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

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I for one don't buy that argument in the slightest. The entire game is about limits.

wait what... the main selling point over video games is the lack of limits?!?

I don't have the option to choose 3 races and 4 classes for my level 1 PC. I don't have the option to set his move to 90 and give him 300 hit points if I feel like it.

yup cause "I have this half orc mini I want to base my character on" is the exact same as "I want to be better then 20th level at 1st level"
bad faith argument is in bad faith

I can't decide that my fighter casts spells like a wizard of the same level just because I think it would be cool.

bad faith argument is in bad faith

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Would that do what? Convince me that adding orcs was / is a good idea?

If they list the races of Krynn and orcs are not included (or specifically called out as excluded), does that convince you that they made the right decision (and that Krynn is better off without them) ?

What would it take to change your mind? If the answer is it cannot be changed, then you are a hypocrite.

all it takes is someone (wotc, you, one of the other posters) how it would impact or hurt Krynn if there were Orcs living someone on the planet. Remembering that the 1st 2 years we didn't have any reason to suspect it, and there are half orc assassins in the canon not treated like freaks.

 

[DarkCrisis]

If the player wants to play a renegade wizard but neither the player nor the DM is interested in having a magical hit squad show up then why not just come up with an in-game reason that the hit squad doesn't show up? I'm surprised that there seems to be this aversion to putting any effort at all into coming up with a fun and creative solution to something that would normally go against the setting's tropes or lore as if there aren't many alternatives to simply abolishing the lore altogether.

Maybe the Conclaves just have bigger fish to fry than the one player's lone renegade, maybe the PC has some sort of leverage over the Conclave (or a high ranking member) or some previous act allowed for a rare and unique truce of sorts, who knows. But these are all the same questions that would have to be answered in one form or another if a player wanted to have a goblin or draconian character that wanted to openly adventure in Ansalon.

They only come after you if you start behaving badly. Most wizards would want to join just to have access to free spellbooks and teachers and loads of other "member only" stuff. Not to mention, always having a brotherhood at your back, more or less.

It's urged that you join not only for your safety but for others as well. You aren't required to unless you start being irresponsible with magic. A Renegade Wizard of any alignment is practically handicapping themselves by not joining. Which can be a fun RP experience.

 

[Cadence]

How many wanderers are there, really, though. A smidge of a smidge of a smidge ever get powerful enough AND have the inclination to wander the planes(and given D&D's history almost none of those are orcs). Out of that very, very small number, there are an infinite number of settings out there to fly to in in Planejamming ships or get to via astral pools. Not many would actually arrive on any given world, and those few would be spread out over centuries and wouldn't interact with a large percentage of locals.

I could see a world remaining relatively isolated in it's belief system, despite the rare wanderer from another world. Many would just dismiss him as being a lunatic.

And others might end up like Krikkit in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Remembering that the 1st 2 years we didn't have any reason to suspect it, and there are half orc assassins in the canon not treated like freaks.

And half-orcs can pass as big, ugly humans, according to older editions of the game. so if orcs don't exist on Krynn, there is not even a name to give to that half-orc other than "ugly human".

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Maybe the Conclaves just have bigger fish to fry than the one player's lone renegade, maybe the PC has some sort of leverage over the Conclave (or a high ranking member) or some previous act allowed for a rare and unique truce of sorts, who knows. But these are all the same questions that would have to be answered in one form or another if a player wanted to have a goblin or draconian character that wanted to openly adventure in Ansalon.

back in 2e I had a friend who played in DL game as a renegade Wizard and the Black Robes found him and basicly said "You want to stay renegade do us 3 favors" and he basicly just became a plot hook 3 times for the DM

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Lord Soth needs a Draco-mech army.

cyborg tarassqe incoming

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Is it?

D&D Canon | D&D Studio Blog | Dungeons & Dragons

In this D&D Studio Blog, Chris Perkins describes the D&D Studio's position on canonicity.

dnd.wizards.com

in the context that a book form 1987 2 years after 1st adventure said no orcs and half orcs are seen as freaks... and then after that a novel showed it not to be seen as a freak and be native to the setting yes... If we go with "Nothing is Canon" then who cares what was written in 87

 

[Vaalingrade]

And half-orcs can pass as big, ugly humans, according to older editions of the game. so if orcs don't exist on Krynn, there is not even a name to give to that half-orc other than "ugly human".

"I am an elf who spends all his time working out and drinking. Fun Fact: jaundice in elves makes you green and gives you an underbite."

 

[Remathilis]

I actually don't know how bards were handled in 2e and 3e DL. And in 1e they were such a weird corner case that they would have to be dealt with on an individual basis. Have to look that up...

Neither The Tales of the Lance 2e box set nor the 3e Dragonlance campaign setting say anything about bards being renegades. The only restriction is that 3e bards can't cast healing spells, (which is silly, imho, but that's a different discussion).

It's worth noting the only class that Krynn doesn't account for in 3e is warlock, which makes sense as it wasn't a core class yet.