About 3rd Edition

The original Dark Sun campaign setting was published in 1991, and an expanded and revised version was published in 1995, with many adventures and supplements published in between. At the time I started this game, none of this material had yet made it into the 3rd edition rules, so I took it upon myself to take the source material of the Dark Sun setting and express it in 3rd edition rules. Since that time, the folks at www.athas.org have converted the Dark Sun campaign to 3rd edition. Some of it I have adopted and some of it I have not.

Psionics play an important role in the Dark Sun world, and I have adopted the 3rd edition rules for psionics to this setting. Details can be found in the Psionics section.

Another major element of the dark sun world is that arcane magic users are split up into preservers and defilers. I originally decided to use the third edition wizard and sorcerer classes to draw that distinction. This was not the perfect solution, but with all the other work there was to do, it was simple and adequate. As of March 21, 2004 I have adopted new rules. The new rules for Arcane Magic draw heavily from the materials at www.athas.org, with a bunch of my own interpretation. (The old material can still be found at Wizards are Defilers and Sorcerers are Preservers.)

Skills

Some skills exist on athas that have no counterpart in other settings. They are described here.

• Somatic Concealment: Though any spell caster can mumble the verbal components of a spell and hide material components, a character with this skill can conceal their movements, making smaller gestures and making them look like natural movement. This skill is opposed by the spot check of anyone who might see you, modified by circumstances. Success means that no one knows that you were casting a spell. The key ability is dexterity. This is a class skill for defilers and preservers, cross class skill for clerics, druids, and rangers, and is useless to anyone else. It cannot be used untrained.
• Swimming: This skill cannot be used untrained.

Feats

The Silent Spell, Still Spell, and Eschew Materials feats are not available in Dark Sun.

Languages

Each character begins knowing his or her racial tongue plus a number of languages indicated by his or her INT bonus. There is no common tongue, though the human tongue is the most common language in the region, and usually the first one learned by non-humans. Because of this, humans are the least likely to devote themselves to learning other languages. Some races do not have their own language, and start with a language depending on the society in which they were raised. They are:

• Half-elves speak human, or sometimes elvish.
• Half-giants speak human, or sometimes giantish.
• Muls speak human, or sometimes dwarvish.

Spells & Powers

Some spells and psionic powers are treated differently in Dark Sun than in other settings.

• Call Lightning: Since lightning can strike on athas in the absence of clouds and storms, none are required to cast this spell.
• Charm Person: Affects all PC races except thri-kreen.
• Charm Person or Animal: Affects all PC races.
• Create Water: Only creates half a gallon per level of the spell caster.
• Create Food and Water: Only creates half a gallon per level of the spell caster or manifester. The rest is bland food.
• Ice Storm: The ice created is quasi-real, dissipates 3 minutes after the spell expires, and offers no nourishment to those who consume it.
• Mount: Summons a trained crodlu, inix, or kank.
• Phantom Steed: Summons a kank-like creature with the abilities listed in the PHB.
• Plant Growth: has no effect on a tree of life or a defiled area.
• Sleet Storm: The ice created is quasi-real, dissipates 3 minutes after the spell expires, and offers no nourishment to those who consume it.
• Transmute Rock to Mud: The mud created is of a magical nature, and no water can be obtained from it.
• Wall of Ice: The ice created is quasi-real, dissipates 3 minutes after the spell expires, and offers no nourishment to those who consume it.
• Wall of Iron: The duration of this spell is 1 minute per level of the spell caster.
• Water Breathing: Now called just “Breathing” allows the caster to breath silt and earth as well as water.