Dragonlance Unlocked on D&D Beyond: Dragonlance Shadow of the Dragon Queen!

A couple of weeks earlier than the December 6th street date for the hardcover, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen has been unlocked in digital format over on D&D Beyond for early access. If you have purchased a SotDQ bundle you can redeem your code at this link. If not, you can pre-order now:

D&D | Official Online Store

Official Online Store

dndstore.wizards.com

DISCLAIMER: THE DRAGON ARMIES CANNOT ENSURE THAT OWNERS OF THIS BOOK WILL NOT HAVE THEIR LIVES REPURPOSED IN THE SERVICE OF THE DRAGON QUEEN’S GLORIOUS WILL. PROMISES TO THE CONTRARY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BEST-CASE SCENARIOS, NOT STATEMENTS OF CERTAINTY. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE DRAGON ARMIES AND A CATACLYSMICALLY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR ALL OF KRYNN.​

 

[Velderan]

Has anyone posted a list of the "new monsters" section?

 

[Kai Lord]

Thank you @Velderan !

 

[Steel_Wind]

Weird. I thought the lead designer said this was months or years before the first book in one of the video interviews.

The exact timing of SotDQ is left deliberately unclear. Those DMs who care about those timing issues can insert SotDQ at a time that makes them happy and preserves literary canon if that matters to them; others who do not care are left to place it in the timeline as each may prefer.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In the old Editions, the High Sorcery forbids Spellcasters to advance above 3rd Level. How did they handle it here? Is the Background mandatory and what about non-wizards (Sorcerers, Artificers, Bards,..)?

They pushed it to 5th level for the Test in 3e; I'd likely do the same here.

 

[OB1]

@Micah Sweet @Baumi here is how they handle it

Spoiler: Spoiler

At the start of the adventure, PCs can take a test to become an initiate of High Sorcery, and are given a task to complete later in the adventure. Completing that task gives them a recommendation as to which order they should join. Eventually, they'll be told that because of the extraordinary threat of the dragon army, they are being exempted from the test for now, and given provisional acceptance into their order. The actual test is then pushed to a point after the adventure. There are some guidelines as to what this test should entail, but not a specific encounter. As for being out of the order completely, it's suggested that there are renegade spellcasters who are not a part of the order, but that members of the order will hunt for and/or report them if use of their arcane magic is discovered.

A question for those more familiar with the lore/setting of Dragonlance (I last read the books 30+ years ago and have never played in the setting). One of my PCs wants to play a Wood Elf Drakewarden Ranger who worships Paladine when I start running the adventure next month. Is that class a reasonable fit for the setting?

 

[Micah Sweet]

@Micah Sweet @Baumi here is how they handle it

Spoiler: Spoiler

At the start of the adventure, PCs can take a test to become an initiate of High Sorcery, and are given a task to complete later in the adventure. Completing that task gives them a recommendation as to which order they should join. Eventually, they'll be told that because of the extraordinary threat of the dragon army, they are being exempted from the test for now, and given provisional acceptance into their order. The actual test is then pushed to a point after the adventure. There are some guidelines as to what this test should entail, but not a specific encounter. As for being out of the order completely, it's suggested that there are renegade spellcasters who are not a part of the order, but that members of the order will hunt for and/or report them if use of their arcane magic is discovered.

A question for those more familiar with the lore/setting of Dragonlance (I last read the books 30+ years ago and have never played in the setting). One of my PCs wants to play a Wood Elf Drakewarden Ranger who worships Paladine when I start running the adventure next month. Is that class a reasonable fit for the setting?

I would say yes. Their spellcasting seems like it would come from Paladine in this case, which would be fine after the Goldmoon trigger (which I would presume happens at the same time the adventure begins).

 

[Pentallion]

I like that they've blurred the actual start date. Being able to put it as much as 6 months before the gods return allows the GM to run a no clerics campaign and introduce the gods at whatever point they want to.
I applaud their flexibility.

 

[Pentallion]

This wouldn’t be a Dragonlance module without it.

In fairness, it's a war story. Even in screenplays there are less character choices to be made in war stories. The characters are swept up in a war. That limits their options.
War stories are more plot driven. (Imagine a WW2 rpg critic complaining "well, D-Day seemed a bit railroady").
A war story campaign by its very nature can't be a good sandbox.

 

[overgeeked]

In fairness, it's a war story. Even in screenplays there are less character choices to be made in war stories. The characters are swept up in a war. That limits their options.

Screenplays have zero character choices. The writer makes all the choices. The characters go where the writer tells them. It’s important to remember that RPGs are not stories, they’re not screenplays, they’re not stage plays, they aren’t even telenovellas.

War stories are more plot driven. (Imagine a WW2 rpg critic complaining "well, D-Day seemed a bit railroady").

Yes and no. Like any good story, it’s a mix of character and plot. If you’re trying to exactly replicate history, yes, choices are limited.

A war story campaign by its very nature can't be a good sandbox.

I disagree. They make for an interesting sandbox. The war rages around you, where do you want to go and what do you want to do? It’s no different than here’s the area you get to explore, where do you want to go and what do you want to do? The theme is slightly different. But wars can absolutely make fantastic sandboxes. I say that as someone who’s run a WW2 pulp sandbox game.

 

[Kai Lord]