D&D 5E Dark Sun, problematic content, and 5E…

[Dannyalcatraz]

…actually mature topics--like solving problems through means other than just murdering them. It's far more mature to work out your problems through compromise and understanding than it is using violence as your first resort.

Forgive me, but I just had this mental image of a D&D party handling a BBEG in his fortress like a SWAT team using a negotiator.

“Lord Anthraxus! This is The Troop of Steel! Come out with your hands up! Nobody wants to hurt YOU or anyone else in your keep!”

“Get stuffed”

“C’mon- it doesn’t have to be like this. Let’s talk. Help me help you. What can I do to have you come out peacefully?”

“I want a magical haversack filled with 10kGP gems and a trained riding drake! Oh yeah- a wand of magnificent feasts!”

“That’s a tall order! I’ll get my people working on it. I can get you some ale and chicken from the local tavern right now. Is that OK?”

 

[Cadence]

They churned out what they thought was cool, and that people would buy. They weren't hamstrung by social media. It was a better time for creativity. Most of the things I love about D&D originated in the 2e era.

I didn't like the party where they almost went out of business (a few times?).

 

[Digdude]

Define "adult". Because an adult RPG is either going to be smutty, have teenager levels of "cool edginess" (a la the Book of Vile Darkness), or is going to involve actually mature topics--like solving problems through means other than just murdering them. It's far more mature to work out your problems through compromise and understanding than it is using violence as your first resort.

The definition of adult would be, at what age do we say its ok to be a group of murderhobos solving problems mostly with violence and be ok with it? Your miles may vary...

 

[Faolyn]

All civilized societies in my world outlaw it outside of official governmental sources, and then only for specific uses.

You ever read GURPS Technomancer? It has a fun look into what sort of spells would or would not be legal in a modern setting. A lot of divination spells were also illegal when used to spy on people.

 

[Cadence]

The definition of adult would be, at what age do we say its ok to be a group of murderhobos solving problems mostly with violence and be ok with it? Your miles may vary...

It feels like there should be a better word than "adult" for what many people seem to mean by "stuff I really don't want my kids, spouse, colleagues, or parents to know I enjoy -- and especially don't want showing up when they scan my work computer". Or maybe I need to stop conflating it with things that might slot into being complicated, require some emotional maturity, and/or are best taken with some knowledge of science, history, and/or other things.

 

[Faolyn]

Forgive me, but I just had this mental image of a D&D party handling a BBEG in his fortress like a SWAT team using a negotiator.

“Lord Anthraxus! This is The Troop of Steel! Come out with your hands up! Nobody wants to hurt YOU or anyone else in your keep!”

“Get stuffed”

“C’mon- it doesn’t have to be like this. Let’s talk. Help me help you. What can I do to have you come out peacefully?”

“I want a magical haversack filled with 10kGP gems and a trained riding drake! Oh yeah- a wand of magnificent feasts!”

“That’s a tall order! I’ll get my people working on it. I can get you some ale and chicken from the local tavern right now. Is that OK?”

I'd play it!

In seriousness, though, ages ago I was running a GURPS Dungeon Fantasy game. One of the players was playing a bard and, because of Reasons, the entire group decided that they were a traveling band called The Sex Crossbows, with the bard as the lead singer. In one adventure, I threw some hobgoblins bandits at them, assuming that the party would slaughter them and move on. Instead, the minotaur barbarian intimidated the heck out of them with his mighty roar, and then, in a fake, thick Russian accent, gave them an opportunity--they could either be killed, or they could surrender, give up banditry, learn a new trade, and get paid a fair wage to make band tunics the party could sell when they played at a new town. I think I was as shocked as the bandits are.

So for the rest of the campaign, it was half dungeon-crawl, half rescuing goblinoids from a life of being cannon fodder for BBEGs and giving them new homes, jobs, and education for their goblin kids.

 

[Argyle King]

Question:

For those who desire an updated version of Dark Sun (or something similar to it,) do you feel that updated version needs to be done using D&D 5e for you to be happy?

My understanding is that Dark Sun would fall under the old OGL and this be creative commons. So (and correct me if I'm wrong) I think other companies and game systems could publish a version of Dark Sun.

 

[Lanefan]

That net is wide enough that TSR didn't create any campaign settings either.

Other than Greyhawk...

 

[Vaalingrade]

So (and correct me if I'm wrong) I think other companies and game systems could publish a version of Dark Sun.

The rules are CC. Setting info and lore is most decidedly not.

 

[Faolyn]

The definition of adult would be, at what age do we say its ok to be a group of murderhobos solving problems mostly with violence and be ok with it? Your miles may vary...

There's a difference between what your table enjoys and what an official book put out by a major company is selling. You wanna kill monsters, no questions asked, and take their stuff for the rest of your life, more power to you. Heck, you want to torture people to death, eat their entrails, enslave their children, and burn their souls in exchange for magic power and pet succubi... well, go ahead (generic you, btw).

But that doesn't mean a company has to write a book that supports that.