DARK SUN 5E - Simple Conversion
Last update 6/11/2017
Chapter 1: Step-by-Step Characters
Rolling Ability Scores
Were rolling ability scores! See Page 12 of the PHB.
Alignments
Were not using alignments.
Chapter 2: Races
Available Races
Human (as per PHB)
Half-elf (as per PHB)
Dwarf (only Athasian subrace)
Elf (only Athasian subrace)
Halfling (only Athasian subrace)
Half-Giant (new race)
Mul (new race)
Thri-kreen (new race)
Dwarf
As a dwarf, you gain all the dwarven traits described in the PHB
(Con +2, size, speed, darkvision, dwarven resilience, dwarven
combat training, tool proficiency, stonecutting, languages). The
only subrace you can choose is the Athasian Dwarf.
Athasian Dwarf
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength Score increases by 1.
Focus. Dwarves must have a Focus. A Focus is some task (such as
crafting a weapon or besieging a fortress) that the Dwarf holds
paramount over everything else in their life which must be
complex enough to require at least a week to complete.
Once per short rest, you gain advantage on a d20 roll directly
related to your focus.
For every week a Dwarf fails to make progress towards their
Focus, they gain a level of exhaustion as their will to live withers
away. This exhaustion cannot be removed except by furthering
progress towards ones focus.
Elf
As an elf, you gain all the elven traits described in the PHB (Dex
+2, size, speed, darkvision, keen senses, fey ancestry, trance,
languages). The only subrace you can choose is the Athasian Elf.
Athasian Elf
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increase by 1.
Fleet of Foot. Your base waking speed increases to 35 feet.
Elf Run. An elf can travel at a Fast Pace without suffering any
penalties (such as fatigue or penalties to Passive Perception).
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when lightly
obscured by foliage, sandstorms, siltstorms, and other natural
phenomena.
Halfling
As an halfling, you gain all the halfling traits described in the PHB,
except the Lucky trait (Dex +2, size, speed, brave, Halfling
nimbleness, languages). The only subrace you can choose is the
Athasian Halfling.
Athasian Halfling
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are
obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than
you.
Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison,
and you have resistance against poison damage.
* You do not have the Lucky trait*
Half-Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, your
Constitution score increases by 2. Your Intelligence score is
reduced by 2.
Speed. Your base land speed is 30 feet.
Size. You size is Large. See the Large Player Characters sidebar
for more info.
HalfGiant Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1,
and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Mercurial Nature. Half-Giant are easily influenced and rapidly
change their minds. After every long rest, one of your Personal
Characteristics (PHB p. 123) will change to match that of one of
your fellow party members.
Languages. You can speak Common.
Mul
Ability Score Increase. You Strenght score increases by 2, and you
Constitution score increases by 1.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Darkvision. You can see in the darkness within 60 feet of you as if
you were in dim light. However, you cant discern color in the
darkness.
Inexhaustible. As an action, you may reduce your exhaustion by
one level. You cannot use this feature again until after you have
taken a long rest.
Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but
not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You cannot
use this feature again until after a short or long rest.
Untiring. Once every 48 hours, when you take a long rest you may
regain all expended Hit Dice. Additionally, while you must still use
a long rest to recover spent resources, you can choose to go up to
72 hours without take a long rest, staying awake the entire time,
suffering no additional adverse effects. After 72 hours, you are
considered to have been awake for 24 hours; you then begin to
incur adverse effects as per the normal rules.
Languages. You can speak Common and Dwarvish.
Thri-Kreen
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and
your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Speed. Your base land speed is 35 feet.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Alien Nature. Thrikreen are so different from all of the other
humanoid races that you suffer disadvantage on Charisma
(Persuasion) checks made to influence anyone other than a
thrikreen.
Chamaleon Carapace. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
checks made to hide.
Darkvision. Accustomed to running across dunes or grasslands
throughout the day and night, you can see in the darkness within
60 feet of you as if you were in dim light. However, you cant
discern color in the darkness.
Hard Carapace. When wearing no armor, your AC is equal to 13 +
your Dexterity modifier.
Multiple Limbs. You have four arms and can hold items in each of
your arms. On your turn, you may interact with two objects or
features of the environment for free.
Claws. You claws are natural weapons, which you can sue to make
unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage
equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning
damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Poisonous Bite. Your bite is a natural weapon, which you can use
to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing
damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the
bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Also, one per short rest you can inject a paralyzing poison with
your bite. If you hit, the target must succeed on a Constitution
saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. If the saving throw fails
by 5 or more, the target is also paralyzed while poisoned in this
way. The poisoned target can repeat the saving throw on each of
its turns, ending the effect on a success. The save DC is 8 + your
Constitution modifier + your Proficiency bonus.
Sleepless. You do not sleep. You still need a period of 8 hours of
light activity to gain the benefits of a long rest.
Standing Leap: You can long jump up to 30 feet and high jump up
to 15 feet as part of your movement without taking a running
start.
ThriKreen Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the
chatkcha and gythka.
Unusual Body Shape. You can only wear armor or clothing
specially designed for thrikreen; such equipment costs double its
normal price.
Languages. You can speak ThriKreen and Distorted Common. Due
to your physiology, other races will have difficulty understanding
you, as your speech comes out elongated and hissing.
Large Player Characters
The races presented in the Player's Handbook are all Small or
Medium sized, and the weapons and combat rules presented
therein are designed around those sizes. Until official Large-sized
player races come out, the following rules can be used to better
represent them in combat.
Weapons
Large-sized creatures can use Large-sized weapons (DMG p. 278).
This significantly increases damage output, and might be
considered disruptively overpowered for a player character. When
using Medium-sized weapons, use the following rules for weapon
properties:
- Large creatures struggle with Light weapons, and
have disadvantage on attack rolls with them.
- One handed weapons without the "versatile" trait are
treated as light weapons for the purpose of qualifying
for two weapon fighting.
- Weapons with the "versatile" trait deal the damage
given in parenthesis even if wielded in only one hand.
- Two-handed melee weapons can be wielded in one
hand
Carrying Capacity
As noted in the PHB p. 176, Large creatures have double the
carrying capacity.
Consumables
Based on the food and water needs (DMG p. 111), Large creatures
require four times as much food and water per day.
Cover
It should be harder for a Large creature to find cover (PHB p. 196).
The DM will adjudicate this, but roughly speaking where a
Medium creature would find total cover, a Large creature might
only receive three-quarters cover; where a Medium creature finds
three-quarters cover, a Large creature might only receive half
cover; and where a Medium creature finds half cover, a Large
creature might find none.
Chapter 3: Classes
As a general rule, Athasian character cannot read and write.
Depending on your background, the DM can rule that your
character has learned how to read and write.
Barbarian
Naming
The beast aspects Bear, Eagle and Wolf in Path of the Totem
Warrior are replaced with Braxat, Kestrekel and Tembo. Druid
Bard
Not available. Consider playing a Rogue with the Entertainer
background.
Cleric
Only available domains for PCs are Air, Earth, Fire, Water.
Fire Domain
Cleric
Level Spells
1st Hellish Rebuke, Searing Smite
3rd Flame Blade, Continual Flame
5th Elemental Weapon (Fire), Fireball
7th Conjure Minor Elemental (Fire), Wall of Fire
9th Conjure Elemental (Fire), Flame Strike
1st Level You can use your Turn Undead ability on Water
creatures. You gain Produce Flame as a Cantrip.
1st Level Fires Wrath You can use fire to rebuke attackers.
When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you
with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to
make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d10 fire
damage on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a
successful one. You can use this feature a number of times equal
to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all
expended uses when you finish a long rest.
2nd Level Channel Divinity: Sculpt Spells You can create
pockets of relative safety within your fire spells. When you cast a
fire spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can
choose a number of them equal to the spells level + 1. The chosen
creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the
spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half
damage on a successful save.
6th Level Channel Divinity: Wreathed in Fire This effect lasts
for 1 minute. Any creature that ends its turn within a 5 feet radius
of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d6
fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one. Undead always take full damage.
8th Level Burn the Unholy Any turned Undead (using the
Channel Divinity ability) also take 1D6 fire damage per Cleric level
on a failed Dexterity saving throw. If they make the save they take
no damage. Undead that are destroyed are burned into a pile of
ashes.
17th Level Conflagration When you would normally roll one or
more dice for damage with a fire spell, you instead use the highest
number possible for each die. For example, instead of dealing 2d6
fire damage to a creature, you inflict 12 fire damage.
Templars. These are the clergy of the Sorcerer Kings, and unless
youre playing an evil campaign, they wont be available as PCs. If
you allow Templars as PCs, use the Warlock class.
As per PHB. Consult with the DM regarding Athasian beasts.
Fighter
Eldritch Knight not allowed
Mystic
As per Unearthed Arcana
https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UAMystic3.pdf
Monk
As per PHB.
Paladin
Not available
Ranger
As per PHB
Rogue
Arcane Trickster not allowed
Sorcerer
Not available
Warlock
Warlocks serve the Sorcerer-Kings as priests and elite enforcers.
They do not have the option to defile the land when they cast
spells, as their powers come directly from the Sorcerer-Kings.
The Patrons most commonly associated with each Sorcerer-King
are as follows:
The Archfey. Lalali-Puy (Gulg), Tectuktitlay (Draj)
The Fiend. Kalak (Tyr), Hamanu (Urik), Andropinis (Balic)
The Great Old One. Shadow King (Nibenay), Abalach-Re (Raam)
Wizard
You can choose Deception as one of your skills during character
creation.
Additionally, Wizards can Read and Write any languages they
know.
Defiling. When a Wizard casts a spell using a spell slot, he can
choose to defile the land. All vegetation within 5ft times the level
of the spell slot used withers and dies. This area is halved (round
up) if the defiler is in an area with abundant vegetation (a garden,
a forest, a grassy plain).
Whe a wizard defiles the land, any spell he cast is treated as if he
ahd expended a spell slot one level higher.
 rd
Example: Sadira casts a fireball spell, expending a 3 -level spell Chapter 4: Personality and Background
slot. She defiles the land, and all vegetation within 15ft of her
withers and dies. The damage of her fireball will be 9d6, as if she
th
had used a 4 -level spell slot.
You cannot defile a patch of land that is already defiled.
Chapter 5: Equipment
WEAPONS
Due to the rarity of metal, weapons and other items constructed
primarily from metal are priced at their Players Handbook listed
cost in gpthey are not converted to Cp. For example a metal
longsword costs 15 gp (or 1,500 Cp).
The weapons of metal-poor Athas feature bone, crystaI, obsidian,
and wood. These materials change little about the weapons
usefulness.
The following weapons from the PHB can be constructed from
nonmetal materials without penalty: club, greatclub, javelin,
quarterstaff, sling, lance, whip, blowgun, net. These weapons
cost 1% of the listed price in the Players Handbook. Simply
convert the listed price in the Players Handbook to Cp. For
example, a lance listed at 10 gp in the PHB costs 10 Cp.
Breaking Weapons. Nonmagical nonmetal weapons break more
easily than metal ones. A broken item is at best an improvised
weapon.
When you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll using a nonmagical
nonmetal weapon, the item breaks.
Chitin armor is the Athasian equivalent to the Players Handbooks
chain shirt armor.
Scale mail: Scale mail is usually made from the scales of an erdlu,
inix or other naturally scaled creatures.
Banded Mail and Splint Mail: These armors are fashioned from
shavings of agafari wood, bonded to softer, more flexible woods,
and treated with a hardening resin.
Metal Armor and Overheating
Even if a character is fortunate enough to find a suit of steel plate
armor, wearing it in the brutal heat of the
Athasian deserts is foolhardy.
Characters wearing medium and heavy metal armor for at least
one hour every day have disadvantage on all Constitution saves to
avoid the effects of Extreme Heat (DMG p. 110), and require
double as much water each day (PHB p. 185).

ARMORS
All forms of armor given in the Players Handbook have a non
metal equivalent that costs 1/100th of the cost listed in the
Players Handbook; simply change the gp price to Cp. In addition
to being the equivalent of armor on a metal rich world, thousands
of years of tortuous heat have lead Athasian armorers to develop
ingenious air ventilation and air circulation methods. This allows
medium and heavy armors to be worn in the Athasian heat.

While Athasian characters use all the varieties of armor described

in the Players Handbook, the armor they use incorporates
materials commonly found in the world around them. Though
most of the armors are made using various parts of common
Athasian animals, the armor construction process makes use of
several different reinforcement methods developed over time.
Many of the armors are highly composite, made using the pieces
of several different animals no two suits of armor look quite
alike. Through the use of hardening resins, shaped chitin and stiff
leather backings, Athasian armorers can craft remarkably durable
armors from the material at hand.

Breastplate, Full Plate and Half Plate: These armors are

constructed using choice plates taken from shelled animals, such
as mekillots or braxat.

Studded Leather: This armor is crafted using closeset rivets made

of bone, hardwood, stone, or talons.

Shell Armor: Shell armor is made by weaving giants hair around

the shells of various small creatures such as an aprig. Shell armor
is the Athasian equivalent to the Players Handbooks chain mail
armor.

Chitin Armor: This armor is skillfully made by interlocking

hexagonal bits of chitin (usually carved from a kanks carapace).
Chapter 6: Customization Options Discipline (roll 1d4 and 1d10)
d4 d10 Discipline
New Feat: Wild Talent*
1 1 Adaptive Body
You know one Talent and one Discipline of your choice. You have
2 Psi Points, which you can use to augment your Discipline. These 1 2 Aura Sight
points are restored at the end of a long rest. Your Psi Limit is 2. 1 3 Bestial Form
Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence. 1 4 Brute Force
1 5 Celerity
(*) All Athasian PCs gain this feat for free at character creation.
1 6 Corrosive Metabolism
Both the Talent and the Discipline are selected randomly in this
1 7 Crown of Despair
case. See the following two tables.
1 8 Crown of Disgust
Talent (roll 1d12) 1 9 Crown of Rage
1. Beacon 7. Mind Meld 1 10 Diminution
2. Blade Meld 8. Mind Slam
2 1 Giant Growth
3. Blind Spot 9. Mind Thrust
2 2 Intellect Fortress
4. Delusion 10. Mystic Charm
5. Energy Beam 11. Mystic Hand 2 3 Iron Durability
6. Light Step 12. Psychic Hammer 2 4 Mantle of Awe
2 5 Mantle of Command
2 6 Mantle of Courage
2 7 Mantle of Fear
2 8 Mantle of Fury
2 9 Mantle of Joy
2 10 Mastery of Air
3 1 Mastery of Fire
3 2 Mastery of Force
3 3 Mastery of Ice
3 4 Mastery of Light and Darkness
3 5 Mastery of Water
3 6 Mastery of Weather
3 7 Mastery of Wood and Earth
3 8 Nomadic Arrow
3 9 Nomadic Chameleon
3 10 Nomadic Mind
4 1 Nomadic Step
4 2 Precognition
4 3 Psionic Restoration
4 4 Psionic Weapon
4 5 Psychic Assault
4 6 Psychic Disruption
4 7 Psychic Inquisition
4 8 Psychic Phantoms
4 9 Telepathic Contact
4 10 Third Eye
Chapter 8: Adventuring

Food and Water (PHB p. 185)

Characters who dont eat or drink suffer the effects of exhaustion
(see appendix A). Exhaustion caused by lack of food or water cant
be removed until the character eats and drinks the full required
amount.

Food
A character needs one pound of food per day and can make food
last longer by subsisting on half rations.
Eating half a pound of food in a day counts as half a day without
food.
A character can go without food for a number of days equal to 3 +
his or her Constitution modifier (minimum 1). At the end of each
day beyond that limit, a character automatically suffers one level
of exhaustion. A normal day of eating resets the count of days
without food to zero.

Water
A character needs one gallon of water per day, or two gallons per
day if the weather is hot. A character who drinks only half that
much water must succeed on a
DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion
at the end of the day. A character with access to even less water
automatically suffers one level of exhaustion at the end o f the
day.
If the character already has one or more levels of exhaustion, the
character takes two levels in either case.

Extreme Heat (DGM p. 110)

When the temperature is at or above 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the heat and without access to
drinkable water must succeed on a Constitution saving throw at
the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. The DC is 5
for the first hour and increases by 1 for each additional hour.
Creatures wearing medium or heavy armor, or who are clad in
heavy clothing, have disadvantage on the saving throw. Creatures
with resistance or immunity to fire damage automatically succeed
on the saving throw, as do creatures naturally adapted to hot
climates.

Foraging (DMG p. 111)

Characters can gather food and water as the party travels at a
normal or slow pace. A foraging character makes a Wisdom
(Survival) check whenever you call for it, with the DC determined
by the abundance of food and water in the region.

Food and Water Availability (DC)

Abundant food and water sources (10)
Limited food and water sources (15)
Very little, if an y, food and water sources (20)

If multiple characters forage, each character makes a separate

check. A foraging character finds nothing on a failed check. On a
successful check, roll ld6 +the character's Wisdom modifier to
determine how much food (in pounds) the character finds, then
repeat the roll for water (in gallons).
Chapter 11: Spells

Spells that create metals are never permanent.

Spells that create water only function at strength.

Athas has no connection to the Astral Plane, nor to the Outer

Planes.

Changes to Cleric Spells

1st Level
Create or Destroy Water (only Water domain)
Purify Food and Drink (only Water domain)

2nd level
Continual Flame (only Fire domain)

3rd level
Create Food and Water (only Water domain)
Meld into Stone (only Earth domain)
Water Walk (only Water domain)

4th level
Control Water (only Water domain)
Stone Shape (only Earth domain)

5th level
Flame Strike (only Fire domain)
Planar Binding (will only bind an elemental creature of your
Domain)

6th level
Planar Ally (will only conjure an elemental creature of your
Domain)

7th level
Conjure Celestial (will only conjure an elemental creature of your
Domain)
Fire Storm (only Fire domain)
Plane Shift (only to/from Elemental planes)

8th level
Control Weather (only Air domain)
Earthquake (only Earth domain)

9th level
Astral Projection (Athas is cut off from the Astral plane)
Gate (only opens on the Elemental planes)