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.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

If this is where we are and we are only at the point of testing classes, wow is this going to be a controversial release. If everyone who doesn't like updating the world for Modern Audiences is in this camp, I'm going to take a long pass on the book, and on discussions of it too.

The conversation we had was clearly not about "veryone who doesn't like updating the world for Modern Audiences" but people who were using very blatant dogwhistle of 5e/WotC being "too woke" to ever release Dark Sun again.

If we could not lump anyone who likes old-school Dark Sun into the same category as dogwhistling racists that would be great.

You are the only person doing this, my original post was in itself talking about dogwhistlign racists to begin with. You know you are more or less validating these racists and doing their work for them by rushing to say "not all Dark Sun fans" when it is explicit the racists who are being made fun off?

 

[Nikosandros]

If this is where we are and we are only at the point of testing classes, wow is this going to be a controversial release. If everyone who doesn't like updating the world for Modern Audiences is in this camp, I'm going to take a long pass on the book, and on discussions of it too.

What's the matter with you people? I've never ever said anything like that! I was specifically talking about people like Pundit and his sort. I thought it was very clear.

 

[Alzrius]

Whas the matter with you people?

 

[Scribe]

If this is where we are and we are only at the point of testing classes, wow is this going to be a controversial release.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

Let me guess: You people as in "people who see conversation very directly making fun of dogwhistling racists in the hobby and their knee-jerk reaction is to assume it is making fun of them on the most tangential, flimsy connection"?

 

[SteveC]

You are the only person doing this, my original post was in itself talking about dogwhistlign racists to begin with. You know you are more or less validating these racists and doing their work for them by rushing to say "not all Dark Sun fans" when it is explicit the racists who are being made fun off?

This is a pretty good example of what I was talking about. I think it's way too early in the process to be this mad. And it's a great example of how the actual content is likely to be a lose-lose proposition for WotC. I hope I'm wrong and they present it in a similar manner to the original material.

I played an original Dark Sun campaign, beginning in the slave pits, as I think most of the games did, as it was sort of the "starter scenario". Throughout the game, we managed to cause an uprising and free a region, making it a place of revolution. I would expect a similar type of campaign for the new edition. I suppose we'll see how it comes out, won't we?

 

[Chaltab]

If we could not lump anyone who likes old-school Dark Sun into the same category as dogwhistling racists that would be great.

Please. Like it or not, there's no denying that dogwhistling racists will latch onto any changes WOTC makes to grift.

Even if they'd never heard of Dark Sun prior.

 

[Nikosandros]

Please. Like it or not, there's no denying that dogwhistling racists will latch onto any changes WOTC makes to grift.

Even if they'd never heard of Dark Sun prior.

Exactly, that was what I was talking about.

 

[Chaltab]

Incidentally if anyone is looking for a quick and dirty conversion prior to whatever WOTC officially creates, I made one a few years ago for a game that sadly ended for reasons beyond my control.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

This is a pretty good example of what I was talking about. I think it's way too early in the process to be this mad. And it's a great example of how the actual content is likely to be a lose-lose proposition for WotC.

I don't know how to tell you but these people were saying "we will never get Dark Sun Back because WotC/D&D had gone WOKE!" for YEARS, they have been this mad long before the actual process was even greenlighted.