Rhulisti in AD&D 2nd Edition Dark Sun
Type: Humanoid (Rhulisti)
Ability Score Adjustments:
- Strength: -1 (Reflecting their lesser physical strength compared to other races)
- Wisdom: +2 (Demonstrating their deep connection with nature and superior understanding)
Size: Small
- Advantages: Similar to halflings in 2nd Edition, Rhulisti could have bonuses to their Armor Class and attack rolls due to their size, as well as bonuses to certain skill checks like Hide or Move Silently, reflecting their small stature and agility.
- Disadvantages: Weapon size and carrying capacity would be affected, aligning with the limitations imposed on Small characters in the edition.
Movement: Base land speed could be adjusted to fit the 2nd Edition’s movement rate system, potentially reducing their base speed due to their size but also considering their advanced civilization’s potential for enhancing mobility.
Saving Throws:
- Universal saving throw bonuses might be simplified to a +1 or +2 bonus on all saving throws to reflect their overall resilience and capability of avoiding mishaps.
- Specific bonuses against spells, spell-like, and psionic effects could be incorporated as a racial trait, offering them a +2 bonus on saves against such effects, underscoring their innate resistance to magic and psionics.
Skills and Proficiencies:
- A bonus to specific crafts and knowledge skills related to life-shaping could be translated into bonuses on applicable non-weapon proficiencies in 2nd Edition, such as Healing or Herbalism, to reflect their mastery in life-shaping.
- Knowledge related to life-shaping could be represented by a unique non-weapon proficiency only available to Rhulisti, offering insights into ancient lore, biology, and the environment of Athas.
Languages:
- Rhulisti would naturally speak their language, with their script and spoken form being complex and nuanced. The game might include rules for learning this language and its script, considering the Rhulisti’s view on the worth of other languages.
Class Preferences:
- While 2nd Edition doesn’t have favored classes in the same way, Rhulisti’s preference for the Bard class can be narratively emphasized. Their culture, deeply rooted in ancient lore, the arts, and life-shaping, aligns well with the Bard’s role as a keeper of knowledge, history, and magical tradition.
- Multiclass restrictions could be relaxed for Rhulisti choosing to become bards, reflecting their natural inclination towards this path.
Cultural and Role-Playing Aspects:
- Rhulisti pride, their reverence for nature, and their disdain for other races and psionics can heavily influence how they interact with the world and other characters. These aspects should be front and center in role-playing a Rhulisti, affecting their relationships, goals, and perspectives.
Implementing Rhulisti in Your Campaign
Incorporating Rhulisti into a 2nd Edition Dark Sun campaign offers rich narrative and gameplay opportunities but requires careful consideration to maintain balance and integrate their unique traits seamlessly into the adventure. Their ancient wisdom, life-shaping abilities, and cultural pride can drive both personal character arcs and larger campaign plots, exploring the remnants of Athas’s past and the potential for its future.