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| Welcome to Athas, my friends... |
| Here, I will attempt to give a general overview of the basics of Dark Sun. It will be mainly for the purposes of character generation, since the rules of this brutal land differ a great deal from the other realms offered by TSR. Though it will not be my intent to plagiarize, I'm sure I'll be stepping on a few toes, so everything contained herein is owned and lisenced by TSR, Dragons of the West Coast, or whoever else they decided to sell out to. If at any time you are confused by this material, or find it incomplete, or just wish for more information, let me know, and I shall provide as much as I can. But for now, pick up your dice and pencil, and start rolling and writing! |
| Rolling Ability Scores |
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| For our purposes, roll 5d4, 12 times, using the six highest numbers for your ability scores. This will generate a number between 5 and 20. |
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| Player Character Races |
| Consult the table below to determine if your character's race will fit the ability score requirements. This is done before you add any racial ability adjustment. For example, your half-giant cannot have more than a 15 dexterity. However, you may find that you rolled a 20 strength, and then add on his +4 modifier to this, giving him a 24 Str attribute...damn! |
| Ability Dwarf Elf H-Elf H-giant Halfling Mul Thri-kreen Strength 10-20 5-20 5-20 17-20 3-18 10-20 8-20 Dexterity 5-20 12-20 8-20 3-15 12-20 5-20 15-20 Constitution 14-20 8-20 5-20 15-20 5-20 8-20 5-20 Intelligence 5-20 8-20 5-20 3-15 5-20 5-20 5-20 Wisdom 5-20 5-20 5-20 3-17 7-20 5-20 5-20 Charisma 5-20 5-20 5-20 3-17 5-20 5-20 5-17 |
| Dwarf.....................................+2 Con, +1 Str, -1 Dex, -2 Cha Elf..........................................+2 Dex, +1 Int, -1 Wis, -2 Con Half-elf..........................................................+1 Dex, -1 Con Half-giant......................+4 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha Halfling........................+2 Dex, +2 Wis, -1 Con, -1 Cha, -2 Str Mul.........................................+ 2 Str, +1 Con, -1 Int, -2 Cha Thri-kreen...............................+ 2 Dex, +1 Wis, -1 Int, -2 Cha |
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| Player Character Classes |
| Warrior Classes There are three different classes within the warrior group on Athas: fighter, ranger, and gladiator. Each is conditioned for a particular style of combat. The fighter is a skilled warrior, trained for both individual combat and warfare in military conditions. Characters of this type are the mainstay of any organized military force. The ranger is a warrior knowledgable in the ways of the wilderness, skilled in surviving the rigors of the wild oases and the brutal stretches of desert between them. Many slave tribesmen are rangers. The gladiator is a specialized warrior trained for combat in the arenas. He is skilled in the use of many obscure weapons and combat techniques As a note, there are no paladins on Athas. Wizard Classes A wizard is able to capture and master magical energies. However, on Athas, magic and the ecosystem are irrevocably bound--no one, not even a wizard, can affect one without affecting the other. All wizards must decide at the beginning of their careers whether they are trying to work with nature or without regard for it. In Dark Sun, this means a wizard must be a preserver or a defiler. The defiler is a wizard who activates tremendous magical energy without regard to its effect on the environment. With the casting of each spell, a defiler destroys part of the world's ecosystem, rendering it dead and sterile. The preserver attempts to use magic in concert with the environment. Learning how to wield such magic on Athas is especially difficult, so the preserver's advancement is slow. The illusionist is a specialized wizard who wields magical illusions. An illusionist can be either a preserver or defiler, and will advance accordingly. Priest Classes The cleric is a free-willed priest, tending the needs of local people with his talents. On Athas, clerics draw their power directly from one of the four elemental planes: earth, air, fire, or water; not from a deity. The templar is a regimented priest devoted to a single sorcerer-king. Such disciples work within the hierarchy of that sorcerer-king's clergy, advancing in power and position. A templar draws his power from the sorcerer-king. The druid is a priest tied to a particular feature on Athas. Unique geographical features are guarded by spirits, which druids serve. Rogue Classes Thieves and bards remain the same as described in the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook. The Psionicist Class The psionicist uses the forces of his own mind to affect his environment. Psionic powers are not magical in nature, however are derived from within, and in no way affect the world's ecosystem when performed. Every character has at latent psionic abilities, as described in the Dark Sun Rules Book. |
| Class Ability Minimums |
| Class Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha Gladiator 13 12 15 -- -- -- Defiler -- -- -- 9 -- -- Templar -- -- -- 10 9 -- Psionicist -- -- 11 12 15 -- |
| For classes not unique to Dark Sun, the ability score reqirements listed in the Player's Handbook still apply. |
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| Defiler Experience Levels |
| Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
| XP 0 1,750 3,500 7,000 14,000 28,000 42,000 63,000 94,500 180,000 270,000 540,000 820,000 1,080,000 1,350,000 1,620,000 1,890,000 2,160,000 2,430,000 2,700,000 |
| Hit Dice (d4) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10+1 10+2 10+3 10+4 10+5 10+6 10+7 10+8 10+9 10+10 |
| Preservers follow the wizard advancement as outlined in the 2nd Edition Players Handbook. |
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| New Nonweapon Proficiencies |
| General Bargain Heat Protection Psionic Detection Sign Language Water Find |
| Slots 1 1 1 1 1 |
| Ability Wis Int Wis Dex Int |
| Modifier -2 -2 -2 0 0 |
| Priest Bureaucracy Somatic Concealment |
| 1 1 |
| Chr Dex |
| -2 -1 |
| Warrior Armor Optimization Weapon Improvisation |
| 1 1 |
| Dex Wis |
| -2 -1 |
| Wizard Somatic Concealment |
| 1 |
| Dex |
| -1 |
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