WotC Dragonlance: Everything You Need For Shadow of the Dragon Queen

WotC has shared a video explaining the Dragonlance setting, and what to expect when it is released in December.

World at War: Introduces war as a genre of play to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Dragonlance: Introduces the Dragonlance setting with a focus on the War of the Lance and an overview of what players and DMs need to run adventures during this world spanning conflict.

Heroes of War: Provides character creation rules highlighting core elements of the Dragonlance setting, including the kender race and new backgrounds for the Knight of Solamnia and Mage of High Sorcery magic-users. Also introduces the Lunar Sorcery sorcerer subclass with new spells that bind your character to Krynn's three mystical moons and imbues you with lunar magic.

Villains: Pits heroes against the infamous death knight Lord Soth and his army of draconians.

Notes --

• 224 page hardcover adventure
• D&D's setting for war
• Set in eastern Solamnia
• War is represented by context -- it's not goblins attacking the village, but evil forces; refugees, rumours
• You can play anything from D&D - clerics included, although many classic D&D elements have been forgotten
• Introductory scenarios bring you up to speed on the world so no prior research needed

 

[Velderan]

@pemerton quoted the exact passage.

Ah, yes, this one.

He was a good man. It then goes on to say goodness can lead to intolerance and misjudgment. I read that as saying he started off as a good man, but then ended up somewhere else.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

And... it's the kind of thing early D&D was down with. Remember Gary said it was good to immediately kill someone converted to Good from Evil so they don't backslide.

yikes

 

[GMforPowergamers]

We are told he WAS(past tense) a good man. Then we are told that he started killing innocents, invading the minds of others(mind rape), acting out of fear, pride, wrath and envy, etc. Those are not the acts of a good man. So while he WAS good at first, he was very evil when the cataclysm happened.

so again how is this an example of 'good and evil need to be balanced' or 'last time good held too much sway' as much as it is 'a guy thinking he is good but being evil'

lex luther and Dr doom when well written (IMO) think they are good. They THINK they are right... but objectively out of story they are evil.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Part of the way it made sense to me was the theme of cosmic balance. Good had tilted the scales so far to their side that there was a very real threat of the world being destroyed. It was now time for evil to swing things back towards the middle through a horrible act.

except all the good that threatened to destroy the world was really evil...

again showing nothing of 'too much' or 'tilled scale toward' good just evil.

The neutral gods agreed this would bring the balance of the world closer to the middle and permitted the Cataclysm. Personally, I don't see how that isn't both consistent with the laws of the world and the alignments being discussed.

 

[Velderan]

And... it's the kind of thing early D&D was down with. Remember Gary said it was good to immediately kill someone converted to Good from Evil so they don't backslide.

Gary also said women weren't into gaming, based on the sample size of his daughter Elise not being into it while his sons Luke and Ernie were. 100% of males, 0% of females. The science is undeniable! /s

 

[GMforPowergamers]

It wasn't a reaction to too much good, though. It was the reaction to a man who became evil in the name of good.

so how does it show a need for balance?

this example just shows that good people can become evil.

it does not show (as was the point) that good could be so much it was a threat to the world... cause before it becomes a threat it becomes evil.

 

[Maxperson]

so again how is this an example of 'good and evil need to be balanced' or 'last time good held too much sway' as much as it is 'a guy thinking he is good but being evil'

Good held power for a long time in Krynn. It wasn't just the Kingpriest or what he did. In Krynn the cosmic balance was required and the good gods violated it either intentionally, or by negligence in allowing their followers to gain too much power and influence.

The evil of the Kingpriest did in the name of good was both the straw that broke the camel's back and the fuse used by the evil and neutral gods to rebalance the world via the cataclysm, and the good gods had no choice but to go along with it. Their last chance to rebalance the world without the cataclysm failed when Lord Soth went astray.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

We did it over taxes and unfair laws. You can overthrow the leadership for whatever reason you come up with if you win.

how many times... you do realize that for every revelation there are 100s of times dictators last there whole life because no one dare oppose them...

 

[Velderan]

except all the good that threatened to destroy the world was really evil...

again showing nothing of 'too much' or 'tilled scale toward' good just evil.

/shrug

It made sense to me. Too much good led the world to a bad place where people weren't free anymore to even have independent thoughts (which free will was a gift of the gods). Evil had a way to swing things back towards the middle (obviously thinking longer term about how they might take control) and neutral looked at good as "we see where your ways have led things, this will at least center things again". It works enough for me to enjoy my fantasy game of elves, it doesn't have to work for you.

 

[mamba]

I'm not going back for the quote it has been put in this thread before the platinum dragon said it was 'last time too much good'

sorry no, that is never said anywhere, certainly not in anything quoted here