Well, here is the next chapter of the ongoing campaign battles series. Next up we have 2 legendary campaigns with Ravenloft vs Dark Sun, 2 legendary campaign setting I've recently reacquired for old time gamers sake. I would like to thank everyone who has participated in these.
Which one do you like better and why?
RAVENLOFT
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called domains brought together by a mysterious force known only as "The Dark Powers". Each domain is mystically ruled by a being called a "Darklord".
Ravenloft is primarily a Gothic horror setting. Dungeon Masters are encouraged to use scenes that build apprehension, dread and fear, culminating in the eventual face-to-face meeting with the nameless, dark evil. Characters have a much greater significance attached to their acts, especially if they are morally impure, as they risk coming under the influence of the Dark Powers (through the game process called "dark powers checks") and gradually transforming themselves into twisted figures of evil.
The magical mists of Ravenloft could appear anywhere in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, drawing evil-doers (or player characters) into the Ravenloft setting. One exception is the 'phlogiston' of the Spelljammer setting. The phlogiston blocks all planar travel, but the mists can appear in deep space inside crystal shells, according to the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook. Another exception is in the Inner and Outer Planes, which for some reason they never appear in.
The Dark Powers are a malevolent force who control the Demiplane of Dread. Their exact nature and number are purposely kept vague, allowing for plot development in accordance with the Gothic tradition of storytelling—where the heroes are frequently outclassed and outnumbered by unknowably evil forces beyond their control.
The Dark Powers most frequently serve as a plot device for Ravenloft, especially concerning the Dark Lords, feared rulers of the Ravenloft Demiplane. Where the players are often tormented and opposed by the Dark Lords, the Dark Lords are themselves tormented and opposed by the Dark Powers. Of course, the difference lies in order of power—while many D&D adventures focus on allowing a band of heroes to triumph over a Dark Lord, no such victory over the Dark Powers is even imaginable. Vecna, (a demi-god and darklord) however plans not only to escape Ravenloft, but destroy the Dark Powers as well.
Most frequently, the Dark Powers make their wishes and intents known through subtle manipulations of fate. Thus, Barovia's famed vampire lord Strahd Von Zarovich's many attempts to win back his love, Tatyana, are doomed to failure, but the Dark Powers arrange such that he never truly loses hope. Each time, for example, Strahd's own actions may be partially culpable for his failure, and as such he may go through crippling self-recrimination, rather than cursing the gods solely and giving up. Most other Dark Lords have similar tales of frustration, kept all the more unbearable because the flicker of the possibility of success is never truly extinguished.
Not all Dark Lords acknowledge the presence of Dark Powers directly, however. Strahd, for example, in his own memoirs, speaks only of a force known as "Death," who mocks him with the voices of his family and former colleagues throughout his life. Vlad Drakov, the Dark Lord of Falkovnia whose military expeditions are doomed to constant failure, seems even to be totally oblivious of any non-mortal factors in his repeated defeats.
The Dark Powers also seem capable of non-evil manipulations. Although their machinations are often directly responsible for the misery of many of Ravenloft's inhabitants, they also appear to play a role as dispenser of justice. Some tales of innocents who have escaped Ravenloft for happier environs are attributed to the Dark Powers, who have judged a being worthy of reward and release from their misty domain.
The precise nature of the Dark Powers of Ravenloft is never explicitly described in the game material, with the exception of a few of the novels based on the setting, and even those are considered semi material. In a sense, the Dark Powers are intended to be eternal unknowns, an array of mystery, fear, unforeseeable wills whose motives and actions the player characters cannot hope to understand.
DARK SUN
Once a blue planet bursting with life, Athas has since been stripped of its fertility by the use of corrupting magic known as Defiling Magic, and the decay of its sun. It is a sun-burnt land forsaken by the gods, water, and hope. The natural resources have been depleted and a lack of metal has resulted in the use of wood, obsidian and bone for weapons, tools and other common equipment. In such a harsh and unforgiving land, even the most mundane of creatures have developed psionic abilities in the constant struggle of survival of the fittest.
In such a world as Athas, a death by natural aging is considered to be a great achievement and an event worthy of celebrations.
Sea of Silt-Water has long since ceased to flow on the surface and can only be found in the last sea, some oases, tiny lakes and streams, as well as west of the Ringing Mountains in the Forest Ridge. Not only are the mountains nearly impassable (the name Ringing Mountains refers to the lightheaded feeling one feels from lack of oxygen when traversing them) but the Forest Ridge is the home of halflings, which in the Dark Sun world are small creatures that live in tribes in the forest and do not hesitate to capture and eat intruders to their realm. This makes the prospect of going west across the mountains nearly impossible.
In the place of an ocean, the world of Athas, due to defiling magic, has a sea composed entirely of silt. The silt is dangerous as it is not capable of supporting the weight of humanoid creatures, and the particles themselves are extremely fine and get into the lungs quite easily. A strong wind from the Silt Sea can force people from nearby villages to remain indoors all day, though with a certain amount of water some people often make use of a mask-like object called a silter which is placed over the mouth and nose and kept wet in order to help the user breathe.
The silt actually becomes hard-packed a few metres below the surface, but this is of no help to a human as the level within the first two metres is extremely loose and fine. Giants often make use of the packed silt roads further below and can be seen wading chest-deep through the silt. Humans have sometimes built crafts that can navigate these silt roads much like giants do, though the going is much slower and both humans and giants still have to deal with the creatures that live in the sea.
Another method of travel is the shipfloaters, psionicists can use a large obsidian orb to focus their power to telekinetically levitate and sail the ship as if it were sailing through water.
Tyr- Tyr region is a region of Athas encompassing thousands of square miles, and stretches from the Hinterlands in the West to the Valley of Dust and Fire in the East within the Sea Of Silt, to the Dead Lands in the south, and the Troll Grave Chasm to the North, it contains all but two city states of the sorcerer-kings, former Champions of Rajaat.
City States-The rulers of the isolated city-states are called Sorcerer-Kings and, in most cases, are secretly the Dark Sun equivalent of dragons. Templars can serve and worship these Sorcerer-Kings as a source for their spells (which are actually granted by something known as a living vortex), while Clerics worship Elemental forces (Air, Fire, Water and Earth) and Druids follow powerful entities known as Spirits of the Land.
The campaign setting of the Dark Sun world generally takes place in the Tyr Region of the world of Athas, an area that spans from the Silt Sea in the east to the Hinterlands in the west and a bit beyond, plus south to the dead lands and north to a certain extent. There are cities further to the north and the south but the land is extremely unfriendly and most people do not wish to risk a journey of such length, and the location of other cities beyond the region is uncertain at best. As a whole, life within the Tyr Region itself is hard enough, and though characters in the campaign setting begin on a much higher level than those of other campaigns, this is also accompanied by a severe practicality, that risking one's life for adventure or altruism is a foolish notion, and survival from day to day takes precedence.
Bodach-The city of the undead and the location of the Sage, 30 miles (48 km) south west of Salt View. The once beautiful city is now overrun by the undead, protectors of the secret treasure.
Balic-The southernmost city of the Tyr Region, formerly ruled by the sorcerer-king Andropinis. It is situated on the edge of the Silt Sea, and is the only city in the region to have a tradition of elected government. Balic's templars are elected into office (although templars that Andropinis does not want in power usually vanish), and public debate is allowed, except for any direct criticism of the Dictator. Compared to Ancient Rome.
Draj-Located on a vast mud flat in the northeastern area of the Tyr Region, Draj was formerly ruled by the brutal, expansionist Sorcerer-king Tectuktitlay. After his death at Rajaat's hand in Ur-Draxa he has been replaced by his putative son, Atzetuk. Inspired by the Aztecs.
Gulg-Ruled by the forest-goddess, Lalali-Puy, Gulg is unique among the city-states due to its construction from living materials of the forest instead of stone and brick. While an absolute ruler, owning just about everything in the city, Lalali-Puy is loved by her citizens since she is the bringer of rain and wheat. Inspired by the jungles of Africa.
Nibenay-Nibenay is located closer to the center of the Tyr Region, just to the east of the city-state of Gulg. Nibenay is ruled by the sorcerer-king Nibenay, formerly known as Gallard the Bane of Gnomes, now known simply as "The Shadow King," and he is the most reclusive of them all. The Shadow King will often stay out of sight for years or more due to lack of interest in governmental affairs and having other more important projects to work on. Inspired by Angkor, capital of the Khmer Empire.
Raam-The largest city-state in the Tyr Region, Raam was ruled by the sorcerer-queen Abalach-re, who was disinterested in her city's well-being. As a result, the city was always on the brink of rebellion. After Albach-re's death, it is now filled with chaos, an armed camp divided among various struggling factions. Its inspiration seems to be the Mughal Empire of India with a dash of Pharaonic Egypt.
Tyr-Tyr is located just to the east of the Ringing Mountains. Tyr was ruled by the sorcerer-king Kalak until his overthrow on the verge of his ascension. It is now the only free city of the region, banning the practice of slavery. It shares much in common with its historical quasi-namesake Tyre, including a monopoly over purple dye.
Urik-Urik is a highly efficient, militarized city-state ruled by Hamanu, the self-proclaimed "King of the World". Urik possesses the strongest army in the Tyr Region, and Hamanu takes an active interest in his city's affairs. Urik has become a closed city since the Great Earthquake, only rarely sending out trade caravans and remaining otherwise sealed. Inspired by Babylon and Uruk.
Ravenloft.
I prefer Dark Sun to play, though I always enjoyed reading Ravenloft materials. The problem with playing it was that no gaming group I ever belonged to could take itself seriously enough to play Ravenloft. Invariably, if the DM attempted to set the mood with "The road winds upward through the rocky foothills, fading into the mist ahead. Under stormy skies ahead, you see Castle Ravenloft rising dark and foreboding above the mists, twisted and sinister towers climbing into the steel-gray sky.." Someone would interrupt, muttering, "It's just a model," reducing the table to giggles, ruining any feelings of dread the DM had hoped to build. YMMV.
Dark Sun was bleak reading, but the couple times I got to play, was really a joy to run around in. Got to try new character options, got to feel like a powerful being in perpetual danger of dying horribly. Tons of fun.
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Dark Sun! The first box-set was the best version. TSR made a big mistake in having the setting follow the events of the novels. The great appeal for me was the overwhelming sense of oppression and brutality as everyday facts of life. Killing off the sorcerer-kings undermined the setting.
Apparently the 4e Dark Sun winds the timeline back to just after the first novel to recapture that first box set feel. Not sure if it succeeded or not as I have yet to read the 4e Dark Sun (bought the books though!) and am not familiar with prior versions of Dark Sun.
Dark Sun! The first box-set was the best version. TSR made a big mistake in having the setting follow the events of the novels. The great appeal for me was the overwhelming sense of oppression and brutality as everyday facts of life. Killing off the sorcerer-kings undermined the setting.Apparently the 4e Dark Sun winds the timeline back to just after the first novel to recapture that first box set feel. Not sure if it succeeded or not as I have yet to read the 4e Dark Sun (bought the books though!) and am not familiar with prior versions of Dark Sun.
Yeah, I like that they set the 4E version right after Tyr becomes free. I think that creates an interesting political environment to serve as the backdrop for the Dark Sun setting with different factions vying for power. If I run anything longer than a one shot in 4E someday it'll probably be Dark Sun even though I tend to play either Pathfinder/3E or Basic/Rules Cyclopedia. I really liked those two Dark Sun books.
As to the original question of the thread, I have to say Ravenloft hands down as my preferred setting of the two. I like the gothic horror theme, the "common" gothic monsters like werewolves, golems, ghosts, vampires and undead in general are great fun. Strahd is my favorite D&D NPC of all time and is really fun to run as a DM. The setting works whether you treat is as a demiplane or if you just insert some or all of the domains as territories or islands in a more traditional campaign setting. The key is the Dark Lords and the lure of the Dark Powers to corrupt the good and the innocent.
