Towers of High Sorcery Previews

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Jul 06, 2004 16:38:50
I haven't seen too much discussion here of our previews for TOWERS OF HIGH SORCERY. Check them out and let us know what you think so far!

http://www.dragonlance.com/d20/enhancements/towers.asp

Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
#2

zombiegleemax

Jul 06, 2004 17:48:19
Well Jamie....Im so utterly pleased with them I dont know what to say! The book seems like it is going to be fantastic...one of those books so full of new info and clarifying old info ........ consider one copy sold already, thats how I feel about it
#3

gnomon

Jul 06, 2004 19:05:43
I found the Daltigoth preview very informative -- and look forward to reading the entries for the other Towers when the book finally comes out. Are there going to be maps and diagrams of the tower complexes?

I'm also excited about the prospect of getting more and detailed information on these towers we've heard so much about in Chris Pierson's GREAT Kingpriest Trilogy (thanks Chris!). Losarcum was presented beautifuly in those books -- a mysterious tower readers knew little or nothing about until now.

I'm also looking forward to an expanded understanding of how magic works on Krynn in general -- with the 3E confusion regarding the role of Wizards vs Sorcerers in Dragonlance -- it will be good to have a resource to clear some of that confusion up. It is something I found a bit lacking in DLCS.

The preview on the Conclave was less helpful, only because we already knew a lot of that information -- but still, it was great to have a lot of what long time gamers like myself had assumed, confirmed.

As a long time D&D Dragonlance RPGer you can count on my investment in this long awaited text!

Thanks Jamie!
#4

iltharanos

Jul 06, 2004 20:40:43
Originally posted by jechambers
I haven't seen too much discussion here of our previews for TOWERS OF HIGH SORCERY. Check them out and let us know what you think so far!

http://www.dragonlance.com/d20/enhancements/towers.asp

Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.

Not alot of on-board talk about it, but I've discussed the previews and the upcoming book with one of my players quite a bit (he's a human Red Robe in my campaign) and we're both looking forward to more previews as well as the book itself.

Here are some related questions.

I. Does ToHS explain or elaborate on how Wizards of High Sorcery detect renegades?

e.g. Rath the Red Robe is walking down one of Haven's streets and comes upon Rage the Renegade Wizard, who outwardly does not appear to be a spellcaster at all and is not in fact casting any spells at that moment. The question is:

a. Does Rath have some way of detecting the fact that Rage has not taken the Test of High Sorcery (or that he has taken the Test but has since abandoned the Orders) and that he is capable of casting powerful enough spells that he should have already taken the Test and should therefore be a member of the Wizards of High Sorcery? e.g. Rage can cast fireball.

1. If so, how does Rath detect Rage's "renegadeness"? Some variant of the Arcane Sight spell? Is there some Prestige Class ala "renegade hunter" that has such a class ability? Is it some combination of the two or something else entirely?



From the novel Wizards' Conclave it seems that the Wizards of High Sorcery can "feel" the use of wild magic and thus the detection of sorcerer renegades is not an issue.

II. Is this detection method covered in Towers of High Sorcery?


Thanks
#5

baron_the_curse

Jul 06, 2004 21:26:48
I remember in “classic” Dragonlance novels WoHS could sense if a wizard had taken the Test. I really don’t think a rule is needed for this, as it is more of a story element. However, it would be interesting to find out of there is a way for Renegades to use magic to “mask” their magical status outside the Tower order.

Jamie, from what I’ve seen this book might be the best Dragonlance supplement in a long, long time. Not to knock the earlier SP products but this looks like a work of art. Congrats, and I hope this book wasn’t your Life Quest, since we hope to get more titles like it.

Iltharanos, I could not help but notice your signature. Are you a democrat or a far-left liberal? Because that’s pretty harsh.
#6

iltharanos

Jul 07, 2004 0:49:07
Originally posted by Baron the Curse


Iltharanos, I could not help but notice your signature. Are you a democrat or a far-left liberal? Because that’s pretty harsh.

I just don't like the guy, and while cruising the 'net I saw that funny psalm and decided to include it in my sig.

As for the ToHS accessory, I figured that if mechanics were included in that book about detecting renegades, it could lead to quite a few interesting plot hooks and story elements.
#7

dragontooth

Jul 07, 2004 8:23:46
Well in the days that Sorcerers didn't exsist all the WoHS had to do was scry on all students who were studing magic. The ones that were ready(test) they sent a message to. The ones they sent a message too and never got a response they kept scrying on them, and if they grew in power they called them a renegade and had them hunted down.

As far as Joe the Red Robe, walking down the street and see's Bob in street clothes he wouldn't know he was a renegade until he saw Bob casting stone skin or something to that effect.

Now if Joe the Red Robe task was to find, and bring Bob to the tower he would probably know what Bob's apperance looks like.
#8

Dragonhelm

Jul 07, 2004 9:54:29
Just an FYI, preview #3 of ToHS is up, and it's nothing short of the classic spell, Timereaver!

Timereaver
#9

daedavias_dup

Jul 07, 2004 10:04:03
All I have to say is that the book looks spectacular. Unfortunately, my current gaming group has no wizards in it, so the book might not be used to much (the sorceror is a Bozak draconian, so the WoHS will leave him alone anyway.).

I also like how the preview of Time Reaver gives us a little bit of a hint on how power of a spellcaster Par-Salian was. He had to be above 17th level, since he sent Caramon, Tas, and Crysania about 350 years into the past.

Raistlin would have to be above 40th level to move himself, Caramon, and Crysania forward in time from the Cataclysm (0 AC) to the Dwarfgate War (39 AC). This is, of course, up to speculation...
#10

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 10:56:45
WOW! I am speechless.

I can hardly wait for the book to come out. We have one wizard (apprentice) in our DL group. I think that he would enjoy this book as well since he is reading the Legends for the first time.

Any idea when the book will be out?
#11

iltharanos

Jul 07, 2004 11:09:23
Originally posted by Daedavias
All I have to say is that the book looks spectacular. Unfortunately, my current gaming group has no wizards in it, so the book might not be used to much (the sorceror is a Bozak draconian, so the WoHS will leave him alone anyway.).

I also like how the preview of Time Reaver gives us a little bit of a hint on how power of a spellcaster Par-Salian was. He had to be above 17th level, since he sent Caramon, Tas, and Crysania about 350 years into the past.

Raistlin would have to be above 40th level to move himself, Caramon, and Crysania forward in time from the Cataclysm (0 AC) to the Dwarfgate War (39 AC). This is, of course, up to speculation...

I like how Par-Salian had to expend at least (I rounded the decades down) 45,000 stl in material components as well as burn 18,500 xp to hurl Caramon and Tas back to just before the 1st Cataclysm. Now that's a damn pricey spell ... yet oh so cool.

Daedavias, perhaps the spell is subjective in its casting.

e.g. You first cast the spell in 422 AC. Any time prior to 422 AC is considered the past and any movement within that time period is considered traveling backward. Thus traveling from:

422 AC to 353 AC = traveling backward in time

353 AC to 383 AC = traveling backward in time (because it is still within your past)

Of course, this is just my speculation on the spell ... and if you're correct, then Raistlin is even a bigger badass than I thought.
#12

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 11:14:45
I'll be very interested to see if there's any information on how much of a contribution individual mages have to make towards the activities of the Orders of High Sorcery. Can a wizard, once he's submitted to the Test and taken a level of the WOHS prestige class, then carry on his own independent goals and pursuits with a fairly minimal level of interference by the Orders, if he so chooses? I'm thinking in particular of chaotic-aligned players and NPCs who in their heart of hearts may despise the imposed power structure and regimentation, but take the Test & obey the letter of the Laws of Magic out of self-preservation.
#13

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 11:20:35
Originally posted by Twilight Herald
I'll be very interested to see if there's any information on how much of a contribution individual mages have to make towards the activities of the Orders of High Sorcery. Can a wizard, once he's submitted to the Test and taken a level of the WOHS prestige class, then carry on his own independent goals and pursuits with a fairly minimal level of interference by the Orders, if he so chooses? I'm thinking in particular of chaotic-aligned players and NPCs who in their heart of hearts may despise the imposed power structure and regimentation, but take the Test & obey the letter of the Laws of Magic out of self-preservation.

I think that they can but there are prices to pay for doing things like that.
#14

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 11:32:30
I put the link on a few of the boards I post on at the Dracomonican page. The more exposure the better.
#15

brimstone

Jul 07, 2004 12:28:30
I don't think Raistlindantilus counts. I doubt they're using Timereaver. As we see in War of Souls there's just something special about them and the River of Time. What it is, I don't know...but I don't think their time jumping has anything to do with this spell.

Just a guess, of course.
#16

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 14:10:45
Well being the Master of Past and Present should have some kind of benefits doncha think?
#17

brimstone

Jul 07, 2004 14:51:58
Originally posted by Amaron Blackthorn
Well being the Master of Past and Present should have some kind of benefits doncha think?

The title means nothing if we don't know what it is...which technically, we don't.
#18

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 14:56:11
True, but we do know that he is able to open the Tower. He is also able to travel through the stream of Time easily (Dragons of Summer Flame)
#19

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 15:13:27
Will some of the classic art be included in the book?
#20

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 16:22:17
If someone travels back from after the War of Souls to before the Chaos War, and then travels forward again to after the Chaos War, does he arrive at the original future in which the gods never left, or the "real" future described in the Fifth Age and War of Souls books?
#21

brimstone

Jul 07, 2004 16:27:15
Originally posted by cnposner
If someone travels back from after the War of Souls to before the Chaos War, and then travels forward again to after the Chaos War, does he arrive at the original future in which the gods never left, or the "real" future after the War of Souls?

That would be the "real" future. Krynn is no longer connected to that previous branch of the River...it's been dammed up, so to speak.

At least that's how I'd handle it.
#22

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 17:27:33
The only way I see someone being able to witness any other future for Krynn aside from what was portrayed in the canon storyline is to A) Be native to a time prior to the Second Cataclysm....B) Travel to the future by one of the means available.

As Brimstone said, if one were native to a time after the War of Souls, that vision of the future is no longer applicable, they cant get there. It simply doesnt exist.

Now my way around this....and it is obvious that a chaos race is necessary, is to send people back in time after the WoS and have them stop the Irda from breaking the Greygem, thereby taking away Takhisis' window of opportunity to steal the world, and preventing the Chaos War.....also preventing the need for Paladine and Gilean to agree to let Takhisis take over the continent of Ansalon.
#23

iltharanos

Jul 07, 2004 17:33:03
Haha. Can you imagine the hilarity in some mad Archmage's plan to alter the past, simply because of the chaos-touched race requirement?

"Gilidarius of the Black Robes, mighty archmage and new master of the Tower of Nightlund successfully casts the timereaver spell ... his destination the past, his objective the alteration of events as we know them, his companion ... Scumbag the gully dwarf."
#24

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 17:38:32
Which is precisely what I imagine happening....hell, it could be a great campaign storyline. It wouldnt even have to be a gully dwarf.....just a run of the mill dwarf.....although I tend to like the idea of a black robe mage with a gully dwarf.....or interestingly enough, since technically the rules would allow for the exceptional gully dwarf black robed mage.....lol.....anyways, yes....this is exactly what I see happening
#25

brimstone

Jul 07, 2004 18:06:30
Well...I see time travel just a little bit differently than most for Krynn, I think, and it comes from two reasons. The first would be the unbareable thought of a paradox...you go back in time to change the past, but in doing so, in the future, there's no need for you to go to the past to change it because it's already been changed, but then if you don't go back then it won't change so there's a reason to go, but if you go and change it then there's no reason to go, but if you don't go....

See my problem? So...the only way to truly get around this is to say that the past is fixed. It doesn't matter who you are or what race you belong to...it is not possible to divert the flow of the River of Time from the past.

This also comes from Tracy's Appendix in Annotated Legends...it's what gave me this idea.

So...since you can't divert the flow from the past...the only other choice is from the future. Even that is not really possible.

According to Annotated Legends Tas did not change anything in the past. In the present (353 AC) Fistandantilus and Denubis are in the Abyss making their way towards Takhisis. Everyone believes that they both died in a blast 300 years ago...but they didn't.

Raistlin, believing Fisti failed, but that he can succeed, travels into the past. High God's law as to not effect the past in anyway that would cause a paradox requires something akin to the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy. Essentially, for one to move forward in the River, they must take someone elses place...essentially forming an inescapable time loop...sort of. Raistlin kills Fisti and takes his place in the River, Denubis leaves with Loralon thanks to Crysania, she takes his place, and Pheragas dies in the arena so Caramon takes his place...Chaos creatures are outside this...so Tas is along for the ride...but is still unable to effect paradoxical change.

So...as we move forward...in the original timeline...it reaches 354 AC, Fistandantilus opens the portal and leaves the Abyss and Takhisis follows...massive battle ensues and 2 years later, all the gods are dead, the end of Krynn has come, Astinus closes the book, and that's all she wrote. Gnimsh (or was it Gnosh? one of those gnomes) and Pheragas activate their time traveling device and accidentally flee to the future. Being a gnome and human, there's nothing they can do about it...they see the future and most likely die.

Jump back to the second time with Raistlin and co. Caramon and Tas (who has not fullfiled his conservation by taking the gnome's place) use their device and also travel forward disrupting Raistlin's spell enough to cause a catastrophic rebound of energy...but not disrupting enough for the spell to fail. Caramon and Tas travel into their future...at which point, everhthing chages. Tas has seen the future...and seeing the future he can now go back to his present time and effect the course of the River...the only place you can effect the River is in the present (I like the philisophical implications of that, too).

Caramon and Tas did not spring forward into some freaky accidental future...they leapt forward into the nominal future...the future that should have been from the beginning of time. But, using the knowledge of the future and what would happen, Caramon and Tas travel back to the present to save the future. And it all happens with one simple act...Tas steals Tanis's bracelet. Tas stole the magical bracelet that Tanis was going to use to fight Soth...and fight that Tanis would have lost, so Tas changes the future by saving Tanis...then it snow balls. Tanis saves Caramon in the citadel. Caramon saves Crysania which helps Caramon convince Raistlin to give up this quest for power. Which effectively redirects the River of Time away from disaster.

All because a kender didn't want his friend to die.

......

Well, and the love of brothers, too. heh heh

But, that's just how I see time travel in Krynn. It may not be the most popular, or majority...but I'm quite satisfied with it...and I don't have to worry about paradoxes anymore.
#26

iltharanos

Jul 07, 2004 18:43:21
Originally posted by Brimstone


But, that's just how I see time travel in Krynn. It may not be the most popular, or majority...but I'm quite satisfied with it...and I don't have to worry about paradoxes anymore.

You can also go with the view that once one jumps into the past (with a chaos-touched race), that one has forever left that timeline behind. You effectively exist in an alternate timeline that is independent of the timeline you just left.

e.g.

You are traveller A from timeline 1.

A casts timereaver and brings a gully dwarf with him into the past.

A has now left timeline 1 and exists in timeline 2.

A kills his past self (known as "B") in timeline 2. Ordinarily we would have a paradox here, since how could A go back in time to kill himself if he was already slain by his future self.

In our illustration, there is no paradox here because A's past self still exists in timeline 1. A has not affected his past at all, he's affected B's past. From B's perspective, it's just like being killed by a stranger, since A is not native to B's timeline.


Thus A can go back in time and do whatever the Abyss he wants and then travel back towards his "present" and everything is hunky dorey (sp?).
#27

zombiegleemax

Jul 07, 2004 18:43:24
See, all kinds of cool story potential for that Timereaver spell! We actually plan on dealing with time travel more in a product slated for next year...

Jamie Chambers
Sovereign Press, Inc.
#28

zombiegleemax

Jul 08, 2004 0:08:30
I see the "Highgod No Timeline Touchie" rule as something that would work well for the books, but indeed something that would work well if lost from the game.....It seems to be a good way to remain canonical for novels and games that wish to do so.....hell...normally I fall into that category with my game....I just see a campaign premade for the DM with the inclusion of that spell......likely an epic campaign.....both in game terms and as an adjective.
#29

zombiegleemax

Jul 08, 2004 1:15:47
What if a caster uses Timereaver to go 100 years into the past, but brings with him all the necessary components and ingredients to create another magic circle.

If he were to cast the spell again to "return home," could he still only move 1 year per level since "home" is chronologically in the future, or would he get to move the full 20 years per level because, for him, his future home is technically in his past?

Basically, as far as the spell is concerned, is going "back to the future" going back in time or forward in time?
#30

theredrobedwizard

Jul 08, 2004 7:10:01
When the spell is first cast, that creates "now". "Now" is the point in the timeline when the spell was cast.

If you're travelling from "now" into a time that is further down the timeline, it's going into the future.

If you're travelling from "now" into a time that has already happened, you're going into the past.

Each time you cast the spell, you create a new relative "now" from which the spell references all destinations.

Example: TheRedRobedWizard (total caster level 18) is the Master of the Tower of Losarcum. He desides to cast Timereaver to go about 20 years into the past. He uses up all the spell components and XP and such. The spell is cast, and he's 20 years in the past.

In order to get back, TRRW sets the destination at 18 years into the future and casts the spell. He is now 2 years prior to where he started.

That's how I see it anyway.

-TRRW
#31

daedavias_dup

Jul 08, 2004 8:58:48
Originally posted by iltharanos
Daedavias, perhaps the spell is subjective in its casting.

e.g. You first cast the spell in 422 AC. Any time prior to 422 AC is considered the past and any movement within that time period is considered traveling backward. Thus traveling from:

422 AC to 353 AC = traveling backward in time

353 AC to 383 AC = traveling backward in time (because it is still within your past)

Ah, this could be how it works. However, one can't help but hope that our ol' pal Raist is high enough level to send himself and two others forty years in the future...
#32

zombiegleemax

Jul 08, 2004 12:41:13
I doubt very highly that the spell allows one to travel back in time and then return to their time as if it was their past. I agree with the view that the "present" for purposes of the spell is the particular time that the caster is in at the moment.
#33

iltharanos

Jul 08, 2004 13:20:56
Originally posted by Serena DarkMyst
I doubt very highly that the spell allows one to travel back in time and then return to their time as if it was their past. I agree with the view that the "present" for purposes of the spell is the particular time that the caster is in at the moment.

If that's the case, then Raistlin has a caster level of at least 39, since he transported himself from just prior to the Cataclysm to 39 years later circa the Dwarfgate Wars ... a fact that's bound to annoy those DL fans that believe DL is all low-level heroes running about.
#34

brimstone

Jul 08, 2004 13:38:06
Originally posted by iltharanos
If that's the case, then Raistlin has a caster level of at least 39, since he transported himself from just prior to the Cataclysm to 39 years later circa the Dwarfgate Wars ... a fact that's bound to annoy those DL fans that believe DL is all low-level heroes running about.

Except for the fact that...personally I highly doubt that what Raistlin and Fistandantilus use to jump through time is the Timereaver spell...specifically for this reason. They seem to have no problems what-so-ever jumping forward and backward anytime they want. Heck...Fistandantilus jumped forward at least 350 years once to bother Raistlin during his test.

There's the other thought, too...that they only jump 20 years at a time or something. The jump doesn't have to all be at once. But personally, I doubt they are using Timereaver. That spell is for amateurs. :D
#35

iltharanos

Jul 08, 2004 13:46:58
Originally posted by Brimstone
Except for the fact that...personally I highly doubt that what Raistlin and Fistandantilus use to jump through time is the Timereaver spell...specifically for this reason. They seem to have no problems what-so-ever jumping forward and backward anytime they want. Heck...Fistandantilus jumped forward at least 350 years once to bother Raistlin during his test.


Fistandantilus didn't really jump forward in time to harass Raistlin during his test. He was dead, just not completely dead. He died way back during the Dwarfgate Wars and his undead spirit lingered around for centuries waiting for the right opportunity to suck the life out of a powerful and talented mageling ... which is exactly what he did.
#36

brimstone

Jul 08, 2004 14:02:15
Originally posted by iltharanos
Fistandantilus didn't really jump forward in time to harass Raistlin during his test. He was dead, just not completely dead. He died way back during the Dwarfgate Wars and his undead spirit lingered around for centuries waiting for the right opportunity to suck the life out of a powerful and talented mageling ... which is exactly what he did.

Legends says otherwise...and really Soulforge implies otherwise as well.

It's hard to tell. Par-Salian seems to think that Fisti is "dead" or a lich of some sort. Fistandantilus himself says that he will leap forward in time to claim Raistlin's soul/body which he has already prepared for himself (implying in my mind that sometime before Raistlin started studying under Fisti in the past, Fisti had already leapt forward and disrupted Raistlin's Test..."preparing" the soul and body for his retrieval at his convienence).

Plus, according to Tracy, Fistandantilus didn't die in the blast during the Dwarfgate Wars...and I tend to agree with that statement.
#37

iltharanos

Jul 08, 2004 14:46:37
Originally posted by Brimstone
Legends says otherwise...and really Soulforge implies otherwise as well.

It's hard to tell. Par-Salian seems to think that Fisti is "dead" or a lich of some sort. Fistandantilus himself says that he will leap forward in time to claim Raistlin's soul/body which he has already prepared for himself (implying in my mind that sometime before Raistlin started studying under Fisti in the past, Fisti had already leapt forward and disrupted Raistlin's Test..."preparing" the soul and body for his retrieval at his convienence).

Plus, according to Tracy, Fistandantilus didn't die in the blast during the Dwarfgate Wars...and I tend to agree with that statement.

Ahh. The wonders of retcon and internal inconsistencies.

Did Fisty die @ Zhaman or did he live on ...

Did Huma fight the dark queen 1000 years before the cataclysm or 2700 years before the cataclysm ...

Did the companions encounter a drow (as in FR drow) banshee in Pax Tharkas or was it a drow (as in DL dark elf) banshee ...

Was Dragons of Summer Flame supposed to be the last Dragonlance novel or was it a cliffhanger to entice audiences towards further Dragonlance adventures

Was that Fizban Palin met @ the end of DoSF or was it Tak's image of Fizban ...

Was the Tower of High Sorcery @ Daltigoth White or was it Red in color ...



Krynn, gotta love it.

It would be immensely helpful if the creator(s) chimed in and cleared up the ambiguities in the spell description of Timereaver ... as would stats of Raistlin at his most powerful. ;)
#38

zombiegleemax

Jul 08, 2004 14:59:47
The text states you can only go 1 year per level into the future because its "much more difficult to navigate." The assumption is that the reason its more difficult to navigate is because the future is constantly in motion, and yet to be written.

But if you go back in time 20 or 100 years, then the next 20 or 100 years in the future have been written, and you know exactly how they'll turn out, because they're still technically your "past." So for the reason they gave it would seem that the 1 year per level rule wouldn't apply.

Let's say we're here in 2004 and cast the spell. We have no idea what will happen in 2005 or 2010, so we only get to go one year per level forward.

But if we go back to 1984, then for that year, we do know what will happen the next year, in 1985. And 1986, and 1987, and so one up to 2004. So wouldn't those years be easier to navigate whether you're moving forward or backward?

I could understand that not being the case if a graygem race went along, because then technically he could create an alternate 1985 and so on. But assuming that its a human or elf, shouldn't the 20 year per level apply for any span that is the "past" from that character's natural timelime?
#39

brimstone

Jul 08, 2004 15:01:15
Originally posted by iltharanos
Ahh. The wonders of retcon and internal inconsistencies.

Did Fisty die @ Zhaman or did he live on ...

Yeah...I don't think it helps much that Legends doesn't completely agree with Second Generation which doesn't completely agree with Soulforge. But this one is wacked enough that I can chalk it up to "in world" misinterpretations (ie, Par-Salian et al. didn't know what they were talking about) So I'm okay with my vision not really agreeing with all of them but not really disagreeing with all of them either. heh heh
Originally posted by iltharanos
It would be immensely helpful if the creator(s) chimed in and cleared up the ambiguities in the spell description of Timereaver ... as would stats of Raistlin at his most powerful. ;)

I'd be willing to be that we won't see that until the Legends type sourcebook (which Jamie elluded to earlier today) next year.
#40

iltharanos

Jul 08, 2004 15:49:48
Originally posted by Kai Lord
The text states you can only go 1 year per level into the future because its "much more difficult to navigate." The assumption is that the reason its more difficult to navigate is because the future is constantly in motion, and yet to be written.

But if you go back in time 20 or 100 years, then the next 20 or 100 years in the future have been written, and you know exactly how they'll turn out, because they're still technically your "past." So for the reason they gave it would seem that the 1 year per level rule wouldn't apply.

Let's say we're here in 2004 and cast the spell. We have no idea what will happen in 2005 or 2010, so we only get to go one year per level forward.

But if we go back to 1984, then for that year, we do know what will happen the next year, in 1985. And 1986, and 1987, and so one up to 2004. So wouldn't those years be easier to navigate whether you're moving forward or backward?

I could understand that not being the case if a graygem race went along, because then technically he could create an alternate 1985 and so on. But assuming that its a human or elf, shouldn't the 20 year per level apply for any span that is the "past" from that character's natural timelime?

That's how I figured the spell was intended. Unless there is a chaos-touched race involved, the spell specifically points out that there is nothing you can do to alter the timeline. So everything in your past is set in stone and there is none of that uncertainty of motion involved that we attribute to the future.

Continuing the above example, the 1 year per level rule would only apply to a spellcaster that cast the spell in (his present time) 1984 and attempted to go forward in the time stream to 1985 or onwards, as for him, that future is still uncertain and constantly in motion.
#41

ferratus

Jul 08, 2004 17:58:16
Originally posted by Brimstone
That would be the "real" future. Krynn is no longer connected to that previous branch of the River...it's been dammed up, so to speak.

At least that's how I'd handle it.

I'm thinking of un-damming it with an alternate DLCS guide. Sort of like Trampas' "War of the Dark Lance" writeup.

Basically I want to see what it would be like if I was the TSR Book and Game boss of the Dragonlance line since Dragons of Summer Flame, and what the result would look like.

I figure it will be good to teach me a little humility and to soften my sharp tongue of criticism. Plus, I think there are many who are interested in a setting that would be a smoother transistion from the old and the new. For example, instead of Mysticism being a "hitherto forgotten magic because the gods left again" we find out instead that it was due to the fact that mortals are the prophesied "heirs to the gods" that we heard about "Time of the Twins"?

I have a great deal of freedom to do this too. After all, all I have to remember canonically is that there is a rift between Palin and Dalamar in the WoHS. I figure it is probably about what is to be done about the sorcerers who were filled with wild magic after Chaos' destruction.
#42

brimstone

Jul 09, 2004 10:07:55
Originally posted by ferratus
For example, instead of Mysticism being a "hitherto forgotten magic because the gods left again" we find out instead that it was due to the fact that mortals are the prophesied "heirs to the gods" that we heard about "Time of the Twins"?

That was my original thinking about what was going on with the 5th Age. I read something somewhere...perhaps I'm thinking of what you mentioned above...perhaps it was something else. Anyway...it never sat well with me that the gods left...from what I could see, the gods and mortals defeated Chaos...so why would they have to leave?

Well, somewhere I read that the gods would remain until they deemed the mortals worthy to stand on their own before the High God to be judged...or something like that. So my thinking was...the gods left because that time had come. And so when there was this "One God" my hope was that it was the High God come to judge the mortals...boy was I wrong. LOL!

It's an interesting idea...let us know how it turns out.
#43

zombiegleemax

Jul 09, 2004 10:57:53
I always thought that the banshee in DoAT was a dragonlance dark elf.
#44

zombiegleemax

Jul 09, 2004 15:05:49
Originally posted by iltharanos
You can also go with the view that once one jumps into the past (with a chaos-touched race), that one has forever left that timeline behind. You effectively exist in an alternate timeline that is independent of the timeline you just left.

e.g.

You are traveller A from timeline 1.

A casts timereaver and brings a gully dwarf with him into the past.

A has now left timeline 1 and exists in timeline 2.

A kills his past self (known as "B") in timeline 2. Ordinarily we would have a paradox here, since how could A go back in time to kill himself if he was already slain by his future self.

In our illustration, there is no paradox here because A's past self still exists in timeline 1. A has not affected his past at all, he's affected B's past. From B's perspective, it's just like being killed by a stranger, since A is not native to B's timeline.


Thus A can go back in time and do whatever the Abyss he wants and then travel back towards his "present" and everything is hunky dorey (sp?).

The Missing City (Odyssey of Gilthanas and City of the Lost) seems to be part of an alternate timeline where the Cataclysm never took place.
#45

raistlinrox

Jul 11, 2004 14:19:36
A Legends book is in the works, and in it will be Raistlin at his height of power. Or so I've been told...
#46

iltharanos

Jul 11, 2004 14:28:14
Originally posted by raistlinrox
A Legends book is in the works, and in it will be Raistlin at his height of power. Or so I've been told...

Hmm. That reminds me, wasn't Fistandantilus supposed to be statted out in Towers of High Sorcery? If so, kickass.
#47

zombiegleemax

Jul 11, 2004 16:23:15
Might as well answer this as best I can.

Did Fisty die @ Zhaman or did he live on ...

I think the TWINS trilogy, this is answered best when Dalamar is reading Astinus's personal Journal. IT mentions that Denubis was killed by the Explosion at Zhaman, but that Fistandantilus physical form was destroyed and he transported himself to another plane to await another...and then it kind of ends. Between that and just general observations, points to his physical form only being destroyed at Zhaman.

Did Huma fight the dark queen 1000 years before the cataclysm or 2700 years before the cataclysm ...

In my campaign and in my world and my own view, Huma lived 2200 years before the Cataclysm.

Did the companions encounter a drow (as in FR drow) banshee in Pax Tharkas or was it a drow (as in DL dark elf) banshee ...

I personally have no problem with it being a FR Drow, but in that case, we are talking about someone whom committed her crime during Kith Kanan's reign as Speaker of the Sun. I like to think the DRow Elves Raistlin were facing in his TEST were from the FR, taking the test that they are often required to take in that realm. Fistandantilus knew he needed beings powerfull enough to take on Raistlin and injure him enough to give Fist the opportunity he needed to make the pact with Raistlin. What better opponents then then creatures whom are strong in magic and connection to their own dark goddess; whom are resistant to magic save when it is cast by the most powerfull wizards? The Drow probably did not realize what was going on either, knowing that a powerfull force (Fistan) was putting them up against Raist and did not have a clue whom or what he was.


Was Dragons of Summer Flame supposed to be the last Dragonlance novel or was it a cliffhanger to entice audiences towards further Dragonlance adventures

I was so disappointed in DOSF, seeing things that I thought made DragonLance what it was come to an end, that I try not to think about it.

Was that Fizban Palin met @ the end of DoSF or was it Tak's image of Fizban ...

Don't remember

Was the Tower of High Sorcery @ Daltigoth White or was it Red in color ...

I imagine the tower would be irrelevant, as the Order would do what it wanted with it.
#48

Matthew_L._Martin

Jul 11, 2004 16:50:19
Originally posted by Brimstone
That was my original thinking about what was going on with the 5th Age. I read something somewhere...perhaps I'm thinking of what you mentioned above...perhaps it was something else. Anyway...it never sat well with me that the gods left...from what I could see, the gods and mortals defeated Chaos...so why would they have to leave?

Well, somewhere I read that the gods would remain until they deemed the mortals worthy to stand on their own before the High God to be judged...or something like that. So my thinking was...the gods left because that time had come. And so when there was this "One God" my hope was that it was the High God come to judge the mortals...boy was I wrong. LOL!


I think you're thinking of my reinterpretation of events in the Martinian Canon, actually. That, at least, was the spin I put on the end of DoSF back when it was 'real'. (Ah, the wonders of not being bound by the letter of the text. :-) )
It's not official, and can't fit in with the War of Souls, but I stand by it nonetheless.

Matthew L. Martin, Dragonlance Heretic
#49

ferratus

Jul 11, 2004 16:58:58
Originally posted by cnposner
The Missing City (Odyssey of Gilthanas and City of the Lost) seems to be part of an alternate timeline where the Cataclysm never took place.

Up till now. It was decided that the coolest feature of the missing city, namely the phantasms of what might have been, was removed. There were so many adventure hooks that could have been done with that.
#50

zombiegleemax

Jul 11, 2004 20:24:13
I wonder how long it will take for this book to come out?
#51

brimstone

Jul 12, 2004 10:55:58
Originally posted by Matthew L. Martin
I think you're thinking of my reinterpretation of events in the Martinian Canon, actually.

Yep...that's what it was. I remember now. Thanks Matt!
#52

zombiegleemax

Jul 12, 2004 10:59:37
Is the Gilthanas book any good? Is it worth reading?