Starting Dark Sun? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Starting Dark Sun?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
millslogle
Nov 14, 2009 20:04:14 The group I am with recently switched to 4th edition, and our first few encounters have involved returning a water supply to a desert settlement. My DM seems interested in DS, but I was wondering what are peoples experiences with DS? I know its a while off, but I figured that the group would want some reason for another major switch.
Thanks in advance for the help!
#2
jimsmaher
Nov 15, 2009 8:16:15 There's always something trying to eat you.
#3
masterfat78
Nov 15, 2009 12:08:38 Its a hippies worst nightmare.
#4
masato
Nov 15, 2009 12:25:12
"I live in a world of fire and sand. The crimson sun scorches the life from anything that crawls or flies, and storms of sand scour the foliage from the barren ground. Lightning strikes from the cloudless sky, and peals of thunder roll unexplained across the vast tablelands. Even the wind, dry and searing as a kiln, can kill a man with thirst.
This is a land of blood and dust, where tribes of feral elves sweep out of the salt plains to plunder lonely caravans, mysterious singing winds call men to slow suffocation in a Sea of Silt, and legions of slaves clash over a few bushels of moldering grain. The dragon despoils entire cities, while selfish kings squander their armies raising gaudy palaces and garish tombs.
This is my home, Athas. It is an arid and bleak place, a wasteland with a handful of austere cities clinging precariously to a few scattered oases. It is a brutal and savage land, beset by political strife and monstrous abominations, where life is grim and short."
- Wanderer's Journal

What's so good about Athas is, that it's something new something fresh. The other campaign settings, though also rich on flavour, are "classic" fantasy settings ala LOTR, with some nice twists but basically quite similar. Athas isn't, if the creators would have been really free to do as they please, you wouldn't have even elves and dwarfs there. But even so. Each Race is an twisted abomination of the classic one. The fact that you got no gods makes this "end of the world" setting even more gritty. An gritty, dark and twisted world not in the dark under the earth but under an blazing hot sunny day :D.
If you play it in the Blue Age you end up on an "Waterworld". The Green Age is good enough for classic RPG's. You could let you players start in the Green Age, and then, let them in an suspended animation, conscious, for thousand years, watching how the world gets destroyed.

#5
RalofTyr
Nov 15, 2009 16:31:48 Dark Sun is based off of Metaphysics.

It's Dungeon and Dragons turned upsidedown.

Elves are not to be trusted and will cut your throat.

Halflings are gentle little hobbits. They're savage cannibals.

There are no Gods.

The only things close to Gods are Sorcerer Kings.

Everything isn't what it seems. Sloths are gentle plant eaters, they're swift predators.

Magic, sucks the very life out of plants and sometimes people, turning them to ash.

Templars would stab you in the back just to get a head.

Everyone is psychic.

There are monsters roaming the desert, the remains of creatures created in a magical genocidal war.

It's a savage and barbaric world.

Name level players from other worlds, such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, don't last long on Athas.

#6
millslogle
Nov 15, 2009 19:47:33 Thanks for the help, that sounds like something my group would really like to get into! Have fun playing everyone!
#7
Kynesis
Nov 25, 2009 4:17:46
Dark Sun is based off of Metaphysics.

It's Dungeon and Dragons turned upsidedown.

Elves are not to be trusted and will cut your throat.

Halflings are gentle little hobbits. They're savage cannibals.

There are no Gods.

The only things close to Gods are Sorcerer Kings.

Everything isn't what it seems. Sloths are gentle plant eaters, they're swift predators.

Magic, sucks the very life out of plants and sometimes people, turning them to ash.

Templars would stab you in the back just to get a head.

Everyone is psychic.

There are monsters roaming the desert, the remains of creatures created in a magical genocidal war.

It's a savage and barbaric world.

Name level players from other worlds, such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, don't last long on Athas.

^ this - it's D&D with all the safety features turned off & set in stark contradiction to the beige, PC morass of 'standard' fantasy.

To say it's simply harsh is an injustice - every aspect of the setting presents a challenge, not merely to character stats but to their principles, personalities, hopes and fears all set against a distant past, seemingly a total paradise corrupted and lost to time and in doing so, explores far more with far greater versatility, creativity and depth than any other setting.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 millslogle Nov 14, 2009 20:04:14	The group I am with recently switched to 4th edition, and our first few encounters have involved returning a water supply to a desert settlement. My DM seems interested in DS, but I was wondering what are peoples experiences with DS? I know its a while off, but I figured that the group would want some reason for another major switch. Thanks in advance for the help!
#2 jimsmaher Nov 15, 2009 8:16:15	There's always something trying to eat you.
#3 masterfat78 Nov 15, 2009 12:08:38	Its a hippies worst nightmare.
#4 masato Nov 15, 2009 12:25:12	"I live in a world of fire and sand. The crimson sun scorches the life from anything that crawls or flies, and storms of sand scour the foliage from the barren ground. Lightning strikes from the cloudless sky, and peals of thunder roll unexplained across the vast tablelands. Even the wind, dry and searing as a kiln, can kill a man with thirst. This is a land of blood and dust, where tribes of feral elves sweep out of the salt plains to plunder lonely caravans, mysterious singing winds call men to slow suffocation in a Sea of Silt, and legions of slaves clash over a few bushels of moldering grain. The dragon despoils entire cities, while selfish kings squander their armies raising gaudy palaces and garish tombs. This is my home, Athas. It is an arid and bleak place, a wasteland with a handful of austere cities clinging precariously to a few scattered oases. It is a brutal and savage land, beset by political strife and monstrous abominations, where life is grim and short." - Wanderer's Journal What's so good about Athas is, that it's something new something fresh. The other campaign settings, though also rich on flavour, are "classic" fantasy settings ala LOTR, with some nice twists but basically quite similar. Athas isn't, if the creators would have been really free to do as they please, you wouldn't have even elves and dwarfs there. But even so. Each Race is an twisted abomination of the classic one. The fact that you got no gods makes this "end of the world" setting even more gritty. An gritty, dark and twisted world not in the dark under the earth but under an blazing hot sunny day :D. If you play it in the Blue Age you end up on an "Waterworld". The Green Age is good enough for classic RPG's. You could let you players start in the Green Age, and then, let them in an suspended animation, conscious, for thousand years, watching how the world gets destroyed.
#5 RalofTyr Nov 15, 2009 16:31:48	Dark Sun is based off of Metaphysics. It's Dungeon and Dragons turned upsidedown. Elves are not to be trusted and will cut your throat. Halflings are gentle little hobbits. They're savage cannibals. There are no Gods. The only things close to Gods are Sorcerer Kings. Everything isn't what it seems. Sloths are gentle plant eaters, they're swift predators. Magic, sucks the very life out of plants and sometimes people, turning them to ash. Templars would stab you in the back just to get a head. Everyone is psychic. There are monsters roaming the desert, the remains of creatures created in a magical genocidal war. It's a savage and barbaric world. Name level players from other worlds, such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, don't last long on Athas.
#6 millslogle Nov 15, 2009 19:47:33	Thanks for the help, that sounds like something my group would really like to get into! Have fun playing everyone!
#7 Kynesis Nov 25, 2009 4:17:46	Dark Sun is based off of Metaphysics. It's Dungeon and Dragons turned upsidedown. Elves are not to be trusted and will cut your throat. Halflings are gentle little hobbits. They're savage cannibals. There are no Gods. The only things close to Gods are Sorcerer Kings. Everything isn't what it seems. Sloths are gentle plant eaters, they're swift predators. Magic, sucks the very life out of plants and sometimes people, turning them to ash. Templars would stab you in the back just to get a head. Everyone is psychic. There are monsters roaming the desert, the remains of creatures created in a magical genocidal war. It's a savage and barbaric world. Name level players from other worlds, such as Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, don't last long on Athas. ^ this - it's D&D with all the safety features turned off & set in stark contradiction to the beige, PC morass of 'standard' fantasy. To say it's simply harsh is an injustice - every aspect of the setting presents a challenge, not merely to character stats but to their principles, personalities, hopes and fears all set against a distant past, seemingly a total paradise corrupted and lost to time and in doing so, explores far more with far greater versatility, creativity and depth than any other setting.