D&D 2E 2E Darksun Observations

[Orius]

Ah, the wonders of Skills & Powers psionic combat, aka "Stop hurting yourself!"

Spoiler

In S&P, you needed to lower a target's PSPs to 0 to make contact with a closed mind and thereby be able to use telepathy on them. Basically, that's like saying a wizard is immune to magic until you strip them of all their spell slots. In order to reduce their PSPs, you needed to use attack modes to punch through their defenses. However, most of the attack modes cost more PSPs to use than the "damage" they'd inflict, so you'd hurt yourself more than your opponent.

I really wonder what they were thinking with that one.

More of TSR's lack of playtesting, I'll wager. The system later got some errata in Dragon Annual 2.

 

[Staffan]

More of TSR's lack of playtesting, I'll wager. The system later got some errata in Dragon Annual 2.

Perhaps, but that flaw is so immediately obvious that it should have been picked up in editing, regardless of playtests.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I have been running Ravenloft using 2E when I play D&D and it works very easily I find. I think a lot of the things people sees as flaws (the different subsystems, the different rolls for attacks versus NWPs) etc, limits on multi classing, racial level limits, are actually strengths of the system. I like the way the different subsystems feel and play, and I like how many of the limits constrain power gaming

 

[Bedrockgames]

Psionics not going well along with character tree. Haven't even got to wild talents yet.



Psionics



Have I mentioned psionics?



Psionic now I remember why I didn't like them.

Definitely psionics was the hardest part of Dark Sun. I don't think the psionics system for 2E was especially good (not that 1Es were good either). But it was very jarring to switch to the psionics system, plus it had balance issues.

I did like the Dark Sun books. I just re-read the boxed set last year and feel it, along with the old Ravenloft Black Box, is one of the better setting boxed sets ever put out.

 

[Alzrius]

I have been running Ravenloft using 2E when I play D&D and it works very easily I find. I think a lot of the things people sees as flaws (the different subsystems, the different rolls for attacks versus NWPs) etc, limits on multi classing, racial level limits, are actually strengths of the system. I like the way the different subsystems feel and play, and I like how many of the limits constrain power gaming

If I were ever to run Ravenloft again, it would be under the 2E rules, but with a few elements of the 3.X take on the system thrown in. Calibans, for instance, were a very clever way to reskin half-orcs.

 

[Zardnaar]

I have been running Ravenloft using 2E when I play D&D and it works very easily I find. I think a lot of the things people sees as flaws (the different subsystems, the different rolls for attacks versus NWPs) etc, limits on multi classing, racial level limits, are actually strengths of the system. I like the way the different subsystems feel and play, and I like how many of the limits constrain power gaming

Same. I could dump level limits, buff humans.

 

[Bedrockgames]

If I were ever to run Ravenloft again, it would be under the 2E rules, but with a few elements of the 3.X take on the system thrown in. Calibans, for instance, were a very clever way to reskin half-orcs.

I did like caliban but otherwise I hated the S&S Ravenloft. It is totally subjective so if others don’t share my taste, I can see why done might like them. But for me those books were just not what so was looking for in Ravenloft (a lot of it felt too WW for me)

 

[GrimCo]

I fell in love with Dark Sun when i first read it. It's my second favorite D&D setting ( first being Ravenloft). But personally, i just never DMed it or played it using 2ed rules. 5* for lore, 1.5* for mechanics and layout. My personal pick would be 3.X. It's more streamlined, but characters are not as powerful as in 5th ed ( have no idea how good DS 4ed was ).

 

[ldvhl]

You using Psionics Handbook or Skills & Powers/Revised Dark Sun for psionics?

Ah yes, isn't all of 2e's subsystems fun?

Unironically yes.

 

[Voadam]

I did like the Dark Sun books. I just re-read the boxed set last year and feel it, along with the old Ravenloft Black Box, is one of the better setting boxed sets ever put out.

The first boxed set was amazing with cool sorcerer-kings and The Dragon. Then the novels immediately messed with core parts of that boxed set and the modules followed suit. If you stick with the core boxed set and rules supplements like the monstrous compendiums and the splats you have a lot of cool aspects to draw from. Dragon Kings has a lot of great stuff for high level D&D. My magic user was happy to get his hands on protection from time and improved haste.

One drawback of the core setting though is that it is specifically a different power level from base D&D. Stats going into the 20s, and everybody a wild talent makes it hard to mix and match in a balanced fashion for say a ravenloft game that draws characters from different worlds (not that Dark Sun characters would generally be a good mix for gothic horror, despite the Kalidnay(?) Dark Sun realm).