does not give him the ability to raise the troops himself.
**Extra Attack**: The fighter gains an extra attack every other round with all melee weapons at 7th level and an extra attack every round at 13th level.
Construct War Machines: Once the fighter reaches 8th level, he can oversee the construction of heavy war machines. The fighter can build them at half normal cost due to his skill and efficiency, if he does not already have access to the raw materials required.
**Followers**: As a fighter increases in experience levels, his reputation as a warrior and leader of men grows. As word spreads, less experienced warriors who are eager to fight for the same causes will seek him out. These followers remain loyal to the fighter for as long as they are not mistreated and there are battles to be fought.
Followers are always gained in groups of 10 individuals called a stand. All 10 are of the same race and experience level and have the same equipment. A unit consists of some number (usually 2–20) of identical stands.
Once a fighter reaches 9th level, he attracts his first unit of followers. This first unit will always be made up of warriors of the same race and background as the fighter (if the fighter is a slave tribesman, so will be his first unit of followers). The first unit consists of 1d10+2 stands (30–120 individuals). Roll 1d2+1 to determine the unit’s level.
As the fighter gains each new level beyond 9th, he will attract another unit of followers. These subsequent followers may be of different backgrounds than the fighter himself.
A fighter cannot avoid gaining followers. The desperate populations of Athas are constantly on the lookout for great commanders; warriors who will lead them on campaigns of glory. These warriors pledge themselves to the fighter’s banner.
A fighter continues to gain followers beyond 20th level. Each level he gains another unit of followers with 1d20+10 stands and of 1d10+2 levels; it is 50% likely to be special in nature.
**Bravery**: From 10th level, the fighter can harness his own strength of will to resist any fear effect. The character is immune to any form of unnatural fear from a spell, creature, or magical item.
**Bypass Resistance**: Beginning at 11th level, a fighter using any weapon – including his bare hands – can harm creatures that are normally hit only by +1 or better magical weapons. The fighter does not actually get an attack or damage bonus but can harm creatures such as a lycanthropes with any physical attack. This power is not magical and is not diminished by factors such as planar distances or effects that disrupt magic. At 15th level, a fighter can harm creatures that are hit only by +2 or better weapons. This ability increases to allow the fighter to strike creatures that require a +3 weapon at 19th level, a +4 weapon at 23rd level, and a +5 weapon at 27th level.
**Companion**: At 21st level, the fighter gains a powerful individual follower sympathetic to his cause. The new follower must have been impressed by the fighter’s accomplishments before he attained his new level. The DM determines the exact follower. Some examples include a high-level preserver, cleric, or ranger; a belgoi champion; or wayward half-giant. If necessary, use the Ranger’s Followers table to determine the follower.
**Elites**: A fighter can create entire units of elites upon reaching 21st level. The unit of followers to be trained must be of at least 5th level and can have no more stands than the fighter’s level. The unit’s equipment, mounts, or special characteristics have no effect.
Training to elite status takes 30 uninterrupted days. At the end of that time, the unit gains certain advantages: its AD rises to the next higher die (AD 6 becomes AD 8, etc.); its AC is improved by one point; its hits are increased by 3 points; and its ML is raised 4 points. Individual characters within the unit gain no benefit; the elite status applies only to the unit as a whole. New characters recruited into the unit are not considered elites. A fighter may train unlimited numbers of elite units.
**Improved Specialization**: From 21st level, a fighter can specialize in any number of weapons, paying for this as normal with weapon proficiency slots.
**Challenge**: At 25th level, a fighter can issue a verbal challenge that can shake an enemy’s resolve. To use this ability, the fighter must be in plain sight, within hearing, and close enough to see the opponent’s face clearly (10 yards if the visibility is good). This ability is not an attack and has no initiative modifier.
Opponents with 4+1 Hit Dice/levels or less retreat, cautiously backing away and avoiding confrontation with the fighter for the rest of the day. If the fighter or his party attacks, the creature can return the attack, with the penalties detailed below. If the opponent has more than 4+2 Hit Dice/levels, it receives a save vs. death magic to escape the effects.
If the creature fails its saving throw, it retreats from the fighter or remains in the area, suffering a +2 penalty on initiative and a –2 penalty on attacks, saving throws, and ability checks as long as the fighter remains within 60 feet. The creature may leave the area to avoid the effects, launching missile attacks or directing other activities, but the penalties return once it gets within 60 feet of the fighter.
If the opponent has 10 or more Hit Dice, it is compelled to answer the challenge and attack the fighter. If it fails the save against death magic, it must immediately advance and engage in physical combat unless restrained by another creature (restraint breaks the compulsion to attack, but occupies the creatures involved for a full round). Creatures unwilling to fight can attempt to save vs. death magic each round to break off the fight, otherwise, they engage in melee with the fighter. Affected creatures can employ spells or missiles if they wish, but must close to melee before doing so.
**Hardiness**: As a last ditch effort, a fighter can extend his life once per day. Instead of falling unconscious at zero hit points and dying at –10, the fighter can remain active until reaching –20 hit points, functioning in this state for 20 rounds. If not healed above –10 hit points by the end of this period, the fighter dies.
During this period, the fighter is immune to blindness, deafness, ability score reductions, paralysation, petrification, polymorph, energy drain, magical aging and the spells age creature, antipathy, cause blindness/deafness, colour spray, contagion, energy drain, holy word, hold person, phantasmal killer, polymorph other, and any power word.
Hardiness does not delay simple damage from any source, including continuing damage, such as Melf’s acid arrow or a sword of wounding, or special forms of physical damage, such as severed limbs or broken bones. Nor does it protect against effects that are not directly harmful, such as charms, entanglement, or imprisonment.
A repost of articles from the Lawful Stupid RPG blog, this one featuring rules for Dark Sun Classes.Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/19522622-d7db-4d4f-a84c-19efacde4e2b2024-02-11T00:09:29Z2024-02-11T02:06:57ZThe Athasian Survey Project 25 - ThamaskuDear friends, I thought I should give you all an update on my journey, in the name of the Athasian Survey Project.
Approaching the city of Thamasku proved somewhat easier than I had expected. The Rhul-thaun keep themselves aloof from the rest of the continent, doing nothing to encourage any sort of tourism from the Tablelands and still remaining at a stand-off with the Kreen Empire. However, given the proximity of several oases surrounding the shelf where Thamasku is located, the city does occasionally see visitors. While the Rhul-thaun have entirely their own unique currency and they have a low opinion of mechanical and non-living tools brought by outsiders, they can be bartered with. There are even a few goods they do respond positively to, such as the gemstones and potion fruits I had brought with me on advice from colleagues in the Consortium...
No first time visitor from the outside can ever really know what to expect when visiting a Rhul-thaun village, let alone the grand and ancient city of Thamasku. The Rhul-thaun use a distinctive brand of artificing known as “life-shaping,” a process by which they craft strange living creatures to serve their every need - from tools, to clothing, to their very homes; due to the unique and remarkable nature of this technique, their entire existence often seems profoundly alien to outsiders. Indeed, Thamasku almost seems to be grown into the forest itself. This explains why this image I have sent of the outskirts of the city looks so deceptively primitive.
What you see here is the view from the south along the southeast side of the lake. Between the weather and natural camouflage, most newcomers wouldn't see most of the major inhabited structures until you were nearly right on top of them. And at that point, it almost feels as if you’ve been swallowed by the jungle.
I had learned my pterran companion Odten’s merchant house had been to Thamasku previously, and he told me of a clearing house on the edge of the medina where we could request a guide for our visit. So we set down just outside the city proper and made our way to the market district.
As we navigated through the narrow and twisting halfling-sized paths between the living, stone, and wooden buildings, I could not help but notice the ever-present feeling of claustrophobia. It seems the Rhul-thaun not only design dwellings specifically for individuals of their stature, but they also seem to consider space to be at a premium and clearly have no concerns with feeling crowded. The structures seemed haphazardly placed, with the alleys weaving between the structures. I must admit I was quite curious about Rhul-thaun architecture, since this was the first time I had ever seen a life-shaped structure. So I tried to examine the buildings as I passed beside or through them. Most were small open spaces with large windows peering out into the forest beyond, and walls and windows seemingly formed without a single straight line or sharp edge in sight.
When we reached the clearing house we sought, my companion inquired about hiring a guide. We were told in rough trade language to “Wait here.” It was only after quite a significant amount of time that another person appeared - a balding, middle-aged Rhul-thaun with an unctuous face. When we asked him to assist us in finding the supplies we needed, he introduced himself as Jem-oglahr, gave us a greasy smile, and said in overly polished trade language “Surely! Follow me, my friends!”
He led us back out into the medina, which turned out to only be the first of the city’s three markets: the food market (mainly selling fish), the crafts market (where we were), and the life-shaping market. As Jem-oglahr took us to the life-shaping market, our way through the city was so convoluted - moving along streets, alleys, and tunnels between buildings as we did - that I struggled to keep up. He eventually brought us to a trader with whom he seemed to be very familiar. At first, the trader acted like he didn’t have everything we were looking for, but after a look and a few comments from our middle man, his attitude changed and he disappeared into the back of his shop. When he returned, he presented us with all our desired goods, all very well-packed and wrapped up in the Rhul-thaun’s fascinating cloth. I am certain we were charged an extortionate amount for what we acquired, but I also am certain we had little room to negotiate in our circumstances.
We did not stay in the city any longer than we had to - the Rhul-thaun made no effort to make us feel welcome in spite of doing business with us. So we acquired our goods, made arrangements with the clearing house to ensure we would be able to cross the Jagged Cliffs without being challenged, and then set up camp outside of the city.
Tomorrow, we cross the Jagged Cliffs into the Crimson Savannah. Until next time, may the moons guide you.
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Sources:
* The Wanderer’s Journal
* Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs
*(To anyone who can guess this location from Earth, I offer an item I purchased in the market. I have been told it is a genuine life-shaped device which can tell you the weather: you place the small round stone object on the ground, and if it gets wet, it is raining...)*The Athasian Survey Project travels to Thamasku.
Neujacktag:athas.org,2005:Article/a07d91a7-dc4f-4b39-a634-02b20aa774132024-01-12T17:36:50Z2024-02-04T12:00:01ZAlley of the MuseAlley of the Muse is a detailed adventure location usable with characters of any level and is compatible with all game editions and systems. Created by June Soler, Alley of the Muse covers the Alley of the Muse itself, as well as the surrounding building and businesses, and includes a map of the alley.
Alley of the Muse is hosted in Athas.org’s Resources page: [Under Try: Alley of the Muse](https://athas.org/resources/5bbf5cd7-570c-4b42-9fed-6c58b1e55657)Located beneath Tyr in one of the many winding passages connected to the large cavern called the Sorrows, the Alley of the Muse is a favored locale for individuals looking for refined entertainment away from the masses.June Solertag:athas.org,2005:Article/9ac53be1-2b85-4e66-a528-7596ddb9de672024-01-29T18:54:54Z2024-01-29T21:05:42ZDoomspace - The Cataclysm of the Dark sunWhat is Doomspace? An original D&D Beyond article about the Light of Xaryxis adventure - featured in the 2023 release of Spelljammer - included a map with the name "Athaspace," hinting at a connection to Dark Sun. However; the article was updated to replace "Athaspace" with "Doomspace." Lead designer Chris Perkins suggested Doomspace is a new addition, not a renamed Athaspace. This “new” wildspace system includes elements from Dark Sun but avoids direct references, amidst concerns about updating the setting's themes of oppression and stereotypes. Speculation was further added by Ray Winnenger’s comment that a classic D&D setting would have a cameo in an upcoming product with many believing that this was a reference to Dark Sun in the Spelljammer adventure. Including "Athaspace" along with Dark Sun monsters in the adventure as the cameo would have added a narrative potentially ending the Dark Sun setting.
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Below is a narrative of the events that could have transpired to turn Athaspace into Doomspace as written in chapter 5 of [The Crimson Sphere - a Dark Sun/Spelljammer crossover book](https://athas.org/products/crimson-sphere) written by Adam Miller and the Pristine Tower Development Group.
You can listen to Robert(Raddu) and Jesse talk about the Crimson Sphere on the [Bone, Stone, & Obsidian Podcast](https://cast.athas.org/podcasts/bso/episodes/87ad9a7f-2f10-4a11-bcdd-7fac591626b3).
You can listen to a reading of this special features on the [BSO podcast feed](https://cast.athas.org/podcasts/bso/episodes/cdb3832e-568f-4828-9745-1266cf9a5de0).
# Part 1: The Prophecies
In the vast and barren lands of Athas, a place where the unforgiving sun beats down on the parched earth, a profound unease stirs. The air is thick with an impending sense of doom, as if the very cosmos itself is holding its breath. We begin our tale in this world, where seers, astrologers, and diviners, normally dismissed as mere harbingers of superstition, start to experience visions so vivid and terrifying that they cannot be ignored. These are not just fleeting glimpses into the future; these are harrowing premonitions of a cataclysm so immense it threatens to unravel the very fabric of the universe.
The prophecy speaks of "angry gods," "the shattered sphere," and the ominously named "Eye of Doom." These words echo across the Tablelands, instilling fear and awe in equal measure. The astrologers, usually seen peering into their charts and stars for benign predictions, now wear expressions of deep horror. Their eyes, having gazed upon the unspeakable, cannot unsee the chaos that is to come.
In every corner of Athas and Athaspace, the planets and moons around Athas, the prophecy spreads like wildfire. In the bustling markets, in the secretive chambers of the sorcerer-kings, and in the secluded monasteries of the preservers and defilers, in the courts of the void wardens, the same dire warnings emerge. The visions are consistent in their message: a cosmic disaster of unprecedented scale is imminent.
Those that live in Athaspace balk at what could possibly shatter the Spherewall, the cosmic boundary that has, for eons, encapsulated their worlds in a protective embrace? The answers vary, but the consensus points to an event so catastrophic that it defies comprehension. Some speak of a rupture caused by celestial forces beyond understanding, others whisper of a rebellion by the gods themselves, furious at a world that has strayed too far from their teachings.
And then there is the Eye of Doom. This term alone conjures images of an all-seeing, malevolent force, a cosmic entity that could swallow worlds whole. The seers scream of skies raining shards of burning ice, of planets and moons flung into a collision course with an imploding sun. This is no ordinary calamity; this is the end of all they know.
Among the learned, there is debate and skepticism. Could this truly be the fate of their world? Yet, as the reports mount, with each seer and astrologer recounting the same apocalyptic vision, even the most skeptical begin to wonder if there might be truth to these omens.
This is how our story begins, not with a battle or a quest, but with a prophecy. A prophecy that foretells the unravelling of the cosmos, the shattering of the celestial sphere, and the arrival of a cataclysm that will redefine the very essence of existence. In this world, where survival is already a daily struggle, the inhabitants of Athas must now face the possibility of a fate far worse than anything they have ever known.
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# Part 2: Doomspace
As we delve deeper into the narrative of Doomspace, a cataclysmic event unfolds, one that not only reshapes the cosmos but also redefines the very essence of existence in Athas and beyond. This is the story of the Spherewall's shattering, an event so monumental that its repercussions echo through every corner of the known universe.
Imagine a cosmic boundary, the Spherewall, long believed to be the unbreachable shield of Athaspace. For eons, it has stood as a silent sentinel, guarding the world against the unknown vastness of wildspace. But now, in a moment of unparalleled upheaval, this celestial barrier fractures. It's not a mere crack or a simple breach; the Spherewall shatters, its fragments hurtling through space, leaving a trail of cosmic debris in their wake.
The immediate aftermath is nothing short of apocalyptic. The largest planet of the system, the gas giant Rajaat, vanishes without a trace, as if swallowed by an unseen cosmic predator. This disappearance sends shockwaves across the sphere, disrupting the delicate celestial dance of planets and moons. Their orbits become erratic, some colliding, others flung into the dark unknown.
And then, there's the sun, the very heart of Athaspace, the crimson sun that has bathed the world in its relentless glow. In a spectacle that defies imagination, it collapses into a black, all-consuming vortex. This is not a slow fade or a gradual dimming; this is a sudden, violent implosion, a celestial body devouring itself, leaving in its place a void that threatens to consume everything around it.
The seers, once ridiculed for their wild prophecies, now watch in horror as their visions come to life. They speak of chaos unleashed, of skies raining shards of burning ice, a meteorological nightmare that turns the heavens into a battlefield. These are not just poetic musings; they are real, tangible events unfolding above.
But what could cause such a catastrophic series of events? The theories are as varied as they are terrifying. Some speak of the Messenger, a cosmic entity whose collision with the sun triggers this chain reaction. Others whisper of the gods, breaking through the Spherewall in a divine act of retribution against a world that has forsaken them. Then there are those who believe it to be the work of Rajaat, lashing out from the Hollow, or the undead sorcerer-monarch Dregoth, seeking godhood through the sun's destruction. And amidst these theories, there's the chilling possibility of the sun birthing a primordial dragon, the Eye of Doom, an entity of unimaginable power and hunger.
In this chaos, the Black Gulf, a mysterious expanse once just inside the Spherewall, undergoes its transformation. Some say it will vanish entirely, while others believe it will simply change form, its nature as enigmatic as ever.
This is the moment where the familiar universe of Athas ceases to exist, replaced by a realm of uncertainty and terror. The shattered Spherewall, now a cloud of massive crystal shards, forms a new celestial landscape, a haunting reminder of the cataclysm that has just occurred. The stars, once distant and benign, now shine through this prism of destruction, their light a ghostly echo of a universe forever changed.
In the immediate aftermath of the Spherewall's cataclysmic shattering, the cosmos of Athas is thrust into a state of unparalleled chaos, a celestial maelstrom that tears at the very fabric of reality. Let's journey through this turmoil, much like a historian sifting through the remnants of a great civilization, to piece together the visceral reactions and the struggle for survival in a universe turned upside down.
The skies above Athas, once a predictable tapestry of celestial movement, are now a whirlwind of cosmic fury. Planets and moons, untethered from their age-old orbits, careen through space on new, perilous paths. These are not mere shifts; these are violent, unpredictable hurtlings that turn the once-orderly cosmos into a dangerous and uncharted expanse. Imagine, if you will, the sheer terror as the inhabitants of these worlds gaze upward to see their celestial neighbors moving erratically, threatening collisions that could spell doom for all.
Amidst this chaos, comets and asteroids, previously held at bay by the now-shattered Spherewall, join the fray. Like cosmic missiles, they hurtle toward the remaining worlds, their impact not a matter of if, but when. These are not just bright streaks in the night sky; they are harbingers of destruction, each one capable of unleashing energy that could obliterate cities, or even entire civilizations.
Down on the planets, the reaction is a mix of awe, horror, and disbelief. In cities and villages, people gather to watch the skies, their faces illuminated by the eerie glow of the celestial dance of death above. Elemental Temples are filled with the faithful and the fearful alike, seeking answers, solace, or perhaps a way to appease the angry primordials or unknown gods they believe have unleashed this fury upon them.
In the halls of power, the sorcerer-kings and queens, the rulers who once held sway over their realms with an iron grip, now find themselves facing a threat that cannot be conquered by armies or magic. Their once-unquestionable authority is challenged by a force that cares not for borders or thrones.
And in the remote monasteries and secluded retreats, the preservers and defilers, those who draw their power from the very essence of Athas, feel a seismic shift in their magic. The energy they once harnessed now fluctuates wildly, mirroring the instability of the cosmos itself.
Amidst the general populace, the chaos breeds not just fear, but also wonder. There are those who see in this cataclysm a sign, a call to action, perhaps even an opportunity to rise from the ashes of the old world and forge something new, something born from the crucible of cosmic upheaval.
But for many, the overriding emotion is one of existential dread. The universe they knew, with its rules and rhythms, is gone, replaced by a wild, unpredictable, and unforgiving cosmos. This is a universe where the very laws of nature seem to have been rewritten, where the familiar constellations are replaced by a night sky of roaming stars and rogue planets.
This is the immediate aftermath of the Spherewall's shattering and the cataclysm of the Dark Sun: a time of unparalleled chaos, a test of survival for civilizations across the cosmos, and a stark reminder of the fragility of existence in the vast, uncaring expanse of space. It is a time when the very notion of reality is questioned, and the struggle to find a place in this new, chaotic universe becomes the ultimate quest for all.
# Part 3: The Fates of the Mighty
In the tumultuous aftermath of the Spherewall's shattering and the sun’s implosion, the fates of the mighty void-wardens and those that resist them take center stage. In this cosmic upheaval, the actions and destinies of key figures become the stuff of legend. Their stories like those of the sorcerer-monarch on Athas are not just personal sagas, but narratives that reflect the broader changes and challenges of this new era of Doomspace. Each one, a thread in the grand tapestry of transformation and survival.
Consider Arun, the Warden-King, a figure of immense power and authority. As the crimson sun implodes, his world is thrown into disarray. With little warning and fewer options, Arun makes a chilling choice. In a desperate bid for survival, he turns to necromancy, an art both feared and reviled. His ziggurat-ship, once a symbol of his rule, becomes a vessel of death, haunted by the souls of the undead. Arun, consumed by his quest for prolonged life, feeds on the lifeforce of both slave and noble. His templars, now commanders of a growing undead horde, strike terror into the hearts of all they en counter. Arun's descent into darkness is not just a personal tragedy; it symbolizes the extremes to which the mighty will go in their struggle to retain power and defy the inevitable.
## Dabi: A Coup and A New Reign
Dabi's story is a tale of political intrigue and treachery. As the Eye of Doom replaces the sun and chaos reigns, Dabi's chief templars make a bold move. In a swift coup, they overthrow the ailing warden-king, elevating Munira Koz to the throne. Munira, as the new warden-queen, acts decisively, relocating the mobile city-state Sentinel to Fyreen, what some call Athas. Her first act as ruler is a mass evacuation, turning the residents of Balic into subjects and slaves. Dabi's tale is a testament to the fluid nature of power and authority in the face of cosmic upheaval.
## Hananka and The Illithids: A Clash of Titans
Hananka's narrative is one of escape and confrontation. As the asteroids of the Sextant disperse, Hananka abandons Hopa, seeking refuge aboard his hammership. But the illithids, those insidious beings of the void, lie in wait. In this encounter, Hananka, presumed dead, becomes a symbol of the struggle between the old powers of the cosmos and the emerging forces in the post-cataclysm world.
## The Dragon of Yisheen: A New Menace
The Dragon of Yisheen emerges as a formidable and mysterious new player. Massive and terrifying, it repels evacuation efforts, leaving only fear and speculation in its wake. This creature, possibly a void warden returned, represents the unknown dangers lurking in Doomspace, the unforeseen consequences of a universe in turmoil.
## Kharag: The Pirate Leader
Kharag's rise from slave to pirate admiral embodies the chaos and opportunity born from the cosmic upheaval. Leading a motley fleet, Kharag becomes a figure of rebellion and survival, his actions a reflection of the desperate times.
## Vylrila Void-Dancer and Zol: Enigmas of Doomspace
Vylrila Void-Dancer, the half-elf, quickly ascends to power, commanding a fleet of elves in this new and dangerous realm. Her story is one of cunning, adaptability, and leadership, resonating with those who find themselves adrift in this altered universe. Meanwhile, Zol's mysterious disappearance and transformation add layers of mystique and speculation. His journey, rumored to be tied to the Eye of Doom, speaks to the broader quest for understanding and redemption in a cosmos that has lost its familiar bearings.
These figures, each in their way, embody the tumult, the struggle, and the resilience of those living in the shadow of cosmic catastrophe. Their stories are more than mere tales of survival; they are sagas that define the very essence of Doomspace - a realm where the old rules no longer apply, and where every action, every decision, can alter the course of history. In this new era, legends are born, myths are forged, and the fates of the mighty become the stories that will be told and retold for generations to come.
# Part 4: The Transformation of Worlds
In the wake of the Dark Sun’s implosion, the cosmos undergoes a metamorphosis of mythic proportions. Planets and moons, the ancient celestial players in Athas' sky, are now cast in a drama of survival, transformation, and desperation. Let's journey through this newly reformed universe, where the familiar becomes alien, and the struggle to adapt is not just a tale of survival, but an epic saga of resilience and ingenuity.
## Valt: Torn Apart
Valt, once known as Guthay, is poised on the brink of a cosmic tragedy. This moon, long held in a stable orbit, now finds itself inexorably drawn towards the Eye of Doom's merciless grasp. As it edges closer to this voracious vortex, the spectacle that will unfold is both awe-inspiring and horrifying. Valt is destined to be torn apart, its very essence consumed by the insatiable maw of the vortex. This cataclysm will be visible to all who dare to watch, a dramatic display of destruction that will echo across the cosmos.
As Valt meets its end, it will leave behind a glowing ring of dust and debris, an ephemeral halo that serves as a stark reminder of its once-stable existence. This haunting ring, formed from the remnants of Valt, will stand as a poignant symbol of the immense forces now at play in the universe. It will be a beacon of loss and transformation, visible across the vast reaches of spac
In this new era of Doomspace, survival is not a given; it is a daily struggle, an ongoing battle against the odds. Species and civilizations across the transformed cosmos are pushed to their limits.
## The New Celestial Landscape
And then there's the new celestial landscape, a cosmic tapestry rewritten. Moons like Crios glow with volcanic light, a stark contrast to the dark void left by the collapsed sun. These beacons of light in the darkness become symbols of resilience, shining against all odds.
The remnants of the Black Gulf, once a mysterious expanse, are transformed. Patches of this enigmatic space now float like islands in the void, holding secrets and dangers untold. And the once-familiar worlds are now strange landscapes, their features twisted and remade by the cosmic upheaval.
In the chaotic wake of the cosmic cataclysm that shattered the Spherewall, the planet once known as Athas, now rechristened Fyreen, undergoes a transformation so severe it's as if the planet itself is rebelling against its path. This is no mere shift in climate or a subtle change in the ecosystem; this is a radical upheaval that redefines life on the planet.
Fyreen, a world already notorious for its harshness, now faces a new extreme. The cooling of the planet, an irony not lost on those who have endured the scorching sun, brings with it a dichotomy of survival. The planet, caught in the grip of the Eye of Doom's influence, experiences intense volcanic activity. This relentless geological turmoil, perhaps a side effect of the planet's proximity to the cosmic vortex or the ascendancy of Paraelemental Magma, staves off a complete descent into an icy tomb.
In this new, harsher world, the coolest regions become uninhabitable wastelands of frost and ice. Yet, paradoxically, the areas once dreaded for their unbearable heat now become havens. The volcanic regions, with their life-giving warmth, turn into unlikely refuges for those seeking respite from the encroaching cold. The Lava Gorge, once a place of danger, now hosts thriving communities of refugees, their lives illuminated by the glow of molten rock and supported by meager streams of water trickling down from the mountains.
But this is not the Athas as it was known. This is a world teetering on the brink of an even grimmer reality. The mercane and dowars, seizing the opportunity provided by the broken Crystal Sphere, embark on a desperate mission to evacuate thousands. Yet, as is often the case in times of crisis, the efforts are met with resistance and suspicion. The powers that be on Fyreen, clinging to their dwindling domains, hinder these rescue operations, leaving many to fend for themselves in this new, unforgiving world.
The cities of Kurn, Kled, and Tyr witness near-complete evacuations, their populations whisked away to uncertain futures. In stark contrast, the attempts to save those in Urik, the Bandit Kingdoms, and the Kreen Empire are abandoned, a testament to the chaos and desperation of the times.
Those left behind face a reality harsher than any before. The landscape, now shrouded in darkness and dotted with active volcanoes, becomes a land of shadow and fire. Here, the survivors eke out a living in dim light, their world a stark contrast to the Athas of old. The once-mighty sorcerer-monarchs, adapting to this new age, complete their transformation into dragons, becoming even more formidable and terrifying figures in this altered landscape.
Urik, under the rule of Hamanu, the Lion of Light, becomes a beacon in the darkness, its survival ensured by the cruel efficiency of its draconic despot. The templars and slaves toil to redirect the lava flows from the Smoking Crown Mountains, creating a fortress of light and heat in a world growing increasingly dark and cold.
Amidst this upheaval, Andropinis, the Mad Wanderer, once imprisoned in the Black, now roams free. Changed by his experiences, he is a harbinger of doom, his prophecies echoing along the lava flows, a stark reminder of the world's fragile state.
The Crescent Forest, now the Shadow Crescent, clings to life through the combined efforts of Lalali-Puy and Nibenay. Their magic, a dark pact requiring constant sacrifice, keeps the forest alive against all odds. Yet, as their power wanes, so too does the hope of those who depend on them.
In this so-called Black Age, Dregoth, Lord of the Dead, emerges as a dominant force. His alliance with the Dead Lands solidified, he unleashes waves of the undead upon the land, his ambition reaching beyond the dying planet. His goal is not just the conquest of Fyreen but the consumption of life itself, across worlds and realms unknown.
This is a world unrecognizable, a planet where the struggle for survival is etched into every aspect of existence. Fyreen, the new Athas, is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of its inhabitants, a grim parable of life persevering in the face of cosmic adversity.
In this new chapter of Athas' story, every celestial body, every fragment of the shattered Spherewall, tells a story of change, of loss, and of the relentless will to survive. It's a universe where the familiar is gone, replaced by a new order that challenges the very concept of existence. This is Doomspace, a realm where the rules have changed, where survival is a feat, and where the story of every planet, moon, and star is a saga of epic proportions.
In this transformed cosmos, where the familiar is rendered alien and the once-stable is now chaotic, the inhabitants of Fyreen and the other celestial bodies in Doomspace grapple with a new reality. It is a reality marked by an unending struggle for survival, where adaptation is not just a trait but a necessity. The tales of these worlds, their heroes and villains, their triumphs and tragedies, become the new legends, the stories passed down through generations. They speak of resilience in the face of unimaginable change, of courage against insurmountable odds, and of the indomitable spirit that defines life in this new era.
As we conclude this saga, it's clear that the cataclysm that shattered the Spherewall has irrevocably altered the course of history. The universe, once a vast expanse of predictability and order, is now a tapestry of uncertainty and wonder. Amidst this cosmic upheaval, the tales of Doomspace continue to unfold, each a testament to the enduring nature of hope and the unyielding will to persevere. In this new age, where the end was just the beginning, the journey of discovery and survival goes on, an epic narrative in an ever-evolving universe.
Below is a narrative of the events that could have transpired to turn Athaspace into Doomspace as written in chapter 5 of The Crimson Sphere.Raddutag:athas.org,2005:Article/696ae777-ce1c-4d6c-b28d-99ca91ee96e02024-01-27T18:53:37Z2024-02-05T02:16:30ZEncounters of Athas 6 - Red Rock Village#### The Village:
The village of Red Rock is named for the large red boulder (easily eighty feet across and at least as tall) that stands near the center of the village. The so-called "Red Rock" is something of a local mystery, being unmarked and matching no other stone for several days' travel. A pool of water lies to one side of the Rock, hidden from the crimson sun by the boulder's shadow for much of the day. The pool isn’t particularly large, but recently it has substantially grown under the careful tending of the village’s resident Water priest.
Red Rock was initially founded by escaped slaves, who ran when their caravan was raided by elves. The former slaves stumbled across the Rock and, exhausted from their days-long flight, fell asleep in its shade. When the refugees awoke that night, they found water had pooled in a small depression at the base of the stone. They dug much of the pool out that night by hand, exposing a small spring and drinking their fill in the process. Over the next few days, the ex-slaves scouted out their surroundings and realized that they were deep in the desert, far from the nearest settlement. Seeing that at least here they had a source of water, the escapees went about founding a village in the shadow of the Red Rock.
Structures in the village are constructed as pit-houses, composed of a short aboveground wall of piled stones mortared in place with mud built around a dug out pit or trench in the ground (though such fieldstone walls often also line the inner walls of the pit). Roofs are usually animal hide and are supported with long sections of wood or bone. The homes are crude but effective single-room structures, being relatively cool in the day and warm at night, easily constructed and maintained, and, once windblown sand and silt pile up against and atop them, naturally camouflaged. Most of the dugouts house 2-3 villagers, in a relatively even mix of couples and single housemates.
Eventually, the villagers hope to construct another larger and more secure structure - built fully underground and connected to only a select few other buildings, this village "longhouse" could be used to store emergency supplies and shelter the young and infirm during attacks and times of hardship. For now, the villagers are focused on gathering enough wood and long bones to construct such an ambitious dugout structure, and digging out a large enough pit. If they ask about the pit, visitors are told the villagers hope to use the pit as an arena for beast fights.
The nearly 150 villagers of Red Rock survive largely through hunting/gathering, but they have recently managed to wrangle and partially domesticate a flock of erdlu. Small patches of wild neep grow in the area, and some efforts to establish a field of the food crop have been made, but the thick-rooted vegetable grows poorly in the rocky soil around the village. The suggestion has been made several times to establish a kank herd, in the hopes of using their honey as a backup food source and to produce broy (both for trade and the village's own consumption), but there are no kanks nests in the region and no opportunities to otherwise procure kanks have presented themselves.
Red Rock exists in a dangerous equilibrium - the villagers depend on sporadic trade with caravans for supplies, but they also must occasionally raid passing caravans for goods they cannot otherwise procure. Lacking a better solution, the villagers currently keep careful track of which Merchant Houses caravans they trade with or raid, attempting to avoid attacking caravans that might stop to water and/or trade in the village, and only raiding caravans that are likely to pass the village by. When they must attack a caravan, the villagers make an effort not to kill anyone or make off with more than they truly need. It is, however, only a matter of time before the village's convictions are put to the test. Raiders also present a unique problem: the village's small number of extremely capable warriors are sufficient to drive off small or unenthusiastic bands of raiders, but the village has too few experienced warriors to fend off a concerted attack should a large band of raiders decide to make an example of it.
#### NPCs:
**Miriam the Blade**: The villagers of Red Rock are led by Miriam the Blade, an older female human gladiator who was never particularly popular enough with the crowds to warrant solo matches, but always did well enough in team events to live a surprisingly long time for an enslaved gladiator. When her owner felt she was too old to be an active gladiator anymore, he sold her off as an instructor for other gladiators. Miriam acts harsh and gruff, every bit the stereotypical village warrior-leader, but hides an almost grandmotherly sense of affection for her favorite villagers.
**Zennom**: The village’s resident priest is Zennom, a grizzled and sun-addled Water priest. Zennom simply wandered into Red Rock from the desert one day, set up a shrine behind the rock, and started worshiping the pool. When questioned, he to this day still replies simply: “The Waters called to me.” As Zennom’s careful tending and prayers seem to have grown the water source and trades clerical services (mostly healing and spellcasting) for the few goods and services he needs, the other villagers let him stay.
**Tuft**: Red Rock has a single halfling - a ranger the other villagers call Tuft, due to his long hair that stands up crazily. Tuft is one of the original villagers to settle the village, having escaped the slave caravan with the others. None of the other villagers know anything more about Tuft’s history however, as his tongue was cut out and he refuses to discuss the matter through any means - making his refusal known though simple hand gestures. Tuft hunts for game and trains local flyers (mostly birds) to warn the village of approaching groups by bursting into the air and making a ruckus. While the other villagers don't know his story, rumor has it that he was a halfling warrior on loan to the Hamanu of Urik, but Tuft spoke out of turn or otherwise offended the Sorcerer King.
**Nuuko**: Nuuko is an elven bard and trader who serves as a kind of quartermaster for the village directing the village’s crafters to produce certain items as supplies run low, managing food supplies, etc.; he also makes poisons for the hunters and village guards. Nuuko is the main driving force behind the recent suggestions to begin keeping kanks and brewing their honey into broy - he desperately wishes to get his hands on some, but will trade favorably with anyone willing to part with an alcoholic beverage of any kind. The elven bard has often considered running off to find his tribe, but after the slavers that captured him decimated his tribe, he has no idea where they might have run off to, or even if they’re still alive. Instead, each time he resolves to stay in Red Rock, where the foolish humans are willing to trust him with all their goods and coin. Miriam, for her part, knows that the village will suffer more for the loss of Nuuko’s poison-making and management skills than anything he could carry off should he decide to leave; having been close to several elves during her days as a gladiator, she understands elven tests of trust and is more than willing to let Nuuko hoard and oversee the village’s worldly possessions if it convinces him to stay - especially since he’s so good at it.
**Niv**: Niv is a human woman and former scholar-slave who was sold off when her templar owner was slain. With little reading or writing to be done in the village, Niv does much of the butchering - she seems surprisingly skilled with a blade and strong of stomach for a former scholar-slave, but the other villagers age just glad she’s worth her water. Niv always keeps her face veiled, supposedly due to harsh Athasian sun and her pale skin, but she actually keeps herself veiled because she doesn't want to be recognized: “Niv” is actually high templar Jorvazze of Tyr (her supposed master; Niv really did exist and was in fact Jorvazze’s scholar-slave). After Kalak fell, she maintained much of her power during Tithian's reign until an incident with a dwarven banshee left her weakened and distracted enough that her rivals could turn on her, imprison her on trumped-up charges, and ship her out on a secret slave caravan. Surprisingly glad to be away from the infighting of the templar bureaus, Jorvazze has grown comfortable in Red Rock, but is not interested in being stoned to death by her new neighbors and will cheerfully slit throats if necessary to preserve her secret.
**Jav**: Jav is a young half-elven male that has lived in the village for some time now. He spends much of his time alone, and the villagers believe he keeps to himself in a typical brooding teenage half-elven fashion, but Jav actually spends much of his time staring in wonder at the stark beauty of the surrounding land. Jav has been hearing a voice speaking to him in his sleep lately, a voice speaking of service, the natural beauty of the world around him, and of power - power to punish those who threaten him and the lands around him. The voice is that of Red Rock, a spirit of the land.
**Mathi**: Some time ago, a village patrol returned with an especially pale young human girl, named Mathi, having rescued her from a small but especially vile-intentioned band of raiders. Mathi has yet to speak and seems to have no appreciable skills, so the villagers have placed her in the care of Evri, an older human woman and former house-slave. Evri spent most of her enslavement acting as a nursemaid for her owner’s children and now cares for those children in the village who are too young to help their parents with tasks during the day. Recently, Mathi has begun to manifest psionic powers - mostly small, unintended effects - and the villagers are overjoyed, as they lack a proper manifester, and a powerful psion could greatly aid in the defense of the village. Evri, however, suspects (rightly) that Mathi is actually a villichi and fears what might happen should her “sisters” come looking for her.
#### Adventure Hooks:
**Them Bones**: Something attacked a large caravan nearby, damaging one of its argosies and killing the mekillot that pulled it. While the villagers already scavenged the wreck some time ago, they increasingly fear that whoever or whatever attacked the caravan will come for them next. The Red Rock villagers prevail upon the PCs to accompany them back to the ruined caravan and stand guard while they harvest the argosy’s timbers and butcher the mekillot to retrieve its long bones. If asked why they want such parts so badly, the villagers only reply “defensive measures”.
**Deep Pit**: Recently, Thiup Dai - a trader watering his caravan in the village - demanded “some entertainment” and grew offended when told that Red Rock’s ‘beast pit’ was still not quite complete, demanding it host a beast fight when he returned. The villagers would simply ignore the merchant’s demands, but Thiup stops in Red Rock quite regularly, always pays for his caravan’s water with desperately-needed supplies, and travels with a rather large contingent of guards. Thiup is due back in less than ten days, and Miriam the Blade asks the PCs to help resolve the situation, either by going out into the wastes and bringing back a beast for her and some of the other villagers to fight (or better yet, for the PCs to fight), or for them to help complete the village’s planned underground ‘longhouse’ and convince Thiup that a freak storm blew through and filled in the pit.
**One in the Hand, Two in the Bush**: Red Rock’s villagers are always on the edge of starvation. Despite the possibilities around them, the villagers lack the proper knowledge and experience to take full advantage of their resources. If the PCs have any experience with or knowledge about agriculture or animal husbandry, the villagers will richly reward the PCs who can instruct them on how to boost productivity in their neep fields or how to ranch, care for, or produce goods from their erdlu flock.
**They Mostly Only Come Out at Night, Mostly**: Miriam’s worst fear has finally come to pass: each night for the past several nights, a shadowy group seems to have been testing the village’s parameter, and each night, a villager has disappeared. The former gladiator fears that a large band of raiders have found the village and are testing its defenses in preparation for an all-out assault; the only question in Miriam’s mind is who: a band of hungry and especially well night-sighted gith, a tribe of elven slavers, or a group of reanimated villagers sent back as thinking zombies to kidnap other villagers by their power-hungry t’liz overlord? The village headwoman promises the PCs all the raiders’ possessions and a recently-recovered golden statuette if they hunt down and eliminate the raiders before they can attack the village en masse.
**Between a Rock and a Hard Place**: It was inevitable - while stalking a caravan for desperately needed supplies, the villagers misidentified the caravan and, instead of raiding a caravan that neither knew of, nor intended to stop in the village, they raided a caravan knew of Red Rock and was headed to the village. Now the village raiders have been recognized, and the caravan’s wounded and outraged merchant lord is bound for civilization to gather reinforcements and punish the double-dealing villagers. Red Rock’s inhabitants will beg the PCs to catch up to the weakened caravan and finish it off before their unfortunate mistake can become known.
**Blood in the Water**: While the PCs are in Red Rock, fierce dust storms lash the village for three days straight, preventing travel and fouling the village’s pool of water. On the fourth day, Zennom - the village’s resident Water priest - approaches the PCs and explains that the spirits of Water have told him that a Silt priest is responsible for the dust storms. Zennom asks the party to seek out the Silt priest and return with his head because: “His blood must feed the waters.” If the PCs return with Silt priest’s head, Zennom waves the severed head over the pool of water as blood drips into the waters, performs a ritual of thanks dedication to the Water Lords, and then grins as the pool of water visibly swells by several inches, saying simply: “The Water spirits are pleased.”
**Birds of a Feather**: If the party includes a powerful healer, the villagers might entreat the PCs to restore Tuft’s lost tongue, eager as they are to repay all that the halfling does for the village (and more than a little bit hoping to hear his tale). Tuft, however, will refuse such efforts. Instead, the halfling will use his simple hand gestures to communicate his interest in capturing and training an avian that is big enough for him to ride! If the party can do so, Tuft might even be willing to teach the PCs to train and keep hunting birds of their own - whose sharp eyes make them excellent scouts and guards.
**A Mug of the Good Stuff**: If the PCs are new to Red Rock or enter the village with kanks, it won’t be long before the elven bard Nuuko approaches them, interested in purchasing their kanks or information on where a herd of kanks can be obtained, and offering hefty discounts or payments if a deal can be made. If Nuuko cannot have his kanks, he will offer to buy any globules of kank honey or alcoholic beverages (especially broy) the PCs might have - though at less favorable pricing. If the PCs have a lead on some kanks, the elf will immediately offer to hire the party to help retrieve the kanks. If Nuuko ultimately gets his kanks, he will be overjoyed at the thought of the village’s lucrative (and liquor-filled) future.
**A Smile from Ear to Ear**: While in the village at the same time as a caravan (perhaps as guard for the caravan itself), one of the caravan members (a man known as Mav of Tyr) is found dead, his throat neatly cut. When the caravan master demands answers, Niv - who refuses to remove her head covering and seems visibly shaken when confronted by the caravan master - eventually admits to killing Mav after he tried to assault her. The caravan master is having none of it though, and hires the PCs to discover the truth after explaining that Mav was a good and honorable man, and that they’ve been close friends ever since they were city guards together in Tyr. The PCs must discover what, if anything, would such a supposedly noble man to attack such an unassuming person as Niv.
**In Dreams**: Young Jav has gone missing, and several concerned villagers ask the PCs to go looking for him - a teenage half-elf given to spending time alone and daydreaming, the villagers worry that he was taken unawares by a beast from the wastes. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth: even as his fellow villagers fret about the beasts that might be stalking the least of them, Jav has followed the voice in his dreams into the wilderness around the village in order to commune with Red Rock, the local spirit of the land, and take his pact to serve as a druid. If they find Jav, however, the spirit of the land will not understand or appreciate the PCs interference with its new servant and respond poorly, summoning several beasts of the wastes to chase them away.
**Traveling Sisterhood**: PCs traveling in the area around Red Rock hear rumors of a small group of women traveling together. The women are said to be lithe and beautiful, and to have especially pale skin, but also seem to be surrounded by a dangerous air, despite the fact that they travel unarmed. Rumor also holds that the women are seeking someone - their missing “sister” and those who mistreated her. If the PCs happen to travel to Red Rock and share this rumor, a nearby older woman will collapse on hearing it. As her neighbors try to bring her around, the woman - who the villagers will identify as Evri - will only mutter: “They’re coming for her and they’ll kill everyone” over and over again. What could have made the old woman collapse like that, what ‘her’ is she talking about, and what, if anything, could it have to do with the PCs’ rumor?The village of Red Rock is designed to be a relatively generic Athasian village to allow DMs to quickly drop it onto a map wherever they might need a moderately fleshed out village.
Adam Cieszlaktag:athas.org,2005:Article/7bd5fd3e-fcfe-49a0-91cf-6d54b3b77f642024-01-20T17:03:29Z2024-02-18T13:18:32ZLawful Stupid blog, Repost #7 - Alchemy and Herbalism{% illustration 3f9150e9-10e6-4411-9bf8-54d72e7fb302 aspect="wide" %}
Alchemy and herbalism are key tools in Athasian life, allowing for the creation of a variety of substances, from healing balms to deadly poisons. Today we’re giving you rules that we use in our streamed Dark Sun 2e game for crafting alchemical and herbal items, several concoctions and poisons for use in your game (including a revised poisons chart for bards and traders), and a master list of ingredients and what substances they are used to create.
### Alchemy
The key necessity for an alchemist is the laboratory, a workshop where the character can carry out his activities safely and securely. Setting up and stocking a workshop costs 2,000 cp. The alchemist can then use the laboratory to **create** and **identify** alchemical substances.
The alchemist can create **acids**, **incendiaries**, and **pyrotechnics** from readily-available ingredients. If the alchemist has access to the more specialised ingredients listed below, he can also make **cave fisher adhesive**, **gaund egg slime**, **intoxicants**, **kip pheromone**, **painkillers**, and **stimulants**.
Alchemical items are permanent – they do not expire like herbal concoctions.
Creating alchemical compounds takes 1d3 days and (1d4+1) x10 cp per vial, or 1d4+1 days and (1d6+4) x10 cp per flask.
The alchemist must pass an alchemy non-weapon proficiency check in order to successfully manufacture the substance; failing the proficiency check with a natural 20 results in an explosion or other mishap that exposes the character to the effects of his work and damages the laboratory for 10%–60% (1d6 x 10%) of its construction value.
**Identify Substances**: The alchemist can identify unknown elements or compounds with a successful proficiency check. Identifying samples requires 1d4 days.
Simple materials, such as powdered minerals or ores, provide the alchemist with a +1 to +4 bonus on his check. Rare, complex, or damaged or incomplete samples might impose a –1 to –4 penalty.
### Herbalism
Unlike alchemy, herbalism does not require the use of a laboratory – a simple kitchen provides sufficient tools to carry out the herbalist’s art.
A character with this skill can improve their use of the healing proficiency, **identify plants and fungi, prepare herbal brews, and prepare poisons**. The herbalist can fulfil these functions with common ingredients. If the character does not have such ingredients, it takes a day of searching the local environment to refresh his stocks.
**Identify Plants**: A successful proficiency check will reveal a plant’s most common names and whether or not it is edible, poisonous, or medicinal. It allows the herbalist to know where a certain plant grows and to find it if any are growing nearby.
**Improve Healing**: The herbalist can add an extra hit point per day to resting patients receiving benefits of the healing proficiency, treat ingested and contact poisons, and improve treatment of non-magical diseases with healing proficiency, granting a +2 bonus to the check.
**Prepare Brews**: A successful proficiency check creates one dose of a **battlefield balm, healing salve, painkiller**, or **poison antidote** that lasts for 1d3 days. It takes 1 hour to make the dose and costs half the brew’s market price. The herbalist can make these from readily available ingredients. If the herbalist has access to the special ingredients listed below, he can make **arena powder, draxia ointment, fordorran musk, healing infusions, intoxicants, ranike sap, strong painkillers, and stimulants**.
**Prepare Poisons**: A successful check means the character makes a single dose that lasts for 24 hours. It costs half the poison’s market price and takes 24 hours to make the dose – the herbalist spends 4 hours preparing the poison, following which the mixture must brew for 20 hours before it is ready. There is a 5% chance the character poisons himself accidentally while preparing the poison (unless he is a bard or a trader).
See the **Poison** section below for further details on the processes involved in making poisons.
### Poison
As noted above, poison is crafted using the herbalism non-weapon proficiency. It can also be gathered from certain monsters. Although frowned upon, poison is rarely wholly illegal in the city-states of Athas.
**Bards and Traders**: These classes are the most skilled users of poison on Athas – the former more so than the latter. Both acquire the ability to craft poison as part of their class and both learn how to craft increasing types of poison as they advance in levels.
At each level, bards and traders roll 1d4, add the result to their level, and consult the poisons table (see below) to determine which new poison they have learned.
If the character has already learned the poison, they gain no new poison but may alter a known poison so all saves against that poison are at –2. If the total is 21 or higher, the character may choose any poison on the list.
Once learned, the character can make a single dose of the poison every day using easily obtained materials at no cost, without needing to make a proficiency check. Each dose of poison lasts for 24 hours before becoming inert.
If the bard or trader has the herbalism non-weapon proficiency (see below), they can use this to craft additional doses of any poison they know using the normal rules for that non-weapon proficiency.
Bards and traders never risk poisoning themselves when handling or crafting poisons.
**Crafting Poison with Herbalism**: Any character with the herbalism non-weapon proficiency can prepare poisons with common ingredients. If the character does not have such ingredients, it takes a day of searching the local environment to refresh his stocks.
A successful herbalism check means the character makes a single dose of poison that lasts for 24 hours. This costs the amount listed on the table opposite and takes 24 hours to make the dose – the herbalist spends 4 hours preparing the poison, following which the mixture must brew for 20 hours before it is ready. There is a 5% chance the character poisons himself accidentally while preparing the poison (unless he is a bard or a trader).
The herbalist can make type **A, K, O, and G** poison from easily obtainable ingredients (specifically, **cha’thrang lime, redleaf paste, kank venom, and redleaf sap**). If he has access to specialised ingredients, he can also create types **I, M, C, and P** (**desert mastyrial extract, gray root, barbed scorpion venom, and siltweed extract**).
The knowledge of how to make these poisons is possessed by all characters with basic herbalism skills. The crafting section below includes more detailed descriptions of all the known types of poison that can be crafted by bards, traders, and herbalists. A character with the herbalism non-weapon proficiency may learn these at the DM’s discretion. Otherwise, the DM should feel free to restrict these types to bards and traders only.
**Gathering Poison with Animal Lore**: The animal lore non-weapon proficiency allows a character to harvest poison from creatures with a successful proficiency check. Failure means that the attempt fails and the body part in question is ruined.
The herbalism and survival non-weapon proficiencies are both sufficient to allow a character to identify and gather poisons from plants and other sources in the wild. The DM may require a non-weapon proficiency check in such cases if desired.
**Treating Poison with Healing**: A character with the healing non-weapon proficiency can treat injury poison without a proficiency check immediately after poisoning. The healer must tend the patient for 5 rounds. Following this, the patient makes their poison saving throw with a +2 bonus. If care is interrupted, the patient makes their save immediately with no bonus. If the healer also has herbalism, he can treat ingested and contact poisons.
### Price Lists
Below are price lists for buying alchemical and herbal items, including an expanded list detailing poisons. Following this is information on the ingredients required to craft these various items.
#### Alchemical Items
The following items all require the alchemy non-weapon proficiency to create. See below for recommended ingredients and crafting processes. As noted, alchemical items do not expire.
**Acid**: Acid inflicts 1d3 damage per vial, or 2d4 damage per flask. On the second round, acid from a vial inflicts 1 damage, or 1d3 damage if from a flask. A flask affects all creatures within five feet. Acid can burn out a lock or clasp, forcing an item saving throw.
**Cave Fisher Adhesive**: The sticky secretions of the cave fisher can be alchemically treated and added to gloves and boots to grant a +10% bonus on the climb walls rogue skill for one hour.
**Gaund Egg Slime**: The slime of a gaund egg can be smeared onto a flammable object to grant it a permanent +3 bonus on saves vs. fire. A dose of the slime can also neutralise nearly any acid.
**Incendiary**: Incendiaries ignite when exposed to air. A flask of incendiary liquid inflicts damage as burning oil (2d6 points in the first round, 1d6 in the second). Incendiary powders or liquids can easily start fires if used on buildings, dry brush, or other easily flammable materials.
Intoxicant: The drinker loses 1d4 points from one ability score for one hour (save vs. poison to avoid).
**Kip Pheromone**: Creatures exposed to this gas must save versus poison or cease caring about anything, including drinking water, for 1d8 turns. They can be herded along or made to drink, but otherwise remain apathetic. Dwarves receive a +4 bonus on their save.
**Painkiller**: A painkiller restores 1d4 hit points for 2 hours. If the patient fights during this period, he loses an additional 1d4 hit points when the painkiller wears off from aggravating his injuries.
**Painkiller, Strong**: A strong painkiller restores 1d8 hit points. 1d4 of these fade after 4 hours. If the character fights during this period, he loses a further 1d4 hit points from aggravating his injuries.
**Pyrotechnics**: Pyrotechnics resemble incendiaries, but create clouds of billowing smoke of a variety of colours, or bright flashes of light when added to an existing fire. A vial creates a cloud of smoke 5 feet in diameter, obscuring vision. A flask creates a cloud of smoke 10 feet in diameter. The clouds persist for 1d3 rounds, depending on the wind and other conditions.
**Stimulant**: The patient gains a point of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution for one hour. Thereafter, he loses 1d4 points from the same ability for 6 hours.
#### Herbal Items
The following items all require the herbalism non-weapon proficiency to create. See below for recommended ingredients and crafting processes for these items. As noted above, herbal items expire shortly after being crafted. For most items (marked with a † on the table), expiration occurs in 1d3 days. Other items expire in 24 hours.
**Arena Powder**: A dirty trick used in the arena involves the use of irritants and powdered peppers, mixed to induce nausea or inflame eyes and breathing passages. The mix is carefully placed in a small sealed bag or a reed blow pipe. A gladiator will use the spices to blind or distract an opponent. The target saves against poison or suffers the effect of the powder:
* Kuzza pepper: Inflamed eyes and breathing passages, –2 on all rolls for 1d4 rounds.
* Dried stinkweed: Nauseated and retching, can move or act but not both for 1d3 rounds.
* Siltflower pollen: Fine dust that fills the eyes, blinds the target for one round.
**Battlefield Balm**: This is applied at the same time as receiving battlefield healing. It heals the patient of an extra 1d3 hit points.
**Draxia Ointment**: A weed that grows on the islands of the Sea of Silt, draxia can be made into an ointment that repels silt spawn and irritates silt horrors. When its juice is rubbed on the skin, it repels silt spawn – for two hours, they won’t come within 10 feet of creature coated with the stuff. While silt horrors don’t like the smell or draxia, they can ignore it and attack as usual in its presence. In fact, many times the irritation caused by the plant’s juice simply serves to infuriate a silt horror. There is a 60% chance that a silt horror will ignore other targets to attack a character who smells of draxia weed.
**Fordorran Musk**: Fordorran musk glands can be harvested and their fluids rendered into a vapour which delivers a stench comparable to that of the parent creature. Normally delivered through a glass vial, any creature within 10 feet of the vapour must save vs. poison or gag and retch for 1d3 rounds. While so affected, the victim can only move at one third its normal speed but can save each round to throw off the effect.
**Healing Infusion**: The recipient regains 1d4 hit points. A patient can only benefit from one healing infusion per day.
**Healing Salve**: The patient gains an extra hit point per day of rest for 1d3 days. If the herbalist also has healing, this increases to 1d4 extra hit points per day. This can only be used when the patient is resting – it has no effect at other times.
Intoxicant: The drinker loses 1d4 points from one ability score for one hour (save vs. poison to avoid).
**Painkiller**: A painkiller restores 1d4 hit points for 2 hours. If the patient fights during this period, he loses an additional 1d4 hit points when the painkiller wears off from aggravating his injuries.
**Painkiller, Strong**: A strong painkiller restores 1d8 hit points. 1d4 of these fade after 4 hours. If the character fights during this period, he loses a further 1d4 hit points from aggravating his injuries.
**Poison**: The herbal items table lists the most commonly available poisons. Other poisons are available, but characters would need contacts among the bard or trader community to acquire such items.
Any character using poison has a 5% chance of poisoning themselves. Bards and traders never run this risk. See the poison table above for details on poison potencies.
**Poison Antidote**: If administered immediately, the patient gains +2 on their poison saving throw.
**Ranike Sap Smoke**: The smoke of the sap of the ranike tree is repulsive to insectoids – including thri-kreen. An adult tree yields enough sap to make a ball two inches in diameter; extracting this sap from the tree takes 2d4 hours and a successful herbalism non-weapon proficiency check.
The ball burns for 1d4+2 hours; its smoke permeates an area with a 60-foot radius (barring strong winds). Entering the smoke requires an insectoid to make a Wisdom check. Each round spent in the area, the creature must save vs. poison or suffer a –2 penalty to attack rolls, saves, and Dexterity bonuses to AC. The penalties end one round after leaving the area.
**Stimulant**: The patient gains a point of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution for one hour. Thereafter, he loses 1d4 points from the same ability for 6 hours.
#### Crafting Alchemical Items
The information below presents common methods and ingredients for crafting the various alchemical items listed above.
**Acid**: The most common form of acid is vitriol, made from sulphur, vanadia, and water, through a simple process of burning and hydration. Mix the vitriol with salt, then mix both with water to make muriatic acid. A weaker phosphoric acid can be made by reacting the vitriol with phosphate rock.
**Cave Fisher Adhesive**: When treated with cinnabar and diluted vitriol, the adhesive of the cave fisher becomes sufficiently pliable to apply to gloves and boots, granting the appropriate bonus to the climb walls rogue skill.
**Gaund Egg Slime**: The slime of the gaund egg requires only dilution with water in order to prepare it for application to objects.
**Incendiary**: Igniting on contact with air, incendiaries are made by heating phosphate rock with carbon and silica, collecting the resulting vapour under phosphoric acid (itself made by reacting phosphate rock with vitriol) and storing the resulting compound in a vial or flask until needed.
**Kip Pheromone**: When stabilised with ammonia fumes, kip pheromone can be stored in vials and bottles for later deployment against suitable targets.
**Pyrotechnics**: There are two types of pyrotechnics that can be made with common alchemical processes – billowing smoke and flash powder. Mix ammonia (from animal dung) and muriatic acid to create billowing smoke, or mix silica and periclase together with crystals extracted from dried bat guano to make flash powder.
**Intoxicant**: Alchemical intoxicants can be created by mixing alcohol with vitriol. This requires a special combustion chamber that will burn additional alcohol as a fuel for cold flame at a low temperature. High temperatures will ruin the mixture.
**Painkiller**: An alchemical painkiller can be manufactured from the natural acids of the thale cress plant, vitriol, and the use of a special combustion chamber that mixes high temperature with high atmospheric pressure.
**Stimulant**: Mix benzene (from crude oil) with allyl salts and react the resulting compound with ammonia to produce the stimulant. Allyl salts are very hard to make, with their own lengthy production process involving allyl alcohol, phosphate rock, and brine.
#### Crafting Herbal Brews
The information below presents the most common methods and ingredients for crafting the various herbal items listed above.
**Arena Powder**: All arena powder requires a stabilising and binding agent. This is usually the juice of the cloud moss tree, which only grows in the higher valleys of the Ringing Mountains and is correspondingly hard to obtain. Beyond that, the powder uses kuzza pepper, dried stinkweed, or siltflower pollen as desired.
**Battlefield Balm**: Battlefield balm is made from extracts of the kola berry and the oils of the copra nut, forming a paste that can be slathered over injuries.
**Draxia Ointment**: The leaves of the draxia weed are crushed and mixed with copra nut oil to form the ointment. Draxia weed only grows on islands in the Sea of Silt and so is very hard to come by.
**Healing Infusion**: Kola berry extracts are mixed with diluted barbed scorpion venom to produce an infusion that can heal minor injuries. Taking more than one infusion per day risks overdose from the venom, which would counteract the healing effect.
**Healing Salve**: Thale cress and kola berry extracts are mixed with erdlu fat to create a stable salve suitable for long-term application.
**Intoxicant**: An illicit substance in every city state and very hard to come by, black lotus makes a powerful intoxicant. Usually powdered and added to another substance to delivery, its effects are unmistakeable.
**Painkiller**: The pulp of the coiled fist cactus is a natural painkiller that can be brewed into a palatable tonic.
**Painkiller, Strong**: For a stronger painkiller, the pulp of the coiled fist cactus is mixed with the juice of the whitestone berry. As the whitestone plant only grows on volcanic terrain, acquiring it can prove difficult.
**Poison Antidote**: A mixture of charcoal and crushed mandrake root is infused into water and forms the basis of the standard poison antidote.
**Ranike Sap Smoke**: The sap of the ranike tree is soaked in brine, fashioned into a ball and dried to produce a gummy globule that can be burned to ward off insectoids.
**Stimulant**: The leaves of the chama bush, when properly dried and chewed, have a strong stimulating property. These only grow in the Crescent Forest, so obtaining them can prove difficult.
#### Crafting Poisons
The following information presents the most common methods and ingredients for crafting the poison types listed above. As noted above, any character who is not a bard or a trader runs a 5% chance of poisoning themselves whenever they handle or attempt to craft any type of poison.
**Class A**:
* Cha’thrang lime is used in construction to stabilise soil for foundations, roads, etc. and is easy to obtain. A herbalist can boil an infusion with kuzza peppers to create a paste that will adhere to weapons.
* Mulworms are common pests that can be found in many trees and cacti. When several are slowly squeezed in a specially prepared press over the course of several hours, the resulting juices can be strained and dried in the sun. If mixed with simple lamp oil, this produces a modest poison that can be smeared on an object to be absorbed through the skin of anyone touching it.
* When ingested or delivered through an injury, mulworm slime is far more potent and is treated as a Class J poison – see below for more details.
**Class B**:
* Megapede venom, assuming you can acquire some, can be mixed with faro flour to create a paste that can be placed on a weapon or other delivery system.
* Widow’s bile is made from the widow’s kiss cactus – a common cactus that is not safe to eat. Skilled herbalists know that it can be stewed with the juice of the blueflower cactus over several hours to properly activate the poison.
**Class C**:
* Barbed scorpion venom is used by many healers in weakened solution form as a disinfectant. This is a specialised ingredient that is not commonly for sale – the character needs access to a healer or a well-stocked apothecary in order to obtain it. If the character acquires some and boils and reduces it in a solution several times over several hours in the right quantities, they can extract a useable dose of the venom.
**Class D**:
* Antloid venom is gathered by most elven tribes from abandoned antloid hives on their travels through the deserts and sold at their markets. A lengthy distillation process will produce a dose of the venom that can be applied to a weapon.
* Gold scorpions are not hard to locate on the outskirts of cities. Their venom can actually be extracted from their eggs, avoiding encounters with an adult. Crushing several of these eggs together in the juice of a welela gourd will create a solution that bears the venom.
**Class E**:
* Crystal spider venom is very hard to obtain in its natural state but can be rendered into a usable dose that can be applied to a weapon by distillation.
* Dark spider queen venom can actually be obtained from the dark spiders, who trade it with the creatures of the surface world for slaves and other goods. Several large trading houses will sell the raw venom to those they trust. If mixed with alcohol and boiled, it produces a dose that can be used on a weapon.
* Silt serpent venom is used as an ingredient in several tanning and leather curing processes. If a character buys large quantities of the tanning agent and mixes it with alcohol and crushed salt and leave it in the sun, they will then be able to extract the venom in enough quantities to make a worthwhile dose.
**Class F**:
* A less potent version than the venom of their queen, dark spider venom is similarly traded with the creatures of the surface world. As with dark spider queen venom, certain trading houses will sell the raw venom to those they trust. Deriving a useful dose requires the same process as the queen’s venom – it should be mixed with alcohol and boiled to produce a dose that can be used on a weapon.
**Class G**:
The redleaf cactus is known to be poisonous – when eaten, its sap induces nausea and vomiting but nothing worse. This active ingredient can be extracted by carefully boiling the leaves in kola tea, which produces a fine and toxic powder when dried.
**Class H**:
The musk of the kivit can actually be “milked” from the animal in minute amounts. Over time, enough of this musk can be gathered and slowly stewed in water in order to produce a dose of the poison.
**Class I**:
* Similar to barbed scorpion venom, the venom of the desert mastyrial is used by healers as a disinfectant and antiseptic – and it is similarly difficult to obtain without the right connections. When distilled in enough quantities and mixed with fermented kank honey, it produces a dose of a potent poison.
**Class J**:
* Methelinoc is a purple herb found only in the Ringing Mountains but, if obtained, its berries can be crushed to produce a juice that is mixed with water and left to infuse. The leaves and stems of the plant are discarded. The result is a lethal toxin. For some reason, it does not affect elves or kanks.
* As noted above, mulworm slime is far more potent when ingested or delivered via an injury. It is obtained by the usual method – slowly squeezing several of the grubs in a specially prepared press and straining and drying the resulting juices in the sun. This produces a powerful toxin that can be added to other ingredients without taste or odour or applied to a weapon as needed.
**Class K**:
* While the sap of the redleaf cactus can be used to make a strong ingested poison, herbalists also know how to make it into a paste that can poison someone through their skin. The active ingredient can be extracted by carefully boiling the leaves in kola tea and then crushing the resulting fine powder into the oil of the copra nut. This oil can be smeared on an object – anyone touching it will adsorb the poison through their skin.
**Class L**:
* Bittershine powder is created by combining small amounts of weak acid with the sap of three different common cacti (whitebud, star cactus, and jhakar’s paw). The resulting greasy solution can be smeared on a surface or object.
**Class M**:
* Gray root is a weed that grows in the dung of carru, sygra, and other domestic herd animals. Its sticky sap can be extracted by crushing the leaves. Mixing it with brine and ground phosphate rock, produces a thin slime that can be applied to objects as a contact poison.
**Class N**:
* Black lotus is famous as a powerful intoxicant, chewed for its psychogenic properties. When brewed in large amounts, however, and distilled with siltweed juice, it becomes an incredibly potent slime that can be applied as a lethal contact poison.
**Class O**:
* Kank venom, while not hard to obtain, needs various stabilising ingredient to retain its potency outside of a kank’s mandibles. When combined with these – berill moss and rock cactus juice – it can be rendered into a paralytic poison suitable for applying to weapons.
* Harder to obtain is the venom of the mountain spider. This is more stable but evaporates almost immediately on exposure to the air and so must be rendered into a solution over several hours in order to be useful.
**Class P**:
* Siltweed extract is procured relatively easily through a crushing and boiling process over a few hours. When combined with cinnabar, the resulting toxin can be delivered through a wound and, will eventually debilitate its victim with cramps, fever, and overwhelming tremors.
**Class Q**:
* Bloodgrass is a blood-drinking plant seen as a weed by many but cultivated as a watchdog by others. Its sap can be extracted and rendered into a sticky paste by mixing it with kank honey or a similar substance. The resulting substance is ideal for applying to weapons.
#### Ingredient Master List
This list summarises the various crafting ingredients listed above for ease of reference.
Acid: Primary ingredient in Class L poison (bittershine powder). Secondary ingredient in pyrotechnics. Secondary ingredient in cave fisher adhesive.
Alcohol: Secondary ingredient in Class E poison (dark spider queen venom, silt serpent venom), Class F poison (dark spider venom).
Allyl Salts: Secondary ingredient in alchemical stimulant.
Ammonia: Primary ingredient in pyrotechnics. Secondary ingredient in alchemical stimulant. Secondary ingredient in kip pheromone.
Antloid Venom: Primary ingredient in Class D poison (antloid venom).
Benzene: Primary ingredient in alchemical stimulant.
Berill Moss: Secondary ingredient in Class O poison (kank venom).
Black Lotus: Primary ingredient in Class N poison (black lotus). Primary ingredient in herbal intoxicant.
Bloodgrass: Primary ingredient in Class Q poison (bloodgrass sap.
Brine: Secondary ingredient in Class M poison (gray root). Secondary ingredient in ranike sap smoke.
Cactus, Blueflower: Secondary ingredient in Class B poison (widow’s bile).
Cactus, Coiled Fist: Primary ingredient in painkiller. Primary ingredient in strong painkiller.
Cactus, Jhakar’s Paw: Secondary ingredient in Class L poison (bittershine powder).
Cactus, Redleaf: Primary ingredient in Class G poison (redleaf sap). Primary ingredient in Class K poison (redleaf paste).
Cactus, Rock: Secondary ingredient in Class O poison (kank venom).
Cactus, Star: Secondary ingredient in Class L poison (bittershine powder).
Cactus, Whiteflower: Secondary ingredient in Class L poison (bittershine powder).
Cactus, Widow’s Kiss: Primary ingredient in Class B poison (widow’s bile).
Carbon: Secondary ingredient in incendiaries. Primary ingredient in poison antidote (in the form of charcoal).
Cave Fisher Adhesive: Primary ingredient in cave fisher adhesive.
Chama Bush: Primary ingredient in stimulant.
Cha’thrang Lime: Primary ingredient in Class A poison.
Cinnabar: Secondary ingredient in Class P poison (siltweed extract). Secondary ingredient in cave fisher adhesive.
Cloud Moss Tree: Secondary ingredient in arena powder.
Copra Nut: Secondary ingredient in Class K poison (redleaf paste). Secondary ingredient in battlefield balm. Secondary ingredient in draxia ointment.
Draxia Weed: Primary ingredient in draxia ointment.
Erdlu Fat: Secondary ingredient in healing salve.
Gaund Egg: Primary ingredient in gaund egg slime.
Gray Root: Primary ingredient in Class M poison (gray root).
Guano: Secondary ingredient in pyrotechnic flashpowder.
Kank Honey: Secondary ingredient in Class Q poison (bloodgrass sap).
Kank Honey, Fermented: Secondary ingredient in Class I poison (desert mastyrial extract).
Kank Venom: Primary ingredient in Class O poison (kank venom).
Kip Pheromone: Primary ingredient in kip pheromone.
Kivit Musk: Primary ingredient in Class H poison (kivit musk).
Kola Berry: Primary ingredient in battlefield balm. Primary ingredient in healing infusion. Secondary ingredient in healing salve.
Kola Tea: Secondary ingredient in Class G poison (redleaf sap). Secondary ingredient in Class K poison (redleaf paste).
Kuzza Peppers: Primary ingredient in arena powder. Secondary ingredient in Class A poison (cha’thrang lime).
Flour, Faro: Secondary ingredient in Class B poison (megapede venom).
Magnesium: Secondary ingredient in pyrotechnic flashpowder.
Mandrake Root: Primary ingredient in poison antidote.
Megapede venom: Primary ingredient in Class B poison (megapede venom).
Methelinoc: Primary ingredient in Class J poison (methelinoc).
Mulworm Juice: Primary ingredient in Class A and J poison (mulworm slime).
Oil, Lamp: Secondary ingredient in Class A poison (mulworm slime).
Periclase: Secondary ingredient in pyrotechnic flashpowder.
Phosphate: Secondary ingredient in Class M poison (gray root). Primary ingredient in phosphoric acid. Primary ingredient in incendiaries.
Ranike Sap: Primary ingredient in ranike sap smoke.
Salt: Secondary ingredient in Class E poison (silt serpent venom). Secondary ingredient in muriatic acids.
Scorpion Venom, Barbed: Primary ingredient in Class C poison (barbed scorpion venom). Secondary ingredient in disinfectant. Secondary ingredient in healing infusion.
Scorpion Venom, Desert Mastyrial: Primary ingredient in Class I poison (desert mastyrial extract). Secondary ingredient in disinfectant.
Scorpion Venom, Gold: Primary ingredient in Class D poison (gold scorpion venom).
Serpent Venom, Silt: Primary ingredient in Class E poison (silt serpent venom).
Silica; Secondary ingredient in incendiaries. Secondary ingredient in pyrotechnic flashpowder.
Siltflower Pollen: Primary ingredient in arena powder.
Siltweed Juice: Primary ingredient in Class P poison (siltweed extract). Secondary ingredient in Class N poison (black lotus).
Spider Venom, Crystal: Primary ingredient in Class E poison (crystal spider venom).
Spider Venom, Dark: Primary ingredient in Class F poison (dark spider venom).
Spider Venom, Dark Queen: Primary ingredient in Class E poison (dark spider queen venom).
Spider Venom, Mountain: Primary ingredient in Class O poison (mountain spider venom)
Stinkweed: Primary ingredient in arena powder.
Sulphur: Primary ingredient in acid.
Thale Cress: Primary ingredient in alchemical painkiller. Primary ingredient in healing salve.
Vanadia: Secondary ingredient in acid.
Water: Secondary ingredient in Class H poison (kivit musk). Secondary ingredient in Class J poison (methelinoc). Secondary ingredient in acid. Secondary ingredient in gaund egg slime.
Welela Gourd: Secondary ingredient in Class D poison (gold scorpion venom).
Whitestone Berry: Secondary ingredient in strong painkiller.A repost of articles from the Lawful Stupid RPG blog, this one featuring rules for Alchemy and Herbalism.
Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/4c5523e5-9c3f-4210-9dbc-0847da17e7072024-01-12T23:48:06Z2024-01-14T12:00:02ZThe Athasian Survey Project 24 - Star RockMy friends, I’m pleased to provide you with another clairvoyant image in the name of the Athasian Survey Project.
It seems coming this close to the Kreen Empire has brought back memories of the last time I was here…
-------------------------------------
*I stepped through the kreen-sized doorway into the courtyard. The tall observatory’s facade was made with a filigree which took advantage of the z'ock'n resin’s translucent properties, casting colourful shadows of the zodiac upon the resin cobblestones. In spite of the relatively uniform choice of building material for the city, the kreen craftsmen’s understanding of surface finish meant their cities never felt like everything was made of the same substance.
*Looking out over the balcony, I watched the angry red sun set over Thaythilor’s skyline. I was here under the personal invitation of Adicios the Beloved and the local akdra’s own chief chakak trainer, and even after a month spent in residence, I was still struck by just how tall the kreen had built this city. For a supposedly minor edge-of-the-empire military settlement, this seemed nearly as well-developed and well fortified as any city-state.
*“Oh, do hurry up, Eshmel! We only have a few hours before my audience with the akdra.”
*There he is standing on the other end of the courtyard. As impossibly handsome a human man as I’d ever seen: tall, with a sinewy build but sturdier than that of an elf, golden skin and the dark curly hair of a Balican, and a chiselled, clean-shaven face.
*“Okay, Adicios. I’m here. But I must say, given how busy your schedule has been, I’m surprised you’ve managed to find any time this week.”
Adicios chuckled and waved his hand. “You know it’s nearly unheard of for the Empire to trust a preserver, but now that they have, their list of requested services seems to grow every day.”
*I frowned. “Considering how little of the details of your work you’ve been able to share, I’m wondering when they will ask me to leave for security reasons.”
*“Ah, nonsense.” Adicios retorted. “Our mutual friends have gone to great efforts to secure your tutelage for me. And surely the Kreen Empire’s leaders have managed to figure out why a powerful preserver would seek training from the best psionicist in the Tablelands.”
*“Hah! Flattering the teacher won’t help you improve. Let us begin…”*
-------------------------------------
…I haven’t thought about Adicios since… well, it has been many decades.
Once Odten and I had agreed on our plan of action, I was happy to trust his navigational instincts for the most part on our flight north. However, during my evening meditation and psionic correspondence, I was passed a tip for a point of interest which would be worth the extra time to see it - at the very least from the air. I then convinced my companion to indulge me in a detour north through the Hinterlands. This point of interest was Star Rock.
Star Rock is a mesa named for the enigmatic structure atop its surface. A few of the Consortium’s psionic scholars in the Broken Deep area have confirmed this feature had some major significance all the way back in the Blue Age (indeed!). Apparently, they say it was designed to study the movement of the stars.
As is visible from the air, the Star Rock structure is made up of four circular formations of stacked stone doorways. Evidently, Star Rock was shaped by a vanished species known as "trolls", who used it as a holy site and kind of observatory, allowing them to see other worlds and futures. It is not known whether this power can be tapped again, but more than a few have been trying to do so.
The issue, however, is the area is not even remotely safe. The scholars have confirmed there is eldritch power radiating from this site, and even at this distance I can feel it myself, teasing the edges of my senses like gusts of cold air. I also spotted evidence of prowling nightmare beasts in the foothills. Even from this distance, I could see this is not a location to be approached lightly, and certainly not without sufficient preparation and reinforcements.
We will not be stopping here, but instead flying onwards to Sunnil. Until next time, may the moons guide you.
{% illustration 5ed37a7a-6b4a-4939-aa6f-d2990f0f9009 aspect="full" %}
Sources
* Athas.org’s Dark Sun V3.5 rulebook V7
* The Athas Arena forum http://arena.athas.org/.../need-some-sage-help.../706/4)
* Thri-Kreen of Athas
*(To anyone who can guess the location of this image from Earth, I have a Blue Age relic I found on site. It is long, very sharp, and a semi-transparent blue-green. I cannot tell if it is a stone knife, or a petrified fingernail from a very large and quite unattractive bipedal creature...)
*
The Athasian Survey Project travels to Star Rock.Neujacktag:athas.org,2005:Article/718cf64e-124d-4588-a9b2-aabf324fdf232024-01-07T18:28:34Z2024-02-18T13:42:47ZThe Journal of Zong-Tossu, Entry 7 - The Predator Sea*A NOTE FOR READERS: The journals of Zong-Tossu, though fascinating, should not be taken as accurate. Even though he was considered a great ghav-urath, eventually many of his writings were dismissed as the products of severe psychosis by the ruling council of Thamasku and simply regarded as fiction or parody. It was rumored Zong-Tossu had a mental breakdown caused by his usage of the narcotic cam-rahn.*
Standing at the edge of “Predator Sea” as we were, the chitine warriors cut down lengths of bamboo from the grove around us using stone axes and spun them together with their webbing to produce rafts with surprising skill and speed. The spider-folk then wove great sheets of webbing and attached them to poles that rose up from the rafts, creating graceful sails to propel the craft. After fashioning paddles from driftwood, the spider-folk slowly paddled us across the tranquil, marshy waters. I marveled at how knowledgeable these forest-dwellers were with the construction of the particulars of sailing. As we slowly left the shore, the golden marsh grasses began to recede and a series of long rectangular shapes revealed themselves beneath the shallow waters. They appeared to be made of stone and extremely ancient, judging by how heavily eroded they were; our captors were, however, too busy catching the winds with their sails for me to inquire about the submerged shapes.
We sailed peacefully for days across this foreboding, yet still peaceful, sea. Occasionally, several of the large flying reptiles with their alabaster wings, and ruby-red crests and wottles would be seen overhead, diving down into the water only to return to the air with some type of small sea creature in their long, fanged maws. Other than briefly pausing to circle above our raft, these giant flyers ignored us as we began our voyage across the shallow sea.
I awoke one night to see the strangest sight - off in the distance, several tall, glowing, electric-blue pillars rose out of the water. As our makeshift craft sailed closer to these pillars, the morning light revealed that these were the bioluminescent legs of titanic slow-moving creatures - great beasts with impossibly long necks and tails. Cho’ka translated that these massive creatures were known as “colossi” and that they wandered across the Predator Sea to lay their eggs on sandy islands and beaches. Through Cho’ka, the chitine told us that these creatures migrated across the sea to reach new shores and feed upon the lush forest foliage. While crossing the sea, they usually fed on sea grasses and great mats of kelp. They also had great viscid tendrils that would extend from their undersides, presumably with which to feed on water borne algae and tiny animals. As we traveled alongside them, I saw there were small heads atop the colossi’s long necks, each with a mouth filled with rows of blunt, peg-like teeth that might act as a comb to pluck leaves, fruits, and nuts from the tallest of trees. The colossi’s legs and necks appeared to be long enough to allow them to cross through the rather shallow sea with ease. Flying reptiles would actually land and nest on the mighty shoulders of these colossi, with whole generations of winged sky predators brooded on the backs of the titans. The flanks of the largest and most ancient of these creatures seemed to be dyed white from the droppings of what must have been generations of nesting chicks.
We sailed across the sea among the great herd of colossi for two more days before the spider-folk felt we were at little-enough risk of escaping to cut us loose from our bonds. We were given free reign to swim and bath ourselves in the sea water - Tr’Shadai and I happily leapt into the refreshing waters to swim between the slow-moving legs of the mighty titans. To see the mucilaginous tendrils hang from their bellies like strange vines in the slow moving dreamscape of the sea was quite a sight. The chitine spun web ladders to let us surmount the colossi, and I climbed upon the back of one of these beasts to look out at the setting golden sun, watching the pinks and purples fade across the horizon as twilight faded to night across the sea. Many of us actually found refuge on the back of this mighty colossus, sleeping in the old, abandoned nests of the flying reptiles - after so many days in captivity and aboard the cramped raft, a measure of personal space was a welcome luxury.
The aquatic world of Guthay was a sight to be seen. Vibrant coral reefs were visible beneath the surface, and multitudes of colorful, prismatic fish, strange shelled creatures, and various other sea creatures swam in massive schools around the plodding legs of the colossi. Great floating mats of kelp drifted by, with various species of fish and crustaceans poking their heads out to watch for predators before darting back in again. The flying reptiles began to wheel around us at this time, watching us closely and warbling amongst themselves.
Tragically, there was not much to eat - we tried to catch fish but neither we nor the spider-folk were fast enough to do so by hand or spear. The chitine constructed fine fishing nets using their webs, which we used to catch the occasional fish or frog, but without anything from which to fashion hooks, the catchings were slim. Many of the fish we did catch, the spider-folk informed us, were dangerous to consume, due to the various poisons and parasites these creatures had in their systems. Eventually, many of us took to waiting near the nests of the flying reptiles and feeding on the half-eaten and discarded fish and shellfish. Thankfully many of us still had our purification siphons, which easily filtered seawater to fresh as we drank, though apparently the chitine could drink it with no ill effect.
Several days into sailing amongst the herd, one of the colossi began to plod along more and more slowly, eventually beginning to trail behind its titanic kin. After several hours of this, a number of mounds of seawater could be seen in the distance, heading in the tired behemoth's direction. Soon these surging mounds of water caught up to the ancient colossi and, with a horrific bellow, purple blood stained the nearby waters as what appeared to be huge predatory reptiles tore into the titan’s legs. As the waterborne predators shredded the wounded limbs, ripping great hunks of flesh away with savagely powerful rolls of their bodies, the colossi stumbled to its knees before falling over onto its side in the water. With this, the marine predators fell upon the titan’s belly, disemboweling the beast and then consuming it from the inside out.
Hearing its bellows of pain and watching as it was pulled beneath the otherwise peaceful waters, I could not help but think of how I had slept upon the creature’s back just two nights previous, and I wept for the gentle giant. When we had left the savage marine predators and their gruesome prize far behind, and I had regained my composure, I asked Cho’ka: “What do the chitine call those predators?” Cho’ka turned and addressed one of the nearby spider-folk. The chitine chittered at Cho’ka, who nodded and returned, and clicking his mandibles said: “Those predators have no name because the spider-folk have never seen them so close up. They normally avoid all predators, as much as possible, believing that to name them is to invite their wrath, calling these only ‘the maws of the sea’.” I could only look out over the sea in horror - all of the predators in this vibrant jungle world seemed to be so terrifying that they either could not be named or were given the most honorary of titles and treated as demigods by the chitine.
We sailed peacefully for days after that, venturing across the sea from atoll to atoll, unmolested further by the ‘maws of the sea’. The colossi, and therefore we, rested upon the atolls at night whenever possible. When we rested upon an otherwise unremarkable atoll one night, when the clouds parted and Athas unexpectedly shone full, the titans began to stir and grow restless. Suddenly, a swarm of chittering shelled creatures burst out of the sand on the far side of the island and began swarming up the legs of the colossi, biting and stabbing at them with mandibles and claws.
We quickly began to defend the titanic beasts, fighting off the vicious isopods as best we could. Those flying reptiles nested upon the colossi also began to pour out of their nests atop the titans and consumed the isopods before they could threaten the flyers’ helpless eggs and offspring. Many of these strange arthropods were slain, though they were quite vicious. The spider-folk stabbed at them with their two headed spears and Cho’ka used his claws to split their carapaces open and gut the vermin. I and the other Rhulisti used whatever was at hand to combat the isopods, using stones, driftwood clubs, and the like; several of the vher-etuils were even lent spare chitine blades to help defeat the creatures. Though they were killed in droves, the isopods still took their toll - a handful of spider-folk warriors and Rhulisti were slain, tumbling down into the shoals to be devoured. Many eggs and hatchlings were lost, and the mourning calls of the winged reptiles could be heard all night, as the nesting mothers called out for their missing offspring.
When the golden sun rose into the heavens again, we and the colossi resumed our journey. By midday, we could see the coast of a great island in the distance. The spider-folk began humming in unison and one of them chittered at Cho’ka for quite some time. His chitin still scratched and cracked in places from the battle last night, the thri-kreen looked me in the eyes and translated: “They say we have arrived to the Island of the Pariahs, where we will be given as tribute to the so-called ‘star children’ that make their home here.”
This is the journal of Zong-Tossu, a master ghav-urath (life-shaper) from the Rhul-thaun capital of Thamasku. Zong-Tossu was sent by the har-etuil (judgment-makers) along with a detachment of junior life-shapers and lawkeepers to investigate a mysterious ring of standing stones and the strange creatures said to occasionally appear within. The expeditionary force was accompanied by a thri-kreen emissary known as Cho’ka.
After being taken to the village of the spider-folk and being condemned by the chitine queen, Zong-Tossu, his group, and their spider-folk captors have traveled to one of the shallow seas of Guthay.Azog the DefilerAdam Cieszlaktag:athas.org,2005:Article/29d579c2-44d8-4f17-b7b1-ecf1c3aa585c2023-12-29T15:02:40Z2023-12-31T17:51:50Z10 Key Facts About Dark Sun That Every Player Should Know{% illustration 411bc7aa-5b8e-4517-9176-affcbe3a62ba aspect="tall" %}
#### The World is a Post-apocalyptic Desert
Embrace a drastic departure from traditional fantasy RPG settings with Dark Sun, where you'll be immersed in a post-apocalyptic desert world. A far cry from lush landscapes, you're confronted with scarce resources, survival challenges, and a red sun whose relentless heat is a character in and of itself.
#### On Athas Everyday is a Struggle for Survival
Dark Sun leaves no room for vulnerability - it’s survival of the fittest. Newcomers will quickly grasp this harsh reality - only those adept at navigating danger survive, and sometimes, becoming ruthless is the only way to secure safety in the face of adversity.
#### Wizard Magic Defiles the Land
Arcane magic in Dark Sun brings a double edge. The world fears and spurns magic due to the existence of destructive defiling magic, yet preserving magic offers a much-needed balance. Deciding whether to play a magic-using character involves an acceptance of these facets.
#### Psionics are Ubiquitous
The standout feature of the Dark Sun setting is the widespread prevalence of psionic abilities. Everyone from average citizens to the fiercest warriors can harness these mental powers, adding uncertainty and surprising turns to the story.
#### Races and Classes are Not What You Expect
In Dark Sun, stereotypes are broken, and races and classes take intriguing new forms. Humans are still dominant but often mutated and elves have evolved into desert nomads. The range of character builds in Dark Sun is diverse, offering refreshing perspectives for D&D veterans.
#### Bone, Stone, and Obsidian replace Metal
Resource scarcity dominates Dark Sun's culture. Essential materials like metal are precious and rare, requiring the use of stone, bone, obsidian, and wood to make tools and weapons. These less resilient materials often instigate creativity and improvisation when a weapon breaks mid fight!
#### Sorcerer-Monarchs Rule as Tyrants
The underlying socio-political subplot of Dark Sun is largely shaped by the power dynamics of the Sorcerer-Monarchs and their priest-like Templars. These Templars, bestowed with both magic and military prowess, oversee their city-states with zealous authority, while the iron grip of the ever-present Sorcerer-Monarchs presses on even their throats.
#### Gold and Silver are Rare
Athas has a unique currency system where gold and silver coins are rare. Instead, ceramic pieces and bits are the common currency. Gold is rarely seen by the common person but silver is often used by merchants.
#### Brutal Desert Monsters Ravage the Wastes
Athas is far from a friendly nature-walk – the beasts and monsters of the wastes are as adapted to the brutal conditions of the world as the inhabitants. Not only do these creatures exhibit remarkable traits of survival and adaptability, but their inherent psionic abilities also make them formidable foes, raising the stakes for any adventurer daring to traverse the perilous landscapes of Athas.
#### Education is Oppressed by the Sorcerer-Monarchs
The oppressive governing authorities of Athas have deliberately limited education, making literacy a rare skill in Athas. In a world where knowledge is power, the rarity of scrolls and books make them high-value commodities in the game.
As you embark on your Dungeons & Dragons adventure within the arid, post-apocalyptic setting of Dark Sun, prepare for a game-changing experience. Battle for survival within the oppressive reign of the Sorcerer-Kings, harness the powers of defiling or preserving magic, and unlock your hidden psionic abilities. Face the relentless perils of scarce resources, harsh terrain, and ferocious wildlife. Get ready to dive into an exhilarating RPG world that pushes the boundaries of traditional Dungeons & Dragons, weaving a saga of survival, power, and resilience that is sure to captivate and challenge in equal measure. Welcome to Athas, welcome to Dark Sun!
Embarking on an adventure in the desert world of Dark Sun can be a thrilling experience for any Dungeons & Dragons player. To navigate the challenging terrain of Athas, here are ten key facts about Dark Sun that every player should know.Raddutag:athas.org,2005:Article/6db7cc29-7a3a-480f-bc50-3efb8a0105292023-12-22T04:03:42Z2024-02-18T13:18:12ZLawful Stupid blog, Repost #6 - Fighting Styles{% illustration 18ad385d-2746-40ec-a514-d6e79c0e11c2 aspect="tall" %}
AD&D 2e’s **fighting styles** are a way to add some depth and detail to warrior classes. They’re a bit like the feats that later editions of D&D use – they add customisation and cool powers to your fighter. Fighting styles were introduced in the *Complete Fighters Handbook* and developed further in *Player’s Option: Combat and Tactics*, where DMs were encouraged to come up with their own. So we took that to heart. As in, we came up with about seventy of them... and I’m going to share them with you now.
#### What are Fighting Styles?
If you aren’t familiar with fighting styles, the idea is that you spend a weapon proficiency slot to specialise in one, receiving a small benefit in return – things like reduced penalties for fighting with two weapons, an AC bonus when fighting with a single weapons, reduced speed factor when using a two-handed weapon etc.
#### Restrictions… or Not
You can add restrictions if you like – rule that a character can only start with one fighting style specialisation, that non-warriors can only specialise in a limited number (one for wizards, two for priests, three for rogues or the like) – give bonus style specialisations to certain classes, or just open them up to all characters equally. Whatever suits your campaign.
#### Bonus Slots for High Intelligence
If you want to give warriors an added boost, use the rule from the *Complete Fighter’s Handbook* that allows warriors to spend their bonus non-weapon proficiency slots from high Intelligence on weapon proficiencies. That way, smart warriors can specialise in more fighting styles.
#### Thematic Groups
In the attached pdf, the various fighting styles are grouped thematically. This doesn’t have any mechanical impact – it’s just a way of grouping similar styles for ease of reference. You could, of course, give this some mechanical weight by ruling that non-warriors can only choose style specialisations from one group (or two or three, as desired). But otherwise they’re just to help organise the various styles.
Each individual bullet point represents a single fighting style costing a single weapon proficiency slot.
You’ll also probably recognize some of these as things that used to be non-weapon proficiencies like Blind Fighting, Dirty Tricks, Feign Weakness etc. These have been changed into fighting styles because, well, we prefer it that way.
Here are a couple of examples so you can see what the styles look like:
#### Arena Combat Fighting Style
This style is used in personal combat, incorporating various trick, feints, and deceptions to gain an advantage.
**Dirty Tricks**: A successful Wisdom check grants you a +1 on either initiative, to hit, or damage rolls, or imposes a –1 penalty on an enemy’s rolls. You can use this ability once per opponent of Average or lower Intelligence.
Feign Weakness: A successful Charisma check feigns a weakness. If an enemy acts on this apparent weakness, your next attack against them receives a +3 to hit and damage. You can use this ability once per opponent.
**Tactics**: Spend a round studying up to four opponents to gain a +1 on initiative or attack rolls against them for the duration of combat. You can spend a second slot to specialize in opponents of a particular race, increasing the bonus to +2 (or +1 on both rolls).
**Weakness Identification**: A successful Wisdom check reveals an enemy’s weakness. A called shot against them will then inflict double damage. You can use this ability once per opponent.
#### Two Weapon Fighting Style
This style applies when fighting with two weapons – one in each hand.
**Deft Parry**: Gain a +2 bonus to your Parry total when parrying with two weapons.
**Improved Balance**: Your off-hand weapon does not need to be smaller than your main weapon when fighting with two weapons.
Improved Coordination: Reduce the penalties for fighting with two weapons from –2/–4 to 0/–2.
**Wall of Blades**: Gain a +1 AC bonus when wielding two weapons.
There’s not much more to say beyond that. Check out the attached excerpt from our Dark Sun Campaign Guide to see all the various fighting styles we’ve come up with for our Dark Sun game. Try them out in play and let us know what you think. In a few weeks’ time, we’ll share some more ways to use fighting styles to add extra flavour to your game by using them alongside cultural weapon groups. More on that later…A repost of articles from the Lawful Stupid RPG blog, this one featuring rules for fighting styles.Logariumtag:athas.org,2005:Article/16049fe8-1709-4a16-ad08-b4a9ad1449332023-12-17T00:48:07Z2023-12-17T00:58:59ZThe Athasian Survey Project 23 - Dragon Crown MountainsSuccess! My friends, I am pleased to bring you the first of what I hope to be many clairvoyant missives from the air above Athas, in the name of the Athasian Survey Project.
As I had suspected, my Consortium contacts had done little more than get me in the door with the pterrax training grounds. To convince them to let me ride with one of their pterrax riders was a difficult task, even with my conveying to them the purposes of my mission and whom I served.
Of all things, what made the difference in the end was their discovering my name and the name of my father’s merchant house. It seemed one of their recently graduated pterrax riders was the descendant of the family my father and I had visited all those years ago, and this young pterran - named Odten Aandu - volunteered to assist me on my journey. Pterran lifespans are second only to the thri-kreen in their brevity, yet this young pterran advocated for me as if I were his long lost relative. And here I thought my esteem for their culture could not grow any further.
Not long after, Odten and I departed the training grounds and flew northwards, following a path which would avoid drifting too close to the Battle Wall or the Jagged Cliffs. The reason for avoiding the former was common sense - if we wished to sneak into the Kreen Empire unmolested, we should avoid any and all kreen military installations, and the Battle Wall within the Great Rift features their largest such installation. Of course, they would be watching the skies.
The reason for avoiding the latter was a bit more subtle - once Odten knew where I intended to go, he agreed that, in order to safely make it over the Jagged Cliffs and into the Crimson Savannah, we would do well to travel to the Rhul-thaun capital of Thamasku to request their permission to descend the Cliffs into the Crimson Savannah. The Rhul-thaun do not like outsiders flying over their homes, so they tend to police the skies around the Jagged Cliffs, making sure unauthorised flyers don’t venture into their territory. Going north to avoid the Rhul-thaun settlements (and their airspace) would surely make this journey far longer and far more difficult than it needed to be, and I did not relish another encounter with the obsidian orbs of Saragar, so we both agreed this was our best choice.
Our first move was to use the tall peaks of the Dragon Crown Mountains as cover from the Battle Wall garrisons as we flew north-by-northeast. This forbidding location had quite a fateful history which came to light some years ago through the brave actions of a powerful adventuring party (who allegedly had a personal audience - and assistance - from Hamanu himself). Not long ago, there was a brief period of time when all psionic powers were dampened and all masters of the Way fell ill. It seems the source of this worldwide malady was none other than the fortress hidden inside these mountains. According to the Consortium’s best scholars, part of a group known as The Order - an ancient and clandestine society of powerful psions - tried to use a powerful relic known as the Psionatrix to block all psionic power in the world. The Consortium has known about The Order for King’s Ages, seeing them as a sister organisation. They shared many of the Consortium’s ultimate goals but had irreconcilable differences of opinion as to the underlying causes of Athas’ problems, and thus their solutions.
Our flight path would take us as close as we dared to get to the high mountains without getting too close. Flying over these would prove impossible on account of the air elementals still guarding the abandoned fortress even now. Between Odten keeping us as far away from the Battle Wall as possible and my efforts to conceal our minds, I do believe we managed to draw no attention to ourselves.
At our closest point, I could just see into the Silent Forest within the crater, and even managed a glimpse of the white fortress of Dasaraches and its tower. Even though it has been abandoned since the Psionatrix was destroyed, Consortium contacts have reported the place is still fraught with danger. The forest remains strangely silent and lacking in any fauna (thanks to the forest’s particularly vicious carnivorous plants), and all users of The Way still report headaches and difficulty focusing anywhere near the old fortress.
Looking at this hostile forest from above, it occurred to me (certainly not for the first time) how aggressively living things on this planet have adapted to defend themselves, whether naturally or by forced mutation by unnatural forces. Perhaps a side effect of so many millennia of magical and psionic abuse has been this arms race between every living thing still clinging to life on Athas. Did these evolutions really make us stronger? Can we ever step away from this arms race, and if we did what would that look like?
I will leave you with these questions as we fly north. Until then, may the Moons guide you.
{% illustration b04cdf67-2e47-48eb-a856-b09251dc3b4c aspect="full" %}
*(To anyone who can guess the source of this image from Earth, I have my pack lunch from today’s flight which I can share with you. I have been told at the altitude we were flying, dropped dates can become deadly weapons…)*
Sources
* Dragon’s Crown
* Scale Tail and Claw
* The Wanderer’s JournalThe Athasian Survey Project travels to the Dragon Crown Mountains.Neujack