D&D General Did Dragonlance/Krynn exist in 4e canon?

[Parmandur]

Younger players (meaning under 40s) would want to read the novels. It would be of huge financial benefit for them.

They don't get royalties for the original novels. Work for hire.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They don't get royalties for the original novels. Work for hire.

Still would increase interest in their current novels.

 

[Parmandur]

Still would increase interest in their current novels.

Possibly, but WotC does get royalties on those. I don't think the company is overly fir or against it: they keep the originals in print, and keep bringing up Dragonlance in RPG books (quite a bit in the Lore Glossaryand elsewhere in the DMG). The person involved with the lawsuit was let go like half a decade ago.

If WotC can see some juice to squeeze from the LJN action figure characters and the CBS cartoon, I'm just saying don't count out Dragonlance.

 

[mamba]

Younger players (meaning under 40s) would want to read the novels. It would be of huge financial benefit for them.

the novels are owned by WotC, they were hired writers

Still would increase interest in their current novels.

maybe, maybe not. The starting point would always be Chronicles and if you have not had enough after that, Legends and Lost Chronicles are probably next. And after that there are still a dozen or so Weis&Hickman books before you get to the current trilogy, and 400+ non-W&H DL books…

WotC would have to be pretty petty for this to be a reason

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If WotC can see some juice to squeeze from the LJN action figure characters and the CBS cartoon, I'm just saying don't count out Dragonlance

The cartoon has aged better, and doesn’t have difficult original creators.

But I suspect the reason we see this differently is that DL was never like as successful in the UK. It did okay for a little while, but faded quickly and is pretty much forgotten.

 

[Parmandur]

The cartoon has aged better, and doesn’t have difficult original creators.

But I suspect the reason we see this differently is that DL was never like as successful in the UK. It did okay for a little while, but faded quickly and is pretty much forgotten.

I mean, I'm not talking as a big fan here: I did read the Chronicles like a decade before I played D&D and by my Middle School standards deemed them OK. But they were in fact very popular for a bit there in the 80s/90s. Yoy are right that they didn't age perfectly...same as I2 Pharaoh. Hence why I see Quests from the Infinite Staircase as a sigh that a revisit to the original modules as more likely, if WotC is willing to update them.

Doubly so if Joe Manganiello manages to manifest a big TV show (which as of Gen Con seems to be back in the cards). And it is worth noting that as of the most recent shake-up at WotC, the person dealing with that sort if thing is...Chris Perkins, King of Gen X Cornball Nostalgia (and friend of Tracy Hickman, see Curse of Strahd).

 

[mamba]

Doubly so if Joe Manganiello manages to manifest a big TV show (which as of Gen Con seems to be back in the cards).

what did they say at Gen Con?

I’ll probably always consider the 3e WotL trilogy to be the definitive version of the story (in adventure form), but would be curious what they do with it in 5e

 

[Parmandur]

what did they say at Gen Con?

I’ll probably always consider the 3e WotL trilogy to be the definitive version of the story (in adventures form), but would be curious what they do with it in 5e

I haven't watched the whole panel (link below), but in February Manganiello said the Dragonlance TV show was dead...but in August at this panel he said "we are so close. And I'm not giving up," and was apparently very upbeat in conversations about it:

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Hence why I see Quests from the Infinite Staircase as a sigh that a revisit to the original modules as more likely, if WotC is willing to update them.

Only DL1 was in the same league as the adventures in Infinite Staircase. Not much point in updating bad adventures. And there is not much point in doing DL1 if you aren't telling the rest of the story. I guess that is why they did a separate story for their attempted revival.

Aside from that, WotC has just now come down hard-against gods removing powers from clerics, which is a major plot point in Dragonlance.

 

[Parmandur]

Only DL1 was in the same league as the adventures in Infinite Staircase. Not much point in updating bad adventures. And there is not much point in doing DL1 if you aren't telling the rest of the story. I guess that is why they did a separate story for their attempted revival.

Aside from that, WotC has just now come down hard-against gods removing powers from clerics, which is a major plot point in Dragonlance.

Yeah, as I said I'm not really a fan so I am not exactly familiar with the modules...but selling "Classics! Improved!" and "Dragons!" usually go well. And they really did major revisions in Quests (Barrier Peaks, in particular, is essentially a different module with some recycled Encoutners), so on that rubric I think they can probably make something interesting and more up to date while still getting that nostalgia bump.