Dragonlance Dragonlance Shadow of the Dragon Queen shows up in the wild!

[Demetrios1453]

Anyone can take either of the backgrounds. A barbarian can take the Initiate of High Sorcery. The listed classes (fight/paladin and sorcerer/wizard) are able to skip the background requirement and just pick the feat as their bonus feat.

Oh great! Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A barbarian can take the Initiate of High Sorcery.

But how irritated would the DM be if they did?

 

[Maxperson]

But how irritated would the DM be if they did?

At this point I'm still debating whether I'm even going to allow sorcerers to take it, or whether I'm going to leave it wizard only and give sorcerers their own organization. There's no way I'd let a barbarian take it.

 

[humble minion]

There's no way I'd let a barbarian take it.

I would, if the PC background justified it. It's not like it's going to be overpowered given a barbarian probably wants to be raging in combat anyway, and rage precludes spellcasting.

Child of a prominent Order wizard, who was groomed to follow in their parents' footsteps but whose impulsiveness and explosive temper prevented them from advancing far in the study of magic, leading to a rift with their parents and striking out on their own.

Member of a Plains tribe who helped out an Order wizard in some sort of distress in the wild. The wizard recognised magical potential in one of their rescuers and instructed them on a few magical basics, then encouraged them to seek out a tower for further instruction. PC then has to choose between their magical talent and their heritage.

Justify it and you can have it.

 

[Maxperson]

I would, if the PC background justified it. It's not like it's going to be overpowered given a barbarian probably wants to be raging in combat anyway, and rage precludes spellcasting.

I think the intent is pretty clear that it's for arcane spellcasters. If the barbarian multiclassed into wizard and wanted to take it later I'd let it happen.

Child of a prominent Order wizard, who was groomed to follow in their parents' footsteps but whose impulsiveness and explosive temper prevented them from advancing far in the study of magic, leading to a rift with their parents and striking out on their own.

Failing to advance very far and not even reach first level is at odds with, "Your talent for magic came to the attention of the Mages of High Sorcery, an organization of spellcasters that study magic and prevent its misuse." If you have a talent for magic, you'll at least reach 1st level.

Justify it and you can have it.

I wouldn't be upset if I played in a game where the DM allowed something like that. I just wouldn't do it myself.

 

[humble minion]

Failing to advance very far and not even reach first level is at odds with, "Your talent for magic came to the attention of the Mages of High Sorcery, an organization of spellcasters that study magic and prevent its misuse." If you have a talent for magic, you'll at least reach 1st level.

Or the mechanics of the feat could also be a way of representing a character with very little innate magical talent, but whose ambitious wizardly parents saw that he was exhaustively trained and taught and punished and disciplined and had the best remedial magic tutors etc etc since he was four years old, until he almost couldn't help learning a couple of spells, but who learned to loathe magic and the Orders in the process.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I'd be much happier accepting something like this than, for instance, one of the zillion hexblade/paladin multiclass power builds that seem to be all over the internet.

Hmm - on the subject, what warlock patrons fit in Dragonlance? The Forestmaster could work for an archfey patron, and there's a few possible examples of undead patrons. But genies, celestials, great old ones etc aren't terribly Dragonlancey are they?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

At this point I'm still debating whether I'm even going to allow sorcerers to take it, or whether I'm going to leave it wizard only and give sorcerers their own organization. There's no way I'd let a barbarian take it.

Well, I could see it justified for a wild magic barbarian. The order might consider such a loose cannon safer inside the order. But it's more likely just a player trying to be contrary.

As for sorcerers, I would just treat them as wizards with slightly different mechanics in the Dragonlance setting. After all, when DL first came out, the class was "Magic User" and sorcerers fit that description!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But genies, celestials, great old ones etc aren't terribly Dragonlancey are they?

Celestial might work in conjunction with the "divinely favoured" feat. You are the chosen one of some god or other. Or, I may be misremembering, but I think I've seen unicorns on Krynn. As for the others, I might suggest the player refluffs or reconsiders. It would depend on how the DM felt about interlopers from other planes. If you are allowing portaling half orcs, then there is no reason not to allow genies arriving the same way. I consider creating characters for a campaign a cooperative activity, with a back-and-forth between the player and DM (instant messaging is great!).

 

[Bitbrain]

View attachment 267289

Sounds like they are going for a sort of Roman Empire fortifications-in the Middle Ages-flavor with Kalaman. I like it.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

But genies, celestials, great old ones etc aren't terribly Dragonlancey are they?

Celestial warlock (along with Divine sorcerers) fits the ''returning gods'' theme of DL pretty spot on. They have less of an ''organized faith'' themes than the clerics, IMHO.

Goldmoon did not wear heavy armors, wading into melee with a mace and shield! A Celestial warlock with a boon of tome or talisman (the disks) would be a nice fit.