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‘D20 System’ and the ‘D20 System’ logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the D20 System License version 1.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com.

The Open Game Content in this book includes game rules, character and creature statistics, and similar material using the D20 system. This content is denoted by its placement in

bordered-style sidebars and by text highlighted in bold italic type within the main body of the text. Additionally, all of the material in Parts 4 and 5 is designated Open Game Content. The remaining material, including that in

bordered-style sidebars and the presentation of this book as a complete work is designated Product Identity. With the exception of the Open Game Content, reproduction of this work without the written permission of the Copyright Holder is a violation of copyright law and is expressly forbidden.

This is a work of fiction. Any tesemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental,

Avalanche Press Ltd. PO. Box 4775,Virginia Beach,VA 23454 USA

I -800-564-9008 www.AvalanchePress.com

Copyright 0 2002 Avalanche Press LTD. A11 rights reserved. ISBN 1-93 209 I -0 z -7

Printed in the United States of America. First Printing, 2002

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Introduction

32 Children of Fatima 32

The City Sa

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Introduction Dark, shadowy sands stretch forth in every direction, illuminated by cascading waves of light that faintly brighten the night sky. It is cold, but, when the sun rises, the heat will be enough to peel the flesh from a dead man’s bones. Against the stars, a carpet sails across open sky. The faint chimes of bells resound from a city that lies somewhere beyond the next dune. N o matter which direction you choose, the sands stretch on without end, a bleak reminder that this world is a harsh one.

The dunes of the Endless Sands stretch from horizon to horizon, filling every view with their empty majesty. This is a land of darkness and danger, where flying carpets sail above the tortured sand and where wishes can be granted with the wave of a caliph’s hand. Some wishes, though, are best not spoken, and some dreams are too dark to reveal. These are the lands of legend, but they are n o children’s tale. They are far darker, filled with blasphemous magic, evil ghuls and djinn, and tyrannical wizards and sultans. Like the desert itself, the world of the Endless Sands may appear stable, but it is a shifting, dangerous place and one not to be entered without a great deal of caution and a little bit of luck.

The Endless Sands hold a small portion of arable land within a wide semi-circle of desert. Warrior-kings rule with iron fists over brilliant cities, djinn swirl magic like glasses of wine, and crumbling ruins dot the forbidding landscape, beseeching the adventurous to come and explore. Transport is by foot, on camel, or, if one is extremely rich, by horseback. Weapons are bronze, and steel is prized above gold. Adventurers may meet and talk with gods, be confronted by the King of Djinn, or fly above the ground on elaborate carpets watching as the world of mortals hurtles along beneath them. This land holds strange magic, dark sorcery, and a cabal of secretive viziers. Monsters roam the ancient desert, born of the Queen of the Gods: dragons, giants, sphinxes, and other half- human creations threaten all those who dare the distant sands. Wizards are feared, priests are half-worshipped and half-detested, and a war of religion threatens to tear apart an ancient kingdom. Diabolic evils hide beneath pleasant faces, and flesh-eating creatures of magic can appear for the night as beautiful harem girls. Every pleasure has a danger, and most prices are too high to preserve a man’s soul.

Although many role-playing games have touched on this portion of the Arabian Nights, few have gone to the source of the myth and portrayed the desert lands as more than a simple backdrop for casual adventuring. ENDLESS SANDS offers background and history, adventure hooks, Character Classes and Feats, and everything you need to run a complete campaign within a Dark Arabian milieu.

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Sands of I The Endless Sands are

lands where myth comes alive, and where darkness is a salvation from an eternally

scorching sun. Against that lie the true dangers

P of a desert land filled with religious strife and

political turmoil. Cities are the only shelter against the empty desert, and water equals power to those who are thirsting to death in the sun.

The fictional culture of the Endless Sands draws on a combination of ancient Morocco, Middle-Eastern Persia and Antioch, and the lands of mystery outlined in the ancient tales of the Badiya people. Cities are dominated by the strong, and the weak must do whatever they can in order to survive. It is a harsh world, but if you can master it, it can be paradise.

An Overview ofthe Land ENDLESS SANDS presents a fictional country based on Arabian mythology. This brief introduction gives an overview of its geography. The land is explored in greater detail in Parts I and 2.

Basic Geography The Endless Sands are a vast desert, surrounded by ocean to the north and west and by high, barren mountains to the distant west. The northeast zone of the desert extends in a vast wasteland from the Dhakyah mountains to the hills of al-Emmour. Although much of the Endless Sands are blistering dunes, the northeastern part is rocky with steep mountains and a pronounced relief except for a few scattered wells. It is habitable, but only barely, and only by tribes who are proficient in finding water and hoarding their food despite the burning sun. There are caves that plunge deep into labyrinths beneath the mountains, offering ample space for tribes to wait ou t the short rainy season.

Water The second (and smallest) portion of the Endless Sands is made up of six rivers and a large inland sea. These make up the only water sources for the entire vast desert, and those travelers who do not follow the rivers’ courses will quickly find themselves dying of dehydration deep in the ocean of sand. Two of these rivers never swell aboveground, but only twist deep beneath the land. They can only be accessed by dowsing and digging. Two more are upland rivers, but they travel very near the inland sea, and the water is brackish (though palatable). The others have

Genera 1 Dangers The country of the Endless Sands is hot, sticky, and contains many high mountains.

Altitude Sickness Yedja-alit is a high city built on a mountain overlooking the sea below. Lack of oxygen does not affect all those who live in the city, but tourists unused to the high altitude may find themselves suffering from light effects such as headaches, lethargy, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping. Altitude sickness typically only lasts while the body is acclimating to the unusual conditions, and will go away with rest and a few days of time.

Mechanics: Characters entering high altitude for the first time must make a Fortitude Save a t D C IO. Success indicates the character acclimates just fine. Characters who fail, suffer I point of Temporary Constitution Damage and are Fatigued for Id3 days, after which, they have acclimated. Full rest will halve the recovery time.

Heat Exhaustion Dehydration and salt deficiency can cause heat exhaustion. To avoid it, one must drink suffi- cient liquids and avoid the direct heat of the sun. Overcoming it requires rest. This sickness is characterized by fatigue, cramps, severe or blind- ing headaches, and muscle cramps. If not treat- ed, it can progress to a heatstroke and incapaci- tate an individual for weeks.

Mechanics: In very hot conditions (90 degrees F), characters must make a Fortitude Save every hour per the rules for Heat. The DC is 1 5 + 1 for every previous check made (before escaping the heat). Those who fail take I d 4 points of Subdual Damage per hour until they reach shel- ter and suffer from being Fatigued. In extreme heat (110 degrees F), the Fortitude Saves must be made every 10 minutes. Subdual Damage is

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