Volo's Student's Guide to
Mystara
Such a Basic world. Oh sure, there's a few Experts, and even a Master or two, but it lacks the Advanced nature of Faerun or Greyhawk. Anyway, the world still follows very old rules of nature. The most powerful dragons are around 11 HD* (Hardiness Degree, the amount of punishment a creature can take before being killed). They've never heard of Druids or Paladins, and all elves are multiclassed Fighter/Wizards.
This doesn't prevent diversity. There's a few creatures here (like Rakasta and those pig-guys) that are unique to this plane, and they have added a progressive path or two (they didn't used to have Thieves, for instance, and were quite proud when they added them. Oddly, they pay more attention to Law and Chaos, than they ever do to Good and Evil, so really, archons are in more danger than devils around here.
The full Volo's Guide to Mystara is available in a handy boxed set, with maps and punchout counters, as well as a few polyhedral dice. How these help in a travel guide, we're not sure.
DIVISION 'A' SCHOOLS
Old Mystara University
Athletic Nickname: the Fighting Men
Colors: Red, Blue, Black, Green, and Gold
Popular Majors: Fighter, Thief, Magic-User,
Cleric
Alignment: Lawful
Ol’ Mysty U (as it is called) is almost a throwback to old-style academics. A
surprisingly good football school, despite using leather helmets and quilted
padding, and at their home games, they supply weirdly stuffed pigskin balls.
Their fans often wear porkpie hats and big fur coats, and hold up little
triangular banners. They only have three cheerleaders, and two of them are boys
with plastered-perfect haircuts and varsity sweaters. You can usually tell a
graduate of Ol’ Mysty U by humming a note of their school song, because they’ll
always start singing it. Separate dorms for men and women, and they say ‘Gosh’
and ‘Jeepers’ a lot, and most dates are to do homework. Maddie attempts to burn
the place down once a semester or so.
(see also: Trivia)