========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 11:33:38 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: X4, X5 and X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Yeah, Dan. Of course you are quite right about the X5 and the destruction of Hosadus. The young "avatar" is likey to be destroyed. I would be interested in hearing about your views on Hosadus in general. IMC he is "a child of fate", a manifestation of Thanatos's power in the world. You know, after every couple of hundreds of years a new Hosadus is prophesied. Holy men roam the countryside looking for omens etc... But if the old man in the coffin is able to make "an avatar", what is he? An aspiring Immortal/God/Demigod? A powerful cleric with a powerful patron?? > > If used without any modifications, the module will fail miserably. > > Not in my experience. It took a while to complete the whole thing with all > of the war machine and battlesystem, but it was well worth it. > Sure, it is well worth it. I just meant that the war is unlikely to go well for the Nomads. But your notes about your own experiences were very interesting. Maybe me and my wargamer friend (who has been helping me with preparations) need to rethink our projections about the war machine scenario. Do you remember what happened to the two elite Darokinian legions in your game? They are so powerful that if for example one of them is in Darokin while the Nomads come, it can very well break the siege of two nomad divisions (with a little luck). I decided that in the Darokin setup Legion I must be in Corunglain and Legion II in Darokin. So, both cities have strong defences initially. I guess the only chance for the nomads is to besiege both of the cities and try to close reinforcement routes as fast as they can. Favaro is one likey target (Alfheim road), as is the road to Athenos and the road to Dolos. In your campaing it was Thyatis that bailed the darokinians out after the fall of Specularum (How on earth could the mounted Ylaruamians take Specularum? A long siege again? Do you remember, were the Alfheimians tied up elsewhere?). I'm thinking that Rockhome could be a good alternative. But then again, the dwarves wouldn't propably wish to fight their Ylaruamian friends. maybe they'd settle with cuttting their supply. > I'm not sure what you mean by unit type classifications. It was just that X10 is supposed to work without the Companion set (even though no GM in his/her right mind would try that). The limited War Machine rules didn't mention the troop class scale (from poor to elite), so calculating the troop class difference modification required educated guesses. Of course the info was in Companion set and later Cyclopedia. But the point was that the old D&D products had a lot of oversigths like this. > fact, IMC, a PC was captured by the Master and sacrificed to the Soul Gem, > and I pretty much had to wing it. Ouch! But I agree, even though the dagger-gem -continuum has flaws it adds depth to the otherwise diplomatic adventure. Actually, in a way my own experiences prove YOUR point that lack of information can be inspirational. Many historical and mythological features of my campaign were created to explain, support and flesh out the Dagger and the Gem. > > I would play the Commander with the gem as an arrogant and overconfident > villain, and would have him fight to the death against the PCs, unless they > really slipped up, in which case I'd use the recall. That's of course the obvious solution, and a good one. But I think GMs should pose "impossible" situations for the PCs from time to time. I have no trouble with the idea that the PCs lose the Gem. Laran can still give them (the fatally interrupted) instructions. They still have to battle the Legion of Doom to get to Hosadus. AND then they have to assemble the dagger in Hosadus's tent, while battling him & trying to figure out what to do with the bloody dagger! I was just generally moaning about the strange way the module was written. (PCs get the Soul gem whatever they do.) By the way, did the PCs in your campaign have hard time figuring about the dagger? > If you do come up with any modifications to this, keep us posted. The notes > on your campaign have been quite interesting so far! Yes, I'm about to post the modifies War machine rules for X10 when I get some time to write them down. Our "Red Arrow, Black Shield" just stared yesterday (at last!). The PCs fought heroically for Akesoli, destroying a juggernaut and four 7th level battlemages. But in the end they had to flee in the last ship. (Boris Straffelheim survived, by the way. He's leading a pack of refugees to safety.) The PC's just arrived at the borders of Glantri, after decimating an orc tribe in the Broken lands. Two weeks of political intrigue wait, as they'll have to convince the full Council of princes to vote for joining the war. Hopefully we'll get to play a couple of times soon. When we finish the first month I'll send War Updates to the list, with completet War Machine logs. (By the way, the players didn't want to play the WM themselves, as we can't get to play frequently enough. So I'll play out the war with another friend. Shame, but roleplaying is more important.) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 8 Aug 2001 11:26:27 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Adventurers' Guild of Selenica MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > If you want to detail members of the guild, let me point out that several > of the members serving as referees during the Challenge of Champions were > actually named in the adventure. Where did you say that the adventure may be found? 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: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 15:24:03 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Adventurers' Guild of Selenica On Wed, 8 Aug 2001 11:26:27 +0200, Giulio N. Caroletti wrote: >> If you want to detail members of the guild, let me point out that several >> of the members serving as referees during the Challenge of Champions were >> actually named in the adventure. > >Where did you say that the adventure may be found? > It's in Dungeon magazine, issue 58. Since you asked (and since it might be useful IMC), I made a list of the NPCs in the adventure. It's little more than names, so there is plenty of detail to add if one feels like it. Note: All the Guild members mentioned below are male unless otherwise stated. At no point is character race mentioned, so I would presume they are all human (since the adventure obviously takes place in a major human city). Also, you may wonder about the term 'proctor'. The adventure uses it throughout, and it indicates the person is an official for the Guild, though the context here would suggest it means the same as referee here [or DM perhaps :) ]. Someone with a better grasp of English than me could comment on that, though. Anyway... Jayme, a red-bearded warrior, whose job it is to frisk contestants before they enter the "Challenge of Champions". Kuthbar, a fussy little wizard who casts Detect Magic to ensure participants don't bring magic to the contest. IMC I also had him cast the Alphas' Memorized Spell Nullifier spell I wrote ages ago which wipes all memorized spells from memory. All spellcasters had to accept being subjected to this spell. Mussfinch, a red-robed wizard functioning as proctor for the contest's first challenge. Parnival, priest and second proctor. Mercurio, wizard and third proctor. Marilyssa, female priest and fourth proctor. Scarrolupio, wizard and fifth proctor. Julian, wizard and sixth proctor. Justin, warrior and seventh proctor. Father Quespin, priest and eighth proctor. Lydric, priest and ninth proctor. Luther, rogue and tenth proctor. Farthingale, a portly man in his late forties. In the adventure, he is the Guildmaster, but I've obviously put Lord Wystead as the Guildmaster instead. Farthingale could still be his representative when Lord Wystead isn't in Selenica (which would be true most of the time). That way, Wystead is still the leader of the Guild, while Farthingale is the effective Guildmaster in the everyday chores of the Guild. - The Stalker "See? Alphatian/Thyatian cooperation *does* exist!" :) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 8 Aug 2001 20:58:12 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Adventurers' Guild of Selenica MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Alphas' Memorized Spell Nullifier spell I wrote ages ago which wipes all > memorized spells from memory. What level is this? Any save allowed? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 9 Aug 2001 03:04:03 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Adventurers' Guild of Selenica MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Stalker's tongue whispered through the winds of storm: [snipped] > You may wonder about the term 'proctor'. The adventure uses it > throughout, and it indicates the person is an official for the Guild, > though the context here would suggest it means the same as referee here [or > DM perhaps :) ]. Someone with a better grasp of English than me could > comment on that, though. Could be interesting. Anyone to shed some light on the matter before I do my write-ups? > Jayme, a red-bearded warrior, whose job it is to frisk contestants before > they enter the "Challenge of Champions". "frisk contestants"? > Farthingale, a portly man in his late forties. In the adventure, he is the > Guildmaster, but I've obviously put Lord Wystead as the Guildmaster > instead. Farthingale could still be his representative when Lord Wystead > isn't in Selenica (which would be true most of the time). That way, Wystead > is still the leader of the Guild, while Farthingale is the effective > Guildmaster in the everyday chores of the Guild. Ok, agreed. > "See? Alphatian/Thyatian cooperation *does* exist!" :) Hrmpf! 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: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 21:28:24 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Shawn J." Subject: Re: Invasion of the Cliched MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Please forgive the fact that my response to the following post is /really/ late. :^) In a message dated 8/4/01 9:10:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > On Sat, 4 Aug 2001 10:01:30 EDT, Shawn J. wrote: > > Hey now ;^), what's wrong with an alien/extra-dimensional invasion? > > Nothing as such, but I thought it was a little strange in the Penhaligon > trilogy, but read on, and what a mess that turned into! And then I started > on the Dragonlord trilogy, and of course, by the second book, yes you > guessed it, another ____ alien invasion!!!! :( Whoaa! I had no idea. I haven't read the Dragonlord series---no wonder you slammed "alien invasions". Still, /those/ were redundant and I bet both were written with less care than they could've been. These "invasions" were handled "wrong" but perhaps, one day, someone may do one that you will, dare I say it, love. ;^) I also think there is a far more fundamental problem with those novels (see below). > just didn't care enough... And every single member of Thelvyn's initial > party is from some royal or imperial family across the Known World or > they're secretly some draconic creature, for crying out loud!!! :( I've seen stuff similar to that far too often in fantasy literature, so I know exactly what you mean. > > After all, would anyone want to see staid, old "Lord of the Rings" > > when it premieres (the movies) if certain aspects of fantasy > >had been done totally to death? Nah, we'd still /love/ the cliches > >---it's just when they are treated in /cheesy/ ways that makes them > >so hard to swallow. > > There is a difference though, because LOTR was the original (unless you > count Beowulf and the norse mythology that inspired Tolkien), and nothing > can take away from that! True, Tolkien's works /are/ more like an extension of European mythology rather than modern literature aren't they? > It's just that to me, you simply don't need dragons from other worlds to > stage a great war or some such. Mystara usually makes enough trouble of its > own. I'm behind you 100% on that one too. I think what it boils down to with the "Mystaran" novels is that none of them had a distinct atmosphere that was uniquely Mystaran nor storylines that could only be told in Mystara, as is true of novels set in other D&D gameworlds. It is a real shame too, because Mystara has so /much/ material that is worthy of being used in novels. > > And I just _know_ the Stalker can't be against the mixing > >of a few sci-fi concepts with fantasy > > But I am! I like both fantasy and sci-fi, but I hate when they are mixed - > I hate it when I see space shuttles and land speeders in fantasy (like in > the computer game Ultima I)! So that explains why the Alphatians didn't like the Glantri mages and their anachronistic Radiance engine---they have a distinct distaste for sci-fi/fantasy mixing! > Though the Alphatians may have been "invaders" originally, they are > scarcely invaders after 2000 years! And I don't see them as invaders, more > as settlers myself. They came to one of the areas with less population than > most, but granted, they did enslave those people that did live there. No, I'm sure you are correct---the Alphatians improved the horribly squalid lives of those they (ahem) came to rule on Mystara and have been nothing but a boon to the world, so much so that the Immortals themselves acknowledged it by saving Alphatia from total destruction (transporting it to the HW) at the hands of those scheming, war-mongering mages of Glantri! ;^> --- Shawn J. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 22:30:11 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: X4, X5 and X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > But if the old man in the coffin is able to make "an avatar", what is he? > An aspiring Immortal/God/Demigod? A powerful cleric with a powerful > patron?? > Your version is pretty cool. I never have spelled out exactly what or who Hosadus was, but I did have some basic stuff. My campaign background is quite different from canon; Hosadus was a ruler chosen to govern Hule and beyond as the voice of a previous evil overlord, known only as Lord Foul. Foul had ruled for a millenium before yielding to Hosadus (having attained true Immortality). Hosadus had ruled over 400 years himself, giving continuity to the endless evil regime, and was seeking Immortality of his own. I guess he got the avatar through some type of pact with Enthropic Immortals. IIRC, the war in X10 was part of his path to Immortality. > Sure, it is well worth it. I just meant that the war is unlikely to go > well for the Nomads. But your notes about your own experiences were very > interesting. Maybe me and my wargamer friend (who has been helping me with > preparations) need to rethink our projections about the war machine > scenario. > Do you remember what happened to the two elite Darokinian legions in your > game? They are so powerful that if for example one of them is in Darokin > while the Nomads come, it can very well break the siege of two nomad > divisions (with a little luck). I decided that in the Darokin setup Legion > I must be in Corunglain and Legion II in Darokin. So, both cities have > strong defences initially. I guess the only chance for the nomads is to > besiege both of the cities and try to close reinforcement routes as fast > as they can. Favaro is one likey target (Alfheim road), as is the road to > Athenos and the road to Dolos. > OK. I've just dug up my notes and the battles are recorded in the back of the module, but this will be sketchy. I played this out in 1986-87... Both of them surived the war, it looks like. I guess the player controlling them didn't want to keep his best units holed up in the city while the Nomads were tearing up the countryside. I Legion: 873 troops left, defeated 5th Nomad, BR:185 II Legion: 488 left, defeated 1st, 6th, 10th, 17th, & 20th Nomad, BR:187 The small towns and villages in Darokin didn't factor in at all. I only used the cities on the X10 map. The presence of additional walled towns and forts would need to be accounted for in the scenario. > In your campaing it was Thyatis that bailed the darokinians out after the > fall of Specularum (How on earth could the mounted Ylaruamians take > Specularum? A long siege again? Do you remember, were the Alfheimians tied > up elsewhere?). I'm thinking that Rockhome could be a good alternative. > But then again, the dwarves wouldn't propably wish to fight their > Ylaruamian friends. maybe they'd settle with cuttting their supply. Karameikos was apparently over-extended helping Darokin, and the Ylari were able to besiege Specularum and take it within a month. Maybe it wasn't very well defended, I don't recall, but it is kind of odd with mounted troops, I admit. It looks like there was quite abit of fighting between Karameikos and Ylaruam, though. Here is the rest of what I can piece together: Akesoli falls. The party gets Glantri as the 1st ally. They gain Alfheim as allies by defeating the dragon. Two PCs die, but are raised. Ylaruam joins the Nomad side. The party uses a wish (recovered from the dragon's hoard in Alfheim) to bring the Master to them so they can defeat him and end the war. The Master is immune to their attacks due to the Soul Gem and kicks the crap out of them (slaying 1 PC, capturing another - to be sacrificed later - and scattering the rest). Ethengar joins the Nomads. They travel to Rockhome and gain an alliance. By the fall, they are fighting in the Karameikos Civil War, and the Duke prevails. They aid the Shires, and then Laran informs them of the Master's agents and the Soul Gem of Light. "The party pursued and overtook the Agents in the Malpheggi Swamp. Their first raid failed, and Melzo was captured, to be used as bait in an ambush. In the attack, Acromus was killed by a poison dagger. Goldwin, his health rejuvenated by a magical gem found in the Shires, bravely rescued Melzo, as Gorgar, accompanied by Throm, killed the Agent's Commander. They took the Soul Gem of Light and assembled the Crystal Dagger of Cymorakk. Then, Acromus raised, they set out for Atruaghin." Atruaghin stayed neutral. The party split up after this, one group heading to Ierendi, the other to Minrothad. By this time (5 months) Darokin had fallen to the Nomads. Both island nations joined against the Nomads. One group then went to Thyatis, but they refused Thincol, and insulted him to boot; they barely escaped Thyatis. They regroup in Specularum and Laran dies before giving them the secret of the dagger. The AEF sets out from Karameikos. The Nomad armies begin a massive assault. Alfheim manages to stave off their attempted invasion (the elven bonus for woods and home turf was key here). Rockhome attacks Ethengar. The AEF rounds Lake Amsorak and confronts the Legion of Doom in the Sind desert: "Throm the Mighty, armed with the Crystal Dagger, confronted the Master. He stabbed him with it, wounding him badly, but was energy drained by the Master's shield. The Master then word of recalled back to Sayr Ulan...The party infiltrated the city and the Camp of the Master and confronted him to do battle. The Master captured the Crystal Dagger with an aerial servant and stunned Throm and Acromus with a holy word. He wounded Gorgar badly, causing him to flee. The party killed the aerial servant and regained the Crystal Dagger. Goldwin wounded the Master with it, but the wound healed. Throm recovered from being stunned, and Goldwin passed him the Dagger before the Master smote him down. Throm followed Goldwin's last words and stabbed the Soul Gem of Thanatos with the Crystal Dagger of Cymorakk, destroying both artifacts in a blinding light." They fled Sayr Ulan in the airboat. Ethengar drove back the dwarves, but Glantri then invaded. Ylaruam invaded the Grand Duchy. Minrothad and Ierendi launched an attack by sea. Specularum fell, and the Kar. armies were trying to retake it. Goldwin agreed to serve Thincol, who sent units to aid Karameikos. The Nomads make a final push to conquer the Five Shires, but are driven back. The Minrothad army was destroyed. Ethengar repelled Glantri, slaying a prince in the process. Thyatis liberates Specularum, and then along with Soderfjord, tries to conquer Ylaruam. The Nomads retreat into the Sind and Sayr Ulan falls. Thyatis and Ylari continue to skirmish in the desert, but no border changes occur. The war ends, about 1 year after it started. Whew! Sorry to be so long winded! Hope some of this stuff helps! > Hopefully we'll get to play a couple of times soon. When we finish the > first month I'll send War Updates to the list, with completet War Machine > logs. (By the way, the players didn't want to play the WM themselves, as > we can't get to play frequently enough. So I'll play out the war with > another friend. Shame, but roleplaying is more important.) Yes, I pretty much did the War Machine stuff with one player aside from the regular games. Otherwise it just took too long. Are you playing out the Battlesystem stuff? That I would not do w/o the full group, since there is alot of room for individual actions and heroic battles. Looking forward to seeing the updates. Good luck. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 9 Aug 2001 01:24:53 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Shawn J." Subject: Re: Quote from ... Hail the Heroes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/7/01 10:31:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time, dave@PALMCHIP.COM writes: > "Shawn J." wrote: > > Sorry Dave, but you are just slightly mistaken---"Hail the Heroes" > > refers to the "Dragonlords of Mystara" novel which seems to describe > > a setting in Glantri's distant past that is more akin to Krynn than > > Havard refers instead to the "The Tainted Sword" Trilogy, which > > features Johauna Menhir as the main character and Verdilith as > > the primary villain. > > Description of the village of Threshold; from The Dragon's Tomb, by Johauna > Menhir. This small volume, written by an adventurer, tells the tale of > a magical sword and an epic battle. While the information given > in this passage(ie Track #19) is not necessarily false, it is misleading, > for it depicts Threshold as a very small village, when it is really a > town with about 5000 residents. Since the date of the manuscript > is not given, it is difficult to tell whether the author was writing > entertaining fiction without a real basis in fact or if the adventure > simply took place before Threshold grew to its present size. Oops, sorry (again)---I guess that'll teach me to try to quote game material. I thought you were thinking of the book the PCs find at the end (the Dragonlords novel). Next time I point something out I'll add the caveat "I think" because I /really/ hate eating sneaker! :^D > So it is really up to you how the Tainted Sword trilogy fits into Mystara. > But for me, it will never be anything more than some bad fiction > written by a failed adventurer who then tried to make a living as > a hack writer before meeting a sad, ignoble end, kind of like > that halfling author in PWA 1011. > Ouch! Someone remind Joshuan to avoid traveling through your campaign or are you saying he already met an "ignoble end" when he tried to do so? :^) > Man, it's been 10 years and I still get mad when I think about that trilogy. > I need to relax. Yeah, it used to bother me too, but I finally just sort of accepted it as an "embellished" retelling of something that did occur in Penhaligon, but the details have been corrupted over time. I would bet that most fans of Mystara (you & I included) wish there had been some more masterful novels written for Mystara, especially some that took better advantage of the setting, and told Mystara-specific stories rather than what felt like more "vanilla-flavored" fantasy. > There are a few things that can be used though, I adopted the Order of the > Suns for my campaign, although the number of knights is small. > Having Argos follow Verdilith's schemes from the book is also > good campaign fodder. I did the same thing---threw out what I didn't like (Fain Flinn's name had to go---it hardly sounds Traladaran to me, course he could be half-Thyatian) and kept what I could for consistency. If players have read the novels and notice inconsistencies, they are explained away by the fact that the novel is quite likely a /heavily/ embellished version of the actual events. --- Shawn J. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 13:26:10 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: X4, X5 and X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Thanks a lot for your notes. I have been scouring the net for similar X10 war chronicles, but haven't found any. And to my knowledge there weren't any in the old RPG-zines either. Your notes will be a great help when we try to make the war as desperate, bloody and grim as possible. Your war took a whole year, you said. Do you remember, was winter a great factor? IMC I've tried to make the seasonal changes as coherent as possible, changing the local mini-climates like Glantri and Ylaruam. (In Glantri spring starts 3 months earlier/later than in Ethengar! Then again, this is likely to be an oversight.) As even Karameikos has a pretty cold winter, waging full-scale wars might be difficult, if not down right impossible in Darokin! Ethengarian troops might be an exception, possibly some others too. (Halfling Strikers, loose elven units, Reaches units...) Answer to your question: YES, we'll definitely include the Battlesystem sessions in the game. I've been tutoring some of the PCs by involving them in wars during a 2-year "solo period". We already had a battle of a full Thyatian legion vs. allied Hinterlanders. Both sides had over 2000 troops, so even the AEF vs. Legion of Doom battle won't be too much. By the way, did you use FEAR spell option in the final army battle? When Hosadus casts fear over every-friggin-one in the AEF? Of course the PCs still can save some troops by rallying them and casting remove fears on leaders, but it still seems a bit extreme (and I like it!). I had an idea for dramatising the spell: Hosdaus calls on his patron, Thanatos. Thanatos appears as a ghastly figure in the sky, towering over both armies. Then he makes a great sweep with his scythe over the AEF. That should make them soil their pants... Yours sincerely, Ville ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 10:31:54 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Geoff Gander Subject: Re: Adventurers' Guild of Selenica > >The Stalker's tongue whispered through the winds of storm: > >> You may wonder about the term 'proctor'. The adventure uses it >> throughout, and it indicates the person is an official for the Guild, >> though the context here would suggest it means the same as referee here [or >> DM perhaps :) ]. Someone with a better grasp of English than me could >> comment on that, though. A proctor (in the university sense) is someone who sits in on an examination and makes sure no one cheats, etc. They hold official positions within a limited capacity. In other words, think of them as referees. Giulio wrote: >"frisk contestants"? That's another way of saying "search them for anything illegal" - what the police do to you once they arrest you. 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, 9 Aug 2001 19:53:28 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: jason o'brien Subject: Re: Domains of Ostland - Sognesholm (long) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Another joy to read. Mortus. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 9 Aug 2001 19:59:01 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: jason o'brien Subject: Re: Domains of Ostland - Ostmanland (long) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Only three to go. woo hoo! Mortus. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 9 Aug 2001 12:48:34 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Quote from ... Hail the Heroes MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit "Shawn J." wrote: > I thought you were thinking of the book the PCs find at the end > (the Dragonlords novel). Most people remember that connection at the end of the module, the small quote in the middle is easy to miss. > > So it is really up to you how the Tainted Sword trilogy fits into Mystara. > > > But for me, it will never be anything more than some bad fiction > > written by a failed adventurer who then tried to make a living as > > a hack writer before meeting a sad, ignoble end, kind of like > > that halfling author in PWA 1011. > > > Ouch! Someone remind Joshuan to avoid traveling through your campaign or > are you saying he already met an "ignoble end" when he tried to do so? :^) No Joshuan is fine, I wish I could remember the other halfling's name. When Claransa the Seer released her account of the Hollow World in PWA1010, it upset a halfling in the Five Shires who had released his novel of what he found in the center of the earth, a race of superior halflings who kept other humans and demi- humans as pets. Maybe the whole thing occured in 1010 AC, does anyone remember this? Anyway, the fellow decided to take a journey to prove he was right and she was wrong. He left the coast in a rowboat and drowned. Dave ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 20:24:45 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: jason o'brien Subject: Re: Domains of Ostland - Sognesholm (long) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Well...I don't know why, but this character makes me think of the evil jarl > in "Erik the Viking", the film...was it John Cleese that starred that role? > Well, just rambling, anyway... > it was indeed! does anybody remember the name of the character? Mortus. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 9 Aug 2001 15:32:46 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Adventurers' Guild of Selenica On Wed, 8 Aug 2001 20:58:12 -0400, Dan Eustace wrote: >> Alphas' Memorized Spell Nullifier spell I wrote ages ago which wipes all >> memorized spells from memory. > >What level is this? >Any save allowed? > It's a 5th level wizard spell. Whether a save is allowed or not depends on how it's cast. The caster may cast for two rounds holding the victims head, allowing no save. Of course, that is only possible if the victim is willing or immobilized somehow (Hold Person, stunned, etc.). The caster may also cast the spell during combat, however, in which cast it has a casting time of 5 (2e rules). The caster must then touch the head of the victim as he finishes the spell (not easy for a wizard) and the victim gets a save vs. spell to avoid the effect. The spell is at Shawn's site: The spell came about because I considered it inevitable that the Alphatians or Glantrians, even Thyatian wizards for that matter, would have needed such a spell at some point and researched it, so it's fairly common in the more magic-heavy nations IMC (those would be Glantri and Alphatia primarily). The players haven't learned it yet (but then they haven't tried to learn it either) though they've been subjected to it a few times, which they hated absolutely! Ah, the glorious satisfaction you get from being a DM ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 19:38:51 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: X4, X5 and X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Your war took a whole year, you said. Do you remember, was winter a great > factor? Not really. I might have just used it for color and adventure detail, but I didn't factor it into the battles. > Answer to your question: YES, we'll definitely include the Battlesystem > sessions in the game. I've been tutoring some of the PCs by involving them > in wars during a 2-year "solo period". We already had a battle of a full > Thyatian legion vs. allied Hinterlanders. Both sides had over 2000 troops, > so even the AEF vs. Legion of Doom battle won't be too much. That's good. Without some practice at the B-system, it would be difficult for either side to get the most for their money. AEF vs. Legion was a good one, and I still try to work in a major BS war every few years. > By the way, did you use FEAR spell option in the final army battle? When > Hosadus casts fear over every-friggin-one in the AEF? Of course the PCs > still can save some troops by rallying them and casting remove fears on > leaders, but it still seems a bit extreme (and I like it!). I had an idea > for dramatising the spell: Hosdaus calls on his patron, Thanatos. Thanatos > appears as a ghastly figure in the sky, towering over both armies. Then he > makes a great sweep with his scythe over the AEF. Yes, I used the fear spell. A couple of units fled, along with some major NPCs and one PC. Your embelishment should work quite 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: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 15:50:24 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Quote from ... Hail the Heroes On Thu, 9 Aug 2001 12:48:34 -0700, Dave Keyser wrote: >"Shawn J." wrote: > (snip) > >No Joshuan is fine, I wish I could remember the other halfling's name. His name is Bollathar. >When >Claransa the Seer released her account of the Hollow World in PWA1010, it upset >a halfling in the Five Shires who had released his novel of what he found in the >center of the earth, a race of superior halflings who kept other humans and demi- >humans as pets. > Exactly. It all starts in AC 1010 (PWA1, p.174, "Bollathar's vs. Claransa's"). >Maybe the whole thing occured in 1010 AC, does anyone remember this? Yes, "Alphatians to the rescue!" (always wanted to say that!) :) >Anyway, >the fellow decided to take a journey to prove he was right and she was wrong. He >left the coast in a rowboat and drowned. > It is indeed in AC 1010 (PWA1, p.214, "Bollathar Dies"). Bollathar sets out in a lifeboat to go to the north pole and prove there is no large "Polar Opening". Never had a high opinion of halfling intelligence myself, but I never knew they were this crazy! ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 16:17:41 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Invasion of the Cliched On Wed, 8 Aug 2001 21:28:24 EDT, Shawn J. wrote: >Please forgive the fact that my response to the following post is /really/ >late. :^) > You are hereby forgiven :) >In a message dated 8/4/01 9:10:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > (snip) > >> just didn't care enough... And every single member of Thelvyn's initial >> party is from some royal or imperial family across the Known World or >> they're secretly some draconic creature, for crying out loud!!! :( > > I've seen stuff similar to that far too often in fantasy literature, so I >know exactly what you mean. > Only bad fantasy, I take it. >> > After all, would anyone want to see staid, old "Lord of the Rings" >> > when it premieres (the movies) if certain aspects of fantasy >> >had been done totally to death? Nah, we'd still /love/ the cliches >> >---it's just when they are treated in /cheesy/ ways that makes them >> >so hard to swallow. >> >> There is a difference though, because LOTR was the original (unless you >> count Beowulf and the norse mythology that inspired Tolkien), and nothing >> can take away from that! > > True, Tolkien's works /are/ more like an extension of European mythology >rather than modern literature aren't they? > Well, I wouldn't put it like that myself. To me the difference is that Tolkien is telling a story and describing characters. The whole point of writing is to further his plot and challenge his characters - the magic and the fantastic creatures are incidental and exist only to further the plot and develop the characters. In a lot of bad fantasy, including (sadly) the two Mystara trilogies, the characters seem incidental and secondary to the urge to tell some story about big dragons and powerful magic, so the magic and the dragons are the most important things while the characters and the plot are secondary. Good fantasy *is* written in modern literature! I fully recommend Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy if you don't know it. It's almost as good as Tolkien's LOTR, and, trust me, that's saying a lot coming from me! Be warned, though, because Williams' trilogy is *huge* - just the first novel, "The Dragonbone Chair" is more than 900 pages long! >> It's just that to me, you simply don't need dragons from other worlds to >> stage a great war or some such. Mystara usually makes enough trouble of its >> own. > > I'm behind you 100% on that one too. I think what it boils down to with >the "Mystaran" novels is that none of them had a distinct atmosphere that was >uniquely Mystaran nor storylines that could only be told in Mystara, as is >true of novels set in other D&D gameworlds. It is a real shame too, because >Mystara has so /much/ material that is worthy of being used in novels. > Agreed. New stories on Mystara do turn up on the net now and then (wrote some of them myself, actually), but because none of us are full-time authors, they are all destined to be short stories, since none of us have the time to do a real novel... A pity really, or I might even have taken a stab at it myself... >> > And I just _know_ the Stalker can't be against the mixing >> >of a few sci-fi concepts with fantasy >> >> But I am! I like both fantasy and sci-fi, but I hate when they are mixed - >> I hate it when I see space shuttles and land speeders in fantasy (like in >> the computer game Ultima I)! > > So that explains why the Alphatians didn't like the Glantri mages and >their anachronistic Radiance engine---they have a distinct distaste for >sci-fi/fantasy mixing! > :) Well, I don't... Doesn't mean it goes for all Alphatians. But just point my Meteor Swarms toward them and I'll let the traitors know what I think of mixing fantasy and sci-fi! ;) >> Though the Alphatians may have been "invaders" originally, they are >> scarcely invaders after 2000 years! And I don't see them as invaders, more >> as settlers myself. They came to one of the areas with less population than >> most, but granted, they did enslave those people that did live there. > > No, I'm sure you are correct---the Alphatians improved the horribly >squalid lives of those they (ahem) came to rule on Mystara and have been >nothing but a boon to the world, so much so that the Immortals themselves >acknowledged it by saving Alphatia from total destruction (transporting it to >the HW) at the hands of those scheming, war-mongering mages of Glantri! ;^> > Ah, finally somebody who gets it... ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:43:20 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: X4, X5 and X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ville V Lahde wrote: > 2) Problems with X10 > I ran through this once, so let me add my two cents. > > Have you ever wondered about the clear lack of playtesting with some of > these modules? X10 is one of the best modules I've ever seen, but it's > riddled with problems and obscurities. I simply can't understand this. If > used without any modifications, the module will fail miserably. > > a) If you use the army statistics and War Machine rules without any > modifications, it's virtually impossible for the Nomads to pose a serious > threat to Darokin. By serious I mean your regular > end-of-our-beautiful-meritocracy-as-we-know-it kind of thing. The nomads > can possibly get Akorros and besiege Corunglain and/or Darokin for a > while. But that's it. Of course Gazetteers change a lot of this, not to > mention WotI, but I just wonder how they meant the module to work in the > first place. > When I ran it, they got Akorros and were besieging Darokin. But once all the reinforcements arrived from other nations, the Nomads got completely wiped out. By the time the PCs were ready to fight the Legion of Doom, it was just about the only unit left on the board. Now that was with every nation on the map having joined the fight, most on the side of Darokin. Ylaruam and Ethengar took the Masters side. Ylaruam was able to besiege Selenica, and captured it briefly, but had to retreat when late coming nations entered into the fray. This was also before the Gazeteers, so I only used the battle map in X10, with the cities as the only hard points and targets. As for legions 1 and 2, one of the players placed the Darokin units on the board, and he didn't really know what they were capable of. So those elite legions basically got thrown into the meatgrinder of the early invasion. They each took out a division on their own, but eventually the losses piled up and they were broken. > > b) In the WM rules you have a stacking limit of two units/warring nation, > but a seemingly unlimited "combine units" option. Combining units totally > offsets the intention of the stacking rule. Well, anyway one has to > remove the stacking limit to allow Nomads to conquer ANY cities. (Also, > siege rules need adjustments.) Ignored stacking. > > > c) The module pack lacks many things that are mentioned elsewhere, like > Heldannan unit descriptions for Battlesystem, Unit type classifications of > War Machine (needed for modifier calculations), prerolled characters, > Akesoli chase flow chart (and the needed symbols in the charts anyway!) > etc. > The Heldanners didn't enter the fight, back then they were more Norse freemen. I don't remember having any problems with the flow chart. > > d) The central magical elements which determine the course of the > adventure are mentioned very briefly: The Crystal Dagger of Cymorrak, Soul > Gem of Light and Soul Gem of Thanatos. No background info is given, and > their role in the conflict remains a bit of a boring deus ex machina. > Also, the Soul Gem encounter is extremely weird. On page 24 the PC's are > given a chance to get their hands on that vital item, "the power source" > of the Crystal Dagger. It isn't easy, however, as the cleric holding the > item has a word of recall. So very likely the PC's are left with the blade > and the hilt of the dagger, both powerless. I think the PCs did an ambush with some high-powered fireballs and that cleric went down pretty fast. But I wasn't very good at playing NPC tactics well back then. The whole thing took about 4 months. One thing to consider, there is a brief mention in the Champions of Mystara box that the Master uses hordes of Sindhi troops, including elephants, in his first battles with Darokin. These are then withdrawn to deal with problems to the west. I would use those troops when the Master assaults the fortresses on either side of Lake Amsorak, otherwise, the war might never get anywhere into Darokin. Dave ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 20:55:14 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: M Novy Subject: 3e conversion of Flameflicker...if interested Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Flameflicker The Thief-King Original Design by Aaron Allston and Jeff Grubb Previous version appears in GAZ 1* and KOA boxset* Updated by Mike Novy for 3e usage 14th level human (traladaran) rogue STR 10 DEX 19 (+4) CON 12 (+1) INT 18 (+4) WIS 11 (+1) CHR 16 (+3) SAVES FORT +5 REF +13 WILL +5 Alignment CN Speed 30 Size M Initiative Bonus +8 AC 18 (w/leather armor +2) *HP 60 Melee Bonus +10/+5 Missle Bonus +14/+9 SPECIAL Rogue abilities of Evasion, Sneak Attack +7d6, Special Ability (Defensive Roll, Improved Evasion) , Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC, can�t be flanked, +2 against traps) FEATS Alertness, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Mobility, Exotic WP Longsword LANGUAGES Traladaran, Thyatian, Elven (Callarii Dialect), Minrothad, +2 of DM�s choice SKILLS (221 pts total) Appraise +10, Balance +9, Bluff +8, Climb +12, Decipher Script +10, Diplomacy +8, Disable Device +12, Disguise +14, Escape Artist +12, Forgery +7, Gather Info +10, Hide +14, Innuendo +10, Intimidate +6, Jump +10, Knowledge (Karameikos) +10, Listen +12, Move Silently +14, Open Lock +12, Perform (storytelling) +5, Profession (Fortune Teller) +8, Pick Pocket +11, Read Lips +11, Ride +8, Search +14, Sense Motive +9, Spot +12, Tumble +12, Use Magic Device +8 POSSESSIONS Longsword +1, leather armor +2, ring of invisibility, thieves tools, various other items *HP were re-rolled due to the fact that OD&D thieves only gained D4 hit dice and level conversion process. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 22:26:22 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Re: 3e conversion of Flameflicker...if interested In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Looks good, and it's always fun to see a conversion. Just a couple of notes... Even with the addition of a Ring of Invisibility and knocked down to 14th level, she is under-equipped. In 3e this translates to a character who is less powerful than her level would indicate. She should have another 20,000 gp worth of stuff. Maybe a +2 or +3 sword, some potions and scrolls, and maybe a misc item or two. I usually add +1 or +2 to each ability score, since 0e used 3d6 and 3e uses 4d6-drop-lowest. This would pop her Dex up to 21 or so, which seems much more appropriate for a famous uncatchable thief. Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Harvey gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 02:06:12 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Herve Musseau Subject: Re: Invasion of the Cliched MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Here's a nice plot for an "alien invasion" that I intended to use IMC but never did because my campaing ended before I reached it: It happens that the PCs open Gates to someplace for some reason or another (it can be intentionally, or accidentally; IMC a PC is a chronomancer so that would have been a Gate to another timeline, opened for a reason made necessary by a quest IMC). Meanwhile, in the RW, Americans dabble with devices of their own (time travel, warp-drives, stargates, you name it). It so happens that there is a connexion/interaction that is created between them, so that a permanent Gate is created between Mystara and the RW (IMC it would have been between a PC's dominion in NW--where he would have cast the spell--and somewhere in the USA). Most likely the PCs will want to go through the gate (IMC they wouldn't have, because the gate was meant to be an element of a greater spell for a quest). The Americans would, too. The American men would be sent through the gate, and find a rather backwards world, at a middle-age level. They would sneak around, in battle-dress, assault riffle in hand. They might try to talk with the locals, but they wouldn't understand each others. The locals would be suspicious of these strangers, and possibly try to arrest them or attack them, or warn their lord about their presence. If the locals do anything, the Americans will probably easily easily overcome them with their weapons, but word will get out that there is a group of foreign magic-users that are invading the local lord's dominion. The PCs would be called in to investigate the matter, and confront the trespassers. The PCs meet the GIs, and because they have spells, they can communicate with them. The PC with the tongue spell cast upon can read signs from their uniform: it is written, of course, US ARMY, which the spell translates in the PC's native tongue into "nous arm�e" (that's when it comes in handy to play in another language ;) which translates back in English to "we army". There are a lot of roleplaying opportunities here, and several different issues. It is also possible that the PCs will try to traverse the gate to Earth, too. This is especially likely if they went with the option of confronting the Americans, and won. Where they arrive will probably a very secure area, but one that wouldn't be ready to face simple cantrips like invisibility or knock spells, not to mention passwalls or teleports. If the PCs and the Americans do not get hostile, though, and decide to cooperate, they might discover that both their experiments intermixed and thus failed (and produced an alternative result instead). They might decide to cooperate on closing the gate, or not. BTW, there are some Mystaran novels that are better integrated to the setting. There is, notably, The Black Vessel, based in the SC setting. There is also the lesser known (because it wasn't released under the Mystara logo, but as a First Quest novel) Son of Dawn, that deals notably with SE in 1010. ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.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, 10 Aug 2001 12:52:54 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: X4, X5 and X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sorry if this mail is a bit long. But I think practical discussions about commercial modules can beneift all of us. Especially if x10 becomes a download option some day... On Thu, 9 Aug 2001, Dave Keyser wrote: > > When I ran it, they got Akorros and were besieging Darokin. But once all the > reinforcements arrived from other nations, the Nomads got completely wiped > out. By the time the PCs were ready to fight the Legion of Doom, it was just > about the only unit left on the board. That was my gut feeling too, when I was looking at the counters and the battle map. But then again, the allied nations propably should only send a few of their troops into the Darokin front. With the exceptions of Rockhome expeditionary force and the army of Thyatis, the rosters in X10 represent all of the armies of the countries. For example: If Glantri entered the war, and tried to help Darokin, it would leave at least one army in the northern passes near Norskigrad, one army in Glantri city, and one army in Skullhorn Pass. Then one army would have to stay in the broken lands to keep the supply lines open (NOTE: IMC Thar won't get involved in the war. He has some mystic info on the future civil war in Rockhome.) Thus the involvement of the Glantrians would be restricted to Corunglain area. Breaking the nomad siege or manning the city, so Darokinians coulg go elsewhere. Same thing with Alfheim, I think. They might try to take over Favaro, help Selenica against the Ylaruamians, and possibly take the responsibility of guarding the Selenica road against the Nomads. One or two clans might be persuaded to join the frontlines in west. But not the isolationist ones. And the leves would in any case leave enough troops to defend their border "cities" and most valuable good magic points. What about the Shires and the Karameikans? Karameikos is likely to help Selenica, and join the halflings in defending Athenos. But I find it unlikely that they'd go as far as Darokin city. (By the way, I think I'll have some of the Atruaghin tribes attack southern Darokin. The Master's agents have persuaded them to join the war, and have incited conflicts between the rest of the tribes.) > As for legions 1 and 2, > one of the players placed the Darokin units on the board, and he didn't > really know what they were capable of. So those elite legions basically > got thrown into the meatgrinder of the early invasion. I guess that is one more good reason not to involve the players in the War Machine battles. Also, having an outsider to help script the war will create a sense of the unpredictability and impersonality of war for the players. > > b) In the WM rules you have a stacking limit of two units/warring nation, > > but a seemingly unlimited "combine units" option. Combining units totally > > offsets the intention of the stacking rule. Well, anyway one has to > > remove the stacking limit to allow Nomads to conquer ANY cities. (Also, > > siege rules need adjustments.) > > Ignored stacking. Our solution this far has been to limit combining to two armies (and they have to be identical - otherwise BR would have to be calculated from the start because of the lack of identical training.). Thus with the stacking limit you can have four nomad divisions in the same hex. Also, the stacking rules don't affect the Nomad HQs. But we're still thinking about it. Possibly we'll have to widen the stacking limit still or ignore it altogehter like you did. Especially when it comes to besieging cities like Darokin city. One idea: We devised a special rule for Nomad HQs. They have stone juggernauts, which give special bonuses in WM siege battles. They are virtually indestructible by normal means, so they are ideal siege machines. Only units with a lot of magic-users (Glantri, Alfheim, Darokin L1&2) offset this advantage. > freemen. I don't remember having any problems with the flow chart. > it's just that there is a design flaw. The module includes the general flow chart and the Sayr Ulan flow chart. The idea was that the circles in the flow chart were supposed to have the letters and HAZARD!-signs printed in them, to designate the structure of the city. In the general flow chart these are left out, of course (as the Gm is supposed to design his own cities with the chart). But the Sayr Ulan chart was left blank, too! Also, the module mantions a ready-made Akesoli flow chart, but it isn't there. Now, this isn't a problem with me, as I don't intend to use the charts at all. But it shows a clear lack of proofreading. > One thing to consider, there is a brief mention in the Champions of Mystara > box that the Master uses hordes of Sindhi troops, including elephants, in his > first battles with Darokin. These are then withdrawn to deal with problems > to the west.> > I would use those troops when the Master assaults the fortresses on either > side of Lake Amsorak, otherwise, the war might never get anywhere into > Darokin. We decided to have one of the least powerful legions in Lakeside and Anselbury. Why the forts are so badly manned? The winter has just ended, and the spring reinforcements aren't there yet, as the troops are still engaged in spring work in the farms. (Even though Darokin has stepped on the path of industrial farming and private enterprise, there's still some need for seasonal labour in the countryside. At least "my" Darokin.) Also, we included a "Hosadus factor" in the early battles of the war. X10 mentions that the Nomad dividion that attacks Akesoli used crack troops from the Legion of doom - stone juggarnauts? Hosadus also has the use of the red sand storm. Thus, before Glantri enters the war, the Nomads have a special bonus for one battle each week. By our calculations this should allow the Nomads to conquer Akorros before Glantri enters the war. (I just have to make the Glantri adventure take just over a week.) After that the Glantrian mages are occupied with keeping the divine forces of hosadus in check. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 10 Aug 2001 08:35:28 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Mike Harvey Subject: Immortals: Good or Evil? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Hope this topic isn't too explosive... Most of immortals seem to have both virtues and vices. This is seen most clearly in WOTI. Rad is willing to sacrifice magic for knowledge (neither good nor bad), wants to avoid war (good), but is willing to go to war for the sake of knowledge (bad). Ixion wants to preserve magic and his power-base (selfishly neutral), is willing to go to war to achieve it (bad), feels justified (believes he is good?) -- yet is generally considered to be a benevolent immortal... most 3e writeups give him "good" and "healing" domains. The Fellowship of the Star wants to avoid war (good) but is willing to destroy magic and races that depend on it (evil). The Ring of Fire has selfish motives in preserving their power (sort of evil), altrustic motives in protecting magical races (good), and is willing to provoke a devastating war (maybe evil), and later regrets the whole thing (good). The Brotherhood of Shadow is just evil... or so they seem. Do the entropics really believe in balance? Alphaks just seems to want to destroy everything regardless of balance. It seems that the immortals ar either neutral or evil; where are the good immortals? BTW, non-entropic immortals often work together across spheres to achieve common goals. Are there any examples of entropic immortals who ever work with non-entropic immortals? Surely if balance is important, then Ixion and others must champion the entropic cause at times, even joining with them against non-entropics... I'd also like to discuss the nature of the Old Ones. In WOTI the Old One suggests that the immortals are in a position of responsibility; the being called Gareth echoes this notion. I like the notion that the Old Ones are the DM/Players/Writers, and their purpose for Mystara is just a game for their amusement. But even so, there should be some purpose beyond that (especially of the old ones are actual beings). What might be the purposes of the Old Ones? If the Immortals are caretakers, how SHOULD they behave, in contrast to how they have been behaving (petty and selfish)? This is particularly tricky with regard to entropy. Maybe the reason for balance between the spheres is that the Old Ones *expect* the immortals to be petty and selfish, so they achieve stability by pitting them against each other (democracy at its finest). By selecting immortals whose attitudes mirror their sphere, they act as the manifestation of that sphere; so their purpose is not to be wise managers and caretakers, but to be elemental forces in perpetual conflict. Maybe the comment about "you should take better care of [mortals]... then you'll know who we are" is a reference to the idea that immortals can never understand the Old One perspective until they transcend their squabbling and see the broader picture? Heck, maybe the Old Ones *are* active in Mystara (the DM comes to mind again) and the immortals cannot see them because they are too consumed with selfish interests and intrigues. An analogy just came to mind. An employee of a company works for that company's success, and even plots against rival companies. But employees don't really want to take over everything, since that would destroy the economy. So while they see the broader picture, their entire effort is focused in one direction. Since everyone's effort is focused differently, balance is achieved, although sometimes monopolies or downturns occur. Of course a key difference is that active role of government regulators who take corrective action. Also the economy is self balancing to a degree: oversupply tends to weaken suppliers. OTOH I don't see analogues for these regulators in Mystara, and "oversupply" only seems to make the patron immortals stronger. Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Harvey gm@dsl-only.net (formerly bing@iccom.com) http://members.dsl-only.net/~bing/ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 10:14:56 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: More timelines available Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable there is not much in the way after 1000AC is this the way it is supposed = to be? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 10 Aug 2001 15:37:21 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Shawn J." Subject: Re: Invasion of the Cliched MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/9/01 7:50:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > > True, Tolkien's works /are/ more like an extension of European > > mythology rather than modern literature aren't they? > > Well, I wouldn't put it like that myself. To me the difference is that > Tolkien is telling a story and describing characters. The whole point of > writing is to further his plot and challenge his characters - the magic and > the fantastic creatures are incidental and exist only to further the plot > and develop the characters. In a lot of bad fantasy, including (sadly) the > two Mystara trilogies, the characters seem incidental and secondary to the > urge to tell some story about big dragons and powerful magic, so the magic > and the dragons are the most important things while the characters and the > plot are secondary. "The Tainted Sword" series has somewhat earned the wrath of Mystaran fans everywhere for daring to "taint" the setting with less than the highest quality literature, but I have to break with the trend of slamming it and say that I like the first novel. Now, I wouldn't nominate it for a literary award, but it did have a real story in there. I agree that they threw in a bit too much "flash" (too much magic in the setting), but the story remains sound if one were to rip all the "flash" out. Also, the author is quite competent---in fact, my guess is, considering that the author's name was a pseudonym, that the author is a moderately successful novelist somewhere. The other novels are far more questionable, but can you really say you didn't like the characters: Flinn, Johaunna, Braddoc, Karleah, even Baildon the shopkeep? And, for me, Verdilith, though not the most sinister dragon ever, was loathsome enough for me to cheer the heroes on and his machinations were appropriately devious and ruthless for an evil wyrm. I also thought the detail added to Penhaligon was superb and the plotline twisted enough to be fun, even if not really surprising. > Good fantasy *is* written in modern literature! I fully > recommend Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy if you don't > know it. It's almost as good as Tolkien's LOTR, and, trust me, that's > saying a lot coming from me! Be warned, though, because Williams' trilogy > is *huge* - just the first novel, "The Dragonbone Chair" is more than 900 > pages long! That's it---that is the last recommendation to read Tad Williams that I can take, now you've gone and made me /have/ to go and read his novels! I will be taking a short 6 month hiatus from the list to complete the series. See you in 6 months. ;^) But really though, /everyone/ has recommended him and I keep meaning to check out his work. I guess I should just buy the first novel and wait until I get a free moment. My guess is that he's good enough that the story will draw me in. Then I /will/ have go on hiatus from the list. Does anyone else like David Gemmell (esp. "Legend")? He manages to capture the feel of a setting extremely well (although he uses low-magic settings), and uses dialogue to make each character's "voice" unique. His style really breathes life into his characters in a way that leaves me feeling more like I was actually /with/ the characters rather than reading a narrative about what occurred to them. I've been pretty lucky that most fantasy lit. I've read has been pretty good (of course, I never even finish the bad novels :^> ). My favorite fantasy authors are [after Tolkien] David Gemmell (Legend), Melanie Rawn (Dragon Prince series), Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis (anything), Glenn Cook (The Black Company series), and Robert E. Howard (Conan series). I recommend all of them, in that order. Recently, I read "The Soprano Sorceress" by L.E. Modesitt which is set in a world where music creates magic and the more talented the singer, the more powerful of a sorceror they are. I would recommend it as inspiration to anyone who uses bards (or song magic of some kind) a great deal. Now that I've gone completely off-topic, I'll have to correct it with something Mystara-related. ;^) > >Mystara has so /much/ material that is worthy of being used in novels. > > Agreed. New stories on Mystara do turn up on the net now and then (wrote > some of them myself, actually), but because none of us are full-time > authors, they are all destined to be short stories, since none of us have > the time to do a real novel... A pity really, or I might even have taken a > stab at it myself... Are there any Mystaran stories out there that you would recommend? You know... I've never looked, but does Shawn's site have short stories? [If so, I'll have to take a look at some.] > > So that explains why the Alphatians didn't like the Glantri mages and > >their anachronistic Radiance engine---they have a distinct distaste for > >sci-fi/fantasy mixing! > > Well, I don't... Doesn't mean it goes for all Alphatians. But just point my > Meteor Swarms toward them and I'll let the traitors know what I think of > mixing fantasy and sci-fi! ;) Oh, crap---I hope I make my save! :^D > > No, I'm sure you are correct---the Alphatians improved the horribly > >squalid lives of those they (ahem) came to rule on Mystara and have been > >nothing but a boon to the world, so much so that the Immortals themselves > >acknowledged it by saving Alphatia from total destruction (transporting it > >to the HW) at the hands of those scheming, war-mongering mages of > >Glantri! ;^> > > Ah, finally somebody who gets it... ;) > "But Captain Grakkus, I was only being sacastic, I wasn't sympathizing with the enemy! Is the punishment for that still [Gulp!] crucifixion? But I was just kiddingggg......" (fades into distance as he's dragged off) [I know I'm going to stir up a Thyatian response, just /know/ that I hold no "sympathy" for either empire. Long live Nithia though (at least in the HW)! ] :^D --- Shawn J. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 15:37:36 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Shawn J." Subject: Mystaran Novels (was Re: Invasion of the Cliched) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/10/01 5:53:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time, hmusseau@YAHOO.COM writes: > BTW, there are some Mystaran novels that are better integrated to the setting. > > There is, notably, The Black Vessel, based in the SC setting. There is also > the > lesser known (because it wasn't released under the Mystara logo, but as a > First > Quest novel) Son of Dawn, that deals notably with SE in 1010. > How are these other Mystaran novels? There are a few more too aren't there? Anyone read those---what did you think of them? BTW Herve, TSR thought your idea about a RW/Mystara crossover was good enough for a module---one of the Immortal series required the PCs to journey to Earth (to Manhattan, I think)! But your idea of having the PCs track down and communicate with the "aliens" sounds like it's sure to be entertaining as the PCs figure out who the NPCs really are. Here's an spin-off idea that I will have to try sometime IMC---the gate begins ripping the fabric of "space-time-dimensions" apart and the only way to stop it is to shut down the devices in both worlds that are causing the effect. Both devices are heavily guarded and the RW NPCs will need the PCs' help to get past the security/defenses (so the two groups are mixed together and then split into two teams). As the effect becomes more pronounced, magic begins to fail in Mystara, while in the RW, fantastic occurrences increase. --- Shawn J. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 23:03:41 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Invasion of the Cliched MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > [I know I'm going to stir up a Thyatian response, just /know/ that I hold no > "sympathy" for either empire. Long live Nithia though (at least in the HW)! > ] :^D Hey, what do you think! We like this sort of jokes. [smiles] [turns to a centurion] Ok, let's crucifice him. 8-) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:43:11 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Invasion of the Cliched On Fri, 10 Aug 2001 15:37:21 EDT, Shawn J. wrote: >In a message dated 8/9/01 7:50:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM writes: > (snip) > > "The Tainted Sword" series has somewhat earned the wrath of Mystaran fans >everywhere for daring to "taint" the setting with less than the highest >quality literature, but I have to break with the trend of slamming it and say >that I like the first novel. Now, I wouldn't nominate it for a literary >award, but it did have a real story in there. I agree that they threw in a >bit too much "flash" (too much magic in the setting), but the story remains >sound if one were to rip all the "flash" out. > Yes, I kind of liked the first Penhaligon novel too. It wasn't great or anything, but for whatever reason (might have been the fact that it was Mystara) I was fairly hooked until it was over. Still, that just meant it was that much more of a pain going through the two next novels :( > Also, the author is quite competent---in fact, my guess is, considering >that the author's name was a pseudonym, that the author is a moderately >successful novelist somewhere. The other novels are far more questionable, >but can you really say you didn't like the characters: Flinn, Johaunna, >Braddoc, Karleah, even Baildon the shopkeep? My personal favorite was definitely Flinn. There is no way you can beat the image of the "fallen hero"! Johauna was okay, though she was a little too squeamish and impressionable to me (I remember thinking "Oh, let her die and be done with it" when she was attacked by the Abelaat). Braddoc was done right, though - he was exactly the way a dwarf should be: Gruff but jovial... and 1000% loyal to his friends! Karleah was okay, but as the story went on she was just too strained - far too much time was spent making her mysterious and wise, and this become too much with time and so hurt the character's credibility, especially when it became obvious she didn't have or at least didn't use any of the powers a wizardess of her presumed standing would. It was fun hearing about her in the beginning, but once they reached her house it seemed obvious to me that she couldn't, or at least shouldn't, have an abode protected the way it was in the book. I might be taking this too seriously, but it does say D&D on the front cover, and I *hate* it when adventures/novels allow stuff for NPCs/characters that PCs would never be allowed to get away with in the game... In the subsequent books, Karleah became even worse as she hardly ever used magic but just hung back spouting "mysterious" and "wise" riddles now and then, much like that annoying ranger in the D&D movie who does nothing but say "we were not meant to enter" every now and then... In Karleah's case this became worse when she, as the only one in the group with the ability to see through what would happen in Armstead, failed completely to do so! She was promptly killed after that (a fitting end for her mistake? You tell me...), but the consequence was that she ended up just "tagging along" with the group without doing much or being important until she was killed off... Not good story-telling if you ask me. > And, for me, Verdilith, though >not the most sinister dragon ever, was loathsome enough for me to cheer the >heroes on and his machinations were appropriately devious and ruthless for an >evil wyrm. Yes, I liked Verdilith too. I guess it was because he was not the typical brutish evil dragon who just flies over the castle and uses his breath weapon. No, Verdilith was *far* more insidious, which was a welcome change from the usual carnage. > I also thought the detail added to Penhaligon was superb and the >plotline twisted enough to be fun, even if not really surprising. > Yes, the background provided for Penhaligon is among the most useful stuff. I actually considered setting up the Knightly Order and Arteris' Castle of the Three Suns IMC (that's one reason why I asked about Lyle Graybow), but I've forgotten all those details now, and I simply cannot bring myself to read the novels again to find those. If anyone has set up those things for their campaigns I would like them to share them, though. >> Good fantasy *is* written in modern literature! I fully >> recommend Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy if you don't >> know it. It's almost as good as Tolkien's LOTR, and, trust me, that's >> saying a lot coming from me! Be warned, though, because Williams' trilogy >> is *huge* - just the first novel, "The Dragonbone Chair" is more than 900 >> pages long! > > That's it---that is the last recommendation to read Tad Williams that I >can take, now you've gone and made me /have/ to go and read his novels! I >will be taking a short 6 month hiatus from the list to complete the series. >See you in 6 months. ;^) > So, you're saying my Suggestion spell worked? ;) Mind you, the first three hundred pages should be compared to the first hundred of LOTR in that nothing much happens there except setting up the background of the protagonist, which can seem a little boring. After that there is a *huge* story waiting, though! There is little magic, actually, but the effect is that once magic is used it's scary and powerful. The second book is called "The Stone of Farewell" while the third book is called "Green Angel Tower". The last book is so long (1500+ pages) that the paperback edition was cut into two (the first subtitled "Siege" and the second "Storm"). Happy reading! > But really though, /everyone/ has recommended him and I keep meaning to >check out his work. I guess I should just buy the first novel and wait until >I get a free moment. My guess is that he's good enough that the story will >draw me in. Then I /will/ have go on hiatus from the list. > > Does anyone else like David Gemmell (esp. "Legend")? I read a novel called "Knights of Dark Renown" which I think might have been by Gemmell (a friend from UK borrowed it to me once). I rather liked it, though I'm not sure it was by Gemmell. > He manages to >capture the feel of a setting extremely well (although he uses low-magic >settings), and uses dialogue to make each character's "voice" unique. His >style really breathes life into his characters in a way that leaves me >feeling more like I was actually /with/ the characters rather than reading a >narrative about what occurred to them. > > I've been pretty lucky that most fantasy lit. I've read has been pretty >good (of course, I never even finish the bad novels :^> ). My favorite >fantasy authors are [after Tolkien] David Gemmell (Legend), Melanie Rawn >(Dragon Prince series), Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis (anything), Haven't read anything by Rawn, but I must admit not being too impressed with Hickman and Weis' stories. I suppose the problem was that a friend of mine told the Dragonlance Chronicles were as good as LOTR, so I began reading with great expectations and was rather disappointed. I was hooked enough to read the Dragonlance Legends too, though, which I actually liked more, perhaps because I'm just more interested in wizards, and Raistlin is a pretty interesting one... > Glenn Cook >(The Black Company series), and Robert E. Howard (Conan series). I >recommend all of them, in that order. > Don't know Glenn Cook and I must admit that I only know Robert E. Howard's Conan stories from movies and comic book adaptations (the adaptations by Thomas and Buscema were good, though!), but for some reason I never got around to reading Howard's novels about Conan. > Recently, I read "The Soprano Sorceress" by L.E. Modesitt which is set in >a world where music creates magic and the more talented the singer, the more >powerful of a sorceror they are. I would recommend it as inspiration to >anyone who uses bards (or song magic of some kind) a great deal. > I haven't read much fantasy lately. Most of it has been Star Trek novels (which are not terribly well written, I think). Still, I've finally caved in and begun reading some Harry Potter stories. And I must admit that I can see the attraction. Those aren't bad stories, really. > Now that I've gone completely off-topic, I'll have to correct it with >something Mystara-related. ;^) > >> >Mystara has so /much/ material that is worthy of being used in novels. >> >> Agreed. New stories on Mystara do turn up on the net now and then (wrote >> some of them myself, actually), but because none of us are full-time >> authors, they are all destined to be short stories, since none of us have >> the time to do a real novel... A pity really, or I might even have taken a >> stab at it myself... > > Are there any Mystaran stories out there that you would recommend? You >know... I've never looked, but does Shawn's site have short stories? [If so, >I'll have to take a look at some.] > Shawn's site certainly does have some stories! Simply go there and choose the "Stories" link (). Pretty simple, eh? :) I think there is also some fiction in the Tome of Mystara (). My apologies, but I haven't read any of those :( As for published Mystara fiction, there isn't much to choose from. Apart from the two trilogies (Penhaligon and Dragonlord) there are a few novels. Son of Dawn was already mentioned, and I believe Rogues to Riches is also Mystara-relevant (I haven't read those, and they don't carry the Mystara or D&D logo, although they are clearly Mystara novels, IIRC). Then there is the Black Vessel for the Savage Coast region and Dark Knight of Karameikos. Haven't read those either. >> > So that explains why the Alphatians didn't like the Glantri mages and >> >their anachronistic Radiance engine---they have a distinct distaste for >> >sci-fi/fantasy mixing! >> >> Well, I don't... Doesn't mean it goes for all Alphatians. But just point my >> Meteor Swarms toward them and I'll let the traitors know what I think of >> mixing fantasy and sci-fi! ;) > > Oh, crap---I hope I make my save! :^D > Won't save you! Not from *my* meteor swarms, anyway! However, I was referring to treacherous "fellow" Alphatians, so don't worry, because I wouldn't waste the spell on you - I have an image as an arrogant Alphatian archmage to maintain, after all! ;) (snip rest) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:47:27 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: The usual banter returns (was: Invasion of the Cliched) On Fri, 10 Aug 2001 23:03:41 +0200, Giulio N. Caroletti wrote: >> [I know I'm going to stir up a Thyatian response, just /know/ that I hold no >> "sympathy" for either empire. Long live Nithia though (at least in the HW)! >> ] :^D > >Hey, what do you think! We like this sort of jokes. [smiles] >[turns to a centurion] Ok, let's crucifice him. >8-) > Ah, Thyatians. So simple. SO predictable. Like I said, no need to waste my Meteor Swarm - just a few simple spells and some well chosen comments is enough get the good captain into, well, action... ;) Keep up the good work, my good Captain Scaevola :) - The Stalker, certainly not an arrogant Alphatian wizard - honestly! ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 11 Aug 2001 02:22:27 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: Mystaran Novels (was Re: Invasion of the Cliched) In-Reply-To: <6f.194639a1.28a59200@cs.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- "Shawn J." wrote: > How are these other Mystaran novels? There are > a few more too aren't > there? Anyone read those---what did you think of > them? _The Black Vessel_ is quite good. Nothing truly unique, but it has a good story and it doesn't conflict with any of the official material which isnt the case for most Mystara novels. _Black Knight of Karameikos_ starts out as a really good book, but I really hated the ending because it tries to tie in Mystara with what used to be the official AD&D Cosmology. And its doing that in a way I really didnt care much for. The comment "Mystara, is that that hollow one?" really ruined it for me. I wont get into more detail as to spoil it for you. I havent read _Son of Dawn_ yet, even though its in my bookshelf. From what I've been told though, its very much written with young readers in mind... The Penhaligon Trilogy (D&D-trilogy) and the Dragonlord Trilogy have been commented on already. I liked the Dragonlord Trilogy better, because at least the author here seems to know a bit about Mystara, while the writers of the Penhaligon Trilogy (with the exception of the first book) show a complete disregard for the setting. I think we should use these books for what they are worth though. Any interesting characters or other cool ideas could be ripped from the book. I would like to see character descriptions with stats and all of the characters from the books, so if anyone has the time and energy, I think that would be a cool project. Havard ______________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Organiser sammenkomsten p� http://no.invites.yahoo.com ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 21:35:02 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: David Knott Subject: Re: 3e conversion of Flameflicker...if interested MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Mike Harvey" > > I usually add +1 or +2 to each ability score, since 0e used 3d6 and > 3e uses 4d6-drop-lowest. This would pop her Dex up to 21 or so, which > seems much more appropriate for a famous uncatchable thief. My preferred approach would be to assume that the stats listed in your 0e source are the stats as originally rolled -- then you determine how that character took the ability score improvements granted every fourth level. For an uncatchable thief, you need to decide why she is uncatchable -- is she too agile (thus Dex is boosted) or too smart (thus Int is boosted)? One thing to keep in mind would be the character concept as you work through the conversion. Which stat would you improve to get closer to the concept? In the case of a spellcaster, the answer is easy -- you usually need to pump points into the ability score associated with spellcasting. For a fighter type, you may want to consider pumping up the ability scores required to qualify for certain feats. Dodge requires Dex 13+, Expertise requires Int 13+, and Power Attack requires Str 13+. Each of these feats has other feats dependent on it. For fighters, you would want to consider improving ability scores that are close to but not quite there for feats that match the character concept. Finally, skills become very important for rogues. As you allocate their skill points, you are likely to run into one of two situations: 1) You just don't have enough skill points to allocate: In that case you want to boost Int. 2) No matter how many skill points you have, you just can't get the skill bonuses high enough: In that case you want to boost Dex or whatever other ability score is needed for the skills that you just can't get high enough bonuses for. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 10 Aug 2001 21:48:18 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: David Knott Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Mike Harvey" > Hope this topic isn't too explosive... > > Most of immortals seem to have both virtues and vices. I quite agree -- and it is one of the things that I most like about the setting. > The Brotherhood of Shadow is just evil... or so > they seem. Do the entropics really believe in balance? Alphaks just > seems to want to destroy everything regardless of balance. No, the Entropics are definitely evil and destructive, despite the necessity of their role in the cosmos. As I see it, we have one "evil" sphere that has power equal to any two of the other spheres -- and four "non-evil" spheres whose total power would overwhelm Entropy 2:1 were it not for the fact that each sphere is about half "good" (thereby balancing Entropy) and half "neutral" (dedicated to opposing the other non-Entropic spheres and thus canceling one another out). > It seems that the immortals ar either neutral or evil; where are the > good immortals? Benekander is certainly good, as may be a few others who managed to avoid being caught up in the WotI factions. > BTW, non-entropic immortals often work together across spheres to > achieve common goals. Are there any examples of entropic immortals > who ever work with non-entropic immortals? Surely if balance is > important, then Ixion and others must champion the entropic cause at > times, even joining with them against non-entropics... The punishment of Nithia must have involved the cooperation of a Hierarch of the Sphere of Entropy. At this point I am not sure who that Immortal might have been or why he/she agreed to support the punishment of that culture for embracing Entropy. > I'd also like to discuss the nature of the Old Ones. In WOTI the Old > One suggests that the immortals are in a position of responsibility; > the being called Gareth echoes this notion. I like the notion that > the Old Ones are the DM/Players/Writers, and their purpose for > Mystara is just a game for their amusement. But even so, there should > be some purpose beyond that (especially of the old ones are actual > beings). What might be the purposes of the Old Ones? If the Immortals > are caretakers, how SHOULD they behave, in contrast to how they have > been behaving (petty and selfish)? This is particularly tricky with > regard to entropy. Maybe the reason for balance between the spheres > is that the Old Ones *expect* the immortals to be petty and selfish, > so they achieve stability by pitting them against each other > (democracy at its finest). By selecting immortals whose attitudes > mirror their sphere, they act as the manifestation of that sphere; > so their purpose is not to be wise managers and caretakers, but to be > elemental forces in perpetual conflict. Maybe the comment about > "you should take better care of [mortals]... then you'll know who we > are" is a reference to the idea that immortals can never understand > the Old One perspective until they transcend their squabbling and > see the broader picture? Heck, maybe the Old Ones *are* active in > Mystara (the DM comes to mind again) and the immortals cannot see > them because they are too consumed with selfish interests and > intrigues. As best I can figure, the Old Ones expected a certain level of tension and conflict to exist among the Immortals of the five spheres, but the events of WotI for some reason provoked them to rething the status quo and intervene. In particular, they saw some sort of moral danger to Rad/Etienne that could only be answered by giving him a "time out". I definitely think this area needs further investigation -- but I am definitely unsure of the extent to which the Old Ones are sure of what they were doing at the end of WotI and afterwards. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 10 Aug 2001 21:50:29 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: David Knott Subject: Re: Mystaran Novels (was Re: Invasion of the Cliched) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Shawn J." > > How are these other Mystaran novels? There are a few more too aren't > there? Anyone read those---what did you think of them? I would definitely concur with Herve's assessment of "The Black Vessel" and "Son of Dawn" -- both of these novels provide nifty background material for their settings without introducing any new headaches. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 11 Aug 2001 03:47:45 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Most of immortals seem to have both virtues and vices. This is seen > most clearly in WOTI. Rad is willing to sacrifice magic for knowledge > (neither good nor bad), wants to avoid war (good), but is willing to > go to war for the sake of knowledge (bad). Ixion wants to preserve > magic and his power-base (selfishly neutral), is willing to go to > war to achieve it (bad), feels justified (believes he is good?) -- > yet is generally considered to be a benevolent immortal... most 3e > writeups give him "good" and "healing" domains. The whole idea of "good" and "bad" is a personal one though. I think the immortals were designed after polytheistic religions like the Greeks' where gods showed human emotions and desires. This means don't take a "good" god to mean "the god of good" (get it?). In other words, just like characters can stray a certain distance from their alignment... so can gods. But, still the who knows what "good" and "bad" means. It may be adjusted for your world, and therefore the actions/desires of the gods adjusted. For example, it's often thought of in gaming groups that killing evil creatures is "good." But I could easily see where some might call it "evil" to kill at all (without cause; maybe to some there is NO just cause for killing). ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 11 Aug 2001 14:26:32 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: The usual banter returns [IC] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Stalker proclaimed vainly: > Ah, Thyatians. So simple. SO predictable. Like I said, no need to waste my > Meteor Swarm - just a few simple spells and some well chosen comments is > enough get the good captain into, well, action... ;) > > Keep up the good work, my good Captain Scaevola :) > > - The Stalker, certainly not an arrogant Alphatian wizard - honestly! Alphatians. They are unable to perform certain actions, and when others do it, they pretend they "forced" them with their spells. Go on playing with your flying continents in the zoo, and let US do the real work in the real world. 8-) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 09:30:24 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit That's a good analogy. The D&D Immortals are very like the Greek gods in that they exhibit very human emotions and desires. This stands to reason since they are in fact humans with neat powers. We'll have to bring Saint Augustine into this one. He could kick all their tails... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Angelo Bertolli" To: Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2001 5:47 AM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Immortals: Good or Evil? > > Most of immortals seem to have both virtues and vices. This is seen > > most clearly in WOTI. Rad is willing to sacrifice magic for knowledge > > (neither good nor bad), wants to avoid war (good), but is willing to > > go to war for the sake of knowledge (bad). Ixion wants to preserve > > magic and his power-base (selfishly neutral), is willing to go to > > war to achieve it (bad), feels justified (believes he is good?) -- > > yet is generally considered to be a benevolent immortal... most 3e > > writeups give him "good" and "healing" domains. > > The whole idea of "good" and "bad" is a personal one though. I think the > immortals were designed after polytheistic religions like the Greeks' where > gods showed human emotions and desires. This means don't take a "good" god > to mean "the god of good" (get it?). In other words, just like characters > can stray a certain distance from their alignment... so can gods. But, > still the who knows what "good" and "bad" means. It may be adjusted for > your world, and therefore the actions/desires of the gods adjusted. For > example, it's often thought of in gaming groups that killing evil creatures > is "good." But I could easily see where some might call it "evil" to kill > at all (without cause; maybe to some there is NO just cause for killing). > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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, 11 Aug 2001 09:08:51 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: M Novy Subject: Re: 3e conversion of Flameflicker...if interested Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed This is just whats in the books.....the DM can add anything they want. Also this character was 14th level in second edition. I realize that she was 18th level in OD&D, but 2nd and 3rd only go to 20th level. Thanks though.....you can check out my page at www.homestead.karameikos.com >From: Mike Harvey >Looks good, and it's always fun to see a conversion. >Just a couple of notes... > >Even with the addition of a Ring of Invisibility and knocked down to >14th level, she is under-equipped. In 3e this translates to a >character who is less powerful than her level would indicate. She >should have another 20,000 gp worth of stuff. Maybe a +2 or +3 >sword, some potions and scrolls, and maybe a misc item or two. I also added 3 pts to the scores because of level advancement in 3e rules. >I usually add +1 or +2 to each ability score, since 0e used 3d6 and >3e uses 4d6-drop-lowest. This would pop her Dex up to 21 or so, which >seems much more appropriate for a famous uncatchable thief. > >Mike _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 09:13:34 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: M Novy Subject: Re: 3e conversion of Flameflicker...if interested Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I actually raised her str stat once because it was a 9 which incurs a penalty. Then i raised her dex once and her wis once. >From: David Knott >My preferred approach would be to assume that the stats listed in >your 0e source are the stats as originally rolled -- then you determine >how that character took the ability score improvements granted >every fourth level. For an uncatchable thief, you need to decide >why she is uncatchable -- is she too agile (thus Dex is boosted) or >too smart (thus Int is boosted)? One thing to keep in mind would >be the character concept as you work through the conversion. >Which stat would you improve to get closer to the concept? > >In the case of a spellcaster, the answer is easy -- you usually need >to pump points into the ability score associated with spellcasting. > >For a fighter type, you may want to consider pumping up the ability >scores required to qualify for certain feats. Dodge requires Dex 13+, >Expertise requires Int 13+, and Power Attack requires Str 13+. Each >of these feats has other feats dependent on it. For fighters, you would >want to consider improving ability scores that are close to but not quite >there for feats that match the character concept. > >Finally, skills become very important for rogues. As you allocate their >skill points, you are likely to run into one of two situations: > >1) You just don't have enough skill points to allocate: In that case >you want to boost Int. > >2) No matter how many skill points you have, you just can't get the >skill bonuses high enough: In that case you want to boost Dex or >whatever other ability score is needed for the skills that you just >can't get high enough bonuses for. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 09:14:41 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: M Novy Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed What is the Brotherhood of the Shadow? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 09:22:17 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: M Novy Subject: Hello all......Adv Idea.... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed This is a good idea for higher level PC's. It is also a way I though about getting the PC's away from the WotI when it occurs. IMC it is around AC1006. The Pc's find a portal to another world (or perhaps a different plane). They discover that one of the races of man from mystara has basically rebuilt a civilization here and have decided not to return to Mystara....or they could even be building up resources to return to Mystara and conquer as much as they can. This could even lead to possible explainations of why the other planets in Mystaraspace are primarily dominated by a certain race (culture) of man. Whic in turn could lead to some good stuff. For instance the Pc's wind up going to the planet inhabited by the Nithians and they have to over come the odds and stop the Nithians from invading Mystara.....some stuff like that. And whatever may occur.....the inhabitants of Mystara never even have to know about this or even the portal........ I actually wanted to run the advs in WotI but the webpage I was going to buy it from doesnt have it anymore.... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 19:41:05 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Brotherhood of the Shadow (was: Immortals good or evil) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit M Novy wrote: > What is the Brotherhood of the Shadow? > An association made during the WotI War between Atzanteotl, Hel and Alphaks to bring more confusion on the Known World without the two involved parts noticing. 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, 11 Aug 2001 11:10:13 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Kar Ess Subject: Savage Coast MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Can someone either help me out, or tell me where to find: The fixes for the Savage Coast files I downloaded from Wizards. They're full of special characters that simply don't translate, and I don't know what they're supposed to be, so I can search and replace them. Thanks Karess __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.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, 11 Aug 2001 15:11:44 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: The usual banter returns [IC] On Sat, 11 Aug 2001 14:26:32 +0200, Giulio N. Caroletti wrote: >The Stalker proclaimed vainly: > >> Ah, Thyatians. So simple. SO predictable. Like I said, no need to waste my >> Meteor Swarm - just a few simple spells and some well chosen comments is >> enough get the good captain into, well, action... ;) >> >> Keep up the good work, my good Captain Scaevola :) >> >> - The Stalker, certainly not an arrogant Alphatian wizard - honestly! > >Alphatians. They are unable to perform certain actions, and when others do it, > >they pretend they "forced" them with their spells. >Go on playing with your flying continents in the zoo, and let US do the real >work >in the real world. >8-) > True. Why would we bother when it's so easy fooling you people into doing it for us? The only difference between Alphatian commoners and Thyatians is that the Alphatians know they serve us! ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 15:39:32 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? On Sat, 11 Aug 2001 03:47:45 -0600, Angelo Bertolli wrote: >> Most of immortals seem to have both virtues and vices. This is seen >> most clearly in WOTI. Rad is willing to sacrifice magic for knowledge >> (neither good nor bad), wants to avoid war (good), but is willing to >> go to war for the sake of knowledge (bad). Ixion wants to preserve >> magic and his power-base (selfishly neutral), is willing to go to >> war to achieve it (bad), feels justified (believes he is good?) -- >> yet is generally considered to be a benevolent immortal... most 3e >> writeups give him "good" and "healing" domains. > >The whole idea of "good" and "bad" is a personal one though. I think the >immortals were designed after polytheistic religions like the Greeks' where >gods showed human emotions and desires. This means don't take a "good" god >to mean "the god of good" (get it?). In other words, just like characters >can stray a certain distance from their alignment... so can gods. Precisely! I agree fully with this. The Immortals would be boring if they were always only good or evil. The fact that WOTI comes about from a conflict between the "good" Immortals is one of the things I like in that adventure/campaign. And note that the Entropic Immortals had nothing to do with the beginning of the war - they just played along and caused as much trouble as they could once it all started. That made it much more interesting and, incidentally, "Mystaran" than, say, the Avatar crisis in Forgotten Realms, which was brought about because the evil gods stole some crummy old Tablets... Btw, if anyone thinks there are no "good" Immortals on Mystara as opposed to other D&D worlds such as the Forgotten Realms, I'd like direct those people's attention to the stories in the Forgotten Realms comic book taking place during the Avatar crisis. Before anyone dismiss those stories, note that they were written by Jeff Grubb! In the story that coincided with the Avatar crisis, the elven god Labelas Enoreth is naturally cast down on the mortal realm along with all the other gods, but he takes over the body of the elven prist Vartan with his consent. Vartan is one of the "heroes" in the group of adventurers the comic is about. Now note what Labelas Enoreth proceeds to do while controlling Vartan's body - he does all sorts of nasty and arrogant things, almost killing the paladin Priam Agrivar and certainly leaves him to die when Agrivar is in trouble. Certainly looks like an evil god, doesn't he? Yet IIRC he is supposed to be Chaotic Good. Vartan even asks him at one point (suppressed as he is within his own body) if all gods are as evil as Labelas Enoreth, and the god merely answers, "No, I'm one of the good ones!" So if anyone thinks WOTI reveals the Immortals as not being good, please note that this is far from the case just on Mystara! And yes, I do consider the events of WOTI to be "special circumstances" as the Avatar crisis was in FR, since the outcome could determine whether magic would exist on Mystara! > But, >still the who knows what "good" and "bad" means. It may be adjusted for >your world, and therefore the actions/desires of the gods adjusted. For >example, it's often thought of in gaming groups that killing evil creatures >is "good." But I could easily see where some might call it "evil" to kill >at all (without cause; maybe to some there is NO just cause for killing). > Uh oh, this sounds uncomfortably close to starting another thread on alignments. That would be what some (myself included) call an "undead" thread, because they never die and they never go anywhere. It would be pretty close to asking people whether the Forgotten Realms or Mystara is the better campaign setting. Oh, well, maybe not here (I hope), but then which is better of FR and Greyhawk... There can be no answer because, as you point out above, it's a subjective matter. The same goes for whether OD&D, 2e, or 3e is the better system or whether Alphatia or Thyatis is the "better" empire... I think I'll quit while I'm ahead ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 21:41:32 -0500 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Re: The usual banter returns [IC] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sat, 11 Aug 2001 15:11:44 -0700 The Stalker writes: > On Sat, 11 Aug 2001 14:26:32 +0200, Giulio N. Caroletti > > wrote: > >Alphatians. They are unable to perform certain actions, and when > others do > it, > > > >they pretend they "forced" them with their spells. > >Go on playing with your flying continents in the zoo, and let US do > the > real > >work > >in the real world. > >8-) > > > > True. Why would we bother when it's so easy fooling you people into > doing > it for us? The only difference between Alphatian commoners and > Thyatians is > that the Alphatians know they serve us! ;) > > > - The Stalker We interupt your standard programming for a special DNN report. We're going live to our Imperial Relations expert now... "Well, tensions have been rising between the two Empires recently. The uneducated might consider this a cause for alarm, but the informed listener will realize that, due to economic difficulties and the united front formed by the WDL, both countries have the effective military might of a blind kobold. Therefore, it is my opinion that the rest of Mystara merely sit back and enjoy the show." Now back to your regularly scheduled bickering... ;) 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, 12 Aug 2001 12:27:32 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: More timelines available MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit John Calvin wrote: > Thanks to Aaron Nowack and Jacob Skyte there are several new event files to use > in the Khoronus Timeline program. Check them out. Seems ok, although there are some minor typo. I don't know if they were from the original article of if somebody did a wrong editing, but anyway, it's just a grain of dust on a pyramid of knowledge. (oooooooooh, what a poet!) Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 13:18:57 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Quinto Mucio Rex MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit QUINTO MUCIO REX 13 Flaurmont 984, Kantridae, Duchy of Kantrium, Empire of Thyatis Quinto Mucio Rex, Commander of the Caerdwicca Garrison --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The look on his face betrays the void of his existance. He has nothing to fight for in this life, but he does nonetheless. I would not be in his shoes, man." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- History: Quinto Mucio Rex is the descendant of one of the first kings of Thyatis, hence the surname Rex. His family decayed from senatorial status many centuries ago, but has resisted as a small local aristocratic family in Kantrium since. His uncle Aulo Mucio Rex was a comrade of the Thyatian revolutionary Luscinia, while his father Sempronius was a minor officer of Thincol's following. Rex grew up with the hate for both, and hating their ideals. He left home at 14 to enter the Army, where he rose to the rank of Captain during the Wrath of the Immortals War, and in AC 1009, he went to Caerdwicca, where he has become the Commander of the local Garrison. Personality: Rex is a bitter man with no ambition in his life. He doesn't care about anything, even his own life, and this makes him a very dangerous opponent. During the war and the battles he has fought, he has been able to perform nearly impossible tasks just because he didn't care of the risk. He doesn't want to die, he simply doesn't care. He has never known what to do for his whole life, living just obeying orders that he don't understand, in the Army. He is a very unhappy man, with no desires, no friends, no love, and no-one to care about, or that cares for him. Appearance: Rex is tall, with brown eyes and hair, with a hint of beard, and he is a little cross-eyed. He has thin lips and a deep scar on his left chin. He is well-built, muscled and very well in shape. He prefers to dress in brown or black robes when he isn't on duty; if he is, he wears a bronze breast plate over a white tunic, and a shield with the heraldic symbol of the McRhoomag. He prefers to use swords when fighting, but doesn't disdain the short axe. Stats (OD&D, AC 1010): Fighter 13 Str 15, Int 14, Wis 9, Dx 12, Con 13, Cha 10 Alignment: True neutral ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 12 Aug 2001 15:50:57 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? In-Reply-To: <024e01c12208$899dfdc0$f37c1f3f@q6s7w2> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 10 Aug 2001, David Knott wrote: > I definitely think this area needs further investigation -- but I am > definitely unsure of the extent to which the Old Ones are sure of what > they were doing at the end of WotI and afterwards. The Old Ones work in Mysterious ways. I have always supposed that the nucleus was a challenge created by the old ones, to see how the Immortals would react to an unnatural shift in their power base (Recall, an Old one Modified the nucleus to allow easy access to Immortality in Energy). However, Rad's experiments went far beyond what they had expected, and threatened not only one very important world's magic, and possibly shutting off a supply of new Immortals, but also threatened to rupture the Imoortal Hierarchy that they so meticulously keep in balance. 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, 12 Aug 2001 15:55:41 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: SteelAngel Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? In-Reply-To: <000b01c12269$c84bb600$4963d8cd@jdaly> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Sat, 11 Aug 2001, Jeff Daly wrote: > We'll have to bring Saint Augustine into this one. He could kick all their > tails... Not really. Augustine was, at best, a cleric with no weapon feats and no access to spells, since his patron Immortal disdained magic. Augustine, I must say, wouldn't be able to kick the heiney of a 3rd level fighter, never mind an Immortal. 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, 12 Aug 2001 13:56:48 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Quinto Mucio Rex In-Reply-To: <3B766621.3B7909DD@tin.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Rex grew up with > the hate > for both, and hating their ideals. So what does he like? order? > He left home at > 14 to enter the Army, why the army? what did it offer him? > Personality: Rex is a bitter man with no ambition in > his life. How the hell did he become a comander then? That takes some ambition of some sort, even if it's just to be the best damn soldier that a man can be. Maybe he just loves to fight, it is the only thing that makes him feel alive and he has become addicted to it. In fact it is a mirricle he is still alive. Maybe he has mellowed as he got older and the scar is his reminder of the closest he has come to death. (I wonder what it was from?) > He > doesn't care about > anything, even his own life, and this makes him a > very dangerous > opponent. This would also make you a very bad commander as although you put your head on the line if you don't care about your men they won't like or follow you. If you don't care about your orders you won't last long in the army. > During > the war and the battles he has fought, he has been > able to perform > nearly impossible tasks just because he didn't care > of the risk. This I like. but what has he achieved? > He > doesn't want to die, he simply doesn't care. To get him this far in life I might re-phrase that to He would rather not die, but death holds no fear for him. So while he will not do anything that would get him unnesecarally killed, if there is something that needs doing that might result in death he will do it in the blink of an eye. Perhaps it is that he will not force on others that which he would not do himself. > He has > never known what to > do for his whole life, living just obeying orders > that he don't > understand, in the Army. He is a very unhappy man, > with no desires, no > friends, no love, and no-one to care about, or that > cares for him. Given his Int score, I would have though he would understand the orders. Perhaps he just randomly executes them, without worrying what they are. (yet he hates the policies of the government so you would think he might care) Once again he's gotta be the *worst* comander of all time if he doesn't care about any of his men. He could however be numb to death. With lines like "He died well. Pity. Right lets get moving... chop, chop, no time to waste, I want to see those enemy limbs flying off..." > Stats (OD&D, AC 1010): > Fighter 13 > Str 15, Int 14, Wis 9, Dx 12, Con 13, Cha 10 > Alignment: True neutral I would have thought Lawful Neutral to make a good (ie. follows orders) but uncaring soldier. Perhaps his Charisma should be higher to represent the fact that the troops follow him even though he doesn't really care about anything including them. He makes good heart renching speeches without really meaning to, making his troops hungry for battle. "Well men you could all die today, but what is the point of living I ask you? If there is nothing then there is no fear in death, if there is something to live for then you need to fight harder, for that which is worth living for, is worth dying for, and if you are not willing to fight for what you have, you haven't earnt it. And if you haven't got it, fight for it for it will make you come alive, and even in the face of death there is no fear. For at this moment you live." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 21:06:57 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Robert Grabowski Subject: Re: Zzonga & Deja Vu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed If there was coincidence, deja vu, or whatever in that discussion, it might be because others noticed similar things. The list monitor doesn't want it to go beyond that, but I think it'd be ok to point out that people can attempt to bully and browbeat even when they don't have the power to "force" that, or however Alex put it to say he didn't do anything. I've been on the list long enough to see how he treats posters who have sharply different opinions and biases from him . I'm sure he wouldn't like a someone who was so extremely pro-Thyatis that they treated people who have his opinions about Alphatia the way he treats them. I'm usually quiet and read, but I felt it was time someone spoke out about that. It seems that I wasn't wrong as Alex tried to say - I got some private mail from people about it who said they agreed with what I said but believed there was no point in trying to point it out, since Alex wouldn't listen, so they weren't even participating in the discussion (I guess I'd say that means they were browbeaten and bullied, or feel that they were). I guess they got that from previous experience. I suppose they were right but I thought it was worth trying at least. Sorry. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 17:59:27 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Jeff Daly Subject: Re: Immortals: Good or Evil? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Please. Your weapons and spells are no match for Immortals or Saint Augustine. You'll need more than mere mortal inventions to defeat an immortal. ----- Original Message ----- From: "SteelAngel" To: Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2001 3:55 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] Immortals: Good or Evil? > On Sat, 11 Aug 2001, Jeff Daly wrote: > > > We'll have to bring Saint Augustine into this one. He could kick all their > > tails... > > Not really. Augustine was, at best, a cleric with no weapon feats and no > access to spells, since his patron Immortal disdained magic. > > Augustine, I must say, wouldn't be able to kick the heiney of a 3rd level > fighter, never mind an Immortal. > > > 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. > > ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 01:48:27 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Quinto Mucio Rex MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit For the first thing, I thank Chris for the comments. I will update the character and re-post it when I'm satisfied with the points raised! Chris Furneaux wrote: > So what does he like? order? > > > He left home at > > 14 to enter the Army, > > why the army? what did it offer him? He sougth in the army an order that he couldn't find in his life. He thought of his uncle as an idiot because there is no use in trying to bring down a whole system, a task too big for any man. He hated his father for his servilism and the nearly total lack of benefit for his long-time service. Moreover he found ridiculous the pomp used in his family, just because they were descendants of a long-dead king. He hoped to find in the Army a way to give order to his confused mind, but he only discovered a world where the abuses of incompetent generals of aristocratic origin ruled (remember we are in the corrupt period just before the Wrath War). Incidentally, he discovered also that he was a good soldier, and that he liked fighting, not rationally, but just the emotional aspects of war and fighting (this during the Wrath War; somehow a middle-way between Bunny and Burns in the "Platoon" movie by Oliver Stone). > > Personality: Rex is a bitter man with no ambition in > > his life. > > How the hell did he become a comander then? During the Wrath War he rose to higher positions mainly because he was good at fighting. A whole generation of officers bloomed during the war, just because there was nobody else that could fill the ranks of the incompetent that died, and of those not incompetent that died as well, considering the problems the Army faced against the Alphatian attack. He became Captain, and when the war was over he refused to remain on the Mainland, hoping to find possibilities for fighting, or at least for finding something to fight for, on the Isle of Dawn. He was sent to replace the Commander of the Caerdwicca Garrison when he asked for that position because he was a good fighter and had had many honour decorations because of his personal achievements in the war, and moreover he is an aristocrat (although his family is not much important) and the position of Garrison Commander in a small borderline province is not SO important anyway... > > He > > doesn't care about > > anything > This would also make you a very bad commander as > although you put your head on the line if you don't > care about your men they won't like or follow you. If > you don't care about your orders you won't last long > in the army. Ok, let's put it as follows: he executes his orders without discussing them much, out of a habit, and because anyway he doesn't see any point in not doing so, because, in the end, he is a soldier, and until he will be a soldier he will do anything to be the best possible soldier ever...even if he believes it doesn't mean anything, it's the only thing he can do, the only thing he is ever been able to do...and the same has happened as an officer. He is harsh and wants people to obey him, but only for the obedience's sake. Moreover, I like your idea: > He would rather not die, but death holds no fear for > him. So while he will not do anything that would get > him unnesecarally killed, if there is something that > needs doing that might result in death he will do it > in the blink of an eye. > > Perhaps it is that he will not force on others that > which he would not do himself. > > living just obeying orders > > that he don't > > understand, in the Army. He is a very unhappy man, > > with no desires, no > > friends, no love, and no-one to care about, or that > > cares for him. > > Given his Int score, I would have though he would > understand the orders. More than not understanding, I meant that he doesn't understand what the Army represents, and why he fights. He simply executes orders, coldly and precisely, but without recognizing any sense in them. He is a sort of "robot", but he suffers as he is human (I don't know if you get what I mean with this). > > Alignment: True neutral > > I would have thought Lawful Neutral Yes, re-considering him as I have done in this mail, yes. Thanks for the help, and, hey!, I need you commenting on my comments, so that I can re-write him (Shawn please wait to put it on the site!). Iulius Sergius Scaevola Captain of the XXth Cohort Port Lucinius, Thyatis ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 19:52:27 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Quinto Mucio Rex & some general stuff. In-Reply-To: <3B7715CB.BD064797@tin.it> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- "Giulio N. Caroletti" wrote: > For the first thing, I thank Chris for the comments. > I will update the > character > and re-post it when I'm satisfied with the points > raised! Well you could always comment on the orc clans I suggested. (or that character I posted under adventuring mages part 2 of which I wouldn't mind hearing some opinions or ideas for) They were based on some medieval re-enactment clubs I know. But I wasn't sure if they were a bit over the top or not. Happy to help. Normally there isn't much I read into a character, but this one just seemed to catch my eye. It's funny, I like feedback and never seem to get as much as I would like (if any) but then I probally don't give as much feedback as I should to others. Firstly before I give my feedback I just thought I'd take the opitunity to say a few things (skip to the good bits if you don't care) ;p Given the recent brow-beating acusitions I was thinking I would like to take the opitunity to apologise for brow-beating that I have participated in in the past (particually during the stefan thread) I would also like to say that since then I have had several realizations about how this list functions and about the nature of the whole bloody arguement of subjectivity/post-modernism/etc... and where I stand in it. These are such that I feel older and wiser then I was during my early days on this list and do regret some of the things I have said. I also felt that sometimes people get misunderstood (including me) as their entire intent is not conveyed in their message [but this has been said many times] and so arguements have started and continued because people do take things the wrong way. In summary I would like to apologise for any that I have insulted or taken the wrong way during my time on the list. I appreciate all constructive works that go on for the sake of Mystara both canon and non-canon. ------------------------------------- [on to the good stuff....] > He sougth in the army an order that he couldn't find > in his life. He > thought of > his uncle as an idiot because there is no use in > trying to bring down a > whole > system, a task too big for any man. So he believes perhaps that you can change the system more easily from within? and so is starting at the bottom and working his way up? While the country will not be run the way he likes his little peice will be.(I know this is not what the character is written as, but it is a suggestion for another plausable reason) > He hated his > father for his servilism > and the > nearly total lack of benefit for his long-time > service. While he thinks/has found that the army does provide benifit for dedicated survice and likes this aspect. > Moreover he found > ridiculous > the pomp used in his family, just because they were > descendants of a > long-dead > king. Is a believer in earning responsibility? Is against monarchy but for hirachy, with they way to the top being to earn it. This is why he likes the army more then other aspects of Thyatian society. He likes that thincol earned his position but feels that his policys are wrong and don't respect the proper order of things. > He hoped to find in the Army a way to give > order to his confused > mind, but > he only discovered a world where the abuses of > incompetent generals of > aristocratic > origin ruled (remember we are in the corrupt period > just before the Wrath > War). Has he changed this is his units, placing those in charge that have earned it and so while things in the rest of the army remain similar, the organization he inspires is quite different. Perhaps he has become known to those who have earned their places but don't have the political backing. Many may ask to be transfered under his comand and others away from it. > Incidentally, he discovered also that he was a good > soldier, Good at fighting and ispireing men to follow? or just good old fashioned butt kicking? > During the Wrath War he rose to higher positions > mainly because he was > good > at fighting. A whole generation of officers bloomed > during the war, I liked this although I still think he might need some more motovation. Perhaps it is just that he was always hungry for combat and the further up he could get the more say he had in how much action he saw. > Ok, let's put it as follows: he executes his orders > without discussing > them much, > out of a habit, and because anyway he doesn't see > any point in not doing > so, > because, in the end, he is a soldier, and until he > will be a soldier he > will do anything > to be the best possible soldier ever... He is just interested in action and being a soldier for better or worse, because then he is part of something that means something to someone even if not to himself. > More than not understanding, I meant that he doesn't > understand what > the Army represents, basically if he's told to go fight someone he just shouts charge and doesn't go why or what for and doesn't care. That pretty much it isn't it? > Thanks for the help, and, hey!, I need you > commenting on my comments, > so that I can re-write him thats ok, thaks for writing him. Chris. P.S. perhaps what I need is a good persona that I can blame things on. so with that in mind: LONG LIVE.....ummm....ahhh...ummm................. (my persona just can't make up his mind, yet) ;p __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.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, 13 Aug 2001 12:01:09 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Sons of Rock MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Here's a short description of a dwarven sect I usen in my campaign. They were specifically written for "the Twin Campaigns" (see: Vaults of Pandius - Campaign Ideas) as enemies of the worshippers of Gylgarid in Heldannan. But they can easily be used as a weird isolated tribe for any purposes. ---- Sons of Rock This is a strange tribe of dwarves living in the Mengul-mountains north of Heldann freeholds. Their origins are unkown, but it is unlikey that they are an offshoot of the Rockhome dwarves - so vastly different is their culture and their worldview. More likey they are descendants of the dwarves that were before Kagyar's great experiment. These elder dwarves were much more closely connected to the body of Mystara, its rock, dirt and soul. The most distinct feature of the Sons of Rock is that they utterly refuse to use metal objects. They don't mine ore or any other minerals, for they consider such activities sacriledge. The body of Mystara is sacred to them, it is a living person and a deity. Their religion resembles that of the druids, except that they don't pay so much attention to living beings but to non-organic matter. Their religion sees Mystara as a feminine entity, a mother. Lifestyle: The Sons of Rock use wood, bone, glass, hides and naturally formed rocks as building materials. In modern terms, erosion is a process where rock becomes non-sacred, a gift from Mother Mystara. Their shamans/druids do have some secret knowledge on mining, but it is to be used only to preserve their home from bigger threats. Examples of this might be intensive mining of ore, which could incite the tribe to attack mining sites and destroy them by using a sort of "seismic charges" that the shamans are able to manufacture. (GM note: The charges are made by combining druidic rites and alchemic knowledge.) Common occupations among the tribesmen and -women include glassmaking, hunting, agriculture, carpentry, foraging (especially eggs and feathers), and raising poisonous snakes. They prefer to use poisonous arrows in hunting and war. Their diet includes mushrooms that are cultivated in moist caves, snakes, eggs, moss and occasionally meat (they prefer bear). Clothing is made of fur, hides and crude textiles that are crafted from certain plant stems. The Mengul mountains tribe lives in a valley between three peaks. Residences include natural caves and huts made from hide (they resemble yurts) or slate rock. In the middle of their village is a hardwood statue of the deity Mystara. It looks very much like the real world statues of Demeter, the venus of Milo etc. In the edge ot the village is the Sacred Grove, a place of meditation and healing for the shamans/druids. One other thing that distinguishes the Sons of Rock from other dwarves is their utter refusal to use alcohol. It is said that sometimes they use narcotic roots in their group rituals, but nevertheless they don't play such a big role in their life as drinking for regular dwarves. Appearance: The Sons of Rock keep their face and head shaven clean. Some of the warriors use religious tattoos, which they believe to shield them from harm. Warriors: The warriors of the tribe are very experienced and hardy, as they are engaged in sporadic abttles against mountain orcs and goblins, miners and prospectors and other "exploiters" most of their life. For armor they use hardened leather armours augmented with bone plates. In war they favour guerilla tactics. Weapons: - Bone-tipped spears (used also in bear-hunting) - Repeating crossbows: Made completely of wood, leather strings and bone, they don't have much stopping power. Bolts are usually of wood, tips hardened in fire and dipped in poison. The fact that the Sons of Rock can craft such sophisticated items as repeating crossbows seems to indicate that their primitive lifestyle is more a matter of cultural choice. - Bone knives and axes - Nets - "Molotov cocktails": Made by shamans, usable only in wartime to protect the tribe or the sacred mountains. Warrior skills: Caving, Mountaineering, Bravery, Alertness, Stealth (mountains) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 12:49:36 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: WM modifications for X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Here are some rule modifications for War Machine. They are specifically intended for the module X10: Red Arrow, Black Shield. The intent of the modifications is to make the Nomad war more challenging. They were made for use in "the Twin Campaigns", where the Nomad war will be much harder for the Nomads than in the environment after WotI. The Hosadus Bonus: Before Glantri joins the war the Nomads get a +25 special bonus in every battle. This resembles the magical forces and special troops (red sadn storm, wizards, Warlords of the Air) that Hosadus uses to spearhead his invasion. The combined efforts of the Glantri Council will offset this advantage. The War Preparation Bonus: Nomad HQs are able to remove all fatigue from ONE unit, and only once. This comes from the loot that the Nomads got from pillaging Darokinian spring caravans. Unit movement: - To make movement around the Lake Amsorak easier, any and all coastal hexes may be used as "clear" movement hexes. - The controller of Akesoli and Amsorak may move 1 unit/turn across the lake with the speed of 6 hexes/turn. Unfavourable weather is of course a GM option. - When moving a unit may cross a river (2 MV) even though it can't enter the next hex. In the next turn the crossing has already been done. - Units with serious fatigue move 1/2 normal speed. Changes to the Terrain table (page 37, X10) Mountains: Units can move only through passes. Dwarven units can move through mountains, but with 1/2 Normal. Passes: Movement 1 1/2 times Normal, not 2 times Normal. Broken lands: Units can move through by using the "Passes" speed, but the unit controller must be able to leave troops in BL to keep the passes open. Mobilization: mobilization of any country will take 1 full turn, during which no movement is possible. Fortress battles: I added some of the fortresses mentioned in the Gazetteers to the battle map. This will make sudden invasions much more difficult. Fortresses multiply the troops of the defender by 2, and "routs" are ignored. (Note! An exception to this are the first Nomad raids on Fort lakeside and Fort Anselbury. Due to the general unreadiness of the Darokinians, "rout" equals surrender.) Sieges of cities and fortresses: In any siege situation the only viable tactic for the defender is "hold". Otherwise the battle is moved outside the siege situation. As shown by the WM rules, "holding" will automatically give the defender a +10 bonus. If defending a fortress or a large city the bonus is +50. In smaller towns the defender gets the +20 "behind a wall" bonus. NOTE! These bonuses are not cumulative, they are alternatives. In city sieges too, the troop multiplier is times 2, not times 4. Otherwise sieges will be too hard, especially for the Nomads. Darokin City: As the city is so large, the defender of hex 2419 gets the "behind the wall"-bonus. Stacking and combining: The stacking limit of 2 units is still on, but Nomad NQ's don't figure here. The Nomads can, however, engage only one HQ in a battle. The option of combining units is still on, but it is limited. You can only combine similar units, and only 2 units altogether. Note: Even with this option the battles will remain relatively small combined to many real world historical battles. It remains to be seen if this rule will be relaxed a little. (The stacking limit might be doubled for very large cities?) In practice this means that 4-5 units from one side can be used in one combat. For the Nomads this means the HQ and two combined divisions. As one Nomad Army is comprised of 5 Divisions, the fifth remains in reserve. Stone Juggernauts: Due to their extreme resistance and powerful attacks, Stone Juggernauts give a +10 bonus against fortresses, towns and cities. They are carried only by the Nomad HQs. In effect, a Nomad HQ may choose to remain out of the siege battle, but can still send the Juggernaut to help the other units in the stack. The juggernaut bonus doesn't work agains units with a lot of magical abilities: Alfheim, Glantri etc. Battle results: Errata: With rolls 121-150 the result is 10%:70%, not 10%:10% If the tactics table indicates an increase in casualties, this doesn't apply if the unit gets no casualties. Otherwise, the incease is in percentage UNITS, not percentages. For example: if the winner in the battle result above (10% casualties) got a C2 from tactics, the casualties are 30%. Other battle rules: - The terrain modification for "units with mounted troops in mountains, woods or stronghols" (-20) applies only to units with MOSTLY mounted troops. For example: Darokin Legions I & II, Regular Nomad Divisions, Nomad Guards Divisions, Ethengar units, Atruaghin units... NOTE: "strongholds" means only units defending in strongholds. Attacker can still use the mounted troops effectively. (This is of course debatable.) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 07:08:31 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: John Calvin Subject: Re: More timelines available MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > there is not much in the way after 1000AC is this the way it is supposed to be? Well, since most of the Gazetteers are set in the year AC 1000, there probably won't be many events after then. Most of them seem to mention the war with the master in AC 1200...but oh well, we know how that goes... The Khoronus utility isn't set up to handle events by month (although you could hack it up fairly easily if you wanted), so if you want MA style events the best place to get them is still the MA. 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!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.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, 13 Aug 2001 17:11:03 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Sons of Rock MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ville V Lahde wrote: > Here's a short description of a dwarven sect I usen in my campaign. They Interesting read, but I doubt I'll use it in my campaign...I do not have a great appreciation for these sort of "primitive" or "natural" creatures. I don't even use the Hollow World (a culture that dies is dead, IMC. No zoo there!). Now that I come to think of it, this culture should be present in some form in the Hollow World, shouldn't it? 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, 13 Aug 2001 17:20:11 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Quinto Mucio Rex & some general stuff. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Well you could always comment on the orc clans I > suggested. (or that character I posted under > adventuring mages part 2 of which I wouldn't mind > hearing some opinions or ideas for) Uh...I think I missed them, and I empty my mail every evening, except for a few mails that may interest me!!! > I appreciate all constructive works that go > on for the sake of Mystara both canon and non-canon. All of us do. Even if there is some problem sometimes, and even if we can't get along well with everyone here on the list (we are 261, how could each of us like all of the others???), things are quite civil. Except when me and the Stalker have a fight and some tables get cut by a sword or a chair burnt by a fireball... > > He sougth in the army an order that he couldn't find > > in his life. He > > thought of > > his uncle as an idiot because there is no use in > > trying to bring down a > > whole > > system, a task too big for any man. > > So he believes perhaps that you can change the system > more easily from within? and so is starting at the > bottom and working his way up? Maybe he thought it when he was young. Now he is a bitter man that has no more "ideals" in this direction. > > He hoped to find in the Army a way to give > > order to his confused > > mind, but > > he only discovered a world where the abuses of > > incompetent generals of > > aristocratic > > origin ruled (remember we are in the corrupt period > > just before the Wrath > > War). > > Has he changed this is his units, placing those in > charge that have earned it and so while things in the > rest of the army remain similar, the organization he > inspires is quite different. Perhaps he has become > known to those who have earned their places but don't > have the political backing. Many may ask to be > transfered under his comand and others away from it. Good point. > > Incidentally, he discovered also that he was a good > > soldier, > > Good at fighting and ispireing men to follow? or just > good old fashioned butt kicking? Good at fighting, good at giving orders. > He is just interested in action and being a soldier > for better or worse, because then he is part of > something that means something to someone even if not > to himself. Not really. He is just interested in that because if makes him feel well, but he doesn't know why...I mean, like playing music for some people... 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, 13 Aug 2001 08:30:01 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: More timelines available Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The reason I ask is that there are some major events happening in the = PWA's I,II,III, and Joshuan's and also on the Mystara Fan webpages.=20 Events like, the Shadow Elf's fighting the Humanoids, Darokin building a = wall, Vyallia getting it's own country, Karameikos forming school of = magic, Kol joining the glantrian council, I would love to see events that = are happening in other GMs worlds.=20 For Instance IMC Alfheim is on fire big time and the elves are flooding = the towns around Alfheim. Also a large realm conference is happening which = will see most of the leaders gathered in Freeport (Pt. Siers, Ierendi).=20 >>> chimpman.geo@YAHOO.COM 08/13/01 07:08AM >>> > there is not much in the way after 1000AC is this the way it is supposed = to be? Well, since most of the Gazetteers are set in the year AC 1000, there = probably won't be many events after then. Most of them seem to mention the war = with the master in AC 1200...but oh well, we know how that goes... The Khoronus utility isn't set up to handle events by month (although you = could hack it up fairly easily if you wanted), so if you want MA style events = the best place to get them is still the MA. John =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 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!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/=20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:24:40 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Not sure who would be... Comments: To: MYSTARA-L@.WIZARDS.COM Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable IMC I am doing the break up of Darokin via, a civil war, using Eddard = Stark, from Game of Thrones novel. I have found an adventure on the RPG = site that fits this. But I am not sure who the forementioned conspirators = could be, except Chancellor Mauntea of course, any help would be much = appreciated.. thanks! JK Wolf Here is the excerpt from the adventure that I need to fit in: THE CONSPIRATORS=20 What follows are descriptions of the men behind the Conspiracy, their = nature, and their motivations.=20 The Exact nature of the Conspiracy itself can be read in the section = after.=20 Magister Handelmann Baron Johann Von Grauenhart=20 The Company ? Having inherited his business from his family, the Magister is a very = Jealous man. He secretly feels unworthy of his position and is hateful of = anyone who appears to be smarter or more capable than he. Most Merchants = are careful to flatter the Magister endlessly thus appeasing his terrible = ego, but Eddard Stark had no time for such silly politicking he had a = business to run, and thus caught the ire of the Grauenhart.=20 He was the master behind the conspiracy. He plotted, organized, and = initiated it.=20 Guild Treasurer - Sir Arnolf Grosspunim -=20 Grauenhart needed him to access the guild finances necessary to run the = operation.=20 Master At Arms - Herr Mathias Shautichfeller -=20 Owner of a trading company which boasts the largest river boat fleet in = Darokin five Merchant Galleys in ? and a family Warship. Mathias is = chairman of the company. Therefore all business matters must be decided in = council, meetings which inevitably ends in a childish brawl. enterprises = deals mainly in timber and ore.=20 Mathias is more than willing to see anyone happier than he, made = miserable. It took little to turn him on the upstart Stark. As master of Arms Mathias is in charge of all dealings with town authoritie= s. He represents the law of the guild. As such he is well connected with = the watch and knows who to speak to with get what job done. Grauenhart = needed his influence to make sure the right people were looking the wrong = way when the conspiracy's operatives began to take action.=20 Master of Ceremony Herr Simon Misermeister -=20 The Company ? This enormous company has its hand in just about everything. And Misermeist= er runs it with an iron fist. His eyes are everywhere, and he has spies = who watch his spies. No one is above suspicion, no one can be trusted. = employees tend to be the dregs of society due to their awful treatment and = low pay. owns, buildings, farms, warehouses, boats, a carriage line, and = even a vineyard.=20 He is a ruthless business man and is much feared by his fellow merchants.= It took Grauenhart barely a breath to convince Simon that Stark had to = go.=20 Grauenhart needed Simon's tricky knowledge of how to undo his competitors = without them knowing it, and his contacts with the underworld.=20 The Dandy - Count Theodore Dinklepetzle -=20 . A small company which deals in rare antiques, fine wines and liqueurs, = exotic clothing, and other luxury goods. Dinklepetzle Brothers while not a = very powerful company has earned the love of the nobility for the very = important and necessary service it provides.=20 Theodore had little against Stark other than the usual repugnance for his = peasant heritage, but when Grauenhart explained that he had heard several = ladies secretly confess their "admiration" for the pathetic Stark, Theo = joined the cause immediately.=20 At the suggestion of Simon Misermeister, Grauenhart brought in the young = dandy as a little insurance.=20 It was Simon's idea that they had to strip Stark of any support. To do = this they needed to spread gossip and rumors, and where better than in the = Merchant's Guild court. Rumors which started high up dripped quickly down = to almost all places in the city. Using Count Theodore's undeniable charm = and influence with the palace gossips and rumor mongers they spread the = seeds of dissent. There was not a lady in court who would doubt the word = of the debonair count, and not a husband who wouldn't listen to his = wife.=20 Captain Brutus Aufulaut of the Watch -=20 In the city Watch you learn quickly to look the other way, which can be = difficult when in every direction something illegal is going on. Not = surprisingly some of these "loyal" city servants are known to be involved = in rather dubious activities.=20 Captain Aufulaut has been on the force for twenty years. He started at the = bottom and worked his way up. Now all crime lords pay some sort of tribute = to his station, and some even employ his men when they want to harass = their competitors. Brutus has no allegiance to the city's scum and sells = his services to highest bidder.=20 Brutus is despised and reviled by most of the cities captains, but = somewhat admired by the men for his bravado and courage. Either way he is = a permanent fixture for now, since there is no one who wants to take over = his post.=20 Brutus, who was brought on board by Shautichfeller, used his extensive = connections with various Sergeants from his days on the watch out the city = watch to make sure no one did anything when Stark cried for help.=20 Ernie The Hedgehog - Local Street Gang Chief=20 Ernie is the leader of a gang from the Dark End district, called the = Defilers. The gang was formed by the soulless man when he was just a young = street urchin, and they have all grown up together to become vicious = heartless thugs who live off the misery of others.=20 Ernie was brought in by Misermeister to organize the attacks on Stark's = caravans and the burning of his properties. It was Ernie who was responsibl= e for the terrible and mercilessly thorough job of reducing Stark's = physical assets to ash.=20 Chancellor Mauntea=20 Chancellor Mauntea was all too glad to see the upstart Stark taken down a = notch or three.=20 He had nothing but contempt and hatred for the man, for he had never = forgotten the insult Stark had made against the integrity of Darokin = University. Furthermore the money he would be paid for his services would = be able to put towards most excellent use for other schemes and plans he = had wanted to finance. Mauntea could see little reason not to support the = conspiracy and he even managed to convince himself it was for the good of = the republic.=20 =20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:25:04 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Not sure who would be... Comments: To: MYSTARA-L@.WIZARDS.COM Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable IMC I am doing the break up of Darokin via, a civil war, using Eddard = Stark, from Game of Thrones novel. I have found an adventure on the RPG = site that fits this. But I am not sure who the forementioned conspirators = could be, except Chancellor Mauntea of course, any help would be much = appreciated.. thanks! JK Wolf Here is the excerpt from the adventure that I need to fit in: THE CONSPIRATORS=20 What follows are descriptions of the men behind the Conspiracy, their = nature, and their motivations.=20 The Exact nature of the Conspiracy itself can be read in the section = after.=20 Magister Handelmann Baron Johann Von Grauenhart=20 Major Atts: JEALOUS, COMPETITIVE=20 The Company ? =20 The Man=20 Having inherited his business from his family, the Magister is a very = Jealous man. He secretly feels unworthy of his position and is hateful of = anyone who appears to be smarter or more capable than he. Most Merchants = are careful to flatter the Magister endlessly thus appeasing his terrible = ego, but Eddard Stark had no time for such silly politicking he had a = business to run, and thus caught the ire of the Grauenhart.=20 He was the master behind the conspiracy. He plotted, organized, and = initiated it.=20 Guild Treasurer - Sir Arnolf Grosspunim -=20 =20 The Company ? Owner of TransEmpire Foodstuffs. A Nuln based company which imports exotic = foodstuffs from Marienburg and distributes them throughout the empire. = They also have significant dealings in the Averheim Cow market.=20 Grauenhart needed him to access the guild finances necessary to run the = operation.=20 Master At Arms - Herr Mathias Shautichfeller -=20 The Company ? Owner of Shautichfeller Enterprises a trading company which boasts the = largest river boat fleet in Nuln five Merchant Galleys in Marienberg and a = family Warship. Mathias is chairman of the company but his brothers both = own equal shares of the company. Therefore all business matters must be = decided in council, meetings which inevitably ends in a childish brawl. = Shautichfeller enterprises deals mainly in timber and ore.=20 The Man=20 Mathias is the eldest son in one of the Empire's first merchant families. = He is in a constant feud with his two brothers for control of the = Shautichfeller interests and as such his company does not do as well as it = might. Failing profits, a mentally incompetent father, and terrible = sibling rivalry have left him a bitter and angry man. Mathias is more than = willing to see anyone happier than he, made miserable. It took little to = turn him on the upstart Shlepperski.=20 As master of Arms Mathias is in charge of all dealings with town authoritie= s. He represents the law of the guild. As such he is well connected with = the watch and knows who to speak to with get what job done. Grauenhart = needed his influence to make sure the right people were looking the wrong = way when the conspiracy's operatives began to take action.=20 Master of Ceremony Herr Simon Misermeister -=20 The Company ? Owner of Owl Eye Traders. This enormous company has its hand in just about = everything. And Misermeister runs it with an iron fist. His eyes are = everywhere, and he has spies who watch his spies. No one is above = suspicion, no one can be trusted. Owl eye employees tend to be the dregs = of society due to their awful treatment and low pay. Owl Eye owns, = buildings, farms, warehouses, boats, a carriage line, and even a vineyard = in Tilea.=20 He is a ruthless business man and is much feared by his fellow merchants.= It took Grauenhart barely a breath to convince Simon that Shlepperski had = to go.=20 Grauenhart needed Simon's tricky knowledge of how to undo his competitors = without them knowing it, and his contacts with the underworld.=20 The Dandy - Count Theodore Dinklepetzle -=20 The Company=20 Part Owner of Dinklepetzle Brothers Merchant Company. A small company = which deals in rare antiques, fine wines and liqueurs, exotic clothing, = and other luxury goods. Dinklepetzle Brothers while not a very powerful = company has earned the love of the nobility for the very important and = necessary service it provides.=20 Theodore had little against Shlepperski other than the usual repugnance = for his peasant heritage, but when Grauenhart explained that he had heard = several ladies secretly confess their "admiration" for the pathetic = Kislevite Theo joined the cause immediately.=20 At the suggestion of Simon Misermeister, Grauenhart brought in the young = count as a little insurance.=20 It was Simon's idea that they had to strip Stark of any support. To do = this they needed to spread gossip and rumors, and where better than in the = Imperial court. Rumors which started high up dripped quickly down to = almost all places in the city. Using Count Theodore's undeniable charm and = influence with the palace gossips and rumor mongers they spread the seeds = of dissent. There was not a lady in court who would doubt the word of the = debonair count, and not a husband who wouldn't listen to his wife.=20 M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel=20 4 40 45 3 3 7 56 1 60 35 28 30 25 56=20 Skills: Noble Basic, Student, Lighting reflexes=20 Also: Charm Human, Blather, Excellent Stamina=20 Captain Brutus Aufulaut of the Black Hood Watch -=20 Major Atts: VICIOUS, IMMORAL=20 The Man=20 The Blackhood district is easily the most dangerous in all of Nuln and the = worst duty to pull. The worst of the worst are sent to the Blackhood = station, where the Captain and his vicious bunch decide whether the poor = rookie will last through the week or get fed to the neighborhood.=20 In Blackhood you learn quickly to look the other way, which can be = difficult when in every direction something illegal is going on. Not = surprisingly some of these "loyal" city servants are known to be involved = in rather dubious activities.=20 Captain Aufulaut has been on the force for twenty years. He started at the = bottom and worked his way up. After a time, being the opportunistic = vicious bully that he is, Aufulaut volunteered to take command of the = Blackhood district station. Through intimidation, murder and his own form = of racketeering, he earned his place in the district's hierarchy. Now all = crime lords pay some sort of tribute to his station, and some even employ = his men when they want to harass their competitors. Brutus has no = allegiance to the city's scum and sells his services to highest bidder.=20 Brutus is despised and reviled by most of the cities captains, but = somewhat admired by the men for his bravado and courage. Either way he is = a permanent fixture for now, since there is no one who wants to take over = his post.=20 Brutus, who was brought on board by Shautichfeller, used his extensive = connections with various Sergeants from his days on the watch out the city = watch to make sure no one did anything when Shlepperski cried for help.=20 M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel=20 4 58 37 5 5 14 48 3 36 50 40 60 34 28=20 Skills: Watch Captain Skills, footpad skills.=20 Also: Street fighting, Dirty fighting (See Below) Intimidate, Browbeat = Locals.=20 Ernie The Hedgehog - Local Street Gang Chief=20 Major Atts: MERCENARY, HEARTLESS=20 The Man=20 Ernie is the leader of a gang from the Dark End district, (Nuln's other = most sinister part of town) called the Defilers. The gang was formed by = the soulless man when he was just a young street urchin, and they have all = grown up together to become vicious heartless thugs who live off the = misery of others.=20 Ernie was brought in by Misermeister to organize the attacks on Shlepperski= 's caravans and the burning of his properties. It was Ernie who was = responsible for the terrible and mercilessly thorough job of reducing = Shlepperski's physical assets to ash.=20 M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel=20 4 54 47 5 6 12 49 3 34 50 36 56 37 30=20 Skills: Outlaw, Outlaw Chief, Footpad, Racketeer=20 Also: Torture, Knife Throwing, Arson, Rape and Pillage=20 Chancellor Steinfaust=20 Major Atts: OPPORTUNISTIC, POWER HUNGRY=20 The Man=20 Chancellor Johann Steinfaust was all too glad to see the upstart Shleppersk= i taken down a notch or three.=20 He had nothing but contempt and hatred for the man, for he had never = forgotten the insult Zelig had made against the integrity of Nuln and her = University. Furthermore the money he would be paid for his services would = be able to put towards most excellent use for other schemes and plans he = had wanted to finance. Johann could see little reason not to support the = conspiracy and he even managed to convince himself it was for the good of = the Duchess.=20 M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel=20 3 34 28 4 4 13 46 1 53 61 60 54 48 33=20 Skills: Noble Level 1, Student, Scholar, Initiate of Verena, Priest of = Verena Lvl 1=20 Also: Bribery, Forgery, Puppeteer=20 The Strange New Skills=20 Yes, some of those skills are only in there for character effect, but you = can use them, if you like, to give the NPC a +10 here or there when doing = what he does best. The Dirty Fighting skill is covered at the end of the = adventure=20 Trappings=20 As you see fit. These men have access to just about anything they want, = within reason.=20 Most of the nobles will wear between 500-2000 GC worth of Jewelry on their = persons at all times. They will carry fencing blades, staffs or amulets of = office, family rings. And perhaps some protective magic item (e.g.: Amulet = of protection against normal arrows.) Where necessary the text will = indicate if they are particularly armed and/or armored.=20 =20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:59:48 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Movies Comments: To: MYSTARA-L@.WIZARDS.COM Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Does anyone use scenes from the movies? I use scenes from westerns in mine = as they seem to have a lot of bravado and swagger in them. anyone else? JK Wolf ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 15:39:38 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:59:48 -0700, Joe Kelly wrote: >Does anyone use scenes from the movies? I use scenes from westerns in mine as they seem to have a lot of bravado and swagger in them. anyone else? > I do when I can get away with it... It's not always so convenient in D&D, though. One aspect I'd like to put more into my game is more dialogue with the villains, but it's difficult because the moment the players see the villains, they are usually far too busy bashing them with their swords to trade insults. Pity really. That sort of thing works much better in RPGs like the Star Trek game I participate in since the villains can appear on viewscreens and so. Those are notoriously rare in fantasy game, though :) One thing I'm planning IMC will really shock the players, however, and I am *SO* looking forward to it! ;) You see, the PCs really *HATE* the Heldannic Knights with a vengeance! And no, it's not just my Alphatian-biased propaganda, because this goes back to the Phase II adventure of WOTI when the HKs attack the town of Haldemar in HW, and I didn't really describe them much, but a few of the PCs (those PCs who participated back then and are still in the campaign) have had a major grudge against the HKs since then. They had a run-in with the HKs recently, just so I could see how they would react to them, and I was amazed by their hatred for them! Now, in AC 1008/1009, the players, mostly active in Darokin and Karameikos, are almost destined to help Darokin in its fight against Thar's hordes. I plan to run some War Machine battles or something at that point. At this point, I plan to have their troops beaten back by Thar's orcs, and *just* as their ranks are beginning to crumble, the HKs will show up! Doubtlessly the PCs will think they've lost and that it's all over... Won't they be surprised when the Heldannic Knight leader I introduced IMC will ride to them under a white flag and say, "We are the Heldannic Knights. We have come to join you in battle!" I'm telling you, I can't wait to see the expression on their faces! ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 17:08:34 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable That sounds really cool! I never thought of making my baddies approach the = heroes as allies. Hmmm, makes me thinking of changing the direction of my = campaign. IMC I was going to make the drow take over Freeport with the = help of the Scro, but what about making the notorious Black Rose Drow = Group (medieval mafia) become the allies to help fight off the Scro = instead? Hmmm maybe we'll see. I think it's a great idea we share = campaigns on this mailing list. gives us all new ideas.=20 For my campaign, I'm incorporating the scene from For a Few Dollars More, = where Lee Van Cleef, walks up to one of the baddies and uses his shoulder = to light his match for his pipe. I'm going to make the role of the match = lighter a drow wizard, who will have it blown out (like the movie) then he = will relight another match and say "Want to try blowing it out again?" It = should set the tension for the bars in Freeport as seedy and dangerous. = The party might think twice when they see they are not the only dangerous = ones in the rough and tumble town of Freeport. :) cheers! JK Wolf >>> alphatian@ANGELFIRE.COM 08/13/01 03:39PM >>> On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:59:48 -0700, Joe Kelly wrote: >Does anyone use scenes from the movies? I use scenes from westerns in = mine as they seem to have a lot of bravado and swagger in them. anyone else? > I do when I can get away with it... It's not always so convenient in D&D, though. One aspect I'd like to put more into my game is more dialogue with the villains, but it's difficult because the moment the players see the villains, they are usually far too busy bashing them with their swords to trade insults. Pity really. That sort of thing works much better in RPGs like the Star Trek game I participate in since the villains can appear on viewscreens and so. Those are notoriously rare in fantasy game, though :) One thing I'm planning IMC will really shock the players, however, and I = am *SO* looking forward to it! ;) You see, the PCs really *HATE* the Heldannic Knights with a vengeance! And no, it's not just my Alphatian-biased propaganda, because this goes back = to the Phase II adventure of WOTI when the HKs attack the town of Haldemar in HW, and I didn't really describe them much, but a few of the PCs (those = PCs who participated back then and are still in the campaign) have had a major grudge against the HKs since then. They had a run-in with the HKs = recently, just so I could see how they would react to them, and I was amazed by = their hatred for them! Now, in AC 1008/1009, the players, mostly active in Darokin and Karameikos,= are almost destined to help Darokin in its fight against Thar's hordes. I plan to run some War Machine battles or something at that point. At this point, I plan to have their troops beaten back by Thar's orcs, and *just* as their ranks are beginning to crumble, the HKs will show up! Doubtlessly the PCs will think they've lost and that it's all over... Won't they be surprised when the Heldannic Knight leader I introduced IMC will ride to them under a white flag and say, "We are the Heldannic Knights. We have come to join you in battle!" I'm telling you, I can't wait to see the expression on their faces! ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 20:32:46 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Sons of Rock MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The body of Mystara is sacred to > them, it is a living person and a deity. Their religion resembles that of > the druids, except that they don't pay so much attention to living beings > but to non-organic matter. Their religion sees Mystara as a feminine > entity, a mother. In the middle of their village is a hardwood statue > of the deity Mystara. It looks very much like the real world statues of > Demeter, the venus of Milo etc. Djaea or Terra would be a good fit. > > > Common occupations among the tribesmen and -women include glassmaking, > hunting, agriculture, carpentry, foraging (especially eggs and feathers), > and raising poisonous snakes. They prefer to use poisonous arrows in > hunting and war. Their diet includes mushrooms that are cultivated in > moist caves, snakes, eggs, moss and occasionally meat (they prefer bear). > Clothing is made of fur, hides and crude textiles that are crafted from > certain plant stems. > This is cool. Eating snakes - mmmmmm! > The Sons of Rock keep their face and head shaven clean. Why is this? Overall, I like it. I might not place them in the Mengul, IMC, but they could pop up somewhere as an interesting culture. I agree with Capt. Scaevola that they would work good in the HW. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 21:03:36 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: WM modifications for X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit First off, good job! It is obvious that you have thought this through and put alot of time into making the war run properly. > Here are some rule modifications for War Machine. They are specifically > intended for the module X10: Red Arrow, Black Shield. The intent of the > modifications is to make the Nomad war more challenging. They were made > for use in "the Twin Campaigns", where the Nomad war will be much harder > for the Nomads than in the environment after WotI. > > The Hosadus Bonus: > Sounds good, and it will certainly jump start the Nomad invasion. > > The War Preparation Bonus: > > Nomad HQs are able to remove all fatigue from ONE unit, and only once. > This comes from the loot that the Nomads got from pillaging Darokinian > spring caravans. Interesting. A subtle way to give the Nomads a bit more of a boost. Are you using the rules for reinforcements in national capitals, and the reformation of routed units? > Unit movement: > > - To make movement around the Lake Amsorak easier, any and all coastal > hexes may be used as "clear" movement hexes. > - The controller of Akesoli and Amsorak may move 1 unit/turn across the > lake with the speed of 6 hexes/turn. Unfavourable weather is of course a > GM option. > - When moving a unit may cross a river (2 MV) even though it can't enter > the next hex. In the next turn the crossing has already been done. > - Units with serious fatigue move 1/2 normal speed. All of this sounds good. I think I used the same ruling on the coast and the river crossings. > Changes to the Terrain table (page 37, X10) > > Mountains: Units can move only through passes. Dwarven units can move > through mountains, but with 1/2 Normal. No movement except thru passes? Seems extremely limiting unless you have created more passes than those noted. How about 1 hex/turn thru mts, with an automatic forced march check to avoid fatigue? That makes mountain travel difficult, but not impossible. At that slow rate, most forces would not wish to cross a mt. range except at a pass. In this case I'd give normal (or maybe even half - the "normal" rate for mts) movement thru passes. Even going thru a pass is more arduous than travel on flat terrain. > Passes: Movement 1 1/2 times Normal, not 2 times Normal. > Broken lands: Units can move through by using the "Passes" speed, but the > unit controller must be able to leave troops in BL to keep the passes > open. Sounds good. > Mobilization: > > mobilization of any country will take 1 full turn, during which no > movement is possible. I think I used something like this, too. > Fortress battles: > [snip good stuff on forts, etc.] > Stone Juggernauts: > > Due to their extreme resistance and powerful attacks, Stone Juggernauts > give a +10 bonus against fortresses, towns and cities. They are carried > only by the Nomad HQs. In effect, a Nomad HQ may choose to remain out of > the siege battle, but can still send the Juggernaut to help the other > units in the stack. > The juggernaut bonus doesn't work agains units with a lot of magical > abilities: Alfheim, Glantri etc. Yes, juggernauts are pretty good to have! > Battle results: > > Errata: With rolls 121-150 the result is 10%:70%, not 10%:10% > > If the tactics table indicates an increase in casualties, this doesn't > apply if the unit gets no casualties. Otherwise, the incease is in > percentage UNITS, not percentages. For example: if the winner in the > battle result above (10% casualties) got a C2 from tactics, the casualties > are 30%. So, if two evenly matched armies use Attack+ against each other, they each wouldn't take an additional 20%, if the margin of victory was 1-8, for example? Why would it be 0%:30%, and not 20%:30%? I don't get it. It seems like it defeats the purpose of using tactics. > Other battle rules: > > - The terrain modification for "units with mounted troops in mountains, > woods or stronghols" (-20) applies only to units with MOSTLY mounted > troops. For example: Darokin Legions I & II, Regular Nomad Divisions, > Nomad Guards Divisions, Ethengar units, Atruaghin units... > NOTE: "strongholds" means only units defending in strongholds. Attacker > can still use the mounted troops effectively. (This is of course > debatable.) Yes, I only applied it to units that had cavalry movement rates and for forces defending in strongholds. Attacking cavalry could always dismount and use missile fire, use their mounts to harass the defenders, or lead charges thru breaches during a siege, etc. Charging the horses right into the city walls wouldn't be good strategy! ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 21:19:39 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Movies MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>Does anyone use scenes from the movies? I use scenes from westerns in mine as they seem to have a lot of bravado and swagger in them. anyone else? Sure, I use all sorts of stuff. Conan, Star Wars, comedies, TV shows, whatever comes to mind. Usually the players get a kick out of it. A town in a dominion they travelled to was named Rock Ridge, and they had a prisoner to hand over to the sheriff, so I used the town and sheriff from "Blazing Saddles". They still remember meeting the "Sheriff of Rock Ridge", even though they have forgotten other NPCs who were more important to the story. In a highly modified Nightrage I ran, where Koresh Teyd was a Schattenalfen wizard, I played him up using the voice of the Emperor from Star Wars. He managed to get in a good amount of gloating and all that other good stuff during the adventure and thru the 2 times they had to battle him. They absolutley *hated* this guy, and he, too has not been forgotten. Just a couple examples out of many. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 21:34:57 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dan Eustace Subject: Polymorph Other MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable A very interesting situation occurred IMC over the weekend. The PC MU = polymorphed an attacking dire wolf into a human. The spell description = makes it clear that he will think and act like a human, but would he = have any memory of being a wolf? Would he have knowledge of human = customs, how to fight, etc.? If you polymorphed someone into a dragon, I would think that it would = know how to fight as a dragon. The PCs wanted to question the wolf = about a humanoid lair they were trying to infiltrate, and thought that = the wolf, now human, would be able to answer their questions (kind of = like, if your dog turned into a person and could talk to you). I've been trying to figure out how much of the original mind would = remain. Say for example, a dwarf, changed into an elf? Would he know = and want to be turned back? Or would he think that he was always an = elf? On the fly, I made the wolf, now a man, an amnesiac , without much = concept of human customs, but he could speak. In battle he tried to = wrestle and bite when they were later attacked by bugbears. The = situation was perpetuated when another PC adopted the guy as "his son" = and basically tried to make him into a henchman, or squire. They're = trying to teach him how to fight and instruct him in the ways of Odin. = They thought that they had rescued him from his existence as a feral = wolf, and were not about to return him back to that form and send him on = his way. Any thoughts on this? Has any one else had to deal with something like = this before? Dan ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 18:52:31 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 17:08:34 -0700, Joe Kelly wrote: >That sounds really cool! I never thought of making my baddies approach the heroes as allies. Hmmm, makes me thinking of changing the direction of my campaign. IMC I was going to make the drow take over Freeport with the help of the Scro, but what about making the notorious Black Rose Drow Group (medieval mafia) become the allies to help fight off the Scro instead? Hmmm maybe we'll see. > Yes, that would be pretty similar. Glad you like the idea. Then again, I didn't write it, I just point the twist out to the players, since the HKs aren't usually saviors (nor are they likely to be so again, I think!). I can't help but do things like that - I love to switch the tables on the players now and then and turn things upside down. For a long time the PCs have had contact with Alphatia and pretty much come to trust the Alphatians, yet in one adventure we played about a year ago, the Alphatians turned up in a large ship, and just as the PCs were about to greet them with open arms, the Alphatians destroyed their ship with their magical weapons! Boy, were they ever angry! ;) But there was a point to it, of course. The point being that who is the enemy or the friend depends on the circumstances, so they had best pay attention to what's going on in the world, particularly during a large war like the one on WOTI! I guess Cardinal Richieleu (sp?) said it best, "Treason is a matter of dates!" ;) > I think it's a great idea we share campaigns on this mailing list. gives us all new ideas. > I agree. Unfortunately we don't always get to share those ideas as much as I like. Some people (including a certain Thyatian Captain) seemed to think the background I did for the Adventurers' Guild in Selenica for the latest adventure IMC was also useful, which is very rewarding for me. >For my campaign, I'm incorporating the scene from For a Few Dollars More, where Lee Van Cleef, walks up to one of the baddies and uses his shoulder to light his match for his pipe. I'm going to make the role of the match lighter a drow wizard, who will have it blown out (like the movie) then he will relight another match and say "Want to try blowing it out again?" It should set the tension for the bars in Freeport as seedy and dangerous. The party might think twice when they see they are not the only dangerous ones in the rough and tumble town of Freeport. :) > Hehe. Good one. I really should do more characters like that myself. I just might borrow your idea myself, if you don't mind. The problem IMC is that the PCs usually take any challenge they get, particularly when fights are involved, since one of the PCs is a minotaur fighter IMC, and boy does he ever pack a mean punch! (Not to mention two-handed swords in each hand!). Still, one NPC I recently introduced was also rather interesting. He is a really tall humanoid, wears banded mail and carries a large two-handed axe, yet he is constantly wearing the helmet one would normally use with a plate mail! The helmet covers his entire face and makes him look a little odd. He is generally known only as "Greathelm", but nobody seems to know his real name. And, of course, he *NEVER* removes his helmet! In the recent adventurers' competition IMC, he dropped out the second he realized he could bring his gear or armor into the challenge. Oh, and he is a bit dim.. He is not stupid, but his manners are gruff and crude, and he is definitely not too intelligent. In truth, Greathelm is a half-orc. He is trapped between the cultures of orcs and humans, belonging in neither place. He was raised among orcs, but was too intelligent and charasmatic to be accepted by them, and they eventually kicked him out. Instead he tried going to human lands, but they all hated him (in truth they feared him, only he doesn't realize that), and he was afraid of their big cities... He has lived in the wilderness since then, occasionally hooking up with adventurers without revealing his origin since he knows how people respond to it. Over the years he's become a tracker and scout, and has turned into a skilled bounty hunter and mercenary. As he has performed such work, he has had the opportunity to learn from the skills of people he has fought beside, but he never reveals his true heritage. He's a master at using the magical axe he found (a two-handed Axe of Speeding +4 called "Fate's Edge", only he didn't learn it's name until recently since he cannot read or identify magic - he only knew it 'felt good in his hands', and so he kept it). "Greathelm" is a 15th-level fighter. Wow, didn't expect so write so much! Don't tempt me or I'll just end up describing the group of bounty hunters that captured all the most powerful PCs recently too! That wouldn't be good since some of those are Thyatians... ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 04:12:33 +0000 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Lord of the Rings Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html
Sorry this is somewhat off-topic, but I was thinking someone here might know the answer.  The Encyclopedia of Arda says that Gandalf wasn't a Valar, and in fact he was only one of the lesser Ainur.  This isn't what I've heard in other writings.  What gives?
 
 
Angelo
 
 

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******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 13 Aug 2001 21:49:45 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Polymorph Other In-Reply-To: <004601c12461$56660a00$e0511f42@D56DN901> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Any thoughts on this? Has any one else had to deal > with something like this before? I've been trying to decide about this sort of thing for a while. My PC's usual polymorph trick is when attacked by a flying creature high in the air, polymorph it into someting that can't fly (a donkey for example). This puts a very quick end to whatever they are fighting if it doesn't make it's saving throw. (last time it did and then they just decided to blind it with light spells. [But what would go through a donkeys head? how did I get up here perhaps :p ] anyway if you were to polymorph something into a human (can you do that? I can't remember. I know you can't use create monster to make men) would it have any memory. My natural instint would be it would retain most of it's original ability scores and not be able to comunicate. For example a prince polymorphed into a rat would be a very smart rat and thus have the same HP because he would have the sence and understanding of what was going on and when to get out the way. OTOH a mouse turned into a human would have an intelegence of 2 (instint or learnt instint only) and would be unable to talk, and wouldn't have the sence to get out the way. thats my take. Chris. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.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, 14 Aug 2001 00:53:18 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Donnelly Jr Subject: Re: Lord of the Rings MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oloroin (Gandalf) was a Mair. One of the servants of the Valar. Angelo Bertolli wrote: > Sorry this is somewhat off-topic, but I was thinking someone here > might know the answer. The Encyclopedia of Arda says that Gandalf > wasn't a Valar, and in fact he was only one of the lesser Ainur. This > isn't what I've heard in other writings. What > gives? http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/v/valar.htmlhttp://www.glyphweb.com/arda/m/maiar.html Angelo > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 09:20:21 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Wizards Shopper Subject: Re: Lord of the Rings Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In The book of lost tales part 3 there is a chapter about the istari (the= mages) where the nature of Gandalf is discussed. I highly encourage you t= o read this book to clarify things about gandalf. I can summarize it now: In Minas Tirith, after the war of the ring, when the fellowship is resting= and waiting for the crowning of aragorn, Gimli ask Gandalf questions abou= t his being present as an guide in the quest of Erebor (When the ring was = found by Bilbo in 2954 TA) and in the war of the ring. Then Gandalf answer= that it was pure luck and he also says =22Olorin I was in the West which = merory has passed=22 (i am not sure of the translation cause i read it in = french most of the time) =22and only to those remaining there (The valar) would i answer more fully=22. So if you link this part to the lines in the silmarillion in the chapter a= bout the Ainur, you'll see that Tolien made it clear, that Gandalf and Ol= orin where the same being, an Ainur (more specifically a Maia ). I hope this helped. thibault sarlat Thibault Sarlat ICQ 16622177 homepage www.mystara.fr.st join me at thibsylv=40club-internet.fr or at clenarius=40hotmail.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, 14 Aug 2001 01:32:38 -0600 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Re: Polymorph Other MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I say make a decision based on whatever's the most fun... but personally I allow them to retain memories. But it's still a magical state. They could believe that they were really a XX trapped in a YY's body all along and are happy with the change. Or you could say they retain memories, but slowly start to lose them. Angelo Bertolli URL: http://rsf.htmlplanet.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, 14 Aug 2001 09:33:07 +0200 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "Giulio N. Caroletti" Subject: Re: Movies MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dan Eustace wrote: > >>Does anyone use scenes from the movies? I use scenes from westerns in mine > as they seem to have a lot of bravado and swagger in them. anyone else? All the innkeepers, in my campaign, with the exception of Luthier Sforza in Specularum, are characters or actors from movies. In Rhoona, there are two inns, one held by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the other by an Italian actor (Diego Abatantuono). In Corunglain there is Bud Spencer. In Norrvik Paul Newman. In Thyatis there is Steve Harris (bass player for Iron Maiden). And the list goes on... 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, 14 Aug 2001 01:42:06 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: "David S. Leland" Subject: Sforza (was Re: Movies) In-Reply-To: <3B78D433.82F35EB4@tin.it> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed At 12:33 AM 8/14/01, Iulius Sergius Scaevola wrote: >All the innkeepers, in my campaign, with the exception of Luthier Sforza in >Specularum, are characters or actors from movies. In Rhoona, there are two >inns, And what about your Sforza? I guess there's enough material on him in Gaz1 not to need a movie character to spin off of. I've had a lot of fun DMing Sforza with a thick Traladaran accent and wry but jolly demeanor. My players like him and the Black Heart Lily so much they were using it as something of a base of operations during their adventures in Specularum (hybrid of B6 Veiled Society and GAZ1 Davinos' Complaint). The pastries and chicken paprikosh went over quite well, and the Traladaran PCs thrilled at Yolanda of Luln's voice and lyrics when she sang last Loshdain. Magus Coeruleus ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 11:46:51 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: WM modifications for X10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII (Sorry Dan for getting this twice. The mail program at the university sucks. I can't reply on the list and copy a previous mail at the same time.) On Mon, 13 Aug 2001, Dan Eustace wrote: > Are > you using the rules for reinforcements in national capitals, and the > reformation of routed units? Yes, I use the reinforcement rules. However, not only national capitals but "capital hexes" (like Akorros). So, if the Nomads are able to conquer a capital hex, they can channel their reinforcements there. otherwise, their reinforcements wouldn't be useful - it'd take them weeks to get to Sayr Ulan. Reformation of routed units is a good option, too. It takes sufficiently long for them to get home, and reinforcing them will take resources off the front lines. > No movement except thru passes? Seems extremely limiting unless you have > created more passes than those noted. How about 1 hex/turn thru mts, with > an automatic forced march check to avoid fatigue? That makes mountain > travel difficult, but not impossible. At that slow rate, most forces would > not wish to cross a mt. range except at a pass. In this case I'd give > normal (or maybe even half - the "normal" rate for mts) movement thru > passes. Even going thru a pass is more arduous than travel on flat terrain. > > Passes: Movement 1 1/2 times Normal, not 2 times Normal. You're right about the passes. perhaps I should rethink that. The fast/normal speed could be used in passes that are frequently used as caravan routes? But for now I'm sticking with the mountain limitation. First of all, there are few armies that have NO cavalry troops. And in my mind cavalry will need passes. Secondly, logictics through mountains would be virtually impossible. Think of Hannibal, for example. His armies did use the Alpine passes, but they still had a hell of a time getting through. Then again, those passes would propably not show in the X10 map, but would be in integral part of the mountain terrain. I guess I'll have to think about that. But in any case, there won't be many significant military operations done that way. Supply would be a big problem. You'd still need a strong operation to clear supply routes elsewhere. > > If the tactics table indicates an increase in casualties, this doesn't > > apply if the unit gets no casualties. Otherwise, the incease is in > > percentage UNITS, not percentages. For example: if the winner in the > > battle result above (10% casualties) got a C2 from tactics, the casualties > > are 30%. > So, if two evenly matched armies use Attack+ against each other, they each > wouldn't take an additional 20%, if the margin of victory was 1-8, for > example? Why would it be 0%:30%, and not 20%:30%? I don't get it. It > seems like it defeats the purpose of using tactics. it seems that I didn't look into the tables enough. The idea started when we were looking into the Attack+ tactic, which seems to be a suicide in many situations. But then again, it propably would be used only by a force that is inferior in troop numbers but superior in quality. They'd increase their own casualties, but make the possibility of enemy routing more likely... of course depending on the enemy tactics. But for example, a unit attacking a fort (hold tactic) would very seldom use Attack+. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 11:54:36 +0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Ville V Lahde Subject: Re: Sons of Rock MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 13 Aug 2001, Dan Eustace wrote: > > The Sons of Rock keep their face and head shaven clean. > > Why is this? This wasn't such an important feature with the Sons of Rock, as it is connected to the way I played them out to one of my players. Actually it was our common joke that was based on an article I read on the vegan straight edge groups in USA. My Sons of the Rock had bald heads and large "X" tattooed on the back of their head. Then I mixed some stuff about environmental groups: they spoke German and had battle cries like "Erde Erst!". Well, this is in no way meant to reflect on the real world animal rights or environmental groups. I have a lot of good and bad to say about both, and years of personal involvement. But that's got nothing to do with this list, of course. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 11:05:01 +0100 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Phillip Jones Subject: Re: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > One thing I'm planning IMC will really shock the players, however, and I am > *SO* looking forward to it! ;) > > You see, the PCs really *HATE* the Heldannic Knights with a vengeance! And > no, it's not just my Alphatian-biased propaganda, because this goes back to > the Phase II adventure of WOTI when the HKs attack the town of Haldemar in > HW, and I didn't really describe them much, but a few of the PCs (those PCs > who participated back then and are still in the campaign) have had a major > grudge against the HKs since then. They had a run-in with the HKs recently, > just so I could see how they would react to them, and I was amazed by their > hatred for them! > > Now, in AC 1008/1009, the players, mostly active in Darokin and Karameikos, > are almost destined to help Darokin in its fight against Thar's hordes. I > plan to run some War Machine battles or something at that point. At this > point, I plan to have their troops beaten back by Thar's orcs, and *just* > as their ranks are beginning to crumble, the HKs will show up! Doubtlessly > the PCs will think they've lost and that it's all over... Won't they be > surprised when the Heldannic Knight leader I introduced IMC will ride to > them under a white flag and say, "We are the Heldannic Knights. We have > come to join you in battle!" I'm telling you, I can't wait to see the > expression on their faces! ;) > > > - The Stalker Hehehe!! Puts me in mind of a campaign I recently run in Blight Swamp. The characters where hired to retrieve a staff of great power that had been stolen from this old mage (as far as the characters knew one of the standard run of the mill patrons you get at the start of an adventure). What they didn't realise was the "old mage" was actually their arch enemy Ilyana Penhaligon using a couple of disguise magical items (hat of disguise etc.), who had heard of an ancient staff there. So the PCs trotted off to get the staff and after several harrowing adventures and the permanent death of 2 name level characters (the PCs are currently questing to get two wishes to bring them back to life :) ), they handed the staff over to her (still disguised as the old mage of course). I couldn't resist her changing her shape back right at the very end, just before she teleported (using a MI) to say thank you! You should have seen their faces! What a picture! LOL! Needless to say I was called all the evil, conniving reprobates they could think of! LOL! Since that time, Ilyana Penhaligon has traded the staff to a certain vampire family with a ruined keep in Karameikos, for an undead army, with which she will sieze her birthright - Penhaligon. The characters are really going to enjoy that! LOL. 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: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:00:55 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Mike Donnelly Jr Subject: Re: Movies MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > one held by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the other by an Italian actor > (Diego Abatantuono). In Corunglain there is Bud Spencer. In Norrvik Paul Newman. > > In Thyatis there is Steve Harris (bass player for Iron Maiden). And the list > goes on... > Looks like Norrvik gets the gold, Rhoona the silver and the bronze is up for debate... Thyatis gets what's left in this case. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 06:43:37 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Hammer of Ulric Subject: Playing the D&D movie Before the movie came out, Wizards talked about a game using the setting. Did this product make it into print? I can't track it down on the online store. I was thinking of using it for Sundsvall/Alphatia ideas. I've got the download of a 3 part scenario using the D&D Adventure Game rules and the movie characters which looks okay for younger players, mine are 11-15. Hammer of Ulric ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 10:34:19 EDT Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: Zzonga & Deja Vu MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Geoff has already stepped in and made a comment on this flame potential. i was ready to let the whole confrontation rest but since you responded and seem intent to stir the coals, i feel that i must respond in some manner. afterall you make some rather greivous allegations against me. it's only right that i am able to respond and defend myself. in other words....he started it :-) Robert Said: <> actually the deja vu references of mine were targeted towards the recurring matters being argued.....same old same old Alpher/Thy stuff. i won't use "debate" or "discussed" as they are a non-factor. afterall since i am bullying brow-beater, the possibility for debate/discussion are totally out of the question (note sarcasm). i do not know how long Robert has been on the MML. i do know that since 3/07/01 i have commented on around twenty threads. the Alpher/Thy related ones being mostly represented in the slave and zzonga related threads. the bulk of the others entail everything from the nature of cold iron weapons, magic items (re: Pink Platemail +5), and adventuring ideas. so i find it odd that Robert has developed this opinion of me from such a smattering of widely related subjects. most of which were friendly and well-recieved. <> i am actually quite curious as to these fellow Alex295 haters Robert speaks of. i am willing to bet that the majority bear the taint of having certain anti-Alpher tendencies. therefore they would have a certain bias and pre-existing confrontional attitude with me from the old days of when i would partake in those Alpher/Thy debates. i have to assume that these individuals are longstanding members of the MML. afterall, it has been a good while since i have been active on the MML for such heated arguments to surface. i had assumed that we had all "agreed to disagree" on matters of Alph/Thy. i guess that i had assumed wrongly. still, i would have prefered them to confer their feelings to me privately or even in the open forum of the MML before running off talking about me behind my back. i am quite disappointed in that type of thing. anyway....i still have to ask what is up with all these hostilities. looking back at the mails, i don't see what all the hub-bub is about. to the best of my knowledge i have never said a cross word to Robert or any of his posts. likewise, i don't post nearly as often as i use to. to be quite honest, i feel that Robert was looking for a confrontation. Mystara is a fictional RPG setting. it's not even an active one, so most content has been spun and respun into a multitude of variations. so really, the Alpher/Thy debates become matters of arguing IYC vs. IMC. i have no right, no power, and no motivation to try to impose my campaign upon others. i expect the same mutual respect to be afforded to me as well. we share ideas, using what we want and what we can. if you don't like it, don't use it. but respect other's works because it it is indicative to their individual campaigns. you bash them, you bash the campaign. you bash their campaign and you bash the Mystaran community. lighten up Robert (and cohorts)...it's just a game. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 08:09:56 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Phil, you are one nasty DM!!! :) Well done. JK Wolf The characters where hired to retrieve a staff of great power that had = been stolen from this old mage (as far as the characters knew one of the = standard run of the mill patrons you get at the start of an adventure). What they didn't realise was the "old mage" was actually their arch enemy Ilyana Penhaligon using a couple of disguise magical items (hat of disguise = etc.), who had heard of an ancient staff there. So the PCs trotted off to get the staff and after several harrowing adventures and the permanent death of 2 name level characters (the PCs are currently questing to get two wishes to bring them back to life :) ), they handed the staff over to her (still disguised as the old mage of course). I couldn't resist her changing her shape back right at the very end, just before she teleported (using a MI) = to say thank you! You should have seen their faces! What a picture! LOL! Needless to say I was called all the evil, conniving reprobates they could think of! LOL!=20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 08:14:06 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable For my campaign, I'm incorporating the scene from For a Few Dollars More, where Lee Van Cleef, walks up to one of the baddies and uses his shoulder to light his match for his pipe. I'm going to make the role of the match lighter a drow wizard, who will have it blown out (like the movie) then he will relight another match and say "Want to try blowing it out again?" It should set the tension for the bars in Freeport as seedy and dangerous. = The party might think twice when they see they are not the only dangerous ones in the rough and tumble town of Freeport. :) > Hehe. Good one. I really should do more characters like that myself. I = just might borrow your idea myself, if you don't mind. The problem IMC is that the PCs usually take any challenge they get, particularly when fights are involved, since one of the PCs is a minotaur fighter IMC, and boy does he ever pack a mean punch! (Not to mention two-handed swords in each hand!). Just so you know, the cowboy who was the lighter for the match was going = to challenge Van Cleef in the movie, but his buddies held him back, they = didn't know who he was but they could tell he was dangerous!! ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 14:00:32 -0300 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Rodrigo Subject: Re: Playing the D&D movie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Would be very cool. Damodar is just perfect, and I think that Bruce Payne work was fabulous. They said that the movie wasn't so good, but here in Brazil, at least in my city and region, every single rpgist go watch. Hammer of Ulric wrote: > Before the movie came out, Wizards talked about a game using the setting. > Did this product make it into print? I can't track it down on the online > store. > > I was thinking of using it for Sundsvall/Alphatia ideas. > > I've got the download of a 3 part scenario using the D&D Adventure Game > rules and the movie characters which looks okay for younger players, mine > are 11-15. > > Hammer of Ulric > > ******************************************************************** > The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp > The Mystara Homepage: 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, 14 Aug 2001 10:16:16 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Joe Kelly Subject: Re: Zzonga & Deja Vu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Alex, pay it no mind what Robert said. Why? simple: It seems that I wasn't wrong as Alex tried to say - I got some private mail from people about it who said they agreed with what I said but = believed there was no point in trying to point it out, since Alex wouldn't = listen,=20 This is just his opinion. so they weren't even participating in the discussion (I guess I'd say that means they were browbeaten and bullied, or feel that they were).=20 This is an assumption I guess they got that from previous experience.=20 This is another assumption I suppose they were right but I thought it was worth trying at least This is another assumption. Why respond to assumptions? Remember to ASSUME = is to make an ASS of U and ME.=20 :)=20 ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:20:58 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Dave Keyser Organization: Palmchip Subject: Re: Playing the D&D movie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hammer of Ulric wrote: > Before the movie came out, Wizards talked about a game using the setting. > Did this product make it into print? I can't track it down on the online > store. > > I was thinking of using it for Sundsvall/Alphatia ideas. > > I've got the download of a 3 part scenario using the D&D Adventure Game > rules and the movie characters which looks okay for younger players, mine > are 11-15. > > Hammer of Ulric > It never made it to print. The online stuff was all they had. There is also a book about the making of the D&D movie, but I don't think had RPG stuff in it. 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: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 16:32:51 -0400 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: Castille Baromon de Preto Subject: Re: Zzonga & Deja Vu MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Brow-beating? When did this all happen? What did I miss? I have enjoyed the zzonga and slave threads thus far, did I miss an important email? Or did I read something and knew it was of no opinion to me? ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://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, 14 Aug 2001 15:44:15 -0700 Reply-To: Mystara RPG Discussion Sender: Mystara RPG Discussion From: The Stalker Subject: Re: Drama and dialogue in RPGs (was Movies) On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 11:05:01 +0100, Phillip Jones wrote: (snip) >So the PCs trotted off to get the >staff and after several harrowing adventures and the permanent death of 2 >name level characters (the PCs are currently questing to get two wishes to >bring them back to life :) ), they handed the staff over to her (still >disguised as the old mage of course). I couldn't resist her changing her >shape back right at the very end, just before she teleported (using a MI) to >say thank you! You should have seen their faces! What a picture! LOL! >Needless to say I was called all the evil, conniving reprobates they could >think of! LOL! Since that time, Ilyana Penhaligon has traded the staff to a >certain vampire family with a ruined keep in Karameikos, for an undead army, >with which she will sieze her birthright - Penhaligon. The characters are >really going to enjoy that! LOL. > >Phil >(aka Alexander Korrigan, humble student of the Great School of Magic) >I'm not evil. Just practical. > Hehe. Well, to tell you the truth that is pretty harsh, but then I'm hardly one to point fingers. I recently had the pleasure of having two groups of adventurers play simultaneously because there were no less than eight players IMC! I cut those into two groups of four and then shifted the people in the groups now and then. The "old" experienced PCs stayed together and ran through an adventure where they killed a lich and found all sorts of goodies, then killed some shadowelves and others, and finally found a lost relic of the dwarves (the dwarven cleric/fighter was so pleased!). They collected all sorts of treasure, yet were a bit full of themselves. They made comments like, "Yes, this sword is +2, but it's just a broad sword, and it has no other special powers, so I'm not sure it's even worth taking with us!" And no, that's not an overstatement - it's an almost exact quote from what they said! Now, when players get like this and also think they cannot be beaten, then I know as DM that it's time to cut down their egos a bit, so I put into effect a plan I'd been planning for a while. You see, the minotaur fighter IMC is originally a gladiator from the area of Thyatis, and as it turns out his former "owner" wasn't exactly pleased when he left because he was earning a pretty penny on him. So he had hired a bunch of cutthroat bounty hunters to capture the minotaur and his group! These bounty hunters were led by a 24th level Thyatian fighter who was *very* much inspired by Star Wars' Boba Fett, though I doubt my players noticed that. Among his henchmen were a mage, a priest, and a half- orc warrior... oh, and an iron golem! They set up a nicely planned trap on the castle of one of the PCs and captured them all without too much trouble. I had the four of them brought to Thyatis and all their newly gained loot and wealth taken away! One of the captured PCs was an old enemy of Ludwig von Hendriks, and was sold off to him. The dwarf was sold off in an auction that turned ugly between a Glantrian wizard and an Alphatian wizard (because dwarven "specimen" are difficult to find during the Great War, now that all the dwarves have disappeared), and in the end the Alphatian wizard simply stole the dwarf with his magic and teleported to Blackheart in Alphatia with him! It was then up to the other group of less experienced adventurers to free their comrades! They succeeded, but the others certainly lost a bit of ego. Oh, and because the dwarf was carrying a dwarven relic, it was lost and Kagyar was very angry with him and took away his most powerful spells! It was a gamble because the players could have been so angry that they quit, but I took the chance and it worked - they sure have some old scores they want to settle now, and I've gained some wonderful campaign villains I can use again later ;) But if you note the HK thing, what I really like about it is that I'm not being nasty to them - they will be in trouble, and the HKs will actually save their bacon! It will be interesting to see how and if they will be able to cooperate with them... But having the HKs save them, they'll get into a serious dilemma, because they are now somehow endebted to the HKs, and I don't imagine they'll like that one bit ;) - The Stalker ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message.