So I have just about every scarred lands book ever published from the 3rd ed era of D&D and used to use them with the Stormbringer 5th ed rules. Now I'm about to kick off a 5th ed D&D campaign and since there are zero published settings right now I was thinking of going with the scarred lands since it was my favourite setting back in the day.
Has anyone been using Ghelsphad & the scared lands in general for their 5th ed game? If so what advice, hints, gotchas etc can you give me?
I had a couple of those books, I remember liking the setting because of how it handled Arcane magic, or rather the reason why Wizards and Sorcerers wore robes. Casting spells heated metal (as per the spell of the same name) and if you weren't careful, you could literally cook yourself casting, hence why the Arcane Casters wore very little. I always thought that was an awesome conceit.
Wish I was able to keep my books...
Super awesome setting. I wish they would update it and put new books out (the PDF scans are horrible).
The hardest part of converting any 3.x era setting is the amount of crunch and focusing it down into 5e's simplicity. Looking at Eberron I feel like I would have to leave behind or hand wave a giant chunk of stuff. I imagine the same will be true of SL. I would suggest leaning heavier on "the feeling" and discard crunch with wild abandon.
Let us know what you come up with! (I'm genuinely curious).
Saw them in gaming stores, but never got into them.
Well we played our first session today and it went swimmingly. Started at Mullis Town (In the north east near the city of Mithril) and the 1st level PC found a job tracking down some missing kids from a nearby mining town. The mission is underway and they are just about to fight a raiding party of 6 goblins the ranger managed to track. Pro active rangers for the win!
Quote from: AikiGhost;839698Well we played our first session today and it went swimmingly. Started at Mullis Town (In the north east near the city of Mithril) and the 1st level PC found a job tracking down some missing kids from a nearby mining town. The mission is underway and they are just about to fight a raiding party of 6 goblins the ranger managed to track. Pro active rangers for the win!
Awesome!
Hey, I'm about to try to convert Scarred Lands to 5th as well. It's my first time trying this and I admit it feels more than a little duanting. How did you're conversion go? Any advice? Or better yet, would you mind posting some of your stuff? Anything at would be helpful at this point.
Quote from: Hagintora;867102Hey, I'm about to try to convert Scarred Lands to 5th as well. It's my first time trying this and I admit it feels more than a little duanting. How did you're conversion go? Any advice? Or better yet, would you mind posting some of your stuff? Anything at would be helpful at this point.
My advice is 'don't sweat the details'. 3e has a lot of minutae that can blind you to what really matters, just replacing the monsters (for example.)
Quote from: AikiGhost;838041So I have just about every scarred lands book ever published from the 3rd ed era of D&D and used to use them with the Stormbringer 5th ed rules.
Interesting! How did Scarred Lands do with Stormbringer's sytem?
I've not be overly successful in translating D&D settings to non-D&D systems.
I enjoyed that setting - especially the Creature Collection. Surprised it hasn't been relaunched for 5e yet.
Quote from: Christopher Brady;867142My advice is 'don't sweat the details'. 3e has a lot of minutae that can blind you to what really matters, just replacing the monsters (for example.)
That is very true. The issue that I'm having is that I've never tried doing anything like this before, so just figuring what the "small stuff" is the first step that I'm having to tackle.
Over all I figure the intelligent thing to do is to start small and just use the monsters needed for whatever adventure I happen to be running, but it would be incredibly helpful to have examples already in hand to start off. I also found a post about reskinning monsters by the Lazy Gm, so I'll probably be doing a lot of that, but it still would be nice, again, to have examples to use as a guideline for future conversions.
I think that's what I'm really searching for (besides having a brand new Creature Collection already revised by professionals), examples and guidelines that I can use until I can wrap my head around the process. Right now I'm staring at a lot information and it just feels... a little overwhelming.
Quote from: trechriron;838109Super awesome setting. I wish they would update it and put new books out (the PDF scans are horrible)
I think the current plans by Nocturnal Media/Onyx Path (the co-owners of SL) is to kickstart a Pathfinder version next year. Hopefully, a 5e version will be a stretch goal.
Look mom! A Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1861515217/scarred-landsfrpg-setting-in-both-5e-and-pathfinde) for exactly what I was asking for!!
Santa Clause is real!!
I pledged for the 5e book. Although I am not enamored with D&D, I can adapt the 5e stuff pretty easily to RuneQuest (or GURPS if I feel so inclined).
The background blurb seems to lift a fair amount from Greek mythology (Titans vs Gods). Looks like it could be interesting.
Quote from: trechriron;872284Look mom! A Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1861515217/scarred-landsfrpg-setting-in-both-5e-and-pathfinde) for exactly what I was asking for!!
My interest is definitely piqued. RQ6 would work like a charm, but to me it'll always be a D&D setting. I might be backing it for the 5e version.
Quote from: TrippyHippy;872302The background blurb seems to lift a fair amount from Greek mythology (Titans vs Gods). Looks like it could be interesting.
It always was so. But I'll wait till there's a PDF on DTRPG or where ever, as always.
I'm a big PF fan, and I own a lot of these materials in print, so I'm excited that we'll see a return. It's a great D&D setting and one of the best D&D settings produced during the 3rd edition era.
Its the last day of the kickstarter today, its made lots of stretch goals and so if you pledge you get the 5th edition (or pathfinder) corebook plus a shed load of Scarred lands PDFs.
Well, damn. A kickstarter I would have backed. I guess I'll have to hope for a reasonable public product, alas.
I hate when I forget about a Kickstarter, but Butcher's right, RQ6 would be a kickass system for Scarred Lands, so fuck it, I already have all the old stuff.
I signed up for the "48 hours to go" alert but ended up not backing it because $20 for a ton of 3e PDFs plus the 5e PDF is not quite what I've been looking for.
And for RQ6 I guess I'd rather run Glorantha, or maybe an ersatz-Scarred Lands with Gloranthan/RQ metaphysics.
When the 5e PDF comes out, if the reviews are good and the price is right, I might get it.
One of the things I liked the most about the setting was its attention to detail and backstory explaining why the world is a D&D campaign setting. Monsters were creations of the titans, the nine gods represented the nine alignments, the world was recovering from an apocalypse, psionics was brought by alien intelligences, events affected one another logically, etc. It was really interesting as far as campaign settings went. I'm glad to see it return and I hope it receives more books in the future.
Yes. Another thing I liked about it is that it gave a reason for non-clerics to care about the gods. Who was patron of what, to whom you might pray to achieve a certain end, and a small, nice, but probably meaningless mechanical advantage in doing so.
It fit together well, even though you had to buy a stack of books to figure things out.
Has the Kickstarter been fulfilled?
If so, what do you think of the final product?
We have the PDF in hand, still waiting on the print copy. The art is incredible and my first pass was "this is spot on for 5e". I would likely run the setting using a different system anyways, so the info within is a fantastic fountain of info.
What was special about the SL setting?
Like Pundit I remember seeing these books around a lot at the dawn of the 3.0 Era but I never read them, played them, or knew anyone who had.
It was a well done version of a fantasy campaign where not-Zeus and his family and friends threw down the titans 100 years ago. It gave reasons for certain races to be enemies, allies, or uncertain, ruins to explore, and cults that you had to openly tolerate.
For example, there was a decent in-setting rationale why in civilization paladins had to tolerate and work with certain evil high priests. In the wilds, well, that was different.
Another fun thing is that the titans deaths actively affect the world. One sea is made of blood, because a wounded titan is buried beneath it. Cultists are also actively trying to free the titans, so that's a fun mystery style adventure ready to go.
Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;951125What was special about the SL setting?
Their Creature Collection was the best MM in the 3e era. Full of tremendous flavor.
They shit the bed on the setting though. Different Titanspawn races and some of the more aggressive and evil Divine Races are PC options and are now accepted. Whether it was due to letting people play the snowflake or the SJW cause of not having an "enemy race", they fundamentally changed the setting.
The Mandrigora, for example, were the creation of Vangal, the C/E God, to fight the Titanswar and are C/E berserking monsters, bred for slaughter. Called the "Cats of Vangal" they had only a vaguely cat-like face and a mouth full of shark teeth that regrew. Now they are the Thundercats, full on furry Lion People and accepted in polite society, their blade-like claws gone (in one picture a Lion-chick is wearing a claw gauntlet on her belt.)
The Hollow Knights weren't evil, they were the creation of Corean, the L/G God, who raised up the souls of fallen champions and bound them into armor to fight the Titanswar. Betrayed by Vangal, Corean was not able to resurrect them as was planned into their human bodies, so they are bound forever into the armor until destroyed. Since there is no more need to fight the Titanswar, there are no more Hollow Knights left. So these fallen heroes exist as best they can as their numbers steadily diminish as they fight the remnants of evil in the Scarred Lands. Now of course, the Hollow Knights found a way to make new ones, called the Hollow Legionnaires, but these aren't the souls of the greatest Paladins, so you can start out at first level.
Also they made some odd choices in translating some of the Prestige classes into class options, altering the original intent, which is true of the Pathfinder version as well.
Back in the D20 days there wer two MMOs translated to d20. Everquest and Warcraft. Everquest made substantial changes to most things about the 3e system in order to stay faithful to Everquest. Warcraft was a shoehorned mess that didn't reflect the MMO at all.
AiME 5e is the equivalent of Everquest d20, a translation that alters the rules to fit the setting.
Scarred Lands 5e is the equivalent of Warcraft D20, a conversion that alters the setting to fit the rules.
Quote from: Baron Opal;951449It was a well done version of a fantasy campaign where not-Zeus and his family and friends threw down the titans 100 years ago. It gave reasons for certain races to be enemies, allies, or uncertain, ruins to explore, and cults that you had to openly tolerate.
For example, there was a decent in-setting rationale why in civilization paladins had to tolerate and work with certain evil high priests. In the wilds, well, that was different.
One of the only settings where mixed parties were plausible, even sensible. It was a little like Eberron before we had Eberron.
Quote from: danbuter;951483Another fun thing is that the titans deaths actively affect the world. One sea is made of blood, because a wounded titan is buried beneath it. Cultists are also actively trying to free the titans, so that's a fun mystery style adventure ready to go.
This neatly explained why there was a preponderance of bizarre monsters roaming the land. It feels like real mythology rather than the bizarre unexplained ecology typical of gaming.
Quote from: Spinachcat;951529Their Creature Collection was the best MM in the 3e era. Full of tremendous flavor.
I loved how the entries took pains to explain the origins and motivations of the monsters. Many of them were quite tragic (e.g. everything made by Golthain) or delightful idiosyncratic (the strife elemental was an awesome example of strange but compelling ecologies). The new edition went further and gave playable versions of the snakemen and ratmen.
Quote from: CRKrueger;951638They shit the bed on the setting though. Different Titanspawn races and some of the more aggressive and evil Divine Races are PC options and are now accepted. Whether it was due to letting people play the snowflake or the SJW cause of not having an "enemy race", they fundamentally changed the setting.
The Mandrigora, for example, were the creation of Vangal, the C/E God, to fight the Titanswar and are C/E berserking monsters, bred for slaughter. Called the "Cats of Vangal" they had only a vaguely cat-like face and a mouth full of shark teeth that regrew. Now they are the Thundercats, full on furry Lion People and accepted in polite society, their blade-like claws gone (in one picture a Lion-chick is wearing a claw gauntlet on her belt.)
The Hollow Knights weren't evil, they were the creation of Corean, the L/G God, who raised up the souls of fallen champions and bound them into armor to fight the Titanswar. Betrayed by Vangal, Corean was not able to resurrect them as was planned into their human bodies, so they are bound forever into the armor until destroyed. Since there is no more need to fight the Titanswar, there are no more Hollow Knights left. So these fallen heroes exist as best they can as their numbers steadily diminish as they fight the remnants of evil in the Scarred Lands. Now of course, the Hollow Knights found a way to make new ones, called the Hollow Legionnaires, but these aren't the souls of the greatest Paladins, so you can start out at first level.
Also they made some odd choices in translating some of the Prestige classes into class options, altering the original intent, which is true of the Pathfinder version as well.
All of these guys were offered as PC options in 3.x, only now they've been adjusted for game balance. The original versions still exist in the setting.
If you're going to complain about mutilating the setting to fit the rules, that's part and parcel of Pathfinder. The rules are so complex and convoluted that writers really don't have a choice: you either rebuild your setting around the rules or you use a better system like 5e or 13th Age.
That's the reason I abandoned Pathfinder in the first place.
Quote from: CRKrueger;951638Different Titanspawn races and some of the more aggressive and evil Divine Races are PC options and are now accepted.
I agree that titanspawn PCs is a crap idea. Scarn is made for an epic battle of Titans and Gods and there are damn good in-setting reasons for the various races to be on one side or the other exclusively. And why would people on the divine side hang around with crazy fuckers trying to bring the Titans back?
I mean, it's more of a classic Moorcockian Order vs. Chaos setting than anything else, even if it uses AD&D style alignments.
Quote from: ThatChrisGuy;951679I agree that titanspawn PCs is a crap idea. Scarn is made for an epic battle of Titans and Gods and there are damn good in-setting reasons for the various races to be on one side or the other exclusively. And why would people on the divine side hang around with crazy fuckers trying to bring the Titans back?
I mean, it's more of a classic Moorcockian Order vs. Chaos setting than anything else, even if it uses AD&D style alignments.
For some of the races I could see individual
exceptions, but to have this event in the setting where these Titanspawn races were officially accepted by the Divine Races is a little much to believe.
Quote from: CRKrueger;951681For some of the races I could see individual exceptions, but to have this event in the setting where these Titanspawn races were officially accepted by the Divine Races is a little much to believe.
I agree on all points. I'm working up a HERO conversion of Scarred Lands, and there will be no Titanspawn races for PCs (including hostile elves...).
Quote from: CRKrueger;951681For some of the races I could see individual exceptions, but to have this event in the setting where these Titanspawn races were officially accepted by the Divine Races is a little much to believe.
They weren't. The PCs are specifically redeemed subraces. This was true in 3.x for races like medusa and unseeing ratmen and others I don't remember. The rest still serve the titans. Part of it is also integrating the new PF races into SL.