Al-Qadim
Encyclopedia
Al-Qadim is an Arabian Nights-themed campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
. The setting was developed by Jeff Grubb
for TSR, Inc.
, and was first released in 1992. Al-Qadim is set in the land of Zakhara, called the Land of Fate. Thematically, the land of Zakhara is a blend of the historical Arabian Empire, the stories of legend, and a wealth of Hollywood cinematic history. Zakhara is a peninsula on the continent of Faerûn
in the world of Toril
, the locale of the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting, although Al-Qadim is designed to stand on its own or be added to any existing campaign setting. The basic campaign setting was divided between two game products: Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures, a sourcebook describing character creation rules, equipment, and spells unique to the setting, and Al-Qadim: Land of Fate, a boxed set describing the land of Zakhara, with separate sourcebooks for the players and the Dungeon Master
.
The Al-Qadim setting was designed to be limited in scope, and was conceived as a two-year project. Due to its popularity, it was extended by an extra year.
Zakharan society is broken into two main divisions:
Zakhara's society is made up mainly of humans, but demihumans such as elves
and dwarves
are present in the setting as well, as well as humanoids such as orcs
, goblinoid
s, and ogres
. Unlike most settings, there is practically no racial disharmony in Zakhara: humans, elves, and orcs alike share the same culture, lifestyle, and social status, and races traditionally considered evil savages, such as goblins
, are instead valued members of society. The nomadic Al-Badia are predominantly human, whereas the Al-Hadhar possess greater diversity. The nomads and city-dwellers, humans and non-humans alike are all united as a single culture under a single religion (a polytheistic pastiche of Islam
) and as subjects of the caliph
; the entire continent is effectively a single empire, although different regions, city-states, and tribes have unique local cultures.
Not all inhabitants of Zakhara belong to the shared culture, however: there are many tribes of pagan human barbarians who reject the Law of the Loregiver and the worship of the Pantheon, and certain monstrous races—including the yuan-ti
, the vile yak-men (or yikaria as they call themselves), and most giants
-- dwell apart in their own societies.
The people of Zakhara speak and write a common language called Midani (represented by Arabic
).
Zakhara has a wide variety of gods, but all recognize the power of Fate. Fate may cast down the mightiest sultan or raise up the meanest beggar. None can agree on her nature, whether the mother of the gods or an elemental force. All acknowledge her power, however. In Dungeons & Dragons game terms, Fate is not given statistics, spells, or priesthoods as are most deities.
In the distant past, a woman known only as the Loregiver penned the scrolls that clearly laid out the laws of the land, some say guided by the hand of Fate. The wisdom of this Lore was immediately recognized and became the basis of law in Zakhara. The vast majority of Al-Hadhar and most Al-Badia are Enlightened in the way of the Loregiver.
s in the Al-Qadim setting can choose from any of a number of character types. Al-Qadim uses the concept of character kits, a more rigid layer atop the traditional Dungeons & Dragons character classes
. These kits are generally available to all characters, with certain restrictions based on the race of the character.
All standard races are present, including humans
, elves
, dwarves
, half-elves
, gnomes
, and halflings
, although they do not suffer many of the racial prejudices traditional to most Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. Non-human characters are rarer than they are in other traditional Dungeons & Dragons settings, including the rest of Toril.
Kits described in the core campaign setting are as follows:
Accessories:
Boxed Sets:
Adventure Boxes:
Adventure Module:
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. The setting was developed by Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb is an author and game designer. He has worked on a number of computer and role-playing games and has written a number of successful novels, short stories and comics...
for TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, and was first released in 1992. Al-Qadim is set in the land of Zakhara, called the Land of Fate. Thematically, the land of Zakhara is a blend of the historical Arabian Empire, the stories of legend, and a wealth of Hollywood cinematic history. Zakhara is a peninsula on the continent of Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
in the world of Toril
Abeir-Toril
Abeir-Toril is the name of the fictional planet that makes up the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, as well as the Al-Qadim and Maztica campaign settings and the 1st edition version of the Oriental Adventures campaign setting.The name is archaic, meaning "cradle of life." It...
, the locale of the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting, although Al-Qadim is designed to stand on its own or be added to any existing campaign setting. The basic campaign setting was divided between two game products: Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures, a sourcebook describing character creation rules, equipment, and spells unique to the setting, and Al-Qadim: Land of Fate, a boxed set describing the land of Zakhara, with separate sourcebooks for the players and the Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
.
Publication
The first Al-Qadim product, Arabian Adventures, was released in 1992.The Al-Qadim setting was designed to be limited in scope, and was conceived as a two-year project. Due to its popularity, it was extended by an extra year.
Important concepts
There are a number of important concepts to the Zakharan culture including honor, family, social station, purity, piety, and hospitality.Zakharan society is broken into two main divisions:
- Al-Badia: The nomadic desert people.
- Al-Hadhar: The city people.
Zakhara's society is made up mainly of humans, but demihumans such as elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
and dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
are present in the setting as well, as well as humanoids such as orcs
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
, goblinoid
Goblinoid
Goblinoids are a category of humanoid legendary creatures related to the goblin. The term originated in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, in which goblins and related creatures are a staple of random encounters. Goblinoids are typically barbaric foes of the various human and...
s, and ogres
Ogre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
. Unlike most settings, there is practically no racial disharmony in Zakhara: humans, elves, and orcs alike share the same culture, lifestyle, and social status, and races traditionally considered evil savages, such as goblins
Goblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a very common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins and Kobolds are commonly non-human monsters that low-level player characters will face in combat. In D&D, goblins aren't smaller cousins of orcs, but are a part of...
, are instead valued members of society. The nomadic Al-Badia are predominantly human, whereas the Al-Hadhar possess greater diversity. The nomads and city-dwellers, humans and non-humans alike are all united as a single culture under a single religion (a polytheistic pastiche of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
) and as subjects of the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
; the entire continent is effectively a single empire, although different regions, city-states, and tribes have unique local cultures.
Not all inhabitants of Zakhara belong to the shared culture, however: there are many tribes of pagan human barbarians who reject the Law of the Loregiver and the worship of the Pantheon, and certain monstrous races—including the yuan-ti
Yuan-ti
The yuan-ti are a fictional species of evil snakemen in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The species comprises a number of castes. In some campaign settings, the yuan-ti are descended from evil human cultists who mixed their bloodlines with those of serpents...
, the vile yak-men (or yikaria as they call themselves), and most giants
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
-- dwell apart in their own societies.
The people of Zakhara speak and write a common language called Midani (represented by Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
).
Zakhara has a wide variety of gods, but all recognize the power of Fate. Fate may cast down the mightiest sultan or raise up the meanest beggar. None can agree on her nature, whether the mother of the gods or an elemental force. All acknowledge her power, however. In Dungeons & Dragons game terms, Fate is not given statistics, spells, or priesthoods as are most deities.
In the distant past, a woman known only as the Loregiver penned the scrolls that clearly laid out the laws of the land, some say guided by the hand of Fate. The wisdom of this Lore was immediately recognized and became the basis of law in Zakhara. The vast majority of Al-Hadhar and most Al-Badia are Enlightened in the way of the Loregiver.
Characters
Player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s in the Al-Qadim setting can choose from any of a number of character types. Al-Qadim uses the concept of character kits, a more rigid layer atop the traditional Dungeons & Dragons character classes
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
. These kits are generally available to all characters, with certain restrictions based on the race of the character.
All standard races are present, including humans
Human (Dungeons & Dragons)
Humans are a race available for player characters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Although short-lived by comparison, humans are the most populous of all Dungeons & Dragons races. They are renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lack specializations like...
, elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
, dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, half-elves
Half-elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :The half-elf appeared as a player character race in the original Player's Handbook . The half-elf also appeared in the original Monster Manual...
, gnomes
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
, and halflings
Halfling (Dungeons & Dragons)
The halfling is a fictional race found in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Halflings are similar to humans except about half the size...
, although they do not suffer many of the racial prejudices traditional to most Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. Non-human characters are rarer than they are in other traditional Dungeons & Dragons settings, including the rest of Toril.
Kits described in the core campaign setting are as follows:
Warriors
- Askar: citizen warriors
- Corsair: swashbuckling sea-born warriors
- Desert Rider: nomadic fighters who ride horses and camels across the desert
- Faris: holy warriors fighting for their faith and their people
- Mamluk: slave warriors noted for the special tattoos they wear
- Mercenary Barbarian: warriors from abroad come to fight for money, fame, or power
- Outland Warrior: fighters truly foreign to the land of Zakhara
Wizards
- Elemental Mage: masters of one of the four elements: sand (earthEarth (classical element)Earth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
), sea (waterWater (classical element)Water is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
), flame (fireFire (classical element)Fire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
), or wind (airAir (classical element)Air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. Its supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.-Greek and Roman tradition:...
) - Sha' ir: wizards whose magic centers on genies and is aided by their familiarFamiliar animalA familiar animal, in folklore, is an animal believed to be possessed of magic powers such as the ability to change its shape. It may be a temporary form assumed by a spirit, devil or trickster god....
s, gens (minor genies) - Sorcerer: the most common wizards in Zakhara, who deal with two elemental forces
- Ajami: outland wizards from beyond the Land of Fate
Rogues
- Sa'luk: free men or women who follow their own path
- Barber: experts in the ways of the bazaar and the city
- Beggar-Thief: often overlooked, they can go places others would be noticed
- Holy Slayer: assassins working for an assassin order
- Matrud: tribal cast outs making their own way in the Land of Fate
- Merchant-Rogue: masters of the mercantile arts who carry their trade from town to town
- Rawun: the story-tellers and bards of Zakharan society
Priests
- Pragmatist: the most liberal and common of all priests who try to adapt their faith to the everyday world
- Ethoist: conservative priests who promote a particular path
- Moralist: the most conservative and intolerant among the priests
- Hakima: wise women who serve as valuable advisers to the outer tribes
- Kahin: the idol-priests of Zakhara, often champions of nature
- Mystic: eremitic priests who tend to visit populous centers to deliver prophetic pronouncements
- Outland Priest: priests who follows a faith foreign to the Land of Fate
Expansion products
Al-Qadim had a number of support products released before the line came to an end. These include:Accessories:
- Al-Qadim: Arabian AdventuresAl-Qadim: Arabian AdventuresArabian Adventures is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1992....
- TSR #2126 (1992) - Monstrous Compendium: Al-Qadim Appendix - TSR #2129 (1992)
- The Complete Sha'ir's HandbookThe Complete Sha'ir's HandbookThe Complete Sha'ir's Handbook is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1994....
- TSR #2146 (1994)
Boxed Sets:
- Al-Qadim: Land of FateLand of FateLand of Fate is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1992....
- TSR #1077 (1992) - City of Delights - TSR #1091 (1993)
Adventure Boxes:
- Golden VoyagesGolden VoyagesGolden Voyages is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1992....
- TSR #9366 (1992) - Assassin MountainAssassin MountainAssassin Mountain is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
- TSR #9431 (1993) - A Dozen and One AdventuresA Dozen and One AdventuresA Dozen and One Adventures is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
- TSR #9432 (1993) - Secrets of the LampSecrets of the LampSecrets of the Lamp is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
- TSR #9433 (1993) - Ruined Kingdoms Campaign - TSR #9440 (1994)
- Cities of Bone - TSR #9467 (1994)
- Corsairs of the Great Sea - TSR #9499 (1994)
- Caravans - TSR #9459 (1994)
Adventure Module:
- Reunion - TSR #9584 (1998)
V3.5 edition material
- Sha' ir core class (in Dragon 315) http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?t=80656&page=2)
- Barber, Corsair, Holy Slayer, and Mamluk prestige classes (in Dragon 321)
See also
- Al-Qadim: The Genie's CurseAl-Qadim: The Genie's CurseAl-Qadim: The Genie's Curse is an action role-playing game for the PC set in the Al-Qadim campaign setting of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It was developed by Cyberlore Studios and published in 1994 by Strategic Simulations, Inc.-Plot:...
− a computer adaptation - Abeir-TorilAbeir-TorilAbeir-Toril is the name of the fictional planet that makes up the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, as well as the Al-Qadim and Maztica campaign settings and the 1st edition version of the Oriental Adventures campaign setting.The name is archaic, meaning "cradle of life." It...
− the fictional planet where the Al-Qadim, Forgotten RealmsForgotten RealmsThe Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, and Oriental AdventuresOriental AdventuresOriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
campaign settings take place
External links
- Al-Qadim campaign site
- Al-Qadim art gallery
- Al-Qadim.com
- TSR Archive Al-Qadim product list - the Al-Qadim campaign setting is covered there as a part of TorilAbeir-TorilAbeir-Toril is the name of the fictional planet that makes up the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, as well as the Al-Qadim and Maztica campaign settings and the 1st edition version of the Oriental Adventures campaign setting.The name is archaic, meaning "cradle of life." It...
- Pen & Paper RPG database