Thoughts and analysis of Wizards OGL response.

Wizards of the Coast is not affiliated with this blog, which is their loss..

First, it is important to say that I am not a lawyer and I do not work in corporate media relations. I am a decades long D&D player and creator of D&D content. When the leaked Open Game License 1.1 (OGL) was release, it worried me a bit. Was Wizards going to shut down my blog, or demand I make changes? I didn't think so, but you never know.
A week passed, then two, with no response and I started to worry a little bit more. Was everything true? Then, on the 13th of January, 2023, they released a response to the leak and backlash of their OGL plans. I decided to put my thoughts and predictions for what their response is really saying. I tend to be a pessimist though, which may be why I like Dark Sun so much.

I have included the Wizards of the Coast statement below, but I interrupt it with my own responses. To read the uninterrupted statement, click here.

Athasian Elf Miniatures

 

A friend of mine assisted with the sculpting and printing of these elf warriors for Dark Sun. These were made with Titan Craft, which has resources that you load and can manipulate. It's pretty awesome. I printed out a couple to use in my own Dark Sun game.

I have no affiliation with Titan Craft and am not getting paid to advertise for them. In fact, one gripe I have is that I wish they had more desert attire for the miniatures.

The first is an elf using a sword. The sword looks weathered and cracked. He is wearing a loose shirt, a sash, and sirwal (or sherwal), the baggy trousers. I attempted to make him tall and lean, which mostly succeeded. After he was printed, I wish that I had made him slightly taller.

Athasian Diseases and Treatment PDF

A couple of years ago, I wrote three articles about Athasian Diseases and how they can be used in a game. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use them too much and I doubt anyone else has either, because scrolling through three articles is very inconvenient.
So, I took some time and combined the disease and treatment rules into a pdf. I have labeled this pdf version 1.0, so I can make corrections after play testing them. I hope this makes it easier for other Dark Sun game masters to torment their players with diseases.

PDF: Athasian Diseases and Treatment Version 1.0.

Here are links to the original articles, for reference:

Athasian Disease Part One

Athasian Disease Part Two

Athasian Disease Part Three

As noted above, these rules have not been extensively tested in game. If you have any questions or comments, or have adapted them to another rule system and want to share, please comment below. 

Thank you.

Merry Christmas

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Session Eighty-Six: Rescue and Rest

After bring abandoned, Kalino, Raco, and Nyla fed into a group of unfinished tunnels and barricaded themselves behind some rubble. They hid there and tried to heal themselves, as best as they could. They could hear the firenewts pass them by, but they kept their heads down and hoped that someone else had survived.
Meanwhile, Alaxander's weeping was interrupted by Abbas' approach. Abbas saw Alaxander weeping and the poor state of Kiara and Shade. His face fell.
Alaxander told Abbas about the deaths they had recently faced. Abbas was saddened to hear about their losses, especially the death of Vashti. Abbas healed Shade, Alaxander, and Kiara a bit and then retreated, to mourn for Vashti.
A woman, who had been walking with Abbas, introduced herself to Alaxander, Shade, and Kiara. She was a druid named Dimitria. She healed Alaxander, Shade, and Kiara a bit more. Alaxander and Shade explain their quest to kill Kalak and Dimitria asked to accompany them.
She hated Kalak, as his templars killed her parents and banished her to the wilderness. If not for her former master, she would have died. The group saw the hatred she had for Kalak and accepted her.

Dark Sun Dungeons

Dark Sun is a unique setting in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Certain tropes in other settings are downplayed or eliminated. It is my belief that dungeons in the Dark Sun setting should be as unique as the setting itself.
This article provides advice on running dungeon adventures in the Dark Sun setting. The advice is taken from my decades long Dark Sun Dungeon Mastering experiences. I hope it inspires you to run your own Dark Sun game.

In relation to a table top roleplaying game, a dungeon is a term often used to describe an underground lair, where monsters and treasure can be found. From the point of a gameplay aspect, a dungeon is a contained environment, where the action of an adventure takes place. This means that a dungeon, in this sense, can be a ruined fortress, a group of narrow canyons, or even the Warrens in Tyr.

There's a lot of dungeon designing advice online and I will endeavor not to repeat it. My goal is to have the information I provide apply to Dark Sun, as much as possible.

Session Eighty-Five: Ashes to Ashes

The group talked about the strange requests for help, but could not make heads or tails of it. So, they continued looking for the gemstone. Kiara fell into a magma pit trap, right before a room opened in front of them. There was a large force of firenewts, and frilled flame lizards, guarding the room.
Defensively, the group found themselves as a disadvantage. The hallway bottlenecked them, while allowing free movement to the firenewts. Raco and Shade pushed their way through the enemy line. Alaxadner had another idea, he used the way and opened a dimensional door, which allowed access into the rear of the room.
Once the entirety of the group was inside the room, the firenewts had lost their tactical advantage and were roundly defeated. They group looted their enemies and healed their wounds. There was a stone door leading out the room. Doors had been rare in the volcanic complex, so the group was cautious.
Alaxander used the way to become insubstantial and peeked his head through the stone door.