Forum: The Sandbox – Topic: Bodach

Bodach seems so cool! i want to include it in my campaign but i cant find much. are the normaly brainless undead now inteligent? (zombies skeletons) i seem to remember a spell that did something like that. and is the city ruled by a necromancer or a powerfull undead leader. i got some ideas for different types of undead. like elite skeleton troops that have a bone and obsidian bracer that pumps them full of negitive energy keeping them alive and giving them fast healing.

Forum: The Sandbox – Topic: Monsters and magic items

I love the cursed item idea. :P i’ll have to look up that gem….

Forum: DS 4 – Topic: Defiling

So the current DS4 system set up for defiling involves a simple re-roll for daily spells at the expense of surges of nearby PCs. Honestly, this feels more like preserving than defling to me… I suspect DS4 will continue to keep it simple.

There is some good inputs to the thread below. Lots of proposed game mechanic benefits for defiling – there should be. I personally feel that arcane casters should be powerful like jedi but also hated. But here is my main question to the group:

What is the cost of defiling or the use of arcane magic in your game? Are you hated by the general population because you cast arcane magic without drawing upon the power of the evil sorcerer king? Are you hunted down by the Veiled Alliance because you are a defiler?

I’m mostly curious how DMs plan to handle defiling/preserving magic from an RP perspective in their games. Clearly arcane magic cannot be a common thing – it’s anything but common in the books.

Forum: DS 4 – Topic: Water

So if you are planning on running a DS4 game, how important are you planning on making water?

I’ve decided that water is going to play a fairly important role in the game I am running. In the books water is fairly centric. Not so much that the story is about water, but rather that it is an important element of the story. I suspect that DS4 will not go far enough related to water so I have created the following house rule for water:

FINDING WATER: It’s my understanding that water generally is only found in the known locations on the map marked as ‘oasis.’ Other locations include the major city states. To find it elsewhere is a challenge (otherwise it would be a marked location). I plan to allow my PCs to use the nature skill to navigate towards known oases but I plan to make it difficult at best to find random water in the wastes of Athas. DC of the nature check would be up to the DM.

WATER: waterskin = 4lbs = 1 unit of water = 1 water token

Each player starts with a water token that represents a unit of water in their body. I bought some blue glass counters that make it somewhat of a game in itself.

Heat – the DM calls for a water token based on the temperature and game circumstance. Calling for water could vary depending on the setting. It’s up to the DM to decide when to call for a water token.

No Water – When the DM calls for a water token, and you do not have one, you must make a DC 20 ENDURANCE check to avoid the first effects of dehydration. A DC 25 is required to avoid the second call for water and +5 to the DC each time after that. Once the endurance check is failed, the PC defaults to the following table below:

First Stage No Water (first call) – lose one surge

Second Stage No Water (second call) – lose two surges

Third Stage No Water (third call) – lose three surges

Fourth (fourth call) – lose four surges

Fifth Stage (fifth call) – lose five surges and make a death saving throw each hour thereafter.

-Surges cannot be replenished with extended rest

A fairly simple game mechanic change that falls within the boundaries of 4E. I feel it doesn’t make water too harsh but also makes it as important as it should be.

I welcome the feedback.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Tekumel v. Athas?

Interesting! I’d never heard of the Tekumel setting, but the similarities with Dark Sun are striking! When I initially encountered Dark Sun when it first came out in the early ‘90s, it reminded me of a cross between your typical fantasy setting and the various “desert planets” from science fiction like Dune’s Arrakis, Star Wars’ Tattoine, and post-apocalyptic Earth from the Mad Max films. Since then, I’ve heard people compare Athas to “Barsoom”, the Mars setting from Edgar Rice Burrough’s novels, which apparently was one of the earlierst novels to explore the “dying world” theme. And I’ve also heard people compare it to Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories, especially in the focus on anti-heroes and the grittier tone of the “sword & sorcery” or “low fantasy” setting as opposed to the more heroic & moralizing “high fantasy” of authors like Tolkien & C.S. Lewis.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Tekumel v. Athas?

Am I the only person who sees clear similarities between Dark Sun/Athas and Tekumel/Empire of the Petal Throne (the first, and now largely forgotten D&D campaign world)?

Here’s a description of Tekumel. I’m convinced it was a major inspiration for Troy Denning:

The World of Tékumel

The story begins some 60,000 years in the future, when humans and their alien allies settled the planet of Tékumel. After extensive terraforming and clashes with the planet’s native species, Tékumel became a residential planet frequented by the wealthy and powerful.

Then came the Time of Darkness, when Tékumel and its solar system suddenly and mysteriously fell into a pocket universe, shattering civilisation and causing humans, allies and enemies alike to fall back into barbarism. The sky was empty of stars and all lines of communication were cut; raw materials imported from other planets—particularly iron—became rare; the great machines fell silent.

For perhaps fifty centuries survival hung by a thread, but slowly civilisations emerged from the darkness and wars raged across the planet between empires and against the native species, the Ssú and the Hlüss. Mankind has climbed back up to a social and technological level resembling that of Earth during the European Renaissance, but the societies of Tékumel are different and unique. Now is the time of the Second Imperium of Tsolyánu, the other four major empires of the northern continent—Livyánu, Mu’ugalavyá, Yán Kór and Salarvyá—and many other lands, alien enclaves, vast deserts and endless seas. The learned can make use of a form of ‘magic’—actually extra-dimensional energies from the ‘Planes Beyond’, or the magic-like effects of ancient technological devices. Contact has been made with a race of powerful extra-dimensional beings—‘gods’ to all intents and purposes—that are worshipped with elaborate ritual.

Tékumel is a world of tradition, elaborate bureaucracies and heavily codified social structures and customs. They have mighty, well-organized legions like those of the Romans. Their gods are like those of the Hindus, with a heavy dose of the bloodthirsty Aztec or Mayan deities. Their legal codes and sciences are much like those of the Arab philosophers of the Middle Ages; they are obsessed with personal and family honor much like the medieval Japanese. The societies presented with the game are very intricate and very old, with histories, traditions, and myths stretching back some 25,000 years.

Who Created Tékumel?

Professor M.A.R. Barker was a professor at the University of Minnesota, in the Department of South and Southwestern Asian Studies, where he taught the Urdu language, Arabic, and subjects relating to India and Pakistan. Since the age of ten he has been developing the background, history, and lore of an imaginary world called Tékumel, and has run role-playing sessions set on Tékumel for over 25 years. Since Tékumel has become so intricate and ‘real’, however, there is some debate over whether it really does exist in another ‘pocket dimension’, a dimension to which Professor Barker has more than casual access …

Tékumel saw its first published form in 1975 with Empire of the Petal Throne, the second game published by TSR, Inc, the makers of the incredibly popular role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Since then Tékumel games have been published by several companies (among them Different Worlds, Theatre of the Mind and GameScience and recently Guardians of Order) and a wealth of gaming and source information—game systems, miniatures and miniature rules, maps, fanzines, background material, a treatise on demon summoning, a bestiary, language books, adventures, even five novels—has been developed. Professor Barker has developed scripts, languages (in the case of Tsolyáni, a language that can be spoken, with a grammar handbook and lexicon, like Tolkien’s Elvish or Star Trek’s Klingon), histories, modes of dress, etiquettes, architectural styles, weapons and armor, religions, legal codes, demographics, sciences, etc. for all of the major and most of the minor cultures. A healthy mailing list frequented by the Professor adds to the material continually, and new Tékumel products are always in the works (a fourth generation RPG system has just been released). The internet has made possible the growth of a strong community of Tékumel fans which is increasing in size all the time.

In short, the world of Tékumel is one of the most extensively developed fantasy melieus of all time. Tita’s House of Games is proud to be the premier supplier of Tékumel material to buyers all over the world.

http://www.tekumel.com/tita/world.html

Forum: The Pit – Topic: The murdered races

Centaurs was the only one you missed I think…
There may well have been other unnamed champions that destroyed other races as well, considering that every non-human race other than halflings & thri-kreen were to be exterminated.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Looking for a map of Tyr

Thanks! look great after some corruption removal.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: Information Oronis

“Oh have no doubt, the monarchs are Evil just not dumb.”

On a world without gods like Athas, I think good & evil are more just a matter of perspective. The Veiled Alliance definitely sees the sorcerer-kinds as evil, but the Order sees them as basically neutral, and the residents of some of the city-states see their sorcerer-king as “good” (definitely in Urik & Gulg, but probably in Balic, Nibenay & Draj to a certain extent too). While the SKs certainly did some bad things in the Cleansing Wars and continue to rule their cities in a rather brutal manner, they did stop Rajaat and they’ve done a decent job of stamping out rogue defilers, restoring the plant life in their verdant belts, and keeping their cities safe from the monsters & bandits of the open desert.

Keep in mind that people on a harsh desert world like Athas would probably have a much looser conception of good & evil than the typical D&D player living in a comfortable, middle class environment on 21st century Earth. Even in the past on Earth, a brutal tyrant that ruled with an iron fist was often revered by their people as long as they were succesful in battle, brought in a good harvest, and maintained law & order in their kingdom. If he did all that but still occassionally threw some people to the lions (like Marcus Aurelius), he was still seen as a good king.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: Information Oronis

Oh have no doubt, the monarchs are Evil just not dumb.

As for Daskinor, The Dragon found out about an ambush against him, so yes Daskinor was paranoid and planned on attacking.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: Information Oronis

I like the idea of Hamanu being more of a not so bad guy. I like the portrayal of him keeping his city safe and being interactive with the city as an actual leader and the fact that he always marches out with his army.

My idea for the Oba was really to get her pitted against Oronis by trying to find a way to go through with the avangion metamorphosis as a power play to become the new savoir of Athas…but really because she desires power and loves the adoration of her people. I know Oronis did his best to make sure no one else would become an avangion because of what happened to his friend that also became one.

How did Daskinor keep the dragon from coming up north? Just being paranoid and attacking it?

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: Information Oronis

You can find details on Oronis in the revised DS boxed set. Basically, he was one of Rajaat’s champions – Keltis, Lizardman Executioner – that later repented & managed to reverse his dragon metamorphosis. He invented the avangion metamorphosis spells & became Athas’s first avangion. He reformed Kurn into a free city, but hid it from the outside world through powerful illusions – and this was aided by the fact that his neighbor Daskinor effectively stopped the Dragon from coming up North. There’s also speculation that Oronis time travelled back to the Green Age & had some contact with the Kreen Empire & the Kreen leader known as the “Great One”. A lot of the details of the history of avangions on Athas apparently weren’t straightened out. There’s some details & speculations in these threads: http://arena.athas.org/forums/the-pit/topics/av…
http://arena.athas.org/forums/the-pit/topics/av…

Hamanu gets a lot of good detail in the Lynn Abbey novels, especially “Rise & Fall of a Dragon King”, although it’s apparently not considered “canon” and it kills him off in the end. Even so, they’re interesting because they show Hamanu in a bit more positive light as opposed to the way he appeared in the Prism Pentad novels & the “Dragon’s Crown” adventure where he’s protrayed as arrogant, warlike & utterly evil. Abbey had Hamanu forging a tentative alliance with local druids and made it clear that he was resisting his dragon metamorphosis, although he also had a bad temper and was occasionally malicious.

Lalali-Puy never got too much detail, although you can find a bit in the “Ivory Triangle” boxed set and the “Asticlian Gambit” adventure. The AG adventure is cool because the characters get captured, brought before the oba, and then set out as prey for Gulg’s Red Moon Hunt. They escape to Nibenay and the Shadow King decides to use them as pawns against Gulg and teleports them into Lalali-Puy’s dungeons to retrieve an artifact (if I remember correctly).

One angle that was mentioned in the revised boxed set is that Lalali-Puy welcomes the Cerulean Storm and hopes that its rainfall will return the Tyr Region to a forest. Since she sees hersself as the “Forest Queen”, she hopes that by promoting this she can increase her power. She’s apparently even made overture to the local druids & Veiled Alliance. I’d suspect that this is a power play of some sorts, and if I had to guess I’d say she’s trying to expand her collection of “trees of life” to power her spells.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Looking for a map of Tyr

It’s a bad copy but should help:

http://darksun.dungeons.ru/files/image/maps01/T…

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Looking for a map of Tyr

Hello, does any one out there have a good map of Tyr. I’ve been searching for a while but i havent found anything.
wiijii.com apears to be offline ATM. A digital copy of the one from the boxed set would be AWESOME if any you guys have one of those
thx.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: Information Oronis

I was wanted to use him in my current 3.5 run and was looking for some good fluff on him if anyone could point me in the right direction. I know his basic stuff from the time line but wasn’t sure if there was anymore detailed information on him and Kurn. Stats would be cool, but not actually necessary, I don’t foresee him scrapping with my PCs.

Also any extra info on the Oba of Glug or Hamanu info would be awesome as well.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: Defiler v Preserver

Nice, after my summer class final this week I will have to go back over and check out the different paths. I do agree that there needs to be more of a difference. I was also wondering on how to handle defiling, each edition seems to say to play it a different way, and I was wondering from people’s actual game experience which is the best way to handle it? Do it on cast only, allow for it to happen when the spell is memorized and what happens if you defile inside where do you put your radius if it is on cast? I am sure I’m beating a dead horse here, but all other Dark Sun experience I had was either a decade ago or I was playing a Half-Giant or Thri-kreen melee monkey and wasn’t paying attention.

I am pretty sure my player is going to go preserver regardless seeing as the group has a slightly good tinge, which is odd for our group.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: The murdered races

These are all I can remember though Im Probably missing a few….

kobolds
goblins
pixies
orcs
ogres
gnomes
Keltis fails to kill all the lizard men
(but takes a chunk out of their population)
wemics
Trolls (I think)

Forum: The Pit – Topic: The murdered races

Is there a listing somewhere of all the races that were exterminated by the Champions so long ago? Orcs goblins trolls etc?

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Tieflings on DARK SUN...

I am reading your blog and I admit I have to chuckle a bit. You don’t like the idea of Tieflings but you include “gods” and a fire breathing dragon marauding with Gith in your DS adventure. Don’t get me wrong, your blog is very entertaining and seems like a great adventure, it just doesn’t scream Dark Sun….to me.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: SKs in Pathfinder-3.5

I’m not sure if I understood your suggestion,but I think that you imply that there is a level cup at 20th level of any class which is untrue in both pathfinder rpg and 3.5.
There are already a prestige classes that help you become dragon,avagion ect..
So what’s the whole point in inventing a new feat,prestige class or ability?
Again ,am I not getting something? Seriously,it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m pretty malfunctional during these hours.If you truly mean something else,please explain.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: SKs in Pathfinder-3.5

I’d recommend introducing a feat that allows one to ignore the 20th level cap for a given class. Call it Ascended One or something. Preq would be having 20th level in a particular class- be it wizard, cleric, or a few others. When this feat is taken, your character can now advance as a second psionic based character class. When they reach 20th level in THAT class, they can take a prestige class. I’d dig out a copy of Dragon Kings and base the new prestige class (called Dragon, Avangion, Elemental, and so on) on the numbers and details given there about the transformation).

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Tieflings on DARK SUN...

That was my initial reaction as well until I actually read the fluff behind their inclusion. 4E DS Tieflings’ origins aren’t linked to the lower planes but are instead desert mutants warped by the rays of the dying sun.

Think along the lines of the movie remake “The Hills Have Eyes” and it actually fits pretty well.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: PATHFINDER Dark Sun!

darksunchrono, I’m aware of the non-moderated nature of the Arena, as I’m sure you are as well. However I’m going to request that you don’t spam the forums with you Pathfinder blog.
As a variation of Third Edition, Pathfinder should be posted here in the DS3 area. There by ending the dreaded edition warring that’s been going on. Also, if you have the inclination edit and remove the posts from the other areas. Thanks.

As for your site, I’ve been following/mining your posts for about a month now. Looks entertaining :).

Forum: The Pit – Topic: SKs in Pathfinder-3.5

Does anyone has any suggestions or ideas for what Sorcerer king builds would be like in the Pathfinder RPG?
What levels would they have?
What abilities would you have them employ if you where to describe them with stats?
This of course includes any official 3.5 WoTC books in addition to those of pathfinder.
Any suggestions or ideas about any sorcerer king or even Rajaat are welcome,anyone wanting to discuss anything about the subject is welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Tieflings on DARK SUN...

Tieflings on DARK SUN…ugghh….DARK SUN 4E is gonna suck…

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Thinking like a Dragon King...

All this reminds me of some medieval/ancient situations where groups would sistematicaly raid each other with’out actually conquering each other. Like the vikings used to do? Deploying armys is incredible expensive so I thinkit may be more atractive to just raid once in 3-5 years to get some slaves and let the traders do the resto of the work. What do you guys think ?

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: PATHFINDER Dark Sun!

Wow.. you posted this atleast twice in every forum exept the 4e one…..
I have a horrible fealing this is going to turn into a flame/edition war….

Forum: The Pit – Topic: Thinking like a Dragon King...

I can’t really tell much about your US exemple as I don’t know details about this case. My exemples about Rome and Brazil are true but after thinking it over a litle bit I have some ideas. Slave populations should keep thenselfs stable but the slavers are essential to refill their numbers after some disaster/ help with the levy and sustain the arena deaths. You really got a poit with diseases so the slaves survival rate should be bigger. Most slaves’re not as cared as muls since they are substantially expencier but their owers should try to keep then alive more than in my exemples. Also, I don’t think templars would care to heal normal slaves but some should be. Concerning the too small to conquer I wanted to say that it’s not worthy to send 200-300 soldiers too conquer a 100-200 big village who can’t produce that much food for the city and need to be defended etc. It’s much simpler to let the merchants make the expances and trade with then, sending some 30-40 riders to attack by surprise and get 10-30 easy slaves and be able to repet this every once in a while. Keeping most villages you give way too much trouble and they are tempting targets for slavers. The books also talk about the villages in the wastes beeing targets of such attacks.

Forum: DS 3 – Topic: PATHFINDER Dark Sun!

PATHFINDER Dark Sun!

Hello fellow DARK SUN Fans!

Are you saddened/sickened/revolted/digusted by what is happening to our beloved DARK SUN campaign setting (I.e. the “Re-booting” of DARK SUN into the worst gaming system ever—4E!), basically flipping, tearing, and completely destroying the ideals,concepts, and flavor of the most AWESOME campaign world ever created!? Tieflings on Athas? Goliaths as Half-giants? Seriously dude? What the HELL were those idiots thinking!

People play DARK SUN to get away from all the homogenized, politically- correct fantasy-crap catering to “Generation-Duh?”! Are you guys sick of this garbabe! In the spirit of the LIBERATION of MIGHTY TYR—-It’s time for the REVOLUTION to begin!

If you agree to any of the above, there is hope, my Athasian brethern!!!

!!!!!!!!The The PATHFINDER RPG system for DARK SUN!!!!!!!!*********

I am looking to gather up a solid gaming crew for our PATHFINDER campaign. The game is played in Harbor City, CA, Saturdays from 2pm to 10pm-Midnight. I am capping the party at 6 players. Hardcore gamers and newbies are both very welcome!

Here’s some info about the campaign world:

Dark Sun is set on the desert world of Athas—once a blue paradise-planet teeming with life, but which has since been stripped of its fertility by uncontrolled use of magic. It is a sun-burnt land forsaken by the gods, water, and hope. In short, Athas is a perilous world of sand and blood. A place where slavery, death, gladiatorial bloodshed and eternal mental
bondage are a commonplace. A magically-induced desert wasteland that cares little for its’ unfortunate children. Where the most heroic and “powerful” warrior can be reduced to a cringing heap of ash not from a mighty spell, but from mere starvation and hunger. A post-apocalyptic nightmare where only the truly strong and cunning have any chance to survive.

THRONE OF IRON (The campaign)
You are about to embark on a perilous journey that will take you to the four corners of this accursed desert world known as Athas! From the swirling wastes of the Tyr region, to the endless Sea of Silt, to the sweltering rain forests of the halfling-cannibals, to the utter terror of The Dead-Lands…
THRONE OF IRON is set to be a long-running PATHFINDER campaign that will take players from mere 4th-level players to 20+ epic level characters! The blog (see below) will be used mainly to keep players up to date on the adventures and trials they would face each week,
as well as provide a living journal of sorts.

Here is the campaign website: http://www.darksunchrono.blogspot.com/

Forum: The Sandbox – Topic: PATHFINDER Dark Sun!

PATHFINDER Dark Sun!

Hello fellow DARK SUN Fans!

Are you saddened/sickened/revolted/digusted by what is happening to our beloved DARK SUN campaign setting (I.e. the “Re-booting” of DARK SUN into the worst gaming system ever—4E!), basically flipping, tearing, and completely destroying the ideals,concepts, and flavor of the most AWESOME campaign world ever created!? Tieflings on Athas? Goliaths as Half-giants? Seriously dude? What the HELL were those idiots thinking!

People play DARK SUN to get away from all the homogenized, politically- correct fantasy-crap catering to “Generation-Duh?”! Are you guys sick of this garbabe! In the spirit of the LIBERATION of MIGHTY TYR—-It’s time for the REVOLUTION to begin!

If you agree to any of the above, there is hope, my Athasian brethern!!!

!!!!!!!!The The PATHFINDER RPG system for DARK SUN!!!!!!!!*********

I am looking to gather up a solid gaming crew for our PATHFINDER campaign. The game is played in Harbor City, CA, Saturdays from 2pm to 10pm-Midnight. I am capping the party at 6 players. Hardcore gamers and newbies are both very welcome!

Here’s some info about the campaign world:

Dark Sun is set on the desert world of Athas—once a blue paradise-planet teeming with life, but which has since been stripped of its fertility by uncontrolled use of magic. It is a sun-burnt land forsaken by the gods, water, and hope. In short, Athas is a perilous world of sand and blood. A place where slavery, death, gladiatorial bloodshed and eternal mental
bondage are a commonplace. A magically-induced desert wasteland that cares little for its’ unfortunate children. Where the most heroic and “powerful” warrior can be reduced to a cringing heap of ash not from a mighty spell, but from mere starvation and hunger. A post-apocalyptic nightmare where only the truly strong and cunning have any chance to survive.

THRONE OF IRON (The campaign)
You are about to embark on a perilous journey that will take you to the four corners of this accursed desert world known as Athas! From the swirling wastes of the Tyr region, to the endless Sea of Silt, to the sweltering rain forests of the halfling-cannibals, to the utter terror of The Dead-Lands…
THRONE OF IRON is set to be a long-running PATHFINDER campaign that will take players from mere 4th-level players to 20+ epic level characters! The blog (see below) will be used mainly to keep players up to date on the adventures and trials they would face each week,
as well as provide a living journal of sorts.

Here is the campaign website: http://www.darksunchrono.blogspot.com/