This year is notable for many anniversaries, including Dungeons & Dragons turning 50, The Terminator turning 40, and The Crow 30. However, another significant milestone for me is the 40th anniversary of TSR Inc. introducing Dragonlance with the publication of its first product: Dragons of Despair, by Tracy Hickman. Additionally, Dragon magazine published the first Dragonlance fiction, “Test of the Twins” by Hickman & Weis. Both works would become major hits for the company, attracting fans worldwide.
My journey with Dragonlance didn’t begin until seven years later, in 1991, when I fully delved into D&D. The default setting for my friend Todd’s D&D games was Dragonlance, as he was a big fan of the novels at the time.
My first character was a 4th level Red Robed Minotaur Mage, who had just passed his Test of High Sorcery and had joined a wild bunch of adventurers seeking to explore Dargaard Keep. Until writing this, I only remembered it as the home of Lord Soth and that my Minotaur character jumped off a bridge due to the actions of an annoying character played by another friend.
My exposure to Dragonlance was limited until a few years later when I picked up Autumn Twilight while living in Texas. As an avid book reader, devouring everything from Faerûn novels to Elric of Melniboné, Dragons of Autumn Twilight captivated me. I spent a whole month reading nothing but Dragonlance, immediately buying the next book in the series as soon as I finished one.
This continued until late 1996 when I read Dragons of Summer Flame and picked up the Dragonlance SAGA rules. *This memory may be somewhat fuzzy due to the passage of time.
I was devastated by the changes to the setting and the rules, which left a bitter taste that lingered until Weis Productions released the War of the Lance 3.5 book. Suddenly, I was an enthusiastic Dragonlance fan again, actively participating in Dragonlance forums, devouring the latest lore books, and reading the newest Weis & Hickman novels until the license was lost in 2008. When Wizards of the Coast pulled the license, my passion was reduced to a mere ember of its former flame.
My interest in Dragonlance has remained subdued. Only recently did I attempt to reengage with the setting through the latest Dragonlance novel, but too much time has passed. I’m older now, and time is in shorter supply. Nonetheless, it brings me joy to know that, after 40 years, new generations are still discovering Dragonlance for the first time.
