(Copyright 1999 matt johnston)

An original campaign setting designed for the AD&D role-playing system

In February of 1999 I began to create a campaign setting of my own design, I wanted it to be of epic proportion, I hope I was successful.

I wanted a world where endless opportunity existed for adventures of all sorts without being monotonous and drab, (as I have seen in so many other more established settings: i.e. Forgotten Realms). I wanted a dynamic world where players could see the effects of what they were doing, no matter what they were doing. I wanted something fresh. This is what I came up with.

It is important to understand my methods in writing this, many gray areas were left and much historical and religious subjects were intentionally left sketchy so that the DM, could freely interpret the history and add his own specific details. This is, as yet, a virgin campaign and my intent was to give the DM a starting point for epic role-playing, not to dictate every facet of their game.

In essence this is a shell, a canvas where DM’s can paint their own picture, free of constraints, without the necessity of changing some of the broad-based details. I hope the reader will see it as such, and not assume that this is an incomplete work, though without players and dedicated individuals to run this campaign it will always stay incomplete.

A note about contents; the order in which I presented this material is such that it reflects my belief that a game should not be about numbers and dice, but instead should be about dynamics and playability. I believe that as a DM you should first understand the environment for role-playing before the specific tools are provided for that role-playing.

From the dawn of creation it seemed that all the creatures of Cronnas were doomed to endless strife, there was no peace. Racial hatred and savage tribal law governed all, for thousands of years this went on. The people of Cronnas were a chaotic and divided breed, and almost no advancement in technology, nor the mystical arts was made, people lived little better than the animals. Then terrible disaster struck the world as the Illithid stumbled across this ripe it, it took little time for the advanced Illithid to decimate the crude defenses of the divided tribes, and little effort to quickly enslave the populous to add them to the ranks of their war machine.

The Illithid quickly discovered a latent talent for Psionics in the people of Cronnas. Thinking this a great boon to their evil goals, the mind flayers quickly exploited this trait and trained the most powerful as personal bodyguards. All seemed well for the Illithids in their new home.

For ages the people of Cronnas were enslaved, their evil masters used them as elite troops in other planes, and on other worlds. As preferred slaves they were given preferred treatment they were allowed to keep their sun and stars, their land and homes, but all were tagged with a psionic parasitical tracking device.

It was during a time of great war for the Illithids in which many soldiers were taken to die on another world, that the Teachers, those non-Illithid that were in charge of training the troops, secretly instigated a silent rebellion. It was troubled times for the mind flayers as many of their slaves on another world, with the aid of a great Wizard, rose up and threw off the yoke of slavery, (Githyanki, Githzerai). The Illithid had grown too confident in the control over their slaves and lax in security. The people of Cronnas fought a valiant, brave, and destructive war against their one-time masters. As the Old Teachers told it, it was a war for independence and no effort could be spared. No effort was spared and the people, though bloody and beaten were victorious.

Nearly a thousand years passed, great advancements were made in the realm of magic and Psionics. As the last, and possibly greatest, of the Old Teachers passed on in FY 42 (FY: Free Year), he left behind a world in trouble. The old hatreds and petty disputes, thought long dead, surfaced again. And a once peaceful people were once again divided. The great civilization that once ruled the world broke up into small kingdoms and empires, each worse than the last.

It was in FY 56 that the Illithid once again returned, with new devices and spelljamming ships they attempted to retake what was once wholly theirs. It looked bleak for the people of Cronnas. All was not lost. Though no one could explain how or why, in the midnight sky above a great battle field there appeared a vision of Estranya, the last and greatest of the Old Teachers, accompanying him were others of his time. With the Greatest heroes of their history in the sky above them, the people of Cronnas regained lost spirit and renewed the fight. Still it was not enough, at the peak of battle when all could be lost or gained something spectacular happened, Estranya achieved godhood, and his first act was to decimate the frontlines of the Illithids invasion force. As truly the first and only god of Cronnas, Estranya was powerful indeed. His attack sent the invasion force reeling and for the first time in the in the months of fighting, the sun beat back the magically induced twilight created by the mind flayers. Others of the Old teachers soon also ascended, of them Alheed, Rysul, Styck, Rym and Styymos ranked the most powerful.

The Last War, as it is now called, lasted only a short time but its aftermath will be felt for many years. It is now NY 6, (NY: New Year) and the world has enjoyed a tentative peace. And a new era of renaissance has begun, much of what was destroyed has been rebuilt, but in the War Wastes brave adventurers still find leftover pockets of Illithid resistance seemingly left behind and forgotten by the wounded War machine they once fought for. Many of their creations still stalk the land; master-less they strive to find their own niche in the world, and woe the weary traveler that happens upon one of their ilk.

It is up to brave souls to venture forth in this land of treachery and wastelands, to restore knowledge long lost, and to bring peace to the frontiers of the War Wastes. Much of the world still awaits exploration as little knowledge of the world’s frontiers was ever given to the Cronnasians during their long enslavement, and there was precious little time to explore during the few years of real peace that reigned. Many now feel afraid of exploration, many fear that the mind flayers will return in greater numbers to at last recapture their favorite slaves, it is this fear that holds the people prisoner, and keeps the people wary of strangers.

Go forth brave soul and bring hope to a fearful land, seek out the unknown, and forge a path for peace in troubled times.

All statistical information presented here is provided on the basis of a player playing a specialty priest of this mythos. With the abundance of mystical knowledge in this campaign setting it is suggested that players not be allowed to play a general cleric as presented in the PHB, the use of specialty priests, I believe, enhances gameplay and makes the priest class much more appealing.

All descriptions of specific powers are provided at the end of this section for ease of use. All followers are as stated for the standard priest class in the PHB.

It is strange for a world to have no gods, immortals, or other worldly rulers. It is stranger still for a world to have no gods for such a long period of time, then just suddenly develop them.

Sages and philosophers hypothesize on whether the gods are truly gods or if they are a manifestation of the people’s need for something to believe in. The question is hotly debated in all parts of Cronnas and no easy answer is likely to come soon. But the fact remains that something occurred that fateful day on a darkened battlefield, and that something was significant, perhaps it was the absence of the gods that doomed the people of Cronnas to such constant embattlement. Perhaps now with that vacancy filled they can now achieve that peace they so desperately want and need.

Nevertheless it is a fact now that this is no longer a godless world. A complete list of deities and their portfolios follows.

Estranya:

Alignment: LG

God of: good, psionics, and peace

Followers: any good aligned

Estranya was the last of the living Old Teachers, upon his death the world quickly reverted back to chaos; thus it seems appropriate that he should be a god in death as he was all the hope these people had in his lifetime.

He was, in his lifetime, not only an Old Teacher, but also the leader of that now sacred group. It was he that was the first to realize the plight of his people and it was he that was the first to break free of his master’s mental control. After gaining his freedom he lent his strength to others of the Teachers and began plotting with them to form a plan of emancipation. It was his strength and courage that led and sustained the rebellion and without him it was surely doomed to fail

Priests of Estranya are a caring lot always ready to lend a helping hand; wise and compassionate these civic leaders are constantly on the vigil against all things evil. A priest of this order will go to great lengths to reform evil, but when reformation proves ineffective they can be deadly adversaries.

Required attributes: Wis 9

Required proficiencies: religion

Required wpn prof.: none

Wpn/Armor restrictions: None

Spheres: Major: All, Healing, Protection

Minor: Charm, and divination

Powers: Detect Evil 3/day, Turn Undead, permanent +1 to hit/damage vs. Evil, At 8^th level shapechange

Alheed:

Alignment: True Neutral

God of: Magic, The Ancestors

Followers: any

Even in ancient times long past, when savage tribes ruled the earth there was magic. Though crude and unwieldy, it did exist; its practitioners were tribal witch doctors and shaman. Their spells were often crude and many served no function but they did exist, during the time of imprisonment understanding of magic became great, but it was always looked upon as inferior, as it relied heavily on forces outside the body and mind of the practitioner. Alheed was reportedly the greatest mage to walk the earth and his aid in the freedom movement was a deciding factor in many battles.

Though magic is still looked down upon as barbaric, none can dispute its power, and since Alheeds ascension it has gained a new level of respect.

Priests of Alheed are of stringent bent; they rely heavily on arcane texts and old knowledge. They study the ancestors constantly in search of some great secret as to the origins of their crude magic. And they are constantly on the lookout for lost texts and old lore. Sadly many of their libraries and storehouses were destroyed in the Last War. This has left them crippled and the followers of this creed are just now starting to regroup and are constantly sending young heroes in search of lost tomes buried in the ruins of deserted cities.

Required Attributes: Wis 12, Int 13, N

Required Prof.: Spellcraft

Required Wpns: none

Wpn/Armor Restrictions: only Small, Quarterstaffs and slings, no armor, no shields

Other Restrictions: 1d6 for hit dice

Spheres: Major: All, Astral, Charm, Divination, Elemental, Healing, Protection, Summoning

Minor: Animal, Guardian, Necromantic, Plant, Sun, and Weather

Powers: Inspire Fear, Language/Communication, 1 new language per level (including animal), turn/control undead, at 3^rd level: infravision (as elf), At 4^th level: shapechange

Rysul:

Alignment: NG

Goddess of: Wisdom, Time

Followers: neutral, or good

Rysul the Compassionate was a woman of valor and a true provider of comfort and shelter during the rebellion. She sheltered the sick and weary and gave sage advice to her Teacher companions. She strove always for the wisest path, but never did she falter in her role as a leader. Decisive and quick she always was the first anyone asked for advice. In her troubled times she was a beacon of hope for the future. Now many look to her again for that hope and as always before in life she is there to give it.

Priests of Rysul are always encouraging exploration and the need to keep fear of the future from stopping people from peace and wise decisions. They are also the chroniclers of history, and have been in search of history books lost in the fallen kingdoms to patch the holes in their own incomplete records.

Required Attributes: Wis 13

Required Prof.: Religion

Required Wpns: none

Wpn/Armor Restrictions: none

Spheres: Major: All, Charm, Divination

Minor: Healing, Sun

Powers: Immunity to confusion and feeblemind spells, Soothing word, At 5^th level: inspire fear, At 8^th level: Prophecy, at 8^th level shapechange

Styymos:

Alignment: CN

God of: War, and protection

Followers: any

Possibly the greatest warrior of the rebellion was Styymos, a human, he possessed knowledge for tactics and strategy that was integral to the survival of the rebel forces. Many are the tale of his own men pulling him back from the killing fields when a retreat was necessary. He possessed a wild natural talent for the leading of troops, often inspiring them to victories others thought impossible.

Some called him over zealous, or barbaric, but the fact remains that he simply loved his people too much to watch them stagnate under the yoke of Illithid slavery.

Priests of Styymos do not promote violence and war, for wars sake. They promote war when war is necessary. In times of peace they train those not capable of tapping into the mystical arts, in the art of battle. They are noble and just in their wisdom, and strive always to teach their flock control over the inner animal, the ability to enter a berzerker rage, to become one with the battle. Their efforts are not in vain, for their initiates and trainees are sought far and wide for their expertise in battle, and their knowledge of the art of war.

Required Attributes: WIS 9, STR 13

Required Nwpn prof.: Blind-Fighting

Required Wpn Prof.: must specialize in a weapon of war, must be melee

Wpn/Armor Restrictions: none

Spheres: Major: Combat, Healing

Minor: Necromantic, Protection

Powers: Incite berzerker rage, At 5^th level: Inspire Fear, Can specialize as per the fighter ability, At 8^th level shapechange

Styck:

Alignment: N

God of: Nature, Weather, and The Hunt

Followers: any N, Non-evil

Styck, another Elf of the Old Teachers, was, throughout the wars, always disheartened as to the destruction it caused in nature. He vowed that should that war ever end, he would lead the effort to restore its bountiful nature. His compassion was great, but unfortunately he died shortly after then end of the war from a wound that would not heal.

It is said that his wound is still, even in his godly form, healing slowly, and can never be healed until the world is whole again

Priests of Styck are primarily concerned with the destruction caused by millennia of war. The War Wastes sadden them deeply and give them a purpose in their fight for its restoration. Discovering sources of unnatural taint is a deep concern for these stoic defenders, and they will take whatever actions necessary for a revitalization of the planets, and their gods, health.

Required Attributes: Wis 9

Required Prof.: Agriculture

Required Wpn prof.: none

Wpn/Armor restrictions: only weapons with some use in agriculture, all armor, all shields

Other Restrictions: Temples built by these priests must be built outside of city walls

Spheres: Major: All, Animal, Elemental, Plant

Minor: Divination, Healing, Sun, Weather

Powers: Analysis, Identification, Turn Undead, At 5^th level: Inspire Fear, At 4^th level: Shapechanging

Rym:

Alignment: LE

God of: Evil, Punishment, and Slavery

Followers: Any E

Its is sad to say that all things good have to have a darker counterpart, but it is true. Though not known how or why Rym the Betrayer accended to godhood at the time of accension.

In the beginning of the rebellion it was Rym who nearly doomed all to an early end. When Estranya freed this powerful sorcerer from mental constraint, he professed his allegiance to the cause, then without hesitation informed his masters of the plot.

Without that interference the rebellion should have gone smoothly, but instead was nearly doomed to fail.

Priests of Rym are commonly known as Betrayers, they are priests in secret only, and appear to be nothing more than the common man. In truth they are diabolical and seek to bring ruin to all plans beneficial. Their society is a secretive one, all religious events are attended with masks, and a secret language of code and hand gestures lets others know who is who. Their covens are filled with treachery and deceit. Assassins abound among them and dark deeds are planned in dark corners. Their orders come down from an unknown leader, and are passed along by secretive means.

Required Attributes: Wis. 9

Required Prof.: Religion

Required Wpn Prof.: none

Wpn/Armor Restrictions: none

Spheres: Major: All, Charm, Necromantic

Minor: Animal, Protection

Powers: Detect Good 3/day, Inspire Fear, and Control Undead, At 8^th level shapechange

The following is a list of many of the powers you may not be familiar with.

Analysis: Priests of Styck are granted the power of analysis, with this ability they can analyze an area to find the best direction of travel, or where the best game will be found. Giving all members of a hunting party a +1 to hunting Proficiency checks, as well as tracking and survival.

Identification: A priest of Styck, with this ability, can tell 1. If any given animal is natural or not. 2. If said animal is natural, then he will know its name and some tidbits of information about it. 3. Priest will know the chance of finding a particular type of animal in any given terrain.

Incite berserker rage: With this power a priest of Styymos can incite a berserker rage in any willing warrior, he can do this to any number of priests per day but each warrior must be incited one at a time, and can only be incited once per day. This rage gives the warrior a +2 to hit and damage for up to 6 turns, or until such time as no enemies face him.

Infravision: just as the elf ability, if character is already an elf this power effectively doubles the range of sight.

Inspire Fear: Similar to the 4^th level magic spell fear except that the priest needs no material components. This power can be performed twice per day.

Prophecy: Priests of the goddess Rysul sometimes receive visions. Though this ability is rare it has been known to happen. Primarily a DM’s tool.

Shapechanging: as the druid ability, except only one form can be assumed, that form should be indicative of the god in question. This is a progressive power for all priest hoods, which gain it at 4^th level, at 4^th they can only change form 1/day, +1/every 2 levels up to 8^th, at eighth these priesthood’s get to choose a second form personal to them.

Soothing word: A single use can either: dispell one application of the fear spell: eliminate one warriors berserker rage: or momentarily quell an angry mob.

The history of the races of Cronnas is one of dark tribal war and enforced peace. Throughout the ages genocidal wars and petty prejudices have plagued Cronnas, and until recently no common ground was to be found for these people. The advent of the Gods changed all that. Petty differences still abound, but for the first time trade and civility are seen between the varied races.

It is a time of peace for those who have known none, never before has such promise been shown in the world. But it is a fragile peace and all know it. One slip and all that they have worked for could go down in flames. Ambassadors choose their words and alliances carefully, kings are wary of any slip of the tongue.

Elves

The annals of history are unclear as to which race came first, but the elves contend that they were it. Great of beauty and nimble of finger, with a wit as sharp as any sword, the elves project an aura of grandeur no matter what they may be doing.

Slightly shorter than humans elves of Cronnas are fair of hair and light of skin, their numbers sadly dwindled during the long enslavement and now fewer are born each year.

It is heartbreaking for the elven people to see their race decline so, but with so much changing in the world they harbor the hope that this too will change.

The elves of Cronnas are mostly of the High elf descent, with a smattering of the sylvan. All in all they are the standard elves as represented in the players handbook.

Dwarves

During the enslavement, much of the dwarven race were ousted from their mountain homes and sent to live in the sun with the rest of the slaves. This was the cruelest of all insults handed down from the Illithid, and now that their one-time masters are gone the dwarves have begun a retreat to their mountain homes. Delving deep into ancient caverns the warriors of this race search for their lost heritage among the rocks and ruins of Illithid strongholds.

For the most part mountain dwarves, the dwarves of Cronnas are even more stoic and driven than their cousins on other worlds. Driven by their desire to regain a lost legacy, these hearty people seek constantly to restore their ways. While many are of the mountain variety, every subrace is presented in the world, though in lesser numbers.

The dwarves of Cronnas are the same, (if a bit more taciturn) as the dwarves presented in the PHB.

Githzerai

Since the beginning of the enslavement the Githzerai were there, and when it ended they stayed, never until the last days of the freedom wars were they trusted and to this day they keep many secrets and tend to stay to themselves. In the last battles of the rebellion it was the powerful githzerai monks that made the difference, up until that point it was as if they remained indifferent to the fighting all around them. Perhaps that is why the Illithid were so unprepared for their final strike, a blow that sent the Illithid reeling back, as their former slaves gained so much ground and decimated the forces of their enemies.

If it wasn't for these quiet warriors the fighting surely would have been long and hard for the rebels, but though they had earned the trust of the combined races of Cronnas, they quickly retreated to their aloof monasteries. The only sign of any new-found openness was that for the first time their schools of discipline were now opened to people of all races, and after seeing what feats these masters of mind and body could perform in battle, warriors of all races and ages flocked to their doors.

Full statistics for the Githzerai can be found in the PlaneScape boxed set or in the PlaneWalkers Handbook.

+1 bonus to INT and DEX

-1 penalty to STR and WIS

5% magic resistance/level up to 95%

+1d10 to starting PSP total

1d6 additional PSPs/level instead of 1d4

Gnomes

It is perhaps a secret of the gnomes how they can come out of any situation with a smile on their face, for that is how it appears. Most likely the least affected by the enslavement, they spent most of their time simply farming, and doing hard labor, forging weapons and ingenious armors for the Illithid armies and later the armies of the rebellion.

Halflings

Sadly the halflings of Cronnas did not fare so well in thralled. Their lifestyles uncomfortable and strict it left little room for the creature comforts the halfling people hold so dear. Their numbers dwindled to near extinction and though making a comeback they still bear the scars of imprisonment.

Halfelves

Halfelves fare better here than on other worlds due in part to a general acceptance under stress, it remains to be seen what time will tell, fewer are born each year as the races of human and elf split up and go their separate ways.

Human

Humans are just that, the standard, it seems they will adapt to whatever situation is at hand, and can achieve impossible levels of excellence in whatever field of study they pursue. If it were not for constant infighting and assassination the human race could possibly one day dominate the world totally, but alas for the betterment of all that will surely never happen right?

Warrior

With the exception of the lack of paladins, the warriors of Cronnas are the same as that of any other world.

Priests

There are no "clerics" in the world of Cronnas, a priest must be devoted to his/her god to receive any spells, but other than that change and the ones stated above in "pantheons" there are no major changes to the priest class

Druids

Druids are separate from priests and reclusive, since the wars that destroyed so much of nature have stopped the druids have been busy, protecting, restoring, and generally keeping the peace in nature. Their efforts show and the world is revitalizing, though it may never be as rich and vital as it once was.

Monks

Required. Dex: 13, Str: 10, Wis: 12

The monastic orders of the Githzerai are just now becoming accessible to people of all races. Many find the monks to be a mysterious lot, dedicated wholly to the union of body and mind, these warriors are on an eternal quest for enlightenment.

As a starting character, the novice monk is given only rudimentary training in his devotion before being sent out into the world to explore not only what is on the outside, but also what is on the inside. Until the novice monk reaches 3^rd level he is not allowed back into the folds of the monastery. At this time he is readopted with open arms to begin his training anew this training always lasts a period of 3 months and is intensive, the now more experienced monk is given the title of adept and begins the long process of honing body and mind into one single being. From this point on the initiate must return to the monastery every 2 levels to contemplate all that he has experienced, this period of training typically lasts about 1 month, and the monk can gain no experience until this obligation is met.

Unlike the psionisist the monk starts with no psionic powers, these he gains at 3^rd level after his training at the monastery. Though gaining no powers for these first 3 levels he also does not gain any of the PSPs.

A monk cannot employ any power on another living being every power is centered on the self, thus the sciences of psychometabolism and psychoportation are favorites of this class. At first level a monk has only one psionic defense mode and gains another every 2 levels. A monk will never gain a psionic attack, or the contact proficiency, as these powers are not necessary for the monk.

Their experience follows the Psionicist experience table, and their hit points are that of the priests.

A monk may never wear any armor except for magical rings, bracers, and other such magical clothing, which may be disallowed by their particular sect, (see below). Though a monks armor class improves by 1/every 2 levels of experience.

A monk may only use the weapons of his/her particular sect and must specialize in the martial art of that sect at first level.

The monks of Cronnas are divided into 5 distinct sects, or orders. Its weapons and martial arts forms define each order. Each allows different variations on armor and an animal totem represents each order and reflects its fighting style. The orders are as follows;

All forms of mysticism fascinate the order of the dragon. They wear no armor and are characterized by their use of spears, tridents, and long Dai-Katana, for them their art is one of flowing gestures and deadly powerful strikes.

Movements of the Dragon

Flying Kick- for the cost of one weapon or non-weapon proficiency slot a monk of the order of the dragon can learn the flying kick, to perform this maneuver the monk must be at least 10 foot from the target, and must run towards the target, jumping at about 6 feet to deliver a powerful kick to the face or upper body. Dmg: 2d4+any bonus for strength.

Tail Sweep- for the cost of one proficiency slot the monk can learn the tail sweep, in which the monks attempts to sweep his/her opponent off their feet, laying them out prone for a period of one round. To accomplish this the opponent must be bipedal and not two or more size categories larger than the monk. Dmg: 1d6+any bonus for strength.

The order of the tiger disdain the use of any magical items what-so-ever their style is one of savage grace delivering powerful blows to only the most vital parts, they seldom use weapons of any sort, but do allow the use of the cestus and daggers.

Movements of the Tiger

Vitals Strike- for the costs of one proficiency slot a monk of the tiger may learn the vitals strike. On a successful attack roll with a -2 penalty the monk has found a weak spot, driving home 2d6 points of damage and incapacitating the victim for 1 round.

Tiger Strike- for the cost of one proficiency slot the monk may learn the art of the tiger strike. A successful attack roll at -4 penalty the monk has grappled his opponent and can pull him into a devastating punch causing 1d8+1d6 points of damage, a natural roll of 18-20 means a critical strike has been made. This movement may only be learned after the 3^rd level of experience.

Tiger Frenzy- for the cost of 1 proficiency slot the monk can learn tiger frenzy. This is a series of movements in which the objective is not one powerful strike but a blinding series of lesser strikes designed to weaken the defenses of the target. Dmg: 1d6 target unable to defend or attack for 2 full rounds, can only run, any enemy viewing this maneuver must make a moral check or run for 1d4 rounds if enemy does not outnumber the monks party by at least a 2-1 ratio. Can only be successfully employed once on any given group of enemies.

Those of this order are infinitely curious constantly seeking out knowledge no matter what the danger involved. They have learned well to defend themselves from all forms of attack and have a bonus to saving throws starting at 3^rd level of +1; this increases by 1 every 3 levels. They still wear no armor as it encumbers their showy acrobatics in combat.

Practitioners of this art use only light weapons easily concealed behind any clothing and are masters of such concealment. Such weapons are daggers, dirks, knives, chains, and darts.

Movements of the Monkey

Monkey Flip- avoiding damage is the best way to win a fight and monks of this order are masters of the art. For the price of 1 proficiency slot such a monk may learn the monkey flip, by which they leap back to avoid the first attack of the round then quickly leap forward again to catch the intended strike and use the arm of their opponent to flip him/her/it over the monks body, slamming the would-be attacker onto the ground. Dmg: 1d4 requires a successful parry roll.

Monkey Lock- paying 1 proficiency slot earns the monkey warrior this debilitating hold, leaping into the air the monk contorts his body to grapple his opponent and drag him to the ground pinning him in place this hold must be maintained to do actual damage though and opposed strength rolls must be made, if successful the monk can inflict 3 points of damage/round on the victim, adding a penalty to strength for every round after the first. For this specialization they start out with one extra proficiency slot.

The art of the snake is one of slow deliberate movement followed by quick lightning strikes. Always fond of surprise these monks use every tool available to defend themselves, including all types of magical clothing and weapons. Snakes only use the fastest of long weapons such as the rapier, the stiletto, the crossbow, Bo Stick, Kama, and sling.

Movements of the Snake

Lightning strike- cost: 1 slot. The player must declare this maneuver prior to initiative being rolled. This maneuver gives the monk the ability to strike first in any round regardless of his own initiative, the strike comes at a penalty 0f -2 though and if missed the regular attack must be skipped as the lightning strike threw the monk off balance. If successful the target is hit for 1d6 (no modification for strength), and must forgo his own attack for that entire round unless target would normally get more than one attack/round, in which case target will only lose one.

Poison Strike- cost: 1 slot. This strike must be made with a penalty of -4 to be successful, but should it be made it does no damage on that round, though in the next round victim will take on 1d4 points of damage and is stunned for duration of round, the round after that the victim will take on 1d6 points of damage and will not be capable of attack. The third round after the initial strike the victim takes on any bonuses for strength that apply and regains the ability to attack.

Bear

The order of the bear is focused on raw power and savagery; they focus on letting loose that animal instinct that resides in us all. Using only the most damaging of weapons and attacks not meant to merely injure their opponents these are deadly warriors indeed. Their weapons include the claymore, bastard sword, warhammer and battleaxe. These warriors do not rely on speed to fight, but instead on animal cunning and raw power, Their form is lumbering and imposing but do not mistake them for oafs for they can spring at any moment from any angle.

Movements of the Bear

Bear Crush- in a single rush these powerful warriors can sweep aside all defenses and grab their opponents bodily to squeeze them till they force all the air from the lungs, this attack requires so much force that it is impossible to hold for more than two rounds. But the hold is such that no STR check can break free. Dmg 1d10+STR-first round, 1d6+STR-second round, Monk must have landed a successful strike in the prior round against the same opponent. And an attack at -4 penalty.

Body Blow- with this maneuver the bear sweeps in past his enemies attack to deliver a blow with all of his body, driving his enemy back 2d6 feet and causing 1d4+strength bonus points of damage, this attack can be preformed while armed, but requires a successful parry at -2.

Crushing Blow- a Move of pure over-hand power designed to drive an opponent to his knees, can be done while armed and with a successful attack at -4 do a whopping 1d10+str bonus points of damage and leave the opponent sprawled on the ground for 1d4 rounds.

Wizard

The wizards of Cronnas are unlike any wizards represented in any other campaign setting. The magic of Cronnas is savage and this raw power is drawn upon using the ancient ways of the oldest tribes, quite frankly, traditional hermetic scholarship simply does not work for a people so chaotic. Other magic works here but the results are often unpredictable. The wizards of Cronnas use tattoos drawn in special inks to perform their magical feats. Each tattoo is placed along lines of power in the body with a central tattoo located over the heart, this tattoo called the Root Marking is responsible for a wizards ability to channel forth these energies. As each tattoo must be specially placed to correspond with the magic of the spell represented, it does limit the maximum amount of spells a mage may know.

Spells concerning vision, altering, adjusting, or enhancing, must be placed along the eyes or forehead. Spells of the mind must be placed along the skull and base of the head. Spells concerning action or free movement must be placed on the legs and lower abdomen. All evocation spells must be placed on the right arm and hand, conjuration/summoning on the left arm and hand. Powerful spells such as Wish are always placed on the chest nearest the Root Marking. Due to these limitations it is possible to have only a limited amount of certain spells as space is at a premium. High level wizards can look quite strange with all the tribal tattoos glowing brightly whenever they cast a spell.

Each tattoo has a cost for the special inks and the time taken by the artist who must be of sufficient level to cast the spell himself. This cost is 1d100+20 gp per spell level, and the time taken to tattoo the spell is about an hour per spell level. A Root marker is 500+1d10 x 10 gp.

Eyes: 4 spell slots, vision, far seeing

Head: 8 spell slots, mind affecting spells, clairsentience

Mouth: 4 spell slots, spells of speech or language

Ears: 4 slots, spells of language comprehension, clairaudience

Arms including hands: 14 slots each side, invocation/evocation on the right arm, conjuration/summoning on the left

Back: 20 slots, spells of strength and armor

Chest: 15 slots, spells of extreme magnitude requiring much magical energy, Wish, Sphere of Ultimate Destruction

Legs: 18 slots each, spells of movement, free action, teleportation, and any spell which allows survival in an otherwise hostile element

This only allows for 87 possible spells for any wizard, this may seem like a lot but you must remember that at higher levels a "normal" mage would have many more than this. A wizard in The Dark Aftermath must choose his/her spells wisely for if they use all their slots for a particular type of spell too soon they will not be able to learn spells of that type at a higher level.

The obvious benefit of all this is that the mage need not pass a check to learn spells, and that the mage no longer must memorize those spells, instead use the optional rules for magic found in Players Option: Spells and Magic chapter 6, under Channeling. But treat all spells as free magics and double the magic point awards at creation and every level thereafter.

This will allow the mage to use any spell present on his body without any significant increase in power. Thus representing the natural "tribal" feel of magic in this world.

Psionicist

The psionicists of Cronnas are powerful indeed, judged by their people as the only "civilized" way it is a part of everyday life, almost all born have the ability, (once trained) to use its unique powers. Oddly enough there are no wild talents on Cronnas, the minds of Cronnasians are chaotic, even in the most lawful, and to use these powers they must spend years of rigorous training to unlock the secrets of the mind.

The only alteration to this class is that the Psionicists of Cronnas use 1d8+Wis bonus+Int bonus+Con bonus to determine PSPs per level instead of the standard 1d4. And 2d6+20+Wis bonus+Int bonus+Con bonus to determine starting points. After 9^th level they gain 5 PSPs per level. But due to the naturally chaotic minds of the Cronnassian people all experience tables are increased by 250 points to increase in level.

Thieves and Bards

These classes remain unchanged from the original classes presented in the PHB.