Player characters on Athas fall into the same general groups found in the traditional AD&D game: warrior, wizard, priest, and rogue. DARK SUN characters can also be psionicists. There are, however, minor modifications to all classes, as outlined in this section and the ones that follow.
Note: Athas is a world of powerful psionics. Every player character is at least a wild talent, as are many of the nonplayer characters and monsters. Some opponents even develop into full-fledged psionicists or the monstrous equivalent. A thorough understanding of The Way of the Psionicist, included in this boxed set, is required to fully detail a DARK SUN campaign. However, DMs may opt to use the compatible psionics system presented in The Complete Psionics Handbook (2117), though all future DARK SUN products will be written from the point of view of the new rules.
Class Ability Score Requirements[]
Characters must have minimum ability scores to join a particular class. These minimums are shown in TABLE XIII below.
| Class | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior: | ||||||
| Fighter | 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gladiator | 13 | 12 | 15 | — | — | — |
| Ranger | 14 | 14 | 15 | — | 15 | — |
| Wizard: | ||||||
| Defiler | — | — | — | 9 | — | — |
| Preserver | — | — | — | 9 | 11 | — |
| Priest: | ||||||
| Cleric | — | — | — | — | 11 | — |
| Druid | — | — | — | — | 13 | 15 |
| Rogue: | ||||||
| Bard | — | 13 | — | 14 | — | 16 |
| Thief | — | 9 | — | — | — | — |
| Trader | — | — | — | 10 | 15 | 12 |
| Psionicist | ||||||
| Psionicist | — | — | 11 | 12 | 15 | — |
Creating New Characters[]
In a DARK SUN campaign, player characters don't begin adventuring as novices. Rather, they start with some experience to call upon and receive a few other benefits not available to characters in other campaigns. Those benefits are outlined in the following text.
- Starting Level: All single-class player characters start the campaign at 3rd level. A player character begins his adventuring career with the minimum number of experience points needed to attain 3rd level in his class. The PC has the THAC0 and saving throws of a 3rd-level character, plus any class or race benefits that apply to that level. This rule reflects the fact that life on Athas is much harsher than it is on other AD&D worlds, which forces characters to mature more quickly in order to survive.
- Starting Hit Points: Beginning PCs determine hit points in the normal fashion. Roll a hit die for each of the character's first three levels of experience, apply any Constitution modifiers to the rolls, and then total them to determine the character's starting hit points.
- Starting Proficiencies: New PCs receive initial weapon and nonweapon proficiencies, plus any additional slots that may become available at 3rd level. Thus, 3rd-level warriors receive an additional weapon and nonweapon proficiency (for a total of 5 and 4, respectively); 3rd-level wizards and priests receive an additional nonweapon proficiency (for a total of 5); and 3rd-level psionicists likewise receive an additional nonweapon proficiency (for a total of 4). Note: For those not familiar with the proficiency rules, remember that the "Number of Languages" column from Table 4: INTELLIGENCE in the Player's Handbook lists a number of bonus nonweapon proficiency slots that characters receive.
- Starting Money: PCs who start the campaign as free citizens use TABLE XXVII in Chapter 3: Money and Equipment to generate starting funds. Slaves, however, start with no money.
- Multiclass Player Characters: Player characters who are multiclass start the campaign at different levels of experience. A multiclass character begins with just enough experience points to be 2nd level in his most "expensive" class. For example, a fighter/preserver would have 2,500 experience points in each class—the minimum to be 2nd level as a preserver. This is enough experience to let him start the campaign at 2nd level in each class. A fighter/preserver/thief would also start with 2,500 experience points in each class. This makes him 2nd level as both preserver and fighter, but 3rd level in his thief class.
- Nonplayer Characters: While PCs start the campaign at higher levels, nonplayer characterscan still be 1st or 2nd level, as determined by the DM. Remember, PCs are truly exceptional individuals while lower-level NPCs make up the majority of common folk.
Alignment[]
DARK SUN campaigns call upon players to role-play their characters according to alignments, just as in other AD&D campaigns. The alignment scheme is the same, combining an outlook toward order (law, neutrality, or chaos) with an attitude toward morality (good, neutrality, or evil). All Athasian characters and creatures have an alignment.
Like it says in the Player's Handbook, "consider alignment as a tool, not a straightjacket that restricts the character." Encourage players to motivate their Athasian characters, using alignment to enhance role-playing opportunities and add realism and enjoyment to each game session.
Life-threatening circumstances always put a character's alignment to the test. How he acts, how he treats the other characters in his group, and how he controls his own actions can change drastically in a desperate situation. Although the example below uses a shortage of water to precipitate a crisis, DMs can adapt the rules to a variety of other situations. The commodity in short supply could just as easily be food in times of famine, the antidote to a poison, the cure for a widespread disease, or air in a collapsed tunnel.
A party of player characters facing a potentially deadly shortage of water has to take several things into consideration. Individually, each character should react based on his alignment, as noted below. As a group, they have to examine which of their number is strong and capable, and which is weak and in need of assistance. However, plans may be made to give more water to certain individuals so they can survive to cast spells or fight foes. The guidelines listed here should also help players determine how their characters might react to such plans.
- Lawful Good: A lawful-good character insists that everyone in the party gets an equal share of whatever water there is. This fairness even extends to those who seem beyond hope. He readily conceives of and accepts plans that call for unequal distribution of water for the good of the group, but never lets the weak or dying go without water.
- Lawful Neutral: A lawful-neutral character insists that everyone in the party gets an equal share of available water, but doesn't care one way or the other about characters who are beyond hope. He accepts plans that call for unequal distribution of water for the good of the group.
- Lawful Evil: A lawful-evil character insists that available water be evenly distributed among the able-bodied of the group, but won't offer any to those who seem too far gone. He accepts plans that call for unequal distribution of water for the good of the group, especially if that means more water for him.
- Neutral Good: A neutral-good character insists that everyone in the group gets an equal share of the remaining water, even the severely dehydrated. He considers plans calling for unequal water distribution, but has to be convinced that the plan will ultimately benefit the party and not hurt him personally.
- True Neutral: A neutral character wants a fair share of water for himself and won't necessarily come to the aid of the very weak. He considers plans that call for unequal water distribution, but only if he and the party will benefit in the short term.
- Neutral Evil: A neutral-evil character insists on his fair share of water and is against giving water to the very weak. He considers plans for unequal water distribution, but only if he personally benefits in the short term.
- Chaotic Good: A chaotic-good character insists that everyone in the party gets an even share of the available water, even the very weak. He won't consider plans calling for unequal water distribution unless he and those he likes personally get more water as part of the plan.
- Chaotic Neutral: A chaotic-neutral character insists on his fair share of the available water and won't concern himself with the plight of the very weak. He won't consider plans calling for unequal water distribution unless he personally gets more water as part of the plan.
- Chaotic Evil: A chaotic-evil character freely lies, cheats, or even kills to get all the water he can. He constantly suggests plans calling for unequal water distribution that grant him additional water immediately.
The sections that follow provide detailed information about each character class. Those unique to DARK SUN are detailed fully while those found in other campaigns are presented so that the contrasts to similar characters in other settings can be made clear.
Severe Desperation Rule (Optional)[]
Severe desperation sets in when one member of the party (either a PC or an NPC) dies from dehydration and the situation shows no signs of improving. At such times, the DM makes a Wisdom check for each character every day. Success allows a character to stay in control for another day. Failure indicates that the character has succumbed to madness.
The madness caused by water deprivation forces a character to adopt a chaotic-evil alignment with regards to obtaining water (for that day only). The DM informs the player of this temporary alignment change for his character. The player, in turn, should do his best to roleplay this madness as it affects the character. Thus, a gladiator might simply draw his sword and demand water, whereas a bard might poison some of his fellows in secret to eliminate bodies and increase his share. If a player is unwilling to play the madness out, the DM controls the character as an NPC until the madness wears off.
Alignment-related class abilities are lost during the period of madness.
Once a character makes a successful Wisdom check (the earliest attempt can be made at the start of the next game day) or is rehydrated, the madness ends.
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