Forty years ago you began the Dragonlance world with Test of the Twins and Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and now forty years later, you are concluding the Dragonlance Destinies trilogy with Dragons of Eternity. In four decades, Dragonlance has consistently been one of the most popular fantasy IP’s that ever came out of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. To celebrate this impressive anniversary, I am pleased that you have donated some of your valuable time to answer some fan questions.
Questions
General
Upon reflection, what do you take away from 40 years writing in the Dragonlance sandbox?
Coming to know so many wonderful fans from all parts of the world.
After so many decades, why do you think Dragonlance has endured?
I think one reason is that Dragonlance is about ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations.
What was it about this story (Dragons of Destiny trilogy) that made it important for you and Tracy to tell?
We wanted a strong female character and we particularly liked her trying to find a way to save her father, no matter how misguided her attempts.
If you had known from the beginning how successful Dragonlance novels would have become (over 250), would you have appointed someone as a canon coordinator to oversee the continuity of the stories?
That would have been impossible, given TSR at the time! Plus we always felt that it was important for authors to bring their own visions to Dragonlance.
What would you have done differently if you had complete creative control of the Dragonlance setting?
Probably not SAGA.
Did you ever want to create a language for readers of your novels?
Not, not really. Much more interested in telling stories.
Has there ever been a story arc you wanted to do but couldn’t?
No.
If you were to write the original trilogies today, what would you keep and what would you write differently?
I don’t think I’d change anything. They were written out of love and I wouldn’t change that.
What was your favorite Dragonlance trilogy?
Like asking a parent to name their favorite child.
Is there a chance of all the early books being reprinted?
We’re working on it.
Is there a possibility of a film?
Anything is possible
Is it possible to cover other plot holes in the saga, like the story of the discovery of the eggs at sanction?
But what would the fans have to complain about if we did that?:)
And others’ stories from the D&D original campaign?
Doubtful if we’d have the black dragon kill all the characters in Xak Tsaroth, so, no.
Characters
Which Dragonlance character is the easiest for you to write, and which is the most difficult?
Raistlin is my character. I really disliked Elistan. He was so hopelessly good.
Did you have a favorite character that you created and played in an actual game?
We only ever played once and I can’t recall what character I played.
What did you use as inspiration for the story, creature, and characters in the World of Krynn?
Tracy created and the DL design team created the story and the world.
Where did the Kingpriest get his power from if the gods were angry with him?
Been forty years. I honestly don’t remember.
Does your Pisces Zodiac sign and imagination inspire certain characters, say for instance Tasslehoff Burrfoot ?
Roger E Moore wrote the first story about Tasslehoff. He was the inspiration.
What was your reaction to Tasslehoff being given the first name ‘Kalin’ in the AD&D2e Tales of the Lance boxed set?
Water under the bridge.
Do you have any idea who named him ‘Kalin’?
Not a clue.
What inspired the creation of Kender?
The game design wanted a race based on halflings. Tracy didn’t want a race of thieves, however, and he suggested that kender “borrow” things out of curiosity.
Of all the things done to the Kender by TSR & WotC do you see Kender being a major selling point in bringing back DragonLance?
I don’t think the subject ever came up.
What did you think of Lord Soth’s eventual fate, trapped in his own demiplane/in Ravenloft?
I was once in a guest game at a con where I played Kitiara and we went to Ravenloft to rescue Soth. It was fun.
Was it always intended that Sturm died at the High Clerist’s Tower or was that an unlucky dice roll in emergent gameplay?
Sturm was always intended to die. We didn’t play any sort of emergent game. We playtested once and that was all.
Eras
Do you have a favorite age of Krynn to write about?
The Age in which I’m currently writing.
Were you happy with the 5th age transition?
I haven’t paid any attention to it.
You had mentioned Dragons of Summer Flame was supposed to be two or three novels, what would you have added to it that you couldn’t in one novel?
The search for magic.
You can learn more about Margaret Weis and her projects on her website https://margaretweis.com/.
