Dark Sun 3.5 Project

[Cynical Cat]

One of my pet projects is the conversion of the Dark Sun setting to modern D&D. Yes, I know that there are two other conversions that exist, but I am dissatisfied with both of them so this is my take on the Athas, with liberally stealing of any good ideas I encountered from other sources (such as Athas.org and Dragon Magazine).

Commentary, correction, and useful criticism is appreciated. My thanks go out to all those who have helped, including the above sources.

Character Generation

Dark Sun characters have always tended to have very good stats and very poor gear. There are a variety of ways to generate the stats, but then one runs into the issue of CR, experience, and how poor gear affects the situation.

My solution is to start everyone off at 3rd level just as in 2nd edition Darksun. Every character is assumed to have bought off (using the Unearthed Arcana options) one level worth of Level Adjustment for having a powerful race.

Stat Generation is 5d6, take the best 3, put them where you want.

This allows me to basically use high stats to balance off bad gear and not need to fiddle with CR or xp. At least in theory.

Next installment will be races.

[Cynical Cat]

Races


All race stats are presented with their level adjustment included before the free +1 level adjustment buy off.


Humans
-+2 to any two attributes
-+1 skill points per level and 4 extra skill points at first level.
-Bonus feat
-Favored Class: Any.
-LA+1

Dwarves
-+4 Con, +2 Str, -2 Cha.
-Darkvision
-20ft base movement
-+4 stability bonus
-+2 bonus to all saves versus psionics, magic, and poison.
-Focus: A dwarf chooses a single, long term goal. Should he abandon the goal, he becomes a banshee when he dies. As long as he is performing actions that advance it, the dwarf gains a +1 morale bonus to all attacks, saves, and checks.
-Favored Class: Fighter or Psychic Warrior
-LA+1

Elves
-+2 Int, +4 Dex, -2 Con
-Low light vision
-40ft base movement
-Endurance Feat
-+2 to Spot, Listen, and Search skills
-Proficient in short spear, all bows, and elven long blade.
-Favored Class: Wizard or Psion
-LA+1

Half Elves
-+2 Dex, +2 to another stat other than Con
-low light vision
-+1 to Spot, Listen, and Search
-+4 bonus to Handle Animal, Survival, and Wild Empathy checks.
-Favored Class: Any
-LA: +1

Half Giant
-+6 Str, +4 Con, -2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
-Size: large
-Move: 30ft
-Reach: 10ft
-Gullible: -2 on Sense Motive tests
-Follower: -1 on Will saves
-+2 natural armour bonus
-LA: +2

Halflings
-+4 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Str
-Size: small
-Move: 20ft
-+2 bonus of Climb, Jump, Listen, and Move Silently checks
-+1 bonus on all saving throws.
-+1 bonus to hit with all missile weapons
-Favored Class: Ranger or Psion
-LA: +1

Mul
-+4 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha, -2 Int
-Endurance and Toughness Feats
-Favored Class: Fighter or Psychic Warrior
-LA: +1

Thri-kreen
-+4 Dex, +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, -4 Charisma
-40 feet speed (and they like to eat elves)
-immunity to sleep
-60ft Darkvision
-need 1/7th the standard amount of water
-+3 natural armour class
-multiple limbs: 4 arms
-Natural attacks: 4 primary 1d4 claw attacks, 1 secondary 1d4 bite
-Poison DC: 11+Con bonus 1d6 Dex/Paralysis
-+30 to Jump
--8 Penalty to Swim
-4 Penalty to Climb. Although quite strong and possessing multiple clawed limbs, their body shape and weight makes them poor climbers.
-Weapon familiarity: gythka and chatkcha are considered martial weapons
-+4 to Sneak in dusty or arid regions
-Natural hit dice: 2d8 resulting in the following
-For +3, Will +0, Ref +0
-+2 base attack
-1 Feat
- (2+Int)x5 skill points. Balance, Climb, Perception, and Sneak as class skills
+1 LA (with another +2 for hd)=+3ECL
-Favored Class: Ranger or Psychic Warrior

[Cynical Cat]

Innate Psionics (applies to all characters)

Manifester level= 1/2 character hd, round up or manifester level of psychic class

Powers are chosen from the Psion list and are in addition to any powers gained from psionic classes.

1st level: choice of a 1st level power
5th level: choice of a 2nd level power
10th level: choice of a 3rd level power
15th level: choice of a 4th level power

Save DCs are Charisma based, unless character has a psionic class.

Power points: added to the total power points if character has other psionics:

1st level: +3
5th level: +3
10th level: +5
15th leve: +7

[Cynical Cat]

Development note stuff

Barbarians: Not using heavy armour and having Survival, they're in pretty good shape. Not a priority to fiddle with.

Clerics: Athasian elemental clerics will be different.

Druids: tweaking, particularly with weapon and armour proficiencies and guarded lands, but largely the same.

Wizards: The basic class works. Incorporating preserving/defiling means new feats, new prestige classes, and spell conversion. Also a spell power & enviroment table. Ease of use a priority.

Gladiator: Old DS was fighter on steroids. I'm not sure how it'll work out in 3.5. New base class? Prestige class? Throw some new stuff at other fighter types as well? I do want it to be distinct, but not over powered. Definitely open to ideas.

Rogues & psionics: fine as is.

Bards: Tricky. A base class in 2E, but basically an assassin with day-job and cover story built in. Prestige class?

Traders: Another base class. Shouldn't be in 3.5. Fold into Rogue?

Ranger: was vanilla 2E ranger. Probably slightly modified. Wilderness survival with light armour is a combo that works better in DS than vanilla.

Templars: cleric variant. Funky spell table, sorcerer type casting of clerical spells. Martial weapons and medium armour.

Armour: Needs a new table. Some types of standard armour existed, other had equivalents, and then there were notation in various creature types that they could be used to make certain types of armour. Consolidate and make it simple.

Weapons and material: clarity and consolidation.

[Cynical Cat]

Let's start with the easy stuff:

Fighter: unchanged

Gladiator: Warblade from the Tome of Battle with Battle Clarity, Uncanny Dodge, and Improved Uncanny Dodge removed. The Gladiator is proficient with all exotic melee weapons at 1st level.

Paladin: unavailable

Ranger: Woodland stride and Animal Companion are both replaced with bonus feats.

Rogue: unchanged

Wizard: Sleight of Hand is now a class skill. Change in available familiars. Wizards default as Defilers and have to take the Preserver feat to preserve. Reserve feats, specialization, and many prestige classes are unavailable in Dark Sun. Preserving and Defiling will be handled in its own section.

Psion: unchanged.

Wilder: unchanged.

Psychic Warrior: unchanged.

[Cynical Cat]

Templars

Hit dice: d8

Base Attack and Saving Throws: as Clerics

Alignment: Templars are members of a corrupt and ruthless bureaucracy that serve ruthless and despotic sorcerer-kings. As such they may not be of good alignment.

Proficiencies: Templars are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armour, and shields

Skills: 4+ Int bonus skill points per level. Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledges (All), Profession, Psicraft, Sense Motive, Spellcraft

Literate: Templars are automatically literate.

Stipend: Templars receive income and gifts from their master. Income is generally equal to Templar level x5 cp/month for levels 1-14, and Templar level x 1gp/3 months for 15-20.

Secular Authority: Templars are government officials in their native city-state. Depending on their position, they have the authority to arrest, imprison, and in some cases, execute, offenders. The use of this authority is frequently corrupt and templars are notorious for accepting and extorting bribes. Wealth and high status confer considerable protection from templar harassment and extortion.

Command Undead: Templars can command undead.

Spellcasting: Templars use their medallion of authority as their divine focus. Charisma is their spellcasting attribute and they are spontaneous casters with a limited repertoire of spells known just like sorcerers, except they cast from the clerical list. Templars gain no bonus spells for having a high Charisma.

-- 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - - - - - - - - -
2 2 1 - - - - - - -
3 2 1 1 - - - - - -
4 3 2 2 - - - - - -
5 3 3 2 - - - - - -
6 4 3 2 1 - - - - -
7 4 3 3 2 - - - - -
8 5 4 3 2 1 - - - -
9 5 4 4 3 2 - - - -
10 6 5 4 3 2 1 - - -
11 6 5 5 4 3 2 - - -
12 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - -
13 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 - -
14 7 7 6 5 4 3 2 - -
15 7 7 7 7 6 6 3 3 -
16 7 7 7 7 6 6 3 3 3
17 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5
18 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6
19 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7
20 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 8

-- 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1
2 3 3 - - - - - - -
3 3 3 3 - - - - - -
4 4 4 4 - - - - - -
5 5 5 5 - - - - - -
6 5 5 5 3 - - - - -
7 5 5 5 4 - - - - -
8 5 5 5 4 3 - - - -
9 6 6 6 5 4 - - - -
10 6 6 6 5 4 3 - - -
11 6 6 6 6 5 4 - - -
12 6 6 6 6 5 4 3 - -
13 7 7 7 7 6 5 4 - -
14 7 7 7 7 7 6 5 - -
15 7 7 7 7 7 6 5 3 -
16 7 7 7 7 7 6 5 3 3
17 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 4 4
18 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5
19 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6
20 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7

[Cynical Cat]

Equipment

All metal items cost their normal D&D costs in gp. Everything else costs 1/100th normal price. Base coinage is the ceramic piece (cp) which breaks down into 10 bits (bp). Silver (10cp=1sp) and gold (1gp=100cp) exist.


Athasian Armour

Light-------------------Cost Armour Max Dex Armour check Spell Weight
Padded----------------- 5cp---+1--------+8-------0---------------5%---10lbs
Cord--------------------15cp--+2--------+5------1-------------5%---15lbs
Leather------------------10cp--+2--------+6------0--------------10%---15lbs
Studded-----------------30cp --+3-------+5------1--------------15%--20lbs

Medium
Hide-----------------------20cp--+3--------+4------3--------------20%--25lbs
Kank Breastplate-------100cp-+4--------+3------4--------------25%--30lbs
Inix Shell----------------150cp-+5--------+2------5--------------30%--40lbs

Heavy
Heavy Chitin -----------200cp--+6--------+0 ----7-------------40%---50lbs
Braxat Hide-----------5000cp--+7--------+1----6--------------35%---50lbs

Weapons

Wood weapons are normal costs. Bows, crossbows, clubs, and staffs constructed out of wood have normal performance. All other weapons take a -2 penalty to hit and damage.

Bone weapons weight half as much and have a -1 penalty to hit and damage. They cost three times as much as standard weapons.

Stone and obsidian weapons have a -1 penalty to hit and damage and cost five times as much as standard weapons.

Weapon----------------------Hardness-------------hit points
Light bone blade -----------------6---------------------1
Light stone blade-----------------8---------------------1
Light wood blade-----------------5 --------------------1
One-handed bone blade---------6---------------------2
One-handed stone blade--------8---------------------3
One-handed wood blade--------5---------------------2
Two-handed bone blade---------6--------------------4
Two-handed stone blade--------8---------------------5
Two-handed wood blade--------5---------------------4
Light bone-hafted weapon------6---------------------2
Light stone-hafted weapon------8---------------------3
Light wood-hafted weapon------5----------------------2
1h bone-hafted weapon---------6---------------------6
1h stone-hafted weapon--------8----------------------10
1h wood-hafted weapon---------5---------------------5
2h bone-hafted weapon---------6----------------------10
2h stone-hafted weapon--------8----------------------15

Extraordinary Materials

Blood Obsidian: veins of blood obsidian are formed through the interaction of defiler magic and molten rock. It is extremely rare, but can be crafted into weapons. Blood obsidian weapons have twice as many hit points as steel weapons and a hardness of 12. Blood obsidian weapons have an inherit +1 bonus to damage. They cost ten gold pieces plus three times the cost of an equivalent steel weapon and count as both steel and adamantine for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Drake Hide: Drake hide can make leather, hide, breastplate, half-plate, or full plate armour. It has the same properties as mithril. It is not normally available for sale.

Drake Ivory: Weapons made out of drake ivory count do normal damage and count steel and adamantine for overcoming damage reduction. In addition, drake ivory weapons ignore 2 points of damage reduction or hardness when they strike. Drake ivory isn't normally available for sale.

[Cynical Cat]

Clerics

Athasian priests are not like those of other worlds. They seldom have congregations of any size nor do they serve their masters out of love or devotion. The gods, if there ever where any, are long gone from Athas. Instead priests make pacts with inhuman and callous elemental powers who have their own agendas. Attracting the attention and favor of such beings means the prospective priest must undergo an initiation where he or she undergoes hazardous and potentially lethal exposure to the element in question, such as by jumping off a cliff, and hoping the elemental power responds favorably.

These are not normal men and women.

Athasian clerics are driven individuals, willing to risk their lives for power and surrender much of what remains of their life in service to elemental masters. Between the demands of their patrons and the drive that made them seek out the pact in the first place, a significant number of clerics are adventurers.

The elemental powers are mostly unconcerned with morality. Athas has strong connections with the elemental planes and the powers that seek agents on Athas have unsurprisingly selfish motives.

Fire

The lords of fire see a barren wasteland devoid of fuel. Their commands to fire clerics is to restore Athas's fertility and vegetation so the world can burn.

Water

Water is the weakest, but most precious of the Athasian elements. The lords of water want the more Athas's rivers, lakes, and seas restored.

Earth

Much of Athas's earth is scorched and devoid of life and fertility. The lords of earth desire the restoration of the land.

Air

Athas's climate and weather has been devastated the world's ecological collapse. The lords of air want it restored.

As priests effectively work to restore the land and command tiny congregations at best, they are not seen as a threat by the sorcerer-kings and their practices are legal. Some priests are allied with the Veiled Alliance or other subversive groups, of course, but not in sufficient numbers to be worth banning them outright. Nobles and merchants frequently turn to priests for legal supernatural aid, which grants them a measure of protection.

Hit die: d8

Proficiencies: Athasian clerics are proficient in all armour and shields. The are proficient in simple weapons and two martial weapons of their choice.

Priests tend to use weapons matching their elements. Earth priests tend to use stone or steel weapons, water priests often use bone weapons, air clerics missile weapons, and fire clerics use obsidian and steel weapons as well as those with the fire properties.


Skill points: 2+ Intelligence bonus every level.

Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (planes), Profession, Spellcraft

Spells: Clerics cast spells from the cleric list, but are not allowed to cast elemental spells other than those from their own domain. They receive domain spells and bonuses based on their chosen domain and may use their regular spell slots to cast domain spells.

Spontaneous Casting: Clerics can convert prepared spells into cure spells.

Turn Undead: Undead are not part of the natural order and can be turned and destroyed by elemental clerics. In addition elemental clerics can turn creatures of the opposed elements and command elemental beings of their own elements as if they were undead.

[Cynical Cat]

Domains


Air
Granted Powers
1st level: Feather fall 3/day
5th level: Fly 1/day
10th level: Gust of Wind or Call Lightning Storm 1/day
15th level: Wind Walk 1/day

Domain Spells
1 Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you.
2 Wind Wall: Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.
3 Gaseous Form: Subject becomes insubstantial and can fly slowly.
4 Air Walk: Subject treads on air as if solid (climb at 45-degree
angle).
5 Control Winds: Change wind direction and speed.
6 Chain Lightning: 1d6/level damage; 1 secondary bolt/level each
deals half damage.
7 Control Weather: Changes weather in local area.
8 Whirlwind: Cyclone deals damage and can pick up creatures.
9 Elemental Swarm*: Summons multiple elementals.

Earth
1st level:
5th level: Meld into Stone 1/day
10th level: Transmute Rock to Mud or Transmute Mud to Rock 1/day
15th level: Repel Metal or Stone 1/day

Domain Spells
1 Magic Stone: Three stones become +1 projectiles, 1d6 +1
damage.
2 Soften Earth and Stone: Turns stone to clay or dirt to sand or
mud.
3 Stone Shape: Sculpts stone into any shape.
4 Spike Stones: Creatures in area take 1d8 damage, may be lowed.
5 Wall of Stone: Creates a stone wall that can be shaped.
6 Stoneskin: Ignore 10 points of damage per attack.
7 Earthquake: Intense tremor shakes 5-ft./level radius.
8 Iron Body: Your body becomes living iron.
9 Elemental Swarm*: Summons multiple elementals


Fire
1st level: Flame Blade 1/day
5th level: Flaming Sphere 1/day
10th level:
15th level: Delayed Blast Fireball 1/day

Domain Spells
1 Burning Hands: 1d4/level fire damage (max 5d4).
2 Produce Flame: 1d6 damage +1/ level, touch or thrown.
3 Resist Energy*: Ignores 10 (or more) points of damage/attack
from specified energy type.
4 Wall of Fire: Deals 2d4 fire damage out to 10 ft. and 1d4 out to 20
ft. Passing through wall deals 2d6 damage +1/level.
5 Fire Shield: Creatures attacking you take fire damage; you’re
protected from heat or cold.
6 Fire Seeds: Acorns and berries become grenades and bombs.
7 Fire Storm: Deals 1d6/level fire damage.
8 Incendiary Cloud: Cloud deals 4d6 fire damage/round.
9 Elemental Swarm**: Summons multiple elementals.

Water
1st level: Need only 1/2 normal amounts of water
5th level: Water Walking 1/day
10th level: Freedom of Movement 1/day
15th level:

Domain Spells
1 Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you.
2 Fog Cloud: Fog obscures vision.
3 Water Breathing: Subjects can breathe underwater.
4 Control Water: Raises or lowers bodies of water.
5 Ice Storm: Hail deals 5d6 damage in cylinder 40 ft. across.
6 Cone of Cold: 1d6/level cold damage.
7 Acid Fog: Fog deals acid damage.
8 Horrid Wilting: Deals 1d6/level damage within 30 ft.
9 Elemental Swarm*: Summons multiple elementals.


Paraelementals

Paraelemental clerics are rare, but exist. Unlike elemental clerics they (with the exception of Rain) are uninterested in the restoration of Athas as the promotion of their patron paraelement is incompatible with that goal. It is not uncommon for them to come into conflict with elemental priests


Magma
1st level:
5th level:
10th level:
15th level: Meteor Swarm 1/day

Domain Spells
1 Burning Hands: 1d4/level fire damage (max 5d4).
2 Soften Earth and Stone: Turns stone to clay or dirt to sand or
mud.
3 Heat Metal: Make metal so hot it damages those who touch it.
b]4 Wall of Fire:[/b] Deals 2d4 fire damage out to 10 ft. and 1d4 out to 20
ft. Passing through wall deals 2d6 damage +1/level.
5 Fire Shield: Creatures attacking you take fire damage; you’re
protected from heat or cold.
6 Stoneskin: Ignore 10 points of damage per attack.
7 Earthquake: Intense tremor shakes 5-ft./level radius.
8 Incendiary Cloud: Cloud deals 4d6 fire damage/round.
9 Elemental Swarm**: Summons multiple elementals.


Rain
1st level: Need only 1/2 normal amounts of water
5th level:
10th level:
15th level: Whirlwind 1/day

Domain Spells
1 Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you.
2 Fog Cloud: Fog obscures vision.
3 Sleet Storm: Hampers vision and movement.
4 Air Walk: Subject treads on air as if solid (climb at 45-degree
angle).
5 Ice Storm: Hail deals 5d6 damage in cylinder 40 ft. across.
6 Chain Lightning: 1d6/level damage; 1 secondary bolt/level each
deals half damage.
7 Control Weather: Changes weather in local area.
8 Horrid Wilting: Deals 1d6/level damage within 30 ft.
9 Elemental Swarm*: Summons multiple elementals.

Silt
1st level: Pass without trace at will
5th level: Freedom of Movement 1/day
10th level: Silt walking at will
15th level:

Domain Spells
1 Pass without Trace: One subject/level leaves no tracks.
2 Soften Earth and Stone: Turns stone to clay or dirt to sand or
mud.
3 Wind Wall: Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.
4 Air Walk: Subject treads on air as if solid (climb at 45-degree
angle).
5 Control Winds: Change wind direction and speed.
6 Move Earth: Digs trenches and builds hills
7 Control Weather: Changes weather in local area.
8 Whirlwind: Cyclone deals damage and can pick up creatures.
9 Elemental Swarm*: Summons multiple elementals.


Sun
1st level: never sunburn, always treated as if in the shade.
5th level:
10th level:
15th level:
Domain Spells

1 Endure Elements: Exist comfortably in hot or cold environments.
2 Heat Metal: Make metal so hot it damages those who touch it.
3 Searing Light: Ray deals 1d8/two levels, more against undead.
4 Fire Shield: Creatures attacking you take fire damage; you’re
protected from heat or cold.
5 Flame Strike: Smite foes with divine fire (1d6/level damage).
6 Fire Seeds: Acorns and berries become grenades and bombs.
7 Sunbeam: Beam blinds and deals 4d6 damage.
8 Sunburst: Blinds all within 10 ft., deals 6d6 damage.
9 Prismatic Sphere: As prismatic wall, but surrounds on all sides.

[frigidmagi]

One would think both Defilers and Preservers would welcome the agenda of the elements. More life means more power sources for the Defilers and that's the prime aim of the Preservers anyways.

Is there any cooperation or are the priests mostly just ignored?

[Cynical Cat]

One would think both Defilers and Preservers would welcome the agenda of the elements. More life means more power sources for the Defilers and that's the prime aim of the Preservers anyways.

Is there any cooperation or are the priests mostly just ignored?

Elemental priests usually hate Defilers and get along well with Preservers. Paraelemental priests, with the exception of rain, are the opposite since they're patrons are essentially interested in maintaining/continuing the environmental damage. Paraelemental priests are rare. Think of them as the elemental equivalent of wacko fringe political movements.

Defilers are in the tricky position of needing fertility, but being the enemies of those most interested in protecting/restoring it. They are compensated by the raw power defiling offers.

[Magnus]

Elemental Clerics look cool. Templars seem under-powered. Cf. Favored Soul.

[Cynical Cat]

Templars seem under-powered. Cf. Favored Soul.

Templars derive a lot of power from the fact that THEY ARE THE LAW. The Templarite literally runs the government, enforces the law, and controls the military. They also get better skill points than priests.

[Magnus]

Templars derive a lot of power from the fact that THEY ARE THE LAW. The Templarite literally runs the government, enforces the law, and controls the military. They also get better skill points than priests.

So their power is social, like judges?

[Cynical Cat]

Templars derive a lot of power from the fact that THEY ARE THE LAW. The Templarite literally runs the government, enforces the law, and controls the military. They also get better skill points than priests.

So their power is social, like judges?

They're the priest-bureaucrats that serve a god-king.