ANIMAL-STYLE MAGIC OF EBE SPELLS, DOMAINS, AND LIVING MAGIC DARK SUN 9 PLAYER'S HANDBOOK RACES, CLASSES, EQUIPMENT, RULES CAN YOU CURE fsDRAGON ernie erento Pore eer preety rete nae eee Ck et ted ee ec rs Ct kr al ee Ce Pe edd Peete e nto cea Cast nd Cd Lonel tara Se eee Poeun! ee ead Creates ore etd Cee eres Vice President Panera es roe etd coated Sand ered eee ed ered epee encarta Pema iter peers Coarse meant ent ett eerie ee POSTMASTER SeNO ADDRESS CHANGES TO Pel arene rar Meany Enea eterna Prcemenpcwrttanermrr tr pereienrecrireaet aerenre rarer Eocene ae Reenter ee cerry Peper ereenicrerensererey Footer rr Perron teeth aentiorrcet ean Fate nani Prete eaten ene eee Prreeetoneseoteameerren tory Pcherepennta treater Feectelerareete inure renal eternal rea eae rae canara ee ee’ Ese reception eee Peeverenecentemntes tener) Borate ean ria Peeters tesa eerecatict ee ena ian eine nena Peery eas eer ees Soyo ec oo a oe) DRAGON CONTENTS ef aNeLe CN Tn) Semen Ce na) Oy eM ces Eerie ery RU ER ond Ae ee FEATURES cman ct ee ce eam |.) % Ee no cay eae magic is revealed with the mage: wright, living spell and more! Ee aes) The second of two articles that Se Ie original setting Coo] ert RLS d Oceanis ana Pur The shen. A prestige class that ees Poe ae aL Pere ec ewe enc er eer Pe aes Eee ed eptaerrararat ee een ea COU Ce eed eater ac) Cotes Senay the dead city of PetraDARK SUN PLAYER'S HANDBOOK 16 38 Ina world of limited res fone might .comidragon §Denar sag pear een peeps gerne earn: eee eee Coe ee Paper enna eanot ores ed pacer swords in your best Drzz ee ee Pare aeseennn tiny eto eee pete eer ee from R. A. Salva Sena) ee ne rr ar PO ce EIN cs copes See te eee ret) eeentete Poets ee ee WYRM'S TURN FROM THE EDITOR THE BETTER PART OF VALOR The word “paizo” means “I play” in Greek, and nowhere is our company motto bet- ter exemplified than the new campaign started up by Mike McArtor, one of ‘Descow’s two assistant editors. The players include Wes (the other assistant editor), Jeremy (from customer service), Rob (the advertising director), James (Dunaeow’s associate editor), Patrick (Deacon's graphic. designer) Lisa (Paizo's CEO), and myself. We gather to play in the cardboard-box-clogged meeting room on Tuesday rights after work, dice in hand and character sheets drawn from desk drawers. ‘Once again, a DM opened the lavely Pandora's box of allowing players to choose monstrous races for their characters, and so our adventuring group is a motley crew that consists of an air elemental, ogre mage, winged awakened deinonychus, doppelganger, gold dragon, half-orc samurai, and what we fondly refer to as “the dwarfalope,” Patrick's tauric dwarf-griffon. And | thought the party in my other game was weird, ... tall works out though, because in this Campaign, humans are more-or-less innately evil and in league with demon lords, but Im getting ahead of myset For the following description of the first two sessions, please keep in mind that although we are playing monstrous characters, they're all isi-level PCs, most using, the monster class advancement rules featured in Savage Species. Session 1: The first session was the pits-litrally. We spent several happy hours of game play navigating a tunnel with an unstable floor. You might think that crossing a few pits isn't much of a challenge, but we are ist level. Mighty adven- turers are we. Session 2: In the second session, we fought a vampire and encountered a demon lord, Let that sink in [thought it was great. Tha’s how | run my campaigns. Ifthe low-level adventur- crs walk past the sign that says, “Here there be dragons,” and laugh it off, they {get what's coming fo them. Perhaps that’s why my characters tend to be more Cautious than most (some would say paranoid). ‘When we were met outside the pit-strewn tunnel by a mysterious stranger who ‘wanted us to go back in and stop a demon lord from being freed, | tried to con- vince everyone that the man was frying to trick us ino releasing the demon and ‘would betray us once we had dane so. | only partilly succeeded, and we decided to follow the human. Wel, guess what happened next I think we should have learned some important lessons First: Never trust the mysterious stranger. Second: Run away! Sure, the desperate gamble that pays off or ends in heroic tragedy is one of the best parts of the game. No guts, no glory. That's why they call them heroes, right? Yer, le’s not forget the better part of valor So two sessions later, we met yet another mysterious stranger. Ths time it was 1 dragon, not a vampire. The dragon told us of a haunted castle that it Feared to enter. Think about it: The dragon was afraid of going into the haunted caste. bet you can guess what my character had fo say about that. Now what do you think wwe decided to do? We're never going to get this valor thing right. Matthew Sernett Editor-in-Chief 6 May 2004ZOGGNIA Gerring Any TREASURE L TAOVENTORE ‘You Kwow wnat? you SUCK ) 25.8 ORARE! Now 1 KNOW ‘wort You, Don “nH SIMcR DWARVES H- —iOURE A DISAPPOINTMENT To |) YOUR RACE !...pRoBasir. 8 May 2004 SCALE MAIL READERS TALK BACK LOOKING AHEAD ‘A NOVEL APPROACH ‘ove your magazine, and I think you ‘2uys do a heck of a job in bringing fresh new ideas and fun aspects 10 DOtD, whether you're playing Grcvrawn, Forcorren REALMS, or just a generic DBD world. | have two things Fd like 10 address. First, you once said in “Scale Mail” that if anyone had any suggestions for fantasy worlds that could be showcased Jn Deaaow to write in and let you know. | have the perfect one! Have you ever read Terry Goodkind's series? I starts with Wizard's First Rule, and then there are a bunch of books that come after- ward. A number of very cool classes ‘ould be taken from that world, not 10 mention a map that could be published and various feats that could be created from the book. | would love to see Terry Goodkind’s books broken down into DEAD terms. in particular the Mord-Sith and the Confessors. There are others, but those would be the biggies as far as Tim concerned. Please consider this! Second, you know that Eggo commer- cial where the CEO is asking why they didn't think of making syrup sooner? “ts not rocker-surgery!” he says. Well, | was thinking, you guys should take some of the best-selling FORGOTTEN REALMS books and give character stat, feats, and classes based off them. | mean, you have all hose wonderful stories that are being put out, and some of us want 10 know how the authors made the charac- ters! As an example, one of Elaine Cunningham's books, called Magehound, has a group of people who are magic resistant and who study fighting styles in ‘order to be councilors to wizards. | cant remember the name of the organization, but i's a very cool concept! It would be ool to have a breakdown of that class in your magazine. For example, what are the stats of the wikhelf sorcerer who Is the baddie of that story? Whatre the stats on the necromancer that goes to the Elemental Plane of Water? What're the stats of Trigone (who seems to be a sorcerer/rogue but much more)? There is tons of stuf for your magazine, and tha’s only one book! Doing the stats for the book can generate not only interest in the book, but interest in the magazine if someone's read the book and liked it. ‘You could take one long series, two short ones, or three single bocks, and do 2 spread on them as a new feature of ‘your magazine. | don't think Im alone in wanting 10 see these things and | hope you all consider doing Jennifer Andersen Portland, Oregon, Do you have a crystal ball? In the not-too-dstant future, a new regular Feature wil provide the kinds of things you suggest for both Wizards of the Coast novels and other fantasy books. In a couple pages, it will give a ‘sneak peak at the Featured novel, talk briefly about what DOrD players will ‘enjoy, and transform some element of the novel into DErD rules. You can expect 10 see more than NPCS though: We plan for rhe column fo feature all kinds of DB10 content, from spells and feats to magic items and PC races. WE HEAR AND OBEY Daacow has changed quite abit since the 19808, 50 Id lke fo make an observation ‘The magazine seems to use too much space introducing prestige classes, vari ant races, and so on that offer litle value for the space they occupy. There are only so many races and prestige classes that any campaign can use. F ‘Deacowis to support DEXD, then should it not develop in more detail the infor- tation provided in the core books? As an example, fleshing out the yuan-it species in an article allows DM and player ake to have a more layered and Textured playing experience by adding some context for the creatures. Understanding aspects of yuan-ti soci ety, breeding, religion, and 50 on, is & key way to build on the knowledge base contained inthe core rulebooks (wherePRUs Aeg od PEs adoro) space limitations did not allow for this kind of detailed treatment) Creating the Lmpteenth new prestige clas isnot adding layers of “realism” or description to the existing DED landscape, but rather is tering it. Likewise, the articles buried in the back of the magazine ike “DM's Toolbox” and “Sage Advice,” are rreas- Lure troves of information for the DErD ‘gaming experience. Why are these arti- cles not front-and-center, accompanied by great artwork and graphics fo ilus- trate their pages? "Sage Advice” would be the most read article in the magazine (f its not already), i it was expanded to ilustrate what was being discussed. Instead, i's treated lke @ second-class Citizen in 2 magazine that relly should strive to develop this type of article. Let's face it, not all of us have the time (or skils) ro develop the ecology of the mummy on our own, $0 it Seems to ‘me that Deacow should be a tool that builds more of this kind of support. As ‘an example of the problem, | noticed a letter written in DeAcon, issue #316, in ‘which the author asked about having per: ‘more information on the duergor pre sented in the magazine. The response by the editor was that there was nothing, published because they had never received anything! Why is DeAcow walt- ing for submissions on the duergar while publishing several articles on prestige classes that wil kely never get used by the majority of gamers? One of the Virtues of the earker days of Deacow (and I hope that | am not romanticizing here) was the wealth of articles that tembelished or expanded on aspects of the core rules themselves (ecologies, variant rules, and 50 on). ‘What about an article on the simple potion? It could offer many interesting aspects to the boring old potions found in the Dunocow MasTen’s Guide, including wild appearances of bores, interesting histories for particularly storied potions, and special nuances for all of your favorites from regular game play. For ‘example, it could contain a start to finish description of the experience of drinking 2 healing potion. fm just throwing this ‘out off the top of my head to show how might be more interesting to develop the existing material rather than spitting cout a whole new slew of material that no ‘one will ever get to and that only adds toa growing mountain of under-utilized material on the same subject. Poy Cees eon pack on 30 years of the best game n me cy reer ro eee Coad ee eee eon ee er - eee Cee al eran re enero rey apscunisacheeiaelae Se ee ee eens ‘Under Cone ear Developing a campaign is all about the details. Which details DeAcow decides to expand upon might, in the end, deter- mine its utility for gamers tke me. Scott Jack London, Ontario Dragon does feature the kinds of things you mention. "Shrouded in Death: The Ecology of the Mummy” appeared in ‘ssue #300. “Venom and Colt The Secret Life of Yuan-1i" appeared in issue +305, Other examples of such articles Include “Malgnant Growth: The Ecology Of the Troll" in issue #301, “Paragons of War: The Ecology of the from issue #309, and the various cret Life” articles abour g elves, dwarves, and drow. As for variant rules, you can find them ber of 294), parry- ing rules (issue #301), new mounted issues: vehicle rue nbat rules (issue #304), action stunts fighters (issue #4310), level pragressions for Iycan- thropes (issue # (issue #315), rru with such articles in mind, you make 3 good point. DRAGON can do a better jab of serving players with differ- ent tastes, and it can give greater ‘emphasis fo the experiences and ele ments of play cent ‘Although DRAGON does feature the kind of articles you hte, the pendulum of gaming content swings from issue fo issue. Not every issue has an “Ecology article or one th jailed descriptions of magic items. On 1 ‘other end of the spectrum, new PC races appear in Dkadox infrequently The key is consistency. The magazine 2 all DEXD games. should reliably present a good mix of content for expert and novice fo 3. We 10 this effect, and we're paying attention feedback. Keep your eyes on the pages of Or ‘approach a “not-too-distant future FACT OR FICTION U have to admit that when I saw the premise for the exotic-heroes-themed issue, | was less then enthused. Players and DMs must have choices to keep their campaigns interesting, but with all the Wizards of the Coast and non- Wizards products out there, plus the glut people who play only with the core 1 those who love the crazy new fe heard readers’ To.nqure boa saerptom nal mberponspstacon or cal i) 14-2060 Stree one tpaazom sd sve fx For Orn oa one ee ema pacom Leer ered th aue bay be ee! ar arty WM Wg. AK ee 10 May 2004AVAILABLE Dot Do ey ee ee Peete ary 12. May 2004 of information on the web we can access, it can be a case of foo much of a good thing. ‘The issue arrived in the mai, and | flipped through it (reading the comics first, as always). | gave the articles a once-over: Norhirg to write home about, | thought. ‘Then I gave the articles another look Wow. Wow! Good stuff The article thar stands out most in my mind is “Xenophilia” The new PC races add a lot of interesting options to cam- paigns, and while | don't plan on using the races for PCs at present, I do plan on using them as NPC races very soon, Tim now going to give each article ‘more careful attention and mine the Issue for all the ideas i's worth While I don’ plan on buying and using the EpeRRON setting (FoRGOrren REALMS is. enough for me, thanks), there's no rea son I car't take the shifter race and other tidbits of information and plunk them into campaigns I run. ‘My only complaint about DrAacow in general would be the way fiction is hen- dled, | would ike to see fiction in every Cther issue or every third issue (which hhas been the course of things for the ppast year, it seems). Please, though, don't let one author dominate the pages with ‘multi-part sagas like the Thomas Harlan story (novell?) that has been going on for four or five issues so far. Le’s see some short fiction from new authors and from established pros, too. Mike Griffith ‘Address withheld Thanks for the comphments, Mie. Were glad the issue exceeded your expectations While you're unlikely ro see Fiction from authors with nothing else under their belts, readers can expect 10 see a greater variety of established writers in ‘the magazine. The frequency of fiction in the magazine will vary somewhoy, but ‘muli-part stories will be the exception, rot the rule WHO PUT THE “0” IN THACO? First, let me compliment the folks at Dracow for consistently improving and updating our game. My gaming buddies and | are eternally grateful not only for the continued good work you do, but also for the years of material that have come before. Keep it up. DRAGONMIRTH RETURNS Be discovered in the premier mo for gamers, by gamers, and of gamers. ‘Deacon's loking for one- 9 four-parel comics of exceptional quality and humerousness, This s your opportunity 10 put “published” on your resume. Your accepted comic will appear in a Future issue of Deacow for the word 1 se. Consistent quality wil result ina contract for a number of paid com To submit your comic, send 2 300 dp hi-res peg to dragonmirth poizo.com. The image you send must be actual size Include your name, phone number, ae femal address while spelunking through box of first- and second-edition tomes, searching for adventure hooks, | came across an ad for the official ADrD Trivia Game. What a sweet idea! Is this, thing for real? How come I've been {gamer for more than ten years and never heard of if? Are there any plans to make an updated edition? if not, where can | get my hands on one? ‘Admittedly, the catalog is more than ten ‘years old, but there has to be a copy around somewhere. ‘Stephen Muick Gainesville, FL We've heard of it. We have a copy in the office library, and a few folks at Paizo have copies at home. There aren‘r any plans 10 update it, but Future issues ‘OF DRAGON will contain similar puzzles and brainteasers. Also, check out issue £320 fo see a picture of the ADBID Trivia Game and photos of other awe- some obscure DEXD products, To cele brate DBXD's oth anniversary, issue 14320 features a retrospective on DErD and all the weird and wonderful things that were made for it, ®ZGOG6NIA MOLITOR, CHECK-OUT THE DARK ELF HOTTIE THAT JUST WALKED IN! know! TELL WER THAT You LOOOvE Polson... AND TORTURE... AD THAT “You KILLED BOTH oF YouR meena 14 May 2004 UP ON A SOAPBOX DUAL TO THE DEATH THE FIRST DUAL-CLASSED CHARACTER actual name is stil unknown 10 ‘mankind. He is known only as. Erac’s Cousin, and folk make signs to ward off evil when they hear it spoken. Bitter is Erac’s Cousin, hard and merci- less in his actions. Yet he isnot without redeeming qualities, and his bravery is ‘unquestioned. You see, he was the first character in the GreyHAwe campaign to actually gain dual-class status, and he was played by my eldest son, Erie, one of the handful of stalwart expert players in my Grevnawn campaign Inis adventuring, Erac’s Cousin wes able and effective. Ths led to his rapid rise in ality as a spellcaster. Naturally then, when looting after a successful ‘encounter, he opened with eager fingers 2 scroll tube found inthe treasure trove of the vanquished. He read it. Ah, the consternation ofthis darkly aligned character when the runes upon the parchment sheet therein swirled and burned bright, their mighty enchantment ‘whisking him from the place of his tri Uumph to somewhere far, far distant! The cursed scroll was ofthe utmost power, and Erac’s Cousin found that in the blink of an eye he was no longer on Oerih. He had been transported to a smal, red-hued planet, 10 a locale there. called The Land of Ugor, a place inhab- ited by man-eaters! Although the lesser {gravity of "Barsoon’” encbled him to perform physical Feats quite impossible ‘on Oerth, Erac's Cousin did not long enjoy his newfound prowess. A horde of hungry cannibals rushed forth and sur- rounded him. Being quite unable to employ any of tis magical abilities on this strange new world, Erac’s Cousin sought safely in a tree. He scrambled up to a lofty place with ease, but the ones seeking to dine on his flesh were undeterred. Up clam- bered several of the vile cannibals. Fortunately for our antihero, the attack- ers had to come afier him one ata time Using his dagger and new-found rs is a most malign mage whose by Gary Gygax strength, Erac’s Cousin fought, sustained slight wound or two, and slew cannibal after determined cannibal. Eventually, gaining a sword In the process, the novice fighter managed to be in a posi- tion to sike first against each new assailant. After some hours, the ground around the base of his tree sanctuary was ringed with dead cannibals. Discouraged by their losses, the attackers gave up, 100k a few of their own dead to dine upon, and lft their intended prey alone on his high limb. Moking sure that they were gone, Erac’s Cousin descended, equipped himself with some armor garnered from fallen foes, and set off at a bounding run that soon took him beyond any possible ariack from the cannibals. AS Italie the num- ber of attackers he had slain, his gains in armor, weapons, and local coinage, it was clear that this character had accu- ‘mulated sufficient experience ro be rated a and-level fighter. As he was not ‘8 magic-user on the new plane, Erac’s Cousin was clearly now a fighter. Because Erac’s Cousin had taken to the sword perforce, I could not as fait OM decree that he had abandoned his ‘magical profession. What had been done was fo empower the character with the capacity 10 operate as either a magic- user or a5 a fighter. That suited Ernie just fine, and thereafter, when Erac’s Cousin ventured forth he would announce which of the two classes he ‘operated in, and have Erac’s Cousin with the accouterments for that class only The upshot is that the first dua classed character was actually not one as later defined in the rules. He was a special sort of mult-classed PC. No other character in my campaign ever attained that status, because the special circumstances of Erac’s Cousin’ssitua- tion were never duplicated. To my way of thinking such a special dual-class con- dition was and remains fair, for the two professions were “Emed” ... if youll pardon the pur.DARK SUN SETTING & RACES Struggling to Survive in a Savage World J ee by David Noonan - illustrated by Todd Harris and Jason Engle world of Dark Suv is a harsh wasteland created by evil magic that sucked the ife From the planet. Once, it was a lush, green world of vast oceans and teeming jungles, but mighty dragon-kings, mad for power, developed magic that sapped life energy. AS they used this defi magic against each other they turned oceans into deserts and forests into ash. Today, the dragon-kings have become petty godlings, ruling lover the lands they ruined. Each controls a massive city-state and isthe object of worship by the corrupt theocracy that does the day-to-day ruling, Every city-state has a lange army, but the dragon-kings rarely war against each other anymore. Indeed, the templars who worship the dragon-kings rarely ‘even see them. Life is hard on Athas, the world of Dasx SUN. Slaves toil endlessly in temperatures that often exceed nio degrees. Mer- chants and nobles are subject fo the cruel whims of the tem plars and the intrigues of their fellows. Dak SUN isa place of scarcity, and many hands grasp ot the Few remaining gifts the world has to offer. Do you have the strength and will to take what you need to survive and conquer in the desert wastes? WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE Dari Sun hes a rich history established with a boxed campaign set published in 1991, ‘an update of the setting in 1995, and a ine of adventures and accessories that stretched until late 1996. Yet the revision of the DBrD rules in 2000 meant that many aspects of the Darx SUN campaign became problematic. The setting is a8 evocative as ever, but many of the specific mechanical elements (such as hall-gints who always gor dies for Hit Dice and defiler wizards as a sepa- rate class from preservers) don't work with the new DO:D rules inthis Disk Sun update, the current DBXD rules take precedence over specific rules from old DaRk ‘Sun products—as long as the flavor of the world is maintained. There's no separate _dadiator class, for example, because a fighter with the right feat choices does everything a gladiator needs to do. This update of the setting also avails itself of the new rules elements in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Psionics has always been an important part of DARK ‘SUN, and Athas isa great place for a psion, psychic warrior, wilder, or souknife to adventure. This article also introduces two of the Expanded Psionics Handbook’s ‘new races, the elan and the maenad, to the world of Dak SUN. Some players who fell in love with the Dark SUN senting in the 19903 have already updated their campaigns to take advantage of the new DEtD rules. If you're ‘one of those players, keep doing what you're doing, but you might get some good ‘ideas From what you're about to read. This update aso sets the timeline of the game forward 300 years and restores the political situation to something lke it was when the first Das SUN product was published. Like many campaign setings of the time, Dank SuN had a strong metaplor, and the situation inthe city-states of Athas changed dramatically from sourcebook to sourcebook. This update provides a stable starting point, but what happens to the ners commune aE HOWTO EXPLORE THE WORLD “This update of Dasa Suni broken up into a ‘umber of aries. Everything you need asa ‘ayer an be found inthis magazine, a the age numbers indieated bow Inerodueion and Races: Page 8 Clases: Page 32. Euipment and Rues: Page 38 Dunczov ero contains the DMs Guide to Dae Sum designed to help a OM gata Daan Sow ‘game up and runing, Dison #10 0 fee tures “Last Stand at Oupost Thre,” an adver: ture For begneng Dame Sun characters. The Cs find themselves besieged by marauting cdves in a widerness trading outpost “Laat Stand at Outpost Three”: Page (DM's Guide to On Su: Page 58. ‘Dam Sun Monster Supplement: Page 8 in comet 18 May 2004world of Athas from this point forward is up to you. RACES OF ATHAS There are twelve PC races to choose from in the Dark Sun campoign. DARK SuN PC races—even those from the Player's Handbook and Expanded Pionics Hendbook-are often more powerful than their standard versions, and all have a level adjustment of +1 oF +2. The harsh world of Dark SUN pro- duces tough people, and characters in the campaign begin play able to face {greater threats. For fans of the old Dark SUN setting, this emulates the Tougher races it presented and the rule that players must begin play with th- level characters ‘The winged birdmen known 3s aarakocras are a rare sight in the set~ tled parts of Athas. Oniy aarakocra travelers, traders, diplomats, and exiles spend much time among the city-states, Personality: A typical aarakocra is known for his need for freedom, both inthe literal and figurative sense, Most aarakocras are quite claustro- phobic and intensely uncomfortable ‘when restrained in any way; they also disike long-term oblietions to others, and many become depressed or suici- dal when pressed inta miltary service or slavery. Physical Description: An aarakocra's arms form the leading edge of is wings, which also attach to his torso at the hips. About midway along each wing is a clawed hand with fine motor ability rivaling that of 2 human. When flying, aarekocras can manipulate items in their foor-talons as well as they could if they were holding them in their hands. ‘An aarakocra's plumage varies from white to bluish-gray. Reletions: Aarakocras fend to get along well with most other races. Because they come from isolated com- munities far north ofthe city-states, they are sometimes surprised by the quirks of other races. ‘Alignment: Aarakocra society is loosely knit and seminomadic, 0 aarakocras have a tendency to be chaotic Aarakocra Lands: The vast majority cof aarakocras come from 2 region hundreds of miles north of the Tablelands called Winter Nest. Some few are born in aarakocra trading ‘outposts or diplomatic enclaves in the city-states. Religion: Some aarakocras rely on clerics of Air for religious guidance, ‘while others heed the teachings of the few druids in their midst. Those aarakocras confronted with the theocracies of the city-states pay only lip service to the notion of wor- shiping the dragon-kings. Language: Aarakocras speak their ‘own language, Aarakocra. Most aarekocra in Winter Nest and else where have enough contact with mer- chants from the city-states that they speak Common as well. An aarakocra's beak has an easier time with the click- ing sounds of the Thri-Kreen language than humanoid mouths. Names: Aarakocras tend to have @ single muitisyllabic name with lots of vowels and soft consonants in them, ‘Adventurers: A burning desire to explore and a natural inquisitiveness serve aarekocra adventurers well, although few aarakocras stray from Winter Nest. Those who leave find the city-states fascinating, if puzzling and sometimes dangerous. Arakocra Racial Traits + +4 Dexterity, -2 Strength Lightweight but fast, aarakocras are built for speed over strength, + Medium: As Medium creatures, aarokocras have no special bonuses ‘or penalties due to their size. + Monstrous Humanoid: Becouse they aren't humanoids, aarakocras are immune to spells such as charm per- son and hold person. + Aarakocras have a base land speed of 20 feet. Their fly speed is go Feet, with average maneuverability +1 natural armor. + Natural attacks: A flying aarakocra ‘can attack with two talons, dealing 14 points of damage each, or he can use a ‘weapon in his talons. An aarakocra on the ground can wield weapons in his wing-claws at his base attack bonus and me ee PLACES IN DARK SUN The folowing Yerms appear various paces throughout his ari. The short dfiritons here are further expanded upon in Duncrow #0. + has: The word o the Das Son campaign st ting. a desert planet where mage srltivey rare and psionic are as common as heat and sand + Gary- States: Seven dependent ces, each 9 small ration unto self Scare ruled by dragon-kngs and ‘he seventh, Tyr, is eed Fre cy. The cies ae Bac, Dro. Gg, Nbenay, Ram, Tyr, and Unk + Crimson Savannah: Beyond the Jagged Cif is the home of the Kreen Empice, avast swath of lond wth reddih so + Cromlin: This is 2 village of s8-skiming sallors on the shoes of the Sea of Slt an unruly place, heme 10 those unt for ety Me. + Forest Ridge: Lely the ages forest on Athan, Forest Ridge les just west ofthe Ringing, Mountsins aed is hare tothe hai town of Ogo. + Hinterlands: Te uncharted and mosty unknown areas beyond the Regng Mounians and Forest Ridge. Few who amempt to travel here make and fewer sl return, + Jagged Cite: An area north ofthe Tablelands and west ofthe Forest Rg his area is infesed eth hoi, + Ledopelus: The independant towns ef North and Seuth Ledopaus form the ancestral home of (duorves ts leaders are careful otto anger the nearby drago-kings + Ringing Mountains: Massive, nearly impassable ‘mountains that form most of the border separat Ing the Tablelands region From the uncivilized Hirverfands + Sea of Sit: A vast ocean of stand san, the Sea stretches from the Tablelands and defines easter border. The people of Bbc make th ving sing is sholower areas + Tblelends: Whar lie cviizaton there fon Athos 's concentrated inthe 1900,000 squares area called the Tabllinds 1 Tyr Region: The rea around the city-state of Ty ne eee DARK SUN WITHOUT PSIONICS IF you want 10 run @ Dane Sux campaign without Prcrics. you can do so sknply by ignoring the ref: ferences to panics he rules presented here that case, abo remove the elans and maenads from ‘he world, but retain the level aust for the races yo play wath ea cone wwwpaizo.com/dragon 19attack with his bite 05 a secondary attack, dealing 1d3 points of damage. + Weapon Proficiency: Aarakocras are proficient with the javelin. Aarakocras learn to use these throwing weapons at an early age. + +2 racial bonus on Craft (any one), Knowledge (nature) Listen, and Spot checks. Aarakocras spend a great deal of their time hunting, buiding nests, and making tool. + Claustrophobic: Aarakocras suffer a ~4 penalty on all attack rolls and skill checks when in an enclosed area. + Inborn Power: Asrakocras gain 3 extra power points at ist level, regard less of whether they choose a psionic lass or not. They can use the power points provided to manifest elsigh. IF you take levels in a class that offers a repertoire of psionic powers, simply add the 3 power points fo your power point total, and add your inborn power to your list of powers known. Aarakocras Use their inborn pawer at a manifester level equal to their character levels. ‘They use Charisma to set the save DC unless they have levels in a psionic class such as psion or psychic warrior that ses a different ability score to set the DDC. In that case, they choose either Charisma or the psionic class's relevant ability score to set the save DC. a es ECLANDLA A creaures effective character level (EL) is the sum ofits Hi ics, vel adjustment, and clas levels. Use character level for all game functions except awarding experience, deter renng sorting equpmen, ard determining how much experience the character needs to gain 3 ‘ew level For all three of thse functions, use effective character level stead. Level austen (LA) a measure of how much more powerful creature i than other creatures of ts Hi Dice. A level adustment provides 3 numer comparson wth the saver ‘Standard races from the Player's Handbook showing how much “mare powerful that crea- ture is than one ofthe standard races, n terms oF val For more information on ECL and LA, sae the Monster Manus gossary eases cues at 20 May 2004 + Automatic Languages: Aarakocra and Common. Bonus Languages: Auran, Halfling, and Thri-Kreen. + Favored Classes: Ranger. + Level Adjustment: +2. On Athas, dwarves aren't subter- ranean miners. They are a long-lived but slowly dying race known for their relentless focus on a single task to the exclusion of all others Personality: How a dwarf behaves depends greatly on is focus, a single task that dominates every aspect of his life until it’s completed. Each dwarf has a focus that guides his actions during every waking moment. A focus is usually a specific goal, such as “dig «new irrigation ditch,” “convince the merchants of House Stel to improve cur trade terms,” or “slay the ga) that's been terrorizing our outpost.” IF you're roleplaying a dwarf, you should be able to describe your cur- rent focus in a single sentence without a moment's hesitation. You can change your focus anytime you like simply by telling the DM, although most dwarves don't change their focus until the task is completed or it's apparent that it never will be completed. Think care- fully about choosing a focus thal make your goals diverge from those of the other PCs. Your focus should make for interesting roleplaying, but it shouldn't form a wedge between you and the other players. Physical Description: Dwarves tend to be shorter and stockier than humans, but their eye, skin and hair color falls into the same ranges as humans. Aduit male dwarves all have beards, although most keep them closely trimmed. Relations: Dwarves categorize peo- ple according to their relation to their focuses, not by race, gender, oF other characteristics. IF someone can aid wart in the resolution of his focus, hell be at least marginally polite and helpful. However, standing between a dwarf and his focus makes the person {an enemy, and not relating to his focus at all makes the being irrelevant. Alignment: A dwarfs respect for those who fufil their stated objectives, gives mast a lawful outlook. Dwarf Lands: Dwarves are found intermingled with the human popula- tions of the city-states; dwarves do ‘not have communities to cal their own anymore. The towns of Ledopolus are ‘an ancestral home of the dwarves, so the dwarven population there is larger than it would be otherwise. In most city-states, dwarves congregate in certain neighborhoods fo the exclusion of others Religion: Most dwarves worship one of the dragon-kings, athough many heed the words of elemental clerics, especially those of earth and fire. Language: Dwarves have over whelmingly adopted the language of the humans they live with. They only use their ancestral language of Dwarven among each other and on ceremonial occasions. Names: Dwarves once had an elabo- rate naming structure that detailed a particular dwarf's heritage by describ ing his encestors. The naming system was unwieldy, however, so i has fallen into disuse, and dwarves have adopted human naming conventions ‘Adventurers: Dwarven adventurers are driven by a focus that puts them in harm's way, such as “map the Jagged Cliffs region,” “overthrow the dragon- king.” or “make enough money to buy the freedom of my Family.” Dovorf Racial Traits Athasian dwarves have all the dwarven racial rats sted in the Player's Handbook, except as folows: + +4 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Dwarves are stout and tough but tend to be gruff and reserved. + Dwarves lose stonecunning, ‘weapon familiarity, their +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, their +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs, their +4 dodge bonus to ‘Armor Class against giants, their +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks, and their +2 racial bonus on Craft checks + Inborn Power: Athasian dwarves gin 3 extra power points at 1st level, regardless of whether they choose a psionic class or not. They can use the power points provided to manifestvigor. If you take levels in a clas that offers a repertoire of psionic powers, simply add the 3 power points to your power point total, and add your inborn power fo your list oF powers known, Dwarves use their inborn power at a manifester level equal to their charac- ter levels. They use Charisma fo set the save DC unless they have levels in a psionic class such as psion or psychic warrior that uses a different ability score 10 set the DC. In that case, they choose either Charisma or the psionic class's relevant ability score to set the save DC. ‘+2 racial bonus on saving throws against psionic powers, spells, and spellike effects: Dwarves have an innate resistance to magic spells and Psionic powers. + Focus: Dwarves are notoriously sin- sle-minded, focusing on one task 10 the ‘exclusion of others. This focus is some thing that can be simply stated, such 95 “overthrow the government,” “get the. ‘caravan to Urik,”or “find the twelve ruby chrysolises.” Dwarves gain 2 +4 racial bonus on Wil saves against charm for compulsion effects that would change, delay, or distract from their focus. + Dwarven Blood: Dwarves are resistant to venoms and toxins, getting {+4 racial bonus on Fortitude saving throws agsinst poison + Automatic Languages: Dwarven and Common. Bonus Languages: Terran. + Favored Class: Clerc + Level Adjustment: +1. Originally created as a secret network of court agents by a powerful society of psions known as The Order, elans are ‘not bor; they are made. Iris said that ‘The Order erred when it created the first elans because it gave them foo ‘much free wil. Some elan enclaves stil ‘owe allegiance to The Order, although the group was factionalized and driven underground after a failed plot a cen- tury ago. Other elans have turned their bbacks on The Order and are determined to forge their own destinies in the harsh lands 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. Elans all have one thing in common: previous lives as humans, A special elan Council screens living humans from a pool of applicants who've volunteered to make the transition into elans. Those who pass muster undergo a secret psionic process in one of several hidden lan enclaves, where organic ie transi- tions to psionically-energized animation. Newly created elans retain the basic memories and personalities of their pre- vious lives, but they keep none of their class skils, powers or spels (if any), or previous class ables. Elans are a secretive fot inthis regard, and they do ‘ot publicly reveal their enclaves or places of making. If one is to become lan, he is usually selected. Thus. elans do not reproduce biologically, but rather psionicaly, through the transition life power. Even then, their “children” are Usually fully-grown aduit humans. Non- human elans are never created, and it could be that the transition life power simply doesn't work for any other creatures but those who were origi- nally human. Personality: Elans are nearly as adapt- able, flexible, and ambitious as the humans from which they are made. Because their state of existence some- times leads other races 10 think the ‘worst of them, elans practice @ certain restraint, especially in regards to their ‘origin. Otherwise, their personalities vary widely. Physical Description: Elans typically stand just under 6 feet tall and weigh about 180 pounds, with men sometimes taller and heavier than women, but not always. Because new elans are selected, those who choose currently favor elans with pale skin, reddish hair, and a youth ful quality. However, the first elans vary in looks as widely as humans. Elans dress in the styles similar to humans, including the adoption of unusual hair styles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, body piercing, end the tke, Elans have unlim- ited ifespans—as long as they are not ‘destroyed, their mental arts could con- ceivably continually energize and rebuild their bodies for over a thousand years. ee ee ee ee RACIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS Racist Rece (A HD Abty Adustmens Rarkocrs a2 = 4 Dexterty,-2 Strength Dvart ge +4 Consttsion, +2 Wisdom, 2 Charisma fon “ +2 Wedom oF me +4 Dexterity, -2 Constution Hai 1 2 Dexterity Holfgont an = +2 Sirength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity Haiti ae 2 Dexterity, 2 Wider Homan a 42 ay score, 42 any other score Maenad a= 42 Strong +4 Charisma ro) a= 42 Strength, +4 Constitution Prerran “a - +2 Strength, «2 Contution,-2 Wisdom Twstreen 2 +2 Strength, +4 Dextrity, «2 Wid, -2Ieligence, 4 Choris Favored Clas Ranger Fon Rogie Any Sarbanan Oru any Wier Feber Barbarian Pryce wari re wwwpaizo.com/dragon 21However, The Order only recently established the first elan enclaves, so no knawn elans are more than twenty= five years old (not counting ther time as humans). Elans do not sleep as members of other races do. Instead, an elan medi- tates 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. While in trance, an elan concentrates on suffus- ing his body with psionic energy, heal- ing the hurts and random lacerations of the day, and restoring animation and resliency to his tissues. Relations: Elans mix well wth mem= bers of other races, especially humans. Iris probable that their relations would ‘undergo a shift should their true nature become widely known, so one of the essential renets of elan exis~ tence is secrecy. ‘Alignment: Elans tend toward no par ticular alignment, not even neutrality ‘The best and the worst are found among them, lan Lands: Wherever humans are found, there, to, are elans Religion: Some elans revere the