Post-apocalyptic D&D world Dark Sun is being revamped in early 2027, and it'll be the first 18+ setting for the tabletop RPG.
There's a good reason for that mature age-rating. The returning D&D franchise (which takes place in a world devastated by magic) is going all in on the gore, sex, and bleak atmosphere of its inspiration. Unlike many of the best tabletop RPGs, you don't save the kingdom in Dark Sun; you're simply trying to survive it.
This has led to D&D's lawyers insisting that new Dark Sun books must be shrink-wrapped on shelves to avoid anyone younger than 18 seeing it. That… well, it probably says a lot about the tone of this reboot. The teaser trailer is a blood-soaked gore fest that'd make Warhammer 40K nod in approval, for example, and the content warning will advise reader discretion due to depictions of violence, nudity, bloodshed, and sexuality. It's certainly a far cry from the newly revealed D&D World of Warcraft crossover, which works to evoke the feel of that beloved MMO.
There will be two books launching when Dark Sun makes its comeback in February 2027; the Blood and Power Gameplay Expansion alongside the Edge of Oblivion Setting Expansion. These will be joined by a Dungeon Master Screen and a map pack tailored to the setting, not to mention an alt-art Player's Handbook based on Dark Sun.
With Blood and Power, you'll get everything you need to carve a path through this broken world with subclasses and player options. However, the thing that may interest fans most is its addition of a new class – the Psion. This psychic warrior wields innate magical power with their mind, and if last year's Psion playtest is anything to go by, they'll stand out due to their use of Psionic Energy Dice and the Psionic Spellcasting feature. They should also wreak havoc on the battlefield using subclasses like one that allows Psions to morph their body as if it's clay (something seen in the trailer, where it's used to turn a warrior's arms into deadly spikes).
No matter what, this is notable for beign the second new class to be added to the current, fifth edition of D&D since it began in 2014. (The first was the Artificer.)
A long, bloody history
Dark Sun was first released back in 1991, and it depicted a grim place where tyrant wizards ruled what was left of a world they'd destroyed. While very popular, it also had its share of controversy; a former D&D producer even stated in 2023 that "the Dark Sun setting is problematic in a lot of ways." It's unclear what exactly they felt was problematic, but there's been separate criticism about how certain species were depicted in the setting (such as jungle-dwelling, cannibal halflings which drew on harmful stereotypes). There's no word yet on how D&D's new version will address those concerns.
By the looks of it, Edge of Oblivion will focus on the setting itself with locations, lore, a bestiary, and, if last year's Forgotten Realms duology is anything to go by, short adventures. The accompanying 'Season of Survival' should provide more campaign fodder too if you want to get the most from Dark Sun.
Fans have long suspected that the grim world would be making its return to D&D; official playtest material (dubbed "Unearthed Arcana") for post-apocalyptic characters dropped months ago. This strongly suggested that we would be going back to Dark Sun because it fits the bill so neatly, but playtests for the previously mentioned Psion class sealed the deal – that class is closely associated with Dark Sun, so a book revolving around the setting seemed guaranteed.
Personally speaking, this is the D&D Gen Con announcement that has me most excited. Sure, the fact that D&D Star Wars is on the way made my week. But the gritty, post-apocalyptic world of Dark Sun fills a niche that we really haven't had an answer for before now. It's drastically different in tone, setting, and story to almost anything else in the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon, so I'm looking forward to exploring this world with my group next year.
We'll be able to take Dark Sun for a spin ourselves when it launches in February, 2027.
It's all happening at Gen Con if you're a Dungeons & Dragons fan, because the game is resurrecting Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and more with new books from legendary creators.
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