Race

''“I live in a world of fire and sand. The crimson sun scorches the life from anything that crawls or flies, and storms of sand scour the foliage from the barren ground. Lightning strikes from the cloudless sky, and peals of thunder roll unexplained across the vast tablelands. Even the wind, dry and searing as a kiln, can kill a man with thirst.”'' ―The Wanderer’s Journal.

Athas is a world of many races, from the gith who wander the deserts, to the tareks, too stubborn to know when they have died. Giants terrorize the Silt Sea, while belgoi steal grown men in the night. The magic of the Pristine Tower produces the New Races; most never see a second generation. Despite the variety of intelligent life, only a few races have the numbers to significantly impact the politics of the Tablelands.

Though the races of the Dark Sun campaign setting resemble those of other campaign worlds, it is frequently in name only. The insular elves roam the Tablelands, trusted by no one but their own tribe‐mates. Halflings are feral creatures, possessed of a taste for human flesh. Hairless dwarves work endlessly, their entire perception of the world filtered through the lens of a single, all– consuming task. Unsleeping thri‐kreen roam the wastes, always hunting their next meal.

Core Races

 * Human, While not the strongest race, nor the quickest, humans have dominated the Tablelands for the last three thousand years.
 * Dwarf, Stubborn and strong‐minded, dwarves make good companions, even though their usual focused nature can tend to be bothersome.
 * Elf, a long–limbed race of trading, raiding, thieving sprinters. They would encounter a fair amount of racial prejudice from many Tablelanders but not nearly as much as halflings.
 * Half-elf, Unlike the parents of muls, elves and humans are often attracted to each other.
 * Half‐giant, a race that combines great strength, but dull wits, from their giant heritage; with the agility of their human forbearers.
 * Mul, a hybrid race that combines the natural Dwarven resilience and stubbornness with the adaptability from humans.

More difficult: Halflings do not speak Common since they do not come from this region. They are considered violent, primitive, and cannibalistic by most Tablelanders and would likely face a lot of prejudice beyond what other races might.
 * Halfling, small, quick and agile creatures steeped in an ancient and rich culture that goes back far into Athas’ past.

Probs not available to PCs
These races are not from the region, and in many communities would be attacked on sight, making them unsuitable for new players.
 * Aarakocra, avian freedom–loving creatures, but extremely zealous and xenophobic.
 * Pterran, reptilian nature–worshipping creatures that are always in the pursuit of their “life paths”.
 * Thri‐kreen, insectoid creatures, these natural hunters roam the Athasian wastes in search for prey.

Racial Physical Characteristics
Your character’s age is determined by your choice or race and class, as summed up on Table: Random Starting Ages.

Region of Origin
In Athas, where you character comes from can help dictate his speech, clothing, world view, and values. In the context of the game, these cultural differences are expressed in the choices of class, skills, feats, and prestige classes that characters from different regions make.

This section describes the most common choices of game‐related options for several known regions of Athas. These choices are not meant to be restrictive, since exceptions always exist to such general rules. They simply offer guidelines for making a character seem like a true representative of his native culture.

See Region of Origin for more details