One of my players is starting to turn his notes from our campaign into an online journal. Here is a link to the first entry. Feel free to encourage him.
http://trevelyngravie.blogspot.com/2004/06/11th-nuwmont-new-friends-for-old-man.html
Regards and Best Wishes,
Donald Eric Kesler
Originally posted by Lucus_Boneburner
Hello,
One of my players is starting to turn his notes from our campaign into an online journal. Here is a link to the first entry. Feel free to encourage him.
http://trevelyngravie.blogspot.com/2004/06/11th-nuwmont-new-friends-for-old-man.html
It was fun read. I wish my players would do something like that. We have tried some times, but it tends to die off after a while. Still, I have found that encouraging players to do campaign-related stuff outside the game can really contribute to the game, as long as it doesnt begin to feel like a chore...
Havard
http://mystara.home.comcast.net/characters.htm
P.S. Very good journal, I really like it. Plan on reading it everytime there's an update.
by Havard
It was fun read. I wish my players would do something like that. We have tried some times, but it tends to die off after a while. Still, I have found that encouraging players to do campaign-related stuff outside the game can really contribute to the game, as long as it doesnt begin to feel like a chore...
I enjoyed it too - well done. I'm trying to get one my players to take over a column in our campaign newsletter called "The Story Thus Far... or, We Did What?". I got the idea from an old Dragon Magazine and thought I'd give it try - I love doing it up and the players love reading them.
Called it the "PC's Hear-Say" because it contains things the PCs both hear and say (players write articles for it as well). We put in things like background info on various people and places, news and rumours the characters hear, legends, etc. To encourge them to write-up stuff, I offer two different cards; the Karma Kard which allows them to reroll one of their character's rolls, and the Doom Deference card which they can use to make me reroll one of my rolls.
The trick is to always keep it fun and not under pressure. And Lucus, tell your player to keep it up, very good! (rewards help too ;) )
I really like the idea of an in character reward for an out of character action that enrichs the game for everyone. I'll have to give that some further thought. I don't want to give his character the moon and the stars, but I do want to give him something nice for his efforts.
The cards sound neat, but they seem a bit too potent. Of course, during one evening of play there is a whole lot of dice that get rolled. Maybe one reroll per session should not upset things too much. What does everyone else think?
Regards and Best Wishes,
Donald Eric Kesler
Originally posted by Lucus_Boneburner
Maybe one reroll per session should not upset things too much. What does everyone else think?
First: Interesting story - let us know when there are new episodes to read.
Second: About the re-rolls, I run a group of players and their cleric casts Tanil's Touch on all of them as a rutine. That gives each character in the group one extra roll (not a re-roll) of their choice / week of game-time.
Furthermore, the cleric himself has Luck Domain and gets a re-roll from that. So far, it has never unbalanced the game, but since the players usually use the extra rolls and re-rolls to save them from difficult poison saves etc. it has actually saved them from getting the whole party killed a few times. :D
:-) Jesper
Let me know if you like it (or not!) :D
:-) Jesper
Heroes of Mystara
A campaign journal from the spring of 2002
Prologue
Lunadain 15th, Klarmont, the Year 1000 after Crowning
Wulfgar jolted up in his sleep and looked around. The forest was quiet and in the camp everyone was sleeping except for trusty old Whitemane, who had the watch. The dwarf looked at him inquisitively, but Wulfgar dismissed his attention with a wave of his hand. He scratched his armpit and looked up at the clear, full moon above the woods of Machetos. Wulfgar was as brave as warriors come, but he still felt a chill run down his spine when he thought of the werewolf that had wounded him in these woods just three weeks past. If the priests in Kerendas had not been able to cure him of lycanthropy he would have been running, howling, mad with the burning blood this very night… He pushed the thought aside and lay down to rest again.
In the grass next to him lay the half-elf Thaminor sleeping, his bow and arrows ready in case they were attacked during the night. They were still a good way from the crossing at Blackpoint and Rugalov but even on this side of the river there were supposedly many dangerous creatures lurking about in the forest at night. It did not seem to disturb the half-elf’s sleep, however, as he lay dreaming with a smile on his youthful face.
Whitemane, so aptly named for the snowy whiteness of his hair and beard, put another piece of wood on the fire and looked around. Somewhere in the woods an owl was howling. He stood up and turned his back to the campfire and looked out into the darkness. Compared to most places he had travelled to over the years, this bit of road was quiet and dull. The imperial patrols kept the coastal road safe for merchants and other travellers and it was really not until they reached the other side of the river and crossed into the Grand Duchy of Karameikos that he expected any action. When he turned, the dwarf saw Ikaros Ilfamion, the party’s wizard, dreaming in his sleep and hugging the sack that contained his most prized possession; his spellbook. When they had first met on the riverboat coming down the Hillfollow River from Duke’s Road Keep to Penhaligon, Whitemane had been most inclined to toss the Glantrian overboard. But that was almost two months ago and since then the dwarf had learned if not to like his company then at the very least to appreciate the wizard’s usefulness in battle. Besides, Ikaros had surprised him. Sure, he was just as crazy for power as any other damned conjurer but he seemed to have a respect for other people and other races that most of his countrymen lacked.
The horses were standing quietly nearby. Petja had tied their legs together with a short piece of rope. They could move around and eat but would not stray too far. Petja, what a character! The old dwarf smiled when he remembered their first meeting at a jeweler’s store in Kelvin a couple of months back. Thaminor, Wulfgar, Ikaros and himself had returned from an expedition into the wild woods south of the moor and Petja had attached himself to their party to take care of their horses on the way to Specularum. Once in the capital, the young Traladaran had proven himself to be most useful in a fight and his dubious contacts in the underworld had helped when the party had undertaken looking for the missing assistant of Kathkallan Halonica and his vanilla contracts. In the end, they ended up fighting a band of Vipers – thugs and thieves from the port city of Athenos in Darokin – who apparently worked for someone wishing the House of Halonica ill.
Petja was sleeping restfully, probably dreaming of the tempting harlots in the Street of Dreams in Specularum or some other pleasurable place. Whitemane liked the young fellow a lot, although he never cared to show it much, and he only wished that Petja would put aside that flimsy rapier, he always carried, and pick up a real man’s weapon one day…
Chapter 1:
An unnerving visit from the past
A cloud was drifting lazily across the sky and blocking the light of the full moon when Whitemane suddenly heard a noise, like a startled animal, in the forest. Fully alert, he picked up his great battleaxe and stepped away from the firelight of the camp and peered into the woods. Some fifty yards away he could see a strange aura of purple and white light coming closer. Quickly, he woke up his companions, first Wulfgar, then Thaminor, Petja and Ikaros. In moments, they had donned weapons and armour and turned to face the approaching light. They stood hiding behind the trees as the strange aura came closer.
‘Whatever it is, it’s magic’, said Ikaros. Although there had been little doubt in his mind, the Glantrian wizard had just mumbled a spell of detection to be sure. ‘By Thor, whoever is behind this foul sorcery shall taste my axe’, Wulfgar said grimly as he clenched his greataxe with both hands. ‘Let’s not be hasty. It doesn’t seem threatening’, Thaminor said with an arrow ready on his bow. None of the others had noticed Petja slipping away into the darkness of the woods.
The bright light stopped some twenty feet away from the edge of their camp and out of the swirling mass of purple and white light stepped the translucent figure of a man dressed in robes. His face was old and wrinkled, his beard long almost to his waist and his eyes narrow and full of purpose. A gasp of horror as well as surprise eluded Ikaros’ mouth as he stared at the ghostly figure. ‘Master!’ he said and slowly bowed his head. Wulfgar felt the urge to attack, as he always did when foul sorcery was involved, but he kept back, as did Thaminor, Whitemane and Petja.
‘Yes, apprentice, it is I’, the ghostly figure said in a deep, booming voice. ‘But how can this be? You are dead!’ Ikaros said in a voice that revealed his fear of his former teacher and tormentor. ‘Yes, thank you for pointing that out’ the ghost said viciously. ‘I have returned from the grave to avenge a grave injustice done to me’. ‘Re-really?’ Ikaros stuttered. ‘Well, it sounds like you got your hands full then. I’ll just get out of your way. Best of luck!’ ‘NOT SO FAST!’ the ghostly apparition bellowed. ‘I have a matter that needs taking care of and YOU are the one who is going to take care of it!’ ‘Really?’ Ikaros said and swallowed hard, ‘well of course, Master. Let me just gather my things and I’ll be ready in a minute’. Quickly, he walked to the campsite and began packing his bags. ‘What are you doing?’ Wulfgar inquired. ‘Who is that guy?’ ‘It is Palando, my former teacher and master’, Ikaros said. ‘I thought he died long ago but apparently he was able to cheat death somehow’. ‘You’re not going with him, are you?’ Wulfgar asked astonished. ‘I don’t have a choice – not if I want to avoid finding out what spending eternity as a zombie cleaning out the dungeons feels like, anyway. I am not asking you to come with me’, Ikaros said. ‘The hell you aren’t’ Thaminor replied. ‘You’d have to be mad to think we would let you go with him alone - wherever it is you’re going’.
The party quickly gathered their packs and other equipment from the campsite. Palando was waiting by a magical portal that he had somehow produced and Petja decided it was better to cut the horses loose and let them run free than to force them into the portal to whatever hellish destination might wait beyond. One by one, they followed Ikaros’ undead master through the swirling purple light and once again the woods fell quiet…
Chapter 2:
Palando’s task
Although it was well into the middle of summer, the characteristic blue pinewoods of the mountains of Boldavia were still covered in a thick blanket of snow. This high up, the only sound in the chill night air was the howling of a faraway pack of wolves, their voices intensifying with the fullness of the moon. A lonely white hare was jumping through the snow, quietly trying to get to the leaves and plants underneath it. Suddenly, a bright light flashed some ten feet above the ground and as the hare ducked for cover the air echoed the screams of a man falling to the ground; ‘Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt!’ With a muffled thump, he landed hard in the snow. He had barely had time to put his brown fur cap back on his red-haired head and wipe the snow from his moustache and beard before loud cursing in dwarvish signalled the arrival of the first of his companions above him. In a moment, Whitemane, Thaminor, Petja and Wulfar were all rolling around in the snow on the mountainside, cursing loudly, while Ikaros got to his feet and looked around. ‘By the teachings of Rad, I am back’, he sighed. ‘Crap!’
He had spent the last two years getting as far away from Boldavia as he could, and now he was right back were it all started. He remembered the days of his apprenticeship at the tower of Palando and how the evil old necromancer had tormented him and his fellow apprentices. One by one, they had given up – or disappeared mysteriously in the dark vaults beneath the tower – and only he remained. Ikaros had long suspected his master of trafficking with fiends and leading a decadent and depraved life with lots of wine and the company of succubi for his pleasures. And then, one day, it had apparently been too much for his heart and Ikaros had found the old devil sitting stiffly in a chair, his eyes wide open and a mad grin on his face.
For a few days Ikaros had entertained the idea of claiming the tower for himself but his magic was too weak to bypass Palando’s wards to his study and library. Instead, Ikaros set about exploring parts of the lower levels of the tower but quickly learned that some manor of little devils lived down there so he decided to leave that alone as well.
Somehow, word reached Rymskigrad that Palando had died and, unknown to Ikaros, Palando apparently had a lot of debt in different places. For within a week of the old bugger’s demise a horde of debt-collectors were at the gates and started taking everything they could. When Ikaros tried to stop them, he was kicked out into the snow with little else than his spellbook and the clothes on his back. Hungry and frightened he had made his way south to Estoniarsk and from there to Bramyra and on to Trintan and later Darokin.
Now he was back and, as his companions rose to their feet, he looked around for trace of his master’s ghost. Through the quiet nighttime woods, Palando’s glowing figure came strolling towards them. He stopped next to Ikaros and pointed into the valley below. ‘Below us is the town of Rymskigrad’, he said, ‘and the house of that greedy swine, Fyodor Ilyaevich, who pillaged my tower’. Ikaros remembered the wine merchant Fyodor, whom Palado apparently had owed a great deal of money. ‘When Fyodor’s goons looted my study, they took my magical staff’, Palando’s ghostly visage continued. ‘I want it back’.
Chapter 3:
House call
It was near dawn when the party of adventurers made it to the gates of Rymskigrad. There was no snow in the valley but the wheels of the carts bringing fresh vegetables into the town still sank heavily into the sticky mud. The group followed the peasants to the local marketplace and searched around for a tavern to get some breakfast. When they arrived at the The Broken Mug the owner was still busy removing the shudders from the windows and taking down vines of garlic hung there during the night. They had a hearty meal of greasy fried potato pancakes and the strong local beverage, also made from potatoes, which fell much in Wulfgar’s and Whitemane’s liking.
After breakfast they decided to rest for a few hours before seeing Fyodor Ilyaevich and got a couple of rooms. When they were rested, the party donned their arms and armour and went to pay a visit to the wine merchant. Ikaros had no idea how he was going to pay the outrageous sum that Fyodor would no doubt ask for the staff, but he was fairly sure that if trading the staff for a number of services would not do, young Petja would probably help him steal it. Whatever they did, they had to be sure not to attract the attention of Morphail Gorevitch-Wozlany – the dark prince of Boldavia, whose castle cast its evil shadow over the lives of everyone in the town. Although most Glantrians believed Morphail to be the young descendant of a long line of Boldavian princes that had ruled these forsaken mountains in the past three centuries, deep down in their hearts the fearful subjects of Boldavia knew the awful truth.
The group was admitted into Fyodor’s presence just as he was getting ready to have his own breakfast: slightly salted salmon eggs on toast, a local speciality, and a chilled glass of New Averoigne champagne. The fat merchant wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked inquisitively at the group – especially the dwarf, which was not a common site in the principalities of Glantri.
‘My lord’, Ikaros began, ‘we represent a certain party who has taken an interest in the belongings of the mage Palando. I understand that you took possession of most of his household when he died and we are here to conduct a trade’. Fyodor’s eyes narrowed as he watched the party carefully but he did not seem to recognize the former apprentice of his debtor. ‘That is almost two years ago’, he said carefully, ‘most of it I have sold on to other parties. What, in particular, holds your interest?’ Ikaros could feel his heart sink as he replied ‘my employer has sent me to bargain for a staff taken from Palando’s study. A black staff, adorned with golden runes and symbols, about six feet in height’. ‘Well, then I am afraid you are too late’ Fyodor said. ‘I sold that staff in the spring. I already had a… coat hanger you see’. The fat merchant smiled as he saw the hopes wane on the party’s faces. ‘But for a small sum I might ask my accountant to look up who I sold it to’, he added.
Ikaros reached into a pocket in his coat - unlike most wizards he did not wear a robe - and pulled out a purse with 25 Lucin, the gold coin of imperial Thyatis. Immediately, a servant stepped up to him and received the purse and brought it to Fyodor who was still sitting behind his breakfast table. Smiling, the wine merchant looked inside and with a grin he said ‘I sold it to the wizard Balagarn, who lives up high in the northern mountains of the barony of Pavlova. If you feel like a walk you should be there in four or five days. My shop can sell you all the supplies you may need’.
Next chapter: Beware the dog!
Originally posted by Lawless
Good one Spellweaver. Reads more like a story than a journal but it's good. They group comes a across as a down on their luck types, not taking themselves too seriously. So who does the dog bite?
Thanks Lawless! :D
You're right, it is a story more than a journal because I, the DM, is writing it. I have tried to include the thoughts and feelings of the characters as I know them, but I admit some of it is just artistic freedom *LOL*
I'll continue writing on the stories from time to time, as long as people seem to enjoy them and/or I am having fun writing them.
Chapter 4:
Beware the dog!
Loshdain 20th, Klarmont, the Year 1000 after Crowning
‘Ouch! By all the blasted goblins!’ It was the third time in one afternoon that Whitemane had tripped over the bending root of a tree underneath the snow. ‘Does summer never come in this cursed country?’ he asked angrily as he wiped the snow off his clothes. ‘I like it’, Wulfgar said as he gave the dwarf a hand up. ‘It reminds me of back home’. Behind them Thaminor was hard pressed to conceal a broad grin at the Whitemane’s clumsiness.
Ikaros looked back over his shoulder and smiled. He didn’t take offence at what Whitemane said about his native land. It was understandable given the fate his people had suffered at the hands of Glantrians two centuries before. Still, it was a long time to carry a grudge but the memory of dwarves is like a rock in a river. It only changes slowly.
In the front, Petja was scouting the way to Balagarn’s tower. They had been travelling for four days since Rymskigrad through muddy valleys and snow-covered mountains. Last night they had stayed at a little village in the valley below them and the local Boldavians had told them that Balagarn’s tower was at the end of a gorge up the mountainside. They had also warned the party. Apparently, Balagarn lived alone except for a few servants and kept to himself. But two nights before they had seen strange flashes of light and heard howling, thunderous noises from the mountain. Nobody had dared to investigate.
Petja was excited to be in the lead. This was very different from committing puny crimes for the guild around the docks in Specularum. He was finally out there – experiencing adventures! If he hadn’t been daydreaming, Petja would probably have been more alert and noticed the dark shadows skulking alongside them behind big boulders of rock. They had reached the entrance of the gorge with steep cliffs on either side and started moving into the narrow passage when a shout of warning from Wulfgar got Petja’s attention. A second before it was too late, he ducked out of the way of a huge beast-like shape that jumped down from the top of a nearby rock. Whirling around on the ground, a dagger in his hand, he saw it was an enormous black dog with long, unkempt fur and terrible eyes that glowed with an infernal red light in the dimness of the gorge.
Thaminor and Wulfgar had both spotted the huge dog just before it jumped Petja and reached for their bows and arrows. As Ikaros prepared to release a spell and Whitemane moved forward with his trusted battleaxe in hand, another black dog appeared on their left flank. It snarled fiendishly and then breathed a long cone of flames at Whitemane, who immediately dove for cover.
‘Whoa!! Good doggy!’ Petja said as he fought to get back on his feet. A low, growling sound from the creature’s throat erupted in a roar as it breathed flames and death at the hapless thief. A second later it reared back with one of Thaminor’s arrows imbedded in its neck. ‘Petja, hold on!’ Wulfgar shouted as he charged to the rescue with his greataxe.
Whitemane quickly got to his feet and as the hellish hound jumped down to bite him he hit it squarely in the face with his axe. ‘Take that! You fiendish cur!’ he shouted. Ikaros completed his incantations and let fly an arrow of magical energy at Whitemane’s opponent, which roared in pain from the blows.
Calm and cool, Thaminor knocked another arrow, took aim and let it fly with deadly precision at the dog facing Whitemane and Ikaros. It hit it in the side of the chest but the beast still lived…
‘Cripes!’ Petja thought as he continued to dodge the snapping bites of his adversary. ‘Talk about bad breath!’
At the same moment Wulfgar came running over rocks and stones and leapt from a boulder towards the beast. ‘Odin!’ he shouted as he dove through the air with his great Northman’s axe gripped in both hands above his head. When he came down on the hound, he struck it in the spine behind the head and it cringed away in pain.
In a matter of moments it was all over. The handywork of Wulfgar’s and Whitemane’s axes quickly finished the beasts off, while they only inflicted minor wounds on the warriors with their claws and fangs.
As they stood around the carcases, catching their breath and putting bandages on the wounds, Petja spoke: ‘I have never seen guard dogs that could breathe fire like that. He could have put a sign up, if he didn’t want guests!’ ‘Those were no ordinary dogs, my friend’ Ikaros said. ‘Not even by Glantrian wizardly standards. If I am not very much mistaken, these were Hell Hounds – evil planar monsters brought to our world for some dark purpose’. ‘Really?’ Whitemane said. ‘Well, remind me to repay dear Balagarn for his hospitality!’ he added while he felt the edge of Skullsplitter, his trusted axe.
They gathered up their packs and continued warily into the gorge.
Next time: Too late
Too late
Walking the length of the gorge took about forty minutes and then the group came to a small, secluded valley a few hundred yards across. At the far end they could see what appeared to be the smouldering ruins of a tower and a cottage next to it. The ground was scorched around it and pieces of flagstones and timber from the roof were scattered in a wide area as if the tower had exploded from within.
‘Hello?’ Ikaros cried out as they approached with caution. ‘Anybody home?’
‘Looks like we’re too late’ Petja said, as he kicked a piece of rubble. ‘Maybe ol’ Balagarn suffered an accident while he was trying to teach his pups to roll over or something and the roof caught fire?’
‘Naw, this is something else’ Whitemane said. ‘Look at the way everything is scattered. His tower blew up, I bet. Maybe he dabbled in alchemy. I hear that’s a pretty common way for wizards to go’ he chuckled smilingly. Next to him Thaminor was listening intensely to catch a sound of birds or animals. But all was quiet like a grave…
When they reached the base of the tower they could see that not much was left. The tower and cottage had burned out in a fire but there was nothing left to explain the apparent explosions. The party decided to rest and salvaged whatever they could from the tower for firewood. It was Petja who first heard a noise in the rubble of the cottage. He went closer with a torch and his rapier drawn.
‘Be careful Petja! It could be one more of those Hell Hounds’ Wulfgar said as he strained to see into the darkness. ‘I don’t think so’, Petja said, and continued: ‘you can come out. We don’t mean you any harm. We have food. Surely you must be hungry?’
A moment later, a twisted iron plate was pushed aside from within to reveal a small storage room beneath the kitchen floor and a dirty, ragged man crawled out. ‘Don’t hurt me!’ he cried. ‘I’m just an old man!’ ‘Relax, old-timer, we won’t hurt you. Can you tell us what happened here? Who are you?’ Petja asked. ‘My name is Mikhail and I was the servant of the mage Balagarn, who lived here’ the sooth-covered man replied. ‘Three days ago my master received strange visitors, suntanned men with strange foreign accents. My master grew pale and nervous when he greeted them so I got the impression that he knew whom they were. They retreated to his private rooms at the top of the tower and after an hour I hear loud shouting. I ran outside as the top of the tower exploded in a burst of magical energies and coloured smoke. Hiding behind some rocks I saw the foreigners emerge from the burning tower and cottage with several of master Balagarn’s prized possessions and then they formed a circle and chanted and vanished into thin air. They left their terrible dogs behind, and I have been hiding from them for almost three days now’.
The party sat Mikhail down by their campfire and gave him food and wine and a blanket over his shoulders. As they questioned him further, they learned that there had been eight men to visit Balagarn. They had all been wearing the same white sleeveless tunics and white leather boots and bronze girdles, bracers and headbands decorated with red gemstones. Almost like a sort of uniform. Mikhail had heard them call their leader Zajimarn and amongst the things he had seen them take from Balagarn’s tower were also Palando’s magical staff.
‘Well’, Petja said, looking around at the ruined tower, ‘I am no expert on mages’ business, but it sounds to me like ol’ Balagarn crossed the wrong people and got visited by a hit squad’. ‘So how in all the Hells do we find them now?’ Whitemane asked. ‘We have to think’, Ikaros replied. ‘We know they wore light clothes and were suntanned. We know they had foreign accent like men of the southern or eastern kingdoms. And we know they wore uniforms so they must belong to an order or society of some kind’. ‘But they could be anywhere by now!’ Wulfgar protested. ‘How in Odin’s name are we supposed to find the staff now?’ ‘I don’t know’, Ikaros sighed, ‘but I better think of something ‘cause I don’t wanna spend the rest of eternity washing socks for some ****** off ghost’.
The next morning the party accompanied Mikhail to the village and headed back to Rymskigrad.
Next chapter: An unlikely meeting
http://mystara.home.comcast.net/
If anyone is interested, you can find it here:
Broken Lands Story Hour
New updates are posted here(and later moved to the forum):
Gaming Website
Look for the Broken Lands Updates.
Originally posted by Graywolf-ELM
I like the story format as well as the Journal format. If any of my players did a Journal, I'd have to find a way to encourage it as well. So far each has participated a little in the story I am writing of their adventures.
If anyone is interested, you can find it here:
Broken Lands Story Hour
Cool, I really liked it!
:-) Jesper
I enjoyed it too - well done. I'm trying to get one my players to take over a column in our campaign newsletter called "The Story Thus Far... or, We Did What?". I got the idea from an old Dragon Magazine and thought I'd give it try - I love doing it up and the players love reading them.
Called it the "PC's Hear-Say" because it contains things the PCs both hear and say (players write articles for it as well). We put in things like background info on various people and places, news and rumours the characters hear, legends, etc. To encourge them to write-up stuff, I offer two different cards; the Karma Kard which allows them to reroll one of their character's rolls, and the Doom Deference card which they can use to make me reroll one of my rolls.
The trick is to always keep it fun and not under pressure. And Lucus, tell your player to keep it up, very good! (rewards help too ;) )
Any chance you would post an example here? I'd like to start up something similar, and am curious how others have done it. I'm considering an HTML format, so I can use some of the formating capabilites to lay it out like a newsletter. If you remember the Dragon Magazine number that would be nice as well. I have many back issues, and hunting through them would be a daunting task.
And anyone else that does one, I'd be interested to see an example.
Thanks,
GW
Graywolf-ELM
If you remember the Dragon Magazine number that would be nice as well. I have many back issues, and hunting through them would be a daunting task.
It took me a few minutes to it too, ;) but it's in Dragon #292, February 2002 issue. As for an example, I could try to post the content but the actual layout won't be the same (I use Microsoft Word with two columns of writting and pictures). I just gave the guys the "Super-Sized 10th Issue Anniversary" copy on Saturday (a whopping 7 pages! :D ). If I try this I'll start a new thread.
I just gave the guys the "Super-Sized 10th Issue Anniversary" copy on Saturday (a whopping 7 pages! :D ). If I try this I'll start a new thread.
Sounds awesome! I'd love to read it!
:-) Jesper
It took me a few minutes to it too, ;) but it's in Dragon #292, February 2002 issue. As for an example, I could try to post the content but the actual layout won't be the same (I use Microsoft Word with two columns of writting and pictures). I just gave the guys the "Super-Sized 10th Issue Anniversary" copy on Saturday (a whopping 7 pages! :D ). If I try this I'll start a new thread.
Cool, I hope you have the time. I'll be looking out for it.
GW
GW
The following was the first "article" I put in the first Hear-Say:
----------
"Welcome to the first of hopefully many more Campaign Newsletters that will supply to you the players both information and entertainment. Some of the purposes of the Hear-Say are to;
Help you as a player to get more familiar with your campaign world and to understand some of the things that your characters are aware of.
Have a chance to learn of rumours and news events from other places without having to spend session time to learn (especially since not all rumours and news are true!).
Learn of NPCs that are famous or infamous; or just plain note-worthy enough that the PCs heard someone talking about him.
Propose possible rules changes or additions, allowing the players to think about and contribute thoughts on.
Promote character development through “player projects”. The family trees that were done are an example of this type of goal.
Have some Fun and Humour!
A very important element to this concept is player feedback and input. I want to really focus on the interests of this group so let me know what they are!
Just in case you didn’t catch the word-play of the title, it’s a play on hearsay, which means a report, rumour, common talk, generally given second-hand; which also means that some of this information will be false or only half-truths! However this campaign newsletter is about more than what the PCs hear, it’s also about what the PCs say.
Hopefully, we’ll have one of these newsletters every few weeks/sessions at a minimum.
[here I placed a pic I scanned from the WotI adventure]
This is Edgar, the glowing-blue boy “Crackle”.
(NOTE: This newsletter is not all original work!)"
-------------
To give an idea of what kind of things I put in the newsletter here's a list:
Issue #1 - I first used the Hear-Say to give the players more of a feel for Mystara as two of the three had never played in it before and really knew nothing about it.
- "Where the He11 Am I Now!" - I did an "article" about Darokin, since that's where the PCs were at the time, using info quoted and paraphrased from the gaz.
- "Whadda Ya Mean, Odin Sucks?!" - One of the PCs is a cleric of Odin and "Odin sucks" was an IG running joke. I used this to further explain the players the difference between "gods" (what they were used to), and Mystara's Immortals. I actual started it by using "The Nature of the Immortals" by Emilio the Great from K:KoA but modified it as though it was two characters from our party talking. Then I gave a bit of info on some of the Immortals followed in the lands they've been in.
- "Did You Hear the One About...?" - This is the News and Rumours section were I put in various tid bits of things that may be going on in the world around the PCs. This is a lot of fun because I get to lie.. somewhat ;).
- "Coins of Darokin" - I scanned the pics of the Darokin coins from the gaz to give the players a visual, and add some colour.
- Lastly, I traced the outline of the Known World map from the RC and re-drawn (I don't think that's a word
) it by hand in the same style as the one from the Lord of the Ring movies. This was a "trader's map" that the PCs had purchased and only had the names of cities, mountain ranges, forests, large bodies of water, etc.. When one of the players asked why there are no national borders on the map, I responded with "borders move from time to time, mountains, not so much".That was the first issue. I got a little better at it with each issue. Some of the other things included in other issues were:
- A series called "The Known World: What Do We Know?". It gave info about the nations of the Known World that the characters would know.
- Players wrote things in it as well. One wrote a conversation between his two characters and my DMPC that was great!
- A player poll that I got the idea from a Dragon mag to see which elements of an RPG they liked to have emphasized, skimmed over, or just at normal levels. It helped in planning the campaign.
- Player Pojects for character development and to incorporate into the game.
- Another player has an ongoing story called "Orin's Tale" about a young lad's growing up in Vestland that his characters knew.
- NPC entries of those that we've met. Good for referencing and mental refreshers.
- "The Story Thus Far" is like a campaign log in short story fashion.
- I also use stuff from any of the Mystaran books that I have like the "What Everyone Knows" sections of gazeetters to the events in the WotI adventure and the Almanacs.
Sorry, didn't think I'd go that long. Hope it gives you some ideas and if anyone does decide to start up something like this, my only advice is to have fun doing it, I have.
...
Sorry, didn't think I'd go that long. Hope it gives you some ideas and if anyone does decide to start up something like this, my only advice is to have fun doing it, I have.
No problem. I appreciate the ideas. I'll post a link to the one I come up with for our group. I am considering doing it in html. Then I can post it, E-mail it, and print it. You've got some good points I'm going to yoink and modify, as well as what I've read from the Dragon article.
If you want a place to post a couple of the newsletters as examples, there is room on our website, I'd be glad to put them there for you.
Thanks again,
GW
Sorry, didn't think I'd go that long. Hope it gives you some ideas and if anyone does decide to start up something like this, my only advice is to have fun doing it, I have.
Don't apologize, this is great inspiration!!
Can we pursuade you to post more of your Hear-Say? I'd especially love to see the rumours that you come up with - great for brainstorming for the rest of us!
I think my campaign needs a regular Hear-say as well. I am already looking forward to using the "what everyone knows" from the gaz and putting in colour pictures, oh boy oh boy!
:-) Jesper
Don't apologize, this is great inspiration!!
Can we pursuade you to post more of your Hear-Say? I'd especially love to see the rumours that you come up with - great for brainstorming for the rest of us!
I think my campaign needs a regular Hear-say as well. I am already looking forward to using the "what everyone knows" from the gaz and putting in colour pictures, oh boy oh boy!
:-) Jesper
I agree. I've just been posting random messages on our message board, and it doesn't seem to work as well, and some stuff gets missed. I'm already working on the foirst Broken Lands issue for my guys.
GW
GW
No problem. I appreciate the ideas. I'll post a link to the one I come up with for our group. I am considering doing it in html. Then I can post it, E-mail it, and print it. You've got some good points I'm going to yoink and modify, as well as what I've read from the Dragon article.
If you want a place to post a couple of the newsletters as examples, there is room on our website, I'd be glad to put them there for you.
Thanks again,
GW
I'm looking forward to seeing your newsletters as well; it'll no doubt help spawn some ideas for me too! Any chance that you'll be posting your's, Spellweaver. Unfortunately, I'm not very internet sauvy. I've got no clue about html or doing things on the internet (admitting this shamefully). I could just share some of the "articles" though I know seeing the layout would be more useful. And btw, thanks for the positive feedback; it's encouraging
and it feels good when your players are asking "Is the next Hear-Say ready yet?". Don't be surprised if they read the whole thing *before* beginning the game session!I'm looking forward to seeing your newsletters as well; it'll no doubt help spawn some ideas for me too! Any chance that you'll be posting your's, Spellweaver. Unfortunately, I'm not very internet sauvy. I've got no clue about html or doing things on the internet (admitting this shamefully). I could just share some of the "articles" though I know seeing the layout would be more useful. And btw, thanks for the positive feedback; it's encouraging
It would be great just to get the text! I am not an internet wiz either. For years I have wanted to create a website called the Shady Dragon Inn after the old D&D accessory. Like the accessory the website would contain NPC's that could be used in any campaign and combined via search engines into e.g. all-dwarf parties, all-level 6 parties, all-mage parties etc. etc. Oh well, now I have an NPC thread here instead :D
When I get around to doing the first Hear-Say for my campaign I'll post the text here, but it will take a month or more, I am afraid. I am trying to finish my thesis so my campaign is on hold right now
:-) Jesper
It would be great just to get the text! I am not an internet wiz either. For years I have wanted to create a website called the Shady Dragon Inn after the old D&D accessory. Like the accessory the website would contain NPC's that could be used in any campaign and combined via search engines into e.g. all-dwarf parties, all-level 6 parties, all-mage parties etc. etc. Oh well, now I have an NPC thread here instead :D
When I get around to doing the first Hear-Say for my campaign I'll post the text here, but it will take a month or more, I am afraid. I am trying to finish my thesis so my campaign is on hold right now
:-) Jesper
Hey, work and school always come first as far as I'm concerned; can't enjoy D&D unless you're able to make ends meet. But, I'm looking forward to seeing it. As for text from my own Hear-Say, here is some of the stuff that was in issue #1. Being the first one, I started each "article" with a description of what it was about and for; they were in [ ] brackets. Actually had a lot of fun just messing around with fonts and colours for the titles. Hmmm... anyway, here are some of the articles:
-----------
(The party was currently in Darokin and they found it very different from their homelands, namely Karameikos and Vestland)
“He who makes the gold makes the rules.”
“Peace is good for business. Dead men don’t buy your goods”
[Information articles such as this one are meant to flesh out in the player’s mind some of the things that their characters either already know or learn of in those times that we don’t actually role-play in a game session. Play can be improved when you better understand your environment.]
The Republic of Darokin is the most tolerant of foreigners of any nation in the Known World. This tolerance no doubt has its roots in Darokinian history, as people from almost every adjoining land have emigrated into Darokin at one time or another. This tolerance also has its roots in the Darokinians’ eagerness to sell their goods to anyone with ready cash, no matter what their nation of origin is or their beliefs. Indeed, some call Darokin the “Land of Leftovers” because of its tendency to accept all comers – as long as they have peace in their hearts, a willingness to work hard, and a little ready cash to spend.
Darokin is an easier place than many for foreigners to visit.. Many Darokins speak a foreign language or two; and as much as Thyatian is considered the common trade language, Darokinian is also becoming a fairly common trade language throughout the Known World and beyond.
They strive to make visitors feel welcome. Darokinians have learned that a happy neighbour is willing to buy your trade goods and doesn’t have any desire to attack you. Foreign visitors need have little fear of accidentally transgressing an unspoken code of behaviour and finding themselves at sword’s point!
Perhaps much of this attitude is due to the fact this nation is quite young, being founded in 927 AC by the “Great Houses”, of which there is currently nine. These merchant houses each have its own historic seat of power and economic niche in this smooth-running plutocracy.
--------------
(I did this article to give the players an idea of the nature of Immortals in Mystara. I used an IG "joke" that developed because the cleric of Odin was unable to cast spells on another character that was battling an internal demon - literally. Like I said, I used a part from the K:KoA book)
You heard me – Odin Sucks!
How can you say that? You don’t even know who or what “Odin” is!
Ah… I do so. He, ah, you know, gives you spell things – that don’t always work!
Odin happens to be my glorious Immortal Patron and it is him that I follow. He chooses what should be done, where, and at what time.
Oh, I see! Odin is one of the gods!
Gods? What are these… “gods”?
Beings of great power who meddle in the daily affairs of mortals, demand worship, and wreak havoc wherever they pass.
Goodness No! Odin is one of the Immortals!
Oh… What are these… “Immortals”?
Beings of great power who meddle in the daily affairs of mortals and wreak havoc wherever they pass. But they only occasionally demand worship.
Ah! I feel much better now.
The most powerful beings on Mystara are not even on Mystara; they live wherever they want and wield huge amounts of power. Legends tell of how in bygone ages they made the world their plaything, raising plateaus, craving craters, and banishing civilizations much as a house mistress rearranges her furnishings.
Some of the legends of old speak of powerful mortals who advanced well beyond their former peers and ascended mere mortality to become an Immortal with the power to create and destroy. This is a fascinating notion to those of ultimate ambition; however, it is well worth noting that it appears that most of the Immortals always have been.
(This was followed by brief descriptions of common Immortals the PCs would have known about)
--------------
[This is the title, so far, of the rumours and news article. Remember, hearsay is not always accurate!]
Chancellor Charles Mauntea celebrates his 50th birthday this year on Chancellor’s Day, Vatermont 23.
The King’s Road that travels south from Selenica into Karameikos through the Black Peak Mountains has been closed since sometime in Eirmont of last year (1003 AC). Both the Darokin and Karameikian governments have set up military posts preventing anyone from traveling the mountain pass. Although winter treks through this pass are generally not recommended in the least, it has never been closed by a show of force in this way. Speculations run wild depending who you talk to but a few knowledgeable folk whisper of a hostile force camped in the pass. Others have heard of an evil menace.
Vacchin has been caught by city and private guards in an attempt to kidnap the youngest son of Mendel Callister, head of Toney House which is one of the “Great Houses” of Darokin. It hasn’t been determined yet what the motive or purpose for the attempt was yet, however, Vacchin is likely to be found guilty and fined between 15000 and 25000 daros!
Clerics are illegal in the Principalities of Glantri. You think that’s scary, Dwarves are not legal either! They are chased out, killed, or captured and subjected to ghastly experiments (some say)! This all began when, in 802 AC, there was a gold rush in the Colossus Mounts. The Dwarves showed up from the east and formed armed and lawless bands. Plague struck the nation and the Dwarves were blamed for bringing it since they didn’t seem to suffer from it. The period after this is known as the Years of Infamy as the all-to-common dwarf-hunts occur.
Lake Amsorak’s fishing bounty has been lessening in resent years. Fishing crews from Akorros blame those from Akesoli, and vice versa, of over fishing. Some blame a curse from Itheldown Island that is getting stronger. Others still blame the stupid fish for not breeding fast enough!
----------------
Hope you enjoy and get some inspirations. As I've said before, I use material from many of my Mystara books.
:-) Jesper
Thanks for posting yours, it helped me get started on this.
GW
The Broken Voice
This is the first issue of the Broken Voice, Newsletter of the Broken Lands campaign. Regular articles are expected to be included according to their usefulness to players and enjoyment they give to reading. We hope to include player articles in the future, so the Rumorz –n- Tailz section will be long this issue.
Plants –n- Monsters
Here is a description of a fungus you can find in the underground caves around the Red Orcland Homelands. Filch snot-nose sergeant of King Thar’s horde explains:
Weepin’ fungi – “dis be big shroom dat groze onta mud. Branchz hang down, makin’ great places to hide an’ ambush enemiz. Weepin’ Fungi attracts monsters. Great fer huntin’. Watch out fer monsterz in duh branchz too. Branchz make good bowz, an’ arrowz.”
Whoz’ Who?
This article gives a little extra info. On a key figure in the Broken Lands.
Gynk Lip-Biter – This Orc is lieutenant in the Vile Runes tribe. He is a tough old Orc who has seen many battles. Garnash One-tusk recruited him at a Horde meeting, and has seen his tribes’ strength grow with strong and trained Orcs under Gynk’s tutelage. All members of the tribe get some training from Gynk who has levels in Barbarian, Fighter, and Rogue. Few in the tribe can match his skill at arms. He does not possess a desire to lead and enjoys the position of authority he has, and the perks that come along with it. A smart Orc would not talk-back to him, nor breathe word of disloyalty.
Every Orc Knowz
Every Orc should know this stuff.
The Broken Lands are divided among ten hordes under the powerful orcish chief, King Thar. Humanoid hordes are equivalent to human nations, each being under the horde chief’s command. Hordes break down into a multitude of autonomous tribes obeying the Horde chief, each containing several racial clans.(Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, Hobgoblins etc…)
Rumorz –n- Tails
- King Thar is possessed by a demon that causes him to act crazy and change his mind
- Kuo Toa warriors have taken up residence in Lake Gum, and have begun raiding in lower Red Orcland
- A Dragon has taken control of an Orc tribe
- The Seeress Megdlen can enchant armor for added strength and protection, for a price
- The Ogre Chieftain Butor, is seeking revenge upon the Vile runes tribe for killing his favored warband
- Ugoora Redscale, Queen of the Kobolds, has different mates, to increase the powers of her progeny
- An Elven war party is slowly making its way into Kobold lands to find a lost Elven temple
The Broken Voice Vol.1
The font is in ForgottenUncial, pretty cool to look at, if you have it. I was able to download it for my PC with a search at Google. Forgotten Uncial Download, Last on the page The link does not seem to work properly, but you can select page 13, and it is at the bottom of the page.
Issue #2 will be up tonight or tomorrow, just have to convert it.
GW
Broken Voice Issue 002
The Broken Voice Issue #2 is now up.
Broken Voice Issue 002
Very nice! I wish I could do HTML...
:-) Jesper
Very nice! I wish I could do HTML...
:-) Jesper
Ya, me too!
Very nice! I wish I could do HTML...
:-) Jesper
HTML is really not that hard. Just find a page that has been written manually (ie without a HTML program) and select View Source from the "View" menu. Then you can see how it is done. Making simple pages is easy. Making them look nice is trickier.
OTOH, you could just use a Web design program like FrontPage. That would allow you to set up a cool-looking web site in no time.
Good luck
Håvard
I either edit a text file, or use the Netscape composer. It is cool to be able to "view html" and borrow some cool things you see on other sites. This is just a basic table, with the webpage background of old paper behind it. I did have to do a search on Google to find the option to not repeat the image. Now that I have it done, I just have to swap out the text for each successive issue, and change the name.
GW
I either edit a text file, or use the Netscape composer. It is cool to be able to "view html" and borrow some cool things you see on other sites. This is just a basic table, with the webpage background of old paper behind it. I did have to do a search on Google to find the option to not repeat the image. Now that I have it done, I just have to swap out the text for each successive issue, and change the name.
GW
I gotta say your site looks really nice though!
Håvard
I gotta say your site looks really nice though!
Håvard
Are you talking about the Newsletter, or the snotling website? The Newsletter is very basic html. The Snotling website is done with PHPNuke, which is freely downloadable and run on a linux server. Awesome program using PHP, makes for a good news and forums site.
GW
Are you talking about the Newsletter, or the snotling website? The Newsletter is very basic html. The Snotling website is done with PHPNuke, which is freely downloadable and run on a linux server. Awesome program using PHP, makes for a good news and forums site.
I meant the newsletter. Like you said, pretty simple html, but simple can often be better than having too much stuff. And checking the source, now I too know how to avoid having background images repeat themselves ;)
What is the URL for the snotling site again?
Håvard
I meant the newsletter. Like you said, pretty simple html, but simple can often be better than having too much stuff. And checking the source, now I too know how to avoid having background images repeat themselves ;)
What is the URL for the snotling site again?
Håvard
Snotling Local Gaming Website
Anyone is welcome to visit.
GW
I've been doing my own homepage some years ago and I used Stone's Webwriter to do it. It has won several prizes for being the best freeware webdesigning tool using HTML, CSS, JAVA and other stuff like that as far as I recall...
Personally I don't know much about it, which actually only makes Stone's Webwriter stand out even more as being a good program, 'cause my webpage actually ended up looking pretty kewl... (At least I thought that).
I was also "hired" by my Tai Chi club to design their webpage, but it ended up being done by someone else. Which was cool with me though... I had tons of stuff I'd rather do, like writing stuff for roleplaying games ;)
Do a google search and im sure you'll find it!
Broken Voice Issue 003
The Broken Voice Issue #3 is now up.
Broken Voice Issue 003
I'm going to start posting notices of updates for this, in my Broken Lands story thread and stop hijacking this one. I look forward to reading any updates or other versions here as well.
GW
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/6239/index.html
The stories are divided into three books with 3-6 episodes each. Open the link to a book and click your "refresh" browser icon a few times to load the entire map. Click on the map to read the episodes.
I have only read parts of episode 1, book 1 so far but I'm already hooked :D
Oh, and if any of my players should be reading this: please don't read the journal as I might use it for campaign inspiration later on!
:-) Jesper