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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 8149942" data-attributes="member: 67">These things work mechanically, and I know you’ve said this isn’t meant to be Dark Sun, but I want to point out that these elements touch on what I’ve always felt were the thematic heart of the setting (as originally published, anyway). Which, to be clear, was despair. Specifically, the lack of any divine presence, the absolute tyrannical rulership by the entites that destroyed the world, and the existence of the defiling magic which destroyed it (and continues to).Psionics, while an interesting adaptation, isn’t as integral, as it doesn’t contribute to the theme.How does that work with modern D&D?First, I think your instinct to make your dragon kings the patrons and sources of “divine” magic is spot on. They would also make great warlock patrons.But the scary thing about arcane magic in Dark Sun (narratively, that is – it could be argued that the mechanics never quite did justice to the narrative) was that all of it drained life absolutely and indiscriminately. A magic user could try to do it responsibly, but even that only lessened the effect.Without defiling magic (or something that serves its purpose), you cut out one of the thematic legs of the setting: that power is not only inherently corrupting, but that it requires corruption. That’s okay, of course; it’s your setting. But it’s a subtle thing and the tone of the game will be different in ways you might not intend.</blockquote>

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