Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 3 Dec 2001 to 4 Dec 2001 (#2001-333) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 05/12/2001, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 28 messages totalling 1001 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Threshold (7) 2. Darokin city under siege 3. Threshold - apology 4. Dwarves and Halflings (4) 5. Threshold - under seige? 6. Threshold - under seige? (long) (2) 7. Update-OD&D CLASS TEMPLATE (2) 8. Aztec-like Setting? (3) 9. Threshold (Skull Legions) (2) 10. magical scrolls (survey) (2) 11. LotR (was Threshold) (3) ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 05:13:44 -0500 From: Kevin Powers Subject: Re: Threshold > > Elemental Evil series. I simply dropped Hommlet and such towns into the Karameikos setting and made them nearby Threshold. Now we are playing the new D&D 3E adventure "Speaker in Dreams" and I am using Threshold for the city rather than Brindinford as it is meant to be. I also plan to use some of the Desert Nomad series soon since I bought a few on Ebay recently. I was wondering if any of you > have done some of the things I am doing with dropping things into the Mystara campaign, or if you're all what you seem: die-hard purists. Also, I was wondering if there is any information out there on the Iron Ring other than what I have, mainly the Karameikos boxed set. I noticed from the > > Purists? I doubt that many of us could have managed while we hunted and searched for the rare X11, B10, etc. modules if we were puritanical about our Mystara canon. Make of it what you will- though I am by no means advising the wholesale butchery of D&D canon! I'm actually doing the same thing with the old Greyhawk modules, even though I have almost all of the original Mystara material. The simple fact is that if the characters don't leap in experience points (i.e. one of the major pitfalls of 3E, and a major reason why we just don't use it) then they should be reasonably able to go through most of both the OD&D and 1st Ed AD&D modules without feeling as though they were crammed. I have every intention of running Temple Of Elemental Evil, though personally I will probably set it in Norwold or the northern mountains of Glantri. Glantri in particular would excuse the plethora of magical stuff in that one. Right now, my players are going through one of the UK modules, Eye Of The Serpent. It's set in 965 A.C., in Traladara north of the future site of Penhaligon. In fact, they have just now discovered the building of a keep where Penhaligon will be (i.e. Penhaligon Keep) and may likely find themselves travelling around this Keep On The Borderlands... heh-heh. Many of those old Greyhawk modules were beautifully written and are just too unbelievably good to pass up. Particularly in light of the ease with which AD&D 1st Ed translates to OD&D, the question becomes not "why would you" but instead "how could you not?" Among the greats: T1-4, Temple Of Elemental Evil- Northern Traladara, Northern Glantri, Norwold, the contested borderlands of eastern Darokin A1-4, Scourge Of The Slavelords- Darokin, Glantri, or Black Eagle Barony S1-4, Realms Of Terror- Well, this one requires some finessing... I3-5, Desert Of Desolation- Let's see... Ylaruam or the Great Waste. For a REAL treat, try running a batch of Emerondian PC's through this one with the setting being the Desert Of Izonda. THAT is desolation! Not to mention the numerous shorter modules, which work great throughout the Known World. Find a few dozen hexes of forest here and there, an isolated town somewhere, and a few mountain peaks and you are generally all set. Now, for the kicker: What if Greyhawk was a continent to the far south of Skothar, and the last refuge for the Blackmoorians? This could become a whole Tolkien-esque sort of Numenore-lost-kings thing with the characters eventually discovering that the Flaenessians are in fact the descendants of the Blackmoorians who fled the destruction of the original Northern Kingdom. Just an idea to spice things up and enable the use of some of the more Greyhawk-specific modules, including Castle Greyhawk. I'm not necessarily planning on making my campaign THIS complicated, but I would be interested in hearing from anyone who thought that this could actually work. Finally- where would you set Castle Greyhawk (or the various Ruins Of Greyhawk, etc.) if you were to transplant it to anywhere in the Known World (east of Sindh). Kevin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 13:30:32 +0200 From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: Darokin city under siege Thanks for your comments, Aaron. I must look up your Darokin texts. I did take into account the fact that part of Darokin city is outside the stone walls. First of all, when the Nomads arrived in the hex west of Streel, just before the city, they actually attacked West End Darokin City, breaching the palisades and slaughtering two legions in the middle of mobilisation. Then, when Nomad units surround the city and the nearest important hexes they at the same time torch the suburbs. Even if the Darokinians manage to help the city in time, a lot of lives, homes and property have been lost. The Nomads have pretty much closed all supply lines, I think. There are Nomad encampmants in nearly all of the hexes surrounding the city. I haven't actually decided what outcome I personally would favour, breaking of the siege or looting of the city. The latter does sound appealing, though, as after that the PCs would have much more incentive to attack Hosadus personally. Even if the Darokinians manage to push the Nomads back, their war effort would be strained due to the loss of their capital, a lot of money etc. Winter might be closing in fast, so slaying Hosadus would be the best way to stop a possible springtime counter-offensive by the Nomads... Ville ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 13:10:19 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Threshold > you seem: die-hard purists. Also, I was wondering if there is any Yes I consider myself I die hard purist :) Espacially compared to many poeple on the list. But this doesnt mean I sometimes drop adventures from other settings into Mystara if they can easily be adapted. Also your free to do what you want with the setting. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 09:43:33 EST From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Threshold - apology <> Checking my mail at work, I reread the above mail. In hindsight I feel that it may be taken as being more harsh than it was intended, even with the included apology. Actually, I would say that the last mini-paragraph with the apology makes it harsher than intended. What I was trying to say was: The "Flip-Side" adventure was a brief suggestion. I did not go into any real detail in any of my suggestion (including the nice PC campaign). Campaigns vary and what could set off the uprising in one campaign may not work in another. For such a bare plotline, it drew alot of rebuttal. Karameikos is penned as Mystara's promised land viewed with rose colored glasses. Certain attributes of Threshold (Gaz or K:KoA) lend the possibility for civil unrest. 1) religion- Halaran founded the Church of Karameikos. Before that he was a patriarch in a church in Thyatis. Hence his CoK is probably heavily influenced by Thyatian culture and could be seen as a Thyatian religion. I expect that there is a heavy focus upon the CoK in Threshold, the Church of Traldara is relegated to a few scattered shrines tended to by lone clerics. Religion is a powerful motivation. 2) Halaran- he is given as letting his church overlap into his political duties (See #1). Halaran has thta potential to be a religious zealot, creating an ideal CoK community. Note the building restrictions. Halaran has a bit of a clerical bias as well. No wizard magic in town. Yet not a mention of clerical magic. Security is tight in town. Perhaps he has something to fear. Most frontier towns rely on the locals to suppliment their garrisons. Halaran locks the restricted weapons away in the Town Hall. Why all the security if he is so beloved and benevolent? 3) Future- Halaran is getting old. Even in K:KoA he is in his 70s. Who will suceed him? Aleena? Is she capable of assuming the role? Will the locals respond to her? Changes of power draw questions and fears, even in modern nations. Threshold is a growing town and cannot be a frontier settlement forever. How will the populace adjust to change? If no noticable change is seen, then there has been no progress. That is another potential beef for the locals....40 years and we are still a backwards community. 4) Economy- isolated as they are, Threshold probably serves as a trade hub for the small surrounding Traldaran communities. Timbering is an option. Most harvested timber is shipped out and represents the town's largest known export. Imports probably include goods thta cannot be crafted by the locals and surrounding communities. These would mostly include foreign or Thyatian influenced luxeries. Halt these luxeries or undermine the local crafters and trouble could arise. 5) Way of life- Alot of the traits seen in Threshold could be deamed as an attempt to Thyatianize the Traladaran. Hatred between the Thyatian and Traldaran has typically been sugar coated in Karameikos. Threshold's own growth could imply change. 6) Wilderness- Threats from Noids and forests creatures could draw criticsm from the Traldaran. Say timbering ticks off a group of druids. Or a rogue group of Noids begin raiding. I am sure that the outlying communities are going to pay more attention to the druids than the Thyatian born Halaran sitting amid his town and fortress. The Noids are going to be a difficult force to reckon with in the wilderness. A bit more jumbled than I had itended. I probably left out some aspects as well. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 08:32:07 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Threshold Well as for a die hard purist I am definitely NOT! I use modules from = Spelljammer, 3E, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Lankhmar, Forgotten Realms and = Dragonlance. This is a game of Imagination, and being a writer as my other = hobby I can make anything fit! If you can't your not much of a storyteller!= And that's what a DM essentially is, a storyteller. Right now IMC, my = players are part of a MIST group (Magical Infiltration Strategy and = Tatics) they gate into whatever adventure I throw at them, then Gate back = to their hometown of Freeport. They find it a lot of Fun. As for Freeport, = we have redone the Rock of Bral Map and through Illustrator, converted it = to a land and sea port. It works great! And one of my players went out and = had it expanded and laminated. Mystara though is the campaign world, as it = is so wide in flavor of countries.=20 :) JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 18:54:19 +0100 From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Dwarves and Halflings Joe Kelly wrote: > > For the upcoming conference IMC would the Five Shires send Five representatives? or just one. Don't forget this conference is also a Trade Conference. So who all would be sent. Well, the Five Shire government doesn't seem to have an extensive bureacracy, so it is likely that the delegation would be small. Probably one of the Sheriffs, and some representatives of the trading villages or clans. > considering it is for trade, How many dwarves would attend? One again from each clan? Certainly, the Hurwarf clan wouldn't go! Other clans would all be represented, for various reasons. You could probably had a delegation from the government, not the Senate itself, unless IYC the Senate is especially strong. For trade issues, the strongest clan would be the Syrklist, while the Everast and Torkrest would be dominant in political and military matters. > And finally, what of the Heldanners? Would they consider going? It depends on the exact matters to be discussed. AFAIK, the Heldanners don't have much land-based trade--they only have trade routes to Landfall and Wendar, nothing big, I'd say. Much of their trade would be by sea, to the Thyatian Empire, probably, and perhaps Minrothad and the Northern Reaches. Also, it is likely that sea trade is conducted mostly by foreign traders. As for political/military purposes, the HK seem to be a bit marginal in the Known World scenario, at least before WotI. Even after, they're more interested in other areas (Norwold, Isle of Dawn, Davania). However, they'd probably send someone (not necessarily with any operative power)--at least to keep tabs on their enemies. The matter, IMO, is mostly on whether they'd be invited. (BTW, I forgot what the main purpose of the big meeting was...) -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 13:18:34 -0600 From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: Threshold IMC we have used adventures from Greyhawk,Forgotton Realms,Dark Sun,Dragonlance,etc. There are spelljammers floating around my Mystara and I usually change the name of the town and relevant NPC's to fit into the campaign. You can't really call me a die-hard purist because IMC we have destroyed Thyatis and the Traladarians have retaken their homeland. We even have had a dragon PC using the Council of Wyrms rules. Still, my favorite adventures are the ones from Basic Dungeons and Dragons. I started a new group of players in the year 1001 AC last night. Everything is how it is supposed to be (canon material) but I am already considering sending them to Sigil to meet some outer-planar creatures. Multizar the Mage > From: Rich Guth > Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion > To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > Subject: [MYSTARA] Threshold > Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 00:07:06 -0800 > > I was wondering if any of you have done some of the things I am doing with > dropping things into the Mystara campaign, or if you're all what you seem: > die-hard purists.> > Rich > > > --------------------------------- > "Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron." - C.S. > LEWIS > -------------------------------- > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 11:34:05 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Threshold - under seige? > My apologies if I sound a bit harsh. But I think it > a bit harsh to go to such extremes to bash a very > bare and basic plotline. If you want a more thorough > adventure based on this plot I can oblige given > time. I'm sorry too if I offended anyone, I just felt the idea had a few holes but was interesting none the less. Thats why I commented. I wasn't totally against the idea or meaning to "bash" it, just offering a little more development and logic behind it and how it might work in threshold. OTOH in Kelvin the original idea may be more practical, and could spread to threshold. I am primarally based in Karameikos and always interested in developing layers of things that could be happening there. Currently I have two groups of PC's in Karameikos, and are both effecting the others weather they know it or not. IMC it is only 15 years after stefan came to power so there is a lot of tension. The Higher level PC's are currently marching on the black eagle under the banner of "internal disputes" within the duchy and neither is recieving help from the duke's forces which have been perswaded to remain neutral. It is unlikely that the move will be sucessful as it was really just to put the Black eagle on the defencive so the other enimies of the PC's would be more limited in power in Karameikos till the PC's can work out who they are and how to deal with them. I am actually thinking about staging some kind of coup in northern karameikos with all the things that have been happening recently and so my commenting waas as much bassed on how I would do it as anything. My lower level PC's are being persued by several different forces as they have the eye of traldar and are trying to return it (like the good PC's they are, really...) and have been traveling through the country in the wake of the troop movements and have just arrived in Rifllian. Chris. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 11:40:27 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Dwarves and Halflings The main purpose of the conference is peace and alliance negotiations as = well as expanding trade to include all countries.=20 JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 11:49:37 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Dwarves and Halflings > considering it is for trade, How many dwarves would > attend? One again from each clan? Depends how big the conference is I guess. I don't have the Dwarf Gaz, but in my view of dwarves it would depend on the current unity of the clans. By this I mean pre-wrath it would most likely be one or two representitives with a few traveling companions. If it is post-wrath I would imagine the clans a little more suspicious of each other after the Kingship dispute thing and perhaps two or three semi-independant deligates would go (possibly with some clan rivalry). > And finally, what of the Heldanners? Would they > consider going? No idea. I assume they would have someone there who would report back to them but in an official capacity I don't know (I would say no but then I haven't really used them a lot IMC). Chris. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 12:57:31 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Threshold - under seige? (long) IMC the Master of Hule is forced back to the most western city of Darokin, = The Black Eagle is attacked by the Skull Legion, Alfheim Falls with = Tandelayo allying herself with a large contingent of Schattenheim Elves = who are led by Elric the Womanslayer (of Melnibone). The last of Alfheim's = defenders are going to go to Freeport to drum up some support, unbeknownst = to them though, Elric has gone to Freeport to have the new government of = Alfheim, now Aengmor, to be recognized as the rightful government. Also = Lord Stark has hired several mercenary companies to help fight the = Humanoid Hordes in Ardelphia, and take it back. Unfortunately, he is about = to learn through disasterous first battle that the humanoids have allies: = The Broken Lands Skull Legion. He will take the city after five assaults, = but with a high cost in human life. Also the fearsome Scro replace the Orc = tribes in the Serpent Peninsula. Pyro is one huge Scro (1/2 giant) and his = tribes travel the seas in viking longships. In Yluarum, the Grand Sultan = is launching a cleansing campaign against all elves in his lands as they = are mistrusted and refused to pay their annual tribute, because of an = increase in the amount. As to the peace conference, Hule and Alphatia refuse to attend so as for = successful negotiations, it will only go so far. Oh well.=20 Well that's the background of my campaign. In the meantime, the adventurers= will go on with their missions. All the above are in the newspapers I = give my party for each day.=20 :) JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 21:28:19 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Threshold > Well as for a die hard purist I am definitely NOT! I use modules from > Spelljammer, 3E, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Lankhmar, Forgotten Realms and > Dragonlance. This is a game of Imagination, and being a writer as my other > hobby I can make anything fit! If you can't your not much of a storyteller! > And that's what a DM essentially is, a storyteller. Right !!! I consider myself a great DM and storyteller and I always get praises from my players, yet im a Mystara purist who mostly stick with the material, I could reverse this and say that because you can't make good stories with what you have and must borrow from other sources your not much of a story teller either, but I would'nt really beleive it. In the end I think how you play the game doesnt matter as long as everyone involved have a good time. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 21:31:27 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Threshold - under seige? (long) The following leaves me a bit confused ? > IMC the Master of Hule is forced back to the most western city of Darokin, > The Black Eagle is attacked by the Skull Legion, Alfheim Falls with > Tandelayo allying herself with a large contingent of Schattenheim Elves who > are led by Elric the Womanslayer (of Melnibone). The last of Alfheim's > defenders are going to go to Freeport to drum up some support, unbeknownst > to them though, Elric has gone to Freeport to have the new government of > Alfheim, now Aengmor, to be recognized as the rightful government. Also > Lord Stark has hired several mercenary companies to help fight the > Humanoid Hordes in Ardelphia, and take it back. Unfortunately, he is about > to learn through disasterous first battle that the humanoids have allies: > The Broken Lands Skull Legion. He will take the city after five assaults, > but with a high cost in human life. Also the fearsome Scro replace the Orc > tribes in the Serpent Peninsula. Pyro is one huge Scro (1/2 giant) and his > tribes travel the seas in viking longships. In Yluarum, the Grand Sultan is > launching a cleansing campaign against all elves in his lands as they are > mistrusted and refused to pay their annual tribute, because of an increase > in the amount. > As to the peace conference, Hule and Alphatia refuse to attend so as for > successful negotiations, it will only go so far. Oh well. > Well that's the background of my campaign. In the meantime, the adventurers > will go on with their missions. All the above are in the newspapers I give > my party for each day. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 23:41:07 +0100 From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Dwarves and Halflings Joe Kelly wrote: > > The main purpose of the conference is peace Then the HK will definetely go, but only to sink the conference! > and alliance negotiations as well as expanding trade to include all countries. The Dwarves would be interested mostly in trade. They have little defence problems (at least up to WotI times). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 15:09:13 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Threshold Agreed Bleak. I wasn't saying that if your just Mystara you can't tell a = good story, I was merely saying I like to add more stuff into the campaign = world that I find cool! For instance, I have used many Fantasy Art = pictures and made them NPCs IMC. I also want to include the black guys = from Lords of the Rings, but not sure what they are called. (haven't read = the book, will wait for the movie)=20 When I first started DMing my party had the attitude "we are the party and = the world revolves around us." Well, after reading Dragon magazine back = issues on DMing, I find this anything but the case! the world goes on with = or without them, they find themselves sometimes in the shared spotlight, = and sometimes in the back row, that's life, and they like that. It has = made the world seem more real to them. No more, "Ok we killed 'em, how = much loot did we get?" The one thing Mystara is uncompared to IMO is the maps! The maps with = their hexes are the best. They go as far south as Isle of Dread, as Far = West as the Savage Coast and as Far East as the Alphatian Empire. It's a = great world. In world material I find very vast, but also boring in one = sense. No Elric, No Death Dealer, No Skull Legions, No Drow and no Scro. = throwing them all in really notches up the intrigue.=20 :) JK Wolf !!! I consider myself a great DM and storyteller and I always get praises from my players, yet im a Mystara purist who mostly stick with the = material, I could reverse this and say that because you can't make good stories with what you have and must borrow from other sources your not much of a story teller either, but I would'nt really beleive it. In the end I think how = you play the game doesnt matter as long as everyone involved have a good time. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 18:18:49 -0500 From: scott ludwig Subject: Update-OD&D CLASS TEMPLATE Hey All, Just subscribed, so this will be my first post. I hear that my OD&D CHARACTER CLASS TEMPLATE made the rounds of the list a few months back, and I thought you might like to know that I've posted an updated (and hopefully improved) version on my website--along with quite a few house rules using OD&D as a basis. So please come on by and take a look around... http://home.earthlink.net/~scottludwig/index.htm Incidentally, does anybody know where I can get my hands on a complete, poster-type map for the Known World (similar to what was included in the Hollow World Campaign Setting)? Assuming such a thing even exists. Thanks, Scott _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 18:31:38 -0800 From: Rich Guth Subject: Aztec-like Setting? Which of the Mystara-based settings or lands would best fit an = Aztec-type setting? I have a player who has recently become obsessed = with the Aztec culture and wishes to play a wizard who is subserviant to = some of the OD&D Aztec gods. Thanks in advance. --------------------------------- "Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron." - = C.S. LEWIS=20 -------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 00:21:15 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Threshold > When I first started DMing my party had the attitude "we are the party and > the world revolves around us." Well, after reading Dragon magazine back > issues on DMing, I find this anything but the case! the world goes on with > or without them, they find themselves sometimes in the shared spotlight, and sometimes in the back row, that's life, and they like that. It has made the world seem more real to them. No more, "Ok we killed 'em, how much loot did we get?" Actually I think that sometime 2 of my players would wish the campaign world would revolve around them :) But with this point I agree totally with you. > but also boring in one sense. No Elric, No Death Dealer, No Skull Legions, > No Drow and no Scro. throwing them all in really notches up the intrigue. I prefer it that way, but.. aren`t the Skull Legions your creation ? I always assumed you invented them but since you put them in this list with things like Elric, drow and scro ( from Spelljammer I think ) which come from other sources... If not were did they originally appear ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 16:39:13 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Threshold (Skull Legions) Yes actually they were my creation. The only reason I put them on the list = is as they don't really fit with the Mystara campaign like all the other = stuff that I listed, that's all.=20 :) JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 01:03:53 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Aztec-like Setting? > Which of the Mystara-based settings or lands would best fit an Aztec-type > setting? I have a player who has recently become obsessed with the Aztec > culture and wishes to play a wizard who is subserviant to some of the OD&D > Aztec gods. Thanks in advance. > First in the Hollow World there are the Azcans and Oltecs which are pretty much the Aztec and .... maybe Incas or whatever, but the Azcan are evil and Oltec good ( this is really simplifying it a lot ). But because you didnt mention the HW I guess you either don`t know a lot about it or don't want to consider it ( as I would as it really isnt realistic or plausible to have an HW character on the surface world. ) Falling that im pretty stumped for ideas. As the Azcans and Oltec cultures existed on the surface worlds a very long time ago you could have some native from maybe the Savage Coast ( not the savage baronies but maybe some remote village on the nortern plains ) who venerated an Immortals of the old Azcans ( which are actually normal immortals who assumes another identity for these pantheons, but your PCs don't need to know that ). Two good immortals from such cultures are Oxitiolt ( Ixion ) the Sun, and Kalaktaka or Kalaktatla ( I don't remember the exact spelling ) which is Ka or the feathered serpent. An evil immortal from this pantheon would be Atzanteolt which is Atzanteolt. Come to think of it Atzanteolt has introduced Azcan cultural elements to other cultures he corrupted ( he corrupted the Azcan ) including the Children of the Tiger from the Atruaghin plateau ( which venerate the evil atzanteolt ) and a particular city of Orcs ( which might not exist anymore depending on the year the campaign is at ). If nothing seems to work for you, I would make that the character is a traveler from the Southern continent of Davania where some lost tribes of ( Place Cool Name Here ) which are remote descendants of the Oltecs are living there and still venerate Oxitiolt and Kalaktatla. These tribes could be somewhat different because they evolved a bit since then and few in numbers so the world at large doesnt know them which explain why they arent mentioned anywhere. This wouldnt be canon, but it could be cool for your player so that's always an option. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 17:04:06 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Update-OD&D CLASS TEMPLATE Incidentally, does anybody know where I can get my hands on a complete, poster-type map for the Known World (similar to what was included in the Hollow World Campaign Setting)? Assuming such a thing even exists. Thanks, Scott Hi Scott! Welcome to the list.:)=20 I know when I first started in 1991? they used to have two large poster = maps call TRAIL MAPS: Eastern Countries, and another called Western = Countries. Other than that, each Gazetteer has them in each of their = perspective country. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 17:06:41 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Threshold (Skull Legions) Actually, come to think of it, I originally got the idea from a module = titled: UNDEAD from Chaos? games. It spoke of a lich who had legions of = Undead. And I liked the idea of a legion wearing skeleton masks. (I = combined the idea of the module with the mask worn by the General in the = movie Willow.) So are they original? Sort of. :) JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 17:14:45 -0800 From: Joe Kelly Subject: magical scrolls (survey) So do most of you use the scrolls in the adventure or make them up? IMC I = have all the spell cards for priests and mages, so I just take 2 or 3 at = random and give them instead. (Gotta make use of them somehow! Those boxes = were pricey!) Anyone else do anything different? JK Wolf ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 01:39:26 +0000 From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: magical scrolls (survey) > So do most of you use the scrolls in the adventure or make them up? IMC I > have all the spell cards for priests and mages, so I just take 2 or 3 at > random and give them instead. (Gotta make use of them somehow! Those boxes > were pricey!) Anyone else do anything different? > > JK Wolf > When my PCs find a magical scroll they just note it on their chacter sheet if they know/learn the spell(s) on it they do that also and when they want to use them they tell me. I do not actually write them scrolls if that's what you mean ? When you say make them up you mean the scrolls content ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 21:01:08 -0500 From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: LotR (was Threshold) I also want to include the black guys from Lords of the Rings, but not sure what they are called. (haven't read the book, will wait for the movie) What!?! You haven't read the Lord of the Rings? I highly, highly, highly recommend that you do so, as it is the inspiration for much of D&D. The movie will outdoubtably cut out certain things (Tom Bomadil, for instance), and skim over others, so if you want the full picture, read the trilogy. Besides, the other 2 movies won't be out until 2002 and 2003. And the "black guys" are called Ringwraiths, Black Riders, or the Nine, and they certainly could be adapted to a D&D campaign as powerful undead servants of an evil Immortal or something similar. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 19:50:31 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: LotR (was Threshold) --- Dan Eustace wrote: > I also want to include the black guys from Lords of > the Rings, but not sure > what they are called. (haven't read the book, will > wait for the movie) > > What!?! You haven't read the Lord of the Rings? I > highly, highly, highly > recommend that you do so, as it is the inspiration > for much of D&D. So true... so true... When I read Gaz 5 (Elves of alfheim) I was shocked at how simmilar yet how different it was to LotR. The mear facts that elves revere the trees of life (which are white like the one in Gondor) and thay make things like elven cloaks which render the wearer virtually invisible and elven swords that glow when danger is near (I thought that was a bit over the top) The basics of Halflings (especally as a class with their good saving throws) is ripped straight out of LotR and the thing I find quite interesting is that Peter Jackson in LotR appears to have used several different colours of orcs as there are in Mystara (well according to Orcs of Thar). I always thought they would be green but when you think about it where does that come from? > The > movie will outdoubtably cut out certain things (Tom > Bomadil, for instance), > and skim over others, so if you want the full > picture, read the trilogy. > Besides, the other 2 movies won't be out until 2002 > and 2003. > And the "black guys" are called Ringwraiths, Black > Riders, or the Nine, and > they certainly could be adapted to a D&D campaign as > powerful undead > servants of an evil Immortal or something similar. You forgot Nazgul :) 14 Days till I get to see it. I definately recomend reading the book before you see it though, the book is fantastic, although the movie will be fantastic too, it will be so in slightly different ways. I hear that the fellowship has a running time of over 3 hours so hopefully they won't miss much. Chris (who almost got to be a gondorian soldier for the movie...but had to do *real* work) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 23:06:15 -0500 From: Christopher M Cherrington Subject: Re: LotR (was Threshold) > Behalf Of Dan Eustace > > What!?! You haven't read the Lord of the Rings? I highly, highly, highly > recommend that you do so, as it is the inspiration for much of D&D. The > movie will outdoubtably cut out certain things (Tom Bomadil, for > instance), I don't think they cut out ole Tom, skimmed him over, maybe. Tom is very important, and actually more powerful than Gandolph, Sauron is actually scared of him. It would be a shame to cut him and Goldberry out. The only difference from the books is the romance between Arogorn and Arwen. Fans have kept very close spies to keep Peter Jackson in line. I can't wait for the theaters to open on the 19th. 8) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 08:37:39 -0500 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Aztec-like Setting? Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > As the Azcans and Oltec cultures existed on the surface worlds a > very > long time ago you could have some native from maybe the Savage Coast ( not > the savage baronies but maybe some remote village on the nortern plains ) Or even an hidden cult in some Oltec village of Torreon. However, they would be Oltecs, not Azcans (so more Mayan, perhaps). > Come to think of it Atzanteolt has > introduced Azcan cultural elements to other cultures he corrupted ( he > corrupted the Azcan ) including the Children of the Tiger from the Atruaghin > plateau ( which venerate the evil atzanteolt ) and a particular city of Orcs > ( which might not exist anymore depending on the year the campaign is at ). But its former inhabitants would be in the Orclands of Darokin, ready for use. I think this is the most viable solution, if the player would like to have an Aztec Orc or Gnoll character. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 3 Dec 2001 to 4 Dec 2001 (#2001-333) **************************************************************