So, I reached out to the publisher of the Dragon Age Tabletop RPG (ttrpg), Green Ronin, last month. I asked for some clarification in the canon status of some aspects in the ttrpg for my lore projects. If there was anything specifically crafted for the ttrpg and if any part was BioWare canon. I wanted to know for my own lore projects since I wanted a more definitive answer than what I found on that was vague and ambiguous.
Luckily I received a response. Though still a bit vague (and delightfully acknowledging BioWare’s own allergy to continuity), it is pretty straight forward.
The email is going under the cut because this got long. But tldr:
BioWare provides the lore, approves the stories, and the canon state of any information provided by BioWare is dependent on BioWare themselves.
So in essence, the tabletop is a valid lore source except when new lore contradicts/phases out a bit of the lore.
[Image ID: An email from Dylan Templar at Green Ronin Customer Service that says the following:
Hi Archi,
Generally speaking, everything in our Dragon Age product line needs to be reviewed and approved by Bioware before we can publish it, and we haven't created anything "new" purely for the tabletop game. (although that may change in the future)
There are some inconsistencies that fans have noticed in the past, such as making Duncan being a Warrior because of his access to heavy plate armor, a decision which has been somewhat controversial as his background suggests he might be a Rogue. But what is and isn't "canon" is always a tricky question and depends on the holder of the IP maintaining consistency with the story. Which is not something that Bioware has traditionally been well-known for, even between their video games and expansions... and getting into the comics and novels gets even messier.
Hopefully that answers your question, but let me know if there's anything more I can do for you.
Thank you,
Dylan Templar
Green Ronin Customer Service
[End of Image ID]
So the ttrpg is like any third party medium put out by BioWare. The lore is provided by BioWare, reviewed by someone at BioWare and given the green light. The status it holds in canon lore is dependent, like any other additional media put out by a third party or BioWare, subjected to the whims of consistency in BioWare lore. To be sure I didn’t misunderstand, I asked a follow up clarification question.
[Image ID: An email thread with two responses, the top email replying to the bottom.
Top email says:
Dylan Templar (Green Ronin Online Store)
Dec 9, 2022, 11:26 PST
Hi Archi,
That's basically it, yep!
Thank you,
Dylan Templar
Green Ronin Customer Service
Bottom email says:
Exhausted Archivist
Dec 9, 2022, 00:01 PST
Hi Dylan,
Thank you so much for your quick response. I really appreciate it. But just to make sure I understand:
Everything in the tabletop was either provided by or approved by BioWare. The canon/non-canon status is dependent on BioWare in regards to whether it is maintained or falls out of current lore.
Do I have that correct?
Thank you again for your time,
Archi
End of Image Id.]
So going forward, I will keep doing as I have in the past and use ttrpg lore in any lore post, provided it is not contradicted by any new lore.
My blog isn’t about deciding what is or isn’t canon. (Outside of a joking manner.) But providing as thorough and accurate of lore as I can.
To be clear, this means I will also continue to list the ttrpg in the sources should they be used or referenced in my post.
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