Messageboard Golem
First Post
DM screen for Scarred Lands; includes Scarred Lands Racial information and two short adventures.
Scarred Lands DM Screen
- Thread starter Messageboard Golem
- Start date
Messageboard Golem
First Post
Okay well I'd like to clarify this scoring as I rate the SCREEN itself differently than I do the book that comes with it. The Screen itself is a five as it's sturdy, easy to discern and use for ANY d20/3rd edition game, AND is a nice quick reference deal.
The DM's COMPANION, which comes with the Screen, is more of a 4, 4.5. I liked it since it was the FIRST time we get a definatively look at ALL The PHB races and subraces in the Scarred Lands. The artwork for each races was very nicely done, and definately gave a unique feel to the book. The two adventures that come with the book "Shrine of Madness" and "Kadum's Horn" are both decent. However I will admit to liking Kadum's Horn more, SINCE it has a lot more to offer for a Scarred Lands feel. To help people out with what I'm saying, the book is divided into three distinct chapters. The first is the aforementioned race section, which deals with most of the PHB type races. The "normal" dwarves are called mountain dwarves. There's very little difference between them save that the "mountain" dwarf get use of a small spell like ability "detect magic" and "arcane mark". This doesn't significant alter the dwarf other than give it the option of going fighter OR wizard. The Charduni and the Forsaken Dwarves are all mentioned here. (If you have Creature Collection 1 you'll know what I'm talking about) Also there are three breeds of elves here, Forsaken (taken from Creature Collection 1), Wood, (which are the default elves in the Scarred Lands) and Dark Elves (not really Drow but have similiar characteristics, dark skin, evil tendancies etc.) There is no mention of gnomes since we are dealing with only those races NATIVE to Ghelspad. While the Forsaken elf isn't native, there is a growing influx in their numbers and thus a native population. Chapter 2 deals with one of two adventures in the book, to act as introductory adventures. Shrine of Madness is a nice little adventure but as I stated earlier, Kadum's Horn to me seems more appropriate even if it's a little higher level.
The DM's COMPANION, which comes with the Screen, is more of a 4, 4.5. I liked it since it was the FIRST time we get a definatively look at ALL The PHB races and subraces in the Scarred Lands. The artwork for each races was very nicely done, and definately gave a unique feel to the book. The two adventures that come with the book "Shrine of Madness" and "Kadum's Horn" are both decent. However I will admit to liking Kadum's Horn more, SINCE it has a lot more to offer for a Scarred Lands feel. To help people out with what I'm saying, the book is divided into three distinct chapters. The first is the aforementioned race section, which deals with most of the PHB type races. The "normal" dwarves are called mountain dwarves. There's very little difference between them save that the "mountain" dwarf get use of a small spell like ability "detect magic" and "arcane mark". This doesn't significant alter the dwarf other than give it the option of going fighter OR wizard. The Charduni and the Forsaken Dwarves are all mentioned here. (If you have Creature Collection 1 you'll know what I'm talking about) Also there are three breeds of elves here, Forsaken (taken from Creature Collection 1), Wood, (which are the default elves in the Scarred Lands) and Dark Elves (not really Drow but have similiar characteristics, dark skin, evil tendancies etc.) There is no mention of gnomes since we are dealing with only those races NATIVE to Ghelspad. While the Forsaken elf isn't native, there is a growing influx in their numbers and thus a native population. Chapter 2 deals with one of two adventures in the book, to act as introductory adventures. Shrine of Madness is a nice little adventure but as I stated earlier, Kadum's Horn to me seems more appropriate even if it's a little higher level.
teitan
Legend
Hello all another DM Screen review. I love these things. Again I will rate according to three categories: Artwork, Tables and Insert
Artwork 4/5
The artwork is nice and details the Scarred Lands signature character, Vladawen, with a part of adventurers exploring a forested region and encountering what I believe is a Fatling as well as the leader of the Paladin Order of Mithral. The other two pictures are of an adventurer with his back to the players making a deal with a Wrack Dragon and Vladawen returns to encounter a Slarecian remnant in the last panel. Over all the artwork is very nice and flowing from one panel to the next and the wings of the Wrack Dragon create the borders between the three illustrations on the Screen. Very nice and evocative of the Scarred Lands in the same way that the Realms Screen is evocative of the Realms and the generic Screen is Evocative of campy fun like the DnD Movie.
Tables 6/5
Yeah, I give the tables a 6. Why? They are that danged good. On this screen I find charts that I do not find on other screens, charts for things that come up in play unlike the Realms or Generic Screens that have come out. WHat tables are on it do you ask? Well, how about a nice list of them for those of you who don't believe me?
Well, we have the GM's reference table which lists the three core rulebooks and important page numbers so that a DM doesn't have to flip through the books to find the danged things. Hs proven EXTREMELY useful in actual play.
Movement rates is the next useful table usually excluded. For on the spot calculations this table has proven useful on occasion.
Material Hardness/Hit points was also included in the insert for the generic Screen from Wizards, but here is printed where it will actually find use, and it is, again, EXTREMELY useful in play.
Untrained Skills really helps in trying to determine if a skill is useable untrained and is very helpful to me and my players.
Spellcraft... do you have to ask why this table is helpful?
Jump DIstances... I find this to be a wonderful addition to the tables.
Turning Undead. Before I got this screen I have no idea how I ran turning undead in my games... we had to open up the PHB so many times that I decided to fudge it somehow. Well this screen ended that problem.
Lastly, SPecial COmbat situations is a wonderful addition because it is actually useful. All you need to add to this screen is the Weapons chart from the FR screen and you have accomplished perfection in Screen design and execution. The design is simple and easy to read with this black borders to seperate the tables and bright white backgrounds to pull out the letters. The font is very easy to read and there isn't a distracting background to hurt the eyes.
Insert 1/5 for non SL DMs and a 4/5 for SL DMs
The insert requires two classifications because it is Scarred Lands specific. I will review it for Scarred Lands DMs first.
This screen is absolutely essential for a SL DM because it contains all the necessary information for races in the Scarred Lands. In the same way that the characters chapter of your standard D20 campaign setting book outlines the differences in races in that specific setting, so does the SL DM COmpanion insert. The artwork is spot on and quite nice, the races are balanced and provide level adjustments based on the outlines in the DMG. SOme races as PC races make little sense though, like the Dark Elf (very different from standard Drow). I haven't been big on Drow being a player race as it destroys the mystique of the race.
ALso included are two adventures for a DM to kickstart a Scarred Lands campaign. They both seem interesting, but I don't like commenting on adventures until I have run them.
For the non SL DM this insert is almost completely useless except for the adventure which can be easily converted to another campaign setting with little to no work.
Overall the best screen on the market and really helpful to the Scarred Lands DM. The only thing missing is the weapons chart from the FR screen which I also use.
Artwork 4/5
The artwork is nice and details the Scarred Lands signature character, Vladawen, with a part of adventurers exploring a forested region and encountering what I believe is a Fatling as well as the leader of the Paladin Order of Mithral. The other two pictures are of an adventurer with his back to the players making a deal with a Wrack Dragon and Vladawen returns to encounter a Slarecian remnant in the last panel. Over all the artwork is very nice and flowing from one panel to the next and the wings of the Wrack Dragon create the borders between the three illustrations on the Screen. Very nice and evocative of the Scarred Lands in the same way that the Realms Screen is evocative of the Realms and the generic Screen is Evocative of campy fun like the DnD Movie.
Tables 6/5
Yeah, I give the tables a 6. Why? They are that danged good. On this screen I find charts that I do not find on other screens, charts for things that come up in play unlike the Realms or Generic Screens that have come out. WHat tables are on it do you ask? Well, how about a nice list of them for those of you who don't believe me?
Well, we have the GM's reference table which lists the three core rulebooks and important page numbers so that a DM doesn't have to flip through the books to find the danged things. Hs proven EXTREMELY useful in actual play.
Movement rates is the next useful table usually excluded. For on the spot calculations this table has proven useful on occasion.
Material Hardness/Hit points was also included in the insert for the generic Screen from Wizards, but here is printed where it will actually find use, and it is, again, EXTREMELY useful in play.
Untrained Skills really helps in trying to determine if a skill is useable untrained and is very helpful to me and my players.
Spellcraft... do you have to ask why this table is helpful?
Jump DIstances... I find this to be a wonderful addition to the tables.
Turning Undead. Before I got this screen I have no idea how I ran turning undead in my games... we had to open up the PHB so many times that I decided to fudge it somehow. Well this screen ended that problem.
Lastly, SPecial COmbat situations is a wonderful addition because it is actually useful. All you need to add to this screen is the Weapons chart from the FR screen and you have accomplished perfection in Screen design and execution. The design is simple and easy to read with this black borders to seperate the tables and bright white backgrounds to pull out the letters. The font is very easy to read and there isn't a distracting background to hurt the eyes.
Insert 1/5 for non SL DMs and a 4/5 for SL DMs
The insert requires two classifications because it is Scarred Lands specific. I will review it for Scarred Lands DMs first.
This screen is absolutely essential for a SL DM because it contains all the necessary information for races in the Scarred Lands. In the same way that the characters chapter of your standard D20 campaign setting book outlines the differences in races in that specific setting, so does the SL DM COmpanion insert. The artwork is spot on and quite nice, the races are balanced and provide level adjustments based on the outlines in the DMG. SOme races as PC races make little sense though, like the Dark Elf (very different from standard Drow). I haven't been big on Drow being a player race as it destroys the mystique of the race.
ALso included are two adventures for a DM to kickstart a Scarred Lands campaign. They both seem interesting, but I don't like commenting on adventures until I have run them.
For the non SL DM this insert is almost completely useless except for the adventure which can be easily converted to another campaign setting with little to no work.
Overall the best screen on the market and really helpful to the Scarred Lands DM. The only thing missing is the weapons chart from the FR screen which I also use.
negativtoo
First Post
The Scarred Lands GM screen consists of a 4 panel GM screen and a 48-page book/brochure giving further details about the scarred lands setting. The GM screen itself features full colour artwork on the outside (player's side ) and a number tables on the GM's side . No big surprises here. The exterior artwork is evocative, if not particularly outstanding (its actually the artwork from the covers of the Scarred Lands novels series )with 2 extra pieces inthe same style .
The cardboard used is solid enough, and as a means to hide the GMs notes, it works well. The inside is the area where the GM screen shines though, both the tables picked are those that a GM (in my experience ) usually needs to consult, often in a hurry, and include a comprehensive listing and sorting of combat actions and maneuvres, something that I particularly like (what are the precise mechansm for an "overrun" ? or the exact steps for reolving a grapple ? All easily resolved with a quick reference to the Screen, instead of leafing through the PHB ))
Other favourites of mine here include the "Spellcraft"-check table and the GMs reference list to further rules in the Core Rulebooks (though this one sadly leaves out the CR vs. XP table in the DMG - something I never seem able to find ). A turn undead table has has also found its way here, something that a friend of mine sorely misses on his screen. Overall the Screen itself performs its intended job without glitches and in some ways even forecasts a harried GM's needs. If not for the minor quib of the mediocre artwork, this would rate a 5/5, this waya 4/5 will have to do
As for the 48 page booklet accompanying the screen, this divides into 2 distinct sections. The first consists of a quite detailed rundown of the Scarred lands races, an outline of their respective histories and attitude, their relevant Stats and characteristics for using them as Player Characters and some artwork giving a handy impression as to their appearance and way of life. Most races play with subtle, yet important differences in the Scarred Lands (dwarves prefferred classes being Fighter or Wizard ? Nice twist..), except for the Dark Elves, who appear very different from their clicheed Drow counterparts. The information on the PC races and their subbreeds is good, although one might grow an appetite for more, especially if one intends to play in the Scarred lands setting.
Part 2 of the booklet outlines 2 adventures in some detail, one for starting characters, one for characters around 4th level. Both can be played straight from the book, but might profit from some added detail from the GM. Still, for a novice GM, as well as a quick and easy way to introduce players to the setting and its particular flavour, they do well. While the first adventure's plot is slightly clicheed and at times seems a bit forced and disconcerting for the players (which turned me off, but actually its a 1st level adventure, and those actually do seem to need a lot of railroading to have any player survive, IMHO ), I actually used the second adventure (which basically is a "chase - than crawl the dungeon" type of adventure ) with a new group, and it worked well, despite being the final fight being a bit tougher than initially expected. The maps provided are functional, if not exceptional.
Overall the contents of the booklet is about what I expect from a GM screen book, some in-depth rules, some kick-off adventures, both of which are of superior quality and presentation. Interior artwork differs strongly in style between the racial section and the much darker and gloomy artwork of the adventures part, but both are of excellent quality, noteworthy enough with the recent (d)evolution of artwork in WW/SSS titles (and IMHO much better than the artwork on the outside of the GM screen itself ).
While the racial information is in a way specific to the scarred lands, there is no reason why it cannot be reasonably applied to any other campaign, unless one plays/GMs another pregenerated setting and does not want to include non-canon material. As for the adventures, due to focusing on scrred lands specific themes to some extend, they might prove little bit harder to adapt or use in a differing setting, but no insurmountable problems stand inthe way of using them with some tweaking.
Overall I rate the booklet 4/5 for a Scarred lands GM, 3/5 for a GM using a different setting.
As vor value for the buck, at 8,95 US$ for a 48 booklet AND a superior GM screen, including a bunch of useful information for the Scarred Lands setting and two useful adventures. Seeing that stand alone adventures usually come around 32 pages for 9 bucks, and comparing to the prices of other GM screens, this is excellent value. You could definetely do worse.
The cardboard used is solid enough, and as a means to hide the GMs notes, it works well. The inside is the area where the GM screen shines though, both the tables picked are those that a GM (in my experience ) usually needs to consult, often in a hurry, and include a comprehensive listing and sorting of combat actions and maneuvres, something that I particularly like (what are the precise mechansm for an "overrun" ? or the exact steps for reolving a grapple ? All easily resolved with a quick reference to the Screen, instead of leafing through the PHB ))
Other favourites of mine here include the "Spellcraft"-check table and the GMs reference list to further rules in the Core Rulebooks (though this one sadly leaves out the CR vs. XP table in the DMG - something I never seem able to find ). A turn undead table has has also found its way here, something that a friend of mine sorely misses on his screen. Overall the Screen itself performs its intended job without glitches and in some ways even forecasts a harried GM's needs. If not for the minor quib of the mediocre artwork, this would rate a 5/5, this waya 4/5 will have to do
As for the 48 page booklet accompanying the screen, this divides into 2 distinct sections. The first consists of a quite detailed rundown of the Scarred lands races, an outline of their respective histories and attitude, their relevant Stats and characteristics for using them as Player Characters and some artwork giving a handy impression as to their appearance and way of life. Most races play with subtle, yet important differences in the Scarred Lands (dwarves prefferred classes being Fighter or Wizard ? Nice twist..), except for the Dark Elves, who appear very different from their clicheed Drow counterparts. The information on the PC races and their subbreeds is good, although one might grow an appetite for more, especially if one intends to play in the Scarred lands setting.
Part 2 of the booklet outlines 2 adventures in some detail, one for starting characters, one for characters around 4th level. Both can be played straight from the book, but might profit from some added detail from the GM. Still, for a novice GM, as well as a quick and easy way to introduce players to the setting and its particular flavour, they do well. While the first adventure's plot is slightly clicheed and at times seems a bit forced and disconcerting for the players (which turned me off, but actually its a 1st level adventure, and those actually do seem to need a lot of railroading to have any player survive, IMHO ), I actually used the second adventure (which basically is a "chase - than crawl the dungeon" type of adventure ) with a new group, and it worked well, despite being the final fight being a bit tougher than initially expected. The maps provided are functional, if not exceptional.
Overall the contents of the booklet is about what I expect from a GM screen book, some in-depth rules, some kick-off adventures, both of which are of superior quality and presentation. Interior artwork differs strongly in style between the racial section and the much darker and gloomy artwork of the adventures part, but both are of excellent quality, noteworthy enough with the recent (d)evolution of artwork in WW/SSS titles (and IMHO much better than the artwork on the outside of the GM screen itself ).
While the racial information is in a way specific to the scarred lands, there is no reason why it cannot be reasonably applied to any other campaign, unless one plays/GMs another pregenerated setting and does not want to include non-canon material. As for the adventures, due to focusing on scrred lands specific themes to some extend, they might prove little bit harder to adapt or use in a differing setting, but no insurmountable problems stand inthe way of using them with some tweaking.
Overall I rate the booklet 4/5 for a Scarred lands GM, 3/5 for a GM using a different setting.
As vor value for the buck, at 8,95 US$ for a 48 booklet AND a superior GM screen, including a bunch of useful information for the Scarred Lands setting and two useful adventures. Seeing that stand alone adventures usually come around 32 pages for 9 bucks, and comparing to the prices of other GM screens, this is excellent value. You could definetely do worse.
Corporal_Cupcake
First Post
Just to clarify: the DM Screen Companion that is bundled with the screen is actually 48 pages, not 16.
gambler1650
Explorer
In my reviews I rarely give 1's, just as I rarely give 5's. While production qualities matter, the content is what determines a final rating. Good pictures or unique ideas won't save a product from a poor review, but it might push a good one slightly higher. Functionality first, then the flash if you please. Price is also generally taken into consideration. A quick summary of my personal ratings:
1 - Lazy, incomplete, shoddy effort. So disgusted I'm likely only to open it again to review it.
2 - Below average. Not completely unhappy I bought it since it probably has some good ideas.
3 - Average/Good. I got approximately what I expected in terms of content and quality. No major flaws and useful.
4 - Very Good. I got more than I expected. Inspired me enough to think about using it down the road.
5 - Excellent. The cream of the industry. I immediately want to use it somewhere. Excellent production values.
This product is hard to review for me, mainly because it's both a DM screen and a DM Screen Companion. I'll review the screen first, and preface it by saying this is not a playtest review. The front (the side that will face the players) is glossy with four panels each showing a different scene from the Scarred Lands. In general the imagery is dark with splashes of bright color. I can't say I really care for the slightly comic strip look to the drawings, but they give a good feel for what the Scarred Lands is supposed to be like. The reverse side is really plain. Just a black background with white boxes in which are various charts, tables and reminders. Well, this is what it's supposed to have but the presentation could have been a bit more artistic perhaps. Can't say I've seen many DM screens before so this might just be "How it's done", but it'd be nice for the DM to have something to look at that gives a bit of the proper mood for the game too. Anyhow, the most important sections I think will be the Movement, Actions in Combat, Attack Roll Modifiers and Special Combat Situations tables. The Heal DCs, Concentration DCs, Spellcraft DCs, Untrained Skills, Turn Undead and GM's Reference sections all seem quite useful. The others are debateable how much use they'll be, but they're probably just as good as any. To tell the truth, the Screen itself doesn't excite me, and it does what I expected it should do.. so it would get a 3 by itself.
You also get the DM Screen Companion. Well, if we compare it to the Mutants and Mastermind's Screen which has the price of $1 more, you'd have to guess that either Sword and Sorcery has an accountant who was drinking and probably was fired the day after the retail price was announced, or that Green Ronin is making a gouging on its screen. Not only do you get the same four panel sized Screen (which is all the M&M one comes with), you get a 48 page booklet that's as nicely produced as the rest of the Scarred Lands setting. The cover has a variety of artwork, some from the DM Screen itself, some from other SL books, and all in a faded yellow overtop of an equally faded map of Ghelspad. Doesn't really overwhelm, but it's a nice effect. The booklet itself comes in three parts:
Chapter 1: Races of Ghelspad - For the first time, the possible player races of Ghelspad are gathered together, with a brief description and then the crunchy bits (rules) that are unique to them (along with the standard stats and such copied from the PHB). You get the three races of dwarves: Mountain - the standard AD&D dwarf for the most part, Charduni - a dark (usually evil - most likely NPCs) dwarf and the Forsaken Dwarves (paranoid - most likely NPCs). Then there are the elves: dark (the Scarred Lands version of Drow, for the moment only known beneath the dwarven city of Burok Torn), forsaken (remnants of the high elves) and wood elves. Then you have the half elves, halflings, half orcs and humans (with some regional differences as an optional rule). This is the first time I realized that Gnomes aren't a part of the Scarred Lands, or at least Ghelspad. The artwork for the races is nice, and follows the "lineup" format so common in many sourcebooks. The females seem scantily clad for the most part, including full frontal torso shots, but maybe they're spellcasters... (In the Scarred Lands, spellcasting builds up heat so most spellcasters wear very little clothing - I found it an amusing way to justify some of the imagery found in D20 products).
WARNING: SPOLIERS
Chapter 2: The Shrine of Madness - This is a short adventure module designed for 2nd-3rd level characters. The PCs start out at a city (not named though a few suggestions are offered) somewhere in the Scarred Lands. It details a site that goes by the same name as the adventure title, which was a temple to Enkili (the trickster god) and the star of chaos which is rumored to give access to Enkili directly and to increase wisdom. A map is planted on them by an elf, and the elf indicates they should seek out a cleric of Hedrada for more information. The cleric gives them some items to help in the mission and promises of a reward (and why would a Larful cleric want such an artifact... hmmmm.. all is explained), and off they go. There's a brief journey through some swamps, and some encounters detailed. Finally there's the Shrine itself which acts as the dungeon crawl which while more or less standard in execution does have an interesting moral choice for the PCs to make. The adventure really doesn't act to set the Scarred Lands apart from any other standard AD&D adventure though. Nevertheless it's good for a night's entertainment. Rating: 4
Chapter 3: Kadum's Horn - This short adventure is designed for characters of 4th-5th level. The children of a small village are going missing, and the PCs are tasked with finding out what's going on. As is usually the case, the children are needed for a foul ritual by an evil cleric who wants to unseal a tomb rumored to have some of the titan Kadum's blood within. There are a few possible ways the PCs could discover the whereabouts of the children, giving the first part of the module a nice open ended feel. The characters follow the clues and then discover that they've only found the middlemen. How they deal with the middlemen and the next steps they can take are also detailed in a number of possibilities to increase the open ended feel. The eventual outcome is that the PCs find the tomb of a druid of Kadum, and search for the cleric and the children before the ritual can be completed. This adventure has a bit more of the Scarred Lands feel, dealing as it does with the potential for part of a titan to be discovered, giving tremendous power to the antagonist of the story as well as some rather dark actions taken against children. The dungeon itself is pretty standard and the encounters aren't overly exciting but the adventure as a whole is well done. Rating: 4
Overall: For $8.95 you get a rather average DM Screen, all the information on the potential PC races (and a couple of NPC ones) that you need to run the Scarred Lands and two brief adventures. For value alone it's worth a 4, but no single part really jumps out and overwhelms me, which normally means a 3 rating for my reviews. It's all well done and executed, but didn't leave me excited about using it. The PC races section is an absolute necessity for the Scarred Lands setting and is probably the best part of the companion.
I originally rated this a 5 for the value, but comparing it to, say, Hornsaw which I like much better, it's actually less value per page. My 5's go out to those products that excite me _and_ are almost perfect, so I can't justify giving it a 5. However, since it provides the service it's supposed to and includes the NPC races and a couple of adventures to help a beginning DM out, I'll give it a 4.
1 - Lazy, incomplete, shoddy effort. So disgusted I'm likely only to open it again to review it.
2 - Below average. Not completely unhappy I bought it since it probably has some good ideas.
3 - Average/Good. I got approximately what I expected in terms of content and quality. No major flaws and useful.
4 - Very Good. I got more than I expected. Inspired me enough to think about using it down the road.
5 - Excellent. The cream of the industry. I immediately want to use it somewhere. Excellent production values.
This product is hard to review for me, mainly because it's both a DM screen and a DM Screen Companion. I'll review the screen first, and preface it by saying this is not a playtest review. The front (the side that will face the players) is glossy with four panels each showing a different scene from the Scarred Lands. In general the imagery is dark with splashes of bright color. I can't say I really care for the slightly comic strip look to the drawings, but they give a good feel for what the Scarred Lands is supposed to be like. The reverse side is really plain. Just a black background with white boxes in which are various charts, tables and reminders. Well, this is what it's supposed to have but the presentation could have been a bit more artistic perhaps. Can't say I've seen many DM screens before so this might just be "How it's done", but it'd be nice for the DM to have something to look at that gives a bit of the proper mood for the game too. Anyhow, the most important sections I think will be the Movement, Actions in Combat, Attack Roll Modifiers and Special Combat Situations tables. The Heal DCs, Concentration DCs, Spellcraft DCs, Untrained Skills, Turn Undead and GM's Reference sections all seem quite useful. The others are debateable how much use they'll be, but they're probably just as good as any. To tell the truth, the Screen itself doesn't excite me, and it does what I expected it should do.. so it would get a 3 by itself.
You also get the DM Screen Companion. Well, if we compare it to the Mutants and Mastermind's Screen which has the price of $1 more, you'd have to guess that either Sword and Sorcery has an accountant who was drinking and probably was fired the day after the retail price was announced, or that Green Ronin is making a gouging on its screen. Not only do you get the same four panel sized Screen (which is all the M&M one comes with), you get a 48 page booklet that's as nicely produced as the rest of the Scarred Lands setting. The cover has a variety of artwork, some from the DM Screen itself, some from other SL books, and all in a faded yellow overtop of an equally faded map of Ghelspad. Doesn't really overwhelm, but it's a nice effect. The booklet itself comes in three parts:
Chapter 1: Races of Ghelspad - For the first time, the possible player races of Ghelspad are gathered together, with a brief description and then the crunchy bits (rules) that are unique to them (along with the standard stats and such copied from the PHB). You get the three races of dwarves: Mountain - the standard AD&D dwarf for the most part, Charduni - a dark (usually evil - most likely NPCs) dwarf and the Forsaken Dwarves (paranoid - most likely NPCs). Then there are the elves: dark (the Scarred Lands version of Drow, for the moment only known beneath the dwarven city of Burok Torn), forsaken (remnants of the high elves) and wood elves. Then you have the half elves, halflings, half orcs and humans (with some regional differences as an optional rule). This is the first time I realized that Gnomes aren't a part of the Scarred Lands, or at least Ghelspad. The artwork for the races is nice, and follows the "lineup" format so common in many sourcebooks. The females seem scantily clad for the most part, including full frontal torso shots, but maybe they're spellcasters... (In the Scarred Lands, spellcasting builds up heat so most spellcasters wear very little clothing - I found it an amusing way to justify some of the imagery found in D20 products).
WARNING: SPOLIERS
Chapter 2: The Shrine of Madness - This is a short adventure module designed for 2nd-3rd level characters. The PCs start out at a city (not named though a few suggestions are offered) somewhere in the Scarred Lands. It details a site that goes by the same name as the adventure title, which was a temple to Enkili (the trickster god) and the star of chaos which is rumored to give access to Enkili directly and to increase wisdom. A map is planted on them by an elf, and the elf indicates they should seek out a cleric of Hedrada for more information. The cleric gives them some items to help in the mission and promises of a reward (and why would a Larful cleric want such an artifact... hmmmm.. all is explained), and off they go. There's a brief journey through some swamps, and some encounters detailed. Finally there's the Shrine itself which acts as the dungeon crawl which while more or less standard in execution does have an interesting moral choice for the PCs to make. The adventure really doesn't act to set the Scarred Lands apart from any other standard AD&D adventure though. Nevertheless it's good for a night's entertainment. Rating: 4
Chapter 3: Kadum's Horn - This short adventure is designed for characters of 4th-5th level. The children of a small village are going missing, and the PCs are tasked with finding out what's going on. As is usually the case, the children are needed for a foul ritual by an evil cleric who wants to unseal a tomb rumored to have some of the titan Kadum's blood within. There are a few possible ways the PCs could discover the whereabouts of the children, giving the first part of the module a nice open ended feel. The characters follow the clues and then discover that they've only found the middlemen. How they deal with the middlemen and the next steps they can take are also detailed in a number of possibilities to increase the open ended feel. The eventual outcome is that the PCs find the tomb of a druid of Kadum, and search for the cleric and the children before the ritual can be completed. This adventure has a bit more of the Scarred Lands feel, dealing as it does with the potential for part of a titan to be discovered, giving tremendous power to the antagonist of the story as well as some rather dark actions taken against children. The dungeon itself is pretty standard and the encounters aren't overly exciting but the adventure as a whole is well done. Rating: 4
Overall: For $8.95 you get a rather average DM Screen, all the information on the potential PC races (and a couple of NPC ones) that you need to run the Scarred Lands and two brief adventures. For value alone it's worth a 4, but no single part really jumps out and overwhelms me, which normally means a 3 rating for my reviews. It's all well done and executed, but didn't leave me excited about using it. The PC races section is an absolute necessity for the Scarred Lands setting and is probably the best part of the companion.
I originally rated this a 5 for the value, but comparing it to, say, Hornsaw which I like much better, it's actually less value per page. My 5's go out to those products that excite me _and_ are almost perfect, so I can't justify giving it a 5. However, since it provides the service it's supposed to and includes the NPC races and a couple of adventures to help a beginning DM out, I'll give it a 4.
geoffrey d`glanville
First Post
Scarred Lands - DM Screen Companion
On the first glance - this looks to be one of the better`n screens out there.
But let us explain that in detail.
First of all, the product is two-fold - you get a four-fold screen AND a 48-page booklet with some background material of the `Scarred Lands´ and two adventures (which was the reason I bought it), for just 8,95 $, that`s a pretty good deal.
And after reading the whole thing through, I should not be disappointed.
The screen features nice art (a 4.7 out of 5.10), is a little bit flappy (2.8), the tables on the inside are mostly useful (3.6) but in my opinion is rather ugly to look at from the DM`s point of view (1.8) because of the overuse of that ugly super-black colour.
Maybe S & S wanted to generate some WoD-style Dark-Fantasy flair here, but sadly, they did not succeed. Infact, that`s the reason why I do not use the screen, it`s just too ugly to look at in comparison to the Forgotten Realms Screen, e.g.
It`s a four-fold (4.0) which makes the screen a 3.4 overall.
The 48-page booklet consist of a 17 page strong essay about the races of the Scarred Lands, which was not bad, but absolutely nothing special either. I liked the Forsaken Dwarves and the concept of the "Humans by Region", but in my eyes there`s nothing to it to make the `Scarred Lands´ special to other settings. Writing style is mediocre American English. (2.7)
Next is "The Shrine of Madness", a 12 page long site based adventure, wherein the party has to retrieve a relic from a shrine of Enkili, the god of madness. The party should have 8-12 total levels, which is realistic.
While this is primarily your 08/15 dungeon crawl, it has a nice feel to it. I liked the encounters with the mistwalkers and the whole idea of a shrine devoted to the god of madness. The Star of Chaos and the legend of Drel Darkblade make it a very nice scene to expand upon. (3.8)
Then comes "Kadum`s Horn", Dungeon Crawl no.3286, but again, it`s somehow nice to play it. It`s 16 pages long, the party should be totalling 15-20 levels, which is again realistic.
The setup, a children`s rescue from the big bad evil overlord, is of course a boring classic, but the NPC`s really rescue this one. The villagers of Dosath are nice to expand upon, the spider-eye goblin concept is cool, the Forsaken Dwarves were fun for me as the DM to play and Kraal the Blood-witch seems to beg to be promoted to the big leagues as a campaign antagonist.
The "True Ritual" was also nice, the Kadum`s Horn dungeon rather uninspired. This is a 3.6.
Writing style of the adventures is a little better (another author).
Both adventures are nice to expand and build upon by a DM who wants (and ought) to do so, but in their basic version they`re basically just a little bit over average.
The cover of the booklet was very attractive to me (4.6). It`s painted by Vincent Dutrait.
The whole booklet has 7 s/w illus by Talon Dunning, which were mostly bad in my opinion (2.5). Plus, there are two more, which are "group photos" of the 7 seen before. Nice to see it that way, but recycled material.
The 7 s/w illus by Mike Chaney resemble wood-cuts and are very evocative, but strange to look at (3.1). That makes it a 2.8 altogether for the illus.
The maps done by Richard Thomas were nice and detailed, but sometimes way too small (e.g. the Enkili shrine); the handout was nice to see in a DM`s companion; a 2.8.
Overall, the inner layout is aspiring, 3.8.
Cover layout is very nice, a 5.4.
The binding is normal for a booklet, the cover nicely laminated, 3.3.
Paper quality is normal, 3.4.
Price/Value: is excellent in my eyes; you get two adventures, a four-panel screen and a setting essay for under 10,- bucks - that`s really fair. And over here in Europe, the whole thing`s even cheaper, 5.6.
The authors Joseph D. Carricker Jr. and Stephan Wieck have given it a good try - and produced a solid, yet not particularly inspired work. The two adventures by Clark Peterson clearly rescued the booklet from falling under 3 stars.
Overall, a 3.8 product, very good three stars on EN World. A screen that has done a lot things better than many of its ancestors.
This is a 3.0 E product, useful for and easily adabtable to any d20 or other fantasy setting.
On the first glance - this looks to be one of the better`n screens out there.
But let us explain that in detail.
First of all, the product is two-fold - you get a four-fold screen AND a 48-page booklet with some background material of the `Scarred Lands´ and two adventures (which was the reason I bought it), for just 8,95 $, that`s a pretty good deal.
And after reading the whole thing through, I should not be disappointed.
The screen features nice art (a 4.7 out of 5.10), is a little bit flappy (2.8), the tables on the inside are mostly useful (3.6) but in my opinion is rather ugly to look at from the DM`s point of view (1.8) because of the overuse of that ugly super-black colour.
Maybe S & S wanted to generate some WoD-style Dark-Fantasy flair here, but sadly, they did not succeed. Infact, that`s the reason why I do not use the screen, it`s just too ugly to look at in comparison to the Forgotten Realms Screen, e.g.
It`s a four-fold (4.0) which makes the screen a 3.4 overall.
The 48-page booklet consist of a 17 page strong essay about the races of the Scarred Lands, which was not bad, but absolutely nothing special either. I liked the Forsaken Dwarves and the concept of the "Humans by Region", but in my eyes there`s nothing to it to make the `Scarred Lands´ special to other settings. Writing style is mediocre American English. (2.7)
Next is "The Shrine of Madness", a 12 page long site based adventure, wherein the party has to retrieve a relic from a shrine of Enkili, the god of madness. The party should have 8-12 total levels, which is realistic.
While this is primarily your 08/15 dungeon crawl, it has a nice feel to it. I liked the encounters with the mistwalkers and the whole idea of a shrine devoted to the god of madness. The Star of Chaos and the legend of Drel Darkblade make it a very nice scene to expand upon. (3.8)
Then comes "Kadum`s Horn", Dungeon Crawl no.3286, but again, it`s somehow nice to play it. It`s 16 pages long, the party should be totalling 15-20 levels, which is again realistic.
The setup, a children`s rescue from the big bad evil overlord, is of course a boring classic, but the NPC`s really rescue this one. The villagers of Dosath are nice to expand upon, the spider-eye goblin concept is cool, the Forsaken Dwarves were fun for me as the DM to play and Kraal the Blood-witch seems to beg to be promoted to the big leagues as a campaign antagonist.
The "True Ritual" was also nice, the Kadum`s Horn dungeon rather uninspired. This is a 3.6.
Writing style of the adventures is a little better (another author).
Both adventures are nice to expand and build upon by a DM who wants (and ought) to do so, but in their basic version they`re basically just a little bit over average.
The cover of the booklet was very attractive to me (4.6). It`s painted by Vincent Dutrait.
The whole booklet has 7 s/w illus by Talon Dunning, which were mostly bad in my opinion (2.5). Plus, there are two more, which are "group photos" of the 7 seen before. Nice to see it that way, but recycled material.
The 7 s/w illus by Mike Chaney resemble wood-cuts and are very evocative, but strange to look at (3.1). That makes it a 2.8 altogether for the illus.
The maps done by Richard Thomas were nice and detailed, but sometimes way too small (e.g. the Enkili shrine); the handout was nice to see in a DM`s companion; a 2.8.
Overall, the inner layout is aspiring, 3.8.
Cover layout is very nice, a 5.4.
The binding is normal for a booklet, the cover nicely laminated, 3.3.
Paper quality is normal, 3.4.
Price/Value: is excellent in my eyes; you get two adventures, a four-panel screen and a setting essay for under 10,- bucks - that`s really fair. And over here in Europe, the whole thing`s even cheaper, 5.6.
The authors Joseph D. Carricker Jr. and Stephan Wieck have given it a good try - and produced a solid, yet not particularly inspired work. The two adventures by Clark Peterson clearly rescued the booklet from falling under 3 stars.
Overall, a 3.8 product, very good three stars on EN World. A screen that has done a lot things better than many of its ancestors.
This is a 3.0 E product, useful for and easily adabtable to any d20 or other fantasy setting.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
Enchanted Trinkets Complete
Recent & Upcoming Releases
-
December 9 2025 -
June 18 2026 -
October 1 2026
