{"id":18005,"date":"2019-10-17T07:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=18005"},"modified":"2019-09-24T10:56:12","modified_gmt":"2019-09-24T15:56:12","slug":"rpg-adaptations-rex-draconis-dd-5e-pathfinder-1e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/rpg-adaptations-rex-draconis-dd-5e-pathfinder-1e\/","title":{"rendered":"RPG ADAPTATIONS: Rex Draconis (D&D 5e, Pathfinder 1e)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Missing\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in your\u00a0<\/span>D&D 5e<\/span><\/i>\u00a0games? Do you have\u00a0<\/span>fond<\/span>\u00a0memories of\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0novels like\u00a0<\/span>The Legend of Huma, Kaz the Minotaur, The Minotaur Wars<\/span><\/i>\u00a0trilogy, the\u00a0<\/span>Ogre Titans<\/span><\/i>\u00a0trilogy, and the others by Richard A. Knaak? In this week\u2019s RPG ADAPTATIONS, I look at Richard A. Knaak\u2019s original\u00a0<\/span>fantasy\u00a0<\/span>series,\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>h<\/span>e author\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0love letter to\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and its adaptation to\u00a0<\/span>Dungeons & Dragons 5e<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NOTE: I wrote an NPC for this project as well as\u00a0<\/span>several<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>articles<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>about<\/span><\/a>\u00a0their Kickstarter and the\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0series. Because I have some connection with the team (Richard A. Knaak, Phil Beckwith, and Micah Watt), I reached out to them to get their take on t<\/span>he adaptation<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Rex\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Draconis<\/span><\/i><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with some\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0foundation. From 1984 to 2011,\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0was a major campaign setting for\u00a0<\/span>AD&D 1<\/span><\/i>st<\/span><\/i>\u00a0Edition<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>2<\/span><\/i>nd<\/span><\/i>\u00a0as well as the\u00a0<\/span>SAGA<\/span><\/i>\u00a0system, and it was a notable part of\u00a0<\/span>3<\/span><\/i>rd<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>3.5 Editions<\/span><\/i>. However, starting with\u00a0<\/span>D&D 4<\/span><\/i>th<\/span><\/i>\u00a0Edition<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and continuing through\u00a0<\/span>5<\/span><\/i>th<\/span><\/i>\u00a0Edition<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0has\u00a0<\/span>received<\/span>\u00a0limited support<\/span>\u00a0from Wizards of the Coast<\/span>, mostly in the form of occasional articles. This year is the 35<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0anniversary of\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and an ideal time to shine the spotlight on the property<\/span>; However\u00a0<\/span>, it does not appear to be in the cards.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked why he thought\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is not currently\u00a0being utilized,\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis RPG<\/span><\/i>\u00a0designer Micah Watt said, \u201cWhile\u00a0<\/span>WoTC\u00a0has obviously\u00a0given some consideration to setting releases other than\u00a0Forgotten Realms, we feel\u00a0Dragonlance\u00a0is close to the bottom of the list in terms of profitability for them, and thus less likely to be considered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Micah\u00a0continued, making\u00a0this point about the setting, \u201cThe truth is that Dragonlance\u00a0has a small but passionate following when compared to some of the other settings. It has the has the distinction of being a \u2018middle-of-the-road\u2019 setting, not generic enough to compete with the more generic\u00a0Forgotten Realms, or \u201cout there\u201d enough to scratch that niche itch like\u00a0Ravenloft, Dark Sun, or\u00a0Planescape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>During its heyday, Richard A. Knaak was one of the main\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0novelists, producing \u201c<\/span>11 novels and even more shorter pieces<\/span><\/a>\u201d throughout the history of the setting.\u00a0<\/span>The Legend of Huma<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is one of the most widely-read\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0novels and that book, along with its sequel,\u00a0<\/span>Kaz, The Minotaur<\/span><\/i>, positioned Richard as the principle minotaur chronicler of\u00a0<\/span>Krynn<\/span>. However, with that setting on hiatus as a novel series since 2010, Richard pursued other wor<\/span>k<\/span>s such as\u00a0<\/span>Dragonrealm<\/span><\/i><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Warcraft<\/span><\/i><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Black City Saint<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Recently, he debuted a new series\u00a0<\/span>with the first novella entitled<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis: Under the Dragon Moon<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0from Hydra Publications. This series is Richard\u2019s homage to the property he did so much work\u00a0<\/span>for<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiberos<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>the setting of the novels, is\u00a0<\/span>a land\u00a0<\/span>that includes<\/span>\u00a0human kingdoms defended by a knighthood divided into three orders that face a rival minotaur empire populated by honorable bull-people sailors. A world under three moons (really\u00a0two and the remains of the third) with\u00a0<\/span>interfering\u00a0<\/span>gods, a single, god-like, but bumbling mage, druids, a race\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>short in stature with innocent kleptomaniac tendencies, tinker gnomes, a draconian-like race (though with the powers turned up to eleven), and more. In fact, the\u00a0<\/span>most notable item not taken from th<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0menu\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>abundance\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0dragons\u00a0<\/span>(though<\/span>, between the name and some events in the first two books, they\u2019re coming<\/span>)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To some, that may sound a little too\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>, but give it the benefit of the doubt.\u00a0<\/span>In the first book, the tributes to\u00a0<\/span>DL<\/span><\/i>\u00a0were evident in the structure of the world. However, Knaak is a clever writer\u00a0and that was just\u00a0<\/span>window dressing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to lure you in as, in the second book, the world starts revealing where it\u2019s not the same (which I can\u2019t share because spoilers).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0origins, author Richard A. Knaak shared these thoughts, \u201cI certainly\u00a0designed the setting to appeal to\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0readers (myself being one) and thank them for their continuing love of it. I think\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0has its own merits.\u201d Going further<\/span>\u00a0about how this setting speaks to gaming<\/span>, Richard shared, \u201cI think that\u00a0a world fairly thoroughly mapped out offers a lot to RPGs. I tried to envision a variety of situations, races, and characters for\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>, just in the same way I did for\u00a0<\/span>my<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Dragonrealm<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0saga. No world has one situation going on. There are always layers. That’s what makes\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0work for RPG. The depth I hope I’ve brought to it. It allows the adventure designers to draw from a variety of things\u00a0<\/span>–<\/span>\u00a0making the adventuress more exciting – and enables us to steer readers\/players in a number of directions as we expand both the books and other offerings.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rex Draconis RPG<\/span><\/i>\u00a0designer Phil Beckwith expanded on the setting, \u201cWhile\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0did indeed\u00a0start as a love letter to\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in part<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and still holds a lot of those themes, I feel that it has grown to be much more than that since its initial inception. With the new stories that Richard is releasing, this is a world expanding and thriving on its own now.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>What\u00a0<\/span><\/b>is<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Dungeons & Dragons<\/span><\/i><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is known.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of focusing on the known, I asked Micah\u00a0for his thoughts comparing\u00a0Rex Draconis<\/i>\u00a0to\u00a0Forgotten Realms<\/i>. \u201cI think it\u2019ll eventually have a cozier feel to it than the fairly disparate, disjointed Forgotten Realms. It\u2019s a smaller place, where the issues of one region have an impact on others. I also think it offers a more intimate gaming experience. Players get to experience this changing world along with the novel characters (which will appear as campaign NPCs) and play a genuine role in it. Forgotten Realms has the dispassionate feeling that the characters don\u2019t really have any lasting impact on the world. There will of course\u00a0be story and mechanical differences, but I think Rex Draconis<\/em> has a genuinely different feel to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why\u00a0<\/span><\/b>T<\/span><\/b>ake\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span><\/b>5e<\/span><\/i><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The obvious answer is the gap that\u00a0<\/span>WotC<\/span>\u00a0left in their franchise as they\u2019ve not supported\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in any meaningful way for nearing a decade.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond that,\u00a0<\/span>Micah Watts went to the heart of that question, \u201cWe\u2019re hoping to find that \u201csweet spot\u201d in a gaming experience. The place in the Vin diagram where \u201cnostalgia\u201d \u201cepic storytelling\u201d \u201cplayer engagement\u201d and \u201cmeaningful choices with lasting consequences\u201d meet, resulting in an all<\/span>–<\/span>around improved gaming experience for players.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard A Knaak\u2019s resume<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and the world of\u00a0<\/span>Tiberos<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>make it clear that\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>D&D<\/span><\/i>-friendly enough to avoid heavy lifting\u00a0<\/span>when adapting its prose to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>5e<\/span><\/i>. The big-ticket changes are: halflings\/<\/span>kender<\/span>\u00a0are now\u00a0<\/span>kwillum<\/span>\u00a0(good natured but thieving halflings with porcupine hair that lets them stand up for themselves and a species-quest that feels like it\u2019ll be i<\/span>ntegral to the metaplot<\/span>); orcs are replaced with <\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>gnoll<\/span>-like species<\/span>\u00a0called\u00a0<\/span>wheyr;<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>minotaurs<\/span>\u00a0are common. Beyond those\u00a0<\/span>flavor<\/span>s, this setting has a familiarity that makes it like a new suit that fits perfectly right off the rack.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>But, Weren\u2019t All Early\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0Adventures Railroading? Same Deal Here?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The early\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0adventure modules recreated the adventures of the\u00a0<\/span>Chronicles<\/span><\/i>\u00a0trilogy, so you were\u00a0<\/span>compell<\/span>ed to follow the path of the novels.\u00a0<\/span>However, t<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis RPG<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>does<\/span>\u00a0not go that route. \u201cI think the experiment in playing the actual novel characters forced a story line that requires following the exact path taken in the books,\u201d intimated Micah Watts. \u201cWhile some players loved the thrill of playing their favorite heroes, it\u2019s a fairly predictable outcome with known choices. [In\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>], we place the player characters alongside the action of the novels and the unfolding conflict. Consider theirs to be the \u201cuntold story\u201d, where their actions have definitive impacts on the world, crossing paths with and contributing to the overall outcome of the novel events.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phil piggybacked on Micah\u2019s words, \u201cRecreating the stories as the TTRPG adventures was something we identified early in the piece as a path that we specifically didn\u2019t want to follow. We wanted to flesh the world\u00a0<\/span>out and<\/span>\u00a0allow the players to experience new events and adventure in the\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0setting that wasn\u2019t covered in Richard\u2019s writings. This also allowed Micah and I some space to flex our creative muscles and tell a whole new and untold story.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked what they meant specifically, Phil drilled deeper, \u201cT<\/span>o achieve this we set the first adventure slightly earlier in the timeline to the events that happen in\u00a0<\/span>Under the Dragon Moon<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0(the first novella from Richard). We were lucky in a way that Richard starts the novel line\u00a0<\/span>in the midst of<\/span>\u00a0battle, and there was still a story to be told of what happened before that and how\u00a0<\/span>Tiberos<\/span>\u00a0got to that point of the events.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Phil added, \u201c<\/span>The next couple of adventures in the RPG line will start to\u00a0intersect the novel timeline, however there are more events happening in the northern regions during this time that the RPG is tackling, while crossing over some of the story from the novels.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom an RPG sense,\u201d Phil\u00a0<\/span>continued<\/span>, \u201cespecially during the\u00a0<\/span>5e<\/span><\/i>\u00a0era of\u00a0<\/span>Forgotten Realms<\/span><\/i>\u00a0adventures, there are only slight call backs to previous adventures in terms of lore, for instance the ring of winter shows up in\u00a0<\/span>Chult<\/span><\/i>\u00a0after being a device in\u00a0<\/span>Storm Kings Thunder<\/span><\/i>, but apart from little things like that the effects of the campaigns on the\u00a0<\/span>Realms<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in later adventures is almost non-existent. This is pretty much\u00a0an opposite situation with\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis RPG<\/span><\/i>\u00a0content. The changes the world of\u00a0<\/span>Tiberos<\/span>\u00a0takes from the events of the campaigns will be lasting in future content\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the lore sticks.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>How Do You Adapt an\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Evolving<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Property?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The novels and RPG are being created at the same time which brings up the question of how you create both without spoilers. When asked if that presents challenges, Micah\u00a0<\/span>confess<\/span>ed, \u201cIt does on some levels, but only with the information we have, which isn\u2019t a great deal more than the readers. Richard is a master storyteller\u00a0\u2013\u00a0he\u2019s keeping us as much in the dark as he can. We get the reveals like the readers do\u00a0\u2013\u00a0albeit a little sooner. It makes for a very exciting, dynamic adventure writing experience.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phil followed with, \u201c<\/span>As Micah said, it definitely can be a little challenging in that respect and we do\u00a0need to dance around them a little, however I think as the RPG adventures continue they will start to\u00a0gain their own mysteries and reveals\u00a0\u2013\u00a0we will leave the big overarching mysteries from the novels for Richard to reveal.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard\u2019s relationship with Phil and Micah is a two-way street. When asked about his take on Phil and\u00a0<\/span>Wicah\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0adaptation of\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>, Richard said, \u201cThey’ve done a terrific job, at the same time expanding the world in a manner that helps me with my stories.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Have I Oversold\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Rex Draconis\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i><\/b>-ness?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The focus of this column is adapting properties. The thrill of covering the\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis RPG<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is that you can feel the cycle:\u00a0<\/span>D&D<\/span><\/i>\u00a0leads to\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>, which leads to Richard A. Knaak\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Legend of Huma, Kaz the Minotaur<\/span><\/i>, and other excellent minotaur\u00a0<\/span>D&D<\/span><\/i>\u00a0novels, which leads to Richard A. Knaak\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0which leads to the\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis RPG<\/span><\/i>\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span>D&D 5e<\/span><\/i>. It is the fullness\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>hat evolution\u00a0that provides material for this column.\u00a0<\/span>That said,\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is not simply\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0homage, it is its own property standing alone without the crutch of a dragon\u2019s lance or needing to\u00a0<\/span>\u201cborrow\u201d<\/span>\u00a0from others like a\u00a0<\/span>kender<\/span>. If you\u2019ve never read\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>, Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0will feel fun and fresh. On the other hand, if you have a tattoo of the brother\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Majere<\/span>\u00a0on your back, this setting\u00a0<\/span>is unique enough to\u00a0<\/span>warrant picking up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Should\u00a0<\/span><\/b>You Set Your C<\/span><\/b>ampaign in\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Dungeons & Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i><\/b>?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you miss\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>? Short of\u00a0<\/span>WoTC<\/span>\u00a0dropping an official setting or Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman doing a\u00a0<\/span>Dragonlance<\/span><\/i>\u00a0homage for\u00a0<\/span>5e<\/span><\/i>, this is as close to \u201cofficial\u201d as is likely to come down the pike. Richard A. Knaak\u2019s pedigree combined with a world that leans into his strengths\u00a0<\/span>as a storyteller\u00a0<\/span>will feel familiar to fans of the property yet peppered with enough twists to make\u00a0<\/span>Rex Draconis<\/span><\/i>\u00a0a great\u00a0<\/span>5e<\/span><\/i>\u00a0setting. A familiar land of adventure with new monsters, a new meta-plot, new godly relations, yet all just close enough that it feels like an incarnation of\u00a0<\/span>Krynn<\/span>\u00a0that you\u2019ll want to build a minotaur to stampede through.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>But don\u2019t take my word for it, i<\/span>f your curiosity is piqued, try a sample here:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n