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mmmmm Rakasta - my favourite cat people! lets see what we can come up with. I don't have a lot of info on them but I do have X1 Isle of Dread. I don't know where else they appeared so I'll just go with that.
....
Now I am stuck for an encounter power of some kind. I'm leaning towards something like Elven Accuracy which allows a reroll of an attack. Anyone else got ideas?
Hairball: Encounter, Ranged (2 squares)
Damage d6 (acid) + blind, save to end (wipe away).
Or against one oppponent in bare feet, slows movement like caltrops (unless immune to disgust).
Hey, me, too. $e has this throwback simpleton feel that is ideal use for Mystara.Hey; stop disrepecticatin' us throwback simpletons!
Ain't my fault the only females for 50 miles are all my cousins!
She's a good girl, but her hooves rip the sheets to shreds.
LOL
Well, y'all are perobably not gonna believe me with me exolling the virtues of complexity and choice for PF all the time, but I meant my simpleton comment in a sort of affectionate way.I thought there was place for 4e in my game ecology, but haven't come out of my cover where I fled from GSL.
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THE ESTATE OF DMITROV
........200 Cran x 12 months = 2400 Cran
9600 Firkin/Preserved Fish
USING 2400 FIRKIN OF SALT
200 x 12 = 2400 Firkin of Salt.......
Firkin' hell...
Considering Mystara is a setting where Vikings and Mongol hordes live almost next door to Aztec Orcs (if you're using GAZ10), I think any attempt at economic realism is doomed at best.
Hey, me, too. $e has this throwback simpleton feel that is ideal use for Mystara. And, to this date, Mystara is one of the very few world i kow where the level-system is taken to its logical conclusion: high-level guy and gals rule the land.
I was 50% through a conversion of the Rules Cyclopedia to 4e when stumbled upon the GSL and abandoned the project, not wanting to be sued when i put my notes on pbwiki.
Y'know you may have meant it as an 'affectionate' comment but it won't be taken that way.
Really if you have nothing to add to the conversation at hand just get out of the thread.
Anyway....
Eladrin:
The Alfheim Elves and the Wendar Elves seem like a good fit for them given their mystical/magical bent. Fey Step isn't a direct correlation with their "I can fight and cast!" schtick but it gives them a good magical vibe.
Lupins? Anyone feeling brave - I haven't got my BD&D, 2E Mystara or Savage Coast materials here so my recollection of their abilities is scanty. They could detect lycanthropes if I recall, which would be very niche as an ability. +2 to Nature, +2 to Insight perhaps, +2 Con, +2 Wis? (for the nomads at least)
I remember Mystara only in the vaguest of terms (and all of that taken from reading fragmentary pieces here and there over the years)
Anyone want to try and describe what the heck was realling going on, in this seemingly wild and crazy setting?
Edit: At least I got the Hollow World connection right, although I don't really know anything about that either! :P
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It's hard to explain. It's a very detailed setting, but what really made it cool to me was the Gazetteers. You basically picked up a region, and you had all you need to run one or more campaigns in that single area for months to come.
The Karameikos Gazetteer in particular, is one of my favorite RPG products EVER (go ahead, buy it).
Mystara has a very old school feel. Its blatant fantasy, rich colors, almost caricatural societies, give it a sort of paradoxical authenticity that's kind of hard to explain. This has a lot to do with the actual product design, providing the "right" information for you to run games and "see" what type of people/places the authors were talking about.
There's the Mystara Wikipedia entry for a more academic approach of the topic.
I thought there was place for 4e in my game ecology, but haven't come out of my cover where I fled from GSL.
Were you planning on charging money for your material? If not then the GSL does not apply to you. They are supposed to eventually get around to releasing some kind of 'fan' rules available. Its unclear at this point if those rules will be more or less restrictive in feel then the very restrictive GSL.
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I've got the module right here in front of me and can't find anything about how tall/heavy they are. Also at 5' they are most certainly a Medium sized creature. Small is 4' or less even in 3E.
I have gone back to the 1981 copy of X1 Isle of Dread and the Rakasta are not the same size as human - they appear to be 4&1/2' - 5' in height, very light weight like an elf. So they are not Medium size.
THE RAKASTA
I'm not talking about the Elmore version of X1, I'm talking about the older version...there is a Picture of The Rakasta riding a Sabertooth Tiger. The scale inciates the Rakasta are close to 4' tall (a standing Rakasta would be slightly taller than the Sabertooth he rides). Their weight is light.
My problem is the Sabertooth Cat. If it is 3' tall to the back then the Rakasta is 3&1/2' - 4' whereas if the Sabertooth is 4' to the back then the Rakasta is 4'-4&1/2' tall.
Weight becomes something along the lines of a Halfling or Gnome.
THE ESTATE OF DMITROV
........200 Cran x 12 months = 2400 Cran
9600 Firkin/Preserved Fish
USING 2400 FIRKIN OF SALT
200 x 12 = 2400 Firkin of Salt.......Firkin' hell...
Considering Mystara is a setting where Vikings and Mongol hordes live almost next door to Aztec Orcs (if you're using GAZ10), I think any attempt at economic realism is doomed at best.
ECONOMICS AND GEOGRAPHY
Not Quite Accurate. Geographically speaking The Orcs are located in what would be hold up near Ottowa, The Vikings are located in Labrador on the North coast (or east), and The Estate of Dmitrov is somewhere in New England - on the coast. There is a hell of a difference in Geography, and Climate.
Economics wise, I've had this discussion with others over many years. They are quite realistic and accurate for region, Nation type and other fun stuff that makes me want to strangle Sam Wise.
Karameikos is a well moddled economy with poorly managed estates passing themselves off wellgoverned -despite the overpopulation vs resources, and Marilenev which is described as bankrupt must infact have vast and diverse produce to feed its populace and to supply the Capital which sits in its borders.
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THE ESTATE OF DMITROV
........200 Cran x 12 months = 2400 Cran
9600 Firkin/Preserved Fish
USING 2400 FIRKIN OF SALT
200 x 12 = 2400 Firkin of Salt.......
Firkin' hell...
Considering Mystara is a setting where Vikings and Mongol hordes live almost next door to Aztec Orcs (if you're using GAZ10), I think any attempt at economic realism is doomed at best.
Not Quite Accurate. Geographically speaking The Orcs are located in what would be hold up near Ottowa, The Vikings are located in Labrador on the North coast (or east), and The Estate of Dmitrov is somewhere in New England - on the coast. There is a hell of a difference in Geography, and Climate.
Fair enough; I don't have the map to hand, and was picking three of the most diverse cultures I could remember, which, in our world, were on three separate continents, and evolving (almost) in isolation, yet in Mystara, are in each other's pockets. For the 'Mongols' I was thinking they were more western, but I now think that area was filled with the Desert Nomads (modules X4 & X5). Which is another vastly different culture, that seemed to be crammed in, to get as many varieties of gaming genre into the mix as possible.
As a kid, it was great, full of possibilities, whereas, now, I'd look at it and go 'WTF?'.
There were definite schisms in technology level between neighbouring countries. You'd step over the border and wonder 'Did we just walk through a time-gate?'.
It's similar to some of the feel in Warhammer, where the Empire, Estalia and Tilea have gunpowder and handguns, and a Renaissance feel, while Bretonnia is living in the 12th century (and have even regressed from their technology level in previous editions). Granted, the GW writers admit it's an artificial attempt to get as many historical periods into the game, increase army variation, and tempt more players, and they have rationalised Bretonnia's stance via their rulers' religious convictions, deliberately keeping their country regressed to maintain the divine protection of the Lady of the Lake.
I don't have a problem with the Warhammer Old World, or Mystara taking this road, because the writers are focussing on what makes the game fun, whereas a truly realistic setting would have areas hundreds of miles wide, filled with vast, boring swathes of tedious sameness.
I just think that, having made the decision to play in a setting that's a cornucopia of wacky cultural stereotypes, that there's really no need to get serious about the economics, ecology or the climate, since so many real-life factors have already been handwaved away.
People play Mystara/Hollow World to recreate Sinbad, Ray Harryhausen movies, bad Hammer films, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar and Barsoom books, get chased by a Brain Collector through Ravenloft-style mists into a Clark Ashton Smith story, defend a city against a 500' tall zombie made from the melded dead of the nearby cemetary, climb up its legs, crawl up its ass, 'Fantastic Voyage'-style, and carve it to pieces from the inside out, hacking its 'driver' to pieces in the head-cockpit and hurling his carcass out the eye-hole with a resounding cheer.
That's my memories of Mystara, in all its stupid goofyness, and I don't recall ever stopping to wonder how many pecks of barley are in a bushel (or is it the other way round?), or how many pairs of pants the local peasantry will wear out in their downtrodden short lives, because it was simply irrelevant to us. Anyone who wanted that sort of realism wouldn't have been playing Mystara, or indeed, D&D, at all, they'd have been playing Harn, or Chivalry and Sorcery, or some other chin-stroking game of resource-management.
And that is why, in my earlier posts, I said that this could be the perfect setting for a 4E campaign, since those new rules take a similar approach to stuff that happens 'offstage'. You want the serfs to be assumed to just get their jobs done? Bang! You want there to be a famine, for the purpose of the scenario? Bang! You want there to be a plague, so the PCs have to find the Healing McGuffin of the Hidden City? Bang! You want no-one to bat an eye that one of the PCs is an intelligent flying lemur from That Dinosaur Island? Yeah, whatever, just get on with the game, guys!
I think the "sweet spot" in population levels is relatively close to Golarion levels. I think Korvosa has only about 18,000 people and it's the 2nd biggest city in the region. Specularum itself has about 3 times that with Darokin City and Thyatis City exceeding that number by an order of magnitude.
Why is that spot sweet as opposed to another number? I would think the existence and popularity of Waterdeep would argue against this number as a sweet spot.
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Karameikos has 6 farmers for every 1 person in Specularum and its 300,000 or so farmers tend to cluster densely rather than sprawl, so at 40/square mile, they'd be occupying 7500 out of the 43,950 sq. mi. of territory. Which is to say that 82% of Karameikos is basically wilderness.
That being said, every group will interpret things in their own ways; Specularum is only slightly larger than my hometown, so my players tend to see it as not so large :)
The population of Marilenev (11,000 farmers) is mirrored by a similar population immediatly outside its borders although not to the same extent of Agricultural management and infrastructure investment.
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Fair enough; I don't have the map to hand, and was picking three of the most diverse cultures I could remember, which, in our world, were on three separate continents, and evolving (almost) in isolation, yet in Mystara, are in each other's pockets. For the 'Mongols' I was thinking they were more western, but I now think that area was filled with the Desert Nomads (modules X4 & X5). Which is another vastly different culture, that seemed to be crammed in, to get as many varieties of gaming genre into the mix as possible.
As a kid, it was great, full of possibilities, whereas, now, I'd look at it and go 'WTF?'.
There were definite schisms in technology level between neighbouring countries. You'd step over the border and wonder 'Did we just walk through a time-gate?'.
It's similar to some of the feel in Warhammer, where the Empire, Estalia and Tilea have gunpowder and handguns, and a Renaissance feel, while Bretonnia is living in the 12th century (and have even regressed from their technology level in previous editions). Granted, the GW writers admit it's an artificial attempt to get as many historical periods into the game, increase army variation, and tempt more players, and they have rationalised Bretonnia's stance via their rulers' religious convictions,...
I get that. But atleast you could extract sufficient information to estimate agricultural economies.
Golarion has enough people in it's population centers to justify just about anything you want. There's really no reason for there to be more, from a game perspective, except in a few rare occasions. If every city is a metropolis it makes these massive population centers feel a little less special. Golarion cities feel like there could be a dungeon right outside of them, so they really have lots of room to do whatever you want with them.That's just my opinion. I'm not saying that I think it's the only way. I'm just looking to run a good game and I don't think that the magnitude of the population centers (in either direction) is really going to stand in the way of that. I think a lot of it comes down to the kind of games you want to run.
Well if the idea is to be able to get good use of the size in terms of telling stories I'd think a wide range of options in terms of city size would be ideal.
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Has anyone developed an outline for their 4th edition Mystara campaign? What about adventures?
Someone keeps deleting what I is discussing but second try:
Cryptozoohold Camapign Arc
Hunting Exotic Wildlife and selling it to the Merchants of Threshold.
5% of market value.
1. The Widows Attic - 36 stirge nesting in an old lady's attic worth 36,000gp total.
2. Clearing out Castle Caldwell - A bunch of monsters (worth about 7000gp) + treasure and some fighting Goblins, Kobolds ect.
3. The Old Mill - employed by a "Merchant" to Clear out the old mill on Fogor Isle (Carrion crawler) worth about 4000gp.
4. The Farm - 20 Giant Locusts worth about 80,000gp.
All up: + 1 Level, Share in 7000gp, +1 Month.
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Slavers Attack Side Adventure
5. The Black Wood - A Raid on Threshold by a Hundred Slavers on horseback who were concealed using Massmorph as a Forest. The PCs get to fight Raiders in the streets - put out fires, help rescue abducted women...
Iron Ring Campaign Arc
THis is a brutal campaigh Arc because you are stripped of all your equipment.
6. Abducted By Slavers - You are taken to an Iron Ring Staging Post near Black Eagle Barony. The Baron allows Mercenary groups to be located in fortified compounds along his borders - not all of them are simple mercenaries. YOu can now attempt to escape the slavers compound and flee to saftey.
7. Sold to Pirates - As Galley Slaves you are forced to Row south a thousand miles to a Slaver/Pirate Streonghold on the isle of Dread.
8. Escape the Pirate base - making for the Isle of Dread southern peninsula where native villages exist.
9. Help the natives - Pirates show up at the village you are hiding in with an intention to raid for slaves.
Result: +3 Months, +1 Level, a Wizard gets a single spell on a scroll to use as a spell book as a reward.
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Village Heroes Side Adventure
10. Crocodiles in the Bay - The Villagers are attacked by Four Giant Crocodiles at large in the Bay they fish in. The PCs get to fight on the Beaches and in the Water...Making them real Warriors.
'Cure Worse than the Disease' Campaign Arc
Frictions with the Villagers of Tanaroa rise.
11. The Witchdoctor - THe PCs must take down the local Deathmaster (Necromancer L4/Deathcleric L4) who can create lesser undead. He attacks them with with a small army of Zombies.
12. Warriors of the Village feel threatened by the PC presence - They Attack the PCs in an Open Challenge.
13. Other Warriors from other Villages across the Penninsula come to fight the PCs in a full on raid.
Result: By accident - +1 Level, +2 Months, Dominion over the Village of Tanaroa.
Note: Establish Port Tanaroa - Eliminating the men of the Village leaves you with a Village of Women and Children. They have one trade Comodity - Tar.
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Pirate Raid Side Adventure
14. THe Slaves are revolting - sensing weakness with the loss of the men warriors, The Slaver-Pirates raid the other villages for Slaves. Survivors flee to Tanaroa for Shelter. THe Pirates follow leading a raid on the fortified community of Tanaroa.
Raid the Pirates Campaign Arc
15. The Pirate Stronghold - It has been fortified recently. They employed a wizard to build Stone Walls and a Ship Dock so it is now a stone walled fort rather than a bunch of Grass huts. They have an army of slaves harvesting Coconuts for export. The PCs can Raid the Fort with what ever resources they may have achieved by now.
16. A Ship Home? - A Slavegalley shows up and if the PCs can capture the ship, they can go home (although they must gather up resources).
Result: A temporary end to the Pirates in this area. Others may settle her in the future though. +1 Level, +2 mONTHS, Magic item for the Party, A SHip.
Doing Mystara for around 23 years, just some notes:
1) Why the need of throwing Mystara into the "points of light framework"? We can sure have areas of the world where the points of light campaign style works without having to throw 3 continents into another cataclysm! I am pretty sure that 4e works with all kinds of fantasy settings (court politics, urban intrigue, epic wars).
2) Said that, many areas of Mystara work for PoL "as they are":
a) Norworld
b) Frontier territories in Darokin (especially post-WotI)
c) Wendar and Denagoth
d) Sodenfjord Jarldoms
e) For more "traditional" campaigns, fringe settlements in Karameikos.
f) Most of the Isle of Dawn
3) If you play by the post-WotI official timeline, Alphatia is gone from the Known World and Thyatis is quite broken as a power. Glantri is sliding towards monstrous chaos and evil (so, though it is as civilized as you get, good forces are far and between); Heldann is the growing power, but, as of the sources, it is an "evil force" too. The remnants of Alphatia are also good room for PoL, as they are beset by all kind of menaces and disasters.
4) Basic D&D magic is going to fit quite naturally in the new 4e system, as spell lists are less exhaustive (especially when a bunch of Mystaran spells can become rituals). One does not need re-working magic through some disaster.
5)Races: there were never half-orcs and gnomes as PC races in Mystara. Dragonborn, well, they are quite close to a basic D&D monster, the Drake. Those were PC races in PC1, Tall Tales of the Wee Folk. There are many subspecies of drakes, so Dragonborn are an easy fit. Tieflings are harder because Basic D&D lacked demons and devils (blame BADD for that). But the Outer Planes are there, so they can show up, as Mystara is infamous for alien visitors from the whole Multiverse. If you really want to adapt, you can consider Tiefling an offspring of Mystarans and Diaboli, a native race from the Dimension of Nightmares with a well-established presence in Mystara. I agree with previous posts on the ease of adapting Eladrin (Alfheim-Erewan elves, for instance) as distinct from Elves (Callarii, Alhambra Flamenco Elves, and others). Mystaran Elven history is so detailed that you can get away with anything. The drow, perhaps not in looks, but probably in stats and ethos, are quite close to the Schattenalfen, the evil offspring from Shadowelves in the Hollow World).
6) Classes: this is getting too long, but just a couple ideas: Master's and Immortals' books are mines for Epic Destiny paths. The way Immortals and their deities are getting handled is very 4e-translatable, as clerics of an Immortal tend to get 1 special power (as opposed to 3e domains and domain spells), which can become a channeling feat.
Just my 2-cents, Mystara can go 4e with little trauma (actually it seems that it was 4e what went a bit Basic Box, and that's my biggest attraction to it, with all my criticisms).
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5)I agree with previous posts on the ease of adapting Eladrin (Alfheim-Erewan elves, for instance) as distinct from Elves (Callarii, Alhambra Flamenco Elves, and others). Mystaran Elven history is so detailed that you can get away with anything. The drow, perhaps not in looks, but probably in stats and ethos, are quite close to the Schattenalfen, the evil offspring from Shadowelves in the Hollow World).
I dont. Elves (Whether Blacklore, Ivevale, Gentlefolk, Shattenalfen, Shadowelf, Alfhiem, Alhambra-Flamenco, Erewan, Callarii, Alphatian, ect) are quite distinct and seperate from the Fae elfin of the Shining Isles to be found in the setting.
I dont. Elves (Whether Blacklore, Ivevale, Gentlefolk, Shattenalfen, Shadowelf, Alfhiem, Alhambra-Flamenco, Erewan, Callarii, Alphatian, ect) are quite distinct and seperate from the Fae elfin of the Shining Isles to be found in the setting.
Perhaps in appearance Eladrin and Faedornae are similar, but the CC description indicates Faedornae are high-power extraplanar beings with great magical skill. Also, they do not have a society and do not leave the islands. To include Eladrin in a 4e Mystara campaign, it does not make a good choice, unless some cataclysmic event shakes them out of their aloof orbits above the planet.
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It would taka a Cataclysm to move Mystara into 4E which is why i am suggesting:
Asteroid impact in the Sea of Dread
The Flying Merchantman Mirros Rose moved above the surface of the Sea of Dread.
The Terrible flash in very heart of the Sea of Dread caught the sight of the watch.
"By the Immortals, What was that?" In the distance the deep red glow vanished behind a rising wall of water.
"Oh, Halav!" Devin Hyraksos stared at the wave. It traveled quickly out across the horizon.
"Captain...?"
"What is it?" Captain Gregor Stephanov looked up at the Sailor.
"Wave on the Horizon, Captain. Closing fast." The Captain scaled the rope ladder and turned to look where the sailor was pointing.
A Tidal wave was racing toward them at a terrible rate.
"Halav's Mother! Helm, get us up two thousand feet. Now!"
The Ship surged upward just catching the wave. The wave struck the hull and tipped the ship.
DM Briefing: An asteroid clips the Mystaran Moon of Luna sending large rocks at the planet Mystara. The Asteroid itself impacts in the Sea of Dread sending a wave of destruction through coastal and island communities facing the Sea of Dread.
This provides us with a situation where the Fae are scattered across the lands and ingratiate themselves in Elf Communities - we're all Fae here aint we?
It really wouldn't take a cataclysm to move Mystara to 4E - you just have to be selective of the elements you take from it.
It really wouldn't take a cataclysm to move Mystara to 4E - you just have to be selective of the elements you take from it.
I am not sure I am getting that... Why the need of selecting elements? (besides, obviously, rules issues). 4e is just a rules system, therefore it can adapt to any setting. Then, of course, the DM can select elements of the campaign world he wants to change, like with any game.
That's what I mean, sorry; you can use the rules without having to use tieflings, dragonborn etc - it's up to each DM.
Has anyone thought about a Mystara 4e adventure path? I brought that idea up elsewhere and they seemed to grasp it, but I figured that here on the Paizo boards most people would really get how well adventure paths can show off a setting.
It sounds a great idea... actually the whole 3-tier thing strongly reminds me of Basic-Expert, Companion and Master level play!
A couple additional suggestions:
1) I would live the Isle of Dread as it is... I mean, Savage Tide is a really awesome AP, hard to beat and easily adaptable to Mystara (and perhaps to 4e, for those interested).
2) Good pick of Karameikos as a Heroic-level tier setting. It's "wild enough" to fit in the "point of light" thing that the core rules support, but without stretching it irrationally.
3) For a paragon path my suggestion would be to pinpoint an area which deals with elements from Mystara's mysterious past: Ylaruam and the secrets of the Emirate of Nithia could be an option. Another possibility would be to connect the path with Alfheim, Shadow Elves and Mystara's Underdark (no need to bring in the HW). I could see a scenario where defeating Bargle and Black Eagle is a sort of "transition" from Heroic into Paragon. As payment for their services, the heroes can be appointed ambassadors to one of those "interesting" areas, and there adventure chases them in the form of some mystery or conspiracy. That could tie in with the X10 political background and the Master of Hule's menace.
4) I agree, another "big war" might be overkill and it's been done over and over. A good alternative could be to delve into the big planar and otherworldly mysteries of the Known World: maybe the Master of Hule (big bad in the previous tier) was just a pawn of a more menacing uber-evil. After the PCs foil his conspiracies and definitively vanquish him, the great enemy takes shape. By now PCs are getting really mighty, I could see struggle (or alliances) with big magical nations (Glantri or Alphatia) and a great level of planar traipsing.
Just some ideas... a Mystaran 4e AP would definitely rock
(and if somebody could brew up 4e dominion rules that would just be awesome!)
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...and if somebody could brew up 4e dominion rules that would just be awesome!
I've done that more times than you would care to know.
Basically I went off and proved the Karameikos Gazetteer to be little more than bad prophaganda - It should be more like this:
- Marilenev Estate is worth tens of millions in produce, well managed, wealthy, and self sufficient - propping up the Kingdom with 25% produce going to the king. Marilenev is the Food bowl (well half of it).
- The Black Eagle Barony needs to be a well managed tyranny where peasants get a fixed ration for their work. the villagers sickly because of the Egrot poison extracted off the rye.
- Vorloi is the plunderer of timber resources, must spend most of what it gets for timber on importing food.
- Kelvin is the Military Camp with 18,000 starving, unemployed and exploited peasants who cant afford food that isnt produced locally - the river fish are toxic thanks to Penhaligon.
- Penhaligon is an overcrowded sheep farm with groundwater poisoned by tanning pits.
- Threshold is a Church run workfarm with an unsustainable urban population.
- Dmitrov has sutainable firewood for only 10% of its fish&Oats eating population.
Of course if you want something reminicent of the original Dominion Rules - using real economics: A Seven Hex Estate (5 forest, 2 farmland)
ANDEMOS
Population 1632 + 10 % Children
The Baron: living out of a wooden Manor House, has no real income or taxes from the farming population.
Troops: 200 Knights (Light Horsemen)
Description: Each Knight is supported by a single estate. These Knights could best be described as Poor Country Knights little better than wealthy Farmers.
Example of a Knight’s Estate -
Wallesgrave Manor, Scarsdale
...the manor of Wallesgrave with all it's appurtenances and sixty acres...
Description
This is a Knight's Estate. It supports a Knight, His Warhorse, Family, five servants, and Livestock. It is a sixty acre estate functioning on a three field rotation. Each field is then defined as 19&1/2 acres. This leaves some 1&1/2 acres upon which the manor house, Barn, Servants Residence and Vegetable gardens are located. It does however provide for little else. Such a Knight might be considered little more than a Peasant Farmer by wealthier European Knights with their multiple villa estates.
Calculating the Produce of an Estate
Three fields in rotation (3x19&1/2 acres)
A field of Barley, Oats & Rye (3x6&1/2 acres)
§ 6&1/2 acres of Barley @ 63%=6.5x28 bushelsx0.63=114&2/3 bushels: 5733lb barley grain, 24422lb barley chaff.
§ 6&1/2 acres of Oats @ 63%=6.5x24 bushelsx0.63=98&1/4 bushels: 4914lb oats grain, 20933lb oats chaff.
§ 6&1/2 acres of Rye @ 63%=6.5x30 bushelsx0.63=122&3/4 bushels: 6142&1/2lb rye grain, 26167lb rye chaff.
Seed to the next sewing: Barley(325lb), Oats(325lb), Rye(325lb)
Grain available: Barley(5408lb), Oats(4589lb), Rye(5817lb)
Chaff available: Barley chaff(24422lb), Oat chaff(20933lb), Rye chaff(26167lb)
A Sheep Herd on the rest (2x19&1/2 acres)
39 acres/3=13 sheep x 0.63=8 sheep (7 ewes & 1 ram)
8 sheep @ 2&1/2lb=20lb wool
7 ewes @ 180 days per year @ 1/4 gallons milk=315 gallons. 315lbx10.31x(5/43.25)=375lb cheese
2 sheep (4 year old sheep) slaughtered each year for meat @ 77lbx 2=154lb mutton sausage
2 sheep (slaughtered) providing 2 leather hides
Sheep product available: Wool(20lb), Cheese(375lb), Mutton Sausage(154lb), Leather Hides(2)
The Manor on a remaining 1&1/2 acres
A Manor house and buildings (1/2 acre)
A Vegetable Garden & Grounds (1 acre)
1/2 acre vegetable garden of Turnip x 25 ton/acre @ 63%=7.875 ton
1/2 acre running 10 chickens free-range (9 hens & rooster)=9 @ 180 eggs/year=1620 eggs/year
(3) Pigs on vegetable scraps, some chaff, and grain
The Bits and Pieces of an Estate
Fuel from woodlot beyond the estate boundaries
The estate requires some 150,000lb firewood/year. 7&1/2 acres per year x 100 years to achieve regrowth=750 acres of forest
Thatch for roofing
11&2/3 tons of Rye thatch is available
Feeding the Warhorse and draft animals</li>
3x50lbx52weeksx7days=54,600lb (207 bushels of oats/grain&chaff)
Ryebread (Blackbread)
5817lb/50lb=116.34 bushels x 73 loaves/bushel=8492 loaves
Weak Ale
5408lb/12lb=450 gallons (2 Tuns (216 gallonsx2) of weak ale)
These Estates are scattered through the Agricultural Corridor in the West of the Barony and are surrounded by an assortment of some 475 Tennant Farms.
Example of a Tennant Farm -
A Tennant Farm, Ombersley
...nineteen and a half acres, mostly wheat, but also rye, oats, and vetch...
Description
This is a tennant farm of 19&1/2 acres, mainly wheat, rye, oats, vetch. The farmer also has some twenty geese, five pigs, a rooster with four hens, two oxen, and a cow. There are also three cart loads of firewood that represent access to a woodlot beyond the limits of the tennant farm.
Defining a Tennant Farm
Three fields in rotation (3x6 acres)
Wheat on fallow ground
6 acres of Wheat @ 63%=6x36 bushelsx0.63=136 bushels: 6800lb grain, 28968lb chaff.
Grain available: Wheat (6800lb)
Chaff available: Wheat chaff (28968lb)
Rye, Oats, and Vetch on stubble ground
2 acres of Oats @ 63%=2x14.4 bushelsx0.63= 18 bushels: 900lb oats grain, 3834lb oats chaff.
· 2 acres of Rye @ 63%=2x 18 bushelsx0.63= 22&1/2 bushels: 1125lb rye grain, 4792lb rye chaff.
· 2 acres of Hay @ 63%=2x5 tonsx0.63= 6.3 ton of Hay.
Seed to the next sewing: Wheat(300lb), Oats(100lb), Rye(100lb)
Grain available: Rye(1125lb), Oats(900lb)
Chaff available: Rye chaff(4792lb), Oat chaff(3834lb), Hay(6.3 ton)
The Farm house on a remaining 1&1/2 acres
A farm house and buildings (1/2 acre)
A Vegetable Garden & Grounds (1 acre)
o 1/2 acre vegetable garden of Turnip x 25 ton/acre @ 63%=7.875 ton
o 1/2 acre running 5 chickens freerange(4 hens & rooster)=4 @ 180 eggs/year=720 eggs/year
o (5) pigs on vegetble scraps, some chaff, and grain
The remainder of the Estate is 280 square miles of light forest (Forest of Mitten) divided into 1700 Acre Woodlots.
Example of a Woodlot -
1700 acres harvested at the rate of 17 Acres per year (20000lb of firewood per acre).
Consequently the estate is self sufficient in fuel (firewood).
Surplus Produce: Although there is a surplus of Oats and Hay, the real export is 200 knights in support of the King.
Threshold is a Church run workfarm with an unsustainable urban population.
Always my feeling since I got my eyes on GAZ1... the "home town" in the Basic Set (red box) Player's Book sounded like a little country village. The Expert Set a bit bigger (and full of unusual things for a rural backwater, like a monster menagerie, a black pudding-waste disposal, etc), GAZ 1 looked too much. Never used the figures in my games; actually for a place with a secret Coin Mint, it made much more sense to have a backwater with a more or less small but steady logging business (as a cover for coin transportation).
But then, IMO most D&D towns are quite overpopulated for what would make sense in a not magic-heavy, Western Middle Ages-based economy. Though I am not a big FR fan, the Dalelands were one of the few more or less "realistic" (in terms of pop-density).
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Threshold is a Church run workfarm with an unsustainable urban population.
Always my feeling since I got my eyes on GAZ1... the "home town" in the Basic Set (red box) Player's Book sounded like a little country village. The Expert Set a bit bigger (and full of unusual things for a rural backwater, like a monster menagerie, a black pudding-waste disposal, etc), GAZ 1 looked too much. Never used the figures in my games; actually for a place with a secret Coin Mint, it made much more sense to have a backwater with a more or less small but steady logging business (as a cover for coin transportation).
But then, IMO most D&D towns are quite overpopulated for what would make sense in a not magic-heavy, Western Middle Ages-based economy. Though I am not a big FR fan, the Dalelands were one of the few more or less "realistic" (in terms of pop-density).
Unfortunately Threshold's Logging business is unsustainable...there isnt enough trees (well the maps were deceptive - they should have had forest covered mountains within a 1 hex distance)
Sounds cool,
oh, I don't remember about the Master in X10, but in WotI he worships Bozdogan, the national deity of Hule. As per the Immortals' books, Bozdogan is an aspect of Loki. As per the WotI campaign, he is manipulated/convinced by Thanatos in creating the Desert Nomad invasion which coincides with the Great War...
That said, you can ignore all of that and get Thanatos as his patron (he is a sort of regenerating immortal guy, so that makes sense).
If you want to add an extra twist, an idea is to have the Master the PCs fight in their Paragon Paths be the canonical Bozdogan-pawn. When they kill him in the Paragon tier climax, he attempts to "regenerate" (I wonder if that was a Doctor Who wink of sorts) but his regeneration is botched (perhaps for having experienced with Nithian artifacts) and he is "taken" by Thanatos. Hule is already scary enough, but the idea of a region of fanatic worshipers of death and entropy (as opposed to chaos and change, Bodzogan's province) sounds a good Epic-tier trigger.
People play Mystara/Hollow World to recreate Sinbad, Ray Harryhausen movies, bad Hammer films, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar and Barsoom books, get chased by a Brain Collector through Ravenloft-style mists into a Clark Ashton Smith story, defend a city against a 500' tall zombie made from the melded dead of the nearby cemetary, climb up its legs, crawl up its ass, 'Fantastic Voyage'-style, and carve it to pieces from the inside out, hacking its 'driver' to pieces in the head-cockpit and hurling his carcass out the eye-hole with a resounding cheer.
Indeed! Very well said! And that's why I want a 4E Mystara.
Heck, Dragon (pre-Paizo) helped shape the world, maybe after the changes to the GSL, Paizo can get the go ahead for the 4E Mystara.
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Pretty much my favourite adventures
1. Plague spreads amongst the villages
"You have proven your loyalty to the church of Thanatos, now take this powder and introduce it to the wells of every village in Karameikos."-Urga, High Priest of Thanatos addressing the faithful in a meeting in Mirros.
DM Briefing: Travellers and Merchants begin dropping small sacks of poison into the wells of numerous villages across the Kingdom of Karameikos. Symptoms include boils and lesions and looks like the mummy rot plague.
2. A Sinkhole opens in Kelvin
"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" Yan looked about nervously.
"We can sell that rock for a gold Royal now shut up and dig..." Boris speared his crowbar into the dirt by the boulder. The Crowbar vanished into the Earth along with the boulder and much of Mrs. Mealy's Garden.
"What did you do?" Yan looked at his friend.
DM Briefing: A Sinkhole opens in the city of Kelvin. The Hole Expands threatening several homes. The Sinkhole drops 500 feet into a cavern the size of the city above it.
3. A Sword in the Peat
"Found it under the Peat I did. Look at it." Stephan wiped the muck from its surface.
His companion stared at the blade and looked for the smiths-mark that should be...
"By Hala...It Cannot Be." Iago fell to his knees in fear.
"Iago?" Stephan stared at his friend.
The sight of Stephan holding a sword aloft while leaning over his kneeling companion drew instant attention.
"He's killed him!" The voice from the crowd was quite loud.
DM Briefing: A very old short sword is found beneath the peat diggings east of the city of Kelvin. The Sword has the blacksmith's marks of Halav. Indeed, this is one of Halav's swords crafted by the smith before he achieved immortality. The Sword is non-magical yet will fetch a price of a million gold Royals. As a consequence everyone will want it by any means.
4. A Plot to take the Estate of Marilenev (part 1)
"One of the Last Traladaran-held Estates...?"
"It produces near a hundred million gold Royals a year."
"Well there is that."
"Lady Marilenev's tithe to the Church of Traladara exceeds the tithe we get from every Thyatian in the Kingdom including the King."
"The Church of Karameikos must have it all."
"And those are very important points but how?"
"There are Clerics of Chaos in the Mountains to the North-east. It is time they moved against the Kingdom."
"Vanya help you if the Patriarch finds out."
DM Briefing: Senior Clerics in the Church of Karameikos begin plotting to take the Estate of Marilenev as a Bishopric. They flood the region of the North east with poorly guarded merchants with wagonloads of weapons.
5. Something under Mirros
"I hear ol Vigo was moanin about somethin tryin ta eat him when he went the Jakes at the Broken Mug." Boris squatted above the hole in the ground and moaned at his constipation.
"Damn Drunk with his fairytales!" Replied Yan from the next squat.
"You Know there are supposed to be tunnels dug beneath the city." Boris was thinking they might look into that soon.
"Yeah. Been thinking about...what the...ERRAGGG!" Yan's scream was Cut short.
"Yan? What you Screaming about? Yan?" Boris felt very alone as he staggered forward around the stall to look in on his friend. he watched as a naked foot and leg slid down a very narrow hole. The stall was sprayed with blood.
Boris made best speed for the Tap Room leaving a trail of dung in his wake.
"For Halav's Sake someone find me a Pot to go in..."
DM Briefing: A Gelatinous predator begins eating people who use the toilet or venture into cellars. This is a Permanently Hasted Gargantuan Black Pudding (stats: 8xHD, 2x Size).
6. Death on the Rooftops
Vigo turned to face the noise and watched wooden roofing tiles clatter into the dirt street. Vigo looked up at the cloaked shadow on the roof above him. The foe was an almost intangible piece of black cloth gripping a great Scythe.
"Scyth'r!" Vigo screamed and fled down the alley in a mad rush.
Vigo crashed through People standing in front of the Black Dog Tavern.
"The bugger has come for me..." He tried to make them understand as the cloaked figure dropped from the roof top into their midst and took Vigo with a single swipe of its pure entropic Blade.
DM Briefing: A Shadow with a Scythe of Pure Entropy descends on the city of Mirros and begins targeting several individuals who were all involved in a raid on a Temple when they were young adventurers. The Weapon itself has the abilities of a magic missile in that it automatically hits inflicting 1d6+1.
7. A Sandbar blocks the Mirror Harbour
"Dredge it they Says. Do it Quicker they Says, Trade pays your wages, they says." Purvis the Wizard waved his Rod of Civil Works and the sand loaded on the Barge.
"Who says what?" The odd voice came from all around him.
"Who said that?" queried Purvis as he looked around him.
The wet sand began to tower to its full height pulling even more sand onto the barge.
"I said that." The very ancient and aquatically-evolved earth elemental was in the mood for conversation.
"Pefh! No sandbar here." Purvis dived into the harbour water and swam for shore.
"What about me?" The twelve foot tall sand-bar wanted answers.
"Not my department, I'm Civil Works." Purvis was having none of it.
"Want to hear about how the water gets the grit out of all my crevices?"
"Definitely not!" called Purvis as he headed to the nearest tavern.
DM Briefing: An ancient (and aquatically adapted) Earth Elemental decides to make its home in the Harbour of Mirros to the inconvenience of Ships in the Harbour.
8. The Great Robbery
"I was just saying that it seem silly."
"What do you mean?" Arlo Von Gaunt queried Boris.
"That the King's Treasury would have fifty two Firkins of Silver simply walked down to a ship in the Harbour." Boris whispered as the army of Porters walked past in teams of two with a small barrel branded Treasury of Karameikos on a litter between them. They were escorted by a hundred Guardsmen.
"They're paying it to Darokin for the Annual Shipment of Grain."
"I Think it's silly." replied Boris to his new companion.
"You think that twenty-six thousand pounds of Silver is Silly."
The Silver was loaded into the hold.
"I simply think it silly that they didn't have better protection of the Ship."
DM Briefing: Robbers steal a ship moving 260,000sp of Karameikan Coin to the Republic of Darokin.
9. Buttleknnose's Steam
The great brass ball turned as the steam sprayed from its opposing arms.
"What exactly does it do?" Stephan stared at the Gnome-built engine with wonder.
"It is Technology!! It drives the future. It powers the...the ships of industry!" Buttleknnose was struggling for words on his Knees with his hands in the Air.
Shuuu...Shuuu...Shuuu...Shuuu....went the great steam engine echoing all the way down the valley. It didn't seem to be driving anything in particular.
"But what exactly does it do?" Stephan looked at his companion who was attempting not to break into laughter.
"Um, well, nothing right now. Gear's broke."
"Well the folks down the valley would appreciate it if you fixed the noise, particularly the loud bang that happens in the morning."
"Yeah! It's putting off the milking cows." Arn the dairy farmer was finally getting a word in.
"That wasn't the Buttleknnose Steamball(tm). That was the Buttleknnose SteamKannon(tm)." Buttleknnose was on a roll.
"Will you ask him what "(tm)" means or shall I?" Stephan stared sternly at the smiling farmer...
DM Briefing: A Gnome builds some steam based technology to the detriment of the future.
10. Flying Shield Abducts Villagers livestock
"It was big and shiny and round and polished mirror-like, like a...a mirror and there were lights and it flew and ..." Stephan held up a hand to pause the young Halfling.
"So what you are saying is that a big shiny flying discus abducted your sheep?"
"Nono. That was the Thingummy that they flew off in. It was funny-looking elves with pointy ears and silver clothes and lightning bolt wands with funny grips and they all went about saying 'resistance is pointless' and 'prepare for the harvest' and 'cor! that's a pretty sweater'...scared the missus an all."
DM Briefing: Blacklore Elves with Magic-built flying Saucers and Lightning bolt ray guns abduct some farmers Livestock and take them back to their secret base on the dark side of the Moon.
11. The Burrowing Tower
"Our initial investigations of the Tower in the Great Crater have provided valuable Data." Prince Malachie looked around the Council Chambers at the few Princes and Princesses of Glantri who cared to show up.
"Witness reports that the Tower 'burrowed to the surface' have been verified. The Geological Data is on page three of the report. The Tower itself is of Entropic origins and has an aura consistent with an artefact of Entropy" Malachie paused and looked at princess Hillsbury.
"We are however still unable to penetrate the Interior." Princess Hillsbury smiled at his personal failure.
DM Briefing: The Tower has been penetrated by Synn the Night Dragon (a.k.a. Dolores Hillsbury). To activate the tower, she must sacrifice the princes and princesses of Glantri (She has already sacrificed prince Kol). Activating the Tower causes everyone in the Great Crater to evolve into Gargantuan versions of themselves (Gargantuan: HDx8, Sizex2).
12. Something Terrible
A great and terrible monolith in the deep of the Phlogiston loomed before their hammership. The helm crashed and the hammership soon followed.
"By the Immortals! What is that thing?" Captain Halav stared at the incredible sight as the small wooden vessel fell into its gravity well...
DM Briefing: The PC's, having ventured into Spelljammer Space encounter the Starship Warden, a fifty mile long, twenty five mile wide, 8&1/2 mile thick derelict (and potential Dungeon) adrift in the Phlogiston.
13. A Plot to take the Estate of Marilenev (part 2)
"Fire!" Alexis listened to the cry as her fireball gems struck dry timber in the Nest. No Moon made her invisible on the flying broom. The explosions shook the poorest district of Mirros and began their work. Rescuers were going to their deaths, the impoverished populace was in anarchy. Within moments the entire quarter was an inferno.
DM Briefing: Senior Clerics in the Church of Karameikos plotting to take the Estate of Marilenev as a Bishopric employ a Thyatian Mage to carpet bomb that region of Mirros known as THE NEST with fireball Gems.
14. River of Blood
"The Magos bleeds, my friend." Kuzama whispered to her companion the latest rumour.
"Aye. I hear the River Magos flows with an unholy redness. As though the Mountains were bleeding..." Stephan invoked the ritual of Halav for simply speaking of such evil.
DM Briefing: The Magos river runs bloody red from it's source. Fish in that river float dead on its edges. A Cinnabryl Vein has been discovered at the source of the river by some Modrigswerg dwarves who are using it to make weapons from an alloy of Cinnabryl Known as Corrupted Steel (not RED STEEL). These are Entropic Weapons which inflict <standard weapon damage> + <Entropic plague requiring a will check at -8 penalty or become half fiendish>.
The process requires the washing out of the redness of the steel to create a dark and rotting look to the steel.
15. The poisoning of an Emperor
"Are you sure he took the poison?" Senator Fiorenza needed to know.
"Yes." The Assassin did not enjoy being interrogated by his employers.
"Are you sure it will work?"
"Fiates Rose is impossible to detect, and immune to all magical and clerical cures. The Emperor is a dead man within three days."
DM Briefing: The Young Emperor of Thyatis is poisoned by something that can neither be detected as poison, nor cured by wizard or clerical magic. This leaves the Thyatian Empire with a child for an emperor.
I just had to put this one here. It was too interesting to pass up.
Special Category: The Mystaran Past
16. On the whim of an Emperor
The Emperor of Thyatis stared at the old map. Oddly Alphatia wasn't on it.
His aide leaned forward to examine the curiosity.
"Um? Sir? Shouldn't that bit be labelled Empire of Alphatia?"
Emperor Zendrolion snapped a look of disgust at the disloyalty of his staff.
"If I say there is no such place as Alphatia, then that is all." The aide straightened and cleared his throat.
"Yes my Emperor!"
The Emperor's Aide carried word to the Cartographers guild. Overnight, Every map was altered and new ones issued.
DM Briefing: Emperor Zendrolion Issues new Maps. Maps without any sign of Alphatia. Irrelevant until you colonise a piece of vacant coast based on that map and the Alphatians show up to tax your Wizard-Baron.
17. A Home with a View
Frandos the Maleficent looked out across the Great Crater. The staircase being carved into the steep embankment, by an army of underskilled humanoids learning the art of stone masonry, was a wide avenue on the roof of the homes on the lower level.
"As you can see my lord, it is a house with a view and you will not regret the location..." Prince Kol's Aide smiled as he sold the better aspects of the city being carved into the Caldera.
DM Briefing: The PC's are granted a nice house in the Great Crater in a Lottery by which Mages from the Great School of Magic might be lured to live in the great Crater.
18. A Plot to take the Estate of Marilenev (part 3)
"They are looking for answers."
"Then it is time we gave them some."
"You will personally spoil a tax shipment of wine coming to the King from within the Marilenev Estate."
"But that would Expose Me!"
"Yes Moray Vaco. And that is why you will go to ground with the Humanoids in the Cruth."
"You are mad!"
"No, Just setting you in place to lead the humanoids against Traladaran Settlements there."
DM Briefing: The clerics conspiring to take the Marilenev Estate begin exposing their own as plotters to destabilise the patriarch and turn the Traladarans against the Church of Karameikos.
19. Bargle abducts Aleena
"I intend to father my children upon you." Bargle stroked her cheek and smiled at his own rising pleasure.
"Get off me you monster!" Aleena pushed him away.
"You’re my property now."
"My Husband will get you." She was pure hate.
"Who? Him? He came looking for me at Mistamere." Bargle pulled back the curtain to reveal a very dead and tortured Traladaran shackled to a torture frame. Aleena recognized the broken form before her instantly.
"Noooooo!!!!" Aleena's Scream echoed across the flying castle...
DM Briefing: Her Husband murdered by Bargle, Aleena is abducted from Threshold by Bargle the Infamous. The PCs must penetrate his flying fortress and rescue Aleena.
20. What fiend is that?
"What?" Desmond turned his head quickly to catch a view of the shadow moving beyond his field of vision. Nothing.
Desmond shook his head and walked off.
"Heerraaa!" One of his guards screamed.
Baron Kelvin ran to the sound. The Guard was dead.
"Sound the Alarm!" Kelvin's loud voice screamed the words.
Guardsmen poured into the hall.
"We have an intruder. Find him now. And someone deal with him." The Baron pointed at the body. Guards Scurried off and a few carried off their dead companion.
Baron Kelvin returned to his chambers to retrieve a weapon. His mace hung on a hook on the inside of the door.
"Why do you need a mace when you have a perfectly good sword in your hand?" The voice came from nowhere. In his hand he now held a sword. The blade coated in the blood of the Guard.
DM Briefing: Baron Kelvin develops an alternative Personality. It is Chaotic Evil and of the Fighter Class.
21. The Banished One (A Crisis of Faith part 1)
"Eoward Radu! You are banished from Traladara for all time!"
The Terrible voice was instantly heard by every one in the kingdom of Karameikos. Eoward Radu looked up at the Sky. The sky distorted and became the face of Halav.
DM Briefing: For Eoward Radu, he becomes the most despised and mistrusted man in all of Karameikos. Once this gets out to other nations, He will be the most despised individual in the world.
This is a crisis of Faith for the Cult of Halav. Suddenly they are no longer sure that King Stephan is the reincarnation of Halav.
22. A Schism in the Cult of Halav (A crisis of Faith part 2)
"King Halav! That we might clear away the horrors of the past, It is at the heart of our petition that you should grant us that ground upon which the ruins of Castle Doom do fester. Let us heal these wounds by constructing a Monastery to Petra that shall provide haven and education to both churches and pave the healing path to unification." King Stephan waved forward his servant. The young Cleric handed the petition to the servant and Bowed at King Stephan.
"I Shall give this honest consideration. Halav Knows we need it in these times." Stephan Smiled.
DM Briefing: A few establish a new faction in the Church. They are the Monastic Rose of Petra. They petition King Stephan for the Hill overlooking the Town of Fort Doom. They wish to demolish the ruined castle and build a Monastery on the site. The Monastery is open to followers of Petra from both churches.
23. Enslaved Gnomish Scientists
Gnomish Technicians huddled around a great iron tractor with mounted cannon when General D'Boer entered the Bunker.
"How long before it fully operational? T' Kaisar wants results!" General Hurak D'Boer grasped Albert by the throat and slapped a second Gnomish technician to the ground.
"A month at least my lord!" Albert Wundersteam resisted the urge to struggle.
"Fool! You told me that a month ago! I want t' Steam Tank operational." The other technicians looked at the interrogation with concern.
"We go to war in less than a Year! If this is a failure like that Kaisarballoon project..."
"A month my lord! With the new enchanted fuelrod, the engine power is much improved."
"It better Be! Or you and your little family here will join t' rest of that Glitterlode-worshiping filth on their way to t' STEAM CHAMBERS!"
DM BRIEFING: An Orcish civilization in Vulcania is preparing to sweep across Davinia using Steamtech.
24. The Pirate Lantern
"Have I Made it?" Devor Mandrazy looked about. He had managed the dimension door to the hold of the merchant ship. He lowered the Pirate Lantern and pulled the hand drill. The noise of his work was easily muffled by the flurry of crew activity on deck.
His pirate raider was struggling to close the distance.
A Dozen holes along the length of the ship and water began pouring in through the hull.
Water was around his ankles when a voice came from above.
"Saboteur!"
Armed marines began pouring down the ladder into the hold.
Devor grabbed up his lantern and was gone.
DM Briefing: Pirates are discovered to be using Magic items specifically made for them. They have wizards in Alphatia turning out Magic items of all manor. Stats for the pirate lantern: Dimension Door Useable 2/day non rechargeable (30 charges). A platinum lantern frame encasing a petrified 2' gelatinous cube. Once the charges are used up, the gelatinous cube grows to full size attacking the user.
25. The Isle of Dread Vanishes
The Tenobar Wake sat in open water.
"Are you certain our course was correct?" Captain Thero looked about.
"Yes my captain. We made the turn the evening last at the island of those cannibals." Navigator Harn shook his head.
"That put us within sight of the mistwall. But the mistwall and the Island are gone."
The Island was gone. Immortals. It had to be Immortals.
"Get us back to the island of the Cannibals. We are going to need the fresh water."
DM Briefing: Ships traveling the Thanegioth Archipelago discover the entire isle of Dread is missing.
26. Asteroid impact in the Sea of Dread
The Flying Merchantman Mirros Rose moved above the surface of the Sea of Dread.
The Terrible flash in very heart of the Sea of Dread caught the sight of the watch.
"By the Immortals, What was that?" In the distance the deep red glow vanished behind a rising wall of water.
"Oh, Halav!" Devin Hyraksos stared at the wave. It traveled quickly out across the horizon.
"Captain...?"
"What is it?" Captain Gregor Stephanov looked up at the Sailor.
"Wave on the Horizon, Captain. Closing fast." The Captain scaled the rope ladder and turned to look where the sailor was pointing.
A Tidal wave was racing toward them at a terrible rate.
"Halav's Mother! Helm, get us up two thousand feet. Now!"
The Ship surged upward just catching the wave. The wave struck the hull and tipped the ship.
DM Briefing: An asteroid clips the Mystaran Moon of Luna sending large rocks at the planet Mystara. The Asteroid itself impacts in the Sea of Dread sending a wave of destruction through coastal and island communities facing the Sea of Dread.
27. Pickled Virgin
Petrov spat out the wine.
"What in Halav's name? It’s befouled." Petrov walked away from the Barrel in search of an Axe.
"Are you sure? This is supposed to be from one of the rarest and most exclusive vineyards in Glantri." Franz sampled the mug.
"By the Immortals it tastes like pickled hog."
"Exactly." Petrov drove the axe into the wood of his stolen prize until the timbers shattered.
The Corpse of a pickled young elf could be made out amongst the shattered wood.
"Yeergh!" Franz released the contents of his stomach on to the ground.
"Right! When you get done turning out your meal, fetch that tame cleric. I want to know who this corpse is and who killed her before sunset."
"Then What?" Franz sprayed the ground again with his stomach contents.
"Then We break open the other six barrels and find out if this is a one-off."
DM Briefing: A shipment of wine stolen during a change of residence by the Prince of Boldavia turns up in Karameikos. The wine contains Pickled Elves for flavoring. The Elves (requiring a speak with the dead) were abducted from the Elf Principalities of Glantri and are infact being pickled for food purposes.
28. On the Run
"We didn't kill those villagers lady Aleena. Please believe us."
"I Do, but you need to surrender yourself to trial, running will just hurt your position."
"We tried. Killers attacked us when we did."
"What do you mean?"
"You need to be aware of some evil creeping into..."
A crossbow bolt grazed Aleena and drove into the wall.
"We've put you in Danger."
That attack came from inside the Residence.
"They have people inside the residence?" Aleena was in shock.
"They have agents everywhere. It may be better if we remain criminals on the run."
DM Briefing: The party find themselves blamed for the massacre of a village. Attempting to seek legal outcomes, the party are attacked by agents of the real villains at every turn putting friends and loved ones in danger.
29. The Smith's Apprentice (An Oardacious Plan part 1)
The corpse surfaced near the small boat, as Arko the fisher was preparing a line, taking him by surprise.
"By Petra's uncle...a floater!"
Arko turned the lesion covered corpse face up revealing something ugly and deformed. The shiny almost wizard like clothing suggested he should be pulled in.
He didn't look long dead so perhaps the patriarch could save him...
DM Briefing: A body surfaces in lake Windrush near Threshold. Taken for a deformed wizard, the drowned man is raised from the dead yet has no memories of who he is. "Silvio of Windrush" as he is soon come to be known as finds gainful employment with a Blacksmith. His skills in metalworking soon become apparent as he turns out weapons of Masterful quality.
Silvio of Windrush is in fact an OARD. There is a time travel mirror on the bottom of the lake (the mirror was there before the lake was). The OARD was sent through to investigate but drowned, loosing all memory of his past and mission.
30. The Artisan's Lens (An Oardacious Plan Part 2)
"Now sir if you will look through this simple lens you should see some improvement to your sight." Silvio held up a small frame of brass with two circles of diamond carved glass.
The bell rang on the shop door. It was Aleena Halaran.
"Lady Halaran! Wonderful to see you! I'll be right with you..."
Silvio returned his attention to his first customer.
"By Petra she is Beautiful...I never realized." The customer coughed and put down the glasses.
"Wonderful! I'll take them." Silvio smiled.
"Forty gold Royals as agreed." Coins were exchanged and the elderly wizard left with a nod to Aleena.
"Now where were we?" Silvio of Windrush pulled the large wooden case from beneath the counter and flipped the lid to reveal a great brass Spyglass.
Aleena smiled at the gift for her father's birthday...
"Thank you Sylvio. A wonderful lens."
DM Briefing: The Artisan known as Sylvio of Windrush (An OARD) finally opens his own shop in Threshold and begins crafting lenses for short-sighted wizards, and a fine range of telescopes.
31. The Master's Diving Bell (An Oardacious Plan Part 3)
Silvio took a breath full of air and sank beneath the surface of the lake. Franz took a breath and followed him.
It didn't take long to reach the Diving Bell anchored near the shore.
The two companions surfaced in the air pocket of the dive bell.
"As you can see, the bell holds several minutes of good air and can be replenished with a simple mechanical apparatus. From here a diver can plunder the riches scattered on the sea floor." Franz looked at the mirror sitting on the muddy bottom now a few feet below him.
"Is that a gold framed mirror?" Franz pointed out the treasure he had spotted.
"Indeed. There are many treasures for salvage even here at the bottom of a lake."
DM Briefing: Silvio of Windrush discovers the OARD mirror while testing out a diving bell of his invention. He gives it to his financial partner as a gift.
The mirror winds up in the offices of Franz Thwaket in Mirros. It is from here that a number of OARD eliminate Franz and take over his half of the Diving Bell business.
Thwaket and Windrush Diving Bells becomes a front for the OARD.
32. The Twilight Sky
Wendel the Sworder looked down into the valley. There scattered across the side of a Mountain was the shattered iron hull of the Twilight Sky. The Alphatian Flying Carrier that had laid siege to the city of Glantri at the height of the War.
It had gone down in the Wendarian Ranges with all hands.
"By the Immortals!" The carnage was terrible and awe inspiring. The contents of a once glorious empire were scattered across the mountains of Northern Glantri.
Wendel didn't see the Predator lurking in shadow. It came at him with furious speed.
DM Briefing: The PC's stumble across the wreckage of the Alphatian Flying Carrier ship scattered across a mountain in the Wendarian Ranges. There amongst the wealth of lost wizard magic are numerous powerful predators that were summoned to attack Glantri.
33. Buy me some Stone
The Wagons moved up the rocky trail toward New Xorg. Magebuilt walls encompassed a rapidly growing community of walled suburbs teaming with Orcs. Brawls could be seen in the streets...Indeed there was a crowd betting on a fight. Waste was being thrown from the steps into the gutter and the smell was foul and toxic.
Erina of Threshold held her nose. It was worse than the foul streets of Mirros. Get in, buy twenty wagons of Stone, and get out.
Still there was something wrong with the prospect of an orc City.
DM Briefing: New Xorg is located on the southern edge of the ORCLANDS of Darokin. It is a recently established Quarry town employing its orcish population in stonecutting.
INFO on NEW XORG can be found on the Vaults of Pandius (including maps).
34. And now a lesson in Agricultural Economics
"Now the concept of a glut is over production. Because there is much produce, the buyer or merchant can pick an choose from available producers to get produce at lower prices." Devon was starting to slur from too much wine.
"Now If a farmer wants to push prices up, he needs a shortage of the product or a Monopoly...what's in this?" Devon blinked at the mug of wine.
"Is Radishes...So what's this monopoly thingy if everyone's got one?" said farmer Durn.
"Um Its where like you is the only one with a crop." Devon passed out.
"You mean like where the other farms are burned down and their crops torched?" No reply.
DM Briefing: A drunken economist explains the concept of Market forces to farmers. A few Barns are burned and crops put to torch. There is a sudden wheat shortage in Northern Karameikos as the PCs are called in to investigate acts of Agricultural Terrorism.
35. Night Terrors
"I tell you I saw it! It weren't no child! It was a fiend!" Afern the ropemaker jerked his head side to side at a shadow still moving around him as they dragged him into the cell.
"Wa! Demons!" came the cry from the many cellmates of Afern.
Jailer Cadesa shook his head and walked back to his seat by the door.
"What in Petra's name is wrong with them?" His companion guardsman shook his head.
"Been pulling them in all night. Ordinary folk just seeing demons. This one killed his daughter. Said she turned into a monster and tried to eat him." Cadesa returned to his ale but he couldn't stomach it. Mirros was in an uproar as the demonic epidemic spread.
DM Briefing: A massive shipment of ergot contaminated ryebread is sold cheap by bakers in Mirros. By evening over a thousand of the populace are sick, hallucinating, or dead.
36. War
Franz leaned back on the hay pile and stared at the morning sky. They young farmhand could only wonder at the distant lands an magical sights he should be experiencing.
"Franz? Franz lad, you done with the hay?" Farmer Stephanov marched around the load of hay that was mostly on the wagon.
"Hoy! Back to work! This needs to be shipped to Verge tomorrow." Franz climbed to his feet only then noticing the two black spots in the distant sky and the terrible flicker of thunderous fire between them.
"What the?" Franz pointed at the sky and flying citadels that were closing the distance toward their little farm.
"By Zirchev!" Farmer Stephanov ran to the farmhouse.
Magical Fire snapped and flashed as they continued to draw closer.
Then one began a descent reminiscent of a thrown stone while it's opponent continued bombardment. It fell toward the small farm with increasing speed until it touched below the ground and dug in.
A wave of tilled sod rushed out from the impact and rolled through the farm house throwing it aside.
Franz climbed out from under the collapsed haystack and snatched up a hayfork.
"Woah!" Franz watched as the remaining Citadel drifted over it.
DM Briefing: Two flying citadels engage in open hostilities over Northern Karameikos. One of them is finally shot down by the other near Verge. Who, what and why are left entirely to the DM.
37. A Dark Trade
"This sword belonged to a soldier in King Stephan's Guard. He was killed in a Riot...yours for a hundred gold Royals." The Black marketeer wiped the blade slowly across his sleeve.
"Interesting...I'll Take it." Del Marko exchanged a sack of coin for the weapon.
DM Briefing: Black marketeers begin selling trophy weapons of Warriors of the Kings Guard who die. The price for a trophy weapon is ten to a hundred times the market price of a new weapon. Some begin killing and ambushing members of the King's Guard just because their weapon's have value.
38. The Job (pre AC1010)
WANTED
Fine and upstanding monster hunters to seek and capture a werewolf plaguing the village of Luln and deliver it to Fort Doom. Remuneration of one thousand Gold Royals value will be made. Deliveries made to Bargle the Wizard.
DM Briefing: What they wont hear is that the werewolf is one of Bargle's Apprentices and he doesn't really want to go back, The entire Affair is designed to cause pain and suffering in the village of Luln, and the PCs are going to be paid one TUN of poor quality wine (value 1000gp if they are lucky)
39. A Delivery of Wine (pre AC1010)
"Well this here shipment goes to a Wizard in the Black Eagle Barony named Bargle." The wine merchant got Stephan to sign for it.
"Should take a week..." Stephan nodded his head. A simple delivery job. Easy coin.
DM Briefing: The PC's are paid a hundred coin to deliver a wagonload of wine to Fort Doom. Unfortunately the Black Blades (Traladarans out for vengeance against Bargle) have other plans. They intend to kill the PCs and handle the shipment themselves having added a suitable poison to the wine.
40. A letter in the Mail
"Good Sir, we have journeyed far to deliver this letter on behalf of Nevone the Wizard to your Lord Furlan." Franz handed over the Letter and waited for a reply from Lord Furlan's Aide.
"If you would wait in that room there. Food and drink shall be brought." Manservant Dalwith indicated the small room near the busy kitchen.
Cheap wine and sandwich loaves stuffed with meats, herbs and cheeses were soon served.
Franz and his companions took in the feast for an hour before drifting off.
Dalwith returned, the contents of the Letter on his mind: Dispose of those who deliver this letter and you shall be granted favours of great worth from Bargle the Wizard.
"Move them to the Dungeon. Lord Furlan intends to question them."
DM Briefing: The PCs are hired by Bargle (in disguise) to deliver a letter. The letter is to a nasty lord somewhere in the Kingdom. The Letter is the PC's Death warrant.
41. An Imperial Command
"...now where was I? Ah yes: My Dear King Stephan Karameikos, It is with deep sorrow at..." The Emperor fell from the chair in a twitching fit.
"Summon the Cleric!" The scribe leapt forward to help the Emperor of Thyatis as he twitched and foamed on the floor.
He stopped.
"THE END OF MYSTARA IS NIGH! YOU MUST TAKE THE EMPIRE FROM THIS CRYSTAL SPHERE. THE ALPHATIANS WILL AIDE YOU IN THIS TASK!" The Emperor passed out. The Scribe fell back from him as the other guards arrived with a Cleric.
DM Briefing: The Emperor of Thyatis spouts Prophecy during a fit. The Mystaran Exodus is coming.
42. The Witchfinder Cometh - The Writ of Vanya
Witchfinder Ruthven Ghoulburn looked about. Here was a city where ancient hatreds were sorted out on the street and the mob ruled. There could be no mistake: here was a den of witchery and evil.
The Artifact in his hand pulsed with awareness.
Ruthven walked across the crowded market place toward the church of Karameikos. Around him the crowd parted and melted away.
Ruthven nodded to himself. Such was the way of things.
The tall Paladin of Vanya looked at the great wooden doors and hefting the eye of Vanya, placed his hands against their wooden form.
"Invo Vanya Writus!" The wood smoked as Vanya's fire burned across the surface. People about him fled in panic.
As the smoke cleared, Vanya's Holy symbol could be seen scorched into the wood. With it was a writ from the Synod of Freiburg, their seal burned into the wooden document.
Writ of Vanya
Unto this kingdom have we dispatched Paladin of Vanya for it is become corrupt with witchery, heresy, and concealed horrors.
All faithful of Vanya are commanded to route out all witchery, sorcery, and heresy that the faithful of this land may know the embrace of Vanya's Bosom.- issued by the Synod of Freiburg, this year of our Lady Vanya one thousand and twenty.
DM BRIEFING: The Eye of Vanya has the ability to scribe a Symbol known as a writ of Vanya on any surface. All clerics and followers of Vanya looking upon the writ must make save vs spell or form angry mobs and attack wizards and those clerics who are not clerics of Vanya.
43. A Peoples Revolution
DM Briefing The Bailiffs dispatched by the local lord to collect grain tax have failed to return from the Village of Humprey. The locals are in the middle of a technological boom. A travelling sage has taught the local blacksmith how to build a mechanical grain harvester. The Humprey Push-Scythe allows a single individual to harvest four acres an hour. He has also taught them to manufacture a repeating crossbow that fires bolts from a drum barrel of twenty and must be wound like a clock in a single turn before use. The Sage is an ordinary person dispatched from an Oard Re-education Facility to "assist" the locals in their technological rise.
The Lords Bailiffs simply stumbled into a peasant uprising and were disposed of on their arrival.
Humprey Push-Scythe: The push-Scythe allows the farmer to harvest a grain crop at four acres per hour (4x rate of peasant labourer) (Weight: 50lb, value: 500gp).
Humprey Repeating Crossbow: Must be wound like a clock with a special handle that fits on the end of the barrel. The weapon fires up to twenty bolts from the crossbow drum barrel (Weight: 30lb, Weapon Cost: 250gp//Ammunition: 10gp/bolt, Range: 100', Damage: Heavy Crossbow+1, Reload: 1 Turn to reload the drum).
The Party is called in to investigate an isolated village refusing to pay its taxes in farm produce. They find the locals have declared independence from the local lord and have declared them selves the People's Union of Humprey. They will be ambushed on the road by twenty peasants armed with Humprey Repeating Crossbows. If the party capture the Sage, they find a mind immune to torture and interrogation. The Lord dispatches fifty light footmen from his castle a week after the Adventurers with orders to exterminate the villagers. If the People's Union crush the soldiers (with PC help) they spread to control the Lords estate within a year.
44. An Angry Mob
DM Briefing: A Wizard in Luln is being lynched by local peasants. The Wizard has been feebleminded by an Oard device called a Subjugator Ray which causes the Wizard to be unable to cast spells. An Oard traveller surprised the Wizard with the Ray while in the local tavern and hypnotised the Villagers also there into lynching him. The PC's can stop the Lynching. The Wizard and Peasants don't recover from the effects of the Subjugator Ray however (that takes a Wish). Until they are cured, the peasants will attack any identified wizard attempting to Lynch them. When word gets out, rival wizards show up to loot the Wizard's residence.
45. An Iron Dragon
DM Briefing: Farmers in a region of wilderness report an Iron Dragon (Drolem) on the Rampage north of Radlebb wood. The Drolem has destroyed their farms and killed their livestock. The Baron of Verge puts out a call for reliable Adventurers to look into it. The Oard are clearing out a region of its population. They are Mining minerals in an abandoned mine in the Area and needed cover. IF adventurers follow its trail of destruction back to the source they are led to a mine that has been recently worked. Dwarf miners will be unfamiliar with the technique. The PC's can stop the Drolem (Oard Robot). It will have some value to a Wizard fetching 1000gp-4000gp. They can also discover that someone used it to cover their mining activity-Something that took Tin, Lead, Copper, Iron, Gold, Silver, Platinum, and some Silicon. Over a thousand tons have been mined in a single week.
Examination of the mine site by a Dwarf skilled in mining for a year will allow improvements in their mining skill (+1).
46. Starfall
DM Briefing: A wizard seeks Adventurers to look for a Shooting Star that fell from the sky near Reedle. An Oard Entry Impact Capsule has come down in the Mountains. The Engineer of the Oard Survey Ship (detailed in SPLASHDOWN and FOOTHOLD) has ejected from the ship. They find an Iron Golem wandering about a large Smashed "Egg". It is constructing a Bunker (if allowed to finish). The Oard has perished. The "Smashed Egg" is the Entry Impact Capsule from an Oard Ship. Markings on the Capsule translate as "EIC-1". The Iron golem will not allow the PCs to leave with the Oard and will need to be overcome. The PC's might be hired to retrieve the falling star.
47. The Lifeboat
DM Briefing: A ship stumbles across a strange lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. Another of the Crew of the Oard Survey Ship ejected over the Ocean. The "Lifeboat" is an Entry Impact Capsule from an Oard Ship. Markings on the Capsule translate as "EIC-5". The Oard is in Hibernation and will revive if brought onboard. The Oard will attempt to hypnotise the Captain and Crew into slavery. The PC's might encounter the Oard controlled ship at sea or coming into the isolated fishing village they are in. If the Oard makes it to a village it will enslave the locals (A PEOPLES REVOLUTION should provide a good suggestion as to what happens next).
48. Splashdown
DM BRIEFING: Sailors report seeing a huge "thing" fall from the sky into the gulf of Marilenev. The "Engine" to the Survey ship has come down in the gulf. There is not much left and it is sitting on the Seabed. Adventurers will find the Ship remains mostly intact and under repair by a pair of iron Golems. Unfortunately the Engine is Days from going critical and any water in "engineering" will cause it to trigger early. The implosion of the engine will create a whirlpool located five hexes south of Specularum. The Whirlpool will last for a year before dissipating. The PC's might be hired to go on an undersea adventure.
49. Foothold
DM Briefing: The Forward Section of an Oard Vessel has come down on an Island of Cannibals east of the Isle of Dread. The Forward part of the Ship has crashed in the Thanegioth Archipelago. The Islanders are being re-educated by the "Sky Gods" while the Robots (a dozen Iron Golems) begin mining operations. The PC's might encounter the Oard dismantling their ship section and constructing a base while exploring the region. This event Takes place AC1010, POST Nuwmont 1 for obvious reasons.
50. Cannibals Cannon
DM Briefing: Cannibals invade the Isle of Dread. Their small war galley confronts a Thyatian vessel harboured at Port Mora. The artillery round explodes on impact destroying the ship it hits utterly. If you decide the Oard have gone un-noticed until Thyatis invades the region in AC1020, then there should be an Oard Dome with full cloning facilities just off the Coast. An Oard Dome can be found in CM6 Where Chaos Reigns. The Re-educated Natives will be working on developing Fire Arms (using a (unduplicatable even by a wish) mix of gunpowder made from minerals only found on their Island) and have the equivalent of a small war galley fitted with a single huge forward facing cannon. The Cannon and Six shots with Gunpowder would be worth fifty thousand gold pieces to the Emperor of Thyatis who is once again frustrated by the prospect of not having gunpowder weapons. The Thyatians may learn of the incident but will find the mineral reserves soon run out.
The Cannon: (Range: 1000' Damage: 20d6, Weight: 2 Tons//Artillery Explosive Shot: 500lb/ Reload Time: 1 turn to reload).
The party might be on the Thyatian Vessel only to wash ashore on the isle of Dread after the destruction of their ship.
51: Invasion of the Twaelar Empire
DM Briefing: The Twaelar Empire stops raiding the surface as they come under attack by Oards. The Oards at the Thanegioth Foothold Site have begun an invasion of the Twaelar Empire. The Sea people come under attack from an army of a hundred Iron Golems (Oard Robots) lead by ugly-looking surface dwellers who breathe water (Aquatic Environment Adapted Oards). The Oards are intent on totally assimilating the Twaelar Empire and mining its resources to build a new Spaceship. They will brainwash the Twaelar People into servitude. The PC's might be hired to go on an undersea adventure to investigate why the Twaelar conflict with the Surface has broken off. They might encounter a lone Twaelar citizen fleeing the Empire for help.
52. The Cannon-powder Plot I: Show and Tell
DM Briefing: Advisers from the Savage Coast demonstrate the use of gunpowder in Thyatis City. In a Demonstration of the power of Cannon-powder, a single barge with huge cannon mounted centre barge is signalled into the Harbour to Fire on an anchored vessel. The Cannon hits its target from just under a thousand feet. The Target Ship (a large sailing ship purchased for the demonstration) explodes in a fireball and is destroyed utterly. Unfortunately the creators explain that there are two problems with it. One: The Cannon-powder is only useable in very big Artillery, not hand Weapons, and, Two: The Cannon-powder has a special Oard additive that causes it to detonate within three hundred feet of an actively casting magic-user. A couple of Thyatian Generals see that as more of an advantage than a problem though. The Emperor begins buying the ingredients from the relevant nations on the quiet. The Oards have just sold the Thyatians on Cannon-powder. This particular mix requires a special tar that bubbles up on the Isle of Dread. If the Thyatians are going to control the only Cannon-powder outside the Savage Coast they must take and hold the isle of Dread against all enemies. Considering the Freeport at Tanaroa is currently (1020AC) exporting the Tar by the shipload, the Security of Thyatian Empire is a stake. Other ingredients include a Salt extracted from seawater in the Gulf of Marilenev, A Charcoal found only in the burning of timber from Alfheim, and Sulphur from a Volcano in Ierendi. -The Tar must be mixed with the Charcoal made from Alfheim Wood (no-longer exported) and then with Ierendi Sulphur (not exported), and With Marilenev Salt (currently exported in small volumes by the Estate of Marilenev).
The Thyatian Cannon: Thirty Feet long, ten feet radius, a Steel-alloy made from Ylari Sand, Iron from the Thyatian Empire, and Carbon from Thyatian Hinterlands Timber. Cost of manufacture: 50,000gp, Reload Rate: 2 Turns, Range: 1 Mile, Weight: 50 Tons
Explosive Artillery Round: A 4' diameter Iron shell, Damage: 20d6 (100'radius)/detonates if exposed to magic within 300'. Cost: 1500gp Weight: 3 Tons
The Cannon-Powder Wad: 1,000gp/shot to manufacture is a 4' diameter cannon-powder wad weighing a ton.
The PC's might be on the expedition to take the Isle of Dread or caught on the island when the Thyatians Invade. Worse still, they might be involved in the future Invasion of Karameikos, Ierendi, or Alfheim to secure access to the other ingredients.
53. The Cannon-powder Plot II: No Permit, No Wizard
DM Briefing: The Emperor requires all Wizards in the City of Thyatis (The Cannon-powder Millworks are located here) to carry and display Identification. For reasons of national Security, Wizards are no longer allowed to wander freely in Thyatis City.
54. The Cannon-powder Plot III: War
DM Briefing: The Ingredients to the Thyatian Cannon-powder and the cannons leak out. The Western Defence League cuts off access to the ingredients for manufacturing the Thyatian Cannons and Cannon-powder out of self interest. The Thyatians declare war. The Oards have just leaked the requirements of the Cannon-powder to pit the Thyatians against the Western Defence League. Thyatis must have their ingredients for cannon-powder and cannon-steel. As the ingredients come from many nations in the Western Defence league, they must invade.
55. The Steam Rises I: The Bunker
Captain Franz Thurgood activated the communication clack on Gunderson’s Inter-dimensional Heliograph™.
<SENDER>CAPTAIN-FRANZ-THURGOOD-VESSEL-SEA-PROW</SENDER>
<MESSAGE>HAVE-SPOTTED-NEW-FORTIFICATIONS-ON-CLIFFS-OVERLOOKING-BAY-OF -KERENDAS</MESSAGE>
“That will give the Freiburg Naval Signals Office something to do.”
DM Briefing: The Captain of the Hattian Merchantman Sea Prow spots an unusual construction on the cliffs overlooking the entrance to Port Kerendas. He makes a note of it in his report to Frieburg. The Oard advising the Thyatian Empire have finally developed a Steam Cannon to replace the unavailability of “cannon-powder” Artillery. The Bunker and its cannon are the first of many such placements securing Thyatian Interests. The Hattians are always on watch for some new military development by the Thyatian Empire. Considering the one mile range of the Cannon, anyone sailing into Port Kerendas is in range of the Artillery.
Steam Cannon: (Weight: 5 Tons, Range: 1 mile, Damage: 20d6, Reload: 1Turn)
Adventurers might simply notice the construction and do a little investigating or are spying on behalf of foreign interests.
56. The Steam Rises II: The Blockade
Cannon shot from the battle-deck at the distant vessels attempting to escape the harbour of Mirros.
“Reload!” Commander Aruin Steelblow stepped out of the cloud of steam to look at the prey.
“What say you Gunners? Shall we give them a second volley?”
“Aye Sir!“
A Second volley came the reply.
DM BRIEFING: The “Thyatis Rose” blockades the harbour of a foreign port. It pounds the ships approaching the Port City with four steam Cannon for a day. Thyatis is testing the power of its steam cannons. It blockades a port and picks off every ship approaching and leaving the port. The PCs could be sailing on a ship that is attacked or simply be in the Port and sent out to challenge the Thyatis Rose.
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Some official resurrection of Mystara in 4E would be enough to make me actually buy 4E. ANYTHING with Mystara in it rocks!
I view Golarion as the modern Mystara, they are so very much alike.
I like the world shattering magic/Radiance catastrophy. This would lead to a new mass migration I think. You can easily have Eladrin and Dragonborn advance from the southern continent. The tieflings could advance in from the west, the wretched descendants from the Master of the Desert Nomads.
This would lead to some very interesting wars, and the population and nations would be very chnaged...ready for a new edition...