The AC accessories list is screwed up (understandably). The products in contention are AC3, AC5, AC6 and AC8:
AC3 is "3-D Dragon Tiles featuring The Kidnapping of Princess Arelina". Both the Vaults and brenfrow are in agreement.
AC5 is Player Character Record Sheets. The Vaults has it listed as "Revenge of Rusak".
AC6 is also Player Character Record Sheets (updated for Master level, with some extra charts).
AC8 is supposed to be "3-D Dragon Tiles featuring The Revenge of Rusak", but it was misprinted as either AC3 or AC5 - the scan at brenfrow's site shows it as AC3, and its listed in his index as "AC3/AC5 (AC8) 3-D Dragon Tiles with The Revenge of Rusak". http://www.acaeum.com/DDIndexes/MiscPages/AC.html explains that it was originally misprinted as AC3, the same as the original 3-D tiles (note also that The Revenge of Rusak adventure is a direct sequel to the Kidnapping of Princess Arelina adventure), and to try to fix the mistake they started shipping them with a sticker saying AC5 overtop - but this is also incorrect. It seems clear that AC5 was the Character Sheet pack, even if it was soon replaced by AC6.
So, it seems like Pandius decided not to list AC5 or AC6 since they have no actual game-world content, and then listed Revenge of Rusak using the correction sticker AC5, since there was no other AC5 in the list. But that makes it look like there are two weird holes in the list, AC6 and AC8. I think Revenge of Rusak should be listed as AC8 (with a note on the misprinting) and AC5 and AC6 should be included at least as a footnote so that people aren't confused about why they're missing.
Now, a question about AC5: http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/dd/dd-ac5.htm has a sample sheet. Can anyone confirm that this type of sheet is all that pack contains - no sample NPC's, no lists of suggested character names, no intro page which may mention something about the game world in passing? Also, not really important, but anyone know how many sheets were included? (AC6 has the number of sheets listed and also notes that it has extra charts and tables too.)
What's the preferred acronym for the Poor Wizard's Almanacs? The Vaults has "AC1010" through "AC1012" for I through III, and nothing for Joshuan's Almanac, but this is confusing with the AC series, and it looks like only I and II actually had this printed anyway. I've seen PWA used - was this ever official? I think I'll use PWA1 through PWA4 (PWA4 being Joshuan's Almanac) - any objections?
What's the preferred acronym for the Poor Wizard's Almanacs? The Vaults has "AC1010" through "AC1012" for I through III, and nothing for Joshuan's Almanac, but this is confusing with the AC series, and it looks like only I and II actually had this printed anyway. I've seen PWA used - was this ever official? I think I'll use PWA1 through PWA4 (PWA4 being Joshuan's Almanac) - any objections?
I tend to use PWA(year)- so PWA1010, or JA (by itself), and it seems to me this is the reference many people have used in their works as well. Nothing official, though.
As part of my Secret Project (TM).....
Hey! You forgot to add the note at the bottom: "Secret Project (TM) is a trademark belonging to Thorf. Used without permission." :D :P
AC1010 is printed on the Almanac, but I always thought that was just the year rather than the product code. Even if it is the official product code, I agree with you that it's confusing. Personally I like going with PWA, PWA II, PWA III and JA for Joshuan's Almanac. But PWA1 to PWA4 would definitely be the clearest way to do it, so maybe you should just go with that.
As part of my Secret Project (TM) I'm trying to make sure the list of D&D materials at http://pandius.com/prodlist.html is up-to-date. I've got a few corrections and some questions. I'm using http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/dd/dd.htm as a source since it has more info for each product (including cover scans!)
The AC accessories list is screwed up (understandably). The products in contention are AC3, AC5, AC6 and AC8:
I am the one who built that list, so I can help you out. I have been meaning to finish my update of the relevant d20 and 3E materials.
AC3 is "3-D Dragon Tiles featuring The Kidnapping of Princess Arelina". Both the Vaults and brenfrow are in agreement.
AC5 is Player Character Record Sheets. The Vaults has it listed as "Revenge of Rusak".
AC6 is also Player Character Record Sheets (updated for Master level, with some extra charts).
AC8 is supposed to be "3-D Dragon Tiles featuring The Revenge of Rusak", but it was misprinted as either AC3 or AC5 - the scan at brenfrow's site shows it as AC3, and its listed in his index as "AC3/AC5 (AC8) 3-D Dragon Tiles with The Revenge of Rusak". http://www.acaeum.com/DDIndexes/MiscPages/AC.html explains that it was originally misprinted as AC3, the same as the original 3-D tiles (note also that The Revenge of Rusak adventure is a direct sequel to the Kidnapping of Princess Arelina adventure), and to try to fix the mistake they started shipping them with a sticker saying AC5 overtop - but this is also incorrect. It seems clear that AC5 was the Character Sheet pack, even if it was soon replaced by AC6.
All of this is accurate.
So, it seems like Pandius decided not to list AC5 or AC6 since they have no actual game-world content, and then listed Revenge of Rusak using the correction sticker AC5, since there was no other AC5 in the list.
Exactly. I didn't bother with the character sheets, and I did not want to call Revenge of Rusak AC8, since anyone looking for an AC8 was never going to find it. I do include a small explanation on my product index list on the Vaults at the beginning of the Accessory series as to the AC6 and AC8 holes.
But that makes it look like there are two weird holes in the list, AC6 and AC8. I think Revenge of Rusak should be listed as AC8 (with a note on the misprinting) and AC5 and AC6 should be included at least as a footnote so that people aren't confused about why they're missing.
This works just as well. I should probably add to my notation on that as well. I had forgotten there were two AC5s
Now, a question about AC5: http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/dd/dd-ac5.htm has a sample sheet. Can anyone confirm that this type of sheet is all that pack contains - no sample NPC's, no lists of suggested character names, no intro page which may mention something about the game world in passing? Also, not really important, but anyone know how many sheets were included? (AC6 has the number of sheets listed and also notes that it has extra charts and tables too.)
I am 99% sure AC5 had nothing but sample character sheets. That was how they did it at the time, and when AC5 was released, the D&D Known World was not much more than the background in X1. I say 99% because the last time I looked was almost two decades ago and it has been a long time.
What's the preferred acronym for the Poor Wizard's Almanacs? The Vaults has "AC1010" through "AC1012" for I through III, and nothing for Joshuan's Almanac, but this is confusing with the AC series, and it looks like only I and II actually had this printed anyway. I've seen PWA used - was this ever official? I think I'll use PWA1 through PWA4 (PWA4 being Joshuan's Almanac) - any objections?
No objections. It is as good a naming convention as any. It was never officially PWA in case you were interested. In fact, once WOTC released a list of all the gaming products released by TSR since the beginning, and it included product identifiers for products that appeared after TSR had dropped the identifiers(like X4 or FR5).
In that list, I picked up all the identifiers for products which never had one before. In that list, Joshuan's Almanac was identified as AC1013. I still have that, and have not updated it to the Vaults.
Sorry guys, I promised that on the mailing list, I will make sure to do that shortly. It will include the 3E materials
If you are curious, here are the others-
[MYS1] Hail the Heroes
[MYS2] Night of the Vampire
[MYS3] Player's Survival Kit
[MYS4] Dungeon Master Survival Kit
[MYS5] Mark of Amber
[J1] The Jade Hare
And if you count The Apocalypse Stone, that was S8.
The brackets were used to indicate the product was not officially released with that identifier.
And if you count The Apocalypse Stone, that was S8.
I have never heard of this... What exactly is it?
I have never heard of this... What exactly is it?
Not very good. It came at the end of 2E, and was basically a module that you could use to make the transition to 3E. The transition being nuke and destroy your campaign world, or just massive altering changes.
So there are a couple of token references to Mystara in it, basically suggestions as to where to set two of the encounters.
One suggestion was bad, if you want to put a tarrasque somewhere in the Known World where it will wreak the maximum amount of havoc, you don't put it in Ethengar, where everything including the towns will simply pack up on horses and flee in all directions.
I can't get a link to work, but if you google it you will find an RPGnet review and the picture on RPGnow.
If you are curious, here are the others-
[MYS1] Hail the Heroes
[MYS2] Night of the Vampire
[MYS3] Player's Survival Kit
[MYS4] Dungeon Master Survival Kit
[MYS5] Mark of Amber
[J1] The Jade Hare
And if you count The Apocalypse Stone, that was S8.
Nice - I'll use those, then.
Edit: What about Glantri: Kingdom of Magic, Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure, and the Monstrous Compendium Appendix (as seen at http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/ms/ms.htm)?
Nice - I'll use those, then.
Edit: What about Glantri: Kingdom of Magic, Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure, and the Monstrous Compendium Appendix (as seen at http://home.flash.net/~brenfrow/ms/ms.htm)?
The two boxed sets did not have designations, no box sets did, not even Dawn of the Emperors.
I forgot to check on the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix back then, but a little research now tells me it is MC17, assuming it came out after the Planescape Appendix I that came out the same year, if not, then MC16.
One suggestion was bad, if you want to put a tarrasque somewhere in the Known World where it will wreak the maximum amount of havoc, you don't put it in Ethengar, where everything including the towns will simply pack up on horses and flee in all directions.
And I thought it was safe to read this board at work... that made me laugh out loud, too loudly.
Tarrasque in Ethengar? Hahahahahaha!
It would be most appropriate, of course, if it were to awaken in Nouvelle Averoigne, which is about as close to Provence as one is going to get in Mystara...
It would be most appropriate, of course, if it were to awaken in Nouvelle Averoigne, which is about as close to Provence as one is going to get in Mystara...
Interesting... Heh, that almost convinced me that there actually is a Tarrasque on Mystara, sleeping below N. Averoigne. The Glantrians might even be able to defeat it was it to awaken.
How much havoc exactly is The Apocalypse Stone supposed to cause? Would it be possible to combine it with WotI?
Håvard
How much havoc exactly is The Apocalypse Stone supposed to cause? Would it be possible to combine it with WotI?
Håvard
Good question, breaking down the adventure.
According to the adventure, when the world was created, a castle was created to guard a stone which was the key to anchoring the world in the planes. A hero was assigned to guard the castle, and his descendants still rule the castle, which changes location every day. The descendants swear oaths to never remove the stone.
This castle does have some similarities with the World Shield. Although the World Shield is not something the Immortals created, and that would tie in more to the Blood Brethren trilogy than WoTI.
The next heir is disenfranchised, and decides to get revenge. He polymorphs all the occupants into monsters high level PCs would find challenging, except his brother the ruler, whom he drives mad.
Then he appears to the PCs as some quasi-divine being, and convinces them to find the castle and take the stone.
So the first big portion is a dungeon with tough monsters and a mad wizard-king.
After they turn over the stone, the world starts to go crazy. This results in
1) Archdevil cut off from the planes, blames PCs, strikes at them through their family members in a gruesome manner.
2) PCs go on a series of tests to see if they are worthy to set things right. This includes:
a) Setting them up to take an oath to defeat a monster destroying nearby towns. The key to the test is not to take the oath, because they are supposed to be finding the stone. The monster is the tarrasque.
b) Intervening in a battle between centaurs and weimics.
c) Meeting a death knight seeking redemption.
d) Restoring the sanity of the mad wizard-king.
3) Once the quests are complete, they can find the castle where the stone and the culprit are hiding, and fight him in that castle with his high-level NPC associates.
You could use bits and pieces of it to add to WoTI, but as a whole storyline, this adventure has the gods guiding the PCs, while in WoTI, most Immortals are unaware of the manipulation of Hel.
The death knight encounter is very good, but it is very similar to the high level warrior seeking redemption in the final battle of WoTI. On the other hand, a death knight helping the PCs might make a difference in getting through that deathtrap at the end of WoTI alive.