Who's Hype for Dark Sun???

[mmaranda]

I think Kalak died by either meta-plot or it was written into an adventure (You the PCs can kill Kalak) by acting at a special conflux of power wherein Kalak was at his weakest while attempting to become a god.



As for RPGA support I don't know what we will get but I would wait with baited breath. 4E started wtih the expectation that there would be 1 RPGA living campaign (and sadly it was LFR) I have heard little to believe there will be anything nearly that extensive.

If there is RPGA support wait for it with caution. Their releases are very uneven.

 

[doctorhook]

I think Kalak died by either meta-plot or it was written into an adventure (You the PCs can kill Kalak) by acting at a special conflux of power wherein Kalak was at his weakest while attempting to become a god.

Sounds like a very typical plot device for the end of any Epic campaign: trick the evil deity into weakening itself temporarily, and then slay it during its moment of weakness.

Dark Sun is not so different from the rest of D&D, it seems...

 

[Raunalyn]

Dunno, I am looking forward to seeing the transformation paths from 2e being done as epic destinies (Dragon, Elemental and so forth.)

Epic had always been a part of Dark Sun.

Agreed. Dragon, Avangion, and Elemental transformations just scream Epic Destinies to me.

 

[OchreJelly]

And really, that's a core flaw in D&D in general. Adventurers get insanely powerful in a very small period of time, and are able to overcome warlords who have reigned for years, wizards who have built power over decades, demons that have threatened the earth for centuries, and eventually even gods and other great powers. Regardless of setting, PCs power grows disproportionately to everyone else, and the only way to avoid that is through a DM either providing explanations for this in the plot, or finding a way to run a game that represents decades of character advancement rather than months.

Because the PCs are the stars of the show. You can see it played out in countless stories and films. The young hero can't possibly defeat the great evil until he is trained by the grizzled veteran and overcomes a few lesser challenges on his own. The training sequence is usually a short montage (naturally) that doesn't span years and lifetimes. It may be cliched, but I'm not sure why DMs need to bend-over-backwards to explain why things work differently for the PCs.

 

[Jdvn1]

D&D Encounters is ALSO going to be starting a Dark Sun adventure on 9 June.

Right, but my point was that the Free RPG Day adventure migiht not be anything new.

Though, I heard some place that it will be a new adventure, with the same pregens from D&D XP.

I guess we'll find out in two weeks.

 

[Jdvn1]

Yeah, world-changing adventures and Dark Sun do not seem to match well

DDE Season 2 starts with
[sblock=Do not read this if you will play DDE Season 2]the death of a sorcerer king[/sblock]
What I like about settings is knocking down previously established preconceptions. I think you're gong to see a different take on Dark Sun.

 

[Dice4Hire]

DDE Season 2 starts with
[sblock=Do not read this if you will play DDE Season 2]the death of a sorcerer king[/sblock]
What I like about settings is knocking down previously established preconceptions. I think you're gong to see a different take on Dark Sun.

If it is KALAK, how is that different?

 

[DracoSuave]

If it is KALAK, how is that different?

KALAK DIES!?!

OH GOD HOW COULD YOU!

You spoiling it just like the first suppliment for Dark Sun did.

 

[Hawkeye]

KALAK DIES!?!

OH GOD HOW COULD YOU!

You spoiling it just like the first suppliment for Dark Sun did.

Darth Vader is actually Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father.

Hawkeye

 

[DracoSuave]

Yeah, world-changing adventures and Dark Sun do not seem to match well, especially considering the mere weeks it might take a party to go from 21st to 30th. Slowing down advancement might be a good idea, or putting a lot of down time between levels. I do that already.

And the obvious solution is to simply not play epic Dark Sun. I might be tempted to do that myself.

This is the part where I mention WHAT the first supplement for the original Dark Sun setting was.

It was called 'The Dragon Kings' and all about how a player character (usually human, or psionicist of any race) could attain level 21 or higher, something non-existant in AD&D 2nd at the time.

Not to mention, King Kalak's apotheosis was described as 'an attempt to go from level 21st to 30th level in a single spell'. Whether or not it would have succeeded is not mentioned.

However, level advancement for those who use 'Psionic Enchantments' (10th level spells) required the casting of the appropriate level spell. Each was an individual epic adventure in and of themselves.

Epic Play not appropriate for Dark Sun!?!

Hellllll, Dark Sun INVENTED it.


EDIT: A different take on Dark Sun would be if Sorcerer Kings not named Hamanu or Nibenay could actually -survive- the first five books.

Spoiler

No, Borys the Dragon is NOT the biggest thing out there. Your Sorcerer Kings won't likely be the 'level 35' baddies that you face... Borys of Ebe might be 30, 31...

Remember, those sorcerer-kings... they're the GOOD GUYS in Athas compared to what Borys is keeping out....