D&D General Operation: Kill Dark Sun and Take Its Stuff

[Dragonhelm]

It occurs to me that we may not need to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" with Dark Sun. While it's unlikely that we will see Dark Sun again, we can use some of the more interesting elements and themes in our games. It won't be the same, but parts of it can live on.

This is a non-comprehensive list of various elements from Dark Sun and some suggestions on using them elsewhere. Please feel free to add to this list.

• Desert Survival - Many worlds have deserts. For example, Anauroch in the Forgotten Realms is expansive enough that you could have a game built around survival.
• Half-Giants (Goliaths) - Merging half-giants with goliaths was a brilliant move, in my opinion. They were so thematically similar. They exist in many worlds, but have prominence in Critical Role's Exandria.
• A World Without Gods - Dragonlance didn't have gods between the Cataclysm and the War of the Lance. This era is known as the Time of Darkness. If you want a brutal game with no gods, this is an option.
• Elemental Magic - Many settings have elemental magic. Al-Qadim, Legend of the Five Rings, and Sovereign Stone are just three examples. I liked how in 4e, Dark Sun's elements were described as sun, sand, wind, and rain.
• Psionics - Psionic rules do exist, but for those wanting something more traditional, there are many options on DMs Guild.
• Thri-Kreen - Thri-kreen existed prior to Dark Sun in both Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms. They would be available for any number of rules.
• Defiling Magic - I'm certain a homebrew system could be created for defiling. It also makes a nifty ability for monsters, as we have seen recently with Spelljammer.

Okay, that's all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to discuss this topic in this thread, but I ask that we stay on topic. If you want to post about the recent Dark Sun news, I would recommend posting in this thread.