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

 

[Micah Sweet]

And we don't have any signs that Orcs do exist in the setting yet, so unless you're clairvoyant, you're complaining about nothing. You're complaining about the possibility of something being included in the book that wouldn't affect your table even if it was in it. The sensible thing to do would be to stop whining about something that we have no evidence for and to wait until the book actually comes out to see if Orcs are in it or not. If they are, complain away. If they aren't, you'll feel pretty silly for making a mountain out of a molehill and tilting at windmills, just like you did for the Radiant Citadel.

You don't have to advocate. You just have to be fine with it being available for other people (newer players that aren't setting purists and don't give a crap about your view of the world).

If the option of other people allowing orcs in the book is not going to affect your table, why are you complaining? You can choose to ban Orcs at Krynn in 5e just like you can choose to ban Warforged from the Forgotten Realms. The book saying that Orcs are banned would do nothing to affect your table and your nostalgia for the setting is compelling you to try and restrict the product for other people for no other reason other than how you like to play the setting (which, again, isn't affected by this book's stance on the playability of Orcs in the world at all).

To be fair, if the book did say orcs were banned, that wouldn't stop any table from playing with them anyway.

 

[mamba]

And we don't have any signs that Orcs do exist in the setting yet, so unless you're clairvoyant, you're complaining about nothing. You're complaining about the possibility of something being included in the book that wouldn't affect your table even if it was in it.

Actually he is complaining about the book not saying that Orcs are traditionally excluded. I am pretty certain there won't be any orcs in the adventure either way

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

To be fair, if the book did say orcs were banned, that wouldn't stop any table from playing with them anyway.

No, but most of the people that will buy this book probably haven't played or read Dragonlance before. So the book saying Orcs are banned would alter how newer players play the game.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So the book saying Orcs are banned would alter how newer players play the game.

Sure, but that wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? I mean I hate to be my dad but "It didn't do us any harm", did it?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Sure, but that wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? I mean I hate to be my dad but "It didn't do us any harm", did it?

For tables where someone wants to play an Orc/Half-Orc but aren't allowed because of "tradition" it would be a bad thing.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Actually he is complaining about the book not saying that Orcs are traditionally excluded.

Unless I've missed something, we don't know that either. I'm still betting on there being a sidebar or even a page or so of "Here is what a traditional DL campaign consisted of; you can run this adventure that way - or not, your choice".

 

[Hussar]

Sure, but that wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? I mean I hate to be my dad but "It didn't do us any harm", did it?

But, it wasn't true for us either.

Orcs weren't banned in Dragonlance until years afterwards. You could, from day 1, play a half-orc in Dragonlance with zero problem. Same as you could play a druid. So, why not stand by the established canon of the setting instead of forcing later retcons. I thought changing lore was bad. Lore is important isn't it?

Granted, it's not to me. I couldn't care less. But, you guys are the ones insisting on forcing later retcons onto newer players while disrespecting the setting lore.

 

[Micah Sweet]

For tables where someone wants to play an Orc/Half-Orc but aren't allowed because of "tradition" it would be a bad thing.

If the whole table is cool with orcs, they'll play orcs.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

If the whole table is cool with orcs, they'll play orcs.

Are you sure that will happen 100% of the time? That everyone that buys the book will decide to go against what it says all of the time? There are a lot of of new players that might not be super familiar with the game and might just go by the book at the expense of the table. And when the other possible "harm" done is "some dude on the internet that loves tiny minutia of the setting that won't affect their table anyways wants their heavily restrictive preference to be built into the book being mildly annoyed", I'll choose the first option all of the time. And I'll choose it with my own favorite settings.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Are you sure that will happen 100% of the time? That everyone that buys the book will decide to go against what it says all of the time? There are a lot of of new players that might not be super familiar with the game and might just go by the book at the expense of the table. And when the other possible "harm" done is "some dude on the internet that loves tiny minutia of the setting that won't affect their table anyways wants their heavily restrictive preference to be built into the book being mildly annoyed", I'll choose the first option all of the time. And I'll choose it with my own favorite settings.

Is "no orcs" really heavily restrictive? Talk about mountains out of molehill. It cuts both ways.