What's your favorite thing about Dark Sun?

Darrin Kelley · December 20, 2024, 11:05:00 AM

Dark Sun was unapologetic about what it was. That's what drew me to it. That it was a setting that dared to be what it was.

T5un4m1 · December 20, 2024, 03:50:55 PM

What I like about Dark Sun is that it is like strong alcohol in barrels, it just ages over the years and does not lose its uniqueness. It is not subject to external influence, no one is trying to remake or rewrite it, and at the same time it is still fresh and interesting.

RNGm · December 20, 2024, 05:54:53 PM

I actively disliked it during its heyday from the setting to the art (yes, I know... heresy! I also loved 40k yet disliked Blanche so at least I'm consistent) and simply stuck to reading Forgotten Realms stuff instead both in terms of rules books and novels. Since I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate all the aspects of Dark Sun much more but I think I most like the simple brutality of the setting compared with the comical over the top superhero nature of modern D&D.

I · December 20, 2024, 06:25:09 PM

*Old man voice* "Back in my day, we played games like Dark Sun. The only weapons we had were rocks, and we had to take off our loincloths and use 'em as slings so the rocks would do any damage at all. And we LIKED it!"

Rajaat99 · December 21, 2024, 08:21:32 AM

Quote from: I on December 20, 2024, 06:25:09 PM*Old man voice* "Back in my day, we played games like Dark Sun. The only weapons we had were rocks, and we had to take off our loincloths and use 'em as slings so the rocks would do any damage at all. And we LIKED it!"

Yes, that is pretty much how I see myself.

I · December 21, 2024, 09:02:58 AM

Quote from: Rajaat99 on December 21, 2024, 08:21:32 AM
Quote from: I on December 20, 2024, 06:25:09 PM*Old man voice* "Back in my day, we played games like Dark Sun. The only weapons we had were rocks, and we had to take off our loincloths and use 'em as slings so the rocks would do any damage at all. And we LIKED it!"

Yes, that is pretty much how I see myself.

Oh, I wasn't being facetious or mocking anybody. That really is how we played it. We started off as slaves and led an uprising using that exact tactic. I mean, you use what you have, and pretty much all we had was rocks and loincloths. We triumphed, too.

Brad · December 21, 2024, 11:49:44 AM

I played in exactly one Dark Sun game, 5th edition D&D. I HATED it at first because it was so brutally ridiculous. But after a couple PCs actually died (which is almost impossible with all the stupid ass 5th edition rules) I embraced the suck and would enjoy the setting now that I know what to expect.

And as someone else stated, in that game the PCs weren't even really heroes, the party basically just tried to survive and find a reliable water source for their village. It was so mundane, but extremely meaningful given the nature of DS.

I · December 21, 2024, 01:16:38 PM

Quote from: Brad on December 21, 2024, 11:49:44 AMI played in exactly one Dark Sun game, 5th edition D&D. I HATED it at first because it was so brutally ridiculous. But after a couple PCs actually died (which is almost impossible with all the stupid ass 5th edition rules) I embraced the suck and would enjoy the setting now that I know what to expect.

And as someone else stated, in that game the PCs weren't even really heroes, the party basically just tried to survive and find a reliable water source for their village. It was so mundane, but extremely meaningful given the nature of DS.

It was brutal, but it required innovation, diplomacy, persuasion, and skillful roleplaying to get out of deadly situations where picking an unnecessary fight might be your last mistake. There was none of this "You mean we killed all those trolls and only got a potion and a crappy +1 shield out of it? Lame!" stuff. If all you got a was a bigger rock and a clean loincloth, and lived to see another day, you were grateful. Now, I'll be the first to admit that a steady diet of that might get old, but I can see where it could be someone else's favorite setting and I respect it a lot.

xoriel77 · December 22, 2024, 04:33:22 PM

For me, it breaks conventional fantasy tropes to do something quite unique by giving it a post apocalyptic landscape where magic is outlawed and elves are feral. All sprinkled with a beautiful Middle Eastern flavor. Kinda wished WotC brought it back for 5E but since their OGL fiasco, I'm not buying from them any more.

T5un4m1 · December 22, 2024, 06:31:59 PM

Quote from: I on December 21, 2024, 01:16:38 PMThere was none of this "You mean we killed all those trolls and only got a potion and a crappy +1 shield out of it? Lame!" stuff. If all you got a was a bigger rock and a clean loincloth, and lived to see another day, you were grateful.

Excellent comparison.

The setting makes you reconsider your value system. At low levels, it's all about survival. The worst enemy is the climate itself, not monsters. But if you get used to it, it becomes a valuable experience, after which many obstacles will no longer seem like obstacles.

Sword Devil · December 22, 2024, 09:59:36 PM

It's a big, bold setting that wears its influences on its sleeve but doesn't feel derivative. Settings that thread that needle are all too rare nowadays.

SeveredFane · December 23, 2024, 03:54:35 PM

I have never been playing of Dark Sun, but when I was very young, I was reading a translation of the Tribe of One book series, and I having very fond memories of it being a good dark book series with many room to tell stories.

colombus1592 · December 24, 2024, 11:40:43 AM

Quote from: jeff37923 on December 05, 2024, 11:30:59 PMThe utter brutality of the setting. Dark Sun pulls no punches. Halflings are cannibals, magic can irreparably damage the environment, metal itself is rare, and EVERYTHING has psionics. The conflict between good and evil takes a backseat to the conflict of surviving the environment. It was Sword & Sorcery with the volume turned up to 11.

When it came out, the closest setting that had that kind of "You're fucked" atmosphere was Twilight 2000 where you are a NATO troop and the last communication you got from your commanding officer was, "Good luck, you're on your own."

We loved it then and I still do today.

I envy you. My gaming group disbanded around the time Dark Sun came out... never had the chance to play it, though it could be a chance in some way, as several adventures seem weak, and that the psionics of ADD1 were so wrong that we did ruled them out after a single try...

MattfromTinder · December 25, 2024, 11:40:42 PM

Quote from: Sword Devil on December 22, 2024, 09:59:36 PMIt's a big, bold setting that wears its influences on its sleeve but doesn't feel derivative. Settings that thread that needle are all too rare nowadays.

100%. It's very well produced with evocative art (Brom's stuff is breathtaking) and some really unique twists on fantasy. It's so singular in it's vision that it's a hard setting to top in my opinion, as there's nothing that really scratches the same itch even after all these years.

Thorn Drumheller · December 28, 2024, 11:09:03 AM

Here's my list of what I love about Dark Sun:
- Has slavery, moral grey areas, survival of the fittest, environmental disaster....all awesome stuff.
- It took 2nd edition AD&D and showed what you can do with the rules with designers of talent. ie. races, monsters, magic (I like Al-Qadim for the same reason)
- Evocative artwork...nuff said