Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 31 Jul 2003 to 1 Aug 2003 (#2003-187) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 02/08/2003, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 155 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. village of Tavish 2. Test 3. Reason for my Disappearance 4. Terra, Djaea, and Ordana's Home Plane 5. temporary anavailability ******************************************************************** 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, 1 Aug 2003 16:57:29 +0200 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: village of Tavish David Keyser wrote: >> Southern parts of Tavish were incorporated in Principality of Krondahar in 859. > > That doesn't mean parts of Tavish are still part of Krondahar does it? It means parts of the territory around Tavish. Specifically, the three exagons south of Tavish. > I suppose I could add a few Ethengarian residents along with the > human and lupin population. Certainly Tavish may act as a trade point for Krondaharans and Kaelics. [On the blackflame storage] > Using OD&D rules, 20d6 is the maximum. My logic is, a shortsword > of blackflame is +4 and could reflect a 20d6 fireball. A dagger of > blackflame is +2 and therefore I go with 10d6. I agree. I just wasn't sure whether you were still referring to the 2e conversion or the original. -- Giampaolo Agosta http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:25:14 +0100 From: jason o'brien Subject: Test This is a test message to see if I can get through. Jason O'Brien. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:44:13 EDT From: Shawn Johnson Subject: Re: Reason for my Disappearance Game Setting "Realism" In a message dated 7/28/03 5:21:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time, bluefire@ZAUBERWALD.NET writes: > I've started with 3e in Mystara playing first the Lost City > doing a little stuff of my own in the Heldannic Freeholds in and > near the village of Althaven. If we continue to play I'm probably > heading for the Northern Reaches. My current problem with the setting > itself is that it concentrates _loads_ of cultures in a very small place > called the Known world, while the rest is either occupied by large > cultures (Alphatia, Sind, Jennite Holdings) or not detailed at all. > It's hard to get the non-existing logic in this design over to the > players. > > Richard Eckart > I used to feel the same way, but oneday it occurred to me that the proximity of countries in the Known World isn't any more wierd than the hodge-podge of cultures in RW Europe. Plus, when you consider the additional cultural variety that's so closeby in eastern Europe and south across the Mediterranean, by comparison Mystara's mix of cultures hardly seems like fantasy at all. However, I do get what you're referring to though---in the RW there are almost always "transition" regions that blend aspects of the two (or more) cultures that they border. In my games, I've emphasized the cultural overlap in many areas [like Selenica, Akesoli, Ierendi (mish-mash of cultures), ethnic wards of Thyatian cities (& all large trade cities), Tameronikas, Tel Akbir, et. al.] to lend more "cultural realism" to each setting. The Gazeteers were good game products, but no matter how good a setting is, the hard work of breathing life and believability into it always falls to the gamemaster. The best we can do as DMs is to describe the atmosphere and "flavor" of each culture with lots of evocative tidbits and dramatic flair. Hopefully, your efforts will then convey enough richness to the players for them to suspend their disbelief. [ Of course, on the other hand, the fun factor in RPGs has never really depended on the believability of a game setting (nor even its degree of seriousness, which is lucky for my players)! ] 8^> Shawn Johnson ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 18:47:02 EDT From: Shawn Johnson Subject: Re: Terra, Djaea, and Ordana's Home Plane In a message dated 7/29/03 12:37:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, chimpman.geo@YAHOO.COM writes: > > Hi all, > > Here is another home plane for you (the first was Rafiel's, which can be > found > here: http://dnd.starflung.com/reidyll.html). This time it's a plane shared > by > three powerful immortals. Terra and Djaea (of Matter) and Ordana (of Time). > I > set out at first to create a home plane specifically for Djaea, but it > evolved > into something larger. I think placing the three together makes a sort of > sense. > Anyway, comments are welcome. Hope you enjoy. Sure did----and that's 2 for 2 ! Great stuff John, very creative (it's "mana from the heavens" so to speak). I loved it, just like your last installment (Rafiel's homeplane)---can't wait to see what you come up with next! BTW, your idea for mortal PCs helping to reseed a plane corrupted by evil/entropy could work just as well in an immortal-level adventure. The only difference is that the foes would be //MUCH// more powerful. Oh and also, portals (from Lhondaras) to the personal planes of Calitha Starbrow and Faunus would make for some noteworthy links. Again, cool stuff ----- Shawn Johnson ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 08:09:07 +0200 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: temporary anavailability due to moving procedure and transfer of dsl line, i would not be able to use internet for at least a week. I'll do my best to reach out later. Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. Personal homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st thibault.sarlat@wanadoo.fr ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 31 Jul 2003 to 1 Aug 2003 (#2003-187) ***************************************************************