DragonLance Saga

Join us as we continue our @Dungeons & Dragons actual play of a heavily customized Tyranny of Dragons with this session sixteen! You can buy Tyranny of Dragons here: https://amzn.to/3XJvuND  https://youtube.com/live/KbL4USL1Gew Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 6:14 The Search for Li’High & The Burial of Boros 1:51:04 Chapter 4: On the Road – Life on the Road Continued 2:11:00 Break 2:19:24 Chapter 4: On the Road – Life on the Road Continued 3:58:06 Outro Cast of Characters Elemier of the Thornwood | Kagonesti Elf, 4th Level Paladin of Majere, Oath of Vengeance | Ryan Elowyn | Kayolin Niedar Dwarf, 4th Level Cleric of Mishakal, Life Domain | Amy/@amyalys77 K’thriss | Aurak Draconian, 4th Level Fighter, Psi Warrior | Robert/@emtman25 Gunnar Thorvald | Nordmaar Human, 4th Level Barbarian, Path of the Wild Heart | Chris Garrick Bloodmoor | Icewall Human, 4th Level Rogue/Fighter/Ranger | Gregory Game Setup Last time on Tyranny of Dragons: The rescued mother and daughter thanks our heroes and give Gunner a bracelet. Shortly thereafter, a Niedar dwarf named Francis offers to buy the bracelet and the heroes become very suspicious, interrogating and taunting him. He ends up leaving and approaches Gunner offering to buy it one last time, and when rejected, he moves on. Later that day a mysterious fire is started as Boros quickly puts it out. The heroes begin to grow suspicious, as if there is a connection between the dwarf, the cultists and the fire. The next morning Gunner discovers his bracelet missing, and they immediately grow suspicious that it must be the dwarf. They make a plan to confront him, but instead, Li’High reveals she took one of the parcels that fell out of the crashed caravan a week back and opening it reveals a necklace. They offer it to the dwarf, but he is not trusting of the heroes after the way they treated him, and increasingly as they continue to pester him. Li’High leaves into the wilderness by herself and renounces her god Habbakuk, desiring to worship Chemosh, but not knowing how to make the connection with the new god while she is on the road, and inadvertently is connected by Morgion. She rebukes him, and they all continue to a roadhouse where they eat. Some local adventurers are hired to guard their old wagon in the caravan. They search some of the wagons and mark the cultist wagons for future reference, then they continue on for a few days ending up in a brutally cold rainstorm. They arrive at another road house only to be turned away, and the hired adventurers refuse to help. Li’High breaks into the upper level and is contacted by Morgion again, and this time accepts. He creates a half-cask of diseased ale which is unable to be refused. Upon touching it, she contracts the fatal disease but is protected as an agent of Morgion. She murders the people in the inn, then sets it on fire. While it’s burning she steals food from the inn, tossing it to Boros who contracts the same disease and dies with his friends watching, too afraid to approach and help him, believing they were helpless. Li’High flees into the wilderness, consumed by sorrow and an unwilling agent of Morgion. About Tyranny of Dragons The Return of Tiamat An epic draconic adventure for levels 1-15 The forces of Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons, bring war to the Forgotten Realms. Led by the sinister Cult of the Dragon, an army of dragons and foul villains wage a merciless campaign to unleash their draconic god upon the world. Opposing them is a desperate alliance including the heroic Harpers and treacherous Zhentarim. This fragile coalition needs heroes to unite them and find ways to resist the draconic threat. Do you have the courage to stand against the Cult of the Dragon and the threat of Tiamat’s immortal tyranny? Jump Into Play with D&D Beyond Purchasing a digital copy of this book unlocks it for use in the D&D BEYOND compendium and toolset. D&D BEYOND is the official digital toolset for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Create characters in minutes, play directly on your character sheets with digital dice, and prep less and play more with Dungeon Master tools like the Encounter Builder and Combat Tracker. Unlock Maps, D&D BEYOND’s virtual tabletop, with a Master Tier subscription. Host game sessions on dozens of official maps, or make your own and use our player and monster tokens to take your gaming to the next level! New features: Adds 31 tyrannical monsters to use in the Encounter Builder to create & run organized battles for your party Wield 13 new magical items against the forces of Tiamat with a click of your character sheet A good beginner adventure for Dungeon Masters including rollable tables, detailed maps, and unique NPCs

Welcome to part nine of my Gaming AD&D: Dungeon Masters Guide Reading series where I rediscover Advanced Dungeons & Dragons with a live audience by reading the core rules. In this episode I will continue reading aloud the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide by Gary Gygax, released in August 1979. Buy the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide now: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/17004/dungeon-master-s-guide-1e?affiliate_id=50797  https://youtube.com/live/SdzEvdeAy9c?feature=share Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 1:18 Non-Player Characters: Personae of Non-Player Characters 2:54 Adjustments to Ability Dice Rolls for Non-Player Characters 3:21 Facts Tables 3:29 Traits Tables 4:10 Facts 4:58 Traits 9:30 Non-Player Character Encounter/Offer Reaction Adjustments 9:45 Height and Weight Tables 10:00 Language Determination 11:04 Special Roles of the Dungeon Master 20:46 Hiring Non-Player Characters to Cast SPells or use Devices 25:28 Monsters and Organization 37:28 Use of Non-Human Troops 41:48 Humanoid Racial Preferences Table 43:47 Construction & Siege: Under Construction 43:31 Mining: Cubic Volume of Rock Per 8 Hours Labor Per Mine 48:20 Construction Time 50:40 Constructions 1:00:19 Outro About the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide The 1st Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide is Back! Dungeon Masters everywhere, rejoice! Too long have you had to suffer along with crucial charts and tables spread through many works. Too long have you had to use makeshift references trying to solve the problem. You now have a complete compilation of the most valuable material for your refereeing, the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Herein you will find: Combat Matrices Encounter Tables Monster Attacks Alphabetically Listed Treasure and Magic Tables and Descriptions Gem Values by Type Random Wilderness Terrain Generation Random Dungeon Generation Suggestions on Game Mastering And a Whole Lot More!  This excellent tome is a must for every Dungeon Master!

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing a classic D&D adventure coming to Steam, Forgotten Realms Books, D&D in School, and long term campaigns. https://youtube.com/live/tHUjsuwmPMY Show Notes  Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Darkember the 28th. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news.  I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion 22 years since launch, a classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure from the developer of Bloodlines is finally coming to Steam https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/22-years-since-launch-a-classic-dungeons-and-dragons-adventure-from-the-developer-of-bloodlines-is-finally-coming-to-steam/  The new Forgotten Realms books made me realize what I don’t like about D&D 2024 https://www.polygon.com/dnd-dungeons-dragons-2024-opinion-forgotten-realms/  Dungeons and Dragons has resurgence among students and teachers https://www.hngnews.com/the_star/local_news/dungeons-and-dragons-has-resurgence-among-students-and-teachers/article_5a629132-7a24-4c2b-9be4-41a11ee879b1.html  A 2-Year D&D Campaign Taught Me A Harsh Truth https://screenrant.com/dnd-long-campaigns-scheduling-conflicts-problem-dungeons-dragons/  Outro And that’s it for this OA News episode! Do you enjoy video game adaptations of D&D modules? How do you feel about modern D&D? And finally, are long term campaigns with it as DM’s? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to today’s Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. This week we are joined by friend of the show, the talented illustrator Mike Perry. https://youtube.com/live/qZ3w4S-p8qM Show Notes Intro Welcome to the first member-only DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Darkember the 25th, and my name is Adam. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion Mike Perry Art https://linktr.ee/mikeperryart  Single Characters AI Character Motion VLC Tokens Par-Salian by Mike Perry Otik by Mike Perry Soth by Mike Perry Ladonna by Mike Perry Kronn by Mike Perry Kitiara by Mike Perry Justarius by Mike Perry Jasla by Mike Perry Gunthar by Mike Perry Goldmoon by Mike Perry Fizban by Mike Perry Fistandantilus by Mike Perry Toede by Mike Perry Derek by Mike Perry Dalamar by Mike Perry Crysania by Mike Perry Caramon by Mike Perry Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of these starter sets? Would you like to play through a starter set adventure? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join me as I review Rebels and Tyrants edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this final Tales of the Fifth Age anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on April 1, 2000. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4ryRLMz  https://youtube.com/live/IlyYZdCxJBw Tanscript Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Kirinor, Darkember the 26th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Rebels and Tyrants edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat. Review Est Sularis Uth Mithas by Scott Berachuski This is a tale about a Solamnic Knight racing to free his beloved from the grip of a Green Dragon. He keeps flashing to her face and memory as he charges toward the dragon. The encounter is brief, and the knight plunges his sword into the dragon’s heart as the dragon closes its mouth around him. He mutters the Oath and hears his wife tell him that she loves Ulrick, the knights. It’s a quick story, gets right to the point, but it offers nothing other than the faith this knight has on facing seemingly insurmountable odds for honor. I am left feeling nothing about him, the woman the dragon had, or the dragon. Freedom’s Pride by Paul B. Thompson Vitrad, Commander, Lord, dark knight Lord Livskil, Lord of Qualinesti, dark knight, lord of the black hall Loren Swamp Adder, ship Mercenaries Lioness, Zoran, Caravel with Gnomefire, Qualinesti This is the story of Lord Vifrad, a Knight of Takhisis who is summoned to Lord Livskil’s audience in Qualinesti. Apparently some elves who were to hand over their treasures fled the forest./ Vifrad was assigned to find them and bring them and their wares back. He left, and found the elves fleeing with mercenaries who turned on them. The knights fought off the mercenaries and chained the qualinesti to their oars. They began to return when another ship started pelting them with Gnomish Fire, basically greek oil I believe. They were forced to surrender to this ship, and it ended up being the lioness, who now is qualinesti not kagonesti I guess. She took the elves and rewarded the knights with their lives for saving the elves. Then she gave a flag with a lion on it and the words freedom’s pride beneath, wrapped around a cannon ball. I assume this story is connected to another story I have yet to read. For when Vitrad returns it to his Lord Livskil and reiterated what happened, he is assigned to hunt down and capture the lioness. It was an okay story, I wish there was more character to the characters. They all felt like cutouts of bad guys rather than individuals. Sargas’ Night of Revenge by Don Perrrin Lord Trenak, Minotaur Vras, died Lekras, female minotaur Emas, having affair, married to Lekras Vromas, Vras’ dad This was a fun story about clan Trenak, minotaurs who on Sargas’ Night, ended up betraying one another and killing each other. Sargas was so upset by their actions and dishonor, he cursed them to repeat the act every year on Sargas’ Night. They were tormented for a thousand years, until the chaos war, and one night Sargas didn’t return. They slowly learned that he wouldn’t return and were led by the grandson Vras in recognizing why they all turned against one another, his mother killed his father for having an affair, and that made fighting inevitable. They all realised they didn’t have to repeat this act, and began enjoying themselves, learning to accept that which they cannot control, and broke the cycle of violence. It was a fun story, and boy are they going to get a surprise when Takhisis starts commanding the dead, and Sargas eventually returns! Sharing the Luck by Linda P. Baker Grako, old man, tophite Risha, male Meryl Ark Lyric, old man This is an interesting story about two thieves who begin the story by killing a mountain dwarf and robbing him. They return to an inn to split the goods, and one of them, Risha, is wearing a bracelet from their robbery. The other Grako begins to distribute the loot but Risha seems disinterested, acting very strange. Then he leaves and Grakop decides to test him, thinking he is going to try to kill him and take it all. But Risha really is disinterested and this change in behavior is worrying Grako. Then the next morning Risha is gone, and Grakjo goes after him, certain he is being swindled somehow. He finds Risha talking to an old wizard, and Grako demands to hold the bracelet, Risha refuses and a struggle ends in Risha’s death. Grako dons the bracelet and its power begins to work, making him whole. Meaning, a whole thoughtful and respectable person. He planned on killing the mage, but instead thinks he will let him go. This is interesting to me because we never really discuss what makes a thief or murderer a thief or murderer. It’s really because there is something broken in them, something that they either never had or lost, a semblance of humanity. This bracelet restores that, and it’s a crazy interesting item to consider dro[[ping into a campaign and seeing it play out. The War Chest by Kevin T. Stein Sir Dammerman, Knight of Solamnia, teacher Sir Ray Stick Man Hourglass – glory forever Abraxis, warrior – dark knight This was a story about glory, and the seeking of it even when you are past your prime. Sir Dammerman is a Solamnic Knight who teaches the younger generations. The young knights grow restless and ask about glory and riches. The knights end up sharing some loot acquired in battle against ogres. Dammerman sees a chest and instantly, as if in a dream only he experiences, a stick man appears offering him glory in battle against Abraxis, a renown Dark Knight warrior. At first he refuses, then through cajoling, he relents and says that he is interested. He is shown an hourglass with sand the color of the Abyss. He is presented with a bargain, the chance to find glory against Abraxis before the sand drains. He accepts the bargain and wins in battles, making him seem a true hero with endless energy and strength. His knights cheer his anime and he has glory. Finally it comes time to face off against Abraxas and he is defeated. Stick man appears and tells him that he tricked him into taking his soul, and he will fight in the abyss for eternity never knowing rest now. He will also offer it to his son, as he has offered it to many knights before Dammerman. As he was dying in defeat he tells his son not to make bargains for glory, and dies. It’s a long winded story that I enjoyed, though I wish they would have named the Stick Man. It addresses our innate capacity vs our desires, and in fantasy there is always a price to be paid if we are to exceed our ability. Flight of Fancy by Jeff Crook Klaus, Solamnic, flying machine Professor H, gnome Bee Juice Extractor This was a silly story about a human named Klaus who was piloting a gnomish flying machine toward Sancrist when he crashed. He was saved by gnomes who brought him to Mount Nevermind, and introduced him to famous gnome inventors. THey explained the machine was a bee juice extractor not a flying machine and they were perplexed on how a human could have repaired a crashed Bee Juice extractor in Solamnia. Pyrothraxus heard through the grape vine that a Solamnic was in Mount Nevermind and insisted it must be aspy, and that the gnomes should turn him over. They decided to make improvements to the bee juice extractor and fly Klous home instead. Pyrothraxus left the mountain and started chasing them when the gnomes decided to dump the honey to increase their speed. It fell into Pyrothraxus’ mouth and when he breathed fire, it exploded in his face, sending them crashing into Solamnia, where they found another human inventor who said he may be able to fix the fBee Juice Extractor when a fully bandaged up Klous came in insisting he should not repair the ship, clearly traumatized both physically and emotionally by the experience. And that was it. It was the best case of a gnome story, short, silly, and done.  The Deep, Deep, Dark, Dark Place by Kevin James Cage Glug, gully dwarf male Blurd, gully dwarf female Raddoc Stonebuilder, dwarf Thurgood Strongarm, dwarf Warden What!? This story was crazy. So two gully dwarves, Glug and Blurd are in a deep deep dark dark place when they hear singing and commotion. They investigate to see dwarves mining and talking about unionizing. They decide the dwarves are looking for treasure and they think they can lead the dwarves, but they don’t want to be seen in case they are mean. So they use their stick which makes them invisible, but it doesn’t, and they start helping the men by throwing gems at them. The dwarves see the Aghar but don’t want to engage with them, so they pretend they can’t see them, only pick up the ems. Then one time the Aghar directs them to the treasures cave, and the dwarves all go to it, only to be consumed by a stone dragon or sorts. The Aghar thank their pet treasure for getting rid of the dwarves. That was the story, the gully dwarves were working with the dragon to lure the dwarves to their deaths, it made a whole new view of the symbiotic nature of gully dwarves with the denizens of the deep, and recontextualized the whole story from the beginning. It was a lot of fun. Catch of the Day by Jean Rabe Redge, kobold, fishing Malay, kobold Scar Chest, Bugbear Bear Snout, Bugbear One Eye, Bugbear Ettin Brown Spider What an unexpected story. This begins with a pair of kobolds who are fishing. They say that they took the magic fishing pole from some gully dwarves they killed, consuming one of them. Then three bugbears came upon them, and killed some of them, but the bugbears also wanted to fish. Next came an ettin who attacked the bugbears a

Join us as we continue our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, ancient Istar School of the Games tournament in the quarter finals with this round one! Each week, one player character (PC) faces off against another man or beast, and the survivor will go into the next round. You can buy DLA Dragonlance Adventures here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/162788/dragonlance-adventures-1e?affiliate_id=50797  https://youtube.com/live/JuMBhZjt1qQ Game Setup Arack, the Master of the Games: Citizens of Istar! Followers of the Holy Empire! Raise your eyes to the shining spires and your voices to the heavens— for today, we enter the Quarter Finals of the School of the Games! Aye, these sands have seen champions rise and pretenders fall… but now the true test begins. Only the fiercest, the bravest, and the most unbreakable remain. Each fighter stands just three victories from glory—three steps from earning their place among Istar’s immortal legends. So cheer loud, you lot! Let the Kingpriest himself hear your roar! These warriors need your fire—and by the gods, they’ll feel it! By the light of the Empire and the will of the Games—LET THE QUARTER FINALS BEGIN! Outcome AD&D School of the Games Tournament, Quarter Finals Round 1 | DragonLance Saga

Let’s learn all about the location and history of the heart of Takhisis’ empire in Krynn, the evil city of Neraka. You can buy the Dragonlance Campaign Setting here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/28592/dragonlance-campaign-setting-3-5?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/OB6Z2cN37Ag Transcript Cold Open In the shadowed heart of the Khalkist Mountains… where the land cracks open like wounds in the earth… lies a city whispered in fear across all Ansalon. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Neraka. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron by following the links in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. I am referencing DL14 Dragons of Triumph, The Atlas of the Dragonlance World, Tales of the Lance boxed set, War of the Lance, and Dragonlance Campaign Setting sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion Neraka lies cradled in a high valley of the Khalkist Mountains, a region infamous for its barren peaks, volcanic scars, and broken, fissured plains. The Plains of Neraka stretch outward like a scar, a yellow-brown wasteland cracked with hundreds of crevasses. Some belch sulfurous smoke or even pillars of flame. Others simply yawn open into darkness. Even the roads leading to Neraka were carved by slaves—fine stone highways that bridge fissures and cut through the hostile terrain toward three major destinations: Sanction to the south, Estwilde to the north, and the scattered mountain tracks to the east and west. The mountains around the city are harsh and dry. Streams vanish into dust, thunderstorms turn the proud roads into rivers of mud, and the volcanic peaks sometimes smoke with an ominous glow. Travelers claim the very land seems hostile… almost alive. It’s here—amid harsh rock and sulfur—where Takhisis chose to plant the seed of her empire. The name Neraka is older than the Cataclysm. Long before humans settled the valley, the High Ogres ruled a northern city called Narakid. Humans took the land long before 1300 PC… but when the fiery mountain fell during the Cataclysm, that early Neraka vanished beneath destruction. Centuries later—after the world was broken—settlers found something strange in an isolated glade: a twisted root of stone, all that remained of the Kingpriest’s temple from Istar. When they built a settlement around it, they believed that they had rediscovered the original Neraka. But they were wrong. That root had been planted there—intentionally—by Takhisis. In the second century after the Cataclysm, the Dark Queen chose this glade as the birthplace of her return. From the stone root grew the Temple of Darkness, a sprawling, organic, unnatural structure that would become the beating heart of her new empire. And around that temple grew a new Neraka… the Neraka the world would come to fear. Neraka is divided like rings around a wound: 1. The Outer Bailey. The outermost ring is a maze of chaos—dense streets jammed with brothels, slave pens, ramshackle huts, open markets, foul-smelling alleys, and mobs of desperate or dangerous people. Goblins haggle with ogres. Human criminals brush shoulders with mercenaries. And the Dark Knights’ barracks stand neatly just beyond the squalor, an unsettling reminder that order here comes only from fear. 2. The Inner Bailey. Inside the first walls, buildings press tightly together under the shadow of watchtowers. Smithies, supply stores, military workshops, and housing for the Dragonarmies fill these cramped quarters. Each army maintains its own heavily guarded district. Rivalries run hot, and even in the city’s prime, fights between soldiers were so common that Takhisis’s personal troops often had to break them up. 3. The Heart of the City. At the center once stood the terrible Temple of Darkness—a massive, living fortress where the Dragon Highlords met under the watchful gaze of the Queen of Darkness. After the War of the Lance, the temple collapsed inward, disappearing into a vast sinkhole. Its blackened stones litter the southern valley, poisonous to life even centuries later. Nothing grows where the temple fell—just bleeding rock and sulfurous fumes, a wound on Krynn that refuses to heal. Beneath all three layers lies the Undercity: a spiderweb of caves, tunnels, sewers, and catacombs. It connects the outer districts, inner quarters, and even the forgotten dungeons beneath the Temple. Many use the Undercity to avoid guards—but horrors lurk below, remnants of experiments, monsters, and things twisted by the temple’s dark magic. During the Age of Despair, Neraka became the shining—if grotesque—capital of Takhisis’s Dragon Empire. Criminals, mercenaries, cultists, and the desperate flocked there. Under Ariakas, the Dragon Highlord, the first Dragonarmies took shape here. By 348 AC, the city pulsed with soldiers, draconians, ogres, goblins, spies, and slaves. Riches from early victories in the War of the Lance poured in. Streets overflowed. Crime flourished. Rival armies brawled openly. And yet—strict order remained whenever the Highlords commanded. This was the heart of the Queen of Darkness herself. The center of evil on Ansalon. And it all came crashing down in 352 AC. When the Whitestone Army closed in, the Heroes of the Lance infiltrated the city. They reached the Temple of Darkness… and destroyed it from within, triggering chaos. The Dragonarmies turned on one another in a frenzy for control, shattering the city in the process. Neraka burned. Its armies scattered. Its goddess vanished. After Takhisis’s defeat, Neraka remained a haven for evil—but without unity. The Dark Knights, newly formed and led from Storm’s Keep, mostly ignored the broken city. A Lord Mayor ruled for a time… until the rise of Mirielle Abrena. After the Chaos War, she seized Neraka by force, executed the mayor, and declared herself Governor-General. Under Abrena, Neraka again rose in power—until her assassination. Morham Targonne then moved the Knight’s capital to Jelek, sending Neraka into decline. But after the War of Souls, the Dark Knights returned once more. Neraka is—once again—their seat of power, grim as ever. Neraka teems with factions: The Nerakan Guard, led by Captain Joras Gelt, maintains harsh order outside the temple grounds. The Red Watch, Blue Watch, Green Regiment, and Black Guard—elite units of sivaks, kapaks, and bozaks—defend the Dragonarmies’ interests. The Hidden Light, an underground resistance led by Talent Orren and Lute the Pawnbroker, fights quietly against the influence of darkness. The population is a volatile mix: humans, draconians, ogres, goblins, dwarves, minotaurs, and even the occasional giant. Trade is thriving but grim—slaves, mercenaries, weapons, stolen goods, and black-market items flowing between Sanction, Khur, and Zhakar. Neraka remains a symbol of tyranny and ambition. Its streets are dangerous. Its politics are ruthless. Its shadow stretches across all of Taman Busuk. And yet… it is alive. A boiling cauldron of power, violence, and fear—waiting for history to turn once more. Where darkness gathers, Neraka stands. Outro And that is all I have to say about Neraka. What do you think of this center of evil? Have you ever played the War of the Lance campaign and invaded Neraka? And do you think the town will ever rise again as a center of evil might in the Age of Mortals? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important.

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover Core Foundations. A breakdown of the DM’s real responsibilities: arbiter, storyteller, referee, facilitator, audience, and performer https://youtube.com/live/XPrJiFyrOEg Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Darkember the 24th, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Every Dungeon Master begins in the same place: excitement tempered by uncertainty. You’re about to guide a group of wildly different human beings through a story that only exists because all of you choose to believe in it together. That takes responsibility. That takes awareness. And it takes a willingness to understand not just rules… but people. Today, we’re laying the foundation. Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101: Core Foundations. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion Understanding People Before Dice Before you think about combat mechanics, monster stat blocks, or worldbuilding, you must start with the most important element at your table: the human beings sitting around it. Each player is a mixture of: personal history, culture and beliefs, unique motivations, individual learning styles, and different comfort levels with performance, math, and social dynamics Your job as a DM is not to homogenize them. Your job is to celebrate their differences and build a game that allows each one to shine. Recognize that no two people come to your table with the same expectations. The moment you embrace that, you begin to see the game not as a rigid structure… but as a living conversation. The Three Roles of a Dungeon Master A beginner DM often thinks their job is to “tell the story” or “run the monsters.” But those are only pieces of a larger whole. You actually play three roles at once: The Facilitator: You provide structure. You decide the pace. You keep the game moving, gently guiding everyone toward a shared experience. The Arbiter: Rules exist to support fun, not dominate it. You interpret them, make quick judgments, and maintain fairness — even when the entire table is watching. The Story Shepherd: You don’t force a plot; you cultivate it. The players bring energy, curiosity, chaos, and creativity. You channel that into a narrative that feels meaningful. A great DM doesn’t control the story. A great DM leads it. The Five Pillars of Running the Game Every session you run rests on five foundational pillars. Understanding these early will save you from the most common beginner mistakes. Combat: Not about numbers — about tension, stakes, and cinematic moments. Exploration: Let players discover, investigate, and poke around in a world that reacts to them. Social Interaction: NPCs, factions, rumors, alliances — all opportunities for the players to express themselves. Downtime: Breathing room. Character reflection. Progression. The glue between adventures. Character Arcs: The emotional throughlines. Every player is the protagonist of their own personal story, even within the larger campaign. Your best sessions mix these like ingredients. Too much of one throws everything off balance. Player Motivations (The 8 Types) If you want your table to stay engaged, you must understand why each person sits down to play. These correlate with teh Player Types I mentioned last week: Actor, Explorer, Instigator, Power Gamer, Slayer, Storyteller, Thinker, and Watcher.  Most players fall into blends of these eight motivations: Combat-Driven – loves the fight, tactics, and victory Story-Driven – wants narrative depth Social-Driven – thrives on roleplay and interactions Puzzle-Driven – enjoys clever problems to solve Power-Driven – wants to grow stronger, gain prestige Discovery-Driven – loves lore, secrets, and worldbuilding Character-Driven – focuses on personal arcs and emotional journeys Chaos/Thrill-Driven – wants surprise, randomness, and wild moments Your job? Identify each player’s blend, then feed them the content that lights them up. This alone can transform your DMing. Practical Skills Every Beginner Should Practice You don’t need to master everything at once. Start with these reliable skills: Keep the Game Moving: Perfect decisions are less important than decisive ones. Make a call, keep the energy flowing. Learn to Say “Yes, But…”: “Yes, you can attempt that… but here’s the risk.” This protects player agency while preserving challenge. Prep for Flexibility, Not Control: Prepare situations, not scripts. Players will destroy your plot — let them. It usually leads to something better. Share the Spotlight: Track who hasn’t had a moment to shine, then give them one. Players remember how you make them feel far more than any plot twist. The First Big Secret of DMing Here’s the truth: You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to know every rule. You don’t even need to be the most creative person at the table. You just need to be present, attentive, and willing to learn* session by session. Every great DM started by fumbling through their first adventure. Closing Takeaway Dungeon mastering isn’t about control — it’s about collaboration. It’s not about rules — it’s about people. And it’s not about perfection — it’s about intention. If you embrace that mindset now, everything that comes later — encounters, villains, worldbuilding, arcs — becomes easier. This is your foundation. This is where your journey begins. Outro And that’s it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, Core Foundations! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below.  Thank you for tuning in. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate link. All links are in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing Dragonlance Chronicles price drop, The Mighty Nine series, The Immersive Quest, and Battlemarked. https://youtube.com/live/VIkV_ZzLJpU Show Notes  Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Darkember the 21st. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news.  I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion The Dragonlance Chronicles Collection Has Dropped To Its Lowest Price Ever For Black Friday https://comicbook.com/gear/deals/the-dragonlance-chronicles-collection-deal-black-friday/ The Mighty Nein understands magic better than most D&D players https://www.polygon.com/the-mighty-nein-prime-video-magic-spell-components-dnd/ Behind Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest https://www.licenseglobal.com/location-based-entertainment/behind-dungeons-dragons-the-immersive-quest  Battlemarked is a D&D skin dropped over Demeo https://www.polygon.com/demeo-dnd-battlemarked-impressions/  Outro And that’s it for this OA News episode! Will you be picking up the Dragonlance Chronicles as a gift? Do you enjoy the animated Critical Role series? And finally, are immersive experiences too much like LARPS and thus exclusionary to regular fans? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to part eight of my Gaming AD&D: Dungeon Masters Guide Reading series where I rediscover Advanced Dungeons & Dragons with a live audience by reading the core rules. In this episode I will continue reading aloud the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide by Gary Gygax, released in August 1979. Buy the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide now: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/17004/dungeon-master-s-guide-1e?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtube.com/live/1pHzraWoGTI Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 1:07 The Campaign: Placement of Magic Items 9:36 The Campaign: Territory Developed by Player Characters 19:13 The Campaign: Peasants, Serfs, and Slaves 21:55 The Campaign: A Sample Dungeon 28:40 The Campaign: The First Dungeon Adventure 1:01:03 Outro About the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide The 1st Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide is Back! Dungeon Masters everywhere, rejoice! Too long have you had to suffer along with crucial charts and tables spread through many works. Too long have you had to use makeshift references trying to solve the problem. You now have a complete compilation of the most valuable material for your refereeing, the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Herein you will find: Combat Matrices Encounter Tables Monster Attacks Alphabetically Listed Treasure and Magic Tables and Descriptions Gem Values by Type Random Wilderness Terrain Generation Random Dungeon Generation Suggestions on Game Mastering And a Whole Lot More!  This excellent tome is a must for every Dungeon Master!

Welcome to today’s Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience.  https://youtube.com/live/YX3k8K9nsUo Show Notes Intro Welcome to the first member-only DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Darkember the 19th, and my name is Adam. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion D&D Basic Sets https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Basic_Set  AD&D 2e Starter Sets https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Starter_Set  DLS1 Adventure New Beginnings by Mark Acres https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/17372/dls1-new-beginnings-2e?affiliate_id=50797 First Quest https://archive.org/details/tsr1105-add_-_first_quest https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/241685/first-quest-2e?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmrmkXF1S_1hm01acNNfFfcxAMjiKTjLB&si=sI_1PX1NfAKkF78g  Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of these starter sets? Would you like to play through a starter set adventure? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join us as we continue our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, ancient Istar School of the Games tournament with this round seven and eight! Each week, one player character (PC) faces off against another man or beast, and the survivor will go into the next round. You can buy DLA Dragonlance Adventures here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/162788/dragonlance-adventures-1e?affiliate_id=50797  https://youtube.com/live/bLIFEkn8938 Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga gaming episode. Today is round seven and eight of our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons School of the Games tournament live play! It is Majetag, Darkember the 18th and my name is Adam. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Every Dragonlance Gaming episode also serves as a fundraiser for nonprofits supporting our active-duty service members and veterans—all donations go directly to those organizations. Game Setup Arack, the Master of the Games: People of Istar! Faithful of the Holy Empire! Welcome to Round Seven of the great School of the Games! Once more, beneath the radiant gaze of the Kingpriest, the sands are blessed with courage and sharpened by destiny. Each round brings us closer to discovering who among these warriors is worthy of eternal glory—and who will fall to the judgment of steel. You’ve seen strength. You’ve seen skill. But today—you will witness willpower tested to its breaking point. Raise your voices, citizens! Let the thunder of your cheers drive these champions forward! By the Kingpriest’s divine light— LET THE GAMES BEGIN! Outro And that wraps up round seven and eight of our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons School of the Games live play! What do you think of the battle? Drop a comment below or email me at info@dlsaga.com—I’d love to hear from you. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don’t miss what’s next. And if you appreciate all the projects I produce, I’ve started a Patreon — you can find the link in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu!This channel is all about celebrating the world of Dragonlance, and I hope you’ll join me in that celebration. Thanks for watching — this has been Adam with Dragonlance Saga, and until next time, Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var)! Outcome AD&D School of the Games Tournament, Round 7 | DragonLance Saga

Join me as I review Heroes and Fools edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this second Tales of the Fifth Age anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on July 1, 1999. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/3LAVI2M  https://youtube.com/live/BbFjkdRBdFs About Heroes and Fools A submarine trip to an island of ghosts. A band of fugitive actors. A deadly draconian who has had too much holiday punch. And veritable onslaught of dryads, shadow wights, and that rarest of all monsters, the dread forest boojum. Also, from the team of Margaret Weis and Don Perrin, the latest adventure of Kang and his wayward troop of draconians. In the proud tradition of the best-selling Dragonlance anthologies, Heroes and Fools promises a sometimes heroic — sometimes foolish — visit to the world of Krynn. Review Boojum, Boojum by Janet Pack Khedriss Mennarling, Dark Knight Strikeforce Commander Thrane Gunnar, Dark Knight Second in Command Thistleknot Tangletoe, kender Drethon, Dark Knight Relthas, female Dark Knight Lord Dulthan, Knight of Solamnia A. Diddlethompermarium, Gnome Inventor Extraordinaire Death Machine, cannon, Popcorn Popper patent pending This was a fun way to start the anthology. We are introduced by a squad of Dark Knights led by Commander Khedriss Mennarling. They are needing to test out their new Death Machine, a cannon, and hear about a local monster called the Boojum from a drunk Thistleknot Tangletoe, the kender. A local in their ranks, Realthas, confirms this monster is a tale that is supposedly living in the area. The Dark Knights take the kender with his maps and search for the creature to test their Death machine on. They get to where it should live and are confronted with the Boojum which is really the Solamnic Knight friend of the kender’s in disguise. He eventually steps down after seeing the damage the cannon does and confronts them to fight. That is when the real Boojum approaches and starts taunting them and killing them one at a time, even destroying the cannon’s wheel. Some Dark Knights run off, as the Boojum faces off against the Solamnic Knight, and the Dark Knights try to fire the cannon one last time. It explodes, killing most of th eKnights, and seemingly the Solamnic as well, which Thistleknott cries over, only to discover the Boojum is working with the Solamnic, and they are acting. Then they go to investigate the cannon and discover that it’s a patent pending popcorn popper made by a gnome. This was a great new story featuring the kender and knight team, and an interesting idea that a seemingly innocuous gnome invention could end up being an actual war machine like a cannon. You know if they meant to make a cannon the end result would’ve been the same as well. Tree of Life by Miranda Horner This was an oddly intimate tale of a dying dryad and a dying Knight of Takhisis. The dryad’s tree was dying due to the intense heat of the summer, and it wasn’t getting any needed rain, which in turn meant that the tree’s dryad was dying and her movement away from the tree was severely restricted. Then a Dark Knight and his blue dragon crashed near the tree. The knight eventually came to and asked for help, which the dryad couldn’t give, but the dryad asked for some of the water the knight had. He was pinned under his dead dragon. They spoke of honor and honesty and the cycle of life, and the dark knight gave her little capfulls of water which she summarily emptied onto the exposed root of her tree. In the end she pleaded for the water but the knight refused, however the knight finally accepted that he would die here as well and the water wouldn’t save him. So after the dryad passed out near death, the knight emptied his waterskin which gave the tree enough strength to fight for survival, reviving the dryad who reflected on the knight’s last gift. This is such a great reminder of our place as human animals amid nature. Through our DNA we are connected to every living thing from plants to animals on this planet, yet we act as though we are separate from it all, witnessing it as if our actions have no impact on nature. Even when we are told that our actions have caused the sixth mass extinction, we take no meaningful action to prevent further death and destruction to the only place in this universe we know that we can live. I hope that our species will follow the dark knight’s actions in this tale, for when we go extinct ourselves, we do what we can to ensure other life will continue. Songsayer by Giles Custer and Todd Fahnestock Dayn Songsayer, bard Jayna, local woman Shani, soup seller Sir Kresean Myrk Saxus, hero Chandael,  Cessa,  This story is about a bard named Dayn who is traveling the land, singing for his supper. He comes across a town which migrates to a temple of Paladine every year for berries and blessings. This year a young woman’s son stole berries before they were supposed to, and while the bard was singing for his supper, a mob began to form when the mother of the boy admonished the priests for trying to discipline the boy, as they haven’t healed or done anything for the people since the Chaos War. The mob started moving to the priests when the bard stepped in and tried to sing of the Heroes of the Lance to pacify the crowd, it only turned the mob against him. He was saved by a large warrior who rode them to safety. He told the bard to sing of current heroes, not past wars and events. Lift up spirits with modern tales of heroism. He told the bard he was en route to kill a dragon and the bard could accompany him. In truth th eman was going to kill a large lizard that was killing the farmer’s sheep, and used a poison pig and rockslide to kill it rather than fighting it, but when the bard questioned him about it, the warrior spoke of fighting smart not harder. On the way back he convinced the bard that people needed these embellished stories to lift their spirits and the bard came around and agreed. They were welcomed as heroes at supper when the song was sung of their victory over the dragon, and the duo decided to work together as they traveled across Ansalon. I like the story, we do need distractions in tumultuous times, I think that is why I am burying my head in these pulp fantasy novels, to distract myself from the current state of my country and the economy. But you know what, it works most of the time, and I appreciate the distraction. Gnomebody by Jeff Grubb Augie, sellsword, personal guard of Verminaard Brack, sellswor, lieutenant of green dragonarmy This is a story about two sellswords who were former dragonarmy soldiers. One is telling the other a gnome story about the gnome Rumtuggle. The truth is, Rumtuggle was a made up gnome to explain random mishaps and theft in the green dragonarmy, but once the gnome was invented he took on a life of his own. Gnomes from nearby communities have learned of this Rumtuggle and since he wasn’t in their community, they believed the Green Dragon army must have him captive. They demanded his release, and since the gnome didn’t exist, they couldn’t release him. So the gnomes stole their cattle. This caused a massive supply problem and when the gnomes continued to refuse to give the cattle back until Rumtuggle was released, the soldier said he killed Rumtuggle. This led to the gnomes catapulting the cattle back one at a time. Now the Dragonarmy sent a new highlord to the camp to deal with this gnomish threat and they ended up fighting in the rain and fog, against themselves. They ended up believing it was gnomish sorcery that turned them against themselves, and the soldier who made it all up, quit the post. It was a really fun tale about a story taking on a life of its own and everyone willing to believe it, no matter how absurd it was. When I was in high school, I had a friend convince me that he gave me drugs when really he didn’t. I truly felt like I was high, and it was all the power of my mind, convincing me of it. I learned then the power of our imagination, and because of that, I could actually see this story happening. It was great! The Road home by Nancy Varian Berberick Griff Rees, Griff Red Hand, Killer Griff Broc, narrator, dwarf of darken wood Olwynn Haugh, woman Cae, Olqynn’s daughter Ash Guth, murderer, Egil Adare,  Whoa. This was a brutal tale. It’s about a n assassin named Griff Rees, who began his career after a man murdered his family and took him into the service of the Dark Queen before the Chaos War. Now a hired assassin renowned across the land, he is hiring a dwarf named Broc to help him with a job. They are both approached by a young woman named Olwynn Haugh who needs a guard to Haven. They refuse as they have a job already then she shows them the money and jewels and memory strikes Griff. He immediately accepts the job and they go the following day. They are traveling past Prayers Eye Peak and a band of men and goblins attack. They fight their way through and go into Darken Wood. There they stay for a night when they are discovered again, and fight the bandits off, except Olwynn dies. It turns out Olwynn is the daughter of the man that killed Griff’s family, and Olwynn’s daughter Cae is now the only way for the two assassins to get to the man in Haven. They take the baby and over time work through Darken Wood into Haven. They locate Egil Adare, who used to be named Ash Guth as Griff knew him. They relay his daughter’s death and produce the granddaughter. Griff calls him by his old name and recognition then fear sets into the man’s eyes. He pleads for his life and Griff is relishing the moment then eventually murders the man. He ends up taking the child to Estwild and raising her there. His pain and loss of his family finally abated as he cares for this new child without a family. There was a time when I thought he was going to kill the child, but I really like the trope that innocent children can soften even the hardest men’s hearts. Especially men who lost their souls as childr

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover player types. This includes understanding and catering to each, with a focus on the group dynamic. https://youtube.com/live/hN7JDLc36dY Transcript Intro Welcome to my third DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Darkember the 17th, my name is Adam and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Knowing the various types of players helps you anticipate and manage them in your game preparation and throughout the game itself. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion 1. Actor Core Motivation: Embodying a character’s personality, voice, and emotional journey. Behaviors: Speaks in character, uses voices, sometimes costumes. Builds personality-rich backstories and motivations. Enjoys dialogue-heavy scenes with NPCs and PCs. Rolls for “unexpected” social or flavor actions (Bard behavior). How to Engage: Provide deep roleplaying encounters. Use their backstory in the campaign. Include expressive NPCs and dramatic scenes. Highlight narrative effects even in combat. Pitfalls to Watch: Over-roleplaying that slows the session. Using “but that’s what my character would do” to justify disruptive choices. 2. Explorer Core Motivation: Discovering new locations, secrets, lore, and world detail. Behaviors: Asks for environmental details, maps, names, and cultures. Investigates ruins, mysteries, and world history. Enjoys atmosphere as much as plot or combat. Moves the party onward in search of the next unknown. How to Engage: Present vivid locations, cultural lore, secrets, and treasure clues. Reward curiosity with discoveries. Use evocative descriptions, maps, props, and handouts. Pitfalls to Watch: Exhausting the table or DM with excessive micro-detail requests. Using world-knowledge metagaming to “solve” exploration. 3. Instigator Core Motivation: Making things happen fast — chaos, risk, and impulsive action. Behaviors: Opens trapped chests “just to see what happens.” Provokes NPCs, triggers encounters prematurely. Saves sessions from lulls with decisive action. Loves consequences — even bad ones. How to Engage: Include tempting objects, risky levers, feisty NPCs. Let their actions shift the environment or escalate danger. Allow chaos without wiping the party. Pitfalls to Watch: Getting the group killed. Derailing sessions with constant impulsive sabotage. 4. Power Gamer Core Motivation: Mechanical power, leveling, cool abilities, and “winning.” Behaviors: Optimizes builds with math and system mastery. Chases magic items, combos, and new abilities. Focuses more on character power than story. How to Engage: Offer magic items as hooks. Provide encounters that spotlight their mechanics. Give quantifiable progression (XP, milestones, ranks). Pitfalls to Watch: Overshadowing less-optimized players. Hoarding treasure or treating party as sidekicks. 5. Slayer Core Motivation: Combat adrenaline — defeating monsters and unleashing destruction. Behaviors: Chooses simple, direct options to get into the fight fast. Enjoys mowing through enemies and seeing vivid descriptions of carnage. Has little patience for long social or puzzle scenes. How to Engage: Drop unexpected fights when boredom sets in. Mix simple battles with tactical ones. Describe damage and action vividly. Give them initiative-tracking or combat-flow roles. Pitfalls to Watch: Killing NPCs who are meant to be talked to. Pushing past story content just to reach combat. 6. Storyteller Core Motivation: Contributing to a larger narrative and seeing the plot unfold. Behaviors: Writes extensive PC backstories tied to the world. Enjoys recurring characters, foreshadowing, and themes. Prioritizes story cohesion over rules or optimization. How to Engage: Use their backstory to shape adventure arcs. Ensure every session advances the plot. Build NPCs with motives and connections to uncover. Pitfalls to Watch: Trying to become the “main character” of the whole campaign. Steering other PCs’ actions to fit their ideal story. 7. Thinker Core Motivation: Tactical planning, puzzles, logical solutions, minimizing risk. Behaviors: Treats encounters as puzzles to solve. Prefers careful plans to impulsive action or acting in character. Enjoys outsmarting the scenario more than combat itself. How to Engage: Include mysteries, tactical puzzles, and layered challenges. Reward planning with shortcuts or one-sided victories. Give time to think between choices. Pitfalls to Watch: Paralyzing the party with over-analysis. Commanding others like pieces on a chessboard. 8. Watcher Core Motivation: Enjoying the social environment more than the game mechanics. Behaviors: Shows up for friends rather than immersion. Quiet, laid-back, rarely initiates. Happy to follow the group’s lead and fill needed roles. How to Engage: Provide gentle prompts when decisions involve them. Don’t force deep involvement or spotlight moments. Give simple but meaningful ways to participate. Pitfalls to Watch: Getting distracted (phones, TV). Wandering off during critical moments. Summary Table (Ultra-Condensed) Type Core Desire XDM Parallel Best Feed Watch Out For Actor Embody a character Bard Roleplay scenes, NPC interactions Over-roleplaying, disrupting Explorer Discover the world Bard (setting focus) Lore, maps, secrets Detail overload Instigator Make things happen Warrior (impulsive action) Risky toys, reactive world Party death, derailment Power Gamer Maximize effectiveness Calculator Items, level-ups, mechanics Overshadowing others Slayer Combat excitement Warrior Lots of fights, vivid action Murder-hoboing Storyteller Big-picture narrative Bard (story flourishes) Plot arcs, callbacks, NPC ties Spotlight hogging Thinker Solve problems Calculator Puzzles, tactics, planning Analysis paralysis Watcher Social participation Casual spirit Low-pressure engagement Distracting others Outro And that’s it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, Player Types! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below.  Thank you for tuning in. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate link. All links are in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join us as we continue our @Dungeons & Dragons live play of a heavily customized Tyranny of Dragons with this session fifteen! You can buy Tyranny of Dragons here: https://amzn.to/3XJvuND https://youtube.com/live/qZ1lO2fVEHU Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 0:56 Chapter 4: On the Road – Life on the Road Continued 1:59:35 Break 2:08:49 Chapter 4: On the Road – Life on the Road Continued 3:48:16 Outro Cast of Characters Boros | Abyssal Tiefling, 4th Level Bard, College of Dance | Gabriel/@pensivedream Elowyn | Kayolin Niedar Dwarf, 4th Level Cleric of Mishakal, Life Domain | Amy/@amyalys77 K’thriss | Aurak Draconian, 4th level Fighter, Psi Warrior | Robert/@emtman25 Li’high | Kender, 4th Level Druid of Habbakuk, Circle of the Moon | Lauren/@laurenhippenstiel Gunnar Thorvald | Nordmaar Human, 4th Level Barbarian, Path of the Wild Heart | Chris Garrick Bloodmoor | Icewall Human, 4th Level Rogue/Fighter/Ranger | Gregory Game Setup Last time on Tyranny of Dragons: The heroes quickly move in to save Tinius Reathrom, the noble they ran over after he beat his horse. His guards, Yulon Kax, a knight, and Zarus Celsun, a mage, came out to see the heroes over his body. They tried to put the horse out of its misery, but the heroes brought it back and returned to camp. Since Li’high abandoned her bodyguard post with Edhelri Lewel, she was fired. The deceased Achreny Ulyeltin wagon led by his wagon driver fired the guards assigned to it, since they just wandered off, abandoning their post. Wagon master Ackrr Gaelstrum demanded that K’ithriss stay with his wagon rather than keep running off with his former murder suspect companions. He refuses to entertain the idea of hiring any of them as they are untrustworthy, if not complicit in the death of their former Wagon Master Achreny. Their collective reputation with the caravan is at an all time low, and with no options available, they follow along as the caravan continues toward its destination. Garrick leveraged his hunting to ingratiate himself with Ackrr and while out hunting spotted two creatures tracking the caravan from high in the sky. The heroes saw one wagon’s collateral crash onto the ground who hurriedly cleaned it up, but it was clear they were hiding something. The heroes planned to investigate further but abandoned the notion after hearing about hobgoblins pinning a wagon down on the road ahead. They investigated and eliminated the wagon threat, bringing one of its guards to their caravan to buy a horse, and healing their noble wagon master. As they continued down the road, ettercaps and giant spiders attacked and ran away with one of the wagon’s horses. The heroes went in pursuit and discovered their lair. After a lengthy battle they saved the horse and returned it to the wagon master. Their reputation has improved incredibly with these acts of support and protection to the caravan. Then the two Perytons attacked, trying to kill a mother and child. The heroes fought them off, killing them, and that is where we pick up today’s session. About Tyranny of Dragons The Return of Tiamat An epic draconic adventure for levels 1-15 The forces of Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons, bring war to the Forgotten Realms. Led by the sinister Cult of the Dragon, an army of dragons and foul villains wage a merciless campaign to unleash their draconic god upon the world. Opposing them is a desperate alliance including the heroic Harpers and treacherous Zhentarim. This fragile coalition needs heroes to unite them and find ways to resist the draconic threat. Do you have the courage to stand against the Cult of the Dragon and the threat of Tiamat’s immortal tyranny? Jump Into Play with D&D Beyond Purchasing a digital copy of this book unlocks it for use in the D&D BEYOND compendium and toolset. D&D BEYOND is the official digital toolset for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Create characters in minutes, play directly on your character sheets with digital dice, and prep less and play more with Dungeon Master tools like the Encounter Builder and Combat Tracker. Unlock Maps, D&D BEYOND’s virtual tabletop, with a Master Tier subscription. Host game sessions on dozens of official maps, or make your own and use our player and monster tokens to take your gaming to the next level! New features: Adds 31 tyrannical monsters to use in the Encounter Builder to create & run organized battles for your party Wield 13 new magical items against the forces of Tiamat with a click of your character sheet A good beginner adventure for Dungeon Masters including rollable tables, detailed maps, and unique NPCs

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are beginning our weekly news roundup of all things Dragonlance and Dungeons & Dragons. https://youtube.com/live/BrIVvaaCXfU Show Notes  Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Darkember the 14th. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news.  I would like to take a moment and thank my DLSaga YouTube members, and my Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion Dragonlance Legends re-release https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804621/dragonlance-legends-by-margaret-weis-and-tracy-hickman/  ‘Initiative’ Rolls Into NYC’s Public Theater https://variety.com/2025/scene/news/dungeons-dragons-5-hour-play-initiative-nyc-public-theater-1236572611/ Shawn Levy says making Netflix’s Dungeons and Dragons TV show has been a “challenging process” https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-shows/shawn-levy-says-making-netflixs-dungeons-and-dragons-tv-show-has-been-a-challenging-process-because-youre-adapting-a-world-and-a-lexicon-and-a-spirit/ the new D&D Stranger Things starter set https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/stranger-things-starter-set-preview  Outro And that’s it for this OA News episode! Will you be picking up the Dragonlance Legends re-release? Would you watch a play about D&D? And finally, are you excited about the upcoming Netflix series? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to part seven of my Gaming AD&D: Dungeon Masters Guide Reading series where I rediscover Advanced Dungeons & Dragons with a live audience by reading the core rules. In this episode I will continue reading aloud the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide by Gary Gygax, released in August 1979.  https://youtube.com/live/XUbZxkuU_qQ Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 1:35 The Campaign 10:42 The Campaign: Climate & Ecology 15:31 The Campaign: Typical Inhabitants 16:43 The Campaign: Social Class and Rank 28:29 The Campaign: The Town and City Social Structure 30:48 The Campaign: Economics 33:20 The Campaign: Duties, Excises, Fees, Tariffs, Taxes, Tithes, and Tolls 39:58 The Campaign: Monster Populations and Placements 48:20 The Campaign: Placement of Monetary Treasure 58:19 Outro About the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide The 1st Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide is Back! Dungeon Masters everywhere, rejoice! Too long have you had to suffer along with crucial charts and tables spread through many works. Too long have you had to use makeshift references trying to solve the problem. You now have a complete compilation of the most valuable material for your refereeing, the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Herein you will find: Combat Matrices Encounter Tables Monster Attacks Alphabetically Listed Treasure and Magic Tables and Descriptions Gem Values by Type Random Wilderness Terrain Generation Random Dungeon Generation Suggestions on Game Mastering And a Whole Lot More!  This excellent tome is a must for every Dungeon Master!

Welcome to today’s Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience.  https://youtube.com/live/PqL7s86N6Gg Show Notes Intro Welcome to the first member-only DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Darkember the 12th, and my name is Adam. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. There are member only monthly downloads and weekly readings available only to DLSaga Members! You can also pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. Discussion The Soulforge Live Play: https://dlsaga.com/the-soulforge-live-play/ Speculation about Weis, Hickman, Manganiello with D&D peeps Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of these hangouts? Should we have a more subject structured show? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don’t miss what’s next. And if you appreciate all the projects I produce, I’ve started a Patreon — you can find the link in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join me as I review Relics and Omens edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this first Tales of the Fifth Age anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on January 1, 1998. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4oWwvOj  https://youtube.com/live/JP8MfBXTUJY About Relics and Omens Old companions and fresh heroes. New and ever more fantastical creatures and monsters. Banished gods and lost magic. Dragon overlords are taking over the world of Krynn. The Chaos War is ending. The Fifth Age is beginning. A collection of fantastical short stories exploring the new Fifth Age setting from the best known Dragonlance writers. Transcript Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Misham, Darkember the 6th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Relics and Omens edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron, links are in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat. Review Icefall by Douglas Niles Red Wand Tribe, Centaurs of the Plains of Dust This was a great story about a centaur who was out tracking near the icewall. He discovered polar bear tracks that were headed back toward his tribe, so he followed them when a storm began to rise. He saw the tracks veer away but since they were too close to his home, he decided to continue to pursue and kill this menage. He saw human tracks tracking the bear as well, and the storm kept increasing in intensity. Soon his visibility was slim to none and he finally came across the human who relented and was returning home. He wished the centaur good luck on his hunt and left. Now that the centaur had the bear to himself, he continued on. The weather was getting to even his tough form, and suddenly the bear was there. They fought as two predators in a storm with limited vision. The centaur was wounded but eventually killed the bear. He was debating on skinning it when a massive white form flew overhead. He suddenly realised the source of the storm was the dragon, and he knew that he had to get back to his tribe. He began to turn back and his wounds were too great. He slumped down and thought of his mate, as life faded away in the freezing cold. It was so good to read  a story that focuses on the elemental nature of these dragon overlords and the helplessness the mortals of the land are in their presence. The dragon was even named, only inferred and I knew exactly what was happening. The fear in the centaur was palpable as well. Truly great. Legacy by Nancy Varian Berberick Slean Brae, hill dwarf Leial,  Yahn Cooper, little girl, treated by Leial Wila Cooper, Yahn’s wife Kern, their boy Azure, youngest daughter Cour, town Red Sickness Holy shit this story got to me. This author is great! It’s about a herbalist named Leial who came from a town where her family all died from a nameless disease. She was able to heal a few people with herbs if she got to them soon enough, but most died. So she left toward Solace and stopped in a small town called Cour. Here she met a hill dwarf named Slean Brae who convinced her to stay to help the people of the town. They quickly became true friends and he constantly believed in her and her ability to tap into magic. She was unable and dismissed it, but he never stopped believing. When the plague hit Cour, she did her best to help a young girl, but the girl died anyway. She went with Slean to collect an herb that may help others as it helped in her past and as Slean was climbing back from retrieving some, he fell and soon died. The moment when they were together, he accepted his fate and her in pure pain over it, on the memorial of me losing an old friend I used to game AD&D with, really hit me hard. The story is about friendship and a legacy of magic that came with theirs. In me, that friendship is far too rare, and it makes me tear up thinking of the friends I have because of this story. Instead of magic, the legacy of our world is connection and love. It’s something that is discerning and earned, not given freely but when it’s there, it is powerful. Leial sat there weeping and an eagle dropped its prey. Leial felt the magic swell inside of her and she healed the creature. She had finally learned to tap into the magic of the world, but at what a cost. She returned to Cour with this legacy of magic within her. I love this story. It speaks to potential, and supporting those you care about, especially when they don’t believe in themselves. Sword of Tears by Richard A. Knaak Hermetes, Sword of Tears Kerman, town Kras,  Nemarik,  Lord Draytor,  Whoa, Knaak does it again! An old former cleric of Mishakal named Hermetes found the Sword of Tears on a minotaur skeleton years after the Chaos War. The sword spoke to him of its former owners like Huma Dragonsbane who slew Wyrmfather, and began to corrupt him. It led him to become the ruler of Kerman, and when bandits came to stop him he murdered them all. The more he killed, the more the sword wanted to kill. He healed people with the swords magis, even struck the ground and made fruit grow, and they worshipped him. When a Lord Draytor questioned his tactics and left, the sword convinced him that he must stop him. Hermetes demanded his followers to find the Lord and bring him to him. They claimed him, but the lord’s followers fought them, and Hermetes was drawn to the fight, killing friend and foe in his wake. When confronted with Lord Draytor, he was shown the young woman he just killed, the same woman he healed the day before and Hermetes knew the sword was controlling him. He woke the next day after smashing himself into a rock to struggle with the sword on the mountain top. The sword took control of Hermetes, but still he fought it, and summoned magical lightning to strike the tower, destroying Hermetes. The next day Lord Drayton arrived with his men, intent on destroying Hermetes, then he saw the devastation to the mountain. Knowing no one could survive it, he was certain Hermetes was dead, but he heard the calling of something. He decided to return the following day alone and seek the sword Hermetes wielded. This was a great story about losing yourself to power. How it’s hard to stay true to yourself, but its all we have as individuals, our conscience. The sword is out there, and where will it end up?  The Cost by Robyn McGrew Dariot Torson, Knight of the Sword Knight Commander Reginald Asterlain Prada, hamlet Sir Merek, Knight of Takhisis Elosia, Sister Lissa, This was another really good story. It’s about knights’ honor to their gods and themselves, and what it means in the absence of the gods. Sir Dariot Torson, Knight of the Sword was feeling unworthy and told to go on an honor quest where he happened across a small hamlet of Prada. The Knights of Takhsiis had taken much of their food that they were to rely on through the winter, so Dariot went to demand the food back. He appealed to the knights’ honor and called for duel, they accepted. He faced off against Sir Merek, a Knight of Takhisis and they both were evenly matched with the gods power reflected in the clashing of their swords. They ended the battle exhausted and wounded and the lord commander of the knights of Takhisis gave the knight a third of the provisions for the town. As Dariot returned he felt like a failure and the townspeople soon began to starve. After the death of a young woman, he decided to go back and find the food caches. This is when the gods left Krynn in the Chaos War and the new moon was strange. Merek was left to guard the cache as he was no longer trusted by his commander for failing to kill the Knight of Solamnia. He felt like a failure and tried to appeal to Takhisis, but he heard nothing. Then Dariot came and they faced off again in battle, only this time with no gods at their backs. They fought to a draw again, and realised the gods had left. In their absence they must rely on each other and Darior invited Merek to join him to lead and protect Prada for the winter. Merek with no other option agreed. It was a nice story about finding strength in others when the gods abandon you, and that when you put all your sense of self in something else, who are you when that other thing leaves? I really like the Fifth Age because it speaks to being true to yourself not because a god wants you to act a certain way, but because you want to be that person. A Most Peculiar Artifact by Janet Pack Tangletoe Thistleknot, Kender Cyrenar of the Black Robes,  Amburrtail, map maker Fhariss, thug Lord Dulthan,  Seroidan, cleric Glade of the Artifact Scroll of Telluirius This story is about Tangletoe Thistleknott, a klender obviously, who is selling a map to Cyrenar of the Black Robes. Cyrenar is looking for an artifact and when he tries to buy the kender’s map, the kender refuses saying it’s his very best. The black robe takes him out of the tavern where his henchman is waiting and has him beat the kender senseless. He takes the map and leaves after the artifact. The kender wakes, sore and hurt. But goes after the mage anyway, after all, he wants his map back. He catches up using deer trails and tells the mage he knows the fast and secret way to the artifact. They arrive to discover a Knight of Solamnia guarding the artifact. Apparently whoever reads it, gains power from it and it becomes useless. So the mage asks many questions posing as a scholar, and the knight answers as best he can. That night the kender tells the mage about the key, and the mage questions the knight. They reveal the location of the artifact and the mage digs it up. He begins reading it and it states that if the mage is in the company of a kender, he will forever lose his voice, the

Join us as we continue our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, ancient Istar School of the Games tournament with this round six! Each week, one player character (PC) faces off against another man or beast, and the survivor will go into the next round. You can buy DLA Dragonlance Adventures here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/162788/dragonlance-adventures-1e?affiliate_id=50797  https://youtube.com/live/p_FuF4OQrZA Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga gaming episode. Today is round six of our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons School of the Games tournament live play! It is Majetag, Darkember the 11th and my name is Adam. I just want to take a moment to thank all the DLSaga members for your amazing support. If you’d like to join the community, check out the links in the description — you can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials through my affiliate links. And if you appreciate all the projects I produce, I’ve also started a Patreon where you can become a patron and help keep it all going. Every Dragonlance Gaming episode also serves as a fundraiser for nonprofits supporting our active-duty service members and veterans — all donations go directly to those organizations. Game Setup Arack, the Master of the Games: Citizens of Istar! Today, within these sacred sands, the School of the Games honors the glory of strength, skill, and devotion! Here, champions rise not by birthright, but by the will of their own courage! In the sight of the Kingpriest and the judgment of the gods, these warriors shall prove their worth — in blood, in sweat, and in triumph! Steel shall sing, courage shall roar, and when the dust settles… only the greatest shall stand victorious! Let the Games begin! Outro And that wraps up round six and seven of our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons School of the Games live play! What do you think of the battle? Drop a comment below or email me at info@dlsaga.com—I’d love to hear from you. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don’t miss what’s next. And if you appreciate all the projects I produce, I’ve started a Patreon — you can find the link in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! Outcome AD&D School of the Games Tournament, Round 6 | DragonLance Saga