Which Dark Sun Setting is your favorite?

[Arnwyn]

Also, in the message thread please post the reasons you either like or dislike Dark Sun

I dislike Dark Sun... only because I personally prefer more, um, "traditional" settings (for lack of a better description).

 

[WanderingMonster]

I have so many good memories of my campaign with the original boxed set, that I have to choose it as my favorite, even though I haven't yet seen the Dungeon/Dragon version yet. I am looking forward to getting the D/D version though.

 

[Wolf72]

voted original 2nd edition, but that is because it's the only one I'm really familiar with

 

[Mac Callum]

The original setting was definately the best - and I haven't seen the Dragon version yet. It can't actually be a full setting though.

The revised Box Set took everything that really set Dark Sun apart for me and flushed it down the toilet. Jungles? You can kill Dragon Kings? No, it wasn't what I signed up for. Too much change, too fast - like Dragonlance with its Cataclysms du jour.

 

[Dragonblade]

The Revised Dark Sun boxed set sucked! And I mean that with every bit of hatred and vehemence I can put into the word.

I blame Slaviscek and Denning for taking this cool awesome world and then pissing all over it. And yes, I know Denning created the world. But he should have stopped there. Its one thing to have a bit of metaplot in your setting but when your metaplot COMPLETELY changes everything about the setting that made it cool in the first place, then there is a big problem.

Rain storms, bio-organic halfings, killing off half the sorcer-kings, grass savannas beyond the tablelands!! Seriously, what crack pipe were they smoking when they came up with this stuff?

And that doesn't even get into all the rules changes and nerfs. I mean WTF is up with that watered down wuss-ass version of the strength chart in the revised setting!?!?

Athas is a grim brutal world where only the strong survive. Characters are supposed to be stronger than normal! It not only fit the setting perfectly, but added both style and mechanical flavor to the setting. And they just pissed all over that!!!!!!!

Sorry to go off on a rant, but as a long time (original) Dark Sun fan who has both played and DMed it, this has bothered me for years! And now I can finally get this off my chest on this great messageboard and be heard by fellow Dark Sun fans.

 

[Davelozzi]

I just finished reading the DM's Guide part of the new Dungeon version (though not the monster section or adventure), and I think it's great -- but the original version is still my favorite. Of course the new DM's guide is only setting info, so I can't speak for the rules conversion part that's supposed to appear in Dragon. In my current Dark Sun mini-campaign, I mostly use the Athas.org conversion, and it's been treating us pretty well.

it's as if someone went to the Forgotten Realms and said, "OK, in 1372, a cataclysm hit. Now, Anauroch is a verdant paradise, Cormyr is a sinkhole, Calimshan fell into the sea, the Dales have been overrun by phaerimm, and Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep are now the biggest civilized cities left

The funny thing is that's not too far off from what happened. There's a sea in the middle of Anauroch, Tilverton's the only part of Cormyr completely destroyed but the rest of the country has had a rough run of it, and it's Evereska, not the Dales, that were overurn by phaerimm.

 

[Najo]

I dislike Dark Sun... only because I personally prefer more, um, "traditional" settings (for lack of a better description).

What specific things in it that were non-traditional didn't you like, and were there any elements in Dark Sun you did like?

Just curious

Nate

 

[Mach2.5]

"OK, in 1372, a cataclysm hit. Now, Anauroch is a verdant paradise, Cormyr is a sinkhole, Calimshan fell into the sea, the Dales have been overrun by phaerimm, and Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep are now the biggest civilized cities left, and have been cut off from the rest of the world

Now that's a FR that I would love to play in!

First, I loved the original. Its what got me into the setting in the begining. But then again, I like more than half the new fluff for the revised setting. I'm not really sure what alot of people hate about the revised box, most of it made the place even worse off than before.

"Ooo, look! Its raining! Hope at last! OMG! I just got a lightning bolt to the face! Holy ****, that's another! Ahhh! Swept away on gale force winds!"

or even:

"Ooo, look! A beautiful sweeping savahna of tall grass! This must be paradise . . . wait, there's a small brush fire over there. OMG! My face is on fire! Holy ****, I'm being roasted alive! Ahhh! *crackle, pop, sizzle*"

or even:

"Oooo, look! The city of Raam. I bet things are wonderful there now that the wicked Sorceror-Queen Abalach-Re is gone. OMG! I just got an arrow to the face! Ahhh! The city 'guards' just attacked me on sight! Ahhh! I'm being sacked for my shoes!"

I love this one:

"Ooo, look! This peacefull city is ruled by an avangion, a being of pure good! I'll tell the whole world about his glory and bring hope to the masses. OMG! His spies just knifed me in the back! Ahhh! I can't feel my legs! *should have kept his mouth shut*

Yeah. Hope, my butt.

Also, I use most of the rules from athas.org for my own campaign (with some tweaks and additions . . . mostly additions). I've read the excerpt for the Dungeon portion of the setting and have to admit, it bites. But I don't have the mag yet, so I'm still hoping that it was simply a really crummy excerpt (yeah, right, it will still bite).

 

[LGodamus]

I am gonna have to say the new dungeon ...Hold on now, put away the pistols....

Insofar as ..I mean the original with the conventions introduced in dungeon.....which are all pretty cool.

 

[Najo]

The Revised Dark Sun boxed set sucked! And I mean that with every bit of hatred and vehemence I can put into the word.

I have to agree with you entirely. Everything I loved about Dark Sun was messed up in the revision. One of my biggest peeves is their killing of the Dragon at the end of the fifth book. I also have a problem with how easily the sorcerer kings fell. I have something to get off my chest to ...

I ran my Dark Sun campaign for almost 3 years, originating with one party and eventually it grew into three groups ran on seperate nights with plot lines that tied together. One of the groups even joined the veiled alliance, and used their connections to infilitrate Urik to get as close to Hamanu and his templars as they could.

During the 3 year period of time, playing an average of twice a week, only one party "encountered" the dragon. They were travelling north along a ridge, following the sea of silt. Suddenly, a wind storm blew up, and as they covered their faces they could hear a feint screeching above them, through the howling wind. As the wind roared around them, they all felt a sickening pull on their strength, and the plants surrouding them shrivaled to ash. As they dropped to their knees one by one, the wind died down, the sand and silt with it, and the sick feeling subsided..and far off over the sea of silt the silouette of a large winged bird or reptile flew off into crimson sky.

Spoiler: In the end of the Prism Pentad (by Troy Denning, none the less), not only does a warband of adventurers lead by Rikus (18th level Gladiator - who is the highest level in the party) make their way into the heart of the Valley of Dust and Fire (home to the Dragon of Tyr), but they kill him by jumping onto his nose and stabbing him with a magical sword that leakes out this black goo that devourers him. Really one of the stupidest things ever.

The point of this, is the Dragon of Tyr is a mythic icon of the setting, never really meant to be used as just another monster. It is better to run the group against a sorcerer king if you want a high level baddie. The stories of the dragon are that no one has seen it and lived, its a legend that even the sorcerer kings are scared of.

In the original edition Sorcerer Kings sent out cavarans as offerings to the dragon ever year so that he will spare their city. These caravans are loaded with food, riches, slaves, metal, etc and no one ever sees these caravans return. Yet, occasioanlly, a caravan is found by travellers, empty and lost in the desert, completely untouched with all of its riches, except there are no signs of anything living, and all of the containers that had food or water, are turned to ash. This mysterious, apocalytic feel is what the later editions of Dark Sun are lacking in my opinion, that the first captured so well.

Nate