Why is the Scarred Lands Setting so popular?

[Nightfall]

I must be blessed, I guess-- because I seem to like it all, and I enjoy having options.

I like the Forgotten Realms for its richness and depth. The four close-up maps provided by Dragon Magazine look good on the wall too.

I like Greyhawk for its flexibility and that feeling of nostalgia it brings me.

I like The Hunt: Rise of Evil world for its utter coolness (I esp. like the fact that Freeport & Bluffside are actually on the map too). You should take a look at Mystic Eye's stuff.

I like Ravenloft because I always like creepy, gothic-like settings. When the mist rolls in my players really do get a little antsy.

I like Kalamar for that of good ol' fashion fantasy feel. I also like the pictures included with adventures as well.

I have Oathbound, but have not had a chance to read it yet. Just skimming through it...it looks very interesting.

And today...a package arrived (a day late for Christmas), but I was happy to find within 18 Scarred Lands supplements, novels, and hardbacks. Considering all I've read in this thread, I'm looking forward to reading them.

However, I'm at a loss on where to start. Can anyone suggest a good place to start reading? Should I begin with Relics & Rituals or with the Gazateer? Or should I start off by focusing on one area like Mithril?

Thanks in advance...there is so much reading and so little time it seems.

*side note, also picked up Oathbound. I agree, very interesting and lively setting. *

Probably start with the Creature collection 1, then R&R 1 and then pick your way across. But I agree with Ben, read R&R1 at least once to get a great feel for ritual magic rules as well the power of true rituals. True rituals, now THAT'S epic spell casting!


Blacky. There are gnomes. Just not in Ghelspad. If you want gnomes, pick up either the Termana Gaz (it's cheap and easy to read) or wait for CC Revised. (Gnomes, Gnolls, Terali along with dark elves (and they are not drow! ), and charduni will be in the book.

 

[Nightfall]

There's nothing odd about this at all, actually, although Gnomes seem to be the unwanted step-child half the time (Dark Sun and Birth Right both lacked them).

Consequently, my current game doesn't have Elves or Orcs.

You didn't slip into Termana when I wasn't looking did you Ben?

Cald, nope there's very rarely a thread highjack involved when you ask "Where do I start in the Scarred Land books??" It's a perfectly legitmate question.

 

[jonrog1]

I dislike the Scarred Lands because there is no gnomes!

I just slapped 'em back in. They have no homeland, living integrated in other communities as service-oriented families -- and the master "information distributors" of the world. They have a vast, secret spy network -- or don't. But they're always the best folk to call when you need to know what others would have you not know ...

 

[Nightfall]

Well that's one way to put the little guys into Ghelspad. Personally I prefer the jungle gnomes but that's just me.

 

[The Traveler]

I dislike the Scarred Lands because there is no gnomes!

In fact I like it, I'm currently co-DMing in it, but removing one of the typical PC race was kinda odd IMO.

Er, there's plenty of gnomes, just not on the default continent. Termana, man, Termana.

 

[Nightfall]

Er, there's plenty of gnomes, just not on the default continent. Termana, man, Termana.

I told them that Traveler, but they don't always listen.

 

[Sanackranib]

why is SL so popular?

Two answers:

1. Nightfall

2. Sackanarib

Its actually spelled Sanackranib, but thaks all the same, I'm glad some of my annoying questions **smirks**or answers were helpfull a lot of the answers are care of JoeG, Graf and Nightfall, so I guess I'm keeping good company

I feel one of the most innovative Ideas for the SL setting is the incorporation of Both Ritual Casting and the True Rituals. WOW
I wish I had thought of those. Also the setting just has a grittier feeling to it and some of the new monsters unique to this setting are just heineous!

 

[Azure Trance]

I have R&R2 and CC2; nothing on the setting itself. Just the crunchy bits. So on a somewhat related question, when will the revised CC1 come out?

 

[Sanackranib]

CC I

early next year. they are nearing the end of the print run (according to nightfall) and are going to fix the erratta rather then continue reprinting the book as is. I plan to buy another one.
Nightfall or JoeG can probably give you a better release date. but expect it soon!

 

[Fenros]

Wow. Thankyou everyone for the awesome responses. I think I'm starting to get where Scarred Lands is coming from. Still not sure what you guys mean when you mention Gods vs. Titans. But I think I can fill in the blanks.

Okay, so maybe I'll give this setting a shot. Where do you start? Is there an over-all world book? Like the way Forgotten Realms has one? And then they go into area specific books? Which book is the core book? Or the first book?

Wayside wrote:

Practically every published setting borrows ideas about gods (and everything else) from real-world mythologies, whether they take the names verbatim or not. Gods warring against their Titan progenitors.. gee.. now where have we seen that before? I'll take Egyptian mythology any day; it's the most conceptually sophisticated of them all. That is all.

I don't mind authors basing core concepts of their dieties on established dieties from Earth religions. But my tastes (and I know its a personal thing) tend to not like my fantasy settings that include "our Earth" in it. Unless.....unless that's the main core concept behind the over all storyline. Like I guess, "Nine Princes in Amber" or "Guardians of the Flame" series. That's okay. Because that's the established setting that's woven into the main storyline.

But with fantasy gaming (most of the time). I want the setting to having nothing to do with our reality. It is a setting that has its own plane of existence/dimension/universe. Nothing where our own real world folklore, myths, or religions cross over. I don't want to meet Hercules, Buddha, Thor, or Horus. Know what I mean?

Basically, I find it feeling like a cheezy cameo. If your story is about dimension hopping. Then okay. But its like I'm reading FR and its all about Faerun. But then there's this little bit about how our Earth's Eygptian gods went over there. Hinting that our world is one of many planes of existence. And it may be possible for Genghis Khan to ride his army through a portal into Waterdeep.

Don't get me wrong. That can be cool too. If that's the kind of flavor you want in your fantasy. Me? This time, I just wanted a plain old fantasy realm that stood on its own. In its own unverse. That was what I was in the mood for. I thought that was what FR was. I didn't know FR was multi-dimensional.

Reminded a tiny bit of that whole run of issues in the "Excalibur" comic book from Marvel. I think that was like #1-#50 or there abouts.

Anyways, sorry to get side tracked. Please. Continue to keep talking about SL. You're not hijacking the thread Caudor.