This article is part of a series that examines a release from 2e dark sun and sees how and if it can be integrated with the new 4e version of the world setting. Though each initiate possessed the potential to become as powerful as he, many would fail to handle the pressure and commitment the orderdemanded of its members. It breathes its last gasps as water turns to silt, grasslands become sandy wastes. This sourcebook introduces new character kits, special psionicist proficiencies, and expands the rules for psionic combat, new psionic powers, and rules for creating psionic. Dark sun characters can be dual or multiclass, as described in the players handbook. The will and the way 2e in the deserts and cities of athas, the most dangerous weapon is the mind. The will and the way 2e wizards of the coast dark sun. Dungeon masters guild 2nd edition classarchetype pdf. Not all mystical power arises from the gods or from the arcane energies that permeate the lands. Originally conceived as the default setting for a miniatures based wargame, the setting survived as a.
It contains over 70 powers plus over 60 more psionicist specific feats. With a thought, deadly mindbenders can shatter stone, bend steel, or break opponents. A brief interlude posted by oriongates original sa post. In the 2e rules supplements dragon kings, defilers and preservers, and earth, air, fire, and water, they added epic 10th level magic and advanced beings for defilers, preservers, elemental clerics, and druids. Without the traders, life on athas would be impossible. Dark sun setting roleplaying games resources alkony. There are, however, minor modifications to all classes, as outlined in this section and the ones that follow. The book mentions how prevalent psionics are on athas, and the creature catalog has a helluva lot of creatures with psionic and psychic powers. Included is the new psionicist prestige class and all required content. It introduces new character kits and special psionicist proficiencies for the first. The will and the way explores psionics and psionicist characters in the dark sun campaign setting. In earlier editions, the rules stated that the average human in athas was a thirdlevel fighter, equivalent to a decently experienced adventurer in most other settings. This is the first book set in the dark sun campaign setting that ive read.
The way or the way of unseen is a discipline of psionic study. The tiein with the complete psionics handbook proved more successfulall characters and creatures. Pcs will take up the mantle of heroism in a grim world where simple survival cannot be taken for granted. The mystic works more like the 3rd edition binder, turning certain power sets off and on. The most powerful epic creatures in athas must be able to wield both magic and psionics, since only the clarity of mind resulting in practicing the way would. Dark sun featured an innovative metaplot, influential art work, dark themes, and a genrebending take on traditional fantasy roleplaying. This book is the centerpiece of dark sun psionics obvious once you understand that the people of athas call psionics the way, and the capacity to use psionics the will. Dungeon masters guild dark sun character options may d. Ever wanting more unique and diverse characters, i implemented every new proficiency i could find.
With the prevalence of psionics on athas the distinction has merit. It includes additional setting material, psionicist kits, additional powers, a significant expansion of psionic. Mainstream magicians, both arcane and divine, distance themselves from the psionicist, as they fear and mistrust a type of power they neither have nor can understand. Granted, the actual dark sun campaign setting in 4e doesnt require or even mention all that much the psionic power source.
Mind over matter psionics of athas bell of lost souls. It came from the bookshelf the complete psionics handbook. These were later expanded in the settingspecific sourcebook the will and the way. The will and the way is a companion to the complete psionics handbook that provides more details on psionics and psionicist characters for the dark sun. This sourcebook introduces new character kits, special psionicist proficiencies, and expands the rules for psionic combat, new psionic powers, and rules for creating psionic powers and artifacts. It was a simple and quick read, with some notable flaws. These kings call themselves gods and rule through a religious organization known as the templars. Wind riders of the jagged cliffs 2439 beyond the prism pentad 2441 the wanderers chronicle. Dark sun expanded and revised campaign setting athas.
As a dragon, you excel at using both spells and psionics to. He learns how to extend the life spans of himself and his closest defiler students and elevates his champions using the suns energy. As much as i liked the 2nd edition psionics handbook we wont talk about 3rd edition and beyond, i acknowledge that those rules were too complicated for 5e and attempting to recreate a similar standalone psionicist class would break the balance of all the other classes. For too long weve been asking for psionics to appear in neverwinter. It is a common phrase on athas that you have to have the will to master the way. Athas is so harsh that just living here qualifies as the spartan way.
Mistrealm dungeons and dragons history dark sun campaign setting dark sun is a setting based on the harsh desert world of athas, that draws heavy inspiration from novels like dune and the barsoom series, which was once a lush planet teeming with life, but which has since been stripped of its fertility by uncontrolled use of defiling magic, although a small offshoot of magicians called. Elves of athas dss3 2423 the complete gladiators handbook cgr2 2419 the will and the way. They honed their mental powers, and many became masters of the way. Its a splatbook solely intended to expand on the complete psionics handbook. Has anyone homebrewed rules for advanced beings to 5e. It introduces new character kits and special psionicist. It is a catch all term for those who study psionics. Interestingly theres nothing raw that stops a psionicist handbooi using this power on a creatures heart or lungs or brain and then slapping them on the back or the head and basically instagibbing the target because this power doesnt have any mention of saving. Can i get some psionics can i get some original and totally different nonhumanoid looking race please.
Im only somewhat familiar with the setting but i found it intriguing. Character kits and special psionicist proficiencies. Within the cultures of athas psionics are referred to as the way of. It expands the rules for psionic combat, adding a level of virtual reality to psychic battles. The will and the way recently wotc rereleased the dark sun setting for 4e. Thousands of athasians possess wild psionic talents, but only a select few can master the way and call themselves psionicists. The player can control a pregenerated party of four characters or create new ones at the beginning. The will and the way explores psionics and psionicist charac. It includes additional setting material, psionicist kits, additional powers, a significant expansion of psionic combat, and wow, look at that, its a huge new subsystem for psionic research. That is all of the nice things i have to say about 3. But, after many thousands of years, powerful mages found ways to gain power through. From the dusty arenas of athas comes the complete gladiators handbook, ready to arm the fiercest dark sun campaign antagonist. The mental discipline required to handle the vast energies of 10th level spells required the caster to be a dualclassed level 2020 psionicist caster.
Psionics have always been a part of the dark sun setting. Dark sun campaign setting expanded and revised edition 2e. Those who are psionic masters are said to be strong in the way. It introduces new character kits and special psionicist proficiencies for the first time. Psionics have existed on athas from time immemorial but the current practice of psionics in the world goes back about a thousand years to a founder named tarandas, the grey lady or tarandas of raam. In this book youll find psionicist character kits, an expanded psionic combat system. Several of these devices were created by rajaat, creator of the sorcererkings and.
A more realistic psionicist, one who only has the bare minimum of intelligence, would only have a 50% chance to detect life. Aimed at players and dungeon masters, this game supplement explores the heroes and wonders of athas a savage desert world abandoned by the gods and ruled by terrible sorcererkings. Welcome to a world where metal is scarce, gods dont exist, and psionic powers abide in all living creatures. Psionicists of athas 2431 thrikreen of athas 2437 the wanderers chronicle. This significantly expanded and revised boxed set contains everything you need to adventure across the burning lands of athas. The will and the way is a companion to the complete psionics handbook that provides more details on psionics and psionicist characters for the dark sun campaign setting. The dark sun is a fantasy world, a game setting based on the planet of athas. For the people of athas, psionics are special because its the one source of extraordinary power. The setting of dark sun is athas, a oncebeautiful fantasy world turned into a postapocalyptic wasteland by centuries of. The new ua namedrops athas and the sorcererkings a ton. In the harsh lands of athas, even the bare necessities of life are hard to come by. The will and the way provides more details on psionics and psionicist characters.
The first we shall explore are the known artifacts of athas. Psionics 5e c wizards of the coast the will and the way. Athas is still a damaged world and struggling to survive, but it also has a chance to heal. The third topic of this class will be the newly discovered living items created by the halflings of the blue age. The dark sun campaign setting was released in 1991. It is based on the 2nd and 3rd edition books, but modified to make it useable in nwn. Dungeon masters dms will find information about psion. The trilogy would be completed just before the lines death with defilers and preservers. While the last remnants of civilization huddle around pools of brackish water and clumps of withered vegetation, the elves of athas run free. In athas, psionic power is referred to as the will or the way. It includes additional setting material, psionicist kits. Known as the will and the way, most sentient creatures on this world have some form, even if limited, of psionic ability.
The powerful dwarven psionicist of the order wondered how many of this group would perish before graduating from the nexus. Way locateddeep within the mountain range northeast of kurn. In the deserts and cities of athas, the most dangerous weapon is the mind. Some men and women have the ability to call upon special inner reserves of strength and ability, reserves that manifest as a power commonly known as psionics. A 32page adventure for characters of 3rd to 5th level that kicks off any new campaign in spectacular fashion. Mind lords of the last sea 2444 defilers and preservers. Every player character is at least a wild talent, as are many of the nonplayer characters and monsters. Link is key worded for dark sun this is athas athas savage, primal landscape is the result of long centuries of ecological and magical abuses. The kreen evolved, they developed weapons and a civilization.
Dark sun campaign setting, expanded and revised bill slavicsek on. So, dont take offense if i suggest to add something to it. The psychic warrior subclass doesnt have power choices. The third edition of the dark sun net handbook is finally out.
Numerous new kits, details of the tyr regions arenas, quick summaries of combat rules, a martial arts system, and suggestions on how to run arena games are within these pages. The caravans of the traders ply the shifting sands, daring raiders and the elements to bring goods and hope to both the teeming hordes of the citystates and the isolated villagers in the trackless wastelands. Will is innate psionic ability while way is the study of psionics. Then came the time of magic, the age of rajaat and of the.
The will and the way was the second magical splatbook for dark sun, following dss2. Athas is a world without true gods, so priestly magic on athas comes from two lesser sources. Elemental clerics and druids draw their power from the elemental planes, while templars draw theirs directly from the sorcererkings. Athas, the world of dark sun, was once as pleasant as any other. The themes of this setting could fit in the dying earth subgenre and include survival against the elements, ecological disaster, resource depletion, survival of the fittest, slavery and poverty, and the widespread use of psionic abilities. Its not something i noticed at the time, because my group wound up just using a highly unbalanced and noncanonical form of point buy, but looking over the numbers now, as a guy with a math degree, they are damned punitive. There are eight available races, including halfgiants and the exotic insectlike thrikreen alongside the more traditional ones. A misshapen pyreen, rajaat, discovers the principles of magic on athas and publicly teaches the way of the preserver, while secretly researching and teaching the way of the defiler to a select group of humans.
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