Wizards learn quickly and share secrets with friends and family on hiding spellbooks, keeping one step ahead if possible from templar searches. Hollowed out walking sticks and weapons with scroll spellbooks are common, along with pages sewn between two pieces of cloth on items such as cloaks, and some carve the symbols onto items such as wooden and bone implements. Some have even risked inscribing their spells into leather garments, to be turned inside out when needed. It has been said a few desperate souls have even tattooed books onto their own skin. For most, it is best to find a careful hiding spot in each civilization.

The find familiar spell summons creatures native to Dark Sun but only with the fiendish type. All creatures have AC12, 4 hit points, and 20' movement. The list can include but is not limited to:

• Critic lizard (a tiny, colorful reptile that senses danger, expects food after fights, is jumpy and paranoid)

• Hurrum (flightless beetle that constantly produces a pleasing humming noise while cooling itself, dies in direct sunlight and likes to hum songs you are thinking about)

• Jank (gold furred ferret-like mammal with poisonous spurs, likes to stuff its mouth pouches and play with objects in your packs)

• Kivit (gray-furred feline that secretes venomous musk to ward off predators, hates being inside and musk spell intensifies when upset)

• Wrab (black-scaled winged serpent that senses emotional states, often trained for diplomatic encounters, likes to lick blood from your wounds and wrap around your arm when you attempt to persuade others, fly)

• Z'tal (chirping feathered lizard often used as food, gets alarmed when party members stray and often bumps into your leg)

Athas is a wasteland because spells are powered by living matter - plants - and centuries of wars involving the sorcerer kings, the Dragon, and constant defiling has leeched the world dry. While sorcerer kings maintain gardens and hunt defilers, they still keep some on hand as a necessity. Wizards who defile can draw great power from plant life but in return will permanently reduce every tree, shrub, even underground root in the area to ash that never can again support life. This eventually leaves a taint on the wizard that can be sensed by those attuned to such things like druids. Preservers are wizards who have, at the cost of greater power, devoted themselves to taking only what is needed, from further sources until the spell can be powered. They also devote their lives to destroying defilers. Nevertheless, the temptation will always be there, to defile "just this once." To most preservers, there is no middle ground. Once a defiler, always a defiler, and better to die than cross that line. To some, when looking death in the eye, the decision becomes that much harder.

Those who defile can apply a metamagic effect to their non-cantrip spells. Once the spell is cast, the land around them turns to barren ash, and the caster gains one or more defiler points. A caster who defiles even once will track two new scores: her current defiler points score, and if applicable, her permanent defiler aura. The DM determines the terrain, which determines the amount of vegetation from which defiling power can be taken.

Whenever you defile, you gain defiler points based on the effect applied according to the Defiling Benefits and Cost Table. These points have an immediate and cumulative negative effect, applied immediately from the Accumulated Defiler Points Table. All points can be shed in one of two ways: assuming the taint or meditation with the land.

The number of points you can spend on an effect is limited to half your caster level (round down).

You cannot defile if the area has been been drained of vegetative life.

Defiler Effect DEfiler Points Earned

Careful spell 1

Distant spell 1

Subtle spell 1

Empowered spell 2

Extended spell 2

Heightened spell 3

Quickened spell 4

Twinned spell 2 per spell level

Recover spell slot as action 2 per spell level

Cast spell without material component 1 per 100cp value

CAREFUL SPELL

When casting a spell that requires a saving throw, choose a number of creatures up to your spellcasting modifier (minimum 1). Chosen creatures automatically save.

DISTANT SPELL

Double the range of spells with at least a 5 foot range, or make a touch spell have a range of 30 feet.

SUBTLE SPELL

Cast without somatic or verbal components.

EMPOWERED SPELL

Reroll a number of damage dice equal to your spellcasting modifier (minimum 1) and use those new rolls.

EXTENDED SPELL

Double the duration of any spell with a duration of at least 1 minute, maximum 24 hours.

HEIGHTENED SPELL

When casting a spell requiring a save, make one target have disadvantage on its first saving throw against the spell.

QUICKENED SPELL

Change the casting time of any spell that has a casting time of 1 action to 1 bonus action.

TWINNED SPELL

When casting a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you may target a second creature in range with the same spell. To be eligible, the spell cannot target more than one creature at the level being cast.

RECOVER SPELL SLOT

As an action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you may draw forth life energy to renew your arcane powers and regain an expended spell slot.

CAST SPELL WITHOUT MATERIAL COMPONENT

Cast any spell without using a material component.

Defiler Points Effect

1+ -2 on Charisma and Wisdom checks

11+ -2 Constitution score reduction. If engaged in strenuous activity (e.g. fighting, running) for at least 1 minute, you must make a Constitution saving throw or gain 1 level of exhaustion. The save DC is 0 + number of current defiler points.

21+ another -2 on Charisma and Wisdom checks

31+ another -2 Constitution score reduction. Alignment becomes evil.

41+ become an undead NPC (t'liz) under DM control 

At the end of a long rest, you may purge away all your defiler points and their negative effects, including any exhaustion caused by defiling. Add half of your defiler points to your permanent defiler aura. Reset your defiler points to zero.

If you defile even once and assume the taint, you permanently gain an aura that, while having no apparent consequences, marks you for those who can detect such auras, such as a druid. Certain creatures and casters have effects that specifically target defilers, and your aura functions as a penalty on your saving throws against those anti-defiler effects. There is no limit to how high your defiler aura score may be.

Meditating in an undefiled area of Athas is the only way to eliminate defiler points and not accumulate a permanent defiler aura. The caster is giving a small portion of her life energy back to the land as atonement for what she has done. This takes 1 day of uninterrupted contact with the earth or plants of the region per point to be purged, in at least 8 hour increments in which the caster can do nothing else but light activity like eating and drinking.

Every bit of non-sentient plant life in the immediate vicinity is turned to ash, and the land is rendered sterile, unable to sustain life for possibly decades or centuries after. For one year, no matter what is done, the defiled area can never be viable. Even afterwards, all the life-giving nutrients have been leeched from the soil, requiring skilled intervention before even one blade of grass can grow and taking up to centuries to naturally restore.

When attempting to defile or entering combat, the DM determines the terrain zone, which sets the number of defiler points that can be assumed in that area until is completely devoid of life.