Chapter Two: Player Character Races

If you are familiar with fantasy roleplaying games or literature you will no doubt find many of Dark Sun's concepts familiar. But Athas is a world where the essential, fundamental nature of things has been twisted through years of unchecked, environmentally-abusive magic -many of the things you find familiar may be so in name only. The player character races are no exception to this, and the elves, dwarves, half-elves, and halflings of Dark Sun are bizarre adaptations of those found on other AD&D®game worlds.

Each of the eight player character races(dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-giant, halfling, human, mul,and thri-kreen)are described in detail here, with specific rules for using them in the campaign. The notes given on roleplaying each race are also very important, since a character earns additional individual experience point awards when played according to these racial descriptions. Within these guidelines, players are encouraged to develop their own aims, attitudes, and personalities for their characters.

I. [^] Minimum and Maximum Ability Scores

For Dark Sun characters, use the racial ability requirements given here. If a character's ability scores fit all of these requirements, the character may choose that race. Consult this tablebeforemaking any racial adjustments to ability scores.

[^] Racial Ability Requirements

II. [^] Racial Ability Adjustments

Some races are naturally stronger or weaker or more or less agile than others. These and similar differences are accounted for with modifiers to their generated ability score. These modifiers are applied exactly as described in the Player's Handbook. No adjustment can raise a score above 24 or lower it below 3.

[^] Table 2: Ability Adjustments

III. [^] Class Restrictions and Level Limits

Just as in the traditional AD&D®game, there are restrictions to the classes available to a character, and the level to which he may advance, based on his race. Players and DMs familiar with the AD&D game will find that these restrictions are very different in DARK SUN campaign setting, however, because of the unusual nature of the demihuman races. Humans are always unrestricted in level advancement or class selection. It is recommended that the optional rule onExceeding Level Limits(presented in theDungeon Master's Guide)be used when playing a DARK SUN campaign.

IV. [^] Languages

Athas is a world where the intelligent races come from a wide variety of species -the humans and demihumans are very different than the insectmen and beastmen. Each intelligent race has its own language, sometimes even its own approach to lan-

[^] Table 3: Racial Class And Level Limits

bookgives rules for advancing the player characters to 20th level. -: A player character cannot belong to the listed class. guage and communication. For instance, the thrikreen language is a combination of clicks and whines that come very natural to their pincered mouths-humans find it very difficult to reproduce these sounds, but the task is not impossible. DARK SUN adventures are not quite as language friendly as other AD&D® campaign worlds-characters will tend to rely more heavily upon magic or interpreters for communication. As a reminder, the DARK SUN campaign assumes that players and DMs are making use of the optional proficiency system detailed in the AD&D game.

V. [^] The Common Tongue

There is a standard language (known simply as common or the common tongue) that all humans, dwarves, elves, half-elves and muls speak. It is important to note that halflings and thri-kreen do not speak common. It is strongly recommended, however, that player character halflings and thri-kreen use one of their proficiency slots to obtain the common tongue.

Any#:A player character can advance to the maximum possible level in a given class. ThePlayer's Hand-

VI. [^] Other Languages

All other languages are identified with their race name (such as halfling, thri-kreen, gith, and others). Characters begin the game knowing only their racial language. Other languages, including common or other racial languages, must be assigned

The following is a list of possible languages available to newly generated player characters. Dungeon Masters may wish to expand or reduce this list to accommodate their own campaigns.

* these creatures generally speak common

VII. [^] Dwarves

Dwarves are short but extremely powerful. Athasian dwarves average 4'/2 to 5 feet in height and tend to have a very large muscle mass-a full grown dwarf weighs in the neighborhood of 200 pounds. Lives of hard work in the hot sun leave them with a rich tan and rugged, calloused hands and feet. Dwarves can live up to 250 years.

A dwarf's chief love is toil. A dwarf is never happier than when there is a cause to work or fight for, something he can approach with stoic singlemindedness for weeks, months, years, or even decades at a time. Once a dwarf's mind is committed to a certain task, he'll only set it aside after a great deal of grumbling and coercion. The fulfillment he achieves upon completion of a lengthy, difficult task is what he strives for.

The task to which a dwarf is presently committed is referred to as his focus. A dwarf's focus must be a feat requiring at least one week to complete. Shorter term goals cannot be considered a focus. While performing tasks that are directly related to his focus, a dwarf receives a +1 bonus to all his saving throws and a +2 bonus to all his proficiency rolls (or +10 to any percentile roll). Actually, a dwarf's commitment to his focus is based in his physiology-those who complete their lives before they complete their foci live out their afterlives as banshees in the wastes, haunting their unfinished works!

By nature, dwarves are nonmagical and never use magical spells, just as described in thePlayer's Handbook.This restriction does not apply to cleric or templar spells. An Athasian dwarf takes notice of other beings based upon his focus. If the other being is also actively committed to the dwarf's focus, the dwarf will consider him a sensible and dependable companion. If, however, the other being is vehemently opposed to the dwarf's focus, the two will be irrevocably at odds until one or the other is dead. There is very little room for compromise in the mind of a dwarf.

VIII. [^] Elves

The dunes and steppes of Athas are home to thousands of tribes of nomadic elves. While each tribe is very different culturally, the elves within them remain a race of long-limbed sprinters given to theft, raiding, and warfare. An Athasian elf stands between 6½ and 7½ feet tall. They are slender, lean, and generally in terrific physical condition. Their features are deeply etched into their weather-toughened faces, and their skin made rugged by the windblown sands and baking sun of the wilderness. Elves typically dress to survive in the desert environment. Even when at an oases or in the cities, elves tend to prefer their native garb, designed to wrap the wearer against the brutality of the elements.

Elves are all brethren within their own tribe, but regard all outsiders as potential enemies. There is no racial unity among the elves-an elf from outside the tribe is just as much a foe as a human, halfling, or thri-kreen. Acceptance of an outsider by an individual elf can be achieved, but trust will only develop over time. Acceptance of an outsider by an entire tribe is also possible, but rare. It is usually only awarded after some great sacrifice has been made on behalf of the tribe-many outsiders have been accepted posthumously into elven desert tribes.

Individually, tribal elves are swift, sure, and selfreliant in the extreme. An elf is conditioned to run quickly over sandy and rocky terrain, sometimes for days at a time -an elf warrior can cross better than 50 miles per day. An elven war party on the move is a deadly force of endurance and maneuverability.

Elves use no beasts of burden for personal transportation, though they do sometimes engage kanks and similar creatures for baggage or raw materials transport. It is dishonorable among elves to ride on an animal unless wounded and near death-even pregnant women and old elves are expected to keep up with the tribe or be left behind.

While most elven tribes make their living through herding, some have turned to commerce and others to raiding. Elven traders are rightly considered the most capable on Athas. Not only can they barter and deal with a variety of races, they can move and protect their goods across the vast wilderness.

Elven culture, while savage, is also very rich and diverse. A player character elf can choose from a variety of classes: cleric, defiler, fighter, gladiator, preserver, psionicist, ranger, templar, or thief. In addition, they may select any combination of classes in accordance with themulti-class combinationstable presented in the next chapter.

A player character elf can be from a wild, tribal background or from a city state upbringing-there are many elves that have settled in the cities as bazaar vendors, and still many more that have been dragged there in chains.

Elves are masterful warriors, naturally skilled in the use of their long bows and long swords. Elves gain a bonus of +1 to their attack rolls with these weapons, but only those of native tribal make and design. In order to qualify for this bonus, a weapon must be crafted by members of the elf's tribe-no others will do

Elves gain a bonus to surprise opponents when in the wilderness or wastes of Athas. In desert or steppe encounters, when an elf or party of elves approaches a non-elven group, the opponents suffer a penalty of -4 to their surprise rolls. Mixed parties cannot gain this advantage.

Elves have no special knowledge of secret or concealed doors. They also have no special resistance to spells. Elven infravision enables them to see up to 60 feet in darkness.

With nimble fingers and incredible speed, elf characters add two to their initial Dexterity score. They also add one to their initial Intelligence score. However, their intellect is not generally balanced by common sense, so elf characters subtract one from their initial Wisdom score. Finally, elven characters are especially fine-boned and have a high metabolism that tends to tire them out, forcing them to subtract two from their initial Constitution score.

IX. [^] Roleplaying:

Elves have no great love of creatures outside their tribe. Even when found in the company of others, an elf will keep to himself, often camping near but not directly with his companions.

When encountering outsiders, an elf will often fabricate tests of trust and friendship. For instance, an elf might leave a valuable object in the open to see if his new companions attempt to steal it. After a series of such tests, the elf will gradually learn to trust or distrust the outsiders. The severity of these tests of loyalty may take an alarmingly dangerous turn, even revolving around life-threatening situations, before an elf accepts an outsider as an equal.

Elves never ride on beasts of burden. They prefer to run everywhere they travel, even when running might prove slower or others in the elf's party will be taking animal or magical transportation.

X. [^] Half-elves

Elves and humans travel many of the same roads on Athas -elven tribes have at times encountered human mercenaries, just as elven warriors have found gainful employment in the armies of the city states. The merchant class, too, is overrun with traders of both races, so it is not at all unusual for children of mixed parentage to be born into the world-the half-elves.

A half-elf is generally tall, between 6 and 6½ feet tall, but more meaty than his elven counterparts. His facial features are clearly more deeply defined than those of a human, but based solely on his countenance a half-elf can usually pass for either an elf or a human. A half-elf's a life is typically hardened by the intolerance of others. Neither fully human nor fully elven, half-elves rarely find acceptance with either race. Elves are especially intolerant, at times driving mothers of half-elven infants from their camps into the desert. Humans are more apt to accept halfelves as allies or partners, but seldom accept them into their homes, clans, or families.

Rarely do halfelves congregate in great enough numbers to form communities of their own, so they remain outsiders, forever wandering from situation to situation without a people, land, or village to call home.

Intolerance, however, has given the half-elf his greatest attribute -self-reliance. As a loner, usually without permanent residence, a half-elf survives the rigors of life in the wilderness completely on his own.

The skills involved in survival, such as locating food, water, and shelter, are only half of the challenge they face-half-elves must also learn to deal with the absence of companionship, the complete lack of conversation and basic friendship.

Coincidentally, faced with intolerance from the races of their parentage, many turn to completely alien races for acceptance. Dwarves, halflings, and even thri-kreen have no basic dislike of half-elvesnor do they grant them any favor. At the very least a half-elf dealing with these races can expect no automatic prejudices.

Also, some half-elves turn for companionship to the animal world, training beasts of the air and sands as servants and friends.

Half-elves add one to their initial Dexterity score because of their fleet-footed elven ancestry. However, they inherit the same light frame and thin bone structure of the elves as well, causing them to subtract one from their initial Constitution score. Half-elven characters have no resistance tocharm or sleep-related magic, nor are they endowed with an ability to find secret doors. Half-elven infravision enables them to see up to 60 feet in darkness.

A half-elf character can choose from all of the available character classes, though he will have to face eventual level limits in many of them. He can also become multi-classed, having the widest variety of combinations available to him(seethemulti-class combinationstable in the next chapter).

A half-elf gains some benefits as he increases in levels. A half-elf gains the survival proficiency when he reaches 3rd level. He need not spend any of his proficiency slots in order to known survival. Like other characters, half-elves must specify a terrain type for this proficiency. Dark Sun terrain types include stony barrens, sandy wastes, rocky badlands, mountains, scrub plains, forest, salt flats, or boulder fields. A half-elf can befriend one pet when he reaches 5th level. The pet may be of any local animal, no larger than man-sized. The half-elf must spend one week with the animal while it is still young. After that time, the pet will follow the half-elf everywhere and obey simple commands. A half-elf can only have one such pet at a time, and must wait 100 days after the death of one pet to begin training another. Choice of pets is always subject to the DM's approval. Refer to Chapter 11: Encounters for possible pet choices.

XI. [^] Roleplaying:

Half-elves pride themselves on their self-reliance. A player with a half-elf character should keep this in mind and apply it whenever possible.

For example, when a half-elf is part of a larger party of characters, he will rarely eat of the meal prepared by the others, nor will he use the fire set for the camp. He will instead hunt for his own food, cook and eat it by himself, away from the others. A half-elf character will discuss strategy with his companions when he has them, and will cooperate as necessary, but will always seem semi-detached and aloof.

Despite their self-reliance, when faced with elves or humans, half-elves often find themselves looking for acceptance. For instance, when among elves, a half-elf will go out of his way to prove just how elven he is, by running great distances with them and observing other social and cultural rituals with the elves. These efforts, however, are mostly lost on the elves and therefore serve no purpose. The half-elf's behavior is seen by some as slightly irrational, but only by those who are comfortably wrapped in the blankets of racial acceptance; having none leaves half-elves out in the bitterest cold.

XII. [^] Half-giants

Giants dominate many of the islands and coastal areas of the Silt Sea, wading across it to plunder the communities of smaller races where they find them. In some lost millennium, as a bizarre experiment or perhaps as some sort of curse, giants were magically crossbred with humans. Half-giants are now fairly common, especially to human controlled lands at the edge of the sea of dust.

A half-giant is an enormous individual, standing between 10 and 12 feet tall, and weighing in the neighborhood of 1,600 pounds. Their features are human, but exaggerated.

A half-giant character can be a cleric, fighter, gladiator, psionicist, or ranger. Further, a fair array of multi-classed choices are available to half-giant characters, as detailed on themulti-classed combinationschart in the next chapter.

Simply put, a half-giant gains terrific size from his giant heritage, but also inherits that race's dull wits. His human background, however, provides him with an interest in communication and cooperation, not to mention more reserved traits such as curiosity, a willingness to learn, and a general tendency toward kindness. At any rate, half-giants are capable of far more kindness than their often tyrannical, bloodthirsty giant kin.

Though no one knows for certain, half-giants seem to be a fairly young race, perhaps only a few tens of centuries old. There is no half-giant culture common to all of their kind. On the contrary, having insufficient history and overall intelligence to have their own culture, half-giants tend to readily adopt the cultures of other creatures they admire or associate with. Half-giants are very imitative creatures, eager to fit into new situations as they present themselves.

Half-giants sometimes collect into communities of their own, though they most often adopt the culture and customs of those creatures that are nearby. When near an elven nation, for instance, halfgiants will form their own hunting and raiding parties, adopting the ways of the elven marauders. They won't mix with the elves, neither will they fight with them. In most instances, imitative half-giant communities will compete directly with the race whom they are likening themselves to. It is their great size and combat prowess that keeps their competitors at a safe distance.

Half-giants can switch their attitudes very quickly, taking on new values to fit new situations. A halfgiant whose peaceful farming life is disrupted by marauders may soon adopt the morals of the very renegades who sacked his village. To reflect this, one aspect of a half-giant's alignment must be fixed, and chosen during character creation. The other half must be chosen when they awaken each morning. They are only bound to that alignment until they sleep again. (See Chapter 4, Alignment). For example, a half-giant may have a fixed "lawful" alignment. Every morning, he must choose to be lawful good, lawful neutral, or lawful evil.

Half-giant characters add four to their initial

Strength scores and two to their initial Constitution scores. They subtract two from their initial Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, however. Half-giants double their hit die rolls no matter what their character class. Add any bonus for a high Constitution score after doubling the roll of the die.

All personal items such as clothes, armor, weapons, food, etc., cost double for half-giant characters. Other considerations, such as transportation or lodging, are also considerably more expensive when they are available at all. In areas not dominated by half-giants, things such as buildings, furniture, wagons, boats, etc. aren't made to support their weight. Even in cities, they tend to camp outside to avoid destroying things.

XIII. [^] Roleplaying:

Half-giants are friendly and eager to please those they meet. Others who accept them find that half-giants quickly adopt their lifestyles and skills, even their values. A half-giant character who is presented with a new situation should examine the roles of the people there, determine where he might best fit in, and then start performing the tasks necessary. For example, a half-giant character who happens upon a dwarven stone quarry may watch the dwarves, then start quarrying stone himself. He won't work with the dwarves, necessarily but, if he can make a living at it, he will continue to quarry stone just like his neighbor dwarves do.

This is not to say, however, that half-giants are strictly bound to perform as those they see around them, nor are they restricted from moving on. On the contrary, if the situation is not beneficial or if the half-giant would not perform well (living in the trees like the halflings, for instance), he won't imitate it. Also, half-giants are not bound to a piece of work or a lifestyle the way other races are -they seldom have regrets or reminiscences about what has gone before. They simply aren't as emotionally attached to their lives or works. Persons playing a half-giant character should be prepared to switch goals and lifestyles easily, usually based on the charismatic individuals their character meets. Remember, though, that due to size alone, half-giants make excellent fighters. Always remember their great size and roleplay accordingly. Dungeon Masters should not mindlessly allow the character to fit easily through human-sized doorways or ride in a tiny wagon. Similarly, they must not forget that he can see in many second story windows, reach things humans cannot, and lift things humans would never consider lifting.

XIV. [^] Halflings

Beyond the Ringing Mountains are jungles that flourish in rains that never reach the tablelands or the Sea of Silt. There life is abundant, the foliage thick and untamed. The undisputed rulers of these jungles are the halflings. A halfling is a very short humanoid, standing no more than 3½ feet in height. They are muscled and proportioned like humans, but they have the faces of wise and beautiful children. Halflings live to be as much as 120 years old, but once they reach adulthood, their features never succumb to their years -it's very difficult for an outsider to determine a given halfling's age. A halfling weighs 50 to 60 pounds and is virtually always in peak physical condition. Halflings possess a great deal of racial unity. Though divided politically into separate villages and communities, halflings have great respect for their race as a whole. Political differences between them are settled wherever possible peaceably, through ritual and custom, most often under the direction of their clerical leaders, the shaman witch doctors. On a personal level, halflings relate very well to one another, well enough to have built a considerable culture rich in art, song, and other expressive communication. However, they tend to rely heavily on their culture for communication, a culture that both parties in a conversation are assumed to understand. It is difficult or a halfling to compensate in conversation for a listener who isn't intimately familiar with halfling culture, and as such they easily become frustrated with outsiders. Depending upon how "official" a meeting is, outsiders often have to take great pains to learn local customs merely to communicate with the halflings in question. Of course, halflings who have travelled widely outside their traditional jungle home have a much greater tolerance of those with a "lack" of halfling culture; so much so that they can communicate easily and without frustration. Halfling culture is fabulously diverse, but difficult for other races to comprehend. A complete history of their culture, if such a thing existed, would speak volume upon volume of complex social change, inspirational clerical leaders, and in-depth personal studies of the halfling and his duty to his jungle home. Conspicuous in their absence would be references to great wars of conquest or tremendous monetary wealth-the yardsticks by which other races measure cultural success. Halfling culture cares for the individual's inward being, his identity and spiritual unity with his race and environment. Their culture does not provide for more traditional values, and vices such as greed and avarice are particularly discouraged. Oddly, the richness of the land may be disturbed and examined, even used for a halfing's own gain. However, those riches belong to the land and, in the mind of the halfling, should never be moved away. For instance, nature intended a spring to bring water only to a certain area. To move the water through irrigation to some other area is not what nature had in mind. Similarly, an archaeological find in the jungle that yields a great pile of gold and metals is an event that shouldn't be tampered with-the gold might be used to raise a spectacular series of clerical buildings on the spot, but it should not be carted off to some other location. Halfling characters have the same high resistance to magic, resistance to poisons, talent with slings and thrown weapons, and bonuses to surprise opponents that are described in thePlayer's Handbook. In Dark Sun, halflings are not divided into Hairfoots, Tallfellows, and Stouts, nor do they gain additional initial languages . N o halflings ha v e infravision. Due to their small size, halfling characters subtract two from their initial Strength score and one from their initial Constitution score. Also, their introverted nature means they subtract one from their initial Charisma score. However, halflings are possessed of tremendous speed and agility, and so add two points to their initial Dexterity score. Finally, their pious unity with their race and their jungle environment grants them an additional two points to their initial Wisdom score. As mentioned in thePlayer's Handbook,halflings with a Strength score of 18 never roll for exceptional strength -while they may be quite strong, their small size precludes them attaining the muscle mass or leverage to apply tremendous strength.

XV. [^] Roleplaying:

Halflings are very comfortable when in their own groups. While not afraid to adventure on their own among other races, they tend to have a difficult time adjusting to other customs and points of view. However, being generally open-minded, rather than becoming abrasive or combative, halflings tend to be curious and, at times, utterly confused by the behavior of others. To quell their own confusion, their curiosity demands that they attempt to learn many of the customs of those they confront on the outside world. This is not to say that a halfling character will adopt these customs. On the contrary, they will almost certainly not, but a wide variety of experience is encouraged by the clerical teachings of halfling witch doctors -they see the customs of others as no threat to their own and as a welcome chance to learn through a different point of view. The accomplishments that are normally held in high esteem by other races are completely alien to halflings. For example, tremendous booty from an adventure might tantalize other races, but a halfling would, instead, be concerned with how his part in the adventure will help advance halfling culture, his own knowledge or inner well-being -the treasure would not be a consideration for the halfling.

Also, whereas many other races will think less of halflings because of their small size, they quite honestly see great bulk as a drawback in others. They are usually prepared to respond to "short" comments with their own philosophical views on the virtue of stealth, speed, etc.

When among others of his kind, a halfling will never cross or lie to his brethren. They will help each other in times of need, regardless of danger.

XVI. [^] Human

Humans are the predominant race on Athas.

Human characters are not restricted in either the classes they can choose or the levels they can attain. High-level humans can easily become the most powerful characters in the campaign. Although humans can not be multi-classed characters, they can be dual class characters as described in thePlayer's Handbook.

An average human male stands between 6 and 6½ feet tall and weighs 180 to 200 pounds. A human female is somewhat smaller, averaging between

5½ and 6 feet in height and weighing between 100 and 140 pounds. The colors of skin, eyes, and hair vary widely.

On Athas, centuries of abusive magic have not only scarred the landscape-they've twisted the essence of human appearance, as well. Many humans in Dark Sun look normal, and could pass unnoticed among humans of the FORGOTTEN REALMS®o r GREYHAWK®campaign se t tings. Others, however, have marked alterations to their appearance. Their facial features might be slightly bizarre; a large chin or nose, pointed ears, no facial hair, etc. Their coloration might be subtly different, such as coppery, golden brown, hueds of grey, or patchy. The differences may be more physical, such as webbed toes or fingers, longer or shorter limbs, etc. A player with a human character should be given broad latitude in making up these alterations to his form, if he so wishes. Ultimately, none of them will give him any benefit nor any hindrance to game play-his appearance is strictly a roleplaying asset.

The children of humans and other races produce the so-called half-races: half-elves and muls. It is important to note, however, that half-giants are a race born of a magical union in the distant past; halfgiants can only reproduce with one another.

A s i n other AD & D®campaign worlds, humans are generally tolerant of other races. They can easily adapt to situations involving elves or dwarves, and even more exotic races such as half-giants and thri-kreen. Where other, less tolerant races come into contact with one another, humans often serve as diplomatic buffers.

XVII. [^] Mul

A mul (pronounced: mül) is an incredibly tough crossbreed of a human and dwarf. They retain the height and cunning of their human parent, plus the durability and raw strength of their dwarven heritage. Muls are usually the products of the slave pits-owners recognize the muls' assets as gladiators and laborers, and so order the births of as many muls as can be managed within the ranks of their slaves. Muls are born sterile -they cannot perpetuate their kind.

A full-grown mul stands 6 to 6½ feet tall and weighs 240-300 pounds. They are fair skinned, sometimes tending toward a copperish coloration. Their dwarven ancestry gives them a well-muscled frame and an incredible constitution -mul laborers can perform heavy work for days at a time without stopping. Muls have stern facial features. They are unmistakably human in appearance, though their ears are swept back and slightly pointed. Most muls, whether male or female, have no hair or beard.

Born as they are to lives of slave labor, with the taskmaster's whip taking the place of parents and family, muls are given to a gruff personality and vialent reactions. Understandably, many never seek friends or companionship but live out their lives in servitude, driven by hatred and spite. Most, however, learn who to trust in the slave pits and who not to, gaining favor and reputation among the other slaves.

Many slave muls have either escaped or otherwise won their freedom and now live independent lives all over Athas. Of these, a large percentage have bartered their combat prowess, making their way as soldiers or guards. A few others, given to more cerebral pursuits, have turned to priestly devotions or the mental disciplines of psionics.

A player character mul may become a cleric, druid, fighter, gladiator, psionicist, or thief. When created, the player must decide if his mul character will be considered a demihuman or a human character. As a human, the mul character can have unlimited advancement in any class and become a dual-classed character later in his career. As a demihuman, a mul can become a multi-classed character in accordance with themulti-classed combinations table in the next chapter. Once the decision is made, the mul character will forever be considered either a human or demihuman in all ways.

A mul character adds two to his initial Strength score and one to his initial Constitution score. While often cunning and bright, a mul's training rarely encourages the mental disciplines, so mul characters subtract one from their initial Intelligence scores. The rigors of their upbringing in bondage makes them sullen and difficult to befriend -mul

XVIII. [^] Mul Exertion Table

characters subtract two from their initial Charisma scores.

Mules are able to work longer and harder without rest than are most other races.

Regardless of the preceding type of exertion, eight hours of sleep will let a mul become fully rested, ready to begin work again.

XIX. [^] Roleplaying:

Muls are slaves, true, but when they are doing well in the arena, they are the most pampered slaves. It is expensive to generate and maintain a stable of muls, and their owners protect their large investments with special treatment and considerations. It's rare that a mul who does his work well receives particularly harsh treatment as a slave. Thus, they often don't see their slavery as all that bad a deal. Of course, when their arena or work performance is lacking, discipline is cruelly reinstated.

Like their dwarven parent, a mul who sets his mind on freedom or disruption among the other slaves is rarely kept on hand. They most often are sold or traded from owner to dissatisfied owner until they are eventually relegated to harsh labor in a remote area or sent to the gladiator pits.

XX. [^] Thri-kreen

Hulking insect-men standing as tall as 7 feet at the shoulder, the thri-kreen are the least "human" of the player character races. Their survivability in the wilderness, combined with their cunning and intellect, have made themantis warriors(as they are known to some races) the undisputed masters across large tracts of the Athasian wastes.

The individual thri-kreen is a six-limbed creature with a tough, sandy-yellow exoskeleton. Its hind legs are the most powerful, used for walking, running, and leaping. The four forward limbs each have a hand with three fingers and an opposable thumb. A thri-kreen's exoskeleton is extremely hard, and gives the creature a base armor class of 5. A thri-kreen's head has two large eyes, two antennae, and a small-but-powerful jaw. The jaws work from side to side and have several small extensions that grab and manipulate food while it is being eaten. The eyes are jet black and multi-faceted, separated to either side of the head. The antennae are all but vestigial, serving only to help maneuver through brush and grasslands in the darkness (they also serve to lessen any darkness or blindness based penalty by 1 point (or 5%) -ranged activities (like missile combat) do not gain this benefit).

Thri-kreen have no need of sleep. Thri-kreen characters can remain active through the day and night.

Thri-kreen make and use a variety of weapons.

Chief among them are thegytha,a polearm with wicked blades at either end, and thechatkcha,a crystalline throwing wedge. They also fashion many forms of clothing, but never wear armor.

Thri-kreen can use most magical items such as wands, rods, staves, weapons, shields, and most miscellaneous magic. Those items, however, designed to be worn by demihumans, such as rings, girdles, armor, and cloaks, will not function for a thri-kreen because he simply cannot put them on. Unless otherwise stated, magical items are designed for use by demihumans.

The pack is the single unit of organization among the thri-kreen, generally having 2-24 individuals.

The pack is always on the hunt, never idle -there are no permanent thri-kreen communities. The socalled thri-kreen nations are, in fact, not organized as such, nor are they thought of as nations by the mantis warriors. The nations are human conventions to delineate on maps where the thri-kreen thrive and dominate.

Thri-kreen are carnivores and the pack is constantly on the hunt for food. They consider the other player character races as potential food stock, but only prey on other intelligent creatures in times of desperation. The mantis warriors have a well-known taste for elves, which keeps both races at an uneasy peace when they are forced to cooperate.

Thri-kreen player characters can become clerics, druids, fighters, gladiators, psionicists, or rangers. They may also be multi-classed (seemulti-classed combinationsin the next chapter). Regardless of his class, a thri-kreen gains certain advantages as he increases in experience levels.

A thri-kreen has formidable natural attacks.

They are able to make one bite and four claw attacks per round. Each claw strikes for 1d4 points of damage, and the bite inflicts 1d4+1 points of damage. If using a weapon, the thri-kreen can attack with its weapon and bite; multiple attacks due to fighter level only apply to the weapon.

A thri-kreen can leap up and forward when he reaches 3rd level. The thri-kreen can leap 20 feet straight up or up to 50 feet straight forward. They cannot leap backward.

A thri-kreen can use a venomous saliva against opponents when he reaches 5th level. Those struck by the thri-kreen's bite must save vs. paralyzation or be paralyzed; smaller than man-sized creatures are paralyzed for 2d10 rounds, man-sized for 2d8 rounds, and larger for 1d8 rounds. Creatures classified as huge or gargantuan are only affected for one round.

A thri-kreen masters the use of the chatkcha, a crystal throwing wedge, when he reaches 5th level. The chatkcha can be thrown up to 30 yards and still return to the thrower if it misses the target. When it hits, a chatkcha inflicts 1d6+2 points of damage. In game terms, a thri-kreen gains an automatic bonus proficiency in chatkcha on reaching 5th level. If he has previously spent a proficiency slot on chatkcha, the thri-kreen gains nothing for reaching 5th level.

A thri-kreen can dodge missiles fired at it on a roll of 3 or better on 1d20 when he reaches 7th level. He cannot dodge magical effects, only physical missiles. Magical missile weapons (enchanted arrows, thrown axes, etc.) modify this roll by their plus.

Thri-kreen add one to their initial Wisdom score and add two to their initial Dexterity scores. Their intellect and behavior are such that they subtract one from their initial Intelligence score and subtract two from their initial Charisma score.

XXI. [^] Roleplaying:

A thri-kreen's obsession is the hunt. Thri-kreen are skilled and wise hunters-skilled enough to bring down the animals they need, wise enough to move on before they completely deplete an area of prey. From birth, all thri-kreen are involved inthe hunt -the young are concerned with preparation and preservation of hunted food, elders are hunters. There are no distinctions between male and female thri-kreen in their pack society.

To outsiders, thri-kreen sometimes seem overly preoccupied with gathering food, hunting, and maintaining stocks of travel food. Since they do not sleep, thri-kreen often hunt through the night while other races they are working with are "needlessly lying around."

Their pack intelligence also makes them protective of their clutch-mates. To a thri-kreen, his clutch or pack includes whoever he is with at the time of danger. It is instinctive for a thri-kreen to leap into battle to protect those he is with, regardless of personal danger.

XXII. [^] Other Characteristics

As has been said, Dark Sun characters are very different from those in other AD&D® games. This is reflected in the following tables for height, weight, age, and aging effects, which replace those given in the Player's Handbook.

XXIII. [^] Height and Weight

*Thri-kreen are 48 inches longer than they are tall.

XXIV. [^] Age

[^] Starting Age

[^] Aging Effects

* * -2 Str / D e x , -1 Con ; + 1 Wis * * *

-

**** Thri-kreen suffer no aging effects until they reach venerable age, when they suffer -1 Str/Dex.