I'd love to see Mystara 4e

[Hussar]

Now, to be fair, my knowledge of Mystara mainly comes from the Voyage of the Princess Ark stories in Dragon. But, I would think that Mystara would be a great setting for 4e. It's a pretty wahoo setting with flying ships.

Actually, I could go on, but, hey, flying ships. Do I really need anything more?

Seriously though, I think that Mystara would rock as a 4e setting. Am I out to lunch here?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Actually, The Known World (who needs this newfangled Mystara business?) is a great setting for D&D of any edition. I have used the setting in whole or in part to run Basic D&D, and AD&D games. A few years ago I ran a 3E Master of the Desert Nomads campaign. I even used Darokin for some GURPS Swashbucklers.

The setting is detailed and generic at the same time. You can plug in whatever deities you like or keep the basic religions of law, neutrality, and chaos.

I think the trick to keeping it's appeal whatever the edition is to leave things roughly defined as they are for maximum customization. It's more POL oriented than Greyhawk or FR.


I will be using this setting to run my upcoming 4E campaign.

 

[hailstop]

I agree, but mainly for nostalgic purposes. I still have all my Gazateers from when I was growing up. However, the problem that Mystara has is a hook that makes it truly unique from the other campaign settings. Dark Sun has hooks aplenty, Eberron does too. Forgotten Realms has become the defacto generic setting for WotC.

Ironically the best nominee for a hook for Mystara is the Hollow World.

 

[S'mon]

I was just thinking about this! Been contemplating running "Night's Dark Terror" in 4e!

Mystara is a high magic setting, but it seems to be mostly ritual magic. Thyatis has 200 36th level Wizards, but her army is still mundane legions. Which makes no sense in BECMI rules - but in 4e those could be 200 20th (or 30th*?) level Ritual Casters, not necessarily with any combat ability. So I think potentially the setting could make a lot more sense in 4e than in its original ruleset.

*Since 21+ 'Epic' is explicitly demigod level, might be best to keep most of them at 20th? Even 10th, for a more grim n gritty feel.

 

[Markn]

I'll agree that I would like to see this as a 4e world.

I will also agree with the last poster hailstop that it does indeed lack a hook for the world. Could one be created? Sure. Could it wreck my vision of the world? That could happen too. They would have to tread carefully to make it feel the same.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I agree, but mainly for nostalgic purposes. I still have all my Gazateers from when I was growing up. However, the problem that Mystara has is a hook that makes it truly unique from the other campaign settings. Dark Sun has hooks aplenty, Eberron does too. Forgotten Realms has become the defacto generic setting for WotC.

Ironically the best nominee for a hook for Mystara is the Hollow World.

Why does the setting as whole need a hook? The biggest draw of settings like Mystara is the ability to customize them with personal hooks without having to stomp all over established canon.

 

[weem]

Love Mystara - big fan, so of course an official 4e version would be much appreciated... that's why it's sad to have to come to the realization that it's not gonna happen...

...oh well.

But yea, based on inspiration from the Princess Ark, I have included airships in many campaigns over the years. In fact, I have started a project to make an airship for use at the game table (posted here at ENW)...


.

 

[hailstop]

Why does the setting as whole need a hook? The biggest draw of settings like Mystara is the ability to customize them with personal hooks without having to stomp all over established canon.

Because the powers that be at WotC (well, Chris Perkins anyways) have stated such.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Ironically the best nominee for a hook for Mystara is the Hollow World.

I heard Chris Perkins mention on a podcast something to the effect that each setting needs to have its own unique hook, and that Mystara's may be the Hollow World. Otherwise, it sounds as if it doesn't stand out any further than the Realms or Greyhawk.

Why does the setting as whole need a hook? The biggest draw of settings like Mystara is the ability to customize them with personal hooks without having to stomp all over established canon.

WotC is looking for their 4e settings to offer something that other settings don't. Quite simply, why play Mystara over Greyhawk or the Realms when all three are so similar in tone and feel? How does that benefit WotC from an economic standpoint?

Personally, I think Mystara can have a hook, though it would be a departure from the Known World that so many people love. What I would work on is moving the timeline forward a bit and making the world a cohesive whole. Have airships be a huge part of the setting, with travel between the Known World and the Hollow World. Then focus on the whole Red Steel/Cinnabar thing.

Maybe this would be good to release as Dragon articles.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Because the powers that be at WotC (well, Chris Perkins anyways) have stated such.

Fair enough, but a vastly altered version might leave fans of the original out cold but bring in new fans. I guess they could use the new FR to see the effects of radical change to a setting.