Dark Sun Trading Cards 13

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Session Twenty-Nine: The Shadow People

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

Jessel was called to the front of the caravan, as there were no healers stationed up front. In addition, a seventh wagon was added at the last moment. Vashti, Alaxander, Julius, Shade, and Kalino were assigned to guard the final two wagons in the caravan and were allowed to tether their kanks to the final wagon. In addition, a young human was assigned to assist the group. The young man was a Tyrian and he introduced himself as Khalil Twaq. He carried a longbow made of horn.
Khalil told the group that this was the third time he guarded a caravan for House Wavir and was surprised that the group had never done so before. He explained that he had a sweetheart in Tyr, but didn't know her name. She was very pretty and had almost all her teeth, but her father would likely not allow him to court his daughter, unless he had more money. He bragged about making nine bits a day to guard the caravan and told the group not to feel bad if he was making more than the rest of them, because he had more experience guarding caravans than they did. Julius replied that he understood.

Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world/the-christ-child

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Beetle, Giant

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit, or make them more interesting.
Since there are no rhinoceros' on Athas, I renamed the rhinoceros beetle the braxat beetle and made some minor alterations.

Beetle, Giant

	Bombardier	Boring	Fire	Braxat	Stag	Silt
Climate/Terrain	Forest	Forest	Any Land	Any Land	Forest	Silt Sea
Frequency	Common	Common	Common	Uncommon	Common	Uncommon
Organization	Solitary	Solitary	Solitary	Solitary	Solitary	Solitary
Activity Cycle	Day	Night	Night	Any	Any	Any
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore	Omnivore	Omnivore	Herbivore	Omnivore
Intelligence	Non (0)	Animal (1)	Non (0)	Non (0)	Animal (1)	Non (0)
Treasure	Nil	C,R,S,T	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Alignment	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
No. Appearing	3-12	3-18	3-12	1-6	2-12	1-12
Armor Class	4	3	4	2	3	3
Movement	9	6	12	6	6	3/9
Hit Dice	2+2	5	1+2	12	7	4
Thac0	19	15	19	9	13	17
No. of Attacks	1	1	1	2	3	1
Damage/ Attack	2-12	5-20	2-8	3-18/2-16	4-16/1-10/1-10	3-18
Special Attack	Acid Cloud	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Special Defense	Fire Cloud	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Magic Resistance	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Size	S (4' long)	L (9' long)	S (2½' long)	L (12' long)	L (10' long)	M (6'long)
Morale	Elite (13)	Elite (14)	Steady (12)	Elite (14)	Elite (13)	Elite (14)
XP Value	120	175	35	4,000	975	120

Dark Sun Trading Cards 12

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

The Athasian Elemental Planes Part Nine: The Plane of Sun

The Paraelemental Plane of Sun

The dark crimson sun drifts lazily through the emerald sky, baking the soil of Athas. The sun scorches all it touches and increases the paraelementals power. Only clouds decrease the power of the plane of sun and those are exceptionally rare.
The Paraelemental Lords of Sun were the first lords to seek the total destruction of the planes of air and fire, convincing the lords of magma and silt to join them. Over the millennia, the plane of sun changed from an intensely hot, active blue, to a cooler, lazy yellow, and it is now a cool, crazed crimson. The sun lords are in constant plain, freezing and driven mad by the outside forces that changed them.

Hazards

Unprotected visitors to the Paraelemental Plane of Sun are instantly burned to ash. Even the darkest areas of the plane are over a hundred times hotter than the hottest Athasian day. In addition, the air is toxic and the plane has no surface to stand upon. The plane is a gigantic sphere that has a center and inner layers, but no outer boundary.
The Paraelemental Plane of Sun is divided into seven layers. In the very center of the plane is the core, with the other layers forming concentric spheres around it. Most of the planes natural inhabitants live on the fifth, sixth, and seventh layers of the plane. Moving between the layers is obvious, as pressure, gravity, and heat increase or decrease noticeably.
Interestingly, the inhabitants of the Paraelemental Plane of Sun will not go out of their way to attack visitors. They do not fear invasion and see visitors as curiosities at best. They're winning the Elemental War and are confident in their eventual success.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Beetle

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit, or make them more interesting.

Beetle

	Death Watch	Slicer	Stink	Water
Climate/Terrain	Forest Ridge	Forest	Forest	Any Land
Frequency	Very Rare	Rare	Rare	Uncommon
Organization	Solitary	Solitary	Solitary	Colony
Activity Cycle	Any	Any	Any	Day
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore	Carnivore	Omnivore
Intelligence	Animal (1)	Non (0)	Animal (1)	Non (0)
Treasure	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Alignment	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
No. Appearing	1	1-3	1-3	1-100
Armor Class	3	3	5	10
Movement	12	6	3	1
Hit Dice	9	6	3+1	1 hp
Thac0	11	15	17	20
No. of Attacks	1	1	1	0
Damage/ Attack	3d4	2d8	1d6	0
Special Attack	Death Rattle	Dismemberment	Stink	Nil
Special Defense	Camouflage	Nil	Nil	Nil
Magic Resistance	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Size	M (5' long)	S (3' long)	S (3' long)	T (1" long)
Morale	Elite (13-14)	Elite (13-14)	Steady (11-12)	None
XP Value	2,000	420	120	1

Session Twenty-Eight: Truth is One, Paths are Many

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

Day 1, Week 2, Sedulous, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

Kalino took the last watch outside of Serena's hut and was cooking breakfast when Jessel walked up to him. Kalino was surprised and nudged Julius awake with his foot, while greeting the half-giant. The commotion woke up Shade, who woke Alaxander.
They all greeted Jessel with half-hearted welcomes. They weren't sure if Jessel was still in the thrall of Abu. Julius asked Jessel to open his mind and allow him in. Jessel asked why and Julius explained that he wanted to make sure Jessel was not under magical compulsion. Jessel agreed and allowed him inside his mind. Julius read the surface thoughts of Jessel, while asking him questions.
It was clear to Julius that Jessel was still under Abu's spell, but since Abu was not there, he was not a danger to the group. He then asked what happened with Abu and Jessel was reluctant to speak of it out in the open. His thoughts, however, showed Julius a brief glimpse of the events that had transpired.
The rest of the group brought Vashti out from the hut, hoping there was something the earth cleric could do to help her. Julius was still processing what he had saw, as Jessel looked at the plant matter growing out of Vashti's side. Jessel was shocked and had no idea how to help her.
Julius asked Alaxander to use the way to silence the area around them, muffling their conversation. He excused the group from Jessel and informed them that Jessel should be fine, as long as Abu was not present. He aslso told them a story of templars, King Kalak, and a weeping monster. The group was surprised by the information and invited Jessel to tell them his story.

Dwarves of Athas Part Five: Settlements 5 (Foul Puddle)

Far to the north of the Tyr Region is a dwarven fortress that I have never had the opportunity to visit. I have heard stories from other traders about the dwarves there. They have constructed a fortress that protects them, and their oasis, from raiders. I have asked a human trader from Draj, Chimalli, to tell me about this particular group of dwarves.

The dwarves of Foul Puddle aren't a particularly friendly lot. And why should they be? They've endured quite a bit to hold onto their oasis. They've been building that fortress for the past two hundred years, they have to fight off a nearby elven raiding tribe constantly, all while drinking water from an oasis that smells like rotten erdlu eggs.

Dark Sun Trading Cards 11

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Athasian Turkey

In honor of Thanksgiving, the United States holiday, I gave stats for the Athasian Turkey, which is mention in the Veiled Alliance sourcebook. Turkeys may seem an odd choice of animal to be present on Athas, but wild turkeys are actually quite cunning.
Turkey's are raised for food and feathers in the city-state of Draj. These turkeys have been domesticated and are far less dangerous than the wild turkey. Domestic turkeys are de-spurred when young, so it does not have a spur attack.
Happy Thanksgiving!

	Turkey, Domestic	Turkey, Wild
Climate/Terrain	Scrub Plains, Verdant Belt	Forest, Scrub Plains
Frequency	Uncommon	Uncommon
Organization	Flock	Flock
Activity Cycle	Day	Day
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore
Intelligence	Animal (1)	Animal (1)
Treasure	Nil	Nil
Alignment	Neutral	Neutral
No. Appearing	3-60	1-12
Armor Class	8	8
Movement	9	12 fl 9
Hit Dice	1+3	3+3
Thac0	20	17
No. of Attacks	1	1
Damage/ Attack	1-4	1-6 or 1
Special Attack	Nil	Poison
Special Defense	Nil	Nil
Magic Resistance	Nil	Nil
Size	S (4' + tall)	S (3' + tall)
Morale	Unreliable (2-4)	Average (8-10)
XP Value	35	225

Dark Sun Trading Cards 10

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Bear

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.
If you're looking for a polar bear, look elsewhere.

Bear

	Black	Brown	Cave	Horned
Climate/Terrain	Forest, Hinterlands	Forest	Mountains, Rocky Badlands	Any Land
Frequency	Common	Uncommon	Uncommon	Rare
Organization	Family	Family	Family	Family
Activity Cycle	Day	Day	Day	Day
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore	Omnivore	Omnivore
Intelligence	Semi (2-4)	Semi (2-4)	Semi (2-4)	Semi (2-4)
Treasure	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Alignment	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
No. Appearing	1-3	1-6	1-2	1-3
Armor Class	7	6	6	4
Movement	12	12	12	14
Hit Dice	3+3	5+5	6+6	8+8
Thac0	17	15	13	11
No. of Attacks	3	3	3	4
Damage/ Attack	1-3/1-3/1-6	1-6/1-6/1-8	1-8/1-8/1-12	1-10/1-10/1-12
Special Attack	Hug	Hug	Hug	Hug
Special Defense	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Magic Resistance	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Size	M (6' + tall)	L (9' + tall)	H (12' + tall)	H (14' + tall)
Morale	Average (8-10)	Average (8-10)	Average (8-10)	Steady (11-12)
XP Value	175	420	650	2,000

The Athasian Elemental Planes Part Eight: The Plane of Silt

The Paraelemental Plane of Silt

The Silt Sea is an outward manifestation of the power that silt has on Athas. Silt chokes the air and erodes the land and it's spreading across the face of the Tablelands, determined to grind everything into dust. The Plane itself is an endless silt storm that chokes any breathing creature caught in it.
It is whispered that the Paraelemental Plane of Silt was once the Paraelemental Plane of Mud, but there hasn't been enough moisture to sustain it for thousands of years. It is said that the loss of moisture drove the lords of mud, now silt, mad and that is why they seek to destroy everything in their path. Whatever the plane used to be, it is now an open, empty place, swept with dry winds and scouring grains of silt.

Hazards

Visitors will find that the Paraelemental Plane of Silt is very dangerous. There is air to breath, but it is so choked with silt and dust that it is not breathable. The silt also abrades the visitors skin and leaves them a bloody mess. The Paraelemental Plane of Silt is unwelcoming and unforgiving.

Dark Sun Trading Cards 09

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Session Twenty-Seven: Opportunity plus Instinct equals Profit

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

Day 11, Week 1, Sedulous, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

The group awoke in the tower without a plan in mind. They discussed the situation and came to the conclusion that Jessel should be alright and that they had no idea where he and Abu went. They decided that they were going to accompany Vashti back to her village. They had two kanks, two dozen freed slaves, and few supplies. They also had few choices, so they set out for the closest city-state, Tyr.
While everyone was getting ready, Vashti took the opportunity to cast detect magic. She looked at the jars and bucket they acquired from the destroyed ogre fortress. The contents were all magical. None of the weapons or armors they found in the tower were. She informed the group that the purple goo was created with plant magic, the blue liquids with healing magic, and the clear liquids with protection magic.
Two hours into the march everyone was startled by a loud scream. Vashti, Alaxander, Kalino, Shade, and Spike ran over, Julius walked, to see what had happened. There was a sand colored viper in the dirt with an ex-slave next to it. Vashti grabbed the ex-slave and began dragging him away.
The viper bit at Vashti, but its teeth penetrated her cloak and not her skin. Kalino hacked at the serpent with his chitin-lined khopesh and Alaxander struck at it with the way. Shade used his bone club and Spike finished the snake off with a nasty bite.

Dwarves of Athas Part Five: Settlements 4 (Red Obelisk)

The Red Obelisk

Not too far west of the Balic to South Ledopolous road is a small village called Red Obelisk, named after the strange rune-covered monument of red stone that juts up from the ground in the village. The monument is next to a spring, which provides water for the village. I have been to Red Obelisk many times to acquire gemstones and livestock. Although the village is home to humans and dwarves in equal numbers, I have asked a human inhabitant of the village to discuss it and the harmony that the inhabitants have seemed to find with each other.

My name is Straton Floros and I am one of the chief merchants of Red Obelisk, the village of my birth. The village is found on the border of a salt flat, nearly due west of Balic. The village was settled about ninety years ago by a group of escaped human and dwarf slaves. They decided to settle here due to the spring that flows up from the ground near the obelisk. Today, there are forty-two dwarf, thirty-six human, and three mul residents.
We trade with merchants from the city-states and with desert dwellers who brave the harsh depths of the wilderness. Dwarves are integral to the maintenance of the village and the commerce that allow us to survive. While the scrub plain is fertile enough to raise livestock, it is not healthy enough to grow an abundance of produce.
If it wasn't for the dwarves, it is unlikely that the gemstones we trade with the merchants and tribes of the wastes would have been found. Due to their strength and endurance, the dwarves are far better at digging up the valuable stones from the stony barrens nearby. Many visitors believe that the humans of Red Obelisk are some sort of masters over the dwarves, because the dwarves often do the hardest of work, like mining, while the humans often do physically easier tasks, like herding. However, everyone is fairly compensated for their work, which often means the dwarves have greater riches than the humans, since their work is much more labor intensive.
None of the original human founders are still alive, but there are several dwarves that remember the founding. Two of these dwarves, Taine and Welch are the oldest dwarves and aid the human, Cael, in administration of the village. They mainly look over trade, justice, and make sure everyone is fed and watered. Taine also serves as the Uhrnius, which organizes the villages guards and hunters.

Non Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Bat

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.
I removed the spell casting and bat familiar, as I did not feel they fit the Dark Sun setting very well. I added a psionic bat, which can be quite a hassle for your player characters.

Bat

	Common	Large	Huge	Psionic
Climate/Terrain	Any Land	Any Land	Warm Caves	Any Land
Frequency	Common	Uncommon	Rare	Rare
Organization	Swarm	Flock	Flock	Solitary or Flock
Activity Cycle	Night	Night	Night	Night
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore	Omnivore	Omnivore
Intelligence	Animal (1)	Animal (1)	Animal (1)	Semi (2-4)
Treasure	Nil	Nil	C	A
Alignment	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral Evil	Neutral
No. Appearing	1-100	3-18	1-8	1 or 1-12
Armor Class	8 (See Below)	8	7 (See Below)	3
Movement	1, Fl 24 (B)	3, Fl 18 (C)	3, Fl 15 (C)	2, Fl 21 (A)
Hit Dice	1-2 hp	1d4 hp	4-6	4+4
Thac0	20	19	17 (4 HD) 15 (5-6 HD)	16
No. of Attacks	1	1	1	1
Damage/ Attack	1	1d4	2d4	1d4 + 1
Special Attack	See below	Nil	See below	Psionics
Special Defense	Nil	See below	See below	Psionics
Magic Resistance	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Size	T (1')	M (6')	H (12-16')	M (7')
Morale	Unsteady (5-7)	Unsteady (5-7)	Steady (11-12)	Elite (14)
XP Value	15	35	420 (4 HD) 650 (5 HD) 975 (6 HD)	650

Dark Sun Trading Cards 08

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Basilisk

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Basilisk

Lesser
Climate/Terrain: Any Land
Frequency: Uncommon
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Special, See Below
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: F
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 4
Movement: 6
Hit Dice: 6+1
Thac0: 15
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/ Attack: 1-10
Special Attack: Gaze Turns to Stone
Special Defense: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: M (7' Long)
Morale: Steady (12)
XP Value: 1,400

Greater
Climate/Terrain: Any Land
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Special, See Below
Intelligence: Low (5-7)
Treasure: H
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-7
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 6
Hit Dice: 10
Thac0: 11
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/ Attack: 1-6/1-6/2-16
Special Attack: See Below
Special Defense: Surprised Only on a 1.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: L (12' Long)
Morale: Champion (16)
XP Value: 7,000

Dark Sun Trading Cards 07

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.
I personally find it humerus that Agis' name is spelled incorrectly.

Session Twenty-Six: All Your Base are Belong to Us

Scrub Plains

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

Kalino watched Jessel run in the distance. After a few minutes, he asked Shade what happened. Shade explained that Jessel picked up Abu and ran away, which made no sense. Kalino suggested that Jessel was under magical or psionic mind control. Shade, Vashti, and Julius agreed. They discussed chasing after Jessel, but they knew that they'd never catch him.
Alaxander then reminded them about the prisoners on the top floor of the keep. There was some looks of resignation, but they agreed to free them. The entrance hall they were standing in had two single doors and a set of double doors, excluding the doors to the outside.
They chose the door on the right. Shade hid next to the door, while Alaxander opened it. Alaxander tried to act surprised when he saw the two guards and a guard dog inside the small barracks. He turned to run and the dog chased him, chomping at his heels. The two guards engaged Vashti, who was the closest obvious target.

The Athasian Elemental Planes Part Seven: The Plane of Rain

The Paraelemental Plane of Rain

The minuscule amount of rain that falls on the face of Athas is a welcome site to all. The endless green sky of the Paraelemental Plane of Rain was once filled with clouds that poured rain into each other. Like the endless skies of the Elemental Plane of Air, there is no end to the plane. Dark clouds drift through the sky, pouring out water and sending out flashes of lightning.
Once, these storm clouds filled the endless sky and soaked travelers to the bone. The clouds crackled with lightning and roared with thunder. The entire plane was one giant storm. Now, the plane is more empty sky than dark clouds. The rain still comes, but it is more of a drizzle than a downpour. Lightning less commonly crashes between the clouds and when thunder rings out, it sounds like a lament for what once was.

Hazards

Visitors will find that the Paraelemental Plane of Rain is very welcoming. There is air to breath and, while the temperature is warm, it is not too hot. However, visitors much be weary of lightning storms and boiling hot rain

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Baatezu, Pit Fiend

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Tony DiTerlizzi

Baatezu,Pit Fiend
Climate/Terrain: Any
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Genius (17-18)
Treasure: G,W
Alignment: Lawful Evil
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: -5
Movement: 15, Fl 24 (C)
Hit Dice: 13
Thac0: 7
No. of Attacks: 6
Damage/ Attack: 1d4/1d4/1d6/1d6/2d6/2d4 or weapon +6 (Strength Bonus)
Special Attack: Fear, poison, tail constriction
Special Defense: Regeneration, +3 weapons to hit
Magic Resistance: 50%
Size: L (12' tall)
Morale: Fearless (19-20)
XP Value: 21,000 (19,000 if non-magical)

The most terrible baatezu, pit fiends are giant winged humanoids, gargoylish in appearance, with huge bat-wings that can wrap around their body in defense, large fangs that drip with vile, green liquid, and hulking red, scaly bodies that burst into flame when thev are angered or excited.

THAC0 Cheat Sheet

Preview

When talking about 2nd Edition AD&D, I hear quite a few people complain about how THAC0 is too difficult to calculate. I grew up with THAC0, so it was never a problem for me, but I understand how it could be confusing for newer players, or players who are terrible at math.

Gahal's Tale: First Day of Freedom

The slave wagon rumbled down the road to Silver Spring. They had left Urik in the predawn hours of the day. Gahal sat in the slave wagon, held his knees and stared at his feet.
As long as Gahal could remember he'd been a labor slave. Forced to do whatever menial tasks his master had demanded of him. He'd never left the lands around Urik, but now his master had apparently decided to sell him. He didn't know where the wagon was going, but it didn't matter. He'd given up hope of ever being free.
When the guards started yelling and rushing around, Gahal barely noticed. When he heard a guard fall to an arrow and the other slaves in his wagon start shouting, he raised his head to look. He couldn't see what was going on, but he knew the small slave caravan was under attack. Gahal curled up into a ball, trying to avoid any wayward arrows. He didn't much care about the attack. Whoever captured the caravan would simply keep him as a slave, so he didn't care who won the fight.
A guard died near the wagon and a human slave with more initiative reached through the bone bars and grabbed the guards obsidian knife. The slaves became excited as they sawed at the giant hair holding the door closed. Gahal didn't participate. It wouldn't work, Gahal knew, they wouldn't escape. He had no hope.
The wagon's door opened and the slaves began rushing out. Some of the slaves foolishly fled into the fray and were quickly cut down. Now alone in the cage, Gahal stared at the open door for a few moments. He crawled toward it and looked outside. The sun was still low in the sky as Gahal climbed out the wagon. He felt hope rise in his chest, a feeling he had abandoned long ago.

Dark Sun Trading Cards 06

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Baatezu, Abishai

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Baatezu, Abishai

Black
Climate/Terrain: Any
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Average (8-10)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Lawful Evil
No. Appearing: 2-20
Armor Class: 5
Movement: 9, Fl 12 (C)
Hit Dice: 4+1
Thac0: 17
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/ Attack: 1d4/1d4/1d4+1
Special Attack: Poison, Dive
Special Defense:+1 or better weapons to hit, regeneration
Magic Resistance: 30%
Size: L (8' tall)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 7,000 (5,000 if non-magical)

Green
Climate/Terrain: Any
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Average (8-10)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Lawful Evil
No. Appearing: 2-8
Armor Class: 3
Movement: 9, Fl 12 (C)
Hit Dice: 5+2
Thac0: 15
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/ Attack: 1d4/1d4/1d4+1
Special Attack: Poison, Dive
Special Defense:+1 or better weapons to hit, regeneration
Magic Resistance: 30%
Size: L (7' tall)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 8,000 (6,000 if non-magical)

Red
Climate/Terrain: Any
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Average (8-10)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Lawful Evil
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 1
Movement: 9, Fl 12 (C)
Hit Dice: 6+3
Thac0: 13
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/ Attack: 1d4/1d4/1d4+1
Special Attack: Poison, Dive
Special Defense:+1 or better weapons to hit, regeneration
Magic Resistance: 30%
Size: L (6' tall)
Morale: Steady (11-12)
XP Value: 9,000 (7,000 if non-magical)

The Legend Of Ort the Druid

In a previous campaign, my player's visited a small village in the wastes of Athas and were told this tale by one of the village elders. I thought someone might enjoy this tale, hopefully it's you.

The Legend of Ort the Druid

Many years ago, when the trees of the forest were saplings, a young Elf druid named Ort lived in a lush grove. Ort spent his days protecting his grove from savage monsters and evil men.
One day, a young man entered the grove. Ort watched the man from the shadows of an agafari tree. When Ort saw the man's face, he nearly let out a gasp for the man was hideous to look upon. The ugly stranger wondered about the grove, examining the flora. Ort watched the man reach his hand toward the ground and saw energy flow into the man's hand. Ort knew something was wrong and stepped from the shadows to stop him. The hideous man looked at Ort and Ort saw only hatred in his eyes.
“Stop.” Ort ordered.
The plants around the monstrous man began to wither. Ort's eyes grew wide in shock as the plants turned black and crumbled to ash. Ort raised his agafari spear and prepared to attack. The horrid man pointed a finger at Ort and uttered an incantation. Fire erupted from the man's finger and engulfed Ort. Ort fell to the ground as the fire burned his cloak and the plants around him.

Dark Sun Trading Cards 05

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Ankheg

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Ankheg

Climate/Terrain: Forest, Scrub Pains
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Brood
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Non- (0)
Treasure: C
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-6
Armor Class: Overall 2, Underside 4
Movement: 12, Br 6
Hit Dice: 3-8
Thac0: 17-13
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/ Attack: 3-18 (Crush) + 1-4 (Acid)
Special Attack: Squirt Acid
Special Defense: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: L-H (10'-20' long)
Morale: Average (9)
XP Value: 175-975

Dark Sun Trading Cards 04

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Antlion, Giant

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Antlion, Giant

Climate/Terrain: Sandy Wastes, Stony Barrens, Mountains, Rocky Badlands
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: See Below
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 9, Br 1 (in loose soil)
Hit Dice: 8
Thac0: 12
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attacks: 5-20
Special Attack: See Below
Special Defense: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: L (10' long)
Morale: Average (8)
XP Value: 1,400 Psionic: 3,000
Psionic Summary
Level: 3
Dis/Sci/Dev: 2/2/7
Attack/Defense: 0/2
Score: 13
PSPs: 24
Clairsentient: Clairvoyance, Combat Mind, Danger Sense, Feel Sound
Psychometabolic: Life Draining, Biofeedback, Chameleon Power, Flesh Armor, Heightened Senses

Dark Sun Trading Cards 03

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable. I included the checklist for completion.

Session Twenty-Five: Last Cup of Sorrow

A link to the past?

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

The vision ended with Kalak waving his hand and shattering the gem. When the vision was over the gem remained, un-shattered, on the pedestal. The group paused, taking in what they just saw.
They began discussing the ramifications of what they just saw, if the vision were real. How old is Kalak? Was he King of Tyr back then? Why did he kill the ogres? They had no solid answers.
Julius took the gem from Alaxander and inspected it. He told the group that the gem must be the fabled Gem of Ultimate Psionic Power, which granted it's user unlimited mental energy and near invulnerability. Vashti doubted his claim, believing that the Gem of Ultimate Psionic Power was just a myth, but the other members of the group seemed quite impressed.
Julius used the way to mentally contact the gem and was disappointed to discover that he had been mistaken. The gem did give access to a respectable amount of mental energy and the psychometabolic ability of cell adjustment, but did not grant near invulnerability. He also discovered a rudimentary intelligence inside of it, an intelligence that was filled with sorrow. Julius was able to discover that the intelligence was one of seven. He tried to question the intelligence further, but could only feel its pain and sorrow at being destroyed and separated from itself. He put the gem into his belt pouch.
At Vashti's prompting, they started searching the room. Jessel searched one of the bookcases, as did Vashti. Julius started searching the pedestal and found small gaps in the concentric rings that made it up. This lead Julius to believe that the pedestal could be pushed downward. Julius tried to push, but it wouldn't budge.

Dark Sun Trading Cards 02

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable. I included the checklist for completion.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Ant

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Ant

Climate/Terrain: Any, except Silt Sea
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Colony
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: Qx3, S
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-100
Armor Class: 3
Movement: 18
Hit Dice: Worker: 2, Warrior: 3
Thac0: 16
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attacks: Worker: 1-6, Warrior: 2-8
Special Attack:Warriors have poison sting
Special Defense: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: T (2' long)
Morale: Average (9)
XP Value: Worker: 35, Warrior: 175, Drone: 120
Psionic Summary
Level: 1
Dis/Sci/Dev: 1/1/3
Attack/Defense: 1/1
Score: 12
PSPs: 24
Telepathic: Mindink, Aversion, Contact, Id Insinuation

The Baazrag and the Cheetah. A Dark Sun Fable.

A baazrag decided one day that his home, the stony barrens, was far too hot and hard to enjoy himself. He left the stony barrens and went into a grassland instead. The baazrag enjoyed the cooler breeze and soft grass.
A cheetah came upon the baazrag and immediately attacked. Just as the cheetah was about to enjoy this unexpected meal, the baazrag said, "I deserve to be eaten. What business did I have coming to these grasslands, where it is impossible for me to hide? I was made for the stony barrens and I should have remained there."

Dark Sun Trading Cards 01

Back in the early nineties, TSR released a series of trading cards. There were some Dark Sun card included, so I decided to hunt them down and post them here. They might be useful or just a novelty, but I hope they're enjoyable.

Dwarves of Athas Part Five: Settlements 3 (Charvass)

Desert Volcano by Balance-Sheet

 Far to the northeast of Draj, on the edge of the Silt Sea is a small trading village run by House M'ke. The outpost is nearly all Dwarves, but run by a human. The outpost is so far out of the Tablelands, that I have not visited it personally, so I have asked a Draji Dwarf trader named Tenoch to provide more information about the village. Tenoch has traded with the outpost numerous times and happens to owe me a favor. So, here is the commentary he provided.

The history of Charvass needs to be explained before I can explain the Dwarves themselves. Charvass used to be a subsistence farming village next to an extinct volcano. The old volcano had rich soil, but growing anything close to the Sea of Silt is strenuous. Then House M'ke came along and convinced the Dwarves to mine obsidian from the old volcano and import all their food instead. This only happened four years ago and the village and outpost are quite well established. It shouldn't be a surprise how much the villagers got accomplished in that amount of time. They are Dwarves after all.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Alguduir

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Alguduir

Climate/Terrain: Swamps
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Solitary (Family)
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Low to Average (5-10) (Low (5-7))
Treasure: I (No Coins), Q
Alignment: Nil
No. Appearing: 1-2
Armor Class: 6 (8)
Movement: 6, Fl 21 (B), Sw 14 (4, Fl 16 (C), Sw 12)
Hit Dice: 4+4 (1+1)
Thac0: 17 (20)
No. of Attacks: 5 (3)
Damage/Attacks: 1-6 (bill)/2-5 ×2 (front claws)/2-4 ×2 (rear claws) (1-4 (bill)/1-2 ×2 (front claws))
Special Attack: Nil
Special Defense: Spell Reflection
Magic Resistance: 40%
Size: M (7’ long) (S (1-4’ long))
Morale: Elite (13-14) (Unreliable (2-4))
XP Value:975 (420)
Attributes in parenthesis are for young alguduir.

An alguduir’s body is fat but sleek, covered with tough, durable oil-glistening scales. Its front feet have five black talons each; its rear feet have only four talons each. Its wings are usually a mottled white, brown, and gray. Its head and body are gray or green-gray, and are readily camouflaged by marsh plants. Its eyes are yellow or green. Its gills are located in the throat area behind and beneath the bill.

Its feathered  wings are oily and can shed water rapidly. This allows the alguduir to swim to the surface, shake its wings out to full span, and fly away without pause. This oil is not flammable and an alguduir suffers no extra damage from fire based attacks.
A capable swimmer, the alguduir can breathe underwater and dive with force and accuracy from the air to an underground target, gaining a +2 attack bonus. Alguduir snarl, grunt, or shriek, showing the full scope of emotion, but when hunting they are eerily silent.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Alaghi

There are many creatures for the various monstrous manuals that have been officially added to Dark Sun. I added some unofficially for my game and I'm sure a lot of other DMs do the same.
There is no inherent problem with this, although the flavor text often doesn't fit with the Dark Sun setting. My goal is to list the various monsters that "don't fit" and rewrite their flavor text to make them fit.

Alaghi
Climate/Terrain: Forest Ridge
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Family Groups
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Low (5-7)
Treasure: I (No Coins), Q
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 2-5
Armor Class: 4
Movement: 12
Hit Dice: 9
Thac0: 11
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attacks: 2-12/2-12 or by weapon type (+5 Strength bonus)
Special Attack: Missile Weapons
Special Defense: Stealth
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: L (6' Tall with large girth)
Morale: Steady (11-12)
XP Value: Adult: 2,000; Young: 120; Elder: 5,000; Hermit: 6,000
Psionic Summary
Level: 5
Dis/Sci/Dev: 2/3/10
Attack/Defense: 0/3
Score: 13
PSPs: 72
Psychometabolic: Metamorphosis, Shadow-Form, Biofeedback, Body Weaponry, Cell Adjustment, Chameleon Power, Flesh Armor, Heightened Senses
Psychokinesis: Telekinesis, Animate Object, Ballistic Attack, Control Flames, Soften

Alaghi are forest-dwelling humanoids. They are barrel-chested, with short, almost invisible necks, and wide, flat heads with sloping brows. Their shoulders are broad, and their arms are long and powerful. Their legs are short but thick, and their hands and feet are very large. An alaghi’s entire body is covered with thick hair, usually blond, reddish brown, or charcoal gray. Most blond individuals have green eyes and fur tinged with green highlights. Adult alaghi stand about six feet tall and weigh about 330 pounds. They usually live for 75-85 years.