D&D 5E (2024) Is the 5.5e Dark Sun going to remove controversial aspects of the setting?

Dark Sun, releasing in 2027, has been billed as a 'mature' setting by Wizards of the Coast. The company has even indicated that the books will come shrink-wrapped, due to their content.

According to a Gen Con interview with TTRPG Insider, Greg Bilsland--D&D executive producer--has confirmed that the content is being reviewed by sensitivity readers, and that the setting will not need to focus on elements such as slavery in order to make it feel gritty and oppressive. He told D&D Insider that "You don't have to have slavery in a setting if in order for it to be oppressive. There are other forms of oppression out there." One example he highlighted was the city of Ulrik, where people are pressed into the military and the poor exchange their freedom for better survival chances.

The new version of Dark Sun will include mature themes, and Bilsland talked about stories about fighting oppression and tyrants, along with gritty elements like less healing and more dangerous wounds.

Dark Sun does not have a release date, but has been confirmed by WotC for 2027. Two new books will be published. Edge of Oblivion is a new campaign setting guide for Dark Sun, while Blood & Power is a new player-facing guide featuring the Psion class. A new limited edition Player's Handbook will also be released featuring Dark Sun artwork.

 

[Bae'zel]

I mean, as a plot device, slavery is a great, compelling evil system to oppose. The heroes can make the world a better place by destroying such a system.

I know that there’s lots of historical baggage around that topic, but c’mon, we deal with murder, oppression, torture, body horror and all sorts of nasty things in fiction that are depicted as bad things for the protagonists to clearly oppose.

For those who really don’t want to interact with such things in a setting, well trigger warnings and game aids exist. So does session zero conversations. So do other games that don’t deal with the sinister implications of a post-apocalyptic setting…

 

[Nobleshield]

It was clear they would, and I still think it's pathetic of them, especially since they gave it a mature rating but didn't end up include mature material. People should be playing with adults, not grown children who need to be babied constantly or can't understand objectively good and evil concepts. Slavery was always presented as something the bad guys did, so you could feel completely justified smashing them into the dust whenever you encountered them.

 

[Selas]

Again, this contradicts other interviews where WotC has acknowledged the setting will include some forms of slavery, or "people in forced servitude of others" as they called it. It may be presented in a way that's not being stereotyped but it will be there. His comment was more about how you don't need it to drive home the point of oppression and tyranny (and a very PA response), but it is not an acknowledgement that it's being removed from the setting, which many here are taking it as that.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm here before this thread devolves into the usual flame war and closing.

What I think they are going to do is probably go the Paizo route: slaves are not bought and sold. The "slaves" will be prisoners, conscripts, serfs, etc, but not chattel slaves.

 

[Selas]

I'm here before this thread devolves into the usual flame war and closing.

What I think they are going to do is probably go the Paizo route: slaves are not bought and sold. The "slaves" will be prisoners, conscripts, serfs, etc, but not chattel slaves.

Agreed, which falls under what's called today modern slavery. This is probably the best compromise that can be done to still include it in the setting without causing too much controversy. There will be folks that will not be happy about this, but let's be honest: people are going to find something to be pissed off no matter what WotC does

 

[Special Unicorn]

A mature rating, shrink-wrap and content warning is all they need.
With those things in place, there is no need to soften the content, and they should resist the temptation to do so, imo.

And the cynic in me says that this is a marketing gimmick.

When something is restricted, it often encourages people to seek it out (e.g. teenagers and alcohol)

 

[Selas]

there are laws about selling mature material without restrictions and with easy access to minors. GameMasters in one of his videos covering Dark Sun brought up specific state laws regarding this. The constant mention of it is a marketing gimmick, but doesnt change it's law

 

[A2Z]

I'm betting slavery will still be included in the setting, just not emphasized. All in all that was a pretty bad interview though, unless the goal was to stir up drama. It was a very unclear statement, there should have been a very obvious followup question.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm betting slavery will still be included in the setting, just not emphasized. All in all that was a pretty bad interview though, unless the goal was to stir up drama. It was a very unclear statement, there should have been a very obvious followup question.

That's my thought. My expectations weren't high to begin with. No rock bottom. Much lower its pick axes and TNT.

Mindless violence plus boobies seems to be new approach.

Funny thing is mist of the OBS is pg 13 at best. A lot of the worst stuff came later. Eg genocide.

Somewhat faithful adaption of the OBS and warni g label seems obvious. Half expecting them to spelljammer it up.