Crothian
First Post
Dark Sun Campaign Setting
I have been waiting a long time for this one. I have a copy of each 2e Dark Sun product and all the novels. I have the few Dark Sun Dragon magazines that came out in the days of 3e. I was totally thrilled when it was announced at Gen Con 2009 that I made a point to actually read all the novels and products to get a feel again for the setting. Wizards sent me the books the Friday before Gen Con 2010 and I spent a lot of time reading them instead of preparing for my games and packing. I spent a long time away from then while I was at the convention but now I am back and had another week to digest the material and write this review. The review is going to cover the book but I’m assuming people know Dark Sun to some degree as I’m not going to explain the desert planet, defiling, the sorcerer kings, or stuff like that.
The Dark Sun Campaign Setting is awesome. I was not sure how they would fit the setting with the fourth edition D&D concepts and I’m pleased that they seemed to take setting over game in many ways. There are no Divine characters in this book or available as character options. This was true in the original and I was worried that with the 4e philosophy of allowing everything they would alter this. This is a little side bar saying that it could be done but even there they are not suggesting you do it. There is also a lot of dead races. Dark Sun has a violent history and many races are extinct. They continue with that and while it is easier to bring in a supposed dead race then a divine character it is still not something that book embraces. Dark Sun is a hot and unforgiving dangerious world and I like that that feel is still very much in here.
The book has a lot of character options in it though I’m glad they did not make a players book for this setting like with the Realms and Eberron. There new races (Muls and Thri-Kreen) are well captured in here. Again, I was unsure how well everything would be updated to 4e and I have to say that Richard Baker, Robert Schwalb, Rodney Thompson, and everyone else who worked on this book did a magnificent job. In fact it is so good that I’m a little upset that there are not going to be more books for the setting. I really feel that this setting more than the previous two could be greatly expanded and have plenty more cool books for it. The background of the familiar races has been changed to fit the setting. In fact, they incorporated plenty of items from the familiar 4e cosmology into Dark Sun but gave it that good Dark Sun kidney punch that the setting always had.
While I do thoroughly enjoy these books there are some complaints I have and I know they are minor things. I’m not happy with all the names especially of Paragon Classes. The Unwelcomed Guest and Shady Dealer are just too generic and easily used just to describe someone not associated with the paragon class. Other names like Gladiator Champion and Master Defiler are okay but just bland. I like names like the Voice for the Ravaged and Sand Reaver. A larger complete is turning the Pyreen into an Epic Destiny. I like the attempt and it is good to see them included here but the Pyreen are a race. I guess it changed things if I look back at the novels and imagine the Pyreens there as all Epic level characters. It just doesn’t work for me though oddly I like the mechanics of the Pyreen Epic Destiny the best of the five included in the book (Avangion, Dragon King, Hoardemaster, and Mind Lord of the Order).
The book goes into the setting covering lots of it in a short amount of space. It is only sixty pages of the book but it feels like so much more since all these great areas to adventure are included. They do a very nice job of explaining a Dark Sun game and the different kinds of elements and dangers that one can find in it. Obviously, I’m very happy with the book and I think it makes a great addition to the 4e product line and also can serve as a good resource for Dark Sun for people just wanting the setting.
I have been waiting a long time for this one. I have a copy of each 2e Dark Sun product and all the novels. I have the few Dark Sun Dragon magazines that came out in the days of 3e. I was totally thrilled when it was announced at Gen Con 2009 that I made a point to actually read all the novels and products to get a feel again for the setting. Wizards sent me the books the Friday before Gen Con 2010 and I spent a lot of time reading them instead of preparing for my games and packing. I spent a long time away from then while I was at the convention but now I am back and had another week to digest the material and write this review. The review is going to cover the book but I’m assuming people know Dark Sun to some degree as I’m not going to explain the desert planet, defiling, the sorcerer kings, or stuff like that.
The Dark Sun Campaign Setting is awesome. I was not sure how they would fit the setting with the fourth edition D&D concepts and I’m pleased that they seemed to take setting over game in many ways. There are no Divine characters in this book or available as character options. This was true in the original and I was worried that with the 4e philosophy of allowing everything they would alter this. This is a little side bar saying that it could be done but even there they are not suggesting you do it. There is also a lot of dead races. Dark Sun has a violent history and many races are extinct. They continue with that and while it is easier to bring in a supposed dead race then a divine character it is still not something that book embraces. Dark Sun is a hot and unforgiving dangerious world and I like that that feel is still very much in here.
The book has a lot of character options in it though I’m glad they did not make a players book for this setting like with the Realms and Eberron. There new races (Muls and Thri-Kreen) are well captured in here. Again, I was unsure how well everything would be updated to 4e and I have to say that Richard Baker, Robert Schwalb, Rodney Thompson, and everyone else who worked on this book did a magnificent job. In fact it is so good that I’m a little upset that there are not going to be more books for the setting. I really feel that this setting more than the previous two could be greatly expanded and have plenty more cool books for it. The background of the familiar races has been changed to fit the setting. In fact, they incorporated plenty of items from the familiar 4e cosmology into Dark Sun but gave it that good Dark Sun kidney punch that the setting always had.
While I do thoroughly enjoy these books there are some complaints I have and I know they are minor things. I’m not happy with all the names especially of Paragon Classes. The Unwelcomed Guest and Shady Dealer are just too generic and easily used just to describe someone not associated with the paragon class. Other names like Gladiator Champion and Master Defiler are okay but just bland. I like names like the Voice for the Ravaged and Sand Reaver. A larger complete is turning the Pyreen into an Epic Destiny. I like the attempt and it is good to see them included here but the Pyreen are a race. I guess it changed things if I look back at the novels and imagine the Pyreens there as all Epic level characters. It just doesn’t work for me though oddly I like the mechanics of the Pyreen Epic Destiny the best of the five included in the book (Avangion, Dragon King, Hoardemaster, and Mind Lord of the Order).
The book goes into the setting covering lots of it in a short amount of space. It is only sixty pages of the book but it feels like so much more since all these great areas to adventure are included. They do a very nice job of explaining a Dark Sun game and the different kinds of elements and dangers that one can find in it. Obviously, I’m very happy with the book and I think it makes a great addition to the 4e product line and also can serve as a good resource for Dark Sun for people just wanting the setting.
