Post-apocalyptic desert wastelands await
The Dark Sun setting is a barren landscape of endless deserts, rocky badlands, and salt flats. Originally introduced in the early 1990s, Dark Sun offers a bleak, post-apocalyptic world with diminished resources, few gods, and magic that corrupts the planet.
Unlike traditional settings such as the Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun presents a brutal environment where survival is key, and the use of arcane magic drains the land of its vitality. Technology is rare, magic is feared, and those who wield it are viewed with suspicion or outright hostility. This scarcity makes Dark Sun a world of struggle and scarcity, where characters must contend with tyrannical Sorcerer-Kings, deadly gladiatorial arenas, and the threat of constant starvation.
Why Choose Dark Sun for Your Campaign?
Dark Sun offers a unique tone and atmosphere for campaigns that diverge sharply from other settings’ more traditional high fantasy. The emphasis sits more with survival than grand adventure, the adventurers will start so ill equipped and lacking resources, large parts of a campaign will be spent just trying to stay alive.
Characters are often born into desperate circumstances, with water and food being more valuable than gold, and strength of will being more vital than birthright. The world is rife with corruption and power struggles, where even the “heroes” are forced to make morally gray decisions.
For Dungeon Masters, running a campaign in Dark Sun requires a distinct approach. The world’s harshness should permeate every aspect of the game, from combat encounters to role-playing interactions. Survival becomes a key theme, with players constantly dealing with threats like dehydration, starvation, and the relentless heat. Resources such as food, water, and shelter should be treated as precious, with scarcity driving many of the conflicts. Weapons are harder to find, a simple sword is very rare in Dark Sun and finding a simple piece of equipment could be a real milestone for the player.
Geography of Athas
Dark Sun is defined by its deserts. The once-lush world was ravaged by magic, leaving it a wasteland of endless dunes. The Tablelands are the most civilized region, home to the city-states ruled by Sorcerer-Kings, while the Sea of Silt is a vast, treacherous expanse of fine dust that behaves like water. The Ringing Mountains, to the west, are one of the few places where some greenery can still be found, though they are treacherous to traverse.
Notable Locations
Tyr: The most famous of Dark Sun’ city-states, known for its revolution against the tyrannical Sorcerer-King Kalak, which sparked a promise of freedom and hope. Tyr stands as a rare symbol of defiance, but liberty in a dying world proves fragile. Political factions, from former slaves to the merchant houses, fight for control, making Tyr a hotbed of intrigue, where alliances can be as fleeting as water. It offers opportunities for characters to shape the future of the city or fall victim to growing chaos.
Urik: Ruled by the relentless Sorcerer-King Hamanu, Urik is a militaristic city-state. Order is maintained through oppressive control, and its elite army is one of the most feared forces on Dark Sun. Life here is stifling, with any hint of rebellion swiftly crushed. Urik offers a setting for stories of political tension, strict enforcement of laws, and harsh punishments for dissenters, creating a stark contrast to Tyr’s shaky sense of freedom.
The Dead Lands: A desolate, ash-covered expanse where no life grows, the Dead Lands are home to necromantic horrors and undead creatures that shamble through the wasteland. These cursed plains stand as a harrowing reminder of the toll defiling magic has taken on Dark Sun. Exploring the Dead Lands presents an existential danger for adventurers, with the land itself seeming hungry for life. It’s a place suited for more harrowing campaigns where survival against the odds is the central theme.
Balic: A coastal city-state governed by the shrewd Sorcerer-King Andropinis, Balic maintains a veneer of democracy despite its tyrannical rule. It is known for its wealth and access to the Silt Sea, where trade flourishes, but political power is carefully manipulated. Balic offers players a setting rich with espionage, subterfuge, and complex intrigue, where the illusion of freedom hides a deeply controlled regime.
The Ringing Mountains: Towering mountain ranges that form a natural barrier on the edge of the Tyr region, the Ringing Mountains are home to hidden tribes and strange, isolated cultures. Despite their barren appearance, these mountains hold the last remnants of Dark Sun’ few green spaces. They serve as a frontier for explorers and those seeking refuge from the oppressive city-states. Campaigns set here may focus on wilderness survival, exploration, and the rare, delicate ecosystems that have managed to survive in the world’s harsh climate.
The Sea of Silt: A dangerous expanse of fine silt rather than water, the Sea of Silt dominates the horizon of Dark Sun. Navigating its treacherous landscape requires special magic or vehicles designed to “sail” the silt. Adventures here can explore themes of isolation, where the environment itself is a deadly foe, and ancient ruins lie buried beneath its ashen waves, holding untold secrets of a time before the world was ruined.
Key Historical Events
The Green Age: Long ago, Dark Sun was a verdant paradise, with lush forests, flowing rivers, and a thriving ecosystem. The Green Age was a time of peace and prosperity, where magic was first discovered. However, as defiling magic took root, the world began to deteriorate.
The Cleansing Wars: The downfall of the Green Age was precipitated by the Cleansing Wars, a series of genocidal conflicts that exterminated entire races, including Gnomes, Kobolds, Ogres and more. The wars left the world shattered, with much of its beauty and life stripped away, setting the stage for the Sorcerer-Kings’ rise to power.
The Age of Sorcerer-Kings: In the aftermath of the Cleansing Wars, powerful beings who wielded magic rose to rule over the surviving city-states. These Sorcerer-Kings govern with iron fists, drawing their power from the land and their people, and ruling as both tyrants and protectors.
Factions of Dark Sun
Sorcerer-Kings
The Sorcerer-Kings of Dark Sun are the most powerful figures in the setting. These immortal rulers control the city-states, acting as both despotic rulers and god-like figures to their subjects. Each King or Queen enforces their own brutal rule, harnessing magic that further devastates the environment.
- Kalak of Tyr: Before his downfall, Kalak was a ruthless tyrant who attempted to ascend to godhood, only to be overthrown by a rebellion. His death sparked a wave of change across Dark Sun.
- Hamanu of Urik: Known as the Lion of Urik, Hamanu is one of the strongest and most feared of the Sorcerer-Kings. He rules with strict discipline and demands loyalty from his subjects.
- Nibenay of Nibenay: A reclusive, paranoid ruler, Nibenay spends most of his time secluded in his vast library, researching new ways to expand his power.
The Veiled Alliance
The Veiled Alliance is a secret organization of preservers—magic users who refuse to defile the land. They work in the shadows to protect Dark Sun from defilers and the oppressive Sorcerer-Kings, though their work is dangerous and often met with brutal retaliation.
Themes and Campaign Ideas
Survival in a Wasteland
Survival is the core theme of Dark Sun. Players must contend with scarce resources, deadly creatures, and the constant threat of magical or natural disasters. Campaigns might focus on securing enough water or food to survive, or on outsmarting the desert’s many predators, both human and monstrous.
Rebellion Against Tyranny
The struggle against the Sorcerer-Kings is a major theme of Dark Sun. Characters might join a rebellion, or attempt to navigate the complex political intrigues within a city-state. Freedom is a rare commodity, and those who fight for it often pay the highest price.
The Corrupting Power of Magic
Magic in Dark Sun is a double-edged sword. While it can bring great power, defiling magic destroys the land, leaving it barren and lifeless. Characters who use magic must carefully weigh the cost of their power, as every spell could bring them one step closer to becoming a defiler.
Unique Races of Dark Sun
Dark Sun is home to a variety of races, many of which differ significantly from their counterparts in other Dungeons & Dragons settings. Scarce of resources, and corrupting influence of defiling magic have led to the evolution of some races, while entirely new species have developed too:
Thri-kreen
The insect-like Thri-kreen are one of Dark Sun’ most iconic races. Nomadic and survivalist by nature, they possess a natural affinity for the wilderness and often travel in packs. Their chitinous exoskeleton provides them with natural armor, and they are well-known for their remarkable speed and agility. Unlike other sentient races, Thri-kreen do not need to sleep, making them vigilant hunters and guardians. In campaigns, Thri-kreen often provide a unique perspective due to their alien physiology and mindset.
Mul
Muls are a unique race to Dark Sun, born from the forced breeding of humans and dwarves. They are incredibly tough and resilient, bred specifically for labor and combat in the brutal arenas of the Sorcerer-Kings. Muls are known for their stamina, able to work or fight for long periods without needing rest. Their resilience to pain and fatigue makes them formidable warriors in Dark Sun’ gladiatorial arenas and mercenary companies.
Half-Giants
Standing over 10 feet tall, Half-Giants are a relatively new race, magically engineered by the Sorcerer-Kings. They are known for their immense physical power but often struggle with identity, adopting the moral and ethical traits of those around them. This malleability can lead to unpredictable behavior, as they change personalities and loyalties based on their current surroundings. Though physically imposing, Half-Giants tend to lack sophistication and education, often seeing the world in simple terms of survival and power.
Changes to Established Races
Dark Sun’ harsh conditions have also significantly altered familiar races:
Elves
Elves on Dark Sun are vastly different from their traditional portrayal as mystical, long-lived forest dwellers. On Dark Sun, they are nomads, known for their endurance, speed, and cunning. They live in tightly-knit tribal communities, often engaging in thievery, raiding, and trade. Elves here are deeply distrustful of outsiders and rarely stay in one place for long, preferring a life on the move. They are less interested in the arcane and more focused on survival through physical prowess.
Dwarves
While they keep their characteristic resilience and focus, they have abandoned their connection to stonecraft and underground cities. Instead, dwarves in Dark Sun are known for their intense focus on a single task or goal, known as their “focus.” Once a dwarf dedicates themselves to a particular task, they will pursue it with unwavering determination, even at the cost of their lives. They are hairless and often work as laborers or builders in the city-states.
Halflings
Unlike the jovial, homebird halflings seen in other settings, Dark Sunian halflings are fierce, tribal hunters and cannibals. They live in remote jungle areas, where they guard the last vestiges of the world’s natural life. Halflings are feared and often misunderstood by other races, regarded as savages. In truth, they are the last connection to the old world, possessing knowledge of ancient lore and primal magic. Their culture is deeply spiritual, but also brutal, adhering to rituals of survival in the harsh environment.
Humans
Though humans are as diverse as ever, they are perhaps the most desperate race on Dark Sun. Struggling to survive in the desolate wastelands and brutal city-states, humans have adapted to the cruel conditions in myriad ways. Some align themselves with the Sorcerer-Kings, while others form resistance groups or wander the wilderness as nomads. Their adaptability remains their greatest strength, but Dark Sun offers little hope, and many humans turn to defiling magic or ruthless tactics to get ahead.
Changes Between Editions
2nd Edition (AD&D)
The original Dark Sun setting was introduced in the 2nd Edition, emphasising the harshness of Dark Sun, its scarcity of resources, and psionics as a core mechanic. This version focused on the themes of environmental devastation, oppressive sorcerer-kings, and the survival of characters in a brutal, unforgiving world. Notable elements included the unique defiling and preserving magic systems, which tied directly into the setting’s ecosystem. Characters often struggled against the setting’s scarcity of metal, making even mundane equipment rare and valuable.
4th Edition
Dark Sun was reintroduced in 4th Edition D&D with significant changes to accommodate the edition’s mechanics. The setting retained its core theme of survival but reimagined many of its elements to align with 4th Edition’s streamlined rules. Psionics remained central, though they were integrated into the broader power system. Additionally, there was a focus on an epic level play, pushing characters into confrontations with the sorcerer-kings and other iconic threats much earlier in their careers. Defiling magic was also simplified in mechanics, focusing more on narrative impact rather than complex mechanical trade-offs.
Changes in the 4th Edition included:
- A streamlined approach to classes and powers, fitting Dark Sun into 4th Edition’s power structure.
- Expansion of the role of gladiatorial combat and arena challenges.
- Greater focus on character-driven narratives tied to the world’s struggle for survival.
