Dragonlance campaign -- Help me! lol

[Kristivas]

I have a game all planned out, but I had it set in Silverymoon (Silver Marches) in FR. Well, while talkin' to the guys, they want to see a Dragonlance game. I've run some pretty darn good DL games in the past, all pre-Second Cataclysm. I need to get a good game hooked up for post-War of Souls.

I need to find a place to have my adventures begin. I need it to be in a pretty large city (where the PCs can train, get info, buy/sell their magic items, and whatnot).. yet, I want it to have surrounding smaller towns the PCs can go to. Palanthas would have suited me fine, except for the fact that it's not under Solamnic control anymore...

So, any suggestions on another area? I don't really want it to be near Solace. That's been done to death.

 

[jonesy]

Why not Solanthus? It's pretty close to everything in Solamnia and not that far away from anything else either.

 

[Kristivas]

Why not Solanthus? It's pretty close to everything in Solamnia and not that far away from anything else either.

The reason I picked the Silver Marches for my FR game was the savagery of the area. Sure, there were tons of high level adventurers around, but they're always busy with Orc hordes, Troll marauders, Frost Giants, and the like. My PCs were going to be sent to undertake a major task. Solanthus doesn't have that "doomed at any second" feel. Why send some lacky PCs when there are tons of Knights-in-training who are eager for a test.

....well.. now that I think about it...

One of the players will deffinately want to be a Knight. I guess I could make it work, but I wanted the BBEG's main lackey to be a political force in the city. Will be hard to place a very evil NPC in the heart of Solanthus......

Hmm, still thinking...

 

[Cam Banks]

Palanthas would have suited me fine, except for the fact that it's not under Solamnic control anymore...

So, any suggestions on another area? I don't really want it to be near Solace. That's been done to death.

Actually, Palanthas was liberated a year or so after the War of Souls and is now back in the hands of the Solamnic knighthood. The same is true for Caergoth, Solanthus, and Thelgaard, all of which had dukes placed in charge of them. A Lord Regent by the name of Bakkard duChagne, who's a fairly ruthless politician, governs Palanthas. These events take place in the introduction to the recent novel Lord of the Rose and so if you set your campaign in around 424 AC you can assume Palanthas is no longer under Dark Knight control.

If you don't want to go with Palanthas, you have a couple of other options. Northern Ergoth is a great place to base a campaign; it's relatively untouched by the events of the War of Souls and never had Dark Knight occupancy. The city of Gwynned is the capital, and there's a lot of interesting sites nearby, including a nation of kender (Hylo) and a nation of non-evil goblins (Sikket'Hul). It's also a quick ship journey to Solamnia and points east.

Kalaman is another great option. It's a port, it has just been freed of a supernatural darkness that extended out over all of Nightlund, and there's a lot of opportunity. Plus, it's close enough to lots of other places (swamps, desert, mountains, plains, sea) that there's a lot of variety.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Kristivas]

Actually, Palanthas was liberated a year or so after the War of Souls and is now back in the hands of the Solamnic knighthood. The same is true for Caergoth, Solanthus, and Thelgaard, all of which had dukes placed in charge of them. A Lord Regent by the name of Bakkard duChagne, who's a fairly ruthless politician, governs Palanthas. These events take place in the introduction to the recent novel Lord of the Rose and so if you set your campaign in around 424 AC you can assume Palanthas is no longer under Dark Knight control.

If you don't want to go with Palanthas, you have a couple of other options. Northern Ergoth is a great place to base a campaign; it's relatively untouched by the events of the War of Souls and never had Dark Knight occupancy. The city of Gwynned is the capital, and there's a lot of interesting sites nearby, including a nation of kender (Hylo) and a nation of non-evil goblins (Sikket'Hul). It's also a quick ship journey to Solamnia and points east.

Kalaman is another great option. It's a port, it has just been freed of a supernatural darkness that extended out over all of Nightlund, and there's a lot of opportunity. Plus, it's close enough to lots of other places (swamps, desert, mountains, plains, sea) that there's a lot of variety.

Cheers,
Cam

Bleargh! All I have is the original Campaign Setting book. What else should I get (as a minimum), as I hadn't kept up on DL released products much in the past year or so.

Northern Ergoth or Kalaman both seem like good choices that I'm gonna have to look over.

 

[Kristivas]

A few DL questions I had, since I'm really behind the times.
1. They ever fix that thing with the Towers of High Sorcery being unaccessble?
2. The Holy Orders of the Stars get straightened out?
3. Do sorcerers need to take the Test? (if they did get it fixed)
4. Where are the Tombs of the fallen Heroes of the Lance?
5. Is Rasitlin really dead? Or did he get his magic back?
6. What are the must-have rule-books for a good DL game?

Finally, to catch up, which novels are a MUST READ. My last one was Dragons of Summer Flame, which I tossed down in disgust at the end. They'd just gotten the gods back, and then they LOST them again?! Grrr!

Thanks for all the help and suggestions! Keep em coming.

 

[DragonLancer]

A few DL questions I had, since I'm really behind the times.
1. They ever fix that thing with the Towers of High Sorcery being unaccessble?
2. The Holy Orders of the Stars get straightened out?
3. Do sorcerers need to take the Test? (if they did get it fixed)
4. Where are the Tombs of the fallen Heroes of the Lance?
5. Is Rasitlin really dead? Or did he get his magic back?
6. What are the must-have rule-books for a good DL game?

1. If you are referring to Wayreth not being found and the fear effects of the Shoiken Grove, that won't change as its part of the setting.
2. What was wrong with them to need straightening out? SovStone have recently released the HOotS sourcebook.
3. Good question. From the Age of Mortals book I'd say no they don't as they have their own order of a sorts.
4. Solace IIRC.
5. He's dead still.
6. DLCS, DL DM's Screen (with guidebook), Age of Mortals, War of the Lance, Towers of High Sorcery, Holy Orders of the Stars and the Bestiary of Krynn.

 

[Kristivas]

1. If you are referring to Wayreth not being found and the fear effects of the Shoiken Grove, that won't change as its part of the setting.
2. What was wrong with them to need straightening out? SovStone have recently released the HOotS sourcebook.
3. Good question. From the Age of Mortals book I'd say no they don't as they have their own order of a sorts.
4. Solace IIRC.
5. He's dead still.
6. DLCS, DL DM's Screen (with guidebook), Age of Mortals, War of the Lance, Towers of High Sorcery, Holy Orders of the Stars and the Bestiary of Krynn.

1. No, I was referring to.. Dalamar and Lady Jenna trying to find the tower at Wayreth to restart the Order officially, as it stood in the DLCS. Did the other tower (I think it was moved to Nightlund) get discovered?
2. I did not know that. I'll have to get that book.
3. Thank you.
4. Thank you.
5. Thank you.
6. Thanks.. Age of Mortals, is that the one that describes the Dragon Overlord stuff in the back?

 

[Kristivas]

3. Good question. From the Age of Mortals book I'd say no they don't as they have their own order of a sorts.

I was just reading in the DLCS.. it stated that Beryllinthranox destroyed the Academy of Sorcery in Solace and many of the surviving sorcerers went into hiding. I can't find any info on a current order. Any info on that would be glorious.

I figure one of the girls is going to play a sorceress, and if she does.. I want to know if the White, Red, and Black robes should be harassing her about the Test or not.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Spoilers below for those that have not read the War of Souls trilogy.

s
p
o
i
l
e
r
s

1. They ever fix that thing with the Towers of High Sorcery being unaccessble?

The Tower of Wayreth is back and looking shiny! Check out the novel Wizards' Conclave by Doug Niles for the story. The Tower of Nightlund (formerly Palanthas) is around, but currently is not being used. It's fate is uncertain. Then there's another tower that you can read about in Amber and Ashes by Margaret Weis.

2. The Holy Orders of the Stars get straightened out?

They are back, minus the Holy Orders of Paladine and Takhisis

3. Do sorcerers need to take the Test? (if they did get it fixed)

No. There are two types of arcane magic in the world of Krynn. High Sorcery is the magic of wizards, made available by the gods of magic (Solinari the White, Lunitari the Red, Nuitari the Black). Wild Sorcery (aka primal sorcery) is the ambient arcane magic of the world, not made available until the Age of Mortals (5th Age). That's what sorcerers use. Sorcerers do not have their own order.

Likewise, there are two forms of divine magic. There's clerical magic, which clerics use, and mysticism, which mystics use.

4. Where are the Tombs of the fallen Heroes of the Lance?

The Tomb of the Last Heroes is in Solace.


I think that's most of your questions.

Finally, to catch up, which novels are a MUST READ. My last one was Dragons of Summer Flame, which I tossed down in disgust at the end. They'd just gotten the gods back, and then they LOST them again?! Grrr!

The MUST-read novels are the War of Souls trilogy: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, and Dragons of a Vanished Moon. They are phenomenal.

I would also recommend Wizards' Conclave, since that sets up the current happenings with the wizards. Sanctuary, book one of the Elven Exiles trilogy, is out now and it's got some good info on the current state of affairs with the elves. I also highly recommend the Minotaur Wars trilogy by Richard Knaak.

I figure one of the girls is going to play a sorceress, and if she does.. I want to know if the White, Red, and Black robes should be harassing her about the Test or not.

Possibly, though the Wizards of High Sorcery only have about two dozen members or so. They're working hard to rebuild, and their numbers are small.

Each order takes a different approach to sorcerers. White Robes invite sorcerers to become wizards and join the orders, keeping an eye on those who refuse. Red Robes are directed to learn what they can from sorcerers for the betterment of magic. Black Robes are to learn what they can from sorcerers to increase their own power, though they are to neutralize the sorcerer when opportunity presents itself.