Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 9 Mar 2002 to 10 Mar 2002 (#2002-69) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 11/03/2002, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 8 messages totalling 361 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Mystara MUD: Swords of Selenica 2. The Jade Hare (5) 3. War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson - Part XII 4. Call of Cthulhu d20 ******************************************************************** 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, 10 Mar 2002 02:19:12 -0700 From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: Mystara MUD: Swords of Selenica Thanks for the info! ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Jordi Castille=20 Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2002 3:32 PM Subject: Re: Mystara MUD: Swords of Selenica ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 02:05:44 -0800 From: Herve Musseau Subject: Re: The Jade Hare From: "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" > Has anyone here ever heard of or played this adventure (here's a link to the ESD: ? > The cover doesn't have the Mystara logo, but it does use the same font for the "Dungeons & Dragons" logo found on the Rules Cyclopedia and CoM. Also, the synopsis mentions "the Prophet, Al Kalim" so it sounds like it's set in Ylaruam ... but I've never heard of it before. The ESD page also says it is "a Dungeons and Dragons game adventure, designed for a party of 4-6 first level characters." Any info would be appreciated, I think I remember I read somewhere it was set in Mystara, but although I thought it was in acaeum it doesn't have that info. But check it there anyway, they have some nice trivia about it (and about all D&D modules). http://www.acaeum.com/DDIndexes/ModPages/Jade.html The Jade Hare is by John Nephew (PC1, HWR1, ...), and Bruce Heard was product manager, so it might indeed by Mystaran. Note that it's an extremely rare module; it is listed at $60 for poor quality without cover and at $800 for SW w/ cover. ESD is probably the only chance we have of ever seeing that module. ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 23:27:14 +1100 From: Alfred O'Meagher Subject: Re: The Jade Hare I had a copy (which was stolen along with everything else in my Uni. school bag). We played it years ago with a friend of mine. It is a straightforward room by room adventure in an Arabian type setting, I guess Ylaruam. The flavour was nonexistent really as it lacked the Mystara touches and was only about 6 pages long. It came free with the set my cousin (in California) got years before and I inherited it all in the same packing crate years later. We used original D&D miniatures with it - which I do still have - including the lumpy cleric and the freaky rat miniatures. *sigh* young man feeling nostalgia? not good. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 14:41:24 +0100 From: Jacob Skytte Subject: War Journal of Bue Geirsteinson - Part XII This is how I imagine it must be like fighting a high-level opponent. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk --- The War-Journal of Bue Geirsteinson Vatermont 25th continued, the year 1000 After Crowning of the First = Emperor of the Thyatian Empire Several men moved to intercept my charge at my father, and I was soon = caught up in the battle. As my own army clashed with my father's men, I = was left facing a single opponent, a warrior I knew by appearance, but = thankfully had never spoken to. It was not his face I saw, but my = father's, as I struck at him with my war hammer, his blows easily = deflected by my shield. I put him down with a blow to his head and = attempted to move closer to my father. Catching sight of him I was momentarily stunned. His sword was a blur as = he swung it in tight arcs, dispatching any man that dared come close to = him. With a furious strike he disarmed one opponent, parrying another = attack with his shield, then beheaded his disarmed opponent, as he = seemed to dance out of the way of another attacker. Several men already = lay dead or dying around him. It was evident that his years of = experience raiding far-away nations had turned him into an extremely = deadly warrior. Another man threw himself at me and again I was forced to strike down a = fellow clansman. His spear caught me in the ribs, but the enchanted = metal scales turned it aside. He fell before me, another face added to = my shame. In the midst of the chaos, I saw Asta Katlasdottir reach my father. She = was one of the few who dared confront him by now. Her sword was a = graceful blade, unlike the heavy swords favored by most karls. Their = weapons clashed and Asta was forced back by my father's strength. She = quickly recovered and dodged his next blow. Her sword connected with my = father's shoulder, but he ignored the wound, kicking her legs away from = under her, and she fell to the ground, her sword flying from her grip. I screamed as I saw my father thrust his sword into the brave young = woman at his feet. Her face was a mask of pain as his sword pierced her. = I shoved a man out of the way and yelled words at my father that I can = no longer recall. He turned to watch me, a wild grin on his face. In my = hate and anger I released the war hammer I held, flinging it at him. I = saw his surprise just a split second before the hammer hit him in the = face. He stumbled backwards, blood flying in an arc as his hands reached = for his face, his shield getting in the way. My heart pounding loudly in my ears, I pushed my way past the men around = me, none of them striking at me. Asta's eyes were closed, one hand = clutching the wound in her belly, the other reaching out for somebody to = help her, it seemed to me. She lay still, unconscious or dead. I picked = up her sword, the unfamiliar weapon feeling awkward in my hand. I was = surprised at how light it was, as I raised it to strike my father. He = must have sensed me. At the last instant he flailed his shield at me, = the sword deflected by the edge of the shield. Geirstein's face was a bloody mess, his nose broken by the hammer. Tears = of pain were in his eyes, but still they regarded me with hatred and = defiance. Again I struck at him with the sword, but again his shield = turned it aside. My lack of skill with the sword hindered me. He took = advantage of this, stepping towards me, using his shield to prevent me = from getting the sword up and threw himself at me. I tripped and we fell = to the ground, my father above me, pinning me with his shield. Blood = from his broken nose fell on my face as he leaned in. "Now, treacherous son, I will claim the blood I gave to you. You owe = your life to me and now I will take it." He had pulled a dagger from = somewhere and he raised it to strike at my face. I struggled to free my = arms, but they were pinned underneath his shield. He suddenly looked = back in surprise. My gaze followed his. Asta wasn't dead yet, and she = had reached out to grip his ankle. Her face was pained, but she held on = tight and mumbled something. A flash of light emanated from a ring she = bore, which she had pressed to my father's ankle. My father twisted his body, kicking Asta in the face, and she gave a = yelp, rolling away from him. He turned to me again, the dagger rising. = His victorious grin suddenly turned to surprise and again he looked = back. He started screaming, dropping the dagger and I pushed him off me. = His body was undergoing convulsions, his legs twisting impossibly. As I = watched him, incredulous, his back seemed to bend over at an impossible = angle, his arms twisted and his face seemed to rearrange itself. He = gradually shrunk and turned into a beast-thing that writhed about, = reddish fur starting to grow from his skin. Soon he turned into a = recognizable shape, my father had been turned into a fox! The fox = watched me, a wary look in its eyes, then took in the men around it and = broke into a frenzied run straight through the broken gates, = disappearing into the woods. The fighting had ceased completely. Men were staring at the woods, where = the fox had fled, others staring at me and a fair amount staring at Asta = Katlasdottir's unconscious body, fear and loathing written on their = faces. I hurried to her side. She was bleeding heavily and I pulled her = chain mail and shirt from her stomach, exposing an ugly wound. I called = for somebody to help me, but none of the men were willing. My cursing = had no effect, but finally Ingibjorg and Ralf Silk-Tongue made their way = to my side. "It's a wicked wound," Ingbjorg said. "I fear she is not long for this = world." "Do something, Ralf!" I growled at the skald. "Beseech the Gods for the = powers of healing and save her life as you saved mine." He looked at me wearily. "The Gods do not grant their favor lightly, = lad. I have spent the power granted me for today in saving you. I will = pray over her and ask for the favor of the Gods, but if she does not = live through the day, then it wasn't meant to be." "Her foul sorcery has doomed her!" somebody yelled. "The Gods won't aid a witch!" another fell in. "You be quiet!" I barked at them. "She has saved my life and I will do = all within my power to save hers! Stay back if you wish, but do not = sully the name of this brave woman, who faced a foe you shrank from." There was disgruntled mumblings but the men started tending to their = injuries and separating the dead from the wounded. I did all that I = could for Asta with the aid of Ingibjorg and Ralf. Ingibjorg was = uncharacteristically grim and quiet, apparently worried about her = friend. All we could do was wait. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 10:29:35 -0500 From: SteelAngel Subject: Call of Cthulhu d20 Hey Geoff, Are you thinking of maybe inputting any of these rule ideas into the outer beings stuff? I know a d20 version of sanity would be kind of fun to play with! Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 18:21:03 +0100 From: =?us-ascii?Q?Andres_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: The Jade Hare Don't ask me for sources, but, IIRC, this small adventure was supposed to be set in the campaign starter village which is detailed in GAZ2. I got that info while surfing through xD&D collector's webpages, but i did not take note of the URL... Andres ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 12:26:40 -0600 From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: The Jade Hare I have the adventure. It is for 4-6 1st level PC's. The village of Dar el-Tamyya has had thier idol stolen by a wizard named Abu-Ghabar, the mad warlock. You travel to his "dungeon" and confront his minions and then the warlock himself. Goblins, bats, and Hobgoblins make up most of the lair's occupants. There is also some yellow mold and Balgoruk, his bugbear lieutenant. Dont drink the potions in his lab as he is a terrible alchemist! ;) The wizard is 4th level and keeps an underpowered gargoyle in his treasure room. This is a simple adventure and looks like it was written for Thunder Rift instead of The Known World. It is certianly not worth $4.99 for download unless your a Mystara-Freak like me! :) Multizar the Mage > From: Andres Piquer Otero > Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion > To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] The Jade Hare > Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 18:21:03 +0100 > > Don't ask me for sources, but, IIRC, this small adventure was supposed to > be > set in the campaign starter village which is detailed in GAZ2. I got that > info while surfing through xD&D collector's webpages, but i did not take > note of the URL... > > > Andres > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 13:50:07 -0800 From: David Keyser Subject: Re: The Jade Hare Yes, I have it and have run this adventure. Yes, it is explicitly set in Mystara, it starts in an unspecified small village of Ylaruam. If you want something to compare it to, it is most like DDA4 The Dymrak Dread, but without any little stand-up character extras. Very basic, very simple. Wizard has stolen prized artifact from village, players start at the entrance to the dungeon. Text and layout are like DDA4, and there are explanations for new DMs on how to run this adventure. My Mystara product index can be found at Shawn's site, and that is where some of you may have seen it referenced as being set in Mystara. Spoilers below: If you have a copy of B9, Jade Hare is almost identical to the adventure where you have to rescue the princess. Wizard and minions, with a few touches. There is one redeeming feature that I thought was a nice touch, but it is so subtle I am not suprised it is mostly overlooked. The Jade Hare is described as an ancient artifact which predates the civilization currently in Ylaruam. Only the village elders know this. Although this is never followed up, those who have GAZ2 will know that the Jade Hare is of Nithian make. Unfortunately, its powers are not described, but it is magical. Playtest summary: I actually ran it for one 6th level PC, instead of a group of low-level characters. I set the village a few hours from the GAZ town of Kirkuk for convenience. The player got into some legal trouble in Kirkuk, but when some villagers came to the town's authorities for help, an agreement was reached. The initial wave of goblins wasn't too much trouble(and wouldn't be much trouble for 5 or 6 1st level PCs). But there is a goblin hiding in an alcove later on that is easy to miss, and he has the potential to get in a lucky shot, which can be fatal for a low-level PC. The gargoyle is weaker than average, but is still a significant obstacle. The wizard does have a couple of ways of incapacitating a single character, and in this case he got lucky, and was able to escape. Dave Keyser "Jenni A. M. Merrifield" wrote: > Has anyone here ever heard of or played this adventure (here's a link > to the ESD: ? > > ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 9 Mar 2002 to 10 Mar 2002 (#2002-69) **************************************************************