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.

Location

The interesting terrain types, in the Dark Sun setting, can provide distinct dungeon locations for players. Players who have grown accustomed to underground dungeons might find a high walled canyon rather disconcerting. After all, an open sky allows predators to swoop down from the sky, or a sand storm to push silt and dust onto dozing adventurers.
Armored caravans can be a wonderful "mini-dungeon" and an armored wagon with a group of smaller wagons can make for a larger, distinctive adventure location. Although they aren't strictly contained, an oasis can prove to be a notable location for an adventure to take place. Most of the city-states have run down areas, so player characters can have a dungeon adventure without ever leaving civilization. A number of streets, alleyways, and dilapidated buildings are able to provide all of the necessary areas required for a dungeon. 
Perhaps the most unconventional dungeon to design is one where it is several small dungeons that are joined together by a common theme. Perhaps the first part of a dungeon is a fortress wagon, followed by a group of canyon walls, an old ruin, and finally a group of alleyways in a city-state. This is the style of dungeon I like to use the most, when running Dark Sun games. Small dungeons, that have travel required between them, forces the players to deal with Athas' harsh climate, which is a major setting feature.
This is not to say that dungeons cannot be underground. Under Tyr comes to mind, as a setting specific dungeon location. However, it is my belief that being underground too long causes the players to feel that Dark Sun is too similar to other, inferior settings.

Knowledge
When designing a dungeon for Dark Sun, the setting's exclusive history should be taken into account. A ruined fortress, of course, contains monsters and long forgotten treasure, but more importantly, it likely contains lost knowledge as well. In my games, I hand out scraps of knowledge on old scrolls or clay tablets. I avoid using books, as those feel too generic fantasy for me. 

This aids the players in realizing that the world is far older than they realize and, if they are unfamiliar with the Dark Sun setting, can help them with immersion. If using the official canon, information about lost races or mentions of "forests south of Tyr," could be enough to make the world feel more real.

Apart from immersion, the information provided can be linked to a larger planned adventure. Perhaps a group of player characters find recently deceased bodies in a ruin and discover information that reveals the deceased were agents of a noble or merchant house. This would beg the question, "Why is this noble or merchant house interested in these ruins?"
There is so much lost knowledge on Athas, that it shouldn't be overlooked when designing dungeons.

Treasure

Most dungeons, in roleplaying games, reward treasure in the form of gold coins and magic items. Metal, being exceptionally rare, should be handed out sparingly. Scraps of metal are better than metal coins, for example. Not all metal must be iron, silver, and gold. Copper, Brass, Bronze, Tin, and Lead should not be overlooked as possible rewards for gallant adventurers.
Gemstones are also a possible substitute for coinage. These can also be used by some psionicists, to store extra psionic strength points. Just remember that some gemstones come from watery sources and should be used sparingly and probably are increased in value. In my own setting, I decided to have silt mussels create silvery pearls. This allows pearls to exist, without being overly expensive. This is also an option that Dungeon Masters have, just be prepared to come up with an explination when your players ask. 

Intelligent, psionic items should be more prevalent than magical items and priestly items may be more common than arcane magical items, because arcane magic is so despised. If you, as a Dunegon Master, decide that potion fruits do not rot, it would be interesting for player characters to find a perfectly good looking pear in an ancient ruin.

Traps
When designing traps for your Dark Sun dungeons, psionics should not be forgotten. Psionics can make for interesting teleport traps, including teleporting monsters into the dungeon. Other psionic traps can weaken the player characters, or animate the player character's own weapons. Empower a hallway with Molecular Agitation, to cause direct damage to the character's and their equipment.
Instead of water traps, silt or magma can be used. Silt, when disturbed, can cause blindness and breathing difficulties. Magma filled pit traps are a particularly deadly surprise. Depending on the dungeon location, natural elements are more likely to be used, than magic.
If you worry about such things, remember that metal is rare, so traps incorporating springs would be very rare. Tightly wound ropes, or giant hair, can replace springs in some instances. If player characters think a spring is being used, they may dismantle the trap in order to get the metal. Yes, this has happened in my games.

Altering Modules

If a ready made dungeon, from a pre-written adventure module, is being used, you can apply all of the above informtation. In addition, some special considerations should be made. The first is decreasing the amount of metal that is normally available and changing the monsters, to Dark Sun suitable monsters. In the latter, I attempt to keep the monster types and experience point total similar.

If the module revolves around an evil deity, altering the storyline can add extra difficulty. However, it is possible to change the evil deity to a powerful paraelemental lord, or a powerful creature that is posing as a deity. If a deity never shows itself, or manifests any power, it may be run as is. Perhaps a group found some ancient writings that explained a long forgotten deity and began following its teachings.

Dark Sun dungeons should not feel like a dungeon in Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms. Sometimes it's as easy as changing the monsters, treasure, and set dressing, but sometimes it takes a little more effort. However, in the end, you and your players are playing a game. If you are all having fun, you are doing it correctly.