Needing Help - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Needing Help

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
May 07, 2004 0:30:37 Okay people, I've just downloaded the whole new DS from www.athas.org. I have a group of people of about 5-8 people, that are very new to Dark Sun. Does anyone have any suggestions or can offer me any help, I need some help on where to start them out.
#2
zombiegleemax
May 07, 2004 1:19:49 Depends where in the timeline you're starting them out. If you begin after Kalak's death, Tyr can offer a great place for the players to start, in that there are always challenges to keep the city free of the other SKs.

If you don't have any of the old DS material, you may want to look at getting the PDF file for the box set; it can be had for $5, a link to the site is included on the first page of athas.org's release. This will give you a lot of setting information.

If you don't have any access to the old DS products, and don't want to pay $5 for the box set PDF, you could download City State of Draj from athas.org, it has lots of detail for that city state. You could start your players off there.
#3
dawnstealer
May 07, 2004 10:26:18 If you've never GM'd Dark Sun before, start very small. Put them out in a small trade village or fort. Let them (and you) get used to the world. Dark Sun's about survival, so your "adventures" should be themed along that line.

There will be no "rescue the damsel from the dragon's clutches" adventures, for one. Most of the time, the players will simply be trying to live as they go from Point A to Point B.

If your players are used to other D&D worlds, another way to go is to have them play the first three levels or so in freedom, then have them captured by a sorcerer king and tossed into slavery. You can create loads of adventure arcs off of this idea and many Dark Sun adventures center on slavery and the drive for freedom.

Other ideas lie in escorting huge caravans from one city to another. This is a good way to start out because it does not require knowledge of a specific city and will give you some time to figure out the cities as that time approaches. Basically, these adventures will focus on keeping the beasties and tribes of ex-slaves away from the caravan and, of course, surviving. All you really need is the name of a trading house, a few NPCs, a "map" of the caravan and/or argosy, and some encounters along the way.
#4
jon_oracle_of_athas
May 07, 2004 13:11:41 Like Porkchops suggests, you can download City-State of Draj along with its companion adventure, Whispers of the Storm, from athas.org. The adventure should provide enough flavor to get you into the athasian mood.
#5
zombiegleemax
May 07, 2004 15:18:58 hm...

I would recommend to either let them start out in a minor trade or slave village, that is fairly unknown, or get some of the AD&D Dark Sun Stuff.

Another easy way would be to let them start out in the slave pens of one of the city-states, that still employ slave-work...
#6
jon_oracle_of_athas
May 08, 2004 12:33:19 http://www.athas.org/articles/dsgm.php

You might want to read the article "The Athasian GM" on athas.org. It contains some tips and advice on how to create the Athasian mood (subject to personal opinion of course).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax May 07, 2004 0:30:37	Okay people, I've just downloaded the whole new DS from www.athas.org. I have a group of people of about 5-8 people, that are very new to Dark Sun. Does anyone have any suggestions or can offer me any help, I need some help on where to start them out.
#2 zombiegleemax May 07, 2004 1:19:49	Depends where in the timeline you're starting them out. If you begin after Kalak's death, Tyr can offer a great place for the players to start, in that there are always challenges to keep the city free of the other SKs. If you don't have any of the old DS material, you may want to look at getting the PDF file for the box set; it can be had for $5, a link to the site is included on the first page of athas.org's release. This will give you a lot of setting information. If you don't have any access to the old DS products, and don't want to pay $5 for the box set PDF, you could download City State of Draj from athas.org, it has lots of detail for that city state. You could start your players off there.
#3 dawnstealer May 07, 2004 10:26:18	If you've never GM'd Dark Sun before, start very small. Put them out in a small trade village or fort. Let them (and you) get used to the world. Dark Sun's about survival, so your "adventures" should be themed along that line. There will be no "rescue the damsel from the dragon's clutches" adventures, for one. Most of the time, the players will simply be trying to live as they go from Point A to Point B. If your players are used to other D&D worlds, another way to go is to have them play the first three levels or so in freedom, then have them captured by a sorcerer king and tossed into slavery. You can create loads of adventure arcs off of this idea and many Dark Sun adventures center on slavery and the drive for freedom. Other ideas lie in escorting huge caravans from one city to another. This is a good way to start out because it does not require knowledge of a specific city and will give you some time to figure out the cities as that time approaches. Basically, these adventures will focus on keeping the beasties and tribes of ex-slaves away from the caravan and, of course, surviving. All you really need is the name of a trading house, a few NPCs, a "map" of the caravan and/or argosy, and some encounters along the way.
#4 jon_oracle_of_athas May 07, 2004 13:11:41	Like Porkchops suggests, you can download City-State of Draj along with its companion adventure, Whispers of the Storm, from athas.org. The adventure should provide enough flavor to get you into the athasian mood.
#5 zombiegleemax May 07, 2004 15:18:58	hm... I would recommend to either let them start out in a minor trade or slave village, that is fairly unknown, or get some of the AD&D Dark Sun Stuff. Another easy way would be to let them start out in the slave pens of one of the city-states, that still employ slave-work...
#6 jon_oracle_of_athas May 08, 2004 12:33:19	http://www.athas.org/articles/dsgm.php You might want to read the article "The Athasian GM" on athas.org. It contains some tips and advice on how to create the Athasian mood (subject to personal opinion of course).