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they should throw balance to the wind and make defilers way more powerful than preservers or whatever the good mages were called
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Sep 5, 2009 05:27
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I always dreamed of making a dragon and then wearing a cloak made from a slain avangion.
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Sep 5, 2009 05:38
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Aranan posted:What are some of the horrible things lurking in/on/around the silt? The worms that ritorix mentioned sound pretty nifty. The inventively named Silt Horrors came in a handful of flavours. They were basically stomach shaped, squid-like things with a number of really long tentacles, that ranged from 'small and strong' to 'loving huge and Herculean'. They were something like highly mobile Sarlacc pits-- not to be confused with the generally immobile Sarlacc analogues that liked to psionically disguise themselves as oases. The only city that I can recall being out there was the City by the Silt Sea, which was the domain of one of the first dragon kings. It was sacked by the others and left in ruins, with its leader killed... but he just got back up as an insane, undead dragon and built a small empire of once-human dragon-people in the caverns underneath. The Shadow Over Innsmouth parallels were drawn on with a very wide brush.
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Sep 5, 2009 05:47
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The Nightmare Beast. When you absolutely, positively have to kill every motherfucker in the ruins - Accept no substitute.
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Sep 5, 2009 06:25
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I've always been interested in the Dark Sun setting, but I've always kinda wondered something. Whats it like playing a Cleric who worships the Primodial Water in a place like Athas?  Also, is there anything more to halfings other than them being a bunch of ravenous cannibals who live in the only forest left on Athas?
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Sep 5, 2009 07:00
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The Aberrant posted:I've always been interested in the Dark Sun setting, but I've always kinda wondered something. Whats it like playing a Cleric who worships the Primodial Water in a place like Athas? quote:
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Sep 5, 2009 07:09
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I hope there's a ten important facts section for the Dark Sun Player's Guide, and that number one is: "If it exists in the D&D world, it has probably been genocided or warped beyond recognition in Dark Sun." I'm not real familiar with Dark Sun other than by reputation. Is there a good reason one of the most powerful wizards in the world took over 800 years to kill off all the pixies?
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Sep 5, 2009 07:31
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DalaranJ posted:I'm not real familiar with Dark Sun other than by reputation. Is there a good reason one of the most powerful wizards in the world took over 800 years to kill off all the pixies? Same situation. Nobody was really checking in on them, so incremental progress (while enriching/empowering yourself) was just fine.
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Sep 5, 2009 08:08
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I just got all the Dark Sun 2nd Edition books.  drat this stuff is good.
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Sep 5, 2009 10:46
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I wonder how they will do defilers - if they are more powerful than everyone else, that would be pretty unfun to deal with, but if they aren't then why does anyone become a defiler in the first place?JohnnyCanuck posted: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). It wouldn't surprise me if some of the modules hinted at that, but it's not the official backstory or anything.
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Sep 5, 2009 11:41
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Races of Athas Source: 1991 Rules Book and The Wanderer's Journal Humans: Humans are the most prominent race on Athas due to the work of the sorerer-king's genocidal crusades. They are similar to humans on most other worlds, but the harsh and twisted world of Athas has made mutations more prevalent. This does not have an in-game effects, but gives players more options when it comes to customizing appearance. Dwarves: First off, Athasian dwarves are bald. Dwarves are incredibly driven and love having a cause to work or fight towards. The are mostly like PHB dwarves; shunning all magic except the divine. It is not surprising for a group of dwarves to wander off on a fool's errand in the wastes in order resurrect a falling city or sculpt a monument. Elves: Elves travels the dune in nomadic bands. They prefer to travel on foot, and shun riding upon animals. Athasian elves are much taller (7+ feet) and faster than PHB elves, but also live a shorter lifespan (~250 years). Elves are slow to trust peoples from outside their own tribe. They are also great merchants, and are more likely to deal in illegal goods such as spell components. Half-elves: Half-elves are never truly accepted by elven of human communities. This forces them to become self-sufficient at an early age. This means half-elves get a bonus to Endurance, and they also have the option to attract an animal companion at a higher level. Half-giants: Half-giants were bred through the cruel experiments of a wizard likely less than a millennium ago. They stand 10 to 12 feet tall and have the same range of physical features humans do. Their demeanor is a mix of giant stupidity and human curiosity. A half-giants may be swayed to follow the cause or mimic the personality of a very influential person. They have no true culture, but a half-giant community will adopt one from nearby settlements. The are favored for their ability as laborers and warriors, but require immense amounts of food and water to sustain them. Halflings: Halflings dwell in the jungles separated from the tablelands by the Ringing Mountains. Their racial unity is so strong that no hafling would abandon another halfing in need. They have a strong artistic culture, but have trouble communicating with people unfamiliar with halfling customs. They believe nature should be changed as little as possible as would rather build a near settlement near a river than irrigate to provide water to an existing settlement. They have been known to eat members of other races, but no city-dwelling halfling would admit so. A halfling in captivity would rather starve to death than live a life of slavery. Muls: Muls are the resulted of human and dwarf interbreeding. They are popular for their wits, determination, strength and endurance. They can work for hours and possibly days on end. Muls are about the same height as humans, but more dense like dwarves. Their bodies are usually entirely bald. Muls are a favorite in the arenas, and slave-owners actively try to breed muls. The result is typically fatal to the mother. Thri-kreen: The insectoid thri-kreen stand over 7 feet tall and have four arms and two legs. Their species' communication is a combination of mandible clicks, body language, and pheromones that is difficult, but not impossible, for other species to replicate. They life short lives (approximately 25 years), but are born with collective racial memories. Their thick exoskeleton provides natural armor, and few thri-kreen wear additional armor. Older thri-kreen develop a poisonous bite. They live for the thrill of the hunt, and are excellent pack hunters. They have some difficulty understanding the ways of humanoid cultures. They also have a fondness for the flesh of elves. Most other races have been decimated or entirely eliminated through centuries of genocide. The champions of the sorcerer-kings succeeded in wiping out races such as pixies, gnomes, kobolds and orcs, but were not as successful against hardier foes like trolls, gith, and giants. I don't have ca. AD&D info on the expansion races like Aaracockra and Pterrans. Someone else can feel free to write those up. If not, I could write blurb based upon the Paizo versions from 2005. We could also speculate how the newer 4e core races may fit into the world Dark Sun 4e (gnomes should still be dead).
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Sep 5, 2009 15:43
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From the revised box set: Aarakocra The intelligent bird-people called aarakocra live in small tribes in the rocky badlands and mountains of Athas. In most cases, these uncivilized aarakocra have little impact on the world around them. One group of bird-people, however, has an advanced society in the White Mountains north of the Tyr Region. Here, nestled in the snowcovered peaks, is the large village called Winter Nest. Winter Nest’s aarakocra (who call themselves “the silvaarak,” or “people of the silver wing”) average about 7% feet tall. Males weigh 100 pounds, females 85. They have gray beaks, black eyes, and plumage that ranges from purest white to silver to shades of light blue. Silvaarak tend to stay among the mountain peaks. They believe themselves superior to all other creatures because of their ability to fly above the world. Those who visit the mountains or the forest around them must be careful not to abuse the gifts of nature found there, for the aarakocra see it as their obligation to protect the region. Winter Nest maintains trade relations with the city-states of Draj and Kurn, but are on hostile terms with the bandit states of the Barrier Wastes and the city of Eldaarich. In fact, Eldaarich regularly sends out slavers to capture any aarakocra they can find. The aarakocra of the White Mountains are rarely found in the Tyr Region, although many of the young bird-people have begun to explore the world beyond their mountain sanctuary. These adventurous silvaarak believe that the time has come for Winter Nest to take part in the affairs of the world. What impact the silvaarak will have on Athas now that a significant portion of their community has abandoned their isolationist ways has yet to be seen. Pterrans The Hinterlands west of the Ringing Mountains are home to many different species of animals and even a few intelligent races. The most prominent sign of civilization is the pterrans of the large villages of Pterran Vale and Lost Scale. Prior to the Great Earthquake, when few people left the confines of the Tyr Region, the only pterrans ever encountered were those of the small, primitive clans that settled near the rocky barrens on the eastern side of the Ringing Mountains. These pterrans bear only a superficial resemblance to their cousins from the Hinterland villages. Hinterland pterrans have already made an impact on the societies of the Tablelands. The free city of Tyr has exchanged diplomatic envoys with Pterran Vale, and a few of the more adventurous merchant houses have begun establishing trade. Pterrans are reptiloids with light brown, scaly skin. Adults grow to be about 6 feet tall, and there are no obvious physical characteristics that distinguish males from females. Pterrans stand upright, with two arms that end in hands that have three taloned fingers and an opposable thumb, and two legs with three-toed feet. They have short tails and two stubs at their shoulder blades-evidence of wings that vanished many generations ago. Some believe pterrans are related to the flying creature called the pterrax, though the link must be in the distant past. The highly intelligent pterrans from the Hinterland villages have begun exploring the Tyr Region in earnest, hoping to find help from the threats unleashed by the Great Earthquake. They are particularly fearful of the thri-kreen emerging from the Great Rift, though the continuing aftershocks have wreaked destruction on the twin villages. All pterrans revere the Earth Mother, the name they have given to Athas. They believe that they are the Earth Mother’s first, best children, and that the recent earthquake and aftershocks are a call to action for their race. “The Earth Mother cries out, and we share her pain,” the pterran druids proclaim. “Now we must aid her in her time of desperate need.” Adult pterrans follow one of three “Life Paths”— the Warrior’s Path, the Druid’s Path, and the Psionicist’s Path—as part of their normal society.
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Sep 5, 2009 16:03
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Character Classes of Athas Source: Rules Book, Dragon Magazine #319 Dragon 319 covers how 3.5 classes fit into the Dark Sun setting. I'll try to provide a little insight on how they may change for 4e. *Literacy is outlawed in the city-states, and so most player characters will not know how to read or write. Barbarian: Barbarians either come from slave tribes or from cultures outside the tablelands region. Halfling and Thri-kreen barbarians are also common. They can most likely exist unchanged, and draw their totem powers from the spirits of the land. Bard: The rare bards in Athas tend to gather into small, organized troupes. They perform for nobles and templars, but also supplement the income by working as spies and assassins. It is not uncommon for nobles to provide bards as gifts to one another. All bards work to hide their arcane spell knowledge. 4e bards may lean towards their melee combat path; leading bands of escaped slaves or the defenders of a merchant slave post. Clerics: The gods abandoned Athas long ago, and clerics must draw on other sources of power. Templars swear their allegiance to a sorcerer-king and are granted spells by their liege. Low ranking templars cast few spells, whereas a high-ranking templar (level 15+) can cast more spells than the PHB cleric. A sorcerer-king does not choose which spells a templar is granted, but does control an individual's access to the elemental conduits which provide spell energy. Most PCs will be elemental or para-elemental clerics. These clerics draw power from the elemental planes and go to extreme means to prove their faith. It is not uncommon for a cleric to suffer serious injuries while fire-walking or being buried alive. Elemental clerics will most-likely have an Epic destiny that allows them to turn into elemental archons. Druids: Druids are the strongest defenders of the scarce natural resources of Athas. They draw their power from the spirits of the land. It is not uncommon for a druid to spent his or her life defending one location such as an oasis or ancient tree. PCs are more likely to be wandering druids. Fighter: Fighters are more experienced combatants and are likely to be found in command of slave armies or fighting in the arena as gladiators. Some noble families and merchant houses also employ private armies. Some freemen may sell their services as mercenaries. The only change fighters face is the scarcity of metal armor on Athas. Plate mail is both impractical and impossibly expensive. I'm wondering how WotC will address this in 4e. There will probably be arena-themed powers or a gladiator paragon path. Monk: Organized monastaries do not exist on Athas. Monks are more likely to be trained by hermits or lone wanderers. Their physical prowess can be popular in arenas. Paladin: Paladins did not exist in the AD&D version of Athas. Few people have enough motivation to rise up in the defense of the downtrodden, and fewer have time for ideal such as honor and justice. Paladins in city-states are likely to attract attention from templars and may be condemned to the arena for disturbing the peace. 4e paladins would draw their power from their ideals rather than a deity. Conversely, there could be a Templar-Knight Paragon Path for warriors in service to a sorcerer-king. Psion: Psionicists are very common on Athas. In fact, every person has at least one wild psionic talent. Well-trained psychics could be from a city-owned academy or have private tutelage. Merchant and noble houses employ trained psions. High-level psions will be under the templars' constant scrutiny, because sorcerer-kings cannot limit access to their powers. Ranger: The survival skills of a ranger are very valuable in the harsh climate of Athas. They often serve as guides, hunters or military scouts. Rangers will most likely be unchanged. Rogue: Rogues can be found in nearly any caste, and thieves' guilds are not uncommon within the city-states. Rogues are likely to procure and deal in black market goods. Rogues will most likely be unchanged. Sorcerer: Sorceror's are very rare in Athas. Commoners fear their powers, and many are put to death. Sorcerer's who hide their abilities are often forced to train alone. The use of arcane magic is outlawed within the city-states. Most sorcerer's attempt to pose as psions or carry fake spellbooks. 3.5 added Sleight of Hand as a Sorcerer class skill so they could hide the somatic components of their spell-casting. Wizard: The use of Arcane magic on Athas draws upon the very lifeforce of the planet. Two types of wizards exist; defilers and preservers. Defilers gain power quickly at the expense of the world around them. Spells cast by a defiler turn nearby plants to ash, boil water, and sterilize the soil. Epic level defiling magic consumes the life-force of living beings. Preserver spend much more time honing their craft, and take care not to harm nature while casting. The downside is that commoners don't bother to differentiate between the types of casters, and will turn any suspected wizard over to the authorities. PC wizards are most likely to be preservers working in secret to undermine the defiling rulers of the city-states. Most wizards have a cover story and pose as psions or elemental clerics. 3.5 presented defiler magic as a means of power metamagic spel feats. I'm not sure how defiling will be address in 4e. There will most likely be defiler and preserver paragon paths, and epic destinies to transform oneself into an Avangion or Athasian Dragon. If anyone would like to spelculate on the newer classes such as Invoker, Shaman, Warlock and Spellblade, you are welcome to do so.
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Sep 5, 2009 16:42
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ManMythLegend posted:Pterrans Aaracockras and Gith could be new races. Looks like Pterrans could be the Dragonborn's ticket to Dark Sun (except for that whole reptiles with breasts thing). 4e Elves are pretty close to Athasian elves. I'm not sure about the Eladrin. Tieflings could be the result of a dead kingdom's meddling with powerful magic, which left them twisted. There's a small chance half-giants could be replaced by Goliaths. Any thoughts on the other 4e races? Wizards is no longer on the stance to simply say Drow, Gnomes, Half-orcs and Shifters are extinct. How is the scarcity of metal going to affect Warforged? It'd be kind of cool if they were made from magically hardened obsidian.
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Sep 5, 2009 16:56
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I'm fully in support of this thread. Additionally, I'm working on setting up a DS game using Hackmaster 4th Edition. I'm partially using the conversion suggestions from http://reservoirdawgs.tripod.com/id4.html and also writing up some things myself. I've actually already done a conversion of paladins to follow similar elemental worship ideas to what clerics do, and am planning to do dark knights in an antipaladin theme, where they follow similar elements with more of a dark, destructive bent. http://hacksun.blogspot.com/ There's my sounding board where I'm just posting up my ideas as I have them, if anyone wants to see the paladin stuff.
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Sep 5, 2009 20:48
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Elemental paladins sounds very, very neat and I will definitely check out what you've got later on today.
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Sep 5, 2009 21:02
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G-Prime posted:...and am planning to do dark knights in an antipaladin theme, where they follow similar elements with more of a dark, destructive bent. http://hacksun.blogspot.com/ There's my sounding board where I'm just posting up my ideas as I have them, if anyone wants to see the paladin stuff. This sounds pretty neat, but if you're looking to do a "dark, destructive" elemental paladin you should look into making them para-elemental clerics. They worshipped Sun, Magma, Silt, and Rain, and (save Rain) were all actively trying to destroy the planet since that made their respective para-elementals stronger. You should see if you can track down a copy of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which was the Dark Sun cleric supplement.
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Sep 5, 2009 21:06
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Turning things back to the Sea of Silt for a moment – Imagine wading through what appears to be really thin dirt when one of these things could literally be right in front of you with no way for you to know until you're dead:      
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Sep 5, 2009 21:39
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ManMythLegend posted:Turning things back to the Sea of Silt for a moment – And that's if you don't step into a sinkhole and drown first. For the guy who was asking for more info about the Sea, specifically about cities, there are two city states near the sea in the first box, and the revised box added one more. The first two are Balic and Draaj. Balic has a bronze age Mediterranean vibe to it. It is a rich trading city, and slightly more liberal than the average City State. It's Sorcerer King, Androponis, was elected dictator for life at some point in the distant past. Presumably, his electors didn't know he was immortal. Draaj, on the other hand, is rule by Tectuctitlay who is worshipped as a god. Worshiping him generally involves cutting the hearts out of prisoners atop step pyramids. The evil Aztec vibe is pretty strong. In spite of that, the Wanderer revealed that Tec was one of the weaker kings. The second boxed set added Eldaarich, a paranoid police-state. It's sorcerer king, Daskinor went crazy pretty early on in his career, and his city is essentially one giant, Stalinesque prison. Oh, and if you want to know how one travels across that sea, there were a few methods. Obviously, magical flying of some sort was one method, but there were also two varieties of ships. One was like a sailing ship but with giant stone wheels. They would travel along known paths through the silt. The other kind used a big obsidian ball to focus psionic power and levitate the ship, making it buoyant upon the silt.
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Sep 5, 2009 22:40
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PeterWeller posted:
Weren't the stone wheels hollow, with half-giants or whatever in them like giant hamster wheels?
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Sep 5, 2009 22:57
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I don't remember, but that seems like a possibility. The ones from the mega adventure had just big stone wheels, and their motive power came from sails.
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Sep 5, 2009 23:03
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I guess Dark Sun pretty much rules...someone should do one of these for the other campaign settings. I've always had a thing for role-playing games where death is cheap.
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Sep 5, 2009 23:04
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DeclaredYuppie posted:Weren't the stone wheels hollow, with half-giants or whatever in them like giant hamster wheels? That was one variation. Half giants, or animated skeletons for the slower but cheaper approach.
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Sep 5, 2009 23:29
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Holy poo poo, that's like a sand kraken hydra thing. Dark Sun owns!
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Sep 5, 2009 23:40
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If invisible horrors stalking the Sea of Silt are too much, let's take a little jaunt to the south. Oh... The Dead Land The Endless Sand Dunes eventually give way to a steep drop in the land. At the bottom of sheer, jagged cliffs, a vast plain of blackest obsidian stretches beyond the limits of the known territory. Most of the plain is smooth, flat, black glass, though in places the plain is shattered and great jagged chunks of glass jut into the sky. Other areas appear to be flat and smooth, but are actually covered with sharp grooves and rivulets that can slice even the toughest boots to shreds. No living creatures inhabit this desolate area. There’s nothing to eat on the obsidian plain, little to drink, and few places to find shelter from the wind and sun. There are no breaks in the glass where vegetation can thrive. No fresh sources of water bubble up among the cracks and fissures. Some water does collect in depressions when a rare rainstorm explodes over the plain, but the water quickly stagnates and turns bad before the heat of the day causes it to evaporate completely. A few clumps of bushes and groves of trees rise out of breaks in the obsidian, but whatever foul magic formed the plain has also turned these once-living plants into black stone. An ancient, terrible battle of the Cleansing Wars was fought at this site. In the battle, the land was slain and hundreds of thousands of beings were killed. Now undead creatures of all descriptions roam the plains and canyons of ebon glass. Most of these undead creatures are the remains of the slaughtered races, beings that no longer exist on Athas—at least not as living creatures. Strange beings with stranger names haunt the plains, wailing over the injustices they suffered and alling for revenge against Rajaat and his infernal Champions. In life they were called kobolds and ogres, orcs, lizard men, and trolls. They had names like gnomes and pixies and goblins. Now they’re spirits, skeletons, and other forms of corporeal and incorporeal undead. The hatred they hold for all living things sustains them, keeping them tied to the physical world long after their bodies have died. In some places, mindless undead continue to reenact the desperate battles they fought in life against the armies of the Champions. If living travelers come across one of these battle sites, the undead will attack them as though they were their ancient foes. In other places, solitary spirits moan for a world that has long since faded from view. There are intelligent undead on the plains as well, usually acting as leaders for the hordes of mindless zombies and skeletons that have lost their way. In all cases, when a being with the spark of life is detected, the undead flock to that spark for the warmth and sustenance it can provide. Such life sparks are as water is to a living man, and the undead of the haunted plains are very, very thirsty. Somewhere in the center of this haunted plain, an Obsidian Citadel rises over the fields of glass. From this bleak fortress, a powerful undead creature gathers the lost spirits and troubled souls into a massive army. The thing plans to eventually lead its army out of the Dead Land and into the realms where the living creatures of Athas still hold sway. On that day, this undead lord hopes to gain revenge against Rajaat and all others who still draw breath beneath the crimson sun.
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Sep 5, 2009 23:51
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ManMythLegend: Are these summaries from one of the source books or from your own (twisted) mind? Either way, please do not stop. Each new description is cooler than the last and I'm going to have to get familiar with the setting so I can run a game there as soon as the 4e books are released. Teach me, all you Dark Sun scholars! It's been mentioned that most people don't know the difference from defilers or preservers, or even that preservers exist. How knowledgeable are the common folk about psionics? Are the innate powers everyone has just chalked up to "that's how it is" or do they know its source? Also, which (if any) of the DS novels are worth reading? The only ones I know of are the Prism Pentad, but they are apparently about some Mary Sue characters that have drawn a ton of ire from the playerbase of DS. Also also, how would you guys handle the survival aspect that's so important in DS? I'll admit when I've played D&D, we tend to ignore rations and water because it's generally not a big deal. Is simply keeping track of your daily intake of food and water enough to ratchet the game up from "kill, kill, kill!" to "survive, survive, survive!"? Also x3, I got ahold of the revised setting book and started reading it... but it sounds quite different. The halflings aren't even cannibalistic barbarians in here.  You'd think I'd be able to remember one page back. Doh. And yes, Dark Sun is easily the first setting that I've been interested in running as-is since.. ever? vvvvvvvvv Aranan fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Sep 6, 2009 |
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Sep 6, 2009 00:10
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ManMythLegend posted:The Dead Land Jesus. Dark Sun owns. There's a post on the first page that talks about a few of the Chronicles of Athas books. I'm actually on my way out this very second to try to snag at least the first one. Edit: tendrilsfor20 posted: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. Succulent Thighs fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Sep 6, 2009 |
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Sep 6, 2009 00:14
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Aranan posted:ManMythLegend: Are these summaries from one of the source books or from your own (twisted) mind? Either way, please do not stop. Each new description is cooler than the last and I'm going to have to get familiar with the setting so I can run a game there as soon as the 4e books are released. Teach me, all you Dark Sun scholars! I pulled the Dead Lands summary from the revised box's Wanderer's Chronicle. It greatly expanded the setting from the orginal boxed set. Aranan posted:It's been mentioned that most people don't know the difference from defilers or preservers, or even that preservers exist. How knowledgeable are the common folk about psionics? Are the innate powers everyone has just chalked up to "that's how it is" or do they know its source? Everybody knows about psionics simply because 99.9% of all sentient beings on Athas have some sort of psionic ability. They may have never met a true psionicist in their life time, but they know they're out there. Aranan posted:Also, which (if any) of the DS novels are worth reading? The only ones I know of are the Prism Pentad, but they are apparently about some Mary Sue characters that have drawn a ton of ire from the playerbase of DS. Yeah, stay away from the Prism Pentad series. They weren't all terrible, but they did muck up the setting pretty good. Tendrils posted a couple of good ones earlier, Rise and Fall of a Dragon King being tops on the list. Aranan posted:Also also, how would you guys handle the survival aspect that's so important in DS? I'll admit when I've played D&D, we tend to ignore rations and water because it's generally not a big deal. Is simply keeping track of your daily intake of food and water enough to ratchet the game up from "kill, kill, kill!" to "survive, survive, survive!"? This depends on your tastes really. I mean simple survival stuff is as big as you want to make it. As a DM I never really brought up the issue unless the players were really dilly-dallying or had their plans ruined by an encounter. I know that my opinion on the matter is not de facto, and survival in the wastes is a core aspect of the setting.
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Sep 6, 2009 00:21
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I like how the second boxed set basically said, "so you think the Sorcerer Kings are bad. Well, soon enough a giant horde of Undead will emerge from the South, and the Thri Kreen empire will come a-conquering from the West, and then the SKs will be the least of your worries."quote:It's been mentioned that most people don't know the difference from defilers or preservers, or even that preservers exist. How knowledgeable are the common folk about psionics? Are the innate powers everyone has just chalked up to "that's how it is" or do they know its source? Psionics are universally known. Just about everyone has some sort of mind trick they can play. They're totally legal and a part of day to day life. quote:Also, which (if any) of the DS novels are worth reading? The only ones I know of are the Prism Pentad, but they are apparently about some Mary Sue characters that have drawn a ton of ire from the playerbase of DS. While the heroes are pretty Mary-Sue, I never got all the hate for the PP. They reveal the setting's awesome history, tell a pretty cool story, and all the real world changing action doesn't happen until the final book, which is set ten years into the future of the original boxed set. They also tie in really well with the first two published adventures, which are excellent. And the two disembodied heads are pretty lols. That being said, a lot of people like the Chronicles of Athas series (I think that's what it's called). It's been mentioned before in this thread. quote:Also also, how would you guys handle the survival aspect that's so important in DS? I'll admit when I've played D&D, we tend to ignore rations and water because it's generally not a big deal. Is simply keeping track of your daily intake of food and water enough to ratchet the game up from "kill, kill, kill!" to "survive, survive, survive!"? I always just threw in as many environmental hazards as possible-- everything from sand storms to killer plants. Keeping a good supply of water should just be one of many worries. quote:Also x3, I got ahold of the revised setting book and started reading it... but it sounds quite different. The halflings aren't even cannibalistic barbarians in here. The revised box introduced another society of halflings who still lived as they did during the Green Age. The Forest Ridge halflings are the cannibal ones.
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Sep 6, 2009 00:24
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Double post, but for those curious here's a copy of the world map included in the the revised box: Click here for the full 1949x1301 image. For reference, the original box focused almost exclusively on the area in the center labled "The Tablelands", and is where most of the action in the setting takes place. Also the Valley of the Cerulean Storm used to be the Valley of Dust and Fire until the Prism Pentad changed all of that. That was where the Dragon used to live until he was killed by the super friends.
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Sep 6, 2009 00:25
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Reminder: Only books 1, 4 and 5 are part of the Chronicles of Athas. Books 2 and 3 are not in the same series of stories, they're just one-shot books about nothing much, and they are dreadful. Book 2 is about a pair of Psionic kids that have the whole "Jake Lloyd in Star Wars" thing going on, and they can team up like in the Simpsons Arcade Game or something for psionic fun times. Book 3 is actually book 4 of the "Wanderer of Athas" series, and is completely terrible if for no other reason than because the author doesn't loving know or care about Athas at all, evidenced by the main guy (a Gary Stu ranger of the highest loving order) paying for a drink with a copper piece, instead of a ceramic bit or lead bead, the actual lowest currency. So yeah, only read books 1, 4 and 5. They're a contiguous story.
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Sep 6, 2009 01:00
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tendrilsfor20 posted:So yeah, only read books 1, 4 and 5. They're a contiguous story. That makes no sense, so thanks for clarifying. I was eyeing books 2 and 3 on amazon and wondering if I should get them. Guess I won't. Going to order 1, 4, and 5 for like $0.20 each. I don't even care if they're good at that price. (yes I do) [edit] Bah, they're about a buck each, but even if you get them all from the same seller the shipping charges are $4 per book. Aranan fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Sep 6, 2009 |
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Sep 6, 2009 01:16
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ManMythLegend posted:Double post, but for those curious here's a copy of the world map included in the the revised box: Do you have the other half of the map? The only DS map I still have is the cloth one.
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Sep 6, 2009 01:51
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PeterWeller posted:Do you have the other half of the map? The only DS map I still have is the cloth one. I do have a hard copy of all the maps, but I haven't found an electronic version of the other parts. I might do a little poking around the interwebs later to see if I can find them. Also who needs gods on Athas when you've got benevolent beings like the Dragon looking out for you: Timeline of Athas posted:189th King's Age
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Sep 6, 2009 02:42
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This will meet all of your Dark Sun mapping needs.
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Sep 6, 2009 02:59
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I for one, welcome our new dragon overlords.
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Sep 6, 2009 03:16
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ManMythLegend posted:This will meet all of your Dark Sun mapping needs. This makes it seem like there's a whole lot less desert in Athas than I thought. Or at least a whole lot more non-desert. It's also sort of surprising how many of the cities with write-ups basically say "stuff's pretty OK here."
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Sep 6, 2009 05:40
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Most of the writeups are for non-Tablelands cities, and those aren't Dark Sun. 
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Sep 6, 2009 05:54
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Neorxenawang posted:This makes it seem like there's a whole lot less desert in Athas than I thought. Or at least a whole lot more non-desert. It's also sort of surprising how many of the cities with write-ups basically say "stuff's pretty OK here." Don't let the Crimson Savannah fool you. Here's an interesting tidibit about it's creation: Defilers and Preservers, pg 17 posted:The First Sorcerer’s travels led him to the base of the Jagged Cliffs. There, in the cool shadow of the wall of rock, Rajaat found an unspoiled clearing in the midst of green trees. A sparkling blue river cut across the clearing, providing life-giving water to the lush terrain. The location practically glowed with life energy, and Rajaat could even feel the pulsing spark of the world itself radiating beneath his feet. He remained hidden in this idyllic spot for nearly 200 years, testing the limits of what he could accomplish with the energy drawn from plants. Though he developed the basis of many of the spells still used today, Rajaat was never satisfied with the life energy provided by vegetation. He wanted more power. To get this power, he turned to the world itself. It's not all sunshine and rainbows out west. Also it's filled with a massive empire of kreen just biding there time until they swarm through the great rift and devour all mammillian life.
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Sep 6, 2009 06:20
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| # ? May 3, 2024 11:40 |
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The prize for the next RPG contest on here will be a complete set of Dark Sun 2nd Edition PDFs.
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Sep 6, 2009 13:14
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