LFP, Free, BECMI D&D, Mysteries of Mystara

Mystara! The most extensive and unique of the game worlds for TSRs D&D. My goals and hopes for this campaign is to play through the classic modules and gazetteers of the BECMI D&D line, starting at 1st level all the way through 36th or Immortal. The line up of classics I am imaging so far include: Keep on the Borderlands, Isle of Dread, The Lost City, Test of the Warlords, The Blackmoor Series, The Hollow World, and more! The game will be using the Rules Cyclopedia and BECMI (the old box sets for Basic, Expert, Companion, Masters, and Immortals). HOWEVER, I am flexible on this, and it depends on the input and interest of motivated active players. Therefore, I am open to discussions of using hybrids and/or modifications. But  I want to stay true to the flavor and form of "D&D" and the gameworld of Mystara. As for my own experience, I have been a gamer for forty years. I started with Basic & Expert D&D, then went on to AD&D1, then AD&D2, then I went on to other games. I have no experience with 3rd or 4th edition. 5th edition is brand new to me. I just got the books and I do like it. But that is not what I am interested in doing here just yet. Mystara is a very expansive and detailed game world, with many unique features as well as familiar tropes. If you are new to this world, I am glad to help you explore it. If you are a a sage in the subject, I welcome your wisdom and will look to you for knowledge. Mystara, for me, is an old memory and a new hobby. As for the format, I am new to Roll20 and have no idea what I am doing so far. Tech sages are most very welcome, and I plead for your help.

Hi! I am interested in more details! I have played a little bit of AD&D1, D&D 3.5 and 5e. I have been wanting to try BECMI. Please let me know what day/time you were planning to run your campaign! Thanks!

Hey Markoko, I'm interested in playing the game you are describing. I played through the BECMI rules back in the day, but do not recall ever playing in the Mystara setting. Sounds like fun. Also, I DM 3.5 games on Roll20 and would be happy to share what I've learned about Roll20 with you. So do you have a day/time in mind for your game? Thanks.

Hi Markoko!  I am a big fan of BECMI.  My 1st favorite edition is BECMI, 2nd favorite is AD&D 1st edition.... I like BECMI because it is so self-contained as well as simple enough to provide smooth and fast game play while maintaining the real "D&D flavor".  Just the 5 box sets gives you the core rules for levels 1-36 + immortals without needing to buy various expansion sets and further guides/books to stay up to date with new classes/abilities/etc. Not sure if the day/time would work out for me with what you have in mind, but interested in seeing how your game setup works out. It'okah'ata: Actually, that is the interesting thing about BECMI.  Mystara was never mentioned in the rule books and I also did not know what Mystara was (despite playing BECMI for many years) until just very recently when someone kindly explained it to me.  BECMI games - when we played at least - focused on the towns/lands/settings centered around the PCs rather than in some officially published world.  I think the closest I ever heard was Known World and Hollow World. ;)

Hello, I am super interested. Player and DM for 15+ years. BECMI is my favorite edition and the Rules Cyclopedia is go to tome of knowledge. Let me know if you need any other info. I have also DMed many games on R20 and can help you if you have any questions. I prefer all styles of play and enjoy problem solving creatively. Hopefully I get to see some of you in Karameikos  

You are all invited! Just follow the link. You guys are exactly what I was hoping for. I have a lot to learn about Roll20, and to some extent I am relearning the basic rules and the Mystara setting. The time slot I had tenatively in mind is Tuesday evening. But I am very flexible on that. As for the setting of Mystara, almost nobody in came calls it that. It is just "The Known World", which is but a fraction of the planet. All of the B series modules were set in Karamikos by default, though the early ones were generic enough that they couldl be shoe horned into any generic world. That is the beauty of Mystara. On the surface it has mant common fantasy tropes. Dig deeper, and it is a very unique fantasy/sci-fi world. "The Known World" was first named such and introduced in X1 Isle of Dread. Other X-series modules xpanded the mythos. The DA series firmly placed Dave Arensen's Blackmoor firmly in Mystara. Then many more modules and Gazatteers expand upon the setting further. There *is* some discontinuity, as these books were written over a period of twenty or so years by various authors that had little communication. I want to use *all* the options from the box sets, as summarized in the Rules Cyclopedia. We can use bits from other versions of D&D if the group desires. But BECMI is the core/ (For those who do not know, BECMI stands for Basic, Expert, Companion, Masters, and Immortals; the five tiers & box sets of the old game) The first meeting/game is set for this Tues at 6pm. We can adjust from there (or work it out her before hand). We can make characters together or you can go ahead and gen up a few ideas. Starting at 1st level, there is not a lot of complications. I *will* let you use the 5th ed rule to generate Ability scores. Roll 4d6, dropping the lowest die. Generate six scores and arrange as desired. There is a Weapon Mastery and Ability system too, which at 1st level is not too complicated.

I may be too late but I just started on roll20,  I know you have already started, but would still enjoy playing or observing your play.  I love the known world setting and the gazetteers.  Played a lot during the 80's and loved it.  I have a few ideas for PC, a Mystic from a Monastery in the hills between Threshold and Selenica,  A godi (cleric) of Thor from the Northern Reaches or a Halfling hero from the Shires or Karameikos.   Have to say,  this sparked my interest so much I spent the last four hours digging through shelves and boxes looking for my old Gazetteers missing a bunch but still have my favorites Darokin and Northern reaches.  Wait I just remembered I have the sky gnome one around here somewhere... 

The language you use indicates that you are exactly the kind of player I seek. HOWEVER I need to be responsible and keep the crowd size managable. I am also new to Roll20 and I am not sure how this tech works. But I *think* I have accept you as a group member to allow you to read and observe. I am just saying you may only be able to observe at first. I shut off recruitment. I am sure it will settle down into a pattern. I did nt expect most people to show up the first night, but to my surprise most of them did! But *not* all of them. Some dipped out, and I am certain we will loose another few this week. So if you are cool wit it, I would invite you to the bench. :) I am grateful for any observational advice you may offer. My HR for Exotic Characters, such as Godi or Hin Master, is that you have to go with a Straight Six ability score roll to qualify. That caveat is what balances it as a viable option versus some of the more modern methods (which are also options). This also explains why these sorts of characters are so uncommon.

Well, I wish I had seen this sooner, unfortunately I just saw this post, and if you have room I would love to join, though I see you may already be at capacity. I am a long-time player, and have been really, really, wanting to revisit the BECMI system and its modules for several years now. I have many years of experience both running and playing various versions of D&D, and am an easy-going team player. If you have room for one more, I hope you will consider me, or if someone drops out I would be happy to step in. Thanks! Oh, I have been running some Pathfinder games on Roll20 the past few months and am always glad to share what I know.

We were tripping on each other at first, but I broke it into two games so everyone has space. I discovered I cannot manage as large of a virtual table as i can a live table, The second group is full of hard core grognards who know becmi / Mystara better than I do :)

Well, I am super excited! I also find R20 to be slower going than in person gaming, and as always, the more players there are the longer it takes to get around the table each round.  I am going to have to relearn the BECMI system, but I will start that homework asap. 

I am also relearning. I have not played any for of D&D in decades, so my mind is uncluttered by 3 or 4/  have 5, I like some ideas, but it seems a bit off. I also got the Goodman Games reimaginings of some classic modules set in Mystara, which inspired me to go full retro. I got the RC print on demand, and I tracked down as much of the old stuff as I could find on e-bay.

Well, I only use this site for things that are out of print, but thetrove.net has pdf versions of every rpg ever as far as I can tell. I got rules for a Watership Down rpg there. 

I have made extensive use of the trove and snag PDFs of everything that I want to read. But, if I want to use it, I need hard copy. I can't bring a pdf to the table unless I want to print it, which costs more than buying it! Maybe not. But even with a virtual table top, having a hard copy reference is essential if you have only one monitor.

Is there still room, or room on the bench? I got to play some BECMI (Well, technically Rules Cyclopedia but I think it's similar?) before but haven't had a chance to since. I've always wanted to play through some of the classics!

I am glad to have you on bench. In fact, I think I am going to make a game called On Bench so as to keep contact with potential players.