Dark Sun

A savage, magic-ravaged desert world where resources are scarce and survival is a daily struggle.

Dark Sun is an original Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting set in the fictional, post-apocalyptic desert world of Athas. It debuted with the original Dark Sun Boxed Set released for D&D's 2nd edition in 1991, ran until 1996, and was one of TSR's most successful releases. The setting deviated from the feudalistic backdrops of its Tolkienesque pseudo-medieval contemporaries, such as Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms, in favor of a composite of dark fantasy, planetary romance, and the Dying Earth subgenre. Dark Sun's designers presented a savage, magic-ravaged desert world where resources are scarce and survival is a daily struggle.

Quick Facts

Designer

Timothy B. Brown; Troy Denning

Publisher

TSR, Inc.; Wizards of the Coast

Date

October 1991 (2nd Edition), August 2010 (4th Edition), 2027 (5.5 Edition)

Genre

Post-apocalyptic sword and sorcery

System

AD&D 2nd Edition
D&D 4th Edition
D&D 5.5 Edition

Format

Game accessories
novels
comics
role-playing video games

Lore & Background

Dark Sun has no deities, arcane magic is reviled for causing the planet's current ecological fragility, and psionics are extremely common. The artwork of Brom established a trend of game products produced under the direction of a single artist. The setting was also the first TSR setting to come with an established metaplot out of the box. Game designer Rick Swan described the setting: 'Using the desert as a metaphor for struggle and despair, this presents a truly alien setting, bizarre even by AD&D game standards. From dragons to spell-casting, from character classes to gold pieces, this ties familiar AD&D conventions into knots.' He said that Athas 'shares the post-apocalyptic desolation of FGU's Aftermath game, GDW's Twilight 2000 game, and other after-the-holocaust RPGs.'

Reader's Guide

The traditional fantasy races and character classes were altered or omitted to better suit the setting's darker themes. All characters and creatures were psionic to a greater or lesser degree. Dragon Kings, released in 1992, featured rules for epic level character advancement for Dark Sun. The Dark Sun game line ended abruptly in late 1996. When TSR released its product schedule in Dragon #236 (December 1996) no Dark Sun products were included. The final release was Psionic Artifacts of Athas (1996). At Gen Con 2026, Wizards of the Coast announced a new official version for Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e, scheduled for release in 2027.