OSR Commentary On DSS3 Elves of Athas (2e) By Bill Slavicsek And It's Use Within The Castles & Crusades Rpg In A Sword & Sorcery Rpg campaign And The World of Athas

 So let's get back into Athas & this time go down the Chat hole with  "DSS3: Elves of Athas" (1993), by Bill Slavicsek & Castles & Crusades. Let's get the history outta of the way of this Dark Sun product; ""DSS3: Elves of Athas" (1993), by Bill Slavicsek, is the third Dark Sun Sourcebook. It was released in October 1993." 

DSS3 is a really completely take on the Elven race and far closer to what we would see embraced in later post apocalpytic fantasy rpg's. Elves of Athas hasn't been equalled in my estimation. Because of the fact that it takes the Elven race and presents a species of demi human that has had to evolve & cope with the circumstances of Dark Sun. Both as a campaign setting & one that embraces the Dark Sun fluff while adding it's very own wrinkle to it on many levels. 
The Elven race on Athas is one of savagery & survival united only by thier will to survive on the harsh world of Dark Sun. These Elves are the rogues, exploiters, thieves, wasteland pirates, and peddlers all in one. The tribes of Elves here are many. The savagery is evident. And they will survive by any and all means. What does "DSS3: Elves of Athas" (1993), by Bill Slavicsek mean to the  Castles & Crusades system?! Well a bit of everything because of the fact that the unique economic systems presented in Dune Trader dove tail into the Castle Keeper's book. And more 
"DSS3: Elves of Athas"  works really well with another Castles & Crusades book and that's the Player's Archive. 

Because of the way that the Castles & Crusades Player's Archive is set up the  many of the PC options presented in "DSS3: Elves of Athas"  works very well with the archive. The Player's Archive uses; "The host of options for multi-classing your character! Most everyone wants an edge, an angle that allows them to take that extra step, achieve that extra goal, to surprise the enemy." And this ties into many of the Elven systems & options present within "DSS3: Elves of Athas". 

The combination of the Castles & Crusades Player's Archive & the "DSS3: Elves of Athas" title to create many unique & dangerous new PC's. Forget the Elves of Dark Sun being problematic. The Elves of Athas are downright deadly. 
The players can literally become a member of one of the nasitier or more impressive tribes while creating unique  and highly dangerous PC's on the world of Athas. There are five reasons why DSS3: Elves of Athas works with Castles & Crusades: 

1. The PC's are not going to expect just how dangerous Athas Elves are. Forget the 'noble savage' crap these are highly dangerous raiders & barbarians within thier own right. 
2. Simple survival and day to day life are not the only things that Athas Elves are interested in. The Elves of Athas want to thrive. 
3. Elves of Dark Sun are opportunists of the highest order they will exploit a party of adventurers to the fullest. 
4. If the tribes of Elves can harness the situation with PC then they will. Ruins, dungeons, etc. all hinge on getting on the Dark Sun Elven tribes good sides
5. Survival on Athas could depend upon the PC's learning from the Elven tribes some of the harsh lessons of Athas. 

OSR Commentary On Running DSR1 Slave Tribes By Bill Slavicsek With The Castles & Crusades Rpg

 "Out of the swirling, bone-dry sands of Athas come hordes of raiders. They overrun caravans, strip them bare, then vanish into the untracked wastes once more. Who are these ghosts of the desert? Where do they live? How do they survive far from the high walls of the city-states? Slave Tribes answers these and many more questions about the ex-slaves who escape into the desert."

"The DARK SUN game world is now open to campaigns in realms beyond the reach of the sorcerer-kings. The most prominent and successful slave tribes of the Tyr region are presented in great detail in this accessory. Slave Tribes enables the DM to create entirely new tribes to roam his DARK SUN campaign. It also shows players how to form their own tribes when their characters escape the clutches of the sorcerer-kings. The deadly world of Athas shows no mercy to those who are unprepared for its dangers!"

This blog post is going to pick right up from here on the blog.  DSR1 Slave Tribes By Bill Slavicsek hit the shelves  in January 1992. And what's unusual abou this book is how it's written and that is from the first person point of view with highly verbose tone about it. Because DSR1 rolls into it's escaped slave energy on Athas with abandoned. This is one of the first of a series of Dark Sun book that hit's the high notes of Dark Sun. You can feel the struggle of the protagonist within his bonds and the struggle of survival. We get within DSR1 a deep  look into the institution of slavery on Athas. And forget problematic, slavery is a virtual industry upon the face of Athas. It is the mechanism by which the world of Dark Sun runs and we get a look at several slave tribes of Athas. These tribes continue to play a central roll on Dark Sun. And Slave Tribes of Athas is a solid look at these tribes. Don't believe me?! Back in 01/22/07 Jeno S on Drivethrurpg wrote the following; "This accessory focuses on an aspect that differentiates Dark Sun: slavery. Although slavery exists in many campaign settings, Athas is a cruel world in which this notion plays a central role for its economic and social dynamics. Members of any race, thri-kreen, dwarves, and any stratum, rich, poor, templars, have seen themselves as victims or perpetrators of slavery. The first part of the accessory examines slavery in the Athasian society, its origin, practice etc., the second one focuses on several slave tribes (groups of ex-slaves), while the last one reveals life in these tribes and provides information for creating our own tribes.

This accessory is by no means essential, but is well-written, has the form of a chronicle, like the Wanderer journal of the boxed set, with frequent first-person narration (Bill Slavicsek speaks as the chronicler Daled, a dwarf and ex-slave), elegant language, offering an enjoyable read and helping the DM to add a special flavour to his campaign." 
And while DSR1 Slave Tribes both acknowledges & deals with slavery it never shys away from the fact that it is an abhorrant practice on Dark Sun. There are no innocents here on Athas.  What does any of this have to do with Castles & Crusades?! Well hold up, if we take DSR1 Slave Tribes by Bill Slavicsek and combined it with Brian Young's  Codex Classicum. Then you have the beginnings of a bad ass campaign. Why because this Codex Classicum have several classes that easily mirror many of the materials, tropes, settings, etc. that DSR1 talks about. 

Remember this isn't a bug it's a feature. Many of Athas's citystates are built on Earth's historical places. What makes Athas unique is how these cultures blend together against the undying Sun of Athas. 
This also comes into play when designing adventures. Slave Tribes is no exception as the slaves become the danger as well as the salvation for PC's. There are more then enough tribes that pray on both thier own and others. Such as the way of Athas. Is  DSR1 Slave Tribes an essential book? No, but it's a damn fine addition to the Dark Sun line for those wanting something different that takes a horrid practice and turns it on it's ear. This enables the player to begin to assend the ladder from slave to hero. This is a journey frought with danger at every turn. We're just getting started buckle up! 

Commentary & Notes On Running RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992) By Bill Slavicsek For Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition Ravenloft Setting

"In a rain-soaked graveyard, a small group of men stands round a coffin bound with heavy chains. 'We are here to mourn the passing of Jean de Cardeau, ' intones the village priest. 'Let us pray that his rest is eternal, and that he never returns.' As the pallbearers lift the coffin, something scrapes on the wood from inside. Quickly and without emotion, the attendants slide the casket into a crypt. Then they seal the door and flee. Behind them, unheard, a dull thudding begins, growing louder with the onset of twilight. There can be no peace for those who linger in the earthly realm after death. And there can be no sanctuary on the Night of the Walking Dead! Set in a zombie-infested swampland, Night of the Walking Dead is an ideal first-time Ravenloft adventure. Players must unravel the mystery behind a string of murders and disappearances in a village plagued by ambulant undead - and all is not as simple as it seems! The hour of fear is upon us. Are you ready to face the demiplane of dread?"


"RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992), by Bill Slavicsek, is the fourth Ravenloft adventure. It was published in February 1992", that's the official history of this module for Ravenloft.But I've run this adventure too many times to count & I'll probably run it again. This isn't your average dungeon crawl but instead we're into the deep realm of investigation & role playing with NPCs in a Carribean setting. The Island of Terror: Souragne, including the village Marais d' Tarascon is an adventure location straight out of a 1930's or 40's Univesal classic horror movie. Yes I'm mentioning 1932's White Zombie starring Bela Lugosi produced by Edward Halperin and directed by Victor Halperin. We get introduced to the a new monster in the NPC of the zombie lord whose machinations the other undead must follow. These things used correctly can be very nasty for players & their PC's.



Now this is an adventure for PC levels one to three but make no mistake that I've had to bring in an NPC priest for healing more then a few times for even experienced groups of players. The reason is the increase in the sheer number of undead. They continue to build & grow in monster numbers. PC's are going to have their backs against the wall in no time. The fact that this is only a thirty two page module speaks volumes about it. Adam Morris in his Amazon review of the module brings up several important points about RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992); "Certain elements seem glossed over, and other suggestions are impossible to carry out. A chase scene is called for, but based on the map, it seems hard for a chase scene to ensue--there is much space between houses and one does not get the sense that in this small town anything resembling an alley or a wrong turn could actually exist."
Don't worry about any of this & simply run RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992) as is straight from the can. Part of the avantage of the module is the fact that it can be played over one to three sessions. This is a really nicely done Ravenloft  introduction module with several up tick ways of handling some of the stress of dungeon mastering. You've got hordes of undead, you've got an open adventure plot with real PC consequences, & an adventure plot connection with a full resolution for a change.

And this brings up the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition  Ravenloft metaplot of the Grand Conjunction & here I'm gonna reference the official RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992) Drivethrurpg entry; "RA3: "Touch of Death" had introduced the idea of "Hyskosa's Six Signs", a fragmentary prophecy that foretold an apocalypse based on six events — one each of which had appeared in RA1: "Feast of Goblyns" (1990), RA2: "Ship of Horror" (1991), and RA3: "Touch of Death" (1991). "Night of the Walking Dead" adds a fifth verse to the prophecy (leaving just one unknown) and as usual ties one of the verses into the happenings of the adventure, revealing a zombie-filled eclipse:
The light of the sky shining over the dead
shall gutter and fail, turning all to red.

These verses were elements of the six-part Grand Conjunction metaplot. Unfortunately, the fact that the Hyskosa prophecy had only appeared in the story's third adventure resulted in one big problem: the order that the adventures were published in didn't match the levels that they were intended for! Some fans suggest that different characters could play in different parts of the Grand Conjunction metaplot. However the more popular response is to reorder the six adventures by level. This has almost no effect on the overall arc since the first four parts of it are very loosely connected:

1. RQ1: Night of the Walking Dead, levels 1-3
2. RA3: Touch of Death, Levels 3-5
3. RA1: Feast of Goblyns, Levels 4-7
4. RA2: Ship of Horror, Levels 8-10
5. RQ3: From the Shadows, Levels 9-12
6. RM1: Roots of Evil, Levels 9-12"

Now taken as a whole this looks like a giant sink hole of a horror plot for Ravenloft & simply a second edition AD&D TSR trick to get more money out of their players & dungeon masters. Not so at all. This is in fact a fully thought out adventure & level path for Ravenloft. Think about this, your player's PC's start out in RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992)  then slowly adventure through 'RA3 Touch of Death' should they survive then they'll eventually get to twelveth level in many years.


The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition  Ravenloft metaplot of the Grand Conjunction if used & reworked for the Ravenloft dungeon master's campaign can be a very rewarding event. But its the time & commitment on the player's part that's gonna make this work.
That being said "RQ1: "Night of the Walking Dead" (1992), by Bill Slavicsek is a module with some minor problems but a  solid addition to any Ravenloft fanatic's libarary.