========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:04:22 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 23:32 2/21/01 EST, Master's Pawn wrote: >In a message dated 2/21/2001 4:10:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, >au998@FREENET.CARLETON.CA writes: > ><< Ah yes, I forgot. But then, they would also have to have reams of > specialty monk spells too, in addition to their other innate abilities. :-) > >> >Don't forget the 5 Shires regional feats, and Blackflamethrower Prestige >Class. (Hides his 5 Shires regional feat and prestige class notes from the blackflamethrower.) 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:07:16 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Future of Mystara In-Reply-To: <023f01c09c95$f537aa20$e562353f@q6s7w2> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 00:38 2/22/01 -0500, David Knott wrote: >One obvious way would be to create some very nice prestige >classes whose qualifications are most easily met by characters >who pick one class and stick with it for 17+ levels. Some >possible examples: > >Cleric Lord: Must be able to cast 9th level divine spells. >Fighter Lord: Must have BAB of +17 or better. >Rogue Lord: Must have at least four Rogue class skills at >rank 20 or better. >Wizard Lord: Must be able to cast 9th level arcane spells. > >Multi-classed characters would have a tough time qualifying >for any of these classes prior to level 20. This is the kind of approach I favor. It's a carrot to get people to behave in a Mystara-classic fashion, but not the stick to beat them for daring to try all the neat stuff 3E has to offer. IMC, it's easiest to become a hin knight-hero by being a fighter with a distinctly Shires focus. But if one of my players wants to have their halfling become the first halfling admitted to the Great School of Magic first -- and survives the experience -- there's nothing preventing him from coming back and taking up the mantle of a knight-hero later on. 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:11:32 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: <03ff01c09c9b$af5dd500$e562353f@q6s7w2> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:42 2/22/01 -0500, David Knott wrote: >Compared to the Forgotten Realms? I am not sure of that. >Also keep in mind that there was a tremendous drop-off in >sales when TSR did that boneheaded 2E conversion -- and >since the last 2E product was sold nobody has paid TSR or >WotC for any Mystara product. Since WotC is unlikely to license the creation of new for-sale properties for anything other than the system they make money off of (3E), and that a certain percentage of the eventual customers would want a Mystara that uses 3E to its utmost, wouldn't this just be another "boneheaded" conversion for many long-time fans? Because I've never really gotten what the problem was with the 2E conversion, other than some difficult-to-describe differences in feel, and that there's a paladin in "Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure." If it's a feel issue, then 2E wasn't really responsible for that, and if it's the paladin ... well, 3E is going to inevitably introduce a lot more of that sort of change into the setting. (As those on the Mystara3E list can attest, these sorts of issues are recurring and thorny.) Or, if there's a Door Number 3 ... what made the 2E conversion so boneheaded? 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 05:35:27 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/2001 2:16:29 AM Central Standard Time, lby3@LBY3.COM writes: > Or, if there's a Door Number 3 ... what made the 2E conversion so boneheaded? > I think it was my feeling that the ruleset didn't fit the setting they were trying to describe, AD&D being a bit more low-fantasy in appeal (IMO) than OD& D. 3E is better in appeal I think because its less of a "charts and diagrams" game than AD&D sometimes could be (regardless of the charts and diagrams and lead figure rolegaming bits in the combat system). I think whatever vision people choose for Mystara, it will have to be BOLD. Planescape had its appeal to the forked tongue and tail crowd, Dark Sun has its Psionics schtick, Ravenloft had undead, Birthright had kings, and Forgotten Realms had (has?) the most enormous catalog under the sun. The Known World might be too generic by trying to attend to its various tastes. JMH ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 05:38:12 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/2001 1:52:30 AM Central Standard Time, thibsylv@CLUB-INTERNET.FR writes: > Now imagine that we buy them from TSR/WotC/Hasbro..., would we be allowed to > republish the oldies?(maybe in pdf format, put them online)? > In short , what would be our rights and obligations regarding all that has > been published before? > Unless TSR was very crafty in their contracts, I'd guess that even with the license that the original authors would have to be contacted to be get rights. JMH ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 22:25:41 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Future of Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:14 22/02/01 -0500, you wrote: >From: "shawn stanley" >> >> well there are some constraints upon what I can put no the Vaults > >I assume the constraints are that you cannot reproduce too much >in the way of published material, right? Maybe we can negotiate >some more limited rights -- such as the ability to publish decent >summaries of the Known World and the Hollow World. The >Savage Coast is not a problem -- it is well described in free >downloads. nah, that's not it - I can't kill off major personalities, things like that 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 08:38:13 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Brad Fonseca Subject: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello! I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" -- Brad:) "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 08:59:48 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > I was wondering what everyone's favourite module > is for the Mystara campaign setting?=A0=20 > I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and > for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" I loved many of the older modules (especially the Blackmoor ones). But, my=20 favorite one, hands down is the Mark of Amber. To me, it seemed much=20 superior to any module I've played in or DMed. It's also the only one of=20 which I found the CD portion of the module to be useful. The storyline is=20 very fluid and the PCs loved trying to figure out the mysteries involved. --- -- --Criptonite ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 08:16:34 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:11:32 -0800 Beau Yarbrough writes: > Or, if there's a Door Number 3 ... what made the 2E > conversion so boneheaded? A couple of things: 1) Not even a mention of the differences from AD&D2E that the OD&D rules set introduced to Mystara. even a line saying "Most elves are fighter/mages, most dwarves are fighters... etc. would have been better. 2) Very poor supplements. K:KoA is almost a word for word copy of Gaz1 in some places, and only haphazardly tries to take into acount the 13 years of major changes that ad occured. G:KoM (besides calling Glantri a Kingdom) had several boneheaded errors, the most famous of which is the NoS still draining Energy. 3) The CDs. The only adventure that had a bearable CD was MoA, and it would still have been improved by being a normal product. 4) The price. Essentially re-releasing the Gazeteers as boxed sets with double the price. This high price (2 $30 boxed sets for a small fraction of the world) and lack of a main world intro product kept out newibes, while the lack of any new info and disregard for the previous "version" kept out old fans. 5) Advertising. The advertising for Mystara focused on how Mystara was the same with GH/FR, rather than what made it different. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 15:11:04 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Well, my vote would go for X11 too, making a balance of playability, story and athmosphere, but I also love X8, Drums over Fire Mountain, although it could have been made a bit longer!!! Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 15:31:05 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I definitely agree with the point of the possible dealing with rights and with a new Mystara line having to be carried out by just 2 or 3 people, anything bigger would be dissipating. Nevertheless, I can see people freelancing products and proposing them for right-holders review and approval, that could be richer than just 2 or 3 product-writers. Just because a person submits a E.G. module and it's admitted, he does not have to become "staff". Forfeiting of rights and getting a set amount for your work is a good way of planning for things which improve for a lot of occasional freelancing (see, for instance, the conditions of contract in Dungeon Magazine). No hard feelings there, it's usual to have lots of proposal and rejections, even in a ultra-tiny company. And let's not forget that the "audience and market" should not be only the traditional body of Mystara followers, who have spent years discussing on-line about the alignment of Hosadus, the nature of the 1000 Wizards of Alphatia or Stefan's politics: there are people out there who are looking for FRPG settings, ideas and adventures, and there should be special attention to them. We can continue with our small squabblings here in the MML, let's try to work out the chance of getting some products and attention out there, knowing that some of them we'll like, some of them we won't according to our personal campaign ideas (that can be said of the whole TSR line too). As for the claim of online material not being useful unless published products are already owned, well, I cannot really agree: the last two Almanacs have really good geographic entries, with more complete descriptions of the Known World and beyond that the TSR PWAs. Fan-created maps are galore too, so I see that a gamer just relying on the net has enough info to run a Mystara campaign. Other published worlds have a much tinier info as their "basic campaign pack" (think of the basic FR campaign set, or the GH "The Adventure Begins"). Maybe it's a matter of organization, and I would dare suggest Shawn to include a section in the Vaults called something like "Basic Mystara starter pack", with info on the world, the "classic" countries, maps and stuff like that! It's all there, you just have to browse around to get it! Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 09:54:56 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010222164618.0088da6c@mail.alphalink.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: > as the webmaster of the official site it could be said that I am. of > course I haven't taken that role and have also moved to create a group of > people who would answer such a question, the group has also yet to act but > that's why I'm now asking the question - do you want us to? It would be much more useful if that site had an "official" and "unofficial" section - mostly because currently, it is well laid out for us old folx, but as someone else pointed out, Newbies who just discovered Mystara would be quite lost, especially with the 3 or four conflicting interpretive versions. However, should the "official" info contain only that stuff that doesn't modify current 'canon'? For example, The DM's guide to Davania is chock full of info for areas that normal canon does not touch, while many other projects deal with fleshing out specifics in the known world, sometimes modifying a couple of canonical points. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:01:27 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Future of Mystara In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010222170216.008a39f0@mail.alphalink.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: > well of course not everyone would chip in, to be viable it would have to be > an extremely small group, 3 at the most probably, these people would then > write or freelance out work they want done - everybody else would be the > market Those hree would be more "editors" - For example, say I finally finish the Snartan Empire and submit it to the first Davania book, it would have to pass muster from the editors - they may return it for revisions and or such. The "editors" would have a heck of a job in front of them, but I would support that idea. Mostly because it will give me incentive to finish up and revise my projects, as curently, I don't get much feedback on them (or maybe that's because they are ok, and I'm just a perfectionist!) Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:04:44 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: <03ff01c09c9b$af5dd500$e562353f@q6s7w2> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, David Knott wrote: > Compared to the Forgotten Realms? I am not sure of that. Obviously. But then again, Most Americans also vote Democrat or Republican, and have no idea that there are alternatives. Forgetable realms is only popular because of the "well written" novels. If Mystara had that kind of push.. And not -Dragonlord of Mystara_... > Also keep in mind that there was a tremendous drop-off in > sales when TSR did that boneheaded 2E conversion -- and Exactly. Because 2e was a crappy system - It's like converting Palladium's Robotech to Big Eyes Small Mouth Mecha rules. It became ploddingand dull. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:07:14 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit c_furneaux wrote: <> Yes. As is, we have as many variants of Mystara as we have fans. The end of the Mystaran Line has promoted this fanbased development. That was one potential problem that was discussed when we were working for a restart of the Mystaran Line after WotC acquired TSR. If Mystara was restarted how would the new materials be accepted by a fanbase that have constructed their own timelines from when the official lines stopped off. <> Yes. But the Gazs also promoted fan development. There were still questions unanswered and areas that required added detailling. But yes the Gazs were (and are) wonderful. It is amazing that the authors were able to get as much information into these books as they did. I can understand the shortcomings of the earlier works and Gazs. The setting went from the KW to Mystara. More info was created and had to click. Even then, we have some inconsistencies and some oversights. However, that is to be expected in a reference library as vast as Mystara's. [snipped] <> I often harp upon the shortcomings of WotI...particularly the events and reasoning behind those events. However, the revamped Immortals materials are the great aspects of the box. As for the shortcomngs....well I think that the matters involved were too forced and not really thought out by the author. But then again, I am unsure what control he actually had in what was to transpire in Wrath so I cannot begrudge him too much. IMO the war was handled badly. The motivating events were too coincidental. The outcome was too dramatic and too scripted. I think that alot that happened should not of happened as it did, or did not need to happen at all. But that is my own opinion and I have the luxury of hindsight. I am also a wargamer so I tend to pay a good deal of attention to military matters. [snipped] <> yes. the PWAs are great. Of my own collection they are probably the most used Mystaran resources that I have. Often critical of post-Wrath events, I think that alot of my concerns are caused by the short life of the PWAs. I think that alot of the plots were still unfolding when the line ended. Had there been a PWA4 (instead of a watered down Joshuan's Almanac) and a PWA5, things may have been more easily acceptable. Two more consistent years of PWAs could have detailled resolutions to matters running since Wrath. <<> All of us have written, or are currently in the middle of, some Mystaran > relevant work. WotC has not really expressed any constraints to our >manipulations of the Line. > I would like to know exactly what the limit is. I mean if you take the extreme limitof taking one of the gaz's and adding lots of stuff to it like history and character elaboration and adventure schetches (don't include the original ones of course unless you elaborated on them) added more info on different ruling factions, but bassically included all the infomation in the original just bulked out and with more depth, would they mind?>> I have never had any official word on any of my planned projects as being out of line. Likewise, I have never heard of anyone being told by WotC that their projects are out of line. In my own works I use a simple disclaimer. <<> To grow (and survive) Mystara's fanbase needs to grow. Recruitment could best > be done over the internet, MML, and MMB. Build those gaming groups up and get > newbies involved. > Being relitively new back to the gaming fold, perhaps my opinion here might be worth while. Mystara has so much going for it, BUT it is very hard to get into. All of the offical products are dead and for those of us outside the U.S. it is nearly as cheap to buy new products as to buy 2nd hand stuff on the internet at US$8 a time shipping for me (screw that) that the old products don't offer all that much help to getting new fans. The net bassed stuff is great however and could bring in newbies if conditions were right.>> Hmm... I was wondering how you found out about Mystara. It could be very helpful in promoting the setting. As for me... I played it when it was simply the Known World. I took a few years sabbatical from gaming before coming back by mere chance. I had sold off most of my old materials. Luckily, I was able to get back alot of them. The gaming crowd in my area is small and is not generally focused on Mystara. There was actually a pretty good amount of Mystara and Known World products in the areas's gaming and hobbie shops. With a decreased demand the prices were right. Of course I still had to shop around online for some items and there are still items that I am looking for. Likewise...there are some items that I am not going to fork out the asking prices for. <> Well...alot of the original modules were too simple. Often they were more hack-n-slash than even the most juvenile munchkin adventure. I was at a used book store a few months back and they had just bought someone's old collection of old D&D materials. These include the white rules book...which they were wanting an arm and leg for. Anyway...the owner is a retired gamer and we were looking over the various items. Most plots were simple and straightforward. Some plots were virtually nonexistant with little explanation as to why the PCs were there. The encounters were odd and predictable. PCs tended to walk into chambers and be attack by X-number of creatures. There was no real reason for these creatures to be there nor were there any realistic means available to sustain them in the environment. Most dungeon layouts were established and channeled pathways to get to the climactic battle with the adventure's chief protagonist. There was not alot of thought in these adventures. Understandibly, the industry was young and cutting its teeth. I wish that I could remember the titles of these modules. They were old...perhaps some of the very first modules. I don't recall ever hearing of them before that day.One of them had an orange cover. Another had a yellow cover. Another had a weird bluish color to it. One had some lizard looking creatures on the cover art...but there were no lizard like creatures in the adventure. I still have some of my old home-made adventures from way back when I first got into gaming. These adventures were simple and childish. I have managed to readdress these adventures and mature them to a playable level. BTW...one such adventure is a rehash of one of my Nithia based adventured (Re: Bead of Oblivion). I am tidying it up and updating it for possible upload somewhere. I am redoing the map and some of the monster encounters. Anyway...back in the olden days things were simpler. The gaming industry itself was young. As the game evolved it had to take into account the various changes that the fanbase was intitiating into their own house rules. The orignal rules themselves initiated alot of this as holes and shortcomings were addressed and patched by rules supplements. Anyone can take a good adventure and booger it up. Conversely, a good DM can take a crappy adventure and salvage some good adventure fodder out of it. <> good points. All this additional detail work is for nothing if the reader lacks the base material that the work adds to. The problem is that we cannot really include too much of the canon source material based on potential copyright infringments. At best we can include references and paraphrase canon sources to help explain. However, space, time, and patience must also factor in this. I think that this problem is especially so now. A trend in Mystara is to detail new areas...a trend that I am involved in. Some of these projects are on distant continents. Others are based on small domains nestled on the outskirts of the KW nations. For someone that has but an introductory insight into Mystara, the distinction between canon and non-canon is not so apparent. Ironically, a newbie will probably get more informational use out of completely created non-canon works than projects meant to add detail to canon works. <> AD&D is often seen as being overly complicated. It can be. However, to me AD&D is not too different from D&D. AD&D is engineered to be more exact and more "realistic" than D&D. To do this, TSR implemented alot of additional rules. However, a good number of these additional rules are OPTIONAL. Often times these optional rules are the ones that are criticized the most. Take spellcasting for an example. Reaction times and casting times are added to allow accurate setting of melee. Likewise spell components are introduced as an option. Their individual nature is still included in any spell description. Likewise alot of the contents of an AD&D manual are redundant. TSR went to great extremes to (overly) explain details. Just look at the section on rolling up a PC's ability scores. Also, alot of what is in the PHB is also in the DMG. Speaking of the PHB, one will notice that the book's interior sees a larger chunk used for spell descriptions. Add the multitude of charts, appendices, and quick reference type sections and the volume grows. If I have time, I may go in and figure up just how much of the DMG and PHB are needed for basic game play. Iindividual campaigns factor in a good deal. In my experience, players tend to push the DM as much as they can to abuse the rules. If there is the potential for abuse then the players go for it. <<> Mystara is a rather old fashioned game setting with its attributes standing > as stoic reminders of the classical images of "high fantasy". I think that we > all can agree that we are all long-time gamers and purists...hence the > reverence of D&D over AD&D editions. Mystara symbolizes D&D and the oldcut > and dry means of gaming. This is a bit sad IMO as I am sure that weMystarans > are some of the more passionate, intellectual, and analytical fans of RPG. > D&D just seems less hassle/more freedom. (I'm not sure what you mean by cut and dry) But I do think that what has been fan produced for mystara wipes the floor with what has been fan produced for other settings.>> I knew that the above was going to draw some fire. "Cut and dry" is reflective of the times that D&D came into being and evolved. Characters and character actions were based upon stereotypes. NPCs were detailled only to the extent that they were needed. Bad guys were typical villains and their fate was expected to surround death by the end of the adventure. Villains were also stupid....hence their plots were uncovered and dispite having an army of followers and usually being of higher XP level were summarily defeated by the PCs. I love reoccuring villains. Likewise when I DMed I tended to play the antagonist NPCs just as I would my own PCs. Therefore a 12th level NPC mage was not a pushover, nor were his servants. I do agree that D&D was more carefree. Everything was not dependant upon a rule, table, or roll of the dice. Leeway was given to the judgement of the DM and the players. However, judgement varies from player to player and DM to DM. Variations caused problems if not adhered to in its original intent (see elven abuse reference). The rules lawyers were brought out and definatives rules implemented to address possible problem areas. A shame really, but one that was needed to keep munchkinism down. I would also add that D&D shared in some of the same complications as AD&D. <<> IMO Mystara needs a bit of an overhaul if it is to attract new fans. Look at > the bevy of works done by the fanbase. The Gaz Nations are essentially > unchanged since the canon timelines stopped off. We are still playing upon > plotlines established in AC1000 and Wrath. There is also a plethora of works > that move away from the KW nations. I cannot blame them, I have done the same > by refocusing on ancient Mystaran history and the untapped boundaries of > Davania. No one seems willing to stir things up on the KW. > I think the best thing that could get new fans is modules like those of old. The ones that make the changes seem "grand" (rescue the king, save the world, slay the great and mighty king of the dragons, etc), perhaps set before the gaz's. I think the problem I have is that WotI gave canon a timeline. Before it, time mattered, but when things happened didn't so much. After it that all became important. Where it can go and what has to happen for a module is important, but I think if it has specific dates for all campaigns that puts people off. The fact that there seems to be a present for mystara wories me slightly.>> As far as adventure plots go, I have a great deal of confidence in the MML and MMB in crafting adventures of quality and enjoyment. I have yet to see a MML/MMB adventure that is unusable. I have yet to see an adventure that runs strictly according to the designs of its author. The DM is going to alter some events of an adventure. Either campaign circumstances dictate some changes for integration or the PCs do something that makes it a requirement to alter or add details. Myself, I tend to judge works (my own included) by reading them. If I have to stop and ask why something happened or why a trait is as it is, then I see the need for improvement. The problem in using this method on your own works is that, as the author, you know what you intend things to be. As a result you subliminally answer the questions as you go along. A problem is that the fanbase is diminished and getting them to read the works and play them. The first obstacle is getting a group together. This is undermined by the role of computers and the internet. Computer gaming is an angle to look at. WotC has used this in BG, BG2, IWD, PS:T. Given the popularity of games such as those and Asheron's Call, I am really stoked about NWN. If the game lives up to its hype and we can put together a good Mystaran Game for this system then we can draw folks in. I play the Computer RPG Vampire the Masquerade Redemption. Using the NoD SDK I had played around with constructing some Mystara based adventures. However, Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate 2, Mechwarrior 4 Vengence came out and over that period squashed my freetime even more. <<> It is not just the stagnancy of the KW that needs to be readdressed. TheNPCs > and personalities need to be addressed. Everything and everyone is so cutand > dry and "painted" in black and white or good and evil. There are no truly > human acting NPCs. > well I do think that depends how you play them. I also think that in even tolken high fantasy there are human acting people. Take Boromir, or Bilbo, or legolas. Yes they are on a great quest for good, but they want to do it their way.>> Well....as they are, Mystaran NPCs are just kind of thrown out there for immediate use. Later, some reappear or are refered to if there is a need. However, the descripts are just carbon copies of the original descripts. We have hindsight to know that these NPCs reappear. However, the original authors did not and only detailed them enough to cover their required use. Back in the day, I usually added some detail a bit to add to the game. <<> Not to be too harsh on Tolkein, afterall his precedents were undercut by > generalizations and the fanbase as the RPG trade evolved. One of my biggest > pet peeves is when people portray elves as pointy eared humans, then complain > about their attributes being unbalancing. The balancing factors are thatthey > (even the most kind and noble ones) are ancient and arrogant. They are as > likely to risk their lives for lowly humans as a human is to risk his life > for an orc. > too right!>> Yes. <<> Anyway....I am against the acquisition of the rights to Mystara. > I think the only good that is likely to come from having the rights would be enabling more people to get their hands on the old stuff, but thats happening anyway...>> That is a good point. My collection of Mystara/KW items is pretty big though far from complete. I'd love to get ahold of the missing items without refinancing the old homestead. However, does the gaining of the rights automatically open up these out of print items. I don't know if WotC/TSR has any surplus storage of any of these items. Likewise I am unsure if any rights buyout would include the additional acquisition of these existing printed units without additional compensation. IIRC the deficiencies in alot ofthe online offerings is based upon the ownership of D&D materials. Uploading them was dependant upon the authors that scribed them. This may have changed since then. This was all leading up to the release of the Dragon Magazine Archive CDs. Anyway...even if the rights are bought the out of print items must be printed out for distribution/sale. The option is to digitze them for uploading. I personally prefer printed copies as I prefer the ability to hold the book and read it like a book. Even printing out uploads is different from havng the originals. But that is just a personal preference. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:07:03 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit shawn stanley wrote: <<>I have been looking over this thread and would like to point out a few >details. We are all fans of Mystara and naturally the idea of controlling the >rights, events, and interests of Mystaran works is appealing. Financiallywe >could probably swing it. I mean there are around 250 members on the MML. I >have no idea how many additional fans are on the MMB. Anyway...chipping inwe >could probably compile enough funds to make a legitimate offer to WotC. >However I have to ask what we really gain? > well of course not everyone would chip in, to be viable it would have to be an extremely small group, 3 at the most probably, these people would then write or freelance out work they want done - everybody else would be the market>> Yes. I mention that later in the original message. Anyway...my point is that any buyout would have to be conducted as a real business to make the investment worthwhile. Likewise there would have to be an adminstrative organization ready to run it as a unified body. In fact I think that I'll alter my stance on this matter. I still oppose a general combined MML/MMB buyout of the rights to Mystara. However, if a small group were to purchase the rights I could support that. Why the change? Well....it is quite simple. A small group would essentially be an official restart of the Mystaran Line. As the official and undisputed controllers of the setting, descisive and undisputed guidance of the setting would exist. Development could be firmly established and carried out under this body. I guess that what I am trying to say is a setting such as Mystara, with all of its variety of fans, needs a central authority figure to dictate a path to follow in deciding upon future events and plotlines. <<>All of us have written, or are currently in the middle of, some Mystaran >relevant work. The Mystaran Line is dead as far as WotC is concerned so we >really have no official competition. Likewise, WotC has not really expressed >any constraints to our manipulations of the Line. > well there are some constraints upon what I can put no the Vaults>> Really? I mean...I figure that there would be official restraints but the actual enforcement would be lax. Afterall....Mystara is dead in WoC's eyes and short of scanning and/or xeroxing copies of Gazs I see little input from them on uploaded materials....obvious copyright violations. I tried to get on the Vault Site last night at work to see but it would not connect. I was at work and using a work account. We are behind a firewall. It could have been the weather too...its raining buckets. Plus rumor has it that they are restricting outside internet use. We had some folks get caught looking at porn. <<>No one seems willing to stir things up on the KW. > Did you read World in Flames?>> There is the Bruce's World In Flames, Geoff's Alternative Alphatian Timelines, and my own (unfinished) Operation Hydra to name a few. However, there is a difference between these projects and actual general acceptance in the Mystaran crowd. To me, acceptance of a project within the Net Almanac is a general acceptance of the project in terms of Mystara as a whole. Of course, such massive changes are not in the Almanac. It is a fan based project and the fans control their favored natioanl regions. As such, they are going to be protective of their respective region's interests. Look at Operation Hydra, though unfinished, its completion will see Thyatis gaining control of Minrothad and Ierendi. Likewise, Thyatian holdings on the Isle of Dawn will be greatly diminished. I know the clamor it caused as a single side project without the divulgence of the capture of Ierendi or loss of the IoD interests. Imagine if it were to be implemented into the Almanac. <<>It is not just the stagnancy of the KW that needs to be readdressed. The NPCs >and personalities need to be addressed. Everything and everyone is so cut and >dry and "painted" in black and white or good and evil. There are no truly >human acting NPCs. > I always thought that the humanity of Mystara and Mystarans was always more appealing to me than any other game world.>> Not to go back and restate the prior responses....I'll just add this tidbit. Have you ever used any of these NPCs just as they were presented in the modules? I always had to add certain details to them for use in my own campaigns. As presented, most NPCs...especially the early ones...are lackluster and one dimensional. Given information is limited to immediate needs. And this tidbit...IMC and game related works my PCs and NPCs tended to be a bit on the roguish side. Most went into the adventuring profession for very specific reasons. Their very adventuring lifestyle made them live on the fringes of typical society. You go where few dare. You do things that the normal folk cannot. You are both hero and scoundrel. You are a sellsword. Few retained an adherence to the premise of Law. Afterall...how can one respect the law if the law has had to hire his or her skills to meet a threat. My PCs/NPCs were not evil. I would class them as being CN...most being CN with Good tendencies. Most recognize the dangers of their livlihoods and live day to day. Each has some preconception that they will retire someday after they find that big treasure trove. But few live that long or know when to quit. Anyone ever play Crimson Skies? It is a computer game but IIRC it is also a FASA game. Anyway...my PCs were usually like a Nathan Zachary (Crimson Skies). For instance...for last year's Almanac I introduced two PCs from my own campaign to act as reporters. Allstrick of Alphatia went by: Allstrick the Bastard, Allstrick the Mongrel, and Allstrick the Wolf. His exploits included all manner of brushes with the law due to his devil-may-care attitude. This was most evident in Alphatia and in Thyatis where his reception in certain domains variety from friendly, to neutral, to guarded, to outright hostility. One Thyatian kingdom had an active arrest warrant out upon him by the time he officially retired. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:08:12 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Future of Mystara In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 21 Feb 2001, Mike Harvey wrote: > Thothia, or even Angmar/Aengmor/Oenkmar (I still don't have that all > sorted out!) Aengmor is an ancient elven city but by shadow elves. But the eleves there were tainted by Atzanteotl, so they all died off or were killed, and then Orcs (more receptive to an evil Immortal) moved it. By this time, the city's name had been corrupted to Oenkmar. Aengmor is also the name of the corrupted Canolbarth forest, which once was Alfheim. It was named after the lost city. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:10:46 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: <37.110cb5e8.27c6456f@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 Dunlendor@AOL.COM wrote: > Forgotten Realms had (has?) the most enormous catalog under the sun. The > Known World might be too generic by trying to attend to its various tastes. Mystara is a combination of Birthright and FR in many respects. PC's can become kings, or help kings win battles, yet retains a high-fantasy falvor for those who aren't into politcal intrigues. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 16:44:06 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Favourite module Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 08:38:13 Brad Fonseca wrote: >Hello! > >I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara >campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and >for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" > I don't know x11 (still waiting for it to appear as a download), but I guess I'm one of the few people who actually like WOTI, but it's not my favorite - for that position I guess I would nominate B10 - Night's Dark Terror. - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 09:48:45 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: Future of Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I think Chris made an excellent point that a beginner's guide to Mystara would be a great idea. It would probably be best for the guide to have a Brun-focused perspective, with an overview of some of the nations (nothing too detailed though), a guide to creating characters for the setting (for example, generating an elf from alfheim, the unique form of religion for clerics, etc.) And then, of course, a really cool adventure module to get them started! (Probably based in Karameikos, since that was always pointed to as the starting point for OD&D adventures) Additionally, perhaps there could be beginner's guides to other areas of Mystara (Savage Coast, Alphatia/Thyatis, Glantri, Hollow World, etc., etc.) Unfortunately, my hands are full right now with the NWN Mystara Project, but hopefully there are those out there who could make the beginner's guide happen. It's a really great idea! John Polacek 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 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:55:53 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/01 10:45:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << >I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara >campaign setting? >> well...i still have fond memories of the old Castle Amber module. I still have it and have Mark of Amber. Never played the sequel though. Second would have to be City of Skulls. I know it is a Greyhawk module but we used it as the basis for a Mystaran adventure set in the Broken Lands. Lots of alterations to make it fit. BTW we had to use two DMs. One ran the game as usual. The other ran the NPCs. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 16:56:50 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'll just add my own take because I was actually fairly excited about Mystara turning to AD&D... On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 08:16:34 Aaron E Nowack wrote: >On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:11:32 -0800 Beau Yarbrough writes: >> Or, if there's a Door Number 3 ... what made the 2E >> conversion so boneheaded? > >A couple of things: > >1) Not even a mention of the differences from AD&D2E that the OD&D rules >set introduced to Mystara. even a line saying "Most elves are >fighter/mages, most dwarves are fighters... etc. would have been better. > Would definitely have been better, yes. >2) Very poor supplements. K:KoA is almost a word for word copy of Gaz1 >in some places, and only haphazardly tries to take into acount the 13 >years of major changes that ad occured. G:KoM (besides calling Glantri a >Kingdom) had several boneheaded errors, the most famous of which is the >NoS still draining Energy. > Actually I kind of like the two boxed sets. I don't agree that they're copies of Gaz 1 and 3 respectively, but, yes, they do cover much of the same ground. To me the biggest problem was that there was no Mystara Campaign boxed set as there were for the other campaign settings - the Immortals are mentioned only so briefly (no mention of who prefers what spheres and such - how will people play specific priests?) and the general overview of the entire Known World was completely ignored, which was inexcusable. The two Survial Kits (player and DM) could have been such supplements, but there both horrible products to the point of adding insult to injury! >3) The CDs. The only adventure that had a bearable CD was MoA, and it >would still have been improved by being a normal product. > Ahh come on - I loved the CDs... They were fun! ;) (OK, a bit corny, but still fun IMHO) >4) The price. Essentially re-releasing the Gazeteers as boxed sets with >double the price. This high price (2 $30 boxed sets for a small >fraction of the world) and lack of a main world intro product kept out >newibes, while the lack of any new info and disregard for the previous >"version" kept out old fans. > Very true. And this was at the heart of the problem. The newbies weren't going to go near this at the costs and having heard of FR already, while the old Mystara fans were basically being rediculed having to spend money to buy essentially the same products again for a higher price and with a few CDs they probably weren't going to use. I don't know if TSR planned their AD&D Mystara as an entry to AD&D because they feared that OD&D gamers wouldn't be able to handle it otherwise, but if that were the case, then it was a deadly mistake - at the time OD&D rules were already more complicated and 'advanced' (what with its "this nation's exceptions from the rules" bit in every single gazetteer) than the more generic rules of AD&D! >5) Advertising. The advertising for Mystara focused on how Mystara was >the same with GH/FR, rather than what made it different. > True. Let me just add that I don't think that the actual decision to turn Mystara to 2e was bad - I agree with it. However, the way in which TSR went about making that change was horrible and mistaken, and it killed Mystara! If they had taken Mystara as seriously as FR, then Mystara might still be alive! - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 10:27:44 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: Future of Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed So, from reading the below, am I to assume that you CAN reproduce published material? > >> > >> well there are some constraints upon what I can put no the Vaults > > > >I assume the constraints are that you cannot reproduce too much > >in the way of published material, right? >nah, that's not it - I can't kill off major personalities, things like that _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 11:43:39 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: New material coming soon Hi all, First off, I think it's great that we've found a topic where there has been a positive exchange of views so far - that of the future of Mystara. I hope Alex isn't having any trouble keeping up on it, and I'm sure the final compilation with be a worthwhile read. Slight change of topic, though. Some months ago, I indicated that I would be posting some new material related to Davania and environs, in response to demand voiced in some quarters. Well, the first installment is done, after a long hiatus working on the Almanac. So, without further ado, I will be posting it today. 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, 22 Feb 2001 08:35:35 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded In-Reply-To: <20010222.081634.-378589.0.anowack@juno.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 08:16 2/22/01 -0800, Aaron E Nowack wrote: >On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:11:32 -0800 Beau Yarbrough writes: >> Or, if there's a Door Number 3 ... what made the 2E >> conversion so boneheaded? > >A couple of things: > >1) Not even a mention of the differences from AD&D2E that the OD&D rules >set introduced to Mystara. even a line saying "Most elves are >fighter/mages, most dwarves are fighters... etc. would have been better. Couldn't this have been a conscious decision, as this was meant to be the first setting tackled by new play groups? >2) Very poor supplements. K:KoA is almost a word for word copy of Gaz1 >in some places, and only haphazardly tries to take into acount the 13 >years of major changes that ad occured. G:KoM (besides calling Glantri a >Kingdom) had several boneheaded errors, the most famous of which is the >NoS still draining Energy. What makes them poor? This seems to be the heart of the matter, for me, as a decade later, the price of all this material is actually whatever you get them for on eBay. >3) The CDs. The only adventure that had a bearable CD was MoA, and it >would still have been improved by being a normal product. > >4) The price. Essentially re-releasing the Gazeteers as boxed sets with >double the price. This high price (2 $30 boxed sets for a small >fraction of the world) and lack of a main world intro product kept out >newibes, while the lack of any new info and disregard for the previous >"version" kept out old fans. > >5) Advertising. The advertising for Mystara focused on how Mystara was >the same with GH/FR, rather than what made it different. I won't disagree that TSR was staggeringly dumb in a lot of their business practices, but at the end of the day, what's between the covers (or in the box) of Mystara 2E material has little to do with ads in "Dragon," price points or anything but the quality of the work itself. So, beyond skimming over conversion aspects and forgetting about the Energy/Entropy swap, what else did Mystara 2E miss the boat on? 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 11:50:39 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: [GANDERG@tc.gc.ca: Forgotten places of Davania - the Ruins of Pelenzor] ================= Begin forwarded message ================= From: GANDERG@tc.gc.ca ("Gander, Geoff") To: au998@freenet.carleton.ca ("'Me'") Subject: Forgotten places of Davania - the Ruins of Pelenzor Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 11:45:10 -0500 Well, here's the first installment. As always, everyone is free to upload this onto their sites, or use it as they wish. Comments are also always welcome. Forgotten Places of Davania: The history of Davania is a long and blood-soaked one; filled with the rise and fall of many a nation and empire. It is here where some of the earliest civilisations arose, and where some of the most evil acts in Mystaran history were perpetrated. What follows are the descriptions of a number of legendary places in Davania, some of which exist in folklore, while others remain unknown (mercifully, some might add). The Ruins of Pelenzor "With golden gates and emerald fields, stood Pelenzor the Lovely. 'Midst sharpened spears and burnished shields, stood Pelenzor the Mighty. "O come ye, soldier, hear my tale, of bravery, glory, and warriors hale For 'pon yon Plains there stood a realm, whose might They could not overwhelm. "They of the Dark, deceivers all, They who heed the Outer call. They came in forces bringing doom,yet for Pelenzor there was naught of gloom. For bold and brave, most serene stood Taranitha, the city's Queen. 'Harken, men, of bold Pelenzor! Heed me, bring the enemy war! The foul ones shall be turned back ere long, while we in our glory remain strong!' "Alas! For such did not transpire, for Pelenzor were the tidings dire! Walls did fall, temples did burn, yet true honour did Pelenzor earn In its hour of death, for warriors bold made Dark blood run still and cold. "With battered gates and empty halls, stands Pelenzor the Burned. 'Midst fallen spires and tumbled walls, stands Pelenzor the Dead." ----untitled poem, dated c. BC 7000, found forgotten in an archival chamber in Calimnis, Selhomarr. History: The city-state of Pelenzor was founded circa BC 7500 by the scattered remnants of Orimul (which had been destroyed the Carnifex over 400 years previously, and some of whose people had remained in Davania to try to rebuild), as well as members of various nomadic clans who had lived on the Izondian grasslands, but had been displaced by recent infighting. The narrow valley in which the city-state was built soon proved to be a good defensible location, as the residents managed to repel many raids successfully, with little loss of life. Soon, the two cultures merged, producing a people unique in their own right, and they proved strong enough militarily to force most of the surrounding peoples to abandon any hope of raiding or destroying them. Centuries passed, and Pelenzor became a city-state of note, primarily because it was one of the only havens in the often-dangerous grasslands of northwestern Davania, and also because it had become a trading hub, where the crafts of the surrounding nomads could be bought by the more "civilised" people of the east. Led by a strong dynasty, and having gained the respect of the nomads, Pelenzor's future seemed secure. Pelenzor was besieged by the rampaging hordes of the Carnifex of Y'hog in spring of BC 7027, as part of a final attempt to place all of Davania under their heel. The Pelenzorian queen, Taranitha, knew that her meagre forces could not hold long against the troglodyte army massed before them, but that every additional day they remained free, was an extra day the Lhomarrian-led alliance would have to muster more of its own troops, and bring them to the fore. The enemy hurled a vast array of offensive magics at the Pelenzorians, battering their walls, teleporting hideous beasts into the midst of the city, and raining fiery death upon the populace. As valiantly as the defenders fought, they could not hold off their opponents for long. Within two weeks, Pelenzor fell, and the populace was massacred by the battle-crazed troglodyte warriors and their Carnifex overlords. So complete was the destruction and looting that all of the surviving buildings were torn down, and anything flammable was put to the torch. The conquerors had intended to sacrifice Taranitha and her household, but found them dead in their chambers, having preferred to take their own lives rather than be used by the Carnifex. It was in the midst of their week-long orgy of drinking, fighting, and looting that the Carnifex horde was attacked by Brell's forces. They had the element of surprise, and were able to claim several strategic locations within Pelenzor's ruins, in the hopes of driving back the Carnifex-led force. Alas, such was not to be, and it was during a particularly violent Carnifex counterattack that the Lhomarrian-led force's general, Brell, was killed by a poisoned arrow. In disarray, the allied force gave ground, and was soon routed from the ruined city - but not before taking their beloved general's body with them. Several miles distant, they entombed him within a small cavern, and departed. Though Pelenzor has long since been forgotten, there is one fragment of a tale from that time which remains. During the campaign to retake the ruins of Pelenzor, a detachment of Lhomarrian soldiers was exploring part of the city's vast network of catacombs, which had remained largely intact. In one chamber, deep under the ruins, they claimed to have discovered a treasure vault, containing those items which the royal family had apparently secreted away during the siege, in the hopes that they would never be found by their enemies. In one side chamber, they were astounded to find a gigantic block of shimmering crystal, in which was entombed a lithe young woman, no more than fifteen years of age at most, who bore a strong resemblance to the late queen. Rendered almost speechless over their experience, they rushed back to camp, excitedly telling their companions of their find, and requested that a formal expedition be sent into the catacombs to retrieve the mysterious woman. Unfortunately, that party was not able to locate the treasure vault, or the mysterious side chamber containing the young woman. The account of the discovery, however, filtered its way throughout the Lhomarrian army, and from there to those people living in the area who had managed to escape the Carnifex onslaught. This story gradually evolved into a legend, and was known even to the Milenians thousands of years later, as "The Tale of the Lost Cavern Maiden". Even today, many peoples living in northern Davania have such a story somewhere in their folklore, though the maiden is always one of their own kind, and the reasons for her entombment vary greatly. Pelenzor Today: Nothing visible exists of Pelenzor today. Situated in a narrow lush valley, surrounded by grasslands, the ruins of Pelenzor and its surroundings were buried by encroaching deserts following the Great Rain of Fire, such that modern visitors would have to dig through almost 100 feet of sand to reach the tallest remnants. Even though it is protected by the sand, Pelenzor's remains suffered greatly from the elements in the millennia following its fall to the Carnifex hordes; no structure above ground was intact, and no walls stood more than five feet in height. Explorers who managed to excavate its ruins would find a few small artifacts - pins, combs, coins, bones, and the like - but everything of noticeable value has long since been pillaged. One thing would stand out as testament to the evil acts which took place here. Located in what was once the main square of the city-state, is a vast collection of bone fragments, ashes, bits of metal, and a few isolated fragments of clothing. It was here, following the massacres subsequent to the Carnifex army's victory, that the corpses of the fallen were unceremoniously dumped and, for the most part, eaten. Whatever remained afterwards was burned. Other features of interest include several ruined temples, the former palace, numerous broken pieces of statuary, surviving Pelenzorian frescoes and mosaics, and several fine examples of troglodyte graffiti. It is what lies beneath the ruined city-state, however, which would interest the visitor most of all. For the most part, the catacombs of Pelenzor are largely intact - owing perhaps to the excellent engineering inherent in the original construction. Here, one may find all manner of refuse and relics, most of which managed to escape the conquest of Pelenzor. Also present in this subterranean warren are numerous forms of incorporeal undead, such as wraiths, spectres, and the like - many of whom were residents of the city in life. Also present are many varieties of slimes and puddings, and other creatures which have managed to make their way into the complex over the past millennia. Located in a more isolated portion of the catacombs - sealed off from the rest of it, for the most part - is what was once the Royal Vault, which contains the wealth of Pelenzor. Here, undisturbed for over 8,000 years, sits a vast collection of art, chests of coinage and gems, and other treasures. Though this wealth would no doubt be enticing to the average explorer, taking any of it would be a task fraught with peril, for the many statues in the vault are actually golems, living statues, and other constructs, who will animate should any treasure be taken. Perhaps the greatest surprise of all lies in a side chamber, which is itself warded against those of evil alignment. The sole item in that plain chamber is a block of clear crystal, measuring six feet on a side, containing the hibernating form of Princess Jasinnia, daughter of the late Queen Taranitha. Shortly before the fall of Pelenzor, Taranitha had her court wizards place her daughter in a magical slumber, and then encased in a protective cube of magical crystal. The queen had hoped that, in the event that she died, and Pelenzor was conquered, there might come a time when the city-state could rise again, and Jasinnia could be there to lead it to greatness once more. Jasinnia knew of her mother's plans, and agreed to the entombment, believing that it would be for the good of her future subjects. She was entrusted with an ivory scroll tube, in which rested the scroll of lore, a seemingly endless scroll containing much of the knowledge possessed by Pelenzor's scholars at the time. It was thought that, with the knowledge contained therein, Pelenzor could rebuild much faster than would otherwise be the case. Thus has she remained for the intervening years, completely unaware of the drastic changes which have taken place in the world outside. The nature of her preservation is such that she could be revived either through a wish, or dispel magic (cast by a spellcaster of at least 25th level), after which the block of crystal would dissolve, leaving her lying on the floor and regaining consciousness in 10 rounds. How she would react to the changes the world has undergone since her entombment is a matter for the DM to decide. Adventure Hooks: Pelenzor is not a place that most PCs will hear about over the course of their journeys, given its remote location (in the middle of the Izondian desert, buried deep under the sand). They are highly unlikely to hear about it in the Known World, and even in northern Davania, the only reference to it will be through various legends concerning a maiden trapped in a cave, and the connection between these and Pelenzor will be vague at best. The only place where PCs will have a real chance of learning about it is Selhomarr, and even so, they would have to spend a long time sifting through that nation's collected historical documents - assuming they could readily get access to them in the first place. The average Selhomarrian would know that there was once a city-state known as Pelenzor, which was the site of a great battle - after all, this is where Brell, their legendary general, died - but not much more than that. Scholars would know a little more about the place, to the point of knowing that it stood in a valley surrounded by lush grasslands, but then, due to the Spell of Preservation, they would not pursue the inquiry further; after all, the old world was destroyed ages ago, following the destruction of Lhomarr. Persistent PCs, or those having a Selhomarrian PC with connections, could manage to enter the main archives of Calimnis, where, after hours of searching, they might locate an ancient map or text, which itself is a copy of an even older document or map. There, they could learn where Pelenzor once stood. Returning to the surface world would be an adventure in itself (just as going to Selhomarr in the first place would be), followed by an equally arduous trek to Davania, through the Izondian desert, and finally reaching the site where Pelenzor's ruins lay buried. That said, DMs are free to insert other means by which the PCs might learn of Pelenzor and its fabled treasures - perhaps a grizzled explorer, unable to make the journey to Davania, tracks down the PCs and gives them a mysterious map, or a strange text describing a once-great city, and asks them to locate the ruins for him, or any other means might be used. The exploration of the ruins would be highly dangerous - DMs are encouraged to throw in all manner of natural and man-made hazards (including collapsing tunnels, traps, and the like), as well as encounters with undead (some of which would be quite powerful). The treasures located in the vault, as well as the discovery of Princess Jasinnia, however, would make the trek worthwhile -- 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, 22 Feb 2001 12:05:47 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Future of Mystara Chris wrote: >IMO D&D (esp. the basic set) was so sucessfull because it was aimed at this >audiance. the rules cyclopedia and adnd (IMO) was not. If you can get new >players your fanbase will grow. Perhaps it would be posible to release a net >version/re-do of the Basic set, cause I know theres a mystarian netbook out >there with all the rules and adndmonsters.com has the 2nd ed. rulebook on >it's site so I don't believe wizards would be against it. Perhaps re-do the >Mystarian NB in PDF, and release both to all sites that we can find that >have a section marked free RPG's. Then oncce we got them hooked we shatter >their minds with the wealth of the fan based infomation. :-) I like the last bit. But seriously, some sort of introductory piece would be a very good idea, and should be done so long as it doesn't break any copyright regulations. >agreed. It's so hard to find a good long on-line module these days. That's something else online Mystarans should consider. Online modules are a must, IMO, as not everyone has the time to concoct good adventures on the fly. 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, 22 Feb 2001 12:33:00 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: <52.790e0bd.27c68517@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Alex Benson wrote: > the Mystaran crowd. To me, acceptance of a project within the Net Almanac is > a general acceptance of the project in terms of Mystara as a whole. Of Not really. Personally I abhor the whole "second sun/old one Atruaghin" storyline. It seems forced, unrealistic, and definitely not something I would ever consider using. (Apologies to the authors ^_^) Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 09:35:49 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Future for Mystara? In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 12:33 2/22/01 -0500, SteelAngel wrote: >On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Alex Benson wrote: > >> the Mystaran crowd. To me, acceptance of a project within the Net Almanac is >> a general acceptance of the project in terms of Mystara as a whole. Of > >Not really. Personally I abhor the whole "second sun/old one >Atruaghin" storyline. It seems forced, unrealistic, and definitely not >something I would ever consider using. (Apologies to the authors ^_^) I'm afraid I have to agree with Alex. While a lot of the MAs contain useful material, some of it seems more like fanfic than anything designed to be useable IMC. It may be a good story, but that's not the same as good gaming material, and I thus I sort of sigh at that stuff and move on past it. There's not much point in speaking out and railing against the material -- it's often well-done, well-meant and, frankly, it's already part of the MA -- but that doesn't mean I use it or even mentally consider it the official timeline. 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 10:03:04 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Taladaran Lords vs Karameikos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Okay, I'm trying to figure out the status of Traladaran lords during the Thyatian/Karameikan control of that land. The Gazetteer only shows a handful of dominions, all appointed by Duke Stefan. We know that there are Traladaran villages outside of those dominions, and probably Traladaran lords as well, but we aren't told much about them. Dark Knight of Traladara suggests that Traladaran barons exist. When Stefan grants a dominion, it probably contains Traladaran villages. Do these villages have a lord, or were all the Traladaran lords deposed in the Thyatian invasion? Maybe Stefan does not recognize Traladaran lords, but the Traladarans do? Maybe the Traladaran lords are nobles, but are below Baronial status, so when Stefan appoints a new baron, all existing Traladaran lords must swear fealty to the new overlord. I'm also wondering about the Thyatian occupation, since that is where my campaign is currently set. Sources indicate that the Thyatians only had a governer and occupation force in Specularum, and did little other than taxing trade through that city. My guess is that the Thyatians destroyed any Traladaran lords who opposed the invasion, but those who submitted were allowed to continue ruling with very little intervention. Assuming that is the case, there should be Traladaran lords, barons, maybe even dukes and kings between 900 and 970. I kind of like the idea that old Traladara is a patchwork of many tiny independent kingdoms and baronies. But if so, where'd they go when Duke Stefan took over? I imagine the situation is vaguely similar to the Norman conquest of England, the conquest of Wales, and similar historical events. I would love to hear from anyone with knowledge or even an opinion. :-) 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, 22 Feb 2001 10:03:04 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Dominions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT I've been doing some calculations on the Dominion rules from the RC, so I thought I'd share what I came up with. I did this work because I'm working on detailing Traladara circa AC960, and wanted to come up with a model for a typical Traladaran dominion. I wanted to know how large a typical farm is. Also, I wanted to determine how many landed knights a barony might support in an 8-mile hex. Those who are interested in further research should take a look at http://www.hut.fi/~vesanto/link.useful/worlds/citysize.html An 8-mile hex contains 55.424 square miles (35471 acres). The maximum population for an 8-mile hex is 5000 "families". Assuming the entire hex is fertile farmland and under cultivation, each "family" has a farm of 7 acres. That leaves 471 unproductive acres (1.3%) devoted to roads, villages, waterways, etc. Medieval grain yields were about 4:1. With 2 bushels of seed, an acre yields 8 bushels at harvest; saving out two bushels for nxt years sees, that leaves 6 bu/acre harvest. An active person needs about 24 bushels per year for food; inactive persons need about 12 bushels, and the wealthy may consume 48+. One man can harvest seven acres in 21 days, or a bit less than 4 weeks, though he'd prefer to have some help and get done sooner, in case the rains start early. Let's assume an actual farm family is actually consisting of 2 workers and one child; consumption is 2x24+1x12=60 bushels of food. We'll assign them 14 acres (two virtual "families"); production is 84 bu, consumption is 60 bu, leaving a surplus of 24 bu. There is a maximum of 2500 such farmsteads per hex, so one hex supports 7500 farmers and 2500 other people, or an urbanization ration of 25% max, which closely matches the figures for Thyatis. It would then take 20 hexes to support Specularum if all land was in production; however it is about 50% forest, so 40 hexes (about 1/3 of the farmland in the duchy) is probably more accurate. However this means that it will take 1200 hexes to feed the population of Thyatis, or 150 24-mile hexes under 100% cultivation -- that is more than the land area of the mainland, even including the mountains and islands. Fish can account for some but it still seems excessive. So let's increase crop yields to 7:1, allowing for magic and slightly higher than medieval science. Also, let's institute crop rotation, with only 5 acres in production per farm. Those 5 acres can now produce 60 bushels of grain, plus more 4 bushels of food from animals grazing on the two fallow acres. One man can handle this; give him one dependent also. The "family" eats 36 bu, leaving a surplus of 28. Now our hex has a farm population of 10000 persons, and supports an urban population of 5833. This cuts the amount of required land in half. A population of 10000 commoners is divided into 66 farming villages of 150 (75 "families") each. Each village occupies 470 acres, produces 75 gp in taxes, 750gp in goods and services, plus any resource income. Group the villages in 4.4 sqmi "manors" of 6 villages each, and each manor will support a landed knight with 59400 annual income. A petty baron with one 8-mile hex might have 10 landed knights, plus his own personal manor, plus any hired mercenaries he might want; he'd have an annual income of 59400 plus 118800 in "salt tax" from his knights, for a total of 178200. Of course farming his land out to knights in this manner, he'd only obtain 450 XP per year from his personal manor. Anyway, there it is for anyone who in interested. Comments appreciated. 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, 22 Feb 2001 19:06:44 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > I don't know x11 (still waiting for it to appear as a download), but I guess I'm one of the few people who actually like WOTI WOTI's main problem was that in the end Alphatia is resurrected. 8-) > , but it's not my favorite - for that position I guess I would nominate B10 - Night's Dark Terror. A good module, but it's too unreal. My choices? Hmm, I really liked CM3 (yeah, I know it's a silly mega-dungeon-blocks- adventure, but hey, it was really fun to dm) and, with a little re-working, X4 and X5 are very interesting. M1 is quite stupid, M2 is just a better description of the last adventure in CM1. M3 is annoying, the IM modules are really horrible to the point of no return from the depths of horror (the writers had probably lost their sanity when they met some of Geoff's servitor-creatures; no, impossible, the modules would have been more interesting). X2 is too crazy, although many like it. B4 is really good if you think that it is a basic adventure. 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 10:08:37 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Taladaran Lords vs Karameikos In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:03 2/22/01 +0000, Mike Harvey wrote: >I kind of like the idea that old Traladara is a patchwork of many >tiny independent kingdoms and baronies. But if so, where'd they go >when Duke Stefan took over? IMC, the heart of the Radlebb Forest, where the Westron Road runs through and where the hamlet of Midwood (IMC) is located, was part of the territory of a Tesar Boldizsarovic, who fought a losing battle against the Thyatians in 900, and whose daughter, Anya, eventually trafficked in very dark magics (as suggested to her by an elf "friend") trying to avenge her father. Something very nasty now haunts the overgrown ruins of Fort Boldizsarovic, which lies to the southwest of Midwood by about eight miles. Even the goblins and orc bandits who frequent the area avoid the ruin now. 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, 23 Feb 2001 05:39:06 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: Future of Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:27 22/02/01 -0600, you wrote: >So, from reading the below, am I to assume that you CAN reproduce published >material? not holus bolus, no >> >> >> >> well there are some constraints upon what I can put no the Vaults >> > > > >> >I assume the constraints are that you cannot reproduce too much >> >in the way of published material, right? > > >>nah, that's not it - I can't kill off major personalities, things like that 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 13:06:56 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Online Modules MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 12:05:47 -0500 Geoff Gander writes: > Chris wrote: > That's something else online Mystarans should consider. Online > modules > are a must, IMO, as not everyone has the time to concoct good > adventures > on the fly. Well, I'm currently working on plotting out a series of 3 (high-ish level) 3E modules set in 1001-1003 AC Darokin using elements of my Houses of Darokin series. It probably won't use the Mystara3E conversion, as that is looking like it will be literally years before even a first draft is made. So instead I'll probably just use standard 3E and then update the modules if/when Mystara3E is released. As for the plot? Well, it all starts when the famed mage Reginald of Crowlerd vanishes while investigating strange events on Ithel Island and goes from there into a chain of events bringing Darokin to the brink of civil war. [I'm currently trying to distill the imnportant elements from a 9 module plot I started with to fit into 3 adventures.] And when will this barrel of goodness be released? Well, here's what I plan to work on first: The last two Houses of Darokin posts (not started) An expanded timeline of Darokin (based on existing notes taken from the Darokin Gaz, my Houses of Darokin posts, and the Cynidecia project) Revising Houses of Darokin (a few minor edits and additions) And then probably I'll want to playtest them after they're written (possibly through IRC or PBEM...) Oh yes. The current titles of the RD (Republic of Darokin) modules: RD1- Legacy of the Fallen RD2- Web of Deceit RD3- Halls of Power Plus vague plans for a module/supplement detailing the aftermath of the series and bringing Darokin up to the Master's invasion: RD4- The Price of Victory 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 13:10:59 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hmm... I would have to say X4. My group had _way_ too much fun with that module. (X5 proved a bit disapointing, as the Temple of Death turned out to be less spooky and less dangerous then the bhut monastery in X4) 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 06:14:31 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: poll Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I don't usually inform the list when I upadte the Vaults of Pandius but I've just put up a little poll for some information gathering, so it would be really great if you could come along and fill it in. 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 13:26:34 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 08:35:35 -0800 Beau Yarbrough writes: > At 08:16 2/22/01 -0800, Aaron E Nowack wrote: > >1) Not even a mention of the differences from AD&D2E that the OD&D > rules > >set introduced to Mystara. even a line saying "Most elves are > >fighter/mages, most dwarves are fighters... etc. would have been > better. > > Couldn't this have been a conscious decision, as this was > meant to be the > first setting tackled by new play groups? And that's a case of poor marketing. > >2) Very poor supplements. K:KoA is almost a word for word copy of > Gaz1 > >in some places, and only haphazardly tries to take into acount the > 13 > >years of major changes that ad occured. G:KoM (besides calling > Glantri a > >Kingdom) had several boneheaded errors, the most famous of which is > the > >NoS still draining Energy. > > What makes them poor? What's said above. No new material, haphazard updating to 1013, and stupid mistakes like the NoS one. >So, beyond > skimming > over conversion aspects and forgetting about the Energy/Entropy > swap, what > else did Mystara 2E miss the boat on? Good adventures and lack of anything new, mainly. And its completely ignoring conversion aspects. Skimming over them would have been at least acknowledging that it was a conversion. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 14:26:00 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: poll In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010223061429.00768cb8@mail.alphalink.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: > I don't usually inform the list when I upadte the Vaults of Pandius but > I've just put up a little poll for some information gathering, so it would > be really great if you could come along and fill it in. Umm, Stan? Why did you mention Ravenloft in the second Question? I'm confused. I don't play Ravenloft! Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 06:30:17 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: poll Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 14:26 22/02/01 -0500, you wrote: >On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: > >> I don't usually inform the list when I upadte the Vaults of Pandius but >> I've just put up a little poll for some information gathering, so it would >> be really great if you could come along and fill it in. > >Umm, Stan? > >Why did you mention Ravenloft in the second Question? I'm confused. I >don't play Ravenloft! oops, all fixed now - shall I take yours and Jenn's answers thus far as if it read Mystara? 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 20:33:40 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: poll MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit take mine to as if it read Mystara, just filled it in... guessed it's a cross-poll from the various Otherworlds sites. Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 19:37:04 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Online Modules In-Reply-To: <20010222.130657.-378589.1.anowack@juno.com>; from anowack@JUNO.COM on Thu, Feb 22, 2001 at 01:06:56PM -0800 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Thu, Feb 22, 2001 at 01:06:56PM -0800, Aaron E Nowack wrote: > > Oh yes. The current titles of the RD (Republic of Darokin) modules: > > RD1- Legacy of the Fallen > RD2- Web of Deceit > RD3- Halls of Power > RD4- The Price of Victory Love the titles :) Look forward to the modules! gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 20:37:18 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit To the reasons given I would add the lush artwork which increased prices like crazy, while other graphic aspects, like maps, lost quite a lot of quality. I don't know why all those mid-90s TSR products focused so much on expensive color artwork and graphical face-wash. Were they trying to target a younger audience?? is it a case of hybris which drew the company to ruin??? Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 06:42:33 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: poll Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 20:33 22/02/01 +0100, you wrote: >take mine to as if it read Mystara, just filled it in... guessed it's a >cross-poll from the various Otherworlds sites. erm, yeah ... cut and paste facilities. It's a poll suggested by Jim Butler from Wizards - so please, all fit in 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 14:47:09 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: poll In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010223063014.00890a54@mail.alphalink.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: > >Why did you mention Ravenloft in the second Question? I'm confused. I > >don't play Ravenloft! > > oops, all fixed now - shall I take yours and Jenn's answers thus far as if > it read Mystara? Oh no :) I use oD&D for Mystara right now! Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 06:56:59 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: poll Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 14:47 22/02/01 -0500, you wrote: >On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: > >> >Why did you mention Ravenloft in the second Question? I'm confused. I >> >don't play Ravenloft! >> >> oops, all fixed now - shall I take yours and Jenn's answers thus far as if >> it read Mystara? > >Oh no :) > >I use oD&D for Mystara right now! OK, I'll mark that as a change then And on a slightly different track, does anyone more versed in html know what I'm doing wrong with the html behind the poll - AOL users seem to have problems actually submitting it 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:17:41 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gotta defend M1!!!!! Into the Maelstrom was one of the better modules, though for all time I would have to say X4 and X5...counting them both since they are in the same series. M1 is the first Spelljammer type atmosphere...so there! And it introduces the first Immortals which you all so dearly love (That is, introduces them as more than just a name and a paragraph). Its a cool module with a cool concept. Its a Greek Mythological adventure with Immortals trying to sway events and earn points off the poor saps. X11 was good...and so were X10 and X12. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Caroletti" To: Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 1:06 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Favourite module > > > > I don't know x11 (still waiting for it to appear as a download), but I guess I'm one of the few people who actually like WOTI > > WOTI's main problem was that in the end Alphatia is resurrected. > 8-) > > > , but it's not my favorite - for that position I guess I would nominate B10 - Night's Dark Terror. > > A good module, but it's too unreal. > My choices? Hmm, I really liked CM3 (yeah, I know it's a silly > mega-dungeon-blocks- > adventure, but hey, it was really fun to dm) and, with a little > re-working, X4 and X5 are > very interesting. M1 is quite stupid, M2 is just a better description of > the last adventure > in CM1. M3 is annoying, the IM modules are really horrible to the point > of no return from > the depths of horror (the writers had probably lost their sanity when > they met some of > Geoff's servitor-creatures; no, impossible, the modules would have been > more interesting). > X2 is too crazy, although many like it. B4 is really good if you think > that it is a basic adventure. > > 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. > > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 15:19:49 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I agree with those two and love your quote. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad Fonseca" To: Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 8:38 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] Favourite module > Hello! > > I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara > campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and > for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" > > -- > Brad:) > > "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." > > ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:24:13 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Online Modules Aaron wrote: >Oh yes. The current titles of the RD (Republic of Darokin) modules: > >RD1- Legacy of the Fallen >RD2- Web of Deceit >RD3- Halls of Power >RD4- The Price of Victory Excellent-sounding titles! What format would they be in? 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, 22 Feb 2001 21:37:22 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: poll MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Probably you should tinker with the ACTION, TYPE or METHOD attributes of the FORM element you have pasted to the vaults site. As I suffered for a short time in my last stay in the US, AOL is quite limiting for some of the automatic functions of sending email from the browser. If the METHOD is "post" with a mailo: URL, you should try turning it into some other kind of output with "get". Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 15:21:35 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Online Modules MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:24:13 -0500 Geoff Gander writes: > Aaron wrote: > > >Oh yes. The current titles of the RD (Republic of Darokin) > modules: > > > >RD1- Legacy of the Fallen > >RD2- Web of Deceit > >RD3- Halls of Power > >RD4- The Price of Victory > > Excellent-sounding titles! What format would they be in? (assuming you mean file format?) Probably plain text to start with, as that's the only cross-platform format I can produce. Then I'll probably make some better formatted Word or RTF ones. If there's going to be a PDF version, I'm not going to making it, as I don't ave the full version of Acrobat. If you mean rules, then 3E. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 16:32:23 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Larry E. Lamb" Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/01 11:19:17 AM Pacific Standard Time, anowack@JUNO.COM writes: << the most famous of which is > the > >NoS still draining Energy. > >> What is this "NoS"? I dont know what this 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 23:01:02 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Future of Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Wed, 21 Feb 2001 12:48:36 Alex Benson wrote: >I have been looking over this thread and would like to point out a few >details. We are all fans of Mystara and naturally the idea of controlling the >rights, events, and interests of Mystaran works is appealing. Financially we >could probably swing it. I mean there are around 250 members on the MML. I >have no idea how many additional fans are on the MMB. Anyway...chipping in we >could probably compile enough funds to make a legitimate offer to WotC. >However I have to ask what we really gain? > An extremely valid question IMHO. >All of us have written, or are currently in the middle of, some Mystaran >relevant work. The Mystaran Line is dead as far as WotC is concerned so we >really have no official competition. Likewise, WotC has not really expressed >any constraints to our manipulations of the Line. Unless they decide to >revive the Line, I see no reason why they would. > I don't see WOTC reviving Mystara again... ever! However, another company might. Some have speculated that doing so might be expensive (to get the rights) but I don't think so. Mystara is owned by WOTC and nothing can change that - if a company is determined and WOTC demands too much, they'll just create their own world instead and there is no profit in that for WOTC. If, on the other hand, they let someone 'buy' the setting, then that company can try to revitalize Mystara, but WOTC will still own it! And since it's another company, WOTC has everything to gain and nothing to lose by this. The real concern is who would be willing to base a product on WOTC's whim - they'd likely demand full control of Mystara, so I don't see it happening (because I doubt WOTC would allow it). Some people have mentioned that Ravenloft must have been expensive for White Wolf. I don't know if it was (does anybody know?), yet even if it were, I doubt the same would be true for Mystara. Don't forget that Ravenloft was alive and well in 2e, but was promptly killed by WOTC when the news of 3e was announced. That means that there was still a large fanbase out there. This is not the case for Mystara. Mystara lost it's fanbase and went under before 2e died, so a new company trying to revive it would have to start from scratch... WOTC, of course, knows this... >Afterall...the trend seems to be a refocusing of the limited market on FR >products with a secondary product line geared towards the generic adventures. > Very true. (snip) > >If we were to go ahead, collect the money, present the offer, and make the >deal then we are stuck with what to do with the rights. I can tell you from >personal experience in the Net Almanac that it is VERY difficult to get a >concise and unified front in dealing with any sect, faction, or attribute of >Mystara. Each fan has their own favorite and that favoritism shows in their >works. How are you going to moderate who gets a bloody nose this year and who >reaps the rewards? > Exactly. Take the age-old flame war between a certain two Mystaran empires (no, I'm trying to revive it, just use it as the prime example). Eventually a struggle would have to occur between them, so what happens? Which empire takes a beating? Thyatis-fans will claim that their empire was hurt both during WOTI and the subsequent almanacs, and has never recovered from that. They're right. Alphatians, like me, will claim that Alphatia was destroyed in WOTI. It may have survived in the HW, and the later NACE may grown in the alamanacs (the official ones), but it's never recovered. That's true too. So whose turn is it to take a beating? And who gets to decide which? We could take a vote, but Thyatian-loyalists might claim that's unfair simply because there are more Alphatia-philes, so Alphatia would win every time. Not sure if that's true, but it seems to be to me, so I think they'd be right, and I can't blame them for it - I wouldn't like it if Alphatia were to take a dive just because more people liked Thyatis either, so how could I blame them? I couldn't... and I wouldn't! And that's just for the two empires. Now consider the rest of Mystara and think of all the hurt feelings changes to those would cause :( (snip) > The RPG industry is hard-pressed enough as it is to >sell its wares. IIRC just the other day there was mention of the demise of >one of the good ole companies. > You mean FASA? :( >To grow (and survive) Mystara's fanbase needs to grow. Recruitment could best >be done over the internet, MML, and MMB. Build those gaming groups up and get >newbies involved. Of course I am a hypocrite in this regard as I do not game >nor do I plan on trying to game. The gaming crowd in my area is essentially >dead...or too weird for my tastes. Either way the potential for new Mystara >recruits is dismal around hear. > I see no chance of this happening unless somebody is willing to put Mystara in direct competition with FR, Greyhawk, or Dragonlance. These worlds are pretty similar (basic Tolkien Middle-Earth clones to be blunt to the point of insult - not that I intend insult, mind you, just trying to overstate my point) and thus, I think they're all attractive to pretty much the same fans! >Mystara is a rather old fashioned game setting with its attributes standing >as stoic reminders of the classical images of "high fantasy". I think that we >all can agree that we are all long-time gamers and purists...hence the >reverence of D&D over AD&D editions. Actually, I prefer AD&D, I just thought the attempted conversion was handled just about as poorly as it was in any way possible :( > Mystara symbolizes D&D and the old cut >and dry means of gaming. Yup. The down-and-dirty basics. Which means that people sadly think of Mystara as 'simplistic' and 'basic' campaign setting :( > This is a bit sad IMO as I am sure that we Mystarans >are some of the more passionate, intellectual, and analytical fans of RPG. > Well, thank you I suppose (good think we're not vain, eh?) ;) >IMO Mystara needs a bit of an overhaul if it is to attract new fans. Look at >the bevy of works done by the fanbase. The Gaz Nations are essentially >unchanged since the canon timelines stopped off. We are still playing upon >plotlines established in AC1000 and Wrath. There is also a plethora of works >that move away from the KW nations. I cannot blame them, I have done the same >by refocusing on ancient Mystaran history and the untapped boundaries of >Davania. No one seems willing to stir things up on the KW. > I don't think you're right about that (actually, I know you're not). >It is not just the stagnancy of the KW that needs to be readdressed. The NPCs >and personalities need to be addressed. Everything and everyone is so cut and >dry and "painted" in black and white or good and evil. There are no truly >human acting NPCs. I don't agree. IMHO Mystara is far more 'grey' than FR, Greyhawk, DL, or most other fantasy settings. Take the much-debated King Stefan, for example. He's 'oh so nice' and 'awful good' and all that, but when he sees an opportunity to declare his independence and turn his back on Thyatis he graps it immediately (no, lets not discuss his motives, *please*!) That's a strange thing for such a good and noble character to do in most fantasy settings, but on Mystara it's not surprising at all. > IMO that is why my local area gaming crowd favors darker >RPGs such as VtM and non-personal wargames. In either genre, circumstances >dictate the actions of the primary players, not the ideas or ideals of good, >evil, or the template of "traditional high fantasy". > I think Mystara could work for a number of people, it's just that very few are aware of the delicate intricacies of Mystaran politics... (snip) > >The trick to any changes is in retaining the attributes that make Mystara >what it is. If done wrong Mystara will just become a compilation of other RPG >settings and become gimmicky. > >Say...here is an idea. We all have opinions and I have voiced some here. Why >not let the MML voice their own opinions on Mystara's overhaul. List changes >that you would like to see in the coming years. Or list changes since canon >Mystara since the GAZ era or Wrath or after the PWAs/JA. You can send them to >the MML. Or if you feel a bit nervous about criticizing works, send them to >me via private mail. Confidentiality assured. I'll compile these >changes...all changes....for posting. It may prove to be inspiring to the >Almanac Staff. At least it will allow some good old healthy venting :-) > Boy, where do I start????????? ;) I think I'll have to get back to that as other people comment... >Anyway....I am against the acquisition of the rights to Mystara. I see no >reason for it asside from its writers having the personal satisfaction of >owning it, controlling it, or having their names in print. Now if the buyers >were to address the acquisition as a serious business venture, I would >definitely buy the products for as long as they are worth buying. > Well, I'm a bit undecided, but I lean more toward being against new Mystara material for several reasons. The main one is that I think the current situation is the best for us now - we can write up whatever we like and publish it here or elsewhere. If we send it here, it'll turn up on Shawn's site. That way, we all get to contribute and nobody gets a bloody nose for what they add. Other people can criticize it, sure (I have done so myself on some things), but people can still stick with their creations if they like them that much. For those who don't like it, they can just ignore it... Given our various disagreements and preferences of one aspect/nation of Mystara or another, I think this is the one allows most of us to be happy. I see trouble if we try to change that. Don't forget, the people on this list are the market! More people may become interested in Mystara if things are published, but there is no point in doing Mystara stuff if it ignores all the stuff that came before, and the MML is the forum where you see what people like and dislike - you should listen to that forum if you're going to publish Mystara-stuff! (Or you would be doing what TSR did wrong once again) What great aspects could we focus on? Most of us have been without canon-sources for so long that we've filled in the blanks. Most of us probably did so without realizing it, but we still did it because those blanks needed to be filled with details (like, what is Ixion's alignment? I'd say Chaotic Good, but that's just me. It's not what Shawn's site says. It's not it says in the Red Steel boxed set. Yet I say CG anyway, and I have great difficulty accepting anything else, because that's how I see him and what I based my campaigns on! I'd hate it if some crummy rulebook came along and told my players differently). I won't answer the question I posed - I can't. I have no answer for it myself. And that makes me cast my vote against new publications. I don't see Mystara attracting new fans, and so I see only the existing fans being hurt by it. Those of us who were here when Shawn's site was made the official Mystara-site may remember all canon vs. non-canon flame wars that subsequently followed. If that announcement could cause major flame wars so bad that Leroy eventually had to step in and stop the topic, then think of what new canon-material could cause... The thought fills me with dread. I think of most people here as my friends, and I don't want to see my friends hurt... But if someone really *is* serious about doing this, then I definitely feel that we're the people to talk to! We may be diverse groups of fans with lots of pet-peeves and strange grudges, but I doubt any campaign world can boast of a more dedicated and creative fanbase that we can - I've been on this list for about 16 months or so, and I can safely say it's been one of the most creative things I've ever done. If I hadn't joined, I doubt I would have made any new contributions to Mystara myself, or that any of my old ones would have been developed to the point of new release. I have a lot to thank the MML for! >BTW- if any of the above came off as being harsh or directed towards any >specific individuals, I appologize. The above are my thoughts on the matters >discussed (Mystara's future) and bear no intended animosity. >Some of the MMLers from old that remember me before my "lurker-dom" may have >noticed that I am a bit more laid back than I was. Likewise I am more honest >(to the point of being insulting). Events in the last few months have >initiated this general change. IMO it is for the best and is quite >therapeutic. > Thanks for writing this email, Alex. I think it addressed several points that needed to be considered in this topic. - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 23:03:48 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:32:23 Larry E. Lamb wrote: >In a message dated 2/22/01 11:19:17 AM Pacific Standard Time, >anowack@JUNO.COM writes: > ><< the most famous of which is > > the > > >NoS still draining Energy. > > >> > >What is this "NoS"? I dont know what this is.... > NoS = the Nucleus Of the Spheres. It's the strange 'artifact' buried far beneath Glantri City which grants Radiance powers to the Glantrians (and the shadowelves too, incidentally) - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 23:24:54 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:46:20 shawn stanley wrote: >At 08:38 21/02/01 -0500, you wrote: >>On Wed, 21 Feb 2001, shawn stanley wrote: >> >>> My site is such a beast, we might only have the aid an assitance of one >>> ex-author, Bruce Heard, but the Vaults of Pandius is the official voice of >>> Mystara. >> >>There is a MAJOR difference between the Kargatane and the Vaults. Whereas >>every interesting idea and theory and supplement is added to the vaults >>(and rightly so!) The Kargatane release only a few 'official' netbooks, >>and pretty much ignore everything else. >> >>Now, I'm not bashing your page Stan - It is the _best_ Mystara resource >>out there! But my point is that our voices are eclectic. Who is to say >>what is 'official' at the Vaults? > >as the webmaster of the official site it could be said that I am. of >course I haven't taken that role and have also moved to create a group of >people who would answer such a question, the group has also yet to act but >that's why I'm now asking the question - do you want us to? > Generally no. However, if Mystara becomes a published setting again, then my answer changes to yes, and I would definitely want to see you and the people you nominate in that position more than I would like anyone else. In short - you'll have my vote, but only if I need to give one ;) >>I think this arguement came up before just before the vaults were named by >>WoTC as 'The Site'. >> >>> does the Mystara community want an authoritative voice for such matters? a >>> mechanism has already been put in place to enact that and the Vaults of >>> Pandius have been given reign to act with authority. do you want it to? >> >>That's a good question. Do we want printed materials so badly as to >>'qualify' some materials, and 'disqualify' others from print/canon? >> >>It's a big decision that requires a _lot_ of consideration, and may >>alienate a lot of people.... > >exactly > The real problem are the new almanacs IMHO. The almanac is a huge publication, and I freely admit that I see it as the primary 'canon' source available today. I also see the fact that you've dedicated an entire section of your site (particularly when the MA already has its own site) as quiet acceptance of this. Huge amounts of work go into producing those almanacs (I know becase I'm part of the team myself now!) and they're fairly important to a number of people out there. If published canon-material ever comes, somebody please make sure that the MAs are not cast by the way-side! - The Stalker PS: Congratulations to the MML! When I joined, 166 people subscribed to it, and now we're 267. Very impressive! Where are you all coming from? (And where have you been all this time?) ;) Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 17:26:41 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Larry E. Lamb" Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ok. Thank you, hehehe..i dident know what that was. Im some what new to the setting, i have read the GAZ 's 1,2 and 3 and i have the K:KoA box set and two of the almanacks and thats it (besides the D&D modul B2 "Keep on the Bourderlands"). ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 00:06:56 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 17:26:41 Larry E. Lamb wrote: >Ok. Thank you, hehehe..i dident know what that was. Im some what new to the >setting, i have read the GAZ 's 1,2 and 3 and i have the K:KoA box set and >two of the almanacks and thats it (besides the D&D modul B2 "Keep on the >Bourderlands"). > In that case you're definitely one of those 'newcomers' I was so doubtful would be attracted to Mystara, yes? For information on the various nations I suggest you turn to Atlas bit of the Almanacs (can be found on Shawn's offical Mystara site or downloaded from its own site ) I'm curious, though, so let me pose a question to all people relatively new to Mystara - what attracted you to Mystara? If you, like me, is a long time fan (13+ years) but with little published material like me (well, it was true when I joined the MML at least), then you don't need to answer because I'll just assume that you're as cursed as I am to like Mystara ;) But if you're a *real* newcomer who never played Mystara before, then I really would like to know what has brought you here? What attracted you? What made you choose Mystara over the Forgotten Realms (FR) or Greyhawk? If I were a completely new gamer, I don't think I'd even consider Mystara given the amount of support WOTC is giving FR and GH... So why? - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 17:41:39 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: DM Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Andrew Theisen wrote: << Don't know if you've all read the press release about Ravenloft on Eric= =20 Noah's 3E website (http://www.rpgplanet.com/dnd3e), but White Wolf has=20 acquired the rights to publish new Ravenloft material under the D20 banner. Maybe sometime we (the list members) either collectively or in conjunction= =20 with one of the many new D20 publishers out there can do something similar= for Mystara?>> I for one am quite content with the present state of things. I am constantly= running three campaigns in Mystara using all old published material, stuff= from the Almanacs and the net, plus my personal ideas, so Mystara never= really died for me. Altho I might understand that people who like it but= don't play anymore would be happy to finally read something put into paper= for their favourite campaign world. However, I suspect it won't happen (and if it will, none too soon), since= Mystara is a different case from Ravenloft.=20 First, Ravenloft is a gothic-horror-fantasy game setting, and White Wolf is= very much into horror (Vampire, Werewolf, Wraith) and fantasy-horror= (Changeling, Mage), so it was the only logical solution if RL had to be= revived. Also, please keep in mind that RL will not be developed by WW= itself, but rather by Arthaus Inc., a White Wolf affiliate, which has= already began talking with the Kargatane members for a long term= cooperation. And now we come to the second point of difference: Kargatane. As Ethan as= already pointed out, Ravenloft was fully supported by WotC staffers even= after the closing of the line, and the unofficial team of net-writers that= was officially charged by WotC of continuing RL online is the Kargatane.= The Kargatane is made up by experts of Ravenloft who have a permanent link= with the old RL designers and who not only talked with them on several= occasions but also met them live and attended GenCon many times. All in= all, the Kargatane is a bunch of prepared, competent and well organized= fans who have officially received TSR's blessing as regards making= Ravenloft live, and I suspect WotC itself has advised Arthaus Inc. in the= first place to "hire" or collaborate with them in order to produce new RL= supplements. Now, from these two points, it seems clear to me that WW is and will not be= interested in Mystara, since we are not even closesly tied to the= "atmosphere" they pursue with their campaign worlds and we cannot boast= neither WotC's open support (even though WotC has declared Shawn's site the= official Mystara one, they have not taken great lenghts to collaborate with= us) nor a cabal of well organized and closely linked writers who have= officially been endorsed by WotC with continuing the line (I am not saying= there aren't prepared and organized writers in our forum, mind u, else I'd= be offending all my teammates of the Mystaran Almanac or the colleagues of= the Tome of Mystara! :)) That said, I still believe that, even though having an officially published= thing to hold in one's hands is something really appalling, Mystara can= easily continue to live at the present state of things.=20 For one, the "supplements" that are published online each month or year are= choke full with information that is helpful for any DM and player, as well= as being a nice reading for those who don't game anymore.=20 Also, even though the stuff is not labeled as official (which I think is a= boon rather than a bane, but it seems here the absence of an Official Label= creates a state of perpetual insatisfaction or frustration, instead of joy= for the liberty awarded to all Mystara writers), it is 100% FREE, and this= is not a bad thing, considering the current trend of pricing WotC is= following with 3rd Ed (heck, Sword & Fist cost MORE than the PHB, DM or MM,= and was 1/3 the size!!! Unbelievable!!). Finally, the first product that WW will publish for Ravenloft will be a core= rulebook using D20 system, which will obviously be useful for all those RL= Masters wanting to convert RL to 3E, but useless in every other aspect,= since it won't add much to the already complete Domains of Dread Rulebook= (although if something similar would be done for Mystara, I think it could= be far more useful - to have finally a core book describing all the Known= World in detail =E0 la PWA... but then, we ALREADY have PWAs!). So, I for one don't mind the current state of Mystara, which is still a live= campaign everyone can contribute to online. If you feel the need to= complain about it and wish for another publishing house to revive it again= please go ahead, but don't forget we run the risk of truly losing it and= seeing it drastically altered or simply slacked off just to fit an business= company's needs... and you know what I am talking about, since this= wouldn't be the first time it happens to Mystara... DM=20 Senior Editor of the Mystaran Almanac=20 First Officer of U.S.S. Unicorn "You don't stop playing because you grow old:=20 you grow old because you stop playing!" Visit Marco's Mystara Homepage at:=20 http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967 And Mystara Italian Homepage at:=20 http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/9940 Join the Mystara Webring at:=20 http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967/mystring.html Join the Starfleet Academy at:=20 http://gioco.net/startrek (Italian RPG PBEM) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 18:01:11 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Beau Yarbrough" > > So, beyond skimming > over conversion aspects and forgetting about the Energy/Entropy swap, what > else did Mystara 2E miss the boat on? Did anyone mention their "dumbing down" the world and aiming at a younger (i.e., less sophisticated) audience? I think that change of approach alienated the older gamers (who saw it as being "dumbed down") as well as the younger ones (who I suspect would have thought that TSR was talking down to them rather than challenging them to keep up). ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 18:27:14 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Why Mystara 2E Was Boneheaded MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit From: "Andr�s Piquer Otero" > To the reasons given I would add the lush artwork which increased prices > like crazy, while other graphic aspects, like maps, lost quite a lot of > quality. I don't know why all those mid-90s TSR products focused so much on > expensive color artwork and graphical face-wash. Were they trying to target > a younger audience?? is it a case of hybris which drew the company to > ruin??? I would guess that the answer would be "Yes!" to both questions. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 18:27:30 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "shawn stanley" > > nah, that's not it - I can't kill off major personalities, things like that Where does that put the Mystaran Almanac team? They did just that during the Glantri/Ethengar war (among other events) in the last almanac. BTW -- does anyone have an estimate for the availability of the ESD downloads for Mystara? I know WotC hasn't said anything definite, but could somebody who is monitoring their uploads guess their rate of progress and how far they have to go before they get to Mystara? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 19:18:32 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 02/22/2001 10:12:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU writes: << Mystara is a combination of Birthright and FR in many respects. PC's can become kings, or help kings win battles, yet retains a high-fantasy falvor for those who aren't into politcal intrigues. >> For me, no other setting did as good a job of delineating the differences between the different nations, while presenting each nation with enough variety and detail that each Gaz could act as a stand alone campaign setting. You got a real sense of a community of nations [as haphazardly connected as some were] that struck us as a funky, RW Europe/Christendom with fun fantasy tweaks. For me it was so easily grasped by my players [allowing them to fall easily into their "roles"] because of this dual sense of the familiar, mixed with the exotic. Most Gaz's were designed so well, they could stand alone, if you and your players found the setting/nation you all enjoyed. You could run Karemeikos campaigns for years without any other material, just make it up as you went. Same with Ylaruam, etc. But as they went further down the Gaz list, they became more intertwined. Both good and bad. For me the Realms were all generic towns (different city, same local super mage) and Greyhawk just too sweeping in scope, and not supported as a setting very well past the first Golden days of modules. I liked the specificity of Ravenloft, Dark Sun, etc, and I think their design benefited from the Gaz's being published. The Birthright setting seemed to me to finally be a well-done, AD&D kind of Known World, in form, if not in content. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 01:30:34 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: ESD monitoring MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Well, I do check in the ESD pages and FAQ each month or so, and Mystara seems a bit far away: they have now the schedule for FR, DS (plus Oriental Adventures and Maztica), and Al-Qadim, as at the end of the year, with the recent addition of a release schedule for Dragonlance, which goes quite down into April 2001, IIRC. Plus, the FAQ says that next in scanning and .pdf formatting will be Greyhawk. Taking into account the horde of GH which was published, that will keep the site away from Mystara for another 3 months or so at least. And, in a personal email reply, Mr. Butler told me that Ravenloft was to follow GH, and I assume that Planescape will go then, too! So I would not expect any Mystara stuff on ESD till end 2001 or beginning of 2002 (which is kinda cool, cuz I have to be in the States for my work in those dates). It seems that Wizards was too optimistic in their initial schedule plans, and they have around half a year delay in respect to that schedule (DL was supposed to be in by November and it won't be finished till April or so). Fortunately GH is coming, along with all those golden age modules I've been unable to find... (I just hope that Wizards is not mean and they don't include Temple of Elemental Evil just because they're launching the 3E revamped and Realms-transplandted version... aaargh!) Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 18:32:02 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Eric Anondson Subject: Newcomers and Mystara In-Reply-To: <20010222230713.2A4F382FB@breg.mc.mpls.visi.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit > I'm curious, though, so let me pose a question to all people relatively new to > Mystara - what attracted you to Mystara? > > But if you're a *real* newcomer who never played Mystara before, then I really > would like to know what has brought you here? What attracted you? What made > you choose Mystara over the Forgotten Realms (FR) or Greyhawk? If I were a > completely new gamer, I don't think I'd even consider Mystara given the amount > of support WOTC is giving FR and GH... So why? Well, I'm not a new gamer, but I am very new to Mystara. In fact, every setting TSR/WotC has published I have indulged in, some more than others. I have been a fan of Greyhawk since it's '83 boxed set. I took to the Realms when it first came out and fell in love with it until about 8 years of overdose turned off me even more. My only exposure to the world of Mystara for years was through Red Steel which I used as material for my own home-brewed setting. What finally exposed me fully to the Known World was finding a WotC's link to the newly crowned Official Mystara Site. I went looking for some Red Steel stuff and found myself wandering the rest of the site and slowly reading more and more. Stalker, you made the comment that to many gamers Mystara had an "aura" of simplicity to it because it had been hitched to "Basic" D&D while "Advanced" D&D was used for some other settings. I drifted to the other settings because I didn't want to play a "Basic" game. After my weeks of browsing dnd.starflung.com I felt like I had been duped all those many years. And I was impressed by what Mystara offered, including the passions of the fans who had contributed so much material that had been gathered on that site. The scope of Mystara dwarfed everything that any other setting offered. It wasn't shy about being openly humorous. It's history appeared as detailed as Dragonlance's. It's high magic aspect rivaled the Forgotten Realms, and usually surpassed it. It's cultures felt as if they breathed. The cultural differences seemed real and plausible. I can say this now, because even though I have come to Mystara within a year I have managed to purchase all accessories except for less than a handful. (As an aside, boy was I stunned to find that the Forgotten Realms "borrowed" some Mystaran material for itself, after I browsed the Mystaran accessories.) Ok, I don't know if I have made anything clear or not what appealed to me enough to become a Mystara-phile. I know that when I finally joined the MML I found the IC banter between the members was great fun to read. No other of WotC's setting's Mailing Lists had this going on. It was another thing that pulled me in more, not that this would appeal to others new comers. What more can I say? 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:46:05 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Eric Anondson wrote: > > The scope of Mystara dwarfed everything that any other setting offered. It > wasn't shy about being openly humorous. It's history appeared as detailed > as Dragonlance's. It's high magic aspect rivaled the Forgotten Realms, and > usually surpassed it. It's cultures felt as if they breathed. The cultural > differences seemed real and plausible. I can say this now, because even > though I have come to Mystara within a year I have managed to purchase all > accessories except for less than a handful. (As an aside, boy was I stunned > to find that the Forgotten Realms "borrowed" some Mystaran material for > itself, after I browsed the Mystaran accessories.) > What exactly has FR stolen from Mystara? Dave Keyser ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 19:06:28 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Eric Anondson Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara In-Reply-To: <20010223005035.CD5F48309@breg.mc.mpls.visi.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit on 2/22/01 6:46 PM, Dave Keyser at dave@PALMCHIP.COM wrote: > Eric Anondson wrote: > >> >> The scope of Mystara dwarfed everything that any other setting offered. It >> wasn't shy about being openly humorous. It's history appeared as detailed >> as Dragonlance's. It's high magic aspect rivaled the Forgotten Realms, and >> usually surpassed it. It's cultures felt as if they breathed. The cultural >> differences seemed real and plausible. I can say this now, because even >> though I have come to Mystara within a year I have managed to purchase all >> accessories except for less than a handful. (As an aside, boy was I stunned >> to find that the Forgotten Realms "borrowed" some Mystaran material for >> itself, after I browsed the Mystaran accessories.) >> > > What exactly has FR stolen from Mystara? Off the top of my head, many of the spells from the Minothrad Guilds were borrowed for the Forgotten Realms' Pirates of the Fallen Stars. 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 19:28:52 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: ESD monitoring MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 01:30:34 +0100 =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= writes: >Plus, the FAQ says that next in scanning and > .pdf > formatting will be Greyhawk. Actually, it says the next ones are D&D and Greyhawk. A few months back, I believe that it was said that the D&D mentioned is OD&D, or the vast majority of Mystara products. The AD&D Mystara products are what they refer to on the priority list as Mystara. All IIRC. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 06:17:16 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ross Gilbertson Subject: Re: Pseudo-Newcomer MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > But if you're a *real* newcomer who never played Mystara before, then I really would like to know what has brought you here? What attracted you? What made you choose Mystara over the Forgotten Realms (FR) or Greyhawk? If I were a completely new gamer, I don't think I'd even consider Mystara given the amount of support WOTC is giving FR and GH... So why? Time to Delurk ^_^ I'm not an absolute newcomer in that I played oD&D in primary school. We battled Bargle and were based in Threshold etc. but it was Mystara in names only. After that I played a little GURPS, the D&D computer games, and a few Convention games but I've only really got back into roleplaying with D&D 3rd Ed. Why I tried to choose Mystara: A while back I found Gaz 1 in a bargain bin at my local newsagent and bought it because I recognised the name. I was very impressed! Everything I needed for a complete campaign was there. I went back to the newsagent and picked up Hollow World and fell in love with the detailed history and political feel of it all (I'm a history student). I've picked up a few more products since and continue to be impressed but its very hard to find stuff here in Australia even remotely within my budget. That said, the campaign I'm starting is set on Greyhawk. I don't kow the 3rd Ed. rules well enough yet to feel confident enough to alter them for Mystara and, with no offense to the people on the list, I've found the web resources almost completely useless for my purposes. The main problem being that I don't have the requisite background knowledge for most of it yet, or the time to get used to it (I freely admit I may have missed some obvious resource which is exactly what I need) I'm using Greyhawk because its simpler and faster for now. I still want to run a Mystaran campaign one day and to that end I'm lurking on the Mystaran lists to soak up the background knowledge I feel I need. What attracted me to Mystara? Gaz 1. A quality flavourful and deep product which contained everything I need for a campaign, but a campaign whose scope could be expanded at any time. And the 'human' non black and white feel of the world. That said, I would never have come to Mystara if I hadn't found its products in a shop. My preferred option for the future of Mystara? Someone buys the rights, adapts to 3rd Ed., and advances the timeline 10 years or so in order to flow past any inconsistencies created. Released is a general overview book of just the known world with the new rule mechanics needed (immortals whatever), a new version of one of the Gazeteers with its own regional feats and prestige classes, and a series of return to ... modules set it the land of that Gazeteer to go with it. (Maybe in reverse order though.) But I don't think it will happen. Ross Gilbertson ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 20:45:22 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Kevin Powers Subject: Almanac AC 1017 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Just wondering, how is the AC 1017 project going? Will there be an almanac this 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: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 17:42:17 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Richard Drozdik Subject: Re: poll In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.20010223061429.00768cb8@mail.alphalink.com.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed With regards to the poll, specifically the second question, I have a problem with the wording, or perhaps the control that accepts my answer. I have been a player in an OD&D Mystara campaign for about 5+ years now, and am about to become a player in another 3E Mystara campaign. Also, for the last five+ years or so, I have been DMing a highly personalized 2E Mystara campaign, which is going to be converted to a highly personalized 3E Mystara campaign. How would you like me to answer? Richard ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 20:30:02 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: All your... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In the spirit of insanity (based off the infamous opening to ZeroWing): Outside Alpha- An explosion occurs. Inside Ericall's Castle Ericall: "What happen ?" Advisor: "Somebody set up us fireball." Close-Up of Advisor #2 Advisor #2: "We get signal." Ericall: "What !" Crystal Ball Advisor #2: "Crystal ball turn on." (ZANDOR appears) Ericall: "It's you !!" Close up of ZANDOR ZANDOR: "How are you gentlemen !!" ZANDOR: "All your domain are belong to us." ZANDOR: "You are on the way to destruction." Close up of Ericall & ZANDOR Ericall: "What you say !!" ZANDOR: "You have no chance to survive make your time." Crystal ball ZANDOR: "Ha ha ha ha ...." Close up of Forlorn Ericall Advisor: "Ericall !!" Crystal Ball (showing PC) Ericall: "Take off every 'PC'!!" Shows PC preparing Ericall: "You know what you doing." Shows a PC leaving Alpha Ericall: "Move PC." PC on monitors, part of Ericall's castle explodes Ericall: "For great justice." The Castle explodes. A lone PC zooms into view! If you didn't understand this, check out http://www.planetstarseige.com/allyourbase/index.html 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. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 21:39:13 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: ESD monitoring MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Aaron E Nowack" > > Actually, it says the next ones are D&D and Greyhawk. > > A few months back, I believe that it was said that the D&D mentioned is > OD&D, or the vast majority of Mystara products. The AD&D Mystara > products are what they refer to on the priority list as Mystara. Hey guys, that means we're next! Woo-hoo! At least, the best stuff is next -- the 2E stuff will be nice but is less important for assembling a world description. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 22 Feb 2001 22:23:38 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/2001 4:24:01 PM Central Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > Don't forget, the people on this list are the market! What a depressing thought. I mean, there aren't THAT many people here... ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 00:38:30 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Eric Anondson wrote: > Off the top of my head, many of the spells from the Minothrad Guilds were > borrowed for the Forgotten Realms' Pirates of the Fallen Stars. Which in and of itself is a rehash of Irendi and Minrothad lumped together with the Merry Pirates of the HW. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 00:44:33 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: All your... In-Reply-To: <20010222.203003.-378589.8.anowack@juno.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Aaron E Nowack wrote: > In the spirit of insanity (based off the infamous opening to ZeroWing): Some more: >From the Shadow Elves: "All your Radience are belong to us!" >From the Orcs: "All your potatoes are belong to us" <- really obscure!! ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 01:08:07 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A.M. Merrifield" Organization: strawberryJAMM Designs Subject: Re: poll In-Reply-To: <4.3.2.7.2.20010222173657.00b096a0@pop.telus.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Similar problem for me: I've been playing in the same 0D&D Mystara campaign as Richard for probably 6+ years, and maybe even 7+ (he joined the group later). I'm also a player in the heavily modified 2E version of Mystara that he runs, which is soon to be converted to 3E mystara. And I'm the DM of the 3E Mystara campaign that he's about to become a player for (well, actually, he's already a player for, I'm just doing some "pre-game one-on-one" stuff with each player right now) So... how should I answer the following question when I'm only allowed one answer: "When you do play or DM in Mystara, which set of rules do you use? (3rd Edition, 2nd Edition, 1st Edition, Other)" Except for 1E, I use all of them, and only 2E will "disappear" after Richard's game is converted. Perhaps this should be a multiple choice question? Or a "ranking" question, where you can specify an order from one to four or "never" (or something like that). In any case, I'll refrain from responding until you clarify what you'd like to learn from this question. Jenni On 22 Feb 2001, at 17:42, Richard Drozdik wrote: > With regards to the poll, specifically the second question, I have a > problem with the wording, or perhaps the control that accepts my answer. I > have been a player in an OD&D Mystara campaign for about 5+ years now, and > am about to become a player in another 3E Mystara campaign. Also, for the > last five+ years or so, I have been DMing a highly personalized 2E Mystara > campaign, which is going to be converted to a highly personalized 3E > Mystara campaign. How would you like me to answer? > > Richard > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. > -- Jenni A.M. Merrifield <==> strawberry @ jamm.com <--------------------------------------------------------> God said: "Let there be Light." Then he created Earth, vegtables, animals, man and woman. Then God thought: "You know, I should create things I *like*!" So God said: "Let There Be Strawberries!" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 11:45:49 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Brad Fonseca wrote: > I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara > campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and > for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" M5: Talons of Night. Anytime. Anywhere. If I was stranded on a desert = island, and could bring only one item with me, it'd be M5... Ok, maybe = not, but I'm totally in love with that adventure. It's got everything I = want, and then some. Great pre-rolled characters, great story, great = maps, great finale, just great! 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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 19:42:18 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Glenn Butcher Subject: Re: Favourite module In-Reply-To: <007001c09d88$86366a00$96f461d4@skytte>; from scythe@WANADOO.DK on Fri, Feb 23, 2001 at 11:45:49AM +0100 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Fri, Feb 23, 2001 at 11:45:49AM +0100, Jacob Skytte wrote: > > M5: Talons of Night. Anytime. Anywhere. If I was stranded on a desert island, and could bring only one item with me, it'd be M5... Ok, maybe not, but I'm totally in love with that adventure. It's got everything I want, and then some. Great pre-rolled characters, great story, great maps, great finale, just great! > I'm running Talons of Night now - sort of. 15 years after a group of adventurers went through the module, another group hears of the periapt, and wants it. They speak to some of the original heroes, one of which is thinking of going along to get it. Could end up rather like the star trek movie with two Enterprise captains. -- knight@ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au | If you were plowing a field, what you glennb@ichr.uwa.edu.au | rather use: two strong oxen or 1,024 http://www.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au/~knight/ | chickens? - Seymour Cray on parallel | processing ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 12:08:00 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Federico Kaftal Subject: Ogg.: Re: [MYSTARA] Favourite module Content-Type: text/plain Mime-Version: 1.0 Definitely, B10 Night's Dark Terror Federico ___________________ Il Thu, 22 February 2001, The Stalker ha scritto: > > On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 08:38:13 > Brad Fonseca wrote: > >Hello! > > > >I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara > >campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and > >for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" > > > > I don't know x11 (still waiting for it to appear as a download), but I guess I'm one of the few people who actually like WOTI, but it's not my favorite - for that position I guess I would nominate B10 - Night's Dark Terror. > > > - The Stalker > > > > > > > > > > > > Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. > FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. AltaVista Free email service ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 12:26:48 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara In-Reply-To: <3A95B2CD.49BD2D0E@palmchip.com>; from dave@PALMCHIP.COM on Thu, Feb 22, 2001 at 04:46:05PM -0800 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Thu, Feb 22, 2001 at 04:46:05PM -0800, Dave Keyser wrote: > Eric Anondson wrote: > > What exactly has FR stolen from Mystara? I think the halflings in FR are called Hin too, although that's probably what Ed Greenwood always called them, so I don't know which borrowed from which. gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 12:34:07 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: All your... In-Reply-To: ; from edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU on Fri, Feb 23, 2001 at 12:44:33AM -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Fri, Feb 23, 2001 at 12:44:33AM -0500, SteelAngel wrote: > > >From the Orcs: > "All your potatoes are belong to us" <- really obscure!! LOL! :) gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 14:38:04 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Saarela Sami Subject: Mystara and RoleMaster MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Hi, I'm new to this list so I'm sorry if the subject is a "Pandora's box". I'm a big fan of both the Mystara world and the RoleMaster system (the 2nd ed). I've been working for a few months (not actively) on converting the Mystara world to the RoleMaster system. I was wondering if there is anyone here who has thought of or maybe even attempted such a task earlier. I'm looking to share ideas and info on the conversion and everything related to it. - Sami Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people tries to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people. - George Bernhard Shaw ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 13:06:33 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Federico Kaftal Subject: Ogg.: [MYSTARA] Newcomers and Mystara Content-Type: text/plain Mime-Version: 1.0 You end your letter with a question: "what more can I say?" Well... say it to every gamer you know, that is! Federico _________________ Il Fri, 23 February 2001, Eric Anondson ha scritto: > > > I'm curious, though, so let me pose a question to all people relatively new to > > Mystara - what attracted you to Mystara? > > > > But if you're a *real* newcomer who never played Mystara before, then I really > > would like to know what has brought you here? What attracted you? What made > > you choose Mystara over the Forgotten Realms (FR) or Greyhawk? If I were a > > completely new gamer, I don't think I'd even consider Mystara given the amount > > of support WOTC is giving FR and GH... So why? > > Well, I'm not a new gamer, but I am very new to Mystara. In fact, every > setting TSR/WotC has published I have indulged in, some more than others. I > have been a fan of Greyhawk since it's '83 boxed set. I took to the Realms > when it first came out and fell in love with it until about 8 years of > overdose turned off me even more. > > My only exposure to the world of Mystara for years was through Red Steel > which I used as material for my own home-brewed setting. What finally > exposed me fully to the Known World was finding a WotC's link to the newly > crowned Official Mystara Site. I went looking for some Red Steel stuff and > found myself wandering the rest of the site and slowly reading more and > more. > > Stalker, you made the comment that to many gamers Mystara had an "aura" of > simplicity to it because it had been hitched to "Basic" D&D while "Advanced" > D&D was used for some other settings. I drifted to the other settings > because I didn't want to play a "Basic" game. After my weeks of browsing > dnd.starflung.com I felt like I had been duped all those many years. And I > was impressed by what Mystara offered, including the passions of the fans > who had contributed so much material that had been gathered on that site. > > The scope of Mystara dwarfed everything that any other setting offered. It > wasn't shy about being openly humorous. It's history appeared as detailed > as Dragonlance's. It's high magic aspect rivaled the Forgotten Realms, and > usually surpassed it. It's cultures felt as if they breathed. The cultural > differences seemed real and plausible. I can say this now, because even > though I have come to Mystara within a year I have managed to purchase all > accessories except for less than a handful. (As an aside, boy was I stunned > to find that the Forgotten Realms "borrowed" some Mystaran material for > itself, after I browsed the Mystaran accessories.) > > Ok, I don't know if I have made anything clear or not what appealed to me > enough to become a Mystara-phile. I know that when I finally joined the MML > I found the IC banter between the members was great fun to read. No other > of WotC's setting's Mailing Lists had this going on. It was another thing > that pulled me in more, not that this would appeal to others new comers. > > What more can I say? > > > 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. AltaVista Free email service ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 05:54:27 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Herve Musseau Subject: Mystaran Almanac AC 1017 (announcement) Comments: To: FMML Comments: cc: mystaranalmanac@egroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hey everyone, I am pleased to announce that the fourth issue of the Mystaran Almanac (eighth in the series of almanacs) is now available. This almanac covers the year AC 1017, with atlases, events, and more. The website of the Mystaran Almanac is at http://www.geocities.com/gallidox I apologize for the delay, as the almanac was expected to be released on January 1st. The result is, IMNSHO, worth the wait though. I hope you do agree. I also want to thank all contributors to this issue, especially those that contributed to whole sections of the almanac (and, as the editor, a special thanks to those who give us files with spelling, grammar, and format already checked), and everyone that gave us ideas to work with. I also want to thank Geoff Gander, my co-editor, who shared with me the burden of the editing process these past three months. The almanac is available in a variety of formats; pick that which suits best the use you intend to make of it. If you intend to print the almanac, I recommand downloading the PDF version (it has been optimized for printing), with the pictures, if you have a steady connection. If you intend to occasionnally browse through specific sections of the almanac, I recommand the RTF version without pictures. There is no HTML version yet; when Shawn stores the almanac at the Vaults of Pandius he ususually converts it, but that requires a lot of work. Shawn, do you intend to do it? A few numbers for your enjoyment (roleplayers love numbers, don't they?): The Mystaran Almanac AC 1017 totals 825 pages, 826 in the versiuon with the pictures. The Mystaran Almanac weights 7MB (+ 1.5MB of pictures) for the text version in RTF, or 5.5MB as PDF. It weights 42MB for the RTF version with pictures, or 8MB as PDF. (zipped: 2MB+1.5MB, 5MB, 8MB, 7MB, respectively.) The minimum download is thus 2MB (atlas: 800KB, events: 1MB). The almanac includes 68 B&W illustrations plus one color map. Half of the almanac consists in the year's events (400 pages), while the other half is the atlas of the various contries. The busiest month isn't Kaldmont, or even Nuwmont, but Fyrmont. The least busy month is, by far, Eirmont (nobody seems to like Eirmont). Events are rather well distributed throughout the year, except for the underrepresented Eirmont, so there are few days with no event at all. It happens, though. The most unbalanced month is Kaldmont, because, as one would expect, events tend to be sparse at the beginning of the month (in the continuity of Eirmont), while the last days of the months are choke full of events. The busiest day is thus, as expected, Kaldmont 28, with 9 events (other days rarely exceed 5). Events per month (sorry for the miscounts): Nuwmont: 73, Vatermont: 92, Thaumont: 86, Flaurmont: 70, Yarthmont: 78, Klarmont: 68, Felmont: 90, Fyrmont: 96, Ambyrmont: 95, Sviftmont: 88, Eirmont: 54, Kaldmont: 68; total: 958. The events are all new, never seen before material. Half of the atlas is new material, the other half slightly updated reprints from past almanacs. The art is all new as well. Thus, even if you skip reprints, you have 600 pages of new content to read. With its 825 pages, the Mystaran Almanac AC 1017 is the largest piece of work ever written for Mystara, well over the precedent record (last year's almanac, less than 600 pages). With a total page count over 2000, the Mystaran Almanac series and its related works is the largest collection of coherent products produced by the Mystaran net community, rivalling with the whole Mystara product line released by TSR over several decades. Enjoy. ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 06:51:20 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Herve Musseau Subject: pdf MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Aaron wrote: >If there's going to be a PDF version, I'm not going to making it, as I don't ave the full version of Acrobat. As I've discovered when doing the almanac, Adobe has an online trial service for its PDF Writer (actually it's Distiller). You submit your file, wait for the conversion, and get a nice pdf in return. Of course you're limited to three trials, but I guess you know how to create a webmail address. Note that, for big files like the almanac, it sometimes burps (the almanac should have been released two days ago). ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 07:08:39 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: III Subject: X4 and X5 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Master of the Desert Nomads and Temple of Death seem to have a lot of fans here. I never ran them myself. Although the bhut monestary looked like fun and the valley of death (or whatever it was called) had a couple of interesting encounters, the rest of the series struck me as rather limp. Lots of wandering around in the wilderness encountering random throw-away minions of the Master and killing them. Ho hum. The temple of death seemed like just another dungeon. Did I miss something? Did any of you make significant changes to to the modules? What parts did you really enjoy? -III _______________________________________________________ Send a cool gift with your E-Card http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 07:09:54 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Herve Musseau Subject: organizing the Vaults for newbies MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Some time ago there was a discussion as to how things should be organized on the now official Mystara site that Shawn't site had become. As it turned out, the discussion was mostly of a canon vs non-canon nature, and didn't result in anything. Shawn's site stayed basically unchanged. With that recent discussion about what newbies want, I think we have the answer to our question. We should add sections for newbies. One section would be for newbie players. It would link to various resources that introduce Mystara and its peculiarities to players. It could for instance be 3e Mystara rules, basic description of various KW nations, rules for creating Mystaran PCs, and the like. Basically, what we should find IMO in a Mystara 3e rulebook for Players. Note that when 3e is discussed we often say "this can't be used in Mystara" or "how do we add this to Mystara"; IMO we should say "this doesn't exist in Mystara" (eg dwarven paladins, defilers, ...) "but this exists instead, and here are the rules for using it:" (eg SE, rakasta, radiance spells...); IMO a gameworld shouldn't adapt to rules, rules should adapt to the gameworld. A second section would be aimed at newbie DMs. It could contain 3e Mystara rules for the DM, a basic timeline, mini-gaz for the KW countries, sample NPCs, sample adventures (of the basic/introductory to Mystara type). A third section would be for advanced DMs. It would contain campaign expansions set oustide the KW (setting: SC, setting: HW, setting: Davania, etc). The last section would be for expert DMs. It isn't really a section though, it's the site as we know it, with everything listed as it currently is, as expert DMs are generally looking for some specific info and I assume find the current thematic organization satisfying. Opinions? ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 09:37:04 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Mystaran Almanac AC 1017 (announcement) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A few problems: None of the PDF with picture zips are valid archives according to WinZip. The first RTF w/ images zip encounters an unexpected end of file error when extracting the HW atlas in WinZip. The fourth file has a bad CRC that results in the Ambrymont events being unable to be extracted. And, BTW, neither version 1.1 of the 1016 almanac will download at all. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 09:47:04 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: organizing the Vaults for newbies Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed This could be an EXCELLENT resource! For example, if one wanted to DM a new PBeM campaign, and wanted to also introduce Mystara to new players, he could go find players (at http://www.pbem.com for one) then send them to the site when they want to find out how to create Mystaran characters (as opposed to just rehashed FR characters) Or, when the Neverwinter Nights game comes out, and a dm who loves Mystara finds some great players, he could introduce them to the setting via the official site. Sweet!!! - John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com >From: Herve Musseau We should add sections for newbies. >One section would be for newbie players. It would link to various resources >that introduce Mystara and its peculiarities to players. It could for >instance >be 3e Mystara rules, basic description of various KW nations, rules for >creating Mystaran PCs, and the like. Basically, what we should find IMO in >a >Mystara 3e rulebook for Players. Note that when 3e is discussed we often >say >"this can't be used in Mystara" or "how do we add this to Mystara"; IMO we >should say "this doesn't exist in Mystara" (eg dwarven paladins, defilers, >...) >"but this exists instead, and here are the rules for using it:" (eg SE, >rakasta, radiance spells...); IMO a gameworld shouldn't adapt to rules, >rules >should adapt to the gameworld. >A second section would be aimed at newbie DMs. It could contain 3e Mystara >rules for the DM, a basic timeline, mini-gaz for the KW countries, sample >NPCs, >sample adventures (of the basic/introductory to Mystara type). >A third section would be for advanced DMs. It would contain campaign >expansions >set oustide the KW (setting: SC, setting: HW, setting: Davania, etc). >The last section would be for expert DMs. It isn't really a section though, >it's the site as we know it, with everything listed as it currently is, as >expert DMs are generally looking for some specific info and I assume find >the >current thematic organization satisfying. >Opinions? - John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 07:53:19 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Calvin Subject: Re: All your... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >> If you didn't understand this, check out http://www.planetstarseige.com/allyourbase/index.html << Please, please...if you are at work like I am, do not read this. I have no idea what's going on, but I couldn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes. Still get an ocassional outburst. I'm just glad that it's early enough that I'm the only one here. 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!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 07:53:59 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Herve Musseau Subject: newbies, how to get into Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii There is indeed a wealth of information available on the net, but the most basic of information is indeed absent for the most part, or diluted and hard to isolate for newbies. There is a reason for that, of course, and it is that the basic info is easily found in the various gazetteers; the old-timers have about 25 gaz-like supplements they look into when they need basic info on the setting (the 15 Gaz, 4 PC, 4 HWR, CoM, ...). But of course we can't publish the content if these products for obvious reasons, and we generally don't care (and are not interested) to write about these, as it is not very interesting to old timers; when we have questions we open the books or ask complex questions to the list, and otherwise prefer to concentrate on writing on new or complicated stuff, ie the kind that the newbies don't understand since they lack the basics. So, how do you get to know the fundamentals of Mystara? Unless we make an effort to actually write an introduction to the setting (which would indeed be a good thing to do), you have to fall back on the following alternative, which in the absence of an intro to Mystara is IMO your best bet: Get the almanacs! Although the almanacs describe an evolving Mystara, and thus might be confusing to a newbie, they also include whole atlas sections that rather succintely describe the various nations and a few other generic Mystara stuff (like its shape, calendar, how magic works, etc). They are the closest thing to an introduction to Mystara that exists (there is also a few pages in the RC that do that, but I wouldn't recommand paying the price of one just for that - or you're a collector, not a newbie). There are 8 almanacs. 4 were published by TSR, 4 by the net crowd. Sure, they describe the countries as of the year the almanac describes, but that constitutes a great overview none the less. The TSR almanacs are OOP of course, but they can be found quite easily and aren't expensive. The net almanacs are free. The best almanac to use as an intro would be the one that the old timers dislike: Joshuan's Almanac (#4). It is written for players rather than DMs, and thus constitutes an excellent intro. Otherwise, read the atlas of the first Mystaran Almanac (#5). It has the advantage of being free and available immediately. The later Mystaran Almanacs (#6-8) you'll probably want to read after. Unlike the first one they don't rehash the KW atlas on a per nation basis, but focus on specific spots in each of them instead; thus they help you get into the atmosphere and specifics of these countries (but I recommand reading the first first, as it gives you an overview of the nations instead, which is better as your first reading into Mystara, and then you can move on to adding to it with the subsequent almanacs). They also expand into the world beyond the KW more and more with each almanac. The PWAs (#1-3) are good, and in theory they should be read first because they take place before the later almanacs (obviously). They are harder to get though, and not as good for an introduction as JA (but as good as MA1014). ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 09:56:37 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: NWN Mystara Project Chat Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Hi people, Just wanted to let any interested parties know that I'll be in the chat room at the NWN Mystara Project site this Saturday and Sunday afternoons (12PM-6PM C.S.T.) to answer any questions and chatter away, so stop by if you're interested! http://mystaraproject.tripod.com/chat.html - John _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 10:37:40 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: organizing the Vaults for newbies In-Reply-To: <20010223150954.2620.qmail@web11207.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Herve wrote: > Opinions? I like the proposed organization, and I agree that the rules should conform to the world, not vice-versa. Regarding the newbie guides, I propose that we have separate "world books" and "rule books". For example, there'd be a Players Guide to Mystara (with setting info but no rules), and a Players Rule Supplement for Mystara (what's allowed, whats not allowed, suggested feats, new rules, etc). Likewise there'd be a DM guide and DM rulebook. The advantage here is that we only have to write the Guides once, but can have a different Rule Supplement for each game system: d20, AD&D, GURPS, Fudge, Rolemaster... There could also be different viewpoints on how the rules should be applied (dwarven paladins vs no dwarven paladins, etc). An individual DM could download the appropriate rules book, tweak it with a few house rules, and give it to his players. I also think this makes more sense in terms of play. During character creation you need the rules supplement, but during play all you need is the guidebook. Finally, different teams can work on different parts; the 3e group can concentrate on the rulebook and not have to worry about writing a general overview of the world. 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, 24 Feb 2001 06:19:55 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: poll Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 17:42 22/02/01 -0800, you wrote: >With regards to the poll, specifically the second question, I have a >problem with the wording, or perhaps the control that accepts my answer. I >have been a player in an OD&D Mystara campaign for about 5+ years now, and >am about to become a player in another 3E Mystara campaign. Also, for the >last five+ years or so, I have been DMing a highly personalized 2E Mystara >campaign, which is going to be converted to a highly personalized 3E >Mystara campaign. How would you like me to answer? which do you most refer playing in? 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. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 20:33:25 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > I found the IC banter between the members was great fun to read. No other > of WotC's setting's Mailing Lists had this going on. It was another thing > that pulled me in more, not that this would appeal to others new comers. So maybe me and the Stalker's conversations helped, in the end, the setting ? Guess what would happen if Alphatia and Thyatis co-operated ... [shudders at the thought] ...it won't happen. 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, 23 Feb 2001 20:45:07 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Mystaran Rights bought by Empire of Thyatis Inc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit "In spite of the efforts conducted by several nations that we are not going to mention to inculcate in other misguided Mystarans the idea that they are indipendent nations that should not pay respect to the following legal contract between buyer and producer, it is indeed our right to reclaim property over all of Mystara, as we can confirm that Mister Zendrolion bought the rights to the publishing of the Mystara Line of Products in AC 17 from TSR [The Syndicate of immortal Rights]. So we ask you to obey the Thyatian Senate's and Emperor's decisions from now on, otherwise we will cancel you from the world" [concentrates trying to avoid evil laughter] "MUHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHA!! Ehm, ehr, sorry. Let's go on. I am sure that all the members of the MML [Mystaran Masters of Light, the most important cultural circle of our planet] and government representatives will give us signs of respect. To the few that would remain doubtful, here is a copy of the contract. [producing fake document. fake? I meant: producing fair document. That's all true, guys.] In the name of the Thyatian Senate, merrily yours 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, 24 Feb 2001 06:43:54 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: poll Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:08 23/02/01 -0800, you wrote: > Similar problem for me: > > I've been playing in the same 0D&D Mystara campaign as Richard for >probably 6+ years, and maybe even 7+ (he joined the group later). > > I'm also a player in the heavily modified 2E version of Mystara that he >runs, which is soon to be converted to 3E mystara. > > And I'm the DM of the 3E Mystara campaign that he's about to become a >player for (well, actually, he's already a player for, I'm just doing some >"pre-game one-on-one" stuff with each player right now) > > So... how should I answer the following question when I'm only allowed >one answer: "When you do play or DM in Mystara, which set of rules do you >use? (3rd Edition, 2nd Edition, 1st Edition, Other)" > Except for 1E, I use all of them, and only 2E will "disappear" after >Richard's game is converted. > Perhaps this should be a multiple choice question? Or a "ranking" >question, where you can specify an order from one to four or "never" (or >something like that). > In any case, I'll refrain from responding until you clarify what you'd >like to learn from this question. > >Jenni I've already got 42 replies so I don't particularly want to change the question now - I should have put more thought into it. But, if you perceive a rank to the options maybe you could answer it with the rules system that you prefer/use most 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 06:47:08 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: poll results thus far Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" only about 24 hours in and these are the poll results thus far: out of 42 votes 40 people play in Mystara most often, 2 do not 20 people use OD&D rules, 11 use 2E, 7 use 3E and 4 use something else 25 people play the assorted D&D computer games out there, 17 do not 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 06:50:00 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: organizing the Vaults for newbies Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 07:09 23/02/01 -0800, you wrote: >Some time ago there was a discussion as to how things should be organized on >the now official Mystara site that Shawn't site had become. >As it turned out, the discussion was mostly of a canon vs non-canon nature, and >didn't result in anything. Shawn's site stayed basically unchanged. >With that recent discussion about what newbies want, I think we have the answer >to our question. We should add sections for newbies. >One section would be for newbie players. It would link to various resources >that introduce Mystara and its peculiarities to players. It could for instance >be 3e Mystara rules, basic description of various KW nations, rules for >creating Mystaran PCs, and the like. Basically, what we should find IMO in a >Mystara 3e rulebook for Players. Note that when 3e is discussed we often say >"this can't be used in Mystara" or "how do we add this to Mystara"; IMO we >should say "this doesn't exist in Mystara" (eg dwarven paladins, defilers, ...) >"but this exists instead, and here are the rules for using it:" (eg SE, >rakasta, radiance spells...); IMO a gameworld shouldn't adapt to rules, rules >should adapt to the gameworld. >A second section would be aimed at newbie DMs. It could contain 3e Mystara >rules for the DM, a basic timeline, mini-gaz for the KW countries, sample NPCs, >sample adventures (of the basic/introductory to Mystara type). >A third section would be for advanced DMs. It would contain campaign expansions >set oustide the KW (setting: SC, setting: HW, setting: Davania, etc). >The last section would be for expert DMs. It isn't really a section though, >it's the site as we know it, with everything listed as it currently is, as >expert DMs are generally looking for some specific info and I assume find the >current thematic organization satisfying. >Opinions? that of course sounds like a great idea Herve 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. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 15:28:44 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: X4 and X5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The wandering through the wilderness was fun. The players are part of a caravan guard. The atmosphere and such...it was cool. Ye gods guide me to destroy this temple of death! And the pcs are stuck behind enemy lines...the last hope of salvation for the civilized world! ----- Original Message ----- From: "III" To: Sent: Friday, February 23, 2001 10:08 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] X4 and X5 > Master of the Desert Nomads and Temple of Death seem to have a lot of fans > here. I never ran them myself. Although the bhut monestary looked like fun > and the valley of death (or whatever it was called) had a couple of > interesting encounters, the rest of the series struck me as rather limp. > Lots of wandering around in the wilderness encountering random throw-away > minions of the Master and killing them. Ho hum. The temple of death seemed > like just another dungeon. > > Did I miss something? Did any of you make significant changes to to the > modules? What parts did you really enjoy? > > -III > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ > Send a cool gift with your E-Card > http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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, 23 Feb 2001 22:10:30 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 20:33:25 Caroletti wrote: >> >> I found the IC banter between the members was great fun to read. No other >> of WotC's setting's Mailing Lists had this going on. It was another thing >> that pulled me in more, not that this would appeal to others new comers. > >So maybe me and the Stalker's conversations helped, in the end, the >setting ? Surely not... >Guess what would happen if Alphatia and Thyatis co-operated ... >[shudders at the thought] >...it won't happen. > GAH!!!!! I agree!! (I agree??? With a Thyatian??? Oh dead, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...) ;) - The Stalker ("I disbelieve! I disbelieve!!!") Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 20:06:05 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Taladaran Lords vs Karameikos MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mike Harvey wrote: > > When Stefan grants a dominion, it probably contains Traladaran > villages. Do these villages have a lord, or were all the Traladaran > lords deposed in the Thyatian invasion? Maybe Stefan does not > recognize Traladaran lords, but the Traladarans do? Maybe the > Traladaran lords are nobles, but are below Baronial status, so when > Stefan appoints a new baron, all existing Traladaran lords must swear > fealty to the new overlord. Well, my idea is that many Traladaran noble families had died out due to the vampire wars of the VIII and IX century, or in the Thyatian invasion. This left the north-eastern lands depopulated. The Baronies of Kelvin and Threshold, and a couple fiefs were then established in those regions, while the Barony of Vorloi was set on lands previously held by minor nobles of the Torenescu faction involved in the revolutionary attempt that happened right after Stefan's arrival. As to von Hendriks, he was the only Baron who occupied lands still held by the Traladaran nobles, and he simply destroyed them. The Traladaran Barons mentioned in Dark Knight of Karameikos were named after AC 1000 (at least this is the version proposed in the MAs, IIRC, and is definitely a good explanation). > I'm also wondering about the Thyatian occupation, since that is where > my campaign is currently set. Sources indicate that the Thyatians > only had a governer and occupation force in Specularum, and did > little other than taxing trade through that city. My guess is that > the Thyatians destroyed any Traladaran lords who opposed the > invasion, but those who submitted were allowed to continue ruling > with very little intervention. Assuming that is the case, there > should be Traladaran lords, barons, maybe even dukes and kings > between 900 and 970. As I said, I think many lords had died in internal conflicts at the time of Morphail's and Koriszegy's attempts at gaining power. Also, there were waves of emigration at that time, that left NE Traladaran in the state we can see in B10 (that is, nearly unpopulated). > I kind of like the idea that old Traladara is a patchwork of many > tiny independent kingdoms and baronies. But if so, where'd they go > when Duke Stefan took over? See above. Moreover, there were large patches of demihuman/goblinoid lands, dark forests haunted by nosferatu or werewolves, and "frontier lands" with only a small population, outside the reach of local nobles. > I imagine the situation is vaguely similar to the Norman conquest of > England, the conquest of Wales, and similar historical events. I agree, it shares elements of both. -- 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: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 23:01:46 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Mystaran Rights bought by Empire of Thyatis Inc. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 20:45:07 Caroletti wrote: >"In spite of the efforts conducted by several nations that we are not >going to mention >to inculcate in other misguided Mystarans the idea that they are >indipendent nations that >should not pay respect to the following legal contract between buyer and >producer, it is indeed our >right to reclaim property over all of Mystara, as we can confirm that >Mister Zendrolion >bought the rights to the publishing of the Mystara Line of Products in >AC 17 from TSR >[The Syndicate of immortal Rights]. So we ask you to obey the Thyatian >Senate's and >Emperor's decisions from now on, otherwise we will cancel you from the >world" >[concentrates trying to avoid evil laughter] >"MUHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHA!! >Ehm, ehr, sorry. Let's go on. >I am sure that all the members of the MML [Mystaran Masters of Light, >the most important >cultural circle of our planet] and government representatives will give >us signs of respect. To the >few that would remain doubtful, here is a copy of the contract. >[producing fake document. fake? I meant: producing fair document. That's >all true, guys.] > >In the name of the Thyatian Senate, >merrily yours > AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HAAAAA HAAA HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH... HO HO HI HI HI HA HA HA... hehehehehehehe "The spell is working Master Terari!" "Ah yes... Well done... my young apprentice..." ;) - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 00:06:11 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Mystaran Rights bought by Empire of Thyatis Inc. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 20:45:07 Caroletti wrote: >"In spite of the efforts conducted by several nations that we are not >going to mention >to inculcate in other misguided Mystarans the idea that they are >indipendent nations that >should not pay respect to the following legal contract between buyer and >producer, it is indeed our >right to reclaim property over all of Mystara, as we can confirm that >Mister Zendrolion >bought the rights to the publishing of the Mystara Line of Products in >AC 17 from TSR >[The Syndicate of immortal Rights]. So we ask you to obey the Thyatian >Senate's and >Emperor's decisions from now on, otherwise we will cancel you from the >world" >[concentrates trying to avoid evil laughter] >"MUHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHA!! >Ehm, ehr, sorry. Let's go on. >I am sure that all the members of the MML [Mystaran Masters of Light, >the most important >cultural circle of our planet] and government representatives will give >us signs of respect. To the >few that would remain doubtful, here is a copy of the contract. >[producing fake document. fake? I meant: producing fair document. That's >all true, guys.] > >In the name of the Thyatian Senate, >merrily yours > >Iulius Sergius Scaevola >Captain of the XXth Cohort >Port Lucinius, Thyatis" > All your Mystara are belong to us! Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 19:25:32 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Brad Fonseca Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit That quote is my favourite line from that series. ;-) What a great way to start a book! -- Brad:) "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom Jeff Daly wrote: > I agree with those two and love your quote. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brad Fonseca" > To: > Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 8:38 AM > Subject: [MYSTARA] Favourite module > > > Hello! > > > > I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara > > campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and > > for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" > > > > -- > > Brad:) > > > > "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." > > > > ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 19:06:42 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Online Modules MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Aaron E Nowack wrote: > On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 12:05:47 -0500 Geoff Gander > writes: > > Chris wrote: > > That's something else online Mystarans should consider. Online > > modules > > are a must, IMO, as not everyone has the time to concoct good > > adventures > > on the fly. > > Well, I'm currently working on plotting out a series of 3 (high-ish > level) 3E modules set in 1001-1003 AC Darokin using elements of my > Houses of Darokin series. > > It probably won't use the Mystara3E conversion, as that is looking like > it will be literally years before even a first draft is made. So instead > I'll probably just use standard 3E and then update the modules if/when > Mystara3E is released. > > As for the plot? Well, it all starts when the famed mage Reginald of > Crowlerd vanishes while investigating strange events on Ithel Island and > goes from there into a chain of events bringing Darokin to the brink of > civil war. [I'm currently trying to distill the imnportant elements from > a 9 module plot I started with to fit into 3 adventures.] > This sounds really cool, but if you are open, I would like to make one question/suggestion. Why Reginald? The man is ancient, he may take walks in the local wilderness, but he doesn't strike me as the type that would travel to the big city, hop on a boat and sail to Ithel island. He would know the history of Ithel better than most, but wouldn't he just hire someone to check it out, or notify the wizards that live in Akorros and Darokin that something was going on? Like I said this is just a suggestion. I would really like to see this though, I run a campaign in Darokin, so I will probably try to adapt it when you finish. Dave Keyser ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 22:06:07 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Mystara and RoleMaster MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Saarela Sami" > > I'm a big fan of both the Mystara world and the RoleMaster system (the 2nd > ed). I've been working for a few months (not actively) on converting the > Mystara world to the RoleMaster system. I was wondering if there is anyone > here who has thought of or maybe even attempted such a task earlier. > > I'm looking to share ideas and info on the conversion and everything related > to it. I once tried to create a hybrid between MERP and the D&D RC, and that attempt did not work out too well. Years earlier I played in an AD&D campaign that used the Arms Law combat system. How well it works depends on the tastes of your players. If they are into the intricate sort of combat rolls and creatively bloody critical hits of the Role- master combat system, then doubling everybody's hit points and using that combat system could work fairly well. However, the magic systems are too different to mix well, in my opinion -- but I suppose it would be possible to work out a conversion of the combat characteristics of the spells that inflict damage. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 23 Feb 2001 22:07:39 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: All your... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "SteelAngel" > > >From the Orcs: > "All your potatoes are belong to us" <- really obscure!! Not really -- that is what they told the Hin when they conquered the Five Shires. ;) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 00:32:08 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just downloaded the Mystaran Almanac for 1017 AC and so far have reached page 528 of the PDF version (beginning of events for month of Flaurmont). I am most impressed -- it actually has over three times as much material in it as the PWAs published by TSR. Does anyone have any plans to convert the earlier almanacs to PDF format? I would love to be able to read them in the same way. Also, the atlas sections of the almanacs from 1014 AC through 1017 AC would provide an excellent introduction to Mystara if they were better organized. One project that would be very useful to future Mystarans would be to create a geographical overview of Mystara from these four almanacs. At the very least, this overview should give a brief summary of each land and its people and then reference the MA volume that gives the most information about it. Then, anyone who has downloaded the overview and all four almanacs will have the basic information that is independent of game mechanics. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 08:24:07 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit where did you get it please? Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr or at clenarius@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: David Knott To: Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 6:32 AM Subject: [MYSTARA] First reaction to MA 1017 > I just downloaded the Mystaran Almanac for 1017 AC and > so far have reached page 528 of the PDF version (beginning > of events for month of Flaurmont). I am most impressed -- > it actually has over three times as much material in it as the > PWAs published by TSR. Does anyone have any plans to > convert the earlier almanacs to PDF format? I would love > to be able to read them in the same way. > > Also, the atlas sections of the almanacs from 1014 AC > through 1017 AC would provide an excellent introduction > to Mystara if they were better organized. One project > that would be very useful to future Mystarans would be > to create a geographical overview of Mystara from these > four almanacs. At the very least, this overview should > give a brief summary of each land and its people and then > reference the MA volume that gives the most information > about it. Then, anyone who has downloaded the overview > and all four almanacs will have the basic information that is > independent of game mechanics. > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 02:27:51 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It must be morning in France! It's getting late here in the states. http://www.geocities.com/gallidox/ Good luck downloading it. I ran into some bugs. ----- Original Message ----- From: "thibault sarlat" To: Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 2:24 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] First reaction to MA 1017 > where did you get it please? > > > Thibault Sarlat. > ICQ 16622177. > homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st > Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr > or at clenarius@hotmail.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: David Knott > To: > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 6:32 AM > Subject: [MYSTARA] First reaction to MA 1017 > > > > I just downloaded the Mystaran Almanac for 1017 AC and > > so far have reached page 528 of the PDF version (beginning > > of events for month of Flaurmont). I am most impressed -- > > it actually has over three times as much material in it as the > > PWAs published by TSR. Does anyone have any plans to > > convert the earlier almanacs to PDF format? I would love > > to be able to read them in the same way. > > > > Also, the atlas sections of the almanacs from 1014 AC > > through 1017 AC would provide an excellent introduction > > to Mystara if they were better organized. One project > > that would be very useful to future Mystarans would be > > to create a geographical overview of Mystara from these > > four almanacs. At the very least, this overview should > > give a brief summary of each land and its people and then > > reference the MA volume that gives the most information > > about it. Then, anyone who has downloaded the overview > > and all four almanacs will have the basic information that is > > independent of game mechanics. > > > > ******************************************************************** > > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > > The Mystara Homepage: 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. > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 08:34:10 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit yes it's just 8:30 AM , and a good week end is announced. Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr or at clenarius@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Eustace To: Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 8:27 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] First reaction to MA 1017 > It must be morning in France! > It's getting late here in the states. > http://www.geocities.com/gallidox/ > > Good luck downloading it. I ran into some bugs. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "thibault sarlat" > To: > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 2:24 AM > Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] First reaction to MA 1017 > > > > where did you get it please? > > > > > > Thibault Sarlat. > > ICQ 16622177. > > homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st > > Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr > > or at clenarius@hotmail.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: David Knott > > To: > > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 6:32 AM > > Subject: [MYSTARA] First reaction to MA 1017 > > > > > > > I just downloaded the Mystaran Almanac for 1017 AC and > > > so far have reached page 528 of the PDF version (beginning > > > of events for month of Flaurmont). I am most impressed -- > > > it actually has over three times as much material in it as the > > > PWAs published by TSR. Does anyone have any plans to > > > convert the earlier almanacs to PDF format? I would love > > > to be able to read them in the same way. > > > > > > Also, the atlas sections of the almanacs from 1014 AC > > > through 1017 AC would provide an excellent introduction > > > to Mystara if they were better organized. One project > > > that would be very useful to future Mystarans would be > > > to create a geographical overview of Mystara from these > > > four almanacs. At the very least, this overview should > > > give a brief summary of each land and its people and then > > > reference the MA volume that gives the most information > > > about it. Then, anyone who has downloaded the overview > > > and all four almanacs will have the basic information that is > > > independent of game mechanics. > > > > > > ******************************************************************** > > > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > > > The Mystara Homepage: 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. > > > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 01:51:50 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Denis A Subject: Hello everybody! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hello evrybody! I'm very happy to join to the MML! See you soon! Dionisius __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 24 Feb 2001 12:20:38 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Daniel Mayer Subject: Re: Mystaran Rights bought by Empire of Thyatis Inc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Caroletti wrote: > In the name of the Thyatian Senate, > merrily yours > > Iulius Sergius Scaevola > Captain of the XXth Cohort > Port Lucinius, Thyatis" Sure :) Some Exorcist near? My ways to dispel evil inside a misguided loyal proud fighter of Thyatis may cause some, err, unintended pain... Perhaps I should ask for a party of master clerics to dispel the whole senate... But perhaps he just got a hit too much on his head from his wife or concubine(?). Poor man. P.S. Btw: There�s a portal to either the Plane of Nightmare or the Plane of (nice) Dreams in the Tower of Dreams. It�s just the place where the whole story with Haven began. Take it as portal like the one of Raistlin in DL with less entering restrictions. (This information�s of course only for DMs). Did I forget a ownership treaty of Mystara in Julius� mind on my last visit? Hmm. Laren Nightfire Tower Of Dreams ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 12:34:45 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Oh, I downloaded the whole .pdf (illustrated) 4 files, I patched them together and the system continues to scream at me that the files are corrupt and that I should run PKZIPFIX (which I don't have)... is that a general problem?? Can I get the .rtf with less pain?? Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 15:10:29 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Mystaran Rights bought by Empire of Thyatis Inc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > But perhaps he just got a hit too much on his head from his wife or > concubine(?). Hah! That's impossible! She left me the 3rd of January! (A good way to start the year, by the way). 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, 24 Feb 2001 15:25:12 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In the thread regarding the inherent problems posed by the Mystaran web resources to the Mystaran newbies (i.e., it is difficult or impossible to find "core" info), somone proposed that we create a "player's guide" and a number of rules supplements for the various *D&Ds. IMO, the idea is good, and I also think that these guides could act as a kind of front-end for people who have little material to start with, giving a short overview of each subject and then redirecting the reader to the more specialized articles. Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for an AD&D version of this rules supplement. The Complete Mystaran's Handbook I.Races of Mystara Humans Mystarans Aliens Demihumans ... II.Character Classes in the Mystara setting Warrior Fighter Ranger Paladin ... III.Kits for the Mystara setting Existing Kits By Nation By Race New Kits IV.Mystaran Equipment ... V.The Magic of Mystara ... VI.Immortals and the Planes ... VII.Converting OD&D to AD&D2e OD&D Classes Avenger ... Weapon Mastery ... VIII.Converting D&D3e to AD&D2e ... [I have written a much more detailed version, but it would have been too long to post here] Each section would work like this: Dwarves ======= Rockborn Dwarves Rockborn Dwarves hail from Rockhome[link to the Player's Guide to Mystara->Geography->Known World->Rockhome]. They are the most common Mystaran Dwarves, and are equivalent to standard AD&D Hill Dwarves. Moulder Dwarves The Mordrigswerg, or Moulder Dwarves, are a tiny race of Dwarves living in Vestland and Soderfjord[links to...]. They are famed craftsmen, but have terribly bad tempers, and show often an evil disposition. They are commonly considered warlocks, in league with the fiends. A Mordrigswerg Dwarf can live up to 500 years, but most fall prey to depression and madness well before that age. [link to] Moulder Dwarf Kogolor Dwarves The Kogolor Dwarves lives in the Hollow World[link to...]. They are a pastoral race, sharing a preference for hills and mountain with their Rockborn relatives, but otherwise very different. Kogolors aren't as hardy as the Rockborn Dwarves, but on the other hand they are less prejudiced than their outer world counterparts. [link to] Kogolor Dwarf Where the two links to the racial description would bring the reader to the specific article on that subrace, if it exists (incidentally, an AD&D version of the Moulder Dwarf does exist, written by Ironwolf). IMO, such a work would not set itself as an authoritative source on AD&D Mystara (which it could never be), but as a guide to the various options. Example: VII.Converting OD&D to AD&D2e OD&D Classes ... Paladin The OD&D Paladin may be converted in AD&D2e as a standard Paladin [link to classes->paladin], with the following problems... [ex.: OD&D Paladins start at 9th level, AD&D Paladin start at 1st level]. Another acceptable conversion would be to convert OD&D Paladin to AD&D Fighters with the Defender kit [link back to kits->defender]. This choice offers these benefits, and suffers from these problems, bla bla. [Other potential choices follow] Ok, I've been quite long-winded, but I think you got the idea. Any comments? -- 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 15:37:50 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Ok, I've been quite long-winded, but I think you got the idea. Any > comments? I think that it's a very good idea, but it would take some time, and only a group of few people should work on it (not like the Almanac, for instance). The team should ONLY use canon sources, and ignore completely non-canon stuff except where it is impossible to avoid it. Then we should not make a "Mystaran" handbook, something gargantuan that throws tons of informations on new players and new DMs, but make first a small Known World Handbook, just so that we don't need to choose difficult paths like "ok, here Mr. X put this race of dwarves, what should we do with them?" or "here the Almanac put this and that, what should we do?". The project should be supervised by Shawn, [here ends serious part of the post] by the way his real name is Emperor Zendrolion, he ascended to the Immortals and now he has decided to use the rights on Mystara that he paid for 1000 years ago...[goes on muttering something about the dominance of the world by Thyatians] 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, 24 Feb 2001 07:30:44 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Mystara material borrowed by FR(Was[MYSTARA] Newcomers and Mystara) Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary Mime-Version: 1.0 Yes I was also surprised by how much FR has borrowed from Mystara. The entire elven "Tree of Life" concept, for instance, is used by FR elves such as the Suldanesselar as their "meaning of magical existence" just like described in the Elves of Alfheim Gazetteer. And do not forget that D&D's Halflings (though borrowed from Tolkien's Hobbits) were first utilized in Mystara. And guess who wrote the first halfling sourcebook for Mystara, Mr. FR himself Ed Greenwood, wrote that Gazetteer for Mystara. So in effect, FR borrowed and "modeled" its halflings after Mystara. On a less conspicuous note, I dunno how many of you have played the FR's flagship PC game Baldur's Gate, but the Iron Throne headquarters (a merchant company) looks SURPRISINGLY similar in both construction AND function as Darokin's Merchant's Guild Hall. Since I have never really read anything from Maztica or Al-Qadim, I dunno how similar they are to the Azcan Empire and the Emirates of Ylaruam, respectively, but I can bet good money that both Maztica and Al-Qadim are VERY similar to the latter. If nothing else, the whole concept of taking real world cultures and making equivalents in a gaming world was all started in Mystara. I know that there are many more and the above are ones that I noted off the bat without being terribly conversant with the Realms. I am sure those of you who are quite familiar with the Realms can cite many more connections than I can and I am interested in seeing how many more of these are there. :) Lancer ------------------------------------------------------------ Get Your Free Mail Address at http://www.StarWarsEmail.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, 24 Feb 2001 23:51:34 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Hello everybody! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Hello evrybody! > I'm very happy to join to the MML! > See you soon! > Dionisius Welcome fellow Mystaran! Always nice to see fresh mea... rather, fresh blo... umm... fresh faces on the MML! Dionisius--an interesting name! Caurenzan, is it? Or old Thyatian? Should you be intersted in anything Glantrian, there are several of us distinguished nobles here who would be more than willing to help you. Be wary of Alphatians though... and, of course, you know these Thyatians were not made to be trusted... Never mind the rest of these mundaners of the Known World... Come see Glantri! Kit Navarro Archduke GPD 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 17:05:52 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: Hello everybody! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> Hello evrybody! >> I'm very happy to join to the MML! >> See you soon! >> Dionisius > > > Always nice to see fresh mea... rather, fresh blo... umm... fresh faces Ha ha ha > you know these Thyatians > were not made to be trusted... Never mind the rest of these mundaners of the > Known World... Any occasion is good to point a finger against us...WE that have fought at your side during the long years of the War of Wrath! Sob, sob! Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis Visit the Empire of Thyatis Web Pages: http://www.geocities.com/talerio/ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 11:12:43 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Kevin Powers Subject: AC1017 not downloading MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT No browser that I have used has successfully downloaded any of the ziped PDF files for the Almanac. Is this just me or is this a problem with the files themselves? Can't wait to see the AC 1017 Almanac, if only it would download...! 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, 25 Feb 2001 00:01:41 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Can I get the .rtf with less pain?? I too am experiencing some downloading problems with the Almanac. But you see, this is because the flighty Pegasus Star (symbolizing thoughts, ideas, and writing) is moving retrograde in the inhospitable House of the Basilisk (a willful, domineering, and earthy sign). In about three days, the Pegasus Star will enter the House of the Chimera (a neutral sign, but favorable for ventures such as exposition and publication). Madame Feliona of Nouvelle Averoigne Astrologiste Extraordinaire ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 08:13:41 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Re: Hello everybody! Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary Mime-Version: 1.0 >>> Hello evrybody! >>> I'm very happy to join to the MML! >>> See you soon! >>> Dionisius Always nice to see new faces around here. I am new to this list myself, (joined on Jan 14th)and learning the ropes quite well. It is an honor to become a part of a great group of people that love the great world of Mystara as I do. :) A warm welcome to you, Dionisius. Lancer ------------------------------------------------------------ Get Your Free Mail Address at http://www.StarWarsEmail.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, 24 Feb 2001 17:47:23 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Caroletti wrote: > > > Ok, I've been quite long-winded, but I think you got the idea. Any > > comments? > > I think that it's a very good idea, but it would take some time, and > only a group of few people > should work on it (not like the Almanac, for instance). Consider that it would have the amount of text I showed for the dwarven example, forwarding the interested reader to more detailed articles. > The team should > ONLY use canon > sources, and ignore completely non-canon stuff except where it is > impossible to avoid it. Yes, though I take you mean using canon for deciding which races make it and the like. The rest is non-canon anyway. > Then we should not make a "Mystaran" handbook, something gargantuan that > throws tons of > informations on new players and new DMs, but make first a small Known > World Handbook, > just so that we don't need to choose difficult paths like "ok, here Mr. > X put this race of dwarves, > what should we do with them?" or "here the Almanac put this and that, > what should we do?". Sure, I meant it as limited in size, and well partitioned into smaller sections. > The project should be supervised by Shawn, [here ends serious part of > the post] by the way his real > name is Emperor Zendrolion, he ascended to the Immortals and now he has > decided to use the > rights on Mystara that he paid for 1000 years ago...[goes on muttering > something about the > dominance of the world by Thyatians] :) -- 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 18:28:12 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Maps and hexs Comments: To: Thibault Sarlat MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit What's the area of an hexagon in Skothar's map by Christian Constantin at Thibault's site? I noticed that if we use geometric rules to calculate the areas of KW nations through hexagons we find areas to differ from those given in PWAs. Uhm...any clue? 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, 24 Feb 2001 12:32:00 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? In-Reply-To: <3A97C448.4BD709E0@libero.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Sat, 24 Feb 2001, Agathokles wrote: > Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for > an AD&D version of this rules supplement. Not to be too critical, but why of all things would you want to make an AD&D supplement? We just went through the 'AD&D Mystara conversion was crap' thread :) If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to 3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. Ethan Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 09:49:06 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Denis A Subject: Farm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii One of my players lives in the small village of Hendry, and wants to buy a small farm, starting to sell his agricultural products. Any idea for the costs of the ground, ecc.? Thanks __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 24 Feb 2001 12:21:13 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for >an AD&D version of this rules supplement. >The Complete Mystaran's Handbook.... Any comments? >-- > I think your ideas for the Mystaran's handbook are a great start! If it were completed and added to the Official site, it would be a highly valuable resource! I know that in the past when I've run campaigns with people unfamiliar with Mystara I would have to go digging through all my rules, gazeteers, etc. to find Mystaran information relevant to the character they wanted to play (i.e. for a player interested in being an elf, I'd have to relate all the information in the rulebook, the Alfheim Gaz, and pieces of other gazes that deal with elves in other nations, and go online to the various Mystara websites to find other info I might want to use. To be able to give them a link and have them find all the information they need would be fabulous!! I would, however, caution against getting overly detailed. New players & dm's can be easily intimidated by too much information to deal with when first checking out a new campaign setting. Perhaps it would be best keep it very "newbie" oriented, like a Mystara 101 - The Basics, and then provide additional information in a follow-up guide. Although, given the complex nature of our favorite setting (which is a big reason why we all like it so much, of course), it could be hard to keep it basic and still keep it Mystara. But, life is full of challenges! John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 12:33:00 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I agree with Ethan that an intro guide should concentrate on converting Mystara up to 3e, but then again, if we want Mystara to have as broad an appeal to newbies as possible, why exclude anyone that would be interested in playing Mystara with 2E rules? I guess my take would be that the introductory guide could be focused on 3E rules, but still have a section for those who wish to use 2E and OD&D rules as well. John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 19:20:22 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: kevin wyton Subject: Naptime anyone? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Greetings all This past week I trounced my wife and our friends at Trivial Pursuit, and then two days later forgot her birthday. Those of you who are married will understand my situation. This prompted the wife to say that my mind was a "cesspool of worthless information" Well folks this bubbled to the surface, hope you enjoy: The Pillow of Delgath The pillow of Delgath was created by its namesake as a supplement to normal magical study. While appearing as a normal sleeping pillow, if checked it radiates of Divination magic. If a spell or spells in written form (scroll,spellbook,etc) is placed beneath the pillow and then slept on for a minimum of 6 hours, then the sleeper, if a spellcaster, may awaken to find a spell erased from the spellbook/scroll and imprinted in his/her mind without having to study it. In game terms the pillow has a 10% chance of transfering any given spell from written form into the sleepers memory. Each night roll percentile dice to determine which spell level is transferred. ie: 1 -9% =no transfer 10-19%=1st lvl spell 20-29%=2nd lvl 30-39%=3rd lvl and on up to 99% a roll of 100%= Dm's choice (or no transfer if the dm chooses) If the DM rolls a value that corresponds to a spell level not appearing on the scroll/spellbok under the pillow then there is no transfer. If the DM rolls a spell level that is represented but for whatever reason (caster level,opposition schools) the caster is unable to cast, then no transfer is effected. The spell however, is still erased from the scroll/spellbook. Using the pillow bypasses the need for long hours of study and research and that nasty %chance to learn spell roll. The character however doesn't get to choose the spell learned and if it isn't recorded somewhere else, it's gone. Kev _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 11:26:10 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT John Polacek wrote: > I agree with Ethan that an intro guide should concentrate on converting > Mystara up to 3e, but then again, if we want Mystara to have as broad an > appeal to newbies as possible, why exclude anyone that would be interested > in playing Mystara with 2E rules? > > I guess my take would be that the introductory guide could be focused on 3E > rules, but still have a section for those who wish to use 2E and OD&D rules > as well. I still think the rules conversion should be separate from the newbie guide. First of all, for many people a rules conversion will be totally unnecessary. Many folks who want to play 3e want to use all the rules, and if they read in the newbie guide "no standard elves in Mystara" it might be a big turn off. Besides if they want to use standard rules, why shouldn't theY? Rules conversions/guides should be for those who WANT that level of detail. And I suspect that most people who want to to bother with a rules conversion are either (1) old timers who really care about fidelity, or (2) people who don't like D&D. The guide isn't written for old-timers, and I really don't think anyone (well, maybe one) wants GURPS conversions in the newbie guide. Remember also that most *newbie* 3e-ers will gravitate initially to Greyhawk or the Realms. That is what wizards is pushing, that's what's in the PHB, and that's what's in the stores. Mystara candidates will usually be those who have tried the others and are ready for something different (experienced gamers who need setting info but not as much rules help), people who remember the Known World and are returning (old timers), and people from other game sytems who are looking for a world to play in (complete newbies). In any case, I don't feel we should push people toward 3e. People around here are always saying "Mystara is not tied to a particular rules system", and there is a big debate about whether rules restrictions in OD&D are part of Mystara's unique flavor. Why transcend one rules system only to enslave ourselves to another? Instead let's take the opportunity to divorce the setting from the rules, and allow the setting to evolve on its own. Instead of rules the newbie guide should simply say "All elves are able to cast spells... Half elves are virtually unknown on Mystara... Rockhome dwarves generally don't practice magic, although they do have clerics. Dwarven thieves are very rare and are generally considered to be mad... Modrigswerg dwarves are known to traffic with fiends and use evil magic... Humans seldom combine magic with other professions, with certain exceptions: Darokin Merchants, Thyatian Foresters, etc... Glantrian temples are run by wizards... Karameikos is backward magically, and powerful spells are not commonly known..." The seven secret crafts can be mentioned and briefly described, but we don't really need spell lists in a newbie guide anyway -- put those in a rules supplement. That is all the detail anyone really needs to use 3e or most other systems effectively. Of course they can always break these rules if their game system allows it (and unusual characters can be interesting and fun), but at least they KNOW they're breaking the rules, and we haven't encouraged them to do it. 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, 24 Feb 2001 20:45:52 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sat, 24 Feb 2001 12:32:00 SteelAngel wrote: >On Sat, 24 Feb 2001, Agathokles wrote: > >> Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for >> an AD&D version of this rules supplement. > >Not to be too critical, but why of all things would you want to make an >AD&D supplement? We just went through the 'AD&D Mystara conversion was >crap' thread :) > Well, I happen to one of those who play Mystara with AD&D 2e rules with (heavily modified) Player Option rules, so there are some of us out there. Then again, I don't think anybody should write such a supplement for my sake - I have all those details pretty much figured out for my campaign anyway, and probably wouldn't use them... >If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to >3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. > Although I hate 3e with a passion, I agree - new players should definitely be encouraged to play in Mystara under 3e rules. Why? Because this is the current system and the one that will be played in the next decade or however long it takes for WOTC to realize that 3e is just as bug-filled and rules-restrictive as 2e was :( - The Stalker "I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trust coincidences!" Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 11:48:33 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 In-Reply-To: <002201c09e55$cab45ac0$b584fad5@uchicago.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT > Oh, I downloaded the whole .pdf (illustrated) 4 files, I patched them > together and the system continues to scream at me that the files are corrupt > and that I should run PKZIPFIX (which I don't have)... is that a general > problem?? Can I get the .rtf with less pain?? Worked just fine for me. FWIW, I used UnZip 5.20, a command line utility. Did you remember to "copy /b"? 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, 24 Feb 2001 14:05:44 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed so, ignore the rules and concentrate on the setting for the newbie guide... brilliant! John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 14:21:45 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Mystara Webring Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Hi I have a question for those of you with sites on the Mystara Webring. How long did it take for your site to be added? It's been a week for me, and about 3 weeks for www.mystaranet.com Just curious. Thanks! John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 21:33:59 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit John Polacek wrote: > so, ignore the rules and concentrate on the setting for the newbie > guide... > > brilliant! Ok, let's ignore the rules and concentrate on the setting. But WHO will do this work? Apart Shawn, obviously. He is IN because he is ZENDROLION, he is the BOSS. 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, 24 Feb 2001 21:37:08 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Poll: What is your favourite nation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey guys! I have 99 votes! Who will be the 100th ? VOTE: What is your favourite Mystaran nation? E-mail me personally at scarole@tin.it or on the Mailing List! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! 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, 24 Feb 2001 12:43:06 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Stef McCarter Subject: Mystara favorite rules (was Poll) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Let me start off by saying I'm a fan of Mystara, it was the first gaming world I played in, before moving on to Greyhawk. Let me also say that I haven't played in a Mystara game in years (besides of few of the box sets for 2E, when my local K B Toys sold them for like $5. I remember getting $120 worth of box sets & CD adventures for $22). But over all I find that I really only enjoy playing in Mystara with the original Basic/Expert rules. I enjoy the simple rules and simple game play and that to me is what really sets Mystara apart from the other game worlds. This might not have helped answer your poll question, but I just wanted to share my point of view. ===== If Man is five and the Devil is six then God is seven __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 24 Feb 2001 13:04:36 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Herve Musseau Subject: Re: MA1017 problems MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii From: Aaron E Nowack >A few problems: >None of the PDF with picture zips are valid archives according to WinZip. Okay, Dan also mentioned that in private mail. Actually there's no problem with the files (I uploaded them at work, downloaded them and uncompressed them at home, so I know it works, though Netscape stopped the downloading before it was finished several time). But the pdf files aren't zip files, despite their names, but split zipped files that you have to reattach before you unzip them. The instructions to do so are written on the MA page. Sorry I had to do that, and I know it's complicated especially to those who aren't so good with computers, but since Geocities doesn't accept files larger than 2MB I had to do that. >The first RTF w/ images zip encounters an unexpected end of file error when extracting the HW atlas in WinZip. The fourth file has a bad CRC that results in the Ambrymont events being unable to be extracted. Yes, I ran into the same problem at work, with HW (w/ and w/o pictures) and with Sviftmont (w/ pictures). I don't have that problem at home. I assume it comes from the winzip version, since I have 8.0 at home and 6 or 7 at work. I am not sure though. If someone discovers why there is such a problem with some systems, let me know so I can fix it. >And, BTW, neither version 1.1 of the 1016 almanac will download at all. oh, I haven't done anything with them. It worked a few months ago. The download of the pdf seems to start (I didn't let it continue). And here, the rtf also starts. They seem to be in working order. Tip: try to download when the Americans are not online. ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 24 Feb 2001 18:37:39 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: A sample section MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here is another sample section of the potential Complete Mystaran's Handbook, this time from the "Character kits by Nation" section. As a note, most or all capitalized nouns would be associated to links. Karameikos ========== Popular kits: Local Hero (all classes) Noble (Fighter, Paladin, Priest) Defender (Fighter) Forest Runner (Ranger) Gypsy, Herald (Bard) Thug, Bandit, Burglar (Thief) By AC 1000, Karameikos still is a rather backward nation, and Traladaran and Thyatians don't mix easily. Among the Traladarans, the Local Hero kit is the most common for all classes, while the Noble kit is used by the noble families of Specularum. Thyatians Warriors and Priests use the Noble kit, or the Local Hero for pioneers, but they are more keen on adopting class-specific kits, due to their more advanced civilization. Fighters of Karameikos often serve the various Churches, donning the Defender kit (of Halav or Vanya, depending on the ethnic background). Soldiers from the Ducal Guard use the Myrmidon kit, and are specialized in bastard or two-handed sword and crossbow. Many Traladaran Rangers whose background includes run-ins with the Thyatians become Forest Runners, while a Thyatian Ranger is more likely to work for the local authorities, therefore using the Guardian, Warden or Falconer kit. Paladins, if they are used, are most likely to be members of the Order of the Griffon, if Thyatian, or to be itinerant champions of Halav. They aren't common enough to use kits. Thieves of the Veiled Society mostly use the Thug or Fence kits, while those in the Kingdom of Thieves prefer the Burglar kit. The Iron Ring attracts many Assassins, Smugglers, Bandits and Buccaneers who operate in the wilderness of Karameikos. Priests are either Pantheists of the Church of Karameikos or the Church of Traladara, or they are Specialist Priests of Halav or Petra, if Traladaran, or Vanya or Asterius, if Thyatian. Other Specialists are somewhat uncommon, but do exist for all Immortals revered by the two main churches. Traladaran Wizards are few and often fill the role of the hedge wizard, using the Local Hero kit. Thyatian Wizards rarely use kits, but when they do they favour the Militant and Academician kits. Bards are popular in Karameikos, as Traladaran Gypsies, or Thyatian Heralds. Thespians and Gallants are common as well, and Charlatan Bards act as fake diviners and healers, earning the wrath of the Church of Karameikos. -- 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 22:20:08 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit SteelAngel wrote: > > On Sat, 24 Feb 2001, Agathokles wrote: > > > Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for > > an AD&D version of this rules supplement. > > Not to be too critical, but why of all things would you want to make an > AD&D supplement? We just went through the 'AD&D Mystara conversion was > crap' thread :) > > If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to > 3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. Because I simply don't play 3e... so why would I should write a conversion to it? Moreover, it does seem from the poll that few people play Mystara with 3e rules. As to OD&D, there's no reason to *convert* Mystara to OD&D, since it is already in that format. OTOH, as you said, many people think the AD&D conversion wasn't good, so there's a need for a better one. -- 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 13:14:11 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Herve Musseau Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii From: David Knott >I just downloaded the Mystaran Almanac for 1017 AC and so far have reached page 528 of the PDF version (beginning of events for month of Flaurmont). Already page 528? Boy, you read fast. How will we keep you busy until next year? :) >I am most impressed -- it actually has over three times as much material in it as the PWAs published by TSR. Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy it. >Does anyone have any plans to convert the earlier almanacs to PDF format? I would love to be able to read them in the same way. I converted the 1016 one like three months ago. It is online. Earlier almanacs haven't been converted. I guess I could do it though. >Also, the atlas sections of the almanacs from 1014 AC through 1017 AC would provide an excellent introduction to Mystara if they were better organized. One project that would be very useful to future Mystarans would be to create a geographical overview of Mystara from these four almanacs. At the very least, this overview should give a brief summary of each land and its people and then reference the MA volume that gives the most information about it. Then, anyone who has downloaded the overview and all four almanacs will have the basic information that is independent of game mechanics. Sure, as I said in a recent post the almanacs are actually the closest thing we have to an introduction to Mystara. If you want to take the KW entries and reorganize them into an intro to Mystara, you can do it, no problem. That would be easier for newbies than having a whole almanac (especially the more recent ones, which are quite heavy and might frighten them off). ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 24 Feb 2001 22:26:44 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit John Polacek wrote: > > I agree with Ethan that an intro guide should concentrate on converting > Mystara up to 3e, but then again, if we want Mystara to have as broad an > appeal to newbies as possible, why exclude anyone that would be interested > in playing Mystara with 2E rules? > > I guess my take would be that the introductory guide could be focused on 3E > rules, but still have a section for those who wish to use 2E and OD&D rules > as well. As Mike said, the main guide should be ruleless. Otherwise, we would be writing a 3e guide with conversion notes, and there's already the Mystara 3e group for that job. I decided to make a proposal for the AD&D rule supplement because I know there are a lot of MMLers who, regardless of the rule they use, would be more qualified than me to write a ruleless (or rule-light) Player's Guide to Mystara, while few people would probably be willing to write an AD&D Mystaran guide. -- 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 22:36:26 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit John Polacek wrote: > > I think your ideas for the Mystaran's handbook are a great start! If it were > completed and added to the Official site, it would be a highly valuable > resource! Thanks. I hope I'll find some help for this project, and that someone will undertake the really tough job, writing a Player's Guide (without it, this project would not be especially useful, I fear). > To be able to give them a link and have them find all the information they > need would be fabulous!! Yes. I envision it as a multi-level document, compact but with an heavy link structure which will make it useful for the expert player or dm too. > I would, however, caution against getting overly detailed. New players & > dm's can be easily intimidated by too much information to deal with when > first checking out a new campaign setting. Exactly. That's why I want to structure it with a strong reference system. It will allow the user to easily reach all the needed info, without being flooded with unnecessary (and unwanted) stuff. -- 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 18:53:45 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Larry E. Lamb" Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sounds good to me, im some what a new player to Mystara and that would help a grate 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: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 18:56:53 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Larry E. Lamb" Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/24/01 9:33:33 AM Pacific Standard Time, edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU writes: << If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to 3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. >> Not every one here likes or plays the new edition of the game. I dont.... ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 17:07:21 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? In-Reply-To: <68.c55c173.27c9a445@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 18:56 2/24/01 EST, Larry E. Lamb wrote: >In a message dated 2/24/01 9:33:33 AM Pacific Standard Time, >edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU writes: > ><< If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to > 3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. > >> > >Not every one here likes or plays the new edition of the game. I dont.... Is this guidebook meant for new people, or those of us who already play the setting? If it's for people new to the setting, realistically, they'll be using 3E. But why use stats at all? Rip out all the stats, and toss them away. People can fill in whatever system they want, using the other material available online. 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 09:10:19 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hail Mystarans! > > Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for > > an AD&D version of this rules supplement. > > Not to be too critical, but why of all things would you want to make an > AD&D supplement? We just went through the 'AD&D Mystara conversion was > crap' thread :) > > If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to > 3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. OTOH, how much of this work will actually require it to be D&D, A&D or 3e anyway? In our GPD project, we practically go through the whole character descriptions without worrying much about game term rules. In the end though, we could also come up with statistics for all 3 systems. Kit Navarro GPD 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 09:17:10 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Naptime anyone? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hail Mystarans! > The Pillow of Delgath Nice idea, but we've also come up with a similar magic treasure at our GPD project. It's part of a collection of magical items from the Secret Craft of Dream Magic, which is highly involved with dreams, nightmares, illusions, and sleep. Here's the excerpt: Jherek's Sagacious Pillow of Sleepreading Jherek Virayana I was the first Dream Master to achieve High Mastery in Dream Magic. He had a vast love of books and reading, but unlike other scholars and wizards who could spend sleepless nights and days to study and read, Jherek I had the disadvantage of needing to sleep more than even the average person, which took him away from his beloved books. Jherek thus used the Secret Craft of Dream Magic to create a magical item which allowed him to conserve the hours "wasted" on sleeping. Jherek's Sagacious Pillow of Sleepreading is a plush square pillow, 2 feet by 2 feet, made of Krondaharan silk and stuffed with the softest down. Both sides are covered with ornate Ethengar designs, incorporating the Virayana family emblem, but the bottom face depicts a pair of staring bloodshot eyes. To use the Pillow, a person must place a non-magical text under the pillow before going to sleep. The person effectively reads the text as he sleeps, and he wakes up with the knowledge of what was on the text. With the Pillow, the sleeper reads at the same rate as he does when awake. Thus, a sleeper who sleeps on a book that would take him 16 hours to read and only sleeps for 8 hours, will wake up with the book only half-read. The magic of the Pillow prevents the sleeper from having any dreams while sleepreading. Otherwise, the Pillow has no other detrimental effects. You can read about the other Dream Magic treasures here: http://www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri/treasures/legendary/tr_dr eammagic.htm You can read about other Glantrian stuff here: http://www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri Kit Navarro GPD Archduke ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 17:48:13 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "David S. Leland" Subject: Botching Mystara with conversion to 2nd ed. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Regarding the injustice done to Mystara with its conversion to AD&D2, I agree with what was mentioned here in terms of aiming at a very young crowd, high prices, excess gloss, color, and CDs at the expense of more substance, etc. The one thing I haven't heard that's REALLY big for me is new and inappropriate monsters. There was a good article in Dragon years ago (can't remember the issue) discussing how the flavor of your game world and campaign can have as much to do with what creatures DON'T appear in it as it does with those that do. Part of what makes Mystara unique in my mind is the set of races and monsters that populate it, relative to other D&D worlds. This was defined in large part by the use of OD&D rules versus AD&D. When the conversion was done, all sorts of monsters I associate with AD&D worlds but not Mystara started appearing, like copper dragons for instance. Why was this done? Just because you have those monsters in the new game system doesn't mean they belong in the game world. Anyway, I just think that was a factor. Magus Coeruleus 2) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 22:07:38 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? In-Reply-To: <3A982588.F8ADEF28@libero.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Sat, 24 Feb 2001, Agathokles wrote: > SteelAngel wrote: > Moreover, it does seem from the poll that few people play Mystara with > 3e rules. As to OD&D, there's no reason to *convert* Mystara to OD&D, Well, I have a vastly different opion on AD&D (IMHO, it is the worst load of tripe ever written be man). And, New D&D players use 3e. Like it or not, it is the current system. Therefore, any newbie book should be written with that in mind, or completely system neutral. (i.e no kits, no classes, no nothing). I opt for the former. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 14:25:21 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 12:32 24/02/01 -0500, you wrote: >On Sat, 24 Feb 2001, Agathokles wrote: > >> Here is an example of what I would propose as the table of contents for >> an AD&D version of this rules supplement. > >Not to be too critical, but why of all things would you want to make an >AD&D supplement? We just went through the 'AD&D Mystara conversion was >crap' thread :) > >If anything, it should concentrate on converting up to >3e, as that is what will attract the new people - not AD&D or oD&D. until the 3e team comes out with ... something ... a newbie Mystaran handbook need not have any rules really 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:28:47 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 21:33 24/02/01 +0100, you wrote: >John Polacek wrote: > >> so, ignore the rules and concentrate on the setting for the newbie >> guide... >> >> brilliant! > >Ok, let's ignore the rules and concentrate on the setting. >But WHO will do this work? >Apart Shawn, obviously. He is IN because he is ZENDROLION, he is the BOSS. Well I would've got started on this ages ago if I owned a copy of the Rules Cyclopedia. I could just crib lots of stuff from that - being the official site I have a great deal of leeway with that. 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:32:25 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 22:26 24/02/01 +0100, you wrote: >John Polacek wrote: >> >> I agree with Ethan that an intro guide should concentrate on converting >> Mystara up to 3e, but then again, if we want Mystara to have as broad an >> appeal to newbies as possible, why exclude anyone that would be interested >> in playing Mystara with 2E rules? >> >> I guess my take would be that the introductory guide could be focused on 3E >> rules, but still have a section for those who wish to use 2E and OD&D rules >> as well. > >As Mike said, the main guide should be ruleless. I fully agree - especially if we're trying to attract newbies with this then rules should be left out it probably. >Otherwise, we would be >writing a 3e guide with conversion notes, and there's already the >Mystara 3e group for that job. does anybody know how that group is actually going 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:50:15 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: poll results thus far Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" if you don't think that this is necessary to be posted here let me know privately, otherise the poll results thus far: out of 70 votes 64 people play in Mystara most often, 6 do not 28 people use OD&D rules, 19 use 2E, 19 use 3E and 4 use something else 39 people play the assorted D&D computer games out there, 31 do not 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:52:50 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 15:37 24/02/01 +0100, you wrote: >> Ok, I've been quite long-winded, but I think you got the idea. Any >> comments? > > >I think that it's a very good idea, but it would take some time, and >only a group of few people >should work on it (not like the Almanac, for instance). The team should >ONLY use canon >sources, and ignore completely non-canon stuff except where it is >impossible to avoid it. agreed >The project should be supervised by Shawn, that sounds fair >[here ends serious part of >the post] by the way his real >name is Emperor Zendrolion, he ascended to the Immortals and now he has >decided to use the >rights on Mystara that he paid for 1000 years ago...[goes on muttering >something about the >dominance of the world by Thyatians] I haven't gone into any of this Thyatis-antiThyatis discussions on the list, but suggesting that I'm Thyatian ... 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. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 22:21:03 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:32:25 +1100 shawn stanley writes: > >Otherwise, we would be > >writing a 3e guide with conversion notes, and there's already the > >Mystara 3e group for that job. > > does anybody know how that group is actually going Well, we've almost finished converting elves. Really. Honest. :) The rest shouldn't be as hard... I hope. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 24 Feb 2001 22:23:00 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: Online Modules MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Fri, 23 Feb 2001 19:06:42 -0800 Dave Keyser writes: > Aaron E Nowack wrote: > This sounds really cool, but if you are open, I would like to make > one > question/suggestion. Why Reginald? The man is ancient, he may > take > walks in the local wilderness, but he doesn't strike me as the type > that > would travel to the big city, hop on a boat and sail to Ithel > island. Err... mainly because he's the only high level Darokinian wizard that I know of to appear in canon. And a few other reasons that would spoil most of the plot of the modules. 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/tagj. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 01:49:50 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Mike Donnelly Jr Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow. I finally got around to this topic. (With the start of the NASCAR season I've been busy!) For me, my first love will always be the Caves of Chaos / Keep on the Borderland. Not the most technically sophisticated module ever, nor even one with a storyline, it was more of a setting than anything. But it fired up the imagination. Second is The Eye of Traldar. Brad Fonseca wrote: > Hello! > > I was wondering what everyone's favourite module is for the Mystara > campaign setting? I have to admit a soft spot for "Rahasia" (B9?) and > for X11 "Saga of the Shadow Lord" > > -- > Brad:) > > "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." > > ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 10:48:05 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Re: AD&D Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In the AD&D Mystara Monstrous Compendium it had a book full of OD&D monsters ported over into AD&D stats - stuff like athaches and decapus, that sort of thing. It had a section on dragons in there, and it listed all the dragons found in Mystara (it was the OD&D ones plus gem dragons - but not standard AD&D gem dragons, Mystaran ones were different. Copper dragons were not on the list...). It even noted that draconic alignment in Mystara was not based on good vs evil, but law vs chaos - it had a table in it to work out the good/evil alignment of any specific dragon, for example gold was 90% likely to be good - but not ALWAYS good, like in standard AD&D (though all gold dragons were Lawful). I don't know where you are getting this copper dragon reference from, a module I presume. Didn't buy any of them, they were too pricey and looked too bad. Besides, I was running the M series stuff at the time... I thought that particular book was pretty much true to form with the OD&D rules, it had a lot of old creatures in there which are pretty firmly Mystaran. So give TSR some credit where it was due :-) Cheers Rob > Regarding the injustice done to Mystara with its conversion to > AD&D2, I agree with what was mentioned here in terms of aiming at a > very young crowd, high prices, excess gloss, color, and CDs at the > expense of more substance, etc. The one thing I haven't heard that's > REALLY big for me is new and inappropriate monsters. > There was a good article in Dragon years ago (can't remember the > issue) discussing how the flavor of your game world and campaign can > have as much to do with what creatures DON'T appear in it as it does > with those that do. Part of what makes Mystara unique in my mind is > the set of races and monsters that populate it, relative to other D&D > worlds. This was defined in large part by the use of OD&D rules > versus AD&D. When the conversion was done, all sorts of monsters I > associate with AD&D worlds but not Mystara started appearing, like > copper dragons for instance. Why was this done? Just because you > have those monsters in the new game system doesn't mean they belong > in the game world. Anyway, I just think that was a factor. > > Magus Coeruleus > > 2) > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 07:51:57 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/01 12:34:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU writes: << On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Alex Benson wrote: > the Mystaran crowd. To me, acceptance of a project within the Net Almanac is > a general acceptance of the project in terms of Mystara as a whole. Of Not really. Personally I abhor the whole "second sun/old one Atruaghin" storyline. It seems forced, unrealistic, and definitely not something I would ever consider using. (Apologies to the authors ^_^) >> well...the general acceptance of a plot, new domain, or series of events within the almanac is as close to making it official (or at least mainstream) as there is. As for dislike of almanac subjects or plots, well I cannot disagree with you there. There are obviously some that I do not like. I am sure that just abouteveryone has some plot or subject that they disagree on. Of course the same thing could be said for the official canon sources as well. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 07:52:20 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Future for Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/01 12:41:04 PM Eastern Standard Time, lby3@LBY3.COM writes: << At 12:33 2/22/01 -0500, SteelAngel wrote: >On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Alex Benson wrote: > >> the Mystaran crowd. To me, acceptance of a project within the Net Almanac is >> a general acceptance of the project in terms of Mystara as a whole. Of > >Not really. Personally I abhor the whole "second sun/old one >Atruaghin" storyline. It seems forced, unrealistic, and definitely not >something I would ever consider using. (Apologies to the authors ^_^) I'm afraid I have to agree with Alex. While a lot of the MAs contain useful material, some of it seems more like fanfic than anything designed to be useable IMC. It may be a good story, but that's not the same as good gaming material, and I thus I sort of sigh at that stuff and move on past it. There's not much point in speaking out and railing against the material -- it's often well-done, well-meant and, frankly, it's already part of the MA -- but that doesn't mean I use it or even mentally consider it the official timeline. >> yes...i restate and clarify that there is a difference between the general acceptance of a plot/nation/etc due to its inclusion in the Almanac and the unilateral adoption of these same mystaran works. Acceptance has it in print in the almanac as a part of the widespread publication that is the almanac. reader exposure is greater than simply posting it on a website. likewise, the material is set among other events and such that compliment and influence it. The reader gets to see it in actual use. For material to be accepted in the almanac it usually goes through a series of discussion groups. Rarely does the initial premise survive unchanged throughout this process. The ALmanac staff is as close to a governing body that we have. Therefore its almanacs are as official as we can get. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 07:52:27 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Online Adventures MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/01 12:06:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, au998@FREENET.CARLETON.CA writes: << That's something else online Mystarans should consider. Online modules are a must, IMO, as not everyone has the time to concoct good adventures on the fly. >> okay. in an earlier post i made mention of my reworking an old homespun adventure. here is the lowdown. originally the adventure was a typical "PCs are crossing the desert when they come across an oasis". the resting PCs search the area and find tombs and tunnels. in hindsight the encounter mechanics were weak. there is an ungodly number of "whys" present that needed to be addressed. i was 10 years old, low on cash (reference materials), and Mystara was the Known World. the revamped version is more Ylari specific with specific nithian references instead of the vague inferences of nithia and egyptian imagery. the oasis went from a completely normal attribute to a specific site. the details became more rational than coincidental. dungeon floorplans have also been revamped heavily to reflect the changes. the visual image of a typical fort was removed and replaced with a different facility. this was to make discovery and rediscovery more difficult. the facility is mostly underground. the topside portions include a stone building that caps the oasis spring, preventing sandstorms and the like from covering the life giving waters. other surface elements are entryways to the passages below. some of these mini forts. others are concealed and trapped doorways that lead to the tombs. also present are ruined perimeter defenses. either way, the years have eroded most signs of the surface elements. the below ground aspects are integrated with the focal point of the oasis's water. the chambers and passages surround the well's shaft and is visually similar to some of the cold war era missile silo complexes. a seperate undergroundcomplex are the tombs that hold the slain defenders. the two are connected at one easily defended point. that way the warring sides are easily caught in a stalemate (see below). the oasis became an outlying outpost within the developing nithian culture. strategically placed and with its water supply, it commanded the region. with such importance the oasis was fortified and garrisoned. a cadre type atmosphere developed. an immortal interest became evident and the oasis adopted a shrine/sacred site atmosphere as well. the oasis forces began burying their dead in the tombs at the oasis. when nithian began its downfall, the oasis was among the victems. corrupting and controlling the oasis would have been a big boon to thanatos. therefore he focused upon it. eventually, t-bone was able to corrupt several priests and garrison members to create a fifth collumn. these rogue agents remained quiet for years as spies within the fort. eventually they did strike. with a private army of t-bone supporters outside, the fifth collumners struck undermining the leadership of the fort. the outside army struck and the fort fell in one of those epic last stand type defenses that Homer would of loved to witness. in the aftermath, the t-bone pawns were in a tough position. they had the fort and oasis, however they also had a problem. T-bone's support was not total within the nithian nobility. the pawns had to cover up the incident. they staged a battle with desert nomadic raiders. the fort's non-pawn dead were ceremoneously buried amid the fort's catacombs. victory was also complicated by the deathrattle curse issued by the final enclave of defenders as they fell. they cursed that "death was only the beginning" to their fight. this curse has given the fallen defenders the second chance of undead immortality. however, they were not the only ones affected. the corrupted were also afflicted. the two undead armies are still embroilled in an eternal struggle that has outlasted nithia. for the pcs....the adventure deals in breaking the curse. the first challenge is to decide which side is the right one. this is complicated as the pcs are caught in the middle of their war. both sides see the pcs as invaders and both sides defend their respective portions of the fort. though the comabants' numbers are relatively small...the curse(s) make up for their numbers by giving them a degree of recovery..."i thought we killed him already". there are also conflicting sides to the removal of the curse. thanks to the curse the defenders are actually keeping the corrupted rivals in check. however, they are tired and want to rest in peace. the corrupted ones want to leave the fort and venture out to "join their brethren in Nithia to continue their revolution". this bodes badly for ylaruam and thothia. the pcs will have to establish the sides, establish the constraints and powers of the curses, figure out a way to overcome them and settle things. i have designed it so that mid level pcs will be slightly pressed and think that the opposition is fairly easy. however, attrition on the pcs will factor in heavily as the undead revive. time factors against them as they try to use their minds to solve the riddle of the curses. likewise, the oasis may draw other creatures that become embroilled in the mess. of course some of this is subject to change as the adventure comes together. I am unsure when it will be completed....a month perhaps...it depends on free 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 07:52:38 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/22/01 5:24:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: << On Wed, 21 Feb 2001 12:48:36 Alex Benson wrote: >I have been looking over this thread and would like to point out a few >details. We are all fans of Mystara and naturally the idea of controlling the >rights, events, and interests of Mystaran works is appealing. Financially we >could probably swing it. I mean there are around 250 members on the MML. I >have no idea how many additional fans are on the MMB. Anyway...chipping in we >could probably compile enough funds to make a legitimate offer to WotC. >However I have to ask what we really gain? > An extremely valid question IMHO.>> just trying to look at the big picture, play devil's advocate, and fill up the "IN Boxes" of the MML members :-) << >All of us have written, or are currently in the middle of, some Mystaran >relevant work. The Mystaran Line is dead as far as WotC is concerned so we >really have no official competition. Likewise, WotC has not really expressed >any constraints to our manipulations of the Line. Unless they decide to >revive the Line, I see no reason why they would. > I don't see WOTC reviving Mystara again... ever! However, another company might. Some have speculated that doing so might be expensive (to get the rights) but I don't think so. Mystara is owned by WOTC and nothing can change that - if a company is determined and WOTC demands too much, they'll just create their own world instead and there is no profit in that for WOTC. If, on the other hand, they let someone 'buy' the setting, then that company can try to revitalize Mystara, but WOTC will still own it! And since it's another company, WOTC has everything to gain and nothing to lose by this. The real concern is who would be willing to base a product on WOTC's whim - they'd likely demand full control of Mystara, so I don't see it happening (because I doubt WOTC would allow it).>> yes. this recreation of a world is a valid point. there has already been mention of the similarities of Mystaran traits in other settings. IMO the Known World is the prototype of the other settings. Attributes of Mystara were spiraled off into other settings. Conversely, we can borrow attributes from these other settings (and even other game systems) for use in Mystara. << Some people have mentioned that Ravenloft must have been expensive for White Wolf. I don't know if it was (does anybody know?), yet even if it were, I doubt the same would be true for Mystara. Don't forget that Ravenloft was alive and well in 2e, but was promptly killed by WOTC when the news of 3e was announced. That means that there was still a large fanbase out there. This is not the case for Mystara. Mystara lost it's fanbase and went under before 2e died, so a new company trying to revive it would have to start from scratch... WOTC, of course, knows this...>> i for one was really surprised when WotC dropped RL. I like RL and have even incorporated it into the Mystara setting as The Void....with the Dark Powers being the Old Ones. anyway....i am glad that WW picked up the rights. given the mixed success and underachievement of VtMRedemption I have some hope of seeing a computer generated game of the RL setting. That would be cool. [snip] << >If we were to go ahead, collect the money, present the offer, and make the >deal then we are stuck with what to do with the rights. I can tell you from >personal experience in the Net Almanac that it is VERY difficult to get a >concise and unified front in dealing with any sect, faction, or attribute of >Mystara. Each fan has their own favorite and that favoritism shows in their >works. How are you going to moderate who gets a bloody nose this year and who >reaps the rewards? > Exactly. Take the age-old flame war between a certain two Mystaran empires (no, I'm trying to revive it, just use it as the prime example). Eventually a struggle would have to occur between them, so what happens? Which empire takes a beating? Thyatis-fans will claim that their empire was hurt both during WOTI and the subsequent almanacs, and has never recovered from that. They're right. Alphatians, like me, will claim that Alphatia was destroyed in WOTI. It may have survived in the HW, and the later NACE may grown in the alamanacs (the official ones), but it's never recovered. That's true too. So whose turn is it to take a beating? And who gets to decide which? We could take a vote, but Thyatian-loyalists might claim that's unfair simply because there are more Alphatia-philes, so Alphatia would win every time. Not sure if that's true, but it seems to be to me, so I think they'd be right, and I can't blame them for it - I wouldn't like it if Alphatia were to take a dive just because more people liked Thyatis either, so how could I blame them? I couldn't... and I wouldn't! And that's just for the two empires. Now consider the rest of Mystara and think of all the hurt feelings changes to those would cause :(>> exactly. self interest in favored nations/peoples/ect is a definite and easily seen problem. and truthfully this devotion does have some merit. it shows that the mystara fanbase is a diverse lot. you don't have alot of the Dritzz clones or Elminster wannabes that are so visual in the FR fanbase. as an asside, I play Baldur's Gate. the funny thing is that in any of the Dritzz related threads on the various BG message boards have a unerring tendency to involve how to kill the FR hero. (snip) > The RPG industry is hard-pressed enough as it is to >sell its wares. IIRC just the other day there was mention of the demise of >one of the good ole companies. > You mean FASA? :(>> yes...i think it is FASA. pretty bad state of affairs as they should have gotten a financial boost from the Mechwarrior PC games. of course the problem with battletech has been the focus on the costly figures. likewise the PC games are not really computer controlled versions of the pen and paper game. they are shooters using battletech names and equipment. winning and losing is based more on the game skill of the player than the battletech rules. IIRC MechCommander was more adhering to the BattleTech rules. of course sales of that game have been lackluster. MC2 is suppose to be out in a couple months and is suppose to be a better game. <<>To grow (and survive) Mystara's fanbase needs to grow. Recruitment could best >be done over the internet, MML, and MMB. Build those gaming groups up and get >newbies involved. Of course I am a hypocrite in this regard as I do not game >nor do I plan on trying to game. The gaming crowd in my area is essentially >dead...or too weird for my tastes. Either way the potential for new Mystara >recruits is dismal around hear. > I see no chance of this happening unless somebody is willing to put Mystara in direct competition with FR, Greyhawk, or Dragonlance. These worlds are pretty similar (basic Tolkien Middle-Earth clones to be blunt to the point of insult - not that I intend insult, mind you, just trying to overstate my point) and thus, I think they're all attractive to pretty much the same fans!>> yes. <<>Mystara is a rather old fashioned game setting with its attributes standing >as stoic reminders of the classical images of "high fantasy". I think that we >all can agree that we are all long-time gamers and purists...hence the >reverence of D&D over AD&D editions. > Actually, I prefer AD&D, I just thought the attempted conversion was handled just about as poorly as it was in any way possible :(>> i don't game anymore so rules are not that big a problem. i tend to focus on subject matter and only introduce the limited requirement of game stats. in that role i do use AD&D. IMO the differences are not that overbearing and can translate easily back to D&D. <<> Mystara symbolizes D&D and the old cut >and dry means of gaming. > Yup. The down-and-dirty basics. Which means that people sadly think of Mystara as 'simplistic' and 'basic' campaign setting :(>> yep. however, i tend to view D&D as being AD&D without the multitude of rules options. i think alot of the differences were due to TSR wanting to establish a difference and superiority of AD&D over D&D. afterall...if the two systems are too similar tere is no need for the gamers to buy. hence you have alot of optional rules and fluff. note the size of AD&D source books and just how much of it is needed. <<> This is a bit sad IMO as I am sure that we Mystarans >are some of the more passionate, intellectual, and analytical fans of RPG. > Well, thank you I suppose (good think we're not vain, eh?) ;)>> well it is true. IMO RL has the most devout and active following. Mystara's is second IMO only because it is less focused and organized. but then again, RL's very nature makes such unity and organization much easier than trying it in Mystara. Likewise, Mystara's MML/MMB fanbase may not be able to operate as they currently do under such centralized authority. << >IMO Mystara needs a bit of an overhaul if it is to attract new fans. Look at >the bevy of works done by the fanbase. The Gaz Nations are essentially >unchanged since the canon timelines stopped off. We are still playing upon >plotlines established in AC1000 and Wrath. There is also a plethora of works >that move away from the KW nations. I cannot blame them, I have done the same >by refocusing on ancient Mystaran history and the untapped boundaries of >Davania. No one seems willing to stir things up on the KW. > I don't think you're right about that (actually, I know you're not).>> well...let us agree to disagree. i am interested to see what has been stirred up on the OW in this year's almanac. more importantly...i am interested to see what has not been stirred up. >It is not just the stagnancy of the KW that needs to be readdressed. The NPCs >and personalities need to be addressed. Everything and everyone is so cut and >dry and "painted" in black and white or good and evil. There are no truly >human acting NPCs. I don't agree. IMHO Mystara is far more 'grey' than FR, Greyhawk, DL, or most other fantasy settings. Take the much-debated King Stefan, for example. He's 'oh so nice' and 'awful good' and all that, but when he sees an opportunity to declare his independence and turn his back on Thyatis he graps it immediately (no, lets not discuss his motives, *please*!) That's a strange thing for such a good and noble character to do in most fantasy settings, but on Mystara it's not surprising at all.>> your Stefan reference rings true. but look at it this way. you have these cookie cutter images of NPCs with their stereotypical demeanors...then wham...the authors have them do a complete turnabout and do something different. i get the feeling that the npcs were not thought out into the longterm. likewise there is alot of the scripting that makes immediate need override past NPC and event precedence. << > IMO that is why my local area gaming crowd favors darker >RPGs such as VtM and non-personal wargames. In either genre, circumstances >dictate the actions of the primary players, not the ideas or ideals of good, >evil, or the template of "traditional high fantasy". > I think Mystara could work for a number of people, it's just that very few are aware of the delicate intricacies of Mystaran politics...>> well...i think that revamping should also readdress the role of adventurers. even the most heroic hero types have that rogue element in their personalities. motivations, character flaws, personality quirks, and histories are easily seen in PCs. NPCs are not given such treatment. such descriptions do not need to be huge. simple additions of G:KoM and K:KoA type "What he says" and "What other say" add more detail to the described NPC than an entire paragraph. <<(snip) > >The trick to any changes is in retaining the attributes that make Mystara >what it is. If done wrong Mystara will just become a compilation of other RPG >settings and become gimmicky. > >Say...here is an idea. We all have opinions and I have voiced some here. Why >not let the MML voice their own opinions on Mystara's overhaul. List changes >that you would like to see in the coming years. Or list changes since canon >Mystara since the GAZ era or Wrath or after the PWAs/JA. You can send them to >the MML. Or if you feel a bit nervous about criticizing works, send them to >me via private mail. Confidentiality assured. I'll compile these >changes...all changes....for posting. It may prove to be inspiring to the >Almanac Staff. At least it will allow some good old healthy venting :-) > Boy, where do I start????????? ;) I think I'll have to get back to that as other people comment...>> well....i have yet to get any feedback on this one. this is a surprise as i figured that the response would be great. oh well....i guess that everyone is perfectly content with the status quo :-) nah...i know the almanac is out and focus is upon that right now. << >Anyway....I am against the acquisition of the rights to Mystara. I see no >reason for it asside from its writers having the personal satisfaction of >owning it, controlling it, or having their names in print. Now if the buyers >were to address the acquisition as a serious business venture, I would >definitely buy the products for as long as they are worth buying. > Well, I'm a bit undecided, but I lean more toward being against new Mystara material for several reasons. The main one is that I think the current situation is the best for us now - we can write up whatever we like and publish it here or elsewhere. If we send it here, it'll turn up on Shawn's site. That way, we all get to contribute and nobody gets a bloody nose for what they add. Other people can criticize it, sure (I have done so myself on some things), but people can still stick with their creations if they like them that much. For those who don't like it, they can just ignore it... Given our various disagreements and preferences of one aspect/nation of Mystara or another, I think this is the one allows most of us to be happy. I see trouble if we try to change that. Don't forget, the people on this list are the market! More people may become interested in Mystara if things are published, but there is no point in doing Mystara stuff if it ignores all the stuff that came before, and the MML is the forum where you see what people like and dislike - you should listen to that forum if you're going to publish Mystara-stuff! (Or you would be doing what TSR did wrong once again) What great aspects could we focus on? Most of us have been without canon-sources for so long that we've filled in the blanks. Most of us probably did so without realizing it, but we still did it because those blanks needed to be filled with details (like, what is Ixion's alignment? I'd say Chaotic Good, but that's just me. It's not what Shawn's site says. It's not it says in the Red Steel boxed set. Yet I say CG anyway, and I have great difficulty accepting anything else, because that's how I see him and what I based my campaigns on! I'd hate it if some crummy rulebook came along and told my players differently). I won't answer the question I posed - I can't. I have no answer for it myself. And that makes me cast my vote against new publications. I don't see Mystara attracting new fans, and so I see only the existing fans being hurt by it. Those of us who were here when Shawn's site was made the official Mystara-site may remember all canon vs. non-canon flame wars that subsequently followed. If that announcement could cause major flame wars so bad that Leroy eventually had to step in and stop the topic, then think of what new canon-material could cause... The thought fills me with dread. I think of most people here as my friends, and I don't want to see my friends hurt... But if someone really *is* serious about doing this, then I definitely feel that we're the people to talk to! We may be diverse groups of fans with lots of pet-peeves and strange grudges, but I doubt any campaign world can boast of a more dedicated and creative fanbase that we can - I've been on this list for about 16 months or so, and I can safely say it's been one of the most creative things I've ever done. If I hadn't joined, I doubt I would have made any new contributions to Mystara myself, or that any of my old ones would have been developed to the point of new release. I have a lot to thank the MML for!>> i think alot would depend on how the buyers would organize themselves and treat the setting. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 13:41:34 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Daniel Mayer Subject: Famous List of Last Words? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi! I just wondered if the list knows this? I would post it to the list, it�s just 14 kb in pure .txt. It contains some standard situations almost every DM had in his group... :) Anybody minds? Laren Nightmaster Tower of Dreams P.S.: It�s a sign of good manner to ask, or are 14 kb not worth 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:04:29 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Daniel Mayer Subject: Re: Poll: What is your favourite nation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Caroletti wrote: > > Hey guys! > I have 99 votes! > Who will be the 100th ? > > VOTE: What is your favourite Mystaran nation? > E-mail me personally at scarole@tin.it > or on the Mailing List! > > VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! > Does that mean I won�t get a visist? I�m so sorry. -sob- Always people only want something from me when they come for visit. I really would have enjoyed an "animated breastplate" to talk to... Laren Nightmaster Tower of Dreams ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 14:01:30 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Daniel Mayer Subject: ROFLOL: Stupid PCs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just to open a new line: Here the first of interesting situations I had as DM with my players...: I had a great deal of work to develop a really hard adventure with slavery in mines. I opened the adventure in the usual way: a tavern. My task was to get the players into imprisonment for selling them into slavery. All went indeed better than intended. A brawl in the tavern, and the overconfident warrior even attacked the city guard :) Went well so far. They all were put in a nice cage-wagon for transport. [This adventure was in Rolemaster] The wagon was guarded on its way by 8 low-level fighters, a medium-level mage and a "higher"-level fighter as commander. (8x2nd, 4th, 7th) The 4 players (warrior, mage, thief, fighter) were 4rd-5th level. Somehow, I *really* tried all against it, they made it - they got out of the wagon before the guard realized it - without magic! The mage shot out all power long before... A great hack-and-slash began. With the beginning, the noble fighter (wanted to become a knight) called the commander to a duel. The other three PCs fought against the nine NPCs. With incredible luck they killed 5 NPCs and knocked the rest out of conciousness...... ---------- DM was speechless -------- "Pah!" I thought and threw all my dungeon maps into trash. Impovising was always necessary with my players, so I made quite fast new plans to save the evening. While doing so, I asked the players what they do now. The warrior (chaotic neutral in AD&D terms) suggested to kill them, to collect food, water, horses and the wagon and to travel to nearest ruin or forest for camping. But the noble fighter countermanded: The NPCs still alive should be kept alive for rescue. So they were to be bound and (they escaped the wagon in the midst of a salt desert) to be laid under the wagon. There they should survive at least two days. Said and done. And then they got the horses and the wagon and travelled on. . . . . . In the evening they reached a greater forest. They prepared the camp and discussed the day so far.... What did they find out? After ap. 8 hours of travelling? We cancelled the evening then and played pool billard. ... to be continued Laren Nightmaster Tower of Dreams ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 14:06:13 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Daniel Mayer Subject: Re: MA1017 problems MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >And, BTW, neither version 1.1 of the 1016 almanac will download at all. > > oh, I haven't done anything with them. It worked a few months ago. The download > of the pdf seems to start (I didn't let it continue). And here, the rtf also > starts. They seem to be in working order. > Tip: try to download when the Americans are not online. > I *love* such word-playing :) Laren Nightmaster Tower of Dreams ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 10:55:37 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Beau Yarbrough wrote: > > Is this guidebook meant for new people, or those of us who already play > the setting? Both. > If it's for people new to the setting, realistically, they'll be using 3E. > But why use stats at all? Rip out all the stats, and toss them away. > People can fill in whatever system they want, using the other material > available online. I think Mike's original idea was the right one: keep the basics of the setting divided from the rules. Then write a ruleless player's guide, and the various groups who are/will be writing rule supplements will be relieved of the need to explain those basics. Now, there's already a group writing a 3e rules guide. I'm trying to put together a group to write a rules guide for 2e (BTW, if there are any volunteers, please contact me!). We just need someone to write the Ruleless Guide to Mystara. Any volunteers? -- 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 11:09:18 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit "Francisco V. Navarro" wrote: > > OTOH, how much of this work will actually require it to be D&D, A&D or 3e > anyway? In our GPD project, we practically go through the whole character > descriptions without worrying much about game term rules. In the end though, > we could also come up with statistics for all 3 systems. My personal reference is the Savage Coast Campaign Setting. I find its organization functional and well modularized. For those who don't know it, it is divided into three sections: an Atlas, nearly ruleless (the only rules items are the NPCs, but they're only described by class/kit, no stats at all); a Player's book, including all character creation (classes, kits, proficiencies, equipment, magic, special rules); a Campaign book, including the few DM-only info and the adventure plots. The same organization could be adopted for the guides we are discussing now. The Atlas, drawn from the Almanac stuff, as Herv� said; the Player's books, one for each rules system (that is, 2e and 3e, since if you play OD&D you don't need any special modification to the rules, except perhaps a unified skills system); and perhaps a DM's book, tough I haven't got any specific ideas on it right now. -- 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 14:24:39 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Phillip Jones Subject: Re: ROFLOL: Stupid PCs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lol!! I think I can top that though. :) We were playing "Lair of the Hobgoblin King" from B1-9, and the party had actually got to the first level of the catacombs. They arrived in a octagonal and realizing their dilemma, they carved a great big X on every door they took so they knew which doors that they had taken. After exploring a few passageways, the came to the other octagonal room. "Is there any X's carved on any of the doors?" one player asked, to which my reply was "No." Then one of my other players had a bright idea. "I'm going to open all the doors and check to see if the Xs are on the other side of them. (the opposite side of the door to where they made them). Fighting back great gusts of laughter, I mangaed to reply. "Ah! I see you noticed my gang of dungeon workmen, going around the place, turning the doors around." Then I promptly fell about laughing. One of my fondest memories of DMing a scenario. :) 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 11:17:37 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Kevin Powers Subject: Incredible Almanac MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Well, my $.02 on the AC1017 Almanac: This is, without question, the finest third-party work ever produced for the D&D game. Furthermore, this beats the tar out of any boxed set ever produced by TSR for any campaign setting (possible exception of Kara-Tur), and is a tribute to what an rpg world can and should be. To all who worked on this tome (as few lesser words describe it adequately), I extend my sincerest congratulations and thanks. You want a beginner's guide to Mystara? I say, presume that players can handle large chunks of information and direct them to the Almanac. If we ever do produce a separate beginner's guide, it won't be a far cry from this. It certainly won't be a far cry from this. 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, 25 Feb 2001 13:24:12 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: What makes the flavor of Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? Is it all elves casting magic and all dwarves being non-magical? The quest for immortality? The effects of a fantasy world being influenced by two enormously powerful nations? Top Ballista? The Savage Coast? What defines Mystara? I'm asking because for many of the other settings this is readily apparent. Ravenloft is defined by its overall theme of horror. Dark Sun by bleak landscapes and psionics. Birthright by the blood abilities and PC rulers. And shudder, Forgotten Realms tends to get defined a lot by Elminster and Drizzt (gah, that hurt to say- but I've watched too many frightening conversation between teenagers in my local gaming stores to ignore the fact). Greyhawk I think might get defined as having a generic feeling except I think it feels Gygaxian- people may argue. In any case, not to stir up the list anymore than it is already, shouldn't Mystara have a defined flavor? Something to focus on and narrow down the view of Mystara to something more consumable by a new player? Or even to recreate a setting with the proper flavor that has very little to do with Mystara (since this seems to be an enormously cheaper way to entertain the notion of "relaunching" the setting for a new audience)? While I understand the resistance and "if its not broke, why fix it?" attitudes of many of the members of the list, I wish to voice my opinion that any new setting information should be mainly focused on the facts of the new edition rather than dependent on the rulesets of prior editions. That meaning, I see no reason that just because something was so in the past and has been so for a rather long time that the people writing this thing up should treat even canon as canon if opportunities exist to make use of the newer ruleset. Apologies to our friends in other parts of the world, but the majority of gamers only have access to the few remaining copies of OD&D on EBay and gaming stores and even AD&D materials are vanishing from many stores (or lingering collecting dust) at a pace that can only continue. JMH ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 19:44:29 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dunlendor@AOL.COM wrote: > > Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? > Is it all elves casting magic and all dwarves being non-magical? The quest > for immortality? The effects of a fantasy world being influenced by two > enormously powerful nations? Top Ballista? The Savage Coast? What defines > Mystara? Mystara is defined, IMO, by the following factors: no predetermined "good" and "evil" factions; a lot of political intrigue (even when monsters or Immortals are involved); the relative availability of Immortality to PCs and NPCs. And, most of all, the sense of variety. Not having a single defining factor *is* the definig factor of this world, in a sense ;) -- 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 18:38:28 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: kevin wyton Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Aaron Nowack wrote: > >Well, we've almost finished converting elves. Really. Honest. :) > >The rest shouldn't be as hard... > >I hope. > > >Really! After campaigning with a Torcrest from Rockhome for a couple of >years now I would think the dwarves would most stubbornly resist >conversion. Being in their nature and all. Lord Darien Moonedge, Bladesinger _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 12:48:43 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed somebody get him a rules cyclopedia... stat! > >Well I would've got started on this ages ago if I owned a copy of the Rules >Cyclopedia. I could just crib lots of stuff from that - being the official >site I have a great deal of leeway with that. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 14:20:12 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Walter Biles Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? In-Reply-To: <88.2dd0c9a.27caa7cc@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 25 Feb 01, at 13:24, Dunlendor@AOL.COM wrote: > Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? [snip] > I'm asking because for many of the other settings this is readily > apparent. Ravenloft is defined by its overall theme of horror. Dark Sun by > bleak landscapes and psionics. Birthright by the blood abilities and PC > rulers. And shudder, Forgotten Realms tends to get defined a lot by > Elminster and Drizzt (gah, that hurt to say- but I've watched too many > frightening conversation between teenagers in my local gaming stores to > ignore the fact). Greyhawk I think might get defined as having a generic > feeling except I think it feels Gygaxian- people may argue. > Forgotten Realms/Greyhawk/Mystara are all relatively 'standard' Fantasy Worlds. Still, if I had to distinguish between them, I'd say the biggest thing distinguishing Mystara is that it is a more High Fantasy world than the other two. There are places where Magic is fantastically common, and large enchanted kingdoms like Alfheim. And it's a Hollow World..:) If I had to try to mark off the qualities which make Mystara distinct from the FR and Greyhawk for Good or Ill... 1. High Magic setting. Some regions don't have much magic, but very substantial swathes are dominated by some kind of magic, such as the Red Coast, Alfheim, Alphatia, etc. Places exist with the power level of nations like Alphatia with 1000 36th level wizards, or that Dragon Kingdom in Norwold with what...a thousand dragons? 2. Countries modelled on real world nations, but thrown together in a historically impossible, but fun to play with mix. 3. Mystaran nations are rarely strongly good or strongly evil, but rather more lawful or more chaotic. Their goodness or evilness is strongly debatable (as witness the endless Thyatis vs. Alphatia arguments on here. Which if this starts another one, I will find you all in real life and burn all your gaming supplements) 4. The Immortals. Not gods, but ascended Mortals, organized into five squabbling groups. 5. The Hollow World, a museum of fallen nations > In any case, not to stir up the list anymore than it is already, shouldn't > Mystara have a defined flavor? Something to focus on and narrow down the It does have a flavor, but it's not something that can be summed up in a single phrase, any more than Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms really can be. John Walter Biles : MA-History, ABD, Ph.D Candidate at U. Kansas ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu http://www.dkcomm.net/rhea/falcon.html rhea@maison-otaku.net http://maison-otaku.net/~rhea/ "That all princes shall kiss the foot of the Pope alone."--Dictatus Papae, 11th century ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 13:25:31 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? Well, for me the flavor of Mystara is it's complexity. To narrow the focus of Mystara to just one thing, would spoil the flavor for me. The beauty is that it has so many layers that it appeals to all kinds of different people who enjoy different things about it. John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 11:33:28 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Re: Mystara material borrowed by FR(Was[MYSTARA] Newcomers and Mystara) On Sat, 24 Feb 2001 07:30:44 -0800, Ramses Ramirez wrote: >Yes I was also surprised by how much FR has borrowed from Mystara. The entire elven "Tree of Life" concept, for instance, is used by FR elves such as the Suldanesselar as their "meaning of magical existence" just like described in the Elves of Alfheim Gazetteer. And do not forget that D&D's Halflings (though borrowed from Tolkien's Hobbits) were first utilized in Mystara. And guess who wrote the first halfling sourcebook for Mystara, Mr. FR himself Ed Greenwood, wrote that Gazetteer for Mystara. So in effect, FR borrowed and "modeled" its halflings after Mystara. > I didn't know about the elves, but I figured as much about the Halflings. I'll have to check that out. >Since I have never really read anything from Maztica or Al-Qadim, I dunno how similar they are to the Azcan Empire and the Emirates of Ylaruam, respectively, but I can bet good money that both Maztica and Al-Qadim are VERY similar to the latter. If nothing else, the whole concept of taking real world cultures and making equivalents in a gaming world was all started in Mystara. > Well I never read Maztica and I have yet to make a thorough read of my Azcan gazetteer, but then again the Azcan gaz might have come out after Maztica did. It _was_ one of the earliest failed settings for FR. As far as Al-Qadim goes, they are nothing alike. You couldn't cram all of Al-Qadim in the Emirates. Al-Qadim isn't so much a part of Toril as it is its own world in its own right and they added built-in crossover potential. Fortunately the idea of borrowing real-world cultures for fiction existed long before D&D's predecessor, and so it's a fairly common idea in rpg world construction. I'm working on a world right now that could be an alternate Earth if you include magic and divine power. While I love Mystara, I don't view it as an influence on my work in this regard. > >I know that there are many more and the above are ones that I noted off the bat without being terribly conversant with the Realms. I am sure those of you who are quite familiar with the Realms can cite many more connections than I can and I am interested in seeing how many more of these are there. :) > >Lancer > I would say that the Realms and Mystara occupy the same niche in fantasy role-playing. Both worlds have a serious side and function under the assumption that countries with wildly varying cultures exist side-by-side in a vast, mostly unexplored world. That alone would seem to me, especially since FR is making the step up to working as a PC driven campaign world, to designate Mystara to a fan- continued world. Given that FR is likely to be in print for the rest of this decade, there isn't room for Mystara on store shelves. Now if the fans could only make up their minds about direction.... Actually, if the official site isn't allowed to kill major characters, is there much of a direction that we can have for 'official' mystara? (Assuming each Almanac is approved as official). It's one of the cool and uncool things about game worlds, but time does advance and people disappear or die every year in our world. I wouldn't think being able to wrestle an adolescent dragon would change that much for Mystara. Byron ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 20:44:35 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: Maps and hexs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit for skothar it's 72 miles per hex as for the KW maps, i think it's because it is so tiny a place in terms of 72 miles hex that it differs greatly from the other sources.( zoomed in areas...). Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr or at clenarius@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Caroletti To: Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 6:28 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] Maps and hexs > What's the area of an hexagon in Skothar's map > by Christian Constantin at Thibault's site? I noticed that if we use > geometric rules > to calculate the areas of KW nations through hexagons we find areas to > differ from those > given in PWAs. Uhm...any clue? > > 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. > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 15:15:55 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/25/2001 1:20:04 PM Central Standard Time, ranma@FALCON.CC.UKANS.EDU writes: > 1. High Magic setting. Some regions don't have much magic, but very > substantial swathes are dominated by some kind of magic, such as the Red > Coast, Alfheim, Alphatia, etc. Places exist with the power level of > nations like Alphatia with 1000 36th level wizards, or that Dragon Kingdom > in Norwold with what...a thousand dragons? Isn't the high power level of the Forgotten Realms one of the key elements that its detractors pounce upon? High Fantasy is something thats very popular right now, but high power level? Where do 1000 36th level wizards get players? Do you really need 1000? Do they all have to be 36th level? I'm not criticicizing (or at least I'm trying to do so constructively), but regardless of canon is all of this absolutely integral to the setting? A kingdom ruled or dominated by magi, a kingdom ruled by dragons is fine- but I personally think a focus of a web project should be on the places that a new player would be able to integrate himself into or aim for rather than "Wow, thousands of wizards can kick a lot of ass". Which is why I put forth advancing the timeline as a suggestion, since a 1000 high level wizards in the past explain lots of magic but don't intimidate new players. > 2. Countries modelled on real world nations, but thrown together in a > historically impossible, but fun to play with mix. Don't both the Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk do this also? > 3. Mystaran nations are rarely strongly good or strongly evil, but rather > more lawful or more chaotic. Their goodness or evilness is strongly > debatable (as witness the endless Thyatis vs. Alphatia arguments on here. > Which if this starts another one, I will find you all in real life and > burn all your gaming supplements) Perhaps specific rules could be made to enforce this? Although, on the face of it to play devil's advocate I'd state that high fantasy and black and white good/evil situations are probably more easily digested by novices than high fantasy grey morality. > 4. The Immortals. Not gods, but ascended Mortals, organized into five > squabbling groups. I agree, this I can see appealing to the new player. I remember junior high school reading the immortal rules fervently trying to figure out what flavor of godling I'd want to be if I ever had a character last beyond 5th level. > 5. The Hollow World, a museum of fallen nations Is the Hollow World part of Mystara's basic flavor or is it a separate flavor unique to the Hollow World? >It does have a flavor, but it's not something that can be summed up in a >single phrase, any more than Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms really can be. Well, like I said in my original post, Forgotten Realms tends to get summarized as some strange amalgamation of the novelizations and characters portrayed in the novels and my stated opinion is that Greyhawk is in many ways defined specifically by the flavor evoked by the original Gary Gygax modules (although I admit I didn't communicate it very well) such as Temple of Elemental Evil, Against The Giants, etc. Scarily enough, the main things I immediately think about when I think about Mystara are Thyatis/Alphatia and Karameikos. Other information tends to get suppressed unless I allow it in. JMH ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 13:23:42 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Re: Mystara material borrowed by FR(Was[MYSTARA] Newcomers and Mystara) Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary Mime-Version: 1.0 > >Well I never read Maztica and I have yet to make a thorough read of my >Azcan gazetteer, but then again the Azcan gaz might have come out after >Maztica did. It _was_ one of the earliest failed settings for FR. As far as >Al-Qadim goes, they are nothing alike. You couldn't cram all of Al-Qadim in >the Emirates. Al-Qadim isn't so much a part of Toril as it is its own world >in its own right and they added built-in crossover potential. ***I just did the research on the web, :) and found out that both the Maztica campaign set and the Sons of Azca Gazetteer came out at the same time, '91. As a result, no definitive comparision can be made between these two as far as if there was any borrowed material. ***As for Al-Qadim, yes, I concur that Al-Qadim is MUCH larger than the Emirates and is a setting in its own right (slightly smaller than Red Steel), but it does not take away the fact that both are real-word arabian settings with some Sinbad/Ali Baba mixed in to give a gaming equivalent. The Emirates is smaller and in THAT way different from Al-Qadim, but the CONCEPT of the setting both embrace is very similar. I can imagine that Al-Qadim setting producers looked at least partially to the Emirates as an example of "hot it was done in the past" as well as the "Voyage of Sinbad" movies for inspiration of their work. >Fortunately the idea of borrowing real-world cultures for fiction existed >long before D&D's predecessor, and so it's a fairly common idea in rpg >world construction. I'm working on a world right now that could be an >alternate Earth if you include magic and divine power. While I love >Mystara, I don't view it as an influence on my work in this regard. *** True, true. Taking real world cultures and utilizing them into fictional literary work has been common long before Mystara came into being.. look no further than Lord of the Rings, the birthplace of the fantasy setting, and where all D&D fantasy settings owe its roots.. However, the first roleplaying setting (I am not talking first literary work) to use Tolkien ideals and to embrace the idea of using real world parallels learned from earlier works was Mystara. >I would say that the Realms and Mystara occupy the same niche in fantasy >role-playing. Both worlds have a serious side and function under the >assumption that countries with wildly varying cultures exist side-by-side >in a vast, mostly unexplored world. > >That alone would seem to me, especially since FR is making the step up to >working as a PC driven campaign world, to designate Mystara to a fan- >continued world. Given that FR is likely to be in print for the rest of >this decade, there isn't room for Mystara on store shelves. > >Now if the fans could only make up their minds about direction.... >Actually, if the official site isn't allowed to kill major characters, is >there much of a direction that we can have for 'official' mystara? >(Assuming each Almanac is approved as official). It's one of the cool and >uncool things about game worlds, but time does advance and people disappear >or die every year in our world. I wouldn't think being able to wrestle an >adolescent dragon would change that much for Mystara. > >Byron ***Mystara will never die as long as it has die hard fans like us that keep on playing and discussing it. ***As for the elven "Tree of Life" matter, one need only to play Baldur's Gate 2 or read about FR's elves to see the surprising parallels. :) There is no way that this was just a "coincidence." Lancer ------------------------------------------------------------ Get Your Free Mail Address at http://www.StarWarsEmail.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, 26 Feb 2001 09:59:07 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? > Is it all elves casting magic and all dwarves being non-magical? The quest > for immortality? The effects of a fantasy world being influenced by two > enormously powerful nations? Top Ballista? The Savage Coast? What defines > Mystara? > > I'm asking because for many of the other settings this is readily apparent. > Ravenloft is defined by its overall theme of horror. Dark Sun by bleak > landscapes and psionics. Birthright by the blood abilities and PC rulers. And > shudder, Forgotten Realms tends to get defined a lot by Elminster and Drizzt > (gah, that hurt to say- but I've watched too many frightening conversation > between teenagers in my local gaming stores to ignore the fact). Greyhawk I > think might get defined as having a generic feeling except I think it feels > Gygaxian- people may argue. from the briefest encounters with grayhawk the impression I got was that it had something to do with the cities being the important things in the game world. Given that all cities tend to have the same stuff in them (admittedly different people and with simmilar problems) and focus given to cities and whats between them makes for a very generic setting IMO. > In any case, not to stir up the list anymore than it is already, shouldn't > Mystara have a defined flavor? Something to focus on and narrow down the view > of Mystara to something more consumable by a new player? Or even to recreate > a setting with the proper flavor that has very little to do with Mystara > (since this seems to be an enormously cheaper way to entertain the notion of > "relaunching" the setting for a new audience)? I see your point but it is definatly obvious that mystarans like their world complex. I think it is great. perhaps it means theres always more adventuure possibilities. Like the now infamous stefan debate. It is possible to have your PC's stanchly beleiveing that stefan is good and really have him being the most two faced barsted on the face of the earth. IMO, much more so then almost anyone else. (not that I think he is a evil bugger) I think the point is complexity is to be desired, however the other point is that simplicity is desired when starting. (thats what you were trying to say isn't it) I think that mystara is a bunch of intertwined campaign settings. So what you say about focus exists, but at a proportionally lower level in this setting compared to others. It may be that there is the same level of focus but that there are more layers to it and more focus points. > While I understand the resistance and "if its not broke, why fix it?" > attitudes of many of the members of the list, I wish to voice my opinion that > any new setting information should be mainly focused on the facts of the new > edition rather than dependent on the rulesets of prior editions. That > meaning, I see no reason that just because something was so in the past and > has been so for a rather long time that the people writing this thing up > should treat even canon as canon if opportunities exist to make use of the > newer ruleset. Apologies to our friends in other parts of the world, but the > majority of gamers only have access to the few remaining copies of OD&D on > EBay and gaming stores and even AD&D materials are vanishing from many stores > (or lingering collecting dust) at a pace that can only continue. Two things on this. first, take every advantage for game opitunities and ease of play from any rulset, discard what you don't want/like. I play OD&D for this reason. all the other rules to me don't make that much diff. I mean elves are ment to have good dex. and int scores but that doesn't mean I think they should get bonus's and penalties to make this happen, but just convince players that since they are an elf they need this or they'll die screaming...*joke* Basically an elf should have that because thats what elves have. If a player can justify why he should/can/could do this or that or the other thing, let them. If they can't, well it doesn't happen/is simply unheard of. To me playing a stupid (low int.) elf would not work. Essentially it is not the ruleset that makes the rules, it is the reality behind it. The reality in Mystara is simmilar to tolken high fantasy, and thus elves are magical and bright, but it is not the rules that make them so. I agree that just because dwarves general don't like magic and are far more interested in mining for gold, doesn't mean you can't have a dwarven mage, just you better have a bloody good reason for having a dwarven mage and understand that they probally have to put up with a lot of shit (which could be fun to roleplay but hey). Because of the raraties and social inaceptance of such things they need not be mentioned in canon, and should in themselves be fairly obvious to players and DM's. Same with multi-classing. It should be rare. I mean "hey this guy trained to be a fighter, then a mage and now he wants to train with us? forget it, he won't stick with it." But if you can justify it, then fine. IMO however this should be the same inany world, if people want the world to be completly unrealistic then no prob, but you don't need to help them. Second. The second hand bookstore that I use has like 10 copies of the basic rules + assorted other sets, and I've only ever seen one copy of of one gaz though, and that was the Authugin clans one without map. And I live in a potentially small city compared to what the rest of the world has acess to (size 300,000 I think, with about 3.3 mil in the whole country about the same size as england and the only thing close to us is Australia that is completly oblivious to anyone offshore, and keeps tring to claim our stuff as it's own(russel crowe (the gladiator) for one) So It does puzzle me that you say the rules are hard to get. I must say from what I have heard of 3e it sounds like an improvement, but I must disagree and say that people will do what they want, and filling the world with dwarven mage/bard/theives ain't going to help no-one. Makeing the world interesting is. Because the world developed from the OD&D rules it does have some peculiarities but although the rules and the world were once one it is better now to describe these now in terms of socal aceptance then do this or that. you are an elf of alfheim, elves are bright and nimble: not: elves add one to intelegence and dex, and subtract from con. In conclution I think the flavour of mystara is that it has beleivable conflicts and cultures. It seems in a sence, a real world. like how tolken is, complex, and with mystery and magic, but real people, with real problems. There are eccentrics but in other setting where they'd say it's his personallity, we say, but what made him like that because in our setting it is far easier to come up with a explanation to that question. Well thats what I think. Chris. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 26 Feb 2001 10:12:21 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > My personal reference is the Savage Coast Campaign Setting. I find its > organization functional and well modularized. For those who don't know > it, it is divided into three sections: an Atlas, nearly ruleless (the > only rules items are the NPCs, but they're only described by class/kit, > no stats at all); a Player's book, including all character creation > (classes, kits, proficiencies, equipment, magic, special rules); a > Campaign book, including the few DM-only info and the adventure plots. > > The same organization could be adopted for the guides we are discussing > now. The Atlas, drawn from the Almanac stuff, as Herv� said; the > Player's books, one for each rules system (that is, 2e and 3e, since if > you play OD&D you don't need any special modification to the rules, > except perhaps a unified skills system); and perhaps a DM's book, tough > I haven't got any specific ideas on it right now. Sound's good. The DM book should contain info like: -immortals details (over and above their teachings) like their sphere or influence among the immortals as well as personas and plots they may have. -Details about the wrath war and the forces behind it. -adventure pots -important NPC and their goals -a the real deal description of nations (like karameikos, a kingdom of two sides. or Glantri, land of warewolves. etc... ) :-p _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 26 Feb 2001 10:15:42 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Second is The Eye of Traldar. I'm concidering buying it to play. I wasn't sure how good it was though. Anything particular you enjoyed or wanted to do, not do in it? Chris. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 26 Feb 2001 10:18:11 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Now, there's already a group writing a 3e rules guide. I'm trying to put > together a group to write a rules guide for 2e (BTW, if there are any > volunteers, please contact me!). We just need someone to write the > Ruleless Guide to Mystara. Any volunteers? If I can find the time, I'd love to write a ruless guide , now all I gotta do is find the time. (concider me in, anyone else?) Chris. P.S. Shawn, I have the RC, were you thinking a transcript from the game world section would do the trick? _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 26 Feb 2001 10:43:42 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >Say...here is an idea. We all have opinions and I have voiced some here. Why > >not let the MML voice their own opinions on Mystara's overhaul. List changes > >that you would like to see in the coming years. Or list changes since canon > >Mystara since the GAZ era or Wrath or after the PWAs/JA. You can send them > to > >the MML. Or if you feel a bit nervous about criticizing works, send them to > >me via private mail. Confidentiality assured. I'll compile these > >changes...all changes....for posting. It may prove to be inspiring to the > >Almanac Staff. At least it will allow some good old healthy venting :-) > > > Boy, where do I start????????? ;) > I think I'll have to get back to that as other people comment...>> > > well....i have yet to get any feedback on this one. this is a surprise as i > figured that the response would be great. oh well....i guess that everyone is > perfectly content with the status quo :-) > nah...i know the almanac is out and focus is upon that right now. Well so you have some I personally think that someone should pull an alexander the great and march into hule after rallying the western defence leauge's forces, and kill the master. With the master out of the picture they should then assume the role of living god and declare the worship of bozdigan illegal and tear down all his temples and kill the clerics (and just to really tick off loki) then build new temples to another immortal (perhaps one of the newer immortals or the living god general of the army and have his sponsor grant the spells to the clerics) Shortly after this the hinterlanders should get their shit togeather and massicare the thytain leagons and then procede to sail north and sack thyatis, leaving karameikos as the last bastion of thytian culture. Thytain refugees flock there and drive the goblinoids north to the canolbarth forest (just to really annoy the shadow elves) Meanwhile in the hollow world the immortals decide that the Alphaian's if left be are just going to try to conquer the whole hollow world and so they have to do something, (maybe they shouldn't have brought alphatia back after all... ) or maybe the alphaians keep getting sunburnt from the continuous sun and decide they are sick of the hollow world and want the outer world back and so devise a way to transport their whole continent to the surface on the outer world and the immortals seeing what has happened can't let the alphaian contenent float overhead and insted make it crashland somewhere (sokthar, it's original location, sea's east of davinia, hule, on the masters head.... ) But thats just what I think should happen :-p _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 26 Feb 2001 02:22:23 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit c_furneaux wrote: >> Now, there's already a group writing a 3e rules guide. I'm trying to put >> together a group to write a rules guide for 2e (BTW, if there are any >> volunteers, please contact me!). We just need someone to write the >> Ruleless Guide to Mystara. Any volunteers? >If I can find the time, I'd love to write a ruless guide , now all I gotta do is find the time. (concider me in, anyone else?) Chris. P.S. Shawn, I have the RC, were you thinking a transcript from the game world section would do the trick? > First of all, there already *is* a Mystara netbook for AD&D. I don't remember where I originally found it, but it can be downloaded from (at least that's what hotbot tells me...) I have that netbook on my harddrive, but I won't use much stuff from it because I already have my campaign pretty much worked out (besides, there are references to 'evil dwarves' in some dark 'undermountain' or some such, which seem to be contrary to all I have read and seems far too much like FR-underdark for my taste...). Still, if you play AD&D and want specific Mystara info, I do recommend that you at least check it out - the data on the rest of the nations is pretty accurate (though nothing beats the gazetteers or the almanacs obviously!) On the subject about a ruleless book, I've actually already done one myself. It functions pretty much as a large almanac atlas part of the Known World nations, but it's set around the AC 1,000 era because that's when my current campaign began, and I felt I needed a "Player's Guide". The information is taken pretty much directly from the gazetteers, but doesn't mention any of the DM secrets (after all, I couldn't let my players read about Blackflame or ancient Nithia, could I? They're supposed to discover such things!). Since no such thing existed for Mystara, I took it upon myself to make one (which was fortunate because it made me aware of some inconsistencies and strange references, which I could then sort out before we began...). I haven't mentioned it before because there were copyright issues I was worried about, but since TSR/WOTC seem determined to make the gazetteers available anyway, it probably doesn't matter so much anymore. By the same token, I made a player "Guide to Immortals" file, although this one does include my own not so humble interpretations of what the various Immortals' AD&D alignments should be. In fact, both files probably bear heavy witness to my own subjective interpretations of the various nations and Immortals (the Alphatia entry is probably far from objective) - you have been warned! ;) I'm not saying people could just use it as is (well, maybe...), but if somebody wants to work on it, it might be a place to start... Both files are Word 2000 but I can probably convert them most other formats (rtf very easily). The Immortals file is 241 kb and the Known World file is 220 kb, so they're pretty large files (35 and 30 pages respectively!). However, before I'll let anyone have these files, I want to settle the legal problems - will I get into trouble with WOTC if I let people have these? - The Stalker ---- Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 17:47:23 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: AD&D Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Rob wrote: > In the AD&D Mystara Monstrous Compendium it had a book full of OD&D monsters > ported over into AD&D stats - stuff like athaches and decapus, that sort of > thing. > > It had a section on dragons in there, and it listed all the dragons found in > Mystara (it was the OD&D ones plus gem dragons - but not standard AD&D gem > dragons, Mystaran ones were different. Copper dragons were not on the > list...). It even noted that draconic alignment in Mystara was not based on > good vs evil, but law vs chaos - it had a table in it to work out the > good/evil alignment of any specific dragon, for example gold was 90% likely > to be good - but not ALWAYS good, like in standard AD&D (though all gold > dragons were Lawful). I don't know where you are getting this copper dragon > reference from, a module I presume. Didn't buy any of them, they were too > pricey and looked too bad. Besides, I was running the M series stuff at the > time... > > I thought that particular book was pretty much true to form with the OD&D > rules, it had a lot of old creatures in there which are pretty firmly > Mystaran. > > So give TSR some credit where it was due :-) > > Cheers > > Rob The copper dragon showed up in the PWAs, after the Mystara Monster Compendium came out. It would have taken 15 minutes to do the research to cross check with the other Mystara 2nd Edition products to find out there are no copper dragons in Mystara. Heck, the authors could have gotten together for lunch to discuss their work in general terms, and that should have been enough to spot the error. But nobody bothered to make the extra effort. So we are giving TSR the credit it was due, credit for being completely bone-headed. Dave Keyser ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 18:09:37 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A.M. Merrifield" Organization: strawberryJAMM Designs Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? In-Reply-To: <88.2dd0c9a.27caa7cc@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 25 Feb 2001, at 13:24, Dunlendor@AOL.COM wrote: > Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? > Is it all elves casting magic and all dwarves being non-magical? The quest > for immortality? The effects of a fantasy world being influenced by two > enormously powerful nations? Top Ballista? The Savage Coast? What defines > Mystara? > Bruce Heard asked this question not too long before the release of 3E, when he was suggesting we think about doing a 3E conversion of Mystara. The text of his summary of that discussion, based on the comments made here, on the MML, and also on the WotC Mystara Message Board is stored at the 3E Project Web Site for our reference and I thought I'd post it in response to your question to see if fans still agree with the results from two years ago, and which of the 10 points they might put forth as being "most important". Jenni -=-=-=- DEFINING MYSTARA This general list summarizes major features defining Mystara's feel as a world setting. It includes comments made by several people and remains open, should other relevant features come to light. 1) Mystaran Cosmogony: Mystara is a separate universe independent from the Spelljammer/Planescape reality. Mystara has a magical sky shield, and anti- magic ring, polar openings, an entire hollow world, an invisible moon, etc. 2) The Known World's Structure: Distinctions by culture in smaller areas vs. distinctions mostly by race across larger areas. All areas of the Known World are clearly defined by their borders and very well detailed (geographical features, population figures, etc). 3) Real World Inspiration: Mystaran cultures are fantasized adaptations of RW historical models. On the other hand, very different cultures are often immediately adjacent regardless of RW racial or geographical models. 4) Cultural Dynamics: most Mystaran cultures and races show complex interactive links between each other and on-going master-plots driving their past and present histories. No culture is considered truly evil or good, as such perceptions are based upon local misconceptions and biases. 5) Politics/Economy: Well-developed economy and politics among people and nations remain a trademark of Mystara. Decisions made by the various rulers have a direct impact on everyday life. Seeking either to become rulers or get involved with the business of established heads of states is a recurrent feature for adventurers. 6) High Fantasy/High Magic: Mystara blends a high degree of magic into its system. Regions like Nithia, Alphatia, and Glantri have developed specific fields of magic (constructs, flying ships, Secret Crafts, etc) to a high degree. Nearly every region has its own brand of magic -- some cultural, some job-oriented, some racial, etc. 7) Multifaceted NPCS: Each realm harbors a multitude of well-developed heroes, villains, and leaders (and as many guilds and secret sects) cast interchangeably as allies OR enemies on the whim of the DM and the PC's own biases. Mystaran NPCs demonstrate motives, misconceptions, and alliances DESIGNED to entangle with one another, behind the scenes. 8) Role-Reversals: Where else would lycanthropes seek to PUBLICLY establish themselves as a political lobby, or subterranean elves be NICER than some of their surface-elves rivals, or merfolk cheerfully explain how humans evolved from THEM...? Mystara frequently allows what-ifs, thought- experiments, and in-jokes to be explored, where other settings would dismiss them as silly or frivolous. Many non-human races are also available as PCs in Mystara. 9) Immortality: Characters and monsters can become divine beings, which in turn affects "religion" in Mystara. The personality, motivations, and abilities of Immortals are highly detailed, as well as their interaction with mortals. Immortals are not related to gods of other game settings. 10) Game Restrictions: These are legacies of Mystara's original game system which limited in particular racial and character abilities as well as certain monster types. It is generally assumed that NPCs created for the Known World should conform to the original model. However, character and racial features available in 3E should remain largely available for PCs. Regions outside of the Known World are also fairly tolerant of 3E character types and monsters. Highly intelligent monsters are usually adapted specifically to one of Mystara's settings. Gun powder is not available, except for smokepowder in the Savage Coast region. Psionics are also alien to Mystara. -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield -=> strawberryJAMM <=- Benevolent Despot of the M3E Project M3E Project: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mystara3E ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 21:09:54 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Mike Donnelly Jr Subject: Re: Favourite module MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It had a very relevant structure to it. It placed a 'low level' group in a situation that could have easily proved it's doom, yet let a very plausible 'out' for the DM as to why they didn't get to kill Von Hendricks, nor get 'sqwashed like grape'. It puts them in possession of a powerful magic item, yet doesn't allow them to keep it. c_furneaux wrote: > > Second is The Eye of Traldar. > > I'm concidering buying it to play. I wasn't sure how good it was though. > Anything particular you enjoyed or wanted to do, not do in it? > > Chris. > > _________________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 19:43:11 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A.M. Merrifield" Organization: strawberryJAMM Designs Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? In-Reply-To: <3A994A61.20329.4EE343E@localhost> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Ugg... I don't know what happened to my paragraph marks when I sent this the first time!. I've tried to make it easier to read below, by inserting blank lines where they should have been in the first place... On 25 Feb 2001, at 18:09, Jenni A.M. Merrifield wrote: > On 25 Feb 2001, at 13:24, Dunlendor@AOL.COM wrote: > > Ok, so what is the uniquely Mystaran flavor of Mystara? > > Is it all elves casting magic and all dwarves being non-magical? The quest > > for immortality? The effects of a fantasy world being influenced by two > > enormously powerful nations? Top Ballista? The Savage Coast? What defines > > Mystara? > > > > Bruce Heard asked this question not too long before the release of 3E, > when he was suggesting we think about doing a 3E conversion of Mystara. > The text of his summary of that discussion, based on the comments made > here, on the MML, and also on the WotC Mystara Message Board is stored at > the 3E Project Web Site for our reference and I thought I'd post it in > response to your question to see if fans still agree with the results from > two years ago, and which of the 10 points they might put forth as being > "most important". > > Jenni > > -=-=-=- > DEFINING MYSTARA > This general list summarizes major features defining Mystara's feel as a > world setting. It includes comments made by several people and remains > open, should other relevant features come to light. > > 1) Mystaran Cosmogony: Mystara is a separate universe independent from the > Spelljammer/Planescape reality. Mystara has a magical sky shield, and anti- > magic ring, polar openings, an entire hollow world, an invisible moon, etc. > > 2) The Known World's Structure: Distinctions by culture in smaller areas > vs. distinctions mostly by race across larger areas. All areas of the Known > World are clearly defined by their borders and very well detailed > (geographical features, population figures, etc). > > 3) Real World Inspiration: Mystaran cultures are fantasized adaptations of > RW historical models. On the other hand, very different cultures are often > immediately adjacent regardless of RW racial or geographical models. > > 4) Cultural Dynamics: most Mystaran cultures and races show complex > interactive links between each other and on-going master-plots driving > their past and present histories. No culture is considered truly evil or > good, as such perceptions are based upon local misconceptions and biases. > > 5) Politics/Economy: Well-developed economy and politics among people and > nations remain a trademark of Mystara. Decisions made by the various rulers > have a direct impact on everyday life. Seeking either to become rulers or > get involved with the business of established heads of states is a > recurrent feature for adventurers. > > 6) High Fantasy/High Magic: Mystara blends a high degree of magic into its > system. Regions like Nithia, Alphatia, and Glantri have developed specific > fields of magic (constructs, flying ships, Secret Crafts, etc) to a high > degree. Nearly every region has its own brand of magic -- some cultural, > some job-oriented, some racial, etc. > > 7) Multifaceted NPCS: Each realm harbors a multitude of well-developed > heroes, villains, and leaders (and as many guilds and secret sects) cast > interchangeably as allies OR enemies on the whim of the DM and the PC's own > biases. Mystaran NPCs demonstrate motives, misconceptions, and alliances > DESIGNED to entangle with one another, behind the scenes. > > 8) Role-Reversals: Where else would lycanthropes seek to PUBLICLY establish > themselves as a political lobby, or subterranean elves be NICER than some > of their surface-elves rivals, or merfolk cheerfully explain how humans > evolved from THEM...? Mystara frequently allows what-ifs, thought- > experiments, and in-jokes to be explored, where other settings would > dismiss them as silly or frivolous. Many non-human races are also available > as PCs in Mystara. > > 9) Immortality: Characters and monsters can become divine beings, which in > turn affects "religion" in Mystara. The personality, motivations, and > abilities of Immortals are highly detailed, as well as their interaction > with mortals. Immortals are not related to gods of other game settings. > > 10) Game Restrictions: These are legacies of Mystara's original game system > which limited in particular racial and character abilities as well as > certain monster types. It is generally assumed that NPCs created for the > Known World should conform to the original model. However, character and > racial features available in 3E should remain largely available for PCs. > Regions outside of the Known World are also fairly tolerant of 3E character > types and monsters. Highly intelligent monsters are usually adapted > specifically to one of Mystara's settings. Gun powder is not available, > except for smokepowder in the Savage Coast region. Psionics are also alien > to Mystara. > > -- > Jenni A. M. Merrifield > -=> strawberryJAMM <=- > Benevolent Despot of the M3E Project > M3E Project: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mystara3E > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ > To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM > with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. > -- Jenni A.M. Merrifield <==> strawberry @ jamm.com <--------------------------------------------------------> God said: "Let there be Light." Then he created Earth, vegtables, animals, man and woman. Then God thought: "You know, I should create things I *like*!" So God said: "Let There Be Strawberries!" ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 23:21:28 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: M Novy Subject: Re: Looking for a few things... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I've acquired almost all of that stuff off of ebay. That stuff is on there like all the time. And believe it or not, and good prices.....i have stuff that ppl would have easily paid 20+ for. Mike >From: Andr�s Piquer Otero >Reply-To: Mystara >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Looking for a few things... >Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 19:52:24 +0100 > >I can give a hand, like Beau i will also post it public, those >announcements >can help everybody: > >Just today I got the update from titangames.com (no links to them, that's >not advertising!), and they included in the D&D items a copy of X11, for >around $45!! It's kinda expensive, but, in my experience when hunting for >that module, you either go for a expensive reseller (and anything between >35 >and 50 is the norm) or you have to be patient and wait for a good ebay >auction price... i did the last. >Anyway, the module is worth a good price, excellent background, athmosphere >and gameplay, plus a long one, it will keep you busy a few sessions! > >just my 2cents >Andr�s > >******************************************************************** >The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp >The Mystara Homepage: 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 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 25 Feb 2001 18:00:34 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? In-Reply-To: <88.2dd0c9a.27caa7cc@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Dunlendor wrote: > Greyhawk I > think might get defined as having a generic feeling except I think it feels > Gygaxian- people may argue. The Greyhawk folks have come up with a semi-official definition of Greyhawk's flavor: 1. Applied Internal Historic Consistency. The claim is that Gryahwk has a detailed history that is rigidly adhered to.. except some published supplements ignore it. Uh huh. What Greyhawk DOES have is major historical NPCs who were once PCs. This sense of "in-game history" is definitely part of Greyhawk's flavor. 2. Player Resolution of Critical Events. Players rather than NPCs are the movers and shakers. (Temple of Elemental Evil, Slavers, Drow, etc) However IMO this is partly because in Greyhawk, nothing much happens unless the PCs make it happen. 3. NPCs Reward More Often Than They Advise or Direct. They mind their own business. I have no opinion here, it seems more related to GM style. 4. Persistent Personified Evil. Greyhawk has very definite villains and powerful evil NPCs. These evils are hard or impossible to defeat with any finality, creating a perpetual conflict. 5. Villainous Variety. Self explanatory. 6. Heroism With a Price. Victory earns you powerful enemies. 7. Militant Neutrality, on both good-evil and law-chaos axes. A silly idea IMO. 8. Personal Magics. Magic is not super-powerful but tends to function on a personal level. Also, lots of spells are named for PCs or NPCs. Anyway, that's off-topic for this list, but it serves as a useful example of how you do about defining the feel of a setting. > In any case, not to stir up the list anymore than it is already, shouldn't > Mystara have a defined flavor? Something to focus on and narrow down the view > of Mystara to something more consumable by a new player? I would define Mystara's flavor thusly, in no particular order: 1. Vast Scope. Both in terms of geographical size, as well as in variety, Mystara pretty much dwarfs any other fantasy world I've ever seen. Greyhawk particularly lacks variety, and is all pretty much like continential Europe; there *is* one big desert, but not much there and no reason to cross it. Mystara has a huge variety: deserts, oceans, plateaus, jungles, caverns, hollow world, islands, moons, undersea... Mystara is also defined by its waters; few settings do much with maritime travel, islands, and the like, but it is extremely important in Mystara. Wastelands and wilderness are not just on the edge of the map, but must be crossed to reach important destinations (like the Savage Coast, or even Glantri). And of course there is amazing variety packed into a tiny area of the Known World. The amazing thing is that even beyond the Known World there is still great variety packed into relatively small areas (although admittedly, nations seem to get larger the further you get from the Known World). 2. Real-World Parallels. Nearly every nation or people on Mystara is modeled on something in the real world. This makes for instant familiarity, as well as instant depth and detail. Even historical nations are based on real world counterparts. 3. Well-defined Nations and Varied Politics. Every nation is unique and distinct from its neighbors, has well defined boundaries, and a sense of unity. I don't get the sense at all in Greyhawk or the Realms, where the focus seems to be on cities and boundaries are a formality, and where there are a lot of states that are culturally and politically very similar, if not identical. 4. Humor, Absurdity, and the Rationalization thereof. Mystara doesn't take itself too seriously, and there are plenty of jokes and just plain bizarre things thrown in. Even the name is ridiculous (IMO). Mystara is not ashamed to include dungeons in a great variety of sizes and styles, both in the classic form as well as extensive underdark type settings. If someone wanted to throw in some Arabian-style adventures, they did, without worrying too much about Vikings next door. This makes for a great deal of variety, and creates some interesting possibilities. The second aspect of this is the attempt to reconcile it all together, producing by far the most convoluted, fascinating, and magical history of any fantasy world. 5. High Fantasy. Mystara takes magic and gives it free rein to shape societies and history. The world is jam-packed with wizards, artifacts, and cataclysmic magical events. There is no attempt to artificially "balance" magic and medieval society. The writers were not afraid to throw in legions of dragon-riders, flying ships, floating castles, etc. Mystara also incorporates a great variety of classic fantasy archetypes and cliches. 6. Accessibility. In some worlds, there are powerful NPCs who don't do much (Greyhawk). In some worlds, players live in the shadows of powerful NPCs who get all the glory (FR). Mystara has very active, very powerful NPCs, but PCs can expect to rise to that level and even beyond. The are no real limits to how far you can go. On Mystara, PCs are *expected* to build castles, rule lands, and lead armies. 7. Nonhuman races. On most worlds, demi-humans are relegated to secondary status, socially and politically, and often exist as parasites or subjects within human kingdoms, and monster races usually have no politics at all. On Mystara, demi-humans have powerful realms of their own; they are not dying races, and they are taken seriously. They are also different than humans in their abilities; all elves use magic, rather than just being like humans with pointy ears. They are often different than stereotypical fantasy races; dwarves are great inventors and tinkers, and there are seagoing dwarves; halflings are more likely to be swashbuckling pirates or fighters than skulking thieves. Finally, Mystara has a huge variety of nonhuman races, and made these races avaiable to PCs long before D&D 3e was even started. 8. Dynamics. The nations and powerful people of Mystara are extremely active in their communications and schemes and shifting alliances, and it seems like everyone has some relationship to everyone else. Furthermore, nations are invaded, occupied, traded, created, destroyed, or otherwise altered with astonishing regularity. This also extends to Immortals, who are very active and involved in all sorts of harebrained schemes. 9. Ambiguity. It is hard to really decide who the "good guys" and "bad guys" are, and even if you do have an opinion, it may be different tomorrow. Motivations are complex and even orcs and vampires may have a good side. I don't see this so much as a lack of good or evil, but rather the understanding that nobody is perfect - even good people do bad or foolish things, and even evil people are capable of good or compassion. 10. Detail. I don't know of any setting that has such a wealth of detail on its peoples, nations, cultures, cities, history, etc., than Mystara. I am referring of course to setting detail, not game mechanical detail. I think it is great that Mystaran NPCs typically have three paragraphs of description and two lines of game mechanics. > Or even to recreate > a setting with the proper flavor that has very little to do with Mystara > (since this seems to be an enormously cheaper way to entertain the notion of > "relaunching" the setting for a new audience)? Actually I really like this idea and have considered it on several occasions. The main reason I haven't done so is because I really like the "shared contributions" aspect of Mystara. > While I understand the resistance and "if its not broke, why fix it?" > attitudes of many of the members of the list, I wish to voice my opinion that > any new setting information should be mainly focused on the facts of the new > edition rather than dependent on the rulesets of prior editions. If I write something, it'll be for whatever rules I am using at the time. I have nothing against other editions, and others are free to convert it to whatever they want, but I do this for fun, and I'm not particulary motivated to write for a game I don't play. If I start playing 3e, then I'll write for that. 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 01:51:43 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/25/2001 8:32:36 PM Central Standard Time, strawberry@JAMM.COM writes: > Bruce Heard asked this question not too long before the release of 3E, > when he was suggesting we think about doing a 3E conversion of Mystara. > The text of his summary of that discussion, based on the comments made > here, on the MML, and also on the WotC Mystara Message Board is stored at > the 3E Project Web Site for our reference and I thought I'd post it in > response to your question to see if fans still agree with the results from > two years ago, and which of the 10 points they might put forth as being > "most important". I'll take this as proof of my "great minds not only think alike, they also have the same last names" theory. J M Heard 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 02:35:47 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Sun, 25 Feb 2001, Mike Harvey wrote: [snip] This is a VERY good vision statement!! > good or evil, but rather the understanding that nobody is perfect - > even good people do bad or foolish things, and even evil people are > capable of good or compassion. Especially this paragraph. Most AD&D mystra supplemtns say "Mystara is the world where Law and Chaos are more prevalent than Good or Evil" Bunk. Mystara is all about shades of grey, and this paragraph says that in so much more detail than that terse, yet meaningless statement does. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 00:16:48 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "David S. Leland" Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed At 11:35 PM 2/25/01, SteelAngel wrote: On Sun, 25 Feb 2001, Mike Harvey wrote: [snip] This is a VERY good vision statement!! > good or evil, but rather the understanding that nobody is perfect - > even good people do bad or foolish things, and even evil people are > capable of good or compassion. Especially this paragraph. Most AD&D mystra supplemtns say "Mystara is the world where Law and Chaos are more prevalent than Good or Evil" Bunk. Mystara is all about shades of grey, and this paragraph says that in so much more detail than that terse, yet meaningless statement does. Right on. OD&D alignments are simplified and not altogether consistent, with Law and Good somewhat confounded and likewise for Chaos and Evil. So to say Mystara is all about the struggle between Law and Chaos, as opposed to Good and Evil, is nothing more than a half-assed attempt to fit OD&D's alignment system, and not the gameworld's struggles, into the nine point moral compass of AD&D. This is not to say that the OD&D alignment system is of much use either; I think Mystara is a clear example of why alignments in general do a poor job of characterizing the motivational factors that dispose characters to behave the way they do. *slipping on amulet of asbestos* Magus Coeruleus ./ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ \. < David S Leland ~|~ dleland@cogsci.ucsd.edu > | PhD Candidate ~|~ 858-534-9754(lab)/-1128(fax) | < UCSD Cog Sci ~|~ cogsci.ucsd.edu/~dleland > .\ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ /. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 08:31:21 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Rob Subject: Re: AD&D Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Strange. I thought all the PWAs were in OD&D format. There was an AD&D version of a PWA??? Who is responsible for that one then dare I ask? (Not having read the PWAs for some time)? Is that in Joshuan's Almanac? (a poor book IMHO, I've never actually read it in detail). My point still stands though, this sounds like a fairly minor slip (an event in a PWA is hardly something to get steamed about, its not exactly a major setting detail). The Mystara monstrous compendium is a good book and does Mystaras monsters good justice I think. And it remains fairly faithful to OD&D beasties (I say fairly because they have a full alignment with good and evil, but thats par for the course in AD&D or 3E anyway - and they did at least pay attention to the draconic alignment thing). There are some cool monsters in there too. The quicksilver golem has always been a favourite for my lot ;-) Cheers Rob > Rob wrote: > > > In the AD&D Mystara Monstrous Compendium it had a book full of OD&D monsters > > ported over into AD&D stats - stuff like athaches and decapus, that sort of > > thing. > > > > It had a section on dragons in there, and it listed all the dragons found in > > Mystara (it was the OD&D ones plus gem dragons - but not standard AD&D gem > > dragons, Mystaran ones were different. Copper dragons were not on the > > list...). It even noted that draconic alignment in Mystara was not based on > > good vs evil, but law vs chaos - it had a table in it to work out the > > good/evil alignment of any specific dragon, for example gold was 90% likely > > to be good - but not ALWAYS good, like in standard AD&D (though all gold > > dragons were Lawful). I don't know where you are getting this copper dragon > > reference from, a module I presume. Didn't buy any of them, they were too > > pricey and looked too bad. Besides, I was running the M series stuff at the > > time... > > > > I thought that particular book was pretty much true to form with the OD&D > > rules, it had a lot of old creatures in there which are pretty firmly > > Mystaran. > > > > So give TSR some credit where it was due :-) > > > > Cheers > > > > Rob > > The copper dragon showed up in the PWAs, after the Mystara Monster Compendium > came out. It would have taken 15 minutes to do the research to cross check with the > other Mystara 2nd Edition products to find out there are no copper dragons in Mystara. > Heck, the authors could have gotten together for lunch to discuss their work in general > terms, and that should have been enough to spot the error. But nobody bothered to > make the extra effort. > > So we are giving TSR the credit it was due, credit for being completely bone-headed. > > Dave Keyser > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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, 26 Feb 2001 19:37:29 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 02:22 26/02/01 +0100, you wrote: >c_furneaux wrote: > >>> Now, there's already a group writing a 3e rules guide. I'm trying to put >>> together a group to write a rules guide for 2e (BTW, if there are any >>> volunteers, please contact me!). We just need someone to write the >>> Ruleless Guide to Mystara. Any volunteers? > >>If I can find the time, I'd love to write a ruless guide , now all I gotta >do is find the time. (concider me in, anyone else?) > >Chris. >P.S. Shawn, I have the RC, were you thinking a transcript from the game >world section would do the trick? >> > >First of all, there already *is* a Mystara netbook for AD&D. I don't remember where I originally found it, but it can be downloaded from >(at least that's what hotbot tells me...) ah yes, Estlor's netbook - that can definitly be considered non-canon and not reallt a newbie's guide as I think we're trying to build here 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. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 01:24:50 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: A "Complete Mystaran's Handbook"? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "The Stalker" > > First of all, there already *is* a Mystara netbook for AD&D. I don't remember where I originally found it, but it can be downloaded from > (at least that's what hotbot tells me...) Yes, I have a copy (which is just as well since the link from that page to the netbook seems to be broken). However, it includes too much new material and says too little about the "official" material to be all that useful as a beginner's guide. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 01:27:28 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: AC1017 not downloading MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Kevin Powers" > No browser that I have used has successfully downloaded any of the ziped > PDF files for the Almanac. Is this just me or is this a problem with > the files themselves? Keep in mind that the Almanac folks did do something slightly strange this year -- read those instructions about going to the DOS prompt and combining the downloaded files before you unzip them. Once you do that, you will have a wondrous piece of work to read. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 01:32:13 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Botching Mystara with conversion to 2nd ed. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "David S. Leland" > Regarding the injustice done to Mystara with its conversion to > AD&D2, I agree with what was mentioned here in terms of aiming at a > very young crowd, high prices, excess gloss, color, and CDs at the > expense of more substance, etc. The one thing I haven't heard that's > REALLY big for me is new and inappropriate monsters. > There was a good article in Dragon years ago (can't remember the > issue) discussing how the flavor of your game world and campaign can > have as much to do with what creatures DON'T appear in it as it does > with those that do. Part of what makes Mystara unique in my mind is > the set of races and monsters that populate it, relative to other D&D > worlds. This was defined in large part by the use of OD&D rules > versus AD&D. When the conversion was done, all sorts of monsters I > associate with AD&D worlds but not Mystara started appearing, like > copper dragons for instance. Why was this done? Just because you > have those monsters in the new game system doesn't mean they belong > in the game world. Anyway, I just think that was a factor. That is definitely a good point. What was really bad was introducing them without fanfare -- since they clearly did not exist on Mystara before, some mention of how they got to the Known World region of Mystara might have been appropriate. I could actually accept the existence of new dragon species elsewhere, but the Known World seems to have its dragons fully accounted for. In the Dragonlord novels, even the gemstone dragons had to come from 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, 26 Feb 2001 01:45:03 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Agathokles" > > Mystara is defined, IMO, by the following factors: no predetermined > "good" and "evil" factions; a lot of political intrigue (even when > monsters or Immortals are involved); the relative availability of > Immortality to PCs and NPCs. > And, most of all, the sense of variety. Not having a single defining > factor *is* the definig factor of this world, in a sense ;) This has to be the best summary of Mystara I have ever seen, including Bruce Heard's explanation. Bruce's salient points are all captured in the above quote. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 02:00:40 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: First reaction to MA 1017 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Herve Musseau" > > Already page 528? Boy, you read fast. How will we keep you busy until next > year? :) No, I skim fast -- I paid close attention to a few areas and noted others as things to look into later. And don't worry about keeping me busy -- I am a member of that Mystara3E project who takes that project very seriously, as well as being the author of a computer game support program that is reflected in my e-mail address. Throw in my paying job and my personal and family lives, and I can assure you that I will not be bored between now and the release of the MA 1018 almanac. BTW -- when I returned to the Almanac Web site I found all four almanacs in PDF format, so it appears that my wish has already been granted. ;) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 01:33:56 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Famous List of Last Words? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit From: "Daniel Mayer" > > I just wondered if the list knows this? I would post it to the list, > it�s just 14 kb in pure .txt. It contains some standard situations > almost every DM had in his group... :) > Anybody minds? Unless it has some specific Mystara references or in-jokes, why not post it to the general DND-L list? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 01:37:04 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Incredible Almanac MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Kevin Powers" > > You want a beginner's guide to Mystara? I say, presume that players can > handle large chunks of information and direct them to the Almanac. If > we ever do produce a separate beginner's guide, it won't be a far cry > from this. It certainly won't be a far cry from this. At this point I am beginning to think that a beginner's guide to Mystara would simply be an index to the atlas sections of the on-line almanacs. As near as I can tell, those almanacs cover every Known World nation except for Alfheim (probably because that nation was destroyed/dispersed during 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 09:52:32 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I liked both Mike and Jenni's lists for defining Mystara. Perhaps, they could be combined (or both included in their entirety) and be chapter 1 for the much-talked-about-lately DM's Newbie Guide to Mystara? (complete with links to further explanation/exploration of each point) John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 11:59:57 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: ramhog Subject: test Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" -- test ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 10:11:52 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: Botching Mystara with conversion to 2nd ed. In-Reply-To: <000601c09fed$6dab9200$7ba61a26@q6s7w2> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:32 2/26/01 -0500, David Knott wrote: >That is definitely a good point. What was really bad was >introducing them without fanfare -- since they clearly did >not exist on Mystara before, some mention of how they >got to the Known World region of Mystara might have >been appropriate. I could actually accept the existence >of new dragon species elsewhere, but the Known World >seems to have its dragons fully accounted for. In the >Dragonlord novels, even the gemstone dragons had to >come from Elsewhere. An excellent point. In the "Dragon" article about Krakatos (or maybe it's in KKoA, but I'm pretty sure it's the "Dragon" article), there's a suggestion that mind flayers have been spotted under the city. Now, everyone seems to love mind flayers, and they can travel dimensions and such but ... well, they're EVERYWHERE. Once you have mind flayers sneaking around, it seems like you're on the road to the generic Greyhawk Underdark (which lots of FR fans strangely assume is FR invention, but then, they spell the name "Lloth," too ...). Making Shadow Elves into pale Drow and sliding all the rest of the Underdarky stuff (Derro, Duergar, Kuo-Toa, Aboleth) into the crust of Mystara may work for a lot of people -- I loved the GH Underdark back in the D1-3 era -- but to me, it loses some of the feel of the setting. So I probably won't be using mind flayers IMC. (Unless my players eventually get to other planes, but at the glacial pace of my campaigns, I doubt that'll happen any time soon ...) 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: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 18:30:34 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: kevin wyton Subject: Re: Naptime anyone? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >From: "Francisco V. Navarro" >Reply-To: Mystara >To: MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM >Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Naptime anyone? >Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 09:17:10 +0800 > >Hail Mystarans! > > > The Pillow of Delgath > > >Nice idea, but we've also come up with a similar magic treasure at our GPD >project. It's part of a collection of magical items from the Secret Craft >of >Dream Magic, which is highly involved with dreams, nightmares, illusions, >and sleep. Here's the excerpt: > >Jherek's Sagacious Pillow of Sleepreading I like your idea too. I've been to your sites, and I'm surprised (and in awe) that you can remember one item from the host of material you have there Kev _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.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, 26 Feb 2001 13:51:23 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: ramhog Subject: Trail Maps Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" How about redoing the Trail Maps as an intro for newbies? It could be, perhaps, one big map that would come in a tube and have an accompanying "gazetteer" giving a brief run down of all the Known World countries along with all that cool info that was on the original maps. VVH -- ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 13:19:28 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: AD&D Mystaran Monsters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Rob wrote: > Strange. I thought all the PWAs were in OD&D format. There was an AD&D > version of a PWA??? > > Who is responsible for that one then dare I ask? (Not having read the PWAs > for some time)? Is that in Joshuan's Almanac? (a poor book IMHO, I've > never actually read it in detail). > > My point still stands though, this sounds like a fairly minor slip (an event > in a PWA is hardly something to get steamed about, its not exactly a major > setting detail). The Mystara monstrous compendium is a good book and does > Mystaras monsters good justice I think. And it remains fairly faithful to > OD&D beasties (I say fairly because they have a full alignment with good and > evil, but thats par for the course in AD&D or 3E anyway - and they did at > least pay attention to the draconic alignment thing). There are some cool > monsters in there too. The quicksilver golem has always been a favourite > for my lot ;-) > > Cheers > > Rob > The third PWA and Joshuan's were both AD&D. I do agree with you that the Mystara Monster Compendium was a good product. I just wish they had added even more monsters to it. Another example of a big slip, the last two gaming products for the Known World, Mark of Amber and Joshuan's Almanac contradict each other on whether Entienne makes public his return. Mark of Amber says he does, Joshuan's Almanac makes no mention of that. It was clear the authors didn't talk to each other at all, and that Joshuan's Almanac was in error. If I had been working on Joshuan's Almanac, I would have made it a point to go over the other products coming out for the same (game) year, anything less would show I simply don't care to do a good job. Dave Keyser ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 22:56:11 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Let's take care of new Mystarans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Denis A wrote: > One of my players lives in the small village of > Hendry, and wants to buy a small farm, starting to > sell his agricultural products. Any idea for the costs > of the ground, ecc.? Thanks You've got just a little problem...too many people concentrated on the Beginner's Guide to Mystara topic! However, if I get the time, I will try to answer later this week. Anybody else would like to step in? Let's help a newcomer! He has begun to DM Mystara just a couple of months ago, and I suggested to him to enter the MML because he would receive many answers to his questions!!! It would be really a debacle if we don't answer him!!!!!!!! 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:06:34 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: AD&D Mystaran Monsters In-Reply-To: <3A9AC860.8FF0CD86@palmchip.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:19 PM 2/26/01 -0800, Dave Keyser wrote: >Another example of a big slip, the last two gaming products for the Known World, >Mark of Amber and Joshuan's Almanac contradict each other on whether Entienne >makes public his return. Mark of Amber says he does, Joshuan's Almanac makes no >mention of that. It was clear the authors didn't talk to each other at all, and that >Joshuan's Almanac was in error. If I had been working on Joshuan's Almanac, I >would have made it a point to go over the other products coming out for the same >(game) year, anything less would show I simply don't care to do a good job. I don't think that's a bug, that's a feature. I've got two 1013 campaigns going, and own "Mark of Amber." I've also said that my players can get the massively info-light JA. It's a safe introduction to the Known World (other than Ierendi, which has a USELESS entry) and since Joshuan didn't spoil MoA, I can run it when my players finally get to Glantri (if they ever do). 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 23:24:10 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I am writing here because I have seen more than one people express the suggestion that the Almanac should be considered Canon. However, there are several reasons not to do so: 1) The old D&D products are all based in a time that is obviously set before the MA era. This means that if a Mystaran should find an old product, he buys it and then he discovers that to use it, he must make a lot of adaptions. "Oh, no! The Master has just invaded Darokin, how can I have him do it again?" "Oh, no! Alfheim is no more!" "Oh, no! The city of Oenkmar now is Aengmor and is occupied by Atzanteotl-shadow elves followers!" "Oh, no! There are two suns in the Hollow World!" 2) If we set the Almanac as canon, all other fan-written material will immediately be set below, if not ridiculized. I don't like it. And it will only create problems inside the MML, and irritation for those who will remain out. "They put this ridiculous event because it is in the Almanac, but they let out that thing that is beautiful only because it's not in." Then people start accusing one or another, and Mystara is dead and gone, from 270 people we get down to 100- the Almanac team and the lurkers. 3) If we follow the Stalker's suggestion and write a AC 1000 Guide, we can allow the newbies to play ALL the material (fan based and not) done by Mystara people: all TSR adventures and all the new material that appear on the list, with really a minimum of adaption (if any adaption is needed at all). Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I may work on it. I also suggest that a representant of the Almanac (better one of the editors) works on it to. Shawn will be the final supervisor and have the last word. But ALL info should ONLY come from Canon. My 0,00000000000000000000000000000000002 sestertia 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 23:54:51 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Let's take care of new Mystarans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Caroletti wrote: > > Denis A wrote: > > > One of my players lives in the small village of > > Hendry, and wants to buy a small farm, starting to > > sell his agricultural products. Any idea for the costs > > of the ground, ecc.? Thanks > > I suggested to him to enter the MML because he would > receive many > answers to his questions!!! It would be really a debacle if we don't > answer him!!!!!!!! Well, the question has no simple answer. For the building, the usual D&D building cost table (it was in the expert set) should be fine (IIRC, a simple civilian building was about 1.500 gp). The land's cost may vary wildly, from nothing if he lives in an unsettled region (where's Hendry, BTW?), to very expensive, if he want to farm within the walls of Specularum, for example. The profit he can obtain could be calculated backwards from his taxes... consider standard D&D taxation (from the companion set) is approximately 50% of the income, give him the appropriate resources, and have him earn (net income!) about as much as he pays in taxes. I know it isn't a great answer, but I hope it helps anyway, -- 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: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 18:15:43 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Brad Fonseca Subject: List of Mystara stuff MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello All! Lots of acronyms flying about these days! :-) For the sake of clarity, is there a list of Mystara modules and products with the codes (X1, B5, etc.) on the 'net somewhere? I'd love to have a link! -- Brad:) "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 18:22:18 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon In-Reply-To: <3A9AD78A.4040502@tin.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII [snip] AC 1000 is a good year to bring players in. All the Gaz products were set in that time, as is the RC. WoTI, and the PWA's (and by extention, JA.. YECH!) should be considered canon also, but should not be shoved in the face of every potential player. It's like when Dragonlance fifth age tried to get new players. It's hard to start playing in a world that just survived a catastrophe unless that is the basic setting of the game. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 12:03:45 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > 3) If we follow the Stalker's suggestion and write a AC 1000 Guide, we > can allow the newbies > to play ALL the material (fan based and not) done by Mystara people: all > TSR adventures and > all the new material that appear on the list, with really a minimum of > adaption (if any adaption is > needed at all). Good point. well said. > Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I may work on it. I also > suggest that a > representant of the Almanac (better one of the editors) works on it to. > Shawn will be the final > supervisor and have the last word. But ALL info should ONLY come from Canon. I think that is going without saying now. I'm in to writing it, so's Agathokles and shawn gets final say. anyone else? Chris. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 27 Feb 2001 12:34:52 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Let's take care of new Mystarans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Denis A wrote: > > > One of my players lives in the small village of > > Hendry, and wants to buy a small farm, starting to > > sell his agricultural products. Any idea for the costs > > of the ground, ecc.? Thanks > > You've got just a little problem...too many people concentrated on the > Beginner's Guide to > Mystara topic! However, if I get the time, I will try to answer later > this week. Anybody else > would like to step in? well first did you see the post about dominion calculations for traldar in AC960. If not I'll send it to you, it could be of some use, thats for sure. Second, D&D is a game of adventure, with a few economics. The details of running a farm to me detract from the game. Personally I would say let him have his farm. Have it make a profit, but only a very small one, and then somehow emphases that its not really worth the hassle to run a farm and the adventuring is far more profitable and interesting. Maybe have it burn down at the hands of someone who the PC has annoyed, and drag him into adventure. If he fortifies it and has it gaurded, then make sure it's not that profitable, or is unprofitable for a small farm to be gaurded. That would be my vote Third. You could forgo the details by having him go to a local ruler and swear allegance and surport to him in exchange for this small amount of land. It whould keep him fed, give him a few servants, and a home, while not having to deal with the numbers. All kind of things could develop from this situation (steeling under his noise, murder in the house (maybe he get's accused! and has to go on the run) get's called to arms, etc... ) If in doubt, gestimate. If he's got too much money, you need to find a way to remove him of it (trust me my PC's NEED their purses lightened) Currently one of my PC's is starting a dominion and wants to make it grow by importing prople. I don't want to say no flat, but I have yet to stop him. The numbers are a pain in the arse, trust me. My current problem is that they've decided to travel by magic carpet with two of them in a bag of holding. Thats 5 hex's a day. I think I might have a Roc swoop down and decide to carry it off. Why can't they just go by land or ship like everyone else..... Chris. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 27 Feb 2001 12:37:21 +1300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: c_furneaux Subject: Re: List of Mystara stuff MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Lots of acronyms flying about these days! :-) For the sake of clarity, > is there a list of Mystara modules and products with the codes (X1, B5, > etc.) on the 'net somewhere? I'd love to have a link! theres at least one at starflung, check the products tab. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.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, 27 Feb 2001 07:14:35 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Glantrian Trivia (Naptime anyone?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >Jherek's Sagacious Pillow of Sleepreading > > I like your idea too. I've been to your sites, and I'm surprised (and in > awe) that you can remember one item from the host of material you have there > > Kev Well, to let the rakasta out of the bag, I'll let you know that I was planning to host a trivia contest on little Glantrian facts, based on our little website some time. There is a ton of stuff there! I recommend to everyone to have a look-see. Kit Navarro GPD Archduke www.geocities.com/pincipalities_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: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 08:07:49 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Francisco V. Navarro" Subject: Re: Farm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Denis A > One of my players lives in the small village of > Hendry, and wants to buy a small farm, starting to > sell his agricultural products. Any idea for the costs > of the ground, ecc.? Thanks Greetings Dionisius! I must say this is not an easy question. There is no easy way to answer it. I've looked through the Rules Cyclopedia, the Almanacs (including Joshuan's), and the Darokin Gazeteer, and I still couldn't get a definite answer. The GAZ does give the best idea, giving the following prices for 1 load of a particular merchandise: common wood, 1 cord(=1 load), 50 daros (gp) precious woud, 1 cord, 500 daros (gp) grain and vegetables, 20 bags, 150 daros These sound like the products of a typical farming/lumbering producer for about a month, and thus we can assume these are also the incomes of the farm/lumber mill in a month. But, we have to make adjustment for the location. Hendry is a major lumber town, so: a. It would produce more common wood, up to 5 cords b. It would produce more precious wood, up to 2 cords c. It is not a farming town, so the fresh produce would probably be a bit more expensive, up to 200 daros, but not more than 20 bags. [OK, so everything will make sense up to here...] >From the monthly income of the farm, we should be able to extrapolate how much the land will cost. I'd very roughly multiply the figure of 200 daros by a 50, pricing the farm and land at 10,000 gp. Kit Navarro Typical Glantrian noble who understands political intrigue but has no idea of the bureaucratic system ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 16:53:32 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara? Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary Mime-Version: 1.0 HELLO EVERYONE: This topic REALLY interests me because it makes me realize one thing about Mystara that I have noticed more and more: There is nothing in FR or in Greyhawk (or for that matter Dragonlance) that you CAN'T do in Mystara thanks due its comprehensive scope and cultural detail. Mystara is different in that it encompasses most traits of the latter worlds plus a whole lot more. To clarify what I am talking about the following link gives the complete description of the constantly mentioned "Greyhawk feel" that Mike and others have discusses about: >>http://hem.passagen.se/hoglins/greyhawk/greyinfo.htm >> >>My point in bringing this up is that as I read every item my reaction was "So?" and "Mystara does that too so what's the big deal?", and "I can do THAT in Mystara as well.." and so on and so forth. For brevity I will only bring up some of these points that Greyhawk fans have brought up and illustrate that they hold as true or even MORE SO in Mystara: >> >>Criteria 1:Applied Internal Historical Consistency >>What can I say? :) Encompassing The Known world, Red Steel, and the HolloW World, Mystara has the RICHEST and most DETAILED history out of any TSR world (Beating Greyhawk and DL by far, only Toril's history rivals it). And the size of Mystara's history is not the most important aspect of this criteria but even more crucial than the latter is HOW interwoven Mystara's history is in its products, modules..etc. Just take a look at the Gazetteer series for example, EVERY nation has its well-defined history which influences the culture, society, economy of that nation which in turn plays a MAJOR role in the adventuring opportunites in that nation. Unlike other less detailed worlds, Mystara's ultra-rich history LENDS itself to adventures of this kind. One of the most obvious examples must be the Wrath of the Immortals Boxed Set. Take a look at the historical events that led up to the WoTI.. The conflicts between the Immortals and Mortals alike.. The historical revelations that Capt! ain Haldemaar came across in his famous Voyage of Ark series, all the above is historically intertwined. Thanks to the events in WoTI, NOW look at post WoTI Mystara (approx. AC 1010), we see a world that has been ALTERED by history itself. Now new adventuring opportunities abound for PCs that have been DETERMINED by the historical repercussions set forth by the Great War. This is just one of a multitude of examples that will not be discussed here for brevity purposes. If history is important to the setting and conducive to adventure in Greyhawk, it is doubly true in Mystara. >> >> >>Criteria No 2. Player Resolution of Critical Events. >>While true for Greyhawk, this is equally true for Mystara. Unlike the FR which is basically run by celebrities such as Drizzt and Elminster and as a result take a lot of the fame and glory there are no such personalities in Mystara. It is true that Mystara does have many powerful NPCs but THEY are not in the spotlight as so is the case in FR. As in Greyhawk, the PCs of Mystara ARE the "world-shakers" and critcal event determiners. Mystara has been designed such that the PCs would become the celebrities and the heroes making critical decisions. >> >> >>Criteria No.6: Heroism with a Price >>The Greyhawk page stated that in that world, evil is inextricably linked. Even if one were to defeat one villain or vanquish one evil, that would draw the attention of others (both good and bad) that were somehow related to or dependent on the existence of the vanquished villain. Basically is says that villains in Greyhaw do not work in a vacuum and the actions of one (including his/her defeat) automatically affects another. Well, isn't this ALSO true in our favorite world? The different brotherhoods of Gods due to Rad's involvement with the NoS in the WoTI, and the conflicts of the different Spheres are evidence of how others are interested and get involved. In addition, see if a deity that favored the well-being of >>Alphatia will not be halted by Alphaks. Or even in the mortal world,try killing Synn the Black Dragon and see if that does not get an army of entropic servants and Thanatos on your behind! And so what if you have been able to kill one of the leaders of the Iron Ring? Son enough an ENFLAMED someone else will rise take his place in that clandestine organization to take you out. Or get Empress Eriadna forces to attack Glantri (as in WoTI) and see if Thincol does not respond (which he did). Or on a grander scale, try taking over Darokin and see if the rest of the countries in the Known World won't react to your taking over of the most important trade nation in that region! There are sooooo many more but this was just a tiny sampling :).The inherent rivalries and conflicting interests in Mystara allow this criteria to happen PROFUSELY! >>I can go on and on and show how each and every one of the Greyhawk criteria is equally true (sometime even more so ) for Mystara, but I think you guys get the idea. :) >> >>Therefore, due to Mystara's multifaceted nature with no set feel (someone else also brought this up) just about ANYTHING that is true for FR and Greyhawk applies equally so to Mystara. Just add all the Greyhawk Criteria page PLUS everyone's comments on this thread on the feel of Mystara and the sum of the parts STILL holds true for Mystara. THIS is my definition for the feel of Mystara: The ability and freedom for the DM to do whatever he pleases in an eclectic fantasy world . >> >>Lancer ------------------------------------------------------------ Get Your Free Mail Address at http://www.StarWarsEmail.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, 26 Feb 2001 20:12:43 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Let's take care of new Mystarans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit [snipped] > My current problem is that they've decided to travel by magic carpet with > two of them in a bag of holding. > Thats 5 hex's a day. I think I might have a Roc swoop down and decide to > carry it off. Why can't they just go by land or ship like everyone else..... > I made a house rule IMC a long time ago: only inanimate objects can enter the extra storage space of a bag of holding. Dead bodies are fine, though. After all, maybe the extra-dimensional space or whatever it is has no air to breath... If they've been doing it so far, maybe the magic drain from the NoS could change that (side effects like that are certainly possible - I think magic missile as written in OD&D is out of balance for a 1st level spell. The max. # of MMs is now down to 5 (1 at L1, 5, 10, 15, 20), and they still don't know why...). And don't worry about the flying too much. It's bound to happen sooner or later. Just wait until they have perm. fly spells! ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 22:22:28 -0300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Vinicius R. de Moraes" Organization: Dream Entertainment & Edutainment Subject: Our Yahoogroup & half-elf cleric feat. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit H�vard wrote: > > There is another mailinglist specifically created for converting Mystara > to 3E. Its called mystara3E and can be found on www.egroups.com > > H�vard I'd love to be added with the vinimagus@stivip.com.br address. (I'm saying that because I hope the moderator will read this... duh!) BTW, I'm late. I only got the 3rd Ed. PHB today. Please flame me for that, I do deserve! ;-) In some time, I'll be able to help. Do you guys know of some feats or any other cool stuff for a 5th-level cleric that I am working in? He is a half-elf, reeeeeeeeeally peaceful, healing expert, loves preaching... "He sucks!" - Wolverine. :-p Cheers, people. And TIA. vini. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 03:05:35 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Mon, 26 Feb 2001 23:24:10 Caroletti wrote: >I am writing here because I have seen more than one people express the >suggestion that >the Almanac should be considered Canon. However, there are several >reasons not to do so: > >1) The old D&D products are all based in a time that is obviously set >before the MA era. >This means that if a Mystaran should find an old product, he buys it and >then he discovers that >to use it, he must make a lot of adaptions. "Oh, no! The Master has just >invaded Darokin, how >can I have him do it again?" "Oh, no! Alfheim is no more!" "Oh, no! The >city of Oenkmar now >is Aengmor and is occupied by Atzanteotl-shadow elves followers!" "Oh, >no! There are two suns >in the Hollow World!" > Why is this a big problem? The MAs are set after the canon-material, so it doesn't change canon, it merely expands upon it. If you don't want that, then you do what many did with WOTI - you ignore it! Geoff wrote an alternate WOTI in which Alphatia was destroyed. Bruce Heard wrote World in Flames. I haven't read those myself because I do follow canon, but it doesn't mean that I'll be sending the MA hit squad around if people don't follow what's in the MA ;) >2) If we set the Almanac as canon, all other fan-written material will >immediately be set >below, if not ridiculized. I don't like it. And it will only create >problems inside the MML, >and irritation for those who will remain out. "They put this ridiculous >event because it is >in the Almanac, but they let out that thing that is beautiful only >because it's not in." Then >people start accusing one or another, and Mystara is dead and gone, from >270 people we >get down to 100- the Almanac team and the lurkers. > If this is really a problem, then there should be no MAs at all... I don't think that would be good. Besides, is Geoff or Bruce Heard being rediculed for their alternatives to WOTI? I don't think so, but I suppose they could tell us. Now, don't get me wrong, I write some non-canon stuff too, but it doesn't mean I don't support the almanac. The problem to me is whether we have a common basis to discuss Mystara or not. You and many others have witnessed the various "imperial flame wars" on this list in which I have participated myself. We've thrown things in each other's faces, particularly from DOTE and WOTI, but I don't hear my various "opponents" or "allies" saying that it had been better those products had never been written because then we would never fight over them, and I don't make that suggestion myself either. When we fight, it's not because we like to fight and hurt each other, it's because we care about the material and the campaign world. IMHO we have the same thing going on with the MAs - we may fight about them, but it all grows from interest in the game. If we remove the MAs then, yes, we remove those fights and nobody is hurt, but then Mystara has no future after AC 1013 when JA came out. Then Mystara from that point on is nothing more than "in my campaign..." and "in your campaign...". There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but it does reduce discussions on lists like this one to whatever one happened to like in the old modules. Now, this doesn't mean that I think we should just go on and write the MAs and not care whether some people take offense at them or hate them. Of course we should, but I don't much like the alternative either, and I think we've gained more by writing them than we've lost... And I definitely *do* think that they've kept Mystara alive! For now, of course, the MAs are *not* canon, because we have no authority to make them so. Given the chance I would support that, however, because the MAs are the fruit of the collaboration of the fans - whatever the MAs are or become, it has grown out of our love for Mystara, our efforts to see it remain alive, and our refusal to let it die. Yes, there have been big fights in the MA team about what should go in and what shouldn't, but our willingness to fight for what we like, both here and on the team, is what shows me that Mystara is not dead and indicates the richness of Mystara over many over campaign worlds. After all, if Mystara is not that dissimilar to Greyhawk or FR, then why are we all still here arguing about it instead of playing and discussing Greyhawk and FR now that Mystara is no longer in print? I see the fact that we are indeed still here as something positive, and if something should be made canon, I would suggest it be the almanacs because that is what most of the dedicated fans collaborated the hardest to create... each year. Yourself included! >3) If we follow the Stalker's suggestion and write a AC 1000 Guide, > Actually, I didn't suggest an AC 1,000 guide, just said that I had already done something like that. Not that I disagree... (see below) > we >can allow the newbies >to play ALL the material (fan based and not) done by Mystara people: all >TSR adventures and >all the new material that appear on the list, with really a minimum of >adaption (if any adaption is >needed at all). > >Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I may work on it. I also >suggest that a >representant of the Almanac (better one of the editors) works on it to. >Shawn will be the final >supervisor and have the last word. But ALL info should ONLY come from Canon. > Well, I basically agree. The real problem is that newbies will play 3e and no (canon) Mystara material was ever written for that, so I could go either way. Going with AC 1,000 is good for just the reasons you mention. Especially since the old modules, which are all basically set in that period, will be available for download within a year or so and 3e conversion files will likely be available by then. IMHO there are two other alternatives. The first is AC 1,012 which the AD&D stuff was aimed at, but that was very little material and not particularly time specific. Of all the modules (including the ones in the boxed sets), only Mark of Amber is specific to the period. Hail the Heroes can be set almost any time and Night of the Vampire is not very specifically Mystaran except for a few references (yes, it does fit very well into Karameikos, but it could easily be set almost anywhere), so there is not much gain here... The other alternative is to follow the MA timeline. However, although I like the MA, there is one big problem with doing that - a new guide would have to be written each year. There is also very little opportunity for adventures outside the MA timeline because those ideas are all in the almanac already. Besides, descriptions of the various nations are written for the MA each year, so there is little point in doing a new one. Because of that, I agree with you that an AC 1000 is probably the best idea because it gives people the most options. As time passes and the old modules (and 3e conversion notes for them) make it onto the internet, new players will have a huge library to choose from. Another thing to remember is that the period AC 1000 to AC 1003 is to some degree considered the 'adventuring period' where there is no set timeline as such in canon (a few new pricipalites in Glantri and such is about all). Once that is over and WOTI begins in AC 1004, the rest of the timeline is all set up to, and including, AC 1013 in canon... and further to, so far, AC 1017 if add the MAs onto that! So new players beginning at low levels are probably best off starting in this period without worrying about timelines and events and such. After all, the veterans on this list all fell in love with Mystara during this time playing adventures like the B-series (B10: Night's Dark Terror, ah the fond memories... Or B2: Keep on the Borderlands - always loved those Caves of Chaos... bring back memories, anyone? ;) ). I also want newbies to have the opportunity to play through WOTI, because I happen to one of the few people this list who actually like WOTI to some degree (okay, the timeline should have been far more detailed and the plots are too well structured, but a huge adventure that impacts Mystara like that? Of course I like it! ;) ). If an AC 1000 guide is written, however, I do suggest that there will (at some point) be written a "during the war" supplement, and eventually an "after the war" thing which updates the timeline to the latest MA. Oh boy, look what you made me do, Giulio!! Sorry to everyone for going on like that - it's those blasted Thyatians I tell you! ;) - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 18:28:30 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "Jenni A.M. Merrifield" Organization: strawberryJAMM Designs Subject: Re: Our Yahoogroup & half-elf cleric feat. In-Reply-To: <3A9B0154.CF84718B@engineer.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable On 26 Feb 2001, at 22:22, Vinicius R. de Moraes wrote: > H=E5vard wrote: > > > > There is another mailinglist specifically created for converting Mysta= ra > > to 3E. Its called mystara3E and can be found on www.egroups.com > > > I'd love to be added with the > > vinimagus@stivip.com.br > > address. Send a blank email to mystara3E-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Or, if you want to check us out first, go to the following URL at yahoo and sign up from there: [I recommend you get a yahoo ID if you want to view and use the groups fil= e storage area.] Jenni -- Jenni A. M. Merrifield -=3D> strawberryJAMM <=3D- Benevolent Despot of the M3E Project M3E Project: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mystara3E ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 20:46:21 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Eric Anondson Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon In-Reply-To: <20010226222420.E341B825F@brea.mc.mpls.visi.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit > I am writing here because I have seen more than one people express the > suggestion that the Almanac should be considered Canon. However, there are > several reasons not to do so: Not that I agree or disagree with any of the reasons cited, but here might be another. I skimmed through the Norwold Atlas. How many of the entries there are pure fan creations? Do those fan creations get in but not any others? If so or if not, it is a decision that should be stated up front. Now a question... And because I only just now downloaded the MA AC1017 and not any of the others, did the Golden Khan die in a previous MA or is it in AC1017 somewhere? I have only skimmed the Atlas section. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 22:10:23 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/26/2001 8:06:17 PM Central Standard Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > > The other alternative is to follow the MA timeline. However, although I > like the MA, there is one big problem with doing that - a new guide would > have to be written each year. There is also very little opportunity for > adventures outside the MA timeline because those ideas are all in the > almanac already. Besides, descriptions of the various nations are written > for the MA each year, so there is little point in doing a new one. Because > of that, I agree with you that an AC 1000 is probably the best idea because > it gives people the most options. As time passes and the old modules (and > 3e conversion notes for them) make it onto the internet, new players will > have a huge library to choose from. Another thing to remember is that the > period AC 1000 to AC 1003 is to some degree considered the 'adventuring > period' where there is no set timeline as such in canon (a few new > pricipalites in Glantri and such is about all). Once that is over and WOTI > begins in AC 1004, the rest of the timeline is all set up to, and > including, AC 1013 in canon... and further to, so far, AC 1017 if add the > MAs onto that! So new players beginning at low levels are probably best off > starting in this period without worrying about timelines and events and > such. After all, the veterans on this list all fell in love with Mystara > during this time playing adventures like the B-series (B10: Night's Dark > Terror, ah the fond memories... Or B2: Keep on the Borderlands - always > loved those Caves of Chaos... bring back memories, anyone? ;) ). > Why not suggest another alternative- a prior 1000 setting or very much past WOTI where everyone can: 1.) Write new material that doesn't have to depend as much upon What Has Gone Before (because history being what it is, what actually was and what is written can be different and writing past the old material allows d20 features to be incorporated without as much fuss as explaining why everyone wasn't multiclassing back in B1) 2.) Find ways to hide the wizard behind the curtain in regards to NOT smacking newbies in the face with "old-timer" syndrome (in which everyone "knows" so much more than the newbie and there is already so much material out that anything new might tread over travelled ground that it seems daunting to the beginner) 3.) If enough people dislike the canon conclusions and reconciliations of certain events, a farther future allows the list to "fix" it (or at least make their own mistakes) 4.) If enough people like things in a previous time it allows those people in liking of the past to work with that. There is another alternative in this time of talks about licencing Mystara and such- a d20 system conversion that doesn't rely on the 3E ruleset that seems to bother some people. I just searched and found Warhammer and Cyberbunk netbook d20 conversions in progress, surely something could be come up with that would be less difficult to than converting an entirely different system for Mystara. With a d20 supplement listmembers could tinker with the mechanics of the new system (such as classes, feats, multiclassing, etc- all that good stuff that gets argued over as "not feeling like OD&D Mystara" when everyone isn't talking about how cool one nation is compared to another) until we might get a game that feels and plays uniquely Mystaran while still being in the flavor of the original modules and boxed sets. I'm not even sure WOTC would have a problem with anyone doing this- much less problems with making something new and derivative than converting a bunch of old stuff I think. Two cents worth, JMH ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 22:20:06 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Brad Fonseca Subject: Heldannic Knights MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings! I read some references to the Heldannic Knights in WotI. Where can I get more info? -- Brad:) "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 22:36:38 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Heldannic Knights MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here you go, dude: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/knwnwrld.html ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad Fonseca" To: Sent: Monday, February 26, 2001 10:20 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] Heldannic Knights > Greetings! > > I read some references to the Heldannic Knights in WotI. Where can I > get more info? > -- > Brad:) > > "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." > > ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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, 26 Feb 2001 20:27:03 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Americancyco Subject: Re: What makes the flavor of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii To me whats makes Mystara special is the original basic rules. I felt Mystara kind of lost something when they updated to AD&D in 2nd edition. I'm a long time player of D&D since the mid 80s and I started with basic. I remember all the old original adventures. (As a matter of fact I got rid of all my old 1st edition adventures but kept all my Basic and expert adventures due to my love of them) I do love 3E but at times I just miss the original rules that I first learned to play by. To me that is how I will always remember Mystara as the basic simple to learn, fun to play game. ===== Evil is as humans do Bible prophecy comes true in the desert sands Beware of THEM __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 26 Feb 2001 23:27:47 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon In-Reply-To: <80.76690ba.27cc749f@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Everyone brings up good points about the MA's, both critics and supporters. However, As has been noted, the MA's are not canon. They aren't published works by TSR, and (like the apocryphal AD&D supplements) not relegated to what many consider canon Mystara (which ended, IMHO with the last PWA). What the MA's do do is allow fans to support Mystara. I may even contribute my liberation of serraine by Thimhallan story life for AC 1018. For newbies, we may want to write up an intro based in AC1000. It's the safest time for new players. Like the Greyhawk Gazetter, give them a taste of what's to come, but don't burden them with 10 years of war and 17 years of rebuilding. Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 06:55:26 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: Trail Maps MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit well as for the map itself , consider it already done. it only lacks the names of the cities and towns (that's where i need to find a more readable way to write over the maps, any ideas???) Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr or at clenarius@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: ramhog To: Sent: Monday, February 26, 2001 8:51 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] Trail Maps > How about redoing the Trail Maps as an intro for newbies? It could > be, perhaps, one big map that would come in a tube and have an > accompanying "gazetteer" giving a brief run down of all the Known > World countries along with all that cool info that was on the > original maps. > > > VVH > -- > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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, 27 Feb 2001 00:38:24 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Trail Maps MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "ramhog" > How about redoing the Trail Maps as an intro for newbies? It could > be, perhaps, one big map that would come in a tube and have an > accompanying "gazetteer" giving a brief run down of all the Known > World countries along with all that cool info that was on the > original maps. Thibault Sarlat has made considerable progress in regard to the maps. Throw in a decent index to the Mystara Almanaacs for 1014 throught 1017 AC, and I think your full wishes would be met. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 02:01:07 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: SteelAngel Subject: Southern Vulcanian Timeline -Comments, please? In-Reply-To: <021d01c0a083$8e2938c0$61a61a26@q6s7w2> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII This is the LAST BETA VERSION EVER! I'm very happy with this version. As many know, I'm an insufferable perfectionist, and I've been rewriting everything I've ever done for the List about 3 times over the past x months. This timeline takes into account every canon source I have, including CM3. It includes descriptions of the Snartan Empire and Thimhallan, both final versions are forthcoming soon. It also combines Alex's pegdhart info. Use as you like, just give me credit! Anyway, here goes! ----------- Southern Vulcanian Timeline BC 6000 - Ordana creates the Elven race from the forest which she once called home. She shelters the young race until she is sure they can survive on their own. BC 5000 - The Elves' infancy is over. The forests of Sylvanyor are closed to them forever. The Elves create their first civilization in the forests of Evergrun. BC 4000 - The Beagle crash-lands on Mystara. Blackmoor begins its technological dominance. BC 3600 - Ogdoban Treel's actions destroy the Beagle. BC 3500 - Blackmoor discovers the Southern Elves, and conducts intermittent trade and warfare with them. The Elven civilization flourishes with the Blackmoorian technology, and 4 clans of Elves move to Skothar to be closer to Blackmoor. Blackmoorian cities start to appear near Elven lands. Garal Glitterlode crates a race called the Ice Gnomes in the mountains in the extreme south of Vulcania. BC 3499 - The City of Thimhallan is founded as the most 'Blackmoorian' of the Elvish cities. It's real claim to fame is its use of an Immortal's artifact to power the city. BC 3436 - The Elf-Prince Aetharion is born. BC 3000 - Blackmoor experiments in high science destroy Blackmoor, and shift Mystara's axis. After the initial shock, the surviving elves abandon many of their cities and move northward to Grunland. Among the lost Elves is Aetharion. BC 2900 - The Ice Gnomes migrate north to the Vulcanian March. Garal, fearing destruction of his race, takes a few clans and transplants them to what is now Rockhome, instills false memories in them, and hopes for the best. The Gnomes left in Vulcania learn much about Blackmoorian technology from the Elves. BC 2800 - The Elven Separatist movement gains speed. Illsundal takes many of the Elves with him to abandon Blackmoor altogether. BC 2600 - The City of Thimhallan's power source fails mysteriously. Within months the entire populace is dead. Four of the last Elven scientists of Thimhallan seal themselves in stasis, guaranteeing their survival. BC 2500 - The rest of the Elven civilizations are falling apart. A second separatist group leaves the lands. BC 2400-2300 - The Elven civilization is destroyed by volcanic upheaval. The six Gnomish clans, Zarka, Drassar, Gemeiyr, Pegdhart, Skyras, and Snarta move into the remains of the ancient Elvish cities. BC 2053 - A lich named Ektarmorag and his undead armies of Elves suddenly appear in the far south near the polar opening. His kingdom borders on many Gnomish clan-lands, and his undead armies ravage the Gnomes. Only later is it discovered that Ektarmorag was in life the Elf-Prince Aetharion. BC 1754 - Clan Zarka's stronghold is utterly wiped out in an assault by undead. There were no survivors of the assault. King Borodar of Zarka, who was away at a clan meeting, vowed revenge. Fearing that simple Gnome-power could not stand up to the undead, he proposed the construction of 5 giant war machines that he called the Earthshakers. BC 1780-1785 - The War of the Earthshakers. In less than 30 years the five machines were completed. Each were to be each controlled by the five remaining clans of Gnomes, headed by King Borodar. The Earthshakers were each designed differently, though they were all basically human shaped, and between 800-1200 feet tall. These massive devices succeeded in destroying Ektarmorag by collapsing his palace around him. Of the five clans represented in the battle, only four survived. King Borodar sacrificed his Earthshaker to destroy Ektarmorag, costing the lives of the last of Clan Zarka and all of Clan Drassar. BC 1790 - The four remaining Gnomish clans decided to leave their cursed lands. Knowing that they could not all travel together, the clanmasters drew lots to see which clans should band together. In the end, Clan Gemeiyr and Clan Skyras took their Earthshakers and headed east, while the other two clans headed west. Clan Pegdhart and Snarta head toward the Ice peaks. However, neither Earthshaker was resilient enough for the journey, and both broke down in different valleys deep within the mountains. Clan Gemeyir settled in the Lost Valley. They used the parts from their Earthshaker to build the great Gnomish city of Berren. Clan Skyras' Earthshaker never made it out of the Vulcanian Marches, as the clan disintegrated over succession rights in BC 1791. BC 1400 - The factions that were once Clan Skyras no longer remember why they are fighting. By now there are at least 30 different clans battling for superiority by building more advanced weaponry. These groups are the ancestors of the Earthshaker clans of the Vulcanian Marches. BC 1200 - A large Tanagoro colony is founded on the tip of the Vulcanian Peninsula, the black skinned human tribes soon spread through most of the forested areas of eastern Vulcania, and periodically war with the gnomes of the marches. Clan Snarta moves northward, out of the mountains, and into the Meghala Kimata Plains. BC 1000 - Oriental colonists arrive from central Skothar. Their culture integrates with that of the Tanagoro. Many colonists move far inland, toward the Marches. BC 790 - Clan Snarta integrates itself into Milenian culture. BC 765 - Three Alphatian wizards crash land on the city of Thimhallan, claim it as their own and begin to uncover it's secrets. BC 633 - The School of Technomancy is founded in Thimhallan. BC 600 - Clan Snarta leaves Milenia, and heads back south. BC 580 - The human colonies have expanded to cover most of Vulcania. In the marches, clans of Gnomes and Human nations fight each other with swords and Earthshakers. BC 542 - The Snartans arrived back at the Brasol range. They dismantled their ancient Earthshaker, and constructed a new city-version, and founded the Hoplite republic. Soon after arriving, the Snartans discovered their cousins, Clan Pedhardt, and swiftly assimilated them into the Hoplite republic. BC 300 - Clan Gemeye (a corruption of Gemeiyr) suffered a great schism over the use of technology. A large population of Gnomes left Berren and moved to Thimhallan. BC 275 - Clan Gemeye founded the School of Gnomish Invention in Thimhallan., the first graduate was a young gnome named Glimreen Gemeye (in BC 261) BC 262 - Glimreen receiveed a dream from Garal Glitterlode. A dream of a flying city of Gnomes. He immediately set off with a few friends to the North. He never returned to Thimhallan. BC 200 - King Dorfin I "The Great" began the Snartan conquest of Vulcania. BC 178 - The "hoi gnomoioi" Snartan Troops rolled through Northern Vulcania, creating the Snartan Empire. Dorfin battled against the Humans and gnomes to the south, with limited success. BC 175 - Dorfin I dies, and becomes an Immortal in the Sphere of Time. He created his own dynasty by actually artificially creating Harwin III during one of his time-trips. AC 34 - Zodiak Mentrix and Matoia Pendrax, discoverers of Thimhallan, are denied Immortality. The College of Magic and Technology closes. AC 40 - Serraine visited Thimhallan for the first time. Glimreen's statue was placed in the Hall of Heroes in The College. AC 84 - The College of Magic and Technology re-opened. AC 120 - A force of humanoid raiders attacked Berren. The city was obliterated before reinforcements from Thimhallan could arrive. The Thimhallaners drove off the humanoids, but there were no survivors in Berren. The ruins were left as a memorial. AC 356 - Emperor Harwin III was chosen as the Snartans "indivtali perfectii" His clone becomes the standard reproductive element among the Snartans. AC 577 - The last free-born Snartan died. Snarta is now one. AC 690 - The cloning process began a massive overpopulation problem. The Snartan Empire could no longer fit in northern Vulcania. To gain more land, the Snartan Empire begins the campaign to conquer the southern marches, but met resistance from the humans and the many Gnomish Earthshaker clans of the marches. AC 701 - The Snartans won decisive victories against the relatively unprepared human armies, but they themselves were harried by the primitive hit and run tactics of the other Gnomish Earthshakers. AC 712 - Snartan troops pushed the human populations out of their cities and farther south, toward the dark lands of the polar opening. Many of the survivors became barbarians, while others eked out a tenuous survival just north of the darkness. AC 720-800 - Snarta asserted dominance over the lands of Vulcania, beating back the rogue Gnomish clans, and claiming the Marches as their own. AC 800 - Snartan Emperor Irkin II hatched a plan to conquer most of southern Davania. In the intervening decade, he authorized the construction of more Earthshakers, and the cloning of thousands of Snartans. AC 810-830 - Snarta's grand plan came to fruition. The newly minted Earthshakers slowly roll north and west leaving a path of destruction in their wake. However, by 815, the Snartans vastly overextended themselves, and in the winter of 816, the Humans who were displaced a hundred years earlier and the Gnomish Earthshaker clans quickly retook Vulcania. Word of the coup takes nearly a year to reach the front lines, and by the time the first Snartan reinforcements return home, the combined Human and Gnomish forces are more than enough to obliterate the battle-weary Snartan forces. In the next intervening three years, the Snartans lose half of their remaining Earthshakers to sabotage, sieges and grand earthshaking battles between the mechanical beasts. AC 831-900 - The Snartan Empire slowly reasserted its territory, but it is a shadow of its former self. For the next century, each Snartan Earthshaker-city becomes much more independent from the Emperor's direct control. AC 1000 - All Gazetteers take place at this time. By now, the Snartan Empire is almost in name only, as each city battles for survival against the dozens of other Human and Gnomish Earthshakers of the Vulcanian Marches. -------- Ethan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 26 Feb 2001 23:39:12 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon In-Reply-To: <001d01c0a04c$c1b7a2d0$b0f3cb83@cutie> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >> Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I may work on it. >> I also suggest that a representant of the Almanac (better one >> of the editors) works on it to. Shawn will be the final supervisor >> and have the last word. But ALL info should ONLY come from Canon. > > I think that is going without saying now. > I'm in to writing it, so's Agathokles and shawn gets final say. anyone else? I'm interested in writing it as well. And I agree with standardizing on AC1000. 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, 27 Feb 2001 10:03:46 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "G.P. Agosta" Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit c_furneaux wrote: > >> Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I may work on it. I also >> suggest that a >> representant of the Almanac (better one of the editors) works on it to. >> Shawn will be the final >> supervisor and have the last word. But ALL info should ONLY come from > > Canon. > > I think that is going without saying now. > I'm in to writing it, so's Agathokles and shawn gets final say. anyone else? We didn't really spoke about the subject, but I think the idea was a canon, AC 1000 guide (at least, that was my idea). Making an AC 101* guide would spoil the fun for the novice player. Adding non-canon stuff will make the guide grow to tons of pages, which is not our goal. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@fusberta.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, 27 Feb 2001 00:37:04 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Denis A Subject: Re: Let's take care of new Mystarans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > You've got just a little problem...too many people > concentrated on the > Beginner's Guide to > Mystara topic! However, if I get the time, I will > try to answer later > this week. It's all right! I understand perfectly the primary importance of a Beginner's Guide to Mystara topic! And I need that guide as any other beginner, to develop my adventures in the best way! So don't take it hard: I can wait!!! Anyway, as you can see, I got the answers I was looking for, so the "farm" problem is solved!!! Denis __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 27 Feb 2001 04:58:21 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Brad Fonseca Subject: Re: Online Adventures MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I really like this idea! What kind of undead are you planning to use? They sound a bit like the "lightning zombies" found in WotC (minus the lightning): intelligent, with personalities, but not super high level undead. Did you have something special in mind? -- Brad:) "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom Alex Benson wrote: > In a message dated 2/22/01 12:06:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, > au998@FREENET.CARLETON.CA writes: > > > > for the pcs....the adventure deals in breaking the curse. the first challenge > is to decide which side is the right one. this is complicated as the pcs are > caught in the middle of their war. both sides see the pcs as invaders and > both sides defend their respective portions of the fort. though the > comabants' numbers are relatively small...the curse(s) make up for their > numbers by giving them a degree of recovery..."i thought we killed him > already". > > there are also conflicting sides to the removal of the curse. thanks to the > curse the defenders are actually keeping the corrupted rivals in check. > however, they are tired and want to rest in peace. the corrupted ones want to > leave the fort and venture out to "join their brethren in Nithia to continue > their revolution". this bodes badly for ylaruam and thothia. > > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 11:51:05 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: what_if and NoS MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Getting ready to put my PCs through the WotI events, I was doing some ahead planning and came across an interesting possibility: one of my PCs is a Baron of Glantri and he's getting some hints about the Radiance. The year is 1004 AC. It would not be unlikely that he came to enter the Order of the Radiance before 1009 AC. What would happen if he is a Radiance user and, faced with some tempting problem in the Nucleus final adventure (huge monsters, 2 avatars of Immortals, a probable moral need to intervene to help Rad), he tries to invoke the powers of the Radiance INSIDE the Chamber of the NoS??? Could he, for instance, hurt Ixion by using a spell like Discharge (as the NoS is an Artifact)??? Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 22:00:09 +1100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: shawn stanley Subject: poll results thus far Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" if you don't think that this is necessary to be posted here let me know privately, otherise the poll results thus far: out of 122 votes 97 people play in Mystara most often, 25 do not 43 people use OD&D rules, 28 use 2E, 45 use 3E and 6 use something else 67 people play the assorted D&D computer games out there, 55 do not 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. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 05:18:47 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: ramhog Subject: Re: Trail Maps In-Reply-To: <000701c0a081$e2b1c3a0$db8d24c3@duke> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" >well as for the map itself , consider it already done. >it only lacks the names of the cities and towns (that's where i need to find >a more readable way to write over the maps, any ideas???) > First of all let me say what a great job you did on those maps! That must have been a huge undertaking! Having said that- as an online resource your maps are a great resource What I was talking about was doing something in print, assuming Mystara ever gets to see print again. I thought a BIG map of the KW and an accompanying gazetteer booklet would be attractive to those new to Mystara. On the other hand, what if the whole thing were produced as an interactive cd-rom? That could be kinda cool. As far as the readable text goes (at least for any interactive maps), how about having the name of the city (for instance) become larger and a more easily read color when you mouse over the word? -VVH PS- I'm, personally working on turning all the maps (the ones I have, anyway) into Illustrator/pdf files. Any other Illustrator wizards out there interested in collaborating? -- ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 12:10:40 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Bags of Holding (was Let's take care of new Mystarans) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable c_furneaux wrote: > My current problem is that they've decided to travel by magic carpet = with > two of them in a bag of holding. > Thats 5 hex's a day. I think I might have a Roc swoop down and decide = to > carry it off. Why can't they just go by land or ship like everyone = else..... That's funny! We did the exact same thing back when I was actually a = player in Mystara (I always end up DMing these days). Our DM didn't mind = per se, but he just couldn't help himself; that bag of holding became an = instant target. It was only abducted once (by a dragon IIRC), but later = he decided that it had been switched with a bag of devouring (resized, = as was the bag of holding) by a master thief, who had been hired by = someone with a serious grudge, who knew of our travelling = arrangements... That's when we found out where all the items stuffed in = Bags of Devouring end up (and no this wasn't AD&D, so we weren't eaten = by an extra-dimensional terror), so it ended up being worth the trip. We = didn't ever travel by bags again 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, 27 Feb 2001 12:40:51 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Stalker wrote: > Caroletti wrote: > > > >1) The old D&D products are all based in a time that is obviously set > >before the MA era. > >This means that if a Mystaran should find an old product, he buys it = and > >then he discovers that > >to use it, he must make a lot of adaptions. "Oh, no! The Master has = just > >invaded Darokin, how > >can I have him do it again?" "Oh, no! Alfheim is no more!" "Oh, no! = The > >city of Oenkmar now > >is Aengmor and is occupied by Atzanteotl-shadow elves followers!" = "Oh, > >no! There are two suns > >in the Hollow World!" >=20 > Why is this a big problem? The MAs are set after the canon-material, = so it doesn't change canon, it merely expands upon it. If you don't want = that, then you do what many did with WOTI - you ignore it! Geoff wrote = an alternate WOTI in which Alphatia was destroyed. Bruce Heard wrote = World in Flames. I haven't read those myself because I do follow canon, = but it doesn't mean that I'll be sending the MA hit squad around if = people don't follow what's in the MA ;)< This is not a problem for old-timers, but it can be a problem for = newbies. The MAs are not good entry points precisely because they have = evolved from most of the old products, building on their succesful = completion, such as WotI. I'm not exatcly in disagreement with you, but = I think that we should keep in mind that this discussion began because = there was talk of using the MAs as introduction for newbies. While I = think that they're well-written and give good overviews, they're often = based on prior events that new players may want to play out themselves = if they get their hands on old products. Also there are people who, for one reason or another, are uncomfortable = with not following canon. These people will likely be put off if they = see situations such as those mentioned by Giulio, and leave for another = campaign world. =20 > >2) If we set the Almanac as canon, all other fan-written material = will > >immediately be set > >below, if not ridiculized. I don't like it. And it will only create > >problems inside the MML, > >and irritation for those who will remain out. "They put this = ridiculous > >event because it is > >in the Almanac, but they let out that thing that is beautiful only > >because it's not in." Then > >people start accusing one or another, and Mystara is dead and gone, = from > >270 people we > >get down to 100- the Almanac team and the lurkers. >=20 > If this is really a problem, then there should be no MAs at all... I = don't think that would be good. Besides, is Geoff or Bruce Heard being = rediculed for their alternatives to WOTI? I don't think so, but I = suppose they could tell us. Now, don't get me wrong, I write some = non-canon stuff too, but it doesn't mean I don't support the almanac. = The problem to me is whether we have a common basis to discuss Mystara = or not.< But how often do you see the alternatives to WotI being discussed? I = think that they are relegated to "mostly ignored" status precisely = because they are not canon. Of course there should be MAs. They're full = of great ideas. But I agree with Giulio that they shouldn't be = considered canon, but fan-based material on par with the rest of the = writings of fans. But then again I doubt that they will be considered = canon unless all the Mystaran fans suddenly decide to adopt them as = that. Having a small group of people proclaim the MAs canon (whether = they've bought the rights, or have that power in some other way) won't = automatically make them so if most people choose to ignore them. I for one doubt that I will ever get a campaign to last into the MA era, = since I always start new campaigns at AC1000 simply because that's where = I have the most resources that I'm completely familiar and comfortable = with. 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, 27 Feb 2001 12:48:36 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable wrote: > Why not suggest another alternative- a prior 1000 setting or very much = past > WOTI where everyone can: > 1.) Write new material that doesn't have to depend as much upon What = Has > Gone Before (because history being what it is, what actually was and = what is > written can be different and writing past the old material allows d20 > features to be incorporated without as much fuss as explaining why = everyone > wasn't multiclassing back in B1) Because this would render all existing products useless. To do this you = would have to start the Mystara line all over again. While this could be = interesting it wouldn't be Mystara anymore, and it would not be a good = starting point for new people since they would not be able to use the = existing products, and would have to depend on writers of the "new" = Mystara publishing material regularly. > There is another alternative in this time of talks about licencing = Mystara > and such- a d20 system conversion that doesn't rely on the 3E ruleset = that > seems to bother some people. I just searched and found Warhammer and > Cyberbunk netbook d20 conversions in progress, surely something could = be come > up with that would be less difficult to than converting an entirely = different > system for Mystara. While this does sound kind of cool, I think you will find even greater = dislike for other rule systems than for 3E. I certainly don't want to = start over with a new system, and at least I'm familiar with D&D terms, = so I can follow most of what is written in 3E terms even if I don't play = by those rules. Also this would, again, render existing products = (mostly) useless. 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, 27 Feb 2001 09:08:23 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/26/2001 5:24:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, scarole@TIN.IT writes: << I am writing here because I have seen more than one people express the suggestion that the Almanac should be considered Canon. However, there are several reasons not to do so:>> I guess that would be me...or at least I would be counted among those. Anyway...yes I do think that the Almanac is as close to canon as we have. However, that official-dom is based more upon the team effort aspect and general premise of a group of people involved in a single project to extend the timeline beyond the limits of the canon TSR material. 1) The old D&D products are all based in a time that is obviously set before the MA era. This means that if a Mystaran should find an old product, he buys it and then he discovers that to use it, he must make a lot of adaptions. "Oh, no! The Master has just invaded Darokin, how can I have him do it again?" "Oh, no! Alfheim is no more!" "Oh, no! The city of Oenkmar now is Aengmor and is occupied by Atzanteotl-shadow elves followers!" "Oh, no! There are two suns in the Hollow World!">> a good point. that gap from official product to MA is there. to fill it, the reader would really have to knuckle up on his reading at Shawn's Site. no newbie to Mystara myself, I still found myself a bit puzzled by the influx of new domains in this year's almanac. Since non-canon material is by far more easily accessible than the official printed ones, any newcomer to Mystara will have to backdate his library to see the workld before these changes and new materials. << 2) If we set the Almanac as canon, all other fan-written material will immediately be set below, if not ridiculized. I don't like it. And it will only create problems inside the MML, and irritation for those who will remain out. "They put this ridiculous event because it is in the Almanac, but they let out that thing that is beautiful only because it's not in." Then people start accusing one or another, and Mystara is dead and gone, from 270 people we get down to 100- the Almanac team and the lurkers.>> not really. or at the most that is a worst case scenario. afterall...canon material has been deviated from already. there is opportunity for such deviation any time that an official module is run. then there is the adherence to canon material that the individual gamer likes, dislikes, or needs to alter to fit their individual campaign. WotI is as canon as you can get...but i would not use it in my own defunct campaign. <<3) If we follow the Stalker's suggestion and write a AC 1000 Guide, we can allow the newbies to play ALL the material (fan based and not) done by Mystara people: all TSR adventures and all the new material that appear on the list, with really a minimum of adaption (if any adaption is needed at all). Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I may work on it. I also suggest that a representant of the Almanac (better one of the editors) works on it to. Shawn will be the final supervisor and have the last word. But ALL info should ONLY come from Canon. >> a guide for 1000AC would be good. Then add a suppliment that gives a summarized account of the changes that took place in WotI, through the PWAs, and into the MAs. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 14:14:27 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Gordon McCormick Subject: Re: what_if and NoS In-Reply-To: <001601c0a0ab$8a5d5c80$9384fad5@uchicago.edu>; from anpro@ACCESOCERO.ES on Tue, Feb 27, 2001 at 11:51:05AM +0100 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit On Tue, Feb 27, 2001 at 11:51:05AM +0100, Andr�s Piquer Otero wrote: > intervene to help Rad), he tries to invoke the powers of the Radiance INSIDE > the Chamber of the NoS??? Could he, for instance, hurt Ixion by using a > spell like Discharge (as the NoS is an Artifact)??? Yes, oh yes. In fact it might be nice to have the Brotherhood of the Radiance involved in the construction of the doomsday weapon. If the Nucleus is altered, what would happen to someone using it's powers at the time? There's fantastic potential with a Radiance using character in WotI, don't skimp on it! You can feel free to give the PC oodles of power in the final confrontation, since you can easily take it back afetr the nucleus has changed :) Or possibly the PC will be the one sucked into the nucleus instead of/as well as any attendant radiance immortals :) Ah, lots of things you can do there, play it up - the Radiance is what the whole WotI is being fought over after all! gordon ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 15:48:20 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: AC1000 and Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Well, TSR moved canon when they started with the RC and kinda "closed" the GAZ series; all the future (non-published) supplements for D&D were going to be set after WotI (that was the project for the Wendar, Heldann and Sind supplements, which rounded up the Eastern KW). They also introduced, in first place, the idea of Almanacs as canon, and that was a smart move: every Almanac issue included a good blurb of each nation with -hopefully- meaningful updates in respect to the "basic" AC1000 GAZ info. The net-almanacs, giving more space to nation descriptions take that one step further. I think that Mystara has a campaign problem similar to other RPG worlds, like Dragonlance or Star Wars: the choice of a period or era (at times as little as 10 years long) changes dramatically setting info and looks. I don't think that any good introductory guide to Mystara could do without a choice of time settings, something like: 1) role-playing in the millenium era (info from c.AC960, when some of the pre-GAZ modules take place retroactively, to AC1003) 2) role-playing in the WotI and post-war years (War Boxed set and the TSR Almanacs: from the beginning of Glantri-Alphatia hostilities to the deposing of Zandor/throning of Eusebius) 3) role-playing in the 11th Century AC: that's the time line after published products (unless one takes X3 and X13 to take place some centuries in the future, as GAZ7 suggests) 4) role-playing in the Blackmoor era??? (that would be completely outside the standard Mystara campaigns). That info could be as detailed or sketchy as desired (it takes just a handful of pages in the 2ndEd Star Wars game to detail all campaign eras possible, from the Sith Wars to the New Republic), and it should give major differences and hints about when to place published modules. Forcing a "canon era" is a bit of a limitation IMO: DL 5th Age was a sales disaster, i think, because it forced lots of rules and campaign elements linked to the debatable Age of Mortals idea. Products were good, well-detailed and probably the most organized and congruent source of DL info, but very hard to adapt if you wanted to run a non-5th age campaign... Let's let people choose and change: i don't know how you people do, but I started an AC1014 campaign, following the net almanacs, and when we got bored of it (and i got a lot of OOP stuff), we began from scratch with an AC1000 campaign which, hopefully, will run through WotI and beyond... and probably we'll want to begin later with fresh characters, i'm thinking of a new campaign in the immediate post-war, with characters from former Alphatia (my present PCs are very likely to be pro-Glantri in the War). If an (almost)official guide to Mystara does not forget gaming-era considerations, it will be far more fun and useful!!! Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 09:13:33 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >Personally I suggest making the AC 1000 Guide. I too have always favored AC1000. For many reasons: 1. Everyone seems to like the Gazeteers. 2. It's a nice round number. 3. Most newbies would find the time accessible. 4. It's a good starting point because of all the major events that take place afterwards. It allows the PC's a chance to be involved in shaping the nature of the gameworld via WotI. 5. The time of AC1000 is basically starting with a nice fresh chalkboard. There is a lot of history, but it's a time of relative stability in Mystara. 6. Because of 5., the time period leaves a lot of room for improvisation. Basically, it gives you the option of whether you'd like to include the WotI in your campaign or not, and, if you do, you may modify the outcome. Perhaps a DM might prefer to have the events of X4 and X5 take precedence. Or create something completely original. Well, that's my 2 cents. As always, every DM knows best what works in his or her campaign. No, DM should ever feeled restricted by what other people think should or shouldn't be canon. A restricted DM is not a creative DM! John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 10:49:33 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Future of Mystara MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/25/2001 4:55:21 PM Eastern Standard Time, c_furneaux@YAHOO.COM writes: << > well...i have yet to get any feedback on this one. this is a surprise as i > figured that the response would be great. oh well....i guess that everyone is > perfectly content with the status quo :-) > nah...i know the almanac is out and focus is upon that right now. > Well so you have some I personally think that someone should pull an alexander the great and march into hule after rallying the western defence leauge's forces, and kill the master. With the master out of the picture they should then assume the role of living god and declare the worship of bozdigan illegal and tear down all his temples and kill the clerics (and just to really tick off loki) then build new temples to another immortal (perhaps one of the newer immortals or the living god general of the army and have his sponsor grant the spells to the clerics)>> interesting idea. the Alexander the Great (nice name BTW) approach should not be too difficult to construct. i love reoccuring villains, however some villains have worn out their use. most of these were established in canon and set up for a specific encounter...usually to be led or orchestrated by the PCs. anyway....i guess that the Master would be counted as a major personality and therefore is "hands-off" for extermination. i don't see why he could not be ousted and driven to find new bases of operations. <> hmm....stirring things up on the KW. i like it. actually i never saw why the hinterlanders are portrayed as the whipping boys of the thys. it seems like totoal victory is depending upon the thys actually trying to eradicate the remaining free clans. the clans are fighting on their own turf in an environment that favors their form of combat. conversely, thyatis focuses on disciplined formations and heavy armor. Rome learned its lesson in invading the Germanic Forests. just swap the temperate forests for jungle coasts. add the heat and humidity and it ain't pretty. As for the Shadow Elves....if you look at a map of the KW you'll see the Daroking held land corridor that runs the perimeter of northern and southern darokin. this connects mainstream darokin to easternly Selenica. Aengmor SEs seize these land corridors to consolidate its borders with the natural boundaries of the bordering mountain ranges. In the meantime, Selenica becomes the refuge of the open minded Ylari who have been usurped by the more isolation prone government. Afterall...Selenica has a healthy Ylari derived populace and influence. Cut off by the SE invasion, Darokin cannot help the loyalists or regain its hold on the city without declaring war with the SE. BTW...the Ylari government would be part of the acquisition of Selenica. Al-Kalim maintains the two opposing factions as a political tool. Each grows or withers based upon the changing times. The Ylari could see this as an ideal place to isolate the open faction while providing a trade hub. This way they get their cake and can eat it too. << Meanwhile in the hollow world the immortals decide that the Alphaian's if left be are just going to try to conquer the whole hollow world and so they have to do something, (maybe they shouldn't have brought alphatia back after all... ) or maybe the alphaians keep getting sunburnt from the continuous sun and decide they are sick of the hollow world and want the outer world back and so devise a way to transport their whole continent to the surface on the outer world and the immortals seeing what has happened can't let the alphaian contenent float overhead and insted make it crashland somewhere (sokthar, it's original location, sea's east of davinia, hule, on the masters head.... )>> what always got me about the whole "recreating Alphatia in HW" thing is that it is so convenient. i mean the immortals were able to put everyone to sleep, alter their memories, and recreate a duplicate of the continent in HW. why not save the PPs and recreate the continent on the SW? add to this the "police force" role, contradicting false memories, and clashes with the SoP and the move was a screwup. the premise of returning the Alphatian continent to the SW has been discussed. <> interesting ideas. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 09:02:32 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: AC1000 and Canon In-Reply-To: <002601c0a0cc$5638a7e0$2284fad5@uchicago.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Andres Piquer Otero wrote: > Forcing a "canon era" is a bit of a limitation IMO I don't think anyone is saying that 1000 is "more canon" than 1010 or 1013, just that it makes a more flexible foundation. It allows for any published supplements to be used, whereas the 1013 setting puts some in the past, some far in the future, and some perhaps not at all. I suggested in a different post that we detail each nation in the Guide using AC1000 as a base, but include an optional section that updates it for AC1013. That allows everyone to choose between the two "standard" settings and covers all the published material. I really like the idea of including additional notes on gaming in different eras. Imagine adventure scenarios covering the elven migrations, the founding of Thyatis, or the Flaemish-Alphatian war... > If an (almost)official guide to Mystara does not forget gaming-era > considerations, it will be far more fun and useful!!! Agreed. 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 Jan 2001 21:14:31 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Walter Biles Subject: Re: what_if and NoS In-Reply-To: <20010227141427.F13898@esatclear.ie> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable On 27 Feb 01, at 14:14, Gordon McCormick wrote: > On Tue, Feb 27, 2001 at 11:51:05AM +0100, Andr=E9s Piquer Otero wrote: > > intervene to help Rad), he tries to invoke the powers of the Radiance > > INSIDE the Chamber of the NoS??? Could he, for instance, hurt Ixion by > > using a spell like Discharge (as the NoS is an Artifact)??? > > Yes, oh yes. In fact it might be nice to have the Brotherhood of the > Radiance involved in the construction of the doomsday weapon. If the > Nucleus is altered, what would happen to someone using it's powers at th= e > time? There's fantastic potential with a Radiance using character in Wot= I, Not fun for Mr. Radiance Lich Brannart :) > don't skimp on it! You can feel free to give the PC oodles of power in t= he > final confrontation, since you can easily take it back afetr the nucleus > has changed :) Or possibly the PC will be the one sucked into the nucleu= s > instead of/as well as any attendant radiance immortals :) My own PCs solved the problem by getting ahold of a Time Travel Artifact (Yav's to be precise), then strapping it to the Nucleus and sending the Nucleus 10,000 years into the future. Not at all the resolution I expected, but rather ingenious :) And the NPC thief is now known as Ivan the God-Slayer, having managed to catch Etienne by surprise in mortal form before he could assume his Manifestation form and backstabbed him, getting a critical hit and killing= his mortal identity with huge wadges of damage. Unfortunately, they then got confronted by Rad in Manifestation Form, but it didn't stop Ivan bragging about it forever :) John Walter Biles : MA-History, ABD, Ph.D Candidate at U. Kansas ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu http://www.dkcomm.net/rhea/falcon.html rhea@maison-otaku.net http://maison-otaku.net/~rhea/ "That all princes shall kiss the foot of the Pope alone."--Dictatus Papae, 11th century ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 11:41:47 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Mystaran Character Creator [Newbie Guide] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Here's a possible idea for the Newbie Player's Handbook for Mystara: In addition to providing the basic info any new player should know about Mystara, the could be a series of linked HTML pages that would take the newbie through Mystaran Character Creation - MINUS any rules, ONLY focused on personality, background, history, etc. It could begin with an explanation of the basic layout of the land and knowledge of Mystara. From there, the player would choose his location, Brun, Thyatis/Alphatia, Savage Coast, Hollow World, etc., and would be provided with descriptions of each. And then narrow it down further to specific areas of each setting (and time period if possible). For example, if the player picked Brun in AC1000, he would be given the choice of Karameikos, Darokin, Glantri, etc. etc... He/she would then be provided with a list of available races for each region, complete with descriptions of the unique makeup of the race for that region of Mystara. After choosing a race, the player would be given an explanation of the general attitudes and history of that particular race in the area. For example a player choosing elf in Karameikos, would be given a choice of clans and be given a summary of what each clan is about, and then pick the clan. >From there, the next step would logically be class. Depending on the class the character chooses, more choices appear. A cleric would choose an immortal to worship, a wizard would pick a school of magic, a fighter could pick how he learned his training (a choice of armies, mercenary groups, city guard duties, etc...) With this resource, any player new to Mystara could successfully create a uniquely Mystaran character (as opposed to just recycling one of the FR characters), that is tailored to their preferences and gain all the knowledge they need to start playing in the world. I would definitely be interested in helping put this together. I have most of the gazeteers which provide much of the necessary information. Certainly, everybody differs in their views on character creation (elves probably create the most controversy), but there's nothing stopping anybody from altering the HTML to support their own viewpoint. As you guys know by now, I'm all geeked out for this new Neverwinter Nights game, and I want to take full advantage of the opportunity this game will provide for getting new players interested in Mystara. I think a Mystaran Character Creator would be a great way to do it! _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 18:45:16 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Alex Benson wrote: > [sorry for heavy snipping]: > a guide for 1000AC would be good. Then add a suppliment that gives a > summarized account of the changes that took place in WotI, through the PWAs, > and into the MAs. > I think that the discussion has come to an end. More or less, we agree to make a AC 1000 guide. Then it's ok to add files in order to allow people to play WotI and get to the Almanacs. But this will be checked in a second time. The most urging problem is to provide Shawn's site with a practical, efficient, well-written, entertaining and quick Known World AC 1000 Player's Guide. 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, 27 Feb 2001 10:20:20 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: Mystaran Character Creator [Newbie Guide] In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT > Here's a possible idea for the Newbie Player's Handbook for Mystara: Excellent idea. 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, 27 Feb 2001 10:24:14 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! In-Reply-To: <3A9BE7AC.9040706@tin.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT So who is in? I have Gaz 1-3 and 6, plus CoM and WotI, so I can work on those aras directly. 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, 27 Feb 2001 12:37:08 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: John Polacek Subject: Re: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > >So who is in? I AM! I'm planning creating that Mystaran Character Generator I just talked about. Unfortunately, making one to encompass every character possibility throughout the Mystaran Universe is way beyond my scope, but... I am planning on putting one together for AC1000 Brun (Known World) That's where most of my knowledge lies and where my own gaming experience began. I'll plan on starting in a couple weeks (I'm going to be on vacation). Once I get it done, perhaps others can take a look at it, the MML can critique it, and then others can make other generators for other areas of the world, using the AC1000 Brun Character Generator as a guide (if the MML like what I do - although, I'm planning on sticking strictly to canon, so that shouldn't be a problem hopefully!). John Webmaster, NWN Mystara Project http://mystaraproject.tripod.com Mystara Domain Coordinator, Neverwinter Nexus http://www.neverwinternexus.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:41:53 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Caroletti Subject: Jennifer Favian Guerra MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey guys, I tried to get in touch with Jenn (Favian Guerra) but...nondeliverable mail. Any clue? Is Jenn still on the list? 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, 27 Feb 2001 15:42:21 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dunlendor@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/27/2001 5:54:33 AM Central Standard Time, scythe@WANADOO.DK writes: > Because this would render all existing products useless. To do this you > would have to start the Mystara line all over again. While this could be > interesting it wouldn't be Mystara anymore, and it would not be a good > starting point for new people since they would not be able to use the > existing products, and would have to depend on writers of the "new" Mystara > publishing material regularly. There are no "existing" products outside of whatever ones are still floating about in closets and old books stores. Everything is out of print. Rather than force newbies to search for expensive (I know *I* would sell MY old modules if the price got high enough hehehehe) products that are out of print for canon references, why not provide a new canon for free (since apparently the official site might have the ability to decide upon what makes new canon with the approval of WOTC). As for depending on the writers of the new Mystara publishing material regularly, isn't that what everyone is hoping for? New material regularly published for Mystara? Whats wrong with this? Besides, people on this list regularly put out material for Mystara already- all that would change would a be that new material would go through a "is this canon" process. Maybe someone could ask the people over at Eric Noah's board about their review processes they've got on the Netbook of Feats, maybe this could be the model? > > There is another alternative in this time of talks about licencing Mystara > > and such- a d20 system conversion that doesn't rely on the 3E ruleset that > > seems to bother some people. I just searched and found Warhammer and > > Cyberbunk netbook d20 conversions in progress, surely something could be > come > > up with that would be less difficult to than converting an entirely > different > > system for Mystara. > > While this does sound kind of cool, I think you will find even greater > dislike for other rule systems than for 3E. I certainly don't want to start > over with a new system, and at least I'm familiar with D&D terms, so I can > follow most of what is written in 3E terms even if I don't play by those > rules. Also this would, again, render existing products (mostly) useless. 3E is a d20 system, and the d20 system is available (I think) on the web for free. Some people's arguements against 3E has been the tremendous cost of shipping to their respective countries from the U.S. A modified for Mystara d20 game would ideally look like Mystara and play like Mystara without being 3E, and be available for all over the web. The terms used in 3E are the terms of d20, so if you understand one then you'll understand the other. Really, what I'm talking about is tweaking the d20 documents into something that feels like OD&D. JMH ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 23:10:04 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mike Harvey wrote: > > So who is in? Uh, I think it's Shawn, Chris Furneaux, Kit Navarro, Giulio Caroletti, you, and me. > I have Gaz 1-3 and 6, plus CoM and WotI, so I can work on those aras > directly. Ok. I'll devise a work plan ASAP. -- 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: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 00:30:58 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: DM Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Eric Anondson wrote: << Not that I agree or disagree with any of the reasons cited, but here might be another. I skimmed through the Norwold Atlas. How many of the entries there are pure fan creations? Do those fan creations get in but not any others? If so or if not, it is a decision that should be stated up front. >> Hi there Eric! Since u seem to be oblivious of the way it goes in the Mystaran Almanac, well it is simple: each editor takes the charge to detail a section of the world and makes the geo entries and events for its own area(s). Since we cannot copy the same stuff written in official documents, we have to paraphrase in some cases (where we describe regions already well detailed, like say Ylaruam, Rockhome or Glantri), or to invent the description completely from scratch (like we do with Norwold and all other areas previously undetailed by PWAs and precedent Mystara supplements). so to answer your question, the Norwold stuff is 90% fan fic, although we (and I as the editor in charge of it) have made sure to use ALL the NPCs detailed or described in Mystara accessories about Norwold (CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, M1, M2), adding some other NPCs to complete the scenario. So, we had to invent almost all of the dominions entries, altho most of the rulers are real NPCs from TSR supplements... The only discriminating criteria to use an entry instead of another is how the entry is appropriate to the scenario created and if it could be unbalancing for the rest of the world/region... and also, since writing entries is not the easiest job of the world (nor the shortest, for people with a real life not in the gaming industry), then only the entries which are actually written make it in the almanac (it may seem obvious, but believe me, it isn't.. there are a lot of people with good ideas who never write them down, so they have to be left out..) <> The Golden Khan died in AC 1016 in the final assault to Glantri city, IIRC... or was it AC1015? PS: it is stated veeery clearly at the beginning of the Almanac that it is an UNofficial supplement, created by fans, so that's quite explicit IMHO... DM Senior Editor of the Mystaran Almanac First Officer of U.S.S. Unicorn "You don't stop playing because you grow old: you grow old because you stop playing!" Visit Marco's Mystara Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967 And Mystara Italian Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/9940 Join the Mystara Webring at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/2967/mystring.html Join the Starfleet Academy at: http://gioco.net/startrek (Italian RPG PBEM) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 00:49:22 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Tue, 27 Feb 2001 12:40:51 Jacob Skytte wrote: >The Stalker wrote: > > >> Caroletti wrote: >> > >> >1) The old D&D products are all based in a time that is obviously set >> >before the MA era. >> >This means that if a Mystaran should find an old product, he buys it and >> >then he discovers that >> >to use it, he must make a lot of adaptions. "Oh, no! The Master has just >> >invaded Darokin, how >> >can I have him do it again?" "Oh, no! Alfheim is no more!" "Oh, no! The >> >city of Oenkmar now >> >is Aengmor and is occupied by Atzanteotl-shadow elves followers!" "Oh, >> >no! There are two suns >> >in the Hollow World!" >> >> Why is this a big problem? The MAs are set after the canon-material, so it doesn't change canon, it merely expands upon it. If you don't want that, then you do what many did with WOTI - you ignore it! Geoff wrote an alternate WOTI in which Alphatia was [not] destroyed. Bruce Heard wrote World in Flames. I haven't read those myself because I do follow canon, but it doesn't mean that I'll be sending the MA hit squad around if people don't follow what's in the MA ;)< > >This is not a problem for old-timers, but it can be a problem for newbies. The MAs are not good entry points precisely because they have evolved from most of the old products, building on their succesful completion, such as WotI. I'm not exatcly in disagreement with you, but I think that we should keep in mind that this discussion began because there was talk of using the MAs as introduction for newbies. While I think that they're well-written and give good overviews, they're often based on prior events that new players may want to play out themselves if they get their hands on old products. > Agreed. And as I said before, starting at the MA timeline would not be so cool because of all the classic modules new players would miss out on, and which will be available for free, probably with conversion files for 3e, within a year or so. After all, those modules, and the gazetteer series which will also be available, is what defined Mystara and made it what it is. >Also there are people who, for one reason or another, are uncomfortable with not following canon. These people will likely be put off if they see situations such as those mentioned by Giulio, and leave for another campaign world. > I seriously doubt that the MAs will ever be elevated to a status above 'net-canon' in the sense that it'll be what most of us *might* think of as what really happens on Mystara after the publications ended. (I wouldn't mind if that happened, though.) >> >2) If we set the Almanac as canon, all other fan-written material will >> >immediately be set >> >below, if not ridiculized. I don't like it. And it will only create >> >problems inside the MML, >> >and irritation for those who will remain out. "They put this ridiculous >> >event because it is >> >in the Almanac, but they let out that thing that is beautiful only >> >because it's not in." Then >> >people start accusing one or another, and Mystara is dead and gone, from >> >270 people we >> >get down to 100- the Almanac team and the lurkers. >> >> If this is really a problem, then there should be no MAs at all... I don't think that would be good. Besides, is Geoff or Bruce Heard being rediculed for their alternatives to WOTI? I don't think so, but I suppose they could tell us. Now, don't get me wrong, I write some non-canon stuff too, but it doesn't mean I don't support the almanac. The problem to me is whether we have a common basis to discuss Mystara or not.< > >But how often do you see the alternatives to WotI being discussed? > I'll admit that this happens very rarely. But I'd also like to add that we very rarely see people discuss MA events on the MML. You're right, but I think it has more to do with whether something was published canon or available only on the net. And to be blunt, I think WOTI is discussed so often because many feel that it was poorly written with lots and lots of plot-holes and inconsistencies with what was established in the gazetteer period :) > I think that they are relegated to "mostly ignored" status precisely because they are not canon. Of course there should be MAs. They're full of great ideas. But I agree with Giulio that they shouldn't be considered canon, but fan-based material on par with the rest of the writings of fans. But then again I doubt that they will be considered canon unless all the Mystaran fans suddenly decide to adopt them as that. Having a small group of people proclaim the MAs canon (whether they've bought the rights, or have that power in some other way) won't automatically make them so if most people choose to ignore them. > No, it won't. >I for one doubt that I will ever get a campaign to last into the MA era, since I always start new campaigns at AC1000 simply because that's where I have the most resources that I'm completely familiar and comfortable with. > I agree. I typically start in the AC 1,000 period too. If my current group survives long enough, I do plan to follow the PWAs as far as I can, then the MAs if the group still exists by then (I'd like to use some of the events I wrote myself - yes, of course I have ulterior motives, why would that surprise anyone? ;) ) - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 01:24:45 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: Re: Newcomers and Mystara Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> > I'm curious, though, so let me pose a question to all people relatively new to > Mystara - what attracted you to Mystara? > > But if you're a *real* newcomer who never played Mystara before, then I really > would like to know what has brought you here? What attracted you? What made > you choose Mystara over the Forgotten Realms (FR) or Greyhawk? If I were a > completely new gamer, I don't think I'd even consider Mystara given the amount > of support WOTC is giving FR and GH... So why?<< I was actually the one who wrote this bit, so I had better respond. Sorry for the wait Eric, but for some odd reason the MML server won't send all the MML mail to me and I've been checking the archives recently where I came upon this... (Note to the admin: There are *still* mails that do not arrive! I get most mail it seems, but some never get here. For example, I got none of the "A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start!" thread that started today!) Eric Anondson wrote: >>Well, I'm not a new gamer, but I am very new to Mystara. In fact, every setting TSR/WotC has published I have indulged in, some more than others. I have been a fan of Greyhawk since it's '83 boxed set. I took to the Realms when it first came out and fell in love with it until about 8 years of overdose turned off me even more. > My only exposure to the world of Mystara for years was through Red Steel which I used as material for my own home-brewed setting. What finally exposed me fully to the Known World was finding a WotC's link to the newly crowned Official Mystara Site. I went looking for some Red Steel stuff and found myself wandering the rest of the site and slowly reading more and more. > Stalker, you made the comment that to many gamers Mystara had an "aura" of simplicity to it because it had been hitched to "Basic" D&D while "Advanced" D&D was used for some other settings. I drifted to the other settings because I didn't want to play a "Basic" game. After my weeks of browsing dnd.starflung.com I felt like I had been duped all those many years. And I was impressed by what Mystara offered, including the passions of the fans who had contributed so much material that had been gathered on that site.<< I agree very much with what you say here. We played in Mystara's OD&D era until 2e came out in 89 and I bought those rules. One reason for this was that I thought the OD&D rules were just too complicated in that each and every gazetteer made new revisions, new classes, new versions of skills... As somebody once said in Dragon magazine, "for a game that's supposed to be simpler than AD&D, D&D sure is one complicated game!" (or something to that effect). I liked 2e because I had all the basic rules in one book, rather than having them spread out across 15 gazetteers plus various expansions and what have we! We had all the gazetteers at the time, but because we shifted to AD&D, I was looking to FR for something new. The rest of my fellow gamers felt we should remain in the Known World (never heard of Mystara back then) because we had all those books. We did, but I still peeked at FR and Greyhawk when I could, yet discovered something odd - something was missing, particularly in FR... It was years before I could articulate it. FR is so disgustingly good or evil, black or white, that it's almost sickening. Always, always, always the same oh-so-good nations/characters/people against the same ever-so-incredibly-evil antagonists. Greyhawk is nowhere nearly as bad, but the presence of Iuz or Ivid the undying goes far toward establishing a similar feel. This is not the case of Mystara, though. Here no nations are 'good' or 'evil' as such. Wonder why the 'imperial flame war' discussion comes up so often? I think its because of the subtlety - Thyatis is the hero nation... or the villain. As is Alphatia. Which is which? It depends solely on your own perspective. Either empire can be the 'good' guys (bad expression, but I think you know what I mean) and have the other be the villains. One great achievement, I think, of DOTE is the adventure section. Many of those are just the same adventures for both empires - you just play either side, and both can be the heroes... or the villains. Well, that's how I see it at least. >>The scope of Mystara dwarfed everything that any other setting offered. It wasn't shy about being openly humorous. It's history appeared as detailed as Dragonlance's.<< Massive indeed! >> It's high magic aspect rivaled the Forgotten Realms, and usually surpassed it.<< You better believe it! Take a look at some of those Glantrian stuff (particularly the Radiance) or those insanely powerful Skyships of the Alphatians! (The Greyhawk campaign I played in was actually transported there from Mystara after our DM realized what those Alphatian ships could do as opposed to the Spelljammer rules he liked! "Nay" he said, and promptly stranded the entire group in Greyhawk... for good!) Best nothing said about that 'Thothian Enchantment'!!! (Phew!) >> It's cultures felt as if they breathed. The cultural differences seemed real and plausible. I can say this now, because even though I have come to Mystara within a year I have managed to purchase all accessories except for less than a handful. (As an aside, boy was I stunned to find that the Forgotten Realms "borrowed" some Mystaran material for itself, after I browsed the Mystaran accessories.) > Ok, I don't know if I have made anything clear or not what appealed to me enough to become a Mystara-phile.<< You have indeed. Am you've given me hope that we *can* attract new people to Mystara ["hehe, my spell is working Master Terari!" ;) ] >> I know that when I finally joined the MML I found the IC banter between the members was great fun to read.<< You actually liked it?? I actually live in an ever surprise that nobody has yet flamed Giulio or me for it :D (Well, I don't know if they flamed Giulio, but I doubt it - I play the smug, arrogant Alphatian wizard, so I would likely be flamed first ;) ) >> No other of WotC's setting's Mailing Lists had this going on.<< No? How come? After all, it's pretty funny. For me anyway, but I think Giulio agrees. >> It was another thing that pulled me in more, not that this would appeal to others new comers.<< :) >>What more can I say? No need to say more. Thank you for your reply. It was most enlightening to me. - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 01:30:20 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: The Stalker Organization: Angelfire (http://email.angelfire.mailcity.lycos.com:80) Subject: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit For some reason I didn't get this in my mail, but I'll add my opinion anyway ;) Caroletti wrote: >>Alex Benson wrote: > [sorry for heavy snipping]: > a guide for 1000AC would be good. Then add a suppliment that gives a > summarized account of the changes that took place in WotI, through the PWAs, > and into the MAs. > I think that the discussion has come to an end. More or less, we agree to make a AC 1000 guide.<< Yes. >>Then it's ok to add files in order to allow people to play WotI and get to the Almanacs. But this will be checked in a second time.<< Yes, first things first. >> The most urging problem is to provide Shawn's site with a practical, efficient, well-written, entertaining and quick Known World AC 1000 Player's Guide.<< I'd like to help out, too. I have other projects on my table, but I'd still like to participate. As I noted, I have a basic Known World guide to Mystara. If people are interested in seeing it, I could send it to those working on this project. - The Stalker Who needs Cupid? Matchmaker.com is the place to meet somebody. FREE Two-week Trial Membership at http://www.matchmaker.com/home?rs=200015 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 21:30:32 EST Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Master's Pawn Subject: Re: Mystaran Character Creator [Newbie Guide] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 2/27/2001 1:20:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, gm@DSL-ONLY.NET writes: << Here's a possible idea for the Newbie Player's Handbook for Mystara: Excellent idea. >> I agree, though I would limit it initially to the KW nations of old, ie the Gaz nations (DotE included) and save the wild combos of the savage coast nations for later. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 21:27:09 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Mike Harvey" > > So who is in? > > I have Gaz 1-3 and 6, plus CoM and WotI, so I can work on those aras > directly. I have everything in the way of material but little in the way of time, so assign me any gazetteer or other work that nobody else on your team has. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 27 Feb 2001 23:51:39 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: David Knott Subject: Re: Mystaran Character Creator [Newbie Guide] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Master's Pawn" > > I agree, though I would limit it initially to the KW nations of old, ie the > Gaz nations (DotE included) and save the wild combos of the savage coast > nations for later. Given that the Savage Coast Campaign Set is a free download from WotC, we already have that region covered. That leaves us needing two guides: one for all of the Outer World outside of the Savage Coast (basically the Known World plus all the nations described in the Champions of Mystara boxed set) and one for the Hollow World. Clearly the Known World is the region that needs to be emphasized the most, since it has no single summary available in one place. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 10:12:01 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Why the Almanac should NOT be considered Canon MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable wrote: > There are no "existing" products outside of whatever ones are still = floating > about in closets and old books stores. Everything is out of print. WotC are re-releasing them on-line, for a price I'm sure, but I doubt = they'll be as expensive as buying OOP material right now. This should = make Mystara products easily available to everybody. > As for depending on the writers of the new > Mystara publishing material regularly, isn't that what everyone is = hoping > for? New material regularly published for Mystara? Whats wrong with = this? That depends. If products come out regularly following a tight schedule = that makes sense (not just because the author liked a particular region, = fx.) to newcomers, it could work out fine. But I'm saying that it will = take a lot of work, and that some people won't be able to cope, = particular on a time schedule. Considering the vast amount of existing = material both fan-based, which can be easily accessed, and canon, which = should in some time be easy to access, I can see no real advantages to = throwing most of that away and starting over from scratch in another = era. > Besides, people on this list regularly put out material for Mystara = already- > all that would change would a be that new material would go through a = "is > this canon" process. I don't think I want to get into that discussion. Let's just say that I = don't like the idea of making any fan-based material go through such a = process, and while I'm willing to defend that view, I'd prefer to just = leave it at "that's how I feel", or take it up in a new thread that will = probably bring wars, hate, destruction, and administrator intervention = due to the inflammatory nature of such a discussion. ;) But, yes, people regularly put out new material. Most of it isn't = particularly suited for actual gaming though. To really get things going = people should start publishing a lot of adventures, which is the main = thing missing at present IMO. =20 > 3E is a d20 system, and the d20 system is available (I think) on the = web for > free. Some people's arguements against 3E has been the tremendous cost = of > shipping to their respective countries from the U.S. A modified for = Mystara > d20 game would ideally look like Mystara and play like Mystara without = being > 3E, and be available for all over the web. The terms used in 3E are = the terms > of d20, so if you understand one then you'll understand the other. = Really, > what I'm talking about is tweaking the d20 documents into something = that > feels like OD&D. What then would be the difference between a 3E, Warhammer, Cyberpunk, or = "new" system? And the difference between OD&D and the "new" system? Or = have I misunderstood something? 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, 28 Feb 2001 11:49:49 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Wizards Shopper Subject: I want to be enlightened... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I want to be enlightened... what do we want exactly? do we want to promote Mystara or D&D???? thib ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 11:45:57 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Colin Wilson Subject: Re: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! In-Reply-To: <040401c0a13f$47c24720$14a61a26@q6s7w2> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi there, I wouldn't mind being involved. I've got all the Gaz series, the first two almanacs, PC1-3 and The trail maps. I've not got *that* much time but it's fairly flexible. Exactly what region are we doing? Cheers, 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: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:16:39 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "G.P. Agosta" Subject: Re: A Beginner's Guide to Mystara: Let's start! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Colin Wilson wrote: > Hi there, > > I wouldn't mind being involved. Ok. The number of volunteers is always rising. I'm going to send a tentative plan of the work right now to all the involved people. If there's someone who's interested in collaborating, and does not receive my mail in the next 12 hours, please send me an e-mail to remember me of their interest. Thanks :) > I've got all the Gaz series, the first two almanacs, PC1-3 and The trail > maps. > > I've not got *that* much time but it's fairly flexible. > > Exactly what region are we doing? The Known World, more ore less. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@fusberta.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, 28 Feb 2001 14:17:09 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "G.P. Agosta" Subject: Re: I want to be enlightened... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wizards Shopper wrote: > I want to be enlightened... > what do we want exactly? > do we want to promote Mystara or D&D???? Mystara, definitely. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@fusberta.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, 28 Feb 2001 16:02:43 -0000 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: My Adventures Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I have a couple of OD&D adventures at http://members.fortunecity.com/abertoll/dnd/ I plan on converting them to 3e in the future. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:39:58 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: "G.P. Agosta" Subject: Building cottages, etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here is a useful link which can be used for constructions. In the same section of the Vaults, one can find other files related to buildings, labour's costs, etc. http://dnd.starflung.com/buildit.html -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@fusberta.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, 28 Feb 2001 12:10:57 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: My Adventures > >I have a couple of OD&D adventures at > >http://members.fortunecity.com/abertoll/dnd/ > >I plan on converting them to 3e in the future. Very cool, do you mind others posting them on their websites? 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, 28 Feb 2001 09:09:47 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: King's Road Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" OK, dumb question time. This has probably been answered before, but as my Karameikos campaign hadn't made it to Mirros (this is 1013, sorry, purists), I guess I didn't pay adequate attention: Where do the two north roads leading out of town go? One leads to Krakatos and eventually Kelvin, but where does the other go? I want to at least mention it, but I'm perplexed. (I've actually thought of having it lead to the setting for "The Sunless Citadel," which features a town on a road off the main highway.) 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: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 19:17:13 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: why isn't Calengaer in the almanach? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit May i ask why Calengaer is not even present in the Skothar atlas? 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: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:48:30 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: why isn't Calengaer in the almanach? > >May i ask why Calengaer is not even present in the Skothar atlas? >> >Thibault Sarlat. Okay, I'll try to answer: To my knowledge, no one had submitted the Calengaer geographic entry to the Almanac group (specifically the Skothar group - but I am not blaming anyone here) for inclusion in the 1017 edition. I went through almost all of the files prior to publication (with Herve), and that one was not there. True, I did think it odd that it wasn't there, but I figured the matter had been resolved elsewhere. If it had been submitted for inclusion in the Almanac, then please accept my apologies for the oversight. If not, then it could certainly be added to the 1018 edition. Do you have anything to add, Herve? 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, 28 Feb 2001 14:49:34 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Jennifer Favian Guerra > >Hey guys, I tried to get in touch with Jenn (Favian Guerra) >but...nondeliverable mail. >Any clue? Is Jenn still on the list? > >Iulius Sergius Scaevola Which email did you use? 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, 28 Feb 2001 20:58:00 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: thibault sarlat Subject: Re: why isn't Calengaer in the almanach? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit i was not blaming anyone... it was just a question. This will give us time to work it up for the 1018 almanach... By the way , i want to thank everyone who has contributed to the almanach. it's a pleasure to read it over and over.... I feel like a witness of all these events... thank you all!!!! life is short, but you make mine worth living... Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at: thibsylv@club-internet.fr or at clenarius@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Geoff Gander To: Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 8:48 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] why isn't Calengaer in the almanach? > > > >May i ask why Calengaer is not even present in the Skothar atlas? > >> > >Thibault Sarlat. > > Okay, I'll try to answer: > > To my knowledge, no one had submitted the Calengaer geographic entry to > the Almanac group (specifically the Skothar group - but I am not blaming > anyone here) for inclusion in the 1017 edition. I went through almost all > of the files prior to publication (with Herve), and that one was not there. > True, I did think it odd that it wasn't there, but I figured the matter had > been resolved elsewhere. If it had been submitted for inclusion in the > Almanac, then please accept my apologies for the oversight. If not, then > it could certainly be added to the 1018 edition. > > Do you have anything to add, Herve? > > 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. > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 16:07:30 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Michael McConnell Subject: Synn Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I had a question concerning Dolores Hillsbury/Synn. I'm planning on making her one of the main villains in my game, but I don't know that much about her. I haven't read any of the Princess Ark stuff, and she's just barely mentioned in Champions of Mystara. All I really have to go on is the stuff from Glantri 2E. Can someone do a quick run-down of her background and motivations, or point me to a web address? I'd also be willing to help out with the beginner's guide, I think it's a good idea. I can do just about any KW area as I have all of the boxes and Gazs except for Ylarum, which somehow vanished. I won't have a lot of time between work and school, and I don't know any HTML so someone would have to convert the text. M. Alright honey, I won't be weird. I'll be just the way YOU want me to be. -Lester in "American Beauty" _________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE zombieworld.com Email account at... http://www.evilemail.com zombieworld.com - The dead come back to life, just for you. _________________________________________________________ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 16:31:20 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Brad Fonseca Subject: Postcard Campaign (was "Why Mystara") MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I don't know if any gets Dragon on this list but there apparently (I haven't got my issue yet) is a letter in the "Scale Mail" section of March's issue that asks about Dragon's support of old settings. The reader wanted to know if Dragon was planning to run any articles on "discontinued" settings (like Mystara). The magazine replied that if people sent in postcards demanding such articles then Dragon would comply. I say let's write some postcards and get some Mystara articles! The address is: "Scale Mail" Dragon Magazine 1801 Lind Avenue S.W. Renton, WA 98055 U.S.A. Let's see what we can do! -- Brad:) "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of Doom "G.P. Agosta" wrote: > Chad Imbrogno wrote: > > > While the following for Mystara apparently isn't enough to warrent TSR to > > maintaining its existance, it is definately substancial and energetic. I > > know my opinion on the following question, and for now I'll keep silent on > > it, but I'm curious about everyone else out there; what is it about Mystara > > that keeps you coming back? Why is it special? > > First, it is the setting I have a better knowledge of. One of the most > important factors in good DMing is experience, therefore Mystara is what > I can DM better (and faster, too). And since I DM almost only Mystara, > then my interest is stronger for this setting. > > However, what brings us to produce stuff for Mystara is the possibility > to insert your creation more or less coherently in a complex world, > lacking the "black and white" feel or the limited scope of other AD&D > settings. > > And, in the end, the fact that we are unrecoverable old timers ;) > -- > > Giampaolo Agosta > > agathokles@libero.it > agosta@fusberta.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, 28 Feb 2001 23:16:09 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Synn MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Michael McConnell wrote: > > I had a question concerning Dolores Hillsbury/Synn. I'm planning on making her one of the main villains in my game, but I don't know that much about her. I haven't read any of the Princess Ark stuff, and she's just barely mentioned in Champions of Mystara. All I really have to go on is the stuff from Glantri 2E. Can someone do a quick run-down of her background and motivations, or point me to a web address? Synn is a recurring enemy of both the Alphatians and the Heldannic Knights in the VotPA series. She's a Night Dragon, and her current goal is to take control of Glantri, by placing easily controlled people as nobles and princes. This is a strategic goal, but her final intention is probably to reach true Immortality in the Sphere of Entropy (at least, that's my guess). She's both physically and magically powerful, but her strenght lies mostly in misdirection and intrigue. She's been playing the supposed ""good guys" against each other in Glantri. Her tactical goals are to get rid of the more reluctant princes (Erewan, f.e.), and of anyone who can expose her ruse. As a general resource on Glantri, I would send you to (beware, that's a shameless plug :) http://www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri > I'd also be willing to help out with the beginner's guide, I think it's a good idea. I can do just about any KW area as I have all of the boxes and Gazs except for Ylarum, which somehow vanished. I won't have a lot of time between work and school, and I don't know any HTML so someone would have to convert the text. M. Don't worry, I suppose I and Shawn would have to do the technical stuff anyway (to give an homogeneous look). -- 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: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 23:07:21 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Mystara intro guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi! well, my work schedule is horrible (I had to drop off any Almanac activities, apologies, please), but I have managed to collect most of the campaign-info relevant D&D items, all 14 GAZs plus DotE War of the Immortals Champions of Mystara and the whole series of PA articles the whole PC series Hollow World and the 3 HWR and HWA3 all 3 PWA and Joshuan's KKoA and GkoM (yuck!) Mark of Amber modules X4-5, X9, X10, X11, CM1, CM7, M1, M3, M5 That's all the items with campaing info I can think of having. My time schedule is ultra-limited, but I could collaborate with any info you people need. Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 15:47:16 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Matthew Wang Subject: Re: Postcard Campaign (was "Why Mystara") In-Reply-To: <3A9D6E26.CDBCF5C4@home.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Brad, I think this is a great idea. I will send out a postcard today. matt --- Brad Fonseca wrote: > I don't know if any gets Dragon on this list but > there apparently (I haven't got > my issue yet) is a letter in the "Scale Mail" > section of March's issue that asks > about Dragon's support of old settings. The reader > wanted to know if Dragon was > planning to run any articles on "discontinued" > settings (like Mystara). The > magazine replied that if people sent in postcards > demanding such articles then > Dragon would comply. > > I say let's write some postcards and get some > Mystara articles! The address is: > > "Scale Mail" Dragon > Magazine > 1801 Lind Avenue S.W. > Renton, WA > 98055 > U.S.A. > > Let's see what we can do! > -- > Brad:) > > "It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone > to try to kill you." > ---Merlin, son of Corwin, as quoted in Trumps Of > Doom > > "G.P. Agosta" wrote: > > > Chad Imbrogno wrote: > > > > > While the following for Mystara apparently isn't > enough to warrent TSR to > > > maintaining its existance, it is definately > substancial and energetic. I > > > know my opinion on the following question, and > for now I'll keep silent on > > > it, but I'm curious about everyone else out > there; what is it about Mystara > > > that keeps you coming back? Why is it special? > > > > First, it is the setting I have a better knowledge > of. One of the most > > important factors in good DMing is experience, > therefore Mystara is what > > I can DM better (and faster, too). And since I DM > almost only Mystara, > > then my interest is stronger for this setting. > > > > However, what brings us to produce stuff for > Mystara is the possibility > > to insert your creation more or less coherently in > a complex world, > > lacking the "black and white" feel or the limited > scope of other AD&D > > settings. > > > > And, in the end, the fact that we are > unrecoverable old timers ;) > > -- > > > > Giampaolo Agosta > > > > agathokles@libero.it > > agosta@fusberta.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. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.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, 28 Feb 2001 16:16:23 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Andrew Theisen Subject: Re: King's Road In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20010228090947.007d8820@mail.boilingpoint.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 09:09 AM 2/28/01 -0800, you wrote: > OK, dumb question time. This has probably been answered before, but as my >Karameikos campaign hadn't made it to Mirros (this is 1013, sorry, >purists), I guess I didn't pay adequate attention: Not a dumb question- never even been asked, to my knowledge. > Where do the two north roads leading out of town go? One leads to Krakatos >and eventually Kelvin, but where does the other go? I want to at least >mention it, but I'm perplexed. (I've actually thought of having it lead to >the setting for "The Sunless Citadel," which features a town on a road off >the main highway.) I'm stumped. I never even noticed the third road until you mentioned it. Westron leads towards Halag, King's Road leads to Krakatos... I don't know where the North Road would lead to. Probably just some minor Traladaran hamlets and things that sit on the southern edge of the Radlebb Woods. Your suggestion of putting the Sunless Citadel there is as good as any... Another option might be to stage the Temple of Elemental Evil in that region (on another note- the Slavers series works pretty well in Karameikos, modifying the Slavers into the Iron Ring). BTW- is Sunless Citadel any good? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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 Mar 2001 04:14:21 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Re: King's Road MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I ran through Sunless Citadel couple weeks ago, my first try into 3rd Ed: well, the module is quite good actually, quite simple dungeon setting, but brings some of the flavor of the old times classics... the thing I liked best is that it offers a few chances for interesting role-playing, not simple dungeon-crawling. the minusses: I don't seem to find game balance in some aspects of 3E: finding traps for rogues is comparatively easy, flanking attacks of opportunity are a too-great bonus and a Socerer with the Sleep spell would unbalance everything! on the other hand, some encounters are way-too-hard for a recommended party of 4 1st lvl characters (6 1st level characters in my game had serious trouble to come out whole). Anyway, my balance is positive, after reading the 3E corebooks I feared that the new modules were going to be Final Fantasy battles with paper and dice... Nevertheless, I don't know if it will feel Mystara... I'm old fashioned, but Mystara feels D&D, as much as Greyhawk feels 1st ed AD&D... if I go on with 3E, it will be in a newly-created setting. Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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 Mar 2001 04:18:34 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9s_Piquer_Otero?= Subject: Almanac MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Wow, I just finished a cursory reading of the Almanac events, and it's really great!!! congrats to everybody!!!! I just have a small doubt, probably out of my misinformation... when do automatic transportation start working in the HW? (Zandor uses one Teleport this year) IIRC, the post-Great War changes due to the huge Immortal magicks involved in the reshaping of HW Alphatia made spells of charming and holding starting to be castable in the HW (that's in PWA1 I think), but I don't remember it saying anything about teleports... That's no being stingy, honestly, I just don't know of the event which allowed this, some HW shocking happening I overlooked in previous net-Almanacs??? Andr�s ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 22:46:35 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Almanac MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Is was on the HW team, and I recall something about it. I believe Herve wrote the Zandor events. Did he cast it when the red sun was out? IIRC, the premise was that the dousing of the sun also killed the SoP which would allow all magic to function, since the red sun also serves as the source for the SoP. I would think that the World Shield would still prohibit travel to the surface, though. If I can ever get these zip files together how they're supposed to be I could check it for you! Argh! Does anyone know anything about DOS with Windows 2000 Professional? I finally managed to locate the DOS prompt, and have followed the instructions to reassemble the split ZIP, but it's like the computer is feebleminded or something! I keep getting a message saying "The system cannot find the file specified." I tried redownloading it, too. I'm working with the PDF version. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andr�s Piquer Otero" To: Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:18 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] Almanac > Wow, I just finished a cursory reading of the Almanac events, and it's > really great!!! congrats to everybody!!!! > I just have a small doubt, probably out of my misinformation... when do > automatic transportation start working in the HW? (Zandor uses one Teleport > this year) IIRC, the post-Great War changes due to the huge Immortal magicks > involved in the reshaping of HW Alphatia made spells of charming and holding > starting to be castable in the HW (that's in PWA1 I think), but I don't > remember it saying anything about teleports... > That's no being stingy, honestly, I just don't know of the event which > allowed this, some HW shocking happening I overlooked in previous > net-Almanacs??? > > Andr�s > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 12:33:03 +0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Glenn Butcher Subject: Re: King's Road In-Reply-To: <000c01c0a1fe$4e3c1760$9684fad5@uchicago.edu>; from anpro@ACCESOCERO.ES on Thu, Mar 01, 2001 at 04:14:21AM +0100 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Thu, Mar 01, 2001 at 04:14:21AM +0100, Andr?s Piquer Otero wrote: > I ran through Sunless Citadel couple weeks ago, my first try into 3rd Ed: > > the minusses: I don't seem to find game balance in some aspects of 3E: > finding traps for rogues is comparatively easy, flanking attacks of > opportunity are a too-great bonus and a Socerer with the Sleep spell would > unbalance everything! on the other hand, some encounters are way-too-hard > for a recommended party of 4 1st lvl characters (6 1st level characters in > my game had serious trouble to come out whole). Anyway, my balance is > positive, after reading the 3E corebooks I feared that the new modules were > going to be Final Fantasy battles with paper and dice... > Nevertheless, I don't know if it will feel Mystara... I'm old fashioned, but > Mystara feels D&D, as much as Greyhawk feels 1st ed AD&D... if I go on with > 3E, it will be in a newly-created setting. Sorry to be off topic, but I couldn't resist this. I don't know what the DC of the traps was in SCitadel, but normally traps aren't easy to find at all. A high level thief an find the easily enough - but under previous editions, they could have a 95% chance there anyway. Not sure what you mean about flanking attacks of opp. Sleep does give a save under 3rd ed. It's not as bad as a low level wizard with spell spells memorised. Especially if they are an enchanter. -- knight@ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au | If you were blowing things up, what you glennb@ichr.uwa.edu.au | rather use: two high levels or 1,024 http://www.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au/~knight/ | 1st levels? - Seymour Cray on parallel | adventuring ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 20:18:14 -0300 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: jammer Subject: hi there... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hail there! After having DMed both Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft, I'm looking for something new. Mystara came to my mind, but there's a problem: I can only get the Karameikos pack, the basic set. Do you think it's worth playing anyway? Is there any conversion to 3E yet? Thanks in advance! ~ Luciano Mattuella jammer@zaz.com.br ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 28 Feb 2001 22:36:44 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Beau Yarbrough Subject: King's Road In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20010228161623.0080be20@pop.wans.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 16:16 2/28/01 -0800, Andrew Theisen wrote: >> Where do the two north roads leading out of town go? One leads to >Krakatos >>and eventually Kelvin, but where does the other go? I want to at least >>mention it, but I'm perplexed. (I've actually thought of having it lead to >>the setting for "The Sunless Citadel," which features a town on a road off >>the main highway.) > >I'm stumped. I never even noticed the third road until you mentioned it. >Westron leads towards Halag, King's Road leads to Krakatos... I don't know >where the North Road would lead to. Probably just some minor Traladaran >hamlets and things that sit on the southern edge of the Radlebb Woods. Your >suggestion of putting the Sunless Citadel there is as good as any... >Another option might be to stage the Temple of Elemental Evil in that >region (on another note- the Slavers series works pretty well in >Karameikos, modifying the Slavers into the Iron Ring). I could see that. I'd rather convert as many of the monsters to existing Mystara ones, but the A series would do very well in Karameikos. >BTW- is Sunless Citadel any good? I think so. Good mix of low level monsters, interesting setting. It's just a dungeon crawl, but it's a well-done one. 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: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 23:11:55 -0800 Reply-To: Mystara Sender: Mystara From: Ricardo Matheus Subject: Re: Trail Maps Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >How about redoing the Trail Maps as an intro for newbies? It could >be, perhaps, one big map that would come in a tube and have an >accompanying "gazetteer" giving a brief run down of all the Known >World countries along with all that cool info that was on the >original maps. > > >VVH I�m working in that. Of course my site isn�t nearly as complete as Thyb�s but I�ll keep working. the adress: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Keep/7983/ Darkblood _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.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.