Athasian Diseases and Treatment PDF

A couple of years ago, I wrote three articles about Athasian Diseases and how they can be used in a game. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use them too much and I doubt anyone else has either, because scrolling through three articles is very inconvenient.
So, I took some time and combined the disease and treatment rules into a pdf. I have labeled this pdf version 1.0, so I can make corrections after play testing them. I hope this makes it easier for other Dark Sun game masters to torment their players with diseases.

PDF: Athasian Diseases and Treatment Version 1.0.

Here are links to the original articles, for reference:

Athasian Disease Part One

Athasian Disease Part Two

Athasian Disease Part Three

As noted above, these rules have not been extensively tested in game. If you have any questions or comments, or have adapted them to another rule system and want to share, please comment below. 

Thank you.

Merry Christmas

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Session Eighty-Six: Rescue and Rest

After bring abandoned, Kalino, Raco, and Nyla fed into a group of unfinished tunnels and barricaded themselves behind some rubble. They hid there and tried to heal themselves, as best as they could. They could hear the firenewts pass them by, but they kept their heads down and hoped that someone else had survived.
Meanwhile, Alaxander's weeping was interrupted by Abbas' approach. Abbas saw Alaxander weeping and the poor state of Kiara and Shade. His face fell.
Alaxander told Abbas about the deaths they had recently faced. Abbas was saddened to hear about their losses, especially the death of Vashti. Abbas healed Shade, Alaxander, and Kiara a bit and then retreated, to mourn for Vashti.
A woman, who had been walking with Abbas, introduced herself to Alaxander, Shade, and Kiara. She was a druid named Dimitria. She healed Alaxander, Shade, and Kiara a bit more. Alaxander and Shade explain their quest to kill Kalak and Dimitria asked to accompany them.
She hated Kalak, as his templars killed her parents and banished her to the wilderness. If not for her former master, she would have died. The group saw the hatred she had for Kalak and accepted her.

Dark Sun Dungeons

Dark Sun is a unique setting in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Certain tropes in other settings are downplayed or eliminated. It is my belief that dungeons in the Dark Sun setting should be as unique as the setting itself.
This article provides advice on running dungeon adventures in the Dark Sun setting. The advice is taken from my decades long Dark Sun Dungeon Mastering experiences. I hope it inspires you to run your own Dark Sun game.

In relation to a table top roleplaying game, a dungeon is a term often used to describe an underground lair, where monsters and treasure can be found. From the point of a gameplay aspect, a dungeon is a contained environment, where the action of an adventure takes place. This means that a dungeon, in this sense, can be a ruined fortress, a group of narrow canyons, or even the Warrens in Tyr.

There's a lot of dungeon designing advice online and I will endeavor not to repeat it. My goal is to have the information I provide apply to Dark Sun, as much as possible.

Session Eighty-Five: Ashes to Ashes

The group talked about the strange requests for help, but could not make heads or tails of it. So, they continued looking for the gemstone. Kiara fell into a magma pit trap, right before a room opened in front of them. There was a large force of firenewts, and frilled flame lizards, guarding the room.
Defensively, the group found themselves as a disadvantage. The hallway bottlenecked them, while allowing free movement to the firenewts. Raco and Shade pushed their way through the enemy line. Alaxadner had another idea, he used the way and opened a dimensional door, which allowed access into the rear of the room.
Once the entirety of the group was inside the room, the firenewts had lost their tactical advantage and were roundly defeated. They group looted their enemies and healed their wounds. There was a stone door leading out the room. Doors had been rare in the volcanic complex, so the group was cautious.
Alaxander used the way to become insubstantial and peeked his head through the stone door.

Session Eighty-Four: A Request for Aid

The group continued to fight their way through the volcano. They had The Lord of the Mind to guide them, but he could only point them in the direction of the next gem, in a straight line. Often, the group ran into dead ends, or twisted passageways.
Even though most of the firenewts were outside, battling with the grimlocks and the giant, there were still plenty of them inside the volcano. The group had several skirmishes with the lizards. During one such encounter, one of the firenewts, fighting Lilith, changed mannerisms and asked for aid, in a strange Urikite voice. The firenewt then shook his head and began attacking in earnest, all of the unusual behavior vanishing.
Nyla realized that they were forgetting to loot their enemies and kicked herself. In addition, there were traps in the volcanic corridors. The traps were all magma based, which the firenewts were immune to. They weren't too devastating, but they slowed their progression.
Shade was scouting ahead and saw two firenewts patrolling. Shade attempted to sneak behind them and stab one in his back, but Shade lost his grip and his iron dagger went sailing past them. One of the newts fled, while the other picked up Shade's iron dagger and threatened him with it. Shade attacked that newt, with his iron alhulak, but lost his grip on that too. It went sailing past the firenewt, into an adjoining corridor.

Turkey, Intelligent

In honor of Thanksgiving, the United States holiday, I gave stats for the Athasian Turkey, which is mentioned in the Veiled Alliance sourcebook. This year, I present the intelligent version of the terrible beast.
Happy Thanksgiving! 

	Turkey, Intelligent
Climate/Terrain	Forest, Scrub Plains
Frequency	Very Rare
Organization	Solitary
Activity Cycle	Day
Diet	Omnivore
Intelligence	High (13-14)
Treasure	U
Alignment	Neutral
No. Appearing	1-12
Armor Class	6
Movement	12 fl 9
Hit Dice	5+5
Thac0	15
No. of Attacks	1
Damage/ Attack	1-6, 1, or by weapon
Special Attack	Poison
Special Defense	Nil
Magic Resistance	Nil
Size	S (3' + tall)
Morale	Elite (13-14)
XP Value	2,000

Psionic Summary
Level: Wild Talent
Dis/Sci/Dev: 1/1/1
Attack/Defense: -
Score: 11
PSPs: 36
Psychokinetic: Telekinesis, Animate Object

Session Eighty-Three: On the Offensive

The group woke up and healed. They decided that they made enemies of the firenewts, so maybe they could make friends with the giant and grimlocks. Alaxander opened a dimensional gateway, which cut down their travel time significantly. They moved close enough to see grimlocks manning the walls of the giant's fortress.
Alaxander used the way to amplify his voice. He called out, in every language he knew, that they were arriving with peaceful intentions and had no desire to fight. They saw the giant peek his head up, from behind the wall, and look down at them. Grimlock archers lined up on the walls, but the group made sure they were out of bow range.
Alaxander used the way to amplify the voices of the other members of the group and they yelled out their messages of peace and alliance, in the various languages they knew. Soon, they saw the giant emerge from the fortress. He was wearing a harness that held four grimlock archers on his chest. Nyla put her hands up, palms out, to show that she was unarmed. Everyone else followed suit.

Aloe Lacerta - New Athasian Monster

Aloe Lacerta

Climate/Terrain: Any, except Forest and Silt Sea
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Herd
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Herbivore
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 2-24
Armor Class: 6
Movement: 12
Hit Dice: 4+4
Thac0: 17
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attacks: 1-6
Special Attack: Poison Spit
Special Defense: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: L (8' Long)
Morale: Elite (13-14)
XP Value: 650

AthasCon Game

Saturday, October 29, 2022, I had the privilege of attending and participating in AthasCon. I was able to run a game, which five players signed up to play. Unfortunately, only two players showed up. However, my wife was able to fill in and I played an NPC, so we had a full party. There was a human preserver, Nekhosz; a mul gladiator, Klak; an elf thief, Jamila; and a dwarf fire cleric, Abbas.
My two players were Luke and Adam. They were both fantastic. They role played well and understood the setting. They were also patient with my lack of experience running a virtual table top.

The story began in Tyr, while Kalak still reigned.
The characters all received letters requesting that they meet an unknown benefactor at the Drunken Giant Wine House. Klak did not know how to read, but pictures were able to relay the information adequately.
Klak entered the Drunken Giant and approached the wine steward. He asked for an ale. The human wine steward rolled his eyes and explained that this was a wine house, not a tavern. Klak was embarrassed and quickly ordered a cheap glass of wine. He took a drink and decided that he preferred ale.

Pre-generated Characters for Athas Con

 I had to draw up six PCs for my upcoming game at Athascon. I thought they would be a great addition to my blog and may be of use to other AD&D 2nd edition Dark Sun players and Dungeon Masters.

Halfling Psionicist (Psychokinetic)

Human Preserver

Mul Gladiator

Thri-Kreen Fighter

Elf Thief

Dwarf Cleric (Fire)

The character sheets are are form fillable, so the information can be changed. As is, they are all 3rd level. I hope you enjoy them and find them useful for your games.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 10

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I did not compare the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I gave my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I broke down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I did not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork and maps have been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.
The review of Chapter 6.
The review of Chapter 7.
The review of Chapter 8.
The review of Chapter 9.

Chapter 10 - The Dead Lands and the Tablelands
This chapter starts off with a question that I have had the entire time reading this book. Why don't the undead of the Dead Lands invade the Tablelands? Instead of a single, unvarying answer, we are given a list of reasons.
The first reasons make a lot of sense. They basic idea is that the undead are unsure if they will continue to survive upon leaving the Dead Lands. This could be tested and I am sure it has been, but likely with unintelligent undead. If the intelligent undead leave the obsidian plain, will they become mindless? How long will they really last? Even a century is not long to such deathless creatures.

Session Eighty-Two: Uncertainty

Alaxadner explained to Lilith, that he did not believe the Lord of the Many could be destroyed. In addition, they needed it to destroy the Tyrant of Tyr. Lilith calmed down, but did not want the Lord of the Many near her.
Jessel informed the group that he was being summoned by the lords of earth and had to leave. The group said their goodbyes and Jessel stepped through a dimensional door. Nyla asked if his sudden disappearance was normal and the group said it was.
Raco and Shade decided to scout ahead of the group and look for a proper volcano entrance. They jogged ahead, while the rest of the group walked casually in the same direction. Whenever Shade and Raco thought they saw something, Raco would become a living shadow and Shade would hide.
Despite several scares, they did not encounter anyone for a few hours. They finally spotted a cave, carved into the side of the volcano. There were four firenewts guarding the entrance.
Raco turned and started making his way back to the group, but Shade decided to take a closer look. Shade moved closer, but stepped on a patch of loose gravel and slipped. The noise alerted the firenewt guards, who turned toward him. The firenewts threw javelins at Shade, who dodged them. Shade ran away, as more firenewts spilled from the volcano entrance.
The firenewts did not chase Shade very far and he escaped. When he and Raco met up with the rest of the group, no one had any idea what they should do next. They made multiple plans, but would discard them after a few minutes. In the end, they decided they needed more information. They finally agreed to have Alaxander use the way, to teleport, and scout the island.

Along the Shore of the Silt Sea - A Dark Sun Fable

Two travelers were walking along the shore of the Silt Sea. They looked out, across the loose silt and they saw something moving above it.
"Look," said one traveler, "a skimmer is rolling in from distant lands. It's bound to be filled with riches!"
The object they saw came closer to the shore.
"No," said the other, "that is not a skimmer filled with treasure. That is a skimmer filled with food and water!"
As they watched, it came even closer.
"Maybe it's a skimmer filled with beautiful concubines for us to buy!" they cried.
The two travelers rushed to the edge of the sea and a silt horror grabbed them. The two travelers were never seen again.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 9

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork and maps have been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.
The review of Chapter 6.
The review of Chapter 7.
The review of Chapter 8.

Chapter 9 - The Seventh Tree
We are treated to a history about how and why the tree was created. It was basically a battery, created by the Warbringer. It is the reason the gate stopped pushing obsidian into the prime material plane. I do like that the obsidian portal is still open, just blocked by the roots of the seventh tree. What intelligence inhabits the tree? I want to read more.

Session Eighty-One: Wyverns and Giants and Lizards, Oh My!

The group walked through the grasslands, which surrounded the volcano. They heard some noises and ducked below the grass line. Shade said he would scout ahead and everyone agreed. He returned a short time later and explained what he saw.
There was a group of gray skinned humanoids, who had Jessel, he alive and conscious, tied up and roasting over a fire. The gray skinned humanoids were taunting him and laughing with delight. They were armed with stone battleaxes.
The group was quick to make a decision. They would, of course, go rescue their half-giant friend. The group surprised the gray skinned humanoids and made quick work of them. Most of them were knocked unconscious by Raco, who displayed impressive combat abilities. Lilith fled from the combat, as she was scared of the large group.
They freed Jessel, who was thankful for the rescue. Jessel was introduced to Raco, Nyla, and Lilith. He was saddened by the news of the loss of Vashti and Julius. Jessel explained that he had found himself on the island, after being deposited here by the Lords of Earth and told that the group was nearby. He was captured by the gray skinned humanoids, while napping and waiting for the group.
The group walked toward the volcano and saw a wyvern flying around its peak. The wyvern dove down, toward the site of the combat, and began devouring the gray skinned humanoids. The group fled from the monster. After feasting, the wyvern departed, flying back toward the peak of the volcano.

AthasCon Vitual Dark Sun Game

I will be running a virtual four hour AD&D Second Edition Dark Sun game on October 29, 2022 at 10 AM Mountain Time, Noon Eastern Time, 9 AM Pacific Time.
This game will be limited to five players. You do not have to know 2e, but it would be nice to have someone experienced, to run a psionicist. Pre-generated characters will be provided.
It will be run using discord and the Owlbear Rodeo Virtual Tabletop. Everything is free.
More information is available on their discord and at: https://arena.athas.org/t/athascon-online-october-29th-30th/3208

If this time does not work, there will be other Dark Sun fanatics running games as well.

I hope to see you there!

Session Eighty: New Friends

The letters guided them through the room. Some of the square tiles were traps and some were safe. The group figured out that there were two safe pathways. One went to the left and the other to the right. They followed the right path, which lead them to a secret door.
Before they could enter, a voice called out, from the room's entrance. It was Raco, Nyla and Lilith explained, one of the monks from the monastery. They called out the safe path to him and he was able to avoid the traps. He introduced himself to the group and said he was from Tyr. The group explained the peril Tyr was in and that they were trying to stop the Tyrant of Tyr from carrying out his nefarious plans. Raco decided to join them.
They traveled down the hallway, disarming two traps along the way, and came to a large room with a dais. Shade walked onto the dais and writing appeared on the wall. It was, of course, a riddle. As the writing appeared, so did nine jhakar. The jhakar were growling and threatening, but none of them moved to attack.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 8

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork and maps have been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.
The review of Chapter 6.
The review of Chapter 7.

Chapter 8 - Legions of the Claw Territories
This chapter is all about the bugdead and their territory, which are the greatest threat to the intelligent humanoid undead of the obsidian plain. It outlines the difference between mindless and free willed bugdead. Instead of skeletons, bugdead without much flesh are called exoskeletons. I thought this was a nice touch.

D100 Non-Combat City-State Encounters

DMs may use this chart to liven up the PCs stay in a city state. Some of these may work for larger client villages, or trade forts as well. 

Roll 1 D100

001: A procession is approaching. The Sorcerer King or Queen is moving through the city.

002: A templar and their guards want to arrest a player character, for crimes real or imagined. The crime should be serious, such as murder or sedition.

003: A man fleeing the templars bumps into one of the characters and slips something small into their pouch, backpack, or hand. The person then flees and is killed by the templars moments later.

004: The player characters see the templars arresting someone they know. Preferably someone close to them.

005: A young noble, seeking to make a name for themselves or showing off for their friends, challenges one of the player characters to a duel. The noble is a psionicist and will use this to their advantage.

006: A slaver will offer to buy the shoddiest dressed player character from the other characters.

007: A merchant offers to sell the group a cure for poison, or disease, at a reasonable rate. They should be very charismatic. There is a 50% chance that the cure is fake and the merchant, a charlatan. A 25% chance that the cure is fake, but the merchant did not know it was fake. And a 25% chance that the cure is real and the merchant, honest.

Session Sevety-Nine: All Your Money Won't Another Minute Buy

The group continued down the path. Julius climbed a tree, to get a good vantage point. He saw forest stretching for miles. He climbed back down and informed the group that the forest stretched for miles. No one could believe that that many trees existed in one place.
The group briefly discussed if they should explore the forest, but decided to follow the path instead. Strangely and suddenly, the treeline broke. In front of them was a desert landscape. This made no sense. Julius had seen forest here only a few minutes earlier.
On the edge of a cliff was a twenty foot tall statue of a wild dog. There were strange symbols on the coyote, along with some script written in the ancient ogre language. The legible portion of the writing indicated that the rest of the script needed to be decoded, using a riddle to do so. The group solved the first riddle easily and translated the rest of the script.

The Id Fiend and the Erdlu - A Dark Sun Fable

An id fiend had been hurt in a fight with a kirre and was unable to move. He hadn't had food or water in a few days and was nearing unconsciousness. A wild erdlu passed by and the id fiend called out to him.
"Please get me a drink of water," The id fiend begged. "Then, I might be able to regain enough strength to get myself some solid food."
"Solid food!" Replied the erdlu, "That means me! If I bring you water, you will only use it to wash me down your throat."
The wise erldu moved on and the injured id fiend died the next day.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 7

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork and maps have been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.
The review of Chapter 6.

Chapter 7 - The Eastern Reaches and the Crunch
This chapter begins with a section about Chol. Chol is a vast smooth plain, with savage undead marauding clans. The section continues with a description of three of the clans. It is insinuated that there are more.
The first clan is The Black Thunder. These marauders have little to drive them, except survival. Seeing that undead survive with no need of physical nourishment, they must believe that in order to survive, they must fight the other undead. It does mention the leader of this group taking booty, but aside from corpses to raise as his minions, I do not understand what else he would take.

Athasian Hygiene

Here on Earth, we use water to keep clean. With water being a precious resource on Athas, you might ask, "How would an Athasian keep clean?" Like most things on the desert world, it breaks down to location, money, and social status.

Soap

Athasian soaps vary from city-state to city-state. Tyr creates soap made from animal fat and wood ash, while Urik creates soap from animal fat, vegetable oils, and alkaline salt. Balic uses a liquid soap mainly crafted from olive oil.

Cleaning Sand
Sand is used to clean clothes and some people. This sand is very fine and mixed with salt. This mixture bonds to dirt and sweat, then is brushed away with a cleaning brush, scraper, or rag. Clothes cleaned with cleaning sand are often scrubbed and then hung outside and beat with a rod, to remove residual dust and dirt.

Cleaning Tools

The most common cleaning implement used among all social classes is the cleaning brush. Cleaning brushes are made of a bone, wood, or metal base and stiff bristles. The bristles are generally made from stiff carru or aprig hair. These brushes are made for the sole purpose of cleaning dirt and grime from bodies or clothing. They may be used to clean other surfaces as well.
In addition, there are other tools used to keep clean. In Urik and Raam, pumice stone is used to clean the body, in all, but the most sensitive of areas. In Balic, a strigil is used to remove olive oil from the skin, taking dirt and dead skin with it. A strigil is a thin, wide, blunted hook, made of wood, bone, or metal.
Other scrapers are used by other city-state residents as well. These scrapers come in various sizes and shapes, but are all used in the same way. Before or after a bath, or any cleaning time, these scrapers are used to removed unwanted dirt and grime. After using cleaning sand, soaps, oils, or salts, the scraper is rubbed across the skin.
The common person almost always uses wood or bone cleaning tools, while wealthy individuals use metal tools. The wealthiest individuals often plate their tools in precious metals and embed them with gemstones. Simple cleaning tools can be purchased from any market, but fancy tools must be custom ordered.

Session Seventy-Eight: The Way of Wishes

Alaxander thought long and hard about the riddle. He figured out that the blue door and green key were the correct pair. He was correct. The door opened into a large, ten foot wide, hallway.
Shade lead the group and discovered that the hallway was trapped. He disarmed a couple of them and failed to find a couple as well. He fell into the ten foot deep spiked pits, but the group was easily able to pull him out. Where the hallway met a room, he discovered a teleporter trap, but instructed everyone to avoid it.
The room they found themselves in had two agafari doors. One was blank and the other had a stone plaque, of an ogre's face.
The group decided to inspect the blank door first. There was a short hallway, with a hexagonal room. In the center of the room was a stone well. The well had a bucket and rope attached to it. On the side of the well was a riddle. The group was very confused and talked for a long time about what the riddle meant. They largely solved the riddle and made wishes, although they did not fully comprehend what they were doing.
They received some silk, a couple of gold coins, and, to their dismay, a swarm of mosquitoes. Once they figured out the riddle completely, they were out of wishes. Each person only received one wish. So, they returned to the monastery and recruited some of the monks to come assist them.
The monks wished for very practical things, except for one. A female monk, named Lilith, became enamored with Alaxander. She quietly wished for Alaxander's affection. Alaxadner failed to resist the well's magic and he suddenly had feelings for the monk. The rest of the group knew exactly what had happened and they thought it was funny.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 6

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork has been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.

Chapter 6 - The Kingdoms of Gretch
The chapter begins with a easy to read map of the region. I love maps, two thumbs up! This map shows that this area is south of The Naked Obsidian, the region discussed in chapter three.
The region is described as harsh and lifeless. The obsidian is thick and there are obsidian glaciers moving slowly over the stone underneath. It mentions the obsidian is particularly thick.
The region is named for a human defiler named, you guessed it, Gretch. The evil man used magic to create some monsters and ran away from his teachers. He sought undeath as a way of extending his existence, but something went wrong. His past is further deatiled and it is strongly hinted that he played a major part in the disaster that created the Dead Lands.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 5

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork has been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.

Chapter 5 - The City of a Thousand Dead
The previous chapters mentioned the City of a Thousand Dead multiple times, so I figured it was an important part of the Dead Lands. It's nice to get, not only a section, but an entire chapter dedicated to it.
The city is huge, five miles in diameter, and is roughly circular in shape. There is not a sole ruler of the city, but different factions, that are not always friendly with each other. The city contains the obsidian gate and the bugdead attack the city often.

Dark Sun Paper Miniatures 03

These Miniatures are rather simple and fold into a tent. You can add extra weight by taping a penny to the bottom. Let me know if more of these would be of interest to anyone.

Download the PDF

Here we have some elemental beasts, a fael, a dhaot, some lirrs, and some dagorran. They are sized to the correct scale for a 1" x 1" square battlemat. I hope you find them useful.

Fourth of July - The Birthday of The United States of America

Happy Independence Day, United States of America!

Here is a transcript of the Declaration of Independence. I believe these words were divinely inspired.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 4

 Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork has been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.

Chapter 4 - The Dead Lords
Despite what the chapter heading may say, this chapter is about locations and not just the personalities that reside there. It starts off with a map of the region, which is very handy for dungeon masters.
The chapter begins by discussing an undead defiler named Kulrath. He is a paranoid being, who rules over the nation of Deshentu. He has a large army, but prefers to pay tribute to avoid conflict. He also uses his agents to sabotage other nations and has a trapped area around his city. There is also a typical map of these killing fields.
This is exceptionally useful, especially if a group of player characters decide to bring an army to the Dead Lands. I don't see my particular group doing that, but players are not predictable. A dungeon master could have the player characters come across an army marching through the killing fields and falling into the traps. That would be interesting.

A Note from Nibenay on Father's Day

To the Citizens of the Glorious city of Nibnay,

My high templar has made me aware of a celebration that is called Father's Day. She explained that it is customary with wish one a happy Father's Day, so I am doing so. As a father myself, it should be customary to wish me a happy Father's Day as well and I command you to do so.
Let this day be free of sedition and foul invectives toward your king. In my limited largess, I have commanded an extra one half ration of water to all fathers on this day. Anyone feigning the pretense of being a father, and is discovered not to be such, your punishment shall be swift and merciless.
So it is decreed by your king, so it is done.

His Greatness,
Nibenay, King of Nibenay and the whole of the World.

Session Seventy-Seven: Recovering in the Monastery

Kalino and Julius were trapped in a wide hallway, with four dune reapers. Alaxander was gone. Shade, Kiara, and Nyla were all knocked out. Things looked extremely grim.
Nyla's unconscious body was teleported out of the room, by an unknown individual. Alaxander closed the dimension door and teleported back to a large room they had already explored. Julius attacked the dune reaper, who was blocking the group's exit, and unleashed the kinetic energy he had stored up. The dune reaper was sliced to ribbons.
Kalino picked up Kiara. He then rushed out of the hall and into a room. There, he discovered where Alaxander had teleported to. Julius dragged Shade out of the room.
Julius stood in the doorway and used his mastery of the way to make himself impervious to physical attacks. Kalino attacked the dune reaper, with his spear. He was positioned behind Julius and attacked over his shoulder. Alaxander used the way to attack from a distance. This proved to be a tactically advantageous and the dune reapers were defeated.

Non-Dark Sun Creatures in Dark Sun - Firenewt

 There are many creatures from 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 often add a new Athasian variant as well.
I have heavily altered the firenewt, as it is not an official creature present in the Dark Sun setting.
Firenewt

	Firenewt	Firenewt, Psionic	Firenewt, Cleric
Climate/Terrain	Hot or volcanic regions	Hot or volcanic regions	Hot or volcanic regions
Frequency	Rare	Very Rare	Very Rare
Organization	Tribal	Tribal	Tribal
Activity Cycle	Day	Day	Day
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore	Carnivore
Intelligence	Low (5-7)	Very (11-12)	Average (8-10)
Treasure	J, K (F)	K, M, 1 random gem	K, M, 1 random potion fruit
Alignment	Neutral Evil	Neutral Evil	Neutral Evil
No. Appearing	10-100	1-10	1-3
Armor Class	5	5	5
Movement	9	9	9
Hit Dice	2+2	4+4	3+3
THAC0	19	19	20
No. of Attacks	1	1	1
Damage/Attack	1d4 or By Weapon	1d4 or By Weapon	1d4 or By weapon
Special Attacks	Breath Weapon	Breath Weapon, Psionics	Breath Weapon, Spells
Special Defenses	Immune to Damage from Heat and Fire	Immune to Damage from Heat and Fire	Immune to Damage from Heat and Fire
Magic Resistance	Nil	Nil	Nil
Size	M (5'1/2" - 6' Tall)	M (5'1/2" - 6' Tall)	M (5'1/2" - 6' Tall)
Morale	Steady (11-12)	Elite (13-14)	Elite (13-14)
XP Value	175 Elite: 270 Overload: 420	975	420

Session Seventy-Six: Riddles of the Monastery

The group covered Vashti's body with an old robe and promised to give her a proper burial later. They looked around the room and there were four doors, excluding the door they entered through.
They chose one at random and opened it. Inside, they saw an old desk, with a piece of crumbling vellum on it. They also saw an old bed, that was big enough for a half giant, and a stone fireplace.
Shade inspected the vellum and saw strange characters written on it. Alaxander went to inspect the bed and found that it was dilapidated and the linens were heavily moth eaten. Julius inspected the chimney and disturbed a small colony of bats.
The bats swarmed the group, causing a great deal of confusion. Julius was bit, but it was a minor wound. The bats eventually flew threw the open doorway and into the monastery. After causing some havoc there, they flew out of some small windows and into the night. Unbeknownst to Julius, or anyone else, the bat infected him with rabies.
Shade said that the vellum had some characters on it, but he was unable to read them. Everyone gathered around and looked. No one knew how to read the strange looking language. Feeling frustrated, the group left the room.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 3

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. The review of Chapter 1. The Review of Chapter 2.

Chapter 3 - The Naked Obsidian

Chapter three begins by showing a map of the area being discussed. This is wonderful, as it is easy to reference the map while reading. Whomever had the idea to place the map at the start of the chapter should feel proud of their decision.

The chapter continues by discussing a group of undead, who are religious fanatics and actually worship the obsidian as a god. The leaders of this group as paraelemental clerics of magma, but they don't even realize it. This sections is written with a great deal of detail and would be a wonderful adversarial group for a group of player characters.

Session Seventy-Five: Death Has No Mercy

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

The group explored the monastery and met several of the monks. There were many races, mostly human and dwarf, and were all practitioners of the way. The group gathered in their small room and decided to explore the monastery, to look for the Lord of the Senses. They ate a communal dinner with the monks. The food was simple, but enjoyable.
Shade began a systematic search of every room, beginning with the empty dorters, looking for a secret door. Alaxander attempted to teleport out of the monastery, but discovered an invisible barrier blocking him. He tried to exit the monastery using other mind powers, but was unable to do so. Vashti attempted to walk out of the front door, but was politely turned away by two of the monks.
Vashti spoke to Nabil and disclosed to him that they were seeking a gem, that was able to use the way. Nabil took her to a locked room, were the monastery kept their gemstones. She looked through them and could easily determine that none of them were the Lord of the Senses.
The group then went back to their small room and discussed what they found and what to do next. They talked about being trapped by the monks, but did not believe they were in any real danger. They talked about fighting their way out, but discarded that idea. The gem was nearby and they did not want to make enemies of a large group of monks trained in the way. They decide to wait until everyone was sleeping and continue to search the monastery.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 2

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. The review of Chapter 1 

Chapter 2 - Northwest Cliffs

A few pages before the second chapter, there is a large two-page map of the Dead Lands. The placement seems a little odd, as I believe this map would be a great break between chapter one and chapter two. It is an extremely useful map and is easy to read, it keeps the same iconography that Dark Sun fans have seen in other products.

The second chapter dives into specific locations in the Dead Lands. As a surprise to no one who read the chapter heading, this chapter is about the northwest cliffs and the surrounding area. It begins with explaining that the Dead Lands are in a basin and the path down is known as the Winding Way.
There is a surprising amount of information about the path into the basin below. It discusses the path way's history, as well as its current state of disrepair. Lastly, it outlines the various dangers of the pathway, including an undead earth drake.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 1

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting.
I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans.

First impressions.
The book is 169 pages and, although it's a small thing, I appreciate that it uses the original Dark Sun logo. Skimming through the book, it appears to be laid out well and, thankfully, contains a table of contents.
There are a plethora of maps, which are extremely useful, and enough artwork to breakup the sea of text. The pages have the borders I've come to expect from Dark Sun books and, all in all, looks very professional.

Kavoras - New Athasian Monster

Kavoras

Climate/Terrain: Anywhere, except forest and silt sea.
Frequency: Common
Organization: Solitary or Cast
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Non- (0)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 3-300
Armor Class: 7
Movement: 4
Hit Dice: 1/2
Thac0: 20
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attacks: 1
Special Attack: None
Special Defense: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: T (8" Long)
Morale: Unreliable (2-4)
XP Value: 7

Kavoras, Giant

Climate/Terrain: Rocky Badlands & Stony Barrens
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Non- (0)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-2
Armor Class: 0
Movement: 14 Cl 8
Hit Dice: 8+4
Thac0: 13
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attacks: 3-14/3-14
Special Attack: Grapple
Special Defense: None
Magic Resistance: 25%
Size: L (12' Long, 12' Tall)
Morale: Champion (15-16)
XP Value: 3,000

Session Seventy-Four: Lost

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

The group wandered through the canyon maze, with Shade confidently leading the way. Julius was the only one who doubted Shade's ability to successfully guide them through the rocky badlands. They saw many small lizards and birds, but nothing dangerous.
Night fell and the group set up watch.

Day 15, Week 1, Macro, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, Sun Descending

While Alaxadner was keeping watch, he suddenly found himself on the mindscape. In front of him was a huge tan lizard. It stomped and attempted to crush him, but he hid himself in a bank of fog. He called out, in the real world, and woke everyone up.
The lizard kept attacking Alaxander on the mindscape, but Alaxander kept defending against its mental attacks. The group awoke and Alaxander explained what was going on. They searched the area for the lizard and eventually found it.