Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Jun 2003 to 14 Jun 2003 (#2003-155) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 15/06/2003, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 12 messages totalling 535 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. X10 - Red Arrow, Black Shield (2) 2. X10 - Red Arrow, Black Shield - Miissing info! SPOILERS! 3. Mystara relation to real world cultures (3) 4. NoS: Altered by Immortals or Old Ones? 5. Dimensional Info in Gold Box not in WoTI (4) 6. HackWurld release? ******************************************************************** 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, 13 Jun 2003 18:50:29 +0100 From: Mark Alexander Bertenshaw Subject: Re: X10 - Red Arrow, Black Shield Jacob - Thanks a lot for clarifying this issue. I didn't know that this was used in any other modules. Am I the only person with a misprinted copy of X10? -- Mark Bertenshaw D&D Reviews: http://freespace.virgin.net/mark.bertenshaw/mark/RPG/dnd.html ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jacob Skytte" Mark Alexander Bertenshaw wrote: > On my copy, the Generic City Chase Flow Chart (pg. 7), and the Sayr Ulan map > (pg. 29) for that matter are missing letters and numbers, as described on > pg. 3. Now, the letters you can make a pretty good guess at (left to right, > top to bottom), but the location of the numbers aren't clear at all. And as > well as that, I suspect that there is supposed to be some other text - maybe > directions, since it is not obvious how you are supposed to described the > alternative paths the PCs are able to take at each intersection. Can anybody > enlighten me? The Akesoli City Chase Flow Chart is identical to the one in DA4: The Duchy of Ten. The 10 numbers are, in that adventure module, located in the following locations (which you correctly assume are lettered from left to right, top to bottom): Q: 1 V: 2 W: 3 Y: 4 Z: 5 T: 6 S: 7 8 is missing (I placed it in J). F: 9 C: 10 But there is nor eason to place the numbers in those partiocular fields, as they are just 10 randomly placed numbers. Nothing else is missing. There aren't supposed to be directions - those are mixed winding/straight streets that happen to intersect at various points. It's not an orderly thing. You can say things like, "Slightly to the left of the street you just came from runs a narrow alley that seems to twist as it goes. Opposite from that is Kirk's Corner, a street that turns so sharply that a passing coach almost topples as it speeds down that way." Then make notes at the appropriate roads "narrow alley", "Kirk's Corner." That's the beauty of the Flow Chart - it lets you make things up as you go and take small notes for future reference. Saves you from making up the whole city in detail ahead of time, since players will only be interested in certain locations anyway. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 18:52:57 +0100 From: Mark Alexander Bertenshaw Subject: Re: X10 - Red Arrow, Black Shield - Miissing info! SPOILERS! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bertrand Lhoyez" To: Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 5:08 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] X10 - Red Arrow, Black Shield - Miissing info! SPOILERS! > ---------------------------- > > I like this idea - it seems more "Lord of the Rings". When it comes down to > it, the "Known World" has never really had any Sauron type figure, and that > would fit the bill. > > ------------------------------ > > Well, i disagree on this point (if you allow me). Mystara do not lacks > "Sauron type figure". There are plenty of them but i agree just a few are > plainly described (remember X11 - Shadow lord - and what do u think of King > Thar in the broken lands - and i'm sure we here can easily named a few > other). Thar isn't maelevolent enough. > Of course, it's difficult not making a parallel between "the lord of the > rings" and "Red Arrow - Black shield". > > But it's one of the advantage of Mystara that there is not "one" > "sauron-like" enemy to defeat, but many (if not many many :-) ). And the > more you master Mystara, the more you see it's not oriented primary towards > epic, but more towards ruling / leading / building / defending / ... . At > least to my opinion. Hmm. I do see your point. However, this is more because the writers of the Gazetteers, for the most part, tended to work fairly separately/. > > In a political way, it's more realistic (consider the size of the world, you > better understand that hosadus is no so potent - while he is still > embarrassing obviously). > Having just one arch-enemy can be interesting, but in fact minimize the game > possibilities. What after him being beaten (or winning if you play to his > side) ? > Even if you take into account Morgoth, well that only makes two adversaries > (Vador / the emperor :-) ) which do not led to more possibilities, as the > first is the minion of the second. > > In Mystara struggle do not center around one enemy but a plethora of > personnalities which have conflicting interest. > > The emphase in Mystara world is, for me, the intricate policies of the > world. Of course politics is not everything. Adventuring is important too. > And the world is rich and various ... > But in Mystara, you can have adventures which more easily impact global > politics. Cause the game has a good part of it build for understand if not > playing this. > > While i do really appreciate Middle Earth as a game settings, if you want to > find a "Lord of the rings" feeling, you should better try MERP. This is more > appropriate to epic against one great evil. > > > This said, x4 x5 x10 are one of my best souvenirs (with x1 and b2) > > ******************************************************************** > 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: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 11:37:07 +0200 From: Francesco Defferrari Subject: Re: Mystara relation to real world cultures ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Eustace" To: > What do people think of Ierendi and Minrothad? > Any other parallels? Ierendi is a little caribbean style (pirates etc) and a little hawaian (Makai) while pearl island are more polinesian. Minrothad is surely inspired to the italian sea powers (Genua, Venice etc) while Darokin has some bits of Renassaince europe style (mostly dress and architecture) and Early american colonies About Ostland, Vestland and Soderfjord we discussed them with Harvard and other north european members of the list some time ago... I think Ostland is an early Viking culture 900 ac (raids, longships and so on) Vestland an early Viking kingdom (like Sweden or Denmark in 1000-1100 ac) and Soderfjord a more merchantile northern power (probably again Sweden or Denmark in 1300-1400 ac). I always thought that Haldis (the original inhabitants of Heldann freeholds) were a little like first Viking russia (1000 ac Vikings conquered Russia around the area of Kiev) while Norwold original inhabitans should be the Finnish culture, with laponian-like populations in the north. Traladara (old Karameikos) has a slavic population, like the City states of the Gulf of Hule, while a Russian culture is in the (uncanon) empire of Zuyevo in the north western Brun.... bye Francesco ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 11:39:28 +0200 From: Daniel Mayer Subject: Re: Mystara relation to real world cultures Hi, all! Minothrad could be a kind of "ideal" Land of the Israeli?? At least in Germany most of them dealt with cloth, jewels, (middleage:) pepper/anthelike, and so on. So most of them were merchants, and successful ones too. But I am not able to come up with a real-world pendant... greetings, Daniel ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 12:33:35 +0200 From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: Mystara relation to real world cultures Minrothad looks to me quite a lot like the Dutch mercantile empire of the late XVIth Century and after, maybe adding some elements of the Middle Ages North European Hanseatic League. Ierendi is partly Caribbean, partly pure fantasy, but with a lot of flavor taken from the most cliché and touristy aspects of the "paradise States" of the US: Hollywood California, Disney theme parks, Florida spooks and cayos, etc.. Andres ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 06:26:26 -0700 From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Re: NoS: Altered by Immortals or Old Ones? Well thanks for your input guys.. I guess I just need to pick the option I like the most.. (Leaning towards WoTI) Lancer --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 15:31:30 +0200 From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: X10 - Red Arrow, Black Shield Mark Alexander Bertenshaw wrote: > Am I the only person with a misprinted copy of X10? No, mine is missing the same things that yours is. All of them are, I = suspect. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 06:37:55 -0700 From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Dimensional Info in Gold Box not in WoTI Hello everyone. I am wanting to do a campaign in which the outer planes/dimensions are a major influence and AFAIK it seems that the original Gold Box had more complete explanations on these realms. From what I understand these are some of the differences I have heard through the grapevine: 1) The Gold Box explained the concept of spatial dimensions.. And if I am not mistaken , the 4th dimension is the magic dimension and the 5th is the nightmare dimension.. (or something like that?) Do the Immortals live in different spatial dimensions? 2) The Gold Box had a more complete description of the Nightmare Dimension. How about the Vortex? 2) The Gold Box had the concept of "trispaces"? 3) The Gold Box had more detail on the Elemental Rulers and talked about new entities called the Elemasters? Unfortunately, I don't have the Gold Box (I only have WoTI) and if someone (or a few of you) could enlighten me on some or all of the aforementioned topics (or any new ones along those lines) I would be a very happy camper. :) Thanks a bunch! Lancer --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 12:55:56 -0500 From: Magister Mystaros Subject: Re: HackWurld release? <> It's an August release, and I am still hoping to have it done in time for that, but it has been slow going. I've calculated loosely that there are more than 2,000,000 words written about Mystara, and I have to distill it down to about 200,000 or so, and still have it be an effective, complete introduction to the setting. Unfortunately, Gen Con is a month earlier than normal this year (July instead of August), so there is no way it would have made it to the show anyway. There might be some blue sheets to look at, though, but that is up to the guys at Kenzer. James ****************************** James "Mystaros" Mishler Freelance Writer and Troubleshooter mystaros@earthlink.net ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 20:57:25 +0200 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?la=20Volpe?= Subject: Re: Dimensional Info in Gold Box not in WoTI A lot of information from the Gold Box has been used by Sharon Dornhoff in her articles on the nature of dimensions. Me and others on the list reworked everything for the "Nightmare Project", presenting an alternate view on the Nightmare Dimension and Multiverse Cosmology comprehending Geoff Gander's Outer Beings. The webpage ("A dark portal") is here: http://www.geocities.com/iuliusscaevola Have a look and feel free to ask and criticize (even: "this crap sucks" goes). 8-) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ______________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Mail: 6MB di spazio gratuito, 30MB per i tuoi allegati, l'antivirus, il filtro Anti-spam http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/?http://it.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 15:01:29 -0400 From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Dimensional Info in Gold Box not in WoTI On Sat, 14 Jun 2003, Ramses Ramirez wrote: > 1) The Gold Box explained the concept of spatial dimensions.. And if I > am not mistaken , the 4th dimension is the magic dimension and the 5th is > the nightmare dimension.. (or something like that?) Do the Immortals live > in different spatial dimensions? You are mistaken. The concept of dimensionality in the gold box is slightly odd, but deals with 6 mutually perpendicular spatial axes. The first three, are the normal axes that mortals can perceive (1 = length, 2 = width, 3 = height) Immortals can perceive four (Length, Width, Height, 4). Nightmare creatures are opposite. Mortal Nightmare creatures perceive Dimensions 5, 4, 3 as normal mortals perceive 1, 2, 3. (height remains the same). Nightmare Immortals can perceve 5, 4, 3, 2 just like normal immortals can percieve 1, 2, 3, 4. Without the 4th dimension, there is no magic availible to the plane. What's the upshot? It depends on what the DM wants to make of it. > 2) The Gold Box had a more complete description of the Nightmare > Dimension. How about the Vortex? The 'vortex' in the GB isn't a space. It's a dimensionality higher than 5. If Immortals explore the 6th dimension, they can be trapped in the vortex. (Or something. To this day, I have no idea what that means). > 2) The Gold Box had the concept of "trispaces"? A Trispace is a plane with three dimensions. Most planes have four dimensions. > 3) The Gold Box had more detail on the Elemental Rulers and talked > about new entities called the Elemasters? Erm. I don't have my GB handy, so I can't look this up. Someone else? Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 23:19:26 +0300 From: Eyal Fleminger Subject: Re: Dimensional Info in Gold Box not in WoTI Elemental rulers and Immortals (page 39) Some of the elemental beings described in previous sets are capable of reaching Immortality. This is very rare, but possible. Each type of elemental material corresponds to a single Sphere. Elemental races that are not true Elementals are thus limited to Immortal status within their corresponding Spheres. The routes to Immortality for these creatures are somewhat different from those available to player characters, but are not detailed here. Normal Elementals are not ambitious, and cannot reach this level. Elemental rulers (described in the D&D Master Set) are content to serve as lords of their own kind. Their lifespans are so long that they see no reason to follow the difficult route to Immortality. But each race of elementals has an Immortal sponsor a protector. These beings, are called the elemasters. Some exceptional individuals of other races native to the elemental planes do seek and occasionally achieve Immortality. These races are described in the D&D® Companion Set, and include the haouu and sshai (air), horde-beings and kryst (earth), helions (fire), and hydrax and undines (water). Of the noteworthy djinn (air) and efreet (fire), only their rulers, the pashas and amirs (respectively), may strive for Immortality. These beings are not described in this set. If you wish to include them in your Immortal games, use the same procedures for converting mortal characters to Immortal status (Players Book, page 14) to the monster descriptions, and add powers as needed. All of these creatures have mental ability scores, usually in the same range as mortal characters. Their physical scores are 1 -6 points greater than humans'. Note that special abilities, including spell effects, are lost as the wider Immortal powers are gained. Notes on another elemental creature, the phoenix, appear on page 46. Elemasters this is in the Gold Box format; I intend to do a conversion to WOTI when I have time): Sphere: Element equivalent Status: Hierarch 2 Power Points: 12,000 Anti-Magic: 90% Armor Class: -18 Hit Dice: 42 Move: As Immortal Attacks: 4 fist strikes Damage: Up to 100 (each) No. Appearing: 1 (unique) Save As: Hierarch 2 Morale: Special Treasure Type: Special Alignment: Neutral XP Value: 9,539,250 (953 PP) Description: The elemasters are high-ranking aides who directly serve the Full Hierarchs of the Spheres. They represent and rule all of the elementals of the multiverse. An elemaster's normal form is similar to its elemental type, but 20 feet tall. It is able to shrink or grow at will, to a minimum height of one inch, and a maximum of 300 feet. This ability is innate, non-magical, and requires no Power expenditure. Abilities and Limits: An elemaster can use all forms of Power combat, and may expend Power to create any magical effect within its Sphere, at half normal cost (rounded up). Elemasters may create effects of other Spheres, but at 10 times the usual cost (cumulative with the multiplier for dominance). The elemasters' normal forms are carefully designed and expensive to create so they are careful to avoid this destruction if possible. Each has the full ability scores of the elemaster, all of which are 75 ( +13 modifier). Each elemaster has standard Aura power. Any ability score check manipulating the represented element is never penalized for difficulty (though bonuses for ease apply frequently). For example, if the Earthmaster tries to hurl an asteroid with a mass of billions of tons at an opponent, the base 75% chance of success (equal to its Strength score) applies without penalty. Though of "trainee Hierarch" status, the elemasters cannot progress further, and can never become Full Hierarchs. Resistances: The elemasters have 90% A-M, but usually negate it if they plan to create magical effects. They are completely immune to all mortal magic. They are immune to magical effects of Immortal origin that have a base cost of 15 PP or less. In addition, they are unaffected by all mind attacks except direct ability score attacks, all magic that could cause instant death (including disintegrate), and blows from weapons of + 4 or lesser enchantment. All standard Immortal saving throws apply as well. Habits: The business of the elemasters is primarily administrative, as their realms are vast. They spend much of this time visiting and examining their subjects, often stifling their auras and masquerading as young elementals. The local rulers of the elemental planes (detailed in the D&D Master Set) are aware of this, and never shirk their duties, lest they be under secret observation. Background: The elemasters achieved Immortality long ago, and now protect their exalted positions by preventing any other true Elementals from reaching Immortal status. They are vain and selfcentered, but extremely powerful and superb at their tasks. The Immortals tolerate them for this reason and for fear that, if sufficiently irritated, an elemaster may upset the balance of the elements in the Prime plane. > On Sat, 14 Jun 2003, Ramses Ramirez wrote: > > 3) The Gold Box had more detail on the Elemental Rulers and talked > > about new entities called the Elemasters? > > Erm. I don't have my GB handy, so I can't look this up. Someone else? > > > Ethan > > -- _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Jun 2003 to 14 Jun 2003 (#2003-155) ****************************************************************