Dark Sun Book is Double Plus Awesome

[SporkMaster5000]

So, did anyone, or is anyone planning on getting the dark sun campaign setting? I passed on it for psionic power, but when a copy turned up online i flipped through to see if there was anything i could pick oot of it, like the genasi or a couple paragon paths from the FR book I like.

Turns out, all the crunch in this book is excellent, even if you don't plan on playing in dark sun. four new class builds, a handful of new weapons that are pretty cool, and themes, which are a bit of power creep but have promises of being expanded on, and come with some paths and feats and such. I really need to get the money to buy a hard copy of it.  

[Rain Yupa]

"class builds"?  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Dark Sun is amazing. Very fluff-heavy, to the point of the book outright telling you some races are simply nonexistant in the setting.

There are new builds for fighters and other classes, such as the Gladiator Fighter. Also, the setting is very Psionic-heavy, so those who dislike psionics might not dig DS.

It's got rules for weapons breaking, sun sickness, arcane magic kills living things and withers life forever, etc. Very grimdark, but very fun in the hands of a kickass DM.  

[SporkMaster5000]

Rain Yupa

"class builds"?

new warlock pact (based on the dragon kings, could certainly use some minor refluffing for other settings), arena fighter (free proficiency for two signature weapons, proficiency and higher damage with improvised weapons), wild battlemind (speaking of, wild talents. random at-will psionic powers. the two are only connecting through fluff, the battlemind build is mostly about being stickier), and a new shaman build that's more elemental than primal, and kinda striker-y  

[SporkMaster5000]

Keith Valken Lionheart

Very grimdark

this is kinda why i skipped on the book in the first place. it does what it does very well, but the setting isn't my first choice to game in. however, ignoring all the fluff, the book is still full of great stuff. and half the fluff could apply to any setting where you plan on running the characters through a big desert for some stretch.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

SporkMaster5000

Keith Valken Lionheart

Very grimdark

this is kinda why i skipped on the book in the first place. it does what it does very well, but the setting isn't my first choice to game in. however, ignoring all the fluff, the book is still full of great stuff. and half the fluff could apply to any setting where you plan on running the characters through a big desert for some stretch.

I really dig the fluff, I love the kind of games where you are just trying to survive the odds. I can see why most people wouldn't be into DS as a whole, but like you said, the new options are so good, they're hard to pass up.  

[Psychofish]

I'm very curious about Dark Sun, even though normally I'm hesitant to learn new settings from books and prefer DM settings (usually they're a lot less effort to pick up, and the DM is interested in them enough to really work on the game and not drop it).

Actually, I don't even mind psionics, they seem to work great for DS.

My issue with psionics is normally that most of the psionic classes just... almost feel at odds with my mental impression of the D&D world, and so I dislike most of them for thematic reasons. In DS, they fit just fine, so I don't mind in the least.

Long as we're talking 4e. 3.5 psionics broke games so hard.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Psychofish

I'm very curious about Dark Sun, even though normally I'm hesitant to learn new settings from books and prefer DM settings (usually they're a lot less effort to pick up, and the DM is interested in them enough to really work on the game and not drop it).

Actually, I don't even mind psionics, they seem to work great for DS.

My issue with psionics is normally that most of the psionic classes just... almost feel at odds with my mental impression of the D&D world, and so I dislike most of them for thematic reasons. In DS, they fit just fine, so I don't mind in the least.

Long as we're talking 4e. 3.5 psionics broke games so hard.

Psionics get more attention in DS due to the fact that the Gods of the setting are dead in a war against the Primordials. So, there are basically NO divine classes in DS, so they needed a substitute. Some Psionic powers heal and stuff, though that's mostly the job or the shaman or something.

All in all though, it's a great setting. I, like you, usually prefer to play in custom, DM-made campaigns, but DS is kickass.  

[Ariel Yardena Davidson]

... i like this.


but what i'd like more is a copy of the other version of tomb of horrors 4e (i believe it's the rpga version?) to show up online gonk  

[Disciple of Sakura]

Psychofish

Long as we're talking 4e. 3.5 psionics broke games so hard.

Only when you're doing it wrong. 3.5 Psionics break games less hard than a core CoDzilla.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Disciple of Sakura

Psychofish

Long as we're talking 4e. 3.5 psionics broke games so hard.

Only when you're doing it wrong. 3.5 Psionics break games less hard than a core CoDzilla.

+1

Don't forget 3.5 is caster edition.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

I love Darksun setting. I tried to do a 3.5 one, but it didn't end well... didn't start well either.

It's a great setting for trying something different, and low magic (till you hit the OMG EPIC weapons)  

[Ariel Yardena Davidson]

Okay, could someone explain to me what specific classes are banned in Dark Sun Campaigns for 4e?  

[Arc Vembris]

Divine I think are the only banned classes, arcane is allowed but super-dangerous, and primal has some minor flavor shifts  

[SporkMaster5000]

Arc Vembris

Divine I think are the only banned classes, arcane is allowed but super-dangerous, and primal has some minor flavor shifts

pretty much this. artificers are a little inappropriate without a bit of refluffing. plus, in the end, it's all up to your DM, if he can find a way to make divine classes work without any gods, then there you go.