Forked Thread: What should Darksun 4e include?

[arscott]

I want to see DS reset to the original Boxed set.

And I think the published adventure should be high-paragon or low epic, and feature the PCs freeing the city of tyr--Even in the original boxed set, it's positioned as being very much on the brink of change.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I too would like a reset back to the first boxed set as much as possible.

Here's the thing though. There are things that I know were originally planned for by the creators, like halflings being the creator race of all life, that many don't agree with or at least wish was left unrevealed mystery. It wasn't revealed in the original material but was revealed later. The history of Dark Sun is supposed to be lost for time and putting it out there for players of illiterate ignorant oral tradition savages to amazingly know more than the oldest of beings, in a society where signs of literacy can earn enslavement, was just dumb.

And there are things that weren't designed by the original co-creators, didn't appear in the original boxed set, that most seem to love. Avangions and para-elemental priests. If we reset to the original boxed set I personally hope that a 4e Dark Sun take avangions out and shoots them and buries them in a well, Dark Sun doesn't need fooffy angels. And Dark Sun should scrape the paraelements off the hull of the setting as well like the unneeded boring baggage they are, they were tossed in because of compulsive symmetry, not because the setting needed them.

Those two things weren't in the original design, weren't in the original boxed set, so if we get a reset that removes those, I'd be pleased to have the halfling history be restored to an unrevealed mystery.

 

[frankthedm]

If we reset to the original boxed set I personally hope that a 4e Dark Sun take avangions out and shoots them and buries them in a well, Dark Sun doesn't need fooffy angels.

Avangions need to go, I'll agree, though the para-elemental material i think may be useful if only to add more options for element adherents.

 

[thundershot]

DB and tieflings should be able to fit in DS with some different fluff. But they NEED TO CHANGE THE FLUFF. Tieflings can't be beholden to the Nine Hells. Dragonborn can't be...y'know...dragons. They should almost be given different names, just to reinforce that there is this disconnect (and perhaps show an example of the "reskinning" that most DMs of DS will have to do with the standard D&D fare at one point or another).

If Dark Sun returns, it's going to get a cosmic overhaul, because the Manual of the Planes flat out states that all of the published cosmologies will use the default Points of Light cosmology. Athas is even among those specifically mentioned as alternate worlds (and Eberron, Oerth, Krynn, and Toril).

So either a complete reimagining, or a huge timeline jump.

 

[Shadeydm]

To me Darksun seems like a big departure from 4E design. 4E doesn't want you to bother worrying about how many arrows you have left, yet Dark Sun wants you to worry about even more basic resouce tracking like how much water you have.

It can probably be done but if the empahsis on the harshness of the world and difficulty of simply surviving is lost will it still really be Dark Sun?

 

[Scribble]

To me Darksun seems like a big departure from 4E design. 4E doesn't want you to bother worrying about how many arrows you have left, yet Dark Sun wants you to worry about even more basic resouce tracking like how much water you have.

It can probably be done but if the empahsis on the harshness of the world and difficulty of simply surviving is lost will it still really be Dark Sun?

Huh? Ammunition is still purchased in 4e, and some martial powers that effect two targets at once require you to have enough ammo in order to use it.

Harsh terrain is also in the game. It causes loss of Healing surges and such. The game just assumes that things like finding food and water shouldn't be that hard for someone properly trained to do it (nature) so it comes up as an exception rather then the rule.

You'd just need to flip that in Darksun.

 

[Herschel]

Re-set to original boxed set and go to town.

Give Preservers a bump somewhere to make them on pseudo-par with Defilers. Maybe an extra feat, skill or Charisma bump to off-set the minus from being a Preserver. Defilers would generally be more powerful in straight combat, but Preservers have learned other things from their enlightened outlook.

Maybe run Dragonborn a bit like the Draconians in Dragonlance: Some weirdo-magico offspring twisting by the Dragon King or some such. Do away with Muls if needed, Dragonborn can take their place. Especially as Gladiators. Think of the awe/fear-inspiring sight of a cold-breathing Dragonborn on Athas.

 

[Scribble]

Think of the awe/fear-inspiring sight of a cold-breathing Dragonborn on Athas.

And then think of a powerful/wealthy noble enslaving a number of them for his own private flintstones style air-conditioner.

 

[Tzarevitch]

Re-set to original boxed set and go to town.

Give Preservers a bump somewhere to make them on pseudo-par with Defilers. Maybe an extra feat, skill or Charisma bump to off-set the minus from being a Preserver. Defilers would generally be more powerful in straight combat, but Preservers have learned other things from their enlightened outlook.

Maybe run Dragonborn a bit like the Draconians in Dragonlance: Some weirdo-magico offspring twisting by the Dragon King or some such. Do away with Muls if needed, Dragonborn can take their place. Especially as Gladiators. Think of the awe/fear-inspiring sight of a cold-breathing Dragonborn on Athas.

There is a twisted race of dragon offspring on Athas already. They are called the dray. They are nearly identical to the dragonborn.

As for mul, just sand off "orc" and replace with "mul". Appearance-and stat-wise they are close.

Tieflings can easily be another mutant race from the desert or some sorcerer-king experiment that has bred true. Call them tareks or something to keep the Dark Sun theme.

Eladrin are a problem. The easiest solution may be to make them the city elves and let "elf" be the desert runner elves.

Sand off goliath and replace with half-giant.

Now you have all the basic Dark Sun races covered.


Tzarevitch

 

[Spatula]

Now you have all the basic Dark Sun races covered.

Except thri-kreen!