Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 21 Dec 2001 to 22 Dec 2001 (#2001-3) From: Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM> Date: 23/12/2001, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests <MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM> Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 6 messages totalling 272 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Claws of the Reptile (2) 2. Simple But Required Questions (2) 3. One Quick question 4. Technomancer Prestige Class ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 12:39:51 +0100 From: Francesco Defferrari <sturm@LIBERO.IT> Subject: Re: Claws of the Reptile > IMC, Thanatos plays a very special role. I have the Immortals lead by major > Hierarchs in Pandius in one side, the Outer Beings at another, and Thanatos, > altough accepted in Pandius, is a 3rd party of his own, trying to restore > the multiverse to its initial state. That'd mean release the Outer Beings > and destroy the Vortex Dimension, among other things. The OB were once his > worse enemies, but he doesn't care anymore. These artifacts are actually > part of a LONG term plan. He knew Nithia would be destroyed, but he wanted > it to produce one more artifact. Eventually, there will be enough power > prepared for the mortals or non-Path Immortals (like Rad and Rafiel) to take > part in Immortal politics and he will lead them to his big, master plan. > IMC, that means the next few decades everything will be happening. I like very much the alternative history of Thanatos written on the Mystaratome. IMC Thanatos is a major villain, because he killed the Dragon Goddess who ruled the Planes before the Old Ones... So IMC there is a bitter enmity between dragons and immortals, and a very ancient mage, a little immortal in truth who was a servant of the Goddess, who century after century, civilization after civilization, conspires against the Immortals, trying to kill his ancient enemy Thanatos. The name of that wizard is Gargantua :- ) Anyway, after the article on the Mystaratome i was tempted to change the role of Thanatos... maybe he is not so evil... maybe Gargantua was wrong... maybe there is more and more dark in Pandius :- ) I developed an intricate role for the Outer Beings too, because they driven Thanatos to kill the Goddess gaving him to understand that the murder was the only way to defeat the Outer beings themselves.. Anyway the murder of the Goddess created the new order of the immortals and the Old Ones. But i haven't developed yet the role of Synn... is she an ally of the Outer Beings ? is she an ally of Thanatos ? Or she want to kill Thanatos to revenge the Dragon Goddess ? I have to think about that... bye Francesco ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 13:22:54 -0200 From: Andre Martins <acrmartins@GLOBO.COM.BR> Subject: Re: Claws of the Reptile From: "Francesco Defferrari" <sturm@LIBERO.IT> > I like very much the alternative history of Thanatos written on the > Mystaratome. IMC Thanatos is a major villain, because he killed the Dragon > Goddess who ruled the Planes before the Old Ones... So IMC there is a bitter > enmity between dragons and immortals, and a very ancient mage, a little > immortal in truth who was a servant of the Goddess, who century after > century, civilization after civilization, conspires against the Immortals, > trying to kill his ancient enemy Thanatos. The name of that wizard is > Gargantua :- ) Anyway, after the article on the Mystaratome i was tempted to > change the role of Thanatos... maybe he is not so evil... maybe Gargantua > was wrong... maybe there is more and more dark in Pandius :- ) I developed > an intricate role for the Outer Beings too, because they driven Thanatos to > kill the Goddess gaving him to understand that the murder was the only way > to defeat the Outer beings themselves.. Anyway the murder of the Goddess > created the new order of the immortals and the Old Ones. But i haven't > developed yet the role of Synn... is she an ally of the Outer Beings ? is > she an ally of Thanatos ? Or she want to kill Thanatos to revenge the Dragon > Goddess ? I have to think about that... bye Thank you. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about Gargantua so far. He could play a role in this conflict, though, specially if he has been hiding and if he is one more non-Path Immortal. He'd be hunted by the elder Immortals and, if the Council of Intrusion detects him in the Prime, trouble would certainly follow. On the other hand, he might be assuming Mortal Identities and have a secluded home plane and that could be a valuable source of information. Hmmm, if I were to start an Immortal campaign right now, I'd have the new, naive Immortals assigned to serve the Council of Intrusion and then have them sent to dealt with "menaces" from non-Path Immortals. On the dark side of Pandius, I see them as able to sleep well at night, most of the time. Ixion, the leader of the reshaping of the multiverse and the betrayal of Thanatos (it might add some drama if Thanatos were actually his father, perhaps that is going too far), and one of the more active Immortals hunting for non-Path Immortals, see it as a lesser of two evils. If mortals were allowed to freely take the power of Immortals, war and suffering would follow. Among his elder friends, who know the history as well as him, he always reminds them of the Carnifex and all the pain that caused. So, he sees himself as promoting a greater Good. The problem would be his methods, rather than his intentions. Of course, those methods migt be highly questionable and considered evil on many occasions. And that'd be the darkness over Pandius, more and more as they have to accept any methods that will get the job done. Some of that work, however, wouldn't be so evil. They just make sure people fit their hierarchy. When someone is getting powerful enough to represent a problem, they show this person there is path to Immortality and if he is only good enough to succeed. If the candidate fails, it was not their fault. If the candidate succeeds, they were the ones to open the doors to Immortality, even when they were not and the candidate might have accomplished it by his own powers. I still have to figure out the role of the Shadow Dragons, as well. IMC, the Immortals and the dragons did have a war in the past, but they have reached an agreement and now are allies, altough that is not an easy alliance. The dragons were allowed to go on with their lives and even have some reverence from the other races, that allows them a special path to Immortality. On the other hand, rogue dragons, who show up themselves as gods to humanoid tribes, can not be protected by the draconic society, quite the contrary, and the dragons must refrain from meddling into the other creatures' affairs. And should never reveal what they know about how the Multiverse and Immortality works to everyone else. In the end, they will have to decide who are their real friends, but that's a decision they'll portpone for as long as possible (and it is most likely to depend on the PCs actions). ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 15:45:37 EST From: Alex Benson <Alex295@AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Simple But Required Questions >> What is the PS/Mystara crossover project? This is my current project. It is a sourcebook of a campaign that sees Planescape creatures used in the contemporary Mystaran Setting. Precedent for PS influence is in existance in canon and non-canon sources. Besides Mystara, I have an interest in Planescape, Ravenloft, and Battletech. I have tried to bring aspects of these four settings together when possible, plausible, and acceptable. This particular campaign is set in Glantri and offers the reader an opportunity to utilize some of the more exotic creatures used in PS while maintaining a difference between PS and Mystara. Ample background material is included to play the included adventure scenarios and play the PS participants. You won't be required to have any real experience with PS to be able to utilize the campaign. It's going to be big project and a big file(s) once it's done. I plan on including established adventures, adventure hooks, resource material, illustrations, diagrams, and so on. I'll probably host it at a site or something. I have no ETA for its completion. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 15:49:29 EST From: Alex Benson <Alex295@AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Simple But Required Questions thanks all for the pointers for the scale. WotI was the one that I did not check. I even have Wrath sitting within arm's reach of me. The truth is that I forgot that there was a mapped section of Glantri in it. Anyway...thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 13:44:37 -0800 From: Chris Furneaux <c_furneaux@YAHOO.COM> Subject: One Quick question Where does the eye of traldar belong so that it is safe? My PC's have it and want to restore it to it's rightful owner so they will not be hunted anymore... I know it is the seer of the lake of lost dreams but how are they to prevent it from being stolen again? They are getting close and I'm going to have to come up with something... Maybe I'll just have my good mage steal it with a timestop and take it out of their hands. Any ideas? Chris. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 18:44:41 -0500 From: SteelAngel <edeneau@ANTARES.PHYS.CLEMSON.EDU> Subject: Re: Technomancer Prestige Class On Fri, 21 Dec 2001, John Calvin wrote: > I'd like to see some feats (and possibly a few skills and classes) for a > "fantasized" techno society. I myself am working on something similar for my > hidden Blackmoor project. Those are in the works. When Dragonstar comes out, I'm sure I'll be able to adapt their "high tech" feats and skills to my Steampunk setting (Thimhallan). I have already started working on converting some of the feats from Star Wars. > What are these? I assume you have a few up your sleeve? ;) Yep, they are on their way! > I think I would limit this bonus for use on purely technomantic items only. That's a good idea. If they want to also create magical items of that type, they'd have to take the feat again (but who would want to?) > technomancer would then become a walking gizmo collection. Hastily constructed > gizmos might allow one to a few castings of a spell before being burned out, > but more expensive gadgets (or those that the technomancer spent much more time > on) might allow infinite castings much like a reusable focus. Ahh, i see you read minds too! As will be explained better when all of my stuff gets released, Technomancers don't use spellbooks or scrolls. Spellbooks are replaced by what would best be described as "e-books" and "scrolls" are little do-dads like spell batteries attached to widgets. > ore or some derivitive thereof. The later items should work normally since WS > ore is highly magic resistant, but the former items may have some chance of > failure or misfire. The Thimhallan Campaign setting is built out of a blackmoorish elven city, where there once was high technology a la the beagle and blackmoor proper. However, since the city has been taken over by Alphatian explorers, they have their own take on technology. Real Physics is alien to them, so they compensate with their magic. > three. I call it the Intefacer class. Interfacers have a way with constructs > (either purely magical or technomantic). I like these kind of powers, but I'm > not sure I would include them for a technomancer. Robots and constructs play a big part in thimhallan, so technomancers recive special training in dealing with them. It's a setting device, really. Though a technomancer from a different campaign may have different powers. your technomancer and dragonstar's technomancer probably would focus on different things. > Well, these are just some random thoughts. I hope you can make some use of > them. I'd like to see more technomancy rules. I'm going to put my own > together eventually, but it might be nice to collaborate a bit, if we can. Any fresh ideas are always a plus, thanks you for your insightful remarks :) Ethan -- Kinard 210 Linux Guru Webmaster www.steelangel.com ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 21 Dec 2001 to 22 Dec 2001 (#2001-3) **************************************************************