Dark Sun, 4th Edition

[Fiendish Dire Weasel]

I strongly feel Dark Sun is a perfect example of a "Points of Light" (maybe points of shade) campaign in my opinion. I think Wizards should seriously consider adding this setting, even if just one large campaign book, to the 4th Edition line-up.

They would need to take a seriously look at it though. Considering moving the timeline forward and making appropriate changes (or even moving it back, dunno) to be sure a good job is done of it. To it right or not at all, like the horrible failure Dark Sun for 3.5 was.

 

[Loghren]

Voted no.

I don't think WotC should publish the setting. Like Ravenloft they should hand off the publishing to a 3rd part, once WotC has published their psionic rules for 4e.

That was my reasoning. WotC has plenty of other things to do. Let other companies go back to the old settings.

 

[Khur]

Yes.

 

[La Bete]

Yes. Preferably with Paladins.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Why waste time on Darksun when they can resurrect Spelljammer?

Now that was good times! No, wait...I like me some carnivorous Halflings and half-breed Dwarves (pronounced mule or mull?). [/QUOTE]
Why not combine the two settings? Deliverance in space!

 

[Colonel_Friendly]

No, they should not.

Darksun is a great campaign setting and 4e looks like it will be a good rule set. But that doesn't mean they will go well together. I think that many of the changes for 4e really go against what Darksun is all about. It's going to be tough to be a little gritty when the characters have unlimited daily powers.

You do realise the factual error of that statement right?

Daily Power = 1/Day
Unlimited = "without limitations"
Daily Power != Unlimited

 

[TheSleepyKing]

A big hardcover "Worlds of Adventure" sort of book with just enough to get started on DS, Ravenloft, Al Quadim, and Planescape I'd buy in a second.

As would I. A lot of these "dead" settings would also lend themselves well to an adventure-path style treatment, where you have a single story arc (probably defeat the world's Big Bad and save it forever) that takes the players from 1st to 30th. There would be no need to detail the entire world -- just provide enough flavor to make the adventure path interesting.

 

[Hathorym]

Dark Sun, at the time of its release, was innovative and interesting, and of particular attraction to the younger crowd at the time. It was gritty and deadly, and that was why it was so well liked. But, I don't believe the same grit and appeal exists today, particularly due to the fact that a rehash wouldn't have the same newness as the original. Personally, I think it should stay in the annals of history, to show an idea, rather than make any attempt to re-market it to today's savvier, and dare I say, more highly critical younger player. I vote no.

 

[Hella_Tellah]

A big hardcover "Worlds of Adventure" sort of book with just enough to get started on DS, Ravenloft, Al Quadim, and Planescape I'd buy in a second. That might also be good marketing. I understand the randomized minis work well because people will buy a box even if they don't like each individual mini, so there is less guesswork in predicting product demand. Throwing a bunch of campaign settings together might work the same way. Fans of all four settings would all buy the same book, possibly making it financially viable as a whole when it might not be individually.

This.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Of course they should. I wouldn't mind a Worlds of Adventure, but I'd expect to be something like the Dungeon Survival Guide: e.g.: all art and fluff and intro material.

I'd like a DS hardcover that introduced Athas and gave some quick rules and maybe had an intro adventure. I wouldn't want something hyper-detailed like the 3e FRCS, but maybe something to help people get a handle on it.

For Race, you'd have DS's twisted take on the fantasy archetypes. Cannibal halflings and sprinting elves and muls, yes indeedie! Each has their own "lands," and they all come together in a big central city in an oasis under the watchful auspices of a Sorcerer King.

For Class, you'd have some DS-exclusive takes on it. With the powers system, I think it'd be easy to integrate new and existing classes, so we'll take the Galdiator and the Templar and the Defiler and the Preserver and the Psion and the Psychic Warrior, and the Rogue and the Bard, and the Druid and the Elemental Cleric. They should be built from the ground up as Athasian classes, rather than retconned, but it shouldn't be too hard to give them come core options, too. So the Athasian rogue is still a striker, just one who dabbles in Assassination talents. The Athasian Gladiator is (maybe) a Defender, but the taunt and the net and the unusual tactics aren't out of place. The Druid would almost be a Leader in Athas, who is able to enhance the world around them. Defilers should have their own unique ability set that saps the life from around them to cast, while preservers should have their own unique ability set that saps their own life to cast.

For Feel, we'd basically establish a hardscabble postapocaylptic world. Monsters, bugs, terrain rules, a few neato places with great gut-punch possibility described in brief paragraphs: "The Silt Sea, The Free City, The Salt Barrens," whatever. We introduce the most important Sorcerer King for the PC's (the one who rules over the city-state that they live in).

For Setting, we describe the city the PC's will be headquartered in, establish a few thematic NPC plots, and let everyone go wild.

I'm a fan of DS (though not as obsessive as I am at planescape!), it's a very good setting, and as long as WotC uses a light touch (and not 3e's attempt to square-peg/round-hole it) they might not screw with it too much.