X-From_: MAILER-DAEMON Fri Nov 2 06:37:58 2001 Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 11:21:06 -0800 From: "L-Soft list server at Wizards of the Coast, Inc (1.8d)" Subject: File: "MYSTARA-L LOG0110A" To: Shawn Stanley X-Virus-Scanned: by AMaViS perl-11 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 19:08:03 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Maps and Adrian Mattias?? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I wanted to reach Adrian for a few days and was unable to get an answer. maybe this way will work. It's about the big brun map project in 24miles per hex. -- Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr or at clenarius@hotmail.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. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 18:02:13 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Elven Color of magic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I had started doing something akin to the Color Of Magic for AD&D ( altough these aren't rule specific ) but stopped due to lack of time. I will present what I have done so far whith the Elves, I may post and other for Ylaruam but nothing is certain. Spells Modification ( ala Color of Magic ) Elven Spells Elven magic is very old. It is strongly nature oriented. The elves are great practitioners of magic and have developed many spells over the course of their history. Elven magic often radiates green energies. 1st level: Alarm: The elves version of the alarm spells replace the loud ringing sound with that of many animals sounds ( dogs, wolves, horses, etc. ) all played in a loud cacophony. Armor: The elves have developed a version where the material component is replaced by bark from a dead tree infused with a simple magical ritual ( no spells required ) under the full moon. Magic Missile: The missiles have a light green glow. These are shaped like a small arrow. Tenser’s Floating Disk: ( Wooden Disk ) The disk itself appear to be made of translucent wood. 2nd level Blindness: The victim sees a thick mass of greenery just before his eyes instead of grayness. Rope Trick: ( Control Vine ) The elven version uses a vine instead of a rope. Spectral Hand: ( Spectral Talon ) The ghostly glowing hand is replaced by a ghostly glowing eagle’s talon. Web: ( Natural Restrainment ) The spell creates a mass of sticky vines and undergrowth instead of spider strands. 3rd level Flame Arrow: ( Magic Arrows ) In the first use of the spells, the arrows enchanted glow with a green pulsating glow instead of fire and in the second version, the spells fires fiery arrows made of a strong green fire. Fly: During the duration of the spell the target grows large swan wings, which are used to fly. The target may not be wearing torso armor at this time but normal clothing will not hinder the spell, nor will the spell damage the clothing. Hold Person: Roots grow out of the ground to bind the target’s foots, arms, hands, and gag them. The spell has the same effect. Wraith form: ( Ghost Form ) This transform the caster into a translucent ghost-like creature instead of a wraith. 4th Dimension Door: The dimension door appears for an instant as the spell is cast and the wizard traverses it. It appears as an arch of vines, flowers and plants. Evard’s Black Tentacles: ( Grasping Roots ) The tentacles are replaced huge roots that come out of the ground. Leomund’s Secure Shelter: ( Nature’s Refuge ) The spells creates an elven tree-home in a sufficiently large tree. Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere: ( Resilient Sphere ) The sphere appears as tough it was made from pink quartz. Wall of Ice: ( Wall of bramble ) This spell creates a wall of thorny bramble. In the first use of the spell there is no modification to damage if the creature is ice or fire based. In the second uses, it cannot be melted but can be hacked down ( which is a slow process, about the same time the normal spells needs to melt ). The third acts the same way as the spell, a wall of bramble falls on the targets. As a wall of ice, the wall can be destroyed by fire and fire spells, in that case the wall is burned. The thick vapors, which normally take place when the ice wall is melted by fire spells, are now replaced with thick smoke. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 1 Oct 2001 23:00:45 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Kevin Powers Subject: To buy or not to buy, that is the Oriental Adventures question MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT So, to all of you who have Oriental Adventure 1st Ed and OA 3E: Which is better? I have the 1st Edition book and have been using it with Mystara, but I would be interested in the 3E book if it is really useful enough to make it worth while. Any opinions? Thanks, Kevin ******************************************************************** 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, 1 Oct 2001 23:35:32 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: defunct email addresses In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010929164714.00a0ca20@pop.alphalink.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Wow. I don't want this to be a "me too" post, but I have to say that I recognize a lot of those names, and wondered where they went off to! Ethan -- Qualifiers one third done, do dah do dah! Astrophysics is so fun, oh de doo dah day! ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 00:38:08 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: larry lamb Subject: Re: defunct email addresses In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010929164714.00a0ca20@pop.alphalink.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Wow, thats alot of names on that list. hehe --- shawn stanley wrote: > Hello All > > in a recent update of the Vaults of Pandius I came > up with some defunct > email addresses for authors. If those authors are > still around or anybody > knows them, then can they get in touch with their > current email addresses. > the list of people I've got no contacts for are > > Amaldis > Tracy A. Bandy > Jim Bobb > Daniel Boese > Leroy Van Camp III > Cantrum > Dave Chinnery > Chitekina > Clorox the White > Joseph DuBois > Tristan Dunigan > Ann Dupuis > Martin Edwards > Robert Johan Enters > Eric Folland > Ariel Guerra > John Gunston > Tim Haney > Jay Herrington > IronWolf > jknotts > Martin Johansen > Shawn R Johnson > Bob Kaelin > Timothy Klanderud > Oeystein H. Lund > Jason Mac Innes > MAESTROPI > Ian R Malcomson > Stone Marshall > Michael McAleese > Andrew McKinstry > David Melik > Meltheim Shadowstalker > Joaquin Menchaca > MF1234 > Michael III Mysteria > Shelby Michlin > Mistress > MMonagle > Andrew Morrow > Jonathan Nolan > Andrés Piquer Otero > Overmind_2099 > Fabrizio Paoli > Bruce Pierpont > Clay Postma > Jeff Querner > Glen Sprigg > Kjell Stephansen > Michael Wallace > Zaryck > > > shawn stanley > http://dnd.starflung.com > > what have you done for me lately ... more to the > point what have i done for me > - mightyfew, "i can't wait" > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > ===== The "Fighting Bunnys" main site: http://www.angelfire.com/me4/jedthocen/robotech_game.html "Happy Hunting!" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Listen to your Yahoo! Mail messages from any phone. http://phone.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 12:03:56 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: [GPD] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Hail Mystarans! > >The Glantrian Personnel Division (GPD) has risen again like some undead >Boldavian noble! > >Here are the latest offerings at our website: >www.geocities.com/principalties_of_glantri > > Altough I am very interested to go see what you have written, the adress does not seem to work... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:09:10 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: World-spanning campaign? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit -- ramhog wrote: > Has anyone ever tried a very localized campaign? My three year-long campaign just ended. It was set almost entirely in the Penhaligon region of Karameikos. The advantages of a localized campaign are that the players will become very familiar with the setting, and will interact more with the characers. For instance, they kept going back to characters like Grizzelda the witch, the Seer, Temor the Treant and such characters that I introduced early on in the campaign. Havard ______________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Organiser sammenkomsten pĺ http://no.invites.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:15:42 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Broken Lands / Shadow Elves maps? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Wizards Shopper wrote: > You'll think that i am a map geek freak (and maybe i > am one) but let me say to you that i am currently > redrawing my set of hexes for undergrounds settings > based on the one i did two years ago to redraw the > SE caves as in Gaz 13. But since the old hexes where > not facing the right way , i had posponed their > redrawing until now. > If you are interested , let me know.. Ofcourse we are! If you are feeling creative, how about including the Northern Reaches underworld aswell? There are no maps of it so far, but it should include the lands of the Morigsverg and (unoffically) the Underyord Deep Gnomes. There should be plenty of caves below the Hardanger Mountains IMO... Havard ______________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Organiser sammenkomsten pĺ http://no.invites.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 09:00:44 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: defunct email addresses Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed The email address for Stone Marshall is now Multizar2001@hotmail.com Incidently, I just recently returned to the list so hello everyone !!! Multizar the Mage >From: larry lamb >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] defunct email addresses >Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 00:38:08 -0700 > >Wow, thats alot of names on that list. hehe > > > >--- shawn stanley wrote: > > Hello All > > > > in a recent update of the Vaults of Pandius I came > > up with some defunct > > email addresses for authors. If those authors are > > still around or anybody > > knows them, then can they get in touch with their > > current email addresses. > > the list of people I've got no contacts for are > > > > Amaldis > > Tracy A. Bandy > > Jim Bobb > > Daniel Boese > > Leroy Van Camp III > > Cantrum > > Dave Chinnery > > Chitekina > > Clorox the White > > Joseph DuBois > > Tristan Dunigan > > Ann Dupuis > > Martin Edwards > > Robert Johan Enters > > Eric Folland > > Ariel Guerra > > John Gunston > > Tim Haney > > Jay Herrington > > IronWolf > > jknotts > > Martin Johansen > > Shawn R Johnson > > Bob Kaelin > > Timothy Klanderud > > Oeystein H. Lund > > Jason Mac Innes > > MAESTROPI > > Ian R Malcomson > > Stone Marshall > > Michael McAleese > > Andrew McKinstry > > David Melik > > Meltheim Shadowstalker > > Joaquin Menchaca > > MF1234 > > Michael III Mysteria > > Shelby Michlin > > Mistress > > MMonagle > > Andrew Morrow > > Jonathan Nolan > > Andrés Piquer Otero > > Overmind_2099 > > Fabrizio Paoli > > Bruce Pierpont > > Clay Postma > > Jeff Querner > > Glen Sprigg > > Kjell Stephansen > > Michael Wallace > > Zaryck > > > > > > shawn stanley > > http://dnd.starflung.com > > > > what have you done for me lately ... more to the > > point what have i done for me > > - mightyfew, "i can't wait" > > > > >******************************************************************** > > 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. > > > > >===== >The "Fighting Bunnys" main site: > >http://www.angelfire.com/me4/jedthocen/robotech_game.html > >"Happy Hunting!" > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Listen to your Yahoo! Mail messages from any phone. >http://phone.yahoo.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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 17:09:14 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Elven Color of magic This is very cool! I hope you continue with more spells! Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 11:20:32 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Re: defunct email addresses MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > My e-mail address is Globalfrog@aol.com Clay ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:47:18 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: World-spanning campaign? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >My three year-long campaign just ended. It was set >almost entirely in the Penhaligon region of >Karameikos. The advantages of a localized campaign are >that the players will become very familiar with the >setting, and will interact more with the characers. >For instance, they kept going back to characters like >Grizzelda the witch, the Seer, Temor the Treant and >such characters that I introduced early on in the >campaign. > Having a localized campaign sounds cool, the problem is I have so much ideas and so little time, I somtimes wish to show my players as much as Mystara as possible. I find so many places of Mystara interesting that I have to urge to send them there. Localized campaigns I would likle to run ( given the time, opportunity and players ), ok these arent as localized as Penhaligon, but considering my normal campaigns travel to at least 10-15 countries/places and my players are always travelers, these would be a change of pace for me : Ethangar Khanates, the player are ethangarians gaining fame within their nation with adventures, after a while, the WoTI starts out and the PCs must earns valor while riding to Freiburg and the Heldanic Territories, at this points they lead their own men. After many years after the golden khan dies ( as in the almanac timeline ) they vie for greater power and maybe even being a khan or great khan amidst all the confusion. Bellasaria : The players are all farmers'son and the like, from a backwards rural region of Belleseria. When suddenly strange events start taking place, as nobody there is really adventurous or inquisitive they start an adventure where they get help from a retired dwarven adventurer whose reluctant to help because he settled here to get away from it all. As the campaign progress the PCs are regarded as queer folks and must help the poeple who mistrust them without them ever knowing : ie. protecting them from an insidious threat which they don't even realize exist. They would later move to maybe The minean cost of the land of Jen. Serraine : Serraine is a great compromise, if the PCs are native they can get acquainted with the setting and all, but they also travel to many exotic lands. You have also good control over where to send the PCs as the islands drifts to where you want them to be. The advantures could be balanced between local city adventures and exploring foreign countries adventure. Presently I have started a secondary Mystara group wwith some of my players from my primary group who go to the same college as I and we play once a week during a common break. So far in this campaign, after having played about 5 or 6 sessions of 2 hours, the PCs have yet to leave Mirros, in fact they haven't seen all of Mirros and have mostly dealt with the Veiled Society, Church of Karameikos and some petty criminals. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:52:14 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Broken Lands / Shadow Elves maps? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Ofcourse we are! >If you are feeling creative, how about including the >Northern Reaches underworld aswell? There are no maps >of it so far, but it should include the lands of the >Morigsverg and (unoffically) the Underyord Deep >Gnomes. >There should be plenty of caves below the Hardanger >Mountains IMO... > >Havard > > This raises an interesting point, I have always considered the modriswerg caves to be small ( altough this is relative ) compared to some other cave systems and to be composed of many small caves in the same region, whith each of these caves isolated from the other. That is you can't access many other caves while already in a cavern. You must each find their entry overland. This isnt specified to my knowledge anywhere tough. I think I got that idea since the Modriswerg seems solitary, anti-social, more like underground hermits. They also don't seem to have any society or cities as I remember a phrase from the gaz saying something like : you sit alone in a cave for centuries eating nothing but slugs anmd mushrooms and tell if you aint just the picture of mental health. This was a quote from some dwarf I beleive. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:53:40 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: defunct email addresses Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >The email address for Stone Marshall is now Multizar2001@hotmail.com >Incidently, I just recently returned to the list so hello everyone !!! > [altogether] Hi Doctor Multizar ! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 18:48:25 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: [GPD] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > >Hail Mystarans! > > > >The Glantrian Personnel Division (GPD) has risen again like some undead > >Boldavian noble! > > > >Here are the latest offerings at our website: > >www.geocities.com/principalties_of_glantri > > > > Altough I am very interested to go see what you have written, the adress > does not seem to work... There's a missing 'i': http://www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:27:02 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Tracy Bandy Subject: Re: defunct email addresses MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit shawn stanley wrote: >Hello All > >in a recent update of the Vaults of Pandius I came up with some defunct >email addresses for authors. If those authors are still around or anybody >knows them, then can they get in touch with their current email addresses. >the list of people I've got no contacts for are > > >Tracy A. Bandy > Curious. I'm still here on the list. Have been for several years now. I have been mainly a lurker due to the fact that I have been putting a great deal of time into one of the campaigns I run. It just happens to be based in a variation of the Hollow World. People keep interesting things flowing to this list. I simply have had little to actually contribute. Anyway, my current email is tbandy@shore.net . Tracy A Bandy ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:48:44 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Items MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Some time back, someone made mention of limiting magical items by encouraging that each item have a history. I believe in a magic heavy setting. I also believe in detailing the items. IMO even a generic Sword +1 should have a reason for being generic. Perhaps, some ruler commissioned a batch of +1 swords for his personal guard. Or perhaps, a mage crafted the weapons to outfit his own personal household guard. Or perhaps the weapons were crafted to meet some threat where +1 weapons were needed. Or perhaps the +1 sword was the result of incident or coincidence. Or perhaps the +1 sword was the product whereas the intended product was to be something more powerful. In short...every item has some sort of story. Over the following days I will post at least one item per day. Some come from my own defunct campaign. Some are created on the spot. Items will vary from the typical enchanted item to specialized items crafted for specific (and sometimes odd) reasons. Some are beneficial. Some are cursed. Some have costs to their powers. Some were enchanted in a conventional sense. Others are created through strange circumstances. I don't know how long they will continue; freetime and my own limited attention span will dictate overall volume. I am going to try to maintain a backlog to allow for a steady daily posting. I'll probably do somehting similar with NPC descripts. I really need to be more active in Mystara than I have been for the past few months. And I don't mean arguing with everyone on the MML :-) ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:49:17 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Helm of Dirov Stats: Helm gives the wearer +1 to Armor Class; +10 hit points to user; once per day Haste. Myortov crafted this helm with a very simple design. Time was not in the Traldarans' favor and the bronze weapon technology was essentially new. The enchantments are simple and straight forward, their intent being to help an outnumbered Traldaran force boost their indivdual fighting ability. Description: The Helm of Dirov is crafted of bronze and shaped like a common simple conical helm with a nose guard. The conical helm portion has a slightly tarnished appearance that remains no matter how hard it is cleaned or what type of weather it is exposed to. The helm has a fine chainmail apron attached to offer the wearer protection to the neck and throat. The chainmail is noticeably lighter in hue than the rest of the helm. Adornment is limited to a series of runes engraved upon the brow. Historical Lore: The Helm of Dirov was crafted by the Traldaran mage, Myortov, to assist the Traldarans in their fight against the "beastmen gnolls". It was crafted by the then new bronze alloy rediscovered by Halav. The helm's intended user never got the helm. Gnolls arrived in the area and Myortov was on the defensive. When the gnolls stormed his tower, they found the helm among the assorted treasures. The helm resurfaced years later thanks to the efforts of an adventuring band led by the young Traldaran warrior Dirov. Dirov wore the helm throughout his adventures, hence the item being so closely associated to him. Upon his death, ironically at the hands of of gnoll raiding party, the helm was buried with him, his armor, and weapons. Decades after his death, Dirov's decendants opened the tomb to retrieve the helm, armor, and weapons. The family had become highly involved with the Following of Halav. The clerics thought that the items would serve the Traldarans better in use than rusting away in some crypt. The items would be donated to the Following. The helm served on through a variety of Traldaran warriors, each embarking upon tasks for the Clerics of Halav. Dirov's own legend grew as "his" helm was seen in a series of clergy funded expeditions. The helm went from being a cherished item of a dead minor Traldaran hero, to being a veritable relic of a legendary Traldaran warrior. In AC 580, the Following of Halav sponsored an expedition to track down the infamous Thyatian pirate, Zerath the Black. The expedition pursued the pirates for months and eventually defeated them. Unfortunately, the Helm of Dirov was lost in the closing moments of the sea battle as its user was knocked overboard and was dragged under the waves by the weight of the armor. In AC 740, the Helm was discovered by a group of Merrow. The Helm passed from Merrow to Merrow until it was traded to a Minrothad Merchant Prince in AC 960. Merchant Prince Daelsann recognized the item's magical nature and over a period of years managed to piece together its identity. In AC 965, Daelsann approached the Thyatian governor of Traldara about the Helm. Daelsann was not interested in the good graces of the clergy, nor was he interested in selling the Helm. He wanted to expand his markets into Traldara. Therefore he needed to deal with the ruling Thyatians. Unfortunately, the Thyatians already had trade agreements with other merchants and had little interest in acquiring the Traldaran relic. Word leaked to the Halav Clerics of the discovery of their lost relic and its potential sale to the occupying Thyatians. The clerics approached Daelsann and demanded the Helm be returned to them. Offended by their rudeness, Daelsann refused the clerics' demands and eventual monetary offers for the Helm. In AC 968, Daelsann's home was burgled, Daelsann's wife, nephew, and several servants were slain. Unsurprisingly, the Helm was among the items taken. Though the Following of Halav was immediately suspect, nothing ever happened. It was only during the Marlinev Rebellion that the Helm was seen and the Traldaran's involvement confirmed. The rebellion failed and the Helm fell into the hands of Stefan's forces. Realizing the signifigance of the Helm, Stefan was unsure what to do with it. He saw the Helm as a relic of the Traldaran people. At the time, the Church of Traldara would have been more appropriate, however Stefan wanted the Helm to become symbolic of the future and not the past. Stefan handed the Helm over to Olliver Jowett and his developing Church of Karameikos. With its mostly Thyatian following, the Helm held little signifigance to the Church. This attitude was frequently noted by the Church of Traldara and the Cult of Halav. Eventually, Patriarch Jowett presented the Helm to the Church of Traldara as a gift from Duke Stefan. In AC 990, the Church of Traldara decide to resume loaning the Helm out to clerics embarking upon sponsored quests. So far, they have had little trouble in keeping the Helm. However, rumors persist that others still have their eyes on the relic. DM Notes: The Helm of Dirov is not an overly powerful magic item. Born of a time of great need, it is a practical item with an intended purpose in adding to the combat abilities of the wearer. Its signifigance is as a historical relic to the Traldaran people. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:07:07 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Cult of Halav MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Giampaolo Agosta wrote (minus a snip or two for brevity): > Well, there are three considerations against this hypothesis: > 1) The CoH priests are quite mad, and thoroughly chaotic, while Halav is > a Lawful Immortal (and the most lawful of the Traladaran triad), so why > would Lawful Halav sponsor a Chaotic order?>> > > Hmm...what about Halav's little quirk with his clerics/followers. IIRC they > have a tendency to go into a Berserker state when fighting humanoids. Also > IIRC Halav is given as having a bit of an impulsive personality in his > Immortal description. So maybe the CoH represents that chaotic edge. > Conversely, the CoT represents the more stable aspects. But, Halav's followers don't go berserker, they more like rangers with special enemies than northmen or barbarian berserkers. More disciplined, I think. Also, CoH priests are not the fighting or berserk types (see Sergyev's description in the Gaz). They look more like pacifists, compared to the CoT.>> IIRC there is mention in canon text of Followers and Clerics of Halav going into a berserker state when fighting noids. It is not in Wrath's description of Halav though. IIRC it is in a briefer description somewhere else....The Milenian Empire or Milenian Scepter. i seem to recall Milenia is the focal setting. I shall check. But think about this for possible use; CoH pacifism coincides with the "adopt Stefan as Halav" edict. by incorporating Stefan into Traldaran lore. the Traldaran are a defeated people, have been for years. the CoH decides to say bump to traditional revolts and such to look ahead to what Traldara/Karameikos is to become. One thing that always struck me as funny about the CoH was that for all of their reported lunacies, they do have that pacificst undertone. their radical nature being focused more on the edicts than actual actions. > <<2) Halav is not known for subtleness, rather he is straightforward as > far as Immortals go, so he would not be likely to hatch this kind of > plot.>> > > Actually i would say he known for his lack of action. I may be wrong here, > but I cannot recall him really doing much of anything in Karameikos. I always > got the feeling that he placed more emphasis in Milenia. For some of my DV > Milenian City-States I tried to intensify Halav's role a bit. > > In my own works, I usually portrayed the Traldaran Trio as a team with each > filling a required function. Halav was the steady warrior king type. Petra > served as his consort and advisor. Zirchev was also an advisor but acted more > as the eyes and ears of Halav. > Halav seems to be the Traladaran Immortal more interested in outside conquest/colonization: see the Knights of Halav in Slagovich, for example. He is more important in the Traladaran colonies than in the mainland. He seems to have a combative, crusading approach. His lack of direct intervention I explain more as a willingness to commit to the rules (no direct Immortal intervention on the prime) than as a lack of commitment.>> why should Halav act when he has his followers to do it for him. likewise...his own edicts can be influnced through his buds Petra and Zirchev. to be honest, i don't know why Halav has been so "hands off". one thing i omitted and wish i hadn't was an idea that Halav may be a bit snobbish in his favors. he could believe that Traldara had lost his favor by being the whipping boys of Brun. only the more remarkable few that proved themselves were counted among his favored. hence it would explain why Halav is more prominent in Milenian Empire. BTW as an aside....ever notice how Karameikan Knights are always portrayed as these juggernaught warmachines, yet they cannot even maintain soverign control of their own homeland. quite odd. > For me, I would have the CoH as a legit sect of Halav's following but have > the "Stefan reincarnated" edict as but an engineered part of the Halav Grand > Scheme for Traldara. > That's a plausible scheme, indeed.>> oh yeah...there all manner of plot potential here. as i said earlier, i wish in hindsight that i had played around in Karameikos a bit more. these are the kinds of discussions i like....adventure ideas aplenty. just the differences between Halav in HW-Traldara, HW-Milenia, DV-Milenian city-states, and Karameikos offer alot of game potential. Imagine Tassia Red Hair being placed in Karameikos. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 21:07:14 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Items Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I love items with history and I cant wait to see what you make. BTW if you like those me and other poeple did some items like that a while ago you can find them here http://dnd.starflung.com/magcitem.html _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 21:11:41 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed The helm history is very detailed, im impressed ! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 00:58:42 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov Alex Benson wrote: > The Helm of Dirov > > Stats: Helm gives the wearer +1 to Armor Class; +10 hit points to user; once > per day Haste. > > DM Notes: The Helm of Dirov is not an overly powerful magic item. Say what?!? 10 extra hit points seem very powerful to me. Imagine what difference it would make for a low-level character. Even higher-level characters wouldn't scoff at that. I doubt I've ever had any PCs, who would turn down a helm such as this even if it just gave Haste once per day... The head slot is rarely used for magic items, at least IMC, and this one seems very powerful to me. That said I like the detailed backstory you've given it, even if it is a bit excessive :) and I look forward to seeing more items, though hopefully with more unique powers or even "less powerful" than this. :) No offense meant, really! I just think it's kind of funny. Only goes to show the differences in power levels between campaigns. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 14:26:25 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: World-spanning campaign? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Gilles Leblanc wrote: > Having a localized campaign sounds cool, the problem > is I have so much ideas > and so little time, I somtimes wish to show my > players as much as Mystara as > possible. I find so many places of Mystara > interesting that I have to urge > to send them there. I can totally sympathize with that. I have been thinking about doing an Indiana Jones type campaign. In those types of campaigns travel is usually not the problem. The characters move from one location to the other, following some sort of quest. Its quite important that there is a story connecting the locations though, which might be connected with an ancient artifact, a secret organization or something else. Recurring NPCs may show up at different locations too, but this can become silly if overdone. It might be better to have Groups of people working across the borders with different agents in various countries. These groups can be enemies or allies of the PCs. For instance, Thyatian Military Forces can easily subsitute Indiana Jones type nazis. Come to think of it, the Heldannic Knights would fit even better.. Havard ______________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Organiser sammenkomsten pĺ http://no.invites.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 14:50:31 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Morigsverg (was: Broken Lands / Shadow Elves maps?) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Gilles Leblanc wrote: > This raises an interesting point, I have always > considered the modriswerg > caves to be small ( altough this is relative ) > compared to some other cave > systems and to be composed of many small caves in > the same region, whith > each of these caves isolated from the other. That is > you can't access many > other caves while already in a cavern. You must each > find their entry > overland. It is possible to have them live in isolated communities even if their caves are connected. Also, I always figured that their caves go so deep, very few of them have ever been in the outside world. Regarding their personality, I have always wanted to portray them more like the norse dwarwes. Not evil, but not good either. Simply brilliant craftsmen who were only concerned with their own will-being and would try to trick and cheat anyone if they could. ______________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Organiser sammenkomsten pĺ http://no.invites.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 09:09:25 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jacob Said: <> the original Helm had a +10% hp modifier. i lowered it to a flat +10 hp. Ten extra hit points is not a lot, especially in its intended role of "traldaran knight on the battlefield". Against a mass combat opponent, the ten extra hps insure the wearer can absorb 1-3 successful hits. the Haste power was somehting i played around with some. Originally I had the Helm using the berserker power with its pluses and minuses. Then i changed it to Haste with a side affect where the wearer was exhausted for the following day. I ended up going with the simple Haste spell affect. There was also the idea of incorporating the Helm with the rest of the armor to make it all work. I nerfed that idea as. <> The histories are one of the things that I am trying to focus on. I probably should not have said it was "not overly powerful". In thta regard I was trying to emphasize its historical and racial signifigance to the Traldaran people instead of having it as a usable item. There will be other magic items; i am sending the next one once I finish this mail. This next one is....well weird. Some of these items are going to be weird. Some will be awesome in power. Others will be relatively minor. I think that all will be fun...even if it is in some demented manner. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 09:11:19 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Scarab of Katuup MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Scarab of Katuup Stats: Gender Change; +2 benefit to Saves and Armor Class (Amulet of Protection +2) Katuup crafted this amulet for his daughter. He was not a man to allow her safety reside squarely on her skill with her weaponry. Besides the gender change, it also grants the wearer the same bonuses as an Amulet of Protection +2. Most notably, the Scarab of Katuup bestows upon its wear a change in gender; male becomes female and vice versa. The change is completely physical and not an illusion. It is not detectable via True Sight or other similar spells or devices. Though the Scarab shows as being magic if a Detect Magic Spell is used. The change takes 1 round to happen and visually is similar to a morphing. It is a bit unsettling for witnesses as features enlarge or shrink. It is painless, though a bit unnerving. Race, hair length, hair colorization, eye colorization, height, and skills/abilities are retained. Clothing and carried gear are not altered. Appearance is based upon Charisma; a handsome man become a pretty woman (and vice versa). Affected individuals do not merely look like the opposite sex. They walk, talk, and carry themselves like the opposite gender. For those temporarily changed, the change is merely a fully physical disguise. Their mental sexual identity is retained. Those permanently changed begin to think like the opposite gender. Within 24 hours, they lose their natural sexual identity in favor of their new gender's preferences. Within 7 days, they forget completely what it was like to be their natural gender. The mindset, is the initial sign as to whether the Scarab's powers are permanent or temporary. Only the user can place the Scarab on themselves. Only the user can remove the Scarab. Trying to place the device on someone results in the chain clasp coming undone and the Scarab falling from the person's neck with no change. For a temporarily changed person, anyone else trying to remove the Scarab will find the clasp unyielding. On someone permanently changed, the Scarab can be removed by anyone. Being change permanently depends on several things. Since the Scarab was designed for Katuup's daughter, the chances of a woman being permanently changed is smaller; 5%. Males using the Scarab have a greater chance; 10%. The roll is made when the change occurs. Every 24 hours the person must roll again. A failed roll means it is permanent. An option is to increase the percentage every 24 hours of continuous wearing of the Scarab. Those Temporarily Changed are also subject to being permanently changed. For every hit point of damage taken, the person has a 1% chance of the spell not reversing when the Scarab is removed. If the person dies and is Raised or Resurrected, the gender change is permanent. Once permanently changed, a Wish can reverse the change. This must be cast before the 7 day mindset period expires and a successful System Shock check must be made. As an option, after this period, additional Wish attempts can be made but the success rate is reduced to 50% and decreases 10% every additional 24 hours day (after 12 days no return). A Remove Curse Spell has no affect. Someone permanently changed cannot reverse their gender back permanently by using the Scarab again. They may use it to temporarily revert to their original gender, however the permanency attribute is no longer a factor. Description: The Scarab of Katuup is an amulet. Its chain is thick and made of a strange gold and iron alloy. The chain has a simple yet heavyset clasp. Attached to the chain is a two inch oval disk. On it, is a Nithian/Thothian style scarab (beatle) carved in relief. The Scarab's appearance is androgynous, being acceptably worn on either male or female individuals. Historical Lore: The Scarab of Katuup stems from way back in Nithian times. The Nithians were a very male dominated society. However, there were plenty of women that wanted more and had the abilities to exceed what their society allowed them. Though nothing prevented them from pursuing their goals, their actions drew upon them a degree of social stigma. The Magus Katuup was somewhat sympathetic to these women. Alot of that had to do with his own wife, Nynarra. They had met while both adventuring in their youth. The pair became inseperateable, adventuring together loyally. They fell in love and later married. Settling down, his wife's "unlady-like behavior" made life difficult for her. Katuup found it odd that he was cheered for doing the same thing that his wife was scorned for. When their sole daughter began citing her desire to adventure, Katuup was heart broken. He wanted his daughter to excel however he wanted to spare her the same stigma that her mother had drawn. Katuup decided to try an experiment. He crafted the Scarab of Katuup to allow his daughter to adventure under the guise of a man. There were already items that changed the wearer's gender, however these were mostly cursed items only reversable by clerical magic. Katuup's item would not be a curse, being in affect only while the belt was worn. The Scarab could be worn and removed without difficulty. Katuup's daughter took the Scarab and began adventuring. Her career was short-lived as she became bored and disillusioned at the whole adventuring lifestyle. She came home and returned the Belt to her father. Katuup placed the Scarab in storage, where it remained for years, untouched and mostly forgotten. Years went by before the Scarab was used again. Katuup was approached by an old adventuring friend in need of his help. His friend, Chetobia, had been hired to provide security to the pharoah's sons. Chetobia was given access to Katuup's magical arsenal, including the Scarab. Katuup perished a few months later in a magical experiment. His wife told Chetobia to keep the items. The Scarab remained in Chetobia's care for the rest of his career. He used it primarily to disguise his agents. It was here that its detrimental powers came into play; several agents not shifting back to their normal genders. Chetobia began using the Scarab sparingly. Chetobia too passed away. Most of his magical tools were divided among his agents and scattered throughtout the Nithian Empire. The Scarab became the property of an officer sent to the new Thothia colony. He kept it as a curio to entertain his friends. However, one such demonstration of its powers left an idividual stuck in the opposite gender. The offended party quickly gutted the officer like a pig. With this incident, the Scarab was locked away to not cause anymore harm. The Scarab gathered dust amid a secure vault. The Nithians vanished. Thothia survived and was conquered and adopted into the Alphatian Empire. An Alphatian named Kryssis rediscovered the stored Scarab and kept it for his own studies. He unlocked its secrets, benefits, and potential for calamity. Kryssis was quite visual with his new toy, the Scarab often being called his. For all his arrogance, Kryssis never took tried to take credit for creating the device, giving the now mysterious Katuup full credit. Since most knowledge of Nithia had been lost with its demise, the Scarab was quite exotic and prestigious as a Nithian item. Kryssis lost the Scarab in a bet. Afterwards, it changed hands several times. Kryssis even regained it right before his own death. Most owners tend to study the Scarab than actually use it. However, there are several known incidents where the Scarab has left its lasting impression on users. The Scarab has been blamed (truthfully and falsey) in several events. It is believed that the assassin Mogryen used the Scarab to infiltrate the stronghold of the Mage Zhepta. It is believed that Emperor Kerothar II use to use the Scarab to sneak in his mistresses past the watchful eyes of his jealous Empress. Several malicious Alphatian nobles have been reported to use the Scarab as a practical joke on unsuspecting guests. The Scarab was acquired by Emperor Tylion IV, supposedly confiscated from Prince Zandor after some tomfoolery. Keenly interested in disguises and false identities, Tyluion studied the Scarab with interest. The Scarab was later seen in the possession of Master Terari in Karameikos. However, the Scarab went missing soonafter the Karameikan School opened. The Scarab was stolen by a mage sympathetic to the Traldaran Mage Guild. Not understanding its powers, "she" is now living in Mirros and recently had her first child. The Guild had been studying the Scarab to try to reverse the change. The Scarab was stolen from the Guild by the infamous Flameflicker, who had the item assessed. Aware of its recent history and powers, the infamous thief keeps it as a trophy. DM Notes: The Scarab of Katuup is an item that is present for novelty. Though it can be used for covert or deceptive tasks, it does have a potential cost. It may seem a bit harsh that the permanently changed individuals are limited in their ability to regain their natural genders. However, the chances of being changed are slight. And those permanently affected are essentially turned into opposite genders of their original characters. So there should not be any awkward attributes, such as sexual identity crisis. The DM should not try to force a permanent gender change. However, roleplaying potential abounds, either as a temporary change or permanent change. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 08:31:49 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: World-spanning campaign? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable IMC my group are part of an organisation called MIST (Magical Infiltration,= Strategy and Tatics). they are the fourth of four squads. Pay is 5,000gp = per mission and they are teleported to the adventure site. In this way = they can go anywhere I want them, and since they travel via portal it = eliminates the mundane travel part. The group gets only 3,000gp as the MIST council gets the other 2,000gp for = various expenses.=20 ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 16:33:31 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: World-spanning campaign? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >IMC my group are part of an organisation called MIST (Magical Infiltration, >Strategy and Tatics). they are the fourth of four squads. Pay is 5,000gp >per mission and they are teleported to the adventure site. In this way they >can go anywhere I want them, and since they travel via portal it eliminates >the mundane travel part. >The group gets only 3,000gp as the MIST council gets the other 2,000gp for >various expenses. > Altough it is hard to make travel always interesting, some of my group best moments were when they were on the road from one place to the other. A usually plant event to give them the feel of the place while they are on the road also. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 21:21:21 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Alex Benson wrote: > > the original Helm had a +10% hp modifier. i lowered it to a flat +10 hp. What about +10% hp, with a maximum of +10 hp? It shoud be a viable solution, since a flat +10 seems too much for low level characters, and +10% may be too much for high level fighters. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 23:16:06 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Alex Benson wrote: > > > > the original Helm had a +10% hp modifier. i lowered it to a flat +10 hp. > >What about +10% hp, with a maximum of +10 hp? >It shoud be a viable solution, since a flat +10 seems too much for low >level characters, and +10% may be too much for high level fighters. >-- >< If he wants +10 hp I dont see why he cant have it. I think everyone who wishes to use the helm in his campaign is free to modify it to his campaign power level. Personnaly, I would remove the haste and keep +1 AC and +10hp. I wouldnt give this to low-level char, but when the PCs are level 5-8 this is a good item. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 08:11:58 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > If he wants +10 hp I dont see why he cant have it. It was a general consideration, not a suggestion it could work in his campaign or whatever. I'm sorry I didn't put a "IMC, I would rather..." or another disclaimer, but I thought it was pretty clear from the discussion! -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@fusberta.elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 08:57:28 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <<>Alex Benson wrote: > > the original Helm had a +10% hp modifier. i lowered it to a flat +10 hp. > What about +10% hp, with a maximum of +10 hp? It shoud be a viable solution, since a flat +10 seems too much for low level characters, and +10% may be too much for high level fighters.>> okay i think i see your main concerns here with the +10 hps. i agree your concerns that a lowbie level character would benefit too much. however i want to press home that the Helm was not created for use by a low level character. even in its history the helm was crafted for Traldaran heroes; name level knights or clerics. use of the Helm is restricted to those the Clergy deems worthy and powerful enough to use it. This does bring up something I'd like to get some input on. In Asheron's Call magic items usually have skill/race/rank based requirements. You have to "grow into" certain armors, weapons, and enchanted items before you can use them to their fullest by activating their powers. Of course in AC you can have a mixture of skills for their characters, mixing spellcasting with melee and missile weaponry. What do you all think about including similar limits to magic items? I have some that are like this. Several are intelligent and depend heavily upon the relationship between the item and the user. Others depend upon race, level, alignment, class, and so on before special aspects are activated. ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 09:06:16 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Probably should have addressed this in the other mail, but I forgot. <<>What about +10% hp, with a maximum of +10 hp? >It shoud be a viable solution, since a flat +10 seems too much for low >level characters, and +10% may be too much for high level fighters. > If he wants +10 hp I dont see why he cant have it. I think everyone who wishes to use the helm in his campaign is free to modify it to his campaign power level. Personnaly, I would remove the haste and keep +1 AC and +10hp. I wouldnt give this to low-level char, but when the PCs are level 5-8 this is a good item.>> As mentioned in the other mail, the Helm was not intended for use by lowbie characters. Also, +10% only exceeds the +10 hp if the character has 110+ hps. In ADnD and DnD that's a mid-level character for a melee. At this level, the character should be facing opponents that are not easily thwarted by a 10 point hp boost or are doing at least 10 pts of damage in their attacks. Now to wait for the reaction of the Scarab....this one should be fun. Given the Scarab's size I am posting a smaller Magic Item descript. ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 09:07:47 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Zherah Hearth Stone MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Stats: Zherah Hearth Stone The Zhera Hearth is a utility magical item used to heat and clean baths. One stone can properly maintain a bath measuring 10 ft. by 10 ft. The stone can vary the water temperature from 40 degrees (F) to 160 degrees (F). The stone continuously cleans the water. Description: Zherah Heart Stones are fairly common, both in Alphatian and Thyatian lands. Design and size varies based on maker, region, and owner's personal taste. Most Hearth Stones are set on pedastals in the center of the bath pool. Decoration and adornment are often used, however most tend to be designed to melt in with the architecture of the room and bath. Zherah Stones vary. One example includes the one used by the mage Talma. It is shaped like a silver serving bowl and permanently affixed to a pedastal in the center of the bathing pool. The stone is activated by filling the bowl with delicacies. Therefore, the Zhaerah unit acts as a functionable serving table for the bath users. Historical Lore: With their various invasions of Thyatis and familiarity with the Thothians, Alphatians began to adopt the premise of the relaxing bath. Alphatian magic was used to maintain these waters, instead of the Thyatian use of aqueducts, water heater rooms, and labor intensive cleaning. The Alphatian design was quickly adopted within Alphatian and Thothian lands. And it was not long before the Thyatians too adopted the premise. DMs Notes: The Hearth Stones are a household utility magic item. It's for atmosphere and demonstrative of magically rich environments. The purpose is to simply maintain the waters of a bath, hower the shape, powers and costs can easily vary. ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 14:23:45 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Trouble with the list? In-Reply-To: <200108090742.f797gXI08100@uta.fi> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I'm not sure if mails like this fall into the accepted netiquette. If not, I'm sorry. I haven't been able to get in touch with the list for a couple of days, that is I haven't been receiving my digests. And the archives have been inaccessible too. Is there something wrong in general, or is the trouble at this end? Ville ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 19:56:53 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Ylari Spells Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed A short while ago I posted some Elven spells ala Color of magic. Now I have made some Ylari spells. I based those on 2E spells but they can easily be done for other editions or use as is if a similar spell exist ( magical missile exists in all editions ). These spells, like their elven counterpart are version of spells devloped and used in Ylaruam. Aside from modifications they act as the spell they are based on. ------------------------------------------------------- Ylari Spells 1st Magic Missile: The missile appear as fiery red dart. Shocking Grasp: ( Abrasive Grasp ) Called abrasive grasp, the Ylari version inflicts heat and abrasion pain upon contact. The caster’s hand become yellow and hot when the spell is in effect. This heat will not burn paper or such items. Dancing Lights: This spell has the following three options. Torch lights as per spell normal spell. The vaguely man shaped light appears a silvery color. And finally the glowing spheres which normally resemble will-o-wisps, now resemble small translucent silvery moons. Erase: A special version of this spell exists in Ylaruam. It was created for the express purpose of censoring certain texts. Instead of just erasing mundane or magical writing, the spell erases them but also places in large script letter this phrase on surfaces which have been erased : “Silenced by the holy will of Al-Kalim”. The phrase is of course in Ylari. Hold Portal: This spell works like the normal spell of the same name except that a wizard of only 3 levels higher than the caster can dispelled the spell ( normally it is a wizard 4 level higher ). However, if the spell is cast of a door, portal, closure which is above a well ( such as wooden door to close the top of a well ) the spell is only dispelled if the caster is 5 levels higher than the caster. Wall of Fog: ( Wall of Dust ) The appearance of the wall is that of a wall of wind and dust. It has all the same effects as the wall of fog spell. 2cnd Blindness: The victim sees only agitated sand, as if he were in a strong sand storm instead of grayness. The target does not feel any wind, sand or heat and knows he is under the effect of a some kind of magic. Fog Cloud: The cloud appearance, in both version is that of purple smoke. Melf’s Acid Arrow: ( Oil Arrow ) The arrow appears to be made of burning black oil. It has all the same effects as a normal acid arrow. 3rd Protection from normal Missiles: ( Protection from sandstorms ) Although Ylari wizards also have common access to protection from normal missile, they have developed another version which protects the targets from all damage to himself and his possession due to sandstorms, sand and small rocks ( including sling bullets ). The spell does not protect against axes, bolts, ballista bolts, etc. Further from protecting the caster from any adverse effects of a sandstorm, the caster movement rate and sense of orientation is also unaffected when protected by this spell. This version does not have any material components. Sepia Snake Sigil: ( Scorpion Sigil ) Instead of a snake, substitute with a larger than normal ( but only slightly ) scorpion. Spectral Force: ( Spectral Oasis ) This version does not have sound, smell or thermal components and can only be cast to resemble a small oasis. On the other hand it’s range is 100 yards + 1 yard level and it’s area of effect is 80’ cube + 10’ / level. Spectral force is also available in Ylaruam. Water Breathing: ( Magical Breath ) This version allows the caster to breathe normally in an area in which smoke, vapors or gases are present as if it were normal air. This spell does not permit to breathe in the fire elemental plane but could be used in some para-elemental planes ( such as smoke, depending on whether the DM rules the para-elemental planes exists in the world of Mystara ). 4th Dimension Door: If the caster is in a sandy area, he appears to sink quickly into the sand before disappearing. Enchanted Weapon: Some Ylari spellcasters have developed a version of this spell which instead of making a weapon temporarily +1, it makes the weapon +0 / + 2 against Efreet. Ice Storm: ( Magical Sand Storm ) This spells create a magical sand storm which is either filled with flying boulders ( in which case it acts as the hail storm option ) or not ( in which case it acts as the driving sleet option ). Each version works exactly likes it’s counter-part except that it is sand which blinds creatures, reduces movement and damage creature. Rainbow Pattern: ( Captivating Mirage ) This spells create a wavy, hazy, almost swirling image of an oasis. All creatures caught in the mirage are affected as per the spell rainbow pattern Solid Fog: ( Wall of Sand ) Instead of vapors this spell create a mass of tightly packed sand which acts as a solid fog spell. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 20:05:38 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Immortal Sites MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Does anyone have any ideas for where Ixion's Immortal Site (where = hopeful petitioners would go) might be? =20 Where on Mystara would be a place sacred to the sun, Energy, magic, and = so on? ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 00:40:00 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: Immortal Sites Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed IMO I would think that a real high mountian, like in the Black Mountians of Brun would be a real ideal place. It would be hard to access and would give a real good view of the sun...an active volcano would be a likely choice given the energy involved. Multizar the Mage >From: Dan Eustace >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: [MYSTARA] Immortal Sites >Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 20:05:38 -0400 > >Does anyone have any ideas for where Ixion's Immortal Site (where hopeful >petitioners would go) might be? > >Where on Mystara would be a place sacred to the sun, Energy, magic, and so >on? > >******************************************************************** >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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 10:26:38 CEST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Rif: [MYSTARA] Trouble with the list? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm not sure how much this will help you, but personally I haven't had any problems... Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 15:38:01 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Trouble with the list? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ville V Lahde wrote: > > I'm not sure if mails like this fall into the accepted netiquette. If not, > I'm sorry. > > I haven't been able to get in touch with the list for a couple of days, > that is I haven't been receiving my digests. And the archives have been > inaccessible too. Is there something wrong in general, or is the trouble > at this end? Apparently, the ml server has been down twice in the last few. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 15:36:37 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Alex Benson wrote: > > This does bring up something I'd like to get some input on. In Asheron's Call > magic items usually have skill/race/rank based requirements. You have to > "grow into" certain armors, weapons, and enchanted items before you can use > them to their fullest by activating their powers. Of course in AC you can > have a mixture of skills for their characters, mixing spellcasting with melee > and missile weaponry. > > What do you all think about including similar limits to magic items? I have > some that are like this. Several are intelligent and depend heavily upon the > relationship between the item and the user. Others depend upon race, level, > alignment, class, and so on before special aspects are activated. Personally, I'm quite favorable to this idea. I generally tend to implement it as magic item with several powers, whose activation is dependent on passwords, divine blessing, sheer power or simply knowing that the power exists. Since low-level characters are not likely to have access to Legend Lore or similar spells, it usually works fine. In any case, I prefer to give items that the character is likely to keep for a good part of his career. A simple +1 weapon would be easily discarded in favour of a better weapon, but a magic item of unknown potential is guaranteed to keep the PCs interested for a longer time. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 15:52:44 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Immortal Sites MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dan Eustace wrote: > > Does anyone have any ideas for where Ixion's Immortal Site (where hopeful petitioners would go) might be? > > Where on Mystara would be a place sacred to the sun, Energy, magic, and so on? Perhaps in the Hollow World, either within the small sun, or very near to it (a small floating continent?). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 17:51:07 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: X5 The Temple of Death Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Any players should not read the following ( as I have seen some poeple posting asking there players not to read this, so I'll extend their warning to my post, not to ruin any DMs campaign ) unless they have completed X4 Master of the Desert Nomads, X5 The Temple of Death and the Wrath of the Immortals Boxed set, if you haven't or are not sure and you are a player please don't read as I don't want to offend any DMs. I am currently doing X5 with a group of players. They have done X4, all of this is taking place during WoTI. I do not want the PCs to kill the Master of Hule, well not yet in any case. Beside the player's do not have the power required for such a feat as they progressed in X4 and X5 with spells, wits and stealth rather than brute force ( they are an experienced bunch of players tough ). Here is what happened so far : The PCs were hired by Redrian ( from WoTI ) to investigate Sind and it's armies and the master. During X4 they supplied him information from the field and gained from the Evil Abbey ( bhuts place ). Redrian saved their life and they owe him much so when he asked them to investigate the great pass and Hule they agreed ( plus the usual payment describe in WoTI second adventure. ) My main problem lies with this fact. When the players investigated the buried temple in X4 and were given a pass through the mirror ( much like the mirror found in the champions of Mystara boxed set when Haldemar is in Sind, for those not familiar with X4 ). The master, as per the module gave them a pass allowing passage and an invition. Both of these are barely mentioned in X5 and the module plays out as if they don't have both. My players are convinced the Master is all powerful ( since they have played other Mystara campaigns and know he is responsibel ( or so they think ) for the meteor which will fall on Darokin-Glantri ) because of this they are convinced it's an invitation they cannot refuse. Getting back to the problem, I can say that the Master wants to question them and is intrigued by their quest, but since these two modules will have taken so much time ( I expended X4 with a long foray into Graakhalia where the PCs battled humanoids, explored the twisted forest and tried ( unsucesfully to rob a magical item from Verminthrax which resulted in 1 permanent death and no magic item ) )that I would have wanted the ending of this mini-campaign to have more meaning, a sense of purpose, or at least something for the PCs to do and justify their extremely long and dangerous journey on foot from the Atruaghin Plateu to the temple of the Master in Hule. Something that doesnt appears poorly worked out in the story line and that would somehow justify their trek and wouldnt involve the Master dying. The PCs are level 6 with low level magic items ( +1 weapons, a +2 weapon, +1 shield, ring of protection +1, etc. ). Because of they just show up at the temple to be captured, tortured and then escape with nothing, it doesnt make the campaign come to a grand conclusion. So if there is anybody who had DMed or played these adventures, or that from reading this as any idea on what, the players could accomplish, do and a scheme from the Master better than questioning them. I am hoping that someone has dealt with this situation before, I know it's a long shot but im a little stumped for ideas, so I could appreciate any help. If I don't find any, i'll go with the PCs being captured, getting the idea that they should flee, maybe recover some magical items and/or documents on the master's armies. And maybe foil some plot of the Master. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 21:59:59 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: X5 The Temple of Death MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > So if there is anybody who had DMed or played these adventures, or that from > reading this as any idea on what, the players could accomplish, do and a > scheme from the Master better than questioning them. I am hoping that > someone has dealt with this situation before, I know it's a long shot but im > a little stumped for ideas, so I could appreciate any help. Well, depending on what the Master exactly is IYC, they could even manage to destroy his current "avatar", forcing him to stop his machinations for a while. Otherwise, they could take a different path, and attempt to hinder the Master by supporting his enemies within Hule or in the subject lands (I did so when I played the X4-X5, some ten years ago). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 23:25:28 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sat, 6 Oct 2001 15:36:37 Agathokles wrote: >Alex Benson wrote: >> >> This does bring up something I'd like to get some input on. In Asheron's Call >> magic items usually have skill/race/rank based requirements. You have to >> "grow into" certain armors, weapons, and enchanted items before you can use >> them to their fullest by activating their powers. Of course in AC you can >> have a mixture of skills for their characters, mixing spellcasting with melee >> and missile weaponry. >> >> What do you all think about including similar limits to magic items? I have >> some that are like this. Several are intelligent and depend heavily upon the >> relationship between the item and the user. Others depend upon race, level, >> alignment, class, and so on before special aspects are activated. > >Personally, I'm quite favorable to this idea. I generally tend to >implement it as magic item with several powers, whose activation is >dependent on passwords, divine blessing, sheer power or simply knowing >that the power exists. Since low-level characters are not likely to have >access to Legend Lore or similar spells, it usually works fine. > >In any case, I prefer to give items that the character is likely to keep >for a good part of his career. A simple +1 weapon would be easily >discarded in favour of a better weapon, but a magic item of unknown >potential is guaranteed to keep the PCs interested for a longer time. >-- I did something similar for the Swords of Wayland described in Tome no. 4 and 6 (Phase I of "Corruption of the Swords"). Anyone could pick up a sword and use it as a magical sword with a bonus of +1 or +2, but given time and discovery the true power of the swords could be "awakened" if the wielder used it long enough and met certain demands. Then the individual sword would become far more powerful. After all, why should the "progressive" element of D&D (and role-playing in general) apply only to the characters? - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 6 Oct 2001 23:29:49 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Trouble with the list? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sat, 6 Oct 2001 15:38:01 Agathokles wrote: >Ville V Lahde wrote: >> >> I'm not sure if mails like this fall into the accepted netiquette. If not, >> I'm sorry. >> >> I haven't been able to get in touch with the list for a couple of days, >> that is I haven't been receiving my digests. And the archives have been >> inaccessible too. Is there something wrong in general, or is the trouble >> at this end? > >Apparently, the ml server has been down twice in the last few. >-- > And the archives at have been down for about a week... I've tried to make Geoff aware of it, but no response so far. Since I usually read and post all mail there that is the reason why I've been quiet for a while in case anyone is wondering. So no, I have not fallen victim to some feeble Thyatian or Glantrian plot or spell - perish the thought! ;) - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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, 7 Oct 2001 18:52:06 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Mystaran Monsters Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Is it just me, or do the Mystaran monsters, espacially those found in the Monstrous Compendium Appendix for Mystara have too often one shot kill attacks. For example : Acteon : save vs. breath or be polymorphed Dusanu : save vs. poison when within 5' of the dusanu or become one within 1d3+1 days, those infected do not show any outward signs of infection ! So if a group of pc's if fighting a dusanu it most constantly roll save versur poison, if it fails without knowing it it becomes a dusanu ! Jellyfish, Giant, Death's Head : Save vs. poison or die Planar Spider : save vs. poison at -4 penality or die _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 7 Oct 2001 21:14:55 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: X5 The Temple of Death MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Well, I'm tackling through X4 and X5 right now too, with a similar scheme in mind: it's played during WotI... the difference is that my PCs are kinda more powerful (9th-10th lvl, with knowledge of some of the Secret Crafts of Glantri and a few powerful magic items, amongst them a Staff of Power wrestled from the Shadowlord, but that's another story)... so I'm afraid they can kill the X5 Master... well, that's easy to tackle with: I'm taking his form as an avatar, completely removing Hosadus' original corpse from the crypts in X5 (it can be in a secret location in some dark part of Hule, and thus be the plot to another, later quest)... so my PCs can kill the avatar of the master... that will make Hosadus lose tons of time while he regenerates and his invasion plans will be slowed down in Sind, thus giving more time to Darokin to prepare for the worst... With your 6th lvl PCs, it would be harder to survive the Temple... having them captured and devise an escape plan sounds like a great idea, Hosadus will be probably interested in interrogating them, so he won't kill them on the spot... maybe he can lower down the temple's defenses, giving them a false (not too false, they're expert players, you told) sense of security and then come to a personal showdown and show his true strength, but "striking to surrender", not to kill... just something ŕ la Cloudcity in Empire Strikes Back. After the PCs escape they can accomplish something: what if you create some system of communications in the Temple, like a central source artifact for all the magic mirrors hosadus could use to give orders to his officers in the east... if the heroes destroy or steal such an artifact, the Master will be greatly deterred in his invasion, without having to personally dispose of his avatar... Andrés ******************************************************************** 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, 7 Oct 2001 19:26:25 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Oghriz Weapons Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Here are some Oghriz weapons I designed. BTW Christopher how tall-heavy ect. are the Oghriz. Im thinking they can use large weapons as humans use medium weapons, but I may be mistaken on that point. --------------------------------------------------------- Oghriz War Axe OD&D Damage : 1d10 Cost : 18 gp Enc ( cn ) : 100 Notes : L AD&D 2E Cost : 16 gp Weight : 16 Size : L Type : S Speed Factor : 9 Damage : 1d10 / 1d12 The Oghriz war axe is a stout 5' long wooden shaft with a double bladed meatal head. The end of the shaft is often mounted with a 6" metal spike which can deliver 1d3 points of damage. This version of the weapon is commonly found in the hands of town dwellers and some nomads. Nomads sometime carry a version made with bone which has a -1 to damage penality and does not feature the metal spike. The Oghriz can use this weapon one handed ( with a -1 penality to hit ) or two-handed. Humans most use it two-handed and find it unwieldy ( -1 to hit penality ). Dwarves and halfling cannot use the weapon. Oghriz Scourge OD&D Damage : 1d6 Cost : 4 gp Enc ( cn ) : 25 Notes : M AD&D 2E Cost : 5 gp Weight : 4 Size : M Type : - Speed Factor : 7 Damage : 1d6 / 1d4 This resemble a normal human-sized scourge ( a cat of nine tails with barbs running along each whip instead of only at the tip ) except it is much larger and bigger. The barbs alongside the whips are made of sharpened bones and teeth. This is a vile weapon known to inflict grievous wounds. Oghriz Great Sword OD&D Damage : 1d12 Cost : 25 gp Enc ( cn ) : 125 Notes : L, 2H AD&D 2E Cost : 65 gp Weight : 20 Size : L Type : S Speed Factor : 11 Damage : 1d12 / 3d6 This is the Oghriz version of the two-handed sword. It is not useable by humans or most creature of medium size. The sword must be used as a two handed weapon by the Oghriz. The blade is often crude and dented, resulting in less cutting power. This is balanced by the blade weight and length and by the strength of the Oghriz. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 7 Oct 2001 10:36:22 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Richard Tongue Subject: Looking for articles for OD&DITIES 6! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi! Only four weeks to go until the submissions deadline for OD&DITIES 6! Any articles you can provide are wanted for this next issue, on any topic relating to OD&D or Mystara ( with OD&D statistics ). Also, comments and suggestions regarding OD&DITIES 5 are welcome. Thanks, Richard Tongue, Editor, OD&DITIES ( www.tongue.fsnet.co.uk ) e-mail : Methuslah@tongue.fsnet.co.uk ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 14:02:25 +1000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Michael Diehm Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Most of those monsters are once-in-an adventuring career type encounters. If you make sure your PCs have a cleric who can cast Neutralise Poison and/or low saves v. Poison there shouldn't be much of a problem. Also consider how deadly the PCs can be themselves to the poor monsters. Cheers _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 04:42:39 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: X5 The Temple of Death Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I like your mirror thing very much ! Also if you want a tougher master, there is about 2 or 3 version on the net, with one very powerful, but your plan to kill him would be great. 2 of my 3 players have more than 10 years of experience playing role-playing games ( which includes Call of Cthulhu experience, which makes you paranoid in a good way ) so i'll have to be very careful with the cloudcity thing. They're the kind of players who cant do some published quest because after 5% of the quest is completed they'll say, the bad guy is character X, or Y and be right, and the whole quest assumes the PCs havent found out :) So Im always stuck with inventing weird thing, like the a quest where their looking for a vampire, one is the obvious cliche vampire and the other the cliche vampire not pretending to be a vampire ( mysterious stranger, vampire hunter, etc ). In fact they are supposed to find that the cliche evidently vampire is the one, until... they find out he isn't a vampire at all, there is no vampire involved, just a little deranged follower of Nyx who protects the local graveyard and some weak undead. He sees undead as part of the natural cycle and protects while masquarading as a vampire. The thing is, the PCs find out, he's actually doing some good by restraining some more powerful undead or necromancer from the graveyard and can't dislodge him, while the town official want some results and aren't likely to beleive the truth if presented with it. The thing is, that guy is really killing poeple also, so the party must find the best way to deal with him. This is just an exemple of a small side-plot in my campaign.... :) ( I have a stranger one, which befuddled my PCs, if you want I could detail it ). >Well, I'm tackling through X4 and X5 right now too, with a similar scheme >in >mind: it's played during WotI... the difference is that my PCs are kinda >more powerful (9th-10th lvl, with knowledge of some of the Secret Crafts of >Glantri and a few powerful magic items, amongst them a Staff of Power >wrestled from the Shadowlord, but that's another story)... so I'm afraid >they can kill the X5 Master... >well, that's easy to tackle with: I'm taking his form as an avatar, >completely removing Hosadus' original corpse from the crypts in X5 (it can >be in a secret location in some dark part of Hule, and thus be the plot to >another, later quest)... so my PCs can kill the avatar of the master... >that >will make Hosadus lose tons of time while he regenerates and his invasion >plans will be slowed down in Sind, thus giving more time to Darokin to >prepare for the worst... >With your 6th lvl PCs, it would be harder to survive the Temple... having >them captured and devise an escape plan sounds like a great idea, Hosadus >will be probably interested in interrogating them, so he won't kill them on >the spot... maybe he can lower down the temple's defenses, giving them a >false (not too false, they're expert players, you told) sense of security >and then come to a personal showdown and show his true strength, but >"striking to surrender", not to kill... just something ŕ la Cloudcity in >Empire Strikes Back. >After the PCs escape they can accomplish something: what if you create some >system of communications in the Temple, like a central source artifact for >all the magic mirrors hosadus could use to give orders to his officers in >the east... if the heroes destroy or steal such an artifact, the Master >will >be greatly deterred in his invasion, without having to personally dispose >of >his avatar... > >Andrés > >******************************************************************** >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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 04:46:51 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Most of those monsters are once-in-an adventuring career type encounters. >If you make sure your PCs have a cleric who can cast Neutralise Poison >and/or low saves v. Poison there shouldn't be much of a problem. > >Also consider how deadly the PCs can be themselves to the poor monsters. > >Cheers Your right, but I found some in some published module. And much to my regret, my parties have never included a cleric :( I guess were not a religious bunch. Recently while my PCs were traveling through Graakhalia I used some net material that the twisted forest was infested with Dusanu, later my PCs started X5 and I realized the great pass features some more Dusanu :) Boy my players were scared ! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 02:20:30 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <> [examples snipped] there are a lot in Mystara. Ravenloft may have the most "save or die" type monsters. IMO these critter types come from TSR and their attempts to make monsters bigger and badder for the PCs. ******************************************************************** 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. X-From_: MAILER-DAEMON Fri Nov 2 06:37:57 2001 Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 11:21:06 -0800 From: "L-Soft list server at Wizards of the Coast, Inc (1.8d)" Subject: File: "MYSTARA-L LOG0110B" To: Shawn Stanley X-Virus-Scanned: by AMaViS perl-11 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 02:51:39 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Don't forget about the Nuckalavee... Damage: 3d8 + death (why bother rolling for the 3d8??) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gilles Leblanc" Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2001 12:52 PM Subject: Mystaran Monsters > Is it just me, or do the Mystaran monsters, espacially those found in the > Monstrous Compendium Appendix for Mystara have too often one shot kill > attacks. > ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 02:53:47 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Personally, I'd rather see huge amounts of damage which you can save to avoid, rather than instant death. It's too unpredictable, and no one has fun when PCs die. > there are a lot in Mystara. Ravenloft may have the most "save or die" type > monsters. IMO these critter types come from TSR and their attempts to make > monsters bigger and badder for the PCs. > ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 14:33:25 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Personally, I'd rather see huge amounts of damage which you can save to >avoid, rather than instant death. It's too unpredictable, and no one has >fun when PCs die. > I agree, but sometimes PCs death become heroic tragic moments that fit well in the storyline, unfortuntly dying from a random encounter can be quite meaningless. I personnaly don't like it tough when a DM tries not to kill the players at any cost, so I DM in such a way that I do not protect my PCs ( well very rarely ). _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 15:00:24 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item Query MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Did my last couple of Magic Item descripts make it to the MML. I am showing that I recieved them but haven't heard any feedback. I expected some feedback on the Scarab at least. It might not have gotten through with the list being down over weekend. ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 15:00:54 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Fang of Fyrgus MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Stats: Fang of Fyrgus Damage: 1d4 +4 (dagger +4); theft deterrent. For all intensive purposes, the Fang of Fyrgus is a Dagger +4. The addition is the theft deterent mechanism that is incorporated into its hilt. The mechanism is a set of four blades that spring out of the hand grip, doing 1d4 points of damage and giving them a -2 to Str and Dex until the wounds are tended to. Originally the blades did 1d8 damage and had a -4 to Str and Dex. The blades automatically reset after being sprung. Only the attuned weilder may handle the weapon. He or she must attune themselves to the dagger by apply a drop of their own blood to the dagger's small pommel. If need be, the blades can be manually reset by twisting the pommel. Description: The Fang of Fyrgus is a dagger with a 10 inch curved blade. The blade is made of a dull featureless dark grey metal. The dagger has a guardless hilt composed of an ebony handle. The ivory is engraves with meaningless swirl designs. The grip has four 1 inch grooves cut into the ebony. Though the blades cannot beseen, this is where they protrude from. Capping the ebondy handle is a small pommel, made from a smooth round piece of obsidian. Historical Lore: The Fang of Fyrgus was originally crafted for the Alphatian assassin Jherel. To craft this weapon, Jherel hired the services of the Alphatian mage, Fyrgus. The mage hired dwarvish craftsmen to make the dagger and defensive mechanism. Jherel added the enchantments. When the assassin came for his blade, Fyrgus changed his mind and refused to close the deal. He cited that the assassin was not worthy of the blade. Fyrgus was outraged, but backed down for the moment. He was certain that the mage had taken magical precautions before refusing the deal. The assassin bided his time and later tried to infiltrate mage's stronghold. He did fairly well, disarming or bypassing the magical wards. He met the assorted guardians that the mage had set up. Invigorated by the challenges, Jherel arrogantly decided to let the mage live. He decided to just steal the blade and a few trinkets for the trouble. He found the blade laying in chest in the mages study. After disarming or bypassing numerous wards and traps, he grabbed the blade. To his horror, the dagger's defensive mechanism sprang sending the blades into his hand. Jherel dropped the blade and fought to subdue a cry of pain. As he tried to tend to his shredded hand, he heard someone behind him. Turning he saw the mage standing there, grinning and pointing a wand at his head. Jherel saw a wisp of glowing energy and found that he could not move. His last images of life were of Fyrgus picking up the dagger and calmly slitting his throat. Fyrgus carried the dagger proudly for years. He carried the dagger with him when Alphatia conquered the Thyatians. The dagger saved his life as his Thyatian mistress tried to use his blade to slay him in his sleep during the Thyatian Revolt. Using this respite, he was able to mount a defense and eventually Teleport out. Upon Fyrgus's death, the dagger passed down to his son, Herston, who rarely carried the thing out of his own fear that the blades would be triggered in spite of his being attuned to it. This wariness of the dagger was heightened after his daughter accidently sprung the blades. The harm was limited thanks to regeneration magics, yet the incident forever turned Herston from keeping the blade. The dagger was sold to the dwarf that had crafted the basic weapon. He had heard of its use and had decided to disarm the blade mechanism. Unfortunately, he put it on his "things to do list" and never got around to doing it. Rediscovering the weapon years later, the dwarf decided to instead sell the dagger. It was purchased by a Stonewall mage. It was lost during the Alphatian invasion of Thyatis in AC 960. From there it went through a series of owners, mostly thieves. Its current owner is Dante Vicarrius, a lieutenant within the Shadow Hand criminal organization in Thyatis City. The Fang has begun to show its age. The blade mechanism is wearing out, doing far less damage than it originally did. DM Notes: The Fang of Fyrgus is a powerful dagger. It is made for slashing hand to hand combat, either by a thief or mage. Stealing the blade is difficult. ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 19:13:02 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Atruaghin Color of Magic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Atruaghin Spells 1st Armor: ( Protection of the bear ) This spell invokes the spirit of the bear to protect the caster or anyone touched by the caster. The material component is replaced by any object(s) with a total value of 15 gp which must be “scarified” to the spirit of the bear during the spell casting. Objects can include food, feathers, beads, ceramic pots, fruits, blankets, etc. These items are consumed by the spell and turned to ashes. Burning Hands: ( Thorny Hands ) This spells does not fire at jet of flames but rather a stream of hard, sharp thorns. Damage is the same except that the thorns cannot start fire. However they tear up clothing and items made cloths ( ship’s sails, etc. ), dent armor ( no effect except esthetic ) break glass and weak materials. Magic Missile: ( Wolf Fang ) As the caster points toward his target, a small gust of wind ( no relation with the spell or other effect ) carries a bluish light to the target who suffers wounds. The wounds look like bite marks from a wolf. There is one bite per missile. Magic Missile: ( Grass blades ) Another version of the magic missile found on the plateau shoots long, needle sharp, magical blade of grass. The blade are 5’ long and very rigid. They disappear the round after the spell is cast. Shield: ( Protection of the hawk ) This spell is known under the name protection of the hawk of the plateau. Shocking Grasp: ( Spirit Wrack ) A blue halo surrounds the caster hands, who can, with touch inflict pain on any creature who possess a spirit ( undead, un-intelligent plants and similar creatures are not affected ). The caster damages the target’s spirit so there is no visible damage on the target, who feels a spine chilling sensation. The spell is not carried through an electrical conductor but is can be carried through a wooden wand created by the mage. This wand is adorned with feathers and dyes and can be created by any wizards who knows the spirit wrack spell. Wall of Fog: ( Wall of Smoke ) The wall appears to be formed of smoke rather than fog. There is no fire or heat present. 2cnd Blindness: This spells calls the spirit of the raccoon to obscure sight to a target. The target has “raccoon” eyes for the duration of the spell ( black spots around his eyes ) and can only see a dark gray fur, much like that of the raccoon for the duration of the spell. Deafness: This spell fills the target ears with the loud buzzing of a bee’s hive. The target cannot ear anything through the noise. Glitterdust: ( Cloud of truth ) This spell works as the glitterdust spell except that a creates a swirling cloud of bluish “images”. These images resemble a variety of animal heads and are constantly moving and changing. The cloud is translucent. Every creature which comes in contact with the cloud is marked as per glitterdust, but instead of “sparkling” the creature is surrounded by a blue halo. This halo reveals invisible creatures, as per the spell. Hypnotic Pattern: ( Enthrallment ) This version of Hypnotic Pattern creates a small smoke column. Each person looking into the smoke sees vision of his strongest and most secret desires. Leomund’s Trap: ( Magic Snare ) This spell creates a “woodland” trap. Anyone possessing the ability to create or detect woodland traps or someone searching the area will find a trap such as chute covered with grasses, a net ready to fall from a tree or any other woodland trap possible. The area of effect must be some small secluded path within a forested area. As per the original spell, the trap is of course fake. Ray of Enfeeblement: ( Steal the might ) When this spell is cast, red wisps of smoke come from the target for a instant, as the spell is causing it’s draining effect. Stinking Cloud: ( Mosquito Swarm ) This spell create a huge swarm of magical mosquitoes who swarm everyone inside the cloud. They constantly sting their taget ( no damage ) who must save vs. poison as per the spell or feel the spell nauseating effects. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 22:11:00 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > I agree, but sometimes PCs death become heroic tragic moments that fit well > in the storyline, unfortuntly dying from a random encounter can be quite > meaningless. Well, most instant-death monsters are not suitable for random, or even minor, encounters (Actaeons, Nuckalavee or Planar Spiders are not encountered every day). Exception: poisonous monsters--here I think the problem is that most monster's poisons are underdetailed, as DM Guide poisons are rarely instantaneous. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 20:25:36 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item: Fang of Fyrgus Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Historical Lore: The Fang of Fyrgus was originally crafted for the >Alphatian >assassin Jherel. To craft this weapon, Jherel hired the services of the >Alphatian mage, Fyrgus. The mage hired dwarvish craftsmen to make the >dagger >and defensive mechanism. Jherel added the enchantments. When the assassin >came for his blade, Fyrgus changed his mind and refused to close the deal. >He >cited that the assassin was not worthy of the blade. > >Fyrgus was outraged, but backed down for the moment. He was certain that >the >mage had taken magical precautions before refusing the deal. The assassin Starting at this point the text gets very confusing, you seem to be mistaking the assasin and the wizards name in several places. Read your description from this point on and you'll see what I mean. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 20:27:57 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item Query Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Did my last couple of Magic Item descripts make it to the MML. I am showing >that I recieved them but haven't heard any feedback. I expected some >feedback >on the Scarab at least. It might not have gotten through with the list >being >down over weekend. > No they got, through, I actually sent feed back recently for the Fang of Fyrghus before reading this message, but only because something was wrong with it. I myself often post stuff on the list, based on my experiences and by seeing how many poeple give feedback to other's poeple material, I can say, don't expect feedback. This doesn't mean the no one reads your post, but take it this way, do you give feedback to every thing which is submitted to the list ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 20:28:37 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Karameikan Decorations Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Karameikan Decorations These decorations are awarded to heroes, lords, soldiers and knights of Karameikos. Karameikan Cross : Awarded by the church of karameikos to devout heroes who have performed some great service for the church. This medal is a 1” silver cross held by a short blue ribbon and a golden pin. Mention of Courageous Faith : This honorary title is awarded to followers of the church of Karameikos who have attained some amount of fame due to their good deeds ( heroic or not ). It is a scroll signed by patriarch Oliver Jowett. These are usually given at formal church ceremonies to attract attention both on the individuals and the church. The Blazing Fist : This golden medal represent a clenched fist and is awarded to heroes and soldiers who have distinguished themselves by their bravery and resourcefulness in times of war or military conflict. It is awarded by the Karameikos military. The Silver Shield : This silver shield shaped medal is awarded under the recommendation of either the Mirros townmaster, a minister, a Baron ( or superior noble rank ), General ( or admiral ). It is awarded to individuals who have by their actions protected karameikan citizens and help to uphold Karameikos laws on numerous occasions and who are considered doers of good deeds. Platinum Crown : This small platinum pin is sculpted to resemble the royal crown and is studded with small pieces of quartz. It can only be awarded by the King himself and it is rarely awarded. Individuals who have the king’s ear can sometimes petition for a certain individual to merit this award. The Platinum Crown is considered one of the most prestigious award one can merit. It is normally attributed to people who have save the King ( or a minister or patriarch ) life at the risk of their own. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 22:32:04 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item Query Alex Benson wrote: > Did my last couple of Magic Item descripts make it to the MML. I am showing > that I recieved them but haven't heard any feedback. I expected some feedback > on the Scarab at least. It might not have gotten through with the list being > down over weekend. Got it, read it, didn't have much of anything to say. Funny, but really a novelty IMO. Same thing with the Hearth Stone. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 23:44:02 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 8 Oct 2001 02:53:47 Angelo Bertolli wrote: >Personally, I'd rather see huge amounts of damage which you can save to >avoid, rather than instant death. It's too unpredictable, and no one has >fun when PCs die. > Agreed, but then there is the other side of the coin: If a monster has a "death-attack" that does, say, 20d6 damage, then that will deal out just under 80 points of damage on average. That is likely to any wizard, but won't threaten a high-leveled warrior if he is fully healed. The save threatens anyone and the wizard at least has a chance for survival, even if his save is worse than the warrior's... But generally I don't like instant death results (although I do play with them). Why couldn't TSR make attacks that just bring characters down if they fail their saves - not dead, but certainly defenseless. That way such a character is doomed if the party is defeated or has to abandon him, but can be saved if the party prevails. Because, as you say, losing a PC is no fun, particularly not if you have played him for years. Sure, D&D has spells that bring back the dead, but those come at a cost and somehow seem like cheating. They are actually used very rarely IMC, and practically never by the PCs... After all, how would you feel if they had just resurrected Sturm in Dragonlance or characters in most other fantasy literature? How about Boromir in Lord of the Rings? - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 23:59:44 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Karameikan Decorations Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 8 Oct 2001 20:28:37 Gilles Leblanc wrote: >Karameikan Decorations > >These decorations are awarded to heroes, lords, soldiers and knights of >Karameikos. (snip) > Nice! Good idea too. Since Stefan will soon send the PCs IMC to help Darokin fight of Thar's hordes during WOTI, they could well be on their way to be awared the "The Blazing Fist". Anyone care to do something similar for other Mystaran nations? It would be nice to see some Darokinian equivalents and I imagine Thyatis would be swamped with various sorts of medals and awards. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 18:50:56 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: George Hrabovsky Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In my campaign occasionally PCs die. That's part of the story. If it happens, so be it. If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. There should be creatures whose attacks are so fearsome that anyone might die as a result. This keeps even the high-level characters cautious. This teaches players that fighting is not always the first choice, you might need to negotiate, or use stealth, or just avoid that thing... George ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Stalker" To: Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 5:44 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) > On Mon, 8 Oct 2001 02:53:47 > Angelo Bertolli wrote: > >Personally, I'd rather see huge amounts of damage which you can save to > >avoid, rather than instant death. It's too unpredictable, and no one has > >fun when PCs die. > > > > Agreed, but then there is the other side of the coin: If a monster has a "death-attack" that does, say, 20d6 damage, then that will deal out just under 80 points of damage on average. That is likely to any wizard, but won't threaten a high-leveled warrior if he is fully healed. The save threatens anyone and the wizard at least has a chance for survival, even if his save is worse than the warrior's... > > But generally I don't like instant death results (although I do play with them). Why couldn't TSR make attacks that just bring characters down if they fail their saves - not dead, but certainly defenseless. That way such a character is doomed if the party is defeated or has to abandon him, but can be saved if the party prevails. > > Because, as you say, losing a PC is no fun, particularly not if you have played him for years. Sure, D&D has spells that bring back the dead, but those come at a cost and somehow seem like cheating. They are actually used very rarely IMC, and practically never by the PCs... After all, how would you feel if they had just resurrected Sturm in Dragonlance or characters in most other fantasy literature? How about Boromir in Lord of the Rings? > > > - The Stalker > > > > Get 250 color business cards for FREE! > http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 20:02:08 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Don't forget about the Nuckalavee... Damage: 3d8 + death > > (why bother rolling for the 3d8??) You get a save vs. DR to avoid for each claw attack. There's also the Neckrozon, where "complete surprise" automatically kills someone with its gaze, and the sting of the nightcrawler, which does 2d4 damage, save vs. poison at -2 or die, and has a 1 in 8 chance of killing the victim outright, no saving throw! Actually, the nightcrawler is a pretty good opponent for very high level PCs, as long as they're used sparingly. ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 19:49:09 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: Mystaran Monsters Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Of course, all these monsters help keep the human popluation of Mystara in check. We would not want them overpopulating the planet and driving all other species into extinction ;-) Multizar the Mage >From: Dan Eustace >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Mystaran Monsters >Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 20:02:08 -0400 > > > Don't forget about the Nuckalavee... Damage: 3d8 + death > > > > (why bother rolling for the 3d8??) > >You get a save vs. DR to avoid for each claw attack. > >There's also the Neckrozon, where "complete surprise" automatically kills >someone with its gaze, and the sting of the nightcrawler, which does 2d4 >damage, save vs. poison at -2 or die, and has a 1 in 8 chance of killing >the >victim outright, no saving throw! > >Actually, the nightcrawler is a pretty good opponent for very high level >PCs, as long as they're used sparingly. > >******************************************************************** >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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 01:55:31 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 8 Oct 2001 18:50:56 George Hrabovsky wrote: >In my campaign occasionally PCs die. That's part of the story. If it >happens, so be it. Of course. I didn't say my campaign was any different. Several PCs have died. Yet only rarely have people tried to resurrect them. > If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there >is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. > Obviously. > There >should be creatures whose attacks are so fearsome that anyone might die as a >result. This keeps even the high-level characters cautious. > Yes. That's why I do have instant death attacks IMC. Still, an attack that gives a character a chance to survive after the battle wouldn't violate that (I use the -10 rule, but only the player and I are allowed to know how far below 0 he is - the rest will have to take the chance of how long they dare hesitate to heal him!) > This teaches >players that fighting is not always the first choice, you might need to >negotiate, or use stealth, or just avoid that thing... > You don't need instant death attacks for that. You can bet that my players (whose characters are levels 9 to 12) still think twice (or thrice) before they pick a fight with an Alphatian archmage, a lich, a tribe of frost giants, or a dragon or two! It's just that it's such an incredible anti-climax to have the characters defeat the fearful dragon (and there have been a few) only to have a character killed by some lame low-HD monster with an instant death attack during a random encounter on their way home from the adventure... - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 01:57:56 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: CotS - Magical Items appendix Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit My apologies for completely forgetting to post the final parts of this. Given the last month's events, it somehow slipped my mind until someone asked me about it. Here is the penultimate part... New Magic Items Assassin's Bouquet These simple to make and yet still highly effective magical items are all shaped as long stemmed flowers. The flowers can either be permanent magical items or contain charges (depending on a particular flower's magical effect). The permanent items are made from precious woods or ivory, while those having a limited number of charges are created using actual flower specimens. Each type is created from (or in the form of) a particular species of flower bearing plant. Permanent flowers always have a continuous effect, while charged items contain up to a maximum of 6 charges. To use a charged flower, the wielder typically throws the item to the ground. Once the bud strikes a hard surface (or creature), a charge is expended (causing a single petal to fall from the flower) and the magic takes effect. The majority of these items are created by priests in the Dark Petals Cult and are dispensed to assassins in that organization in order to enhance their performance. The assassins are well trained in the use of these items. Blue Tulip This long stemmed tulip has lustrous dark petals and blood red stamen. Once activated it produces an effect identical to the bane spell on all of those who are opposed to its user. Caster Level: 3rd Prerequisites: Craft Wonderous Item, bane. Weight: -- (single use, use activated) Market Price: 50gp Cost to Create: 25gp + 2XP (6 charge item) Market Price: 90gp Cost to Create: 45gp + 3XP (use activated) Market Price: 2,000gp Cost to Create: 1,000gp + 80XP Cream Orchid The petals of a cream orchid are in a constant state of flux, and appear as a thick smokey substance. Once thrown to the ground it produces a thick layer of fog 30 ft in radius and 20 ft high. Most of these items are created as single use, use activated items because they are designed to be left behind during a quick get away. Caster Level: 3rd Prerequisites: Craft Wonderous Item, obscuring mists. Weight: -- (single use, use activated) Market Price: 50gp Cost to Create: 25gp + 2XP (6 charge item) Market Price: 90gp Cost to Create: 45gp + 3XP (use activated) Market Price: 2,000gp Cost to Create: 1,000gp + 80XP Violet Poppy This flower is beautiful, and always in pristine condition. Neither bruise nor blemish mars a single one of its petals. Once thrown to the ground, the flower produces the effect of a Silence spell (see the PHB), as cast by a 3rd level cleric. Many of these items are made as 6 charge items. They are more cost effective than single charge items, but only if the assassin succeeds. Use activated poppys continually emit silence. There is no way (short of a dispel magic spell) to dampen their effect. Caster Level: 3rd Prerequisites: Craft Wonderous Item, silence. Weight: -- (single use, use activated) Market Price: 300gp Cost to Create: 150gp + 12XP (6 charge item) Market Price: 864gp Cost to Create: 432gp + 34XP (use activated) Market Price: 12,000gp Cost to Create: 6,000gp + 480XP Crimson Rose This dark rose has petals the color of dried blood. Once activated, the rose casts darkness in a 20 foot radius. Many of these items are made as 6 charge items. They are more cost effective than single charge items, but only if the assassin succeeds. Use activated roses continually emit darkness, and must be stored in light proof containers to allow normal lighting conditions to return. Caster Level: 3rd Prerequisites: Craft Wonderous Item, darkness. Weight: -- (single use, use activated) Market Price: 300gp Cost to Create: 150gp + 12XP (6 charge item) Market Price: 864gp Cost to Create: 432gp + 34XP (use activated) Market Price: 12,000gp Cost to Create: 6,000gp + 480XP SWORDS OF WAYLAND: Lohnibbog --------- This sword is a short sword +3. It is crafted of a strange black metal or alloy that no character will be able to identify. Its handle is likewise made of a strange black material, although it is different from the material used for the actual blade. The sword has its name - Lohnibbog - written on the blade, although this is not immediately obvious, since it is written with very thin magical letters that are as black as the blade itself. Characters with an unusually good touch sense may be able to feel the presence of the letters, but they cannot read them in any way. Nobody can even see that the letters are there unless a Detect Magic or True Seeing spell is used. Even then, the letters will be unintelligible unless somebody casts a Read Magic or True Seeing spell in order to read them. If an Identify or similar spell is used, or if somebody simply wields the weapon, it will appear to be identical to any unintelligent magical short sword of +3 enchantment. Awakening: To awaken the powers of the sword, a character must use it to slay at least two hobgoblins, and either use it in a successful backstabbing attempt or simply have owned the sword for at least four months. If the owner is a thief, and therefore able to use the sword to sneak attack his enemies, the sword is intelligent enough to empathically make the owner understand that he should kill hobgoblins (when it can detect them) and use it when sneak attacking an enemy, although this is just a feeling that it passes to its owner - the sword has no power to command such an action. None of the other powers of the sword will be usable until at least two of the conditions of the sword have been met. Powers: Once the powers of the sword awaken, Lohnibbog comes into its full potential, and it also becomes a bane to hobgoblins. It is thereafter an intelligent short sword +5, double damage vs. hobgoblins. Lohnibbog's ability scores are as follows: Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12. It has a chaotic neutral alignment and an Ego of 17. If a hobgoblin is unfortunate enough to be hit by this sword, he automatically suffers double damage. If the sword scores a critical hit against a hobgoblin, severity is determined as if Lohnibbog were a long sword rather than a short sword, and the hobgoblin suffers triple damage instead of just double damage (or quadruple damage, if he would normally suffer triple damage). Curse: The owner suffers a -2 penalty to any Fortitude saving throw roll while in possession of the sword. Humanoid Detection: The blade will glow with a pale white whenever a humanoid of the seven goblinoid races other than a hobgoblin (bugbear, gnoll, goblin, kobold, ogre, orc, troll, or any subspecies) are within 50 feet of the sword. The owner can command the sword not to do so, although the power will then go dormant until the owner orders it to function again. Specific Detection: The sword will also give off a discreet but distinct reddish-brown glow and impose a wierd throbbing sensation to the owner whenever a hobgoblin is within 100 yards (300 feet) of it. If the owner does not desire the sword to glow in this way, he can command the sword not to without speaking even a single word before it starts glowing at all. The throbbing sensation, however, will not go away, unless taken beyond the range of hobgoblins, of course. If commanded not to glow, this power will cease until the owner commands otherwise. Extraordinary Powers: Lohnibbog's extraordinary power is most useful to thieves or persons with thieving tendencies. This power has also earned the sword the nickname of "Backstabber". The sword either improves certain thieving skills of the owner (if he is a thief, ranger, or bard) or bestows minor thieving skills upon him (if he has no thieving skills). The sword improves or bestows the following skills: * Move Silently * Hide * Listen * Climb The power of the sword is such that it will either improve each of these skills by a +2 bonus (if the character already has such a skill) or bestow the skill upon the character with a rank of 6 (as a third level rogue) for as long as the owner carries the sword around with him. The sword also bestows the rogue's ability to perform a sneak attack to any character. Characters who already possess the sneak attack ability will have it improved by +1d6, so a third level rogue who normally has a sneak attack of +2d6 will be able to make a sneak attack of +3d6 while using Lohnibbog. Lore: This sword can be used to discover the whereabouts of the Third Sword of Wayland, Roc. If the owner seeks to find the sword, Lohnibbog will empathically inform him that he needs to slay one hobgoblin (which Lohnibbog hates) and one orc (which Roc hates). Once this is done, the owner must also sacrifice some object he considers useful or which has personal sentimental value (any permanent magical item will do) to Wayland. Thereafter, the owner of Lohnibbog can get general directions to the current location of Roc once per day for the next 112 days (four months). If he still has not found Roc by then, he must slay another hobgoblin and another orc to make the power work for another four months, but does not have to sacrifice another valuable object to Wayland. History: This sword is said to have been wielded by a halfling named Belden Battlebur when the halflings revolted against the orcs that had conquered their lands (the Five Shires) at one time. However, Belden was killed in the early parts of the revolt and the sword was then lost. Other accounts of the sword seem to suggest that it has been carried across a great amount of Mystara's surface. For example, one legend says that one of the descendants of Wogar the Wolf-Lord (a goblin king and conqueror) wielded the sword at one point, while another story claims that it was wielded by Tendre, an Alphatian gnome warrior, who used it to slay a great number of hobgoblins until he was killed himself by a band of trolls. A third story claims that this sword was wielded by the halfling heroine called Holly Journeyfoot in the battles that eventually drove the Thyatians out of Ierendi, while a fourth tale claims that a Thyatian thief known only as Sneaky once wielded the sword. Other rumors of Sneaky would have it that he was actually one of the mortal incarnations of Korotiku, the Immortal of trickery, also called the Trickster or the Spider. It has also been claimed that this sword has been successfully used to assassinate several of the Rajadhirajas of Sayr Ulan in the Kingdom of Sind. Roc --- This sword is a broad sword +2. It appears to be made completely of some sort of rock or stone that seems to be of a bluish gray quality. If someone watches the sword intently for a moment, he may be able to notice a subtle blue wave of magical energy that seems to quietly glide over the blade. Other than that, the blade looks quite plain, except for the strange runes that are inscribed on it. These can be read only through the use of Read Magic or True Seeing, which will reveal the word Roc, the name of the sword. The basket hilt or shell guard of the weapon is of exceptional quality, however, for it seems to be made of adamantite, and is therefore very hard. If Identify is used or the weapon is wielded in combat, Roc will appear to be an unintelligent magical broad sword of +2 enchantment. Awakening: Awakening the powers of Roc is quite easy, for the owner must have had the sword for a week and killed an orc with it (note that it must be a true orc; a half-orc will not suffice). As if this was not simple enough, the sword will itself attempt to use empathy to give the owner the feeling that he should find and kill an orc with it, although it cannot command the owner to do so. Once the sword awakens, the owner will always feel the intent of the sword to slay any orc it senses around it, and the owner will immediately be able to use any of the powers described below. Powers: When Roc is awakened, it becomes more powerful and its fury towards orcs becomes obvious, as it immediately functions as a +5 sword when used against any orc. The sword is hereafter a broad sword +3, bane to orcs +5 (1d8/crit 19-20/x2). However, the awakened sword also has several other potent fighting powers (see below). Any orc hit by this sword will suffer double damage, once it is awakened. Treat this weapon as a "keen blade" with a +1 critical hit modifier when attacking orcs (1d8/crit 17-20/x3). Roc will also grant anyone attacking an orc the Improved Critical feat, as long as the wielder meets the prerequisites (proficiency with weapon - which Roc may bestow [see below], and a +8 base attack bonus or higher). Such a wielder would be able to increase the critical hit modifier by an additional +1 (1d8/crit 15-20/x4). This means that anyone attacking an orc with this weapon will have a critical hit threat range of 17-20, while a wielder meeting the prerequisites for the Imporved Critical feat would have a threat range of 15-20. Once awakened, the sword will reveal its lawful neutral alignment. It's ability scores are as follows: Int 14, Wis 10, Chr 10, and it has an Ego of 16. Curse: The owner suffers a -1 penalty to all skill checks that he makes while in posssession of this weapon. Humanoid Detection: The blade will glow with a pale white whenever a humanoid of the seven goblinoid races other than an orc (bugbear, gnoll, goblin, hobgoblin, kobold, ogre, troll, or any subspecies) are within 30 feet of the sword. The owner can command the sword not to do so, although the power will then go dormant until the owner orders it to function again. Specific Detection: If the sword comes within a range of 150 yards (450 feet) of an orc, it will immediately begin flashing between green and red. This flashing is quite distinct and cannot be stopped or hidden unless the owner hides the sword somehow. The sword will not cease flashing until taken beyond the range at which it can detect orcs. Extraordinary Powers: Roc has several extraordinary powers. Anyone wielding Roc is automatically proficient with it, since it bestows proficiency upon them itself if they are not proficient with broad swords. The only exception to this are people who are for some reason forbidden to use a broad sword, which would, of course, include priests who are forbidden to use sharp or edged weapons or otherwise barred from using a broad sword, such as druids. Likewise, the sword cannot bestow proficiency upon a single classed wizard (unless he already has proficiency with a similar sword, such as a long sword). However, anyone else can use this weapon even if they are not usually proficient with broad swords. Roc also has fighting capabilties of its own, for it will bestow a bonus of +2 to any base attack rolls in addition to the bonuses that the owner already gets from wielding this enchanted sword. Even so, Roc has its own pride and will never have a final Attack bonus lower than +10 - if the owner does not by himself have a final Attack bonus of +10 or greater , Roc will replace the +2 bonus with a final Attack bonus of +10. The minimum Attack bonus of Roc is not cumulative with bonuses from Strength, magic (whether from the sword itself or any other magical source), any combat related feats, or racial or class bonuses of any kind. Note that Roc automatically senses if the owner is fighting orcs. If he does, the bonus to attack rolls is increased to +3 instead of +2 or the Attack bonus of the owner is improved to +12 rather than +10. Roc automatically bestows the one of these two bonuses that is more advantageous to the owner (i.e., the one that gives him the highest Attack bonus). Furthermore, those with the Expertise feat can use the basket hilt of a broad sword to add a +1 bonus to their AC. Roc however, is a far more powerful and magical weapon. In addition to granting the Expertise feat to anyone who does not possess it, Roc will also allow the owner of the sword to add a +3 to AC twice per round, without sacrificing any of his normal attacks. The user of the sword can still sacrifice attack points (up to 5) in order to increase AC normally. Lore: Unlike most of the other swords of Wayland, Roc actively informs and seeks to make its owner search for Longl, the Fourth Sword of Wayland. While Roc is apparently unable to reveal the name of the Fourth Sword to its owner, it will use its powers of empathy to influence the dreams of the owner at least once every full moon. In the dreams of the owner, Roc will usually take the form of a bard or some other person that the owner would perceive as friendly and reveal clues as to the current location of the Fourth Sword of Wayland. However, this clue will always take the form of a poem or rhyme. This ability has also earned Roc the nickname of "Dream-bard" or even "Dreamsinger." History: Several people are believed to have wielded this sword over the years. Some dwarven legends claim that the sword played a key role in the Battle of Sardal Pass in the year BC 492, when the dwarven hero Duric Orcsbane, son of Morur, killed many orcs with it, at which time the dwarves won a major victory over the orcs and established the dwarven nation of Rockhome. The sword's extraordinary powers against orcs is also supposed to have earned it the name "Orcslayer" at that occasion. Similarly, it is also said, that the sword was once wielded by the human paladin Oliver Attleson in the defense of the city of Corunglain in Darokin against hordes of invading orcs. When the city was eventually overrun by the orcs, the sword was lost. Later, however, it is said that the elven fighter/mage Alarrain used the sword against the humanoid hordes led by the evil human wizard, Illodious, against Alfheim. Some stories actually claim that Alarrain himself used the sword to slay Illodious, but this is uncertain. Several unconfirmed stories also claim that the sword was wielded by a Thyatian warrior named Gaius Keldonion on many occasions. Since both Gaius Keldonion the Elder and his son, Gaius Keldonion the Younger, are well-known adventurers of the history of Thyatis, it is quite likely that the sword was wielded by both of them. However, a much more recent rumor claims that the sword had fallen into the hands of Hadric Telmar, a Merchant Prince from the Minrothad Guilds. Unfortunately, it is a well known fact that Hadric and his entire ship and crew mysteriously disappeared a couple of years ago. The Corruption of the Swords campaign by John Calvin, Max Monas, and Jens "Stalker" Schnabel. Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 20:56:33 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: George Hrabovsky Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit If a random encounter comes up that will produce such an anti-climax then ignore it. There is nothing that says that you must have a given random encounter once the adventure is "over." On the way in, that's fine and can be seen as part of the struggle to achieve the objective. I have always found that a suitable reward for a job well done (or at lease adequately completed) is to allow the to get back home. :-) George ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Stalker" To: Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 7:55 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) > On Mon, 8 Oct 2001 18:50:56 > George Hrabovsky wrote: > >In my campaign occasionally PCs die. That's part of the story. If it > >happens, so be it. > > Of course. I didn't say my campaign was any different. Several PCs have died. Yet only rarely have people tried to resurrect them. > > > If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there > >is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. > > > > Obviously. > > > There > >should be creatures whose attacks are so fearsome that anyone might die as a > >result. This keeps even the high-level characters cautious. > > > > Yes. That's why I do have instant death attacks IMC. Still, an attack that gives a character a chance to survive after the battle wouldn't violate that (I use the -10 rule, but only the player and I are allowed to know how far below 0 he is - the rest will have to take the chance of how long they dare hesitate to heal him!) > > > This teaches > >players that fighting is not always the first choice, you might need to > >negotiate, or use stealth, or just avoid that thing... > > > > You don't need instant death attacks for that. You can bet that my players (whose characters are levels 9 to 12) still think twice (or thrice) before they pick a fight with an Alphatian archmage, a lich, a tribe of frost giants, or a dragon or two! > > It's just that it's such an incredible anti-climax to have the characters defeat the fearful dragon (and there have been a few) only to have a character killed by some lame low-HD monster with an instant death attack during a random encounter on their way home from the adventure... > > > - The Stalker > > > > Get 250 color business cards for FREE! > http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ******************************************************************** 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, 8 Oct 2001 22:41:35 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Glantri Questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Gaz3 is excellent and packed with more information than any other gazetteer I've seen, but sometimes its organization makes things hard to find. Thus, my questions: Do the laws in the section "Life in Glantri City" (pp.49-51) only apply to Glantri City, or to the entire nation? If it applies everywhere, most adventurers are going to need licenses just to enter the country... except that they have to go to the city to get the license. So they'll have to travel there without weapons, armor, or spells, or else risk a felony. I can imagine a fighter in remote wilderness meeting a wandering archmage and failing to produce the requisite license papers... :-) Is each principality pretty much autonomous (can set whatever laws it likes) or is the law consistent, more-or-less? Could a principality make religion legal? Didn't I hear about an underground "church" somewhere in the principalities? I am assuming that thw bureaucracy would inform travellers at border crossings of local laws. They could be a very nasty surprise for the ignorant. Could a cleric masquerade as an Arcaner, by imitating an arcane spell? I'm thinking in 3e this would require a Spellcraft check, or maybe a Bluff check, but the consequences for failure would be brutal. Merely believing in a religion carries a hefty penalty, even for non-clerics. Given the ease with which it can be detected (ESP in OD&D or Detect Thoughts in 3e), Glantri seems a very bad place for religous folk to go, unless they have a very high Will save. Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Harvey gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 09:14:06 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Glantri Questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > Gaz3 is excellent and packed with more information than any other > gazetteer I've seen, but sometimes its organization makes things hard > to find. Thus, my questions: > > Do the laws in the section "Life in Glantri City" (pp.49-51) > only apply to Glantri City, or to the entire nation? If it applies > everywhere, most adventurers are going to need licenses just to enter > the country... except that they have to go to the city to get the > license. So they'll have to travel there without weapons, armor, or > spells, or else risk a felony. I can imagine a fighter in remote > wilderness meeting a wandering archmage and failing to produce the > requisite license papers... :-) The law about papers does apply to the entire country. I suppose border officers can release a temporary permit, which should confirmed within a set time by the appropriate offices in the city. Weapons would have to be left at the frontier post. Since the only frontier where legal visitors are likely to pass is the one with the Broken Lands, the journey to Glantri City is not very long or dangerous. > Is each principality pretty much autonomous (can set whatever laws it > likes) or is the law consistent, more-or-less? Could a principality > make religion legal? Didn't I hear about an underground "church" > somewhere in the principalities? The principalities are autonomous, but the Princes are subjct to the laws concerning treason: making religion legal would be high treason. "Underground" churches are not sanctioned by the Princes, though some Princes do support them (ex: elven treekeepers in Erewan). I suppose the underground churches you heard about are non-canon stuff, since there no mention of churches in the Gaz (other than the Temple of Rad, of course). > Could a cleric masquerade as an Arcaner, by imitating an arcane > spell? I'm thinking in 3e this would require a Spellcraft check, or > maybe a Bluff check, but the consequences for failure would be > brutal. They can just avoid casting spells and displaying holy symbols :) But they could be discovered anyway by magical examination. > Merely believing in a religion carries a hefty penalty, even for > non-clerics. Given the ease with which it can be detected (ESP in > OD&D or Detect Thoughts in 3e), Glantri seems a very bad place for > religous folk to go, unless they have a very high Will save. It is. The only limit the Glantrian Censorship may have is lack of resources (checking a long frontier for trespassers, scanning everyone who passes the frontier is pretty costly, unless you employ high level mages, or a lot of magical items). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 02:50:52 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: George Hrabovsky Subject: Re: Glantri Questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit One way that I use IMC is to require entry visas acquired at the network of Glantrian embassies. This way people can get licenses ahead of time. George ----- Original Message ----- From: "Agathokles" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 2:14 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Glantri Questions > Gaz3 is excellent and packed with more information than any other > gazetteer I've seen, but sometimes its organization makes things hard > to find. Thus, my questions: > > Do the laws in the section "Life in Glantri City" (pp.49-51) > only apply to Glantri City, or to the entire nation? If it applies > everywhere, most adventurers are going to need licenses just to enter > the country... except that they have to go to the city to get the > license. So they'll have to travel there without weapons, armor, or > spells, or else risk a felony. I can imagine a fighter in remote > wilderness meeting a wandering archmage and failing to produce the > requisite license papers... :-) The law about papers does apply to the entire country. I suppose border officers can release a temporary permit, which should confirmed within a set time by the appropriate offices in the city. Weapons would have to be left at the frontier post. Since the only frontier where legal visitors are likely to pass is the one with the Broken Lands, the journey to Glantri City is not very long or dangerous. > Is each principality pretty much autonomous (can set whatever laws it > likes) or is the law consistent, more-or-less? Could a principality > make religion legal? Didn't I hear about an underground "church" > somewhere in the principalities? The principalities are autonomous, but the Princes are subjct to the laws concerning treason: making religion legal would be high treason. "Underground" churches are not sanctioned by the Princes, though some Princes do support them (ex: elven treekeepers in Erewan). I suppose the underground churches you heard about are non-canon stuff, since there no mention of churches in the Gaz (other than the Temple of Rad, of course). > Could a cleric masquerade as an Arcaner, by imitating an arcane > spell? I'm thinking in 3e this would require a Spellcraft check, or > maybe a Bluff check, but the consequences for failure would be > brutal. They can just avoid casting spells and displaying holy symbols :) But they could be discovered anyway by magical examination. > Merely believing in a religion carries a hefty penalty, even for > non-clerics. Given the ease with which it can be detected (ESP in > OD&D or Detect Thoughts in 3e), Glantri seems a very bad place for > religous folk to go, unless they have a very high Will save. It is. The only limit the Glantrian Censorship may have is lack of resources (checking a long frontier for trespassers, scanning everyone who passes the frontier is pretty costly, unless you employ high level mages, or a lot of magical items). -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** 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. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 08:55:21 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Fang of Fyrgus MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Historical Lore: The Fang of Fyrgus was originally crafted for the >Alphatian >assassin Jherel. To craft this weapon, Jherel hired the services of the >Alphatian mage, Fyrgus. The mage hired dwarvish craftsmen to make the >dagger >and defensive mechanism. Jherel added the enchantments. When the assassin >came for his blade, Fyrgus changed his mind and refused to close the deal. >He >cited that the assassin was not worthy of the blade. > >Fyrgus was outraged, but backed down for the moment. He was certain that >the >mage had taken magical precautions before refusing the deal. The assassin Starting at this point the text gets very confusing, you seem to be mistaking the assasin and the wizards name in several places. Read your description from this point on and you'll see what I mean.>> okay....that name discrepancy is intentional. Just for a clarification, Fyrgus was an assassin and therefore implied a thief class character. As such he would need a mage to craft an enchanted item. Jherel was the mage he hired to craft the weapon. Jherel in turn "subcontracted out" part of the work to the dwarves. I left the dwarves' identities anonymous to hopefully prevent some name confusion. Additional confusion comes from the dagger being named after its intended purchaser instead of the mage that oversaw its creation. Originally there was a blurb on why the blade retained Fyrgus's name. Afterall, Fyrgus never possessed the blade whereas the blade was mostly would have came into prominence through Jherel and his offspring, then later through the ShadowHand. Sorry if there was any confusion. I omitted the paragraph out of my own inability to get the point across without making the passage overly elongated. Below is a shortened version. I still left out a bit where there is an implied curse to the blade. Omitted portion: "In spite of never having actually weilded the dagger, the weapon still bears the name of its original intended owner. Jherel gained a degree of notoriety from dispatching the infamous assassin. He subsequently began identifying the dagger as the Fang of Fyrgus and using it as a trophy." ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 09:16:05 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item Query MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Glad they made it through. I did not want to resend them if there was no need. My "one-item-a-day" schedule has been disrupted enough as is. I expected feedback on the Scarab because it is so wierd. Not everyday you have a gender altering Nithian magical item. Likewise, I was wondering if the readership caught the part of the change in the role and perception of the female. Basically, ancient cultures being more male oriented and dominated and females being "harmless baby making homebodies" (see Milenia and Nithia). In a female guise security would be more lax. In more modern Mystaran cultures, genders are mostly equal. Therefore the "timid woman" guise loses its effectiveness. Therefore the scarab becomes a novelty item...or at least a potentially dangerous means to alter one's identity. The Hearth Stone was a utility item. Nothing really controversial or anything about it. Such items are for setting fodder and atmosphere. Plus they are fairly easy to write up and do not require alot of game mechanics information. I'll mainly post these when my prior item was rather long, I am feeling lazy, or I am constrained for time. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 09:16:18 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Helm of Dirov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <<> If he wants +10 hp I dont see why he cant have it. > It was a general consideration, not a suggestion it could work in his campaign or whatever. I'm sorry I didn't put a "IMC, I would rather..." or another disclaimer, but I thought it was pretty clear from the discussion!>> Actually I appreciated the input....everyone's input. My campaign is dead and it is doubtful that I will ever actively play or DM a Mystaran campaign again. As such I lack that "tester base" for my projects. Though Giampaolo (as well as others) and myself have clashed over matters I do appreciated his (and their) perspectives. My campaign probably varied a good bit from others on the MML. We were very detail oriented and yes we were magic heavy. We focused heavily upon the individualistic and roguish attitude/lifestyle of the adventurer. Magic was affluent both for the adventuers and their opposition. PCs had to exploit every option they could to survive. This included updating their armors, weapons, and items. Many times their list of equipment was a mixed hodgepodge; ex. mismatched pieces of armor. Alot of this carries over into my post gaming works. Admitedly it plays the devil for a DM running the thing, but we often used two DM in a campaign. Items such as the Helm are not intended for newb characters. Experience and trustwortiness are stressed in the item's history. If further restraints are required, i would suggest that the Helm could only be weilded to its full extent by a Traladaran of name level or of noble heritage. If those requirements are not met, only one power is activated. I would make it random too, each time the helm is donned. That way it makes it less predictable for a stubborn owner. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 09:20:42 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Giant Slayer MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Giant Slayer Stats: 1d8 +2, +4 vs. Giant; natural 20 on attack roll means for death. Giant Slayer has a big wicked spearhead. The weapon was designed to kill giants. Magical enchantments add to the inflated damage. The weapon has a slight chance of slaying a giant with one shot. Description: Giant Slayer is a spear measuring 9 feet in length. The spearhead is flat, with a serrated edge. The head is made of black steel and measures almost 1 foot in length. The base of the spear head has a crossbar that acts as a guard. The spear shaft is made of a thick span of ash wood. The weapon looks thin and delicate, more like an oversized throwing javelin than a melee fighting spear. Historic Lore: Giant Slayer was crafted specifically to meet the incursions of hill giants upon outlying settlements in Helskir. Unfortunately, only one was made. The warrior met initial success, but the giants quickly adapted their attacks against him. They sent in their orge minions, while they hurled stones from a distance. The ogres used the spear as a spit as they cooked the fallen warrior for their meal. The spear became the weapon of the giants' chieftain. The giants and orgres were eventually destroyed by a group of adventurers. Giant Slayer was recovered and used to hoist high the head of the giant chieftain. The adventurers sold the spear and left. The buyer decided to give the spear to the family of their slain hero. The spear remained with them for 20 years. Falling upon hard times, the family sold Giant Slayer for a meager sum. The new owner was a Thyatian officer who planned on using the spear as the basis for his unit's battle standard. However, the officer lost interest in the project and sold the spear in West Portage. The buyer took it back to Thyatis where it was sold again. This buyer was Lord Milton Canbius, a member of the Order of the White Drake. In AC 960 Lord Milton was forced into hiding in Retebius from Thincol's purging. He died soonafter, leaving the spear to the Knights of the Air. Giant Slayer was used as an aerial lance, its giant killing attributes ignored. During the Great War, the Giant Slayer was thought lost as its weilder was struck from the air by Alphatian air units. The spear was found by Thyatian peasants and is currently resting in small town's blacksmith shop. The smith has no idea what he has. He merely sees it as an pike or a light lance. DMs Notes: Giant Slayer is a super spear designed to kill giants. However, it is flawed and should not be considered to be a true Spear of Giant Slaying. The spear is set to be discovered by chance by a group of adventurers. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 16:31:37 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >Because, as you say, losing a PC is no fun, particularly not if you have >played him for years. Sure, D&D has spells that bring back the dead, but >those come at a cost and somehow seem like cheating. They are actually used >very rarely IMC, and practically never by the PCs... After all, how would >you feel if they had just resurrected Sturm in Dragonlance or characters in >most other fantasy literature? How about Boromir in Lord of the Rings? > > I remember a discussion on the list about this, the main points were poeple may not want to be brought back from "paradise", the after-life. And for religious reason some poeple would not be willing to this cast on them. Also you could rule that you need a priest of character`s immortals. As a house rule also, I make all resurecting spells one level higher in my campaign and remove 10% from the system shock roll that must be passed in order to be revived. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 16:34:46 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Karameikan Decorations Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >Nice! Good idea too. Since Stefan will soon send the PCs IMC to help >Darokin fight of Thar's hordes during WOTI, they could well be on their way >to be awared the "The Blazing Fist". > >Anyone care to do something similar for other Mystaran nations? It would be >nice to see some Darokinian equivalents and I imagine Thyatis would be >swamped with various sorts of medals and awards. > > I did those because one of my player was thinking of scrapping his current karameikos character ( a level 2 paladin in a secondary game which we play once every 2 weeks ). But when he receive the title of court lord he got very interested in his character, so I though to create more awards for my PC`s to get. I know these have been done for the Heldannic Territories, but I would be surprised if your PCs would be awarded those. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 14:40:54 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Magic Item Query MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I think the "harmless baby making homebody" scenario would backfire most likely. After all, if a woman who is supposed to be veiled and 6 feet behind the man is suddenly nosing about male only areas...and taking an interest in politics... You get the idea. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alex Benson" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 9:16 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Magic Item Query > Glad they made it through. I did not want to resend them if there was no > need. My "one-item-a-day" schedule has been disrupted enough as is. > > I expected feedback on the Scarab because it is so wierd. Not everyday you > have a gender altering Nithian magical item. Likewise, I was wondering if the > readership caught the part of the change in the role and perception of the > female. Basically, ancient cultures being more male oriented and dominated > and females being "harmless baby making homebodies" (see Milenia and Nithia). > In a female guise security would be more lax. > > In more modern Mystaran cultures, genders are mostly equal. Therefore the > "timid woman" guise loses its effectiveness. Therefore the scarab becomes a > novelty item...or at least a potentially dangerous means to alter one's > identity. > > The Hearth Stone was a utility item. Nothing really controversial or anything > about it. Such items are for setting fodder and atmosphere. Plus they are > fairly easy to write up and do not require alot of game mechanics > information. I'll mainly post these when my prior item was rather long, I am > feeling lazy, or I am constrained for time. > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 21:04:47 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit To avoid the "cheap resurrection" feeling in our campaigns, we enforced a house rule, based more on role-playing than on mechanics: a character who voluntarily takes an act which would likely result in his death and he does it while following his beliefs (religious, alignment, quest for immortality, quest for political power or artifact creation, etc), is *gone*, say absorbed by the afterlife which fits him... That prevents heroic actions for losing all their risk and romanticism (what's the point of sacrificing oneself by single-handedly fending off that dragon for a few rounds if your friends are going to resurrect you or wish you back to life?) I find raise dead and similar stuff fair when battling bad luck (like death by poison) or the big advantages of dark necromancy (all your henchmen snuffed out by that wizard's death spell before you can ever roll initiative), in those cases i assume that the "soul" is lingering around the body for a while and really powerful magic can help it back. My players like "final death" risks when it's good role-playing and action, not just when it's some single roll and a spell effect. Clones are a problem too, still, none of my PCs has ever gotten access to the clone spell, but if it happened, my idea is to consider that cloning technology in mystara is very far from perfect for cloning living beings (it's ok to clone a dead body to be used in golem or undead creation, though), so I will develop a very unpleasant list of mutations and hazards... any suggestions?? Andrés ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 19:56:45 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item Query Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >I think the "harmless baby making homebody" scenario would backfire most >likely. After all, if a woman who is supposed to be veiled and 6 feet >behind the man is suddenly nosing about male only areas...and taking an >interest in politics... > >You get the idea. > ??? Veil, politic ??? What would backfire... actually real-world greek really relegated women to a secondary role, and mileneans are based after them. I think im missing something here. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 15:58:10 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) In-Reply-To: <000801c150f5$46125260$d49698c1@uchicago.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT On Tue, 9 Oct 2001, Andrés Piquer Otero wrote: > though), so I will develop a very unpleasant list of mutations and > hazards... any suggestions?? I've always like the idea that the clone spell just reproduces the "body" of the dead person, but little to nothing of the mind or skills of the person. The Clone may remember small flashes and snippets of the former life, but he/she will never "be" that person again, even though he may be an exact duplicate. Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 00:09:01 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 8 Oct 2001 20:56:33 George Hrabovsky wrote: >If a random encounter comes up that will produce such an anti-climax then >ignore it. There is nothing that says that you must have a given random >encounter once the adventure is "over." On the way in, that's fine and can >be seen as part of the struggle to achieve the objective. I have always >found that a suitable reward for a job well done (or at lease adequately >completed) is to allow the to get back home. :-) > Actually, I don't run that many random encounters for just that reason. My complaint is more that it would be nice if the rules were written to take that into account and save me the trouble. That hasn't happened yet in any edition of D&D, though... - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 00:26:15 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Karameikan Decorations Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 9 Oct 2001 16:34:46 Gilles Leblanc wrote: >> (snip) > >I did those because one of my player was thinking of scrapping his current >karameikos character ( a level 2 paladin in a secondary game which we play >once every 2 weeks ). But when he receive the title of court lord he got >very interested in his character, so I though to create more awards for my >PC`s to get. I know these have been done for the Heldannic Territories, but >I would be surprised if your PCs would be awarded those. > LOL. So would I - they genuinely *hate* the HKs with a vengeance after we played Phase II of WOTI (so you see that I had nothing to do with setting that up!) ;) - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 23:50:07 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there >is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. This is exactly how I feel and one of my player feels too. The problem is my other two players don`t feel that way, one in particular is even opposed to this. Me and my player who feels the same way as I do ( Alex for clarity ) used to be players in Planescape under Yves ( the anti pc-death player ). Me and Alex stoped playing ( we were the only player so the group disbanded ) because we were frustrated Yves would not let our player die to the point when we were fighting some fiends and suddenly as Alex fell uncouscious the fiends mysteriously retreated ! We stopped telling him when we were near 0 hp because enemies didnt even touch us no matter what when we said "Oh no, im gonna die". Also he would say things like, no you don`t want to open that, it might be trapped. Also he like watching Japaneese cartoon ( called anime ) were the heros are invicible, extremely powerful and always succeed, I think that carries into his style of DMing and playing. The problem is, even if a single NPCs die he gets angry and outraged. When a PC died he left the place were we were playing angrily, slamming the front door behind him. Problem is he's a good friend of many years, and also he leaves the group if friend ( the third player ) will leave. Leaving us with 1 DM, 1 player and no Mystara fan in vincity. I really don't know how to approach him to convince him that PCs could die in a campaign, that I shouldnt jinx all the dice rolls and provide a DEUS EX MACHINA, everytime. For one part Alex would like to be challenged, and I feel cheap as a DM. Im currently running some compromise where im half-jinxing and while in this group, so far only a NPC has died and several times have poeple been uncouscious and one time the PCs didnt succeed at a quest. But even then I can clearly see he isnt happy with the way things are. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 20:53:44 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Magic Item Query MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit For a man to take the disguise of a woman in order to get into sensitive areas...or to query the populace about things that a woman shouldn't be asking about...would be working backwards. Does that make it any more clear? If the culture dictates that women are not to take an interest in politics, but the spy pc who has turned himself into a woman goes around asking about the latest edicts of the king...then that's going to start the eyebrows raising. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gilles Leblanc" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 3:56 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Magic Item Query > >I think the "harmless baby making homebody" scenario would backfire most > >likely. After all, if a woman who is supposed to be veiled and 6 feet > >behind the man is suddenly nosing about male only areas...and taking an > >interest in politics... > > > >You get the idea. > > > > > ??? Veil, politic ??? What would backfire... actually real-world greek > really relegated women to a secondary role, and mileneans are based after > them. I think im missing something here. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 02:31:04 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 9 Oct 2001 23:50:07 Gilles Leblanc wrote: >>If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there >>is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. > > >This is exactly how I feel and one of my player feels too. The problem is my >other two players don`t feel that way, one in particular is even opposed to >this. Me and my player who feels the same way as I do ( Alex for clarity ) >used to be players in Planescape under Yves ( the anti pc-death player ). Me >and Alex stoped playing ( we were the only player so the group disbanded ) >because we were frustrated Yves would not let our player die to the point >when we were fighting some fiends and suddenly as Alex fell uncouscious the >fiends mysteriously retreated ! We stopped telling him when we were near 0 >hp because enemies didnt even touch us no matter what when we said "Oh no, >im gonna die". Also he would say things like, no you don`t want to open >that, it might be trapped. Also he like watching Japaneese cartoon ( called >anime ) were the heros are invicible, extremely powerful and always succeed, >I think that carries into his style of DMing and playing. > Oh dear. You have my sympathies (for whatever that's worth), because this is a pretty big problem. I don't go out of my way to kill the PCs and generally try to avoid overly threatening situations, but there certainly are times when I don't pull punches, and when I do those are the times the players remember. I remember in WOTI during the Master's invasion of the Darokin, the PCs went underground to destroy the manscorpion threat by killing the king and queen. During the final encounter, there was more than 50 manscorpions hunting them, all HD 8 and with deadly poison! Yes, they had poison antidotes, but with so many it could have been over quickly, and the most experienced characters was 9th level back then. The PCs managed to kill the king and queen and escaped by using a charge from a Ring of Three Wishes they had. I didn't plan for that, but I know I wouldn't have pulled punches there. There have been other times when I've put across powerful villains who gave them the option of surrender or death. Had they fought, it would have been the end of them! Yes, you're right - death is important in D&D. Imagine no death in fantasy literature and you know why. If this player has read Dragonlance or Lord of the Rings, try bringing up the heroic deaths of Sturm or Boromir respectively. Those books wouldn't have had nearly as much impact without those deaths. If you want to demonstrate death in a campaign, a good way is to kill a powerful NPC (in short, you can "red-shirt" a character, as they would say in Star Trek ;) ). This can have dramatic effect, particularly when the PCs think this character is invincible. For example, I use my "Stalker" character IMC, but if the drama demanded it, he would be sacrificed for the story. I've threatened his life several times toward that end. For example, Terari was a bit miffed at the PCs recently for having let him face danger alone. And last time they learned that his skyship was destroyed by Thyatians in a great battle during the war. They're still wondering about that one... The short version of all this is, for death to be real in a campaign, you don't necessarily need to kill the PCs, you just need to convince them that it can be real, even to them. >The problem is, even if a single NPCs die he gets angry and outraged. When a >PC died he left the place were we were playing angrily, slamming the front >door behind him. Problem is he's a good friend of many years, and also he >leaves the group if friend ( the third player ) will leave. Leaving us with >1 DM, 1 player and no Mystara fan in vincity. I really don't know how to >approach him to convince him that PCs could die in a campaign, that I >shouldnt jinx all the dice rolls and provide a DEUS EX MACHINA, everytime. > Well, that certainly sucks. Choose your friend or the campaign. An easy choice, of course, but not really a fair one :( >For one part Alex would like to be challenged, and I feel cheap as a DM. Im >currently running some compromise where im half-jinxing and while in this >group, so far only a NPC has died and several times have poeple been >uncouscious and one time the PCs didnt succeed at a quest. But even then I >can clearly see he isnt happy with the way things are. > If you can't kill PCs, what can you do instead? I mean, what would this person accept? After all, there are fates worse than death for a character. You could put a Geas or Quest spell on him, forcing him to do something he really doesn't want to. You could put a curse on him, perhaps making him a werewolf. You could lower his stats/hp/whatever or take away magical items. I find that when people realize what really *can* happen to their characters in D&D, they don't think of death as so bad anymore... - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 02:40:07 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Karameikan Decorations Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >LOL. So would I - they genuinely *hate* the HKs with a vengeance after we >played Phase II of WOTI (so you see that I had nothing to do with setting >that up!) ;) > Me too ! During phase II of WOTI they grew a big dislike ( I woudlnt say hate tough ) of Alphatia for enslaving the Neathar and of the HK in general... well I partly set that up as many following quests in the HW involved the HKs. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 02:41:13 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item Query Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >For a man to take the disguise of a woman in order to get into sensitive >areas...or to query the populace about things that a woman shouldn't be >asking about...would be working backwards. Does that make it any more >clear? If the culture dictates that women are not to take an interest in >politics, but the spy pc who has turned himself into a woman goes around >asking about the latest edicts of the king...then that's going to start the >eyebrows raising. > I see now. Sorry _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 02:51:49 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >If you can't kill PCs, what can you do instead? I mean, what would this >person accept? After all, there are fates worse than death for a character. >You could put a Geas or Quest spell on him, forcing him to do something he >really doesn't want to. You could put a curse on him, perhaps making him a >werewolf. You could lower his stats/hp/whatever or take away magical items. >I find that when people realize what really *can* happen to their >characters in D&D, they don't think of death as so bad anymore... > I think, I'll have to have a long talk with this player, try to work things out.... I guess it won't be easy tough... Thanks for you sympathy ;) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 22:55:20 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: David Knott Subject: Re: Glantri Questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Mike Harvey" > Gaz3 is excellent and packed with more information than any other > gazetteer I've seen, but sometimes its organization makes things hard > to find. Thus, my questions: > > Do the laws in the section "Life in Glantri City" (pp.49-51) > only apply to Glantri City, or to the entire nation? If it applies > everywhere, most adventurers are going to need licenses just to enter > the country... except that they have to go to the city to get the > license. So they'll have to travel there without weapons, armor, or > spells, or else risk a felony. I can imagine a fighter in remote > wilderness meeting a wandering archmage and failing to produce the > requisite license papers... :-) I don't think it is necessary to go to Glantri City for that purpose -- after all, many Glantrians never visit that city at all. I would imagine that most Glantrian embassies and border towns such as Trintan could take care of such licenses just as easily. I think a specific building in Glantri City was mentioned primarily for the benefit of city residents and visitors. > Is each principality pretty much autonomous (can set whatever laws it > likes) or is the law consistent, more-or-less? Could a principality > make religion legal? Didn't I hear about an underground "church" > somewhere in the principalities? They have a great deal of autonomy, but some laws are consistent throughout the nation. For example, as of 1000 AC religion is illegal throughout Glantri, as condoning it would constitute treason. However, when the national laws against religion are liberalized, local differences begin to crop up (thus, Boldavia still makes religion a capital crime, while other principalities enforce only the national laws in regard to religion). > I am assuming that thw bureaucracy would inform travellers at border > crossings of local laws. They could be a very nasty surprise for the > ignorant. I would imagine that people who are ignorant of the nature of Glantrian laws would be few and far between in the Known World. > Could a cleric masquerade as an Arcaner, by imitating an arcane > spell? I'm thinking in 3e this would require a Spellcraft check, or > maybe a Bluff check, but the consequences for failure would be > brutal. As Agathokles mentioned, a cleric would be better off trying to pass for a mundaner. > Merely believing in a religion carries a hefty penalty, even for > non-clerics. Given the ease with which it can be detected (ESP in > OD&D or Detect Thoughts in 3e), Glantri seems a very bad place for > religous folk to go, unless they have a very high Will save. Just as most visitors to Glantri are not ignorant of the nature of Glantri, Glantrians are not ignorant of the nature of other nations. If the religious thoughts of a non-native include "I must keep silent about my religion", I suspect that most Glantrian authorities would be satisfied that the person in question is properly intimidated. In any case, such scans seem to be reserved for people suspected of causing trouble -- otherwise, relations with Darokin would quickly deteriorate when visiting merchants are executed for having religious thoughts. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 23:07:58 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Trouble with the list? The Stalker wrote: Sorry I haven't replied to various queries about what's happening with the List; the dreaded real life caught up with me again for a week or so. Part of the problem (according to the Wizards people) seems to have come from the establishment of a separate sub-list for those people interested in discussing last month's attack. Word was passed down that it would be discontinued soon, so hopefully that should be resolved. If you continue to have problems receiving messages or digests, let me know. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 00:00:12 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there > >is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. I agree with this, to a point, but IMC I don't really limit the raise dead spells. This seems to be different than most of the list. Despite this, several PCs have been permanently killed and removed from the campaign. The threat is there, and PCs still don't like dying, even if they can be raised back. I struggled with this issue some years back, and finally just said, screw it. The players have fun, I have fun, and they like playing the PCs they have invested so much time in. So if they get killed, they can get raised (provided the body is recoverable and the PCs have access to those spells). I've even had guys raised fully in the middle of a battle to rejoin the fight. If you play with the same PCs long enough, sooner or later someone will miss a save or get nailed with a powerful attack. In fact, it isn't that uncommon, no matter how much you balance out the encounters. The examples from novels are good, as the deaths of Boromir and Sturm were both powerful events. But, in most D&D games, PC death is far more likely than in the novels. Note that I'm not opposed to the limitations and restrictions brought up by everyone else. If I were to start a new campaign from scratch, I would likely move to make raising a much rarer and miraculous feat. But, I wanted to present the other side of the coin, that using the rules as they are can also work and be fun for everyone without cheapening PC death, eliminating the dramatic final exit of a PC, or removing PC caution and bravery. I've had the players flee dragons, leaving dead comrades behind to be eaten, a PC captured while on a stealth mission was torn apart by monsters, a beholder disintegrated someone, and so on. Knowing that this has happened to their former companions makes them value their lives. Even though they can be raised, it is not guaranteed. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 00:26:46 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > The problem is, even if a single NPCs die he gets angry and outraged. When a > PC died he left the place were we were playing angrily, slamming the front > door behind him. Problem is he's a good friend of many years, and also he > leaves the group if friend ( the third player ) will leave. Leaving us with > 1 DM, 1 player and no Mystara fan in vincity. I really don't know how to > approach him to convince him that PCs could die in a campaign, that I > shouldnt jinx all the dice rolls and provide a DEUS EX MACHINA, everytime. > > For one part Alex would like to be challenged, and I feel cheap as a DM. Im > currently running some compromise where im half-jinxing and while in this > group, so far only a NPC has died and several times have poeple been > uncouscious and one time the PCs didnt succeed at a quest. But even then I > can clearly see he isnt happy with the way things are. Dude, I dealt with a very similar player for too many years. Running the game became secondary to wondering what this guy was going to get pissed off at next. His PC dying? Magic items are too lame? There are too few clues, this is frustrating! You made this easy on purpose! It was one gripe after another and far too many games were ruined and far too many hours were spent trying to smooth thinks out and talk everything over so that nothing would change. There would be stretches when it would go quite well, but inevitably, something would go wrong and the guy would snap "You targeted that spell at my PC on purpose!!" It's a shame, because he was a very good player except for this. He role-played well, developed his character, and got into the game. But, my campaign is better off without the distraction. PCs die in D&D and everything doesn't always go their way. That's the nature of the game. After appeasing him for too long and far too many "this is your last chances", he blew up at a session and he knew that he blew it. I left the door open for his return, if he ever REALLY showed that he could play like an adult, but it never happened. The campaign went on, new players also were recruited, and we don't deal with that kind of crap anymore. That was six years ago. My point is, don't be afraid to move on if you have to. It's not fair to you as a DM to have a player threaten to disrupt your game if it's not played on his terms. That is total BS. Try to talk to the guy, but if nothing changes let him walk. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 12:26:17 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: Re: Glantri Questions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The laws and the bureaucracy of Glantri City are existent all throughout Glantri, but not to the same extent as in the capital. The bureaucratic processes would probably be as prevalent in the larger cities, as well as border cities (a good welcome to foreginers!), probably be more lenient in frontier regions. As each Principality has a certain degree of autonomy, the bureacracy and law-enforcement take on different styles and feels in each region. The Aalbanese would be very strict about every particular license... The Flaemish would have arcane traditions and laws you never even heard off! (and are probably violating)... The Boldavian Constabulary would be spooky and make random license checks in the middle of the night... The Krondaharan bureaucrats would be very sexist, harass women, do not address them directly and treat them like property... ("Sir, do you have a license to keep this woman in your company?") The Caurenzans act more like gangsters and criminals rather than law-enforcers... Kit Navarro Glantrain Archduke www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 13:52:37 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: Relgious Cults in Glantri (was Glantri Questions) Comments: cc: Max Monas , Markus Montola , Marco Giulio Fossati , Jennifer Favia Guerra , =?iso-8859-1?Q?Harri_M=E4ki?= , Giovanni Porpora , Giampaolo Agosta , Andrew Theisen , Ohad Shaham MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hail Mystarans! The alleged underground churches of Glantri are nothing more than loose groups of clerics and followers of various Immortals. At best, they could be considered secret cults. Razud This Cypri Immortal is one of the few Immortals favorably acknoledged by the Flaems, and has the second largest following in Glantri, next to Rad. Razud has clerics all over Glantri, some even openly admitting their status (such as Pere Simon d'Ambreville), though not always with favorable results (such as Sir Bruce McGregor). Though the cult of Razud is officially illegal, Glantrians tend to be lenient towards private worship of Razud. Most mundaners disadvantaged by the magocracy turn to Razud, as he is the Patron of Self-Sufficiency and Resourcefulness. Rathanos The Flaems like this fiery Immortal and what he represents. They do not worship him, but they enjoy the legends and mythology surrounding the Patron of Fire. (I imagine the Glantrian attitudes towards such Immortals would be similar to how the Christians venerate, but not worship, the Graeco-Roman gods in the Renaissance age.) Vanya As one famous Alphatian once said, "Where Thyatians are, Vanya will be." Of course, the more ardent factions of Vanya's worshippers, such as the Heldannic Knights, are not welcome in Glantri, but a smaller cult has found its way among the Followers of the Claymore, who oppose the magocracy. Asterius The worship of Asterius is widespread throughout the Known World, Glantri included. But clerics of Asterius know not to flaunt local laws and do not organzie within the Principalities. Nevertheless, most parties of merchants, diplomats or even thieves, have one discreetly disguised cleric of Asterius. Ixion A small cult of Ixion, as Tabak the Law-Giver, exists in the frontier Principality of Bramyra. The Temple of Rad is openly hostile to clerics of Ixion in general. Jammudaru A cult of Jammudaru hide in Krondahar, attracted by allegations that illusionists of Krondahar have found their way to the Nightmare Dimension. Valerias The Secret Craft of Witchcraft have long been trying to quell rumors that a cult of all-women worshippers of Valerias exists in Belcadiz. Recent events (see MA1017) will surely complicate this matter. Palartarkan Before the Great Meteor Crash, a cult of the Alphatian Patron of Magic and Wizardry successfully made Blackhill its base of operations. Its agenda was scholarly and philanthropic (to promote wizardry and assist mundaners magically), as well as political and subversive (to spy for Alphatia and undermine the Glantrian magocracy). The secret of its success was Palartarkan's clerics can cast magic-user spells and could pass as wizards. It was opposed to the cult of Alphaks. Alphaks There is a cult of Alphaks in Boldavia, secretly but unofficially kept by Prince Morphial, himself a servant of the entropic Immortal. The Prince and the cultists are often at odds, and maintain a relationship based on mutual suspicion, mistrust and threats. There are also some clerics Alphaks among the Flaems and among the Blackhill Alphatians. Thanatos The cult of Thanatos originates from his thugee worhsippers from Sind, and work behind the scenes of the Unseen Hand. A few clerics of Thanatos also work secretly with the Followers of the Claymore. Nyx A small cult of Nyx is intent on seizing power from the Secret Craft of Necromancy. As such, it secretly supports the Death Masters of Klantyre, as well as the Boldavian Liberation Front against the Boldavian vampire lords. Terra This nature Immortal has a cult amongst the reclusive elves of Erewan, who have successfully kept its existence a secret to the rest of the Glantrians. Its ranks recently increased with the arrival of the Alfheim refugees. Among its supporters are Lady Tariana d'Ambreville (herself a cleric) and Sire Jean-Louis d'Ambreville. Kit Navarro Glantrian Archduke www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri www.geocities.com/paparazzi_glantri ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 02:51:41 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I had a similar problem once. 2 players thought I was being too mean and too hard, and one player thought it was fine. I mean, it also calls for some caution on the player's part. If a player was trying to run away, I would probably give him a chance. But, these guys were 3rd level and went up against a dragon which was my *hint* at them they were dealing with powers bigger than themselves. The 2 players quit cause they got killed, but I said "fine" cause I wasn't going to compromise my gaming for it. But later on, I ran another game which was "too easy" and they thought it was great. The other player thought it was really boring, but to each his own. I guess the point I'm trying to make is you can't please everyone all the time. The best you can do is just find a middle ground, or do what I do: whatever you want. Angelo ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gilles Leblanc" Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 5:50 PM Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) > >If there is no credible threat of death of PCs then there > >is no caution on the part of the players, and also no true bravery. > > > This is exactly how I feel and one of my player feels too. The problem is my > other two players don`t feel that way, one in particular is even opposed to > this. Me and my player who feels the same way as I do ( Alex for clarity ) > used to be players in Planescape under Yves ( the anti pc-death player ). Me > and Alex stoped playing ( we were the only player so the group disbanded ) > because we were frustrated Yves would not let our player die to the point > when we were fighting some fiends and suddenly as Alex fell uncouscious the > fiends mysteriously retreated ! We stopped telling him when we were near 0 > hp because enemies didnt even touch us no matter what when we said "Oh no, > im gonna die". Also he would say things like, no you don`t want to open > that, it might be trapped. Also he like watching Japaneese cartoon ( called > anime ) were the heros are invicible, extremely powerful and always succeed, > I think that carries into his style of DMing and playing. > > The problem is, even if a single NPCs die he gets angry and outraged. When a > PC died he left the place were we were playing angrily, slamming the front > door behind him. Problem is he's a good friend of many years, and also he > leaves the group if friend ( the third player ) will leave. Leaving us with > 1 DM, 1 player and no Mystara fan in vincity. I really don't know how to > approach him to convince him that PCs could die in a campaign, that I > shouldnt jinx all the dice rolls and provide a DEUS EX MACHINA, everytime. > > For one part Alex would like to be challenged, and I feel cheap as a DM. Im > currently running some compromise where im half-jinxing and while in this > group, so far only a NPC has died and several times have poeple been > uncouscious and one time the PCs didnt succeed at a quest. But even then I > can clearly see he isnt happy with the way things are. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 03:01:02 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well as far as I see it, the game isn't JUST for the DM. It's for the players too. I have the rule that I would never force a player to start another character, if they want to continue playing the character, they will be raised somehow, some way. Of course, most people still hate dying cause they lose all their items, they lose time, they lose the adventure, etc. And there are other consequences. A player was sent to assassinate a leader and stop a war, but he died, and the war occured. He wasn't raised until months later, with no items, etc. I'm also in favor of adjusting stats, scarring, etc. when someone dies. All in all, my players hate dying... But I've always seen the characters the players play somehow the most important characters in the game. They're the ones who are famous. They're the ones who seem to have a "mission" to accomplish, a destiny. With the feeling that they aren't just some nobody who goes on "adventures" it isn't so far fetched that they'd keep coming back. Of course if any player said, "my character sacrificed himself, and I want to start a new one" that's their right too. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Eustace" Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 10:00 PM Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) > I agree with this, to a point, but IMC I don't really limit the raise dead > spells. This seems to be different than most of the list. Despite this, > several PCs have been permanently killed and removed from the campaign. The > threat is there, and PCs still don't like dying, even if they can be raised > back. I struggled with this issue some years back, and finally just said, > screw it. The players have fun, I have fun, and they like playing the PCs > they have invested so much time in. So if they get killed, they can get > raised (provided the body is recoverable and the PCs have access to those > spells). I've even had guys raised fully in the middle of a battle to > rejoin the fight. If you play with the same PCs long enough, sooner or > later someone will miss a save or get nailed with a powerful attack. In ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 03:03:54 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yes, and I'd like to point out that you can still be friends even if you don't play D&D together. You have a talk, and explain that he's simply not allowed to act that way, but you still want to be his friend. It would be a shame if the only reason you were friends was because of D&D! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Eustace" Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 10:26 PM Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) > Dude, I dealt with a very similar player for too many years. Running the > game became secondary to wondering what this guy was going to get pissed off > at next. His PC dying? Magic items are too lame? There are too few clues, > this is frustrating! You made this easy on purpose! It was one gripe after > another and far too many games were ruined and far too many hours were spent > trying to smooth thinks out and talk everything over so that nothing would > change. There would be stretches when it would go quite well, but > inevitably, something would go wrong and the guy would snap "You targeted > that spell at my PC on purpose!!" It's a shame, because he was a very good > player except for this. He role-played well, developed his character, and > got into the game. But, my campaign is better off without the distraction. > PCs die in D&D and everything doesn't always go their way. That's the > nature of the game. After appeasing him for too long and far too many "this > is your last chances", he blew up at a session and he knew that he blew it. > I left the door open for his return, if he ever REALLY showed that he could > play like an adult, but it never happened. The campaign went on, new > players also were recruited, and we don't deal with that kind of crap > anymore. That was six years ago. My point is, don't be afraid to move on > if you have to. It's not fair to you as a DM to have a player threaten to > disrupt your game if it's not played on his terms. That is total BS. Try > to talk to the guy, but if nothing changes let him walk. > ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 11:32:08 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Relgious Cults in Glantri (was Glantri Questions) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > Hail Mystarans! > > The alleged underground churches of Glantri are nothing more than loose > groups of clerics and followers of various Immortals. At best, they could be > considered secret cults. I'll add that most cults in Glantri operate from insular areas (non-human or frontier settlements, e.g. Lupin communities in the Flaem Free Provinces) or secret societies (the Followers of Claymore, chiefly, the others having only small subsects linked to certain Immortals). Other cults (especially Ixion's) are supported by foreign powers, and I would think they are the ones who have more clerics (though not more followers) in Glantri, due to higher recruiting, training and cloaking facilities. Just to give some figures, you may gauge the size of Thanatos' cult from that of the Unseen Hand. Assuming the UH at 100 members, no more than 10% would be involved in the cult, and of the cultists, only 10% might be priests. That is, under these hypothesis, it is not even probable that Thanatos cult has more than one priest in Glantri. Many cults may even have no clerics (Alphaks' is a good candidate), just lay followers. The same would work for other societies or communities where religion is present. My conclusion: since there are so few priests, it is likely that they came from outside Glantri (otherwise, they would not have been able to receive training). All of this is IMO, and somewhat based on GPD and GIM works on the subject. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 09:13:09 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item Query MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <> I had a better analogy but was afraid it would be a breach of MML Code of=20 Conduct. anyway...i was trying to play on the cultural attribuites of ancien= t=20 Nithia (as preserved in HW-Nithia) where the female gender was to be pretty,= =20 be docile, be married off, make babies, and keep a good house. Toss in the=20 harem aspect and filling every desire of their man for good effect. Nothing=20 as damning as Taliban type gender dominance. That of course does not play in modern Mystara cultures. Erianda, Stafania,=20 assorted Glantrian Princesses, Tanaledayo (sp?...Shadow Elf chick)...just to= =20 name a few. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 09:26:37 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item Query MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <> of course such uses would have to be done carefully lest an overly=20 inquisitive "woman" be deamed overly ambitious or out of character...thus=20 drawing attention. such an agent would have to play the part and listen and=20 observe. in such a overly male dominent socety, woman would probably be=20 relagated to near item status (similar to slaves) and be forgotten in social= =20 interaction.=20 ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 16:07:57 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Gilles Leblanc wrote: > As a house rule also, I make all resurecting spells > one level higher in my > campaign and remove 10% from the system shock roll > that must be passed in > order to be revived. I agree that death by coincidence should be limited. There should be a risk of death in important conflicts or if the characters do something outright stupid. But death by a random encounter usually seems silly. Ofcourse, one way of dealing with that is to make that encounter significant. Maybe that monster was sent by someone who are important in the plot later? When it comes to monsters with Save or Die abilities, I'd be inclined to change the effect to that of a severe penalty. For instance, a poisonous creature migh instead cause a -10 penalty for 1 day and then death of the poison isnt treated (relevant skill or spell required). Ofcourse, these rules changes should be decided upon beforehand since it would be considered bad taste if it seems like the GM would have to step in and change the rules to save the PC. When it comes to the ressurection spell, I dont like the idea of limiting the effects of the spell. It is a very powerful spell, and it should stay that way. I would rather limit the number of people who have access to it. Keep in mind that no NPC in Karameikos has access to this spell in AC 1000. If the PCs are able to find a priest who is powerful enough and actually manage to convince him that this person is important enough to be brought back to life (bringing back just anybody would be considered by most as sacriledge), then the Immortals should have no problem accomplishing that. Even against the characters will, and maybe even faith. Havard ______________________________________________________ Nokia Game er her igjen. Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 14:23:28 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Brendan Corliss Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) In-Reply-To: <004401c15143$c625a8a0$92253c18@D56DN901> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii As far as style of play, I think balance is definitely the key. I played with a very experienced DM in several campaigns. Unfortunately, his campaigns started to go downhill after he started getting into computer RPG's. I got the feeling he looked at character death as commonplace due to the saved-game mentality of the computer versions. In our last campaign, every member of our party had died by 4th level. His attitude was "oh well... adventurers die". Oh yeah, he also consistently jacked up the stats of all the monster encounters. His philsophy became, "you guys will only appreciate an encounter if you aren't sure if you are going to survive it". He also seemed to have a policy of only considering an encounter useful if at least one character dropped in combat. Needless to say, it was nearly impossible to develop a character in that campaign... so we all quit. Fortunately, the DM is still our friend... he just doesn't run games anymore (I think he was burned out anyway). -Damon aka Brendan Corliss Corliss Enterprises, Ltd. Darokin City ===== May all your endeavors be Gold! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 14:52:01 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: New home for Ice Queen MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit http://odin.prohosting.com/~cblade/ This is where I'm keeping the Ice Queen game. If anyone has trouble with this site, please let me know. - Angelo - http://members.fortunecity.com/abertoll/ ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 22:29:45 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Well as far as I see it, the game isn't JUST for the DM. It's for the > players too. Absolutely. I have the rule that I would never force a player to start > another character, if they want to continue playing the character, they will > be raised somehow, some way. Of course, most people still hate dying cause > they lose all their items, they lose time, they lose the adventure, etc. > And there are other consequences. A player was sent to assassinate a leader > and stop a war, but he died, and the war occured. He wasn't raised until > months later, with no items, etc. I'm also in favor of adjusting stats, > scarring, etc. when someone dies. All in all, my players hate dying... Yes, and sometimes they hate losing items even more! A PC got killed by a creature with a poison attack (actually he was the cleric, so he could not be cured). Instead of just letting him die, I had an Azcan high priest and his entourage arrive, neutralize the poison, and claim the PC as their sacrifice. The player didn't play the character for some time, while the others went on a quest to rescue him, which finally they did - but the character had no equipment whatsoever. He took it hard at first, but eventually came to see it as a challenge to play with no equipment and to gain new items. > But I've always seen the characters the players play somehow the most > important characters in the game. They're the ones who are famous. They're > the ones who seem to have a "mission" to accomplish, a destiny. With the > feeling that they aren't just some nobody who goes on "adventures" it isn't > so far fetched that they'd keep coming back. Yes, my campaign is similar to this, too. It is based around 3 high level PCs who have built dominions with considerable resources, including chaplains who can raise dead. They progressed over the years from heroes to major world players, and they had a hand in most of the major events in the campaign's recent history (20-25 years). Since they are the focal point of the whole campaign, its fine for them to get raised now and then. They have earned it. ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 00:47:40 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Wed, 10 Oct 2001 00:00:12 Dan Eustace wrote: (snip) > I've even had guys raised fully in the middle of a battle to >rejoin the fight. This is just the sort of thing I dread. Don't ask me why, but somehow having a person dead one moment and then up and slashing the next seems somehow tacky to me... The gods/Immortals might interact on the characters behalf and restore their friend, but I think they would do so according to their own time schedule, not the group's desire to have their friend back during a battle. Then again, since no character IMC can cast Resurrection (or is likely to anytime soon, if ever), this is not much a problem for me. But it is the sort of situation I prefer to avoid. > The examples from novels are good, as the deaths of Boromir and >Sturm were both powerful events. But, in most D&D games, PC death is far >more likely than in the novels. Yes, and this is a very good and important point! RPGs may be dramatic, but they are not novels. It is impossible to build to a dramatic moment like those because you cannot tell if a character will die during a specific battle since more people (the players) have an active impact in how the story evolves, not just the person telling the story (the DM). Or at least, this likely wouldn't happen if the DM runs a fair game. I might fudge rolls toward that end myself, but I would not really kill the character since it would be grossly unfair. I might let the players think so momentarily, though. In the novels, the author can build to the dramatic moment of death. In the Dragonlance Chronicles, Sturm's death is foreshadowed as early as the group meets that unicorn in Darken Wood who tells them that they do not mourn those who die fulfilling their destiny. You can't do that for the PCs. You could do it for an NPC, but it would not have the same dramatic impact. This basic truth of RPGs also prevents most "fun and wacky" campaigns. I have a good time when I read Terry Pratchett's novels, but I cannot run a campaign in the same style because no matter how close Rincewind and Two-Flower are to death when they face trolls, fight dragons, or are even being pushed over the edge of Discworld, the reader *knows* they won't die! They can't die! If they did, it would ruin the story. Basing an RPG on the same principle is practically impossible. At least, I don't see how it would be. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 00:55:37 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: CotS - New Monster appendix Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, this appendix is the final part of Phase I of the "Corruption of the Swords" campaign. It lists only one monster, so take a look. Since this is last part of Phase I, I'd like to thanks those who have commented - your feedback is what makes us write this stuff, especially when we should be asleep :) If you have any questions, don't hesitate to make them, either here or to me or John personally. -- New Monsters Sword Wraith Creating a Sword Wraith Sword Wraith is a template that can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the "character"), provided that the character is a now dead, and did at some time in the past, possess and use one of the Swords of Wayland. Sword Wraiths are created through complex dark rituals. It is important to know which of the swords that a particular wraith wielded during its life as that sword has a bearing on a wraiths special powers. Hit Dice: Increase to d12. 7 HD, or as the character, whichever is greater. Speed: Same as the character AC: +4 or the character's natural armor, whichever is better Damage: Same as the Sword of Wayland that created it. Special Attacks: A Sword Wraith retains all of the special attacks of the character, as well as those listed below. Special Qualities: A Sword Wraith retains all of the special qualities of the character, as well as those listed below, and also gains the undead type. Magical Sustenance: A Sword Wraith draws magical energy in from spell effects and magical items that are near it. The creature is able to derive several benefits based on the number and type of magical effects that it draws upon. [See table below.] Saves: Add an additional +3 Fortitude, +2 Reflex, and +4 Will to the characters original scores. Abilities: Same as the character except for Constitution. As an undead, Sword Wraiths have no Constitution. Skills: Same as the character. Feats: Same as the character. Climate/Terrain: Any Organization: Solitary or (1-7 if all seven have been created) Challenge Rating: Same as the character +2 (minimum of 4) Treasure: None Alignment: Any evil Advancement: By character class, or by the favored class of the sword that created it. Sword Wraiths are horrible undead monsters created through the corruption of the Swords of Wayland. They are the animated forms of the bodies former sword-holders fused with the corrupted intelligence of the individual sword. The result is an intelligence which is part sword-holder, part corrupted sword, and part overwhelming evil. Because the bodies of the former sword-holders are frequently decayed to various degrees, a Sword Wraith can take almost any form depending on the level of decomposition of the body when it was turned into a Sword Wraith, so one could easily be mistaken for some form of skeleton, zombie, ghoul, mummy, or other well known undead. If the body was only recently killed (perhaps even for the specific purpose of turning it into a Sword Wraith!), it can even resemble a vampire, or indeed be completely indistinguishable from a living creature of its species unless some magical means is employed to determine its undead nature. No matter how the Sword Wraith looks, though, it is always carrying a weapon of the type that spawned it, and it has all the abilities of that particular sword. The curse of the Sword Wraith is such that it feeds not just on the lifeforce of the living, but it also draws its power from magic around it. It gains its existence from a Sword of Wayland, but it can become far more powerful from the ambience of magic around, particularly magical items and, to a lesser degree, magical spells. Many an adventurer has lost his life to this fact in that he was carrying more magical items around than was good for him... In truth, Sword Wraith are still closer to wraiths than other undead - the creature is primarily a manifestation of the sword's corrupted intelligence, which still survives even if the body is destroyed, though this can be extremely difficult to notice. The sword carried by the creature is a pure manifestation of the Sword of Wayland which was corrupted to create it - the sword has no true substance, and does not exist in a physical sense. If a Sword Wraith is killed in combat, it merely means that its host body is destroyed, but the actual manifestation of its curse persists in an ethereal state much like a ghost, which means that in time it can heal itself and then, perhaps, reanimate its dead host body or even find a new one. While in this ethereal state it is harmless to creatures of the Prime Material plane, though. Combat: As the name implies, Sword Wraiths are powerful sword masters. They base their power on the skills of the body they inhabit, but they always have at least the Hit Dice, Attack bonuses, Number of Attacks, Intelligence, and Armor Class indicated above. If that of the host body was better at the time of the host's death, however, that amount is used instead. If the host's body was able to cast spells or was a master swordsman, then the Sword Wraith will possess those skills also. Sword Wraiths use swords as weapons so they don't have special touch attacks such as paralysis (like ghouls), Strength drain (like shadows), or energy drain (like wraiths). In addition, Sword Wraiths get bonuses depending on the amount of magic within 30 feet. The DM should total up the amount of magic used by the party prior to meeting a Sword Wraith. For all active magical items, a +1 is added to the table below for every 4,000 gp (or xp value times five) worth of total magical items. These including constantly active items such as magical armors or Rings of Protection, etc., but not items which are totally inactive when not actually used, such as a Wand of Magic Missiles (in case of confusion, a magical item falls into the former category, e.g., a Staff of the Magi which has many charged functions, but still has some powers which are always active). For spells, only spells that are active over a period of time are counted (not Magic Missiles, Fireballs, or Cure Light Wounds, which are all instantaneous). For each spell of 3rd, 4th, or 5th-level (e.g., Stoneskin, Fire Shield, Minor Globe of Invulnerability), add a +1 to the table below, add +2 for each spell of 6th or 7th level, and +3 for any 8th or 9th level spells. For each +1, the Sword Wraith gains another of the bonuses below. If the list reaches the end, it starts over. All bonuses on the list are cumulative (except the 'Hit only by...' bonus). Magical Sustenance +1 bonus to AC +2 bonus to AC +1 bonus to all saves Protection from Good effect on Sword Wraith + 10% Magic Resistance +2 bonus to AC +2 bonus to attack rolls +3 bonus to damage rolls +3 bonus to damage rolls Prayer effect on Sword Wraith +10% Magic Resistance +3 bonus to AC +2 bonus to all saves +2 bonus to attack rolls +2 bonus to damage rolls +10% Magic Resistance Sword Wraith may heal 1d8 x 10 percent of sustained damage once per day. Sword Wraiths may be hit only by silver or magical weapons. A vial of holy water causes 2d4 points of damage to a Sword Wraith, and it can be turned by priests as a ghost. Sword Wraiths are not harmed by sunlight as such, but they hate the brightness of the day and prefer to stalk the nights. They lose most of their special powers when facing the sun, so they shun it. They seem impervious to spells such as Continual Light, however. Like most undead, Sword Wraiths are immune to Sleep, Charm, Hold, Death, or cold-based spells. These undead have one special weakness, however. If the Sword of Wayland that was used to create a specific Sword of Wayland is used against it, it is very dangerous to it. A Sword of Wayland used to create a Sword Wraith becomes dormant and is merely a Sword +1 of its type until the Sword Wraith with which it has been cursed is destroyed, yet against that Sword Wraith the sword is still +5 to attack and damage. Every time the Sword Wraith is hit by that sword it must roll a Fortitude saving throw against DC 15 or take an additional 1d8 points of damage and then roll a Will save, also against DC 15. If the latter save is also missed, the Sword Wraith is utterly destroyed, and the Sword of Wayland is freed from the curse bestowed upon it by the Sword Wraith's existence. It is not known what the actual goals or preferences of Sword Wraiths are, but given that they were created by corrupting magic, they are probably servants of some dark entity, perhaps seeking out powerful magic on Mystara, such as other Swords of Wayland. Habitat/Society: Sword Wraiths are created by dark rituals and evil magic. Some say that spells such as Reincarnate or Trap the Soul may be used during the creation of such a creature, but little is actually known of this. Some say that the creation of a Sword Wraith requires a living, beating heart, so blood sacrifices are required to complete this horrible curse. If the body of a dead sword-holder was missing a limb, that limb must be replaced by a new one during the process, so it's possible to meet Sword-Wraiths which are nothing but skeletons except for an arm which has only just started to decompose! Needless to say, the creation of Sword Wraiths are tied in no small part to Immortals of Entropy and their servants, or perhaps even more ominous powers, so few indeed will known of these undead sword masters. It is probably safe to assume that no more than one can exist for each sword at any given time, though. On the other hand, there is some speculation that it is actually required only to have the body of a former sword-holder, not the actual sword, to create a Sword Wraith, though having both certainly makes the rituals easier... Ecology: Sword Wraiths have no natural place on Mystara and exist solely to perform their own dark purposes. They are an abomination of nature and a hideous corruption of life. Initial Sword Wraith of 'Lohnibbog' Victor Mauricio, human Ftr5: CR 5; Medium Humanoid (5 ft. 10 in. tall); HD 5d10+5; hp 39; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atks +8 melee, +5 ranged (1d6+3/crit 18-20/x2); SA ; AL NG; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 17, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 6. Skills: Climb +11, Jump +11. Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Sunder, Improved Unarmed Strike, Cleave, Great Cleave. Victor Mauricio,Sword Wraith Ftr5: CR 7; Medium Humanoid (5 ft. 10 in. tall); HD 7d12; hp 42; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+4 natural); Atks +13 (+5 sword) melee, +5 ranged (1d6+5/crit 19-20/x2); SA sneak attack (+1d6); AL NE; SV Fort +6(+3 template, -2 curse), Ref +3(+2 template), Will +5(+4 template); Str 17, Dex 11, Con --, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 6. Skills: Climb +13 (+2 sword), Jump +11, Move Silently +6, Hide +6, Listen +6. Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Sunder, Improved Unarmed Strike, Cleave, Great Cleave. Possessions: None. This is the first Sword Wraith created by the cult and the first the PCs will meet. It is the animated body of Victor Mauricio, a 5th-level fighter from Darokin who found the sword during an adventure and used it until he was killed during his adventures. The cult was then able to excavate his body and animate it. Victor wasn't very experienced, so the Sword Wraith will have only the basic stats plus those of the sword Lohnibbog. The Sword Wraith also gains bonuses for magical items carried and spells used by the PCs as described above. The Corruption of the Swords campaign by John Calvin, Max Monas, and Jens "Stalker" Schnabel. Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 01:31:01 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: The problem with death (was: Mystaran Monsters) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Wed, 10 Oct 2001 14:23:28 Brendan Corliss wrote: >As far as style of play, I think balance is definitely >the key. > >I played with a very experienced DM in several >campaigns. Unfortunately, his campaigns started to go >downhill after he started getting into computer RPG's. >I got the feeling he looked at character death as >commonplace due to the saved-game mentality of the >computer versions. > Yes, don't you just miss those save-games when you're a player now and then? Often have I said or heard people to say to me as DM, "Okay, I think we should save the game now!" ;) This is a strange matter, though. I have played and enjoyed many computer RPGs, but I've never understood the attraction it had over the real thing - to me it's just a relief and distraction (and an unfulfilling one at that) when I feel like playing the real thing. Buldur's Gate or Diablo II may be fun for a while, but I'll turn them off in a second if someone offers the real thing (and the Diablo games aren't even RPGs if you ask me). I recently played one call "The Summoner", which was reasonable with an okay user-interface and an excellent story (there *is* actually a really good reason why the evil emperor doesn't kill a captured hero!) I do know what you're referring to. I faced the problem at one time that a player really liked those games and preferred to see our characters the same way (nothing more than a collection of stats on a piece of paper). This was a problem because I clearly preferred the actual role-playing and the storytelling process. Several players backed this person on his criticism and I altered my style a little, but not enough for this person. Shortly after he stopped playing. Do I blame him? Not at all. To each his own. However, I cannot run a game I don't value as a DM myself, and the rest of us are still having fun. >In our last campaign, every member of our party had >died by 4th level. His attitude was "oh well... >adventurers die". Oh yeah, he also consistently jacked >up the stats of all the monster encounters. His >philsophy became, "you guys will only appreciate an >encounter if you aren't sure if you are going to >survive it". He also seemed to have a policy of only >considering an encounter useful if at least one >character dropped in combat. > That's brutal! It's one thing that he wants his game to be challenging, but he could at least consider whether people are having fun. This doesn't sound very fun to me. I hate D&D games where I have to fear for my characters life *every* time we meet a group of kobolds... Another annoying aspect of such campaigns is that the characters are likely to meet only powerful opponents randomly. The second all the characters are about level 7 or so, they stop ever having random encounters with groups of 5 to 10 orcs or kobolds or so. Ever! Why? Because it's no challenge. Fair enough, but it is also totally illogical - Mystara isn't suddenly depopulated of orcs just because a bunch of PCs reached level 7. I do let my group of PCs (all level 9+) meet such encounters, though I don't bother playing them out (what would be the point?) - I just tell them, "Well, during the night a group of 10 orcs attack you. However, the guard was alert and you kill some and chase the rest off without trouble. You find little of value. The next day..." and then I move on. It doesn't affect the game and I don't really give xp or treasure for it since there was no challenge, but it does the encounters honest. However, if the encounter is with a large dragon it's another matter. >Needless to say, it was nearly impossible to develop a >character in that campaign... so we all quit. >Fortunately, the DM is still our friend... he just >doesn't run games anymore (I think he was burned out >anyway). > Good for you. It doesn't always turn out that way. Sometimes these things can end friendships :( - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 09:38:14 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Glenn Butcher Subject: Re: CotS - New Monster appendix In-Reply-To: ; from alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM on Fri, Oct 12, 2001 at 12:55:37AM +0100 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Since this seems to be in 3rd ed rules, I'll comment as such. On Fri, Oct 12, 2001 at 12:55:37AM +0100, The Stalker wrote: > AC: +4 or the character's natural armor, whichever is better Just say it's +4 AC (natural). > Special Attacks: A Sword Wraith retains all of the special attacks of the character, as well as those listed below. Make it a template. Stat bonuses rather than save bonuses? Like the vampire maybe: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. Maybe some bonuses to skills or some bonus feats. On the other hand, the magic item ability below is nasty enough... > Magical Sustenance Are these cumulative with each other? The MR makes it look like it is. If so, I'd really hate the meet them with a lot of magic! You should mention the gp value is for 3rd ed, and the xp value x5 is for other editions. > > +1 bonus to AC > +2 bonus to AC > +1 bonus to all saves > Protection from Good effect on Sword Wraith > + 10% Magic Resistance Magic resistance? You mean spell resistance. I'd suggest SR of char level -5. > +2 bonus to AC > +2 bonus to attack rolls > +3 bonus to damage rolls > +3 bonus to damage rolls > Prayer effect on Sword Wraith > +10% Magic Resistance SR of character level. > +3 bonus to AC > +2 bonus to all saves > +2 bonus to attack rolls > +2 bonus to damage rolls > +10% Magic Resistance SR of character level +5 > Sword Wraith may heal 1d8 x 10 percent of sustained damage once per day. > > > > Sword Wraiths may be hit only by silver or magical weapons. A vial of holy water causes 2d4 points of damage to a Sword Wraith, and it can be turned by priests as a ghost. Make it damage resistance 10/silver, and turn resistance +3. [big snip] Lots of neat ideas, thanks for posting. -- Glenn Butcher knight@ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au | "I take off all my magic, and finger -l for PGP public key | never, ever use any artifact http://www.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au/~knight/ | again." ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 01:53:21 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: CotS - New Monster appendix Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Okay, this appendix is the final part of Phase I of the "Corruption of the >Swords" campaign. It lists only one monster, so take a look. > >Since this is last part of Phase I, I'd like to thanks those who have >commented - your feedback is what makes us write this stuff, especially >when we should be asleep :) > >If you have any questions, don't hesitate to make them, either here or to >me or John personally. > > BTW nice work, altough I havent read this monster yet or all your Corruption of Sword campaign, I did start looking into it a few days ago. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 01:19:55 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: CotS - New Monster appendix Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 12 Oct 2001 09:38:14 Glenn Butcher wrote: >Since this seems to be in 3rd ed rules, I'll comment as such. > It is indeed in 3e, as is the entire adventure. >On Fri, Oct 12, 2001 at 12:55:37AM +0100, The Stalker wrote: >> AC: +4 or the character's natural armor, whichever is better > >Just say it's +4 AC (natural). > Okay. We just wanted to avoid confusion, but maybe we ended up creating it instead. >> Special Attacks: A Sword Wraith retains all of the special attacks of the character, as well as those listed below. > >Make it a template. It should be a template as it is. > Stat bonuses rather than save bonuses? Like the vampire >maybe: Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4. Maybe some bonuses to skills or >some bonus feats. On the other hand, the magic item ability below is nasty >enough... > >> Magical Sustenance > >Are these cumulative with each other? The MR makes it look like it is. If so, >I'd really hate the meet them with a lot of magic! > Each bonus is indeed cumulative, so you're right when you say having lots of magic makes them tough. That's part of the attraction and menace of these creatures. We needed a creature with a special ability we hadn't seen before and this is it. The original version seemed pretty tame since it wasn't all that different from other undead, so why bother having it at all? The answer was to give it this skill so that it both became different and original, and at the same time became a bane to those players who love to carry around huge amounts of magical stuff they never use. In a sense it regulates the difficulty that way - if the warrior has a +4 sword, that is an obvious benefit, but it doesn't make the encounter easier since the Sword Wraith also becomes more fearsome. >You should mention the gp value is for 3rd ed, and the xp value x5 is for >other editions. > >> >> +1 bonus to AC >> +2 bonus to AC >> +1 bonus to all saves >> Protection from Good effect on Sword Wraith >> + 10% Magic Resistance > >Magic resistance? You mean spell resistance. I'd suggest SR of char level -5. > I guess the problem arose because I wrote the original in 2e terms (which I was more familiar with) and John then edited it and converted it into 3e. But you're correct, it should have been spell resistance instead. I guess we missed that one. Thanks for pointing that out. Still, as I understand Spell Resistance, it is a fixed amount for a creature, isn't it? A modifier like this should be added as a bonus to the Sword Wraith's fixed SR. Now, since it doesn't have one, the initial SR would be 0. You would then add the bonus each time it applies on the table. Since 3e uses a d20 to determine resistance and 2e 1d100, this might translate into a +2 bonus, but then a character's level applies in 3e whereas it does not in 2e. Somehow +5 seems a bit too much, though. I'd say +4 each time instead. >> +2 bonus to AC >> +2 bonus to attack rolls >> +3 bonus to damage rolls >> +3 bonus to damage rolls >> Prayer effect on Sword Wraith >> +10% Magic Resistance > >SR of character level. > Correct, same as mentioned above. >> +3 bonus to AC >> +2 bonus to all saves >> +2 bonus to attack rolls >> +2 bonus to damage rolls >> +10% Magic Resistance > >SR of character level +5 > Yes. I'd drop that to +4, but you might be right. >> Sword Wraith may heal 1d8 x 10 percent of sustained damage once per day. >> >> >> >> Sword Wraiths may be hit only by silver or magical weapons. A vial of holy water causes 2d4 points of damage to a Sword Wraith, and it can be turned by priests as a ghost. > >Make it damage resistance 10/silver, and turn resistance +3. > If that makes it easier, sure. >[big snip] > >Lots of neat ideas, thanks for posting. > Thanks. And thanks for your comments. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 01:27:59 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: CotS - New Monster appendix Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 12 Oct 2001 01:53:21 Gilles Leblanc wrote: >>Okay, this appendix is the final part of Phase I of the "Corruption of the >>Swords" campaign. It lists only one monster, so take a look. >> >>Since this is last part of Phase I, I'd like to thanks those who have >>commented - your feedback is what makes us write this stuff, especially >>when we should be asleep :) >> >>If you have any questions, don't hesitate to make them, either here or to >>me or John personally. >> >> > > >BTW nice work, altough I havent read this monster yet or all your Corruption >of Sword campaign, I did start looking into it a few days ago. > I suspect most people share that feeling about most stuff posted here. Giulio Caroletti wrote some Swanamutu stuff a while back that looks good and Geoff Gander and James Ruhland wrote an article on secretive Mystaran organizations in the last Tome of Mystara that seems to be brilliant, yet I have yet to read through it all. So I know well what this sort of thing is like - usually we just copy it all and then save it on our harddrives for when we do have time look at it. Those times seem never to come... But I do hope that if it does for some people, they will post their comments. That's certainly what I intend to do on the stuff I haven't read yet, but intend to. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 15:35:37 +1000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Michael Diehm Subject: KARAMEIKAN DOMINIONS Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Is it posible to have a full listing of Karameikan dominions for this year's almanac? It is hard keeping track of the changes, particularly new dominions and the elevation of existing dominions which should receive additional territory. As a lot of campaigns are based in Karameikos, I think this would be beneficial. Is it possible to change the name of Yuschiev's Barony of Rugalov to distinguish it from Lutescu's Estate of Rugalov. Cheers _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 22:39:15 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Web Warlock Subject: There is a new dark satellite over the skies of PlanetADnD! In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 VGhlcmUgaXMgYSBuZXcgZGFyayBzYXRlbGxpdGUgb3ZlciB0aGUgc2tpZXMgb2YgUGxhbmV0QURu RCENCg0KVGhlIE90aGVyIFNpZGUgaGFzIG1vdmVkIHNlcnZlcnMgYW5kIGlzIG5vdyByZS1vcGVu IGZvciBldmVyeW9uZSENCllvdSBjYW4gZmluZCBtZSBhdCwNCmh0dHA6Ly9wbGFuZXRhZG5kLmNv bS90aGVvdGhlcnNpZGUvDQoNClRoZSBPdGhlciBTaWRlIGlzIGhvbWUgdG8gdGhlIE5ldGJvb2tz IG9mIFdpdGNoZXMgYW5kIFdhcmxvY2tzIGFuZCB3ZSBhcmUgcHJvdWQgdG8gYmUgcGFydCBvZiBQ bGFuZXRBRG5ELmNvbS4NCg0KSW4gYWRkaXRpb24gdG8gYWxsIHRoZSB0aGluZ3MgSSB1c2VkIHRv IGhhdmUsIEkgY2FuIG5vdyBvZmZlciBzb21lIG9mIHRoZSBiZXN0IG5ldGJvb2tzIGZvciB0aGUg KkQmRCAxc3QsIDJuZCBhbmQgM3JkIGVkaXRpb24gZ2FtZXMuICBQbHVzIHdlIGhhdmUgYmVlbiBn aXZlbiBjdXN0b2RpYW5zaGlwIG9mIE9saWsncyByZXZpZXdzIGZyb20gaGlzIGZvcm1lciBOZXRi b29rIHdlYnNpdGUuICBGZXcgc2l0ZXMgaGF2ZSBiZWVuIGFyb3VuZCBhcyBsb25nIGFzIE9saWsn cywgbm93IGhpcyB3b3JrIGxpdmVzIG9uIGFzIHBhcnQgb2YgUGxhbmV0QURuRC4NCg0KWW91IGNh biBhbHNvIGZpbmQgYWxsIG9mIG15IDJuZCBFZGl0aW9uIG1vbnN0ZXJzIGZyb20gYWxsIG15IG5l dGJvb2tzIGluIGVhc3kgdG8gdXNlIG9ubGluZSB2ZXJzaW9ucy4NCg0KQWxzbyBJIGhhdmUgbWVy Z2VkIG15IGxpbmtzIGRhdGFiYXNlLCBmb3J1bXMgYW5kIGJvb2tzdG9yZSB3aXRoIFBsYW5ldEFE bkQncy4gIElmIHlvdSBjYW4ndCBmaW5kIGl0IGhlcmUsIGl0IGlzIHByb2JhYmx5IG5vdCBvbiB0 aGUgbmV0Lg0KDQpTdG9wIGJ5IHRvZGF5IGFuZCBoYXZlIGEgbG9vayBhcm91bmQuICBJIGFtIHN0 aWxsIHJlYnVpbGRpbmcsIGJ1dCBhbGwgdGhlIGdvb2Qgc3R1ZmYgaXMgdGhlcmUhIElmIHlvdSBo YXZlIGFueSBzdWdnZXN0aW9ucyBub3cgaXMgYSBncmVhdCB0aW1lIHRvIGxldCBtZSBrbm93IQ0K DQpQUy4gIElmIEkgZ2V0IGVub3VnaCByZXNwb25zZSBJIG1pZ2h0IHB1dCB1cCBteSBlbnRpcmUg IkhvbHkgTGFuZHMgb2YgR2xhbnRyaSIgYWx0ZXJuYXRlLXRpbWVsaW5lIG5vdGVzIGFuZCBhZHZl bnR1cmVzLg0KSWYgSSByZWFsbHkgZ2V0IGVub3VnaCwgSSBtaWdodCBldmVuIGRvIGl0IGFzIGEg UGxheS1CeS1NZXNzYWdlLUJvYXJkLg0KDQpXYXJsb2NrDQotLQ0KV2ViIFdhcmxvY2sNCndlYi53 YXJsb2NrQGhvbWUuY29tICAgd2Vid2FybG9ja0BwbGFuZXRhZG5kLmNvbQ0KQXV0aG9yLCB0aGUg TmV0Ym9va3Mgb2YgV2l0Y2hlcyBhbmQgV2FybG9ja3MNClRoZSBPdGhlciBTaWRlOiBodHRwOi8v d3d3LnBsYW5ldGFkbmQuY29tL3RoZW90aGVyc2lkZS8NClRoZSBEbkQgQ29tbXVuaXR5IENvdW5j aWw6IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuZG5kY29tbXVuaXR5Y291bmNpbC5vcmcvbmJvd253DQotLQ0KVGhlIEQy MCB3cml0ZXIncyBtYW50cmEsICJJZiBpdCdzIG5vdCBPR0MsIGxldCBpdCBiZS4iDQog ******************************************************************** 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, 14 Oct 2001 07:55:25 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Kar Ess Subject: Re: There is a new dark satellite over the skies of PlanetADnD! In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Got a 404 when I clicked there. --- Web Warlock wrote: > There is a new dark satellite over the skies of PlanetADnD! > > The Other Side has moved servers and is now re-open for everyone! > You can find me at, > http://planetadnd.com/theotherside/ > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2001 12:52:26 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Web Warlock Subject: Re: There is a new dark satellite over the skies of PlanetADnD! In-Reply-To: <20011014145525.16366.qmail@web13301.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 WWVhaC4uLg0KVGhhdCBoYXMgYmVlbiBoYXBwZW5pbmcgdG8gc29tZS4gIEFyZSB5b3UgdXNpbmcg TmV0c2NhcGU/ICBJdCBzZWVtcyB0byBoYXBwZW4gbW9zdGx5IHRvIE5ldHNjYXBlIHVzZXJzLg0K SSBhbSB0cnlpbmcgdG8gZmlndXJlIG91dCB3aHkuDQoNCkknbGwgbGV0IHlvdSBhbGwga25vdy4N Cg0KV2FybG9jaw0KDQpXZWIgV2FybG9jaw0Kd2ViLndhcmxvY2tAaG9tZS5jb20gICB3ZWJ3YXJs b2NrQHBsYW5ldGFkbmQuY29tDQpBdXRob3IsIHRoZSBOZXRib29rcyBvZiBXaXRjaGVzIGFuZCBX YXJsb2Nrcw0KVGhlIE90aGVyIFNpZGU6IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cucGxhbmV0YWRuZC5jb20vdGhlb3Ro ZXJzaWRlLw0KVGhlIERuRCBDb21tdW5pdHkgQ291bmNpbDogaHR0cDovL3d3dy5kbmRjb21tdW5p dHljb3VuY2lsLm9yZy9uYm93bncNCi0tDQpUaGUgRDIwIHdyaXRlcidzIG1hbnRyYSwgIklmIGl0 J3Mgbm90IE9HQywgbGV0IGl0IGJlLiINCiANCg0KLS0tLS1PcmlnaW5hbCBNZXNzYWdlLS0tLS0N CkZyb206IE15c3RhcmEgUlBHIERpc2N1c3Npb24gW21haWx0bzpNWVNUQVJBLUxAT1JBQ0xFLldJ WkFSRFMuQ09NXU9uDQpCZWhhbGYgT2YgS2FyIEVzcw0KU2VudDogU3VuZGF5LCBPY3RvYmVyIDE0 LCAyMDAxIDk6NTUgQU0NClRvOiBNWVNUQVJBLUxAT1JBQ0xFLldJWkFSRFMuQ09NDQpTdWJqZWN0 OiBSZTogW01ZU1RBUkFdIFRoZXJlIGlzIGEgbmV3IGRhcmsgc2F0ZWxsaXRlIG92ZXIgdGhlIHNr aWVzIG9mDQpQbGFuZXRBRG5EIQ0KDQoNCkdvdCBhIDQwNCB3aGVuIEkgY2xpY2tlZCB0aGVyZS4N Cg0KLS0tIFdlYiBXYXJsb2NrIDx3ZWIud2FybG9ja0BIT01FLkNPTT4gd3JvdGU6DQo+IFRoZXJl IGlzIGEgbmV3IGRhcmsgc2F0ZWxsaXRlIG92ZXIgdGhlIHNraWVzIG9mIFBsYW5ldEFEbkQhDQo+ DQo+IFRoZSBPdGhlciBTaWRlIGhhcyBtb3ZlZCBzZXJ2ZXJzIGFuZCBpcyBub3cgcmUtb3BlbiBm b3IgZXZlcnlvbmUhDQo+IFlvdSBjYW4gZmluZCBtZSBhdCwNCj4gaHR0cDovL3BsYW5ldGFkbmQu Y29tL3RoZW90aGVyc2lkZS8NCj4NCg0KDQpfX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19f X19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fXw0KRG8gWW91IFlhaG9vIT8NCk1ha2UgYSBncmVhdCBjb25uZWN0 aW9uIGF0IFlhaG9vISBQZXJzb25hbHMuDQpodHRwOi8vcGVyc29uYWxzLnlhaG9vLmNvbQ0KDQoq KioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioqKioq KioqKioqKioqKg0KVGhlIE90aGVyIFdvcmxkcyBIb21lcGFnZTogaHR0cDovL3d3dy53aXphcmRz LmNvbS9kbmQvT3RoZXJXb3JsZHMuYXNwDQpUaGUgTXlzdGFyYSBIb21lcGFnZTogaHR0cDovL3d3 dy5kbmQuc3RhcmZsdW5nLmNvbS8NClRvIHVuc3Vic2NyaWJlLCBzZW5kIGVtYWlsIHRvIExJU1RT RVJWQE9SQUNMRS5XSVpBUkRTLkNPTQ0Kd2l0aCBVTlNVQiBNWVNUQVJBLUwgaW4gdGhlIGJvZHkg b2YgdGhlIG1lc3NhZ2UuDQo= ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 00:44:49 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all! Remember me? The guy who did the Undersea Timeline (which I will finish revising one day, I swear!) and the Houses of Darokin series? The guy whose last real post was in June, promising a revised/expanded version of the Houses of Darokin in about a week? Well, I'm finally actually starting work on that. I wish I could say that I had used the time since June productively, but none of my projects (Mystaran or otherwise) have progressed much. Oh well, chalk it up to a overwhelming summer job followed by starting college. Side note here: Any fans of the Hosues of Darokin posts who have any complaints they'd like resolved in the final release, please send an e-mail my way. Pennydown and Umbarth Houses' entries are already plotted to be heavily revised, as I was never particularly happy with them. Anyhoo, I have a question for all you folks out there. I'm looking to release the new version of Houses of Darokin in a format that allows some formatting (and possibly even some graphics, if I can create them or find someone more talented to draw them). Or, in other words, not plain text. So, what formats would you guys out there like to see? Ones I'm currently considering: *pdf: This would seem to be the best answer, but I'm a bit wary of trying to learn an entirely new piece of software to do this in, and also of the price of Acrobat (even though the Academic version is substantially cheaper than the retail). *rtf: I doubt this one'll work. I'm not sure if it will support graphics, if I choose to make some, and I'm not particularly informed as to whether it's sufficiently cross-platform. *Word: This one could do what I want (I think), but cross-platform support is, from my understanding, virtually nil. *HTML: I know this could do what I want, but formatting it properly would be a pain (and I refuse to use a WYSIWYG editor because the code they churn out is so sloppy). So do any of you have any preferences? Next, status report. All of the below are projects I posted back in June, stating my intention to work on them. 1) Houses of Darokin- The Fallen Houses: A writeup on Ithel, Raken, and Ardel Houses- The Great Houses that no longer exist. This will hopefully be included in the expanded and revised Houses of Darokin release. 2) Darokinian Government: How does the Republic work anyways? This has the answers Not even started. I know some of the basics, but haven't written them out. Probably will end up absorbed into some fo the other projects. 3) Darokinian History: A fairly substantial timeline of Darokin up to 1000 AC. There's about 7k of text of raw, unpolished notes, plus the Rulers of Darokin file. This will be my next big effort for Mystara after the new Houses of Darokin release. 4) RD1- Legacy of the Fallen: A high level 3E adventure set in 1002 AC. Reginald of Crowlerd goes missing, and the PCs must travel to Itheldown Island to try and find him. 5) RD2- Web of Deceit: Reginald of Crowlerd has been assasinated... but who is responsible for this deed? 6) RD3- Halls of Power: Darokin is being brought to the brink of civil war as a result of Reginald's assasination. Can the PCs stop this calamity and uncover the true villains before it is too late? 7) RD4- The Price of Victory: More a supplement than an adventure, this looks at Darokin in the aftermath of the RD modules and advances the timeline to 1004 AC. Nothing's written out. I have a rough plot outline in my head, but that needs to be seriously revised and checked for plot holes, of which I know there are many. Once they're written, they'll need extensive playtesting (probably both online and off), as I am hoping to make these professional quality releases I hope to do this after the Timeline. 8) The Crisis of Darokinian Statehood- The Republic in the Great War: Exactly what the title says; Darokin from 1005-1010 AC. The Master's invasion was a sideshow in WotI, but now it gets its due. This is so far in the future, I don't know what to say. Most of this is actually rough outlined, as it is based of events of my old Mystara campaign. (I'm actually hoping to start a new one soon! Yay!) That's it for now! And remember: He who has the gold makes the rules! Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ******************************************************************** 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. X-From_: MAILER-DAEMON Fri Nov 2 06:37:53 2001 Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 11:21:06 -0800 From: "L-Soft list server at Wizards of the Coast, Inc (1.8d)" Subject: File: "MYSTARA-L LOG0110C" To: Shawn Stanley X-Virus-Scanned: by AMaViS perl-11 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 09:35:29 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > So, what formats would you guys out there like to see? Ones I'm > currently considering: > *pdf > *rtf Rtf allows graphics, and it is somewhat more portable than Word. > *Word > *HTML Since you could find converters for almost all of these formats ("save as" from Word to html or rtf, e.g.), you just have to choose what format you'll use to do the formatting. Doing it in Word gives the Word and Rtf versions, plus Pdf if you can find a PDFwriter, and a (very bad) Html. Otherwise, you could do the formatting in LaTeX (using a WYSIWYG tool like LyX), which would give you the PDF version, and possibly a better quality Html version. It is also possible to convert to Rtf, though I wouldn't guarantee on the quality. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 15:09:27 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Phillip Jones Subject: Re: Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Aaron E Nowack To: Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 6:44 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question > Hi all! Remember me? The guy who did the Undersea Timeline (which I > will finish revising one day, I swear!) and the Houses of Darokin series? > The guy whose last real post was in June, promising a revised/expanded > version of the Houses of Darokin in about a week? > > Well, I'm finally actually starting work on that. I wish I could say > that I had used the time since June productively, but none of my projects > (Mystaran or otherwise) have progressed much. Oh well, chalk it up to a > overwhelming summer job followed by starting college. > > Side note here: Any fans of the Hosues of Darokin posts who have any > complaints they'd like resolved in the final release, please send an > e-mail my way. Pennydown and Umbarth Houses' entries are already plotted > to be heavily revised, as I was never particularly happy with them. > > Anyhoo, I have a question for all you folks out there. I'm looking to > release the new version of Houses of Darokin in a format that allows some > formatting (and possibly even some graphics, if I can create them or find > someone more talented to draw them). Or, in other words, not plain text. > So, what formats would you guys out there like to see? Ones I'm > currently considering: > > *pdf: This would seem to be the best answer, but I'm a bit wary > of trying to learn an entirely new piece of software to do this in, and > also of the price of Acrobat (even though the Academic version is > substantially cheaper than the retail). > > *rtf: I doubt this one'll work. I'm not sure if it will support > graphics, if I choose to make some, and I'm not particularly informed as > to whether it's sufficiently cross-platform. > > *Word: This one could do what I want (I think), but > cross-platform support is, from my understanding, virtually nil. > > *HTML: I know this could do what I want, but formatting it > properly would be a pain (and I refuse to use a WYSIWYG editor because > the code they churn out is so sloppy). > > So do any of you have any preferences? I think the best choice out of the 4 above would be HTML. Its going to be the common denominator that everyone wil be able to read easily, and the files download size wouldn't be too big either. Also if you have Word, you can save it as "web page" which will give you a passable HTML file that can be created easily. I've never been fussed on Adobe Acrobat personally, as I find it awkward to use. It is widely supported though, and you can download a free adobe acrobat reader from adobe's site, so getting hold of the software is a bit easier, so it does have some things in its favour. RTF can quickly get silly in the file size department. I've had a 4 page document take up several meg in space, just because I included a few pictures (and they were jpegs before you ask :) ). The format will do what you wish it to do though, and most word processing software will read it (even wordpad and notepad in windows will :) ). Although Word is my personal favourite, its cross platform support is rubbish, even to the extent of older versions of Word will not be able to read a Word document written by a "newer" version. For example, I have Word 2000, my friend has Word 97. His Word 97 will not be able to read my Word files unless I actually save them in Word 97 format for him. My personal setup is I use Word to write stuff, and save it as "web page" if it has pictures ad I'm going to send it to anybody. I use RTF if the file is just text but has specific format options (such as tables etc). Hope this has been of some use to you Phil (aka Alexander Korrigan, humble student of the Great School of Magic) I'm not evil. Just practical. ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 11:15:10 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Tanna Chamber MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Tanna Chamber Stats: Heals inhabitants 4d4 hitpoints per day; cures disease to inhabitants; poisons slowed and removed from inhabitants; preserves corpses; dead flesh mends 1d4 hit points per day. Injured individuals placed within the Tanna Chamber find their wounds healed at an accelerated rate. Disease, including Mummy Rot, is removed by the end of a 24 hour day. Poisoned individuals find that the poisons are slowed and eventually purged from the afflicted's systems after 1d4 days. Removal from the Chamber before the duration of healing negates all benefits; poisons become active and disease renews. Corpses placed within a Tanna Chamber are preserved and do not decay. The wounds on the dead are mended at a rate of 1d4 points per day. Once the corpse has regained all of its living hit points, the corpse is considered to be in pristine condition. Though the departed is still dead, the body can be removed for magical revival (Raise Dead). The Tanna Chamber cannot revive the dead, nor will it reginerate lost limbs. Description: The Tanna Chamber is a circular tent-like construction, measuring 10 yards in diameter and is 12 feet in height in its center. The chamber walls and canopy are made from a spider silk like cloth that is suprisingly resilient to damage. The tent is supported by a skeletal frame of black wood, each span measuring a thickness of 1 inch. The tent has a flapped entrance. The interior is lit through magic, providing a dim glow without being too bright. The magics of the Tanna Chamber come from the tent. Bedding and litters are not specialized. The number of patients depends upon the max numbers of litters placed within. Ideally, ten litters could be placed within the Chamber at one time. Feasibly, double and triple bunkbeds could be used, multiplying that number. The DM may want to place limits on occupancy or extend healing times based on occupant numbers. Historical Lore: The Tanna Chamber was created by Tanna, an Alphatian mage with strong ties to the Kingdom of Randel. The Randel military had a strong desire to preserve their military forces in times of war. It was hoped that the Tanna Chamber could assist them in recovering their highly trained troops that they had lost to wounds and get them back into battle quickly. The Tanna Chamber filled these requirements, even being lightweight and mobile enough for practical deployment alongside the troops. The Randel military commissioned the creation of several Chambers for use. In all, Tanna crafted ten of these items before she perished in a duel with a rival, ironically enough, a Randel warmage. The Randel military used these constructions for years. Over the years, the number of available Tanna Chambers decreased. One was taken over for private use by the Randel Royal Family. Three were lost in the Spike Assault in AC960 when these were left behind in the Alphatian retreat. One was destroyed in a Bettellyn border raid. One was given to the Royal Family of Eadrin. Two just disappeared, both believed to have been stolen. The remaining two were given to the Following of Razud. The Randel military has since replaced the Tanna Chambers with other means to heal their troops. The two missing Chambers were stolen by a Bettellyn mage, Xantha, who mistook them for being the personal field tents of the the Randel General Talimara. Xantha sold the tents to the Arogansa mage, Kameel. A failed duel ended Kameel's ownership of the Chambers. Along with rest of his personal estate, the two Tanna Chambers went to his daughter Vetzanna. Vetzanna was a socialite mage, using her spellcasting abilities for parties and to ease her own day to day life. Kameel was a known necromancer and the dark and morbid trappings of that art were too much for the flighty Vetzanna. She sold her father's magical possessions to the mysterious mage, Kayan. Kayan is a lich. She was well acquainted with Kameel and the two often collaborated on necromancy based projects. Therefore she knew of the possession of the two Chambers. Though a lich, Kayan is also very socially oriented. However, her lichdom has made it quite difficult to be socially active. Addressing this problem of personal appearance was the collaboration the two were working on before Kameel's death. Kayan uses her own necromncer expertise to be able to change bodies as they decay. The bodies take on her natural living appearance soon after she inhabits them. She uses the Chambers to maintain the bodies and decrease her need to find replacements. Replacement bodies are easy to come by thanks to Alphatian slavery. They can be purchased cheaply and without legal repurcussions. The lich keeps one Chamber in her residence in Bluenose, Arogansa. The other is kept in her tower retreat in the Kingdom of Blackheart, where she focuses on her necromancer researches. DM Notes: Though there are several Tanna Chambers in existance, the focal ones are those owned by Kayan. Kayan is an interesting character that will probably be described in greater detail in a seperate NPC description. An adventure is also planned, involving Vetzanna. The other Tanna Chambers are mostly held by the royal families of Randel, Stonewall, and Eadrin. PC use of these three Chambers will be limited to their service with these royal families. The most viable encounter will come with the two Chambers controlled by the Following of Razud. There are also the matter of the Tanna Chambers lost during the Spike Assault. I left these Chambers open for possible use elsewhere. ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 11:16:40 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Peldrynn Saddle MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Peldrynn Saddle Stats: Improves rider's Horsemanship by 50% (see below). The Peldrynn Saddle embues upon the rider and horse an psycological link. Both rider and horse have a calm mindset and a mental link is established. This allows the two to work together comfortably. Therefore any applicable rolls should be adjusted by 50% to reflect this. Description: The Peldrynn Saddle is a simple riding saddle of tan leather, steel metalwork, and twine stiching. It has leather stirrups, and a wooden saddle horn. The saddle shows no signs of use. Historic Lore: The Peldrynn Saddle was created by the mage Peldrynn for a recruit at the illustrious West Reach Military Academy. The cadet was from a prestigeous family with a history of service within the Thyatian cavalry. The problem was that the recruit could not ride, being somewhat scared of horses. The family could not have this and hired a mage to craft the saddle. The move worked, helping the cadet overcome his fears and learn the reigns of horsemanship. The family donated the saddle to the academy, where it has seen service with other problem cadets. DMs Notes: In spite of its powers, the Peldrynn Saddle is used only on the students that are having difficulty to horsemanship. The academy will use the saddle for only as long as needed, desiring the cadet to develop natural horsemanship. The duration of the saddle's use never exceeds the cadet's first year. ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 11:19:30 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Eye of Kar'Umba Stats: immunity to mental and charm based attacks; petrify attack x3 per day (see below); immunity to most petrification and hold type attacks (see below); true sight x3 per day. Upon its wearer, the Eye of Kar'Umba bestows a variety of powers. Defensively, it grants the wearer immunity against all mental and charm based attacks. This includes spells such as ESP. The Eye also grants immunity to petrification and hold type attacks. The sole exception this second type of immunity is the petrification attack of a medusa. If petrified by a medusa, the Eye remains untouched, sitting upon the stone head of its former wearer. The Eye has the power to cast True Sight three times a day. Offensively, the Eye gives the wearer the ability to cast Petrification three times a day. If the target fails his save, he is turned to stone for 24 hours. After that, the person reverts to his normal self. Alone the Eye of Kar'Umba is very uncomfortable to wear, the triangle wears heavily upon the wearer's brow. As such, it is often worn over a cowl to provide a degree of padding. This in no way detracts from its powers. Description: Though called the Eye of Kar'Umba, the item is in fact a headband. The band is made of flat iron, roughly an inch wide. The band is engraved with a flowing series of swirls. Among these swirls are engraved runes. The band has no means to adjust its size, however magic allows the band to resize itself to fit human sized wearers automatically. Attached to the band is a metal triangle, roughly two inches in height. Affixed to the triangle on an iron setting is a dull greenish-blue orb. The orb is the actual Eye. The Eye's dullness only changes when its powers and immunities are used. Against mental and charm attacks, it glows bright blue. Against petrification attacks, it glows bright green. When True Sight is used, it swirls with green and blue colors. When its pertification attack is used, it goes bright white. Historical Lore: The Eye of Kar'Umba has its roots with the medusa Karabass. The creature had established a lair near the Thothian town of Trikelios. After several townspeople vanished, soldiers were dispatched to investigate. Eventually some survived to report the existance of the medusa. The town authorities dispatched adventurers to deal with this threat. Eventually a group was successful. They returned to Trikelios with the medusa's head as a trophy and proof of their success. A subsequent expedition was sent to retrieve the stone remains of those lost throughout the ordeal. The medusa's head was given to the mage Kaptjee to try to discover a means to reverse the stoned fate of the victems. Kaptjee's experiments proved fruitless and the matter was turned over to the Clergy of Rathanos. Kaptjee retained the head and used it for his own research and enchantments. One such creation from the head was the Eye of Kar'Umba. Ironically, the Eye was deamed a failure as its petrification attack and defenses were not as thorough as desired. Kaptjee tossed the Eye into storage and forgot about it. The Eye remained there for years until Kaptjee recalled its powers. The mage had been hired to equip a group of Thothian heroes to investigate some disturbances happening at the Trikelios Crypts. The Eye was given to them as payment and reward. The Eye then went through a series of owners, operating in and out of Thothian lands. During the Alphatian Conquest, the Eye was taken as a prize by a victorious Alphatian mage. The Eye was then taken back to the Alphatian Mainland. The Eye came into possession of the Randel Warmage Qazzan, who adopted it as part of his military battle dress. The Eye became the official "crown" for the commanding officer of the 23rd Randel Infantry Regiment. During the failed Alphatian Spike of AC960, the Eye was lost during the withdrawal of Randel forces back to the Isle of Dawn domains. It was recovered by a Bettelyn patrol and kept as a sort of prize for their ongoing rivalry with the Randel. The Eye was sent back to Bettelyn and placed alongside the other Randel warprizes that they had collected over the years. Randel commandos recovered the Eye and several other held items in AC972. The Eye was briefly returned to duty with the 23rd Infantry Regiment, but was retired in favor of the isignia that had been adopted since the Eye was lost. The Eye's retirement was shortlived. The Eye was offered to the Randel mage Zefferina for her highly publicized duel against the Arogansan mage Kaybassa. Zefferina prevailed and was awarded the Eye, permanently, as a sign of respect from King Verothrics. Zefferina used the Eye for years, using the powers in her newfound hobby of dueling. Eventually, Zefferina dueled the wrong person and lost. At a party, she had arrogantly proclaimed her mage magic to be far superior to clerical magic. Unfortunately, the comment was overheard by General Garisharr, who was a high ranking cleric of Razud. The insult intensified and a duel was scheduled. Though she survived the duel, she lost the agreed upon prizes which included most of her possessions. The victor added insult to injury and publically auctioned off all the winnings, donating the money to the Razud Following. The Eye was purchased by the adventuring mage Pyreal. Pyreal was a mage that relished in raiding of strongholds of Blackheart mages. The Eye currently sits upon his petrified form in the lair of the medusa Taylene. Taylene acts as a servant and guardian of the lich mage Kayan. Kayan keeps the stone form of Pyreal because she thinks that he looks pretty. She often talks to the statue. DM Notes: The Eye of Kar'Umba is a fairly powerful item. It is set as a prize in an adventure/confrontation with Taylene. I plan on a NPC description for Taylene. The name differences between Kar'Umba and Karrabass are intended. The item is known by its name, not from the creature that the eye came from. Likewise, the crafter's name is not used. DMs feel free to fill in this name detail. ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 10:14:37 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable So when are these topics going to be available? I am really interested in = the Civil War aspect since I got no response from my query I sent you. JK Wolf ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 19:16:15 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba Alex Benson wrote: > Eye of Kar'Umba Caramba! > Stats: immunity to mental and charm based attacks; petrify attack x3 per day > (see below); immunity to most petrification and hold type attacks (see > below); true sight x3 per day. I highly dislike this sort of item that gives you a whole lot of immunities, cool abilities, and absolutely no penalties. I think that it should at least have a penalty such as "if you come under the gaze of a medusa, you are immediately petrified, no save." As it is, it seems more powerful than even artifacts (under OD&D rules), since they all have penalties, if not handicaps. But, hey, maybe it's just me...and at least I'm still reading. :) Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 15:30:00 -0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Rodrigo Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jacob Skytte" To: Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 2:16 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba > Alex Benson wrote: > > > > Eye of Kar'Umba > > Caramba! Humm..... Olho do caramba, what peculiar name. > > > Stats: immunity to mental and charm based attacks; petrify attack x3 per day > > (see below); immunity to most petrification and hold type attacks (see > > below); true sight x3 per day. > > I highly dislike this sort of item that gives you a whole lot of immunities, cool abilities, and absolutely no penalties. I think that it should at least have a penalty such as "if you come under the gaze of a medusa, you are immediately petrified, no save." As it is, it seems more powerful than even artifacts (under OD&D rules), since they all have penalties, if not handicaps. > > But, hey, maybe it's just me...and at least I'm still reading. :) > > Jacob Skytte > scythe@wanadoo.dk > > ******************************************************************** > 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. ******************************************************************** 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, 15 Oct 2001 19:45:26 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: larry lamb Subject: (ADMIN)question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Please email me privately, i have a question to ask. Thank you. ===== The "Fighting Bunnys" main site: http://www.angelfire.com/me4/jedthocen/robotech_game.html "Happy Hunting!" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 09:08:52 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <<> Eye of Kar'Umba > Caramba!>> yep...having a little bit of fun with names. look at some of the names in the Net Almanac for some others; ex. Riddlyn (sp?) in the AFC Randel plot. <<> Stats: immunity to mental and charm based attacks; petrify attack x3 per day > (see below); immunity to most petrification and hold type attacks (see > below); true sight x3 per day. > I highly dislike this sort of item that gives you a whole lot of immunities, cool abilities, and absolutely no penalties. I think that it should at least have a penalty such as "if you come under the gaze of a medusa, you are immediately petrified, no save." As it is, it seems more powerful than even artifacts (under OD&D rules), since they all have penalties, if not handicaps. >> i can understand the dislike. the reason for its use was to be a surprise. the save with medusa's was given to further bolster the surprise aspect by having it have a weakness against the creature that it gets it power from. i did have an alternative. that one had the wearer have to make a save in any gaze attack from a medusa. failure meant the wearer became petrified like normal. successful saves made the wearer become petrified temporarily. i felt that going with no save vs. petrification would be too harsh. <> nah...good input. you would not believe how much these items change throughout their creation. Even items that already existed in my campaign are getting a facelift. Fun is the key. Hope folks are enjoying these. Anyway...wait until you see what I did with the rest of the medusa's corpse. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 17:20:59 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I have been working on for a long time. But in the light of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a different light than what I intended. Who now is going to read about conflicts between Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or anti arab sentiments. Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? Even including comments that distance myself from real life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just wait with these articles untill things settle down a bit? Thoughts? Havard ______________________________________________________ Nokia Game er her igjen. Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 10:43:58 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: George Hrabovsky Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Given the lengthy history of Ylari-Thyatian conflicts I doubt that anyone will see parallels beyond the superficial. Just my opinion. George ----- Original Message ----- From: "Havard Faanes" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2001 10:20 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara > I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I > have been working on for a long time. But in the light > of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've > found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a > different light than what I intended. > > Who now is going to read about conflicts between > Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference > to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or > anti arab sentiments. > > Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the > Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even > though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? > > Even including comments that distance myself from real > life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just > wait with these articles untill things settle down a > bit? > > Thoughts? > > Havard > > ______________________________________________________ > Nokia Game er her igjen. > Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 16:20:52 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I >have been working on for a long time. But in the light >of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've >found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a >different light than what I intended. > >Who now is going to read about conflicts between >Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference >to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or >anti arab sentiments. > >Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the >Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even >though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? > >Even including comments that distance myself from real >life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just >wait with these articles untill things settle down a >bit? > >Thoughts? > >Havard > On these points you are right, and I do not doubt your intentions ( most persons won't in my opinion ) but in these case do what you think is right. If somethings is keeping you from going ahead with publishing this, maybe you feel you should wait; then do. If you feel everything is ok but are afraid about some poeple's reaction, I think most poeple won't react badly. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 09:54:03 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I can't speak for others, but I personally don't read much into game stuff. I think anything that is released right now has probably been in development since long before Sept 11; a year from now I'd actually be MORE likely to see obscure references. But really, Mystara is a fantasy world with a long established history and standing conflicts. I wouldn't bat an eye at conflict between Thyatis and Ylaruam, because it's been coming for a long long time. And in such a conflict I'd expect Thyatis to have the upper hand, because they're a lot bigger. My personal feeling is go ahead with your work. Bin Laden didn't invent the concept of terrorism or secret organizations or guerilla warfare, he's only the most recent in a long long history. And there have been good guerilla campaigns, just as there have been evil ones. Mike ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 13:09:44 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Castille Baromon de Preto Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > From: Gilles Leblanc > Date: 2001/10/16 Tue PM 04:20:52 EDT > To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara > > >I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I > >have been working on for a long time. But in the light > >of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've > >found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a > >different light than what I intended. > > > >Who now is going to read about conflicts between > >Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference > >to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or > >anti arab sentiments. > > > >Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the > >Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even > >though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? > > > >Even including comments that distance myself from real > >life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just > >wait with these articles untill things settle down a > >bit? > > > >Thoughts? > > > >Havard > > > > > On these points you are right, and I do not doubt your intentions ( most > persons won't in my opinion ) but in these case do what you think is right. > If somethings is keeping you from going ahead with publishing this, maybe > you feel you should wait; then do. If you feel everything is ok but are > afraid about some poeple's reaction, I think most poeple won't react badly. > I have no objection, you have posted some very good material before; so don't stop! More often than not, art imitates life. The Master is a very good example of that. To include another baddie, that is even more radical than the Master in Ylaruam is a good hook. Especially if you strike a social nerve along the lines of "How many jihads must be declared before the world awakens to our fight?" But it doesn't have to be bin Laden, or any other real world baddie, they just make good examples to create some good out of their terror. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 19:53:02 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba Alex Benson wrote: > <<> Stats: immunity to mental and charm based attacks; petrify attack x3 per > day > > (see below); immunity to most petrification and hold type attacks (see > > below); true sight x3 per day. > > > I highly dislike this sort of item that gives you a whole lot of immunities, > cool abilities, and absolutely no penalties. I think that it should at least > have a penalty such as "if you come under the gaze of a medusa, you are > immediately petrified, no save." As it is, it seems more powerful than even > artifacts (under OD&D rules), since they all have penalties, if not handicaps. > >> > i can understand the dislike. the reason for its use was to be a surprise. > the save with medusa's was given to further bolster the surprise aspect by > having it have a weakness against the creature that it gets it power from. i > did have an alternative. that one had the wearer have to make a save in any > gaze attack from a medusa. failure meant the wearer became petrified like > normal. successful saves made the wearer become petrified temporarily. i felt > that going with no save vs. petrification would be too harsh. Well, I think that considering the number of powerful abilities it grants, it's far from too harsh. I'd probably go so far as to impose a penalty such as a 1% cumulative chance of the user being petrified for each day or partial day the eye is worn. I think it's far too powerful as it is. I'm not trying to tell you, what you can or can't do here on the list or IYC, just giving my perspective on what's balanced. Perhaps it should rather be written using artifact rules from OD&D, its powers, uses per day and such make it seem a lot like an artifact in its operation. And following those rules, you'd have to pick a number of penalties/handicaps, which would balance the item's powers somewhat. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 14:49:05 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks to all who replied to this, and I will definitely be taking all your suggestions into account. On Mon, 15 Oct 2001 10:14:37 -0700 Joe Kelly writes: > So when are these topics going to be available? I am really > interested in the Civil War aspect since I got no response from my > query I sent you. I don't recall whether or not I recieved such a query. As I mentioned in my e-mail, the past few months have been somewhat on the hectic side. My apologies for not responding, and if you culd resend whatever questions you had, I'll do my best to answer them. As for when these'll be availalbe... when they're done is the best I can say. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 14:53:47 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit My opinion would be to release them. If you're really worried that people will draw comparisons like that, and there are enough similarities that that would seem feasible, then add an "Author's Note" at the beginning. But do release them. I'm curious as to what you've come up with. ;) Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ On Tue, 16 Oct 2001 17:20:59 +0200 =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= writes: > I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I > have been working on for a long time. But in the light > of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've > found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a > different light than what I intended. > > Who now is going to read about conflicts between > Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference > to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or > anti arab sentiments. > > Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the > Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even > though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? > > Even including comments that distance myself from real > life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just > wait with these articles untill things settle down a > bit? > > Thoughts? > > Havard > > ______________________________________________________ > Nokia Game er her igjen. > Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli > med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 22:59:18 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: Dark Mystara - Part II MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ok, I managed to read and appreciate it. Good work! (By the way: I'm back.) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 16:59:56 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Web Warlock Subject: Websites In-Reply-To: <3BCC9FA6.46E99067@tin.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 SGV5IGFsbCENCg0KSSBhbSBleHBhbmRpbmcgdGhlIGxpbmtzIHNlY3Rpb24gb3ZlciBhdCBQbGFu ZXRhZG5kLmNvbSBhbmQgSSB3YW50IHRvIHN0YXJ0IHdpdGggTXlzdGFyYSwgc2luY2Ugd2UgaGF2 ZSBhIHZlcnkgc3Ryb25nIDFzdCBFZCBhbmQgT3JpZ2luYWwgUnVsZXMgZmFuIGJhc2UuDQoNCklm IHlvdSBlbWFpbCBsaW5rcyB0byBtZSwgb3IgcG9zdCB0aGVtIGhlcmUgSSB3b3VsZCByZWFsbHkg YXBwcmVjaWF0ZSBpdC4NCkkgaGF2ZSBzb21lLCBidXQgSSBhbSBtb3N0bHkgZ2V0dGluZyB0aGUg b2xkIDQwNCBvbiB0aGVtLg0KDQpJIGhlYXJkIGEgcnVtb3IgdGhhdCBvdXIgbmV4dCBjb250ZXN0 IHdpbGwgaGF2ZSBhIEQmRCBSdWxlcyBDeWNsb3BlZGlhIGFzIHRoZSBwcml6ZS4uLg0KDQpUaGFu a3MsDQoNCldhcmxvY2sNCg0KDQpXZWIgV2FybG9jaw0Kd2ViLndhcmxvY2tAaG9tZS5jb20gICB3 ZWJ3YXJsb2NrQHBsYW5ldGFkbmQuY29tDQpBdXRob3IsIHRoZSBOZXRib29rcyBvZiBXaXRjaGVz IGFuZCBXYXJsb2Nrcw0KVGhlIE90aGVyIFNpZGU6IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cucGxhbmV0YWRuZC5jb20v dGhlb3RoZXJzaWRlLw0KVGhlIERuRCBDb21tdW5pdHkgQ291bmNpbDogaHR0cDovL3d3dy5kbmRj b21tdW5pdHljb3VuY2lsLm9yZy9uYm93bncNCi0tDQpUaGUgRDIwIHdyaXRlcidzIG1hbnRyYSwg IklmIGl0J3Mgbm90IE9HQywgbGV0IGl0IGJlLiINCiANCg== ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 15:12:58 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Houses of Darokin- Status Report And A Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I was trying to set up a Darokin Civil War. Following, I will resend the = email. If you could help me with the characters in the plot by changing = them that would be great.=20 JK Wolf ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 01:39:21 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 16 Oct 2001 17:20:59 Havard Faanes wrote: >I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I >have been working on for a long time. But in the light >of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've >found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a >different light than what I intended. > >Who now is going to read about conflicts between >Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference >to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or >anti arab sentiments. > >Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the >Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even >though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? > >Even including comments that distance myself from real >life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just >wait with these articles untill things settle down a >bit? > >Thoughts? > Yes, this seems like a bit of a tricky situation, doesn't it? Others have made comments already, and I'll just add my own. I could be naive, but I like to think we're all friends here on the MML. Sure, we discuss things, sometimes those get heated, and sometimes they become flame wars. People have been insulted over comments, but in general I'd say I've never seen people truly mistreat each other with intended malice here, and the climate is certainly more friendly that some lists I've been on. It might be because we are few. I've never known the MML to have more than around 270 people at any time. By comparison, DND-L had 1,200 people when I was there. So we're a pretty tight little group here, and we all like Mystara. So I think it's safe to assume people won't think you have ulterior motives if you post your stuff. After all, it's not exactly as if you're covering new ground by setting up conflict between Thyatis and Ylaruam. Besides, Thyatis probably owes Ylaruam one for what they did during WOTI. They way you describe your work, it might seem inappropriate to post it given the state of affairs in the real world, but then that's precisely not what Mystara should be. Mystara should be the world where we escape to from all those things that bother us in real life, and we shouldn't be drawing too many parallels with reality. Besides, how long would you wait before things "settle down"? It could be a year. It could be five years. If everybody says "we'd better not do that because it's inappropriate right now" then they're also admitting that the situation is inflamatory, and even if it isn't just that suggestion can make it so. I mean, look at it from the other side - if you've got nothing to feel guilty about in this stuff, then why are you hiding it away? You may not intend offense, but if people are determined to find it, they will. And backing away will only convince them that they're right, even when they are not. You can't please everybody, nor should you try. If anyone insists on taking offense to something they were not meant to, then it's really their own problem. Okay, maybe I'm advocating conflict now. I don't intend to. It's easy to speak of high standards when we haven't seen the subject matter, and you wouldn't express concern if you didn't see potential trouble in it. Like others I'd say that you should voice your concern first (and you have) and then put your stuff out. We know you don't intend offense now. If your stuff is honest (as I'm confident it is), then chances are it will reflect that. Don't know if that helps or even addresses the topic, but that's how I feel about it. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 22:12:53 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Unless you were to portray twin towers that get blown up and then work in a plot that blames it on the victims in a similar way in which victims of rape are blamed by those who prey upon them...I really doubt you'd have a problem. Heck, my opinion has always been that its good to work in real life. On the other hand, you don't want to be so blatant as to lose the immersion effect... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Havard Faanes" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2001 11:20 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] Need help: Ethics, Political Correctness and Mystara > I have quite a few ideas for Mystara articles that I > have been working on for a long time. But in the light > of recent events (WTC and War in Afghanistan), I've > found that much of my work is likely to be seen in a > different light than what I intended. > > Who now is going to read about conflicts between > Thyatis and Ylaruam and not think this is a reference > to these conflicts. Maybe even containing racist or > anti arab sentiments. > > Who would at this time, read about the schemes of the > Desert Master and not think about Bin Laden (even > though the Master is actually Khomeini..)? > > Even including comments that distance myself from real > life seems wrong at this time. Maybe I should just > wait with these articles untill things settle down a > bit? > > Thoughts? > > Havard > > ______________________________________________________ > Nokia Game er her igjen. > Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 19:31:35 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Dark Mystara - Part II MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit la Volpe wrote: > > Ok, I managed to read and appreciate it. > Good work! > (By the way: I'm back.) Thanks :) There are still some areas uncovered, but I think the current work covers the main players quite well. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 10:19:32 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Kevin Powers Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few months? ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 15:23:48 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few >months? > Seems so..... :( Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! Goodbye and farewell to you all ... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 12:56:03 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 19 Oct 2001, Gilles Leblanc wrote: > >What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few > >months? > > > > Seems so..... :( > Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! > > Goodbye and farewell to you all ... Pshaw, we haven't lost support.. We're just in hibernation for the coming winter in Alpha :) Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 07:49:00 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Richard Tongue Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You're joking. Richard Tongue -----Original Message----- From: Gilles Leblanc To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM Date: Friday, October 19, 2001 04:44 Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) >>What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few >>months? >> > >Seems so..... :( >Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! > >Goodbye and farewell to you all ... > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > >******************************************************************** >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. > > ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 19:47:03 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001(#2001-287) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > >What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few > >months? > > > > Seems so..... :( > Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! > > Goodbye and farewell to you all ... If this was a try to force people to show up, then you got at least one result. Anyway, I'd love to contribute like I did for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am too busy, really. It's a shame, but I will not leave the list if not forced. And moreover, the list is the conjunction point of many many projects regarding Mystara, so even if there's little discussion the list remains a focal point for everything Mystaran. Without the list, nothing of all the good material out there would have ever been written. And I wouldn't have the chance to confront a certain Alphatian mage! Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 18:16:31 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >You're joking. > I know :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 18:18:56 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001(#2001-287) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > >What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few > > >months? > > > > > > > Seems so..... :( > > Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! > > > > Goodbye and farewell to you all ... > >If this was a try to force people to show up, then you got at least one >result. >Anyway, I'd love to contribute like I did for the last 1 1/2 year, but I am >too >busy, really. It's a shame, but I will not leave the list if not forced. >And >moreover, >the list is the conjunction point of many many projects regarding Mystara, >so >even >if there's little discussion the list remains a focal point for everything >Mystaran. >Without the list, nothing of all the good material out there would have >ever >been >written. And I wouldn't have the chance to confront a certain Alphatian >mage! > I was only kidding, sorry. I love Mystara, I love reading post on the list and personnally I hope the list continues for as long as I live. I have been an avid Mystara fan for many many years. No offense to anyone, and no this wasnt something done to force poeple to post or something, I'll try and keep myself in check next time. :( _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 14:41:24 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Shaun Muncy Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct 2001 (#2001-287) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/19/01 9:45:09 AM Central Daylight Time, kjp@STUDENT.UMASS.EDU writes: > What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few > months? I must be reading that wrong. Mystara is immortal, future gamers will be drawn into its politics for decades to come. I think everyone's just busy now, waiting for the next great topic, or like me just have a hard time finding something to say. ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 20:22:52 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct2001(#2001-287) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > >What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few > >months? > > Seems so..... :( Not at all, we're still here. It's just that real life is claiming more space. I also suspect that almanac people tend to be more busy when the end of the year begins to grow nearer. As for me, it's a mix of real life (=university) and lack of creativity :(( -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 01:08:31 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: MML closed? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 19 Oct 2001 15:23:48 Gilles Leblanc wrote: >>What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few >>months? >> > >Seems so..... :( >Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! > We have real lives? Damn, why doesn't anybody ever tell me about these things... Oh, I just remembered. "Get a life - make a character". My mistake. >Goodbye and farewell to you all ... > Well, if you insist! :) - The Stalker PS: Reports of seriousness in this post have been greatly exaggerated! Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 01:13:15 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct2001(#2001-287) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 19 Oct 2001 19:47:03 la Volpe wrote: >Gilles Leblanc wrote: > (snip) >Without the list, nothing of all the good material out there would have ever >been >written. True. Shame we seem never to get around to read it, though. I still have some of your Swanamutu (sp?) stuff lying around I have yet to go through... > And I wouldn't have the chance to confront a certain Alphatian mage! > You rang? :) You mean your beard has grown back since our last meeting and you need me to, ahem, "remove" it through yet more "fiery" comments by yours truly? ;) - The Stalker (but then it would be) Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 09:43:51 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct2001(#2001-287) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > No offense to anyone, and no this wasnt something done to > force poeple to post or something, No problem, really, I wasn't offended. I just felt..."stimulated" (I hope this is the correct English word...) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 09:49:34 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18Oct2001(#2001-287) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > You mean your beard has grown back since our last meeting and you need me to, ahem, "remove" it through yet more "fiery" comments by yours truly? ;) > > - The Stalker (but then it would be) Alphatians. They pretend to be "artistic" and then they show their complete lack of creativity by using always the same boring spells. [Yawns] 8-) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 05:57:36 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Brendan Corliss Subject: ESD's In-Reply-To: <200108220431.AAA11017@freenet10.carleton.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Good news to those looking forward to Mystara ESD's from Wizards of the Coast - this afternoon, I dropped off the following products @ Bastion Press HQ: AC4 The Book of Marvelous Magic B9 Castle Caldwell & Beyond DDA1 Arena of Thyatis DDA4 Dymrak Dread X9 The Savage Coast X11 Saga of the Shadowlord X12 Skarda's Mirror DA1 Adventures in Blackmoor DA2 Temple of the Frog DA3 City of the Gods DA4 The Duchy of Ten CM5 Mystery of the Snow Pearls CM8 The Endless Stair M2 Vengeance of Alphaks Poor Wizard Almanac I-III Joshuan's Almanac I'm also trying to locate to locate all the odds & ends to my copies of Wrath of the Immortals, GAZ5 The Elves of Alfheim, The Hollow World Boxed Set, Mark of Amber & Champions of Mystara. Keep in mind that the stuff I dropped off won't be available for quite some time (they're pretty busy), but at least now they have them in their posession and can move forward in the process. Something to look forward to down the road... -Damon AKA Brendan Corliss Corliss Enterprises, Ltd. Darokin City PS I know that Bastion Press' own products are not Mystara related, but they are some damn nice guys and I encourage anyone out there support them by purchasing their products. BTW, I got to briefly flip through a nearly final draft of their upcoming supplement, Minions, and it looked like some quality stuff. ===== May all your endeavors be Gold! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 13:42:01 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: ESD's Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Good news to those looking forward to Mystara ESD's >from Wizards of the Coast - this afternoon, I dropped >off the following products @ Bastion Press HQ: > Thank you ! I will be very happy when Canadians have the right to buy ESDs :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 19:08:02 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ok, so here the next installment of the continuation of the annotated Sentient Races of Mystara list, this time going from letter J (actually, a single monster, totally unknown to me) to letter K. Please do post your comment and opinions on where these races could happen to live in Mystara, and what their societies would look like, especially if you have used/plan to use them IYC. --------- Jermlaine (I know nothing about this monster... any ideas?) Ki-rin This is an Oriental unicorn. It is of Outer Planar origin, and could be found in Oriental lands like Ochalea and Myoshima. I would not consider it common enough to have an organized society of its own. Kna One of the sea people, the Kna look like giant, more-or-less-humanoid goldfish. They are nomadic traders, and their society seems to be based on family groups, which can be as small as a single couple, and as large as a four-generations clan. Koalinth The Koalinth is a marine form of Hobgoblin. I don't know of any Koalinth community on Mystara, though they may live in far-off seas--those near the Known World are too closely monitored by land-dwellers navies and Sea People armies. Kobold A minor goblinoid race, Kobolds are common in the Known World, from the Kol in the Broken Lands to the Kobold tribes in the Darokinian mountains south of Alfheim, to the larger tribes in Soderfjord. There are no Kobolds west of Darokin, and they don't seem to be common anywhere outside the Known World. Kobold society is less likely to be based on physical power then any other goblinoid society: Kobold rulers are more often tricksters, charismatic, or magically strong individuals. Their society varies from chaotic clanic tribes to lawful near-democracies. Kopoacinth (I know nothing about this monster... any ideas?) Kopru These intelligent but quite evil creatures once ruled much of the Sea of Dread from their home volcanoes. Their society was one based on slavery, which the Kopru enforced through their powerful mind control powers. Nowadays, there are few Kopru, and they tend to be loners. A few of them have moved to the Triton kingdom, where they act as independent entrepreneurs. Kraken A giant intelligent squid, most likely to be found in the northern waters, off the coast of Norwold. I think these are solitary creature, with no society to speak of. Kubbitt These diminutive, human-like beings exist only in the Hollow World. They seem to have a militaristic, matriarchal society, with Alphatian and Milenian influences. Kuo-Toa An evil marine humanoid. They do not appear in any canon source that I know of, but since their habitat are underground seas and lakes, it is possible that some communities live in the caverns that dot the crust of Mystara. The Kuo-Toan society is usually theocratic, devoted to non-good Immortals of the Sea and Elemental Water. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 14:23:54 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sat, 20 Oct 2001 19:08:02 +0200 Agathokles writes: > Kraken > A giant intelligent squid, most likely to be found in the > northern > waters, off the coast of Norwold. I think these are solitary > creature, > with no society to speak of. There is also (at least) one kraken in the Sea of Dread (ref. the adventure included in PC3: The Sea Peoples). Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 16:46:51 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <> Let me go ahead and say this, for this is probably going to be a reoccurring argument throughout the various magic items. Alot of these items have super powers. Items such as the Eye are unique. You won't find them in a Basic level dungeon or on the corpse of a Orc Shaman. They are not going to be accessable to low level characters. The Eye, specifically, is said to be in the possession of a powerful minion of a very powerful lich. Not every item has to have a balancing factor to it. Just because it has strengths against a certain critter does not mean it is weak against another type. These items' powers pale in comparison to alot of the magic items I have seen in ADnD settings and in ADnD based computer RPGs. IMC we used magic extensively, even on the melee characters. My campaign is no longer running, it hasn't for some years now. If you don't like the item, either change it or don't use it. I am sorry if thta seems harsh, but we are talkiing about a game setting that began in DnD, went to ADnD, and then was halted by TSR. Mystara is ripe with variations and alterations. IMC and works I tend to avoid items and situations where the PCs have no way out. IMO there should always be an option or some sort of warning. Alot of this is dependant on the PCs recognizing the warning and the PCs actions themselves. Ravenloft is ripe with "save or die" type creatures and items. That type of gameplay works in RL because the setting is so dark and menacing. The items that I am presenting to the MML represent a wide assortment of attributes and powers. Detrimental powers are more akin to cursed items and Immortal Artifacts. I haven't done any of those yet. Likewise, detrimental powers are not going to be added to provide balance if that power is not influenced by the item's history. Balance is ultimately decided by the individual DM. He or she decides when and what the PCs have access to. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 18:34:06 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Kevin Powers Subject: Can't SOMEONE host an FTP for the Vaults? MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Okay, when I post I see "recipients" numbers in excess of 250. Cannot SOMEONE host an FTP site for HTML or TXT or RTF or PDF (SOMETHING, WHO CARES WHAT) versions of the articles in Shaun Stanley's site (The Vaults Of Pandius)? Having an FTP mirror would speed up the download process a thousandfold. Really, for the most well-detailed setting in D&D, we ought to have an FTP server. I would volunteer for the task, except that I don't have the server space. But doesn't SOMEONE? Kevin ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 00:37:55 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: The Usual Banter part XXVII - the revenge! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sat, 20 Oct 2001 09:49:34 la Volpe wrote: >> You mean your beard has grown back since our last meeting and you need me to, ahem, "remove" it through yet more "fiery" comments by yours truly? ;) >> >> - The Stalker (but then it would be) > >Alphatians. They pretend to be "artistic" and then they show their complete lack >of creativity by using always the same boring spells. [Yawns] 8-) > Ah, I see my new Taunting spell is working on the good Captain! Excuse me, my dear Captain, but you were saying? ;) - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 21:58:49 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: David Knott Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Agathokles" > Ok, so here the next installment of the continuation of the annotated > Sentient Races of Mystara list, this time going from letter J (actually, > a single monster, totally unknown to me) to letter K. > > Please do post your comment and opinions on where these races could > happen to live in Mystara, and what their societies would look like, > especially if you have used/plan to use them IYC. > > --------- > Jermlaine > (I know nothing about this monster... any ideas?) That is an AD&D monster first encountered in the GDQ series. It is a Tiny humanoid pest that likes to ambush larger humanoids. I am not sure of the basis for designating it as Mystaran. > Kopoacinth > (I know nothing about this monster... any ideas?) Aquatic gargoyle. Again, I am not sure of the basis for including it as part of Mystara. > Kuo-Toa > An evil marine humanoid. They do not appear in any canon source that I > know of, but since their habitat are underground seas and lakes, it is > possible that some communities live in the caverns that dot the crust of > Mystara. > The Kuo-Toan society is usually theocratic, devoted to non-good > Immortals of the Sea and Elemental Water. I think I would leave this one out of Mystara on general principle (unlike the previous two races, which do not make a big impact one way or the other by their presence or absence). ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 10:32:15 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba Alex Benson wrote: > Let me go ahead and say this, for this is probably going to be a reoccurring > argument throughout the various magic items. Alot of these items have super > powers. > IMC we used magic extensively, even on the melee characters. My campaign is > no longer running, it hasn't for some years now. If you don't like the item, > either change it or don't use it. Would you object, then, if I posted the items (with another name and probably with a different history or some such, with reference to you for creating the original) with the changes I would make IMC? I'm not saying that I'll do that every time you present a powerful item, but when I see one and think "This would work for me, if...", then I might want to use it IMC, and make those changes anyway. So it's merely a question of whether you object to me sharing those changes with the list, since you're the one who did the original creational effort. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 10:36:33 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Hulean Priest Kits IV: Prophet MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here is the fourth installment of my series of (five, don't worry ;) ) priest kits for Hule. This one is based on an Al Qadim kit (the Mystic, IIRC). Prophet ------- While Holy Men and Diviners take care of the needs of the Empire, Prophets focus their activity on the local populations, acting as advisors, judges, and seers for the village people of Hule. Requirements: Any Chaotic cleric can become a Prophet, though high Wisdom (12+), and Charisma (11+) are needed. Role: Prophets travel the countryside, and while not government officials, are recognised for their great wisdom and judgment. They act as judges in important cases that the local authorities cannot solve, and though they have no real power, their decisions are almost always accepted. However, like the common people, they can be arrested or rewarded by the Diviners. As a custom of the land, all prophets travel with a dog and a young boy who carries a lamp. Weapon Proficiencies: Prophets can use any weapon, though non-Priestly weapon skills cost one extra slot. Nonweapon Profs: Bonus: Religion (Temple of Chaos), Endurance. Required: Ceremony (any two Immortals of the Temple of Chaos). Recommended: Reading/Writing (Hulean), Oratory, Survival (Forest or Hill), Direction Sense. Equipment: Prophet can use any type of armor, though usually they are too poor to have one. They travel with a dog and a lantern boy, and little more. Access to Spheres: Major: All, Astral, Charm, Divination, Traveller, Protection, Chaos, Sun (reversed only). Minor: Healing, Necromancy. Granted Powers: Divination spells count as one level lower when memorized by a Prophet. They cannot turn or control undead. Special Benefits: Prophets have the ability to influence the reactions of a crowd as Bards of the same level. Prophets receive followers like priests, but these fanatic followers, not only of their religion, but of the Prophet himself. In addition to standard followers, the Prophet gains at first level a lantern boy (of age 6-10). Special Hindrances: Prophets cannot receive spells unless they move around. They must move by foot, at least 24 miles from the location where they received their spells the last time. They can't receive spells in the same location twice in a month. Starting Funds: Prophets start poor, with only a dog, a lantern boy, a staff and 3d6 Liras. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 10:38:03 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Aaron E Nowack wrote: > > > Kraken > > A giant intelligent squid, most likely to be found in the > > northern waters, off the coast of Norwold. > > There is also (at least) one kraken in the Sea of Dread (ref. the > adventure included in PC3: The Sea Peoples). I'd think this one belong to a separate (subtropical) subspecies. Thanks for pointing it out. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 10:49:13 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit David Knott wrote: > > > Jermlaine > > Kopoacinth > > Again, I am not sure of the basis for including > it as part of Mystara. As always with these uncommon AD&D monsters, they're just in the old list, without any comment. I'd think they're not present on Mystara, or at least on the better known parts of it. > > Kuo-Toa > > I think I would leave this one out of Mystara on general principle > (unlike the previous two races, which do not make a big impact > one way or the other by their presence or absence). Same as above. None of these are canon Mystaran monsters. The only low-impact race here seems to be the Kopoacinth, since it should be a construct--probably a gargoyle built by Undersea wizards/priests. The other species could appear in unexplored areas, or the Hollow World, though I don't see any good reason to include the Jermlaine. The Kuo-Toa could be included in various settings, OTOH. For example, the Savage Coast MCA says the Sea Hermits come from an (evil) deep undersea kingdom. This could include any kind of sea-based species, but I doubt it involves aquatic elves, sea giants or the like (too good-aligned)--Kuo-Toa, OTOH, could go. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 19:18:01 +1000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Michael Diehm Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Thanks for the list. This is what I know:- Jermlaine Not Mystaran Ki-rin Not Mystaran Koalinth Not Mystaran Kobold There are kobolds in the Black Mts and in the nth Isle of Dawn Kopoacinth Not Mystaran Kraken There is a kraken in the abyss (Sea of Dread) I don't think its intelligent Kuo-Toa World of Greyhawk, not Mystara Cheers _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 11:49:53 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > The other species could appear in unexplored areas, or the Hollow World, > though I don't see any good reason to include the Jermlaine. The Kuo-Toa > could be included in various settings, OTOH. For example, the Savage > Coast MCA says the Sea Hermits come from an (evil) deep undersea > kingdom. This could include any kind of sea-based species, but I doubt > it involves aquatic elves, sea giants or the like (too > good-aligned)--Kuo-Toa, OTOH, could go. Personally I think that the Kuo-Toa may be easily replaced, on Mystara, by the hresha-rhak designed by Geoff Gander and used by me in the Klagorst parts of last year's almanac. All the info about this race may be found at Shawn's. Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 12:03:05 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Balancing Magic Items (was Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba) Alex Benson wrote: > Not every item has to have a balancing factor to it. Just because it has > strengths against a certain critter does not mean it is weak against another > type. These items' powers pale in comparison to alot of the magic items I > have seen in ADnD settings and in ADnD based computer RPGs. > IMC and works I tend to avoid items and situations where the PCs have no way > out. IMO there should always be an option or some sort of warning. Alot of > this is dependant on the PCs recognizing the warning and the PCs actions > themselves. Ravenloft is ripe with "save or die" type creatures and items. > That type of gameplay works in RL because the setting is so dark and > menacing. While I agree that sometimes the only balancing factor one will see is rarity (it's the only balance in weapons of +1 to +5), I think that any item that has "super"-powers, as in either an extreme power, a number of good powers, or an unlimited number of uses of a good power, needs to have a balancing factor (or more than one). Especially one-of-a-kind (unique) items should, IMO, have one or more detrimental abilities, which you will often find clues to in the item's history or the legends concerning the item. It should be the PCs' job to research the item properly, so they have fair warning before the detrimental effects occur, but if they're too "sloppy", disinterested or whatever, I say they brought it upon themselves. While I also agree that Ravenloft (the only other xD&D campaign world that I have had extensive contact with) has some very nasty items (even some of the "save or die" type, though mostly of a corrupting nature), I think that there's a giant leap between a balancing factor, even one that's potentially fatal, and the inherent cursed nature of many Ravenloft items (which also tend to be unique btw). As for the AD&D computer games, the old ones had only items that one would find in the rulebooks, while the newer ones are of a more "sensational" nature. They are, IMO of course, essentially unbalanced anywhere but within the strict boundaries set by the computer game, and even there, many of them are grossly overpowered and lead to serious gameplay balance issues. Besides these games are typically set in the Forgotten Realms, of which I have little to say besides "Elminster"! Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 10:51:40 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Hulean Priestly Kits V and last: Clergy MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Clergy ------ The temple clergy stands at the lowest rank in the religious hierarchy, yet these clerics have the important role of keeping the hierarchy and the commoners in touch. Requirements: Clerics are the most common, and lowest ranking, priests of the Temple of Chaos, so the requirements to join the kit are not hard. Chaotic characters of either gender and all ethical standing can join, provided they meet requirements for the cleric class. Role: Clerics operate the local temples and shrines. It is their duty to guide and instruct the people. They try to bring out the "holiness" in each person, so they might prepare some fore testing by the Diviners. All clergy have normal clerical abilities as regards spells and fighting. They too can be arrested or rewarded by the Diviners. Weapon Proficiencies: Members of the Hulean clergy can use any weapon allowed to standard clerics. Nonweapon Profs: Bonus: Ceremony (Bozdogan), Religion (Temple of Chaos). Required: Bureaucracy. Recommended: Ceremony (any other Immortal worshipped in the local Temple of Chaos). Equipment: Clergymen may use any kind of armor, and all shields. They don't have any special dressing requirement. Access to Spheres: Major: All, Astral, Charm, Combat, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Sun (reversed spells only), Chaos, Wards. Granted Powers: Control Undead. Special Benefits: Clergy will be hosted by any Temple of Chaos in the land, in exchange for some help. As long as the priest stays with his fellows, he is supposed to help them in their ordinary tasks. The Clergyman can also command commoners, and are able to gather as many warriors as one half their level. The warriors are 1st level fighters, possibly Defenders of Bozdogan or some other Chaotic Immortal, and will serve for 1 day per level of the priest. Special Hindrances: Clergymen are expected to take care of the local temples, so they cannot move too often from their home town. Also, they are the lowest rank of the religious hierarchy, and not only they must obey Diviners and Holy Men, but they are also less respected than Prophets and Hermits, who are more likely to be asked to act as judges or advisors. Starting Funds: As standard clerics, members of the Hulean clergy receive 3d6 x 10 Liras as starting funds, and must return all unspent money but a few (2 or 3) Liras. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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, 21 Oct 2001 15:36:52 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Sentient Races of Mystara, J-K MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit la Volpe wrote: > > Personally I think that the Kuo-Toa may be easily replaced, on Mystara, by > the hresha-rhak designed by Geoff Gander and used by me in the Klagorst > parts of last year's almanac. All the info about this race may be found at > Shawn's. Sure. In fact, that's what I'm going to do for my campaign (the PCs will probably become involved in the Savage Coast undersea, and could wind up exploring the underground areas of Dunwick). At first, I though of the Kuo-Toa, just because I was considering that race for the Sentient Races list. Then I wondered if I could drop in some OB stuff (one of the players thinks there is something lovecraftian beyond the case of murder they are investigating right now...). And yes, I'll put a Servitor of Ubbeth colony somewhere along the coast (probably in Dunwick). They will be a mission with the goal of taking over the snappers tribes. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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. X-From_: MAILER-DAEMON Fri Nov 2 06:37:50 2001 Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 11:21:06 -0800 From: "L-Soft list server at Wizards of the Coast, Inc (1.8d)" Subject: File: "MYSTARA-L LOG0110D" To: Shawn Stanley X-Virus-Scanned: by AMaViS perl-11 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 17:32:04 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: The Division of the Five - Part I MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT Here's the first part of a campaign scheme I used in my own campaign. It is quite extensive, and requires powerful PCs to complete. But I have hopefully written it in a way that adapting and modifying it to you taste will be easier. I am sorry if some "Twin Campaigns"-specific material sneaked in. Ville --- The Division of the Five A campaign scheme Ville Lähde Overview of the campaign: This campaign scheme was originally written for the Twin Campaigns. It lays a loose basis for a series of adventures that take place in Karameikos and the Five Shires. At the centre of the campaign is the ancient Nithian Lich Hazar and his intricate plan to bring the Traladara under the sway of his dark patron, a deity of the undead. During the course of this campaign a lot of unknown historical events are brought to light, even from the time of the Hutaakan occupation and the wars against the Nithian gnolls. Also the actions of Hazar, his allies and followers will greatly influence the politics of Karameikos. The Plans of Hazar: The name of the campaign derives from the nature of Hazar's master plan. He summons an avatar of his deity (or some equivalent, depending on the metaphysics of your campaign) to Mystara, and divides it into five spirits - each of which is able to possess even the most powerful individuals. The spirits will be sent to five locations of the Duchy in order to possess key individuals via powerful religious rituals. The rituals are performed by members of the cult of Hazar. The souls of the possessed are captured in soul-cage crystals that are in the fortress of Hazar, and the undead deity will be able to control their bodies. If the plan succeeds, Karameikos will be largely under undead reign. (Note: The timeline proposed below assume that the possessions will take place.) The master plan doesn't cover all of the story, though. Every possessing ritual is followed with secondary plans of the cult, the object of which is to spread disorder in the realm. This would make it easier for the undead spirits to fulfil the plans of the undead deity. Hazar is aided in this by many allies and contacts, the most important of which being the Iron Ring. His cult has thoroughly infiltrated the criminal organisation. (Note: The infiltration of the Iron Ring was easier in the Twin Campaigns as the organisation had been weakened substantially in the earlier years of the second millenium AC. This resulted from the campaign thread "Wrath of Iron Ring" suggested in the module "Night´s Dark Terror. The DM can of course make the Iron Ring more of an ally of Hazar and less of a pawn. Some hidden agenda of the Ring Masters would then fit the campaign well: the idea of powerful undead reign would not be very appealing to any sane group.) All of Hazar's plans shall culminate in the instigation of a conflict between the Black Eagle and Karameikos, in which much of the military might of the realm would be destroyed. This will be easy if the possession plans are successful. Thus the realm will be ripe for undead infiltration. The conflict will centre on the town of Luln, which will be attacked by the forces of Hazar, Iron Ring and Black Eagle. They are met by expeditionary forces from around the realm, brought in by the possessed individuals. As the Karameikan forces are commanded by the undead spirits, their defeat is inevitable. Then again, this will also be the best situation for reversing the possessions. The reversal will require a lot of clerical power, the soul cages and the presence of the possessed. But even if the PCs succeed in this, the undead deity has still one card in its sleeve. The Division of the Five will be followed with "the Merge of the Five". The banished spirits will combine into the manifestation of a full Avatar in the battlefield. (Note: The DM can of course rebuild the campaign thus that the object of the PCs is to stop this conflict from happening. Thus the centre of the campaign would be on stopping the possessions.) The Traladaran artefacts: The three artefacts of the Traladaran people, introduced in the Vaults of Pandius, may also play an important part in this campaign. Whatever celestial forces are watching over the Traladara, they have nonetheless been concerned about Hazar for a long time. The three artefacts were created during the Hutaakan occupation to help Traldar rebels, or after the Hutaakan withdrawal to aid the Traldar people. They were held by Halav, Petra and Zirchev during their heroic exploits, but after the war against the gnolls and the death of Halav they were scattered and lost. Now the artefacts are once more being drawn to light. But the undead deity has intervened. During the centuries that Hazar has been realising his plan, his undead patron has influenced his with visions and portents about suitable allies. One reason for this was that Hazar would thus find the lost artefacts. Now Hazar has ordered powerful allies to guard the artefacts, so that they won't disturb his campaign. The artefacts can function as a basis for a religious quest - the protectors of the Traladaran people send their follower(s) to regain them, to be used in the battle against Hazar. (More details on the items may be found in the article in the Vaults. As one can see, they have been linked to the idiosyncratic history of the Twin Campaigns, but can easily be modified to suit any version of Karameikos.) Locations of the items: The Armour of Halav: Either agents of Hazar found this in the ruins of Lavv under Kelven, or it had become the property of the Korizegy clan centuries ago - depends how this suits the individual campaign history. In any case, the Korizegy family, cursed with vampirism by Hazar, now guards the armour. The Mace of Petra: Guarded by a white dragon in the north-eastern mountains near Castellan Keep. Was lost in ancient wars against Frost Giants. The dragon is an ally of Hazar. The Helmet of Zirchev: A tribe of werewolves lives in the ruins of Zirchev's tower in the Riverfork area. They have allied with Hazar. The artefacts may be too powerful for some. They can be downgraded of course, but one possibility is to tie their powers to this specific quest. The items are not just passive "magic items", but they have their own destiny not up to the person holding them. Giving them up is a test of faith, and refusing to do so may have sinister outcomes… Other events: I have suggested many general events in the following timeline. Most of them are optional. They are just suggested ways to get the PCs involved and to get some "glue" to hold the campaign together. The order of the campaign, even the main storyline, can easily be adapted to suit any taste. The DM can very well let PCs stop the attempts to possess the five individuals, instead of letting things go ahead to the final conflict. Trip to the fortress of Hazar may then be just a way to get rid of a dangerous foe, not to recover the lost souls. Or maybe just some souls are taken. Whether the PCs can stop the secondary plans or not is also significant - they can cause much grief and change many things. Also, the idea about involving some religious and nationalistic clashes to this campaign may be dropped, if the DM isn't interested in them. ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 17:32:42 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: The Division of the Five - Part II MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT History and general details of key individuals and groups: Hazar: He was a cleric of a Nithian deity of the undead during the time the Traladaran people fled to the lands now called Karameikos. Hazar decided that the Traladara and whatever powers assisted them in their "defection" must be punished. He moved to the lands later populated by the halflings, the Five Shires. In the northern mountains he started creating a substantial workforce of undead, which assisted him in building a pyramid inside a mountain. This was to become the power base for the emerging cult of Hazar in these lands. Hazar knew that the execution of his master plan would take centuries, so he began the morbid path of attaining lichdom. To gain favours from his deity he attacked many members of the Gentle Folk, turning some of their lords into Wyrds and other forms of undead. After becoming a true lich he started creating his cult (see below). Also, he was responsible for the downfall and vampirism of the Korizegy family. (In the Twin Campaigns this is Chemos, the god of undeath - ripped off from the Krynn pantheon. Chemos was one of the three gods that formed the Nithian triumvirate. Others were Thanatos and Rathanos.) Nipa Greatheart: A leader of a band of halfling Strikers, veterans of many incursions into the Black Eagle. Nipa has become aware of the increasing activities of the Iron Ring and some powerful allies they have gained. He will be an excellent source of information, a guide, and most of all a great plot tool for involving the PCs in the trouble brewing in the Shires and the Black Eagle. Cult of Hazar: This group has been created by Hazar during the last few centuries. They have worked in secret up to the present, building bases of power, gaining allies and laying groundwork for the Division of the Five. One of their power bases is in the middle of Blight Swamp, where they have forged an alliance with the local black dragon. In the "key locations" below, their local chapters and alliances are detailed. Note: One good way to introduce the PCs into this campaign is to have them bump into the cult from time to time. (Actually, the idea of the cult was sparked years ago when I crafted a small "basic level" adventure around the Treshold undead logging camp -idea in the Expert set.) Iron Ring: This sinister organisation has been detailed in the module "Night's Dark terror". As told above, the Ring has been infiltrated by the Cult of Hazar. Several Masters, Reavers and their Hound pawns have been deployed around Karameikos to assist the cultists in their possession plans and general mischief. Now the Ring is gathering its forces and pulling in favours in the Black Eagle to gather a substantial army to attack Luln. Church of Karameikos opposition & The Order of Griffon: Due to the meddling of the Hazar cultists and the Iron Ring agents, the relations between the church of Traladara and the Church of Karameikos have become somewhat strained. Some zealous elements in the order of Griffon and the Church of Karameikos see this as an opportunity to gain power and get rid of some dangerous opponents both within their own church and in the Church of Traladara. (The key individuals of the churches and some interesting plot suggestions have been given in the Karameikos Gazetteer.) The Fivebane: This is a group of militant Traladarans who have been driven underground. They are led by a former member of the Cult of Halav, Kiril Petrevich. Kiril had a vision of the coming dangers threatening "the Sacred Realm" of Stephan Karameikos. These were later "confirmed" by a series of obscure texts written by an insane monk of the Church of Traladara. The vision and the writings hint of a danger by "the Five, who were the One, but have become the Five only to become the one again…" (you get the drift), the iron chains that threaten to enslave the children of Traladara, and the persecution of the Traladarans. The Fivebane is an excellent ally for the PCs during the adventures in Specularum, especially when the relations between the two churches become strained. Other individuals: To flesh out the campaign the DM will need a lot of individual cultists, Iron Ring agents, zealots and militants and dark allies of Hazar. In "Key locations" below several canon individuals have been mentioned also. ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 17:33:23 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: The Division of the Five - Part III MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Key locations: Specularum: The Cult of Hazar has several objectives here. They wish to possess admiral Hyraksos (or some other military official), who could influence the deployment of the Karameikan forces in the coming conflict. Other plans include framing incidents that will strain the relations between the two churches: some assassinations, fake demagogues etc. Optional: IMC I spiced up the action in Specularum by launching several adventure threads from the Karameikos Gazetteer and linking them to the main plot: The treason of Tisza and Marilenev, who may be connected with the Fivebane. The Iron Ring agents may become involved in the internal clashes of the Torenescu family, where Dmitros the beggar king may become an important figure etc. Kelven: The main objective of the cult is to possess baron Kelven, who would also deploy troops to the coming conflict. In addition to that, the cultists and the Iron Ring members will engage in sabotage in order to stop or delay the troops that will be sent to assist the Castellan keep during the giant&orc invasion. The operatives in Kelven and possibly small cells in Rifflian and Treshold will try to spread mistrust between the humans and the elves. The object of this is to make it harder for the elves to coordinate their actions with humans in the Luln battle. Castellan Keep: Hordes of Pfark tribe orcs (see "Night's Dark Terror") and Frost giants have succumbed to the authority of a powerful white dragon, who is an ally of Hazar. Unless the PCs intervene, the northern army will most likely be devastated. The cultists are ready to possess one of the key figures of the Karameikan forces during the battle. IMC this was Aleena Halaran, who joined the Castellan garrison with a Tresholdian contingent. See: The Traladaran artefacts Sulescu: During the last few decades Hazar has tempted a cult of dopplegangers to settle in the city. There is going to be a possession carnival. In addition to the attempted spirit possession of Sulescu himself, the dopplegangers will try to take over the whole town. If this succeeds, then a Sulescu force sent into the Luln battle will be very dangerous to other unit on its side. Korizegy Keep: Guarding the Armour of Halav isn't the only task for the Korizegy vampires. Their task is also to possess the leader of the elves, who will be lured to the western fringes of the elven woods by several incidents staged by the Iron Ring. Local loggers, hunters etc. will be blamed for them, adding to the stress on human-elf-relations. The Riverfork: The main element here is the Helmet of Zirchev, which a tribe of werewolves is guarding. In the coming Luln conflict the werewolves might be very dangerous, if Hazar manages to get the to them battlefield. Note: One powerful cleric cultist has voluntarily contracted lycantropy to add to the defences here. Blight Swamp: The power base of the cult may be used as a way to get the PCs gain some information on the location of Hazar's fortress. Only the highest clerics know about it. The Fortress of Hazar: This is a pyramid carved right into a mountain. A very dangerous place, as Hazar has had centuries to gain powerful pawns and chains of sub-pawns. For the PCs the soul crystals are the main attraction. ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 17:34:44 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: The Division of the Five - Part IV MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT One possible timeline: This is only a suggestion for the order of events. Much will of course depend on how successful the PCs are in foiling the plans of the cult and gaining information about other cult/Iron Ring cells. It is up to the DM to decide now much the cells know about each other. 1) Trouble in Specularum The PCs get involved in the events, when the clashes between the militants of the two churches become bloody. The agents of Iron Ring fuel these clashes, and may directly aid one party. Another good introductory thread might be the poisonous plot within the Torenescu family - Iron Ring agents might be involved, and this might lead to confrontations between the Iron Ring and the Torenescu loyalists. The idea here is that the PCs just get involved with the Iron Ring at this stage, so they know something sinister is cooking. But the Cult of Hazar will remain in the background. - One outcome of these clashes might be that either of both of the militant parties will be outlawed and persecuted. 2) Sabotage and racism in Kelven The best way to involve the PCs in the events in Kelven is to have them travel there with the troops that are sent to assist the Castellan keep. They may also get hints about the straining of the elf-human -relationships. 3) The Castellan keep This is an opportunity for some good dragon-hunting and giant-bashing. The Mace of Petra is a good way to introduce the PCs to the deeper religious significance of this campaign. They might find some engraved testimonies of the last owner of the mace, describing the coming of the Hutaakan, the ancient flight of Traldar from unknown lands (Nithia) - and there might be hints about a dark undead fiend… Most of all, the texts will refer to the other artefacts, which will most likely tempt the PCs. Some religious visions might be good here, if the DM wants to use the idea about the Traladaran religious quest. 4) Possession in Specularum The nationalistic and religious clashes deepen, possibly involving Marilenev and the treasonous Tisza. The Iron Ring and the cultist will try to intensify these clashes, so that the Duke will have to concentrate his attention on maintaining order in the city. After the possession of Hyraksos (or someone else), the internal policies of the Karameikan government will shift rapidly. The militant parties, especially the Traladaran ones, will be persecuted harshly. At this time news of troop concentrations in the Black Eagle reach the capital. The Strikers of Nipa may be a good lead here. Haphazard plans are made to send some troops to assist Sascia of Luln, but the volatile situation on Specularum, troubles with elves, and the recent Castellan operations will make full mobilisation impossible. Notes: IMC I had the whole Specularum situation develop so far, that the Traladaran militants, who had internal frictions of their own, had to flee to Marilenev. Her own treasonous activities and connections with Tisza had been brought to light, and a new rebellion was looming on the horizon. In the end a fraction within the ranks of the would-be rebels left Marilenev alone, and she was publicly executed. The PC (Alexander Penhaligon) managed to change from the hero of Castellan to an outlaw and a public hero again. 5) The Sulescu Doppleganger festival One possible lead that can lure the PCs here is the fact that Sulescu has one of the oldest surviving collections of ancient Traladaran textual records. Those looking for clues about the whereabouts of the artefacts will most likely be drawn here. And in fact, there's a lot to find. Ancient tablets and manuscripts give more hints about the secret history of the Traladaran people. An old document tells about the final battle between the beastman king (gnoll) and Halav, the demise of both, and the cowardly retreat of the Hutaakan to their unknown valley. Through careful research one can trace the fate of the three heroes and their artefacts, although the details are fragmentary. What is clear is the retreat of Zirchev to his tower, location of which may be left obscure. Also there's a brief remark on the Armour of Halav, (and how it ended with the Korizegy family, it the DM wishes to use this version of history). The doppleganger plot can be brought in by a series of detective-style murder investigations, that the officials may ask the PCs to help with. This will of course require that the DM fleshes out the town of Sulescu in considerable detail. 6) The Vampires of Korizegy Keep There are two good ways to bring the PCs here. The visit can be a part of the quest for the Traladaran artefacts. (Hints of the location of the armour may be found in Sulescu. Alternatively, if the agents of the Iron Ring and the Cult have found the armour in Lavv, under Kelven, and transported it here, hints of this can be found during the Kelven episode.) Or the PCs may get involved with some elf-human clashes in the western part of the elven forest, which may lead them to the vampiric allies of Hazar. This also gives a good opportunity for some elven adventures, which are often forgotten in Karameikos. The Armour of Halav is also a good opportunity to introduce some further knowledge about the history of the realm. Either via religious visions, textual sources by the former holders of the artefact or even an apparition of one of them, the DM can reveal the location of the Helmet of Zirchev, and perhaps make the religious quest "official" by confirming it with a divine intervention. (Note: IMC I shocked the PCs with a little gaming trick, when they were approaching the Korizegy Keep. After a restful night they woke up and continued their approach, sensing an eerie feeling in the air. The keep was totally in ruins, with little marks of its former glory. Then, with a ground-shaking tremor, a ghastly thing burst out from some forgotten vault: a huge carrion bird made entirely of the bones of elves/infants/deformed animals/those dead in battle (take your pick). A desperate battle ensued, resulting in the death of the PCs, some screaming (This is unfair! We haven't got a chance!)… and ended with the PCs waking up in the night, screaming and sweaty. Their actual approach to the Keep was a bit edgy. If you haven't done anything like this before, I strongly recommend it.) 7) The werewolves of Riverfork As PCs travel to higher experience levels, the shock value of lycantropes seems to diminish a little. So why not introduce a whole tribe of them? The lycantropic allies of Hazar can be made into tough adversaries. This is a good way to demonstrate the remaining wildness and danger of Karameikos. Also, this is a good opportunity to bring some non-humanoid allies to the play: I introduces some characters that became good friends to the PCs and were a big help to them. A local chevall is worried about the threat of werewolves to the wild horses living in the area. There's also a solitary werebear, a good and stout fellow, who can be convinced to join the fight. (I actually named the werebear Pooh…) The ancient tower of Zirchev, where the werewolves are living, is a good place to introduce some ancient lore again. Maybe the PCs can find an old poem, learned from hin bards and written down by Zirchev, which describes the fate of the Gentle folk in the hands of an evil, undead monster. Sufficient tips about Hazar may lure the PCs into investigating similar legends in the Five Shires, and they may lead them to the fortress of Hazar. Or in the notes of the Hazar cultist who became a werewolf, the PCs may find notes about the cult base in the Blight Swamp, or even about the fortress of Hazar. 8) Blight Swamp This encounter is optional in the sense that there aren't any possession plans around. Then again, finding out about the extent and the power of the cult will be a good dramatic moment for the PCs. Here they may realise the dangerous implications of the coming conflict with the forces of the Black Eagle, the Iron Ring and the Cult of Hazar. They have two choices: Should they turn back and try to reverse the possession? It's up to the DM whether s/he lets them understand that this will require the soul-cage crystals (see below). Or shall they try to eliminate the leader of the cult before the battle of Luln ensues? That is, if there's time. Or if the DM wishes, they may have enough time to recover the crystals AND return to Luln in order to reverse the possessions in the final battle. It is even possible that they simply decide to assassinate the possessed individuals, if they have become interested in the rebellious ideas they found in the Specularum episodes. Or maybe this is just an act of desperation. Anyway, their public life in Karameikos would be over. 9) The Five Shires and Hazar's Fortress As any lair of a lich, this should be made into a tough encounter. Also, the outlandish setting of a pyramid inside a mountain allows the DM to bring the PCs into environmental settings that are strange, alienating and eerie in themselves. Remember that Hazar has had a lot of spare time to devote to decorating. Some ideas: An elven forest crafted from stone, inhabited by the Gentle Folk wyrds. Vampiric or spectre servants that have Nithian looks, including mummies of course. Undead topis, crafted from halflings instead of the usual shrinking procedure - there might actually be smials for lairs! Hazar may have incorporated the Hutaakan science of living statues for his defences 10) CLIMAX: The Battle of Luln This is the culmination point for Hazar's plans. The idea is that the possessed individuals will lead expeditionary forces from around the realm to battle the Black Eagle, Iron Ring & Cult incursion. During this campaign, this strange will to commit forces and take part in the battle personally will be a good hint that something is amiss: Who ever heard of Sulescu leaving his town? Why the heck was Hyraksos, an admiral, elected to lead a ground force? Composition of the Karameikan force might look something like this: - A unit of Specularum guard or marines, led by Hyraksos. - A unit of Kelven troops, led by the baron. - Some elven "volunteers", led by the present leader of elves. - If Aleena Halaran was possessed, you might throw in some Tresholdian troops - A surprising Sulescu unit, led by Sulescu himself. - The troops of Sascia, effectively the only force totally loyal to Karameikos (not under spirit control). - If you wish to bring in some other loyal forces, the Strikers of Nipa are a good option, possibly even some Fivebane "commandoes". The Elvenguard would also be a good solution. What about the enemy? Their forces could include: - Some elite guardsmen of the Black Eagle Barony. - Crack mercenary troops hired by the Iron Ring. - Bugbear mercenaries from western Karameikos. - Werewolves of Riverfork, if the PCs couldn't eliminate them. - A unit or Iron Ring Hounds, equal to berserkers. - A surprise force of skeletons or zombies, commanded by priests of the Cult of Hazar. Of course, a force like this would be kept in secret from the other enemy units. - High-level cult priests, Iron Ring Masters and Reavers and officers of the Black Eagle will be the big baddies in this battle. What is the object of this battle from the viewpoint of Hazar? In short: total annihilation, as the leaders of the Karameikan forces will effectively try to lose the battle. The strained elf-human relations will make even direct confrontations between units in the Karameikan side plausible (that is, if the PCs didn't stop these plans before). But ironically, victory for Black Eagle isn't what Hazar is looking for. He just wants both sides to suffer terrible losses, but the possessed individuals are of course meant to get home in one piece. The Cult and Iron Ring leaders are expendable, as the plans have already been realised. The Black Eagle is meant to lose much in this battle, too - if Hazar's deity manages to gain control in Karameikos, invading Black Eagle will be on the "things to do-list" sooner or later. Thus it is even possible that the undead troops will turn on their "allies" if the battle goes too well for the Black Eagle side. The Macabre High-Fantasy Splatter Climax Option: As mentioned earlier, there's still one card in Hazar's sleeve if thing go bad for him. That is, if the PCs manage to gain the soul-cage crystals, banish the undead spirits and recover the lost souls. This is the only good way for the Karameikan side to win this conflict. But (as described below) the spirits can only be banished from the possessed bodies, not back to their home plane - short of a wish spell, that is. Or five simultaneous, powerful dispel evils directed at all of the spirits at the same time, as they are, despite their divided nature, essentially one being. After being banished from the possessed bodies, the Five spirits shall hover over the battlefield, coolly gazing over the blood and mayhem. Then, joining in a unison invocation, they cause every single body on the field to explode, scattering hundreds of bones in the air. The spirits merge into one towering Avatar of the undead god, constructing its body from the bones, joined by guts and tendons of the fallen - and claws and teeth of the countless fallen weapons. See if they can handle this… Miscellaneous notes: Optional encounters: - Spying mission to the Black Eagle Barony in order to unearth the sinister connections between the Iron Ring and the Cult of Hazar. - Additional Elf-Human clashes in Rifflian, where an Iron Ring cell is active. Ways to bring the PCs into the campaign: You can of course start the campaign from the Frost Giant battles, bring in the Cult of Hazar there, and merge the two Sulescu episodes together. Or the PCs may get involved in the clashes between elves and humans in western Karameikos or Rifflian. Also, the news about troop movements in Black Eagle may reach the PCs very early on, and they start the campaign by the above mentioned spying missions. Then the existence of the Cult would be a big surprise. Reversing the possessions: I decided on the following procedure. To successfully reverse the possession one has to cast a powerful dispel evil spell at the possessed individual. This will drive the spirit out. This must be followed with breaking the soul-cage crystal in close proximity of the body, so that the soul can find its way home. Otherwise the body will fall into coma. It is very possible that the PCs find out about the possessions early on (if the DM wishes so) and try to dispel the spirit - with disastrous consequences. How the hell are they going to explain to the authorities, that they exorcised a renowned individual into coma? A trip to Five Shires to recover the crystals might be in order. Or: The PCs can be totally oblivious to the fact that anyone has been possessed. They may just decide to travel to Hazar's fortress to kill the lich. Finding the caged souls of five compatriots will be a shock - imagine their faces when they realise who is going to lead the Karameikan armies "in just a few days! How the heck are we going to get there in time? Where on Mystara are we going to get enough clerics to dispel those spirits? I wish I never started this adventuring business, I always wanted to be a lumberjack, leaping from…" ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 14:34:31 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <> there's technically nothing to stop you from doing so. the items are intended to be presented to the MML readership for possible use. alteration and adaptation of the items is expected and encouraged. afterall, variation between campaign, game style, and power levels are not something that can be taken into account by one person. however, i do have some reservations about you posting your own versions of the items. to me, it seems a bit callous and vindictive to craft an alternative version specifically for public viewing as opposed to the original i posted. it has the potential to become an argument of opinion. that said, go ahead and post away. i am interested to see your spin on it. ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 14:58:54 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items (was Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry for the delay in responding to these...been busy with Dark Age of Camelot. <> the uber items i have presented so far are rarities. likewise their placement and PC access is limited. The Scarab is part of a planned adventure where the PCs must face some pretty stiff competition. these items are suppose to be these exotic and interesting items that set themselves apart from the normal DMG magic items. most of these items are based off items used IMC which was heavily centered in ALphatia. with its magical influence and focus, does it not make sense that even a magic item with mainstream powers perform those powers in a spectacular manner to set it apart in a crowd. As for detrimental affects, I don't like those unless they are inserted into an item for a specific reason. some of my items do have detrimental affects. The Scarab changes your gender. the reason for this gender change is explained in its history. The Eye's lackluster performance against medusa comes from its being crafted from medusa body parts. <> RL is a dark and interesting setting. Good is suppose to be the perpetual underdog. The Dark Powers insure this balance by warping magic items. Look in the RL suppliment "Forge of Darkness". almost every item with detrimental affects were warped or influenced by the Dark Powers. others have a history that gives detrimental affects for a specific reason. <> well...most of these PC-RPGs were created rather recently (1995+). For TSR there really wasn't alot of its campaign settings available to use and to market. So the choice of FR is understandable. Plus the choice of FR with Baldur's Gate worked out very well as far as game and plotline. Anyway...I don't see anything in those games as being overbearing or unbalancing. Heck I sold most of them when I played the games. The uber items came into play towards the end of BG when you were facing your brother Sarevok. It did take a bigger jump in BG2 (including expansion), but you and your intrepid high level party were performing tasks which included plane hopping, fighting demons, toppling governments, storming the Underdark, breaking sieges, facing avatars, and ultimately becoming a god. Uber quests need uber equipment. anyway....i hate to say it but FR does fit with certain aspects of Mystara. Look at ALphatia and Glantri. You would expect uber magic in both of those cultures. ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 12:32:53 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct2001(#2001-287) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Well I am still on the list, and I get lots of emails during the week. And = no I won't leave the list. JK Wolf ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 21:50:43 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Eye of Kar'Umba Alex Benson wrote: > however, i do have some reservations about you posting your own versions of > the items. to me, it seems a bit callous and vindictive to craft an > alternative version specifically for public viewing as opposed to the > original i posted. it has the potential to become an argument of opinion. I understand perfectly, which was why I wanted to ask you for permission before doing it. I don't mean any disrespect, but since some of your items seem cool, while others seem too strong/inappropriate for use IMC, I want to change them so they _could_ find use IMC. And since I'll be rewriting those anyway, I might as well share, if you don't object. > that said, go ahead and post away. i am interested to see your spin on it. Expect a spin on the Eye tomorrow. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 22:07:34 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items Alex Benson wrote: > RL is a dark and interesting setting. Good is suppose to be the perpetual > underdog. The Dark Powers insure this balance by warping magic items. Look in > the RL suppliment "Forge of Darkness". almost every item with detrimental > affects were warped or influenced by the Dark Powers. others have a history > that gives detrimental affects for a specific reason. I don't have Forge of Darkness (too new I guess; I stopped with Ravenloft several years ago and redevoted myself to Mystara), but the items I do have are excellent, and, yes, most of them are detrimental due to the corruption of the "Dark Powers." But, like I said, I think there's a great leap between these "cursed" powers and balancing effects, though some of my suggestions for balancing effects may seem harsh. I also prefer detrimental effects for a reason, but it's not _that_ hard to write in a reason for them without ruining the entire history of the item. > well...most of these PC-RPGs were created rather recently (1995+). That's not true, most of them (especially the AD&D ones) were created earlier than 1995. The Pool of Radiance series (4 games), the Krynn series (3 games), the Savage Frontier series (2 games), the Ravenloft games (2 of those), and the Menzoberranzan game are all older than that to my knowledge, and none of them had obviously unbalanced items that I can think of (and note that 7 of those are set in the FR, and the last Pool game is for level humongous). > For TSR > there really wasn't alot of its campaign settings available to use and to > market. So the choice of FR is understandable. Plus the choice of FR with > Baldur's Gate worked out very well as far as game and plotline. Anyway...I > don't see anything in those games as being overbearing or unbalancing. Heck I > sold most of them when I played the games. The uber items came into play > towards the end of BG when you were facing your brother Sarevok. It did take > a bigger jump in BG2 (including expansion), but you and your intrepid high > level party were performing tasks which included plane hopping, fighting > demons, toppling governments, storming the Underdark, breaking sieges, facing > avatars, and ultimately becoming a god. Uber quests need uber equipment. I understand that magic is extremely powerful in Throne of Bhaal, where your character is basically as strong and broken as any old item (my most unbalanced character was a Monk, who didn't even use any magic worth mentioning), but I find that some items, particularly in BG2, were unnecessarily powerful and could basically win the game for you by building up immunities to the point of being ridiculous (an item that reflects all spells back at the caster? Funny thing that the game system isn't smart enough to change the monsters' tactics so fx. Beholders keep firing spells at you until they fail a save and die) or just by being instant killers (vorpal sword, anyone? And even if that's from the regular rulebook, it's still just plain overpowered! ..and a perfect example of an unbalanced item, IMO). > anyway....i hate to say it but FR does fit with certain aspects of Mystara. > Look at ALphatia and Glantri. You would expect uber magic in both of those > cultures. I disagree with you that these cultures necessarily produce Über Magic (though I might not necessarily define Über Magic the same way you do). I think that they rather have a lot of mundane magic and more of the "powerful" (as in rare in the treasure tables) magic items than other places. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 23:25:49 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: IM1 The Immortal Storm Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I had the chance to quickly skim the module IM1 The Immortal Storm at my College Ad&d club. And while I havent been able to read it touroughly I saw several things that seeme amiss... First of all, the Immortal Nyx is referred to as a male and not a female, second the hierarch for all the spheres seemed messed up, for exemple, Nyx was the hierarch of entropy. Third part of the adventure seemed to be taking place in New York and Chicago ??? So basicly, am I right to assume this quest is all whacked up ? I was thinking of borrowing it for a weekend to do a sort of one shot thing, but Im not sure. Are the 2 other immortals level quests like this ? I remember that I asked about them a long while ago and some one said they were not that good. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 16:32:03 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: NoS and Entropy MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 After WOTI, does the NoS now create Entropic immortals? It would REALLY throw things out of whack if it drains Entropy and creates new Energy immortals! Mike ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 19:52:27 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mischa Gelman Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 22 Oct 2001, Gilles Leblanc wrote: > several things that seeme amiss... First of all, the Immortal Nyx is > referred to as a male and not a female This was the initial presentation. Therefore, future changes were "amiss" rather than this. > second the hierarch for all the > spheres seemed messed up, for exemple, Nyx was the hierarch of entropy. This too was initially the case. The hierarchy changed after events in IM2 IIRC. Previous materials all listed Nyx as hierarch. > Third part of the adventure seemed to be taking place in New York and > Chicago ??? So basicly, am I right to assume this quest is all whacked up ? I think it was a neat idea to force characters to RP their presence in a modern Earth setting. Others, of course, may disagree. > but Im not sure. Are the 2 other immortals level quests like this ? IM3 is just horrible. Skip it. IM2 is pretty standard module fare. - Mischa [T]he progress of science depends much less upon either theoretical considerations or systematic investigation than is commonly believed, but rather on the transmittal of reliable information, gained by chance or insight, from one set of men to their successors. - Gene Wolfe ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 16:46:20 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > I had the chance to quickly skim the module IM1 The Immortal Storm at my > College Ad&d club. And while I havent been able to read it touroughly I saw > several things that seeme amiss... First of all, the Immortal Nyx is > referred to as a male and not a female, second the hierarch for all the > spheres seemed messed up, for exemple, Nyx was the hierarch of entropy. > Third part of the adventure seemed to be taking place in New York and > Chicago ??? So basicly, am I right to assume this quest is all whacked up ? > I was thinking of borrowing it for a weekend to do a sort of one shot thing, > but Im not sure. Are the 2 other immortals level quests like this ? I > remember that I asked about them a long while ago and some one said they > were not that good. Heresy! They are actually good, but when you play the old Immortal box set, you are playing something different than D&D. The IM series came before Wrath of the Immortals, and some changes were made, however, things aren't as incompatible as you think. I do believe WoTI mentions that one of Nyx's forms is an old man, which was basically a nod to the IM series. I believe she might also be on one of the Council's that would investigate the storm threat in IM1, but it has been a long time since I checked. The adventure part taking place in New York and Chicago isn't the real world, but a world very close to our own which exists in a small plane with peculiar dimensional and magical characteristics. You would need to read the Immortals box set to get the gist of the mathematics and fantasy-physics that explain what is going on, but the short of it is that magic doesn't exist on that plane. The Immortal box set also presents a very different set of Outer Planes than the AD&D version. Unless you have the Immortal box set, and I don't recommend trying to run it, unless you are very good at improvising. Dave ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 01:19:04 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 22 Oct 2001 22:07:34 Jacob Skytte wrote: >Alex Benson wrote: > > (snip) > >> well...most of these PC-RPGs were created rather recently (1995+). > >That's not true, most of them (especially the AD&D ones) were created earlier than 1995. The Pool of Radiance series (4 games), the Krynn series (3 games), the Savage Frontier series (2 games), the Ravenloft games (2 of those), and the Menzoberranzan game are all older than that to my knowledge, and none of them had obviously unbalanced items that I can think of (and note that 7 of those are set in the FR, and the last Pool game is for level humongous). > They didn't have particular powerful magical items, but some of them were rather potent to say the least! And the rules were wide open for abuse. You could copy magic items, and multiple items didn't work right (12th level wizards with two rings of wizard could cast 16 fireballs or so because the first doubled the spells, and so did the second). When you converted a character from one game to another, you could cast Enlarge on him first so he was converted with a 23 Strength score (even non-warriors!) which then stayed permanent (and could be taken to 24 for the next game). In the Krynn game I remember having a dual-classed thief/ranger who could backstab dragons with a dragonlance and still get the ranger bonus damage. Since the HPs of the PCs were rather huge, that could give dragons 500+ hp damage easy! Or how about in "Secret of the Silver Blades" where all the warriors end up with +5 silver shields that reflect all gaze attacks! Needless to say, I loved those games :) >> For TSR >> there really wasn't alot of its campaign settings available to use and to >> market. So the choice of FR is understandable. Plus the choice of FR with >> Baldur's Gate worked out very well as far as game and plotline. Anyway...I >> don't see anything in those games as being overbearing or unbalancing. Heck I >> sold most of them when I played the games. The uber items came into play >> towards the end of BG when you were facing your brother Sarevok. It did take >> a bigger jump in BG2 (including expansion), but you and your intrepid high >> level party were performing tasks which included plane hopping, fighting >> demons, toppling governments, storming the Underdark, breaking sieges, facing >> avatars, and ultimately becoming a god. Uber quests need uber equipment. > >I understand that magic is extremely powerful in Throne of Bhaal, where your character is basically as strong and broken as any old item (my most unbalanced character was a Monk, who didn't even use any magic worth mentioning), but I find that some items, particularly in BG2, were unnecessarily powerful and could basically win the game for you by building up immunities to the point of being ridiculous (an item that reflects all spells back at the caster? Funny thing that the game system isn't smart enough to change the monsters' tactics so fx. Beholders keep firing spells at you until they fail a save and die) or just by being instant killers (vorpal sword, anyone? And even if that's from the regular rulebook, it's still just plain overpowered! ..and a perfect example of an unbalanced item, IMO). > I know only BG 1, but the tendency was clear there too. There were suddenly many items that never existed in the P&P version. I guess that just got worse... >> anyway....i hate to say it but FR does fit with certain aspects of Mystara. >> Look at ALphatia and Glantri. You would expect uber magic in both of those >> cultures. > >I disagree with you that these cultures necessarily produce \ber Magic (though I might not necessarily define \ber Magic the same way you do). I think that they rather have a lot of mundane magic and more of the "powerful" (as in rare in the treasure tables) magic items than other places. > There *are* some pretty powerful items in those lands, but they don't exactly come cheap. A skyship is a powerful item (particularly if you go by the CoM stats), but they cost fortunes to make, and they probably don't fall into the PCs' hands, or if they do, "previous" owners are likely to come looking for them :) Powerful "Alphatian Artifacts" were established in recent MAs, but those have some very specific limitations and can often be fatal or very problematic to use. Which uber items were you thinking of, Alex? - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 01:30:50 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: NoS and Entropy Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 22 Oct 2001 16:32:03 Mike Harvey wrote: >After WOTI, does the NoS now create Entropic immortals? It would >REALLY throw things out of whack if it drains Entropy and creates new >Energy immortals! > This is a tricky subject that has been discussed here several times. Most agree that the NoS drains Entropy now (although G:KoM claims it still drains Energy, most of us agree this is a typo given the events of WOTI), but some say it should make Entropic Immortals while others say they should still be Energy. Personally I'd say the former, but the general consensus so far seems to be that it does whatever you want in your campaign... Try searching the Vaults of Pandius under Glantri - I'm almost willing to bet Shawn put some of the discussions and conclusions there. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 00:31:24 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: NoS and Entropy Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >After WOTI, does the NoS now create Entropic immortals? It would >REALLY throw things out of whack if it drains Entropy and creates new >Energy immortals! > >Mike > It would, but correct me if im wrong, the NoS has only created one Immortal, and that is Rad. Unless you count Benekander, but that really was ages ago and before the NoS became the NoS. Benekander is more the result of a freak accident like happened to Rafiel. Both were struck by a nuclear explosion and there immortality seem more related in a way than to Rad. So even if it creates entropic immortals, the NoS is not very immortal productive. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 20:48:04 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Andrew Theisen Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Stalker wrote: > >This is a tricky subject that has been discussed here several = times. Most agree that the NoS drains Entropy now (although G:KoM = claims it still drains Energy, most of us agree this is a typo given the = events of WOTI), but some say it should make Entropic Immortals = while others say they should still be Energy. Personally I'd say the = former, but the general consensus so far seems to be that it does = whatever you want in your campaign...< It's kind of a moot point, really, as the Spheres of Power are = ideological abstracts rather than physical constructs. An Energy = Immortal is simply one who espouses a certain view of reality. This = concept is far more prevalent in WotI (wherein all Immortals have the = same powers and abilities, regardless of ideology) than in the Gold = Box Immortals set (where Sphere loyalty determined how fast and = and cheap certain powers were to access for Immortals of differing = ideologies), but even in that set it was possible to change Sphere = allegiance. So the NoS doesn't create Entropic Immortals, it doesn't create = Energy Immortals, it just creates Immortals. = However, by that token, those elevating themselves to Immortality via = the NoS are probably going to be more ideologically suited to the = Sphere of Energy (given that it deals with magic, and the study of = magic is what brought them to the NoS). With the NoS' change to = draining Entropy, however, it is possible that in time, those who = study necromantic magics may be just as drawn to the NoS as = those who study pure magics, and it may demonstrate a tendency to = draw those with an interest in the ideologies of the Sphere of = Entropy, rather than simply Energy. How's that for a long-winded answer? :) ____________________________________________________________________ Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.amexmail.com/?A=3D1= ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 00:36:03 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Unless you have the Immortal box set, and I don't recommend trying to run >it, unless >you are very good at improvising. > >Dave Well Ill have to look at it when I get another chance. I do have the WoTI box which explains much about immortals. I use WoTI version of the planes in my campaign ( even if we are 2E ). I doubt the immortals rules cover lots of other stuff ( I guess they cover more, but WoTI is pretty clear on lots of things ). Anyway if I would play this adventure I would adapt it to make it more compatible with the more recent ( WoTI, CoM, GAZ, PWA ) Mystara. It is funny to see that most old modules are not canon :) Think Savage Coast, Quagmire, Master of the Desert Nomads among others, or others are "set" in Mystara but only in the loosest sense of the term or are not there at all. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 01:03:18 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >It's kind of a moot point, really, as the Spheres of Power are >ideological abstracts rather than physical constructs. An Energy >Immortal is simply one who espouses a certain view of reality. This >concept is far more prevalent in WotI (wherein all Immortals have the >same powers and abilities, regardless of ideology) than in the Gold >Box Immortals set (where Sphere loyalty determined how fast and >and cheap certain powers were to access for Immortals of differing >ideologies), but even in that set it was possible to change Sphere >allegiance. I had no idea the old rules were different concerning Immortals powers, would you say there were better ? Even tough I had only access to the rules of WoTI I had always tought of the divisions between immortals of different spheres to be clearer, but I see you may have a really good point here. Altough you must consider ( I know these arent arguments proving you are wrong, on the contrary ) that immortals from the same spherer tend to congregate together and have Pandius similar cities in a plane where only they are allowed to access. Also some immortals have joined a sphere not like the favored class of the sphere. Most notably, energy immortals were mostly mages, but not all of them. It is possible for a thief to join the sphere. This brings up the fact that certain classes are more prediposed towards a sphere, altough you could say that it is becuase of their outlook on reality, I do not think that all mages share the same outlook, you could ( *could* ) theorize that is it because Mages are more suited to become immortals because of what they have become as high level mages. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 21:39:44 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Christopher M Cherrington Subject: Re: MYSTARA-L Digest - 16 Oct 2001 to 18 Oct2001(#2001-287) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit err... me too! I have been sick, but will continue on reading my emails, if not answering or replying. ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 21:54:11 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I loved that old gold box game. It was a neat rules system unto itself. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Keyser" To: Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 7:46 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] IM1 The Immortal Storm > Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > I had the chance to quickly skim the module IM1 The Immortal Storm at my > > College Ad&d club. And while I havent been able to read it touroughly I saw > > several things that seeme amiss... First of all, the Immortal Nyx is > > referred to as a male and not a female, second the hierarch for all the > > spheres seemed messed up, for exemple, Nyx was the hierarch of entropy. > > Third part of the adventure seemed to be taking place in New York and > > Chicago ??? So basicly, am I right to assume this quest is all whacked up ? > > I was thinking of borrowing it for a weekend to do a sort of one shot thing, > > but Im not sure. Are the 2 other immortals level quests like this ? I > > remember that I asked about them a long while ago and some one said they > > were not that good. > > Heresy! They are actually good, but when you play the old Immortal box set, > you are playing something different than D&D. > > The IM series came before Wrath of the Immortals, and some changes were made, > however, things aren't as incompatible as you think. I do believe WoTI mentions > that one of Nyx's forms is an old man, which was basically a nod to the IM series. > I believe she might also be on one of the Council's that would investigate the storm > threat in IM1, but it has been a long time since I checked. The adventure part taking > place in New York and Chicago isn't the real world, but a world very close to our own > which exists in a small plane with peculiar dimensional and magical characteristics. > You would need to read the Immortals box set to get the gist of the mathematics and > fantasy-physics that explain what is going on, but the short of it is that magic doesn't > exist on that plane. The Immortal box set also presents a very different set of Outer > Planes than the AD&D version. > > Unless you have the Immortal box set, and I don't recommend trying to run it, unless > you are very good at improvising. > > Dave > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > > ******************************************************************** 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, 22 Oct 2001 21:58:25 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: David Knott Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Gilles Leblanc" > > I had no idea the old rules were different concerning Immortals powers, > would you say there were better ? It is debatable which rules (Gold box Immortals set vs. WotI) are better. However, it is quite clear that the older gold box rules are more complicated and difficult to play, which is why I think those rules were so greatly simplified in WotI. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 09:21:50 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <> Forge of Darkness is a pretty good read; lots of interesting items with=20 interesting histories and properties. Being RL based they are universally=20 dark in nature, fitting well with the setting. Going by memory, I can think=20 of only one or two items that could be easily transferred over to Mystara,=20 and those would has to be considered cursed items or tools of entropy. As for my own items, I wrote the histories first with a general idea of what= =20 the item would do. Then I derived the exact properties from that history,=20 twinking the powers to fit the history. Hence the items are products of thei= r=20 histories and origins. <<> well...most of these PC-RPGs were created rather recently (1995+). > That's not true, most of them (especially the AD&D ones) were created earlie= r=20 than 1995. The Pool of Radiance series (4 games), the Krynn series (3 games)= ,=20 the Savage Frontier series (2 games), the Ravenloft games (2 of those), and=20 the Menzoberranzan game are all older than that to my knowledge, and none of= =20 them had obviously unbalanced items that I can think of (and note that 7 of=20 those are set in the FR, and the last Pool game is for level humongous).>> I am going by the works produced by Interplay/Black Isle/Bioware. There were= =20 earlier examples, but the Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Torment games wer= e=20 the first to develop such a wide and diverse following. Of course the=20 computer user base has severely increased since the old DOS days. <> The robe of reflection or whatever it was called was fixed in a patch (IIRC)= .=20 I never got it so it was a non-factor. Like the robe, alot of the problem=20 items were products of the pnp items being converted for use in the game.=20 Anyway...most items were gained after the party had reached a high level and= =20 had achieved some focal quest in the game's plotline. And...by the closing=20 portions of Throne of Bhaal the characters were very high level, extending=20 beyond the normal ADnD range. <<> anyway....i hate to say it but FR does fit with certain aspects of=20 Mystara. > Look at ALphatia and Glantri. You would expect uber magic in both of those > cultures. > I disagree with you that these cultures necessarily produce =DCber Magic=20 (though I might not necessarily define =DCber Magic the same way you do). I=20 think that they rather have a lot of mundane magic and more of the "powerful= "=20 (as in rare in the treasure tables) magic items than other places.>> I am not so sure. Like RL, the items are dark and often dangerous...being=20 influenced by the evil natures of their crafters or by the Dark Powers. In=20 Mystara the same thing can easily happen. Alphatian and Glantrian societies=20 are based on extravagant uses of magic. There is a given amount of social=20 extravangance in magical use and prestige. Their respective magical bases=20 provide the magical research, talent, and motivation to make advanced magica= l=20 items. Even mundane magical items would be crafted to a higher degree to=20 display a sense of superiority over other magic items of the same category.=20 ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 09:56:32 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit [various snippage] <> i am unfamiliar with most of these games. i have played some in the past, but it has been a while. i suspect thta many were DOS based...or at least Win 3.11. Low resolution and relatively small in size (a couple floppies) to today's games, they represent the infancy of computer RPGs. IMO PC-RPGs came into real being with Diablo and even that game has limitations. the game industry has changed dramatically. a saved game file for Diablo exceeded most game installs. the monthly updates for Asheron's Call rival the initial install of the game. because of the limitations of the game, its code, and costs the game mechanics tended to have limitations. the games had set plotlines and the code acted as DM. since the programmers could not foresee every situation and possible exploit, the individual gamer could easily take advantage of the game. afterall, the game was just a series of "if/then" situations based on game triggers. also the games were relatively less sophisticated and fairly simple. ultimately the player would win. afterall, repeated failure in a game diminishes player interests. <<>I understand that magic is extremely powerful in Throne of Bhaal, where your character is basically as strong and broken as any old item (my most unbalanced character was a Monk, who didn't even use any magic worth mentioning), but I find that some items, particularly in BG2, were unnecessarily powerful and could basically win the game for you by building up immunities to the point of being ridiculous (an item that reflects all spells back at the caster? Funny thing that the game system isn't smart enough to change the monsters' tactics so fx. Beholders keep firing spells at you until they fail a save and die) or just by being instant killers (vorpal sword, anyone? And even if that's from the regular rulebook, it's still just plain overpowered! ..and a perfect example of an unbalanced item, IMO). > I know only BG 1, but the tendency was clear there too. There were suddenly many items that never existed in the P&P version. I guess that just got worse...>> BG was set with the player being the mortal offspring of Bhaal, the God of Murder. likewise, being placed in magic rich FR. again, the game was marketed as a PCRPG and not a PnP game. combined these made a game based on the strengths of the FR setting and marketed for action and power. the game had its own limnits and had to introduce weapons and items within a certain plotline and time period. what i can do is actually go in and look through BG/IWD/TM and get up a list of items. i will post them when i can. it'll take some time as i will have to go through some saved games. i think i still have a copy of Shadow Keeper so thta will help. <<>> anyway....i hate to say it but FR does fit with certain aspects of Mystara. >> Look at ALphatia and Glantri. You would expect uber magic in both of those >> cultures. > >I disagree with you that these cultures necessarily produce \ber Magic (though I might not necessarily define \ber Magic the same way you do). I think that they rather have a lot of mundane magic and more of the "powerful" (as in rare in the treasure tables) magic items than other places. > There *are* some pretty powerful items in those lands, but they don't exactly come cheap. A skyship is a powerful item (particularly if you go by the CoM stats), but they cost fortunes to make, and they probably don't fall into the PCs' hands, or if they do, "previous" owners are likely to come looking for them :) Powerful "Alphatian Artifacts" were established in recent MAs, but those have some very specific limitations and can often be fatal or very problematic to use. Which uber items were you thinking of, Alex?>> i am refering to the items produced and influence by prestige, magical base, fashionability, national pride, personal pride, and need. in a nation of mage princes or 1000+ archmages normal magic items are normal. mages will have to go an extra step to compete (socially and combat wise), driving the items forward in their scopes of power. Powerful items already exist (skyships as you mention). They are expensive difficult to craft. they also have a history of why they are crafted and why they are so powerful (CoM). my own items have a similar history to expalin their powers. the Alphatian Artifacts have a history to explain why they act as they do. that history is also dictating their future use in the MA. i am unsure what their status is now in the upcoming MA so I will leave it at that. if you read the last volume though you can get an idea of what is happening with them. of course alot may have changed since i left the MA. anyway...other magical items exist, especially variations and enhancements to existing ones. they are often used for specialized tasks. likewise, DMG magic items are fairly well distribuited among the NPC descriptions in DotE and Glantri Gaz. however, I would point out that these given items are usually alot less than what is normally expected to have been gained my PCs of equal levels. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 14:07:06 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I have followed some of the post in this thread and I tought I might offer a different perspective. Instead of accepting all PhB spells and DMG magic items as mundane and creating some unique item which are made more interesting by the fact that they are more powerful you could play a game where "mundane" spells and "common" items are mystical and fabulous. This would be impossible in a campaign which hasnt been started in this manner tough. Of course, I myself also tons of unique items and spells some more powerful than the standard ones. Also a good way to make the spells and items more interseting is by creating histories and making to items known in the Campaign World which I see a lot of poeple do on the list ( including poeple involved in this thread ). For my campaign I also apply Color of Magic rules to 2E, most of the times improvising on the spot. I just take a spell and think an appropriate form for the caster and most of the time my players are pretty impressed and wonder what they're up against :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 17:30:58 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] In-Reply-To: <20011023004804.26251.qmail@cpdvg201.cms.usa.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Andrew Theisen wrote: > It's kind of a moot point, really, as the Spheres of > Power are > ideological abstracts rather than physical > constructs. I disagree. While the Spheres are not exactly physical, they are definately more than ideologies. (This would make them all part of Thought. Rather they are Forces, which direct and change the multiverse. OTOH, I think it is more correct to say that the old NOS drained magic than to say that it drained Energy. It drained the Magic of Mystara, but that again weakened the Sphere of Energy. Now, Bruce Heard wrote some interesting thoughts about the new NOS on this list some time ago. There he said that as _Draining_ itself is part of Entropy; draining entropy is not possible, as it would strengthen the sphere as much as it drains it; thus leaving the draining part of the NOS irrelevant. Following this line of thought, the NOS does not drain anything anymore, but it is now aligned with Entropy. > So the NoS doesn't create Entropic Immortals, it > doesn't create > Energy Immortals, it just creates Immortals. Again, I disagree. It was specifically stated that NOS created Immortals of Energy. Immortals can change their Sphere, but maybe the nature of the ascendance to Immortality, especially through the NOS, makes them inclined to stay with their Sphere as it becomes a part of their nature. And, if the NOS is now aligned with Entropy, that would mean that Immortals created will be entropic ones. McGreggor would probably be interested in this... Havard ______________________________________________________ Nokia Game er her igjen. Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 18:15:30 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: The Division of the Five - Part I In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Ville V Lahde wrote: > Here's the first part of a campaign scheme I used in > my own campaign. Ville, I really liked this article! Hazar is a really interesting character and I would like to use him in my campaign. Ofcouse, some of the events you describe have already happened in my own campaign. Do you think Arik could be suitable as a patron for Hazar? Later, Havard ______________________________________________________ Nokia Game er her igjen. Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 09:42:42 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Re: MML closed? In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >On Fri, 19 Oct 2001 15:23:48 > Gilles Leblanc wrote: >>>What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few >>>months? >>> >> >>Seems so..... :( >>Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! Nah, some of us are just lurking. I've got a bunch of Hinnish stuff coming, when I dig out from underneath my real life. Assuming people want Five Shires prestige classes, monsters, spells and maybe a dungeon, anyway. BEAU http://www.LBY3.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:34:13 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: MML closed? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I definitely would be interested in Five Shires stuff! JK Wolf ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:31:11 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Havard wrote: >And, if the NOS is now aligned with Entropy, that >would mean that Immortals created will be entropic >ones. McGreggor would probably be interested in >this... This would be a nasty trick to play on a PC who is getting close to immortality through the Radiance as WOTI draw to a close. After years of hard work to become an energy immortal... maybe the first Lawful Good immortal of Entropy? :-) Also after reading Andrew's message I reviewed the sources, and both the RC and WOTI state that the four elemental spheres are the building blocks of the universe (essentially the elements), that all five spheres are sources of power, and that each immortal draws power from one and only one sphere. Mike ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 14:08:23 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <> this thread originated from a perspective that several of my posted magic items are too powerful and do not have detrimental affects. it has since evolved into its current form; acceptable levels of magic items. IMO this thing has the potential in becoming a IMC vs. IYC type thread. the items that i am submitting are not designed to be above those given in the DMG. they are sampled magic items. some come from my own campaign, while others are created for this magic item thread. i don't know why the emphasis has been on the overpowering nature of the items, for there are minor items offered as well. by minor, i mean low in power or having a low impact upon the setting. i had planned on posting one a day, but real life, DAoC (beautiful game btw), and laziness have all intervened to prevent this. i do have several items ready to go. however, i want to get this power level matter settled before posting any more. unless an understanding is reached, i know of three items that are going to cause a great deal of comment. there are also some that possibly will as well. Wait until yall see the Guardian Talisman, Takael's Vengeance, and Adder Quiver. as mentioned, some items are connected to specific NPCs, quests, and adventures. if anyone has any concerns about the items getting into the wrong hands, please list them. i will give a brief overview of the planned adventure, quest, and NPCs. while i am at it, let me make an appology to Jacob. i may have come across a bit harsh in my responses. it was not intentional, but more a matter of haste and agitation; i really do not see why the matter is that big a deal. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 18:48:16 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >i had planned on posting one a day, but real life, DAoC (beautiful game >btw), >and laziness have all intervened to prevent this. i do have several items >ready to go. however, i want to get this power level matter settled before Yeah RL sucks ! >posting any more. unless an understanding is reached, i know of three items >that are going to cause a great deal of comment. there are also some that >possibly will as well. Wait until yall see the Guardian Talisman, Takael's >Vengeance, and Adder Quiver. I say post away. I have found your items interesting, dont let other poeple's judgement restrain your writing ! > >as mentioned, some items are connected to specific NPCs, quests, and >adventures. if anyone has any concerns about the items getting into the >wrong >hands, please list them. i will give a brief overview of the planned >adventure, quest, and NPCs. > Yeah those are cool, that's why I started the Magic Items of Mystara project a while ago ( plug plug ) the project is closed but you can see the results on the vaults at this address : http://dnd.starflung.com/magcitem.html You will be interested to find that Jacob was my main collaborator on this and has written several magic items. Also I have done some customs color of magic spells more recently which are also on the vaults. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 18:51:47 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: MML closed? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >On Fri, 19 Oct 2001 15:23:48 > > Gilles Leblanc wrote: > >>>What happened to everyone? Has Mystara lost support in the last few > >>>months? > >>> > >> > >>Seems so..... :( > >>Well I think it`s time to close this list and move on with our lives ! > > Nah, some of us are just lurking. I've got a bunch of Hinnish >stuff >coming, when I dig out from underneath my real life. > Assuming people want Five Shires prestige classes, monsters, >spells and >maybe a dungeon, anyway. > > > BEAU > http://www.LBY3.com/ Beside the fact that I was joking, it seems the list has restarted it's usual business. BTW, I don't have the Five Shires GAZ and Iv never used the Shires or the Hin much in my campaign, but I always wanted to. I would be interested in anything on them espacially spells and dungeons or anything adventure related. Do you campaign in the Shires ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 12:40:26 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Re: MML closed? In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 18:51 10/23/2001 +0000, Gilles Leblanc wrote: >BTW, I don't have the Five Shires GAZ and Iv never used the Shires or the >Hin much in my campaign, but I always wanted to. I would be interested in >anything on them espacially spells and dungeons or anything adventure >related. Do you campaign in the Shires ? Well, the campaign ground to a halt, but yes. There's some stuff on the Mystara site that I've done before, and I'm writing this year's Five Shires almanac piece. I THINK my Hin Knight-Hero and Hin Master prestige classes are on the site right now, for instance. I'll be posting a Hin Healer prestige class in the near future, I hope, along with some new monsters from my Wit's End dungeon. BEAU http://www.LBY3.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 21:56:52 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items Alex Benson wrote: > this thread originated from a perspective that several of my posted magic > items are too powerful and do not have detrimental affects. it has since > evolved into its current form; acceptable levels of magic items. IMO this > thing has the potential in becoming a IMC vs. IYC type thread. Yes, I know. I tried to turn it into a general discussion of whether magic items need to be balanced (and perhaps how to balance them). My opinion, as you probably know by now, is simply that when you make items that are powerful, they need balancing counter-effects of some kind. I prefer that this not be "rarity", but rather bad things that could happen from frequent use of the item's powers. Maybe that's just me, but I felt that it was something I had to say. > the items that i am submitting are not designed to be above those given in > the DMG. they are sampled magic items. some come from my own campaign, while > others are created for this magic item thread. i don't know why the emphasis > has been on the overpowering nature of the items, for there are minor items > offered as well. by minor, i mean low in power or having a low impact upon > the setting. The only reason that I put emphasis on the overpowered aspect, was that I didn't have much to say about the items otherwise. Yes, "good job" and "thanks for sharing" are things that I could have said, but didn't think I should post a single message for, but while we're here: Good job! Thanks for sharing these items with us and keep it up! > i had planned on posting one a day, but real life, DAoC (beautiful game btw), > and laziness have all intervened to prevent this. i do have several items > ready to go. however, i want to get this power level matter settled before > posting any more. unless an understanding is reached, i know of three items > that are going to cause a great deal of comment. there are also some that > possibly will as well. Wait until yall see the Guardian Talisman, Takael's > Vengeance, and Adder Quiver. Don't worry about it, you're more than welcome to keep posting. I've moved the balance issues into this thread, and agree that it's basically a IMC, IYC issue, so I'll leave it be for future items. But balance issues are why I offered to present certain items as I would use them IMC, not because I wanted to belittle your work, but because I thought other people might agree with me that powered-down versions could be more useful for their campaigns. (Btw I got delayed on the Eye; just received a bunch of stuff I ordered long ago, and have to spend time going through it/admiring it/fondling it...err...) > while i am at it, let me make an appology to Jacob. i may have come across a > bit harsh in my responses. it was not intentional, but more a matter of haste > and agitation; i really do not see why the matter is that big a deal. Please, that's not necessary at all, I didn't see your responses as harsh. I think that it's very much an issue of campaign choices, but I also thought that "balancing magic items" was an interesting topic for discussion. That's all. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 22:00:41 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm Mischa Gelman wrote: > > but Im not sure. Are the 2 other immortals level quests like this ? > > IM3 is just horrible. Skip it. IM2 is pretty standard module fare. That's funny, IM3 was the only one of them I actually enjoyed. I thought the others were really boring. Particularly when you had to do math puzzles to progress...Yech, what is this? An excuse for playing D&D during math classes? :) None of the IM modules have much to do with Mystara, though... Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 22:29:00 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Snipped from various sources: >> They didn't have particular powerful magical items, but some of them were rather potent to say the least! And the rules were wide open for abuse. You could copy magic items, and multiple items didn't work right (12th level wizards with two rings of wizard could cast 16 fireballs or so because the first doubled the spells, and so did the second). When you converted a character from one game to another, you could cast Enlarge on him first so he was converted with a 23 Strength score (even non-warriors!) which then stayed permanent (and could be taken to 24 for the next game). In the Krynn game I remember having a dual-classed thief/ranger who could backstab dragons with a dragonlance and still get the ranger bonus damage. Since the HPs of the PCs were rather huge, that could give dragons 500+ hp damage easy! Or how about in "Secret of the Silver Blades" where all the warriors end up with +5 silver shields that reflect all gaze attacks! Needless to say, I loved those games :)>i am unfamiliar with most of these games. i have played some in the past, but it has been a while. i suspect thta many were DOS based...or at least Win 3.11. Low resolution and relatively small in size (a couple floppies) to today's games, they represent the infancy of computer RPGs. IMO PC-RPGs came into real being with Diablo and even that game has limitations.<< IMO Diablo can't really be called an RPG, and while several of the old SSI RPGs felt more like tactical battle games at times, they felt far more like RPGs than Diablo. Unfortunately computer RPGS often tend to become tactical battle games or have battles as their focal point (witness the terrible Pool of Radiance II recently released). As for the size of the games, the gameplay could easily be a week or so if you felt like exploring thoroughly, comparable to a lot of newer RPGs. Apparently graphics and animations take up quite an incredible amount of space, and since, yes, these early games were DOS-games and had incredibly lousy graphics and 2-frame animations practically all of the space was spent on content rather than facade. Something that's always been to my preference (I play a lot of old games and emulated games that look like they were programmed before the 90s, but are great fun). >>because of the limitations of the game, its code, and costs the game mechanics tended to have limitations. the games had set plotlines and the code acted as DM. since the programmers could not foresee every situation and possible exploit, the individual gamer could easily take advantage of the game. afterall, the game was just a series of "if/then" situations based on game triggers.<< Is that really so different from the Infinity engine games? >>also the games were relatively less sophisticated and fairly simple. ultimately the player would win. afterall, repeated failure in a game diminishes player interests.<< I disagree. Lack of challenge diminishes player interest. At certain points in the SSI RPGs you were faced with challenges that appeared impossible, and you failed continuously, just as in the new Infinity engine games. But ultimately a player who invests enough time and effort in the game will win (if "winning" is a possibility in that game of course, but that's something that's practically required by a plot-driven game). >>The robe of reflection or whatever it was called was fixed in a patch (IIRC). I never got it so it was a non-factor. Like the robe, alot of the problem items were products of the pnp items being converted for use in the game. << It seemed partially fixed in my latest patch, it only occasionally directed magic back at the caster, but it did give you 100% magic resistance, which was immensely powerful in and of itself (considering the number of mages you meet). Well, even if _you_ didn't find it, I still think it ruined the balance of the game completely. pnp?!? Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 13:38:34 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Why is IM3 so bad? I saw some reference to a bunch of outer planes that are detailed in that module -- which sounds very cool, except for ominous remarks by various people that "I don't consider those planes to exist in the Mystaran universe". I can only imagine... Mike ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 16:56:58 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm In-Reply-To: <633420011022320383478@dsl-only.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 23 Oct 2001, Mike Harvey wrote: > Why is IM3 so bad? I saw some reference to a bunch of outer planes > that are detailed in that module -- which sounds very cool, except > for ominous remarks by various people that "I don't consider those > planes to exist in the Mystaran universe". I can only imagine... IM3 required a LOT of player thought, and things weren't very clear cut, or even, in fact, made much sense to us mere mortal players :P However, The adventure isn't BAD, it's just vastly different than most of the other, more conventional modules. Plus, Mazikeen being a computer geek was just hilarious. Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 15:59:26 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: George Hrabovsky Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I have IM3 and have used it as a resource when players go off-plane on several occasions. Some of the planes are silly, but in a game world with Gremlins and Pookas, I doubt that these are too out of line. George ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Harvey" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 3:38 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] IM1 The Immortal Storm > Why is IM3 so bad? I saw some reference to a bunch of outer planes > that are detailed in that module -- which sounds very cool, except > for ominous remarks by various people that "I don't consider those > planes to exist in the Mystaran universe". I can only imagine... > > Mike > > ******************************************************************** > 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. > ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 21:18:36 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Why is IM3 so bad? I saw some reference to a bunch of outer planes >that are detailed in that module -- which sounds very cool, except >for ominous remarks by various people that "I don't consider those >planes to exist in the Mystaran universe". I can only imagine... > >Mike > I think those plane should then be considered canon unless they are very bad :) The module can still be good. Anyway all original sources says that they are many many many outer planes. IMC I use the old Mystara cosmology and not Planescape, SpellJammer or something like that. Take the module Where Chaos Reign, the plane description in WoTI and other similar products and you will soon see that there are tons of other planes, so why not include a few planes from IM3 you only have to use em once if you don't like them. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 16:23:39 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: John Polacek Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Well, hopefully all of this talk of unbalanced magic and cheating will be rendered moot when Neverwinter Nights comes out (probably around March). The presence of a live DM should balance things out and make thing a little more like pen and paper gaming. Of course, cheating and unbalanced game worlds exist in the p&p realms as well. Also, the DM's will be able to make custom magical items, so that should be interesting as well. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 21:23:46 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >Plus, Mazikeen being a computer geek was just hilarious. > What is it with Immortal quests and real-life tech and worlds ? That's makes it at least the second of three immortal quests with it. IM1 has a New York replica and now IM3 computer geeks ? Well I guess their fine, and I know this is only a personal opinion, but personally I have never liked crossing real-life tech, world or persons with D&D. I remember a bad scene from the adventure the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga ( which I only read in part ) where the player enter a replica of Tokyo attacked by Godzilla... :( _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 23:38:27 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >I have IM3 and have used it as a resource when players go off-plane on >several occasions. Some of the planes are silly, but in a game world with >Gremlins and Pookas, I doubt that these are too out of line. > > George > Yes some parts of Mystara are pretty silly to be sure. Altough I acknoledge them, I use few silly parts of Mystara.What I use as silly are the Sky Gnomes and Serraine and Hin pirates, but those aren't this silly. Pookas can be not silly ? Im pretty sure their inspired by real myth. Yes their weird and a bit queer ( in the TLOTR way, where everybody outside the shire are queer folks ! ). But you can play them without the sillyness if the player understand your going for an Irish legends theme. That doesnt mean that I do not use humour tough. I remember when I was young ( at about 14 ) and I used to go to a hobby store, which carreid the adventure The Best of Intentions which I never bought as I wasnt into Mystara, either ad&d or d&d without Mystara. If I remember correctly there was a picture of some adventurers beside a big dancing carrot with eyes and a mouth. I may be wrong tough, as it's nearly been 7 years since I flipped through this module. That might be the sillyness which you are refering about. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 23:40:59 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: MML closed? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed All of this got me into thinking about how many poeple subscribe to the MML ? Is there a way to know how many poeple subscribe to this list apart from doing an enrollment call which could potentially spam the list ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 00:19:24 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: kevin wyton Subject: What's a stahnk? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Greetings all My DM has asked me to inquire if anyone can provide her with a description of a monster in an upcoming module she is intending to use. the creature is called a Stahnk and she believes it is from the Dragonlance setting. Thanks for any help Kevin _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 00:46:11 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Well, hopefully all of this talk of unbalanced magic and cheating will be >rendered moot when Neverwinter Nights comes out (probably around March). >The >presence of a live DM should balance things out and make thing a little >more >like pen and paper gaming. Of course, cheating and unbalanced game worlds >exist in the p&p realms as well. Also, the DM's will be able to make custom >magical items, so that should be interesting as well. > I don`t know the specifics of that game, but if what you say is true then the problem will be worse :) I have seen so many DM who gave their player mega-uber magical items at low-levels. Worst I have seen someone who had created a new fighter class. His angle, :"Some poeple are better than other, this warrior ( I dont recall his name ) class is just that someones who better than other." Instead of realizing a better fighter had more levels than a weaker one. This class had better THACO, better saving throws, better Hit Dice and didnt that much more XPs than a fighter :) You will have all these munchkin DM who will make whack quests but because they give Swords of Instant Slaying +50, 99% of all the players will want to play with them. And when you will be DMing, those 99% players will come into your game, with their ring of 3 wishes, sword + 50 and 35 in all ability score and make the other players want to join a quest with an "uber" DM so they can be at the same power level :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 02:54:31 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 23 Oct 2001 22:29:00 Jacob Skytte wrote: >Snipped from various sources: > >>> They didn't have particular powerful magical items, but some of them were rather potent to say the least! And the rules were wide open for abuse. You could copy magic items, and multiple items didn't work right (12th level wizards with two rings of wizard could cast 16 fireballs or so because the first doubled the spells, and so did the second). When you converted a character from one game to another, you could cast Enlarge on him first so he was converted with a 23 Strength score (even non-warriors!) which then stayed permanent (and could be taken to 24 for the next game). In the Krynn game I remember having a dual-classed thief/ranger who could backstab dragons with a dragonlance and still get the ranger bonus damage. Since the HPs of the PCs were rather huge, that could give dragons 500+ hp damage easy! Or how about in "Secret of the Silver Blades" where all the warriors end up with +5 silver shields that reflect all gaze attacks! Needless to say, I loved those games :)< > >When you cheat, you get what you ask for. Yes, my bad :) > Cheating in the Baldur's Gate, etc. games is actually even easier, since, if you want to, you can create any item you please by entering the correct command. > I know... (and you know what that means) :) > Saying the game is unbalanced because you can cheat seems like a strange argument to me. :) > Yes and no. I mean, if I copy magical items or enter codes to get stuff, then yes, that's cheating, but if my character is affected by Enlarge at the end of the game and I convert him to the next thus making the Strength increase permanent, then that's a bug and not cheating. I actually discovered that one by pure chance. And when my dual-classed ranger/thief is allowed to backstab a dragon with a dragonlance and still get the ranger's, then that's also a bug if it's unbalancing. Sure, I went for those bonuses myself and built my character toward it, but that's min-maxing, which is not cheating. > Cheating is supposed to be unbalancing, isn't it? I love those games too, even without cheating... > So did I (when I didn't cheat, I mean) ;) >>>i am unfamiliar with most of these games. i have played some in the past, but >it has been a while. i suspect thta many were DOS based...or at least Win >3.11. Low resolution and relatively small in size (a couple floppies) to >today's games, they represent the infancy of computer RPGs. IMO PC-RPGs came >into real being with Diablo and even that game has limitations.<< > >IMO Diablo can't really be called an RPG, I agree. To me it's a monster-slashing game or rather, it was pure hack and slash. There is a back story, but it's established in about five seconds (or however long the intro-film is) and then it's off to chop through whatever number of monster infested levels. It was fun, but I wouldn't call it role-playing. For some reason it seems that in the world of computer gaming, RPG is synonymous with fantasy gaming. We very, very rarely see anyone advertising a game as a Space RPG for a computer. There have been some (computer versions of Traveller and Mega-Traveller, for example), but they are very few and years past. > and while several of the old SSI RPGs felt more like tactical battle games at times, they felt far more like RPGs than Diablo. > Agreed. The tactical feeling was probably due to the rounds-based combats (unlike today where everything is real-time, except the new Pool of Radiance game, it seems). However, those old games were far more plot driven, even though those plots were incredibly linear. > Unfortunately computer RPGS often tend to become tactical battle games or have battles as their focal point (witness the terrible Pool of Radiance II recently released). > I haven't played it. What's wrong with it? In all fairness, combat is very common in D&D, and that's what computer RPG seems to mean (either D&D or D&D-like). > As for the size of the games, the gameplay could easily be a week or so if you felt like exploring thoroughly, comparable to a lot of newer RPGs. Apparently graphics and animations take up quite an incredible amount of space, and since, yes, these early games were DOS-games and had incredibly lousy graphics and 2-frame animations practically all of the space was spent on content rather than facade. > A big part of the problem is that most of the focus goes to the graphics and the sounds. If they don't look spectacular, the rest doesn't matter, it seems. You could easily do games with huge landscapes and dungeons and massive plots that filled virtually nothing, but they wouldn't knock your socks off with their graphics and sound, so they just don't get developed. Anyone know "The Summoner"? It's not particularly brilliant, but it's fairly large, has a huge, huge plot, yet fills only two cd-roms, presumably because all cut-scenes are done using the same graphics engine as the rest of the game. (snip) >>>also the games were relatively less sophisticated and fairly simple. >ultimately the player would win. afterall, repeated failure in a game >diminishes player interests.<< > >I disagree. Lack of challenge diminishes player interest. At certain points in the SSI RPGs you were faced with challenges that appeared impossible, and you failed continuously, just as in the new Infinity engine games. But ultimately a player who invests enough time and effort in the game will win (if "winning" is a possibility in that game of course, but that's something that's practically required by a plot-driven game). > Actually, I think you're both right. Challenging game play is important, but if you're still stuck in a given stage after some 20/25 tries (and the obstacle isn't a logical puzzle), you'll probably stop playing altogether. There are a lot of games I stop playing simply because the computer difficulty was too high or the opposition far too aggressive. On the other hand, there are games that were too easy, but which I still finished just to see what happened. I guess I'm one of those who play to see how the plot progresses, and everything else is just secondary to that. (snip) >pnp?!? > PnP = Pen and Paper, refering "normal" role-playing games (as oppossed to computer RPGs, for example). - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 03:02:59 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: MML closed? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 23 Oct 2001 23:40:59 Gilles Leblanc wrote: >All of this got me into thinking about how many poeple subscribe to the MML >? > >Is there a way to know how many poeple subscribe to this list apart from >doing an enrollment call which could potentially spam the list ? > Yes, you can set your list options to acknowledge mails you send to the MML, which means you get a mail confirming the server has accepted your message every time you mail one. In those it always says how many people are currently on the list. It's a bit of bore, though, but I don't know of a specific place where the number of subscribers are listed. Still, it would make sense that there is such a place. - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 03:11:12 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: What's a stahnk? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Wed, 24 Oct 2001 00:19:24 kevin wyton wrote: >Greetings all > > >My DM has asked me to inquire if anyone can provide her with a description >of a monster in an upcoming module she is intending to use. > >the creature is called a Stahnk and she believes it is from the Dragonlance >setting. > Well, I have the 2e Dragonlance MC (the old one of loose papers), but I couldn't find it in there. Are you sure that's spelled correctly? What sort of creature is it? - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 03:35:38 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Havard Faanes" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 4:30 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] > Now, Bruce Heard wrote some interesting thoughts about > the new NOS on this list some time ago. There he said > that as _Draining_ itself is part of Entropy; draining > entropy is not possible, as it would strengthen the > sphere as much as it drains it; thus leaving the > draining part of the NOS irrelevant. > > Following this line of thought, the NOS does not drain > anything anymore, but it is now aligned with Entropy. > Why should that be so? An analogy could be replacing the batteries in a portable readio, when I use Everready instead of Duracel the radio itself doesn't undergo any change. Paul ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 21:34:46 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Eric Anondson Subject: Re: What's a stahnk? In-Reply-To: <20011024003459.F0B3F2D059C@breg.mc.mpls.visi.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit > My DM has asked me to inquire if anyone can provide her with a description > of a monster in an upcoming module she is intending to use. > > the creature is called a Stahnk and she believes it is from the Dragonlance > setting. It is from Dragonlance. The Stahnk is one type of a creature that is simply called an Undead Beast. It is in the Dragonlance Monstrous Compendium under Beast, Undead. Here's a the description... "The size of a small dragon, the stahnk's bones protrude from rotting flesh. It has a great horned head, and its ribs are bare and barbed, forming a nasty cage. It walks on all fours, but care rear on its hind legs, balancing with its stubby tail, to bring its powerful forearms to bear." It also says they don't eat their victims, but instead crush and rend them into pulp and that evil wizards like to use them like guards. That's just the description, of course. Except for the undead bit, it would fit rather well as one an Outer Being... Eric Anondson ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 00:16:25 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: IM1 The Immortal Storm In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 23 Oct 2001, Gilles Leblanc wrote: > I think those plane should then be considered canon unless they are very bad > :) Well, it doesn't even matter if they are good or not. Mystara's cosmology allows for infinite outer planes, good or bd :) Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 11:49:27 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: kevin wyton Subject: Re: What's a stahnk? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >It is from Dragonlance. The Stahnk is one type of a creature that is >simply >called an Undead Beast. It is in the Dragonlance Monstrous Compendium >under >Beast, Undead. Here's a the description... > >"The size of a small dragon, the stahnk's bones protrude from rotting >flesh. >It has a great horned head, and its ribs are bare and barbed, forming a >nasty cage. It walks on all fours, but care rear on its hind legs, >balancing with its stubby tail, to bring its powerful forearms to bear." > >It also says they don't eat their victims, but instead crush and rend them >into pulp and that evil wizards like to use them like guards. > >That's just the description, of course. Except for the undead bit, it >would >fit rather well as one an Outer Being... > > >Eric Anondson > Thanks Eric. I've passed this on to her. Hopefully this clears up any questions she had. Kevin _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 08:25:19 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Anyone converted modules to 3e yet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just started up a Mystara campaign with the Keep on the Borderlands (if you want to read up on it go to ENWord Story forums and read the Milo Windby's storyhour). Has anyone converted any of the other B series modules to 3e yet? Specifically B4 (the lost city) or maybe X4 and X5. Frog ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 15:09:16 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > > Now, Bruce Heard wrote some interesting thoughts about > > the new NOS on this list some time ago. There he said > > that as _Draining_ itself is part of Entropy; draining > > entropy is not possible, as it would strengthen the > > sphere as much as it drains it; thus leaving the > > draining part of the NOS irrelevant. > > > > Following this line of thought, the NOS does not drain > > anything anymore, but it is now aligned with Entropy. > > > Why should that be so? An analogy could be replacing the batteries in >a >portable readio, when I use Everready instead of Duracel the radio itself >doesn't undergo any change. > > Making an analogy doesnt necassarly justify something. And I think that two sphere of power are more similar than batteries which work both on the same principle. A radio is also less complex than the NoS and doesnt involve any metaphysical proprieties. But even if you were right, than the artifact would continue to produce energy immortals which is kind of the direction the thread was going. As for the NoS draining a new battery, energizer instead of duracel. I had always perceived the NoS to drain magic, which is primordial to the sphere ( favored candidates Mages, followers are often mage or magical races, etc. ). Thus not draining the actual sphere of immortals. I remember someone posting on this list a long way back that the new NoS would have powers similar to the old NoS except that instead of the magic effect draining, the NoS would drain entropy in the world, which at one point would even go to prevent decay, rot and damage. This would have negative effect in the long run and would probably make most entropy immortals not very happy. This brings something to my mind. If the NoS is now charged by the entropy sphere and drains X ( where X can be entropy, nothing, magic, cancels itself, whatever you want to debate goes on ) then why is the day of dread still on. This would mean that there is X number of magic in the world and Y has been drained. I find this idea very un-mystic and static. I had previously tought that the Nos was kind of melded with the world magic and affected it in some way. This would remove the very strict number of magic points theory in the world. Anyway I had always perceived those magic points, not as physical entity but a simple way to picture a complex natural system. I tought the NoS had a perversive effect on magic due to nuclear and magic being somewhat related. But if this were true then the Day of Dread should not exist anymore if the NoS is recharged. If someone thinks so I would like an explanation as im missing it. Or does this mean the my first thoery, the static fixed number of magic point one. Where the NoS simply drains the world resevoir of magic is absolutly true. I never liked that one too much tough. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 12:22:17 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >i had planned on posting one a day, but real life, DAoC (beautiful game >btw), >and laziness have all intervened to prevent this. i do have several items >ready to go. however, i want to get this power level matter settled before > Yeah RL sucks !>> don't it though. >posting any more. unless an understanding is reached, i know of three items >that are going to cause a great deal of comment. there are also some that >possibly will as well. Wait until yall see the Guardian Talisman, Takael's >Vengeance, and Adder Quiver. > I say post away. I have found your items interesting, dont let other poeple's judgement restrain your writing !>> well...i am going to take it slow and let this die down some. that way my email response obligations will be minimalized. i'll post one tomorrow....maybe two. > >as mentioned, some items are connected to specific NPCs, quests, and >adventures. if anyone has any concerns about the items getting into the >wrong >hands, please list them. i will give a brief overview of the planned >adventure, quest, and NPCs. > Yeah those are cool, that's why I started the Magic Items of Mystara project a while ago ( plug plug ) the project is closed but you can see the results on the vaults at this address : http://dnd.starflung.com/magcitem.html You will be interested to find that Jacob was my main collaborator on this and has written several magic items. Also I have done some customs color of magic spells more recently which are also on the vaults.>> yes...i have seen thta section. i am also aware of Jacob's involvement. it was thta involvement that kind of surpised me in his stance on my magic items. it's not thta his are overpowered or underpowered, it is that all items (mine, his, or thers) are representative of differing campaigns and gaming styles. anyway...his stance has been clarified so thta is a moot point IMO at this point. probably should not of even mentioned it. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 12:22:26 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > this thread originated from a perspective that several of my posted magic > items are too powerful and do not have detrimental affects. it has since > evolved into its current form; acceptable levels of magic items. IMO this > thing has the potential in becoming a IMC vs. IYC type thread. > Yes, I know. I tried to turn it into a general discussion of whether magic items need to be balanced (and perhaps how to balance them). My opinion, as you probably know by now, is simply that when you make items that are powerful, they need balancing counter-effects of some kind. I prefer that this not be "rarity", but rather bad things that could happen from frequent use of the item's powers. Maybe that's just me, but I felt that it was something I had to say.>> okay. some time back i got into it with someone about topics being used to catapult a discussion into several various aspects. i don't like it when topics spinoff into various aspects because the original point of debate often gets overlooked, forgotten, or unresolved. i had to put up with alot of that with an unnamed MMLer and it usually caused conflict instead of discussion. i don't want to repeat thta because it is not constructive to Mystara, the MML, or my sanity :-) one of my concerns with adding detrimental affects to a magic item is in its overall diminishing of that item. for example, Bjorn the Mauler has a famed blade, the Sword of Uberness. on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), it ranks as a 9 for its offensive firepower. the blade has detrimental affects in thta it causes the wearer to to sport a "mullet hairstyle" (-6 to Charisma) and a "bladder control problem" (-5 to morale, -2 to attack and damage). so the Sword of Uberness drops from a rank 9 item to a rank 4-5 item based on its overall impact to the wearer. BTW- my appologies to the mullet enthusiests and my sympathies to the bladder folks....just a dry humor way to present a point of debate. > the items that i am submitting are not designed to be above those given in > the DMG. they are sampled magic items. some come from my own campaign, while > others are created for this magic item thread. i don't know why the emphasis > has been on the overpowering nature of the items, for there are minor items > offered as well. by minor, i mean low in power or having a low impact upon > the setting. > The only reason that I put emphasis on the overpowered aspect, was that I didn't have much to say about the items otherwise. Yes, "good job" and "thanks for sharing" are things that I could have said, but didn't think I should post a single message for, but while we're here: Good job! Thanks for sharing these items with us and keep it up!>> okay. i am not one to rely upon "well done" or "good job" type responses. i have nothing against female supermodel types wishing to express their appreciation by wanting me to sire their children. my main reason for asking why there was no response on the items was that i knew that there would be some response. the items are rather strange and unusual. The Scarab was the one thta I really expected feedback on. anyway...i do appreciate the feedback in refining the items. however, i would rather focus on the items and not make this a matter of magic item powers in general. > i had planned on posting one a day, but real life, DAoC (beautiful game btw), > and laziness have all intervened to prevent this. i do have several items > ready to go. however, i want to get this power level matter settled before > posting any more. unless an understanding is reached, i know of three items > that are going to cause a great deal of comment. there are also some that > possibly will as well. Wait until yall see the Guardian Talisman, Takael's > Vengeance, and Adder Quiver. > Don't worry about it, you're more than welcome to keep posting. I've moved the balance issues into this thread, and agree that it's basically a IMC, IYC issue, so I'll leave it be for future items. But balance issues are why I offered to present certain items as I would use them IMC, not because I wanted to belittle your work, but because I thought other people might agree with me that powered-down versions could be more useful for their campaigns. (Btw I got delayed on the Eye; just received a bunch of stuff I ordered long ago, and have to spend time going through it/admiring it/fondling it...err...) >> i appreciate your moving the balance issue to a seperate thread....notice my change to a more humorous and lighthearted tone. anyway...i am glad we can agree to disagree on the IMC/IYC matter as it really is a matter of preference, gaming style, and power levels. > while i am at it, let me make an appology to Jacob. i may have come across a > bit harsh in my responses. it was not intentional, but more a matter of haste > and agitation; i really do not see why the matter is that big a deal. > Please, that's not necessary at all, I didn't see your responses as harsh. I think that it's very much an issue of campaign choices, but I also thought that "balancing magic items" was an interesting topic for discussion. That's all.>> well i just wanted to make sure. many folks on the MML think i am a horse's ass. in many ways i am. however, i was not being one and did not want to further that perception when i wasn't being a horse's ass. Geoff can i say ass here? i forget the MML's ToS and CoC. anyway...i am due for a mass MML attack soon anyway. though i am saving up for thta with a comment on Thyatis to spark that. something about Emperor Eusebius's, a tub of whip cream, and a live chicken. LOL ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 12:22:33 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <> yes...probably should not have used Diablo as an example. the plot is rather= =20 simple and straightforward; kill your way to bottom level and kill big baddi= e=20 diablo. afterall it is essentially a hack and slash dungeon crawl. however,=20 it does have that overriding plot and goal...i'd classify it as RPG at its=20 barest and most simplest form. Diablo was a big sucess for Blizzard and the=20 computer RPG genre. it's sucess ushered in the creation of Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate took Diablo to a more ADnD gamestyle (TSR licensed with ADnD=20 rules). the plotline was filled out and could vary to a degree based on the=20 player's actions and interactions with NPCs. like diablo, BG1 was limited to= =20 the current tech and the resources committed to it. BG1's expansion (Tales o= f=20 the Sword Coast) was designed to keep the game's momentum going while being=20 challenging....more uber items and stuff. Planescape Torment was more plot oriented, being far less hack and slash and= =20 more role play. being PS it is weird...a party composed of an assortment of=20 planar types and dealing with the Blood War. I wish there was a Torment 2 bu= t=20 alas, no new images of thiefling maidens or Fall From Grace. Icewind Dale was BG but different. it focused more on the party aspect. it's= =20 a good game but pales in comparison to BG as it lacks the plotline and=20 motivation to push forward. IWD is more task oriented than BG's vengeance. BG2 took the game to a next level; AI, PC/NPC power, and tech. BG2 offers a=20 more versatile game engine and the plotline can shift and change more based=20 on the player's actions. there's a lot of variables. i still have a CD full=20 of game saves to go back and try different things with...hehe. the sad part to these games is that each had cheats and editors made=20 available soonafter release. i have nothing against using cheats to explore=20= a=20 game's possibilities. but i personally wait until the game has been beaten.=20 no sense of achievement in cheating to win. one of the problems in Asheron's Call is that cheats and hacks are=20 widespread, especially in the highly competative player vs. player Darktide=20 Server. All servers see a great deal of powerleveling and rules exploits as=20 the focus shifted from gaming to having a level 75 uber mage with dagger=20 (this month's favorite template).=20 >>because of the limitations of the game, its code, and costs the game mechanics tended to have limitations. the games had set plotlines and the code acted as DM. since the programmers could not foresee every situation an= d possible exploit, the individual gamer could easily take advantage of the game. afterall, the game was just a series of "if/then" situations based on game triggers.<< > Is that really so different from the Infinity engine games?>> the Infinity Engine has evolved through BG1 to BG2: Throne of Bhaal. all=20 programs are if/then related, however the later Infinity Engine based=20 products have produced some pretty good AI. of course this cannot compete=20 with a real life DM. still pretty good for a computer. >>also the games were relatively less sophisticated and fairly simple. ultimately the player would win. afterall, repeated failure in a game diminishes player interests.<< > I disagree. Lack of challenge diminishes player interest. At certain points=20 in the SSI RPGs you were faced with challenges that appeared impossible, and= =20 you failed continuously, just as in the new Infinity engine games. But=20 ultimately a player who invests enough time and effort in the game will win=20 (if "winning" is a possibility in that game of course, but that's something=20 that's practically required by a plot-driven game).>> yes...a cakewalk is insulting. but if a game is too difficult it becomes=20 frustrating. a player has to be able to gain some sort of reasonable victory= =20 in a situation. for example, my AC archer would love to take down an Olthoi=20 Soldier with 5 arrows and take no damge. i know though that she is going to=20 face multiple Olthoi Soldiers, use up 5-20 arrows each, use expensive stamin= a=20 and healing potions, and take damage. the payoff is the satisfaction and=20 gained xp and loot. she could even die, several times, and die badly. death=20 means she pops back in at a Lifestone, minus half her cash and a portion of=20 her equipment and sporting a vitae penalty (5% reduction of basic skills=20 until a determined amount of xp is gained). multiple deaths will leave her=20 broke, essentially naked, and physically weakened.=20 >>The robe of reflection or whatever it was called was fixed in a patch=20 (IIRC). I never got it so it was a non-factor. Like the robe, alot of the problem items were products of the pnp items being converted for use in the game. << > It seemed partially fixed in my latest patch, it only occasionally directed=20 magic back at the caster, but it did give you 100% magic resistance, which=20 was immensely powerful in and of itself (considering the number of mages you= =20 meet). Well, even if _you_ didn't find it, I still think it ruined the=20 balance of the game completely.=A0 pnp?!?>> the robe caused alot of turmoil on the BG related message boards. in a=20 multiplayer game it was considered crude to use them. another altered aspect= =20 was the spell Dispel Magic. the spell worked no matter the level of the=20 caster or the level of the spell/caster that it was used on. one aspect that= =20 the game designers overused in BG1, BG2, and IWD was the overuse of fiends=20 and liches. the AI did not live up to the creatures. their tactics were=20 predictable. IIRC there was some AI alternative scripts but I never used=20 them. i just jacked the difficulty up for those encounters. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 12:22:42 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Well, hopefully all of this talk of unbalanced magic and cheating will be >rendered moot when Neverwinter Nights comes out (probably around March). >The >presence of a live DM should balance things out and make thing a little >more >like pen and paper gaming. Of course, cheating and unbalanced game worlds >exist in the p&p realms as well. Also, the DM's will be able to make custom >magical items, so that should be interesting as well. > I don`t know the specifics of that game, but if what you say is true then the problem will be worse :) I have seen so many DM who gave their player mega-uber magical items at low-levels. Worst I have seen someone who had created a new fighter class. His angle, :"Some poeple are better than other, this warrior ( I dont recall his name ) class is just that someones who better than other." Instead of realizing a better fighter had more levels than a weaker one. This class had better THACO, better saving throws, better Hit Dice and didnt that much more XPs than a fighter :)>> NWN is a computer RPG currenly in beta (i think). it is due for release early 2002, though rumors persist thta it might possibly be released early for Christmas. I seriously doubt this game will be released early but i do plan on buying it. as is it is a two tier RPG based on ADnD 3rd Edition rules. the first tier is a solo packaged adventure that the player can play. it's set in FR. the graphics are awesome, reminding me of Vampire the Masquerade and Dark Age of Camelot. i am unsure of the plot, they are keeping that hush hush. you are suppose to be able to import your BG2 character into the game for use. the second tier is level design. a player can become a DM and create generic or campaign specific (any campaign setting) adventures. they can be uploaded to a Interplay hosted server for online play or accessed via a LAN. the adventure is overseen by a human DM. the computer takes care of rolls and stats, automating that aspect of the game. I think that it should deliver what Vampire the Masquerade promised. <> yep. there will be the munchkin oriented adventures. there are those in PnP games...many would say that FR is a munchkin setting. players will quickly discover which DM/designers fit their style of play. hopefully we superior Mystara-ophiles will have enough representation there to maintain a flow of Mystaran based games. I personally want to see some of the Basic Level adventures used to form NWN adventures. IIRC there was a Mystaran based interest in NWN....even had a web site. as mentioned above, AC has a plethora of munchkin/powergamers who play to maximize xp and loot gained per hour. few AC players role play anymore. the sad thing is thta to compete in AC you have to reroll a mage template and do the current xp machine system of gaming where magic is king and melee is gimped. my archer is considered a low level gimped character. however, a year ago she would have been considered a force of nature on AC. conversely, my mage is half the archer's level and can out fight her. but i have essentially quit playing my mage as ther eis little sense of achievemnent in his demi-uberness. the archer is weaker but is much more enjoyable to play. my interest in AC is failing. i may quit if AC: Dark Majesty (expansion) does not rekindle my motivation. i have started playing Dark Age of Camelot. alot of the old school ACers (and disgruntled EverQuesters) have shifted to it as well. DAoC is more roleplay oriented and alot of the powergaming aspects of AC have been avoided or compensated for. emphasis is on the melee type. a character cannot camp an area; spawns diminish in loot and xp over a period. you don't get xp and loot for killing creatures far below your level. powrerleveling a character is difficult as buffs and shared xp is severely berfed. grouping and interaction is focused upon; its very difficult to solo. DAoC is visually stunning, i got plenty of screenshots i can send if anyone wants to take a gander at them. the story is solid but not overly influential on the game. you can raid other realms. you can even assume roles such as armor crafters. heck, you can even create and/or use siege equipment (say hello to my little friend). there was an Albion raid on Hibernian lands over the weekend....awesome. you can play a variety of races. i chose an elven sword chick (growl) to start off. i prefer to play female characters as I tend to play them more carefully and take care of them. it's going to make the roleplaying aspect difficult as i am definitely not a female. but i have created and deleted six male characters this week. my female elf sword chick is weak but i don't have the heart to delete her right now. sorry if this spun off into a unsolicited promotion for Sierra/Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot. but the game has alot of potential and reminds me of the olden days of AC and my old pnp gaming days. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 15:52:47 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: What's a stahnk? >That's just the description, of course. Except for the undead bit, it would >fit rather well as one an Outer Being... > >Eric Anondson Yeah, actually. I could certainly see it as a guard of some sort - it doesn't need to be overly intelligent, just quite strong, horrific, and willing to crush intruders. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 01:21:59 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: [Admin] MML archives still down Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Geoff, I realize you said about a week ago that some updates and changes were made to the MML and it might be down at times because of it. Due to that I haven't brought this up in a while, but the MML archive site at: is still down. Has it been moved or removed for good? It has been down for about two and a half weeks now... Will it be available again? - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 00:57:53 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: [Admin] MML archives still down Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >Due to that I haven't brought this up in a while, but the MML archive site >at: > >is still down. > >Has it been moved or removed for good? It has been down for about two and a >half weeks now... > Goto : http://oracle.wizards.com/archives/mystara-l.html There the archives are working fine and show no sign of trouble. I visit them from time to time ( tough not regularly ) and I haven`t experienced any problems with them whatsoever. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 02:12:27 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gilles Leblanc" To: Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 4:09 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] > > > Following this line of thought, the NOS does not drain > > > anything anymore, but it is now aligned with Entropy. > > > > > Why should that be so? An analogy could be replacing the batteries in > >a > >portable readio, when I use Everready instead of Duracel the radio itself > >doesn't undergo any change. > > > > > > Making an analogy doesnt necassarly justify something. And I think that two > sphere of power are more similar than batteries which work both on the same > principle. A radio is also less complex than the NoS and doesnt involve any > metaphysical proprieties. But even if you were right, than the artifact > would continue to produce energy immortals which is kind of the direction > the thread was going. > Following the given line of thought doesn't mean that the alliance changes either. However which one of us is Achilles and whom the Tortiose I leave for Mr C.L.D. to work out > As for the NoS draining a new battery, energizer instead of duracel. I had > always perceived the NoS to drain magic, which is primordial to the sphere ( > favored candidates Mages, followers are often mage or magical races, etc. ). > Thus not draining the actual sphere of immortals. > It's the curse that causes the drain on magic (gaz3 p78-9), however WotI bk2 p8 states that the curse leeches power from the Sphere of Energy which diminishes magic on Mystara. It's the inconsistencies between this and the actual adventure where the NoS itself is suddenly responsible that annoy me. Mind you the it's all definately canon, especially in the religious sense, as it's both cotradictory and badly written. :^) A much more self consistent idea would be to use the naturally occurring Dimensional Aberrations mentioned on p12 of the old Gold box DM's guide to the Immortals, All the NoS becomes is an attractor for such a DA due to not working correctly (poor maintenance). The game effects are identical but the reason it's happening doesn't contradict any of the formalised or implied rules about bringing harm to the Prime plane. Paul ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 20:45:22 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: [Admin] MML archives still down MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 25 Oct 2001 01:21:59 +0100 The Stalker writes: > Geoff, I realize you said about a week ago that some updates and > changes were made to the MML and it might be down at times because > of it. > > Due to that I haven't brought this up in a while, but the MML > archive site at: > > is still down. > > Has it been moved or removed for good? It has been down for about > two and a half weeks now... > > Will it be available again? Try http://oracle.wizards.com/archives/mystara-l.html That works for me. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 22:43:58 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Web Warlock Subject: New discussion, old topic In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 SGV5IGV2ZXJ5b25lLg0KDQpJIGhhdmUgYmVlbiBnZXR0aW5nIGEgZmV3IHJlcXVlc3RzIHRvIGRl dGFpbCB0aGUgImFsdGVybmF0ZSBmdXR1cmUiIEdsYW50cmkgSSB3cm90ZSBhYm91dCBhIHdoaWxl IGJhY2ssIGtub3duIGFzICJUaGUgSG9seSBMYW5kcyBvZiBHbGFudHJpIi4NCg0KU28gSSBoYXZl IGRlY2lkZWQgdG8gc2V0IHVwIGEgZGlzY3Vzc2lvbiB0b3BpYyBvdmVyIGF0IFBsYW5ldEFEbkQg d2hlcmUgSSBzcGVuZCBtb3N0IG9mIG15IHRpbWUgYW55d2F5Lg0KVGhlIFVSTCBpcyBodHRwOi8v d3d3LnBsYW5ldGFkbmQuY29tL3BocC9waHBCQi92aWV3dG9waWMucGhwP3RvcGljPTQ3MyZmb3J1 bT0xMSYyDQoNCkkgd2FudGVkIGl0IHRvIGJlIGludGVyYWN0aXZlLCBzbyB0aGlzIHNlZW1lZCBs aWtlIGEgZ29vZCBjaG9pY2UuDQpUaGlzIG9yaWdpbmFsbHkgd2FzIGdvaW5nIHRvIGJlIGEgUEJN QiBvciBQQkVNIGdhbWUgZm9yIDNFIGluIHdoaWNoIHRoZSBjaGFyYWN0ZXJzIHdvdWxkIHRha2Ug YSByb2xlIGluIHRoZSBjaXZpbCB3YXIsIGJ1dCBJIHJlYWxseSBkb24ndCBoYXZlIHRoZSB0aW1l IGZvciB0aGF0IG5vdy4NCg0KSXQgY291bGQgZ3JvdyBpbnRvIGEgc3RyZWFtIG9mIGNvbnNjaW91 c25lc3Mgc3RvcnkgdGVsbGluZywgb3IgYSBzZXNzaW9uIG9mIGhvdyBiYWQgSSBhbSBzY3Jld2lu ZyB3aXRoIEdsYW50cmkhICBFaXRoZXIgd2F5LCB5b3UgYXJlIGFsbCB0aGUgZXhwZXJ0cyBvZiBh bGwgb2YgdGhlIGxpc3RzL3NpdGVzL21icyBJIGFtIG9uLCBzbyBJIHdvdWxkIGxvdmUgdG8gZ2V0 IGFsbCBvZiB5b3VyIGlucHV0IGFsb25nIHdpdGggdGhlIHVzdWFsbHkgc3VzcGVjdHMgYXQgUEFE TkQuDQoNClRoYW5rcyENCg0KV2FybG9jay4NCg0KDQotLQ0KV2ViIFdhcmxvY2sNCndlYi53YXJs b2NrQGhvbWUuY29tICAgd2Vid2FybG9ja0BwbGFuZXRhZG5kLmNvbQ0KQXV0aG9yLCB0aGUgTmV0 Ym9va3Mgb2YgV2l0Y2hlcyBhbmQgV2FybG9ja3MNClRoZSBPdGhlciBTaWRlOiBodHRwOi8vd3d3 LnBsYW5ldGFkbmQuY29tL3RoZW90aGVyc2lkZS8NClRoZSBEbkQgQ29tbXVuaXR5IENvdW5jaWw6 IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuZG5kY29tbXVuaXR5Y291bmNpbC5vcmcvbmJvd253DQotLQ0KVGhlIEQyMCB3 cml0ZXIncyBtYW50cmEsICJJZiBpdCdzIG5vdCBPR0MsIGxldCBpdCBiZS4iDQo= ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 23:51:26 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Simon d'Ambreville In-Reply-To: <20011024.204542.-813723.1.anowack@juno.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Has anyone done anything interesting with this character? He will be an important character in my game (although I thought he was a nice guy before I read the module description closely - haven't decided how to reconcile that yet) and I'm looking for ideas to flesh him out. Speaking of which, some of the d'Ambrevilles are pretty darn weird in the module. I am assuming that some of the weirdness (like the lion head) happened during the "exile", and when Etienne brought them back he returned them to normal. Or do you folks continue to play them as they appear in the module? I also noticed that even though they supposedly returned in 979... twenty one years passed until the time of GAZ3, yet none of them advanced in level (other than some secret crafts). Seems kind of odd. Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Harvey gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 12:14:04 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > Has anyone done anything interesting with this character? He will be > an important character in my game (although I thought he was a nice > guy before I read the module description closely - haven't decided > how to reconcile that yet) and I'm looking for ideas to flesh him > out. In X2, Simon is an fully evil character. The Gaz seems to tone down this aspect, but perhaps it is due to the fact that in Glantri, he is considered a criminal for a different reason. I think he should always appear as a friendly NPC, then it's up to the DM to choose whether he is still evil, or his forced exile has had some impact on his world view. This should also reflect on the choice of his patron Immortal. Campaign-wise, if your PCs are aligned against the magocracy, I'd keep Simon as in X2 (he will be friendly because he needs the PCs' help, and then discard/betray them when he doesn't need them anymore). > Speaking of which, some of the d'Ambrevilles are pretty darn weird > in the module. I am assuming that some of the weirdness (like the > lion head) happened during the "exile", and when Etienne brought them > back he returned them to normal. Or do you folks continue to play > them as they appear in the module? Apparently, they are returned to normal. However, they managed to get other curses quite soon (lycanthropy, in most cases). > I also noticed that even though they supposedly returned in 979... > twenty one years passed until the time of GAZ3, yet none of them > advanced in level (other than some secret crafts). Seems kind of odd. Yes, but they are a very static family--at least they are described that way in the Gaz. Also, you might have noticed as well that while two decades have passed, few d'Ambreville have grown older. Perhaps whatever magic keeps them from aging also prevents them from learning from new experiences--or even dulls their interest in new experiences. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles/index.htm ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 13:12:18 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] In-Reply-To: <000901c15c34$92648300$c4affea9@r1o9e1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Paul George Dooley Why should that be so? An analogy could be > replacing the batteries in a > portable readio, when I use Everready instead of > Duracel the radio itself > doesn't undergo any change. This would make sense if the NoS was simply a machine, and the Spheres of Power were just power sources. But the Spheres of Power are linked to the very fabric of the universe. I have in the past made comparisons between the Spheres of Power and the Force (from Star Wars). As I see it, the NoS is like a Jedi who stops relying on the Light Side for his powers and turns to the Dark Side. Obviously, this is much more than a change of battery. This leads me onto another matter, Namely the future of Etienne D'Ambreville. After having thought about this for a few years now, I have come to think that Etienne should, after his return, remain mortal. However, in spite of what many think, Etiennes fate after WoTI was not just a punishment. The Old Ones were impressed by Etiennes work. However, he needed to be taught a lesson. Rad was first turned into a Hierarch and then turned into a mortal and put to his trial (described in Mark of Amber). However, if he succeeded this trial, and later achieved Immortality and eventually Hierarch status, he would immediately become an Old One, not having to go through the whole process again. Part of this Old Ones' Quest is also the contamination of the NoS. If the NoS now produces Entropic Immortals, this path to Immortality is blocked for Etienne. However, he might be able to find a way to purify the NoS, although this would almost qualify as a quest for Immortality itself. Rafiel would be a likely sponsor... These are just ideas of mine, obiously, but I'm interested in hearing what people think. Havard ______________________________________________________ Nokia Game er her igjen. Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 13:46:49 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Francesco Defferrari Subject: R: [MYSTARA] Simon d'Ambreville MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hello, i never played X2, so my pc never encountered Simon as an evil NPC.. but they traveled Glantri living the adventures of Gaz3, and then they encountered Simon as a lawful good cleric of an unofficial immortal (named Roauris). Years later during the WotI Dwarves and Ethengarians defeated Glantri forcing the magocracy to accept clerics and dwarves in its territory. So nowadays (in my campaign is 1023 ac, the year 1013 of Joshuan's almanac) Simon is Prince of Sablestone, and with Isidore, Juliana Vlaerdoen and Carlotina Erewan is one of the biggest enemies of Dolores and Jaggar...And he is one of the more powerful bishop of the church of Roauris, too. Harald is anyway Prince of Caurenze (in my campaign the asteroid didn't hit Glantri) and Grand Master of the School... bye Francesco "What can change the nature of a man ?" -----Messaggio Originale----- Da: "Mike Harvey" A: Data invio: giovedě 25 ottobre 2001 1.51 Oggetto: [MYSTARA] Simon d'Ambreville > Has anyone done anything interesting with this character? He will be > an important character in my game (although I thought he was a nice > guy before I read the module description closely - haven't decided > how to reconcile that yet) and I'm looking for ideas to flesh him > out. > > Speaking of which, some of the d'Ambrevilles are pretty darn weird > in the module. I am assuming that some of the weirdness (like the > lion head) happened during the "exile", and when Etienne brought them > back he returned them to normal. Or do you folks continue to play > them as they appear in the module? > > I also noticed that even though they supposedly returned in 979... > twenty one years passed until the time of GAZ3, yet none of them > advanced in level (other than some secret crafts). Seems kind of odd. > > Mike > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Mike Harvey > gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) > http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 14:18:25 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Francesco Defferrari Subject: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable ( Well,i think is not needed, but...) Spoiler, read only DM and players = who have yet played the adventure Wrath of the Immortals > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, i think that the adventure Wrath of the Immortals is both loved and = hated by list members... i like quite a lot the adventure and i still = think that is one of the better adventure ever written for D&D and = AD&D.. but i changed very much its timeline. My pc were able to deviate = the asteroid who should have hit Glantri in the sea, and Alphatia wasn't = destroyed, because an artifact shielded it. Anyway the nation was hit by = horrible earthquakes and flooding, and some like 2 millions of = inhabitants were killed, while one million were placed in the hollow = world (and Eriadna among them). Nowadays IMC Outer Alphatia is ruled by = Zandor, who is not the mad man of canon products.. My questions are... = which of you played WotI and followed it to the destruction of Alphatia = ? which of you didn't destroyed Alphatia ? and whichever you chose, HOW = and WHY ? : - ) Thank you, bye Francesco "What can change the nature of a man ?" ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 14:41:03 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items Alex Benson wrote: > one of my concerns with adding detrimental affects to a magic item is in its > overall diminishing of that item. for example, Bjorn the Mauler has a famed > blade, the Sword of Uberness. on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), > it ranks as a 9 for its offensive firepower. the blade has detrimental > affects in thta it causes the wearer to to sport a "mullet hairstyle" (-6 to > Charisma) and a "bladder control problem" (-5 to morale, -2 to attack and > damage). so the Sword of Uberness drops from a rank 9 item to a rank 4-5 item > based on its overall impact to the wearer. BTW- my appologies to the mullet > enthusiests and my sympathies to the bladder folks....just a dry humor way to > present a point of debate. Using a scale of 1-10, I guess I'd never ever want to see an item that could be ranked above 6, then. :) > The Scarab was the > one thta I really expected feedback on. anyway...i do appreciate the feedback > in refining the items. however, i would rather focus on the items and not > make this a matter of magic item powers in general. I understand, but I really didn't have anything else about the items that I felt the need to discuss, and rather than just let them slide by completely without comment, I chose to pick on the one aspect that I _did_ feel like commenting. > i appreciate your moving the balance issue to a seperate thread....notice my > change to a more humorous and lighthearted tone. anyway...i am glad we can > agree to disagree on the IMC/IYC matter as it really is a matter of > preference, gaming style, and power levels. The lighthearted tone is appreciated, as long as it's not used to talk down to people (not that I feel like that's what you're doing here, but it's often easier than one would imagine to step on people's virtual toes). > well i just wanted to make sure. many folks on the MML think i am a horse's > ass. in many ways i am. however, i was not being one and did not want to > further that perception when i wasn't being a horse's ass. Geoff can i say > ass here? Let's see... I'm an ass, ass, ass, Ass, ASS!!! Did I bring down the wrath of the Grand Gargoyle? > anyway...i am due for a mass MML > attack soon anyway. though i am saving up for thta with a comment on Thyatis > to spark that. something about Emperor Eusebius's, a tub of whip cream, and a > live chicken. LOL I heard that incident also involved a certain nude Hulean halfling hardball player. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 14:41:31 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: D&D PC games Alex Benson wrote: >>Diablo was a big sucess for Blizzard and the computer RPG genre. it's sucess ushered in the creation of Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate took Diablo to a more ADnD gamestyle (TSR licensed with ADnD rules). the plotline was filled out and could vary to a degree based on the player's actions and interactions with NPCs. like diablo, BG1 was limited to the current tech and the resources committed to it.<< I'm pretty sure that BG was already far along in development when Diablo came out, and that BG owes more to Fallout than to Diablo. But I do think that Diablo's success rubbed off on BG. >>Planescape Torment was more plot oriented, being far less hack and slash and more role play. being PS it is weird...a party composed of an assortment of planar types and dealing with the Blood War. I wish there was a Torment 2 but alas, no new images of thiefling maidens or Fall From Grace.<< Torment was IMO the best game of them all, with a great plot and truly great interaction between party members. It did suffer from being far too easy in the combat department, in part due to the immortality of the main character. But the plot was so involving and exciting that combat often felt totally secondary (which is what I prefer anyway). Btw did you see Memento? Doesn't that feel like a total ripoff of Torment? I, too, want a sequel! >>Icewind Dale was BG but different. it focused more on the party aspect. it's a good game but pales in comparison to BG as it lacks the plotline and motivation to push forward. IWD is more task oriented than BG's vengeance.<< Icewind Dale sucked. Probably appealed to the Diablo crowd, who were looking for a bit more involvement, though. It could have been fun to play through in a multi-player party crowd, but I didn't, and once you've gone through it once, it's no fun to start over, even with your friends. I particularly hated the randomly generated items, which sometimes meant you'd get an Über item, sometimes a useless item. I did still play through it, as well as the terrible, terrible add-on. >>BG2 took the game to a next level; AI, PC/NPC power, and tech. BG2 offers a more versatile game engine and the plotline can shift and change more based on the player's actions. there's a lot of variables. i still have a CD full of game saves to go back and try different things with...hehe.<< I've gone throught it three times by now. The fourth time it got a bit too familiar, but I want to see the ending for each character, and the endings for each romantic entanglement. Pool of Radiance 2, which is not developed by Interplay, is unfortunately too much like Icewind Dale. Combine that with bad rules integration (you don't get to choose your skills/feats, and the computer chooses decidedly odd ones at times), almost complete lack of challenge (you can basically rest after each encounter), extremely faulty installation/uninstalling (some people got their hard drives wiped when uninstalling), and a whole lot of strange bugs that one would think got eliminated in beta testing, and you've got yourself one lousy game. I hear it sells great though. I'm still waiting for the next patch before I'm playing any further... >>the sad part to these games is that each had cheats and editors made available soonafter release. i have nothing against using cheats to explore a game's possibilities. but i personally wait until the game has been beaten. no sense of achievement in cheating to win.<< I agree. The only time I've used a cheat in these games was to summon Drizzt, so I could beat the living daylights out of him! (Serves him well, that no-good do-gooder!) Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 14:42:00 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Magic Item: The Eye of Ka Well, here then is what the Eye of Kar'Umba would look like IMC. Most powers have been kept, but the item is now quite dangerous to use. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk --- The Eye of Ka This item was inspired by the works of Alex Benson, and owes its existence to him. Description: The Eye is a smooth stone orb that is fused to a steel circlet, designed to be worn on the head. The circlet itself is magical, and will automatically fit upon the brow of any humanoid-sized creature. It is the stone orb that is the source of the Eye’s magical powers, and it will function just as well if somehow removed from the circlet. The stone orb appears to be completely indestructible. When its powers are activated, the orb will flash a bright white light. Legends: The legends concerning the Eye of Ka are accessible to anyone doing proper research. It is said that the Eye is in fact the petrified eyeball of Ka the Preserver, all that is left of his adopted body after an encounter with the Medusa hag Yezleth. Ka is said to have kept the Eye as a reminder of that encounter and of the frailty of the mortal body. He then imbued it with powers that it was particularly receptive to, and gave it to his followers. Its powers of petrification are well known, though none of the other powers are. Through time it has been used by many heroes and villains, including: The famous Alphatian mage Jaggermaz, known for his collection of petrified enemies. He was eventually found petrified himself among his collection of statues, the Eye sitting upon his brow. Uzurkiel the Blind, famed Alphatian rogue, who used the Eye in his criminal activities, but was delivered, petrified, to the authorities by a mage he attempted to rob. Raman of the Stone, a Thothian mystic, who secluded himself for years, meditating upon life. A statue of him can still be found in Edairo. The renowned gladiator Claudius of the Open Eye, whose hairstyle became a fashion rage for years. Alas, he was slain, when his magic backfired, and he was turned to stone himself. History: The true history of the Eye of Ka can be learned using the proper spells. The Eye isn’t actually Ka’s, but Yezleth’s. One of Ka’s Immortal candidates, Yesugai of the Broken Arrow, battled the Medusa hag for possession of another powerful artifact, one belonging to the Sphere of Entropy. Yesugai used the Medusa’s own reflection to turn her to stone, then brought her head along as an additional gift to his Immortal patron. Ka accepted the gift, then crafted the artifact from one of Yezleth’s petrified eyes. He gave the Eye to Yesugai, warning him of its dangers, but Yesugai, proud and sure of himself, went ahead and used it in his quest for Immortality. He was the first victim of the Eye, and, thus, never achieved Immortality. The Eye was passed along, eventually becoming known as the Eye of Ka, since spells revealed it to be associated with him, and research found that it was somehow related to the demise of the Medusa hag Yezleth. Legends eventually accounted for its history, and followed it from user to user. All who have kept the Eye for themselves have eventually ended up killed or turned to stone. Perhaps the Eye is a lesson in the abuses of power, a warning that nothing comes without a price? Or perhaps petrified beings somehow strengthen the Sphere of Matter? Game Details: The Eye of Ka is an artifact, and is described using OD&D artifact rules. Magnitude: Lesser Artifact Sphere: Matter Powers (PP 210): A3 Flesh to Stone (50) B2 Truesight (50) D3 Immunity to Paralysis (30) D3 Mind Barrier (80) Activation: The Eye is active when found. Knowledge of the first two powers is gained upon placing the Eye on the head. Use of Powers: Flesh to Stone is activated by facing the target and ”willing” it to turn to stone. Truesight is activated upon mental command. Immunity to Paralysis and Mind Barrier are automatically activated, when the user comes under an effect that their protection extends to. Handicaps (2): 1. When Flesh to Stone is first used: The user is turned to stone if he clearly sees the Eye reflected in a mirror or other reflective surface (save vs. Turn to Stone at a –4 penalty). 2. When Truesight is first used: The user receives a –8 penalty to save vs. Turn to Stone (in addition to any other penalties, so seeing the Eye’s reflection gives a –12 penalty to the save). Penalties (3; roll 1d6; #1 appears on 1-4, #2 on 5, #3 on 6): 1. Ability Score Penalty: Lose 2 points of Dexterity. 2. Body part change: User’s hair grows together to form snake-like appendages. 3. Obsession: The user grows obsessed with collecting statues, and will want to keep any beings turned to stone by the Eye. ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 14:20:33 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Havard Faanes" To: Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 12:12 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] > --- Paul George Dooley > > > Why should that be so? An analogy could be > > replacing the batteries in a > > portable readio, when I use Everready instead of > > Duracel the radio itself > > doesn't undergo any change. > > This would make sense if the NoS was simply a machine, > and the Spheres of Power were just power sources. But > the Spheres of Power are linked to the very fabric of > the universe. > As I mention in another post the NoS isn't actually what's doing the draining but the curse laid upon it by the Immortals. Why the Old One in WotI didn't just remove it rather than just pidle around is one of many disappointments with the module. > I have in the past made comparisons between the > Spheres of Power and the Force (from Star Wars). As I > see it, the NoS is like a Jedi who stops relying on > the Light Side for his powers and turns to the Dark > Side. Obviously, this is much more than a change of > battery. > However does your comparison have any similarity to what's actually going on? In all probability it's merely an opinion, just like mine. We could label them theories instead and see which of them is the most consistent with Mystara as a whole in a semi-scientific manner, but even then, as we take great delight in trying to disprove all opposing theories, we have to worry in case someone disproves ours. :^) > This leads me onto another matter, > Namely the future of Etienne D'Ambreville. After > having thought about this for a few years now, I have > come to think that Etienne should, after his return, > remain mortal. > > However, in spite of what many think, Etiennes fate > after WoTI was not just a punishment. The Old Ones > were impressed by Etiennes work. However, he needed to > be taught a lesson. Rad was first turned into a > Hierarch and then turned into a mortal and put to his > trial (described in Mark of Amber). However, if he > succeeded this trial, and later achieved Immortality > and eventually Hierarch status, he would immediately > become an Old One, not having to go through the whole > process again. > Nope. Firstly Rad never became a Heirarch. Secondly p126 of WotI book 1 and p4 of the Gold box DM guide say you have to be the reigning 36th level, Full in Gold box, Heirarch and decide to become mortal then achieve the same top status again. Rad's a long way from that on the first go round let alone the second. > Part of this Old Ones' Quest is also the contamination > of the NoS. If the NoS now produces Entropic > Immortals, this path to Immortality is blocked for > Etienne. However, he might be able to find a way to > purify the NoS, although this would almost qualify as > a quest for Immortality itself. Rafiel would be a > likely sponsor... > It would have been easier to negate the curse put on the NoS by mere Immortals and solve the problem once and for all. > These are just ideas of mine, obiously, but I'm > interested in hearing what people think. > Like to hear more because, even if they'll be wrong in MY Mystara, a well thought out, coherent system for the PC's to stumble across in am ancient tome is always useful. A 4 page handout that contains nothing but assumptions and conclusions that are wrong, again IMC, will be just as avidly followed up, just in case, by any aspiring Immortal. I might even seed a true, for my campaign, fact in there. That'll teach them (bloody natural 20 with a vorpal sword, mutter mutter...) :^) Paul ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 07:22:13 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: John Calvin Subject: Re: [Admin] MML archives still down MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >> On Thu, 25 Oct 2001 01:21:59 +0100 The Stalker writes: > Geoff, I realize you said about a week ago that some updates and > changes were made to the MML and it might be down at times because > of it. > > Due to that I haven't brought this up in a while, but the MML > archive site at: > > is still down. > > Has it been moved or removed for good? It has been down for about > two and a half weeks now... > > Will it be available again? Try http://oracle.wizards.com/archives/mystara-l.html That works for me. << Lol! I've been banging my head over this one for weeks now because I had the archives bookmarked at the old ip address location. John ===== Rule #53. If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her. from "A Guide to Becoming an Evil Overlord" by Peter Anspach __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 10:25:28 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] In-Reply-To: <001101c15d57$d4eca120$c4affea9@r1o9e1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 25 Oct 2001, Paul George Dooley wrote: > As I mention in another post the NoS isn't actually what's doing the > draining but the curse laid upon it by the Immortals. Why the Old One in > WotI didn't just remove it rather than just pidle around is one of many > disappointments with the module. Dissapointment? I thought it was interesting. The Goals of the Old Ones are unknown - fiddling with the NoS may have served a purpose to their grand design. Heck, maybe they just wanted to see what happened! Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 17:42:03 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Solmyr Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Agathokles wrote: > > In X2, Simon is an fully evil character. The Gaz seems to tone down this > Interestingly enough, in Mark of Amber Simon has made a complete turnaround, being Neutral Good. -- ********** Aleksei Andrievski aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star solmyr@kolumbus.fi http://www.geocities.com/solmyr.geo/ ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 08:03:02 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: John Calvin Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >( Well,i think is not needed, but...) Spoiler, read only DM and players who >have yet played the adventure Wrath of the Immortals > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, I'd also like to hear what others have done concerning this. I haven't played through Wrath yet (and probably won't for quite some time), but I have been putting a bit of thought into what I would do when I get there. Needless to say the following is what I will do IMC: 1) Alphatia and Thyatis will come into many more battles. The northern IoD will become a bloodfield. By the time Rad uses the doomsday device, both nations will be taxing their resources to the brink of destruction. 2) Rad will use the doomsday device and sink Alphatia. Many Alphers will survive though, as they are fighting battles away from the mainland. Those survivors, and the remnants of Thyatis (see 3 below) will battle for control of the IoD. Within the Alpher factions there will aslo be conflict, as the non-mage war veterians try to wrest control from those mages still remaining. Thothia will become a power in its own right, and Zandor will try to rebuild the new Alphatian Empire from Bellisarian kingdoms and those kingdoms that he can conquer on the IoD [I haven't yet decided on how he will fare, but I think it will be badly]. 3) Orcish hordes (lead by Oenkmarians) will flood northern Darokin, and soon spill over into Thyatis. [the shadow elves will act as a kind of buffer for the rest of Darokin, allowing it to survive.] Then I'll play through a kind of "fall of Rome" campaign with the eventual outcome being the end of Thyatis as an Empire. Remnants of the empire will flee south to the hinterlands (where they will have a hard time of things) and east to the IoD (where they will have conflicts with the remnants of the Alpher empire). Now the big question comes when trying to figure what to do with the hollow world. The Alpher culture (and perhaps the Thyatian one as well) will definately be preserved there after the Wrath war, but to what extent I do not know. Not to the extent that it is portrayed in canon. Since the Alphers already have a presence in Alphatia Netharum, I'm almost content to leave it at that. Netharum can be the Alpher presence. However I think that most Alphers in Netharum are probably mundaner soldiers and so that representation is not a good one. I might also have the immortals save some Alphers from the mainland (Eriadna included) and deposit them on an already existing floating continent. It definatelt won't be as big as the Alpher mainland continent because I don't want that big of a change in the HW. Besides I never liked the fact that the entire Alpher Empire was transfered there while all other cultures essentially had to rebuild themselves from a few shattered communities that were transplanted. Alphers on the FC will soon meet up with the soldiers in Netharum, and eventually (after a few thousand years) they will rebuild the empire (to some extent or other). Once in the HW the Alphers will have to face the HKs still there and any of the cultures that have come under their sway (ie Oostdok gnomes). They won't be able to simply clear the HKs away as easily as is done in the PWAs. This is the kind of campaign that PCs should become involved in if interested. Meanwhile on the surface, the Thyatis mainland will be overrun by orcs. Perhaps the shires as well, and portions of Darokin, Rockhome, Ylauram, and the Atraughin platue as well. The orcs will ally with the Tiger/Viper clan, and also some long forgotten (and quite undead) Nithians - maybe even some temporary alliances with the Ethengarians. Glantri will become cut off from most of the Known World. They might have their hands full with dwarven and Ethengarian encursions. Irendi is going to be infested with undead and lycanthropes, while Minrothad will isolate themselves (at least on their islands). The Thadders and their trading will be what holds together the little of the KW society that remains. Well, sorry to be so long winded. Those are just some of my ideas. Let's hear some ideas from others! John ===== Rule #53. If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her. from "A Guide to Becoming an Evil Overlord" by Peter Anspach __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 08:03:54 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Well IMC Alphatia is going to drop out of the sky as all the Alphatian = Wizards teleport over Glantri to attack it. The use of this much magical = energy is too much at one time and Blows a Fuse. Therefore, the wizards, = and Alphatia also drop out of the sky to their doom. Of course this = creates Sunamis and tidal waves that hit various shores. Alphatia's empire = starts going independent and the world learns how to cope without magic = for a few days. JK Wolf > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, i think that the adventure Wrath of the Immortals is both loved and hated = by list members... i like quite a lot the adventure and i still think that = is one of the better adventure ever written for D&D and AD&D.. but i = changed very much its timeline. My pc were able to deviate the asteroid = who should have hit Glantri in the sea, and Alphatia wasn't destroyed, = because an artifact shielded it. Anyway the nation was hit by horrible = earthquakes and flooding, and some like 2 millions of inhabitants were = killed, while one million were placed in the hollow world (and Eriadna = among them). Nowadays IMC Outer Alphatia is ruled by Zandor, who is not = the mad man of canon products.. My questions are... which of you played = WotI and followed it to the destruction of Alphatia ? which of you didn't = destroyed Alphatia ? and whichever you chose, HOW and WHY ? : - ) Thank = you, bye Francesco "What can change the nature of a man ?" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 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.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 15:37:55 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed SPOILER >Well IMC Alphatia is going to drop out of the sky as all the Alphatian >Wizards teleport over Glantri to attack it. The use of this much magical >energy is too much at one time and Blows a Fuse. Therefore, the wizards, >and Alphatia also drop out of the sky to their doom. Of course this creates >Sunamis and tidal waves that hit various shores. Alphatia's empire starts >going independent and the world learns how to cope without magic for a few >days. > What are you talking about ??? At the point when the 1000 wizards attack Alphatia is still in the KW. There it is a normal small continent like Australia in our world. What do you mean drop out of the sky ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 19:13:48 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Solmyr wrote: > > Agathokles wrote: > > > > In X2, Simon is an fully evil character. The Gaz seems to tone down this > > > Interestingly enough, in Mark of Amber Simon has made a complete > turnaround, being Neutral Good. Uhm, it may happen... but I suppose X2 was just ignored as a source in favour of the Gaz (and perhaps G:KoM). Simon is not described in the Gazetteer, but for a line saying he lives in the Alps as an hermit, and (IIRC) mentions his Chaotic alignment, which by itself could well account for a NG AD&D translation. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 10:18:49 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >>> bleakcabal@HOTMAIL.COM 10/25/01 08:37AM >>> SPOILER >Well IMC Alphatia is going to drop out of the sky as all the Alphatian >Wizards teleport over Glantri to attack it. The use of this much magical >energy is too much at one time and Blows a Fuse. Therefore, the wizards, >and Alphatia also drop out of the sky to their doom. Of course this = creates >Sunamis and tidal waves that hit various shores. Alphatia's empire starts >going independent and the world learns how to cope without magic for a = few >days. > What are you talking about ??? At the point when the 1000 wizards attack Alphatia is still in the KW. There it is a normal small continent like Australia in our world. What do you mean drop out of the sky ? I am referring to the floating continent shared by Alphatia and Thyatis. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp= =20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 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.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 10:15:42 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 >(Well,i think is not needed, but...) Spoiler, read only DM and >players who have yet played the adventure Wrath of the Immortals > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am using WOTI as a "sub-plot" in my campaign, though I've changing bits here and there. I don't like the first two adventure particularly and they don't seem to really have much to do with the real plot (it's almost like they're added on to give the PCs something to do), so I don't plan to use them. But I do plan to use part 3, after customizing it. However the timeline and all the chaos is very cool, so I'm working that in. :-) I haven't decided yet about the Great Crater or Alphatia; parts of Alphatia are interesting but I don't personally think it's well written or developed. Maybe I'll just wipe out the empire and leave the empty land for redevelopment. :-) Actually I might use WOTI as an excuse to shake up some things. I'd like to break up the Alphatian empire into pieces, as I think that would create conflict and make it more interesting. I'm also considering that the Darokin bureaucracy has a hard time moving quickly and decisively against various threats and begins to break down, and the people demand the return of the Monarchy; eastern Darokin might break away at that time. The crater is different, as it wipes out an area that I think is interesting, and replaces it with something else interesting, but I'm not sure it's an improvement. Certainly it adds chaos, which is always a good thing. Hmm, if the meteor did hit Darokin City, the country would be devastated and effectively cut into quarters (all roads pass through the city), the Streel River would probably turn it into a poisonous lake. Mike ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 19:07:00 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Kelly" To: Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 6:18 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! >I am referring to the floating continent shared by Alphatia and Thyatis. ???? Ain't no such animal. IoD is as anchored to bedrock as anywhere else at this time. Are you by any chance mistaking the Alphatian kingdom of Floating Ar where there are some small, relative to the total size of the kingdom, aerial landmasses hence it's name? Paul ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 12:03:24 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Ok that's what I am referring to Floating Ar. I thought that was the Isle = of Dawn. But according to the Thyatis Empire land map Isle of Dawn isn't = even shown. I thought this was because it was in the air. Check out the = Empires Gazeteers. >>> dooley@BLUEYONDER.CO.UK 10/25/01 11:07AM >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Kelly" To: Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 6:18 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! >I am referring to the floating continent shared by Alphatia and Thyatis. ???? Ain't no such animal. IoD is as anchored to bedrock as anywhere else at this time. Are you by any chance mistaking the Alphatian kingdom of Floating Ar where there are some small, relative to the total size of the kingdom, aerial landmasses hence it's name? Paul ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 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.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 12:22:25 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: pds3 Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Has anyone done anything interesting with this character? He will be >an important character in my game (although I thought he was a nice >guy before I read the module description closely - haven't decided >how to reconcile that yet) and I'm looking for ideas to flesh him >out. I'd really recommend that you try to pick up Mark of Amber. It's the best of the AD&D Mystara products, and it does an excellent job of fleshing out all the characters. As for Simon's alignment, it says while they were in the Land of the Mists "Etienne's revenge-magic drove him insane, making him neutral evil for many years." Upon return, his original alignment (given as neutral good) was restored. >Speaking of which, some of the d'Ambrevilles are pretty darn weird >in the module. I am assuming that some of the weirdness (like the >lion head) happened during the "exile", and when Etienne brought them >back he returned them to normal. Or do you folks continue to play >them as they appear in the module? You're correct to assume that most of the weirdness was due to Etienne's revenge magic (at least according to MoA). Most of the family was restored, at least physically, to normal, although they all carry some psychological scars from the ordeal. The only real exception that I can think of is that Magdalene, who contracted lycanthropy in the Land of the Mists, still had it when she was restored. Etienne brought back the wrong Janette, but that doesn't really have any bearing on gameplay. At any rate, I'd whole-heartedly recommend Mark of Amber. It turns most of the people from X2 from one-paragraph characters (or less in some cases, I'm remembering at least Isidore and Marie-Helene) to most-of-a-page characters. If you've already done a lot to flesh out most of them, it might not be worth it since it will contradict what you've done, but otherwise it's an excellent, logically-consistent accessory. I would say without hesitation that in terms of quality and character development it's the best Mystara product out there. Patrick ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 19:52:14 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Ok that's what I am referring to Floating Ar. I thought that was the Isle >of Dawn. But according to the Thyatis Empire land map Isle of Dawn isn't >even shown. I thought this was because it was in the air. Check out the >Empires Gazeteers. > ???????????????????????????????????????? Floating Ar is Tiny, tiny tiny tiny part of Alphatia. The isle of dawn is similar to any real world island. Nothing special there. The Isle of Dawn is shown clearly on all maps I possess. Due to it's size it is impossible to miss. Could you specify which map exactly you are refering to and I will help you point the Isle. BTW the Isle od Dawn is not part of the Alphatian or the Brun continent. The Isle of Dawn has parts which are independents, part which belong to Alphatia and parts which belong to Thyatis. If you are refering to the Map which on one side it the Empire of Thyatis whith a thyatian ship design also and the other side is the main alphatian continent the IoD is not on that map. I don't know where this map comes from but I think it's either WoTI or DoE. Take the map which says on one side "Empires of Alphatia and Thyatis" and on the other "Isle of Danw" youll spot it as there is smaller map of Sundsvall included on the Empires side. Well the Isle of Dawn side is the Isle of Dawn. Notice that in the North East there is the alphatia continent. On the other side the map is at a scale of 1 hex = 72 miles. Here you can see the Known World, Alphatia and the Ilse of Dawn right in the middle. On the same map you see Bellesaria, Brun, ALphatia, IoD, Skothar and Davania ( jus a little bit ). _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 13:19:50 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Joe Kelly wrote: > Ok that's what I am referring to Floating Ar. I > thought that was the Isle of Dawn. But according to > the Thyatis Empire land map Isle of Dawn isn't even > shown. I thought this was because it was in the air. > Check out the Empires Gazeteers. It's not on the map because it's a map of the thyatis mainland.... Theres another whole map devoted to it!!! It's also the "big" land mass inbetween the two contenents. check thib's site... http://perso.club-internet.fr/thibsylv/maps/isle_of_dawn/iod.htm Alphatia is the contenent to the North East and thyatis is to the north-west(just off the map) It is fairly clear if you read DotE. Chris. P.S. Hi all, been busy with uni. I like looks of the "dayly" magic items and the hulean stuff. Can't wait to actually get to take it in. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 16:41:02 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed IMC the PC's had already defeated the Shadow Lord in Denagoth and renamed the country Mengul. We were allies with Glantri and Thyatis to keep Alphatia off the coast of Brun. After Alphatia sends the wizards to attack Glantri, Mengul declares war on Alphatia and marches on Norwold. After the continent sinks Mengul claims the islands. The current year IMC is 1025 AC and the rest is history. Multizar the Mage >From: Francesco Defferrari >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: [MYSTARA] did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! >Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 14:18:25 +0200 > > ( Well,i think is not needed, but...) Spoiler, read only DM and players >who have yet played the adventure Wrath of the Immortals > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Hello, >i think that the adventure Wrath of the Immortals is both loved and hated >by list members... i like quite a lot the adventure and i still think that >is one of the better adventure ever written for D&D and AD&D.. but i >changed very much its timeline. My pc were able to deviate the asteroid who >should have hit Glantri in the sea, and Alphatia wasn't destroyed, because >an artifact shielded it. Anyway the nation was hit by horrible earthquakes >and flooding, and some like 2 millions of inhabitants were killed, while >one million were placed in the hollow world (and Eriadna among them). >Nowadays IMC Outer Alphatia is ruled by Zandor, who is not the mad man of >canon products.. My questions are... which of you played WotI and followed >it to the destruction of Alphatia ? which of you didn't destroyed Alphatia >? and whichever you chose, HOW and WHY ? : - ) Thank you, bye > >Francesco > >"What can change the nature of a man ?" > >******************************************************************** >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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:32:07 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: What's a stahnk? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 23 Oct 2001 21:34:46 Eric Anondson wrote: >> My DM has asked me to inquire if anyone can provide her with a description >> of a monster in an upcoming module she is intending to use. >> >> the creature is called a Stahnk and she believes it is from the Dragonlance >> setting. > >It is from Dragonlance. The Stahnk is one type of a creature that is simply >called an Undead Beast. It is in the Dragonlance Monstrous Compendium under >Beast, Undead. No kidding! There it is! Well, that's certainly the last time I rely on TSR's index at the beginning of those compendii. Heads should roll for sloppy editing like that! - The Stalker Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/ ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 16:29:54 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 >At any rate, I'd whole-heartedly recommend Mark of Amber. It >turns most of the people from X2 from one-paragraph characters >(or less in some cases, I'm remembering at least Isidore and >Marie-Helene) to most-of-a-page characters. Interesting. What about G:KoM -- does it add anything worthwhile that's not in Gaz3? I don't care about AD&D conversions, just Mystara setting material. Thanks, Mike ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:38:42 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >I'd really recommend that you try to pick up Mark of Amber. It's the best >of >the AD&D Mystara products, and it does an excellent job of fleshing out all >the characters. That`s true, I also recomend it, and I also feel it is the best Ad&d product with PWA3. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:05:52 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Magic Item: The Eye of Ka MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > The Eye of Ka > This item was inspired by the works of Alex Benson, and owes its existence to him. Great job both Alex in coming up with his original concept and in the adaptation by Jacob! This is a good example of how stuff posted to the list can spark ideas by others and develop into personalized versions (which happens quite often, I think). I like the level of balance that the adverse effects bring - low level PCs would be unable to handle them for long, but high levels should be able to cope, as long as they don't overdo it. Stuff like collecting the statues makes for interesting role-playing. ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:58:40 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Michael McConnell Subject: Simon D'Ambreville Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Well, I've been doing a lot with the D'Ambrevilles in my current Glantri game, especially since I used Castle Amber to start things off. As far as I'm concerned, any discrepencies between the module characaters and the gaz characters can be chalked up the Etienne's curse. It sucked the castle away, transformed people into monsters, and, in the case of Simon, switched out his alignment. Each of the effects of the curse had, to my mind, a sort of twilight-zone type poetic justice. Simon, as a cleric, is hounded and persecuted in Glantri, while in the Old Country he would have been one of the few family members that was able to show themselves. The Simon in the module is what would have happened had the family stayed in Averoigne- he is corrupted and evil from the power he has. I also used Simon and the curse to highlight another family member, Claude. In the module, I ignored Claude's vampirism and had him help the party against Simon, further mirroring things as they were in the outside world. My party still isn't sure of what to make of all this. At least they know he's a vampire now, so they aren't giving him any more information to pass on to Morphail. :) As far as levels go, I just chalk it up to the general weirdness of the family and set the levels to whatever I think is appropriate. Varying levels is just one of those things like werewolf princes, vampiric paladins, and centuries-old normal humans that will keep the pcs scratching their heads. M PS Someone was asking about module conversions, yes? Try www.d20reviews.com. Life is the nightmare that leaves its mark upon you to prove that it is, in fact, real. And to suffer a solitary madness seems the joy of paradise when compared to the extraordinary condition in which one's own madness merely echoes that of the world outside. -Thomas Ligotti ________________________________________________________________ Get your own evilemail.com address at http://www.evilemail.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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:49:50 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: pds3 Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Interesting. What about G:KoM -- does it add anything worthwhile >that's not in Gaz3? I don't care about AD&D conversions, just Mystara >setting material. G:KoM mostly just rehashes the same material from Gaz3. There's some pretty good artwork, the cd adventure has at least a little promise, it gives more detail on the Great School, and it has rules for "progeny' (part monster-blooded) characters. It also details the new players in Glantri (Dolores and Kol, at least) and adds more detail to a few (Harald, Carmina, Urmahid, and Juliaana, possibly others). My overall recomendation would be to buy it if you can get it cheap, but don't go too far out of your way to get it. If you're in a country where you can buy the ESDs and you don't need it too soon, I'd say it's definitely worth the $5. If you don't already have it, PC4 is probably a better investment if the campaign will spend much time in or around Nouvelle Averoigne. Patrick ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 00:02:42 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Andrew Theisen Subject: Re: Simon d'Ambreville In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable At 11:51 PM 10/24/01 +0000, you wrote: >Has anyone done anything interesting with this character? He will be >an important character in my game (although I thought he was a nice >guy before I read the module description closely - haven't decided >how to reconcile that yet) and I'm looking for ideas to flesh him >out. This is my response to a similar question earlier this year. Hope it gives you some ideas: At 07:30 PM 7/20/01 +0200, Marco Fossati wrote: > >Have you got any ideas about P=E8re Simon? =20 I've got some very *un* canonical ideas about Simon and the rest of the d'Ambreville family (which will be revealed more if I ever get back to my d'Ambreville short story/novella). I tend to look at them as less "eccentric" and more "machiavellian" than the current take on them (Gaz3 and beyond) tends to be. The original presentation of them (X2: Castle Amber) had them a bit more malicious and cruel, and I like that interpretation, combined with the traits of the Amber family from Roger Zelazny's "Chronicles of Amber" series (Nine Princes in Amber, etc.) For Simon, my take is somewhat of a religious fanatic. IMC, he brought the Catholic faith to Mystara when the Amber family came across from Laterre. Like most of the rest of the not-terribly-religious Amber clan, though, he wasn't all that committed to the faith. He simply saw the religion as a tool with which to manipulate the populace of the new world to his side (during the struggles for dominance in the family that are a constant amongst the d'Ambrevilles). When the d'Ambrevilles were shunted into the Grey Mist dimension by Etienne's curse (btw, I consider the Grey Mist dimension to be Ravenloft, IMC), Simon- like much of the family- went a bit mad. He became more evil and cruel and his interpretations of the Catholic faith became almost satanic (hearkening back to the days when some members of the family practiced religions of the Cthulhianic entities of Laterre). When the curse on Etienne was broken, and the family returned to Mystara, Simon realized what he had done, and sought penance from his God (one of the reasons he was so long absent from Glantri). Now he is a true believer, with an almost fanatical faith that comes from being a convert. Which may make him even more dangerous than before, now that he has returned to the flock that he founded. Can you say Crusades? ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:24:20 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] In-Reply-To: <001101c15d57$d4eca120$c4affea9@r1o9e1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- Paul George Dooley wrote: > As I mention in another post the NoS isn't > actually what's doing the > draining but the curse laid upon it by the > Immortals. Why the Old One in > WotI didn't just remove it rather than just pidle > around is one of many > disappointments with the module. The curse has been placed on the NoS. Therefore the NoS is doing the draining. > > I have in the past made comparisons between the > > Spheres of Power and the Force (from Star Wars). > As I > > see it, the NoS is like a Jedi who stops relying > on > > the Light Side for his powers and turns to the > Dark > > Side. Obviously, this is much more than a change > of > > battery. > > > However does your comparison have any similarity > to what's actually > going on? In all probability it's merely an opinion, > just like mine. We > could label them theories instead and see which of > them is the most > consistent with Mystara as a whole in a > semi-scientific manner, but even > then, as we take great delight in trying to disprove > all opposing theories, > we have to worry in case someone disproves ours. :^) True, this is my interpretation of NoS and Mystaran cosmology. It is based on two things: 1) Reading various Mystara related sources. 2) The principle of MGF. (Maximum Game Fun) The second is ofcourse highly subjective, but: a) The theory is consistant with my general understanding of Mystaran cosmology. AND b) My theory allows for more plot possibilities than yours. > Nope. Firstly Rad never became a Heirarch. > Secondly p126 of WotI book 1 > and p4 of the Gold box DM guide say you have to be > the reigning 36th level, > Full in Gold box, Heirarch and decide to become > mortal then achieve the same > top status again. Rad's a long way from that on the > first go round let alone > the second. This, second part of my email was a plotline that I made up myself. Perhaps that wasnt quite clear. I suggested that Rad was supercharged by the Old One, becoming a Hierarch and then immediately was returned to a mortal. This makes the Old Ones' plot more interesting than the simple "You need to be punished for meddling with our toy" interpretaion which seems most likely when reading WotI and Mark of Amber. Note that my idea is an extrapolation of those events, but does not AFAIK contradict them. Also from what I understand WotI makes it easier to become an Old One than than the old Gold Box. In any case nobody really knows how to become an Old One, so anything goes, really. > > Part of this Old Ones' Quest is also the > contamination > > of the NoS. If the NoS now produces Entropic > > Immortals, this path to Immortality is blocked for > > Etienne. However, he might be able to find a way > to > > purify the NoS, although this would almost qualify > as > > a quest for Immortality itself. Rafiel would be a > > likely sponsor... > > > It would have been easier to negate the curse > put on the NoS by mere > Immortals and solve the problem once and for all. This might be a political problem. Most Immortals probably dont like the NoS creating new Immortals of any kind. Secondly, everyone should be wary of tempering with the NoS right now, since the disasters of WotI are still fresh in memory. Havard ______________________________________________________ Nokia Game er her igjen. Gĺ til http://no.yahoo.com/nokiagame fřr den 3 november for ĺ bli med pĺ dette multimediaeventyret. ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 09:03:29 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Known Planes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT I've read every scroll I could find in the Great Library of Pandius on planes, and it's all great. So here's a question for you: What planes would be "well known" on Mystara? Suppose you took a course or two on planar cosmology at the GSoM -- what would they teach? I ask because I have a character in my game with planar knowledge, and while I'm pretty familiar with the Great Wheel, the Mystaran cosmology is new and mysterious (and therefore wonderful). For starters I'm thinking: -- Astral -- Ethereal -- Prime -- Air, Earth, Fire, Water -- Draestyn -- Alphatia -- Dimension of Myth, Laterre The above are needed just to support known spells and travels. What else is commonly known? Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Harvey gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 13:16:42 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Known Planes In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 26 Oct 2001, Mike Harvey wrote: > For starters I'm thinking: > -- Astral > -- Ethereal > -- Prime > -- Air, Earth, Fire, Water > -- Draestyn > -- Alphatia > -- Dimension of Myth, Laterre I would assume that they also teach about Pyts, and the matter, thought and time outer planes whose names I don't have handy. I don't think they would teach of Laterre at Glantri - as it is not common knowledge even there. Though they may mention places like the nightmare dimension, and/or some other planes that could be of some interest. But I suppose the whole semester is geared toward the prime/ethereal/astral/elemental planes. Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 10:51:55 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: OT: Giant Crocodiles MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Sometimes all the giant animals in D&D seem kind of absurd, so it's always nice to read about a real-world example. Here's an interesting article on giant (40 ft) crocodiles that once lived in Africa: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/science/AP-Giant-Croc.html Some of you may already know about these, but it's new to me, and I though others might find it interesting too. Mike ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 19:21:38 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Paul George Dooley Subject: Re: [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Havard Faanes" To: Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 2:24 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] [Re: [MYSTARA] NoS and Entropy] > The curse has been placed on the NoS. Therefore the > NoS is doing the draining. > IMO that's just not so. e.g. If a government puts a tarrif on a product it's not the product that causes extra drain to my finances but something imposed by somebody else. > True, this is my interpretation of NoS and Mystaran > cosmology. > It is based on two things: > 1) Reading various Mystara related sources. Funny that so's mine. I just want my version to be internaly consistent, rtather than having an eysore getting in the way of suspension of disbelief > 2) The principle of MGF. (Maximum Game Fun) If the NPC's are allowed to break the "rules" with such abandon, and the players aren't, then you end up with Less-than-maximum Game Fun. > The second is ofcourse highly subjective, but: > a) The theory is consistant with my general > understanding of Mystaran cosmology. So is my theory it works perfectly with the gold box, and since the prime is infinate in the WotI rewrite, Dimensional Anomalies almost have to exist in the current version of the prime too. > AND > b) My theory allows for more plot possibilities than > yours. > Now that's just mean :( and it's not true either :P As I've already mentioned using all your erroneous assumptions is part of my grand scheme, as well as the "TRUTH" of the matter > This, second part of my email was a plotline that I > made up myself. Perhaps that wasnt quite clear. I > suggested that Rad was supercharged by the Old One, > becoming a Hierarch and then immediately was returned > to a mortal. This makes the Old Ones' plot more > interesting than the simple "You need to be punished > for meddling with our toy" interpretaion which seems > most likely when reading WotI and Mark of Amber. Note > that my idea is an extrapolation of those events, but > does not AFAIK contradict them. Also from what I > understand WotI makes it easier to become an Old One > than than the old Gold Box. In any case nobody really > knows how to become an Old One, so anything goes, > really. > It wasn't clear to me anyway, but what else is new? ;^) However there is still the problem of which Reigning heirarch did he replace? They're named on the back cover of WotI book 1. The only possible vacancy that doesn't contradict what is written in book 2 is if he gained supremacy in Entropy in the time between Hel losing it and Thanatos getting it. I freely admit that somewhere bits of your version will appear IMC so I'm asking in order to get comfortable with it. Classic thesis + antithesis = synthesis IMO. > This might be a political problem. Most Immortals > probably dont like the NoS creating new Immortals of > any kind. Secondly, everyone should be wary of > tempering with the NoS right now, since the disasters > of WotI are still fresh in memory. > Maybe a just a note on it from the Old One saying "This time Noumena et. al. just leave it ¬ing well alone!". (Yes this Old One does sometimes go by the nome de plume of Mr. Tulip) :) Paul ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 19:42:36 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Known Planes Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed WoTI book one also details these planes : Brynn ( Matter ) Entrem ( Time ) Mirage ( Tought ) Draesten ( Energy ) Pyts ( Entropy ) >I've read every scroll I could find in the Great Library of Pandius >on planes, and it's all great. So here's a question for you: > >What planes would be "well known" on Mystara? Suppose you took a >course or two on planar cosmology at the GSoM -- what would they >teach? > >I ask because I have a character in my game with planar knowledge, >and while I'm pretty familiar with the Great Wheel, the Mystaran >cosmology is new and mysterious (and therefore wonderful). > >For starters I'm thinking: >-- Astral >-- Ethereal >-- Prime >-- Air, Earth, Fire, Water >-- Draestyn >-- Alphatia >-- Dimension of Myth, Laterre > >The above are needed just to support known spells and travels. What >else is commonly known? > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 16:30:28 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: John Polacek Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Well, in Neverwinter Nights, like Pen & Paper, there will be DM's you like and DM's you don't, same with players. Luckily, as a DM you will be able to screen your players' characters before they come onto your server for any unbalancing items, and, of course you can always make your games private and only invite those players who you know play the style you prefer. As a player looking for a DM, there will be a matching service that should be a good start towards finding a good DM. The ideal situation would be to find a group of 6 to 10 people who fit well together and rotate DMing duties. >>>> I don`t know the specifics of that game, but if what you say is true then the problem will be worse :) I have seen so many DM who gave their player mega-uber magical items at low-levels. Worst I have seen someone who had created a new fighter class. His angle, :"Some poeple are better than other, this warrior ( I dont recall his name ) class is just that someones who better than other." Instead of realizing a better fighter had more levels than a weaker one. This class had better THACO, better saving throws, better Hit Dice and didnt that much more XPs than a fighter :) You will have all these munchkin DM who will make whack quests but because they give Swords of Instant Slaying +50, 99% of all the players will want to play with them. And when you will be DMing, those 99% players will come into your game, with their ring of 3 wishes, sword + 50 and 35 in all ability score and make the other players want to join a quest with an "uber" DM so they can be at the same power level :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 16:43:19 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: John Polacek Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Actually, a couple corrections to Alex's post. >>NWN is a computer RPG currenly in beta (i think). it is due for release >>early 2002,<< Neverwinter Nights (NWN) is not yet in beta. They haven't give a release date, but speculation is March 2002. >>the second tier is level design. a player can become a DM and create >>generic or campaign specific (any campaign setting) adventures. they can >>be uploaded to a Interplay hosted server for online play or accessed via a >>LAN. the adventure is overseen by a human DM. >> Games are hosted on the user's computer, not Interplay's. Obviously, the host's connection will have a lot to do with the quality of play. Bioware (the company making NWN) is saying that a 56k modem should be able to host 6 to 8 players. Broadband significantly more (up to 64 players) >>I personally want to see some of the Basic Level >adventures used to form NWN adventures. IIRC there was a Mystaran based >interest in NWN....even had a web site.>> I'm hosting one of the 2 websites that are out there for NWN Mystara. My site has been pretty inactive (real life takes precedence, and the game is still months from being released even in beta form). My site is http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Realms of Mystara is a very ambitious project by fellow MMLer Alphaks, who is planning to host a persistent world server (operating 24/7) set in Mystara AC2000. He could use help and is even having a chat this saturday at 4 MST. Check out his site: www.mystaranet.com for more info. John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.net _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:21:39 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Re: Known Planes In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Has anyone done even a quickie write-up of the Mystaran cosmology using the new 3E Manual of the Planes? BEAU http://www.LBY3.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. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 17:29:29 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Andrew Theisen Subject: Re: Known Planes In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20011026152139.009c89f8@mail.boilingpoint.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 03:21 PM 10/26/01 -0700, you wrote: > Has anyone done even a quickie write-up of the Mystaran cosmology using >the new 3E Manual of the Planes? Just general thoughts so far, nothing written down in concrete form, but a lot of speculation. My initial idea is thus: Mystara=Doppel Cosmology You've got the "Normal" Prime Material Plane, with its own Ethereal and Elemental Planes, and the "Nightmare" Prime Material Plane (with its own Ethereal and Elemental Planes). Both Planes are separated and connected by the Spirit Plane (a transitive plane replacing the Plane of Shadow). The Spirit Plane is the same thing as the Spirit World of the Ethengarians, and is the original home plane of the Faerie creatures (Faerie races are essentially native outsiders to the Prime, originally hailing from the Spirit World. Their ancestors are the Spirits that dwell in the SP and are sometimes summoned by shamans). The Spirit Plane can also provide access to other Prime Material Planes (such as Laterre) via "stonehenge" type Dolmens that are often the home ground for Faerie creatures. All of these are bound by the Astral Plane, with its myriad Outer Planes. Notable among these is the Plane of Limbo, which is the first stop for all mortal souls after they have parted with their material bodies, and is not the same place as the Plane of Limbo in MotP (see Dragon #180 for more on Limbo). Whether the Astral is linked to the Prime (as MotP currently has it) or not (as old cosmology for OD&D has it) I haven't yet determined. For those attempting to merge the Gold Box with the above, the Normal Plane is dimensions 1-3, the Nightmare Plane is dimensions 3-5, and the Spirit Plane is dimensions 2-4 (from a perceptive viewpoint, anyway- all are five dimensional spaces). Also check out Giulio's article in the Tome of Mystara (#5, I think) wherein he links the faerie races and the 2-4th dimensions. ******************************************************************** 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: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 20:45:58 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Known Planes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Another group of planes that come to mind is the Draconic Cluster, also known as the Four, which are the home planes of the immortal dragons. I don't think they would be well-known, but some scholars and sages, and especially dragons or clerics of these immortals, would have some info on them. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 01:09:19 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Known Planes In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20011026152139.009c89f8@mail.boilingpoint.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 26 Oct 2001, Beau Yarbrough wrote: > Has anyone done even a quickie write-up of the Mystaran cosmology using > the new 3E Manual of the Planes? Quickie writeup is a little harder than one would think, as few assumptions in the MotP don't jive with Mystara's cosmology directly. (As in the nature of the astral, or the fact that 3e Elemental dominance is a bit screwy :) I'm working on a quick writeup for my own purposes, but other than a few minor things from the MotP, I have found that book not very useful for describing things much diferently than WotI. Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.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. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:27:32 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: The Division of the Five - Part I MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > He summons an avatar of his deity (or some equivalent, depending on the > metaphysics of your campaign) to Mystara, and divides it into five spirits - > each of which is able to possess even the most powerful individuals. Cool idea. > If the plan succeeds, Karameikos will > be largely under undead reign. (Note: The timeline proposed below assume > that the possessions will take place.) Well, I don't know only one thing. Wouldn't this be considered Immortal Intervention by WotI rules? Yes, I know that anyone can change any rule to fit them in the campaign, but one example of such an act would mean that there would be no way to prevent any deity that wants it to rule a nation... > All of Hazar's plans shall culminate in the instigation of a conflict > between the Black Eagle and Karameikos Heh heh, I wonder how many of us have used this plotline...but in fact it's a logical choice for an internal conflict (they even said it in the Gaz). However it would be interesting to see somebody detail a civil war in Karameikos with Ludwig supporting Stephan. > Now the artefacts Gosh, I suppose I will have to read the artefacts at Shawn's, then... > The dragon is an ally of Hazar. An interesting twist could be to have the dragon as an autonomous character. The players could either try to defeat him or buy/offer services etc. to the dragon in exchange for the artefact. Example: serve for all their life the whims of a white dragon after Hazar has been defeated. Then it could be interesting to see the players put in such a situation. More to come, Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:37:34 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: The Division of the Five - Part III MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > The treason of Tisza [...], who may be connected with the > Fivebane. This is really a good idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > The main objective of the cult is to possess baron Kelven, Well, if Kelvin is on the side of the CoK Opposition, maybe this would not be a good move. He is already one of Hazar's man, in a certain sense. Maybe someone like Sherlane Halaran would make more sense. > The cultists are ready to possess one of the key figures of the Karameikan > forces during the battle. IMC this was Aleena Halaran, who joined the Castellan > garrison with a Tresholdian contingent. Obviously, if somebody wants to use Halaran instead of Kelvin, Aleena should not be possessed. More to come, Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 22:41:18 +1000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Michael Diehm Subject: Re: Known Planes & other worlds Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Here's a list of what I could find about the Mystaran Multiverse. There's quite a lot of outer planes. Hope this helps! Mystaran Multiverse B3 Prison Dimension (Dimension) Dimension of Ice (Dimension) CM DM Prime Plane Ethereal Plane Plane of Fire Plane of Air Plane of Water Plane of Earth Astral Plane Outer Planes CM6 World of Aelos (Prime Plane) CM7 Magical Rainbow Dimension (Dimension) Solar Systems (Mystaran Universe, Prime Plane):- - The Griffon Sun: Mantis Mnr Suns: 7 - The Warrior Mnr Suns: 5 Planet: Both - The Chimera Sun: Celeb Mnr Suns: 5 - The Eagle Sun: Hunard Mnr Suns: 2 Planet: Zoar - The Centaur Mnr Suns: 4 Planet: Telax - The Manticore Mnr Suns: 5 Planet: Alith - Justice Sun: Goloth Mnr Suns: 7 - The Lizard Sun: Wyrm Mnr Suns: 4 - The House Sun: Rhax Mnr Suns: 6 - The Nymph Sun: Walinar Mnr Suns: 6 - The Hydra Sun: Sidon Mnr Suns: 5 Planet: Mym - The Narwhal Sun: Bith Mnr Suns: 6 IM1 Earth (World of an Outer Plane) Drekk (Outer Plane) Starworld (World of the Plane of Fire) Tonal (Outer Plane) Notion (Outer Plane) Cueball (Planet of Plane of Earth) 5 moons & Snowball an U/G moon N'Garth (Outer Plane) IM2 Rylum (Outer Plane) Kryla (Outer Plane) Pyts (Outer Plane) Terra (Outer Plane) Tempus (Outer Plane) Coriopt (Planet of Kryla) Moons: 2 Simoom (Planet of Rylum) Landworld (Planet of Plane of Earth) Eon (Planet of Tempus) Stellar Cluster of Goanth (Outer Plane) DRAGON 168 World of Hakh (Plane of Air) AC1011 Patera (Mystaran moon) Matera (Mystaran moon) Pyrithian Archipelago (Asteroids near Mystara) M1 Old Alphatian Star Kingdoms Paradise Island (Asteroid) Isle of the Eye (Asteroid) Isle of the Turkeys (Asteroid) Delthar (World) Belthar (World) Gammar (World) Kabarkhand (Asteroid) Tortuga (Asteroid) The Underworld (Outer Plane) M3 Pits of Banishment (Dimension) Rainbow Realm (Dimension) Green Realm (Dimension) Red Realm (Dimension) Black Realm (Dimension) Blue Realm (Dimension) White Realm (Dimension) Yellow Realm (Dimension) M4 Eloysia (Outer Plane) Trann (World in Eloysia) Volde (World in Eloysia) M5 Thorne (Outer Plane) Chasm (Outer Plane) Night (Outer Plane) D o E Spillworld (Cluster of Worlds - Prime Plane) RULES CYC Empire of the Haoou (Plane of Air) Empire of the Djinn (Plane of Air) DRAGON #158 Draconian Cluster (4 Outer Planes of the Dragon Immortals) HW Hollow World (inside Mystara) W o I Brynn (Outer Plane) Draesten (Outer Plane) Entrem (Outer Plane) Mirage (Outer Plane) Dimension of Myth (incl world of Laterre) X6 City of Brass (Plane of Fire) X12 Mirror Plane (Outer Plane) DRAGON #171 Azem's Pocket Plane (Outer Plane) DRAGON #180 Limbo (incl City of the Dead) (Outer Plane) GAZ 7 Niflheim (Outer Plane) (Home Plane of Hel, Frost Giants) Asgard (Outer Plane) (Home Plane of Odin - Valhalla & Valkyries; Thor, Loki) Rainbow Bridge (Outer Plane) (Home Plane of Heimdal - Giant) Vanaheim (Outer Plane) (Home Plane of Frey/Freyja) Muspelheim (Outer Plane) (Fire Giants) Alfheim (Outer Plane) (Ilsundal's Home Plane) Svartalfheim (Outer Plane) (Dark Elves) Jotunheim (Outer Plane) (Gorrziok's Home Plane) Swergheim (Outer Plane) (Kagyar's Home Plane) Midgard (Outer Plane) (Vikings) Yggdrasill (Outer Plane) Spirit World (Outer Plane) Atzanteotl's Realm (Outer Plane) KHINJAR AL-SAHRAA – A ANDRESKI Al-Jannah (Outer Plane) AC1015 Doomgard (Outer Plane) Shadow (Outer Plane) AC1016 The Recluse (Outer Plane) The Church of Darokin Hall of Roses (Outer Plane) (Valerias’ Home Plane) Field of Dreams (Outer Plane) (Koryis’ Home Plane) Crystal Halls (Outer Plane) (Asterius’ Home Plane) City of Perfection (Outer Plane) (Twelve Watchers’ Home Plane) Bright Kingdom (Outer Plane) (Ixion’s Home Plane) >From: Dan Eustace >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Known Planes >Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 20:45:58 -0400 > >Another group of planes that come to mind is the Draconic Cluster, also >known as the Four, which are the home planes of the immortal dragons. I >don't think they would be well-known, but some scholars and sages, and >especially dragons or clerics of these immortals, would have some info on >them. > >******************************************************************** >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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:37:19 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: D&D PC games (was: Balancing Magic Items) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >Actually, a couple corrections to Alex's post. > >>NWN is a computer RPG currenly in beta (i think). it is due for release >>early 2002,<< > Neverwinter Nights (NWN) is not yet in beta. They haven't give a release date, but speculation is March 2002.>> i heard somewhere thta it was in the beta stage. ebworld has it's projected shipping date as early March 2002. i figured that the rumor was true since it going beta now would work into the game's developement and make the projected delivery date. then there were the rumors that the game was shipping early. anyway...i can wait until March. >>the second tier is level design. a player can become a DM and create >>generic or campaign specific (any campaign setting) adventures. they can >>be uploaded to a Interplay hosted server for online play or accessed via a >>LAN. the adventure is overseen by a human DM. >> > Games are hosted on the user's computer, not Interplay's. Obviously, the host's connection will have a lot to do with the quality of play. Bioware (the company making NWN) is saying that a 56k modem should be able to host 6 to 8 players. Broadband significantly more (up to 64 players)>> okay...i thought that Interplay was hosting the created levels. i am not too thrilled with that it being PC user hosted. such a set up works fairly well for games such as Mechwarrior 3 and 4. It is MW4 that you start seeing limitations in the setup. Mostly it is centered on varying connections, system resources, and packet loss. that was one of the problems that Vampire had; hosting. It would probably work best with broadband or a LAN. but i should not damn it before it comes out. Bioware has been working on NWN for a good while and has invested alot in the game. it has to be profitable. to be profitable it has to be marketable to the majority of computer users and not just those powergamers with top of the line machines and broadband. i'll wait and see. >>I personally want to see some of the Basic Level >adventures used to form NWN adventures. IIRC there was a Mystaran based >interest in NWN....even had a web site.>> > I'm hosting one of the 2 websites that are out there for NWN Mystara. My site has been pretty inactive (real life takes precedence, and the game is still months from being released even in beta form). My site is http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Realms of Mystara is a very ambitious project by fellow MMLer Alphaks, who is planning to host a persistent world server (operating 24/7) set in Mystara AC2000. He could use help and is even having a chat this saturday at 4 MST. Check out his site: www.mystaranet.com for more info.>> i thought thta i recalled seeing someone mentioning Mystaran projects with NWN. i think i have that web site bookmarked. i'lll check both out though. i plan on getting NWN. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:37:48 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: D&D PC games MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >>Diablo was a big sucess for Blizzard and the computer RPG genre. it's sucess ushered in the creation of Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate took Diablo to a more ADnD gamestyle (TSR licensed with ADnD rules). the plotline was filled out and could vary to a degree based on the player's actions and interactions with NPCs. like diablo, BG1 was limited to the current tech and the resources committed to it.<< > I'm pretty sure that BG was already far along in development when Diablo cam= e=20 out, and that BG owes more to Fallout than to Diablo. But I do think that=20 Diablo's success rubbed off on BG.>> not sure about what state BG was in when Diablo was released. Diablo came ou= t=20 in 95 or 96....it's hard to tell with the multiple series of reprints and=20 revised game editions. I bought my copy of Diablo quite recently, at Walmart= =20 for about $10. ironically, i was motivated to buy it when Blizzard was hypin= g=20 its then soon to be released Diablo 2. BG was released sometime in 1998.=20 i cannot confirm this, but i recall seeing something from Kevin at Bioware=20 about how suprised he and the devs were when BG took off like it did. he als= o=20 made mention of it being inspired by Diablo, and their desire to make a=20 Diablo with ADnD rules and with an ADnD powered plotline. of course they als= o=20 started on BG: TotSC expansion right before BG shipped so their statement of= =20 suprise is kind of undermined. >>Planescape Torment was more plot oriented, being far less hack and slash a= nd more role play. being PS it is weird...a party composed of an assortment of planar types and dealing with the Blood War. I wish there was a Torment 2 bu= t alas, no new images of thiefling maidens or Fall From Grace.<< > Torment was IMO the best game of them all, with a great plot and truly great= =20 interaction between party members. It did suffer from being far too easy in=20 the combat department, in part due to the immortality of the main character.= =20 But the plot was so involving and exciting that combat often felt totally=20 secondary (which is what I prefer anyway). Btw did you see Memento? Doesn't=20 that feel like a total ripoff of Torment? I, too, want a sequel!>> yep....Torment was definitely the best. i found myself actually getting into= =20 the game. i have only played through it twice, but i get the feeling that th= e=20 game has many more possible twists and turns based on your actions and=20 reactions. >>Icewind Dale was BG but different. it focused more on the party aspect. it= 's a good game but pales in comparison to BG as it lacks the plotline and motivation to push forward. IWD is more task oriented than BG's vengeance.<< > Icewind Dale sucked. Probably appealed to the Diablo crowd, who were looking= =20 for a bit more involvement, though. It could have been fun to play through i= n=20 a multi-player party crowd, but I didn't, and once you've gone through it=20 once, it's no fun to start over, even with your friends. I particularly hate= d=20 the randomly generated items, which sometimes meant you'd get an =DCber item= ,=20 sometimes a useless item. I did still play through it, as well as the=20 terrible, terrible add-on.>> IWD was okay...the storyline had a few suprises but lacked that player=20 involvement thta drew you into the game. it really was just a game. IMO the=20 game could have had a big boost if the player did not create the entire part= y=20 and picked up NPCs with seperate pre-existing bios and personalities. IWD's=20 expansion is dull and methodically easy. the monsters are monotonous. i=20 played the expansion but only once, and never finished it out with a rematch= =20 against the IWD archvillain. i downloaded the official expansion dungeon but= =20 haven't played it. i cannot get motivated. >>BG2 took the game to a next level; AI, PC/NPC power, and tech. BG2 offers=20= a more versatile game engine and the plotline can shift and change more based on the player's actions. there's a lot of variables. i still have a CD full of game saves to go back and try different things with...hehe.<< > I've gone throught it three times by now. The fourth time it got a bit too=20 familiar, but I want to see the ending for each character, and the endings=20 for each romantic entanglement.>> i ahve played BG twice...two additional times with BG:ToSC. i played BG2=20 three times...twice more with ToB expansion (finale). i keep replaying it=20 based on word of more game variables...BG2 has alot of them. still gunning t= o=20 go through BG series from start to finish. i also want to give the..."knock=20 Aerie up and have a baby" plot a go. <> Interplay's library is IMO the best. Vampire the Masquerade had alot of=20 promise. i wish thta it would have stayed in the Dark Ages and actually took= =20 into account the WoD rules that the PnP game placed down. you essentially=20 break half of them during the game and have no real repurcussions.=20 mutliplayer aspect never lived up to its potential and usability. i got=20 spoiled with Interplay's products and even found the mighty Diablo to be a=20 big let down. Asheron's Call is good, but has declined as the gamer mindset=20 has shifted to mage based templets and outright power leveling. Dark Age of=20 Camelot has a lot of potential. >>the sad part to these games is that each had cheats and editors made available soonafter release. i have nothing against using cheats to explore=20= a game's possibilities. but i personally wait until the game has been beaten. no sense of achievement in cheating to win.<< > I agree. The only time I've used a cheat in these games was to summon Drizzt= ,=20 so I could beat the living daylights out of him! (Serves him well, that=20 no-good do-gooder!)>> hehe....killing Drizzt was a big popular event for the BG players. control=20 Imoen and any other archers and hit and run him in BG1's encounter. I got hi= m=20 killed twice in BG2 during the showdown with the vampires. the first time he= =20 went tearing off on his own and got swamped my party was systematically=20 clearing the level. the second time, he was charmed and attacked my party an= d=20 almost killed Viconia.....i had to nip that in the bud real quick. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:37:56 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > one of my concerns with adding detrimental affects to a magic item is in its > overall diminishing of that item. for example, Bjorn the Mauler has a famed > blade, the Sword of Uberness. on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), > it ranks as a 9 for its offensive firepower. the blade has detrimental > affects in thta it causes the wearer to to sport a "mullet hairstyle" (-6 to > Charisma) and a "bladder control problem" (-5 to morale, -2 to attack and > damage). so the Sword of Uberness drops from a rank 9 item to a rank 4-5 item > based on its overall impact to the wearer. BTW- my appologies to the mullet > enthusiests and my sympathies to the bladder folks....just a dry humor way to > present a point of debate. > Using a scale of 1-10, I guess I'd never ever want to see an item that could be ranked above 6, then. :)>> fair enough. for me it is just placing the items in an appropriate position in the game. you won't see any placed in the hands of a orc cheiftain's treasure horde....he may be weilding it, but he will be an orc of power deserving of such a weapon. i know that you have to be careful with items. for instance, its seems like every elf got elven chain +5 in my own campaign. that got out of hand...but a few well placed rust monsters (my favorite re-balancer) took care of the worst cases. > The Scarab was the > one thta I really expected feedback on. anyway...i do appreciate the feedback > in refining the items. however, i would rather focus on the items and not > make this a matter of magic item powers in general. > I understand, but I really didn't have anything else about the items that I felt the need to discuss, and rather than just let them slide by completely without comment, I chose to pick on the one aspect that I _did_ feel like commenting.>> comments were welcome and even solicitated. i just got a little aggitated at the items being used to argue magic items powerlevels. i like such discussions, but i did not want my items to be seen as being the poster children of the uber item side. there are actually some minor items posted and awaiting posting. > i appreciate your moving the balance issue to a seperate thread....notice my > change to a more humorous and lighthearted tone. anyway...i am glad we can > agree to disagree on the IMC/IYC matter as it really is a matter of > preference, gaming style, and power levels. > The lighthearted tone is appreciated, as long as it's not used to talk down to people (not that I feel like that's what you're doing here, but it's often easier than one would imagine to step on people's virtual toes).>> understood. one of the problems with email and text based forums is the nondescript tone. it's easy to take phrases out of their intended context. this was one of the problems between me and another MMLer...our discussions were automatically hostile whether intended or not. i type like i talk. i have a very dry humor and sometimes it is difficult to tell when i am joking. i often talk alot of nonsense and can keep a straight face while doing so. i should be a politician or poker player. > well i just wanted to make sure. many folks on the MML think i am a horse's > ass. in many ways i am. however, i was not being one and did not want to > further that perception when i wasn't being a horse's ass. Geoff can i say > ass here? > Let's see... I'm an ass, ass, ass, Ass, ASS!!! Did I bring down the wrath of the Grand Gargoyle?>> hmm....no thunderbolts of warning from Geoff. i guess you can say ass as long as it is meant as long as it is not included in a direct insult to another MMLer....self verbal abuse is okay as long as it is tastefully done. but no F*** or S*** bombs. you should see the ACVault message boards for Darktide...some of the language of those 12 ear olds is attrocious. > anyway...i am due for a mass MML > attack soon anyway. though i am saving up for thta with a comment on Thyatis > to spark that. something about Emperor Eusebius's, a tub of whip cream, and a > live chicken. LOL > I heard that incident also involved a certain nude Hulean halfling hardball player.>> yeah that one. wasn't there a centaur involved in it too? never got that aspect confirmed (or denied) from "my sources". ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:38:02 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: The Eye of Ka MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nicely done. I would drop the part about the item owing any credit to me. The item is so different from my Eye, I don't deserve any of the credit. It is your item, not mine. There are no similarities. Mine is a mortal crafted item, yours is an immortal artifact. They have different origins, histories, and powers. I really expected your version of the Eye to be my eye with dilluted powers. Instead, you made a whole new item/artifact. Don't sell your effort short. Your Eye is your's. My Eye had little if any influence pon your Eye. I like the way you tied the history in with the item. I like the legend section. I had a rumor section planned for each of my items but dropped it due to size reasons. Another aspect I liked was the size of your description. It was short and directly to the point while giving a thorough account of the item. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:38:13 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Takael's Vengeance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Takael's Vengeance Stats: Two-Handed Sword 1d12 +3, +5 vs. vampires; acts as a wooden stake; psychic link to wielder; detect undead; protection from fear/charm/control attacks. Takael's Vengeance is embued with the lasting hatred, despair, and sacrifice of its original weilder, Takael. This power comes from his very soul being infused into the blade. In combat it acts as a sword +3. Against vampires is where its true power is shown, becoming a +5 weapon. The sword can be used to impale a vampire in its heart, essentially staking it. A vampire damaged down to 0 hit points dies. Takael's presence within the blade is highly seen in the blade's use. He can establish a psycic link to the wielder, seeing things through the wielder's eyes and communicating with the wielder. Takael's knowledge of undead can be drawn upon. His intimate knowledge of the undead can spot there presense in a crowd, based on how they carry themselves, move, and aura. Given his presence, the wielder will find a reassuring presence in his head to counter fear, charm, and control based attacks. The psychic link overrides these. So strong is the psychic link that Takael can speak through the wielder. Description: Takael's Vengeance is a a two-handed sword. It has a 34 inch single-edged blade crafted from a dull featureless dark grey metal. The blade is about 3 inches wide and curves slightly. The hilt is crafted from a single piece of dull grey metal. The handguard is in a simple S shape with a slight resemblence of a serpentine body. The hilt's pommel is a brass colored knob. On the pommel is engraved the symbol of Razud. The handle's grip is covered in velvet and wrapped in gold twine. In many ways, the sword looks like a two-handed shamshir. Historic Lore: Takael's Vengeance is a blade originally crafted by the warrior Takael. In life, the warrior was a infamous vampire slayer. He was resolute in the undead extermination, carrying out his assaults with an uncanny understanding of the vampiric mentality and physiology. This resolution and skill carried over into his blade, after his war versus the undead went against him. Takael was born to a moderately wealthy family in the Alphatian Kingdom of Eadrin. As a boy, Takael had been witness to a vampire attack upon the family's home. Though he and his family escaped, several family servants and Takael's own nanny perished to the undead attackers. The event would have a lasting impression upon the lad, especially after it was discovered thta the attack had been instigated by a rival of his father. Like all his brothers and sisters, Takael's father groomed him to be a force to be reckoned with. However, it became evident that the lad lacked the ability to cast mage magic. Undaunted, he was enrolled into the Clergy of Alphatia where it was hoped he could master the clerical spells. In this he failed, the disciplined life of a cleric was not for him and the peaceful and artful edicts were not to his liking. Takael was then sent to Randel for training in their military academies. It was here that he found a niche. The Randel allowed him to pursue his melee skills as fast as he could. Takael absorbed the Randel teachings, mastering the art of the sword and adapting them to his own physical abilities. Among the Randel he was introduced to the Following of Razud. The Razud premise of self reliance appealed greatly to him. The clerics encouraged his sense of self reliance and purpose. He also found camaraderie among the clerics. Feeling that the Randel academies could teach him no more, he began to look for the means to extend his training. Takael became an adventurer, doing well enough to become part of a Shiye raiding party. With them, he partook in several raids against the elven kingdom's neighbors. In one of these raids, he was faced again by his boyhood nemisis, the vampire. The raiding party fared badly in the matter and had to retreat back to safer lands. Takael decided that he had once again found his purpose, the slaying of vampires. However he felt that his ignorance would get him killed. He turned to the clerics of Razud for training in his fight against the vampires. Their tutelage was complemented by his taking trips to study under the necromancer Jarynn. He even subdued his hatred of the creatures long enough to study under the vampire slaying nosferatu Hetteric. He even managed to become friends with Hetteric. Being armed with knowledge is one thing, but vampire hunting also requires weaponry. Through the Razud clerics, his father financed the creation of an enchanted sword, good field plate armor, and a shield. Takael named the blade, Takael's Vengeance. Then, the sword was just a a sword +3. Armed with weapons and knowledge, Takael began his personal quest against the undead. For convenience and friendship, he often performed tasks for the Razud Clergy. Since most vampires could be considered aristocrats in Alphatia, it was good for a non-spellcaster to have friends in the clergy should the Law become involved. For years, Takael waged his war against the undead. He became a warrior of great power and unmatched skill in dealing with the vampires. Takael's name was often cited as being a member of the secretive Brotherhood of Tahl. Though Takael did cooperate with the Brotherhood from time to time, he was never a member. He thought that the Tahl members preferred spending more time in their strongholds than actually fighting the undead. Takael's aggressions did not go unaddressed. Without the fear of Tahl retribution, the vampires began to seriously address his increasing raids. Before long, several vampires moved against him in unison. They tried using the Law against him to no avail. Takael's allies within the Razud Clergy served him well. They tried several ambushes upon him and his adventuring bands. It was the vampire Daganne that finally developed a plan to rid them of this threat. Daganne fed upon Takael's hatred for vampires to spur him into a battle of the vampire's choosing. Daganne pushed the right buttons and soon Takael had swallowed the bait. Accompanied by six fellow adventurers, their stormed the vampire's lair. Daganne's trap was sprung, Takael's party became trapped inside an underground lair. The vampire's trap was perfect, on their grounds on prepared defenses Takael's band was assaulted steadily by the undead forces. Wave after wave of undead assaulted their thinning ranks. Finally, the living were overcome by the undead. Death would not be given to Takael. Daganne thought it more useful to use him as a minion. Takael awoke into vampirism. Through sheer force of will and the help of Razud, he broke his new master's hold and fled from the vampire's lair. He wandered the countryside, trying to avoid capture from Daganne's minions and trying to subdue his own cravings for blood. Takael fled to a Temple of Razud where he recounted the battle and his undeath to the attending clerics. The clerics were horrified at his condition, many knew him as a friend and enemy of the vampires. The cruel irony of his present state was not lost to them. He pleaded with them for help, either for a cure or release. Takael was detained for his own safety, and that of the clerics. The clerics scoured their archives for a cure, consulted sages, and communed with Razud. In the end, they had no cure. Likewise, they feared for his soul should he be destroyed. Razud intervened and put forth a harsh remedy. The vampirism could not be reversed, and if the clerics destroyed him his soul would go to the Sphere of Entropy. He proposed that Takael must kill his own self; that sacrifice combined with his past services would enable the Immortal to take charge of his soul. The clerics informed Takael of the matter. Without hesitation, the warrior plunged his own blade into his chest. His corpse fell to the ground and turned to dust. Razud took the warrior's soul and transferred it to the sword, the blade responding by transforming from a normal enchanted sword into its current form. The Razud Clergy took possession of Takael's Vengeance and his armor. They soon discovered that the weapon's power had increased dramatically. The sword became a powerful weapon for the Razud Clergy. However, the clerics were hard-pressed to find someone capable of weilding the weapon. With a strange sense of irony, Takael's Vengeance has become the primary weapon of Hetteric, a nosferatu. The undead vampire slayer is currently undertaking his quest of redemption to reverse his own vampirism. Hetteric and Takael have become a team. Hetteric sees his blade bound ally as a stoic reminder of his cause, often getting him through the tough points where his bloodlust begins to surface. Takael is fond of Hetteric in spite of his vampiric nature. His own brush with vampirism has made him feel that some vampires are victims. Takael has grasped a realistic perspective to the needs of Hetteric. He tries to turn a blind eye when Hetteric feeds on the blood of animals or criminal types. To handle this, he has developed a dark sense of humor about himself and his vampiric weilder. This dark humor is usually seen in his mental dialog that he and Hetteric share. Takael is very loyal to his vampiric weilder. If lost or stolen, it is doubtful that he will be cooperative with the weilder. It won't take long for him to discover his weilder's goals and personality. Based on this opinion, he will limit the sword's powers. The DM should determine what the blade can and will do for the weilder. Likewise, the DM should engineer a means for Hetteric or the Following of Razud to track down and retrieve the blade. The sword is not really meant to be possessed by any PC for everyday game use. DM Notes: Takael's Vengeance is a very powerful weapon. DMs should limit its use in any campaign. I entrusted it to Hettoric (due for NPC description and adventure) to severely limit the possibilities for PCs to get their hands upon it. Though Hettoric's stats are not listed here, I will say that he is not someone to mess with. He is solitary individual that travels the countryside. His power extends far beyond that of a nosferatu. An formidable warrior and competant spellcaster, he is a definative force to be reckoned with. His most potent power is his motivation. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:38:19 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Heart's Desire MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Heart's Desire Stats: Charm (see below); Health Drain (see below). The Heart's Desire grants the wearer the ability to win the heart of a person of the opposite sex. The item causes a target to become infatuated with the wearer, falling deeply in love with him or her. The Heart becomes active by the wearer seeing his or her rebued love. The target must make a save vs. spell or begin seeing the wearer as more attractive and charming. The change is gradual, the appeal being measured as a +1 bonus to the wearer's charisma per sighting. Once the wearer's charisma is adjusted to 18, the target is infaruated. At 20, they become obsessive. The charisma bonus does not rise above 20. The wearer cannot simply use the Heart's Desire on anyone. He or she must have an existing interest in a person. For whatever reason, the wearer must have little chance at winning the affections of the target. Only one target can be affected at a single time. Others see no difference in the wearer, the obsessional interest of the target is often comes as a shock to friends, family, and bystanders. The Heart's Desire is an evil item that feeds off of the very life force of the wearer's target. The target becomes weak, their health steadily declines. The target loses 10% of their health points per day that they within visual sight of the wearer. Death is not automatic. The wearer can easily stop and reverse the process by removing the Heart of Desire. If the target does perish, the wearer is greatly affected. He or she must make a save vs. or go isane. Additionally, their base charisma, strength, and consitution all drop 2d4 points. This leaves them a shell of their former selves as they grieve their loss, accept their blame, and bear a degree of social stigma. The Heart's Desire always mysteriously vanishes after it has killed and ruined the couple. Description: The Heart's Desire is an amulet. The amulet's chain is of fine chain links. There is no clasp. Attached to the chain is a small blackened lump set on a mount of platinum. Close examination reveals that the lump is roughly shaped like an actual heart. Touching the lump produces a slight vibration. Historical Lore: The Heart's Desire is an evil item born from jealousy and greed. It has its origin in the Alphatian kingdom of Ambur. The magess Xathesa, though a mighty mage, lack the physical beauty and personality to draw the attentions and affections of a man. In particular, she had her eye upon a warrior named Darthus. Charming and handsome, Darthus was a favorite of the Ambur social circles in spite of his being a non-spellcaster. Darthus politely turned aside the approaches of the magess. Tired of her lonely life, she turned to her magics to remedy what she lacked. Xathesa utilized dark and powerful magics to summon a fiend from the darkest corners of the multiverse. She posed to it her dilemma. The fiend offered a remedy that would "secure the unquestioned affections of her would be love until they were seperated by death". In return, the fiend made certain unknown and unmentionable demands. After acquiring oaths that the fiend would not attack her or double cross her, Xathesa agreed to the fiend's terms and set about filling his demands. The fiend became Xathesa's guest for nearly a year before it was deamed that his demands were met. At that time, he produced the Heart's Desire and gave it to her. Without any additional instruction or comment, the fiend vanished. Xathesa excitedly dressed in her finest gowns and adorned herself with her most exquisite jewelry. She went out on the town, seeking out the object of her affections. She found him and the Heart's Desire activated. Within days, the once distant Darthus was her's. The two quickly became "a couple" being seen everywhere and drawing strange looks from bystanders. The pairing was at first thought an odd display of Darthus's charm by obliging Xathesa's apparent affections by obliging her to a few dates. However, they were in each other's company too often in too many public places. The whole matter was quite scandalous, especially when Xathesa displayed her frequent shortcomings in social grace. Worrying for him, Darthus's friends and family of tried to reason with him about this strange and unexpected infatuation with Xathesa. By this time, his health was clearly fading on him. He would not listen to them. They figured thta the magess had cast some spell upon him; surely such a thing was within her power. They began working to break whatever magical hold she had on him. Their efforts came too late, as Darthus whithered away before everyone's eyes. He quickly deteriorated and finally persihed at a well attended social ball. Xathesa broke down crying at seeing her love perish. As accusers demanded to know what she had done to their friend, she could only respond with dillusional ramblings about "a fiend", "the amulet", and "it being all her fault". All the while, she grasped at her heck for an amulet thta had vanished. Xathesa was later brought up on charges for Darthus's death. Being a spellcasting aristocrat, her punishment was light and based on hefty fines paid to the family. However, her sanity and lackluster social standing fell severely after the death. Alienation was replaced with outright scorn and hate. She found herself spat upon by spellcaster and non-spellcaster alike. Xathesa shut herself away in her tower and saw no one. Three years later, she threw herself from the top of the tower. Kingdom officials entered her tower. Scouring through her erratic notes and journels they quickly determined the fiend's involvement, providing answers to many questions. Still, they never found the amulet. The amulet has since resurfaced from time to time through Mystara. The fiend Kydoss seeks out the lovelorn and makes his proposal. He is very careful and very thorough in choosing his victims. His list of victims range from nobility down to the lowest street urchin. The Brotherhood of Tahl has been on his trail years and have yet to discover his stronghold. Their agents seek out such strange pairings and become quite visible whenever the amulet is spotted. DM Notes: The Heart's Desire should be considered a dangerous and evil item, cursed to fill the wearers most basic need for affection while grievously destroying that love before their very eyes. It's cruel and saddistic, but it is something quite in tune with the mindset of a fiend. Use in an adventure should be limited. A DM should remember that a fiend is behind this item so keep PC levels in mind. Likewise, don't automatically involve noteworthy NPCs as such actions will draw undue attention. Not what a crafty super-genius fiend is going to do to potentially spoil his fun. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 11:42:07 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mike said: >Actually I might use WOTI as an excuse to shake up some things. I'd >like to break up the Alphatian empire into pieces, as I think that >would create conflict and make it more interesting. I'm also >considering that the Darokin bureaucracy has a hard time moving >quickly and decisively against various threats and begins to break >down, and the people demand the return of the Monarchy; eastern >Darokin might break away at that time. Some time ago I posted an alternate timeline for Alphatia, covering the years 1009-1015. In it, I postulate that Alphatia does not sink, but instead dissolves into civil war with the destruction of the head of government (Eriadna et al, though many of the 1000 Wizards survive). I then expanded it to cover Esterholdand surrounding regions, figuring out what might have happened as a result. I think it makes for a believable plotline, and it might give people some ideas. It's on Shawn's site, as well as mine. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 11:56:30 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Geoff Gander Subject: Throwing your players for a loop Hi all, Does anyone here use tactics to upset the players, in such a way that their sense of the game world is thrown off-kilter? Let me explain with an example. Last Sunday, my players were going through the Castle Caldwell adventure, and one of the rooms, which according to the adventure module has nothing in it, was entered. On the fly, I decided to change the room description, in this case to make it look pristine. The bed was made, the coverings reasonably clean and tify, and the pillow seemed freshly-stuffed. There was a small desk next to the bed - perfectly intact and free of dust - containing a drawer with a bit of tobacco in it. There was also a clean pair of leather boots under the bed. Now, when the party entered, they were thrown for a loop! How could there possibly be a clean, apparently used, room in this monster-filled castle? They searched the room diligently, examined the boots, sniffed the tobacco, and tore apart the bed, determined to find the hidden treasure or clue that would tell them why this room was the way it was. They searched the walls and floor, and were visibly nonplussed that they could not solve this incongruity! In all, they probably spent about 10 minutes, real time, exploring this one, empty room. But I'll bet that the memory of there experience here is what will stick with them after they leave this place - the room that was totally out of place, which had no visible reason to be the way it was. Perhaps now they won't take room descriptions at face value... ;-) Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 11:04:48 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: Known Planes In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20011026172929.0084b160@pop.wans.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Andrew Thiesen wrote: > Mystara=Doppel Cosmology Interesting, I'll have to read more about that one. > Whether the Astral is linked to the Prime (as MotP currently has it) or not > (as old cosmology for OD&D has it) I haven't yet determined. The RC (p263) says that "one other plane touches the Prime, the Ethereal." It further states that the elemental planes do not touch the Prime (although direct wormhole connections exist). Finally it says that the ethereal and elemental planes touch the astral. So there are two ways to reach the Astral: Prime->Ethereal->Astral, or Prime->Ethereal->Elemental->Astral. WOTI (p114) says that "characters cannot travel from the Prime plane to another plane without first passing through the Ethereal plane." As an exception, it does mention portals (as plot devices) the DM can use to take character someplace directly. Later on it says for a character to get from the Prime plane to an outer plane, he would (as a minimum) have to jump Prime->Ethereal->Astral->Outer. WOTI further underscores the lack of connection between the Prime and the Astral by listing its address as "Ethereal-Prime", which means you must pass through the Ethereal. WOTI expands the Gate spell to allow passage between any two adjacent planes, requiring multiple Gate spells to reach an outer plane. (I like this, a sit makes travel more interesting and involved.) Given that you can bypass the Ethereal and reach the elemental planes through wormholes, I'd assume that a Gate would allow you to reach the Astral directly. In that case you'd need two gate spells to reach an Outer Plane. Still, just because Gate works doesn't mean that it is adjacent to the Prime -- it clearly isn't. FWIW, the 3e Gate is very very different from 0e. In 0e, it creates a 10-mile wormhole, you cannot control the destination, and you cannot directly reach an Outer Plane. In 3e it creates a doorway with no length, you can control the destination precisely, and you can go directly to any plane desired. Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Harvey gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 22:40:58 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Re: Throwing your players for a loop MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Geoff Gander wrote: > Hi all, > > Does anyone here use tactics to upset the players, in such a way that > their sense of the game world is thrown off-kilter? Let me explain with > an example. > Good example. I use those too, sometimes, but generally I find out a logical explanation...not always, mind you, not always...8-) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 16:56:40 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Throwing your players for a loop MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hehe... Always keep them guessing. Say Geoff...why not use that pristine room a few game periods later. Perhaps, the person that stayed there has a link or makes an appearance in some later adventure. Not sure of what that adventure involves. Perhaps, the key monster race saw a reincarnated human among them. The person was reincarnated but his new form made it difficult to live in a human society. Hence he had to live among others of his kind. However, he had the human civilized mindset and tried to live as a human among the monsters. Probably did not fit in either. Or a mage (or something) was observing the castle for some research. He would assume their form to move among them unmolested and without disturbing their natural activities. The room was a safe haven for him. The PCs entrance disrupted his studies and he fled with his notes. He's pretty ticked at the PCs for disturbing his work...or he needs an item they recovered from the monsters during their adventure. Either way...reward the PCs that link the room and event. This will encourage their interest. Plus it makes you look like you had a long term plan. ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 23:58:22 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items Alex Benson wrote: > comments were welcome and even solicitated. i just got a little aggitated at > the items being used to argue magic items powerlevels. i like such > discussions, but i did not want my items to be seen as being the poster > children of the uber item side. there are actually some minor items posted > and awaiting posting. I understand. In all fairness, I did comment briefly on some of the other items, if only to say that they seemed like utility stuff (or something to that effect), and it was only the Eye of Kar'Umba that I felt was overpowered. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 23:58:51 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: The Eye of Ka Alex Benson wrote: > Nicely done. I would drop the part about the item owing any credit to me. The > item is so different from my Eye, I don't deserve any of the credit. It is > your item, not mine. There are no similarities. Mine is a mortal crafted > item, yours is an immortal artifact. They have different origins, histories, > and powers. They are different, but they are also similar, and the Eye of Ka wouldn't have been there if you hadn't served as inspiration for me. So unless you absolutely don't want to be associated with it in any way... ;) > I really expected your version of the Eye to be my eye with dilluted powers. > Instead, you made a whole new item/artifact. Don't sell your effort short. > Your Eye is your's. My Eye had little if any influence pon your Eye. I deliberately tried to avoid making it merely a weaker version of your item. It needed to be different, particularly in the history department, but also somewhat in its powers, for me to feel ok about posting it. But does this mean that you wouldn't mind if I posted similar spins of your items, the way I'd use them IMC, if I feel like they using them, but not "as is"? This would in all likelihood only be for a few items that I felt were overpowered for my campaign (above 6 on your 1-10 scale ;). > I like the way you tied the history in with the item. I like the legend > section. I had a rumor section planned for each of my items but dropped it > due to size reasons. Another aspect I liked was the size of your description. > It was short and directly to the point while giving a thorough account of the > item. Thanks. I know that my players don't want to sit through history lessons if they don't have any bearing on the game at hand. Thus, I tend to use short, concise descriptions and histories with a focus on the important facts. I make lengthier descriptions of NPCs, but those are mostly for my own benefit, so I play the NPC consistantly. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 23:59:18 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Takael's Vengeance Alex Benson wrote: > Takael's Vengeance > Stats: Two-Handed Sword 1d12 +3, +5 vs. vampires; acts as a wooden stake; > psychic link to wielder; detect undead; protection from fear/charm/control > attacks. Very interesting. Shouldn't it be an intelligent weapon though, using the rules for such? I have no idea what stake rules are actually like, but IMC I've ruled that stakes disintegrate vampires instantly, though the stake needs to be left in the vampire's heart. If the stake is removed, the vampire immediately reforms, ready to fight. This is true to the Drac films I watched as a kid, and how ancient vampires sometimes come back IMC. > DM Notes: Takael's Vengeance is a very powerful weapon. DMs should limit its > use in any campaign. I entrusted it to Hettoric (due for NPC description and > adventure) to severely limit the possibilities for PCs to get their hands > upon it. Though Hettoric's stats are not listed here, I will say that he is > not someone to mess with. He is solitary individual that travels the > countryside. His power extends far beyond that of a nosferatu. An formidable > warrior and competant spellcaster, he is a definative force to be reckoned > with. His most potent power is his motivation. I'll just say this once and be done with it: I have definite problems with one-of-a-kind items that are restricted to NPCs. IMC the PCs should always have a shot at any item I introduce, which is probably also why I'm such a balance freak. I simply feel that having "NPC-only" items is unfair to my players. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 23:59:48 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Heart's Desire Alex Benson wrote: > Heart's Desire > > Stats: Charm (see below); Health Drain (see below). Eek! A Ravenloft Item! Seriously, this item is cool and all, but it certainly feels "Ravenlofty" to me, and also seems to be tailored for some specific adventure, which, unfortunately, you forgot to include. ;) Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 28 Oct 2001 18:18:05 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Balancing Magic Items On Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:37:56 EDT, Alex Benson wrote: >> one of my concerns with adding detrimental affects to a magic item is in its >> overall diminishing of that item. for example, Bjorn the Mauler has a famed >> blade, the Sword of Uberness. on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), >> it ranks as a 9 for its offensive firepower. the blade has detrimental >> affects in thta it causes the wearer to to sport a "mullet hairstyle" (- 6 to >> Charisma) and a "bladder control problem" (-5 to morale, -2 to attack and >> damage). so the Sword of Uberness drops from a rank 9 item to a rank 4-5 >item >> based on its overall impact to the wearer. BTW- my appologies to the mullet >> enthusiests and my sympathies to the bladder folks....just a dry humor way >to >> present a point of debate. >> >Using a scale of 1-10, I guess I'd never ever want to see an item that could >be ranked above 6, then. :)>> > >fair enough. for me it is just placing the items in an appropriate position >in the game. you won't see any placed in the hands of a orc cheiftain's >treasure horde....he may be weilding it, but he will be an orc of power >deserving of such a weapon. i know that you have to be careful with items. >for instance, its seems like every elf got elven chain +5 in my own campaign. >that got out of hand...but a few well placed rust monsters (my favorite >re-balancer) took care of the worst cases. > (snip) Well, I sort of agree with both of you, probably more with you, Alex. I can see what Jacob means, but as I see it, it wouldn't necessarily hurt my campaign to have an item that is really powerful without too many (or any) disadvantages. After all, I can have the PCs find it (and no, it won't appear out of some random treasure hoard) and wonder about all the cool things it will do... [Evil archmage to shady character]: "So, you're telling this group of worthless would-be adventurers have found an item that does it *without* the disadvantages??? Hmmmm...." :) That's often the way it goes - for every cool thing the PCs find, there are stronger critters (or evil adventurers) out there with better gear who will try to take it away from them. If they find an item that does something incredible with no disadvantages, people will hear of it and stronger folk will want it for themselves... - The Stalker ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 01:40:30 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Throwing your players for a loop MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/27/2001 3:12:06 PM Central Standard Time, Alex295@AOL.COM writes: > Or a mage (or something) was observing the castle for some research. He would > assume their form to move among them unmolested and without disturbing their > natural activities. The room was a safe haven for him. The PCs entrance > disrupted his studies and he fled with his notes. He's pretty ticked at the > PCs for disturbing his work...or he needs an item they recovered from the > This I realy like. Perhaps he was watching the party too, and they have discovered his "hunter's blind." ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 09:49:41 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: The Division of the Five MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Sat, 27 Oct 2001, la Volpe wrote: > Well, I don't know only one thing. Wouldn't this be considered Immortal > Intervention by WotI rules? Yes, I know that anyone can change any rule > to fit them in the campaign, but one example of such an act would mean > that there would be no way to prevent any deity that wants it to rule a > nation... That's true. The metaphysics of my campaign differ a bit from the Immortal rules, so using this campaign might need some rethinking. But there's one possibility. When the Five spirits are not the One, their intellect and capabilities don't amount to direct Immortal intervention. Sure, through them Hazar or the deity itself is able to excert a lot of influence on Karameikos. But the DM can decide how much. > Heh heh, I wonder how many of us have used this plotline...but in fact > it's a logical choice for an internal conflict (they even said it in the Gaz). > However it would be interesting to see somebody detail a civil war in > Karameikos with Ludwig supporting Stephan. Well, there was a discussion about this some months ago. In my version of the X10 module, Ludwig will sontact the agents of Stephan and form an uneasy alliance. Why? He suspects (correctly) that Bargle will try to take over the whole operation with the help of the Nomads. A similar thing might work with this campaign, too. About Kelven and Halaran: If one wants to tie Kelven to the CoK Opposition plot, then a big change could be helpful. Let the Kelven Cult cell be tied to the Rifflian one, and they try to possess the elven leader. Then the Korizegy vampires would be responsible for possessing Sascia of Luln! Thanks for the comments. A couple of days ago I met an editor of a Finnish rpg magazine, and we agreed that he will send me copies of the adventures I wrote for them years ago. I could try to translate a few of them. Ville ******************************************************************** 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. X-From_: MAILER-DAEMON Fri Nov 2 06:37:42 2001 Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 11:21:06 -0800 From: "L-Soft list server at Wizards of the Coast, Inc (1.8d)" Subject: File: "MYSTARA-L LOG0110E" To: Shawn Stanley X-Virus-Scanned: by AMaViS perl-11 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 03:56:38 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: The Eye of Ka MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Nicely done. I would drop the part about the item owing any credit to me. The > item is so different from my Eye, I don't deserve any of the credit. It is > your item, not mine. There are no similarities. Mine is a mortal crafted > item, yours is an immortal artifact. They have different origins, histories, > and powers. > They are different, but they are also similar, and the Eye of Ka wouldn't have been there if you hadn't served as inspiration for me. So unless you absolutely don't want to be associated with it in any way... ;)>> you give me too much credit. it's a good item and deserves to stand on its own. > I really expected your version of the Eye to be my eye with dilluted powers. > Instead, you made a whole new item/artifact. Don't sell your effort short. > Your Eye is your's. My Eye had little if any influence pon your Eye. > I deliberately tried to avoid making it merely a weaker version of your item. It needed to be different, particularly in the history department, but also somewhat in its powers, for me to feel ok about posting it. But does this mean that you wouldn't mind if I posted similar spins of your items, the way I'd use them IMC, if I feel like they using them, but not "as is"? This would in all likelihood only be for a few items that I felt were overpowered for my campaign (above 6 on your 1-10 scale ;).>> i appreciate how you handled your Eye. the way your presented it made it your own item and not a direct variant of my Eye. hence, we can avoid the IMC vs IYC problem. as for posting other variants of my items, i have no problem with that. > I like the way you tied the history in with the item. I like the legend > section. I had a rumor section planned for each of my items but dropped it > due to size reasons. Another aspect I liked was the size of your description. > It was short and directly to the point while giving a thorough account of the > item. > Thanks. I know that my players don't want to sit through history lessons if they don't have any bearing on the game at hand. Thus, I tend to use short, concise descriptions and histories with a focus on the important facts. I make lengthier descriptions of NPCs, but those are mostly for my own benefit, so I play the NPC consistantly.>> i am a detail nut. i always have been, probably always will be. it's a double edged sword. for myself, details are light because i know how i want them used and such. but trying to present them to others sees extravagant amounts of descriptive text. Herve and Geoff can attest to that from my MA works. ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 03:56:22 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Takael's Vengeance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Takael's Vengeance > Stats: Two-Handed Sword 1d12 +3, +5 vs. vampires; acts as a wooden stake; > psychic link to wielder; detect undead; protection from fear/charm/control > attacks. > Very interesting. Shouldn't it be an intelligent weapon though, using the rules for such? I have no idea what stake rules are actually like, but IMC I've ruled that stakes disintegrate vampires instantly, though the stake needs to be left in the vampire's heart. If the stake is removed, the vampire immediately reforms, ready to fight. This is true to the Drac films I watched as a kid, and how ancient vampires sometimes come back IMC.>> I stayed away from giving the sword a rules based intelligence/ego. there are some aspects of that system that i do not care for. plus i wanted to focus on the sword being Takael than simply and intelligent sword. the sword is an item powered y the lifeforce of a once living person. TSR has handled vampires in rather strange and inconsistent ways. a contributing factor to this is the differences between the old black and white vampire movies and the vampire lore and vampire novels. the novel Dracula varies greatly from the original black and white movie. I never cared too much for the wooden stake. the chance of removal was too easy to include. likewise, what's the difference between a wooden stake and a broken spear shaft or even an arrow? i use to explain it as the stake was blessed or crafted from a specific type of tree. however, that presents problems too; the PCs have to be expecting to encounter vampires and cannot easily improvise in a chance encounter. You can sever the head and stuff the mouth with garlic wafers...still another prerequisite based tactic for a party expecting to encounter vampires. then there is the classic and overused movie finale of killing the vampire with a burst of sunlight. Takael's Vengeance takes the place of the stake and gives a vampire hunter an emphasis on the fight instead of pausing to use a stake, decapitate them, and then use the wafers. imagine that classic scene from Blade with him slashing through the vampire ranks. now imagine Blade having to stop and stake the suckers. Takael's Vengeance's other powers are extensions of the lifeforce that inhabits the blade. > DM Notes: Takael's Vengeance is a very powerful weapon. DMs should limit its > use in any campaign. I entrusted it to Hettoric (due for NPC description and > adventure) to severely limit the possibilities for PCs to get their hands > upon it. Though Hettoric's stats are not listed here, I will say that he is > not someone to mess with. He is solitary individual that travels the > countryside. His power extends far beyond that of a nosferatu. An formidable > warrior and competant spellcaster, he is a definative force to be reckoned > with. His most potent power is his motivation. > I'll just say this once and be done with it: I have definite problems with one-of-a-kind items that are restricted to NPCs. IMC the PCs should always have a shot at any item I introduce, which is probably also why I'm such a balance freak. I simply feel that having "NPC-only" items is unfair to my players.>> i can understand that stance. why put it in the game if no one can really use it? it is just thta it is so potentially powerful within a campaign. the blade's personality should really act as the balancing power, offering its weilder whatever powers it feels comfortable with. currently, the blade is teamed with Hetteric and is very comfortable with him. the two are a team. i have this pairing as a focal point in the NPC description and adventure. the adventure sees the being hired covertly by vampires to kill Hetteric and/or steal the blade. through interaction, the PCs should be swayed to joining Hetteric's party and become supporting characters to him in a series of ever increasingly difficult raids on vampire lairs. Hetteric perishes (redeamed or not) during campaign. he'll probably die saving the PCs. Takael's Vengeance then must be weilded by one of the PCs to finish the quest. the DM should decide which PC the blade has more in common with from their common adventures. after the quest, it is optional if the Razud CLergy gets blade back or tasks the PC with taking Hetteric's place. alot depends on the levels of the PCs. i have a couple more magic items to post then i'll start posting npc descripts and adventures. i think that it'll clear some things up as well. i am unsure how i am going to handle the game maps. i'll probably direct email them to those that are interested. ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 03:59:00 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Heart's Desire MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Heart's Desire > > Stats: Charm (see below); Health Drain (see below). > Eek! A Ravenloft Item! Seriously, this item is cool and all, but it certainly feels "Ravenlofty" to me, and also seems to be tailored for some specific adventure, which, unfortunately, you forgot to include. ;)>> yep...very RL-ish. But yes, there is an adventure planned. It involves the PCs being hired by the Brotherhood of Tahl to track the fiend. Circumstances force the PCs to actually deal with the fiend instead of letting the Brotherhood take care of it. The adventure is pretty short and straightforward. However, it does require alot of background information. For instance, the Brotherhood of Tahl needs some detail work for use. In short, it is a Alphatian Sect that hunts sentient undead and the supernatural. When they are not doing this they are hiring themselves out as magical mercenaries. It's kind of an "old boys club" than a devoted sect to ridding Mystara of the undead and unnatural threats. Heck...some of it is blackmail and protection racketeering. "You pay us xxxx gold per year or we unleash the Brotherhood's hunters upon your stronghold". ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 13:27:32 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Magic Item: Takael's Vengeance Alex Benson wrote: > I stayed away from giving the sword a rules based intelligence/ego. there are > some aspects of that system that i do not care for. plus i wanted to focus on > the sword being Takael than simply and intelligent sword. the sword is an > item powered y the lifeforce of a once living person. Understood. I'll treat it as an intelligent sword if I use it IMC, much like the Sword of Vallmr I assisted Larry Lamb with some time ago (a sword powered by the life force of a wolf). > I never cared too much for the wooden stake. the chance of removal was too > easy to include. likewise, what's the difference between a wooden stake and a > broken spear shaft or even an arrow? IMC any pointy instrument used to pierce the heart serves as a stake. It disintegrates the flesh of the vampire, but it will reform if the "stake" is removed. The only ways to permanently kill a vampire IMC are to expose it to sunlight (for a proper length of time; the vampire can still flee to darkness within a few rounds), Destroy it by a cleric turning it (it gets a save, though) and by striking it with certain holy weapons (which Takael's Vengeance might serve as IMC). Probably has nothing in common with the "real" rules, and little in common with vampire "lore." It's just those lingering memories of long-forgotten vampire movies, various rules, etc. accumulated over time, which boils down to my own "lore." Like I said, I really have no idea what stake rules are like in xD&D, and I'm too lazy to look it up. So why bring it up? I just needed to say that my stake "rules" would make this sword impractical, so IMC I'd probably just say: "holy weapon, save or die, vampire!" > Takael's Vengeance takes the place of the stake and gives a vampire hunter an > emphasis on the fight instead of pausing to use a stake, decapitate them, and > then use the wafers. imagine that classic scene from Blade with him slashing > through the vampire ranks. now imagine Blade having to stop and stake the > suckers. "Blade is a classic?", he asked with no small wonder. Seriously, such "modern" vampire "thrills" are not for me. Hordes of suckers rushing in on the Über-hero, who slashes them into so many piles of dust is all well and good for an action flick, but not something I'd adopt for my D&D games. Now, if I replaced those vampire minions with lesser undead, such as zombies or ghouls, I might be able to envision the scene. The vampire is just too much of a noble creature in my mind. > i have a couple more magic items to post then i'll start posting npc > descripts and adventures. i think that it'll clear some things up as well. i > am unsure how i am going to handle the game maps. i'll probably direct email > them to those that are interested. Looking forward to it. Sign me up for those maps. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 07:42:18 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: larry lamb Subject: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I have a project idea for the list if your all up to it. I would need to know the following info: 1: Who on this list is a DM? ===== The "Fighting Bunnys" main site: http://www.angelfire.com/me4/jedthocen/robotech_game.html "Happy Hunting!" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 10:56:36 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Re: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/29/01 10:49:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, boonedale@YAHOO.COM writes: > I have a project idea for the list if your all up to > it. I would need to know the following info: > > 1: Who on this list is a DM? Globalfrog is. ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 08:24:38 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable What's the Alphatian Civil War topic listed under? JK Wolf >>> au998@FREENET.CARLETON.CA 10/27/01 08:42AM >>> Mike said: >Actually I might use WOTI as an excuse to shake up some things. I'd >like to break up the Alphatian empire into pieces, as I think that >would create conflict and make it more interesting. I'm also >considering that the Darokin bureaucracy has a hard time moving >quickly and decisively against various threats and begins to break >down, and the people demand the return of the Monarchy; eastern >Darokin might break away at that time. Some time ago I posted an alternate timeline for Alphatia, covering the years 1009-1015. In it, I postulate that Alphatia does not sink, but instead dissolves into civil war with the destruction of the head of government (Eriadna et al, though many of the 1000 Wizards survive). I then expanded it to cover Esterholdand surrounding regions, figuring out what might have happened as a result. I think it makes for a believable plotline, and it might give people some ideas. It's on Shawn's site, as well as mine. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091=20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 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.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 17:46:39 CET Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: la Volpe Subject: Rif: Re: [MYSTARA] Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I am. ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 09:57:11 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 boonedale@YAHOO.COM wrote: >I have a project idea for the list if your all up to >it. I would need to know the following info: > >1: Who on this list is a DM? I am Mike ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 10:57:18 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Jenni A.M. Merrifield" Subject: Re: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit At Monday, 29 October 2001, you wrote: >I have a project idea for the list if your all up to >it. I would need to know the following info: > >1: Who on this list is a DM? I'd suspect the brief answer to that is "most of us". I know there are a few "player only" types lurking about but I'd easily hazard a guess that a good 90 to 95 percent of us are (or were at one time) Mystara Campaign DM's In any case, just to be clear -- I currently am the DM of a 3E based Mystara campaign. However, I'm also a player in two other Mystara based campaigns, in case that matters. Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield -=> strawberry JAMM <=- ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 19:23:31 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >I have a project idea for the list if your all up to >it. I would need to know the following info: > >1: Who on this list is a DM? > Since the list has 250 subscibers this tread could be filled with litterarly HUNDREDS of "I am" emails. Beacause as someone else said, most poeple are. Maybe instead you should be clearer on your project or the purpose of your question. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 14:38:33 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <<1: Who on this list is a DM?>> Me...but with a twist. I don't have a gaming group anymore. So i am forced to cretaing Mystara works for others. Playtesting is a pain as I have to look at the adventure/material from both player and DM perspectives. Beats a "I Am" response :-) ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 14:52:06 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Magic Item: Takael's Vengeance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > I stayed away from giving the sword a rules based intelligence/ego. there=20 are > some aspects of that system that i do not care for. plus i wanted to focus= =20 on > the sword being Takael than simply and intelligent sword. the sword is an > item powered y the lifeforce of a once living person. > Understood. I'll treat it as an intelligent sword if I use it IMC, much like= =20 the Sword of Vallmr I assisted Larry Lamb with some time ago (a sword powere= d=20 by the life force of a wolf).>> ok > I never cared too much for the wooden stake. the chance of removal was too > easy to include. likewise, what's the difference between a wooden stake an= d=20 a > broken spear shaft or even an arrow? > IMC any pointy instrument used to pierce the heart serves as a stake. It=20 disintegrates the flesh of the vampire, but it will reform if the "stake" is= =20 removed. The only ways to permanently kill a vampire IMC are to expose it to= =20 sunlight (for a proper length of time; the vampire can still flee to darknes= s=20 within a few rounds), Destroy it by a cleric turning it (it gets a save,=20 though) and by striking it with certain holy weapons (which Takael's=20 Vengeance might serve as IMC). Probably has nothing in common with the "real= "=20 rules, and little in common with vampire "lore." It's just those lingering=20 memories of long-forgotten vampire movies, various rules, etc. accumulated=20 over time, which boils down to my own "lore." Like I said, I really have no=20 idea what stake rules are like in xD&D, and I'm too lazy to look it up. So=20 why bring it up? I just needed to say that my stake "rules" would make this=20 sword impractical, so IMC I'd probably just say: "holy weapon, save or die,=20 vampire!">> okay...IMC we used to customize each vampire. it kept down the mononotony of= =20 hack...slash...stake. vampire minions were fodder...the masters were the one= s=20 that took the real effort to destroy. Takael's Vengeance was based off of a=20 sword in my own campaign. however, IMC that sword once belonged to the famil= y=20 that the vampire was part of when he was living. hence the vampire had to be= =20 killed by a family heirloom weapon. the sword was used to stake him....poof=20 he turns to dust...sword returned to family.=20 I just took Takael's Vengeance a step further and made it a dedicated vampir= e=20 slaying sword. the actual staking with it can easily be substituted by a=20 final blow...0 or -10 hps. > Takael's Vengeance takes the place of the stake and gives a vampire hunter= =20 an > emphasis on the fight instead of pausing to use a stake, decapitate them,=20 and > then use the wafers. imagine that classic scene from Blade with him slashi= ng > through the vampire ranks. now imagine Blade having to stop and stake the > suckers. > "Blade is a classic?", he asked with no small wonder. Seriously, such=20 "modern" vampire "thrills" are not for me. Hordes of suckers rushing in on=20 the =DCber-hero, who slashes them into so many piles of dust is all well and= =20 good for an action flick, but not something I'd adopt for my D&D games. Now,= =20 if I replaced those vampire minions with lesser undead, such as zombies or=20 ghouls, I might be able to envision the scene. The vampire is just too much=20 of a noble creature in my mind.>> Blade is not a classic. the big fight scene is classic. IMO it ranks in the=20 top 5 with Matrix and probably/hopefully The One. i agree....i would have=20 liked to seen him wade through minion type critters. then actually duel it=20 out with each real vampire. another example is From Dusk Till Dawn. they wer= e=20 killing vamps like nothing.=20 > i have a couple more magic items to post then i'll start posting npc > descripts and adventures. i think that it'll clear some things up as well.= i > am unsure how i am going to handle the game maps. i'll probably direct ema= il > them to those that are interested. > Looking forward to it. Sign me up for those maps.>> i'll announce on the MML when a adventure and maps are ready. i'll get a lis= t=20 of requesters and email them at one time. probably should get off my lazy=20 tail and put them on a web site....been meaning to make a web site for about= =20 4 years now. sad too...cause I spend time working on other folks's sites. ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 20:57:20 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Question larry lamb wrote: > I have a project idea for the list if your all up to > it. I would need to know the following info: > > 1: Who on this list is a DM? Is this a disguised name call or something? Ok, I'll bite. I'm a DM too. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 12:01:26 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I'm a DM as well JK Wolf ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 14:57:53 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: larry lamb Subject: Re: Rif: Re: [MYSTARA] Question In-Reply-To: <20011029164639.TJHW16745.fep33-svc.tin.it@[127.0.0.1]> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Ok..hehe...i want to create a "mystara gaming comunity" starting with members on this list. Id like to make a list of those that DM thats willing to create a sorta "living Mystara" feal for the gaming comunity. Have the DMs intersted list there mystara games, a breef intro, PC numbers and levels required or wanted for the game. I was going to start a yahoo! group for the basic group and ask DM's to create a group (sorta like a "game room" type of thing) for there games. I would just like to organize thew list a little when it comes to games of Mystara. ===== The "Fighting Bunnys" main site: http://www.angelfire.com/me4/jedthocen/robotech_game.html "Happy Hunting!" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 15:25:44 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Brendan Corliss Subject: Re: Question In-Reply-To: <20011029154218.67102.qmail@web13106.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- larry lamb wrote: > I have a project idea for the list if your all up to > it. I would need to know the following info: > > 1: Who on this list is a DM? I am... when I can keep the campaign going. :( -Damon aka Brendan Corliss Corlis Enterprises, Ltd. Darokin City ===== May all your endeavors be Gold! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 07:40:37 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: Re: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > 1: Who on this list is a DM? It has been a long time since I played a game, both as a DM or a player, and a I don't see myself playing any time soon. I see my role now more than anything as a writer/creator who expands and improves the world of Mystara, for others to read about, enjoy, and play in. Kit Navarro Glantrian Archduke www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 21:30:00 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Christopher M Cherrington Subject: Re: Question In-Reply-To: <20011029154218.67102.qmail@web13106.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Behalf Of larry lamb > Subject: [MYSTARA] Question > > > I have a project idea for the list if your all up to > it. I would need to know the following info: > > 1: Who on this list is a DM? > Ditto, I have been a DM for Mystara for over 20 years. And I will continue on as soon as I get my life more organized! :( ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 18:35:03 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Kar Ess Subject: Re: Question In-Reply-To: <20011029232544.10117.qmail@web13408.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I am both! KS --- Brendan Corliss wrote: --- larry lamb wrote: I have a project idea for the list if your all up to it. I would need to know the following info: 1: Who on this list is a DM? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 21:44:43 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Stone Marshall Subject: Re: Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I'm also a DM. It seems to me it would be eaiser to ask who on this list is not a DM ;-) Multizar the Mage >From: Christopher M Cherrington >Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Question >Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 21:30:00 -0500 > > > Behalf Of larry lamb > > Subject: [MYSTARA] Question > > > > > > I have a project idea for the list if your all up to > > it. I would need to know the following info: > > > > 1: Who on this list is a DM? > > >Ditto, I have been a DM for Mystara for over 20 years. And I will continue >on as soon as I get my life more organized! :( > >******************************************************************** >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. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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, 29 Oct 2001 19:59:58 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: larry lamb Subject: Re: Question In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Those that wish to join the "Mystara Gaming Community" may go to this URL to sign up for the club: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/mystaragamingcommunity ===== The "Fighting Bunnys" main site: http://www.angelfire.com/me4/jedthocen/robotech_game.html "Happy Hunting!" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 09:49:31 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Colin Wilson Subject: Re: Question In-Reply-To: <21.13492879.290ed634@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII > > > > 1: Who on this list is a DM? > > Globalfrog is. I am. Col. ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 12:57:14 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: did you destroyed Alphatia ? : - ) poll ! > >What's the Alphatian Civil War topic listed under? > >JK Wolf Just go to dnd.starflung.com/alph.html, and scroll down until you start hitting them (about 1/4 of the way down the list). Or, go to my site (link in my sig file), and click the Alphatia button. Geoff -- Geoff Gander, BA 97 Cartographer/Game Designer/Government Peon Carnifex Loremaster au998@freenet.carleton.ca : www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/2091 ******************************************************************** 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: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 17:07:21 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Rif: Re: [MYSTARA] Question On Mon, 29 Oct 2001 14:57:53 -0800, larry lamb wrote: > For the record: I'm also a DM. My group hasn't played in a month or two owing to one player being out of the country, but he should be back in a few weeks at which time we will play again. >Ok..hehe...i want to create a "mystara gaming >comunity" starting with members on this list. Id like >to make a list of those that DM thats willing to >create a sorta "living Mystara" feal for the gaming >comunity. Well... It's sort of an interesting idea, and I find it exciting... It's just the matter of how much time that would require? After all, we all have real lives standing in the way of our love for Mystara, and in my case that Mystara time has to be divided among my own group, the MA project, and various other net projects I'm involved in. If I were to venture a guess, I would think most people here would find that situation very familiar. > Have the DMs intersted list there mystara >games, a breef intro, PC numbers and levels required >or wanted for the game. I was going to start a yahoo! >group for the basic group and ask DM's to create a >group (sorta like a "game room" type of thing) for >there games. I would just like to organize thew list a >little when it comes to games of Mystara. > Hmmm, "play by email" you mean... Yes, Yahoogroups would be good for that because the stored messages automatically becomes campaign logs. I actually made such a group for my own gaming group, though it's mostly a message boards for when we play and where people can get my house rules and so... - The Stalker ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 14:02:49 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Magic Item: Takael's Vengeance Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Takael's Vengeance >Stats: Two-Handed Sword 1d12 +3, +5 vs. vampires; acts as a wooden stake; >psychic link to wielder; detect undead; protection from fear/charm/control >attacks. > I just finished reading it, and so far from all your items Ive read it is my favorite. Altough it is powerful, this is motivated by the strong story. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 18:06:52 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I was thinking about the manscorpions which Atzateolts lends to Bozdogan in WoTI to attack Darokin. At first I tought these would be Nimmuran Manscorpions from Red Steel, so I checked their description on the online Savage Coast MC. I later realized that they should be too far and their probably not referring about the same manscorpions. One thing which I noticed in the text however. The manscorpions were cursed by Idu ( Ixion ) because they betrayed the Enduks and now they burn to ash in sunlight take something like 1d6+3 hp per round while exposed to sunlight witouht beging protected with make-up, clothes, etc. But isnt this curse, which perpetuates to this day some kind of major direct immortal intervention on the prime plane ? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:30:38 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: A question about some of the new ESDs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit As you might have seen at WotC website, there are a few new items of Mystaran interest for sale as ESDs. Now, I'd like to know whether someone among the MMLers has some opinion or review to offer about them, especially "Jade Hare" and "Bestiary of Dragons and Giants". Are they any good? What is their level of Mystaran content? Thanks in advance, -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:35:32 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > But isnt this curse, which perpetuates to this day some kind of major direct > immortal intervention on the prime plane ? I think "direct" means personal, as in coming down in Manifestation form and killing people here and there. Laying curses is not a direct intervention, IMO. This kind of Immortal curses, BTW, seems pretty common--not only Ixion's curse, but also the Great One's curse (quite similar in scope and power), and the Great Meteor. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:28:34 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > But isnt this curse, which perpetuates to this day some kind of major direct > immortal intervention on the prime plane ? Yes, while the letter of the law is that no Immortal may directly intervene on the prime plane, the reality clause reads something like, "unless, of course, you can get away with it." Nobody likes manscorpions, except for a few DMs. Dave ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:01:22 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > > But isnt this curse, which perpetuates to this day some kind of major >direct > > immortal intervention on the prime plane ? > >I think "direct" means personal, as in coming down in Manifestation form >and killing people here and there. Laying curses is not a direct >intervention, IMO. > >This kind of Immortal curses, BTW, seems pretty common--not only Ixion's >curse, but also the Great One's curse (quite similar in scope and >power), and the Great Meteor. >-- The great meteor was illegal by those rules and this is plainly stated in WoTI. As for curses being common place, I can only think of the one you mentioned by the Great One which comes from the same source ( the manscorpion curse came from the Red Steel box set originally ). Another one would be Vanya cursing Thincol at the end of WoTI tough this was more subtle, had a less far reaching impact and more secret ( it wasnt public knowledge like Ixion`s curse ). The rules says you can't drop a meteor or make a volcanoe erupt to blast some poeple, how is the curse which makes manscorpion so different. My guess is they were pretty lax about Mystara concordance when they designed Red Steel. You can do 3 things with this : 1- change the story, 2- try to avoid to issue, 3- keep the story intact but say that Ixion did it anyway and got punished by the other Hierarchs. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:02:42 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > > > But isnt this curse, which perpetuates to this day some kind of major >direct > > immortal intervention on the prime plane ? > >Yes, while the letter of the law is that no Immortal may directly intervene >on >the prime plane, the reality clause reads something like, > >"unless, of course, you can get away with it." > >Nobody likes manscorpions, except for a few DMs. > Yes but if it is known that Ixion laid the curse on the manscorpion, clearly, he did not get away with it. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 20:17:57 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention Gilles Leblanc wrote: > One thing which I noticed in the text however. The manscorpions were cursed > by Idu ( Ixion ) because they betrayed the Enduks and now they burn to ash > in sunlight take something like 1d6+3 hp per round while exposed to sunlight > witouht beging protected with make-up, clothes, etc. > > But isnt this curse, which perpetuates to this day some kind of major direct > immortal intervention on the prime plane ? I think that as long as they were his followers (were they?), he can get away with punishing them, even if that punishment borders on direct intervention. Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 20:25:33 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: A question about some of the new ESDs Agathokles wrote: > Now, I'd like to know whether someone among the MMLers has some opinion > or review to offer about them, especially "Jade Hare" and "Bestiary of > Dragons and Giants". > > Are they any good? What is their level of Mystaran content? I take it "Bestiary" is AC10? It's mostly a compilation of small adventures and a few notes on extras for dragons and giants. Some of the adventures are neat, most are easily forgettable. Most of them are easily adaptable for most worlds, they fit well with Mystara, but don't expand on any existing material I'm aware of (bear in mind that it's been a long time, since I read it). It's got a neat size chart inside the cover, and a fairly silly spell-selector (presumably for randomly encountered dragons and such). I've never heard of "Jade Hare." Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:18:05 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > The great meteor was illegal by those rules and this is plainly stated in > WoTI. As for curses being common place, I can only think of the one you > mentioned by the Great One which comes from the same source ( the > manscorpion curse came from the Red Steel box set originally ). Another one > would be Vanya cursing Thincol at the end of WoTI tough this was more > subtle, had a less far reaching impact and more secret ( it wasnt public > knowledge like Ixion`s curse ). > And don't forget the Nithians. And if you have the Princess Ark issue that deals with the nagpa, that might also qualify. > > The rules says you can't drop a meteor or make a volcanoe erupt to blast > some poeple, how is the curse which makes manscorpion so different. My > guess is they were pretty lax about Mystara concordance when they designed > Red Steel. You can do 3 things with this : 1- change the story, 2- try to > avoid to issue, 3- keep the story intact but say that Ixion did it anyway > and got punished by the other Hierarchs. > It sounds like 3) works best for you. And the Immortals aren't always consistent or perfect with their enforcement. Ixion might have just gotten a slap on the wrist if the other Immortals felt that the manscorpions got what they deserved. Dave ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:32:24 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: More Atruaghin Color of Magic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed This is the rest of my Atruaghin Color of Magic spells which I had started posting a few weeks ago. 3rd level spells Fly: ( Borne on the clouds ) During the duration of the spell, a small white cloud stands at the base of the target's feets. Hold Person: ( Bear Hug ) This spell calls the spirit of the bear to hug ( thus paralyze ) opponents. These may not move more than an inch in any direction or use any items. They cannot speak. Any attempt to do so results in a muffled voice. Casting is impossible. The target feels as tough a large furry animal is restraining them. The sounds of a bear growling can also be heard during the duration of the spell. Wraith form: ( Spirit Form ) The caster becomes translucent soft blue and emits a soft pulsating glow about the strength of a torch. The caster assumes all the powers of a wraith except he cannot pass for undead among other undeads. His presence does not frighten animals, and he can move among them unarmed for the duration of the spell. 4th level spells Dimension Door: ( Secret Path ) This version of the spell creates a temporary portal which exists only a moment until the caster use it and cannot be used by anybody or anything else. This portal resemble a 5' diameter red solid ring which contains the image of a path running into some grassy hills. The portal is again seen as the caster emerges from his new location. Enchanted Weapon : Some atruaghin mages still possess a variation of this spell devloped during the Red Orc occupation of the Atruaghin lands. This version makes the weapon +0/+2 against Red Orcs instead of +1. Evard's Black Tentacles: ( Strength of Mother Earth ) This version create earth tentacles which seem to be from some earth elemental creature which possess tentacles. The tentacles seem to be made out of packed earth, stone and some roots and grass but can move fluidly and are quite resilient. Leomund's Secure Shelter: ( Tipi ) This version creates a large tipi ( native american home with a conical shape ) approximatly the same size as the normal shelter. The Tipi has skins which can serve as a "door". This door will only open from the inside or by the Tipi caster. The door and walls, while not as strong as wood, are much stronger than that of a normal Tipi. All naturals animals and insects, including non-hostile giant version of mundane animals or insects will leave the Tipi and it's inhabitants alone. Rainbow Pattern: ( Enchanting Fire ) This spells create the visual illusion of fire pit with a red, purple and pink fire which seems to produce thin yellow smoke. Anyone caught in the fire or smoke ( same area of effect as rainbow pattern ) are affected as per rainbow pattern. Solid Fog: ( Wall of foliage ) This spell create a tightly packed zone of leaves, twigs and small vines which obstruct vision and movement as per the solid fog spell. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:31:57 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: A question about some of the new ESDs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Agathokles wrote: > As you might have seen at WotC website, there are a few new items of > Mystaran interest for sale as ESDs. > > Now, I'd like to know whether someone among the MMLers has some opinion > or review to offer about them, especially "Jade Hare" and "Bestiary of > Dragons and Giants". > > Are they any good? That depends on how you define good. Jade Hare is a basic introduction adventure designed to teach new DMs and players the ropes, with a simple plot(recover village relic from evil mage) and simple dungeon(wizard and goblin underlings). It is a good introductory adventure for beginners, but not much else. The bestiary has a sort of ecology/history for each of the major giants and some dragon types, as well as some adventures. Some of the adventures are good, and some are poor. I happen to like it because of the gem dragons, and this has at least one adventure with a gem dragon. > What is their level of Mystaran content? > Jade Hare is set in Ylaruam, and if you have GAZ2 you will know what the village relic really is, but it doesn't explain in the module itself. The bestiary has one adventure with a suggested starting point in Mystara, the rest are generic, but it is easy to find locations to place them in your Mystara campaign. Dave ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 00:22:52 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > The rules says you can't drop a meteor or make a volcanoe erupt to blast > some poeple, how is the curse which makes manscorpion so different. Actually, the "rules" specify that an Immortal is allowed to punish unfaithful followers (as were the manscorpions), as well as other contexts where direct intervention is allowed (including the use of Manifestation form). > You can do 3 things with this : 1- change the story, 2- try to > avoid to issue, Both are unlikely, unless you simply ignore the Savage Coast, since both curses are integral to the Coast's nature. > 3- keep the story intact but say that Ixion did it anyway > and got punished by the other Hierarchs. No need to have him punished, IMO. First, he was punishing his followers, which does not make for a violation. Second, there are not many Immortals who would be able to confront Ixion, and since Atzanteotl is used to steal followers from other Immortals, I think Ixion would have found many supporters in his action. You would notice that Atzanteotl himself benefited from the curse laid on the Manscorpions, in the end, so, who would have had Ixion punished? BTW, there's always option 4- ignore the rules... -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 18:27:13 EST Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Shawn J." Subject: Re: Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/30/01 8:18:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > > Have the DMs intersted list there mystara > >games, a breef intro, PC numbers and levels required > >or wanted for the game. I was going to start a yahoo! > >group for the basic group and ask DM's to create a > >group (sorta like a "game room" type of thing) for > >there games. I would just like to organize thew list a > >little when it comes to games of Mystara. > > > Hmmm, "play by email" you mean... Yes, Yahoogroups would be good for that > because the stored messages automatically becomes campaign logs. I actually > made such a group for my own gaming group, though it's mostly a message > boards for when we play and where people can get my house rules and so... > I think a Yahoogroups site dedicated solely to listing Mystara PBEM games is a great idea; /or/ perhaps Shawn Stanley would be willing to list Mystara PBEMs on the official site? Either way, having that info grouped together would encourage growth of Mystara-set PBEM gaming---both the official website and this list serve to spread word of PBEMs (even now), but with one location for the info, if a prospective pbem gamer doesn't like the first pbem campaign he/she finds, he/she can browse those listed until one one is found that better suits the gamer's taste and schedule. It also would offer a chance for unfamiliar players to get a taste of Mystara without purchasing any material. Heck, I'd even be willing to run a newbie-oriented campaign. Hmmm... --- Shawn J. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 22:31:49 -0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Andre Martins Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit ----- Original Message ----- > Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > The great meteor was illegal by those rules and this is plainly stated in > > WoTI. As for curses being common place, I can only think of the one you > > mentioned by the Great One which comes from the same source ( the > > manscorpion curse came from the Red Steel box set originally ). Another one > > would be Vanya cursing Thincol at the end of WoTI tough this was more > > subtle, had a less far reaching impact and more secret ( it wasnt public > > knowledge like Ixion`s curse ). > > > > And don't forget the Nithians. And if you have the Princess Ark issue > that deals with the nagpa, that might also qualify. Hmm, it seems time to leave my lurking status for some shameless plug of my own. I wrote an article for the last, 6th Tome issue( http://www.geocities.com/mystaratome/ ) that deals exactly with Immortal interventions and why they have done it when they did it (Nithia, Blackmoor, the Carnifex, to name a few other instances). It also includes my personal version of ancient Immortal history with some twists. I won't be saying anymore right now. The article is called Ancient Secrets of Mystara, btw. André ******************************************************************** 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: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 01:04:59 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Gilles Leblanc Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > > > The rules says you can't drop a meteor or make a volcanoe erupt to blast > > some poeple, how is the curse which makes manscorpion so different. > >Actually, the "rules" specify that an Immortal is allowed to punish >unfaithful followers (as were the manscorpions), as well as other >contexts where direct intervention is allowed (including the use of >Manifestation form). > Yes you are right, I had forgotten this. An immortal can punish is own followers with direct intervention if it is approved by reigning hieracrhs ( it usually is ). Glad you cleared that up. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 21:00:57 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: A question about some of the new ESDs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I highly recommend the Bestiary. It has 14 short adventures for all levels of play, from 1-30+. Most of them can easily be fit into any campaign with some minor modifications. It is a good utility for the DM if you need to come up with quick adventures if the PCs are "just traveling through" somewhere, or to fill in gaps in a larger adventure. All of them can played in one 4-6 hour session. IMC, I recently combined 2 of the adventures to make a complete adventure. The PCs tried to help a local dominion ruler drive the giants from Tall Stone Pass and after failing that, left on a ship that took them to the iceburg scenario. These mini-adventures provided further campaign hooks due the events that took place. There is also some useful info on dragon and giant customs, hints on dragon eggs, stone giant origins, subdual of dragons, cloud giant castles, using dragon parts for magical item creation, etc. I've used almost all of these in my campaign, and the adventures were enjoyable. It is not Mystara specific, but there are some references. There is some detail on Opal, but the portrayal is different from that in WotI. ******************************************************************** 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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 18:02:48 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Manscorpions, Immortal Intervention MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gilles Leblanc wrote: > > >Actually, the "rules" specify that an Immortal is allowed to punish > >unfaithful followers (as were the manscorpions), as well as other > >contexts where direct intervention is allowed (including the use of > >Manifestation form). > > > > Yes you are right, I had forgotten this. An immortal can punish is own > followers with direct intervention if it is approved by reigning hieracrhs ( > it usually is ). > > Glad you cleared that up. > Wait a minute, were the manscorpions followers of Ixion? The Enduks were and that is why Ixion was angry when the manscorpions betrayed them. But technically the manscorpions were probably not. They may have faked honoring him while worshipping their own gods in secret. Dave ******************************************************************** 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.