does anyone even read this anymore?
----------
qalt.fan.dragonlance FAQ V.2005.A
---------------------------------------------
The NEWSGROUP
1) Questions about the FAQ
1.1 What is the alt.fan.dragonlance FAQ?
1.2 How often is the FAQ updated?
1.3 Is the AFDL FAQ available on the Internet?
1.4 What has changed since the last version?
1.5 Who is the AFDL FAQ maintainer?
2) Joining the Newsgroup
2.1 What is a newsgroup?
2.2 What is alt.fan.dragonlance?
2.3 Where can I find a news server?
2.4 What software do I need?
3) Using the Newsgroup
3.1 What is a lurker, a newbie, a dino, and a troll?
3.2 Why are there posts advertising porn / make money fast / financial
information / sexual aids / weight loss? These have nothing to do
with Dragonlance!
3.3 Are newbies welcome?
3.4 What is a newbie to do when he/she enters the newsgroup?
3.5 Are there any rules to follow in the newsgroup?
4) Questions about the Newsgroup
4.1 What is "quoting"?
4.2 What are all these "in-jokes" I keep hearing?
4.3 What other newsgroups allow Dragonlance discussions?
4.4 Where else can I discuss Dragonlance?
4.5 Can I post my fanfic to the newsgroup?
4.6 Can I post binaries to the newsgroup?
4.7 Which authors/game designers/TSR employees post to the newsgroup?
4.8 Why do so-called "fans" complain about Dragonlance?
4.9 What are spoilers?
4.10 What are these abbreviations that I keep seeing?
4.11 What is canon?
4.12 Can I play Dragonlance online?
4.13 Where can I find the Dragonlance mailing list?
5) Controversial topics in the newsgroup
5.1 What's a controversial topic?
5.2 Why shouldn't I bring up one of these topics?
5.3 Raistlin is a woman?
5.4 Tanis is gay?
5.5 Gem dragons on Krynn?
5.6 A Dragonlance movie and who should be in it?
5.7 Only Weis and Hickman novels count?
5.8 Posting under the name "Raistlin"?
5.9 I want more books on the Heroes of the Lance!
5.10 All books after Summer Flame should be discounted? (aka 5th Age
sucks!)
DRAGONLANCE RELATED QUESTIONS
6) Back to the Basics - What is Dragonlance?
6.1 What is Dragonlance, and how did it start?
6.2 You mean Weis and Hickman didn't invent Dragonlance?
6.3 Well, tell me about the novels.
6.4 How should I read the novels?
6.5 Well, tell me about the game.
6.6 Basics of Dragonlance role-playing
6.6.1 What is the Dragonlance role-playing game and how do I
play it?
6.6.2 How do I choose an edition?
6.6.3 What do I need to get started with AD&D 1e Dragonlance?
6.6.4 What do I need to get started with AD&D 2e Dragonlance?
6.6.5 What do I need to get started with SAGA Dragonlance?
6.6.6 What do I need to get started with d20 3.5e Dragonlance?
6.6.7 What about Dragonlance computer games?
6.7 What other products are there?
6.8 Where can I buy the products?
6.9 But I want a product that's out of print! Where can I get it?
7) The Company and the Game System
7.1 Did TSR go bankrupt?
7.2 Did Krynn blow up after Dragons of Summer Flame?
7.3 Is Dragonlance.com an official Wizards of the Coast "world site"?
7.4 Where are the official Wizards of the Coast "world sites"?
7.5 What gaming system is Dragonlance?
7.6 What is SAGA/Fifth Age?
7.7 I want to write a Dragonlance novel. How do I get it published?
8) Raistlin Questions
8.1 Why does everyone talk about Raistlin?
8.2 Who created Raistlin?
8.3 Was Raistlin evil?
8.4 Did Raistlin have a daughter?
8.5 Did Raistlin or Fistandantilus win?
8.6 Did Raistlin love Crysania?
8.7 Did Raistlin really leave Krynn with the gods at the end of
Dragons of Summer Flame?
8.8 I heard there is a song about Raistlin. Any info on this?
8.9 When will the third Raistlin novel come out?
9) Regarding the Races of Krynn
9.1 Can draconians reproduce?
9.2 What are the types of draconians?
9.3 Is a dark elf a drow?
9.4 Is a dark elf an evil elf?
9.5 How are Kender, Gnomes, and Dwarves related?
9.6 Which races don't exist on Krynn?
10) Questions about Gods and People
10.1 Are Astinus and Gilean connected?
10.2 Are Fizban and Paladine connected?
10.3 What is an avatar?
10.4 Are Zifnab and Fizban the same person?
10.5 Is Lord Soth in Dragonlance or in Ravenloft?
10.6 Who helped Gilthanas and Silvara discover the Draconians in
Sanction, in the Chronicles?
10.7 What happened to Gilthanas and Silvara after the events in
Chronicles?
10.8 Who were Steel Brightblade's parents? When was he conceived?
10.9 How come Verminaard is alive in Stormblade when he dies in
Dragons of Autumn Twilight?
11) The World of Krynn
11.1 Tell me about the Towers of High Sorcery.
11.2 Can women become Knights of Solamnia?
11.3 What is Taladas?
11.4 What are Chorane, Watermere, Selasia, and Little Taladas?
11.5 What was the Chaos War?
11.6 What was the Second Cataclysm?
11.7 Where did the Gods go after the Second Cataclysm?
11.8 What is the 5th Age?
11.9 Where did the Dragon Overlords come from?
11.10 What is the War of Souls?
12) The 'Other Worlds' of Dragonlance
12.1 I saw books in the Dragonlance product list that weren't
published with the Dragonlance setting? What's up with that?
12.2 What is Ravenloft and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
12.3 What is Planescape and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
12.4 What is Spelljammer and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
12.5 What is Forgotten Realms and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
13) Dragonlance Products
13.1 Is there a complete list of Dragonlance products?
13.2 What is "Legends of the Lance"?
13.3 Which non-"Weis and Hickman" books are worth reading?
13.4 Where is the story of what happened to the Companions at Icewall?
13.5 Have the Chronicles been published with different cover art?
13.6 Will there be a Dragonlance movie?
13.7 I heard about a Dragonlance book series called "The Lost Gods"?
What is that and why can't I find it?
13.8 What new books are coming out?
1) Questions about the FAQ
1.1 What is the alt.fan.dragonlance FAQ?
A newsgroup FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) usually lists common
questions that appear in the newsgroup and the answers there are
general consensus for. If people disagree strongly and/or there is
reasonable doubt about an answer, both answers are usually permitted.
Usually, a FAQ also lists the written and unwritten "rules" of the
newsgroup and any specific traditions newcomers should follow or be
aware of. Due to the vast number of new users, many FAQs also include
some general information about netiquette related to USENET and
newsgroups. Any questions about the FAQ itself should go to the
maintainer.
1.2 How often is the AFDL FAQ updated?
Whenever it requires updates. The FAQ is posted to
alt.fan.dragonlance every second week in order to maintain visibility.
If you feel anything should be changed in either FAQ, altering,
removing or adding a question, please e-mail the maintainer.
1.3 Is the AFDL FAQ available on the Internet?
The FAQ can be found at:
http://ulmo.mux.net/dragonlance/
http://www.dl3e.com/features/faqs/afdl.aspx
There is one FAQ which is divided into two sections: one pertains to
the newsgroup alt.fan.dragonlance, the other has specific questions
about Dragonlance characters, books, products, and anything else
relevent to Dragonlance. You should read through the entire FAQ
before posting to the newsgroup to:
a) make sure you know the unspoken "rules" of the newsgroup
b) see if your question has already been answered previously
1.4 What has changed since the last version?
Major Changes:
* The afdl FAQ and Dragonlance FAQ have been merged into one document
again.
* A new maintainer has taken over.
* Too many to track accurately.
Since V.2001.A
* Added two new links and took out an old one in question 6.9.
* Added a link to question 6.7.
* Added question 13.7
Since V.2001.B
* Listed where the FAQ can be found in question 1.3.
* Added some new abbreviations to question 4.10.
* Listed the Nexus in question 7.3 and changed some wording.
* Fixed wording in question 8.4.
* Added product list to 13.1.
Since V.2001.C
* Fixed the question in question 4.1.
* Fixed question 4.1 in the table of contents.
* Moved a name in question 4.7.
Since V.2001.D
* Added link to DL movie FAQ in question 5.6.
Since V.2001.E
* Changed product list link in 13.1.
Since V.2001.F
* Changed product list in 13.8.
* Fixed the link syntax in 6.7, 6.9, 7.4, 13.1, and 13.2.
Since V.2002.A
* Added to product list in 13.8
Since V.2002.B
* Fixed spelling error of "Grubb" in 4.7.
* Updated 4.9 to refer to newer books.
* Added extra information to 6.4.
* Added gaming information to 6.6.
* Added gaming information to 7.3.
* Added gaming information to 7.5.
* Quick explanation of the origin of the overlords in 11.9 and fixed
the spelling of "Malystryx".
* Updated question 11.10.
Since V.2002.C
* Added to product list in 13.8.
Since V. 2002.D
* Updated question 8.8 with new information.
Since V.2002.E
* Changed address in question 5.6.
Since V.2002.F
* Updated product list in 13.8.
Since V.2002.G
* Added DL3E abbreviation to question 4.10.
* Added comment about "Father of the Gods" in question 4.11.
* Added new question 4.13 and answer about DL mailing list.
* Added to question 5.6 regarding the DL movie rights.
* Removed the link to gameguild.com in 6.9.
* Changed wording in 7.3 regarding status of DL.com and DL3E.com as
official sites
* Changed information regarding Kevin Kage in question 7.7.
* Revamped the answer in question 8.9 regarding the Raistlin
chronicles.
* Removed typo (of a period) in last sentence of question 10.7.
* Added clarification to Steel's conception in question 10.8.
* Added new question 10.9 and answer regarding Verminaard's appearance
in Stormblade.
* Changed information in question 11.10 regarding War of the Souls.
* Added information about the Lost Gods series in question 12.5.
* Updated information in question 13.6 about DL movie rights.
* Changed title and shipping date of Knaak's Minotaur novel in
question 13.8.
Since V.2002.H
* Made corrections to 7.3.
* Link changed in 13.1.
Since V.2002.I
* FAQ title change from 2002 to 2003.
* Updated product list in 13.8.
Since V.2003.A
* Updated product list in 13.8.
Since V.2003.B
* FAQ title change from 2003 to 2004.
* Updated product list in 13.8.
* Added link to product list in 13.8.
Since V.2004.A
* Product list removed from 13.8 and replaced with a link.
Since V.2004.B
* Updated FAQ links in 1.3.
* Rewrote question 2.3 for different wording and broken links.
* Changed Deja link to Google in 2.4.
* Fixed link in 4.13 regarding rules for the DL mailing list.
* Changed the question for 6.6.
* Expanded upon question 6.6 to include information on Dragonlance
role playing systems.
* Updated links and information in question 13.1.
Since V.2004.C
* Changed the answer to question 13.6.
1.5 Who is the AFDL FAQ maintainer?
Cassandra Jacobs (aka forever darkness)
spirit@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
questions, suggestions, additions, complaints etc, should be
forwarded to the above maintainer. All flames will be reported to
your ISP and forwarded to dev/null as well. Be nice to the
maintainer... she's nice and cute, and will take any suggestions you
make into serious consideration. Credit also goes to the previous
maintainers, Alex Louis, Morten Brattbakk, Styx, and Stig Erik Sandø
2) Joining the Newsgroup
2.1 What is a newsgroup?
A newsgroup is a sort of massive bulletin board system that is used by
millions of people all over the world. A news server carries all sorts
of newsgroups, and news servers are usually carried by your Internet
service provider. A newsgroup is also a community of individuals,
some who have been there for quite some time, others who haven't been.
Even though a newsgroup doesn't "physically" exist due to the nature
of the Internet, it is made up of physical beings, who come from all
around the world. Realize this, and that many of the people in the
group are friends, and have been for awhile. The atmosphere can
change from group to group.
2.2 What is alt.fan.dragonlance?
A newsgroup that tries very hard to focus on Dragonlance discussion.
alt.fan.dragonlance (also called afdl) is noted to have a relatively
easy going atmosphere, with an undercurrent of rabid paranoia. People
from all walks of life are accepted, but the community tends to be
intolerant of people who:
a) flame
b) break newsgroup rules
c) bring up controversial topics
Please realize that some attitudes in the newsgroup are not there
because afdl is intolerant of everyone. Rather, many people have seen
the group go through many stages of growth and change, and this
attitude reflects their experiences with it.
2.3 Where can I find a news server?
There are two different types of news servers. One is a web based news
server. The most popular of these is Google Groups (formerly Deja
News), which both archives posts and allows public posting. The
address is: http://groups.google.com.
The other way is to access Usenet directly. Every good ISP (Internet
Service Provider) provides such a server, but you will probably have
to call them and wait on hold a good while before you can find out its
address. The support pages for your ISP may have the address listed
in user support section.
2.4 What software do I need?
If you are using an Internet based news server, such as Google.com,
you just need to use your web browser. However, if you are using an
ISP news server, be it free or otherwise, the Netscape mail program or
Microsoft Outlook are fine. Also, AOL provides this service.
If you are using Netscape Communicator:
Click on "Edit" in the mail program, and scroll down to "Preferences."
Click next to "Mail and Newsgroups" to display all the different
categories.
Click on "Newsgroup servers" and then click on "Add" in the window
that comes up.
Type in your newsgroup server.
When that is done, go back to the very beginning of your Mail program,
when it just opens up.
Click on the window that says "Inbox" and scroll down to the name of
your newsserver to begin browsing the newsgroups. It will ask you to
download the different newsgroups. Do so, and then search for
alt.fan.dragonlance.
If you are using Microsoft Outlook:
Open Outlook Express. (Double-click the Outlook Express Icon on your
desktop.)
Go to your 'Tools' menu, and select 'Accounts...'.
Click on the 'Add' Button, and select 'News...'.
Type your name in the 'Display Name' box, as you would like it to be
seen on the Newsgroups.
Enter your e-mail address in the 'E-mail address' box.
Enter the name of your newsserver in the "News (NNTP) server" box.
Click the 'Finish' button.
Click 'Yes' when it asks you if you would like to download newsgroups
from the news account you added.
Type a search criteria in the box at the top of the window
(alt.fan.dragonlance). In the display below, newsgroups will be
displayed which contain words that match your criteria. Select a
newsgroup from this list, and lick the 'Go to' button at the bottom of
the window.
You are now ready to begin subscribing to alt.fan.dragonlance.
Using the Newsgroup
3.1 What is a lurker, a newbie, a dino, and a troll?
A lurker is someone is who reads alt.fan.dragonlance, but rarely posts
(if at all). A newbie is someone who is new to alt.fan.dragonlance,
and posts fairly often. Newbies should read the FAQ before posting.
Some do, some don't. There's no reason to flame a newbie if they
haven't, but occasionally it happens. Don't sweat it. A dino is an
old regular of alt.fan.dragonlance, who has been on for quite some
time. Most have what's considered "attitude", but realize that it is
mostly experience from being on the newsgroup for so long. Dinos have
been through good times and bad, and have seen virtually every
question imaginable. Humour them in their old age.
Trolls are people who post on the newsgroup simply to piss people off.
They say stupid, offensive and hurtful things to either the entire
group, or to specific posters. This is an unmoderated group, and as
such, there is no way to prevent these posts from going up. If you
see a post that qualifies as a troll, DO NOT RESPOND!!! Trolls thrive
on attention, and giving it to them only encourages them to continue
their virulent behaviour. Ignore them, and they will go away.
If a troll continues to post to a newsgroup and the content of the
posts bother you, set up a filter. A filter can be designated to
block specific words in a subject line, an entire thread, or all posts
by a specific author.
Most (if not all) trolls post from either anonymous accounts or
through stolen accounts. Trying to email them or report the email
address will probably fail. If you have the technical skills, you MAY
be able to trace it back to the originating account though.
3.2 Why are there posts advertising porn / make money fast / financial
information / sexual aids / weight loss? These have nothing to do
with Dragonlance!
The term actually "comes from a Monty Python television show in which
one particular episode made so many references to the canned meat
product that the rest of the show was overshadowed by the spam motif."
Spam on the newsgroup is categorized as email that's sent to a large
number of people, without their consent, for the purpose of
advertising a product or website. People who send these emails out
don't give a care that their post has nothing to do with the topic of
the newsgroups... they're simply trying to reach as many people as
possible. Like in the real world, junk email is a fact of life of a
newsgroup. Don't bother to reply to it, as the original poster isn't
checking up to see who replied. The email address the Spam was sent
from is 99% of the time faked, so there's no point in reporting it
either. If you have the technical knowledge, you may be able to trace
it to it's origin and report it. The bottom line is, don't reply to
it, it wastes bandwidth and space and is useless.
3.3 Are newbies welcome?
Of course, there's always use for new perspectives. But I recommend
that you read and digest this FAQ quite thoroughly, and then lurk for
a week before you throw yourself into the fray. That way, you'll have
a slight idea of what's going on. When you finally enter the
newsgroup, try avoiding heavy use of caps-lock, bad quoting, yelling,
bad language, cursing, lousy grammar, so-called roleplaying and the
other all-too frequent newbie traits. Remember: AFDL has been around
for quite some time; we have discussed a lot. Some newbies have barged
right in and claimed that they knew everything, that people should
feel free to e-mail them if they have questions. This just displays
arrogance, as well as ignorance. Other people have claimed that they
knew what the real color of Raistlin's staff, because they were
Raistlin. This, as one afdler put, displays delusions of grandeur.
Also remember that people are posting from all over the world and
English isn't always a poster's first language. Don't criticize
someone for poor spelling or sentence structure. It's considered bad
taste.
Just get familiar with the group before you actually post. And don't
get intimidated if an afdler is mean to you - some people get kicks
out of saying stupid and unfriendly things. Don't reply to people like
that.
3.4 What is a newbie to do when he/she enters the newsgroup?
Some people appreciate that you introduce yourself. No extensive
information is needed; just the basics. Let us know who you are and
what we can expect from you. We'll also need your full name, home
address, phone number, social security number, and all of your credit
card accounts.
3.5 Are there any rules to follow in the newsgroup?
Some unwritten rules apply, but they should be looked at more as
guidelines for ensuring a great forum for Dragonlance discussion than
as strict rules (this is the general consensus of the newsgroup):
* Show common courtesy. Don't be insulting and foul-mouthed.
* Don't criticize someone's grammer. Not everyone is in the same
country or has the same level of education or computer experience.
* Do not reply to obscene or bullshit messages, not even to discount
them. Ignore trolls!!!!!
* Don't start off-topic threads. However, it is considered OK for a
Dragonlance-related thread to develop into an off-topic thread, if it
doesn't dominate the newsgroup.
* Don't post binaries. If you want to show off a picture, put it up on
a web page and post an URL, or post to alt.binaries and then tell the
people on alt.fan.dragonlance there is an interesting binary there.
This is a common rule to many newsgroups. Some people pay for their
access time to a newsgroup and don't appreciate downloading a file
when they weren't expecting it. Also, Internet providers carry
newsgroups and expect a certain type of traffic in them. Posting a
binary to a non-binary newsgroup may upset the balance of newsgroups
at the ISP and may result in them dropping the newsgroup. I don't
think you want to be responsible for people losing access to the
group!
* Roleplaying is discouraged, this forum is mainly for _discussing_
Dragonlance. But this is a controversial topic, so role-playing is not
strictly forbidden. Just be sure not to roleplay in a thread which is
otherwise a serious discussion. (For example, jumping in on a
discussion involving the color of the claw on the Staff of Magius
saying "I know the claw is golden, because I am Raistlin and have
owned the staff for many years" will get you flamed.)
4) Questions about the Newsgroup
4.1 What is quoting?
Quoting is the inclusion of some of the article you are replying to,
so others know what the heck you're talking about. Your answer, 99% of
the time, should come _after_ the part you quote, so people can read
what you are replying to and then see your answer. Always remember to
quote only what is necessary to understand your answer. Never quote
the signature (unless the signature is what you're commenting on).
Never quote a whole article just to reply in monosyllables. Instead,
snip most of the article.
4.2 What are all these "in-jokes" I keep hearing?
Remember how it was said that a newsgroup is a community? Well
members of the community that have been around for awhile have seen
several topics and jokes come up, which sometimes have caused quite a
commotion and as such, are remembered for quite some time.
Occasionally, these jokes pop up from time to time and sometimes can
be quite controversial. In-jokes are not meant to exclude newbies
from the conversation but are instead a method for which old dinos can
rattle up their brains which are beginning to atrophy due to old age.
Tread carefully around any of these conversations.
4.3 What other newsgroups allow Dragonlance discussions?
Alt.fan.dragons has been known to allow them if they're about dragons.
Alt.fan.fantasy is for discussion of fantasy in general and might
allow a discussion of Dragonlance in relation to other fantasy novels.
The AD&D newsgroup, rec.games.frp.dnd, also has Dragonlance
discussions occasionally.
4.4 Where else can I discuss Dragonlance?
There are many, many forums on the Internet to discuss Dragonlance.
There is the official mailing list, the newsgroup alt.fan.Dragonlance,
the message boards at Dragonlance.com, etc… The list goes on and on.
4.5 Can I post my fanfic to the newsgroup?
If it is related to Dragonlance, yes. Be aware of copyright laws and
what your rights are when you post it.
4.6 Can I post binaries to the newsgroup?
Absolutely not. If you want to share some pictures with us, you can
post them to alt.binaries and then let us know what header you used so
we can find it. It's as simple as that. Some of us are always
appreciative of programs/pictures relating to Dragonlance, but it does
not belong in alt.fan.dragonlance.
4.7 Which authors/game designers/TSR employees post to the newsgroup?
Known ones include Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Don Perrin, Richard
A. Knaak, Paul B. Thompson (as Mr. Apol), Chris Pierson, Steve Miller,
Michael Williams, Nancy Varian Berberick, and Jeff Grubb.
People who used to be on this newsgroup but who seem to have left are
Lizz Baldwin, James Lowder (of Ravenloft fame), Voronica
Whitney-Robinson (also of Ravenloft fame) Sue Weinlein Cook and Roger
E. Moore (as Grey1998). Larry Elmore has posted once.
4.8 Why do so-called "fans" complain about Dragonlance?
In the eyes of a newbie, it may seem that we're a bunch of "cranky
whiners" when it comes to Dragonlance. Many critique new and old
products/novels/authors, often negatively. This should not chase new
posters away. It is out of our love for the Dragonlance world that we
disassemble, analyze, bitch, moan, complain, and piss on it. To quote
the ex-alt.fan.Dragonlance FAQ-maintainer, Stig:
"We are a community of individuals, and we all share an interest in
Dragonlance. We might not like all parts of Dragonlance, nor do we
need to like all parts of Dragonlance."
....and to paraphrase Eric Keyser (a former regular on
alt.fan.Dragonlance), without criticism, things go stale.
Blindly accepting everything allows the mind to stagnate. We prefer to
whine if we have to, but we always do it in an effort to further our
understanding of Dragonlance, not demean it.
4.9 What are spoilers?
Something extremely necessary. Please pay special attention to this.
A "spoiler" is a post that gives away something important about a
novel/gaming accessory. Most discussion forums do not tolerate this.
As someone has pointed out, it's akin to walking out of a movie
theater and talking about the end of the film while passing by a line
of people waiting to see the next showing of the same movie. If you
were waiting in that line, you'd be pretty pissed off. In essence, you
are "spoiling" the novel/gaming accessory for those people who haven't
read it yet.
If you are going make a post that you feel may "spoil" something for
the rest of the group, include "[(Title of book) SPOILER]" in the
beginning of your header, along with either the title of the item or
the subject you're spoiling (i.e. "[War of the Souls SPOILER] The
Battle at Qualinesti!"). That's called a spoiler warning. This not
only shows courtesy and consideration for people who haven't read the
item yet, but it allows for people who *have* read the item to discuss
it with you (after all, one of the first things you want to do after
finishing a book is talk about it, right?). It's also considered good
etiquette to leave several blank spaces in your post before you start
typing. This space (called a "spoiler space") is useful for people
who may have accidently missed the header of the message and start
reading your post.
Also keep in mind that a large number of people who post to and read
Dragonlance discussion forums are not from the United States. That
means they get their items later than the people who live in the U.S.
do. Please give everybody at least six months time, if not more (a
year is recommended for monumental or important work like The Eve of
the Maelstrom and the "War of Souls" books), to read the items before
you stop adding a spoiler warning to your posts about them.
It is assumed that people reading most discussion forums have read the
Chronicles and Legends trilogies, as well as the novel Dragons of
Summer Flame, so spoiler warnings for those novels are not considered
necessary. However, some newbies come to the forums without this basic
knowledge, so please keep that in mind before jumping to a conclusion
about a 'stupid' question.
4.10 What are these abbreviations that I keep seeing?
Some abbreviations can be figured out by reading earlier in the post
or thread they appear in, while others are used so often they have
become second nature to the posters. Here is a short list of the most
common abbreviations for Dragonlance and related products common to
many discussion forums (please note that you may find other versions
as well; for example, some refer to The Dawning of a New Age as TDoNA
instead of DoNA):
LOL = Laughing Out Loud
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
DL = Dragonlance
RL = Ravenloft
PS = Planescape
SJ = Spelljammer
5A = Fifth Age
AD&D = Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
3e = Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition
DL3E = Dragonlance 3rd Edition
DoAT = Dragons of Autumn Twilight
DoWN = Dragons of Winter Night
DoSD = Dragons of Spring Dawning
SG = The Second Generation
DoSF = Dragons of Summer Flame
DoFS = Dragons of a Fallen Sun
DoLS = Dragons of a Lost Star
DoVM = Dragons of a Vanished Moon
DoNA = The Dawning of a New Age
DotT = The Day of the Tempest
EotM = The Eve of the Maelstrom
LoH = The Legend of Huma
D&L = Darkness and Light
DoC = Dragons of Chaos
R&O = Relics & Omens
KotBR = Knight of the Black Rose
DoM = Defenders of Magic
WoS = War of Souls
DLx (eg. DL1 or DL7) = one of the modules of the original module
series, with DL7 being "Dragons of Light", for example.
DLA = Dragonlance Adventures
TotL = Tales of the Lance
WBoA = World Book of Ansalon (included in Tales of the Lance)
Leaves = Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home
5A box = Dragonlance: Fifth Age Dramatic Adventure Game
CoL = Citadel of Light
4.11 What is canon?
In case you haven't noticed by now, Dragonlance has many
contradictions in it. For example, in Dragons of Summer Flame, there
is a god called Chaos. He is called the "Father of the Gods." He is a
malicious, evil God who has nothing but hatred for his "children."
Yet, in other Dragonlance products, there is the mention of the High
God. The High God is a benign deity who has nothing but love of Krynn
and his "children." This High God is also called the "Father of the
Gods."
So which God is the "Father of the Gods"? You have to read War of the
Souls to find the answer to this one.
Dragonlance fans have tried to make sense of these various continuity
errors, and many fans have formed their own set of canon. The American
Heritage Dictionary says that canon is "an ecclesiastical law or code
of laws established by a church council." Some Dragonlance fans look
at a contradiction, and they try to make a logical explanation for the
contradiction. If that doesn't work, some fans say that part of the
contradictory material is non-canon, or non-existent in Krynn.
Another example is the novel The Soulforge. Earlier, a book called
Dark Heart was published that detailed some of Raistlin's childhood.
Margaret Weis came along, and wrote The Soulforge, a novel that
completely contradicted Dark Heart. Some fans, in an attempt to
explain away the contradiction, have said that The Soulforge is
"Raistlin propaganda" that was spread around by the Towers of High
Sorcery. Others have said that Dark Heart is non-canon, and Soulforge
is the "right" version of history.
Either way, canon is very controversial topic among Dragonlance fans.
You have to decide for yourself what you consider canon, but remember
that your tastes are exactly that... *yours*. Just because you think
Dark Heart is more true than Soulforge because it was written first,
don't criticize others who believe otherwise. Be open to the fact
that others have their own interpretations of what's canon and what's
not.
TSR has its own idea of canon as well. Certain books and game
materials have been stated by TSR to be officially non-canon and this
is usually accepted by the general public. Just because a book is
considered non-canon though means it should be dismissed in its
entirety. Some books do contain relevent material buried inside.
4.12 Can I play Dragonlance online?
There are different venues for playing Dragonlance online, such as a
"play-by-e-mail" (or PBEM) game, or a MUD or MUSH.
4.13 Where can I find the Dragonlance mailing list?
The Dragonlance mailing list is hosted by a list server at Wizards and
can be accessed at
http://oracle.wizards.com/archives/dragonlance-l.html
The rules for
the mailing list are at http://www.dl3e.com/features/faqs/dl-l.aspx
The mailing list is a very different environment from the newsgroup.
The latter exists on Usenet, a relatively unmoderated wilderness on
the Internet. On the other hand, the mailing list has a set of rules
that will be enforced by the moderator. While you may find rules
stifling, this also ensures that junk email doesn't exist and
arguments are usually controlled. Choose whichever community best
suits your purpose or personal choice. Some people subscribe to both!
5) Controversial topics in the newsgroup
5.1 What's a controversial topic?
A controversial topic is a topic which has caused bad feelings and /
or flame wars among the members of the newsgroup. There are many
reasons why they've caused such reactions, but the main reason is
because someone felt criticized.
5.2 Why shouldn't I bring up one of these topics?
Many of these topics represent sore spots for people or a darker time
for the newsgroup. The regulars avoid these topics as much as
possible, since we do like to see discussions that are entertaining
and harmonious. Contrary to popular belief, regulars don't enjoy
flaming, but sometimes get so fed up with seeing the same topics over
and over again, something in their dino-brain snaps and they fly off
the wall. For the sake of keeping peace in the newsgroup, don't post
about these topics. If you feel the need to find more information
about them, either read about them here, search for them on the net
(some of them do exist out there), or search through Usenet archives
at http://groups.google.com
If you still can't find the information
you're looking for, try emailing a dino that appears to be friendly to
you. It helps your case more if you've contributed to the group in
some manner.
5.3 Raistlin is a woman?
This is probably one of the most controversial and not-wanted topics
around. It reared it's head some time ago, and grew in controversy
because newbies would see the topic line, and flip out thinking
everyone on the group was insane for thinking such a thing. At the
time, it was funny, as most people couldn't believe how infuriated
newbies would get over the subject and how they would attempt to
disprove the statement, without having read the original theory of the
subject. Suffice to say, the entire theory was done as a joke, no one
ever did believe that Raistlin was originally a woman. While many
people want newbies to know about the theory, it is only to prevent
them from asking, not to bring it up again as a discussion. This
topic is dead and over, and no one wants to see it resurrected again.
5.4 Tanis is gay?
Originally written as a partner to the "Raistlin is a woman" theory,
this topic didn't garner the same amount of reactions, but it still
caused many people to get upset. While the Raistlin theory was
grounded in satire, this theory was intended to parody it.
5.5 Gem dragons on Krynn?
Many people have asked that if Dragonlance is supposed to be so
centred around dragons, why aren't there gem dragons in the world. In
general, gem dragons don't fit into the original concept of Krynn, so
they weren't included. Part of what makes Dragonlance so unique from
other worlds is the fact that it is missing certain races. For the
majority of these exclusions, there are logical and valid reasons.
This is not to say that you can't have gem dragons in *your* concept
of Krynn, but be aware that your concept will be vastly different from
everyone else's and this topic has caused many tempers to flare up.
5.6 A Dragonlance movie and who should be in it?
This is probably one of the worst questions to ask. There have been
countless threads about possible castings of the Heroes and whether
the movie should be live action or animated. This topic flared up
relatively recently with the release of the movie Dungeons and Dragons
but it was still an unwelcome discussion. Please avoid it if you can.
For news, rumours, discussion, and of course, speculative casting,
visit the Dragonlance Movie Site, home of the original Dragonlance
Movie FAQ at http://www.dragonlance-movie.com
At the present moment,
the rights have been sold to a movie production company.
5.7 Only Weis and Hickman novels count?
There have been several people who don't enjoy the other Dragonlance
novels and feel the need to state on the forum that only the novels
written by Weis and Hickman are valid to the Dragonlance world. While
everyone's entitled to their opinion, this newsgroup has many of the
other authors in question contributing, and many fans feel that their
works are just as worthy as any novel put out by Weis and Hickman. We
ask that people refrain from bashing all non-W&H books in general.
5.8 Posting under the name "Raistlin"?
Contrary to popular belief, you're not being original if you post
under this name. We've literally seen hundreds of Raistlin's come
traipsing through the newsgroup, asking their questions. They usually
stay for about a day, then disappear forever, whether this is from
embarrassment or being flamed off, we're not sure. It's a bad idea
especially if you intend to post regularly, as people won't recognize
you from the several other Raistlin's that show up. Try to be unique
and avoid taking the name of a character. Most people use either
their real name, or a name they made up. If you feel the need to use
a character's name, try to personalize it at least, so you stand out a
bit more. Be aware that some people may ignore you regardless.
5.9 I want more books on the Heroes of the Lance!
Another controversial subject, since there seems to be a line drawn
between those that want more Heroes of the Lance stories, and others
who feel they've been overused and should be put to the pasture for
retirement. Many regulars of the newsgroup feel the latter about this
issue. While we've enjoyed reading about the Heroes, most feel their
stories have been told and there's no reason to keep bringing them
back again and again. Some of the ealier novels (such as The
Companions and Preludes) bought into the cash cow of the Heroes, and
because several of these books were controversial stories, they were
not viewed in a favourable light. Please try to keep the Hero of the
Lance worship to a minimum.
5.10 All books after Summer Flame should be discounted? (aka 5th Age
sucks!)
The 5th Age is an extremely emotional subject for people. There were
some massive changes that took place during Summer Flame and even more
that came out in Jean Rabe's Fifth Age novels. Some people don't
accept these changes and will argue vehemently against them. Not
everyone agrees that the 5th Age was bad, because it moved Krynn
forward, when it appeared to be stagnating. This ties into the Heroes
of the Lance idea... a new phase of the world with new characters.
It's fine if you don't like the 5th Age, but please don't criticize it
without some sort of backing. Too many times there have been posters
saying the 5th Age sucks and they've never read any of the material.
Please try to be informed of something before stating an opinion. It
gives you that much more credit.
6) Back to the Basics - What is Dragonlance?
6.1 What is Dragonlance, and how did it start?
Dragonlance is a fantasy setting on the world of Krynn with a
cult-like following of fans. Dragonlance features the Knights of
Solamnia, the Wizards of High Sorcery, and its individual pantheon of
gods. Krynn is a planet that, like Earth, that is mostly covered in
oceans. The two major landmasses of Krynn are Taladas and Ansalon.
Taladas lies in the northern hemisphere, and Ansalon in the southern,
to the south and west of Taladas. Other landmasses do exist, but most
of the action in the Dragonlance setting takes place on Ansalon.
Novels, role-playing games, board games, comics, graphic novels, and
magazines all feature the Dragonlance world. It is published by
Wizards of the Coast, and it has the most loyal novel following of all
of the campaign settings published by Wizards (including Ravenloft,
Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Spelljammer, etc.).
The story of how Dragonlance started has been told many times, and has
appeared in many products, including "The Art of the Dragonlance Saga"
and "The Annotated Chronicles". (See the products section for more
information.) In the early eighties, TSR wanted to create a series of
role-playing adventures whose events were tied closely to a series of
novels. A bunch of TSR designers designed the world, borrowing heavily
from a home grown campaign of Jeff Grubb.
Once the world was designed, Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis started
writing the novels. At first, the novels were following the
role-playing adventures that the role-playing team was designing
(These adventures are known as DL1, DL2, DL3, with 14 novels in all,
with titles like "Dragons of Despair", "Dragons of Light", and
"Dragons of Dreams"). Eventually, though, Weis and Hickman caught up
with the design team and then weren't simply following the events in
the adventures (although the events in the novels were still tied
closely to the events in the adventures).
The first trilogy, known as the Chronicles trilogy, is one of the most
loved trilogies of fans. Weis and Hickman then went on to write the
Legends trilogy, which focused on a few of the original characters
from the Chronicles. After that, other authors started writing novels
that took place in the Dragonlance world, and more role-playing
adventures were designed for Dragonlance.
6.2 You mean Weis and Hickman didn't invent Dragonlance?
A common misconception among new Dragonlance fans is that Weis and
Hickman invented Dragonlance. While Weis and Hickman have written the
first two trilogies of books for Dragonlance, they did not "invent"
Dragonlance. Certainly, Tracy Hickman did provide the original idea
and vision, led the first design group, and he and Weis helped design
the world and wrote the first novels. But the world of Krynn was
designed by many people, not only Weis and Hickman. And while W&H's
novels are the most popular, there are many other Dragonlance books
written by other authors that are of high quality.
6.3 Well, tell me about the novels.
There are nearly 100 novels, all written in the Dragonlance world.
They are of varying quality, ranging from very, very good, to very,
very bad. However, that is not to say that everyone agrees that a
certain book is "wonderful", and another book is "terrible." While
there are some books that are agreed to be some of the best, such as
Chronicles (although even this is debated), other books are fiercely
debated. The quality of Rabe's trilogy, Dragons of a New Age, has been
the subject of raging debates in various Dragonlance discussion
forums. Michael Williams' book, Weasel's Luck, has both passionate
haters and passionate adorers.
6.4 How should I read the novels?
That all depends. There are different ways of reading all the
different novels. The novels take place in different time periods of
Krynn's timeline. Some people like to read Chronicles, Legends, and
then read all the way at the beginning of the timeline, and work their
way forward. Margaret Weis' suggestion is to read the novels in the
order they were published. It is not advised to try to read them in
the order they're supposed to occur in the Krynn timeline. Novel
series such as the Companions and Preludes are intended to be read
after Chronicles and Legends, although they officially occur before
both these series in the timeline.
While the series numbers well over a hundred books, the following is
suggested as the first books to read in order to get the feel of the
Dragonlance world, as well as gain the necessary background to read
the other novels:
1. Chronicles Trilogy (1 - 3, do not include "Dragons of a Summer
Flame"!)
2. Legends Trilogy
3. Second Generation
4. Dragons of a Summer Flame
5. Fifth Age Trilogy (this suggestion is widely debated)
6. War of the Souls Trilogy
Once these novels are covered, you will find as many suggestions for
books next to read as you will find fans.
6.5 Well, tell me about the game.
A role-playing game is a game in which a bunch of friends pretend to
be elves, dwarves, paladins, thieves, or any other type of character.
It is a big game of "make-believe", in which you use your imagination
to pretend to have adventures in a fantasy world. There are
Dragonlance role-playing adventures that detail a certain adventure,
set in the Dragonlance world, and how to play it. One of the people
who is playing is called the "Dungeon Master" (or Narrator, in SAGA).
The DM controls the encounters and the people that the friends will
interact with in the fantasy world.
6.6 Basics of Dragonlance role-playing
There are different types of game systems, or rules, that can be used
to play the Dragonlance role-playing adventures. Dragonlance has been
published under the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rules, AD&D 2nd
edition, and SAGA. With the recent acquisition of the Dragonlance
license by Sovereign Press, game material published under the 3E rules
will be coming in the future.
Michael Falconer of the newsgroup has put together an in-depth
explanation of the various systems for Dragonlance gaming, as well as
details on what is required to play each system.
6.6.1 What is the Dragonlance role-playing game and how do I play it?
As well as being a series of novels, Dragonlance is a game which
combines strategy, luck, and most importantly, imagination. Each
player plays a character on Krynn, except for the Dungeon Master, who
represents all the exterior elements of the world. The DM prepares and
referees the game.
While there have been a few Dragonlance computer games, the primary
form is for paper & pencil. It requires some 3-9+ people, paper and
pencils, dice, and manuals. Different kinds of dice are needed, with
4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 sides. Each player should probably get two of
each. These can be purchased at your local hobby store or online (try
"beginner's polyhedral dice" in your favorite search engine).
The manuals will depend on which edition you wish to try. The games
that Dragonlance has been published for are:
1. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition
2. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition
3. SAGA (Dragonlance Fifth Age)
4. d20 System, 3.5 Edition
------------------------------
6.6.2 How do I choose an edition?
It doesn't matter too much which edition you pick, but it's best for
your wallet and your sanity not to switch around much once you've
chosen one. Converting material between the editions, while difficult
and time-consuming, is possible, especially to the experienced DM.
If there is a particular era in which you wish to game, it would be
easiest to use the rules set for which that era was intended. The
original Dragonlance material--the War of the Lance--was written for
AD&D 1e. Some further adventures in the 4th Age were written for AD&D
2e, including Taladas and the Chaos War. The Fifth Age, from the
Dragon Purge to the War of Souls, was designed for SAGA, and the
post-War of Souls era uses d20 3.5e.
Provided you are willing to use eBay, out-of-print material can be
easy and cheap to find, particularly AD&D 1e and the original DL stuff
which were both very popular and enjoyed very large print runs. Also,
there have been more DL books published for each out-of-print edition
than for the latest one (so far). d20 3.5e books also tend to be very
expensive. However, you can get them new and receive continued support
(at least, until the next edition comes out).
------------------------------
6.6.3 What do I need to get started with AD&D 1e Dragonlance?
First, the DM will need the core rulebooks:
* Monster Manual
* Players Handbook
* Dungeon Masters Guide
Players need only the Players Handbook.
If the DM is a true beginner and requires an introductory set, the
following is the one that leads into AD&D 1e:
* Basic Set (Basic Game Book + B2 The Keep on the Borderlands)
If you wish to play the classic Dragonlance campaign--the War of the
Lance--the DM will want the following modules:
* DL1 Dragons of Despair * DL8 Dragons of War
* DL2 Dragons of Flame * DL9 Dragons of Deceit
* DL3 Dragons of Hope * DL10 Dragons of Dreams
* DL4 Dragons of Desolation * DL12 Dragons of Faith
* DL5 Dragons of Mystery * DL13 Dragons of Truth
* DL6 Dragons of Ice * DL14 Dragns of Triumph
* DL7 Dragons of Light
Yes, that's a lot of booklets, but it's a long, epic campaign (that's
kind of the point of Dragonlance, actually), and you don't need them
all at once. They each come pretty cheap on eBay and often you can get
a complete set in a single auction.
For further adventures beyond the War of the Lance--in particular,
adventures based on the Legends Trilogy--you will want:
* Dragonlance Adventures
For pictures, visit: http://ulmo.mux.net/dragonlance/adnd1e/
------------------------------
6.6.4 What do I need to get started with AD&D 2e Dragonlance?
First, the DM will need the core rulebooks:
* Player's Handbook
* Dungeon Master's Guide
* Monstrous Manual
Players need only the Player's Handbook.
If the DM is a true beginner and requires an introductory set, this is
probably the best one for AD&D 2e:
* Introduction to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
There are two different campaign settings for AD&D 2e Dragonlance (so
stay with me, here). The sourcebook set for the Taladas campaign and
an introductory adventure for it are:
* Time of the Dragon
* DLS1 New Beginnings
The main sourcebook set for the Ansalon campaign and some introductory
adventures for it are:
* Tales of the Lance
* DLQ1 Knight's Sword
* DLQ2 Flint's Axe
The following modules are for gaming during the Chaos Wars:
* Seeds of Chaos
* Chaos Spawn
For pictures, visit: http://ulmo.mux.net/dragonlance/adnd2e/
------------------------------
6.6.5 What do I need to get started with SAGA Dragonlance?
First, the DM (or Narrator) will need the core rule set:
* Dragonlance Fifth Age
There is no player-only book or beginner's set. Please note that the
SAGA System does not require the use of dice, either.
The following is the Dragons of a New Age series of adventures/
sourcebooks:
* Heroes of Steel
* Heroes of Defiance
* Heroes of Sorcery
* Heroes of Hope
* Wings of Fury
The following modules are for gaming connected with the War of Souls:
* The Sylvan Veil
* Rise of the Titans
For pictures, visit: http://ulmo.mux.net/dragonlance/saga/
------------------------------
6.6.6 What do I need to get started with d20 3.5e Dragonlance?
First, the DM will need the core rulebooks:
* Player's Handbook
* Dungeon Master's Guide
* Monster Manual
Players need only the Players Handbook.
If the DM is a true beginner and requires an introductory set, this is
the one for d20 3.5e:
* Basic Set
The following is the primary sourcebook for d20 3.5e Dragonlance:
* DL Campaign Setting
The following is the Age of Mortals series of adventures:
* Key of Destiny
* Spectre of Sorrows
For pictures, visit: http://ulmo.mux.net/dragonlance/d2035e/
------------------------------
6.6.7 What about Dragonlance computer games?
There were several Dragonlance computer games by SSI, but these are
long discontinued and probably require emulation to run on your modern
system, if you can find a copy. While there were a handful of arcade
style games, the computer games most often discussed are a trilogy of
role-playing style games which use AD&D 1e rules in an engine that is
the forerunner of Baldur's Gate:
* Champions of Krynn
* Death Knights of Krynn
* Dark Queen of Krynn
6.7 What other products are there?
There are lots of Dragonlance products. There are
"Choose-your-own-Adventure" books, comic books, calendars, figurines,
book marks, computer games, etc… The list goes on and on. Several
people have compiled a list of products for their personal use.
Some useful links are:
http://www.wizards.com/books/dragonlance
6.8 Where can I buy the products?
Dragonlance products are available at most bookstores, including
online giants like Amazon.com and the official Wizards store.
6.9 But I want a product that's out of print! Where can I get it?
Finding an out of print product can be hard. A lot of the out of print
gaming materials are now available for download for a small price (or
even for free!) at the Wizards of the Coast homepage. If you can't
find what you're looking for there, I would suggest burning up a
little shoe leather and hunting around in local used bookstores and
hobby shops. If that doesn't work, try online gaming stores, like
http://www.dragontrove.com,
or http://www.hitpointe.com.
Or, you can
try http://www.bookhound.com,
http://www.abebooks.com,
and
http://www.bookfind.com
to search the Internet for a store that has
the product that you're looking for.
And of course, there are online auction sites. Ebay is probably the
most popular. You can get a good deal on lots of out of print products
here.
7) The Company and the Game System
7.1 Did TSR go bankrupt?
In the mid 90s, TSR, the original publisher of Dragonlance material,
did go bankrupt. There was a period of time where Dragonlance material
wasn't published at all; TSR had gotten itself so deep in debt that it
just couldn't continue.
Fortunately, however, "Magic: the Gathering" publisher Wizards of the
Coast bought up all of TSR's debt and took the company under its wing.
TSR is now a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast.
7.2 Did Krynn blow up after Dragons of Summer Flame?
While the events in Weis and Hickman's novel, Dragons of Summer Flame,
drastically changed Krynn, it did not "blow it up." To the contrary -
Dragons of Summer Flame was the opening for the new age of Krynn: the
5th Age!
7.3 Is Dragonlance.com an official Wizards of the Coast "world site"?
No. Dragonlance.com (http://www.dragonlance.com)
has been selected by
Sovereign Press, Inc. as the official site for the d20 Dragonlance
setting. Sovereign Press has acquired the license to publish d20
Dragonlance materials, and has selected Dragonlance.com as the
official site for those materials. The Dragonlance Nexus
(http://www.dl3e.com)
is still the official Wizards of the Coast
"world site" for Dragonlance.
7.4 Where are the official Wizards of the Coast "world sites"?
The list of official sites can be found at http://www.wizards.com.
7.5 What gaming system is Dragonlance?
Dragonlance has been published under many different gaming systems:
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, AD&D 2nd edition, SAGA, and soon, D&D
3rd edition. All support for gaming systems other than D&D 3e has been
dropped. With the acquisition of the Dragonlance license by Sovereign
Press, it is expected that Dragonlance will be published under the 3E
rules.
7.6 What is SAGA/Fifth Age?
When the Dragonlance Fifth Age campaign setting was introduced, it was
published under a radical new gaming system called SAGA. SAGA utilizes
cards, rather than the popular medium of dice. However, due to lagging
sales, SAGA has been officially discontinued. Dragonlance role-playing
adventures will now be published under the Dungeons and Dragons Third
edition, or D&D3e.
The Fifth Age is the time period of Krynn that takes place after the
events in Dragons of Summer Flame.
7.7 I want to write a Dragonlance novel. How do I get it published?
Becoming a published author of any kind is a difficult task, to say
the least. But it is possible - we have watched our fellow fans become
Dragonlance authors over the years. Kevin Kage has been published in
two of the recent Dragonlance anthologies. He used to write fan
fiction on the Internet and was a member of the alt.fan.Dragonlance
newsgroup, as well as the mailing list.
John Grubber, published in a recent Dragonlance anthology, and Chris
Pierson, author of several DL novels, are members of
alt.fan.Dragonlance, and we have watched them become Dragonlance
authors.
To become published, it is best to start out small - try submitting a
short story to Dragon Magazine (a monthly publication by Wizards of
the Coast). Get involved with Dragonlance discussions, and become an
active member of the fan community. Get your material edited, and
edited, and edited all over again, preferably by a fan who is familiar
with Dragonlance (to make sure that you don't contradict too much
material) and by someone who isn't familiar with Dragonlance (to
receive an unbiased opinion).
After that, send in your material to Wizards of the Coast. Don't be
surprised or disappointed if you are rejected - publishing company
editors are finicky. You must learn to be persistent; edit your
material, and then send it in again.
All submissions to Wizards of the Coast must follow the standards as
outlined on the Wizards of the Coast web site.
If you decide to forego the Dragonlance setting and write your own
book, then you can ignore the writers guidelines and shop your work
around to different publishing companies (but you can't use the
Dragonlance setting or the characters in it). For more information,
you can contact the copyright office at the Library of Congress,
Washington D.C., 20559 or call (202) 707-9100. Form TX is used to
register published or unpublished literary works, excluding
periodicals and serials. You can also call (202) 707-3000 for more
information.
8) Raistlin Questions
8.1 Why does everyone talk about Raistlin?
Raistlin is very popular among Dragonlance fans because, as Weis and
Hickman wrote in the Legends trilogy, there is a little bit of him in
each of us. He is undeniably selfish, cruel, cold, and callous. Yet,
he can be as tender and as gentle as a mother. He has a huge capacity
for both hate and love.
He has appeared in several Dragonlance novels, as well as a
Dragonlance boardgame (Magestones). His fans are as zealous as ever,
even after all these years. Raistlin debates are one of the favorites
on many different discussion forums.
8.2 Who created Raistlin?
Margaret Weis, and arguably Terry Philips. During one of the gaming
sessions in which the plot for the novels were mapped, Terry played
Raistlin. He characterized Raistlin with his own acting, giving
Raistlin a whispery voice and a cynical tone. Margaret Weis became
enchanted with Raistlin (not Terry Philips! :) and it is well known
that he is her favorite character.
8.3 Was Raistlin evil?
As Margaret Weis wrote in the Annotated Chronicles, the "key" is
self-knowledge - Raistlin had to come to terms with his inner demons
before he could gain power. He had to recognize the evil within
himself. It is widely accepted that Raistlin was (and still is) evil.
But there is nothing saying that an evil character cannot be admired
for good traits he may have within himself as well.
8.4 Did Raistlin have a daughter?
This question has evolved from the tale which Caramon told in one of
the early Tales books. As it stands, we do not know for certain
whether Raistlin really had a daughter. He denied it in Dragons of
Summer Flame. Some people view this as enough evidence to disprove the
tale, but some have pointed out that if the tale is true, he wouldn't
have known that he had a daughter anyway - according to the tale,
Raistlin had a spell of forgetfulness cast upon him after the ordeal.
The short story can be found in the anthology "Love and War", as well
as The Second Generation. It is widely held that he didn't have a
daughter, as the short story is listed as a legend. A legend is
defined as an unverified story, and cannot be used as a standard of
proof for an argument.
8.5 Did Raistlin or Fistandantilus win?
Nobody knows for certain, and opinions about this vary, although it is
implied in the novels (and a painting titled "The Last Spell of
Fistandantilus" by Keith Parkinson) that Raistlin was the victor.
8.6 Did Raistlin love Crysania?
Judging by Raistlin's actions toward Crysania, it would be a far
stretch to call it "love," although, as with any Raistlin topic, not
everybody agrees.
8.7 Did Raistlin really leave Krynn with the gods at the end of
Dragons of Summer Flame?
At the end of Dragons of Summer Flame, Raistlin is described as
walking away from Palin - everyone who read the novel assumed that
Raistlin left Krynn.
8.8 I heard there is a song about Raistlin. Any info on this?
Yes. There are two that are known about. The first is titled
"Raistlin and the Rose", and is by a Swedish band called Lake of
Tears. It is on their "A Crimson Cosmos" album. (The FAQ maintainer
gives the song a 4.5/5 star rating, but only if you like heavy metal
styled music.) The second song is called "The Soulforged" by Blind
Guardian, on their 2002 release "A Night at the Opera". (The FAQ
maintainer has yet to listen to this song.)
8.9 When will the third Raistlin novel come out?
Margaret Weis has indicated several times that she has finished the
Raistlin chronicles.
9) Regarding the Races of Krynn
9.1 Can draconians reproduce?
Prior to the Chaos war, draconians were unable to reproduce - females
draconians did not exist. However, female draconian eggs were
discovered, and female draconians are rumored to exist now. The
draconians have set up their own city, recently, called Teyr.
9.2 What are the types of draconians?
Cassandra, a member of alt.fan.dragonlance, has compiled the following
list [slightly revised]:
Baaz: Baaz are created from brass dragon eggs, are by far the most
common, and are used commonly as ground troops and foot soldiers in
the dragonarmies. They have wings, but cannot fly, although they may
glide for short distances.
Kapak: These draconians are created from copper dragon eggs. Kapaks
served in the dragonarmies as skirmishers and assassins, mainly due to
their poisonous saliva which they smear on their weapons.
Bozak: These draconians are created from bronze dragon eggs. Bozaks
are skilled in magic and stay out of combat, using their spells
granted by Takhisis.
Sivak: Sivaks are the largest and sturdiest draconians, and are
created from silver dragon eggs. The sivaks were elite forcesrces of
the dragonarmies. Most distressing is the sivak's
abilityshapeshiftange into any humanoid they kill. This ability made
them excellent spies. Unlike the lesser draconians, sivaks have strong
wings and are able to fly.
Aurak: Auraks are the most powerful and most uncommon of the
draconians. They are created from gold dragon eggs. Auraks served as
Takhisis' special agents and remained a secret from the Whitestone's
forces for a long time. Auraks have no wings and are naturally unable
to fly.
9.3 Is a dark elf a drow?
In other TSR campaign settings, there are dark-skinned underground
elves called "drow." This is a race of evil elves, who are hurt by the
sun. Drow are not native to Krynn, although there are a few old
Dragonlance role-playing adventure games that have featured drow who
came to Krynn through various means. Most fans have regarded these
adventures as non-canon, but this is still debated.
On Krynn, the word drow refers to a dark elf, or evil elf - drow are
not a race on Krynn.
9.4 Is a dark elf an evil elf?
No. In Ansalon, "dark elf" is a term used for elves who are outcasts
from the elven societies of Qualinesti or Silvanesti. Many of them are
evil, since being/practicing evil is a crime punished with exile
(Dalamar being the most obvious example). Good elves may also be
outcasts, since both elven societies (especially Silvanesti) are very
conservative and exile elves for a number of reasons. Examples of
'good' dark elves are Porthios and Alhana Starbreeze.
9.5 How are Kender, Gnomes and Dwarves related?
That is a controversial issue. The origins of kender, gnomes, and
dwarves (sometimes called the "Graystone races") are shrouded in
confusion. Some sources have said that kender and dwarves are
descended from gnomes; others have said that kender are descended from
elves, and dwarves were the first race to exist. This is another issue
where canon debates rage.
9.6 Which races don't exist on Krynn?
There are several races common to other worlds, worlds connected to
the D&D rules system, which do not exist on Krynn (or at least are not
native to Krynn.). While some of them have appeared in stories or
game material, these appearances are generally considered mistakes, or
that the creatures are visitors from another world. A list of
creatures that do not exist on Krynn includes (but is not limited to)
drow (of the dark-skinned breed), gem dragons, orcs, halflings, and
lycanthropes.
10) Questions about Gods and People
10.1 Are Astinus and Gilean connected?
The origins of Astinus have been highly debated ever since his first
appearance in a Dragonlance novel, Dragons of Winter Night, in the
early eighties. Finally, Astinus' origins are detailed in Weis's and
Aron Eisenberg's short story, "The Traveling Players of Gilean" (which
is in the anthology The Best of Tales). I won't spoil it for you here,
but I'll give you a hint: a third man, Sebastius, is involved.
10.2 Are Fizban and Paladine connected?
Most people are content with the official explanation of Fizban and
Paladine being one and the same (or Fizban being Paladine's avatar).
10.3 What is an avatar?
An avatar is a physical manifestation of a god on the prime material
plane (i.e. Krynn).
10.4 Are Zifnab and Fizban the same person?
No. Zifnab is a character who appears in another of Weis and Hickman's
non-Dragonlance novels, and he exhibits many of the characteristics
that Fizban does. However, they aren't the same. I won't spoil it for
you here, though - read the books!
10.5 Is Lord Soth in Dragonlance or in Ravenloft?
Knight of the Black Rose was published years ago, a Ravenloft book
that detailed the death knight's travel from Krynn to Ravenloft
through the Mists. Soth got stuck in Ravenloft, and became a Darklord
there. The book took place right after the events of the Legends
trilogy.
Unfortunately, many Dragonlance fans cried foul - they felt betrayed
that the Ravenloft campaign setting would steal one of their favorite
characters. Adding to the confusion, Soth creators Weis and Hickman
maintained that the Soth in Ravenloft was not the real Lord Loren
Soth. Weis and Hickman then had Soth appear in a Dragonlance novel,
Dragons of Summer Flame, and many Ravenloft fans objected to this.
Finally, James Lowder (author of Knight of the Black Rose), along with
Voronica Whitney-Robinson, wrote Spectre of the Black Rose. Spectre
details Soth's recent adventures in Ravenloft, and his eventual
escape. The conclusion shocked many Ravenloft fans; Darklords aren't
supposed to be able to escape Ravenloft. Yet, Soth did, and Spectre
made it possible for Soth to have made his appearance in Dragons of
Summer Flame without causing any issues of continuity.
So, according to TSR official material, Soth left Krynn around 356 AC,
and then returned in 383 AC (date of Dragons of Summer Flame).
10.6 Who helped Gilthanas and Silvara discover the Draconians in
Sanction, in the Chronicles?
Most references lead us to believe it was the Shadowpeople, one of the
'lost races' of Krynn.
10.7 What happened to Gilthanas and Silvara after the events in
Chronicles?
This is one of the great questions of Dragonlance which there have
been posted many fanfics about. Officially, their story continues in
The Day of the Tempest, the second Fifth Age novel by Jean Rabe. There
is also information on Gilthanas and Silvara and their fate in the
Fifth Age game products "Heroes of Defiance" and "Heroes of Sorcery."
The book The Odyssey of Gilthanas, tells the story of Gilthanas
between the War of the Lance and his reappearance in The Day of the
Tempest.
10.8 Who were Steel Brightblade's parents? When was he conceived?
Sturm Brightblade and Kitiara Uth-Matar are father and mother to Steel
Brightblade. His story can be found in the novella "Kitiara's Son,"
one of the five short stories in The Second Generation, an anthology
about the children of the Heroes of the Lance. It is assumed that his
conception would have occurred during the somewhat odd story told in
Darkness and Light.
10.9 How come Verminaard is alive in Stormblade when he dies in
Dragons of Autumn Twilight?
Matthew L. Martin explains:
In Chronicles, Verminaard dies at Pax Tharkas. However, in the
original AD&D adventures that tell the story of the War of the Lance,
Verminaard survives Pax Tharkas and makes it all the way to menace the
heroes in Thorbardin, and perhaps even survives that (by virtue of the
'obscure death' clause). Stormblade was the first novel after
Chronicles to take place 'within' that time frame (although "Finding
the Faith" in Tales had likewise covered some of the lost material
from the adventures), and Nancy Van Berberick decided to go with
Verminaard surviving the escape of the refugees a la Dragons of Flame
as opposed to having him killed off as happened in Dragons of Autumn
Twilight.
11) The World of Krynn
11.1 Tell me about the Towers of High Sorcery.
The centers for the schooling of magical arts. There were originally
five, but four have been destroyed throughout the Ages - the wizards
destroyed two of the towers after the Kingpriest had incited mobs to
attack them, fearing that the crowds of angry people would stumble
upon powerful artifacts. The Tower of Istar was destroyed in the
Cataclysm. And a mysterious figure destroyed the Tower of Palanthas
shortly after the Second Cataclysm.
Each tower is/was surrounded by an enchanted garden or grove of trees
to protect the tower from unwanted visitors. The Tower of Wayreth uses
a transdimensional field that allows it to appear anywhere withing a
500 mile radius of Wayreth forest; the Tower at Palanthas is protected
by a fear spell; Daltigoth's Tower casts a sleep spell; the Tower at
Istar caused intruders to forget and the Tower in the Ruins created
intense feelings of passion.
Of the three towers destroyed in the Cataclysm, The Ruins is the only
one left partially standing... barely. It is located in Goodlund,
several miles outside of Kendermore, and is abandoned. (Some sources
claim it is located not outside Kendermore, but on Karthay.) Rumor has
it that the grove of trees standing outside of this tower still
retains the power to invoke passion.
11.2 Can women become Knights of Solamnia?
According to Astinus (page 86 in Dragons of Spring Dawning), a
noblewoman was a Knight of Solamnia during the Third Dragon War and
she rose to the rank of a Knight of the Sword.
Several women are also described as Knights in the "Heroes of Steel"
Fifth Age boxed-set (a primary example being Linsha Majere).
11.3 What is Taladas?
A continent in the northern hemisphere of Krynn, detailed perfectly in
the first Dragonlance boxed-set, "Time of the Dragon." Taladas has a
very different "feel" than Ansalon, but the out-of-print boxed set has
gained a cult following, within the cult following of Dragonlance,
because of its many outstanding qualities.
Several different role-playing adventure games were set in Taladas,
but not many - the sales of the adventures weren't spectacular. Some
fans believe this is because Taladas didn't receive any air-time in
the novels.
11.4 What are Chorane, Watermere, Selasia, and Little Taladas?
These are landmasses that were featured in the "Otherlands" gaming
accessory.
Chorane: Chorane is obscurely labeled on the "Tales of the Lance" map
- at the very bottom of the map, it says "to the Chorane: the Land of
Amesh." Chorane is a small, underground land that is beneath the
Icewall Glacier.
Watermere: Watermere is a section of land beneath the sea, near
Taladas. It is inhabited by Dargonesti and several other races,
including evil ones.
Selasia: Selasia is briefly mentioned in "The Black Wing." It is a
series of islands with outlandish creatures on it, such as the
kender-like Bolandi.
Little Taladas: Little Taladas is simply a small island that is near
Taladas.
11.5 What was the Chaos War?
In Dragons of Summer Flame, the Irda broke open the Graygem.
Unbeknownst to them, the graygem was a prison to an angry Chaos god,
who called himself the Father of All and Nothing. The other gods of
Krynn recognized him as their creators, and Reorx admitted that he had
accidentally trapped Chaos in the gem when he forged it.
Chaos was furious with his children, and he vowed to destroy their
"pretty toy" - Krynn. He created demons and wights out of nothing,
horrors that would torture the inhabitants of Krynn. He formed fire
dragons out of lava, and he waged war on all of Krynn. Eventually,
though, a way to defeat him was discovered, and Chaos failed, thus
ending the Chaos War.
11.6 What was the Second Cataclysm?
Chaos was eventually defeated, but he made the Gods of Krynn swear
that they would leave Krynn with him. The departure of the Gods,
coupled with the ravaging affects of the Chaos War, was cause enough
to deem the time period a Second Cataclysm.
11.7 Where did the Gods go after the Second Cataclysm?
No one knows for sure. A Planescape accessory, "On Hallowed Ground",
states that each of the gods went to his or her own home plane. But
the events of the latest trilogy "War of Souls" seems to indicate
otherwise.
11.8 What is the 5th Age?
Dubbed "The Age of Mortals" or "The Age of Dragons," the Fifth Age was
set off by the events that transpired in Dragons of Summer Flame. In
addition to novels set in the Fifth Age, Dragons of Summer Flame also
spawned a new gaming system called SAGA.
Krynn changed drastically in the 5th Age.
11.9 Where did the Dragon Overlords come from?
The Overlords are huge dragons that have appeared on Ansalon, and have
altered large parts of the environment on the continent to suit their
needs. Malystryx, the first Dragon Overlord to come to Krynn, "came to
Krynn, over the oceans, from the east." The game designers and authors
alike have been vague about this subject. The "War of the Souls" books
reveals the origin of these dragons, and states that they are from
another world, and are alien to Krynn.
11.10 What is the War of Souls?
"War of Souls" is a trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman set
during the Fifth Age. It is a core trilogy of a storyline that will
effect the entire world. To cover all the events of the plot, several
companion novels and game products tying in with the "War of Souls"
trilogy will be published alongside it. New game material with the
DL3E campaign setting and future products will take place during and
after War of Souls. The Dhamon Saga follows the characters from Jean
Rabe's Dragons of a New Age trilogy and takes place shortly before
WoS. Jeff Crook's novel The Dark Thane takes place parallel to the
WoS trilogy. And The Lioness by Nancy Van Berberick takes place just
prior to the War as well.
12) The 'Other Worlds' of Dragonlance
12.1 I saw books in a Dragonlance product list that weren't published
with the Dragonlance setting. What's up with that?
TSR has published a number of campaign settings, Dragonlance among
them. Over the years, TSR started to think of the campaign settings as
connected - a character from Dragonlance could somehow travel to
another campaign setting. A whole multiverse was constructed, in which
there were different levels of planes of existence, including heaven
and hell. Basically, on one plane of existence was Dragonlance, and on
another plane was a different campaign setting. Someone could travel
to that other campaign setting through magic.
In different books, the connections between the different campaign
settings were explored, and some characters even traveled back and
forth between the settings. The books and products where Dragonlance
characters have gone to other campaign settings, such as in Lord Soth,
or where the connections to the Dragonlance plane is explored, such as
in Planescape, are included in the product list.
It is important to keep in mind that the travel between the different
campaign settings is highly controversial - many fans call those
products non-canon. However, many other fans have embraced the
Dragonlance appearances in other campaign settings.
12.2 What is Ravenloft and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
Ravenloft is a sort of pocket in the planes - it is a plane of
existence where the damned go. Lord Soth, a character of Dragonlance,
was drawn into Ravenloft for his crimes. Another Darklord, a mercenary
from Taladas who was never mentioned in a Dragonlance product, is
featured in Ravenloft.
12.3 What is Planescape and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
Planescape is a campaign setting that details all the different planes
of existence that comprises TSR's multiverse. Krynn, the planet of
Dragonlance, has been mentioned in Planescape products. Krynn is
basically viewed as a backwater planet by the Planescape folk - not
many people on Krynn travel the planes.
12.4 What is Spelljammer and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
Spelljammer is a sort of fantasy space-ship setting. According to
Spelljammer, there are different individual universes in the giant
multiverse. These individual universes are in crystal spheres, and the
spheres are in a beautiful rainbow river called the Phlogiston.
Krynnspace is the name of the Dragonlance crystal sphere. To travel
amongst the spheres, and to travel from planet to planet in the
spheres, you need a spelljammer, or flying magical space ship.
Usually, the ships are in the shape of nautical vessels, although
variations among the different space-faring races do occur.
12.5 What is Forgotten Realms and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
In the Forgotten Realms boxed set, it says that the gods of Krynn send
Krynnish mages to the Realms when they get too powerful. Of all the
different links to Dragonlance, this is the most highly disputed. The
Lost Gods trilogy was also intended as a Forgotten Realms /
Dragonlance crossover series.
13) Dragonlance Products
13.1 Is there a complete list of Dragonlance products?
Yes. There are several lists, maintained by fans and by Wizards
themselves. The Wizard's list can be seen at
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=books/dl/bibliography
but it's
not a complete list. The fan lists tend to be more complete.
Some other lists of note are at:
http://ulmo.mux.net/dragonlance/dllist.txt
http://www.dl3e.com/products/list.aspx
13.2 What is "Legends of the Lance"?
It was a free newzine, but is now only available in electronic version
at http://www.wizards.com
Unfortunately, it seems that Legends of the Lance is no longer going
to be continued by Wizards.
13.3 Which non-"Weis and Hickman" books are worth reading?
There are plenty of non-W&H Dragonlance books that are worth reading.
Some which are highly suggested are:
"Legend of Huma" - Richard Knaak
"Kaz the Minotaur" - Richard Knaak
"Spirit of the Wind" - Chris Pierson
"Lord Toede" - Jeff Grubb
13.4 Where is the story of what happened to the Companions at Icewall?
In Dragons of Winter Night, there's a poem in the start of the book
that briefly mentions a journey by some of the Companions to Icewall.
The story is elaborated upon in the first Tales anthology (The Magic
of Krynn). The story is named "Finding the Faith" by Mary Kirchoff,
which tells the story from the Ice Folk's cleric Raggart's view.
13.5 Have the Chronicles been published with different cover art?
Yes, each of the books have been published with three different
covers. There are the original Larry Elmore covers of the 6 books, the
Penguin versions published in UK and Australia which had completely
different covers, and the 10th anniversary covers, where Elmore
repainted his old covers. In February 2000, the Chronicles trilogy was
re-issued again, with new covers.
13.6 Will there be a Dragonlance movie?
Ben Craig has this to say about a possible Dragonlance movie:
"An option was taken out on the screen rights to Dragonlance by a
British production company, but this has now lapsed.
"[Recently], you may have seen some stuff on the [mailing lists] about
rumors of an animated Dragonlance movie being in the works. Whilst I
can't say any more on this topic at present, we are in discussions
with the licensing people at Wizards about this project and should
hopefully be able to release some news via the [mailing list] in the
coming weeks."
13.7 I heard about a Dragonlance book series called "The Lost Gods"?
What is that and why can't I find it?
Three books were written, entitled Finder's Bane, Fistandantilus
Reborn, and Tymora's Luck. These three books were to comprise the
Lost Gods series and were to span three settings: Forgotten Realms,
Dragonlance and Planescape. Fistandantilus Reborn was also released
under the Lost Legends series for Dragonlance and Finder's Bane was
under the Harpers series for the Realms. According to Jeff Grubb,
Tymora's Luck was moved to the Realms when Planescape didn't do well
in the novel area, and is set as a stand alone novel in that world.
Since the intention of the Lost Gods series was to span settings, the
kender introduced in Fistandantilus Reborn was turned loose in the
Realms and played a role in that book's plot line.
13.8 What new books are coming out?
Craig Ries maintains an up-to-date list at the website
http://www.angelfire.com/co4/silvanthalas/books/dl-upcoming.html.
Go
there for all your new and upcoming needs!
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