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For all of you pussies who started playing with 3.0, Dark Sun is the raddest campaign setting ever created. This ain’t your grand pappy’s fantasy. I mean how many times do you see a fantasy world where a massive campaign of genocide was actually successful, let alone a whole series of them like on Athas? The setting was summed up pretty well in the 4E discussion thread, so I’m not going to rehash it: BetterWeirdthanDead posted:What's different about it? The world was so bad rear end you needed to start at level 3 just to have a shot at making it out the gate of your city state, and even then it recommended you have four characters in reserve. It needed 10 levels of spells to cover how sweet it was. Everything had psychic powers, even a lot of the plants. The setting was so harsh they had to make it nearly impossible to travel to Athas from the outside so none of those pansy rear end Greyhawk characters accidently ended up there only to be eaten by a halfling. For those willing to step up to the challenge, there was plenty of need for heroes. After all most everything in the world was out to kill you, you had no gods to turn to, and every king was literally genocidal. That is, of course, as long as another "hero" didn’t think you were a threat and send a pack of assassins after you. This thread is dedicated to the discussion of all things Athasian, and how much they own hard. If you want to talk about Forgotten Realms or Ebberon you can take that poo poo back to elementary school because this is a Man’s setting. If you don't know anything about Dark Sun, and think you can handle how much it rules, ask in here. Also: PeterWeller posted:That dude is Agis of Asticles. He don't give a gently caress because he can kill poo poo with his mind. Verklemptomaniac posted:ManMythLegend posted:So this weekend I decided to complete the city-state flag project I started a while ago. Here they are for any interested parties: Monday Averted posted:I created a few banners for each city for when I create each city's summary for my game's forum. Posting them here in case anyone wants em: PICTURES! Click here for the full 1114x810 image. ManMythLegend fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Jun 4, 2011 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 03:37 |
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# ? May 3, 2024 13:28 |
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In for this crazy ride. 'Sup 5d4 attributive rolling, starting campaigns at level 3 with a wild psionic talent, dudes? Question: I once played a Dark Sun module that contained a trio of dwarves called the "Hurly Burly Brothers." Did my DM make that up when we were 12?
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 03:43 |
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BetterWeirdthanDead posted:In for this crazy ride. This is the closest I could find: http://www.patman.org/ADD/resources/dungeons.asp Issue #52 Volume IX, Number 4 (March/April 1995) HURLY-BURLY BROTHERS, THE AD&D adventure, 4-6 characters of levels 3-5 Written by: Kevin Wilson Artwork by: David Kooharian Any wilderness, temperate 6 pages Description: A giant roc snatches one of the heroes and drops him into a specially-prepared trap prepared by two ogre brothers named Hurly and Burly.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 04:07 |
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Did anybody else ever feel like Dark Sun might feel better without psionics? I realize that they're very integrated with the core setting, but at the same time I've never felt like removing them would change very much about the setting itself. I always found the thematic reason for their excessive use sort of flimsy, though I'm probably biased because I always mentally associated psionics with "high magic" over-the-top fantasy games and Dark Sun is more Warhammer-style grimdark stuff. EDIT: That aside, I'm looking forward to seeing this in 4E. One of the 3E games I enjoyed running the most was a sandbox-style campaign set in Raam following Abbalech's death and basically throwing out any further canon explaining who might have won that conflict. Baku fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Sep 4, 2009 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 04:21 |
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Dark Sun was actually the setting my dad started me on when I was a kid learning D&D, thanks to the other thread I called him and asked if I could get his books from wherever (he had tons, including some of the crappy novels), and tomorrow I'm getting a big box of books out of storage and reliving my favorite setting. Dark Sun- world, memories. For real though, this is my favorite setting, I'm a sucker for good old 'the world wants to gently caress you like a prison bitch and all you can do is claw and bite your way to the top' settings, and this does it so drat well. This is a setting where my parties have killed others for a canteen of water and didn't even warrant a 'what the gently caress is wrong with you?' for it. Also, Thri-Kreen are pretty much the best race
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 04:34 |
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Chernobyl Peace Prize posted:This is the closest I could find: Our adventure was about guarding a caravan. He would've needed some pretty big rocs to pick up our half-giant gladiators. Also, we were probably too wacked out on Mountain Dew to finish at that point. I blame that night for the cavities in my second set of molars.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 04:43 |
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Zombies' Downfall posted:Did anybody else ever feel like Dark Sun might feel better without psionics? I realize that they're very integrated with the core setting, but at the same time I've never felt like removing them would change very much about the setting itself. I always found the thematic reason for their excessive use sort of flimsy, though I'm probably biased because I always mentally associated psionics with "high magic" over-the-top fantasy games and Dark Sun is more Warhammer-style grimdark stuff. I really disagree about this. I think that psionics is really what sets it apart from the other game worlds. I think that the setting did a good job of seperating the "High Psionics" of The Order and formal Psionicists, from the in the gutter type that most people dealt with on a day to day basis. It really drives home that litterally everyone you meet is more dangerous then they seem on the surface. You can't say the same thing about magic. If you run into a dirt poor peasant in any setting the odds are really high that he's not going to start flinging fireballs all over the place. Thematically I think it fits from an "evolutionary" aspect as well. Living in a world that's literally gone to hell has driven most life on the planet to find some sort of leg up that will help them stick. An animal with Danger Sense is a lot more likely to survive then one without it, and after a couple of millenia of survival of the fittest it would make sense there wouldn't be too many non-psionic things still kicking around. Plus I'm gay for old school psionics, so I may be biased.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:02 |
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So why do Dark Sun dragons look so weird?
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:04 |
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shotgunbadger posted:For real though, this is my favorite setting, I'm a sucker for good old 'the world wants to gently caress you like a prison bitch and all you can do is claw and bite your way to the top' settings, and this does it so drat well. This is a setting where my parties have killed others for a canteen of water and didn't even warrant a 'what the gently caress is wrong with you?' for it. Holy crap you're right. I'm reading through a Dark Sun module and here's an exerpt: The mul whips the PC unmercifully for 2d6 rounds or until the character lies unconscious. If the PC (or anyone) fights back, the guards do not respond for 2 rounds. If the PC fights back, he is hauled off and thrown into the Pit a dried-out well used for punishment. If the PC is unconscious, his friends can drag him to the shade then go back to work. Thereafter, bad blood exists between the overseer and the PC.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:05 |
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Super Waffle posted:So why do Dark Sun dragons look so weird? Because they're not dragons in the traditional sense. Each one is an almost god-like, evil, Wizard/Psionicist who has used dangerous and eldritch magic to transform into one. They own.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:06 |
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Super Waffle posted:So why do Dark Sun dragons look so weird? This is more appropriately phrased as "why do non-Dark Sun dragons look so sissy?" Thri-kreen broke me of my elf addiction. I'm so glad this is the next setting to be released.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:07 |
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I'm going to post this again. Keep in mind this is the requirement to achieve the first three forms in the picture below, and you have to meet them for each stage. The mid and upper tiers are even crazier.Defiler Metamorphosis Spell posted:Low (21st, 22nd, and 23rd levels): When approaching these levels, the defiler is merely beginning his metamorphosis toward dragon form. The preparation time at these levels must be at least one year, during which time the caster must have access to ancient documents, tablets, and scrolls that have never been studied by another defiler. Such materials must be discovered by the defiler or his minions and must be studied for at least eight hours every day for the entire year. Acquisition of such documents will usually be a quest in and of itself; once used, these documents cannot be used for this spell again. The material components must include vast riches (at least 10,000 gp worth of jewels, gems, coins, or artistic treasures), a vast structure where the transformation might take place, and no fewer than 1,000 Hit Dice worth of living creatures for the life-leeching process. The riches vanish and the living creatures are slain one heartbeat after the defiler begins casting. The structure, which must cost more than 50,000 gp to build, is not destroyed and may be used again to cast this spell when attaining all three of the low levels. The spell is cast from the deep interior of the structure, where the caster will actually transform — no other beings may be present at the instant of casting. The casting time is a full 24 hours; any interruption results in spell failure.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:13 |
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Pfox posted:Thri-kreen broke me of my elf addiction. I'm so glad this is the next setting to be released. Thri-kreen have a bit of an elf addiction problem themselves. They eat them.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:18 |
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To reach Dragon levels you have to be REALLY into being a Defiler, not in the 'meh, gently caress the world *fireball*' way but in the "ARG I JUST HATE THINGS THAT AREN'T DEAD AND BARREN SO MUCH" way. Dark Sun dragons are real dragons, they don't even give a gently caress about treasure they just want to gently caress poo poo up and rule their human slaves.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:26 |
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Not that I can remember any of them now, but I was sure that I'd found hints in some of the modules that Athas was the far future of Aeber-Toril (FR).
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:33 |
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The way I was introduced to this game was by a friend of mine. I usually play Clerics. We were going through spells for the game and once he explained the whole 'no gods' thing, he said something that put it into perspective. "y'know create food and water?" "Yeah?" I said. "Cross them off your list. You don't have that. That spell doesn't exist in Dark Sun." Oh poo poo.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:33 |
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Yeah the thing about Dark Sun dragons is there really arent any. No reds or golds or bronzes. Dragons are the evil result of life-sucking epic magical transformations which cause the death of thousands and the blighting of the world. Or you could be an Avangian. It was the good counterpart, and included as a path for PCs to pursue and counter the world-destroying influence of the sorcerer-kings (the dragons). Of course if anyone found out you were going this route (or the dragon path) you would be a target for all the others to destroy; they didnt want competition. Not that any real games actually reached that level. Its hard to get a 20th level (2e rules) wizard when you died at 5th level because your half-giant buddy got thirsty and went berserk.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:40 |
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Mecha-Tech posted:The way I was introduced to this game was by a friend of mine. I usually play Clerics. We were going through spells for the game and once he explained the whole 'no gods' thing, he said something that put it into perspective. To be honest this is why Dark Sun owns so hard, it makes you actually face the dangers you should face in most normal D&D quests. Yea once you reach the tomb of bad evil you have to deal with the stuff in it, but the fact that you have to go across a country to do it should mean something beyond 'welp Cleric better get create/purify food and water ready!' In Dark Sun most of the fun was getting to the ancient and mysterious tomb before raiding it.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:40 |
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ritorix posted:Not that any real games actually reached that level. Its hard to get a 20th level (2e rules) wizard when you died at 5th level because your half-giant buddy got thirsty and went berserk. Level 20? No. You had to reach level 20 as a Wizard, and then Dual Class for another 20 levels of Psionicist, before you even had the opportunity to consider taking on the 10 levels of mayhem becoming a dragon involved-- several whole levels of which you spent under the control of the DM, wrecking everyfuckingthing that got in your way.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 05:55 |
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If there's one thing that did suck about Dark Sun, it's the tie-in novels. Primarily the fact that the merry band of Mary Sues chronicled within became the canonical movers and shakers of the setting. Annoying, but not so bad if you were just getting started with the second or third editions of the boxed set, but goddamn galling if your crew were the ones to turn Abalach-Re inside-out in one of the published adventures. Actually, if there's two things that did suck about Dark Sun, it's the tie-in novels and the published adventures. They had these silly flip books, one of which was filled with encounters and narrative and poo poo, and the other which was a bunch of pictures like they did for the original Tomb of Horrors. Almost all of them had Earth-Shattering poo poo going down, too. If it wasn't Abalach-Re trying to fast-forward herself through the final stages of dragon transformation (getting killed by the PCs in the process), it was the world's first Avangion emerging. One of the supplement boxes, Mind-Lords of the Last Sea, detailed a city ruled by a trio of massively powerful psionicists. The bundled adventure detailed one of them going mad and having to be put down by the PCs-- just about completely invalidating everything else written about the city. The opening encounter started with the madman trying to teleport a PC's brains out, and the notes for the DM indicated that by the end of the first round, there should be at least one dead PC. The setting itself though? loving amazing. Since Wizards' publishing regime doesn't revolve around lovely tie-ins and hard resetting canon every two years, and the 4E psionics rules are actually playable, I think the upcoming version's going to be even loving better than the original brown box.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 06:07 |
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Something else to remember about the dragons- you know those Sorcerer Kings that are so powerful that clerics can worship them and get spells? The ones that rule the major city states? They're not fully leveled up dragons; they've each got at least one level of dragon, but there's only one known 30th level dragon. Those guys dominating most of the known world are only partway through the metamorphisis.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 06:58 |
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Bieeardo posted:If there's one thing that did suck about Dark Sun, it's the tie-in novels. Primarily the fact that the merry band of Mary Sues chronicled within became the canonical movers and shakers of the setting. Annoying, but not so bad if you were just getting started with the second or third editions of the boxed set, but goddamn galling if your crew were the ones to turn Abalach-Re inside-out in one of the published adventures. The Prism Pentad is the epitome of the kind of poo poo that dorks complain about with FR. That's some really world bending/Mary-Sue action there. On the other hand, those books cover a period of ten years, so it's not difficult to ignore them in your own campaign even if you play through the tie in adventures. And gently caress you man! Those flip books are awesome, and they're one of the few things I've kept from my middle school 2E collection. The adventure from the original box set and Freedom make a wonderful introduction to the setting. quote:Did anybody else ever feel like Dark Sun might feel better without psionics? I realize that they're very integrated with the core setting, but at the same time I've never felt like removing them would change very much about the setting itself. I always found the thematic reason for their excessive use sort of flimsy, though I'm probably biased because I always mentally associated psionics with "high magic" over-the-top fantasy games and Dark Sun is more Warhammer-style grimdark stuff. Psionics aren't fundamental to the post-apocalyptic D&D angle, but they are fundamental to the overall Dark Sun motif. They're so central in the fluff that while you could make a post-apocalypse D&D setting like Dark Sun without them, it would definitely not be Dark Sun because of the lack of them.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 07:26 |
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Just in case there's any Grognard 3.5 holdouts, there's a complete 3.5 conversion of Dark Sun material at http://www.athas.org Basically, back in 2000, when WotC bought out TSR, the big Dark Sun fans were like, "Hey, can we convert this setting you aren't using?" and WotC was like, "Yeah, why not?" so there's a complete writeup with tons of work done, all free. Also, everyone who's only read The Prism Pentad needs to go read Chronicles of Athas Books 1, 4 and 5. They're basically the story of Urik and Hamanu, from a street-level templar's eyes, and they're loving amazing and capture the helplessness of commoners and the vast brutality in Athas. Brazen Gambit, Cinnabar Shadows and The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King, which stands on its own and is pretty much the best piece of Athasian fiction ever written. Also, someone dig up that post about resetting 4e Dark Sun in the Green Age, right when the genocides are starting off. EDIT: 56k likes Dragonlance! Brom art for RaFoaDK: Mekillots and other pack animals: Click here for the full 983x438 image. Shrecknet fucked around with this message at 09:20 on Sep 4, 2009 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 09:12 |
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So, what this thread is trying to tell me is that Dark Sun is badass?
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 13:00 |
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So when is this due to be released? Any clue? I was thinking about running my PCs through a normal campaign world then having an apocalypse and having them continue in the Dark Sun setting once it is released.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 15:18 |
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Apocron posted:So when is this due to be released? Any clue? I was thinking about running my PCs through a normal campaign world then having an apocalypse and having them continue in the Dark Sun setting once it is released. Not until next year unfortunately. Probably August or September if I had to pick a month. If you're just looking for the post-apocolypse flavor but not the actual setting check out that athas.org link that tendrils posted earlier. It's pretty much everything you need to make a game like that feel "right" and it's all for free. Sure, you'll have to do some conversion, but it's 4E so it's not too bad.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 15:24 |
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I was originally planning to DM an original setting but now I'm just doing Dark Sun. Edit: Dark Sun is superior to anything Tykero fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Sep 4, 2009 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 15:43 |
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So, Wikipedia has a short entry on the Sea of Silt and it sounds bad rear end. Please, goons, elaborate!Wikipedia posted:Water has long since ceased to flow on the surface and can only be found in the last sea, some oases, tiny lakes and streams, as well as west of the Ringing Mountains in the Forest Ridge. Not only are the mountains nearly impassable (the name Ringing Mountains refers to the lightheaded feeling one feels from lack of oxygen when traversing them) but the Forest Ridge is the home of halflings, which in the Dark Sun world are small creatures that live in tribes in the forest and do not hesitate to capture and eat intruders to their realm. This makes the prospect of going west across the mountains a near impossibility.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 18:55 |
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tendrilsfor20 posted:Also, someone dig up that post about resetting 4e Dark Sun in the Green Age, right when the genocides are starting off. I never got to play it unfortunately, we are still doing a Realms campaign. I did stick to canon when putting this idea to paper, so it will give a good idea of Dark Sun ancient history. Thankfully they got away from the "everything is core" concept for Dark Sun; they wont be forcing things in that dont belong. Still, the idea below could be used for a generic fantasy campaign with that DS feel. Just with less deserts and thistyness. Ritorix posted:Back when I played Dark Sun (in the 2e days) I always thought a Green Age campaign would be fun, but never got around to it. Sea of Silt - Silt is basically soil along with the ash and dust left over from defiling magic. When you kill off all the green growing things, that dirt washes right into the ocean. Eventually the water itself went away, only the dirt remained. So now besides the giants you have underwater (undersilt?) giant worm things that emerge and eat you. Its a great place to die. ritorix fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Sep 4, 2009 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 19:03 |
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Aranan posted:So, Wikipedia has a short entry on the Sea of Silt and it sounds bad rear end. Please, goons, elaborate! What do you want to know? As far as what was defined in the setting, they never went further east then the Valley of Dust and Fire, which was this enormous hell-hole some where in the middle of the sea where Borys the Dragon lived in the city of Ur Draxa. For the most part though, the Sea of Silt is exactly like an ocean except nothing can float in it, and it will suffocate you if the wind kicks up enough of it. It ranges from a few feet to hundreds of feet deep at some places. Not all of it used to be under water though so there are ruins buried underneath that are occassionally exposed during storms. Also, despite appearances, the Sea isn't lifeless. There are all manner of horrible things waiting, just inches under the surface, to drag you in and devour you.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 19:05 |
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I'm going to repost my 4E coversion of Borys from the homebrew thread because I want to see was other sweet 4E conversions people have done. I made his version to simulate if the Dragon was feeling agressive. You could just as easily make him a controller and give him a lot more AoE's and personal protection spells. The -1 AC penalty from his breath weapon is simulate the super heated sand wearing down someone's armor.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 21:19 |
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I still think the defiler aura is too strong; other effects that steal healing surges deal damage equal to their level if they have none left, not their HSV/one-quarter hp.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 21:26 |
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ManMythLegend posted:I'm going to repost my 4E coversion of Borys from the homebrew thread because I want to see was other sweet 4E conversions people have done. http://www.mediafire.com/?nhmqen4qtdy There's horrific formatting issues because I exported it without checking to make sure I had the right fonts on this computer but whatever. Shrecknet fucked around with this message at 21:42 on Sep 4, 2009 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 21:38 |
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I'm running Dark Sun in GURPS. That way I don't have to worry about all that pesky balance D&D4e tries to force into things. If you're going to use D20 for Dark Sun, use AD&D.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 21:40 |
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ManMythLegend posted:I'm going to repost my 4E coversion of Borys from the homebrew thread because I want to see was other sweet 4E conversions people have done. I will give a try at one of my old favorites: the tembo. In 2e, tembos were nocturnal pack critters with psionics and a level-draining bite. They had 4HD (hit dice), could dodge missiles, drain life, a bunch of defensive psionics, make 5 attacks per round (4 claws and a drain bite) and were basically a giant 'gently caress you' to players everywhere. Oh and their favorite food was children. So. I tried to keep it simple. And thats what passes as a "natural beast" on Athas. ritorix fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Sep 4, 2009 |
# ? Sep 4, 2009 22:45 |
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ritorix posted:
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 22:56 |
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ritorix posted:I will give a try at one of my old favorites: the tembo. In 2e, tembos were nocturnal pack critters with psionics and a level-draining bite. They had 4HD (hit dice), could dodge missiles, drain life, a bunch of defensive psionics, make 5 attacks per round (4 claws and a drain bite) and were basically a giant 'gently caress you' to players everywhere. Oh and their favorite food was children. As I said last time Borys showed up pre-this thread, i'd make the damage from lacking healing surges equal to one-quarter of their maximum hit points, because otherwise this penalises people who gain extra bonuses there such as dragonborn, powerful dwarves, and some magic item use.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 22:59 |
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tendrilsfor20 posted:Why is one of its powers a "Daily"? The only time I've ever seen a daily on a monster was on a Lich that theoretically would be encountering a party more than one time before an extended rest, since it specifically says that it runs when first bloodied to spend a healing surge and return later. Same thing, who cares. Its a 'once per fight' option. If they do run away they cant keep coming back in stealth and redoing it.
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# ? Sep 4, 2009 23:14 |
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ManMythLegend posted:What do you want to know? Are there any major/minor cities near the Sea of Silt? Ones that are within range of those silt storms that blow across the land would be a pretty cool place to base an adventure.
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# ? Sep 5, 2009 01:28 |
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# ? May 3, 2024 13:28 |
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Attilla posted:As I said last time Borys showed up pre-this thread, i'd make the damage from lacking healing surges equal to one-quarter of their maximum hit points, because otherwise this penalises people who gain extra bonuses there such as dragonborn, powerful dwarves, and some magic item use. guys i know dark sun is harsh but 1/4 of your maximum hit points is way too much damage
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# ? Sep 5, 2009 03:51 |