This was a very informative video on how to run villains. The description of von Hendricks in Gaz1 is a mustache twirling fool who's Evil for Evil's sake. That's boring, and the folks at TSR couldn't find a way to make him interesting so they offed him, removing a major threat to Grand Duke (later King) Stefan. By giving him understandable motives,he and his twisted family become better villains. Even Bargle the Infamous is elevated from a one note villain in this way. Kudos to you and those who worked on this story element at the Vaults of Pandius.
Indeed. Also, having loyalty of allies, not just fear or blackmail or other compulsion, but actual loyalty. The first two seasons of Netflix's Castlevania are a good example of giving villains goals and motivations normally of heroes. Evil isn't necessarily in goals, but (to me, I admit) in what methods you feel are viable. Seems like the Baron and his family have sympathetic motivations (security and prosperity for their lands and family), but they don't really have any means they won't use to achieve that, and they're not too worried about collateral damage. Perfect evil characters, really. Or at least ones that the players have to deal with outside of murderhobo ways.
Thank you for all of the lore/history videos of this setting! Please feel free to take the next weekend off for your wedding and honeymoon... your soon to be wife will hate all of us a little less if you do so. Who knows, she maybe even kind of like us because we keep encouraging you to do so. Either way I, as I'm sure many other of your faithful followers, wish the both of you a wonderful time at your ceremony, reception and honeymoon! Now you two kids go and have some FUN!
Great content from the community! Really expnds the Black Eagle. Now I'm itching to get back into a Karameikos campaign. Thanks for sharing this! Congrats on your wedding! Have a wonderful time.
So what are y'alls favorite character types (fighters, dexterious/stealth types, magic users, etc.)? I'm fixing to do a new modded skyrim playthrough and would love some ideas from everyone. Inspirations from many of the dnd settings, pathfinder and other games are welcome
Clerics/Paladins, Ironically Skyrim is simultaneously the best and worst out of all Elder Scrolls games to play such a character in. Easiest to Build the character, hardest to role play them as it forces Amorality and Consorting with Deadra harder than any other game in the series, even more so than Morrowind or the Shivering Isles (where it actually made sense). What makes it worse is that it's more a result of lazy quest design than trying to push a theme. Still it's not as bad as my other main stay, Druid, which I don't think their is an Elder Scrolls game to date where it's been done right, not even with mods...
Look, I'm always fond of empowered brawler types. Paladins, rangers, monks, etc. Magus from Pathfinder was one of my favorites. From the Elder Scrolls series, the classic Battlemage layout was always nice.
Mr. Welch, this amalgamation is incredibly well-done! I am in awe! I'm running The Eye of Traldar and really needed to better understand the Black Eagle Barony. I'll check your videos in search of more videos like this (using material from the Piazza and the Vaults, wow!!) What's your username at the Piazza? Thanks so much for the great content, V
Fort Doom! Yes, a masterpiece narration by Mr. Welch! Strangely ironically fitting just before your wedding!! Congratulations my good man. I mean that in all of your endeavors with her in the future. Highs and lows
This is good writing. I like that the Baron has relatable and even laudable motivations, but his methodology is what makes him a bad guy. He's definitely in a bad situation, but instead of trying to find an equitable solution--like say, allying with the Shires instead of just driving orcs and gnolls their way or taking out a loan from Darokin until Stefan finally pays up--he's doing what's expedient and makes himself look good. I also like that even though he and his family are all solidly in the Evil alignment, they do love and support one another. That's nice.
@ Victor D20 How do you figure? This is a video for Fort Doom. I haven’t watched the whole thing, so if Glenn mentions that his next video will be about the Freeholds, it may be a while in coming. Plus, I just think it’s odd he hasn’t done a video yet for Heldann. Glenn has done videos for every region, some twice. He’s even done videos for other continents that weren’t fleshed out in the original setting. But nothing on the area that was big in the Stories of the Princess Ark and all of the Wrath storyline. It’s just strange to me.
In the past year, our party ventured into Fort Doom under the guise of turnip (or some sort of radish) merchants to recover the lost artifact called the "Eye of Traladara". The "EoT" was stolen by Bargle's men from the Vyalia elves and in good faith to the elves, Duke Stephan asked his to retrieve the artifact discretely. -- This was one of my favorite adventures as it resulted in Fort Doom erupting into turmoil and the party being polymorphed to fly out of the fort. Too many close calls, but in the end, Fort Doom was liberated.
Speaking of Hobgoblins, I actually rather like them in most DnD stuff I've read. I can't find a specific video on their Mystarian version from you, does one exist and I'm just bad at googlefu or is that a "Maybe some time later" or are they lumped in with Humanoids?
@@Mr_Welch Yeah i started in 3.5 and really quite liked them as the Organized badguy. Though even that wasn't super heavily elaborated on outside of maybe Eberron making them a mostly fallen empire. Hobgobs and and Duergar always appealed to me, though uh only bits of the Duergar. TYheir "Religiously boring hoarding gold but not making it into anything pretty" bit felt limiting, l so I'd probably just nick their sense of style from WoW's Dark Iron, maybe throw em in an alliance with Fire Giants since those are just plus sized dwarves anyway.
For my Duergar I was even drawing up some player relevant laws made to fit the whole Lawful Evil deal. "Everything you enter with is cataloged and valued, if you leave without it it is automatically presumed sold and incredibly high sales taxes are charged, with extra penalties if you said when entering that you DIDN'T plan to sell it " And in a city full of evil bastards where every thief can turn invisible, yeah I think you see where I'm going with this. Never really GMed but it seems like a useful dick move to pull on players in any setting really.
The way they are used in the 3.5 adventure Red Hand of Doom as Tiamat worshippers that have an organized army is great. I'd think you could steal a lot of ideas from that and apply it to Mystara.
Great stuff here, Mr. Welch! I’ve been looking for good Ft Doom stuff as my group has become involved in the Baron’s schemes. One character is an escapee from the Fort, another is a refugee from Luln. Do you have a notes page or links to your references, if I want to dive deeper into the fan-lore? Thanks and congrats!
The original document was lost I'm trying to see what I can salvage though the middle section was deleted. Deleted was the wrong word had a problem with a font and all I got was boxes
I'd also love to see some of this stuff written down. This is a great take on the Black Eagle Barony. I've searched Pandius and can't find this material, but we can do a lot with Mr. Welch's narration.
Fantastic, My players love this area and are afraid of Bargiel the Infamous. Even though I keep wanting to run three modules that tie together and then ends with Kill Bargiel
I've been thinking of running DDA3 Eye of Traldar and DDA4 The Dymrak Dread with my next campaign eventually leading the party to Threshold to run Kill Bargle! Having read the adventures I do feel like they need some tweaks to work best. The first adventure doesn't include either Bargle or Von Hendriks making appearances as written but I thought of maybe kicking off with a one session flashback scene with the players using characters meant to die to establish their villainy.
Hey man, thanks for the new video, it's always fun to listen to you! However, do you think that you could do a video on the Game Shop's Basement, and give us a guided visit please? :D
Thouls are one of the less famous humanoid races that I really love and wish they got more love. I really want to see playable stats for them in some edition.
I'd think for using them as a playable race you could start with the hobgoblin race as class from Orcs of Thar if you want to run BX/BECMI. The main difference is their ghoul paralysis attack if I recall.
@@jimzecca3961 I'd argue the trollish regeneration is the more important aspect, given thouls are noted to carry weapons specifically to compensate for foes that are immune to their paralytic touch, but still, Hobgob plus Troll Regeneration from Orcs of Thar would definitely be my go-to starting point for a BECMI Thoul too!
@@MrNetWraith Forgot that they had regeneration! Definitely a reason to have them use an XP progression more like the troll or other tougher monster I think.
Love the recap of the region and all the family lore. Tired steering my last table towards Ft Doom but unfortunately the pandemic has killed that campaign. Which is fine, I'll set it up again for the next group. :D
Can the barony be helped? Sounds like a lot of the problems stem from external forces. Would it be that hard to throw the hobbits a heads up when humanoids are driven their way?
I do feel that stephan not even once giving more troops to the baron after all of these occasions seems to really put Stephan in a bad light and the baron’s plight a little too clean cut. maybe one of these times instead of 400 men the baron says he needs, stephen says he can only spare him 100. still not enough for the baron’s needs, but not making stephan totally at fault.
Heads up everyone - a new edition of D&D is coming in 2024! Several old and new worlds are coming out with it....will Mystera be one of them? I hope so! I expect a new video telling everyone why Mystera would make a great world for D&D's 50th anniversary within the month.
You can take your wedding and honeymoon off, you know. We'll still be here
This was a very informative video on how to run villains. The description of von Hendricks in Gaz1 is a mustache twirling fool who's Evil for Evil's sake. That's boring, and the folks at TSR couldn't find a way to make him interesting so they offed him, removing a major threat to Grand Duke (later King) Stefan. By giving him understandable motives,he and his twisted family become better villains. Even Bargle the Infamous is elevated from a one note villain in this way. Kudos to you and those who worked on this story element at the Vaults of Pandius.
Indeed. Also, having loyalty of allies, not just fear or blackmail or other compulsion, but actual loyalty. The first two seasons of Netflix's Castlevania are a good example of giving villains goals and motivations normally of heroes. Evil isn't necessarily in goals, but (to me, I admit) in what methods you feel are viable. Seems like the Baron and his family have sympathetic motivations (security and prosperity for their lands and family), but they don't really have any means they won't use to achieve that, and they're not too worried about collateral damage. Perfect evil characters, really. Or at least ones that the players have to deal with outside of murderhobo ways.
How did tsr not have artwork showing a place called fort doom?
it was too scary.
Its in the karameikos kingdom of adventure boxed set, it looks like castle greyskull xD.
I was trying to look for details about the Von Hendriks family on pandius, but I was having trouble with the search.
Thank you for all of the lore/history videos of this setting! Please feel free to take the next weekend off for your wedding and honeymoon... your soon to be wife will hate all of us a little less if you do so. Who knows, she maybe even kind of like us because we keep encouraging you to do so.
Either way I, as I'm sure many other of your faithful followers, wish the both of you a wonderful time at your ceremony, reception and honeymoon! Now you two kids go and have some FUN!
Man, this is one of the best lore videos you've ever donge. Fascinating character!
Great content from the community! Really expnds the Black Eagle. Now I'm itching to get back into a Karameikos campaign. Thanks for sharing this!
Congrats on your wedding! Have a wonderful time.
So what are y'alls favorite character types (fighters, dexterious/stealth types, magic users, etc.)? I'm fixing to do a new modded skyrim playthrough and would love some ideas from everyone. Inspirations from many of the dnd settings, pathfinder and other games are welcome
Clerics/Paladins, Ironically Skyrim is simultaneously the best and worst out of all Elder Scrolls games to play such a character in. Easiest to Build the character, hardest to role play them as it forces Amorality and Consorting with Deadra harder than any other game in the series, even more so than Morrowind or the Shivering Isles (where it actually made sense). What makes it worse is that it's more a result of lazy quest design than trying to push a theme.
Still it's not as bad as my other main stay, Druid, which I don't think their is an Elder Scrolls game to date where it's been done right, not even with mods...
@@patrickbuckley7259 I do have a mod that allows religion to be more prevalent than in the vanilla game.
Look, I'm always fond of empowered brawler types. Paladins, rangers, monks, etc. Magus from Pathfinder was one of my favorites. From the Elder Scrolls series, the classic Battlemage layout was always nice.
Mr. Welch, this amalgamation is incredibly well-done! I am in awe!
I'm running The Eye of Traldar and really needed to better understand the Black Eagle Barony.
I'll check your videos in search of more videos like this (using material from the Piazza and the Vaults, wow!!)
What's your username at the Piazza?
Thanks so much for the great content,
V
TheGlen. Though I don't post on the Piazza very often
Fort Doom! Yes, a masterpiece narration by Mr. Welch! Strangely ironically fitting just before your wedding!! Congratulations my good man. I mean that in all of your endeavors with her in the future. Highs and lows
2:27 @Mr. Welch Maybe I’m wrong but I thought that Stefan was the ruler of Machetos, not Kerendas. Yes, no?
I meant his bloodline. The Greek family names mean they are of Kerandan stock. German is Hattian and Latin of course is Thyatian
@@Mr_Welch Oh.
A military uniform in the kid's size.
So... a little boot?
(Also, congrats on the wedding!)
Good stuff. Has anyone made a Karameikos Royalty Family Tree?
There's a pretty detailed one on the vaults
I love the very deep character development of the people in this region. Thank you for helping bring it out for everyone to see.
This is good writing. I like that the Baron has relatable and even laudable motivations, but his methodology is what makes him a bad guy. He's definitely in a bad situation, but instead of trying to find an equitable solution--like say, allying with the Shires instead of just driving orcs and gnolls their way or taking out a loan from Darokin until Stefan finally pays up--he's doing what's expedient and makes himself look good. I also like that even though he and his family are all solidly in the Evil alignment, they do love and support one another. That's nice.
All that was missing was an evil laugh.
This is pure gold!
Well, it looks like John Balk finally has his wish. Heldann is getting a video after all
@ Victor D20 How do you figure? This is a video for Fort Doom. I haven’t watched the whole thing, so if Glenn mentions that his next video will be about the Freeholds, it may be a while in coming.
Plus, I just think it’s odd he hasn’t done a video yet for Heldann. Glenn has done videos for every region, some twice. He’s even done videos for other continents that weren’t fleshed out in the original setting. But nothing on the area that was big in the Stories of the Princess Ark and all of the Wrath storyline. It’s just strange to me.
"Simple...like the entirety of Faerun." Ouch. Stick that in you pipe and smoke it WOTC.
It's a shame Mystara isn't a popular setting. It's by far the best.
Oh wow, that corner of the world really did get a facelift. I'd actually be stoked to run a game in that area now.
Absolutely fantastic, this makes the Von Hendricks family as whole deep and disturbing. Thank you for providing such a sussinct summary.
the gameshops basic link is not in the discription
Fixed
In the past year, our party ventured into Fort Doom under the guise of turnip (or some sort of radish) merchants to recover the lost artifact called the "Eye of Traladara". The "EoT" was stolen by Bargle's men from the Vyalia elves and in good faith to the elves, Duke Stephan asked his to retrieve the artifact discretely. -- This was one of my favorite adventures as it resulted in Fort Doom erupting into turmoil and the party being polymorphed to fly out of the fort. Too many close calls, but in the end, Fort Doom was liberated.
Speaking of Hobgoblins, I actually rather like them in most DnD stuff I've read. I can't find a specific video on their Mystarian version from you, does one exist and I'm just bad at googlefu or is that a "Maybe some time later" or are they lumped in with Humanoids?
Lumped in with humanoids. They never got much in the way of a full development in becmi
@@Mr_Welch Yeah i started in 3.5 and really quite liked them as the Organized badguy. Though even that wasn't super heavily elaborated on outside of maybe Eberron making them a mostly fallen empire. Hobgobs and and Duergar always appealed to me, though uh only bits of the Duergar. TYheir "Religiously boring hoarding gold but not making it into anything pretty" bit felt limiting, l so I'd probably just nick their sense of style from WoW's Dark Iron, maybe throw em in an alliance with Fire Giants since those are just plus sized dwarves anyway.
For my Duergar I was even drawing up some player relevant laws made to fit the whole Lawful Evil deal. "Everything you enter with is cataloged and valued, if you leave without it it is automatically presumed sold and incredibly high sales taxes are charged, with extra penalties if you said when entering that you DIDN'T plan to sell it " And in a city full of evil bastards where every thief can turn invisible, yeah I think you see where I'm going with this. Never really GMed but it seems like a useful dick move to pull on players in any setting really.
The way they are used in the 3.5 adventure Red Hand of Doom as Tiamat worshippers that have an organized army is great. I'd think you could steal a lot of ideas from that and apply it to Mystara.
Great stuff here, Mr. Welch!
I’ve been looking for good Ft Doom stuff as my group has become involved in the Baron’s schemes. One character is an escapee from the Fort, another is a refugee from Luln.
Do you have a notes page or links to your references, if I want to dive deeper into the fan-lore?
Thanks and congrats!
The original document was lost I'm trying to see what I can salvage though the middle section was deleted. Deleted was the wrong word had a problem with a font and all I got was boxes
I'd also love to see some of this stuff written down. This is a great take on the Black Eagle Barony. I've searched Pandius and can't find this material, but we can do a lot with Mr. Welch's narration.
I've been awaiting this one.
Bargle, the same mage from the red box?
The very same.
Damn I gotta steal this whole idea wholesale. Its that good.
Congrats for getting married!
Fantastic, My players love this area and are afraid of Bargiel the Infamous. Even though I keep wanting to run three modules that tie together and then ends with Kill Bargiel
I've been thinking of running DDA3 Eye of Traldar and DDA4 The Dymrak Dread with my next campaign eventually leading the party to Threshold to run Kill Bargle! Having read the adventures I do feel like they need some tweaks to work best. The first adventure doesn't include either Bargle or Von Hendriks making appearances as written but I thought of maybe kicking off with a one session flashback scene with the players using characters meant to die to establish their villainy.
Hope its not that icy, focus on making her smile.
Where can I find all this information? Is there a website, or a pdf?
@@TheProfessoralessand there was a PDF but I think the file was lost after my fire
@@Mr_Welch I'm sorry to hear that. I'm transcripting your video, if someone else want, send me a message, guys!
Hey man, thanks for the new video, it's always fun to listen to you! However, do you think that you could do a video on the Game Shop's Basement, and give us a guided visit please? :D
Thouls are one of the less famous humanoid races that I really love and wish they got more love. I really want to see playable stats for them in some edition.
I'd think for using them as a playable race you could start with the hobgoblin race as class from Orcs of Thar if you want to run BX/BECMI. The main difference is their ghoul paralysis attack if I recall.
@@jimzecca3961 I'd argue the trollish regeneration is the more important aspect, given thouls are noted to carry weapons specifically to compensate for foes that are immune to their paralytic touch, but still, Hobgob plus Troll Regeneration from Orcs of Thar would definitely be my go-to starting point for a BECMI Thoul too!
@@MrNetWraith Forgot that they had regeneration! Definitely a reason to have them use an XP progression more like the troll or other tougher monster I think.
Love the recap of the region and all the family lore. Tired steering my last table towards Ft Doom but unfortunately the pandemic has killed that campaign. Which is fine, I'll set it up again for the next group. :D
Fantastic really good.
It's kind of Game of Thronesish!
Is all of this in the players guide at all?
No this is more dm information. Would be in that book
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing!
As described, off screen death dosn't count. I'm not convinced Eric is dead.
Who is the woman at 12:55?
Lea Seydoux from the French live-action Beauty and the Beast
@@Mr_Welch She's a lovely woman. Thanks.
Can the barony be helped? Sounds like a lot of the problems stem from external forces. Would it be that hard to throw the hobbits a heads up when humanoids are driven their way?
Yes but the biggest problem is the baron is less than diplomatic, and his choice of troops does not win him friends with the hin either
I do feel that stephan not even once giving more troops to the baron after all of these occasions seems to really put Stephan in a bad light and the baron’s plight a little too clean cut. maybe one of these times instead of 400 men the baron says he needs, stephen says he can only spare him 100. still not enough for the baron’s needs, but not making stephan totally at fault.
Don Swayze, Patrick Swayzes brotherin my opinion looks like the perfect Bargle.
It doesn't have an awesome industrial music scene? Well my version does now!
18:00 Yayyy!!
I prefer The Shadow pinball table.
That was a big one
This is awesome!
Ooh, a new d&d channel!
Congratulations on the marriage!
congrats on your wedding ^^,
Mmm. Good vid.
Heads up everyone - a new edition of D&D is coming in 2024! Several old and new worlds are coming out with it....will Mystera be one of them? I hope so! I expect a new video telling everyone why Mystera would make a great world for D&D's 50th anniversary within the month.
This is so juicy
French speaking Australian friends 😂
Mazel tov!! 💏🍻