SOLRAZÉ

Part I: Introduction

The Pantheon is dead. The legends of heroes past have crumbled into dust and ruin. History did not go gently; it was murdered by steel, stone, and Sun. Solrazé shines as the victorious trophy of a power-mad god: it is a world of scorching deserts, vicious monsters, and desperate people vying for bounty and aching for revolution, all while sweating under the eye of the ever-watchful Sun.

Solrazé is a brutal, swashbuckling, punk-rock setting for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, set in a dystopian desert world inspired by the aesthetics of Fallout, Gurren Lagann, and Tank Girl while encompassing the rebellious spirit prominent in Mad Max: Fury Road and Star Wars. Nature and magic are controlled by the theocratic government, their power bestowed upon them by a “god” responsible for the destruction of the known world. Adventurers take many forms: mercenaries hired to protect the interest of those with reputation to pay out, rogues plundering from the privileged to feed themselves and their families, or rebels fighting for a kinder, freer future. It is a wild world choked by the strictest of order. Rife with political tension, Solrazé teeters on the edge of a new age: whether it aligns itself with order or chaos, magic or law, the Sun or the Shadow—its future is yours to carve.

Themes

Over the course of an adventure in Solrazé, you will encounter every aspect of its vibrant, bloody identity. Each story told in the world of Solrazé is unique, created through the combined efforts of players and Dungeon Master, but the themes inherent to the setting will shine through in any game. Solrazé is a setting built around a centralized aesthetic of desert-punk, which harbors intrinsic themes, moods, and challenges.

Power, Control, & Rebellion. Solrazé is not a peaceful place. The Sun and the Starslayers control every aspect of the land, from rainfall, to wind, to the minerals beneath the earth. Magic is illegal, becoming such a foreign concept to the everyman that it has become mythical. The laws of the land dictate how all people must act in order for the Starslayers to maintain control. The Sun’s need for ultimate power infringes on the liberties of man, and many choose to fight back against oppression in their bid for agency. The struggle for survival is a struggle for leverage against authority. As an adventurer, you will be fighting against something, whether it be the brutal rule of the Sun, the stubbornness of anarchist terrorists, or other mercenaries vying for limited jobs. It is as frustrating as it is unfair. You will find yourself longing for change, for revolution. You will think of your own way to change the world for the better, and your journey will drag you kicking and screaming into the desperate rat-race for power that all people in Solrazé play. Which machine you rage against is up to you. The past is paved with blood: the only question remaining is whose blood will be spilled to pave the future.

Resistance. Despite the harsh deserts and restricted resources, life in Solrazé presses onward. People, animals, and plants have evolved in order to adapt to the blistering heat and eternal droughts. People are stronger and hardier, while creatures are more vicious. Even magic, having been erased from common knowledge, still dances ever so faintly on the wind, yearning for someone to discover it. The desert is a harsh, unforgiving climate, yet there is beauty in its unwillingness to die. Those who have made it this far must have something to drive them, be it hope, selfishness, or spite.

Faith. The nature of the Starslayers’ power and Solrazé’s history are built upon the mystical, born out of a combination of truth and faith—what parts are true and which are fabricated is a hotly debated topic. Similarly, the history of the world before the Cataclysm, especially legends about gods previously worshiped, is lost. The Starslayers claim that the gods were slain by the Sun and their power usurped; some people believe that the gods are being kept captive deep in the glittering Jewel of Sirius, while others believe that the gods cannot reach Solrazé through the ensnaring Stormwastes. Relics and ruins of the past do exist, and special archaeologists, called cataclysts, devote their entire lives to researching forbidden knowledge. Interest in the past is its own type of faith, and religious tension coincides with the pressure of Solrazé’s theocracy.

Assimilation of Ideology. Solrazé is forged from sweat and death. It is a scarred world, built atop the bones of a long-forgotten other. The people of Solrazé do not remember a time before the Sun—and with eternal daytime and lack of seasons, nobody can say for certain how long it has been since the Cataclysm. Culture and nations are no more. It is an individual’s ideology—their relationship to the Sun—that influences what community they identify with.

Community. The inherent strife between every person in Solrazé comes down to what is best for the community. The followers of the Sun support the laws in place, even if they are restricting, in order to protect the greater good. Anarchists believe that the Blazes hurt people, and they seek to eliminate the Sun’s power for the betterment of their own community. Independent criminals and freelancers must have a reason they turned their back on others; all people are connected, and interpersonal relationships drive all actions all individuals take.

On the Nature of Punk

Solrazé is an inherently political setting. Many of the themes explored in this text reflect both historical and current events in our own real world. The desert-punk, apocalyptic setting of Solrazé can be used to tell stories about rebellion and revolution, but it can also be used to expose the horrific ramifications of tyrannical power structures. The wonder of roleplaying games allows us to portray tales of both heroes and horrors in a safe, controlled environment by stepping into the world ourselves and taking an active part in shaping it—for better or for worse.

Punk is political. The aesthetic of punk, of rebellion, requires something to rebel against. The similarities between Solrazé’s political systems and systems in our own world is no coincidence: it is a major component of the setting, if not the major appeal, to examine and interact with its hyperbolic politics. If the politics are removed, it is no longer punk.

Solrazé is not a world to escape into in order to flee from the political trepidations of modern life, but is instead meant to encourage rumination on them. It is designed to criticize unethical institutions of power apparent in all works of fiction, in all ages of history. The historic allure of fiction is in exploring themes we may not be comfortable inserting ourselves into—it is the modern allure of roleplaying games to break that barrier of distance and thrust players into tangible interactions with their philosophy, to act rather than speculate, to become a person entirely different from they in a world not-so-dissimilar from theirs, and to grow and gain experience not only in-character, but in character.

Representations of real-world struggles, however fictionalized, can often elicit emotional responses. It is important to discuss the mood and themes of Solrazé before you play in order to make sure everyone at the table feels comfortable with them. Set boundaries that are not to be crossed, and speak with your group about specific themes you want to explore. While Solrazé’s world is harsh and brutal, it is not necessary to push its evils beyond what has been outlined in this text, nor focus too deeply on themes that the group does not feel safe delving into. Your connection to and experience with Solrazé is personal, and the setting is malleable to fit the vision of the players and the Dungeon Master. However, in order to accurately maintain the desert-punk aesthetic that defines Solrazé, its ideology cannot be ignored.

Part II: Life Under the Sun

Solrazé was born from the ashes of the Cataclysm. The history of the world Before the Cataclysm and the cause for the Cataclysm itself has been purposefully lost to time; some say that it was a great war that desolated the land, while others claim it was a planar collision or a tear in the rhythm of magic.

The Cataclysm left the world in a barren, near-unlivable state. Plants could not grow, rain was scarce, and the Weave was in a shattered, volatile state. Despite the desperate pleading of mortals, the gods did not interfere. They were content to watch life wither and die, all while nonchalantly dwelling in their distant, outer planes.

One god, however, felt sympathy for the mortal people. The Sun in all of its names—Lathander, Amaunator, Apollo, Ra—gathered Its strength and descended onto the plane in order to carve a more orderly world. It, alongside Its worshippers, eradicated the power of the other gods and absorbed their influences of control. On the day the last god fell, the Sun rose to ultimate power: It controls every domain of worship and every aspect of nature, to the flow of water to the lushness of the earth. It can instantly pulverize bones into oil, and It can conjure fire to smelt metal into blades.

All those who dwell in the light of Solrazé must know and obey the Seven Blazes of the Sun, burned into being when the final false god fell. Any citizen who violates the Blazes is considered an enemy of the Sun and the community, and will be punished according to their sin.

1. The Sun is the True God, from the Birth of the Planescape until its End; worship only the Sun and all Its names and no other.
2. Love the Sun, the Children of the Sun, and all who bask in the Light; they are your family and your community, and all must protect each other.
3. While the Shadow follows on the heels of Man, tread lightly and avoid it; step only in the Light, where the Sun shines Its love.
4. The Sun gives the rain, the earth, and the fire, and It possesses all Magics within Itself; Magic belongs to the Sun and Its Worshippers: practice not that which you did not earn.
5. The Worshippers of the Sun and their children will forever shine brighter than those whose foremothers fought for Shadow; the Sun remembers, and the Sun will watch.
6. Survival is second only to the Sun; those who seek to improve shall improve, and those heavied by Shadow will doom the honorable from whom they leech. All must strive to protect and improve the community.
7. The Strong survive, and the weak perish; and the past was weak. Focus on the Strength of the Future, turn not to the past; learn what is taught, and let what was weak fade.

The Sun itself is locked in the dusty sky in the form of Its ever-watchful Eye: a great, yellow ball of fire sitting low on the horizon that swathes the land below in eternal sunset. It acts solely through the will of its Starslayers: powerful political royals blessed with magic who enforce the law of the Blazes. The Seven Starslayers govern the major regions in Solrazé, dwelling in the capital cities. They converse regularly, and they never quarrel—though some Starslayers are stricter in their domains than others. The Starslayers possess the ability to commune with the Sun Itself, though blasphemous skeptics believe this to be a lie promoted to keep them in power.

The term “Starslayer”, as well as their given names, are titles passed down from elder to apprentice. They need not be related, and are selected by the council as children and raised to take over for the position. As Starslayers are not frequently seen by the everyday person, this fosters an illusion of immortality, though it’s still theorized that the Starslayers have lived for centuries and that some even remember the land Before. Starslayers are always celestials, with soft, spanning wings and glittering countenances.

The Starslayers command a legion of police, referred to as the Gleaming Guard, or Gleams. All Gleams are devout worshippers of the Sun, and they seek to follow Its will and uphold the brightness of the Blazes with all of their strength. In line with the Fifth Blaze, nearly all Gleams are descendants of the original worshippers of the Sun who fought for Its power. Thus, Gleams are stereotypically aasimar, humans, aarakocra, and tabaxi, though there are exceptions.

High-ranking Gleams are occasionally blessed with power from the Sun and allowed to learn magic. However, as per the Fourth Blaze, any magic that contradicts the Sun’s role as provider—such as spells that conjure materials or affect the weather—are considered blasphemous.

Communities in Solrazé

Solrazé is broken down into various different guilds and communities. Guilds are organized groups of people working together to achieve a common goal, while a community is composed of multiple different guilds. A guild specializes in a certain type of work, such as farming, smithing, tailoring, mercenary work, and so forth. Guilds generate profit, both from their community patronizing their services, as well as through the Sun. The Sun (or rather, the Gleaming Guard) is always in need of certain labor, and performing jobs for the Sun is considered the most dignified and reliable way to earn gold and reputation, which can be exchanged per individual for water, food, etc. The more reputation the guilds in a community have, the more leverage they have to bargain and affect their natural terrain. This is the only way a community can build a reliable source of water: while people can buy cultivated food through a farming guild or hunt in the wild, water can only be legally obtained through trade with the Sun’s own organizations.

Guilds must contain at least three people, and they must complete a certain number of jobs over a designated period of time to keep their status. Agents without a guild are called freelancers, and they are disapproved of by the greater community. It is expected for every person to join a guild by the time they reach adulthood in order to better the community. Those who do not join a guild or earn enough revenue can be tried and punished for violation of the Sixth Blaze—though instances of this are rare, as there are too many impoverished, guildless people to bother policing.

Communities are spread far and wide across Solrazé. The wealthiest, lushest cities are referred to as the Jewels. The Jewels function as capitals of their region, with a Starslayer dwelling within each; they float, elevated hundreds of feet off the ground atop levitating mountains, bringing them even closer to the Sun. The area below and around the Jewel, referred to as the underbelly, is often farmland: farming is one of the most sought-after jobs, as possessing the resources required for farming requires an extremely high reputation. The Jewels themselves are hubs of art and luxury, with easy access to water, flourishing plant life, and cooler temperatures.

Many people who live in the Jewels did not earn their spot there, but were born into it due to the valiant efforts of their ancestors. The child of someone who served in the Gleaming Guard, for example, is permitted to live in the Jewel indefinitely, as are their children's children. Everyone living in the Jewels have more than enough resources to live comfortably. Maintaining that harmony is so important in the Jewels that it is exceptionally difficult to seek entry to one: one may only ascend up the pulley-rigged elevator to visit the city if they have an extremely high reputation. Many Gleams hail from the Jewels, though there are Gleam outposts in every major community.

Institutions located in communities, called Sunspots, manage trade from guild to guild and guild to Sun, and often contain water, oil, and other resources behind barred doors. Because guilds can consist of dozens if not hundreds of people, and guilds can take any number of jobs at a time, people employ the use of pagers: devices designed to keep track of one’s guild, inventory, jobs, reputation, etc. Pagers have become so omnipresent in recent years that nearly every working person has one, and it is treated as a form of identification by the Gleaming Guard. Even rebellites and anarchists carry pagers to keep track of and share information, though they are often modified to prevent nosy hackers.

Like most technology in Solrazé, pagers run on solar power (colloquially known as solpow). The heat of the sun produces intense energy that can be harnessed even by its enemies, like leeches on the belly of a beast.

Technology

Solrazé runs on a blend of coal, solar, and man-power. Few people have the resources to feed both themselves and a beast of burden: it is less expensive to invest in machines. Motorized bikes and cars carry travelers across the sandy landscape, kicking up dust in their wake. The pulleys leading up into the floating cities are completely automated by Sunlight.

Weaponry, too, has changed to reflect the available resources. Metal is a scarce, expensive resource—and fire, even more so. The weapons most people use are made out of patchwork combinations of sharpened stone, bone, and cactus skeletons. Traditional firearms exist, though the materials required for maintaining such weaponry—namely bullets and gunpowder—are too plentiful to be practical for a freelancer or rebellite. Organized mercenary guilds are the only ones who employ them; the Gleaming Guard prefers traditional weaponry.

Regarding firearms, rebellites and anarchists are much more likely to use solpow guns. The Sun releases intense, near otherworldly heat that can be harnessed through intricately designed barrels full of tiny, precise mirrors that amplify and focus the heat into a concentrated beam of energy.

Solpow weapons have a theoretically infinite supply of power. However, the heat from the Sun is so intense, their internal mechanisms frequently shatter and need repair. In addition, solpow can be used for other purposes, such as to fuel the cars necessary for traveling across the massive desert. Underground cities instead rely on rarer resources mined deep within the earth, including coal and oil. While the Starslayers claim that such material cannot be found without the Sun’s blessing, anarchists have dug deeply enough with drillforged—gigantic, car-like machines that tunnel through the earth with their massive frontal drill—to strike black gold. Some civilizations have even been able to find and purify groundwater from stagnant underground lakes and ancient rainfall pressed between the layers of sediment; the Sun’s influence, it seems, only extends so far beneath the surface.

The Starslayers are unable to control solpow production as they can with every other aspect of nature: it is an unintended side-effect of the Sun’s total control. Unregulated solpow is a violation of the Second Blaze, as it is considered blasphemous to take something you did not earn. Solpow weapons are illegal, and being caught with one will result in punishment.

Extra Note: The lack of water results in a lack of indoor plumbing everywhere that is not a Jewel. Plumbing is a completely foreign concept to Dust-Dwellers, and waste is disposed of by burial. Rather than investing in disposable, wasteful products like those in the Jewels, most use their own rags to clean themselves. Unsanitary conditions are the norm.

Race & Culture

The Sun encourages survival of the fittest. Many people, animals, and plants could not adapt to the intense heat of the new climate. The people that thrive in Solrazé are sun-worn and callused, children of those strong enough to survive. Many races have become more bestial: halflings’ feet resemble paws in order to help them better stealth and climb, goblinoids possess long, sharp claws to aid them with burrowing, and dragonborn scales have lost their shimmer to camouflage into the desert dust. The races of Solrazé resemble their traditional counterparts in-name only, and much of their heritage has been erased at the behest of the Starslayers. Elves, for example, have lost all touch with the Feywild and live significantly shorter lifespans; even when they trance, there is a void where the memory of their ancestors reside.

Communities in Solrazé are not split by race and culture, as culture has been assimilated. Rather, communities form based on the relationship the individuals involved have to the Sun. Many people resent the destruction of their culture and seek to learn and reclaim the legends that have been taken from them, often taking up the mantle of cataclyst.

The Blazes, however, denote certain privileges to the descendants of the original followers of the Sun, while it degrades those who cling to Shadow. Bigotry is institutionalized by the theocratic government, hard-built into the systems at play. Those who are benefited by the system tend to favor and tolerate it, pursuing affluent livelihoods under the law. Those who are prejudiced against, though, often find themselves unable to lead normal Sunlit lives, even if they would like to. Due to the lack of history, the only aspect separating people from each other is their outward appearance and their inner ideology: it is from these two aspects, as well as from the efforts of cataclysts seeking their forgotten history, that culture is beginning to reform. This is demonstrated in part by language—while the only official language of Solrazé is Common (and Celestial, spoken by the Starslayers), anarchists and rebellites often communicate in coded Undercommon to avoid detection. Cataclysts can communicate in obscure, lost languages, like Dwarvish and Elvish. Even despite pressing assimilation, uniqueness manages to survive.

People of the Shadow

Not everyone basks in the light of the Sun. Many people find the creed set by the Blazes to be tyrannical. Some choose to act independently, while others actively fight for a world free of the Sun’s influence. Those who rebel against the Sun have no choice but to lurk in the dark crevices of the world and tread carefully in the light, lest they risk their beliefs being exposed by the watchful Eye and punished by death.

Anarchists

The anarchists believe in the dream of an egalitarian community. The Sun preaches that survivability is a necessity, and weakness must be eradicated in order to strengthen the community as a whole—the anarchists, however, believe in supporting each other regardless of one’s inherent strength. They also believe that resources (such as water, food, seeds, and weather itself) should be distributed to all people, not just those who have courted favor with the Sun.

Anarchists fight valiantly and violently for their beliefs. Labeled as terrorists by people living in Sunlit communities, anarchists seek to disrupt the Sun’s control by interfering with cargo transports, destroying Gleaming Guard stations, and researching the history of what the world was like Before. Religious anarchists pray to dead gods, while others believe that the gods are not dead, but barred entry into the domain of the Sun. Anarchist inventors use the Sun’s solar power against it, creating solpow weapons considered blasphemous by the sword-and-shield wielding Gleams.

An anarchist’s life is fraught with danger, and Starslayers punish terrorism with cruel deaths. As such, anarchists must operate in secrecy. Many communities dwell in the Underground: subterranean, interlocking caverns meticulously carved over the course of many, many years. The will of the Sun shrinks the deeper into the earth one goes: groundwater and oil reserves are rare, but their existence inspires hope within rebellious anarchist hearts. Perhaps the Sun does not have control of everything, after all. Denizens of Underground cities employ the use of drillforged to carve deeper into the earth in hopes of finding something to aid their cause on the surface.

Anarchist communities tend to be governed by council, though some of them have elected leaders who decide what is best for the community. All anarchist groups do not share the same view on what it means to be an “anarchist”—many even go by a different name—and in-fighting between them is common.

Rebellites

Rebellites lack a political ideology to rally behind. Rather, they are fed up with ideology: it’s a dog eat dog world, and it’s every man for himself. Rebellites violate the creed of the Blazes and survive by stealing, swindling, and slaying, all for their own merit.

Even rebellites understand that there is strength in numbers, though, and many groups band together to achieve a common goal. Some groups steal and plunder, while others con guilds through fraud and trickery. They need resources to survive just like anyone else, but prefer speed and bounty over reputation. They are considered a scourge, and mercenary guilds build their entire foundation off of hunting criminal rebellites. Gleams are also deployed to protect communities from these criminals, and they are responsible for punishing those caught.

Bandits tend to work in the light and whisper their secrets in the shadows. Rebellite communities exist within the flat wastes between cities or tucked into the rocky mountainside, but they tend not to stay in one place for long. Hubs for criminals lurk in the underbelly of cities, too—in sleazy taverns with windowless rooms. To a Gleam, anarchists and rebellites are one in the same: threats to the community that must be eliminated.

The races who infamously fought against the rise of the Sun—elves, goliath, and orcs—tend to be stereotyped as rebellites. In addition, races who once dwelt underground or in caves—goblinoids, dwarves, dragonborn, kobolds—are thought to be untrustworthy. The only people who live in the Underground are rebellites and anarchists, as seeking the Shadow is in itself a violation of the Third Blaze.

In deep cities, there are those who were born in the dark and have never seen the surface. Some of these people consider themselves strictly denizens of the Underground and are labeled as moles: they lack a rebellious ideology and would rather focus on bettering their life in the Underground rather than fight to live on the surface. In recent years, as children are born and age, moles make up a staggeringly large amount of the Underground population, and therefore control a substantial amount of power. Moles are in favor of abandoning the surface effort and instead focus on using their resources to better and protect the underground community, rather than divert the resources for the violent rebellion. Anarchists now not only have to fight against the Sun for freedom, but against the burgeoning isolationist power in the very cities they helped carve.

Cataclysts

Cataclysts consider themselves proponents for education and research in a world hellbent on ignorance; they are individuals obsessed with learning all they can about the world Before. They are scientists, historians, and archaeologists. While each cataclyst has their own area of expertise, most of them are hungry for any and all knowledge of the people whose backs Solrazé was built upon.

By order of the Seventh Blaze, research into the Before is illegal. Most cataclysts believe that the Sun is trying to suppress information to maintain a tight yoke on Its people; if everyone knew that the world used to be green, that they were descended from civilizations with massive, sprawling cities and mighty warriors, then they might be more likely to question the Sun’s undying authority. In addition, catalysts work hand-in-hand with the preservation and research of magic: archaeologists sometimes come across ancient magical runes or artifacts, and they must work with the utmost secrecy to ensure that their facilities aren’t raided and their research confiscated by the Gleaming Guard.

While cataclysts can be anarchists or rebellites, many of them consider themselves in their own independent legion. They tend to work in small rings and circles, similar to guilds. They know people who know people, and are able to deliver messages across long networks of anarchists, rebellites, and Sunlit people alike in order to meet up and exchange information. If a cataclyst specializing in ancient weapons stumbles across a language they don’t know, they will certainly know the person to contact who does.

While a career as a cataclyst is punishable, the majority of cataclysts consider themselves neutral to the matter of the Sun. They care about knowledge, not politics. While anarchists would kill for a magic weapon capable of harming a Starslayer, the average cataclyst chooses instead to protect the artifact rather than risk it being lost. They do not care about fighting for the future, only seeking solace in the past. If a cataclyst begins to express radical views, their peers will cut them out of the inner circles in fear that they will jeopardize the cause. Cataclysts that have been expunged from the movement may still identify with the term, but they have a much more difficult time finding fellow experts to confer with.

Moderates

The everyday person in Solrazé is not a Sun-worshipping Gleam nor a freedom-fighting anarchist. Rather, most people are moderate, Sunlit folk living average lives. Perhaps they disagree with some parts of the Blazes but agree strongly with others. Rebelling against the status-quo is not something most people are prepared to do; thus they accept it and complain on their off-time. Speaking ill of the Sun is not a crime, though to do so in Its light is considered a faux-pa. Children and the elderly tend to fear the listening, watchful Eye more than teenagers and adults. Most working people believe it is not the Sun who listens, but their neighbors who report misgivings to the Gleams, who report to the Starslayers. It is not uncommon to find people who believe that the Sun holds no power at all, and that the Starslayers employ a fraudulent religion to keep their power in check.

It is important in any situation, though, to think through what is said before one says it. While most people would turn a blind eye to the mention of minor Blaze-breaking, people hungry for reputation or a hot meal wouldn’t bat an eye at ratting a friend or colleague out to a Gleam. Trust is hard-earned, and humor is the frequent scapegoat for uttering one’s true beliefs. All communities on Solrazé are tense, and most of its citizens are starving. Everyone understands that the game is unfair, but it is not their responsibility nor in their power to change the rules—the only thing they can do is play. Survival of the fittest ensures competition, and competition denotes winners and losers. The winners in Solrazé grow rich, old, and fat, while the losers starve—or worse, are consumed by the fiery judgment of the Sun.

Punishment for Blasphemy

Harsh laws beget harsh penalties. If one is found to be guilty of violating one of the Blazes, it is a Gleaming Guard's duty to apprehend them and bring them to the nearest Gleam outpost (colloquially called shinies, so named for their blinding mirrored surfaces). From there, they will be moved via armored cars to the nearest Jewel, where their case will be judged by the Starslayer theirself. Prisoner transports occur randomly throughout the month, and are frequently targeted by bandits for jailbreaks—security has gotten a lot tighter over the years, resulting in massive armored cars the size of small houses paraded through the desert alongside smaller cars with solpow-cannon weapons.

Once someone is caught and taken to a Jewel, their chances of survival are close to none. Prisoners are found guilty nearly one-hundred percent of the time, even if they were innocent of the accused violation. It is their word against a Gleam’s—they have no lawyer to defend them (such a profession used to exist, but since defending those who sided with Shadow is in itself a crime, it wasn’t a very long lived one). Jewel prisons are highly guarded and presumed impossible to escape from—and even if escape was successful, it would surely garner the attention of the resident Starslayer, which would lead to swift demise.

Punishment at this stage is a singular option: death. A room designated for death is sanctioned in every palace: a device glistening with mirrors hangs heavy on the ceiling, concentrating the light of the Sun into the most powerful solpow beam known to man that instantly incinerates its victim.

Part III: Geography of Solrazé

Citizens of Solrazé congregate in one of three areas: one of the Jewels, the lush, vibrant capital cities floating high in the sky; the Dust, the blistering hot desert surface; or the Underground, the maze of caverns criss-crossing beneath the earth. The majority of people live in spattered communities on the Dust, often sticking close to the underbelly of the Jewels. Only the most privileged, reputable folk can afford living in the Jewel, and only criminals lurk in the dark belly of the Underground. Solrazé is surrounded on all sides by the Stormwastes: an impenetrable, never-ending sandstorm. Many have tried to cross the threshold of the Wastes, but those who return come back ruined and marked for death. The sand is so toxic, the wind so fierce, that those who have inhaled even the faintest bit of grain are poisoned by it, succumbing to their illness only a couple of days later. Usually, though, people never return at all: the storm is so disorienting, it is impossible to navigate. Nobody knows what lies beyond the Stormwastes. The Sun claims that there is nothing beyond, that it is the end of the world. The more hopeful spirits, though, think that there lies something awesome in the heart of the storm—a promise of freedom in a land where the Sun doesn’t shine.

Weather itself is controlled by the Sun and the Starslayers. It is ambiently windy most of the time, and on rare occasions and on annual holidays, the Sun showers Its generosity upon its people and allows it to rain. More often, though, the Sun is testy, and instead invokes Its rage through dust storms, terrible tornados, and firestorms. If a criminal commune is discovered above the ground, they will be plagued with disastrous weather planned in a way to force them from their hiding spot and into the hands of awaiting Gleaming Guards. On the other hand, communities with high reputation can petition their Starslayer to request rainfall and cooler temperatures. Thus, the Jewels and often the area beneath them are cooler and more pleasant than the wasteland of the Dust.

The Seven Regions

Every region and its Jewel is named after the Starslayer who controls it. For example, the region of Vega is controlled by Starslayer Vega, who lives in the Jewel of Vega. This is to emphasize the importance of the Starslayers’ power and influence. Trade routes are traveled between Jewels and smaller communities, though there is nothing marking them; all traveling caravans require at least one person who is adept at navigating in the Dust, or else they are sure to lose themselves in the endless sands.

Alpha Centauri

Dunes, desert, and badlands bespeckle the wide berth of Alpha Centauri’s varied terrain. Alpha Centauri is notable in the fact that there are two separate people functioning as one Starslayer: in conversation, they are known as Starslayer Alpha and Starslayer Centauri. It is also common knowledge that the two current Starslayers of this region are incredibly young, no more than children. Due to their youth, they govern with a certain amount of naivety: they have not yet understood how to deal with the criminal menace, and they lack the experience to reliably track or punish their movements. As such, the badlands of Alpha Centauri, carved through by the husks of dead rivers, make the perfect hideouts for anarchists and rebellites alike.

The badlands of southern Alpha Centauri billow with beautiful mesas composed of crimson sediment stacked atop layers of orange, yellow, and gold. They are renowned for their incredible elegance. The Jewel of Alpha Centauri is located just on the edge of these Blushing Badlands, and due to their beauty, it is packed with artists hoping to capture its loveliness. The underbelly of the Jewel is relatively dry: those living in the city have pressured farming guilds to stay away, as the sight would interfere with the beautiful backdrop. As such, most communities in the region are scattered throughout the desert or cling to the side of the major trade route.

Altair

Altair’s terrain is consumed in heavy part by the Salt Dunes: a sea of hot, glistening sand. Dunes roll like waves from one edge of the horizon to the other. The Salt Dunes’ slick sands have prevented even the hardiest of plants from growing: it is utterly desolate. Few Sunlit communities make their home in the dunes, the only notable of which being Burning Bright, located on the path between the Jewels of Altair and Pollux. The town has a high reputation, and is a sparkling oasis in the desert: not only does it have a watering hole, but a forest of palm trees, date trees, and round cacti. Burning Bright is the finest luxury a traveler can experience without accessing the Jewels—it is a vibrant city full of festivities, trade, and theater. As the chokehold of the Gleaming Guard is not quite as forceful there as in the Jewels, people feel freer to express themselves. It is also a good starting place for hopeful mercenaries: the major guild in town, the Crimson Wyrms, are mercenaries, and it was their reputation that paved the way for Burning Bright’s good fortune. It is considered the best mercenary guild in all of Solrazé, and it is extremely difficult to be hired.

Few travel off the roads in the Salt Dunes. Those who do may discover ruins of castles half-buried beneath the sand, or the destroyed statues of dead gods. They may also discover—or rather, be discovered by—purple worms, sand whales, spine dragons, roc-vultures, and all kinds of vicious fauna strong enough to withstand the harshness of the heat. The terrain in westernmost Altair consists of xeric desert before being consumed by the Snarled Peaks. Miners can be found on this side of the mountain, but it is a more popular profession in Vega.

The Jewel of Altair is modest but bustling. Its location in the heart of Solrazé colors it as a vibrant town of trade. The people in the Jewel here are more cultured than in other Jewels, often descending town the pulleys into the Dust below for exchanges of goods. The land beneath Altair has earned its reputation for farming and is home to orchards of date trees. While it can’t be described as “lush”, there is enough money—and reliable food—in date farming to make it a popular place to seek work and live in the shadow of. However, Starslayer Altair is notably stingy with resources: it rains incredibly infrequently, even in the Jewel itself. Not only that, but nothing seems to placate the Starslayer: no matter what a guild does for the Jewel, be it turning a steady profit or acting in a heroic manner, it is never good enough for the Starslayer.

Canopus

The most notable geographic feature of Canopus is, undoubtedly, the Bottomless Rift: a massive canyon hundreds of miles long. The canyon is incredibly deep, with steep, layered walls of sediment and cave entrances leading into a storied earth. It is crawling with anarchists and rebellites alike—but it is as dangerous for them as it is for any Sunlit citizen. Starslayer Canopus is one of the most active, ruthless Starslayers of the current generation: unlike the other Starslayers who hardly leave their castles, much less their Jewels, Starslayer Canopus frequently leads legions of Gleaming Guard into the canyon to seek out criminal communities and smite them off the earth theirself. People are able to describe the Starslayer, as well as report their terrifyingly adept skill with every weapon in their arsenal (though they always restrain their use of magic—if they’ve used it in the past, nobody has lived to tell the tale).

Due to Starslayer Canopus’s frequent absences, the Jewel of Canopus has a carefully curated council of reputable guild leaders acting as the primary government. It is they who are responsible for distributing resources to the people, as well as building the Jewel up into their own vision. They even sit in the same room as the Starslayer and discuss matters as their equal—it is unheard of for Starslayers to speak with anyone who is not a Gleam or a criminal to be smote. While the Starslayer’s heightened presence results in a Jewel and a region with an even stricter relationship with the law, Canopus is, at the same time, the most progressive region. Starslayer Canopus hears out concerns of the citizens diplomatically, as well as implements new laws or rescinds others to improve quality of life for everyone. Even when leading squadrons of Gleams into the Bottomless Rift, Starslayer Canopus has been known to spare criminals, even barter with them for information. Even so, Canopus is rife with strife, and many anarchists and rebellites prefer their chances in stricter regions rather than risk running into the warmongering Starslayer.

Beyond the Bottomless Rift, Canopus is characterized by many splintering tributaries of long-dried rivers, along with golden badland mountains to the south. The rest of the region is browned with long stretches of desert.

Pollux

Only ever-so-scraped by the Salt Dunes, Pollux is full of wide expanses of hilly, dusty desert shrubland. The terrain is coarse and rocky, and the wild shrubs and cactus fight tooth and nail to pierce out of the rough surface. The plants in Pollux are especially vicious: with so little rain, many of them have adapted to instead feed on the watery blood of unfortunate travelers who happen upon their camouflaged, thorny roots. Most creatures in Solrazé have had to resort to such barbarity: with so little water, they are left with no other supply of nutrients.

Pollux is also home to the Murmuring Mesas: a range of flat-topped, red mountains with naturally-forming unique rock formations, such as arches and swooping canyons. When the wind blows through the mountains, whistling and moaning from the divots in the formations can be heard for miles. While the Sun hasn’t made any official comment on the area, many people find themselves frightened by its seemingly supernatural presence, and transports through the range require the best security.

The Jewel of Pollux is decently sized and modestly savvy. Starslayer Pollux is the most elusive out of their kin: they very rarely engage, even with Gleams. Resources are still delivered and granted, though there is so long of a delay, it is difficult to manage a stable farm. In addition, Pollux is the region most prominently bombarded with disastrous weather conditions. Conspiracy theorists believe that Starslayer Pollux did something to anger the Sun, and It is taking Its revenge on their region. Others think that Starslayer Pollux, responsible for the weather, is the one lashing out—what reason they have to be emotional, though, is anyone’s guest.

Rigel

Rigel, with the large underbelly beneath its Jewel and many small towns spattered across its broadness, is the most highly-populated region in all of Solrazé. Its green farms produce most of the cultivated plant product that is widely distributed by smaller guilds: namely corn, potatoes, beans, peppers, and nuts. In the past, the Rigel farms provided jobs for the many people who lived there—but recently, the guilds responsible for the harvest have transitioned into using large, industrial machines to till the land and pick the produce. This has left many people without a guild to work for, hungrily scrounging around the outskirts of the greenland and seeking low-paying mercenary work instead.

There is indeed plenty of work to be found in Rigel for mercenaries: guilds exporting food products are always hiring mercenaries to guard their goods from bandits. One of the most dangerous places in the region, the Petrified Wood, lies directly between the Jewels of Altair and Rigel, and costs days to go around. cataclysts believe that the Petrified Wood was once an enchanted forest brimming with natural magic—however, all that remains of it are the stony husks of ancient trees, fallen over and on top of each other in an miles-wide grave. Some of the trees are so gargantuan, rebellites make their homes inside of them. Some have claimed that the trees have faces, as if they were at one point sentient but unable to withstand the environment of the new world. The bent, twisted carcasses make the perfect hiding spot for bandits hoping to ambush prey.

Starslayer Rigel is fair and honest: they are never surprising, following the most standardized definitions of the law. It is known, however, that Starslayer Rigel has a softness for plants: their glass palace snakes with vines and bursts with all sorts of marvelous desert blossoms. Perhaps it is Starslayer Rigel’s love of plants that inspires them to be more generous with their seed supply, why plants freely bud in the mild soil around the Jewel, and why farmers are able to so easily harvest seeds for future use.

Sirius

Tucked into the northwestern corner of Solrazé lurks Sirius, home to the most powerful of all the Starslayers. Starslayer Sirius is said to possess the most direct power from the Sun; it is they who listen to Its words and interpret the Blazes in new ways to fit the current age. They are a saint, but also a warrior: Starslayer Sirius’s sheer might is spoken about in whispered terror. If Starslayer Sirius were to leave their Jewel, it is said that they could vaporize an entire army of anarchists with a single beat of their wings.

Sirius is a land of flat, gray, ashy stone. The stone itself is hot, and hisses of steam blow from between the cracks. When the Sun demands it, geysers shoot boiling-hot, sulfurous water into the air, and cracks break apart to reveal molten magma. It is said that Sirius feels the brunt of the Sun’s rage; as such, not many people live in the Ashlands itself. It has a nonexistent anarchist community—even the bravest think setting up camp so close to Starslayer Sirius is a foolhardy decision.

On the western corner of Sirius, between the enclosing Stormwaste borders, is a massive, near-vertical cliffside that can only be climbed through the use of highly-regulated pulleys. On the top of this cliff lies Paradise: a land of rolling fields, free-flowing rivers, and meadows of beautiful flowers. Not only is the Jewel itself blossoming, but the acres beneath it are the greenest, most fertile land in all of Solrazé. The farmers here are extremely wealthy, using the profit collected from selling their exotic fruits and vegetables to buy even more frequent rainfall. It is nearly always raining in Paradise, and it is a pleasant, lovely temperature. The Jewel of Sirius homes the wealthiest, most reputable people in the land. Once one visits Sirius, it is hard to imagine living anywhere else.

Vega

Bordered by the Snarled Peaks to the east and the Stormwastes to the west, Vega is one of the most isolated regions. Large craters pepper the terrain, as if there had been a storm of impacts centralized there the past. These craters have long since been scavenged, but due to their sheer size and sheer number, it is possible to wander across one that has been untapped: they can contain strange, lightweight stones, impossibly hard metal, glowing dust, or other otherworldly materials.

The Jewel of Vega floats a tad lower than its sister cities and is humbler for it: Vega is by far the easiest Jewel to seek passage into, and Starslayer Vega is known as the most lenient Starslayer. Vega believes in mercy, rarely punishing criminals violently and instead allowing them to walk away. However, those who return from a visit with Starslayer Vega return fundamentally altered: their memory has holes, and their personality is milder than it was previously. They devolve into an unrecognizable thrall, scrubbed clean of their original identity. Those who have been touched by Vega often take up simple laboring jobs, and are ostracized from the rest of the community from their obvious sin.

Vega’s guilds are often mining related, delving into the Snarled Peaks to scavenge for the pockets of ore allotted by the Sun (for even in giving, the Sun cannot give anything for free). The land beneath Vega is not farmland, but dusty-dry towns littered with cactus and tumbleweeds. Its many craters and canyons harbor entries to the Underground. Not many people visit Vega, due to the difficulty of crossing the Snarled Peaks: people born there die there, and visitors are hard-pressed to find any reason to stay.

The Underground

The Underground is a labyrinth of interlocking tunnels deep beneath the surface. Most of the Underground is man-made, and the tunnels are the remnants of trails left by drillforged past. Many have attempted to map the Underground, and attempts do exist—but with so many different pockets of anarchists and rebellites, all with different allegiances, communication proves difficult. The tunnels frequently change, too, either from drilling or collapsing. It is extremely dangerous to venture into the labyrinth of tunnels without the aid of a drillforged, both in fear of cave-ins and in fear of run-ins with folk hiding from the law.

Wildlife flourish beneath the surface as well: large, burrowing bugs, sandworms, and arid fungus all seek refuge from the Sun. Ruins snake beneath the surface: dwarf mines, drow cities, and deep-gnome hobbles, all in a state of decay. Stumbling upon these ruins could mean uncovering ancient history or even magical secrets, but the cities and caves are in such a decrepit, only the bravest of souls dare to seek them out. Most of these civilizations have collapsed into unrecognizable unusability, or bulldozed by drillforged in search of oil and water. Different legends tell different stories about the origin of the ruins: while some believe they are ruins from the Before, many people believe that people were able to escape from the Sun by fleeing deeper into the earth. Miners believe, almost religiously, in a world beneath the surface: that if they dig deeply enough, they will break through into a land free of the Sun’s influence. Some say this land is a lush garden overflowing with plentiful resources; others believe that digging too deep will awaken and unleash something far more evil than the Sun.

Pockets of anarchist and rebellite communities dwell in large subterranean chambers. While these cities themselves are stagnant, built up with stone and clay infrastructure, there are no safe, marked paths for travel in between them. Such cities are frequently named after their founding members—these names wind up way too unwieldy, though, and are thus shortened to acronyms, whose abbreviation is eventually forgotten until the names are nonsensical. The entrance to these communities are only known by those close to the movements, and can usually be found among mountain ranges, in canyons, or hidden beneath thickets of spiny brush.

Part IV: The Shadowburn

Ever since the reckoning of the Cataclysm and the Sun’s rise to power, there have been those tainted by the foul mark of the Shadowburn. Originally only found in dwellers of Shadow, those branded with the strange mark have historically been mistreated by those who know they possess it, as it was believed to have been a mark of those who sided against the Sun. The Shadowburn manifests on people in the form of a splotch on the skin, similar to a birthmark. It varies in size and location: a Burn can cover half one’s face, others the entire back, while some are only the size of a coin. Some people’s Burns crawl along their skin, so it never stays in the same place for long. The common physical link between all Shadowburns is their bizarre color: they range from shimmering purple, to royal blue, to jet-black. Many Burns are spangled with dots of white, reminiscent of twinkling stars in the night sky (though the concept of “night” has long been forgotten by the denizens of Solrazé).

Those who possess the Shadowburn, often called the Burned, differ genetically from those without it. The Burned heal at a much faster rate: cuts and scars vanish over the course of a couple hours, and broken bones can heal with only a few nights of rest. Those with stronger marks—or rather, those who have practiced with the power of the mark—can heal wounds instantaneously, growing back limbs and mending breaks in the middle of combat. Combatants skilled with their Shadowburn are extremely difficult to kill through normal means and are a dangerous force to be reckoned with. Most people cannot perform such feats: it is both a skill and an art to master manipulation of the Shadowburn. Attempting to regrow a limb, for example, can have disgusting, abominable consequences if not performed correctly. Mangled, contorted flesh, extra arms, exposed bone, muscle stretched too taut over skin—it is not uncommon to see such deformities in the Dust. Some people even prefer the horrific look and choose to make themselves look grotesque.

In granting unparalleled constitution, the Shadowburn has had a major influence on the quality of life in Solrazé. It appears to be hereditary: in nearly all cases, if a parent possesses the Shadowburn, the child will be born with one. Over the course of Solrazé’s many years, the Shadowburn, with its guarantee of survival, evolved into a commonality among those who dwell outside the illustrious safety of the Jewels. Nearly every person in the Dust has a Shadowburn, though the ability they have to wield its power varies from person to person. On the other hand, those who have grown up in the safety of the Jewels rarely have it: thus, most Gleams are weaker than the average mercenary or criminal.

While the Shadowburn allots great strength, it also encloses a terrible weakness. The Shadowburn itself is extremely delicate: if it is punctured or battered directly, it results in extreme pain and injury. The only reliable way to kill someone extremely adept in using their Shadowburn is to attack the Burn itself. Most denizens of Solrazé seek to keep their Shadowburn covered: thus, even despite the heat, people—especially those who have dangerous careers—tend to wear jackets, long pants, gloves, goggles, and masks. Revealing one’s Shadowburn is a deeply intimate event, reserved only for close friends and lovers.

Much is unknown about the Shadowburn. It has become so commonplace in Solrazé, it is no longer considered magic. Most assume it’s a genetic predisposition, and that evolution—nature’s rebellion against threatening extinction—has resulted in it becoming so widespread. It appears in everyone, from mortals, to creatures, to plants. However, there have been instances in which a Shadowburn has mysteriously manifested onto an adult who did not have it previously—and, similarly, there are legends spoken of those who have lost their Burn. Its origin and its purpose are shrouded in mystery—though, just as the legends before it, mystery has become muddied by mundanity.

While the Starslayers used to police the Burned with fierce prejudice, the sheer spread of the Shadowburn has made that nigh impossible. Remnants of that law still exist: by invoking the Third Blaze (aligning oneself with Shadow), a Gleam can detain and arrest anyone with a Shadowburn. The official Sun-sanctioned ruling on Shadowburns is that they are dark marks; nobody with a Shadowburn is allowed to serve as a Gleam. Historically, the Burned were not allowed entry into the Jewels, but times have changed. Although they are now allowed entry, they are often discriminated against by those without a Shadowburn.

Shadowburn Gameplay

The Shadowburn is the Solrazé setting’s way of accounting for the high-adventurous nature intrinsic to the 5th Edition ruleset in a world with limited magic. All player characters should have Shadowburns, as well as be skilled in invoking their power. Rolling hit dice and recovering health points during a long rest are all benefits of the Shadowburn: those without it are left to nurse their injuries and pain.

While Solrazé can be played using traditional Dungeons & Dragons rules, it features variant rules to make the effects of the Shadowburn even more prominent, as well as account for the lack of healing magic available. The Shadowburn allows combat to be gory, bloody, and stylishly hyper-violent in a manner fitting the exaggerated aesthetic of the setting. Limbs will be sawed off, stomachs will be gutted, yet adventurers will still have the strength to walk away—most of the time.

Brutal Attacks

These variant rules build off of the Lingering Injuries rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The instances of these injuries occurring are called brutal attacks and brutal wounds, and may occur under the following circumstances:

• When the attacker scores a critical hit
• When the attacker does over half of the target’s total hit points in a single attack
• When the target drops to 0 hit points
• When the attacker rolls at advantage and both rolls would hit

When this occurs, either roll on the Lingering Injuries table in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, or choose the wound that best suits the tactics of the enemy. Replace the 11-20 results with the following:

• 11-13: Head Injury. All Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks and saving throws are at disadvantage.
• 14-16: Debilitating Wound. Your hit point maximum is reduced by half of the amount of damage taken.
• 18-19: Neck/Chest Injury. You can no longer breathe and follow the rules for suffocating.
• 20: Brutal Critical. The brutal attack struck the target’s Shadowburn, resulting in a brutal critical. The damage of the brutal attack is doubled; if the cause of the brutal attack was dropping to 0 hit points, the target automatically fails a death saving throw. Additionally, after sustaining this injury, the target cannot use their Burn points to heal until the end of a long rest.

Brutal criticals are extremely deadly. If brutal injuries are chosen via enemy tactics, this is not one of the available choices. The DM can still choose to roll the potential for the brutal critical even if they elect to choose the injury. Since this is such a dangerous roll, it is recommended and encouraged to roll the check in front of the players.

Burn Points

Every player character has an additional resource called Burn points. This is a pool with a number of points equal to the player character’s total level x 5. For example, a 5th level rogue would have 25 Burn points, and a multiclassed 3rd level fighter, 2nd level barbarian would also have 25 Burn points.

As an action or a bonus action, you can spend Burn points to heal either a sustained brutal wound or hit points lost throughout the battle. Healing hit points is a one-to-one conversion from Burn points: spending 5 Burn points will heal 5 hit points.

• 3 BP: Healing a limp, broken ribs, head injury, or eye
• 5 BP: Regrowing a limb; healing an internal injury or debilitating wound

You can also attempt to push the heal. When you choose to do so, make a Constitution check. On a 10 or higher, you heal your wound without expending any Burn points. On a failure, you do not heal the wound—and worse, the thing you grow in the wound’s place is so horrendous, it even more drastically affects your ability to fight and requires more Burn points to remove. The consequences are at the DM’s discretion: common ones would include disadvantage on attack rolls or Charisma checks, inability to load weapons or use two handed weapons, etc. You can push a heal once per turn.

Brutal wounds can heal over time. At the end of a long rest, roll a Constitution saving throw for each brutal wound sustained. On an 11 or higher, the wound is healed.

If someone in the party has access to healing magic, it should be noted that while healing can restore hit points, it cannot restore an injury from a brutal attack. Only regeneration from the Shadowburn can perform such a marvelous feat.

At the end of a long rest, you regain 5 Burn points.

Manipulation of the Shadowburn

The Shadowburn contains the essence of what makes a person who they are. If an arm is cut off and the arm, at the time, contains the mark, the rest of the body will fall completely dead, and the rest of the body will regrow from the arm. In the case of the Burned, it is the Shadowburn, not the brain, that is the most vital part of the body.

Player characters, skilled in the way of the Shadowburn, will automatically move the mark away from potentially being lost via the removal of a limb. It is only in the case of a brutal critical in which the mark is attacked—unless, of course, the mark is visible on the skin. If the Shadowburn is visible, an enemy may attempt to attack it to score an automatic brutal critical: to do so, they will need to make an attack roll that is above or equal to the target’s AC +10. They could also attempt to remove the limb to debilitate the target by scoring a brutal attack, though most adventurers would likely keep the mark on their abdomen during combat.

Shadowburned NPCs and enemies are likely not as well-trained in manipulating the Shadowburn as the player characters. The players can also score brutal attacks. When populating the world of Solrazé, the DM should think about an NPC’s Shadowburn, if they can manipulate it, and where it is located on the body if they can’t. Scoring a brutal attack, chopping off an Shadowburned arm, and completely neutralizing the enemy based on a tactical or lucky strike is a savage, awesome, and rewarding part of combat.

Difficulty

Solrazé is a ruthless setting, and its combat rules reflect that. Even outside of combat, resources are certain to be a problem: it is extremely difficult to find rations and water, especially for those who live unsavory livelihoods. Player characters will frequently suffer exhaustion, and getting into combat while exhausted can be extraordinarily deadly.

This type of gameplay is not for all groups. While embracing the hostility of the setting is encouraged, aspects of it can be tweaked to make the experience easier. For example, you may choose to have all Burn points regained at the end of a long rest, or you might not play with the brutal attacks mechanic at all. You can even choose to make the campaign more difficult—for example, player characters’ Shadowmarks might be stagnant on the body, giving them an Achilles’ heel. The difficulty of Solrazé is malleable to your particular preference.

Part V: Magic

Magic is a rare, mysterious, and dangerous force in Solrazé. The practice of magic is prohibited, as per the Fourth Blaze, and the only people who have access to it are the powerful Starslayers and high-ranking members of the Gleaming Guard. The average person will never encounter magic: it is so rare, some don’t even think it exists. Yet it too perseveres, just as life does—thoroughly beleaguered as it is, surviving on a Molotov cocktail of spite and hope.

Magic longs to be remembered. Every so often, in moments rarer than shadow, it awakens in someone, branding them as a mage. Mages find themselves able to cast spells and perform incredible reality-defying feats. While unlocking this potential is amazing, it is more often a curse than a blessing. Unregulated magic gravely jeopardizes the Sun’s control, and the Starslayers will do everything in their power to ensure elimination of any threat to the order. In addition, magic is coveted by anarchists and rebellites alike; if word of a mage spreads, many different organizations will seek to kidnap, threaten, and blackmail the mage into working for them, desperate to steal the magic for themselves.

The will of the mage is ultimately what decides their fate. With awesome power comes a newfound sense of purpose. Perhaps the mage gives themselves willingly to the Starslayers in order to keep the world safe, or they align themselves with the anarchists in order to provide for those who need help. They might keep their magic a secret, choosing to employ it in secret for their own selfish benefits, or they might fool themselves into believing it doesn’t exist in them at all.

Playing a Magic Class

Magic can be stumbled into and awakened in many different ways. Here are a couple of suggestions for your character to have discovered their abilities.

• Artificer: solpow created to harness the innate magic of sunlight, discovery of magical stones deep within the earth that can be used as power sources
• Bard: inspired by a legend of the Before, the intrinsic magic beating within rhythm and dance, power from beauty and belief
• Cleric: belief in a dead or forbidden god, communion with a rival god and chosen as a prophet
• Druid: able to hear nature calling for help, worship of a natural event that no longer exists (storms, nighttime, etc.), blessed by spirits of animals that succumbed to extinction
• Paladin: strength in an oath of freedom/protection/nature, worship of and the desire to uphold a belief that is stronger than the Sun
• Ranger: connection to terrains that can no longer flourish, connection to the animals and plants suffering under the reign of the Sun
• Sorcerer: born with magic that plagues you from birth or manifests later in life, chance run-in with a magical object that bestows power, descendant from a powerful entity
• Warlock: an entity vying for power in the plane makes a contract; something deep is awoken in the earth, cracks through the blue sky, or emerges from the sandstorms
• Wizard: gifted with the mental ability to parse the magic from stolen historical books, learned from a mentor who had to hide their power

Note: Many martial classes in Dungeons & Dragons have a magical component to them, such as the Eldritch Knight fighter or Arcane Trickster rogue. While it is perfectly acceptable to keep the magical qualities the same, you may want to reflavor the magic as something else: either great feats of will, a strange mutation, solpow, and so forth. Talk with your DM about your concept and how you would like to flavor the mechanics of your class.

In addition, while psionic classes can be played, their power is treated as magical in Solrazé, rather than as a separate force. If you’re interested in a setting that more deeply explores psionics in a desert-punk setting, we recommend looking into Dark Sun.

Magic in Solrazé is extremely difficult to cultivate and discover, and most introductions to magic are sudden and strange. While most classes in Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks expect a great deal of training, magic classes in Solrazé are more along the lines of a sorcerer, in which the awakening occurs without warning. Magic can be learned traditionally, as it still courses through the veins of the world, but it has been severely restricted and its intricacies forgotten. Every arcane class is at a distinct disadvantage: wizards will lack spell scrolls, and arcane focuses are one in a million. The only resources mages have are in the ruins that pepper the landscape: perhaps, hidden deep within an ancient dungeon, lies the answer to the riddle of magic so wantonly sought.

It is possible that your character may find themselves awakened to magic throughout the course of an adventure. For example, rangers don’t get spells until level 2, and certain archetypes for martial classes at level 3 are magical. It is worth discussing with your DM about your plan for your character. Magic is a life-altering curse in Solrazé, and while it can make for epic stories, it can also make the game far more difficult. Your party might choose to expose you for their own benefit, or you might not have access to crucial parts of your class. Discuss the kind of story you want to tell with your DM and the rest of the players.

Innate Spellcasting as Nature

While races with innate spellcasting live in Solrazé, their natural magic has dissipated over years of neglect. Occasionally, a tiefling is born with a particularly powerful manifestation of ancient infernal heritage, or a dragonborn with a recessive gene for cold breath—such children are scorned from the community and rarely survive past adolescence without being caught by the Gleams. Despite this, races with traditional innate spellcasting are widely distrusted.

Aasimars are the exception to this rule. Aasimars are frequently born with magic, and instead of being distrusted by the general populace, they elicit an air of respect. Aasimars fought alongside the Sun, and the Starslayers (who are celestials) decree that they are the only race who have the natural right to practice magic. Of course, those with less-than-favorable opinions on the Sun would be just as likely to distrust aasimars as aasimars distrust elves, tieflings, gnomes, etc.

As described earlier in the text, many races in Solrazé are more bestial versions of themselves. Evolution has hardened each and every citizen, and many people have developed natural ways to defend themselves. While in the context and flavor of Solrazé these abilities are natural, they can be played using the mechanics of spells. For example, a yuan-ti pureblood flavored around a cobra could have the ability to shoot venom out of their mouth: you would treat this as an innate ability to cast the poison spray cantrip. Similarly, a drow may have become infected with the fungus native to the Underground, and their ability to cast dancing lights can be flavored as releasing bioluminescent spores into the air. Creativity is encouraged in reflavoring magic as mundanity while maintaining the mysterious allure of true arcana.

Illegal Spells

Magic is barred from being practiced by anyone who is not an extremely accomplished member of the Gleaming Guard, a close political associate to the Starslayers, or one of the Starslayers themselves. Even among designated practitioners of magic, though, certain spells are still illegal. Nobody save for the Starslayers is permitted to learn any spells beyond level two: such amazing magic is presumed capable of only the Sun Itself. Magic, even high-level magic, still beats in the wind, the cactus, the dust—but people’s connection to it has faded. It is possible for particularly gifted spellcasters to learn spells without being taught them. Magic wants to be learned: it is the system of power that seeks to destroy it.

Below is a list of illegal spells for Gleams. These spells are entirely foreign to everyone save the Starslayers; being able to cast such spells is considered dangerous and sacreligious, though the majority of people would report the sight of any witchcraft to an authority. Most of these spells are illegal due to their ability to endanger the Sun’s ultimate control over resources.

• Control Flames
• Create Bonfire
• Druidcraft
• Gust
• Infestation
• Mending
• Prestidigitation
• Produce Flame
• Shape Water
• Spare the Dying

FIRST LEVEL

• Armor of Agathys
• Comprehend Languages
• Create or Destroy Water
• Cure Wounds
• Goodberry
• Healing Word
• Illusory Script
• Mage Armor
• Tenser’s Floating Disk
• Unseen Servant

SECOND LEVEL

• Continual Flame
• Find Steed
• Gust of Wind
• Healing Spirit
• Immovable Object
• Lesser Restoration
• Prayer of Healing
• Skywrite
• Summon Beast
• Wristpocket

Part VI: Backgrounds, Feats, and Weapons

This is a list of specialty gameplay options for the setting.

Backgrounds

Cataclyst: Linguist

• Skills Proficiencies: History, Insight
• Languages: Undercommon + any two of your choice
• Equipment: A book from the Before, 10 pieces of fine parchment, a quill and ink, common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 GP

Feature: Language is Derivative
You have a knack for languages and code-cracking developed over years of studying among fellow cataclysts. You excel in reading ancient texts, and given enough time, you can parse out the basic meaning of most Before texts even if it is in a language you do not speak. You are also an expert in dealing with codes, including determining if something or someone is communicating in code. In addition, it takes you half the time to learn a new language compared to an average person.

Cataclyst: Arcane Archeologist

• Skills Proficiencies: Arcana, Religion
• Tool Proficiencies: Alchemist’s supplies, herbalism kit
• Languages: Undercommon
• Equipment: A wand drained of magic, 5 glass vials, a small knife, traveler’s clothes, belt pouch containing 5 GP

Feature: Magic Sensitivity
You have studied the forbidden art of magic and have a knack for unraveling its mysteries. You feel a strange sensation whenever magic is nearby: a humming in your ears, a tingle in your fingers, etc. While this ability can’t give you any more precise information, you’re always alerted when magic is abound.

Cataclyst Specialty: Ruin Delver

• Skills Proficiencies: History, Survival
• Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s supplies
• Languages: Undercommon + one of your choice
• Equipment: An artifact from one of your adventures, climber’s kit, a two-person tent, waterskin, traveler’s clothes, belt pouch containing 5 GP

Feature: Dungeoneer in Training
You have spent considerable time exploring and excavating the ruins of the Before. Choose one of the regions of Solrazé: you know the location of at least three major collections of ruins, including their layout, secret entrances, and cultural significance. You can also determine if they are fully abandoned or a hotspot for fellow treasure hunters.

Jewel-Born

• Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Religion
• Languages: Celestial
• Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set of your choice, one instrument of your choice
• Equipment: Proof of your reputation, a beautiful piece of jewelry, a portrait of a loved one, a bar of soap, fine clothes, a belt pouch containing 25 GP

Feature: Child of Light
You were either born in the light of a Jewel or earned your way into one, and you have reaped the ultimate reward. You may enter any Jewel in Solrazé. Even if your reputation lowers to the point of your access being revoked, your time spent in the Jewel allows you to communicate seamlessly with other Jewel-born, as well as court favor from sympathetic Gleaming Guard.

Ex-Gleaming Guard

• Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Insight
• Languages: Celestial
• Tool Proficiencies: Land vehicles, one gaming set of your choice
• Equipment: An old badge denoting rank, a trophy from a defeated enemy, a piece of jewelry invoking imagery of the Sun, fine clothes, a belt pouch containing 20 GP

Feature: Sun’s Honor
You spent time serving in the Gleaming Guard and were indoctrinated into the cult of the Sun. The reason for your departure generally follows one of two paths.
Honorable Discharge: You retired from the guard after serving for many years, earning a remarkable reputation. You may enter any Jewel. In addition, Gleams carry a great deal of respect for you and will often let you get by with minor misdemeanors. Dust-Dwellers, however, carry an extreme distaste for you.
Dishonorable Discharge: For whatever reason, you left the guard under complicated circumstances. However, you learned quite a bit in your time serving for the Gleams, and you know the general blueprints of outposts, schedules for transport, ranked leaders in the area you served, etc.

Ex-Mole

• Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth
• Tool Proficiencies: One artisan tool of your choice, one gaming set
• Equipment: A fungus-covered stone that glows in darkness, a miner’s pick, a gaming set of your choice, a belt pouch containing 10 GP

Feature: Blinded by the Light
You have spent the better part of your life beneath the surface. You know many entryways into the Underground, and you know the tips and tricks to finding unfamiliar entrances. You are also an expert in Underground politics, and you can easily blend into any Underground civilization, even if it is not your hometown.

Criminal Variant (Rebellite/Anarchist)

• Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Deception
• Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools, land vehicles
• Languages: Undercommon
• Equipment: A pair of pliers, a key to a lost motorbike, a letter from a loved one in the cause, a crowbar, common clothes, a belt pouch containing 5 GP

Feature: Welcome to the Club
You are a member of an organization that operates away from the eye of the Sun. You have contacts related to your organization who are inclined to provide you with information and assist your efforts. Your active, lifelong stance against the Sun has steeled your resolve, and your willpower to resist the temptations and pleasantries of a Sunlit life is greater than the average person.

Freelancer

• Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Athletics
• Tool Proficiencies: Forgery kit, one artisan tool of your choice
• Equipment: Forgery kit, a letter of recommendation from a previous employer, 5 spare bullets, a small knife, traveler’s clothes, a belt pouch containing 15 GP

Feature: But Master of None
You have spent your adult life jumping from guild to guild, doing brief, dirty work for little pay. While you don’t have many close allies, you have a large selection of acquaintances and names, both Sunlit and Shadow, whom you can contact. They are not inclined to help you, but knowing who to contact is half the battle.

Were you in a trade guild? Take Guild Artisan.
Were you in a mercenary guild? Take Mercenary Veteran.

You are also free to substitute any of these backgrounds for corresponding backgrounds in canonical D&D books—whichever you think fits better (noble, soldier, criminal, etc.). You can also take any other background that is fitting, or customize your background via the optional rule in Tasha’s.

Feats

Shadowburn Adept

A master of manipulating your Shadowburn, you gain the following benefits:

• You regain 5 Burn points at the end of a short rest as well as a long rest.
• You have advantage on pushing the Constitution check to heal yourself without spending Burn points.
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Insight) checks made to determine whether someone is Shadowburned and the location of it on their body.

Cataclyst Speciality

Having spent time among the cataclyst researchers, you gain the following benefits:

• When you gain this feature, choose a culture from the Before: dwarf, elf, halfling, goblinoid, human, etc. (at the DM’s discretion).
• Increase your Intelligence score by 1.
• You learn the language of the culture of your choice.
• You have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana, History, Religion) checks made in recalling or learning information related to the culture of choice.

You can take this feat multiple times, but you only gain the ASI bonus once.

Solpow Specialist

A master of solpow technology, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1.
• You have advantage on checks made to repair your solpow weapon.
• You can add your Dexterity modifier to your damage roll.

Certified Dust-Dweller

Having spent some time traveling through the blazing heat of the Dust, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with land vehicles. If you already have proficiency with land vehicles at the time of taking this feat, you gain expertise with land vehicles instead.
• You gain proficiency in either the Survival or Nature skills.
• You ignore difficult terrain from the rough desert.

Trustworthy Face

Having learned how to deal with people from all walks of life under the Sun, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Charisma score by 1.
• You learn Undercommon and Celestial. If you already know one of these languages, you get to choose an additional language instead.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks when it comes to concealing your intention or hiding your emotion.

Weapons

Solpow Weapons

These rules are adapted from Matt Mercer’s Gunslinger Homebrew.

Properties:

Damage. While aim is important when dealing with solpow weapons, if a beam hits a target, the damage comes from the radiant fire of the sun—not your aim. As such, while your Dexterity bonus is added to hit, Dexterity is not added to damage.

Shatter. While solpow weapons do not require you to reload nor require ammunition, the concentrated power of Sunlight is taxing on the weapon. Whenever you make an attack roll with a solpow weapon and the number on the die is equal to or less than the weapon’s Shatter score, the internal mechanisms of the weapon splinters and breaks. The attack misses, and you cannot use the weapon until you spend an action to try to repair it. To repair your firearm during combat, you must make a successful tinkerer’s tools, thieves’ tools, or blacksmith’s tools check (DC equal to 9 + shatter score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended outside of combat. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s shatter score by 1.

Common Solpow Weapons: