Arcanis or Scarred Lands - Help me decide

[jdrakeh]

I have a question, as I recently considered buying back into Arcanis myself. . . there is no listing for the Codex at your online store. So far as I can tell this is the one required book necessary to run games set in Arcanis. Is it still available?

 

[Twowolves]

Most of the "miss" part of the "hit or miss" comments for the Scarred Lands are rules issues, such as overpowered feats or PrCs, and the OP said he wasn't using 3rd ed rules anyway. The fluff material is almost all dynamite, and every book is full of lore and info.

As for the non-human races, the default for the main continent is very humanocentric. There is mainly one area where the wood elves live, forsaken (high) elves are based on a different continent, there are no gnomes (except on the other continent, and they are jungle dwelling savages), the halflings are almost all subsumed as near-slave farmers for a very romanesque (and human) empire, the mountain dwarves have only one major city (and the evil dwarves are, again, mainly on the other continent). Everything else is human, and they are with vast differences in areas and cultures. It would be very easy to say that these demi-human races don't "get out much" and exclude them from the majority human lands.

Unfortunately, I have next to no knowledge of Arcanis. I have been running a Scarred Lands game for the past 5 years or so, however. If there are any other specific questions I can help with, I'll be happy to help.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I really love Scarred Lands, overall the quality is good and, in spots, outstanding (Hollowfaust, I'm looking at you).

But honestly, I'd probably go with Arcanis at this point. The books are well laid out, interesting and overall the quality is good and, in spots, outstanding (Legacy of Damnation, how's it going). Also, it's supported like mad.

 

[Paradigm]

I have a question, as I recently considered buying back into Arcanis myself. . . there is no listing for the Codex at your online store. So far as I can tell this is the one required book necessary to run games set in Arcanis. Is it still available?

Codex Arcanis has sold out a few times in the past and has been returned to print each time. The Codex Arcanis (printed just recently) is a 256 page hardbound title for $34.99. It is PCI 1115 and has a street date of October 29. Advance copies were present for the summer shows, but the distributors need a while to properly alert stores and generate pre-order sales. The only reason why the book arrived early for Origins / GenCon Indy was due to a bit of a bulk discount for giving our printer so much work.

If one sniffs around a little, one can find an earlier edition hiding in an online store, but at this point I'd just wait for the hardback.

 

[jdrakeh]

Codex Arcanis has sold out a few times in the past and has been returned to print each time. The Codex Arcanis (printed just recently) is a 256 page hardbound title for $34.99. It is PCI 1115 and has a street date of October 29. Advance copies were present for the summer shows, but the distributors need a while to properly alert stores and generate pre-order sales. The only reason why the book arrived early for Origins / GenCon Indy was due to a bit of a bulk discount for giving our printer so much work.

If one sniffs around a little, one can find an earlier edition hiding in an online store, but at this point I'd just wait for the hardback.

Fantastic news! (I'd rather have a hardcover, anyhow)

 

[catsclaw227]

Codex Arcanis has sold out a few times in the past and has been returned to print each time. The Codex Arcanis (printed just recently) is a 256 page hardbound title for $34.99. It is PCI 1115 and has a street date of October 29. Advance copies were present for the summer shows, but the distributors need a while to properly alert stores and generate pre-order sales. The only reason why the book arrived early for Origins / GenCon Indy was due to a bit of a bulk discount for giving our printer so much work.

If one sniffs around a little, one can find an earlier edition hiding in an online store, but at this point I'd just wait for the hardback.

So it looks like we have an Oct 29th date for Codex Arcanis and an Oct 15th date for Year of Ill Harvest. I didn't find anything about either product on the Paradigm Concepts website. Could you elaborate on each of them?

 

[Paradigm]

So it looks like we have an Oct 29th date for Codex Arcanis and an Oct 15th date for Year of Ill Harvest. I didn't find anything about either product on the Paradigm Concepts website. Could you elaborate on each of them?

I am going to drop in the sizzle text for the books here first.


PCI 1115 Codex Arcanis
256 page hard cover setting book

It is Like the End of the World​

Turmoil grips the lands of Onara. It is the end of an era, and a dawn of a new age. It is an age of struggle against the end of existence; an age which shall witness the rise of history’s greatest champions. Will Arcanis pass into nothingness, or shall her heroes raise her up to new heights?

The Elorii look into the divining pools of the Elluwe’ as they roil with blood and know that the end times prophesied so many centuries ago are now upon us. Emerging from their forest sanctuary, they wonder if humanity can indeed weather the storm of Silence. Each of the Shattered Empires struggles to survive. In the north, the nation of Canceri buckles under the oppressive rule of the Theocracy - most pray for death, and the rest, for deliverance. Enemies gather round the proud nation of Milandir, each one eager to pull down its bright towers and humble its defenders. Fear gnaws at Milandir's people, and they begin to lose hope. To the south, the once mighty Coryani Empire sleeps under an indifferent ruler, while its greatest general bides his time, waiting to seize the throne for his own noble house. The Imperial Court looks on like a flock of carrion crows, ready to pick apart the corpse of the land. The nascent Serpent Empire stirs with renewed vigor, the Serpent Kings no longer content to set his own subjects against one another, and instead looks to the destruction of the children of Althares.

The Codex Arcanis is the essential tome for the critically-acclaimed Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires campaign setting. Within one will find:

• The history and geography of each of Onara’s great nations
• Races, feats, and prestige classes – all approved for use with Living Arcanis
• A complete pantheon, unlike any fantasy religion in that it is left to mortals to interpret the commandments of faith, as it should be with any realistic religion

Thousands of people world-wide play in the World of Shattered Empires, and now’s your chance to join them. Mortals stumble in darkness; heroes light the way. Be the hero, Leave Your Mark upon the Shattered Empires.

PCI 1010 The Year of Ill Harvest
128 page soft cover adventure​

Treachery from the Dearest Friends, Salvation from the Foulest Enemy​

A plea for aid to rescue a young boy from a lifetime of slavery or worse leads the heroes in a quest across Onara. From halls of the Lich-Priests of Canceri to the docks of Sweet Savonna, the trail of seemingly unrelated events pull the heroes relentlessly towards a final showdown, an assault upon the island redoubt of the Sorcerer King himself.

This is what started it all, the first year of Living Arcanis events. Compiled and updated for home play, the Year of Ill Harvest is ideal for both Living Arcanis players that missed the famed year one and those playing a traditional table top RPG session. Designed for use with the Codex Arcanis and Player’s Guide to Arcanis, Year of Ill Harvest is a world-spanning mega-adventure for the world’s most popular fantasy role-playing game. Year of Ill Harvest should provide many weeks of exciting role playing opportunities.

 

[Leatherfut]

Thanks very much for all the great answers everyone. You've been very helpful - well, helpful in making me more interested in both settings. They both sound great, but I think Arcanis will fit a little better for what I have in mind. But I'm not going to abandon Scarred Lands either. I'll check out a few of their books too. As someone above pointed out, Scarred Lands is being sold at crazy low prices online at White Wolf and Noble Knight Games.

PCI 1115 Codex Arcanis
256 page hard cover setting book

​

Question: Is the new Codex book coming out a reprint of the earlier book or a revision?

thanks,
Frank​

 

[elijah snow]

My two cents- you're going to love Arcanis.

I, too, would like to know if the Codex is going to be a newly revised HC.

 

[catsclaw227]

PCI 1115 Codex Arcanis
256 page hard cover setting book

<snip>

PCI 1010 The Year of Ill Harvest
128 page soft cover adventure

It looks like I may be getting my grubby paws on these. I have a lot of the Arcanis stuff in PDF, but a print version would be nice.