Dark Sun in Dragon magazine

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Having been involved with the official Mystara site on and off for a number of years, I can see how the Athas.org folks might feel that way, but they were never given sole authority over the setting. I think this kind of thing was inevitable.

In any case, I like that Paizo is doing this, although I was never a big Dark Sun fan. What I'd really like, though, is if they acquired the rights to do a reprint of each of these specials (starting with the Githyanki Dragon/Dungeon/Polyhedron crossover) bundled together in firmer cardstock covers, like the old Best of the Dragon volumes. My Dragon and Dungeon magazines will be in tatters soon enough, but my old Best of the Dragon magazines are still in good shape, close to 20 years on.

If Paizo folks are looking, here's a vote for Al-Qadim next, either in the original setting or in a new one with the same rules, as was done for Spelljammer. (Although please, please, please reintroduce Jannti as a language -- genies not all speaking the same language and having one shared culture in 3E is teh suck.)

 

[ConnorSB]

Whoa! A 3.5 Update? This makes me so glad that I bought the 2e box set off my FLGS's used shelf!

 

[Dave Turner]

If Paizo folks are looking, here's a vote for Al-Qadim next, either in the original setting or in a new one with the same rules, as was done for Spelljammer. (Although please, please, please reintroduce Jannti as a language -- genies not all speaking the same language and having one shared culture in 3E is teh suck.)

It would be good to see Al-Qadim given the same treatment. BTW, Whizbang, you're missed at Graffe's.

Dave "Brahma" Turner

 

[Welverin]

Seeing as how its going to cover in all three magazines, I would think it is fairly safe to assume it counts.

Sure based on size we can consider it one, but will Paizo count it as one of the four for the year?

I hope not because now that they've cut down I hate to see the more innovative stuff left out for a rehash of an old setting (even though it is my favorite one).

 

[megamania]

I'm just glad Darksun is getting exposure. I visit Athas.org a lot and have seen Dragon's version of defiling already. I also check the Wizard site often. Everyone is talking about Darksun.

3.0/3.5 rules came after Darksun was put aside by Wizards to concentrate on repairing their company/business. Many new players brought in by 3.0/3.5 have little to no exposure to Darksun. Now they can look at it and maybe try it. With enough exposure and if the Pazio version is good, perhaps Darksun will see being published again. I can only hope.

 

[frankthedm]

The darksun setting was good pre fall of Kalak, but once T$R decided to get politicaly correct and try and reduce the slavery in the setting it lost something.

 

[Derulbaskul]

The darksun setting was good pre fall of Kalak, but once T$R decided to get politicaly correct and try and reduce the slavery in the setting it lost something.

It's the curse of the novels. A setting "jumps the shark" when novels are use to resolve interesting plot hooks. IMO, of course... and I expect that the same will happen to Eberron.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to Paizo's take on Dark Sun (the athas.org version just doesn't "grab" me) and really do hope that we will be able to buy the three article series as a single download as well (even if I have to wait a few months).

 

[Aaron L]

The darksun setting was good pre fall of Kalak, but once T$R decided to get politicaly correct and try and reduce the slavery in the setting it lost something.

Well, the fall of Kalak happened in the very first novel, and was pretty much ingrained in the setting from the very beginning. In any case, it didn't reduce the slavery a bit except for in Tyr. Of all the things TSR is guilty of I don't think ruining Dark Sun with PC is one of them.

 

[Dragonblade]

Troy Denning created the setting but he also destroyed it.

The Prism Pentad was the death knell for Dark Sun. Everything that you knew about the setting from the original boxed set was thrown right out the window. Half the sorceror-king's died along with the world's only dragon.

NPC's should never have that kind of drastic change on the setting. Never. Its bad design and even worse marketing.

I also blame Bill Slavicsek for releasing the abomination that was the "Revised" Dark Sun campaign setting. Talk about nerfing the entire feel of the setting.

It was so radically different, with the halfling bio-technology, the Thri-kreen savannas, etc. And don't even get me started on how outraged I was when I saw what they did to the Strength table.

I don't know what their goal was, but it sure as hell wasn't Dark Sun anymore.

Athas.org's take is ok, but they just didn't recapture the feel of the setting for me. I'm hoping that Dragon's version will be much closer to the feel of the original boxed set.

 

[Staffan]

Personally, I like the revised setting better. It has more variety (instead of seven cities with cosmetic differences, there are seven cities with very big differences), a greater scope (more stuff on Hinterlands, Kreen empire, and the northern region), and a sense that things are happening - I don't mean the SKs dying, but things like Dregoth's ascension and the Kreen invading.

The process by which they got to that place was a bit sucky (especially The Cerulean Storm), but the end result was pretty neat.