It's Dark Sun

[Obryn]

My first response to the news was to feel truly sorry for fans of Dark Sun. But if they honestly try to avoid the 4e FR treatment and cram default 4e into a setting as unique as Dark Sun, maybe, just maybe they'll have learned from their mistakes up to this point. One can only hope.

What? As a Dark Sun fan, I'm thrilled to pieces. Save your pity, because I rather resent it.

First, the setting already underwent major revisions that I didn't care for, only a short time after it was released. I simply ignored those bits, and ripped the mechanics from them.

I can do the same here, but moreso if I don't like the setting changes. I can rip out the mechanical bits and use the flavor text and setting information found in my old, worn, 2e box set. I figure it's a win-win situation, and I simply don't see a downside to it. I'd far rather have something for Dark Sun which I only like half of, than nothing for Dark Sun whatsoever.

Besides, it's possible they'll take the setting elements and reimagine them in a fantastic way. I might - perish the thought - love it even more than the box set.

-O

 

[Dausuul]

Note to self: Step up pace on current campaign. Must wrap it up by next August.

Speculation time!

In keeping with the setting's tradition of bad-ass characters and crappy gear, and pursuant to these statements from James Wyatt:

[SIZE=-2]Even the idea that characters might wear less armor or rely less on gear in general is easy to implement in the current rules set.

...

These options will add a whole new dimension to Dark Sun player characters, both in terms of what they can do within the rules of the game and in terms of fleshing them out as people in the world.[/SIZE]

Hypothesis: Dark Sun will eliminate +X and masterwork items (the main sources of item dependency), and replace them with special abilities granting inherent bonuses.

Anyone want to make some guesses about how defiling magic will be handled?

 

[Umbran]

To me, all this sounds good. I imagine that the tide swell of nerdrage won't occur until we get our first set of previews.

Perhaps not, but clearly the tide swell of insulting dismissal of others gets to start right now! How cool is that?

It isn't cool at all, actually. How about nobody here does that again.

 

[coyote6]

Dark Sun? So that's what I've been working on!

Explains all the sand, and why all the plants in the office keep dying, eh?

 

[Henrix]

Dark Sun? So that's what I've been working on! So glad it's finally announced.

What? They didn't tell you? Were you one of those who voted for Al Qadim?

 

[Scott_Rouse]

Dark Sun? So that's what I've been working on! So glad it's finally announced.

Is this why it was 100+ degrees in Seattle a couple weeks ago? Well get back to work because this week of rain has sucked

 

[Nebulous]

I was hoping for Brom, naturally, but yes, that cover is still pretty sweet.

 

[Hjorimir]

Was hoping to hear about a ToEE mega adventure after they released the revised Hommlet. Glad its Darksun for the next setting.

Love the cover for it.

Reynolds is hit or miss with me. This is a total hit. A homerun even. Very evocative and striking.

 

[Knightfall]

My first response to the news was to feel truly sorry for fans of Dark Sun. But if they honestly try to avoid the 4e FR treatment and cram default 4e into a setting as unique as Dark Sun, maybe, just maybe they'll have learned from their mistakes up to this point. One can only hope.

~Fingers crossed~

I suspect your pity may not be wholeheartedly welcomed by fans of Dark Sun who have been crying out for a 1st edition rollback since the days of 2e. Really, this announcement hits all the fan buttons. They're using the original boxed set setting, they're not trying to fit all of 4e into the setting, and they're promising setting-specific character options and mechanics. What possible offering could WotC make that would be better than this for DS grognards? The only reason I could see for a DS fan to not be excited about this is if they are grimly and unalterably opposed to 4e in all its ways and doings.

I like that WotC is using the original boxed set as the starting point. It gives DS fans the option of making the setting into whatever they want. Fans won't have to use the Revised boxed set's storyline if they don't want to but they can if they so choose.

Personally, I'm a fan of the both the original boxed set and the revised set. (I still have the Expanded and Revised boxed set and won't give it up, ever.) Dark Sun doesn't have the same number of official products as the Forgotten Realms or Eberron does, so there is some wiggle room for the development of Dark Sun as a 4e setting.

No gods is the most important decision so far. How the DS team handles the "planes" will also be vital.

Also...

They better be careful about how they include all the various 4e races.

Campaign crunch from the Forgotten Realms and Eberron settings must NOT be included in the setting. Period.

Paladins do not belong in Dark Sun; however, I have a feeling that the class will get shoe-horned into the setting.

Bards need to be assassin-like. Dark Sun bards are NOT happy lute-stumming minstrels.

Dune Trader should be a class and there must be an option for players who want to be a gladiator in the Dark Sun-style.

 

[Shemeska]

What? As a Dark Sun fan, I'm thrilled to pieces. Save your pity, because I rather resent it.

I'm a fan of Dark Sun too. However I liked the expanded setting as presented in the Revised DS campaign setting box set. So I'm coming for a different perspective on that there, and on top of that I'm more than a bit cynical about the stated desire to avoid pushing 4e default material into Dark Sun when other statements openly talk about the 4e primordials being part of 4e DS.

Maybe my worry is overstated, believe me, I would like nothing more than to be totally and completely off-base here and have 4e Dark Sun come off as ten flavors of awesome, just using 4e rules alongside well written flavor that's respectful to the original. We'll see. I want to be wrong here, but my inner FR fan keeps having flashbacks.