The Two Paths of the Cleric (DK)

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Only human clerics may advance beyond 20th level. When the cleric reaches 2,700,000 experience points, he must make a decision ; he can either continue to advance as a cleric, in which case he can attain 21st through 30th level, or, in the case of a cleric/ psionicist, he can abandon his human form and begin the transformation to an elemental. The character cannot do both. The owning player must inform the DM which path the character wishes to take. Once it's chosen, the character can never switch. 
Only an elemental gains the ability to cast psionic enchantments. A cleric who advances beyond 20th level, even one who is also a psionicist, cannot cast such spells. 
==Elementals==
Once the character has made the decision to pursue transformation to elemental form, he continues to gain experience through 20th level as a cleric. 
When he reaches 3,000,000 experience points, that total is reduced to zero and he becomes a 21st level elemental. No multi- or dual-classed cleric can opt to become an elemental. 
 Elemental Experience Levels
Level	Elemental	Hit Dice (d8)
21 	0 	+2
22 	300,000 	+2
23 	600,000 	+2
24 	1,000,000	+3
25 	1,500,000	+3
26 	2,000,000	+3
27 	2,750,000	+4
28 	3,500,000	+4
29 	4,250,000	+4
30 	6,000,000	+5
Prerequisites: Only human characters who have attained 20th level as both a cleric and psionicist can proceed as a character elemental. In addition, the ability score requirements are more stringent: the character must have a Wisdom score of 15 and a Constitution score of 15 before transformation can begin. An elemental need not cast a special spell to attain each progressive level. The elemental's hit points are added to his hit point total along with any bonuses due to the Constitution score. 
The exact elemental form taken is that of the original cleric's focus of worship. For example, an earth cleric transforms to an earth elemental, and an air cleric becomes an air elemental. The discipline necessary to specialize in one form of elemental magic prohibits crossover from one elemental form to another. 
Character elementals continue to age while in human form. While they are in elemental form, time has no effect. Once the character reaches permanent elemental form at 30th level, time will not hinder his physical abilities. Character elementals have no innate spell-like abilities. 
==Elemental Transformation==
A character elemental's transformation is quite different from that of the other advanced beings. The character can attain full elemental form even at the lowest levels, though only for a limited time. The amount of time the character can spend as an elemental increases with levels, as does the relative power of his elemental form. 
During play, the character will either be fully elemental, or fully human. Since there is no gradual change between the two forms, it is not termed a metamorphosis, but rather a transformation. he Character Elemental Table shows what elemental form the character can take, how long it will last, and any Hit Die rerolls that are appropriate.
 Character Elemental Table
Level	Hit Dice/Variety	HD Rerolls	Time 	Summons
21 	8 HD Standard 	— 	1 turn 	—
22 	12 HD Standard 	— 	3 turns 	—
23 	12 HD Standard 	1,2 	1 hour 	—
24 	16 HD Standard 	— 	2 hours 	—
25 	16 HD Standard 	1,2 	4 hours 	—
26 	10 HD Greater 	1,2,3 	6 hours 	Lesser
27 	10 HD Greater 	1,2,3,4 	8 hours 	Lesser
28 	14 HD Greater 	1,2,3 	12 hours	Lesser
29 	14 HD Greater 	1,2,3,4 	16 hours	Greater
30 	18 HD Greater 	1,2,3,4 	24 hours	Greater
==Making the Switch==
A character elemental must assume his elemental form exactly once per day, no more or less. Lower level elementals retain human form for all but a short period each day. Higher-level elementals can only retain human form for half the day or less. At 30th level, the elemental can never assume human form again. 
From human to elemental form: The character must decide when during the day to take on elemental form. For this purpose, a game day begins and ends at midnight. If the character fails to decide, his body naturally transforms at the last moment possible. For instance, a 24th-level cleric who hasn't transformed earlier will transform to an elemental two hours before midnight. 
The transformation takes one round. During this round the character's body becomes ethereal. Only weapons that can affect ethereal bodies harm it-for those weapons, use the character's human defenses (Hit Dice, Armor Class, magical protections, etc.). The elemental cannot perform any other action during that round. 
Hit dice: Each time the character assumes elemental form, the player must roll its Hit Dice. At some levels, the character is entitled to Hit Die re-rolls for certa in numbers. For example, at 26th level the elemental character rolls 10 Hit Dice and has rerolls on 1, 2, and 3. The player rolls ten 8-sided dice, getting 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, and 8. The four dice that rolled 1, 2, 2, and 3 are rerolled until they don't read 1, 2, or 3. They finally come up 4, 5, 6, and 7. The elemental's hit points total 58. 
From elemental to human: The character has no control over this transformation. It takes place after the character has spent the entire duration in elemental form. The transformation takes one complete round, during which the character can take no other action. The character takes on an ethereal form for the round, so attacks that don't reach into the ethereal cannot harm him. Those attacks that can penetrate the ethereal plane must be targeted against his elemental form (Hit Dice, Armor Class, magic resistance, etc.). Once the transformation is completed, the character reverts to his original human hit points. 
Damage in either form: Damage taken in one form is erased after transformation-one of the benefits of being an elemental. A character in human form whose hit points drop to 1 still "rolls" completely new hit points for the elemental form. On the return to human form, he is completely healed of damage. A character who is reduced to O hit points in either form has been killed, however. 
==Summoning, Controlling, Stealing==
Normally, a character elemental cannot be summoned, but it can be controlled, and that control can be stolen. A summoning spell merely calls other, less willful elementals from the appropriate plane. Theoretically, a special spell could summon a specific elemental, even a character elemental. But such magic does not presently exist-the spell must be created under the rules governing magical research. 
Devices that can control or govern the actions of elementals can affect characters. Only ma gical items can be used to control character elementals. 
Bowl commanding water elementals, brazier commanding fire elementals, censer controlling air elementals, and stone of controlling earth elementals: When properly employed, these devices can control a character elemental of the appropriate type. The character gets a saving throw to ignore the effects. Otherwise, it is controlled, just as described in the Monstrous Compendiums. Once freed, the character can't attack or ignore the controller as it wishes. 
Ring of Elemental Command: Rings attuned to the character's elemental plane can be used to full effect against it. The ring wearer can be held at a 5' distance or even possibly charmed. 
Scroll of Protection from Elementals: Characters can be affected by such scrolls just as noted in the DMG. 
==Summoning Other Elementals==
A character elemental gains the ability to summon lesser elementals at 26th level, and to summon standard elementals at 29th level. 
Lesser elementals: The character gains the special ability conjure lesser elemental, identical to the spell of the same name presented in the Monstrous Compendium. It may use this ability once per day for every level above 25th. 
Standard elementals: The character gains the special ability conjure elemental, identical to the spell of the same name in the DARK SUNTM Rules Book, once per day at 29th level and three times per day at 30th level. 
These elementals are automatically controlled, and their control cannot be stolen from the character elemental. They obey the character's every thought while on the prime material plane. 
==Urgent Elemental Business==
The highest level character elementals (those from 27th through 30th level) are powerful enough in their own right to be important personages on their elemental plane. Therefore, from time to time, those planes call for their services, and they must return and remain there until their business is concluded. 
Every 60 days, the DM should roll 1d20 for every character elemental in the game. A roll of 1 indicates that the elemental's services are called for on its home plane. Any other roll means the character can continue on Athas unmolested. 
A character elemental who is called away has 5d6 days to report. It is gone from Athas for Id 100 days. In the meantime the DM removes the character from play, and the player uses another character from the character tree. 
==Athasian Elementals==
Complete data on Athasian elementals appears in the Monstrous Compendium, DARK SUN™ Appendix, Terrors of the Desert. That work refers to information on elementals presented in Monstrous Compendium Volume 1. Because character elementals take the form and abilities of those elementals, keep the appropriate Monstrous Compendium pages handy.