Miles.
Let me get this straight - you're gonna start a Dark sun campaign based on the information from the Dragon and Dungeon magazines? Wow... Brave soul.
Honestly, I think that the passing of articles back and forth goes against some copyright or regulation somewhere, even requesting it on this forum could be a "no-no" here. However, there is a solution I can present you. go to The Burnt World of Athas (athas.org) and check out their conversion of Dark Sun. It is just as official as the Dragon/Dungeon magazine version, however the Athas.org version captures the spirit of Dark Sun better, and is a free (legal) download.
Originally posted by Miles
Hey, I just got the newest Dungeon and Dragon magazines, and I've decided to start a Dark Sun campaign. The only thing is...I don't have the rules for defilers. So, does anyone have a copy of those rules from Dragon #315?
Miles.
Also, if you really want Dragon #315, most FLGSes or comic shops should still have it. Well, at least in my area, most of them have recent back issues of Dragon in stock, sometimes at a discount
Miles.
Look at both and see which one you like the best, no one is trying to stop you from doing just that.
Originally posted by Miles
You know, for a minute there, I nearly thought I was going to try something new and different. But, after being accused of trying to do something illegal (borrowing a magazine), and then told that what I'm doing is worthless anyway, I think I'll just scrap the entire idea. I mean, really, what's the point in trying something new, anyway?
Miles.
What Nyt said And further, look at my post as more of a friendly community reminder, rather than an accusation. I'm not accusing you of anything However, the way you posted your first message was vague enough to cause suspicion. Plus, the idea of borrowing a Magazine through the internet is kinda hard to swallow, it's not like there's many of us near you
However, as Nyt mentioned - check out the athasorg write-up The folks there have done an excllent job with releasing official Dark Sun material that *gasp* is free to download, without needing to be on "the great Magazine hunt". If you want to do Dark Sun, why not look at all the material there is (Athas.org & Dragon/Dungeon), then decide for yourself?
Seriously, though, no one here is attacking you. If you want to check out the official Dark Sun 3.5 material, go to www.athas.org for a complete, free, and higher-quality conversion than what was in Dragon.
What was printed in Dragon was not Dark Sun, it was Forgotten Realms: Desert Edition. It, in my opinion, completely missed the boat on anything and everything that is Dark Sun. Even the author who wrote the material disagreed strongly with what Dragon editors had done with the work.
I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but I really understand that guy's reaction. He probably didn't even know about dark sun before the magazines, but even if he did, he surely didn't know about athas.org's conversion, now would he know if its more accurate.
I never ran spelljammer, for instance. Now apparently, Dragon's conversion of that setting was equally not appealing to true spelljammer fans, and not that true to the setting (as is Dragon's Dark Sun conversion). Now, if I would have seen that conversion, I woud probably have thought it was ok (even though I'm quite web aware and probably would have checked the net for other stuff. However, that's not the case of everybody). I also would probably have used it to run the campaign.
Remember that aside from our little group, I really doubt many people use athas.org's conversion of Dark Sun. Really. I don't want to be mean, but when I go to Monte Cook's boards, or even here on the wizards boards, whenever something dark sun comes up, either people don't know about it much (aside from the name), or those that do don't know, or don't care, about athas.org's conversion. That point has come up before too. Dragon's conversion is now simply much more well known. Doesn't make it better (really, really not, BTW), but it does mean more people will adopt it than athas.org's.
And I'd also point out that if many people support athas.org's conversion so much here is mainly because they've ''grown'' with it. I've been here on and off for 2 years. I've even contributed for some minor aspects of the conversion, with ideas and such, and many of you have as well. Heck, many of you ARE athas.org! Of course, you're going to like, and care, for that conversion.
Anyways, if you wan't to sell your conversion to others, it might be good to be a bit less aggressive (even if I also found Dragon's conversion quite frustrating).
Oh, and I'd also point out I don't use athas.org's conversion, because I personally think there a lot that's wrong with it, and has not been done to my liking. However, I don't think I bash it here, or the people who use it.
Anyways, Miles, if your still there, you should still check out athas.org's stuff. Its a lot more complete than Dragon's, and IMO, a lot more accurate. In any case, you'll be able to decide which one you like the most, or make a blend of both conversions
Originally posted by Miles
You know, for a minute there, I nearly thought I was going to try something new and different. But, after being accused of trying to do something illegal (borrowing a magazine), and then told that what I'm doing is worthless anyway, I think I'll just scrap the entire idea. I mean, really, what's the point in trying something new, anyway?
Miles.
Sorry if I sounded harsh Miles. It's because the stuff from Dragon mag as been done to be as tied as possible to the core D&D which remove a lot of the flavor. In athas, there is no beared dwarf and no beefy warrior with shiny metal armor... Dragon mag just as put darksun to create a D&D Desert rules.
Like Shei said, it's a lot more complete than Dragon's, and IMO, a lot more accurate.
Originally posted by Shei-Nad
Guys, and specifically Xlorep and Grummore, you do sound quite aggressive towards the Dragon conversion, seriously.
Well... I am a bit agressively against the Dragon/Dungeon conversion. It was just...so...wrong. As I've said before it isn't really Dark Sun, but a Bizarro version of Athas, where Dwarves have beards & worship the Sorcerer-Monarchs, where Elves are short, Half-Giants are closer to being a Mul than a real Half-Giant, Templars are just Clerics, and Clerics aren't all that special either. Sorcerers pretend to be Wizards to avoid being killed, And Bards are happy-go-lucky people with spells but not poisons. That isn't Dark Sun at all.
I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but I really understand that guy's reaction. He probably didn't even know about dark sun before the magazines, but even if he did, he surely didn't know about athas.org's conversion, now would he know if its more accurate.
I understand where he's coming from too - which is why I put my second post there
Anyways, Miles, if your still there, you should still check out athas.org's stuff. Its a lot more complete than Dragon's, and IMO, a lot more accurate. In any case, you'll be able to decide which one you like the most, or make a blend of both conversions
My point in a nutshell.