The world of Dark Sun existed as an eco-disaster with most uses of arcane magic burning life to dust. Steel exists only as lost treasure and iron is as rare as gold. Water gives life but is a rare commodity and even if an oasis can be found it is likely protected or may be the hunting grounds for some menacing beast. Heavy armor is not only rare but likely to bake its wearer beneath the brutal sun and lead to death even without a battle.
Dark Sun is an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition boxed set and world. This review covers the original boxed set and not the revised version or the fourth edition hardcover.
The boxed set includes a 96-page rules book, a 96-page campaign guide, a booklet titled "A Little Knowledge" (featuring a short story and a few Monstrous Compendium entries), a pair of color maps, a poster with Brom’s art, and two spiral-bound flip books featuring an introductory adventure with art for the players to see.
In this first boxed set, Dark Sun required the three core rulebooks, the Complete Psionics Handbook, and Battlesystem. While the Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium came out later, I think it is easier to use than a monster here or there from various compendiums as detailed in the rules.
Dark Sun takes the rules of second edition and turns them up to 11. Starting ability scores go up to 20. All characters start at 3rd level and everyone has psionics. Dwarves can be triple-classed and yes you can actually play a cleric/mage/psionicist.
In the campaign I’m running, the 3rd level psionicist can use dimension door nine times a day. By comparison, a mage in the "standard" rules would have to be 7th level to cast that spell and could only do so once a day. The gladiator has weapon specialization in multiple weapons and does +6 damage on a hit (even with a fist). The thief has a high enough dexterity that he can hide in shadows 50% of the time, so he can backstab often. Everyone is effective and powerful so it works. Characters have to be rough because the world is so brutal and unforgiving.
These wild powerful rules combine with the desolate world of Athas. Sand and dust cover a world that barely supports the lives of violent and dangerous races. The sun hangs bloated and massive, a dying orb. Elves are shifty double dealing nomads while halflings thrive in jungles and hunt other races as food. Mul are half-dwarf/half-humans frequently serving as gladiator slaves. Thri-kreen are mantis-folk who eat everyone else.
In short, the world is as wild as the rules. And again, it works. Things are mutated. Creatures that look like dumb brutes may wield hidden psionic or magic power. Most of the monsters on Athas are unique and unlike anything on other D&D worlds. Even the familiar races are twisted and strange.
What do characters have to face? Powerful sorcerer kings rule each city. Ancient and deadly mages called defilers, each sorcerer king wields vast arcane and material power. All command powerful armies and legions of slaves. And the dragon (there is one) consumes all, burning entire city states to ash and condemning an entire city culture and its sorcerer king to oblivion when it awakes.
Dark Sun shines with dazzling visuals, an amazing layout and structure of the physical products, and the well detailed burning world of Athas. Some of the adventures can still be bought new for a decent price and most of the products are for sale used at a reasonable value if you are willing to wait for the right offer. The game runs well with PDFs as well as the books are black and white.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
Dark Sun is an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition boxed set and world. This review covers the original boxed set and not the revised version or the fourth edition hardcover.
The boxed set includes a 96-page rules book, a 96-page campaign guide, a booklet titled "A Little Knowledge" (featuring a short story and a few Monstrous Compendium entries), a pair of color maps, a poster with Brom’s art, and two spiral-bound flip books featuring an introductory adventure with art for the players to see.
In this first boxed set, Dark Sun required the three core rulebooks, the Complete Psionics Handbook, and Battlesystem. While the Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium came out later, I think it is easier to use than a monster here or there from various compendiums as detailed in the rules.
Dark Sun takes the rules of second edition and turns them up to 11. Starting ability scores go up to 20. All characters start at 3rd level and everyone has psionics. Dwarves can be triple-classed and yes you can actually play a cleric/mage/psionicist.
In the campaign I’m running, the 3rd level psionicist can use dimension door nine times a day. By comparison, a mage in the "standard" rules would have to be 7th level to cast that spell and could only do so once a day. The gladiator has weapon specialization in multiple weapons and does +6 damage on a hit (even with a fist). The thief has a high enough dexterity that he can hide in shadows 50% of the time, so he can backstab often. Everyone is effective and powerful so it works. Characters have to be rough because the world is so brutal and unforgiving.
These wild powerful rules combine with the desolate world of Athas. Sand and dust cover a world that barely supports the lives of violent and dangerous races. The sun hangs bloated and massive, a dying orb. Elves are shifty double dealing nomads while halflings thrive in jungles and hunt other races as food. Mul are half-dwarf/half-humans frequently serving as gladiator slaves. Thri-kreen are mantis-folk who eat everyone else.
In short, the world is as wild as the rules. And again, it works. Things are mutated. Creatures that look like dumb brutes may wield hidden psionic or magic power. Most of the monsters on Athas are unique and unlike anything on other D&D worlds. Even the familiar races are twisted and strange.
What do characters have to face? Powerful sorcerer kings rule each city. Ancient and deadly mages called defilers, each sorcerer king wields vast arcane and material power. All command powerful armies and legions of slaves. And the dragon (there is one) consumes all, burning entire city states to ash and condemning an entire city culture and its sorcerer king to oblivion when it awakes.
Dark Sun shines with dazzling visuals, an amazing layout and structure of the physical products, and the well detailed burning world of Athas. Some of the adventures can still be bought new for a decent price and most of the products are for sale used at a reasonable value if you are willing to wait for the right offer. The game runs well with PDFs as well as the books are black and white.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
