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

[Superchunk77]

True of many real world societies, but it’s still veiled for entertainment purposes (e.g. 300), just like lots of other bad stuff.

Well when I play Dark Sun, it's with fictional slavery, and it's always for entertainment purposes. It was front and center in Dark Sun 2e, 3.5e, 4e, and it should be there for 5e (#doubt). And just to be clear, nobody is saying real life slavery is good.

Nonsense, slavery exists in the setting, just like it does in FR and Greyhawk. But not every FR story has to focus on Thay. I have to suspect what you are really objecting to is the unlikelihood of images of slave girls in bondage gear and other Gor type adolescent male fantasies.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

It could be worse if sorcerer-kings invented some cursed tatoos for mind-controll effect of slaves.

My suggestion (I say it again) is that slavery should not be shown without reasonable possibilities of allowing the liberation of slaves and the punishment of slave owners, to prevent players from developing learned helplessness.

There is an easy way to add more city-states and sorcerer-kings. New dark-lords and dark-domains. In the death-lands there are sentient undead willing to betray others. Some killed SK could become dark-lords.

What if a player wanted to play a variant class that casted primal or spirit magic instead arcana? For example a psi-artificier, a favored-soul sorcerer or a warlock with a celestial patron.

The Athaspace is in an alternate material-plane.

Genies and other sentient elemental creatures don't like to be near Athaspace because they can't arcane magic.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Because the inclusion of slavery in D&D is, or at least has been, a contentious issue around here. And it was so long ago representatives from WotC basically said they wouldn't touch Darksun with a 20 foot pole because of its problematic elements. But then other problematic elements that are hot button issues online have been included in D&D 5th edition products since 2014. I'm not sure what to think. If Dark Sun is on the horizon, I have high hopes for it, but my hopes are tempered by the mixed reception of some of their more recent setting releases. Spelljammer, I'm looking at you.

With the kind of staff turnover WotC has, it wouldn't surprise me if the people who were against portraying slavery in D&D are long gone, and the current team is more willing to experiment with edgy topics.

 

[Zardnaar]

With the kind of staff turnover WotC has, it wouldn't surprise me if the people who were against portraying slavery in D&D are long gone, and the current team is more willing to experiment with edgy topics.

That's my theory. I suspect a few post tashas works didnt do that well.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Well when I play Dark Sun, it's with fictional slavery, and it's always for entertainment purposes

There is nothing “entertaining” about slavery.

 

[Zardnaar]

There is nothing “entertaining” about slavery.

They weren't claiming it was.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

There is nothing “entertaining” about slavery.

Sure, but killing slavers (with not one shred of guilt), freeing the slaves (with great rejoicing), and taking the slavers' stuff can be pretty darn fun.

 

[overgeeked]

Sure, but killing slavers (with not one shred of guilt), freeing the slaves (with great rejoicing), and taking the slavers' stuff can be pretty darn fun.

Exactly. Slavers, like Nazis, are the perfect enemy because you can kill them without a second thought.

It’s a setting perfect for big damned heroes. The bad guys won centuries ago. Do anything even remotely good on Athas and you’re already a legend.

Also the clear ties to the modern world of rich elites controlling everything, destroying the environment for their own benefit, etc is just too great a setting allegory to pass up.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

There is nothing “entertaining” about slavery.

The BDSM community would like to have a word with you...

 

[Yaarel]

The BDSM community would like to have a word with you...

Yeah. The sex kink, dominant-submissive, is strictly consensual and can be ended by any participant at any moment. It is within a safespace for playfulness. The moment it stops being fun, it stops being ok. It is for adults, rated for Mature/Restricted.

An RPG setting could deepdive into the realities of historical slavery. But it would be for adult gamers and less suitable for teens. It is a topic that WotC does best to avoid. Heh, WotC seems to stumble into controversy in the most anodyne themes. Slavery is highly problematic.