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Was asked what I thought might happen next with #WotC and the #OGL. Here it goes.
1) IT’S UNLIKELY THEY CAN WALK THIS BACK: The new #CEO is hanging his hat on this, so I just don’t see them going “just fooling’!” without him being canned.
1) IT’S UNLIKELY THEY CAN WALK THIS BACK: The new #CEO is hanging his hat on this, so I just don’t see them going “just fooling’!” without him being canned.
2) LARGE COMPANIES USING THE OGL WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE OGL AS FAST AS THEY CAN: This is already seemingly happening. Signing OGL 1.1 is like placing a self-destruct in your business and giving the detonator to WotC. They can destroy you at any time.
3) A NEW OPEN GAME WHICH DOES PRECISELY WHAT DND DOES ONLY PROBABLY SLIGHTLY BETTER WILL BE CREATED: Again, already underway in multiple places, and it won’t take long. The ranks of those designing such things will be filled with people who helped make #DND what it is today.
Our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga has arrived at the final installment: DL14 Dragons of Triumph by Douglas Niles.
This adventure picks up right from the end of DL13: The PCs have just left Glitterpalace and returned to Godshome.
This adventure picks up right from the end of DL13: The PCs have just left Glitterpalace and returned to Godshome.
If you're wondering what's going on, you might want to pop back to the beginning of our Let's Read over here.
As the PCs return to Godshome, the voice of Paladine, God of Railroads, echoes around them.
Our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga draws to a close with
DL13 Dragons of Truth, by Tracy Hickman
&
DL14 Dragons of Triumph, by Douglas Niles
DL13 Dragons of Truth, by Tracy Hickman
&
DL14 Dragons of Triumph, by Douglas Niles
If you'd like to go back to the beginning, our Let's Read started over here!
I've said this several times before, but I'm not sure everyone is hearing me: The original Dragonlance Saga was not only an insanely ambitious project, it was also stunningly creative and daring in its experimentation.
My deluxe edition of #Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen has escaped from the maw of shipping!
I have not done much more than flip through it at this point, but let's take a quick peek.
I have not done much more than flip through it at this point, but let's take a quick peek.
Back of the Deluxe Edition lays out what you've got here:
- The campaign book.
- The board game.
- The DM screen.
- The campaign book.
- The board game.
- The DM screen.
I do wish that the Deluxe Edition box was functional.
(It would be nice, for example, to pack everything up if I were taking it to a friend's house or game store.)
But with this tab design, it is not.
(It would be nice, for example, to pack everything up if I were taking it to a friend's house or game store.)
But with this tab design, it is not.
And now, a #DnD thread about the evolution of D&D's thematic adventure focus, how the shift in the fiction shifted the rules, and how #Dragonlance was a major contributor to that slow change. (h/t @WeisMargaret, @boymonster, @trhickman)
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Early D&D drew many inspirations from swords & sorcery and low fantasy. While many people cite Tolkien's 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 as a major influence, it's clear that D&D owes a lot to other fantasy stories cited in the 1e AD&D DMG's famous Appendix N.
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Thing is, many of these low fantasy stories, like the Conan saga, the Lankhmar series by Fritz Leiber, Moorcock's Elric stories, and of course Vance's Dying Earth, feature protagonists who are not really... heroes. They are scoundrels, antiheroes, heroes-by-happenstance.
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The Tower of the High Clerist, from DL8 Dragons of War, is a HUGE wedded directly to a mass combat scenario.
This is a major turning point in the War of the Lance and the #Dragonlance Saga adventures.
Let's break it down.
This is a major turning point in the War of the Lance and the #Dragonlance Saga adventures.
Let's break it down.
We're continuing our Let's Read of #Dragonlance.
You can find the start of the Let's Read over here if you'd like to begin at the beginning.
You can find the start of the Let's Read over here if you'd like to begin at the beginning.
We are here. The advance of the dragonarmies is shown here by the orange arrows: They have swept over western Solamnia, but their advance through the Vingaard Mountains has been brought to a halt by the fortress of Thelgaard.
The eighth installment of the #Dragonlance series expands the scope of the Saga once again by fully incorporating BATTLESYSTEM - the fantasy wargame designed to integrate mass combat into your roleplaying game.
This marks a significant shift in the Saga: Whereas in Volume I, the PCs were constantly forced to flee before the dragon armies, now the expectation seems to be that they will actually be leading troops into the maw of war.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga!
If you want to begin from the beginning, start over here!
If you want to begin from the beginning, start over here!
Westward, ho!
The PCs are shipwrecked in the wilds of Ergoth.
The core concept of DL7 Dragons of Light is that all the elves in the world have fled here on ships, only to suffer the acute embarrassment of having all of their ships spontaneously vanish in a puff of fiat.
The PCs are shipwrecked in the wilds of Ergoth.
The core concept of DL7 Dragons of Light is that all the elves in the world have fled here on ships, only to suffer the acute embarrassment of having all of their ships spontaneously vanish in a puff of fiat.
After negotiating their way through the elven situation, the PCs will therefore need to march north through the only mountain pass in search of a ship to continue their journey, conveniently stumbling upon the Tomb of Huma as they go.
Our Let's Read of Dragonlance started over here if you'd like to begin from the beginning!
Volume II of the #Dragonlance Saga begins with DL6 Dragons of Ice.
Which is where the whole thing starts to fall apart.
Which is where the whole thing starts to fall apart.
It's time to continue our Let's Read of the Dragonlance Saga! If you haven't seen the beginning of the thread, you can hop over to it here.
We'll wait for you to circle back.
We'll wait for you to circle back.
Up until this point, the designers have mostly kept things on track with the help of geography: The PCs start at the northern tip of a peninsula, are hemmed in by conveniently impassable mountains, and then forced south by an implacable army advancing (more or less) behind them.
As I come to the end of Volume I of the #Dragonlance Saga, we need to discuss the elephant in the room:
I'm 160 pages into the Saga and I still have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on.
I'm 160 pages into the Saga and I still have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on.
(This is semi-rhetorical. I did read the novels 20 years ago, so I have some vague memories that help orient me.)
We're continuing our Let's Read of the Dragonlance Saga. Pop over here if you'd like to begin from beginning.
At the end of DL3, the PCs found a map to the lost entrance of Thorbardin.
In DL4 Dragons of Desolation, by Tracy Hickman and Michael Dobson, the PCs enter the ancient dwarven city.
And this is exactly why you'll want to grab a copy, even if you never run the #Dragonlance Saga.
In DL4 Dragons of Desolation, by Tracy Hickman and Michael Dobson, the PCs enter the ancient dwarven city.
And this is exactly why you'll want to grab a copy, even if you never run the #Dragonlance Saga.
We're continuing our Let's Read. If you'd like to start from the beginning, you'll want to pop over there.
I keep talking about the radical experimentation & big, bold ideas of the Saga.
For DL4, Hickman & Dobson deliver one of the best & most detailed dwarven kingdoms ever made.
And the best part is that it's really more of a toolkit that you can use to build ANY dwarven city.
For DL4, Hickman & Dobson deliver one of the best & most detailed dwarven kingdoms ever made.
And the best part is that it's really more of a toolkit that you can use to build ANY dwarven city.
In its own words, DL3 Dragons of Hope "involves leading 800 refugees ... through the wilderness to safety" after the Pax Tharkas prison break at the end of DL2.
When I talk about the #Dragonlance Saga daring to dream big and do stuff you'd never seen before in a D&D adventure...
When I talk about the #Dragonlance Saga daring to dream big and do stuff you'd never seen before in a D&D adventure...
...this is what I'm talking about.
And, yes, I recognize that "escort the refugee caravan" is bog standard now.
But DL3 nevertheless remains impressive.
And, yes, I recognize that "escort the refugee caravan" is bog standard now.
But DL3 nevertheless remains impressive.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga!
Jump over here if you'd like to begin from the beginning.
Jump over here if you'd like to begin from the beginning.
The original #Dragonlance Saga was a massive multimedia project, of a sort that hadn't really been seen before: RPG adventures, novels, wargames, etc.
Another example of this are the songs included in the adventures.
Another example of this are the songs included in the adventures.
Music is not my forte, so I'll have to speak softly here.
(Pun intended.)
But TSR hadn't done anything like this before, and apparently the sheet music in DL1 was screwed up.
This is a testament to how complicated and difficult the DL project was.
(Pun intended.)
But TSR hadn't done anything like this before, and apparently the sheet music in DL1 was screwed up.
This is a testament to how complicated and difficult the DL project was.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the original Dragonlance modules! Jump back to the beginning over here!
#Dragonlance #2: Etheric Boogaloo is a prison break scenario.
The first half of the scenario funnels the PCs towards getting arrested and put into prison at the conquered dwarven fortress of Pax Tharkas.
The second half is the prison break itself...
The first half of the scenario funnels the PCs towards getting arrested and put into prison at the conquered dwarven fortress of Pax Tharkas.
The second half is the prison break itself...
...culminating with the PCs fleeing south with hundreds of war refugees into the wild realms of DL3 Dragons of Hope.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga, which starts over here if you'd like to begin from the beginning!
Let's talk about when #Dragonlance became Dragonlance Classics.
By 1990, the original DL modules were out of print and a new edition of Advanced D&D had been released.
DL is still insanely popular, but reprinting all 14 modules would be expensive + risky.
So what do you do?
By 1990, the original DL modules were out of print and a new edition of Advanced D&D had been released.
DL is still insanely popular, but reprinting all 14 modules would be expensive + risky.
So what do you do?
tl;dr You package them up into three reprint volumes, with 4 modules in each volume.
...
Hang on, though. 3 volumes x 4 modules = 12 modules.
The original Dragonlance Saga was 14 modules.
That doesn't add up.
...
Hang on, though. 3 volumes x 4 modules = 12 modules.
The original Dragonlance Saga was 14 modules.
That doesn't add up.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the Dragonlance Saga. If you'd like to begin at the beginning, you'll find that over here:
One of the most famous dungeons in all of D&D is Xak Tsaroth, created by Tracy Hickman and appearing in DL1: Dragons of Despair, the first adventure in the epic #Dragonlance Saga.
The PCs have recovered a divine relic and been charged with taking it to Xak Tsaroth, the Lost City of the Ancients.
Xak Tsaroth predates the Cataclysm during which the True Gods abandoned Ansalon. Much of it was destroyed; the rest sank into the earth, creating a vast dungeon.
Xak Tsaroth predates the Cataclysm during which the True Gods abandoned Ansalon. Much of it was destroyed; the rest sank into the earth, creating a vast dungeon.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga!
Jump over here if you'd like to begin from the beginning.
Jump over here if you'd like to begin from the beginning.
Another railroading technique that the #Dragonlance Saga uses is Obscure Death.
For important NPCs and PCs, the DM should arrange - in the unfortunate circumstance of their demise - for them to die a "superhero-style" death: Make sure no body is found so that they can come back.
For important NPCs and PCs, the DM should arrange - in the unfortunate circumstance of their demise - for them to die a "superhero-style" death: Make sure no body is found so that they can come back.
We're continuing our Let's Read of #Dragonlance. Start over here if you'd like to begin at the beginning.
At the moment we're in the middle of discussing all the different ways that the DL adventures railroad the PCs.
At the moment we're in the middle of discussing all the different ways that the DL adventures railroad the PCs.
The Obscure Death technique is introduced as such in DL2, and the "Dungeonmaster Notes" pretty reliably mention it from that point forward.
Is the #Dragonlance Saga railroaded?
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
It's so pervasive in the Saga that if we spent this Let's Read commenting on every act of petty railroading, it's all we would be doing.
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
It's so pervasive in the Saga that if we spent this Let's Read commenting on every act of petty railroading, it's all we would be doing.
Instead, let's take some time to look at some examples of the Saga's railroading. Then, as we move forward, you can just assume that this stuff permeates every single adventure.
(Because it does.)
(Because it does.)
We are, in fact, continuing the Let's Read that started over here. Bounce back there if you want to take this from the top.
To begin at the beginning...
DL1 Dragons of Despair by Tracy Hickman.
So the basic concept here is 300 years ago the true gods abandoned the world during the Cataclysm. 5 years ago, six of the PCs left Solace to search for any sign of the true gods.
DL1 Dragons of Despair by Tracy Hickman.
So the basic concept here is 300 years ago the true gods abandoned the world during the Cataclysm. 5 years ago, six of the PCs left Solace to search for any sign of the true gods.
We're continuing our Let's Read of the #Dragonlance Saga, which started over here if you'd like to begin from a different beginning.
So here's the opening boxed text from DL1 and also the reprint from DLC1.
I share these as a good micro-example of difficult it can be to actually parse the Saga.
DL1 has mis-typeset the text, resulting in the actual premise not being included.
I share these as a good micro-example of difficult it can be to actually parse the Saga.
DL1 has mis-typeset the text, resulting in the actual premise not being included.
Let’s talk about the Innfellows.
One of the innovations of the #Dragonlance Saga was the expectation that the players would take on the role of pregenerated characters (instead of rolling their own).
One of the innovations of the #Dragonlance Saga was the expectation that the players would take on the role of pregenerated characters (instead of rolling their own).
Tanis
Goldmoon
Caramon
Riverwind
Raistlin
Flint Fireforge
Sturm Brightblade
Tasslehoff Burrfoot
Goldmoon
Caramon
Riverwind
Raistlin
Flint Fireforge
Sturm Brightblade
Tasslehoff Burrfoot
We're continuing our Let's Read of the original Dragonlance Saga, which starts over here if you want to begin at the beginning!
