* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Someone give me the lowdown on Dark Sun Started at 07-13-06 06:56 AM by questionc Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=668458 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : questionc Date : 07-13-06 06:56 AM Thread Title : Someone give me the lowdown on Dark Sun A friend is concocting a campaign that sounds... a lot like dark sun. It's a harsh desert setting. People survive basically by walling themselves up in big cities. Demons play a large role in governance. Psionics exists, and is taboo, hated, and hunted down. So... I dont' know that much about Dark Sun, but it seems like it might be modifiable to this. Unfortunately, I can't find much about the world of Dark Sun online. Basically, I'm looking for a nice description of the setting, history, powers, why things are the way they are. You know, the fluff of dark sun. Can someone please summarize "What is Dark Sun" for me? I'm thinking I'll buy http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1236& , but I would like verification that this is the correct book to buy for what I want. Should I go look for the novels instead? Thanks. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : Agathokles Date : 07-13-06 10:36 AM A friend is concocting a campaign that sounds... a lot like dark sun. It's a harsh desert setting. People survive basically by walling themselves up in big cities. Demons play a large role in governance. Psionics exists, and is taboo, hated, and hunted down. Looks quite like Dark Sun indeed, except that Psionics and Magic have reversed roles. So... I dont' know that much about Dark Sun, but it seems like it might be modifiable to this. Unfortunately, I can't find much about the world of Dark Sun online. www.athas.org should be the right place to start. Also, you can read the DS timeline here: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/DStimeline.rtf Basically, I'm looking for a nice description of the setting, history, powers, why things are the way they are. You know, the fluff of dark sun. [list] Can someone please summarize "What is Dark Sun" for me? Would take some time, but let's at least give some points: 1) The setting is a desertic planet (including seas of silt, wastelands covered in obsidian, and a dry grassland inhabited by thri-kreen), cut off from most outer planar or space-travel options, including no contact with gods at all. 2) There is a strong emphasis on environmental threats, as the history of the world is driven by environmental crises (desertification, magic gone awry), inner planar interferences. 3) People live in walled city-states, tightly controlled by sorcerer kings, psionicist-wizards of quasi-divine power, and their priestly hierarchies (templars). A few others live in the wilderness, as wandering tribes or in villages. Merchant houses provide some connections between the city states and the tribes. 4) Characters are hardier than in other settings. 1st and 2nd level characters are considered commoners. Most traditional non-human species, except demihumans, are exinct (including orcs, gnomes, kobolds, etc.); dwarves are similar to dwarves of other settings, but elves are short lived nomads living for the "now", and halflings are savage cannibals confined to the few remaining jungles. Half-dwarves, Half-giants, and Thri-kreen are common as PCs and NPCs, and other options include Pterrans (humanoids that look somewhat like pteranodons), Aaracockra and Half-elves. 5) The overall tone of the setting is dark -- evil powers are plentiful, and there are almost no "good guys" around, those that exist stay hidden -- though it changes to heroic sword & sorcery in the books. So, there are no Paladins, Bards are assassins rather than friendly entertainers, merchants tend to have a larcenous strike, and gladiators are common enough to warrant a specialized class. 6) Wizards rely on the scarce energy from the environment -- and drain it. So they're (quite understandably) persecuted, even though some of them work to restore the environment rather than to exploit it. Priests (clerics and druids) worship the elements or elemental spirits, or (templars) receive power from the elemental planes through their sorcerer-king lords. http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1236& , but I would like verification that this is the correct book to buy for what I want. Yes, that's the correct book. The novels detail the events that took place in the ten years or so of betwen the original boxed set and the revised one. They have more fluff, but things aren't laid out as plainly as in the boxed set. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:17 AM.