What remains of the burnt In these dark times, those who

world of Althea is mostly desert. bring life to the people are

Sand, rocks, and heat are in beloved. Those who take it are
abundance. Water, food, shade, hunted down and slain. It is an
and happiness are in short age of upheaval.
Supply.

Most of the surface-dwellers live

in one of twenty city-states, ruled
by a powerful Mage-King. There The Melding
were only a few victors of the
magic wars. These city-states are
When the Shadow Sun burnt the
strategically located at the sites
world, the metals in the rocks
of deep wells, vital springs, the
turned to liquid and flowed down
occasional oasis, and the few rare
into the deep. The Dwarves have
tributaries that remain. They use
been chasing it for years, deeper
this water to cultivate crops on
and deeper into the darkness.
the tiny patches of fertile soil that
are still available.
The people have had to adjust
their lives to accommodate this
Every day, the bravest go out into
retreat. An entire tribe might be
the wasteland to search for prey.
able to get enough iron together
Violent raiders are numerous and
to forge a single blade. To survive,
sometimes the hunter becomes
they have turned to the stone
the hunted.
and bone tools of the ancient
Wee Folk.
In the small patches of grassland
that remain, nomadic herders
The few bits of forest that remain
wander about with flocks of
are carefully maintained by
sheep and goats. They are heavily
the Elves and harvested for
armed and prepared to defend
wood. The bones and hides of
themselves. The grass itself is a
animals are used for clothing and
commodity beyond measure.
weapons.
Because of its rarity, the few bits
of metal that exist are used for
trade and commerce. Even still,
most trades are done with barter
or gemstones, if available.

Those that do acquire a supply

of metal often become the next
wave of conquerors. It is easy to
use their military advantage to
seize power from those armed
only with stone and bone.

Under the brutal Shadow Sun,

only the strong survive.
What to keep the ShadowDark adjudication
rules are untouched. As always,
Character generation in Althea the Game Master should use
is similar in the structure of the their judgment and knowledge
core ShadowDark ruleset. The of the setting to decide on a fair
character generation chapter Resolution.
provides guidance on choosing
a Background, Ancestry, Class,
Alignment, known Languages,
and Equipment for a character. ShadowSun Mindset
Titles and Deities are not used.
The setting presented in this
If you choose a spellcasting class, book is intentionally harsh. The
the ShadowDark rules prevail. people of Althea live in a postapocalyptic
Sorcerers follow the same rules hellscape. They are
as Wizards in core ShadowDark. struggling every day to find
This means that they must use water, food, and shelter. Most
the Wizard Mishap tables when don't have time for philosophical
they critically fail. Shamans use Discussions.
their WIS mod when casting,
but otherwise follow the same In this world, the strong rule.
pattern. There is no time for petty
squabbles. Force is the only
If you choose the Mentalist class, language that most people
psionic powers work similar to understand. You will notice
spellcasting checks, but using that alignment works a little
the CHA modifier. Critical failures differently as a result.
use the Psionic Mishap Chart.
Don't expect to find friendly
On the next page, there are rules towns with wholesome barkeeps
to use for Survival in the harsh serving up ale for a copper piece.
and unforgiving world of Althea. This isn't a happy medieval
fantasy where everyone makes
Aside from these exceptions, it home with a smile. Death
is the norm. There are whole
geographic regions littered with
the bones of the fallen.
Food and Drink

In Althea, rations only contain

food. Water must be tracked
as a separate resource: a drink.
A waterskin holds 2 drinks. A
clay jug holds 4 drinks. Rations
and liquid containers are fully
described in the Adventuring
Heatstroke
Gear section.
You must also consume 1 drink
To recover hit points during a per day of overland travel. You
rest, you must consume one can avoid this requirement by
drink of water (or alcohol) and traveling at night, but you will
one ration. need to rest during the day to
Compensate.
If you go 3 days without a ration,
you lose 1 hit point. If you go 1 If you force yourself into daytime
day without a drink, you lose 1 hit travel without taking a drink,
point. you will enter heatstroke. This
imposes disadvantage to all
This damage cannot be rolls until you take a drink.
healed by magical means and
If you suffer heatstroke a second time,
will eventually kill you (with no
you must make a CON check vs
death roll) if you cannot stop it. DC 15 or die of thirst.
Dwarf

Dwarves live deep underground

in large clans. Most of them
are obsessed with mining and
convinced that they will be the
prospector that strikes it rich and
becomes the next clan lord.

The dwarven clans grow vast Elf

fields of lichen and mushrooms
to feed their people. They have Elves live in nomadic camps that
much more stable and secure move with the seasons from
water supplies, leading to oasis to oasis. They also maintain
material prosperity. what few forests remain. Elves
are mostly hunter-gatherers but
They transform the earth's occasionally herd goats for milk
bounty into vigorous trade with and meat.
the surface to grow their wealth.
Their caravans frequently travel They are restless by nature,
the wastes. always looking for new horizons
and a life of excitement. This gets
Dwarven characters know many killed and their people
the Common and Dwarvish Struggle.
Language.
Many of the raiders and thugs
Choose one: that plague the civilized folk
are elves that have lost their
Rugged: Dwarves can carry an way. Outside of the city-states,
extra 3 gear slots. they are feared and sometimes
Ostracized.
Stout. Start with +2 HP. Roll hit
points per level with advantage. Elven characters know the
Common and Elvish Language. Language.

Choose one: Choose one:

Quick: Elves gain a +2 bonus to Diver: Lizardfolk can breathe

all initiative checks. from the tiny bubbles of air that
hide under the sand. However,
Precise. You get a +1 bonus they must return to the surface
to attack rolls with ranged at least once per hour to breathe
Weapons Deep.

Sandscales. Gain +1 to your AC.

Ignore first level of Heatstroke

Lizardfolk (Ssaurans)

Lizardfolk are tribal people that

live a subsistence existence off
the bounty of the Black. The
majority of their food comes
from sand fish, crabs, rock
lobsters, and mollusks.

However, lizardfolk are quite Dragonborn (Draig)

adventurous and frequently
travel into the interior in search Created many centuries ago by the
of fame and fortune. mage-king of Glastanil to serve as a
race of sorcerous warriors, dragonborn,
Lizardfolk characters know or draig, as they call themselves, are a
the Common and Reptilian strong, resilient race of dragonlike
Humanoids.

The dragonborn are not a numerous

people. They live in tight-knit clans
that often share a secret citadel or
tower in the wastes. Clan members
roam far from their mysterious retreats,
looking after the groups interestes. They
are also renowned as sorcerers for hire,
paid by those with wealth and disrection.

Dragonborn characters know

the Common and Draconic
Language.

Choose one:

Breath Weapon. 1/day, unleash

a breath weapon based on your
draconic heritage as a ranged attack,
dealing 1d8 damage to a near-sized
cube in near range.

Sorcerous Blood: You get a +1

bonus to spellcasting checks. When
Rolling for a mishap, roll twice and
Choose result.
Human

Humans are the most flexible

of the races created by Sheera.
They have a natural affinity for
change and can adapt to almost
any living circumstances. It was
humans that first built the great
city-states and they are the Insectfolk (Kri-Threen)
majority of the remaining Mage-
Kings. Insectfolk are an elevated race
that come from primordial
Humans are natural traders past. They have difficulty
and can be found in almost any understanding the customs and
settlement on Althea. behaviors of the other races,
particularly with respect to
Human characters know the violence and conflict.
Common Language + one free
bonus language of their choice. Their basic social units are the
clutch and the pack. A clutch is
Ambitious: Humans can make a small group (no more than six)
an additional talent roll at 1st to which an individual Insectfolk
level. has a close bond.

Insectfolk characters know

the Common and Insectoid
Language.

Choose one:

Venom: Insectfolk can make a

melee attack with advantage
to bite an opponent at close
distance. A hit deals 1d4 damage.
They must also make a CON
check vs DC 12 or take an
additional 1d6 poison damage
from mantis venom.

Dextrous Limbs: Once per turn, you

can draw or sheathe a weapon (or
retrieve or stow an item stored on
your person) as a free action.
Golanth (Half-Giant) Shrug Off: 1/day : After you would take
damage, you can roll 1d12 and add your
Centuries ago, mage-kings Constitution modifier to the number rolled and
magically combined giant and reduce the damage by that total.
human stock to breed powerful Halfling
minions, creating the hardy race
of towering warriors known as The halflings are an ancient people;
Golanths. While many Golants according to their myths, they are
remain in the armies of the among the oldest in the world. Most
mage-kings, their loyalty in halflings hail from the Spinegroves,
exchange for many luxuries, others a mysterious and legendary jungle
become urban thugs or mercenaries. said to crown the Highmounts. The
Golanths will come to adopt the savagery for which they are feared
culture and traditions of the cities in masks a deep and abiding reverence
which they dwell. for the natural world and an uncommon
connection to the land’s spirits.
Over the years, many Golanths have Halflings live throughout Althea, some
found their way into the untamed as slaves, others a mercenaries, and
reaches of Althea. Wild Golanths are still others as raiders. Regardless, all
fierce, mountain-dwelling barbarians halflings look to the Spinegroves as
who raid the people of the lowlands their homeland.
in search of plunder, captives, and
prestige. Halflings see all creatures as potential
Sources of sustenance. After all, living
Golanths are often violent and beings compete to survive, and halflings
short-tempered, but their moods are think nothing of eating their enemies, for
mercurial. They can pass from frothing doing so ensures their own survival.
rage to gales of laughter in the blink of
an eye.
Halfling characters know the
Golanth characters know the Common Common and Ancient Language.
and Giant Language.
Choose one:
Choose one:
Stealthy. Once per day, you can
Mighty. You have a +2 bonus to become invisible for 3 rounds.
damage rolls with melee weapons.
Consummate Predator. 1/day.
You can make a special attack with
a Bite. If the attack hits, it deals its
1d4 damage, and you restore hit
points equal to the result.
Recommended Classes

Shadowsun classes:
Explorer
Prohibited Classes
Mentalist
Shaman
Sorcerer Core classes:
Warrior Priest
Wizard
Cursed Scroll 2 classes:
Desert Rider Cursed Scroll 1 classes:
Pit Fighter Knight of St. Ydris

Cursed Scroll 2 classes:

Allowed classes
Ras-Godai

Core classes: Cursed Scroll 3 classes:

Fighter Sea Wolf
Thief Seer

Cursed Scroll 1 classes: Unnatural Selection classes:

Warlock Fiend
Witch *add defilement feature from Sorcerer* Grave Warden
Shaman
Unnatural Selection classes:
Beastmaster
Ovate
Plague Doctor