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.

 

[Mournblade94]

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

It could except the freezer manager isnt telling you those are the same 6 bottles he ordered 3 years ago.

Plus its also the same bookstores I go in. They are not touched.

 

[Charlaquin]

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.

Well I’m not trying to say to pass the buck to individual preservers. I am saying doing the work of preserving should feel hard, and in the immediate term, thankless. Especially if you’re doing it as a lone individual. A few plucky preservers planting trees won’t cut it, they’ve got to rally broad grassroots support. Taking a subclass that lets you grow some plants and grant some temp HP a few times a day is offering a cheap, easy answer, and I don’t believe the answer should be cheap or easy.

 

[mamba]

Taking a subclass that lets you grow some plants and grant some temp HP a few times a day is offering a cheap, easy answer, and I don’t believe the answer should be cheap or easy.

I get where you are coming from, but it's a game, not a college class. I'd rather have a game that is fun and raises awareness than one that hammers the message home that no one is playing. The former accomplishes something at least, the latter not so much

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Maybe they will introduce different corruption systems, one would be like the classic defiler magic from 2nd ed, and other would be like "taint points" that cause "collateral damage".

Would be "arcane magic" the truenamer and the shadowcaster, spellcaster classes from 3.5 Tome of Magic?

Shouldn't the cult of totem spirits or ancestors allowed in the region of Tyr?

Could alchemy be allowed in the city-states if this doesn't cause defiler effect?

What if living-constructs are allowed in DS but they need water and special oils to stop or avoid an effect like the "disquiet" from White Wolf's "Prometean: the created"?

The elans had got the racial trait repletion: spending a psionic power point they didn't need water or food for a day. This in DS could be power-balance. The irony would be the Athasian elans would be members of the noble houses (enjoying a special reincarnation ritual as reward for past services) and then if they have got a lot of money and they can eat everyday they wouldn't need during their palace intrigues.

* Other point is the survival economy. Have you played any civilitation-builder or economic-strategy videogame? The citizens need water and food, to build you need bricks or stone.. the city-states need a lot of space for farms. If those cities are "small" for the current standars then actions by the PCs may be easier to be detected by the templars or sorcerer-king agents.

 

[Chaltab]

Well I’m not trying to say to pass the buck to individual preservers. I am saying doing the work of preserving should feel hard, and in the immediate term, thankless. Especially if you’re doing it as a lone individual. A few plucky preservers planting trees won’t cut it, they’ve got to rally broad grassroots support. Taking a subclass that lets you grow some plants and grant some temp HP a few times a day is offering a cheap, easy answer, and I don’t believe the answer should be cheap or easy.

I mean yes, but I don't think the expensive difficult answers should be part of class design, but of world and monster design. Sure, a Druid can grow plants in a 30 foot cube, if they reach high level. But a fire drake can scorch miles of terrain in a single day if it goes on a rampage. Also making plants grow means you're a prime candidate to be conscripted by a sorcerer king that wants to feed his armies.

 

[Remathilis]

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

In a story, I agree. In a GAME, that's more complicated.

I know they say D&D doesn't have a win/lose state, but it does encourage survival (dead player characters don't advance stories) and survival is predicated on power. So if you have two options where one is clearly the better choice, you're a fool not to take it. In this case, being a good person is a trap option.

Let me compare this to classic Ravenloft. Classic 2e Ravenloft clearly stacks the deck against good. Good magic and abilities are hampered, evil powers are rewarded. On paper, you would be an idiot to try to be a good person in Ravenloft, except for one thing: Powers Checks. Doing evil has a chance to corrupt you. Each corruption brings you a small boon but a bigger penalty and the ultimate endpoint for this is your character transformed into a monster and taken out of your hands. Thus, even if evil is more powerful than good, you play good if you don't want to end up an NPC dark lord.

What does Dark Sun do in this situation? Nothing. Evil is more powerful but it doesn't bring with it a corruption or a price. Oh it ruins the environment? Environment is already irrevocably ruined, who cares if I damage it further? What is stopping me from from defiling? Morality? Dying with moral superiority is still death. People hating me? They will respect me when I can rip their souls out of their bodies. Why would I ever choose to preserve when there is no consequence for defiling?

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.

Well, we have two out of four subclasses that are supposed to be the bad guys (defilers and templars) so I don't think they are skimping on darker heroes. But I hope they do hope (heh) they do more to provide "hopeful" options. The preservation druid is a good step in that direction.

But I don't think it's going to be as hopeless as some people have voiced preferences for..

 

[Charlaquin]

I get where you are coming from, but it's a game, not a college class. I'd rather have a game that is fun and raises awareness than one that hammers the message home that no one is playing. The former accomplishes something at least, the latter not so much

Likewise, I get where you’re coming from, but I think part of what makes for a good game is adversity. There’s something lost if we insist on trying to insure everything is “fun” in isolation rather than trying to create ups and downs.

That said, I do appreciate that this particular desire of mine is pretty extreme and would probably not be very popular, which is why I get that it’s not the right choice for WotC’s purposes. I tend to favor stronger appeal to more narrow ranges of preference. But that’s a luxury I have as an armchair designer with no real skin in the game, that people actually producing games as products don’t have.

 

[Flying Toaster]

That was the OG parody. The whole point of Warhammer, Fantasy or 40k, is that it is a campy parody.

That was the whole point of Warhammer, 40 years ago.

Now the whole point of Warhammer is, “Miniature wargaming figures and paints are surprisingly profitable, even in the grim darkness of the far future year 2025.”

 

[MGibster]

I’m aware. But, if all we’re trying to do here is recreate what TSR already did, I don’t see the point. 2e Dark Sun still exists for those who want it, 3e Dark Sun still exists for those who want it but don’t want to give up having a unified action resolution mechanic, and 4e Dark Sun still exists for those who want a sleeker, fresher take. If Dark Sun is going to be adapted again, I think the opportunity should be taken to update not just the rules system, but the way it expresses its core themes. In 1991, making people feel empowered for caring about the environment was a meaningful cause on its own. In 2025, people are feeling the direct impacts of the changes we have wrought on the environment. The messaging needs to move on from “give a hoot, don’t pollute” to “we’re going to have to start giving up things we’ve gotten used to taking for granted, just to keep things from getting worse as quickly.”

Maybe we can make Dark Sun an allegory for crypto coins? Okay. Your idea is better.

 

[SkidAce]

What does Dark Sun do in this situation? Nothing. Evil is more powerful but it doesn't bring with it a corruption or a price. Oh it ruins the environment? Environment is already irrevocably ruined, who cares if I damage it further? What is stopping me from from defiling? Morality? Dying with moral superiority is still death. People hating me? They will respect me when I can rip their souls out of their bodies. Why would I ever choose to preserve when there is no consequence for defiling?

Overall, I understand and agree 99.99 percent with your post. Well said.

On the other hand, what I quoted above is what all the bad guys say to justify themselves. Hehe.

You don't preserve to personally benefit, you preserve because its the right thing to do.

But like you say, that's a morality thing, which I feel will vary table to table, no harm no foul.