Scarred Lands
Scarred Lands is a d20 System fantasy campaign setting, published by White Wolf Publishing under its Sword & Sorcery brand. Scarred Lands draws heavy inspiration from Greek mythology.
Setting
The setting is set on the world of Scarn in a post-apocalyptic era where the world is recovering from a horrific war between the Gods and Titans, which ended 150 years ago and left the land warped.
In need of a way to rid the world of the whimsical and dangerous titans, the gods - the children of the titans - decided to unite against their parents. However, the essence of the titans are inseparably bound to the world of Scarn, since they are the world's creators, and so the gods are obliged to simply incapacitate their parents instead of destroying them. Hacked to pieces and/or chained, the felled titans are a constant incentive for the titan-worshippers to resurrect their masters and for the divine races to continue fighting against the titanic abominations.
A great deal of the system's appeal comes from the detail of cultures, cities, governments and history given by the module books. There are also several continents which have been influenced in a lesser degree by the Titan/God war.
Titans
In the game structure, Titans have neither alignment, nor domains. Titans as described through the game are akin to raw natural and universal power.
- Denev, the Earth Mother
- Chern, The Scourge
- Gaurak, the Glutton
- Golthagga, the Shaper
- Golthain, the Faceless
- Gormoth, the Writhing Lord
- Gulaben, Lady of the Winds
- Hrinruuk, the Hunter
- Kadum, the Mountainshaker
- Lethene, Dame of Storms
- Mesos, Sire of Sorcery
- Mormo, Mother of Serpents
- Thulkas, Father of Fire
Gods
While the Titans are kin to raw and universal power, the children of the Titans are not. Being a generation away from spontaneous birth is enough to limit the child to godhood in this game setting.
Each God in the system therefore follows the d20 System rules for gods and NPCs, having both alignment and domains. This is also true of the Titan Denev who supported the gods in their war.
Another difference in the Scarred Lands system, from other d20 System, is the interaction, and 'awareness' of the Gods by the populations of the sentient beings. Like the land itself, the gods and titans are both major influences of the game. Blacksmiths for example invoke the name of Corean while they work. This in itself may not be different, for game purposes each round that the worshipper invokes his name a +1 may be added to die rolls for: Craft or Profession if the act involves blacksmithing, forging, or the creation of weapons. Other benefits are also described in the Scarred Lands Campaign Setting: Ghelspad book, and in The Divine and the Defeated published by White Wolf Publishing.
- Corean, the Avenger—LG: Fire, Good, Law, Protection, War
- Madriel, the Redeemer—NG: Air, Good, Healing, Plant, Sun
- Tanil, the Huntress—CG: Animal, Chaos, Luck, Plant, Travel, Trickery
- Hedrada, the Lawgiver—LN: Judgment, Knowledge, Law, Protection
- Enkili, the Trickster—CN: Air, Chaos, Luck, Travel, Trickery
- Chardun, the Slaver—LE: Domination, Evil, Law, Strength, War
- Belsameth, the Slayer—NE: Death, Evil, Magic, Trickery
- Vangal, the Reaver—CE: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Strength, War
- Denev, the Earth Mother—N: Air, Animals, Earth, Fire, Plants, Water (Denev Is actually a Titan, but fought alongside the gods in the Titanswar, and can be worshipped as a goddess)
The Land
While many role-playing game systems work with weather types and terrain difficulties, the Scarred Lands system brings in the aspect of land as an NPC (Non-Player Character). There are two continents published in a book apiece, Ghelspad and Termana; and three more collected in the last book, Asherak, the Dragon Isles, and Fenrilik.
Ghelspad is temperate. Termana is tropical. Asherak is desert. Fenrilik is arctic.
Novels
The Dead God Trilogy by Richard Lee Byers comprises the titles Forsaken, Forsworn, and Forbidden. It recounts the story of an elf (Vladawen Titanslayer) and his companions as they try to deliver their people from a devastating curse by resurrecting the high elven god killed during the Divine War by the titan Chern the Scourge.
Scarred Lands revival
On October 11, 2013 Nocturnal Media and Onyx Path Publishing purchased the rights to the Scarred Lands fantasy setting. Onyx Path Publishing posted this on their website. "The Scarred Lands was one of the most successful and engaging campaign settings to arise during the wild and crazy days of the D20 license. While it is richly detailed in over two dozen game and fiction titles, Nocturnal Media and Onyx Path Publishing have plans to reimagine the setting and system to excite a modern gaming audience as well as to thrill fans of the original game."[1]