Summary
Although known for being the setting of high fantasyDungeons & Dragonsnovels set in the world of Krynn,Dragonlancestarted as a setting developed by Laura and Tracy Hickman as well as Margaret Weis forAD&D 1Eand2E. Starring the Heroes of the Lance,Dragonlancechronicles their journey to save the world from the evil dragon queen Takhisis’s threat while exploring the gods' absence.
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With over 100 books on its belt, it’s no surprise thatDragonlancebecame one of the settings adapted as aDungeons & Dragonsvideo game. However, its slate of 9 games pale compared to almost 50+ in the more popularForgotten Realmssetting. Regardless of having fewer games, fans ofD&Dwho want to explore a new setting may want to give some of the bestD&Dtitles set inDragonlancea shot.
8Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes Of The Lance (1988)
Despite its status as one of gaming’s worst NES titles,Dragonlancefans who want a “complete” tour of the campaign setting’s video games shouldn’t skipAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes Of The Lance. The game is a direct adaptation of theDragons of Despairmodule and the first half of theDragons of Autumn Twilightnovelwhere the Heroes of the Lance attempt to find the Disks of Mishakal in the city of Xak Tsaroth.
Showcased as a traditional platformer, the game features all Heroes of the Lance outfitted withAD&D 2Eskillsets. However, save for three characters with unique skills, the other heroes act simply as “extra lives” while the stats do little to improve the experience. While clunky mechanics and poor polish led to the game’s lackluster reception, its accuracy in terms of storytelling makes it a worthwhile firstDragonlancegame for hardcore fans.
7War Of The Lance (1989)
The War of the Lance remains the most pivotal aspect of theDragonlanceuniverse, as this is the conflict that pits the Heroes of the Lance against the overwhelming forces of the Dragon Highlords. Mediocre graphics of the 80s aside,War Of The Lanceis a decent attempt to translate the “bigger picture” events outside the adventures of the Heroes of the Lance. The game not only lets players take turns building armies and fighting the opposing enemy force (be it an AI or another player), but gamers also need to create and break alliances.
Unfortunately, the lore-heavy nature of the game makes it difficult to appreciate as a title. This caveat is made worse by the fact that the Heroes of the Lance don’t affect the game in any capacity. Lastly, the lack of traditional 4X components such as trading and meaningful combat removes any hope of replayability.
6Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons Of Flame (1989)
Gamers might be surprised to learn ofHeroes of the Lancegetting a sequel considering its poor reception, butAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons Of Flameis a slight improvement compared to its predecessor. This time exploring the second half ofDragons of Autumn Twilightand theAD&Dmodule of the same name,Dragons of Flametasks the Heroes of the Lance to go to the slave-mine of Pax Tharkas to free the slaves and defeat the red dragon Ember and his master, the Dragon Highlord Verminaard.
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As withHeroes of the Lance,Dragons of Flamecombat happens across a horizontal plane and acts as a traditional hack-and-slash title. Each of the Heroes of the Lance act as “lives” for players intheDragonlancesetting, some of which have special abilities such as spells. Slight improvement in graphics, an overworld with more components to see, as well as more maneuverability makeDragons of Flamea more bearable second half to the firstDragonlancestory.
5Shadow Sorcerer (1991)
Despite being released in the same year as the FPS RPGEye of the Beholder,the overall experience inShadow Sorcerermixes a traditional RTS with survival management a laThe Oregon Trail. Adapting the modulesDragons of HopeandDragons of Desolation, players ofShadow Sorcerercontrol the Heroes of the Lance as they bring the refugees of Pax Tharkas to the Dwarven home of Thorbardin.
The game takes place in two fronts, with players being able to click parts of an open world to reveal a path in the fog of war, and the second half being a real-time environment should they trigger an encounter. Players control four Heroes of the Lance at a time, being able to pause at any moment to cycle through combat options as they fight numerous foes. The game’s inclusion of mechanics such as the refugees making their own decisions and even affecting the overall plot is a significant improvement from the two other titles.
4Death Knights Of Krynn (1991)
Being the direct sequel toChampions Of Krynn, players can expect a similar gameplay loop withDeath Knights Of Krynn. Set a year after Myrtani’s defeat, players are left with little respite at Gargath Outpost as the undead forces of Lord Soth attack the party. It’s now up to the player to once again defeat this threat, this time bringing the fight to Lord Soth’s home of Dargaard Keep.
As with the previous titleDeath Knights Of Krynnlets players create theirownDragonlanceparty usingAD&Drules, with the option to transfer characters fromChampions. However, the slightly more detailed sprites alongside a dungeon crawl system make for a more immersive experience. While side quests are present, their repetitive nature can make the game feel monotonous.
3Champions Of Krynn (1990)
Considered as the first in Strategic Simulation’s “Gold Box” series ofAD&Dtitles,Champions Of Krynnis an RPG that adapts the first three modules of theDragonlanceseries. Instead of being the Heroes of the Lance, players create their own party at the Inn of the Last Home before heading to the Hobgoblin capital of Throtl where they have to fight a Draconian named Myrtani.
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Being the first of a series,Champions Of Krynnserves as a template for the rest of the games in the series. Players control their party in a cavalier projection view, with the game being an early version of a tactical RPG where characters can be positioned and fight after aiming. Compared to the similarly-madeSecret Of The Silver Bladesunder theForgotten Realmsbanner,Champions of Krynnhas a more accessible interface.
2DragonStrike (1990, 1992)
Touted as the world’s first dragon flight simulator,DragonStrikemakes for quite a departure from traditional fantasy games with its core concept. Set in the War of the Lance, players take the role of a Knight of Solamnia as they get assigned on various missions throughout their career as a dragon rider. Armed with the eponymous Dragonlance, players embark on a series of missions in 3D environments where they conduct aerial jousting against an assortment of flying enemies.
The originalDragonStrikegame in the Amiga had 40 levels, each of which progressing in difficulty and giving players access to different dragons. Meanwhile, its NES adaptation has a similar plot with a different ending, although this time only spanning 14 levels and a top-down perspective. While not as intensive as traditional flight simulators,DragonStrikeis a worthwhile attempt at giving playersan authenticDragonlanceexperienceinvolving the actual mythical weapon.
1The Dark Queen Of Krynn (1992)
Strategic Simulations went all out inThe Dark Queen Of Krynn, the last story in its three-part “Gold Box” series ofAD&DRPGs set in theDragonlancesetting. Originally set in Caergoth where players are taskd by General Laurana to investigate the presence of evil creatures, much of the game takes place in the far continent of Taladas upon learning of a sinister plan by the Dark Queen, Takhsis, herself.
Similar to the previous two games,The Dark Queen Of Krynnuses dungeon crawling mechanics for exploration with turn-based tactics for combat. Players are once again able to import characters or create their own with a more intuitive character creation screen. The game also boasts 256 colors in the PC and Mac versions, with mouse integration giving players a more accessible experience. Unfortunately, bugs and poor level design may unnecessarily increase the difficulty of the title.
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