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Some D&D/Dragonlance insight from Jim Butcher

Started by Piestrio, November 19, 2013, 08:20:50 AM

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Piestrio

November 19, 2013, 08:20:50 AM
I thought this was interesting in the light of Dragonlance's 30th anniversary, it's only a few months old:

QuoteThat was actually something that TSR – not TSR, Wizards of the Coast had approached me of maybe doing a reboot of DRAGONLANCE.

Abstruse: You know Tracy’s here. Tracy Hickman.

Jim Butcher: Tracy and Margaret are the reason I ended up not doing that. I’d gone to them and said, “I think this is a fantastic idea! I’ve got a lot of a whole bunch of really good ideas of how this would work out.” I’d already started building all these characters and re-read the first book and was trying to figure out how to do that a little bit different. And I said, “Tracy and Margaret are okay with this, right?” And I got all these weasely answers from the far end and I’m like “No, screw you guys. If this is something that’s not kosher with Tracy and Margaret, it’s not going to happen.” And then 4th Edition crashed and they had more problems than that. And they were expecting 4th Edition to go insane and it HAD gone insane already, they just didn’t realize it. But yeah, I was going to have a good time with that. I was going to base Raistlin on House.

Nordling: [Cackling] Perfect!

Jim Butcher: And starting from there. Raistlin was going to be just going to be the most snarky, brilliant character.

Abstruse: I’m just connecting the dots, it’s perfect.

Jim Butcher: Yeah exactly. Tanis was going to be more kind of a thoughtful general action hero guy. But I was going to change things where Tasslehoff hadn’t stolen Flint’s knife at the beginning, or Flint caught Tasslehoff trying to steal his knife because Tass didn’t make make his pickpocket roll. So a goblin was going to have wounded Tanis and they were going to have taken an extra fifteen minutes to bandage Tanis up before they rolled into town and that would’ve changed the entire scope of the Dragonlance War. I wanted to start with that little incident and go from there.

Abstruse: And kind of retcon out the Fifth Age?

Jim Butcher: Yeah, more or less. They said reboot and do whatever you want, so I said okay. Although also, I should’ve known there was an issue when they asked me if it could be 4th Edition compatible. Can you book be 4th Edition compatible? And I’m like “......it’s a book!” It’s a story. The 4th Edition is just a way to tell the story.

Abstruse: I know RA Salvatore has been doing this sort of...bitching without actually bitching, about having to write Drizzt in 4th.

Jim Butcher: [shaking his head] 4th Edition-compatible storytelling.

Abstruse: Well, it’s got to use those specific maneuvers and powers, and keep track of the dailies and...I actually really like 4th Edition for what it is.

Jim Butcher: Right.

Abstruse: It’s something completely different.

Jim Butcher: I think it’s a good game. It’s a neat game. It’s just not D&D.

Man I would have killed for a Jim Butcher Dragonlance, but at least WOTC is considering/has considered a reboot rather than yet another apocalypse.

From: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/63756
Disclaimer: I attach no moral weight to the way you choose to pretend to be an elf.

Currently running: The Great Pendragon Campaign & DC Adventures - Timberline
Currently Playing: AD&D

crkrueger

#1
November 19, 2013, 10:56:11 AM
Quote from: Piestrio;709740I thought this was interesting in the light of Dragonlance's 30th anniversary, it's only a few months old:

 

Man I would have killed for a Jim Butcher Dragonlance, but at least WOTC is considering/has considered a reboot rather than yet another apocalypse.

From: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/63756

I got the flu, sick as a dog, but this made my morning.
Even the the "cutting edge" storygamers for all their talk of narrative, plot, and drama are fucking obsessed with the god damned rules they use. - Estar

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Exploderwizard

#2
November 19, 2013, 10:58:38 AM
Jim Butcher: I think it's a good game. It's a neat game. It's just not D&D.


The money quote right there.
Quote from: JonWakeGamers, as a whole, are much like primitive cavemen when confronted with a new game. Rather than \'oh, neat, what\'s this do?\', the reaction is to decide if it\'s a sex hole, then hit it with a rock.

Quote from: Old Geezer;724252At some point it seems like D&D is going to disappear up its own ass.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;766997In the randomness of the dice lies the seed for the great oak of creativity and fun. The great virtue of the dice is that they come without boxed text.

JRT

#3
November 19, 2013, 11:09:49 AM
My favorite is this.

QuoteI said, "Tracy and Margaret are okay with this, right?" And I got all these weasely answers from the far end and I'm like "No, screw you guys. If this is something that's not kosher with Tracy and Margaret, it's not going to happen."

I know H&W aren't the sole creators of Dragonlance, but I like the fact that as an author he respects their claim to it--I know DL was in-house and committee designed but those two are the authors of the core novels.  I'd feel the same way if somebody decided to radically reboot the Realms and force Greenwood out, and I still pretty much ignore non-Gygax Greyhawk stuff.
Just some background on myself

http://www.clashofechoes.com/jrt-interview/

James Gillen

#4
November 20, 2013, 02:58:54 AM
In retrospect, wasn't it more like House was based on Raistlin?

JG
-My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line and kiss my ass.
 -Christopher Hitchens
-Be very very careful with any argument that calls for hurting specific people right now in order to theoretically help abstract people later.
-Daztur

Omega

#5
November 20, 2013, 06:46:42 AM
Quote from: JRT;709781My favorite is this.



I know H&W aren't the sole creators of Dragonlance, but I like the fact that as an author he respects their claim to it--I know DL was in-house and committee designed but those two are the authors of the core novels.  I'd feel the same way if somebody decided to radically reboot the Realms and force Greenwood out, and I still pretty much ignore non-Gygax Greyhawk stuff.

I did the same with Albedo. I talked to Paul who was one of my customers at the time about using 1st or 2nd ed as the core and he wasnt keen on that so I was cool with that and started converting the whole thing to STAR. Then Sanguine came along saw my manuscript, ganked the deal and fucked up the whole thing up.

As for the reboot. Cant say it sounds very appealing. But eh, points for asking before leaping in.

YourSwordisMine

#6
November 20, 2013, 07:03:15 AM Last Edit: November 20, 2013, 07:15:17 AM by YourSwordisMine
Quote from: Exploderwizard;709777Jim Butcher: I think it’s a good game. It’s a neat game. It’s just not D&D.


The money quote right there.

The actual full interview is full of them. My favorite is:

"But yeah, I did the playtest for D&D 4th Edition, I wrote a two-word review. “New Coke” and sent it in to them. I hoped that would get through, but it didn’t seem to."
Quote from: ExploderwizardStarting out as fully formed awesome and riding the awesome train across a flat plane to awesome town just doesn\'t feel like D&D. :)

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flyerfan1991

#7
November 20, 2013, 07:19:29 AM
Quote from: YourSwordisMine;710089The actual full interview is full of them. My favorite is:

"But yeah, I did the playtest for D&D 4th Edition, I wrote a two-word review. "New Coke" and sent it in to them. I hoped that would get through, but it didn't seem to."

Says a lot, doesn't it?

But corporations have a major blind spot that way.  They look at numbers and studies and let their MBAs break them down into deciding what to do.  And when someone comes along and points out the Emperor has no clothes, they bury their heads in the data that says otherwise.

artikid

#8
November 20, 2013, 07:57:39 AM
Quote from: JRT;709781... I still pretty much ignore non-Gygax Greyhawk stuff.
There is no non-Gygax Greyhawk stuff...

flyerfan1991

#9
November 20, 2013, 08:11:53 AM
Quote from: artikid;710092There is no non-Gygax Greyhawk stuff...

3e Greyhawk stuff, for example, is non-Gygax.

Arduin

#10
November 20, 2013, 09:32:01 AM
Quote from: Exploderwizard;709777Jim Butcher: I think it's a good game. It's a neat game. It's just not D&D.


The money quote right there.

Yep.  It's what most of us said when we bought and looked at 4e.  Accurate statement.

Mostlyjoe

#11
November 20, 2013, 11:28:14 AM
Oh...damn. I knew I loved Jim Butcher's attitude. But the "New Coke" line. Gold. And it well encapsulates the issue with 4E. It's a fine game in it's own right. It might have made for a great D&D spin off line of mini-battles. But having the ability to hold up the full D&D brand. Ehhhhh.

Just Another Snake Cult

#12
November 20, 2013, 11:32:50 AM
Very, very interesting. Thanks for sharing this.
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jcfiala

#13
November 20, 2013, 11:38:00 AM
Quote from: flyerfan1991;7100973e Greyhawk stuff, for example, is non-Gygax.

I think he meant it in a sort of "There are no sequels to Highlander" way. :)
 

Ladybird

#14
November 20, 2013, 01:10:09 PM
Quote from: YourSwordisMine;710089The actual full interview is full of them. My favorite is:

"But yeah, I did the playtest for D&D 4th Edition, I wrote a two-word review. "New Coke" and sent it in to them. I hoped that would get through, but it didn't seem to."

That's a really insightful comment that truly explains the writer's complaints... Oh no, wait, it's pithy grandstanding snark that doesn't actually explain anything or provide any constructive feedback.

"I tested it, I didn't like it, but I didn't want to do anything that might actually improve the end product".

He's a writer. Writing is kinda his job. I'm sure he could have provided something useful.
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