D&D 5E How would you wish WOTC to do Dark Sun

[Charlaquin]

I'd wish to agree based on my (limited) experience in online discussion lately that's not the same zeitgeist I'm sniffing.

DS is literarly stuffed with some of the currencly most sensitive topics, from racial to cultural appropriation. I always hope extremist stances are the minority, but they can be a vocal minority.

As a side note, I had a very different approach with my frends in regards of Dark sun than the "positive" vibe you are writing of. Basically more Mad Max/The Blood of Heroes/conan than anything. Where almost everyone is a questionable if not outright bad guy. Even the PCs were selfish scoundrels, no LG types.

Mad Max also has positive messages. Just because it isn’t a happy setting doesn’t mean the things it has to say aren’t good things to be saying.

 

[DnD Warlord]

I think 4e was almost right. Give one book of lore (like a dmg setting and monster Manuel mixed) then have an adventure.
I think elemental sorcerers, warlock dragonking pact, and templar path for paliden. Rules that add on to all casters for defiling.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

It's the same reason you don't always want to play in Middle Earth during the War of the Ring, or why you don't always want to play in Star Wars between the destruction of Alderaan and the Battle of Yavin, or why you don't play Star Trek actually on board the Enterprise. You want the setting, but you don't want to retread old ground or use predictable, known characters (that already have their own arcs and aren't even yours!). You want to preserve the setting without being obligated to obey the plotline.

Everybody knows the story behind the Pentad Prism and it's not interesting anymore (if it ever was). Rajaat and Borys are not the attraction of the setting. The easiest way to communicate that to the players is to shift time. That also means you have an opportunity to make changes or corrections to possibly make the setting more appealing to modern players, to give the setting more active content, etc.

You can just make the chances by rebooting the setting. Simply ignore the Prism Pentad stuff. Poof, it doesn't matter any more.

 

[VictorC]

Immediately!

 

[Danzauker]

It's the same reason you don't always want to play in Middle Earth during the War of the Ring, or why you don't always want to play in Star Wars between the destruction of Alderaan and the Battle of Yavin, or why you don't play Star Trek actually on board the Enterprise. You want the setting, but you don't want to retread old ground or use predictable, known characters (that already have their own arcs and aren't even yours!). You want to preserve the setting without being obligated to obey the plotline.

Everybody knows the story behind the Pentad Prism and it's not interesting anymore (if it ever was). Rajaat and Borys are not the attraction of the setting. The easiest way to communicate that to the players is to shift time. That also means you have an opportunity to make changes or corrections to possibly make the setting more appealing to modern players, to give the setting more active content, etc.

Exactly, my point is just to reset the setting to year -1 and let it there.

After all, we never really played the original setting. the very first adventure basically destroyed one of the foundations of the setting itself. A millennium old superpowerful being killed in one stroke.

It's like the Lady of Pain or Strahd were killed in the first supplement after Planescape or Ravenloft were published.

 

[Remathilis]

A separate adjunct system, built on the foundation of 5e and with compatible mechanics, but it's open separate PHB, DMG and MM.

 

[EscherEnigma]

I think it'd be best as a extra-thick module book with a "Dark Sun specific character creation and rule changes" chapter at the front and a setting gazeteer at the back.

 

[Danzauker]

Mad Max also has positive messages. Just because it isn’t a happy setting doesn’t mean the things it has to say aren’t good things to be saying.

I don't remember many good messages from the movies nevertheless. And I still prefer that not all settings must be the ones where you must play the heroes (unless you want to). Darksun and Vampire are perfect for that.

 

[Danzauker]

A separate adjunct system, built on the foundation of 5e and with compatible mechanics, but it's open separate PHB, DMG and MM.

Could work, but would be expensive.

(honestly, that would be my favourite format for any setting)

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't remember many good messages from the movies nevertheless.

The whole series has an overarching theme of valuing human lives over property (though this theme is weakest in the original and gets more overt with each entry). It’s also subtly environmentalist and anti-authoritarian in a similar way to Dark Sun. Fury Road has especially strong feminist themes.

And I still prefer that not all settings must be the ones where you must play the heroes (unless you want to). Darksun and Vampire are perfect for that.

You don’t have to be portraying the heroes for the themes of a property to be positive.