AMA [June 10] Margaret Weis, Author (TSR, Dragonlance, Margaret Weis Productions, Cortex, Firefly RPG, Star of the Guardians)

margaretweis · May 28, 2015

Coming June 10th, 2015, Margaret Weis will be holding an AMA right here on EN World. Book editor for TSR, co-creator of Dragonlance, and co-author of the Dragonlance Chronicles and Dragonlance Legends, author of many popular novel series, and CEO of Margaret Weis Productions, the company which publishes the Cortex Plus system, the Firefly RPG, and which previously published the ENnie-winning Marvel Heroic Roleplaying.

The Star of the Guardians novel series was recently picked up for film and television by Filmscope Entertainment.

Margaret will be answering questions on June 10th, 2015. This thread is now open for questions. Ask Her Anything!

GMforPowergamers · Jun 9, 2015

When Dragonlance went from a novel to a gamming supplement did you or the others around you ever foresee a problem with the Kender race? I know from personal experience it appears to be the controversial race in the D&D game, and I personally love the novels, but hate them in play. Is there any insight into the why and how you guys went through with the race that might help people who feel it is an unplayble PC race but also fell in love with Tasslehoff Burrfoot?

DQDesign · Jun 9, 2015

What about the future of Dragonlance in D&D terms? Any news that You can share?
What do You think about the current absence of official WOTC support for campaign settings?

EditorBFG · Jun 9, 2015

Margaret Weis Productions has designed so many great games around licensed properties-- so good I've purchased games for properties I didn't care for and used them to run other things (I didn't watch Smallville, for example, but so many people told me how great the RPG was that I bought it and loved it). Unfortunately, licensing is a fickle world, and game lines are often discontinued when the license ends-- Marvel Heroic RP is a serious contender for most effective superhero RPG of all time, but that game obviously had to end with the Marvel license. At the same time, MWP has hired some of the greatest minds in gaming to work on Cortex system games, and many of those designers have also created successful games based on original content elsewhere. Recently, the Cortex Hacker's Guide demonstrated the extreme versatility of the Cortex engine in powering all kinds of different settings. Will there be a point when MWP puts out an RPG (Cortex or otherwise) based on an original property created for that game, which customers can buy and get into, secure in the knowledge that MWP won't ever have to discontinue it based on business concerns out of their control?

Phaide · Jun 9, 2015

Hi. What is the status of Heroic Role-play? It has been advertised as "coming soon" for a very long time and yet we've heard little to nothing about it or its status. Thanks.

Ashran · Jun 9, 2015

Hello Margaret. It's great for you to take the time for this kind of exercise, thanks a lot for that.

I have seen one of your novel series has been recently picked up for film and television, the star of the guardian. It's great and I hope we will hear soon more details about that, but what I wanna ask is based on another series of yours, co-written with Tracy Hickman, the death gate cycle. Did you ever think that this world of yours would make a great setting for a rpg and is there any plans to revisit it in the future (be it as new novel(s), comics, film, serie, or a new rpg based on it) ? Does the nature of the cycle, being co written would complicate things for such deriative works to emerges ?

innerdude · Jun 9, 2015

Two questions: Where do you go for continuing inspiration for new ideas, new worlds, new stories? Are there particular authors/games/RPGs/books that you find particularly useful for idea generation?

Second, are there are any of your creations, particularly characters in your writing, of which you are particularly fond? Do you "connect" with any of them more than others? (Obviously asking an author to pick a "favorite" character is sort of like asking a parent who their favorite child is, but nonetheless......)

For example, I've always felt Jonathan the Lazar from Death Gate #3, Fire Sea, to be one of the most interesting characters in all of fantasy fiction. Was he your creation or Tracy's?

delericho · Jun 9, 2015

Since I've been very much enjoying the Firefly RPG lately...

- Is there anything you can tell us about your future plans for that line, beyond "Ghosts in the Black"?

- Any chance of getting Tracy Hickman to pen another episode in the 'Verse?

- Do you have a favourite episode/character?

Thanks!

Dioltach · Jun 9, 2015

Hi Margaret,

Thanks for providing me with countless hours of reading pleasure. Also thanks for your part in increasing the popularity of fantasy as a genre.

My favourite among your series has always been The Rose of the Prophet. Sadly, it rarely, if ever, seems to get any recognition. What do you think is the reason?