D&D 5E (2024) Unconfirmed Dark Sun World Book

[Necropolitan]

I think that's kind of the heart of the issue with Dark Sun. It's not a family friendly setting, and making it family friendly turns into something different (not necessarily worse, just different). The other settings definitely have family unfriendly elements in them, but the mature topics in Dark Sun are embedded in its core.

The majority of the people buying D&D products are adults or soon will be, but the idea that a section of the hobby should be for adults is offensive to some people.

As I previously pointed out in this thread, all the things people were wringing their hands over RPGs having (in-universe bigotry, slavery, imperialism, torture, writing more complicated than a young adult novel, and morality that isn't obvious Good vs Evil) are all already present in media for children.

Apparently it's fine to have a Dalek (a genocidal imperialist bigoted body horror eugenicist space fascist torturer slaver) on TV, but the moment you add the same exact details to a RPG it becomes a cognitohazard that needs to be scrubbed clean to ensure the moral purity of the public.

 

[Zardnaar]

The majority of the people buying D&D products are adults or soon will be, but the idea that a section of the hobby should be for adults is offensive to some people.

As I previously pointed out in this thread, all the things people were wringing their hands over RPGs having (in-universe bigotry, slavery, imperialism, torture, writing more complicated than a young adult novel, and morality that isn't obvious Good vs Evil) are all already present in media for children.

Apparently it's fine to have a Dalek (a genocidal imperialist bigoted body horror eugenicist space fascist torturer slaver) on TV, but the moment you add the same exact details to a RPG it becomes a cognitohazard that needs to be scrubbed clean to ensure the moral purity of the public.

This. BG3 also comes to mind.

Its not 2019 I think the moral panics mostly gone. Ran out of steam and wasnt organically popular anyway.

What is popular? BG3.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Let's remember Conan is fiction for adults but Hasbro produced an child-friendly animated serie of this franchise.

I say again Hasbro's intentions aren't to earn money with DS sourcebooks but with a future DS videogame.

Surely it will be an atlas or gazeteer of the region of Tyr omiting those gruesome details. In the age of internet WotC wants to sell crunch instead fluff/lore/background. Unlocking in the DMGuild should be enough.

* What if there is an alternate Athas that relatively seems a utopia but it's a deception. Teorically champions from the future traveled time to the past and defeated the sorcerer-kings before these became tyrants.. but it is a trick. Not only they are alive but they are the secret rulers from the shadows.

They faked their own defeat and death to avoid direct betrayal and rebellion against them. If one of their puppets on the throne is neutralized, they are simply replaced by another, leading the rebels to believe they have succeeded.

Other alternate Athas is a "green age" where Rajaat created a fungus-plague style "last of us" and only pureblood halflings are inmune. After the cure was discovered but the sorcerer-kings says there is always a new mutant strain and only they know the right antidote. Other secondary effect this plague also affected the animals and the fauna was decimated but this could survive thans special mutations becoming mutant plantanimals.

 

[Zardnaar]

I dont think a Darksun videogame is on the cards.

 

[Mecheon]

Apparently it's fine to have a Dalek (a genocidal imperialist bigoted body horror eugenicist space fascist torturer slaver) on TV, but the moment you add the same exact details to a RPG it becomes a cognitohazard that needs to be scrubbed clean to ensure the moral purity of the public.

Daleks are salt shakers who can't handle stairs and always get defeated by the end of the episode. Maybe they'll have a two parter if they're lucky

They're a little different from tyrannical fascist dictators doing it en-mass to peoples, and slamming face first into racist stereotypes with the halflings

You don't need to scrub stuff clean but stuff published originally over 30 years needs to be reviewed if it actually serves a modern audience, and adjusted for that audience. Otherwise you end up as horrifically dated as something using 90s slang and trying to appear hip and modern. Or, well, as dated as half of Ravenloft's domains that are blatant expies of "wow you just wrote down the plot to an 80s horror movie and expected it to stand the test of time"

 

[Staffan]

Daleks are salt shakers who can't handle stairs and always get defeated by the end of the episode. Maybe they'll have a two parter if they're lucky

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Otherwise you end up as horrifically dated as something using 90s slang and trying to appear hip and modern. Or, well, as dated as half of Ravenloft's domains that are blatant expies of "wow you just wrote down the plot to an 80s horror movie and expected it to stand the test of time"

Ok but now I want to make a Raveloft Darklord who's equal parts Cryptkeeper, Roger Corman and the Mads from MST3K who just trap players in schlocky horror movies.

Actually come to think of it Jergal from BG3 with the "big naturals" mod dressed like Elvira would be a perfect look for this character.

 

[Necropolitan]

Daleks are salt shakers who can't handle stairs and always get defeated by the end of the episode. Maybe they'll have a two parter if they're lucky

They're a little different from tyrannical fascist dictators doing it en-mass to peoples, and slamming face first into racist stereotypes with the halflings

You don't need to scrub stuff clean but stuff published originally over 30 years needs to be reviewed if it actually serves a modern audience, and adjusted for that audience. Otherwise you end up as horrifically dated as something using 90s slang and trying to appear hip and modern. Or, well, as dated as half of Ravenloft's domains that are blatant expies of "wow you just wrote down the plot to an 80s horror movie and expected it to stand the test of time"

Okay, you haven't watched Doctor Who for about 50 years then.

The Daleks DO do that en-masse to people. Their battlecry and most-used word is "EXTERMINATE!" and their only goal is to commit total genocide on all forms of non-Dalek life. They're space Nazis.

And why are you acting like anyone's defending the racism? I was the one who brought up the problems with the halflings in the first place in this thread.

And Ravenloft DID withstand the test of time. To this day most fans still prefer the classic version that had actual edge to the slop 5E churned out. Aside from the Cinderella Domain which actually had the same edge and flavor of the classic version.

Because Dark Sun and Ravenloft have quality that withstands the test of time and you can easily remove the racist bits without losing that.

 

[Remathilis]

Ok but now I want to make a Raveloft Darklord who's equal parts Cryptkeeper, Roger Corman and the Mads from MST3K who just trap players in schlocky horror movies.

Actually come to think of it Jergal from BG3 with the "big naturals" mod dressed like Elvira would be a perfect look for this character.

I didn't realize how much I need a reborn bard named Elvira running around Ravenloft until just now. Viscous mockery indeed!

 

[Zardnaar]

Okay, you haven't watched Doctor Who for about 50 years then.

The Daleks DO do that en-masse to people. Their battlecry and most-used word is "EXTERMINATE!" and their only goal is to commit total genocide on all forms of non-Dalek life. They're space Nazis.

And why are you acting like anyone's defending the racism? I was the one who brought up the problems with the halflings in the first place in this thread.

And Ravenloft DID withstand the test of time. To this day most fans still prefer the classic version that had actual edge to the slop 5E churned out. Aside from the Cinderella Domain which actually had the same edge and flavor of the classic version.

Because Dark Sun and Ravenloft have quality that withstands the test of time and you can easily remove the racist bits without losing that.

Space Nazis exist to get punched in the faced, choped up with swords or lightsabers.

Its the entire point of having them. Its not 2019 anymore and that purify the game thing has mostly burnt out.

You need conflict to drive the story. People like it. Villains gonna villain.

Gith (Vlaakith ones) are the D&D space Nazis. Sorcerer Kings are the Darksun ones. Arkanians are Star Wars EU ones. Daleks are Doctor Who.