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Message: <blockquote data-quote="squibbles" data-source="post: 8096562" data-attributes="member: 6937590">That is a beautiful turn of phrase which, in my opinion, perfectly encapsulates the essence of Darksun. I think this discussion would have benefited if that line were part of its starting point.Your comment exposes something noteworthy.Its quite curious to me how many posters have mentioned psionics in Darksun as a trope of post-apocalyptic fiction. That's not quite right. Psionics are also a trope of Sword and Planet fiction--as are novel domestic animals and dying worlds (not to mention large green multi limbed tharks, ahem... thri-kreen). Darksun borrows A LOT from Barsoom, and I'm mildly surprised how smoothly that flew under the radar here.I think both systems can work well together, despite being thematically redundant. Psionics could be a way of influencing the world that is useful but limited in important respects (it doesn't conjure clone bodies and magnificent mansions), while arcane magic could be an overwhelmingly potent, versatile, and environmentally destructive source of power. Preserving could be a have-it-both-ways outlook which tries to take the best of arcane magic without causing harm that, at bottom, is a lie and self-deceptive rationalization--preservers would destroy the planet, It'd just take them a while longer.The verisimilitude of the setting falls apart if there are other equally powerful magics though. Druids and elemental clerics (and any other nonsense that 5e adds) need to be significantly weaker than defilers for it to make sense that everybody important, knowing the horrible consequences, chose to defile the planet.</blockquote>

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