Steampunkette
2017-04-22, 11:36 AM
Character Creation under Olive Tinged Skies.
Athas is a harsh world where water and food are scarce, where monsters are dangerous, and where villainy is cruel and grandiose. Player characters who venture into the Tyr region are stronger, hardier, and generally more powerful than you might find in other worlds. To reflect this, many of the races of Athas have stronger racial abilities, or a larger number of them. But there are additional differences as well.
All characters created for games on Athas use Rolled Stats. Unlike Faerunian adventurers, however, Athasian characters roll 4d4+4 six times and then choose the order they will go in. This creates a range of scores from 8 to 20 with an average of 14.
Further, this rolling method causes a problem for characters who roll a 20 and then choose a race which gains +2 to that statistic. To offset this issue, treat any race with a +2 bonus to a given stat as having a natural cap of 22 for that statistic only. Other abilities which increase that cap (Such as a Barbarian’s Primal Champion) increase the advanced Natural Cap by the normal amount (A Mul Barbarian could have a final cap of 26 in Strength and Constitution, for example).
The Races of Athas:
The Races of Athas are slightly different from the standard 5th edition racial selection. Firstly, there are no subraces on Athas. In the wake of the Cleansing Wars the population of Athas was decimated, with many entire races completely wiped out. There are no Orcs upon Athas. No Half Orcs. No Gnomes. Tieflings were never a people, and the Dragonborn… well. Consequently, the remaining elves have coalesced into a single elven race rather than having wood elves and sand elves and high elves. The same could be said of Dwarves and Halflings.
This document reintroduces the concept of Low-Light Vision for player and DM use. While it can increase the workload of both the DM and the players, it increases the differences between races, creates situations which do not often occur at a standard 5e table, and creates a different feel for the party, as now Humans are not alone in needing torchlight to navigate dungeons and tombs.
Humans:
+1 to all stats
30ft Movement
Versatility: +1 Skill, +1 Feat
Dwarves:
+2 Con, +1 Str
25ft Movement
Darkvision: 60ft
Dwarven Resilience: Advantage to Saves vs Poison
Tool Proficiency: One Artisan’s Toolset.
Stonecunning: Advantage to Skills relating to Stone.
Focus: Choose one goal. Gain advantage to all skill checks pertaining to that goal until you achieve it. Then choose a new goal.
Enduring: Gain advantage to checks to resist exhaustion. Half rations for food and water.
Elves:
+2 Dex, +1 Str
40ft Movement
Low Light Vision: Treat light source radii as twice as large (Torch is 40ft bright, 40ft dim)
Keen Senses: Perception Proficiency
Elf Run State: DC 10 Con Save to enter. Cannot take short or long rests in Run State. Able to hustle for 48 hours, then makes a Con Save DC 15. If you succeed, you can run for another 48 hours. Then DC 20. Then 25. Then 30. Then 35. When you fail, gain 1 level of exhaustion and exit Elf Run State.
Trance: Long rests are 4 hours of sleep, and 4 hours of light activity.
Defiled Skin: +2 AC versus Spell Attack Rolls.
Weapon Training: Spear, Javelin, Longbow, and Shortbow proficiency.
Half Elves:
+2 Dex, +1 to one stat.
30ft Movement
Low Light Vision: Treat light source radii as twice as large (Torch is 40ft bright, 40ft dim)
Elven Heritage: Perception Proficiency
Human Heritage: +1 Skill
Animal Friends: Gain Animal Handling Proficiency. You gain use of the Command spell targeting animals only, once you have used this ability you must complete a short or long rest before using it again.
Wastelander: On a successful DC 15 Survival check you find sufficient food and water to provide for yourself, even in the most inhospitable portions of Athas.
Halflings:
+2 Dex, +1 Str
25ft Movement
Keen Senses: Perception Proficiency
Slippery: Advantage to escape grapples, bonds, or cages.
Brave: Advantage to avoid Fear.
Lucky: When you roll a 1 on a d20, reroll it.
Nimble: Move through squares of medium or larger creatures.
Stealthy: Can hide while only partially obscured.
Mul
+2 Str, +2 Con
30ft Movement
Darkvision: 30ft
Extraordinary Stamina: Resistance to Poison Damage, Advantage vs Disease. Advantage vs Exhaustion. One water ration, per day, regardless of heat. Hold breath twice as long.
Perfect Laborer: Double carrying capacity, including push/drag/lift.
Efficient Rest: Long rests are 4 hours of Sleep, 4 hours of light activity.
Uncommon Races
Aarakocra
Dex +2, Wis +1
25ft Movement
Flight: 50ft movement rate. While flying, you occupy a 10ft cube. Flying within 100ft of the ground during the hottest portion of the day incurs a level of exhaustion after 3 consecutive rounds. You cannot fly while wearing Medium or Heavy armor, or carrying a heavy load. If you are wounded you are unable to fly.
Hollow Bones: An Aarakocra’s carrying capacity is halved, but they gain advantage on athletics and acrobatics checks made to jump, balance, or swim.
Talons: You are proficient with your unarmed strikes which deal 1d4 slashing damage and are treated as light, offhand, weapons.
Half Giant
Str +2, Con +2, Int -1,
35ft Movement
Hulking Form: Large for Grappling purposes, double food and water rations, double armor costs, double carrying capacity, able to wield Versatile weapons one-handed and deal damage as if wielding two handed.
Boulder Thrower: You gain proficiency with thrown improvised weapons.
Stone’s Endurance: When you take damage you can use your reaction to roll 1d12+Con and reduce the damage by that amount, once per short rest.
Desert Stone: You are acclimated to desert life and do not need to make saving throws against extreme heat.
Alignment Shift: Every long rest, your alignment shifts. If you are traveling with companions, your alignment becomes the same as one of theirs, chosen randomly. If alone, roll 2d3 to determine alignment.
Thri-Kreen
+2 Con, +1 Dex
40ft Movement
Darkvision: 60ft
Chitinous Armor: AC 13+Dex
Leaper: Double Jump Distances
Sleepless: Long rests are 8 hours of light activity.
Extra Limbs: May ready 2 additional items.
Bite: Special attack action, 1 damage melee weapon attack with no stat mod, target must save or be poisoned for 1 minute. DC 8+Prof+Con. If failed by 5 or more, target falls asleep for duration.
Other Races:
At your DM’s discretion, you may play a Half-Orc, a Gnome, a Tiefling, or other strange races in the world. Such characters would be rare in the extreme, sometimes representing the last remaining member of their kind on the face of the Burned World. Of the races in the Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Yuan-Ti stand out as a race which in Athas would be considered Uncommon, rather than Rare or Exceptional.
Serpent Cults in Athas are not unheard of, and dark rituals of defilement using obsidian blades to sacrifice sentient beings to evil powers sometimes result in the creation, or advancement, of Yuan-Ti. Such rituals do not actually invoke extraplanar entities and their powers, instead the arcane magic used in the ritual is the true source of the defiling magic which creates these serpentfolk, not always of their own volition.
Yuan-Ti in Athas are defiled individuals, even if they are unaware of it, and are attacked on sight by the Druids of Athas. It would take an extreme situation to create pause long enough to discuss, or join forces, against a larger threat to keep a druid from killing a Yuan-Ti, or dying in the attempt.
Athas is a harsh world where water and food are scarce, where monsters are dangerous, and where villainy is cruel and grandiose. Player characters who venture into the Tyr region are stronger, hardier, and generally more powerful than you might find in other worlds. To reflect this, many of the races of Athas have stronger racial abilities, or a larger number of them. But there are additional differences as well.
All characters created for games on Athas use Rolled Stats. Unlike Faerunian adventurers, however, Athasian characters roll 4d4+4 six times and then choose the order they will go in. This creates a range of scores from 8 to 20 with an average of 14.
Further, this rolling method causes a problem for characters who roll a 20 and then choose a race which gains +2 to that statistic. To offset this issue, treat any race with a +2 bonus to a given stat as having a natural cap of 22 for that statistic only. Other abilities which increase that cap (Such as a Barbarian’s Primal Champion) increase the advanced Natural Cap by the normal amount (A Mul Barbarian could have a final cap of 26 in Strength and Constitution, for example).
The Races of Athas:
The Races of Athas are slightly different from the standard 5th edition racial selection. Firstly, there are no subraces on Athas. In the wake of the Cleansing Wars the population of Athas was decimated, with many entire races completely wiped out. There are no Orcs upon Athas. No Half Orcs. No Gnomes. Tieflings were never a people, and the Dragonborn… well. Consequently, the remaining elves have coalesced into a single elven race rather than having wood elves and sand elves and high elves. The same could be said of Dwarves and Halflings.
This document reintroduces the concept of Low-Light Vision for player and DM use. While it can increase the workload of both the DM and the players, it increases the differences between races, creates situations which do not often occur at a standard 5e table, and creates a different feel for the party, as now Humans are not alone in needing torchlight to navigate dungeons and tombs.
Humans:
+1 to all stats
30ft Movement
Versatility: +1 Skill, +1 Feat
Dwarves:
+2 Con, +1 Str
25ft Movement
Darkvision: 60ft
Dwarven Resilience: Advantage to Saves vs Poison
Tool Proficiency: One Artisan’s Toolset.
Stonecunning: Advantage to Skills relating to Stone.
Focus: Choose one goal. Gain advantage to all skill checks pertaining to that goal until you achieve it. Then choose a new goal.
Enduring: Gain advantage to checks to resist exhaustion. Half rations for food and water.
Elves:
+2 Dex, +1 Str
40ft Movement
Low Light Vision: Treat light source radii as twice as large (Torch is 40ft bright, 40ft dim)
Keen Senses: Perception Proficiency
Elf Run State: DC 10 Con Save to enter. Cannot take short or long rests in Run State. Able to hustle for 48 hours, then makes a Con Save DC 15. If you succeed, you can run for another 48 hours. Then DC 20. Then 25. Then 30. Then 35. When you fail, gain 1 level of exhaustion and exit Elf Run State.
Trance: Long rests are 4 hours of sleep, and 4 hours of light activity.
Defiled Skin: +2 AC versus Spell Attack Rolls.
Weapon Training: Spear, Javelin, Longbow, and Shortbow proficiency.
Half Elves:
+2 Dex, +1 to one stat.
30ft Movement
Low Light Vision: Treat light source radii as twice as large (Torch is 40ft bright, 40ft dim)
Elven Heritage: Perception Proficiency
Human Heritage: +1 Skill
Animal Friends: Gain Animal Handling Proficiency. You gain use of the Command spell targeting animals only, once you have used this ability you must complete a short or long rest before using it again.
Wastelander: On a successful DC 15 Survival check you find sufficient food and water to provide for yourself, even in the most inhospitable portions of Athas.
Halflings:
+2 Dex, +1 Str
25ft Movement
Keen Senses: Perception Proficiency
Slippery: Advantage to escape grapples, bonds, or cages.
Brave: Advantage to avoid Fear.
Lucky: When you roll a 1 on a d20, reroll it.
Nimble: Move through squares of medium or larger creatures.
Stealthy: Can hide while only partially obscured.
Mul
+2 Str, +2 Con
30ft Movement
Darkvision: 30ft
Extraordinary Stamina: Resistance to Poison Damage, Advantage vs Disease. Advantage vs Exhaustion. One water ration, per day, regardless of heat. Hold breath twice as long.
Perfect Laborer: Double carrying capacity, including push/drag/lift.
Efficient Rest: Long rests are 4 hours of Sleep, 4 hours of light activity.
Uncommon Races
Aarakocra
Dex +2, Wis +1
25ft Movement
Flight: 50ft movement rate. While flying, you occupy a 10ft cube. Flying within 100ft of the ground during the hottest portion of the day incurs a level of exhaustion after 3 consecutive rounds. You cannot fly while wearing Medium or Heavy armor, or carrying a heavy load. If you are wounded you are unable to fly.
Hollow Bones: An Aarakocra’s carrying capacity is halved, but they gain advantage on athletics and acrobatics checks made to jump, balance, or swim.
Talons: You are proficient with your unarmed strikes which deal 1d4 slashing damage and are treated as light, offhand, weapons.
Half Giant
Str +2, Con +2, Int -1,
35ft Movement
Hulking Form: Large for Grappling purposes, double food and water rations, double armor costs, double carrying capacity, able to wield Versatile weapons one-handed and deal damage as if wielding two handed.
Boulder Thrower: You gain proficiency with thrown improvised weapons.
Stone’s Endurance: When you take damage you can use your reaction to roll 1d12+Con and reduce the damage by that amount, once per short rest.
Desert Stone: You are acclimated to desert life and do not need to make saving throws against extreme heat.
Alignment Shift: Every long rest, your alignment shifts. If you are traveling with companions, your alignment becomes the same as one of theirs, chosen randomly. If alone, roll 2d3 to determine alignment.
Thri-Kreen
+2 Con, +1 Dex
40ft Movement
Darkvision: 60ft
Chitinous Armor: AC 13+Dex
Leaper: Double Jump Distances
Sleepless: Long rests are 8 hours of light activity.
Extra Limbs: May ready 2 additional items.
Bite: Special attack action, 1 damage melee weapon attack with no stat mod, target must save or be poisoned for 1 minute. DC 8+Prof+Con. If failed by 5 or more, target falls asleep for duration.
Other Races:
At your DM’s discretion, you may play a Half-Orc, a Gnome, a Tiefling, or other strange races in the world. Such characters would be rare in the extreme, sometimes representing the last remaining member of their kind on the face of the Burned World. Of the races in the Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Yuan-Ti stand out as a race which in Athas would be considered Uncommon, rather than Rare or Exceptional.
Serpent Cults in Athas are not unheard of, and dark rituals of defilement using obsidian blades to sacrifice sentient beings to evil powers sometimes result in the creation, or advancement, of Yuan-Ti. Such rituals do not actually invoke extraplanar entities and their powers, instead the arcane magic used in the ritual is the true source of the defiling magic which creates these serpentfolk, not always of their own volition.
Yuan-Ti in Athas are defiled individuals, even if they are unaware of it, and are attacked on sight by the Druids of Athas. It would take an extreme situation to create pause long enough to discuss, or join forces, against a larger threat to keep a druid from killing a Yuan-Ti, or dying in the attempt.