Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 30 Sep 2011 to 1 Oct 2011 (#2011-82) From: MYSTARA-L automatic digest system Date: 02/10/2011, 18:00 To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 4 messages totalling 193 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Dwarf Resistance & Class Restrictions 2. Foresters (2) 3. Classes ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 1 Oct 2011 02:18:48 -0700 From: DarkNerd Subject: Dwarf Resistance & Class Restrictions On this topic, I propose having the dwarf gain sort of weak magic resistance= and give them a high arcane failure. Generally, we don't want to restrict through rules which class, race, ethnic= can be played as it is an artificial limitation. Nevertheless, there are t= endencies, so this would be encouraged. A Barbarian from Ethengar, Ost/Vest/Sodefjord, Heldann (pre Hattian), and Ar= truaghin would be plausible, but other combinations would need a good backst= ory.= ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 1 Oct 2011 02:31:51 -0700 From: DarkNerd Subject: Foresters If you look at the boxed set DnD, you can easily see the Elf class is a comb= o of Fighter and Mage. The Forester was away to allow a human to multiple-c= lass. In DnD1e and DnD 2e, there were restriction one which races could mul= ti-class, so having a version for those systems makes sense as well. Under t= hat system, the human is permitted to multi class where it normally, Under DnD there is no notion of multi classing in the same way. You just pi= ck up classes and the tally is your class level. so the forester concept is= in a sense dead. Someone could make prestige class that adds something uniq= ue. =20 In DnD 4e, the closest thing is ting to muliticlasing is the hybrid class. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 1 Oct 2011 07:02:15 -0500 From: "Erol K. Bayburt" Subject: Re: Foresters There is more than one way to adapt things, and reasonable people can disagree about the various advantages and disadvantages of the different possible methods. I came at Mystara via the gazetteers and later the Rules Cyclopedia, rather than the boxed sets, and that no doubt affects how I see things. I like the idea of elves being bardish rather than a fighter/wizard multiclass because of the "merry elves" stereotype and the light-armor stereotype. (The last is affected by my preference to house-rule away the arcane spell failure problems for actual fighter/mage combos). It also seems to me that elves fit better as spontaneous casters (in 3.x terms) rather than as having spell books. So even if we go the fighter/mage multiclass route, I'd prefer elves to be fighter/sorcerers rather than fighter/wizards. I also am a bit wary of multiclassing in general. Sometimes it is the Right Answer, but I prefer to avoid it if there's a practical alternative. In addition, while I like the idea of NPC classes (and would like to see at least a few more), I'm really down on the idea of the 3.x Prestige classes. I want the base PC classes to be the "prestige" classes, the iconic classes, the best classes rather than "basic" classes to be discarded as the characters gain experience and the players gain splatbooks. But I do recognize that other views can be defended. Erol K. Bayburt ErolB1@aol.com On 10/1/2011 4:31 AM, DarkNerd wrote: > > If you look at the boxed set DnD, you can easily see the Elf class is > > a combo of Fighter and Mage. The Forester was away to allow a human > > to multiple-class. In DnD1e and DnD 2e, there were restriction one > > which races could multi-class, so having a version for those systems > > makes sense as well. Under that system, the human is permitted to > > multi class where it normally, > > > > Under DnD there is no notion of multi classing in the same way. You > > just pick up classes and the tally is your class level. so the > > forester concept is in a sense dead. Someone could make prestige > > class that adds something unique. > > > > In DnD 4e, the closest thing is ting to muliticlasing is the hybrid > > class. > > > > ******************************************************************** > > 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. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 1 Oct 2011 13:50:13 -0700 From: Russel Holmes Subject: Classes The bard has always been my favorite class to play, but keeping with the basic/expert/companion model, it should probably be plunked with wherever the Paladin/Avenger end up. Also, with some tweaking it could easily provide a vehicle for the "Merchant/Merchant-Prince" classes from the Darokin/Minrothad Gazetters. A variant "marshal" bard may work for the "Rake" class from DotE. They can also make good prestige classes if you use Unearthed Arcana (UA). As far as prestige "core" classes go, this can also work to better reflect OD&D paladins/avengers, particularly with the "alternate" paladin options in UA. UA also has great options for barbarians and have used them frequently, especially for less advanced cultures. I've always hated the forester class as it was presented in OD&D... and used to tell my players that if they wanted to play an elf... to make an elf. for this 3e/4e thing, I would just call a ranger a forester and be done with it (companion/expert rules.) I was never keen on the races as classes and since switching to subsequent editions of D&D have never looked back. If you are looking for a warrior/mage I agree that the Duskblade might be the best way to go, potentially even making that the elf's favored class. I would be tempted to expand their spell selection in order to make them more versatile. I have always been intrigued by psionics... but not having a OD&D equivalent, it's always been difficult to find a proper home for. I toyed with the prospect in a few campaigns making psionics and magic exclusive to each other (i.e. detect magic can't detect psionics) and treating it like witchcraft given arcane/divine magics dominance in Mystara. IDK... maybe use it for the shadow-elves and all their radiation sickness? All in all, I think Mystara works just fine without including psionics. I like Dave's approach to half-elves.... I never liked them as a "core" race particularly as 3e started talking about communities of half-breeds (i.e. half-elves/half-orcs). Anytime a player talked about choosing a half-breed race, I explain that their character might very well be one of the only ones they meet. NBD mechanic-wise but definitely a factor into the campaign narrative. I also like Erol's thought on gnomes and dwarves being a single species, as in every country they are mentioned together, even though I also agree with Giampaolo as for why Dwarves can't cast arcane magic. Another class that I think has merit would the Artificer from Eberon.. particularly for the before-mentioned Gnomes. A couple of tweaks for this class and it would be a great implementation of the "fantasy physics" skill from OD&D. This could also work really well Alphatia's magic production. I've used the DR vitality/wound point rules for a few years and have always had a lot of success with them. I also successfully included the damage increase as BaB increase too. All in all the ideas on this topic are great and look forward to reading more as it comes along. I'm still vehemently opposed to 4e but I do understand the desire to "modernize". ******************************************************************** 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 - 30 Sep 2011 to 1 Oct 2011 (#2011-82) **************************************************************