So wizards is playtesting the following: “Get ready for the end of a world with the latest innovations from the D&D Game Design Team! This document presents four new subclasses for the Druid (Circle of Preservation), Fighter (Gladiator), Sorcerer (Defiled Sorcery), and Warlock (Sorcerer-King Patron). The material uses the rules in the Player’s Handbook.”
Yes, it does require a specific class. More accurately, it requires enough levels of psion and wizard both before you can enact the ritual required to begin the transformation, which has ten levels itself to complete.
There are slight differences between the 2e and 3e rules and methods.
Umm, no, becoming a 3.Xe Athasian dragon requires levels of wizard and psion. “Sorcerer King” is only a narrative concept and is not mechanically constrained or defined.
Huh weird. I thought all the SKs had levels in the ritual transformation into dragon.
Let me check 2e…
Yup, even there they have levels: 21-30.
I think I see what you are trying to say, but I disagree with your conclusion.
In my view, since all SKs are Dragons (in various stages), and all dragons are (or were) SKs, then trying to claim it is narrative and not mechanically defined - is rather pointless.
Dragons are mechanically defined, and since all SKs to my knowledge are in various stages of dragon metamorphosis, then that’s effectively the same thing rules wise.
Anyway, I side tracked the topic, apologies. I hope they don’t try to do 5e Dark Sun.
Its not - we see several dragons in various stories or adventures who aren’t/presumably weren’t SKs (Farcluun, anyone?), so while i agree that they’re linked, all dragons aren’t sorcerer kings.
I don’t necessarily agree fully with Ral.of.Tyr’s position, but he makes a fair point - its definitely an open question in the lore. We had to grapple a bit with this question when working on the upcoming Anattan gazetteer (we sidestepped the issue for another day), but the answer clearly isn’t simply a matter of game mechanics.
When I first got the box-set in spring, of '92, there was no mention of Dragon-Kings; just stated that Sorcerer-Kings ruled each city-state. I do like the Dragon-Kings book as that’s one of my favourite books, but, I do like the OG box-set.
I’m not sure what they intend, I tend to think a Dark Sun adjacent setting would be more likely to be in the works for more creative freedom and less risk of a pissed fanbase.
As for the multiple dragons existing, it makes a lot of sense that they’re why Athas has continued to be degraded so much even after the SKs settled down