D&D General Dark Sun Nostalgia Thread [+]

[ersatzphil]

Let's see some artwork then! (Fully cited and credited, of course.)

I don't know how emblematic they really were, but for whatever reason, the art that immediately comes to mind when I think of Dark Sun are the Dragon and Avangion transformation images from the "Dragon Kings" sourcebook.

edit: Baxa, Tom. Transformations, 1992. Dragon Kings, Timothy B. Brown, TSR Publishing, p. 40 / 105.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I don't know how emblematic they really were, but for whatever reason, the art that immediately comes to mind when I think of Dark Sun are the Dragon and Avangion transformation images from the "Dragon Kings" sourcebook.

edit: Brom, Gerald. Transformations, 1992. Dragon Kings, Timothy B. Brown, TSR Publishing, p. 40 / 105.

Those of course are Braxa, not Brom.

 

[ersatzphil]

Those of course are Braxa, not Brom.

Looks like they were drawn by Tom Baxa, not Brom. I'll edit my post - attribution in the arts is paramount - but I'm mildly horrified that I had this wrong in my head for 30 years.

 

[cbwjm]

I've read through so much dark sun but never got a chance to run it. I think the problem with me is, I tend to homebrew my settings so much that but the time another campaign comes around, I've already come up with new ideas for a setting that official settings don't have a shot at being chosen. Dragonlance is probably the only official setting I've run something in.

If they create a Psionic-based campaign setting that isn't Dark Sun there are going to be riots. Grognards will flood out of their mother's basements in their tens or perhaps even hundreds, hurling invective and empty Mountain Dew cans at anyone who dares stand against them.

If they did this, I think there'd also be a lot of people going "Finally, decent psionic rules, now I can properly run my dark sun campaign!" I can run a dark sun game now with what's available, but a dedicated psionic class would be great.

 

[CleverNickName]

Here's one of my favorites:

Sadira, in a Tyrian Alleway. (painting by Brom)

 

[Marandahir]

I've read through so much dark sun but never got a chance to run it. I think the problem with me is, I tend to homebrew my settings so much that but the time another campaign comes around, I've already come up with new ideas for a setting that official settings don't have a shot at being chosen. Dragonlance is probably the only official setting I've run something in.


If they did this, I think there'd also be a lot of people going "Finally, decent psionic rules, now I can properly run my dark sun campaign!" I can run a dark sun game now with what's available, but a dedicated psionic class would be great.

I think the problem is that while I could adapt Dark Sun 4e -> 5e as long as I got 5e rules for Templar, Psion, and Defiling Magic, it would still be extra work on my plate, and I'm one of those people that played 4e Dark Sun and have the books. WotC can't and shouldn't assume that anyone who wants to play Dark Sun will be willing or have the time commitment to homebrew the setting for their table with the tools made available. If they care about Dark Sun as an IP, they need to put out a 5e book.

 

[D1Tremere]

The art and unique setting mechanics really drew me in, but the lore was so bad that it eventually drove me away. Everything had that barely thought out grim dark style that makes 40K lore so terrabad IMO. If they ever do bring it back, I hope they put a lot more work into the lore.

 

[CleverNickName]

I think the problem is that while I could adapt Dark Sun 4e -> 5e as long as I got 5e rules for Templar, Psion, and Defiling Magic, it would still be extra work on my plate, and I'm one of those people that played 4e Dark Sun and have the books. WotC can't and shouldn't assume that anyone who wants to play Dark Sun will be willing or have the time commitment to homebrew the setting for their table with the tools made available. If they care about Dark Sun as an IP, they need to put out a 5e book.

But that is much easier said than done. Countless threads here at ENWorld have been closed and locked because of arguments over psionics alone, to say nothing of Templars and Defiling Magic...and ENWorld is one of the more tame RPG fan boards on the Internet. Any attempt at an "official Dark Sun 5E" publication from Wizards of the Coast would be met with cries of outrage, no matter how well it is done. Because few of us agree on what "well done" means.

In a lot of ways, a completely new campaign with no attachment to Dark Sun at all would be better.

 

[cbwjm]

I think the problem is that while I could adapt Dark Sun 4e -> 5e as long as I got 5e rules for Templar, Psion, and Defiling Magic, it would still be extra work on my plate, and I'm one of those people that played 4e Dark Sun and have the books. WotC can't and shouldn't assume that anyone who wants to play Dark Sun will be willing or have the time commitment to homebrew the setting for their table with the tools made available. If they care about Dark Sun as an IP, they need to put out a 5e book.

That's fair enough, people do want to play without having to think up a lot of extra rules and content, I'm one of those who likes tinkering with things so my views may not be aligned with a lot of people who love the setting.

Right now, just looking at the 3 things you've mentioned, I'd probably do the following:

Templar. I'd make this just a cleric or paladin. Templar to me seem to just be divine spellcasters with political power.
Psionics. I'd probably use something like the supernatural gifts from Theros.
Defiling. I have some ideas for that, though it mostly works with wizards. Essentially you defile to gain instant access to your Arcane recovery power. If I wanted other arcane spellcasters, I'd probably need to come up with something else, though maybe just defile and create a spell slot would work. Defilers would probably be NPCs though.

I tend to have things like this ticking away in my brain and every now and then I jot down some notes on my phone and then refine them when I have more time.

 

[pukunui]

I don't know how emblematic they really were, but for whatever reason, the art that immediately comes to mind when I think of Dark Sun are the Dragon and Avangion transformation images from the "Dragon Kings" sourcebook.

edit: Baxa, Tom. Transformations, 1992. Dragon Kings, Timothy B. Brown, TSR Publishing, p. 40 / 105.

Huh. I never knew that DS dragons were eventually meant to transform into full-on traditional dragons with wings and such. I had always thought the way Borys was portrayed was just how dragons in Athas looked!

Credit: Brom