4E Information with Sources - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ascottbay Apr 27, 2010 22:41:26	As someone new to Dark Sun, every tidbit I come across is news to me. I started this post to share and reference official revelations and excerpts, to be a reliable post with Wizards sources that I can link to for anyone to double-check and confirm for themselves. I also put together a Pre-release Play Kit in the first reply to this thread. Following the release of the initial Dark Sun materials there isn't as much that's "news" so much as regularly-featured content. The setting has a World Page linked below, as well as a column titled Eye on Dark Sun. A section titled "Adventures" has been added to the bottom of this first post. (Latest) indicates additions or changes were made recently, up to December 8th, 2013. indicates that the link leads to a D&D Insider subscriber-only article. Unless otherwise noted, "Blog post" refers specifically to Rich Baker's blog.
#2 ascottbay Dec 08, 2013 17:03:12	Pre-release Play Kit These sources contain materials you can use to try out parts of 4E Dark Sun right now. Not all of this is straight from WotC, though, and a lot of it might be deprecated when the Campaign Guide is released. Links followed by require a D&D Insider subscription to access the full content. Update, December 8th 2013: I'm not sure when it happened, but the Free RPG Day adventure folio for Bloodsand Arena is available now! Official download page is >> here << Characters D&D Experience Characters Free RPG Day characters in D&D Encounters design style If you're having trouble unzipping, try 7-zip 9.14 beta or more recent beta D&D Encounters Characters (Direct Link, PDF) Races Thri-Kreen Stats (Reverse Engineered) Predator Racial Paragon Path (Partial Preview) Mul Stats (Reverse Engineered) Half-giant Thug (Paragon Path Preview) Themes (Reverse Engineered) Gladiator (Partial Preview) Unwelcome Guest (Minstrel PP; partial Dune Trader preview) Resurgent Wilder (Paragon Path; Direct Link, PDF) Backgrounds (Sea of Silt) Defiling Warlock: Sorcerer-King Pact (Partial Preview) Reckless Breakage (Weapon Breaking) Gladiators/Arena Combat Part 1 \| Part 2 (Not Dark Sun-specific) Monsters May Ampersand (Anakore, Nibenay, Shadow Bride) Hazards of Dark Sun (Predatory cacti) Sunwarped Flats (Terrain, monsters) Gaj (Near the very end of the article) Inix (Stat-block only) Altar Skulkers Salt Golem (Middle of the article) Rewards Dragon's Altar Boons And for general setting information, Eight Characteristics of Athas.
#3 Pennarin Apr 28, 2010 0:39:42	Nice resumorama. You should have seen the prior update date before November. Dreadful. Now if people want to make genuinely new material, I'm all for it.
#4 ascottbay May 01, 2010 22:02:20	With a little more work, I might have something in that "new" category for you soon. ;) In other news, I just discovered a preview of the Dungeon Tiles: Desert of Athas product in April and Beyond; scroll down to the bottom third of the page, the second June preview. It might not be anything enlightening (although, they didn't show off any silt tiles...) but I like the bones at the oasis.
#5 doctorhook May 25, 2010 21:10:42	Handy! Keep it up.
#6 Alphastream May 26, 2010 14:16:52	You may want to add the recent article regarding the D&D Encounters program, which will feature different pregens than those at D&DXP. (This is clear from the first information each store received last week). Sessions start in two weeks and play out each Wednesday. www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d... The Free RPG Day offering from WotC will be a Dark Sun adventure. My understanding is that it will use some of what was at D&DXP, including the same pregens, but have a different story. www.freerpgday.com/ and www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d... Finally, and ironically, it looks (from Twitter today, via Wizards_Dnd) like one of the rewards for the D&D Encounters program is a drink cozie. Pictures here: twitpic.com/1rb810 and twitpic.com/1rb69a
#7 eric_anondson May 26, 2010 22:43:30	In my recent post about the RPGA's announcement of Dark Sun Summer's weeks long campaign, Chris Tulach mentioned another theme, wasteland nomad.
#8 ascottbay May 27, 2010 2:27:43	@doctorhook: Thankyou, I'm glad it's handy. @Alphastream1, Anondson: Thanks! It's now updated.
#9 Alphastream May 27, 2010 15:19:49	Blindgeekuk has some twitter info on the D&D Encounters kit. (D&D Encounters being the game store program that you can play at your local gaming store if they signed up for the program... it uses pregens and gives us some advanced look at the setting. Pregens are different than those for D&D XP, the January gaming convention). Contents of D&D Encounters kit: 6 pre-gens, 2 sided poster map, 5 encounters in the booklet... first 5 are set in the desert, with lots of new monsters... it uses the new monster layout (which rocks), the pre-gens are dry wipe erasable (rocks), pre-gens have backgrounds (rocks) (US Kits show the cozies I linked earlier, table tents for PCs to write their name on, cards summarizing common 4E conditions/status effects. (Reward cards are specific to the DDE program, not a campaign thing): also comes with the first (10 point) reward cards - a +2 bonus to your next untrained skill check oooh, new mundane items, and named magic items as treasure, they took peoples advice on board 3 and a half page intro/what you need to know about athas... (Weapon rules as we have seen): Reckless Breakage: on a crit miss you can either keep the miss and keep your weapon, or reroll and break a non metal weapon Survival days: each one lets you travel athas without risking sun sickness (which is pure evil.) also used in skill challenges the artwork for the teifling pre-gen is brilliant... Pregens with the PC themes in parentheses: pregens: elf marauder ranger (gladiator), human cosmic sorceror (veiled alliance), thrikeen quick battlemind (wilder), teifling telephatic psion (veiled alliance), mul brawling fighter (wasteland nomad), human enlightened ardent (noble adept) glaring mistakes in season 2 encounter 2's map, and the ranger pre-gen has a pre-erratta throw and stab. only the sorceror and psion have 20 in a stat, the rest max out at 18
#10 gold_piece May 27, 2010 16:25:44	Blindgeekuk has some twitter info on the D&D Encounters kit. (D&D Encounters being the game store program that you can play at your local gaming store if they signed up for the program... it uses pregens and gives us some advanced look at the setting. Pregens are different than those for D&D XP, the January gaming convention). Contents of D&D Encounters kit: 6 pre-gens, 2 sided poster map, 5 encounters in the booklet... first 5 are set in the desert, with lots of new monsters... it uses the new monster layout (which rocks), the pre-gens are dry wipe erasable (rocks), pre-gens have backgrounds (rocks) (US Kits show the cozies I linked earlier, table tents for PCs to write their name on, cards summarizing common 4E conditions/status effects. (Reward cards are specific to the DDE program, not a campaign thing): also comes with the first (10 point) reward cards - a +2 bonus to your next untrained skill check oooh, new mundane items, and named magic items as treasure, they took peoples advice on board 3 and a half page intro/what you need to know about athas... (Weapon rules as we have seen): Reckless Breakage: on a crit miss you can either keep the miss and keep your weapon, or reroll and break a non metal weapon the artwork for the teifling pre-gen is brilliant... Pregens with the PC themes in parentheses: pregens: elf marauder ranger (gladiator), human cosmic sorceror (veiled alliance), thrikeen quick battlemind (wilder), teifling telephatic psion (veiled alliance), mul brawling fighter (wasteland nomad), human enlightened ardent (noble adept) glaring mistakes in season 2 encounter 2's map, and the ranger pre-gen has a pre-erratta throw and stab. only the sorceror and psion have 20 in a stat, the rest max out at 18 Great news! 1. Are you allowed to post the pregens? (scan?) 2. Are you allowed to post the 3 1/2 page athas intro?
#11 ascottbay May 27, 2010 16:52:36	This is copied from someone he's following on Twitter, and while I'm sure blindgeekuk really did get the D&D Encounters kit on behalf of his store, it's not quite the same as getting a leak straight from WotC. I wasn't sure if D&D Encounters would be as tight-lipped an operation as D&DXP, and I've been pondering what to do when the Free RPG Day material comes out, but I think I'd like to keep my references strictly unquestionable WotC sources. This is pretty cool, though. New theme: noble adept! Reckless Breakage. Also spotted sun sickness. And we'll have Athasian tieflings, hm! (Perhaps something to take up in the races thread.)
#12 603 May 28, 2010 12:38:23	And we'll have Athasian tieflings, hm! (Perhaps something to take up in the races thread.) Easy to explain away. They're people whose ancestors really annoyed Rajaat or the S-Ks, and were cursed. Hellish Rebuke is just their way of making the best of things.
#13 xlorep_darkhelm May 28, 2010 13:34:14	And we'll have Athasian tieflings, hm! (Perhaps something to take up in the races thread.) Easy to explain away. They're people whose ancestors really annoyed Rajaat or the S-Ks, and were cursed. Hellish Rebuke is just their way of making the best of things. Or.... they are just mutants. Plenty of those around on Athas, y'know? Of any race, I could see the Tieflings being mutants.
#14 qorvus May 28, 2010 17:30:17	Next months article schedule had a whole bunch of Dark Sun related stuff.
#15 the_halfling_02 Jun 01, 2010 0:40:25	here is a link to the new PC's from D&D encounters - Dark Sun dungeonsmaster.com/2010/05/dark-sun-char...
#16 totemensch Jun 02, 2010 1:02:40	This weeks ampersand has some information on defiling. Can't insert a link so here's the URL: www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...
#17 ascottbay Jun 02, 2010 17:29:32	Thanks. I really need to reload my PayPal account so I can re-subscribe this month. Luckily I should be getting paid this week.
#18 Alphastream Jun 03, 2010 11:11:16	Adding a nice bit: In the DDE adventure it states "tieflings make their homes in the wastes, frequently using their unsettling appearance to conduct fierce raids. Dragonborn (also known as dray), find shelter in citadels of their own kind, and journey forth to bring prosperity to their clan." and "The secretive eladrin live in the rfew wild places still touched by what they call the Lands Within the Wind (the Feywild), and are a near-mythical race to most." (p6, Dark Sun: Fury of the Wastewalker, Chapter 1 of 3: An Obsidian Rain) Those are some interesting ways to bring in existing 4E races!
#19 big_goon Jun 08, 2010 10:23:36	Not really any important news, but Farcaster on the Pen and Paper blogs reviewed and playtested the new DS edition and had some really good things to say: Link.
#20 mouthymerc Jun 10, 2010 7:18:12	Returning to Athas, Part 1
#21 beej_silver Jun 10, 2010 9:02:48	That thri-kreen looks...even more humanoid than 3.xEd. @___@ I guess it's an attempt to make the thri-kreen more appealing as a PC race, but then I believe they're appealing enough already. As for the article itself, most of it has been mentioned before or has been hinted at elsewhere. The explanation makes a lot of sense, too. I liked the Prism Pentad books, but hated what it did to the world. Too many changes in so little time, IMO. Oh, and while I like the whole dray-dragonborn thing, we already knew that. I wish they did more than just tease the eladrin instead. One of my players want to play one, but I have as of yet no idea how they'll be incorporated into the world.
#22 Bera Jun 10, 2010 23:44:30	Eladrin: community.wizards.com/wotc_richbaker/blo...
#23 beej_silver Jun 11, 2010 0:35:37	Finally! Thanks, Bera! (Hmm... Genies, huh? Interesting concept, and now how the eladrin are going to be connected to the djinn of MM2. XD)
#24 Pennarin Jun 11, 2010 1:19:54	He was referring to real world myths on genies, not D&D's fabrications.
#25 beej_silver Jun 11, 2010 12:04:11	Yeah, I get that. But I actually think it would be nice to link the two somehow. Maybe the djinn are advanced beings, tied to elemental air. It seems that the eladrin are tied to that element as well in 4E DS. I actually like the possibility. XD
#26 mouthymerc Jun 12, 2010 9:29:40	Here is an article that came out in one of the first digital Dragons (#364), Hazards of Dark Sun.
#27 mouthymerc Jun 12, 2010 9:33:54	I linked Returning to Athas under the World Page outline, but anything specific from it I can't summarize. Most of my last payday was destined for sadly more important things. Basically part 1 of an interview with Rich Baker and Rodney Thompson about what went into this edition's Dark Sun Campaign Setting. I am definitely stoked to hear more.
#28 ascottbay Jun 12, 2010 15:45:52	Here is an article that came out in one of the first digital Dragons (#364), Hazards of Dark Sun. You are awesome. I'm linking this under the Pre-release Play Kit, since it's usable but not a preview of something from the upcoming books. Though I could probably summarize it as an example of Dark Sun-ness, though... I'll return to this later.
#29 Band2 Jun 22, 2010 13:12:43	Themes: Dark Sun will make a lot of its new character options available as themes, which provide an encounter power, and offer other theme powers in place of class powers at later levels. These themes might also be Paragon Path requirements. The D&D Experience characters showed off Gladiator, Elemental Priest, Veiled Alliance, Wilder and Templar themes; Wasteland Nomad was mentioned in the Dark Sun Summer article (thanks, Anondson, for catching that!). [Main blog post] [More on why Templar became a theme] [Dark Sun Summer] The wasteland nomad is a theme for 1 of the Encounters PCs. So is noble adept
#30 ascottbay Jun 22, 2010 15:25:47	I've been debating adding the Encounters information to the primary post, since I'm not comfortable using a source that might be asked by WotC to take something down (for example, a request to take down the Encounters character sheets). I suppose I can just cite the physical product as the source, though. I need to Mul this over. Aha. Ha... eh... I bet there's a law against puns on Athas.
#31 Alphastream Jul 01, 2010 14:38:56	More information on themes. Show Next month in Dragon magazine, R&D's Matthew Sernett brings us new Dark Sun themes: the escaped slave. While the Dark Sun Campaign Setting more fully explains how themes work, here's a quick primer. You can have only one theme. To select a theme, all you have to do is choose one at the time you create your character. You don't have to select a theme if you don't want to. Once you select a theme, it grants you the following benefits: You automatically gain the theme's granted power. You can choose to take additional theme powers when you reach the appropriate level. You unlock feats or paragon paths that use the theme as a prerequisite. An escaped slave's only hope is to see freedom as a rebirth. Old haunts, one-time friends, and even family all need to be avoided for fear of being recognized and turned in. Hide the brand, disguise the tattoo, cover up the scars, explain the calluses away -- successful escaped slaves do all these things and more. Escaped slaves must take up a new name, a new history, and if one can manage it, a new appearance. Some escaped slaves do all this, but the strong will and sharp mind such a life requires often drives successful escaped slaves back toward their former owners, exchanging one master for another: revenge.
#32 ascottbay Jul 01, 2010 14:45:46	Beat you to it by about 10 minutes, Alphastream. ;)
#33 Alphastream Jul 01, 2010 14:57:51	Awesome stuff!
#34 Alphastream Jul 16, 2010 2:54:20	That Oba is pretty brutal! Her curse is fantastic. The article covered some nice topics.
#35 Raddu76 Jul 17, 2010 12:25:09	Saw these tidbits on the Wizards_DnD twitter feed: Creature Catalog: Inix wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg... Campaign Setting: Granite Armor SHaman Power wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg... Psionic Power: Summon Ebony Stinger wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg...
#36 askanipsion Jul 18, 2010 0:12:11	Psionic Power: Summon Ebony Stinger wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg... WTF?! How is this anyway Psionic? A scorpion made of shadows???? and does Poison damage?? This should be a Shadow power not a psionic power.....I really hope all the Psionic Summoning powers are not like this. I was hoping for Ecto-creations or things from the Astral Plane or even Far Realms. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh
#37 Pennarin Jul 18, 2010 0:16:20	Ebony Stinger? I thought I read Ectostinger the first time...hmm, must have been my imagination. My mistake.
#38 FlashbackJon Jul 18, 2010 1:08:44	Is it just me, or does that confirm a new Shaman feature that is NOT theme related? Elemental Spirit? Yes, please.
#39 zenrak Jul 18, 2010 3:51:14	Psionic Power: Summon Ebony Stinger wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg... WTF?! How is this anyway Psionic? A scorpion made of shadows???? and does Poison damage?? This should be a Shadow power not a psionic power.....I really hope all the Psionic Summoning powers are not like this. I was hoping for Ecto-creations or things from the Astral Plane or even Far Realms. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm actually not too disturbed by the theme of shadow and poison. Psionics is the power of the mind and whatever you think should be made manifest. "Ecto-creations" seem unfocused to me, like the manifester couldn't quite complete a whole picture of what they wanted to manifest.
#40 zenrak Jul 18, 2010 3:52:06	Is it just me, or does that confirm a new Shaman feature that is NOT theme related? Elemental Spirit? Yes, please. "Yes, please" indeed...
#41 Valien Jul 18, 2010 17:39:21	About that Psion power, did anybody notice that it is a Daily power with an Augmentation???? This sure breaks the mold...
#42 Pennarin Jul 19, 2010 0:04:02	In the latest Returning to Athas, Part 2 the names of the themes are confirmed, and we can see that the word Wilder has now replaced Wild Talent, or so it seems. It's actually better, IMO. That word was a great addition to the 3e psionic lore, glad they kept it.
#43 Bera Jul 19, 2010 5:38:55	Finally we get all the theme names. The race preview was pretty uninteresting today. We know that Goliaths are the new Half-Giants. I would have rather seen the preview of the paragraphs telling us how they've worked in Eladrin, Tieflings, Dragonborn (Dray), Half-Orcs (Dare I hope Tarek?), etc.
#44 Pennarin Jul 22, 2010 20:09:10	That last article might be referring to the Crater of Bones...we'll see. The idea of defiling powerful enough to warp unliving matter is awesome. I'll steal something like that for one of my villains who turns into a t'liz, acquiring greater defiling powers that locally stir up the air and dirt when used, lifting up dust and ash in a swirling life-sapping burst.
#45 visanidethdm Jul 23, 2010 2:31:41	That last article might be referring to the Crater of Bones...we'll see. The idea of defiling powerful enough to warp unliving matter is awesome. I'll steal something like that for one of my villains who turns into a t'liz, acquiring greater defiling powers that locally stir up the air and dirt when used, lifting up dust and ash in a swirling life-sapping burst. What I expecially like about that article is the approach to the Dragon. It's back to the first boxed set "the Dragon is a threat to the world" and less of the "the Dragon is the SKs' leader" of the 2nd boxed set. I'm more and more persuaded that 4ed DS will have no Rajaat.
#46 mouthymerc Jul 27, 2010 8:03:37	Blood Oasis, a short Dark Sun story by Kevin J. Anderson.
#47 beej_silver Jul 27, 2010 8:07:32	After two years of seeing giants with burning/frozen beards, that beast-head giant is just awe-inspiring. I hope it gets a mini. @__@
#48 Alphastream Jul 27, 2010 13:35:28	As I read over my old sourcebooks and adventures I am struck by the quality of the fiction. Most adventures have a short story and many of them are very good - at least they have very good setting information. Even things like the opening for Gladiator's Handbook are really good at establishing the world as something different. Oh, and not sure if you noted this, Ascottbay, but the D&D group has a short blurb on the Tyr arena and promises more. It seems to mirror the concept of the arena being used largely for market activities but suggests some games do take place. (In the old books, the arena shifted to be a marketplace as the post-Kalak leadership debated whether to hold games).
#49 Pennarin Jul 27, 2010 14:28:42	That picture strongly reinforces Sysane's idea that Yuan-ti on Athas might have been worhsippers of beast-headed giants from long ago, who used primal magic to change themselves to resemble their masters.
#50 ascottbay Jul 27, 2010 14:32:03	I'll update when the full Tyr preview is out on the 30th - it's good to have people watching the groups and the twitter, Alphastream1. I don't know how I missed Oasis of Blood! Thanks, mouthymerc.
#51 Alphastream Jul 28, 2010 11:25:50	Mo' Twitter: Pen and Paper Games has a Thri-Kreen paragon path (and more revised non-mantis-body Thri-kreen art...). Very cool flavor and it returns the old poison bite ability.
#52 Valien Jul 28, 2010 19:14:47	Mo' Twitter: Pen and Paper Games has a Thri-Kreen paragon path (and more revised non-mantis-body Thri-kreen art...). Very cool flavor and it returns the old poison bite ability. And what a sucky paragon path it is, at that. The daily power deals almost no damage, stuns for a single turn, and deals ongoing 5. Ongoing 5 damage when you are about to hit Epic. It is nothing.
#53 ascottbay Aug 04, 2010 17:34:58	Atlas of Athas: Sea of Silt includes a background as well as geographic information. August & Beyond has Resurgent Wilder Paragon Path, as well as a Salt Golem and some odd little crunchy bits. An Insider-only article called Psionics, Magic & Metal also came out. Older updates July 29 Atlas of Athas: Tyr preview is out. Minor updates/changes made throughout the week. July 26 The Character Options chapter outline reveals Avangion and confirms Dragon King epic destinies. There's a section on wild talents which seems to be separate from the Wilder theme. The feats section mentions theme-related feats. And of course, it previews part of the Sorcerer-King Pact for the warlock. July 23 Paragon Path "Unwelcome Guest" requires the Athasian Minstrel theme, and hearkens back to the Dark Sun bard's poisonous nature. The PDF also includes the first page of the Dune Trader theme. Updaded the Play-kit with today's and yesterday's articles. July 22 Added "Dragon, The" under The World, with the new Eye on Dark Sun article "The Dragon's Altar". Features boons, non-item rewards that can be given to player characters. Will clean up updates list stuff tomorrow.
#54 DontEatRawHagis Jan 29, 2012 13:55:33	Seems like this needs an update with all the new stuff that came out in the last year. Especially all of the Eye on Dark Sun Articles that have come out since then.
#55 ascottbay Dec 08, 2013 17:09:21	For Eye on Dark Sun I've added a link to the column index. I also added a link to the article search page with the "darksun" tag. The only real work I've done on this index in this update is to collect the Dark Sun adventures that have been published, which is at the bottom of the first post; as well as to add a link to the full Free RPG Day adventure folio (Bloodsand Arena) to the Pre-release Play Kit. Since I haven't been around, I'm not sure what else has happened in the past three years. Anything news-worthy on developer blogs or the like that I should compile?

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

ascottbay

Apr 27, 2010 22:41:26

As someone new to Dark Sun, every tidbit I come across is news to me. I started this post to share and reference official revelations and excerpts, to be a reliable post with Wizards sources that I can link to for anyone to double-check and confirm for themselves. I also put together a Pre-release Play Kit in the first reply to this thread. Following the release of the initial Dark Sun materials there isn't as much that's "news" so much as regularly-featured content. The setting has a World Page linked below, as well as a column titled Eye on Dark Sun. A section titled "Adventures" has been added to the bottom of this first post.

(Latest) indicates additions or changes were made recently, up to December 8th, 2013.
indicates that the link leads to a D&D Insider subscriber-only article.
Unless otherwise noted, "Blog post" refers specifically to Rich Baker's blog.

ascottbay

Dec 08, 2013 17:03:12

Pre-release Play Kit

These sources contain materials you can use to try out parts of 4E Dark Sun right now. Not all of this is straight from WotC, though, and a lot of it might be deprecated when the Campaign Guide is released. Links followed by require a D&D Insider subscription to access the full content.

Update, December 8th 2013: I'm not sure when it happened, but the Free RPG Day adventure folio for Bloodsand Arena is available now!

Official download page is >> here <<

Characters
- D&D Experience Characters
  - Free RPG Day characters in D&D Encounters design style
  - If you're having trouble unzipping, try 7-zip 9.14 beta or more recent beta
- D&D Encounters Characters (Direct Link, PDF)
- Races
  - Thri-Kreen Stats (Reverse Engineered)
    - Predator Racial Paragon Path (Partial Preview)
  - Mul Stats (Reverse Engineered)
  - Half-giant Thug (Paragon Path Preview)
- Themes (Reverse Engineered)
  - Gladiator (Partial Preview)
  - Unwelcome Guest (Minstrel PP; partial Dune Trader preview)
  - Resurgent Wilder (Paragon Path; Direct Link, PDF)
- Backgrounds (Sea of Silt)
- Defiling
- Warlock: Sorcerer-King Pact (Partial Preview)
- Reckless Breakage (Weapon Breaking)
- Gladiators/Arena Combat Part 1 | Part 2 (Not Dark Sun-specific)
Monsters
- May Ampersand (Anakore, Nibenay, Shadow Bride)
- Hazards of Dark Sun (Predatory cacti)
- Sunwarped Flats (Terrain, monsters)
- Gaj (Near the very end of the article)
- Inix (Stat-block only)
- Altar Skulkers
- Salt Golem (Middle of the article)
Rewards
- Dragon's Altar Boons

And for general setting information, Eight Characteristics of Athas.

Pennarin

Apr 28, 2010 0:39:42

Nice resumorama.

You should have seen the prior update date before November. Dreadful.

Now if people want to make genuinely new material, I'm all for it.

ascottbay

May 01, 2010 22:02:20

With a little more work, I might have something in that "new" category for you soon. ;)

In other news, I just discovered a preview of the Dungeon Tiles: Desert of Athas product in April and Beyond; scroll down to the bottom third of the page, the second June preview. It might not be anything enlightening (although, they didn't show off any silt tiles...) but I like the bones at the oasis.

doctorhook

May 25, 2010 21:10:42

Handy! Keep it up.

Alphastream

May 26, 2010 14:16:52

You may want to add the recent article regarding the D&D Encounters program, which will feature different pregens than those at D&DXP. (This is clear from the first information each store received last week). Sessions start in two weeks and play out each Wednesday. www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...

The Free RPG Day offering from WotC will be a Dark Sun adventure. My understanding is that it will use some of what was at D&DXP, including the same pregens, but have a different story. www.freerpgday.com/ and www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...

Finally, and ironically, it looks (from Twitter today, via Wizards_Dnd) like one of the rewards for the D&D Encounters program is a drink cozie. Pictures here: twitpic.com/1rb810 and twitpic.com/1rb69a

eric_anondson

May 26, 2010 22:43:30

In my recent post about the RPGA's announcement of Dark Sun Summer's weeks long campaign, Chris Tulach mentioned another theme, wasteland nomad.

ascottbay

May 27, 2010 2:27:43

@doctorhook: Thankyou, I'm glad it's handy.

@Alphastream1, Anondson: Thanks! It's now updated.

Alphastream

May 27, 2010 15:19:49

Blindgeekuk has some twitter info on the D&D Encounters kit. (D&D Encounters being the game store program that you can play at your local gaming store if they signed up for the program... it uses pregens and gives us some advanced look at the setting. Pregens are different than those for D&D XP, the January gaming convention).

Contents of D&D Encounters kit: 6 pre-gens, 2 sided poster map, 5 encounters in the booklet... first 5 are set in the desert, with lots of new monsters... it uses the new monster layout (which rocks), the pre-gens are dry wipe erasable (rocks), pre-gens have backgrounds (rocks)

(US Kits show the cozies I linked earlier, table tents for PCs to write their name on, cards summarizing common 4E conditions/status effects.

(Reward cards are specific to the DDE program, not a campaign thing): also comes with the first (10 point) reward cards - a +2 bonus to your next untrained skill check

oooh, new mundane items, and named magic items as treasure, they took peoples advice on board

3 and a half page intro/what you need to know about athas...

(Weapon rules as we have seen): Reckless Breakage: on a crit miss you can either keep the miss and keep your weapon, or reroll and break a non metal weapon

Survival days: each one lets you travel athas without risking sun sickness (which is pure evil.) also used in skill challenges

the artwork for the teifling pre-gen is brilliant...

Pregens with the PC themes in parentheses: pregens: elf marauder ranger (gladiator), human cosmic sorceror (veiled alliance), thrikeen quick battlemind (wilder),

teifling telephatic psion (veiled alliance), mul brawling fighter (wasteland nomad), human enlightened ardent (noble adept)

glaring mistakes in season 2 encounter 2's map, and the ranger pre-gen has a pre-erratta throw and stab. only the sorceror and psion have 20 in a stat, the rest max out at 18

#10

gold_piece

May 27, 2010 16:25:44

Blindgeekuk has some twitter info on the D&D Encounters kit. (D&D Encounters being the game store program that you can play at your local gaming store if they signed up for the program... it uses pregens and gives us some advanced look at the setting. Pregens are different than those for D&D XP, the January gaming convention).

Contents of D&D Encounters kit: 6 pre-gens, 2 sided poster map, 5 encounters in the booklet... first 5 are set in the desert, with lots of new monsters... it uses the new monster layout (which rocks), the pre-gens are dry wipe erasable (rocks), pre-gens have backgrounds (rocks)

(US Kits show the cozies I linked earlier, table tents for PCs to write their name on, cards summarizing common 4E conditions/status effects.

(Reward cards are specific to the DDE program, not a campaign thing): also comes with the first (10 point) reward cards - a +2 bonus to your next untrained skill check

oooh, new mundane items, and named magic items as treasure, they took peoples advice on board

3 and a half page intro/what you need to know about athas...

(Weapon rules as we have seen): Reckless Breakage: on a crit miss you can either keep the miss and keep your weapon, or reroll and break a non metal weapon

the artwork for the teifling pre-gen is brilliant...

Pregens with the PC themes in parentheses: pregens: elf marauder ranger (gladiator), human cosmic sorceror (veiled alliance), thrikeen quick battlemind (wilder),

teifling telephatic psion (veiled alliance), mul brawling fighter (wasteland nomad), human enlightened ardent (noble adept)

glaring mistakes in season 2 encounter 2's map, and the ranger pre-gen has a pre-erratta throw and stab. only the sorceror and psion have 20 in a stat, the rest max out at 18

Great news!

1. Are you allowed to post the pregens? (scan?)
2. Are you allowed to post the 3 1/2 page athas intro?

#11

ascottbay

May 27, 2010 16:52:36

This is copied from someone he's following on Twitter, and while I'm sure blindgeekuk really did get the D&D Encounters kit on behalf of his store, it's not quite the same as getting a leak straight from WotC.

I wasn't sure if D&D Encounters would be as tight-lipped an operation as D&DXP, and I've been pondering what to do when the Free RPG Day material comes out, but I think I'd like to keep my references strictly unquestionable WotC sources.

This is pretty cool, though. New theme: noble adept! Reckless Breakage. Also spotted sun sickness.

And we'll have Athasian tieflings, hm! (Perhaps something to take up in the races thread.)

#12

603

May 28, 2010 12:38:23

And we'll have Athasian tieflings, hm! (Perhaps something to take up in the races thread.)

Easy to explain away. They're people whose ancestors really annoyed Rajaat or the S-Ks, and were cursed. Hellish Rebuke is just their way of making the best of things.

#13

xlorep_darkhelm

May 28, 2010 13:34:14

And we'll have Athasian tieflings, hm! (Perhaps something to take up in the races thread.)

Easy to explain away. They're people whose ancestors really annoyed Rajaat or the S-Ks, and were cursed. Hellish Rebuke is just their way of making the best of things.

Or.... they are just mutants. Plenty of those around on Athas, y'know? Of any race, I could see the Tieflings being mutants.

#14

qorvus

May 28, 2010 17:30:17

Next months article schedule had a whole bunch of Dark Sun related stuff.

#15

the_halfling_02

Jun 01, 2010 0:40:25

here is a link to the new PC's from D&D encounters - Dark Sun

dungeonsmaster.com/2010/05/dark-sun-char...

#16

totemensch

Jun 02, 2010 1:02:40

This weeks ampersand has some information on defiling. Can't insert a link so here's the URL:
www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...

#17

ascottbay

Jun 02, 2010 17:29:32

Thanks. I really need to reload my PayPal account so I can re-subscribe this month.

Luckily I should be getting paid this week.

#18

Alphastream

Jun 03, 2010 11:11:16

Adding a nice bit: In the DDE adventure it states "tieflings make their homes in the wastes, frequently using their unsettling appearance to conduct fierce raids. Dragonborn (also known as dray), find shelter in citadels of their own kind, and journey forth to bring prosperity to their clan." and "The secretive eladrin live in the rfew wild places still touched by what they call the Lands Within the Wind (the Feywild), and are a near-mythical race to most." (p6, Dark Sun: Fury of the Wastewalker, Chapter 1 of 3: An Obsidian Rain)

Those are some interesting ways to bring in existing 4E races!

#19

big_goon

Jun 08, 2010 10:23:36

Not really any important news, but Farcaster on the Pen and Paper blogs reviewed and playtested the new DS edition and had some really good things to say: Link.

#20

mouthymerc

Jun 10, 2010 7:18:12

Returning to Athas, Part 1

#21

beej_silver

Jun 10, 2010 9:02:48

That thri-kreen looks...even more humanoid than 3.xEd. @___@ I guess it's an attempt to make the thri-kreen more appealing as a PC race, but then I believe they're appealing enough already.

As for the article itself, most of it has been mentioned before or has been hinted at elsewhere. The explanation makes a lot of sense, too. I liked the Prism Pentad books, but hated what it did to the world. Too many changes in so little time, IMO.

Oh, and while I like the whole dray-dragonborn thing, we already knew that. I wish they did more than just tease the eladrin instead. One of my players want to play one, but I have as of yet no idea how they'll be incorporated into the world.

#22

Bera

Jun 10, 2010 23:44:30

Eladrin:

community.wizards.com/wotc_richbaker/blo...

#23

beej_silver

Jun 11, 2010 0:35:37

Finally! Thanks, Bera!

(Hmm... Genies, huh? Interesting concept, and now how the eladrin are going to be connected to the djinn of MM2. XD)

#24

Pennarin

Jun 11, 2010 1:19:54

He was referring to real world myths on genies, not D&D's fabrications.

#25

beej_silver

Jun 11, 2010 12:04:11

Yeah, I get that. But I actually think it would be nice to link the two somehow. Maybe the djinn are advanced beings, tied to elemental air. It seems that the eladrin are tied to that element as well in 4E DS.

I actually like the possibility. XD

#26

mouthymerc

Jun 12, 2010 9:29:40

Here is an article that came out in one of the first digital Dragons (#364), Hazards of Dark Sun.

#27

mouthymerc

Jun 12, 2010 9:33:54

I linked Returning to Athas under the World Page outline, but anything specific from it I can't summarize. Most of my last payday was destined for sadly more important things.

Basically part 1 of an interview with Rich Baker and Rodney Thompson about what went into this edition's Dark Sun Campaign Setting. I am definitely stoked to hear more.

#28

ascottbay

Jun 12, 2010 15:45:52

Here is an article that came out in one of the first digital Dragons (#364), Hazards of Dark Sun.

You are awesome. I'm linking this under the Pre-release Play Kit, since it's usable but not a preview of something from the upcoming books. Though I could probably summarize it as an example of Dark Sun-ness, though... I'll return to this later.

#29

Band2

Jun 22, 2010 13:12:43

Themes:
Dark Sun will make a lot of its new character options available as themes, which provide an encounter power, and offer other theme powers in place of class powers at later levels. These themes might also be Paragon Path requirements. The D&D Experience characters showed off Gladiator, Elemental Priest, Veiled Alliance, Wilder and Templar themes; Wasteland Nomad was mentioned in the Dark Sun Summer article (thanks, Anondson, for catching that!). [Main blog post] [More on why Templar became a theme] [Dark Sun Summer]

The wasteland nomad is a theme for 1 of the Encounters PCs.

So is noble adept

#30

ascottbay

Jun 22, 2010 15:25:47

I've been debating adding the Encounters information to the primary post, since I'm not comfortable using a source that might be asked by WotC to take something down (for example, a request to take down the Encounters character sheets). I suppose I can just cite the physical product as the source, though.

I need to Mul this over. Aha. Ha... eh... I bet there's a law against puns on Athas.

#31

Alphastream

Jul 01, 2010 14:38:56

More information on themes.

Show

Next month in Dragon magazine, R&D's Matthew Sernett brings us new Dark Sun themes: the escaped slave. While the Dark Sun Campaign Setting more fully explains how themes work, here's a quick primer. You can have only one theme. To select a theme, all you have to do is choose one at the time you create your character. You don't have to select a theme if you don't want to. Once you select a theme, it grants you the following benefits:

You automatically gain the theme's granted power.

You can choose to take additional theme powers when you reach the appropriate level.

You unlock feats or paragon paths that use the theme as a prerequisite.

An escaped slave's only hope is to see freedom as a rebirth. Old haunts, one-time friends, and even family all need to be avoided for fear of being recognized and turned in. Hide the brand, disguise the tattoo, cover up the scars, explain the calluses away -- successful escaped slaves do all these things and more. Escaped slaves must take up a new name, a new history, and if one can manage it, a new appearance. Some escaped slaves do all this, but the strong will and sharp mind such a life requires often drives successful escaped slaves back toward their former owners, exchanging one master for another: revenge.

#32

ascottbay

Jul 01, 2010 14:45:46

Beat you to it by about 10 minutes, Alphastream. ;)

#33

Alphastream

Jul 01, 2010 14:57:51

Awesome stuff!

#34

Alphastream

Jul 16, 2010 2:54:20

That Oba is pretty brutal! Her curse is fantastic. The article covered some nice topics.

#35

Raddu76

Jul 17, 2010 12:25:09

Saw these tidbits on the Wizards_DnD twitter feed:

Creature Catalog: Inix
wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg...

Campaign Setting: Granite Armor SHaman Power
wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg...

Psionic Power: Summon Ebony Stinger
wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg...

#36

askanipsion

Jul 18, 2010 0:12:11

Psionic Power: Summon Ebony Stinger
wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg...

WTF?! How is this anyway Psionic? A scorpion made of shadows???? and does Poison damage??

This should be a Shadow power not a psionic power.....I really hope all the Psionic Summoning powers are not like this. I was hoping for Ecto-creations or things from the Astral Plane or even Far Realms.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh

#37

Pennarin

Jul 18, 2010 0:16:20

Ebony Stinger? I thought I read Ectostinger the first time...hmm, must have been my imagination. My mistake.

#38

FlashbackJon

Jul 18, 2010 1:08:44

Is it just me, or does that confirm a new Shaman feature that is NOT theme related?

Elemental Spirit? Yes, please.

#39

zenrak

Jul 18, 2010 3:51:14

Psionic Power: Summon Ebony Stinger
wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg...

WTF?! How is this anyway Psionic? A scorpion made of shadows???? and does Poison damage??

This should be a Shadow power not a psionic power.....I really hope all the Psionic Summoning powers are not like this. I was hoping for Ecto-creations or things from the Astral Plane or even Far Realms.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm actually not too disturbed by the theme of shadow and poison. Psionics is the power of the mind and whatever you think should be made manifest. "Ecto-creations" seem unfocused to me, like the manifester couldn't quite complete a whole picture of what they wanted to manifest.

#40

zenrak

Jul 18, 2010 3:52:06

Is it just me, or does that confirm a new Shaman feature that is NOT theme related?

Elemental Spirit? Yes, please.

"Yes, please" indeed...

#41

Valien

Jul 18, 2010 17:39:21

About that Psion power, did anybody notice that it is a Daily power with an Augmentation???? This sure breaks the mold...

#42

Pennarin

Jul 19, 2010 0:04:02

In the latest Returning to Athas, Part 2 the names of the themes are confirmed, and we can see that the word Wilder has now replaced Wild Talent, or so it seems. It's actually better, IMO. That word was a great addition to the 3e psionic lore, glad they kept it.

#43

Bera

Jul 19, 2010 5:38:55

Finally we get all the theme names.

The race preview was pretty uninteresting today. We know that Goliaths are the new Half-Giants. I would have rather seen the preview of the paragraphs telling us how they've worked in Eladrin, Tieflings, Dragonborn (Dray), Half-Orcs (Dare I hope Tarek?), etc.

#44

Pennarin

Jul 22, 2010 20:09:10

That last article might be referring to the Crater of Bones...we'll see.

The idea of defiling powerful enough to warp unliving matter is awesome. I'll steal something like that for one of my villains who turns into a t'liz, acquiring greater defiling powers that locally stir up the air and dirt when used, lifting up dust and ash in a swirling life-sapping burst.

#45

visanidethdm

Jul 23, 2010 2:31:41

That last article might be referring to the Crater of Bones...we'll see.

The idea of defiling powerful enough to warp unliving matter is awesome. I'll steal something like that for one of my villains who turns into a t'liz, acquiring greater defiling powers that locally stir up the air and dirt when used, lifting up dust and ash in a swirling life-sapping burst.

What I expecially like about that article is the approach to the Dragon. It's back to the first boxed set "the Dragon is a threat to the world" and less of the "the Dragon is the SKs' leader" of the 2nd boxed set.

I'm more and more persuaded that 4ed DS will have no Rajaat.

#46

mouthymerc

Jul 27, 2010 8:03:37

Blood Oasis, a short Dark Sun story by Kevin J. Anderson.

#47

beej_silver

Jul 27, 2010 8:07:32

After two years of seeing giants with burning/frozen beards, that beast-head giant is just awe-inspiring. I hope it gets a mini. @__@

#48

Alphastream

Jul 27, 2010 13:35:28

As I read over my old sourcebooks and adventures I am struck by the quality of the fiction. Most adventures have a short story and many of them are very good - at least they have very good setting information. Even things like the opening for Gladiator's Handbook are really good at establishing the world as something different.

Oh, and not sure if you noted this, Ascottbay, but the D&D group has a short blurb on the Tyr arena and promises more. It seems to mirror the concept of the arena being used largely for market activities but suggests some games do take place. (In the old books, the arena shifted to be a marketplace as the post-Kalak leadership debated whether to hold games).

#49

Pennarin

Jul 27, 2010 14:28:42

That picture strongly reinforces Sysane's idea that Yuan-ti on Athas might have been worhsippers of beast-headed giants from long ago, who used primal magic to change themselves to resemble their masters.

#50

ascottbay

Jul 27, 2010 14:32:03

I'll update when the full Tyr preview is out on the 30th - it's good to have people watching the groups and the twitter, Alphastream1. I don't know how I missed Oasis of Blood! Thanks, mouthymerc.

#51

Alphastream

Jul 28, 2010 11:25:50

Mo' Twitter: Pen and Paper Games has a Thri-Kreen paragon path (and more revised non-mantis-body Thri-kreen art...). Very cool flavor and it returns the old poison bite ability.

#52

Valien

Jul 28, 2010 19:14:47

Mo' Twitter: Pen and Paper Games has a Thri-Kreen paragon path (and more revised non-mantis-body Thri-kreen art...). Very cool flavor and it returns the old poison bite ability.

And what a sucky paragon path it is, at that. The daily power deals almost no damage, stuns for a single turn, and deals ongoing 5. Ongoing 5 damage when you are about to hit Epic. It is nothing.

#53

ascottbay

Aug 04, 2010 17:34:58

Atlas of Athas: Sea of Silt includes a background as well as geographic information. August & Beyond has Resurgent Wilder Paragon Path, as well as a Salt Golem and some odd little crunchy bits. An Insider-only article called Psionics, Magic & Metal also came out.

Older updates

July 29

Atlas of Athas: Tyr preview is out. Minor updates/changes made throughout the week.

July 26

The Character Options chapter outline reveals Avangion and confirms Dragon King epic destinies. There's a section on wild talents which seems to be separate from the Wilder theme. The feats section mentions theme-related feats. And of course, it previews part of the Sorcerer-King Pact for the warlock.

July 23

Paragon Path "Unwelcome Guest" requires the Athasian Minstrel theme, and hearkens back to the Dark Sun bard's poisonous nature. The PDF also includes the first page of the Dune Trader theme. Updaded the Play-kit with today's and yesterday's articles.

July 22

Added "Dragon, The" under The World, with the new Eye on Dark Sun article "The Dragon's Altar". Features boons, non-item rewards that can be given to player characters. Will clean up updates list stuff tomorrow.

#54

DontEatRawHagis

Jan 29, 2012 13:55:33

Seems like this needs an update with all the new stuff that came out in the last year. Especially all of the Eye on Dark Sun Articles that have come out since then.

#55

ascottbay

Dec 08, 2013 17:09:21

For Eye on Dark Sun I've added a link to the column index. I also added a link to the article search page with the "darksun" tag.

The only real work I've done on this index in this update is to collect the Dark Sun adventures that have been published, which is at the bottom of the first post; as well as to add a link to the full Free RPG Day adventure folio (Bloodsand Arena) to the Pre-release Play Kit.

Since I haven't been around, I'm not sure what else has happened in the past three years. Anything news-worthy on developer blogs or the like that I should compile?