Mystara Revisited: The Grand Duchy of Karameikos

Explore the first of the Dungeons & Dragons Gazetteer game supplements, learn about the realm of Grand Duke Stefan Karameikos, and discover (or rediscover) an amazing setting for low-level D&D campaigns on the game world of Mystara!

[@johnfielder2064]

mystara was one of my favourite campaign worlds, much preferred it over the realms

[@raisegamefully]

Definitely was my favorite!

[@alarin612]

It is excellent.

[@misomiso8228]

Love Mystara! And love the maps behind you! Dawn of the Emperors!

[@raisegamefully]

Thanks! Alphatia has always been one of my favorites.

[@AlexanderOsias]

One of the biggest challenges of this setting: pronouncing Duchy correctly.

[@alarin612]

I have two of the 2e intro boxes for this setting - one for Karameikos and one for Glantri. Love them both.

[@raisegamefully]

Two of my favorites! They’re fantastic

[@kevindeaton8105]

This is great reflection...I was there

[@raisegamefully]

Thank you! So many of us loved it. It’s such a great setting!

[@MarkHyde]

Amazing video - there is a massive online community still supporting Mystara they publish a fan magazine and the first issue was published in 2013 0- the magazine's name? Threshold!!! It publishes community member based on Karameikos and extends GAZ1 content too.

[@raisegamefully]

I just found about Threshold magazine a few weeks ago. Super cool. I’m just discovering the Mystara community as well. So glad to see it hasn’t been forgotten. Thank you for watching and your kind words!

[@danacoleman4007]

This is pretty neat but I can't watch it because I'm getting an ad approximately every minute and a half.

[@raisegamefully]

I’ll check on that. As far I know the ads are beyond my control, but I’ll look into it. Thanks .

[@danacoleman4007]

@@raisegamefully ok. Thank you.

[@raisegamefully]

@@danacoleman4007 Okay...changed some settings so hopefully there will be fewer ads for everyone!

[@danacoleman4007]

@@raisegamefully thanks! I'll check it out again soon.

[@thossi09]

In that picture of Baron of Threshold, wasn't there an option the woman could be Aleena from the Basic Set?

[@raisegamefully]

That is Aleena - Aleena Halaran, who is the niece (I think I said daughter in my video) of the Baron of Threshold.

[@thossi09]

@@raisegamefully Ah yeah, niece it was. It's been too long, lots of details I've forgotten (such as Baron Halaran's name) :D

[@QuickSaveF5]

1:55 where can I get this sheet with all the gazetteer locations laid out like that? Awesome video btw.

[@raisegamefully]

Thank you so much! That was part of the inside cover of each Gazetteer. I think I found that particular screenshot from a google search, but if you get a pdf of any of the Gazetteers it may be in there.

[@dennisthornton4434]

I've got a question. DCC, OSR and other game systems are claiming they are made from the original d&d. Do you know which supplement they are talking about. Never knew any first d&d before what we know of d&d today. They claim the original was so much different than what most know as d&d today.

[@raisegamefully]

I assume those people are talking about 1st edition AD&D. This was the original game developed in the 70’s. I played it a bit but like many people I found the rules a little overwhelming. That’s how I fell into the Basic/Expert rules and the Mystara setting. I think it has largely been forgotten which is a shame IMO. I don’t know much about the 5e game but 4e seemed to be a lot different than the older game. Kind of felt like Magic The Gathering with an emphasis on combat. Hope that answers your question 😁

[@davidmc8478]

@@raisegamefully woah woah woah. Original D&D was published in 1974, AD&D 1979. B/X is from 1981 and Holmes basic was before that. Original D&D (OD&D) was three little books with a relatively simple rule set, totally disorganised, contradictory and incomplete. It was rounded out with several supplements, notablly Greyhawk. Revising OD&D with all the supplements created AD&D first edition which was quite a bit more complex than either the first iteration of OD&D or B/X. Harking back to OD&D or B/X is calling back to a simpler or stripped back game, to which you can add your own mechanics and systems. That’s why people like it, they can add their own stuff to it without ruining the game. OSR is usually based on B/X but can be either OD&D or AD&D. Most of them, including OSE are based on B/X. DCC is actually a separate really old game and is old school In itself.

[@raisegamefully]

That’s a much better answer than the one I gave! Thanks so much for commenting. I didn’t start playing until 1982 and started with 1e AD&D and B/X.

[@peadarruane6582]

@@raisegamefully mystara is more linked to the 1983 menzter BECMI system than B/X afaik

[@MrRourk]

The first D&D Book was Men & Magic 1974

[@peadarruane6582]

Your history is slightly flawed. Thyatis conquered traladara but didn’t do much with it. Stephan karameikos was friends with the thyatian emperor. He traded his families wealthy lands in the empire proper for Traladara, as he wanted to nation build and create a legacy. He is trying to unify the native traladarans with the various thyatian settlers. He has incorporated many of the traladaran elites into his regime and adopted many of their traditions and elements of their religion. He banned slavery which does exist in Thyatis as well. That is why he is respected by many traladarans, even though there is tension between thyatians and traladarans

[@raisegamefully]

Very true. Thank you. The background story lines for the setting are quite involved and I was trying to summarize things for my video.

[@peadarruane6582]

@@raisegamefully Just being Pedantic lol.

[@raisegamefully]

All good. It’s a great setting with tons of lore.😊