Why I Backed ShadowSun—and May Never Play It
Back in the 90s, Dark Sun was one of our favorite tabletop campaigns. Athas was an unforgiving world of ruthless sorcerer-kings, slavery, ecological devastation, and desperate survival. Evil wasn't lurking in a dungeon, but in the halflings, beggars, and kings—evil, woven into civilization itself.
Wizards of the Coast is bringing Dark Sun back for 2027 with an adult presentation and promises of graphic violence. In an August interview with TTRPG Insider, executive producer Greg Bilsland described deeper use of sensitivity readers and a move away from reliance on narratives of mass slavery.
Apparently, more gore is acceptable, but the institutional evil that helped define the original world needs reconsideration. That misses the point of Dark Sun. The brutality was more than decoration: it gave us something worth resisting.
Enter Chubby Funster.
His ShadowSun Revised is a dark fantasy campaign setting for the Shadowdark RPG, inspired by that classic experience. Its devastated world of Althea features tyrannical mage-kings, slavery, scarce resources, psionics, and magic that can literally destroy life around the caster. Survival matters. Actions have consequences. Evil is allowed to be evil.
ShadowSun shows us just what you can do if your creative attitude includes a healthy measure of ‘screw your warning labels.’ I’d back that any day.
I first encountered Chubby’s work after B.K. Gibson appeared on his podcast. I appreciate his understanding of tabletop gaming, particularly player agency, impartial adjudication, and the freedom to explore genuinely dangerous fictional worlds.
The published work behind that attitude is strong.
Funster’s catalog includes Ambition & Avarice, Terra Invictus, and the earlier edition of ShadowSun. His revised edition offers a free quickstart the size of some core rulebooks. It gives far more than the campaign pitch and goes beyond the expectations of its name.
The Kickstarter closed on 15 October, having passed $115,000 against its goal of $25,000. Yes, there’s an audience willing to pay for the lack of warning labels and sensitivity readers. Pay attention, WotC.
For Chubby Funster, that support will help bring one hell of a campaign setting to the table. It also shows independent creators willing to produce worthwhile work without corporate permission can gain more than applause. They deserve customers, patrons, advocates, and people willing to invest in their continued success.
I probably won’t get to play ShadowSun. But I want Chubby to succeed. I want this kind of game to exist. I want more creators to recognize that there are audiences hungry for uncompromising craftsmanship and storytelling.
Supporting something only when it immediately benefits you is consumption. Supporting something worthwhile because it deserves to exist is stewardship.
We need more stewards.
Follow ShadowSun’s Kickstarter page for development updates and any subsequent purchasing opportunities or download the ShadowSun Revised quickstart to see what Chubby is building. You can also support his existing work. The campaign has closed; the reason I backed it remains.
Explore and support: ShadowSun campaign and updates • ShadowSun Revised quickstart • Chubby Funster on X
Disclosure: I personally backed ShadowSun and have actively promoted its campaign. Rightbacker receives no payment or affiliate commission for this recommendation.