Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 21 Feb 2003 to 22 Feb 2003 (#2003-54)
From: Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
Date: 23/02/2003, 19:00
To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests <MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion

There are 11 messages totalling 388 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

 1. Hacklopedia Mystarica: The Guide to the HackWurld of Mystaros
 2. Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos
 3. Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos (Cthulhudrew) (5)
 4. Hacklopedia Mystarica [DM]
 5. Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos [Geoff]
 6. Ierendi (2)

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Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:52:42 +0100
From:    DM <mdalmonte@PROVINCIA.RA.IT>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica: The Guide to the HackWurld of Mystaros

On Thu, 20 Feb 2003 19:40:15 -0600, Magister Mystaros=20
<mystaros@EARTHLINK.NET> proclaimed to the world:

> >
> I have been wanting to tell you all for a while now, veritably bursting at
> the seams. They finally announced it earlier today. This is going to ROCK!
> And I say that with all humility... (^_^)
>
> ***Begin Press Release**
> MUNDELEIN, IL Kenzer & Company is pleased to announce the impending release
> of the first HackMasterT campaign setting book, the HacklopediaT=
MystaricaT:
> The Guide to the HackWurldT of MystarosT, based on the classic Dungeons &
> Dragons=AE setting, the Known World of Mystara=AE.
>

<BIG SNIP>

Whoa, that sure is a scoop!

My first 5 questions for you James:

1. will it be d20 or D&D 3(3.5)E compatible?
2. will it be named Mystara or how?
3. will it be serious or more like K&C's Little Keep on the Borderlands?
4. in which era will it be set (because you mention Taymora and Carnifex=20
which are little to nothing relevant to modern day Mystara)?
5. will you use all of the old Immortals and planar cosmology of Mystaran=20
Multiverse?

Thanks for the answers.


DM
Senior Editor of the Mystaran Almanac
Lt. Cmdr. of U.S.S. Unicorn

"You don't stop playing because you grow old:
you grow old because you stop playing!"

Visit Marco's Mystara Homepage at:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967
And Mystara Italian Homepage at:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/9940

Join the Mystara Webring at:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967/mystring.html
Join the Starfleet Academy at:
http://gioco.net/startrek (Italian RPG PBEM)

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 11:11:45 -0500
From:    Geoff Gander <au998@FREENET.CARLETON.CA>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos

James,

Just out of curiosity, was any of the content also inspired by some of
the work from the Vaults, besides your own? I'm sure no one on this List
would mind if that was the case, but I thought I'd ask.

On a second note, would there be any chance of you plugging the MML? :-)
Probably not, but I thought I'd go out on a limb...

Geoff

-- 
Geoff Gander, BA 97, MPA 02
Carnifex Loremaster/Mad Roleplayer
Master of the Elemental Plane of Bureaucracy
au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 12:54:24 -0500
From:    SteelAngel <edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos (Cthulhudrew)

On Fri, 21 Feb 2003, Magister Mystaros wrote:

> certain other editions of D&D, which shall remain nameless (cough... 3E...
> cough), you CAN do that. (^_^)

Oh, I have to disagree here. The ruleset of 3e is fairly flexible.

However, you're talking about a campaign supplement, not rules - If you
don't like the new Karameikos, don't use it and such. Totally different
regimes. The rules are going to be much less flexible than a campaign
setting, I hope. I should be able to take Elminster out of the Realms
continuity completely, as if he never existed, replacing him with a series
of other mages through the years, and actually make that setting
respectable, y'know?


Ethan

-- 
Kinard 210 Linux Guru
Webmaster www.steelangel.com

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 15:59:55 -0600
From:    Magister Mystaros <mystaros@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica [DM]

The Omnipotent DM Declared:

<<1. will it be d20 or D&D 3(3.5)E compatible?>>

Inasmuch as HackMaster is based on 1st Edition and 2nd Edition AD&D, yes. It
will not have d20 or 3rd Edition D&D stats. Kenzewr & Company can only use
the old materials for HackMaster, not d20 or D&D.

<<2. will it be named Mystara or how?>>

For legal and copyright reasons, it will be known as the "HackWurld of
Mystaros," or simply the "HackWurld." This reflects back to the "Known World
of Mystara." The setting is actually a part of Aldrazar, which is Garweeze
Wurld, the official HackMaster setting. Stirctly speaking, the HackWurld
proper will be the old Known World, minus the Thanegioth Archipelago and
plus Wendar, Denagoth, the Heldann Territories, and Landfall.

<<3. will it be serious or more like K&C's Little Keep on the Borderlands?>>

It will definitely be a parody, but rather more serious than the Little Keep
on the Borderlands. It has to be a parody, to keep within the bounds of the
license, however, the parody for the Hacklopedia Mystarica wil be in making
it more Mystaran than Mystara. There will also be the oddball stuff, too,
but I need to pack a LOT of information in the book, so the oddball stuff
will be kept tight, and within the realm of fantasy,  game system, and
gaming culture cliche.

<<4. in which era will it be set (because you mention Taymora and Carnifex
which are little to nothing relevant to modern day Mystara)?>>

It will be set in 1000 AC, because I really wanted to keep Alphatia in it,
and didn;t want to have to leave players with a ruined world to start out
with. However, the history will be the most comprehensive ever seen for
Mystara, and possibly for any game setting. The Carnifex, Taymorans, and
Nithians will be there as they were very large empires that had a massive
effect on the HackWurld. The history section with be chock full of adventure
ideas and such based on this.

<<5. will you use all of the old Immortals and planar cosmology of Mystaran
Multiverse?>>

The Immortals will be there, but they will be... different. How this works
is one of the secrets I need to keep... sorry. The planar cosmology will
have to go, as it will have to be adapted to the cosmology of Garweeze
Wurld.

James

******************************
James "Mystaros" Mishler
Freelance Writer and Troubleshooter
mystaros@earthlink.net

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:05:21 -0600
From:    Magister Mystaros <mystaros@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos [Geoff]

The Carnifex Loremaster Pondered:

<<Just out of curiosity, was any of the content also inspired by some of the
work from the Vaults, besides your own? I'm sure no one on this List would
mind if that was the case, but I thought I'd ask.>>

Unfortunately, I can't really use the info from the Vaults (besides my own)
due to copyright issues. However, whenever there are major issues of
debatable nature, such as "Just WHERE does Norwold fit in," I delved into
what everyone on the MML thought, as an assist. So yes, everyone here has
had and will have some influence in the design, in as much as I have used
their designs/decisions/ideas/complaints to temper my own.

<<On a second note, would there be any chance of you plugging the MML? :-)
Probably not, but I thought I'd go out on a limb...>>

I hope to be able to do just that, but I haven't found out from Kenzer yet.
I can't think of any reason why not, unless it would be some arcane aspect
of their licensce with WotC. Anything we can do to help sell this puppy
would be great, from their (and my perspective), while of course,
personally, I want to help push Mystara overall. So we shall have to wait
and see...

James

******************************
James "Mystaros" Mishler
Freelance Writer and Troubleshooter
mystaros@earthlink.net

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:12:40 -0600
From:    Magister Mystaros <mystaros@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos (Cthulhudrew)

<<> certain other editions of D&D, which shall remain nameless (cough...
3E...
> cough), you CAN do that. (^_^)

Oh, I have to disagree here. The ruleset of 3e is fairly flexible.>>

Ooooh... I don't wanna get into this. But, I gotta say, from a design
standpoint, that 3E D&D is a pain in the ass. There is a LOT more you have
to do with it, a lot more that you have to check back with, a lot more that
you have to adhere to, system wise, than in any other edition of D&D. You
can't just make a monster off the cuff, for example, as you ahve to make
sure that it follows the guidelines of so many hit dice based on size, the
ability scores must conform to specific ranges based on size and type,
abilities must work within the defined ranges (or be explained as a new,
distinct speecial ability or quality), each monster must have so many feats
and so many skills based on hit dice and Intelligence... the list goes on
and on. The same goes for making magic items and NPCs. It is a writers
nightmare... By comparison, HackMaster is a veritable buffet of rules. You
don't like it, change it, and it won't affect any other aspect of the game
to the point that it becomes unworkable.

<<However, you're talking about a campaign supplement, not rules - If you
don't like the new Karameikos, don't use it and such. Totally different
regimes. The rules are going to be much less flexible than a campaign
setting, I hope. I should be able to take Elminster out of the Realms
continuity completely, as if he never existed, replacing him with a series
of other mages through the years, and actually make that setting
respectable, y'know?>>

Yes, in the case of campaign settings, just about any world can do this. It
is different for game systems, however...

James

******************************
James "Mystaros" Mishler
Freelance Writer and Troubleshooter
mystaros@earthlink.net

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:15:39 -0600
From:    Magister Mystaros <mystaros@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Ierendi

Quoth Dan:

<<BTW, do you have a home page?  I'd like to check out some of the work that
you mentioned.>>

I myself do not have a homepage that is active anymore. Somewhere on
Geocities/Yahoo there is the detritus of an old site that I haven't touched
in, oh, three years or more. However, you can find most of my work that I
put on the Web on Shawn Stanley's site,
http://www.dnd.starflung.com/index.html. It's there with a ton of other cool
stuff written by our compatriots on the august list...

James

******************************
James "Mystaros" Mishler
Freelance Writer and Troubleshooter
mystaros@earthlink.net

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 17:56:37 -0500
From:    Dan Eustace <deustace@ATTBI.COM>
Subject: Re: Ierendi

However, you can find most of my work that I
> put on the Web on Shawn Stanley's site,
> http://www.dnd.starflung.com/index.html. It's there with a ton of other
cool
> stuff written by our compatriots on the august list...

I'm fairly familiar with most of this stuff.  What about the other
*published* stuff that you mentioned?  Do you have the links to product
caatalogs for these companies?

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 18:12:44 -0500
From:    SteelAngel <edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos (Cthulhudrew)

On Sat, 22 Feb 2003, Magister Mystaros wrote:

> Ooooh... I don't wanna get into this. But, I gotta say, from a design
> standpoint, that 3E D&D is a pain in the ass. There is a LOT more you have
> to do with it, a lot more that you have to check back with, a lot more that
> you have to adhere to, system wise, than in any other edition of D&D.

[snip]

Gee, and I was thinking that this was a "good thing", but that could be
the Physicist/programmer speaking. :D


Ethan - likes near-perfect compatibility

-- 
Kinard 210 Linux Guru
Webmaster www.steelangel.com

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:33:16 -0800
From:    Mike Harvey <gm@DSL-ONLY.NET>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos (Cthulhudrew)

SteelAngel wrote:
> Magister Mystaros wrote:
> > There is a LOT
> > more you have to do with it, a lot more that you have to check back
> > with, a lot more that you have to adhere to, system wise, than in
> > any other edition of D&D.
>
> Gee, and I was thinking that this was a "good thing", but that could
> be the Physicist/programmer speaking. :D

More preparatory work is only a good thing if the work itself is
enjoyable, which is a matter of taste. If it is a chore you perform
in order to get to the fun of playing, then the less prep the better.

Mike
-- 
Mike Harvey -- Beaverton, Oregon
http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/
ICQ: 15446302

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 23 Feb 2003 01:28:30 -0500
From:    SteelAngel <edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hacklopedia Mystarica Provisos (Cthulhudrew)

On Sat, 22 Feb 2003, Mike Harvey wrote:

> More preparatory work is only a good thing if the work itself is
> enjoyable, which is a matter of taste. If it is a chore you perform
> in order to get to the fun of playing, then the less prep the better.

I think he was talking about publishing. In actual game usage, DMs can
usually do what they want :D


Ethan

-- 
Kinard 210 Linux Guru
Webmaster www.steelangel.com

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End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 21 Feb 2003 to 22 Feb 2003 (#2003-54)
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