CAMPAIGN RULES

CAMPAIGN RULES

A campaign rules supplement for Ravenfeast.

Freely available at https://hexhunt.itch.io/ravensong

Ravenfeast is a fast, fun and free Dark Ages tabletop wargame ruleset, designed to be an
introductory guide to historical wargaming. This free supplement builds upon it,
allowing the players to have narrative campaigns with Ravenfeast.

Ravenfeast is a product of Little Wars TV, and is freely available at ravenfeast.com

Wargame campaigns
Ravensong is a free rules supplement for Ravenfeast which is a free set of rules for
Dark Ages skirmish play produced by Little Wars TV, available at ravenfeast.com
The rules presented in this leaflet allow you to play out ‘connected’ battles –i.e. with the
outcome of one battle affecting the next ones, thus generating a narrative as you play
through the campaign.
The campaign can be played by one or more players.
WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
In addition to the ones listed in Ravenfeast rules (miniatures, six-sided dice, tape
measure or a ruler, and some terrain) you will need:
• Map: A map of the Viking world. Provided along with this document.
• Roster sheet: A piece of paper to keep a record of your retinue and their qualities.
Provided along with this document. (One copy per player)
• Tokens: One token per player to represent the warbands’ positions on the map. And
another one to keep track of the seasons. And some markers. Provided along with this
document.
SETUP

To set up a campaign, get a copy of the Viking world map at the end of this document,
(which is an A3-sized image) spread it across a table. Then follow the steps as listed
below:
WARBAND
Each player determines the size of its warband by rolling 2d6 and multiplying the sum
by 100 to determine their force (i.e. the total point value) of their starting warband.
Alternately, you can agree upon a fixed point value for each player.
Then, each player forms their warband up to the point value determined in the previous
step. To facilitate this, an online warband builder is available at rebrand.ly/ravensong
Otherwise, refer to the Ravenfeast rules for point values for Viking (Dane), Saxon, Welsh,
and Norman units.
Once you finalize your retinue, note it down on your roster sheet.
ARMY LISTS

DANES (VIKINGS)

Type Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

Jarl 6″ 0 5 5 5 75 Leader, Tough (3)
Huskarl 6″ 0 4 4 4 36 Tough (2)
Berserker 6″ 0 4 (x2) 3 4 30
Hirdmen 6″ 0 3 3 3 18
Bondi Archer 6″ 2 (18″) 2 2 2 18
Bondi 6″ 0 2 2 2 12
Thrall 8″ 1 (8″) 1 1 1 9

SAXONS
Type Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits
Lord 6″ 0 5 5 5 75 Leader, Tough (3)
Mtd. Spearman 14″ 0 4 4 4 50 Mighty, Tough (2)
Hearthguard 6″ 0 5 4 4 36 Tough (2)
Veteran Fyrd 6″ 0 4 3 3 18
Bowman 6″ 2 (18″) 2 2 2 18
Fyrd 6″ 0 2 2 2 12

NORMANS
Type Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits
Lord 12″ 0 5 5 5 75 Leader, Tough (3)
Mtd. Knight 12″ 1 (8″) 4 4 4 36 Mighty, Javelins
Crossbowman 6″ 2 (14″) 1 2 2 21 Crossbow
Flemish 6″ 0 3 3 4 20
Mercenary
Spearman
Infantry 6″ 0 3 3 3 18
Archer 6″ 2 (18″) 2 2 2 18
Levy 6″ 0 2 2 2 12

WELSH
Type Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits
Chieftain 6″ 0 5 5 5 75 Leader, Tough (3)
Teulu Guard 6″ 0 4 4 4 36 Tough (2)
Helwyr 6″ 3 (18″) 2 2 3 28 Welsh bows
Levy Archer 6″ 2 (18″) 2 2 2 23 Welsh bows
Spearman 6″ 0 3 2 3 16
Levy Spears 6″ 0 2 2 2 12
HOMELAND
Next, each player rolls a d66 (by rolling two six-sided dice, where one die represents the
tens digit and the other the ones, producing a result between 11 and 66) to determine
their homeland region. Refer to the homeland table on the map and note it down on
your roster sheet.
This is where your warriors are from, and it is where you can return to get all your units
rested, and healed. (Spending a turn in the homeland restores your units’ health to full).
Furthermore, you can hire new recruits only when your warband is at their homeland.
Additionally, the homeland provides geld collected every spring, as listed on the map
under ‘geld’, multiplied by 10. (For instance, Finmark’s geld is listed as 3, so if it is a
player’s homeland, they receive 30 geld.) See UPKEEP for more details.
Apart from the players’ homelands, all regions are considered neutral at the beginning
of a game.
LEGENDS (Optional Rule)
Next, determine where the legends are located on the world. A legend is a legendary
sword, an enchanted item, or a mythical monster. These represent wonders and perils of
the Viking world. In a campaign:
• The number of legendary swords is equal to the number of players minus 1
• The number of enchanted items is equal to the number of players minus 1
• The number of monsters is equal to the number of players plus 1
To determine which legend is to be placed on the map, roll a d6 on the related tables
below.

(1) Gram (1) Sacred shield (1) Draugr

(2) Hrotti (2) Gilt-amber belt (2) Lindwurm
(3) Snidil (3) Armring of power (3) Fafnir
(4) Tyrfing (4) Obsidian dagger (4) Troll
(5) Hjalmtheir (5) Sealskin boots (5) Wight
(6) Dravendill (6) Runesword (6) Gjenganger

Then, roll a d66 for each of the legends to determine each one’s origin, and place a
marker on the map in related region to signify its location. If any of the results indicate a
player’s homeland, re-roll until it provides a neutral region.

Any sword placed at a region is considered to be wielded by the region’s jarl. Any
monster in a region is considered to be plaguing the land, attacking its folk. Any
enchanted item is thought to be donned by the region’s jarl.

For more details see LEGENDARİUM section.

 THE CAMPAIGN TURN
The campaign game is played in turns. A turn is a three-month time period representing
a season. The game starts in the season of Spring, and follows an order of Summer, Fall,
and Winter afterwards.
During a turn, all players complete their actions in the
initiative order.

The seasons can easily be tracked by placing a marker

on the season tracker at the bottom right corner of
the world map.

TURN SEQUENCE: A turn consists of six phases. Each phase must be completed before
starting the next.

#1 UPKEEP #4 MOVEMENT
#2 INITIATIVE #5 COMBAT
#3 DIPLOMACY #6 END OF TURN
ĞPHASE 1: upkeep

During the upkeep phase, geld is collected, new units are

recruited, and the map is cleaned up. Additionally, units
spending a turn in homeland are fully rested.
GELD: Geld is the income a jarl receives from his lands.
This can be spent to recruit new troops. Geld is collected
every Spring turn (i.e. once a year) during the upkeep
phase, starting with the second year of the campaign.
Total amount is calculated by adding up the geld score of a
player’s homeland and any other region controlled by the
player. Then, the sum is multiplied by 10.

For instance, a player’s homeland is FINMARK (3). And his warband has won a battle in
TRONDHEIM (8), making him the ruler of that region as well. So, his total geld is 8+3=11,
and when multiplied by 10, giving a total of 110.

Keep in mind that geld is available only once a year, and during any other season
(Summer, Fall, Winter), geld collection is omitted.

Players may choose to spend their geld in recruitment, or to hoard it. Yet, if their
homeland is raided, all the hoarded geld is plundered by the raiding player!

RECRUITMENT: Recruitment is the spending of geld to add new units to your warband.
A player can recruit new units when his warband is at the homeland by spending geld.
The cost of each unit is equal to its point value. The recruiting of new troops is possible
only in Spring.

For example; a player’s warband has returned to their

homeland JUTELAND (6) in the previous (winter) season,
and is currently located there. In Spring, the player
collects his geld (a total of 60), and spends it to recruit
two BONDI ARCHERS (costing a total of 36). Now he has two
new units in his warband, and is left with 24 geld.

Recruitment from your own kin is possible only during

the Spring turn –i.e. once a year. A player can recruit
mercenaries during any other season, without having to
return to homeland. See MERCENARIES section for details.
CLEANUP: This is a step for the raiding rule which is optional. In cleanup, raid markers
which have stayed on the map for four turns are removed. (See COMBAT phase and RAİD
for details.)
REST: Warbands which spent at least one full turn (i.e. without moving or going into a
battle) at their homeland are considered replenished. Any units within a rested
warband restores any lost TOUGH trait.

For instance, if a Jarl, along with his warband, returns to his homeland wounded (i.e. with
his TOUGH trait reduced to 1), after spending a one full turn there, his TOUGH trait is restored
back to 3.
PHASE 2: INITIATIVE

Each player rolls a d6 and adds the number of regions they control to the roll. The player
with the highest total may goes first. Then, play proceeds following the order from the
second highest and so forth, until all players play.
The initiative order decided in this phase is applied in the next phases of DIPLOMACY,
MOVEMENT and COMBAT.

PHASE 3: DIPLOMACY

The diplomacy phase is the part of a game turn in which all

players are active simultaneously. Players can negotiate
freely among each other.
In this phase they can form alliances. Such an alliance can
include any condition upon which all parties agree. This
may include paying tribute in geld in return to military aid,
right of passage, or a mutual military alliance, etc.
Players can also lend or borrow geld to each other; and
they may or may not charge interest, or set a repayment
time.

Furthermore, players may request right of passage through others’ lands. When
given, it allows a player’s warband to march through a player’s land without
hostilities. When denied, the marching warband may find another route or choose
to see this as casus belli and wage war against that player!

ALLIANCE WITH NEUTRAL REGIONS: Furthermore, players can interact with neutral
regions –i.e. regions which are not controlled by a player. In this case, players act in
initiative order.
A neutral region may be offered an alliance. To do so, a player rolls 2d6, trying to roll
equal to or higher than the region’s geld score. The roll can be modified in such cases:

There is a monster in the neutral region +1

the player’s homeland shares a border with it +1
they are landlocked (and the player’s homeland is not) +1
the player’s homeland’s geld score is higher +1
When allied to a neutral region, a player is honour-bound to defend their ally when
attacked. If the player does not support his neutral ally in the battle, the alliance is
considered to be shattered, and the jarl does not form any further alliances with the
player, as well as denying right of passage through his region. This may be amended by
paying geld to the neutral jarl an amount equal to the region’s geld score (multiplied by
100), or paying 2d6x10 geld everytime the player’s warband passes through the region.
Players don’t need to ask for right of passage to a neutral region’s jarl. They are
considered to have already reached a mutual agreement.

PHASE 4: movement

The Viking world map is divided into 36 named regions, in addition to nameless regions
across the sea.
At the beginning of a campaign, all warbands start garrisoned at their homeland. During
the movement phase, players can move their warband up to four regions per turn both
across the land and the sea. A movement cannot end in a nameless (i.e. sea) region.
Players can move through any neutral region without specifically asking for right of
passage. To move through any player region without causing hostilities, right of passage
must first be granted during the diplomacy phase first.

1
For instace; the warband from 2
Jamtland is currently in their
homeland. They can move in any
3
direction, up to four regions. Two 1
possible routes for two different
destionations are presented here.

The green route arrives at Anglia 4 3

after four regions. The red route
arrives at Scandia after passing 2
through three regions.
A warband’s movement ends whenever it reaches a region where there is an enemy
warband, or a monster is present. The battle must be resolved in the COMBAT phase.
When a player’s warband moves into a neutral region with the intent to conquer it, or
into a player-controlled region without obtaining a right of passage, it is considered an
invasion. Any conquest or invasion is met with local resistance if there is no defending
warband present by the end of the movement phase. It must be resolved in the COMBAT
phase.
COMPULSARY MOVE: Whenever a warband loses a battle, it automatically retreats,
moving one region away from the immediate enemy and any other enemies, and toward
the homeland if possible. This is an automatic, compulsory move and does not require
or use up any movement allowance. It is performed immediately after the battle’s
resolution.

In the example above, after reaching Anglia, the warband from jamtland is met with
another warband moving into Anglia. After resolving the battle, Jamtlandian Vikings lose
and forced to retreat to Juteland.
PHASE 5: COMBAT

Whenever two hostile warbands are in the same region, it is considered as a battle.
Battles are fought during the COMBAT phase, and they are fought according to the rules
described in the Ravenfeast ruleset.
Similarly, if a warband is on a region where there is a monster, it is considered as a
battle. In cases where there are multiple warbands, the first one to arrive at the region
fights against the monster.
LOCAL RESISTANCE: When a warband attempts to invade a neutral region or a player-
controlled region (or trying to march through it without obtaining right of passage)
which does not have a standing warband in it, the local forces of the region are thought
to fight against the intruders.
In such cases the quick battle resolution method is used:
1. First, calculate the attacker’s force by dividing the warband’s total point value by
100. And round it down.
2. Roll two d6s.
3. Check the resisting region’s geld score. This is the defender’s force.
4. Add the die roll with the higher value to defender’s force value. Add the lower die roll
to the attacker’s force value.
5. Compare sums, whichever is higher, has won the battle. If the attacking warband is
victorious, they conquer the region. If the defenders are victorious, the attacking
warband must retreat; moving one region toward its homeland. (This is an
automated, compulsory move.) If they are equal, it means that the battle has ended
indecisively. The attacker must retreat.
For casualties to the attacking warband in quick battle resolution (regardless of the
outcome of the battle), multiply the attacker’s die (which was rolled in step 3 above) by
10. This is the attacker’s casualty score. The attacking player must subtract unit(s)
whose force –i.e. total point value– is equal to their casualty score.

For instance, a warband with a force of 3 (390 pts) lands at Mercia (8) with the intention
of conquest. The player rolls two dice; the results are 5 (⚄) and 4 (⚃). The higher die roll is
added to the defender’s force. (8+5=13). The lower die roll is added to the attacker’s force.
(3+4=7) Since 13 is greater than 7, the attacking warband loses, and is forced to retreat.

Then the casualties the attacker suffered is calculated. Their die result was 4. It is
multiplied by 10, giving a result of 40. The player must remove 40-point of unit(s) from
their warband. Round down, if required.
PHASE 5: COMBAT

RAIDING (Optional Rule)

Another action that players can command their warband to perform is raiding. It
represents a warband plundering and pillaging all valuables in a region.
Raiding is possible only if a warband has not moved during the MOVEMENT phase of the
turn. Additionally, there must not be any other warbands or monsters in the region.
Both neutral and player-controlled regions can be raided.
To determine the outcome of a raid, first note down the force of the raiding warband.
(i.e. its total point value divided by 100 and rounded down). Then, roll 2d6. If the sum of
the dice rolled is lower than the raiding warband’s force, the raid is succesful. A raid
marker is placed on the region, and the raiding player receives geld equal to the region’s
geld score multiplied by 10. And if it’s a player’s homeland that is being raided, the
player’s hoarded geld (if any) is also added to the plunder!
Then, the raiding warband can move one (1) region into any direction the player
chooses.
It is a good idea to note down the raided region onto the roster sheet along with the
season; because if the raided region is a neutral one, it will refrain from forming any
alliance with the player. This may be amended by paying geld to the neutral jarl an
amount equal to the region’s geld score (multiplied by 100). Furthermore, a raided
region can only be raided next year –i.e. after four turns. And, it does not provide any
income until next year either.
PHASE 6: END OF TURN

During this final phase of the turn, runes are collected if possible, and gods are invoked
if desired.
RUNES: When a player battles a monster such as a dragon, troll or a giant for the first
time (and only for the first time!), the warband’s leader –i.e. Lord, Jarl or Chieftain–
learnes the mystical power of a rune. To determine the obtained rune, roll a d6.
GODS: Any time a warband comes victorious out of a battle, its leader may invoke gods
to notice his glory! This is completely optional, and one must keep in mind that gods are
whimsical! To pray to gods, the player rolls a die, and if the roll is 1 (or 1 or 2, if the
leader has the ansuz rune) the leader’s valour is seen by a god. Then, a die is rolled to
determine the god whose attention is grabbed, and another die is rolled to determine
the god’s favour.
For details on runes and gods see LEGENDARİUM.
DOGS OF WAR
Mercenaries are independent, pay-to-kill veteran warriors who are ready to fight for a
player, as long as they pay them in geld.
At any given turn, a player can hire up to six mercenary units (determined randomly by
a roll of d6), as long as they have the required geld. The recruiting warband can be
located at any region, as mercenaries are available everywhere. Yet, only one type of
mercenary unit can be recruited during a turn.
A mercenary unit costs its point value in geld. The amount paid to the mercenaries are
for a season of service –i.e. one turn. Once their contract term ends, the mercenaries
leave the warband.

MERCENARY ARMY LIST

Typec Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

Breton skirmisher 8″ 0 3 3 2 18
Saracen archer 6″ 2 (18″) 1 2 3 16
Gall-gaedhil 6″ 0 3 (x2) 2 3 22
Pecheneg archer 12″ 3 (8″) 2 3 3 30 Mighty
Varangian guard 6″ 0 3 4 3 30 Tough (2)
 MERCENARY
UNIT types

Cloth or chainmail, Cloth, bow, dagger Cloth or leather armor,

shield, sword or spear axe, sword or shield

Cloth or chainmail, Chainmail, shield,

composite bow, sabre axe or sword
RUNES

When a player battles a monster such as a dragon, troll or a giant for the first time (and
only for the first time!), the warband’s leader –i.e. Lord, Jarl or Chieftain– learns the
mystical power of a rune. To determine the obtained rune, roll a d6.

(1) Ansuz: Rune of the gods. Allows the leader to double their chance of getting noticed
by the gods. (If the leader rolls 1 or 2 on a die, he is noticed by the gods.)
(2) Dagaz: Rune of time. A warband led by the leader with this rune can move +1 region
per turn.
(3) Gyfu: Rune of gift. Grants a leader to heal his/her wound without having to return to
homeland.
(4) Jera: Rune of prosperity. Allows a leader to collect double the geld pillaged from a
region.
(5) Othala: Rune of fury. Increases the leader’s movement by +2’’.
(6) Sowilo: Rune of the sun. Allows the leader to thwart the effects of any one spell
targeted at him/her during a battle if he rolls a successful morale check.
GODS

Any time a warband comes victorious out of a battle, its leader may invoke gods to
notice his glory! This is completely optional, and one must keep in mind that gods are
whimsical! To pray to gods, the player rolls a die, and if the roll is 1 (or 1 or 2, if the
leader has the ansuz rune) the leader’s valour is seen by a god. Then, a die is rolled to
determine the god whose attention is grabbed, and another die is rolled to determine
the god’s favour.

(1) Frey – god of fertility and life

(2) Loki – god of luck, trickery, and chaos
(3) Njord – god of wealth and of the seas
(4) Odin – god of wisdom, strategy and war
(5) Thor – god of thunder, battle, and strength,
(6) Tyr – god of war, law
(1-4) A mysterious maiden arrives to tend to the leader’s wounds. The leader is healed
without returning home.
(5-6) - A band of maidens arrives at the leader’s tent, and asks him to join in to pray. The
leader spends the next turn where he is (without leaving the current position). If
refused, the leader is struck dead by the god.

İ
(1-3) Loki steals the leader’s income from his homeland for a year.
(4-6) - Loki grants the leader 2d6x10 geld for his/her bravery.

(1-2) Next time the leader moves by sea,

his/her entire sea voyage counts as 1
(one) movement.
(3-4) - Njord grants 100 geld to the leader
for his faith.
(5) - Njord requires 50 geld from the
leader as tribute. (No further favour can
be received from Njord until it is paid.)
(6) - Njord will strike the leader with sea
serpents if he travels through the sea next
turn. So, the warband must travel across
the land, avoiding sea.
(1) Odin is ready to receive the leader into Valhalla. The enemy forces in his/her next
battle receive 100 geld worth of reinforcements (usable only for the next turn.)
(2) Odin grants one of the leader’s enemies a wolf.
(3) Odin sends a raven to observe the next battle, without intervening.
(4) Odin sends a wolf to aid the leader.
(5) Odin requires a 50 geld tribute. (No further favour can be received from Njord until
it is paid.)
(6) Odin grants the leader 50 geld.

(1-3) Thor considers the leader unworthy and

grants nothing but rain and thunder in the next
battle.
(4-5) Thor speaks to the leader in a dream,
challenging him to kill at least 3 enemies in a
battle, granting him 50 geld in return.
(6) Thor speaks to the leader in a dream,
challenging him to kill at least 5 enemies in a
battle, granting him 100 geld in return.

(1) Tyr sends a wolf to join the enemy warband

for the next battle.
(2-5) Tyr concludes that wars are waged fairly
and does not intervene.
(6) Tyr sends a wolf to join the leader’s warband
for the next battle.
SWORDS

Below are a list of legendary swords with mystical powers. They are thought to be
wielded by the jarl of the related region. So, if a player conquers the region, he is thought
to have obtained the legendary weapon as well.

When fighting a dragon, you may re-roll any attack die

resulting in 6.

If used to kill an enemy leader, the unit immediately restores

one (1) wound.

Ignore the Shield Wall armor bonus when attacking.

Gives +1 attack die and allows you to choose the with the
lower value. But if the rolls are 1 and 1, the weapon wielding
unit takes 1 wound.

When within 3" of a friendly leader, you may re-roll the unit’s
failed armor roll.
.

Once per battle, when you attack an enemy, they lose 1 attack
die next turn.
ENCHANTED ITEMS

Only one enemy may attack in melee per Gain +1 attack in melee, and +2 attacks in
turn, even if multiple enemies are in melee agains Draugr.
contact.

Immune to magic spells. After the Missile phase, may elect to take a
3’’ bonus move. May disengage from
Melee without suffering any free attacks.

First succesful hit in melee hits all Gain +1 Melee Rating and +2’’ Move
enemies in base contact, not just the Rating.
primary target.
MONSTERS

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

6" 0 4 4 N/A 36 Specter, Fearless

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

10" 3 (8") 4 (x2) 4 5 106 Poison, Tough (3)

Poison (+15 points): Units hit by its missile attack are bit by its poisonous spit,
reducing their armor by 1 when rolling a save against it. (It does not stack, and is
effective only when attacked by a monster’s poisonous breath).

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

14" 4 (8") 5 (x3) 4 5 145 Mighty, Tough (4)

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

10 0 4 (x2) 5 4 100 Mighty, Tough (4)
MONSTERS

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

8" 3 (8") 4 (x2) 4 4 47 Mighty, Tough (2)

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

6" 0 4 4 N/A 31 Fearless

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

6" 0 3 3 N/A 27 Fearless

Move Missile Melee Armor Morale Pts Traits

12" 0 3 (x2) 2 3 28
You have probably played a few
games of Ravenfeast, and now you
want more. This free book will
help you and your friends wage
campaigns to gain glory, geld, and
to invoke the gods of the Viking
Age!

• Fast-playing campaign
rules
• Optional advanced rules
• Online army builder
• Rules for mercenary units
• New monsters and magic
• Norse gods