Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 31 Jul 2004 to 1 Aug 2004 (#2004-154) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 02/08/2004, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 7 messages totalling 596 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) (5) 2. MYSTARA-L Digest - 26 Jul 2004 to 27 Jul 2004 (#2004-150) 3. MYSTARA-L Digest - 29 Jul 2004 to 31 Jul 2004 (#2004-153) ******************************************************************** 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, 1 Aug 2004 10:00:56 +0200 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) Yeah, learning that The Isle of Dread was being ported into GH was a bit of a disappointment. Still, I think it was fairly decent of Erik Mona to write this, almost appologetic article on the MMB. It was way more than I have ever expected. Clearly these are not the same kind of people who gave us the Mystara Survival Guides (shudder). Actually, members of the editorial staffs of both Dungeon and Dragon have visited the MMB, so there does seem to be some interest in our community, even though there seems to be some worry about making too many references to our setting. In any cayse, who are they kidding? We know where the Isle of Dread really is located, don't we? By Rory Barbarossa's beard, I am looking forward to getting my hands on this issue and running my players through this expanded version of the Isle of Dread! :) Poster Sized Map, eh? *grin* Havard --- Donald Eric Kesler skrev: > Hello, > > There was quite a bit of discussion on this very > issue on the > Wizards.COMunity Boards. One may find the thread > here. > > http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273214 > > The thread starts with the following written by Erik > Mona. > > Greetings, Known Worlders. > > The next issue of Dungeon (#114) will contain an > adventure set on the > infamous Isle of Dread, of X1 fame. It also contains > a poster map of the > locale and a short gazetteer of the archipelago > filled with adventure hooks, > encounter charts, and more. > > I wanted to drop you guys a line to let you know > about it not only because > you probably have a natural interest in the Isle of > Dread, but because in > putting together the issue I made the difficult > decision to present the Isle > as a location in the core Dungeons & Dragons world, > rather than in > Mystara/the Known World. > > I did this for a number of reasons (not least of > which being that Mystara is > no longer actively supported by Wizards of the > Coast), but the main one is > that I believe an Isle of Dread detached from the > continuity of an > out-of-print world would be more appealing to the > majority of my readers > than one explicitly tied to a long-out-of-print > campaign setting. > > Secondly, I am not an expert on Mystara, and am > leery of introducing > "official" Mystara continuity that might upset > long-suffering Mystara fans > due to errors of exclusion and ignorance. > > Mystara and the core D&D world (Greyhawk) have an > interesting set of common > features. Both worlds boast alternate versions of > the Land of Blackmoor. > Both feature Keeps on the Borderlands. Both of these > ties date back to the > early 1980s, so it seemed a natural to suggest that > both worlds feature an > Isle of Dread. > > The idea of a dinosaur-ravaged island with native > tribes is an excellent > setting for adventure, and I think spreading it > across a couple of mutually > friendly campaign settings makes a lot of sense. It > keeps the place fresh > and top-of-mind. For new readers, the upcoming > articles will offer a window > into Mystara, which may even drum up some interest > in the setting. > > All that said, it will be _extremely_ easy to use > the adventure, background > article, and especially the poster no matter which > campaign setting you use. > > While I've got you, anyone interested in pitching a > "Monsters of Mystara" > article that updates some classic Known World > beasties will find a very > receptive staff on the other end of the > dungeon@paizo.com email address. > > Thanks, and I hope you guys enjoy the issue! > > --Erik Mona > Editor-in-Chief > Dungeon > > In any event, I share your pain. It seems quite > clear that we can't expect > a revival of Mystara to come from Wizards of the > Coast anytime soon. > > Regards and Best Wishes, > > Donald Eric Kesler > > > > http://www.geocities.com/heroclixleagueofathens/ > > > > > > >From: "Jenni A. Merrifield" > >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion > > >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > >Subject: [MYSTARA] Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in > Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) > >Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 16:42:24 -0700 > >MIME-Version: 1.0 > >Received: from mc12-f13.hotmail.com > ([65.54.167.149]) by > >mc12-s7.hotmail.com with Microsoft > SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.6824); Sat, 31 Jul 2004 > >17:06:11 -0700 > >Received: from oracle.wizards.com > ([209.221.142.150]) by > >mc12-f13.hotmail.com with Microsoft > SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.6713); Sat, 31 Jul > >2004 17:06:10 -0700 > >Received: from lotus (10.12.8.13) by > oracle.wizards.com (LSMTP for Windows > >NT v1.1b) with SMTP id > <0.012D2B73@oracle.wizards.com>; Sat, 31 Jul 2004 > >17:05:23 -0700 > >Received: from ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM by > ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (LISTSERV-TCP/IP > > release 1.8d) with spool id 39610146 for > >MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM; Sat, 31 Jul 2004 > 16:42:28 -0700 > >Received: from zeus.rsmnetworks.net (66.14.132.104) > by oracle.wizards.com > > (LSMTP for Windows NT v1.1b) with SMTP id > ><0.012D2B3B@oracle.wizards.com>; Sat, 31 Jul 2004 > 16:42:27 -0700 > >X-Message-Info: > 820stLNiepRW/LOyMukJuLqNy0mfqJpsj75HAlu45lA= > >X-MS-Has-Attach: > >Content-class: urn:content-classes:message > >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange > V6.5.6944.0 > >X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: > >Thread-Topic: Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon > 114 (Sept 2004) > >Thread-Index: AcR3V/zXa04sVOjTTQe/5nyZbFhTmw== > >Message-ID: > <75EB2407D134C942A9AA6518C4B853A2024445@zeus.rsmnetworks.net> > >Comments: To: Mystara 3E Project > > >Return-Path: owner-mystara-l@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > >X-OriginalArrivalTime: 01 Aug 2004 00:06:11.0007 > (UTC) > >FILETIME=[5A11ECF0:01C4775B] > > > >MML'ers and M3E'ers: > > > > So, I get Dungeon by subscription and #114 > happened to come this > >Thursday. So I pick it up out of the mailbox and > what do my little eyes > >see > >but the following bold text on the cover: > > > > "Isle of Dread Poster Map Inside!" > > > > *Woohoo!* I think and immediately flip to the > table of contents to see > >what > >goes along with said poster map. What I find is a > "Backdrop", or (as > >explained in the longish "From the Editor" in the > same issue) a "fully > >detailed plug-and-play adventure setting that can > be added effortlessly to > >any D&D campaign" (one of the new features of the > "new and improved" > >Dungeon). The table of contents explains this > particular backdrop thusly: > > > >--=+=-- > >Exploring the Isle of Dread > > > >Detailed encounter charts, a poster map, adventure > hooks, and places of > >mystery complete this overview of a dinosaur-ridden > jungle island that has > >spelled doom for thousands of D&D players. Suitable > for any campaign. > >--=+=-- > > > > I pull out the poster map and then flip forward > to page 40 and start > >reading. At the end of the introduction it says: > > > > "This article is a re-imagining of the classic > setting described in the > >1981 module X1: Isle of Dread, by David Cook and > Tom Moldvay." *Right On!* > >I > >think and continue reading. "It places the > legendary Isle of Dread in the > >default D&D setting: the World of Greyhawk, but it > can easily be adapted to > >a > >remote tropical region in another world." *sigh* > > > > Aye, there's the rub. Why do they keep DOING > that? I mean, if the best > >old modules are all Mystara's, why can't they just > stay in Mystara? Why do > >they keep being ported to {shudder} Greyhawk? > {pout} It's just not fair, > >is > >it folks? [Yeah, yeah. Preaching to the choir and > all that. I know.] > > > > Nonetheless, despite the inevitable Greyhawk > contamination, the article > >is > >pretty choice and takes up a full 26 pages > (p40-66). Not to mention that > >the > >poster map is SWEET! > > > > Every died-in-the-wool Mystara fan with even the > smallest interest in > >D&D > >3e5 ought to check it out. :-) > > > >Jenni A.M. Merrifield > >-=> strawberryJAMM <=- > > > >-- > >Jenni A. M. Merrifield > >Software User Experience Professional > >Designing to Requirements and walking on Water is > EASY. . . > >. . . So long as both are Frozen. > >---------- > >E-Mail & WinIM: [strawberry @ jamm.com] > >Blog: [http://strawberryjamm.blogspot.com > > ] > >-- > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************** > >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. > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Discover the best of the best at MSN Luxury Living. > http://lexus.msn.com/ > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ===== *** Håvard R. Faanes www.stud.ntnu.no/~havardfa ______________________________________________________ Få den nye Yahoo! Messenger på http://no.messenger.yahoo.com/ Nye ikoner og bakgrunner, webkamera med superkvalitet og dobbelt så morsom ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 10:08:48 +0200 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 26 Jul 2004 to 27 Jul 2004 (#2004-150) --- "N. M." wrote: > Yeah, I did ponder over the Rules Cyclopedia. But I > do own Basic, Expert and > Master Rules anyway. And I was never particularly > interested in the New > Mystara products. I have just about every Gazetteer, > Creature Crucible, I > even have Hollow World. Its a bit late for replying to this one, I suppose, but I'd urge you to consider getting the RC. It includes all the rules from the previous Boxed Sets, except the Immortals Rules, but it also has a revised writeup of the Mystic Class, a more unified version of the General Skill rules from the various Gazetteers, Optional Rules allowing all classes to progress to 36th level, guidelines to making conversions between D&D and AD&D2nd Ed, aswell as a brief description of The Known World and the Hollow World Settings. Sounds like alot of stuff for $5.00 Not saying you shouldn't get the Companion Box though. I love the old boxed sets if only for the Classic Elmore and Easley cover art and interior illustrarions. Havard ===== *** Håvard R. Faanes www.stud.ntnu.no/~havardfa ______________________________________________________ Få den nye Yahoo! Messenger på http://no.messenger.yahoo.com/ Nye ikoner og bakgrunner, webkamera med superkvalitet og dobbelt så morsom ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 18:58:45 +1000 From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) I don't think so much that there's no interest in our community so much as there's no expectation of profits in our community. There's little that we can do about that. However in response to Erik's post on the MMB I responded saying that i would buy this issue of Dungeon even though I am not a usual purchaser of the magazine. I have also recently purchased the issues of Dragon with Mystaran articles even though I am not a usual pruchaser and have pointed that out. With the upcoming Blackmoor release there's another way that perhaps we can make our dollar talk and if the HackWurld thing even gets up that is also an avenue open to us, because I think that unless we can show a market for Mystaran products then we won't be able to illicit interest from Dungeon and Dragon. At 10:00 AM 1/08/2004 +0200, you wrote: > Yeah, learning that The Isle of Dread was being ported > into GH was a bit of a disappointment. Still, I think > it was fairly decent of Erik Mona to write this, > almost appologetic article on the MMB. It was way more > than I have ever expected. Clearly these are not the > same kind of people who gave us the Mystara Survival > Guides (shudder). > > Actually, members of the editorial staffs of both > Dungeon and Dragon have visited the MMB, so there does > seem to be some interest in our community, even though > there seems to be some worry about making too many > references to our setting. > > In any cayse, who are they kidding? We know where the > Isle of Dread really is located, don't we? By Rory > Barbarossa's beard, I am looking forward to getting my > hands on this issue and running my players through > this expanded version of the Isle of Dread! :) > > Poster Sized Map, eh? *grin* > > Havard shawn stanley what have you done for me lately ... more to the point what have i done for me - mightyfew, "i can't wait" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 11:43:48 +0100 From: "N. M." Subject: Re: Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) NO! Unfair?! You have no idea. I'm not joking when I tell you I just finished converting X1 module to D&D 3E on Friday, because I was planning on running it online at DreamLyrics Message Gaming. Now I find out someone at WotC's done it already, and published it in Dungeon magazine, which many of the players are subscribed to. This has really thrown my plans into disarray! And all that hard work too! :( If you're going to introduce players to Mystara, you've got to run X1. They just had to cut and paste it into Greyhawk too, didn't they! Little gits. Ah well, bloody irritating which ever way I look at it. Thanks for telling us, Jessi. Neil ------------------ N. M. n.e.marsden@btinternet.com Backup 101563.52@talk21.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 05:40:06 -0700 From: Ray Allen Subject: Re: Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) No worries. Buy Dungeon #114. It's new look at background information and a new adventure set in the Isle of Dread. --Ray. --- "N. M." wrote: > NO! Unfair?! You have no idea. > > I'm not joking when I tell you I just finished > converting X1 module to D&D > 3E on Friday, because I was planning on running it > online at DreamLyrics > Message Gaming. Now I find out someone at WotC's done > it already, and > published it in Dungeon magazine, which many of the > players are subscribed > to. > > This has really thrown my plans into disarray! And all > that hard work too! > :( If you're going to introduce players to Mystara, > you've got to run X1. > > They just had to cut and paste it into Greyhawk too, > didn't they! Little > gits. > > Ah well, bloody irritating which ever way I look at it. > > Thanks for telling us, Jessi. > > Neil > ------------------ > N. M. > n.e.marsden@btinternet.com > Backup 101563.52@talk21.com > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ===== If you have to choose between books and computers, there's no doubt which you should choose. You should choose books. --Bill Gates of Microsoft ---------------------------------------------- Geek Code: GLS$ d- s:+ a C++ UL++++ P? L++ E---- W++ N+ o-- K- w--- O? M- V-- PS+++ PE Y PGP- t+ 5-- X+++ R++ tv-- b++ DI- D---- G-- e+++ h--- r+++ y+++ ---------------------------------------------- Don't tell me the RIAA are a bunch of hypocritical, dishonest bastards! Now I have nothing left to believe in. (www.slashdot.org) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 03:35:44 +1000 From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Isle of Dread "Backdrop" in Dungeon 114 (Sept 2004) don't worry Neil. From what Erik wrote on the Mystara Message Boards the article is not a conversion of the module, not at all. Here's a cut and paste of what he says The second element is an adventure entitled "Torrents of Dread." The adventure takes place in the village of Mora, and although it deals with elements introduced in the original module (koprus make an appearance), it is in no way a conversion of the original module. In fact, it takes place entirely south of the Great Wall that divides the safe part of the Isle from the more dangerous regions. At 11:43 AM 1/08/2004 +0100, you wrote: > NO! Unfair?! You have no idea. > > I'm not joking when I tell you I just finished converting X1 module to D&D > 3E on Friday, because I was planning on running it online at DreamLyrics > Message Gaming. Now I find out someone at WotC's done it already, and > published it in Dungeon magazine, which many of the players are subscribed > to. > > This has really thrown my plans into disarray! And all that hard work too! > :( If you're going to introduce players to Mystara, you've got to run X1. > > They just had to cut and paste it into Greyhawk too, didn't they! Little > gits. > > Ah well, bloody irritating which ever way I look at it. > > Thanks for telling us, Jessi. shawn stanley what have you done for me lately ... more to the point what have i done for me - mightyfew, "i can't wait" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 17:40:52 -0700 From: Joaquin Menchaca Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 29 Jul 2004 to 31 Jul 2004 (#2004-153) I have to say that every time Dragon or Dungeon comes out with Mystara stuff, I definately pick it up. - joaquin __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 31 Jul 2004 to 1 Aug 2004 (#2004-154) ***************************************************************