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 DSR2 Dune Trader By Anthony Pryor And It's Use Within The Castles & Crusades Rpg In A Sword & Sorcery Rpg campaign And Into The World of Athas

 So with Easter now long in the rear view mirror let's pick up with one of the more estoreric yet incredibly viable aspects of Athas. And let's continue this from the other day's Athas Castles & Crusades blog entry. If there's one essential Dark Sun book in my humble opinion then it's gotta be DSR2 Dune Trader by Anthony Pryor published in 1992. 

DSR2 Dune Trader by Anthony Pryor gives an overview of one of the most vital aspects of Athas and that's the trade houses. These are the economic life blood of the entire planet. The trade houses supply the food, the clothing, etc. And these trade houses also know the ins & outs of all of the dungeons, ruins, etc. that dot the landscape. This cannot be stressed enough here. The trade houses members act as a giant guild or family from the smallest merchant on the street corner to the largest mercant prince these trade houses rule the desert routes between cities on Athas. Dune Trader expands Athas in two directions Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition and Athas itself. 
For Castles & Crusades rpg Dune Trader is a must because the trade houses need a solid base to work from. As adventure or player patrons the trade houses are perfectly suited. As spies for the Dragon King the trade houses are always looking out for thier own interests. 

Are the trade houses really looking out for thier own interests?! Yes absolutely but the Desert Trader book crosses over with the newer Castle Keeper's Guide in several places. 1. The role of  the Dune Trader class & merchant prince types within Castles & Crusades. 2. The way in which trade good are treated within Castles & Crusades. 3. The role of the adventurer as medium by which the goods & services play an important part within the markets of fantasy role playing games. 

Castles & Crusades Castle Keeper's Guide really goes to town on being able to construct adventures & campaigns. This ties directly into the fluff of Athas. And case in point is the fact Dune trader ties into Tyr one of the most important area on Athas directly. According to the Dark Sun wiki entry on Dune Trader ;"Over half of Dune Trader is fluff, detailing the major merchant houses of Tyr, including three elven merchant tribes."
For our games Tyr was our starting point and eventually we ended up working on becoming our own trade house. And this had several advantages. One it allowed a cover for our adventuring operations. We got a legal reason to travel. Our little band of adventurers moved across Athas. We were poor merchants trying to earn a living. And we had several shadow wars with other minor merchant houses. I don't recommend doing this unless the party are preparred for it. 
DSR2 Dune Trader by Anthony Pryor works really well to help flesh out a trader campaign from the ground up on Athas. 

'All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream' The Illusionist Within The Castles & Crusades Rpg In A Sword & Sorcery Rpg campaign And Into The World of Athas

 

So with the Easter holiday upon us, the various OSR campaigns this weekend have been called off. However this means reading & research on my part as the for our upcoming Castles & Crusades rpg games. And today between Easter preparations  got a chance to catch this quick video by the Gaming Gang on 'Why You Should Play Castles & Crusades' here.  And one of the things that Jeff highlighted at the duck taped studios was about his desire to play a C&C illusionist. And this video got me thinking why?! What makes the C&C illusionist different?! First go check out Jeff's video. He does a damn fine overview of the C&C Player's Handbook. 

The illusionist in Castles & Crusades really has thier advantages within the spell casting department;"Spells: An illusionist casts arcane spells like a wizard; however, illusion magic is inherently different and requires a unique spell list. Like a wizard though, an illusionist is limited to a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The Illusionist Spells Per Day Table shows the number of spells per day an illusionist may cast. An illusionist must prepare spells before casting them. This is done by studying spells from a spell book. While studying, the illusionist decides which spells to prepare for the day. Spell memorization and descriptions are covered in the Magic – Preparing Spells section." And this also extends to thier spell books as well; "The number of spells that a an illusionist has in their spell book at the beginning of play is equal to the number of spells they can cast at first level. A 1st level illusionist with 14 Intelligence can cast four 0 level spells and three 1st level spells (2 + 1 bonus). So, the character would begin play with a spellbook containing four 0 level and three 1st level spells. The spells in the spell book can either be chosen by the Castle Keeper, the player, agreement between the two or randomly"  As well as within thier bonus spells; "With a high intelligence score, an illusionist gains bonus spells. If the character has an intelligence of between 13- 15, they can memorize an extra 1st level spell. If the intelligence score is 16 or 17, they can memorize an extra 2nd level spell and if 18 or 19, they can memorize an extra 3rd level spell. The bonus spells can only be acquired if the illusionist is at a high enough level to cast that spell level. Bonus spells are cumulative. Example: a 4th level illusionist with an 18 intelligence receives four 0 level spells, four 1st level spells, and three 2nd level spells. No bonus 3rd level spell is acquired until the illusionist reaches 5th level." 
There's also a sense here that the occult training of C&C illusionists is pretty interesting & intense as thier masters or mistresses training them are trying to break thier sense of reality. And given thier special abilities of the PC class it's not hard to see this; "Sharp Senses: An illusionist’s innate ability to distinguish the real from the unreal imparts a +1 bonus to all illusion saving throws. The bonus increases to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 7th level, +4 at 10th level, +5 at 13th level and +6 at 16th level. Disguise (Charisma): Using magic and props, the illusionist can disguise himself and impersonate others. The effort requires 1d3x10 minutes of work. A disguise can include an apparent change of height or weight of no more than one-tenth the original. The Castle Keeper makes the character’s check secretly, so that the player is not sure if the disguise is successful. Illusionists can use spells, like change self, to augment their disguise and give them a greater chance of success. The following modifiers are applied to a disguise check when appropriate: sex difference -2; race difference -2; age difference -2 per 10 years. Success indicates a disguise good enough to fool normal observers. The Castle Keeper may allow a suspicious observer an intelligence check to see through the disguise. If the observer is familiar with the person being impersonated, they gain a bonus of +4 to the intelligence check. If the person being impersonated is a close associate or friend of the observer, the check is made at +8. Additionally, disguises must be occasionally changed to remove suspicion." 
Let's just stop right there and peer deeper into the gathering gloom of the illusionist here for a moment. The illusionist is given to peer into the edges of reality moving them through what is and is not reality as they define it. For a Sword & Sorcery style campaign the illusion takes on a whole other meaning where reality itself is the play thing of the illusionist. And it is the final abilities of the illusionist that remind me of The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune  (1929) by Robert Ervin Howard ;"“Tell me, wizard,” he said, sitting before the mirror, eyes fixed intently upon his image, “how can I pass yon door? For of a truth, I am not sure that that is the real world and this the shadow; at least, that which I see must exist in some form.”

“See and believe,” droned the wizard. “Man must believe to accomplish. Form is shadow, substance is illusion, materiality is dream; man is because he believes he is; what is man but a dream of the gods? Yet man can be that which he wishes to be; form and substance, they are but shadows. The mind, the ego, the essence of the god-dream—that is real, that is immortal. See and believe, if you would accomplish, Kull.”

The king did not fully understand; he never fully understood the enigmatical utterances of the wizard, yet they struck somewhere in his being a dim responsive chord. So day after day he sat before the mirrors of Tuzun Thune. Ever the wizard lurked behind him like a shadow." 
Tuzun Thane's mirrors reflect the 24th level abilities of the illusionist's Mangnus Opus ability;"Magnus Opus: At 24th level, illusionists reach their magnum opus, the height of their spell-casting prowess. In a day-long  ritual drawing power from the plane of shadow and combining the spells distort reality, mirage arcana, permanent image, polymorph any object, and shades, master illusionists blend what lies in their mind’s eye with that of the world around them. Magnum opus allows the illusionist to create any one object or being, or one area up to 10 ft. by 10 ft. per level, with this ritual. An illusionist can create a being up to half their level in HD." 

For Dark Sun an illustionist of 24th level or better is going to be rarer then a drink of cold water. The illusionist who is of this levei is going to be someone who would be sought by any of the Dragon Kings as a rival to be dealt with. 

No joke here an illusionist on Dark Sun must be able to cast his spells far from the purview of the authorities.A person of this level could hide in plain sight by being an entertainer whose illusions are past off as simple tricks and feats of magic trickery. Athas is a world where magick itself is a matter of life and death. 

The illusionist would have to walk the knife's edge here on Athas. Moving through various tricks & performances with fellow performers and other illusionists who are performing thier form & functions in Athas society while actually using thier abilitiies to pass on thier craft right under authorities noses. Is it possible to play an illusionist on Dark Sun?! Not only possible with Castles & Crusades but it would be highly rewarding in several ways. 

The craft of the illusionist is one of deception & disguise where reality itself seems to be molding clay and sand. Thier abilities mean that can blend in with society possibly along caravan and trade routes that take them across the face of Athas. All in All I think that the C&C illusionist with the right amount of thought & foresight on the DM's and player's part could with some preparation be a winning combination. 

The Psionic Handbook 2nd Edition For Running Dark Sun With Castles & Crusades Rpg

This blog post is going to pick right up from here on the blog  The psionic handbook is an artifact from 1991 but has some very solid uses with running Castles & Crusades with the Dark Sun setting. The Psionic Handbook wiki entry has the history of this innovative 2nd edition;"The Complete Psionics Handbook is a supplemental rulebook for the 2nd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991 by TSR, Inc."

Why is "The Complete Psionics Handbook" so important to running the Dark Sun setting?! Because of how it's set up from the ground up. Once again we refer back to the Complete Psionic Handbook Wiki entry; "The use of psionic powers involves a variant of the proficiencies system developed in the 2nd Edition rules. Each power has a score rated in terms of a particular attribute. When attempting to use a power, the player makes a Power Check by rolling 1d20 and comparing the result to the Power Score. A roll less than or equal to the Power Score means success. Additionally, each power description includes a specific penalty suffered by the psionicist if a 20 is rolled.^[1] A psionicist has a fixed number of Psionic Strength Points, derived from his wisdom score, to expend on psionic powers. A psionicist expends the number of PSPs required by a particular power, then attempts a Power Check. If the check fails and the power doesn't work, he forfeits half the PSP cost but is free to try again later. If he passes the check and the power is successful, the psionicist has the option of expending additional PSPs to maintain the power in subsequent rounds.^[1] Psionicists recover lost PSPs every hour in which no additional PSPs are expended. The less physical exertion, the more PSPs recovered; a walking PC recovers 3 PSPs per hour, and a resting PC recovers twice as many" 
Couple this with the 150 psionic powers that are listed in 'The Complete Psionic Handbook" we begin to see the tip of the iceberg for running Dark Sun with Castles & Crusades. 

The actual use of 'The Complete Psionic Handbook" is actually contained within the review of the product by Rick Swan from  Dragon magazine #180 (April 1992).  This review actually contains the clue needed to bring the entire operation into focus. Once more from the 'Complete Psionic Handbook' entry"Rick Swan reviewed The Complete Psionics Handbook for Dragon magazine #180 (April 1992).^[1] Swan gave the book a positive review, stating that while the large increase in the complexity of psionics from the 1st edition was intimidating, the system itself was straightforward and highly playable. Swan felt that the new book offered a number of elegant improvements over the previous system. He noted that the system's use of "power points" was similar to the magic systems used in a number of other role-playing games, and that for the most part it offered a distinct alternative to D&D's magic options. Swan felt that although the book was comprehensive for players, it lacked adequate advice for game masters to integrate the system into a game, and that some of the details of the system were a hassle for game masters to keep track of."  The use of the point system is going to be the way to go to adjust the many facetted foundation of psionics into something usable in Castles & Crusades.  More to Come! 

'From Here I Can See Athas' - OSR Thoughts on Running Dark Sun With Castles & Crusades and Why.

 Today is one of those days that while nothings happening it still manages to test your metal. While we've got currently a Warriors of the Red Planet/Hyperborea rpg campaign on going. My attention has been shifting toward the next campaign horizon. And reading through this entry on the Grumpy Wizard blog has me really thinking about Dark Sun again. 

There's something really special about the Dark Sun setting. And it has several things going for it among Rpg's especially the second edition fan crowd: 

1. There's an established fan base for it. And this makes getting players easier. 
2. Wizards of the Coast isn't going to touch it and that means the setting isn't going to turn to crap. 
3. There are ton of lore & setting books to pull from. 
4. Just surviving on Athas is an adventure unto itself. 
5. Dark Sun lends itself easily into short mini campaigns. 
6. The setting has baked in villains in the form of the Dragon Kings. 

I wouldn't even think of running Athas with anything resembling fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. And perhaps instead we'd start looking into our OSR roots. And yes, Cha'alt would work fantastic if mixed with Dark Sun. To start a group of players out we'd do an OSR rpg system  that the players are familiar with. 
And in this case the first thing that pops into my mind is going to be Castles & Crusades. Hear me out before you go running off. All of the parts & pieces to run Athas are already within C&C. Survival rules, lower tier character classes, and more. 

Now we've got quite a bit of experience running with post apocalpytic D&D style settings with our Castles & Crusades Zothique game. That game hasn't gone anywhere because of work & scheduling conflicts. That game is techically still in play but on hiatus for the momen. 
Now, Athas may be more then a hop, skip, and jump away from Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique. There are several threads that cross over between these settings. 

The differences are expansive between the settings. There are far more dangers on Athas then Zothique by an order of magnitude. 
This is more at the moment a 'thought excercise' then an actual plan. There are enough basics here for me to consider running such a campaign in the near future.