So, Dark Sun: It's officially out. What do you think of it?

[giant.robot]

Something I'm puzzled by with Dark Sun is the lack of any miniatures to go along with the setting. I would have been fine with just a fixed set of minis like the Beholder boxed set that is coming out. I liked the Desert of Athas tile set but I was hoping for minis as well. Races like the Thri-Kreen and the non-metalic armor of the setting I think could have used some visualization in the form of a miniatures set. When I do use minis I like having minis for PCs that are at least similar to a character's description (so they're easy to keep track of on the table).

 

[Scribble]

Hey this is pretty cool about the Creature Catalog.

I was reading the entry for Tareks, and in the encounter section it said to create more Tarek varietals (can you tell I like wine?) simply take an orc and replace the bonus to speed while charging and Warriors Surge with the Tarek's Deathless Warrior power...

Just thought that was pretty cool... "Here's how to make use of stuff you already have."

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I have also been somewhat dismayed at the lack of availability of minis depicting PC races unique to 4Ed and its settings. I can't tell you how many people I've helped find Goliath or Deva-esque minis; now we need to track down Bugs and more common races with a "Dark Sun" aesthetic.

Have any been announced?

 

[Henry]

I have also been somewhat dismayed at the lack of availability of minis depicting PC races unique to 4Ed and its settings. I can't tell you how many people I've helped find Goliath or Deva-esque minis; now we need to track down Bugs and more common races with a "Dark Sun" aesthetic.

Have any been announced?

The good news: There have been at least a couple of D&D minis, the Thri-Kreen Barbarian, and Thri-kreen ranger, released in past sets.

The bad news: Both of them are apparently rares and re-sell for a good 15 bucks and up.

The better news: Reaper minis has "Zizzix, the mantis warrior" for $4.00 and he's a dead ringer.

 

[darjr]

the new mini set has a thri-kreen.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I own a Bug monk, as I recall...but then again, I'm posting from a "social event."

(Upon further reflection, I'm probably mis-remembering a Trog monk.)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You know, there was something else I'd have liked to have seen in this release.

So far as I can tell, each of the previous settings books had the "native" races, plus some info on how to work the other 4Ed player races into your game, with each successive setting incorporating at least a paragraph about races from previous ones that would be extremely rare in it. (Whether the errata releases incorporated similar paragraphs for including the later races into the previous, I don't know.)

Dark Sun left out one I thought would have been fascinating: Warforged. Yeah- they're metal...think about what you could do with that from a RP perspective. On Athas, a typical Warforged PC would be hunted like the Hulk. Or from a DM's perspective, they could have been part of why Athas was so metal poor...

Not so much a glaring failing, just something I'd like to have seen.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

Something I'm puzzled by with Dark Sun is the lack of any miniatures to go along with the setting. I would have been fine with just a fixed set of minis like the Beholder boxed set that is coming out. I liked the Desert of Athas tile set but I was hoping for minis as well. Races like the Thri-Kreen and the non-metalic armor of the setting I think could have used some visualization in the form of a miniatures set. When I do use minis I like having minis for PCs that are at least similar to a character's description (so they're easy to keep track of on the table).

Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!

You are presupposing anyone inside WotC talks to anyone else inside WotC they are not currently on a project team with!!! D&D guys have no idea what those wacky minis guys do with their free time or why they are still putting out men riding on horses, when clearly it's the female demographic that gives a sh--, uh, likes horses.

Also, WotC never made minis and never will make minis. You must be confused.

If you need minis for 4E you use whatever tokens--like those found in several D&D Essentials(tm)(r)($)()(x-P)(Y) boxed sets you can find at Amazon or Target or 4sharingtorrentz.web--you can get your hands on and 1" square grid paper printed out from a website your DM googled 15 minutes before the game started.

 

[wedgeski]

(I really hate bait and switch.)

You're suggesting they put that into the cover image to falsely entice you to buy the book on the assumption that thri-keen could wield more than two weapons?

 

[BASHMAN]

Thri-Kreens were disappointing to say the least... though a Thri-Kreen monk could be interesting. I think it's just silly that a better way of representing multiple arms was somehow impossible for them- they could have given them instead a racial at-will that was a burst 1 square around them to represent being able to attack multiple foes at once. There are classes that already get that type of ability, so it wouldn't be a big deal. Or they could have gotten the "two weapon fighting" feat for free. Neither of these would offset the balance, and the latter is really easy to do.

I do think Muls seemed awesome, especially how they can take human or dwarf feats (pick one set). I think I'd end up playing a Mul Warden/Druid who hunts down defilers.

Edit: and where are the Aarakora?