Dragonlance: Shadow of The Dragon Queen Review

[@theophrastusbombastus1359]

I'm only ten mins in and this is already the best review I've seen yet. I'm still on the fence about buying it so an in-depth guide and looking at the content of the pages will really help my decision-making going forward. I know many reviewers are trying to keep it spoiler free, which I have no problem with personally, but as a DM this is exactly what I need. Thanks again buddy, and keep up the good work 👍

[@DravenSwiftbow]

Thank you very much. I do normally try to keep early reviews spoiler free too, but for this I felt it was impossible to discuss my favourite aspect of the book without spoiling the story at least a little.

[@ricksoutsticksout16]

Hill Dwarves: We live in a hill! Mountain Dwarves: well we live in a mountain! Hill Dwarves: mountains are just bigger hills.... Mountain Dwarves: HOW DARE YOU QUESTION OUR GEOLOGICAL PREFERENCES!

[@shadowtheory7500]

Oh my GOD, the art on that alternate cover...

[@SmokeCreature]

Bought 2 books, 1 standard cover, 1 alt cover. Guess which one is going into a vacuumed bag never to be used

[@craigjones7343]

It is amazing cover. Best of all the dnd books. I am so tempted to get the deluxe cover. That cover is really good too

[@annihilationtextofficialca8941]

Killer review. I too got into D&D essentially via DragonLance (reading the novels, then exploring D&D Basic and AD&D). Very well done, excellent delivery and you focus on the most relevant information I think.

[@davidaldinger3666]

Wow, did t realize you were so close to 10K subs. Need to have a big push and get over the top

[@DravenSwiftbow]

Thanks. If I can be honest I never have been comfortable asking for Subscribers and don't really feel that I deserve the amount I have now. I really appreciate the support, it means a lot to me.

[@davidaldinger3666]

@@DravenSwiftbow that’s cool. I’m thinking that at 10k subs you actually start getting compensated for your hard work. An idea for a series of videos. Each video you do a review of a particular Pathfinder adventure path. Example, Do all 6 books for Extinction Curse and then review it. Then the next video is Abomination Vaults or whatever.. could Stretch it out to cover Starfinder adv. and 1 st Ed adventures too

[@timd4524]

The art on the other cover makes a lot more sense now. Nice review. The idea of incorporating the boardgame into the story is a very unique and cool twist. Nice review. Glad to hear the normal book comes with the map. Can't wait to put this one under the tree for my daughter. The lore sounds great and definitely enough to give you room to add as you said. I imagine dmsguild has a bit of Krynn stuff.

[@jeremyeaton9379]

I’m so excited DragonLance is back and I can’t wait to run the campaign. I picked up the deluxe edition and I picked up the alternate cover. I’m glad I can use the board game with the campaign. Thanks for the video

[@theWitch-KingofAngmar]

Gonna pick up this and run it in January! I recently finished DMing Rime of the Frostmaiden and it was a blast! i really loved that campaign! It was my first time DMing a proper adventure so it wasn't perfect but I loved the setting since Icewind Dale reminds me of home and it was a really fun book to run! Looking forward to running this!

[@DravenSwiftbow]

That's awesome! I'm currently running Frostmaiden and it has been some of the most fun I've had in years. I hope you enjoy Dragonlance and if you ever have any questions don't hesitate to message me.

[@SmokeCreature]

Though sadly there is no mention of Hickman and Weis's Characters in this Campaign Book. I fully intend to incorporate Them into my games

[@DravenSwiftbow]

I have mixed feelings on that. They are Iconic for sure, but at the same time this story takes place during the same time but in a different part of Ansalon.

[@wildace3758]

there is a cameo of the best character!

[@johnharrison2086]

It's been a long time since WOTC have released a decent book for 5e. Thanks for the review.

[@davidmc8478]

Great review, I had been convinced not to get the deluxe set, as it might break the session flow to pull out a board game, but you have made it sound appealing. Eagerly awaiting your review of the board game

[@nickh3205]

The covers for all 3 versions of the book are awesome(there’s a third version in the box set that comes with the warriors of krynn game) the special edition cover is the best out of all three

[@aleex2850]

I'm undecided,Storm kings thunder or dragonlance?You read both books,do you have some advice?

[@dangarthemighty0980]

Great video, thank you for the share Dave.

[@danteviperbrandolini]

Extremely Awesome Video Review of Dragonlance: Shadow of The Dragon Queen. It was very detailed & of course you are wonderful @ doing these reviews. So, Bravo to you Sir....👽👽👻😉

[@DravenSwiftbow]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@blahblahblahdeeblah]

No Krynn minotaurs or ogres mentioned in the book? I suppose, because as you said its not a setting.

[@barbarianater]

Another great review 👍 Btw Dave any Chance u gonna do a video on One d&d/6e? Ur thoughts on that? Also I'd love to see u do a video on lineages in 5e. (just a suggestion) Imo they used the concept when they wanted to introduce races without specific ability score boosts without fully committing to the idea. And when they officially removed specific boosts with monsters of the multiverse They didn't need the Lineage concept any more so they pretty much abandoned it sort of. But it could have been a very very interesting dynamic. It sort of added a 4th dimension to the PCs. U already have race subclass & background, acquiring a lineage could be a very profound part of the character. I planned on using lineages essentially as upgrades for characters (lvl 6 or lvl 8 +) but they would only get 1 ability score boost and not 3 and they would have slowly gotten the Lineage's special abilities while slowly losing some of their original race's abilities. Saying that ur previous race has no significance doesn't make sense all the time for example if a Reborn's previous race was centaur i don't Think he'll lose his hind legs. So using lineages as upgrades made the most sense to me. I also planned on using some existing races like shifters as lineages as well but I haven't ran a campaign in a while so I never got around to using all that lol

[@DravenSwiftbow]

Those are great suggestions. I may make a video on One D&D now that I have access to better editing and screen capture, but it won't be for a little while yet.

[@barbarianater]

Awesome!

[@elizabethlestrad5282]

Curious to know if this provides stat blocks for Verminard? Other than that, seems like a decent start point, but one that will need at least one more sourcebook to give enough information to make your own campaigns within the setting.

[@LidovinaV]

WotC released a free compendium on Beyond with stats for Verminaard. They made him way too powerful, CR 17, which means one won't be able to use as is in the traditional campaign (he was originally an 8th level cleric in AD&D, and 10th level in 3e.) A wasted opportunity.

[@DravenSwiftbow]

It does not. He does not appear in the adventure but instead it's one of his generals. There is a monster companion on D&D Beyond that is said to include some major NPC's, he may be included in there but I am not completely sure.

[@Nexusofgeek]

My book did not come with a fold out map like you show here, does the alternate cover not include it? Because I am kind of bewildered about why it wasn't included in my copy.

[@DravenSwiftbow]

It should be at the back of the book. It's in my alternate cover copy. If your book doesn't have one then I highly recommend contacting their customer service.

[@Nexusofgeek]

@@DravenSwiftbow it did not, it was weird but I contacted the store and they swapped it with one which did contain the map!

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

So you like the book then It’s on my list

[@gary6110]

That’s an excellent summary! Thank you. 🙏

[@DravenSwiftbow]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@annihilationtextofficialca8941]

The only thing I'm not crazy about is how the covers are presented with a plain text "DRAGONLANCE" title. To me it's incomplete not having the actual original logo or the one with the dragon incorporated into it. That's ok. I'm printing up a sticker to put on the cover lol.

[@scoobydoo316us]

It doesn't look like it gives you much in box text to read. Is this another give your an outline and we have to fill in a LOT of spots to actually run it.

[@DravenSwiftbow]

locations have flavour text, but a lot of what happens are events that can occur at different locations so they are described but not given specific boxed text.

[@stephenb5085]

Few things, *possible spoilers* I DO NOT like Soths hook to the story. Him as a villain is fine, but it definitely breaks time continually and his attitude toward the dragon armies. I just changed his motivation let's face it, soth would only take orders from one lady, and she's blue. I am also not sure about Soth's antagonist, but I could actually see it from a perspective. Clerics prelude is actually pretty cool as is the mage part and the knights. All very well done and side hooks in the story. Overall very please with it can't wait to run it.

[@briancherry8088]

I wish they had gone the route of Rime of the Frostmaiden and really fleshed out the world. I hate to have to go back to old sourcebooks when my players go off the path.

[@bytecode5834]

Thanks for the gift

[@garysmith4742]

i hope they make more 5e dragonlance books.

[@valeriomeucci8841]

It reminds me a little bit of Hoard of the Dragon Queen, in some parts of the plot...

[@DravenSwiftbow]

There are some similarities, but there is a fair amount of differences between the two. I think the opening with the village getting attacked feel similar, but Dragonlance does it a lot better.

[@montyhedstrom1356]

I was disappointed in how little setting material we got in the book.

[@simonfernandes6809]

DMsGuild has opened up the Dragonlance setting. The 3.x Dragonlance Campaign Setting and The War of the Lance 3.x campaign setting companion are both PoD. I just received them and there is a TON of setting info here usable in 5e.

[@bamboozledgreatcrowd8982]

No gully dwarves.

[@DravenSwiftbow]

Sadly no, though admittedly I can understand why they weren't included. Still though I dream of a day I can play my Gully Dwarf Scout!

[@stephenb5085]

Gully dwarves are some of my fondest memories of playing and reading the stories. Raislin even had a soft spot for them. If anything, gully dwarves show us to protect the most vulnerable of us, but in nobody can be vulnerable.

[@Arkticsnowman]

I would've like a campaign setting instead. No minotaur player race, no heroes or supporting cast from the books and no inclusion of the iconic locales? What good is a map if you can't go to the places on it? If I need to build the setting from scratch for 5th, I'll be converting the 2nd Ed setting instead of buying this waste of time. I really hate the funnel adventures they keep kicking out.

[@Briansgate]

So, in the prelude, they already break the immersion of the world by letting players play any and all of the holy and magic classes they want. Screw source material.

[@DravenSwiftbow]

They have to play the prelude to gain access to divine spells, and the Arcane characters prelude is their initiation into the Tower of High Sorcery, both are 100% keeping in line with the source material