The Ability Scores (DSC)

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Athasian characters have the same six ability scores used in every AD&D game: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. In a DARK SUN campaign, characters have an ability score range of 3 to 24 (as opposed to 3 to 18), depending on the ability in question. When creating a character, players roll dice to generate scores from 5 to 20. Character racial adjustments can then boost high rolls beyond the score of 20 or drop lower scores as low as 3.
There are some changes to the rules in the Player's Handbook regarding Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Wisdom attributes for Athasian characters, as discussed below. Note that only Strength and Constitution abilities have revised tables.
==Strength Scores==
All of the rules concerning the Strength score presented in the Player's Handbook apply to the DARK SUN setting. However, TABLE I: STRENGTH (right) replaces the table in the Player's Handbook and must be used by all Athasian characters. The major change is that the exceptional Strength percentage range has been eliminated, as any Athasian character can reach the exceptional range.
 Table 1: Strength
Ability Score	Hit Probability	Damage Adjustment	Weight Allowance	Maximum Press	Open Doors	Bend Bars/ Lift Gates
3 	-3 	-1 	5 	10 	2 	0%
4-5 	-2 	-1 	10 	25 	3 	0%
6-7 	-1 	None 	20 	55 	4 	0%
8-9 	Normal 	None 	35 	90 	5 	1%
10-11 	Normal 	None 	40 	115 	6 	2%
12-13 	Normal 	None 	45 	140 	7 	4%
14-15 	Normal 	None 	55 	170 	8 	7%
16 	Normal 	+1 	70 	195 	9 	10%
17 	+1 	+1 	85 	220 	10 	13%
18 	+1 	+2 	110 	255 	11 	16%
19 	+2 	+3 	135 	280 	12 	20%
20 	+2 	+4 	170 	315 	13 	25%
21 	+2 	+5 	255 	375 	14 	30%
22 	+3 	+6 	360 	475 	15 (3) 	35%
23 	+3 	+7 	445 	600 	16 (6) 	40%
24 	+3 	+8 	515 	700 	16 (8) 	50%
25 	+4 	+9 	635 	810 	17 (10) 	60%
==Constitution Scores==
All of the rules concerning the Constitution score presented in the Player's Handbook apply to the DARK SUN setting. However, TABLE II: CONSTITUTION (right) must be used instead by all Athasian characters.
 Table 2: Constitution
Ability Score	Hit Point Adjustment	System Shock	Resurrection Survival	Poison Save	Regeneration
3 	-2 	35% 	40% 	0 	Nil
4 	-1 	40% 	45% 	0 	Nil
5 	-1 	45% 	50% 	0 	Nil
6 	-1 	50% 	55% 	0 	Nil
7 	0 	55% 	60% 	0 	Nil
8 	0 	60% 	65% 	0 	Nil
9 	0 	65% 	70% 	0 	Nil
10 	0 	70% 	75% 	0 	Nil
11 	0 	75% 	80% 	0 	Nil
12 	0 	80% 	85% 	0 	Nil
13 	0 	85% 	90% 	0 	Nil
14 	0 	88% 	92% 	0 	Nil
15 	+1 	90% 	94% 	0 	Nil
16 	+2 	95% 	96% 	0 	Nil
17 	+2 (+3)* 	97% 	97% 	0 	Nil
18 	+2 (+4)* 	99% 	98% 	0 	Nil
19 	+3 (+5)** 	99% 	99% 	+1 	Nil
20 	+3 (+6)† 	99% 	99% 	+1 	1/4 hours
21 	+3 (+6)† 	99% 	99% 	+2 	1/3 hours
22 	+4 (+7)†† 	99% 	99% 	+2 	1/2 hours
23 	+4 (+7)†† 	99% 	99% 	+3 	1/hour
24 	+4 (+7)†† 	100% 	100% 	+3 	1/3 turns
25 	+4 (+7)†† 	100% 	100% 	+4 	1/2 turns
: * Parenthetical bonuses apply to warriors only.
: ** All 1s rolled for Hit Dice are automatically considered 2s.
: † All 1s and 2s rolled for Hit Dice are automatically considered 3s.
: †† All 1s, 2s, and 3s rolled for Hit Dice are automatically considered 4s.
==Intelligence Scores==
The DARK SUN campaign setting uses the proficiency rules as a standard part of play (they're not optional). Therefore, the number of languages a player character can speak is strictly governed by proficiencies. The "Number of Languages" column on Table 4: INTELLIGENCE in the Player's Handbook translates directly into additional nonweapon proficiency slots. They can be used for any nonweapon proficiency, not just new languages.
Also, DARK SUN characters ignore the last column of that table, "Spell Immunity." No Athasian player character is immune to illusion spells. Only advanced beings (either dragons or avangions) are immune to spells.
==Wisdom Scores==
DARK SUN characters ignore the last column of Table 5: WISDOM from the Player's Handbook. No Athasian character is immune to the spells listed there, with the exception being advanced creatures (either dragons or avangions).
==Rolling Ability Scores==
The six ability scores are determined randomly by rolling dice to obtain a score from 5 to 20 (before any adjustments are applied). These numbers are, on average, higher than those for characters in other campaign worlds. Athas has produced beings that are generally superior, with greater levels of strength, endurance, and intelligence than those found elsewhere. However, if an Athasian character ever finds a way to travel to another campaign world (a practice we greatly discourage!), the rules of that world apply. Thus, ability scores are reduced to the highest number allowed for PC races in that world.
When rolling ability scores for player characters (PCs) or nonplayer characters (NPCs), use the following methods.
* Rolling PC ability scores: Roll 4d4+4 six times, once for each ability score. Write down the totals in the order they are rolled and apply them to the six abilities in that order.
* Rolling NPC ability scores: Roll 5d4 six times, once for each ability score. Write down the totals in the order they are rolled and apply them to the six abilities in that order.
There are other options, of course, for rolling ability scores. The following methods may be used instead to generate characters, if the DM sees fit.
* Method I: Roll 5d4 twice for each ability score, keeping the higher of the two rolls.
* Method II: Roll 5d4 six times and assign the rolls to the abilities as desired.
* Method III: Roll 5d4 twelve times and assign the six best rolls to the abilities as desired.
* Method IV: Roll 6d4 six times, discarding the lowest die each time. Assign the six totals to the abilities as desired.
* Method V: Start each ability with a score of 10. The player then rolls 10d4. Each of the 10 dice must be applied to a specific ability, and all of the points on a single die must be added to the same ability score. All of the dice must be used, though no ability score can exceed 20.