Time of the Dragon

Ansalon, including their relationship with the gods. The dragons of Taladas are also different in their outlook, and are more neutral in outlook due to the role Takhisis, the Queen of Darkness played with Taladas during the War of the Lance. The need to survive has colored the outlooks of the other races of Taladas, making the cultures of Taladas darker in mood than those of Ansalon.^[2]

gnomes.^[1] After a brief history of the continent, the book discusses Taladas's geography one area at a time, and its impact on its peoples and how they had adapted. During the Cataclysm, one particularly huge meteorite struck the continent, causing volcanoes to erupt, and earthquakes shattered the land; volcanic dust fell over the continent, the seas were poisoned, and land masses shifted, leaving a vast sea of molten lava in the center of Taladas, surrounded by volcanoes.^[2] In the northwest part of Taladas are the steppe-dwelling Uigan, who draw their inspiration from the Mongols and Huns of historic Earth.^[2] The elves of this area are similar to the Uigan, being nomadic horse warriors. The goblins follow a settled lifestyle, living in small villages and hunting for food, ambushing elven and human horsemen, and making war with the elves. The Marak kender are different from the cute, cheerful ones of Ansalon, changed into a race marked by suspicion and paranoia. The Fianawar dwarves, having been driven from their underground homes by the Cataclysm, have developed a fear of the underground. The League of Minotaurs is the largest power in Taladas, and its society has built in controls to regulate the belief that might makes right. The minoi gnomes love to build devices but lack the logical minds necessary to make them work effectively, while the gnomoi gnomes are far more practical and control gnomish society, taking steps to make sure that it stays stable and develops.^[2]

ogres.^[2] The book also discusses changes required to make standard character classes fit smoothly into Taladas, and provides player-character kits that summarize the various abilities, skills, proficiencies and backgrounds for 34 common character classes and races.^[2] Army organization charts and statistics are included for the Battlesystem supplement.^[2] Also included is a selection of monsters that inhabit Taladas.^[2]

Mike Breault and Jon Pickens, with cartography by Dave Sutherland and David "Diesel" LaForce.^[2]

Games International (Issue 13), Dave Hughes called the background information of Taladas "staggeringly comprehensive," writing that the history presented was "not only interesting and believable, it is also exciting and different enough for you to be thinking of adventure ideas as you read [it]." He did have issues with the nine new monsters, calling them "mostly derivative", and spell lists and rules to be incompatible with recent TSR releases. He concluded by giving this a below-average rating of 6 out of 10, saying, "If you have been looking for a new direction in which to take your players, look at this."^[3]

gritty fantasy world."^[2]