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

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Maybe. My discussion with Hussar wasn't about the value the orc restriction, only in what may/should be considered canon. Everyone has their own ideas on that, including its creators.

and it's current owners (wotc) and it seems (from what I have seen) the current owners are not fans of restriction just for restriction sake (again unless you or someone else can show how it matters or changes anything(

 

[Velderan]

and it's current owners (wotc) and it seems (from what I have seen) the current owners are not fans of restriction just for restriction sake (again unless you or someone else can show how it matters or changes anything(

Jeremy Crawford was pretty clear in the Lunar Sorceror video that part of the design philosophy was how can this be ripped out of Krynn and used somewhere else with minimal effort so yeah, 100% they're not going to mention any forms of restrictions in this book. For setting purists, I think the main concern is whether PCs encounter a half-orc NPC at this point. The art so far hasn't shown anything that wouldn't be considered traditional so I don't really see that as being an issue and even if they do, it's not that hard to make that NPC a different race that fits your table better.

 

[AnotherGuy]

and it's current owners (wotc) and it seems (from what I have seen) the current owners are not fans of restriction just for restriction sake (again unless you or someone else can show how it matters or changes anything(

Probably. Like I said upthread, an acknowledgement in the book by WotC for the setting purists would be good gesture and in line with how they handled the core.

 

[Agametorememberbooks]

If one of my players happens to want to play an orc or half-orc in DragonLance, I’ll simple add them to the ‘corrupted by Takhisis’ list. They’ll be corrupted elves like the draconians are the corrupted good dragon eggs. I’ll just make it clear that they’re super rare and Takhisis’ minion clerics realized that the profane rituals involved were too costly, proportional to outputs yielded. That’s only if they’re really dead set on playing an O/H-O.

Might be a really cool way to introduce a dragonborn and/or orc/half-orc in that they arrive together with strange appearances and dire warnings from the east. The rest of the group could rescue them from a crazed mob who’s out the kill off the ‘strange beings’.

 

[mamba]

I think this is a very good illustration of why you are missing the point.

One thing I’ve noticed about this thread: the player advocates are always asking: Why? Why does the DM want to exclude the race?

Most of the player advocates have specifically stated that they will go along if it is a good reason, with a couple even giving examples of reasons that they find compelling.

So the why clearly matters. On the other hand, the more DM-advocates don’t seem to really care why a player wants to play a particular race. In their hypotheticals, the choice is always seems to be a whim, or the player is problematic.

It’s not my hypothetical, so do not ask me. No reason was given for the player, I believe the DM excluded them because this is DL, it never had orcs.

Which also neatly explains why we were looking for the player’s rationale, we know the DM’s…

 

[mamba]

the first 2 years of the adventures let all PHB options in if your phb was the 1e one it allows half orcs heck half orc assassins

No they don’t, they have pregen chars to play, none of which are half-orcs

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Jeremy Crawford was pretty clear in the Lunar Sorceror video that part of the design philosophy was how can this be ripped out of Krynn and used somewhere else with minimal effort so yeah, 100% they're not going to mention any forms of restrictions in this book. For setting purists, I think the main concern is whether PCs encounter a half-orc NPC at this point. The art so far hasn't shown anything that wouldn't be considered traditional so I don't really see that as being an issue and even if they do, it's not that hard to make that NPC a different race that fits your table better.

if the issue is NPC, then I doubt ANY player cares.
if i play a a dwarf I can play 8 levels and never see another dwarf... if I play an elf I can go 8 levels and never see a dwarf

I use this becuse we at my table (both me as DM and me as Player) have noticed the PHB race we use the least is dwarf

 

[GMforPowergamers]

No they don’t, they have pregen chars to play, none of which are half-orcs

you don't have to play the pregens you can make your own characters... and again you can have half orcs from PHB in 1e

 

[Velderan]

if the issue is NPC, then I doubt ANY player cares.
if i play a a dwarf I can play 8 levels and never see another dwarf... if I play an elf I can go 8 levels and never see a dwarf

I use this becuse we at my table (both me as DM and me as Player) have noticed the PHB race we use the least is dwarf

Kindly read my post again, I specifically said for "setting purists" so yes, these players are more likely to care.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

What's gonna happen when it's confirmed that Bards are also Mages of High Sorcery? The forums will just implode...

warlocks... I can go make a deal with a fey lord or a genie and THEN go test for the mages of High Sorcery... what is THAT going to do to canon (or celestial for that matter).

wait, hexblade.

I can play a half orc hexblade from a tribe of half orcs that made a deal with a powerful axe in the shadowfel, then go test at the towers...