Chapter Three: Player Character Classes

Player characters on Athas fall into the same general groups found in the traditional AD&D®game:

warrior, wizard, priest, and rogue. Dark Sun characters can also be psionicists, as described inThe Complete Psionics Handbook.There are, however, minor modifications to all classes.

I. [^] A Note About Psionics

Dark Sun is a world of powerful psionics. Every player character has at least one psionic talent, as do many of the non-player characters and monsters. A thorough understanding ofThe Complete Psionics Handbookis required for full enjoyment of any DARK SUNcampaign.

II. [^] Warrior Classes

There are three different classes within the warrior group on Athas:fighter, ranger,andgladiator. Each is conditioned for a particular style of combat.

Thefighteris a skilled warrior, trained for both individual combat and warfare in military formations. Characters of this type are the mainstay of any organized military force.

Therangeris a warrior knowledgeable in the ways of the wilderness, skilled in surviving the rigors of the wild oases and the brutal stretches of desert between them. Many slave tribesmen are rangers.

Thegladiatoris a specialized warrior trained for combat in the arenas. He is skilled in the use of many obscure weapons and combat techniques, including those peculiar to specific combat games and exhibitions popular among the general populace.

As a note, there are no paladins on Athas.

III. [^] Wizard Classes

A wizard is able to capture and master magical energies. However, on Athas, magic and the ecosystem are irrevocably bound-no one, not even a wizard, can affect one without affecting the other. All wizards must decide at the beginning of their careers whether they are trying to work with nature or without regard for it. In Dark Sun, this means a wizard must be either a defiler or a preserver.

Thedefileris a wizard who activates tremendous magical energy without regard to its effect on the environment. With the casting of each spell, a defiler destroys a portion of the worlds ecosystem, rendering it dead and sterile. The means by which a defiler learns and uses magic is comparatively easy to master, so he advances quickly. A defiler can be either a noble, freeman, or slave.

Thepreserverattempts to use magic in concert with the environment. Learning how to wield such magic on Athas is especially difficult, so the preservers advancement is slow. A preserver can be either a freeman or slave.

Theillusionistis a specialist wizard who wields magical illusions. An illusionist can be either a preserver or a defiler, and will advance in levels accordingly. An illusionist can be from any social class.

IV. [^] Priest Classes

There are three types of priests on Athas -clerics, templars, and druids.

Theclericis a free-willed priest, tending the needs of the local people with his particular talents. On Athas, clerics draw their magical energy directly from one of the four elemental planes: earth, air, fire, or water; not from any manner of deity. A cleric may be either a freeman or a slave.

Thetemplaris a regimented priest devoted to a single sorcerer-king. Such disciples work within the hierarchy of that particular sorcerer-kings clergy, advancing in power and position. A templar draws his magical energy through his sorcerer-king. A templar can be either a freeman or a noble.

Thedruidis a priest tied to a particular feature or aspect of Athas. Unique geographic features are guarded by spirits when druids serve. For example, a pooled oasis has its own spirit and a single druid will reside there to protect it and preside over its use by humans, demihumans, and animals. Druids can be from any social class.

V. [^] Rogue Classes

Athas is a world of corruption and power where rogues are well-suited to success. There are still those, however, who use their disreputable talents toward noble ends, but they are especially rare. There are two types of rogues on Athas: thieves and bards.

Thethiefis a rogue whose strengths lie in stealth and pilfering. On Athas the thief can be regarded as a talented individual for hire-some city states do not even consider the thief as a wrongdoer; only the person who hired him is guilty of a crime. The thief may also be a simple robber seeking personal wealth or redemption. A thief can be from any social class.

Thebardis a rogue who uses songs and tales as his tools. He is a man of wit and comradeship. With few other talents to offer, the bard is still a welcome source of entertainment and information across Athas. A bard can be from any social class.

VI. [^] The Psionicist Class

Thepsionicistuses the forces of his own mind to affect his environment. Psionic powers are not magical in nature, that is to say, psionic powers do not draw upon magical energy that surrounds all things. Rather they are derived from within when the psionicist has his entire essence in coordination; his mind, body, and soul in perfect harmony. Since psionic powers are not magical, they in no way affect the worlds ecosystem when they are used. Any human or demihuman character who meets the ability requirements may elect to be a psionicist. However, those who do not choose the psionicist class will have latent psionic powers.Every player character in Dark Sun has latent psionic powers and will be a psionicist or wild talent.Refer to the Psionicist section below for details.

VII. [^] Class Ability Score Requirements

As with character classes in other campaign worlds, those unique to Dark Sun require minimum scores in various abilities. For classes not unique to Dark Sun, the ability score requirements listed in thePlayers Handbookstill apply.

[^] Class Ability Requirements

VIII. [^] Newly Created Characters

In Dark Sun, characters do not begin adventuring as novices to the world around them. Rather, they start with a fair degree of experience.

IX. [^] Starting Level

In Dark Sun, all single-classed player characters start the campaign at 3rd level.A player character thus begins his adventuring career with the minimum number of experience points to attain 3rd level. He gets the THAC0 and saving throws of a 3rd level character, plus any class or race benefits that apply. This rule reflects the fact that daily life on Athas is much harsher than it is in other AD&D®realms, forcing characters to mature more quickly if they are to survive.

X. [^] Starting Hit Points

Beginning characters determine their hit points in a fairly normal fashion. Roll a hit die for each of the characters first three levels of experience, apply any Constitution modifications to the rolls, and then total them to determine starting hit points.

XI. [^] Starting Proficiencies

Starting player characters receive their initial weapon and nonweapon proficiencies, plus the additional slots due at 3rd level. Thus, warriors receive an additional weapon slot (5 total) and an additional nonweapon slot (4 total) for being of 3rd level. Wizards and priests receive an additional nonweapon proficiency (5 total) for being of 3rd level. For those not used to this system, remember that theNumber of Languagescolumn fromTable 4: Intelligencein thePlayers Handbookindicates a number of bonus nonweapon proficiency slots.

XII. [^] Starting Money

PCs who start the campaign as freemen have three times the starting money stated inChapter 6: Money & Equipmentof thePlayers Handbook.

XIII. [^] Multi-classed Player Characters

Player characters who are multi-classed start adventuring in the campaign at different levels. The character begins with just enough experience points to be 2nd level in his most "expensive" class. For example, a fighter/preserver would have

2,500 experience points in each class, the minimum to be 2nd level as a preserver, letting him start the campaign at 2nd level in each class. A fighter/ preserver/thief would al so have 2,500 experience points in each class, which is enough to make him 2nd level as both preserver and fighter, but enough to let him start the campaign as a 3rd level thief.

XIV. [^] Non-player Characters

While player characters start the campaign at higher levels, NPCs can still be 1st or 2nd level, as determined by the DM. Thus, it is important to realize that the PCs are truly exceptional individuals and that lower-level NPCs will be fairly common.

XV. [^] Class Descriptions

The complete character class descriptions that follow provide detailed information about each class. Those unique to Dark Sun are detailed fully while those that are found in other campaigns are presented so that the contrasts to similar characters in other settings can be made clear.

XVI. [^] Warriors

There are no paladins in Dark Sun-the idea of serving good and right for the simple rewards of inner peace and faith faded from the barren world of Athas long ago. There is, however, one new warrior character class: the gladiator. Born of a demand for blood and excitement in the arenas, gladiators are, perhaps, the most deadly fighting characters.

XVII. [^] Fighter

Ability Requirements: Strength 9 Prime Requisite: Strength Allowed Races: All

On Athas, the fighter is a trained warrior, a soldier skilled in mass warfare. Every society on Athas maintains an army of fighters to protect itself from attack or to wage wars of plunder and annihilation against its neighbors. Fighters are both the commanders and soldiers in these armies, and at higher levels are experts in both individual and formation combat, leadership, and morale.

Fighters can have any alignment, use magical items, and gain weapon proficiencies and specialization as described in thePlayers Handbook.

As a fighter increases in experience levels, his reputation as a warrior and leader of men grows. As word spreads, less experienced warriors who are eager to fight for the same causes will seek him out. These followers will remain loyal to the fighter for as long as they are not mistreated and there are battles to be fought. A fighter need not have a stronghold to attract followers.

Followers are always gained in groups of 10 individuals called astand.All 10 are of the same race and experience level and have the same equipment. Aunitconsists of some number (usually 2-20) of identical stands.

Once a fighter reaches 10th level, he attracts his first unit of followers. This first unit will always be made up of warriors of the same race and background as the fighter (if the fighter is a slave tribesman, so will be his first unit of followers). The first unit will consist of 1d10+2 stands (30-120 individuals). Roll 1d2+1 to determine the level of the unit.

As the fighter gains each new level beyond the 10th, he will attract another unit of followers. Roll dice to determine the number of stands in the unit and the level of the followers. These subsequent followers, though, may beof very different backgrounds than the fighter himself.

A fighter cannot avoid gaining followers. The desperate populations of Athas are constantly on the lookout for great commanders; warriors who will lead them on campaigns of glory.

[^] Fighters Followers

Stands: indicates the number of stands of followers that are attracted to the character.

Level: indicates the level of the characters that make up the stand.

Special: indicates the chance that the unit is of an unusual nature. Some examples include: kank cavalry, thri-kreen, elves, aarakocra, or human fighters of exceptional equipment or morale-the DM decides all special characteristics beyond number of stands and level of followers.

It is important to remember that these are merely the automatic followers that a fighter gains. In the course of a campaign, a player who wishes to roleplay the situations might raise huge armies of former slaves or gain control of an entire thri-kreen tribe.

A fighter has the following special benefits:

A fighter can teach weapon proficiencieswhen he reaches 3rd level. The fighter can train students in the use of any weapon in which he is specialized. The fighter may train a number of students equal to his level in a single "class," and a class requires 8 hours of training each and every day for one month. At the end of that time each student must make an Intelligence check; those who pass gain a bonus proficiency slot in that weapon. A student may only be trained once, regardless of success, with a specific weapon. Students can learn any number of new proficiencies in this manner, even beyond those slots normally allowed for a character of that level.

A fighter can operate heavy war machines when he reaches 4th level, including bombardment engines (like ballistae, catapults, and trebuchet), crushing engines (like rams and bores), and siege towers. A fighter can supervise the construction of defenses when he reaches 6th level. These include ditches and pits, fields of stakes, hasty stone and wooden barricades, and even semi-permanent stone fortifications. Specific rules governing the construction of these defenses are presented inChapter 9: Combat. A fighter can command large numbers of troops when he reaches 7th level. In roleplaying terms, the fighter has mastered the skills and techniques to take charge of 100 soldiers per level-this includes terminology, use of messengers and signals, use of psionic and magical aids to communication, etc.

Rules or troop command in roleplaying are given in Chapter 9: Combat. In BATTLESYSTEM miniatures rules terms, the fighter gains a command diameter, or CD. This value is calculated by adding the fighters experience level to his Loyalty Base figure (from the Charisma Table in thePlayers Handbook).Note that this ability allows the fighter to command troops assigned to him, but does not give him the ability to raise the troops himself. A fighter can construct heavy war machineswhen he reaches 9th level, the specific rules for which are given inChapter 9: Combat. In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules covering fighters in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

XVIII. [^] Gladiator

Ability Requirements: Strength 13 Dexterity 12 Constitution 15 Prime Requisite: Strength Allowed Races: All

Gladiators are the slave warriors of the city states, specially trained for brutal physical contests. Disciplined in many diverse forms of hand-to-hand combat and skilled in the use of dozens of different weapons, gladiators are the most dangerous warriors on Athas. They advance as Paladin/Rangers.

A gladiator who has a Strength score (his prime requisite) of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Gladiators can have any alignment: good, evil, lawful, chaotic, or neutral.

A gladiator can use most magical items, including potions, protection scrolls, most rings, and all forms of enchanted armor, weapons, and shields; he abides by all warrior restrictions that apply.

Gladiators have the following special benefits:

A gladiator is automatically proficient in all weapons.-he never suffers a penalty for not being proficient with any weapon, even one that is new to him.

A gladiator can specialize in multiple weapons.

As a reward for their years of training and discipline, gladiators are the ultimate masters of weapons. A gladiator character may specialize in any number of weapons, provided he has the number of proficiency slots required. A gladiator is an expert in unarmed combat.He receives 4 point modifier to punching and wrestling attack rolls, which he can use as a plus or a minus to his roll after it is made. The gladiator may consult thePunching and Wresthng Results Tablein the Player's Handbookwhile ma king this decision. A gladiator learns to optimize his armor when he reaches 5th level. He conditions himself to use his armor to its best advantage, dodging and moving his body in such a way that opponents are confounded by his armor and shield. Provided the gladiator is wearing armor, his armor class is reduced by one for every five levels (-1 at 5th-9th level, -2at 10th-14th level, -3at 15-19th level, -4 at 20th level). This benefit does nothing for gladiators who arent wearing armor. Some magical items (like aring of protection +2),do not count as armor while others (such asbracers of defense)do. The DM must rule on a case-by-case basis. A gladiator attracts followerswhen he reaches 9th level. The followers arrive in the same manner as for fighters. A gladiators first unit will always consist of other gladiators who have come to study his fighting style and "learn from a true master."

XIX. [^] Ranger

Ability Requirements: Strength 13 Dexterity 13 Constitution 14 Wisdom 14 Prime Requisites: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom Races Allowed: Human, Elf, Half-elf, Halfling, Thri-kreen

Though Athas is a land different from other AD&D® campaign worlds, the role of the ranger is largely unchanged. The wilderness is harsh and unforgiving, calling for skilled and capable men to master its ways -the ranger answers that challenge.

A rangers motivations can vary greatly. For instance, human rangers are very often former slaves forced into the desert wilderness for simple survival. Halfling rangers, on the other hand, are an integral part of their aboriginal society, serving as advisors and trackers. Whatever their origin, all rangers are of good alignment, living rugged lives through clever mastery of their surroundings.

A ranger can use any weapon or wear any armor, and he can fight two-handed, just as described in thePlayers Handbook.

A ranger also gains the tracking, move silently, and hide in shadows abilitiesas described in the Players Handbook.

An Athasian ranger must also choose a species enemy, gaining attack adjustments against them (consultChapter 11: Encountersfor a list of possible species enemies).

A ranger is skilled at animal handling.His adeptness with both trained and untamed animals is, again, just as presented in thePlayers Handbook.

A ranger can learn clerical spellswhen he reaches 8th level. At that time, he must decide upon a single elemental plane of worship and can only choose spells from that sphere (a ranger cannot use spells from the Sphere of the Cosmos). A ranger never gains bonus spells for a high Wisdom score, nor is he ever able to use clerical scrolls or magical items unless specifically noted otherwise.

While a ranger cannot enchant magical potions on his own, he can reproduce them using botanical enchantment (seeChapter 10: Treasure).

At10th level, a ranger attracts 2d6 followers, but his followers are far different from those granted to a fighter or gladiator. To determine the type of follower acquired, consult the following table (rolling once for each follower).

[^] RANGERS FOLLOWERS

Aarakocra 01-04 Anakore 05-08 Ant Lion, Giant 09-12 Behir

XX. [^] Wizard

In Dark Sun, magic is irrevocably linked to the environment. The casting of magical spells and the enchantment of magical items always draws energy directly from the living ecology in the vicinity, destroying the life there. Wizards can choose two paths toward mastery of magical energy.

Thepreserverlearns to tap magical energies in such a way as to minimize or even cancel his destruction through balance and in-depth study, but his progress as a wizard is very slow.

Thedefiler,on the other hand, casts magical spells without regard to the havoc he plays upon the environment-compared to a preserver, a defiler advances through levels very quickly, but his very existence destroys the life around him.

Illusionists,a specialized type of wizard, can progress as preservers or defilers, as explained below.

Wizards are restricted in their use of weapons and armor, just as explained in thePlayers Handbook.

All wizards in Dark Sun use spell books and memorize their spells, just as explained in thePlayers Handbook.In Dark Sun, however, "books" -made with flat pages bound along one edge between heavy covers -are fairly rare, usually only found as artifacts. Dark Sun wizard characters tend to have their spells written on paper or papyrus scrolls, or woven into small tapestries or, in extreme cases, some use complicated knot and string patterns or stone tablets. They are all still collectively referred to as "spell books" and function accordingly.

XXI. [^] Defiler

Ability Requirements: Intelligence 9 Prime Requisite: Intelligence Races Allowed: Human, Elf, Half-elf

Defilers are wizards who have decided to take a faster, darker approach to mastering the use of magical spells. In the give and take of spell casting, defilers are well versed in the taking, but give nothing in return. With every spell cast, a defiler leeches the life-energy out of the plants and soil around him, leaving a lifeless zone. Because of this, defilers can only have non-good alignments.

Adefiler who has an intelligence score of 16 or higher gains a 10 percent bonus to all experience points earned. A defiler can use any magical item normally available to wizards.

Just like preservers, defilers can opt to specialize. Specialist defilers are treated as explained in the Players Handbook.

The actual amount of damage to the environment done by a defiler casting spells depends upon the level of spell and the nature of the defilers surroundings while he is casting it. The rules governing this process are given inChapter 7: Magic.

[^] Defiler Experience Levels

In most cases, defilers are outlaws (even in the eyes of the corrupt sorcerer-kings), so they keep their magical abilities under cover. Unlike preservers who have a loose organization in their underground, outlaw defilers tend to be loners, keeping their ambitions and powers to themselves. A sorcerer-king tolerates a select few defilers in his employ, to carry out day-to-day magical tasks that he has no patience for. These defilers are always at the beck and call of their master, and the sorcerer-king himself oversees the training of new recruits. The sorcerer-kings defiliers are feared and hated far and wide. Wherever they travel they leave behind a swath of ashen destruction.

XXII. [^] Preserver

Intelligence 9 Ability Requirements:

Intelligence Prime Requisite:

Human, Elf, Half-elf Races Allowed:

The preserver is a wizard of the old, established school of magic. In the give and take of spell casting, preservers have mastered the balance. A preservers magical spells are cast in harmony with nature. When a preserver casts a spell, there is no damage to the nearby environment.

Dark Sun preservers are treated just as the mages described in thePlayers Handbook.They may specialize freely. A preserver who has an Intelligence score of 16 or higher gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns. In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about mages in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

XXIII. [^] Illusionist

Ability Requirements: Dexterity 16 Prime Requisite: Intelligence Races Allowed: Human, Elf, Half-elf, Halfling Illusionists are treated just as described in the Players Handbook.They may be defilers or preservers, but that decision must be made when the character is created. They will advance in levels and cast magical spells as defilers or preservers, depending on which way of life is chosen.

In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about illusionists in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

Illusionists, like all specialist wizards, must conform to the race and minimum ability score requirements as presented in thePlayers Handbook.

XXIV. [^] Priest

Athas is a world without deities. Powerful sorcerer-kings often masquerade as gods and demigods but, though their powers are great and their worshippers many, they are not true gods. The world does, however, provide sources of magical power. Such belief-inspired magic is separated into three distinct areas, each with a class of priest that specializes in its application.

Templarsworship the sorcerer-kings and draw their magical energies through them. The sorcererkings grant magical spells to their templars for services rendered. If a templar falls from favor with his sorcerer-king, or if his sorcerer-king is killed, the templar looses all magical spells.

Clericsworship one of the four elemental planes: earth, air, fire, or water. They call upon magical energies from those planes, specializing in one elements magical applications on the prime material plane.

The spells available to a cleric depend upon his elemental plane of worship. To reflect this, the spheres of clerical spells have been altered-there are only five spheres: the Spheres of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and the Sphere of the Cosmos (a general sphere). A cleric gains access to all spells within his chosen elemental sphere and to all spells in the Sphere of the Cosmos.

The spells themselves are received directly from the elemental sphere (even the Cosmos spells). A cleric need not restrict his activities to supporting his element on Athas, but direct opposition may cause spells to be withheld, at the DMs option. For example, a cleric of the water who goes out of his way to poison or otherwise damage a watering hole might suffer for this action.

Druidsassociate themselves with the spirits that inhabit special geographical locations on Athas -every oasis, rock formation, stretch of desert, and mountain has a spirit that looks over it and protects its use. A druid will ally with a particular spirit, acting as that spirits earthly counterpart, drawing his magical energy from the spirit in question.

[^] Spheres of Magic

On Athas, the spheres of spells are changed to reflect the emphasis on the elemental planes. Clerics are restricted to one of these spheres, plus the sphere of the cosmos. Templars can have access to any sphere, but their spell progression is slower than normal. Druids choose their spheres based upon the geographic feature with which they are associated. The new lists of priest spells by sphere is given inChapter 7: Magic.

Otherwise, priest characters are created and used just as described in thePlayers Handbook.They use eight-sided Hit Dice and can gain additional spells for having high Wisdom scores. Restrictions to armor and weaponry vary actor ding to class.

The use of priestly magicneveradversely affects the ecosystem in and of itself. The net result of the spell may affect the environment (such assummon insectsorlower water),but the use of the magical energy itself entails no destruction akin to the unleashing of a defilers magic.

XXV. [^] Cleric

Wisdom 9 Ability Requirements: Wisdom Prime Requisite: All Races Allowed:

Outside the city states, away from the bureaucracy of the sorcerer-kings and their templars, the most common type of priest is the cleric. All clerics worship the elemental planes and draw their magical energies directly from them. However, the backgrounds and motivations for clerics may be vastly different -the shaman witch doctors of the halflings, the mullahs of the trader caravans, and the healers among the slave tribes are all very different, but theyre all clerics,

A cleric must have a Wisdom score of 3 or more.

A cleric who has a Wisdom of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Every cleric must choose one elemental plane as his focus of worship. This choice will dictate what spells he can call upon and what types of weapons he will prefer to use. A cleric has major access to the sphere of his element of worship. He also has minor access to the Sphere of the Cosmos.

Clerics concentrate their efforts on magical and spiritual pursuits, and usually leave combat to others. However, Athas is a violent world, and practicality dictates that they train in combat, as well. Clerics are not restricted with regard to the armor they may wear, but commonly limit themselves to weapons that are somehow related to their particular elemental plane of worship.

[^] Cleric Weapons Restrictions

[^] Elemental Plane of Earth

Clerics of the earth are usually the best armed since they can use stone and metal in their weapons. Wood is also acceptable to them since it originally grew from the ground. They may use any weapon listed in the Players Handbook.

[^] Elemental Plane of Air

Since the air does not lend itself easily to being an offensive weapon, clerics of the air rely instead on weapons that are guided by the air. They may use any sort of bow, blowgun, or sling, regardless of construction. Spears are also acceptable, used in either a melee or missile role.

[^] Elemental Plane of Fire

Clerics who worship this plane rely on flaming weapons. Favored weapons include flaming arrows, burning oil, and magical weapons enchanted to somehow burn or scald. In extreme circumstances, heating metal weapons to cause searing damage is another acceptable practice among the clerics of the flames. Because it was once fused under great pressure and heat, all obsidian weapons are also acceptable.

[^] Elemental Plane of Water

Those who worship this plane recognize water as the bringer of life to the wastelands, the originator of all that grows.

Therefore, clerics of the water may use any weapon that is of organic origin, usually wood or bone. They may use bows, clubs, maces, javelins, quarterstaffs, spears, and warhammers.

Clerics are not strictly forbidden from using weapons that do not conform to those listed here. However, clerics will not gain their share of group experience awards for creatures defeated using weapons outside this scheme.

Clerics have power over undead,just as described in thePlayers Handbook.In Dark Sun, undead are classified as eithercontrolledorfree-willed,but the clerics ability to turn or dispel them is the same.

Athasian clerics never gain followerssimply as a reward for advancing in levels, nor do they ever gain official approval to establish a stronghold. However, any of these things may come about as a result of good roleplaying.

Clerics do gain certain powerswith regard to their elemental planes of worship as they advance in level.

A cleric can ignore the presence of the elementhe worships when he reaches 5th level. The duration of this power is a number of rounds equal to his level, and it can only be performed once per day. Thus, a cleric of water may move through water freely and one of earth may pass through stone walls as if they were not there. Force exerted on the cleric by the element may also be ignored-a great wind will not affect a cleric of the air, flames will not burn a cleric of the flames. This protection extends to everything that the cleric is carrying on him at the time.

A cleric can gate material directly from his elemental planewhen he reaches 7th level. The amount of material he may gate is one cubic foot per level above 6th. The material is a pure specimen from the plane in question -earth, air, fire, or water. The exact nature of the material will be raw and basic; stone (not metal) from the plane of earth, air, flame, and liquid water from their respective planes.

Air so gated comes in the form of a terrific wind, capable of knocking down all huge or smaller creatures; it lasts one round.

The shape of the gated material may be dictated by the cleric (a stone wall one inch thick, a sheet of flame surrounding the altar, etc.), but it cannot be gated more than 50 feet from the cleric. Material may be gated only once per day.

Though not a granted power, a cleric can conjure elementals from his elemental plane when he reaches 9th level, sinceconjure elementalis a 5th level spell in Dark Sun. The 6th level spellconjure fire elementaland the 7th level spellconjure earth elementalhave been removed from the Dark Sun clerical spell lists.

In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about clerics in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

XXVI. [^] Druid

Wisdom 12 Ability Requirements: Charisma 15 Wisdom, Charisma Prime Requisites: Human, Half-elf, Half- Races Allowed: ling, mul, Thri-kreen

Druids are independent priests who ally themselves with various spirits of the land. He shares power with the spirit he worships, nurturing and protecting the geographical feature to which the spirit is tied. Virtually every feature of the land on Athas has a druid to protect it, but there is no worldwide organization of druids-they serve independently, living patient, solitary lives of guardianship.

Every druid must choose one geographic feature to be hisguardedlands.The geographic features that a druid might make his guarded lands can vary widely. For instance, one may watch over a particular stretch of open desert, another may protect a belt of scrub grass within it, while still another might watch over a small oasis that borders on both.

Lower-level druids may travel widely in the world. During theirtime of wandering,a young druid learns about the world, its ecology, the balance of nature and the ways of its creatures; he may spend as much time on his guarded lands as he sees fit.

Upon reaching 12th level, the druids time of wandering has come to an end. From that time forward, the druid must spend half of his time on his guarded lands, watching over them and protecting them. The rest of the time a higher-level druid must again travel the world, keeping tabs on trends that might threaten nature in general and his guarded lands in particular.

Druids tend not to bother or even encounter those who use their guarded lands without damaging them. Travelers who stop at an oasis to water their animals and then move on will probably never know there is a druid watching their every move. It is a druids firm belief that the lands are for all to use, men and animals, alike. They merely see to it that their guarded lands arent abused in any way. Understandably, druids tend to be very apprehensive about wizards who venture into their realms, as they might turn out to be defilers.

A druid who has both a Wisdom and Charisma score of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Druids have no restrictions as to what weapons they may use. They may never wear armor, but may don items that give magical protection (bracers, cloaks, etc.). They can use any magical item normally available to druids.

A druid has major access to spells from any sphere that is associated with his guarded lands. For instance, a druid whose guarded land is a stream might be restricted to spells from the Sphere of Water. A more exotic druid might choose as his guardian lands the "howling winds of the north" and use spells from the Sphere of Air. Still another druid whose guarded land is a desert spring may draw spells from both the Sphere of Water and the Sphere of Earth, though only one may be of major access and the other of minor, as decided by the DM. At most, a druid may claim two Spheres to be related to his guarded lands, and they must meet the approval of the DM. In addition, a druid has major access to spells from the Sphere of the Cosmos.

[^] Possible Guardian Lands

XXVII. [^] Sphere of Earth:

a particular mountain or hill, a rock outcropping, an expanse of desert or steppes.

XXVIII. [^] Sphere of Air:

the skies over a particular area, the winds of a canyon or any prevailing wind pattern.

XXIX. [^] Sphere of Fire:

dry grasslands, a volcanic vent, hot springs, or boiling tar pits.

XXX. [^] Sphere of Water:

a spring or pool, oasis, or natural cistern.

When in his guarded lands, a druid has several powerful granted powers.

A druid can remain concealedfrom others while in his guarded lands. This is proof against all normal forms of detection (sight, hearing, etc.) but will not protect the druid from magical detection (including adetect invisiblespell). The druid cannot move or cast spells in any way while concealed.

A druid may speak with animalsin his guarded lands when he reaches 3rd level. He can speak with all animals when he reaches 7th level.

A druid may speak with plantsin his guarded lands when he reaches 5th level. He can speak with all plants when he reaches 9th level.

A druid can live without water or nourishmentin his guarded lands when he reaches 7th level. At that point the druid draws his life energy directly from his guarded lands.

A druid can shapechangeinto creatures common to his guarded lands when he reaches 10th level. The druid can so shapechange up to three times per day. The size of the animal is not restricted provided the animal is native to the druids guarded lands. When assuming the shape of the animal, the druid takes on all of its characteristics -its movement rate and abilities, its armor class, number of attacks, and damage per attack. The druids clothing and one item held in each hand also become part of the new body; these reappear when the druid resumes his normal shape. The items cannot be used while the druid is in animal form. Since many animals wander over wide ranges on Athas, druids often have a large number of creatures to choose from. However, they cannot shapechange into creatures totally alien to their guarded lands. Consult Chapter 11: Encountersfor a list of possible creatures; use the terrain indicated for each creature when considering whether it is native to the druids guarded lands. The druid retains his own hit points, THAC0, and saving throws while in animal form.

In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about druids in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

XXXI. [^] Templar

Ability Requirements: Wisdom 3 Intelligence 10 Prime Requisite: Wisdom Races Allowed: Human, Dwarf, Elf, Half-elf

Templars are the greatly feared disciples of the sorcerer-kings. Their organization is steeped in ancient tradition and treacherous politics, and the work they perform for the sorcerer-kings is governed by endless bureaucracy. To city dwellers, the templars are the enforcers of the sorcerer-kings will, allowed to run rampant, enforcing the local edicts with painstaking indifference, doling out punishment or even execution with the sorcererkings blessing. An organization of wicked men looking out for their own wealth and power, the templars are overrun with corruption to the highest level-the sorcerer-kings generally turn a blind eye to bribery and scandal among the templars, provided terror is maintained among their subject populations.

Templars gain levels as do clerics, but their spell progression at low levels is slower. At 15th level, though, the progression increases drastically as the character enters the upper ranks of the templar hierarchy. At the highest levels, templars have more spells available to them than clerics of the same level.

[^] Templar Spell Progression

[^] Spell Level

XXXII. [^] Templar

[^] Level

-

- -

The libraries of the templars are unavailable to outsiders, but are the most extensive in the cities.

Their use allows templars to access all the spheres for their spells. Also, the extensive libraries encourage magical research. Templars may begin creating scrolls at 6th level and potions at 8th.

A templar character may be either neutral or evil -there are no good templars. The templars from one city state have no association with those from another. Thus, templars cannot transfer loyalty from one sorcerer-king to another while the first is still alive. Should a templars sorcerer-king fall from power or be killed, he may petition to another sorcerer-king for acceptance, where he may find an open hand or the taste of steel, at the new sorcererkings whim.

Templars are initially trained as warriors and, at lower levels, are forced to garrison temples and palaces in their city state. Templars are not usually restricted as to weaponry or armor worn, but some sorcerer-kings impose temporary restrictions. In times of war, the templars are commonly called upon to summon formations of undead soldiers that they will lead into combat and to act as officers for his mortal armies. A templars spells are received directly from the sorcerer-king he worships. Spells can be taken away by the sorcerer-king if the templar has somehow displeased him. If the sorcerer-king is particularly displeased, he might kill the offending templar.

Templars have power over undead, but only to raise or ally with them, never to turn them away. As discussed for evil priests and undead in thePlayers Handbook,this is resolved in the same way as a turning attempt. Up to 12 undead can be commanded. A "T" result means the undead automatically obey the templar, while a "D" means the undead become completely subservient to the templar. They follow his commands (to the best of their ability and understanding) until turned, commanded, or destroyed by another.

As a templar advances in level, he gains certain powerswithin his city state.

A templar can call upon a slave to do whatever he wants.Slaves who do not do as ordered by a templar face immediate death.

A templar can pass judgement upon a slave at any time.In any matter involving disobedience or the actions of a slave, a templar may judge, sentence, or pardon a slave as he sees fit, regardless of who owns the slave. Penalties can include imprisonment, torture, or even death.

A templar can legally enter the house of a freemanwhen he reaches 2nd level. The freeman has no right to refuse the templar admission, under punishment of imprisonmentandpossible execution.

A templar can requisition soldierswhen he reaches 3rd level. He can call upon 1d4 soldiers per level. The soldiers will all be 1st-level templars with one 2nd-level templar centurian. A templar can call upon soldiers any time he wishes, but the soldiers cannot be ordered to leave the city without permission from the templars sorcerer-king.

A templar can accuse a freeman of disloyaltyor similar crimes when he reaches 4th level. Regardless of evidence, an accused freeman will be locked in the dungeons of the sorcerer-king for as long as the accusing templar wishes.

A templar can gain access to all areas in palaces and templeswhen he reaches 5th level. Before that time the templar is restricted from areas such as libraries and council chambers unless ordered to go there by a higher-level templar.

A templar can draw upon the city treasury for official investigationswhen he reaches 6th level. The number of gold pieces he can draw from the treasury is equal to the roll of a number of 10-sided dice equal to the templars level, multiplied by his level, per month. For example, a 7th level templar would roll 7d10 then multiply the result by 10. Few questions are asked when gold is requisitioned, provided no attempt is made to withdraw funds more often than once per month.

At templar can pass judgement on a freeman when he reaches 7th level. The freeman must be at least two levels lower than the judging templar, regardless of the freemans class. Judgement can be in the form of a fine, a stretch of time in the dungeons, enslavement, execution, or anything else the templar wishes. Failure to comply makes the judged freeman an outlaw who, if caught, will be executed. Again, there need be no real evidence against the freeman being judged.

A templar can accuse a noblewhen he reaches 10th level. This is similar to the ability of the templar to accuse freemen, but permits the character to take action against the nobility on behalf of the sorcerer-king. A templar can pass judgement on a noble(just as he can judge a freeman) when he reaches 15th level. The noble must be at least two levels lower than the judging templar.

Atemplar can grant a pardon to any condemned man when he reaches 17th level. Only the sorcererking himself can nullify the pardons granted by such a character.

As a rule, a templar can have no more than one man accused and in the dungeons per level. He may judge or pardon no more than one man per week. He may never accuse, judge, or pardon another templar who is of equal or higher level.

The templar hierarchy is measured strictly by experience level. A templar of higher level can negate any action taken by one of lower level (prevent the requisitioning of money or troops, release accused prisoners, etc.). Templars of the same level who disagree must seek out someone of higher level within the hierarchy to arbitrate their differences.

Templars never gain followers as do clerics. They never receive official approval to establish religious stronghold -a sorcerer-kings life revolves around his one city and, while that may expand, he will never open branch areas that he cannot control.

XXXIII. [^] Rogue

Athas is a world of intrigue and treachery, of shady deals and secretive organizations-its a rogues paradise. Beyond the cities, among the wasteland tribes and villages, thieves live by their wits. Within the secure walls of the city states, many typically roguish occupations have become institutions unto themselves. Thieves and bards have become pawns of the wealthy, deployed in deadly games of deceit between noble families.

XXXIV. [^] Bard

Dexterity 12 Ability Requirements: Intelligence 13 Charisma 15 Prime Requisites: Dexterity, Charisma Human, Half-elf Races Allowed:

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

As described in thePlayers Handbook,the bard must remain mostly neutral in alignment; that is, he must have "neutral" as one of the elements of his alignment. The bards profession puts him in touch with all sorts of people and situations and he cannot afford to have a strong polarity of alignment to complicate his interaction with them.

Athasian bards have no restrictions to their armor or weapon choices. However, they tend to wear no armor, in favor of more festive clothing, and their weapons are often concealed and small.

Bards are first and foremost entertainers. Each has some skill as a singer, actor, poet, musician, and juggler. Every bard character specializes in one particular mode of performance which should be noted on his character sheet -this may become pertinent in some roleplaying situations.

Among the nobility of the cities, bards are tools. They are commonly hired by one house of nobles and sent to another as a gift. The bards are sent to entertain, and usually to perform some other subtle task (such as robbery, assassination, espionage, etc.), as well. It is considered rude to turn down the gift of a bard or bard company. However, when presented with a troop of bards from ones worst enemy, sometimes they are turned away. To get around this, the hiring party sometimes disguises their approach by using a third party to send the bards-it can turn into a very complicated collage of intrigue and deceit.

A bard has a bewildering variety of benefits.

A bard can use all thief abilities:pick pockets, open locks, find/ remove traps, move silently, hide in shadows, hear noise, climb walls, and read languages. The initial values of each skill is given on theThieving Skill Base Scorestable, and is modified by race, Dexterity, and armor worn. Unlike thieves, bards add nothing to these base values at 1st level. Each time the bard rises a level in experience, the player receives another 20 points to distribute. No more than 10 of these points can be assigned to a single skill and no skill can be raised above 35 percent.

A bard can influence reactionsjust as described in thePlayers Handbook.

Music, poetry, and stories of the bard can be inspirational,as described in thePlayers Handbook.

Bards also learn a "little bit of everything," again, just as described in thePlayers Handbook.

A bard is a master of poisons,knowledgeable in both their use and manufacture. Each level, the bard rolls 1d4 and adds to it his level to determine which new poison he has mastered (on the table below). If the bard already has mastered the poison rolled, he gains no new poison at that level. If the roll is 18 or higher, the bard may choose any poison on the list. Once mastered, the bard can make a single application of the poison every day, using easily obtained materials. The methods of application ar e presented i nChapter 9 : Combati nt h e Dungeon Masters Guide.

[^] Bard Poison Table

Athasian bards do not gain the use of magical spells at higher levels. Further, they never gain the ability to use magical devices of written nature.

In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about bards in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

XXXV. [^] Thief

Ability Requirements: Dexterity 9 Prime Requisite: Dexterity Races Allowed: All

Athasian thieves run the gamut of society. They range from gutter snipes who prey upon the merchants and freemen of the cities to vagabonds who steal what they can from passing caravans or merchant trains. At their best, thieves can be in the employ of the nobility, plying their trade by contract in the name of a royal household or noble do-gooders who seek to steal only from the corrupt and wealthy. A thiefs prime requisite is Dexterity. A thief with a Dexterity score of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns. A thief can choose any alignment except lawful good. A thief can be from any social class-slave, freeman, or noble. Any human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, halfling, mul, or thri-kreen character can be a thief. A thiefs selection of weapons is not limited; a thief character can use any weapon, but suffers nonproficiency penalties where appropriate. A thiefs choice of armor is limited, just as described in the Players Handbook.However, there is no such thing as elven chain armor on Athas. A thiefs skills are determined just as in thePlayers Handbook.However, racial and Dexterity adjustments will be different for Dark Sun thieves.

[^] Thieving Skill Exceptional Dexterity Adjustments

Athasian thieves can employ the backstab and use of scrolls abilities, just as described in thePlayers Handbook.There is no thieves cant used on Athas, nor do thieves attract followers. At 10th level a thief can attempt to attract a patron. A patron is a noble who will sponsor the thief and protect him under his house and name. Such a character is expected to perform tasks for the noble patron, such as theft, spying, and even assassination, in return for lodging and political protection. The base chance of finding a patron is a percentage roll equal to 5% per level of the thief beyond 9th. Once a patron is obtained, the thief need not roll further-the thief is from then on in the employ of one noble family from one city of the DMs choice. A thief need not seek out a patron if he doesnt wish to. Further, once a thief has a patron, the only way to leave his service is through death-a hired thief knows too many of the nobles secrets to be allowed to "resign" in any conventional way.

[^] Thieving Skill Racial Adjustments

In the campaign, having a thiefly patron will mean several things. First, the DM can assign the thief jobs for the family, which he must perform or be targeted for assassination, himself. Second, the thief can never be personally held responsible for his crimes while working for a patron. Typically, patrons have powerful friends among the defilers and templars of a city state to protect both themselves and their thief employees. In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about thieves in thePlayers Handbookshould be used.

[^] Psionicist

(Dark Sun variation) Constitution 11 Ability Requirements: Intelligence 12 Wisdom 15 Constitution, Wisdom Prime Requisites: Any Races Allowed:

All intelligent creatures on Athas have some measure of psionic power. However, not all are considered to be of the psionicist character class. In Dark Sun there are no racial restrictions nor racial level limits for psionicist characters. Any human character who meets the ability requirements may be a dual-classed psionicist. Any demihuman character who meets the ability requirements may be a multi-classed psionicist. For dual-or multi-

[^] Halfling

[^] E l f

XXXVI. [^] Half-elf

[^] Mul

- + 5 % + 10 % + 5 % classed characters, the psionicist class may be combined with any other class or classes.

XXXVII. [^] Inherent Potential :

InDARKSUNcam paigns, a character may have a Wisdom or Constitution score as high as 22. This table is an expanded version of that given in The Complete Psionics Handbook, covering the higher scores.

[^] Inherent Potential Table

XXXVIII. [^] Power Checks:

It is possible for a Dark Sun psionicist to have a power score of 20 or more. In such cases, ignore the psionic powerspower score and 20 results; a roll of 20 always fails, but with no detrimental or beneficial effect.

XXXIX. [^] Wild Talents:

All player characters, even those who do not meet the ability requirements for the psionicist character class, areautomaticallywild talents, as described inThe Complete Psionicists Handbook.They may roll for their devotions as described there.

XL. [^] Non-player Characters:

All non-player characters who meet the ability requirements for the psionicist class are wild talents, as well. In most cases, unimportant NPCs are assumed to have only a psionic defense mode. For important NPCs, the DM must roll for their devotions normally.

In all cases where the rules here dont contradict them, the rules about psionicists inThe Complete Psionics Handbookshould be used.

XLI. [^] Multi-Class and Dual-Class

XLII. [^] Characters

Dark Sun characters can become multi-or dualclass just, as described in thePlayers Handbook.

[^] Multi-Class Combinations

Any demihuman character who meets the ability requirements may elect to become a multi-class character, subject to the restrictions presented in the Players Handbook.The following chart lists the possible character class combinations available based upon the race of the character.

[^] Dwarf

Cleric/Psionicist Thief/Psionicist Fighter/Cleric Fighter/Cleric/Psionicist Fighter/Psionicist Fighter/Thief/Psionicist Fighter/Thief

[^] Elf or Half-elf

Fighter/Mage Fighter/Mage/Cleric Fighter/Thief Fighter/Mage/Thief Fighter/Psionicist Cleric/Mage/Thief Fighter/Cleric Cleric/Fighter/Thief Cleric/Mage Fighter/Mage/Psionicist Cleric/Psionicist Fighter/Thief/Psionicist Cleric/Thief Fighter/Cleric/Psionicist Mage/Psionicist Cleric/Mage/Psionicist Mage/Thief Cleric/Thief/Psionicist Thief/Psionicist Mage/Thief/Psionicist

XLIII. [^] H a l f - giant

Fighter/Cleric Cleric/Psionicist Fighter/Psionicist

[^] Halfling

Fighter/Thief Cleric/Psionicist Fighter/Cleric Illusionist/Thief Fighter/Illusionist Illusionist/Psionicist

Thief/Psionicist Fighter/Psionicist Fighter/Thief/Psionicist Cleric/Illusionist Cleric/Thief

XLIV. [^] M u l

Cleric/Thief Fighter/Thief Psionicist/Thief Fighter/Cleric Fighter/Thief/Psionicist Fighter/Psionicist Fighter/Thief/Cleric Cleric/Psionicist

[^] Thri-kreen

Cleric/Psionicist Fighter/Cleric Fighter/Cleric/Psionicist Fighter/Psionicist

Defilerorpreservercan be substituted for anymage entry. Templarcan be substituted for anyclericentry. Rangercan be substituted for anyfighterentry by elves, half-elves, half-giants, halfling, or thrikreen. Bardcan be substituted for anythiefentry by halfelves. Druidcan be substituted for anyclericentry by half-elves, halflings, muls, or thri-kreen. Gladiatorcan never be a part of a multi-class combination for demihumans.

[^] Dual-Class Characters

Human characters are free to become dual classed characters on Athas, just as they are in any other AD&D® campaign world. The rules governing this are fully detailed in the Players Handbook.

XLV. [^] Character Trees

DARK SUN campaigns are set in a violent world. Powerful magics and psionics, desperate hordes of raiders, and even the unforgiving desert wastes all conspire against player characters -death is not at all uncommon on Athas, nor is it uncommon for player characters in DARK SUN campaigns.

Replacing a fallen player character of high level with a novice first level character is never satisfying for the player. Also, where this new character fits into the plot is usually contrived on the spot.

In DARK SUN campaigns, players are encouraged to use character trees, where they play with only one character at a time, but they have four to call upon at the beginning of any particular adventure.

In brief, a character tree consists of one active character (which the player is using as his player character) and three inactive characters. The active character takes part in the adventure, performing actions in the campaign world. When a new adventure begins, the player may switch to one of his inactive characters or keep his previously active character to continue play.

[^] Setting Up a Character Tree

To begin a character tree, a player should completely roll up four characters. Once this is done, the player selects the character that he intends to run for the first adventure, making that one his "active" character. The other three are inactive.

XLVI. [^] Alignment

The four characters that make up a players character tree are unrestricted as to class or race; any combination is acceptable. However, the alignment of these characters is restricted. All of the four characters in a character tree must be either good, neutral, or evil. Devotion to chaos or law makes no difference, however.

For example, one character tree might have a chaotic good dwarven gladiator, a lawful good thrikreen fighter, a neutral good human bard, and a chaotic good elven preserver. The thri-kreen could not be lawful evil or even lawful neutral and still be a part of that character tree.

If a character is forced to change alignment so that it no longer fits within the tree, that character must be discarded (or, optionally, the player may discard the other three, inserting three new characters

into his tree and adopt this new alignment).

Discarded characters should be given to the dungeon master for use as NPCs.

[^] Changing Characters

There are three instances when a player may switch the character he wishes to use in play: between adventures, during an adventure, or upon an active characters death.

[^] Between Adventures

When an adventure is concluded (in the eyes of the DM, that is), a player may switch his active character for an inactive one. The player is not obligated to do so, and may keep one character active through any number of consecutive adventures.

[^] During an Adventure

Within the scope of the campaign world, calling upon another character to replace the active character requires a substantial investment in time, whether for sending messages or journeying and searching for the transient inactive characters of the tree (psionics and magic may make this task easier, but cann o t solve allthe problems ) . TheDM should sparingly allow players to switch their active character during an adventure, and usually impose a 3d6 day delay. The DM should never allow switching during critical or dangerous scenes of an adventure. Any switching of characters during an adventure is subject to the discretion of the DM, who may freely veto any request to do so.

[^] Upon an Active Characters Death

When the active character dies, one of the inactive characters on the tree is assumed to arrive on the scene within one day (if possible). The player picks which inactive character will arrive and must subsequently roll a new first-level character to occupy the vacated spot on the tree. If circumstances make it difficult for a new character to arrive, the DM may be forced to extend the period before the newly activated adventurer arrives.

[^] Character Advancement

The active character in a campaign receives experience points and advances in levels just as described in thePlayers Handbook.

Every time the active character goes up a level of experience, the player may also advance one of his inactive characters one level. The inactive character chosen must be of a lower level than the active character. Adjust the experience point total on that inactive characters sheet to the minimum number for the new level attained.

For purposes of character tree advancement, multi-and dual-classed characters that are inactive may only advance in one class. As active characters, multi-class characters cause an inactive character to advance when he increases one level ineachof his classes. A dual-classed character causes an inactive character to advance with every level he attains.

For inactive multi-class characters, care must be taken that a single experience point total can correctly yield the level combination. In general, an inactive multi-classed character should never be more than one level different in each class (3,3,4 is okay, 3,3,9 is not).

[^] The Status of Inactive Characters

Inactive characters are not NPCs or followers. They arent involved in the adventure at any time. At no time will a players active and inactive characters come into contact in the campaign world.

When not in play, inactive characters are assumed to be elsewhere on Athas, performing other task.

All characters in a character tree are assumed to know each other and are working toward similar ends. The player may invent connections -the characters are all sons of the same powerful woman, are distant cousins, friends from childhood, etc. However, there is no need to have any relationship between themthe player ma y decide thatthe individuals in his character tree have no more than a passing acquaintance with one another.

[^] Using the Character Tree to Advantage

The character trees chief purpose is to give every player a pool of adventurers to choose from for different situations or when one of his characters dies. The player is familiar with these characters and can apply their strengths more readily than he might be able to with freshly created characters. However, if care is taken, the character tree can be a valuable tool to the player in an extended campaign.

As only one inactive character gains a level of experience every time the active character does so, deciding which character to advance might bea decision based on which direction the campaign seems to be taking. If, for instance, a large war is in progress, a player may wish to use his fighter for his active character. If the war is winding down, he might want to advance inactive non-fighter characters for the post war adventures to come.

As another example, the quest might be a dangerous trek across the wilderness to steal a magical item from an ancient defilers mansion. The player might use his ranger character to make the journey, but all the while might be using his inactive character advancements to make his thief more powerful for the final assault on the mansion.

[^] Exchanges Between Characters

Even though characters are on the same tree, they cannot freely exchange equipment, magical items, cash, or personal possessions. Keep separate lists for all such items.

In some instances, if there is a compelling reason to do so, characters may exchange important items or information, but this is an option that can be easily abused. In general, items stick with the original character and thats that.