The Role Playing Public Radio Forums
General Category => RPGs => : clockworkjoe June 09, 2010, 01:48:54 AM
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(http://imgur.com/blVaR.jpg)
The world of Athas is a post apocalyptic setting. Most of the world's vegetation and water have been destroyed by excessive use of arcane magic. The land is now stripped, barren, and harsh. Kingdoms have dissolved into feuding city-states. Each city-state is protection by god-like sorcerer-king.
Most arcane casters are called defilers. Any casting by a defiler turns nearby plants to ash, boils water, and sterilizes the soil.
Metal and water on Athas are incredibly scarce. Sorcerer-kings devote great resources and manpower to protecting their wells and oases.
There are no deities in Athas. The gods abandoned the world during the decline of its green age. Most people worship of pay lip service to their rulers. A few clerics draw power from the raw elemental planes. Druids are the most stalwart defenders of nature.
The races of Athas are different as a result of the harsh environment. Traditionally, all player races have higher bonuses to their starting attributes and start at 3rd level to reflect their harsh upbringing. All people must be ready to fight in order to protect their villages from marauding elves, giants or worse desert horrors. All racial also have inherent psionic abilities and start with a wild talent.
There is a caste system made up of the templars who serve the sorcerer-kings, the nobility, freemen, merchants and slaves. Characters can be of any class, and even the highest ranking templar can be sold into slavery for their mistakes.
It is rare for one to place ideals such as honor, justice and selflessness above their day to day survival, but heroes can be found. Deeds can be as small as helping slaves escape to a free village and defending an oasis from cannibalistic haflings to searching ruins for relics of the green age or assassinating an influential noble.
Dark Sun Preview encounter characters http://dungeonsmaster.com/2010/05/dark-sun-characters/
(http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab55/Verklemptomaniac/PianoDragon.jpg)
ALL POSTS MUST CONTAIN A SUITABLE LEVEL OF DARK SUN BAD ASS AWESOMENESS
posts that do not contain a suitable level of Dark Sun will be mocked
Dark Sun is the most metal of all D&D settings
It is the most brutal
It is the most hardcore
It is coming
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http://www.penandpapergames.com/forums/content.php/89-4th-Edition-Dark-Sun-Thoughts-from-a-Playtester-Reviewer
When the news broke last year that the Dark Sun Campaign Setting would be finally brought back to life in 4th Edition, I thought it was a brilliant move. I remember many years ago cracking open the Dark Sun box set for the first time and flipping through the accompanying sample adventure -- it literally flipped open from the top and was free standing so that on one side the players would see the accompanying art and on the other, the DM had the adventure notes. I was so enthralled with the new setting, I even skipped a few classes the next day to run some of my high school buddies through the starter adventure. (Shhh, don't tell!) I loved the world of Athas, and so did my players, even if all of their characters died in the first few encounters.
Not surprisingly, when the opportunity came around to play in an ongoing Dark Sun campaign with one of the designers, Chris Sims, at the helm, I eagerly joined up. A few months later, I was offered a chance to be one of a small group of readers to review the initial draft of the new Dark Sun setting and provide feedback. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity.
So ... My thoughts?
It's every bit the gritty, downtrodden and dangerous world that I remember.
The harsh desert environs of Athas are dotted by city-states ruled by tyrannical sorcerer-kings. Slavery of entire populations is a reality of life. Freedom is a privilege enjoyed by very few, except in the single "shining" city of Tyr which was recently freed by an unlikely uprising of slaves and gladiators. Even in Tyr, life is hard and the ambitions of unscrupulous men keep Tyr's freedom in constant peril.
As bad as things might be under the dictatorships of the sorcerer-kings, however, the badlands between the cities of Athas are even more dangerous. Deadly predators lurk in the sands, ready to waylay travelers at every turn. Above, the sun, perhaps the greatest enemy of them all, scorches the land relentlessly and rockets temperatures upwards of 150 degrees at its highest point.
This isn't the land of shining castles and high fantasy all too common in just about every other D&D setting I have ever played.
It feels different.
Dark Sun has a very different feel than other Dungeons & Dragons settings. In Athas it is about survival against all odds and working against, or at least thriving under, the constant oppression of a world that would just as soon see you left a dry and lifeless husk -- one less competitor vying for all too limited resources. Warriors adorn themselves in armor made of chitin and wield weapons carved from bone and stone. Even if it were practical to wear metal armor in the extreme heat of Athas, metal is scarce and highly coveted.
The one commodity that you'll find here in abundance unlike other worlds is psionics. Almost every sentient inhabitant who lives beneath the crimson sun is gifted with psionic potential to varying degrees. For many, this maybe simply a "wild talent," while others have far more extreme abilities. The coming Dark Sun Creature Catalogue has a slew of new creatures with psionic powers that will give encounters in Athas a distinct and exciting feel.
The world is rich with detail and story opportunities.
Prior to being selected as a reviewer for the Dark Sun Campaign Setting, I had never had the opportunity to see one of Wizards' supplements while it was still in draft. Much of the layout of the book I received was already close to production quality actually, except that there were empty sections where the art would eventually be placed, and it hadn't been through the editing process yet. Interestingly, I noticed that at the top of each of the background sections on Athas, there were notations from the editor that quickly summarized the target word count, pages, and anticipated art. Just looking at the numbers, it was immediately obvious to me that the authors were very excited about the Dark Sun material, as in almost every case they exceeded their target word count -- sometimes by quite a bit.
Before I read through the draft copy, I was a bit concerned that the setting and background "fluff" would be abbreviated in favor of providing more player material. Instead, I found every page of the Atlas section loaded with detail and story hooks galore that spurred ideas for adventures, scenarios and entire campaigns that I could run for my players. My only lament was that I would have to wait the better part of a year before I could bring this setting to the table for my own players.
Dark Sun fits the "points of light" model better than any other setting I have ever played.
Where Forgotten Realms required drastic changes to even begin to fit the new experience the designers of 4th Edition were trying to capture, Dark Sun fit the mold basically right out of the box. Roads plagued by marauders, bandits and hungry monsters? Check. Towns and villages that don't stay in close contact? Check. A wilderness filled with forgotten towers, abandoned towns, and haunted locations where even people living only a few miles away from such places might know of them only by rumor and legend? Yep, it's got that all of these things in spades. Athas is a dangerous place, sparsely dotted with few safe-havens, and even those rare havens aren't necessarily all that safe. No setting before this one has showcased the precepts of 4th Edition so exceptionally.
Ultimately, the change of pace makes Dark Sun a winner in my book.
I'll admit that the dark and gritty nature of the setting was an instant appeal to me. It's also different enough from all the other settings out there to really catch my attention. I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons for over two decades now, and to be perfectly honest, the usual trappings of fantasy no longer really excite me. I need something new ... something different. Dark Sun is the setting that I've been waiting to reemerge for a very long time, and I can hardly wait to see it finally released in August. I don't want to sound too much like an advocate, but truthfully, I think this is going to be the best campaign setting published for 4th Edition yet.
Just a couple more months ...
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Sounds like post-apocalyptic fantasy without guns.
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Looks amazing.
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I cant wait for darksun! I take it rppr will run a game very soon after its release.
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He-man
Also: My group doesn't want to play 4E but do anyone think the Dark Sun setting would work well with Iron Heroes?
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He-man
Also: My group doesn't want to play 4E but do anyone think the Dark Sun setting would work well with Iron Heroes?
More or less but psionics are an integral part of Dark Sun and grafting an existing 3E psionic system would be awkward.
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Yeah, I was wondering how they would fit in.
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There are 3.5 darksun coversions at athas.org I am going to give them a try because my players dont know how to play 2nd ed and i want them to get the feel of the setting before i start my 4thed one that I will run once i get the book.
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Dark Sun adventure as part of Free RPG day http://www.freerpgday.com/
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Dark Sun Hits the "Points of Light" theme so hard it should be more like "Embers of a candle in 60 mph winds, winds full of sand." Easily the best canned setting for 4th so far, and possibly ever.
Desert-themed D&D has been missing solid support for too long. Without even reading it, my homebrewed world's desert confederacy just became that much more compelling.
I hope that next year's setting is something along the lines of Ravenloft. But it'll probably be Dragonlance :(
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fuck dragonlance
the worst setting
THIS THREAD NEEDS MORE DARK SUN AWESOME
(http://imgur.com/c3CSH.jpg)
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HOLY FUCKING SHIT TITS THIS LOOKS AWESOME.
But seriously looks better than all the other D&D established setting like Forgettable Realms, I hate that drow dual wielding scimitars bullshit.
Seriously Wizard, why did you wait so long to release this?
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http://www.digitalwanderer.net/darksun/
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Dark Son?
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/Hulks-Dark-Son-100611.html
Wait . . .
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Let's start posting some character concepts:
I want to make a character who is different than Locke, so I came up with the following rough idea for a character. I'll probably change him.
Horatio Brandison - human artificer who wishes to make a machine to harness the power of magic in positive ways. He's optimistic and hopeful that magic can be used for good instead of corruption. In his spare time, he makes simple machines to benefit people in his community, but his secret project is his magic machine. Of course, he must do this work in secret or he will be killed. It should be noted that Horatio has no desire for power or to upset the balance of the city-states. Horatio merely wishes to benefit the people.
Vezzt Kryzik - thri-kreen druid. She and Horatio are in a loving and monogomous relationship. She was attracted to Horatio because of his desire to regrow the land.
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Sounds like a good general concept to me. And it gives him something to be doing apart from whatever fretch quests and fights are dictated by the storyline.
At somepoint that does sort of lock him down to a single location I imagine, once he actually has a physical machine. Assume it has a physical shape and isn't an etherial "construction of spells" or something to that effect. Either way: compelling story device.
Addition after a moment's thought:
Needs more metal.
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I imagine that most of his quest would be to discover the science behind the machine and then amassing enough material to build it. Both would be huge in and of themselves.
I also want to make a standard Dark Sun mafia. to continue with my theme of naming groups after rap groups, I would name them the Three-Six Mafia.
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I'd have gone D-12 but that's good too.
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Thri-Kreen are the best thing about any setting.
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The machine could be a type of rotary drill like structure that digs up the dry earth, plants a seed and deposits water. All of that on wheels in a Mad Max 2 style and you've got yourself a Dark Sun plothook. Defend the replanting of the earth.
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Very nice! I love it!
Also, I've been thinking about some villains for big bads when I get to GM the game. I'm excited (rubbing palms in an evil way).
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(http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2706/mrburns2515242.jpg)
Excellent.
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Yes! Just what I was thinking!
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(http://imgur.com/BzPDE.png)
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My local game store did not receive the Dark Sun Encounters packages on Wednesday (you know, when the season was supposed to begin), but I am very much looking forward to this trial run. People are evidently getting their asses handed to them quite thoroughly (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/25007989/Excessively_Powerful_Level_1_Brutes), and I would like to instill some fear in my players.
Of course, the aforementioned encounter is one you are not intended to win. But don't tell anybody!
Oh, Ross, would you mind answering a question about this incarnation of Dark Sun? If you are still bound by an NDA or something, then don't worry about it, but I am very curious: how are Tieflings being addressed? Are they offshoots of humans? A completely different species?
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Be a bug, a carnivorous elf or a half-giant, how can you make a bad choice? :)
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I am not associated with Wizards in any way. I have no inside scoop.
Dark Sun designer Rodney Thompson is answering questions on the SA forums tho http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3196218&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=39
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(http://imgur.com/yfchg.png)
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(http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/1074/undeadbeettle.th.jpg) (http://img810.imageshack.us/i/undeadbeettle.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
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It's spelled, "Hollow". But, yes, every single item in Dark Sun seems to be derived from the hollowed-out corpse of another being. At least according to the Wizards podcast.
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I am awfully excited to Dark Sun see the light of day again, but I am thinking of running it with Savage Worlds. SW seems to be designed with Dark Sun in mind!
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Carapaces. All the way down.
I look forward to Dark Sun, but I've got a backlog of games I want to try and too few chances to play.
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Dark Sun comes out soon, you guys!!!
I'm thinking about running a PbP for it!!! I don't know too much about the setting, so I will need to read the book prior to beginning any sort of game!!! But it looks like tons of fun, given the previews on Wizards' web site!!!
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Dark Sun comes out soon, you guys!!!
I'm thinking about running a PbP for it!!! I don't know too much about the setting, so I will need to read the book prior to beginning any sort of game!!! But it looks like tons of fun, given the previews on Wizards' web site!!!
I would totally join in on that if you have a spot...
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Don't get too excited!!! I tend to make plenty of statements that never amount to anything!!! But I have never run a PbP before and I think it would be particularly fun (if challenging)!!!
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Dark Sun.
[spoiler]yay![/spoiler]
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I just got my copy of the campaign setting, and it is frigging amazing! I am working on an introduction for a PbP - I plan on making it very open-ended, much like the New World. There will be a few stipulations, which I will address in further detail in the recruitment page:
1. No divine characters (duh).
2. WEAPON BREAKAGE WILL BE IN EFFECT. To compensate, the "natural enchancement bonuses" rule will be used.
3. Non-psionic characters can get a Wild Talent, but I roll for it.
4. Themes and all that jangle are allowed.
5. The characters must have a unifying theme: gladiator school, thri-kreen tribe, templar agents, whatever. You don't need to be from a similar power source, race, or even use the same themes, but there must be a reason you all are together. I don't want a contrived "oh you guys somehow meet one another" beginning, especially in such an epic setting as Dark Sun.
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1. Yeah no avenger bummer.
Everything sounds good to me.
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Sign up (http://slangdesign.com/forums/index.php?topic=919.msg19203) now, boys and girls! Get ready for some fantasy adventure, post-apocalyptic style!
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Lol, sounds a lot like Fist of The North Star. Enter Kenshiro:
(http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1917/43497122.jpg) (http://img441.imageshack.us/i/43497122.jpg/)
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THE RPPR DARK SUN CAMPAIGN HAS BEGUN
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Awesome, can't wait to listen to it!
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It's a 2 part adventure so I will first run the second half of it then merge them into 1 AP.
Also, I forgot to ask the players if they wanted to use any of the optional rules
wild talent psionics
weapon breakage
both or neither :D
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Break their weapons. I can practically hear the profanity that would generate. Probably peel the paint off the walls.
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Break their weapons. I can practically hear the profanity that would generate. Probably peel the paint off the walls.
I concur.
Looking forward to the Athasian insanity.