For instance, the magic part states that there were 7 planned ToHS, pulling straight from Dwarven Nations. I'd list more, but suffice to say, the timeline is incredibly comprehensive. I'm really glad to see what all the disparate chunks of DL history look like when chained together in a coherent fashion.
There are a lot of typos in the book though, like eleven instead of elven, justinius instead of justarius, half orc (!!) instead of half ogre, Ariakan instead of Ariakas (in timeline where tanis kills him), etc.
Where are Hoopaks and Gnome inventions? Dragonlance is known for having kleptomaniacal halflings with sling staves and gnomish engineers, yet neither make it into the core book? I've been told space considerations are the reason, but dude, there is a 1.5 inch border on every page. Take that damned thing out and give us useful info! i mean, its a great border, but you shouldnt be cutting crunch to give us space filler.
The gnome race description is otherwise awesome though. I mean, i'm totally in love with them now. Favored class being the first class they take. how cool is that? =)
The geography section is both awesome and skimpy. The maps, when they are there are detailed and cool, though not nearly the totl map. We really needed that pull out map, guys. But still, reading little tidbits about raekel's pit, or the city of lost names, or the great explanation on how the plains of dust went from tundra to desert...these are what i dream of at night =) I seriously wish more space was devoted to this though.
Side note- the book takes place 6 months after the war of souls, and thusly spoils the dark thane novel, the linsha trilogy, the minotaur trilogy, and others. But this little sacrifice is worth having a full look at ansalon in 40 sc.
Next in my haphazard journy, the single best part of this book. The reason i actually started shouting with joy, waking my roommates and disturbing the neighbors early this morning.
A SECTION ON LANGUAGES! Not only that, but a section on languages that is WELL THOUGHT OUT. Common has a reason to exist. And hell, this section seems to match the stuff i've posted here, and the stuff i've used in my campaign EXACTLY!!!! (common being descended from ergot, etc etc) I was so happy that i had to put the book down lest i tore it.
Actually, there are a few places in this book which look a lot like things i've done, like the gully dwarves, or the solamnia as republic bit...
still cool though =)
Oh, and the moon chart. Based off of the totl one, we have solin/luni/nuit. However, they've come up with a really cool intuitive style of handling it, and even plotted out how often conjunctions occur, and how to deal with things like nui/luni conjuntion in the morning and nui/soli in the evening, but soli/luni missing each other. Really really well done.
BTW, didnt someone do an article about cannibals in estwilde? cause they're in here. it rocks.
The timeline is accurate, but not nearly as detailed as i want. However, it covers pretty much all the important parts, and as i mentioned, draws from everything. This book really is what i've been waiting for; an updated baseline to the setting. But i'd like to strangle whoever it was that dropped the book from 320 to 288 pages. Oh, and the Brutes have a name now. Tarmak. Any ideas where that came from?
Taladas is touched on in a paragraph in the beginning, and never referred to again. The minotaurs and gnomes 'appear' on the coast of ansalon, with no mention of where they came from. I realise that this is because the DL campaign is ansalon only, but i really hope that there is a taladas book eventually.
I love the details given to the dieties. Sirrion is finally given the descriptions he deserved for so long =)
And the expanding of portfolios and such to encompass more than limited areas is great. Shinare as travel goddess? Total win.
Bards, btw, worship Branchala, Gilean, Hiddukel. I'd have thought Zivlyn, but Gil works.
Rangers and druids get Habbakuk, Zeboim, Chislev.
Little things make me happy. Palanthas's origin as Bright Horizon. Astinus and the Herald explained. Why there is a steel standard. Little things, but the pure essence of dragonlance.
For the first time ever, we have a section on how to play in the era post wotl. what the gods would be like after the first return. How various clergies were affected by the kingpriest and the cataclysm. This is solid stuff here, folks.
Oh, MLM, you're going to love this. Chemosh and Majere are straight out of the Appendix. Total theology and stuff. However, i'm eternally thankful that the DLCS doesnt go all out and say that the High God is LG or something. The appendix had lots of unresolved issues, and i think kinks need working out before it becomes solid canon. Still though, its awesome to see new rivalries between gods, and the appendix was great in giving reasons for that. Of course, the irda myth is still pretty firmly entrenched, with Paladine, Gilean, and Takhisis being siblings...
Majere has monks! Finally, the most important inconsistancy of DLA has been solved!
Hmm. looks like i found another error. In the other eras of play section, under goodlund, there is a small description of the elian wilds. The section deals with the fourth age post wotl, but the description deals with elian post malys. odd.
The second half of the other eras of play portion deals with the early age of mortals, and summarizes the entire war of souls in a few paragraphs =)
there are two adventures in the back, but they are very very short and i havent read them yet.
All in all, wonderful.
This is the book that we dreaded never seeing. This is the baseline. This is the heart and soul of the setting. This is Dragonlance.
Questions?
Talinthas
There are a lot of typos in the book though, like eleven instead of elven, justinius instead of justarius, half orc (!!) instead of half ogre, Ariakan instead of Ariakas (in timeline where tanis kills him), etc.
Justarius being misspelled I can understand.
Getting Ariakas and Ariakan mixed is dumb, but minor.
But half-ogre as half-orc???
I've read that the Knight of the Sword is "paladin-esqu." on the EnWorld forums. Is it +1 divine caster level at all 10 levels with some paladin abilities thrown in (like they had in 2e.)? Hit dice?
Also, did they add anymore details about the Knights of Solamnia, other than what was in the Tale of the Lance boxed set? Any information on the state of the knighthood post-WoS?
Heh..yes, a very knightly focused post. Thanks!
Originally posted by talinthas
There are a lot of typos in the book though, like eleven instead of elven, justinius instead of justarius, half orc (!!) instead of half ogre, Ariakan instead of Ariakas (in timeline where tanis kills him), etc.
Justinius was the original name for Justarius. Lots of the early game products for DL had his name spelled that way.
I can see the eleven/elven thing, as a spell check wouldn't catch that. The rest...*shrugs*. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
Where are Hoopaks and Gnome inventions? Dragonlance is known for having kleptomaniacal halflings with sling staves and gnomish engineers, yet neither make it into the core book? I've been told space considerations are the reason, but dude, there is a 1.5 inch border on every page. Take that damned thing out and give us useful info! i mean, its a great border, but you shouldnt be cutting crunch to give us space filler.
Chris can tell you more specifics that I can, but I think the gnome invention rules were cut since they were 17 pages devoted to one race. I'm not sure why the hoopak wasn't included, although my understanding is that Age of Mortals was already at the printer when Sov. Press found out the hoopak wasn't in it. I believe that Sov. Press will be putting the hoopak in a sourcebook sometime soon.
Chris can tell you more specifics on all of this.
The gnome race description is otherwise awesome though. I mean, i'm totally in love with them now. Favored class being the first class they take. how cool is that? =)
Aren't they just cool? I like how guilds work, myself.
Oh, and the moon chart. Based off of the totl one, we have solin/luni/nuit. However, they've come up with a really cool intuitive style of handling it, and even plotted out how often conjunctions occur, and how to deal with things like nui/luni conjuntion in the morning and nui/soli in the evening, but soli/luni missing each other. Really really well done.
I like the chart as well, although it will take some getting used to rolling the die for that chart. The numbers aren't in order, which does help to keep it more random.
Majere has monks! Finally, the most important inconsistancy of DLA has been solved!
Hazzah!
All in all, wonderful.
This is the book that we dreaded never seeing. This is the baseline. This is the heart and soul of the setting. This is Dragonlance.
'Nuff said!
Glad you're enjoying this, Tal. It's a dream come true for me too, and I have to say, the DLCS is the best of the best.
Since my copy is lost in the US postal system (Jaime, god among men that he is, is trying to find the whereabouts of a book that shipped 11 days ago and has come nowhere NEAR New Jersey for me), I have one big question:
What are the dates of the War of Souls? When does it start and end? Wondeirng because our campaign is in the early spring of 38 SC now and wondering when the sh!t should hit (DM included -- the dating of the war was never really stated anywhere definitively...)
sword knight is d8 hit die, +1 level to existing divine per level, with a smattering of smite evil and turn undead and paladin like things =)
And no, there really isnt much more detail than in totl. Some mention of circles, but otherwise the same.
.WotC site still says August 2003.
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Booksamillion say September 2003.
Hastings claims August 1st.
Walmart says they'll have it at your door by August 1st.
Some other site said August 18th.
Several sites said August 23rd.
3rd edition.org says 6/25/1905 (lol)
Dragonlance.com says July.
It's like Christmas. Only you don't know what day it's on.
I ought to switch my order over to Wal-Mart. *shudder*
Hope my book doesn't go to Arizona...
For example, one of the local gaming shops had the revised 3.5 books on Friday. The local bookstore did not. That may be some of what you're running up against.
You'll see the DLCS at GenCon in just a few days. If not there, then sometime in August.
Originally posted by The Soulforged
Wal-Mart sells D&D books?
Yeah. On their website. I haven't seen them in any stores yet. I was really suprised when I first found out about it. They have all kinds of stuff you never see in stores. At least not around here.
Paladine and Takhisis are included in the DLCS, albeit at the back of the book in the War of the Lance era summary.
Cheers,
Cam