Melhaic said:
I want to run a 2e Darksun campaign. What books do I need? I've got all of the stuff to run 2e Player's Option (I've been running 3e for a while now, might be interesting to switch back), but have nothing on Darksun but interest. Thanks.
unless you have only the player's option books, i would go:
core AD&D.
psionics handbook.
original dark sun boxed set.
if you want a setting rulebook, you can get: the will and the way (excellent for psionic heavy campaigns) or dragon king (i am not 99% sure it's the correct name, but it should be. sorry, it's been a looooong day).
if you want a setting "fluff" book, don't buy anything. first read the boxed set and then decide where you want to set your campaign. in some of the sourcebooks, the world might be slightly different (to accomodate the changes in the metaplot), but unless you get those published for the revised boxed set (i think from thri kreen of athas onwards), you can ignore the changes fairly easily, if you want (as far as i can remember).
i suggested you to go with the original boxed set because, in my opinion, is more evocative, and leaves more options to the DM. the revised set is cool, too... but there were a LOT of changes to the setting, and if you happen to like the hammered in metaplot (i personally think it went way out of hand, at some point), you might end up wasting your 5 dollars (assuming you're buying the PDF).
as for what the metaplot is, you should get the first five books published for the setting. even if you decide the ignore the story, the background information alone is well worth the buy, in my opinion.
PS: i suggested to do without the player's option books because, especially for skills and powers, you would have some conversion work to do: why bother, if you can run the campaign out of the box as it is?
PPS: if you have access to old Dragon issues, i remeber there was a terrific article on preservers using defiling powers (akin to jedi messing with the dark side, if you wish) around issue 202... i'm not totally sure of the issue number, but i have a vision of the cover in my head...
PPPS: if that is ACTUALLY the issue with the article, i am officially a geek. scary.