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

 

[mamba]

…

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Try this. Remove elves from Krynn and see if it feels different. If it does, then you will understand. If it doesn't, then I'm not sure what to tell you.

nope replace elves with Dragonborn or Orc or Owlin, and its' the same.

The first Dragonlance setting book was Dragonlance Adventures and both of those were not in Krynn unless they came from another world.

I don't think anyone argued otherwise.

This may come as a shock to you, but a large number of us 1) didn't bother to read all of the novels, 2) don't consider any novels to be canon, and 3) would not count a violation of canon that snuck through as new canon in any case. Arguing that the half orc in the novel is canon is like arguing that if someone breaks the law and gets away with it, new law is created making that illegal act legal. It makes no sense.

no I am argueing that it doesn't matter if orc/halforc is there or not is at best a footnote

 

[Maxperson]

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

All it shows is that people aren't perfect and make mistakes. Only the reader can decide if the feel of Krynn changed when they read that novel.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Let me explain, you focused not on the lore of the orc or its appearance but rather like Minigiant (in one of the threads, it is all confusing now) on the mechanical aspect of the race which is absolutely fine. IMO people can enjoy the game from a lore or mechanical aspect, I have no issue with any of that.

um I had 3 answers... fluff mechanic and astetic, why is mechanic the only part you are focusing on?

I'm addressing the posters who decided to drop in and inform us to ignore the orc and to highlight the right aspects of the setting one should focus on in a DL setting. I very much doubt these same posters would pop in to direct you to elements that you should be more focused on such as loyalty, family, love, betrayal and not on the racial features of aggressiveness, relentless endurance and menacing.

again I had the fluff quote too

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Because the elves and the dwarves are built into the setting already. They have cultures, and histories, and relationships with other peoples. Adding orcs now as a retcon turns the entire history on its ear. Individual one-offs from  way out of town are one thing. Re-weaving the tapestry to include a new heritage is something else, and I don't believe the official setting should do that.

how, please show this slope you think we slip down?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Also GMforPowergamers: "it will feel different how?"

Maybe just get that it feels different to some players.

simple, but since you seem not to get it

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I hope they make  new settings, so people want something different can get it.

I want both.
I REALLY want a new version of DS.

I loved 2e darksun (well half of it, greening stuff and moon halflings not so much) but the 4e reimagining was REALLY great too. I would LOVE a 5e version

 

[Micah Sweet]

how, please show this slope you think we slip down?

Where does this orc tribe come from? Where are they? What were they doing during all the major events in Krynn's history. What are they doing now?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

so if orcs are not enemies (at least no more then elf or dwarf) then its not an issue right?

And if orcs are not in the game at all, it is also not an issue.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I can see how you'd take that from what he said and it certainly could be interesting. If you look at characters in some novels, their morality is certainly more complex than the color of their robe might indicate. Dalamar for instance despite being a CE black robed wizard on his stat block usually acts far more neutral imo

yes, it is actually what made me think (VERY MUCH dalamar) that a LE player could work with a NG one.... however I will be honest after a few years of 3e I was angry at the alignment spectrum itself... and by 4e when they introduced unaligned we started seeing the alignments just not working... we just ignore 99% of alingment now.