Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 4 Jul 2002 to 5 Jul 2002 (#2002-172) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 06/07/2002, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 14 messages totalling 472 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. PTK Meeting (2) 2. It's quiet... 3. protection from evil and stealth 4. 1E/2E and huge monsters - balance? 5. Where has www.castleblackmoor.com gone 6. In game Jokes (6) 7. MA1018 Events Are Ready! (2) ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 17:00:21 +1000 From: "Murphy, Jason" Subject: Re: PTK Meeting The unfreezing process has left you with no internal monologue.........and an incredibly full bladder -----Original Message----- From: The Stalker [mailto:alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM] Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 11:01 AM To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] PTK Meeting On Thu, 4 Jul 2002 19:17:59 -0400, David Knott wrote: > From: "la Volpe" >> >> Aha, I see...so THERE IS THE PROOF YOU ALL NEEDED!!! >> There is an evil Alphatian conspiracy to take over the >> world!!! > > That's interesting -- I heard once that a half dozen or so Alphatian > wizards once attempted to conspire for all of them to get together > for breakfast in one place -- and that that conspiracy failed. ;) > Yeah, that sounds about right... And I don't think it was the first time it happened. Probably won't be the last either... [Hah! Now that I've lulled them into a false sense of security I can return to my evil plotting, oops I'm still typing!] - The Stalker ******************************************************************** 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. This e-mail and any attachment is for authorised use by the intended recipient(s) only. It may contain proprietary material, confidential information and/or be subject to legal privilege. It should not be copied, disclosed to, retained or used by, any other party. If you are not an intended recipient then please promptly delete this e-mail and any attachment and all copies and inform the sender. Thank you. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 10:22:46 +0300 From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Ville_V_L=E4hde?= Subject: Re: It's quiet... On Thu, 4 Jul 2002, Murphy, Jason wrote: > Could you point me to where the previous months updates are? > > Cheers > Jason > You can find them in the Vaults of Pandius, Shawn's site, under the link "adventures", under the title "campaign ideas", and after that the link "Twin campaigns". Twin campaigns is a name I gave to my campaign, and there's a lot of info about it there - Shawn let me host the material at his site, since I don't have net access at home. The files pertaining to the Nomd War are the rule modifications to the X10 war machine, the geopolitical situation before the war, and the two first war updates. Ville ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 10:30:17 +0300 From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Ville_V_L=E4hde?= Subject: Re: protection from evil and stealth Thanks a lot for the comments. Yes, I'm convinced too that 1) Spectres should sense an invisible person, although due to the nature of invisibility our campaign established I decided that the sensing is a bit less accurate than actual "seeing". Still, walking into a lair of spectres invisible would be a suicide. 2) Protection makes a person even easier to spot, and the person can be cornered and swamped, unless she/he happens to be wearing girdle of giant strength or something. (OK, the spectres haven't got a large mass, so in that sense the pushing match should be easy. On the other hand, a large push might constitute an attack, thus breaking the invulnerability effect.) Ville ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 10:48:11 +0200 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: 1E/2E and huge monsters - balance? Mike Harvey wrote: > Anyway, it looks to me like Mystara is generally a higher powered > setting. I'm wondering if AD&D characters are going to have a harder > time meeting the challenges in the setting, considering that the > standard AD&D critters are generally weaker. Or maybe high level AD&D > characters generally go up against demons and devils, so it balances > out? IMO, it's not Mystara that is high-powered, it's OD&D that, at higher levels, has a different balance than AD&D. Moreover, at least AD&D 2e does not recommend the use of PC of levels higher than 12, therefore most challenges are thought for characters of low to medium level. > Those who have used AD&D 1E (or 2E) in Mystara, did you notice any > balance issues in comparison to BD&D? I'm just wondering what I > should expect as DM... I don't want to accidentally slaughter the > party. Well, there is a difference in balance, of course, which I'd say becomes noticeable after name level. E.g., an AD&D 2e fireball does a maximum of 10d6 damage, while an OD&D fireball becomes much more deadly (it maxes out at magic-user level 20, with 20d6 damage). This reflects also on AD&D monsters, which rarely go above 14 HD. > I'm also going to use a 1:1 conversion to save myself work, so the > NPCs the characters meet will be up to 36th level. This shouldn't be > an issue as long as I don't use the full weapon mastery, since a 36th > level BD&D fighter has the same THAC0 as a 20th level AD&D fighter. That's true, but a 36 level magic-user is much stronger than a 20th level AD&D mage (many more 8th and 9th level spells)! The same is true for OD&D clerics as well. I'd probably use the same conversions usually given for character levels for monster HD as well, or just keep the first 10 HD and add 1/2 of the HD over 10. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 04:48:10 -0700 From: Roger Winter Subject: Where has www.castleblackmoor.com gone This site had downloads from the Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign, but the page has gone! Anybody know where its moved to? Hammer of Ulric ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 08:52:03 -0400 From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: In game Jokes Paul wrote: > Is it possible that my players have stumbled onto the fact that the > entire campaign seems to be taking place in the DND sector of Alpha Complex? You are in error, Citizen. Knowledge of DND Sector and Alpha Complex is classified as Ultraviolet clearance. Failure to adhere to Alpha Complex Regulation 234xx/AC-1.2, subparagraph 234-a, is treason, as is knowledge of the aforementioned regulation. Please report for termination. Have a nice daycycle, Citizen! Geoff PS - Couldn't resist the temptation to spout Computerese. S'what you get for GMing Paranoia for more than 10 years (besides having your brains scrambled). 8-P -- Geoff Gander, BA 97, MPA 02 Carnifex Loremaster/Mad Roleplayer Master of the Elemental Plane of Bureaucracy au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 11:56:15 -0300 From: Steven Carter Subject: Re: PTK Meeting --- The Stalker ha scritto: >> On Wed, 3 Jul 2002 16:33:43 -0300, Steven Carter >> wrote: >> >> And here I thought it was a notification for all us >> Sigma Phi secret society members to attend >> a Phlogiston Technomancy & Kabbalah meeting >> at the Alphatian Confederacy College. > Aha, I see...so THERE IS THE PROOF YOU ALL NEEDED!!! > There is an evil Alphatian conspiracy to take over the > world!!! No, no, no! That's the EPTK. Where did you see me say it was the Entropic Phlogiston Technomancy & Kabbalah. That's a totally seperate group. No association whatsoever. Besides, EPTK holds their meetings beneath Thyatis. ;) We're... ahem, THEY'RE only secret because everyone constantly confuses the two groups. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.373 / Virus Database: 208 - Release Date: 01/07/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 16:59:48 +0100 From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: In game Jokes > Geoff wrote: > > You are in error, Citizen. Knowledge of DND Sector and Alpha Complex is > classified as Ultraviolet clearance. Failure to adhere to Alpha Complex > Regulation 234xx/AC-1.2, subparagraph 234-a, is treason, as is knowledge > of the aforementioned regulation. Please report for termination. Have a > nice daycycle, Citizen! > My Programs Group's better than your Programs group :^P Pa-U-LIE ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 16:56:46 +0100 From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: In game Jokes ----- Original Message ----- From: "Geoff Gander" To: Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 1:52 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] In game Jokes > Paul wrote: > > > Is it possible that my players have stumbled onto the fact that the > >entire campaign seems to be taking place in the DND sector of Alpha Complex? > > You are in error, Citizen. Knowledge of DND Sector and Alpha Complex is > classified as Ultraviolet clearance. Failure to adhere to Alpha Complex > Regulation 234xx/AC-1.2, subparagraph 234-a, is treason, as is knowledge > of the aforementioned regulation. Please report for termination. Have a > nice daycycle, Citizen! > > Geoff > > PS - Couldn't resist the temptation to spout Computerese. S'what you get > for GMing Paranoia for more than 10 years (besides having your brains > scrambled). 8-P > > -- > Geoff Gander, BA 97, MPA 02 > Carnifex Loremaster/Mad Roleplayer > Master of the Elemental Plane of Bureaucracy > au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 > > ******************************************************************** > 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: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 13:50:24 -0400 From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: In game Jokes Paul wrote: > My Programs Group's better than your Programs group :^P > > Pa-U-LIE "Programs Group"? Ack! A Paranoia 1st Edition heathen!! I'll bet you wear ROYGBIV armour, too! ;-) Seriously, the true enemy is 5th ed. :-P Geoff Our bots are bigger than yours. For those who are interested, "Programs Group" was an option that characters could have for their Secret Society in 1st Edition Paranoia (same as "spy from another Complex"). 2nd Edition did away with that, just like it simplified (IMO) the armour notation in the adventures, such that ROY (red-orange-yellow) armour was replaced by Yellow armour - which meant the same thing. Mind you, 1st Ed. came out with Acute Paranoia (one of the best rules supplements for the game, IMO), so it's definitely something worth looking at. -- Geoff Gander, BA 97, MPA 02 Carnifex Loremaster/Mad Roleplayer Master of the Elemental Plane of Bureaucracy au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 14:23:28 -0400 From: Geoff Gander Subject: MA1018 Events Are Ready! Hello everyone! This note is just to inform you that the second of the three Almanac books (Events) is now available on the Almanac site (almanac.starflung.com). This year's installment is 454 pages of all-new events and plotlines, designed for easy insertion into your campaign - both as a whole or in a modular fashion. Use the events that you want! Additionally, there are several maps (including a big one by Thibault Sarlat) included in the files. You can either download it as one big .pdf document, as 9 smaller ones, or as an .rtf file. Thank you to all of our contributors, and we hope you will enjoy what we have produced this year! Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97, MPA 02 Carnifex Loremaster/Mad Roleplayer Master of the Elemental Plane of Bureaucracy au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 21:00:02 +0100 From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: In game Jokes ----- Original Message ----- From: "Geoff Gander" To: Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 6:50 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] In game Jokes I'll bet you > wear ROYGBIV armour, too! ;-) > Nope. Just dress WHITES. They're goo against IR and UV too. The players have come across several different shades of brown hauberks in their travels though ;^) In the original Paranoia rules any mixture of ROYGBIV armour was defined as "kinda brownish". Pa-U-LIE PS You know what they say about people who brag about the size of their bots? They've got nothing to keep the Earth Mothers happy. ;^) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 15:47:52 -0700 From: The Stalker Subject: Re: In game Jokes On Fri, 5 Jul 2002 21:00:02 +0100, Paul George Dooley wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Geoff Gander" > To: > Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 6:50 PM > Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] In game Jokes > > (snip confounded Paranoia nonsense) How is this relevant to Mystara? Mystara has absolutely nothing to do with paranoia........................ Aw shoot. I take it back. Never mind, then... ;) - The Stalker ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 17:31:57 -0700 From: The Stalker Subject: Re: MA1018 Events Are Ready! On Fri, 5 Jul 2002 14:23:28 -0400, Geoff Gander wrote: > Hello everyone! > > This note is just to inform you that the second of the three Almanac books > (Events) is now available on the Almanac site (almanac.starflung.com). > This year's installment is 454 pages of all-new events and plotlines, > designed for easy insertion into your campaign - both as a whole or in a > modular fashion. Use the events that you want! > > Additionally, there are several maps (including a big one by Thibault Sarlat) > included in the files. You can either download it as one big .pdf > document, as 9 smaller ones, or as an .rtf file. > > Thank you to all of our contributors, and we hope you will enjoy what we > have produced this year! > You forgot to include the link, Geoff. Most people might guess, but some newcomers might not know and some old timers might be confused since the events don't seem to be up at the geocities site (or haven't you guys just gotten around to it yet?) Anyway, the direct link is Then scroll way down and find the file. And don't forget to get all the cool predecessors if you don't have them already (what am I saying, of course you do!) :) - The Stalker ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 4 Jul 2002 to 5 Jul 2002 (#2002-172) **************************************************************