Dragonlance Dragons of Deceit: Check Out the Dragonlance Novel Cover

While we've known about the upcoming Dragonlance novel trilogy since October 2020, Margaret Weis has shared the wraparound cover of the first book in the new Dragonlance novel trilogy, Dragons of Deceit and confirmed the release date August 9th 2022.

As we've noted before, Weis & Hickman are using the brand "Classic Dragonlance" which features the older-style title banner.

Dragonlance - Here's That Official Dragonlance Novels Announcement, Featuring Classic Characters & An Old Logo!

We've known about it for a while due to lawsuits and product placeholder pages on Amazon, but Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have just announced their new Dragonlance series of novels! It returns 'the most beloved characters from the original novels', as well as a 'new, strong protagonist'...

www.enworld.org

Previous information indicated that the second book in the trilogy would be called Dragons of Fate.

Tracy Hickman shared some more information, including the book description which was revealed back in November.

It’s official! Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, published by Del Rey, will be released August 9, 2022. We’re returning to old friends while introducing a new heroine to the classic world of Dragonlance. Our gift to you this holiday season is to share a first look at the cover!

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman return to the unforgettable world of the New York Times bestselling Dragonlance series as a new heroine—desperate to restore her beloved father to life—sets off on a quest to change time.

Destina Rosethorn—as her name implies—believes herself to be a favored child of destiny. But when her father dies in the War of the Lance, she watches her carefully constructed world come crashing down. Not only does she lose her beloved father but the legacy he has left her: the family lands and castle. To save her father, she hatches a bold plan—to go back in time and prevent his death.

First, she has to secure the Device of Time Journeying, last known to be in the possession of the spirited kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot. But to change time, she needs another magical artifact—the most powerful and dangerous artifact ever created. Destina’s quest takes her from the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin to the town of Solace and beyond, setting in motion a chain of disastrous events that threaten to divert the course of the River of Time, alter the past, and forever change the future.

Margaret Weis commented on the logo usage -- "We are so pleased that Wizards of the Coast permitted us to use the classic Dragonlance logo from 1984. The logo was designed by the TSR art director at the time, the late James Roslof, and was hand-painted by Larry Elmore."

 

[GreyLord]

On the one hand, I'm pretty sure you mean an updated Dragonlance.

On the other hand ... GOTHIC HORROR DRAGONLANCE! I mean, they're halfway to the horror part just by including kender!

Knight of the Black Rose

and

Spectre of the Black Rose

 

[GreyLord]

If Hasselhoff had K.I.T., what does Tasslehoff get? Z.I.T.?

K.A.R.R.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Is it a new Elmore cover or someone else?

If there is a woman in the picture, and it doesn't seem like the artist has a crush on her, then it's not an Elmore painting.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Solace painted in the Hudson River School mode. Beautiful!

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

To understand the word "classic," one must first understand the history of Dragonlance. There are three main eras, from a publishing POV.

The classic era is the War of the Lance (WotL) and Legends eras, ending with Dragons of Summer Flame. From a game standpoint, the setting used the AD&D 2e rules.

After Summer Flame, Dragonlance continued with the Fifth Age products. Basically, gods and magic left the world with the end of Summer Flame. The rules changed to the SAGA rules, the timeline jumped ahead 30 years, new magic (read: replacement magic) was found, and gigantic dragon overlords conquered Ansalon, dividing the continent between them. Needless to say, the change in rules and setting caused a rift in Dragonlance fandom.

Weis and Hickman then returned with the War of Souls series, where the gods returned, with the exception of Paladine (Bahamut) and Takhisis (Tiamat). And this is an extremely abbreviated version of events. Dragonlance returned as a D&D setting, and was the first setting launched for D&D 3.5. At this point, it's roughly 70 years after the War of the Lance.

Dragonlance fans have talked quite a bit about whether this new trilogy will be a reboot or not. However it goes, I believe that Weis and Hickman will handle it well.

This is more or less a good summary of what happened both in and out of setting, at least without really getting into the details.

I happen to be one of the fans of the Fifth Age/Age of Mortals. Overall it brought the game into a more updated ruleset and did a great deal to fix a lot of the problems of the early books. The fear I have is that this synopsis screams of a "we're going to reboot this back to a time period where people think they want, even though half the modern rules/races/classes frankly just don't work unless we retcon the setting to a point beyond recognition." But I'll judge the book after I've read it, buy any supplement for the 5e ruleset and just ignore whatever lore I find is stupid.

In my games Paladine is NOT Bahamut and Takhisis is NOT Tiamat (and is dead unless I decide otherwise). I actually like the setup that the War of Souls gave us and have no desire to change it short of progressing the story further. Especially if it means removing half of great potential for factions/political intrigue that adding the Legion of Steel, and Sorcerers vs Wizards conflict over differences in magic added.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Also goddamn it Tasslehoff Burrfoot really? REALLY?!

They need a time travel expert, and Gnimsh just doesn't have high enough name recognition to be a viable candidate.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Tasslehoff is a fan fave as well as a favorite of Margaret and Tracy's. Of course he's going to go along for the ride.

 

[Dragonhelm]

K.A.R.R.

Knight Automated Roving Robot

 

[Storyteller Hero]

In my games Paladine is NOT Bahamut and Takhisis is NOT Tiamat (and is dead unless I decide otherwise). I actually like the setup that the War of Souls gave us and have no desire to change it short of progressing the story further. Especially if it means removing half of great potential for factions/political intrigue that adding the Legion of Steel, and Sorcerers vs Wizards conflict over differences in magic added.

If taking all the lore of every edition into account, then Paladine can be both Bahamut AND not Bahamut, and Takhisis can be both Tiamat AND not Tiamat.

This has to do with the quasi-conceptual nature of deity bodies that enables them to produce aspects of themselves separate from the original body, as well as change their forms however they will.

I've divided aspects into two types: convergent and divergent.

Convergent aspects are the usual "avatars" seen when a deity needs to be in two or more places at once, sharing the same consciousness like looking left and right at the same time, created and dispersed as needed.

Divergent aspects are split off from the original body with minds and personalities of their own, which Paladine and Tiamat would fall under.

Examples include Marduk, an aspect of Bahamut with a different alignment and different divine realm, Tymora and Beshaba, created when the body of the goddess Tyche was split in two, and Mystryl, who was created when parts of Selune and Shar were split off and merged into a new deity.

A mystical connection can remain, but Paladine makes decisions separate from Bahamut and does not count against the maximum limit of avatars; the same goes for Takhisis, who actually surpassed the power level of the original Tiamat at least once - further cementing the notion that they are independent for the most part.

 

[The White Sorcerer]

Way I see it, Paladine and Takhisis are greater deities, and thus by the current Dungeon Master's Guide their avatars are on the level of lesser deities. Their avatars Bahamut and Tiamat have cultivated enough of a separate following and identity of their own that they're able to exist even when the "parent" deities have lost their divinity.

But that's just how it is in my version of the multiverse.