I had always been intrigued by the Dark Sun setting and did enjoy reading it and admiring the art. Brom really blossomed as an artist during this period.
It was with some trepidation I purchased the recently released Dark Sun campaign setting for 4th edition DnD. I must say so far so good. The production values are extremely high. The art is excellent, and it is making for some engaging reading. It remains to be seen if I'll make an attempt to run a game in this setting as my current Swords & Wizardry campaign (which has morphed into a Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition campaign) is still going.
You mention Brom, and that's one thing I think is lacking in these new versions of the settings. They had distinctive visuals back in the day, whether it be DiTerlizzi's waifish sketching for Planescape, Brom's dark and moody stuff for Dark Sun, or the van mural look of Dragonlance.
ReplyDeleteThey've deliberately gone for a more unified look with the new edition, and I think that's a mistake.
It seems they are trying to stick to "brand identity" where this Dark Sun is merely an extension of core 4th edition.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I can see why they would do so, but I think it robs the settings of some of their charm.
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