Al-Qadim

Al-Qadim is an Arabian Nights-themed campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The setting was developed by Jeff Grubb for TSR, Inc., and was first released in 1992. Al-Qadim is set in the land of Zakhara, called the Land of Fate. Thematically, the land of Zakhara is a blend of the historical Arabian Empire, the stories of legend, and the wealth of cinematic history Hollywood has brought to this genre. Zakhara is a peinisula on the continent of Faerûn in the world of Toril, the locale of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, although Al-Qadim is designed to stand on its own or be added to any existing campaign setting. The basic campaign setting was divided between two game priducts: Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures, a sourcebook describing character creation rules, equipment, and spells unique to the setting, and Al-Qadim: Land of Fate, a boxed set describing the land of Zakhara, with separate sourcebooks for the players and the Dungeon Master.

There are a number of important concepts the Zakharan culture including honor, family, social station, purity, piety, and hospitality.

Zakharan society is broken into two main divisions:
 * Al-Badia: The nomadic desert people.
 * Al-Hadhar: The city people.

The people of Zakhara speak and write a common language called Midani.

Zakhara has a wide variety of religions, but all recognize the power of Fate. Fate may cast down the mightiest sultan or raise up the meanest beggar. None can agree on her nature, whether the mother of the gods or an elemental force. All acknowledge her power, however. In Dungeons & Dragons game terms, Fate is not given statistics, spells, or priesthoods as are most deities.

In the distant past, a woman known only as the Loregiver penned the scrolls that clarly laid out the laws of the land, some say guided by the hand of Fate. The wisdom of this Lore was immediately recognized and became the basis of law in Zakhara. The vast majority of Al-Hadar and most Al-Badia are Enlightened in the way of the Loregiver.

Characters
Player characters in the Al-Qadim setting can choose from any of a number of character types. Al-Qadim makes use of the concept of character kits, a more rigid layer atop the traditional Dungeons & Dragons character classes. These kits are generally available to all characters, with certain restrictions based on the race of the character.

All races are present, including humans, elves, dwarves, half-elves, gnomes, and halflings, although they do not suffer many of the racial prejudices traditional to most Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. Non-human characters are rarer than they are in other traditional Dungeons & Dragons settings, including the rest of Toril.

Kits described in the core campaign setting are as follows:

Warriors

 * Askar: Basically, a citizen warrior.
 * Corsair: Sea-born warriors; your typical swashbuckler.
 * Desert Rider: Nomadic fighters who ride horses and camels across the desert.
 * Faris: Holy warriors fighting for their faith and their people.
 * Mamluk: A slave warrior noted for the special tattoos they wear.
 * Mercenary Barbarian: Warriors from abroad come to fight for money, fame, or power.
 * Outland Warrior: A fighter truly foreign to the land of Zakhara.

Wizards

 * Elemental Mage: A master of one of the four elements: sand (earth), sea (water), flame (fire), or wind (air).
 * Sha'ir: A wizard whose magic centers on genies and is aided by its familiar, a gen (minor genie).
 * Sorcerer: A wizard who deals with two elemental forces. They are the most common wizards in Zakhara.
 * Ajami: Any outland wizard from beyond the Land of Fate.

Rogues

 * Sa'luk: A free man or woman who follows his or her own path.
 * Barber: Experts in the ways of the bazaar and the city.
 * Beggar-Thief: Often overlooked by others, beggar thieves can go places others would be noticed.
 * Holy Slayer: An assassin working for an assassin order.
 * Matrud: Cast out of their tribes, these individuals make their own way in the Land of Fate.
 * Merchant-Rogue: Masters of the mercantile arts, these individuals carry their trade from town to town.
 * Rawun: The story-tellers and bards of Zakharan society.

Priests

 * Pragmatist: The most liberal and common of all priests, the pragmatist tries to adapt their faith to the everyday world.
 * Ethoist: Conservative priests who promote a particular path.
 * Moralist: The most conservative and intolerant among the priests.
 * Hakima: Wise women who serve as valuable advisors to the outer tribes.
 * Kahin: These are the idol-priests of Zakhara, and often champions of nature.
 * Mystic: Hermitic priests who tend to visit populous centers to deliver prophetic pronouncements.
 * Outland Priest: A priest who follows a faith foreign to the Land of Fate.

Expansion products
Al-Qadim had a number of support products released before the line came to an end. These include:


 * Al-Qadim: Land of Fate (Box Set)
 * Monstrous Compendium: Al-Qadim Appendix
 * Secrets of the Lamp (Box Set)
 * Cities of Bone Campaign Guide (Box Set)
 * A Dozen and One Adventures (Box Set)
 * Reunion (Adventure Module)
 * Ruined Kingdoms Campaign (Box Set)
 * The Complete Sha'ir's Handbook (Accessory Book)
 * Assassin Mountain (Box Set)
 * Golden Voyages (Box Set)
 * City of Delights (Box Set)
 * Caravans (Box Set)