Dark Sun - Athas - Sandbox - 5e

About the adventure

Hello, Adventures. This is one of TSR's most violent, dark fantasy stories ever published. Athas is dying. Its gods are silent, and only the four elements remain; its wilderness is merciless, and immortal Sorcerer-Kings rule its cities. Water is precious. Metal is rare. Magic can drain the life from the earth. And above it all, the only constant in an unforgiving world is the heat of the crimson sun! If you are ready to face the blistering heat and horror that waits in Athas! JOIN NOW! Come join a campaign of humbling beginnings in the world of Athas. Rise of the Gladiators is a story of politics and servitude. Can you rise to the heights of popularity? Can you maneuver politically and gain favor with the right people to survive? In the end, will your blood be spilled into the sands of the Arena, or will you end the first arc in the grand coliseum of Tyr. This game is a multiple arc, long form campaign set in the world of Athas, that begins with you and your party already established as locally loved small time gladiators in the stable of a wealthy slave master. Where most slave masters' only joy in life is seeing blood soak into the sands of Athas for the spirit of the game. Yours breaks the mold, with strange motives and even stranger customs. While the story of the Gladiator fights and your success or failures in the Arena make the game easier or harder, at its core the Gladiator fights are MacGuffins, and the real story is what is unfolding around and between your fights: the political intrigue and relationships and, most importantly, how you engage with the common folks. (Do you throw parties? Are you involved in local commerce? Are you taking quests and commissions on the side?) This game will require roleplay and will not be tactically crunchy. This game will take our party from level 3 to level 20+. This will be a 3 - 4 arc game with each arc having its own overarching big question, BBEG, and stakes which will feed into each other. This is not a railroaded game, but a sandbox where actions have consequences and choices matter. Character creation gives you two options: make a character from the Athas Guide or any other 5e supplement. Depending on your choice, you will get different advantages. This game is 5e (2014) rules with a third-party Athas guide for all of our Athas needs. My goal is for the party to switch to the 2024 Athas rules when they are released in 2027. We use roll20 for our Virtual table top and discord for our notes and audio.