The Scarred Lands is a fantasy campaign setting inspired by Greek mythology as viewed through a post-apocalyptic lens. What apocalypse? The war between the Titans and the Gods of Scarn (the world of this setting). Game Master Companion and Adventures by Travis Legge and Onyx Path Publishing is an updated accessory released when the Slarecian Vault was announced. You can read more about that history in this accessory’s preface if you decide to buy it.
Slarecian Vault Game Master Companion and Adventures 5EGame Master Companion and Adventures
Creator: Travis Legge
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
Cost: $4.95
Product Length: 46 pages
First, let me state up front that if you purchase this accessory with the hopes of having a couple of ready-to-run adventures in Scarn you need to continue reading this. These are not self-contained adventures. To run them, you will need the previously published versions found in the Scarred Lands Adventures (DM Screen Companion). It’s inexpensive at a pay-what-you-want price. At any rate, grab both files if you’re wanting to run the adventures.
However, the adventure conversions chapter is not what makes this accessory stand out. There are four chapters in this Game Master Companion. The other three cover Races of Ghelspad (a “cosmopolitan continent” on Scarn), Tables and Reference [sic], and New Spells.
My favorite chapter is the one that covers races (over a dozen subraces). I’m the first to admit that I haven’t given tieflings their due (despite this neutral tiefling druid NPC I created). Travis has created some amazing subraces of tieflings that make this accessory worth the 5 bucks all by themselves. I enjoyed the half-elves and half-orcs too but his take on the fiendish race really suggests I should reconsider my opinion of tieflings.
The Tables and Reference chapter is as straightforward as it sounds. A useful collection of consolidated reference material in the event you need to recall things like Jump Distance or Gods’ names and their respective titles and the nature of their followers. You can also find details about Calastian Hegemony, Titans, and more here.
The fourth and final chapter covers New Spells. There are sixteen spells ranging from cantrips to 5th-level evocation spells. These are not simply renaming existing 5E spells but truly inspired spells with fun effects. But having fun names like “Eyes of the Assassin” and “Grim Feast” certainly adds some additional flavor on top of the functionality!
Final Thoughts
Don’t be turned off by the fact that this is for yet another 5E campaign setting. You can completely ignore the Adventure Conversions and adapt the rest of this accessory to ANY setting. Actually, you may not want to skip that chapter entirely. There are some fun creatures you could add to your own setting. The Swamp Gobbler and Cave Moth (it’s not actually a moth) sound fun! The production value is strong and the writing excellent. The detailed subraces alone make this a product worth owning. The new spells and the handful of creatures are just icing on the cake.
Game Master Companion and Adventures is available on DriveThruRPGA review copy was provided by the creator.
NOTE:
Christopher Walz wrote an adventure for Slarecian Vault called Tides of Blood. This is relevant not just because it’s a Scarred Lands adventure. It’s relevant because Travis also did the layout for it. Editing handled by yours truly. I cannot review it for obvious reasons but if you’re interested in an adventure on the Blood Sea set in the Scarred Lands, be sure to pick up a copy of that too.
Tides of Blood
An 8-12 hour adventure of discovery and daring on the Blood Sea for 4-5 characters of 6th level.
Menthias Dolgutha, a Coreanic priest in Mithril, has received a vision of the Silver Bastion, a fortress used by the knightly Order of Silver during the Divine War, rising from the Blood Sea. Searching Mithril’s libraries, the priest discovered the fortress was built before the titan Kadum was defeated and imprisoned at the depths of the sea. The Silver Bastion was overrun with titanspawn as the last remaining knights stayed behind, allowing others to retreat to the mainland. Menthias believes a Coreanic relic, the Brightshield, may still be hidden in the once-lost castle. Will your heroes be able to brave the dangers of the Blood Sea and contend with the Heartseekers of Kadum to wrest control over the powerful relic?
Tides of Blood by Christopher Walz. Layout by Travis Legge. Edited by Patrick Higingbotham.
Sounds like a cool one, really like how that first tiefling there isn’t just a straight up demonic plane touched humanoid thing but represents a neutral plane instead.
That’s something I loved about his take. Some even look like ordinary humans!