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Dark Sun and Essentials

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
halobravo
Jan 22, 2011 13:19:39 Our DM will be starting a dark sun campaign here in the next few months. Looking at the new essential classes, they dont seem to work at all the the dark suns themes. does any one have any tips? My DM is ok with me playing as the Executioner Assassin cause it goes really well with the Athasian Minstral themes. But im wondering what is the best way to tweak the essentials builds to be more compatible with the themes?
#2
Suzume_Stjohn
Jan 22, 2011 13:49:13 There's not really a way to do it RAW. If your DM allows, you can give up a poison recipe and use to get a daily from the them (Or another source). You can still nab utilities no problem, but encounter powers are out of reach. The only way I can see doing it is if you do not take the guild executioner PP (Which, it is the best choice for the executioner, so not a fantastic option) and then take reserve maneuver to swap the encounter power from whatever path you take instead, and swap in the theme power you like.

Really, I'd just take the granted encounter power from the theme, and make the best of it, your class already gives you plenty of poison effects and such, and 'economy in motion' in having all your other encounter powers in 1 big assassin's strike.

Alternatively, if your DM is willing to severely house-rule things for you, a balanced way would be to give up 2W on your assassin's strike each time you gain a new encounter power. It would make your assassin's strike almost worthless however.
#3
Cyber-Dave
Jan 22, 2011 17:04:05
Our DM will be starting a dark sun campaign here in the next few months. Looking at the new essential classes, they dont seem to work at all the the dark suns themes. does any one have any tips? My DM is ok with me playing as the Executioner Assassin cause it goes really well with the Athasian Minstral themes. But im wondering what is the best way to tweak the essentials builds to be more compatible with the themes?

The best you can do is take utilities and take a minstrel based paragon path.

By the way, Suzume_Stjohn, the executioner PP is not the best choice for the executioner. There are much more potent choices out there.
#4
tavitin
Jan 22, 2011 19:29:30 IMHO the ESCAPED SLAVE theme is much more useful for an executioner than Athasian Minstrel. OF COURSE the minstrel suits perfectly with the 'assassin' shtick, but you're already getting that shtick from your class so getting even more seems overdose for me.
#5
sirkaikillah
Jan 22, 2011 21:21:28 We have an elf hunter/ elemental priest in our group. IMO, it actually works well both, in the narrative and mechanically. The player is not a fan of 4e or DnD for that matter, but enjoyed playing the hunter. The player also role plays the connection with primal spirits i.e. "the spirits tell me that three Jhakara have moved through here, but they have made a kill and remain sated, for now."
#6
Style75
Jan 22, 2011 21:54:13 This whole topic really makes me think that WotC should put out a Dragon article ASAP on how to integrate Essentials into Dark Sun. Until Neverwinter comes out, Dark Sun continues to be their flagship campaign setting and they'd do well by supporting it with their other current flagship product, Essentials.

It strikes me as wierd that they didn't have this ready for the Essentials launch.
#7
sirkaikillah
Jan 23, 2011 13:35:30 I think Dark Sun was designed around the 4e concepts of class design prior to essentials. But I think as an essentials Pc advances through the heroic tier, a player can decide to pick a theme power over the class features, power or power upgrades of the appropriate level. Looking at a essentials hunter/ elememtal priest, at 5 th level, a player can decide to take either the hunters two class feature or the elemental priests 5th level daily attack power. I suppose it does take some confidence for both dm and player, to feel they are making a game balanced decisions. But then maybe I come from and old school appreoach to rpg, where we did not have such ease of communication with designers and did not have to be concerned with conformity in organized play, and we just made **** up.
#8
lord_rock
Jan 24, 2011 21:28:59 Allow your players the basic encounter power. Allow them to use "multi-class" feats to powerswap.

Or just play Darksun W/o essentials as it was meant to be.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 halobravo Jan 22, 2011 13:19:39	Our DM will be starting a dark sun campaign here in the next few months. Looking at the new essential classes, they dont seem to work at all the the dark suns themes. does any one have any tips? My DM is ok with me playing as the Executioner Assassin cause it goes really well with the Athasian Minstral themes. But im wondering what is the best way to tweak the essentials builds to be more compatible with the themes?
#2 Suzume_Stjohn Jan 22, 2011 13:49:13	There's not really a way to do it RAW. If your DM allows, you can give up a poison recipe and use to get a daily from the them (Or another source). You can still nab utilities no problem, but encounter powers are out of reach. The only way I can see doing it is if you do not take the guild executioner PP (Which, it is the best choice for the executioner, so not a fantastic option) and then take reserve maneuver to swap the encounter power from whatever path you take instead, and swap in the theme power you like. Really, I'd just take the granted encounter power from the theme, and make the best of it, your class already gives you plenty of poison effects and such, and 'economy in motion' in having all your other encounter powers in 1 big assassin's strike. Alternatively, if your DM is willing to severely house-rule things for you, a balanced way would be to give up 2W on your assassin's strike each time you gain a new encounter power. It would make your assassin's strike almost worthless however.
#3 Cyber-Dave Jan 22, 2011 17:04:05	Our DM will be starting a dark sun campaign here in the next few months. Looking at the new essential classes, they dont seem to work at all the the dark suns themes. does any one have any tips? My DM is ok with me playing as the Executioner Assassin cause it goes really well with the Athasian Minstral themes. But im wondering what is the best way to tweak the essentials builds to be more compatible with the themes? The best you can do is take utilities and take a minstrel based paragon path. By the way, Suzume_Stjohn, the executioner PP is not the best choice for the executioner. There are much more potent choices out there.
#4 tavitin Jan 22, 2011 19:29:30	IMHO the ESCAPED SLAVE theme is much more useful for an executioner than Athasian Minstrel. OF COURSE the minstrel suits perfectly with the 'assassin' shtick, but you're already getting that shtick from your class so getting even more seems overdose for me.
#5 sirkaikillah Jan 22, 2011 21:21:28	We have an elf hunter/ elemental priest in our group. IMO, it actually works well both, in the narrative and mechanically. The player is not a fan of 4e or DnD for that matter, but enjoyed playing the hunter. The player also role plays the connection with primal spirits i.e. "the spirits tell me that three Jhakara have moved through here, but they have made a kill and remain sated, for now."
#6 Style75 Jan 22, 2011 21:54:13	This whole topic really makes me think that WotC should put out a Dragon article ASAP on how to integrate Essentials into Dark Sun. Until Neverwinter comes out, Dark Sun continues to be their flagship campaign setting and they'd do well by supporting it with their other current flagship product, Essentials. It strikes me as wierd that they didn't have this ready for the Essentials launch.
#7 sirkaikillah Jan 23, 2011 13:35:30	I think Dark Sun was designed around the 4e concepts of class design prior to essentials. But I think as an essentials Pc advances through the heroic tier, a player can decide to pick a theme power over the class features, power or power upgrades of the appropriate level. Looking at a essentials hunter/ elememtal priest, at 5 th level, a player can decide to take either the hunters two class feature or the elemental priests 5th level daily attack power. I suppose it does take some confidence for both dm and player, to feel they are making a game balanced decisions. But then maybe I come from and old school appreoach to rpg, where we did not have such ease of communication with designers and did not have to be concerned with conformity in organized play, and we just made **** up.
#8 lord_rock Jan 24, 2011 21:28:59	Allow your players the basic encounter power. Allow them to use "multi-class" feats to powerswap. Or just play Darksun W/o essentials as it was meant to be.