The Atruaghin Clans (gaz14 ) (1e)
rom the ashes of an ancient culture of proud warriors rises a race of people unlike any other in the Known World.
Long ago¸ the power of Blackmoor all but destroyed the mighty Azcans. Some of them¸ the bravest of the brave¸ sought refuge under the shadow of a great plateau. For decades¸ they struggled to preserve their lives and their culture. Now¸ centuries later¸ their secrets are revealed. From the buffalo hunting Horse Clans and the whaling Turtle Clans to the pueblo dwelling Children of the Bear and the evil Children of the Viper¸ five distinct Atruaghin Clan cultures are laid out in detail.
The Atruaghin Clans is the fourteenth book in the best-selling Gazetteer series. It provides a complete description of the culture¸ history¸ and goals of the noble Children of Atruaghin. Included in this product are:
- A 64-page Player's Book that provides rules for Atruaghin character creation and introduces the Shamani¸ a new character class.
- A 32-page DM's Guide that details the history of the Atruaghin Clans¸ the unique Immortals that they worship¸ and several sample characters.
- A large¸ full-color map that details the geography of the Atruaghin Plateau and the lands around it.
Note on the Print version: The Player's Book¸ DM's Guide and Map have been combined into a single Softcover volume.
Product History
GAZ14: "The Atruaghin Clans" (1991)¸ by William W. Connors¸ is the fourteenth and final book in the "GAZ" series of Gazetteers for the Known World. It was published in August 1991.
Continuing the "GAZ" Sourcebooks. In the early '90s¸ sales and marketing staff at TSR believed that accessories with higher module codes had lower sales. Since the "GAZ" series had definitely reached high numbers¸ its production was slowed down in its final days. Meanwhile¸ Basic D&D was experimenting with new lines such as the "PC" series (1989-1990¸ 1992)¸ a similar set of books based on unusual PC races. When the "GAZ" series finally returned a year after GAZ13: "The Shadow Elves" (1990) with GAZ14: "The Atruaghin Clans" it would be the last book in the "GAZ" series.
There was a second reason for the Gazetteers coming to an end: the first 12 supplements and the Dawn of Emperors (1989) boxed set had detailed the entirety of the Known World in a broad square. "The Shadow Elves" had to go underground¸ and now "The Atruaghin Clans" moved off the core map to the southwest.
Mind you¸ there was still room for expansion. One GM suggested in Dragon that Gazetteers of the Heldann Freeholds¸ Hule¸ Sind¸ and Wendar would be obvious next choices - or that TSR could move over to Norwold¸ the home of the "CM" adventures (1984-1987). TSR however was done with Gazetteers of the Known World's surface lands.
Wizards didn't abandon the Known World of Mystara entirely following "The Aruaghin Clans". Instead they supported the newly revealed lands of the Hollow World Campaign Set (1990). Its "HWR" series was nearly a continuation of the "GAZ" series¸ with setting-based books split between GM and player reference. This "HWR" series began with HWR1: "Sons of Azca" (1991) in July - just a month before the demise of the "GAZ" series.
Like its predecessors¸ "The Atruaghin Clans" was split into two books¸ but there were several changes to the format. First¸ the trend of the last few books was reversed¸ and now the player's book was the larger of the two at 64 pages¸ while the GM's book was just 32 pages. Second¸ the tight three-column format of the previous books was abandoned for a much looser two-column format. The result was probably considerably fewer words (and less overall information) than earlier books in the series.
Expanding Basic D&D.