Im rather new to these boards and almost unknowledgable about Mystara... The reason why im here is primarily to learn more about Mystara. Jesper (aka. Spellweaver) is my DM in his campaign that is situated on Mystara.
The question I have for now is that im working on a PrC called the Woodland Shadow, which is mostly an "Oriental Adventures" ripoff, when it comes to level progression, abilities, skills etc. It's the PrC called Ninja Spy with a few extra requirements and a little less class abilities.
I wanted to make an acrobatic, sneaking, hiding, jumping, forrest and freedom protecting, good PrC and design an organization or maybe use one that is already there on Mystara, for the Woodland Shadow.
I was thinking about a secret group of druids, rangers, (monks) and rogues, that had an agenda that were something along the line of guerilla warfare freedom fighters, who devoted their lives to helping people out of slavery and opression. Robin Hood and his merry men on amphetamine and herbs or something like that ;)
Do you have any ideas as to what group or organization of people who is already on Mystara could represent these views or maybe ideas on how to make a new one within the limits of Mystara without breaking the feel of the setting?
It's one possibility anyway but I'll try to think of any others. I'm sure some other interesting ideas will pop up over the next few days as well.
Now since Ochalea is Thyatian controlled, the possibility of some of the foresters going there and starting something exists, as would an Ochalean going to the mainland. Talk to Jesper and I am sure he will be receptive and help you on this.
PS Welcome to Mystara
Have been reading your thread on immortals and spells, thumbs up for the hard work, it's cool!
Regarding the Woodland Shadows, although Ochalea is a good suggestion, it doesn't serve me well ;)
My character (currently 6th Druid/ 3rd Sacred Fist), which I am hoping to integrate with the Woodland Shadow later on, if Jesper lets me :b (around 17th level), is originating from the outskirts of Alfheim and is currently living in and around Dolos in Darokin.
Jesper told me something about Darokin actually being a nation condoning and living off of having indentured servants (slaves) en masse. As far as I've been told indentured servants are created when people can't pay large fines for crimes of some sort and then are sentenced to "work it off" right?
I was hoping to place, at least the Woodland Shadows' base of operation (if any?) in Darokin. Maybe they have branches to other places too. How would such a freedom fighting guerilla group do in Darokin, I've heard they have the best spies on Mystara, so?
And btw maybe having monks among the Woodland Shadows is not a good idea, as I think "real" monks habour from Ochalea (and only there), right?
Jesper told me of the Forresters in Thyatis in OD&D once...
I don't know much about them other than what you've told me here, but my first impression was that they are more militant than what I wanted the Shadows to be...
Another thing is what I said in my last post to Hugin... ;)
how is
You're welcome to use that idea later on... I don't even think it is mine ;)
Btw we're not from
Jesper told me something about Darokin actually being a nation condoning and living off of having indentured servants (slaves) en masse. As far as I've been told indentured servants are created when people can't pay large fines for crimes of some sort and then are sentenced to "work it off" right?
:OMG!
I had better set the record straight on this, before I loose the respect of the entire gaming community :D
First of all, Asken, please remember that my campaign does largely, but by no means always, conform to "canon Mystara" - i.e. official sources and opinions on "how" Mystara is.
I was talking about letting part of Darokin be under the yoke of a union of evil borderland Magistrates and merchants trying to earn a quick Daro by using indentured servants more or less as slaves.
This "negative view" of Darokin was inspired by the article:
"Another look at Darokin" at the Vault
http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/darolook.html
which suggest an alternate, "darker" version of Darokin - Darokin Inc.
What I will probably do IMC is to give Asken and his allies a small-scale "Robin Hood" conflict to fight out, but because I essentially need Darokin to be "an honourable state" later in the campaign I cannot let it degenerate into a slave state on a massive scale.
Apart from all this, Asken, if you want to fight slavery on a more massive scale just go to Karameikos (Iron Ring), Thyatis, Ostland, Sind or even Alphatia to some degree. There is plenty of work to be done! :D
:-) Jesper
Reviewing the feedback I got on my posts on this thread I deem it very unlikely that anything has happened to your rep, bro... Don't worry!
No reason to neither :OMG! me nor
me! As for my characterplans, your campaign and the whole feel of Darokin...
It's up to you maestro!
The organization Im trying to create here, whether it is going to be used in your campaign or not, is not defined completely yet and as I said earlier would probably be something along the line of guerilla warfare freedom fighters. There shouldn't be many of them and maybe most of their work shouldn't even be FIGHTING slavery and opressors "head on" but rather be smuggling food to the opressed, highjacking a slavetransport now and then, supplying information and guidance to other groups that are more political than this one or maybe just the occasional adventuring party that passes by. Maybe providing a network for slaves and indentured servants who wanted to defect (flee...).
I don't know... And that is why I toss the ball here to see what people who are better aquainted with Mystara than I, has to say. Nothing more, nothing less... :D
BTW what damage did you suffer that needed controlling??? Im curious!
What I will probably do IMC is to give Asken and his allies a small-scale "Robin Hood" conflict to fight out, but because I essentially need Darokin to be "an honourable state" later in the campaign I cannot let it degenerate into a slave state on a massive scale.
So of course you cannot let Darokin dengenerate into a slave state on a massive scale, but who's asking you to do that?
You essentially needing Darokin to be an "honourable state", shouldn't keep Dvale Vindhøg (my character) from thinking otherwise about Darokin (or maybe just parts of it), should it?
Some people loves the United States of America, some don't... Even if they live there, even if the U.S. is doing good stuff for someone (and vice versa), right?
Maybe Dvale, being the wild feral child that he is, has got no reason as of yet to believe in the good of Darokin as a state... That is maybe something that could change in future adventures, right?
Have an open mind...
I think you're overreacting (unless of course you're just being ironic*) when you call it damage control...
*this is your chance for saying yes and saving face, even if you weren't being ironic in the first place :D
Interesting... Do you know where I can read more about those areas, maybe give me some links?
Also you could happily set the slave-trade section to the North or East of Alfheim - in the orc/troll controlled lands, with whom they cooperate heavily. This way the Darokin Govt would love to wipe them out - but can't get near them.
That is a good idea.
Another thing I use IMC is that the Iron Ring of Karameikos ship in slaves that they have kidnapped from that country and sell them off as Indentured Servants in Darokin. The Darokin Govt. is trying to stop this, but the Iron Ring are good at forging documents proving that these are real Indentured Servants.
Håvard
Whilst we here can post ideas and suggestions you really, really need to discuss them with Jesper first and foremost - especially if he might say "no - not in my world" otherwise you can waste a lot of effort.
Also Jesper - I actually quite like the idea of some of Darokin being based on indentures slavery, but in practice being abused far more than the majority population and rulers realise
Of course I have to run it past Jesper... Has anyone said anything else???
I don't see myself as wasting time and effort, but as a player trying to involve himself in the story that is going to be created. Yes some ideas's gonna get flushed, but that is life...
And as I said before:
The organization Im trying to create here, whether it is going to be used in your campaign or not, is not defined completely yet and as I said earlier would probably be something along the line of guerilla warfare freedom fighters...
No matter if the result of my scribblings and enquireries is going to be used in Jespers campaign or not, im doing it because I find it easier to involve myself in this world (or anything for that matter) when I have a specific goal, than when I just have to start from the beginning and plow my way through not only old Gazetters, magazines etc. which I would have to buy or borrow, but also tons of internet publications... See?
No matter if the result of my scribblings and enquireries is going to be used in Jespers campaign or not, im doing it because I find it easier to involve myself in this world (or anything for that matter) when I have a specific goal, than when I just have to start from the beginning and plow my way through not only old Gazetters, magazines etc. which I would have to buy or borrow, but also tons of internet publications... See?
Even if it doesn't get used, because it doesn't fit with Jesper's storyline or vision of his Mystara, it's not a waste of time in creating it. Have fun with it, learn more about Mystara, and then post it here so that others can get some use from it. It might need to be modified and adjusted a bit to fit in your current campaign (or used in another), but that's what usually happens to just about everything anyway.
Hey Jesper, no loss of face at all, I don't even know what you look like!
That was a sorry attempt at a joke... I gotta go...
Hey Jesper, no loss of face at all, I don't even know what you look like!
That was a sorry attempt at a joke... I gotta go...
:heehee
:-) Jesper
I recall a sort of a Robin-Hood character in the adventure section of PC1. Maybe he can be integrated as well.
Welcome to Mystara!
What is PC1...?
Is that canon?
And no it's not too late... :D
Any advice and suggestions are welcome.
So far the Woodland Shadow statwise looks as follows (R U guys at all interested in this kind of stuff?):
Woodland Shadow
“Discretion is the better part of valor…”
The Woodland Shadows are a loosly organized group made up primarily of druids and rangers, but also counting some rogues and a few monks. The Woodland Shadows specialize in espionage, hunting down enemies of the organization and freeing people who is opressed, in slavery or held captive in some manner.
They have their base of operation in the north eastern outskirts of Alfheim and counting around 100 members, with only a handfull actually being Woodland Shadows. The Woodland Shadows works mostly as recon (can't spell the rest but you know ;)), infiltrators, spies and in rare extreme cases as assassins.
The Woodland Shadows consist mostly of elves, half-elves and humans, but a few gnomes and halflings have been seen among their ranks. The Woodland Shadows were founded by an old... *biiip... flatlining in lack of knowledge of Mystara, but am working on it* named Narvalaine Efaldenwyr, who held the ideals of freedom very high. He himself had spent the better part of his life incarcerated in human lands.
While Narvalaine Efaldenwyr saw the seasons pass by in his stone prison a forrest spirit came to him and told him of freedom and of days to come where he could once again breathe the fresh air of the lush Alfheim forrest. In secrecy Narvalaine received ancient knowledge from this forrest spirit, that appearantly only he could see. He was taught the art of disappearing, of jumping, of escaping and of resisting the enemie's arrows and blades.
One day when Narvalaines captors opened his celldoor, he was gone without a trace. From that day on Narvalaine has passed on the ancient secret arts of disappearing, jumping, escaping and resisting the enemie's arrows and blades to a select few who today make up the inner circle of the Woodland Shadows.
I feel a Tom Waits song comming on...:
"...Well they've stopped trying to hold him
With mortar, stone and chain
He broke out of every prison
Boots mount the staircase
The doors flung back open
He's not there for he has risen
He's not there for he has risen...
He can turn himself into a stranger..."
- Tom Waits/K. Brennan "Bone Machine" '92
You guys know this song? The whole album is way too cool!
Requirements:
Alignment: Must be neutral or good.
Skills: Tumble 5, Jump 5, Move Silently 5, Hide 5 and Wilderness Lore 10.
Feats: Dodge, Alertness and Combat Reflexes.
Special: Evasion.
Hit Die: 1d6.
Progression:
Level: BAB: Fort: Ref: Will: Special:
1 +0 +2 +2 +2 Fast Movement +10ft., Poison Use
2 +1 +3 +3 +3 Improved Evasion, Slow Fall (20ft.), Sneak Attack +1d6
3 +2 +3 +3 +3 Acrobatics (+10), Leap of the Clouds
4 +3 +4 +4 +4 Slow Fall (30ft.), Hide in Plain Sight
5 +3 +4 +4 +4 Water Walk, Sneak Attack +2d6
6 +4 +5 +5 +5 Slow Fall (50ft.)
7 +5 +5 +5 +5 Thousand Faces, Acrobatics (+20)
8 +6 +6 +6 +6 Poison Immunity, Sneak Attack +3d6
9 +6 +6 +6 +6 Slippery Mind
10 +7 +7 +7 +7 Abundant Step
Weapons and armor proficiency: A Woodland Shadow gains no additional weapons or armor proficiencies.
Fast Movement
The Woodland Shadow gains 10ft. extra movement each round.
Poison Use
The Woodland Shadow never risks poisoning himself when handling posion e.g. applying poison to a weapon.
Sneak Attack
The Woodland Shadow gains the sneak attack ability just like a rogue, starting at 1d6 and increasing with 1d6 per three levels.
Improved Evasion
Even with a failed reflex saving throw the Woodland Shadow only takes half damage.
Slow Fall
The Woodland Shadow can slow his fall and treat the fall as Xft. Lower as long as the fall is within armsreach of the Woodland Shadow.
Acrobatics
At 3rd level the Woodland Shadow gains a +10 competence bonus on Tumble, Balance and Jump checks and can take 10 on those checks even in situations where he is normally not allowed to do so. At 7th level this increase to +20.
Leap of the Clouds
The Woodland Shadows jump is not limited by his height anymore.
Hide in Plain Sight
As long as there is a shadow within 10ft. of the Woodland Shadow he can make a hide check even if being watched.
Water Walk
1 round per Woodland Shadow level per day can he walk on any liquid surface at his full move.
Thousand Faces
The Woodland Shadow can change his appearance at will as with the Alter Self spell.
Poison Immunity
The Woodland Shadow is no long subject to being poisoned, he is immune to all poisons.
Slippery Mind
If a Woodland Shadow fails a save vs. a mind affecting spell, he is allowed a new save on the following round. Only once can this be done per failed save.
Abundant Step
Once per day the Woodland Shadow can “step sideways” as with a Dimension Door spell.
And as I said earlier it is primarily an Oriental Adventures ripoff, the Ninja Spy PrC which I think is cool, so there probably is a lot of stuff that could be in conflict with Mystara, but let me know ;)
Do you guys have any ideas as to why an Alfheim elf like Narvalaine has been held captive by humans or maybe ideas for other captors (trolls, orcs etc.)? Has Narvalaine himself been a slave and in that case what slave labour would he have been doing?
Any suggestions, add-ons etc. would be very welcomed! Please be patient with me while I get aquainted with Mystara.
Thanx in advance...
And as I said earlier it is primarily an Oriental Adventures ripoff, the Ninja Spy PrC which I think is cool, so there probably is a lot of stuff that could be in conflict with Mystara, but let me know ;)
Do you guys have any ideas as to why an Alfheim elf like Narvalaine has been held captive by humans or maybe ideas for other captors (trolls, orcs etc.)? Has Narvalaine himself been a slave and in that case what slave labour would he have been doing?
Any suggestions, add-ons etc. would be very welcomed! Please be patient with me while I get aquainted with Mystara.
Thanx in advance...
Hey Asken! Cool write-up!
To answer what you asked in the previous post: PC1 is the Tall Tales of the Wee Folk accessory and a wooddrake is a creature from that product (and perhaps and old 0D&D monster, I am not sure). It is capable of taking on the shape of either a drake, an elf or a halfling and as I remember is pretty chaotic.
Now, to the Woodland Shadow:
I don't see anything immediately conflicting with Mystara canon. I wonder if a neutral/good organisation would use assasinations or poison but I suppose that could be justified in rare cases. And poisons do, of course, include sleeping poison and other non-lethal poisons as well that they might easily employ.
Can't come up with a reason just now for Narvalaine being a slave to begin with but much of Darokin's wealth comes from industry so he could have worked in a mine, a stone quarry, a lumber mill or a dozen other places.
I really like the idea of these shadows escaping all the time. Makes for great theatrical roleplay: "They bad guys have finally caught our hero and are looking forward to executing him when the Magistrate arrives. But when they open his cell, the empty chains are lying on the floor..."
:-) Jesper
Hi Lost Woodrake (What is a Woodrake btw?)
What is PC1...?
Is that canon?
A wooddrake is one type of the Drake family; others being mandrake, colddrake, and the elemental versions. They are related to dragons and are also related to the fey (fairy-folk).
PC1 is the first of the Creature Crucible series of OD&D playable monsters supplements. This one is called "Tall Tales of the Wee Folk" and deals with the fey and other woodland creatures. It is also IMHO a fantastic product.
And yes, it is canon ;) . But of course you now know this cause Spellweaver beat me! :P
(R U guys at all interested in this kind of stuff?):
Of course we are!
While Narvalaine Efaldenwyr saw the seasons pass by in his stone prison a forrest spirit came to him and told him of freedom and of days to come where he could once again breathe the fresh air of the lush Alfheim forrest.
When I read this part, It just screamed to me, the forest spirit is one of the FEY, and Narvalaine was born with second sight. Second sight, common to all fey and sometimes occuring among mortals (perhaps suggesting a fey ancestor), is an ability that allows someone to see a fairy's true form even if invisible to mortals, polymorphed, or shapechanged.
However, second sight is thought to involve time, and so also gives prophetic glimpses of the future. Now, what if Narvalaine (born with second sight) was captured because of his ability to "see the future". His captors were trying to use him and his "visions" to their profit. Along comes one of the fey creatures (not sure which type, could be any) and takes an interest in this poor captured person who sees the fey and even talks to him desite the fey being invisible to mortals. Then you have,
In secrecy Narvalaine received ancient knowledge from this forrest spirit, that appearantly only he could see. He was taught the art of disappearing, of jumping, of escaping and of resisting the enemie's arrows and blades.
I'm really starting to get intrigued by this myself...
(and perhaps and old 0D&D monster, I am not sure)
IIRC the wooddrake is in the Black-box Master D&D DM's book.
- and I am surprised at you for giving that much info on a monster race to a pc for free :PWhen I read this part, It just screamed to me, the forest spirit is one of the FEY, and Narvalaine was born with second sight. Second sight, common to all fey and sometimes occuring among mortals (perhaps suggesting a fey ancestor), is an ability that allows someone to see a fairy's true form even if invisible to mortals, polymorphed, or shapechanged.
However, second sight is thought to involve time, and so also gives prophetic glimpses of the future. Now, what if Narvalaine (born with second sight) was captured because of his ability to "see the future". His captors were trying to use him and his "visions" to their profit. Along comes one of the fey creatures (not sure which type, could be any) and takes an interest in this poor captured person who sees the fey and even talks to him desite the fey being invisible to mortals.
I agree. I also thought in the same lines. In fact, I believe the forest spirit indeed might be a woodrake... maybe shapechanged as an elf. Woodrakes have an ideology of Chaos, freedom and opposing order - and developed theives' abilities as part of their legacy. I think this might fit in very well.
As for the Second Sight - well, Narvalaine might have a fey ancestor in his family, as Hugin said - or he might be a changeling: i.e. a Human/Elf/some-other-mortal that was kidnapped at birth by fairies and grew up in a fey community. Fairies bestow Second Sight on changelings.
Good Work!!!
Jesper and the rest of the roleplaying group actually gave me the "Tall Tales of the Wee Folk" as a 18th year birthday present. I have recently dug it out from my roleplaying collection as use for the design of my character Dvale Vindhøg. I didn't know that it was also called PC1...
PC1 is actually the only sourcebook I have connected to Mystara.
I now recall that that was where I saw the woodrake...
Well guys thanx for the help... When I develope this story further I'll let you know ;)
and I am surprised at you for giving that much info on a monster race to a pc for free :P
Well... Asken has the book already and the Wooddrake is also a PC race :D
JesperActually before I realized that the woodrake was a monster, I was beginning to wonder if the name Lost Woodrake maybe was refering to some once lost but never found garden utensil... The Wood Rake... :D
In fact, it refers to my most favourite character - a woodrake that grew up as an halfling, not knowing he's a woodrake. As well as to the fact that I'm not playing D&D for many years - being "lost" in the sense of "lost from Mystara".
- or he might be a changeling: i.e. a Human/Elf/some-other-mortal that was kidnapped at birth by fairies and grew up in a fey community. Fairies bestow Second Sight on changelings.
Actually, a changling was the first thing that went through my mind as well. However, growing up with humans/elves meant that displays of his second sight would foster some "fame" and thereby allow an ambitious and unscrupulous element to "desire his services" as fortuneteller. It really could work very easily either way though.
The more I think about it all the better I like it. Since the PCs in my game will be going through Darokin in the near future, I think a little exposure to the Woodland Shadows might prove intriguing!
Actually, a changling was the first thing that went through my mind as well. However, growing up with humans/elves meant that displays of his second sight would foster some "fame" and thereby allow an ambitious and unscrupulous element to "desire his services" as fortuneteller...
Well - he could be a changeling that grew up with the fey, and learned there the value of freedom, nature and chaos. Later on he decided to return to the community of mortals - to find his family. There, he gained fame due to his Second Sight etc. etc.
Well - he could be a changeling that grew up with the fey, and learned there the value of freedom, nature and chaos. Later on he decided to return to the community of mortals - to find his family. There, he gained fame due to his Second Sight etc. etc.
Like I said, it could very easily work a number of different ways and still makefor an intriguing storyline.
Now, who is the one who captured Narvalaine?
Now, who is the one who captured Narvalaine?
Well, this might sound quite far-fetched - but for some reason, while reading Narvalaine's story, it seemed to me that some corrupt Minrothaddan merchant was part of the scheme. I don't know why.
So far this is what I've come up with:
Narvalaine so young, yet wise
Didn’t see the wizard’s guise
Lured him into bonds so tight
To steal his gift of second sight
Im imagining that Narvalaine in his young years spent a lot of time on his own in the forest. Maybe at some point this elven boy's ability to predict the future becomes evident for some malignant fairy/pixie/whatever... Who tells one of the trollscouts from the troll/orclands up in the north eastern part of darokin, that an elven boy with second sight could be quite a trophy for such a powerful chief as the trollscout's.
The trolls plan on capturing this elven boy... They get hold of him, luring him out of the forest using magic... The evil troll-hexer Nogunak FellBottom ( :D ) casts a spell on the poor lad.
He then spend the best years of his life in a stinking trollcage, where he is forced to "perform" with his powers of second sight. But as said earlier this forrest spirit comes to him and teaches him all that neat stuff...
And then he escapes:
Narvalaine was held no more
heavy chains fell to the floor
the cage sprung open
The hex of the trolls was broken
or something like that... What do you think of my idea?
(EDIT: Sorry. This is me - Lost Woodrake - in my Nurian Aiinor screen-name. Too many identities...
)