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]

So ... I've tried to skim all the comments in this thread, and I assume I haven't missed it ... but ... you don't seem to be a big fan of Dragonlance.

I guess that depends... I only read 2 trilogies, both in early to mid 90s and 1 campaign book that i am not sure if it was the 1e or 2e one, and played in it twice (enjoyed both) and ran it once (would have enjoyed it more if out of game drama didn't blow up the game), I think I own the 3e book but I only used it to steal ideas for homebrew... I was looking forward to the new version.

I am not the biggest fan, and some things I think need to be changed, but I think I like it.

That's not what someone who loved Draglonlance would say!

but it IS what keeps being said on enworld by people claiming to love the setting

But I am uncertain, assuming that's the case, why you are so invested in arguing with people who do like the setting and are excited about it?

tbh becuse even when I avoid the thread for 24 hours (actually closer to 35) I am still getting tagged being told I am wrong for saying it doesn't matter.

I am glad that the fans are getting what they want. And it seems weird and somewhat mean to be arguing with the people that love the setting that you should be dictating what is in it over what they (and the creators of the setting) want ... doesn't it? Are you planning on playing a long, all-orc campaign in Dragonlance?

Dragonlance is getting released. Be happy for the fans. Stop trying to tell them that you know what is best for the setting that they love. Hopefully, Dark Sun will be released, and they will return the favor.

I am very happy, and WANT to talk about death dragons and flying fortresses but those posts I make don't get replied to.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

What difference does that make?

i was responding to them not being in the game

 

[GMforPowergamers]

We have. Time and time again. You just seem to be incapable of understanding it. You should take your own advice from upthread and just get that it does have that effect for some people.

no you have not shown how it changes anything you just claim it changes everything

 

[Xamnam]

no you have not shown how it changes anything you just claim it changes everything

They said

Only the reader can decide if the feel of Krynn changed when they read that novel.

"The [individual, personal] feel of Krynn" is a long distance from "everything". All they are asking you to do is trust them when they say that they have subjective feelings about the world.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

That does not actually answer the question.

What you seem to say amounts to the idea that all races are equally interchangeable, that what races exist does not matter, ever. So, the question really is why have races at all? By implication, races mean exactly jack squat, and have no impact on the narrative. So, why have them?

this is a missunderstanding of my argument. I argued that you could reimagine any of those classic characters as another race with very little change to the story.

Before you answer, remember that it means that, say, The Lord of the Rings would be exactly the same if hobbits were 18' tall frost giants...

yes and no. If they are 18' tall frost giants then they are not little guys... but if they are 5 ft human farmers that have no experience in war or adventuring then it isn't going to change much.

infact most (most not all no you can't disprove this with 1 example) races in fantasy (and sci fi)are stand ins for types of humans. We do this because we are really humans (I assume) and as such we are using our own imagination and experience the halfling/hobits represented young kids from the farms and suburbs being drafted into a war when they never knew anything of war or even different places...

I would argue coming from a small town 'shire' never having left home of been more then 5 miles from it, and only knowing 1 guy that ever DID go more then 5 miles from home and he is the 'crazy uncle that tells wild stories and off color jokes' is WAY more important then height or race.

If you can't address this satisfactorily, then races are pretty clearly not interchangeable, and your assertion is not true.

 

[Minigiant]

What's the point of settings if DMs are forced to include everything ever published by WotC in the setting? They're all the same then.

Exactly. The point of different settings in D&D is to give different experiences.

My #2 criticism for 5e is that the settings themselves don't differ enough since they are all old and built of previous edition assumptions.

But as long as the DM or Worldbuilder'ssetting include the basic PC and enemy assumptions (Warrior, priests, mages, STR PCs, Smart PCs, beasts, enemy casters etc), replaces them somehow, or explains how the absence and houserules still allows the D&D gameplay loop, it's all fine baby.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Right, and that's the kind of setting fidelity that I would say is misplaced. It's not a novel or a movie. It's a game.

Thri-kreen in Lord of the Rings rpg. It is just a game right? It is not a novel or movie.
Kourtney Kardashian in a Star Wars rpg. It is just a game right? It is not a novel or movie.

Why do you get to decide what is immersion breaking for others?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

"The [individual, personal] feel of Krynn" is a long distance from "everything". All they are asking you to do is trust them when they say that they have subjective feelings about the world.

if that was all this would have ended last week.

what they are asking is to understand there subjective feeling of the world AND to push that any and all future reimaginings of the world fit into there and only there subjective feeling without taking anyone elses feelings into it.

if it was just "I don't like that" and "I do like that" this would not be 34 pages long.

 

[Maxperson]

yes and no. If they are 18' tall frost giants then they are not little guys... but if they are 5 ft human farmers that have no experience in war or adventuring then it isn't going to change much.

Other than dooming the quest to fail and the world to unending darkness anyway. But that's not much of a change. We really didn't NEED the hobbits' resistance to the ring's corruption.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Kourtney Kardashian in Star Wars rpg.

reimagining all sci fi with modern technology and social media in mind, and as such reality TV/ Social Medi stars seems like a fine reimagining to me.