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 Explore environments that can challenge even the most experienced desert dweller in Sandstorm, the latest supplement in the environmental series of D&D books. Information for both players and Dungeon Masters includes new races, spells, feats, magic items, prestige classes, and monsters associated with deserts and other wastelands. Also, as with Frostburn, read about specific types of terrain (such as supernatural wastes) plus the hazards associated with them. Our sneak peek includes a look at the formation of waste environments, races and feats, prestige classes, spells, and a new creature.
Prestige Classes
The prestige classes in Sandstorm all share a connection to the elements of the waste, but they're otherwise quite different from one another. Table 3-1 provides some suggestions to start your browsing. Terms used on that table are defined in the following text.
Good Guys: Members of this group define themselves by their alignment and their outlook on the world first, their other abilities second. Their strengths reflect their alignment choices, and roleplaying one means putting attitude first. A good guy designation doesn't mean that every such character is a hero in your campaign.
Tied to Waste: These prestige classes are powerful within the waste, but considerably weaker beyond it.
Combat-Focused: These prestige classes are particularly good at fighting with weapons, whether natural or manufactured.
Strong Spellcasting: Prestige classes in this category are good choices for spellcasters who want their progress toward higher levels of magic to be uninterrupted.
Moderate Spellcasting: These prestige classes don't get top-notch spells quickly, but they have other abilities to make up for their reduced progress.
Mounted: These characters prefer to ride into and out of combat and often have abilities that improve the capabilities of their mounts or other abilities related to fighting.
| Table 3-1: Prestige Class Groupings |
| Group |
Prestige Classes |
| Good Guys |
Scion of Tem-Et-Nu |
| Tied to Waste |
Walker in the waste |
| Combat-Focused |
Ashworm dragoon, scion of Tem-Et-Nu |
| Strong Spellcasting |
Lord of tides, sand shaper, walker in the waste |
| Moderate Spellcasting |
Scion of Tem-Et-Nu |
| Mounted |
Ashworm dragoon |
Ashworm Dragoon
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| Scion of Tem-Et-Nu |
Some of the sand-hardened folk who have lived in the desert for millennia have come to appreciate the qualities of the ashworm. The skill of training ashworms as mounts has become popular, but you have been able to form a bond with a single ashworm so strong that the ashworm serves almost as an extension of your will. You, and talented riders like you, are known as ashworm dragoons.
As an ashworm dragoon, you ride across the vast desert sands (and sometimes beneath or beyond). You choose your own path, whether that involves defending your people, taking service with a patron, or striking out in search of adventure.
Lord of Tides
Survival in the waste depends on the ability to locate drinkable water, and many desert dwellers have this innate sense. The abilities of the lord of tides go beyond this basic need. You are in touch with the power of Kikanuti; as you grow in experience and power, you gain control over the lifeblood of the world. You can sense the movement of magma, summon beings of elemental might, and even open portals to the Elemental Planes.
Sand Shaper
Once dreaded throughout the waste, and long thought vanished from the face of the world, sand shapers use the power of the desert itself to conquer and rule an empire in the heart of the desert. Though they did die out, the secret of their power remains for those with the courage to find it and the mettle to prove themselves worthy to wield it. You few who walk the path of the sand shaper are living legends to your allies, or nightmares reborn to your enemies. You are part prophet, part priest, part magician, and part assassin. In time, you might even be a conqueror, as well -- the first in a new dynasty of sand shapers.
Scion of Tem-Et-Nu
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| Walker in the wastes |
Paladins of the temple of Tem-Et-Nu are sometimes selected to become the guardians of the rivers. The waterways of the wastelands are sacred to the river deity, and the source of life and livelihood for the plains people. It is given to you to enforce the deity's laws and ensure that those who misuse the river are punished. To that end, you can draw upon your ever-increasing martial skills, but you must also learn the many ways of the river, its strengths, and how to tap those strengths when you need its power most.
Scorpion Heritor
The desert scorpion is thought to symbolize revenge, and sometimes cruelty. In the waste, the scorpion also symbolizes stealth, passion, and perseverance in the face of extinction. By emulating the essence of the scorpion and becoming one with the scorpion's strength, desert people can tap into the scorpion's vitality. Scorpion heritors, through a special relationship with the scorpion spirit, gain the mystical abilities of the scorpion, and can even take its shape.
Walker in the Waste
A walker in the waste embodies the harsh, unforgiving nature of the desert. The waste's dryness can perfectly preserve a royal city, a wondrous creature, or a towering forest -- caught at the very moment of death, before age and decay can spoil it. Maybe you want to protect your chosen environment and warn away those who would intrude. For you, most living things are nothing more than potential exhibits, and your soul is as parched as the sands that surround you.
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