Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 17 Dec 2001 to 18 Dec 2001 (#2001-345) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 19/12/2001, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 6 messages totalling 292 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Order of the White Drake? 2. my classes 3. OT: One Film to Rule Them All (2) 4. Technomancer Prestige Class 5. Back in the Saddle Again :) ******************************************************************** 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, 18 Dec 2001 14:47:56 -0500 From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Order of the White Drake? Ville wrote: > I found the article on the history of the Order of the White Drake by > Geoff in the Vaults - thank you, it was a good read. Was it meant to fill > this obvious gap, or was it based on some canon material that I am not > aware of? Thanks for the compliment! :-) I wrote that piece several years ago, and I had set out to fill in some blanks in the official history (much as I tried to do with Colhador). I used the officials sources as much as possible, and then extrapolated and imagined the rest. Hope it serves you well! Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 14:49:59 -0500 From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: my classes Michael wrote: > I was just wondering if anyone as actually "used" any of the classes that > I have put on the web? I use them IMC, but none of my players opted for them - yet. Maybe they will if one of the current PCs dies. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 19:49:50 -0800 From: The Stalker Subject: OT: One Film to Rule Them All Well, it is here now - the movie a lot of us have been waiting for, so I hope the list ogre will forgive me for rambling on a bit about it... The question is naturally if it's any good. Honestly, if you're a bit of a Lord of the Rings fanatic (and who can truly claim they aren't?), you're likely to spend a lot of time early on noting all the things that were omitted (no Tom Bombadil, for example, not that I expected him) or little things that were just changed. For example, Glorfindel apparently had to call in sick and had to be substituted by Arwen (Liv Tyler) who not only flees the Black Riders with Frodo, but even gets to steal a few of his lines from the novel. There are a number of little 'changes' like that. I don't recall Elrond being involved in the battle against Sauron when Isildur cut the ring from Sauron's hand. Is that in the novel? If it is, then I missed it... Little things like this will annoy you if you remember the details from the novels, but be patient - there is method to the madness. First, it serves to introduce characters. Glorfindel doesn't really serve a purpose beyond introducing the elves, and Arwen jumps out of virtually nothing in "The Return of the King". Tolkien can get away with that in the novels because it's easy to mention her, but on the big screen you really need to see her. That problem is solved now. And it also dawned on me that these changes were to some extent put in for those of us who think we know the story ever so well... We are meant to be surprised, so we don't just predict everything. But more than that, Jackson needs to define the characters and races easily and quickly. One consequence of that is Elrond's council. In the novel Frodo takes the assignment because he cannot bear to see Bilbo take it, but not so in the film. In fact, everybody accuses everybody else of wanting the ring. Good old Gimli even starts by saying that no elf is going to take the ring while he still lives. Ouch! Then Frodo ends up carrying the ring, simply because the dwarves and elves don't trust each other, and nobody trusts humans! Hmmm... Well, it serves to establish the strain between the races easily. And it works too. By the end of the first film, the friendship between Gimli and Legolas, and the notion of how unlikely that is, is already appparent for those who look for it. It also helps that Jackson seems, intentionally or not (I wouldn't know), just how much he is *not* Hollywood. The tension and atmosphere in the movie is so oppressive, you sometimes feel out of breath. The rooms and locations always seem somehow too small, giving the film a claustrophobic feel. This helps to underscore the seriousness of the ring - this is not just some glorious adventure or fairy tale as much as it is the battle to survive the tide of evil and corrupting power. This feel is somehow present even when the locations seem large and grand, like the mines of Moria which seem impossibly large for an underground kingdom, even if made by dwarves. You won't believe your eyes, but you'll accept it nonetheless. The crowning achievement must be the famous battle on the bridge of Khazad- Dum against the Balrog. The loss the heroes suffer (trying not to spoil anything here) is so horrifying and shocking, that even those of us who knew well it was coming don't escape that lump in our throats. I know I didn't. It's really a rather traumatic experience, and the heroes are shocked and cry like madmen. Yet it works - it doesn't go overboard to the point where it's too much for the spectator. I think this movie is the best I've seen in a while (and I watch *many* new movies). Do whatever you have to in order to go see it NOW!!! - The Stalker, having just finished watching "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" about an hour ago... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 23:10:20 -0500 From: Mike Donnelly Jr Subject: Re: OT: One Film to Rule Them All The Stalker wrote: > Well, it is here now - the movie a lot of us have been waiting for, so I > hope the list ogre will forgive me for rambling on a bit about it... The > question is naturally if it's any good. > > Honestly, if you're a bit of a Lord of the Rings fanatic (and who can truly > claim they aren't?), you're likely to spend a lot of time early on noting > all the things that were omitted (no Tom Bombadil, for example, not that I > expected him) or little things that were just changed. For example, > Glorfindel apparently had to call in sick and had to be substituted by > Arwen (Liv Tyler) who not only flees the Black Riders with Frodo, but even > gets to steal a few of his lines from the novel. There are a number of > little 'changes' like that. I don't recall Elrond being involved in the > battle against Sauron when Isildur cut the ring from Sauron's hand. Is that > in the novel? If it is, then I missed it... He was the herald and present at the combat on Orodruin. Participant is something that could be loosely defined as 'keeping the orcs off Isuldur's back'. He and Cirdan were with Gil-Galad. > - The Stalker, having just finished watching "Lord of the Rings: > Fellowship of the Ring" about an hour ago... Lucky fellow. I will have to wait for another 17 hours to pass until my ticket is valid... But, in this time zone I'll be in the second show (got a few things that need to be accomplished first). ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 00:16:06 -0500 From: SteelAngel Subject: Technomancer Prestige Class Hey all, I finally got time to finish this up. I hope you all enjoy! It includes stuff about Modular Magic, and technomancy, and all sorts of fun things. If anyone has any comments, PLEASE pipe them through. I have a whole neat new list of feats too coming along for Thimhallan, as well as Thimhallan itself :) For all of you on windoze newsreaders with non-fixed width fonts - i'm dreadfully sorry!! Stan, as always, you can post this! Ethan --------- The Technomancer Level Atk Fort Ref Will Special Spells Bonus Save Save Save 1st +0 +0 +1 +2 Bonus Construction Feat +2 +1 level of existing class 2nd +1 +0 +2 +3 Modular Magic 1/day +1 level of existing class 3rd +1 +1 +2 +3 Craft Technomagical Item +1 level of existing class 4th +2 +1 +3 +4 Halt Golem 1/Day +1 level of existing class 5th +2 +1 +3 +4 Modular Magic 2/day +1 level of existing class 6th +3 +2 +4 +5 Bonus Construction Feat +4 +1 level of existing class 7th +3 +2 +4 +5 Halt Golem 2/Day +1 level of existing class 8th +4 +2 +5 +6 Modular Magic 3/day +1 level of existing class 9th +4 +3 +5 +6 Reformat Golem +1 level of existing class 10th +5 +3 +6 +7 Meld With Machine +1 level of existing class Hit Die: d6 Requirements: Feats: Create Wondrous Item Craft (mechanical): 5 ranks Repair (see Star Wars RPG) : 5 ranks Other: Ability to cast arcane spells, Must be trained in Thimhallan or by another technomancer. Class Skills: Repair (Int), Craft (mechanical) (Int), Concentration (Con), Alchemy (Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Use Technomantic Device (NEW,exclusive) (Cha) Skill Points/Level: +4 +Int modifier Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Technomancer is proficient with exotic Technomantic weapons. Special: Bonus Construction Feat: At 1st and 6th level, a technomancer receives a bonus item construction feat. The pluses are virtual level bonuses to qualify for more advanced creation feats. For example, a wiz3/TM6 is only spellcaster level 9, but can take the craft staff or forge ring feats because they receive a bonus feat at +4 their actual spellcaster level. This bonus is ONLY for the purpose of taking the bonus feat, and they do not stack. Modular Magic: As part of their training, technomancers learn a specialized and formal method of magic use which allows them to consciously alter the energy type of spells and magic items, much like the energy substitution feat. As a standard action, as many times a day as his/her level allows, a technomancer can alter the energy type of a spell or item by making a ranged touch attack against the caster or wielder. A technomancer can use this ability as a free action if applied to a spell he or she is casting. Craft Technomagical Item: Using this ability, instead of creating a normal magical item, a technomancer can create a technomagical equivalent. The advantages of a technomagical item is that it retains all of its magical powers, but is considered a non-magical masterwork item. Technomagical items are not affected by anti-magic, detectable via detect magic, or able to be dispelled. However, they are not afforded the same damage resistance vs. spells as a normal magic item, and if damaged, technomagical items lose all special abilities until they are repaired. Technomagical items look very distinctive, usually with strange patterns or cogs, sprockets, and vials attached to them, and as such they are slightly more cumbersome to carry around, weighing 1ΒΌ times normal weight. Halt Golem: At 4th level, the technomancer gains the ability to halt up to three golems or constructs as per the spell Halt Undead. The effect lasts 1 round per caster level. Reformat Golem: At 9th level, a technomancer can, once per day, competely erase the "programming" of a golem or construct, rendering it a blank slate, and subject to the control of the technomancer. This effect lasts one hour per caster level of the technomancer, after which, unless the technomancer has successfully reprogrammed the golem, the golem reverts back to its previous duties. Meld With Machine: At 10th level, a technomancer can take complete mental control of a construct once per day. The technomancer's physical body enters a state of suspended animation while the mind uplinks itself into the golem or construct. The character retains all of his or her skills and mental attributes, while gaining the construct form's physical skills and attributes. The technomancer cannot cast spells while melded unless the construct is in physical contact with the technomancer's body. If the technomancer's physical form is killed, the technomancer is trapped in the machine body until a new body can be found to downlink into. If the construct is destroyed while the technomancer is inside, the mind is forced out and the technomancer takes 6d6 points of damage, and is unable to take any actions for 5d10 hours do to the mental strain. This effect lasts until the technomancer wills it to end. The physical body ages at one fourth the normal rate while the mind is away. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 00:06:52 -0600 From: Stone Marshall Subject: Back in the Saddle Again :) Hello All!!! Just a quick line to let everyone know that I am back! I am currently staying with my grandparents and am fixing up a three bedroom home that will be ready in January. Thanks for all the messages from everyone...they *REALLY* made me feel better about my situation. I am trying to get a new campaign going, but right now its just my wife and I. Oh yeah, Thib, I want a white wine ;) Multizar the Mage Down but not out of hit points! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 17 Dec 2001 to 18 Dec 2001 (#2001-345) ****************************************************************