would you consider the Realms Master a proper skyship? Or was its flight capability really just due to the astrolabe? It's a proper skyship. Of the Halruaan sort (see my DRAGON article). Jeff and I discussed that, way back when.
It spent much of its time overloaded, though, so without the astrolabe it would glide downwards (crash landing if not steered to a suitable meadow or field).#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 27, 2020
Beautiful. Thanks. My current campaign is a direct sequel to the comic, set in 1492. Dwalimar lives on, his soul trapped in the Astrolabe. The PCs are his new crew as they search for the Rod of Seven Parts. Heh. Hiding particular segments of the Rod was an in-house TSR joke for a bit (Asmodeus using one as a baton, a halfling king using another as a walking-stick, Lolth splinting one of her injured spider-legs with another…and then the locations got, ah, ruder.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 27, 2020
I had liches using segments of the Rod in place of missing bones, deliberately (with spell-links cast so that segment could power/boost various magics they hurled). And DCS III had a marilith wielding two parts among her other weapons DCSIII?
— NewbieDM (@newbiedm) May 27, 2020
Donald C. Sutherland the Third. TSR artist (many illos in the original Monster Manual and early modules, co-designer of Queen of the Demonweb Pits) and later head of the map department. Now, sadly, no longer with us.
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 27, 2020
It’s funny how the Rod of Seven Parts is one of the foundations of the “seven whatevers” in modern gaming. From Paper Mario to World of Darkness’ “Book of Nod” It's just a built-in quest sequel-maker. In-game justification for "and now you have to go on this other adventure and get this other piece." And so, irresistible to so many designers.
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 27, 2020
