Dark Sun Setting

[Jagannath]

Hiya Folks,

I've got a question for the hive mind:

I'm always looking for settings that are set in the desert - I don't enjoy making terrain (though I really like good terrain) so always looking for as many ways as possible to reuse my desert terrain and board.

One of those is the DnD setting Dark Sun. Can anyone who knows their stuff tell me wht book(s) I should get hold of if all i want is ideas for the background of the setting (i.e. not rules stuff).

I was thinking this:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/17169/Dark-Sun-Boxed-Set-2e?it=1

but some reviews seem to suggest that there's a massive amount of background in there - is there a better buy out there?

[Spooktalker]

I wrote out an answer and glad I double-checked, as I was a bit off-base, so revising here.

There is the box set, then the revised campaign setting. I think you want the latter: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/17203/Dark-Sun-Campaign-Setting-Expanded-and-Revised-Edition-2e?it=1

There is also the 4e book to consider, but my vote would be the one above.

There are some more specific setting books such as the The Ivory Triangle and City by the Silt Sea, but unless you really prefer to start zoomed in and without the full context of the mileau, one of those should be a second purchase, provided you are still into it after getting through the box set. I mean, we're talking $10 per book or box, not a big investment.  

For the the revised campaign setting has three books. Here is the table of contents from books 1 and 2. The third book is a short one on psionics.

Book 1: The Wanderer's Chronicle

Introduction
.......................................................... 4
About This Revision...........................................4
Who Is the Wanderer? ...........................................
6
Chapter 1: The Nature of the World ........................................ 7
A History of Athas .................................................. 9
The Blue Age ................................................... 9
The Rebirth ................................................. 10
The Green Age ................................................ 11
The Time of Magic ............................................. 12
The Cleansing Wars............................................. 13
The Age of the Sorcerer-Kings ..................................... 14
The Decade of Heroism.......................................... 14
Champions and Sorcerer-Kings.......................................... 15
Supernatural Forces..........................................16
Priestly Magic 16
Wizardly Magic
..........................................
17
Psionics
..................................................... 18
Natural Forces .............................................. 19
A Barren World ............................................. 19
The Lack of Metal 20
Changes in the Land
................................................
20
The Races of Athas
...........................................
22
Aarakocra ................................................. 22
Dwarves 22
Elves
..................................................
23
Half-Elves .................................................... 24
Half-Giants .................................................. 24
Halflings ...........................................
..................................................
25
Humans 26
Muls .................................................................... 26
........................................ Pterrans
.......................................................................
27
Thri-Kreen 28
Chapter 2: The Tyr Region............................................. 29
Culture ............................................. 29
Geography............................................. 31
The Silt Sea ............................................. 31
The Tablelands.............................................33
The Ringing Mountains....................................... 38
The Hinterlands............................................. 42
The City-States............................................. 44
Tyr ............................................. 46
Urik 51
Raam
.............................................................................................
53
Draj
......................................................
............................................................................... 57
Nibenay............................................. 59
Gulg............................................. 61
Balic............................................. 64
The Villages............................................. 66
Altaruk............................................. 67
Cromlin .................................................... 67
Hidden Village ................................................ 67
North and South Ledopolus..................................... 67
Ogo....................................................... 67
SaltView 68 .............................................
W alis 68 .............................................
Other Points of Interest............................................. 68
Silver Spring Oasis 6 8 .............................................
Grak’sPoolOasis.............................................68
Islands of the Forked Tongue Estuary ............................................. 68
Kalidnay Ruins ................................................ 69
Bodach Ruins ............................................... 69
The Pristine Tower .............................................. 69
Giustenal Ruins ............................................... 69
Dragon’s Bowl ................................................70
Black Sand Region ............................................. 70
Estuary of the Forked Tongue .................................... 70
Currency of the Region ............................................. 70
Chapter 3: The Jagged Cliffs Region ....................................... 72
Culture ........................................................ 72
Geography ..................................................... 73
The Silt Sea .................................
The Barrier Wastes ............................................. 74
The Jagged Cliffs ............................................. 76
The Scorched Plateau ........................................... 82
The Crimson Savanna ........................................... 84
The Lost City-States ................................................ 88
Kurn ................................................ 88
Eldaarich ................................................ 92
The Last Sea ................................................ 95
Saragar ....................................................... 95
Thamasku ...................................................... 99
The Kreen Empire ................................................ 100
G’lathuk Society .............................................. 101
Current Endeavors 102
The Bandit States...............................................
............................................
103
Villages and Tribes of the Barrier Wastes.......................................... 103
Other Points of Interest............................................ 105
Nexus .................................................... 105
Pyreen Grove.............................................. 106
Godshold .................................................. 107
Winter Nest ................................................ 107
Chapter 4: Beyond the Tyr Region ........................................ 109
Culture ....................................................... 110
Geography .................................................... 110
East of the Tyr Region ........................................ 110
West of the Tyr Region.......................................... 110
South of the Tyr Region ......................................... 111
Eastern Locations ................................................ 111
Ket
TheRoad of Fire
................................................ 111
.............................................. 111
Shault ............................................
The Mountains of the Sun
112
........................................... 112
The Silt Archipelago ........................................... 112
The Valley of the Cerulean Storm ................................. 113
W estern Locations................................................ 114
Pterran Vale and Lost Scale ...................................... 114
The Great Rift............................................
Si’jidzak
115
............................................ 115
Southern Locations ............................................... 116
Celik ............................................ 116
Durg’sPuddle .............................................. 117
Last Drink ............................................ 117
The Crimson Monolith............................................ 117
The Dead Land............................................ 120
Small Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  120
The City of a Thousand Dead .................................... 121
Chapter 5: Monsters of Athas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  122
Animal, Domestic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  123
Erdlu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Inix ............................................ 123
Kank ............................................ 124
Mekillot............................................ 124
Dregoth, the Undead Dragon King............................................ 125
Giant, Athasian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Beasthead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Desert............................................ 128
Plains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

[Spooktalker]

Book 2: Age of Heroes


As you'll see here, there is a lot of setting-specific info baked in here along with the crunch.

Chapter 1: Creating Characters ..........................................
Product Summary sidebar ..........................................................
The Ability Scores .............................................................................
Strength Scores ............................................................................
Constitution Scores .........................................................................
Intelligence Scores .........................................................................
Wisdom Scores .........................................................................
Rolling Ability Scores.........................................................................
Racial Overview...............................................................................
Minimum and Maximum Ability Scores.........................................................................
Racial Ability Adjustments.........................................................................
Class Restrictions and Level Limits...............
Languages ...............................................................................
Other Racial Characteristics ..................................................................
Player Character Races ..........................................................................
Aarakocra ..........................................................
Dwarves.........................................................................
Elves .........................................................................
Half-Elves ...............................................................................
Half-Giants.........................................................................
Halflings .........................................................................

Humans ...................................
Muls .....................................
Pterrans ...................................
Thri-Kreen .................................
Class Overview .................................
Class Ability Score Requirements ................
Creating New Characters ......................
Starting Level ............................
Starting Hit Points ........................
Starting Proficiencies ......................
Starting Money ..........................
Multiclass Player Characters.................
Nonplayer Characters .....................
Alignment .................................
Severe Desperation Rule (Optional) sidebar..................................
Warrior Class........................................................................
Fighter
Gladiator
Ranger ....................................
Wizard Class...................................
Defiler
Preserver ....................................................................
Game Effects of Preserving and Defiling Magic sidebar
Priest Class ....................................
Cleric
Druid
Rogue Class
Bard ........................................................................
Thief .....................................
Trader ....................................
Psionicist Class
Psionicist
Dual- and Multiclass Characters .....................
Character Trees (Optional) .........................
Chapter 2: Proficiencies..............................
Proficient and Specialized Use sidebar ................
Weapon Proficiencies ............................
Nonweapon Proficiencies .........................
Armor Optimization ..........................
Bargain ...................................
Bureaucracy ................................
Contact ...................................
Heat Protection
Information Gathering
Mental Armor...............................
Psionic Detection ............................
Sign Language ..............................
Somatic Concealment .......................................................... 48
Tactics ......................................................... 49
Water Find.......................................................... 49
W eapon improvisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Using Existing Proficiencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Using the Survival Proficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Chapter 3: Money and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
What Things Are Worth sidebar.......................................................... 51
Starting Money 51 ..........................................................
Monetary Systems.......................................................... 52
Coin 52 ..........................................................
Barter .......................................................... 52
Service.......................................................... 53
The Merchants’ Code.......................................................... 54
Weapons.......................................................... 54
Armor.......................................................... 57
Piecemeal Armor.......................................................... 57
Equipment 59 ..........................................................
Chapter 4: Magic and Spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Holy Elements sidebar 61 ..........................................................
Priestly Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
First-Level Priest Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Second-Level Priest Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Third-Level Priest Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64
Fourth-Level Priest Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fifth-Level Priest Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Sixth-Level Priest Spell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Wizardly Magic . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
First-Level Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Second-Level Wizard Spells . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Third-Level Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Fourth-Level Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Fifth-Level Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Sixth-Level Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2
Eighth-Level Wizard Spell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Magical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  73
Potions and Oils , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Scrolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  74
Rings, Rods, Staves, Wands, and Miscellaneous Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Armor and Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
Trees of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
Chapter 5: Experience and Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Story Awards sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Role-Playing Awards . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Treasure Awards 82 ..........................................................
Coins 82 ..........................................................
Gems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Objects of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  83
Magical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Chapter 6: Combat ...................................................... 84
Hovering at Death’s Door sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Arena Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Stables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Athasian Undead Combat 86 ..........................................................
Turning and Controlling Undead.......................................................... 87
Chapter 7: Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Where Monsters Come From sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Wizard, Priest, and Psionicist Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  88
City-State Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Monster Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Wilderness Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 8: DM Material . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Typical Administrative Templar Positions sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Nonplayer Characters .......................................................... 91
Templars .......................................................... 91
Spellcasters.......................................................... 92
Druids .......................................... 92
Athasian Time .......................................................... 93
Overland Movement.......................................................... 94
Mounted Overland Movement.......................................................... 95
Limits of Vision..........................................................95
Dehydration .......................................................... 95
Animals and Dehydration.......................................................... 96

[Jagannath]

Ah excellent, thanks for that - so those are the two books in the box set download I linked to too?

[Spooktalker]

@Jagannath : Oops, see my revised comments, I hope I fixed before you clicked buy! Turns out there are two campaign sets. The one you linked to does, I think, have less setting detail then the revised version I now have linked to above (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/17203/Dark-Sun-Campaign-Setting-Expanded-and-Revised-Edition-2e?it=1). << this one would have my vote. The box set you linked to does have a nice map with it, though. If you get really into Dark Sun, you might want both at some point.

[Hobby Services]

Don't bother buying books for fluff, even in pdf format.  This is 2017.  The internet exists to service obscure interests and nostalgia.  Thirty seconds on google turns up:

http://darksun.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Sun_Wiki

141 pages should be plenty, but if it isn't there's these

http://www.athas.org/

https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Canon:Dark_Sun

And of course reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/DarkSun/

and 1d4Chan

https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Dark_Sun

And there are more.

[steeldragon]

The Prism Pentad is a set of 5 novels in the Dark Sun universe that I’ve found very entertaining, maybe that’s an alternative too.

Andres