Scarred Lands
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Scarred Lands is a d20 System fantasy campaign setting, by White Wolf under its Sword & Sorcery brand.
Scarred Lands draws heavy inspiration from Greek mythology.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Titans
In the game structure, Titans have neither Alignment, nor Domains. Titans as described through the game are kin to raw natural and universal power. Therefore giving alignment or domains assignments to these beings would be just like attempting to give them to a bolt of lightning, or gravity.
- 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
[edit] 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 published by White Wolf
- 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
[edit] 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 published continents, Ghelspad and Termana.
[edit] Influence
The Scarred Lands setting seems to have had a heavy influence on, and forshadowed White Wolf's later best-seller RPG setting Exalted.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Scarred Lands Online
White Wolf hosts an online text-based_role-playing game for the Scarred Lands, using the city of Fangsfall, created by Conrad Hubbard and expanded upon by numerous other writers, volunteer Dungeon Masters and online players.
