Wizards of the Coast Re-Registers Dark Sun With USPTO

Wizards of the Coast recently filed an application to register Dark Sun in the US, a sign that D&D could be bringing back the campaign setting in the near future. The trademark claim was filed on October 13th, 2025 and is poised to replace a previous trademark that was cancelled by the USPTO in 2024. The trademark, like most involving D&D properties, covers both "downloadable electronic games," "games and playthings," and "entertainment services." Similar active trademarks exist for other D&D campaign settings such as Spelljammer and Forgotten Realms, although neither of those have lapsed in recent years.

We'll note that, as the previous Dark Sun trademark lapsed a year ago, this could be a case of simple paperwork, or it could be the latest sign that a Dark Sun product is eminent. Earlier this year, Wizards released an Unearthed Arcana for the Psion class and several subclasses that all but spelled out a return to the setting, complete with mentions of sorcerer-kings, gladiatorial fights, and preservers and defilers.

 

[TiQuinn]

Oh my goodness, how do we describe a savage, post apocalyptic world without using the word “savage?” That’s unpossible!

 

[Superchunk77]

And yet, until WotC puts out said Dark Sun book, DM’s Guild can’t use it.

Unless they change that policy. I don't imagine it's difficult, just another option in the dropdown list enabled.

 

[TiQuinn]

Unless they change that policy. I don't imagine it's difficult, just another option in the dropdown list enabled.

Why would they change it? They’re totes gonna do Dark Sun!

 

[Zardnaar]

Level 12, and no they just got unlucky. One of them ate a disintegrate that did like 87 damage. He was the wizard, and the player left the campaign shortly after, so they went into the boss fight a man down. They still won.

That will do it.

87 damage my players have 140-16 hp each. 40d6 meteor swarm dropped 1.

 

[Zardnaar]

Alot of players do not really hang out in these type of forums like we do. They do not optimize and I encourage my players to play a character not a build.

This forum doesn't optimize much tbh. And theyre not very good at it.

Reddit and YouTube you can find it.

 

[Zardnaar]

If still true at publication that's probably a good thing. Charisma is way overbuffed in 5e with orders of magnitude too much easy multiplicative synergy between charisma based classes. I've seen endless variations of warlock paladin sorcerer bard and multiclass bingo between the three across my AL games and would be surprised if I needed more than one hand to count the number of wizards or artificers§. Having a solid mechanical foundation like that supporting "nobody likes defilers and you are obviously a defiler" would be a good choice for darksun even if it's a sidebar supporting the gm who chooses to point at it.

§ the dip synergy and opportunity cost needed for solid benefits is awful. Doubt I've ever seen one multiclassed both.

I'm developing a new campaign. Arcane age Netheril influence.

No one's playing a wizard.

 

[Chaltab]

That will do it.

87 damage my players have 140-16 hp each.

I mean he wasn't at full when he got hit. It wouldn't have killed him if he had been.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's more the matter of scale for Dark Sun. One race enslaving a few hundred people versus a whole portion of the planet relying on mass slavery to run entire cities, or serve as annual sacrifices to a defiler dragon to power world shattering magic.

I was more talking about having elemental and para-elemental domains for clerics.

I would cut paraelemental clerics tbh. They weren't in the OBS and added little to the setting.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think they can have Muls, Cannibal Halflings, and Desert Raiding Elves. They just need to adjust some of the worst elements of slave-breeding from some, if not all Muls, make sure that "Halflings Eat People" is some halflings, during times of food scarcity, and desert raiders being very common, but not all elves do it, and not all of them are elves.

That's fine hopefully its what they do

 

[Zardnaar]

I mean he wasn't at full when he got hit. It wouldn't have killed him if he had been.

Fair enough.

I dint see many NPCs with disintegrate.