More Dark SUn tidbits by Rich Baker

[Barcode]

Not really. Everyone on the fourm already said everything that was going to be said on the previous thread.

When has that ever stopped anyone? This community thrives on people's propensity to interject how much they hate something into every conversation about that thing. And to identify every bit of information about a thing as further evidence of that thing sucking.

 

[Dausuul]

Which is really no different than 2e Dark Sun, which required you to have the Psionics Book.

True dat. At least 4E Dark Sun will probably be playable without PHB3.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I'm really disappointed that there's been word on half-giants in the setting as a charachter race. Goliaths just don't cut it.

Just curious, but where do you think goliaths fall short?

Not sure I agree with this. You don't have to be a mul or a thri-kreen to play in Dark Sun, any more than you have to be a shifter (PHB2) to play in Eberron.

Psionics are a big part of DS; as far as I know, though, they aren't putting the psionic classes in the Dark Sun rulebook. Is that not also asinine and mean-spirited? But if they did put them in the DS book, wouldn't it be asinine and mean-spirited to force players to buy Dark Sun in order to play monks?

Bottom line, you're really going to need PHB3 to get the most out of Dark Sun. No way around it. They might as well put the muls and thri-kreen there along with the psionicists, and free up space in the Player's Guide.

It should be noted, too, that both thri-kreen and psionics have been around well before Dark Sun. Dark Sun just happens to be the setting that shined a spotlight on both.

The designers have to ask themselves questions about where to put all this stuff. Where does it make the most sense? Having psionics in PHB3 and releasing Dark Sun around the same time is a no-brainer. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Psionics, as a power source, belongs in a PHB, which in turn leaves more room for setting info in the DS player's guide. Plus, psionics is useful for any number of worlds, like Eberron.

Thri-kreen, on the other hand, could be either PHB3 or the DS player's guide. Though they were around prior to Dark Sun, they became an iconic race of the setting, so that's where they shine the best.

There isn't exactly a right or wrong. Just themes, and some educated guesswork.

 

[CelticMutt]

If there is a Dark Sun race in the PHB3, there will only be one. The book is confirmed to have only 4 races, and we already know 3 of them.

But I doubt a DS race will be in it. I'm still expecting Gnolls to be there, updated from their Dragon article the way the Minotaurs will be.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I forgot to say this before, but did anyone else notice that Mouseferatu is one of the design team? I said this in another DS thread, but that's really good news for me.

Ugh, that sounds awful. That Mouseferatu guy is a hack.

Why can't they hire someone decent like Ari Marnell or so?

 

[Danzauker]

Just curious, but where do you think goliaths fall short?

Well, IMHO they fall short beacuse they... are short (ugh).

HG in the original material were iconically big. I don't think any race smaller than Large can give me the same feel. The same happened with the 3e rendition of HG. They didn't feel right to me.

Goliaths could be nice "quarter-giants", but not HG. Sort of the relationship that existed in 3e between half-fiends and tieflings. Diluted blood, more interbreeding, and such. But no more.

If I can't have a playable, balanced PC race of Large Half-Giants, I'd rather really only have them as a monster race and use them as the sorcerer-kings' bodyguards, like I almost always did.

I'd prefer to save the feeling of the setting than having a PC race more.

 

[Wik]

Well, IMHO they fall short beacuse they... are short (ugh).

HG in the original material were iconically big. I don't think any race smaller than Large can give me the same feel. The same happened with the 3e rendition of HG. They didn't feel right to me.

Goliaths could be nice "quarter-giants", but not HG. Sort of the relationship that existed in 3e between half-fiends and tieflings. Diluted blood, more interbreeding, and such. But no more.

If I can't have a playable, balanced PC race of Large Half-Giants, I'd rather really only have them as a monster race and use them as the sorcerer-kings' bodyguards, like I almost always did.

I'd prefer to save the feeling of the setting than having a PC race more.

Well, a large PC race is never gonna happen - and it'd be murder to have it happen. You'd be much easier to flank, but a lot of your "close burst 1" powers would be overkill. It really messes with the system.

Of course, I don't really see much of a problem with medium-size half-giants that act like they're large. Minotaurs are no different in the current game. Make them about eight, nine feet tall, but they take up the space of a medium creature. Remember, in 2e, there was no battle grid, and half-giants, while large, didn't really take up the space of a large creature in most games I've seen (because space wasn't really much of an issue).

Personally, I think Dark Sun needs half-giants as a playable race - they're one of the iconics, along with muls and thri-kreen.

I'd make 'em pretty simple - +2 Strength and Constitution, and give them a power that lets them deal an additional 1[w] damage on an attack... and a power that gives them reach (to simulat their large size) once per encounter. They'll deal extra damage because they can use large-size weapons. You'll quickly get a good half-giant feel, right there.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Ugh, that sounds awful. That Mouseferatu guy is a hack.

Why can't they hire someone decent like Ari Marnell or so?

Scheduling conflicts.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

It must be difficult for an artist or writer with multiple personality disorder.

"Sorry, I can't that month. My other self is writing Kirk/Spock fanfic then. No, that doesn't pay the bills, why do you ask?"
"When I proposed this novel last year I was a different personality! I have no idea how to write the ending I had in mind, and the guy usually only emerges in response to Christmas! And the editor expects my final draft this July! And all other personalities are currently going through writer's block, except the analphabet!"

 

[Hadrian the Builder]

Just curious, but where do you think goliaths fall short?

At a minimum, Half-Giants had the iconic "Stomp" power and psionic aptitude.