Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 21 Jul 2009 to 22 Jul 2009 (#2009-29) From: MYSTARA-L automatic digest system Date: 23/07/2009, 17:00 To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 3 messages totalling 145 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Alphatian World Idea 2. Deserts of Desolution (ala Mystaran style) 3. R: [MYSTARA] Blackmoor 4E news ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:41:32 -0700 From: Joaquin Menchaca Subject: Alphatian World Idea In thinking about the licensing and what not, there's one area that hasn't been developed, and maybe this can be a unique campaign world outside the scope of Mystara, until one day the rights can be acquired and new material developed... This area would be Alphatia/Flaem's homeworld before their apocalypse. There would be more than two orders of Fire and Air, as there would be Earth and Water. Each member of order is more than just a philosophical and religious following, but incorporates entire culture, way of life, as well as perhaps even race. The Air would have silvery white skin, The Fire azure-coppery skin, The Water light blue skin (think Kree in Marvel Comics), and The Earth with almost bronze color. The planet they live on can be a unique world, perhaps similar to Mystara with an inner sun, except there wouldn't be just two openings, open rifts throughout the planet, where the light illuminates surrounding lands on the surface. The star that the planet orbits would be too dim to provide all light needed, especially in far orbit, so parts of the planet are in twilight. The land mass itself does not appear to have much water on the surface, as it mostly land mass, but there are reservoirs underground. I was toying with the idea of an artificial small water moon... The Fire has the dominant control of resources, influence, and power, especially as the inner sun is needed for most crops on the surface. The other factions intermix in city-hubs, located near the light, with exception of capitals for every faction that is in their native element. All of the factions have supernatural power to resist or survive in their native element, and are able to shapechange into their native element, which they develop naturally over time, or develop the skills through active practice of arcane arts. The Fire faction have developed connections with other worlds through creating portals between great distances and even dimensions. They have an advance commerce setup between extraplanar communities as well as other planets of the cosmos. The Air faction have developed extremely advance magic that can create crafts imbued with a life force to not only sail the heavens, but even traverse the great void itself. They are said to have connections to entities that dwell in the void, and perhaps even some sort of exchange, but nowhere to the degree that The Fire have developed. The Water are probably maybe considered the least developed in the arcane as known by the others, but few have witness enormous power and control of nature that The Water have wielded. The Water are known as preservers and abhor use of magic or technology that warps or destroys nature. They are often looked down upon as backwards and primitive by The Fire and The Air factions. The Earth practice their own art in secret not well known to other factions. They combine and dabble with manipulating the Earth through both magic and science, and have developed technologies that are quite advanced, but uncommon. These endeavors are looked down upon by The Air and The Fire as all things that can be gradually created through science, are easily created with convenience through magic, yet their services are often required for more grandiose arcane contraptions and crafts used by both The Air and The Fire. There are a few other groups beside the major factions, with Fire and Air being the most prominent, are the factionless and hybrids. Hybrids are a mix of the races and are disdained by all factions, they form outcast communities or are nomadic. There are a large number that are factionless, taking on a light grey skin color, untainted by any elemental allegiance. These people, could be considered commonfolk, and are not in the majority, as allure to one of the factions, especially The Fire or The Air, is quite strong. They fulfill an important part of the glue in society, acting as judges and officials in the government, and they have their own forms of magic, outside the realm of elemental magic. They are both respected and resented at the same time, as they can step outside the boundaries of the elements. It is always one of these that are elected to be the ruling monarch. And it is with when the King Alphaks, sides and grants too much influence to The Fire that causes the War of the Elements that rips apart the planet. The Air flee through the void, searching carefully for new home to establish an empire ruled by Air, while The Fire, ports through the cosmos in search of a place to regroup and collect themselves, and establish an empire ruled by Fire. In it unknown what happens to The Water, and whether they had a means to survive with their preservation magic, or that happened to The Earth, and their advances into science. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:34:32 +0000 From: wombat Subject: Re: Deserts of Desolution (ala Mystaran style) --- Joaquin Menchaca wrote: > Hello. It has been a long time since I have posted on this forum. I > played World of Warcraft with bliss, and now I am missing the days of > imagination and pen-n-paper RPGs. > > Here's an idea that I was toying with, and I wanted to breathe it life. I > wanted to create a campaign out of the famous Deserts of Desolution, but > centered in Mystara, taking players from Ylaruam to Nithia. I would first > start off the campaign in Karameikos. I wanted to run an rough-draft idea > and see what people think. Cool. The Desert of Desolation modules = classic. > > PHASE 1 - Discover Ancient Kingdom (KARAMEIKOS) > - Karamiekos Setting > - map - http://mystara.thorf.co.uk/replica/_08_/gaz1-karameikos-8.png > - gaz - http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=5116 > - B10 Night's Dark Terror - > http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=4032 > - NOTES > 1) adventure into setting of Karameikos, should make players feel this > is home to them, colorful NPCs, embellish it (B10 Nights Dark Terror) > 2) maybe borrow ideas from other to give gothic, transylvania feel > (personally i like vampire, werewolf, etc. as well as Ravenloft d20) > 3) players discover ancient Hutaakans, hints of fallen lost kingdom of > Nithian, drop hints to get players to go to Selenica at conclusion of > adventure. > 4) also drop evil secret enemy type of thing hints and what not, > invisible hand, and benefactor, as tool GM can use later. > Sounds good. Hutaakans are a good way to give the incentive to travel. > PHASE 2 - Intrigue into Lost Kingdom (DAROKIN) > - Selenica, Darokin > - Darokin Map - http://mystara.thorf.co.uk/updated/_08_/darokin-8.png > - gaz info - http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=%205128 > - NOTES > 1) ad-hoc intermission campaign, players face unknown enemy > 2) discover treasure map at some point, or something that leads to > treasure map > 3) other tie-ins, like escorting caravan from families and NPCs met in > Karameikos, to Selenica > What level are the PCs at this point? I would suggest that one house has acquired the map, another tries to steal it and it then falls into the PC's hands. > PHASE 3 - ARABIAN SETTING (YLARUAM) > - map - > http://mystara.thorf.co.uk/replica/_08_/gaz2-ylaruam-8-original-colours.png > - gaz - http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=3840&editionid=4208 > - module info (DoD) - http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=1224 > - DoD wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_of_Desolation > - miniatures (DoD) - http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mg/dod > NOTES > 1) aspects place players in Arabian setting, so I use Ylaruam. I borrow > material from Al-Qadim to enrich setting. Really give players infusion of > culture, show why Mystara is unique... ^.^ > (1a) found this site - http://www.coldlands.net/slav/alqadim/ > (1b) and this site - http://www.al-qadim.com/resources.html > (1c) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Nights > 2) dependent on module set, but do whatever side-immersion adventures to > get players hooked, then switch-a-roo, Hollow World, Nithia > What mechanism will take them down into the Hollow Earth? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:09:16 -0700 From: Joaquin Menchaca Subject: R: [MYSTARA] Blackmoor 4E news Though I am excited about new Blackmoor contributions, I am not all that enthused about 4e. I feel 4e is a radical departure from what is known as DnD. I am more opt to stick with 3e, as it is easy to intermix d20 material, and the lineage of DnD will be continued through Pazio with Pathfinder. I am also aware of C&C, which is DnD 1e with some 2e and 3e ideas to clean up things in the game. It took me untold hours to convert material to 3e, and so I am more opt to stick with that system (as well as other d20 products and DnD 3.6e with Pathfinder). ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.pandius.com To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 21 Jul 2009 to 22 Jul 2009 (#2009-29) ***************************************************************