The men and women of Krynn exist in a variety of different groups, each characterized by distinct customs, moral codes, and philosophies. Though the membership of a group may change, its values remain constant; some of Krynn’s more primitive societies have remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Several such groups are detailed below, selected to illustrate Krynn’s cultural diversity. Each group’s hierarchy, attitudes, and other characteristics are explained, but many variations are likely to exist. For instance, all members of these particular groups are presumed to be human, but it is likely, for instance, that elven tribes or dwarven rebels exist. The ice folk and Knights of Solamnia, however, are exclusively human.

Assume that both sexes are represented in all groups; though there is not an abundance of women in the Knights of Solamnia, there is no by-law that specifically excludes them. Note that primitive groups, such as the more unsophisticated tribes, are notoriously sexist, and one is unlikely to find women in positions of leadership, except in matriarchal societies.

Ice Folk

The ice folk are a race of rugged warriors inhabiting some of the most desolate arctic regions of Krynn.

Ice folk are tall, heavyset humans with leathery skin and long, flowing hair, usually red or light brown. They wear white fur parkas and boots to protect them from the bitterly cold weather. They are fierce and proud.

Combat: Ice folk are peace-loving by nature; however, aggressive actions from opponents spark the ice folk to fight to the death. Ice folk arm themselves with clubs, maces, battle axes, and special weapons called frostreavers.

A frostreaver is a heavy battle axe +4 made out of ice. It can be created only by the Revered Cleric of each tribe and requires a month to make. A frostreaver can be wielded only by a character with a Strength of 13 or greater. Temperatures above freezing cause the frostreaver to melt, rendering it worthless.

Ice folk use iceboats, huge vessels with canvas sails and wooden runners, to glide along the surface of the ice at speeds much faster than a man can run. A typical iceboat carries about 15 riders.

Ice folk seldom wear metal armor, but their bulky furs give them an effective AC of 5.

Habitat/Society: An average ice folk tribe includes about 100 members. The wisest and strongest member, a 12th-level or higher fighter, serves as chief. The chief has 1d6 personal guards (10th- to 12th-level fighters) who inflict 1d8+4 points of damage with every successful hit. The tribe’s highest-level cleric (5th level or higher) serves as the Revered Cleric, he has 1d4 acolytes (1st-to 3rd-level clerics). The rest of the tribe is equally divided between 1st- to 4th-level fighters and level 0 workers, children, and elderly.

An ice folk village is a collection of circular huts covered by bulky white furs, making it almost invisible against the snow. Each hut houses a family of as many as 20 members. Furnishings are simple, little more than a fire pit for heat and cooking and fur rugs for sleeping. Ice folk villages are often protected by large snow fences made from the rib bones of gigantic creatures. The ice folk are nomadic, settling in one place for about a year, and moving on when the fish supply reaches dangerously low levels.

Ecology: The ice folk are fishers and hunters, ice bears being a favorite source of meat and fur. They keep tubs of slimy grease made from walrus blubber for cooking and for lubricating the runners of their iceboats. Aside from the ice bears, they have few natural enemies, except for on.going territorial conflicts with the thanoi. The ice folk seldom have the opportunity to engage in trade.

Knights of Solamnia

The Knights of Solamnia are the noblest of Krynn.s heroes. Their philosophy is best summed up by the oath to which all Knights subscribe: My Honor is My Life.

Since the time of Huma, the Knights of Solamnia had stood as symbols for all that was good. Rut following the Cataclysm, when the common people cried out for aid, the Knights were powerless to help. The people blamed the Knights for their perceived inaction. The Knights fell into disgrace, and their temples and fortresses were besieged.

The Knights who remained were forced to roam the countryside in secret, fearful that they would be discovered by an angry citizenry. Still, the Knights held true to their ideals and did what they could to tight the evil in the world. To this day, the only sizeable group of Knights exists on the distant Sancrist Isle. The rest operate covertly, concentrated in the villages and cities of Solamnia, a sprawling realm in northwest Ansalon.

Hierarchy: The Knights of Solamnia are organized into three Orders: the Knights of the Crown, the Knights of the Sword, and the Knights of the Rose. Individual cells of Knights, called Circles, have been established throughout Ansalon. These Circles exist permanently in many townships and in virtually every major city in the continent. The Circles exist to give aid to all local Knights. Some of these Circles, especially the ones in Solamnia and Sancrist, operate openly and are easy to find. In places where the Knighthood is still viewed suspiciously, these Circles exist clandestinely and their meetings are held in secret.

The Knighthood is ruled by the Lord of the Knights. However, this position has remained vacant since the time of the Cataclysm due to the difficulties in calling together a Grand Circle of Knights in sufficient numbers to elect a Lord from the eligible candidates. The position must be filled by either the High Warrior, the High Clerist, or the High Justice (see tables below), and at least 75% of the established Circles must send two representatives to vote.

The will of the Lord of Knights is carried out by the High Knights throughout their respective orders, The High Warrior commands the Order of the Crown, the High Clerist commands the Order of the Sword, and the High Justice commands the Order of the Rose. These are nominated and elected by members of their own Orders without influence from the other two Orders. A Knightly Council, a group responsible for matters of pressing importance, must be held by a contingent of three ranking knights, one from each of the Orders.

Knights of the Crown are sworn to protect, serve, and give aid to any kingdom on the List of Loyalty. This list is maintained by the three High Knights and is updated periodically. The Knights are not required to follow the commands or laws of these kingdoms should they violate the standards of the Knights’ personal code.

All those who wish to become Solamnic Knights must first enter into the Knighthood as squires of the Knights of the Crown. This is true regardless of what Knighthood they will eventually serve. Specific requirements and abilities of each Order are given below. Solamnic Knights are variants of paladins as described in the 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook. However, there are many important differences, and the following material should be read carefully.

The Solamnic Knight Ability Table lists the minimum scores for each Order. Since all Knights begin as Knights of the Crown, note that a Knight with the minimum scores is unable to progress into the higher Orders. Levels, titles, and Hit Dice for each Order are summarized on the Solamnic Knight Level Table.

* There is only one High Warrior, High Clerist, or High Justice in each Order. All other Knights who have enough experience points to reach these levels retain the title of Lord Warrior, Lord Clerist, or Lord of justice, until such time as they are elected to High Warrior, High Clerist, or High Justice.

Knights of the Crown: All Knights begin in this Order with training in the virtue of loyalty Candidates must be presented to a Knightly Council and be sponsored by a Knight in good standing from any of the Orders of Knighthood. A candidate must swear an oath to the honor of the Knighthood and to the causes of the Crown, and swear allegiance to the Order and the ideals of the Knights of Solamnia. If there is no dissent from the Knights, and no question of honor regarding the candidate is presented, then the candidate is accepted into the Knighthood as a squire Knights of the Crown begin with three weapon proficiencies and two nonweapon proficiencies, adding one of each for every two levels of advancement. They are allowed to use weapon specialization, but they do not gain any of the special abilities of the paladin listed in the 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook.

Knights of the Sword: A Knight can attempt to enter this Order only after first rising to Defender of the Crown and only if he has the minimum acceptable ability scores. The candidate is brought before a Knightly Council at which a Sword Knight of no less than 7th level is one of the three presiding Knights. It there is no question of honor brought up, the candidate is assigned a complex quest to test his compassion, his wisdom, his generosity, and his combat skills. If successful, the Knight becomes a Novice in the Order.

Knights of the Sword begin with three weapon and two nonweapon proficiencies (in addition to the proficiencies already obtained as a Crown Knight), adding one nonweapon and two weapon proficiencies for every two levels of advancement. Sword Knights gain all of the special abilities of the paladin listed in the 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook. A Sword Knight also gains spells as follows, requiring one half hour of meditation per spell level to gain a spell (a Knight can never meditate more than six hours once a week):

These are the maximum number of spells that a Sword Knight can have at any one time.

Knights of the Rose: Once a Sword Knight has risen to 4th level, he can petition the Order of the Rose to be accepted into the Knights of the Rose, if he has the minimum acceptable ability scores. The candidate is brought before a Knightly Council at which a Rose Knight of no less than 9th level is one of the three presiding Knights. If there is no question of honor brought up, the candidate is assigned a complex quest to test his compassion, his wisdom, his generosity, and his combat skills. If successful, the Knight becomes a Novice in the Order.

Knights of the Rose begin with three weapon and two nonweapon proficiencies (in addition to the proficiencies already obtained as a Crown and a Sword Knight), adding one nonweapon and two weapon proficiencies for every two levels of advancement.

Combat: Solamnic Knights are fighters of unparalleled courage and honor. Their highest ideal is to meet a noble death against overwhelming odds in the cause of justice. They retreat only if they can be persuaded that a larger interest is at stake.

The Knights employ a variety of weapons. The most frequently used are bows and swords of all kinds, lances, battle axes, and spears. Crown Knights of 6th level or higher have a 10% chance of having a magical weapon. Sword Knights of 6th level and Rose Knights of 5th level have a 10% base chance of having a magical weapon: for Sword Knights, this chance increases 10% per level above 6th, up to a maximum of 40%, and for Rose Knights the chance increases 10% per level above 5th to a maximum of 70%. All Knights wear a variety of armor, but chain mail with a shield is the most common.

Habitat/Society: Though a Circle may comprise 50.100 or more members, it is rare that an outsider encounters this many Knights at any one time. More commonly, a solitary Knight or a patrol of 2d6 is encountered. This usually occurs within 4d10 miles of a village or large city.

When an encounter with Solamnic Knights is indicated, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1-4, a solitary Knight is encountered. On a roll of 5-6, a patrol of 2d6 is encountered. To determine the Order and level of a solitary Knight or a patrol leader (the rest of the patrol is of the same Order as the leader, but a mixture of lower levels), roll ld6 again to determine which column on the Knight Encounter Table to consult; add 1 to the roll if the Knight encounter occurs within the vicinity of a large village, or add 2 if it occurs within the vicinity of a major city (the DM is free to vary these modifiers as he sees fit). On a modified roll of 1-3, use column A; 4-5 = column B; and 6 = column C. Then roll 1d8 and cross-index the result with the appropriate column.

Solamnic Knights seldom carry treasure or other valuables. Most are required to forfeit most or all of their monetary gains to the greater Knighthood, then draw according to their needs.

Ecology: Few Knights operate openly. They cannot be hired, but they can be recruited for missions to further the common good. Though many are fine metalsmiths and armorers, they seldom sell their wares.

Plainsman

The plainsmen of Krynn consist of a number of tribes organized into self.contained communities. Most tribes share common ancestry with the plainsmen of Que-shu.

Most plainsmen tribes live in areas of Krynn that are otherwise uninhabited; in fact, many tribes have virtually no contact with any other cultures. Tribal life is basic and uncomplicated, with most resources devoted to the day-to-day problems of survival.

Lahutians

This is a tribe of cannibals living in the tropical forests of central and northern Ansalon. The Lahutians are short, stocky race whose pink skin is covered with fine, blond hair. They wear grass and silver necklaces decorated with human finger joints and other small bones They never venture from the forests, traveling in groups of 2d4 to prey on wild animals and unfortunate travelers. They have their own language, an obscure tongue that only 10% of characters with an Intelligence of 15 or higher have a chance of comprehending.

With their special fondness for human flesh, Lahutians attack all humans on sight. Half of an encountered group is armed with spears. The other half wields short bows whose arrows are dipped in a special poison made from sundew sap. This poison causes 1d4 points of damage to victims who fail their saving throws vs. poison. Lahutians wear no armor their AC is 10.

A Lahutian tribe typically comprises about 40 members; half are fighters of 4th level or less, and the rest are level 0 workers, children, and elderly. The Lahutians lack the talent for magic; hence, there are no priests or wizards. The strongest Lahutian rules the tribe by declaring himself to be a god. The ruler demands sacrifices and worship from the other members.

The Lahutians produce no products of value. Their treasure, if any, is seldom more than a small collection of semi-precious stones.

Lor-Tai

The Lor-Tai are members of a primitive, docile tribe that inhabits hillside caves in the northern tropics. All have dark skin, fair hair, and almond eyes They are sweet-tempered, non-violent, and not particularly bright. They are open and friendly to strangers and share their food and homes as long as a visitor cares to stay.

The Lor-Tai are inept fighters and always flee from an opponent if given a chance. If cornered, they feebly defend themselves, with staves, the only weapons the tribe employs About 50% are armed with the staves, which inflict 1d6 points of damage. Lor-Tai wear no armor, but their resilient bodies given them a natural AC of 9.

A tribe usually has 20-50 members. No more than 10% are 1st-level fighters; the rest are level 0. Lor-Tai spend their time tending to their sizeable herds of cows and goats. They have an uncanny rapport with nature; all have a natural ability to speak with animals as per the spell. Some are skilled artists, painting colorful portraits of their favorite animals on the wails of their caves. Others are talented musicians, playing beautiful music on stringed instruments made from goat bones and cow gut.

Though the Lor-Tai have no wizards among their number, they have a remarkable aptitude for creating magical potions. If a Lor-Tai tribesmen is given a magical potion to examine, there is a 25% chance he can duplicate it by combining various herbs, roots, and other natural ingredients. This process takes 2d4 days to complete.

Nomads

This term refers to all of the various plainsmen groups with no permanent settlements, including those refugees left homeless by war or natural disasters. Some roam the countryside in search of new homelands, others have adapted to the nomadic way of life and drift from place to place.

A group of nomads consists of 2d10 members.

About half are level 0, the rest are usually fighters. No more than 10% are higher than 2nd level; a group of ten or less has a single 1st.level fighter, the remainder are level 0. There is a 10% chance that any nomadic group has a single 1st- to 3rd-level thief or renegade wizard. Decisions are made by consensus.

Nomads have few possessions. What they own is usually carried on their backs or hauled in crude wagons. There is a 50% chance that any given nomad is armed, usually with a club, a dagger, or – rarely – a short sword. Armor is used only 5% of the time, most commonly leather or padded. Though nomads seldom have anything for trade or sale, they can be good sources of information.

Rebel

Krynn rebels are small, mobile groups of fighters using guerilla tactics to further the causes of freedom. Rebel groups flourish wherever injustice and oppression prevail.

Because secrecy is vital to a rebel band’s success, members do not wear uniforms or any other distinctive garb, although members of a rebel band may communicate with one another with secret signs or passwords. Since rebels are recruited from all walks of life, they share no common physical traits. However, rebels all tend to exhibit exceptional courage, idealism, and perseverance.

Combat: Since their lives depend on their fighting skills, rebels are superb combatants. Rebels with a year or more of guerilla experience gain a +1 bonus to their attack roll when using melee weapons.

Rebel weaponry depends on whatever a group can scrounge. Roll 1d20 and consult the following table to determine a rebel’s primary weapon.

Armor is particularly hard to come by for rebels; 20% have shields, and an additional 30% have armor of the armored rebels, 40% have leather or padded armor, 40% have studded leather (or leather or padded armor with a shield), 10% have chain mail, and 10% have chain mail and a shield.

Habitat/Society: Rebels have no permanent base of operations. If their identities are known by local officials, they seldom sleep in the same place twice, using caves, abandoned buildings, or the homes of sympathetic friends.

Rebels try to keep their groups as small as possible rarely hav. ing more than 20 members. The group is split equally into 1st- to 4th-level fighters, 4th- to 6th-level fighters, and 7th-level or higher fighters. There is no more than a 5% chance that a rebel is fortunate enough to acquire a magical weapon. About 20% of the time, a large rebel group has a varying number of wizards, rogues, and priests; it is rare for more than 10% of a group to come from these classes.

Rebels carry little or no money. Any treasure they acquire goes immediately to purchase weapons or medicines.

Ecology: Master survivalists, rebels can live off the land for indefinite periods of time.