Greetings everyone

Welcome to "Scath: Shadow of the Fomori"

What is this?

It is the website for a Pen and Paper Tabletop RPG called Scath: Shadow of the Fomori. The book of the same name contains everything you need to know about the world of Scath itself (the "setting"). There you can also find detailed rules for character creation, exploration and combat which you will need if you are interested in playing your own campaign in the world of Scath.

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What is a tabletop roleplaying game?

Wikipedia gives a decent, although a bit technical explanation: Basically imagine yourself to be a character in your favourite book, movie or computer game, and imagine being able to influence this character, look through his eyes and determine how he acts, talks and fights. That is at the core of an RPG, no matter which one you play.

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What is the world of Scath?

This setting is a dark fantasy setting heavily inspired by Celtic mythology. It is a world of fear and darkness, where the three great kingdoms of humanity have been destroyed two hundred years ago. Plagues and meagre harvests weakened the kingdoms, and a tide of monsters appeared out of nowhere. Despite the three kings and the high king fighting valiantly, there was no chance of victory.

The Fomori, masters to these legions of monsters, have ruled the world ever since. Humanity has been brought to the edge of extinction, cast back into an early bronze -age. They are hiding in the wilderness, travelling it in small, aggressive clans or covering behind the wooden walls of small villages, struggling to survive the constant battle against starvation and monsters alike.

The players take control of Chosen Ones, rare men and women who have been gifted mystical powers. They have made a pact with the "Patrons", spirits of nature who wish to destroy the evil influence that has been corrupting the world. These pacts have changed them in body and mind, making them both more and less than human. The task of the Chosen Ones is a difficult one, and they will have to search for ancient secrets, find unlikely allies and bring hope back to life within the hearts of mortal men. Only then will they be able to challenge the sinister rulers of the world.

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How do the rules work?

Scath: Shadow of the Fomori uses a D20 based rule system, with many elements that will be familiar to a lot of experienced RPG players. There are six main "Attributes" (Brawn, Brawl, Speed, Mind, Charm and Mystic) governing the physical, mental, social and magical powers of a character. Derived from these attributes there are about two dozen "Skills", things like Sneaking, Crafting, Climbing, Riding, Diplomacy etc that are used to determine how well trained a character is in all these things. As a fourth element there are "Feats", allowing a character to break some of the general rules, do certain actions that would not be possible to him otherwise or giving him certain bonuses to skills or attributes in various circumstances. There are also some parts of the rules which are more unique. Every character is both fighter and mage at the same time, with eight different "domains" of magic you can chose from. Even without magic there is a wide variety of special abilities.

Focus Points allow characters to put all of their efforts into certain tasks, making them more likely to succeed.

Team Points are suited for combat as a group, allowing characters to help each other out even when it is not their turn or perform powerful combo – attacks by acting in unison. This is especially useful against bigger and stronger opponents.

Combat Styles are different fighting styles characters can specialize in, allowing them to perform advanced attacks and actions during a battle.

Destiny Points and Ascendence Points both symbolize a character's close connection to his Patron, a powerful spirit of nature, and allow them to perform miraculous feats, create magical artefacts or even come back from the dead!

The combat system is action based, fast and brutal, with weaker fighters sometimes dying after they took the first hit. With combat styles, basic actions, team actions and the "Grants", spell like abilities that every player character has, there is a lot you can do in combat, and a lot of interesting combinations to explore. The rulebook also contains rules for battles between hundreds or even thousands of fighters. These will be used later in a campaign, when the player characters are leading armies against the Fomori.

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Who might be interested in this game?

This is a game for role-players who enjoy combat, exploration and leadership. The Chosen Ones will have to battle terrible monsters, explore the secrets of a past long forgotten (the world of Scath is much older than humanity thinks, and a lot of answers will only be found by understanding what happened even before the rise of the human kingdoms) and forge alliances with weird beings. They will also have to unite humanity under one banner and lead them into battle against the evil that has destroyed their forefathers. At the same time, there is also a lot of role-playing involved.

Scath is a world with a dark, mysterious atmosphere, and this atmosphere is very important for a campaign. The weight of the world lies upon the Chosen Ones, and many men have been destroyed by this weight. The player characters themselves are changing and might struggle to adapt to their new natures. They might also have to sacrifice bonds with loved ones or family to avoid distractions from the greater cause.

Lastly the efforts of unification and alliances provides great chances for role-playing too: do the player characters want to be tyrants, leading by intimidation and fear, or will they be golden heroes in a world of darkness and blood? Will they want to keep all power in their hands, or will they risk giving it away to other, more "human" leaders? And how will they react to all the weird characters and alien beings they might encounter, and who might prove either ally or enemy? Only the players can find the answers to these questions.

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