D&D 5E WotC: Why Dark Sun Hasn't Been Revived

In an interview with YouTuber 'Bob the Worldbuilder', WotC's Kyle Brink explained why the classic Dark Sun setting has not yet seen light of day in the D&D 5E era.

I’ll be frank here, the Dark Sun setting is problematic in a lot of ways. And that’s the main reason we haven’t come back to it. We know it’s got a huge fan following and we have standards today that make it extraordinarily hard to be true to the source material and also meet our ethical and inclusion standards... We know there’s love out there for it and god we would love to make those people happy, and also we gotta be responsible.

You can listen to the clip here.

 

[Scribe]

hun, genocide is kind of controversial

Is it? Or is it simple?

Its evil, actually Evil, and undeniably wrong.

How is it 'controversial' at all?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah it's hinted the Gree Ave may gave reached an early 20th century level of development using picnics instead of industrialization.

Tell me more about this Picnic Revolution.

 

[mamba]

So much over thinking. There just isn't a TON of money here......it is a very niche setting, not the kind of heroic / generic fantasy that is The Realms or even Dragonlance or Spelljammer.

yeah, but how many generic settings do you actually need... the whole point of a setting is for it to be distinct

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

yeah, but how many generic settings do you actually need... the whole point of a setting is for it to be distinct

Wait until you see how many grimdark settings are being funded through Kickstarter.

 

[mamba]

Wait until you see how many grimdark settings are being funded through Kickstarter.

I did notice that

 

[Dragonhelm]

The only Dragon Kings I know of was just supplemental info for the original 2E set that expanded character options to 30th level for the various classes. Was there something else for Dark Sun named Dragon Kings?

Timothy Brown did a 3rd party setting called Dragon Kings that was supposed to be a spiritual successor to Dark Sun. There was a Kickstarter for this a few years back.

This is different from the sourcebook you're talking about.

 

[Zardnaar]

yeah, but how many generic settings do you actually need... the whole point of a setting is for it to be distinct

Dammit don't type and do other stuff at the same time. With a new phone.

 

[Superchunk77]

Very happy to read this article today. WotC should just sell the IP of Dark Sun to Athas.org and let them publish 5e products for it. If they want to tie that into DMSGuild fine. Athas.org are the only custodians of the Dark Sun lore that I trust after seeing what WotC did to Spelljammer and Ravenloft.

 

[squibbles]

[...] In a social and cultural vacuum, new stuff shouldn't dimish the enjoyment if the old stuff you have, but we don't live in a social and cultural vacuum. It takes a lot of mental energy and willpower to just ignore new stuff that contradicts the old stuff. [...]

Well, to each their own.

I guess that mental effort comes easier to me than it does to others.

 

[SAVeira]

Very happy to read this article today. WotC should just sell the IP of Dark Sun to Athas.org and let them publish 5e products for it. If they want to tie that into DMSGuild fine. Athas.org are the only custodians of the Dark Sun lore that I trust after seeing what WotC did to Spelljammer and Ravenloft.

Hasbro does not and will likely never sell off an IP that they own. They have a track record of seating on IP for years.