Dragonlance: Our LotR?

[Reynard]

I don't really care for either one, but I would think Toril is a stronger contender for that title than Krynn.

Toril is Forgotten Realms, yes? Maybe I just missed it, but what is the sort of defining, epic quintessential Forgotten Realms story?

 

[Mark Hope]

As for the original question, I'm in the "no" camp. I enjoyed the Chronicles and the Legends series when they came out, but they don't hold the same place as LotR for me. But then, LotR doesn't hold the same place for me as Stormbringer does, so go figure

Besides that, I just wanted to give a big nostalgic grin to the mentions of the Guardians of the Flame series and the Chronicles of Prydain, both of which are deeply rooted in my consciousness. Wonderful books .

 

[Henry]

did you cry when Sturm died? I did.

No, actually I got a bit teary when Fizban talked to Tasslehoff about what Flint was doing in the afterlife, and how happy Tas was, that "OH BOY! WHEN I DIE I GET TO SEE FLINT AGAIN AND TELL HIM STORIES ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING!" That actually tears me up a little bit just thinking about it now.

Sturm's death was so written into the first and second books that I knew he was doomed, much like Huma. That he went exactly the way he wanted to go, fighting for his cause, was a good feeling for me reading the book. He didn't "go out like a punk", as the saying goes, he went out fighting.

The other part that kind of made me a bit teary or sad was Laurana giving back Tanis the engagement ring (promise ring, whatever it was called). Her shattering of innocence was a pretty cool part, and was pretty moving to me.

I'm a sissy, I know.

 

[Desdichado]

Huh. Really? I always kinda considered LotR to be "our" LotR. I think more people get turned to to fantasy gaming by reading that still than by reading D&D novels. You've got to already be a D&D player to even consider reading those, for the most part.

Plus, now with the recent movies, LotR was bumped up again as the definitive epic fantasy for at least another generation.

 

[Reynard]

No, actually I got a bit teary when Fizban talked to Tasslehoff about what Flint was doing in the afterlife, and how happy Tas was, that "OH BOY! WHEN I DIE I GET TO SEE FLINT AGAIN AND TELL HIM STORIES ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING!" That actually tears me up a little bit just thinking about it now.

Crap. I'd forgotten about the size of the lump when I got there.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I will say that Dragonlance was DEFINITELY easier to read than Lord of the Rings. To this day, I still can't get past their trekking to the Inn of the Prancing Pony - I always lose interest somewhere before that. Dragonlance moved at a pace I couldn't put down, and I've read the core six books multiple times. (Autmn Twilight, Winter Night, Spring Dawning, Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins).

Wow, somebody else like me! I used to pick up the Followship of the Rings every summer starting in 6th grade, get to about the same point you couldn't get past, and put it down. It wasn't until I was in college and had no money to buy other fantasy novels that I finally pushed my way through the trilogy since I had them on my bookshelf anyway.

I loved the Hobbit, which is absolutely the book that got me into D&D, but I honestly could have lived without reading LotR. I would say the book influences in my gaming have been The Hobbit, Dragonlance and Moorcock's Eternal Champion books (Elric, Hawkmoon and Corum).

 

[Desdichado]

Does this suit your sensibilities better?

Or this?

Or this?

Or this?

What's wrong with this?

Some of us use different skins, y'know. Those colors may look fine on default (although IMO, probably not) but they could be outright unreadable on, say, the Stealth skin. Cyan and yellow in particular look ghastly and almost illegible.

 

[Reynard]

Huh. Really? I always kinda considered LotR to be "our" LotR. I think more people get turned to to fantasy gaming by reading that still than by reading D&D novels. You've got to already be a D&D player to even consider reading those, for the most part.

Plus, now with the recent movies, LotR was bumped up again as the definitive epic fantasy for at least another generation.

With the movies, you are probably right, but the orginal Chronicles trilogy sold millions of copies and I would guess that far more people read those than actually play. Simply by virtue of the success of the TSR/Wizards fiction arm alone, I don't think one can overstate the impact of Dragonlance -- arguably the first and probably still most successful "gamer fiction" ever -- on a whole genration of fansty nerds.

 

[Desdichado]

I think you are missing his point. I think he is trying to say that Dl is to gaming as LOTR is to the general public.

Eh, even so, I think the LotR of gaming is still just LotR.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

did you cry when Sturm died? I did.

I had not reached that point in the series when I attended GenCon and went to a reading of that part by Hickman, Weiss and a couple of TSR people. I cried at that reading.