Dragonalnce Campaign Setting

[talinthas]

dude, the campaign core book is Dragonlance for all ages. The current Dragonlance story arc happens to be fifth age. Why would you have them regress the story back to a stagnant part of the timeline? The only real difference between fourth age and post War of Souls fifth age is that there are things to do in the fifth age.

I mean, the gods are back, and there are actual adventures to be had and problems to be solved. The fourth age post legends had all of its problems solved by novels. There was no conflict. The dark queen had been defeated, peace had been restored. What was left for a PC to do?

Now at least there are lots of events not dependant on novels. The elves are homeless, the minotaurs are invading, the ogres and titans have solidified their power bases, the kot and kos are shaken, the wizards of high sorcery are trying to wrest back control of magic from these upstart sorcerors, the clerics and the mystics suddenly have theological issues with each other and so on.

What exactly did you want out of the fourth age? The war of the lance for the fourth time? (original 13 modules, the dl classics reprints, the tales of the lance, the 20th anniversary module...)

 

[Kai Lord]

Admittedly, the fourth age is solidly judeo-christian,

I don't recall a monotheistic all-powerful God appearing as a man and dying on a cross for the sins of humanity in any of the original six novels, but it has been some time since I read them.

EDIT: Hm, you did say "Judeo" so they wouldn't subscribe to Jesus and the cross. What about the 4th age did you think was synonymous with the God of Abraham, then?

 

[talinthas]

Not so much the essence of the cosmology so much as the expression of faith. In the war of the lance, the people are searching for God, the external answer. Goldmoon and elistan are the prophets who bring the word of god to the masses, and allow people to join the faith as clerics and missionaries. The discs of mishakael are pretty solid christian symbols. The nature of the gods not being lost, but waiting for the people to find them as a jewel lost in the forest is a strong mormon concept.

The fifth age, on the other hand, is the search for God, the internal solution. People discover that their faith need not rely on the external presence of diety, as the power of creation and distruction is imbued in each living person.

Its interesting to note how the fourth age power sources are channeled through the gods and moons only. Everything they do is because of the will of God. The fifth age is about drawing from your own internal fire, or from the ambient energy of the world around you. Rather than go to the 21, you draw from the leftover essence of the wars between the High God and Chaos at the point of creation.

But none of this answers your question, because the theology is slightly different. For one, Dragonlance is based at its core on Mormon principles, which are far removed from standard christian thought. Hickman has admitted as much. Still though, from my hindu perspective, its all the same =)

 

[Kai Lord]

For one, Dragonlance is based at its core on Mormon principles, which are far removed from standard christian thought. Hickman has admitted as much. Still though, from my hindu perspective, its all the same =)

Understood. Christianity is much more specific than just a blanket expression of faith. But you've conceded that and now we don't have to break any board rules.

That being said, I once ran a Taladas campaign that was quite allegorical of both my own and the other player's spiritual beliefs.

 

[talinthas]

Back to the topic at hand, Taladas is one place i pray gets a hardback of its own. Too long has this wonderful setting lain fallow. I mean, its pure dragonlance, but without all the baggage of ansalon =)

 

[Kai Lord]

Agreed. I really liked the ideas presented about Taladas in the Time of the Dragon boxed set. I still remember that one painting of the Efreeti bursting out of the lake of fire, it was really cool.

 

[Olive]

So they are sticking with the 3.5 Sorcerer. That really sucks! That makes absolutely no sense since the 5th Age magic was a free-form magic system!

Alright. That's it. I've lost all interest in that book now.

You're the first person I've seen who wants a return to anything to do with the 5th Age system... the ideas maybe, the system no.

 

[Ranger REG]

What exactly did you want out of the fourth age? The war of the lance for the fourth time? (original 13 modules, the dl classics reprints, the tales of the lance, the 20th anniversary module...)

In order: yes, yes, yes, and OH BABY, YES!!!

[Too bad I'm not a smoker or I woulda bummed for a cig.]

 

[talinthas]

I will concede the point that SAGA as a system wasnt well thought out. But damn, i love the free form magic =)

However, from what i've seen, the DLCS will let you play whatever dragonlance you want, with third edition rules. I'm all over that =)

 

[LordAO]

However, from what i've seen, the DLCS will let you play whatever dragonlance you want, with third edition rules.

Minus the free-form magic - the one gem of the Saga system and Fifth Age setting. Using the 3rd edition Sorcerer with the same spells as the Wizard just plain doesn't fit with that seting at all. Sorcerers were supposed to be something entirely different. And the whole reason people in the 5th age had to discover new magic was that the old ways just didn't work anymore.

Instead they took the easy way out and just kept the 3.5 Sorcerer. Well to hell with them!