D&D 5E Darksun 3.0

[Eltab]

"He's a mutated freak!"
"So what if he's got six fingers on his vestigial third arm and his right eye is noticeably bigger than his left? He's no defiler, so at the very least, when he accidentally Fireballs the village, we can still grow crops in the area."

... and he turns blue without having to hold his breath. Last week he grew a hand-length taller and tried to wrestle that half-giant from the next village over; he never could hold his broy.
But if we could ever get him to Fireball the weeds and those cactus, that would be something!

 

[Zardnaar]

Given how tough it is to acquire top-notch equipment, an Open Hand Monk WOULD fit in Athas. Quit restricting yourself (and them) to the Zen Oriental stereotype!
You could easily throw one at the PCs as a village guardian or gang enforcer type.
Ki = psionics for most purposes, and in my experience you don't have enough ki points to use them in every fight. So when you do, it's like your mystic training DID just kick in.

It was an adaption of the 1st set.

Thematically not sure monks ft the setting, 2E did not have them in the PHB and I feel DS less is more in addition to Monks getting around the weapon restrictions on Athas.

I don't want the settings butchered to make them fit into 5E rules. They will need to add rules to Ebrron for example to allow the buying and selling of minor magics.

I don't like Kender for example but I do not want them removed from Krynn, I don't want them tobuild a D&D multiverse though where a Spelljamming ship of Kender ends up on FR or even worse Athas.

 

[cbwjm]

Will and the Way includes a psionicist monk kit. It isn't a proper monk class but it allows the psionicist the ability to study martial arts. I'd translate that as a monk with a subclass that lets him take psionic disciplines taken from the mystic class that draw upon his ki to use.

 

[Zardnaar]

Will and the Way includes a psionicist monk kit. It isn't a proper monk class but it allows the psionicist the ability to study martial arts. I'd translate that as a monk with a subclass that lets him take psionic disciplines taken from the mystic class that draw upon his ki to use.

That might make some sense but doesn't exist in the PHB.

Some classes make a bit more sense with an Athasian subtype. Not a fan of additonal arcane classes though based on the world, Sorcerers maybe, warlocks nope and spellcasting bards being big ones. I can almost buy a psionic monk it makes sense for the setting.

Its PHB monks don't fit, some things can be refluffed up to a point.

 

[cbwjm]

At the most basic level, I think that the open hand monk could fit in as a class.

Elemental monks should fit since the elements play a large part, but they cast elemental spells which could be problematic.

Shadow monks aren't a great fit either. Gonna be a lot of fun looking for a shadow to port to and from.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Weapons:
The whole "metal is worth 100 x normal" makes basically no sense, unless you're going to make metal arms and armor way, way better than they currently are. Last time I played dark sun, not one member of the party had any interest in keeping any metal item we found that wasn't magic, simply because selling them made us ridiculously rich, well beyond the benefits of those items. Looking at the rules you've got... I'm thinking it will turn out the same.

Races:
I don't see a problem with allowing any old race. The main reason not to is simply that rarity might lead to a campaign derailment by slavers.
Even without specifically mentioning the pristine tower, darksun was always presented as a setting where lots of mutations and weirdness exist, and you might find anything out in the desert.

I think it would do to have guidelines that cover starting campaigns in the various city-states. It never made sense to me that people could start as halflings in most cities, for instance.

Classes:
I feel like you're doing that thing 2e did where everyone has their class tattooed on their forehead. As long as you're clear where a character's power is coming from, then I have no problem with mix-and-matching classes and roles. Want a sorceror as a templar of a sorceror king? That makes perfect sense. Want a warlock as a psion? No problem. Want a monk as a defiler? No problem. Things just have to be reflavoured, I feel. You're not going to be able to pick typical animals for barbarian totem warriors or druid shapeshifts, but banning them seems harsh when other analogues exist.

Skills:
Making skills have perma-disadvantage doesn't work very well, because it removes disadvantage from the DM's toolbox when he's making a skill check harder.
I would suggest giving example DCs for history and survival. Arcana should probably just not be on most proficiency lists. Even most spell casters shouldn't have access to it.

Defiling:
I feel like your defiling is not worth using. It's the tiniest of bumps to power in exchange for quite a lot of loss.

I feel like preserving should be a choice that makes life much harder, because that makes it feel more like a temptation to defile, and it should be a fairly big loss to be preserving. Something like making one spell slot/day at each level a defiler-only slot would be more than enough I think. And yes, that means that if you only have 1 slot at your highest level, you need to defile to use it.

I feel like the attack cantrips don't really fit athas either.

Feats:
The restrictions here seem completely arbitrary, and run contrary to the assertion that "fighters lead athas' armies". Without inspiring leadership, there's absolutely no benefit that an army can get from a fighter.

Rules:
I personally don't like the gritty realism rules, because I think that doing literally nothing for a week to get spell slots back is silly. If your goal is to have overland travel gradually deplete resources, I think you'd be better off saying that long rests aren't possible without at least semi-permanent shelter and short rests aren't possible without shelter (ie - making a camp). This means that city and dungeon adventures don't have ridiculous pauses while the party rest for a week after mild exertion, but means that being out in the desert sucks hard. It also solves any problems you have with spellcasters nourishing the entire party in the desert.

 

[Zardnaar]

Weapons:
The whole "metal is worth 100 x normal" makes basically no sense, unless you're going to make metal arms and armor way, way better than they currently are. Last time I played dark sun, not one member of the party had any interest in keeping any metal item we found that wasn't magic, simply because selling them made us ridiculously rich, well beyond the benefits of those items. Looking at the rules you've got... I'm thinking it will turn out the same.

Races:
I don't see a problem with allowing any old race. The main reason not to is simply that rarity might lead to a campaign derailment by slavers.
Even without specifically mentioning the pristine tower, darksun was always presented as a setting where lots of mutations and weirdness exist, and you might find anything out in the desert.

I think it would do to have guidelines that cover starting campaigns in the various city-states. It never made sense to me that people could start as halflings in most cities, for instance.

Classes:
I feel like you're doing that thing 2e did where everyone has their class tattooed on their forehead. As long as you're clear where a character's power is coming from, then I have no problem with mix-and-matching classes and roles. Want a sorceror as a templar of a sorceror king? That makes perfect sense. Want a warlock as a psion? No problem. Want a monk as a defiler? No problem. Things just have to be reflavoured, I feel. You're not going to be able to pick typical animals for barbarian totem warriors or druid shapeshifts, but banning them seems harsh when other analogues exist.

Skills:
Making skills have perma-disadvantage doesn't work very well, because it removes disadvantage from the DM's toolbox when he's making a skill check harder.
I would suggest giving example DCs for history and survival. Arcana should probably just not be on most proficiency lists. Even most spell casters shouldn't have access to it.

Defiling:
I feel like your defiling is not worth using. It's the tiniest of bumps to power in exchange for quite a lot of loss.

I feel like preserving should be a choice that makes life much harder, because that makes it feel more like a temptation to defile, and it should be a fairly big loss to be preserving. Something like making one spell slot/day at each level a defiler-only slot would be more than enough I think. And yes, that means that if you only have 1 slot at your highest level, you need to defile to use it.

I feel like the attack cantrips don't really fit athas either.

Feats:
The restrictions here seem completely arbitrary, and run contrary to the assertion that "fighters lead athas' armies". Without inspiring leadership, there's absolutely no benefit that an army can get from a fighter.

Rules:
I personally don't like the gritty realism rules, because I think that doing literally nothing for a week to get spell slots back is silly. If your goal is to have overland travel gradually deplete resources, I think you'd be better off saying that long rests aren't possible without at least semi-permanent shelter and short rests aren't possible without shelter (ie - making a camp). This means that city and dungeon adventures don't have ridiculous pauses while the party rest for a week after mild exertion, but means that being out in the desert sucks hard. It also solves any problems you have with spellcasters nourishing the entire party in the desert.

In the original DS armor better than scale did not exist so if you wanted better AC you had to find metal armor.

So yeah metal items were kind of good if you wanted the better equipment. Due to changes over the years it has watered down that idea as in 4E and 5E for example you could get roughly equivalent AC in leather.

Old plate armor in AD&D did not have a maximum dexterity modifier on it so if you had full plate (AC 19) and an 18 dex you would have AC 23 (well 1 and -3 I converted).
There was a difference of around 5 points between the best metal armor and the Athasian armour you could buy in the shops.

 

[Zardnaar]

At the most basic level, I think that the open hand monk could fit in as a class.

Elemental monks should fit since the elements play a large part, but they cast elemental spells which could be problematic.

Shadow monks aren't a great fit either. Gonna be a lot of fun looking for a shadow to port to and from.

Neither one really fits. Open hand maybe.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Interesting take. I have my thoughts but you seem to be saying "No" to every suggestion, so don't bother to reply if you're just going to shoot it down. Instead take this post as how I'd do my own DS 5E.

The Templars are now Warlocks. No, they don't defile. They just use the Warlock rules as written but get their powers from their SK sponsor. There can be Blade, Tome, and Pact Templars, each playing their own roles within their city's bureaucracy. Blade Pact is especially good on DS since it short circuits the restrictions on metal weapons. I'd probably make new Patron packages for each SK and also new Tiny Elementals for the Pactlocks. Plus I think it makes more sense that Templars be a Charisma class rather than Wisdom; they essentially get their powers by kissing up to a Sorcerer King, and must also navigate city politics. They're magic politicians.

Monks are reskinned as a Psionic class. Ki is psionics. They just channel their Psionics into physical effects, rather than mental. The mental psionicists are the Mystic class.

Sorcerers are Defilers, Wizards are Preservers (and hence why "Sorcerer" Kings are all Defilers). I think this works thematically that the Sorcerers are wild and intemperate. You have to study the spells very carefully and cast them in a very specific way in order to not harm the planet while doing so. Sorcerers also get Ritual Casting and can cast ritual spells from spellbooks. Arcane Recovery is only available via Defiling. Yes those two rules combined make Sorcerers more powerful than Wizards; that's the point. Defiling is easy and powerful. Defilers only "defile" when they burn Sorcery Points however, not every time they cast a spell.

Fighters vs Gladiators. There's really no reason to make these separate classes. Just add a Gladiator background. The Background gives you Perform (Combat) and Medicine (extensive experience treating your own wounds, or the wounds of your friends in the pits). The background feature might be some camaraderie benefit, like the Soldier background gets you, but among current and former gladiators instead.

 

[Coroc]

Interesting take. I have my thoughts but you seem to be saying "No" to every suggestion, so don't bother to reply if you're just going to shoot it down. Instead take this post as how I'd do my own DS 5E.

The Templars are now Warlocks. No, they don't defile. They just use the Warlock rules as written but get their powers from their SK sponsor. There can be Blade, Tome, and Pact Templars, each playing their own roles within their city's bureaucracy. Blade Pact is especially good on DS since it short circuits the restrictions on metal weapons. I'd probably make new Patron packages for each SK and also new Tiny Elementals for the Pactlocks. Plus I think it makes more sense that Templars be a Charisma class rather than Wisdom; they essentially get their powers by kissing up to a Sorcerer King, and must also navigate city politics. They're magic politicians.

Monks are reskinned as a Psionic class. Ki is psionics. They just channel their Psionics into physical effects, rather than mental. The mental psionicists are the Mystic class.

Sorcerers are Defilers, Wizards are Preservers (and hence why "Sorcerer" Kings are all Defilers). I think this works thematically that the Sorcerers are wild and intemperate. You have to study the spells very carefully and cast them in a very specific way in order to not harm the planet while doing so. Sorcerers also get Ritual Casting and can cast ritual spells from spellbooks. Arcane Recovery is only available via Defiling. Yes those two rules combined make Sorcerers more powerful than Wizards; that's the point. Defiling is easy and powerful. Defilers only "defile" when they burn Sorcery Points however, not every time they cast a spell.

Fighters vs Gladiators. There's really no reason to make these separate classes. Just add a Gladiator background. The Background gives you Perform (Combat) and Medicine (extensive experience treating your own wounds, or the wounds of your friends in the pits). The background feature might be some camaraderie benefit, like the Soldier background gets you, but among current and former gladiators instead.

Sounds like a nice doable approach to me.

A different thought is on barbarians by me:

Would not barbarian, at least the subclasses with excessive damage resistance also overcome the typical DS natural obstacles a bit to easy like the Standard Monks?