Dragonlance More DRAGONLANCE Information: Kender, Battles, W&H's Novels, & More!

In addition to the official videos announcing Dragonlance releases for late 2022, I got to talk to talk to the D&D team and get a few more details not in the public D&D Direct event.

• Because Dragonlance is a setting about war, Ray Winninger, Executive Producer of Dungeons & Dragons, was asked if Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen would have large-scale combat rules. He said that they would in an broad abstract form. The board game or battle game Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn is actually focused on large-scale combat and can be played independently or RPG players could switch to Warriors of Krynn for their big combat scenes, including porting in their characters and then switch back to the RPG after the battle. So the RPG adventure can be played alone, the board game can be played alone or they can be combined, depending upon the group's preference.
• Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn is a cooperative game.
• When asked if Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn could be used for large-scale battles in other D&D settings Winninger said it was designed with that idea in mind. However, if Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn is poplar they'll consider making more customized, large-scale combat board games for other settings.
• Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen is a brand new story, independent of the upcoming novel, Dragonlance: Dragons of Deceit. Winninger said that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are telling their own story set in Krynn while Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen is a different story set in Krynn and is blazing a trail to help players create their own stories in Krynn. So Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen and Dragons of Deceit are both set in the same world but different stories.
• There will be some cameos from old Dragonlance characters, especially villains, in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.
• Price points for Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn and Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen are not finalized yet.
• When asked about player races for Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen – especially Kender – Winninger said that Kender have gotten a good reception from the Unearthed Arcana play test but they're making some tweaks. Yes, Kender will be an option. He said the play test material gives hints as to what playable races it will have but would not mention to confirm any specifically beyond Kender.

 

[teitan]

Well, Kobold Press has us covered with Ursines(Midgard's Bearfolk). Draconians will probably be refluffed Dragonborn or the book will say use Dragonborn in place. And Firbolgs/Half-Orcs would be refluffed Half-Ogres.

Draconians are in Fizban’s starting on page 177-180 they just don’t have their DL names in their heading.

 

[teitan]

To think the Kender got good survey from their playtest is all the evidence I need they only listen to the "yes man" portion of the D&D community and not the real fans who know that Kender's taunts are not supernatural, that they're actually IMMUNE to fear (which is a massive part of their actual character and personalities!), and they don't pull items from an Acme Looney Tune bag and retrieve random items. Got actual cartoon characters now? Who's running this game?

Define “real fans”. Whenever someone uses the term “real fan” it’s a gate keeping warning.

 

[ECMO3]

Huh, aside from Kender, I wonder what other Races are coming. Could we get the UA Krynn Minotaur?

It will be interesting to see how they portray Gully Dwarves.

 

[ECMO3]

Define “real fans”. Whenever someone uses the term “real fan” it’s a gate keeping warning.

While I agree, if Kender are not at least immune to frightened, then they are not true to the Dragonlance fiction.

 

[Micah Sweet]

How would making Draconians a playable race change anything? If you are DMing, you simply say, "no, you can't have a draconian character, I'm playing in a Classic Era DL game."

It absolutely baffles me that people insist that we MUST HAVE OFFICIAL approval to run our games the way we want to. You want gully dwarves and Raistlin? No problems You can certainly do that. There is nothing stopping you. But, why does it bother you if I don't? What is the problem with my DL having playable Draconians?

Isn't having the option better than not having it?

Considering your opinions about campaign settings, I'm surprised you're weighing in on this at all, actually. Your style seems to eskew the pre-established details that are the subject of discussion.

 

[Quickleaf]

I think they said "early" in the War if the Lanxe...which may offer an explanation for 1st Level Clerics.

Hey! Snazzy new avatar!

Were there clerics during War of the Lance? I was under the impression (maybe wrong) that there were no divine spellcasters of any kind, which is what made Goldmoon so exceptional?

 

[Parmandur]

Hey! Snazzy new avatar!

Were there clerics during War of the Lance? I was under the impression (maybe wrong) that there were no divine spellcasters of any kind, which is what made Goldmoon so exceptional?

The restoration of Clerics to the world is he climax of DL1, the first module, partway through the first novel.

 

[Parmandur]

Hey! Snazzy new avatar!

Were there clerics during War of the Lance? I was under the impression (maybe wrong) that there were no divine spellcasters of any kind, which is what made Goldmoon so exceptional?

Specifically the following, maybe the PCs in the new Adventure walk onto the scene after this, allowing for Level 1 Clerics or Paladins:

"The adventure ends with the PCs recovering the Disks of Mishakal, allowing for the return of true clerics to Krynn for the first time in over 300 years."

Dragons of Despair - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[EthanSental]

Been a while since I played or read those old DL modules. My fading memories felt like the clerics began wide spread when Elistan was freed but I can’t remember what module that was in. Was it DL 1? Once they freed him at Pax Tharkas but I’ll have to pull out my old modules to see which one that was in.

 

[darjr]

In the preview video there was a floating city/citadel/castle. Does that place it in time?