Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Dark Sun IS NOT Problematic.

Contrary to the opinion of a corporate tool Dark Sun is not problematic.  

Dark Sun is a Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting first published by TSR for the 2nd edition AD&D game back in 1991. The setting is bleak the world is all but absolutely destroyed by the actions of a handful of monsters bent on bleeding the world absolutely dry for their own individual power. The evil that has utterly wracked the setting stands virtually unopposed in a shattered ecology where the tropes and character types of D&D have been forced into shadows or mirror reflections of what they are elsewhere in RPG-land. The only real choice players have for success against the future planned by the villains of the setting is to survive by rebelling and uniting against the systems of oppression and destruction forced on them by a handful of greedy power-mad individuals.

The only enduring path for the PCS in Dark Sun is absolute heroism in an unforgiving setting bent against them. Nobody will be on the PCs side if the PCs fail to unite and find allies to stand against the selfish greed that would consume all. In Dark Sun PCs aren't heroes because of their alignment, character class and background... all of those choices have been twisted and polluted by the forces that would destroy the world in the Dark Sun setting as the only thing that makes a hero is the actions and deeds of the PC.  Players aren't heroes because of the initial decisions and choices the player makes at character creation but how they act in every encounter and situation that follows for the life of a campaign in the setting of Dark Sun.

Survival, transformation, and a constant challenge at every step make Dark Sun a remarkable Heroic RPG setting. Player choices will matter. Selfish choices will consume the world. PC actions are the only path forward to undo the greed of those who are and would be monsters.

Why oh why would corporate shills think a setting where people must unite against systems of oppression and ecological ruin imposed and maintained by a small powerful elite as problematic?

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