How do I make a Scarred Lands campaign feel like a Scarred Lands campaign?

[dreaded_beast]

For all you Scarred Lands gurus and expert DMs:

Last nite I started DMing a Scarred Lands campaign with 3 players. 2 of the players a Rogue, worshipper of Hedrada, and a Cleric of Madriel, are citizens of Calasta. The 3rd player is an exiled dwarf from Burok Torn.

The adventure started off with them being conscripted into the Calastia Military, for various reasons. In Calasta, being forced into the military is a common punishment for crimes. This was not played out and only given as background information, so that they players knew why they were together.

The players were transported on a military vessel and dropped off at their duty station, a small keep on a remote island within the Calastia nation. The island is located within the archipelego on the southeastern tip of Calastia.

The players were left on a dock with a wide river on one side, and a small path leading on one side of the keep. The only way forward was the side path or through the keep. I used the map of the Border Tower from Sword and Fist as the keep.

While outside the keep, the players were attacked by Hookwings, a flying Scarred Lands creatures. In addition, the dwarf encountered a mere-lurker, another Scarred Lands creature that hides in the water to attack it's prey.

Normally, I don't tell the players about the monsters or their names, but I did so throughout the adventure to try and give them a feel for the Scarred Lands. I tried to come up with litle explanations of how the players had heard of such creatures.

In the keep, they discovered many dead bodies. It appeared that something had burst forth from inside the bodes. The players then encountered the culprit, a Scarred Land creature known as wyrmspawn, a repitillian creature. They encountered many of these creatures as well as a sour grub (another Scarred Lands creature), and another creature, the mother of the wyrmspawn.

The players did not explore the entire keep however, and finally made it outdoors. Outdoors, they discovered the remaining survivors of the keep along with the commander and a cleric of Corean, camping outside. The party introduced themselves and agreed to help the commander clean out the keep.

And that is where the session ended.

If you have any ideas or suggestions on how to make further adventures have a more Scarred Lands flavor, please post.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Paging Doctor Nightfall... Paging Doctor Nightfall... Come in Doctor Nightfall!

 

[Sojourner]

Well, it sounds like you only want to use the Scarred Lands supplements to keep the tone consistent. If I'm misinterpreting, just say so, but that's what it sounds like.

That in mind, one really good option, since you placed the party on the coast, would be to give Pisceans a major role in the campaign. Perhaps a large band of the titanspawn are harassing the coasts. Maybe the supply ship to the island keep is late and bits of it start washing up on shore because it was attacked and sunk by the Piscean raiders.

If more a fan of political intrigue, maybe the wyrmspawn were planted by a traitor or a rival commander who desires to make the current keep's commander look like a bungler after he was passed up for the spot. You can deal with quite a few political situations for this, it just depends on where you want to take the campaign.

I'd develop the background about why the players were placed together. Did fate bring them together or did someone manipulate the situation to place the characters there? If so, why?

Hope this helps out...

Thoth
www.exemplargames.com
www.mymegaverse.org

 

[dreaded_beast]

Well, it sounds like you only want to use the Scarred Lands supplements to keep the tone consistent. If I'm misinterpreting, just say so, but that's what it sounds like.

Hmm, I don't know if you're wrong, because I don't exactly understand what you mean.

I want to give the feeling of being in the Scarred Lands, which I assume is by using the campaign books like Ghelsphad, Creature Collection, etc. I want to give the feel of being in the Scarred Lands. I don't my players to go on an adventure and think to themselves, this adventure could have taken place in a "generic" setting like Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk.

That in mind, one really good option, since you placed the party on the coast, would be to give Pisceans a major role in the campaign. Perhaps a large band of the titanspawn are harassing the coasts. Maybe the supply ship to the island keep is late and bits of it start washing up on shore because it was attacked and sunk by the Piscean raiders.

If more a fan of political intrigue, maybe the wyrmspawn were planted by a traitor or a rival commander who desires to make the current keep's commander look like a bungler after he was passed up for the spot. You can deal with quite a few political situations for this, it just depends on where you want to take the campaign.

I'd develop the background about why the players were placed together. Did fate bring them together or did someone manipulate the situation to place the characters there? If so, why?

Hope this helps out...

Great ideas! I may use them!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

You have used a lot of the Scarred Lands specific creatures, but it sounds like you have not done anything to make it distinct from any new creature someone might encounter.

IMO, the feel of the Scarred Lands is very much centered around the Gods and Titans. The Gods and Titans are REAL and everyone knows it. Religion is a significant part of life in Ghelspad. I try and make a lot of my stuff about the titanspawn and their work to restore the Titans and one day take down the Gods. For your stuff, consider having some more intelligent and organized titanspawn behind the attacks on the keep. Perhaps there is a site nearby that is considered sacred to the followers of one of the titans and the presence of the Keep is preventing them from using that site for their ceremonies.

That being said, if you really want to be true to the materials out there, if you have a Priest of Madriel conscripted into the Calastian army, there is going to be trouble. The army is pretty devoted to Chardun and I'm not sure how well a cleric of Madriel would fit in, and I don't know exactly what a cleric of Corean would be doing in a Calastian keep. Obviously it is your campaign so you can change whatever you see fit, but IMC worshipers of Corean in Calastia are at best watched very closely to be sure they are not going to cause trouble trying to protect some "innocent" person or something.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

First a disclaimer... the opinions presented here are solely the opinions of the writer and are not meant to cause offense to any who choose to read this post.

That being said I've always felt that the overlying feel of Scarred Lands went a little to much towards the vanilla settings of Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, and Kalamar. Nothing really sets them apart. You can't say anything about people knowing that the gods and the titans exist because in each of the other settings there are clerics going around working miracles (not the spell) on a daily basis. Heck, the Forgotten Realms is almost like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys because the gods get involved in the affairs of man fairly frequently and some of the gods home plane IS Faerun. There is nothing that really sets them apart from any other setting. Adding new monsters just doesn't cut it.
Now I will say that some of the Scarred Lands supplements have really sparked my imagination. Foremost among them I think is Hollowfaust even though that idea could easily be plunked into any game world. I think it was intentional because that way the source books would appeal to a larger audience than if Hollowfaust was written strictly for the Scarred Lands campaign.
Now don't get me wrong. Scarred Lands is a great setting but it is still a classic fantasy setting in that it doesn't diverge too far from the expected norm. I picked up several of the books because I got tired of paying twice the price of a Scarred Lands book for a comprable WOTC book. In fact, Scarred Lands: Ghelspad was the first book that got me into using 3rd party material and I haven't looked back since. There just aren't too many elements that make it really unique.
Okay here is a plug for some other settings. Midnight is good because it flips the vanilla setting on it's ear with the PCs being the resistance against an overwhelming evil. There are no good gods (at least they can't be contacted and can't render aid), there is only an evil god who was cast down to the prime. Another setting to consider if you want to get away from traditional fantasy is Rokugan. Get rid of the Tolkien-esqe setting altogether and run a campaign with an oriental feel. Skull & Bones is one of my favorites because you play pirates in the late 1600's in the mythical Carribbean.

Anyway... just my 2 cents. Sorry if I offended any fans of Scarred Lands or any other setting I mentioned, it was not my intention to offend, just to present my opinion.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Yes, I can see what you mean about the other settings, but for some reason Scarred Lands captured me more than FR or Greyhawk ever did when it comes to the divine aspects of the game. I guess in FR, there are so many freakin' gods of this and that that you lose the overall sense that the Gods are real. Sure there are clerics doing miracles, but how many people experience them. I guess I see the Gods as more aloof in FR and if you neither worship, nor outright defy one of the God, they will probably never take notice of you. In the Scarred Lands, the people respect all the Gods. They may not agree with them and worship them all, but who is going to take a chance at getting sick by not making some kind of gesture to Vangal? The way I read it, the religion is mreo integrated into everyday life than in the other settings.

In addition, I think it is different because while the Gods have their own rivalries, they also have a common cause. The Titans have been defeated, but that may not be a permanent thing, so they remain vigilant. I've never tired Midnight (although I'm getting more and more interested the more I hear about it on these boards), but I don't see how different it is to have only an evil god whom the players are trying to thwart, versus having the followers of the titans whom the players, on behalf of the Gods, are trying to thwart.

I do think its pretty interesting how different people see the same setting.

Back on topic, beast, I would say you do need to find an element that you think the group will enjoy an really try and use that. Some of my suggestions are:

Calastia is an oppressive State with a desire to become an Empire - have the party work as freedom fighters within Calastia

Check out Hollowfaust - Madriel really dislikes undead. Perhaps her cleric is charged with finding a way to destroy it once and for all.

I don't know what books you have, but some the location books like Calastia: Throne of the Black Dragon do a nice job of giving flavor and providing adventure hooks that are more then just running into some of the strange and unique nasties from the Creature Collection.

 

[Nightfall]

*isn't offended when Midnight is mentioned*

As for making it more Scarred Lands centered, my advice is work on the small things. Unlike the Realms where even though the gods get involved, most of the time people don't pray for things. They just expect it to happen cause "Well that's what my grandfather expect in his day!" Make the aspect of praying more essential. Show off the fact that the people there pray to Corean and corean answers. Or the opposite as well. Magic too so be more responsive or unresponsive depending on various factors. Besides monsters have the people you meet talk about the "old days" or legends from long ago. In terms of Calastia, the peasantry there feel very superior and welcoming to Chardun and the military. To them it's a great honor to die in the service of Calastia. Also focus on the fact the militant priests often have Archfiend and other devilish titles to their name. It's those little details that I feel make the setting that much more expansive than Greyhawk or the Realms.

I will say though that the difference between Greyhawk and other normal D&D worlds compared to the Scarred Lands the fact not just the gods are different but the actual magic is divided. Arcane magic, when it comes to wizardry, is all about "learning" and training. The Calastian Battlemages are all about tactics, skill in hand to hand combat, and especially military understanding. That combined with their advancement in using evocation spells, preparing against counterassaults by dwarves, makes them more than just simple spellcasters that fight. They are elite spellbattlers and are consumate warriors as much as arcane spellmasters. That's wizards though. Sorcerers though are considerably less rigid, they flow and fight. To them magic is less a learned skilled as something their blood tells them to be. It tells them their hertiage, their pride and power. This is especially so if you have say a tielfling or a Fiend Touched sorcerer. Accent that as well. When it comes to the churches, while Madriel is seen as weak, she is still an essential part of the land. Calastians view their god as Chardun first, and the other gods pretty much under him. Law and order plays a huge roll in the daily lives of Calastians. Fighting Titanspawn, trying to survive and grow, these are traits Chardun admires. The strength and resolve to do what is necessary. Accent that as well.

So that's my note. Btw db, if you have an SL question, next time just post under my "Ask the Sage" thread.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

*isn't offended when Midnight is mentioned*

I know you'd secretly rather be playing Midnight instead. It's ok. Your secret is safe with me.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Gotta say that with Scarred Lands it seems like the DM has to work to make it different from the other settings. Midnight, Rokugan, and Skull & Bones have totally different settings from the norm... their entire theme and concept is different so it takes much less work.

Just muh humble opinion...