WotC Dragonlance: Everything You Need For Shadow of the Dragon Queen

WotC has shared a video explaining the Dragonlance setting, and what to expect when it is released in December.

World at War: Introduces war as a genre of play to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Dragonlance: Introduces the Dragonlance setting with a focus on the War of the Lance and an overview of what players and DMs need to run adventures during this world spanning conflict.

Heroes of War: Provides character creation rules highlighting core elements of the Dragonlance setting, including the kender race and new backgrounds for the Knight of Solamnia and Mage of High Sorcery magic-users. Also introduces the Lunar Sorcery sorcerer subclass with new spells that bind your character to Krynn's three mystical moons and imbues you with lunar magic.

Villains: Pits heroes against the infamous death knight Lord Soth and his army of draconians.

Notes --

• 224 page hardcover adventure
• D&D's setting for war
• Set in eastern Solamnia
• War is represented by context -- it's not goblins attacking the village, but evil forces; refugees, rumours
• You can play anything from D&D - clerics included, although many classic D&D elements have been forgotten
• Introductory scenarios bring you up to speed on the world so no prior research needed

 

[Hussar]

If the adventure doesn’t end with the pcs stopping Takhisis or at least making the attempt, I will be very disappointed. If this is just a prequel adventure where nothing you do has any impact on the setting, I’ll pass

 

[AnotherGuy]

Wait, you're seriously comparing not wanting depictions of who you are (race, gender identity, neurodivergency, etc) to be portrayed in a bigoted way to not liking the possibility of Orcs existing in Dragonlance? Yeah, no. Let me know when to start playing the world's smallest violin.

Stop making this a political issue no one is interested in that conversation or your violins. So please do us a favour and cut that out!

It is about acknowledging a part of the fan base that is all.
Just like 5e, when it initially came out its goal was to unite the fan base - all sectors, all playstyles, all setting lovers, all ages.

 

[Delazar]

If the adventure doesn’t end with the pcs stopping Takhisis or at least making the attempt, I will be very disappointed. If this is just a prequel adventure where nothing you do has any impact on the setting, I’ll pass

Looks like the main baddie in this one is Lord Soth. My Knight of Solamnia from 25 years ago has an open score to settle with that pile of bones!

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Stop making this a political issue no one is interested in that conversation or your violins. So please do us a favour and cut that out!

You're the one that brought up "inclusivity". You opened the door to this tangent.

It is about acknowledging a part of the fan base that is all.
Just like 5e, when it initially came out its goal was to unite the fan base - all sectors, all playstyles, all setting lovers, all ages.

Acknowledging a part of the fanbase that would be upset if the option of playing an Orc in the world was allowed. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that WotC doesn't care about that pointless minutia and the wants of the exclusionary.

 

[AnotherGuy]

You're the one that brought up "inclusivity". You opened the door to this tangent.

That was 5e's entire shtick, right?
So, the English language became poorer because ideologues (not you, in general) have a monopoly over certain words. Cute censorship.

Acknowledging a part of the fanbase that would be upset if the option of playing an Orc in the world was allowed. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that WotC doesn't care about that pointless minutia and the wants of the exclusionary.

We are talking about a sidebar, similar to the ones they had in the core about the various settings.
And it ain't just about orcs, but every other limitation within DL.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

That was 5e's entire shtick, right?
So, the English language became poorer because ideologues (not you, in general) have a monopoly over certain words. Cute censorship.

You were invoking political inclusivity in a way that seemed like you were comparing "I want Orcs banned from Dragonlance" to actual marginalized minorities. It's not "censorship" to call out ridiculous language that tries to make you look like you're being discriminated against for wanting to ban a race from a setting.

We are talking about a sidebar, similar to the ones they had in the core about the various settings.
And it ain't just about orcs, but every other limitation within DL.

Waste of space. The book is about 220 pages. And the adventure can tell you what creatures and races exist in the world by having them included in the adventure, like Theros and Ravnica do. They don't have to say "no Orcs". Because that would be wasting words on an issue that only pleases the grognards that want to control other people's tables for some reason.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Because that would be wasting words on an issue that only pleases the grognards that want to control other people's tables for some reason.

Bold emphasis mine.
Below is what was in my original post. Please try marry what you wrote with what I wrote and tell me the control I would be exerting over YOUR table. If not, I assume you have no further objection other than your concern over space.

And we literally are talking about inserting just a sidebar stating the historical DL setting quirks (i.e. acknowledgement). It is not about mandating a set of rules for all tables.

 

[AnotherGuy]

You were invoking political inclusivity in a way that seemed like you were comparing "I want Orcs banned from Dragonlance" to actual marginalized minorities. It's not "censorship" to call out ridiculous language that tries to make you look like you're being discriminated against for wanting to ban a race from a setting.

More hyperbolic rhetoric, have fun.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Bold emphasis mine.
Below is what was in my original post. Please try marry what you wrote with what I wrote and tell me the control I would be exerting over YOUR table. If not, I assume you have no further objection other than your concern over space.

Why else would someone want the setting to say that Orcs are banned? Because, as demonstrated, Orcs can come to Krynn (Spelljammer and Planescape), they're just not native there. And most people that will buy this book probably don't know much about Dragonlance, so having the book say "Orcs are banned" in a sidebar would change how people play the setting. You are trying to control other people's tables. Or you just want the book to be beholden to your nostalgia for the setting when a sidebar that says Orcs are banned would add nothing meaningful or useful to the setting.

I'm not worried about my own table. I know quite a bit about Dragonlance. I'm worried about the new DMs that will get the wrong idea from the book saying "X races are banned in this setting" and that it could damage tables.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Why else would someone want the setting to say that Orcs are banned? Because, as demonstrated, Orcs can come to Krynn (Spelljammer and Planescape), they're just not native there.

So everybody can play anything anywhere is your position. I dislike that, but that is your preference.
Also you're making that the claim that anyone who plays DL has to use/buy-into Spelljammer and Planescape settings for their cosmology. How not oppressive of you. You sure this isn't a form of control over other people's tables?

And most people that will buy this book probably don't know much about Dragonlance, so having the book say "Orcs are banned" in a sidebar would change how people play the setting.

That is not what I said, this is how you interpret it.
The sidebar acknowledgement would reflect the historical limitations of the setting (hence it being a sidebar). It is not mandating it for your table. One would be free to ignore it.
The DMG keeps reflecting on the freedom of the DM to shape their world, their cosmos.

Or you just want the book to be beholden to your nostalgia for the setting when a sidebar that says Orcs are banned would add nothing meaningful or useful to the setting.
I'm not worried about my own table. I know quite a bit about Dragonlance. I'm worried about the new DMs that will get the wrong idea from the book saying "X races are banned in this setting" and that it could damage tables.

Again, it's the acknowledgement and to educate newer DMs about the quirks of the setting. Again, not about orcs alone, but all playable limitations (i.e. no halflings, no dragonborn, no tieflings etc). But hey, let me not control you, you do you doing me.