Dark Sun: Let's Read The Original Boxed Set

[Xyxox]

The original Dark Sun boxed set had several components:

1) The Rules Book
2) The Wanderer's Journal
3) A Little Knowledge (Fiction + Flip Book Adventure)
4) Player Aid Cards (for A Little Knowledge)
5) Dungeon Master's Book (for a Little Knowledge)
6) Color Map of the Tyr Region
7) B&W Map of the Tyr Region
8) Color Map of the City of Tyr

We'll look at different pieces of this through these posts starting next with the Rules Book.

 

[Obryn]

Great idea!

-O

 

[Shroomy]

Cool idea, especially since I was just looking through my original box set the other day.

 

[Xyxox]

The Rules Book

The Rules Book breaks down into fifteen chapters, similar to what we're all used to seeing in these things:

Chapter One: Ability Scores
Chapter Two: Player Character Races
Chapter Three: Player Character Classes
Chapter Four: Alignment
Chapter Five: Proficiencies
Chapter Six: Money and Equipment
Chapter Seven: Magic
Chapter Eight: Experience
Chapter Nine: Combat
Chapter Ten: Treasure
Chapter Eleven: Encounters
Chapter Twelve: NPCs
Chapter Thirteen: Vision and Light
Chapter Fourteen: Time and Movement
Chapter Fifteen: New Spells

Under Ability Scores, we find a departure from standard 2E AD&D ability scores and ability score generation. Though the six base abilities are the same, the score generation would be for a range from 5-20 rather than the standard 3-18. This represented a base generation methodology of 5d4 for each ability score, though that simplistic methodology was not even amongst the base ability rolling methodologies. The simplest way to roll your character was 4d4+4 for each ability in order. For NPCs, the 5d4 method was used. As with the standard 2E AD&D ability score generation, several optional methods were also presented.

Though this section does present the fact that ability scores work the same as with the 2E PHB, the concept of a Templar is introduced in this section mentioning that Wisdom is the primary ability score for this class of "beaureucratic priests".

 

[Scribe Ineti]

Damn glad I bought the PDF before WOTC pulled the plug on their products on DTRPG.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Dark Sun, with its inflated ability scores and higher level beginning came out at just the time when I could still enjoy munchkinning. I only DMed it, though.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

By the way, just like Spelljammer, Planescape and Ravenloft, the internal/external art and typeface, set the tone of all the books, including of course, the original boxed set

The thematic orangy-brick-red borders and font ("Papyrus" I think it was), made the pages a true inclusion into the feel.
4th ed has greatly efficient and easy to use layouts, but I'd really want some more "colour" and style to them, like those old classics

Brom did the fantastic cover art, and also, one of my fave ever pieces of art the "Belgoi Enchanter" which was used on a Dragon magazine.

 

[Xyxox]

Chapter 2: Player Character Races

Now the departures from standard 2E AD&D settings start really sinking in with the introduction of the eight standard PC races in Dark Sun.

As with the rest of 2E AD&D, Athas is a humanocentric planet and thus Humans make up the bulk of player characters. The other races for PCs are:

Dwarf
Elf
Half-Elf
Half-Giant
Halfling
Mul
Thri-Kreen

As with other settings, there are ability score adjustments as well as minimum and maximum ability score requirements for these races. As is the case throughout 2E AD&D, there are also Racial Class level limits, though the Rules books strongly recommends using the optional rule on Exceeding Level Limits presented in the Dungeon Master's Guide. When I ran 2E AD&D, I always used this optional rule in every campaign I ran.

Languages are introduced next and it's fairly textbook in how racial languages are handled throughout 2E.

Next is a description of each race which I beleive would be best handled with a single post for each race.

 

[Xyxox]

Dwarves

Things start to go amiss. These are not your axe wielding, beer chugging, bearded stoic warriors of settings past.

These dwarves are focused on some task. Checking in at 4 1/2 - 5 feet tall and ahving dark skin tanned by the climate, these guys live up to 250 years.

Like their standard setting cousins, these dwarves are pretty non-magical. There is, of course, the possibility of the clerical sorts of magic specific to Athas, but beyond that, don't go looking for magical dwarves here.

I've had a lot of luck with players playing dwarves on Athas, but the focus is a critical part of their personality and should be kept in mind.

 

[Xyxox]

Elves

Now we start to really depart the norms of known fantasy camapaign settings. The Elves of Athas are 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet tall, larger than in any other standard 2E setting. These desert elves make the standoffishness of their standard D&D cousins seem almost trustworthy.

They live in tribes, though there are some city dwellers trading with the humans. They can take a variety of professions; cleric, defiler, fighter, gladiator, preserver, psionicist, ranger, templar, or thief. In addition to this, they can multi-class. Level restrictions are in place for most of these classes, but the recommendation is to implement the exceeding level limits optional rules from the 2E DM's Guide.

Slow to trust those not of their tribe, these elves take elfish features to a new extreme.