Al-Qadim - Revision history

45.80.158.249 at 14:13, 27 May 2026

2026-05-27T14:13:54Z

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	{{oldschool}}		{{oldschool}}
	~~{{Autism}}~~
	[[Image:AQlogo.gif\|center]]		[[Image:AQlogo.gif\|center]]
	'''Al-Qadim''' is an Arabian‑inspired campaign setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons]], drawing on The Thousand and One Nights. Much like '''[[Kara-Tur]]''' and '''[[Maztica]]''', it was presented as a distant continent on the world of Toril, the homeworld of the [[Forgotten Realms]] Setting. These "mini-settings," as they were, were conceived of as small projects that would allow TSR and GMs to explore alternate campaign settings without overhauling core rules. Al-Qadim was unusual in that the name did not refer to the continent itself, as it did for the other modules, but to the culture that lived on the continent of Zakhara.		'''Al-Qadim''' is an Arabian‑inspired campaign setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons]], drawing on The Thousand and One Nights. Much like '''[[Kara-Tur]]''' and '''[[Maztica]]''', it was presented as a distant continent on the world of Toril, the homeworld of the [[Forgotten Realms]] Setting. These "mini-settings," as they were, were conceived of as small projects that would allow TSR and GMs to explore alternate campaign settings without overhauling core rules. Al-Qadim was unusual in that the name did not refer to the continent itself, as it did for the other modules, but to the culture that lived on the continent of Zakhara.

185.220.101.97: /* Culture */

2026-05-20T14:08:03Z

Culture

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:08, 20 May 2026
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	Zakharan culture is heavily inspired by medieval Arabian societies mixed with fictionalized religious and social elements; law is largely secular and the setting is polytheistic, women need not dress quite as modestly, etc.		Zakharan culture is heavily inspired by medieval Arabian societies mixed with fictionalized religious and social elements; law is largely secular and the setting is polytheistic, women need not dress quite as modestly, etc.

	The biggest split in culture in Zakhara is the divide between the Al-Hadhar, the city-dwellers, and the nomadic Al-Badia. Yet they share roughly the same social stations, cultural norms, beliefs, religions and traditions~~. Even city-states still preserve the general precepts of Zakharan culture~~.		The biggest split in culture in Zakhara is the divide between the Al-Hadhar, the city-dwellers, and the nomadic Al-Badia. Yet they share roughly the same social stations, cultural norms, beliefs, religions and traditions.

	Zakharan culture is broadly shared across races and emphasizes a set of social precepts that shape daily life:		Zakharan culture is broadly shared across races and emphasizes a set of social precepts that shape daily life:

185.220.101.97: /* Culture */

2026-05-20T14:07:24Z

Culture

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:07, 20 May 2026
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	Zakharan culture is broadly shared across races and emphasizes a set of social precepts that shape daily life:		Zakharan culture is broadly shared across races and emphasizes a set of social precepts that shape daily life:

	*'''Honor:''' ~~personal~~ and familial reputation guides moral behavior.		*'''Honor:''' Personal and familial reputation guides moral behavior.
	*'''Family:''' ~~kinship~~ takes priority; family rights often supersede individual desires.		*'''Family:''' Kinship takes priority; family rights often supersede individual desires.
	*'''Purity:''' ~~one~~ of the more overtly Islam-inspired aspects of Zakharan culture is the indigent belief that men and women are inherently weak where matters of the heart are concerned. Chastity, at least in the sense of avoiding overt demonstrations of carnal desire, is upheld as a matter of great spiritual and social importance. It's expected that women will generally avoid overt displays of desire, and whilst both sexes will veil and cover themselves to avoid enflaming lust, the onus is generally on the part of women.		*'''Purity:''' One of the more overtly Islam-inspired aspects of Zakharan culture is the indigent belief that men and women are inherently weak where matters of the heart are concerned. Chastity, at least in the sense of avoiding overt demonstrations of carnal desire, is upheld as a matter of great spiritual and social importance. It's expected that women will generally avoid overt displays of desire, and whilst both sexes will veil and cover themselves to avoid enflaming lust, the onus is generally on the part of women.
	*'''Hospitality:''' ~~generosity~~ is a key marker of honor; hosts and guests observe reciprocal responsibilities.		*'''Hospitality:''' Generosity is a key marker of honor; hosts and guests observe reciprocal responsibilities.
	*'''Tolerance:''' ~~cultural~~ pluralism is encouraged within limits of Zakharan norms.		*'''Tolerance:''' Cultural pluralism is encouraged within limits of Zakharan norms.
	*'''Piety:''' ~~belief~~ in higher powers underpins moral order; overt atheism is socially suspect.		*'''Piety:''' Belief in higher powers underpins moral order; overt atheism is socially suspect.

	===Fate, Enlightenment and the Loregiver===		===Fate, Enlightenment and the Loregiver===

185.220.101.97 at 14:02, 20 May 2026

2026-05-20T14:02:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:02, 20 May 2026
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	{{Autism}}		{{Autism}}
	[[Image:AQlogo.gif\|center]]		[[Image:AQlogo.gif\|center]]
	'''Al-Qadim''' is an ~~Arabian style~~ campaign setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons]] ~~in the vein of~~ The Thousand and One Nights. Much like '''[[Kara-Tur]]''' and '''[[Maztica]]''', it was presented as a distant continent on the world of Toril, the homeworld of the [[Forgotten Realms]] Setting. These "mini-settings," as they were, were conceived of as small projects that would allow TSR and GMs to explore alternate campaign settings without ~~making massively different rulesets, species, and classes~~. Al-Qadim was unusual in that the name did not refer to the continent itself, as it did for the other modules, but to the culture that lived on the continent of Zakhara.		'''Al-Qadim''' is an Arabian‑inspired campaign setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons]], drawing on The Thousand and One Nights. Much like '''[[Kara-Tur]]''' and '''[[Maztica]]''', it was presented as a distant continent on the world of Toril, the homeworld of the [[Forgotten Realms]] Setting. These "mini-settings," as they were, were conceived of as small projects that would allow TSR and GMs to explore alternate campaign settings without overhauling core rules. Al-Qadim was unusual in that the name did not refer to the continent itself, as it did for the other modules, but to the culture that lived on the continent of Zakhara.

	~~'''TL;DR: AD&D races live in a Hollywood Arabic society. Also, you get to fight YAKMEN. Completely old school.'''~~

	==The Land==		==The Land==
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	</gallery>		</gallery>

	==~~The~~ Culture==		==Culture==
	~~Culture in Zakhara~~ is ~~monolithic, and quite obviously based on Medieval Arabia~~ mixed with ~~what can only be called "liberal Islam" so~~ law is secular~~, polytheism instead of monotheism~~, women need not dress quite as modestly, etc. It transcends races; an [[elf]] or a [[dwarf]] in Zakhara follows the same customs and beliefs as a human, an [[orc]] or a [[gnoll]], creating a racially integrated culture unlike almost anything in standard AD&D cultures.		Zakharan culture is heavily inspired by medieval Arabian societies mixed with fictionalized religious and social elements; law is largely secular and the setting is polytheistic, women need not dress quite as modestly, etc.

	The biggest split in culture in Zakhara is the divide between the Al-Hadhar, the city-dwellers, and the nomadic Al-Badia. ~~Even then,~~ they share roughly the same social stations, cultural norms, beliefs, religions and traditions. Even city-states~~, whilst imposing their own particular spins on things,~~ still preserve the general precepts of Zakharan culture.		The biggest split in culture in Zakhara is the divide between the Al-Hadhar, the city-dwellers, and the nomadic Al-Badia. Yet they share roughly the same social stations, cultural norms, beliefs, religions and traditions. Even city-states still preserve the general precepts of Zakharan culture.

	~~What are those~~ precepts~~? In short~~:		Zakharan culture is broadly shared across races and emphasizes a set of social precepts that shape daily life:

	*'''Honor:''' ~~Broadly definable as the embodiment of all that is good - honesty, kindness, forgiveness,~~ and ~~so forth - honor is the driving force behind Zakharan life. Every action an individual takes can increase or erode their honor - and an individual's honor colors those of his family as well~~.		*'''Honor:''' personal and familial reputation guides moral behavior.
	*'''Family:''' ~~The ties of blood, as might be inferred from the precept of Honor, are unbreakable, precious and irreplaceable to Zakharans. This guiding principle of their life is simple~~; ~~Family Comes First, and the~~ rights ~~of the family~~ supersede ~~the rights of the family's members~~.		*'''Family:''' kinship takes priority; family rights often supersede individual desires.
	*'''Purity:''' ~~One~~ of the more overtly Islam-inspired aspects of Zakharan culture is the indigent belief that men and women are inherently weak where matters of the heart are concerned. Chastity, at least in the sense of avoiding overt demonstrations of carnal desire, is upheld as a matter of great spiritual and social importance. ~~Whilst women in Zakhara have more rights and freedoms than their Islamic counterparts, it is still~~ expected that ~~they~~ will generally avoid overt displays of desire, and whilst both sexes will veil and cover themselves to avoid enflaming lust, the onus is generally on the part of ~~the~~ women.		*'''Purity:''' one of the more overtly Islam-inspired aspects of Zakharan culture is the indigent belief that men and women are inherently weak where matters of the heart are concerned. Chastity, at least in the sense of avoiding overt demonstrations of carnal desire, is upheld as a matter of great spiritual and social importance. It's expected that women will generally avoid overt displays of desire, and whilst both sexes will veil and cover themselves to avoid enflaming lust, the onus is generally on the part of women.
	*'''Hospitality:''' ~~To put it bluntly, Zakharans believe that~~ generosity ~~brings~~ honor and ~~stinginess erodes it. Thusly, any honorable man (or woman) will strive to be the greatest host they can - whilst visitors are held to similar standards as~~ guests.		*'''Hospitality:''' generosity is a key marker of honor; hosts and guests observe reciprocal responsibilities.
	*'''Tolerance:''' ~~Closely related in spirit to hospitality, tolerance~~ is ~~highly regarded amongst Zakharans, which has helped their culture to become so widely accepted amongst the different races and enables them to function as a nation~~ of ~~disparate sub-cultures and ethnic groups. Of course, there are limits to how far a~~ Zakharan ~~will extend tolerance, but it is considerable honorable behavior to accept the strangeness of others and respond with, at most, polite curiosity and debate~~.		*'''Tolerance:''' cultural pluralism is encouraged within limits of Zakharan norms.
	*'''Piety:''' ~~Honor and piety are considered inextricably linked; those acts that earn a man honor do so because they revolve around a man behaving~~ in a manner deemed good and right by those who rule the heavens. An honorable man is inherently a pious man, and vice-versa. Thusly, Zakharan tolerance finds a sharp limitation in the face of atheistic beliefs: An individual who does not believe in some higher ~~divinity, by Zakharan reasoning, lacks the~~ moral ~~anchor needed to function in society. Such a person is unpredictable, perhaps even dangerous! Suspicion and hostility will quickly be risen against anyone who~~ is ~~openly apathetic to the existence of the gods~~.		*'''Piety:''' belief in higher powers underpins moral order; overt atheism is socially suspect.

	===Fate, Enlightenment and the Loregiver===		===Fate, Enlightenment and the Loregiver===
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	===Races===		===Races===
	Zakhara is ~~home to a vast array of races, and is almost unique in~~ AD&D ~~[[Forgotten Realms]] for how racially mixed it is. Traditional enmities like those held between~~ dwarves ~~or elves with~~ [[~~goblinoid~~]]~~s have been forgotten~~, ~~washed away by the culture of enlightenment. As such, many~~ traditionally ~~"evil"~~ races ~~are found as respected, integrated members of society, meaning~~ that Zakhara works well when paired with [[The Complete Book of]] Humanoids.		Zakhara is unusually racially integrated for AD&D: humans, elves, dwarves, [[goblinoids]], and other traditionally antagonistic races coexist under shared Zakharan customs. Meaning that Zakhara works well when paired with [[The Complete Book of]] Humanoids.

	...Of course, this being an AD&D book, the splats present very little effort into telling you HOW the non-human members of Zakhara live or how to play them! After all, that would go against the humanocentric vision of the game, and you're already getting faux-Arabs...

	Still, there are some useful things to glean.		Of course, this being an AD&D book, the splats present very little effort into telling you HOW the non-human members of Zakhara live or how to play them! Still, there are some useful things to glean.

	The Land of Fate splatbook calls out [[orc]]s, [[kobold]]s, [[ogre]]s, [[hobgoblin]]s, [[lizardfolk]] and [[gnoll]]s as commonly found throughout Zakhara, with [[merfolk]] and [[locathah]] being similarly common in the port cities.		The Land of Fate splatbook calls out [[orc]]s, [[kobold]]s, [[ogre]]s, [[hobgoblin]]s, [[lizardfolk]] and [[gnoll]]s as commonly found throughout Zakhara, with [[merfolk]] and [[locathah]] being similarly common in the port cities.
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	''Secrets of the Lamp'' might as well be TSR's definitive [[genie]] lore sourcebook, taking the meager lore from early planar sourcebooks like the [[Manual of the Planes]] and expanding upon it in significant ways, such as naming the various genie rulers for literally the first time in D&D's history. Ironically, pretty much none of this lore would be reprinted in [[Planescape]].		''Secrets of the Lamp'' might as well be TSR's definitive [[genie]] lore sourcebook, taking the meager lore from early planar sourcebooks like the [[Manual of the Planes]] and expanding upon it in significant ways, such as naming the various genie rulers for literally the first time in D&D's history. Ironically, pretty much none of this lore would be reprinted in [[Planescape]].

	==~~What Happened to it?~~==		==Publication history and legacy==
	~~Unlike '''Kara-Tur''~~', ~~which~~ was ~~rereleased as ''~~[[~~The Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic~~]]~~'' and ''Oriental Adventures'', '''Al-Qadim''' was not updated for~~ [[~~3e\|3e/3.5e~~]] in ~~any significant way. Precisely why, nobody is sure, but most blame~~ the ~~obvious~~ [[~~/pol/~~]]~~-related issues~~.		While some Al‑Qadim concepts (notably the Sha'ir) have been adapted into other D&D material, the setting was not extensively updated by the publisher for later editions. The [[Sha'ir]] received an update to 3e in [[Dragon Magazine]], and then appeared in Heroes of the Elemental Chaos for [[4e]]. Dragon 321 also had several prestige classes.

	~~The one element of Al-Qadim that has survived is~~ the [~~[Sha'ir]]; it received an updated to 3e~~ in ~~[[Dragon Magazine]],~~ and ~~then appeared in Heroes of the Elemental Chaos for [[4e]~~]~~. Dragon 321 also had several prestige classes~~.		Fan products and conversions have kept interest alive. In 2021, the [https://www.dmsguild.com/product/341520/Campaign-Guide-Zakhara--Adventures-in-the-Land-of-Fate-AlQadim-and-Forgotten-Realms-Sourcebook 5E Conversion] was released on DMS Guild.

	Currently, as of 2021, the [https://www.dmsguild.com/product/341520/Campaign-Guide-Zakhara--Adventures-in-the-Land-of-Fate-AlQadim-and-Forgotten-Realms-Sourcebook 5E Conversion] has been released on DMS Guild.
	==External Links==		==External Links==
	*[http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Zakhara Map of Zakhara]		*[http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Zakhara Map of Zakhara]

Pachinko Man at 15:09, 9 August 2025

2025-08-09T15:09:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:09, 9 August 2025
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	{{oldschool}}		{{oldschool}}
			{{Autism}}
	[[Image:AQlogo.gif\|center]]		[[Image:AQlogo.gif\|center]]
	'''Al-Qadim''' is an Arabian style campaign setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons]] in the vein of The Thousand and One Nights. Much like '''[[Kara-Tur]]''' and '''[[Maztica]]''', it was presented as a distant continent on the world of Toril, the homeworld of the [[Forgotten Realms]] Setting. These "mini-settings," as they were, were conceived of as small projects that would allow TSR and GMs to explore alternate campaign settings without making massively different rulesets, species, and classes. Al-Qadim was unusual in that the name did not refer to the continent itself, as it did for the other modules, but to the culture that lived on the continent of Zakhara.		'''Al-Qadim''' is an Arabian style campaign setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons]] in the vein of The Thousand and One Nights. Much like '''[[Kara-Tur]]''' and '''[[Maztica]]''', it was presented as a distant continent on the world of Toril, the homeworld of the [[Forgotten Realms]] Setting. These "mini-settings," as they were, were conceived of as small projects that would allow TSR and GMs to explore alternate campaign settings without making massively different rulesets, species, and classes. Al-Qadim was unusual in that the name did not refer to the continent itself, as it did for the other modules, but to the culture that lived on the continent of Zakhara.

imported>Administrator: 29 revisions imported

2023-06-17T17:32:30Z

29 revisions imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 17:32, 17 June 2023
(No difference)

1d4chan>QuietBrowser: /* Magic */

2023-02-05T22:18:58Z

Magic

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:18, 5 February 2023
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	* [[Half-Orc]]: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Ranger]] 5, [[Sha'ir]] 5, [[Thief]] 11, [[Bard]] 6, [[Cleric]] 9; any Zakharan kit		* [[Half-Orc]]: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Ranger]] 5, [[Sha'ir]] 5, [[Thief]] 11, [[Bard]] 6, [[Cleric]] 9; any Zakharan kit

	==Magic==		===Magic===
	Unlike [[Kara-tur]], which is a relatively low magic zone compared to Faerun, and definitely unlike poor [[Maztica]], which was practically a non magic zone, Al-Qadim has an extremly well developed tradition of arcane magic use, and easily compares to or even in some fields beats out the nations of Faerun. That said, the local [[magic]] traditions have developed... ''differently'' compared to the ones in Faerun, to the point that the [[Mage]] tradition is basically unknown here. Instead, all Al-Qadim [[wizard]]s are [[Specialist Wizard]]s from one of the local schools instead, which were shaped by the prevailing presence of [[genie]]s in the Land of Fate.		Unlike [[Kara-tur]], which is a relatively low magic zone compared to Faerun, and definitely unlike poor [[Maztica]], which was practically a non magic zone, Al-Qadim has an extremly well developed tradition of arcane magic use, and easily compares to or even in some fields beats out the nations of Faerun. That said, the local [[magic]] traditions have developed... ''differently'' compared to the ones in Faerun, to the point that the [[Mage]] tradition is basically unknown here. Instead, all Al-Qadim [[wizard]]s are [[Specialist Wizard]]s from one of the local schools instead, which were shaped by the prevailing presence of [[genie]]s in the Land of Fate.

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	'''Digitologists''' combine magic and mathematics, reducing spells to arcane mathematical formulas that are slower to cast, but give the digitologist far greater control over the spell's variable attributes.		'''Digitologists''' combine magic and mathematics, reducing spells to arcane mathematical formulas that are slower to cast, but give the digitologist far greater control over the spell's variable attributes.

	'''Ghul Lords''' are Al-Qadim's analogue to [[necromancer]]s, being elemental mages who draw their power from the [[Energy ~~Plane~~\|Negative Energy Plane]]. This gives them access to proto-spell-like abilities, but they are seriously screwed over by the drawbacks of their kit.		'''Ghul Lords''' are Al-Qadim's analogue to [[necromancer]]s, being elemental mages who draw their power from the [[Energy Planes\|Negative Energy Plane]]. This gives them access to proto-spell-like abilities, but they are seriously screwed over by the drawbacks of their kit.

	'''Jackals''' are a proto-[[Spellthief]], being wizards who can steal the spells right from the minds of other wizards.		'''Jackals''' are a proto-[[Spellthief]], being wizards who can steal the spells right from the minds of other wizards.

1d4chan>QuietBrowser: Added a (stub of a?) section on local arcane magic.

2023-02-05T11:28:13Z

Added a (stub of a?) section on local arcane magic.

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 * [[Orc]]: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Thief]] 11, [[Cleric]] 9; askar, desert rider, faris, mercenary barbarian; sa'luk, barber, matrud, merchant-rogue; pragmatist, ethoist
 * [[Half-Orc]]: [[Fighter]] 10, [[Ranger]] 5, [[Sha'ir]] 5, [[Thief]] 11, [[Bard]] 6, [[Cleric]] 9; any Zakharan kit
 ==Splatbooks==

174.29.114.71: /* The Culture */

2022-08-03T05:16:21Z

The Culture

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:16, 3 August 2022
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	==The Culture==		==The Culture==
	Culture in Zakhara is monolithic, and quite obviously based on Medieval Arabia mixed with what can only be called "liberal Islam" so law is secular, polytheism instead of monotheism, women need not dress quite as modestly ~~(As in not black-coat hangers.)~~ etc. It transcends races; an [[elf]] or a [[dwarf]] in Zakhara follows the same customs and beliefs as a human, an [[orc]] or a [[gnoll]], creating a racially integrated culture unlike almost anything in standard AD&D cultures.		Culture in Zakhara is monolithic, and quite obviously based on Medieval Arabia mixed with what can only be called "liberal Islam" so law is secular, polytheism instead of monotheism, women need not dress quite as modestly, etc. It transcends races; an [[elf]] or a [[dwarf]] in Zakhara follows the same customs and beliefs as a human, an [[orc]] or a [[gnoll]], creating a racially integrated culture unlike almost anything in standard AD&D cultures.

	The biggest split in culture in Zakhara is the divide between the Al-Hadhar, the city-dwellers, and the nomadic Al-Badia. Even then, they share roughly the same social stations, cultural norms, beliefs, religions and traditions. Even city-states, whilst imposing their own particular spins on things, still preserve the general precepts of Zakharan culture.		The biggest split in culture in Zakhara is the divide between the Al-Hadhar, the city-dwellers, and the nomadic Al-Badia. Even then, they share roughly the same social stations, cultural norms, beliefs, religions and traditions. Even city-states, whilst imposing their own particular spins on things, still preserve the general precepts of Zakharan culture.

24.6.203.249 at 17:42, 22 August 2021

2021-08-22T17:42:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:42, 22 August 2021
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	The one element of Al-Qadim that has survived is the [[Sha'ir]]; it received an updated to 3e in [[Dragon Magazine]], and then appeared in Heroes of the Elemental Chaos for [[4e]]. Dragon 321 also had several prestige classes.		The one element of Al-Qadim that has survived is the [[Sha'ir]]; it received an updated to 3e in [[Dragon Magazine]], and then appeared in Heroes of the Elemental Chaos for [[4e]]. Dragon 321 also had several prestige classes.

			Currently, as of 2021, the [https://www.dmsguild.com/product/341520/Campaign-Guide-Zakhara--Adventures-in-the-Land-of-Fate-AlQadim-and-Forgotten-Realms-Sourcebook 5E Conversion] has been released on DMS Guild.
	==External Links==		==External Links==
	*[http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Zakhara Map of Zakhara]		*[http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Zakhara Map of Zakhara]