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

 

[Micah Sweet]

but it didn't mess anything up. It was still krynn. The very fact that a writer, a line editor, and a story editor made it through without noticing any issue shows that the presence or lack of one of orcs doesn't change Krynn

I agree, add one half-orc doesn't really change Krynn, although being the only one in the world really ought to be called out; I recall that being rather jarring when I read it.

 

[Velderan]

again, I am sure there is some % of fans that said "Hey X years ago I read there were no orcs" but I bet most that read the books just said "okay" and ran with it... the very fact that it wasn't the first go to thing people talk about shows it is not that big a deal.

By that logic, racial restrictions in a 5E WotC book aren't that big a deal since the first thing most people went to to talk about Theros/Ravnica wasn't "man, no half-orcs?". I'm glad we can agree on something at least.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

A player wants to play them is not a reason to change an established setting if the DM doesn't agree.

why wouldn't the DM (who isn't a dm but the IP holder publishing a reimagined version)

That PHB is set to be demolished. Who knows what they'll put in its place?

we actually know they plan on putting Orc in instead of Half orc... although I did say we should keep the 2 half races we already have I don't know if my feed back will be common.

I really hope the note from D&D Beyond is included in the book. That way we both get what we want. I assume you also want us both to get what we want.

TBH the note is pretty much what I said it would most likely be (in the form of a side bar I assumed)

 

[Morrus]

The towers never were color coded to begin with? I'm not understanding the point you're making.

He meant orders, not towers, obviously. White, black, and red robes. Not the literal buildings.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Not picking on you, but using your post as an example for some posters.
I'm wondering if the posters who claimed the canon-side was focussing on the wrong things (i.e. the inclusion of orcs) for a DL setting are going to do the same with this post.

maybe... but since my main argument is "a player wants to play something from the core book, so you should have an answer, a reason on why it would change things if it was allowed" and the post you quoted is like a billion posts into this argument I think saying I am focusing on the wrong thing is odd..

 

[Micah Sweet]

again, I am sure there is some % of fans that said "Hey X years ago I read there were no orcs" but I bet most that read the books just said "okay" and ran with it... the very fact that it wasn't the first go to thing people talk about shows it is not that big a deal.

Not everyone reads every novel, and you're right that some people won't care. None of that changes the fact that it was a mistake the author wouldn't have made if they could help it.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The order is color-coded. The Towers themselves are not (although several leaned one way or another).

yoou know what I meant, this is just a weird argument... the towers have 3 sects, the sects are color coded (or used to be to me it sounds like Wotc isn't doing that)

 

[mamba]

white=good black= bad isn't color coded how?

mage robes are color coded, any mage can be in any tower

 

[GMforPowergamers]

So this is just a matter of who owns the IP? If that's your argument you should just say so.

NO not just. but yes the WotC own FR not ed, They own Ebbberon not Keith and they own DL... there for they get to decide.

 

[Velderan]

He meant orders, not towers, obviously. White, black, and red robes. Not the literal buildings.

I'm sure you're right, but given the previous misunderstandings I've seen in DL threads (e.g. the Knights are Solamnia are sexist and you can't make a female knight), I just wanted to make sure they actually didn't think the towers were color coded and unique to each robe. The way WotC presented the order is fairly consistent imo with previous descriptions, with the obvious additions of new classes/subclasses being fit in.