D&D General Dark Sun as a Hopepunk Setting

[Crimson Longinus]

…was Fury Road not a blockbuster? Maybe it’s the portion of the internet I hang out on, but I remember that movie being very well received both critically and commercially at release, and even the weirdos who were mad about a woman having the audacity to bark orders at Max were at least bringing attention to it.

I loved that film. My dog is named after Furiosa.

I think the sequel was OK too, but I certainly get why it wasn't as big of a success. The pacing was quite different.

But yeah, I think Fury Road is a good example of a story with hope in a dystopian world.

 

[Corinnguard]

Elan could definitely be useful, yeah! Half-Giants? Absolutely.

I would say we could use the Kitax for Kreen, once they release, but it might be better to just make a Kreen-Stand-In.

Athasian Elf culture for the running and stuff would allow humans raised in that culture to run with the elves, too. So that could be fun.

Aarakocra- use the Harpy Heritage from MoAR: Complete for these birdfolk.
Dwarf- new culture- Sun Dwarf culture. Take the Desert Hierarch culture from MoAR: Complete and reskin it for a culture of surface-dwelling, beardless, hairless Dwarves. Throw in Fire Resistance.
Elves- the elven heritage gifts would work well here. They're already psionic in nature.
Planetouched (Genasi)- automatic shoo-in given Athas' strong elemental connection.
Pterrans- a new Lizardfolk culture?

Kitax?

 

[Gradine]

I think I need to get myself better versed in A5e. It seems quite a bit... crunchier than I typically like in a TTRPG these days, but maybe that is what a Dark Sun spiritual successor needs

 

[Corinnguard]

I think I need to get myself better versed in A5e. It seems quite a bit... crunchier than I typically like in a TTRPG these days, but maybe that is what a Dark Sun spiritual successor needs

It is a tad crunchier than 5e, but in a good way.

 

[Chaltab]

it's perfect for Dark Sun but since I have players that often forget basic class and subclass features I fear simpler versions of 5e are a safer bet for my group.

 

[Gradine]

Mostly why I recommend a full new compatible game rather than just a setting book though is:

(a) As mentioned, third party setting books aren't exactly top sellers
(b) I feel like a setting book, especially in 5e these days, is expected to find a place for all 5e PHB player options
(c) A major selling point to Dark Sun (or a Dark Sun-alike) is that the general species are very different from what you'd expect
(d) I also think it would be a struggle to find a place for Aasimar, Dragonborn, or Tieflings, to say nothing of other options such as a classes, archetypes, or spells that don't really fit in

You would have a better standing to adopt from the OGL what you can fit in and leave things out without having to make a list of things from the PHB that are VERBOTTEN

 

[Gradine]

it's perfect for Dark Sun but since I have players that often forget basic class and subclass features I fear simpler versions of 5e are a safer bet for my group.

My groups tend to almost exclusively include brand new players. It might be something to graduate them to if they start thinking they may want to try something with more crunch to it

 

[Chaltab]

My groups tend to almost exclusively include brand new players. It might be something to graduate them to if they start thinking they may want to try something with more crunch to it

Listen i've been gaming with some of these people for 15+ years, it's not that they're all new. Even the newest has been playing since '16

We used to play 4E! it just seems adult responsibility takes up too much brain space these days.

 

[Zardnaar]

Bah. Europeans consumed mummia (literally mummy flesh) "medicinally" (but sometimes for things that we wouldn't consider medical today) while condemning a few pacific islanders for taking a bite out of the hearts of their enemies.

And yeah, pretty much no one ever consumed humans as a regular part of their diets. It was either ceremonial, or during food shortages, which, you know, was pretty standard for everyone in times of need. People ate people on the Oregon Trail, for example. We don't tend to blame those rugby players from the plane crash shown in the movie Alive, do we?

People just like to judge others for things that they themselves would do, and worse, when put in a similar situation.

Yeah as I said after some events I can't judge. I don't regard myself as Europe never been there

 

[Mind of tempest]

Don't forget the heritages, cultures, backgrounds and destinies that could be present in a Dark Sun-like setting if A5e gets the job of creating its' successor. The Elan from Josh Gentry's Slice of Psionics could be part of the official heritage line-up. Ditto for MoAR: Complete's Half-Giant heritage.

elan have almost nothing going for them