Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 26 Nov 2002 to 27 Nov 2002 (#2002-306) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 28/11/2002, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 240 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Mystara NWN Italian Server 2. Some general skills from my game 3. Wanted: Supreme Sky Diety (2) 4. =?iso-8859-1?Q?Re:_[MYSTARA]_Wanted:_Supreme_Sky_Diety?= ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 09:21:02 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: Mystara NWN Italian Server I'd suggest for the New Neverwinter Mystara Project (Francesco and John?) to take a look at this: www.clansabbat.net/solaria/ This is a server where they are working on Karameikos. It is in Italian, BUT it would be easy to use the same tools. Moreover, you can try to find new recruits for the MML. ===== Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis "We poor few forged as brothers in this furnace will emerge as the steel of future generations" -- from "Legionary's Prayers", by Ionaos Nolan ______________________________________________________________________ Per te Blu American Express รจ gratis! http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/?http://www.americanexpress.it/land_yahoo ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 09:40:48 -0000 From: Colin Davidson Subject: Re: Some general skills from my game ----- Original Message ----- From: "la Volpe" To: Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 10:22 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Some general skills from my game > > Dwarf Throwing: The ancient and noble art of > hurling > > dwarves, halflings, > > gnomes and other small humanoids. A skill much in > > favour amongst the pygmy > > mountain giants of Norwold, as a sport and also as a > > combat tactic in > > adventuring parties with both giants and dwarves. > > LOL! > > > allows the use of the defensive > > abilities and special column > > from the spear description, with the attacking and > > ranged possibilities > > associated with the spear. > > Is there a typo or is there something I can't figure > out, here? D'oh! Yes, there's a typo, I must proofread more carefully! Ought to read 'defensive abilities and special column from staff description, with attacking and ranged possibilities associated with the spear'. > > > Right Stuff: The knack of landing on ones feet. A > > successful skill check > > allows a thrown character (see dwarf throwing, q.v.) > > to ignore all damage, > > or provides a +4 bonus to any save against falling > > or falling damage. > > I think this is a little exaggerated...I mean, it > can help, but if you fall from more than 3 meters > of height it begins to be dangerous to fall on > one's feet...you would probably break your knees. > Consider that when you fall it's generally better to > learn how to fall using your side (take a look at > the Wrestling guys - I know it's all "fake", but > they've got cool numbers, and you can have a picture > at stunting skills like falling or facing potential > dangerous situations without suffering damage, like > falling with your back, falling from some meters of > height, etc.) True enough, I perhaps didn't make myself too clear there. I believe that the general OD&D rule is that a save vs death ray is made for falling damage to successfully take half; hence the bonus above is a +4 bonus to the save to take half damage. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 18:40:08 +0200 From: Solmyr Subject: Re: Wanted: Supreme Sky Diety "Francisco V. Navarro V" wrote: > > In Mystara, I can only recognize three definite sky/air gods in the various > pantheons: Odin of the Northmen, Palartarkan of the Alphatians (of Floating > Ar fame), and (a bit of a stretch here), Nyx as Nut, the Nithian Patroness > of the Night Sky. > Odin seems to be a more universal Immortal than just for the Northmen, since he is worshipped in other places as well (often under other names). Most notably, I believe he is worshipped in Thyatis as an imported Immortal, and his faith may spread around the world via that route. -- Solmyr of the Azure Star solmyr@kolumbus.fi World of Enothril website - http://enothril.topcities.com/ The Archmage's Tower - http://www.geocities.com/solmyr.geo/ "War does not determine who is right. War determines who is left." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 18:12:25 +0100 From: =?utf-8?Q?Agathokles?= Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Re:_[MYSTARA]_Wanted:_Supreme_Sky_Diety?= Hi all,=0D=0A=0D=0Ahere are my thoughts on the subject of sky deities:=0D= =0A=0D=0AImmortal patrons of the Sky in Mystara=0D=0A=0D=0ALet's start wi= th a list of the known deities that concern themselves=0D=0Awith a portfo= lio that includes the sky, or at least air.=0D=0A=0D=0AKnown Sky Immortal= s=0D=0ASind=0D=0A Vadhana (Odin), Takhata (Takhati Stormtamer)=0D=0ATrald= ar=0D=0A Khoronus, Nyx=0D=0ANithia=0D=0A Amon/Zephyr (Odin), Nut (Nyx)=0D= =0AOchalea=0D=0A Koru Yi-Si (Koryis)=0D=0AAntalian=0D=0AOdin/Wodan/Viuden= =0D=0ARobrenn=0D=0A Taranos (Odin)=0D=0AWallara=0D=0A Agundji (The Great = One)=0D=0AAlphatia=0D=0APalartarkan=0D=0ACynidicea=0D=0AGorm=0D=0AThyatis= =0D=0A Odin=0D=0A=0D=0A=0D=0AEthengar=0D=0AA society based on nomadism on= vast plains would certainly worship the=0D=0Asky as part of its pantheon= --if not as the main god. Ethengar Immortals=0D=0Ainclude Yamuga (Terra?)= , Cretia, and Tubak (Ixion). These three beings=0D=0Aare assumed to be pr= e-human Immortals, so they would likely be elemental=0D=0Aforces (just li= ke Ixion and Terra). Cretia, however, seems to be an=0D=0Aexception, as h= e would have been mortal during the age of Blackmoor. He=0D=0Awould proba= bly fit the role of sky patron in Ethengar (his OD&D=0D=0Aclerics also ge= t an additional Wind Blast spell), though he looks=0D=0Amore like a Loki = than an Odin.=0D=0A=0D=0AAtruaghin=0D=0AThe same problem is present in th= e Atruaghin pantheon, perhaps even=0D=0Adeeper, since most Atruaghin Immo= rtals do not have a true portfolio,=0D=0Ajust an interest in a Clan of At= ruaghin. Rather than a true pantheon,=0D=0Athey form a regional hierarchy= .=0D=0AHowever, Ahmanni is more linked to the sea, Mahmatti to magic,=0D=0A= and Takhati and Hattani to war. Of them, Takhati seems more appropriate=0D= =0Aas a power connected with the sky and storms, even though he is not fr= om=0D=0Athe sphere of Thought.=0D=0A=0D=0A=0D=0AThe role of Hierarchs=0D=0A= In general, it seems that Immortals of Energy (lightning, sun) and Time=0D= =0A(sea, rain) often replace the natural candidates from the Sphere of=0D= =0AThought.=0D=0A=0D=0AMy idea is that Odin, the foremost Immortal patron= of the Sky, prevents=0D=0Aother Immortals of his Sphere from assuming th= at portfolio among lesser=0D=0Anations.=0D=0AWhile this may seem unusual,= consider how many Immortal patrons of the=0D=0ASun exist: only one, Ixio= n. And of the many Immortals of Time, only one=0D=0Ais actually a patron = of Time, Khoronous.=0D=0A=0D=0AThese Reigning Hierarchs have probably kep= t their position by securing a=0D=0Aportfolio, and keeping it safe from a= ll potential rivals (though=0D=0Apossibly Khoronous inherited his positio= n from Verthandi).=0D=0AThe Sphere of Entropy, on the other hand, is much= less static, with=0D=0AHel and Thanatos openly warring for the death por= tfolio, while Djaea and=0D=0ATerra seem to share the earth portfolio in a= more orderly fashion, as is=0D=0Aappropriate to the Lawful Sphere of Mat= ter.=0D=0A=0D=0A=0A=0A=0A Giampaolo Agosta=0A=0Aagathokles@libero.it=0Aag= osta@elet.polimi.it=0Ahttp://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 09:27:44 +1300 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Wanted: Supreme Sky Diety > I am looking (again) through my RW mythology books, and I have come up > with one peculiar observation about the Mystaran patheons and mythos: there > is a sore lack of Immortal Patrons of the Sky, the Weather, the Air, and > related spheres of influence. The question I would ask is why are sky gods worshiped? In the RW, the sky historically represents the unknown and the quest for knowledge. Thus the pairing of air and thought. Scholars look to the sky and think. They were often astrologers. Traditionally the sky was linked with knowledge and the nobles were the most educated and likely to presue knowledge therefore likly to worship sky gods. Alternatively sky gods may be weather gods, in climates where the weather is important to the culture this would see them being more powerful. The prime examples are Odin and Thor in the norse pantheon as the climate is harsh and dictated by the sky. The Greeks were not dominated by the sun like the egyptions so a sun god does not make sence, but a sea god (Neptune) and of course the wind and weather was important, but at home the earth is quite mountianous so the sky is what controls the environment most. Now in mystara it is different in the KW. It is sparcely populated, and heavily forested (as most of the historical examples were not). Additionally magic is an active force. By worshiping magic there is a direct effect. Magic in mystara is associated with the quest for knowledge as the most educated and learned are the wizards. Now instead of looking at the sky with wonder encouraging the searce for knowledge, they go into the sky, and most likly end up looking down. Becauser of this in Mystara it is not posible to replicate the RW situation simply because of magic. With respect to sky gods as the controlers of the environment because much of the KW is temperate and lush or has acess to substantial magics the sky gods do not bring a lot to the party. The ability to control the weather (or encourage the gods of the sky to be generous is not needed as much because if the weather is bad it does not have such a crushing effect as it may have had in the RW in historical times. The known world is not known as being arid, unless it is desert, or the peoples live and work in the earth and so are inclined to erath and sun gods. This said however in ethengar, NR (as simmilar to the RW) and more inland nations this changes. In Norwold for example it might become quite different. Basically I think it is as much to do with climate as with desires of the culture (which can also be driven by climate). The KW and most other lands detailed in official products tend to follow these tendancies IMO. Did that ramble make sence to anyone else? Chris. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 26 Nov 2002 to 27 Nov 2002 (#2002-306) ****************************************************************