Why do Dragonlance campaings never work?

[Orius]

1. Thats because the novels have always focused on the same set of heroes time and time again. So I agree with you here. The novels should be more diverse like the FR novels.
But even saying that,no one is playing second fiddle that badly. Do you really want to do the same story as Tanis & Co, or would you rather tell your own that runs parallel or whenever?

Well, I know there have been DL novels and short stories written that don't focus on the Heroes of the Lance, but they don't seem to be very popular. A fairly common opinion seems to be that most non Weis & Hickman stories suck.

 

[talinthas]

common to who? personally, i think some of the best novels havent been done by them. see the recent kingpriest trilogy by Pierson, or Lord Toade by Grubb, or the barbarians trilogy by Thompson and Cook. dragonlance has nearly 200 novels. some are bound to be sucky, and some are really damned good. don't hate before you try =)

 

[Voadam]

Gully Dwarves (also my favorites) are defintely harder to play, and no doubt are NOT to be trusted in scouting reports ("How many hobgoblins do you see, Mugwump?" "Two... at least two!") But they are not stupid by any stretch - just ignorant.)

No, I think from their portrayal in the chronicles they are a generally significantly dumb race. Ignorant people can learn. Gully dwarf heroes have mastered the numerical concept of three at the most. They are like big warhammer snotlings, not even on the intellectual level of standard orcs or goblins. Mentally impaired to the level of a three-year old human without the tantrums.

They have common sense (though not reknowned for it), are very dexterous, and possessed of the singularly impressive ability to forge their way into the nastiest (as in, filth-ridden) situations and not losing their lunch. It would be fun to play a Gully Dwarf Barbarian, or a rogue who pinched the pockets of NPC's who took pity on him for his wretched look. Listen, anyone who can play a Nosferatu in Vampire the Masquerade ought to find it a BREEZE to play an Aghar Dwarf.

 

[talinthas]

i dunno, i've run some incredibly fun sessions with a clan of gullys living in an abandoned brothel =)

 

[Henry]

No, I think from their portrayal in the chronicles they are a generally significantly dumb race. Ignorant people can learn. Gully dwarf heroes have mastered the numerical concept of three at the most. They are like big warhammer snotlings, not even on the intellectual level of standard orcs or goblins. Mentally impaired to the level of a three-year old human without the tantrums.

However, they WERE smart enough to let the Draconians and Dragonarmies think they ran things whenever they moved in. They still carried on their lives as before, and scavenged some truly significant finds (remember Bupu and the Spellbook?). They had on the whole Common Sense, just not Sense. At least, that's the info I've gotten from reading the very few appearances of the Aghar.

I will admit, they are really there as PC's for fun more than anything, but they can be played dramatically, as well. For some reason, I see Gully Dwarves, and I think "Ewoks."

 

[Voadam]

i dunno, i've run some incredibly fun sessions with a clan of gullys living in an abandoned brothel =)

I didn't say they can't be fun to encounter, run, or play. I just think they are overly silly elements that can be used either for the odd moment of comic relief or to turn the mood of the game silly. Just as I would consider snotlings in the Warhammer world (although more PC friendly). I personally do not enjoy such flavor of things in my RPGs.

I have a friend who would love to play one, but I have little desire to deal with their silliness in a game or treat them as maudlin tragic pathetic creatures if they are treated seriously. I much prefer the more serious and to me more enjoyable aspects of the setting such as the minotaurs, knighthoods, orders of sorcery and clergy and the cosmology.