Big Dark Sun hint

[BraveSirKevin]

Am I the only one who thinks Dark Sun is a Blatant rip-off of Kelewan from Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar saga?

Nevertheless... Must admit I did quite like the setting just because it was so dramatically different from the standard fantasy fair that all the other settings were offering up at the time. No metal, cannibal hobbits, insectoid player characters... who could ask for more? It's also the first setting which featured elves that weren't short... which always kinda bugged me about D&D. Probably cos I couldn't stand the the thought of a race that looked down on everyone looking up the nostrils of the same people they were looking down on...

 

[Mouseferatu]

Am I the only one who thinks Dark Sun is a Blatant rip-off of Kelewan from Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar saga?

*blink*

Having read the Riftwar multiple times, and having been a big fan of Dark Sun, I'd have to say that yes, you're the only one. I see almost zero in common, other than both settings having a race with more than two arms.

The cultures are different, the races are different, the religion is different, the lifestyles are different, the environment is different, the overall themes of the world are different... Other than them both being fantasy, both having humans, and the aforementioned multi-armed race, I can't think of two settings that are more different.

 

[avin]

They are toying us. I blame The Rouse

 

[White Tornado]

Our editorial staff now is comprised of Nina Hess, Senior Editor for the Mirrorstone imprint, who is our resident expert in the field of fiction for young readers; and the editors Susan Morris, the Forgotten Realms line editor; Fleetwood Robbins, who we lured away from Del Rey to work on Magic: the Gathering and Dark Sun; and Erin Evans, who’s primary responsibility now is Eberron, but who also works on some Forgotten Realms titles, and will be working on some new stuff we’re cooking up for 2011.

I'm sorry for being a n00b here, but does "we're working on Dark Sun novels" actually imply "we're working on a Dark Sun campaign setting"? Or are we jumping to conclusions?

 

[johnnype]

Can someone explain what happened to DS after the initial box set that upset so many people. I am familiar with the basics of the setting but I never got that deep into it (the Baxa art just killed any interest I might have had).

 

[BraveSirKevin]

*blink*

Having read the Riftwar multiple times, and having been a big fan of Dark Sun, I'd have to say that yes, you're the only one. I see almost zero in common, other than both settings having a race with more than two arms.

The cultures are different, the races are different, the religion is different, the lifestyles are different, the environment is different, the overall themes of the world are different... Other than them both being fantasy, both having humans, and the aforementioned multi-armed race, I can't think of two settings that are more different.

I was saying that half tongue-in-cheek... But I do think Feist was a strong influence on the writers when setting up this campaign. The Cho-Ja and the Thri-kreen definitely are a common thread as you said, but other things do come to mind, like the non-metal weapons and armour. True that Kelewan has this pseudo-japanese culture thing going on that isn't prevalent in Dark Sun, but I'm pretty sure that the setting would have been quite different if Magician hadn't been such a best seller.

Another nostalgic thought that Dark Sun evokes in me is Brom... If they do bring back Dark Sun, I hope they find an artist who can capture that same dark mood or get Brom back. The newer D&D artwork is kinda cartoony.

 

[Hawke]

Yeah, here is to Brom. Heck, I'd pick up the better of two SKUs:

$29.99 for Dark Sun Campaign Guide
$49.99 for Dark Sun Campaign Guide with Brom Art instead

I'm trying not to get my hopes up!

 

[Crothian]

Can someone explain what happened to DS after the initial box set that upset so many people. I am familiar with the basics of the setting but I never got that deep into it (the Baxa art just killed any interest I might have had).

The novels happened. In the first set of novels a sorcerer king is killed and a city becomes free and the Dragon is killed. There were other smaller things too but those really altered the setting. It was almost like at first it was too hopeless so they needed a place of freedom for PCs to make a base at or something.

 

[Mercutio01]

The Cho-Ja and the Thri-kreen definitely are a common thread as you said,

Both of which are ultimately stolen from Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Tharks like Tars Tarkas.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm sorry for being a n00b here, but does "we're working on Dark Sun novels" actually imply "we're working on a Dark Sun campaign setting"? Or are we jumping to conclusions?

Nah, you're not a n00b. This isn't any stronger of a hint than we've gotten already.

We'll know in a few weeks. DS is certainly in the running, but people are concerned about what 4e might do to it. DL is certainly in the running, and people are less concerned there, but there are some points against it, too.

I think it would be hilarious if it wound up being something totally unexpected. "Spelljammer 2010!!!!" would make me ROFL so hard my brain would burst (and I would be pretty excited about the setting!)