Dungeons & Dragons Releases New Unearthed Arcana Subclasses, Strongly Hinting at Dark Sun

Wizards of the Coast has released four new D&D subclasses for playtesting, all of which have heavy thematic ties to the post-apocalyptic Dark Sun setting. The four subclasses, released as "Apocalyptic Subclasses," include the Circle of Preservation Druid, the Gladiator Fighter, the Defiled Sorcerer, and the Sorcerer-King Patron Warlock. Although not stated outright, the Gladiator and Sorcerer-King Patron are explicit nods to the Dark Sun setting, set in a ruined world ruled by Sorcerer-Kings where gladiatorial fights were common.

The Circle of Preservation Druid creates areas of preserved land that grants buffs to those who stand upon it. The Gladiator adds secondary Weapon Mastery properties to their attacks, with bonus abilities. Notably, the Gladiator uses Charisma as its secondary stat. The Defiled Sorcerer can expend its hit dice to amp up damage to its attacks and can also steal the life of its targets to deal additional damage. The Sorcerer-King Patron gains a number of abilities tying into tyranny and oppression, with the ability to cast Command as a Bonus Action without expending a spell slot, causing targets to gain the Frightened Condition, and forcing those who attack them to re-roll successful attacks.

The survey for the subclasses goes live on August 28th.

 

[SkidAce]

That just reinforces my long held belief that Dark Suns biggest draw was that it is a setting that isn't even morally gray, it's black vs pitch black and the winners are whoever can be the biggest bastards. It permitted, may encouraged, you to be a bunch of be selfish and cruel. If the settings incentivizes you to be evil and ruthless to get ahead, then you don't have hope. And I have enough of that just living in the real world right now, I don't want it in my elf game.

But if they do play good characters against all the incentives, and succeed, they are heroes of legend!

 

[Scribe]

If the settings incentivizes you to be evil and ruthless to get ahead, then you don't have hope.

If the new setting can do both, support the table that wants to play amoral characters who will do anything to survive and thrive AND the hopeful characters who want to change the world, then I would consider that a massive step forward for Wizards.

However I think we know that only one of those options will be supported in print.

 

[Charlaquin]

But if they do play good characters against all the incentives, and succeed, they are heroes of legend!

And, like, maybe this is me putting too much on the DM, but my philosophy is that the DM’s job is to give the players the opportunity to become such legendary heroes. Taking the right path should be hard, but it should be possible, and it should feel rewarding in the long run even if it’s tough in the short term. I also think there’s a stronger narrative payoff for making that choice if you sometimes slip up and take the easy, but immoral option. Which is why I consider encouraging defiling a design priority.

 

[bedir than]

They fans at this point are better for old settings than the staff of WOTC that only know it from legend.

James Wyatt probably enjoys people thinking he's a younger Millennial

 

[Mournblade94]

James Wyatt probably enjoys people thinking he's a younger Millennial

Then ill feel great when I see he is the one writing it. But he's beyond that position now.

 

[occam]

The narrative landed on a conceptual level. I’m suggesting making the mechanics reflect the narrative so as to make it land on a visceral level. Make players feel it as well as read about it.

I get what you're saying, wanting to align narrative and mechanics. But my point was that players already felt the narrative, to the point that many of them misremember the actual mechanics. Why would that be any different now?

What would be interesting is if we had player statistics from 2e, in terms of how many people chose to play either Preserver or Defiler Wizards. Especially for players of the original boxed set, where there was no real downside to defiling that wasn't social. Did most people choose to play Defilers for the RAW POWAH, or did folks take the hit (relative to playing a Defiler) of playing a Preserver for the narrative satisfaction?

 

[Charlaquin]

I get what you're saying, wanting to align narrative and mechanics. But my point was that players already felt the narrative, to the point that many of them misremember the actual mechanics. Why would that be any different now?

I don’t know that it would be, but I’d rather the design actually work the way some folks misremember it instead of counting on faulty memory to make people think it worked that way 20 years from now.

What would be interesting is if we had player statistics from 2e, in terms of how many people chose to play either Preserver or Defiler Wizards. Especially for players of the original boxed set, where there was no real downside to defiling that wasn't social. Did most people choose to play Defilers for the RAW POWAH, or did folks take the hit (relative to playing a Defiler) of playing a Preserver for the narrative satisfaction?

That would be interesting

 

[Chaltab]

Great question! My answer is that we’re past the point where "the method to not ruining the environment exists, but it's gate-kept by the powerful elite class who benefit from the status quo” is the message that needs to be heard. People have throughly absorbed that message, and in fact many use it as an excuse to throw their hands up and say there’s nothing they can do as an individual that will make a difference. We need to start messaging about the possibility, and necessity, of collective action. As well, we have already done irreversible damage, and now need to change course from preventative measures to symptom management. The climate has changed significantly and is going to continue to change, and we all are going to have to make changes to adapt to it. Some of the things we take for granted are just not going to remain viable in the world we’re going to have to live i

What I'm saying is that passing the buck to individual preservers is the opposite of a call to collective action. 'Well I guess we're done screwed so you might as well defile when you can get away with it', to me, just validates apathy. Collective action means rallying against the sorcerer kings, making preservation magic wildly available, and planting some trees of life all over the place just in case someone takes shortcuts.

 

[mamba]

Some cosmetic damage to the surrounding environment is all it would take to be at the expected power level.

that does happen anyway, even with preserving

The difference is what the combat math expects. $800 dollars a month vs $1000 is significantly different than $1000 vs $1200 when the cost of living is $900 a month

the only question is what 'standard of living' you / WotC want for the world. If preserving is the baseline, you do not have to power down the players and upcasting works for the defilers.

 

[mamba]

In book stores i see 6 copies of the book at least on the shelves. No exaggeration every book store or game store i go in has multiple copies of Radiant Citadel, Strixhaven, and Dragonlance. The other books are usually single unless they're core.

This tells me if they sold they did not sell to the ones that use books.

That tells me nothing, in theory that could also show more demand, so they keep a larger stock. My supermarket has way more milk in stock than Filipino cookies, I do not think that means the cookies are selling so much better