Dark Sun House Rules 3.5
Clerics
Note the following rule changes uses the Spell Compendium for domains and spells. Clerics on Athas use the same rules as the the PHB except as follows. On Athas the alignment restriction on spells is removed. The elements have little concept of alignment and don't care if a good aligned cleric uses evil spells or an evil cleric uses good spells. Alignment violations still apply depending on the use of the spells. Most spells with the word divine in them are called something else on Athas. Divine Favor for example is called Elemental Favor while Templars refer to it as Kings/Queens (or Hammanu's/Kalak's etc)Favor while Druids call it Nature's Favor. The same rule is applied to the divine feats.
Elemental Pact
Clerics gain their power through a pact with the elemental powers. A cleric can only cast spells with an elemental descriptor if it matches his chosen element. Paraelemental clerics can cast spells with two elemental descriptors as follows.
Magma: Earth Fire
Rain: Air, Water
Silt: Earth, Water
Sun: Air, Fire
Paraelemental clerics however have less powerful domains to reflect their utility.
Elemental Clerics
Air: Air,Celerity,Travel,Renewal*,Windstorm,
Earth: Cavern, Earth,Plant, Protection, Renewal*
Fire: Destruction, Fire, Purification, Renewal*, Suffering
Water: Cold,Community, Healing, Renewal*, Water
Paraelemental Clerics
Magma: Destruction, Earth, Fire,Magma ,Madness,
Rain: Air,Renewal*, Storm, Water, Windstorm
Silt: Destruction,Earth, Silt,Travel,Water
Sun: Air,Destruction, Fire,Glory, Sun,
*: Replace the 5th level Atonement spell on the Renewal domain list with Rejuvenate from the DS rulebook.
New Domains.
Magma
Granted Power: You gain fire resistence equal to your cleric level.
Spells.
1. Magic Stone
2. Heat Metal
3. Protection From Energy
4. Blindscorch**
5. Elemental Strike
6. Move Earth
7. Earthquake
8. Transmute Rock to Magma
9. Meteor Swarm
Silt
Granted Power: Silt breath.You no longer suffocate in Silt.
Spells
1. Sand Pit**
2. Curse of the Black Sands**
3. Sand Spray**
4. Sand Trap**
5. Sand Flow**
6. Disintegrate
7. Destruction
8.Horrid Wilting
9. Silt Wave*
*As Tsunami but applies to Silt instead of water.
** Found in the DS rulebook.
Defilers
On table 7-1 on page 62 of the DS rulebook replace the words Spellcaster Level Check Mofifier with the words Caster Level Modifier.
Druids
Due to Athas harsh nature and limited animal life some Druids are different. At the players option a Druid may use the varient Druid found on page 58 of Unearthed Arcana.
Templars
Add the following spells to the Templars spell list.
1st Level: Blessed Aim,Conviction, Delay Disease,Dispel Ward,Heathful,Incite, Inhibit, Rest, Resurgence, Sign,Resurgence, Summon Undead I, Vigor, Lesser,Vision of Glory,
2nd Level: Aura Against Flames,Body Blades, Close Wounds, Curse of Ill Fortune,Dark Way, Deific (Kings/Queens) Vengeance, Divine Insight,Divine Interdiction,Divine Protection, Energized Shield Lesser, ,Flameblade, Ghost Touch Armor, Hand of Divinity, Healing Lorecall, Infernal Wound, Living Undeath, Mark of the Outcast, Protection From Negative Energy, Protection From Positive Energy, Quick March, Shroud of Undeath,Spawn Screen, Spell Immunity Lesser, Stabilise, Stone Bones, Summon Undead II, Veil of Shadow, Wave of Grief
3rd Level: Aid Mass, Air Breathing, Align Weapon Mass, Anarchic Storm, Axiomatic Storm, Blade of Pain and Fear, Blindsight, Chain of Eyes, Checkmates Light, Circle Dance, Cloak of Bravery, Conviction Mass, Corona of Cold, Darkfire, Downdraft, Energized Shield, Energy Vortex,Fell the Greatest Foe, Ghost Touch Weapon, Grace, Knights Move, Know Opponent, Know Vulnerabilities, Lightning Bolt, Mantle of Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Nauseating breath, Rejuvenate Corpse, Resist Energy Mass, Resurgence Mass, Ring of Blades, Safety, Shield of Warding, Skull Watch, Slashing Darkness, Sonorous Hum,Spark of Life, Summon Undead III, Suppress Glyph, Tremor, Unholy Storm, Vigor, Vigor Mass Lesser, Visage of the Deity (King/Queen), Wall of Light, Weapon of Impact, Weapon of the Deity (King/Queen)
4th Level: Assay Spell Resistence, Blindsight Greater, Castigate, Consumptive Field, Contingent Energy Resistence, Delay Death, Glowing Orb, Make Manifest, Negative Energy Aura, Panacea,Positive Energy Aura, Recitation, Resistance Greater, Revanance, Shadowblast, Sheltered Vitality, Shield of Faith Mass, Sound Lance, Spell Vulnerability, Summon Undead IV, Undead Bane Weapon, Wall of Chaoe/Evil/Good/Law, Wall of Sand, Wrack.
5th Level: Aura of Evasion, Blistering Radience, Contagion Mass, Crawling Darkness, Curse of Ill Fortune, Death Throes, Divine Agility, Doomtide, Incorporal Nova, Lifes Grace, Revivify, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, Sanctuary Mass, Stalwart Pact, Summon Undead V, Symbol of Spell Loss, Triad Spell, Vigor Greater, Vulnerability, Wall of Dispel Magic, Zone of Respite, Zone of Revelation
6th Level Bolt of Glory, Cold Snap, Cometfall, Energy Immunity, Ghost Trap, Hide the Path, Lucent Lance, Make Manifest Mass, Opalescent Glare, Planar Exchange, Rejection, Revive Outsider, Spider Plague, Resistance Superior, Vigorous Circle, Visage of the Deity, Zealot Pact.
7th Level:Bestow Curse Greater, Blood to Water, Brain Spider, Brilliant Blade, Consumptive Field Greater, Energy Ebb, Evil Glare,Fortunate Fate, Radient Assault, Renewal Pact, Restoration Mass, Spell Resistence Mass, Symphonic Nightmare, Withering Palm
8th Level: Brilliant Aura, Death Pact, Death Ward Mass, General of Undeath, Heat Drain,Veil of Undeath, Wall of Greater Dispel Magic.
9th Level: Plague of Undead, Undeaths Eternal Foe, Visage of the Deity (King/Queen) Greater
Initiate Feats
Initiate of Hamanu
Prerequisites: Templar level 6, Hamanu as your King
Benefit: You gain martial weapon profiency. In addition you may add the following spells to your spells known.
2. Spiritual Weapon
3. Lions Charge
6. Blade Barrier
8 . Lions Roar
Initiate of Lalali-Puy
Prerequisites: Templar Level 6, Lalali-Puy as your Queen.
Benefit: Smite Defiler. As a free action you can smite Defilers a number of times per day equal to your charisma bonus. Add your charisma bonus to hit and damage. This power is ineffective on Lalali-Puy. In addition you can add the following spells to your spells known.
1.Entangle
2.Barkskin
3.Plant Growth
5.Wall of Thorns
8.Control Plants
Initiate of Nibenay
Prerequisites: Templar Level 9, Nibebay as your king.
Benefit.You gain a +4 bonus on any attempt to dispel magic. In addition you may add the following spells to your spells known.
3.Anyspell
5. Break Enchantment
6.Anyspell Greater
8. Antimagic Field
Initiate of Oronis
Prerequisites: Templar level 9, Oronis as your King.
Benefit. Avangions Grace, you may add your charisma bonus on all saving throws. In addition you may add the following spells to your spells known.
1. Protection From Evil
3. Create Food and Water
5. Rejuvenate
6. Create Oasis
Initiate of Water
Prerequisites: Cleric level 1, Pact of Water
Benefit. Water breathing. Due to the blessing of the water elementals you can breathe underwater and in water based liquids and will never drown. In addition you may add the following spells to you spell list.
1. Animate Water
4. Wall of Water
6. Extract Water Elemental
7. Elemental Body
That is one thing I have noticed on the core material lately- some of the domains seem to be...well...lacking.
Anyway- very nice.
The Templar could definately use the extra spells, and it is useful to everyone who uses that book to have an expanded list of appropriate spells. Thanks Zardnaar :D
As a guideline I let most cleric spells in except for.
1. Overtly Elemental spells. The odd battle spell fine but IMHO elements=clerics.
2. Spells that didn't fit DS. Dragon, Moon, Iron and cold/water themed spells got cut.
I also added Flameblade and Lightning Bolt to their spell lists. Added initiate feats.
1. The restriction on law/chaos.good/evil is not a distinction based only upon deity but on the cleric himself. A good person serving a neutral god would not cast an evil spell because it is evil.
2. All the elements and paraelements think undead should be destroyed. Again it is a matter of good versus evil. I see no reason why an evil earth cleric wouldn't use undead or why a good sun cleric would.
3. I don't care for the Magma Domain. I think it should be more than a mixture of earth and fire spells. There should be some magma jets flying.
4. The silt domain isn't bad. I like the granted power, I might expand it to include swimming in silt. The spells seem to fit in the silt concept pretty well.
Some initial comments, take them as you will:
1. The restriction on law/chaos.good/evil is not a distinction based only upon deity but on the cleric himself. A good person serving a neutral god would not cast an evil spell because it is evil.
2. All the elements and paraelements think undead should be destroyed. Again it is a matter of good versus evil. I see no reason why an evil earth cleric wouldn't use undead or why a good sun cleric would.
3. I don't care for the Magma Domain. I think it should be more than a mixture of earth and fire spells. There should be some magma jets flying.
4. The silt domain isn't bad. I like the granted power, I might expand it to include swimming in silt. The spells seem to fit in the silt concept pretty well.
Thanx for the feedback- it appreciated.
1. I don't think alignment would be a straight jacket. Its always bugged me that a evil cleric for example couldn't cast Protection From Evil for example. In an evil society (Drow for example) they can only use protection from good. Still this rule is up for change. I don't think a Cleric should routinely cast spells opposite his alignment but sometimes it makes sense. The Elements wouldn't really care.
2. I more or less agree on reflection. This rule will probably be changed.
3. Theres a distinct lack of Magma type spells around. I'll have another look. I didn't have the time to invent new spells but its on the "I'll get around to it" list.
4. Thanx
Thanx for the feedback- it appreciated.
1. I don't think alignment would be a straight jacket. Its always bugged me that a evil cleric for example couldn't cast Protection From Evil for example. In an evil society (Drow for example) they can only use protection from good. Still this rule is up for change. I don't think a Cleric should routinely cast spells opposite his alignment but sometimes it makes sense. The Elements wouldn't really care.
3. Theres a distinct lack of Magma type spells around. I'll have another look. I didn't have the time to invent new spells but its on the "I'll get around to it" list.
1. I think you make a good point here. Moreso, I think it will be a judgment call on the DM's part. For instance, let's say a CG fire priest needs a relic guarded by a good NPC. I'd probably allow the protection from good spell to be cast. Now if he attempted to use Unholy blight on the guard, I might give him a hit to the old alignment.
3. I feel you on the lack of Magma spells. I'm in the process of working on a few in my spare time. I've always had a thing for fire clerics myself and so have started my revamping there. I do have one magma (also fire/sun varieties) spell so far called Incendiary Embers. There's a link in my signature.
From Darksun 3.5
Molten
Magma Tunnel
From the PHB
Elemental Swarm - Just have it summon magma paraelementals.
Also look under the archives. I think I remember a Magma Jet and Molten Grasp (though I think the latter seemed a little too powerful for its level).
I wonder a collection could be compiled into a sort of Complete DS Priests of Athas Handbook with the great work from others on this subject.
Use my spells to your heart's content. That's why I've posted them. I doubt that my view of energy mixtures for paraelements will ever make it to the "official rules" so also feel free to make them just single energy based. If enough people like them maybe some version of them will make the "official" rules supplement.
I'm working on a few. Lava Dart which will be level 1 or 2 and Violent Eruption which I'm not sure what level it will be.