D&D 5E 5e has everything it needs for Dark Sun

[Steampunkette]

Druids have the Reincarnation spell, so the concept exists within the Dark Sun worldview. The spell guides the future incarnation. But reincarnation can just as easily happen naturally.

Probably all outcomes are possible.

The mind of an ancestor who wants to remain fully a member of their living community can do that. (Maybe this is what a psionic body is.)

The mind of an ancestor who wants to come back as a natural feature, such as a particular mountain or beast or tree, or even come back as a future descendant or some other humanoid, can do that.

The mind who just wants to escape the Dark Sun and disintegrate into the oblivion of Shadowfell, can do that.

Reincarnate is only accessible within 10 days. Same with Raise Dead.

Resurrection is 100 years. True Resurrection is 200 years.

Back in 2e when Dark Sun was created the Resurrection spell worked on a target dead for up to 10 years per caster level. So about the same as True Resurrection in 5e.

Guess that means it takes a few centuries of floating around in the Grey before your soul breaks up too far for anyone to recover.

Since my memories of dark sun are 2E, I would would really hope dark sun had an ability score array higher than normal. Something like 19, 16, 15, 4, 12, 10

i don’t know I’m flexible in this

"Standard Array" didn't exist in Dark Sun back then. Your rolling options were:

1) 4d4+4 rolled six times
2) 5d4 twice per ability score, take the higher of the two.
3) 5d4 six times, assign as you prefer.
4) 5d4 twelve times, assign six as you prefer
5) Every score is a 10. Roll 10d4 and add whole dice to any score you want (No splitting a 4 for +2 Str and +2 Con, for example)

 

[Rikka66]

Since my memories of dark sun are 2E, I would would really hope dark sun had an ability score array higher than normal. Something like 19, 16, 15, 4, 12, 10

i don’t know I’m flexible in this

I would put a lot of money on that not happening.

 

[Steampunkette]

I would put a lot of money on that not happening.

Agreed.

WotC will probably just balance Dark Sun in the same way they do any other 5e setting so there's no need for overwhelmingly strong ability scores and we'll wind up using the Standard Array in any Adventure's League games.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh, Reincarnate should be a slot 1 spell (ritual). When a level 1 character gets killed, and the player needs to create a new character, this is precisely when Reincarnate is useful and nice. Basically a new character with some past-life memories.

Of course, a DM can let the player character have previous memories, without needing special mechanics to do this.

But rethinking and tweaking the Reincarnate legacy spell for D&D 5e could be alot of fun.

Maybe a character can come back as a pet of the next character. So many possibilities.

 

[Yaarel]

With regard to the classes, this is what I want in the Dark Sun player content.
• One section that is as true to the original box set as possible, albeit there are legitimately different ways that 5e might represent it.
• One section for 5e classes that kinda-sorta makes sense in the setting, but isnt in the original box set.
• One section advising the DM if wanting to include unrelated classes, like a Fey Wanderer Ranger or whatever.

For the Box Set, I want a complete stand-alone product, where all the mechanics and flavor is in one book. I dont want to reference the Players Handbook for these core Box Set option. Each option needs to be completely rewritten, from the ground up, to fluff the class features to fit within the lore of the cultures of the planet Athas. These are Box Set character options (slightly tweaking for 5e).

Martial
• Gladiator (fight sports)
• [Soldier] (military unit)
• [Minstrel] (entertainer and poisoner)
• Ranger (wilderness warrior)

Arcane
• Preserver
• Defiler
• Illusionist (unsure if necessary in 5e but might be notable in 2e)
• [Necromancer] (not listed but probably should be since necromancy is notable in 2e)

Divine
• Templar (priest of an urban temple worshiping a Sorcerer-King as a god-monarch: compare Caesar, Pharaoh, etcetera)
• Cleric (elementalist with Dao-like cosmic force spirituality)
• Druid (shaman of an animist community)

Psionic
• Psion


The above is the 2e Box Set. There are various reasonable ways to represent these 12 character options within 5e. The point here is, I want this core as a stand alone product, without needing to consult the Players Handbook, I want these options written from the ground up with mechanics whose lore is pertinent to how these options fit within the Dark Sun setting.

There are various ways to represent these options, some might be a class or subclass, or background or feat, or some other design space. If a subclass, then its base class also needs to be present with its Dark Sun version.

The Dark Sun Ranger could understood as a Divine class because the 5e Ranger is more magical and can count as a Divine class. Alternatively, the DS Ranger could be a nonmagical Rogue Scout. Whatever solution seems to represent the most salient aspects of the 2e setting within the modern 5e D&D game.

After the core box set section is complete, a second section can add all the 5e options that are no problem for Dark Sun. For example the Barbarian class is fine. There is no need to mention mechanics, but lore is helpful. For example, briefly describe where one might find a Barbarian within the cultures of Athas − maybe among the Halflings.

After the section for including any pertinent 5e classes is complete, a third section can handle all of the 5e player options that really dont make sense in the Dark Sun setting. Perhaps the third section might try to discourage the DM from including conflictive flavors, but then give some useful advise if the DM insists on a "kitchen sink" approach to Dark Sun.

 

[Sithlord]

With regard to the classes, this is what I want in the Dark Sun player content.
• One section that is as true to the original box set as possible, albeit there are legitimately different ways that 5e might represent it.
• One section for 5e classes that kinda-sorta makes sense in the setting, but isnt in the original box set.
• One section advising the DM if wanting to include unrelated classes, like a Fey Wanderer Ranger or whatever.

For the Box Set, I want a complete stand-alone product, where all the mechanics and flavor is in one book. I dont want to reference the Players Handbook for these core Box Set option. Each option needs to be completely rewritten, from the ground up, to fluff the class features to fit within the lore of the cultures of the planet Athas. These are Box Set character options (slightly tweaking for 5e).

Martial
• Gladiator (fight sports)
• [Soldier] (military unit)
• [Minstrel] (entertainer and poisoner)
• Ranger (wilderness warrior)

Arcane
• Preserver
• Defiler
• Illusionist (unsure if necessary in 5e but might be notable in 2e)
• [Necromancer] (not listed but probably should be since necromancy is notable in 2e)

Divine
• Templar (priest of an urban temple worshiping a Sorcerer-King as a god-monarch: compare Caesar, Pharaoh, etcetera)
• Cleric (elementalist with Dao-like cosmic force spirituality)
• Druid (shaman of an animist community)

Psionic
• Psion


The above is the 2e Box Set. There are various reasonable ways to represent these 12 character options within 5e. The point here is, I want this core as a stand alone product, without needing to consult the Players Handbook, I want these options written from the ground up with mechanics whose lore is pertinent to how these options fit within the Dark Sun setting.

There are various ways to represent these options, some might be a class or subclass, or background or feat, or some other design space. If a subclass, then its base class also needs to be present with its Dark Sun version.

The Dark Sun Ranger could understood as a Divine class because the 5e Ranger is more magical and can count as a Divine class. Alternatively, the DS Ranger could be a nonmagical Rogue Scout. Whatever solution seems to represent the most salient aspects of the 2e setting within the modern 5e D&D game.

After the core box set section is complete, a second section can add all the 5e options that are no problem for Dark Sun. For example the Barbarian class is fine. There is no need to mention mechanics, but lore is helpful. For example, briefly describe where one might find a Barbarian within the cultures of Athas − maybe among the Halflings.

After the section for including any pertinent 5e classes is complete, a third section can handle all of the 5e player options that really dont make sense in the Dark Sun setting. Perhaps the third section might try to discourage the DM from including conflictive flavors, but then give some useful advise if the DM insists on a "kitchen sink" approach to Dark Sun.

I love everything you wrote. You are a genius that should be put on payroll. I do however see the Templar class as warlocks for the sorcerer kings as their patron.

 

[Rickayelm]

I've always thought oath of the Crown paladin would be a good fit for Templars. You are empowered by a magically binding oath to one of the sorcerer kings.