Steampunkette
2015-06-18, 06:41 PM
Athas is a land of ashes. Remnants of what once was lay strewn across the hellish landscape while the brown sun blazes in the center of the olive-tinged sky. Dust and Sand blow and billow, scour and smother. And all because of Magic's corruptive touch.
To handle a D&D game set in Athas you have to acknowledge Defilement. Ever since the Green Age arcane magics have stolen the life force of the very world, leaving it barren and rotting. There is no Weave. No Mystra keeping magic replenished. Magic is life force wielded as a tool, a weapon. But it is not so easily available as in other settings. To reflect this, Dark Sun games should use the Speed Factor on Arcane Spells.
This means that any spellcaster who casts a spell must wait a number of turns on the initiative count equal to the spells level for the spell to finish casting. An example:
Kalak, Sorceror King of Tyr, chooses to cast Meteor Swarm, a 9th level spell. His initiative is 20 due to a fairly good roll. He begins casting the spell at initiative count 20 and finishes casting it at initiative count 11. Spellcasters whose initiatives are artificially lowered in this way complete their spell before any other character on that initiative count naturally (through their roll) takes their turn. Any damage taken during the casting time of the spell imposes a concentration check to continue casting. Failure means the spell is not cast and the action is wasted, though the caster retains the spell slot that would have been expended.
This method of Spellcasting is called "Preserving". It does not harm the environment in any way, shape, or form, and results in normal spell effects.
Should a Spellcaster choose to Defile, their spell is cast instantly, requiring no more time to enact than it's normal casting time. However, an area 5ft per spell level in radius around the spellcaster becomes Defiled. A Defiler may also choose to expand the radius of the effect to 10ft per spell level to increase the Save DC against their spell (or the attack roll of their spell) by +2.
The DM should choose between the following two options for what Defiling itself does.
1) All rolls connected to casting a spell within the defiled area are at disadvantage. Characters who are targeted by spells while within a defiled area have advantage on saving throws to resist the spells.
2) Any spellcaster who attempts to cast a spell within a defiled area must make a Spellcasting Check with a DC of 8 plus the level of the spell which defiled the area, plus the level of the spell being cast. On a failure, the spell fails.
Ritual spells do not Defile by default. A DM may choose to create (or work with players to create) rituals that defile as a part of their component cost.
New Feats:
Aspect of the Defiler
* Casting a spell while in a Defiled Area does not cause Disadvantage on Attacks or Concentration checks, grant Advantage on Saves.
* Casting a spell while in a Defiled Area does not require a Concentration Effect.
Aspect of the Preserver
* No longer require additional Turns to Cast Preserving Spells
* Gain Advantage on saves against spells cast via Defiling
This system is inherently unfair to spellcasters who choose to Preserve. And gives undue benefit to those who decide to Defile. That is the intent. Defiling is, inherently, an evil action. And a PC who chooses to defile, consistently, is likely succumbing to the temptations of evil. But even the noble hearted hero of the people may be required to defile, now and again.
As a result of the Defilement of the world most NPCs who witness arcane spellcasting, of any variety, immediately become Hostile toward the offending party. This can result in open attacks, calling of guards, or fleeing from the spellcaster while shouting of their transgression. Some NPCs, based on their knowledge of the Arcane or relationship to the spellcaster, may not become hostile dependent on DM fiat.
To handle a D&D game set in Athas you have to acknowledge Defilement. Ever since the Green Age arcane magics have stolen the life force of the very world, leaving it barren and rotting. There is no Weave. No Mystra keeping magic replenished. Magic is life force wielded as a tool, a weapon. But it is not so easily available as in other settings. To reflect this, Dark Sun games should use the Speed Factor on Arcane Spells.
This means that any spellcaster who casts a spell must wait a number of turns on the initiative count equal to the spells level for the spell to finish casting. An example:
Kalak, Sorceror King of Tyr, chooses to cast Meteor Swarm, a 9th level spell. His initiative is 20 due to a fairly good roll. He begins casting the spell at initiative count 20 and finishes casting it at initiative count 11. Spellcasters whose initiatives are artificially lowered in this way complete their spell before any other character on that initiative count naturally (through their roll) takes their turn. Any damage taken during the casting time of the spell imposes a concentration check to continue casting. Failure means the spell is not cast and the action is wasted, though the caster retains the spell slot that would have been expended.
This method of Spellcasting is called "Preserving". It does not harm the environment in any way, shape, or form, and results in normal spell effects.
Should a Spellcaster choose to Defile, their spell is cast instantly, requiring no more time to enact than it's normal casting time. However, an area 5ft per spell level in radius around the spellcaster becomes Defiled. A Defiler may also choose to expand the radius of the effect to 10ft per spell level to increase the Save DC against their spell (or the attack roll of their spell) by +2.
The DM should choose between the following two options for what Defiling itself does.
1) All rolls connected to casting a spell within the defiled area are at disadvantage. Characters who are targeted by spells while within a defiled area have advantage on saving throws to resist the spells.
2) Any spellcaster who attempts to cast a spell within a defiled area must make a Spellcasting Check with a DC of 8 plus the level of the spell which defiled the area, plus the level of the spell being cast. On a failure, the spell fails.
Ritual spells do not Defile by default. A DM may choose to create (or work with players to create) rituals that defile as a part of their component cost.
New Feats:
Aspect of the Defiler
* Casting a spell while in a Defiled Area does not cause Disadvantage on Attacks or Concentration checks, grant Advantage on Saves.
* Casting a spell while in a Defiled Area does not require a Concentration Effect.
Aspect of the Preserver
* No longer require additional Turns to Cast Preserving Spells
* Gain Advantage on saves against spells cast via Defiling
This system is inherently unfair to spellcasters who choose to Preserve. And gives undue benefit to those who decide to Defile. That is the intent. Defiling is, inherently, an evil action. And a PC who chooses to defile, consistently, is likely succumbing to the temptations of evil. But even the noble hearted hero of the people may be required to defile, now and again.
As a result of the Defilement of the world most NPCs who witness arcane spellcasting, of any variety, immediately become Hostile toward the offending party. This can result in open attacks, calling of guards, or fleeing from the spellcaster while shouting of their transgression. Some NPCs, based on their knowledge of the Arcane or relationship to the spellcaster, may not become hostile dependent on DM fiat.