D&D 5E (2024) Unconfirmed Dark Sun World Book

[Staffan]

Neither could the original. It’s an interesting idea in concept, but in practice, why would players care about imaginary environmental damage to a world that does not exist?

Same reason most people play good guys in solo computer games, at least as their main playthrough. The fantasy of Superman is not having the power to move mountains. The fantasy is in having that power and using it to do good.

It’s mostly desert. A ‘nice” map would be to colour in a blank page yellow!

"Desert" is a broad description. Dark Sun, much like the real world, has differentiated types of deserts, like rocky barrens, salt flats, scrub fields, boulder fields, and the "traditional" sandy wastes.

Plus in 2e, players didnt even see the environmental damage by a spell happen. The concept would be more vivid if arcane spells always failed unless there is a visible body of water within 30 feet. Then casting the spell annihilates the water in front of the eyes of everyone there. It makes the defiler more clearly villainous.

They see it as much as they see anything else that happens in the game: there's a circle of black/grey ash surrounding the caster with a radius depending on spell level and terrain type.

We can have happy slaves. Not the rated R slaves being beaten with whips in the Moses movie and forced to make bricks with no straw. Rated PG slaves are more like shanghaied pirates in that they get 3 hots and a cot- and a purpose in life, even if it is not their chosen purpose.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Same reason most people play good guys in solo computer games, at least as their main playthrough.

Do they?

 

[Scribe]

Do they?

I would argue (without proof) yes. Most, I would assume, want to be seen as the Good Guy. Most want to be seen as the Hero. I mean we can look at the psychology of social media for the last 6 or so years....

Even I, am in the same boat. I just want the world I'm in to not be some over the top twee nonsense. I want the world to suck, so that I can smite evil foes, break unclean hordes, and hear the lamentations of their women.

I mean look at that preview image to the right for "Unconfirmed Dark Sun World Book". Its not hard to actually get the tone right.

Its just nothing like the tone Wizards has tried to push lately.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would argue (without proof) yes. Most, I would assume, want to be seen as the Good Guy. Most want to be seen as the Hero. I mean we can look at the psychology of social media for the last 6 or so years....

I wonder if Larian has released data on what percentage of BG3 playthroughs are Dark Urge characters, which is probably a fair approximation of playing an evil character.

 

[Scribe]

I wonder if Larian has released data on what percentage of BG3 playthroughs are Dark Urge characters, which is probably a fair approximation of playing an evil character.

Hmm, I dont know. I do know that I didnt make it too far when I tried it out, just seemed needlessly silly.

 

[Xamnam]

I wonder if Larian has released data on what percentage of BG3 playthroughs are Dark Urge characters, which is probably a fair approximation of playing an evil character.

I think Mass Effect historically was the data point people relied on, 92% of players chose Paragon instead of Renegade:

https://x.com/EbengerJohn/status/1230205582478458880

which does seem to in effect back up 15% choosing DU, given how much more reason there is to replay BG3:

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I wonder if Larian has released data on what percentage of BG3 playthroughs are Dark Urge characters, which is probably a fair approximation of playing an evil character.

Not really, I played a Durge who rejected their Bhaal heritage and sacrificed themselves to save the world. Somehow my CRPG characters always end up sacrificing themselves.

But it’s certainly true that not all players care about being a good guy, and a major issue when it comes to trying to balance a system of preserving/defiling.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not really, I played a Durge who rejected their Bhaal heritage and sacrificed themselves to save the world. Somehow my CRPG characters always end up sacrificing themselves.

It's obviously not a perfect metric, but it's probably the best Larian has.

But @Xamnam gave an even better metric, using Mass Effect, although Renegade arguably just means edgelord, not necessarily evil. (If being sarcastic is evil, a whole lot of people are in a whole lot of trouble.)

 

[Xamnam]

It's obviously not a perfect metric, but it's probably the best Larian has.

But @Xamnam gave an even better metric, using Mass Effect, although Renegade arguably just means edgelord, not necessarily evil. (If being sarcastic is evil, a whole lot of people are in a whole lot of trouble.)

Plus, Mass Effect is a little flawed in that it really asks you to never waver once you've started down a path, given how you build up points in either side.

 

[JDazzle]

Yes, Virginia, there is a new Dark Sun book coming out...