The rules for the novels - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The rules for the novels

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
May 23, 2004 10:29:32 How many of the books are written under the AD+D rules? I know the chronicles and legends definately.
#2
zombiegleemax
May 23, 2004 11:43:35 Um I don´t really think the authors were that worried about the D&D rules when they wrote the novels. They have their vision of what Dragonlance is about and write the novels with that vision in mind...not the rules governing the gaming side of Dragonlance...
#3
sweetmeats
May 23, 2004 12:01:20
Originally posted by vejono
How many of the books are written under the AD+D rules? I know the chronicles and legends definately.

This might be one of those D&D urban legends, but I always though that the events of the Chronicles were run as a big campaign by the folks at TSR, and then then it was written into the novels.
#4
zombiegleemax
May 23, 2004 12:03:37 But, that said, Chronicles and Legends appear to have been written similar to the rules, especially in the magic area. Even the killing Tahkisis part could be done under traditional D&D rules and Deities and Demigods in the 50s of level. (Using Tiamat for her similarity.) If you use the MotP version, you can get away with level 35-40. Assuming the battle would almost kill you, but might not, and you're only one person.

Summer of Flame could be, there's no real reason to say anything in it couldn't be done in D&D. The Chaos Gem is just an artifact and/or plot piece.

In the War of Souls, it's a vastly different worldmodel, but assuming the GM can adapt the rules to the setting, the only iffy thing looks like the Silvanesti Shield, and that can easily go in the GM-Plot-Device Area. Same with Mina. Or maybe she's just a charismatic high level cleric with some pretty good Divinition and Contingency-True Ressurection and her god gave her some Dragons. But that doesn't make much sense, so I say Plot Device.

The only actual problem I can see that'd be difficult in a D&D game is if the Black Dragon that came out of the well was that big, it'd easily be in the higher categories of age. If it were smaller and the length was exaggerated, then it would be easier. And one of the party members did die.. almost... anyway, so that proves it was near their CR...
#5
baron_the_curse
May 23, 2004 13:31:22 The only thing I can never explain under the rules is how did Palin cast a 9th level spell at the end of the Chaos War. He didn't seem that high level through out the book. And it wasn't cast of a scroll, he read it straight of a book!
#6
talinthas
May 23, 2004 13:31:45 Nominally, all of the books go by D&D rules. As for chronicles and legends, the first chron. book was written simultaniously as the modules, and then the rest of the mods followed books 2 and 3. legends had nothing to do with it.

but Dragonlance is a D&D world, and as such, somethings have to fit the ruleset, like wizards not using anything but staves or daggers, as per 1e, or no kender/gnome/dwarven wizards as per the rules etc.
#7
zombiegleemax
May 23, 2004 22:26:45 Alrighty...according to The Annotated Chronicles, they were basing the events of the books on what happened in their campagn...up until Xak Tsaroth. It was there that they sent Tanis down Kisanth's well, with the Blue Crystal Staff. Kisanth came up, Tanis attacked...rolled a natural 1, and dropped the staff down the well. The party was incinerated. It was at this point that they realized that D&D sessions didn't always make for the best of novels, so they just kinda winged it from there.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax May 23, 2004 10:29:32	How many of the books are written under the AD+D rules? I know the chronicles and legends definately.
#2 zombiegleemax May 23, 2004 11:43:35	Um I don´t really think the authors were that worried about the D&D rules when they wrote the novels. They have their vision of what Dragonlance is about and write the novels with that vision in mind...not the rules governing the gaming side of Dragonlance...
#3 sweetmeats May 23, 2004 12:01:20	Originally posted by vejono How many of the books are written under the AD+D rules? I know the chronicles and legends definately. This might be one of those D&D urban legends, but I always though that the events of the Chronicles were run as a big campaign by the folks at TSR, and then then it was written into the novels.
#4 zombiegleemax May 23, 2004 12:03:37	But, that said, Chronicles and Legends appear to have been written similar to the rules, especially in the magic area. Even the killing Tahkisis part could be done under traditional D&D rules and Deities and Demigods in the 50s of level. (Using Tiamat for her similarity.) If you use the MotP version, you can get away with level 35-40. Assuming the battle would almost kill you, but might not, and you're only one person. Summer of Flame could be, there's no real reason to say anything in it couldn't be done in D&D. The Chaos Gem is just an artifact and/or plot piece. In the War of Souls, it's a vastly different worldmodel, but assuming the GM can adapt the rules to the setting, the only iffy thing looks like the Silvanesti Shield, and that can easily go in the GM-Plot-Device Area. Same with Mina. Or maybe she's just a charismatic high level cleric with some pretty good Divinition and Contingency-True Ressurection and her god gave her some Dragons. But that doesn't make much sense, so I say Plot Device. The only actual problem I can see that'd be difficult in a D&D game is if the Black Dragon that came out of the well was that big, it'd easily be in the higher categories of age. If it were smaller and the length was exaggerated, then it would be easier. And one of the party members did die.. almost... anyway, so that proves it was near their CR...
#5 baron_the_curse May 23, 2004 13:31:22	The only thing I can never explain under the rules is how did Palin cast a 9th level spell at the end of the Chaos War. He didn't seem that high level through out the book. And it wasn't cast of a scroll, he read it straight of a book!
#6 talinthas May 23, 2004 13:31:45	Nominally, all of the books go by D&D rules. As for chronicles and legends, the first chron. book was written simultaniously as the modules, and then the rest of the mods followed books 2 and 3. legends had nothing to do with it. but Dragonlance is a D&D world, and as such, somethings have to fit the ruleset, like wizards not using anything but staves or daggers, as per 1e, or no kender/gnome/dwarven wizards as per the rules etc.
#7 zombiegleemax May 23, 2004 22:26:45	Alrighty...according to The Annotated Chronicles, they were basing the events of the books on what happened in their campagn...up until Xak Tsaroth. It was there that they sent Tanis down Kisanth's well, with the Blue Crystal Staff. Kisanth came up, Tanis attacked...rolled a natural 1, and dropped the staff down the well. The party was incinerated. It was at this point that they realized that D&D sessions didn't always make for the best of novels, so they just kinda winged it from there.