Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 19 Dec 2003 to 20 Dec 2003 (#2003-293) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 21/12/2003, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 322 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Mystara in Dragon (2) 2. Dwarves 3. Mystara and Spelljammer 4. Sentient Races: Dwarf entry update ******************************************************************** 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 Dec 2003 03:10:45 -0800 From: Herve Musseau Subject: Re: Mystara in Dragon > From: Andrew Theisen > > Anyone picked up the latest Dragon magazine yet? There's several articles in > it, one on the Hollow World (describing the Ka Tainted template and > Atzanteotl), one on Blackmoor (with a prestige class for Halflings), one on > the Red Steel lands (with feats and such for the Red Curse, though from what > I saw, I didn't like the mechanics of it), and one on Cynidicea. From what I > saw of Zargon, that's one tough little beasty! Someone had posted some time ago a notice that Dragon #315 would feature Mystara material, but as I had seen no review on the list since I was wondering if it was out yet, so I went to my rpg store yesterday, and lo, there it was, so I bought it (damn, 6.60 euros, that's expensive for such a little booklet). Apparently it was just out, since you haven't received your subscription copy in the US yet (and that's the only one I saw at the store). It had been a long time since I last bought a Dragon mag (since 237 and 247, except for backissues i'm tracking for their Mystara content); in fact, long time since I last bought any rpg material. So far I have only browsed through it, and only read the sidebars explaining the origins of the (Mystaran) settings (which feature interviews from Bruce Heard and Tim Beach, and which are rather sloppily edited - I mean Princess Arc? Ann DePuis? or even english words like Gazeteer??) So I haven't read them yet, but here's a short description of the articles: - HW: Sundering Ka An article about Defilers of Ka, an Atz-given power of the Azcans that allows them to gain special powers through a ceremony of sacrifice of Ka's dinosaurs (so they become raptor warriors and the like). Gives 3E stats for them, incl feats and al. Seems interesting. - RS: Cinnabar, Red Steels, and the Red Curse The article seems to be repeating info about the red curse etc, and tortles. It does not appear to be bringing anything new to the setting, at first glance. - Blackmoor: Guardians of the Docrae An article about halflings of the Northern Marches and more particularly about a class of halfings warriors (or Docrae, or Omatu masters), a prestige class. The article also says that Goodman Games (www.goodman-games.com) will be releasing an updated edition of the Blcakmoor campaign. - Mystara: Return to the Lost City. An extension to B4, the Cynidiceans, and Zargon. I am not sure (nor do I remember exactly) how it fits with B4 and with the fan-material additions we have, so I can't tell right away how new and how compatible it is. At first glance it seems to me that it is mostly the same info as in B4, with 3E stats for Zargon. I might give more in-depth reviews later, when I have actually read the article, if someone else doesn't do it first. Anyway, it's good to have new Mystara materiel to grind. And the editor said that there might be more in future Dragons. He says we can write at scalemail@paizo.com to tell them what is our prefered setting. ===== ___________________________________________________________ Herve Musseau http://www.geocities.com/hmusseau/ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 12:47:48 +0100 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Dwarves Andrew Theisen wrote: > la Volpe wrote: 2) has anybody ever developed a list/timeline of > dwarven kings? > Only thing about them I can figure is this: > > 1800-1400 BC: Denwarf I > 1400- ? BC: Everast I > ?-?: 3rd Dwarven king > ?-?: 4th Dwarven king > ?-?: 5th Dwarven king > ?-?: 6th Dwarven king > ?-?: 7th Dwarven king > ?-?: 8th Dwarven king > ?-?: 9th Dwarven king > ?-?: 10th Dwarven king We have at least two Blystars, here (probably the last) and some Everasts. > ?-? (c.1000 BC): Blystar III > - notes: His clan affiliation is not given. Likely to have been a Torkrest, though at the time many clans did not really exist as such. The Buhrodar begins its existance as a fighting order at this time -- Blystar III or one of his followers might have been the founder. It's likely that many Torkrest and Buhrodar kings ruled during the next five centuries, given the events. We probably need some 15-20 kings between Blystar III and Bollo I. > ?-98 BC: Bollo I > - notes: Bollo is said to have driven this subjects to rebellion after "decades of excessive taxation and abuse"; probably ruled anywhere from 20 to 40 years, I'd guess. Bollo is a Torkrest. > > 98 - ? BC: Everast VII Another 10 kings or so may be needed here. > ?-? (c. 490 AC: Daroban V (Doric, son of Kuric) > - notes: This name is derived from the book "Dragonlord of Mystara". Daroban is noted as being a Syrklist king. His second son, Korinn, is likely to succeed him as king. Daroban is ruler throughout the Dragon* series.) Between Korinn and Styrklint II we will probably need another 4 or 5 kings, I suppose mostly Syrklist. > ?-? (c. 802 AC): Styrklint II > - notes: Styrklint is a Syrklist king. These Syrklist kings are likely to have been the major proponents of the dwarven exploration and colonization effort ending with 802 AC. I suppose Styrklint II was then followed by a more conservative king -- possibly Everast XIII? > ? - 960 AC: Everast XIV (Bofin) > 960 - 1011 AC: Everast XV (Bifin, son of Bofin) > 1011 - Present AC: Everast XVI (Bofin, son of Bifin) Overall, I'd think most kings were Everast, Torkrest, Buhrodar, or Syrklist. Skarrad and Hurwarf are probably too small, and Wyrwarf is new and not appropriate. There should have been circa 50 kings, averaging 50 years of reign each. We have: 16 Everast (this is pretty certain, all the Everast kings assume that name) 8 Syrklist (at the very least, assuming 5 Daroban, Korinn, and the two Styrklint) 4 Torkrest (at least, assuming the Blystar kings were Torkrest) For a total of 28 known names, though I expect the Blystar dynasty to have lasted longer. We need some 20 more kings, which I believe would be more Syrklists and Torkrest. Assuming there have been more Everast kings than any other clan, I'd say there should have been 10-12 Torkrests (mostly before 100AC), a likely number of Syrklists (concentrated between 200-800 AC and 500-400 BC), and the rest would be Buhrodar, mostly around the 900-600 BC. I'd also say that, except in the time immediately after the revolution of 98BC, most dynasties would have lasted long, so it's unlikely to have kings of different clans alternating. If we want a Skarrad or Hurwarf king, it would be better to place them right after Everast VII, when the Senate was likely to name a weaker king (assuming these clans are that old, I don't remember right now). -- Giampaolo Agosta http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 11:03:07 -0500 From: Paul Westermeyer Subject: Re: Mystara and Spelljammer > >> > I'm sure not everyone on the list likes Spelljammer, or mixing > Mystara with it. But I thought some of you might have some thoughts > about integrating Mystara into the larger Spelljammer multiverse. > How do you do that? What about the differing physics in Mystara > space, according to the Princess Ark series? > << > > I've always liked the SJ physics system, and use that for stellar > travel. I rule that once close to a large gravity well (such as > those created by a planet) that SJ speeds go away and the normal > airship speeds (ala CoM) come into play. > > As for integrating Mystara into the larger SJ universe, I do so > "loosely". I don't tie in the MystaraSpace crystal sphere with the > other "Big Three". I've developed a Mystaraspace SJ campaign of > sorts built around the idea of Immortals expelling various cultures > from Mystara throughout time. First the Carnifex, then the > Blackmoorians, and finally the Nithians. I don't know if I've ever > posted it here, but if anyone is interested I can send some info to > the list. > > -John I'm interested:) -- "...How shall a man judge what to do in such times?!" "As he has ever judged," said Aragorn "Good and evil have not changed since yesteryear..." J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_ Paul Westermeyer, pwestermeyer@tampabay.rr.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 15:41:29 +0000 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Sentient Races: Dwarf entry update Giampaolo Agosta wrote: > > References: GAZ4 The Dwarves of Rockhome, GAZ6, of course... -- di nuovo come un tempo sopra l'Italia intera urla il vento e soffia la bufera ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 20:50:29 -0800 From: Joaquin Menchaca Subject: Re: Mystara in Dragon > Dan Eustace wrote: I haven't > seen it yet. Could you give some more info or > description of what the Ka Tainted is, and further > details on Atzanteotl? This could well be relevant > to part of my campaign, and if so, I'll definitely > pick up a copy. > [snip] > From what I can tell, the Ka Tainted are men and > women who have undergone a ceremony that gives them > some abilities like those of dinosaurs. Given that > Atzanteotl is explicitly mentioned in the article > (and has a brief writeup of his power level, > domains, and such, like the deities in the PHB), I > gather that he somehow tricked/manipulated/coerced > the worshippers of Ka into undergoing this ceremony, Nope. Azanteotl manipulated the connection between Ka and life, i.e. dinosaurs. > which gives them powers but makes them more > monstrous and gives them evil tendencies. Something > like that, anyway (I think). There are also several > new feats given that can be taken by Ka Tainted > characters (possibly others as well) and I think a > brief description of the Hollow World and its > effects is given as well. I won't be positive until [snip] Hi. The article in issue #315 on page 22 by Ken Marable. It is a section on Hollow World called "Sundering Ka". It details (1) Defilers of Ka, (2) Ka-Tainted Template, and (3) New Feats. There is also a small write-up for Atzenteotl and Defilers of Ka religion along with some notes on role-playing a Ka-Tainted and notes on how to run this type of scenario in a game. There's also a side-bar "The Creation of Hollow World". The new feasts for the Ka Tainted are: - Clawed Spell [Metamagic] - Megaraptor's Leap [General] - Piercing Spell [Metamagic] - Predator's Step [General] - Rage of the Raptor [General] - Triceratop's Charge [General] The write-up for Atzanteotl is: ------------------------------------------------------- ATZANTEOTL Atzanteotl (Greater Deity): Chaotic Evil; Domains: Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil, Trickery; Portfolio: Decay, Corruption (especially of nobility and entire societies); Symbol: Featherd serpent ------------------------------------------------------- The write-up on Defilers of Ka are: DEFILERS OF KA Defilers of Ka (medium): AL NE; 50,000 gp resource limit; Membership 210; Isolated (human 95, drow 4, half-drow 1). Authority Figures: Prince Chilmoc (male Ka-tainted human Clr 17), Tlaquihin (female Ka-tained half-drow Bbn 13). Important Characters: Atlotzin (male Ka-tainted human Bbn 8), Print Tzuicenoch (male Ka-tainted human Clr 10), Omiztli (female Ka-tainted human Sor 8). Others: Integrated: Bbn 4(2), Bbn 1(74), Clr 5(2), Clr 3(4), Clr 1 (66), Sor 4(1), Sor 2(2), Ftr 4(1), Ftr 2(1), Frt 1(15), War 5(1), War 3(1), War 1(9). Note: There is an 85% chance that one fo the rank-and-file members of the Defilers of Ka possesses the Ka-tainted template. Those without it are new recruits awaiting the next hunt for suitable dinosaur acrifices. ------------------------------------------------------- I think everything about this article is cool, but I am curious about the Barbarians and especially the drow and 1/2 drow. First, there is a lot of Mystara material that does not support the notion of 1/2 elves, at least as the offspring of an elf and human. Also, the only sources for drow is the picture on the cover of Alfheim and some elusive mentions in the Northern Reaches gazetteer. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 19 Dec 2003 to 20 Dec 2003 (#2003-293) ****************************************************************