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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 8826044" data-attributes="member: 2629">If I were going to run a Dark Sun / Athas Game soon, I would want:1.) Psionics: I'd need a psionic system that included mechanics that PCs and monsters could use.  I'd likely spend a day formalizing the really rough one I have which updates elements of prior ones.  I use it already, despite it not being fully fleshed out for 5E.2.) Psionic Classes: At a minimum, I'd need a psionicist/psion class and a psychic warrior class.  Again, I already have my rough versions, but I would formalize them to present to players.3.) Athasian Races: Some thin reskinning would be fine to get by, but I would likely make some race options with substance for Half-Giants, Athasian Elves, etc...4.) Athasian Monster Stats: Some stats for the unique Athasian Monsters.  A lot of the flavor of Athas comes from the unique monsters.  I'd need to stat up commonly experienced monsters as well as anything they might encounter (wnadering or planned) in the early adventures.5.) Better Environmental Rules: A lot of the 'charm' of Athas is how dangerous the environment is.  I'd need to get rules in place to handle the setting and make it feel like Athas - exposure, dehydration, etc....6.) Defiling: There needs to be real and meaningful rules for defiling.  They need to give you a huge advantgae ofr using them, and a huge cost that might not necessarily be paid directly by you.  I actually have them in my setting.  You can learn to defile with study, and once you do you can enhance your magic by despoiling your environment.  This has a lot of impacts.  However, there are groups that can sense defilining - and are insanley powerful - and will kill you for doing it.  My defiling sucks the life and elements from the world around you (leaving the area devoid of the magical weave, water, clean air, life sustaining soil, and chemically active deposits).  It also corrupts the user with an addicitive twinge that makes their non-defiling magic weaken over time (some spell slots get earmarked to only work when defiling, some spells stop working if you do not defile them, etc...).   7.) Lore Decisions: Are we starting with Freedom?  Are we starting with a a post storyline Athas that survived all of the prior adventures?  For me, the best games have started in Athas at the time of Freedom, but have ventured independent of the modules.  In otherwords, I think the Athas of the boxed set is a fun setting, but the adventure paths waste it.8.) A Kick-%@# Plotline: You really need to sell Athas.  Whether the game is fillned with new players or experienced Dark Sun fans, in my experience you can easily lose any player in Dark Sun if you do not draw them in right away.  New players may not gronk the setting's charm.  Experienced players may compare you to their rose-colored memories of the setting and feel like it isn't what they wanted.  You need to pull them in and get them excited to see the world unfold around them.  Your typical, "you meet in a tavern and ..." won't be enough.</blockquote>

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