Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Mar 2002 to 14 Mar 2002 (#2002-73) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 15/03/2002, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 13 messages totalling 487 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Chunky Plate (2) 2. Steam and Gunpowder (was: Krazadorian Military (2) 3. Realms of Mystara site update (3) 4. Steam and Gunpowder (was: Krazadorian Military Technology) 5. FSS Beagle Crew and their fates (2) 6. Treel is back? (Was: FSS Beagle Crew and their fates) 7. M-Vamp: Preemptive Clarification 8. Bastard Swords ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 01:43:44 -0700 From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Chunky Plate > to armour, I know one guy who had to be told he was > being hit in the back when wearing a heavy coat of > plates...btw, his nick names Chunky) What? Is he deaf also? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 14:35:05 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Steam and Gunpowder (was: Krazadorian Military --- Gilles Leblanc : > Unfortuntly 99% of all players in a table-top rpg > players will say "I want > to buy/get/steal/build/copy this machine for me/my > dominion/my country/mass > production/money/warfare and become invincible !!!". First of all, there will be no such thing as mass production in this period. This means not only that you cannot mass produce the devices themselvs, but that each minor part much be craftet separately. This means both that the chances of malfunctions and costs of repair will be very high, but also that it will take _alot of time_ even to recreate such invensions. Dwarf: "well, I suppose I could make you one of these if you give me a good price for it..but it took me twenty years to build this one...but if you have time to wait..I'll do the job.." Conclusion: If you want tech to spread quickly you can, but if you want to restrict it thats no problem either. Just keep in mind that the same rules applies for the players as for the NPCs. Håvard ______________________________________________________ Sjekk snørapporter... fra 500 ski-destinasjoner i Europa på http://no.snow.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 14:42:21 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Realms of Mystara site update I just had a look at the site and I must say I think it is quite impressive. I really liked the layout and the logo too :) One think I did not find was credits to the various people who wrote the fan based material you've used on your site. For instance, I did recognize James Mishler's material has been used in the History section. I also suspect much of the other material comes straight from the MAs. Im sure these people don't mind you using their stuff, but having their names mentioned would only be common courtesy. I was also surprised to find one of my own maps of Brun on your site (with credits given!). Go ahead and use the map, but I seem to remember that my original map looked a bit nicer, so maybe I'll go ahead and dig out a better version for you later on... Good luck with the project! Håvard ______________________________________________________ Sjekk snørapporter... fra 500 ski-destinasjoner i Europa på http://no.snow.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 05:14:34 -0800 From: Andrew Theisen Subject: Re: Steam and Gunpowder (was: Krazadorian Military Technology) At 04:22 PM 3/12/02 +0100, you wrote:>I disagree. > > The Chinese invented gunpowder centuries before the > europeans, but never throught of using it for weapons. > The Greek knew about steam power but only used it for > opening palace doors (the steam producing mysterious > effect as the doors opened of themselves). For that matter, even after gunpowder was used in weaponry, it still took centuries before the weapons they were used in were ever able to make a significant impact either on warfare or (even later) smaller-scale conflicts. > The problem with steam power and gun powder is if its > mass produced. But this will only happen when society > is ready for it. 19th Century Britain had undergone a > series of changes before steam power became > widespread, not the least in mentality. Yep. Even gunpowder weapons were hardly in anything resembling common usage until the 17th century, several hundred years after their first "real" usage in warfare in the European nations. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 06:00:19 -0800 From: Andrew Theisen Subject: Re: FSS Beagle Crew and their fates At 12:57 PM 3/12/02 +0100, you wrote: > > Interesting... > Any theories about what really happened to him? :) [Above in reference to "Saint" Stephen Rocklin] No idea, personally. Though I did a writeup for Frogfolk (3E) style that can be found on Stan's site some time ago. I reference them as being survivors of the original experiments to create a frog/human hybrid (per the same sorts of creatures that appear in DA2). I think some great conflict between Stephen and Bork at some point down the road (prior to the "boom" of Blackmoorian technology) would make for an interesting end to both characters. > > > I like this! Its also very Star Trek which is very > appropriate anyways :) > > At what point would Bork have been replaced with his > replica in the first place? How would the real > Riesling handle the fake one? I figure that, assuming the above scenario, maybe it took place during the original "mutiny" scenario that sent Stephen and crew fleeing the Beagle, and that preceded Bork's paranoia. Maybe Stephen killed or seemingly killed Bork- which led to either one of Bork's crew (his first officer, maybe?) replacing him with Cybork (crew morale was already bad, what would they do if their leader were dead?) Or else Bork had put the plan in place himself, in the event of something like that. Unfortunately, no one antcipated that Cybork might turn out a little less than perfect (IIRC- DA3 mentions that cybernetic technology is a bit screwy anyway; at least it talks about the "terminator" function of cyborgs being illegal). Eventually, the real Bork is healed/resurrected (perhaps with the use of clerical magic from itinerant PCs from Mystara's future, having been enlisted by the Fetch of Blackmoor University to help in halting a paranoia instigated attack on human civilization by Cybork? Darn... this sounds like a good adventure... DA10: The Godswar, anyone?) > IIRC you were once working on your own version of DA5. > Whatever happened to that one? :) I've still got most of the notes around. Never got to fully fleshing it out, though. It was going to incorporate War Machine rules, too. The scenario is very sound (I think) and goes a long way in furthering the conflict in the Afridhi/Blackmoor scenario. I've been in an adventure designing mood lately (for 3E, which might not suit many) so maybe I'll get back to working on it soon. Had plans for a couple of adventures, actually. A DA6, building on an adventure suggestion in DA1 (about killing Skandaharian jarl Thorsen One-Thumb) and a followup dealing with the City of the Gods, Bork, and Stephen. Maybe that one could be the Godswar scenario? > Is your website still around btw? I couldnt find it.. http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/cthulhudrew/mystara.html I think Stan's got the link to it, still. That page and the Twilight of the Dawn page (http://www.geocities.com/isledawn) both need a major update soon... :( ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 07:18:42 -0800 From: John Calvin Subject: Re: FSS Beagle Crew and their fates >> > Interesting... > Any theories about what really happened to him? :) [Above in reference to "Saint" Stephen Rocklin] << I had an idea once about "Saint" Stephen escaping the final destruction of his cult by stepping into a stasis chamber. The chamber itself is lost in the swamp where the cult is set up. Several millenia later the PCs find a strange metal-like coffin and eventually succeed in opening it. To their surprise they release a strange, green skinned man, who for some reason is a little on edge around them. The green stranger seems to know an awful lot about the PCs (including maybe their names), but the PCs have never seen him before. Poor Stephen. Imagine his surprise when the very people who have freed him from his stasis are the ones who forced him into it in the first place. Only the PCs don't know this, because it hasn't happened yet. They haven't journeyed back through time in order to stop Stephen yet. Stephen will spend most of his time trying to kill the PCs, which will in turn lead them to find out more knowledge about Blackmoor and perhaps drive them into the "Way Back Inn" or whatever it was called. Now the tables are turned and the PCs know a lot about their enemy, but he knows nothing about them. -John __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 08:03:20 -0800 From: Jordi Castille Subject: Re: Steam and Gunpowder (was: Krazadorian Military Chris Furneaux wrote: > Unfortuntly 99% of all players in a table-top rpg > players will say "I want > to buy/get/steal/build/copy this machine for me/my > dominion/my country/mass > production/money/warfare and become invincible !!!". Are you saying there are players that won't!?! *joke* But it does raise the issue, how do you explain to a player with world conquest on his mind why he *can't* do something of this sort. ------------------------------------------ Tell them about the cost of running the empire, using taxes to pay for his troops, maintain his administrative staff, as well as paying for programs like roads, and how he'll be the most protected and most watched man in the empire. say that and most will say "On second thought, let's just have an estate instead." Jordi Castille, Knight of Darokin --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 10:04:09 -0600 From: John Polacek Subject: Re: Realms of Mystara site update Your absolutely right! I'll work on adding credits soon. I didn't put together much of the material myself (I redesigned what was already there for the most part), but I will try to trace where the various information came from and add some credits. And thanks for the compliments! We wanted the look of the site to reflect the quality of the games we plan on hosting on the server when the game comes out. :) - Ashlander > > I just had a look at the site and I must say I think > it is quite impressive. > > I really liked the layout and the logo too :) > > One think I did not find was credits to the various > people who wrote the fan based material you've used on > your site. For instance, I did recognize James > Mishler's material has been used in the History > section. I also suspect much of the other material > comes straight from the MAs. Im sure these people > don't mind you using their stuff, but having their > names mentioned would only be common courtesy. > > I was also surprised to find one of my own maps of > Brun on your site (with credits given!). Go ahead and > use the map, but I seem to remember that my original > map looked a bit nicer, so maybe I'll go ahead and dig > out a better version for you later on... > > Good luck with the project! > > Håvard _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 10:14:17 -0600 From: John Polacek Subject: Re: Realms of Mystara site update For instance, I did recognize James > Mishler's material has been used in the History > section. Just checked and it looks like it was pulled from "The Unofficial Timeline of Mystara" by Daniel Boese. Thanks Daniel! :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 11:51:07 EST From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Treel is back? (Was: FSS Beagle Crew and their fates) [mucho grande snippage] <> Hmm...what about this? During his confinement into the NoS, Treel's lifeforce is split into two seperate entities; Treel and Gareth. This way you have two seperate identities with a differing background. Likewise, it allows Treel and Gareth to develope seperately, while offering the potential for a unification later on. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 11:56:53 EST From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: M-Vamp: Preemptive Clarification With Blade II's release in a few weeks, I want to go ahead and say thta any similarities between certain vampire NPCs and those that will be seen in that movie are purely coincidental. I am "borrowing" enough from VtM and AC to plagerize another source LOL. Expect a few teaser posts soon. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 10:51:51 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Chunky Plate --- Angelo Bertolli wrote: > > to armour, I know one guy who had to be told he > was > > being hit in the back when wearing a heavy coat of > > plates...btw, his nick names Chunky) > > What? Is he deaf also? Well in a way you are when your in a full helm as they often have padded arming cap on including padding over the ears. His coat of plates was two layers of thick (2-3mm) leather, steel plates (thicker then normal), and another layer of leather over the top, so it was more of a thump then a clang. Often in full armour because we largely pull our blows you can get hit and not realise it. The visibility in a full face helm is quite limiting, so that means that you can end up half deaf, half blind, and half numb, and all because of armour. Thats one of the reasons plate is hard to sneak in, it can be difficult to hear the noise you are proberly making. On the battlefeild though there is a lot more noise so it can be very hard to hear someone coming up behind you when you are fighting. The story goes that he turned around and realised what had happened and accepted his fate. He's nicknamed chunky because he is. (he's built like a brick) Thats the reason that wearing such heavy armour is not such a problem for him. Sneaking in armour is not so much a matter of how much noise you make, but having a distraction for whoever you are trying to sneak up on. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 11:21:22 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Bastard Swords > Give me a sword, and I'll be in Wellington! (I live > close to Wellington, > Florida ;) Is that the evil wink I see... Wrong wellington sorry. if your ever in Wellington New Zealand.... Dan: > Is there any website or any organization that might > be active in the U.S.? Lots, but more SCA I think. (full contact, full armour, wooden swords) www.sca.org But there steel clubs in the states too, although I can't vouce for what they'll teach you. You might want to take a look at www.arma.com The biggest concren is some of the more elite in the feild get bee's in their bonnet about how things should be, and how it should be learnt. As far as I am concerned if it's fun it's good, if theres too much bull, don't bother, theres always others who have felt the same and that means theres probaly another club somewhere nearby doing what you want. In Wellington I know we have the sca and 3-4 re-enactment groups, and they all teach different things. > I don't think it's something that I'd have the time > to really get into, but I certainly wouldn't mind > checking it out, and maybe getting some basic > training. Have fun. P.S. my clubs page is: http://www.companyofthedragon.mainpage.net/ excuse the cheesy transitions, and odd design... it wasn't me. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Mar 2002 to 14 Mar 2002 (#2002-73) ***************************************************************