I promised updates as soon there was anything new to say, and so here we go!
Key of Destiny has been approved and the files will be sent to the printer on Monday, April 26! Because we're printing domestically, we look on-track for a mid-May release, but I'll have a firm release date once we get through the pre-press process.
The wait is almost over for Key of Destiny, and you should see the Bestiary of Krynn at your local game stores by the end of next week! (Many boxes came into our warehouse and left just as fast!) Thanks to everyone for their patience, and I hope you enjoy our spring releases.
Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
Originally posted by Los Grak
Sweet... I've already pre-ordered mine from Amazon.com.
So did I. In January.
Oh well, after waiting so long, when I finally get a copy it will be all the more sweet. :D
After finishing a sort of mini campaign, the timing couldn't be more perfect for my group.
Originally posted by jechambers
The wait is almost over for Key of Destiny, and you should see the Bestiary of Krynn at your local game stores by the end of next week! (Many boxes came into our warehouse and left just as fast!)
Any idea when the MargaretWeis.com orders might be shipped?
Originally posted by Brimstone
Any idea when the MargaretWeis.com orders might be shipped?
We're expecting our boxes of The Bestiary of Krynn to arrive today or tomorrow. The books will be signed and shpped the same day, so anyone who ordered should have them by the end of this week!
Jamie Chambers
MargaretWeis.com
Originally posted by jechambers
We're expecting our boxes of The Bestiary of Krynn to arrive today or tomorrow. The books will be signed and shpped the same day, so anyone who ordered should have them by the end of this week!
Great!
Thanks Jamie!
(Oh...I didn't realize they'd be signed)
Originally posted by Brimstone
Great!
Thanks Jamie!
(Oh...I didn't realize they'd be signed)
All books purchased on MargaretWeis.com are signed by Margaret (and in the case of the Bestiary or other products that my name appears in, myself). Personalization is available by request, just e-mail [email]sales@margaretweis.com[/email]!
Jamie Chambers
MargaretWeis.com
Originally posted by jechambers
All books purchased on MargaretWeis.com are signed by Margaret (and in the case of the Bestiary or other products that my name appears in, myself). Personalization is available by request, just e-mail [email]sales@margaretweis.com[/email]!
Cool! That's okay, though, I don't need it personalized. I'm just happy to get the BoK...by far the most anticipated DL book for me. :D (I'm a big fan of the monster books)
Which reminds me...great new about Key of Destiny! I look forward to getting that one too. heh heh
(is there anything else scheduled for May?)
Originally posted by DarkJedi26
can you tell us if the online preview of Key of Destiny changed from the final version that was sent to the printer. My group can't wait to start playing it, and I was gonna start them off with the preview since the book is not out yet. But if it changed a lot, i might want to wait.
I'm fairly certain the only changes were proofreading and some minor corrections relating to it.
Cheers,
Cam
Hmmm, should make a good wedding gift, and something good to read on the Honeymoon. Heck yeah, bring it on! :fight!:
May needs to be the month we finally get what we have been waiting for because we have been inconvienced long enough, and if not, that new Eberron stuff looks to be pretty good.
~~~
Originally posted by AlricLightwind
Mid-May.....*drool*
Hmmm, should make a good wedding gift, and something good to read on the Honeymoon. Heck yeah, bring it on! :fight!:
You're going to read on your honeymoon
Just kidding of course!
Mid-May is good for me, I will be back to full time working at my job, so the dough will be raked in enough to buy it when it comes out. That and most of the people I want included in the campaign will be back on this side of the Missouri river again, so I can use them! Too bad I am gonna have to wait for the Bestiary though, I would really like to take a look at that book before I risk overdrafting my checkbook to get it online.
Just gotta keep my wife away from it so she won't spoil it for her Kagonisti druid.
Originally posted by cnposner
I am a bit worried that there has been no firm release date yet. Does anyone know if the product is still planned for Mid- May: or has it been delayed again?
I have no idea. I actually think that it may be delayed again(The mid-may date was a tentative date only.). I was hoping that the module would be out by at least the 15th so I could have it in time for my next session.
However I think this may be just a pipe dream.
~~~
Originally posted by cnposner
I am a bit worried that there has been no firm release date yet. Does anyone know if the product is still planned for Mid- May: or has it been delayed again?
There's no firm release date yet because they wait to get the date from the printers.
They said it's off to press though...so barring a paper jam (ah, I crack myself up! :D) it should take about...didn't someone say a while back that the black and white printing process was like 10 days or something before they came back to the publisher?
This is like rolling that saving throw with the 20 sider except I want a low number. Like anything before 15.
~~~
Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
~~~
Come on May 15th!!!!! And I mean I want it on the street May 15th!
I am afraid that, since releases usually tke place on Mondays, "mid- May" probably means the 17th.
Not that I will not support DL every now and then but I want a more reliable schedule(Maybe Eberron can do this?) where I am not put out at the deep end as my players wonder why it took months to release a mere adventure module. They are almost 3rd-level now and I have nothing else for them to do other than talk with Shaylan.
If it is late again I am going to have to DM Ravenloft my next session which I really do not want to do.
~~~
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
If it is late again I am going to have to DM Ravenloft my next session which I really do not want to do.
SPs schedule does not revolve around you. Come on down...there is not "late again." It's late, period. You, and only you, have said "mid-May means May 15th." So if it doesn't come out by that exact date...that doesn't mean that it's late again.
I almost hope it doesn't come out until the following week...maybe then we don't have to listen to this constant bickering anymore...and the Eberron people can deal with it.
When you stop holding the Sovereign Press flag
you will then realize that the product is more than 5 months late and we still have no solid release date. They have a responsibility to get their products out on time.People have the right to voice their opinions about a company that keeps selling them pipe dreams.
~~~
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
People have the right to voice their opinions about a company that keeps selling them pipe dreams.
And I'm sure you'll agree that people also have the right to voice their own opinions right back at those who voice their opinions. Right?
Good, now that we understand that we can go back to being happy that the book's at the printer and available in stores this month. In the meantime, maybe folks will share more ideas with you about how to handle your belligerent players.
What did you do when you didn't have published adventures?
Cheers,
Cam
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
N*%^a please...
Classy.
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
When you stop holding the Sovereign Press flag you will then realize that the product is more than 5 months late and we still have no solid release date. They have a responsibility to get their products out on time.
I more than realize it's 5 months late. What I'm not doing is making it my goal in life to mention it every friggin' day.
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
People have the right to voice their opinions about a company that keeps selling them pipe dreams.
And I'm telling you they didn't keep selling us pipe dreams...they quit doing that a few months ago.
You're holding this "May 15th" date up on a pedestal and made it the do or die date. Which you are more than welcome to do. It makes perfect sense...if you're tired of it being late...but don't want to give up too soon...pick a date, everyone's got their breaking point. Yours is apparently the 15th of May.
What you shouldn't do is act like it was an official date from Sovereign Press. They never said May 15th. They said on the 23rd of April that the book had gone to print, which means it's on schedule for a release in mid-May. They said yesterday that they expect a ship date from the printers any day now (sometime this week, I think they said). But no one, no where, has said May 15th. That is a date that you put in their mouth...so stop doing that and I'll stop "holding the Sov. Press flag."
Man you guys do not get it and since I don't want this locked or for Brim and I to become mortal enemies I will chill.
Here goes, when I first saw the Dragonlance campaign setting book I ran over to my wife like a kid in the candy store and showed it to her. She bought the book for me awhile later.
It was so well done that I knew I had to run the Dragonlance campaign for my players. Then I heard that KoD was coming out and I heard how many pages it had in it and I was even happier. Then when I heard it was delayed I was like I am going to wait but Jamie released the preview so I started my campaign trusting S.P. to release it within a few weeks or so.
My players loved the adventure and now here I am not far from the date of my next session with absolutely nothing to go on after the preview. I don't want to DM Ravenloft or switch to Eberron(Although I am going to buy the Eberron CS.), I WANT TO RUN MY DRAGONLANCE AoM CAMPAIGN!
I even have a Yahoo account set-up for my players to get info on the campaign when I am not present. That is how much I am into it. What I am saying is I am feeling like those that have started their campaigns and that are at the end of their limb are being left out there with their campaign cold turkey.
That may not be true but that is how I feel.
~~~
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
When you stop holding the Sovereign Press flag
People have the right to voice their opinions about a company that keeps selling them pipe dreams.
~~~
While we have a release schedule, and we wish that events did not happen to change it, for a few products there is nothing more that can be done.
What I don't understand is the perception that delays somehow "cheat" the consumer. While they cause problems on both sides, no one has to purchase the product until it is out on the shelves. We've asked no one to "subscribe" to Dragonlance game products, so you don't have to spend any money until you can evaluate one of our products on its own merits. I realize that you may decide to spend your gaming dollar somewhere else instead of waiting, but perhaps when a product finally hits the shelves you might go back and still decide it's worth it.
Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
I more than realize it's 5 months late. What I'm not doing is making it my goal in life to mention it every friggin' day.
I'm happy for you.
And I'm telling you they didn't keep selling us pipe dreams...
VS.
they quit doing that a few months ago.
so stop doing that and I'll stop "holding the Sov. Press flag."
At least you admit that your a flag bearer.
[/end rant]
~~~
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
At least you admit that your a flag bearer.
The concept of sarcasm escapes you, doesn't it?
It'll be out when its out and not before, so sit back, take a chill pill and do what I've done.
I started the KoD campaign, and I've finished the preview with my group. They really want to continue, but I don't have it so we can't. So we played another game for awhile. This doesn't mean we wont continue KoD, my group keeps bugging ME for when it'll be out (since none of them can appearently check a web page on their own).
Maybe this is easy for me, being in a group were everyone likes DMing from time to time so there's always some idea someone has to run, but still...
Still, I'm itching to get my hands on KoD, so I have the piece of mind that when we are ready for the full blown adventure, it will be ready for us as well...
Originally posted by Nived
Would you two stop before yet another KoD thread gets shut down?
Sorry. I'm stopping.
Originally posted by Lord of Illusions
When you stop holding the Sovereign Press flag you will then realize that the product is more than 5 months late and we still have no solid release date.
Actually, it is seven months late (it was originally scheduled for October 2003).
Originally posted by cnposner
Actually, it is seven months late (it was originally scheduled for October 2003).
~~~
We already know the following:
1. Key of Destiny is late.
2. Sovereign Press is working to fix it.
3. Key of Destiny is at the printers.
4. Key of Destiny will be on store shelves soon.
These are the basic facts as they stand now, and there’s nothing more that we can do about this, save wait patiently.
Rather than going around in circles on this topic as we have been (both for and against Sovereign Press), I would rather we focus our energies on a more positive note.
Let’s redirect the discussion, if we could please, to preparations being made to run Key of Destiny, or perhaps our current games being run in the preview. How have our experiences been similar and how have they been different?
Thoughts?
C’mon guys, let’s lay off on this topic, okay?
Helm, Brim and I peaced it up awhile back.
Your late dawg. ;)
~~~
Something sorta fun (but slowed the pace down) was the group splitting up within the city, I asked what they wanted to do, and some wanted to go to the markets, some wanted to do other things. Which lead to a great deal of the random encounters being used, but not all of them. One comment I did get though was.
Unfortunatly they didn't spend much time in the sewers because they ran into the elven scouts rather early... too bad I kinda wanted them to go against the ghast.
Probably the best part of the preview chapter was the topic that inevitably comes up every time you have a large creature in the party (in this case a Centaur) and a Kender. "What do I roll if I want to throw the kender?" "-4 for being non-proficient, -2 for kender having no range incriment."
This all happened durring the lepers encounter. Aranol threw his tanglefoot bag at the minotaur, and the centaur threw a kender at Aranol, and hit, the Kapak of the group managed to bring Aranol down the rest of the way before he could escape. Which brought the group to their first encounter with the elves.
Originally posted by Nived
Probably the best part of the preview chapter was the topic that inevitably comes up every time you have a large creature in the party (in this case a Centaur) and a Kender. "What do I roll if I want to throw the kender?" "-4 for being non-proficient, -2 for kender having no range incriment."
This reminds me of a story a buddy of mine told me. He was playing this half-ogre named Groan. Groan, a Wizard of High Sorcery, and a Knight of Solamnia are facing off against a dragon. The knight has a Dragonlance.
The wizard looks to Groan and says, “Pick up the knight and throw him!”
Groan did just that. And so it was that the Class 1,000 Missile Weapon was born. ;)
For Christmas a year or two back, I got this buddy of mine a toy figure of Shrek raising a knight above his head, ready to throw him.
Unfortunatly they didn't spend much time in the sewers because they ran into the elven scouts rather early... too bad I kinda wanted them to go against the ghast.
My players ran into the ghast. They made short work of him too. The fun part about it was looking at them try to figure out what he was since I omit the names of all the creatures I put them up against. :D
~~~
How about they discover an escaped evlen wizard from Silvanesti who uses an item to switch apperances with one of the characters (probably a qualinesti elf) and disappears and the minotaurs find the players instead and try to capture the wizard for information they need to gain entry into House Mystic. And the party has to outwit or outlast them in the desert.
Or maybe they are captured by an insane blue dragon that wants them to retrive an item in an old istarian ruins that has an antimagic spell over the entrance preventing him from changing shape to get into it...
And so on and so forth... just some ideas....
Originally posted by Kipper Snifferdoo
If you are at the end of the adventure it says that they head out into the desert. Why not just run a game where they encounter Dark Knights or minotaurs from Silvanesti or both. Maybe they get caught in a clash between the Dark Knights and the Minotaurs from Silvanesti.
I had the Dark Knights get tipped off while the heroes were resting up in the elven community, and as the heroes were saying their goodbyes to Shaylin the Dark Knights commenced an assault on the settlement. Thorn Knights fireballed the place, tents and lean-tos went up in flames, Lily Knights marched through the middle of the inferno cutting down fleeing elves left and right, while General Dogah ordered archers to send a hail of arrows at the heroes and the elven leaders. Shaylin was killed by a Nerakan arrow, and the heroes had to run for their lives up the tunnel and out into the desert.
I then had a single Dark Knight on a blue dragon fly out into the desert looking for them. The heroes encountered a scout patrol of minotaurs from Silvanesti, and were just about done finishing them off when a wall of sand approached from the south, with the blue dragon and her rider at the crest of it. A battle ensued, in which the majority of the heroes failed to save against the frightful presence of the dragon, but the party's armored fighter stood her ground, jumped at the dragon, cut the saddle off, and held on for dear life, grappling the dragon and causing it to fly into a stone arch out in the dunes. The dragon's neck snapped as it flew through the arch, too narrow for its shoulders and only wide enough for its head. The dragon told the fighter that she was the most valiant opponent it'd ever faced, and held onto her as it collided with the arch. She lived, barely, but walked away from the fight with a driving need to find out more about the creatures she had originally believed to be just giant reptiles with wings.
So, I did a lot, without even starting on Chapter Two.
Cheers,
Cam
*Edit* sure... cure... close enough.
Originally posted by Nived
Wow Cam, really, wow. I think my players would kill me if I did that because two of them swore to find a sure for the elves' affliction.
My players really, really hate the Dark Knights now. So it worked!
Cheers,
Cam
Originally posted by Nived
Wow Cam, really, wow. I think my players would kill me if I did that because two of them swore to find a cure for the elves' affliction.
*Edit* sure... cure... close enough.
Nah, they'd just need to work a bit harder for the cure. And a cure for "elven pin-cushion" syndrome has got to heal what ails ya
They actually liked the elves (and wanted to stay and help them rather than go save the world) so... luckily Shaylin convinced them to go, though since that's where we left off if they give me any heck about staying to help the elves maybe I'll use Cam's plan and face my player's wrath.
Originally posted by WizO_Drake
Does Key of Destiny require a fair amount of setting knowledge to play? Could someone new to Dragonlance just jump right in?
Sure they could. I myself am a Dragonlance newbie. :D
I would advise you to start reading these books to familiarize yourself with the 5th age of Krynn :
* The 2nd Generation
* Dragons of a Summer Flame(The Chaos War)
* Dragons of a Fallen Sun(War of Souls)
* Dragons of a Lost Star(War of Souls)
* Dragons of a Vanished Moon(War of Souls)<----I am reading this now.
What I did was ran the adventure known as The Sylvan Key out of the back of the Dragonlance Campaign Setting book then jumped right into the online preview of KoD(Nived gave you a link I think.). I started running this campaign shortly after I completed Dragons of a Fallen Sun because I felt I had enough to go on with the timeline in the books(Plus I read the Chronicles and Legends when DnD was still in the 2E stage.).
If you have problems with running your campaign you can always come here(As you have already done.) and someone will help you. I myself have received alot of help from this forum. Hope this post helps and sorry if I broke the rules by referencing the books.
~~~
Originally posted by LordofIllusions
Hope this post helps and sorry if I broke the rules by referencing the books.
I'm not a WizO...but from what I understand...referencing the books like you did here (and we are on the 5th Age thread) is okay. We're just not supposed to have threads that are discussions about books and their authors (which I'm betting, we could probably even get away with that so long as it was civil...but maybe not)
Originally posted by jechambers on 05/04/04
We do not yet have a ship-date from the printer, but anticipate it this week. Announcements are forthcoming once that happens.
Since the the week is over and there has been no further news, can I assume the worst?
Originally posted by Brimstone
I'm not a WizO...but from what I understand...referencing the books like you did here (and we are on the 5th Age thread) is okay.
Correct. Reference the novels for discussions of games or the world of Krynn in general.
Discussions of novels (i.e. Chronicles and Legends) is no longer allowed by WotC. Dragonlance.com has a novel board, so you might try there for novel discussions.
Originally posted by cnposner
Since the the week is over and there has been no further news, can I assume the worst?
You could.
Or you could assume that Mr. Chambers is working very hard to get Key of Destiny out to consumers, as well as working on other upcoming Dragonlance products such as Towers of High Sorcery, the Dragonlance Adventure Game, and War of the Lance, not to mention their Sovereign Stone line.
Personally, I like to focus on the positive. Key of Destiny is at the printer, which means that it will be in stores very shortly.
So sit back, grab a soda, and keep smiling!
Originally posted by cnposner
Since the the week is over and there has been no further news, can I assume the worst?
Yes.
~~~
Hopefully, all the editing is done after these past few months, so any issues that arise are at the hands of the printer, and hopefully aren't too bad and won't take too long. Just a hopeful guess though. Then again, like it was previously stated, maybe they are in the midst of the other several books slated to go out in the upcoming months.
I still can't wait to get KoD though...
Hmm, even though the files are at the printer, doesn't mean they are out of the woods yet as far as edits and what not go. I'm not sure what kind of process they are using to get the book printed, but they are most likely looking at getting bluelines or guides for the print run from the printer that will require Sovereign to review and make sure the content and layout are accurate from the files they sent over. They might even have a press inspection to see how the project is progressing, and see what the final printed pages look like before the project goes into final production. This will include layout, color matching if necessary, etc. Things can still conceivably go wrong at this stage, and if there are any hiccups in production, it can set schedules back. I've experienced this kind of stuff myself in my line of work.
Thanks for keeping it real with us.
~~~
(That means, for those of you prone to misunderstanding, that the product will be on store shelves this month.)
Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
Originally posted by jechambers
We have received word on the ship date of Key of Destiny and have an announcement coming up later this afternoon on the front page of Dragonlance.com. I'm afraid that those of you convinced that the product would be delayed until next month wil be sorely disappointed.
(That means, for those of you prone to misunderstanding, that the product will be on store shelves this month.)
Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
That's good news! My earlier post was just saying that I can understand if there were any setbacks while the files were at the printer, so that wasn't my pessimism coming through. Sorry if my message came across the wrong way. Lately, no news equates to bad news, so I just threw in my $.02 in hopes of cutting you guys some slack. ;)
Thanks for the update Jamie.