Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 17 Nov 2001 to 18 Nov 2001 (#2001-317) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 19/11/2001, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 8 messages totalling 515 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Sentient Races 'P' 2. New Vampire Powers, Weaknesses and Spells (3) 3. About NW (2) 4. IM1 The Immortal Storm 5. Good and Evil ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 10:11:47 +0100 From: Agathokles Subject: Sentient Races 'P' Section 'P' of the Sentient Races list, plus repost of corrected 'M' to 'O' sections. ============ Magen This intelligent constructs are the creation of the d'Ambreville wizards. They are common only in Chateau Sylaire in the Principality of Nouvelle Averoigne, but since the d'Ambreville returned after their 30 years long disappearance, the Gens Magica has probably found its way in other Principalities. The Magen make good servants, since they are reliable as any construct, but much more intelligent and good-looking than living statues and gargoyle. References: X2 Castle Amber. Manscorpion The main manscorpion civilization on Mystara is located on the Orc's Head Peninsula in Western Brun. The Nimmurian Manscorpions have conquered their land from the Enduks (q.v.) and have adopted their language, architecture, and many other cultural traits. However, their theocracy is devoted to Menlil (Atzanteotl) instead of Idu (Ixion). Other (non-Nimmurian) Manscorpions live, or have lived in the past in other hot, dry regions of Western Brun (e.g., the Great Waste north-west of Sind), or in the subterranean areas below those lands. References: Savage Coast Campaign Book, Orc's Head, X4 Master of the Desert Nomads. Manticore Manticores are held to be solitary, aggressive monsters, and they are not overly intelligent. I think they are present in various borderlands or savage regions of Mystara, but there is no Manticore society. Meazel AFAIK, these are not Mystaran monsters. They seem to fit the same niche as the Boneless (see Rockhome Gaz). Medusa Medusae are often lonely monsters. I think they are most common in the Milenian lands of both the Outer and Hollow World. Merman The standard AD&D Mermen (half-men, half-fish beings) do not exist on Mystara. Mystaran Mermen are more correctly called Merrow (see below). References: PC3 The Sea People. Merrow The name "Merrow" is used on Mystara to address a race of two-legged, half-men half-fish beings, not Aquatic Ogres (who don't exist here, at least in the Sea of Dread). The Merrow are nomadic hunter-gatherers and herders. They have occupied the shallow regions of the Sea of Dread since the sinking of Taymora. References: PC3 The Sea People, Kingdom of Ierendi Gaz. Minotaur Mystaran Minotaurs are the descendants of cursed Enduks who, lead by Minoides, betrayed the Shedu-King Gildesh to get his treasure, and were banished to eastern regions. From their original homeland of Nimmur, they may have spread over large regions of Brun and Davania, though I suppose they are quite few and their cursed nature prevents them from creating nations or even large tribes. Minotaurs have been sighted even in Karameikos, but it is not known whether these are descendents of Minoides and his Enduks or cursed humans. In Davania, there is a Minotaur nation (the land of Mis, by Francesco Defferrari), and a City-State controlled by Minotaurs appear in Skothar (Erech, within the Minean lands). References: Savage Coast Campaign Book, Orc's Head, B10 Night's Dark Terror, The Last Haven of Mis by Francesco Defferrari, Confederated Kingdom of Minaea in the Mystaran Almanac AC1017. Mite Another small variant of the Gremlin, like the Jermlaine (q.v). Mongrelman These "humanoids" are the result of hideous magical experiments, so the forests of Alphatia and Herath could hide a number of Mongrelman tribes. However, I don't think this is a canon race. Mongrelmen, or the Ravenloftish counterpart, the Broken Ones, can be used as creations of the Dark Pyrondians on Damocles (my subsetting based on the flatworld Damocles, a.k.a Asterius in the Mystaran cosmology). References: Damocles Q&A by Agathokles. Mujina These powerful shapechanging warriors are often travelling mercenaries and/or assassins. If they have a large scale civilization, it is well hidden from the sight of the non-shapechangers. I think central Brun might be their center of diffusion (as for other shapechangers), due to the events that occurred in Sind some centuries ago. Note that Mujina are said to hunt down Psionicists--which could account in part for the rarity or non-existance of this character class on Mystara. Naga These serpentine beings are not canon Mystaran monsters, AFAIK. However, they would fit well into MIndian lands, though more Shahjapur or Selimpore than Sind itself. Nagpa Nagpa hail from Varellya, and are the result of a centuries-lasting curse laid on the original Varellyans, who keep reincarnating into this half-man, half-vulture form. Most Nagpa are plain evil, and all are definitely chaotic. A group of Nagpa live in the Flying City of Serraine, the Sky Gnomish city that travels over the Known World. Other Nagpa have found their way through Davania to other arid regions, like the Sind Desert. Nagpa don't gather in large numbers, and their society takes the form of a secret network of scholars. The Grey Front leadership is the only known example of Nagpa society. References: PC2 Top Ballista, X4 Master of the Desert Nomads, The Voyage of the Princess Ark series. Nereid Nereids hail from the Elemental Plane of Water. Since Mystara has got an unusually high number of Elemental Vortices, it is likely that some exiled Nereid has found its way to the planet's oceans. Outside their home plane, Nereid are solitary, and there's no Nereid society on Mystara. Nightshade These are powerful beings from the Negative Energy Plane. They appear on Mystara only when summoned by powerful magics, or sent by an Entropic Immortal. Nightshades tend to attack everything else, except other Nightshades or a summoner, so it is highly unlikely that they have any society (at least on Mystara). Nixie Nixies are female water sprites (contrary to other worlds, in Mystara there are no male Nixies). They live in shallow waters, in small tribes. They often keep charmed male servants, humans or other land dwellers. There is no larger Nixie society. References: PC3 The Sea People. Norker A Grayhawk goblinoid, similar to an hobgoblin. Since an article from Dragon Magazine reports "Norke" as an Orc-like monster from Swiss folklore, we can assume that Norke or Norker is just the name given by the Kogolor Dwarves to the Krugel Orcs. Another option is to consider the Norker a crossbreed between goblins and other goblinoid races--most probably hobgoblins or bugbears, much like the orog and ogrillon (orc-ogre crossbreeds). Nymph There's no reason why there shouldn't be Nymphs on Mystara. However, they are a solitary race, so there is no Nymph society to speak of. They are nature spirits, much like the Hamadryads. Oard This is a race of cyborgs, dwelling in a dimension called Aelos, where technology is prevalent on magic. They are basically the Mystaran version of the Borgs from Star Trek. References: CM? Where Chaos Reigns. Ogre Ogres are one of the less intelligent and social goblinoid race. The only known Ogrish "nation" is Ogremoor in the Broken Lands. Large numbers of Ogres are known to dwell in the Mengul Mountains to the north of Wendar. There are smaller Ogre tribes in North-Western Karameikos as well, and Ogres must have reached a wide diffusion in the past, as testified by the existance of half-ogre races like the N'djatwa (see below). Ogre Mage This intelligent, magic-using subrace of the Ogre is common only in Ochalea (and possibly in other oriental lands). The Ogre Magi are carnivorous, and eat preferably human, demi-human, or lupin flesh. They are also slavers, and might have contacts with other slaver societies, like the Iron Ring or Jaibul. Vodyanoi This should be an aquatic Umber Hulk. I don't know why it is listed here. Ogrillon An half-ogre, half-orc breed, the Ogrillon is likely to exist in the Broken Lands and in Oenkmar, where the goblinoid races mix frequently. However, it is not a canon Mystaran monster, just like the other Ogre-Orc halfbreed, the Orog. N'djatwa A race of half-ogres, half-elves of Southern Davania, the N'djatwa are cannibalistic, and follow the lead of tribal Druids. Their numbers are quite low. References: The Orcs of Thar Gaz, The Voyage of the Pricess Ark series, X11 Saga of the Shadowlord. Orc Perhaps the most common and important goblinoid race, the Orcs are common almost everywhere in Brun. There are several Orc subraces, with vast cultural and even physical differences. The major Orcish nations are in the Broken Lands (Orcus Rex, Red Orkia, Yellow Orkia, plus the Tangut nomads in neighboring Ethengar); in the Yazak Steppes and in Hule; and in the Orclands of the Savage Coast (various tribes of Swamp Orcs). Other tribes and subraces live in the northern regions (Orcus Hyborianus) and in Nentsun (Skotharian Orcs, of the Ondonti subrace). In the Hollow World, the is the Krugel Horde, a nation of Orcish raiding and mercenary horsemen. Orcish nations are usually nothing more than glorified hordes and tribes. The command chain is mostly based on fighting prowess, but intelligent Orcs like Thar and Krugel have been introducing new concepts to the orcish society, so that it is likely the most successful among all goblinoid societies--as shown by the fact that Orcs tend to be in command in multi-racial hordes, as in the Broken Lands. References: The Orcs of Thar Gaz, Savage Coast Campaign Book, Orc's Head, Hollow World Boxed Set, Chronicles of Nentsun by Giulio N. Caroletti, The Golden Khan of Ethengar Gaz. Pegataur These centaur-like crossbreeds of elf and pegasus are highly intelligent and social, though limited in numbers. They are found in at least two locales, namely the Flying City of Serraine in the skies of the Known World, where they make up an important, if small, part of the population; and the Zatrapy of Pazarkan in the Yezchamenid Empire in Western Brun. They can probably be found in other high mountains in the temperate or tropical regions, and in airborne lands like Floating Ar. They seem to fit well with other races, even though they might behave somewhat arrogantly towards non-fliers, and don't have a very distinct society, probably due to their low numbers. On the other hand, the Pegataurs have influenced the Yezchamenid society quite heavily, so it is possible that part of the Yezchamenid culture is originally due to the Pegataurs themselves. References: PC2 Top Ballista, Yezchamenid Empire by Adrian Mattias. Phanaton These small, somewhat humanoid flying squirrels are common in the Thanegioth Archipelago and have a kingdom of their own, Jibarù, in the Orc's Head Peninsula. It can be supposed that jungle regions between these two major Phanaton settlements have seen, or still hold, minor Phanaton communities. The Phanaton society is tribal, with a King or Queen at the head, followed by the warrior and shamanic castes. References: Orc's Head, X1 Isle of Dread. Phoenix A being of Elemental Fire, the Phoenix is not a common Mystaran race, though an individual Phoenix could well be found on the Planet-not enough to create a Phoenix society, though. It could appear anywhere other fire elemental-kin dwells (Sollux encampments, e.g.), or in Ochalea and other Oriental Lands. Pixie One of the Fairy races, the Pixie live mostly in the Dreamlands. However, they are also one of the most warlike and best fitted for life outside the Dreamlands of the smaller fairies, and it is possible to find Pixie clans in various enchanted locales, as the Lake of Lost Dreams. They seem to have a clanic society outside the Dreamlands, similar to the demihuman clans. References: PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folk, B10 Night's Dark Terror. Plasm The Plasm is a monster native to the Ethereal. Plasm haunt the elemental vortices that link Mystara to the Elemental Planes, but don't come to Mystara itself, since their ethereal frame wouldn't last long in the Prime Material plane. They are intelligent, though evil, but probably not common enough to gather in societies. References: Companion Set, A Guide to the Ethereal Plane, Mystara MCA. Pooka Another member of the Wee Folk, the Pooka is one of the less humanoid Fairy in appearance. Pooka are usually chaotic, but good natured, and quite adventuresome. They fit well with the Fairy society, but don't have much interest in organization or political power, and have little need of help from their fellows (pooka are quite powerful, even by Wee Folk standard). References: PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folk . Pseudo-dragon The Pseudodragon is an intelligent flying lizard, probably evolved from the Flapsail. I think it could be extinct on the surface, but present in some regions of the Hollow World. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 17:40:18 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: New Vampire Powers, Weaknesses and Spells > Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > > Compatible with : OD&D, AD&D 2E > > ( if you want to convert it to 3E please go ahead ) > > > > This is the first part of an article dealing with vampires in Mystara. > > Good work! Could you add some power measure for the various abilities > (perhaps a cost in NWP slots)? It would be easier to gauge the strenght > of non-standard vampires. Since I did not pass this into a corrector, and notice after many errors, I will change many things. I have started modifying the document, but I am not sure what you mean in NWP's ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 17:42:20 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: About NW I would appreciate a Norworld gazetteer. You might check what has been done with Net Almanacs on the Vaults on Norworld if you want to see what some poeple have done. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 14:02:57 -0500 From: Mischa Gelman Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm On Tue, 23 Oct 2001, Mike Harvey wrote: > Why is IM3 so bad? I saw some reference to a bunch of outer planes > that are detailed in that module -- which sounds very cool, except > for ominous remarks by various people that "I don't consider those > planes to exist in the Mystaran universe". I can only imagine... Why is it so bad? The first part of the module is a silly olympics-type contest that has nothing to do with the plot The artwork throughout is horribly silly as well Most of the planes have very brief descriptions and are hardly interesting. They are generally one-shot deals, not something one can use in a campaign - unlike the worlds developed in IM2 and to a lesser extent IM1. You have about 7,000 trolls united in an army in the Altan Tepes. Realism? Theres simply aren't many great opportunities for RP *or* hack n' slash, unlike the other IM modules Just IMO - Mischa Reliever Larry Andersen, after being summoned from the bullpen by Greg Riddoch with the bases loaded, a 3-2 lead and no one out in the 9th inning against Atlanta: "I took the ball from Greg and I said 'Th-th-th-thanks;" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 18:49:51 +0000 From: kevin wyton Subject: Re: Good and Evil >> IIRC, those spells detect good or evil intent, even in those AD&D 2e rules > everybody seem to dislike so much. At least, that's how I always saw them - > the Black Eagle may be an evil dude, but unless he is actually planning to > do nasty things to the caster, he still won't register as evil to him. > That's how I play it, anyway. Know Alignment would reveal more, but I > generally discourage use of the spell IMC, though it doesn't make much > difference since I have abolished alignments altogether to the point where > only I use them as the DM. > > > - The Stalker Greetings all In our campaign both Know Alignment and Detect Evil require a certain amount of observation time. We don't have any hard rules set down but it is generally understood that unless you are concealed the person you are observing is going to notice you staring at them. Most intelligent creatures are going to assume you are up to something if you stare at them in the manner required to make these spells work. One of our characters trying this out on a crowded street in Mirros nearly started a riot. The object of his spell began yelling that we were trying to "put the evil eye upon him" (lay a curse). This immediately upset the superstitious traladarans around him. Kevin _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 11:20:12 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: New Vampire Powers, Weaknesses and Spells > Since I did not pass this into a corrector, and > notice after many errors, I > will change many things. I have started modifying > the document, but I am not > sure what you mean in NWP's ? Non weapon proficencies. Optional add in for D&D since the RC. Chris. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 20:49:27 +0100 From: Agathokles Subject: Re: New Vampire Powers, Weaknesses and Spells Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > >Good work! Could you add some power measure for the various abilities > >(perhaps a cost in NWP slots)? It would be easier to gauge the strenght > >of non-standard vampires. > > Since I did not pass this into a corrector, and notice after many errors, I > will change many things. I have started modifying the document, but I am not > sure what you mean in NWP's ? Non Weapon Proficiencies. You know, like the lycanthropic powers by J. Mangrum in the Ravenloft netbook (Book of Souls). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 00:15:17 +0100 From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Re: About NW I'll be happy to contribute with the maps. i shall finish norwold in 8 miles per hex soon (if that darn Chernobyl vir= us doesn't erase all my current maps on my HD). thib. ----Message d'origine---- > Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 17:42:20 +0000 > De: Gilles Leblanc > Sujet: Re: =5BMYSTARA=5D About NW > A: MYSTARA-L=40ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > > I would appreciate a Norworld gazetteer. You might check what has been do= ne > with Net Almanacs on the Vaults on Norworld if you want to see what some > poeple have done. > > =5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F= =5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F= =5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.as= p > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV=40ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. > > Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177 homepage www.mystara.fr.st join me at thibsylv=40club-internet.fr or at clenarius=40hotmail.com ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 17 Nov 2001 to 18 Nov 2001 (#2001-317) ****************************************************************