The Dark Sun DM's Guide - By David Noonan. This section largely describes the seven city-states of the Tablelands, after giving a brief overview of the campaign world, it's timeline, and demographics. After that is a very short (less than a full page) description of what's beyond the Tablelands.
The first part of the guide describes the feel of Dark Sun, with the best description being "fundamentally, Dark Sun is a campaign setting where the bad guys have already won", and gives two most common adventure themes as being revolution, and ecological fable.
The sidebar on page 60 describes the cosmology of Dark Sun, and it's as sparse as the rest of the campaign world. Besides the Material Plane, there is the Gray (the Border/Deep Ethereal), the Black (the Shadow Plane), and the four Elemental Planes (Air, Earth, Fire, and Water). There are no Outer Planes, so Outsiders come from the Gray, the Black, or an Elemental Plane. Distant regions of the Gray have wellsprings of life energy, effectively functiong as a Positive Energy Plane. Likewise, distant regions of the Black have wellsprings of death energy, functioning as a Negative Energy Plane.
The map on page 61 outlines the Tablelands, though you have to turn it sideways to make it look for familiar to Dark Sun veterans. Don't worry, it hasn't been redrawn, though unlike the revised boxed set of old, it doesn't show anything beyond the Tablelands (no distant city-states in the north, no Kreen Empire in the west, and no Obsidian Lands in the south are shown, though presumably all are there).
Although the spacial constraints of the setting haven't been expanded (the Kreen Empire gets obliquely mentioned once, and things like Eldaarich, Kurn/New Kurn, and the Obsidian Lands don't get a mention at all; likewise, don't expect to find out what's on the other side of the Silt Sea), the timeline of the campaign has advanced...drastically. Three hundred years have passed since the previous Dark Sun material. It is now the Year of Desert's Reverence in the 194th King's Age. This was done to make this incarnation a "safe harbor" so it doesn't conflict with existing material (meaning that this material, at least, shouldn't conflict with what you'll see over at www.athas.org though they never once mention the fan site beyond Erik Mona's introduction in the "Last Stand at Outpost Three" adventure).
The greatest changes in the three hundred year interim is that of the seven city-states, six have sorcerer-kings. That's right, six. Hamanu still rules Urik, Nibenay controls the city-state that bears his name (and the elan, a race from the Expanded Psionics Handbook are from there, having been created there by the Order before that cabal fell apart three centuries ago), and Lalali-Puy, the Oba, rules Gulg. However, Andropinis returned to Balic a century ago...and he brought the maenads with him (the second of the two races from the Expanded Psionics Handbook used in this setting now, half-giants notwithstanding, since they're originally from this campaign). Raam was conquered over two centuries ago by Dregoth, and it's his city now, and everyone knows it. Finally, in Draj, Atzetuk, the young man used as a puppet by the templars of that city and the House of the Mind psionicists, has long since thrown off his mental shackles and become a true dragon-king, destroying the House of the Mind and cowering the templars into submission. Only Tyr still has no sorcerer-king.
A very short sidebar is given on the dragon-kings themselves. It mentions that they aren't deities, but are the most powerful individuals in the world, since they "combine the versatility of an epic spellcaster with the sheer toughness of a dragon" and have their templars and armies. It also says that giving full stats for the dragon-kings would only be useful to epic parties, so there's little use in giving them here. It says that dragon-kings are "epic-level wizards who've performed a lengthy ritual required to turn them into a dragon - a ritual that gives them epic psionic power as well" (Dark Sun fans will note this is incorrect, dragon-kings needed to be epic wizards and psionicists before being able to become dragons).
The last paragraph of the sidebar says "If you need to run a dragon-king on the fly, assume they have the physical statistics of a great wyrm dragon, the spellcasting power of a 22nd-level wizard and the psionic power of a 22nd-level psion."
Each city-state has a listing of its demographics, lands, settlements, power groups, beliefs, commerce, language, arts and crafts, and entertainment. For characters from that city-state, there is a listing of why citizens would adventure, how their charater development cound proceed, and sample character names. Each city-state also has one "notable" NPC given full stats, a section on what a basic guard NPC would look like (stats fully given), and adventure seeds for that city-state. Also, Tyr has a full-page map of the city.
Dark Sun Monsters, part one - by David Noonan. This section has 23 new monsters for the Dark Sun campaign (most of them written up from 2E). Note that with the Athasian Zombie template in the adventure, thats 24, one short of how many said to be in this issue on the cover. Part two of this feature will be in Dungeon #111.
This opens with a mention that most mammilian animals don't exist on Athas. Also, "animals here can have psionic powers, so long as those aren't central to their threat as monsters. Animals that use psionics to survive should be created as magical beasts." After this is a compiled list of Athasian monsters, listed by increasing CR. The list not only includes all the monsters from parts one and two of this feature (meaning we know what monsters will be featured next month), but also selections from the Monster Manual, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Fiend Folio, Manual of the Planes, Monster Manual II, and Draconomicon. There are also a few name changes to what monsters from other worlds are called on Athas.
The monsters listed here are the baazrag (CR 1), boneclaw baazrag (CR 4), cilops (CR 5), Cinderbrute (CR 1), Cloudscout (CR 1), Critic Lizard (CR 1/4), Crodlu (CR 5), Floater (CR 1/2), Gith (CR 1), Speckled Hurrum (C 1/6), Inix (CR 5), Jankx (CR 1/3), Kank (CR 2), Kes'trekel (CR 1/3), Mekillot (CR 7), Mulworm (CR 1/6), Pterrax (CR 4), Ramphor (CR 1/6), Sand Howler (CR 6), Sandknight (CR 1), Spinewyrm (it's a true dragon, so it's twelve CR ratings are 2; 3; 5; 8; 9; 11; 13; 15; 17; 19; 20; 22), Wavearcher (CR 1), and Z'Tal (CR 1/2).
Next month's monsters will be the Rainrunner (CR 1/3), Earthdelver (CR 1/3), Firesnake (CR 1/3), Windraptor (CR 1/2), Yallix (CR 1/2), Zhackal (CR 1), Belgoi (CR 2), Erdlu (CR 2), Seskarran (CR 2), Jhakar (CR 3), Rasclinn (CR 3), Fordorran (CR 4), Lirr (CR 4), Razorwing (CR 4), Dune Reaper Drone (CR 5), Mastyrial (CR 8), Dune Reaper Warrior (CR 11), and Gaj (CR 11).
Also, in case anyone wants to know, the monsters from the Expanded Psionics Handbook are Brain Mole (CR 1/2), Folugub (CR 2), Crysmal (CR 3), Udoroot (CR 5), Gray Glutton (CR 7), Intellect Devourer (CR 7), Caller in Darkness (CR 9), and Psion-killer (CR 12).
What a freaking waste...
la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la................
Originally posted by NytCrawlr
What a freaking waste...
Just to satisfy my curiosity, why? Not disagreeing or anything (haven't seen the mag, nor intend to get it, actually), but anything you expected differently? ;)
Though the 300 years helps us out, don't have to worry about slamming into each other's timelines anytime soon.
Dregoth's ascension and why he was stopped after taking Raam, but still allowed to remain there. Though this outcome is certainly plausible with the right explanations. Its also interesting that dregoth seized power in Raam 2 centuries before what is described there, which would mean about 100 years after the Death of Kalak, and not 11 or so as Dregoth Ascending seems to indicate (from what I understand). Anyways, this could be adjusted, and in any case, I'd rather have world-shattering events NOT happen all within a dozen years...
Atzetuk's Dragon Kingship is also noteworthy, as if I remember correctly, this youth was Neutral Good. However, corruption is a major theme in Dark Sun, no?
Androphinis's return is definately going to happen in my campaign at somepoint, and I'm thinking of an adventure around that very theme actually.
Hmm... The new races I'm very neutral to. I'd have to see them to better judge.
Very interesting IMO. It gives an idea of how things would work out, and could provide some nice info for those in the Age of Heroes who manage to glimpse into the future in order to change it. I do think its pretty cool (in an evil way
) that the quick fall of sorcerer kings, giving a slight relief to the peoples of the Tyr Region who might even have hoped to get rid of them altogether, ended up right back the way it was, with the exception of Tyr, now the only beacon of freedom of the Tyr Region.Note that I'd probably still end up playing around the Death of Kalak anyways, but its still interesting reading.
In regards to Templars and Gladiators, there are no templars in the adventure, but the DM's Guide has a few as NPCs. They use the Cleric class to represent being templars, and can apparently multiclass normally (some low-level gate-guarding templars in Nibenay are Clr2/Psi2 (telepath). Gladiators never were mentioned as a class at all, so while they might still be a new class, I doubt it, given what we've seen.
No templars, or rather templar class, as templars would simply seem to be clerics of a sorcerer-king.
And this is quite puzzling:
The dray never even get mentioned. Dregoth has living templars, and undead ones, but it seems to imply that the living ones are human (or at least of other "standard" races for Dark Sun). The example templar given is a high ranking (living) human one.
For more clarification, undead walk Raam openly, side by side with the living, and Dregoth encourages the notion that death is merely a (minor) change in status, nothing more.
Even if the living high ranking templar in Mon Adderath (sp?), the rest is quite strange, which dregoth being obsessed with dray before. Anyways...
Originally posted by NytCrawlr
It's too watered down for one...
Though the 300 years helps us out, don't have to worry about slamming into each other's timelines anytime soon.
Know the feeling...
Something to note here: This is, in some core elements, a return to DS1. A removal of many of the changes (some would say the most distasteful bits) presented in the PP and DS2.
- Seven city states. No mention of Kurn (with it's pesky Avangion) or Eldaarrich (which, lets face it, doesn't exactly have a stable culture)
- Seven city states, six sorcerer kings. Tyr remains free. For Raam, Draj and Balic ... meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
- No mention of the imminate (apparently not) threat of invasion by kreen.
- A static world. The last major shakeup mentioned happened over 100 years ago
- No space halflings.
(Note that it says _over_ 200 years ago. Which really means that Dave's given us plenty of wiggle room on when Dregoth Ascending takes place, but ties us down a bit on how far it goes.
Originally posted by flip
[*] No space halflings.
Wonder what happened to "the Messenger".
Originally posted by beyowulf
Wonder what happened to "the Messenger".
Well, since Athas doesn't have any cows to mutilate or (much) wheat to leave fun crop-circles, I'd imagine they just got bored and left...
but ties us down a bit on how far it goes.
How so? Are you bound under terms to comply with the material presented in the articles and treat it as you would any other official product? If not, then by all means take it in the direction you had originally intended to. 200 years difference is still a long time to 'clean up the campaign' to keep it in line with the Dragon/Dungeon articles.
Originally posted by Mach2.5
How so? Are you bound under terms to comply with the material presented in the articles and treat it as you would any other official product? If not, then by all means take it in the direction you had originally intended to. 200 years difference is still a long time to 'clean up the campaign' to keep it in line with the Dragon/Dungeon articles.
Note the "a bit" ... I didn't say that this suddenly threw great big shackles on us.
Heck, it's actually less conflicting than I had thought it might be. Of course, the total rejection of the introductions of DS2 (introductions, not events) is ... jarring, I suppose. (CBtSS predates DS2)
The only way I see Dregoth stopping with Raam is if he suddenly find himself without his undead army or up against all the remaining SMs. That secret project Nibenay's been working on could be behind it. Maybe it takes out the undead army or makes it so that the Dray no longer breed true. Children born are human and Dregoth doesn't have the time to change every child into a Dray (always had Dregoth himself as the only one who could change a human into Dray). Maybe New Giustinal collapses burying the Dray and Dregoth barely makes it out himself. He slowly takes over Raam empowering the former templars of the city again.
How Andropinis got out 800 years early I dunno.. probably something to do with maenads though I haven't been able to read thier description yet so I don't know how they might do it or why.
In Draj maybe Oronis helped free the mind of Atzetuk but something went wrong. He was a bit peeved and started wiping out everyone who had tried to control him, and used Tec's notes to become a dragon.
Kurn and Eldaarrich weren't very well known citystates and with Oronis's failure he could easily urge Kurn to withdraw again. Eldaarrich? Never did really leave thier isolation.
Gonna have to get a copy and read it for myself :-)
Originally posted by Heretic Apostate
What about the "Last Stand of..." adventure? I thought that was a Dark Sun adventure?
Yes, it is. I just didn't cut and paste that part.
The only way I see Dregoth stopping with Raam is if he suddenly find himself without his undead army or up against all the remaining SMs.
Which is perfectly reasonable. Urik could easily launch an army, as could Draj. A scissor based attack by the two of these cities, even if not neccessarily coordinated or united could certainly halt Dergoth's advances. CbtSS only gives Dergoth a few hundred dray at his beck and call. Not really a roaming war machine if you ask me. Raam is described as having the highest population of any city state with 35,000 people prior to the death of Abalach-Re. Even assuming that the civil wars that wrack the city after her death cut the population in half over the course of several years, that's still a hefty number of people to deal with, and the years of internal fighting would probably harden the people up quite a bit. I doubt the Dergoth would have so easy a time with Raam by itself, never mind the looming threat of the two nearest cities. Also, Nibenay isn't too far from Guistinal. While the head honcho is out trying to take over a city and hold off two other SKs, Nib's formidible forces could in turn sack Guistinal with ease, and follow through towards Raam, creating a 3-way assault. If Dergoth's forces haven't taken the city by this time, its curtains for our Dread Lord. If they have taken Raam and fortified themselves, the prior civil wars and predations by the various warlords would likely leave very little supplies with which to outlast a seige by three armies.
Wow, sorry about the length. I didn't mean to do that, I swear ;)
How Andropinis got out 800 years early I dunno.. probably something to do with maenads though I haven't been able to read thier description yet so I don't know how they might do it or why
I've got Andropoinis ruling his former city-state from the future by sending back his mind and possessing/controlling people during the present. Major props to The Sleeping Imperium for the idea of ruling inabsentia. He's gone quite insane over the past 1,000 years though, and it shows. You don't mistake someone he's dominated.
In Draj maybe Oronis helped free the mind of Atzetuk but something went wrong. He was a bit peeved and started wiping out everyone who had tried to control him, and used Tec's notes to become a dragon.
I like the idea. Thanks much.
Originally posted by flip
Note the "a bit" ... I didn't say that this suddenly threw great big shackles on us.
Heck, it's actually less conflicting than I had thought it might be. Of course, the total rejection of the introductions of DS2 (introductions, not events) is ... jarring, I suppose. (CBtSS predates DS2)
Honestly, the article doesn't even really deny the introductions from DS2 either. The Kreen Empire and Last Sea get very brief mentions, so they are still there (if you read my quoted post above, I try to make the distinction that the map of the Tablelands just doesn't show them, because its only of the Tablelands). Nothing, as far as I can see, is inherently contradicted at all, in terms of setting and story advancement.
Now the mechanics...well...that could be a different story.
Originally posted by Alzrius
Honestly, the article doesn't even really deny the introductions from DS2 either. The Kreen Empire and Last Sea get very brief mentions, so they are still there (if you read my quoted post above, I try to make the distinction that the map of the Tablelands just doesn't show them, because its only of the Tablelands). Nothing, as far as I can see, is inherently contradicted at all, in terms of setting and story advancement.
Sorry. I understood that, though reading what I wrote, that's not how it comes across.
I should rephrase then. What I find jarring is the fact that everything introduced in DS2 is totally ignored (not rejected) ...
Now the mechanics...well...that could be a different story.
I'm not expecting anything there...
All I can say is that I can't wait. It should be here by post today.
The joy of DS is that it is a *BRUTAL*, nasty, fight-for-survival millieu.
Taking that away would ruin it.
Tyr does not have a sorceror king, it better bloody be a nasty, chaotic place, or ruled by a non-SK tyrant...otherwise it becomes the "goody goody" spot where PCs can safely retreat..start with no hassles etc...which is *bad*.
Better . . . does not mean good. I run Tyr minus Kalak. Former slaves are now street beggars starving away in droves. Disease runs rampant throughout the slum sections of the city. Corruption and dissention rule the upper echelons of power. The Vielled Alliance, having been semi-open publicly, now also vies for power. Without the templarate organizing patrols and militia, crime is very high.
Most of my players would rather contest with the anarchy in Raam than have to deal with Tyr. At least in Raam, you can see them coming when they try to kill you. In Tyr, its more often a knife in the back.
Alemander
Oh well, I've got a subscription to both mags so I'm going to get both of them, soon I hope, and will just take what little I can from it.
At least the defiler rules were good.
Originally posted by Nightdruid
What about the Tyr Storms? Have they stopped (or were even mentioned?) Wondering what sort of long-term damage did the Cerulean Storm had...
Yeah, in 300 years time you would think the Cerulean Storm would be covering a decent sized portion of the Tyr region mainland by now.
(Just what we needed, another source that adds even more discrepencies to the Dark Sun timeline...)
I seriously doubt that would be the case since it is exapanding....however slowly...
Originally posted by NytCrawlr
After 300 years?
I seriously doubt that would be the case since it is exapanding....however slowly...
Maybe it hit some sort of limit to its size and ceased to expand. Or maybe it has become cyclical; it expands for a decade or so, then contracts for the next decade.
1)It allows current games to continue on their own personal timelines.
2)Doesnt mess with the Athas.org Write-ups.
3)happens so far ahead of the published timeline that it really has no bearing on a Future Dark Sun(which WOTC is currently mulling over)
now the bad.
1) I t gives the hard core DS fans no answers to questions left by the end of TSR support.
2)It doesnt implement the Athas.org write-ups
3)it still leaves fans wondering what happened to XYZ!
Now for the comments:
ANDROPONIS: Actually in the old DS material Androponis was rumored to be in contact with his templars so it may have been possible for some of his defilers working with natives of the Black to get him released after all the only ones that could possibly prevent that would be the SK's.
AZTEZUK: Draj's king could have been helped by someone who knew what lies in the middle of the swamp of the Troll Grave Chasm and he could have become a Sk like that. (the old Dungeon Adventure)
Dregoth: Well no mention of the Dray is possible They could have been all wiped out in the war for Raam(their were only 3,338 of them). Dregoth may have decided against transforming 40,000 disloyal raamites into dray would have not have been feasible. They may still exist within his Templarate although a tiny minority.
KREEN EMPIRE/INVASION: well We can Infer that the Messenger is what caused the explosion and earthquake(it hit Athas.) It may have devistated the western portion of the Kreen Empire so the kreen have pulled back to recoup losses.
Originally posted by Anorien Ssirinthil
3)happens so far ahead of the published timeline that it really has no bearing on a Future Dark Sun(which WOTC is currently mulling over)
WotC is seriously considering doing an actuall book for Dark Sun? Where did you hear this?
KREEN EMPIRE/INVASION: well We can Infer that the Messenger is what caused the explosion and earthquake(it hit Athas.) It may have devistated the western portion of the Kreen Empire so the kreen have pulled back to recoup losses.
Is this what actually caused the earthquake? I never figured out what caused the earthquake, though I admit to being not nearly as well versed in Athasian lore than others here.
Originally posted by Fiendish Dire Weasel
WotC is seriously considering doing an actuall book for Dark Sun? Where did you hear this?
I'd really like to know the answer to this too. It sounds doubtful though.
Is this what actually caused the earthquake? I never figured out what caused the earthquake, though I admit to being not nearly as well versed in Athasian lore than others here.
There is no canon answer to what caused the earthquake; we don't actually know, and probably never will.
That said, the idea that it was due to the Messenger crashing to Athas is a great idea, since it also solves the question of where that comet went to. The only problems I can see with that idea are A) why a comet in a stable path would suddenly veer and crash, and B) why no one would have seen it coming down, since that should have made it plainly visible.
Originally posted by Fiendish Dire Weasel
WotC is seriously considering doing an actuall book for Dark Sun? Where did you hear this?
It refers to the statement the Editor-in-Chief of Dragon made:
«This issue [315] is only a prelude to our next spectacular DRAGON and DUNGEON crossover event. In May, 2004, we're going to release the DARK SUN campaign setting, revised for D&D 3.5!»
The next issue of Dragon, 319, will tie-in with what is in Dungeon 110.
Maybe as a PDF.
Edo.