Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Agonar Jul 26, 2012 2:00:28	Having played Darksun since it was released in 91, following athas.org through the 3e days, and then into 4e.. one of the things I did not like was 4e's interpretation on Defilers.  Darksun has always operated under the premise that Preserving was the harder path, and Defiling was the quick easy path, the "norm."  Unless you actively tried to Preserve, you were a Defiler.  In AD&D, this was represented with a more expensive exp track for Preservers.  In 4e, It is assumed that everyone is a Preserver unless you intentionally Defile.. and this just never sat right with me. In 4e, they give you Arcane Defiling.  A Mechanic that, to me, is so skewed in the pro/con exchange, and really doesn't capture the feel of what it means to be a Defiler vs a Preserver.  So, I made a few tweaks that I use in my game, as quoted from my rules post on my group page. 56790198 wrote:
#2 turlough Jul 26, 2012 15:03:45	Those are good ideas.   In my 4E Dark Sun game, the player with the arcane character did not find the rules for defiling tempting at all.  So, I changed it as well.   First, I agree that it takes something special (obsidian orbs in the novels) to take life energy from animals instead of plants.   Second, I did allow him to increase his damage die (so d4 -> d6 -> d8 etc) as well as adding a few more dice but am not exactly sure what I did.  Then, I had a LOT tougher fights and so every fight the player told me was tempting to defile.  And sometimes he gave into that temptation!  I thought it followed/mirrored the story of Sadira quite well.   Third, I do agree that Sorcerer sounds more like a defiler but I would always allow a player to start as a preserver if that's what they want to do.  Whether or not you charge them a feat to have learned how to cast spells as a preserver is up to you.   Fourth, I didn't allow any defiler, PC or NPC, to defile from the same place forever.  It seemed to me that they would need to move to get to their source of energy.  I don't remember what I did spefically to keep them moving.  What this did for me was make defiling that much worse because even the defiler can tell they are destroying something and yet they still defile!  It made defilers all that much more evil or selfish.   Fifth, as a consequence of this, I made all SKs either much more aware of their defiling or they went out of their way to find a way to defile and use people, i.e. slaves, or to store up energy in other ways so they could still cast spells without doing defiling magic that kills plants.  In fact, I see the SKs and druids working together, in a very tenative cold war type alliance, because the SKs need people for some reason, or they would kill them and roam the lands, and the druids who do this see an opportunity to help some lands and the people in the cities without going into the cities themselves.   (Again, depends on how you see Rajaat as well.)   Finally, I also increased the map by multiplying the scale by four.  I never understood how the city states could be in a such a small area.  They have to have extra in farming because if those huge city states are doing subsistance farming, the first time defiling happens around their city, the city doesn't survive from the famine, plague and other bad events.   But those are my ideas.  Have fun!
#3 Pils_the_King Aug 08, 2012 17:29:22	Beeing too a Dark Sun DM since the first box, I was disapointing and I also changed rules for defiling but didn't test them (none of my PC play a defiler). Here's how it works: I change the effect of the Arcane Defiling Power: Effect: varies with type of power: At-will & Utility: you defile in a close burst 1 Encounter: you defile in a close burst 1, and the power gain the reliable keyword Daily: you defile in a close burst (1/2 level of the power), and you can reroll the attack or dommage roll but must use the second result. Special: any person in the defiled burst is slowed until the end of your next turn. Risk of defiling: You could use defiling once between an extended rest without risk. All other action of defiling beyond this one made you make a saving throw. Each time you failed one, your vicious aura expand (permanently): * you have to apply a +2 bonus to one of this skills: arcane, bluff, intimidate or stealth * ou have to apply a -5 malus to one of this skills: diplomatie, endurance, insight or perception Once you fail 3 saving throw, you are a real defiler: * you are obligated to use the Arcane defiling whenever you use an arcane power. * every power you use gain the brutal 1 keyword (brutal 2 at level 11, and brutal 3 at level 21) Redemption: I made no rules, but their will be option to become a preserver again: with a ritual, primal power, story... etc.
#4 DontEatRawHagis Aug 08, 2012 23:47:54	I never really changed the defiler powers back in my Dark Sun game, instead I added a lot more incentives. Double Dice I realized my player(warlock) would never defile if he had it his way. He stayed by the book as a Preserver for the most part, even though his character's background was that of a person plagued with the idea of gaining more power through defiling. His was originally trained by Templars. In game he would roll his attack like a normal player and if it missed it missed. He was used to 4e so he considered the Preserver route as a normal Warlock. In order to throw him a curveball, I made it so he had to roll a second dice on all his arcane actions/attacks. This way he could see if he defiled whether or not he was guarenteed a better roll.  In one case he had a crit failure on his Preserver Dice, but the Defiler Dice was a critical success. Normal rules for defiling were used, so he would cause damage to his allies. Artifacts Artifacts that could only be used by a defiler were hidden in a lot of ancient ruins. Fire swords that would suck life from the user unless they took it from someone else, invoking normal defile rule Action Points When the Sorcerer rested near Defiled terrain the player would recieve an Action Point that could only be utilized if the player defiled. In game turns it would allow the player an extra attack action, but would invoke the defile rule.  Additional Flavor Destroying plant life/creating defiled terrain was part of defiling in my game, but only as a method of flavor with minimal gameplay implications. I wanted my players to see the repercusions of their actions, as such if they defiled they would lose favor with the druids and Veiled Alliance allies that they had. Psionic Defiling Not for my players, but I did have an NPC planned to show up in one of my future sessions. The idea being that he was such a great Psion that realized he could use his own lifeforce to power his abilities. Having learned this skill from sorcerers he proceeded to train others in this skill and planned an uprising against a sorcerer king with his new found strength. One of my players found out about this and was interested in a character who would age as he fought(Gameplay terms being able to re-roll at the cost of a year of life)