Tell Me About Oards.... - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Tell Me About Oards....

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Shroomy
Jan 30, 2007 21:31:13 I have AC9 and I've always been intrigued by the oards. I have only vague memories of CM6, so I was hoping someone could fill in some of the details or backstory provided by that module. Thanks.
#2
Cthulhudrew
Jan 31, 2007 0:26:54 The Oards are a race of technologically advanced humanoids that are grown/cloned not bred and come from the future. In order to ensure their existence in the future, they traveled into the past of Aelos (the world in CM6) at several integral points in the world's history in order to attempt to prevent the development of magic and introduce technology.

As with many time travel stories, it really doesn't make a lot of sense on its face, since if their existence came about through their own intervention in history then they shouldn't have been able to come into existence in the first place. It's that whole "Bill and Ted/Mobius Loop" time travel theory that allows for it ("Hey! It was me who stole my dad's keys!"). But that same time loop is violated by the nature of the module (wherein the adventurers prevent said history from happening), so one way or the other it's a paradox.

In any case, the Oards are essentially the Borg before there were ever Borg. Darn you Star Trek for stealing D&D ideas!!!!
#3
ripvanwormer
Jan 31, 2007 1:00:22 On the Vaults of Pandius, or perhaps somewhere else, someone was theorizing that Mystara could have its own oards hailing from the magicless future created by the curse of the Nucleus of the Spheres. The time travel quest suggested in The Principalities of Glantri to destroy the Nucleus could be opposed by oards.

There's less paradox in that version.
#4
Shroomy
Jan 31, 2007 8:15:04 Do oards use any other types of technology beyond those described in the AC9 monster entry? Also, what, if any, types of monsters associate with them?
#5
havard
Jan 31, 2007 8:39:32
Do oards use any other types of technology beyond those described in the AC9 monster entry? Also, what, if any, types of monsters associate with them?

I think Meks would work very well with Oards. Blackmoor tech is probably appropriate as well.

I considered having Oards from the time of the peak of the Blackmoor Era who, for some reason were unable to travel back in time, but had made it as far into the future as AC1000. They might also be interested in investigating Blackmoor artifacts, the Radience etc.

Havard
#6
yellowdingo
Jan 31, 2007 19:55:40 The oards are a funny one. Probably worthy of their own Gazetter. Probably gnomes devoted to the technology who have altered their own evolution to be taller - who knew?

"I knew we shouldnt have given that gnome the Blackmoorean blaster as a gift."-Cyrus Finepenny, Halfling adventurer, when confronted with an Ooard invasion fleet over the Shires.

The oards are very big on infiltration. You might never know that the gnome inventor of King Stephan's Cannon (Mad Mary?-I believe that was what the Dragon Magazine article called it) and gunpowder was an Oard. That would be like waking up tomorrow and finding out that Leonardo Davinci was an Oard.

And for those folks who look at the timetravel paradox, You might want to look at string theory. Its all about possibility bandwidth: One reality imposing itself on another by simply dominating that reality through greater possibility bandwidth. Paradox be damned.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Shroomy Jan 30, 2007 21:31:13	I have AC9 and I've always been intrigued by the oards. I have only vague memories of CM6, so I was hoping someone could fill in some of the details or backstory provided by that module. Thanks.
#2 Cthulhudrew Jan 31, 2007 0:26:54	The Oards are a race of technologically advanced humanoids that are grown/cloned not bred and come from the future. In order to ensure their existence in the future, they traveled into the past of Aelos (the world in CM6) at several integral points in the world's history in order to attempt to prevent the development of magic and introduce technology. As with many time travel stories, it really doesn't make a lot of sense on its face, since if their existence came about through their own intervention in history then they shouldn't have been able to come into existence in the first place. It's that whole "Bill and Ted/Mobius Loop" time travel theory that allows for it ("Hey! It was me who stole my dad's keys!"). But that same time loop is violated by the nature of the module (wherein the adventurers prevent said history from happening), so one way or the other it's a paradox. In any case, the Oards are essentially the Borg before there were ever Borg. Darn you Star Trek for stealing D&D ideas!!!!
#3 ripvanwormer Jan 31, 2007 1:00:22	On the Vaults of Pandius, or perhaps somewhere else, someone was theorizing that Mystara could have its own oards hailing from the magicless future created by the curse of the Nucleus of the Spheres. The time travel quest suggested in The Principalities of Glantri to destroy the Nucleus could be opposed by oards. There's less paradox in that version.
#4 Shroomy Jan 31, 2007 8:15:04	Do oards use any other types of technology beyond those described in the AC9 monster entry? Also, what, if any, types of monsters associate with them?
#5 havard Jan 31, 2007 8:39:32	Do oards use any other types of technology beyond those described in the AC9 monster entry? Also, what, if any, types of monsters associate with them? I think Meks would work very well with Oards. Blackmoor tech is probably appropriate as well. I considered having Oards from the time of the peak of the Blackmoor Era who, for some reason were unable to travel back in time, but had made it as far into the future as AC1000. They might also be interested in investigating Blackmoor artifacts, the Radience etc. Havard
#6 yellowdingo Jan 31, 2007 19:55:40	The oards are a funny one. Probably worthy of their own Gazetter. Probably gnomes devoted to the technology who have altered their own evolution to be taller - who knew? "I knew we shouldnt have given that gnome the Blackmoorean blaster as a gift."-Cyrus Finepenny, Halfling adventurer, when confronted with an Ooard invasion fleet over the Shires. The oards are very big on infiltration. You might never know that the gnome inventor of King Stephan's Cannon (Mad Mary?-I believe that was what the Dragon Magazine article called it) and gunpowder was an Oard. That would be like waking up tomorrow and finding out that Leonardo Davinci was an Oard. And for those folks who look at the timetravel paradox, You might want to look at string theory. Its all about possibility bandwidth: One reality imposing itself on another by simply dominating that reality through greater possibility bandwidth. Paradox be damned.