We have any 4e Dark Sun Lovers here?

[computertrucker]

We have any 4e Dark Sun Lovers here by chance?

[Llyle]

4e, yes! Dark Sun, I'm about to try it

[LordEntrails]

I played a little 3/3.5 DS many years ago but the campaign died after only a few sessions. Have loved the setting, but don't really know it very well. Someday I'll get back to it, but not today

[Llyle]

I played a little 3/3.5 DS many years ago but the campaign died after only a few sessions. Have loved the setting, but don't really know it very well. Someday I'll get back to it, but not today

Too bad! We are 4 players now, unless a new one has contacted the DM since we last talked. The list of house rules is not only extensive and amazingly intriguing, but also reflecting the flavour of Dark Sun. The DM seems to have the rare gift of putting the feel of a setting into rules. I might put the houserules up here, as far as I have it, so that all our players can access them and others might be inspired.

[spite]

Too bad! We are 4 players now, unless a new one has contacted the DM since we last talked. The list of house rules is not only extensive and amazingly intriguing, but also reflecting the flavour of Dark Sun. The DM seems to have the rare gift of putting the feel of a setting into rules. I might put the houserules up here, as far as I have it, so that all our players can access them and others might be inspired.

Yes please, I'd be keen to see them. Always interested in how other DMs run games, so I can poach the coolest stuff!

[Llyle]

Yes please, I'd be keen to see them. Always interested in how other DMs run games, so I can poach the coolest stuff!

Okay, I'll try to get to it today, but it's quite a list and I have to format it a bit.

[Llyle]

computertrucker's
House Rules
for the Dark Sun setting, played in D&D 4e

Our DM has played and DMed the Dark Sun Setting since it first came out, while I haven't evere played it. Personally I don't know if these rules make sense for the setting, I can only say they make sense to me as far as I have understood them. If things described/ruled in here don't reflect how you understand the setting, by all means ignore it
I'm posting this for our 'homebrew' Dark Sun FG group as reference and I'll be updating stuff that changes and add in house rules that we add later on.

In our game we will be using the official 4th Edition Dark Sun Campaign Setting book with some modifications and optional rules, as posted below.

General house rules

1. POWER FEATS
Feats that let you chose a power instead of choosing one of your class, such as an encounter or daily power, add that power as an additional power rather than forcing you to swap one of your class powers. The powers still count as whatever they were originally listed (Encounter, Daily, etc.). You must also still meet any other Prerequisites.

2. POWERS: IN COMBAT vs OUT OF COMBAT
Most powers have combat specific rules. They also have fluff text on what that power does. During out of combat situations your powers can be used. The DM and the player will determine what they do in those situations based on the fluff text.
Note: Encounter powers can be used once every 15 minutes or roughly once per short rest when outside combat.

3. HIT POINTS and HEALING SURGES
In our campaign, a character's hit points represent a combination of both stamina and life. As a character takes damage they are primarily being winded from combat,that is, until they become bloodied, at which point bruises, cuts, and pain starts to set in.
This campaign is supposed to have a slightly more realistic and gritty feel. Therefore, the following house rule will be in place when dealing with Healing Surges.

a) When a character takes an extended rest, they will not automatically regain any HP. They will have to spend Healing Surges to regain HP, but will gain one Bonus Healing Surge to do that. At the end of the extended rest they will regain their healing surges for the next day. The Bonus Healing Surge will not be available if they are bloodied, or suffering from 4 levels or more of Exhaustion (see house rule on Exhaustion), unless certain conditions are met. If a character is bloodied, they can still gain the Bonus Healing Surge, if a successful healing check (DC 15) is made on them before they begin the rest, which includes proper bandaging. If the character is suffering from exhaustion, they must tend to the effect that has caused the exhaustion, so for example, if they are suffering from dehydration, they must get water. If they are suffering from extreme weather (heat/cold) they must find a way to shelter themselves from it.

b) During a Short Rest players may spend only one Healing Surge. If they are bloodied, a Heal check is necessary, using the same rules as above. However, they may benefit from healing powers from healers etc. regardless if that includes spending Healing Surges. You might think this has no consequence, as there's no limit on how many short rests a group can take, but sometimes time will be important, and as usual, each short rest takes 5 minutes.

It is highly encouraged to use the Healing Surge effects granted by your groups healers/leader types. As usually they give bonuses to the amount healed.

4. SHOOTING INTO MELEE
Fighting in melee combat gains you cover against ranged attacks. Large or larger creatures don't get this benefit. You are considered to be in melee combat if you are within (their) melee reach of an opponent that is fighting against you.

5. TARGETING INVISIBLE CREATURES WITH RANGED POWERS
Before you can target an invisible enemy that is outside your melee reach with a ranged attack, you have to succeed with a Perception check (minor action) with a -5 penalty. The DC for this is the higher of 15 or the stealth check of the enemy.

6. RITUAL CASTING
a) There is no gold cost to cast rituals, some rituals may require a healing surge though. Some rituals will will need components to cast, some of the components are rare and hard to find, this might lead to quests to locate and obtain certain components.

b) PCs can cast a number of Rituals per day equal to their primary attribute modifier plus half their level. They can choose to cast more rituals than they are normally allowed by losing a healing surge.

c) The Ritual Caster feat is based off what type of magic you are casting. So A wizard is allowed to use their feat to cast Arcane rituals, not divine ones. That would take a seperate feat.

7. PETS AND SUMMONED CREATURES
They can attack individually with a basic attack, it doesn't take your character to use an action for it every round. So PCs like a beast master can still fight while his companion does. However special attacks will take direction and you'll have to use the proper action. (comment: I feel this would unbalance/overpower some combinations too much, but our DM says that balance is fine until it's against common sense, and I see his point)

8. GOOD ROLEPLAY REWARDS
Action Points will be given out for good roleplay. This doesn't mean any change in the Milestone mechanic, the PC only gets an extra Action Point, usage of which is still within normal rules.

9. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
You don't only have one immediate action per round, but one per turn.

- post too long, max of 10000 characters limit - continuing in another post with Dark Sun specific house rules-

[Llyle]

Dark Sun specific house rules

I. FIXED ENHANCEMENT BONUSES
Use the bonuses according to the 4th Edition Dark Sun Campaign Setting book, not the DMG2. (The difference being that the DMG2 version does not include extra crit dice)

II. WEAPON QUALITY AND BREAKAGE
We will be utilizing weapon quality and breakage optional rules.

Breakage
a) When making an attack roll with a weapon, if a natural 1 is rolled there is a chance that the weapon breaks. Make a special saving throw for the weapon that was used. This saving throw doesn't benefit from any usual bonuses you might have, but you get a bonus based off the material of the weapon. Enhancement bonuses of the weapon are added to the save as well.

Weapon Material Save Bonus (10+)
Wood none (+0)
Stone/Obsidian +2
Bone +4
Metal +6

b) A broken weapon may be able to be repaired, it depends on the weapon and situation. Warsmith as Background (to be able to repair your broken weapons): possible, but talk with DM about details.
Depending on the situation, the broken weapon can still be used, but would have no proficiency bonus and one lower dmg die. Broken magic weapons would still contain their magic, so any item powers/properties will usually still function, but as always, the DM has the last word on this.

Quality
Most people of Athas will never own a steel weapon and those that have trained with weapons have learned to make due with weapons made of lesser quality materials. Thus, any weapon that is made of steel in Dark Sun has a Proficiency bonus that is +1 higher than what is usually listed for that weapon. For example a steel dagger would have a +4 proficiency bonus. Steel weapons also have a +1 bonus to damage rolls.

III. EXHAUSTION, WATER and HEAT
The scorching heat of the crimson sun of Athas, and the bone chilling cold of the nights in the open desert play an important part of survival in a Dark Sun campaign. In the desert water is more valuable than gold or treasure, and the sun can cook flesh from the bone. Those who are left exposed to the elements without protection (or even sometimes with) can suffer debilitating effects of that exposure, the same is true for those who go without water.
We will be using the following system for Exhaustion within the campaign. Exhaustion is measured in levels. An effect or condition can give a creature one or more levels of Exhaustion.

Level Effect
1 -2 penalty to ability checks and skill checks
2 Speed is halved
3 Character grants combat advantage, and suffers a -2 penalty to saving throws
4 Character’s HP maximum drops to his bloodied value.*
5 The Character becomes bed ridden speed drops to 0

* even with magical healing a PC cannot regain HP above his original bloody value until the exhaustion level drops. The new Exhaustion HP maximum comes with a new "Exhaustion bloody value" and "Exhaustion Healing Surge value", that are to be used in all regards, until the HP maximum rises back to the usual maximum.

A player suffers all of the conditions of their exhaustion level combined with previous levels.
Once a character reaches Exhaustion level 5, if they are called to make another Endurance check and fail, they must then make a special saving throw with only a bonus to it equal to their CON modifier. If they fail both of these the character dies.
A player can lower the level of exhaustion after an extended rest, given they are not still suffering from the effects or conditions that applied it.
Exhaustion of all sources is cunulative.

Water: Characters must consume at least a gallon of water a day. If they do not, they must make an endurance check (DC15) at the end of the day. If they fail this check they gain one level of Exhaustion. Each day they go without water the DC for the check Increases by +5. Remember, each gallon of water weighs 8lbs.

Some races may have racial benefits that extend the duration of each consumption such as the Thri-Kreen which is a creature of the desert.

Extreme Heat and Cold: Characters left exposed to the elements with no protection must also succeed with an Endurance check (DC10) at the end of each day, or gain a level of exhaustion. The DC for this is increased to 15 if the characters are performing strenuous tasks or travelling the desert. Characters that have at least some protection but are still performing strenuous tasks or travelling the desert must still make an Endurance check but do so at a DC 10. Each day of continuous exposure increases the DC by +2.

Below is a chart of Character races that have either have the Desert Creature or Desert Dweller special rule.

Desert Creatures only need 1 gallon per week ( = 5 days in the Dark Sun setting). Desert Dwellers need half a gallon per day.
Thri-kreen Desert Creature
Athasian Elf Desert Dweller
Dray (Dragonborn) Desert Dweller

IV. ARCANE MAGIC and DEFILING
We will use the rules presented in the in the 4e Dark Sun Campaign Setting book, for arcane spell casters, with the following modifications:

Any arcane class can choose to defile when using ANY power (attack or utility) with the Arcane keyword.
When an arcane spell/power is used, the character can decide to defile as a free action but must declare they are defiling before making any rolls. If they do so they use the Arcane Defiling power as described below.

--------------------------------------------------------
Arcane Defiling Class Feature
You draw upon the vitality of nearby life to fuel your magic, heedless of the harm you cause to the land and your allies.
At Will * Arcane, Necrotic
Free Action Personal
Trigger: You choose to use a Power with the Arcane Keyword. You must choose to trigger this before determining any outcome of the Power.
Effect: The range and duration of the triggering power is doubled, and the size of blasts and bursts is increased by 1. Area Walls gain only +1 square. You may re-roll the attack roll and the damage roll of the power if you choose. If you re-roll you must keep the second roll.
Special: You defile an area around you. Turning the ground to ash and draining the living energy from those around you.

At-Will Attack Powers/ Utility Powers defile an area equal to Close Burst 1
Encounter Attack Powers defile an area equal to Close Burst 2
Daily Attack Powers defile an area equal to Close burst 3

These areas increase by 1 each at level 11, and by 2 (compared to heroic) each at level 21. This means the character level, not the level of the spell.
When Defiling in in Barren lands and deserts double the size of the blast or burst that is effected. For example an area burst 3 would become an area burst 6.
Any creature within the area of defilement grants combat advantage, and suffers a -2 penalty to all attack rolls and Skill checks until the end of your next turn.
--------------------------------------------------------

V. CONCEALING ARCANE MAGIC
When you defile, you turn the land around you to ash as emerald strands of energy stream from the ground to the caster making it impossible to conceal.

Somatic Concealment: Casters may attempt to conceal spells they cast when not defiling (called preserving). When attempting to conceal your spell casting, make a Bluff check against an opposed Perception, Insight or Arcana check.
Encounter Powers are harder to conceal and receive a -2 to penalty to the Bluff check. Daily Powers are the hardest to conceal and suffer a -5 penalty to the Bluff check.

- post too long, max of 10000 characters limit - continuing in another post -

[Llyle]

Dark Sun specific house rules - continued

VI. PSIONICS
Psionics in this campaign are not considered magic. Therefore, things such as Detect Magic or Dispel Magic will not affect psionic powers or abilities. The same is true for the opposite.
Arcane casters delve through tomes of ancient magic, priests and those who follow higher powers perform religious ceremonies, and shamans and druids call upon the primordial and elemental guardians of the world in sacred rituals. Those who have mastered the Way (Psionics) though, look internally. Entering into deep meditation to unlock the powers of their minds and body.

Meditative Focus: Psionic classes presented in the 4e books are given access to ritual casting. However, in our campaign, there will be a house rule for psionic characters called Meditative Focus, which they will have access to instead of the Ritual Caster feat. All classes who gain Power Points are considered psionic classes for the rest of the house rules (sorry no Monks)
While other ritual casters can learn rituals from spell books or scrolls, psionic characters devote themselves to hours of meditation or physical exertion and exercises to find a perfect focus within their disciplines and unlock their minds and bodies. While those who perform rituals can learn and attempt to cast a multitude of spells, magic can be fickle, an external power that is hard to control, and often requires expensive components. A master of the Way requires only his mind or body, which he is in total control of. While this may limit somewhat the number of options a psionic character has available to them: the ones they have learned, and the ones they meditate to unlock, they never have to worry about failing them, since it's thier own focus and not an external force. Psionic characters can use their implements when performing their meditations to achieve even greater focus.
Like rituals, meditative focuses have a consistent format:

Name and Flavor Text.
Level: The required to unlock the Meditative Focus.
Category (Psionic discipline): This is the discipline that the meditative focus is associated with. Characters using a Meditative Focus within their discipline will gain a bonus to its effect listed in the Meditative Focus's description.
Time: The amount of time meditating required to achieve the focus.
Duration: How long the focus or effect lasts once the meditation has ended.
Effects: The text that follows describing what happens either while you are meditating or after you finishing performing your meditation.

There are no component costs, market price, or key skills needed to utilize a meditative focus.
Starting Meditations: A psionic character with this ability starts with 1 Meditative Focus at level 1. Each time they earn new power points they unlock a new Meditative Focus. When they learn a new meditative focus they may choose any Meditative Focus with a level equal or lower than their current level. Any time a Psionic character retrain an attack power, they may also retrain a single Meditative Focus in addition to the attack power. The new Meditative Focus can be of any level equal to the character’s level or lower. (Meaning that, after a while, the character can have all his focuses at higher level than the level he got them)

Using Meditative Focuses: When a psionic character wishes to use a Meditative focus they must enter a state of meditation for the time listed for the power. Once they have finished the Meditation the power becomes active for the duration of that power.
While some Meditative Focus powers have only a single effect, many have different tiers of effectiveness. When a psionic character uses a Meditative Focus he does so at tier level 1. He or she gains 1 bonus tier if the character is using a power within his discipline. He or she gains an additional bonus tier of effectiveness and level 11, and a final tier of effectiveness at level 21.
Psionic Characters are also limited in how many Meditative Focuses they can use per day without straining their endurance. This is equal to 1+ their primary ability modifier. At level 11 they gain an additional Meditative Focus per day, and at level 21 they gain one last additional Meditative Focus per day.
However, once they have reached their usual maximum amount of Meditative Focuses per day, a character can choose to lose one of their healing surges to use another Meditative Focus. They can lose as many healing surges as they have remaining, but gain no healing effects from it. Instead they are utilizing all of their body's endurance and control to go beyond their normal boundaries.

NEW FEAT
Tranquil Meditation
Benefit: You gain one additional Meditative Focus per day. This feat may be taken once per tier.

LIST OF MEDITATIVE FOUSES
-to be done-

Character Creation

VII. RACES
No Orcs, Half-orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Gnolls, Pixies, Gnomes, Bugbears as they are extinct. (more may be posted later)

VIII. DIVINE CLASSES
Possible. Usually it is best set up if you are one to be a disciple of one of the Sorceror Kings/queens (IE templar Background/Theme) As they can grant their followers powers much like gods can, even though some of it is Arcane.

IX. RACE ADJUSTMENTS

a) Muls: Muls don't need to roll endurance checks against Exhaustion for hard labor, for 72 hours. After that they have to roll endurance as normal. (Note: Muls are effected by Exhaustion for lack of water or food as normal) Furthermore Muls can carry 1.5 times the weight before becoming encumbered.

b) Goliaths: Size: large, +1 melee reach, damage dice increased for large weapons (including weapons of the unarmed group), 4 gallons of water/day in the desert instead of only 1 gallon.

c) Thri-Kreen: Thri-Kreen are as written within the Dark Sun Player’s Handbook 4e with the following changes:
Natural Exoskeleton: Thri-Kreen are covered with a Hard Exoskeleton shell. This exoskeleton provides the Thri-Kreen with a +3 [+4 at paragon, +5 at epic] bonus to AC. However, Thri-Kreen may not wear armor. For each day a Thri-Kreen spends in a very humid or wet area the bonus to their AC decreases by 1 for each day. The bonus recovers at a rate of +1 per day up the original value, once you're out of the humid area.
Desert Creatures: Thri-Kreen are creatures of the desert. As such they can survive for long periods of time with little to no water. Thri-Kreen only need 1 gallon of water per 5 days to survive, after which they must take Exhaustion checks as normal. Thri-Kreen suffer no ill effects from natural heat, and do not need to make Exhaustion checks due to it.
Antennae: Thri-Kreen have antennae that help them to balance and sense their surroundings. If they suffer from a blinding effect or total darkness they treat targets as only having normal concealment instead of total concealment and only receive a -5 penalty to perception checks instead of -10. This also counts as 'seeing' the enemy, if a prerequisite/requirement is to be met, but a perception check as minor action has to confirm it.
Vulnerability 5 (force, bludgeoning): Due to their exoskeleton Thri-Kreen are more susceptible to attacks with the Force keyword or bludgeoning weapons such as hammers, and maces. (The DM will decide if a certain attack counts as bludgeoning in this regard.) Thri-Kreen have Vulnerability 5 to attacks from those sources. This is one vulnerability, not two, so if an attack with a hammer deals force damage, it triggers only +5 damage.

d) Athasian Elves and Dray (Dragonborn): These are Desert Dwellers and have benefits regarding Exhaustion, see house rule #III.

X. ABILITY STAT ARRAY
You can use this stat array: 18,16,15,13,12,10 (only this array, no variations of point distribution)

XI. STARTING EQUIPMENT
Starting Equipment will be one item: Either a steel weapon, OR a magic item. (Since we start at level 6, the item, if you choose a magic item, is allowed to be of a level up to 10. In any case speak with the DM, as some items are banned.)

XII. WILD TALENT
You either get a free Wild Talent (page 81 of the 4e Dark Sun Campaign Setting book), or a free feat. If you choose to take the free feat, you can't take the Wild Talent Master feat, even at later times.

XIII. THEMES
a) The powers granted by your theme are bonus powers. As you level you get them seperately from the normal leveling chart. In normal 4e you have to choose the powers instead of your class powers. In this campaign you get the optional powers in addition to you regular powers.
b) All themes are allowed, unless they just make no sense in the setting, ask the DM about how to work your theme in.

[Llyle]

Well, that's it for now. I already said it's quite the list, needed three posts to get everything in! Anyway, I'll be updating them with any changes that come up and new stuff we add in later. Have fun reading!