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

 

[Velderan]

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

Thank you for clarifying what you meant, I get what you're saying now.

 

[Micah Sweet]

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.

I know they get to decide. I just think they should decide not to change established history for any reason not related to inclusivity.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I ask you to read my post again because your response seems to indicate you missed the point, I didn't say they were the minion of the dark lord. I said the standard 5E half-orc isn't some unique thing you couldn't cover with something that's already present in the DL world.

except the REASON being defended is "We didn't want it like Tolken" and "We replaced them with other minions that are deadlier and more lore tied to setting"
so once the orc/half orc is a full race not Tolken's dark lord minnions, there is no reason they can't be there.

 

[Velderan]

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)

You think so? The only part I took away that was different was that you may not end up the robe you thought you would. In previous editions, you were allowed to pick after your test when Schneider (to me at least) made it sound like based on choices you make during your test, it may reveal you're not the person you thought you were. To me, that seems controversial because who decides that? The DM?

I'm interested in what you took away, since you seem to look at things pretty differently (which is fine, the world would be a boring place if we all looked at things the same).

 

[GMforPowergamers]

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.

except the story didn't NEED it to be called out. Most readers just assumed that it was a fantasy race and that they may be rare but not be freaks... and it worked.

Yet all I hear in this thread is how it would ruin the uniqueness of the setting if a player played a half orc and was just another player next to the elf human and minitour.

 

[Micah Sweet]

except the REASON being defended is "We didn't want it like Tolken" and "We replaced them with other minions that are deadlier and more lore tied to setting"
so once the orc/half orc is a full race not Tolken's dark lord minnions, there is no reason they can't be there.

Except that they aren't, and there's no place for them. I didn't see anything in that interview that indicates they regret that decision, or want there to be orcs added to the setting.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

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.

again it's only a big deal when people complain that "No way it would ruin the setting's uniqueness"

if a player came to me and asked to play something not in theros I would roll with it. By the sounds of it many on here would think I just destroyed Theros. But no body is so invested that an Owlin gloomstalker ranger/assassin rogue in THeros is going to spawn a 200 page thread

 

[Velderan]

except the REASON being defended is "We didn't want it like Tolken" and "We replaced them with other minions that are deadlier and more lore tied to setting"
so once the orc/half orc is a full race not Tolken's dark lord minnions, there is no reason they can't be there.

Generify my statement a step back on the bolded part. I'm applying the argument of "that role is already covered by something already present" to the 5E PHB description of a half-orc instead of saying we already have enough minions of the dark lord, I'm not saying we already have enough bad guys here. Does that make sense?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

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.

again, but what does it hurt? How does a small tribe of orcs 'over there' that is like the elves over here and those dwarves over there and those other dwarves down here and the gnomes over there... change the setting OTHER then letting the player make his half orc?

 

[Micah Sweet]

except the story didn't NEED it to be called out. Most readers just assumed that it was a fantasy race and that they may be rare but not be freaks... and it worked.

Yet all I hear in this thread is how it would ruin the uniqueness of the setting if a player played a half orc and was just another player next to the elf human and minitour.

The story didn't call it out because the author didn't know it was an issue.

If you have a one-of-a-kind oddity in the party, I would expect NPCs to notice and react to it.