Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms?

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I'm biased because I love the Forgotten Realms. It was the first world I was introduced in, it's the only world I have ever studied in my youth as a DM and of course, adventured in before I began the path of story telling to my players (who I still DM to this day).

I'm not to familiar with Dragonlance (World of Krynn) so perhaps some of you that are can fill me in as to why you like it and of course, which one you like better - DL or FR?

Syl...

 

Hi Syl, i gotta say ive only read 2 Dragonlance books, the Legend Of Huma and its sequel, Kaz the Minotaur. i dont know much about the world, except that it was dark and depressing. but then again in those books it was being overrun by a pure abomination of pure evil.
I just love forgotten realms, ecspecially RA Salvatores books about Drizzt. the cleric quintet is also by him and pretty good also.
Elaine cunninghams books about arilyn moonblade and danilo thann are pretty nice.
Im reading the beginning of all fantasy right now, the Lord of the Rings.

 

I havent read much Forgotten Realms but rather Dragon Lance and I really enjoyed alot of the series in it. There are some unique races like the Kendar and there are dragons aplenty. The best series to start off with in my opinion would be the one that cycles through the seasons. Sorry, but I cant remember the titles. The books covers and titles run through the different seasons; autumn, winter, spring, fall, with a different colored dragon on each cover to match. Thats prolly why I read it back when I was 10 in the first place.. but they are good books non the less! I would have to say that it is a dark world in part, with evil threatning to take over all most of the time.. but isnt that the case with most fantasy books?

Ciller

 

Dragons of:
1. Autumn Twilight
2. Winter's Night
3. Spring Dawning

That's the original trilogy, and it's good stuff, and a pretty neat game world -- the gods have abandoned Krynn, so there are no clerics, you have the three schools of magic (white robes=good, red=neutral, black=evil), and the dragons returning to the world. Everything that came after these books was nowhere near as good.

 

I've read both stories of both worlds and they both have their advantages. Krynn is pretty straight forward and not as complicated as fuaren. The series for dragonlance that started it all was the chronicles. Couple things I like about Dragonlance is the Knights of Solamnia, they kick ass! Raistlen Majere definately is one of the coolest mages ever. Draconians are pretty awesome. Must say that I did not like the newer stories in Dragonlance as much as I like the nwer forgotten stuff. Did anyone ever play the "Champions of Krynn" games way back in the day that u loaded in from floppy.

 

Forgotten Realms is and most likely always will be better, but DL is really good aswell. By the way, I never liked the DM position, but at many conventions, i often got that position. (by popular demand)

 

I think that one of the coolest series in Dragonlance is the one with Dhamon Grimwulf, when a handful of "super" dragons control Krynn(Malystiryx, Khellendross, etc) And, by the way, Dhamon takes down a blue dragon all by himself, I thought that was cool. I had just started reading Forgotten Realms, I read the Icewind Dale Trilogy, and I have to admit, I liked that series the best out of all series, in both Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms. I really think Drizzt is awesome. And I love how he has his equal Artemis Entreri who is trying to be the best fighter ever. They are both good series.

 

Having started playing D&D when the only thing you could buy was the basic set, and yes I hav an original 1st printing edition of the first book the "Monster Manual" with the errata sheet, I have seen many worlds come and go. They are all wonderful. The only world that is better is the one you create yourself. As for the two, I like the Forgotten Realms better, but more resources were dedicated to it's developement.

 

I really got bored of Drizzt Do Urden. I mean, the first trilogy was pretty good, very orginal. But then, it just goes too repetitive. Drizzt saves Cattie Brie, Drizzt fight Artemis Entreti, Drizzt save Bruenor, Drizzt saves Regis, Drizzt saves Wulgar, Drizzt fights once again Artemis Entreri... sigh.

I like stories that can surprise, but books such as "Siege of Darkness", and "The Halfling's Gem"... they made me sick of Drizzt's character. To read a book where you know the character has no chance to die(or if he dies he get resurrected ), who seem to be able to fight an entire Drow army alone, get quickly uninteresting.

 

Ok thanks for the list of Dragonlance books.. Ive been outta touch with any TSR/WOTC novels for 7 or 8 years. I didnt realize so many more Dragonlance novels had come out. The original Chronicles and Legends from Weis and Hickman are some of the best fantasy books ever IMHO. The other books and anthologies were OK. Ok, Forgotten realms is by far the best setting, but only because of all the materials out there. I second the notion for a kick-ass Ravenloft setting computer game!!!!! What about Greyhawk while we are at it.All those old books made me think about the old Gary Gygax Gord the Rogue Books. What is Gary Gygax up to these days, anyone?

 

I haven't bought any Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance books in a while, so I can't say anything about the new ones, but I always did like the Forgotten Realms a lot better. It just seems a lot more varied than Dragonlance, although they are both great.

I liked the Alias books, The Moonshae Trilogy, a lot of the older series.

Wiess and Hickman's Death Gate cycle is the best series I have ever read. It's not Dragonlance, but the characters and background are as deep and interesting as anything you'll find...

 

I've read a slew of the books form both settings...Weis and Hickman are just great authors. I'm not sure I enjoy the Dragonlance setting more, but the Weis/Hickman books are on par with any FR books.
Also, I have to say right off that I disslike anything by Salvatore(his demon series, his FR books, that other series w/ the group of heroes overthrowing the evil king, ad nauseum). All his main characters are super heroes. He writes painfully meticulous yet repetitive fight sequences, some of which drone on for up to and including 8 or 9 pages. Drizzt is an interesting character, but completely over-the-top. He singlehandedly defeats a BALOR(a couple of times, actually). I hope against hope that one of Drizzt's group would STAY DEAD. Salvatore is very easy to predict though; they never do.
This, however, does not preclude my disliking all FR books or the setting itself. I enjoy Ed Greenwood's books, one of the other major FR authors. I am keeping track of the Elminster series.
So...Dragonlance is very straightforward. No real mysteries out there after Weis and Hickman get through-it feels like their world, which they are lending to you. Not a bad thing per se; it is a truly great world.

I just like FR's flexibility as a setting. I can't decide which is better overall...so why bother?

Just get some Planescape information and you can play in a setting that encompasses all the others. Easy.

(no really good Planescape books...too bad)

 

Having read all the above, I put my vote in for a ravenloft game.

Anybody read Moorcock? Elric, the etrernal champion series? It could make a fun game itself.

 

I am so sick of elminster books. He dies, mytsra saves him, he is about to die, someone protecting him saves him. Damn, greenwood has talent, but he doesn't use it. if elminster is gonna die, let him at least stay dead!

 

I'm tired of Elminster as well. I was tired of him in the 'Silver Blade' CRPG's likewise. I almost (ALMOST) wanted to mouth off to him in BG1 the first time I recognized him (But I didn't want him to waste my party, didn't know the game enough at that time, but now...). Nevertheless he is way to powerful and has Divine protectors who bail him out of anything. And he meddles in EVERYTHING. I still have a place for the DragonLance releases. From the Knights of Solami, Krynn, Draconians, Giants galore and MOANDER to those AWESOME Silver Blades -yep it's still an endearing saga.

But as already noted in an above post - The Forgotten Realms has much more focus, publications, games and saga commited to it. It's far more popular probably due to the extra pluses that 'technology' could add to it in the last 5-10 years.

I like them both but my own favorite character name (yep Draco Vlasavius) started a mere fledgling fighting those exploding Draconians. So one extra point for Dragonlance here .

 

Ed Greenwood is a great writer, but he gets TOO in depth sometimes, a 6 page description of that rock standing over there gets a bit tedious. About the Drizzt topic, I just wish that Enteri would stay dead!! I mean damn man, get a new villian!! The Forgotten Realms is definatly a more diverse world, but I love Krynn as well, the Weise and Hickman books are among the best I have ever read. I think the 5th age books totally killed Krynn, but it looks like Weise is trying to fix it with her new series that starts with "Dragons of the Fallen Sun" That was a great book.

 

What about the Deathgate series by Weiss/Hickman? Anyone reading these?

 

I tried reading a deathgate novel.. but it kinds sucked. But maybe Ill try again, who knows. Right now I have been enjoying re-reading the Shannara series.. after playing BG2 so much Im starting to think "what lvl are these guys" haha. Some other good series Ive been reading are as follows:

Sword of Truth
Running with the Demon (Terry Brooks new series)
Fionavar Tapestry
King series (By chris bunch)
Dragonlord series (by joanne bertin)
and Green Angel Tower

among others

Ciller