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3 years ago ::
Jun 07, 2010 - 7:01PM
#31
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Date Joined:
Feb 15, 2010
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Ok, now for my question to the author.
First, thank you. This is an adventure I am really looking forward to running. Haven written a smidgeon of LFR, I understand very well how hard it is to avoid errors and confusion. I can only imagine what it must be like for a project like this.
Now for my question:
Show
Is the decision to include goblins based on something you decided - either that goblins should exist or an oversight? Or is this from up high that DS now has goblins?
Previous lore had them gone for thousands of years after the champion Daskinor "Goblin Death" cleansed Athas of all goblins in 822 years. As I would assume cleansing to be confirmed via Rajaat, I was surprised to see them in the adventure.
I would like to know if it is official, so as to think about what change (if any) I want to do on my end. If official, I might leave it here and just change it away for my home campaigns. If unofficial, I will likely reskin them as halfling raiders.
Im not the the aurthor of course but I have heard that in the new edition of 4e that the crusades may have left a few scattered surviviors in the waste.
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3 years ago ::
Jun 07, 2010 - 9:30PM
#32
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- Dragon Slayer
- If only he would apply himself
- Dammit Jim, this is Star Trek, not D&D!
Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2006
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Im not the the aurthor of course but I have heard that in the new edition of 4e that the crusades may have left a few scattered surviviors in the waste.
Can you share the source? I can see a lot of fun in having a few cases, but it also seems a long shot due to the incredible powers and the length of time involved.
Follow my blog and Twitter feed with Dark Sun campaign design and DM tips! Dark Sun's Ashes of Athas Campaign is now available for home play (PM me with your e-mail to order the campaign adventures).
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3 years ago ::
Jun 07, 2010 - 9:39PM
#33
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Date Joined:
Feb 15, 2010
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Im not the the aurthor of course but I have heard that in the new edition of 4e that the crusades may have left a few scattered surviviors in the waste.
Can you share the source? I can see a lot of fun in having a few cases, but it also seems a long shot due to the incredible powers and the length of time involved.
various WotC guys at uncle's games where we do encounters at.
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 2:44AM
#34
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you may be able to aslo consider upon Rich Baker's comments regarding missing races during a podcast. without directly quoting, 'if you really want to pull it into Dark Sun, you can. the material is a greate framework, but doesn't have to be a straight jacket.' Spoiler:
Show
i agree that the fiction material and older material may have given clear guidelines that there are races that simply don't exist in this setting, but as the concepts of core material are placing a desire to have greater exchange of monsters, races, classes, and such, the DM will ultimately make their own thing of the setting.
my understanding is that the halflings might not respond in quite the same tactics as these goblins are taking with the party; it is much more foolish and prone to failure. I'm not sure that is a risk that the halflings would be willing to make, particularly if their own settlements are nearby. it could be that halflings don't like the other races, but still wouldn't want to attract that much attention.
i'm going to be using the goblins, but i'm certainly not using green-skinned and smelly; i'm going to be using my yellow goblin minis and considering these to be yellowed and tan goblinoids of some kind beaten by sand and wind to look like the desert basins, regardless of former lore. when i actually get the books and start a campaign, then i'll decide if and how goblins integrate.
i would suggest using elven raiders, or possibly ssurans--more siltrunners--if the goblins are that much of an immersion breaker. even if there are players that could recite the lore from earlier material, things simply change some over time.
another consideration is that if you do go on to play the setting, but allow halflings as a PC race, you've possibly got some players with a chip on their shoulder about halflings. momentarily, it might be better to offer a different antagonist.
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 8:51AM
#35
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Date Joined:
Aug 23, 2007
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Ok, now for my question to the author.
First, thank you. This is an adventure I am really looking forward to running. Haven written a smidgeon of LFR, I understand very well how hard it is to avoid errors and confusion. I can only imagine what it must be like for a project like this.
Now for my question:
Show
Is the decision to include goblins based on something you decided - either that goblins should exist or an oversight? Or is this from up high that DS now has goblins?
Previous lore had them gone for thousands of years after the champion Daskinor "Goblin Death" cleansed Athas of all goblins in 822 years. As I would assume cleansing to be confirmed via Rajaat, I was surprised to see them in the adventure.
I would like to know if it is official, so as to think about what change (if any) I want to do on my end. If official, I might leave it here and just change it away for my home campaigns. If unofficial, I will likely reskin them as halfling raiders.
And my responses:
Spoiler:
Show
Goblins: My decision to include "goblins" was purely technical. I meant to describe them as desert sand people rather than straight-up D&D-style goblins, but i missed this in the final round of editing. Feel free to reskin them as small desert sand people instead of goblins if that makes you more comfortable.
I would refrain from reskining them as halflings. You'll see why. 
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 10:24AM
#36
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Date Joined:
Jul 17, 2003
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Some of the monsters included in this season's D&D Encounters campaign might not have traditionally been Dark Sun monsters, but more will be explained in the books when they are released.
Certainly, if you see a monster in Fury of the Wastewalker, it's not completely disappeared from the world. They might be much more rare than on a standard D&D world, though.
Chris Tulach
D&D Program Manager
Wizards of the Coast
http://community.wizards.com/wotc_tulach
http://twitter.com/christulach
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 10:44AM
#37
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- Dragon Slayer
- If only he would apply himself
- Dammit Jim, this is Star Trek, not D&D!
Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2006
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On the above topic of reskinning:
Show
Cool, sand people works well.
DanTracker, keep in mind halflings are cannibalistic towards other sentient races. They really should be feared. PCs with a thri-kreen in their party, and especially with a halfling, should really be looking over their shoulder. That doesn't mean PC-vs-PC, just RPing the reaction. Halfling raiders can work - if they are hungry enough then they will be desperate and their feral side and yet wise side can be the shiftyness of goblins. Any race has good and evil, to some extent.
Follow my blog and Twitter feed with Dark Sun campaign design and DM tips! Dark Sun's Ashes of Athas Campaign is now available for home play (PM me with your e-mail to order the campaign adventures).
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 8:34PM
#38
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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Some of the monsters included in this season's D&D Encounters campaign might not have traditionally been Dark Sun monsters, but more will be explained in the books when they are released.
Certainly, if you see a monster in Fury of the Wastewalker, it's not completely disappeared from the world. They might be much more rare than on a standard D&D world, though.
(Reposted from a different thread)
I'm always a big fan of "what is" as opposed to "what was" in terms of a new, or re-newed, campaign settings. That said there are some ways a DM can work a particular monster to make it feel more Dark Sun -ish
Spoiler:
Show
Don't call the goblins goblins at all! Make up a cool decription of something else, or at least flavor them differently.
"A tribe of small dusty skinned creatures emerge from atop the badlands. Their skin looks dried and scaley, giving them the appearance of wind beaten rock. Their beady black eyes peer out at you hidden behind bone armor arranged to make them appear as skeletons. Their trappings seemingly more ceremonial than practical. Two creatures have odd fins attacked to their legs."
You could easily call the race Sandlings and give historic details similar to the goblin race, but time in the sun blasted wastes of Athas have changed them. These are the poor surviving species of a once far more numerous race.
That all being said, I always hate retconning history of the books. Normally I'd say, "Hey, its a new D&D. Why exclude something? Goblins are fun!" However in this case Dark Sun has taken the 1st step and its a big one: No Divine Classes! If we can overlook that as world flavor so to can we abide by the races Champions erradiation of several races. Spoiler:
Show
An alternative take is that some mad wizard out there is toying with the decesed races... Plot Hooks! Wooohoooo!
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 8:47PM
#39
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Date Joined:
Dec 11, 2009
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This... On the above topic of reskinning:
Show
Cool, sand people works well.
DanTracker, keep in mind halflings are cannibalistic towards other sentient races. They really should be feared. PCs with a thri-kreen in their party, and especially with a halfling, should really be looking over their shoulder. That doesn't mean PC-vs-PC, just RPing the reaction. Halfling raiders can work - if they are hungry enough then they will be desperate and their feral side and yet wise side can be the shiftyness of goblins. Any race has good and evil, to some extent.
...is what I'll be doing as well. Mostly for shock value :P
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3 years ago ::
Jun 08, 2010 - 9:10PM
#40
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Date Joined:
Aug 23, 2007
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This...
On the above topic of reskinning:
Show
Cool, sand people works well.
DanTracker, keep in mind halflings are cannibalistic towards other sentient races. They really should be feared. PCs with a thri-kreen in their party, and especially with a halfling, should really be looking over their shoulder. That doesn't mean PC-vs-PC, just RPing the reaction. Halfling raiders can work - if they are hungry enough then they will be desperate and their feral side and yet wise side can be the shiftyness of goblins. Any race has good and evil, to some extent.
...is what I'll be doing as well. Mostly for shock value :P
Again, I would strongly encourage you NOT to do this. All will be revealed in time.
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