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Mike Mearls tweet: Is the Known World of Mystara coming to 5e? (What's Cool About Mystara?)
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<blockquote data-quote="guachi" data-source="post: 7384699" data-attributes="member: 6785802"><p>It's interesting because it's the game world that was part of the D&D game (as opposed to AD&D). So for people who grew up with D&D, they grew up with parts of the game world to varying degrees. Also, the way the game world developed is interesting. At least to me it is. It grew up backwards, so to speak. The world was fleshed out initially via modules. There was that meager two-page spread in module X1 and a hex map with only a few sentences for each country. How it made me use my imagination at the age of 10! What was there behind those hexes? Anything! Because there was nothing published.</p><p></p><p>Little by little through several X series modules we got more and more of the area outside The Known World. We got Empires sparring in the CM series modules. Cool!</p><p></p><p>We got, in 1986, one of the greatest modules ever and lots of background about Karameikos in module B10, Night's Dark Terror. Also in 1986 we got Blackmoor added to The Known World. Oh, and The Known World didn't even have a real name and I liked that. It obviously implied that there was an <em>Un</em>Known World out there to explore.</p><p></p><p>Then in 1987, the same year we got the Forgotten Realms Gazetteers, we got Known World Gazetteers. TSR seemed to switch gears and their modules weren't nearly as interesting or nearly as numerous. It was all about world building. This was, I suppose, both good and bad. The fleshing out meant things were now locked in stone but it also meant there was something to build on and read for people like me who didn't have the time or ability to make everything up or were likely to never actually play in the world.</p><p></p><p>The Known World had things grafted on to it in a way that I found very appealing. It's a real mish-mash of a world wholly unlike a world that's built from the top down. Because of that it's really easy to pick and choose what type of Known World you want to play. My Known World, for example, doesn't include any of that Savage Coast stuff. No Red Steel. It's not even called "Mystara" because I don't like the name. And that's not wrong.</p><p></p><p>Yes, Mystara has old-school restrictions. I like that they were incorporated into the game world. For example, the resistance to magic and lack of arcane ability for halflings and dwarves is incorporated into Glantrian history so I feel that's something that needs to be kept. There is a special class, Forester, that can get taught magic like the elves. If you wish to include that, how do you keep that feel? Dwarves can't be clerics? Oh, well, they can now with the Dwarven Gazetteer! But they don't go running around with signs saying "I'm a cleric". No half elves? That's explained in the Elven Gazetteer.</p><p></p><p>In other words, the world included everything that was in the books for class/race but was willing to break the rules routinely or at least provide explanations for stuff. The rule breaking provides great leeway for a DM to break the rules, too. And the Gazetteers provide ample information to justify it. </p><p></p><p>Example: if dwarves can be clerics, can they be paladins? Yes. Divine warrior fits quite well, especially with the Burodhar clan. Okay, what about druids or rangers? Druids are divine casters and almost every ranger spell is a druid spell or a ranger specific spell. Well, sure. I guess. The Wurwarf clan is the despised farming clan that has a human dominant settlement in Greenston. Lots of nature stuff there, right?</p><p></p><p>Yes, Mystara is a basic fantasy setting. But, for me, the longer time passes the more exotic it seems. It's a world frozen in amber. It can forever be 1000 AC in your Mystara campaign. It's the old-school hex maps. It's the Stephen Fabian art that's throughout most of the Gazetteers but shows up almost nowhere else in any D&D or AD&D products. It's the obvious earth-analogs. It's the names that are so much more evocative than Forgotten Realms names. If you look at the very old, original Known World maps the maps aren't the same at all but the names are still there reused for some other location. It's the realization when you look at the Masters Set for the first time that the map is of Earth. And then you realize when you're reading about dinosaurs that, OMG, it's a map of Earth from 150 million years ago! (much more interesting before the internet where someone would have found this out instantly and posted it somewhere).</p><p></p><p>Also, it's the hex maps. Did I mention that already? Because it's the biggie. Look at the map in the Expert Set. Anyone can do that! They even give you a blank hex map on page 34 and you have all the symbols you need. I was 10 and I could make maps just like that! There's something fantastic being 10 and knowing you can make a map as good as something published. It's a triangle! I made a mountain! 500 triangles later I've got a mountain range. </p><p></p><p>TL;DR: That wasn't brief, was it? Hex maps. Unusual world building history. Great names.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="guachi, post: 7384699, member: 6785802"] It's interesting because it's the game world that was part of the D&D game (as opposed to AD&D). So for people who grew up with D&D, they grew up with parts of the game world to varying degrees. Also, the way the game world developed is interesting. At least to me it is. It grew up backwards, so to speak. The world was fleshed out initially via modules. There was that meager two-page spread in module X1 and a hex map with only a few sentences for each country. How it made me use my imagination at the age of 10! What was there behind those hexes? Anything! Because there was nothing published. Little by little through several X series modules we got more and more of the area outside The Known World. We got Empires sparring in the CM series modules. Cool! We got, in 1986, one of the greatest modules ever and lots of background about Karameikos in module B10, Night's Dark Terror. Also in 1986 we got Blackmoor added to The Known World. Oh, and The Known World didn't even have a real name and I liked that. It obviously implied that there was an [I]Un[/I]Known World out there to explore. Then in 1987, the same year we got the Forgotten Realms Gazetteers, we got Known World Gazetteers. TSR seemed to switch gears and their modules weren't nearly as interesting or nearly as numerous. It was all about world building. This was, I suppose, both good and bad. The fleshing out meant things were now locked in stone but it also meant there was something to build on and read for people like me who didn't have the time or ability to make everything up or were likely to never actually play in the world. The Known World had things grafted on to it in a way that I found very appealing. It's a real mish-mash of a world wholly unlike a world that's built from the top down. Because of that it's really easy to pick and choose what type of Known World you want to play. My Known World, for example, doesn't include any of that Savage Coast stuff. No Red Steel. It's not even called "Mystara" because I don't like the name. And that's not wrong. Yes, Mystara has old-school restrictions. I like that they were incorporated into the game world. For example, the resistance to magic and lack of arcane ability for halflings and dwarves is incorporated into Glantrian history so I feel that's something that needs to be kept. There is a special class, Forester, that can get taught magic like the elves. If you wish to include that, how do you keep that feel? Dwarves can't be clerics? Oh, well, they can now with the Dwarven Gazetteer! But they don't go running around with signs saying "I'm a cleric". No half elves? That's explained in the Elven Gazetteer. In other words, the world included everything that was in the books for class/race but was willing to break the rules routinely or at least provide explanations for stuff. The rule breaking provides great leeway for a DM to break the rules, too. And the Gazetteers provide ample information to justify it. Example: if dwarves can be clerics, can they be paladins? Yes. Divine warrior fits quite well, especially with the Burodhar clan. Okay, what about druids or rangers? Druids are divine casters and almost every ranger spell is a druid spell or a ranger specific spell. Well, sure. I guess. The Wurwarf clan is the despised farming clan that has a human dominant settlement in Greenston. Lots of nature stuff there, right? Yes, Mystara is a basic fantasy setting. But, for me, the longer time passes the more exotic it seems. It's a world frozen in amber. It can forever be 1000 AC in your Mystara campaign. It's the old-school hex maps. It's the Stephen Fabian art that's throughout most of the Gazetteers but shows up almost nowhere else in any D&D or AD&D products. It's the obvious earth-analogs. It's the names that are so much more evocative than Forgotten Realms names. If you look at the very old, original Known World maps the maps aren't the same at all but the names are still there reused for some other location. It's the realization when you look at the Masters Set for the first time that the map is of Earth. And then you realize when you're reading about dinosaurs that, OMG, it's a map of Earth from 150 million years ago! (much more interesting before the internet where someone would have found this out instantly and posted it somewhere). Also, it's the hex maps. Did I mention that already? Because it's the biggie. Look at the map in the Expert Set. Anyone can do that! They even give you a blank hex map on page 34 and you have all the symbols you need. I was 10 and I could make maps just like that! There's something fantastic being 10 and knowing you can make a map as good as something published. It's a triangle! I made a mountain! 500 triangles later I've got a mountain range. TL;DR: That wasn't brief, was it? Hex maps. Unusual world building history. Great names. [/QUOTE]
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Mike Mearls tweet: Is the Known World of Mystara coming to 5e? (What's Cool About Mystara?)
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