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Authors: Andreas Rönnqvist, Jeremy Smith, Editing: Andreas Rönnqvist, Jeremy Smith

Interior Design / Layout: Jeremy SmithInterior Illustrations: Aaron Henson, Alex Leonard, Brandon Glore,

Claudio Pozas, Rick Hershey, Shaman Stockart, V. ShaneCover Design / Layout: Erik Nowak

Cover Illustration: Rick Hershey

Special Thanks: Anthony Miller and the playtesting team

True20 Adventure Roleplaying and its associated logo are Trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing and are used under the provisions of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying Trademark License (see www.true20.com for details)

This edition of Third Dawn Campaign Setting is produced under version 1.0a and/or draft versions of the Open Game License, and the System Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast. Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate later versions of the license, guide, and document.

Designation of Product Identity: Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a: Any and all Dreamscarred Press logos and identifying marks and trade dress, such as all Dreamscarred Press product and product line names including but not limited to Third Dawn Campaign Setting, Untapped Classes: Society Mind, Untapped Potential: New Horizons in Psionics; and all artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps, and cartography, likenesses, poses, logos, or graphic designs, except such elements that already appear in final or draft versions of the d20 System Reference Document or as Open Game Content below and are already open by virtue of appearing there. The above Product Identity is not Open Game Content.Open Game Content: The entirety of this work with the exception of the above-mentioned Product Identity is designated as Open Game Content.

Some portions of this book which are Open Game Content originate from the System Reference Document and are ©1999, 2000, and 2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The remainder of the Open Game Content portions of this book are hereby added to Open Game Content and if so used, should bear the COPYRIGHT NOTICE “Third Dawn Campaign Setting” ©2010 Dreamscarred Press. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction, re-transmission, or unauthorized use of the artwork or non-Open Game Content herein is prohibited without express written permission from this book’s authors, except for purposes of review or use of Open Game Content consistent with the Open Game License. The original purchaser may print or photocopy copies for his or her own personal use only.

This document is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.

Some images contained within are copyright LPJ Design, Inc or V. Shane and are used with permission. All rights reserved.Some images copyright 2006 by Reality Deviant Publications.

Some artwork by Claudio Pozas, copyright Expeditious Retreat Press, used with permission.Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics copyright 2004 Bruce R. Cordell. Used with permission.

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inTroduCTion 1The World of Ksaren 1The residenTs of Ksaren 1a World of Psionics 1The Third daWn camPaign 2WhaT You need To KnoW 3

CharaCTer opTionS 4neW sKills 4feaTs 5

culTural feaTs 5general feaTs 6adePT feaTs 7exPerT feaTs 8Warrior feaTs 8

PoWers 9neW equiPmenT 9neW disease 11

raCeS 12adonai 12chimairan 12dromiTe 12dWarf 13duergar 13elan 13human 14JeTTur 14maenad 15oPhiduan 15orcan 16xePh 16

Life in KSaren 17calendar 17economY 17Psionics in socieTY 18hisTorY of Ksaren 19The ancienT World 20The imPacT 20hisTorical Timeline 25hisTorical figures 28TradiTional monsTers 28

CoSmoLogy 30religion and Third daWn 30godminds 31PanTheon of godminds 32

aeni 33aur’esKin 33cYnfire 34

elTha 34faedreTh 35hourTh 35Javan 36Kraegan 37maquora 37nereTh 38Phanos 38sauroK 39veran 39Zean 40

conflicTing godminds 40

geography 41conTinenT of femon 42

alYria 42BaronY of soleil 46feria 50liBuria 52lumien 55luxor 58orlam 62Plains of venTrad 66sPecial locaTions in femon 69

conTinenT of Tion 71droma 71nimoTei 75oPhid ProTecToraTe 79sommaran 82vinTaren 85sPecial locaTions in Tion 88

maquoran sea 89maquoran fleeT 89sPecial locaTions in The maquoran sea 92

organizaTionS 93alYrian magisTraTes 93Bloodriders 94crimson cloaKs 95culT of The BroKen sTaff 96elan infilTraTors 98enlighTenmenT 09guildsmen council 100haWK’s claW 101house of mandreTh 102Kreh’len’shin 103mindWaTch 105order of sTill WaTer 105

open game LiCenSe 107

TabLe of ConTenTS

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Welcome to the Third Dawn Campaign Setting, a world of psionic power, swashbuckling action, and political intrigue. Unlike more standard fantasy settings, the Third Dawn Campaign Settings has no gods or godesses, no wizards or magic. All things in Third Dawn stem from the apocalyptic destruction of the world, the ensuing death of the gods and disintegration of all forms of magic - all things mystical in the Third Dawn Campaign Setting arises from within, from the Flow of one’s mind and from one’s ability to master that psionic talent. Here there are no clerical orders, divine warriors, archmages or wizards towers.

Why would we do this? Why change some of the most iconic aspects of a fantasty setting? Well, that traditional campaign world has already been done, and done a lot, and in some instances, done exceptionally well. We wanted to differentiate the ThirdDawn Campaign Setting from all of the other options out there, and as the definitive source for psionic content, who better to make an all psionic campaign setting than Dreamscarred Press? And so, the world of Ksaren was born, a world without magic, but heavy with psionic power.

In Ksaren, you will still find all the major elements of an immersive campaign: battles for survival, political intrigue, nefarious organizations, cruel tyrants, bastions of hope, and dangerous monsters. But, unlike traditional worlds, you will not find deities involving themselves in the daily lives of the residents, priests invoking the power of their gods, mages casting arcane spells or divine warriors channeling self-righteous fury to slay the heathens. Here, ascended minds, called godminds, are the closest thing one can come to divinity, entities who do not meddle in the affairs of mortals, but operate on a more subtle level, acting as gateways through which their adherents can tap into a greater consciousness and unlock their own abilities. In the world of Ksaren, you will find heroes, not unlike those of other fantasy settings, but here they all wield the intense power of the mind in their own unique ways.

The worLd of KSarenIn a nutshell, the world of Ksaren is divided into three

main regions: the northern continent of Tion, the central region of the Impact Sea, primarily the island chain within the Impact Sea, and the southern continent of Femon. Each region is geographically distant from the other, as the continents of Tion and Femon are not connected, and hundreds of miles of water separate the island chains of the Impact Sea from either continent. As a result, the cultures of Tion and Femon have evolved independently, with vast differences in both technology and society as a result.

In the continent of Tion, technological advancement has been primarily limited to agriculture, with very little in the way of warfare or industry. Better, more efficient ways to grow crops, bring them to market, and to travel.

In stark contrast, on the continent of Femon, where fertile valleys have given rise to an overabundance of food, most technological advancements have been in the development of industry and warfare: fortified buildings, siege weapons, more efficient armors, large-scale shipment and transport, and the like. With a ready food supply, the civilized areas of Femon have become large metropolises, centers of government, learning, and trade, with the smaller towns and villages using the larger cities as trade hubs.

Meanwhile, the islands of the Impact Sea have been inhabited for a significantly shorter period of time, since the creation of the maenad race some four hundred years prior. Geographically disconnected from all other races, the maenads have had only themselves to rely upon, creating a society that views anyone not of the Maquoran Fleet, the name of their society, with distrust. Technology has centered around the ocean: better, more efficient ships, new ways to harvest from the ocean, and navigational implements such as the sextant.

The reSidenTS of KSarenKsaren is called home by a multitude of creatures, from

the intelligent to the simple, who seek but to survive the shattered world left by the Sorcerer-Kings of the ancient world. Due to the unique nature of Ksaren, the races of Ksaren have altered to fit the world around them. Some races have been adjusted and altered to suit the campaign setting, while others no longer exist in any form. As a result, new races, or new spins on old races, exist within the Third DawnCampaign Setting, representing the adjustments that have been necessary to survive in a world with only psionics and no magic.

a worLd of pSioniCSUnique in nature, the world of Ksaren is a world of

psionics. After the Impact millennia ago, both gods and magic was wiped from the surface of the world, in time replaced by a new source of power. Over the centuries, techniques were discovered to utilize psionic power, with those learning fastest often gaining power over others, using it for good or for ill. With these new balances forming, nations rose and fell, even empires came to dominate continents, only to later crumble, and psionics has often been seen as the deciding factor for the victor or

inTroduCTion

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the defeated. Even for more mundane uses, psionics has filled virtually

every niche of life in Ksaren, as the populace harbors mistrust for the technology said to have been a part of the Impact.

The Third dawn CampaignAs the campaign of Third Dawn opens, the world has en-

joyed relative peace for the past few decades. Technologi-cal, sociological, and economical advances across nearly all countries have been made to bring the world closer to a stable state than since the rule of the Alyrian Empire over a century ago. The power of psionics has allowed even the common citizen to make mundane tasks trivial, be it through the use of minor telekinesis for sowing and reaping crops, to the use of telepathy and long-distance communication to stay abreast of current news, to the use of psychic powers to heal their own ailments when others might die. Not ev-ery resident within the Third Dawn Campaign Setting has psionic power, however, but the proliferation of the talent has spread to ad-vances in medicine and devices that mimic technological advances. And while these advances may not be everyday common-place, they have helped to supplant simi-lar devices known to have existed in the ancient world of Ksaren, when magic still existed, such as hel-mets that allow telepathic communication, items to make an individual stronger, or portals to transport people or ob-jects hundreds of miles instantaneously.

However, beneath the seemingly peaceful surface of Ksaren lies a complex mixture of political infighting, subterfuge, military build-up, and newly-forged alliances ready to throw the entire world of Ksaren on its head. Despite the century of freedom from Alyrian rule, many nations and states of the continent of Femon are still partially controlled by Alyria, particularly by the established trade routes which are controlled by Alyria. Others have gained a measure of respect and even idolization of the leaders of the nation due to the learning institutions of Alyria, recognized as the best in the world, where no small amount of subtle propaganda is distributed. Through these means, the once-great nation of Alyria seeks to regain its dominant position, ruling all other nations, cities, and states of the continent of Femon. Even more, there are many citizens within Ksaren who hear the stories from their elders of the grand times of the Alyrian Empire, when food was more plentiful, the roads between towns safer, and life easier.

These citizens speak of the return of Alyrian rule almost wistfully, despite the heavy propaganda by their rulers of the problems of such subjugation.

Among the northern nations and states of Femon, constant tension exists as the Barony of Soleil has its eye ever turned westward at the city-state of Luxor, whom Soleil views as a rebellious vassal who must be forcibly returned to the control of the Baron, while the tribes of the Plains of Ventrad are constantly harried by the Barony’s insatiable appetite for land and the proclaimed Solar Destiny to expand the Barony’s control across all of Femon.

The guild leaders of Luxor have managed to grasp a measure of control over the trade between Luxor, Soleil,

and Ventrad tribes, using their economical influence

to hold off the Barony for as long as possible, while also keeping a virtual stranglehold on all trade within the northern regions of

Femon. The Barony, frustrated by the Luxans’ trade superiority, has

sought to stymie this by attempting to establish a trade relationship with

the Maquoran Fleet, the failures of which have only further perturbed the

Barony.Hidden among the nations of Ksaren,

there is also a race of beings made purely of psionic energy, elans, who are putting in motion plans that have taken years to develop, which will take decades more to come to fruition, for the goal of ruling what they perceive to be lesser races.

Recently, a more aggressive leader has come to the fore of the elan leadership, and with it, assassinations of key individuals in other nations

have become more common. Perhaps the smallest population, this race of beings has aspirations to rule the other races, using their natural psionic abilities to supplant or remove any opposition along the way.

And far to the north, on the continent of Tion, the psionocracy of the Ophid Protectorate ever seeks to expand its rule over larger swaths of the continent, seeking to bring their advanced forms of schooling, agriculture, and sociology to the wilder regions of the land. The ophiduans at the core of the Ophid Protectorate view the psionic power of an individual as the only true gauge of a person’s worthiness and have managed to win over control of entire cities by allowing the rule to remain with the established leaders, should they have the psionic ability to deserve

In Ksaren, one must harness psionic power as well as weapons

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such control. Plans of the Ophid Protectorate to expand into the oceans and beyond the shores of the continent of Tion have earned the ire of the Maquoran Fleet, dominated by the maenad race, who views conquerors and subjugators as evil and to be destroyed.

Among the political leaders of Ksaren, peaceful negotiations are proclaimed publicly, while intrigue and subterfuge used behind the scenes, seeking to gain political, economical, or even military supremacy.

whaT you need To KnowEvery game master and player should be aware of a few

facts about Ksaren before exploring the world.The Impact. Perhaps the single most influential

moment in Ksaren’s history, the Impact shattered the face of the world and magic ceased to exist. Untold numbers died in the apocalyptic fallout over the Impact and gave much of the world a hatred or distrust of all things magical and technological - after all, it was the technologists and sorcerers of the ancient world that caused the Impact. Even the name of the event is used among the cultures of Ksaren as an expletive, with “By the Impact” perhaps the most common. Even parents among the societies warn their children that if they do not behave, the Impact will return. Among the peoples of Ksaren, the Impact is the single defining moment in the history of the world, and, as a result, it is virtually omnipresent within the cultures.

Tone. The campaign takes traditional medieval fantasy, replaces magical elements with psionic, stirs in swashbuckling action, dark adventure, and political intrigue, and mixes it all together. Alignments in Ksaren are not black and white delimiters, and the expectations of them should be let go. A self-serving society might be governed by an evil leader, while a sinister organization taking part in illicit actions may be led by a good man. Alignments are relative to an individual’s viewpoint and should not be taken as absolutes. Indeed, in a world where psionics is the only supernatural source of energy and mind control is viewed as a quick path to power, the actions of someone seemingly evil may not be what they appear.

A world of psionics. In the aftermath of the Impact, one saving grace appeared to fill the void of technology and magic: psionics. The world discovered a new source of power to help them rebuild their shattered lives, a source of power to protect themselves from the sinister creatures awoken from the dark corners of the world, a source of power to not only survive, but flourish in a new world. The prejudice of the populace of Ksaren against magic and technology, combined with the timing of the appearance of psionics has made it almost universally accepted among the societies of the Third Dawn Campaign Setting. Indeed, some entire cultures base their hierarchy upon who stands strongest in the Invisible Art. The world of Ksaren has been reborn with psionics at its core, with a large portion of

the populace having at least a meager amount of inherent psionic ability.

A world of adventure. Make no mistake, around every corner of Ksaren, there is the possibility for adventure, excitement, and surprise. Mere miles away from the protective walls of the cities, monsters with psionic power prey upon those who cannot protect themselves, while hidden ruins from the Lost Nations of Femon lie hidden beneath the rubble, waiting for adventurers to explore their depths. Beneath the waves of the Impact Sea, ruins from the ancient world are said to remain intact, while among the Ophid Protectorate, simply climbing in rank is a dangerous exercise.

Nations at peace - for now. The past few decades have been relatively quiet between the nations of Ksaren. While border skirmishes and occasional hot-headed raids occur, the nations of Ksaren mostly seek peace or to rebuild - be it to build up an army for conquest or simply for the betterment of the populace. But the peace is tenuous at best, as the Barony of Soleil looks ever outward for new land, the Ophid Protectorate continues to press its need to unite all of Tion under its control, and the elans of Lumien work to achieve their goal of dominance. Tensions between Feria and Alyria, who have never been on friendly terms, have seemed to die down within the recent years, which has only served to spur rumors of a more subtle takeover by the once-great empire of Alyria. Around all of Ksaren, the fear or anticipation of war tempers any hope for a lasting peace.

A world of intrigue. Although the nations of Ksaren are at peace, this is not to say that there are not designs for conquest, expansion, revenge, or deceit. Among the shadows, plots are set in motion to eliminate rivals, new alliances are formed, and sabotage and espionage are commonplace. The criminal lords, psionic spies, secret societies, sinister politicians, a plethora of organizations, and even good-natured factions jockey to protect their interests in the fractured world of the Third Dawn Campaign Setting. Within Ksaren, an intelligent agent can make their fortune and name aiding one faction or another, perhaps helping the Alyrian rulers subvert officials in other nations, or perhaps by assisting in the acquisition of a document to give political leverage to one of the guild leaders of the city of Luxor. There are infinite possibilities for intrigue within the Third Dawn Campaign Setting.

New races. The changes wrought millennia ago by the Impact introduced entire new races to the world of Ksaren. The jetturs, dromites, xephs, and maenads, among others, did not appear to exist before the Impact, but now are large segments of the population among the different societies. Within the Third DawnCampaign Setting, you will find brand new races, such as the ophiduan, or races that are not as you would expect, such as the adonai, who resemble the elves of traditional fantasy.

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For those living within the world of Ksaren, there exist a myriad of possibilities. For those playing in the Third Dawn Campaign Setting, a host of new options are presented below to let the character truly become a part of the world. Presented below are a variety of new feats, skills, items, and even a new disease.

new SKiLLS PERFORM (THOUGHTSONG)This skill, only available to a psionic individual, allows the performer to use subtelepathic vocals to perform. This subtelepathic strata is most often accessed by Adepts although anyone can learn to use this skill as long as they are psionic (for example by having the Wild Talent feat). However, those without Adept training do so with a +5 penalty to their DC. Thoughtsinging is performed by creating a symphony of emotions and empathic waves, woven together to create an undeniably beautiful performance. For those unaccustomed to thoughtsinging, the entire experience can be fearsome, or divine. In addition to the normal uses for the Perform skill, those with Perform (Thoughtsong) can also use the following, specialized, uses:Chorus (DC varies): An advanced form of attunement, the Chorus allows a thoughsinging character to tie his mind to that of other living creatures. First each such individual must be attuned, which is a Perform (Thoughtsong) check, DC10 + character level, which takes a full minute. Once an individual is attuned, the thoughtsinger can perform a Chorus. When manifesting a supernatural power, the thoughtsinger can extend the manifestation time to a full-round action and make a Perform (Thoughtsong) check, DC 10+power ranks, if the check is successful, he gains a +1 bonus to his power check for every attuned individual within 45 feet.Emotional Connection (DC 15): A character with Perform (Thoughtsong) can use his ability to “sing of the mind” by creating a song filled with specific emotions and sing towards a specific individual. This allows the thoughtsinging character to convey a certain emotion (fear) and a target for this emotion (fear the guard or like the merchant, for example). Focal Point (DC varies): A thoughtsinging character has learned how to use his own focused mind to help another creature attain psionic focus. Some extremely skilled thoughtsingers are said to be capable of giving a mindblind individual a psionic focus, making them psionic for a short time. By making a Perform (Thoughtsong) check at DC25 as a full-round action, the thoughtsinger can give psionic

focus to another, psionic, character within 45 feet. If the target character isn’t psionic, the DC increases by +10, but if the thoughtsinger succeeds, the target character counts as psionic until they expend their newly gained psionic focus. This is called the Song of the Third Eye by some thoughtsingers.CONCENTRATIONThe concentration skill adds the following abilities to its uses, since almost all humanoids in Third Dawn are psionically active.Gain Psionic Focus (DC 20): As a full-round action, you can meditate to become psionically focused. When you are psionically focused, you can expend your focus on any single Concentration check you make thereafter. When you expend your focus in this manner, your Concentration check is treated as if you rolled a 15. It’s like taking 10, except that the number you add to your Concentration modifier is 15. Expending and holding psionic focus is also an integral mechanic to many feats. Once you are psionically focused, you remain focused until you expend your focus or become unconscious (such as when sleeping).Memorize (DC 20): You can attempt to memorize a long string of numbers, a long passage of verse, or some other particularly difficult piece of information. Each successful check allows you to memorize a single page of text (up to 800 words), numbers, diagrams, or sigils (even if you don’t recognize their meaning). If a document is longer than one page, you can make additional checks for each additional page. To recall this information you must make another Concentration check.Willpower (DC 20): If disabled, you can make a Concentration check. If successful, you can take a move action. You can attempt to take a standard action in addition to your move action, with an additional Concentration check (DC30). You must make a check for each strenuous action you want to take. SPEAK LANGUAGECommon languages in Ksaren and their alphabets are summarized on the following table.Language Typical Speakers Alphabet

AlyricResidents of Southern Femon, including Alyria, Feria, Liburia, as well as Maquorans

Alyric

Areden Solars, Luxans Aredic

Common All cultures Gotic Rune

Dromite Dromans Alyric

Gahlen Nimotei Gahlen

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Title PageTable of ContentsIntroductionThe World of KsarenThe Residents of KsarenA World of PsionicsThe Third Dawn CampaignWhat You Need to Know

Character OptionsRacesLife in KsarenCalendarEconomyPsionics in SocietyHistory of KsarenHistorical TimelineHistorical Figures of Third DawnTraditional Monsters in Third Dawn

CosmologyReligion of Third DawnGodmindsPantheon of Godminds

GeographyContinent of FemonAlyriaBarony of SoleilFeriaLiburiaLumienLuxorOrlamPlains of VentradSpecial Locations in FemonCastle Dabra

Continent of TionDromaNimoteiOphid ProtectorateSommarenVintarenSpecial Locations in TionWinnu Plains

Maquoran SeaMaquoran FleetSpecial Locations in the Maquoran SeaThe Imapct Sea

OrganizationsAlyrian MagistratesBloodridersCrimson CloaksCult of the Broken StaffElan InfiltratorsEnlightenmentGuildsmen CouncilHawks ClawHouse of MandrethKreh'len'shinMindwatchOrder of Still Water

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