prtr02@scorpion.nspco.co
01-15-1998, 09:17 PM
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>From frelun-3@student.luth.se Thu Jan 15 14:36:07 1998
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From: "Fredrik Lundberg"
To: "Birthright Mailinglist"
Subject: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Queations, thoughts and opinions
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 19:08:14 +0100
Can you tell I'm waiting for a program to finish crunching today?
Fredrick sez:
On the subject of firearms and gunpowder in Cerillia I would like TSR to keep them away. For those DMs that wants to have firearms and gunpowder do use them but please, please, please keep them away from official products. Personally I like the explanation that Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman uses in the Darksword Triology to why there aren't any firearms or any kind of machines. There it exist nine mysteries of magic and one of them is the forbidden mystery of Technology (also known as death) and is only practised by those that "walk the path of darkness".
Ok gunpowderphobes, if you don't like it don't use it, but don't come up with lame excuses
why it doesn't work.
I believe on of the main reasons people are attracted to BR is that it's "low magic".
Low magic makes the world more believable. When you have a high magic world (ie FR), D&D
becomes a game of toys- much like science fiction. The characters that have the neatest toys
(magic items or laser pistol, it doesn't matter) for the situation win. Some people like
thumbing through endless equipment or spell guides. I don't. I want good, mystical, epic
stories. Usually I'd throw gritty and realistic into my list of adjectives, but hey, this is
D&D.
Anyway, BR is by far more rich, believable and realistic than other worlds. I just makes
sense to have gunpowder at the level of technological and societal sophistication that the
Anuireans and Brechts enjoy. If you don't want vile gunpowder, you should throw out spyglasses,waterclocks, anuirean galleons, caravels, longbowmen, pikemen, countries with free peasents
whose opinion matters, guilds in general, and magical/alchemetical labs. D&D assumes a certainlevel of technological development to support magic users (yes magic users!). This level fell
in the 1300's for our world. In the default D&D setting, the effects of not having a few
small bombards around for siegework doesn't (I suppose) detract much from the game when the
players are busy finding the whizzo wand for the King of Frodor in the evil land of stench.
When you have cultures that are closely tied to historical models, you start to cripple their
believability.
Randax
d
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I know it has come up =
before but=20
please bear with me any way. I=20
don't remember exactly what Ed Stark said about the departed gods =
cerillia but I=20
think it where something along the line that since they where dead their =
priests=20
didn't get any spells.
My question =
is:
According to The Complete Priest's =
Handbook faiths=20
are divided into three categories according to what they worship: Gods, =
Forces=20
and Philosophies. Philosophies are faiths worshipping an idea, or a set =
of ideas=20
but doesn't all religion have a set of ideas and if so if their god died =
couldn't they be considered to worship a philosophy with the same =
portfolio and=20
area of command as the dead god as long as they still worshipped the =
ideas of=20
their dead god?
The priesthood magical power wouldn't =
be as great=20
as if the god was alive but the priests would still have some magical=20
powers?
Assuming that the reasoning above is =
true, what=20
spheres would Adurian priest's who still worships dead gods have access to? or for that matter the priests in =
the lands=20
from where the Basarjis descend from (I don't remember what it's name is =
but=20
doesn't the books say that the Khinasi is now forbidden to trade with =
those=20
lands since they spread the "heretic" notion that the gods =
that they=20
worship there are dead).
I would also ask if =
some one who has=20
access to Book of Priestcraft could be so kind as to either post some =
examples=20
of priestly battle- and realm spells if its not to much to ask (and =
doesn't break any copyright laws).
On =
the subject of=20
firearms and gunpowder in Cerillia I would like TSR to keep them away. =
For those=20
DMs that wants to have firearms and gunpowder do use them but please, =
please,=20
please keep them away from official products. Personally I like the =
explanation=20
that Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman uses in the Darksword Triology to =
why=20
there aren't any firearms or any kind of machines. There it exist nine =
mysteries=20
of magic and one of them is the forbidden mystery of Technology (also =
known as=20
death) and is only practised by those that "walk the path of=20
darkness".
And finally I would like to thank TSR =
for the=20
Players Option book Spells and Magic and specially Rich Baker Who I =
believe was=20
"responsible" for it. It is one =
of the best=20
things that has ever published for AD & D that I have =
read.
Thanks for reading this =
far,
Fredrik =
Lundberg
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- ----- Begin Included Message -----
>From frelun-3@student.luth.se Thu Jan 15 14:36:07 1998
X-Authentication-Warning: phaser.Showcase.MPGN.COM: majordom set sender to owner-birthright@lists.MPGN.COM using -f
From: "Fredrik Lundberg"
To: "Birthright Mailinglist"
Subject: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Queations, thoughts and opinions
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 19:08:14 +0100
Can you tell I'm waiting for a program to finish crunching today?
Fredrick sez:
On the subject of firearms and gunpowder in Cerillia I would like TSR to keep them away. For those DMs that wants to have firearms and gunpowder do use them but please, please, please keep them away from official products. Personally I like the explanation that Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman uses in the Darksword Triology to why there aren't any firearms or any kind of machines. There it exist nine mysteries of magic and one of them is the forbidden mystery of Technology (also known as death) and is only practised by those that "walk the path of darkness".
Ok gunpowderphobes, if you don't like it don't use it, but don't come up with lame excuses
why it doesn't work.
I believe on of the main reasons people are attracted to BR is that it's "low magic".
Low magic makes the world more believable. When you have a high magic world (ie FR), D&D
becomes a game of toys- much like science fiction. The characters that have the neatest toys
(magic items or laser pistol, it doesn't matter) for the situation win. Some people like
thumbing through endless equipment or spell guides. I don't. I want good, mystical, epic
stories. Usually I'd throw gritty and realistic into my list of adjectives, but hey, this is
D&D.
Anyway, BR is by far more rich, believable and realistic than other worlds. I just makes
sense to have gunpowder at the level of technological and societal sophistication that the
Anuireans and Brechts enjoy. If you don't want vile gunpowder, you should throw out spyglasses,waterclocks, anuirean galleons, caravels, longbowmen, pikemen, countries with free peasents
whose opinion matters, guilds in general, and magical/alchemetical labs. D&D assumes a certainlevel of technological development to support magic users (yes magic users!). This level fell
in the 1300's for our world. In the default D&D setting, the effects of not having a few
small bombards around for siegework doesn't (I suppose) detract much from the game when the
players are busy finding the whizzo wand for the King of Frodor in the evil land of stench.
When you have cultures that are closely tied to historical models, you start to cripple their
believability.
Randax
d
- ----------
X-Sun-Data-Type: html
X-Sun-Encoding-Info: quoted-printable
X-Sun-Content-Lines: 89
I know it has come up =
before but=20
please bear with me any way. I=20
don't remember exactly what Ed Stark said about the departed gods =
cerillia but I=20
think it where something along the line that since they where dead their =
priests=20
didn't get any spells.
My question =
is:
According to The Complete Priest's =
Handbook faiths=20
are divided into three categories according to what they worship: Gods, =
Forces=20
and Philosophies. Philosophies are faiths worshipping an idea, or a set =
of ideas=20
but doesn't all religion have a set of ideas and if so if their god died =
couldn't they be considered to worship a philosophy with the same =
portfolio and=20
area of command as the dead god as long as they still worshipped the =
ideas of=20
their dead god?
The priesthood magical power wouldn't =
be as great=20
as if the god was alive but the priests would still have some magical=20
powers?
Assuming that the reasoning above is =
true, what=20
spheres would Adurian priest's who still worships dead gods have access to? or for that matter the priests in =
the lands=20
from where the Basarjis descend from (I don't remember what it's name is =
but=20
doesn't the books say that the Khinasi is now forbidden to trade with =
those=20
lands since they spread the "heretic" notion that the gods =
that they=20
worship there are dead).
I would also ask if =
some one who has=20
access to Book of Priestcraft could be so kind as to either post some =
examples=20
of priestly battle- and realm spells if its not to much to ask (and =
doesn't break any copyright laws).
On =
the subject of=20
firearms and gunpowder in Cerillia I would like TSR to keep them away. =
For those=20
DMs that wants to have firearms and gunpowder do use them but please, =
please,=20
please keep them away from official products. Personally I like the =
explanation=20
that Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman uses in the Darksword Triology to =
why=20
there aren't any firearms or any kind of machines. There it exist nine =
mysteries=20
of magic and one of them is the forbidden mystery of Technology (also =
known as=20
death) and is only practised by those that "walk the path of=20
darkness".
And finally I would like to thank TSR =
for the=20
Players Option book Spells and Magic and specially Rich Baker Who I =
believe was=20
"responsible" for it. It is one =
of the best=20
things that has ever published for AD & D that I have =
read.
Thanks for reading this =
far,
Fredrik =
Lundberg