Athas is a world where the essential, fundamental nature of things has been twisted through generations of unchecked, environmentally abusive magic. Many Athasian creatures may be recognizable from other AD&D campaigns, but in most cases they'll be familiar in name only. This includes player character races. The dwarves, elves, half-elves, and halflings of Athas are bizarre mutations when compared to those of other settings. Further, there are additional player character races that aren't available anywhere other than the burning world.
The ten races available to players are aarakocra, dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-giant, halfling, human, mul, pterran, and thri-kreen. Each race is described in the following section called "Player Character Races." Presented below, however, are the specific rules for using them in the campaign setting. Note that most of the PC races are M (medium) size or smaller (7 feet tall or less) and don't have to worry about taking special damage. Half-giants and thri-kreen, however, are considered size L (large) creatures (more than 7 feet tall or long). They take L damage from all weapons (see Chapter 6 in the Player's Handbook)
Role-playing notes are included to help run these kinds of characters, but players are urged to see these only as guidelines. Develop each character's aims, attitudes, and personalities as you and your DM see fit
Minimum and Maximum Ability Scores[]
After a player has finished rolling the ability scores for his DARK SUN character, check the racial ability requirements presented in TABLE III: RACIAL ABILITY REQUIREMENTS (below). If he wants a nonhuman character and the character's ability scores fit all of the requirements for a given race, the player may select that race for his character. These requirements must be met before consulting TABLE IV: RACIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS (below) and making adjustments to the ability scores.
Note that humans have no special ability requirements and receive no racial ability adjustments.
| Ability | Aarakocra | Dwarf | Elf | Half-Elf | Half-Giant | Halfling | Mul | Pterran | Thri-Kreen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 5/20 | 10/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 17/20 | 5/20 | 10/20 | 8/20 | 8/20 |
| Dexterity | 8/20 | 5/20 | 12/20 | 8/20 | 5/15 | 12/20 | 5/20 | 5/18 | 15/20 |
| Constitution | 6/18 | 14/20 | 8/20 | 5/20 | 15/20 | 5/20 | 10/20 | 8/20 | 5/20 |
| Intelligence | 5/20 | 5/20 | 8/20 | 5/20 | 5/15 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 |
| Wisdom | 5/19 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/17 | 7/20 | 5/20 | 7/20 | 5/20 |
| Charisma | 6/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/17 | 5/20 | 15/20 | 5/17 | 5/17 |
Some of Athas's races have natural tendencies toward higher or lower physical and mental abilities. For example, half-giants are naturally stronger, on average, than elves, so, characters of this race receive an ability bonus to reflect this. Apply these adjustments after consulting TABLE III: RACIAL ABILITY REQUIREMENTS, above. No adjustment can raise a score above 24 or lower it below 3.
Racial Ability Adjustments[]
| Race | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Aarakocra | -1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -1 Constitution |
| Dwarf | +1 Strength, -1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma |
| Elf | +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom |
| Half-elf | +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution |
| Half-giant | +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma |
| Halfling | -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -1 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -1 Charisma |
| Mul | +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, -2 Charisma |
| Pterran | +1 Strength, -1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom, -1 Charisma |
| Thri-kreen | +2 Dexterity, -1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, -2 Charisma |
Class Restrictions and Level Limits[]
In DARK SUN, as in other AD&D game settings, there are restrictions imposed upon the classes available to a particular character based on that character's race. There are also restrictions concerning the level to which that same character can advance, also based on race. These restrictions are different from those imposed in other campaigns because of the unusual nature of Athas's demihumans
Use TABLE V: RACIAL CLASS AND LEVEL LIMITS, below, when checking which classes are available to a race and what—if any—are the maximum levels that can be reached for that race. Note that humans suffer no restrictions regarding class selection or level advancement; a human character can select any character class and has a natural unlimited advancement potential. TABLE V also lists the standard abbreviations used throughout this boxed set for each class (ie, "F" for "Fighter").
| Ability Score | Additional Levels |
|---|---|
| 16, 17 | +1 |
| 18, 19 | +2 |
| 20, 21 | +3 |
| 22, 23 | +4 |
| 24 | +5 |
In addition to the changes shown on TABLE V (next page), the "Exceeding Level Limits" optional rule from Chapter Two of the DUNGEON MASTER Guide is mandatory in DARK SUN campaigns. This rule allows all characters who have high prime requisite scores to exceed their racial maximum levels. The number of additional levels that can be gained is noted at left.
| Class | Aarakocra | Dwarf | Elf | Half-Elf | Half-Giant | Halfling | Human | Mul | Pterran | Thri-Kreen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | ||||||||||
| Fighter (F) | 14 | 16 | 14 | * | 16 | 12 | * | * | 16 | 16 |
| Gladiator (Gl) | ⵜ | * | 10 | * | 14 | 12 | * | * | 14 | 15 |
| Ranger (R) | 12 | ⵜ | 16 | 14 | 8 | 16 | * | ⵜ | 12 | 12 |
| Wizard | ||||||||||
| Defiler (De) | ⵜ | ⵜ | 16 | * | ⵜ | ⵜ | * | ⵜ | ⵜ | ⵜ |
| Preserver (Pr) | 13 | ⵜ | 15 | 12 | ⵜ | ⵜ | * | ⵜ | ⵜ | ⵜ |
| Priest | ||||||||||
| Cleric (C) | 16 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | * | 10 | ⵜ | 12 |
| Druid (D) | 12 | ⵜ | ⵜ | 14 | ⵜ | 16 | * | 12 | * | 16 |
| Rogue | ||||||||||
| Bard (B) | ⵜ | ⵜ | ⵜ | * | ⵜ | ⵜ | * | ⵜ | ⵜ | ⵜ |
| Thief (T) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ⵜ | 16 | * | 12 | 10 | ⵜ |
| Trader (Tr) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | ⵜ | ⵜ | * | ⵜ | 14 | ⵜ |
| Psionicist | ||||||||||
| Psionicist (Ps) | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
- * Unlimited advancement.
- ⵜ Not available.
Languages[]
Each intelligent race—with the exception of half-elves, half-giants, and muls—has its own language and sometimes even its own approach to language and communication. The three exceptions don't have their own societies or cultures to draw upon, so they speak the language of the society they live in. For example, a mul raised in the gladiator pits of Urik would speak the language of that city. Thri-kreen, on the other hand, use a combination of clicks and whines that come naturally to their pincer mouths, a speech humans find impossible to imitate. Language barriers therefore present a major obstacle for adventures set in Athas. Characters must rely heavily on magic, psionics, or interpreters for communication.
There is a standard trade language used throughout the Tyr Region, called common or the trade tongue. All dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-giant, human, and mul characters from the Tyr Region automatically speak common as a bonus proficiency. Characters of other races or from other parts of Athas must use an available proficiency slot to obtain the trade tongue.
All other languages are identified by their racial name (gith, halfling, thri-kreen, etc.) or location of origin (Saragarn, Raamin, Imperial Kreen, etc.). Characters begin the game knowing only their racial tongue and, in some cases, common or a location language. Other languages a character wants to know must be assigned proficiency slots. The DM has the final say over which languages may be available to starting characters.
Other Racial Characteristics[]
DARK SUN characters are very different from those in other AD&D games. The following tables for height and weight, age, and aging effects replace those in the Player's Handbook. Note that in TABLE VI the measurements are given for males first, followed by females. TABLE VII lists the ages that a new PC typically starts at, as well as the maximum age that PC can attain naturally. TABLE VIII lists the effects aging has on Athasian races; note that effects are cumulative from one age bracket to the next.
| Race | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Modifier | Base | Modifier | |
| Aarakocra | 78/75 | 2d8 | 90/75 | 2d10 |
| Dwarf | 50/48 | 2d4 | 180/170 | 4d10 |
| Elf | 78/72 | 2d8 | 160/130 | 3d10 |
| Half-elf | 70/68 | 2d6 | 120/95 | 3d12 |
| Half-giant | 125/125 | 3d10 | 1500/1450 | 3d100 |
| Halfling | 36/34 | 1d8 | 50/46 | 5d4 |
| Human | 60/59 | 2d8 | 140/100 | 6d10 |
| Mul | 66/65 | 2d6 | 220/180 | 5d20 |
| Pterran | 60/59 | 2d8 | 170/160 | 4d10+10 |
| Thri-kreen* | 82/82 | 1d4 | 450/450 | 1d20 |
- * Thri-kreen are 48 inches longer than they are tall.
| Race | — Starting Age — | — Maximum Age - |
|---|---|---|
| Base + Variable | Base + Variable | |
| Aarakocra | 10 + 1d4 | 34 + 1d8 |
| Dwarf | 25 + 4d6 | 200 + 3d20 |
| Elf | 15 + 3d4 | 100 + 2d20 |
| Half-elf | 15 +2d4 | 90 + 2d20 |
| Half-giant | 20 + 5d4 | 120 +1d100 |
| Halfling | 25 + 3d6 | 90 + 4d12 |
| Human | 15 + 1d8 | 80 + 2d20 |
| Mul | 15 + 1d6 | 80 + 1d10 |
| Pterran | 12 + 1d8 | 40 + 1d10 |
| Thri-kreen | 6 | 25 + 1d10 |
| Race | Middle Age* | Old Age** | Venerable Ageⵜ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aarakocraⵜⵜ | - | - | 36 |
| Dwarf | 100 | 133 | 200 |
| Elf | 50 | 67 | 100 |
| Half-elf | 45 | 60 | 90 |
| Half-giant | 60 | 80 | 120 |
| Halfling | 45 | 60 | 90 |
| Human | 40 | 53 | 80 |
| Mul | 40 | 53 | 80 |
| Pterranⵜⵜ | - | - | 40 |
| Thri-kreenⵜⵜ | - | - | 25 |
- * -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis upon reaching middle age.
- ** -2 Str/Dex, -1 Con; +1 Wis upon reaching old age.
- ⵜ -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 IntAVis upon reaching venerable age.
- ⵜⵜ -1 Str/Dex upon reaching venerable age
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