Dragonlance Dragonlance Creators Reveal Why There Are No Orcs On Krynn

Talking to the Dragonlance Nexus, Dragonlance creators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman revealed why the world of Krynn features no orcs -- in short, because they didn't want to copy Tolkien, and orcs were very much a 'Middle Earth' thing.

Weis told Trampas Whiteman that "Orcs were also viewed as very Middle Earth. We wanted something different." Hickman added that it was draconians which made Krynn stand out. Read more at the link below!

Why are there no Orcs in Krynn? Weis and Hickman give us the answer! - Dragonlance Nexus

Dragonhelm gets the scoop from Weis and Hickman on why there are no orcs in Krynn. Read More

dragonlancenexus.com

 

[Dragonhelm]

There may not be any orcs on Krynn, but the novel Kendermore has a half-orc in it. I'm willing to bet the fact that it was a later novel, written by Mary Kirchoff and not one of the Dragonlance creators, had something to do with that.

Johnathan

There are a few cases where an orc or half-orc might have slipped into DL. Some was early on, and unfortunately one slipped in during the 3.5 era.

As far as Dragonlance lore is concerned, this is a "kender tale."

 

[Echohawk]

There are a few cases where an orc or half-orc might have slipped into DL. Some was early on, and unfortunately one slipped in during the 3.5 era.

As far as Dragonlance lore is concerned, this is a "kender tale."

If Lord Soth can keep a tarrasque in a cupboard, who says he doesn't have credenzas crammed full of secret orcs in one of his other lairs?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Not once is my decades of DL fandom have I ever thought "you know what makes Krynn unique and interesting? The fact that there aren't any orcs."

It doesn't make it somewhat unique at all, because there are many fantasy worlds which have no orcs. What makes it unique are the things that actually make it unique. Defining something based on what it isn't is a terrible idea.

Not in D&D at the time.

 

[Micah Sweet]

but like I said in the other thread it is good reason that doesn't stand up in 2022. They felt Orc/Halforc was 1 note just evil foot soldier... they are not any more. They didn't want to repeat Tolken, and the Orc of today is not a 1:1 tolken (although I would argue that was true from at least 3e).
SO if those are the reasons, there is no reason (other then tradition) to not include them today.

What are orcs now? Without the ASIs and any cultural aspects, what makes orcs a distinct heritage? Just aesthetics?

 

[GreyLord]

If I remember correctly, he was a half-orc assassin sent to kill Tasselhoff. Nobody made a big deal out of his heritage, I suspect because the author wasn't aware half-orcs (and orcs) weren't a thing in Dragonlance.

Johnathan

What is even MORE interesting about it is that Half-orcs and Assassins were sort of done away with in AD&D 2e at that point unless you chose the grandfather clause to implement them.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You know what race is really tired, boring and old? Humans. I mean come on. Middle of the road, uninteresting and the only reason they stick around is for having some sort of comparative baseline. Ugh!

Fair enough. With orcs, we have two.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And I'm saying that had they included orcs (or should WotC decided to add them), then they almost certainly wouldn't just throw them in for no reason, but would instead construct a reason for orcs to be there in the same way they did everything they did put into the setting and work to integrate them into the world in a natural way.

If I were going to add something to a setting I like (primarily Eberron and Planescape for me), I'm not going to just "drop them in for no reason". I'm going to find/create a place for it to fit and weave it in so it does so naturally.

The only reason "orcs don't have a place in Krynn" is because no one's been allowed to try and make a place for them.

That implies people have been pushing for orcs in DL for years and been denied. Any evidence that that's the case?

 

[Micah Sweet]

no, but they need to have good enough reasons for the removal of any of the basic options.

Good enough by whose standard?

 

[Mecheon]

What are orcs now? Without the ASIs and any cultural aspects, what makes orcs a distinct heritage? Just aesthetics?

Orcs are orcs. You're generally going to draw from more than just D&D's stuff becuase, orcs are a wider archetype than just D&D. Much the same 'elf' isn't going to draw from just 'D&D elf' but instead the larger archetype of elves.

Honourable natural warrior type with anger problems? Orc. Muscle-bound warrior? Orc. Blacksmith in hand-wrought armor you made yourself, not neat but functional? Orc. Big guy who can intimidate everyone at the bar but really just wants to be home to look after his chickens and cabbages? Orc.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Orcs are orcs. You're generally going to draw from more than just D&D's stuff becuase, orcs are a wider archetype than just D&D. Much the same 'elf' isn't going to draw from just 'D&D elf' but instead the larger archetype of elves.

Honourable natural warrior type with anger problems? Orc. Muscle-bound warrior? Orc. Blacksmith in hand-wrought armor you made yourself, not neat but functional? Orc. Big guy who can intimidate everyone at the bar but really just wants to be home to look after his chickens and cabbages? Orc.

Every one of those works perfectly well with human instead of orc. They're in no way distinctive. I don't think orc first with any of that stuff.