D&D General What Are Dragonlance's Weis & Hickman, and Actor Manganiello Cooking Up?

Actor and D&D superfan Joe Manganiello and Dragonlance co-author Tracy Hickman have both posted a cryptic image on their respective social medias showing themselves, along with Margaret Weis standing together in front of a large dragon statue at Wizards of the Coast's offices in Renton, Washington.

Hickman's image was accompanied by the words "Something is coming...", and in Manganiello's case "WE'RE BACK", to which Wizards of the Coast replied "Welcome back to the table!" A later photograph from Weis also included Laura Hickman and Dan Ayoub, who was named head of Dungeons & Dragons back in July of this year.

The posts have sparked speculation as to what they might mean, with guesses ranging from a revival of Manganiello's Dragonlance TV show project--which was no longer in development after he stated in February 2024 that "Dragonlance is not a property WotC are interested in developing further currently"--to a new Dragonlance-based D&D adventure.

Weis and Hickman co-wrote a new Dragonlance trilogy in recent years following a legal dust-up with Wizards of the Coast which was ultimately dismissed without prejudice, so it would seem that any bad blood from the dispute has been left in the past.

The question now remains--what are they all cooking up this time?

 

[QuentinGeorge]

The Tika thing though, is part of Tika's journey of being very much feeling overshadowed by the others until the very end (and in Legends, she's the more functional part of her marriage). The "covering up" scene is more Tika thinking she's not as pretty (hilariously her interior monologue for a lot of Chronicles is "I would be hotter without these massive boobs.")

 

[Azzy]

But from the very first, he has a "Last of the Mohicans" buckskin and feathers aesthetic, and not juat him, it is part of the distinctive look that the artists were giving to the Humans of Krynn. I would juat hope a TV show in the 20s would approach that carefully.

Funny you bring that up, when the movie of which had an English actor playing the role of a mixed-native American.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If you want to use the fiction to stop the hate-speech, then you have to promote the good-sense and the respect for the human dignity.

These are official pictures for Dragonlance 5e.

Dragonlance is not going to be retconnected because it has happened already, when the sorcerers and warlocks have been added like arcane spellcasters.

Do you remember when you were a little child and watching TV you were fascinated by the spot of a new line of action figures? When I watch Elmore's art I feel like a little child holding with my own hands the action-figures of Dragonlance characters. Do you understand what I mean? When you watched the first time the videogame "Mythforce" with those vibes of retro 80s Saturday morning cartoon did you feel that little nostalgic tigling?

Maybe I am not objetive but my wish is to feel some fantasy 80s vibes.

I wonder if they are going to redesign the clothing with a petlum-punk style like Xena the warrior princess or Hercules' Legendary Journeys (played by Kevin Sorbo).

Could rangers and druids to cast primal magic during age of despair? could bards to cast healing spells? could alchemy be used to craft healing bandages?

What if Goldmoon was retconected like an aasimar instead a human?

* Will be Tas completely CGI or using a child actor with deepfake?

 

[pukunui]

What if Goldmoon was retconected like an aasimar instead a human?

The main issue with Goldmoon is the Native American outfit that Elmore always gave her in his art. Weis and Hickman just described her as a fur-clad barbarian with silver-gold hair that was unusual for the "usually dark-haired and dark-skinned" Plainsfolk. At face value, there's nothing there that says the Plainsfolk have to be Native American stand-ins. The lesser issue is her silver-gold hair being called out as being different to her people's usual dark hair. This sets up blond hair as special.

If you can find a way to make Goldmoon look more angelic without making it so "angelic = stereotypical Aryan ideal", then go for it!

* Will be Tas completely CGI or using a child actor with deepfake?

Peter Jackson's LotR and Hobbit films - not to mention D&D: Honor Among Thieves - show that you don't need CGI or child actors to portray halflings and dwarves. There are plenty of camera / perspective tricks you can use instead.

 

[gban007]

I'll have to dig my trilogies out. I know this stuff was or is contentious but as someone raised in that background it didn't strike me as odd at the time.

Also happy to take it to DM if want me to go into more detail.

 

[Sacrosanct]

That's Gilthanas and Silvara. But the subtext is that Silvara is aware she's being looked at (she's a silver dragon after all)

No, she is not. Funny enough, I just read that part last week. She has no idea, when she heard Gilthanas gasp, she got spooked and ran to the shore and grabbed her dagger. She’s described in that moment like a frightened deer. Gilthanas is described as he’s approaching her like one would do to a spooked horse trying to calm it.

 

[Scribe]

Also happy to take it to DM if want me to go into more detail.

Up to you, I've seen most of the arguments, I just know it's forbidden discussion. I'm also trying to sleep so would get back to you tomorrow.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

No, she is not. Funny enough, I just read that part last week. She has no idea, when she heard Gilthanas gasp, she got spooked and ran to the shore and grabbed her dagger. She’s described in that moment like a frightened deer. Gilthanas is described as he’s approaching her like one would do to a spooked horse trying to calm it.

My mistake! I must've been confusing it with a different scene.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

The main issue with Goldmoon is the Native American outfit that Elmore always gave her in his art. Weis and Hickman just described her as a fur-clad barbarian with silver-gold hair that was unusual for the "usually dark-haired and dark-skinned" Plainsfolk. At face value, there's nothing there that says the Plainsfolk have to be Native American stand-ins. The lesser issue is her silver-gold hair being called out as being different to her people's usual dark hair. This sets up blond hair as special.

Elmore was absolutely obsessed with putting feathers in womens' hair. He did it in his non-Dragonlance art too. With that description of Goldmoon, its trivially easy to have them be based more on stone-age Anglo-Saxons anyway.

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[LuisCarlos17f]

I guess two decades after Peter Jackson's trilogy the FXs have kept evolutionationing. It is not only about if it is possible but if it is too expensive for a serie. Tas and Flint have to appear in all the episodes or most.

Sorry if my ideas about possible retcons sounded ridiculous but I suspect they would dare to things like those.