Dragonlance 30th Anniversary!

[Lwaxy]

Yeah, old I am...

I never read the novels as I didn't want them to interfere with "my world" too much haha.

Think I should pick them up now?

 

[M.L. Martin]

As for Tanis, he may come across as a ranger, but he hasn't shown a lot of ranger abilities. For example, no ranger spells. *shrugs*

You could say the same about Riverwind, who is a ranger according to the game stats. Although he has the excuse that Weis & Hickman heavily sideline him by the time he reaches the level to get those.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

I think I read the first when then went to Xak-Tsaroth?, but not the others. I always despised Raistlin as a character (Seriously the way he treated Caramon was ass level nasty). The fact they had a character die of old age is not something you'd see in any novel series nowadays without an incredible amount of foreshadowing.

Flint effectively died from old age.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Yeah, old I am...

I never read the novels as I didn't want them to interfere with "my world" too much haha.

Think I should pick them up now?

I don't recommend it. I revisited the novels as an adult, and they didn't age well -- I discovered how really poorly written they are. They're OK by "D&D novel" standards, but by generic fantasy standards they are mediocre at best.

 

[pemerton]

As for Tanis, he may come across as a ranger, but he hasn't shown a lot of ranger abilities. For example, no ranger spells. *shrugs*

You could say the same about Riverwind, who is a ranger according to the game stats.

Isn't Tanis an archer warlord, perhaps with Ranger multiclass for Nature or Perception skill?

 

[Lwaxy]

I don't recommend it. I revisited the novels as an adult, and they didn't age well -- I discovered how really poorly written they are. They're OK by "D&D novel" standards, but by generic fantasy standards they are mediocre at best.

Good to know. I'll save time and money then. Thanks

 

[GreyLord]

Good to know. I'll save time and money then. Thanks

Yes, probably don't buy them if you are like MANY of the new age crowds.

I personally still love the books and feel they are far better written then a majority of the junk goth emo fantasy that gets passed around these days.

But I'm more old school like that. Most of the fantasy I enjoy (Tolkien, Donaldson, Brooks) is considered "poorly written" and badly created these days by the new kids on the block.

Sort of like the Drizzt books which also get placed in that same boat more often then not.

 

[Henry]

I encountered Dragonlance before I read Tolkien, and years later in my teens was shocked to realize how much had been cribbed from Tolkien in it:

Heroic human with elven ancestry torn between his Elven and Human heritage, as well as between a human and elven choice of partner;

Irascible dwarf companion;

Legendary weapons brought back to light after being lost;

Secret dwarven paths through mountains;

Two groups of elves, one more aloof than the other;

A mage that goes from a "neutral" stance to an evil one;

A wizard who is more than he seems, and who "dies" after a fall from a bridge...

Etc etc etc etc

However, it still holds a place in my heart that Tolkien doesnt, simply because I was able to finish the trilogy at age 12, unlike my slog through Tolkien at age 15. I retried about 7 years ago and still didnt get past Bree.


One other thing Dragonlance definitely did in my experience was that it got more girls and women into fantasy role play, which D & D alone did not. I met at least 4 separate girls in high school who knew Dragonlance, but not D&D.

 

[Ruzak]

I also read them again (Chronicles & Legends) as an adult and found they held up quite well. This may just be nostalgia on my part. I have a soft spot for Weis's flawed heroes.

 

[pemerton]

I still reread LotR from time to time. Tolkien has flaws as a writer and a stylist, but I think is well ahead of most fantasy.

I remember finding the Dragonlance books not that well written as a teenager. I haven't retried them as an adult, but wouldn't expect them to have improved in my eyes!

(Somewhat offtopic - has anyone else read Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising? I loved them as a boy but trying to read them again as an adult I couldn't get through more than a few pages.)