Ragnarock for the Scarred Lands

[Bagpuss]

This is not the end of a setting, but the end of the glut that killed the setting.

To true my campaign is in the Scarred Lands and at one point I was buying every release for it, but then the releases were just too close together or, covered areas too far apart. If I bought Hollowfaust there was very little chance my group would be interested in Burok Tor (sp?), etc. Its just too far away. The supply was well above the demand, and just not the right stuff, for me to use as a GM.

 

[ruemere]

Yes folks it's official. As much as I rail against it, both Joseph Carriker and Andrew Bates (along with Ari) confirmed it. Scarred Lands last book comes out in November.

Hopefully, the book is going to help us last through fasting years.

I know I'll be there. I just wish it wasn't to mourn the loss of any new SL stuff.

The "any new" is a bit premature. All we need is a bit of effort to adapt other OGL products into Scarn world. Also, thanks to OGL, we can still create and share new goodies (albeit with a few restrictions - we don't want to step on anyone's toes here).

My hope is, maybe down the road in 2005-2006, Scarred Lands will be reborn much like they are apparently doing for Warcraft and EQ.

With Black Company setting coming from Green Roning and Arcana Evolved from Malhavoc, I know I am not going to be wasting my time waiting. Besides, my campaign continues (after two years) and there is no need for me to abandon the ship.

I'm also a bit glad they have finally admitted this. We have been kept in the dark for the last four months (if not more - 4 months since the release schedule changed)... *sigh* there is probably business-wise explanation for this, but still, it is rather irritatiting to be left alone in this way :/

Regards,
Ruemere

 

[JoeGKushner]

I'm surprised that anyone is surprised.

Hmmm... lots of scarred lands stuff to pick up now. This is not the end of a setting, but the end of the glut that killed the setting.

I personally don't think it was glut. I also don't think it was just the d20 market. I hate it when publishers go, "Yeah, it was the d20 market." Uh, usually there are some other elements there because then others product lines like say Malhavoc and Green Ronin, would be hit too.

1. Novel ties in with a major impact on the setting. I know they only did one trilogy, but they did it at the relative start of the line. It's only 2004 so having any major changes to the setting is going to turn fans off.

2. Few friendly bases to start players off: No one wants to start in Calisata. No one wants to start in the Blood Seas. Well, I shouldn't say no one, but they are not good places to start off a 'standard' campaign.

3. Too many continents: Ghelspad isn't detailed enough and they they come out with Termana and keep pushing other lands onto the scene even as others aren't fully detailed yet.

4. Retroactive history: The timelines were expanded massively and certain events changed.

5. Bad books: Some of the books they came out with were not good. People are not stupid. If you come out with bad books and then books that are okay, people are not going to pick them up for fear of them being sucky.

6. Continuity: See #4 & #5. If you can't keep the contiuity straight in a brand new campaign setting....

I liked SL and set many a campaign in Mitrhil, Mullis Town, and Hollowfaust but the latter products left me cold.

If they were smart, they'd come out with books that were more all purpose, like Relics & Rituals and Creature Collection Revisied and have some SL stuff, but mostly be tools for the GM to add to his own campaign. How about a book of creating and using city states for example? Merchants? Nomads-Gypsies? Lots of options.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Hmmm... Maybe now it would be a good time to pick up some of the stuff before they go out of print permanently.

I picked up the Ghelspad book and Hollowfaust and liked what I saw, but because of limited funds and limited time I never bought more than that.

So, what books would you recommend? Note that I am primarily interested in the <i>setting</i>, and not in the rules stuff - I don't need endless spell and creature lists, new prestige classes, feats, etc. unless they really make the setting come more alive...

 

[Scribble]

I personally don't think it was glut. I also don't think it was just the d20 market. I hate it when publishers go, "Yeah, it was the d20 market."

While I agree it's kind of a cop-out, I think businesswise to say "we done screwed up" is bad. It gives people a subconcious, well what else have you screwed up on? Type of feeling.

This way people at least subconciously feel that they went out fighting.

 

[Psion]

I picked up the Ghelspad book and Hollowfaust and liked what I saw, but because of limited funds and limited time I never bought more than that.

So, what books would you recommend?

Outside of Hollowfaust, my favorite of the setting books is Hornsaw.

 

[JoeGKushner]

For setting books, Hollowfaust and the city of Mitrhil get my vote. Mitrhil has a lot going on for it including a small town outside it, Mullis Town, pirates in the Toe Islands, and links to the Blood Sea so you can have shining paladins guarding caravans of fighting pirates in the dock. Some good stuff there overall.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

That is a major dissappointment. The Player's Guides, Relics and Rituals 1 & 2 and CC2 blew me away for their versatility and depth. I have all but one of the city/setting books. I do know that the Wilderness and Wildlands book failed to impress me and the Penumbral Pentagram was simply a bad book but 2 stinkers out of the 35+ books they wrote should not be enough to condemn the whole setting.

I plan on picking up everythign I am missing (even the novels0 before they head to the shredder.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Outside of Hollowfaust, my favorite of the setting books is Hornsaw.

I looked into my local gaming store today, and they actually had this. What's so good about it?

And they also had the book about Calastia. What's your opinion on this one?

 

[J_A_Garlock]

My hope is, maybe down the road in 2005-2006, Scarred Lands will be reborn much like they are apparently doing for Warcraft and EQ.

Course my hope is at least EQ fails but that's just me. (Warcraft I like too much AND Mike is a great guy to condemn him for it.)
QUOTE]

If you hope that EQ fails, then how can you expect Scarred Lands to be reborn, with that attitude? Just a thought.