Dragons of Despair

Dragons of Despair

The cover of Dragons of Despair (art by Clyde Caldwell)
Code	DL1
Rules required	AD&D (1st Edition)
Character levels	4-6
Campaign setting	Dragonlance
Authors	Tracy Hickman
First published	1984
Pages	32
ISBN	ISBN 0-88038-086-1
Linked modules
DL1, DL2, DL3, DL4, DL5, DL6, DL7, DL8, DL9, DL10, DL11, DL12, DL13, DL14, DL15, DL16

Dragons of Despair is the start of the first major story arc in the Dragonlance series of Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game modules, a ready-to-play adventure for use by Dungeon Masters in the game. It is the first in a series of 16 Dragonlance adventures published by TSR between 1984 and 1988. This series provides a game version of the original Dragonlance storyline, as told in the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy of novels. This module corresponds to the events told in the first half of the novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Its module code is DL1, which is used to designate it as the first part of the Dragnlace adventure series.

Plot summary

As with most D&D adventures, the exact storyline varies based on the actions that the game's players choose for their game characters, although a certain course of action is assumed by the adventure. The story begins with the players' characters (PCs) meeting up as agreed in elven settlement of Solace after five years of unsuccessful individual quests to find any sign of "true clerics". A series of wilderness encounters, in which the PCs come across trouble in a wilderness area, are used to direct the PCs to find a magic crystal staff and take it to the ruined city of Xak Tsaroth.

In the ancient jungle-covered ruins of Xak Tsaroth the PCs encounter draconians. They also find baby dragons and, for the first time, they will encounter Khisanth, an ancient black dragon. Following the fleeing dragon down a well the PCs must negotiate the first level of a dungeon, more typical of Dungeons & Dragons adventures, filled with draconians, gully dwarf slaves and other monsters.

On the second level of the dungeon the PCs must finally confront and defeat Khisanth. This is an extremely challenging task for the party but, if they have her Blue Crystal Staff, they will be aided by the goddess Mishakal. The adventure ends with the PCs recovering the Disks of Mishakal, allowing for the return of true clerics to Krynn for the first time in over 300 years.

Original publication

First published in March 1984, this module is the first Dragonlance product ever released, seven months before the first Dragonlance novel. In January and February there had been small teaser advertisements in Dragon, with each less than a quarter page and simply showing the Dragonlance logo and the text "coming soon".

The March 1984 issue of Dragon contained a short story titled "The Test of the Twins" by Margaret Weis, along with a sidebar explaining about Dragonlance being "an epic adventure usable with the AD&D game system, and will be detailed through a series of TSR products – books, games, modules, and even miniature figures." Latter in the same issue a full page teaser advertisement showed a black & white version of the painting from the cover of DL1 with the text "Play the epic series... Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dragonlance".

The cover of Dragons of Despair features a painting by Clyde Caldwell depicting the black dragon Khisanth fighting three heroes from the novel series upon which the adventure is based: Goldmoon, Tanis Half-Elven, and Caramon Majere. This module features the first appearances of the creatures Draconians and Aghar (Gully Dwarves) in the game, along with locations that include Xak Tsaroth, Solace and Haven. It is the first appearance of the pregenerated player characters (PCs) that form the core Heroes of the Lance – Tanis Half-Elven, Sturm Brightblade, Caramon Majere, Raistlin Majere, Flint Fireforge, Tasslehoff Burrfoot and Goldmoon, along with Riverwind who is played as a non-player character by the Dungeon Master. Tika Waylan makes her first appearance as an NPC; she is available for use as a PC and joins up with the Heroes of the Lance in Chapter 7 of DL2 Dragons of Flame. The villainous hobgoblin lord Fewmaster Toede also makes his first appearance.

The game module was positively received. It was number 25 on a 2004 list of the "The 30 Greatest D&D adventures of All Time", the only Dragonlance module to make the list. A review in White Dwarf issue #60 said that the adventure was "...very much taken off from [Lord of the Rings] with a powerful magic item to be taken at all costs to the aggressor's innermost defences and through them. The characters will have to get past a nice new race of humanoids as well as a couple of other monster-concepts. The artwork (aside from the cover) is good and usable in the adventure. Another good product."

The original concept of the module was done by Tracy Hickman, and edited by Michael Williams. The module's design staff included Tracy Hickman, Harold Johnson, Douglas Niles, Carl Smith, and Michael Williams. The module features cover art by Clyde Caldwell and interior artwork by Jeff Easley.

Reprints and revisions

The original series was updated to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition and repackaged as the three Dragonlance Classics modules, using module code DLC. DLC1 Dragonlance Classics Volume 1 reprinted DL1 along with DL2, DL3 and DL4 in 1990.

In 1999 Wizards of the Coast published a new revision of the original Dragonlance story, including Dragons of Despair, in Dragonlance Classics: 15th Anniversary Edition as part of their TSR's Silver Anniversary line. In 2000 the entire DL module series was reprinted exactly as the originals but in a smaller size. This printing was available as two slip case sets, with Dragons of Despair included in Dragonlance Volume 1: DL1 - DL8. The four chapters of Dragons of Autumn, an updated version of some Dragonlance modules converting them to Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5, corresponds to the material in DL1 Dragons of Despair.

Heroes of the Lance is a video game based on Dragons of Despair, released in 1988. It is a horizontally-scrolling fighting game that represents the events of the module. Dragons of Despair has also been converted into Neverwinter Nights computer game format. The adaptation requires both the Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark expansion packs as well as the original game.

Further reading

• Archer, Peter (2004). "Dragonlance". 30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons & Dragons. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3498-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Bunnell, John C. (1985). "It's a neat idea, but...". Dragon #98. Vol. X (No. 1). TSR: 26–27. ISSN 0279-6848. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Hickman, Tracy (2004). War of the Lance: Dragonlance Campaign Setting Supplement. Sovereign Press. ISBN 1-931567-14-X. Retrieved 2007-03-25. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Kirchoff, Mary (editor) (1987). The Art of the Dragonlance Saga. TSR. ISBN 0-78681181-6. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help); Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
• Taylor, Giordon (1987). "Open Box X-tra: Dragonlance". White Dwarf (Issue 86). Games Workshop: 18–19. ISSN 0265-8712. {{cite journal}}: |format= requires |url= (help); |issue= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Valentine, Clark (2006). Dragons of Autumn. Sovereign Press. ISBN 1-931567-33-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• "Chronicles: a novel idea". Dragon #91. Vol. IX (No. 6). TSR: 44–45. 1984. ISSN 0279-6848. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)