What We Lose When We Eliminate Controversial Content

[Ruin Explorer]

What are the characteristics of deconstructed/reconstructed planetary fantasy? I've never heard of that one.

Even if you're right, you can have the genre but it still wouldn't be Dark Sun if slavery and psionics are removed, because they are part of that particular setting. You would be creating a In Name Only setting (which would actually be fine because then it would be open on the DMsGuild).

I mean, it's planetary fantasy, to put it simply.

The deconstructed/reconstructed is that they looked at the tropes and kind of broke them down then rebuilt them.

 

[Scribe]

The PCs plan to acquire the Conch of Teleportation from the Fire Giant fortress in SKT.
That, pretending to be slavers offering slaves, would be an awesome plan to use to bypass the initial guard at the fortress.

Hey, I have no problem with PC's playing as the bad guys, this isnt a change for me.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Like I said, I was a player, not the DM, had virtually no knowledge of the setting before we started playing and this was a 4e game, about 13 years ago? So, sure, my recollection is pretty fuzzy. I enjoyed the game, I do remember that. And, as I said, slavery as a theme didn't stand out for me.

Then again, this was over a decade ago. My personal feelings about these sorts of things has changed over those years. I would like to think that I'm a bit more aware of social issues than I was back then. Hopefully. I'm trying to be better anyway.

Sure, and I don't think this needs to devolve into people being expected to have mastery of the setting. I like Dark Sun but my only real familiarity with it is through the original boxed set and through being a player in campaigns later. That is why I started reading the original boxed set again (this conversation piqued my curiosity on certain things and I wanted to go back and see how well this aspect of the content holds up). My only point is looking at it now, it is pretty clear to me, with the original setting at least, that this stuff was pretty deeply woven into the setting. I don't disagree that you could have fun approaching it differently. I just think the setting I am looking at in this boxed set, for me, loses something if you take out the brutality, the slavery, the lethality, etc. Not everyone is going to agree on that of course.

I also think something being in a game is no where near the same as endorsing something or holding something up to keep certain people out.

 

[AnotherGuy]

nvm

 

[Micah Sweet]

I mean, it's planetary fantasy, to put it simply.

The deconstructed/reconstructed is that they looked at the tropes and kind of broke them down then rebuilt them.

What makes it planetary, as opposed to plain old fantasy?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So like the folks "vote" in elections....but the Drago King always wins...wink,wink, nod, nod....and like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives?

I mean, sure, yeah. You get herded to the mandatory voting booths by men with spiked sticks and you can "choose" your candidate, but only person is standing this decade, just like every other decade, the local Sorcerer King.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

What makes it planetary, as opposed to plain old fantasy?

Not an easy question to answer.

But I think Burroughs' Barsoom and Richard Corben's Den and Howard's Almuric share a kind of continuity with Dark Sun - psi powers, deserts, despots & slaves.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

What makes it planetary, as opposed to plain old fantasy?

The setting and the high weirdness, largely. The tone of planetary fantasy/planetary romance has always leaned towards sword'n'sandal tropes so there's crossover there, and there's also crossover with fantasy as a whole.

But it's much darker than most planetary fantasy, it's sort of fused with post-apocalyptic fantasy, but I see that personally as a deconstruction and reconstruction of planetary fantasy. Deconstruction/reconstructions always end up a lot darker than the original.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Not an easy question to answer.

But I think Burroughs' Barsoom and Richard Corben's Den and Howard's Almuric share a kind of continuity with Dark Sun - psi powers, deserts, despots & slaves.

So sword and planet?

 

[Micah Sweet]

The setting and the high weirdness, largely. The tone of planetary fantasy/planetary romance has always leaned towards sword'n'sandal tropes so there's crossover there, and there's also crossover with fantasy as a whole.

But it's much darker than most planetary fantasy, it's sort of fused with post-apocalyptic fantasy, but I see that personally as a deconstruction and reconstruction of planetary fantasy. Deconstruction/reconstructions always end up a lot darker than the original.

Slavery as part of the setting would seem to fit perfectly in what you describe. And tons of stories with those themes back me up.