u/Malinhion

...but I'm holding out for a water-based option.

The D&D devs only have capacity to do so much work. If they are working on another IP, they are not working on developing their own creative IP. Whether that's building on an old setting or developing something new--it limits the new D&D content.

Studios with valuable IP are not putting their cash to work to develop new and interesting game systems and mechanics that are tailored to their narrative fiction. They're licensing because it's the easiest cash grab. This stagnates progress for tabletop game development. Non-D&D devs are pushed to continue reskinning the same system that has been around for a generation.

TL;DR: less original D&D stories, less original non-D&D game mechanics

RENTON, WA — After years of careful consideration, countless focus groups, and several meetings where someone repeatedly asked, "But what if there just... wasn't any slavery?", Wizards of the Coast is thrilled to announce the long-awaited return of the legendary Dark Sun campaign setting.

Fans of Athas can once again explore its scorching deserts, psionic powers, cannibal halflings, gladiatorial combat, tyrannical sorcerer-kings, ecological collapse, ritual defiling of the environment, and cities ruled by immortal despots.

Just to be absolutely clear:

There is no slavery.

None.

Not a single slave.

We checked.

In fact, every citizen of Athas is now an enthusiastic volunteer participating in an exciting, self-directed labor experience. While they may spend sixteen hours a day quarrying obsidian under armed supervision with little access to food or water, they are doing so because of a profound commitment to civic engagement.

This distinction is extremely important. Some fans have asked how the famous gladiator arenas function without slavery. Simple! Every gladiator is a freelance independent contractor who has accepted a flexible performance agreement. They can leave at any time, provided they defeat the arena guards, survive the desert, and complete the standard exit paperwork.

Likewise, the massive plantations outside the city-states are staffed entirely by passionate agricultural interns pursuing valuable experience in the field of subsistence farming.

Every occurrence of the word "slave" has been carefully replaced with terminology reviewed by at least four committees and one branding consultant.

We're confident this preserves everything fans loved about Dark Sun while removing the only thing anyone ever talked about online.

We know some longtime fans may wonder whether eliminating one of the defining institutions of Athasian society changes the themes of oppression, desperation, and survival.

We encourage those fans to remember that everyone is still miserable.

Just consensually.

Dark Sun returns this fall, proving that even on a dying world beneath a crimson sun, where magic has devastated the ecosystem and psychic tyrants rule through fear, there is always room for positive workplace reform.

Hey, guys. Posted last month with mod approval about my book that was coming out, and you all really seemed to like it. A few of you mentioned how you wished there were physical editions available at places other than Shein. Well, it's now available at your public library and through a few major online retailers, like Amazon and Wal-Mart.

https://linktr.ap/johnsmith

For those that didn't see it last month, it's a 499-page fictional set of laws governing the use of magic. Useful for D&D players and DMs, not other TTRPG players, but mostly people that just want a cool-ass coffee table book, because I don't expect you to read it.

A lot of the worldbuilding is contained within the historical annotations. They give us information on why certain laws were enacted, much like in real life. It tells you why you can't be named D*vid, which is my ex's name. It's a very bureaucratic world that is designed to add the rules back to your rules-lite game!

Here's my blurb:

Ever wondered whether a wand must be registered before it can be used in public, or what documentation must be filed before casting a fireball? Curious how many forms stand between you and a legally compliant magic jar, or whether your familiar qualifies as a slave or indentured servant?

The Magical Code of Regulations has rules. Or at least, it has regulations.

Presented as the official body of law governing magic, the Code defines who may cast, what may be cast, and under what authority it may all go wrong. It establishes licensing requirements, classifies spells by risk and complexity, regulates rituals, familiars, and magical property, and outlines the penalties for failing to follow any of it properly.

Structured like a real legal code and written with complete sincerity, The Magical Code of Regulations offers a comprehensive system for managing magic. Whether that system actually works is addressed elsewhere in the Code.

And here's what some early reviewers had to say:

“An unnecessarily comprehensive and deeply inconvenient framework. Several of my longstanding plans now require prior authorization.” -Glorgon the Destroyer, Antagonistic Entity of Prophetic Significance #33

“Clear, thorough, and appropriately burdensome. I have no notes, though I will be requesting additional documentation.” -Arthur B. Wexler, Senior Auditor, Department of Magical Affairs

But yeah, hope you guys check it out and enjoy the most boring read of 2026. If you do, a review is always appreciated! Thanks!