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.

 

[Staffan]

But now that you mentioned the site rules, I tried to find them and could not easily find them in the menu at the top of the site. So if you could point me to them, that would be appreciated.

On Dark Mode at least, the link to the rules is in the bottom right corner of each page:

 

[Michael Blackett]

Seems to me that they will likely use the upcoming Forgotten Realms books format. One for players, one for DMs. I can't imagine how it wouldn't be obvious to everyone that it is a superior format to the Spelljammer and Planescape slipcases.

If that is so then that would be a great improvement. Personally, seeing as Spelljammer was an update of the old AD&D2e I was expecting some form of ship to ship combat system (which was curiously absent from the Ghosts of Saltmarsh book also). Similarly the Planescape slipcase was not all thatt it could have been (have had players requesting how to create a Bariaur PC). In the case of following the 2024e approach for Forgotten Realms, a players guide to Dark Sun/Athas followed by a DM's would be a far better approach.

Dark Sun as a setting, next to Council of Wyrms, was one of those settings where the campaigns I used to run basically wrote themselves - seeing as my approach was to mix Conan with Mad Max (recalled having the players skim across in a kind of land-surfing rig being hounded by a war party of maruaders led by a Templar and a Defiler, piloting infernal vehicles (this was before that Baldurs gate book involving Zariel for 2014e). Was a blast...

 

[Azzy]

To insert some levity...

I remember when the Yamara comic (from Ye Olde Dragon magazine) parodied Dark Sun...

 

[pukunui]

UA feedback survey is now open!

Here's my feedback:

Druid Circle of Preservation: Yellow overall.
I like the idea but a) what it does mechanically is NOT preserving (it's regenerating / rejuvenating) and b) druids shouldn't be the only preservers. Renaming this the Circle of Rejuvenation would be more on theme.

I rated all the features green except Preserved Land, which I rated yellow.
The temp HP is OP - like the twilight cleric. Also, I think it should be an Emanation centered on the caster not a Cube.


Fighter Gladiator: Yellow overall.
It's a cool idea but it needs some refinement so it's not just a more limited Battle Master. I would like to see them get something relating to Improvised Weapons. Maybe also a "Rally the Crowd" type of feature (Russell Crowe: "Are you not entertained?")

I rated its features green except for Brutality (yellow) and Flourish Parry (yellow).

• Brutality: It's too restrictive - 1/turn AND Cha mod times per rest. Just go with one or the other. I'd love to see something to do with a trident and net as well. Classic gladiator combo!
• Flourish Parry: I think gladiators should just get to add their Cha mod to AC all the time. It shouldn't be a reaction only thing.

Sorcerer Defiled Sorcery: I was initially going to rate this yellow but as I went through, I downgraded it to red. I just really don't like this implementation at all. It doesn't feel like defiling magic to me. It feels more like blood magic.
I don't like the focus on harming creatures only, nor do I like all the defensive features. Defiling magic is meant to affect the environment, and it's destructive. There shouldn't be anything protective about it! I also don't want defiling to be limited to one sorcerer subclass. All spellcasters should be able to defile.

I rated all of the features red except the spells, which I put as "not sure", and Superior Defiler, which I rated yellow.

• Defile and Empower: Hurting yourself doesn't feel like defiling to me. Stealing life from other creatures is fine but it should really be focused more on killing plant life / the environment. THAT's what defiling is really about. Defiling magic harms the environment, not just other creatures.
• Corrupted Caster: "A protective web of defiling energy"? No thanks! That is NOT what defiling magic is all about. It's destructive only. Not protective!
• Withering Aura: Again, defiling magic is NOT protective!
• Superior Defiler: I don't like the defensive part of Fouled Soul but Furthered Defilement is fine, I guess.

Warlock Sorcerer-King Patron: I rated this yellow.
These are clearly Bad Guys TM. I'm not sure a subclass like this should be available to players. Templars are not heroes. Mechanically it's fine, though.

I rated all the features as green. My issues here are more with the theme than the mechanics.

 

[Scribe]

Warlock Sorcerer-King Patron: I rated this yellow.
These are clearly Bad Guys TM. I'm not sure a subclass like this should be available to players. Templars are not heroes. Mechanically it's fine, though.

 

[pukunui]

What? I'm not a fan of Bad Guy TM PC options. I'd prefer it if necromancers, assassins, conquest paladins, etc were also NPC only. I don't run Bad Guy TM campaigns. Players in my campaigns know that.

 

[Scribe]

conquest paladins

!!!!

Probably my favorite subclass in the edition!

Anyway, my point is that we should encourage Wizards to give players the chance to explore other flavors of RP than "can I interest you in being a heroic hero being heroic?!?"

 

[pukunui]

!!!!

Probably my favorite subclass in the edition!

Anyway, my point is that we should encourage Wizards to give players the chance to explore other flavors of RP than "can I interest you in being a heroic hero being heroic?!?"

I guess that's a valid point. I'm just not sure Dark Sun is the right place in which to do that. I think any future iteration of Dark Sun should make it clear that the Sorcerer-Kings are Bad Guys TM, and therefore anyone who is pro-sorcerer-king should also be a Bad Guy TM. Even if you want to RP your templar as having rebelled against their patron, their class features are still all pro-tyranny. I mean, two of the features even have "Tyrant" in their names.

Someone whose whole schtick is magical compulsion, intimidation, oppression, and fear ... doesn't matter if they're still allied with their tyrannical patron or not. They're still a mini-tyrant themselves.

Unless everyone's playing a Bad Guy TM, having one of these guys in your party would feel like having an Imperial inquisitor join forces with a band of plucky Rebels to fight against the Empire. It just doesn't work.


@Alzrius: Why the sad face? I have zero interest in exploring the fiction of being a bad guy, either as a player or as a DM. I never play bad guys in video games, and I don't do it at the gaming table either. In my 3+ decades' experience with TTRPGs, mixing bad guys and good guys in a PC party never ends well. Now, granted, maybe I've just never played with the right people ... but for me, bad guys are just a no-go zone in my games.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not saying everyone has to play Luke, Leia, or Obi-Wan. I'm fine with more morally grey characters like Han, Lando, and Cassian. I'd love to run a Bad Batch style game someday.

I just don't want a Vader, a Tarkin, or a Cad Bane in any of my games.

 

[overgeeked]

I just don't want a Vader, a Tarkin, or a Cad Bane in any of my games.

That's where you as the referee step up and say no. What you want at your table shouldn't dictate what exists for the game. That's kind of the core argument about Dark Sun to begin with.

 

[pukunui]

That's where you as the referee step up and say no. What you want at your table shouldn't dictate what exists for the game. That's kind of the core argument about Dark Sun to begin with.

Look, I'm not the first to bring this up in this thread. The point is: in our current dystopian era, I don't think encouraging players to explore the fiction of being a mini-tyrant allied with an immortal tyrant is a good idea. Maybe it was fine back in 1991. But in 2025? It just feels ... gross.

Even if you go with "formerly allied with", the mechanics of the class don't mesh with that. The mechanics of the class scream "I am a tyrant and I want you do know it!"

"Using my tyrannical powers for good" is a weird take.

If you want to play an ex-templar who has seen the error of their ways, write that into their backstory and pick something else as your subclass to show that they've actually changed their ways.


EDIT: Yes, this is absolutely a hill I am willing to die on. Besides, I've already submitted my feedback. It's not like I can change it. I'm sure the pro-evil PC folks will drown out my feedback with their own, so ...

EDIT 2: I made the same comments in my initial post about the subclasses and just got 5 likes. Not sure why my opinion is only now proving more controversial.