Ravenloft: The Horrors Within Announced, Release Date Scheduled for June 2026

[Remathilis]

Dragonlance, as a Setting, has some distinct flavor and is not as aggressively kitchen sink.

DL as a classic module series? Pretty well useable as generic, the DMG even suggests using those modules in Grehhawk in the Campaign chapter.

I'm just saying they tried the module with barely any world lore method once. Why would they want to do that again and offer even LESS (recycled modules and less PC content) for the follow up?

I'm not a DL fan, but if I was I'd be so insulted by the lack of effort put on it, I'd wait until my LGS fire sales it just like they did SotDQ...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But if it is Dragonlance, then they aren't even hiding it.

With good reason - look at the scepticism. They need to prime the pumps before the official announcement.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm just saying they tried the module with barely any world lore method once

Exactly as DL1 did back in the 80s and was a huge hit. Dragonlance wasn’t a huge success because of the setting, it was a huge success because of the story.

The problem with the most recent Dragonlance adventure was simple - it wasn’t very good (and the spat between Weis and Hickman and WotC gave it bad vibes). All they need to do is go back to the original story rather than mess around with inconsequential sidequests.

 

[Remathilis]

With good reason - look at the scepticism. They need to prime the pumps before the official announcement.

Actually, if after a year of teasing Dark Sun, they need to do a LOT better than a picture on the corner of the road map and a character in a mobile game. If people are going to spend half the year expecting Dark Sun and they get reheated Dragonlance adventures, it's going to go over like a wet fart.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Actually, if after a year of teasing Dark Sun, they need to do a LOT better than a picture on the corner of the road map and a character in a mobile game. If people are going to spend half the year expecting Dark Sun and they get reheated Dragonlance adventures, it's going to go over like a wet fart.

I expect they will be have announced Dark Sun by the time the Dragonlance adventure is published, so no, not a problem. Dark Sun is likely to be big deal, with two books, lots of player options, and lots of fanfare. They will probably announce it at the August shindig for Q2 2027. The Dragonlance book would be just a redoing of a classic adventure, akin to Infinite Staircase, not really a big deal.

 

[Remathilis]

Exactly as DL1 did back in the 80s and was a huge hit. Dragonlance wasn’t a huge success because of the setting, it was a huge success because of the story.

Yes, the "play the novels" (complete with pre gens) was big then, but I question how well that will fly now.

The problem with the most recent Dragonlance adventure was simple - it wasn’t very good (and the spat between Weis and Hickman and WotC gave it bad vibes). All they need to do is go back to the original story rather than mess around with inconsequential sidequests.

That was one of the problems. The other problem people had was that as a setting primer, it was lousy. Nothing on the minotaurs or other unique DL species other than kender. No unique subclasses except for lunar sorcery. Two backgrounds new backgrounds to represent the knights and mages. The whole world primer fits on less than a dozen pages. That's fine if your world is bog standard D&D where the generic lore is able to carry the setting, but Dragonlance isn't generic lore and Shadow suffered for that.

Even the classic modules were supported by the original 1e setting book and subsequent box set. I think it's a collosal mistake to try to release even more modules (or worse, modules that setting fans have played Paladine knows how many times) without any real support I terms of lore is not going to go the way people think.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Nothing on the minotaurs or other unique DL species other than kender

Which weren’t in the original either. All that stuff was added later. Minotaurs don’t even live on the same continent as the War of the Lance, so obviously they aren’t needed.

Even the classic modules were supported by the original 1e setting book and subsequent box set

No they weren’t, they were published years later.

 

[Remathilis]

The Dragonlance book would be just a redoing of a classic adventure, akin to Infinite Staircase, not really a big deal.

And it's going to bomb. Like get it at half-off books in a few months bomb. Setting fans want more than just reheated classic adventure for the 50th time, new fans don't want an adventure with a bunch of fiddily species restrictions and a linear plot.

You want to release Dragonlance properly, make it the 2027 adventure and supplement book with a proper setting guide and lots of PC options. This feels absolutely like a lazy cash grab.

 

[Davy Greenwind]

I also think it'll be Dark Sun.

But Dragonlance, in 5e, has been sold as the "Total War" setting. I could see it getting some more martial subclasses that have been tested, like Cavalier, or Oathbreaker (for people who want to play a Soth-like character).

And the DnD team has determined that some of the content from Tasha's and beyond does not need additional playtesting to be upgraded to 5.5. (like the Mercy Monk, for example).

I could see a DL book having 8 subclasses: Cavalier, Oathbreaker Paladin, Drakewarden Ranger, Ascendant Dragon Monk, Lunar Sorcery, Swashbuckler Rogue (remember, it was playtested!), and then a couple wild cards. Wildfire Druid? Peace Domain Cleric? Two totally new ones? An Artificer with a radio?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And it's going to bomb. Like get it at half-off books in a few months bomb.

Good thing it’s something they can produce cheaply then.

Setting fans

Very few of them, and haven’t been the target audience for WotC for ages.

want more than just reheated classic adventure for the 50th time,

It’s not been reheated in the lifetime of the average player.

new fans don't want an adventure with a bunch of fiddily species restrictions

There are no orcs native to Krynn, and halflings are kender. That doesn’t seem very fiddly to me.

and a linear plot.

What makes you say that? There are a bunch of purists who grouse on forums about railroads, but my observation is a lot of players just want to be told a story. And that was certainly the secret of Dragonlance’s original success.

You want to release Dragonlance properly, make it the 2027 adventure and supplement book with a proper setting guide and lots of PC options. This feels absolutely like a lazy cash grab.

Sure, it’s a business, grabbing cash is what it exists for. Dragonlance simply isn’t popular enough or different-from-core-rules enough for them to publish as a setting in any year. But the story? That’s good stuff.