Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Dragonlance


Dragonlance is a high fantasy setting and shared media franchise developed for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, centered on the world of Krynn and featuring novels, adventure modules, artwork, and other products that emphasize themes of heroism, moral conflict, and draconic warfare.
Originally conceived by Tracy Hickman and his wife Laura Hickman as a story-driven campaign involving dragonlances and riders, the project was expanded under TSR, Inc., with Tracy Hickman collaborating with editor Margaret Weis to produce the inaugural Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy—Dragons of Autumn Twilight (1984), Dragons of Winter Night (1985), and Dragons of Spring Dawning (1985)—which chronicle the War of the Lance on the continent of Ansalon.
The franchise's core RPG elements debuted through a series of 14 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules (DL1–DL14) released from 1984 to 1988, integrating narrative-driven gameplay with the novels to create a cohesive epic of good versus evil gods, chromatic and metallic dragons, and diverse heroes including half-elves, kender, and Knights of Solamnia.
Dragonlance distinguished itself by pioneering the linkage of bestselling tie-in novels with RPG campaigns, influencing fantasy literature and gaming by prioritizing character development and philosophical undertones over pure mechanics, and has sustained a dedicated following through subsequent expansions, including the Legends trilogy and modern returns by Weis and Hickman.

Origins and Development

Inception at TSR

Tracy Hickman joined TSR, Inc. in 1982 after submitting adventure modules that impressed the company, amid his personal financial challenges from a prior publishing venture. Shortly thereafter, Hickman proposed developing a series of role-playing adventures centered on dragons, aiming to portray them as formidable and central elements in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, addressing what he perceived as their underutilization in prior modules. This initiative, codenamed Project Overlord, was formalized in 1983 with collaborator Harold Johnson as a ambitious set of twelve interconnected Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules, requiring unprecedented company commitment to artwork, mapping, and cohesive design. To ensure narrative unity across the modules—reversing the conventional progression from to derivative fiction—Hickman and the team first outlined an overarching storyline to guide adventure development. TSR management, initially reluctant to invest in tied-in novels, approved the inclusion of prose works to bolster commercial appeal, drawing on the era's surging demand for epic fantasy narratives akin to Tolkien's influence on enthusiasts. , an editor at TSR whom Hickman met upon arrival, was assembled with a writing team to novelize these outlines, producing to launch alongside the modules. The first module, (DL1), released in March 1984, followed by Dragons of Desolation (DL2) later that year, integrated directly with the novel's release in November 1984, marking Dragonlance's debut as a RPG experience designed for sustained player engagement through serialized storytelling. This approach stemmed from empirical observations of market preferences for immersive, dragon-dominated fantasy, positioning the project as a strategic response to TSR's competitive landscape and the genre's proven draw in bolstering sales of core D&D products.

Core Modules and Novel Integration

The DL series comprised 14 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules released by , from 1984 to 1986, collectively detailing the War of the Lance campaign as a sequential epic narrative rather than standalone scenarios. These modules, designed under Tracy Hickman's direction, emphasized interconnected themes, persistent world states, and player progression through predefined heroic arcs to evoke large-scale conflict, prioritizing story cohesion over unstructured exploration. This structure incorporated elements of linear progression—often termed railroading in retrospective analyses—to maintain momentum and stakes akin to epic , addressing limitations of purely emergent play where disparate player choices could dilute thematic depth or fail to culminate in world-altering events. Parallel to the modules, and authored the trilogy, with published in November 1984, Dragons of Winter Night in 1985, and Dragons of Spring Dawning later in 1985, adapting the modules' core plot into form to reinforce the campaign's for broader audiences. The novels drew directly from module events and characters, creating a feedback loop where fiction illustrated module outcomes and modules provided mechanical depth to the story, a deliberate strategy by TSR to cross-pollinate engagement with literary accessibility. This integration reflected a design philosophy rooted in heroic fantasy ideals, where causal logic—ensuring actions yielded proportionate, lore-consistent consequences—superseded open-ended improvisation to achieve Tolkien-inspired scope, as articulated by Hickman in emphasizing linked adventures over isolated sessions. The model's empirical outcomes validated its approach: the first novel rapidly ascended bestseller lists, prompting TSR to ramp up printings amid demand, while the modules achieved strong sales relative to contemporaries, with Dragonlance core materials totaling over 278,000 units sold across editions. This synergy demonstrated that narrative-driven products could elevate player immersion and commercial viability without compromising core mechanics like combat resolution or advancement, contrasting with prior TSR lines where decoupled yielded lower engagement metrics. Subsequent analysis attributes the breakthrough to how enforced progression fostered replay value through familiarity, enabling groups to focus on tactical execution amid guaranteed high-tension milestones rather than world-building from scratch.

Expansion, Licensing, and Recent Revivals

Following the success of the original Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy, the franchise expanded through additional novel series in the late 1980s and 1990s, including the Legends trilogy beginning with Time of the Twins published in 1986 by TSR, Inc., which explored time travel and divine conflicts on Krynn. Subsequent trilogies, such as Lost Histories (1991) and Heroes anthologies, further developed the setting's lore, integrating with TSR's role-playing supplements to sustain player engagement amid growing sales of over 20 million books by the decade's end. TSR's acquisition by in 1997 transferred Dragonlance rights, prompting Wizards to license the property to Sovereign Press, Inc.—founded by co-creator —in 2001 for materials. Sovereign Press produced the in August 2003, adapting the world for 3.5 Edition with updated rules for Krynn's moons, draconians, and post-War of Souls timeline starting in 422 AC. In October 2020, Weis and sued for breaching a 2017 contract to co-develop the Dragonlance: Destiny novel trilogy, alleging cancellation due to internal delays and content disputes, seeking damages over $10 million. The suit settled out of court, enabling independent publication by Worlds: Dragons of Deceit on August 2, 2022; Dragons of Destiny in March 2023; and Dragons of Eternity in December 2024, restoring creator-led continuity after Wizards' stalled involvement. Wizards independently released Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, a 5th Edition adventure module for levels 1–11 set during the War of the Lance, on December 6, 2022, emphasizing war-themed mechanics like mass battles without direct ties to Weis and Hickman's recent novels. On August 3, 2024, Weis and Hickman announced the Dragonlance: Legacies trilogy for 2026 release by Random House Worlds, focusing on the Third Dragon War through knight Huma and wizard Magius, with the first volume War Wizard affirming the creators' canonical authority amid prior licensing frictions.

Media and Adaptations

Tabletop RPG Supplements and Campaign Settings

The initial Dragonlance campaign for (AD&D) first edition consisted of the modules, released from 1984 to 1986, which incorporated custom rules such as lunar phases affecting spellcasting reliability and unique playable races including kender and gnomes, designed to align with Krynn's metaphysical constraints on magic and divine favor. These modules emphasized structured narrative progression tied to the War of the Lance, with mechanics prioritizing group heroism over individualistic power acquisition. The Dragonlance Adventures hardcover sourcebook, published in 1987, formalized these adaptations into a 128-page ruleset for AD&D first edition, detailing modified character classes (e.g., Knights of Solamnia with honor codes impacting gameplay), Krynn-specific spells, artifacts like the Dragonlances, and racial traits that reinforced the setting's causal emphasis on faith-based power over arcane versatility during periods of divine withdrawal. Subsequent expansions for AD&D second edition included the Time of the Dragon boxed set in 1989, which detailed the alternate continent of Taladas as a shattered with divergent mechanics, such as renamed gods manifesting through local cultures and minotaur labyrinthine societies, providing dungeon masters options for campaigns independent of Ansalon's dominant lore. The Tales of the Lance boxed set in 1992 further adapted second edition rules with timelines, player guides, and maps emphasizing Krynn's geopolitical tensions. The Dragonlance Campaign Setting for D&D 3.5 edition, released in August 2003 by , advanced the timeline to 422 AC (post-War of Souls), introducing prestige classes like Dragonlords for rider-dragon bonds and updated racial options that preserved core metaphysics, such as true clerics requiring verifiable divine sponsorship and limited arcane access. For D&D fifth edition, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen in 2022 provided an adventure module from levels 1 to 11 set amid the War of the Lance, with mechanics for mass combat, siege warfare, and dragon encounters that integrated Krynn's lore into streamlined rules while enforcing setting-specific limits like no spells without high-level .

Novels and Literary Works

The Dragonlance novels originated with the Chronicles trilogy, co-authored by and : Dragons of Autumn Twilight (1984), Dragons of Winter Night (1985), and Dragons of Spring Dawning (1985). These volumes established the core narrative of the War of the Lance on Krynn, achieving bestseller status and selling millions of copies, which propelled the franchise's expansion into a shared-universe model integrating reader feedback from role-playing campaigns. Subsequent series by Weis and Hickman, such as the Legends trilogy (Time of the Twins in 1986, followed by War of the Twins and Test of the Twins), delved into character backstories like Raistlin Majere's quest for godhood, further solidifying their collaborative authorship. The Lost Chronicles trilogy (2006–2009), comprising Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, Dragons of the Highlord Skies, and Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, addressed narrative gaps from the original Chronicles, providing prequel details on events like the companions' separation during the war. Weis and Hickman contributed to dozens of additional trilogies and standalones, while licensed authors expanded the canon; notable examples include Richard A. Knaak's Minotaur Wars trilogy (Night of Blood in 2003, Tides of Blood in 2004, and Empire of Blood in 2005), focusing on minotaur society post-Chaos War. More recently, the Destinies trilogy (Dragons of Deceit in 2022, Dragons of Fate in 2023, and Dragons of Eternity in 2024), published independently via Penguin Random House amid disputes with Wizards of the Coast, centers on time-altering quests during the Third Dragon War. Anthologies and short story collections, such as those in the Dragons series, featured contributions from multiple authors to explore minor characters and side narratives, enhancing the interconnected lore. By the , Dragonlance novels comprised a significant portion of TSR's output, for about 17% of and fantasy bestsellers at major chains and driving substantial revenue through tie-in that popularized collaborative world-building in fantasy. This model influenced subsequent shared-universe fantasy by blending pre-planned arcs with adaptive storytelling, prioritizing epic scope over isolated tales.

Video Games

The Dragonlance setting inspired a series of video games developed primarily by , Inc. (SSI) between 1988 and 1992, adapting elements from the core novels and (AD&D) modules into action, strategy, and computer game (CRPG) formats. These titles emphasized against draconians, dragons, and forces on Krynn, though technical limitations of the era—such as 8-bit graphics and simplistic —often prioritized linear progression over deep narrative fidelity or open-world exploration. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (1988), released for platforms including , Sega Master System, PC, and , featured side-scrolling action gameplay where players selected and controlled individual Heroes of the Lance—such as or —to battle through levels mirroring events from , including the fall of Xak Tsaroth. The game broke early sales records for SSI's AD&D line, reflecting modest commercial success amid the nascent console market, though critics noted its repetitive mechanics and lack of multiplayer depth constrained replayability. Follow-up Dragons of Flame (1989) shifted to first-person dungeon crawling on PC and consoles, focusing on rescuing elves from Pax Tharkas with puzzle-solving and spell-casting, but inherited similar fidelity issues in adapting the novel's ensemble dynamics to solo control schemes. SSI's "Gold Box" CRPG series provided more robust adaptations via turn-based tactical combat and party management, drawing from AD&D 2nd Edition rules. (1990), for and , cast players as post-War of the Lance adventurers combating Dragon Highlords' remnants, incorporating Krynn-specific races like kender and magic systems with over 40 spells; it emphasized strategic depth over novel plot beats, achieving viability through SSI's established engine that supported expansions. Sequels (1991) and (1992) extended the timeline to undead threats and the Chaos War buildup, with improved graphics and branching dialogues, though licensing ties to TSR limited cross-platform ports and innovation. War of the Lance (1989), a strategy title, simulated large-scale battles from the eponymous module using hex-grid movement, prioritizing historical simulation over individual heroism. DragonStrike (1990) offered a dragon-mounted with , focusing on aerial dogfights against enemy wyrms, which diverged from ground-based lore but appealed to simulator enthusiasts. Post-1992 output dwindled due to TSR's licensing constraints, SSI's acquisition by Mindscape, and shifts toward 3D gaming paradigms that favored broader D&D settings like over Dragonlance's module-specific narratives. No major titles emerged in the or , despite fan interest in MMOs or mods, contrasting with sustained novel sales exceeding 20 million copies. Recent 5th Edition tabletop revivals, including Shadow of the Dragon Queen (2022), have not yielded tie-ins, highlighting underinvestment in relative to static formats; available re-releases on platforms like maintain accessibility but underscore dated mechanics unfit for modern metrics like player retention. Overall, these games demonstrated technical adaptation of Dragonlance's dualistic good-evil conflicts but achieved limited commercial longevity, with SSI's efforts sustaining short-term viability through AD&D brand synergy rather than franchise-defining innovation.

Other Media Forms

DC Comics published an ongoing Dragonlance comic series from December 1988 to September 1991, spanning 34 issues that depicted adventures on Krynn independent of the core novels, including encounters with draconians and explorations of the world's lore. In the mid-2000s, Devil's Due Publishing produced comic adaptations of the Chronicles trilogy, commencing with an eight-issue arc of Dragons of Autumn Twilight in August 2005, followed by Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning, allowing fans visual interpretations of key events like the companions' quests and dragon confrontations. These sequential art formats extended the franchise's reach to audiences favoring illustrated storytelling, emphasizing dynamic depictions of magical battles and character designs by artists such as R.A. Jones and Jeff Parker. A direct-to-video animated feature, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, premiered on January 15, 2008, condensing the first Chronicles novel into a 90-minute film voiced by actors including Kiefer Sutherland as Raistlin Majere and Lucy Lawless as the Gold Moon. Produced by Paramount Pictures and Litho Art, the movie employed a mix of 2D and 3D animation but drew criticism for its modest budget and stylistic inconsistencies, particularly in rendering dragons, limiting its commercial impact to niche fantasy enthusiasts. TSR released several official Dragonlance calendars in the 1980s and 1990s, such as the 1985 edition priced at $6.95 featuring Elmore's artwork of Krynn landscapes and characters, serving as collectible merchandise that reinforced the setting's visual for gamers. While no major audio dramas have been produced, ancillary fan-driven audio adaptations and podcasts exist, though they remain unofficial extensions rather than licensed productions.

The World of Krynn

Cosmology, Gods, and Metaphysics

The cosmology of Krynn originates with the High God, an omnipotent entity that imposed order upon primordial , the embodiment of destruction and entropy. Prior to creation, only the High God and existed in the void; the High God summoned three foundational deities from beyond the void to counter 's influence: Paladine, representing light and good; Gilean, embodying balance and neutrality; and Takhisis, signifying darkness and . These three, often termed the High Gods or leader gods, established the triune structure governing Krynn's metaphysics, where cosmic forces of good, neutrality, and interact in a rather than harmonious equality. The High Gods subsequently created the True Gods, comprising the full pantheons of Good (led by Paladine, including deities like Mishakal and Habbakuk), Neutrality (under Gilean, with figures such as Reorx and Lunitari), and Evil (dominated by , encompassing and Sargonnas). These True Gods shaped the material world of Krynn, infusing it with their essences and establishing as inherent, objective properties rather than subjective preferences. Alignment functions as a causal metaphysical framework: entities aligned with good exhibit traits promoting order and benevolence, while those of evil manifest tendencies toward domination and corruption, with neutrality facilitating free choice within bounds. This is evidenced in the dragons of Krynn, whose division into metallic (, silver, etc., created by good gods and inherently benevolent, with abilities suited to protection) and chromatic (, , etc., forged by evil gods and predisposed to conquest, possessing destructive powers) varieties demonstrates divine causation over mere symbolism. Krynn's metaphysics rejects moral relativism by positing alignments and divine wills as enforceable realities, where imbalances trigger corrective interventions rooted in causal laws like the Law of Consequence, ensuring actions yield proportionate outcomes aligned with cosmic order. The gods' tangible influences—manifesting through clerical magic, prophetic visions, and world-shaping events—reinforce objective morality: good promotes sacrifice and heroism without coercion, neutrality upholds individual agency, and evil's aggressive expansions provoke unified resistance to preserve balance. This structure underscores that free will exists but operates within divinely ordained limits, with empirical in-lore divergences (e.g., corrupted good-aligned beings losing powers) illustrating alignment's binding causality over voluntarism.

Historical Ages and Key Events

The history of Krynn unfolds across five ages, each defined by escalating conflicts between gods, dragons, and mortals, with pivotal events serving as causal turning points rather than arbitrary occurrences. These ages, as chronicled in the core Dragonlance narratives by and , emphasize divine accountability for mortal hubris and the restorative role of faith amid despair. The timeline uses PC (Prae Cataclius, before the ) and AC (Alt Cataclius, after) notations, anchoring events to the as a deliberate reset following widespread clerical corruption under the Kingpriest of Istar. The Age of Starbirth marks Krynn's genesis, where the gods of good, neutrality, and evil forge the world through Reorx the Forgemaster, inadvertently sparking the corruption of metallic dragons into chromatic ones and igniting the first draconic wars. This era establishes foundational races—elves from starlight sparks, ogres from corrupted humanity, and humans from divine breath—while the greygem artifact traps , setting constraints on cosmic chaos that influence later godly withdrawals. Transitioning into the Age of Dreams (approximately 9000–960 PC), early civilizations form amid ongoing tensions: ogres fracture into decadent and pure Irda strains, gnomes emerge from divine pranks, and kender and dwarves arise from the greygem's fall. Key wars include the First Dragon War against chromatic invasions of Silvanesti, culminating in elven victories and the burial of dragon stones; the Third Dragon War sees the legendary Knight Huma Dragonbane forge dragonlances and banish to using a sacrificial ritual, forging the Knights of Solamnia and Pax Tharkas as bulwarks of order. These events underscore causal links between draconic ambition and heroic countermeasures, preventing total domination. The Age of Might (960 PC–1 AC) witnesses the empire of Istar's ascent under priestly rule, evolving into tyrannical overreach as the Kingpriest declares divinity and persecutes "lesser" faiths, amassing power through false miracles and inquisitions. This corruption peaks in the of 1 AC, when gods hurl a fiery mountain upon Istar, annihilating the empire, forming the Blood Sea of Istar, and shattering global faith, as direct retribution for hubris that blurred mortal-divine boundaries and invited Takhisis's subtle influences. In the ensuing Age of Despair (1–383 AC), societal collapse fosters isolationist fiefdoms, banditry, and Takhisis's covert preparations, including the planting of dragon eggs and the immortality curse on Green Gemstone Man Berem, enabling her phased return. The War of the Lance (circa 348–352 AC) erupts as Dragonarmies, commanded by highlords under Takhisis's banner, conquer swaths of Ansalon, countered by the Whitestone Council's heroes who rediscover true clerical magic via the Disks of Mishakal, wield rediscovered dragonlances, and ultimately defeat the goddess at the Temple of Neraka, restoring balanced faith and halting conquest through coordinated mortal resolve tied to divine resurgence. This era's causal chain highlights Takhisis's manipulative orchestration of despair to exploit post-Cataclysm vacuums, only thwarted by rediscovered piety. The age culminates in the Chaos War of 383 AC, where Chaos's greygem-shattered release ravages Krynn, forcing gods to depart and yielding to mortal agency. The Age of Mortals (383 AC onward) emerges from divine absence, shifting power to innate mysticism and sorcery as dragons vie for dominance and attempts to seize the world, only to be slain, paving for new entities like the One God and figures such as . This fifth age prioritizes Weis and Hickman's over later expansions, framing it as a test of mortal amid godly exile, with events like reinforcing themes of corrupted faith's perils without reverting prior restorations.

Magic, Artifacts, and Dragonlances

In the Dragonlance setting, arcane magic on Krynn is channeled primarily through the Orders of High , an ancient organization comprising three aligned branches: the White Robes, dedicated to good and focused on and protection; the Red Robes, aligned with neutrality and emphasizing and elemental forces; and the Black Robes, devoted to evil and specializing in and destruction. Aspiring wizards must pass the rigorous Test of High Sorcery, a personalized trial of survival and moral alignment administered by the Conclave of Wizards at the Tower of Wayreth, the foreboding forest citadel serving as the orders' primary academy and governing body. This test determines robe color and access to structured spellcasting, with power levels fluctuating based on the phases of Krynn's three moons—Lunitari (red, neutral), Solinari (silver, good), and Nuitari (black, evil)—which amplify or restrict spell availability in earlier editions' rulesets. Renegades who refuse the test face hunting and execution to prevent unchecked magic's chaos. The Chaos War, culminating around 383 AC, disrupted this system when the god Chaos's defeat prompted the pantheon's withdrawal, dissolving the and severing ties to the moons' structured power; arcane magic reverted to wild , an innate, unpredictable force drawn from Chaos's lingering essence, accessible without formal orders but prone to instability and limited scope. Divine magic similarly declined, replaced by until the gods' restoration post-War of Souls in circa 421 AC, reinstating High with adaptations for new casters like bards and sorcerers. In AD&D implementations (1st and 2nd editions), this lunar dependency enforced scarcity and risk, with wizards' effectiveness varying daily by moon alignment, promoting narrative caution over reliable power. The 5th edition adaptation in Shadow of the Dragon Queen (2022) streamlines this via the Lunar sorcerer subclass, where spell lists shift with moons for tactical variety, and feats like Initiate of High allow non-wizards integration into the orders, balancing lore fidelity with streamlined play while retaining risks. Dragonlances represent Krynn's premier good-aligned artifacts, legendary spears forged circa 1018 PC by the Knight Huma Dragonbane using the dwarven Hammer of Kharas, platinum ingots from metallic dragons, and blessings from the gods Paladine and Mishakal, enabling mortals to pierce draconic hides and siphon life force. Available as footman's lances for infantry or mounted variants for dragonriders, they inflict amplified damage—multiplying strikes against dragons in lore and modules—while repelling evil wyrms and empowering good ones in alliance. Production required sacred forges like those in Thorbardin, yielding limited quantities (e.g., hundreds during the Third Dragon War), with many lost or shattered post-battle, ensuring strategic rarity over abundance. In AD&D modules like Dragons of Despair (1984), they grant +4 bonuses with critical dragon damage up to +4d10, often auto-wounding weaker foes for quick slays, reflecting narrative potency. 5th edition stats in Shadow of the Dragon Queen designate them +3 weapons dealing extra 3d6 force damage to dragons, plus a reaction trigger for allied dragons to attack, preserving balance via quest-bound acquisition rather than ubiquity. Other notable artifacts underpin magic's framework, such as the five Dragon Orbs—crystalline spheres crafted by the gnome device Garn in Istar's era for summoning and controlling dragons, each tied to a chromatic or metallic hue but risking catastrophic backlash if misused, as seen in the War of the Lance when the Neraka Orb's activation summoned . The Disks of Mishakal, 160 platinum plates inscribed with clerical lore discovered in Xak Tsaroth's ruins in 348 AC, restored divine magic by conveying Paladine's (via Mishakal) teachings, enabling Goldmoon's faith amid the gods' absence. These items emphasize causal limits: power demands sacrifice, with overuse inviting divine retribution or planar rifts, aligning artifacts to Krynn's metaphysics over unchecked might.

Races, Cultures, and Societies

Krynn's inhabitants encompass a variety of humanoid and draconic races, each imbued with alignments that align with the world's divine order of good, evil, and , as forged by the gods Paladine, , and Gilean. These alignments function as intrinsic moral orientations rather than malleable social constructs, determining societal structures and interspecies relations; for instance, good-aligned races generally cooperate against evil threats, while neutral ones prioritize or isolation. Elves, dwarves, kender, and gnomes represent core good and neutral peoples, with dragons exemplifying absolute moral poles—metallic varieties inherently good and chromatic ones evil—created to maintain cosmic equilibrium. Silvanesti elves, the eldest elven kindred tracing origins to the legendary , inhabit ancient forest realms and exhibit proud, stoic lawful good traits, prioritizing isolationism and rigid hierarchies to preserve purity against external corruption. Qualinesti elves, who splintered from Silvanesti under 's leadership seeking social equity with non-elves, maintain similar lawful good alignments but adopt more adaptable, less arrogant cultures, fostering alliances with humans and dwarves while dwelling in woodland strongholds. Both elven societies emphasize arcane mastery and longevity, viewing their moral steadfastness as a divine mandate from gods like , though internal schisms, such as those post-Cataclysm, test their unity without altering core alignments. Dwarven clans divide into mountain dwellers like the Hylar, who embody lawful neutral industriousness in fortified delvings, and hill dwarves (Neidar) of more communal, neutral good bent, engaging in trade and surface agriculture. Post-Cataclysm, gully dwarves emerged as resilient, chaotic neutral scavengers thriving in ruined undercities, their adaptability—evident in scavenging ancient artifacts like Disks of Mishakal—demonstrating survival amid despair without shifting toward organized good or evil. Kender, diminutive chaotic good wanderers, possess innate curiosity and fearlessness, handling items instinctively via "finds" rather than theft, which fosters light-hearted societies roving Ansalon despite dwarven disdain for their perceived laziness. Tinker gnomes, chaotic neutral inventors, form gadget-obsessed enclaves driven by endless, malfunctioning contraptions, their neutral ingenuity serving as a counterbalance to elven elegance. Draconic societies underscore Krynn's moral dualism: metallic dragons (gold, silver, bronze, brass, copper), sworn to Paladine, uphold good through guardianship and oaths, entering exile post-Cataclysm to avert imbalance but returning for the War of the Lance. Chromatic dragons (red, blue, green, black, white), Takhisis's creations, embody evil via conquest and deception, their hierarchies mirroring the Dark Queen's tyranny with rare redemptions underscoring inherent predispositions over environmental influence. Human societies, by default yet pivotal in heroism, include the chivalric Knights of Solamnia, whose oaths—"My honor is my life"—and stratified orders (Crown, Sword, Rose) enforce codes of protection and justice, enduring post-Cataclysm vilification through hidden perseverance and revival during draconic wars. These institutions reflect causal ties to divine favor, where adherence to absolute measures yields resilience against relativist decay, countering modern critiques that impose earthly equity politics onto Krynn's metaphysically ordained hierarchies.

Geography and Notable Locations

The world of Krynn encompasses diverse geographical features across its primary continents, Ansalon and Taladas, with Ansalon serving as the central landmass in the . Ansalon measures roughly 1,300 miles east to west and 900 miles north to south, encompassing varied terrains including expansive plains like those of Abanasinia, dense woodlands such as the Qualinesti and Silvanesti forests, rugged mountain chains like the Khalkist and Kharolis ranges, and coastal regions bordering the Courrain Ocean and New Sea. These features create natural barriers and corridors that shape accessibility and defensive strategies, with mountain passes and river systems facilitating or hindering large-scale movements across the continent. Prominent locations on Ansalon include Qualinost, an elven stronghold integrated into the ancient trees of the Qualinesti forest in the southwest; Thorbardin, a subterranean dwarven kingdom carved into the Kharolis Mountains, accessible via limited fortified entrances; and Neraka, situated in the eastern plains amid the Khalkist foothills, positioned for oversight of central trade routes and plains warfare. The Blood Sea of Istar, a reddish-tinted inlet in the northeast formed by submerged central lands, features perpetual whirlpools and mineral-laden waters that render navigation hazardous, effectively isolating offshore isles and eastern peripheries from mainland Ansalon and promoting fragmented regional autonomy through its barrier-like expanse. Taladas, positioned in the northeast of Ansalon, contrasts as a larger, more fractured marked by volcanic scars, untamed wilds, and diverse biomes from southern populous lowlands to northern icy expanses. Its includes minotaur-inhabited island chains, elven forest refuges, and sorcerous plateaus, with cataclysm-induced rifts and irregular coastlines amplifying isolation compared to Ansalon's relative cohesion, influencing localized power struggles over resource-rich but unstable terrains. Core geographical elements of Krynn, particularly Ansalon's layout, remain consistent across Dragonlance editions, with 5th edition materials like Shadow of the Dragon Queen (2022) retaining foundational maps and topographical details from original sourcebooks to preserve strategic terrain interrelations.

Iconic Characters and Their Arcs

The Heroes of the Lance form the narrative core of the Dragonlance saga, their arcs defined by moral choices and sacrifices that drive the causality of heroism against draconic tyranny. emerges as the de facto leader, his half-elven heritage fostering internal conflict over identity and belonging, compelling him to make pragmatic decisions that unify the disparate companions during the War of the Lance. This reluctance evolves into resolute command, as seen in his orchestration of key alliances and confrontations, where personal turmoil yields to collective imperatives. Sturm Brightblade's path centers on Solamnic honor, lacking formal knighthood yet adhering rigidly to its code amid institutional decay. His arc peaks in a solitary stand at the High Clerist's Tower in 351 AC, where he delays Kitiara Uth Matar's forces long enough to enable a defensive , dying by her in fulfillment of chivalric . This self-sacrifice galvanizes the Knights of Solamnia, causally linking individual resolve to broader triumph over evil. Raistlin Majere pursues arcane supremacy, passing the grueling Test of High Sorcery in his youth, which inflicts frailty and hourglass eyes symbolizing temporal perception but accelerates his physical decline. Ambition propels him through the War of the Lance as a cynical ally, but in the Legends trilogy (published 1986), his bid to supplant via the Tower of High Sorcery and entry demands his brother's life force, culminating in failure and exile to Krynn's stars, embodying ambition's self-destructive logic. Antagonists like Verminaard of Nidus underscore unity's efficacy against tyranny; as a cleric of corrupted from potential Paladine service, he ascends to Dragon Highlord commanding the Red Dragonarmy by 348 AC, enforcing conquest through fanaticism and draconian might. His arc terminates in defeat by the companions at Pax Tharkas, where coordinated heroism exploits his overreliance on slaves and dragons, affirming good's causal advantage via moral cohesion. Lord Soth, once a paragon Knight of Solamnia, descends through unchecked ambition and betrayal—ignoring a divine warning to aid Huma Dragonbane, pursuing an maiden, and murdering innocents—earning undeath as the Knight of the Black Rose. Bound to Dargaard Keep, his eternal curse prevents redemption, serving in the War yet highlighting how oathbreaking perpetuates isolation, contrasting the protagonists' redemptive arcs through fidelity.

Themes and Philosophical Underpinnings

Moral Dualism and Heroism

In the Dragonlance setting, moral manifests through the irreconcilable opposition between the forces of good, embodied by Paladine, who promotes harmony and cooperation among free beings, and , who pursues absolute domination and the eradication of resistance. This binary framework posits as inherently destructive and self-defeating, while good aligns with sustainable order, reflecting causal chains where domination invites rebellion and cooperation fosters resilience. Heroism in Dragonlance arises from individual agency in aligning against evil, as articulated by creators and , who emphasized characters standing for right despite odds, with good redeeming through moral choice even if not always victorious. Protagonists like the Companions exhibit flaws—such as doubt, greed, or ambition—but overcome them through resolute commitment to ethical action, yielding empirical victories like repelling invasions via coordinated defense rather than capitulation. This portrays heroism not as innate perfection but as deliberate defiance of entropy-inducing evil tendencies, where personal resolve directly causes collective triumphs. The framework's realism lies in depicting moral actions' predictable consequences: evil's aggressive expansion provokes unified opposition, leading to its containment, whereas heroism's sacrifices preserve without moral equivocation. Unlike narratives blurring into , which obscure stakes by implying symmetry in outcomes, Dragonlance enforces —evil's victories prove temporary due to internal contradictions, as seen in Takhisis's repeated defeats by fragmented but principled alliances. Hickman described fantasy's structure as inherently moral, centering ethical choices where good's agency prevails through causal integrity, not . This clarity underscores heroism's efficacy, substantiated by the saga's where flawed agents, empowered by dualistic conviction, avert .

Faith, Sacrifice, and Redemption

In the Dragonlance setting, clerical serves as a tangible manifestation of genuine , withdrawing entirely after the of 0 PC—a divine on widespread and hubris under Kingpriest , which severed mortals' access to the true gods' power for approximately 300 years. This absence persisted until 348 AC, when Goldmoon's discovery of the blue crystal staff reconnected Krynn to Mishakal, restoring clerical abilities only to those demonstrating authentic devotion, underscoring as a prerequisite causal rather than mere . Sacrificial acts recur as pivotal enablers of broader victories, exemplified by Huma Dragonbane's Third Dragon War exploit around -2647 PC, where he impaled with a dragonlance atop a sacrificial , banishing her from Krynn at the cost of his life and his companion Gwyneth Moonblade's draconic form. Similarly, during the War of the Lance in 352 AC, , a of Solamnia, deliberately faced overwhelming forces alone at the High Clerist's Tower, delaying Kitiara Uth Matar's advance to allow dragonlance deployment and securing a tactical triumph for the Whitestone Council's forces. These instances portray sacrifice not as futile gesture but as strategically necessary, yielding empirical outcomes like 's temporary exile and the repulsion of invading armies. Redemption remains viable through deliberate choice amid moral agency, yet demands accountability for prior actions, with unrepentant evil often incurring permanent repercussions. Raistlin Majere's arc in the Legends trilogy illustrates this: after amassing forbidden arcane power and attempting to usurp Takhisis's pantheon in 356 AC, he ultimately seals the Abyss's portal at self-annihilating cost, averting multiversal catastrophe but forsaking godhood due to the inescapable toll of his ambition. In contrast, figures like the or unyielding draconians face no such reversal, their choices entrenching causal isolation from good's restorative influences, reinforcing that redemption hinges on volitional alignment with objective moral order rather than relativized . This framework treats as an operative reality—directly fueling and clerical efficacy—challenging portrayals of as psychological placebo by depicting gods' responsiveness as contingent on collective mortal fidelity, as evidenced in the post-Cataclysm revival tied to renewed piety during the War of the Lance. Authors and , drawing from personal convictions, embedded these elements to affirm faith's concrete efficacy against skepticism, where divine withdrawal causally mirrors societal infidelity, and restoration follows verifiable acts of contrition and heroism.

Critiques of Moral Relativism in Fantasy

Dragonlance's narrative framework explicitly rejects by positing a cosmos governed by opposing forces of , embodied in deities like Paladine and , metallic and chromatic dragons, and races such as kender aligned with versus draconians serving destruction. Co-creator described fantasy as a "moral medium" centered on "ethical and moral choices—the questions of ," with a "classic" structure that underscores absolute distinctions rather than ambiguity. This approach contrasts with post-2000s fantasy trends promoting "nuanced evil" and grey morality, where villains often receive sympathetic backstories that blur culpability, as seen in series emphasizing over inherent wrongdoing. The series' enduring appeal substantiates audience affinity for such , with Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance novels selling over 25 million copies worldwide as of 2024, outpacing many relativist-leaning contemporaries despite decades of cultural shifts toward . Empirical patterns in reader retention further indicate that unambiguous fosters sustained engagement; fans cite the motivational clarity of heroism against defined evil—such as the Heroes of the Lance's quest to wield dragonlances against —as a key draw, preserving narrative tension absent in relativistic plots where stakes dissolve into subjective interpretations. Relativism's philosophical flaws amplify its narrative shortcomings: by denying objective wrongdoing, it renders critique of adversarial behavior incoherent, undermining the causal logic essential to heroism's aspirational role. In Dragonlance, this manifests as protagonists like grappling with personal flaws yet unambiguously opposing evil, motivating reader investment through resolvable ethical binaries rather than perpetual equivocation. Such structures align with first-principles reasoning, where clear moral poles enable causal realism—evil's defeat yields tangible redemption—avoiding the motivational paralysis of grey narratives, where heroism lacks definable triumph. Objections framing Dragonlance's good-evil racial alignments as prejudicial overlook their archetypal function, symbolizing timeless virtues (e.g., elven guardianship of ) and vices (e.g., goblinoid treachery) without prescriptive real-world application, much as mythic traditions have employed since . This rejects politically motivated impositions equating fictional absolutes with , prioritizing instead the series' empirical success in evoking universal over relativistic deconstructions that dilute fantasy's exploratory power.

Reception, Impact, and Controversies

Commercial Performance and Fan Base

The Dragonlance novels launched in 1984 with the Chronicles trilogy, rapidly achieving bestseller status and driving substantial revenue for TSR and its publishers. By the late , the associated Advanced modules, including the *, ranked among TSR's highest-selling products, capitalizing on the setting's integrated storytelling to boost overall franchise demand. The novels alone have cumulatively sold over 35 million copies worldwide as of 2024, reflecting peak commercial performance tied to the gaming boom. Sustained sales persisted into later decades, with the franchise demonstrating resilience amid shifts in the RPG industry. The Destinies trilogy (2022–2024), published independently by and following their 2021 legal settlement with over licensing rights, maintained fan engagement through direct sales channels and garnered positive reception metrics like high Amazon ratings. The fan base centers on enthusiasts from the 1980s D&D era, many of whom continue active involvement via dedicated online communities and events. Reddit's r/dragonlance subreddit hosts ongoing discussions and reading orders as of 2025, while conventions like feature author panels and signings, such as Margaret Weis's 2025 appearance. This enduring demographic underscores demand for traditional fantasy narratives, with conventions like also hosting Dragonlance-specific games and .

Critical Assessments and Literary Analysis

Critics have praised the Dragonlance novels for their immersive world-building, constructing a sprawling epic scope centered on the continent of Ansalon and its cataclysmic history, which draws readers into conflicts between metallic and chromatic dragons representing moral absolutes. The series' character development, particularly Raistlin Majere's portrayal as a frail yet ambitious mage exhibiting "weird, shifty, convoluted, and cruel" traits alongside bursts of , has been noted for adding paradoxical depth uncommon in early tie-in fantasy. Scholarly analysis further highlights figures like as embodying Arthurian knighthood ideals, with his code of honor, sacrificial arc, and chivalric virtues evoking traditions of heroic duty. Conversely, assessments have critiqued the formulaic nature of the plots, which originated as novelizations of modules and incorporate repetitive fantasy tropes such as predictable quests and archetypal heroes, limiting narrative innovation. Modules associated with the setting have drawn fire for railroading participants along fixed storylines, with predetermined character fates—like Raistlin's moral descent or Sturm's death—undermining player agency in sessions. Literary commentary positions Dragonlance as advancing accessible heroism in fantasy, rendering epic tales of ordinary individuals confronting approachable for newcomers while prioritizing clarity over . This emphasis on redemptive good versus absolute has, however, faced accusations of overly didactic tones in its portrayal of and . Reviews from the 2020s underscore the series' enduring draw through such unapologetic heroism, appealing amid shifts toward more relativistic narratives in . Viewpoints diverge on the novels' role in RPG evolution, with proponents crediting the integrated model—blending modules, books, and —for expanding fantasy's commercial viability and shared-world . Opponents argue it prioritized branded narratives over the improvisational purity of early , fostering expectations of scripted adventures that eclipsed sandbox-style play.

Influence on RPGs and Broader Fantasy

Dragonlance introduced one of the earliest comprehensive campaign settings for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, with the of modules released starting in 1984, which integrated detailed world-building with pre-planned adventure paths, setting a precedent for subsequent settings like that emphasized lore-rich supplements over purely modular play. This approach prioritized narrative cohesion, influencing D&D mechanics by popularizing setting-specific rules, such as the unique tied to the gods of Krynn, which restricted arcane spellcasting to organized towers and imposed mechanical consequences for violations. The simultaneous release of tie-in in 1985, adapting the module plots into prose, marked a novel fusion of gameplay and published , expanding D&D's reach beyond tabletops by attracting readers who later sought the game experience. In broader fantasy, Dragonlance reinforced archetypal heroic quests featuring casts of flawed protagonists confronting unambiguous through themes of and , tropes that echoed in later works and adaptations while bridging origins with . Its moral dualism—pitting ordered good against chaotic —contrasted with emerging relativism in the genre, enduring in depictions of dragon-riding knights and cataclysmic wars that influenced and emphasizing clear heroism over ambiguity. Critics, however, argue this linear storytelling model diminished D&D's ethos of player-driven , fostering "railroading" where follow preset narratives at the expense of open-world , a shift attributed to Dragonlance's commercial success in steering industry design toward story modules. Empirical growth in D&D's audience, evidenced by TSR's expansion in the mid-1980s following Dragonlance's modules and novels, counters claims of ruination by demonstrating broadened accessibility, as integrated fiction drew non-gamers into RPGs and sustained settings through decades of supplements. The 2022 fifth-edition sourcebook Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen revived these elements, focusing on classic heroism and war-themed mechanics without imposing modern inclusivity alterations, as noted by co-creator in expressing astonishment at the fidelity to original archetypes. This revival underscores Dragonlance's lasting causal role in prioritizing principled heroism amid evolving genre pressures. In October 2020, Dragonlance creators and filed a against (WotC) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of , alleging breach of a 2017 licensing agreement for the planned Dragonlance: Destiny trilogy. The suit claimed WotC had approved outlines and advance materials for the three novels, set to be published by Palette & Page, but abruptly canceled the project on August 13, 2020, citing a "recent hiring issue" at the company as justification. and sought damages exceeding $10 million, arguing the cancellation damaged their professional reputation and prevented timely publication amid ongoing D&D edition controversies, including public backlash over WotC's handling of diversity initiatives and content sensitivity. The dispute underscored tensions over corporate control of licensed , with the authors asserting that WotC's decision interfered with their creative autonomy despite contractual obligations, including a fixed publication schedule tied to D&D's fifth edition timeline. WotC countered that the agreement allowed termination under certain conditions, but the case highlighted broader industry frictions where publisher priorities—such as aligning content with evolving corporate policies on inclusivity—clashed with established elements like Dragonlance's rigid good-versus-evil alignments. Critics of WotC, including some in the community, viewed the cancellation as an overreaction to external pressures, misinterpreting fictional moral absolutes as endorsing real-world racial or ethical binaries, though Weis and Hickman did not explicitly attribute the breach to such ideological motives in court filings. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice on December 20, 2020, following a confidential settlement that reportedly restored rights to Weis and Hickman, enabling them to self-publish the trilogy independently through their own platforms starting in 2021. This outcome contrasted with earlier transitions, such as WotC's 1997 acquisition of TSR Inc.—Dragonlance's original publisher—which resolved TSR's insolvency but led to criticisms of subsequent neglect, including reduced support for classic settings amid shifts to new game systems and editions. Post-acquisition, Dragonlance output declined through the 2000s and 2010s, with fans and creators attributing stagnation to corporate prioritization of core D&D lines over legacy worlds, prompting independent efforts that succeeded outside major publisher oversight.

References

  1. [1]
    Dragonlance Nexus: Welcome to the Dragonlance Campaign Setting!
    Dragonlance takes place on the world of Krynn, part of the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse. It is best known for being an epic high fantasy novel series set ...Products · World of Krynn · Novels · The Dragonlance Canticle
  2. [2]
    How Dragonlance Was Created | dlsaga.com
    Mar 16, 2021 · Before Tracy Hickman was hired at TSR in 1982, he and his wife Laura Hickman ran a small adventure publishing company called DayStar West Media.
  3. [3]
    Tracy Hickman - Official Site of the NYT Best-Selling Fantasy ...
    Jul 20, 2024 · Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman to Publish a New Series Based on Classic Dragonlance ... Tags Dragonlance, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman ...About Tracy · My Works · Contact
  4. [4]
    The Short Biography of Tracy Hickman | My History
    Dragonlance. Hickman came to TSR in 1982, and soon thereafter management announced the intention to develop a series of role-playing adventures based on dragons ...
  5. [5]
    D&D: How Dragonlance Was Born - Prime - Bell of Lost Souls
    Jan 20, 2021 · It all starts back in 1982 when Tracy Hickman decided that dragons weren't as fearsome as they should be in D&D. This is a sentiment that ...
  6. [6]
    Dragonlance: Selling the Dream - Tracy Hickman
    Mar 5, 2014 · A series of twelve interconnected adventure modules. We knew it would require a level of commitment from the company that had never been possible before.
  7. [7]
    Dragonlance Chronicles - WikiProject Dungeons & Dragons Wiki
    The storyline of the original Dragonlance series had been plotted and outlined before either the novel trilogy or the games were written. Synopsis ...
  8. [8]
  9. [9]
    40 Years Ago: Dragonlance Catches Fire | The Saturday Evening Post
    Nov 12, 2024 · Laura Hickman introduced her husband, Tracy, to Dungeons & Dragons by giving him the game as a birthday present. The couple took their first ...Missing: inception | Show results with:inception
  10. [10]
    DragonLance Series (DL1 - The Acaeum
    The DragonLance Campaign began as a series of novels and matching modules (DL1 - DL4) for AD&D, by Tracy and Laura Hickman and Margaret Weis.
  11. [11]
    Dragonlance: The Story and the Game - Tracy Hickman
    Apr 11, 2014 · Dragonlance was originally envisioned as a series of role-playing modules for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. This was before ...
  12. [12]
    Dragonlance changed how we read fantasy - by Andrew Liptak
    Oct 22, 2020 · Originally created by game designer Tracy Hickman and co-written by Margaret Weis for TSR's Dungeons & Dragons, the Dragonlance novels were part ...
  13. [13]
    Sales of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting over time (the TSR ...
    Jul 19, 2022 · The Maztica boxed set sold 22,073 copies, virtually all of them in its first year on sale. ... They have picked up the new Dragonlance trilogy ...Original planned author of the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy ...What happened to Dragonlance? Why did people love it so much ...More results from www.reddit.comMissing: Chronicles | Show results with:Chronicles
  14. [14]
    Time of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends Trilogy, Vol 1) - Amazon.com
    The first title in the second Dragonlance novel trilogy is now being released for the first time ever in a trade hardcover edition.Missing: expansions 1980s 1990s
  15. [15]
    Time of the Twins - Let's Read TSR!
    Jul 8, 2024 · This, the first novel in the Dragonlance Legends [1] trilogy, was published a mere five months after Dragons of Spring Dawning wrapped up the ...Missing: expansions 1980s 1990s
  16. [16]
    Wizards of the Coast, Inc. acquired TSR, Inc. - Berkery Noyes
    Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and its intellectual properties in 1997. About TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game ...
  17. [17]
    Dragonlance Licensed to Sovereign Press
    Mar 20, 2002 · It has acquired the rights to publish the Dragonlance campaign setting using the d20 rules published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.Missing: TSR sale 1997
  18. [18]
    Dragonlance in D&D 3e | dlsaga.com
    Sep 13, 2022 · The Dragonlance Campaign Setting by Margaret Weis, Don Perrin, Jamie Chambers, and Christopher Coyle was released in August 2003 at the first ...
  19. [19]
    Dragonlance authors sue Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards ...
    Oct 19, 2020 · Authors Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis are suing Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast for breach of contract.
  20. [20]
    Weis & Hickman File Suit Over Cancelled Dragonlance Trilogy
    Oct 19, 2020 · Weis and Hickman are requesting a jury trial and claim that Wizards' actions have resulted in damages in excess of $10 million. The Dragonlance ...
  21. [21]
    Dragons of Deceit: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel (Dragonlance ...
    Amazon.com: Dragons of Deceit: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel (Dragonlance ... Publication date: August 2, 2022; Language: English; File size: 17.3 MB; Screen ...
  22. [22]
    Dungeons & Dragons' Dragonlance: Shadow Of The Dragon Queen ...
    Aug 18, 2022 · Wizards of Coast has confirmed Dungeons & Dragons' return to the Dragonlance setting will be coming on December 6, 2022.
  23. [23]
    New Dragonlance Novels from Weis and Hickman in 2026
    Aug 9, 2024 · Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman announced a new trilogy of Dragonlance books titled Dragonlance Legacies with the first novel titled War Wizard.Dragons Of Eternity By Margaret Weis And Tracy Hickman Coming ...What Are Dragonlance's Weis & Hickman, and Actor Manganiello ...More results from www.enworld.org<|control11|><|separator|>
  24. [24]
    Tracy and I are pleased to announce Dragonlance Legacies. The ...
    Aug 3, 2024 · The story of the legendary wizard, Magius, and his friendship and adventures with the Solamnic knight, Huma. Published by Random House Worlds.
  25. [25]
    Dragonlance in AD&D | dlsaga.com
    Aug 23, 2022 · It featured sixteen modules, one hardcover adventure book, a world sourcebook, atlas, art book, calendars, boardgame, twelve novels, and more!
  26. [26]
    Dragonlance Adventures (1e) - Wizards of the Coast | AD&D 1st Ed.
    This included the semi-fiction Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home (1987), the fiction anthology Dragonlance Tales Volume 1; Magic of Krynn (1987), the ...
  27. [27]
    Retrospective: Dragonlance Adventures - GROGNARDIA
    Aug 31, 2022 · Published in 1987, DLA is a 128-page hardcover volume on the model of previous AD&D tomes like the Players Handbook. Though billed as a "source ...
  28. [28]
    Time of the Dragon (1989): Taladas, the Other Shattered Continent ...
    Oct 15, 2021 · The new continent of Taladas, which jettisoned all the familiar Dragonlance touchstones. The gods of Ansalon are present, but with different names and aspects.<|control11|><|separator|>
  29. [29]
    [PDF] Time of the Dragon Lords | Taladas - Dragonlance Nexus
    Taladas first appeared in the Time of the Dragon boxed set, expanding the world of Krynn beyond the lands described in the original DRAGONLANCE modules and the ...
  30. [30]
    Dragonlance in 5th Edition - Campaign World & Adventures - Tribality
    Oct 30, 2015 · Campaign Books · Dragonlance Adventures AD&D (1987) · Tales of the Lance Box Set (1992) · Dragonlance Campaign Setting – 3rd Edition (2003)Missing: supplements | Show results with:supplements
  31. [31]
    Shadow of the Dragon Queen Digital + Physical Bundle - D&D
    $$59.94 In stock Free deliveryA tale of conflict and defiance set during the legendary War of the Lance. Create characters from Krynn, the world of the Dragonlance setting.
  32. [32]
    All Editions of Dragonlance Chronicles - Margaret Weis - Goodreads
    Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Autumn Twilight / Dragons of Winter Night / Dragons of Spring Dawning Published October 17th 1988 by Penguin Books
  33. [33]
    Legends - Dragonlance Nexus
    This collector's edition includes the full text of all three of the original Dragonlance Legends by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, anthologized in one volume.Missing: 1999-2000 | Show results with:1999-2000
  34. [34]
    Lost Chronicles (series) - Dragonlance Wiki - Fandom
    It consists of Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (2006), Dragons of the Highlord Skies (2007), and Dragons of the Hourglass Mage (2009). The series fills in gaps in ...
  35. [35]
    Minotaur Wars (series) - Dragonlance Wiki - Fandom
    The Minotaur Wars trilogy is a series of novels by Richard A. Knaak, consisting of Night of Blood (2003), Tides of Blood (2004), and Empire of Blood (2005).
  36. [36]
    Dragonlance Destinies Series - Penguin Random House
    4.7 125 · Free delivery over $20Dragonlance Destinies Series. Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman. Dragons of Fate by Margaret Weis and Tracy ...<|separator|>
  37. [37]
    How Much D&D Stuff Is There Anyway? Part 4: Novels
    Oct 16, 2025 · According to Lowder, in 1990 TSR books accounted for 17% of scifi/fantasy bestsellers at two large book chains, with most of the twenty-three ...Why Dragonlance's Margaret Weis Left TSR: A Slaying the Dragon ...The importance of Dragonlance - EN WorldMore results from www.enworld.orgMissing: revenue | Show results with:revenue
  38. [38]
    Category:Dragonlance - StrategyWiki
    Sep 18, 2024 · Game list[edit | edit source] ; War of the Lance, 1989, Strategy: turn-based ; DragonStrike, 1990, Action/shooter: first person ; Champions of ...
  39. [39]
    Dungeons & Dragons: Krynn Series - GOG.com
    Rating 4.4 (130) · Free delivery · 30-day returnsReturn to the first fantasy role-playing epic set in the legendary Dragonlance game world of Krynn. This immortal pack includes Champions of Krynn, ...<|separator|>
  40. [40]
    Game Franchises - Dragonlance - GameFAQs - GameSpot
    Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance. 1988 - Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance · Dragons of Flame · War of the Lance · Champions of ...
  41. [41]
    Game 383: Heroes of the Lance (1988) - The CRPG Addict
    Sep 30, 2020 · It was popular in its era, however, breaking sales records at SSI. In the same issue (December 1988) that Computer Gaming World offered ...
  42. [42]
    Video Games - Dragonlance Nexus
    Video Games · Champions of Krynn (Video Game) · Death Knights of Krynn (Video Game) · Dark Queen of Krynn (Video Game) · DragonStrike (Video Game) · Heroes of the ...
  43. [43]
    Dragonlance (1988) comic books - MyComicShop
    4.9 114 · $12.95 deliveryThe adventure begins with DRAGONLANCE, opening the door to the magical world of Krynn, where the evil Dragonlords rule.Missing: miniseries | Show results with:miniseries
  44. [44]
    Devil's Due Adapts the Original Dragonlance Trilogy - ICv2
    Jun 20, 2005 · Devil's Due Publishing has announced the publication of a comic book adaptation of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's original Dragonlance ...
  45. [45]
    DEVIL'S DUE TO ADAPT THE DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES
    Jun 20, 2005 · Dragonlance Chronicles: Dragons of Autumn Twilight #1 (of 8) ships monthly beginning in August; each issue is $2.95 (MSRP). Devil's Due.
  46. [46]
    Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Video 2008) - IMDb
    Rating 4.8/10 (3,301) A barbarian woman with a miraculous healing staff gains the help of a group of to-be heroes as an army of dragons invades the land.
  47. [47]
    Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight - Rotten Tomatoes
    Rating 20% (320) Discover reviews, ratings, and trailers for Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight on Rotten Tomatoes ... Release Date (Streaming): Feb 9, 2021. Runtime: 1h 30m.
  48. [48]
    Dragonlance: Echoes of Krynn - The Audio Drama Directory
    The drums of war have stilled, and the rivers of blood have slowed to a trickle. Takhisis, the evil Queen of Dragons, has been thwarted and her armies ...<|separator|>
  49. [49]
    [Let's Read] Dragonlance Campaign Setting (3.5)
    Dec 1, 2013 · The High God strove to bring order to Chaos, who in turn strove to undo the High God's creations. The High God brought three creations from the ...
  50. [50]
    [Let's Read] Dragonlance Campaign Setting - EN World
    Dec 23, 2013 · Dragonlance Campaign Setting Chapter Four: Deities of Krynn​. There anything existed, there was only the High God and Chaos. The High God ...Dragonlance Campaign Setting - EN World[Let's Read] Dragonlance: Towers of High SorceryMore results from www.enworld.org
  51. [51]
    List of Dragonlance deities
    Chaos and the High God are the highest beings in the cosmology of Krynn. ... She was the Goddess who restored the knowledge of the true Gods during the War of the ...
  52. [52]
    The Law of Consequence | dlsaga.com
    Dec 27, 2022 · In Dragonlance, Evil and Good are necessary to remain in balance. Just as water seeks its own level, balance will be found despite the ...
  53. [53]
    Meditations on the Balance - Dragonlance Nexus
    Jan 3, 2019 · The Balance of power between Good and Evil is a self-limitation on the part of the Powers of Good and Neutrality, and forced on the Powers of Evil.
  54. [54]
    The Five Ages of Krynn | dlsaga.com
    Mar 30, 2021 · Learn all about the five Ages of Krynn and how the Dragonlance timeline is truly just a great river with many branches.
  55. [55]
    Chronological Product List - Dragonlance Nexus
    A chronological list of the books in the order in which they happen in the Dragonlance setting. A list was originally compiled by Harold Johnson and Sue ...
  56. [56]
  57. [57]
    [Let's Read] Dragonlance: Towers of High Sorcery
    Jan 5, 2020 · Takhisis formed the Order of Gray Robes as part of this knighthood, who quickly took over much of the continent during and after the Chaos War.
  58. [58]
  59. [59]
    Essay on the Nature of Wild Sorcery - Dragonlance Nexus
    Oct 15, 2018 · With the release of the full power of Chaos at the end of the Chaos War, the power of Wild Sorcery has been altered, perhaps even "damaged." ...
  60. [60]
    [PDF] Artifacts and Magical Items of Dragonlance
    Dragonlance items include the Brightblade, a sword with runes, and the Dragonlance, a spear or lance that dragons fear. These items have unique histories.
  61. [61]
  62. [62]
    ForgottenLance -- Library of Ages - Artifacts - Disks of Mishakal
    These 160 disks were discovered in the ruins of Xak Tsaroth upon defeating the black dragon Khisanth. Engraved upon both sides of these disks are teachings of ...
  63. [63]
    A Review of the Dragonlance Campaign Setting (3.5)
    Nov 25, 2013 · The Dragonlance Campaign Setting is a 3.5 sourcebook, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2003. Technically a 1st-party book, it received no further official ...
  64. [64]
    Metallic Dragons - Dragonlance Wiki - Fandom
    Metallic Dragons were created by Paladine and Reorx to counter Takhisis for having the Chromatic Dragons in order to keep the balance.
  65. [65]
    The Dragons of Krynn - Dragonlance Library
    Corruption and Temptation – The dichotomy between metallic and chromatic dragons often parallels morality vs. selfishness, especially when hatchlings or young ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  66. [66]
    Silvanesti - ArcticMud
    SILVANESTI: The Silvanesti are the oldest elven race on Krynn from which all other elven races can find their roots. They are a proud, arrogant, and stoic ...
  67. [67]
    [PDF] the races of krynn
    The civilized elves, Silvanesti and Qualinesti, share many basic philosophies, and attitudes. ... Dwarves say that kender are “good for nothing, lazy.
  68. [68]
    List of Dragonlance creatures - WikiProject Dungeons & Dragons Wiki
    The Qualinesti elves are Silvanesti ones who decided to follow Kith-Kanan, the younger of Silvanos' grandsons, to a new land with the promise of social equality ...
  69. [69]
    Races
    Qualinesti are a Krynn race akin to the Silvanesti, but tending to be smaller and darker. They have honey-brown to blond hair with blue or brown eyes, and the ...
  70. [70]
    Dragonlance: War of the Lance by Libertad! - RPG Writeups
    The gully dwarves live much as they did in prior Ages, but the large amount of abandoned territories and ruins spawned post-Cataclysm give them more places to ...
  71. [71]
  72. [72]
    [Let's Read] Dragonlance: Dragons of Krynn - RPGnet Forums
    Jan 18, 2020 · This Oath also bound the metallic dragons due to the Balance, and they went into a self-imposed exile to the distant Dragon Isles.[Let's Read] Dragonlance Campaign Setting (3.5) - RPGnet Forums[Let's Read] Dragonlance Adventures | Dungeons & Dragons ...More results from forum.rpg.net
  73. [73]
    Additional question: good and evil dragons : r/dragonlance - Reddit
    Jul 28, 2023 · Even on Krynn, even with an evil nature inherent, there IS the chance for change and redemption towards good, even for a chromatic dragon (and ...Are chromatic dragons born evil or do they just have traits that tend ...A subtle difference for Dragons in Krynn : r/dragonlance - RedditMore results from www.reddit.com
  74. [74]
    Knights of Solamnia | dlsaga.com
    May 11, 2021 · The Knights of Solamnia are commonly known as disgraced at best or outlaws and murdered on sight at worst. But this wasn't always the case.<|separator|>
  75. [75]
    Solamnia - Dragonlance Wiki - Fandom
    In the years following the Cataclysm, the commoners of Solamnia blame the Knights of Solamnia for the Cataclysm. Some Knights go into hiding while others ...
  76. [76]
    Ansalon
    The continent of Ansalon is approximately 1,300 miles from east to west, and 900 north to south. Ansalon is the primary setting for the Dragonlance Saga®, and ...
  77. [77]
    Ansalon Map From Tasslehoff's Pouches of Everything Revised
    Dec 17, 2022 · This is a revised map of Ansalon from Tasslehoff's Pouches of Everything, based on multiple sources. Click the map to open it full-size. For ...Missing: notable | Show results with:notable
  78. [78]
    Istar: Land of the Kingpriests - Dragonlance Nexus
    Jul 10, 2018 · In modern-day Krynn, central Istar is located at the bottom of the Blood Sea, and its waters are tinted by the stirring of Istar's red soil.Missing: origin | Show results with:origin
  79. [79]
    *Dragonlance geography - My Little Word Land
    Blood Sea of IstarAlso known as Bloodsea of Istar, is a section of the sea where an eternal whirlpool was formed after the city of Istar was destroyed. ...
  80. [80]
    Taladas | Dragonlance Wiki - Fandom
    Taladas is another continent on Krynn, and is located northeast of Ansalon. Taladas was devastated on the same day as Istar by a great hail of fire.Missing: 1988 | Show results with:1988
  81. [81]
    Continent of Taladas - Dragonlance Nexus
    Taladas is often considered the unknown continent, since very few inhabitants of Ansalon, the larger land mass, know of Taladas.
  82. [82]
    [Let's Read] Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen - EN World
    Dec 1, 2022 · This adventure takes place in Kalaman on 351 AC, the easternmost city in Solamnia and a short travel away from Nordmaar. Three years ago ...<|separator|>
  83. [83]
    Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman on the Meaning of Dragonlance
    Oct 13, 2020 · In Dragonlance, we wrote about courage to stand for what was right and just no matter the odds and that good may not always win but always redeems its own.Missing: design philosophy railroading
  84. [84]
    Raistlin Majere - Dragonlance Library
    While the others sought to save Krynn, Raistlin sought something greater—knowledge, power, and the destruction of those who had once mocked him. By the end of ...
  85. [85]
    Verminaard | dlsaga.com
    Apr 4, 2023 · He was destined for greatness according to Paladine, but corrupted from birth by Takhisis. He became one of the first true clerics in the Age of Despair.
  86. [86]
    Lord Soth | dlsaga.com
    Oct 26, 2021 · He was a paragon of the Knights of Solamnia. His tragic fall from grace could be blamed on his own ambition, his lack of self control.Missing: Verminaard | Show results with:Verminaard
  87. [87]
    Are the rules concerning gods visiting the mortal plane consistent
    May 17, 2024 · Takhisis seeks to absolutely dominate all life and crush any hope and resistance. Paladine seeks harmony and working together. There is nothing ...So... are Takhisis and Tiamat still different entities? : r/dndnext - RedditAdditional question: good and evil dragons : r/dragonlance - RedditMore results from www.reddit.com
  88. [88]
    RPG Writeups — Dragonlance
    Auraks are created from Gold dragon eggs and are shapeshifting special agents of the dragon armies, as well as being innate magic-users with a laundry list of ...
  89. [89]
    Tracy Hickman - Mormon Artist
    I like fantasy because it is a moral medium. Fantasy is about ethical and moral choices—the questions of good and evil—and its structure is classic ...
  90. [90]
    Dragonlance: In The End, Evil Shall Always Triumph Over Good
    Aug 15, 2016 · A titanic struggle between good and evil rocks Ansalon down to its core whenever Wizards can find the money to pay Hickman and/or Weis to squeeze out another ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  91. [91]
    [PDF] Player S Guide To The Dragonlance Campaign
    Thematic Elements and Storytelling. Dragonlance thrives on themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. The campaign often ...
  92. [92]
    In Krynn in 5e, what happened to magic in after the Cataclysm? Did ...
    Dec 22, 2022 · The cataclysm only lasted 300 years until Goldmoon reestablished a connection with Mishakal (if I remember correctly) through recovery of the blue crystal ...Missing: faith | Show results with:faith
  93. [93]
  94. [94]
    The Legend of Huma | Dragonlance Books
    Although victorious, Huma is mortally wounded. He dies knowing that his sacrifice has saved Krynn and secured peace—for a time. His legacy, preserved in the ...
  95. [95]
    Sturm Brightblade | dlsaga.com
    Feb 1, 2022 · He discovered his fathers killer, Merinsaard who bested him in combat, and as he was about to kill Sturm, Kitiara shot him in the back and ...
  96. [96]
    Dragonlance: Dragons of Winter Night P3 | Not More than Two
    Apr 22, 2022 · Sturm Brightblade's sacrifice feels so very unnecessary. For that reason, it is the weight that centers everything. It is the sacrifice that ...
  97. [97]
    Dragonlance Themes? | EN World D&D & Tabletop RPG News ...
    May 10, 2008 · Faith is a major theme. As mentioned above, godly plans and mortal choices are important. In the current Age of Mortals, divine power can come ...
  98. [98]
    Dragonlance Turns 40!
    Mar 4, 2024 · The books have sold over twenty-five million copies worldwide. Weis is the author/co-author of several other New York Times best-selling ...
  99. [99]
    Seven Fatal Flaws of Moral Relativism - Monergism |
    Relativism makes it impossible to criticize the behaviour of others, because relativism ultimately denies such a thing a 'wrongdoing'.
  100. [100]
  101. [101]
    Dragonlance Destinies (3 book series) Kindle Edition - Amazon.com
    4.5 17K · 30-day returnsMargaret Weis and Tracy Hickman return to the unforgettable world of the New York Times bestselling Dragonlance series as a new heroine—desperate to restore her ...Missing: 2022-2024 | Show results with:2022-2024
  102. [102]
    Margaret Weis GenCon 2025 Panel : r/dragonlance - Reddit
    Aug 2, 2025 · Margaret writes linearly start to finish. She doesn't read fantasy. Read Tolkien and stopped there LOVES mysteries she likes Rex stout and ...Missing: online communities
  103. [103]
    Dragonlance | Facebook - Facebook
    Mar 23, 2024 · Awesome cosplay at Gary Con Gaming Convention during the Dragonlance Nexus Champions of Krynn game! If you're here, check us out at our panel at 2 pm.Missing: base communities
  104. [104]
    The Dragonlance Reread: Guest Highlord Jason Heller on Raistlin ...
    Aug 28, 2015 · Before we start on the second book in the Dragonlance Chronicles, here is Guest Highlord Jason Heller, on why Raistlin is so great.
  105. [105]
    How Dragonlance Ruined Everything - GROGNARDIA
    Apr 28, 2008 · I look at Dragon Lance as the high point in TSR's work. Grognardia's hyperbole seems rather spot on that DL was the turning point for TSR ...Missing: low | Show results with:low
  106. [106]
    How to Play Dragonlance in D&D 2024 | dlsaga.com
    Jan 14, 2025 · They focused on story over game mechanics, and completely isolated the Dragonlance campaign setting from all other settings in the Dungeons & ...
  107. [107]
    Are there any mechanical implications of the laws imposed by the ...
    Aug 28, 2024 · The wizards hence founded the Orders of High Sorcery, setting rigid laws for avoiding the endangering of Krynn when casting spells and using magic.
  108. [108]
    "Dragonlance": Bridging Tabletop Gaming and Epic Narratives
    Mar 27, 2024 · Dragonlance, born from D&D, bridged tabletop gaming and epic storytelling, using ensemble casts and a new perspective on epic fantasy.
  109. [109]
    Dragonlance (Literature) - TV Tropes
    Dragonlance is a High Fantasy series with D&D setting, mixing Medieval European and Native American themes, and a focus on dragons. It has over 200 novels.Missing: critiques | Show results with:critiques
  110. [110]
    Which setting do Dungeons & Dragons fans like more, Forgotten ...
    Mar 7, 2022 · Dragonlance however has a pivotal effect on Dungeons and Dragons as a whole as it's novels and modules showed that immersive roleplay could ...What are some good settings for a Dungeons & Dragons game that ...A friend is considering running a short term Dragonlance game for ...More results from www.quora.com
  111. [111]
    Dragonlance Adventure Book and Battle Game Coming Late 2022!
    Apr 21, 2022 · Dragonlance will be making its return later this year with the Shadow of the Dragon Queen sourcebook and the Warriors of Krynn battle game.
  112. [112]
    'Dragonlance' Co-Creator Says She's "Astonished" Wizards Of The ...
    Jun 26, 2024 · 'Dragonlance' Co-Creator Says She's "Astonished" Wizards Of The Coast Did Not Attempt To Modernize Series' Cast For New 'Dungeons & Dragons' ...Why Are the "Dragonlance" Authors Suing Wizards of the Coast?Don't get your hopes up about new Dragonlance content in 5e - RedditMore results from www.reddit.com
  113. [113]
  114. [114]
    Wizards of the Coast in court: 'Dragonlance' authors file suit over ...
    Oct 20, 2020 · Weis and Hickman's lawsuit (view PDF at bottom of story) charges Wizards of the Coast with breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of ...
  115. [115]
    Dragonlance Authors File Suit Against Wizards of the Coast - CBR
    Oct 19, 2020 · Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, authors and creators of Dragonlance, have filed suit against Wizards of the Coast for breach of contract.
  116. [116]
    Dragonlance Lawsuit Dismissed Without Prejudice - EN World
    Dec 20, 2020 · The recent lawsuit brought against D&D publishers Wizards of the Coast by Dragonlance authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman has been voluntarily dismissed ...
  117. [117]
    So, What is Going On with that Dragonlance Lawsuit?
    Oct 20, 2020 · Weis and Hickman are Suing Wizards for Breach of Contract. So, the basis of the suit is breach of contract. This was apparently triggered by ...
  118. [118]
    D&D BREAKING: Dragonlance Creators Sue WotC Over Breach Of ...
    Oct 19, 2020 · Dragonlance creators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are suing WotC over an alleged breach of contract surrounding a canceled three ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  119. [119]
    Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast sued by ...
    Jan 11, 2021 · Upcoming Dragonlance trilogy by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis cancelled following alleged breach of contract.
  120. [120]
    WotC Kills New Dragonlance Series ... and Gets Sued By Weis and ...
    Oct 19, 2020 · WOTC may have decided that the novels didn't align with their politics as M&T indicate but they couldn't go to Hasbro and say "We want to drop ...Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman end legal case against Wizards of ...Why Are the "Dragonlance" Authors Suing Wizards of the Coast?More results from www.reddit.comMissing: indie | Show results with:indie
  121. [121]
    Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Lawsuit Against ...
    Dec 21, 2020 · Weis and Hickman initially sued Wizards of the Coast for over $30 million claiming they breached a License Agreement for a new Dragonlance ...
  122. [122]
    Wizards of the Coast to Acquire TSR Inc (1997) - Dragonsfoot
    May 7, 2015 · Wizards of the Coast will acquire TSR Inc. The transaction is expected to be completed in May, 1997.Missing: Sovereign | Show results with:Sovereign