Darksun 2e...prelude to 3e?

[megamania]

Awhile ago I and some other gamers got talking about 3e and how to came to be. I mentioned how Darksun seemed to the game that lead to 3e. This is some of the reasons I gave-

Advanced Beings= Prestige Class / Templates
1/2lings "wise children with small grown-up bodies" = 3e 1/2lings
Dwarves "boulder-like bodies"= short in HT but Med size
Psionicist= 3e Sorcerer (fewer powers, more flexible in use)

There were others but since it's after 2am I've forgotten them at the moment. I was just wondering if others saw a connection, aka Darksun as the Missing Link between 2e and 3e.

 

[Alzrius]

I'm a big Dark Sun fan, but to me, the "missing link" between 2E and 3E is most definately Kenzer's new Hackmaster game.

 

[megamania]

Not real familiar with that game. I was just thinking of it as the game of the 90's that lead to the game of the 21st century.

 

[Kamard]

Hmm. Dark Sun's revised Strength table kinda resembles the new way Strength is done. There was no 18/00 stuff in revised, IIRC.

 

[Fevil]

They are going to have problems with 3e I think, unless they get the psionics sorted I dont think its going to work very well.
Psionics in 2e was crucial to the survival of the character, if all you had was a wild talent, most of the monsters made short work of you with their attack modes, as did many of the NPCs.
As for it being the missing link, I doubt it. It was canned well before the 3e release.

 

[EricNoah]

More 3E ancestors:

Alternity (a unified dice mechanic, the skill system, a single game system for multiple genres)

D&D Combat & Tactics (flanking, attacks of opportunity, shorter combat round)

D&D Skills & Powers (increased character customization)

 

[megamania]

I had forgotten about Skills and Powers.

 

[the Jester]

Prestige classes actually go back all the way to the 1e bard and the od&d avenger, paladin, et. al.

 

[Dagger75]

A lot of the older issues of Dragon have snippets of 3e all threw them. One had a small article to convert THAC0 to a BAB and the AC of monsters to the way we all love it now.

Its also funny reading the Forums in those old Dragons were they are talking about what needs to change for 3e. Some of them hit it right on the money others are ... a little off.

 

[PA]

About the feats, have a look on Dragonfist. Already there.