D&D General Dark Sun fans: What are the essential elements of Dark Sun to you?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Let's say a non-WotC publisher wanted to make a new setting that captured what Dark Sun fans enjoyed most about the setting. If you are an existing Dark Sun fan, what do you consider the essential elements of the setting that a publisher could remix and still capture a large part of the magic of the setting for you.

My suspicion is that while there are fans of every single element, most fans actually like a smaller core set of elements, which might be remixed separately.

But I'm not an existing Dark Sun fan, just a busybody with a theory.

So, Dark Sun fans, what are the essential elements in your mind?

 

[mamba]

Defilers and Preserves, wasteland, city states, Godkings, low-tech (even for fantasy, i.e. bronze age at best), human sacrifice. So basically think Aztecs mixed with Persia

 

[Scribe]

Could have saved me some clicks with 'All of the Above'.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

For better or worse, I don't think a serial-numbers-filed-off version of Dark Sun is all that interesting. What made the setting so appealing is how uniquely, specifically weird it is. But I'm biased, since it's the only D&D setting I've liked even a little bit.

 

[Clint_L]

Brom

 

[overgeeked]

Those are all core essential elements, to me.

 

[Yora]

Having a completely different lineup of monsters than default D&D.

Also Templars.

 

[ThorinTeague]

Everything you listed in this poll and more is absolutely Essential to Dark Sun. Although finding another artist could still work.

Also: resource scarcity, threat of death from starvation/dehydration

Political treachery

Commanding armies
.
And more I'm not thinking of...

 

[schneeland]

You have a good selection of elements there, but if I try to trim it down as much as possible and rank the items, it would be:

1. Environmental collapse
2. Sword & Sandals
3. Art by Brom (or rather: Brom's art style, could also be done by someone else)
4. Wildly different core races
5. No gods
6. No planar travel

Also, maybe 7. would be survival elements/resource scarcity.

 

[Corinnguard]

Could have saved me some clicks with 'All of the Above'.

Exactly. All of the above mentioned elements are essential for the setting to be like Dark Sun.

Now we need a poll on who that Non-WoTC publisher ought to be.