D&D 5E Updating Dark Sun to 5th Ed

[AdmundfortGeographer]

It’s like saying, do you know what? Me and some friends, we are new fans of this Star Wars thing, but can we get rid of lightsabers? And the whole force thing, and space ships. Oo, and could we add elves and dwarves to it? Don’t complain, you’ll still have the original movies, let me and my friends and new comers enjoy Star Wars for what it is now, stop gatekeeping us!

Or, it’s nothing at like that all.

 

[transmission89]

Or, it’s nothing at like that all.

You’re right, requesting the addition of races in the setting I’ve described, the inclusion of classes that have no basis to exist, removing the facet of slavery (highlighted as an evil to be abolished, providing much of the central conflict motivation), changing the existing city states and changing the the sorcerer kings, all fundamental parts of the Dark Sun flavour and setting, is absolutely nothing like the analogy I laid out above

 

[Charlaquin]

You’re right, requesting the addition of races in the setting I’ve described, the inclusion of classes that have no basis to exist, removing the facet of slavery (highlighted as an evil to be abolished, providing much of the central conflict motivation), changing the existing city states and changing the the sorcerer kings, all fundamental parts of the Dark Sun flavour and setting, is absolutely nothing like the analogy I laid out above

Who’s requesting any of these things again?

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

The OP is a thought experiment, not a request, on how WotC could tackle Dark Sun in a 5e conversion guessing at current WotC publishing trends at class and species presentation.

I don’t see slavery being eliminated from the Tablelands, but I see it being ripe for very specific coverage on how to handle it.

 

[transmission89]

Who’s requesting any of these things again?

Literally the OP... I appreciate it’s a thought experiment, I get that. But the analogy is pointing out essentially the problem with this and when other people’s points in this when people are saying that changes are necessary or that some tweaks don’t change the setting. were people to agree with those aspects.

 

[transmission89]

The OP is a thought experiment, not a request, on how WotC could tackle Dark Sun in a 5e conversion guessing at current WotC publishing trends at class and species presentation.

I don’t see slavery being eliminated from the Tablelands, but I see it being ripe for very specific coverage on how to handle it.

I appreciate it’s a thought experiment, I get that. But the analogy is pointing out essentially the problem with this and when other people’s points in this when people are saying that changes are necessary or that some tweaks don’t change the setting. were people to agree with those aspects.

Regarding “how to handle slavery”. Does it need it? Does page and word count really need to be wasted on “how to handle it”?

The Slavery depicted in Dark Sun is more akin to classical era slavery rather than based solely on race (yes I get Muls being bred by sorcerer kings exist as well).

At no point in any of the TSR products was slavery ever pointed out as being a good thing. How to handle it? It’s right there in the adventure hook, fight against the cruel despotic sorcerer kings.

 

[MGibster]

Except that’s not really equivalent, as that’s an addition to a story, not a fundamental shift in the setting of the story. They didn’t just suddenly change the setting to, I dunno, Japan and make Mordred an upstart daimyo, replacing the lady of the lake with something from Japanese folklore.

Is that what happened with Ravenloft? None of the changes I've seen fundamentally change what Ravenloft is. I don't expect any changes to Dark Sun would fundamentally change what Dark Sun is.

 

[transmission89]

Is that what happened with Ravenloft? None of the changes I've seen fundamentally change what Ravenloft is. I don't expect any changes to Dark Sun would fundamentally change what Dark Sun is.

It unfortunately has in my opinion (I can appreciate that other people may like the new book, not for me).

It’s no longer a dark realm of Gothic Horror tropes to scare your players, it’s a scooby doo theme park. The Egyptian mummy realm now just a random fantasy desert, the change to “victra” and her golem (it wasn’t a golem originally) obviates Victor’s dark, sad tale.

The book specifically calls out against using tropes, despite Ravenloft being about....Gothic horror tropes! They even fail (in my opinion) on their own terms of “scare the character” (a pointless, meaningless phrase). If art work is supposed to evoke and establish the mood and feel of the setting, then a fundamental shift has occurred. There’s that image of two characters in a puppet house. There is nothing in there of Ravenloft, the characters are not under threat, they don’t look helpless or scared. They are confidently, professionally blasting away at these puppets in a well lit environment. It evokes a more steampunk feel than horror to me.

But this isn’t about Ravenloft, that’s done and out and people already have their opinions on it. But if that’s “no fundamental change to the setting”, I shudder at what Dark Sun would bring...

 

[humble minion]

Literally the OP... I appreciate it’s a thought experiment, I get that. But the analogy is pointing out essentially the problem with this and when other people’s points in this when people are saying that changes are necessary or that some tweaks don’t change the setting. were people to agree with those aspects.

The OP isn't requesting these things, they are predicting them. OP has in fact been vocally opposed in other threads to changes to legacy settings for perceived reason of updating them to modern mores. Which is why some people have read the OPs predictions in this thread as a straw man.

 

[transmission89]

The OP isn't requesting these things, they are predicting them. OP has in fact been vocally opposed in other threads to changes to legacy settings for perceived reason of updating them to modern mores. Which is why some people have read the OPs predictions in this thread as a straw man.

Again, which I get. But read through the thread and you see counter points arguing that changes in the setting for new fans isn’t inherently changing things of the setting. This is what my analogy was arguing against. And you know, inevitably, there will be players whining on online discourse as to why their DM will not allow their aaracockra Paladin...