Getting Started on Athas

Overview of Setting

Dark Sun takes place in the world of Athas, a savage, magic-ravaged desert world where resources are scarce and survival is a daily struggle. Dark Sun differs from typical fantasy in that the world has no deities, magic is reviled for causing the planet's current ecological fragility, and psionic abilities are extremely common. Slavery is commonplace, gladiatorial duels provide entertainment for the elite, and death permeates the culture. As rain falls only once per decade in some areas, water is more precious than gold. Due to the scarcity of natural resources and near-zero literacy rate, few wizards have access to books made of paper pages and hardcovers; instead, they record their spells with string patterns and complex knots. Metal is also rare, affecting both the economy and the quality of equipment. The ceramic coin, made from clay and glazed in various colors, is the primary medium of exchange, worth about a hundredth of a gold piece. Weapons typically consist of obsidian, bone, and wood, and are prone to breaking. This setting draws inspiration from the 2e and 4e Dark Sun settings but is my own take on it. Read the Athas Lore Primer for more detailed information on the relevant lore of the world.

Overview of New Rules

As a summary of the new rules, there are essentially two major new mechanics. Defilement is a system for casters to enhance their spells or create spell slots by leaching the life of the plants around them. This comes at a cost but in the harsh world of Athas, survival is always costly. For martial characters, there is a plethora of new weapons and armor which can come with different advantages and disadvantages. Bringing the right equipment into a fight, and understanding the abilities of the enemy will allow for more tactical choices for weapon-based attackers.

Character Creation

Below are the steps for character creation for a character on Athas, one part for stats, and one part for the backstory. Any rolls for the character should be done in front of the DM.

Stats

1. Choose a class & subclass, and discuss with DM if choosing an artificer, cleric, warlock, or paladin. See Magic on Athas for additional details.
2. Choose a Race
-See Feats if you gain a feat as part of your race
3. Roll for your Psionic Wild Talent
4. Choose one of the following: proficiency with two martial Weapons or proficiency with one exotic Weapons.
5. Choose an alignment
6. Roll 3d4 * 10; this is your starting wealth in ceramic pieces; don't worry about the equipment I will handle that
7. Level up to level 3

Backstory

1. Read the Lore Primer and other articles on this page to get a sense of what the world of Athas is like
2. You will, at the beginning of the story, be a part of the Blood Pits of Tyr. One of the first parts of the campaign will be a fight you participate in. There are many different ways to end up in the Pits, and you may have been there a short or a long time. You may be working as a slave directly, working off a debt to a trade house, or trying to escape a worse by choice. Regardless, keep this in mind when developing your backstory as it will be the beginning of where you start playing.
3. Write a backstory via bullet points, in narrative form (like a short story), or from a historical standpoint (Callious was a bard who lived in Tyr, etc.). Ideally, it should be between 1-3 pages; fewer and it's not enough information, more and you may restrict yourself by the backstory you've made. These are soft limits though, so I will accept just about anything. In the case where you are unsure of the names of places or people, you can mark them with [insert name] either leaving it blank for me to fill in, or placing your own. When I discuss the backstory with you, we can settle these items. You can do this before or after any number of the steps in the stats sections; sometimes stats can inform story, and vice versa.
4. From your backstory, I will allow you to 'create' your own background. What this means is you tell me two skill proficiencies, 1-4 small items or knickknacks, and a thematic RP-only feature that your character has based on the backstory you've written. You can even name it! You are also welcome to use any base background, as long as it fits the world and your character.
5. Answer the following questions in your backstory in some fashion:

Questions:

1. What is your character’s current goal?
2. What is a goal your character has that they think cannot be achieved, for one reason or another?
3. How comfortable is your character with the slavery common to Athas?
4. What is your character's view on prophecy, mysticism, and belief in the otherworldly? (Athasians are generally atheistic)
5. What does your character view as their most valuable skill/ability?
6. What was the most defining moment of your childhood? (though often traumatic for most kids on Athas, a select few enjoy a peaceful youth)
7. How does your character view the Sorceror-kings?
8. Who is your closest friend, who is your closest mentor figure, and with whom is your most antagonistic relationship?
9. What is something your character loves, and what is something they hate?
10. How prone is your character towards greed, either money or power?
11. Does your character believe there are truly good people in the world?

Links to Other Articles

• Weapons
• Feats
• Spells
• Wild Talents
• Defilement
• Survival
• Athas

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  The World of Athas