KickStarter Dragon Kings - Dark Sun spiritual successor by Timothy Brown

[Infinitron]

Press release: http://www.enworld.org/forum/conten...ost-Anticipated-RPG-and-NUMENERA-product-list

LAS VEGAS, NV – June 25, 2013 – Veteran game designer and musician Timothy Brown today announced that he intends to create a whole new role-playing game world titled Dragon Kings, the ‘spiritual successor’ to his popular design Dark Sun. This new world will be envisioned not only in fiction and art, but in music, as well.

“Dark Sun was innovative because we created the game world and its art simultaneously,” says Brown. “We imagined concepts and asked Brom to draw them, and Brom painted those concepts that we later described in game terms. I’m so pleased that he is collaborating with us on my new Dragon Kings universe. His first cover painting is already finished!”

“Tim has a really innovative idea with Dragon Kings,” says Gerald Brom, the original artistic creator of Dark Sun. “I don’t know of another game world that’s been created in quite this way. It’s exciting to be a part of!”

“By creating an epic story as a concept rock album, I can describe my new world in ways that have never been done before,” Brown continues. “I’ve always been a huge fan of albums like Rush’s 2112, Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime, and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. I’ve often thought, ‘if those were game worlds, I’d be playing in them!’ Gaming and music are my two passions. It’s time I combined them into a single project!”

Brown is assembling a team of writers, artists, and musicians to bring the Dragon Kings world to life. “I’ve got several great, talented people on line, and I can make some announcements on them soon. My plan is to gather the team and create the world and its music. As pieces are ready – description, art, map, sample tracks – we’ll put them up on the website so people can follow our progress.”

 

[Azalin]

Gerald Brom

 

[mindx2]

Coming to Kickstarter in 4....3....2....?

 

[Elwro]

This will not be a computer game at all, right? A rock album...

 

[Cosmic Misogynerd]

Gerald Brom

 

[Excidium]

Holy shit that's some great news.

 

[CappenVarra]

 

[J1M]

Wasn't the idea of the sorcerer kings being dragons just a rumor/deep dark secret in Dark Sun?

 

[Azalin]

Their true nature and origin wasn't common knowledge among the people but it wasn't just a rumor,all sorcerer kings were dragons of various levels.

BTW I just remembered that Timothy Brown was the author of the Dragon Kings accessory for the original Dark Sun setting

 

[Indranys]

Need to replay Dark Sun with all Thri-Kreen mantis people party ASAP.

 

[Hobo Elf]

I'm not sold on the name Dragon Kings, but I'll give him the benefit of doubt since I love Dark Sun.

 

[Alex]

Wasn't the idea of the sorcerer kings being dragons just a rumor/deep dark secret in Dark Sun?

The first boxed set was so, going so far as to reference a single dragon in existence, instead of dragons. Later, however, they changed it. Dark Sun had a lot of changes throughout its life, such as dropping the pretense it was a post apocalyptic Forgotten Realms. I am not sure when it did happen, but by 1992 they released the Dragon Kings supplement, which had rules for high level characters, including how defilers could become dragons. Some of those were a bit... excessive:







Not that I mind about how unbalanced combat was in Dark Sun. If anything, I hope this new game brings more outrageous things such as 30th level wizard/psionicists dragons, or double hp half-giants. What I disliked from Dark Sun is how some of its adventures were a bit railroady, although the visual references that came with them were pretty cool.

 

[Excidium]

Interview with some more info: http://athas.org/articles/interview-with-tim-brown-about-dragon-kings

 

[Frian Bargo]

Wasn't the idea of the sorcerer kings being dragons just a rumor/deep dark secret in Dark Sun?

Azalin Not exactly. Sorc Kings were all humans initially. They were Defilers, aka mages who grew in power by destroying and draining energy from the land around them, thus destroying the planet resulting in a vast desert. Some of them, like Nibeny, unlocked the secret to metamorphing into a dragon form permanently, which they wanted because for all their power their human forms were physically weak and vulnerable to damage. However, this metamorphosis was dangerous, expensive, and time consuming. Nibeney had only partially transformed, in constant pain/discomfort, and it would take him more time to complete the transformation.

Not only that, but if other Sorc Kings knew about one of their kind transforming thusly, they would unite against him/her and personally attack his area of power and seek him/her out and slay him/her before the transformation could complete. This actually happened to one or two sorc kings.

Lastly, Hammanu was not seeking to become a dragon from what I recall. He had made himself into some sort of lion/human hybrid.

 

[Azalin]

Yuo should read more of the Dark Sun lore,all dragons in Dark Sun are Defilers/Psionicists of level 20+ and all sorcerer kings were dragons of various levels(Nibenay was 24th,Hamanu and Lalali-Puy were 23rd,Kalak was 25th,etc).The only who had reached 30th level and completed the metamorphosis was Borys of Ebe,the Dragon.All sorcerer kings of course used illusions to mask their appearances.

Oh and they didn't exactly discover the process,they were put on that path by Rajaat,the first sorcerer as his champions

 

[Frian Bargo]

Yuo should read more of the Dark Sun lore,all dragons in Dark Sun are Defilers/Psionicists of level 20+ and all sorcerer kings were dragons of various levels(Nibenay was 24th,Hamanu and Lalali-Puy were 23rd,Kalak was 25th,etc).The only who had reached 30th level and completed the metamorphosis was Borys of Ebe,the Dragon.All sorcerer kings of course used illusions to mask their appearances.

Oh and they didn't exactly discover the process,they were put on that path by Rajaat,the first sorcerer as his champions

I recall Borys was killed in the very first Darksun adventure for the original boxed set...but I am sure some or all of the others were still transforming...and that Hammanu looked like a lion or tiger...

Anyhow it's been a long long time. I do recall one cool thing with clarity though: The Sorc Kings could grant their Templars spells making the Templars the clerics of the setting.

 

[Alex]

They seem to have just launched he kickstarter!

You can check it out on this link.

 

[Azalin]

They seem to have just launched he kickstarter!

You can check it out on this link.

Khitus is a world in decline...

How codexian

 

[Alex]

I wished they had a AD&D 2e rules supplement, though. Even if it was a stretch goal. Or maybe a DCC RPG or LotFP supplement.

 

[Silva]

The shit is so heavy metal that the world map poster is made of sperm and blood. Just like that Metallica album.

 

[Stabwound]

Imagine my disappointment when I realized this is a tabletop game, not a PC game.

 

[Silva]

First song released: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yf8U5Lp3xlc

Man, the Baxa art is awesome. I never liked his work from Shadowrun days.

 

[Excidium]

I wished they had a AD&D 2e rules supplement, though. Even if it was a stretch goal. Or maybe a DCC RPG or LotFP supplement.

Or GURPS :grunker:

 

[Alchemist]

Great artwork + intriguing non-traditional fantasy world + prog-rock concept album =


I hope I can afford to back this - I'm gonna try. Reaper Bones II just popped up so that is debatable...

 

[mondblut]

I could live without the "concept rock album" gimmickry. May I have a music-free version?