Article: 4th Edition Dark Sun: Thoughts from a Playtester / Reviewer

[arjomanes]

I was a huge fan of AD&D Dark Sun and I'm really excited about it in 4th edition. I really enjoy playing 4e and I'm very excited that WotC made the decision to revive my favorite D&D setting. All fans of Dark Sun should be glad that the company is investing in the setting, updating it to their latest rules system, and republishing the Prism Pentad novels. I hope the gaming community rewards their investment in the setting and encourages them to continue some of their best settings.

Now having said, I can see no reason why those who like other systems can't adapt the setting to their preferred game. I can see Dark Sun being adapted to the Burning Wheel system, for instance, where combat is rarer and deadlier. It would take some work integrating psionics into the game, but outside of that it should be pretty straight-forward. Maybe there's stuff on the interwebs where people have already tried that.

Failing that, you can always run an AD&D 2e game. And of course there's all the awesome work the people at athas.org did.

[bauldah]

i was just wondering if there will be any world info for regions outside of the tyr region? like whats past the silt sea? west of the hinterlands and beyond the kreen empire? ive exhausted all of my 2ed materials on this world and ive left my players craving more. i love this setting and will be over joyed if they expand the world more ...

[Matt James]

Bauldah, any content like that will probably show up as a DDI article to support the base setting. I would keep an eye out for such content as the campaign grows older but I agree that it would be cool to see some information on those extended areas.

[DARKSUN]

4e has totally destroyed what I held sacred! Golliaths as Half-giants? Tieflings on Athas? Really? What the hell is going on here! Athas did not need tis kind of re-vamp, it is perfectly fine the way www.athas.org converted it to 3.5e rues. I have been gaming it for years, but I recently converted to PATHFINDER rules and its' working out even better! I am currently running a PATHFINDER Dark Sun campaign, check out the campaign blog!

http://darksunchrono.blogspot.com/

4E is a unique/fun-ish system, don't get me wrong--its' just not D&D...its more ike ADHD & D!

[kirksmithicus]

ADHD&D? well as a person with ADHD, I knew there was a reason I liked this game. BTW, 3.5e and Pathfinder aren't D&D either, but they are unique/fun-ish games.

[Fezzik]

Dark Sun is an awesome world full of grit, grime, the fearful as well as the feared. Life is a much different when you're just trying to get enough water to make it through the day.

www.athas.org has done a great job on the 3.5 work and if you are cringing at the thought of going to 4.0, you should take a look at it. They also have great resources available for both 3.5 and 4.0.

www.digitalwanderer.net/darksun/ is an awesome map of Athas, and I suggest it for any player or GM.

I love Athas, just wish that they'd done it for 3.5.