Echoes of the Past, the Slarecian Legacy, is almost a splat book for how psionics and psionic based characters (per 3.0 version) thrive in the Scarred Lands setting.
The book starts off with a brief introduction of how psionics have worked themselves into the Scarred Lands campaign setting and how they, like everything in a book, is an optional rule. The book rushes into the history of the slarecians. One thing that comes across during the history is the alien nature of the creatures. Unlike the titans who are physical beings tied into the very land, the slarecians are different in origin and purpose.
It starts with the fact that the slarecians themselves aren’t the true masters or manipulators behind the scenes. Instead, we’re introduced to the concept of the uthriach. These individuals are beings whose power is pure thought and whose ‘children’ if you will, were the slarecians. These entities were caught up in the creation of things on Scarn and trapped in flesh, a feeling they did not enjoy. So they’ve deiced that they will return to their home in the manner that no other race would enjoy. The destruction of the prime material plane.
At first they thought they might be able to use the gods to assist them in this effort. After all, the gods were not quite on par with the titans and not tied into the world as the titans were. What they failed to realize is that the gods would grow to depend and be empowered by their worshippers. Hence the horns of the bull that would eventually take down the slarecian empire were sown.
But what can you do with this fallen empire? Who still serves it? Well, as some have thought, mind flayers are servants of the slarecian empire. This thought doesn’t sit too well with me. I’ve read the old Mind Flayer book in full color by TSR/WoTC back in the day and the newer version by Paradigm. Both indicate creatures that would’ve had to fall very far to be servants of these creatures. Perhaps a future book will reveal some more details as to why the mind flayers do what they do but in the meanwhile, it sits uneasy with me.
Outside of those powerful creatures though, the true strength of the slarecian empire is in the number of cults that serve it. Psionics, while rare, are growing in strength and number as more and more of the slarecian language virus is visited upon scarn. This leads us to old favorites like the Order of Obsidian, as well as newcomers like the Mind Hunters, foes of the slarecian and all that follow those ways. However, not all of the cults in here are like the Cult of the Shade or the Thralls of the Idols, some, like the Travelers do some good while under the guidance of those ancient powers but never know it.
It’s a good section, filled with good reading and interesting ideas. About the only thing I don’t like is how it kicks up the power level. Many of the NPC’s are at, near or above the old 20th level mark. Take Retaika Zeln, a psi10/Csh 10 or some of the maddened individuals of the Sundered like Oliuqa, a Brd4/Sor9/Psi7 or Retsua, a Rgr 17/Psi8. Between these characters and those in some of the other Scarred Lands campaign, I’m just waiting for an Epic Expansion for the setting.
One of the most useful tools for a GM interesting in using the slarecian menace is chapter three, Ruins of the Ancients. Numerous lairs are detailed with the following information; threat, location, lore, features, inhabitants and hooks. These range from The Bloody Grotto, east of Hedrad, to Zatasthriax, the Bandit’s Folly, a city 100 miles north of Hollowfaust.
For those GMs not completely pressed for time, the section on designing slarecian ruins is even more useful. It provides different ideas on architecture to help you capture the alien mood, different items that may be found in such ruins, numerous hazards and of course, traps. It is a section that the GM can turn to again and again and could easily insert into any setting with an ‘alien’ race among the lesser beings.
Chapter four is hit and miss for me. It’s Return of the Masters. The whole chapter focuses on an optional campaign model that provides a timeline and gives the GM options to get the characters involved. It’s very good reading and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind reading a trilogy on it. However, it is a major campaign event and can change the whole world and isn’t quite resolved at the end of things. Some of the options are so wild that I won’t even hint as to what happens in the ‘official’ timeline for these optional events.
In addition to the timeline, there are numerous story seeds that a GM can use broken up by continent and then by country or region. This allows a GM using Termana to flip to that section and look up what the Jack of Tears is doing or search for information about what’s going on in Southwestern Ghelspad.
The Appendix is filled with numerous bits of crunch. It starts off with the slarecians themselves. I’m unimpressed. For a race that rules over the mind flayers, their personal innate abilities are weak in contrast to their threat level, clocking in at a level equivalency of +3. Unfortunately, there are no example write-ups for a monstrous entry style look. The book only has a few feats but numerous psionic items. My favorite would be the bracers of disintegration, a set of bracers that allows the user to use the psionic disintegration power three times per day.
One thing I’ve enjoyed about several books in the SL series is that they make some effort to incorporate other material into the setting. Sometimes this includes notes on how official product or other Sword & Sorcery Studio material fits into the SL setting. In this case, it goes over the 3.0 core and prestige classes for the Psionics Handbook and the Mindscapes sourcebook. This includes brief bits about where they (the prestige classes) can be found and how they often originated.
For new material, we have the mind hunter, a master of combat who uses his psionic power to in essence kill other psionics. They have their own power list with special abilities including numerous bonus feats. An interesting variant of the Slayer from the Psionics Handbook with a broader focus.
A subsection entitled Slarecian Horrors introduces numerous templates and monsters that served the slarecians. Ironically the first entry, Ever-Watchful, is a template that serves the Order of Obsidian, an enemy of the slarecians. Perhaps of more use to the GM would be Chitin Golems or slarecian snowbeast.
There are also new spells and psionic powers. There is no break down of new material by level and class and I haven’t read the Expanded Psionics Handbook yet but I know that some of these abilities will probably find their way into my campaign in one form or another. Take Obsidian Body, a 6th level psion power. The user becomes living obsidian with damage reduction 10/bludgeoning in addition to immunity to blindness, damage to ability scores, deafness, disease, drowning, poison, stunning, and powers that effect physiology. This doesn’t’ count the heat immunity and the half damage from acid attacks. Just don’t get hit by cold that deal double damage. I’m a little puzzled at the spells heading as there are only psionic powers here.
Interior art is handled by Tim Truman, David Jay, Jeremy McHugh and Peter Bergting. Tim does a great job as always but then I’ve enjoyed his art long before he came to the Scarred Lands. Some of McHug’s work looks very charcoal like but since its often scenery or background, the style fits. The text is well spaced for the most part, probably due to a lack of prestige classes. The only thing that bothered me in space use was the three-pages of advertisements. Thankfully, the book is well priced at $23.99 for 144 black and white pages.
I like psionics and have enjoyed the mystery of the slarecians. Any GM who wants to use psionics in their campaign will defiantly enjoy this book. There were a few things I don’t think I’ll be incorporating or at the very least, not without some changes. After all, how could the mind flayers really be servants of these guys eh? In addition, I think that if the book devoted a chapter to using these creatures in other campaigns or as a planar menace that wasn’t freed when their world was destroyed, that it’s utility to all settings would be greatly increased. While the traps and ideas are nice for example, how about some drawn sample lairs?
GMs looking for more material than they can handle at one setting or those who just want the lowdown on psionics in the Scarred Lands should check out Echoes of the Past.
