WotC Dragonlance: Everything You Need For Shadow of the Dragon Queen

WotC has shared a video explaining the Dragonlance setting, and what to expect when it is released in December.

World at War: Introduces war as a genre of play to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Dragonlance: Introduces the Dragonlance setting with a focus on the War of the Lance and an overview of what players and DMs need to run adventures during this world spanning conflict.

Heroes of War: Provides character creation rules highlighting core elements of the Dragonlance setting, including the kender race and new backgrounds for the Knight of Solamnia and Mage of High Sorcery magic-users. Also introduces the Lunar Sorcery sorcerer subclass with new spells that bind your character to Krynn's three mystical moons and imbues you with lunar magic.

Villains: Pits heroes against the infamous death knight Lord Soth and his army of draconians.

Notes --

• 224 page hardcover adventure
• D&D's setting for war
• Set in eastern Solamnia
• War is represented by context -- it's not goblins attacking the village, but evil forces; refugees, rumours
• You can play anything from D&D - clerics included, although many classic D&D elements have been forgotten
• Introductory scenarios bring you up to speed on the world so no prior research needed

 

[mamba]

I see no evidence that those settings were popular because of the metaplots. In fact, I've a ton of people complain that multiple 2e settings (Planescape, Dark Sun) were ruined by the metaplots.

um, the plot of the campaigns and the metaplot were one and the same in DL and DS, no idea about PS. At least until the end of the first campaign.

I agree, both conclusions made the worlds less interesting. Which also is why we now jump back before it

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

um, the plot of the campaigns and the metaplot were one and the same in DL and DS, no idea about PS. At least until the end of the first campaign.

I agree, both conclusions made the worlds less interesting. Which also is why we now jump back before it

You can have campaign plots without metaplots. You can have setting-specific novels without metaplots. You can have setting-specific novels that do those setting-specific adventures without metaplots. Metaplots just introduce the possibility of the setting being ruined.

 

[ersatzphil]

um, the plot of the campaigns and the metaplot were one and the same in DL and DS, no idea about PS. At least until the end of the first campaign.

I agree, both conclusions made the worlds less interesting. Which also is why we now jump back before it

Faction War is the offending module in the case of Planescape. I led a long and happy D&D life before @Ruin Explorer informed me what that adventure introduced.

 

[Micah Sweet]

um, the plot of the campaigns and the metaplot were one and the same in DL and DS, no idea about PS. At least until the end of the first campaign.

I agree, both conclusions made the worlds less interesting. Which also is why we now jump back before

Now, I have no problem jumping back in time to when you were happier with the setting. The book can even do that. I just dont want the history as expressed in the source material to be different. Set whatever starting point you prefer.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You can have campaign plots without metaplots. You can have setting-specific novels without metaplots. You can have setting-specific novels that do those setting-specific adventures without metaplots. Metaplots just introduce the possibility of the setting being ruined.

Yes. You do that by announcing that your novels aren't canon. Both Star Trek and Star Wars did that. Eberron works that way.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You can have campaign plots without metaplots. You can have setting-specific novels without metaplots. You can have setting-specific novels that do those setting-specific adventures without metaplots. Metaplots just introduce the possibility of the setting being ruined.

To me, Ravenloft wasn't ruined (ended, really) until VRG.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Yes. You do that by announcing that your novels aren't canon. Both Star Trek and Star Wars did that. Eberron works that way.

Which is why not having metaplots is superior. The setting can't be ruined by them and you can have the same stories as you can with metaplots.

To me, Ravenloft wasn't ruined (ended, really) until VRG.

Didn't Die Vecna Die break the rules of the setting?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Which is why not having metaplots is superior. The setting can't be ruined by them and you can have the same stories as you can with metaplots.

Didn't Die Vecna Die break the rules of the setting?

Vecna broke the fabric of reality briefly and left Ravenloft. Didn't change the past, and the setting continued forward for years after that into the 3rd ed era through licensed third party producers. Some of the best work for the setting was done in that era.

 

[DarkCrisis]

It really blows my mind that people cant play in a world that has established lore.

"well I dont like that this big war happened." ..... so don't play during that time period? Play 100 years later where it doesn't matter. Play in another country.

Whats funny it WotC is the one regulating people to playing The War of the Lance period for DL with its probably one and only DL book.

Honestly expect some people's brain to just short circuit when I tell them my current DL game is set 6 months after the War and it's going just fine. Haven't even run into Raistlin..... yet.


Back when we had Sourcebooks full of lore we could get all kind of ideas for a lot of different lands and times. Miss those. 2nd and 3rd ed had some great ones.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Exactly. WotC wants to change the setting, just like they changed Ravenloft and Spelljammer. That's what I'm objecting to.

I am of the opinion changing settings is fine for rereleasing them. The old books are still around.