Barbarians are common in the waste, where survival often comes down to having a few basic skills and the ability to outrun or outfight predators. In very few waste locales is any kind of law enforced — aside from tribal codes and customs — so barbarians are perfectly at home. This variant barbarian gains all the class features of the standard barbarian, except as noted below.
Wastelands Trap Sense (Su): At 3rd level, a waste barbarian adds the bonus from his trap sense class feature to Reflex saves made against natural hazards of the wastes, as well as to his Armour Class against attacks made by natural hazards. Hazards of the wastes include dangers such as lava pools, slipsand, softsand and other terrain features.
This ability replaces the benefits a standard barbarian receives from having trap sense.
Bonus Feat: A 5th-level waste barbarian gains a bonus feat, which must be drawn from the following list:
A wasteland barbarian must meet all the prerequisites for a bonus feat in order to select it.
This ability replaces the standard barbarian’s improved uncanny dodge ability.
Wastelands Damage Reduction (Su): A waste barbarian toughens his body against injuries dealt by the rigors of the wastes. At 8th level, a wasteland barbarian gains damage reduction 1/— against wasteland creatures and hazards. This benefit stacks with the barbarian’s normal damage reduction.
This benefit replaces the standard barbarian’s third daily use of the rage ability gained at 8th level. From this point forward, the waste barbarian can rage one less time per day.
Clerics are a necessity in waste societies, both because of their healing magic and their ability to protect large groups from the environment with spells such as control weather, create water, endure elements, heroes’ feast and resist energy.
A number of deities hold sway over the waste, and their interests sometimes overlap or compete with those of more widely worshipped deities who share their domains (such as Sun or Fire). Deities who oversee precious resources, and those responsible for the harmful aspects of the desert climate, receive special reverence.
Table: Deities of the Wasteland provides a list of deities with a connection to the waste, along with their alignments, domains and favoured weapons. The table isn’t intended to be a desert pantheon, but it is a survey of possible desert deities. You should ask your DM which deities are available for your character.
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Favoured Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ishtus | NE | Animal, Death, Destruction, Evil, War | Whip |
| Aurifar | N | Fire, Luck, Summer, Sun, Travel | Heavy spiked shield |
| Azul | LE | Evil, Law, Plant, Thirst, Water | Whip |
| Haku | CG | Air, Chaos, Good, Protection, Travel | Scimitar |
| Joramy | NG | Destruction, Fire, War | Quarterstaff |
| Kikanuti | NG | Earth, Good, Magic, Protection, Plant, Summer | Clay pot (mace) |
| Set | CE | Air, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Strength | Spear |
| Solanil | NG | Animal, Good, Healing, Protection, Summer, Travel, Water | Quarterstaff |
| Tem-Et-Nu | LN | Knowledge, Magic, Nobility, Travel, War | Kama |
| Zoser | CN | Air, Chaos, Destruction, Sand, Summer | Spiked chain |
Just as the waste is harsh and unforgiving, so too are many of its deities — though a few can be helpful and even generous.
Al-Ishtus claims dominion over desert-dwelling vermin, such as the scorpion, and monstrous humanoid raiders and marauders of the waste. His followers make offerings of bloody gems and jewellery to appease him. His symbol is a scorpion with its tail raised to strike, and his clerics often dip the point of their holy symbol’s tail in scorpion venom for use against unsuspecting opponents. Venom plays a major part in the worship of Al-Ishtus. In fact, disputes between members of his cult are frequently solved by having each one stung repeatedly by a scorpion until one or the other dies. The survivor is declared the winner of the dispute. Al-Ishtus appears either as an old man in vermin-infested rags or as a scorpion ranging from Tiny to Colossal size.
Aurifar, the Caliph of the Sky, is the deity of the midday sun who deigns to let lesser deities bear his litter to his throne each morning, then back to his resting place each evening. Stern, unyielding Aurifar rules the skies during the hottest part of the day, passing judgment on all in his sight, deciding who lives or dies. Typically worshipped by fire giants, efreet and other fire creatures, Aurifar appears as a glowing ball of light and unbearable heat. He can also take the form of a mute giant who carries this ball of light and heat (from which his divine voice speaks). His symbol is a golden disc polished to a mirrorlike sheen. Aurifar and his servants are implacable enemies of the undead.
Azul is worshipped among the people of the waste as a deity of rain. Waste-dwellers seek Azul’s favour so that they have enough water. Azul’s typical worshippers are druids, peasants and travellers setting out across the burning lands. His symbol is a jagged red line enclosing drops of water, and he appears as a plump, smiling youth with scrubbed cheeks wearing a simple, white gown. A pool, often formed from a natural spring, always rests at the heart of a temple dedicated to Azul, and priests and soldiers fiercely guard this holy of holies. Azul demands blood sacrifice in return for his blessings, and angering him always brings terrible drought. Thus, each spring, the priests drown someone to satisfy the deity, while a small sacrificial animal is typically offered before a caravan departs for the waste. Azul’s most fanatical followers belong to the fierce desert nomads, who fall upon unwary travellers, taking slaves to sacrifice or use as labour for building more temples.
Haku, known as Master of the Desert Wind, is the patron of waste nomads. He represents the free spirit of the wanderer, as well as the wild nature of the desert whirlwinds. His worshippers include rangers, travellers and beings of the air. Haku’s symbol is a stylized gust of wind. He appears as a nomadic human with a noble, haughty manner, dressed in flowing robes and headgear and carrying a bright scimitar. Many waste adventurers are followers of Haku, and caravan leaders pay him homage for his power over travel.
Joramy embodies the fury and beauty of volcanoes. She is not only passionate and a lover of argument for argument’s sake, but also good-natured and the champion of those devoted to a cause. Her holy symbol is a volcano. Her worshippers are often revolutionaries and charismatic leaders. Joramy is one of the deities of the Greyhawk setting and is detailed further in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.
Kikanuti is the principal deity of the bhukas, who revere her as the source of all life and their protector in the time before the Emergence. The great cavern below the earth, from which the bhukas claim they and all other people first emerged, is thought of as her womb, and the Upper World is her hearth, where she warms and nurtures her children. Her symbol is a tall clay pot painted with a stylized bird. She appears in many forms, embodied in the ritual masks worn by bhuka dancers, but most commonly as a bhuka woman with braids of corn ears, wearing a brightly painted tunic. She is cordial with Haku, who embodies some aspects of the migration that scattered her children across the waste. Maglubiyet, the patron deity of brutal goblinoids, is her sworn enemy. She considers him an enslaver of his people, keeping them beneath the earth and blind to the full joy of living. For his part, Maglubiyet wishes to seize Kikanuti’s power over the fertility of the earth and extend his dominion. Goblinoid tribes in the mountains bordering waste areas often raid bhuka territory, forcing those people to retreat into ever more inaccessible terrain.
Set is a jealous and evil deity. A being of pure chaos and evil, Set appears as a powerful man with a bestial head resembling a donkey, with a curved snout and upright, square-tipped ears. He also has a long, forked tail. He sometimes appears in animal form as a hunting dog, a hippopotamus or a wild boar. His symbol is a coiled cobra. Set opposes everything the good deities of the waste represent. Power hungry and bitter at his lack of recognition by most waste-dwellers, Set instructs his followers to bide their time. Most lurk in hidden temples, plotting mischief against any waste-dweller that catches their eye. Followers of Set frequently try to cause pain and anguish for other temples, or any settlements with a strong religious foundation.
Solanil is the deity responsible for the existence of oases. She protects those who survive the rigours of the wastes by journeying from oasis to oasis, and her worshippers propitiate her by burying the seeds of fruit-bearing plants and trees in her oases. Druids and rangers pay homage to Solanil, as do groups of monks and most janni. Her symbol is a pool of water at the base of a date tree. When she shows herself to mortals, she appears as a beautiful woman of middle years with a warm smile and either a basket of fresh fruit or a jug of cool water. Her most devout worshippers make pilgrimages across the waste, ensuring that those who enjoy her hospitality are not squandering her gifts by taking more than they can use. Although they are generally a peaceful lot, clerics of Solanil have been known to stir up the people who rely on her oases to punish those who misuse such gifts.
Tem-Et-Nu, the deity of rivers, is the primary matron of the pantheon of the plains folk. She is the bringer of life (in the form of water) and the provider of wealth (the commerce that shipping brings), as well as the means to victory (by carrying the armies of the plains folk swiftly into battle). Sorcerers and wizards of the plains folk revere her for her amazing intellect, and bards tell of her beauty and nobility. She is always depicted as a shapely woman with the head of a hippopotamus (her sacred animal). Tem-Et-Nu is a demanding deity, and those attacked by hippopotami are said to have incurred her wrath. Many such survivors take up roles of service in one of Tem-Et-Nu’s temples, repaying the debt of a life spared.
Zoser is an unpredictable being whose heart rejoices in the wild dance of desert whirlwinds. Although he is not evil, he is heedless of the devastation his storms wreak. Dervishes are his most devoted followers, imitating his capricious might in their deadly battle dances. Travellers in the waste also pay homage to Zoser in hopes that he pass them by. His symbol is a stylized drawing of a tornado. He most often appears as a towering whirlwind, dark with dust, in whose depths a vague humanoid outline can be seen. Sometimes he instead takes the form of a lone traveller, cloaked in sand-coloured robes that flutter around him even when the air is calm. Temples to Zoser take the form of tall spires, usually natural pinnacles or buttes, with an open-air altar at the very tip. Priests scatter incense and coloured dust on the wind while worshippers chant songs of praise and dance frenziedly — it is not uncommon for an overenthusiastic worshipper to fall from a spire. Zoser and Haku share many of the same aspects, but their relationship is cool.
If you want an Egyptian-themed campaign, consider the following pantheon, adapted from Deities and Demigods.
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Favoured Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Re-Horakhty | LG | Good, Law, Sun, War | Khopesh |
| Anubis | LN | Law, Magic, Repose | Mace |
| Apep | NE | Evil, Fire, Sand | Heavy pick |
| Bast | CG | Chaos, Destruction, Protection, Strength, War | Spiked gauntlet |
| Hathor | NG | Protection, Good, Luck | Longsword |
| Imhotep | NG | Earth, Healing, Knowledge, Rune | Quarterstaff |
| Isis | NG | Good, Magic, Protection, Water | Quarterstaff |
| Nephthys | CG | Chaos, Good, Protection, Repose | Mace |
| Osiris | LG | Air, Earth, Good, Law, Plant, Repose | Light flail |
| Ptah | LN | Knowledge, Law, Travel | Mace |
| Set | CE | Air, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Strength | Spear |
| Sobek | LE | Animal, Evil, Water | Shortspear |
| Thoth | N | Knowledge, Magic, Rune | Quarterstaff |
The following Babylonian-inspired deities might also be useful in a desert campaign.
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Favoured Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anu | LN | Air, Knowledge, Law, Protection | Mace |
| Anshar | NE | Evil, Magic, Trickery | Dagger |
| Dahak | CE | Chaos, Death, Evil | Scimitar |
| Druaga | LE | Evil, Law, Trickery | Mace |
| Enlil | NG | Good, Luck, War | Heavy pick |
| Enki | LN | Earth, Magic, Water | Mace |
| Gilgamesh | NG | Good, Strength, Travel, War | Mace |
| Girru | LG | Fire, Good, Law, Magic | Morningstar |
| Ishtar | N | Magic, Strength, Summer, War | Light flail |
| Ki | N | Animal, Luck, Plant | Quarterstaff |
| Marduk | LN | Air, Law, Protection | Net |
| Nanna-Sin | CG | Chaos, Luck, Good | Battleaxe |
| Nergal | NE | Death, Earth, Evil | Longsword |
| Utu | CG | Chaos, Fire, Good, Sun | Scimitar |
Druids are common in the waste, experts at living in harmony with that harsh environment. Some druids seek to help their people survive and prosper through careful use of the waste’s resources, while others specialize in turning the already inhospitable climate against intruders. Wasteland druids select their animal companions from among those mentioned in the Wasteland Animal Companions sidebar. This variant druid gains all the class features of the standard druid, except as noted below.
Sandskimmer: At 2nd level, a wasteland druid gains Sand skimmer as a bonus feat. This benefit replaces the standard druid’s woodland stride class feature.
Heat Endurance: At 4th level, a wasteland druid gains Heat Endurance as a bonus feat. If she already has Heat Endurance, the druid gains Improved Heat Endurance instead and need not meet the prerequisites for that feat. This benefit replaces the standard druid’s resist nature’s lure class feature.
Wild Shape (Waste Vermin) (Su): Beginning at 10th level, a wasteland druid can use her wild shape ability to assume the form of a Small to Large vermin found in the waste environment, such as a brine swimmer, giant ant lion, giant termite, monstrous scorpion or monstrous spider. This ability otherwise follows all the rules for wild shape, and the druid can assume additional larger sizes of vermin as her level increases.
This benefit replaces the standard druid’s increase fourth daily use of the wild shape ability gained at 10th level. From this point forward, the waste druid can use wild shape one less time per day than indicated on Table: The Druid.
Even the waste has need of heroes pledged steadfastly to a holy creed. Paladins native to the waste may choose to use a diprotodon or a war camel as a special mount.
Rangers of the waste are fierce protectors of their homeland. They are masters of desert camouf lage and have adapted weaponry and tactics that mimic those of creatures that share their environment. Desert nomads are most likely to produce rangers, with a wandering lifestyle that prepares them well for the role. This variant ranger gains all the normal class features of the ranger, with the changes below.
Heat Endurance: At 3rd level, a wasteland ranger gains Heat Endurance as a bonus feat. If he already has Heat Endurance, the ranger gains Improved Heat Endurance instead and need not meet the prerequisites for that feat. This benefit replaces the standard ranger’s Endurance bonus feat.
Sandskimmer: At 7th level, a wasteland ranger gains Sandskimmer as a bonus feat. This benefit replaces the standard ranger’s woodland stride class feature.
Waste Hunter (Ex): At 10th level, a wasteland ranger chooses a specific kind of favoured enemy native to the waste from among the types or subtypes he has already chosen. (For example, he could choose dunewinders if he has magical beasts as a favoured enemy.) He gains an additional +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls, and on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks against creatures of this kind. In addition, the ranger gains a +2 bonus on saves against the chosen creature’s special abilities and damage reduction 2/— against its physical attacks. This benefit replaces the new favoured enemy gained at 10th level by a standard ranger, but the waste ranger’s bonuses against previously selected favoured enemies increase as if he had gained a new favoured enemy.
Sorcerers of the waste often fulfill the role of shamans among the more savage people. Many have the blood of brass dragons in their veins, giving them bronze complexions and blazing eyes.
Familiar: Sorcerers in waste regions can summon different familiars than those in more temperate climates. In addition to the familiars described in the Player’s Handbook, a waste sorcerer can summon a horned lizard as a familiar. A horned lizard familiar gives its master a +2 bonus on Will saves.
Wizards of the waste usually specialize in fire magic, and many have either the Searing Spell metamagic feat or the Drift Magic feat. Wizards are usually found only among literate people.
Familiar: As described for the sorcerer class, wizards in the waste can select the horned lizard as a familiar.
Source: Sandstorm (Page 44)