What's the deal with Dragonlance?

At least, at certain times... During the time around and after the Cataclysym, for example, there were no dragons around. But As the second War of the Lance grew near, the dragons started re-apearing.

Dragons in Krynn aren't *quite* like dragons on, say, Oerth, or Faerun. They don't get quite as big, and they aren't quite as arrogant. And the evil ones don't hate humanity quite as much. Dragon Knights are an important factor in all the major wars, on both sides.

Hmm...

Gods take a much more... active, I guess, role in things. They will smite Krynn with a flaming mountain if the people of Krynn offend the Gods much, they will leave if they must, they will fight (and die) to protect Krynn, they will manifest personaly to go look about and have fun (Reorax, the dwarven/gnome god, is said to occasionaly manifest just to go to bars and gamble), they will grant visions and give devine guideance... I mean, yes, all of that is supposed to happen in the other settings to, but to no where near the level it does in Dragonlance. Dragonlance is a setting about the gods, when the gods are there at all.

There are no Hobbit-style Halflings... instead you have kender. Dwarves are split into four main types.... Hill, mountain, deep, and gully. Gully dwarves are a sort of throwback race... mentaly retarded to the last dwarf. They are sort of the good-aligned equivilant of goblins. Technicly, "gnomes" per say, that is, rock and forest gnomes, don't exist. You have the Minoi, known as "tinker gnomes". They are gadgeteers gone insane. Minotaurs are an important race, as are Ogres. There are no "drow" style dark elves.... Dark elves are simply anyone who has been cast out of elven society.

In the old version, there just weren't some things... There were no Paladins, for example, despite the heavy role the gods played. Instead, you have assorted knightly orders... Primarily, this falls into two groups... First, The Knights of Solamnia, which is further broken down into the Knights of the Crown, Knights of the Sword, and Knights of the Rose. Next we have the Knights of Takhisis, which are further broken down into Knights of the Lily, Knights of the Skull, and Knights of the Thorn (Which aren't actualy 'knights' in the sense most people would think of... they are wizards, who happen to be knights). I really like this, and I hope this continues in the 3E version, instead of just replacing them with Paladins.

Dragonlance is also a bit closer to the dark ages than most settings, like Faerun or Oerth. Major Cataclysyms have rocked the world a number of times in recent memory. Gold and Silver, while valuable, aren't the primary form of currency... peices of steel are. Things aren't *quite* as happy and friendly in DL as in FR, even when the gods are around... Clerics that can resurect people and so forth aren't exactly on every street corner.

Furthermore, there three overwealming themes in Dragonlance, that in the novels you are shown time and time again, and I think are quite important to the setting.

Sacrifice, Personal Growth and Change, and Honor.

Nothing is free on Krynn. Sacrifices are made constantly. Not literal sacrifices as in the "bloody corpse on the alter to a god" type, but sacrifices none the less. Sacrifices for others, sacrifices for the greater good, sacrifices for honor and integrity... the theme is everywhere. Even the "comedic relief" kender (Which I feel are a bit mis-portrayed as such) make sacrifices in their life.

People change. Things grow and evolve. People on Krynn aren't born evil and that's the end of it, nor are they born good. People change because of outside influences. Good people can do bad things by mistake or because of the circumstances, bad people can do good things... People learn about themselves and confront their weaknesses... And there is definetly the "loss of innocence" theme in there too.

Honor is important on Krynn, far more so than in most worlds. Almost all of the big movers and shakers on Krynn are, in their own way, honorable people. Evil, perhaps, but generaly honorable, even if's only a personal honor. Every "key" character in Krynn has something they hold as important. There is a reason they got where they were. Even Raistlin, a very evil, dark, traitorous character, had a certain level of personal honor. At times, anyhow.

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