Fixing the Astromundi Cluster

History

The Astromundi Cluster (AC) history given us in the history section is seriously flawed. Even looking at the most basic and recent portion it refers to things that seem to be taking place over decades or centuries but then are referred to as being months or just a few years. The pieces of history found scattered throughout the rest of the set make the timeline even more confusing and then add a sphere-spanning plot with an extremely short time limit (the illithid suncatcher plot). My recommendation is to chuck all the history while keeping only the most basic parts. The following is a fixed history that is close enough to prevent too many changes having to be made:

The sphere was ripped asunder at some time by a massive cataclysm. Before that, no one knows. And how would they, everything was destroyed?! More importantly, no one cares. None of the various empires or racial groups could exist without SJ so before SJ was re-introduced/discovered to each group they existed as minor, subsistence settlements. With SJ reintroduced, the Antilans were able to form their empire and begin expanding, including subjugating those who were too primitive to be worth allying with or refused to do so. That was centuries ago. As the Antilans expanded they encountered the elves, who still knew of SJ or possibly even emigrated to the sphere. Or perhaps the local elves were simply retaught SJ by their kin as they have many contacts with the greater Elven Fleet.

The Antilans could not keep SJ for themselves, try though they might. Some of their slaves revolted from time to time and those that were successful took ships elsewhere in the cluster, spreading SJ once more to the other races. The Thoric and Calidians both adopted SJ quickly and prospered by it, as well as spreading it still further. With Antilan aggression the elves also helped spread SJ, becoming some of the first suppliers of helms to the other fledgling outposts of SJ aware civilization. The Antilans also encountered other spelljamming groups. The neogi had a heavy presence in the cluster for a very long time as they raided the primitive settlements for slaves and resources. Some historians have even suggested that it was a large colony that successfully fought back and took over a neogi ship that first began the Antilan empire. The illithids were more of a problem. They, too, had had knowledge of SJ for a very long time (how do you stop creatures that innately plane-hop from learning what their kin in other spheres know?) and were already establishing an empire for themselves in Clusterspace. Additionally, they not only had traditional slaves but they also had learned from their millennia past gith rebellions and created a special noble class beneath them, gifting their best slaves with power, status, and training. The Varan were and are excellent, highly motivated, highly disciplined troops and agents for the illithids and caused the burgeoning Antilan Empire immediate grief. In order to fend off the illithids and hold their empire together, the Antilans turned to the dwarves. They had encountered many scattered dwarven settlements and found them tenacious fighters, not worth the trouble of trying to enslave, despite the high quality of their workmanship. So instead they now introduced the dwarven colonies to SJ travel as well as hiring them as mercenaries to help deal with the illithid threat.

The Calidians meanwhile had grown as a mercantile alliance, dominated by guilds and merchants. They sold SJ technology to lizard men, gnomes, and others. Not only did this bring them good will and help against the competing Antilans and illithids, it brought them lost technology and wealth to turn against those who would subjugate them. Even as all this occurred the neogi found themselves in a deadly position. Unable to escape the sphere, they were opposed by every group in the sphere and their once free ways had been replaced by a growing list of determined enemies fully capable of holding them off and even chasing them down. So the neogi changed tactics. They still had one of the most powerful forces in the sphere, if they could unite, including slaves, umber hulks, and more 100 ton warships than even the elves. Using this power they forced the illithids (who already did business with them anyway), the Antilans (who were also slavers anyway), and the Calidians to accept them in their new role as neutral traders (with these main three groups and their allies and vassals agreed the other groups of the sphere were forced to go along in short order). The neogi were also able to negotiate a truce between the Antilans and illithids in their new position. Both empires had suffered mightily in the lengthy war that had raged with the Antilans gaining the upper hand militarily through the purchase of their crystal ships from the arcane while the illithids had greater intelligence (a race that can go astral, use psionic powers, and is much more experienced at spelljamming and dealing with humans than humans are with them is bound to have an advantage) that allowed them to control when and where engagements occur. Neither empire is friendly with the other, nor have they ceased their slaving and raiding and conquest of others (especially the Calidians and unaffiliated colonies) but they are wary of reinitiating what was a costly and nearly all-consuming war so the uneasy peace has held to this day.

Unique Traits

Plots

Races

The most important thing to remember about all the races is to ignore the stated populations as they are not at all thought out. The Antilan Empire has 3 billion people? How do they control a population so spread out on so many asteroids? How have they managed to unite 1/2 the earth's current population without an equivalent level of communication and transportation? Does this number include the slave populace (I suggest not)? If it does, how many are there of those? If it doesn't, how many slaves are there in the empire to add to this number? Or what about the illithids? With 3 billion population they would have to eat the brains of every other sentient in the sphere in less than a year to survive (the total listed non-illlithid population comes to less then 9 billion, less than 3 times the population of just the illithids!). How do they all stay fed? Does their population include slaves, even though the Varan are listed separately (and thus I assume it doesn't)? If not, how many slaves do they have in addition to the Varan? With the racial numbers given, why are the elves and lizard men, both numbering less than a million, even listed here? Not to mention the attention they receive elsewhere including having some of their colonies detailed. In short, do what you want with the populations. The illithid empire apparently is very large, undoubtedly owing much more to the population of slaves than the population of illithids. The Antilans are also very populous but what are their relative numbers to their slaves? The below fixed racial descriptions should help DMs assign a relative level of power and numbers to each empire without having to resort to the #s in the boxed set. And really, in what other world do we know the population #s for any species? At best we know the populations of individual cities and villages and a little about their frequency and DMs using the Astromundi Cluster should do the same.

Another problem with how the races are dealt with throughout the entire boxed set is that each one is generally considered some sort of great allied nation. While this works in Sci-fi where races come from a single planet or system, it doesn't work where the various colonies haven't had contact with each other for centuries. Just because we're all dwarves (or humans, or gnomes, etc.) doesn't mean we'll all agree to the same laws, methods, goals, and so on. Not only is this completely unrealistic but if adopted by the DM it hurts the feel of a fragmented setting and limits what should be a massive variety of unique cultures. Yes, many races, especially dwarves, elves, halflings, and gnomes with their good aligned racial pantheons probably get along with others of their own kind relatively well once they've gotten to know each other but that hardly means that all will bow to some one or few leaders across the sphere, have the same culture or mind set, or attempt to achieve the same goals. Not to mention how hard it is to run such a diverse, spread out empire. Instead only the illithids, with their mental powers, ability to travel the planes, and prior spheres-spanning empire and the Antilans who've built a unified empire by conquest should have completely united civilizations. Of course, the Varan are a distinct group only because of their history of illithid service and those still in bondage to the illithids will be a unified part of the illithid empire. Even the elves, who've probably been traveling the sphere since even right after the cataclysm will still have many colonies that were lost for a time or who wish to remain relatively isolated, even from their kin. Nor does this necessarily mean that some of the plots various leaders and groups have need to be thrown out. Some dwarven leaders may well have allied and be planning to become the dominant partners in their dealings with various others. It's just that this is probably a lot further away and needs a lot more planning and manipulating than the boxed set tries to present.

Antilans: First, ignore the ability adjustments for the different human races, including the Antilans. Consider them the same as any other human with the same ability range. The Antilans are a human culture, not a race, and are dominated by powerful mages who make up the majority of the ruling noble class. The upper class employs innumerable slaves but the average Antilan doesn't have the money for slaves and leads a typical existence as a farmer, merchant, soldier, smith, or the like. Since only nobles can be wizards in the Antilan empire, peasant wizards and similar kits do not exist (in 3e, wizards are never multi-classed as commoners among the Antilans, also as wizardry is as much a sign of nobility as noble training, many will not have any levels of aristocrat and DMs may wish to allow Antilan wizards access to the skills allowed to aristocrats as well as the usual wizard skills). Promising youngsters can attain the status of minor nobles (similar to a promising soldier being knighted in feudal times) by being accepted as an apprentice by a noble mage (the noble houses are constantly looking to increase their power so training a skilled wizard that owes them fealty is a good move, just like a powerful lord adding a skilled knight to those who served him was desirable in feudal times). War mages, militarist wizards, elementalists, and invokers are the most desirable types of wizards among the Antilans. Wizards that become powerful enough may become sun mages. Sun mages are usually fire elementalists, invokers, or generalist wizards. Note that as this is all based on 2e, there is no place for 3e sorcerers in this system. If the DM allows sorcerers to develop among the Antilans, assume they must all find a noble house to sponsor them (if they aren't already a noble) as soon as their abilities develop. Sorcerers cannot become sun mages but are still highly valued in the empire and many can rise from commoner to upper level nobility as they suddenly evidence sorcerer powers, are taken into a noble house's service, develop their skills and grow in power, and are married to a powerful noble in hopes they will produce sorcerer children. The Antilan sun mages are a prestige class in 3e.

Fighters, as in most any culture, are quite common in the Antilan empire. Rangers and paladins, however, are nearly unknown. Thieves are actively hunted, with those caught usually being condemned to a hard labor camp (usually mining but may be farming) for the rest of their lives. This has not stopped the proliferation of thieves in the empire as it is the most metropolitan of all the cultures in the sphere as well as one of the most populous. Most of the thieves in the Antilan empire are those that are not too obvious or can develop alliances with influential members of the community (such as assassins, beggars, fences, and smugglers) because of the harsh laws. Bards are also carefully controlled due to their knowledge of magic. In general bards are sponsored by a noble house though they aren't actually nobles nor is their existence outlawed as it is with wizards (though they can be easily locked up as wizards if not sponsored, especially since some wizards try to pass themselves off as bards to escape Antilan justice. Priests are not afforded nearly the respect they are in most cultures and are highly distrusted by the nobility. No church is allowed to develop a great deal of influence or power due to the paranoia of the upper class.

The Antilan empire does not extend as far as their ships will allow but is extensive. They are not in control of all the territory in range of their powerful crystal ships due to opposing forces, especially the illithids. Their possible expansion is limited by the limited range and number of their crystal ships (which they rely on to subjugate and control territory) as well as communications delays.

Beholders: The beholders of the sphere are very rarely encountered by other races but are universally feared. They are preoccupied with their racial wars but will often stop to take some slaves, some food, any items of interest or use, and to find out about any sightings of other beholders in the area. No one likes them or trusts them and those able to do so usually simply wipe them out. This is the Thoric and Antilan attitude though the Calidians, illithids, and neogi prefer to trade with them from a position of strength.

Calidians: Again, ignore the racial adjustments and just make them the same as all other humans. The Calidians, like the Thoric, are a loosely allied culture not joined under a single imperial government. The Calidians are the militarily weakest of the 4 overarching human cultures. They are also the least homogeneous of the human cultures. Most human colonies in the inner and middle areas of the sphere that are discovered join the Calidians if given the choice. Those that don't get a choice are conquered or enslaved by their discoverers. The Calidians do not believe in slavery, which is not surprising since they are trying to avoid being enslaved themselves. Slavery is not outlawed, however, as most of their trading partners are slavers. The Calidians trade with anyone, so even as illithids and Antilans are fighting to enslave Calidian asteroids in one area, Calidian traders from other areas are busy conducting business with them. Such is the weakness of the informal Calidian "alliance".

Wizards are highly respected among the Calidians for their abilities as helmsman and in defending ships and communities. More mage colleges exist among the Calidians than among any other inhabitants of the sphere (sorcerers are also allowed to operate freely but their frequency is, of course, up to the DM). They are also the only culture with full, true religious freedom. As such priests, monks, druids, and paladins as well as temples and shrines are quite common. Even temples and shrines of non-human gods can be found in the free-trading Calidian ports. With so much trade it is inevitable that there would be thieves and bards. In addition to smugglers, pick pockets, burglars, and fences, con artists are common among the lists of Calidian thieves. Beggars are nearly unknown, however, as there is almost always work and few Calidians feel sorry for those unwilling to do it. Only beggars who are highly crippled (like no legs) are "successful" in Calidian territory. Assassins are also rare here, but as long as there are those willing to pay for the expert removal of a rival, whether it be in business, politics, or love, assassins will be there to answer the demand. Traveling bards make the Calidian empire the best informed of all the human territories as they carry news from one end of the empire to the other along with entertainment. Interested governments and nobles from other societies usually employ spies in Calidian ports to pick up this news. And finally, of course, warriors and fighters are very common among the Calidians. They are, in fact, more common than in most groundling settings and the Antilan Empire because many Calidians spend a few years as spelljamming sailors to earn money. Also, most smaller Calidian settlements have mandatory militia drills.

The Calidians are found scattered throughout the sphere, even close to the rim where the Thoric are dominant, and any individual settlement or group of settlements can have nearly any type of cultural basis (Celtic, Nordic, Egyptian, etc.) the DM desires due to the hodgepodge of settlements and once isolated cultures that makes up the Calidian "alliance". None should allow slavery among their own people, be a militaristic power intent on military conquest and domination (the Calidians don't want to attract that type of notice), and each should be open to and focused on trade (that's the reason to join the Calidians, after all).

Dohwar: Why the dohwar would be unknown in AC is just as mysterious as why they would ally with the Calidians rather than taking the mercantile-rich sphere by storm. Regardless of their past, dohwar should be well known throughout the Astromundi Cluster as merchants and traders. They will sell anything to anyone at any time so long as the price is right and with so many blockades, battles, and local shortages they undoubtedly do extremely well. In AC dohwar are able to survive on weaponless ships for a very simple reason: attacking them means blacklisting. Pirates that attack dohwar vessels find themselves the sudden targets of massive hunts by local powers and colonies that attack dohwar suddenly find their trade has dried up. Dohwar respond economically to enemies by simply avoiding all trade with offenders. Their power comes in that all dohwar stop trading with the offending outpost. Even if it was pirates that attacked, until the trade route is cleared, no dohwar will trade with the nearest colonies. And when dohwar stop trading with a colony it quickly develops an unsavory reputation and other merchants stay away. This can mean death to a colony and even if it doesn't it certainly means economic chaos and ruin. How this came to be isn't quite understood. One suggestion that seems to contain an element of truth is that the dohwar were trading in the Astromundi Cluster before most civilizations discovered how to return to the stars themselves. They spread [true] stories of how they would boycott any colony that did not treat them fairly and with so many colonies dependent on their trade goods for survival, none could afford to risk it. Other theories suggest that telepathic manipulation was at first involved but that since then the practice has become so ingrained that it's now the established order of things and few merchants question it. Since merchants that ignore the blacklisting to trade with a colony become blacklisted themselves no merchant can afford to buck the system.

Dracon: The dracon are nearly unknown in the Astromundi Cluster. As lost spacefarers from another sphere they only exist in tiny groups everywhere else in SJ so this is hardly a problem to implement in AC. Those that have made it to the Astromundi Cluster have undoubtedly been quickly enslaved since they have no numbers, nation, military might, or anything to trade. PC dracon should be recent arrivals to the sphere. And that's why they're PCs: they're trying to find someone friendly to join with in this alien and inescapable environment.

Dwarves: The dwarves of the Astromundi Cluster are a mix of hill dwarves and mountain dwarves with the hardier mountain dwarves predominating. Due to the scattered populations of the cluster and level of travel as well as the often mercenary nature of dwarven bands and the fact that dwarves were reintroduced to spelljamming by others, AC dwarves' primary vessel is not the citadel. While a mighty, massive dwarven citadel is a fear-instilling sight to behold and many of them exist in the cluster, more common ships are most often used by the sphere's dwarven population for trade, exploration, communication, and even mining and war. AC cluster dwarves prefer the hammership as a warship but also use a number of galleons, many made of stone. The shrikeship has attracted the dwarven eye as a new warship and dragonflies and wasps are used for communication and exploration as well as trade with the few places in the cluster that require landing on land rather than the gravity plane. Tradesmen are also used due to their commonness and thus affordability. Despite their usefulness as warships, AC dwarves are thoroughly unimpressed with the new turtleships. To power all these dwarven ships, dwarven clerics are extremely common, at least as common as the combined numbers of wizards and priests among the Calidians. Even if the campaign is 3e, dwarven sorcerers, wizards, and druids, if allowed at all, should be extremely rare.

The dwarves of the cluster concentrate on manufacturing, mining, and mercenary work. The boxed set has attempted to make them into lesser tinker gnomes and this should be avoided (if the author wanted tinkers, why weren't gnomes, a standard AD&D race, included?). The axe for hire kit lists a reaction penalty for dwarves using the kit and associating with other dwarves, but with the frequency of dwarven mercenaries in AC, this penalty should only apply to those few axes for hire that choose not to work with or for a dwarven dominated (or owned) mercenary company. Most dwarves in the Astromundi Cluster should have character classes and it is recommended that all do. In 2e the average dwarf is a 1st level fighter with the clansdwarf or axe for hire kit (female dwarves in AC are generally prevented from being mercenaries and front-line troops so female axes for hire are especially rare and come only from a few clans where this life is accepted). In 3e the average AC dwarf should be an expert or a fighter, not a commoner, and most dwarves who've reached full maturity will add a level of fighter or warrior. Note that dwarven fighters are so much more common than warriors in AC because they are trained hard as battle is an expected occurrence for a dwarf and many will see some as mercenaries. Dwarven craftsmen, from shipwrights to armorers, are highly regarded throughout the sphere and their military might as well as their close racial bond (clans may squabble and even go to war with each other but these are private feuds and no dwarf ever lets a non-dwarf pick on kin, however distantly related) has convinced every other organized power in the sphere that the dwarves are not to be messed with.

Dwarven thieves are more common in AC than one might expect, with many dwarven mercenaries multi-classing as thieves as they are able to smuggle goods and engage in fencing of goods as their mercenary bands relocate from place to place. Most dwarven thieves are aimed at commerce, such as smuggling and fencing, rather than at direct theft such as pick pocketing and burglary. In dwarf society common thieves (pick pockets, etc.) are usually maimed and then exiled when caught. Stealing from other dwarves (including hurting business by making people leery of contracting dwarven mercenaries) is a despicable and unredeemable crime in the eyes of most dwarves. Dwarven assassins also usually hide in dwarven mercenary bands, enabling them to take contracts not only among their own people but also among other cultures where their mercenary bands travel. This makes them able to conduct business where no other assassin can strike at times and allows them to set higher, dwarven-standard prices.

Dwarven clans are scattered across the sphere and most clans engage in mercenary work as a sideline. As dwarven mercenaries will work for anyone they have been known to be hired by Varan, neogi, Calidians, and even Thoric. The Antilans are the greatest utilizers of dwarven mercenaries, however. Most dwarven clans in AC, except in the most populous areas of the inner sphere, are forced to be self-sufficient and so have farmers, herders, merchants, shipwrights, miners, and craftsmen among their numbers rather than specializing in any particular area.

Elves: The elves of the Astromundi Cluster should be like common elves in other spheres if they arrived from other spheres. The feral, xenophobic, isolationist elves of the sphere seem to have originated here so they may be as distinct as the DM likes. Regardless of where AC elves originated and how distinct their appearance is, they should not have a 10:1 ratio of males to females with the forced polygamous marriages described in the boxed set. If things really were this bad, why have they not balanced over time and why haven't the female elves risen up in revolt at being forcible breeders for their own people? The females are even more oppressed by the set-up given than the men. Nor does it fit with the CG nature of elves, where personal freedom is seen as essential to personal and community harmony and well-being and self-expression is encouraged and not quashed. The artificial culture described for elves in the AC boxed set is LE and destructive of those who have to live under it and should be ignored. Also the artificial "immunity to mind-reading" is both contrived and ridiculous as any powerful wizard should be able to scry on an elven ship to discover their secret to leaving the sphere. The elves are too weak and the illithids and Antilans too powerful in AC to prevent this from happening. In fact, the only question left by the boxed set is why it hasn't. As such, remove the lack of psionic potential as well as the unreadable elven minds and assume those who really want to know how the elves can leave the sphere do. It doesn't change anything, as few people are going to want to leave anyway. One thing the elves probably do have, however, is a near monopoly on phlogiston navigators (though the illithids could easily break this monopoly).

The average elves of AC are high elves, the average type of elf in other spheres. There are also wild and wood elven natives (the difference being how advanced and civilized the particular native culture is) in some areas but these colonies are primarily isolationist and unwilling to trade with anyone other than other elves. All types exist in approximately equal numbers of males and females. The elves of AC are not the powerful, sphere-dominating power they are presented as being so often in other spheres. Nevertheless, they are powerful enough to defend themselves and maintain contact with their scattered colonies throughout the sphere. Most of the elven colonies are in the interior of the sphere though a number of large colonies and strong military outposts exist further out. The elves of the Astromundi Cluster rely primarily on their men-o'-war backed by a few armadas. Radiant ships are unneeded in such a well-lit sphere. Swanships and shrikeships have become favorites of elven merchants as only the military is allowed to use men-o'-war. Older merchant vessels are primarily hammerships and tradesman. Damselflies are used for exploration and courier duties and flitters are the only traditional elven vessels that are sold to others. The elves sell large numbers of flitters for various purposes to all the other cultures of the sphere, so much so that they have become a staple trade item. In contrast, however, if any man-o'-war or armada goes missing it is magically located and hunted down and recovered. Even the Antilans have learned men-o'-war simply aren't worth the price that is ultimately paid. The elves do not allow anyone else to own any of their other types of ships (besides flitters).

AC elves are warriors, fighters, or spellcasters. The few that aren't are experts. There are no commoners among the elves of the Astromundi Cluster. As would be expected, a greater percentage of the elven population is spellcasters than any other group in the sphere. This makes them especially dangerous and most groups choose to avoid their colonies and warships due to the powerful elven response. The elves do travel the sphere, trading with others. Mostly they trade with the dwarves, Calidians, and Thoric of the other established cultures as well as with some lizard man colonies for rare plants and herbs. Only the most unscrupulous elves will trade with any of the slaving cultures and neogi and illithid vessels are not allowed in elven ports. Elven merchants that travel to trade with illithid or Antilan settlements or to neogi settlements other than the multi-cultural free trade ports are exiled from the elven colonies. Among the Calidians especially, half-elves are relatively common due to this trade as elven sailors mix with the locals while in port and then sail on, leaving pregnant woman behind to bear and raise children the sailors usually don't even know they have. Half-elves reared outside elven society in the Astromundi Cluster may be adopted into the Elven Fleet or allowed to immigrate to an elven colony only after careful magical screening to ensure they are not spies or traitors (or even dopplegangers or polymorphed agents). Elven thieves are relatively rare but a very high percentage of half-elves are thieves due to how they grew up. Bards are common among both elves and half-elves.

Giff: Giff are neither unknown nor limited to the Calidians and dohwar. They are not nearly as prevalent in the sphere as elsewhere but are highly sought after as an alternative to dwarven mercenaries. The Calidians in particular favor giff due to their magic resistance which is even better than that of dwarves. Giff in the sphere are marines as suggested in CGR1 The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook.

Gnomes: Gnomes are rarer in the Astromundi Cluster than in many spheres and are overshadowed as miners by the dwarves. Most AC gnomes aren't tinkers though those that have arrived from other spheres have enjoyed unusual success as the merchants all seek to sell something new and everyone looks for the next military technological advancement. The elves have been very friendly with the few gnomish colonies and several colonies of rock and forest gnomes are under elven protection and even have a number of local immigrant elven families. More than a few contracts have been made with tinkers by various merchants guaranteeing the purchase of large numbers of autognomes should the devices ever be perfected enough for reliable use as troops and crews. It is a sad fact in the sphere that most gnomish colonies that are discovered are enslaved unless they can find a way to defend themselves. Some have joined the Calidians (a generally useless move) while others have gained elven protection or become notable sources of something so that trade with them is enough to keep slavers (including Antilans and illithids) away for now. This last is how the tinkers that have reached the Astromundi Cluster have survived. There are no svirfneblin in AC.

Gnomes should be a variety of commoners and experts with a good mixture of PC classes. Warriors and fighters as well as illusionists are relatively common. Rogues are particularly common among the tinkers where they use their wide base of skills to build numerous devices. Non-tinkers favor ships they've been introduced to by the elves, particularly shrikeships and swanships.

Grommam: Grommam originate from a single sphere with a single homeworld where their demigods walk beside them. As such they should be rare in most of space, and even moreso in the isolated Astromundi Cluster. Grommam encountered in AC may be enslaved and magically or psionically interrogated to find out where their home asteroid is if they encounter a slaver culture. They may be mistaken for hadozee by most any culture (elves, illithids, and hadozee are the least likely to make this mistake, of course).

Hadozee: Hadozee are common in the Astromundi Cluster. They work for the elves, traveling on their ships and living in their colonies. They do well in the colder regions the Thoric live in as well. They enjoy life in the free-wheeling Calidian trade towns where they easily find work in a variety of professions. Hadozee are commonly employed as ship crews by many races and less commonly as marines as well as running their own ships from their own settlements. It seems the hadozee and elves of AC have long worked together, for even sometimes newly discovered elven colonies are found to have both elves and hadozee among their populations. Hadozee are generally considered by the Antilans to make poor slaves as they aren't disciplined enough and the illithids aren't overly fond of them either. Neogi aren't so particular, however.

Half-Elves: Half-elves in AC are found primarily in human communities as the offspring of visiting elven sailors. A surprisingly large number are found among the Antilans as well, as slaves. Elves and half-elves are both highly sought after slaves among the Antilans and most females end up having children by their masters (especially as the females are almost universally used as harem slaves). Some are even born to Antilan females by their male elven slaves but Antilan law states any child of a slave is a slave so even if born to a noblewoman the child is immediately taken and raised as a slave, ignorant of its lineage. A surprising number of half-elves can be found among the few independent halfling colonies of the sphere. They usually feel more appreciated and included in these colonies than among the purely human colonies. They also find a great deal of acceptance in gnomish colonies, especially ones that include a few elven families.

Obviously half-elves run the full gamut of classes based on where they live. Their aptitude for magic is highly desired by the Calidians, many of whom seek them out as battle mages with fighting skill or simply as helmsman. Often being abandoned, many are thieves. Warriors, commoners, and fighters are all common enough as are bards. Those few half-elves that grow up in elven society usually enjoy full status among their peers. Additionally the elven fleet is generally accepting of any half-elf whose loyalty is magically proven.

Halflings: Halflings, a staple race in the game, aren't even mentioned in the AC boxed set. Halflings are not well known in the sphere as most are on inner asteroids and have been enslaved by the Antilans. Their human masters benefit from skilled halfling farmers, brewers, and tailors. Halflings aren't seen as a threat by the Antilans due to their lack of magical prowess (halfling priests have been ruthlessly eradicated in slave colonies) and physical stature. Elsewhere in the sphere arctic halflings, while few in number, are respected trading partners of their Thoric neighbors. Most other free halfling colonies have invited in other races to live with them for protection and have become traders in food, textiles, beverages, tools, and even ships (halfling swanships are used by many races including the elves, humans, and gnomes). Many halfling communities have human, half-elven, and gnomish immigrants living in them. These races are especially favored for their magical aptitude.

AC halflings are mostly commoners and experts. Warriors and fighters are common enough for a peace loving people and priests are highly respected. Halflings do not have the reputation as thieves that they possess in many other spheres and worlds but thieves are common among those that choose to travel.

Humanoids: The Astromundi Cluster boxed set makes the mistake of lumping all the sphere's humanoids together as enemies of the elves. Regardless of history in space elsewhere it is illogical to think that most humanoids would consider elves their primary enemies. Even orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins have prime enemies in dwarves and kobolds view gnomes, not elves, as their most hated foes. As the Astromundi Cluster has such a small elven presence they should not be the focus of the sphere's humanoids. This is an artificial and contrived situation. The humanoids of the sphere are scattered and disorganized as it is. They are few and enemies of everyone. They should be fighting for mere survival rather than some useless and contrived goal. Additionally the boxed set simply assumes that the scro are somehow in charge of the sphere's humanoids. How? Why? Are there really enough scro in the AC to take control of the other humanoids? And why would the other humanoids submit to scro leadership? In other areas of space the scro are leaders because they have large fleets and they recruit planetbound humanoids and supply them with ships. In the Astromundi Cluster they have none of this.

The humanoids of AC should not be united nor should they be under the leadership of the scro. They certainly shouldn't be somehow focused on a larger enemy such as the elves. AC's humanoids are in desperate fights for their own survival. Those lacking ships have to scavenger for food and supplies wherever they can get them while illithids and neogi raid for slaves. Those with access to ships use them to raid for supplies as well as to defend themselves. The resources of any single settlement are never enough to survive over the long term and none have allies but somehow there are always more humanoids in more captured ships in more areas of space. Part of this is because of the number of humanoid ships that go rogue from their tribe and find a new area to settle (very few tribes ever manage to run more than a single ship successfully before the vessel that isn't the tribal leader's flagship goes rogue as its captain decides he wants power for himself). A few types of humanoids have found use to others. Specifically ogres and norkers are favored bodyguards of illithids, especially rogue illithids not part of the illithid empire. Ogre magi have become valued spies and bodyguards among the Antilans where they generally dwell in secret, their true form and powers known only to their noble employers. Ogre magi in the Antilan Empire fall into an unusual area as they use magic but aren't wizards (assuming they don't have a class, those who do are killed as per the law) so if they work for a powerful enough noble house and are revealed they can be protected. The number of ogre magi in the Antilan Empire is very small and this may be all the ones in the sphere. Many groups, including various mercenaries, Calidians, Antilans, neogi, and illithids, have tried to use troll troops but this has never worked out in the long term (the tightest controls worked for about 2 years in one situation--the only time such an arrangement is known to have been successful for more than a year). Despite this history, the bounties on live trolls of all sorts (ice trolls are occasionally found in the colder regions) are extremely high.

Hurwaet: The hurwaet work well in AC, a race who remembers slavery by neogi, beholders, and illithids and has natural abilities that allow them to settle asteroids with fouled air much more easily than most races fits in well with the setting. The hurwaet of AC have long used their abilities to settle new asteroids, ones thought by others to be uninhabitable, in order to establish new colonies as well as to escape their enemies. They have no love for the Varan, illithids, or neogi and aren't fooled by any of them. They have no racial history with the Antilans but aren't interested in an empire that seems to be just like the groups they most hate either. Some hurwaet have become interested in the lizard men and have even moved to lizard man colonies willing to accept them. They also get along well with the elves of the cluster, though the elves aren't willing to allow them to live in their colonies.

Hurwaet in AC are travelers and explorers, searching for new places for their people to colonize, or mercenaries who will only hire out to those willing to stand against those they hate (most are willing to work for groups such as the Thoric who aren't looking for a war but refuse to be pushed around either). They are highly valued by captains who can secure their services and even those who aren't spell casters can usually obtain higher wages than most other warriors because of their special abilities. Lizard man ships often hire hurwaet navigators as the far-traveling hurwaet are often much more experienced than any available lizard men navigators.

Illithids: With their plane-hopping abilities and mental powers the illithids of the spheres have always been much more connected with each other than most any other species could be. As such it should not be surprising that AC's illithids have some level of contact with those of Realmspace, Greyspace, and other spheres. Such contact is dangerous, however, as they must pass through the territory of their age old githyanki enemies. The illithids of the Astromundi Cluster aren't much changed from illithids anywhere else. They take and breed slaves for food and deal basically honestly with others when it serves their purpose. When it doesn’t serve their purpose they don't deal at all, and simply take what they want (which is usually the other person as a slave). The primary difference in AC is that they are a major power of the sphere, as they have not been in most places since their ancient empire collapsed long ago. Of course, they are held in check by the might of the Antilans and most illithids suspect the real reason the Arcane have sold the Antilans the crystal vessels is to preserve a free trade climate, rather than letting the illithids dominate the sphere and thus limit potential trade for the Arcane.

Lizard Men: Lizard men are neither especially common nor uncommon in the Cluster. They are not reduced to the desperate state given in the boxed set but rather are relatively isolationist by choice. Their production of the wasp and turtleships is not only their primary trade resource but also makes them invaluable trading partners for the illithids, Calidians, Antilans, free Varan, and Thoric as their ships, especially their sturdy turtleships are valued by all these groups. The Antilans and illithids have both found that enslaved lizard men do not produce sturdy ships and the substandard vessels they do produce take inordinately long. As such both groups have been forced to accept that it is better to trade with the lizard men. Part of the Antilan trade is the right to bring bloatflies into certain areas of Antilan space to be closer to the sun. The Antilans watch these ships carefully for treachery but have never seen any. The lizard men of the sphere's closest allies and trading partners are the elves. They prefer similarly natural environments and trade heavily in rare herbs and plants. The elves also supply the lizard men with crafted and magical items.

Lizard men who leave their isolationist clans, other than to marry into another clan, generally become mercenaries. Their large size, sharp claws and teeth, willingness to eat most anything, and armored hides make them excellent mercenaries and intimidating guards. As such Calidians most commonly use their services though neogi sometimes hire them for "public" areas such as guarding warehouses and keeping watch in trade ports. One of the primary advantages for lizard men in AC is that they have no natural racial hatreds whereas most of the other races have a strong animosity toward some other group.

Neogi: Despite their "new" status in AC, the neogi aren't truly trusted by anyone. The illithids aren't fooled by them, but the two races have long dealt with each other on peaceful terms so they aren't troubled by the neogi, so long as the settlements of their Varan slaves aren't raided. The Antilans recall the neogi of the past, as do most other peoples of AC, and the fact that they still manage to show up with fresh slaves of unknown origin proves they haven't completely abandoned their old ways. As such the neogi aren't really trusted by anyone but their current status as merchant power and peace brokers has forced all to deal with them peacefully, so long as they don't get out of line. The neogi for their part know just what and who are viable targets and what's off limits. For instance, an Antilan farming asteroid is definitely out of the question but a wanted pirate vessel or an isolated, non-SJ aware settlement is just fine. The neogi also return the animosity of some of their enemies, particularly raiding wild and wood elven settlements when possible as well as any hurwaet settlement they can find. Humanoids make the perfect prey and some have speculated that the neogi may even have breeding asteroids somewhere where they breed certain humanoids.

Of all the races, the "united" presentation of the neogi is probably the most aggregious. It completely contradicts everything else ever presented about neogi, including their motivations, culture, and even reproductive means. It is essential that DMs ignore this one-for-all collective idea as presented in the boxed set for neogi and recall that no matter how they manage to work together somewhat and agree to follow certain common agreements (they are LAWFUL, after all), each neogi is out for themselves and is either a slave, or THE SINGLE master. Neogi have no other place in their culture (such as partners or equals).

Rastipedes: Rastipedes are extremely rare in AC, which as a merchant culture should be somewhat surprising to outsiders. Perhaps the competition is already too fierce or perhaps the standing slave bounties offered by the neogi, Antilans, illithids, and others for rastipede helmsman ensure they will be rarely seen.

Thoric: Again, ignore the racial adjustments and just make them the same as all other humans. The Thoric are a loosely allied culture not joined under a single imperial government. They are obviously designed off a Norse/Viking template and DM's are encouraged to follow this mold, including incorporating ideas and possibly magic from HR1 The Vikings (a historical reference book for 2nd Edition AD&D put out by TSR). DMs should remember that the historical Norse weren't simply feared raiders but that they were also master traders and explorers who traveled long distances to trade (hence the Thoric tradesman). I suggest that the Thoric of AC have once belonged to a single culture that was scattered by the cataclysm. Since regaining the ability to travel through space they've been finding other enclaves of their people who still maintain very similar cultures and have the same language and religion. This has enabled them to grow quickly as what seems to most outsiders to be a single nation. The Thoric may even one day develop into the highly feared raiders their European counterparts on earth did, neighbors beware.

The Thoric have a long tradition of hardiness and martial prowess and have needed it, living in the colder outer regions of the cluster. Warriors are given the highest honors and greatest respect among the Thoric with both fighters and rangers being very common. Paladins are rare or unknown in Thoric lands and culture. Bards, especially skalds, as well as druids, clerics, and specialty priests are all given special respect and rights in Thoric culture but in turn they can never become direct leaders of their people. Instead they act as advisors, mediators, and intercessors (often interceding with the gods, not just other mortals). Magic-users who are not runecasters are deeply distrusted for the most part and none develop in Thoric culture except the occasional mystic. In 3e sorcerers are reviled by the Thoric, their powers come from strange curses or ancient evils and not taught by the intercession of the gods. Thoric are more understanding of outsiders, or at least they accept that outsiders have different ways and so will tolerate outsiders who come to trade and possess skills they'd be more careful of in their own culture. Those Thoric who travel as explorers and traders are quite used to the strange ways of other cultures.

Varan: Again, ignore the racial adjustments and just make them the same as all other humans. The Varan are the slaves of the illithids but are a step above the common illithids slaves and aren't used as cattle. Instead they willingly serve the illithids and are rewarded with their lives, lives that are very like those of most other humans. They travel and trade on their own and their masters' behalves. They may learn skills and professions just as other humans do, including being of any class, except priests, rangers, and paladins (they are even the preeminent human psionicists of the cluster, though their masters dictate what abilities they can and will learn as they progress). Most enjoy a middle or upper middle class standard of living and those who serve especially well can live like royalty. It should thus be no surprise that most Varan are completely loyal to their potentially harsh masters. In fact, most Varan will only ever see an illithid a few times during their life and many will never actually meet one (just observe one from afar) at all.

Varan thieves, bards, and wizards are very common. The illithids don't value warriors as much since they have common, grunt slaves to do their fighting but they recognize the need for the Varan settlements to be able to defend themselves and for warriors to maintain the peace and crew trading ships. Warriors thus will have kits such as marine and myrmidon. Wizards are valued for their ability to power the helms of Varan ships and with illithid magic resistance aren't feared. As such they are quite common, though many are ordered to dual-class to another profession at 9th-12th level to be more useful to their masters as spies or in some other capacity (the thief class is the most common second class as most wizards have decent dexterity). Most any type of wizard that receives formal training and fits in a normal heirarchy is found in Varan culture. Thieves, especially smugglers and spies, are commonly trained and used by the illithids and bards, with their multiple talents including magic and their lore skills are highly prized as well. The illithids do not allow servants of "higher powers" of any sort among the Varan so there are no priests of any type, paladins, or rangers. The illithids don't trust those who derive their power from other sources, sources foreign and often innimical to the illithids.

There is a small part of Varan society that has rebelled from the illithids and formed their own settlements, rather than fleeing to the settlements of other races to hide from their old masters. These "Free Varan" as they identify themselves have many, many fewer psionically able members of their population but have a few priests and other religious sorts. Otherwise they are very similar to their illithid serving kin. In fact, the free Varan have been successfully and heavily penetrated by illithid spies and manipulators but the illithids allow them to remain free for now, granting them an alternate avenue to accomplish their goals.

Xixchil: Xixchil aren't very common anywhere in space and should be just as rare in AC. Those who have heard of them among the neogi, Antilans, and illithids undoubtedly seek them out to enslave them for their ability to alter creatures. While Antilans might seek personal fame and modification, or even just to start a new craze among the social elites, the illithids would undoubtedly like to get hold of some to alter their Varan spies to look like other races, or even individuals. This would enable them to easily insert their own people into key positions among rival groups in the sphere. The neogi would see potential for selling their services as well as selling other slaves who've been exotically altered. They could begin selling an infinite number of "newly discovered" races and species.

Ship Types

For some reason, someone on the AC design team felt that the new AC ships must violate the standard relationship of hull points to size. Why, I'm not sure, especially since it throws the balance of the various ship types out in a setting that assumes the standard ships are present as well (but then balance is something the entire boxed set lacked in most every way). As such, I recommend reducing the number hull points to equal the tonnage of each of these ships, with only one exception (the doombat, see below). Looking at the ships, I see nothing that would make them so much better and more sturdily built ton for ton than, say, a dwarven citadel.

Crystal Ships and Crystal Citadels: These vessels are the exclusive domain of the Antilans, created and powered by arcane secrets. The key to the crystal ships and citadels is they need sunlight to move. They can stay in shadow and move through it but they draw power from the sun and can only operate within a certain range thereof. Because of this the Antilans are seeking to increase the sun's power so they can expand their empire. Treat a crystal vessel in darkness or heavy shadow as any normal ship is in a sargasso (it will continue to move at tactical on its original course and speed until it emerges or it crashes). Antilan crystal vessels are the scourge of the sphere wherever they travel and are only able to be challenged by dwarven citadels.

Doombat: I've often wondered just why elves use flitters as war craft at all but if we assume they do then their adoption of another shiptype should at least prove to have some advantage over standard ship types. As such this is the only ship I would allow to keep its higher hull point to tonnage ratio. And since the elves refuse to allow any other race to possess one, it shouldn't be very unbalancing, especially given the already small size of the ships.

Lanceship: Lanceships are, in my opinion, well designed little ships and should be very common in the campaign. Since they are Calidian in design, they've undoubtedly been sold to others and most any area is likely to have a number of them for defense (unless the locals are elves, humanoids, or lizard men).

Thoric Tradesman: The Thoric tradesman's special ability to combine helms is something the DM should work out for themselves ahead of time. Did the Thoric use runes to enable this, did they make some special deal with the Arcane, or is something else at work? Regardless, the presence of such ships will undoubtedly be a factor in any campaign as other races will seek to gain one to learn the secrets of (the Antilans will supply the Arcane with examples if the Arcane don’t already have some). As such they probably ply only the outer areas where the Thoric live, away from the dangerous powers of the inner sphere and close to support in case of attack. For trade with the interior they probably use more common vessels. DMs should also simply give the Thoric tradesman a single 30 hull points, rather than 20/20/20 unless they wish to make the ships more fragile than usual by allowing just one section to be demolished and that cause the break-up of the entire ship (a very reasonable trade-off for having ultra-fast ships, though in this case I would make every tradesman have just one designated bow, one stern, one starboard, and one port side, none of which could be switched in the middle of battle).

Religion

Obviously the boxed set didn't have enough room for a large number of religions and write-ups of entire pantheons, but that's what Legends and Lore and Monster Mythology are for. The fact that the authors refer to deities in these but then only supply a few, set examples is just another example of extremely poor design this boxed set suffers from in many places. Instead of using what the boxed set says, instead grant every non-human race access to their full base pantheon (lizard men mostly worship Semuanya with inroads by Ssessinek). You might want to alter pantheons slightly just to customize the sphere, mostly by adding demi-gods and saints rather than removing any significant pantheon members. I've discussed the humans below and followed with some thoughts on some of the more common SJ religions as well.

Antilans: The Antilans are one overarching empire but they came from unifying numerous colonies that hadn't had contact with each other for centuries. Additionally, the nobles don't want the religions to gain power so they're happy to encourage a plethora of competing faiths among their people. Truly good deities are rare, however, as the Antilan Empire is not a nice place. Most any sun or fire deity can be easily introduced into the Antilan Empire with those who have links to crops and natural cycles having especial prominence as so many of the isolated colonies would have had to rely on them for so long. Martial deities will have gained prominence and power with the rise of the empire as well. Deities of trade will have typical places but those representing travel and exploration, an imperial function rather than an individual one, will be very poorly represented. Deities of law, order, rulership, governance, and the like will be very well looked upon so long as they are neutral or evil and support the current system. Deities of freedom will be found only among the slaves, and thus their faiths will be carefully hidden.

Calidians: The Calidians and other free humans who aren't part of any of the 4 overarching human groups will have members of just about any religion and pantheon among them. Recognizably "Antilan" deities will get a poor reception here but just about anything else goes as Calidian society is so varied and represents so many types of people and interests.

Thoric: The Thoric should be dedicated followers of the Norse pantheon, probably exclusively. This is in keeping with their design and place in the campaign. DMs should feel free to add or remove deities appropriately, however.

Varan: The free Varan do not see a lot of use in religion but those of them who do tend to be very zealous. Simply engaging in an activity opposed by the illithids is a form of rebellion to them but they also realize that any religion that manages some great task, such as destroying an illithid outpost, will gain prominence and converts very quickly and could be come a leading, dominant force in their society. Most every type of religion that doesn't favor or allow slavery is welcome and found among the Varan, including non-human gods, as the Varan desperately seek to find their own way in the world.

Celestian: Celestian's faith will be necessarily very small or non-existent if the sphere is closed since his clergy must visit a new sphere every year. Even if it's thought to be closed, there won't be any base of this faith in AC (since if there were, it would be well known the sphere isn't closed). As such, even if you've gone with a standard sphere, I suggest leaving Celestian's influence out. If nothing else, you can then introduce his faith as a foreign one during the campaign or even let a PC try to convert people to it.

Ptah: Ptah's faith in the cluster is very strong. His faith is found throughout the Calidian areas and some free Varan have adopted it as well. It is accepted in the Antilan Empire and missions exist on some of the larger Thoric colonies. Barges of Ptah aren't too uncommon a sight in the cluster, most accompanied by or towing a couple defensive ships (lanceships are popular) and defended magically as well. The Ptahians know exactly how much their vessels are liked by slavers and have taken measures to protect them. Given Ptah's universal recognition throughout the sphere, their clergy are often called upon as witnesses and intercessors between different groups, though this role is at least as often merely symbolic as real.

Planar and Pantheonic Churches: These churches mostly evolved to enable priests to have access to spells when traveling to new spheres. Given AC's relatively closed society (it must be relatively closed for the neogi to have felt the need to change their methods so drastically let alone it being able to work) it is unlikely these faiths have much, or possibly any presence other than among the elves. Instead AC should have a more standard set of religions as in most campaign worlds.

Path and the Way: Oriental culture certainly hasn't done much in the cluster yet, or perhaps had any contact with it if there are no native oriental cultures. Regardless, this church imports from far Kara-Tur specifically and should not have any notable presence in the sphere at all. Since the elven fleet and the Shou get along well, lost Shou ships are likely able to find elves willing assist them. As such they may have a colony or two in elven dominated regions or they may simply have chosen to leave.

Groups/Organizations

One of the greatest weaknesses of the AC boxed set, in my opinion, is that it didn't refer to or include any of the standard SJ organizations that are so prominent and popular in other SJ products. There is no mention of the PoTs, great opposers of slavery in a sphere overrun by slavers. No sign of the Company of the Chalice, martial champions of good in a sphere that desperately needs some champion of good. No Seekers in a sphere full of fragmented and lost knowledge. Not even the evocation loving Shapers, an ideal fit for the Antilans, get mentioned. Nor are these organizations given alternate groups for the PCs to recognize and join. Below are some suggestions for including some of the groups found in other SJ accessories in AC.

Chainmen: With slavery so accepted in the sphere, the Chainmen are present in force, though they aren't organized in a mutual aid society here as they are elsewhere. Instead most slavers simply register and fly Antilan colors and pay Antilan fees, in return gaining the protection this affords. Even when doing so they will freely trade with illithids, beholders, neogi, or anyone else seeking slaves.

Company of the Chalice: The Company of the Chalice has actually been deliberately introduced to the sphere, specifically some of the humans of the sphere, by the elves. AC is a dark and depressing place, one that felt very lonely to the elven fleet so they used half-elves to build the Company here based on its design elsewhere. The Company of the Chalice in the cluster is not powerful or numerous but they are highly respected by the Calidians, Thoric, free Varan, and others who oppose slavery or fear they might be enslaved. Too often they have come to the aid of others in hopeless fights, such as Calidian colonies trying to hold off Antilan assault forces, to be very numerous. They continue to be close friends with the elves and both groups share information and assist each other in various ways.

Pragmatic Order of Thought (PoTs): An organization dedicated to freeing slaves and ending slavery would seem to have its work cut out for it in AC but also have a great deal of popularity. The PoTs are very common among the Calidians and have good relations with the elves, Thoric, and Company of the Chalice. They are most common among the free Varan, who all claim to be members or supporters of this group. Unfortunately the free Varan PoTs have been heavily infiltrated by illithid agents and are rarely successful in operations against the illithids. PoTs working to free slaves in the Antilan Empire also have little success but they continue to try. Most commonly the PoTs have success defeating individual slave ships and they have become an extended network of privateers, their letters of marque issued by the PoTs themselves (usually using a free Varan colony as the place of issue for legitimacy sake, even when the colony may have never heard of or seen the ship or captain in question). The PoTs are becoming more effective, more numerous, and more powerful over time, though with their activities so scattered and decentralized no one, including the PoTs and their allies and enemies, has yet realized this.

Shapers: The Shapers would seem an ideal fit for the Antilans but in fact the aristocratic control of magic and concentration on sun mages has turned them away. Instead they've found great acceptance among many of the Calidian colonies, who value their training of protectors and helmsmen to help offset their own weakness. They are even better received among the free Varan, who eagerly look for powerful battle magics to battle the illithids and their minions. Shaper colleges are often little more than rented houses or hastily built dormitories for the students as well as limited areas for instruction and practice casting spells. Full libraries are rare and found in only the longest established Shaper colleges in the largest, best traveled settlements and the same is true of laboratories. Some Shaper colleges consist of a single invoker teaching new pupils but most new colleges have at least one senior invoker as well as several apprentices (1-4). Within a few years the cadre will begin to grow as raw students master the most basic facets of the art.

Seekers: The Seekers are surprisingly uncommon in AC and most are found among the elves. They compete heavily with those who seek to plunder ruins for wealth and power and, being so outnumbered, usually lose such races.

The Sindiath Line: The Sindiath Line exists in AC, though here it is much more closely identified with the elven military than elsewhere. This is because all ships and crews are part of the elven fleet in the sphere as well as being merchants. Thus they can go from simple armed trader to enforcer of elven will and defender of elven interests with a simple order from the captain. Because of their status, only members of the fleet can be part of the crew of a Sindiath Line ship. This also makes them the only users of men-o'-war in the sphere besides elven combat fleets, making them easily recognizable (and easily tracked magically, by both friends and foes).

Tenth Pit: The Tenth Pit is unknown in AC and if it did show itself it would have its work cut out for it. Already the neogi, the illithids, the Thoric, and the Antilans have enough far reaching control that they needn't rely on such a puny organization and any of those groups could wipe out any fledgling Tenth Pit organization that appeared and attempted to oppose them. This isn't to say that there aren't plenty of other groups who aren't trying to gain power and control in AC, just that the Tenth Pit brand name has no weight here.

The Trading Company: If the sphere is closed or supposedly closed, it's unlikely the Trading Company itself is known here. Even if it isn't, however, many companies like it might exist and the DM might want to model a couple Calidian mercenary supply companies on it.

Xenos: In a sphere so heavily populated and manipulated by non-humans with non-human trade so important the Xenos would seem to be an anachronism with no chance of survival. Instead they've actually popped up in one of the least likely places: among the free Varan. Some of the free Varan have decided that allowing any non-human to have any influence at all over humans is asking to be re-enslaved and have taken violent opposition to the idea. Mostly they act against dohwar and neogi merchants though they're quick to side with (and possibly aid) humans trying to establish their claim against a group of dwarves (for example) to a valuable asteroid. The Xenos have also begun to infect the human-only Antilans with their philosophies, preaching that dwarves should be enslaved, illithids hunted down, and neogi thrown out rather than letting them dictate to the mighty Antilan Empire. Of course, how to deal with the Arcane is a stickier issue.

Languages

It is probably best to rely on the standard languages of the various races in the Astromundi Cluster. While isolated colonies with their own languages to translate can add flavor to an adventure, making things too difficult will only serve to annoy players. The dohwar can be used as an easy excuse for common to be so common in the sphere. If more variety is desired than this, however, here are some suggestions to keep things simple:

Antilan is the common tongue of AC. The Antilans have been trading and exploring and conquering and spreading their language and culture far longer than the neogi, who were only ever interested in gathering slaves before they found themselves in a desperate situation. Antilan has been adopted by the Varan (or by the Varan's illithid masters for them) as their common tongue as well. The Calidians, being traders, have gone along with this and dropped their own myriad of different languages in the interests of ease of communication and business. Only the Thoric maintain their own tongue of the major human groups. Neogi is also well known, but still merely a secondary tongue. In fact, the neogi have learned Antilan to ensure they're able to communicate with others to facilitate trade. The elves all speak elvish, the same elvish as in other spheres due to their continued, uninterrupted, contact with their brethren elsewhere (the same is true of hadozee). Dwarves believe in tradition and so also likely all speak the same tongue, one that is close enough to dwarven in other spheres to be understood. Tinker gnomes, having immigrated from outside AC, speak the same gnomish as is spoken elsewhere, as do dracon, grommam, xixchil, dohwar, giff, and other races that have come from outside the sphere. Dohwar have been around long enough and traded long enough that their tongue is also well known in AC and they have spread enough of the common tongue of other spheres that immigrants can find someone to talk to in most ports. Only lizard men, halflings, and native gnomes are likely to have a wide spread of languages, as well as recently discovered colonies.

Locations

I'm going to take locations in order as they appear and are described in the various books of the boxed set. The fact that this information is so scattered throughout the boxed set just shows more poor editing. Another common note is that scale is as out of whack here as it is through the boxed set. Since racial populations should be ignored, so should statements about which colony is the largest of a certain group, unless the DM chooses that it should be so. I have pointed out many of such overblown statements of various types but they are so numerous I've ignored others. In particular DMs need to carefully watch the economics. The author put in large numbers in many places just to make things seem valuable or expensive but obviously with no forethought of any kind to how viable they would really be economically.