Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Apr 02, 2005 13:48:59	OK guys I am a total Dragonlance newbie and I mean totally, I haven't read the books, have never played or DMed in the campaign world, am starting at scratch with the Dragonlance Campaign book for D&D 3.5. It looked like a cool setting so I bought the book. (would also love to get the Krynn monster manual)... Anyways I am starting off the adventurers in Pashin and they are fighting minataurs in sylvanesti (that is probably wrong but...) Here's the hitch, I want to use the book of vile darkness and the book of exalted deeds in my campaign. Would the material from those books mesh with the campaign setting? Also the campaign book starts me out in the AoM. I was wondering if that is a good age to start in?
#2 raistlinrox Apr 02, 2005 19:09:04	There is actually a series of published adventures that begin in Pashin, if you'll notice the Sylvan Key adventure in the back of the Dragonlance Campaign Setting (DLCS), it is continued in the Key of Destiny, with 2 more books to come out this year to complete the series. There is an Age of Mortals (AoM) book, which could give you some more info on the current era. The War of the Lance book, (which is a much better quality book than the AoM and like twice as big) which covers the era of the Chronicles (which if you are going to be a serious DL DM, then I would highly recommend reading a lot of DL novels; there is a reading list thread around here somewhere, or check the FAQ for the link). Anyway, welcome to the Lance and good luck in your game!
#3 zombiegleemax Apr 02, 2005 23:27:28	Fighting the Minotaur in Silvanesti is definitely a cool way to go with a campaign. Interestingly enough, partly as a result of the Minotaur invasion, the elves have no lands to call their own (unless you count their outposts on Southern Ergoth). I know there is a lot of debate about this topic, but I prefer running adventures in the Age of Mortals. In the Age of Mortals, Ansalon is in a whole big mess of turmoil, and there is a need for true heroes. As for the Book of Exalted Deeds and the Book of Vile Darkness, though they can definitely work in Dragonlance, there are certain aspects that don't fit too well. Typically in Dragonlance there aren't too many extraplanar demons and angels running around. In my current campaign, we recently had an exalted Monk of Majere. He had the vow of nonviolence and the vow of poverty, which I felt meshed pretty well with the campaign world. He was definitely a little bit stronger than the rest of the party stat-wise, but that could be just as much my fault for not balancing the party's wealth according to their level. Thematically, I had to disallow him from taking the stigmata abilities, as I felt they didn't entirely go with the flavor of Dragonlance. That's probably a little bit longer and more rambling answer than you had hoped for, and for that, I apologize. :D
#4 zombiegleemax Apr 03, 2005 0:56:54	OK thanx... I have found an old tsr dragonlance book, tales volume 2. Maybe reading that will help... I guess we focus more on the dragons... I'll just keep em fighting minataurs until I finish my reading LOL...
#5 zombiegleemax Apr 03, 2005 11:24:17	My basic rule of thumb is that if the Dragonlance Campagin Setting (DLCS for short) has no rule against it, then I can and will use it. And if it does have a rule against something, that only means that I have to come up with an interesting story to explain why it is there when it shouldn't be. As for the Age of Mortals, I am not a big fan of it, but I can't deny that with the War of Souls, the aftermath of which is when the DLCS brings you in, there is a lot of possibilities. However, I would also argue that there are tons of possibilities in any age if one simply looks. Anyhoo, as it was said before... Welcome to the Lance... May dragons fly ever in your dreams!