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.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

he is the original sorcerer and most powerful being in Dark Sun. The SK were his chosen warlords, tasked with eradicating all races but the halflings (Rajaat’s race). At the time they did not know his end goal and happily did his bidding in exchange for the power he gave them. Once they had wiped out some of the races and learned his end game, they realized that humans (their race) was on the chopping block too and most decided to kill him.

They found out that they could not, so one of theirs ascended to being a dragon (Borys) in hopes that the additional power would allow them to, but all they then managed to do was to imprison Rajaat. Upholding that prison is now Borys’ job, but that takes several thousand souls a year, so the SK are now tasked with providing 1000 souls a year each to ensure that Rajaat remains imprisoned

I should point out that Dark Sun 4e changed that. They sealed Rajaat, and Borys gained additional power by becoming a full Dragon to keep the seal guarded. The seal required no further upkeep of sacrifices or anything, the Dragon just demands offerings from the other SKs cause he is a tyrant who likes to eat people and experiment on them.

Also even in the original version they sealed Rajaat first then Borys became the Dragon for extra power to assist in keeping him sealed.

 

[MGibster]

If the PCs can't kill the sorcerer-kings because this has to happen according the metaplot and the novels then we haven't enough creative freedom. Here the metaplot isn't a source of inspiration but like a straitjacket.

You can run a Star Wars game where the Emperor and Darth Vader never appear. Given that most D&D games don't go past level 10, it's not like most groups are going to be taking on the sorcerer kings anyway. You can easily focus your games on ways to resist the evil empire, I mean sorcerer kings, without expecting the PCs to go toe-to-toe with the sorcerer king.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Does it?

Most of the vibe I get from people who liked the classic setting is that they don't want heroes. They want bad people who do bad things to even badder people. Good isn't a moral choice, it's an unintended consequence. Which is why preserving should be weak and paladins non-existent and slavery part of society. You basically play a villain who is a little less villainous than the actual villains of the setting.

I’m a fan of the setting, and have been since I first bought the original boxed set as a kid. I have fond memories of playing and running the game back then. I’ve found Dark Sun to be one of the more interesting settings produced by TSR/WotC because it’s the most different from the other settings.

And although you’re right, the setting is bleak, your assessment of it and those who like it is, in my experience, inaccurate. Athas is a setting in dire need of heroes. There is plenty of opportunity for heroism. Whenever my group and I have played in the setting, the characters have definitely leaned heroic overall.

Is it possible to play amoral characters? Or villains who are only slightly less worse than the Sorcerer-Kings and their forces? Sure! But that’s not inherent to the setting, nor is it untrue of any other setting. That’s up to the play group to decide if that’s what they want.

I don’t think you’re doing anyone any favors by painting with such a broad brush.

 

[Garmel]

Mod Note:
Please don't pretend that there's only one group who wants the company to conform to their own way of thinking. Or that one group is more right, or more wrong, for doing so.

Show me where the people who forced change on a written work of art were the good guys.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Show me where the people who forced change on a written work of art were the good guys.

Category error. There are no good and no bad people involved.

 

[mamba]

You should put your ire toward those trying to change the setting, not those who want to keep the original flavor.

not sure there is any ire here in the first place

Those who want to change the setting because it bothers them are the ones who are in the wrong because they want the company to conform to their way of thinking.

WotC will be releasing whatever they want to. No one is pressuring them.

You can take it or leave it, but complaining that they do not keep it the same seems to be more you wanting it your way, I am not aware that anyone said WotC must change it in a certain way

 

[mamba]

Also even in the original version they sealed Rajaat first then Borys became the Dragon for extra power to assist in keeping him sealed.

yeah, I guess they attempted to seal him first, but Rajaat always could break down the barrier until Borys ascended, which allowed him to keep it up, provided he can keep up with the maintenance

As to 4e, never read that, and I would personally ignore it for the 5e reboot. Heck, I would ignore much of the 2e stuff to and go from the first boxed set. A lot of DS plot was a sequence of bad ideas anyway

 

[mamba]

Category error. There are no good and no bad people involved.

nor is a piece of art being rewritten, a new piece is being created.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Show me where the people who forced change on a written work of art were the good guys.

I'll be able to show you one soon when you get moderated for challenging moderation!

 

[Aldarc]

I’m a fan of the setting, and have been since I first bought the original boxed set as a kid. I have fond memories of playing and running the game back then. I’ve found Dark Sun to be one of the more interesting settings produced by TSR/WotC because it’s the most different from the other settings.

And although you’re right, the setting is bleak, your assessment of it and those who like it is, in my experience, inaccurate. Athas is a setting in dire need of heroes. There is plenty of opportunity for heroism. Whenever my group and I have played in the setting, the characters have definitely leaned heroic overall.

Is it possible to play amoral characters? Or villains who are only slightly less worse than the Sorcerer-Kings and their forces? Sure! But that’s not inherent to the setting, nor is it untrue of any other setting. That’s up to the play group to decide if that’s what they want.

I don’t think you’re doing anyone any favors by painting with such a broad brush.

I do think that Athas is probably the D&D setting that most leans the most into Sword & Sorcery as a genre, even more so than Greyhawk IMHO. But S&S isn't really about playing amoral characters and villains, so your point still stands. I don't necessarily think though that this S&S tone is tonally the best fit for how a lot of people nowadays play D&D or with how WotC designs settings, which arguably leans a bit more into super heroics and Disneyfying/corporate sanitizing settings.