Dark Sun Updated Timeline?

[shiyongseng]

I've been looking for an updated timline. All I've found so far is that Dregoth is getting geared up, but they don't mention anything about Hammanu becoming a dragon for a short time and being destroyed, or about him taking Rajaat (the Dark Lens) down.

I'm glad Dark Sun is getting attention again, but I hate to think what's being applied from 4E. In little time there are already 3 PHBs, and I think 4E is (in Chinese) shi3. I hope (WotC) 4E doesn't screw up psionics too bad, or even the Dark Sun world for that matter, like they did Dragonlance & FR. The timeline could be made totaly uninteresting, but I'd like to read Dark Sun novels again. Becauses of so many changes to the DL world I've not even tried to read more than 3 or 4 of the new books. I'm sure I'll have the same feeling for FR soon as I do for DL. I hope they don't do the same to DS.

With there being 3 PHBs out already and 2 DMGs, I can only get three feelings: WotC is trying to fix all the mistakes with 4E book by book, they are wanting to milk people of their money, or a mix of both. I'm hoping this doesn't happen to DS, because all the revisions will make the timeline and anything in DS a bore to say the least.

Is there an advanced timeline out somewhere like there was for FR?
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[AdmundfortGeographer]

Is there an advanced timeline out somewhere like there was for FR?

It seems like you are asking about when in the DS timeline 4e Dark Sun will be set. Correct?

If so, we have been told 4e Dark Sun will be set in the immediate weeks right after Kalak's overthrow. Hamanu is in charge of Urik, probably hoping to get the iron trade coming his way again any way possible. With the dragonborn PC race being set as Dark Sun's dray that means WotC has some plans to use Dregoth. It's unclear precisely what though.

 

[shiyongseng]

Wow, so they are doing away with the novels afterward, like Hammanu's death. I hope it doesn't ruin things.

 

[Wik]

Yyup. Due to a huge number of Dark Sun fans (such as myself) that hated what the novels did to the setting, the designers are going back to square one, more or less. Only Kalak is dead, I believe, and everything else is back the way it was in the original boxed set.

Seriously, I think you're the first person to think the novels made a positive change to the setting. Which is perfectly fine - I mean, you can turn the setting into whatever you want, and just pick and choose what you like.

But I have a question, here. If you hate 4e so much, why bother with the new setting? And, while there are plenty of 4e detractors here at ENWorld (welcome to ENWorld, by the way!), it's probably not a fun idea to just start spouting hate at the current edition.

As for the Timeline question, the designers have said multiple times that they are not going "kitchen sink" with Dark Sun - meaning that there will be some things that are excluded from the game (Gnomes, Divine Characters, etc). They have also said that they are going to the original boxed set as inspiration, and there was not a timeline in said set - one of the great things about the setting, in my opinion, was how shrouded in mystery the timeline actually was.

Again, your tastes may vary, but I still think the new Dark Sun will be an excellent starting point for a huge variety of campaigns.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Wow, so they are doing away with the novels afterward, like Hammanu's death. I hope it doesn't ruin things.

Sure, it is like they are rewinding time, but they have explicitly said that the novels are totally one potential outcome and nothing in the novels will be invalidated.

It will only be "ruined" if you never liked the original starting events in the setting.

 

[shiyongseng]

Eh, I wasn't happy the way Hammanu was killed off, but everyone wants to do reboots these days, like it will cover up their mistakes. Movie producers are doing it, so why not jump on the bandwagon? They should continue with what they've done and try to make it interesting again - like an Avangion getting through all of its transformations, or even a dragon that doesn't go crazy, more defiler dragons appearing from a far off land and battling a current one, or even something stronger (since 4E seems to be about power now - 30th lv.). With a reboot they are messing up the timeline, or making something like an alternate universe idea- just forget what we did before.

I don't want to spout hate for the new DS, I just hope WotC doesn't mess it up like they did with Dragonlance and FR. Those were both systems I enjoyed, along with my gaming friends, now none of us have interest in them.

When you look at the maps of the world, they only really show a small part. There is so much they could have done, instead of rewinding the timeline.

I signed on in 2005, but I think that these posts are some of my first. When I make a complaint about something in the forums on WotC it gets deleted, they then say I'm trolling. I don't believe in this idea unless I'm spouting off curses at people or being rude, I just see it as me being a displeased customer and they wish to stop the dissent. It'd be nice to see more people not satisfied with 4E and see where/what they play now, because my gaming is almost all but gone now. My gaming friends are all in the U.S., while I'm overseas.

Well, I don't like 4E, but I want to keep up to date with DS, as long as it isn't ruined by 4E. It's a shame to see 4E applied to DS, but I know DS needs to grow. And I can't even think on how WotC is going to destroy psionics like they did magic for me. 4E just feels like an online game to me made into a table top system.

Did WotC destroy Greyhawk too, or did it just tank? I've never looked at any of the books for that system. Ravenloft fell off the face of the Earth, but it looks like they are trying to jump start it.

 

[Obryn]

Honestly, there's been a ton of input from the designers on these issues.

Yes, the timeline was reset, thank goodness. The Prism Pentad took an incredible and mysterious setting and then set about more or less ruining most everything unique about it and revealing all the deep mysteries. I am not sorry to see it go.

Every indication we have so far says that the folks writing the 4e Dark Sun setting are fans and are interested in preserving its integrity. So, you won't find divine characters by default. Nor will you probably find gnomes, orcs, and so on. (I'm sure these will all be theoretically available through DM permission - because everything is - but they won't find their way into official products.)

There are very long DS-related threads on the site already. You can check out a few.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/260546-its-dark-sun.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/270475-dark-sun-weapon-materials.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/266511-more-dark-sun-tidbits-rich-baker.html

It seems to me, though, that even making a 4e Dark Sun is problematic to you. I could be wrong - but if that's the case I'd just stay away. And I'm sorry you aren't a fan, but random edition-war digs thrown into a post are a quick way to derail a thread.

-O

 

[shiyongseng]

Thanks for the information, I'll be sure to check it out. I hope the novels in the future are an interesting read, and that the rewind in the timeline turns out for the better. I just don't have a lot of faith in WotC though, but we'll see.

They may not 'kitchen sink' it, but they could 'toilet bowl' it like FR/Dragonlance.

 

[vagabundo]

Hmm on a related note: where is our DS previews Mr WotC???

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Hmm on a related note: where is our DS previews Mr WotC???

Oh man, I know I know. I've been a bit disappointed that the "Dark Sun blog" hasn't blogged about DS for over a month now, and when there is a post usually DS is the least of the post.