Introduction

Beneath a crimson sun lie wastelands of majestic desolation and cities of cruel splendor, where sandal clad heroes battle ancient sorcery and terrible monsters. This is Athas, the world of the DARK SUN campaign setting, a dying planet of savagery and desolation. Life hangs by a thread in this barren land, it is unforgiving to the weak, and now it is up to you to write your own story in blood and glory.

8. Familiar races and classes aren't what you expect

Typical fantasy stereotypes don't apply to Athasian heroes. In many fantasy settings, elves are wise, benevolent forest-dwellers who guard their homelands from intrusions of evil. On Athas, elves are nomadic herders, raiders, peddlers, and thieves. Halflings aren't amiable river-folk; they're xenophobic headhunters and cannibals who hunt and kill trespassers in their mountain forests. New races thrive here: the monstrous half-giant, the insectoid thri-kreen, the half-breed mul. There are no paladins, bards serve as assassins, and the mental force of psions can be found even amongst the lowliest beggar and slave.

A world of Psionics

Most worlds have two supernatural talents, Arcane and Divine magic, but the world of Dark Sun has a third: Psionics, the power of the mind.

Races

The Races of Athas come in many shapes and sizes, most very different then other campaign settings. Certain races are extremely rare to non-existent in certain regions.

Your DM may determine that some are unavailable as player races depending on the type of campaign they wish to run.

Aarakocra

“You are all slaves. You all suffer from the tyranny of the ground. Only in the company of clouds will you find the true meaning of freedom.” ― Kekko Cloud‐Brother, aarakocra cleric

Aarakocra are the most commonly encountered bird– people of the Tablelands. Some are from Winter Nest in the White Mountains near Kurn, while others are from smaller tribes scattered in the Ringing Mountains and elsewhere.

These freedom‐loving creatures rarely leave their homes high in the mountains, but sometimes, either as young wanderers or cautious adventurers, they venture into the inhabited regions of the Tablelands.

Wings Free in the Open Air

The intelligent bird-people called aarakocra live in small tribes in the rocky badlands and mountains of Athas. In most cases, these uncivilized aarakocra have little impact on the world around them. One group of bird-people, however, has an advanced society in the White Mountains north of the Tyr Region. Here, nestled in the snowcovered peaks, is the large village called Winter Nest. Winter Nest’s aarakocra (who call themselves “the silvaarak,” or “people of the silver wing”) average about 7 feet tall. Males weigh 100 pounds, females 85. They have gray beaks, black eyes, and plumage that ranges from purest white to silver to shades of light blue.

Aarakocran Society

Silvaarak tend to stay among the mountain peaks. They believe themselves superior to all other creatures because of their ability to fly above the world.

Those who visit the mountains or the forest around them must be careful not to abuse the gifts of nature found there, for the aarakocra see it as their obligation to protect the region. Winter Nest maintains trade relations with the city-states of Draj and Kurn, but are on hostile terms with the bandit states of the Barrier Wastes and the city of Eldaarich. In fact, Eldaarich regularly sends out slavers to capture any aarakocra they can find.

The aarakocra of the White Mountains are rarely found in the Tyr Region, although many of the young bird-people have begun to explore the world beyond their mountain sanctuary. These adventurous silvaarak believe that the time has come for Winter Nest to take part in the affairs of the world. What impact the silvaarak will have on Athas now that a significant portion of their community has abandoned their isolationist ways has yet to be seen.

Aarakocra Names

An aarakocra of either gender may have one of these short names: Aera, Aial, Aur, Deekek, Errk, Heehk, Ikki, Kleeck, Oorr, Ouss, Quaf, Quierk, Salleek, Urreek, or Zeed.

Aarakocra Traits

As an aarakocra, you have the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Aarakocra reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, aarakocra don’t usually live longer than 30 years.

Alignment. Aarakocra tend towards neutrality with regard to law or chaos. With respect to good and evil, Aarakocran tribes usually follow the alignment of their leader. A tribe whose leader is neutral good will contain lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good and neutral members, with most members being neutral good. Aarakocra, even good ones, rarely help out strangers.

Size. Aarakocra are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Flight. Because of your wings, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can’t use this flying speed if you're wearing medium or heavy armor.

Talons. You have talons that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Wind Caller. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the gust of wind spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast the spell with this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell when cast using this feature.

Languages. You can speak Common and Aarakocra. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background.

Dwarf

“The worst thing you can say to a dwarf is ‘It can’t be done.’ If he’s already decided to do it, he may never speak to you again. If he hasn’t decided to take up the task, he may commit himself to it simply out of spite. ‘Impossible’ is not a concept most dwarves understand. Anything can be done, with enough determination.” - Sha’len, Nibenese trader

On Athas, dwarves are not subterranean miners but rather, a long-lived, slowly dying race known for their relentless focus on a task to the single exclusion of all others. A dwarf’s chief love is toil, and one is never happier when tasked with a cause he can approach with a stoic, single-mindedness for weeks, months, years, or even decades. Once his mind is committed to a task, it is near impossible to sway him away from it as he will fail to listen to reason. Dwarves live for their focus, for those who die unable to complete a focus return from the dead to haunt their unfinished work. A dwarf rarely divulges his focus to anyone.

Short and Stout

Short and powerful, dwarves stand between 4 ½ and 5 feet tall. Their frames are massive and an average dwarf weighs in the vicinity of 200 pounds. Life in the Athasian wastes makes them rugged, tanned, and callused. Dwarves are hairless and find the very idea of it repulsive.

The Focus

A dwarf’s relation is often a function of his focus. Those who help him are respected, sensible companions. Those who hinder him are obstacles that must be removed. There is very little room for compromise in a dwarven mind.

Focus

Focus is the central point of your existence, and no simple job will suffice. Work with your DM to come up with a starting focus and a new one if completed. None should be easy to complete and should take at least 1 week or longer to finish to be worthwhile.

For example, Grelak, protector of his village, makes the retrieval of a sacred book stolen by raiders his focus. After a week of gathering clues, he sets out to liberate the artifact from its current owner in a trading post weeks away. On the way there, he gains the benefit of his dwarven focus for anything that would slow him because he is trying to reach the book. Later, he stops in Nibenay to rest and gets in a brawl. He doesn’t receive any bonuses because he isn’t actively pursuing his focus.

Dwarven Society

Dwarves are close-knit, formed around clans and focused on family. Ties of blood are honored above all but the focus. Family honor or dishonor is passed down to generations. A community is led by the Urhnomous (over-leader), and each clan by an uhrnius (leader). There are 3 main dwarven settlements in the Tablelands: Kled, near Tyr, and the twin villages of North and South Ledopolus on the southwestern edge. Dwarven oral tradition shares that they were once a mighty people living in vast cities, and many of these ancient ruins are still out there, buried and forgotten.

Dwarf Names

Names are granted by the clan leader, the uhrnius, after completing one's first focus. Dwarves do not have a surname and like many on Athas prefer just one name, using a town (Drog of Kled) if distinction is needed.

Male Names: Baranus, Biirgaz, Bontar, Brul, Caelum, Caro, Daled, Drog, Fyra, Ghedran, Gralth, Gram, Jurgan, Lyanius, Murd, Nati, Portek, Rkard, Sa’ram, Sult, Veso.

Female Names: Ardin, Erda, Ghava, Greshin, Gudak, Lazra, N’kadir, Palashi, Vashara.

Dwarf traits

Dwarves are nonmagical by nature and abhor arcane casters, while a Dwarf wizard is rare, it isn't impossible. Their priests lean towards steady earth and tend to avoid chaotic air, and they take to psionics with a vengeance. Dwarves leave villages at times to further a focus and to search for ancient dwarven ruins. They are highly prized as mercenaries because once contracted, their loyalty will never change.

Roleplaying a Dwarf

Remember the intensity of your focus. Breaking it has social, philosophical, and spiritual repercussions. If you die before completion, your spirit will return as a banshee and you will have shamed your clan for generations to come. For someone to intentionally stand in the way of your focus is an assault on you. Your greatest satisfaction is completing the focus. Keep a serious attitude always. The only time you show your festive side (you have one) is when you have recently fulfilled a focus or between setting a new one. At this time, your full joy and humor show, but you are vulnerable in some ways because you are lost in purpose.

Dray

Dray are tall, lean draconic beings with scaly skin, hairless bodies, and clawed limbs. They have no wings, though they do have tails. Created from the once human citizens of the isolated underground city of Giustenal, the Dray have little to no concept of what is happening on the surface world aside from ancient legends told by their immortal rulers.

The First Generation

The first generation dray were banished from Dregoth’s domain long ago. They currently inhabit the ruins of Kragmorta, struggling to survive and make a home in the fiery cavern. They are ruled by a Clan Father named Mosak, who does his best to keep the clan together. The first generation dray still worship Dregoth as their god, but they also hate the undead dragon king for rejecting them. While most of their training and education comes from clan elders, the High Priest Absalom sometimes visits Kragmorta to teach and of Dregoth

The Second Generation

The second generation dray live in New Giustenal. In the city of dragon bones, most of these dray live contented lives. The templars protect them and see to their spiritual needs, so they are free to work and raise families. All second generation dray are expected to battle in Dregoth’s army on the Day of Light that is to come, but until then only the templars work to perfect their military skills. Everyone else lives in varying degrees of comfort.

The second generation looks down upon the first, feeling superior to the earlier dray. They are the chosen of Dregoth, and the first generation deserves nothing but First generation dray, on the other hand, consider themselves better than the dray who replaced them. They do not hate the later dray, but they do not trust them either. Someday the first generation dray hope to be taken back into the fold. It is a day they pray for.

Distrust of the Other

All dray distrust surface dwellers, though the second generation have been taught to also hate them. Demihumans, Dregoth has proclaimed, are to be scorned and killed, while humans are to be pitied until they can be transformed into dray themselves.

The dray of Kragmorta have members of most classes but they have no wizards and do not even understand the concept of such magic. The dray of New Giustenal can be of all classes, including wizards though there are no dedicated preservers. The most powerful group of templars is the kalin riders.

The Kalin Riders

Dregoth’s most elite troops are the kalin riders. These mid-level templars ride the ferocious kalin. predatory insects discovered in the under-region of the Dread King. For now, the kalin riders patrol the ceilings of New Giustenal looking for trouble in the streets below. Most citizens hate these troops because of the viciousness of the mounts. Kalin have been know to rip the arm off a passing dray for no particular reason, and even their riders often have trouble controlling the kalin bloodlust.

Dray traits

Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other dray:

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 1.

Age. Dray have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

Alignment. Those of the first generation tend towards chaos as they live hard, struggling lives in the fiery caverns near Guistenal. Those of teh second generation by contrast tend towards law because of the relative safety of the hidden city-state and the leadership of Dregoth.

Size. Dray are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Claws. You grow retractable claws from the tips of your fingers. Extending or retracting the claws requires no action. The claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

The First Generation

These are the descendants of the first humans transformed into draconic forms. Unlike their later cousins, those of the first generation have bodies are mostly hunched over with jagged claws and mottled, uneven scales. They live nearly feral in the tunnels of Giustenal.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Breath Weapon When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of burning energy in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 fire damage. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Fire Warding. Starting at 5th level, as an action, you can channel your draconic energy to protect yourself. For 1 minute, you become immune to fire damage. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Second Generation

Those descendant from the second generation are lean, tall and powerfully built. Told since the day they were born that they are the supreme mortal race on Athas. To them Humans are unfortunate souls who need to be brought in and transformed, whether they want to or not, and any non-humans are to be killed on sight.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Breath Weapon. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of burning energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 fire damage. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Exalting Breath Weapon. At 5th level, you gain a second breath weapon. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation in a 15-foot cone. The save DC for this breath is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. Whenever you use this trait, choose one:

Enervating Breath. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated until the start of your next turn.

Repulsion Breath. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 20 feet away from you and be knocked prone.

Once you use your Exalting Breath Weapon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Elf

"Honor? The word does not exist in the elven language.” – Tharak, human guard

“Better to die with a spear in your hands than to live with shackles around your wrist.” – Elven adage

Athas’ wilderness is home to the long-limbed elves, a race of traders, herders, and fast moving raiders. Running is the key to acceptance and respect amongst them. Elves who are injured and cannot run are often left behind to die. Most rarely stay in one place for long, both physically and emotionally, and this is seen as a sign of strength in their people - an absolute freedom.

Elf culture, while savage, is also rich and diverse. They have turned celebrating into an art form, and elf song and dance is captivating and seductive to non-elves. Elven war parties are greatly feared in the deserts, for they are a deadly force of endurance and maneuverability.

Others see elves as dishonest and lazy; generally, a fair assessment. Elves idle for days until compelled to exert themselves, but they can run for days without complaint. No self-respecting elf will ride an animal unless many supplies need to be brought along too, otherwise it is a severe dishonor to do so. Custom dictates those who cannot keep up are left behind, and this includes the pregnant and the elderly. Elves prefer to live short, happy lives rather than long, boring ones. Unlike traditional settings, Athasian elves rarely live past 140 years. Seeing the future as a dark, deadly place, they prefer to live in the “here and now.” They thrive in open spaces and tend to wither in captivity, making them poor choices on the slave block.

Long and Lean

Elves are long-limbed sprinters who stand between 6 ½ and 7 ½ feet tall with slender yet muscular builds, averaging 175 pounds. They have deeply etched features with rugged skin as varied as the other races of Athas. They grow no facial hair but the locks atop their heads comes in from lightest blond to darkest black. They dress in garb designed to protect them from the elements.

Trust is for fools

Elves keep to their own tribe – there is no racial unity - and the rare friend, unless there’s an angle to be gained. Strangers are potential enemies waiting to take advantage of an elf, so they look to get the advantage first. If a companion shows promise, the elf devises a series of “tests” of trust that allows them to prove their friendship is “stronger than the bonds of death,” as elves say. Once gained, one is forever a friend, but if that trust is betrayed, it is gone forever. In the tribe, elves are all equals, except the Chief. The Chief is elected and rules for life, making all major decisions for the tribe, and elves are expected to tithe a choice piece of loot. Holding out suggests a lack of loyalty to the tribe. Their natural enemy are the thri-kreen who view them as a delicacy.

The Run

Those who cannot keep up die, and freedom in all matters is life. Most elves don't lie, cheat, or steal out of malice. They see an opportunity and the gullible can't keep up. In their culture, an elf is rewarded for being faster, both in wit and running. If you stop running, if you settle down, you wither.

Home is where you run

Elves are nomads by nature, though they maintain semi-permanent settlements in the wilderness. Their ability to cover vast distances makes them master raiders, and they consider anywhere their legs can take them as their territory to take from as they see fit.

Elves may flippantly adventure for wanderlust, but those who persist often do so for a desire for profit, glory, revenge, or loyalty. They like to boast about their accomplishments, weaving these into song. Elves often take keepsakes from memorable raids and sew these into their cloaks. Elves are pleased by flaunting a stolen item before an owner. Elven custom dictates the victim congratulate the thief on his possession of such an attractive item (those who don’t are poor sports).

Unlike most other races, elves have no issue with defiling magic and arcane practice.

Elf Names

Naming of young runners is a sacred responsibility, given after the first interesting thing the child does while learning to run. With the right name, an elf child can grow to greatness, but the wrong name may cause one to vanish in the wastes. A child’s name can be changed because of an extraordinary deed performed during the rite of passage. Elves take the surname of their tribe.

Male Names: Botuu (Water Runner), Coraanu (First Elf, the Warrior Thief), Dukkoti (Wind Fighter), Haaku (Two Daggers), Lobuu (First Runner), Mutami (Laughs at Sun), Nuuko (Sky Hunter), Traako (Metal Stealer).

Female Names: Alaa (Bird Chaser), Ekee (Wild Dancer), Guuta (Singing Sword), Hukaa (Fire Leaper), Ittee (Dancing Bow), Nuuta (Quiet Hunter), Utaa (Laughing Moon)

Tribe (Clan) Names: Clearwater Tribe (Fireshaper, Graffyon, Graystar, Lightning, Onyx, Sandrunner, Seafoam, Silverleaf, Songweaver, Steeljaw, Wavedivers, Windriders clans); Night Runner Tribe (Dark Moons, Full Moons, Half Moons, Lone Moons, New Moons, Quarter Moons clans); Shadow Tribe; Silt Stalker Tribe (Fire Bow, Fire Dagger, Fire Sword clans); Silver Hand Tribe; Sky Singer Tribe (Dawnchaser, Dayjumper, Twilightcatcher clans); Swiftwing Tribe; Water Hunter Tribe (Raindancer, Poolrunner, Lakesinger clans); Wind Dancer Tribe (Airhunter, Breezechaser clans)

Elf traits

Elves tend to any profession and trade that let's them act freely. This makes them poor students of the rigorous study of psionics, and rarely does anything but Air draw them to clerical study.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and you choose to increase your Intelligence or Charisma by 1.

Age. Elves reach physical maturity at the same rate as humans but must pass the tribe’s rites of initiation before being recognized as adults, typically around 20. Elves can live to 140 years.

Alignment. Elves tend chaotic because of their love of freedom, variety and self-expression. They tend neutrality, though they tend good (self-sacrifice) when the tribe is concerned. Although they will steal everything in sight, they are not murderous and avoid unnecessary violence.

Size. A typical elf stands about 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet tall and around 175 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Burst of Speed. Your heritage allows you to move in sprints. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Extreme Acclimation. You are conditioned to the extreme weather of the wastelands and have advantage on all saves against extreme heat and cold.

Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Elf Run. You add your Constitution score to the number of miles you can travel in a day. You have advantage on forced march saves.

Languages. You can speak Common and Elvish. Each tribe has a distinct dialect. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background. The language is filled with short, clipped words, run with a rapid staccato pace difficult for others to pick up. They disdain the slow, tedious languages of others but condescend to learn Common. Elves that learn other tongues hide it to gain advantage.

Half-Elf

"People are no good. You can only trust animals and the bottle.” – Delmao, half-elf thief.

Unlike the parents of mules, elves and humans are often attracted to each other, but just as often, they are the unwanted product of a casual encounter. Born from two worlds but not welcome in either, they find an attraction to the solitary wastes. In conjunction with a lack of unifying culture, most turn into lonesome, self-sufficient folk. Elves have no tolerance for them (the mother is expected to get rid of the child or be cast out) and most, though not all, humans believe their ears make them just another lazy thief and trickster. When everyone sees you as the worst quality of your parent race, the half-elf turns away and has found a kinship in the animal world unmatched by either of their parent races.

Half and half

Half-elves are taller than most humans, standing 6 to 6 1/2 feet tall, bulkier than elves and able to pass themselves off more as humans than full elves. The men can grow beards and they have a full range of skin tones and hair colors. Some enjoy proving themselves better than humans or elves at a task, and others simply turn to different cultures, such as thri-kreen or muls, for friendship. They rarely maintain a friendship for long as it is their experience that everyone is going to let you down or betray you eventually, but at times it is necessary to ally or simply not be alone.

No Culture

Half-elves don't form communities despite their numbers, and they can reproduce with either parent race. Most will never know their elven parent and they aren't welcome in elven tribes, seen as an embarrassment who can't keep up. Their affinity to beasts leads them to be valuable animal handlers. Some find acceptance in the ranks of templars, where service to the sorcerer king or queen provides a welcome home. In adventuring parties, they tend to be aloof because it's likely to be a short-lived experience.

Half-elf Names

Most have human names as they cannot run as elves to gain a given name, nor an accepted tribal name. Some warp the elvish custom and simply take a name, much to the anger of elves. Like most races, half-elves use only one name, though they may adopt a city or village surname, or a profession, to distinguish themselves.

Male Names: Boaz, Brazin, Ero, Fyrian, Gathalimay, Laban, Lafus, Luris, Melestan, Mirch, Navarch, Poortool, Regg, Ruach, Solzak, Vok, Wek, Wheetan, Xutan.

Female Names: Alie, Arya, Aso, Drewet, Feera, Feykaar, Krysta, Lorelei, Mila, Ranis, Sareka, Thania, Vaerhirmana.

Half-elf traits

Half-elves are influenced by both parents, even if not accepted by either race.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age. Half-elves mature as humans, reaching adulthood around 20, and some live to 130 years.

Alignment. Lawful and neutral half-elves labor for acceptance from a parent race while chaotic ones have given up, rejecting a society that has rejected them.

Size. A typical half-elf stands close to 6 ½ feet tall and weighs 140 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in three skills of your choice.

Languages. You can speak Common and Elvish, and if a city dweller, likely you adopt the distinct dialect of your home. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background.

Roleplaying a Half-elf

You don’t consider yourself a separate race. You pride yourself on your self-reliance and refuse patronizing offers to help you. You'll do fine on your own, thank you very much. Take any chance to show humans you're just as talented as them or elves you're just as clever. If others view your attempts as irrational, well, they get to be wrapped in the blankets of racial acceptance. You're left out in the cold. Praise should be viewed with suspicion because no one hands that out without an angle in mind. Other half-elves don't interest you by default. Just because they have the same ears doesn't mean you suddenly have anything in common. In an adventuring group, you don't need charity and don't need someone else to cook your food or take your watch.
This does not mean you'll never form a lasting friendship. But it's hard to get over a lifetime of being on the outside and being constantly reminded of that. This is why you feel affinity with the beast. They're simple. They don't judge, and they don't act with malice.

Half-Giant

“Mind of a child, strength of three grown men. I’ve seen a half-giant tear the walls out of a building because he wanted a better look at the tattoos on a mul inside.” – Daro, human trader

Legend holds in ages past a sorcerer king or queen used wizardry to beget a union of giant and human to make a race of powerful slaves. Whatever the truth, the half-giant race has thrived, able to reproduce with one another, and are sought out as gladiators, soldiers, guards and mercenaries across the tablelands.

Because of their artificial origins, there is no half-giant culture, tradition, or homeland. They readily imitate customs and cultures of those they admire or associate with. They are very imitative, eager to fit into a world that is not built for their size. One observing a dwarf quarry might watch for a time then try his hand at it, moving on if he does not excel at it. Many find they excel at breaking bones and imitate those who are also skilled at this practice.

Big and strong

Half-giants are enormous individuals, generally 8 to 9 feet high and weighing in upwards of 400 pounds. Though they have human features, these tend to be exaggerated in some ways. Skin tones range from light brown to deep tan, like sand. They vary in hair color and tend to wear whatever hair style or fashion they currently are emulating. A tavern would charge extra for filling enough plates for a half-giant sized appetite, and any armor would have to be specially crafted. Most nobles, templars, and merchant houses feel the investment is worth the return when they have 400 pounds of enforcement at their command.

Impressionable

The most powerful warriors on Athas, half‐giants seem content to dwell in humanity’s shadow and drift towards charismatic leaders of all races. For example, if a half-giant village is near elven raiders, they are likely to emulate the guerilla tactics of the elves. However, this innate need to fit in is more than a whim. It is inherent to the half-giant's creation. A half-giant farmer's village might be raided, and he may soon adopt the morals of the invaders because they seem to know what they're doing, and the half-giant finds he's pretty good at smashing heads too.

Alignment on a Whim

One axis of your alignment will be fixed and the other subject to change, even daily, based on influential events or persons around you that you find a reason to emulate or admire. You will try out their morals or philosophies and perhaps stick with it for a time if you're good at it. This does not mean half-giants are unreliable - the influence must be strong for them to change, and they have a core philosophy that is fairly unchanging. A half-giant soldier might see a dwarven cleric of the sun and be impressed by her unflappable devotions. He may try shaving himself and praying to the sun until he finds he cannot stare at the sun without hurting his eyes and cannot make fire appear.

This can make role-playing a half-giant a challenge.

Half-giant Names

Slaves are given human names while free half-giants will take names based off the adopted culture. See other races for name suggestions.

Half-giant traits

Half-giants inherit a solid balance of their bestial and human parents.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Half-Giants enter adulthood in their late 20's and usually live on average until their 170's.

Alignment. A Half-Giant’s moral compass is mercurial. When you create a Half-Giant character choose one half of your alignment, this will be fixed. The other half can change every time you finish a long rest. Half-Giants typically try to better match their companions mannerisms and alignment.

Size. Half-Giants are between 8 and 9 feet tall and weigh between 340 and 380 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Giant's Endurance. You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all uses after a long rest.

Giant's Metabolism. You require more food and water then the average humanoid. You require 2 pounds of food and 2 gallons of water or 4 gallons if the weather is hot.

Giant Build. You have advantage on Strength-based ability checks and Strength saving throws. In addition, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Languages. You can speak Common. Your voice is always low, making it difficult for most to hear and understand more than a rumble. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background.

HALFLING

“Be wary of the forest ridge. The halflings who live there would as soon eat you alive as look at you. Chances are you won’t even notice them until you’ve become the main course.” ―Mo’rune, Half‐Elven ranger

Halflings are masters of the jungles of the Ringing Mountains. They are small, quick and agile creatures steeped in an ancient and rich culture that goes back far into Athas’ past. Although they are not common in the Tablelands, some halflings leave their homes in the forests to adventure under the dark sun. While omnivores, halflings prefer raw flesh and let no meat go to waste, including that of enemies, humans, and other sentient creatures.

Halflings have difficulty understanding others’ customs or points of view, but curiosity helps some halflings overcome their xenophobia. Little concerned with material wealth, halflings are more concerned with how their actions will affect other halflings.

Small and savage

Halflings are small creatures, standing only about 3 1/2 feet tall and weighing 50 to 60 pounds. Rarely affected by age, halfling faces are often mistaken for the faces of human children, even the elderly among them. They dress in loincloths, sometimes with a shirt or vest, and paint their skins with bright reds and greens. Forest halflings rarely tend to their hair, and some let it grow to great lengths, though it can be unkempt and dirty.

Ancient culture

Halfling culture dominates their relations with others and predates human civilization. Rarely will they ever draw the blood of another halfling.

Halflings of different tribes share a tradition of song, art and poetry, which serves as a basis of communication. Creatures that do not know these cultural expressions are often at a loss to understand a halfling’s expressions, analogies and allusions to well–known tales. Halflings can easily become frustrated with such “uncultured” creatures lose patience with outsider intolerance of their ways, such as eating other humanoids. They abhor slavery and most halflings will starve themselves rather than accept slavery.

Fear of outsiders

Halflings have no desire to see their home become like the rest of Athas. They are fierce and merciless in its defense, uncaring about the struggles and excuses of other races. Halflings’ bond with nature extends into most aspects of their culture. A shaman or witch doctor, who also acts as a spiritual leader, often rules their clans. This leader is obeyed without question. Halfling fighters willingly sacrifice themselves to obey their leader, leaving outsiders to perceive them as fanatics when halflings dearly love and enjoy life.

Exploring the Tablelands gives curious halflings the opportunity to learn other customs. Although they may at first have difficulty in understanding the numerous practices of the races of the Tablelands, their natural curiosity enables them to learn and interact with others. Other halflings may be criminals, renegades or other tribal outcasts, venturing into the Tablelands to escape persecution by their kin. Most tribes reject arcane magic, but a few have preserver chieftains who would sacrifice an entire tribe to keep one defiler out.

Halfling names

Halflings have only one name assigned at birth.

Male Names: Basha, Cerk, Derlan, Drassu, Entrok, Kakzim, Lokee, Nok, Pauk, Plool, Sala, Tanuka, Ukos, Zol. Female Names: Alansa, Anezka, Dokala, Grelzen, Horga, Jikx, Joura, Nasaha, Vensa.

Halfling traits

Halfling traits reflect their savage nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom or Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 30 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

Alignment. Halflings tend towards law and evil. Uncomfortable with change, halflings tend to rely on intangible constants, such as racial identity, family, clan ties and personal honor. Halflings generally have little respect for the laws of the big people.

Size. Halflings average around 3 ½ feet tall and 50 to 60 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Roleplaying a Halfling

Remember to consistently take your height into account. Role–play the halfling culture described above: eating opponents, treating fellow halflings with trust and kindness, suspicion of big people, and general lack of interest in money. Conquest and plundering have no place in your society; rather the most important value is the ability of the inner self as it harmonizes with the environment. You should be sickened by the landscape of the Tablelands and desperately want to avoid any risk that devastation ever spreading to your homelands in the Forest Ridge. You will learn about other cultures, but you should firmly believe halfling culture to be innately superior to all others. However, you don’t try to change other’s cultures, no more than you would try to convince a tembo to change its diet.
While omnivorous, you vastly prefer meat, and everything is a source of food. You should presume most other races will eat anything, including halflings, if they are hungry enough, and this makes it hard to trust them.

Human

“Humans are fools and hopelessly naïve as well. They outnumber us; they are everywhere, and yet they have no more sense of their strength than a rat. Let us hope that the Datto stay that way.” ―Dukkoti Nightrunner, elven warrior

Humans are the dominant culture in the explored parts of Athas, known for their versatility and adaptability. Most tend to be ambitious and individualistic; even the tyranny of sorcerer kings hasn’t stamped out this diversity. Other races often don’t know what to expect when meeting a human for the first time because predicting their behavior based on cultural norms is difficult. “It’s human nature” is a common saying when humans appear to take action for no apparent reason.

Humans tend to get along well with races they comingle with (most often dwarves and muls). Half-giants and thri-kreen are seen as dangerous monsters. Elves and half-elves are considered flighty and untrustworthy. Halflings are exotics. Humans often serve as a go-between when one race deals with another.

A broad spectrum

Men average 6 feet tall and 200 pounds while women range around 5 ½ feet tall and 140 pounds. They tend to dark-skin and bronzed tones with darker hair, though all colors exist with nobility tending to the greatest variety. Humans are prone to mutations, and it is not uncommon to find exaggerated features, webbed feet, or even extra digits on hands and feet.

Mutations

Centuries of abusive magic have taken their toll on the human body. Some humans have marked alterations to their appearance, such as a bizarre symmetry, exaggerated facial feature, pointed ears, no facial hair, unusual skin coloration like copper or grey, etc. Humans are familiar and generally unsurprised by such differences. Ultimately, these give no benefits or hindrances in gameplay and are for flavor.

Human names

Human names vary by region. For most a single name suffices. A noble will have a family surname but often revert to use of one name. Freemen occasionally refer to their occupations to avoid being taken for laborers or slaves, such as “Barek the Weaver.”

Tyr/Urik Male Names: Agis, Amilanu, Baal, Banoc, Duzi, Ea, Gulkishar, Igigi, Markduk, Rim-Sin, Sargon, Silani, Tithian, Utuaa, Zu

Tyr/Urik Female Names: Amata, Bau, Belili, Damkina, Gula, Ishtar, Kishar, Mummu, Mylitta, Neeva, Ninsunu, Rubati, Shala, Zakiti.

Human traits

Humans are hard to generalize.

Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores all increase by 1.

Age. Humans tend to reach adulthood in their late teens and can live to around 80 years.

Alignment. Humans tend to no particular alignment. The best and worst are found among them.

Size. Men average 6 feet tall and 200 pounds while women range around 5 ½ feet tall and 140 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Natural Learners. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice and one set of artisan's tools or one musical instrument of your choice.

Human Determination. When you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can do so with advantage. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Languages. Common and one other language of your choice. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background.

Human Variant (optional)

Instead of increasing all ability scores, you may increase two different ability scores by 1, gain proficiency in a skill, and gain one feat.

Variant Race: The Villichi

Psionics imbue nearly every aspect of life on Athas, causing some to be born as nearly living embodiments of the Way. The Villichi, known on other worlds as the kalashtar, are psionic beings typically born of normal human parents.

MUL

“See, the trick is to break their will. Not too much, mind you. Nobody wants to watch a docile gladiator, and muls are too expensive to waste as labor slaves. But, you don’t want them trying to escape every other day. Would you like to tell the arena crowd that their favorite champion will not be appearing in today’s match because he died trying to escape your pens?" ―Gaal, Urikite arena trainer

Born from the unlikely parentage of dwarves and humans, a mul (pronounced “mull”, from the dwarven word “mulzhennedar” which means “strength”; “mule” is used as a derogatory pronunciation) combines the height and adaptable nature of humans with the musculature and resilience of dwarves. Muls enjoy traits that are uniquely their own, such as their robust metabolism and almost inexhaustible capacity for work. The hybrid has disadvantages in a few areas as well: sterility, and the social repercussions of being created for a life of slavery. Humans and dwarves are not typically attracted to each other although it has been known to happen. The only reason that muls are so common in the Tablelands is because of their value as laborers and gladiators: slave-sellers often force-breed humans and dwarves for profit.

While mul-breeding practices are exorbitantly lucrative, they are often lethal to both the mother and the baby. Conception is difficult and impractical, often taking months to achieve. Even once conceived, the mul takes a full twelve months to carry to term; fatalities during this period are often high.

Strength and Endurance

Second only to the half‐giant, the mul is the strongest of the common humanoid races of the tablelands. Muls grow as high as seven feet, weighing upwards of 250 pounds, but carry almost no fat at all on their broad muscular frames. Universal mul characteristics include angular, almost protrusive eye ridges, and ears that point sharply backwards against the temples. Most muls have dark copper–colored skin and hairless bodies. They are always sterile.

Bred to slavery

Enslaved Muls are bred to fight or for labor. Most mul laborers master the conventions of slave life, figuring out through painful experience who can be trusted and who cannot. Muls learn from their mistakes in the slave pits to a greater extent than other races not because they are cleverer, but because unlike slaves of other races they tend to survive their mistakes, while other slave races are less expensive and therefore disposable. Only the most foolish and disobedient mul would be killed. Most masters will sell a problem mul slave rather than kill him. Their mastery of the rules of slave life and their boundless capacity for hard work allows them to gain favor with their masters and reputation among their fellow slaves.

Life of a slave

All gladiators who perform well in the arenas receive some degree of pampered treatment, but muls receive more pampering than others. Some mul gladiators even come to see slavery as an acceptable part of their lives, being given good food, good housing, and mates.

However, those that acquire a taste of freedom will fight for it. Stoic and dull to pain, muls are not easily intimidated by the lash. Masters are loath to slay or maim a mul who tries repeatedly to escape, although those who help the mul’s escape will be tormented in order to punish the mul without damaging valuable property. Once a mul escapes or earns his freedom, slavery remains a dominant part of his life. Most muls are heavily marked with tattoos that mark his ownership, history, capabilities and disciplinary measures. Even untattooed muls are marked as a potential windfall for slavers: it is clearly cheaper to “retrieve” a mul who slavers can claim had run away, than to start from scratch in the breeding pits.

The few who are born free or who managed to escape or earn their freedom, are often sought after as bodyguards or mercenaries. However, many also find the calling for priestly magics or psionics, talents difficult to cultivate in the pits.

Mul names

Muls are given names, and for gladiators, Draji names with harsh tones are favored to strike fear. Lacking families, a mul might use a place for a surname, such as “Mersten of Nibenay.”

Male Names: Aram, Athalak, Borthomar, Bost, Darok, Darus, Durn, Eben, Erekard, Gard, Harask, Marok, Morg, Rikard, Sanozar, Tomak, Uskan, Zedath, Zorus.

Female Names: Aisa, Aivel, Brithis, Callia, Demosis, Elina, Faivel, Himithis, Laivi, Mersten, Narisel, Raina, Reshel, Saditha, Tirshel, Uisel, Zerima.

Mul traits

The mul is bred for physical attributes but can inherit a parent's quick mind.

Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also considered a dwarf and a human for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be either a dwarf or a human.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. A mul ages like humans, tending to reach adulthood a year or two year earlier and given their lot in life rarely reach the age of 85.

Alignment. Muls tend towards neutrality with respect to good and evil, but run the gamut with respect to law or chaos. Many lawful muls adapt well to the indignities of slavery, playing the game for the comforts that they can win as valued slaves. A few ambitious lawful muls use the respect won from their fellow slaves to organize rebellions and strike out for freedom. Chaotic muls, on the other hand, push their luck and their value as slaves to the breaking point, defying authority, holding little fear for the lash.

Size. A typical mul is 7 feet tall and weighs over 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Gladiatorial Combat Training. Surviving the gladiator pits has given you experience with several types of weapons and armor. You have proficiency with four simple or martial weapons of your choice as well as proficiency with light and medium armor.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use that trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Inexhaustible. Your unique physique allows you work for longer periods of time compared to other humanoids. You have advantage on Forced March saves (Player's Handbook p.181) and all other saves to resist non-magical exhaustion .

Languages. You can speak Common plus a language of your choice. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background.

Pterran

"The people of the Tablelands know nothing of life. They choose no Path for themselves, and consume everything until they are dead.”

―Keltruch, pterran ranger

Pterrans are reptiloids with light brown, scaly skin who grow to be about 6 feet tall. A pterran stands upright in the humanoid configuration, though his two arms end in three-fingered, talon-clawed hands with opposable thumbs, and his two legs end in three-toed feet. A finlike growth juts from the back of a pterran’s head, and he has a short tail and two shoulder stubs- remnants of wings that vanished generations ago.

Pterrans are rarely seen in the Tablelands. They live their lives in the Hinterlands, rarely leaving the safety of their villages. However, the recent earthquake and subsequent storms have brought disruption into the pterran’s lives. More pterrans now venture outside their homes, and come to the Tyr region to seek trade and information.

Pterran society is based largely on ceremony and celebrations. An area is set aside in the center of each village for ceremonies. Pterrans revere the world of Athas as the Earth Mother, and believe themselves to be her favored children. Throughout the day, they engage in a number of ceremonies that give thanks to the Earth Mother. These are led by druids who play a very important role in pterran society. A pterran village is a collection of many smaller family dwellings.

The Life Path

Pterrans always bear young in pairs. At age 15 every pterran chooses a “life path.” The three main life paths are the path of the warrior, the path of the druid and the path of the psionicist, though lesser life paths exist as well. More pterrans follow the path of the warrior than any of the other paths, and become protectors of their villages as well as the tribe’s weapon makers. Pterrans that choose the path of the druid provide an important role in the daily ceremonies to the Earth Mother. Fewer pterrans choose the path of the psionicist than the other two major paths, as psionics are viewed as outside of nature. Psionicists are viewed with suspicion by the rest of the tribe; however, they do provide valuable skills to the tribe and are often the tribe’s negotiators when they meet outsiders. Pterrans are omnivores. Much of their diet comes from hunting animals and raising crops. Kirre, id fiend, and flailer are all considered pterran delicacies.

Pterran traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and either your Strength or Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Pterrans mature at the same rate as humans but rarely live past 50 years.

Alignment. Pterrans tend towards lawful, well–structured lives, and most of them are good. Evil pterran adventurers are usually outcasts who have committed some horrible offense.

Size. Pterrans are 5 to 6 1/2 feet tall weight on average 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Natural Armor. Your body is covered in strong, thick scales. While you aren't wearing armor, you can calculate your AC as 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Claws. You have retractable claws in the tips of your fingers. Extending or retracting the claws requires no action. The claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.

Nature's Intuition. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.

Life Path. Adult pterrans follow a “Life Path” as part of their normal society. Depending on your class choice at 1st level, you gain one of the following features:

• Warriors Path (Fighters, Monks, Rangers, Rogues). You learn one Fighting Style option of your choice from the fighter class. If you already have a style, the one you pick must be different.

THRI-KREEN

“This one does not speak with the quivering soft shells that lay about all night. This one might eat you, but never speak.” ―Tu’tochuk

Thri‐kreen ("kreen" for short) are the strangest of the intelligent races of the Tablelands. These insectoid beings born from eggs possess a mindset very different from any humanoid being encountered. They roam the wastes in packs, hunting for food day and night, since they require no sleep. Thri‐kreen are quick and agile and make fearsome fighters, feared throughout the wastes. They refer to thri-kreen who have become city dwellers as “tohr-kreen,” meaning “settled person,” whereas thri-kreen means “wanderer-person.”

Insect body

Mature Thri‐kreen stand about 7 feet tall, with a rough body length of 11 feet. Their four arms end in claws; their two legs are extremely powerful, capable of incredible leaps. However, kreen are unable to jump backwards. Their body is covered with a sandy– yellow chitin, a tough exoskeleton that grants the Thri‐kreen protection from blows. Their head is topped with two antennae, and their two eyes are compound and multifaceted. The kreen mouth consists of small pincers. Male and female Thri‐kreen are physically indistinguishable. Thri‐kreen usually do not wear clothing, but wear some sort of harness to carry weapons and food.

Many wear leg or armbands, or bracelets. Some attach rings on different places on their chitin, though this requires careful work by a skilled artisan. While most thri-kreen appear identical to non-kreen, their nuances of exoskeleton development render them quite unique in their view. Pheromones release modifies their eye coloration: light for pleasant feelings and dark for distress. They are carnivores and become sick if eating plants, the only exception being a handful of common spices and fruit-based potions.

No sleep required

Since Thri‐kreen do not require sleep, they have difficulty understanding this state of “laziness” in others. Other behaviors of humanoids seem unnecessarily complex. A keen’s life is simple: hunt prey. Kreen live for the hunt, and own only what they can carry. Their knowledge is largely passed by an instinctual racial memory shared with the clutch. At birth, they already know what animals make the best prey and ways to catch them.

A different perspective

The pack mentality dominates a keen’s relation with others. Kreen hunt in small groups and will move to other areas rather than depopulate an area of prey. A kreen that joins a group of humanoids will often try to establish dominance in the group. This can be disconcerting to those unaware of the keen’s behavior, since establishing dominance usually means making threatening gestures. Once the matter is settled, they will abide by the outcome. Thri‐kreen view humanoids as possible sources of food but rarely hunt them as humanoids are not simple prey. Many kreen have a particularly fond taste for elves; as such, meetings between these two races are often tense. However, once part of a clutch, Thri‐kreen will never turn on their humanoid friends, even in the worst of situations.

Kreen have a severe fear of any water smaller than a puddle as they cannot swim or float. They have no idea how to ride another creature and find the concept alien and non-sensical.

Racial memory

Contrary to the variety of humans, thri-kreen are largely predisposed to tasks due to their racial memory. They typically have no wizards; their lack of natural sleep and need to hunt makes it impractical, but kreen take to psionics as a way of life and the hunt. They revere the elements and ancestral memory causes them to revere the Great One, a legendary leader from many clutches past.

Thri-kreen names

The Kreen language is very different from those of the other intelligent races. They have no lips or tongues, and so cannot make the same sounds humanoids make. Kreen language is made up of clicks, pops, or grinding noises. They do not distinguish male and female names.

Names: Cha'ka, Chuka-tet, Drasna, Drik-chkit, Hakka, Ka'cha, Ka'tho, Klik-chaka'da, Lakta-cho, Qhak'cha, Qhik-ik-cha, Sa'Relka, T'Chai, Tak-tha.

Thri-kreen traits

Thri-Kreen physiology gives it several natural advantages that compensate for not being able to easily items commonly worn by other races.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and either your Strength or Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. A thri-kreen is born from an egg and becomes fully mature at 6 years. They demonstrate no effect of aging until they reach the end of their life cycle around 30 years. Sensing their death, such thri-kreen go on a final hunt.

Alignment. Most Thri‐kreen are chaotic, acting in whatever fashion benefits the pack mentality, and this rarely leads them to philosophies of good and evil.

Size. Thri-kreen height can range from 4 and a half to 7 feet tall and weight can range from 100 to 375 lbs. You size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Creature Type. You are a Monstrosity.

Carapace. While you aren’t wearing armor, your carapace gives you a base Armor Class of 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can wear armor but it must be specially made or altered to fit your frame. Such armor would cost twice the amount it normally would.

As an action, if you are unarmored, you can change the color of your carapace to match the color and texture of your surroundings, giving you advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in those surroundings.

Thri-kreen Weapon Training. You are proficient with the gythka and chatkcha. (See equipment section later in this document)

Thri-kreen Physiology. You require half as much water as other races, needing only half a gallon of water per day, or one gallon per day if the weather is hot.

Sleepless Revitalization. You do not require sleep and magic can’t put you to sleep. However, you must still refrain from strenuous activity to gain the benefit of a long rest.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Natural Weapons. Your maw and claws can be used to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with one of your claws, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Starting at 5th level, any target you hit with your bite must make a constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature becomes poisoned for 1 minute on a failed save, and doesn't become poisoned on a successful one. The poisoned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If they succeed, they are immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Secondary Arms. You have two slightly smaller secondary arms below your primary pair of arms. The secondary arms can manipulate an object, open or close a door or container, pick up or set down a Tiny object, or wield a weapon that has the light property.

Leap. Whenever you make a long or high jump, you can roll a d8 and add the number rolled to the number of feet you cover, even when making a standing jump. This extra distance costs movement as normal.

Languages. You can speak Thri-Kreen and Common. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background. Thri-Kreen is a language composed of clicks and whirring, antennae movements, and pheromone emissions that non-kreen find too difficult to interpret and impossible to duplicate. When you speak other languages, you use a high-pitched voice.

Ukoven (Genasi)

The reclusive ukoven, also known as half-elementals or genasi on other worlds, are little more than legend, and tales told by travelers who claim to have encountered them are often dismissed as outright lies. The ukoven are unknown to most people inhabiting the Tyr Region, and for good reason. They make their homes on the tiny islands rising from the vast Silt Sea spreading out to the east, far from the city-states and their trade routes. The ukoven have nothing but disdain for civilization, sneering at the sorcerer-kings and their despotic rule. They have no love for the mortal races, and their arrogance is equaled only by their tempestuous personalities. They are a people apart, content to struggle in the swirling dust storms and having no part in the plight faced by the despotic regimes that define the Tyr Region.

Or so people have believed until now. For the first time in memory, the half-elementals have begun an exodus from their hidden redoubts and are now exploring the lands they abandoned years ago. What they seek, and why they have chosen this time to venture into the realms of the sorcerer-kings, no one knows. But their emergence is unmistakable, and those who live along the shores of the Silt Sea wonder if this trickle presages a greater and more terrible flood.

Children of the Elements

The ukoven are often called half-elementals because of their humanlike forms. They are the same size and shape as humans, though they are slightly bulkier, and thus they are mistaken for having human ancestry. Their elemental nature, however, is unmistakable, and the power of the Elemental Planes bleeds from them through their tempestuous personalities and the manifestations in their flesh.

The ukoven in Athas today are descended from ancestors considered “purer” in their manifestations. Stories abound in ukoven communities of those predecessors manifesting the elements of air, fire, earth, and water. Mingled bloodlines combined with the ever-changing world have resulted in new elemental manifestations.

Elemental manifestations are what give ukoven their distinctive appearance. Instead of hair, all ukoven possess a corona corresponding to their elemental heritage. Examples include wreaths of smoke, flames, or crystalline growths.

Ukoven also display glowing patterns in their skin, appearing similar to lines and whorls. Soft light in a color associated with a ukoven's elemental manifestation shines from his or her patterns. Ukoven from the same tribe have the same color and shape of pattern, which is a useful identifier of origin. Facial patterns are unique to each individual.

Ukoven Names

Ukoven use the naming conventions of the people among whom they were raised. They might later assume distinctive names to capture their heritage, such as Flame, Ember, Wave, or Onyx.

Ukoven Traits

Your Ukoven character has certain characteristics in common with all other ukoven.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Ukoven mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.

Alignment. Independent and self-reliant, ukoven tend toward a neutral alignment.

Size. Ukoven are as varied as their mortal parents but are generally built like humans, standing anywhere from 5 feet to over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Languages. You can speak Common and Primordial. With DM permission, your character might be able to read and write with an appropriate background. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.

Subraces. Four major subraces of ukoven are found among the Athas: air ukoven, earth ukoven, fire ukoven, and water ukoven. Choose one of these subraces.

Air Ukoven

Air ukoven typically have light blue skin, hair, and eyes. A faint but constant breeze accompanies them, tousling the hair and stirring the clothing. Some air ukoven speak with breathy voices, marked by a faint echo. A few display odd patterns in their flesh or grow crystals from their scalps.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Speed. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Unending Breath. You can hold your breath indefinitely while you're not incapacitated.

Lightning Resistance. You have resistance to lightning damage.

Mingle with the Wind. You know the gust cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the feather fall spell once with this trait as a 1st-level spell, and at 5th level, you can cast the levitate spell once with this trait as a 2nd-level spell, you regain the ability to cast these spells this way when you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate levels. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Prohibited Classes

The Artifier, Bard, Paladin and Sorcerer do not exist as player classes in Dark Sun.

Artificier

Athas is a barren, primitive, magic starved world were the inventions and enchantments of artificers do not work.

Bards

The bard is a member of a bizarre class of entertainers and storytellers prized by the aristocratic city dwellers. Free citizens all, bards tour through cities in groups or individually, then travel on, making a living with their wits and talents. It’s also widely accepted that many bards lead double lives as notorious blackmailers, thieves, spies, and even assassins.

They are not known to be magic users on their own.

If you wish to play a Bard, consider taking the Rogue or Fighter class with the Entertainer background and the Poisoner feat. This will give you a suitable approximation of an athasian bard.

Paladin

The Paladin was removed in the original AD&D setting as this is not a world of gods and divine warriors.

While 5e Paladins don't need gods to receive their powers, Dark Sun was not built with them in mind and their abilities don't match well with the tone of the setting.

Sorcerer

The Sorcerer class did not exist in AD&D and thus any mention of them is simply a another name for Wizards (such as the Sorcerer-kings).

Having innate arcane magic within yourself as the source does not work with the Dark Sun setting.

The Psion Class

The Aberrant Mind Sorcerer subclass will be reskinned as the Psion class.

Barbarian

The main sources of barbarians are slave tribes and hunter-gatherer cultures from beyond the Tablelands. Life among slave tribes is often brutal and short. A barbarian might be a sole survivor of a raid or monster attack. She might be an exile or returned to her tribe to find it gone. Barbarian halfling tribes that draw power from the spirits can be found in the forest ridge, and no matter their location, all share a common manifestation of fury. For some, it comes from within, amplified by horrific life events, and for others, it may come from unity with ancient spirits, contacted through rituals whose ways are documented only in oral tradition, to be lost if the tribe is ever lost.

Use the default rules for barbarians unless a change is indicated below.

Unchanged Archetype

Path of the Berserker (PHB).

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Path of the Ancestral Guardian (Xanathar).

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Path of the Beast (Tasha).

Cleric

The clerics who inhabit the wastes of Athas are very different from those of a standard D&D campaign. They do not pray to patron deities, for they have no deities. Clerics beneath the dark sun pledge themselves to the very powers that dwell on the elemental planes. Like the Athasian deserts, the elemental powers are neither benevolent nor malevolent, caring only that their natural forms are preserved in the material world. To preserve what they can in a dying world, the elements forge pacts with a select few beings and through them hope to replenish a decaying planet to the ancient, carefree days of power.

The clerics who do the elementals' bidding are a strange and varied lot. Some teach crop rotation in order to protect and restore the earth of the harsh planet. Others command the power of flame for little more than vengeance’s sake. Whatever their motivations, each cleric is bound and sworn to preserve her patron element in the physical world. Few ever renounce the solemn agreement: to forsake the Pact is to incur the wrath of beings who possess the raw power of the elements.

Use the default rules for clerics unless a change is indicated below.

Wrath of the Storm

Also at 1st level, you can thunderously rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 lightning or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to wield the power of the storm with unchecked ferocity.

When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling.

Thunderbolt Strike

At 6th level, when you deal lightning damage to a Large or smaller creature, you can also push it up to 10 feet away from you.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Stormborn

At 17th level, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed whenever you are not underground or indoors.

Fire domain

Fire is the feared domain of destructive power, rarely seen as nurturing and life-giving. Most fire clerics are impulsive and destructive like their element, and seen as madmen who randomly destroy precious organic material. Yet, fire wipes away the old so the land can grow back stronger. They sometimes jest “to destroy the world is to destroy the defilers,” and no one is quite sure if they are truly joking.

Fire clerics are expected to preserve Athas so it can be destroyed again and grow back stronger. They encourage the growth of forests, cities, and fields. This pact leads them to directly oppose all defilers and sorcerer kings, but their ways are too eccentric to form lasting alliances with druids, who share the same goal.

Water Domain Spells

Disciple of the Oasis

Also at 1st level you are imbued with the life giving power of water. This grants several benefits:

• You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. If you already have a swimming speed, it instead increases by 10 feet.
• When you cast a spell that creates water, you produce double the amount you normally would.
• Whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore HP, the creature regains additional HP equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
• You learn the shape water cantrip. It counts as a cleric cantrip for you and doesn’t count against the number of cleric cantrips you know. If you already know shape water, you instead learn the ray of frost cantrip.
• When you use your Turn Undead channel divinity, you can also effect non-water elementals.

Channel Divinity: Preserve Life

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to heal the badly injured.

As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke healing energy that can restore a number of hit points equal to five times your cleric level. Choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, and divide those hit points among them. This feature can restore a creature to no more than half of its hit point maximum. You can’t use this feature on an undead or a construct.

Channel Divinity: Dampen Elements

Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to protect your allies from the elements.

When you or a creature within 30 feet of you takes acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to grant resistance to the creature against that instance of the damage. If it is acid or other water related damage, you or the creature take no damage.

Potent Spellcasting

Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Supreme Healing

Starting at 17th level, when you would normally roll one or more dice to restore hit points with a spell, you instead use the highest number possible for each die. For example, instead of restoring 2d6 hit points to a creature, you restore 12.

Spheres of magic - Cleric

The priests of Athas worship the beings that inhabit the elemental planes of earth, air, fire, and water as there are no gods in the Dark Sun setting. (Spells that indicate some contact with a deity instead reflect contact with a powerful being of the elemental planes.)

In a Dark Sun campaign, priest spells fall into four spheres associated with the four elemental planes, as well as a separate Sphere of the Cosmos. This last sphere is by far the largest, though the other four hold more specialized and generally more powerful spells. All clerics on Athas draw magical energy from one of the elemental planes and the Sphere of the Cosmos. The Sphere of the Cosmos is not listed here as it simply contains every cleric spell not on the following lists.

Druid

Unlike Athasian clerics, druids are solitary creatures. They live off the land, within the land, and they have sacrificed their entire lives for the land. But, unlike clerics, druids concentrate their considerable abilities in a single area: their guarded lands. A barren stretch of desert, a sparse section of scrub land, or perhaps a sparkling oasis, that is the home of the druid, and his source of power. One small preserve, protected from the dark magic of the defilers.

They are the bane of sorcerer kings, eternally at war with them, but hunted to small enough numbers to no longer be considered a viable threat. The few druids bide their time, training and rebuilding their ranks. It is said one day the druids will rise from the earth with their fallen brothers and erase the sorcerer kings from Athas.

Use the default rules for druids unless a change is indicated below.

Beast Shapes

*Creatures native to Athas, please consult DM for stat blocks and if their version matches the CR stated here.

** Not an Athas specific monster but also doesnt have a 5e counterpart. I found they fit very well in the setting. Please consult your DM if they exist on their Athas.

Beast Shapes, continued

Spheres of magic - Druid

While druids are a priestly class like clerics, they don't need to form bonds directly with elemental beings. Instead they draw their power from the land itself.

In a Dark Sun campaign, druid spells fall into four spheres associated with the four elemental planes, as well as a separate Sphere of the Cosmos. This last sphere is by far the largest, though the other four hold more specialized and generally more powerful spells. All druids on Athas draw magical energy from the land itself, which is connected to the elemental planes and the Sphere of the Cosmos. The Sphere of the Cosmos is not listed here as it simply contains every Druid spell not on the following lists.

Fighter

The fighter is universal no matter what world she may be found. Most serve as gladiators, soldiers, merchant guards, or mercenaries. Most gladiators are slaves, but some can make a lucrative living as freemen, training a stable or earning prizes. The city-states rely on slave conscripts for the bulk of their forces, but all maintain a core of elite, trained soldiers such as the all-female Shadow Consorts of Nibenay or Urik’s Obsidian Guard. The merchant houses employ their own armies to protect trade, including well-trained cavalry and foot soldiers. Nobles keep their own bodyguards and small forces, considered a fairly easy job since most nobles are content to avoid conflict. Soldiers of fortune can be found in all settings, and a few have united to form small units operating from fortified bases, such as the Black Reavers outside of Urik.

Fighters function as in the PHB with changes as below:

Banned Archetypes

Rune Knight. Giants on Athas aren't know to use magical runes or have an ancient tradition. Thus the Rune Knight would not easily fit.

Archetype Changes

Arcane Archer. You have learned how to use magic to specifically augment arrows. Due to it's nature, this subclass cannot defile but its magical nature still cause fear to those who suspect that it is arcane in nature.

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Eldritch Knight. May be reflavored flavored as a psionic class. If so, use the Sorcerer spell list instead of the Wizards spell list and can choose between Intelligence and Charisma as your casting stat. If you choose Intelligence, you instead use the Spell Point variant rules (DMG p.288). However, if you multiclass into a non-psionic spell casting class, you revert to using the standard spell slots for spell casting.

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Samurai. Renamed to Gladiator. While any fighter can take a weapon and enter the arena, there are a select few who have been trained to dominate and please the crowd. Outside the arena, this self-control translates well to command of soldiers.

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Psi Warrior. Given how prevalent psionics are, fighters with a good teacher can augment themselves using the power of their mind. Many would be found in the Gladiator pits, trained in their abilities to put on better shows. They are considered safer then true psions because their abilities are restricted to the physical form. A fighter who displays a greater array of powers might be put down however.

Unchanged Archetypes

The following Archetypes are mostly untouched. There are many ways to fight and their unmagical nature means theres less restrictions on how a character would obtain the subclasses.

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Battle Master.

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Eldritch Knight. If not used as a Psionic class, the Eldritch Knight can still be used as an arcane spellcaster with access to the defiler rules listed later in this document.

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Cavalier.

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Champion.

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Banneret (Purple Dragon Knight).

Monk

There are no monasteries on Athas. Rather, a style of fighting emerged from the gladiator pits in response to a demand for unarmed combat, and from those combatants, nobles and templars bred in psionic abilities to create masters of the body. Due to their popular crowd appeal, enough have been granted freedom that they have spread out and trained others, or sought greater fame and fortune in the sands. A master monk is as rare as steel and just as dangerous.

Psionic monk gladiators are considered by their owners to be less trouble than a true psion because their powers tend to stay restricted to the physical form. A monk who displays a greater array of powers might be put down instead.

Psion

Psionics are a daily part of life in Athas and all living creatures will have exposure to it. It is not unexpected that the local smith might have some latent talent to bend leather in a particular way that improves the product. Even the beasts of the desert likely have some ability that improves their survivability. Every sorcerer king and most merchant houses keep a stable of powerful psionic users on staff, and in cities those who display a greater degree of power are carefully watched for signs of disloyalty.

Every city has psionic trainers and schools of study, and it is said there is an Order of mindbenders powerful enough to challenge a sorcerer-king, though if such an Order exists, its agenda has yet to be known. All races accept and have affinity for psionics. Even so, laws of the cities take into account psionic powers. Crimes committed by a compelled person are punished as if the psionic user committed them, and mind-reading against non-slaves is forbidden.

Class Details

The Psion class will be the Sorcerer class with the Aberrant Soul subclass.

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You may decide that your casting stat be either Charisma or Intelligence. Charisma represents untrained but powerful psionic power while Intelligence represents that you have been trained to properly use your psionic abilities.

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If you chose Intelligence, you instead use the Spell Point variant rule (DMG p.288). However, if you multiclass into a non-psionic spell casting class, you revert to using the standard spell slots for spell casting.

Path of the Mindbender

When people learn to use psionics, they're taught to create a nexus - a point in the center of their beings where physical, mental, and spiritual energy can be harnessed. It is the union of these powers that allows mindbenders to perform the remarkable feats they're capable of.

While many beings can discover the strength of the Will within themselves, most who go on to study the Way require guidance from a teacher. There are schools of the Way in every city of Athas, and merchant houses and noble families often pay dearly to have their scions educated by the best. Rarely, the academies waive tuition for a promising student of the free classes. Slaves are never formally instructed in the Way.

In addition to the formal schools, there are wandering teachers or tribal elders who take it upon themselves to instruct those who show promise. Even field slaves may be instructed by an older, wiser slave in secret sessions. Most of these tutors can't provide the quality of training that a formal curriculum can, but some wandering masters are very capable and can provide an unrivaled education in the psionic arts.

A Rare Path

Although thousands of Athasians command a unique talent, true masters of the Way are still rare. It takes exceptional ability and dedication to take up the study of the Way, and many do not progress far. Less than one person in one hundred who formally study the Way can be considered a true mindbender.

Because trained psionicists are scarce, they are highly valued by many elements of Athasian society. Unlike wizards, psionicists are free of the taint of magic and need not disguise their calling. They owe no loyalty to the sorcerer-kings, unlike the templars. Even clerics and druids have elemental powers and guarded lands that they must place first.

Any psionicist willing to sell her services will find there is great demand for someone skilled in the mental arts. Merchant houses, psionic schools, nobles, and templars routinely employ mindbenders to help them against their enemies. In fact, it is unusual to encounter a mindbender who has no patron or employer. They are often seen as troublemakers.

Ranger

The wilds of Athas are a treacherous place, and the skills of a ranger are most often learned as a guide, hunter, or scout for a military operation. Rangers are found in every race, most prominently among halflings. To the ranger, the seared lands are not an enemy but a well respected adversary. Rangers generally are on good terms with druids, and it is from a druid mentor that a ranger likely has experienced contact with a Spirit of the Land that can bestow upon her certain powers.

Rangers function as in the PHB with changes as below:

Favored enemies.

• Remove fey.
• Dragons and celestials require DM permission.

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There is only one known Dragon on Athas, however there are many traditionally draconic beings on Athas that, despite any resemblance, arent considered to be related the Dragon of Tyr.

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The Dragon type will be separated into two types: Dragon for traditional draconic beings such as pseudodragons and drakes, and Athasian Dragon for beings such as the Dragon of Tyr.

Beings that would qualify as celestials by 5e standards are extremely rare.

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Natural Explorer.

• Remove Arctic
• Coast is renamed Oasis.
• Desert is unchanged.
• Forest includes jungles. May be selected at DM discretion but is virtually unknown to any but halflings.
• Grassland includes savannah, scrublands, and verdant belts.
• Swamp includes mud flats and salt marshes.
• Underdark is renamed Cave.

Banned Archetypes

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Drakewarden (Fizban). There is only one intelligent dragon on Athas and he does not gift beings such as the drakewardens companion. Thus it makes little sense to have this subclass.

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Horizon Walker (Xanathar). Athas is cut off from the multiverse at large. Planar portals are extremely rare to non-existent.

Archetype Changes

Fey Wanderer (Tasha).

• Changed to Psionic Wanderer.
• Remove all reference to Fey. This archetype becomes a Psionic theme subclass.
• Remove Feywild Gift.
• At 11th level, instead of the Summon Fey spell, you instead gain the Summon Beast spell. It is still cast as a 3rd level spell however.
• For this subclass, you instead use the Spell Point variant rules (DMG p.288). However, if you multiclass into a non-psionic spell casting class, you revert to using the standard spell slots for spell casting.

Unchanged Archetypes

Beastmaster (PHB). Thought many beasts on Athas are more savage and violent then beasts on other worlds, many rangers manage to tame them and make them trusted companions. Speak with your DM for an appropriate beast native to Athas.

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Gloom Stalker (Xanathar).

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Hunter (PHB).

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Monster Slayer (Xanathar).

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Swarmkeeper (Tasha).

Rogue

Dark Sun rogues come from all walks of life: slave, freeman, merchant and noble. Rogues are common amongst merchant houses as astute guides, shrewd bargainers, and smugglers. Every city-state has a thieves' guild, and they often deal with wizards (no questions asked), who pay fees not only for illegal components but for protection and anonymity. Skilled rogue performers are referred to as "bards," with the presumption they might also be serving as a covert agent or assassin. Poison has no stigma on Athas and likely to be used by any rogue. Rogues function as in the PHB with changes as below:

Unchanged Archetypes

Assassin (PHB).

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Arcane Trickster (PHB). If not used as a Psionic class, the Arcane Trickster can still be used as an arcane spellcaster with access to the defiler rules listed later in this document.

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Thief (PHB).

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Phantom (Tasha). You have some connection to the Grey. The infinite expanse of ashen mist that serves as the afterlife on Athas. You can somehow harness the knowledge and experience of those who have past on.

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Swashbuckler (Xanathar).

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Inquisitive (Xanathar).

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Mastermind (Xanathar).

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Scout (Xanathar). Any large traveling group can benefit from someone going ahead to scouting out the path forward. Armies, nomadic tribes, merchants and even slaver tribes are likely to have scouts.

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Soulknife (Tasha). Many on Athas have latent psionic ability, those who unlock their abilities can augment their skills significantly. Such is the case with Soulknives. Assassins, thieves and spies who use their psionic abilities for their own ends or those of who have the most ceramic pieces.

Warlock

Warlocks are extremely rare on Athas because they must derive their power from a patron, and to all but the most learned of sages, there are only two sources for that power: sorcerer-kings and the elemental powers. Nearly all warlocks that are encountered are "Templars," men and women of all races imbued with the essence of their god-kings and queens and empowered with the authority over life and death of the commoner.

But, for a very select few, power comes from another source. The total number of mortals who wield these powers and make a pact with the unknown can likely be counted on one hand. Their agendas may be alien to the general interests of most: survive and prosper.

Warlocks function as in the PHB with changes as below:

Archetype Changes

The Undead. The 6th level feature Grave Touched only halves the amount of food and water you require instead of ignored having to eat and drink.

Templars

Templars derive their power from the Sorcerer-Kings and Queens, each one of which tailors the powers to a form they prefer. If your Patron is one of the Sorcerer-Kings, use the following table to determine the type of pact you receive:

Patron	Sorcerer-King
The Great Old One	Kalak of Tyr, Kalid-Ma of Kalidnay, Daskinor of Eldaarich
The Hexblade	Hamanu of Urik, Sielba of Yaramuke, Tectuktitlay of Draj
The Celestial	Lalali-Puy of Gulg, Abalach-Re of Raam, Oronis of Kurn
The Undead/ The Undying	Dregoth of Giustenal (Dray only)
The Archfey	Nibenay of Nibenay (women only)
The Fiend	Andropinis of Balic

By the nature of their position and their rulers, there are typically no good-aligned templars. Most are evil and at best there are neutral-aligned ones who shy away from the more brutal aspects to focus on the bureaucracy of the city states.

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With the absence of true gods, the sorcerer-kings portrait themselves as gods among their people. As such, the verbal components of spells cast by templars resemble prayers that a cleric might recite but directed to their respective sorcerer-king or queen.

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Speak with your DM if you can play as a templar character.

Other Patrons

The Hexbalde. The realm known as The Black, a vast dimension of darkness separates everything that exists from everything that doesn't, is similar to the Shadowfell on other worlds. The shadow beings that inhabit it (albeit rarely) form deals and contracts with those on the material plane.

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The Fiend. Long ago Athas was open to the other planes. During this time many fiends came and went as on other worlds. When Athas was cut off from the multiverse, there were some fiends who were trapped either on Athas or trapped in the Grey. Perhaps some are more recent arrivals, trying to pierce the grey from the outside to reach an untapped market of souls cut off from any divine interference. Some of these beings may be powerful enough to empart magical abilities on an individual they come across if it fits their needs.

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The Undead/ The Undying. The Gray is a dreary, endless space, the place Athasians go when they die. This infinite expanse of ashen haze attracts the spirits of the dead once they give up the confines of their mortal raiment. Those who learn to harness its essence become stuck at a point between life and death.

Wizard

Arcane magic is outlawed in every city-state. In secret, wizards still study the arcane arts, drawn to it even at the risk of their lives, from small cabals to isolated ancient text study. Wizards are universally distrusted, for while one may profess to not defile, the temptation will always be there, to gain greater power "just this once" and "for the greater good." To the druid or elemental cleric, there is no greater affront than seeing the precious life of Athas turn to ash, justified for a brief need.

PC wizards are likely revolutionaries, naturally in opposition to sorcerer kings. They must take extreme steps to hide their nature, including from their own companions. If you play a wizard, think about a "cover story." Many wizards pretend to be mindbenders or clerics.

Wizards function as in the PHB with changes as below:

• Add Sleight of Hand, Deception and Performance to list of skills from which to choose.

• Remove History from the list of skills from which to choose.

Unchanged Archetypes

• All other Arcane Traditions are allowed.

Preservers and Defilers

Athas is a wasteland because spells are powered by living matter - plants - and centuries of wars involving the sorcerer kings, the Dragon, and constant defiling has leeched the world dry. While sorcerer kings maintain gardens and hunt defilers, they still keep some on hand as a necessity. Wizards who defile can draw great power from plant life but in return will permanently reduce every tree, shrub, even underground root in the area to ash that never can again support life. This eventually leaves a taint on the wizard that can be sensed by those attuned to such things like druids. Preservers are wizards who have, at the cost of greater power, devoted themselves to taking only what is needed, from further sources until the spell can be powered. They also devote their lives to destroying defilers. Nevertheless, the temptation will always be there, to defile "just this once." To most preservers, there is no middle ground. Once a defiler, always a defiler, and better to die than cross that line. To some, when looking death in the eye, the decision becomes that much harder.

Defilers of Athas

When an arcane caster invokes a spell, she draws upon the life energy of Athas. Most casters are trained to take only what is needed because any more kills plant life and renders the area barren for centuries. Every spellcaster is aware she is limiting herself by voluntarily limiting her casting in this way. With any spell, she can cost off her self-imposed restrictions in exchange for a rush of power. In doing so, she marks herself as a defiler - an enemy of the land. Doing so is an evil act, but many a good-hearted caster has found herself facing impending doom and reconsidered this stance.

Quickened spell

Change the casting time of any spell that has a casting time of 1 action to 1 bonus action.

Twinned spell

When casting a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you may target a second creature in range with the same spell. To be eligible, the spell cannot target more than one creature at the level being cast.

Cast spell without material component

Cast any spell without using a material component.

Leaving the defiling path behind

Those who have been tainted by defiling magic, as well as full defilers, have a chance of redemption, to purge the taint from their bodies and go on the preserving path.

Those who choose must locate a druid of at least the same level, or CR at least equal to their level, who would be willing to cast a Conversion spell on them. The druid may also request some grand quest or proof of their dedication to abandoning the path of the defiler.

Defiler NPCs

The DM can decide how many defiler aura points any NPCs have but if they aren't sure how many to put, a good start is to give them points equal to 2 or 3 times their number of hit dice.

New Backgrounds

Faction Agent (Veiled Alliance)

The Veiled Alliances are confederations of Preservers working together to protect their members from assassination and harassment by sorcerer-kings and other lieges. The members work together to shield each other's identities from the authorities or to help those who have been discovered to escape persecution. They are often involved in plots to overthrow their oppressive overlords.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Stealth

Tool Proficiencies: Forgery kit, Thieves’ tools

Equipment: A set of common clothes, a forgery kit, a list of recent orders and passphrases, a belt pouch with 15 ceramic pieces (cp).

Feature: Safe Haven

As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.

Gladiator (Slave)

The wealthiest templars and most noble families maintain stables of men and women picked and trained for their fighting prowess. These slaves are sent to fight in the gladiatorial stadiums for public entertainment. Their owners, sitting in private boxes perched high above the arenas, often wager considerable sums on the outcome of these battles. More than one noble has been sold into slavery for not being able to pay the debts he incurred when a favored gladiator fell.

If you were born into slavery then you were trained from your youth to do combat for the cheering masses. If you were sold into slavery then you were likely already an experienced combatant or physically exceptional enough to warrant the training you received.

Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics

Languages: Two languages of your choice that would be spoken among your fellow slaves.

Equipment: An inexpensive but unusual weapon, set of slaves clothes, the favor of an admirer or fan, a belt or sash awarded to you for a prior victory.

Feature: By Popular Demand

Your popularity in the arena gives a little more leeway with your masters then a typical slave would have, although you must be careful not to overstep lest you receive punishment. If you are free, You can always find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment — perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you.

Altered Backgrounds

New Feats

Altered Feats

• The Ritual Caster feat can only be used to take spells from the wizard classes.

• The Spell Sniper feat allows warlocks, and wizards to choose between their classes for cantrips. The cleric may only choose cleric cantrips, the druid may only choose druid cantrips, and Psionic classes may only choose sorcerer cantrips.

Banned Feats

Weapons and Armor

New Weapon Description

Alhulak. A blunt grappling hook attached to 5-7 feet of rope with a 2 foot-long handle. The bladed head is commonly carved from mekillot bone while the handle is wood or bone.

Medium Armor

More protection with less flexibility, more often used in cities than in the direct sun but also built with ventilation in mind allowing some to avoid overheating during exertion.

Hide. Crude but flexible enough for use in the sun, favored by many warriors. Types: tembo, kank, kirre, mekillot.

Bone mail. Stiff leather jackets adorned with small disks or squares of horn, bone, or wood. The kank and the cilops have hard body parts ideal for such coats.

Scale mail. A heavy coat with carru leather leggings and overlapping scales of a beast. Types: Scorpion, mekillot.

Shell breastplate. Fitted inix or mekillot shell pieces worn over supple leather. Legs and arms are left vulnerable but the vital organs are protected and movement unhampered.

Chitin half plate. Shaped chitin plates covering most of the body except the leg, which is protected by simple graves held by leather straps.

Adventuring Gear

Adventuring gear is presumed to be made of non-metal components unless impossible (e.g. a lock), in which case the item costs the listed full listed GP price as normal.

Description

Other

Giant Hair Rope. Made from the extremely durable hair of giants, this rope has 17 AC, 2 HP per inch of thickness and ignores the first 5 damage dealt to it with each hit.

Tack, Harness, and Vehicles

Description

Barding. A mount's defense can be reinforced by covering it with barding. Made of leather pads with bone, chitin, or wood plates, barding increases a mount's Armor Class by 2.

Chariot. A chariot is a lightly armored vehicle constructed of wood, chitin and hardened leather, designed for riding and combat. Two people can ride a chariot. A creature riding a chariot has half cover against attacks from the front or the sides. Crodlu and kanks can be used to pull a chariot.

Howdah. A howdah is a frame with seats designed to be mounted on the back of an inix or mekillot. A normal howdah is made of a light wooden frame while a war howdah is constructed of much sturdier materials and offering half cover against any attacks from outside. An inix howdah can hold up to four people. A mekillot howdah can be constructed in a more elaborate affair; it often contains two levels and can accommodate up to sixteen people. Anyone riding in a howdah is considered to be at rest and shaded.

Poison Description

These are commonly encountered market poisons and are not considered a full list of all available poisons in Athas. Those with skill in gathering components may harvest and develop less-commonly seen poisons.

Assassin bug (injury). The poison of the male assassin bug causes a flesh-numbing sensation that ends with a stiffness of the victim's limbs. The target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage to all Dexterity-based saving throws and checks for 1 minute.

Bleached inix slumber (ingested). Made from mixing sun bleached inix bone and epserweed sap, this poison is typically mixed with spiced wine. This poison is typically used by bards and templars as a preliminary attack before ambushing rival noble houses, templar officials, or Veiled Alliance cells. The target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned and unable to use psionics or cast arcane spells for 1 minute. Those who fail the saving throw by 5 or more are also unconscious and may be awakened by taking damage or if another creature uses an action to shake them awake. At the end of each of its turns, the target repeats the saving throw to be able to use psionics and cast arcane spells again.

Blight (injury). This poison made from undead extract disrupts the central nervous system's ability to communicate between the brain and the muscles, thereby causing paralysis. A target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The poisoned creature can attempt a saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect.

Cactus venom (injury). When correctly harvested and refined, the venom contained in the tiny sac at the base of a hunting cactus' spine can be made into a fast-acting paralytic agent, distrupting the victim's central nervous system. The target must make a DC 14 Constitution save or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned creature is also paralyzed. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect.

Gold scorpion (injury). The poison of the gold scorpion is extremely potent for its tiny size, causing muscle spasms and loss of strength more commonly associated with much larger poisonous creatures. The target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 27 (5d10) poison damage, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Hypnotic brew (inhaled). This is a tasteless, odorless mixture of herbs commonly peddled in Bard’s Quarters. It is typically used by bards and mindbender to “soften up” a target before attempting to manipulate or manifest a power. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer a 1d4 penalty modifier to saving throws against psionic effects for 1 minute.

Id fiend essence (contact). A combination of an id fiend's blood and cranial fluid can be reduced through a slow boil into a pinkish fluid that, when absorbed by a targets' skin, causes frightful visual hallucinations. If left unchecked, these hallucinations can send the victim into blind panic, fleeing from the unseen assailants that harass and threaten him. A creature subject to this poison must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or be frightened for 1 minute. The creature can attempt a save at the end of each of its turns to end the effect.

Kivit musk (ingested). When ingested, the refined extract from a kivit's musk gland causes constant stomach pain accompanied by sporadic vomiting and diarrhea, the effects sometimes lasting for hours on end. The target must make a DC10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 8 hours.

Mastyrial poison (injury). The poison from a desert mastyrial causes internal hemorrhaging, resulting in painful splotchy bruises appearing all over the victim's skin, body chills, and possible bleeding from bodily orifices. A target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Mulworm Poison (contact). Those who simply come into contact with mulworm poison suffer a severe rash; a far worse fate awaits those injured by the poison, which attacks the body's immune system, causing a debilitating inability to defend itself from other infections. A creature subject to this poison must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage and have disadvantage on saves against poison and disease. The creature must repeat the saving throw every 24 hours, taking 3 (1d6) poison damage on a failed save. After one successful save, the effect ends.

Purple grass extract (ingested). Made from the purple grass that grows outside of Urik, this poison both damages the victim, and inebriates them. This poison is not commonly used, but herders and gatherers know to avoid it in the areas around Urik. Bards have recently been attempting to find uses for this poison, given the long period of intoxication that follows. Anyone ingesting the plant, which tastes like a delicious dry wine, has their teeth and lips stained purple for 1d8 days. A target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (4d10) poison damage and be poisoned for 24 hours in an intoxicated condition. A target that makes the save takes (2) 1d4 points of poison damage.

T'chowb ichor (contact). The lymph nodes and enlarged sweat glands found in the hands of the t'chowb can be used to create a viscous contact poison that, like the touch of the creature itself, drains the victim of his wits. A creature subject to this poison must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or have his Intelligence reduced by (2) 1d4 points. The poisoned creature must repeat the saving throw every 24 hours and have his Intelligence reduced by (2) 1d4 points on a failed save. Until this poison ends, the reduction cannot be healed by any means. A creature whose Intelligence reaches 0 dies. After one successful save, the effect ends and the points are fully restored after a long rest.

Equipment Packs

Most people avoid cumbersome equipment packs in the heat of the desert. Still, some items are vital for one's travels to such inhospitable lands. The packs available to characters include:

Bard's Kit (40cp). Includes a backpack, bedroll, 2 costumes, 5 candles, 5 days of rations, a waterskin, and a disguise kit.

Burglar's pack (8 cp). Includes a backpack, 10 feet of string, a bell, 5 candles, a bag of bone caltrops, a fire kit, a bone grappling hook, 2 flasks of oil, and a waterskin. The pack also has 50 feet of hempen rope strapped to the side of it.

Dune Trader's pack (8 cp). Includes a backpack, an abacus, a blanket, a lamp, a flask of oil, a pouch, a sack, a merchant's tunic, 2 ceramic vials, and two waterskins.

Noble's pack (37 cp). Includes a chest, 2 cases for maps and scrolls, a set of fine clothes, a vial of ink, an ink pen, a lamp, 2 flasks of oil, 5 sheets of parchment, a vial of perfume, sealing wax, and soap.

Nomad's pack (4 cp). Includes a blanket, a set of desert clothes, a fire kit, a small knife, a signal whistle, a two-person tent, and two waterskins.

Traveler's pack (10 cp). Includes a backpack, a bedroll, a set of desert clothes, a fire kit, 5 days of ration, 5 torches, and four waterskins.

Restricted Spells

The following PHB spells either do not exist or are restricted to a particular class.

New Spells

Alternate Exhaustion 1

OneDnD playtest

While you are subjected to Exhaustion, you experience the following effects:

Levels of Exhaustion. This Condition is cumulative. Each time you receive it, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. You die if your exhaustion level exceeds 10.

d20 Rolls Affected. When you make an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, you subtract your exhaustion level from the d20 roll.

Spell Save DCs Affected. Subtract your exhaustion level from the Spell save DC of any Spell you cast.

Ending the Condition. Finishing a long rest reduces a creature's exhaustion level by 1, provided that you have also ingested half the needed amount food and drink. Also, being raised from the dead reduces your exhaustion level by 1. When your exhaustion level reaches 0, you are no longer exhausted.

Alternate Exhaustion 2

The OneDnD exhaustion rules above but with the following additions:

Speed Affected. When you reach exhaustion level 3, 5, 7 and 9, you lose 5 feet of movement. These reductions are only undone when your exhaustion level is lower then the indicated levels.

Hit Point Maximum Affected. When you reach exhaustion level 5, your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to your level. This reduction cannot be undone until your exhaustion level is 4 or lower.

Alternate Exhaustion 3

The OneDnD exhaustion rules but with the following additions:

Speed Affected. When you reach exhaustion levels 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 you lose 5 feet of movement. These reductions are only undone when your exhaustion level is lower then the indicated levels.

Hit Point Maximum Affected. When you reach exhaustion level 4, your hit point maximum is reduced by your level. When you reach exhaustion level 8, your hit point maximum is reduced by your level again. These reductions cannot be undone until your exhaustion level is lower then 8 and 4 respectively.

Baazrag

In the broken crags and tiny caves of the barrens lives the timid baazrag. Two feet long or less, it is one of the smallest omnivores in the stony barren regions. The baazrag's face is protected by a bony covering that reaches down on either side of the head and across the nose, with holes for the creature's nostrils and eyes. The mouth and lower law are not protected below the bony covering. The beast's humped back is covered with a hard, natural armor that protects the animal, especially the fluid storage sack just beneath the shell. Its four legs are comparatively frail but are adequate for darting from shelter to shelter around its rocky home. The tail of the Baazrag about 5” long. Newborns are red-brown, green, yellow, or orange, but the color fades gradually to a sandy gray at old age.

Baazrag packs band together only for mutual defense of their territory. Otherwise, they have little contact with those of other bands.

Noble families of Tyr and Balic domesticate the baazrag to rid their households of unwanted pests and insects. The families also organize teams of the creatures to pull wagons. Each baazrag can pull as much as 50 pounds of cargo and transport.

Other baazrags have been specially trained to hunt unwanted pests in the sewers. The templars of Tyr have a special squad with several dozen swimming baazrags that are used to clean out infested areas.

Baazrag Boneclaw

Once in a very great while, a baazrag litter consists of only one young, much larger than normal. This creature is a boneclaw. The boneclaw stands more than 8 feet tall. The boneclaw's head is protected by a bony covering. The upper body and back are covered with a hard shell that deflects all normal missiles smaller than a javelin. Its shell has sharp serrated edges everywhere except around the mouth and eyes. The boneclaw is a dull brown color, with sand-colored claws and red eyes that glow in the dark.

Boneclaws are solitary creatures. Their territory extends to a 2-mile radius from their lair. Boneclaws usually take over deserted baazrag lairs. If there is no water readily available, boneclaws will dig until they hit water. Deserted boneclaw lairs have been known to save the lives of thirsty travelers because of the well that may be found in some of them. If there is no prey available, boneclaws can survive on vegetation for as long as three months, or can go as long as one month without food at all.

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Baazrag Boneclaw

Large Beast, Unaligned

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• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)
• Speed 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)	2 (-4)	14 (+2)	10 (0)

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• Damage Resistances
• Senses Passive Perception 12
• Languages -
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

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Detect Life. The Boneclaw can sense the presence of creatures within 500 feet that aren't undead or constructs. It knows the general direction they're in but not their exact locations.

Actions

Multiattack. The Baazrag makes 2 claw

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage.

Trampeling Charge. The boneclaw moves up to 50 feet in a straight line and can move through the space of any creature smaller than Large. The first time it enters a creature’s space during this move, that creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or take 14 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be pushed up to 10 feet and knocked prone.

Crodlu

Crodlu are large reptiles that roam the deserts and scrub land in herds. Crodlu resemble large ostriches, but their forearms end in wicked claws and their tough, scaly hides are yellow to red, with other colors along poor eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. They can run at high speed for long periods of time.

Erdlu

Erdlus resemble much smaller crodlus. They weigh as much as 200 pounds and stand up to seven feet tall. They have powerful, lanky legs ending in four-toed feet with razor-sharp claws, and can run at great speeds over short distances.

Erdlus make ideal herd animals, as they can eat many forms of tough vegetation, as well as snakes, lizards, and other small reptiles. They instinctively band together in flocks for protection. When threatened, their first impulse is to flee. If this is not possible, the entire flock will turn and give battle as a group.

Erdlu eggs are an excellent food, containing all the nutrients that a human or demihuman needs to survive for months at a time. If eaten raw, they can even substitute for water (1 gallon per egg) for periods of up to one week. In addition, the hard scales of their wings make excellent shields or armor, their beaks can be used to make fine spearheads, and their claws are often crafted into daggers or tools

Kank

Kanks are large docile insects often used as caravan mounts, as they can travel for a full day at their top speed, carrying a two-hundred-pound passenger and two-hundred pounds of cargo. They also make decent herd animals and are especially valued by elves. Because they can digest nearly any sort of organic matter, these hardy beasts will thrive in almost any environment. In addition, they require little attention, for a kank hive instinctively organizes itself into food producers, soldiers, and brood queens.

The food producers secrete melon-sized globules of green honey that they store on their abdomens to feed the young and when food is scarce, the rest of the hive. Humans and demihumans can live on this nectar alone for periods of up to three weeks but must supplement their diets with meat and/or vegetation after longer periods. The sweet taste of this nectar makes it very valuable, and it is this that has caused the kank to be domesticated. It should be noted that wild kanks produce far fewer globules than their carefully breed cousins.

When the tribe stops in an area that looks as though there is a considerable amount of vegetation, the brood queens lay a clutch of twenty to fifty eggs. The soldier kanks, along with the rest of the hive, ferociously defend this area from all predators, and will not leave until the eggs hatch.

Herders must delay their migrations or abandon their hives when this conflicts with their plans.

Although predators may attack kanks for the food producers’ honey globules, only the foulest carrion eaters will eat kank flesh. As soon as a kank dies, its meat emits a foul-smelling odor that not even a starving man can stomach.

Kank, Brood Queen

The Kank Brood Queens are completely non-violent, they use the same stats as a Kank Drone but typically don't attack, even to defend themselves.

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Kank, Drone

Large Beast, unaligned

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 37 (5d10+10)
• Speed 40

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	2 (-4)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

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• Senses Passive Perception 11
• Languages -
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

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Death Stench. When the kank dies, it emits a horrible stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the dead kank must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Pincers. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) Piercing Damage.

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Kank, Soldier

Large Beast, unaligned

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 52 (7d10+14)
• Speed 40

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	2 (-4)	13 (+1)	6 (-2)

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• Senses Passive Perception 11
• Languages -
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Death Stench. When the kank dies, it emits a horrible stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the dead kank must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Pincers. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+3) Piercing Damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, or be poisoned for 1 hour. If the save fails by 5 or more, the target is also paralyzed while poisoned in this way.

Innix

The inix is a large lizard midway in size between a kank and mekillot. It weighs about two tons and grows up to sixteen feet long. Its back is protected by a thick shell, while its belly is covered with a layer of flexible scales. Inix make spirited mounts, they move at steady pace for hours on end, and over short distances, their charge is as fast as that of a kank. Inix riders often travel in howdahs, small box-like carriages that are strapped to the beast's back. The one major drawback to traveling by inix is that these large herbivores need vast amounts of forage. If they don't get enough to eat they are nearly impossible to control. Thus, they are seldom used in regions where forage is at a premium.

In combat, inix slap with their immense tail and bite. On a natural biting attack roll of 20, they grasp man-sized or smaller opponents and do an additional ld20 points of crushing damage. Their shells are useful for making armor, and their scaly underbellies can be used to make a type of fine leather armor.

Mekillot

Mekillots are mighty lizards weighing up to six-tons. Their backs and heads are covered with a thick shell that serves as both a sunshade and protection from attacks by other large creatures. Their undersides are covered with much softer scales.

Despite their vicious dispositions, mekillots are often used as caravan beasts. A hitched pair can pull a wagon weighing 10-20 tons at a slow, plodding pace.

Mekillots are never truly tame, however; even when they are hitched to a wagon, the stubborn creatures have been known to turn off the road and go wandering off for days— without any apparent reason. They are also noted for making snacks of their handlers. Because of the difficulties of controlling these beasts, most caravans rely on psionicists with the appropriate powers to drive them.

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Mekillot

Gargantuan Beast, unaligned

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural armor, 15 if attacking its underside)
• Hit Points 175 (13d20+39)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
24 (+7)	8 (-1)	17 (+3)	1 (-5)	9 (-1)	3 (-4)

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• Saving Throws STR +7, CON +6
• Senses Passive Perception 9
• Languages -
• Challenge 8 (3900 XP)

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Actions

Multiattack. If the mekillot is not grappling a creature, it makes one attack with its tongue, then one with its bite.

Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6+7) bludgeoning damage. If the creature is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw, or the target is pulled up to 30 feet towards the mekillot.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8+7) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the mekillot can't bite another target.

Swallow. The mekillot makes one bite attack against a large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, that creature takes the bite's damage and is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the mekillot, and it takes 17 (5d6) acid damage at the start of each of the mekillot's turns.

If the mekillot takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the mekillot must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the mekillot. If the mekillot dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Crush. The mekillot drops to its belly, knocking itself prone. Any Medium or smaller creature underneath the mekillot when it drops can use its reaction to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a success the creature moves to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the mekillot. On a failure, the creature takes 13 (2d12) bludgeoning damage and is pinned. If there is no unoccupied space within 5 feet of the mekillot, the saving throw automatically fails. While pinned, the creature is prone and restrained (escape DC 17). If the mekillot moves, the creature is no longer restrained.

T'liz

T'lizes are undead defilers whose spirits have outlived their bodies. They are extremely powerful undead who seek magical knowledge and power above all else and exist as such to continue their study of magic. They seldom associate with the living except when mortals provide suitable pawns. Because they appear much as they did in life, t'lizes can move freely among the living. Their only unusual features are their skin, which is extremely pale, and their weight, which often diminishes until they become no greater than average in build. T'lizes must anoint themselves with numerous oils and substances that prevent their bodies from deteriorating. They must also feast upon the life energy of the living to sustain their own energies.

Often, t'lizes have large numbers of undead serving them as minions. These minions protect their lairs, bring them living victims for their experiments, and provide them with the equipment they need for their studies.

T'lizes hate other t'lizes as much, if not more, than they hate the living. Viewing their own kind as rivals, they are known to engage in century-long disputes. Either out of boredom or to annoy other t'lizes, they often pit their undead minions against the undead minions of other t'lizes.

T'lizes are known for their scheming nature. While they occasionally have dealings with the living, they do so only to further some nefarious plan of their own. They are said to dabble in politics and trade, but only if they can make their unseen presence felt as hardship upon the living

T'liz Template

A humanoid, giant, or monstrosity with the spellcasting feature that casts arcane spells can become a t'liz. When a creature becomes a t'liz, it retains all its statistics except as noted below.

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Challenge. The features gained by becoming a t'liz may greatly alter its challenge rating. It may be necessary to use the guidelines in the Dungeon Master’s Guide to recalculate the rating after you apply the template.

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Type. The t'liz’s type changes to undead, and it no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep.

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Senses. The t'liz has darkvision with a radius of 60 feet.

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Saving Throws. The t'liz is proficient in Constitution saving throws.

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Strength Score. The t'liz's Strength score is 16 if its score isn't already higher.

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Damage Resistance. The t'liz has resistance to cold, lightning and necrotic damage.

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Damage Immunities. The t'liz has immunity to poison damage and from bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage from non-magical weapons.

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Condition Immunities. The t'liz can’t be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or poisoned. It also doesn't suffer from exhaustion.

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Magic Resistance. The t'liz has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

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New Feature: Arcane Defiling. The t'liz gains the following feature as well as one or more defiling options from the Defilers of Athas section of this document.

If in non-defiled terrain, the t'liz can choose to defile the land when casting a spell from its spellcasting feature.

When it does this, ordinary vegetation within a radius of 5 times the spells level withers and dies, leaving the ground in a black ashen state.

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New Action: Multiattack. The t'liz uses its aura of fear and then casts a spell from its spellcasting feature. If a creature is within 5 feet of it, it can use its Life Drain before or after casting its spell.

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New Action: Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +(proficiency + strength) to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: (4d8 + strength) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC (8 + proficiency + Constitution) Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

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New Action: Aura of Fear. Each non-undead creature that is within 60 feet of the t'liz and aware of it must succeed on a DC (8 + proficiency + Constitution) Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the t'liz's Aura Of Fear for the next 24 hours.

T'liz Mage

Medium Undead, Any Evil Alignment

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• Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
• Hit Points 40 (9d8)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)

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• Saving Throws Constitution +3, Intelligence +6, Wisdom +4
• Skills Arcana +7, History +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning, Necrotic
• Damage Immunities Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft.
• Languages any four languages
• Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

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Arcane Defiling. If in non-defiled terrain, the t'liz can choose to defile the land when casting a spell from its spellcasting feature.

It can choose to either double the distance of its spell or give one creature disadvantage on the saving throw.

When it does this, ordinary vegetation within a radius of 5 times the spells level withers and dies, leaving the ground in a black ashen state.

Magic Resistance. The t'liz has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration. The t'liz regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn. The t'liz dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points. It regains 5 hit points after 1d4 hours unless its body is burned and its ashes are separated.

Silent Presence. The t'liz casts no shadows, and its steps are silent. It has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when trying to be unseen.

Actions

Multiattack. The t'liz uses its Aura of Fear and then casts a spell from its Spellcasting feature. If a creature is within 5 feet of it, it can use its Life Drain before or after casting its spell.

Bone Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Aura Of Fear. Each non-undead creature that is within 60 feet of the t'liz and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the t'liz's Aura Of Fear for the next 24 hours.

Spellcasting. The mage is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The mage has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): fire bolt (2d10), light, mage hand, prestidigitation

1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, shield

2nd level (3 slots): misty step, suggestion

3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, fly

4th level (3 slots): greater invisibility, ice storm

5th level (1 slot): cone of cold