[Dark Sun] [Spoilertastic] Sorcerer Kings

[Obryn]

Lets be honest, nothing of this is spelled out in the original box. I doubt the even mention any of this. Boris as a ex-human and walking seal is great, but the Dragon as a force of destruction walking through the desert and preying on anything that moves is as good or even better.

YES.

Part of me loved learning the history of Athas in the Prism Pentad. But a much larger part of me wishes that it weren't a place with such silly ideas as a "Pixie Blight." (EDIT: I mean, really, what kind of self-respecting genocidal maniac, bent on clearing the world of an entire sentient species, would call themselves a Pixie Blight?)

I'm perfectly okay with a world which doesn't have a history anymore. It makes Athas seem all the more bleak.

-O

 

[Steel_Wind]

It's my hope that all discussion of Dark Sun history will be carefully avoided in the 4E published material. That way, those who love the official history won't have it trampled on, and those of us who loathe it can make up our own, and neither of us has to rewrite the setting books... and WotC can take the "fluff space" that would have been spent on history and devote it instead to fleshing out the present day.

I don't know about that. Dark Sun was an underperforming setting in the TSR 2E era. That doesn't mean it did not have its fans and followers - but it never had an iconic status in the D&D mythos in terms of "ZOMG!!!!111!! You can't mess with THIS".

I think it's fair to permit the designers their ability to put their own stamp on the gameworld in the 4E books to be released. It's been nearly 20 years since the release of the initial Dark Sun boxed set. There is nothing to say that Tim Brown and Troy Denning recieved some wisdom from on high that was inscribed on great stone tablets that Rodney Thompson must respect for all time and never trample upon.

That's setting a designer up to fail, imo.

I'm not sure if I will pick up Dark Sun or not. I am sure that if I ever run a 4E campaign - it will be in Dark Sun.

Given my preferences, I would PREFER that Dark Sun not be an amalgam of every race and setting flavor in the WotC hardcover lineup and that it have its own distinctive "feel". I'm sure WotC will do what they'll do and Rodney will do his best to deliver a quality product.

If Dark Sun 4E is only half as good as Rodney's work on Star Wars: Saga Edition, then Dark Sun 4E will be the best D&D setting WotC has ever released for D&D.

 

[evildmguy]

This wiki entry Dark Sun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has a lot of this information as well. I know I keep using it instead of the second boxed set, where I think most of this came from.

I also agree that a new and different history, or several options of history, would be cool for Dark Sun. And yes, the synonyms for destroyer did get old but a place does evoke more ideas for me!

edg

 

[Keefe the Thief]

It´s a tricky thing, really. I love the backstory, i loved writing that list, compiling all this information, thinking how to incorporate that into a campaign - but i know i´m in the minority.

Lots of people like Dark Sun for its special take on survival-fantasy, grittyness (i hate that word), style and atmosphere. It was hurt by the disease of the 80s and 90s called metaplot.

Not that all metaplot is bad - i like the Dark Sun metaplot. But i agree that writing the atmosphere-changin, style-changing events of the metaplot into stone by publishing stuff like "beyond the prism pentad" or the new campaign setting was stupid.

Rebooting the setting is a good idea. While i´m happy that i know so much about the backstory, i can also rember when that gaunt, brown, terrifying, superheated sand breathing THING was "just" a dragon, "just" the most dangerous thing in a dangerous world.

It´s all good.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'd be totally okay with avoiding 90% of the history and focusing on the present day.

The only history I need is "The natural world was shot in the face, the Sorcerer-Kings have ruled for generations, and in the Long Ago Time, there were world-scouring genocides that eliminated creatures like fey and giants."

Done.

 

[Henry]

The only history I need is "The natural world was shot in the face, the Sorcerer-Kings have ruled for generations, and in the Long Ago Time, there were world-scouring genocides that eliminated creatures like fey and giants."

That's a big "me, too." There are various pet peeves as the reasons why I've clamored for the original boxed history over the years, and this is one of them.

Pixie Blight? Lizard Man Executioner? Really?

I'd almost rather not know what they did, or how they got their powers.

 

[ppaladin123]

That's a big "me, too." There are various pet peeves as the reasons why I've clamored for the original boxed history over the years, and this is one of them.

Pixie Blight? Lizard Man Executioner? Really?

I'd almost rather not know what they did, or how they got their powers.

"The Pixie Blight," isn't exactly the most menacing sobriquet, is it?

 

[KidSnide]

I'd be totally okay with avoiding 90% of the history and focusing on the present day.

The only history I need is "The natural world was shot in the face, the Sorcerer-Kings have ruled for generations, and in the Long Ago Time, there were world-scouring genocides that eliminated creatures like fey and giants."

Yeah, me too. And, frankly, I don't need to know that fey and giants were wiped out. All I need to know is that they aren't there. Frankly, the idea that Athas used to be a "standard fantasy world" with all the usual races and monsters makes it less cool in my eyes.

There's nothing wrong with the standard D&D world. It's a great setting. But the whole point of having a "different" setting is for it to be different. Explaining how it's really just a standard D&D world after some earth-shaking events is counter to its purpose. It doesn't need a connection to the core D&D canon -- Dark Sun difference from that canon is its raison d'etre.

Also, all you kids need to get off my lawn...

-KS

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I collected a list of all sorcerer kings past and present and wanted to post it here for your leisure (and for constructive criticism and additions, of course).

My only critique would be that we don't know that these are ALL sorcerer kings/Champions on Athas.

I asked Troy Denning many years ago at GenCon in Milwaukee about it. I remarked that it was exceedingly odd that for a setting about a whole world being desiccated and laid waste , it was remarkable that it all seemed to have happened in a tiny region the size of Colorado yet the whole planet was affected by the consequences of events right "here".

I asked Troy if it made sense that Rajaat had many other Champions that he employed all around Athas who never set foot in the Tablelands. Troy agreed remarking that he never intended that the "known" Champions were definitive or complete.

 

[Hawke]

Dark Sun... I have never met a setting that was such a rollercoaster of feelings. I LOVE some parts to the point of almost attaining nirvana... but hate some parts so much that I feel condemn me to the Nine Hells for eternity.

As far as 4E... seems like they're doing such a great job so far of keeping the important parts of the setting and not mentioning the parts of contention that could ruin it for many people...while keeping it open so others can keep the older history and be happy, too.

I can't wait.