“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” —Luke 2:11
A blog for the Dark Sun Setting.
All rules presented are for the AD&D 2e rules system, or For Gold & Glory by God Emperor Games.
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Thursday, December 21, 2023
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Guest DM on D20 Cruise
I have been selected to be a guest Dungeon Master aboard the Event Cruises D20 Cruise. The cruise is from Orlando, FL and visits Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, and Cozumel, Mexico, between April 27th and May 2nd, 2024.
The cruise will be filled with D&D, as well as workshops, and other games. If you are interested, please use the link below to check it out.
https://event.cruises/d20-cruise-a-ttrpg-vacation/
If you are able to join me, use my code: BRENTDUNGEON for $50 off.
The games on the cruise will be 5th edition D&D, but I am going to run it in OSR fashion, with death being very possible. But there are other DMs as well, if you want a more tame experience.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Session One Hundred One: One More for the Gray
Yusef agreed with Cheet, but Dimitria disagreed. Her argument was that it wasn't an intelligent humanoid, so eating it was fine. Samsun and Raco did not fully agree with either side, but Dimitria refused to move on her position. Yusef called her a halfling, which did not offend her much. Cheet and Yusef thought entertaining any intelligent creature was akin to cannibalism.
Eventually, mostly to get them to stop arguing, Samsun and Raco agreed to not eat the creature. Dimitria reluctantly capitulated and agreed not to eat the creature as well.
So, they ate and drank from their stores and began hiking, as the sun was close to rising. Like many of the days traveling through the Ringing Mountains, the were forced to avoid ravines and climb up cliffs.
In mid afternoon, the group was forced to climb down, into a ravine, and then climb back up the other side. Kraah simply flew and he was quite surprised to find a man waiting on the opposite side of a ravine. The man looked Tyrian or Balican and wore a red robe. He introduced himself as Rahal, a rain cleric. He had been searching for the group, so he could get the eggs they carried to the Plane of Rain.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Session One Hundred: Lost in the Ringing Mountains
Afterward, they passed out food and water rations. No one knew how to cook, so they ate dried meat and raw tubers. After eating, the group got up and began their hike.
The group climbed up steep cliffs, avoided ravines, and dodged rockslides. Yusef complained about all the walking, but the group ignored him.
When night fell, they did not know if they were on the right track, or not. They began looking for a cave and found one. However, as soon as Dimitria tried to enter the cavern, a human apparition appeared and warned her away from the "Forbidden caverns."
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Turkey, Fire
Turkey, Fire | |
---|---|
Climate/Terrain | Plane of Fire, Volcanos |
Frequency | Very Rare |
Organization | Flock |
Activity Cycle | Day |
Diet | Omnivore |
Intelligence | Semi (2-4) |
Treasure | Nil |
Alignment | Neutral |
No. Appearing | 1-6 |
Armor Class | 7 |
Movement | 12 fl 9 |
Hit Dice | 4+4 |
Thac0 | 16 |
No. of Attacks | 1 |
Damage/ Attack | 1-6 |
Special Attack | Spells |
Special Defense | Immune to Fire Damage, Flaming Aura |
Magic Resistance | Nil |
Size | S (4' + tall) |
Morale | Elite (13-14) |
XP Value | 975 |
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Session Ninety-Nine: The Secret is Out
As the majority of the group fled along a precarious mountain path, which lead them northeast, Kraah flew directly south. The gith were able to leap from rock outcropping to rock outcropping; they were moving swiftly. However, they could not keep up with Kraah's flying speed.
Once out of sight, the group hid themselves on the side of the mountain. They did their best to blend in, Yusef gave them camouflage advice. Kraah dipped into a ravine and was able to lose the gith chasing him. He flew low and was able to make it back to the group, without being spotted again. He hid also.
The gith passed them and they stayed hidden, until the last of the gith was well out of sight.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Session Ninety-Eight: Mountain Dwellers
As they climbed a mountainside, there was a rockslide. Cheet and Dimitria slid with the rolling boulders. They both were slammed against the jagged ground. Cheet was able to catch herself and find secure footing, but Dimitria kept sliding toward a mountain precipice.
Kraah swooped down, got hit by a few rocks, but was able to grab Dimitria. He could lot lift her completely, but he was able to prevent her from falling to her doom. Through bloody lips, she thanked Kraah for saving her.
Dimitria used her healing magic to heal herself. Kraah used his healing magic to heal himself and Cheet. After a brief rest, they continued on.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Session Ninety-Seven: Mountain Dangers
Uhrakkus Yacoub, the leader of the village and eldest dwarf resident, summoned Raco to his stone hut. Yacoub praised Raco and his companions for their battle prowess. He asked if they would be willing to free the village from another threat they faced. He explained that some stone-walking monsters sometimes kidnapped people from their village and they were never seen again. The dwarven warriors, who had followed the stone walkers into their mountain, had also never returned. He asked if Raco and his companions would be willing to confront the monsters. He offered to return the iron broadsword, if they were successful. Raco said he would present the idea to his group.
Raco returned to the hut they shared and presented the offer to the group. After a brief debate, they decided that the rain drake eggs were more important than the dwarves. Raco returned to Uhrakkus Yacoub and declined the offer. The Uhrakkus was disappointed.
After getting packed up, a dwarf lead them down a small mountain pass. Then, they had to climb. Cheet had the most difficult time climbing. Eventually, she tied a rope around herself and Samsun pulled her up.
After hiking for a few hours, they found a small cave. Inside was a dead mul. Raco and Dimitria moved into the cave and were a little surprised when the dead mul moved. They were even more surprised when he spoke. He asked them who they were and what they wanted. They said that they were traveling to the Forest Ridge, through the mountains, and just needed a place to rest. The mul said he didn't care what they did, as long as they didn't get in his way.
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Session Ninety-Six: Mountain Inhabitants.
Kraah heard the wailing and saw the glowing red eyes of the banshees below. He estimated there were a dozen or more. Before he could study them further, he was filled with irrational rage.
Kraah flew back up to Raco and began viciously attacking him. Raco punched and kicked Kraah in return. Being a hand to hand master, Kraah was no match for the mul and was quickly knocked unconscious. Raco then tied him up, with some giant hair rope.
Day 4, Week 1, Dessalia, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, Sun Descending
The morning was cold. More cold than any of them could remember. Cheet had a blanket, which was normally warm enough, but she shivered as the cold breeze glided over her skin. Yusef was wearing two sets of clothes, along with a blanket and cloak. Everyone else in the group, besides Raco, was dressed in a similar fashion. Raco had a light robe and Cheet was wearing a skirt and shirt, which left her arms bare. They were both very cold.
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Session Ninety-Five: Negotiating with Abductors
This time, the fight was more difficult, as one of the creatures was an elemental cleric and another was a preserver. Raco targeted the preserver first and knocked him unconscious. Seeing how fiercely Raco fought, the cleric used his elemental magic to freeze Raco in place.
Samsun used his magic to charm one of the creatures, who tried to stop the other creatures from fighting Samsun. The fight progressed, with the group getting the upper hand. However, the group was badly injured and was uncertain of victory.
Cheet used the way to telepathically contact the dwarf-like creature who was a cleric. She told the priest that they did not want to keep fighting and that they were just looking for their friend. She proceeded to explain what Shada looked like.
The priest called out to the creatures to stop attacking and the fight ended. The priest admitted to Cheet that they had taken Shada. He said that Shada walked too close to the cliff face and they pulled him into the mountain. They took him to feed the mountains guardian. The mountain was scared to the creatures and the guardian protected it.
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Session Ninety-Four: The Plateau
The group thanked him for his concern, but said they were on an important errand. With this statement, Samsun retrieved the eggs from his pack and used the mountain water to clean them. Fain looked on in confused wonder. Samsun then wet the fabric he was carrying, wrapped the eggs back up, and placed them back in his backpack.
The group explored the ruins. There were the foundations of square buildings, with bits of wall still standing erect. The doorways were wide enough for a human, but there were remains that indicated the doorways were shorter. They concluded that this was likely a dwarven village.
They looked up the sheer cliff and suggested climbing it. Kraah asked Shada to prepare the climbing gear. Shada emptied his pack and began organizing and preparing the climbing gear for the arduous climb.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Session Ninety-Three: The Mountain Trek
Kraah spotted movement among the rocks, above the group, but was surprised when two stone colored eagles flew toward him and attacked. It took a moment for the group to grab their ranged weapons, as the birds made swooping attacks at their aarakocra companion. Kraah was doing his best, but the birds were worthy foes.
The arrows Yusef was shooting were somewhat effective, but magic and psionics proved more effective against the creatures. In the end, the birds were no match for the group. One of the birds died and the other fled, badly wounded.
After Kraah used his elemental magic to heal himself, the group pressed on. They walked and walked and walked. Yusef resumed his complaining.
After a couple more hours, Fain told them that their destination lay up ahead, but he suggested they wait until morning. When asked why, Fain explained that the ruins, up ahead, were supposedly haunted and he was not keen to find out if the rumors were true.
The group agreed and found a small cave to sleep in. Samsun only fit halfway inside. So, he slept with his head and upper torso inside the cave and his legs and feet sticking out.
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Happy Independence Day!
Happy Independence Day.
On July 4, 1776, The United States of America was born. We have come along way and have had our ups and downs, but I believe that the United States still has a chance to be what the founders of this country envisioned. A country where people are free.
Below is the preamble of the United States Constitution and the first ten Amendments to that document, known as the Bill of Rights. These rights were not given by a government, or by any man, but by God himself and are, thus, sacred.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
II: A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
III: No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
VII: In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
IX:The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Session Ninety-Two: The Ringing Mountains
Raco was walking near a ledge, when it suddenly gave way. He slid down, but was able to catch himself before he fell too far. Cheet and Dimitria were the closest to him and they tired to help, but he was too heavy to lift.
Samsun pulled and Kraah pushed Raco back up to safety. Yusef and Dimitria pulled Cheet to safety, with the rope. Fain scolded them for not staying away from the edge. Dimitria and Raco complained that he hadn't told them that earlier. Fain replied that he thought they were smart enough to know, but he had obviously been wrong.
They walked for a few more hours, when Kraah called out a warning. There were gith ahead. Fain ran back down the path a little way and used his gray and brown cloak to blend into the rocks. Raco attempted to use the way, but his brain had an overload and he fell unconscious.
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Session Ninety-One: A Noble's Love
The group hiked a few miles north and found another small village. There was obvious mining taking place. Samsun was spotted and called out by the guards. They called out that he's a criminal and will be detained. Kraah intercepted the guards and bribed them, to pretend like they never saw Samsun.
The group moved away from the village and Cheet used her magic to turn Samsun invisible. Then, the group returned to the village, telling the guards that he went west. The group entered the village and went straight for the village's small trading post. They purchased climbing gear and rations. However, their request of half-giant climbing gear would necessitate a three hour wait, as they fashioned such a large harness.
When they left the trading post, a noble approached them and began asking questions about Samsun. Dimitria, being unable to lie, told him that he magically disappeared. The noble stated that sorcery would be added to his list of crimes. The noble then asked Dimitria to join him for a meal. Dimitria would agree, but only if her friends could join them. The noble agreed and asked her to meet him in front of the alehouse in two hours.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Session Ninety: The Tower, The Village, and The Oasis
"My master came from a race called the Pyreen. They were a race of wise individuals that other races called peace bringers, because they valued peace and harmony. I have traveled all over the Tablelands and have not seen a single Pyreen, so it is possible that they are extinct. Pyreen were long lived and had features that you would recognize as belonging to all the civilized peoples of the Tablelands."
"This was my master's home and workshop. He was a master of the way and worked here, in this white tower. He was a genius and figured out how to become immortal. He created preserving magic and taught it to others. He worked with the Ogre Doom, before he was the Ogre Doom, and taught him preserving magic and the way. Then, the Ogre Doom and his compatriots betrayed my master. Even they were not powerful enough to kill him, so they imprisoned him in a realm called The Black."
"I was a devout follower of my master and, for my devotion, the Ogre Doom and his compatriots imprisoned me as well. Over time, I died, but my soul could not escape and I became a creature of The Black. I have been imprisoned for over two thousand years. When Alaxander freed me, I bonded to him and traveled with him, to learn everything I could. Then, I left him and traveled in a different body, to learn more. So, I know you do not trust me, but I want to assure you. I hate the Ogre Doom more than you can imagine. I hope that by destroying him, we can somehow free my master and bring an end to the reign of the sorcerer monarchs."
The group understood his hatred and agreed to assist him with freeing his master, if they survived their attack on the Ogre Doom. Cheet asked what his master's name was and the Unspoken One answered that his master's name was Rajaat.
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Session Eighty-Nine: The Unspoken One
The group began devising a strategy for her to escape. After a lengthy discussion, they came to the conclusion that, despite their many powers, they could not free the rain drake. She told them not to worry, that she had resigned herself to death long ago, but she did need their help. She produced two large, soft shelled eggs. She explained that these were her eggs and had to be taken back to the Paraelemental Plane of Rain, or they would die.
Raco didn't understand what the Paraelemental Plane of Rain was, so she explained it to him. Samson reluctantly took the eggs, wrapped them in a wet cloth, and put them in his half-giant sized backpack. Cheet asked the rain drake what would happen to her. The rain drake smiled weakly and said now that her eggs were safe, she could finely die.
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Session Eighty-Eight: A Disparity of Trust
Upon their arrival, they immediately found a room filled with burning hot steam. Kraah used his air magic to push most of the steam away. They saw the bodies of the old group and were greatly disappointed. Cheet noticed the absence of Vashti and Julius, so she hoped that they had survived whatever had killed the last group. Yusef suggested that they may have sought shelter down the hallway, which was half filled with pumice, or through the open doorway.
They checked the doorway and found another large room filled with steam. They decided that they probably did not go that way, so decided to check the pumice filled hallway. Yusef and Cheet crawled inside. Samsun was too big and Kraah did not care for the cramped conditions.
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
State of the Blog 2023
Unfortunately, due to the state of the economy and the exorbitant cost of living in Utah, I have been forced to get another job. This means I will have less time to dedicate to Adventures Under the Dark Sun. I appreciate everyone who has been reading my blog for these last few years and I enjoyed writing weekly articles, stories, and creating creatures for all of you.
This comes at a good time, as viewership of my blog has decreased dramatically. I do not know if this is due to the Wizards of the Coast controversy, a genuine disinterest in the setting, or an elimination of bots. I will likely never know.
This is not the end of the blog. I will continue to post Dark Sun material, but the posting will become more infrequent. I will try to post as often as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Together, we can keep Dark Sun alive.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Sekhar Nasir (Rock Eagle)
Sekhar Nasir (Rock Eagle)Climate/Terrain: Mountains, Rocky Badlands
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: See Below
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1 or 2
Armor Class: 3
Movement: 1, Fl 30 (C)
Hit Dice: 4+4
Thac0: 17
No. of Attacks: 3 or 1
Damage/Attacks: 1-2, 1-2, 1-4 or 1-8
Special Attack: Flyby Attack
Special Defense: 1/2 damage from piercing weapons
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (3' Tall, 7' Wingspan)
Morale: Elite (13)
XP Value:
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Session Eighty-Seven: Dust to Dust
The group awoke in the grassy area of the Lost Oasis. The group was badly injured and took the time to recover. They laid about lazily for the entire day.
Day 28, Week 2, Macro, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, Sun Descending
In the morning, the group decided to return to the volcano and find the gem they needed. They took their new druid ally with them, Dimitria. Alaxander use the way to open a gateway, so they could return to the volcano complex. Once inside, they got attacked by a group of firenewts and lesser magma paraelementals. The group quickly defeated them.
A dozen firenewts, along with their pet frilled flame lizards, were waiting for the group, deeper into the complex. The group rushed into the battle and scattered their foes. The firenewts that weren't killed, fled away from the battle. A firenewt, who was trained in the way, attacked Alaxander's mind, but the group rushed him and he fled.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Secret Societies of Athas - Eazim Taghia
Secret Societies have ratings based upon their wealth, influence, size, and secrecy. All of these ratings, except for size, has a rating of one through twelve. One is a low rating and twelve is a high rating. The ratings may change for each of the city-states and various settlements.
Wealth is how much money the secret society may call upon to meet their ends.
Influence is how much pull the secret society has on the local government.
Size is the number of members and employees the secret society has. Employees may not realize that they are working for a secret society.
Secrecy is how well the society remains hidden from the common people of a city-state or settlement.
Below is an example of a secret society.
Eazim Taghia
Tyrian Secret Society
Wealth: 10
Influence: 9
Size: 12 members, 32 employees.
Secrecy: 10
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Thoughts and analysis of Wizards OGL response.
Wizards of the Coast is not affiliated with this blog, which is their loss.. |
A week passed, then two, with no response and I started to worry a little bit more. Was everything true? Then, on the 13th of January, 2023, they released a response to the leak and backlash of their OGL plans. I decided to put my thoughts and predictions for what their response is really saying. I tend to be a pessimist though, which may be why I like Dark Sun so much.
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Athasian Elf Miniatures
A friend of mine assisted with the sculpting and printing of these elf warriors for Dark Sun. These were made with Titan Craft, which has resources that you load and can manipulate. It's pretty awesome. I printed out a couple to use in my own Dark Sun game.