Mystara FAQ

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

stanles

Aug 01, 2004 13:49:33		Nicking an idea from the Greyhawk Message Board I thought I'd try and get discussion happening here on an exapanded Mystara FAQ. There is already a FAQ on the Vaults of Pandius at http://dnd.starflung.com/mystfaq.html, but the lazy maintainer of the site hasn't updated it in ages.

Therefore what questions do you think should belong in a FAQ, or if you're not knowledgable about the setting what questions do you have about it.
#2

Hugin

Aug 01, 2004 14:25:39
by Stanles
There is already a FAQ on the Vaults of Pandius at http://dnd.starflung.com/mystfaq.html, but the lazy maintainer of the site hasn't updated it in ages.

:heehee Give him heck!

One common question that pops up here is the difference between Immortals and Deities/Gods.
#3

spellweaver

Aug 02, 2004 11:43:13
Originally posted by stanles
Therefore what questions do you think should belong in a FAQ, or if you're not knowledgable about the setting what questions do you have about it.

1) What races can I play?

2) What classes can I play?

3) What are the different nations/realms/cultures that a character can hail from?

:-) Jesper
#4

stanles

Aug 02, 2004 16:17:09
Originally posted by Spellweaver
1) What races can I play?

2) What classes can I play?

3) What are the different nations/realms/cultures that a character can hail from?

:-) Jesper

just some small questions to get started with hey Jesper

though the quick answers are

any*

any**

any***

* though don't expect too many people to care if you're playing a drow, but if you can find a DM and a play group to go with it more power to you
** gnome illusionist ... what the heck
*** after module IM1 modern day American is also an option

;)
#5

byron-s_ghost

Aug 02, 2004 17:13:45 		Well for newbies (which it seems to me a FAQ would be oriented toward), it would probably be useful to give some tips on integrating Mystara into 3rd ed. I think someone touched on this in another thread as well. Mostly, just take some common 3rd ed features and show how they could be used with the old material.

Another idea is to update the information on where to find the official products- since most are in ESD format now we could post a link to the site that sells them, which would be good for those who have a passing interest but don't want to hunt around ebay and other online shops.
#6

zombiegleemax

Aug 02, 2004 23:21:21 		Hello,

Since Mystara evolved in a manner quite unlike most campaign settings I would think that most newbies would be unsure where to actually start. Aside from that small section in the good ole' Expert rule book, there really never was a gentle and uncomplicated introduction to the Known World.

I was lucky. I was getting ready to start a new campaign when GAZ 1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos and B 1-9 In Search of Adventure were published. Personally, I think that these two products are still the very best place to start if one is interested in running a campaign set in Mystara. Their current price, however, leaves much to be desired.

Regards and Best Wishes,

Donald Eric Kesler
#7

zombiegleemax

Aug 03, 2004 0:07:00 		How about, "What's the difference between Rakasta and Rakshasa?"

BTW, if you get this FAQ compiled and assembled, I'll be happy to sticky it. Just let me know.
#8

stanles

Aug 03, 2004 2:02:36
Originally posted by Lucus_Boneburner
Hello,

Since Mystara evolved in a manner quite unlike most campaign settings I would think that most newbies would be unsure where to actually start. Aside from that small section in the good ole' Expert rule book, there really never was a gentle and uncomplicated introduction to the Known World.

I was lucky. I was getting ready to start a new campaign when GAZ 1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos and B 1-9 In Search of Adventure were published. Personally, I think that these two products are still the very best place to start if one is interested in running a campaign set in Mystara. Their current price, however, leaves much to be desired.

Regards and Best Wishes,

Donald Eric Kesler

well that's the problem really, I don't think that there is any one good source. Those two are good if you want to play in Karameikos but who's to say that that location is any more or less valid than any other?
#9

stanles

Aug 03, 2004 2:04:56
Originally posted by WizO_Drake
How about, "What's the difference between Rakasta and Rakshasa?"

yeah that's funnily enough probably a good question. I got an email once through the Vaults of someone wondering how I got Rakshasa so wrong in some article that was talking about rakasta

BTW, if you get this FAQ compiled and assembled, I'll be happy to sticky it. Just let me know.

cheers WizO
#10

spellweaver

Aug 03, 2004 3:31:14
Originally posted by stanles
just some small questions to get started with hey Jesper

though the quick answers are

any*

any**

any***

* though don't expect too many people to care if you're playing a drow, but if you can find a DM and a play group to go with it more power to you
** gnome illusionist ... what the heck
*** after module IM1 modern day American is also an option

;)

I wasn't asking - I was suggesting questions for the FAQ. Isn't that what this thread is about?

Hmm, I was trying to say:

1) What player character races are unique to Mystara? (i.e. what races can I play here that - according to source books - I cannot play in any other setting)

2) What character classes are an integrated part of the setting? (I know some of you love and use the psionists, but AFAIK there has never been any official or semi-official sources using that class or those powers. Not even when they tried converting it to AD&D).

3) What cultures/settings exist already that I can use (i.e. I don't have to make new ones up)

Of course you can play anything your DM allows and cares to put into Mystara - even a drow or a character from modern day America.

My point was: what posibilities does the setting already provide?

:-) Jesper
#11

stanles

Aug 03, 2004 3:54:25
Originally posted by Spellweaver
I wasn't asking - I was suggesting questions for the FAQ. Isn't that what this thread is about?

Hmm, I was trying to say:

1) What player character races are unique to Mystara? (i.e. what races can I play here that - according to source books - I cannot play in any other setting)

2) What character classes are an integrated part of the setting? (I know some of you love and use the psionists, but AFAIK there has never been any official or semi-official sources using that class or those powers. Not even when they tried converting it to AD&D).

3) What cultures/settings exist already that I can use (i.e. I don't have to make new ones up)

Of course you can play anything your DM allows and cares to put into Mystara - even a drow or a character from modern day America.

My point was: what posibilities does the setting already provide?

:-) Jesper

if you or anyone else wants to provide answer to questions that come up, feel free. The questions you appear to be posing are so broad I wouldn't want to touch them, or at least not first off.
#12

Cthulhudrew

Aug 03, 2004 4:43:25
Originally posted by Spellweaver
1) What player character races are unique to Mystara? (i.e. what races can I play here that - according to source books - I cannot play in any other setting)

I think I see what you're getting at, but as Stan says, this is a bit broad. Is there a way we can rephrase this? Maybe something along the lines of "What PC races originated in the Mystara setting?" or something like that- still a bit broad, I think- since there are so many (rakasta, tortles, lupins, gator-men, cay-men, chameleon men, aranea, etc...)

3) What cultures/settings exist already that I can use (i.e. I don't have to make new ones up)

How about something more along the lines of: Q- I understand that many of the Mystaran cultures are based on Real World civilizations and cultures. Which are they?

And then we could have a "rough" correspondence, ie: Ethengar- Mongolia, Klantyre- Scotland, etc.
#13

spellweaver

Aug 03, 2004 5:03:03 		At the Greyhawk forum they have recently released the 1.0 version of the Greyhawk FAQ. It is a good place to get inspiration to what questions should be included.

:-) Jesper
#14

stanles

Aug 03, 2004 5:15:08
Originally posted by Spellweaver
At the Greyhawk forum they have recently released the 1.0 version of the Greyhawk FAQ. It is a good place to get inspiration to what questions should be included.

:-) Jesper

well, that was where I got the idea to start the thread from
#15

spellweaver

Aug 03, 2004 7:30:53
Originally posted by stanles
well, that was where I got the idea to start the thread from

I thought you got the idea from the thread titled "FAQ discussion" or something - not the actual FAQ. My mistake.

:-) Jesper
#16

stanles

Aug 03, 2004 7:41:56
Originally posted by Spellweaver
I thought you got the idea from the thread titled "FAQ discussion" or something - not the actual FAQ. My mistake.

:-) Jesper

sorry yeah the _that_ I was referring to was the Greyhawk Boards. Sorry I wasn't clear