It is with considerable regret that I have at long last settled to largely sideline many of the innovations introduced by Bill Slavicsek’s Expanded and Revised Dark Sun setting boxed set, which I typically refer to as “2nd Box”. I remember seeing it on the shelves for the first time and buying it with eager anticipation. Even then, I was a little off put by its style, presentation, and even some of its innovations, but my hunger for more Dark Sun quickly overcame these then mild criticisms.
Now, decades on, I am at last accepting to largely sideline 2nd Box. In reality, I have been for some time, but now this determination has crystallized into my policy. Whatever TSR’s reasons, I think the decision to take the helming of the campaign away from its original designers (Denning, Brown, Baker, Connors, King) and give it to an entirely new team led by Slavicsek was most unfortunate. This decision led to an awkward and inchoate turn in the campaign setting, devolving quality, thoughtfulness and game design, as well as an unwelcomed change in tone. Brom was out for some reason, as well as Baxa, and instead softer and friendlier art introduced us to a more PC world.
Again, my rejections of 2nd Box are fairly sad for me. We all were dazzled by the hope of Oronis, mystified by Daskinor, wondered at the Kreen Empire, and imagined the terrifically challenging campaigns to be had in the Dead Lands. And many of us have put such effort and dedication to making these new areas come alive. Just this morning I was marveling at the great care the team put into forging Secrets of the Dead Lands. Such richness, depth, dedication to quality. It makes me somewhat crossly wish to ask Slavicsek and his team: why couldn’t you put such dedication to quality in what you actually published?
Specifically, aside from above, what are my issues with 2nd Box? Well, most of you DS veterans who are honest should know to some degree without my listing them. But here’s a short collection, machine gun style:
- The Way of the Psionicist: Emblematic of the issue with the entire 2nd Box, though good in theory, the rules just flat out don’t work for psionic combat. Have you ever tried them? It gives the defender the far more superior position, to the point of making it hardly worth attacking. Though the booklet is great in allowing psionics to be easier the higher level you get, many of the power adjustments and PSP calculations were half-baked. Though I have adopted the general theory from this pamphlet, I have had to make major adjustments to make it work at all, and have to forge my own eternally in-progress psionic rules catalog. The unfinished and clearly un-playtested nature of this booklet was not appreciated.
- Oronis and Kurn: Oronis and Kurn do not make sense in context of the Dragon, his Levy and the events of the Prism Pentad. Oronis was clearly added after the fact as a retcon. To make it make sense, eleborate reframing or added backstory is required, as is the case with so much of 2nd Box.
- The Dead Lands are Larger than the Tyr Region, etc.: I am loathe to critique an element of 2nd Box which many clearly dedicated great energy and time into, but the Dead Lands is an awkward super sub-setting for me. Its immense size itself is perhaps the greatest problem set. It takes away an enormous swathe of territory to explore. A more circumspect super-hard area for adventure with bug-undead and para-liches would be fascinating, but a sprawling sub-continent of obsidian seemingly larger than the Tyr Region is too much. No one but high-level adventurers could believably be expected to survive there. And why would you go there? What reason would you have to explore and conquer such a place. Seemingly no chance for food or water. No followers to gather and build a realm. Just death and eternal hardship. Further, in the millennia since the Black Tide issued forth, surely nature and the elements would have broken up much of the Obsidian Plains. Like much of my complaints about 2nd Box, I do not intend to eliminate the Obsidian Plains altogether, but I do intend to circumscribe its extend to a rather radical degree, to make room for more deserts and living places for players to explore. A lot of the developed lore for the Ulyan realms can be ported over to non-obsidian overwhelmed lands, opening possible life up for the South. Before 2nd Box, a few references were made to empty deserts to the South. The Dead Lands took too much away from this. I want it back. And obsidian was a little more precious once in Urik, etc. Infinite obsidian was excessive. I would make much of it due to other forms of volcanic effluence, and much of which by now would have cracked and opened to living land, I would think.
- The Bandit States Are Silly, and as if Designed by a 13-Year Old
- The Given Populations of the City-States Are Silly, and cannot support the size of armies suggested by 1st Box and the Prism Pentad
I could go on, but I shall refrain. I will admit I will likely be retaining much of what 2nd Box has proposed, but it will be may way, my tone, and reframed to make sense, and otherwise be more mature, believable and interesting (to me anyway). Too much mystery was lost with 2nd Box, and I want to bring much of that back. Too much was not very well thought out, or was otherwise inchoate with 2nd Box, forcing serious players to iron out significant problems and provide relevant details that were papered over with an air of indifference. It didn’t matter that Oronis did not make much sense… it was important that an avangion sorcerer-king was cool. Well, if I must have him (and it seems I must?..), I will make him my way, so he makes sense, and does not embarrass more mature players and DMs.
The greatest part about 2nd Box was of course the cloth map. That was awesome, and deserves to be frame if you have it. And the best part about it was that it was just the original map from 1st Box.
We should have known something was off when Brom’s art did not cover 2nd Box.
