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Message: <blockquote data-quote="teitan" data-source="post: 405875" data-attributes="member: 3457">HehHeh, I missed most of this thread as I have been very busy working on freelance artwork, writing etc for a few teensy weensy companies that may or may not pay me (I see it as a foot in a door to greater glory and fortune myself). I think I should now chime in...What do I like about the Scarred Lands?Well, I am NOT a fan of the Realms, though I have been running a campaign there for about a year now. I much prefer the darker feel of a Greyhawk, where PCs can start at first level and not get their asses handed to them. Then again Greyhawk lacks support and with so many neat locations that aren't being detailed in a major way and all the old stuff being out of print and/or way overpriced on Ebay etc, I decided I needed a new setting. Something that fit my more gothic sensibilities (I am an old Gothbaby, Cure listening, Bauhaus jamming, Joy Division nutjob that has spent too much time in the back room with Sisters of Mercy, Nine Inch Nails and Marylin Manson while bragging about how dead I am... I was nicknamed "Gothtrash" on the Cthulhu Boards over on the WOTC forums... heh). Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy the new look and darker feel of the Realms and all, but I just can't get the taste of plain jane out of my mouth when I run it. I also don't feel that inspired. Horror and darkness is my genre, though Superheroes are a very close second. My players are actually afraid during Cthulhu sessions and all my CDs feature darker tones than the traditional collection and I play background music. Heck the whole visual design of 3E just seems to be more "mature" than previous editions. Probably an influence from the fact that gamers are much older now than they were back in the ADnD heyday. With the popularity of Vampire etc as different gaming options and the fact that (at least five years ago) the visual style and maturity (ie horrific ideals) is what helped White Wolf seperate from the pack so to speak, I see the visual development of DnD from traditional chainmail bikini to Marylin Manson aesthetic to be a natural progression of the game. Hell, even comic books have gotten darker in design with Spawn, WItchblade, the Darkness, etc being top sellers in the last five years (Silvestri was da bombdiggety on Darkness, best work ever) and with movies also getting the sunglasses after dark feel a bit it is just a natural progression. DnD has become a darker, more brutal game. The Realms can not reflect this feel as well as Greyhawk or even Kalamar. It is not the same game anymore. Scarred Lands represents this evolutionary step more so than anything that WOTC could release. Scarred Lands is very much a dark setting, full of grime and grit. The world is also quite rich and detailed, providing many a great adventure hook that has all thew best qualities... fun, interesting, horrifying and lethal. I like a setting where the monsters reach out and grab a body and imagery that makes my players drop their jaws in disbelief. Scarred Lands gives me that. It is just a cool, dark setting without being angsty or sad. I like my darkness Hellraiser like and not depressing like most Vampire movies. Scarred Lands does that. I want a campaign setting where I can use Coil, Manson, Hellraiser or even Cradle of Filth as my soundtrack without it falling apart. Scarred Lands has it. This description might not sell the Scarred Lands to most people, but I was sold on it by the evocative imagery of Hollowfaust, the purity of Mithril and the villainy of the Titanspawn. The FOrsaken Races are just a good idea. I discovered the Scarred Lands a few days after sending my Setting Proposal to WOTC... it was the Scarred Lands. HmmmTeitan</blockquote>

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