Dragonlance Dragonlance Adventure & Prelude Details Revealed

Over on DND Beyond Amy Dallen and Eugenio Vargas discuss the beginning of Shadow of ther Dragon Queen and provide some advice on running it.

Running a Session Zero for Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

When starting a new adventure, it's a good idea to get on the same page as your party. Here's how to run a session zero for the upcoming Dragonlance adv...

www.dndbeyond.com

This epic war story begins with an invitation to a friend's funeral and three optional prelude encounters that guide you into the world of Krynn. Amy Dallen is joined by Eugenio Vargas to share some details about how these opening preludes work and some advice on using them in your own D&D games.

There is also information on the three short 'prelude' adventures which introduce players to the world of Krynn:

• Eye in the Sky -- ideal for sorcerers, warlocks, wizards, or others seeking to become members of the Mages of High Sorcery.
• Broken Silence -- ideal for clerics, druids, paladins, and other characters with god-given powers.
• Scales of War -- ideal for any character and reveals the mysterious draconians.

The article discusses Session Zero for the campaign and outlines what to expect in a Dragonlance game -- war, death, refugees, and so on.

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[Scribe]

here is what good is in D&D

Lawful Good. (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Gold dragons and paladins are typically lawful good.

Neutral Good. (NG) folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Many celestials are neutral good.

Chaotic Good. (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. Copper dragons and unicorns are typically chaotic good.

That's all easy enough? Where is the difficulty?

 

[Micah Sweet]

It is on them. But the alignment system is to blame, too. This problem would almost definitely not have happened if D&D didn't have the "chromatic dragons are evil, metallic dragons are good" nonsense.

Yes, it will. If the books got rid of alignment, then debates about what each alignment means would stop at most tables. Tons of games don't have anything remotely like an alignment system, and they work perfectly well. Alignment can, and has, ruined entire sessions with absolutely no benefit in my experience.

I expect the books to make my job as a DM easier. Not harder. Alignment makes it harder for my table, and based on my discussions online, many others'.

So you're speaking on behalf of all gamers everywhere? I seems like you must be, because no change in the books is going to change the gut reactions of existing players who already have established defaults. Your personal example proves that.

 

[Pentallion]

That's all easy enough? Where is the difficulty?

The part that is inferred: do the right thing by (their) society.

By this ill thought out definition, my Aztecan ancestors were LG paladins yanking the still beating hearts out of voluntary sacrifices to save the world.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The part that is inferred: do the right thing by (their) society.

By this ill thought out definition, my Aztecan ancestors were LG paladins yanking the still beating hearts out of voluntary sacrifices to save the world.

Good and evil are definitely relative by culture though. By modern "objective" standards, just about every society in history was evil, but I'm sure they didn't see it that way.

 

[Scribe]

The part that is inferred: do the right thing by (their) society.

By this ill thought out definition, my Aztecan ancestors were LG paladins yanking the still beating hearts out of voluntary sacrifices to save the world.

...and?

Not every act is Law or Chaos, Good or Evil. I'd argue performing, or assisting, in a societal, religious rite, is a Lawful action, and since the sacrifice is voluntary, its not Evil.

Works for me.

 

[Pentallion]

...and?

Not every act is Law or Chaos, Good or Evil. I'd argue performing, or assisting, in a societal, religious rite, is a Lawful action, and since the sacrifice is voluntary, its not Evil.

Works for me.

Doesn't work for the Spaniards though does it? They viewed it as evil. Which is my point. By assigning alignments, D&D is saying "A is right, B is wrong". If they did a New World module, would Spaniards be good, Aztecs evil? Should Columbus be LG or CE? How about Cortez? Alignments are very troubling. D&D should be rid of them.

 

[Scribe]

Doesn't work for the Spaniards though does it? They viewed it as evil. Which is my point. By assigning alignments, D&D is saying "A is right, B is wrong". If they did a New World module, would Spaniards be good, Aztecs evil? Should Columbus be LG or CE? How about Cortez? Alignments are very troubling. D&D should be rid of them.

If "Evil" is a Cosmic force, then it doesnt matter if the Spaniards think its Evil.

Lawful Good. (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Gold dragons and paladins are typically lawful good.

Neutral Good. (NG) folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Many celestials are neutral good.

Chaotic Good. (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. Copper dragons and unicorns are typically chaotic good.

On what grounds with the above, do the Spaniards call a voluntary participation in a societal/religious practice, as Evil?

What is, Cosmic Good?

 

[Carlsen Chris]

I mean Hollow World is possibly more problematic than Dark Sun. It’s not near as popular enough and again too problematic for WotC to use. They’ve have to bring back Mystara first and that’s unlikely.

I don't why they'd "have" to do anything. They can reimagine huge parts of old settings if they feel like it.

 

[Faolyn]

What is "good"? Is where everything fails, since we cannot agree upon that.

However, if you assume "good" means "what Krynn's religions teach is good" then you can make the setting work.

And in that case, what Krynn's religions teach isn't actually good. At best, it's shades of gray and black morality.

 

[Velderan]

Its clear to me that  someone is going to have to do the work. For me, the Level Up Monstrous Menagerie is written the way I want,, so there's no problem.

How is it presented there?