[projectaon] Re: Footnotes Redux--Revenge of the Deathlord
- From: Jonathan Blake <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: projectaon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:05:03 -0800
On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 5:34 AM, Simon Osborne <outspaced@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi all
>
> Just received the Mongoose edition of "The Deathlord of Ixia". So, let's
> review our footnotes against this new version.
>
> [1] (The Story So Far…) There is some confusion around the use of the term
> ‘Old Kingdom’ in this book. Although the native Ixians are often described
> as belonging to the ‘time of the Old Kingdoms’ (Section 152), it is clear
> from the fact that the Deathlord destroyed them during the Age of Eternal
> Night that they could not have existed during the Age of the Old Kingdoms
> which began more than 1000 years after the Age of Eternal Night ended. (See
> The Magnamund Companion, ‘Magnamund Then and Now’.) The author may have used
> the term ‘Old Kingdom’ to refer to any humanoid nation prior to the
> appearance of the Shianti.
>
> SO: This can probably go away now. See below.
>
>
> [2] (The Game Rules) The Discipline bonuses mentioned do not affect your
> permanent scores. If you have completed previous adventures, the Disciplines
> that you have mastered may still be beneficial. See the Grand Master Rules
> section of the Readers’ Handbook for details.
>
> SO: Deleted "obtained upon completion of Lone Wolf Kai (Books 1–5) or
> Magnakai (Books 6–12) adventures". Prefer to leave this as-is.
agreed
> [4] (The Game Rules) Note that this list now includes the Silver Bracers and
> Korlinium Scabbard. These items are restored to the list of permissible
> items from the Kai and Magnakai series again in this book after being
> omitted beginning in The Captives of Kaag. Presumably, therefore, it should
> be permissible to leave the Silver Bracers and Korlinium Scabbard in
> safekeeping at the monastery during the previous books and retrieve them at
> the outset of this adventure.
>
> Also note that both the Dagger of Vashna and Helshezag have been removed
> from the list, as they are presumed to have been destroyed in The Legacy of
> Vashna (cf. Section 273 and Section 94). The story won’t unravel if you
> placed either or both of these items in safekeeping prior to embarking upon
> The Legacy of Vashna, but be aware that both this adventure and the ones
> that follow assume that these Special Items have been destroyed.
>
> SO: Helshezag and Dagger of Vashna are now both on this list, despite being
> destroyed in the previous adventure "The Legacy of Vashna". :-\
I agree that this is problematic, but if I had to pick my poison, I'd
rather they stay on the list in case you left them in safekeeping.
(Incidentally, when I play, I like to collect souvenirs and put them
in a little museum that I've set up in the Vault of the Sun.)
> [5] (Grand Master Disciplines) The rules of the books in the Magnakai series
> (6–12) and the fact that the ‘rank of Kai Grand Defender…means you are
> skilled in two…weapons’ imply that, for each book that you complete of the
> Lone Wolf Grand Master series (13–20), you will gain mastery of an
> additional Weapon. For example, if you complete The Plague Lords of Ruel and
> have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery at the beginning of
> the next book, you can choose an additional Weapon from the Weaponmastery
> Checklist to have mastery of.
>
> SO: Section now reads "This Discipline enables a Grand Master to become
> supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat with
> one of your Grand Master weapons, you add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The
> rank of Kai Grand Defender, with which you begin the Grand Master
> [sic--should be itals] series, means you are supremely efficient in the use
> of two of the weapons listed below. For each book that you complete in the
> Grand Master [sic--should be itals] series (13-20), you will gain mastery of
> an additional weapon. For example, if you complete 'The Plague Lords of
> Ruel' [sic--shouldn't have quotes, should be itals] and have the Grand
> Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery at the beginning of the next Grand
> Master [sic--should be itals] book, you can choose an additional Weapon and
> add it to your list of those with which you are supremely efficient."
> [sic--lacks the list, which is erroneously printed beneath "Weaponmastery"
> in "Kai and Magnakai Disciplines"]
Aside from the stylistic problems, this seems much better than the
original and covers our footnote.
> [8] (Improved Grand Master Disciplines) The Strength spell is, in practice,
> also used in armed combat contrary to what is indicated here.
>
> SO: "whilst fighting an enemy in unarmed combat" -> "whilst fighting an
> enemy in armed or unarmed combat". This also affects other GM books.
Perhaps we should just change it to "whilst in combat" or "whilst
fighting an enemy"?
> [14] (Section 64) The wording of this section ignores the fact that you may
> arrive here without passing through the curtain of light.
>
> SO: "the shimmering curtain of light by which you arrived here." -> "the
> shimmering curtain of light you saw before you arrived here."
Seems a good change.
> [15] (Section 67) Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight
> or higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword,
> Quarterstaff, or Spear) for this combat.
>
> SO: Added "Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight or
> higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff,
> or Spear) for this combat." after "disadvantageous position."
I'm OK with adding our footnote to the text.
> [18] (Section 77) There is no mention of what type of Weapon the Power Spike
> is. If you choose to consider it one of the close combat Weapons used by the
> Kai (i.e. Spear, Dagger, Mace, Short Sword, Warhammer, Quarterstaff,
> Broadsword, Axe, and Sword), you may add all appropriate bonuses to your
> Combat Skill. If you decide that the Power Spike is not any of those
> Weapons, you may still decide that your Grand Weaponmastery bonuses, if any,
> apply since Grand Masters are proficient with ‘all close combat and missile
> weapons’ due to their knowledge of Magnakai Weaponmastery (cf. Grand Master
> Disciplines).
>
> SO: Added "The Power Spike is a magical Dagger." after "This supernatural
> being is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and
> Kai-blast."
We should probably add this to the text.
> [19] (Section 96) Kajarda are undead (cf. Sections 6, 8, 52, 103, 120, and
> 265).
>
> SO: Added "Kajarda are undead." before "These beings are immune to all forms
> of psychic attack..."
I'm OK adding it to the text.
> [21] (Section 123) It is unclear whether a 0 picked on the Random Number
> Table should count as exactly 0. Since the procedure described here is
> similar to the procedure for Kai-blast, and you are required to be a Sun
> Lord who has mastered Kai-surge, it would be reasonable to count 0 as a 1 in
> the same way as for Kai-blast. Remember that a Kai-blast reduces your
> ENDURANCE total by 4.
>
> SO: "Pick a number from the Random Number Table." -> "Pick a number from the
> Random Number Table (count 0 as a 1)."
I'm OK adding it to the text.
> [22] (Section 125) Kajarda are undead. (See Section 6, 8, 52, 103, 120, or
> 265.)
>
> SO: Added "Kajarda are undead." before "These beings are immune to all forms
> of psychic attack..."
I'm OK adding it to the text.
> [23] (Section 137) Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight
> or higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword,
> Quarterstaff, and Spear) for this combat.
>
> SO: Added "Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight or
> higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff,
> and Spear) for this combat." after "disadvantageous position."
I'm OK adding it to the text.
> [24] (Section 141) Assuming that this weaponry was created by native Ixians
> prior to their destruction at the hands of the Deathlord since no other
> nation has occupied Ixia since that time, it is impossible to reconcile
> calling them ‘Old Kingdom armourers’ with the timeline presented in The
> Magnamund Companion, ‘Magnamund Then and Now’. According to that book, the
> Ixians must have been destroyed long before the Age of the Old Kingdoms.
>
> SO: "they were crafted by Old Kingdom armourers" -> "they were crafted by
> armourers of the Age of Eternal Night". Suggest: "they were crafted by
> armourers during the Age of Eternal Night"
Yeah, I like your suggestion better.
> [26] (Section 152) It is impossible to reconcile the statement that the
> native Ixians reigned ‘in the time of the Old Kingdoms’ with the timeline
> presented in The Magnamund Companion, ‘Magnamund Then and Now’. According to
> that book, the Ixians must have been destroyed long before the Age of the
> Old Kingdoms.
>
> SO: "where once, in the time of the Old Kingdoms, a proud and mighty race
> reigned supreme" -> "where once, at the beginning of the Age of Eternal
> Night, a proud and mighty race reigned supreme"
Good.
> [27] (Section 162) It is impossible to reconcile the statement that Old
> Kingdom magic is ‘older…than the Deathlord’s vile necromancy’ with the
> timeline presented in The Magnamund Companion, ‘Magnamund Then and Now’ and
> the statements about the origin of magical power in ‘The Realms of Northern
> Magnamund: The Birth of Magnamund’ and ‘The Realms of Southern Magnamund:
> Man, Magic, and the Moonstone’ in that same book. According to The Magnamund
> Companion, magic entered Magnamund with the Elder Magi long after Agarash
> and his minion, the Deathlord.
>
> SO: "propelled by Old Kingdom magic, an arcane art" -> "propelled by Ixian
> Witchcraft, an arcane art"
Interesting choice. Better than the confusion in the original.
> [28] (Section 165) It is impossible to reconcile the statement that the
> native Ixians were a ‘race of the Old Kingdoms’ with the timeline presented
> in The Magnamund Companion, ‘Magnamund Then and Now’. According to that
> book, the Ixians must have been destroyed long before the Age of the Old
> Kingdoms.
>
> SO: "where once a proud and mighty race of the Old Kingdoms reigned supreme"
> -> "where once a proud and mighty race reigned supreme"
Good.
> [29] (Section 179) It is unclear whether Grand Huntmastery should help you
> find food in this situation. Note that this appears to be the only section
> within the Grand Master books where Huntmastery is not mentioned in when you
> are required to eat a Meal. This either means that the current omission is
> intentional because the author is otherwise so consistent, or it means that
> Huntmastery was intended to be applied in all situations and this is an
> unintentional omission.
>
> SO: Deleted "While you wait out the storm in this makeshift shelter, you
> must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points."
OK, sounds good.
> [32] (Section 220) This is a permanent enhancement to this Weapon.
>
> SO: No change. Suggest revising text "Be sure to record this modification on
> your Weapons List." -> "Be sure to record this permanent modification to
> your Weapon on your Weapons List."
Agreed.
> [34] (Section 239) There is no path which leads to this section of the book.
> It is functionally identical to Section 23 and Section 242, and therefore
> its isolation does not affect the gameplay of the book.
>
> SO: No change? I don't think this has been brought back into the game-slow.
Hard to verify in a printed book. :)
> [37] (Section 287) Kajarda are undead (cf. Sections 6, 8, 52, 103, 120, and
> 265).
>
> SO: Added "Kajarda are undead." before "These beings are immune to all forms
> of psychic attack..."
OK.
> [40] (Section 343) It is impossible to reconcile the statement that the
> native Ixians reigned ‘in the time of the Old Kingdoms’ with the timeline
> presented in The Magnamund Companion, ‘Magnamund Then and Now’. According to
> that book, the Ixians must have been destroyed long before the Age of the
> Old Kingdoms.
>
> SO: "where once, in the time of the Old Kingdoms, a proud and mighty race
> reigned supreme." -> "where once, at the beginning of the Age of Eternal
> Night, a proud and mighty race reigned supreme."
Good.
I'm glad they made some of the corrections they did.
--
Jon
~~~~~~
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