Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 19 Jul 2002 to 20 Jul 2002 (#2002-187) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 21/07/2002, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 12 messages totalling 422 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Modrigswerg 4 2. Acronyms Are Our Friends 3. A Quick Sea of Dawn Question (2) 4. Mystaran Almanac: AC1018 Events (a short review) (5) 5. Delayed Dimension Door 6. Culinary Overview of Mystara 7. Culinary Overview of Mystara, cont... ******************************************************************** 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, 20 Jul 2002 11:33:27 +0200 From: Jacob Skytte Subject: Re: Modrigswerg 4 Chris Furneaux wrote: > > > that at this point fight a bloody civil > > >war, some leave for Graabjerge > =20 > I thought that was in the NR. I took it just as a > particular stronghold of the Modrigswerg. One of their > few large sattlements. Nah, I made up Gr=E5bjerge to have a Modrigswerg settlement in Ostland = for the purposes of my Domains of Ostland series. So far, what we know = of it is what I wrote for the Almanac plus some obscure hints and = artifacts in the DoO series. Nothing canon about it. Speaking of DoO I'm nearing completion on a larger project, though I = shouldn't make any promises, being all tied up in Neverwinter Nights and = Morrowind... Jacob Skytte scythe@wanadoo.dk ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 08:14:32 -0700 From: Lyndon Wizards email lists Subject: Acronyms Are Our Friends Belated praise of potential appropriateness of acronyms Acronyms go back about as far as alphabets. There were abbreviations -- for instance does anyone think that Turtledove's LOST LEGION series suffers because the legion had SPQR signs up? Some of those abbreviations are going to end up spelling things out. Only problem is when there is a clear, clumsy effort to make the abbreviations spell things about in languages (usually English) that wasn't the language they were written in. Lyndon the Lurker ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 13:57:12 EDT From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: A Quick Sea of Dawn Question Yes Mystarans, I, the self appointed champion of things Alphatian, am in need of a tidbit of information. Okay, the question involves Gaity. Ironically I wrote some events and the atlas entry for previous MA editions. Hence some added frustration on my part. Feel free to gloat. I am using the NWN Toolset to create an adventure on Gaity. I need to know how many Thyatian barons there are. As far as I know there has never been a cited number. The PWAs have the island originally segmented into 30 dominions (I assume 30 barons). Later, the Thyatians pulled out as part of a treaty. The resident Thyatians were given the choice of staying. Without a Thyatian governor, the barons fell into civil war with each trying to win control of the island. To come up with a current number of barons one has to take several things into account: 1) how many of the original 30 barons remained behind? 2) how many have been killed or deposed during the subsequent fighting? 3) how many have joined ranks? I know that there possibly isn't a definative answer. I looked. However, I would be pleased to hear some opinions and suggestions. Likewise, I would not mind hearing some suggested NPC descripts for the barons. And perhaps some ideas for subplots and details for the Gaity areas. Offer some names along with your suggestions. That way if I use them you'll get an in-game credit for your input. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 13:53:18 -0400 From: David Knott Subject: Re: Mystaran Almanac: AC1018 Events (a short review) From: "Agathokles" > > I'm not especially fond of the NACE myself (either as a name or as a > concept), but I can't really see why acronyms should not be fine for a > fantasy world. The Americans did not invent acronyms, BTW: have a look > at the acronyms in any Latin dictionary, for example. I think you have put your finger on what bothers me about Mystaran acronyms. Those Latin acronyms, for example, are usually meaning- less in English ("i.e." having no connection with the English "that is", and "e.g." having no connection with the English "for example"), but Mystaran acronyms generally are meaningful in English (and perhaps only in English). However, we are pretty sure that Mystarans who speak "Common", "Thyatian", or whatever other language is being represented as English do not in fact speak English -- in fact, only in the Fenswick region of Glantri does it seem likely that anybody speaks a language remotely resembling English. Thus, despite the canon status of such jokes as E.L.F. and F.A.E.R.Y., those acronyms do make it harder to suspend one's disbelief in the "reality" of Mystara. However, for me such matters are mere nits.... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 13:56:53 -0400 From: David Knott Subject: Re: Mystaran Almanac: AC1018 Events (a short review) From: "Thibault Sarlat" > i believe that this discussion is going nowhere...except relaunch the > never-ending Canon debate > I have seen many flaming discussion for the time i belong to that list and > the final aswer is always, THIS IS YOUR CAMPAIGN, SO DO AS YOU LIKE !!! > > There is no need to doubt any DM working on the almanach project. It is a > great deal of work to contribute, mainly for the love of the Mystara > setting. If you want to lurk, well lurk , enjoy the result and if doesn't > fit your taste or your campaign orientation , then drop the almanch and do > your own adaptation. Actually, I can think of exactly one way for the Mystaran Almanac team to get a united consensus about their work: In next year's almanac, carry out the "Apocalypse Stone" adventure. They can then state that there is no need for any follow-on almanacs since the world of Mystara literally ended with that almanac. The united consensus would of course be to reject that final almanac. ;) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 20:24:47 +0200 From: Thibault Sarlat Subject: Re: A Quick Sea of Dawn Question I shall soon release an 8 miles per hex version of the Alatian Islands... Thibault Sarlat. ICQ 16622177. homepage http://www.mystara.fr.st Join me at:thibault.sarlat@wanadoo.fr;clenarius@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alex Benson" To: Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2002 7:57 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] A Quick Sea of Dawn Question > Yes Mystarans, I, the self appointed champion of things Alphatian, am in need > of a tidbit of information. Okay, the question involves Gaity. Ironically I > wrote some events and the atlas entry for previous MA editions. Hence some > added frustration on my part. Feel free to gloat. > > I am using the NWN Toolset to create an adventure on Gaity. I need to know > how many Thyatian barons there are. > > As far as I know there has never been a cited number. The PWAs have the > island originally segmented into 30 dominions (I assume 30 barons). Later, > the Thyatians pulled out as part of a treaty. The resident Thyatians were > given the choice of staying. Without a Thyatian governor, the barons fell > into civil war with each trying to win control of the island. To come up with > a current number of barons one has to take several things into account: > > 1) how many of the original 30 barons remained behind? > 2) how many have been killed or deposed during the subsequent fighting? > 3) how many have joined ranks? > > I know that there possibly isn't a definative answer. I looked. However, I > would be pleased to hear some opinions and suggestions. Likewise, I would not > mind hearing some suggested NPC descripts for the barons. And perhaps some > ideas for subplots and details for the Gaity areas. Offer some names along > with your suggestions. That way if I use them you'll get an in-game credit > for your input. > > ******************************************************************** > 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, 20 Jul 2002 18:33:36 +0000 From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Mystaran Almanac: AC1018 Events (a short review) David Knott wrote: > > I think you have put your finger on what bothers me about Mystaran > acronyms. Those Latin acronyms, for example, are usually meaning- > less in English ("i.e." having no connection with the English "that is", > and "e.g." having no connection with the English "for example"), but > Mystaran acronyms generally are meaningful in English (and perhaps > only in English). Well... in Italian, the Erewan organization's acronym is "ELFI", which means "elves". So, at least one of them works even in Caurenzan. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 15:00:53 -0400 From: Christopher M Cherrington Subject: Re: Delayed Dimension Door > Behalf Of Angelo Bertolli Their could be 2 versions to this spell. A 6th level version will let you dimension door several rounds or minutes into the future (like a dimensional time door). Not giving time to prepare anything ahead of time, but giving a good means of escape (any detection spells to find you would always fail, as you are not really there, you are in the future). The second version, a level 9 spell, will dimension door you to a shifted dimension. This would allow the caster to "sense" any changes from the original point of origin and prepare spells or drink potions before "reappearing". This would be based on a skill roll, the dangers of this spell is not sensing correctly and landing in a worse situation than when he left. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 16:12:14 -0400 From: Christopher M Cherrington Subject: Culinary Overview of Mystara This is a subject I have been meaning to work with for a long time. I will begin by sharing a very special class of bard, the Chef. This is written using the 2E format. (Please forgive me for not converting it, and my high level chefs are immune to any flames sparked up by me using 2E). Although all comments and opinions are welcome ;) New Character Class: The Chef Specialty: Cooking/Baking/Brewing Qualifications: Standard ability scores for Bards, except that Wisdom must be at least 14. Chefs can be any alignment. Dwarves and Gnomes can advance to 10th level (with Military type careers), while all other races are unlimited. Halflings can earn an extra 10% to earned experience (on top of Prime Requisites). Description: As a bard the Chef entertains by his commandment on foods and skills in preparation. His appearance is well known with his tall toque and white double breasted jacket; but his few secret skills in menu designs may prove the life or death of his royal customers. At home he is the nightly entertainer, preparing far away foods, making knives dance, and tantalizing the senses by his marvelous display of culinary expertise. Or he may be the head chef of the lord's castle, keeping the troops fed, fires lit, pantry well stocked, and give the lord a meal fit for a king. On the road he may keep travelers well fed, merchants stocked and provisioned; or serve in the military, making use of scarce or otherwise unpalatable foods into nutritious meals. Role: The Chef has a very important role in society, as everyone needs to eat! But in a magical or fantasy setting his secrets are his recipes and spells. The Chef must distinguish himself from all other chefs and cooks, not only by his culinary skills and knowledge, but by his procurement of magical recipes that heal or cure, or give certain powers to the imbiber. His magical talents also allow him to produce mass quantities of food, and even better their quality and prolong its storage. Weapon Proficiencies: Due to the Chefs exclusive use of certain knives and tools, his weapon skills are limited. The Chef does make up for it, his talent in ordinary knives allows him to use them as weapons, and even become specialized in them. His choices are the chef's knife(dagger), cleaver(hand axe), butcher's knife(shortsword), and steel, used for sharpening his knives (or as a club/parrying dagger) To be continued.... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 16:11:38 -0400 From: David Knott Subject: Re: Mystaran Almanac: AC1018 Events (a short review) From: "Agathokles" > > Well... in Italian, the Erewan organization's acronym is "ELFI", which > means "elves". So, at least one of them works even in Caurenzan. Well -- the English version stands for "Elven Liberation Front", as I recall. What does "ELFI" stand for? And is that phrase correct in terms of Italian grammar? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 21:23:07 +0000 From: Agathokles Subject: Re: Mystaran Almanac: AC1018 Events (a short review) David Knott wrote: > > From: "Agathokles" > > > > Well... in Italian, the Erewan organization's acronym is "ELFI", which > > means "elves". So, at least one of them works even in Caurenzan. > > Well -- the English version stands for "Elven Liberation Front", as > I recall. What does "ELFI" stand for? And is that phrase correct > in terms of Italian grammar? Elfi Liberi delle Foreste Inesplorate Free Elves of the Unexplored Forests Which means the name was changed to fit the acronym. -- Giampaolo Agosta agathokles@libero.it agosta@elet.polimi.it http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 17:31:34 -0400 From: Christopher M Cherrington Subject: Culinary Overview of Mystara, cont... Chef Class continued... Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Agriculture, Cooking, Appraising, Brewing Suggested: Etiquette, Hunting, Eating, Drinking, Alchemy, Baking, Zymurgy, Sculpture (Artistic Ability). Armor/Equipment: Due to the bulkiness of any armor, the chef never uses any armor or shields. Although military chefs are known to wear a butcher's apron of heavy leather (giving a bonus of -1 to AC). Special Abilities: Kitchen Immunities: The Chef is immune to mundane heat and cold. This is due to the fact he needs to grab hot pans, or store food in extreme cold. this ability does not grant immunities from magical heat or cold, or extremes in climates; but will confer a +1 to saves. Influence Reactions: This is the standard ability of bards. The Chef needs to be seen, and his food smelt, and presented in a flashy style. The Chef can also influence reactions by creating a menu. This is accomplished by the Chef creating a 3 or more course meal. The food produced has to be made from the Chef's natural talents, no magic. Each additional course above 3, will confer a penalty of 1 to the target's saving throw. The Chef can create an additional course every 3 levels of experience, in order to gain this bonus. Recipes: The Chef can produce mundane magical effects from recipes carefully researched and made into food items. At 7th level the chef can create real magical items in the form of food. Mundane magical food last for 1d4 days before spoilage (even under the Chef's careful supervision). These items are not magical but can imitate low level magic user and clerical spell effects. The real magical items will last according to the type of food that imbues the magical ability (biscuits last 2-3 days, wine lasts 5-10 years, et). Research and creation times/expenses, are the same as if the Chef was a mage. The Chef can increase his chances of success by 10% and lower the cost by 10% for every two levels, but only for mundane effects. Commandment of Food: Spoilage, contamination, disease, decomposition, or loss of flavor of food items will not happen under the care of a Chef. In fact food under his careful guidance will last indefinitely, be at its utmost flavor and ripen to perfection. This effect will last for a determined amount of time, based on the Chef's level, and the amount of time he took to guide it along. Constant care and supervision will allow a week plus 1 day per level before the food goes bad. Average guidance will allow 1 day per level, and minimal guidance will give 2-4 days. These times start at the time the Chef stops watching over the food; so even with minimal supervision, as long as the is doing something to watch over the food, the food items will last indefinitely. If the Chef returns to take care of the food before it spoils, he only needs to make an Intelligence to continue normally. Food items created by the Chef will always be at its utmost perfection when served, uncorked, or opened from a sealed container. Food served hot stays hot, cold food stays cold. The Chef instinctively knows when food is done, and can keep medium rare foods at medium rare until served. The Chef can even make over done foods under cooked, not raw, with an intelligence check at -7, +1 per every 3 levels. The Chef also has a strong sense of time. He only needs to make an intelligence check to determine the amount of time that has passed since a certain event. he can keep track of time like this for as many sets as he has levels. to be Continued.... ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 19 Jul 2002 to 20 Jul 2002 (#2002-187) ****************************************************************