Table of contents
Pterran society is led by a triumvirate: the Warrior, the Druid and the Psionicist. In every pterran group, these three major Paths of Life are each represented by an Elder, each one being the older of his class and, by tradition, of true neutral alignment. In fact, pterran society as a whole tend to be true neutral. In Pterran Vale and Lost Scale, the triumvirate takes all the decisions. In the small settlements, the triumvirate is more enclined to consult people and has a reduced importance in day-to-day affairs. All other warriors, druids and psionicists are considered a bit like nobility and have a high social status. Farmers, herders, thieves, traders, artists, etc., follow what is called lesser Paths of Life, and they are constituing the common people of the pterrans. The concept of slavery is not present in pterran society.
By his own manners and regardless of class and alignment, every pterran is dedicated to the Earth Mother (the name they give to the world of Athas). A pterran will engage in many celebrations throughout the day, each one giving thanks to the Earth Mother and reinforcing a pterran's belief and faith. Pterrans truly believe to be the Earth Mother's best sons.
There is no real concept of family in the mind of the pterrans. A female pterran giving birth to a young pterran won't necessarily be the one who will care for the child, neither the pterran who coupled with the female. In fact, pterran couples stay together only for reproduction then go separate ways, and mothers leave their child alone after birth. This is not seen like a cruel act among pterrans, because this way the Earth Mother is given first the care of her new sons, a right she owns since she is the mother of all living things. So, new-born pterrans are raised and given first name by anybody who happens to come by them, this until they are old enough to choose a Path of Life (some pterrans can have up to 20 different guardians). At this time, an individual becomes a full independant member of the pterran community by announcing in front of the Triumvirate of his village the choice of his Life Path, as well as a last name consisting in a pair of terms that will represent him well (ex.: Goldeye).
The Path of the Warrior is a way of life that regroups all the fighters, rangers and gladiators. It is a tradition for a pterran Warrior to catch a young wild pterrax (large pteradon-like creature capable of flight) or to reach a nest to capture pterrax eggs in order to prove his worth. Accomplishment of this task grants them special recognition among their people. Taken apart political leaders, the Warriors of the pterrans are weaponcrafters, hunters, pterrax riders, guards or scouts.
The Path of the Druid is followed by all the pterrans who proved that their faith in and devotion to the Earth Mother is above average by coming back to their people after an exile of six months somewhere on Athas. The Druids are the priests of the pterrans who entertain the worship of the Earth Mother and instil in their people the customs of daily celebrations to the Earth. They are also the most revered of pterran individuals and are looked upon as holy men and women. Many pterran Druids make their life more as medicine men and women than priests.
The Path of the Psionicist is the major path that is finding the fewer candidates among pterrans. To be recognized as a Psionicist, one must succeed in an attempt to mentally communicate with an elder. Thus, all pterran Psionicists are telepaths. Those with psionic powers who do not master the telepathic discipline are looked upon as if they were simple wild talents with great potential, nothing better. Most of the Psionicists are bureaucrats and scholars. Many are interested in studying languages and history, and often go in adventure to learn about the world and the other sons of the Earth Mother. In short, they are the intellectuals of pterran society. They are also good at all diplomatic stuff.
Pterran characters receive a bonus of +1 in Strength because of their
natural, muscular build. But due to a lack of flexibility and an awkward
morphology, they substract 1 from their Dexterity score.
Pterrans also have a strong will and are a very faithful kind of people.
They thus add 1 to their Wisdom score. On the other hand, their alien look
and somewhat strange way of seeing things penalize them of 1 point in Charisma.
Pterrans don't like to use their claws (2x 1d4) when fighting and do this only in last resort and they no longer use their bite as a form of attack. Finally, their tough and scaly hide allows them to have a natural base Armor Class of 8.
Multi-class combinations include fighter/thief, psionicist/thief, fighter/trader and psionicist/trader. Multi-classed pterran PCs are generally pterrans who were not able to be recognized as true Warriors or Psionicists because of their strong tendancies toward theft or mercantile endeavours. There are no fighter/psionicist among pterrans because combining two major Paths of Life is just too much for them to accomplish. Also, a pterran Druid may never be part of a multi-class combination, because it would mean a failure to the purity of his dedication to the Earth Mother, something she would never tolerate. Finally, pterrans cannot be clerics. To prefer a single element in nature instead of worshipping the Earth Mother is an aberration for them. They just see the elements as a whole that cannot be divided.
Weapon proficiencies:
Pterrax riders must specialize in either a pole arm or a missile weapon.
This apart, they can be proficient with any weapon they like.
Non-weapon proficiencies:
Bonus proficiencies: Airborne riding-pterrax
Required proficiencies: Animal training-pterrax, direction sense.
Recommanded proficiencies (general): Hunting, water find, leatherworking,
weather sense.
Recommanded proficiencies (warrior): Animal lore, tactics-any flying
animal or monster, tactics-tohr-kreen.
Equipment:
Members of this kit start with a trained pterrax geared with a saddle.
Pterrax statistics:
AC 7; MV Fl 12(B)(C when mounted); HD 5; #Att 3; Dam 1d8/1d8/2d6; Psionics;
SZ L; ML 8-10; MTHAC0 18; MAC 6; PSP 40; Attack PB, II; Defense IF, TIW,
MB.
Psychometabolism: Complete Healing, Animal Affinity, Biofeedback, Flesh
Armor, Lend Health.
Telepathy: Conceal Thoughts, Empathy, Life Detection, plus 1 science
and 4 devotions.
Special Benefits:
- The pterrax rider is so well accustomed to fight on his flying pterrax
that he gets +1 to hit targets on the ground.
- The pterrax rider can make his pterrax attack (physically or psionically)
in a round instead of making an attack himself.
- When on his flying pterrax, the pterrax rider AC is reduced by 1
because of the speed of his mount.
Special Hindrances:
- The pterrax rider must provide to the needs of his mount by giving
it 4 gallons of water daily as well as 3 portions of food. If this is not
done, the pterrax will refuse to fly and will cumulate a 10% chance of
dying per day until complete rehydration and feeding.
- Every time the pterrax rider is missed by 1 on the throw of an opponent
(ex.: 12 when 13 was required to hit), the pterrax is hit. The same is
true for the pterrax rider when it is the pterrax that was the target.
- Due to a lack of training in ground combat, the pterrax rider suffer
from a -2 penalty to hit when fighting on his two feet.
Wealth Options:
Members of this kit start with the money normally allowed for a warrior.
Weapon proficiencies:
Because they are gladiators, weaponcrafters are proficient with every
weapon. They may also specialize with any number of weapon they like.
Non-weapon proficiencies:
Bonus proficiencies: Weaponsmithing (bone).
Required proficiencies: Weapon improvisation.
Recommanded proficiencies (general): Bargain.
Recommanded proficiencies (warrior): Armor optimization, armorer, bowyer/fletcher,
endurance, survival-(scrub plains, stony barrens or sandy wastes), tactics-any.
Equipment:
Members of this kit start with two bone weapons with obsidian/stone
breaking statistics (see appendix).
Special Benefits:
- Everytime the weaponcrafter is finished creating a weapon, he makes
a weaponsmithing check. If successful, the bone weapon is treated as an
obsidian/stone weapon regarding breaking statistics.
Special Hindrances:
- Because they spend so much time working on weapons, weaponcrafters
advance slowly in non-weapon proficiencies. They thus get non-weapon proficiencies
as if they were rogues.
Wealth Options:
Members of this kit start with the money normally allowed for a warrior.
Alignment restriction:
Only lawful evil and neutral evil characters can be Renegades.
Weapon proficiencies:
Members of this kit may only select weapons allowed to psionicists.
Non-weapon proficiencies:
Bonus proficiencies: Contact, information gathering.
Required proficiencies: Mental armor, forgery, sign language.
Recommanded (general): Artistic ability, bargain, psionic detection.
Recommanded (psionicist): Harness subconscious, meditative focus, mental
armor (extra slot).
Recommanded (rogue): Gaming, set snares.
Equipment:
Members of this kit start with a vial of debilitating poison containing
4 uses (see below for effects).
Special Benefits:
- Renegade psionicists are proficient in the brewing of a special poison
that has been banned from pterran society decades ago. With the proper
ingredients in hand, they can produce a single application once a day.
The poison must be injected and causes a loss of Strength and Constitution
at the rate of 1 point/hour when the target's save (at -2) has missed,
or 1 point/day when it was successful. A slow poison spell reduces the
loss to 1 point/day and stops the loss in one of the two characteristics
(DM choice); neutralize poison eliminates all the effects. The points can
be completly restored with two days of full rest. A heal spell restores
all the lost points instantly. (When used on a monster, to simplify the
rule, a missed save causes an instant loss of 1d8 points and a penalty
of -1 to hit and damage. There is no effect when the save is successful.)
- When in Pterran Vale, they can be provided with shelter, standard
equipment (including special poison ingredients), goods and healing services
at the Renegades' Guild.
Special Hindrances:
- Because telepathic psionic abilities were not developped as a primary
discipline and knowing the importance that the Elders give to this fact,
all telepathic powers are prohibited to be used by a Renegade psionicist.
- Renegade psionicists are shunned by their fellow pterrans. They thus
receive a -4 penalty to reaction adjustment when meeting with other pterrans.
Wealth Options:
Members of this kit must start with the money allowed for a rogue.
Weapon proficiencies:
Champions have the bonus proficiency «Two-weapon style»
which allow them to fight with two weapons of the same size without penalty,
taking count of the natural ability of rangers to fight with two weapons.
Non-weapon proficiencies:
Bonus proficiencies: Survival-(scrub plains, stony barrens or sandy
wastes), tracking.
Required proficiencies: Modern language-common, tactics-tohr-kreen.
Recommanded (general): Heat protection, water find, etiquette, contact,
mental armor.
Recommanded (warrior): Survival-(scrub plains, stony barrens or sandy
wastes), tactics-any.
Equipment:
Champions are favored by their people and receive many useful gifts
before starting their adventuring life. They thus begin with a magical
fruit of healing, a leather armor and a bone weapon without spending their
starting money.
Special Benefits:
- Champions can feel the presence of evil. It is only a vague and indistinct
impression they have, not a precise power.
- When fighting against evil monsters or NPC, they get a +1 bonus to
hit and damage.
Special Hindrances:
- Because they're so dedicated to eliminate evil, champions receive
a -6 penalty to reaction adjustment when meeting evil characters.
- They must attack evil monsters and NPC as soon as they are given
a good opportunity. If they deliberately avoid a confrontation with those,
champions should be penalized in xp for role-play by their DM.
Wealth Options:
Members of this kit must start with the money normally allowed for
a warrior.
Weapon proficiencies:
Like every druid, missionnaries may be proficient with any weapon,
but they generally favor less mighty weapons like quarterstaff, club or
dagger.
Non-weapon proficiencies:
Bonus proficiencies: Survival-(scrub plains, stony barrens or sandy
wastes).
Required proficiencies: Modern language-common, religion, healing.
Recommanded (general): Agriculture, contact, etiquette, fire-building,
water find.
Recommanded (priest): Herbalism, somatic concealment, local history-Hinterlands.
Equipment:
Members of this kit start with no special equipment.
Special Benefits:
- Missionnaries are important and useful people for every Spirit of
the Land. For this reason, they are granted major access to all spheres
of priest spells. They still have a specific guarded land under their protection.
Special Hindrances:
- Many tribes do not give a warm welcome to a pterran trying to convert
their beliefs, and a missionnary may often becomes an ennemy of shamans
and wandering clerics. Many will want him dead, forcing him to always look
behind his shoulder wherever he is.
Wealth Options:
Members of this kit must start with the money normally allowed for
a priest, but any money not spent on equipment when creating the missionnary
is lost.
Weapon proficiencies:
Even if they can be proficient with any weapon, envoys tend to prefer
common weapons that can be found easily like dagger, impaler, carrikal,
short and long sword, etc.
Non-weapon proficiencies:
Bonus proficiencies: Bargain.
Required proficiencies: Modern language-common, appraising.
Recommanded (general): Psionic detection, contact, mental armor, heraldry-trading
houses, direction sense, modern language-(elf or thri-kreen).
Recommanded (rogue): Information gathering, gem cutting.
Recommanded (warrior): Survival-(scrub plains, stony barrens or sandy
wastes), survival-(mountains or forest).
Equipment:
The envoy start with a backpack full of trading goods from the Hinterlands.
Items may be fruits, drinks, weapons, tools, pieces of art, etc., and the
envoy must set the prices he wants for each from the start. The total value
of all these items must be no more than 200cp, or 2gp.
Special Benefits:
- Envoys receive 2d4 pterran agents at 3rd level. These agents are
level 1 traders which can be used the same way as the agents any trader
gains when reaching the 10th level.
- Every ceramic piece of profit they make is worth 1 xp when given
to their Triumvirate, which is in fact the patron they are working for.
Special Hindrances:
- As just said, all the profit envoys make must be returned to their
village, and failure to do so results in the envoy's banishment from all
the pterran society. He will also lose his pterran agents gained at 3rd
level if they fail a loyalty check on a d20 (10 base + charisma modifier;
see also Loyalty in DMG). An envoy becoming freelance will receive a penalty
of -3 to reaction adjustment when meeting with other pterrans, because
he will be well known as an outlaw and a defector.
Wealth Options:
Members of this kit must start with the money normally allowed for
a trader, which is the double of a normal rogue.
Str 16 AC 4 (Dexterity, Leather armor, Biofeedback)
Dex 15
Con 16 Hit Points 60
Int 13
Wis 17
Cha 9
Ranacc is an old but strong pterran with a very scary look, wearing long robes of a deep red color. He no longer leaves the dark chamber where he lives, under the Renegades' Guild. Currently, he's setting up a plot to overthrow the Pterran Vale's Triumvirate in a way to get in command of all the pterrans. Many of his minions Renegades are in quest for some powerful psionic items and he is waiting for their return to unfold his obscure plan. Death field and Life draining are two psionic powers Ranacc likes to use when punishing or attacking. Apart from wearing his necklace of biofeedback at all times, he always has a vial of debilitative poison (see Renegade kit) and his metal dagger +2 close at hand.
Bikarr Moonshine
Male Druid, level 13, True Neutral
Str 18 AC 8
Dex 10
Con 15 Hit Points 65
Int 14
Wis 19
Cha 16
Bikarr is the current Druid Elder in the Triumvirate of Pterran Vale. What very few people know is that he is also the guardian of Pterran Vale, the village being based on his guarded land. Despite his venerable age, Bikarr is still looking like in his prime and never hesitate to go out if there is a need to eliminate some threatening creatures. He frequently appears before his people to preach for the Earth Mother and is very active in the decisions of the Triumvirate. Of course, he is concerned about the tohr-kreens, but he is also aware of the plans of Ranacc Mindcrusher and is keeping an eye on him. Bikarr owns a superb stone halberd +3 that he found in the Kalidnay ruins some years ago while adventuring, and he likes to use it in melee combat, protected by a magical vestment. He always has 2 or 3 fruits of extra-healing in his pouch.
Garr Sharpsword
Male Gladiator (Weaponcrafter), level 8, Chaotic Good
Str 21 AC 3 (Scale mail armor, Dexterity)
Dex 15
Con 16 Hit Points 80
Int 17
Wis 8
Cha 10
Garr is the most renowned of all the weaponcrafters of Pterran Vale. His bone weapons are of the greatest quality found in all the Hinterlands and maybe the Tablelands. Sometimes tough to deal with, he will easily sell his weapons for a good price to someone flattering him. Garr is a tall, muscular and mighty warrior who usually fights with two bone carrikals or two bone axes of his own making, of course. He is also famous to have killed a trin one on one that was attacking a farm by surprise.
Stillmicc Armblood
Female Ranger (Earth Mother Champion), level 7, Neutral Good
Str 20 AC 6 (Leather armor)
Dex 13
Con 19 Hit Points 91
Int 14
Wis 15
Cha 14
Stillmicc was the first to volunteer to become an Earth Mother Champion. She is a stout pterran with eyes that seem to be reaching inside the mind of the people she stares at. She recently joined with a party of varied races adventurers which was heading to the North of the Hinterlands. Stillmicc is wanted by the Night Runners elf tribe because she has killed six of its members that were ambushing a pair of nobles going out of Tyr. To thank her, they gave her 30 gp! In combat, she fights very furiously with two metal long swords she bought after she saved the two human nobles.
Rugatt Silverclaw
Male Fighter/Trader (Envoy), level 6/6, Lawful Neutral
Str 16 AC 1 (Hide armor, Dexterity)
Dex 17
Con 12 Hit Points 42
Int 12
Wis 15
Cha 18
After Ptellacc Goldeye (see Mystery of the Ancients adventure) successfully established a trade route with Tyr, thanks to the help of some unknown but ressourceful adventurers, a dozen of other pterran envoys departed from Pterran Vale and Lost Scale toward new trading and adventuring challenge. Rugatt was one of them. Heading for Gulg, he expects to convince the hunter templars of Gulg to let him meet with the Oba, Lalali-Puy herself. Well-organized and very confident, he is sure to succeed in his mission. In fact, that may be easier than he thinks it will, because knowing the intents of the Oba to become the Queen of all the races of Athas, she will surely find in the pterrans' quest an interesting opportunity to make some new worshippers. Rugatt has 6 pterran followers with him, is armed with two metal daggers and will always try to talk before going into fight.