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

[Aegeri]

I think the entire picture is completely daft myself, but that's just me and in the end I don't really go much for criticizing art. The only thing important to me about art is "Do I know what this thing looks like by looking at the picture". If it accomplishes that I am pretty happy. At the same time, Dark Sun for all its "hardcore" and "grimdark" has some delightfully goofy monsters. The Mekillot just makes me smile every time I look at it and I can appreciate it for that.

 

[Zaran]

I barely remember my 2e Darksun material. I seem to remember that there was not much info on anything other than Tyr. In your opinion, does a GM have everything they need in these two books (Creature and Setting) to have a good campaign in Darksun? Or do you think they need to put out supplemental material? In my opinion, a GM should not have to reference older edition material for information.

I've looked through my copy of the campaign setting. I thought the player section was done well. The GM section seems way too short for me though. To me, it seems like 4e as a whole just does not know how to give GM support. I think they did much better than the Forgotten Realms book but I hope that this is not the only book with material on Athas that is made. But again, I do not remember if the 2nd Edition Darksun had more info.

I have the same issues with the book that have already been brought up. I do think that the Epic level stuff should not have been included in the setting. That should have got it's own book. To me, Epic level encounters does not fit in Darksun. Darksun is supposed to be about struggling and surviving. I feel like those pages could have been better used with more GM material. I am disappointed in the adventure as well. The old flip book adventures for Darksun were awesome and I have to wonder what happened to the skill and love that was put into those adventures.

 

[Dungeoneer]

Can someone explain the mekillot thing a little more? There do seem to be two wildly divergent images of what they look like, and one is rather... silly.

The only explanation that occurs to me for this is hinted at in the 4e Creature Catalog:

The demand for these beasts has resulted in humanoid collectors killing numerous feral mekillot adults and stealing their eggs. Defilers who serve sorcerer-kings perform intricate rituals on the eggs to create dreadful beasts of war.

I wonder if that could explain the difference between this:

And THIS:

 

[Zaran]

Can someone explain the mekillot thing a little more? There do seem to be two wildly divergent images of what they look like, and one is rather... silly.

The only explanation that occurs to me for this is hinted at in the 4e Creature Catalog:

I wonder if that could explain the difference between this:

And THIS:

I think they must have decided te first picture was to cute looking for dark sun.

 

[Dungeoneer]

I think they must have decided te first picture was to cute looking for dark sun.

The first is the one in the Creature Catalog!

I mean, am I the only one who wants a stuffed one of those for my bed?!

I am?

Hahahah, funny joke!

 

[Obryn]

The top one actually looks a lot more like their 2e art...

-O

 

[Siberys]

Last I checked, a mekillot looked like a giant chameleon with broad, ram-like horns in 2e. That's the pic in the revised setting, though, as I recall.

I like that picture best, personally.

 

[lukelightning]

Regarding the "cute" mekillot vs the scary battle version:

Look at the cute pillbug version. See those two giant scales on its face that go around its eyes, down to its mouth, giving it a smiley look? Perhaps those scales acted as a sort of movable face shield; in resting mode they are down in cutesy mode, but when angered the scales slide up and back, turning into sort of a head frill, revealing huge gnashing teeth.

 

[Obryn]

Last I checked, a mekillot looked like a giant chameleon with broad, ram-like horns in 2e. That's the pic in the revised setting, though, as I recall.

I like that picture best, personally.

Mekillots are mighty lizards weighing up to six-tons, with huge,
mound-shaped bodies as long as 30 feet. Their backs and heads are
covered with a thick shell that serves as both a sunshade and protection
from attacks by other large creatures. Their undersides are
covered with much softer scales

Also, the picture on Page 26 of the original 2e Wanderer's Journal has mekillots which are dead ringers for the one in the 4e Creature Catalog.

The Revised setting has a picture which looks kinda chameleon-like, but that's the only place I can see it...

-O

 

[VGmaster9]

Can someone explain the mekillot thing a little more? There do seem to be two wildly divergent images of what they look like, and one is rather... silly.

The only explanation that occurs to me for this is hinted at in the 4e Creature Catalog:

I wonder if that could explain the difference between this:

And THIS:

That sure is pretty nice art