What books do you recommend for this game?(3.5)

[Jair Barik]

I have an idea for a game that I would like to run and was wondering what books people would recommend for running it. Basically I was thinking a post apocalyptic desert setting where there is no (or very little) magic (no wizards/sorcerers) as the art of magic was lost during the cataclysm. Was thinking of possibly using heavy psionics but don't have the expanded psionics book (I realise its mostly all up on srd but I dislike using the website completely, prefer physically being able to look through a book to find what I need) and was wondering whether to get it (and go for psionics) or not get it (and have no arcane or psionic magic at all).

Also was wondering what other books people would recommend for the above idea based on what I've said. I realise of course no sourcebooks are necessary as everything can be homebrewed but I would like recommendations nonetheless.

[Salt_Crow]

Isn't that what Dark Sun's all about?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Sandstorm would be a decent choice. Tome of Battle would help make up for the lack of spellcasters, particularly divine healing.

If you're going to use psionics, definitely take a look at the Mind's Eye archive. Psionics is a very well balanced system overall, and it would definitely help maintain the fantasy flavor of the setting in the absence of magic.

[kamikasei]

Sandstorm is of course obvious, and the XPH if you don't want to rely on the SRD. Complete Psionic, while flawed, does include at least one class (the Ardent) which will help fill in for missing divine casters.

Along with Tome of Battle, and for the same reason, Complete Adventurer and Complete Scoundrel will be helpful to give skillmonkeys more options in the absence of magic.

[Jair Barik]

Sorry but I wasn't clear.
No arcane magic but divine magic will still be in the game. Actually its not that there won't be any arcane magic, those with dragon blood (traditionally sorcerers) will still exist but their weakened powers mean they aren't as strong (thus there will be bards and bards can take draconic heritage feats)

Was also going to include a shapeshift and druid nerf, namely that you have to have seen a creature to shapeshift into it and animal companions must be setting appropriate.

What's Dark Sun?

[kamikasei]

Was also going to include a shapeshift and druid nerf, namely that you have to have seen a creature to shapeshift into it and animal companions must be setting appropriate.

You might consider the shapeshift Druid variant from the Player's Handbook II. Instead of choosing animals and getting their stats, you have a limited list of forms that you can fluff however you like but that just provide a fixed assortment of ability boosts and special abilities.

What's Dark Sun?

A setting for 2e, though it has a 3.5 conversion. It's a desert world where arcane magic draws on the energy of living things, meaning unchecked magic use in the past ravaged the land, and arcanists now are (understandably) persecuted. The gods are apparently absent and divine casters draw their powers from the elemental planes. Psionics is the chief power source.

[Jair Barik]

Cool. Sounds similar to what I was thinking but I think I'd rather make my own setting anyway.

[Eldariel]

Dark Sun is a campaign settings for...well, just this. Look it up, it's friggin' awesome! Mostly Psionics instead of Arcane Magic but there are two small sects of Arcane Magic that try to stay hidden as arcane spells draw power from the environment and there's precious little of that left so it consumes the place to use the power.

One group tries to minimize the damage while other is the Sith-kinda "UNLIMITED POWER"-thing. And yeah, Psionics are accepted since it's internal power thus not consuming the surroundings.

[bosssmiley]

What's Dark Sun?

Dark Sun Results 1 - 10 of about 70,000,000 for Dark Sun. (0.58 seconds)

Essentially it's a sword-and-planet setting (think Barsoom or Sea-Kings of Mars) for D&D.

Psionic sorceror-kings lord it over city-states on a dying world. Cannibalistic halflings. Hairless monomaniac dwarves. Plains-dwelling elves who'll stab you as soon as look at you. An entire race of Vin Diesel. Unique undead. Elemental clerics. Wizards who defile the land with their casting. Gladiators and slave armies. Warrior-merchants and riding lizards. Water and steel as treasures worth fighting over.

Oh, and the only dragon in the world (who's also an epic-level wiz//psion gestalt) runs a protection racket.

If you think you can make a cooler setting than Dark Sun, then you are probably the design team that put together Planescape.

[Yora]

What's Dark Sun?

IBasically I was thinking a post apocalyptic desert setting where there is no (or very little) magic (no wizards/sorcerers) as the art of magic was lost during the cataclysm. Was thinking of possibly using heavy psionics

That's Dark Sun!

[Jair Barik]

Thx, no longer need any more info on darksun.

Sandstorm had crossed my mind and I had considered Complete psionics, but the review of CP that i've read was pretty bad (main complaint being that its not "complete"). I have LoM and thought that in a relatively Psionic setting that would fit well (think I may base the campaign on some of its races) and I can think of a number of critters from other books that would work well (sand swarm shifting undead would be cool.) Perhaps I might actually make an arcane caster the main villain, perhaps not still working on the specifics.

[Troy9922]

Try reading genesis series by terry brooks I think that will answer you questions