[SCOOP] Psionics 3.5, The New Setting, and Dark Sun!!

[Left-handed Hummingbird]

Personally, I liked the changes to the city-states in Dark Sun Revised (DSR). In the original setting, all the city-states were mostly alike ("City ruled by immortal sorcerer-monarch served by corrupt templars"). In DSR, you got seven really different city-states:

[...]

To me, that's much more interesting than seven city-states that are pretty much alike. For those who want to run a city-based campaign where the PCs struggle against the sorcerer-monarch's henchmen, there are still three cities for that (two of which were pretty well described in The Ivory Triangle - that's probably why those two particular monarchs survived).

That is true, but OTOH I liked that there were no safe havens for the characters: They can't stay in the cities without getting involved in the lethal intrigues and powergames played by the king, nobles, templars, merchants and underground movements. And they can't stay outside the cities without having to deal with the fact that it's a barren wasteland populated by raiders.

Still, I never really noticed the cities being that similar. It might just be me extrapolating stuff out of the artwork, but each city had a completely different theme. Now, I don't have the books in front of me so I'm only able to remember that Tyr had a Babylonic theme, but the others had Aztec, Jungle, Greeko-Roman, ehm North African (Maroccan), and so on. All right, it isn't very chrunchy variations , but as I said, I liked the idea of the Characters never at ease, never being able to rest.

 

[reiella]

The cities (for the most part, DSR introduced some new factors in a couple cities, and ... well a few collapses) were the same in DS and DSR... It's just DSR gave more detail to the intrinsicities of the cities, while the original mostly focused on the wastelands and rule content. Beyond being the psi focused campaign it was, it was also heavily influenced by Battlesystem (Although it served more in the supplements).

There's also that DSR books were alot thicker than the original DS books .

 

[Technik4]

RE: Wizards and Campaign Settings

Ok, it is true that to this point wizards has only supported 2 settings, Greyhawk, via an entire (jilted) campaign based on 10(?) modules, and a mega-campaign, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and a series of 5 "splat" books detailing various organizations found in greyhawk. Personally, I would be more inclined to play if they DID release some rules-hevay "crunchy" setting book, as I never bought any of those during 2ed.

The other setting that has been supported for the last 2 years is Forgotten Realms. A setting book, a magic book, a monster book, a "gods" book, a regional book, and a villains book, not to mention a DM screen and a mega-adventure, City of the Spider Queen. Still in the pipe is a races book and another regional book.

Now, some things wizards have stated (Im going off of memory, this is not word for word):

We will be supporting a new campaign every 2 years.

We will be releasing a new mega-adventure every year.

Based on that data, I think either the "new" setting by Mr Baker or possibly hopefully maybe Dark Sun will be supported. More than likely, Dark Sun will get a big crunchy book and further support will fall to another company, and WotC will throw all their eggs in a brand new basket, fully supporting the new campaign with additional books, aides, modules, etc.

Now the key here is, either way, IF the rumors are true, then releasing a revised Psionics Handbook (as others have said, beef it up, add some Mind's Eye and other OGL work by Bruce "Psion" Cordell) is a perfect strategy if they are also releasing a "crunchy" Dark Sun book that will NOT be supported after the main book by WotC (note, this does not mean it will not be supported at all, see also Ravenloft, Rokugan) and releasing a fully supported Psi-Heavy "new" campaign. [Ed note- that was one hell of a setntence]

But thats just my opinion and I could be wrong...

Technik

 

[magnas_veritas]

I must not see the problem.

If WotC's internal research is to be believed (and there is no reason to doubt it), then they are doing *precisely* what the majority of their customers want. More 'crunch', less 'story'.

This definitely appeals to customers like me, and I can only assume that I represent a comparatively silent majority.

I love crunchiness. Story is okay, and can be crunchy in a different way (my Birthright DM loved Silver Marches for town descriptions), but at the end of the day, I, the player, am looking for options, and that's what crunch gives me.

Brad

 

[Dragon]

And I'm surprised nobody ever registered The Dragon before now...

Nobody registered just plain old Dragon either.

Imagine that

 

[megamania]

Just to add fuel to the fire of Completely Wild Speculation:

[wild speculation]
I seem to recall most of the final few setting search proposals dealt with "Golden Age" scenarios. Wouldn't it be interesting if the "new" setting was actually (or was set up so that it could be) Athas during the Blue or Green Age? Even more reason for fans to pick up *both* settings!
[/wild speculation]

As for the other issues: Yay to the return of Dark Sun and Epic level transformational prestige classes! Wonder what would be the pre-requisites for the Avangion PrC?

You were reading my mind on the use of different times. An early Cleansing Wars time period would be excellent!!!!!!

Epic Level Prestige classes are tough. I have done conversions for Darksun Dragons, Avangions and mortal elementals. It's not easy!

 

[megamania]

Anyone whom knows me knows I LOVE DARKSUN.

I have heard these rumors way back before 3e was released. I hope this is true but all I can do is save my money and wait

As for "crunchie" books- since Athas (Darksun) is so different from the more tradional books, there could be any number of books released.

Darksun, in it's 6 years of production in 2e, showed incredible deapth and use of imagination. Often, the imagination used was the "thinking outside of the box" type that 3e excels at.

I have done 3e conversions that lose much of the feel of the 2e Darksun but was user friendly. The Athas.org site has many new ideas that I like but seem off somehow still. Currently I am running a PbP using their rules along with Core books and If Thoughts Could Kill. We have only started but so good so far.

I hope it's true....lot's of circumstantal stuff (tons of polls involving Psionics/psionics use anyway)

 

[megamania]

Oh- by the way- below are links to my PbP Darksun game, Killer in Kalidnay and my Story Hour of Darksun using my 3e conversion rules.

Killer in Kalidnay- 1800 years before boxed sets. Someone is killing people within the Golden City. No one knows who or how but the Templars have assigned it to a group of travelers based on a psychic's vision.

Under a Darksun- Occurs just before the first boxed set. Who or what is the young man known only as Mania? And why does so many mysterious and seemily powerful people want to control him?

....until Dregoth gives out hugs and kisses on Valentine's day....

 

[EvilOz]

I coulda swore that one of the things TSR did wrong, according to the WotC brass, was branch out into a bunch of different settings, losing its focus, and making books that few people would buy, compared to more generic splats that were generally more useful to everyone and less campiagn-specific.

It also goes against their rule that nothing they put out for D&D would require anything but the core books.

I am very skeptical of this...

I figured this was a matter of time. DnD has been around too long for most of the old players to be satisfied with Forgotten Relams being the focus of WotC. This same practice is what killed TSR. Remember how many settings there were? Spelljammer, DL, FR, Dark Sun, Al Quadim, Birthright, Ravenloft, and the list goes on. I thought the original idea was to let other imprints take on the responsibility of putting on the other Campaign Settings. People like Sovereign Press are putting out the DLCS with the help of WotC. Ravenloft was put out by Sword and Sorcery. I would much rather see another D20 publisher pick up Dark Sun and run with it instead of putting the financial burden for this on WotC. I guess some people dont learn from history. Interest in DnD is high right now and will be for a short time longer. (Considering the launch of 3E is still pretty new news to some ppl) In time the profits will begin to shrink again and the market for RPG material will settle, and we will all be in the same boat as before.

 

[Gez]

Interest in DnD is high right now and will be for a short time longer. (Considering the launch of 3E is still pretty new news to some ppl) In time the profits will begin to shrink again and the market for RPG material will settle, and we will all be in the same boat as before.

And then will come 4e... TSR died because they were unable to renew their game. I think WotC "Magic" know what to do...