Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Tyranthraxus Sep 15, 2009 20:32:28	If you have not seen it, there is an article over a Newbie DM (great little site) which gives a bit of Dark Sun spoilage. Ill quote below the part in question: " For example, when we started Dark Sun design, we had a lot of discussions about what class we should include in the book, because we had introduced a class in each of our previous two campaign setting Player's Guides. But first we had to ask the question of whether a new class was the right thing to add to the game in Dark Sun, and ultimately we decided no. So instead, Dark Sun is going to offer an entirely new mechanic that will take you by surprise. Stay tuned!" -1d12's interview with James Wyatt After reading that, I found my original position of thinking no new base class was entirely validated. I also think with the amount of base classes now that Wizard provides (and think about it there is a striker/defender/controller/leader for nearly every current power source) there just wasnt a need for a new class. A lof of the ones that exist now can be retooled for Darksun (Paladin --> Templar) As for this totally new mechanic.. this could be a Defiling count (ie the more you defile the higher it goes and it could bring penalties). its certainly a great topic of discussion.
#2 sinless Sep 16, 2009 0:59:06	I don't think any new class is needed.  All the divine classes would make templar types. While I think a class like shaman would make awesome elemental Clerics. They would simply take elemental totems instead of animal.  Gladiators wil probably be a paragon class or could simply be a fighter with special class features. Bards would probably need to change power source, since it obviously does not fit the feel od Darksun for them to be arcane based. In fact Bard is the class I am having the hardest time believing in...
#3 StarFyre2007 Sep 16, 2009 7:02:37	My guess it he new dynamic will be that ANYONE can defile or preserve. Reason - with 4E's more friendly gameplay experience, they won't want people feeling that wizards can be more powerful (ie. via defiling, they could maybe do things that other wizards' couldn't, etc) AND they probably want to take away the thing about wizards being hunted, not trusted, etc. If anyone can defile, etc...then the whole world is at fault for the state of the planet; not just 1 group of individuals so wizard players can just play normally. Personally, if this is correct; not sure how much I like it, but we have enough house rules already; some more thrown in makes no difference anymore..hehe Sanjay
#4 Raevhen Sep 16, 2009 9:43:03	I was thinking that since everyone in 2e had a Wild Talent, perhaps 4e will have a similar mechanic.
#5 big_goon Sep 16, 2009 12:19:58	My guess it he new dynamic will be that ANYONE can defile or preserve. ... Personally, if this is correct; not sure how much I like it... They'll have an uprising if that happens. It kind of ruins the whole setting if Martial, Psionic and Primal power sources can defile. They will probably have a mechanic that works for all classes, but have different fluff for different power sources. That way it'll be fun to play all classes equally (more or less).
#6 kalthandrix Sep 23, 2009 8:15:11	I am opposed to all 4e versions of Dark Sun on the basis that they are going to try and make it a cookie-cutter setting to merge in wit the other 4e material.
#7 The_Silversword Sep 23, 2009 8:22:39	I am opposed to all 4e versions of Dark Sun on the basis that they are going to try and make it a cookie-cutter setting to merge in wit the other 4e material. I dont know, they got this top secret new game mechanic theyre gonna add into it, so im guessing Dark Sun will be pretty unique. Hopefully they dont srew it up. I really like Dark Sun and im lookin foward to it.
#8 jovis70 Sep 28, 2009 19:55:49	I think that instead of new classes they should give us more builds for each of the exsisting classes, like add the gladiator to the fighter, or elemental builds for the cleric ect..
#9 mouthymerc Sep 28, 2009 20:55:29	I think that instead of new classes they should give us more builds for each of the exsisting classes, like add the gladiator to the fighter, or elemental builds for the cleric ect.. Gladiator was already done in an article in Dragon and then put into the Dragon Compendium.
#10 Mithrilwing Oct 01, 2009 11:38:14	I'm going to guess that there will be several new builds for existing classes.  I wouldn't be surprised if the defiling rules apply to Wizard, Sorcerer, and maybe Swordmage.   Warlocks get their power from a pact.  I don't see Bards getting the power to defile.  Defiling may not be an option for PCs either since it's not a heroic thing to do.
#11 Pennarin Oct 01, 2009 14:08:34	Defiling may not be an option for PCs either since it's not a heroic thing to do. /chokes on nothing, violently Any 4e DS product that states something like this will show the designers failed terribly at their job.
#12 phoenix_m Oct 01, 2009 17:30:01	Defiling may not be an option for PCs either since it's not a heroic thing to do. /chokes on nothing, violently Any 4e DS product that states something like this will show the designers failed terribly at their job. Agreed!
#13 demonwastesmarauder Oct 01, 2009 22:01:45	Defiling may not be an option for PCs either since it's not a heroic thing to do. /chokes on nothing, violently Any 4e DS product that states something like this will show the designers failed terribly at their job.   True; 4E is full of juicy option to allow PC's to play edgy, evil-tinged heroes (Infernal/Dark Pact Warlocks, Tieflings) That use their powers to resist greater evils. Plus Sadira did it.
#14 masterfat78 Oct 02, 2009 7:20:44	Defiling was one of the biggest draws of DS.Who didnt like sucking life out of every thing near you to overcharge your spells.Anyways DS wasnt about good vs evil,it was about survival of the fittest.
#15 archangel3d Oct 02, 2009 15:11:26	The issue is between balance and logic/flavor. On the one hand, why would anyone want to be a Deflier if being a Preserver is just as powerful and easy? On the other hand, if Defilers do more damage, get more spells or are generally more powerful, it can create issues with game balance and designing encounters. I'm guessing that "Preserving" is going to be an option that can be used on any Arcane power, but has a cost in effort ("You must spend a Minor/Move action drawing energy carefully rather than recklessly to avoid Defiling the land around you"). Either that, or the "Encounter" and "Daily" denote how many times a spell can be cast before it starts decimating the land around it. So a Preserver acts normally, casting their Encounter abilities once per Encounter, or they can Defile the land to gain a second use of their Encounter power.
#16 phoenixugg Oct 02, 2009 17:50:08	What if the wizard classes are preservers, but related feats are defiler? As long as you play your character as a boring simple wizard (or sorcerer, or warlock, or . . .) then you do not harm the environment, but as soon as you use Burning Blizzard or Enlarge Spell you destroy some plant life. Higher tiers destroy a larger area. This way preservers can exist, but there is major incentive to become a defiler.
#17 Pennarin Oct 02, 2009 18:21:17	Come on guys, please reconsider aimlessly speculating here. They're not going to rewrite the PH for Dark Sun, or go and say this or that feat is an exclusive to this or that class. This is silly. Defiling, if included, will be something that can be used anytime to modify the effects of any arcane power. Or the likes. Any arcane class will be able to defile. Easy. Simple. They may add long-term consequences to doing this, or they may not. We'll see. And the incentive for defiling and preserving is a no brainer: RP. When you read the Prism Pentad and how Sadira acts in it, you don't root for her to defile. Unless you're a psycho killer, you'll understand and empathise with her reluctance to destroy her already damaged world, and so will you when you'll play an arcane power source user. You may RP a character that, just like Sadira, uses defiling in a good cause, and then have your character take a moral decision to defile all the time, on a per need basis, or never again. Just like Sadira did.
#18 masterfat78 Oct 03, 2009 3:03:05	For someone who was regretted defiling it didnt take much for her to use defiling until she got her new poqwer source.She was the worst defiler in the whole series not including the SKs,so much so that she had to waste a couple of persevers.