Twilight of Atlantis (d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)

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Table of Contents Int rod uct ion Part 1: Atlant is and th e Ancient World The Legend The Creation Poseidon and Cleiro The Twins T he Brothers Explore T he Founding of a Nation The Empire Corruption and Decay The War for Atlantis The End Atlantis & the Classical World Atlantis The Kingdoms T he Empire Foes Atlantean Culture Atlantean Citizens Family Childhood M arr iage Death Religion Law Slavery Soc ial Order Clothing & Fashion Architec ture Food Art Worldview Magic

4 5 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11

13 14 14 16 16 17 18 18 18 19 I9 20 20 20 20 2I 2I 22 22 22

22 23

Part 2 : Ch aract ers and Equipment ..23 Race 26 Atlanteans 26 Noble Atlanteans 27 28 H alf-Atlanteans Bastai 28 Prestige Classes 29 Artificer 30 Orphean 3I Resonant 32 Spellbane 34 New Skills 36 New Feats 36 Classical Weapons 37 Magical Equipment 38 40 New Spells

Part 3: Atlantean Campaigns Getting Started Racial Concerns Level Class Designing Adventures Monsters Adventure Seeds

.44 44 .44 45 45 45 45 .45

Spartans , and Eg yptians stand po ised to vanquish th eir would be oppress ors on ce and for all. Your charact er s will have t he m yst ical power s of th e Resonance at their sides, but will even this be eno ugh to save a society on a collis ion course with disaster ?

H ow to Use This Product The mere men ti on o f Atla ntis in sp ires th e im aginati on . Th e island empi re began as t he ene my of th e id eal sta te in t wo of P lato's D ialog ues , th e C ritias and t he Ti maeus. Plato told of a nat ion th at vied aga ins t At he ns for grea t ness an d ultimat ely lo st , di sapp earing ben eath t he waves in a sing le ni ght. Perhap s he did not kn ow th at he was creat ing an endu ring legend .

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.Throu gh th e ages, Atla nt is has bee n po rt rayed as a lo st continent, an anc ien t adversary, a sunken civiliza t io n, th e site o f alien col oni zat ion , and th e hom e of super heroes. D esp it e its vario us expr essions, however, Atla n t is is typi call y portrayed as so m et hi ng unknown or different. M od ern sto ryte lling freq ue n tly find s Atla nt is bein g red iscovered o r ri sin g o ut of t he waves.

Introduction Before the Roman s, before Alexand er, befo re hi st or y was even truly recorded , a race o f people founded th e mightiest emp ire ever kn own. Th ey rul ed th e en t irety of the Atlantic and domin at ed Afr ica t ho usa nds o f years before Moses wo uld brin g Egy p t to it s kn ees. They spawned a great cult ure, wit h a wea lt h o f knowledge exceeded only by th e traged y of th eir demise. These were th e Children o f Po seid on . Th ese were the people o f Atl an ti s.

T WILI GHT OF ATLANTIS, however, offe rs a chance to exp lo re wha t it mi ght have been like before it co llapse d durin g o ne cata clys m ic ni gh t. Rath er t ha n ass um ing th e rol e o f explo rers d iscoverin g th e lost island o r so ld iers battlin g aga ins t a m on ol ith ic evil, th is book cas ts player charac te rs as t he Atla n tea ns th em selves. It offers players a glimpse at wha t t he cit ize ns o f Atla n tis mi ght have been like and what mi ght have cause d th eir downfall.

TWILIGHT OF ATLANTIS is a set t ing for yo u r d2 0 System campaign. It pla ces th e act io n before Atl anti s' cataclysmic fall ben eath the waves , allow ing yo ur characters to become sc io ns of th e Emp ire, desp erat ely attempting to stave off th e in exo rabl e d ecay o f th eir culture and its loss of worl d dominanc e. The At henians,

T WILI GHT OF ATLANTIS is di vid ed int o three sec t ions . Th e firs t, "Atla n t is and th e Anc ien t World," t ells th e sto ry of Atla n t is, det ail in g it s creation, th e fo rm ation o f it s cult ure , it s co nques t of mo st of t he known wo rld, and it s event ua l d estruct ion at th e hands o f Poseidon. Everyt hing you need to kno w abo ut Atla ntis, it s cult ure,

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and its people is given here. This section also includes information on the Classical World , notes on it s t echnology, and wh ere Atl antis fits in it .

Part 1: Atlantis and the Ancient World

PART 2 gi ves rul es for Atl ant ean charact ers . There are new pr estige classes, new spells, new feats, and new races for us e in th e campaign . Game information for pl aying in a Classical setting instead of the usual medi eval fantasy one is also provided . All th e mat eri al in this sect ion is Open C o n te n t. Fin ally, PART 3 contains game mastering tips and id eas for runn ing an Atlantean campaign plus some ad venture see ds to get you st arted.

The Legend The legends of Atlantis originate with the Greek philosopher, Plato. His works, Critias and Tima eus, tell of a fall en civilization thous ands of years before his time. It is the st o ry of an empire both old and majestic, spanning th e seas and possessing a knowledge and power now forgotten. Pl ato tells th e history of Atlantis and its founding in C ritias. H e presents a civiliz ation est ablished by the ch ild ren of Poseidon and Cl eito, a mortal woman. It relates how th eir five sets of twin sons came to rule an emp ire. H e describes their go vernment, the structure of the societ y, and th e land itself. He speaks of their fall into co rrup t ion and decadence and of the great war that would d estroy th eir emp ire.

Mythic History D espite this being a fantasy produ ct, it is set in a mythic time period pr e-dating our own recorded history. TWILIGHT OF ATLANTIS is dr awn from th e wr itings of Plato and is based on the legends of Anci ent Greece. The saurian Lemurians , bestial Mue, and felin e Bastai (see PART 1) , are mythical creat ur es that do exist wit hin the context o f this setting, and the Atlanteans themselves are th e offspring of Poseidon. However, th e pr edominant race of peopl e throughout th e world is human. The action takes pl ace here on Eart h, albeit a mythical Ea rt h whe re many of th e legends about which we read are actually true. C onsequently, t he re are no elves, dwarves, or other fantasy races t o which pl ayers m ight be accust om ed except fo r thos e exp licitly laid out in this book.

Timaeus recounts Atlantis ' fall and eventual d estruction. Atlantis is presented as the enemy of An cient Athens , one side of a gr eat and yet forgotten war that span ne d the known world. In this account, Pl ato d et ails the final d estruction of the island and its fall ben eath the waves.

The Creation

Further, th e t echn ol ogy of th e Classical World was in most resp ects inferi or t o that which is typic ally availabl e in a fant asy RPG . Thus, some equ ip men t ma y not be available. See PART 2 for res t ricte d equi pm ent as well as a discus sion o f b ronze, the chief metal of the time. In ever y case, th ese differenc es accurat ely reflect th e time period in question .

In th e beginning, the sea god, Poseidon, controlled th e re ache s of the Great W estern Ocean. He desired a land of hi s own and used his divin e power to raise th e oc ean floor around a series of islands. He created this land fro m the islands and the exposed ocean floor, an d he named it Atlantis. As time passed and the land ad apted to the surface , Poseidon watched it become a beautiful country, fair and rich, possessing ver d an t hills , nobl e mountains , and windswept pl ain s. Frequent s t or m s swept the island, and rich oc eanic soil cov er ed th e pl ains so th e land was lush and green , and ben eath the earth, he sensed a great source of power: a m ystical metal unique to the island that had been drawn upwards along with the land. Small group s of humans started dwelling within hi s country, leading simple li ves as farmers and fisherm en. Pos eidon was pleased, for they were a fair and hard y folk .

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To provid e for th e need s o f hi s love, he cr eat ed twin pure sp r ing s in th e ce n t er o f th e m ountain: o ne h ot and one co ld . H e t he n populat ed th e moun t ain , th e surro u nd ing pl ain s, and th e rest of th e island wit h all mann er o f plants and an ima ls. Th e mountain it self he grace d wit h th e ri ch est bounty t he world had t o o ffer. H er e were ga rde ns in wh ich a m ortal co u ld live wit h n o cares o r wo rries, sur ro u nde d by th e fin est and most succ u lent fruit s and t he encha n t ing fr agranc e o f exot ic fl ower s. H e raised a sh r ine o f whi te m arbl e in th e cent er of the ga rde n t o serve as bo th a home for C leiro an d her famil y an d as a res t ing pl ace fo r hi s ow n di vin e form . H e gave C leiro hi s trid ent - th e em blem o f hi s o ffice - as a sym bo l o f th eir bond.

Poseidon and Cleito N ear th e fertile plain on a small, lon e mountain , Pose ido n happen ed upon the home of the m ortal man , Eveno r, his wife, Leu cippe, and their dau ght er, C leit o. Becomin g enamored with C leitos st ro ng will , fair features, and radiant spirit, Pos eidon manifest ed befo re her and asked her to be his bride. Having a profound resp ect for th e sea and knowing it would be a great honor, she co nse nted. D esiring to protect his newfound love, Pos eidon crea te d barriers of water aro u nd the mountain . Shipping was unknown at that time, and , thus, th e waves mad e an effective blockade. The sea god shaped th e eart h, di ggin g three deep, circular channels around the mountain . H e excavated another conduit from these rin gs t o th e ocean, lett in g the waters of h is d omain rus h in to th e depressions, thereby creating a seri es of three rin g- sh aped canals enclosing the mountain with p ortion s o f land between them .

The Twins In th e yea rs th at foll owed , C lei to bo re Pose idon five p air s of t win so ns, their nam es bein g Atlas an d G ad eiru s, Am p he res and Evae mo n, Mn eseu s and Au toc h t ho n, Elasippus and Mester, and fina lly Azaes an d Di aprep es. Partl y di vin e, th ese ch ild re n p o ssessed a p ower and gra ce beyond th at of m ortal hum an it y. Th ey grew slow ly but from th eir ea rl ies t days were b lessed wit h grea t p hy sical p ower and stre ng t h o f mind. Th ey also po ssessed th eir mortal mo th er 's hum anity and te m pe ra nce o f cha rac te r. C leiro t au ght th em th e wa ys of th e land , sea, an d sky and in still ed in th em a need t o better b oth th em selv es an d th e wo rld . As th ey grew o lder, th ey di sco vered that t he ir ph ysi cal an d m ent al st re ngt h was m at ch ed by th ei r m ysti cal p ower. Th e sec re ts of m agi c came eas ily to t he m, an d before lon g th ey were weav ing spe lls and d wellin g up on th e mech ani sm s o f th e arca ne art s. By th ei r t wenti eth birthd ays, eac h possessed p ow er greate r th an th at of any h um an m agi ci an . As th e years passed , it also becam e evide n t th at th eir n atural life spa ns were grea tly exte n de d , fo r, alt ho ug h havin g reach ed maturity, t hey rem ain ed both fit and yo u t h ful in aspec t. C le ito h er self ch an ged fr om lon g expos u re to h er hu sb and 's divin e n ature an d th e un earthl y purit y co n ta ine d in Poseid on's garde ns. While her features did not mat ch th e majestic beauty o f her chi ldre n, she t oo came t o p ossess st reng t h o f bod y and mind unriv aled amo ng th e mortal wo rld, and th e r igo rs of tim e cease d to t roubl e her. H er par ents, ben efit in g fro m th e ga rde ns but not fr om suc h clo se pro ximity to t he go d him self, expe rienced grea tly exte nde d lives but event ua lly passed from th e world . 6

brothers found people both different and strange, and th ey began learn ing t he ways of civilization.

The Brothers Explore As th e childre n of Poseid on reach ed adulthood , th ey began ro look beyond t he ir mountain home. They used arcane arts to traver se th e len gth and br ead th of th e island whe re t hey fou nd sma ll pocket s of humanity th rivin g on t he boun t y of th e land. These mortals soon revered th em , for t he twin s wielde d unmatched power. The yo ung so ns of Poseid on se t th em selves up as kin gs amo ng th e people, each choos ing a port ion of th e island as his own. They chose wome n from among their subjects and raised children with th em . This second gene rat io n also displayed the marks o f di vinity, th ough not quite so strong ly as th eir father s.

From t he repti lian Lemurians in t hei r empire sout h of Asia , Mneseus learn ed the secrets of crafting stone bu ildings larger th an the tall est tree. Autochthon wres te d th e cr aft o f metallurgy, including the secrets o f br on z e, from th e dark half-men of Mu. Elasippus sta yed for so me time in the growing acropolis of Ath ens an d acquired the arts of shipbuilding, but the goddess, Athena, eventually expelled him for attempt ing to bring t he land under hi s control. For several centuri es they traveled, en joy ing t heir fr eedom and th e breadth of th e world, but eventually th e brothers tired of the long voyages. Longing for home, th e kin gs returned to Atl antis. They discovered up on th eir return that a civilization had arisen from th e seeds th ey had sown as yout hs long ago. G en er ations had pa ssed, and their offspring had spread t he divi ne bloodline thro ug ho ut t he people,

Eventually th e brother s grew bor ed wit h th e sim ple life in th eir kin gdoms and began sea rc hi ng fo r so me t hi ng new beyond th e co nfi nes o f th e island. They aga in turned to t heir arcane power ro travel across th e ocea ns to land s far di st ant. There, they separat ed, each exploring as the winds of fat e wo uld take him. While abroad, th e 7

The Story

settl em ent s, th e culture h ad barel y grown. H avin g ex perie nce d th e wo n de rs of th e o u tsi de wo rld, the returning kings found th e si m p le ho vels and farms pr imiti ve an d base.

of Orpheus

In the years prior to the G reat Expansion, th ere lived a renowned mu sician, Orpheus, grandson of Evaemon. His mu sic was celebrated throughout th e nation, able to call birds from th e trees and to make even th e hard est heart weep. The hap p iest day of his life was his marri age to his love, Euridi ce. Tragically, on the day fo llowing their mar riage, sh e was bitten by a vipe r while runn ing throu gh t he gar de ns of thei r home and succ umbed to th e poiso n. Orpheus refu sed to accep t the death of his beloved. H e started stu dyi ng th e arts of magic, seeking so me meth od of freeing her fro m death. Eventually, he was able to use his arca ne arts to ope n a gateway to the bowel s of th e Underworld. Presenting him self before th e god, H ades, he sang abo ut hi s love and his loss. So moved was he, th e God of the Underworld co nse nted to allo w Orpheus to leave his domain with Euridice. H owever, he placed a challenge before th e great musician and wizard. Orpheus would leave th e Underworld o n foot , and Eurid ice would follow. The famed musician co uld not look back at her for the entirety of his trip, or she wou ld be dr awn back into the U nde rwo rld, th ere to dwell for ever. Orpheus tra veled forth. Tired and weary, he nevertheless per severed. It was onl y at th e end of th e trip as he beheld the exit fro m t he labyrinthine tunnels and th e warmt h of th e sun before him th at he began to doubt. Fearing betrayal, he glanced back, only to watch as th e spirit of his wife was pulled down int o th e gloomy depths. Overcome by so rro w and cursing H ades wit h every br eath , he stumbled out of th e depths of the Earth and began to sing. So reson ant was his song, so full of th e ache in his heart , th e very gro und began to shake, th e air rippled, and th e tr ees crackled wit h ene rgy. Eventually noticing th e imp act of his so ng, he sto pped in amaze me nt and watc hed as th e effects faded away. Even after, an aura of great power hun g in th e air. Quickl y returning hom e, he began to stu dy th e cha nges hi s music had wrought. He dis covered th at his so ng had reson at ed with t he very fabr ic of the wo rld, and th at everyt hing pos sesses a natural harm onic that joins together th e esse nce of life, magic, matter, and th ou ght. It was through his effo rts th at th e princ iples of th e Reson ance came to be known, and, through th em, he fo und a way to spi te H ades, tr apping so uls in th e wo rld of th e living and giving t hem new life in t he for m of an Orphean,

The Founding of a Nation After t akin g co unsel wit h Cl eito, they d ecided t o build on the isl and a ci vilization to ri val an d surp ass any t h ing enc o u n t ered durin g their journeys. They sp ent a year in the garden examining their di scoveries and sharin g among th em selves their acc umu lated lore before leavin g for their indi vidual kingdoms. Quickly re-establishing their au t ho rity, the t en sons of Poseidon began to teach, showing their p eopl e the secrets of sea travel, construction, bronze, and magic. They commanded the people to build towns and cities and to use t h is knowledge to resh ap e the lan d as Poseidon h im self had done. They created gr eat canals throu gho ut the central plain, transforming it into rich farml and. Th ey t am ed the crea t u res of th e isl and , using oxen and eleph ants as beast s o f burden and con struction. Th ey raised structures of stone and clay, creating spraw li ng towns joined b y an intr icate system of ro ad s.

Two of th e kings, ho wever, had found spec ial purpose. Azaes, on e of th e yo u nges t, bu sied himself wit h a st range, red met al he had di scovered during some excava t io ns for usable stone. N aming it "o r ichalcum ,' he fo und it possessed mystical properties unl ike any befo re seen. It was capa ble of channeling raw magical forces , purifying and co n ta in in g them. This m ad e th e metal a perfect material for magic al construction. Azaes presented his findin gs to his brother s, and th e kin gs made pl an s for grea t mines to acq u ire the rar e met al. Azaes ' twin , Di aprepes, took charge of this t ask , for his domain was mounta inous and rich in natural resources.

leav ing all t he inhabitants of the isl and with touch es of Po seid on's heritage. Whi le not possessing th e sheer might of th e first few gen er ations , th eir descendents still bore the marks of power, including long life and an aptitude for the arc ane. Yet th e ret urning so ns were appalled. Despite the change in the n atu re o f th e peop le an d th e numb er of t heir

T he eldes t son, Atlas, ga thered hi s people t ogether and 8

brought th em to th e water-e ncircled mountain home o f hi s mother. H e and hi s child ren began to build what wou ld becom e the grea test cit y in th e wo rld : th e C ity o f Atla nt is. Usi ng t he ir arca ne ar ts in add it io n t o calling up on th e d ivin e power o f th eir fath er, Atlas and hi s people br idged t he cana ls wit h grea t arches o f sto ne . They co njured t he fi nes t bu ilding m at eri als from th e ground, using them to const ruct homes and t emples, librari es and shipyards, roa ds and walls. They interl aced th e cit y wit h veins of o ric ha lc u m , crea t ing a net work of arca ne powe r. fo r t hey int ended t hei r cap ita l to se rve not only as th e po litica l and eco no m ic cente r of their civilizat ion bu t as it s myst ical heart as well.

a sto pover for travelin g vessel s and a repository for supplies. From there, they spread up and down the coas t, cha rt ing th e wate rs and sec ur ing new t erritory. The Empire o f Atla nt is grew by leaps and bounds. The people o f Poseid on claimed vast st ret ches of Africa, creatin g se t tle me nts throughout its verdan t interior and subjuga t ing th e natives. Even th e conflict with the cat wo rs hippe rs of th e Nile, who wielde d mighty elemental so rce ry, was quickly overco me by th e creation of the Bastai cat warrio rs . The Empire spread so quickly that th e en t irety o f th e Atl antic Ocean and its bordering land s was soon und er th eir d ominion. Ventures into th e M editerran ean , how ever, were much mor e pr obl ematic. Northern Afri ca quickly fell under Atla n tea n co n t ro l, and th e empire planted colonies alo ng th e so u t he rn coast o f wha t wo uld even t ually becom e Sp ain and Fran ce and on th e wes te rn coast of It aly. But when explorers continued further onward, th ey enco u n te red a civiliz at io n th at gave even th e might o f Atla n t is pau se. Th e city of Athen s, while paling in compar ison to Atl anti s, po ssess ed th e power to hold off At lan te an expe di ti ons. N ever had th e burgeoning emp ire faced a people wit h stren gth comparable to their own. Atl anti s possessed great ar can e power, but it was evenly mat ched agains t th e divin e magic of th e Athenians, for Ath en a and th e other Olympians held Athens in high regard and favor ed its den izens with their blessings. Additionally, th e neighboring Spartan s possessed martial skills beyond any th e Atlanteans had thus far encountered, surpass ing even th e gre atest Orpheans (t he resurrected arca ne warrio rs o f Atl anti s; see PART 2) and Bast ai in the arts o f war.

In th e fo llowi ng centuries , t he C hi ldre n of Poseid on shaped t he land, b uil d ing a civiliza t io n unmat ched in sco pe. Th ey cult ivated vast far ms on th e fertile plain, easily feedin g t hei r growi ng populace. The m ines grew ever d eeper, claimin g vast q ua nt it ies o f preciou s and useful minerals. inclu din g th e fabled orichalcum, as well as p ro vidi ng sto ne fo r th eir grea t co ns t ruc tions . The City of Atlantis itself grew eno rmous. Sprawlin g acro ss th e landscape. it co ntained uni versiti es, temples, market s, and sh ipyards. Th ere, a grea t fleet was co ns t ruc te d util izin g th e chan nel t o th e sea for passage and moorin g at th e d o ck s wi t h in th e protect ed r in gs o f ocea n s u r ro undi ng th e hol y m ountain . The Atla nteans resea rc hed ar ts both arca ne and di vin e and began unraveling th e patterns o f th e world. They di scovered sec rets for manipul ating life ene rgy as well as th e weat her. Th e great scho lar, Orpheus, dis covered th e principl es o f reson ance linking th e ph ysical, spiritual, and arca ne worlds . Combined wit h th e met al, orichalcum, th e At lantea ns mystical po wer gave th e growing nation a st reng t h and a vision unrivaled on th e Earth. They resh ap ed th e land as th ey saw fit . They created bein gs o f sto ne and magic to labo r and fig h t , leaving th em more tim e for st udy and th e adva nce me n t of th eir socie ty. They b rought the very elem ents under their con trol. gove rn ing th e weat he r just as they governed th e land aro und th em selves.

Unsure ho w to conte nd wit h this new th reat to th eir way o f life, th e Atl antean s d ecided to isolate the Athenian region from th e rest of th eir territory. Seven of th e greate st Atl antean weat he r worker s, dr awing upon great magic, creat ed the ete rnally swirl ing maelstrom

The Empire Perhap s in evit abl y, th e pe ople began to look o u ts ide th eir island home. The Atlanteans began sending our expe d itio ns to explo re th e wo rl d, using th eir arts of weat he r co ntro l and seafa ring to propel their vessel s at great spee d. Th ey spread o ut up on th e waves, quickl y crossi ng th e vast gulf o f ocea n to th e coas t o f Afric a, whe re th ey es ta blished th e sea port o f Cyrago. Th e grea t port was construct ed in under a year to serve as 9

the confines of th e Eastern Medi t erranean .

Egypt For man y years. the Atlant ean conques t gro und to a halt in the northern lands of Africa . Aro und th e great northern river th at would com e to be known as the Ni le. the explorers encounte red a tribe of human s able to control the elemental for ces of m agic to a degree surpassing even t ha t of Atlantis. Excited by the prospect of assimilatin g this newfound power. the Atlant ean explorers attempted to make peaceful contact with th e Egypt ians. They were shocked when t he nati ves were not cowed int o subm iss io n by their superior technology and arcan e pow er. The in sular tribe sto pped the At lanteans from ente ring th eir land, refus ing to even spea k wit h them. and. when t he explorers tri ed to for ce th e issue. th e natives called on their elemental pow er s to dri ve away th e newcom er s. The invaders found th emselv es st ymied, not onl y by nati ve warrio rs but also by th e very land and sky. Sand st orms arose and blast ed th eir encampments. The river flooded and swept away th eir ships. Bolt s of fire and sand were launched from th e shad ows of th e jungle. decim at ing th e for eign er s. Yet the Atlanreans need ed cont rol of th ese land s so th at th ey might make use of th e mig hty river to cont inue t heir expans ion. Aband on ing dipl omac y, th e Atlanceans atte mp ted to invade and take th e land s by fo rce. Teams of Atlant ean war-wiza rds assailed th e nativ es with their arcane power. Orphean warrio rs engage d th e nati ve defend er s, but the power of the Egyptian so rcery and t he shee r fero cit y of its war rior s drove th e Atlanrean s back . For over a year. th e Empire found itself at a st ands t ill. suffering from t he natives' covert tacti cs. The Egypt ians lurked in th e grasses and th e jun gle duri ng th e day whi le th eir sha mans called upon t he land and sky. T hen they would st rike hard at night when the invader s were at rest , sinking th eir ships. poisoning th eir food and wate r. and blasting th em in th eir sleep wit h elementa l sorcery. Finally, finding th eir continuing losses un accept able but refu sin g to acknowledge defeat . th e Atlanteans chose a new co urse of act io n. Their spies di scov ered th at th e Egypti an s revered cats as servants o f th eir goddess, th e mighty Bast. Dr awing up on thi s knowledge. th e generals of t he Arlantean arm ies sent a requ est back to th e wizard s of th eir island hom e. The spell-weavers used th eir awesom e life magic to create a race of cat-w arrio rs loyal to th e At lanr ean s, The fir st of th e Bast ai were born. Hu manoid in form yet possessin g a feline aspec t. th e Basrai were both graceful and deadly. Quickly growing to maturity. th ey were tr ained from an earl y age in th e arts of war and becam e mast ers of per son al com bat.

The Atlantean Empire prosp er ed and grew d espite challe nges fr om t he Lemuri an Empire t o th e east of Africa and th e wizard s o f wind and fir e of th e Fertile C resce n t. By th e end o f th e Great Exp an si on , th e Empire o f Atlanti s co n t ro lled nearly all of Africa , more th an half o f Europe, and much of C entral and South Am eric a. N o ene my co uld tru ly chall en ge thi s great nation of th e waves. Th e emp ire's deadliest enemy would pr ove t o be it self.

Corruption and D ecay Year s passed like da ys for th e great people of Atlanti s. Lift ed above th e car es and worri es of ordinar y mortals, t hey sp ent th eir lives en joy ing th e richn ess of th e wo rl d . S o me absorbed th em selves in arcan e st udy. Others devoted uncountable hours to perfecting th e m inute details of sculpture and painting. Year s were sp ent creatin g patterns for t apestries. With th e wealth o f th e Emp ire at their di sp osal and th e power gran te d by th eir advanced st ud ies, th e Atla ntean p eop le s urro und ed th em selves in luxur y.

In ti me, how ever, th e Peopl e o f Poseidon forgot wha t it was like t o live a life o f toil. Surrounded by such Egypt fell to th e Atlanr cans soo n afterwards . for th e nati ves refu sed to opulenc e, it was easy to forget th e fight beings beari ng the visage of th eir go ddes s. Th e Bast ai, looking struggles and ambition th at had upon th e Atlanteans as th eir parent s and serving as th eir pro tec to rs, enabled th e Atlanteans to finall y meet wit h th e nati ves and br ing th em brou ght them to th eir lo ft y position . into th e fold of th e Empire. W here th e peop le once t ook pride in both t hems elves and t heir Emp ire, t hey bega n to tak e th eir positions for granted. Successive ge nerat io ns saw no furt her need to pr ess o nward, cha llen gin g th em selves and th e world of Charybdis opposite t he great bea st, Scylla, thu s fo r t he glo ry of t heir people and th eir s ire, Pos eidon . fo rming a channel of d est r uct ion that few ships cou ld T he peopl e o f Atlantis began to sq uabble am on gst face. Further, Ga deirus' da ughter, the powerful sorc eress, t hemselves. Factional politics came t o rul e th e societ y Circe , was charged wit h keeping a wat chfu l eye on the wit h citi z ens vying for pr esti ge and gras p ing for th e Athenia n people and wit h p reventing t he m fro m leavin g app roval of one or m ore of th e Ten Kin gs. Even th e 10

so ns of Poseido n fell vict im to the decaden ce th at had begun to permeate the ir society. W he re o nce they saw eac h othe r as compa t rio ts, t he y began to co mpete wit h o ne anot her, eac h feel ing hi s vis io n t o be t he best fo r t he Empire. Tension grew between t he ki ngs, p ulli ng the na t io n's loyalt ies in di fferent d irect ions.

began m ovin g against them. The Athenians, with the promp t ing an d bl essing of their patron deity, raided Atlantean shi ppi ng , di srupting trad e throughout the Easte rn M edi terran ean. Atlantea n wars hips sent to deal with t he p roblem fail ed before the might of the Athenian Fleet and its di vine magic. The Atlanteans did no t respond to this t hrea t with the co mb ined focu s seen in th e pas t. Atlan tean naval co m ma nde rs, fearing for t heir stat io ns, kept the truth of their failure from their s upe riors at home. Thus, the beginning of the war was co mp letely unknown t o th e people of Atlantis.

W ith th e people's focus lost and t heir atten t io n diverted by pe tty squabb les , Atlan tean cult ure began t o d ecay. Laws were made to benefit whomever had t he lawma ker's ear at th e moment. Ar m ies of servants set o u t to war o n iso lated t r ibes m erely to furt her co m ma nders ' po litica l aspirat io ns . See ing the mselves as above reproach, At lan tea n wiza rds exp lored real ms of arcane lo re sh un ned even by the gods. T heir arrogance angered the Olym pi an s. At he na in partic ular fo und th e Atlan tean pr ide o ffe ns ive.

Wi t hin a yea r, t he m ili t ari stic Spartans joined the At he n ia n ca use. Th e co m b ina tion o f their m artial expert ise and the At he nians' naval skill creat ed an alliance act ua lly capa ble of threat ening Atlan tean rule. The co m bi ne d fo rces sp rea d outward, qui ckl y co n q ue ring Tyrrh en ia and th e isl and of Crete . The sorceress , Circe, attac ked the Atheni an fleet as it at te mp te d to navigate p ast the . g~ea t maelstrom, of.....•••

The War for Atlantis W hi le t h e Atlantean p eop le turn ed inward u pon t he mselves , t he wo rld

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d eception of hi s ad m irals outraged the king. H e sent a m assive co nt ingent of ships and troops, which quickly brought the Athenian-Spartan Alli anc e to a standstill. Alli an ce soo t hsaye rs co ns ulted th e or acles for ways to break the Atl antean hold on the reg ion but received no answer.

However, an opportunity soon arose in the lands of the Nile. The Egyptians had long resisted the cultural changes the Atlanteans imposed. Consequently, Eg ypt had been : ~-gu~rded and secured by a large .~ga rr i s o n o f Atlantean and .i.~ s t a i so ld ie rs and a circle of ..~ wiz ard s to protect the Empire 's forc es fro m Eg yptian so rcery. The II

Athenia ns used the opening presented by th e Eg ypt ians to sail alon g the orr h African coa st , dod gin g Char ybdi s and C irce to pursue the retreating Atlantean fleet . Upon reaching th e Pill ar s o f Atlas, th e fleeing Atl anteans found the way hom e barred by Eg ypti an sorcerers who rained fire and lightni ng dow n from the cl iffs, sinking ships and sending troops to watery graves . The Eg yptia ns , having lo ng since ove rco me t heir reverence of t he feline fo rm , even slaug htere d t he cat -like Bast ai. H avin g no o t her op tio n, th e Atla n teans co ntin ued t he assa ult and attempted to land t ro ops to re-ta ke the cliffs. The arriva l of the Ath enia n armada caught the Atlantea n forces in the mid st of another landing. Beset from both sid es , th e Atlanteans quickly collapsed. The victors spared no one, putt ing the entire army to the sword in an orgy of vengeance. O nly a few Atlantean warsh ips managed to force thei r way th ro ugh the pillars and out into the ope n ocean, the sole survivors of t he de vastati ng defeat. Ga de ir us, who had bee n wa tc hi ng eve n ts throu gh di vin ati on magic, was flabb ergast ed th at m ere humans had d estroyed an ent ire ar ma da o f At lantea n ships. H e called up on hi s br other s t o give him co ntro l of t he rest of t he Atla n tea n Fleet to crus h this up rising. Politics , however, had come t o ru le th e cou nci l, and t he o t her kings deni ed him , di scoun t in g his repo rts. They refused t o believe th at a coa lition of h uma ns could riva l t he might of Atla ntis and accus ed him of bearing false tidings . Even if it were true , they held, the Empire wou ld be better served by keeping the fleet at home, protec ting t he island th at was the center of their civiliza tio n.

people of th e Nile had not been idl e during th e years of occup at ion , though . Their best so rcere rs had stu die d Atl antean wiza rd ry and in corpo rat ed so me of its knowled ge into th eir own arts. Egyptia n warriors watc hed th e Bastai du ring th eir prac tice sessio ns and learn ed much o f th eir mart ial art istry. When th e conflict escalated in the nort h, m uch of t he Atl antean ga rr iso n was d rawn in t o t he co nflict as reinforcem ents. The Egy p t ians took adva ntage and reb elled , fin ally unleash ing th eir skills in sorcery and comba t upon th e token force of rem aining At lantea ns . The oppressors were qui ckly dest royed , and th e Egyptia ns onc e again contro lled th e lands o f th e N ile.

C leiro's opi n io n differed from t hat of her so ns. She beli eved G ad eiru s. Bein g h uman herself, she d id not possess th e arroga nt attitudes of her chi ld ren and th e Atl anrean People and saw th e Alliance as a grave threat. Sh e had m et Egyp t ian so rce rers and kn ew th e exte n t of th eir power. She had st ud ied accounts of Sparta n marti al prow ess and th e mi ght of th e Ath eni an pri est s. The

The Egyptians next sent ships to t he west along th e northern coast of Africa to seize th e Pillars o f Atlas , blocking the entrance to th e M editerr anean Sea. With their supply lines cut, th e Atl antean s retreat ed. The 12

Atl antean s had grow n too degen erat e and self-se rving , she reali zed, to t rul y combat th is new dan ger.

The End What happened next is somewhat unclear. The Alliance attacked the port city of Cyra go and placed it under siege. Athenian warships blo ckaded th e harbor, and Spartan foot so ldie rs surro unded the cit y. Egyptian so rcerers countered th e defenders ' magic and began pummeling th e city walls wit h arcane force. Still, the ga tes held, and th e city end ured

Cl eito began prepa ring a mean s by which t he people of Atl ant is co uld be saved. U ti lizi ng th e power of th e sacre d t rident he r hu sb and had ent rus te d to her, sh e create d gatewa ys t hat co uld tran sport her pe o ple to di st ant co unt ries . She co ntac te d th e co lonies sca tte red across t he lands far to th e wes t and in struct ed th em to co ns t ruc t great myst ical arc hes of sto ne th at would serve as exits fo r th e fleeing populace, thus placin g th em far beyond th e reach of th e Alliance .

At th e same time, th e Trident of Poseidon was somehow sto len from th e templ e in th e heart of the cit y of Atlantis and spirite d away to Cyrago. The siege held for several more days until Alliance agents managed to slip inside th e city and open th e gate s. Cyrago fell quickly, but during th e fighting Atlantean warriors recovered the trident and brought the sacred relic ho me .

In th e meantime, th e fleet s o f th e Allianc e, now havin g adde d Egypt ian so rce ry to th eir mi ght , roll ed o utwa rd from th e pill ars in to th e oc ean . They quickl y over cam e th e token for ces on th e mainland o f Spain and Northern Afric a. With th eir supply lin es cut and no hope of reinfor cem ent, th e Atl antean garriso ns fled , travelin g northward to th e co ld reach es of Akadiu s and inl and into th e verda nt heart of Africa.

Soon afte rwards, th e At lantean fleet met the Athenian armada on the hi gh seas. In a pitched battle that lasted for days, th e Atl ant ean navy was destroyed, and Alliance troops landed on th e island of Atlantis itself. Storytellers

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New Monster: Lemurian Challenge Rating: Size: Large ( H umano id Aqu ati c, Rep til ian)

Hit Dice: 3d8 - 3 ( 10 hit po in ts) Initiative : +2 ( D ex) Speed: 30 ft. AC : 17 ( + 5 Natu ral, + 2 D ex) or 24 ( + 5 N at ura l, + 2 D ex, + 5 Breast pl at e, + 2 Large Wood en Shield)

Attacks: Bit e +4 melee ( I d 6 + 2) o r Great Tr ident + 4 melee ( 3d4 + 2)

Face/Reach : 5' by 5'/ 10' ( 15' wit h Great Trident)

Saves : Fore + 0 , Ref + 5.

say th at G ade irus wishe d to em p lo y th e tr ide n t of hi s father to rep el the in vad er s, whil e C le ito wan te d to use it t o power th e ga teways that wo uld allow t he Atl ant ean people to escap e. The t wo quarreled , an d du ring th e arg u me n t C le ito was sla in by t he trident. S eein g hi s brid e k ill ed by h is ow n ico n , Pose ido n went insan e wit h fury. H e ap pea red at the site of hi s bel oved's d emi se, gra b be d the t ri de n t, and sna pped it ove r hi s kn ee. With the pow er that held it o n the su rface b rok en , th e isl and plummeted d o wn ward , carrying th e C it y of Atl anti s, the peopl e o f th e grea test nat ion in t he wo rld , and t he besieging arm y ben eath the waves for ever. Th e raw fo rces unl eash ed by Po seid on 's fury were so g rea t th at th e wo rl d was ro cked wit h ca ta clys m. Th e fleet s o f th e All iance we re swe p t awa y. A wave mil es high crus hed th e city o f At he ns and sca rrcrd it s remnants. Fl o odwat er s cov ere d th e wo rl d for m o re t ha n a lunar cycle . In a s ingle st ro ke, t he g r ief-s t ricken God of th e Sea s mas he d human civiliza t io n, wh ich wo u ld not arise aga in for se vera l th ou sand years.

Will +1

Abilities: Str 14, D ex 15, Con 9 , Int 12, Wi s I I , C ha 8

Alignment: U su ally Ne u tr al Skills: C raft: Stone mas onr y Jump 7 4 or Profession : Swim 8

Atlantis and the Classical World Because it d omin at ed m o st o f th e kn own wo rl d at th e tim e, Atl ant ean cu ltu re both influ enc ed an d was s ha pe d by th e id eals of th e Anc ien t W orld. Pr esent ed below is a lo ok at Atla nt is , it s p eopl e, th ei r wo rldv iew, and ho w th ese rela te t o th e t en et s o f C las sical C ult u re.

Arch itect 4 Balance 8

Feat s: Amb idext erit y D od ge or Ph alan x Fig h ti ng The lush, volcan ic land o f Lemu ria rises out o f th e ocean between Afri ca and Australia. It s inh abitan ts, a majestic race of int elligent saurians, were amo ng th e first truly advanced cultures Atlant ean explorers discovered during th eir t ravels. Th ou gh early enc ou nt ers with the Lemurians were peaceful exchanges of know1edge, th e rise o f Atlant is event ually led to ten sion. Lemurian s are ta ll, powerfully bu ilt hum an o id s, stand ing on average eight feet in heigh t. They have saurian heads, resembli ng thos e o f mon itor lizards. heavy, lo ng tails, and bodi es covered with green or bron ze scales, Lemurians use their tails for balance and to propel th em through th e water at great speeds. They are excellent swimme rs and can hold the ir br eath twi ce as lon g as a human can. Thou gh t hey are warm-b lood ed , th e Lemurian s lay eggs and require warm places to incub at e t hem.

Atlantis Atla n t is is an unn atu ral island raised and kept o n the sur face by th e di vin e powe r o f th e go d , Pos eido n. It was form ed fro m a cha in o f island s 600 mil es lon g fr om north t o so u t h . and 4 0 0 mil es wid e. Th e sea flo or th at had lain between t he isl and s becam e t he G rea t Ce n t ra l P lain s. M ount ain s cov er th e n orth ern qu art er o f th e teardrop-sh ap ed island , an d ano t her ch ain run s d own th e west ern coa st. A clu st er o f hi lls o ccupi es th e so u t heas te rn co rn er, fo rm ing a s h ielde d flo od plain wit h in th e int eri or o f t he island th at drain s int o th e grea t Sa m u re Ri ver. whi ch em p t ies int o th e oce an in an eno rmo us river d elt a in th e north east. Th e island has a balm y clim at e: hot and humid in th e s u m me r, coo l and d amp in th e winte r. Tr op ical s t o rms are fr equ ent but usu all y turn ed aside by t he At lanrcan wea t her-workers . Light er showers are allowed to p ass over, keeping th e farm s o f th e cen t ral plains well-wate red. Plant s an d an im al s of eve ry d escri pti on pop ulate th e island . H erd s o f ele p h an ts ro am th e und evel op ed 14

portions o f th e interior amid wild vin es, berries, and hu ge flo wers. Jungl es in the south t eem wit h monkeys and exo tic birds. W oodlands cover th e mountains , which are never snow-cap pe d . Wheat , barley, grapes , and tree-fruit are the primar y produ ce of th e farms. Coral reefs t o the so u t h m ake for ri ch fishing and s up p leme nt th e alrea dy abunda n t crops o f the isl and , easily feeding the Atl antean p opulace.

New Monster: Lemurian (cont') These giant reptilian s are renown ed as mast er bu ild ers and architec ts. They craft th eir cit ies our of volcan ic roc k, so me times carving th em our of t he sides of mountain s. All Lemurian homes have complex basement s th at descend several sto ries belo w th e gro und. Co nnected to th erm al vents and hot sp rings , these vaults protect eggs unt il a new generation is ready to hatch.

In th e so u t heas t, alongside the clu st er of hills and touching o n the cen t ra l pl ains, lies the maj estic City of Atl ant is. Th e me tro po lis is built aro u nd the sma ll mountain where Pose ido n or igina lly took Cleito as his bride and t he Ten Kin gs were born. On top lies a large marbl e sh ri ne th at is home to C leito and is th e central temple of Poseid on. Thou gh her parents are long d ead , Cl eito st ill resid es wit h in, se rving as chi ef pri estes s o f th e te mp les th ro ugh out the Em p ire. It is sa id Poseidon him sel f occas io na lly t akes m at er ial form and resides in t he shrine wit h hi s wife. Within are th e vast ga rde ns Poseid on crea te d before th e bi rth of th e Empire. So rich is the m ysti cal frui t , that th ose who partake o f it age slow ly and ra rely become ill.

Lemurians mature qui ckly by Atlantean sta ndards. reachi ng ado lesce nce at 20 and adulthood at 30 . They are lon g-l ived with middle age not com ing until 70. and old age sett ing in at abo ut 10 0 . Ven erabl e memb er s of th e race average I 50 -years o ld. and so me Lemu rian s can live to be over 20 0 . Lemurian s wear very little in th e way of clothing. but many own large co llections of well-c rafted jewelry. which th ey see m to love. T hey are an advance d people who craft bronze weapons and armo r. pr acti ce a pow erful, animist ic form of divin e magic. and maintain an effic ient, wellorga nized citize n-m ilit ia. Lem ur ian gove rn me nt is tr ad itionally divided bet ween th e spiritual and th e secular with fem ales choos ing t he former and mal es th e latter. Typ ically, sec ular aut ho rity is conce rne d with th e day- to -day ope rat ion of th e sta te. and th e advice of spiritua l leader s is hi ghl y resp ect ed.

The base of t he m ountain is su rrounded by th e first of three cana ls o f seawate r. The city it self is built o n the di vid ed circles o f land formed by these g rea t wate rways. Cl eit o 's mountain occ up ies the innermost circle of land. The next rin g o utwa rd houses th e lead er s of th e Em p ire. Eno rmous es ta tes do mi na te this reg io n, and, from here, counci ls decide th e fate o f the Empire. Within this circle also lies the es ta te of Kin g Atlas, lord of the city.

Combat: Lemurians are fierce fighters . particularly when th eir co mm uni t ies are threat ened . Arm ed Lemurian s typ ically wear bron ze breastplat es and fight with Gre at Trid ent s. M any are trained to fight in ph alan xes. and a gro up th at do es so makes a fearsom e oppo nent.

Businesses and cra ft houses dominate the outer ring. The city 's massive p ort lin es it s edges, and wit h in it sit s th e University of Atlantis. The homes and businesses of th e common people blanket th e sur ro und ing countryside, formin g the largest co m m u n ity in th e Em p ire.

Those th at are un arm ed use th e natural advantages of th eir rept ilian form. Lemurians are fast and dodge blows eas ily. They will pummel opponents wit h th eir fist s, attempt ing to move clo se enough to bite with th eir stro ng jaws.

Connecti ng th e three wate ry ch annels is a lar ge cana l th at runs o u t t o the o cean. S ea walls hav e been built aro u nd th e rings to p revent fl o odin g durin g hi gh tides. The o uterm os t wall is co vered in bronz e, the middle in go ld, and the innermost in hammer ed orichalcu m. Ben eath the city street s is a vast web of orichalcum th at cha n n els m ag ic al ene rg ies in ward , cau sin g the city to throb with it s pow er. Magic within the outermost ring is enhanced, and any Arcane Spell cast there automatically has maxim um iffect. Th e m assiv e flu ctu ati ons o f pow er, how ever, prevent t elep ort ati on into th e cit y itsel f, ca us ing suc h spe lls to mi sfire and drop th e recip ient elsew he re.

Skills and Feats: Du e to th e balance affo rded th em by t he ir tails. Lemurians gain a +6 Racial Bonu s to Jump, Swim, and Balance checks. They are also stee pe d in th e knowl edge of building. Thus. Lemu rian s have eithe r th e C raft: Stonemasonry or th e Profession : Architect skill. Additionally. all Lemu rian s are ambidex tro us, th ereby gaining th at Feat for fr ee. Favored Class: Lemurians are a deeply spiritual peopl e with a reverence for th e things around them. Females thus tend toward s th e C leric class. in keeping with th e gende r sp lit of Lemurian Soc iety. while males gravitate towar ds Fighte r. The Lcmuri an race adds two class levels to any cha racte r.

15

The Kingdoms Th e Is la n d of Atlant is is divided in t o t en k ingd om s . each rul ed b y o ne o f th e t en son s of Poseid on and

New Monster: Mue

C le ito. Atlas ru les t he City o f Atlantis its elf and th e

Challenge Rating: I Size : M ed ium ( H u m an o id ) Hit Dice: 2 dS ( 9 h it poin ts ) Initiative: + 2 ( D ex) Speed : 30 ft. AC: I S (+ 2 D ex, + 5

Att ack:

s ur ro u n d in g co u n t ry s id e. Widely con s ide re d th e m o st noble o f th e brothers . he continu all y s t r ives t o m ak e hi s land h ospit abl e an d beautiful. G ad eiru s o vers ees th e region to the sou t h o f th e c ity. H e co n s ide rs Atlantis t he pi n nacl e of civili z ation . and

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beli eves that Atl ant ean conqu ests must co nt in ue or else

Bit e + 2 m el ee ( I d 4) o r Bron z e Bart leaxc + 2 mel ee ( I d S + I ) o r Javel in + I ran ged ( I d 6 + I )

s tag n an t. Dis appointed th at hi s peop le have p u t as ide

th e isl and's civ iliz at io n will turn in upon it self and grow th eir ex pa ns io n is t d esires . h e is th e g rea tes t p ropon ent o f m il it a ry acti on amo ng the kin g s ,

Face/Reach: 5' b y 5'/5' Saves: Fort + 3, Ref +2, W ill - I Abilities: Str 12 . Dex I 3. Co n I I.

Arnph crcs and h is twin Evac m on go ve rn th e n orth ern reach es o f th e in t eri or plain. Both exc el in m att ers o f ag r ic u lt u re an d co n t inua lly sea rc h for bett er m eth od s

In t 12 . Wis S . Cha 9

Alignment : Skills:

o f p rovidin g fo r th e n eed s of th e people .

Us ua lly Neut ra l

Mn eseu s , wh o o r ig ina lly brou ght th e arts of Lemur ian

C raft : Blacksm it hing 4 or C raft : Arm orsmithin g

arch ite ct u re to t h e is lan d , re ign s o ve r th e h ill s t o t he

4 0r

eas t o f th e ca p ita l. Hi s d om ain hold s m an y o f th e

Cra ft: \ Veapon smi rh ing 4 Bala n ce 4 In ti m id a t e 4 Tum b le 4

Feats: Special Qualities:

g rea tes t es ta tes an d vineya rds o f th e E mp ire, Autoc h t ho n is in charge of th e so ut he rn reaches of t he wes te rn m ountain s. H is land s co nta in th e mi ghty

Po wer Arrack

forges o f th e E m p ire. wit h in whi ch o r icha lc u m an d

F ir e Resi st an ce 5

o t h er m et al s ar e p urified and shaped , Hi s b roth er. Th e Na t io n o f Mu lies in the h ig hla nds a nd m o u n t ain s of Sout h Ce n t ra l As ia. T he d enizens of t h is lan d . t he bestial Muc (moo-av), are an an cient people. It was from th ese st range creatures t hat Autochthon wres ted th e sec rets o f m etalwo r kin g, k now ledge th e Mu e hold sac re d . At lanr ca n s a re n ot welco me in Mu and are ki lled (and so me t imes ea te n) o n sig ht.

E las ip p us, rul es th e so u t he rn reach es o f th e Ce n tra l Pla in to th e wes t of th e cap ita l. where t he m an )' bcas rs o f burd en t ha t carry t he we ig h t of t he g rea t food ca rava ns are indi g en o u s. Hi s land is a ro lli ng t ap est ry o f o pe n plain s . ranc hes . and ca r rie ya rds . M cst or contro ls th e riv er delt a in th e n o rth eas t. Hi s

Mue are sho rt , powerfully mu scled hu ma noids. averag ing 4'9 " in heigh t. Th ey are very broad-shou lde red and walk with a hunched -over posture. Their bodies are covered in deep brow n . almo st black , sh o rt fur. and t he ir Iaccs are fl u and f~' ral with gle aming, r ello w eyes and sharp. fan g-li ke teeth . T ho ug h the i\ lue walk o n tw o legs, th ey o fte n u se th eir long ;lrI 11S t o tou ch th e ground and hel p th eir balan ce when the~ ' ru n m uch like a go rilla does. C loth ing co nsist s of furred an imal ski ns tied [Q the body for warmth and st r ips of tree bark las hed [Q the so les of th eir feet for protecti on .

kin gd om provid es m o st o f th e fr u ir co ns u med wirh in th e nati on . fin all y, Az aes and Dia pr cpcs sha re th e no n hcrn m ount ain chai n . Az acss LlI1d is cove re d in lu sh fores ts an d is th e g reates t so urce o f usabl e t imber for th e island. Diaprcp cs's rcrr iro rv is d ott ed wirh min es an d provides r hc is land wit h sto ne an d m cr al , includin g th e rn vs t ic or ic ha lc u m.

T he peop le of Mu live in small tribes secluded in th e r ift s and "a lleys of the ir mounta in ho m e. i\ lue co rn m u n ir ics live in vas t wa r re ns of cave s and sll u,ll hut s m ad e o f m ort a r an d s to ne. Th e ~' wo rship t he fir e go d, Po sak h, whom t h e" bc l icvc creat ed them a nd gra nted them the se c re t's of metallllrg~" Tr ibal leaders ar e priests of Pos.ikh and are th e c h ie f smi ths of the tribe.

The Empire Beyond th e b ord er s o f t he island it self li es th e vast At la n t cn n Em pire. It spa ns mu ch o f th e k now n wo rl d, cha n nel ing irs wea lt h back to the islan d , Over o ne milli on s u b jec ts live w ithi n its bo rders , givi ng Atla n r is r ule

OVCf

p eopl e o n Earth .

16

r h c la rgl'sr s ingle co llection of

Most o f Afri ca - from th e stormy so u t he rn islands t o th e Pill ars o f Atlas - is under Atlanr ean control. On th e northwest ern coas t. 800 miles so ut hwest of th e Pillars o f Atlas. lies t he po rt city of Cy rago. All At lantean trad e and s hi p ping passes throu gh thi s metrop oli s. Irs harbor can hold over on e hundred ships. and its warehouse s sto re enou gh food and supp lies to feed th e entire island for a de cad e.

N ew Monster: Mue (cont.) The cen ter of each co mmu n ity is a great for ge. which serves as a cente r fo r wors hip. warm th. and weapo ns. Male Mu e act as warriors and hunters, and th e females prepare foo d and care fo r th e child ren. Both genders can serve as priests and sm iths.

Atl anti s also gove rns th e coa sta l lands o f Europe. It has cha rge o f th e rich field s and hill s of wha t will event ually becom e Spai n and Fr an ce. and reign s ove r Tyrrheni a, th e wes te rn coas t o f th e It alian peninsula. To th e so u t h lies th e great maelst rom o f Char ybdi s. blo cking At henian tr avel int o Tyrrheni an wat er s.

Muc live short, roug h lives. reaching ado lescence by the age of 8 and maturity at 15. T hey are middl eaged by 25 . o ld at 35, and vene rable by th e tim e they are 50. Few live lo nger tha n 60 years.

Combat: M uc are among the mos t savage fighters in t he kn own wo rld. The co mbi na tio n of th eir strong muscles and their delight in huning others make for dead ly foes who g ive abso lutely no quarter. U na rmed Mu e will beat o ppo nents with their arms and try to bite th em wit h t he ir shar p teeth . Those with weapons typically arm th emselves with bronze bar rlcaxcs and javelins. Their fur is short and fine enough tha t they can wear ar mo r co mfo rtabl y, and mos t choose to don bronze breast plates whe n going into ba ttle.

Colonies exist in the far nort h on th e snowy lands of Akadiu s, even thou gh t hey are co vered in glaciers. Small se t tle me nts have also been plac ed in th e lands far to th e west across th e Atl antic. Th e voyage is to o far to make co nti n ua l t ravel possi ble. th ou gh . makin g th ese sa te llites spa rse and by necessit y sel f-s us tai n ing .

Mue arc nor particu larly o rganized when they fight . T hey gang up on th e stronges t foes and generally pic k target s th ey believe th ey can domin at e when choos ing indi vid ual com bata nts for th emselves. but th at is largely the limit of th eir tactical expert ise. A Mu e figh t resemb les a brawl more th an a battle, and such donn ybrooks are easy to win for skilled tact ician s. St ill the abso lute savage ry with which the Mue fight is uneq ualled in the world, and, for this very reason . sens ible peo ple leave t hem alone.

Foes Atlanti s has severa l en emi es able to st and up to it s might. Th e city-state of Athens possesses shipbui lding and sailing expe rt ise Atlantis can onl y match wit h a gr eat deal o f magical man ipulation. In addition. th e en t ire Olympian Panth eon o t he r th an Pos eidon holds th e city in high regard. giving it aweso me di vin e power. A warrio r soc iety wit h skills no Atl ant ean can mat ch lives t o th e so ut h o f At he ns at Sparta.

Skills: T he Mu e are mast ers of th e fo rge and work metal wit h a ski ll rarely seen o uts ide th eir brutish land . Wh ile they spe nd little t ime craft ing jewelry or o t he r fin er y. th eir weapo ns and armo r are quit e excellent. All Mu e know on e of the metalworking crafts: blacksmithing. armorsmithing. or weapo ns m ith ing .

Far t o th e east . around th e so u t he rn tip of Afri ca. th e Lemurian Empire thrives. Inh abi t ed by a lizard-l ike race. th ey were already an anci ent people when Atlantis first rose from th e depths of th e oc ean . Lemurians are th e best sro ne-c rafters in th e world. possess ing mast erful carving tec h ni q ues and an abili ty to tunnel th rou gh th e hard est of ro ck. Much o f th eir emp ire lies ben eath th e to wering spires th ey co nst ruct on th e surface.

Owing to the ir long. powe rful arms, th e Mu e are also adept at balancing and movi ng. They enjoy a +4 Racial Bonus to Balance and Tumbling skill checks as a result.

Special Qualitirs: Fire Resist ance: Year s of living and wor king wit h th e fo rge have made th e Mu e more resist ant to its natural eleme nt. th e fir e. Their bodies sec rete oi l that makes th eir fur less susceptibl e to burning. Thus. Mue ignore th e first 5 points of fir e damage from any attack.

Finally. within th e interior of Asia exists th e N ation of M u. Populated by st range beast-like people, the y possess metalworking skil ls far beyond an y found elsewhere in the world. They are excep t io nally hostile to outsiders. eat ing any humans o r Atl anteans th ey happen up on. In ad d it io n. t hey wield a shad ow-mag ic undet ect abl e by Atl antcan se nses. which makes th em a very dangerous ene my and d iscourages th e Empire from reach ing into their land s.

Favored Class: The savage Mu e are mo st at home in th e Barb arian class. Their C lerics wo rshi p Posakh and may choose from the Fir e. Stren gth. and Eart h Doma ins. Mu e have no understanding of Arca ne Magic. howeve r. an d thus Wi zards. So rce rers. and Bard s are very rare.

17

fr om ordinar y. They are well educated , urban e, and proud. Th ey lead lives o f luxury and co m fo rt, spe nd ing th eir days in pursuit of kn owled ge, pl easure, and politics. Each is expec te d t o be a m ast er o f so me trad e o r cra ft, whet her it be architecture, art , o r arcane spe ll weaving. For th e most part, an Atlanteans value in society is det ermined by p ersonal expe rt ise and past accomplishments , not professi on. Arc an e m ast ery is th e excep t ion to thi s, being a highly respected car eer. Th e lar gest group of citi zen s is tho se wit h no trace of Poseidon's blood . These people are for eign ers - usu ally human - brou ght into th e fold during th e G rea t Ex pa ns io n and th eir descend ant s. In ei t he r case , th ey are now full cit ize ns of th e Emp ire. Wh en nati ve peoples were encou n te red dur in g th e Expa ns io n, th ey qui ckl y came under th e rule of th e m o re so phist icate d Atlanteans. Force was rarely requi red . Atl antean exp lo rers sim p ly di spl ayed the wond er s o f th e Em p ire, both m agic al and mund an e, to the nati ves and o ffe red to t each th em. Awest ruc k acq u iesce nce usuall y resulted . Th e best and bri ght est of th e conqu er ed peopl es were brou ght back to Atl antis to be ed uc ate d in th e ways o f th e Emp ire.

Atlantean Culture Atlantean ideas and values have influ enc ed a large portion of the Classical World. Likewis e, m an y id eal s o f th ose the empire has subjugated have been incorporated in t o its own culture. Below is a look at how the peopl e of Atla ntis view themselves and th e world in which th ey live.

Education , however, did not come fo r free. N ewcom er s to Atl antis wer e expe cte d not o n ly to learn but also t o t each. In this way, Atla nt is co n t in ue d to grow and evo lve. Moreo ver, whe n th e newcom er s ret u rne d hom e, t hey were p laced in po sitions of au t ho r ity. Wi thin a hum an ge ne ra t io n or tw o (a sho rt t im e for th e C h ild ren o f Po seidon) , the nati ve cu lt ure becam e Atla ntea n. Thus , whil e foreign humans ar e not Atl an te an by birth , th ey nevertheless had an important rol e t o pla y in th e gro wt h o f th e Em p ire . Man y ch o se t o return to th e island later in life, and th eir o ffs p ring no w m ake up th e majority o f th e lab or forc e of Atl anti s.

Atlantean CitiZJns Atlantis can be divided into four di stinct g ro ups of citizens. The Noble Arlanteans, characteri zed by ver y close blood-ties to Poseidon, are th e sma llest but most noteworthy set . The Ten Kings and th eir clo se descendants make up this group almost exclusively. C loser to go ds than to mortals , their life spans can be m easured in thousands of years. They are th e backbone of th e cultu re, serving both as defenders of th e Atl antean way o f life and as reminders of the divin e origin of it s p eopl e. Nobles ho ld almost all top po sitions of pow er within th e Emp ire. They are expected to be p ara gons of wisdom and strength, a position to which they are uniquely suite d. T hough not abov e the law, they po ssess a gr eat deal of in fluence within society, and their word bears mu ch heavier weight than that of any other citi zen s.

H alf-bloods are th e fin al gro up o f cit ize ns. H avin g on e Atlantean and o ne human p arent, th ey are accep te d as p art o f Atlantean soc iety, yet live lar gely apa rt from it. Their sho rte r life sp an s preclude th e years o f st udy enjoye d by ordinary Arlanteans . As a result th ey lead mu ch m ore d yn ami c lives. They fr equ ently travel abroa d , se rvin g as em issaries to th e o uts ide wo rld . Closer racially t o humans, th ey are les s likel y t o be seen as alien.

C om m on At lanteans are the de scendants of th e ori ginal inhabitants of the island and comprise th e second-larg est group of citizens. Their divine blood is much more dilu t ed , making them mortal thou gh still lo ng- lived in comparison to humans. They poss es s more delicat e feat ures than normal human s and t ypi ca lly hi gh er inte lligence. These ar e the ordinary citi zens of th e islan d. By outside standards, howev er, their lives are far

Family Atlantean soc iety is based on the exte nde d f1m ily. Th e eld est member, call ed th e Si 'an, leads th e hou seh old and gov erns da y-to-day affairs . Th e Sian declares th e food fit to eat at m eals , decides all marriage requ est s, and gov erns 18

all large expenditures of money. Resolving interfamily conflicts is hi s o r her responsibility in ad d it io n to representing th e family to the rest of societ y. Since the Si 'an is often quite o ld, a yo unge r m ember of the hous ehold is ap p o inted as intermediary. This Si 'ai passes on any larger issu es facing the famil y. A Si 'an is rarely enco untered outsid e th e famil y compound, leaving such affairs to the more yo u th ful Si 'ai. Generall y, Si 'an are given g rea t respect and treated like nobility.

famil y. Apprentice labor is cheap and the quality of university ed u cat io n is high enough that students are rarel y rejected. In fact , prospective masters often query univer sity faculty for the identities of particularly promising st ud ents to approach when their schooling is finished. Students who are not accepted by any m ast er must travel until they can find one, even if that me an s leaving the island. At this point some Atlanteans join the armed forc es and begin training for a life of war.

Childhood

An ap p ren t iceship is traditionally 20 years long, during wh ich app ren t ices are expe ct ed to follow their master's every dictate. The first few years are spent in hard labor, doing m enial work the master is not willing to perform. This treatment, wh ile seemingly harsh, forces the pupil to d evelop p ati enc e, discipline and self-reliance. As time wears o n , th e master relates more and more of the trade until at last the yo ung ad u lt is worthy of being known as a Journeym an .

Atl ant ean ch ild hood is a lon g, drawn o u t affair. By traditi on, th e firs t two decad es of an At lan tea n's life are sp ent at home, enjoy ing the pl easures of yo u t h. Children are expec te d to ma ster reading an d writing, the dail y pra yer s, and to be ab le t o tend to their own gro o m ing during the fir st d ecad e. In the second half of child hood, th ey begin taking p art in the cho res of the household: prep aring and serving m eals, cleaning the walk ways, air ing t he bed lin ens , running m essages , and doing sim p le shoppi ng in th e marketpl ace. Master y o f the bas ic etiq ue tte and cu stoms o f At lan tea n soc iety is also expec te d .

When th e apprenticeship ends, the yo ut h is expected to spe nd the next 30 yea rs abroad, traveling and learning ju st as the ten sons of Poseidon did. The growing Atl antean wander s the breadth of the Empire, learning it s secrets and the ways of its people. Those who joined t he milit ary, ho wever, do not travel so freely. They are sta t io ne d abroa d to learn the arts of war in the Em p ire's garrisons.

On the m ornin g o f their t wentieth b irthday, the Si'an t ells th e children th at they represent the famil y to th e wo rl d and their beh avior and p erformance refl ect up on the househ old. This is the fir st time in his or her yo ung life that the S i'an acknow ledg es a child's exist ence, a momentous occ asio n. A party honoring the child is thrown that even ing to accep t him or her as part of th e famil y. Th e yo ung Atl antean receives gifts of clothing and jewelry, and p artakes of the fin est food and drink the family can provide.

The full y educated children return home on their one hundred and tenth birthdays. The Si'an personally greets the wanderer at the door with the warmest affection. Another party, larger than the last so long ago, welcomes the n ew adult and si gnifies his or her official inclusion in the famil y. Members of other households are invited since the even t is a point of pride and provides a chance to show off the new member to the community. Even those in the ar me d forc es ar e given special leave to return home. After wards, soldiers choose whether to return to the military or to stay home. Most go back, having made fri ends and become accustomed to that way of life. Those returning from non-militaristic travels usually set up businesses as masters and take apprentices of their own.

Th e next d ay, th e ch ild packs hi s or her belong ings and leaves for on e of the fin e Atlantean universities. The next twenty yea rs are dedic at ed to the study of a wid e vari et y o f subjects . History, sp ell-craft, reli gion, philology, cartogr aphy, and liter ature are all part of the curricula in addi t ion to basic trade skills such as carp entry, pottery, sto new or k, and weaving. The arts of war are also included ; the grow ing Atl antean acq u ires rudimentary knowledge of weaponry, tactics , and strategy. At the end of thi s tutelage, the Atl antean ha s acquired experience in a wide selec t io n o f fields and, hopefully, has shown tal ent in on e o f th em .

Marriage Marriage is an oc cas io n seld o m celebrated in Atlantean society, as Atlanteans en ter into lifelong commitments wit h the gr eatest of caution. Most wander through a s t r in g of lovers o ver the course of their lives, remaining attached for years but separating when the

Aft er atten d ing un iver sity, At lan tea ns are exp ect ed to find a m ast er and t o petition for app renticesh ip. Though so me t ry t o return hom e, they are turned away and told they are not yet read y to rejoin th e 19

relationship starts to sour. Children created by th ese trysts are always cons idered part of the mother 's family and are raised as such without prejudice as t o th eir fat her 's identity. Relationships within a famil y are common, though never between siblings or parents and children. Marriage within a single household is strictly forbidden.

is considered hol y, and every Atl antean is expec te d to bathe in it at least on ce a year. While th ey acknow ledge th e exis te nce o f o t he r gods, Atlanteans do not pay th em hom age. Prayer to ot her go ds is allowed on th e island , but only temples to Poseidon may be erecte d. Small sh rines t o ances t ral d eities wit hin t he homes of immi gr ant humans are allowe d and respected, but th e Cult of Poseidon is th e nati on al religion .

Among t hose who do marry, adultery is nearl y unknown beca use the penalty for such behavior is permanent exile of bot h offenders and their spouses from th e island. Who was unfaithful doesn't matter, for any failin g in the marriage is considered the fault of both parti es. Marriages are highly respected, and both indi vidu als gain great status for th e commitment. Thus, any dama ge t o t he relationship and its institution is a great sin. After all, it reflects badly on th e en t ire famil y.

Law Th e Atlantcan legal sys te m is st raig h t fo rwar d. Eac h year, th e Ten Kin gs gat he r in th e Ga rde n o f Cle ito t o discu ss an y issu es th at have ar ise n durin g t he pas t year that ma y require th e crea t io n of new laws. Ge ne rally spea king, wit hin th e border s o f Atla n tis, t hose acts caus ing direct harm t o th e person al welfa re o f ano t he r are illegal. Thus, murde r, rape, arso n, burglar y, assa ult , and other form s o f vio lence and th eft are cr imes und er Atl ant ean law. C hief t emple priest s serv e as judges and th e Ten Kin gs resol ve th e hi gh est o rde r of di sputes. Penalti es usu all y foll ow th e "eye-fer-an -eye" formula, makin g th e judgm ent suit th e crim e. Murder is puni sh ed by th e execut io n o f th e perp etrator, t heft is penalized by a peri od o f service to th e vict im in addi tion ro th e ret urn of th e goo ds or recompen se for th eir value, and so forth.

Death Death is taken very seriously by the long- lived Atlanteans, Funerals are solemn affairs in which th e whole o f th e deceased's family is expected to participate. At a t emple, the body of the departed is ritu ally anoint ed by pri est s of Poseidon and then laid out on a pyre. The co rpse's hand s are placed around a meticulously cr afted trid ent of select wood , and the body is wrapped in th e fin est linen embroidered with prayers to Poseid on. Th e S ia n comes forward and speaks of th e d eed s o f th e fallen , reviewing his or her life in det ail. Great emphasis is placed on accomplishments both large and small. Th e charac te r and personality of the de ceas ed are not menti on ed because those impressions are considered ver y per sonal and subjective, and their disclosure would affect th e memories of those assembled . As final words are spo ken, the Si'an lights th e pyre. The assembled are expec te d to stay until th e fire di es, afte r whi ch th e ashes are car ried to the sea and deposited th ere. Mourning lasts one day for every ten year s the departed was alive.

Wh en a dispute ar ises bet ween t wo un compromi sin g indi vidual s o f different famili es, it t~lll s t o th eir Sian t o meet and resol ve th e pr obl em. If th e S i'a n can not resolv e th e issu e, a C hief Pri est o f Poseid on is called. Sh ould th is als o fa il t o resol ve th e sit ua t io n to th e sa t isfac t io n o f th e pa rt ies in vol ved , it may be redirect ed t o a hi gh er-rankin g p riest. Th e chai n co nt in ues to one o f th e Ten Kin gs, wh o have fin al aut horit y to resol ve di sputes. For th e mo st part , it is in th e best int erest of both parti es to resol ve it befo re a Kin g is co ns ulte d becau se, wh ile both p arti es mu st ag ree t o a p ries t's se t tle me n t , a Kin g's judgm ent is fina l and requires no app rova l o f th o se invo lved. In add it ion, refus ing t o accept th e d ecision o f a priest reflects badl y on both parties (and co nse q ue n tly, th eir famili es) . Wh en an indi vidua l lacks a Si'an, a pri est is auto matica lly cons ulted. G en er ally, tru e Atl antean s are held in grea ter estee m in th e eyes o f th e law and t end to receive m or e favorabl e judgm ents, much to th e regr et o f human s.

Religion Given that they are the direct descendants o f a go d , Atlanteans are predictably a very reli giou s peopl e. Th ey view Poseidon as more than just th eir deity; he is th eir forefather. Througho ut the d ay, At lant ean s pay hom age to him in myriad ways. A cool sea br eez e causes an Atlantean to pause and give thanks. One greets a st range r by offering him or her water. At th e even ing meal, th e head of the ta ble is always left vacant, thou gh a pl ace is set, and a few drops are delib erately spilled from a serving of water or wine to return to the sea. Th e ocean it self

Slavery Slav er y is legal wit hin th e Atla n tea n Empi re and se rves as a major source of basic labor. The cond it io n of slavery

20

is never inh erited, tho ugh . C hild ren are automa tica lly considered free of their parents ' obliga tions because slaver y is a penalty given to an individual for failure to pay debt s, as a judgment for a crime, or as pu nish ment for sedition. H owever, those possessing th e blo od of Poseido n cannot be committed to slavery. T hus, Noble and Com mo n Atla ntea ns are exemp t fr om th is punishmen t , which is reserved for human s and o t her lesser races.

of years of exper ience, th eir natural t alents pl ace them above nearl y every one else.

A mast er must provide for slaves' bas ic need s, an d t heir ph ysical well-being must be maintained. Married slaves cannot be se pa rat ed from their spouses, and chi ldre n cannot be taken away.

The lon g-l ived Atla n tea ns ge ne rally fill the second rank of t he social struc tu re, having th e expe rt ise of several h um an lifet im es at th eir di sposal. Human s fill the lowest rung, alt ho ug h th ere have been a few unusual human s with sufficien t natural tal ent to rank higher. Th ese indi vidu als are hi ghly resp ected for their acco mp lis h ments d esp it e th eir race. Bastai and other creat ed races rem ain sepa rate fro m the o rdinar y social order of t he Emp ire since th ey t end to rem ain aloof and dise ngaged fro m th e rest of th e com mu nity.

Social Order

Clothing and Fashion

Atla n t is is, in very man y ways , a mer it ocracy. C itizens are judged not by wha t t hey do , but how well th ey d o it. This reflects t he At lantean dr ive for perfection an d control. Those who produce the highest quali ty work and are true masters of their craft are give n greater respect. For this reason , oble At lanteans usually ho ld the highest positions. ot on ly do the y possess hund red s

Atla n tea n cl othing sty le s are rich but loose and co m fo rtable, befitting th e island 's balmy climate. Males favor o rnately emb ro ide red vests that leave th e chest exposed, loo se leggin gs, and sa nda ls. Woman wear long, flowing gow ns hun g fro m the shoulde r, which are often tied with a sash arou nd t he wais t and slit partly up th e side of the leg for ease of movem ent and com fort. In co lder weat her, wome n wind long sashes of warmer fabrics aro und th eir limb s to form a skin-t ight garment, and men add a sleeved undershirt to their usual ensemble. Vibra nt blues and greens are th e favored colors of leisure, wit h eart hy browns used for work clothing. Reds, purp les, and yellows are . employe d as highl ights, usu all y in th e form of sash es and shawls, while black, whi te, and gray are reserved for underga rme n ts. Elaborat e em bro ide ry is common , often including silv er, gold, and some t imes even orichalcum thread in th e designs. Su ch enhanceme nts typically feature eye-p leasing patterns rat he r than images.

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Foo twear co ns ists of thin hard wood sanda ls, carved and shaped to fit the sole of th e wearer 's foot. A simple pad of leather provides a buffer between the skin and the wood of the sandal. Long ribbons or leather straps that often run all th e way up the calf tie the shoe to th e wearer's foot. Intricate swirls and whirls are etc hed in the bo ttoms to provide traction. Atla n tea n footwear is d esi gned to keep feet com fort able and cool whil e not interfering with swimming.

formal affairs. Most o f th e best Atlantean ch efs are also skilled herbalists and serve as doctors when not cooking since th ey beli eve mo st illn ess is du e t o im p roper food p repa ra t ion and an unhealthy di et. Sk illed coo ks are in very hi gh d em and si nce th e measu re o f a ho us e is ofte n det erm in ed by th e quality of th e t abl e it se ts .

Jewel ry is very common and worn during everyday life. R ings and amulets featuring poli shed metal and gem stones are favor ed, though earrings are no t un common. Intricate clasps and pins ordain Atl ant ean hair st yles, which tend to be straight and sho ulde r-leng t h among both men and wome n. Tattoos are also popular, typ ically in the form of small, patterned d esign s th at enhance the natural flo w and fall o f clothing styles. Most are drawn with deep black ink. Facial and head t attoos are commonly worn by those in th e mil it ar y, incorporat ing any scars acquired in th e lin e of duty.

Art Atl antean s are a very artistic people. Ornat e pa in t ings and carvings ado rn th e walls wit hin th eir hom es. These d esigns usu ally dep ict th e sea, mountain s, and o t he r natural scenes, makin g th e interi or seem larger th an it is. Buildings are co nstruc te d with alcoves and wall ni ch es for st atuar y, and every curve and an gle o f th e st ru ct ure is sh ap ed and polished to please th e eye.

Architecture Atl anteans bu ild structures to endure. As a people for whom a generation can spa n a century, a single lifetime can outlast t he build in gs of normal humans. At lanrean s prefer to b uil d with stone, primari ly marble and other hard rock. When wood is used , onl y th e hard est will suffice.

Arti stic tastes favor co mplex desi gn s th at sugges t th e subject to the viewer rather than boldly tell it. Atlanteans believe that art sho uld require careful attent ion to convey it s meaning. Simple im ages and carvings are sco rne d as bein g too ped estrian , eas ily forgotten , and ignored. A work o f art sh ould capt ure th e eye and give new meaning wit h each viewing.

Atlantean homes are designed to be very open . A ho usehold consists of a single, multi -storey cen t ral structure connected to numerous outbuildings through covered walkways. The dwellin gs th emselves have a cent ral meeting hall and wo rk areas on th e first floor. Bedroom s are on the second and high er stories. Arche d windows abound, allo wing the fre e movem ent of air through ou t the dwelling. During colder seasons, o rn ate curtain s are hung throughout the hous e, co vering do orw ays and windows to trap heat within.

Atla n tea n musici an s favo r th e flut e and har p as well as a five-s tringed instrument called th e halist a. Played with a bow, it is well kn own for th e reso na n t, yet haunting so u n d it produ ces. M an y of th e grea t Atla n tea n co m p os it io n s are wri tten for a quartet of flut e, harp, halista, and a single voca list. The music it self is flowing and melodious, reminiscent of ocean waves crest ing upon the sho re, remarkably co mp lex and intri cat ely layered.

In larger cities, massive aq ue duc ts flo w overhead. Th e upper floors of ma ny ta ller houses have access to th ese sources of water. In some cases, an aqu educt runs st raight t hr o ug h the house. So lid waste is carried away each morning in large clay urn s, whi le liquid waste is emptied in to covered sewer channels that run in alleys behind t he structures. Periodically, th ese ch annel s are flood ed with water from the aqueducts, keeping them clean and free of ob struction.

Worldview The descendants of Poseidon see themselves as masters of their world. They are dri ven to control and shape every aspect of their lives. An architec t is willing to chop down a forest just to improve th e view from a new st ruc t ure. The world is moldable clay, a suitable base from which on e can craft what one needs, rather th an a co mplete creat ion.

Food Sa ltwater fish are considered the most perfect of food , coming as they do from the domain of Pos eidon, and a prayer of thanks is given before partaking of their meat . No part of an ocean fish is wasted . Atlant ean cooks have n umerous recipes for prep aring every part. Even the bone is ground up and combined with several other spices and flour to make a rich bre ad called macah.

H avin g traces of di vinity running in th eir veins , At lantea ns view th em selves as th e p inn acle o f civilizati on and cult u re. This is not to say th at th ey see no value in th at which is not Atlantean in ori gin. Rather, th ey beli eve suc h things should be ass im ilate d into th eir cultu re and th en perfected as o nly Atlanteans are capabl e. Atlanteans place great value on study, for onl y through underst anding can th e proper way of accomplishing a task be found.

Food is delicat ely seasoned with an emphasis on salt and garde n-grown herbs. Im port ed spices are reserved for

The struggle for perfection exemplifies Atlantean cult ure. Tr ue m aster y of an art or craft is not only a worthy 22

goal, it is all that is worth doing. Th ey ar e th e ultimat e tool-u ser s, co n t in ually d eveloping new methods for shapi ng t he wo rld. Life it self is a tool , as evide nce d by th e creatio n of the Basr ai and t he Orphean warr io rs . Atl ant ean s have no need t o st ruggle wit h a task whe n they can crea te a tool to acco mp lis h it, freein g more time for impo rta n t stud ies. Th ey are a proud, even ego t is tica l peop le - it is d ifficult to impress a race for who m twe n ty years o f expe rience is see n as an ap p rent ices hip. Their supe rior at t it ude, though often ju stifiabl e, crea tes t en sion wit h o rd ina ry hum an s, who are o fte n t reated as pret enti ou s ch ild ren.

Orichalcum, the mystic al metal indigenous on ly to Atlantis, has a strange property that naturally stabilizes and channels resonant ene rgies, making it a perfect material for magical con struction. By crafting orichalcum into an it em , a skille d art isan can cau se it to draw upon the natural energies of th e environment. In addition, carefully st ru ctu red web s of the metal can create closed loops of power, trapping arcane energies and life forces , which makes th e creat ion of th e Orphean warriors (see below) possible. Crystals have peculiar resonant properties. A carefully sha ped crys ta l can be att une d to a particular Resonance pattern to focu s spe llcas t ing. While not as pow erful as orichalcum, pr ecisely cut , high quality crystals can serve as temporary reservoirs of arcane pow er, sto ring a particular spe ll pattern for future us e.

Arlanrean s are very im age-consciou s. Th ey will go t o great len gth s to make every aspect of th eir lives pleasing to th e eye and a wonder to beh old. Buildings are wo rks of art wit h sweeping curves and an gl es t hat draw t he eye to th e best as pec ts of the co ns t ruc t io n. Swords are intricately em bossed with d esign s and glyp hs. Scar s are surrounded by complex tattoos with th e flow of th e blemish wo rked into th eir d esign. Arlantean s pride themsel ves on their refu sal to acce p t im per fection; pre- existing flaws are see n mer ely as tools wit h wh ich t o wo rk.

Fina lly, divine pow er is wielded by some At lanteans, though it is not given the same emphasis as t he arcane. Pri est s of Poseid on po ssess a large degre e of power, espec ially ove r th e sea and weat he r. However, Atlanteans beli eve that Poseidon expec ts th em to be self-supporting and that he does not toler at e weakn ess. They feel divine powe r makes p eople rely upon their god too much , wo rshipp ing out of need rather than resp ect and devotion. Atlantea ns beli eve th at Poseidon gifted his children with their t alents. To rely upon him for power is to scorn wha t he has alrea dy give n. Thus, priestly might is un common and rarel y called upon for tasks other than healing and weat he r co n t rol.

Magic The civiliza t ion o f Atla n t is is built upon th e myst ic arts. M essages are relayed across th e Empire through a magical net work, and powerful spe llcas rers rid e the waves in glis te n ing cha riots o f fo rce and wate r. C it y street s pulse wit h arca ne power. Atla n tea n magic manipulates and con t ro ls th e enviro n me nt in ways th at inspire awe in for eign mages but are t aken for gra nted by those that resid e th ere. Buildings of impossible construction ar e held together by ar can e might. W ith th eir innate intelligence and long lives , Atl anteans have ach ieved a master y o f magic unmatched in th e Cl assical World. Th ey possess a natural affin ity for it , and can sense the presen ce o f magi cal auras if they focu s properl y. Pr acticall y every cit ize n has so me m in or arcane imp leme nt that aids hi s o r her dail y life.

Part 2: Characters and Equipment

A large part o f At lan rea n magi cal p ower is based o n the p ri nc ip les of th e Reson an ce. The fam ed scho lar and mu sician , O rpheu s, di sc overed that everyt h in g in the wo rld, bot h magic al and ph ysical, is attu ne d to a certain resonant vibra t io n. By manipulating and ch anneling this vibra t io n, Atla n tea n spe llcaste rs can sha pe their sp ell s to work in time wit h the natural resonanc e of the t arg et , making t he cas t ing mu ch eas ier and the spell more po werful. Life ene rgy can also be alte red through th e Resonance, as demonstrated by th e powerfu l art s us ed to create the Bastai cat-warriors.

Rol e-playing in Atla n t is offers some unique challenges an d benefits for player characters. To recreate the Classical World, TWILIGHT OF ATLA. TIS imposes certain racial and equipment restrictions, provides some additional skills and feats, and presents several new prestige classes unique to the Adantean se t t ing . All of this information is detailed below. All of th e text in Part 2 is designated Open Game Co n te n t for license purposes, not jus t the material in the specia l O pen Content sidebars. 23

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Race Characters in T WILIGHT OF ATLANTIS may choose from five races. The fir st is human, using the standard human racial traits. The remaining four are detailed below.

Atlanteans The Atla nteans are descended from a uni on between mortal and god. C onsequently, they are a calm, orderl y people that rarel y display ext remes of emotion, befitting th eir impressive longevity. They are naturally curious and often amused at th e actions of short-lived outsiders. Though other s may mistake the Atlanteans ' demean or for laziness, they are, in fact , qui etly intense. When pursuing a goa l, such as an important mission or a complex . experiment, . ·~~~:;'." . : :'i.· : Atlantean s '.,.,. s- t < : ··iJ.j: are . ~f,..; ~•..

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relentless but pr efer to take th eir t ime and look at things from a verybroad perspective. Ph ysic ally, th ey are sma ller th an humans, averagi ng aro und 5'6 " in height and abo ut 12 5 pounds in weight. M en are only slightly larger th an wom en. A M editerranean people, Atlanreans tend to be oliveskinned and dark-h aired. They do not grow facial or body hair and have fine, delicate featu res th at man y human s find eerily beautiful. Atla n te ans remain child ren for about 74 years, during whi ch time th ey mature slowl y, rarel y growing tall er th an 4 '6 " or heavier th an 6 5 pounds. During th eir lon g child ho od, th ey ch oose paths they will follo w for th e rest of th eir lives. By the time th ey reach ado lescence , which last s from about age 7 5 to I 10, many have already

Table +2 +I +2 +2

Noble Atlantean Racial Traits

2--2:

Co nst it u t ion.

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Charisma

Natura l AC Bonus Racia l Bonus

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sho rt life sp ans , but they admire the humans' intensity and believe that t he ir own civiliza t ion has made their h uman neighbors so me t hing more th an t he ou ts ide rs who no w threaten t heir very exis te nce .

All Saving Throws

Racia l Bonu s to Gather In fo rm at ion , Know ledg e: Arcana, Knowl edge: Nature. and Swim skills

Noble Atlanteans

The passage of time has diluted most o f Pos eidon's influence on Atla n tea n blood. Though they have ext rem ely long lives, Atlanteans are Low Ligh t Vis ion. Nobles can see twice as fa r as normal humans st ill mortal. A few, ho wever, rem ain in poor ligh t in g and s t ill d istingui sh colo rs. blessed by th eir di vine blood. Noble Acid, Cold, and Elect ricit y Res ist ance 5 Atla n tea ns rul e th e isl and wit h T he Noble Atlan rcan race adds I class level to the character. th ereb y gai ni ng an additiona l hit die (d 8) . T hus, a lath Level Nob le wisdom and skill gaine d through At lantea n Wizard is actua lly an I I th Level characte r. cen t ur ies o f pr actice. Due to the Nobles' longer life spans, many humans beli eve these plane-touched rulers to be truly immortal. Noble At lantea ns mature at the same rate as co m mo n Atl anreans, but their life gained one or more C lass Levels. It is durin g th is perispa ns are t en t im es as lon g. Because th ey are planeod th at th ey t ruly begin t o ph ysicall y mat ur e, ult im at etou ched, Noble Atla nteans are considered Outsiders ly reac hing th eir full height and weigh t befo re en te ring rath er th an Human oid. adult hood. At lan rean ad ol escen t s co nt in ue t o advan ce N oble Atlanteans can Water-walk at will as a Supernatural Abi lit y. They can also emp loy Water-breathi ng at will as an Extrao rdi nary Abilit y.

and o fte n see k adv ice from th eir elders on how to bear the weight o f a cent uries -lo ng life spa n. Middle age se ts in aro und 17 5, o ld age at abo u t 26 5, and tho se of 350 yea rs o r m ore are co n side red vene rable. Th e longlived can reach as much as 400 years old. At lan tea ns view most human s as unrefined bar bari an s and refu se t o beli eve th at th ese unc outh dullards can overthro w t he m . This attitude has led to mo st o f th e island nati on 's cu rre n t problem s. Hum an s residing in Atla n t is, ho wever, are viewed wit h much grea te r resp ect . True Atlantean s pity th em for th eir

27

Table 2-3: Half-Atlantean Racial Traits Medium Size . Base speed of 30 '. Det ect Magic at Will. This is a Sp ell-like Ability with the Caster Level 1. Low Light Visio n. H alf-Ad anteans can see twice as far as humans can in poor lighting condi tio ns and can sti ll distinguish colo rs. H alf-Atlant eans have sharp senses. T hey gain a List en, Search, and Sp ot checks .

+1

Racial Bonus to

Automat ic Langu ages: Adanrea n and o ne Human Lan guage of their choice. Bonu s lan guages incl ude all human lan guages. Favored Class: Any. H alf-Ad anteans are ada pt able like th eir hu man parents. When det erm ining whet her a multiclass H alf-Adantean suffers experience penalties, th e highest-l evel class does not count.

Half-Atlanteans

aga ins t seve ra l Atla ntea n col onies. In resp onse, th e Atla ntea ns creat ed

Sometimes, Atl antean s and humans conceive child ren. Though such relationships usually end quickly, th ey leave behind half-breed children as a reminder. The lives of these offspring are often diffi cult since they are not truly at home in either of their parents' worlds. Those born on Atl antis do not live lon g enough to learn th e intricacies of Atlantean soc iety, though, like all citizens, they are judged by their abilities and expected to contribute to th e wellbeing of the island nation. As a result , many native half-breeds push th em sel ves rel entlessly, seeking to live up to their Atlantean heritage. A few have even become great heroes. Those raised among humans must often deal with prejudice. They are fr equently sh unne d becau se of their obviously inhuman appearance and slower ph ysical growth. Though human-raised Half-Atlantean s may find their way to Atlantis, most remain in human lands, feeling like outsiders throughout their lives. Half-Atlanteans always look foreign . To human eyes, they appear alien, and to Atlanteans th ey seem too human. They average between 5' and 6 ' tall and weigh between 90 and 180 pounds. Men are tall er and heavier than wo men , alt ho ugh the differenc e is less obvious than in humans. H alf-Atlant eans mature more slowly than humans. Puberty does not begin until 16 , and they don't reach adulthood until 2 5.

28

M iddle age is approxim ately 60 , and old age sets in by 95 . Those who reac h 125 are co nsidered vene rable and can live as many as 50 more years. Becaus e th ey age more slowly t han humans, H alf-Atl an teans usu ally appear yo unger th an th eir human peers .

Bastai Atlantean explorers often retu rn ed hom e wit h bits of fore ign cultures assi milate d int o t he ir own beliefs. O n one suc h expe d itio n, th ey enco untered huma ns who vene ra te d a pow erful cat -goddess. These people proved to have an innat e understandin g of arca ne ener gies. Their so rce rers prevented Atla n tean attempts at furth er co ntac t fo r decad es and even waged a brief but blood y campa ign

th e Bastai fo r th e dual purpose of helping to co n t ro l th ese humans and p rotec ti ng Atla ntis against magicall y power ful enem ies. Upl ifted from th e hunt in g cats t ha t roam t he wilde rness of N o rth Africa, th e Basr ai are humano id felin es. Th ey have go lde n eyes wit h slit pu pil s and coa ts of fur th at ran ge fr om t awny t o solid black. Th ey have human o id hands and feet fo r manipulating t ool s, sha rp teeth and claws for a natural edge in co mbat, and lon g tail s and whis kers fo r balan ce and aware ness. Bastai dr ess in a modi fied Atla n tea n fashi on . They favo r light, loose fabrics th at don 't rub agains t th eir fur, and wear o nly th e minimum required by prop riet y. Th ey have t ou gh pad s on th e palms o f th eir hands and sales of th eir feet , and thus rarely wear gloves or shoes. Enc hanted handwear and footwear fo r Basta i usu all y take th e form of wraps th at leave th eir fin gers and t oes expo sed and th eir claws free. Bastai are bu ilt heavier than Atl antean s but ligh t er th an human s. On average, th ey have a bu ild s im ilar to th e H alfAt lan reans. They mature quickl y by Atlantean sta nda rds and have a no rm al human life spa n.

Table 2--4 Bastai Racial Traits + 2 Dexterity and Wisdom. The Bastai are gra ceful and better suit ed to bur sts of energy than feats of endurance and are more inclined to rely on inst inct th an intellect.

-2 Constitu tio n and Int elligence.

Med ium size. Base Spe ed of 30'. Bastai have claws. giving th em a + 2 Racial Bonu s to Climb checks if th ey are bareh and ed and barefoot. Bastai can also choose to use th eir claws and teeth in un armed co mbat, giving th em th e option of do ing leth al slashing damage instead of subdual without suffering th e -4 arrac k penalty. Basta i may purchase th e Multiarr ack Feat. Low Light Vision. Basrai can see twice as far as a hum an in poor lightin g and can st ill distinguish colors. Basrai are natu ral hunt ers. instincti vely adept at sta lking prey. They gain a + 2 Racial Bonus to Balance, H ide, Jump, Move Silently, and Lis ten checks. Acute senses and highl y tun ed whis kers allow cat- warriors to det ect th e p resen ce of crea t ures th at would normall y be con cealed . Co nseque ntly, Bast ai gain th e Blind Fight ing Feat for free. Bascai take half dam age fro m any fall if th ey succeed in a Reflex Save with a DC of 10 + I per 10 ' fallen. Because they rely on th eir whiskers for many of th eir excepti o nal abiliti es, if th ey are ever severed, th e Basr ai loses it s inna te Blind Fighting abi lit y and suffe rs two po ints of D exterity dam age. Severed whiskers regenerate o nce th e Dexterit y damage is full y healed. Automatic Languages: Atla ntean . Bonus langu ages include Aqu an and all hu man languages. Favored Class: Monk . Like th eir wild ancesto rs, Bast ai are pat ient and determ ined, well suited to th e stu dy of complex mart ial sciences. They have develop ed th eir own combat forms and practic e th em with th e same devotion th e Atlanreans bring to th eir magical studie s. Bast ai attack movements are grace ful and fluid, often invoking images of great hunting cats .

Th e Bast ai have ada p te d th e cultu re o f Atl anti s to suit th eir own need s. The felines und er stand the Atla n tea n aloo fness and ofte n keep th eir own co u nse l. Th ey accept th eir rol e as protect or s of Atla n t is and t end t o view th eir creato rs as elders t o be resp ect ed and watc hed over. In return, th ey en joy the ad m ira t io n of th e Atla ntean people, who treat th em wit h a combination o f pride in their handiwork and awe at th e ph ysical grace wit h whic h th e Bastai see m to be born.

Bastai so me t ime s see themselves as better than their crea t o rs owing to th eir reli ance on their natural gifts rather th an tools and magic.

The cat -war rio rs ge t alo ng well wit h H alf-Atlanteans, who some t imes view th em as kindred spirits . Th e Bastai don 't under stand th e common H alf-Atlantean de sire to be closer t o th eir Atla n te an parents. For th em selves, th ey like th e d ist an ce th e Atl antean s keep from o th er races. It suits th eir own natures, and alt ho ug h neither th e Bast ai nor th e At lantea ns ad m it it, th e sepa rat io n prevents person ality co nflicts. Some Atla n tea ns, particularly N obles, view t he felin oids as well- t rained pet s, and th e

Prestige Classes Atlantis is a land of magic. Immortal blood flows in the veins of its people, and the y aspire to emulate the worldshaping abiliti es of their divine ancestor, Poseidon. Arlantean wizards are widely regarded as th e greatest in the world and wit h go od reason. They have gone to great lengths to improve their mast ery of the magical arts. These prestige classes offer more options for Atlantean characters.

29

Table 2~5: Artificer Class Features Level

+0

+0

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Arcane U nders randi ng, C raft Bon us, Identify It em

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C lass Features

Bonu s Item C rearion Feat

Artificer Th e art of enchant ing is o ne o f th e nobl est mag ica l pursuits for Atlant ean wiz ards. for it is th ey wh o crea te many of th e powerful ma gi c it em s th at t he 'Atl an t eans

Level Wi zard/ 2nd Level Art ifice r cas ts spe lls as an I I rh Level W izard . C ha rac te rs wit h multipl e spe llcas t ing classes mu st choose to wh ich class th ei r Arri fice r level s add.

use to forge and prot ect th eir em p ire. Arr ifice rs are masters of enchantment. Th ei r spec ialize d skills refl ect a deeper understandin g o f th e intri cat e wo r kings o f magic it ems t hat sets t hem apa rr from lesser enc hanters.

Craft Bonus (Ex): Th e Arr ifice r m ay ad d hal f hi s o r

Requirements: An y Craft ski ll ( I 0 Rank s), Feat s ( Fo ur

full y, th e Arr ific er can atte m p t t o ga in insi ghr s abo u t it s purp o se and ge n era l fun cti on . Th e char act er makes a Sp cllcralr chec k ag ains t D C 20 for a very powe r f u l it em o r a n i fact~, 25 for a m od er ar el ):

It em Creat ion Feats) , Spell castin g (S even E nc ha n t me n t spells, at lea st on e o f which mu st be 3rd Level).

H it Die: d4 Skill Points: 2

+

lnt Bonu s pe r level

Class Skills: Alch em y. Apprai se. Co nce ntra t io n, C ra ft.

her class level ( ro u nd d o wn ) to all C ra ft s kills. and mav also atte m p t C raft chec ks in ar eas in whi ch th e cha rac - ' t cr is not train ed.

Identify It em (Ex): By exa m in ing a ma gic i r c rn care -

powerfu l m agi c it em . or 30 for a min or o r pe tt y o ne . I f s uccess ful. th e cha racter learn s so me ge nera l in for-

Weapon and Armor Prof iciency: Arti f icers gai n no addi-

mati on rega rd ing th e object in q ues tio n . No speci fic d et ail s ( s u ch as a weap on 's arrac k bo n us ) arc reveale d. bu t t he ab ili t y d o es allow t he ite m 's relative power to

ti onal weap on o r armo r p ro fic iencics .

be ga uge d .

Class Features: An Arr ificer be nefits from t he clas s fea -

Transier (Ex) : Thi s abi li t), allo ws t he Art ificer to have ano t he r pe rso n sha re t he expe r ience cost of crea ri ng a m agi c it em . rvpically th e pe rso n wh o co m miss io ned ir s crea t io n. Th e m aximum amo u nt is hal f th e number o f required expe r ien ce. Th e ot her per son mu st be willing to d o so and mav nor be und er anv form o f magi cal o r mund an e co m p u'ls io n. ' ~

Knowl ed ge (An y) , Spcllcrafr. Use M agi c D evice.

tures d escribed bel ow. Th e chara cter ga ins t hese adva nta ges at a rat e indi cat ed o n Tabl e 2-5 .

Arcane Understanding: Th e Arr ificer co n t in ues to s t ud " th e arcan e arts . Th e character 's Arr ificer level ad ds ro ' th e class level of hi s or her prior sp cll ca st cr level for determining spel l acc ess and cas te r level. T hu s a 9th

Reforge (Ex) : With a successfu l C raft chec k at D C 2 5, t he Artific er can alter magic it em s wit ho u t disrupt in g t he enchant me nt. T he cha racte r cou ld , for exam p le, alte r a pai r of magical bo ots to resiz e them for a new weare r. The D C ass umes m in or alte ra tio ns to the it em in qu esti on. Major alte ra t ions, such as changing tho se same boots into ankle wraps for a bar efoot Bastai cat warr io r, in crease the D C to 3o.

Enhance (Ex) : Th e Art ificer can add add it io na l abiliti es to a magic it em fo r on ly a I O% in cr ease in cos t rather tha n the us ual d ou bl e.

Efficient Enchantment (Ex) : Spell s co unt as one level lower (m in im um zero) fo r· the p urposes o f det ermining cos ts whe n enchan t ing an it em .

hours afte r d eath. This requires a successful Alchemy ch eck at DC 20. The body must then be returned to Atl antis , whe re it spe nds on e month wit h in the Temple o f Poseid on and o ne month wit h in the Temple of C leito. During these two months, Adantean necroman cers reconstruct the body, rep lacing damaged flesh and bone with orichalcum. Then they weave an orichalcum wire mesh - designed both to ho ld the spirit within th e body and t o magi call y sustain the new Orphean into the skin to prepare th e body to accept its spirit o nce aga in. At the end o f thi s two-month period, the cha rac te r's so u l is magi call y s um mo ne d back into his o r her bod y.

Requirements: Base Attack Bonus of

+ 7 or greater.

Hit D ie: dIO

+

O rphean

Skill Points: 2

ot all Ar la n tea ns fo llow the wiza rd 's path. Some are ded icat ed warr io rs and d evoted pro t ect ors of th e island na tion. The wo rld is a har sh pl ace, and vio lence is o fte n necessa ry to so lve problems. For th is reason, so me o f the g rea t est so ld iers o f Atla nt is are called back from th e afte rl ife to co n t in ue t o serve as O rph ean s - ma gi cally susta ine d , deathl ess warriors .

Class Skills: C lim b, Concentration , Jump. Listen.

To becom e an Orphean , th e ch ar act er must di e in battle, and hi s o r her bod y mu st be preser ved wit h a spec ial mi xtu re of herbs and or icha lcum sa lts no more than 2 4

lnt Bonus per level

Sea rc h, an d Spot.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Orpheans are proficient wit h all armor, simp le and marti al weapons, and the Great Trident. Orphean Changes: N ecromancy doesn't leave the character unchanged from how he or she was in life. As with all things, ther e are go od and bad aspects to this. Orph ean s ben efit from a + 2 ga in in their Constitution sco res , and th ey no lon ger n eed to eat or br eathe.

Table 2~6: Orphean Class Features Level

Attack Fort.

Ref.

Will

Class Features

+1

+2

+0

+2

Orphean C hanges

+2

+ 3

+0

+3

Immune

+3

+3

+ 1

+3

Fortifi catio n I

4

+4

+4

+1

+4

G reat Forti t ude. Na tu ral Armor +2

2

to

Fatigue.

at ura l Armor + I

5

+5

+4

+1

+4

Fortificati on 2

6

+6

+5

+2

+5

Spell Resist ance ( 15 + 1 per level) , Na tu ral Armo r + 3

7

+7

+5

+2

+5

Enhanced Strengt h

8

+8

+6

+2

+6

Iron Will , Nat ural Armo r +4

9

+9

+6

+ 3

+6

Imm une

10

+ 10

+7

+3

+7

Death less, T imeless. Natural Armo r + 5

to

Paralysis

However, they suffer a -2 los s to their C hari sma sco res

D eathless (Su): D eath M ag ic no longer has any effec t

and have a - I 0 penalty to all Swim checks .

o n the ch ar acter.

Immune to Fatigue (Ex): The charac te r is immun e

Timeless (Su) : The Orphean ceases

to

the effects of Fatigue.

to su ffer th e pen alti es

for agin g an d has a 7 00 -yea r natural life sp an.

Fortification

I (Ex): The Orph ean is m ore resi stant to the effects of cr it ical hits or sp eci al ab ilit ies suc h as a Ro gue's Sneak Attack. When ever s uc h a hi t is sco red, the character has a 25 % chance to ignore th e special effects o f t he attack. In such cases, roll d amage normally.

Resonant M agic is a sc ience to t h e Atlantea ns . In m an y ways, it d efin es th eir per cepti on of reality. Atl ant ean wiza rds study th e ma gic inh er ent in many di sciplines. Onl y a rar e few, however, pos sess th e d epth o f understand in g need ed to reach o u t to to uc h th e Reson an ce: t he cur re nt

Great Fortitude (Ex) : The character gains th e Great Fortitude Feat for fr ee.

Fortification 2

(Ex):

As Fortificati on I , exce p t th at now the chance to resist is 75 %.

o f m agi c it self. By unders t and in g t he R eson an ce, suc h a cha rac te r learn s to affec t it d irectly.

Spell Resistance (Su ) : The Orph ean can n ow begin t o

Resonants are m o st fam ou s for th ei r ab ility to produc e metapri sms - sing le- u se m agic it em s th at allow trained spe llcas re rs t o en ha nce th e effec ts of th eir spe lls. Each m etaprism ca n s tore a single app lica tion of any M etamagi c Feat th at the Reson ant kn o ws. A spe ll-

resist the effects of spells cast at him or her. The char act er gains the Spell Resistanc e ability at 15 + his o r her O rp hean class level. Thus , a 6th Level Orph ean has Spell Resis tance 2 I .

Enhanced Strength (Ex) : The Orphean ga in s a

+2

caster eq u ip pe d with suc h a d evice ca n expen d it s po wer as a fr ee action. Doin g so appli es th e sto red M etama gic Feat t o th e cast er' s next spe ll wit ho u t rai sing th e effecti ve level o f th e spe ll. Alt ho ugh any spe llcaste r ca n use a m er apri srn wit h the p ro pe r training, onl y Resonan t s have the necessar y under stand in g o f magical th eory to create th em . For more o n m et apri srns and th eir co ns t ruc tion , see be low.

R acial Bonus to Strength.

(Ex):

Iron Will

The Orphean ga ins the Ir on Will Feat

for fre e.

Immune to Paralysis (Ex): The cha rac te r m ay no w automatica lly resist an y effect that would Paral yz e him o r her.

Table 2~7: Resonant Class Features Level

Attack Fort.

Ref.

2

+0 +1

+0 +0 +1

+0 +0 +1

+1 +1 +2 +2 +2

+1 +1 +2 +2 +2

+3 +3

+3 +3

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

+1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Will +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

C lass Featu res Arca ne Un de rsta nd ing, C reate M ctapr isrn Bonu s M et amagic Feat Improvised M et am agic, Prepare Spe ll Spe ll Prism Suspend Magic Bon us M et amagic Feat Super ior Co unte rspe lling Impro ved Spe ll Prism Dis rup t Magic Bon us M etam agic Feat

32

Requirements: Craft: Ge mc utti ng ( 5 Ranks) , Know ledge: Arcana (I 0 Rank s) , Spellcraft ( I 0 Ra nks) , Feats ( C raf t Wo ndro us It em , Reso nan t Spellcast ing [see below ] , tw o M eta magic Feats) , Spellcasting ( Seven Tra ns m u tation spe lls , at least o ne o f wh ich mu st be 3rd Level) .

Hit Die: d4 Skill Points: 2

+

In t Bon us per level

Class Skills: Alch emy, Conce nt ra t io n, C raft , Kno wled ge: Arcana, S cry, Spellcraft , and Us e Mag ic Dev ice .

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Resonant s ga in no additio na l weapon or arm o r profic ienci es .

Arcane Understanding: T he Resonant's und ers tan di ng of the arc an e arts en ha n ces h is or her ab ility to cast sp ells. T he cha ract er's Reso nant level adds to t he class level of his o r her prior spe llcas ter level for det erm ining spel l access and cas t er level. Th us a 5th Level Wizard/3 rd Level Reson ant cas ts spe lls as an St h Level W izard. C haracte rs wit h mul ti pl e spellcas ti ng cl asses must choos e to whi ch class t he ir Resonan t levels add.

cha rac t er mu st expe nd add it io na l m em oriz ed spe lls to m at ch the in cr eased level o f the spel l. Thus, a R esonant co uld cast a M aximiz ed Fireb all by expend ing one casting o f Fire ba ll and three o t he r spe ll levels for a total of six spell levels. Cas t ing spe lls wit h Improvised Metamagic is a full acti on. Only R esonants who prepare spells in ad van ce can use thi s ab ility.

Create Metaprism (Ex): Th e charac ter begins his o r her st ud y of t he Reso nan ce by learnin g to lo ck it into a particula r form . T he Resonant fo llows th e sa me p ro cess as if he or she was crea t ing a new m agi c it em . Th e cost fo r crafti ng a Merapr is rn is 25 go ld x Cas te r Level x Effect Level. Effect Level is eq ua l t o t he number o f levels by whic h t he Fea t increases the sp el l. Thu s, a Qui cken Sp ell m eta prism wo u ld have an E ffect Level 4. T herefore, a 5th Level W izard/ 3rd Level Reson ant creati ng a Q u icken Spell M etap ris m wo u ld use th e foll o win g fo rmula to d etermi ne the cost: 25 go ld x Cas te r Level ( 8) x Effec t Level (4) = 800 go ld. C rea t ing a Metapri srn is no m ean feat, and requires a ce rta in level of un derstanding to pull off effect ively. Thus, the caster m us t be of certai n mi n imum levels t o cr eate a Me raprisrn at eac h Level o f E ffe ct . Tabl e 2 - 8: Metaprism Cas ter Level Requirem ents det ails th e minimum cas ter level necessary to cr eat e a M et aprism o f any given Effect Level.

Prepare Spell (Su): By fi xing p articular segments of the R eson an ce in hi s o r her mind. a sorce rer can store them to help shape sp ell s more quickly. Consequently, the cha rac te r m ay se t as ide on e dail y spell slot and us e it to prep are a s ing le casting of a metam agic-enhanced spell, but th e slo t must acco u n t for both the level of the spell and th e Effect Level. Thus, a Resonant could devot e a 6th Level spell slo t t o a M aximized Fireball. Preparing a spell takes o ne minute per total spe ll level. Casting that spell is a sta nda rd act io n. Only Resonants who do not prepare spe lls in adva n ce can us e the Prep are Spell ability.

Spell Prism (Su): Th e character can now craft a small gem that can be attu ne d to the R esonance, thereby en ha ncing M etamagic Feats. To do so, the Resonant sele cts of number of Metamagic Feats he or she knows for ad just me n t . Th e number of Feats chosen cannot excee d the cha rac te r's Resonant clas s level. Once att une d, the M etamagic Feat 's sp ell level in crease is redu ced by o ne . No in crease can be reduced to less than 0 , so tho se Feat s that do not ad d sp ell level s cannot ben efit from a Spell Prism. Attunernent lasts for a

Improvised Metamagic (Su): T he R eson ant ca n ap p ly Meta magic Fea ts t o spells o n th e fly, how ever, it is n ot wit ho ut som e cost. To use Improvised M etamagi c, the

33

Spellbane

number of hours equal to the Reso nan t 's class level , after which the effects wear off. Creating a prism requires a gem valued at 5000 go ld per spe ll level stored. Thus a Spell Prism capable of storing 10 levels of Metamagic would require a gem worth 50,000 go ld. The cas ter m us t hold a Spell Prism for him or her to benefit fro m its m agic.

Arcane spellcaster s are not the o n ly o nes who have learned to harn ess th e po wer o f th e Reson an ce. As pa rt of their rol e as guard ians o f Atla nt is , a few m agicall y talented Bastai studi ed th e nature o f th e Reson an ce and d isco vered that it touch ed not o nly arca ne ma gic but also th e m yst ical abiliti es of th e Bastai M onks as well. Some of them disc overed that it co u ld be a powe rfu l weapo n ag ainst spe llcas te rs, an d t hese eli te m ast er s d eveloped a body o f m artial t echn iq ues designed to d eprive spe llcas re rs of t heir unn atu ral powers.

Suspend Magic (Su): The Reso nant can prematurely end the duration of an y spell he or she has cast simply by withdrawing the support of the Resonanc e. Thu s, the character could end a Wall of Fire spell before it s duration had expired even though this is normall y impossible.

Thou gh th e purp ose of t h is di scipl in e is to defe nd Atl an t is from m agi cal threat s, th e Bast ai have no t m ad e th eir dis covery wid ely kn o wn , fearin g th e wr ath of thos e At la nt eans wh o wo uld see it as a th reat t o th eir power. T hus, on ly a handful o f Basrai and H alf-Arlantean M onks kn ow th at thi s pa t h exists. and even few er are in vit ed to walk it.

Superior Counterspelling (Su): The Re son ant can st rip away the magica l energy that supports an incoming spe ll by d riving away t he Resonance fo r a b rief in sta nt. To do so , the character counters with a spe ll that is one or more levels higher and is of the sam e school as th e targ et spe ll.

Improved Spell Prism (Su): The duration and m aximum capacity of th e Resonant's Spell Prism is doubl ed , an d it no longer needs to be held for th e cast er to draw o n it s benefits. It must be somewh ere on the Resonant's person, howev er.

Requirements: Basr ai or H al f-Atl an rcan . Base Attack

Disrupt Magic (Su) : Th e Resonant can creat e a barri er

Hit Di e: d8

Bonus +4, Feat s ( Im p roved Unarm ed Strike, Great Fortitude, Im p ro ved Ini t iati ve) , Evasio n ab ilirv, Co nce n t ra t io n ( 8 rank s). Kn o wled ge: Arca na ( 5 ra n ks) .

of pure m agical energy t hat t urns asid e t he sp ells of oth er casters. As lo n g as he or sh e conc entrat es , t he ch aracter can grant Spell Resi stance o f 15 + hi s o r her Resonant class level t o any crea t ures within 3 a'.

Skill Points: 4

+

Class Skills: Balan ce. C lim b. Conc entrat io n . C raft . Diplomacy, Escape Art ist . H ide. Jump . Know led ge: Arcana.

Table 2-9 Spellbane Class Features Level

Attack

Fo rt.

Ref.

W ill

C lass Features

+0

+2

+2

+2

Martia l Training. Di spellin g Arrack

+ 1

+ 3

+3

+ 3

Nerve Strike

+2

+ 3

+ 3

+ 3

Di srup tin g At tack

4-

+3

+4-

+4-

+ 4-

T hroat Str ike

5

+ 3

+4-

+4-

+4-

G reat Leap, Ki Str ike +

2

Int Bonu s pe r level

I

6

+4-

+ 5

+ 5

+ 5

Sp irit Bane

7

+ 5

+6

+6

+6

Dia mo nd Soul

S

+6

+6

+6

+6

Improved Di spelling, Ki Strike + 2

9

+6

+6

+6

+6

Tru e Sight

10

+7

+7

+7

+7

N egate Magic. Ki Stri ke + 3

34

Listen , M ov e S ilentl y, Perform, Profession , Swim , and Tumble.

st ruc k makes a Fortitude Save in st ead of Will. If th e Sav ing Th ro w fail s, th e target charac te r suffers a 50% spell failure penalty for th e nex t 2 d4 rounds. Unless o t he rwise spec ified , all spe ll failure chances stac k.

fJ'eapon and Annor Proficiency: The Spellbanes completel y esc hew weapo ns and armor in favor o f ph ysical training. They gain no add it io na l armo r o r weapo n proficien cies.

Throat Strike (Su): This ability wo rks exactly the same as Di srupting Attac k, but th e result of a failed Saving Th row is th at t he t arget magician is st ruck mute for one round. Like N er ve Strike, crea tu res that are immune to crit ical hits are un affect ed .

Class Features: Sp ellb anes have th e foll owing abilit ies, which are gained at a rat e indi cat ed o n Tabl e 2 -9 .

Martial Training: Sp ellb an es are M onks, th ou gh th eir stu dy of th e Reson an ce focuses th eir energy in different ways. Thus, th ey m ay ad d th eir M onk and Spellban e class levels t ogether fo r th e purpose o f det ermining th e Attac k and Unarmed Attac k Bonuses , Unarmed Damage, AC Bonus, Stunning At t acks, Sav ing Throws, and U na rmo red Sp eed o f th at class. For exam ple, a 6 t h Level M onkl3 rd Level Spe llban e is tr eat ed as a 9 t h Level M onk for purposes o f d et ermining M onk class bonuses. C haracte rs o f ot her classes are tr eat ed as Monks of th e same level as th e cha rac te r's Sp ellb an e level.

Great Leap (Su): By channeling th e Resonance into his or her own bod y, t he cha rac te r can jump great di st ances. Th e Spe llbane ad ds t en t im es hi s or her Wi sdom bonus t o all Jump roll s.

Ki Strike (Su): As th e M onk ability o f th e sam e name . Spirit Bane (Ex): T he cha rac te r 's master y o f th e Reson an ce now allows him or her to reach outsid e th e mat eri al pl an e o f exis te nce. The Sp ellb an e can see and st rike ethereal creatu res wit h his or her Unarmed Attacks.

Dispelling Attack (Su): By dr awin g up on th e Reson anc e

Diamond Soul (Su): As th e Monk ability of th e same name.

scatte r magical ene rgy, th e Sp ellb an e can attem p t to dispel enc ha nt me nts wit h Unarm ed Attacks. Once per round, t he cha rac ter may declare a Di sp elling Attac k. This mu st be don e befor e th e attac k roll. The Di sp elling Att ack d oes normal damage and wo r ks exactly like a ta rgete d Di sp el M agic spe ll cas t by a C ler ic o f cas te r level eq ua l th e cha rac te r's Monk level. The cha racte r 's Spellba ne level is th e maximum number o f tim es a da y th is ability can be used . to

Improved Disrupting (Su): The Spellbane may add his o r her Wi sd om bonu s to th e effect ive cas te r level of th e Di sp elling Attack ability.

True Sight (Su): So keen is th e Sp ellb an e's vision into th e Reson anc e th at he o r she can now see objects and creatu res protect ed by illu sory effects like Invisibility, Mirror Im age, o r Di splacem en t and may attack th em wit ho u t th e usu al penalties.

Nerve Strike (Su): Knowled ge o f th e Resonance and

Negate Magic (Sp): Once per day, th e character may creat e

how it is tapped can also be us ed t o harm those who use it. By sca tte ring m agical ene rgy, th e Sp ellb an e can st rike t he nerve clu ster s o f an enemy spe llcas te r, Once per round, th e char act er may declare a N er ve Strike. This d eclarati on must co me before th e attack roll is made, and th e t arget mu st be a spellcaster. If success ful, th e vict im must make a Will Save at D C 10 + th e attac ker's Sp ell ban e level + th e at tac ker' s W isdom bonus to avo id havin g hi s o r her arms Paral yzed for on e round in addition to suffering normal damage from the attack. No spe lls th at have somatic components can be cast and th e ta rge t los es hi s or her D ext erity bonus while under th e effect of the N erve Strike. The maximum number of times per d ay the Sp ellban e can em ploy this ability is eq ual to hi s or her class level. Creatures immune to critical hits are un affected by N erv e Strike.

an Anti-Magic Field. The effect ive caster level is equal to th e charac te r's Sp ellbane level.

...."'} .

.,...\~ .

t .. ..":. tl

'I' , ••'. .. ~ .' > ", Je ." • ,. .• -.Jt't ..... ....". . ..",...• '. ·tt"'.• .•I \ • e "'_.. . . ••

~.,#": #

•• 0

••

.-

..

~

o

!

..",.

•

\

G

I

, ',..4ft .:

knowledge of th e Reson ance to int erfere with a spellcasrers ability t o channel magi cal ene rgy into sp ells . This ability works exactly like Nerve Strike except that a spellcas te r

I.

s .;

f\~,

.

.~

\ ~

~

•

•

" '"

".••.. .-.:-.

e~,

~

...• .. • • . ... ....... ., • •

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•• •

...

. - #. .. .. •

35

~

,l

co•

·0.

Disrupting Attack (Su): Spellbanes can also us e their

.,.

~

.

~ -....~~ J~

New Skills

Imbue Tattoo [Item Creation]

In addition to the usual list of skills, cha racte rs may

Prerequisites: C ra ft: Ta ttoo ( 8 rank s) , Brew Potion,

also purchase Charioteering.

Craft Wondrous It em

Benefit: Atl ant eans ar e very fond of t att o o s. Th ey

Cbarioteering (Dex)

consider th em a way to enhanc e th e bod y 's natural grace and beli eve t att ooing t o be hi gh art , whic h so me have t aken to a n ew level by crafti ng magical ta ttoos. Creatin g magic al tat toos is si m ilar to crafti ng any o t he r magi c it em , but th er e are so me diffe rences. Fi rs t, th e cas te r mu st mi x special pa ints co nsisting of oric halc u m powd er, a bit o f th e rec ipient's blo od , and exot ic herbal dyes . Finding th e ri ght mi xture t akes up mo st of th e enc ha n t ing tim e. Th e final ste p inv ol ves paint in g th e tattoo on th e recipi ent's bod y and imbuing it wit h magi cal power. Th e new t attoo sin ks int o th e skin, becomin g perman en t. Th e cas te r mu st use eno ug h o r icha lcum to co mplete ly pay t he expe rie nce poi nt cost o f th e enc ha ntme nt, and th e t attoo' s magical ab ilit ies may o nly affect th e recipi ent. Becau se t att oos do not occ upy an it em slo t , th e enc hant ing cost is doubled .

Befo re the d evelopment of st irr ups mad e h eavy cavalry a viable option, the armored chariot was th e fa st-attack method of choice on th e Cl as sical battl efield . A character with this skill is capa b le o f dri vin g a cha rio t pulled by two light horses. Rolls are not required for normal riding, but ma y be needed for ext rao rd ina ry actions suc h as those presented on Tab le 2- 1O. C ha riots are ava ila b le for a cost of 100 go ld. Th e t ypical chariot can ho ld one d river and on e passen ger, usually an archer or spellcaster. Charioteering is a Class Skill for Fighters, Cl erics, and Ro gues.

New Feats Close Quarters Figbting [General] Prerequisites: Base Attac k Bonus

+ 1, Weapon

Profic iency: H afted Reach Weapon

Elemental Independence [MetamagicJ

Benefit: Bast ai an d H alf-Atl an t ean warriors developed

Prerequisites: Spell craft ( 8 ranks) , Knowled ge: Arc an a

this fighting style to help overcome th e weakn ess es of long weapons that arise once an opponent gets in side the weapon's reach. As a free act ion, ch aracters wit h this feat can shift their grip on a hafted weapo n su ch as a glaive or longsp ear and attack an adj acent oppon ent, suffering only a -1 penalty to attack rolls instead of bein g unabl e to at tack at all.

( 8 rank s)

Benefit: At lan tea n spe llcas re rs cred it O rph eu s wit h th e d evelopment of thi s t echni qu e, whic h allows th em t o strip away the elem ental aspec ts of certai n dam agin g sp ells and repl ace them wit h pure magical force. This technique is very useful for battling celes t ial, eleme ntal, and fiendish creatures, which ar e often immune to one 36

or m o re types of eleme ntal damage. A spell m odified wit h Elemental Ind epen d en ce uses up a slot two levels hig her t han the actua l level.

Phalanx Formation [General]

Focus Energy [Metamagic]

Benefit, O rigin all y devel oped by Greek ge ne rals and

Prerequisites: Enlarge Spell, Empower Spell

si nce ado p te d by o t he r M editerranean cultures including Atlantis, t he phalan x is a p owerful formation that relies o n closely p acked ranks of foot so ld iers wit h tower shields and lon g thru sting wea p o ns such as longspears. This Fea t allows a character to wield a longspear in one ha nd and t o ign ore cove r p en alti es for attacking from behind friend ly co m ba ta n ts .

Prerequisites: Base Attac k Bonus

+ I , We apon

Profi ci ency: H aft ed R each Weapon , Shield Proficiency: Tower S h ield )

Benifit: This spell allows a cas te r t o co ncen tra te th e elementa l energy of certain spells to a t ightly focu sed beam. Any attack spell that does ele me nta l da mage over an area of effect and allows a Refl ex Sav ing Th ro w to red uce damage , suc h as Burning H an ds or Lightni ng Bo lt , m ay be converted to a ray spell. In st ead of automatica lly hitting and granting a Reflex Save, the new ray spell is cast as a ra nged touc h at tack wh ich can o n ly affect a single target, but gra nts no savi ng t hrow. Foc us Energy increases a spell's effective level by one.

Resonant Spellcasting [General] Prerequisites: Arcane Spe llcas t ing, Spe llcraft ( 5 ranks) , Kno wled ge: Arca na ( 5 ranks)

Benifit: The fa mo us bard , O rpheu s, is beli eved to be the firs t to d isco ver th e po wer of the Resonance. C ha racte rs wit h thi s Feat have th e ab il ity , though unrefin ed, t o bri efl y t ouch the R esonance in order to boost t hei r m agical power. Once per day, the ch aracter m ay spe n d a m o ve eq uiva le n t ac t io n to open himself o r h er sel f t o th e R eson an ce. Th e next arca ne spell h e o r she casts is powe red by th e R esonan ce it sel f and d oes not co un t aga inst the caster 's d aily spe ll allo t ment. Wiz ard s d o not lose th e p rep ared spe ll, and Bards and So rcerers d o no t expe n d a spe ll slo t. Channeling the Resonan ce wit ho u t the p roper training is dangerous. When this fea t is used , the caster must make a Fortitude Save vs. a D C of 10 + th e level of the spell b eing p o we red b y th e R eson an ce. A fa ilure d eals I point of d am age t o th e cas ter for ea ch level of the spell.

Classical Weapons The C lassical World featured so me unusual weap o ns. On e, the G rea t Triden t, is listed below as a new weapon . Th e o t hers are given eq uivalencies for other m ore co m mon wea pons .

Great Trident ( Exo t ic Wea pon, Cos t 30 go ld, D amage 3d4 [ P ierc ing], C rit 20 [x 3], W eight 15 lbs.) This lar ge p ol earrn co ns is t s o f a long sha ft with a hefty trident head m ounted o n th e end (see co ver illustration) . Lon ger th an the sta ndard trident, this two-handed weapo n prov ides a 10' reach and is a fav o r ite of the regular armies of Atlan t is.

37

Bronze Bron ze was still t he met al of choice for tool s and weapons when Plato bega n te lling sto ries of Atl antis. The typi cal so ld ier wore a bronze cui rass , helme t, and greaves, and car ried a bro nze sword and bronze-tipped spea r. Bron ze fitt ings reinforced his shield. and bronze tool s helped farm ers cult ivate th e field s th at kep t him fed. Bronze is an alloy o f co p pe r and t in . It is easy to wo rk into a variet y o f shapes, b ut it is \'er y so ft compared t o ir on o r steel. Thi s docs no t mean th at b ron ze wea po ns we re in effecti ve. however. M editerranean smi t hs for ged weapons ro co mpe nsa te fo r th e fra ilt ies of th eir m ed ium . Blad ed weap on s were kept sho rt becau se lon g swo rd s wo uld bend o r br eak to o eas ily. Th e leaf- sh ap ed bl ade o f th e hoplirc's swo rd and th e heavy, reverse curve o f th e falcara were design ed ro add force to a swing, They were e\'ery bit as d eadl y as th eir iro n and ste el successo rs, simply not as durable. A p rope rly for ged bronze weap on is a perfectl y serviceable inst rumen t o f war. A so ld ier tra ined in the use of a hop lire swo rd or faleata is fully capable of deliverin g terribl e blows with deadly accuracy. Therefore. C lass ical bron ze weapo ns (as o pposed ro bron ze ver sion s o f med ieval o nes ) imp ose no attack o r dam age penalt ies. H owever. bro nze is a soft met al th at br eaks easi ly. Bron ze o bjects have on ly 2/ 3 th e hardn ess and hit po in ts o f th eir ste el co un te rpa rts. Thi s also mean s th at bronze is easy to wo rk. For gin g it em s from bron ze gra nts a + 2 C irc ums ta nce Bonus to Cra ft checks.

Falcata

Atlantean Scale Armor

This on e-hand ed sword has an inw ard curv ing blade that delive rs a t rem endous cu tt ing bl ow cap abl e o f sp litting shields and armor. It is eq uivalent to a lon gsword.

Vet er an so ld iers are o fte n gifte d wit h thi s su it o f m agi ca lly en hanced sca le mail as a reward for th eir dedi cat ed ser vice to Atlant is. Atl antcan Scale Arm or is ma st erwork scale mai l that g ra n ts a +4 D efl ecti on Bonu s to AC, a + 30 bonu s to Swim ch eck s, and th e S pe ll-like Abilit ies Freedo m of Movem ent (when underwat er) . Wat er Breathi ng. and Wat er Walkin g. Each individu al scale is pai nstakin gly etc hed with o richa lcu m run es th at tell th e sto ry o f th e ow ne r's d eed s, so no two su its o f Arla n tea n Scale Armo r are alike. M an y are even fu rt her enc ha nte d by th eir ow ne rs. makin g eac h su it a trul y uniqu e work o f magi cal cra fts ma ns h ip.

Kopesb T his heavy. curve d bla d e is co m monl y used by t he people of t he Ni le valley and is d es ign ed to del iver brut al choppi ng attacks. It is equiva lent to a g reats wo rd .

Pike A long sp ear th at is used in deadl y form ati ons ca lled ph alanx es. It is the eq u ivalent t o a lon gsp ear.

C aster L evel: Sth P rerequi sites: C raft M agic Arms & Armo r. Free do m of M o vem ent . S hi eld . Wat er Breathi ng. Wat er Walk in g

Magical Equipment Atl anti s is a civili zation based o n th e m ast ery of arcane magic. Consequ ently. m agic is mu ch m ore co m mo n in everyda y life th an in other cult ures . Th e usc o f o r icha lcum make s sim ple magical ite ms availab le t o th e citi zens of Atlanti s for a reasonable pri ce, Rods th at cast Prestid igitat io n or ston es that m agically heat wat er t o a boil are po pul ar it em s. Fo llowin g are some exam p les o f the At lan tea ns' m o re esoteric eq uip me n t.

M arket P rice: 97.000 go ld Co st to Create: 4 8.50 0 go ld (t he o richa lc um used in th e armo r negat es th e exper ience cos t o f crea tio n) .

38

eat's Eye B racelets T he feline Bastai find gloves and boors uncomfortable, so some have devised magical items to rep lace t he m. T hese fine si lver bracelets are ado rne d wit h a car's eye stone cut to resemble the slitted eyes of the Bastai. W hen worn as a pair, they grant a + 4 Enhancemen t Bonus to Dexterity and a + I Luck Bonus to unarmed attack and damage rolls . The Luck Bonus is not consi de red an Enha nce ment Bon us and, t h us, d oes not co u nt t oward s breach ing da mage red uc tio n.

Caster Level :

9th

Prerequisites: Craft , C raft Wondrous It em, Cats Grace, Divine Favor Market Price: 26,000 go ld Cost to Create: I 3,000 go ld and 560 expe r ience .

Metaprisms Crea ted by At lan tea n Resonant s, t hese sma ll ge ms help spellcas re rs t ap in to t he Reson an ce, th e und erl yin g currents of magic t hat pe rmeate th e Anc ient World. Each merapr isrn holds a sing le use of a metamagic fea t. Spellcast ers ma y discharge t he energy in t he met aprism as a free action r ight before cas t ing a spell. T h is app lies the met am agic fea t sto red wi t h in th e ge m to th e spe ll wit ho u t rais in g its effec t ive level o r requirin g th e use of a h igh er level spell slot. In formati on o n the creat io n of meta prisms can be found in t he d escrip ti on o f th e Resonan t prestige class. Charac ters wi th the Craft

W ond ro us It em Feat ca n rech ar ge us ed m etaprisrns b y payi ng th e expe r ience co st of the sp ecific . . . m et ap rt sm In qu esti on .

O richalcum This rare met al, found only in mines deep ben eath the surface of Atla n t is, is reddish-gold in color. It is as easy to wor k as bron ze but mu ch harder in consist ency. Orichalcurn's true valu e is in its innately magical nature. Arlantean enc hant ers refine the metal in the item creation process to redu ce th e personal cos t in expe rien ce that th ey pay whe n crea t ing magic items. Ever y 5 gold wo rth of refined oricha lcum worked into the it em co unts as I expe rie nce point of th e en chan t ing cost. Or ich alcum is also us ed in the creation of Orpheans.

39

hig h ly detailed maps worth at least 100 gold each. For the duration of th e sp ell, an yone o n board th e vessel will see a trail of bri ghtly-lit stars, which lead s un erringly to the voyage's destination . Th ese st ar s rem ain vis ib le und er an y weath er con d it ions and during th e day. Astra l Guide gives the crew a + 20 In sight Bonus to all ro lls to avo id gett ing lost and to sta y o n co urse.

-----.IQ ~

<:»>;>

Chariot of Poseidon Evocation (Water) L evel: Cl eric 4, Trav el 3, Wat er 3 Components: Verba l, Somatic, Focu s C asting Time: 1 act io n Range : See text

New Spells

Area of Effec t: See t ext

Atlantean researc h into th e arcan e arts has produced th e fo llow ing new spe lls. U nless ot herwis e indicat ed, th ey are all arca ne in nature.

Duration: I ho ur p er caste r level Saving Throw: Refl ex negat es (harmless) Sp ell R esistan ce: No

<0>

C ast ing this spe ll cau ses a large ch ariot t o rise o u t o f th e sea. Thou gh mad e o f seawa te r, it is st urdy and dr y. It will sa fely carry th e caste r and on e o t he r passenger per t hr ee cast er levels over th e waves as if th ey were gentl e, flat terrain, parting waves harmlessly as it approaches. A t eam o f four horses, also mad e of seawate r, draws th e chariot at a base sp eed o f 90'. Th e cha rio t and horses ar e a sin gle unit with a D ama ge Redu cti on o f 20/ + I and take half dama ge from all weap on s du e t o th eir fluid nature. Th ey have an Arm or C lass o f 10 + cast er level and hit p oints and Savin g Throws eq ua l to th e cas te r 's. C har io t o f Poseidon is a Divine Spell.

~ ~

Astral Guide Evocation (Light) Level: Bard 2 , Sorcerer/Wizard 2 , Trav el 2 Components: Verba l, Somatic , Focus Casting Time: 1 hou r Range: To uch Target: 1 vehicl e Duration: 1 day per level Saving Throw: None (harm less) Spell Resistance: No Atla ntean spe llcasters developed thi s spe ll to h elp guide t he ir ships acro ss the open sea with out relyin g on lan dmarks for navigat ion. Thi s simple spe ll has ena bled Atlantean exp lorers to cro ss vast st re t ches of ope n sea wit hou t fear of getting lost. Combined with t heir know ledge of advanc ed m ath em at ics and cart o grap hy, t his spe ll has had a significant impact on Atla ntean expansion.

L evel: Bard 3, Sor/Wiz 3

U nder a clear nigh t sky, the caster must p lot the vess el's course wit h the sp ell's foci : an astrolabe and a set of

A rea of Effect: See t ext

Choir of O rpheus Transmutation C ompo nents: Verbal, Somatic , Focu s Ca sting Tim e: I act ro n R ang e: See text

40

thi s spe ll en abled Atl antean ships to escape becalmed seas . Enterprising captains soon discovered t hat under normal co nd itions, th e spe ll act ua lly made their ships move fas te r. Cas t ing thi s spe ll requires a pinch of sea sa lt, which th e cas te r blows into a ship' s sails. If th ere is no wind whe n the spell is cas t, the ship ma y mo ve nor mally fo r th e spe ll' s durat ion . If there was alread y su fficie nt wind , th e shi p's spee d increases by 10 % per cas te r level t o a maximum of 100%.

Durat ion: Conce ntra t io n Saving Th row: W ill negates (harmless) Spell R esistance: Yes (harmless) This spell was developed to allow At lan tea n war wizards to rally around a powerful spellcas te r and lend their own reserves of in ner st rength by touching t he Resonance and using it to link all invo lved . Casting this spell requi res five spellcasrers : four who m ust know this spell and one who is des ignated as the foc us . T he four casters must surrou nd t he foca l wizard, sta nd ing exactl y five fee t away at the car di na l direc tions . They must reach their posi t ions at t he sa me t ime . This mean s th at each part icipa nt in th e spe ll mu st hold an action (t h ro ugh th e Read y o r D elay act io n) unti l the caster wit h t he lowest in it iati ve ge ts to act. Once in position , th e cas ters eac h str ike a chi me wit h a d ifferent not e. The fina l chord touc hes t he Resonan ce and fo rms th e magical link , surroundi ng all five spe llcas te rs in a nim bus of blue ligh t.

Curse of Helios Evocation (Light) Level: Sor/Wiz 3, S un 3 Components: Verbal, Somati c, Focus Casting Time: I act io n

The chord persists audi bly as lon g as t he four cas ters maintain thei r co nce ntra tion. Whi le t he spe ll is active, the foc al character - usually an arcane spe llcaster of great er pow er - ma y draw up o n t he mag ical energy of the fo ur to fuel his or her sp ells, drawi ng power from one or mo re of th e other participants. Thus, if th e focal spe llcasrer was cas ting an Sth Level spe ll, he or she co uld draw eigh t spe ll levels fro m one particip ating caste r, fo ur fro m two , o r two fro m each o f them . The focal spe llcaste r may also use hi s o r her own reser ves of magical ene rgy but may not co m bi ne them wit h those of th e o t he r four parti cip ants.

Range: M edium ( 10 0 '

+

10 ' pe r cas te r level)

Area: Sp he re, 20 ' radi us Duration: Inst ant aneous Saving Throw : Refl ex for half dam age, Fortitude negat es bl indn ess Spell R esistance: Yes By magi cally amp lify ing the am bient light wit hin the area o f effect, At lan tea n spe llcas te rs are able to sear t hei r foes and blind th em for a short period of time. This spell infl ict s I d4 po ints of dam age p er level of th e cas ter as t he int ense light burns all those caug ht wit hin t he area o f effect. A success ful Refl ex Save halves th e dam age. Any cha racte rs wit hin t he area of effect mu st also ma ke a Fort it ude Save to avo id bein g bl inded fo r 2d4 rounds.

Cleito's Guiding Hand Conjuration Level: Sor/Wiz 2 , Travel 2 Compon ents: Verbal, Soma tic , Mate ria l

Fires of Etna Transmutation

Casting T im e: I m inu t e Range: C lose (2 5'

+

5' pe r 2 levels)

Target: I vessel

Level: Sor/Wiz 6

Duration: I hour per cas te r level

Components: Verbal, Soma t ic, M at eri al, Focus

Wh en Atlantea n exp lo rers fir st began to travel ove r th e open seas , they o fte n fo und them selves at th e merc y of fickle winds. By creat ing magical wind and wate r currents,

Casting Time: See text Range: To uch Area of Effect: One masterwo rk met al it em 41

devised a way to inc apacitat e a foe by vastl y amplifying th e sense of hearing. A vict im o f th is spe ll is so sen sit ive to so unds th at even th e beatin g o f hi s o r her ow n heart causes tr emendous ago ny. Affected creatures are con sid ered D eafen ed and t ake s ubd ua l dam age for any ac t io ns p erform ed for the duration o f the sp ell. A free actio n infli ct s 1 d 6 subd ua l, pa rt ial act io ns cause 2 d6 , sta nda rd and m o ve eq u ivalent act io ns d eal 3d 6 , and a fu ll ro un d act io n inflicts 4d6 subd ua l dam age. This spe ll does not function wher e all so und ha s been sup p ressed su ch as inside the ran ge o f a Sil en ce spell.

Durat ion: Perman ent Saving Throw: No Spell R esistance: N o Named afte r the mountain where H ap haest us forges tools o f the go ds, Atl anteans u se th is m agic al ritual to magi cally harden their m et al t ool s. M an y Orphean s beli eve that this spe ll form ed the basis for the m agical rites that ena ble the d eathless warr io rs t o return fr om the Underworld to fight again . Casting thi s spe ll requires a sp ecial forge lin ed wit h o richa lcum (cost 10 ,0 0 0 go ld) an d 100 gold o f oricha lcum po wd er per pound o f m et al t o be t rea te d . The cast er mu st heat th e d esired it em in th e specia l forge , slowly feeding the powder ed orichalcum into th e flames . The process t akes o ne hour p er po und of m et al thus treat ed . The flam es mu st be co nst an tly maintain ed and require th e cas te r 's co m p lete atten tion. The trea t ed it em becomes harder and m ore durabl e, ga in ing 1 po int o f H ardn ess and 2 Hit Points per three cas t er levels. Weapons and armor treat ed with this spe ll are hi ghl y pr ized for their ext ra durability and o fte n fet ch hi gh pric es o n the bl ack mark et. Th e o richa lcum used in t he spell gives bron ze ite ms a dist inct ive redd ish t int, m ak in g magically treat ed weapo ns an d ar mo r a stat us symbol amo ng non -Atl ant ean s, Thi s spe ll wo rks a ph ysi cal change th at do es not interfere wit h furth er enc han t me nt and m ay not be ma gi cally di sp ell ed .

Hermes' Cup Evocation Level: Bard 3, C lr 4 , Sor(Wi z 4 Components: Verbal, Somati c, Focu s C ast ing Ti me:

1 minut e

R ange: See t ext Target: One spec ially p repa red vessel Duration: 1 minute/ level Saving T hrow: N on e Spell R esistance:

O u ts iders say th e Atla nt eans th in k t he mselves t he eq ual of go ds. Th eir fascin at ion wit h sto ries where m ort als best th e go ds tends t o sup po rt thi s view. A popular At la n tc an st o ry t ells o f how Ga ny me de , th e m ort al boy taken to Ol ympu s t o be th e cup bea re r of t he go ds , o u tw itt ed th e m essen ger god , H erm es. Shortl y befo re a g reat gat her ing o n Ol ym pu s, Z eu s neglect ed to in vit e hi s br o th er Poseid on . H e ask ed H erm es to fet ch th e sea god t o avo id a snub. Ga ny me de offer ed t o take th e message fast er th an even H erm es co uld ca rr y it. Th e go ds lau gh ed at t hei r serva nt and se nt H erm es o n h is way. \ Vh en th e fleet - foot ed messenger arriv ed at Pose idon's hom e, he fou nd t he go d already ha d t he message and was rea d y to go. Whil e H ermes raced d own Ol ympu s, Ga ny me de spo ke in to a m agi cal cup and caus ed his im age to appear in sid e Poseid on 's go blet. By th e tim e H erm es ar r ived, th e go d s' cupb earer had alr ead y delivered t he in vitat ion . Ga nymed e event ually gave th e cup to H erm es, who used it to t alk wit h Poseid on fro m th en o n.

Furies'<Scream Transmutation Level: Bard 6 , So r(Wi z 6 Components: Verb al, So mati c, Focu s Casting T ime:

1

act io n

Range: C lose (2 5' Target:

1

+

5' per tw o cas t er levels)

C reat ure

Duration:

1

0

round per cas t er level

Saving Throw: Wi ll negat es Spell R esistan ce: Yes Th e legend ary Fu ries ar e th e se rvants of t he god s wh o bring har sh ju sti ce to wro n gdo ers . In sp ired by th e so und o f th eir so ul-c h illing sh rieks , Atl an tea n wizards

42

det ermine th e Difficulty C lass of the Saving Throw. T he material component of t he spe ll is a t in y t rident carved from a piece of blue topaz (worth at least 500 gold), whic h is cast into t he sea upon complet ion of t he ri tual. Eac h member of t he ri t ua l tea m must have th e ma ter ial compone nt.

This spell allows two people to speak to each other over long distances through large, specially prepared or ichalcum cups. By concentrating over such an instrument, the caster can create an image of himself or herself in any other properly prepared vessel of which he or she knows . The caster can see out of the cup, but the view is limited. Anyone who sees the caster 's image can converse with him or her by speaking to it .

Song of Orpheus Abjuration

Sea King's Wrath Evocation (Water)

Level: Bard 6, Mag ic 7, Protection 6, So r/Wiz 7

Level: Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3, Water 3

Components: Verbal, Somatic, Focus

Components : Verbal, Somatic, Material

Casting Time: 1 full round

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Personal

Range: Long (4 0 0 '

+ 40'

A rea of Effect: 30' radius

per caster level)

Area of Effect: 1 wave

Duration: 1 minute per caster level

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Wi ll negates (harmless)

Saving Throw: Reflex for half damage, see text

Spell Resistance: Yes (harm less)

Spell R esistance: No

At lan reans credit the legen d ary O r pheus with t he d iscovery of the Resonance an d believe that he was t he first to harness its power. In his hono r, t hi s spell is nam ed for him. By taking one fu ll ro und to conce ntrate and foc us his b reat h ing, the wizard touch es the Resonance and draws it fort h in t he form of an eerie chord that centers on t he caster, For t he du rat ion of the spell, the caster may grant Spell Resi stan ce 12 + Caster Level to any crea t ures in side the area o f effect. T he focus for t his spe ll is an o richa lcum chime worth 1000 go ld, which t he caster must ring to pr oduce th e proper tone.

Teams of Atlantean spellcasters use this powerful spell to lash out at their enemies with their patron's unstoppable fury. From the safety of an Atlantean wars hip, a caster can call forth a wave to batter armies and drown coastal cities . After establishing naval superiority, lone Atlanteans may summon small waves to clear the way for an amphibious assault. Acting in concert, they can devastate the landscape. A single caster can create a wave to' wide by 2 ' high per caster level to a maxim um of roo' wide by 20' high. On impact with the shoreline, the magical wave bre aks, dealing 1d6 damage per caster level (maxim u m 10d6) over an area of effect equal to the wave's size. When multiple casters combine their efforts, the awesome power of this spell becomes apparent. Working the rit ual together, a team of casters can dramatically increase the size and destructive power of the wave. Each additional caster increases the spell's casting time by another 10 minutes, but the combined level of the entire ritual team determines the wave's size. For example, 10 casters working for 100 minutes could create a single wave up to 1000' wide by 200' high that would deal rood6 damage to ever yt hing in the area of effect. Take the average ability modifier for the entire group to 43

Putti ng you r pla yers ' characters at th e center of it m igh t make for interesting adventuring.

Part 3: Atlantean Campaigns A Bron ze Age Atla n tea n campaign is sligh tl y d ifferen t from a standard Iro n Age fantasy o ne . T his sect io n is aimed at giving yo u so me t ips on how to accom modate th e differences.

Wh ether t he Atla ntea ns are th e good guys or th e villains is up t o yo u. Ju st keep in min d t hat t he decision yo u make here will affect t he t ypes of characters yo u' ll want to include.

Getting Started

Racial Concerns

You'll want to give a little though t to exactly how yo u wan t to run yo ur cam paign. T WI LIGHT OF ATLANTIS is designed wit h Atl antean charac te rs in m ind , but th ere's no reason you have to app roac h it th at way. You co uld just as eas ily have yo ur PC 's be At henia ns or Sparta ns fighting aga ins t the Empire. They cou ld also be Egypt ians attempt ing to overt hrow the Atlantean garrison, including th e Bastai cat-warriors.

Remember that this campaign is set in th e mythi cal history of our own Earth. T hus , whi le Atlanteans and the Bastai are not hum an , most people in th e worl d are. T here are no elves o r dwar ves o r o t he r fan tasy races to which yo u may be accus to med . T he M ue and the Lernurians are best encountered onl y in their homelands or perhaps Atlantis. Where you set yo ur campaign mi ght have some infl uence on what races yo u allow as well. Atl antis and Cyrago are fairl y cos mopol itan in terms of the races yo u can find th ere, but o t her cities are no t. It 's extremely un likely you wo uld see a Noble Atla n tean in At he ns, and Bast ai mi ght be rare o uts ide o f th e N ile Ri ver Delta.

It's also possible to set t he game in Atlant is, but, inst ead of th e usu al high adve nt ure campaign, yo u could run a cou rt intrigu e. After all, th ere is a great deal of po liti cking currently splin te ring th e Empire.

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Keep in mind too that each race lo ok s o n the At lan teans (and ther efore inter act s wit h them ) di ffer ently. H alfAtlan teans attem p t t o live up to their di vin e heritage, pu shing t hemselves hard and co ns ta n tly wis h ing t o be like th ei r Arlanrean pa ren ts . Bastai t end to be more alo o f and thu s m ay interac t wit h o t he r ra ces much less. The At lan teans look up on t he mselves as closer to perfect than other races. T his can cause te ns ion in a racially mi xed gro up of characters. No ne of th is is bad , but yo u mi ght want to th in k abo ut s uc h t h ings before allowing a pl ayer to have a charac ter of any race he or she lik es.

South Amer ica. It makes little sense to encounter one in Egypt. Lik ewis e, pl ace yo u r minotaurs in Crete, not Spain. Mon ster s that are appropriate to their location will not o nly give each location a more exotic feel (since they each have their own unique creat ures) but will lend yo u r cam p aign a sense of authenticity. R em ember too that , exce p t in pl aces like Atlantis and Cyrago, stra nge crea t ures are unlikely to be tolerated. Eve n th e ci vili z ed Lemurian s and Bastai will be looked up on as m onster s in m ost human co m m un it ies. The arc he typal fantasy bar wit h numerous races of creatures all ga t hering together is not a proper part of the setting, es pec ially given th e xeno ph ob ic n ature of humanity. H owever, it is en t irely ap p ro p r iate for an adventure to be set aro und a m onster that occupies or threatens a human community s uc h as a sea serpent that is bl ockad in g a port.

Level An Atla ntea n campaign can feature cha racte rs of any level. However, you may wish to co ns ide r having characte rs begin at mid- to hi gh -l evel. The pres t ige classes uni qu e t o the setting will req uire adva nce d cha rac te rs . Further, Atla ntis is a nati on r u le d by po wer ful wiza rds and so rce rers. Su ch oppo ne nts m ay eas ily ove rcome wea ker ch ar acter s. St ill, th ere is no reason why yo u can' t sta rt at 1 st Level and have yo u r PC's work t he mselves up t o this sta t ure.

Adventure Seeds Pr esented below are so me ide as to get your campaign sta rted. Eac h is a little different, and all of th em ma y not wo rk fo r th e type o f gam e yo u' d like to run. They should ge t yo u sta rted thinking in the right direction, however.

Class Wh ile there are no class restrict ions, rem ember that Atlant ean s p refe r t o rely o n their ow n gif ts rather th an any go d. T hey reve re Po seid on, but they co ns ider it wrong to appeal to him fo r aid. Thu s, C le rics m ay not be ap p ro priate in your campaign, or yo u co uld co nsi de r restr ictin g t hei r Do ma ins.

O richalcum Heist Characters: Atl antean H ero es Goal : Reco ver a stolen cache of orichalcum Setup: An eno rm o us sh ipme n t of ori chalcum has been heisted fr om th e Northern M in es . The precious metal has been traced t o Atlantis itself, but from there it has di sappeared. Kin g Diaprepes's agents believe that the thi eves are head ed for C yr ago, wh ere they will hand the materi al o ver t o th e ene m ies of the Empire for use aga ins t them . Kin g Atlas ask s the PC's to find the stol en goods and bring them back to Atlantis before they fall into the wrong hands.

D esigning Adventures There are no specific rules for desi gning adve nt ure s for the C lass ical World, bu t th ere are so me so urces yo u co uld plunder fo r gu idel ines . A review of G ree k M ythology will give yo u a good id ea of the so rts o f exp lo its that are germa ne to th e se tti ng . In particul ar, quests to defeat dr ead m onst er s ( su ch as Perseu s' s co nq ue st o f M edus a) or for fabul ou s tr easu re (like Jason's pursuit of the Golden Fleece) are h ighly ap p ro p r ia te. The afo reme nt io ne d cour t in trigu e makes for engaging ente rt ainme nt as well.

In vol vin g the P C 's in this adv en t ure is simple. Just have Atl as hire them for the task. They could, however, be emp loyees of King Diaprep es , continuing their searc h. While Atlantean agents are reasonably certain that the cargo is headed for C yrago, they can' t be sure exactly who the recipient is , which makes it difficult for th e p ort o fficials to simply intercept wh en it comes in. Th e cha rac te rs will ha ve to trace the ship me n t based o n th e information they receive at C yra go from the Port Authority.

Monsters When pl acing m onster s in yo ur cam pa ign, try t o keep some m yth o-h isto ri cal pe rs pec t ive. A grea t m an y o f the monst er s in t he ga me are d rawn from human legend s, but th ey are all mi xed toget her. T ry to pla ce foes in th eir cult urally co rrec t lo cales. A co ua t l makes a fine oppon ent for yo ur P C's, but o nly if it is found in

The bi g questions are who stole th e orichalcum, and wha t do th ey int end to do wit h it ? Perhap s a cell of 45

H owever you se t thi s ad ventu re up , you 'll wan t t o mak e sure that Arcos is some how neutralized. For ce th e PC's t o save him (and th em sel ves and th e village rs) so th at th ey are at th e center of th e act io n, desp it e t he motivati on s of th e major PC ·s.

Egyptian revolutionaries plans to overthrow the Atla ntean gar ris on, an d then use the resonant qu alities of the mysterious metal to enhance t heir own eleme n tal magic to keep the Atlanreans out. M aybe th e Ath eni an s, through their patron goddess, Athena, have unl ocked the secret of creating their own Orpheans and need th e orichalcum t o complete t he process. Or perhaps some madman is p lanning to give it to th e Mue metallurgical masters as part of a larger scheme .

The Underwater Railroad Cha racters: Human adve nt urers

Goal: Rescu e a slave Setup : T h e Greek gene ral. Hipp o lir es, has been d efeat ed in battl e. Th e Atla ntea n gove rn me n t . rath er th an si m p ly exec u te h im , has se n t ence d h im t o slavery - he who wo uld d estroy t he Emp ire will now spe nd th e rest o f hi s life se rving it. Th e PC' s have been hired by Hipp olit ess famil y to lib erat e him . Su ch a d arin g pl oy wo u ld no t o n ly free h im fro m a life of hard lab or but also stri ke a bl ow to t he pres tige of Atl ant is. Unfortunat ely, th e grea t ge nera l is imp ri so ne d within Atl anti s it self, m akin g thi s a very d an ger o us mi ssi on ind eed .

American Anguish Characters: Atlanrean Heroes or Wand ering Adve nt u rers

Goal: Pre vent th e de struction of an Atla ntean co lo ny in South America

Setup : Acrimon, a H al f-Atl an t ean Wi zard/Reson ant of great power, has always st r ugg led to live up to th e ideal of his Atl antean fath er, Arc o s. I t seem s th at Arcos was perfectly willing t o mat e wit h a hum an , b ut always co ns id ered them a lesser species. Hi s Half-Atlantean so n was regard ed no hi gh er. Acrim on spent his whol e life at te m p t ing t o pe rfo rm d eed s th at would please hi s fath er but co u ld never see m t o co me up his standards. Even his master y of th e Resonance seemed not to matter. Now, spurned on e too man y times, he has decid ed th at th e onl y way t o im p ress hi s father is to offer the greatest dem on strati on of hi s power that he can: sp ecifi call y, he, a pun y H alfAtlantean, is going to kill hi s Atlant ean fath er. Unfortunately, his madness dem and s th at he d o it in as spectacular a manner as possibl e, and that 's goi ng to cost innoc ent lives. Hi s fath er has co me t o So u t h America in what will on e day be Ri o de Jan eiro t o see the farth est reaches of the Empire. A sma ll Atl ant ean colony th ere serves as his current wayside. Acri mo n intends to trap hi s fath er in th e village and th en destroy it utterl y.

Obviou sly, thi s adve nture calls fo r ant i-Arlant ean p layer characte rs. M ost of th e pa rt y sho uld. therefore. be human. thou gh th ere cou ld be a dis affect ed H alf-Atl ant ean o r sympathet ic Bastai in th e gro up to aid with the penetration of t he island. Th e charac te rs can get in easil y enough. but th ey will have to find a way to break Hi ppol ires o ut o f bond age and th en sp irit him away. You cou ld exte nd thi s adven t u re by creat ing a harrowin g series o f chases from Atla n t is all th e way back to At he ns .

H ow the PC's ge t invo lved dep end s on th e t ype o f campaign you are running. Th ey could be serva nts or friends of Arco s on tour wit h him. Th ey mi ght also be young Atlantean journeymen, out seeing th e world pri or to being accepted back into th e famil y. T hey cou ld also be a group of adventurer s th at ju st happ en to be in th e sam e part of th e wo rld whe n th is occ urs . Wh at ever t he situation, they are in th e wro ng pl ace at th e wro ng ti me. The good news is that Acr imon is so fo cu sed on his father t hat he won 't pa y th em an y atten t io n init ially. The bad news is that onc e th ey atte mp t to int erfere, he will turn the full forc e of hi s m ysti cal m ight up on them for attempting to d en y him hi s reven ge. 46

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L egends speak of a time before history, of a great island empire whose people wielded powetjul magic and technology, ruling much of the world. Their pride proved their undoing, and Atlantis sank beneath the sea in a single night. TWILIGHT OF ATLANTIS is a sourcebook detailing this once~great people, drawn from the writings of Plato. New races such as the Bastai cat-warriors and the Atlanteans appear, new prestige classes (Artificer, Orphean, Resonant, Spellbane) and six new feats to use with them. A whole new approach to magic - that of the resonance, powered by the mystical metal oricbalcum - is provided, with to new spells. Join the adventure today, attempting to overthrow or rescue Atlantis' great empire.

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