Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 1 Feb 2004 to 2 Feb 2004 (#2004-29) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 03/02/2004, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 6 messages totalling 214 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Query on Paladin in Mystara (2) 2. Query on Paladin in Alphatia, and Thieves? (4) ******************************************************************** 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: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 10:56:56 -0000 From: Colin Davidson Subject: Re: Query on Paladin in Mystara ----- Original Message ----- From: "Giampaolo Agosta" To: Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 7:41 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Query on Paladin in Mystara > Of course, the Church of Karameikos' military order probably has at least some Paladins. > Thyatian Immortals like Tarastia would have Paladins. > Darokin is a bit too mercantilistic to have a large number of Paladins, though, and Alphatia probably has only few -- OD&D-wise, these would be non-spellcasting paladins, since people with spellcasting abilities become magic-users or clerics. Vanya ought to have her fair number of paladins, I have them featuring heavily in the ranks of the Heldannic Knights. In the Northern Reaches I have paladins of Thor, and Elven Paladins of Illsundal are shortly to be crusading from Wendar against the Shadow Elves. Valerias has her share of paladins scattered across the globe. In Alphatia, immortals such as Alphatia and Palartarken have their own shield bearers for the empire. Darokin has paladins of various types, as does Thyatis. Paladins of Ixion often do battle with 'Paladins' of Nyx. The paladin is alive and well in my version of Mystara! (cut) > 3) Defender. This is an holy warrior, but very generic. It is basically > an AD&D conversion of Paladin/Avenger/Druidic Knight of OD&D. This one > can be found nearly everywhere on Mystara: any Immortal can have > Defenders, and they are appropriate to savage cultures as well (e.g. > Orcish Defenders of Kaarash in the Orc's Head, Druidic Defenders in > Robrenn, Defenders of Ilsundal in Eusdria, etc.). > The SC book allows, IIRC, Defender Paladins, but I don't think it's a > good idea. > > Personally, I only allow version (3) in my Mystara -- i.e., using AD&D I > don't use Paladins, only Defender Fighters. Yes, these are the ones I allow also. A Paladin is a warrior of his or her immortal. As such they fit in well right across Mystara! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 12:40:14 +0100 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Query on Paladin in Mystara Colin Davidson wrote: > > Vanya ought to have her fair number of paladins, I have them featuring > heavily in the ranks of the Heldannic Knights. In the Northern Reaches I > have paladins of Thor, and Elven Paladins of Illsundal are shortly to be > crusading from Wendar against the Shadow Elves. Yes, in sense (3) all of these more or less exist IMC -- well, perhaps the role of defender of Thor is more likely to be covered by Berserker than Defenders, but the latter would be gaining foot in Vestland. IMC, the Heldannic Knights are almost all Crusaders, Defender Fighters and War Priests. > Valerias has her share of paladins scattered across the globe. In Alphatia, > immortals such as Alphatia and Palartarken have their own shield bearers for > the empire. Darokin has paladins of various types, as does Thyatis. Paladins > of Ixion often do battle with 'Paladins' of Nyx. Of course, Avengers/Defenders of Valerias would be quite common in Thyatis, Savage Coast and Darokin, the same for Paladins of Ixion. I'm not too keen on Alphatian Paladins, since I think most Alphatian spellcasters tend to get their spellcasting abilities as soon as possible, so they would rather be priests than paladins/defenders. Even if their spellcasting potential is discovered late in their careers, they would rather become bi-classed (or multiclassed, depending on edition) characters. -- Giampaolo Agosta http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 12:29:57 -0000 From: Colin Davidson Subject: Re: Query on Paladin in Alphatia, and Thieves? > Of course, Avengers/Defenders of Valerias would be quite common in Thyatis, Savage Coast and Darokin, the same for Paladins of Ixion. > > I'm not too keen on Alphatian Paladins, since I think most Alphatian spellcasters tend to get their spellcasting abilities as soon as possible, so they would rather be priests than paladins/defenders. > Even if their spellcasting potential is discovered late in their > careers, they would rather become bi-classed (or multiclassed, depending > on edition) characters. I would view a non-spellcasting paladin as being 'gentry' in Alphatia, rather like a first level cleric who can't cast spells. So there's a clear advantage in becoming a paladin even if your magical talents are minimal. Besides, I allow paladins to be run from first level, and I give them spellcasting ability at level 6, so they become aristocrats at a reasonable level. Here's a related question; is a thief who is capable of casting spells from a scroll an aristocrat in Alphatia? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 15:34:52 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Query on Paladin in Alphatia, and Thieves? --- Colin Davidson : > > I'm not too keen on Alphatian Paladins, since I > think most Alphatian > spellcasters tend to get their spellcasting > abilities as soon as possible, > so they would rather be priests than > paladins/defenders. Perhaps even Alphatians respect Paladins so much that they gain aristocrat status when travelling in the Empire. > Here's a related question; is a thief who is capable > of casting spells from > a scroll an aristocrat in Alphatia? I would say no. However, he may be able to fool city guards or other low officials by producing a spell cast from a scroll. However, I am pretty sure that the Alphatians insist that the ability to cast spells must be independent of any magical items to provide aristocrat status. Havard ______________________________________________________ Få den nye Yahoo! Messenger på http://no.messenger.yahoo.com/ Nye ikoner og bakgrunner, webkamera med superkvalitet og dobbelt så morsom ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 15:17:18 -0000 From: Colin Davidson Subject: Re: Query on Paladin in Alphatia, and Thieves? > Perhaps even Alphatians respect Paladins so much that > they gain aristocrat status when travelling in the > Empire. The spellcasting ones will certainly be aristocrats, but I'd say that the Alphatian mages give them only grudging respect. They're not proper spellcasters, or at least that's what I think most of the mages would say. > > Here's a related question; is a thief who is capable > > of casting spells from > > a scroll an aristocrat in Alphatia? > > I would say no. > However, he may be able to fool city guards or other > low officials by producing a spell cast from a scroll. > However, I am pretty sure that the Alphatians insist > that the ability to cast spells must be independent of > any magical items to provide aristocrat status. Yes, that's what I'd have said. I'm curious to know how other people ref this, though. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 11:41:59 -0500 From: Chris Cherrington Subject: Re: Query on Paladin in Alphatia, and Thieves? > > > Here's a related question; is a thief who is capable > > > of casting spells from > > > a scroll an aristocrat in Alphatia? > > > > I would say no. > > However, he may be able to fool city guards or other > > low officials by producing a spell cast from a scroll. > > However, I am pretty sure that the Alphatians insist > > that the ability to cast spells must be independent of > > any magical items to provide aristocrat status. > > Yes, that's what I'd have said. I'm curious to know how other people ref > this, though. > I am sure there is one province in Alphatia supporting a "Robber Baron" of sorts to make sure one wizard has a staunch supporter for neferious actions. If I had thief in my campaign that tried to fool his way into Aplhatian Aristocracy, he may very well find out he does have magical ability (What he won't see is the evil DM smile and laugh). ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 1 Feb 2004 to 2 Feb 2004 (#2004-29) *************************************************************