A roleplaying game of Vikings, raiding and battle

Graham Bottley
This game is based on the OpenD6 RPG originally published by West End Games and later made an
“open source” ruleset. A large debt of gratitude has to go to WEG for that decision, making the
creation of other derivative games like this easy.

A lot of thanks also has to go to the artists who provided the illustrations for the cover and interior.
When I write a game, I am influenced by various sources, but also by the art as it is completed.

As always, I need to thank my gaming group for their early stage thoughts, suggestions and destruct
testing they put my games through. Simon and James are particularly helpful here, and have been for
many years.

Also, again as always, I need to thank my family. Writing a game and running a Kickstarter campaign
are long, hard jobs and having my family to support me on the rare occasion I am away from the
keyboard is what keeps me going.

Lastly, huge thanks are due to the backers of the Kickstarter campaign itself. I did not set a huge
target; simply one just about enough to pay for the art. As has often happened, the backers of this
campaign went far past that! I have listed the names of all of the backers at the end of this book.

First published: 2018

Cover illustration is © Mark Robinson

Internal illustrations are © John Kapsalis
Editing and Proofreading by Sam Byford and Neil Benson
The text of this book is © Arion Games and may not be reproduced without permission

Please visit our website at www.arion-games.com for more information on this and other games

introduction 2 introduction
 Introduction 4

Chapter 1 Game Rules 5

Chapter 2 Combat 11

Chapter 3 Hero Creation 19

Chapter 4 Equipment 31

Chapter 5 Ships and Sailing 37

Chapter 6 Shieldwalls 49

Chapter 7 Magic and Gods 57

Chapter 8 Campaigns 65

Chapter 9 Enemies 71

Appendix 1 Tables 83

Appendix 2 Archetypes 84

Index 96

introduction 3 introduction
Vikingr, in Old Norse, is a person who goes on expeditions by sea, primarily to raid settlements for slaves and
valuables. A group of Vikingr is known as a Vikingar and the original term for their raiding was to go on “a
Viking”. From these terms we derive the english term Viking, meaning an early sort of pirate.

And that is what this game is about. Vikingar going on raids by sea, Looting and pillaging, fighting and
brawling. Adventures in foreign lands, exploration, trade and even more fighting.

But. This game is not a Historical game. Instead we have aimed for a “Viking Flavoured” game. It is
historically based, but there are fantastical elements included and terms and names may not be totally accurate.
It would not be difficult to run a strictly historical game with these rules, nor would it be difficult to have a game
of Vikingar fighting Orcs and Goblins round every corner. But as written, the game is somewhere in the middle.

The essence of Vikingr is to give the GM a toolkit, allowing them to run whatever Viking-style game they want
to in whatever setting they prefer. And because just about everyone knows of the vikings and everyone has
their own setting in their head, we have made it easy to tweak. Chapter 8 contains guidance on possible
different campaign styles.

The rules are based on the D6 RPG system originally published by West End Games, and later released as an
open ruleset for others to further develop. We obviously owe a debt of creativity to WEG and all earlier
developers.

So, without further ado, gather your Heroes and Go Viking!

introduction 4 introduction
The basic rules for Vikingr are very simple. A number give 6D+1, which is rolled to try and hit someone. A
of six-sided dice are rolled, the numbers are totalled Hero without the appropriate Skill can usually roll just
and compared to a target number. If the total is equal the Statistic to attempt an action.
to, or greater than, the target number (TN), whatever is
being attempted is a success. If the total is less than
the target number, the attempt is a fail.

This short chapter describes how these rolls are made,

the standard target numbers, and how these rules can
be applied to most generic tasks. Specific tasks, such
as combat, sailing, mass battles and so forth, are
described in their own chapters.

The core of the game system involves rolling a number

of six sided dice, usually known as D6’s. Every Hero
has six statistics representing their physical and mental
characteristics, described in terms of how many dice
are rolled. Thus a Hero with a Strength statistic of
4D would roll four six sided dice and add the values
together. When the Dice are rolled, the total should be
compared to a target number to
When the Dice are rolled, one D6 should be a determine whether the action
different colour than the rest; this is the Wild succeeds. The GM usually sets the
Die. If this die comes up a 6, another D6 target number (TN) based upon
should be rolled and added to the total. If the judged difficulty of the
this extra die is also a 6, roll again and add. outcome and other factors.
Keep going as long as 6’s are rolled.
The standard difficulty
Statistics can also have Pips. These are numbers are:
added to the total of all of the dice rolled.
A Hero with a Strength of 4D+2 would roll Very Easy 5
four dice, add them together and add Easy 10
another two to get the final total. Pips can Moderate 15
either be +1 or +2. If a Statistic would be Hard 20
increased such that it had +3 pips, those Difficult 25
pips would be removed and another D Very Difficult 30
added to the value. Thus the 4D+2 Strength Heroic 35
increased by +1 pip would become 5D. Impossible 40

In addition to Statistics, Heroes also have If a Hero wished to climb a low

Skills. A Skill is also rated in D and pips, but palisade around a coastal village,
it is not rolled on its own. Instead, the values the GM may decide that it is not a
for the Skill and the governing Statistic are particularly taxing task and assigns
added together, with pips becoming D where a Moderate difficulty. The Hero
appropriate. A Strength of 4D+2 and a would roll his Climbing Skill total
Brawling Skill of 1D+2 would combine to (or Dexterity Statistic) and total

BASIC RULES 5 CHAPTER ONE

the values of the dice. If that total is a 15 or higher, the Hero is running through deep mud and puddles, a
wall is scaled. A 14 or lower would mean that the Hero penalty of -5 might be applied to the Heroes’ action.
cannot climb over on that attempt. It may of course be
possible to re-attempt actions if time and circumstances The above example assumes that the both characters
allow. are actively opposing each other. Some actions,
especially combat, are made against the natural
If the test fails by 10 or more, there may be serious reactions of the target. In these cases, the TN is a fixed
consequences at the discretion of the GM. A Hero number determined by the Statistic and Skill rating of
failing his climb test by 10 may well fall rather than just the target. This static defence value also applies to
fail to climb over. A GM may also use the margin of stealth and awareness. A character attempting to sneak
success to compare any bonus effects. A Hero who past a bored guard may be detected, and rolls against
attempts to climb the palisade above and gets a total the static Awareness defence of the guard.
of 36 could well vault over in almost no time and not
even have to climb down the far side. Static Awareness defence = Awareness (or
Perception) Dice x3 plus pips
Individual circumstances can mean that there are
different TN’s for the same action but for different If the guard has an Awareness skill total of 4D+1, his
Heroes. A Hero with a rope and grapple and in good static defence will be 13. A Hero attempting to sneak
health may have a TN of Easy, but another with a past must make a Stealth skill roll against this number.
broken leg, severe bloodloss and under attack from If the guard is more awake and alert and is expecting
archers might well need to make a test versus a Heroic the Hero, the guard may be using actions to look for
TN. anyone sneaking past. In this case, the guard would
roll their Awareness skill and this would be rolled as a
standard opposed test. If the rolled total is less than
the static defence, the static value may be used instead.

A test against the world uses a fixed TN as described Some actions are easier if the Hero is assisted by other
above. However, an action taken against another characters. This does not apply to missile attacks, but
person will depend on their Statistic or Skill levels. A could apply to an attack in hand to hand combat where
Hero trying to push a sailor over the side of a ship one character provides a distraction or a block to make
would make a Muscle (or Strength) roll, as would the an attack easier. Some actions (such as building a boat
unfortunate target of their shove. If the pushing Hero or lifting a cart) can benefit from multiple assistants,
rolls a higher total, the sailor is pushed overboard. If whereas others (forging a sword or binding a wound)
the sailor rolls higher, they break free. A tie would see may only benefit from one at most. Assisting another
the sailor teetering on the edge, and both could re-roll character requires an action.
on the following round.
An assistant grants a bonus to the action equal to +1
A GM can apply bonuses or penalties to either party in for every two full D in the appropriate skill. A Hero with
an opposed test to reflect circumstances. If a Hero is Boatbuilding 4D+2 would grant a bonus of +2 to
racing an enemy to reach a gate before it can be closed another boatbuilder he assists.
but the guard is running on a nice firm road whilst the

CHAPTER ONE 6 BASIC RULES

Generally, this bonus applies only for that single action,
although for prolonged tasks, such as crafts, the bonus
applies to the whole task. Heroes are special people. They do things no-one else
can and succeed where most would fail. Because of
this, every Hero has a pool of three Character Points
(CP’s) every raiding season (or individual adventure).
When a CP is spent in game to boost an action, an
additional 3D are rolled and added to the total. These
dice only apply to a single action and not the whole
round.

Alternatively, a CP can be spent to reduce the Wound

level of the Hero by one severity. Only one CP may be
spent in this way in any one combat.

These points replenish the next time the Heroes head

out on their raiding season, although if the GM runs
more than one adventure in any given season, they may
allow the points to replenish each adventure.

A GM can also award a bonus CP for exceptional

roleplaying or as a reward for an especially heroic
action. This bonus point does not replenish, and can
be saved and used whenever required.

Even Heroes sometimes suffer that gut clenching fear

that threatens to make them turn and run. It might be
overwhelming odds in battle. It might be a renowned
enemy who has killed dozens of skilled warriors. It
might even be a strange creature from legend. Whatever
the cause, it is only the bravest Heroes that stand and
fight…

When a Hero is outnumbered at least five to one, is

facing an enemy famous for their brutality and skill or
when facing a supernatural or mythical creature, the
GM may ask for a Fear test. This is rolled using the
Urd statistic or the Bravery Skill as appropriate. There
is no hard and fast TN for this test. Rather the GM

BASIC RULES 7 CHAPTER ONE

should evaluate how frightening the situation is and set
the difficulty accordingly. A well equipped band of five
seasoned fighters facing a mob of twenty five bandits At the start of a saga, the Heroes are not particularly
may only have to make a Very Easy fear test. A single well known for anything. They may have great potential,
Hero surrounded by nine legendary warriors may well but they are not there yet. However, as they perform
need to make a Heroic test. It is even possible for each great deeds and achieve great things, their names will
Hero to have their own TN. A Hero who has been start to be spoken in the mead halls of their own village
defeated repeatedly by a particular enemy may have a and further afield. To gain these Renown rewards, the
very high TN vs that enemy, whereas the Heroes’ action must either be observed by someone other than
companions have a much easier TN. the Heroes or else a song, poem or saga must be written
about the deed to spread the word. These points are
If the test succeeds, the Hero gets a grip of themselves earned because people know what the Hero has done.
and can act normally for the rest of the encounter.
The GM will award a +1 Renown pip for great actions
If the test fails, the Hero is frightened. Whilst in this such as:
state, the Hero must use at least one action per round
on an Active defence (if there is any chance of an attack) Defeating an enemy champion single handed;
and reduces all of their offensive actions by 1D. If a Leading the charge in battle;
frightened Hero manages to land a blow on an enemy Being the first one over the wall into a fortified town;
and inflicts at least one level of injury, they may Defeating a whole group of enemy warriors single
re-attempt their fear test at the end of that round. Other Handed;
actions may also be at a penalty of -1D. Killing an enemy with one blow in battle.
If the test is failed by more than 10, the Hero is terrified On rare occasions, +2 pips or even a whole D may be
and will try to flee whenever possible. If the Hero cannot awarded for such deeds as:
flee, they suffer all of the penalties above, with an
additional penalty of -1D to all actions, and must flee if Leading an outnumbered army to a great victory;
an opening appears. The test may be retaken as above Charging an enemy warband alone;
or when the Hero is completely clear of whatever Discovering a new land;
induced the terror in the first place. Looting a huge hoard of treasure.
If a Hero failing a fear test is the leader of a warband These D and pips may be applied to any action.
or unit of troops, the whole unit will be inflicted with However, certain criteria must be met::
fear or terror as appropriate. See Chapter 6 for more
information on this. The Hero must be seen by allies
The Hero must be understood by the enemy.

The Hero must loudly proclaim who they are so that

all can hear.

Not all the D or pips need be applied to a single roll.

A Hero could have 2D+2 of Renown and apply only the
+2, or 1D, or 1D+1 etc to the test.

If the outcome of the action is a failure, these D and

pips are lost as the “Great Hero” has been seen to fail.
If the action is a success, the D and pips are restored.
It is important to note that success or failure here are
not just about the individual action the dice are added
to. It is actually the bigger picture that matters. A Hero
invoking their Renown dice to defeat a great monster

CHAPTER ONE 8 BASIC RULES

will regain their Renown if the monster is defeated, even one barrel, but is it the one with the Hero in?
if the attack the dice were added to missed. Similarly,
if the boosted attack hits but the Hero is forced to flee In these cases, a normal Skill roll is of no use, and so
by the monster, they will lose their spent Renown. The instead a Luck test is called for by the GM using the
GM is the final arbiter of whether the greater action Urd Statistic alone. There are no real standard TN’s
succeeds or not. for Luck tests; rather the GM-set target is dependent on
the situation. As a rule of thumb, an ordinary (non-
Important enemies of the evil variety have the inverse Hero) person has an Urd of 2D, which can be used to
version of Renown: Infamy. This works the same way work out the TN. An ordinary person hidden in one of
as Renown, but points are earned by the NPC through two barrels would have a half chance of being skewered,
spectacularly evil deeds such as massacring a whole and so the TN will be 7 which is about half chance for
village, poisoning enemies at a feast and so forth. the non-Hero. If one in four of the straws are
short, an ordinary person would need to
roll a 5 or more, which is roughly a 1 in 4
chance on 2D.

It is also possible to
make opposed Luck
rolls. A hidden
assassin is about to
shoot one of three
Heroes in the back as
they walk past. The
assassin has no orders
as to which one to shoot,
as long as he does shoot
one. All three Heroes
would make Urd rolls,
and whoever gets the
lowest will get a short
sharp shock!

Sometimes there are

situations where no amount of
physical ability or learned skill
are any use, and what happens is
purely down to luck. Maybe the Jarl
is selecting warriors for a suicidal
attack on an enemy village by
drawing straws. It doesn’t
matter how fast or strong
you are, a short straw
means you are going.
Or a Hero is hiding
from an enemy
patrol inside a
barrel on a wagon.
The soldiers stick
their swords into

BASIC RULES 9 CHAPTER ONE

Although at the start of a Saga a Hero will be proficient, There are various ways to tweak the rules of this game
over time they will grow in power and ability until they to suit your own campaigns or speed up play. All of
are truly legendary. these are subject to agreement from the GM and should
not be taken as standard rules.
To represent this, the GM will award five or more
experience points (XP) to each Hero at the end of each Automatic Successes
adventure or raiding season depending on the length
of the adventure, how well the Heroes did and the Sometimes a task is so easy for an experienced Hero
relative difficulty. As many as ten could be awarded for that it seems slow and pointless to roll a great big
a long or difficult adventure. handful of dice and to add them all up. Therefore, this
rule allows for very experienced Heroes to automatically
These XP can be spent to increase Statistics and Skills. succeed at simple tasks, even if other Heroes in the
same situation do have to roll the dice.
To increase a Statistic by 1 pip costs a number of
XP equal to five times the current number of D in If the appropriate D times One and a Half is equal to
that Statistic. To increase a Statistic from 3D+1 to or greater than the TN, the Hero automatically succeeds
3D+2 would cost 15 XP. Statistics can only be and does not need to roll the dice. Assist dice or CP’s
increased to 5D with XP points (unless an Edge/Urd should be included in this, as should wound penalties
etc allows a higher starting value in which case it is and even multi action penalties. However, Renown dice
1D more than that value). cannot be added to the total for this calculation, and
Wealth tests cannot be automatically passed.
To increase a Skill by 1 pip costs a number of XP
equal to the current number of D in that Skill (not
the total rolled, just the Skill part of the total). To
increase a Skill from 1D+1 to 1D+2 would cost a
single XP point. To increase a Skill from 3D+2 to
4D would cost 3 XP. Skills can only be increased
to a maximum of 5D with XP and a Skill value
cannot be increased to a higher value than the
associated Statistic.

Although all of the XP received from an adventure can

be spent at the end of it, any particular Statistic or Skill
Oaths
may only be improved once per adventure.
Swearing an Oath is a powerful element of raider
society and Oaths are seen as sacred. An Oath should
Wealth, Renown and other special dice values cannot
not be undertaken lightly, nor should an Oath be sworn
be improved with XP, nor can Ship or Warband ratings.
over something very mundane and minor. The GM will
These can be improved in the winter season using the
be the final arbiter as to whether an Oath is serious and
rules given in Chapters 5 and 6.
important enough.

From the point the Oath is sworn, the Hero gains +1

Renown pip immediately and at the start of every
raiding season until the Oath is fulfilled. However, there
is also a downside to such an Oath. If the Hero ever
passes up an opportunity to advance the completion of
the Oath, they lose all Renown accumulated to that
point due to their obvious cowardice. A Hero who
knows that the target of their Oath is nearby and ignores
the fact would be an example of this. In general,
a Hero should only have one Oath at a time.

CHAPTER ONE 10 BASIC RULES

Combat is, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the main round, and all of the actions taken next round. A Hero
activities of the warlike Sea Raiders. The rules given who used three Dodge Reactions in a round would
in this Chapter allow the Heroes to fight enemies both make the second at the usual multi-action penalty +1D
numerous and powerful and hopefully defeat them on and the third with an additional 2D penalty. The Hero
their way to greatness!. would also have a multi-action penalty on the following
round of 3D, even if only one action was declared.

Combat is divided into Rounds, each lasting about 10

seconds of game time. During each of these Rounds,
a Hero or other character may take one or more
Actions. An Action is something significant, and so
whilst attacking an enemy, mounting a horse or
thrusting a lit torch into thatch is an Action, shouting a
challenge or taking a few steps is not. As usual, the GM
is the final arbiter of what is and what isn’t an action.

Action Declaration Initiative

Before the start of each combat round, every player In order to determine who acts first in any combat
should declare how many actions their Hero will round, all Heroes must make Dexterity rolls, modified
attempt during that combat round. In theory, a Hero by injury, armour etc, but not by the multi-action penalty.
may attempt to do as many different things in a combat The character with the highest total takes their first
round as he likes… but there is obviously a downside action first, followed by the next fastest character who
to such freedom. takes their first action and so on until everyone has
taken their first action. GM controlled minor characters
For every additional action declared past the first, the use a static Initiative score equal to their Dexterity x3
Hero will suffer a penalty of -1D to all actions during plus pips.
that round. So a Hero attempting to strike an opponent,
leap onto a table and then strike another enemy on the Then, all characters who declared two or more actions
other side would reduce the skill rolls for all three in the round take their second action, in the same
actions by 2D (because they have attempted two extra initiative order as the first actions. Then all of the third
actions). This multi-action penalty applies equally to actions are taken and so forth until all actions have
all actions that round. been resolved, at which point the next round will start.
A player need not declare what action they will take
Although the GM will not declare openly how many until it is their turn.
actions each character under their control will attempt, Active defences are the exception to Initiative; an active
it is a good idea to make a note of these. defence is declared and rolled the first time the specific
enemy attacks the Hero. That defence value is then
A player may, at any time, declare a Reaction to used for the rest of the round against that enemy.
something that is happening. Obvious uses of
Reactions are active Defences such as Dodge or Parry,
but an attack against a suddenly appeared enemy or
emergency dive to the floor would also count. If a
character takes a reaction, they increase their multi-
action penalty by 1D for the remaining actions in this

COMBAT 11 CHAPTER TWO

 Actions another, an opposed Dexterity test will determine who
wins.
There are many actions that a Hero or other character
can take in combat. A sample list of common actions In order to assist another character in combat, both
would be: must normally be standing next to each other.

Make a hand weapon attack; To flee combat, the character must make a Dexterity
Move; test against the highest Awareness static defence of their
Charge an enemy; enemies. If the test fails and the character flees anyway,
` Jump onto a table; all enemies receive a “free” attack that does not incur
Leave combat; an additional multi action penalty, although the existing
Fire a bow or throw an axe; multi action penalty does apply.
Kick, punch or push an enemy;
Pull over a table;
Dodge, block, parry or use a
shield against an attacker;
Assist an ally with an attack
or other action. Active Defence
Normally an attack is made against one of the static
Many of these will require defence numbers determined at Hero Creation. These
a skill or statistic roll, but defences apply if a Hero can see the attacker and knows
not all. Even if the Hero the attack is coming. An attack against an unaware
takes an action that does opponent has a standard TN of 5.
not require a roll, it still
uses up that action However, a Hero or other
“slot”. character can choose to roll their
defence against an attack, which
If a Hero moves, will usually result in a higher
jumps, climbs etc as defence score and thus the
their action, the defender is more likely to avoid
obvious question is the attack. This active defence
“how far?” It is best counts as an action and once
to keep combat declared and rolled counts only
fairly abstract, against that one opponent for that
and so the round, although it will apply to all
answer is usually subsequent attacks from that enemy.
“far enough” or “not
far enough”. As a If the rolled total is lower than the static
rule of thumb, a value, the static value is used instead.
Hero can run 100 A character will normally use their best
feet per round defence against an attack, although the
on reasonable defender can choose which defence is used
ground and against any given attack.
could jump a
few feet
along or a
couple of
feet
straight
up. If one Hero
is trying to catch

CHAPTER TWO 12 COMBAT

The defence types are:

Dodge
Static value is equal to Dodge Skill Dice x3 plus pips

Dexterity Dice x3 plus pips

Active Dodge is rolled on Dodge Skill or Dexterity

Dodge can be used against any attack, whether hand

to hand, unarmed or ranged.

Parry
Static value is equal to Long or Short weapons
(whichever is held) Skill Dice x3 plus pips Armour
Strength Dice x3 plus pips Most warriors who can afford it will wear some form of
armour in battle. Although it does restrict movement
Active Parry is rolled on Long/Short Weapons Skill or somewhat, it can also absorb much of the damage from
Strength a successful attack.
Assuming a Hero can afford to buy a particular armour,
Parry can be used against any hand to hand or unarmed the benefits and penalties of each are given below. The
attacks from one opponent. Protection value adds to the Soak of the character (see
the Damage section below). The Penalty value reduces
Shield Attacks and Initiative, as well as all other physical
Static value is equal to Shield Skill Dice x3 plus pips actions undertaken by the character (but not Defences).
plus Shield Value These modifiers are not pips and so do not increase
or decrease dice totals; rather they are a flat modifier
Dexterity Dice x3 plus pips plus Shield Value to the values and rolls.

Active Shield is rolled on Shield Skill or Dexterity Armour Protection Penalty

Thick clothing +1 0
Static shield can only be used against a single opponent Leather +3 -1
in a single round. Active Shield can be used against a Ring +5 -2
different enemy to static. Shield can be used against Scale +6 -3
hand to hand, unarmed or ranged attacks. A Shield Chain +8 -4
must be carried to use this defence.
It is also possible to obtain “Good” versions of each of
A Standard Shield has a bonus of +4 and a Good the armour types. These are vastly more expensive
Shield has a bonus of +5. than standard versions but are constructed of better
materials by better craftsmen. A Good version of an
Block armour increases Protection by 1 and decreases
Static value is equal to Brawling Skill Dice x3 plus pips Penalty by 1. The heavier armour types include an
undershirt of leather and so a Hero cannot wear more
Strength Dice x3 plus pips than one suit of armour at a time.

Active Block is rolled on Brawling Skill or Strength

Block can only be used against unarmed attacks or

hand to hand attacks made with improvised weapons.

COMBAT 13 CHAPTER TWO

If an attack action is chosen, the attacking character
must make an attack roll using the appropriate skill or
statistic. This roll is modified by any multi action
penalty, armour penalty, injury penalty or other modifier.
The GM should determine any modifier for higher
ground, visibility, weather, outnumbering, cover etc as
appropriate to that individual combat.
.
attacks are made using a hand
weapon such as a sword, axe or club and are made Degrees of Success
against enemies adjacent to the attacker. This
attack roll is made using the Long Weapons or If a character equals or exceeds the TN for their attack,
Short Weapons Skill (or Strength/Dexterity) they land a blow on their enemy with their weapon or
according to what weapon is currently being used. unarmed strike, meaning that they will potentially inflict
damage. However, a very high attack roll will generally
attacks are made with the Brawling skill do more damage or have additional side effects than a
and are a punch, kick, headbut or swing of an lower one, even if the lower roll also succeeds in hitting.
improvised weapon such as a stool, branch, rock Therefore, if an attack roll exceeds the target number
or clay jug. This attack roll is made with the by 5 or more, additional effects will apply. The more
Brawling Skill or Strength. that the TN is exceeded by, the better the effect.

attacks are either firing a bow or throwing If the TN is exceeded by enough, one of the two possible
a spear, axe or dagger. This attack roll is made effects can be chosen to be applied to the attack. It is
using the Ranged or Thrown Weapons Skill or the also possible to choose a “lesser” effect if desired.
Dexterity Statistic.

TN Exceeded by: Effect

5 +3 to Damage Roll or Damage Armour/Shield
10 Stun 1 round or Free Attack
15 Knock down or Disarm
20 Destroy Armour/Shield or Extra wound level
25 Cleave limb or Double damage D
30 Kill opponent
attack dice and against the same TN. This attack will
Damage Armour/Shield inflict damage as normal.
The Armour or Shield of the target loses 1 from their
Protection value. The attacker chooses which is Knock Down
damaged. The target is knocked to the ground. They can of
course use their next action to rise to their feet but until
Stun 1 Round that time they are considered prone.
The target is stunned until the end of their next round
and suffers a penalty of -1D to all actions during that Disarm
time. The weapon held by the target is freed from their grasp
and flies a few feet away. In order to retrieve their
Free Attack weapon, the target will need to move to the weapon and
The attacker may make another immediate attack spend a full action picking it up.
against the same target rolling the same number of

CHAPTER TWO 14 COMBAT

Destroy Armour/Shield Cleave Limb
The Armour or Shield of the target (chosen by the This mighty blow removes an Arm or a Leg from the
attacker) is damaged enough to render it useless for target. The target must make a Strength roll against a
combat purposes until some serious repair can take TN of 20 each round to avoid collapsing in a heap.
place. The armour now has a Protection value of 0 but Unless urgent medical attention is received, the target
still applies its penalty. will bleed to death in minutes. The target will suffer
whatever penalties the GM sees fit if and when they
Extra Wound Level recover as they struggle with one less limb.
When damage has been calculated (as described
below), the wound level is increased by one. If the Double Damage D
damage roll is lower than the Soak TN, the target will This mighty attack causes more damage
be Stunned. than normal. The damage D and pips
should be doubled, with pips becoming D
as normal. Thus a 4D+2 damage roll
becomes 9D+1. Damage is otherwise
calculated normally.

Kill Opponent
The target of this attack is dead.

If an attack roll exceeds the defence TN, whether static

or active, a blow has been landed and damage may be
inflicted.

The attacker rolls the Damage dice for the weapon they
are using. The damage value for each weapon is based
on Strength, and the damage dice totals are as below.

A character fighting with a weapon in each hand adds

the non-Strength part of the damage total onto their
damage roll, combining pips as usual. A warrior with
a spear as a primary weapon and a hatchet as a
secondary weapon would calculate their damage roll
as STR+2D + 1D+1, which equals STR+3D+1. A Hero
with the Both Handed edge makes an extra attack with
their secondary weapon as described above.

COMBAT 15 CHAPTER TWO

 Long Weapon Damage Special
Spear STR+2D Reach, Can be thrown
Longaxe STR+3D Two Handed
Sword STR+2D+1
Hewing Spear STR+2D+2 Two Handed, Reach
Staff STR+1D Two Handed

Short Weapon Damage Special

Hatchet STR+1D+1 Can be thrown
Sax STR+1D+2
Dagger STR+1D
Knife STR+1

Brawling Weapon Damage Special

Unarmed STR
Improvised STR+1 -1D to attack roll
Club STR+1D

Thrown Weapon Damage Special

Thrown Spear STR+1D+2 50’ range
Thrown Hatchet STR+1D 30’ range
Thrown Dagger STR+2 30’ range

Ranged Weapon Damage Special

Bow STR+2D+2 300’ range

Good Weapons, like armour, cost significantly more, but gain an

additional +1 to the Damage roll.

The damage total rolled for the weapon should be compared to the Soak
plus the Protection value of any armour worn by the target. If the damage
value is greater than the Soak+Protection, damage has been inflicted to the
target. The more the damage total exceeds the TN, the more damage has
been inflicted.

It is suggested that Heroes and major NPC’s should normally roll their Soak
total, and should always use the table below to determine how badly hurt they
are by a blow:

Excess Wound Effect

1-5 Stunned At -1D until end of next round
6-15 Wounded At -1D until healed
6-15 (if wounded) Severely Wounded At -2D until healed
16-20 Incapacitated 15TN STR roll or unconscious
At -3D until healed
21-25 Mortally Wounded Unconscious
Must make survival rolls
26+ Dead

If a Hero is wounded or worse and are then wounded again, the severity level increases by one.
A character can be Stunned and Wounded at the same time, and both penalties will stack.

CHAPTER TWO 16 COMBAT

A Hero who must make survival rolls should make a Wild Swing
Strength roll each round. If the number is less than 5+ A Hero using this attack, much used by berserkers, has
the number of rounds the Hero has been mortally a huge swing or stab with the weapon. The attack will
wounded, the Hero dies. A Healing Skill roll of 15+ add +2 to the damage roll if it hits, but adds a cumulative
must be made to prevent the Hero dying. -2 to the defences of the user for the rest of that round
(or the first attack of the following round if no attacks
Minor characters (soldiers, villagers, bandits etc) should follow this one).
not use the table above and should normally use the
static Soak total. Rather they should use the table
Hard Strike
below to determine their wound status. This makes
This type of attack is tricky to do, applying a -2 penalty
combat faster and more cinematic and is focused on
to the attack roll, but inflicts more damage if it hits with
the Heroes rather than insignificant enemies.
a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Excess Wound Effect
1-15 Wounded At -1D until healed Darting Strike
Dead (if already wounded) This fast attack is hard to avoid and adds +2 to the
16+ Dead attack roll. However, there is not much power in the
blow and the damage roll is modified by -2.

Push Back
A Push Back attack will not do any damage if it hits but
it will push the target a few feet away from the attacker.
This could be dangerous if the fight is taking place on
a bridge or ship and will also counteract a Close Up
attack (see below).

Close Up
An attack roll must be made for this attack type, but if
it hits no damage roll is made. However, the attacker
and target are now very close together, possibly holding
on or with interlocked equipment. Whilst this close,
both attackers make attack rolls with long weapons with
a penalty of -1D and reduce their Parry by -1D (active)
The following section is optional due to the increased
or -3 (static). Either combatant may use a move option
complexity.
to cancel this status, but only if there is plenty of space
around them. A fight inside a house, on a ship, in a
Whenever a character makes an attack in hand to hand
dense forest or in the middle of a battle will be too
combat, they can choose to attack in a specific way. An
crowded to move away. In these situations only a Push
attacker may try and inflict more damage, change
Back attack will separate them.
positioning, open an opponent’s defence up etc. Only
one of these types may be used for a given attack,
although a Hero making more than one attack in a Feint
round may mix and match attack types as desired. The This attack tries to open up the defences of the target
GM may, on occasion, limit which attack types are by feigning a mistake such as a slip. If the attack hits,
available to a Hero in a given round due to other the damage roll is increased by +2. If the attack misses,
circumstances. Some of these types may not be used the attacker has a cumulative penalty of -2 to the
with ranged attacks. defences of the attacker for the rest of that round (or
the first attack of the following round if no attacks follow
Standard Attack this one).
This attack uses the standard rules and is the default
type chosen.

COMBAT 17 CHAPTER TWO

Guarded Strike
This blow is cautious and careful and is concerned with
avoiding being hit as much as inflicting damage. The
attacker has a -1 penalty to both the attack and damage
rolls, but gains a +2 defence against the next attack from A Hero or other character who has been Wounded or
an enemy in the same round. worse will need time to recover from their injuries.

Charge Every three days, an injured Hero must make a Strength

The attacker must be free to rush at least ten feet or so roll. If the Hero has received at least daily treatment
unhindered at an opponent before striking a blow. If from a healer with the Healing Skill, the healer is
the attack hits, the damage roll is increased by +2. considered to be assisting the Strength roll and adds
+1 for every 2D in their Healing Skill. A Hero resting
Full Defence in optimal conditions (not travelling, on a ship, in camp
This special combat action precludes the Hero making etc) receives an extra bonus of +2.
any other attacks this round, but does allow other
actions such as movement. If this action is declared, a STR Roll Result
special bonus of +10 is added to all Active and Passive >4 Injury worsens by 1 severity
Defence scores during this round. 5-8 No change
9-19 Injury improves by 1 severity
20+ Injury improves by 2 severities

Using Two Weapons

It is possible for a Hero to use a weapon in each hand
and strike an enemy with both. For most Heroes, the
second weapon will add a damage bonus to the first
(as detailed below), although fighting this way precludes
the use of a shield.

A Hero with the Both Handed Edge is significantly

better at fighting with two weapons. Although the extra
damage can be applied to the first weapon attack in the
normal way, a Hero with this Edge can also use each
weapon to make a separate attack, against a different
opponent if desired. This Hero can make a Free attack
with the weapon in their second hand against any
opponent in their reach. This free attack does not
generate a multi action penalty, but is of course subject
to other penalties in the normal way.

CHAPTER TWO 18 COMBAT

All Heroes are actually three Heroes. Who they were, homes or on actual raids, but few will ever be truly
who they will be and who they are. It remains to be skilled and widely feared.
seen what the Heroes of this game will become, but
what they were and what they are is covered in this
chapter.

To create a Viking Hero for Vikingr, simply follow the

eight stages outlined below. Most of these stages have
a random element. This can be used to create player
character Heroes if desired, or else players can choose
the elements that suit their character concept best. Use
whatever method suits you best! It is certainly a good
idea to have a character concept in mind at the start; it
will make the process much easier.

Every character has two Edges. These are particular

quirks of the Hero and help set them apart from their
Every Hero starts somewhere, every great warrior was fellow raiders. One should be chosen (or randomly
once someone much more ordinary. To find out who rolled) from each list; under no circumstances may two
your Hero was in the beginning, you need to choose or be taken from the same list. The specific effects of each
randomly roll two separate D6’s to generate an Origin. Edge are detailed below.
This tells you how your Hero spent their early life and
what trade they learned. Later on, during play, any dice 1st D6 2nd D6 List 1 List 2
roll relating to your Origin receives a bonus of +1D. 1-3 1 Wealthy Berserker
2 Noble Tactician
These Origins are self explanatory, and you can receive 3 Fearless Skinchanger
the bonus to skill tests if you can easily convince the 4 Angry Seer
GM that you should. 5 Famous Survivor
6 Old Shield Bearer
1st D6 2nd D6 Origin 4-6 1 Fast War Leader
1-3 1 Farmer 2 Wise Traveller
2 Fisherman 3 Both Handed Shipbuilder
3 Hunter 4 Tough Scout
4 Whaler 5 Huge Gothi
5 Miner 6 Lucky Runemaster
6 Smith
4-6 1 Horsetrader
2 Trader Wealthy
3 Woodsman The Hero somehow owns their own farm, fishing boat,
4 Skald land or workshop. They will have family, employees or
5 Craftsman slaves to work it, and so will have a small independent
6 Ropemaker income. At the start of the game, the Hero will have a
Wealth Rating of 3D to help equip themselves. This
You should now come up with some reason why your asset may, over the course of a long campaign, expand
humble farmer or fisherman is on the path to being a to produce even more income although if it is ever lost,
great hero. Most raiders will fight in defence of their it could take a few years to replace.

Hero creation 19 Chapter three

Noble Fearless
The character was either born into, adopted into, or The Hero is frightened of nothing and no-one and fear
married into the family of a Jarl and so is a part of the is an unknown emotion. Although the Hero is likely to
nobility. This normally means that most other members take excessive risks, they will never need to make Fear
of the Heroes community will treat the Hero with or Morale tests and any troops lead by this Hero will
respect, although the actions of the Hero will of course be far less likely to run.
modify this. In addition, the Hero will always have
somewhere decent to stay and good food to eat Angry
whenever they are in their home village or A Hero with this Edge is furious all of the time. Angry
any allied settlement. at life, at the Gods, at the world and most especially at
their enemies! This Hero will react with anger and
violence in most situations, but does receive a +1 bonus
to all Damage rolls made with melee weapons or when
unarmed.

Famous Parent
This Hero is the son or daughter of someone well
known locally and in the wider area (decide the details
with the GM). This Hero starts with 1D in Renown.

Old
An Old Hero is, obviously, older than most others
who go raiding. Although prone to more aches
and pains, the Hero already has more experience
of life and has an extra 2D to spend on skills at
Character creation. In addition, starting skills can
have 2D+1 put into them rather than the usual 2D.

Fast
Any Hero with this Edge has blindingly fast
reactions and can land a blow before others have
started moving. In combat, this Hero will always
win initiative. If two or more combatants have
this Edge, they must roll initiative normally
amongst themselves, with normal fighters
acting after all Fast characters.

Wise
This Hero has huge reserves of common sense and can
see clearly in most situations. The GM should warn the
player of this Hero if they are about to do something
stupid. In addition, the player can ask, once per
adventure, for GM advice on an upcoming battle,
difficult situation or emergency. Although the GM does
not have to reveal secrets or do all of the planning for
the player, they should provide in-depth advice.

Chapter three 20 Hero creation

Both-Handed will help with interpretation of these strange dreams
This Hero can use both hands equally well, meaning and trances, although it is not required.
that it is much easier to use a weapon in each hand in
combat. The downside to this approach is that the Hero Survivor
must forgo a shield, but the damage inflicted on an This Hero is good at staying alive and has a special +2
enemy can be terrible. bonus to the Block, Parry, Shield and Dodge defence
values, both Static and Active.
Tough
This Hero shrugs off lesser wounds and seems to suffer Shield Bearer
less from more powerful blows. Add +2 to the starting A Hero with the Shield Bearer Edge is a natural with a
Soak score of the Hero (see Chapter 2). shield and may use their static or active defence against
two separate opponents. If an active defence is used
Huge against both, each opponent will require a separate
This Edge means that the Hero is very tall and strongly action and roll.
built. The Hero may have a starting Strength score of
5D, although their Dexterity score may not be more than War Leader
3D at the start of the game. A War Leader Hero has a natural authority, and other
warriors listen to them in the heat of battle. Warriors
Lucky and Warbands led by this Hero are inspired and are
This Hero has been granted extra luck by the Gods and usually much more effective in Battle.
the Norns. The Hero receives an extra Character Point
every adventure.
Traveller
Some sea raiders have travelled far beyond the
Berserker commonly travelled sea lanes and country lanes familiar
A Hero with this Edge is able to work themselves up to their fellows. Far distant lands where strange men
into a frothing rage in battle. The Berserker gains a walk, burning deserts and warm seas have all been
bonus of +2 to attack rolls, damage rolls and Soak. experienced by the true Traveller, and many strange
However, the Berserker must also attack an enemy in people met. A Hero with this Edge is considered to
hand-to-hand combat every round if possible and may have 1D in any language or foreign knowledge test,
take no active defensive actions (only static totals apply). either through a personal visit or second hand
knowledge.
Tactician
This Hero is a master at reading the battlefield, at Shipbuilder
understanding just when to press the attack and when This Hero has a natural and instinctive genius for
to pull back. As a result, troops following the orders of building ships and boats of all kinds. Every craft they
this Hero receive a bonus in battle (See Chapter 6 for build has a +2 pip bonus to all attributes, applied at the
more details.) end of the building process.

Skinchanger Scout
This Hero can change their shape into that of a Bear This Hero has spent many years walking alone and
or Wolf, or sometimes other large and wild animals. watching. Watching for the approach of enemy armies
Whilst in this form, they retain their own mind but are or ships, the migration of reindeer herds, the travel of
otherwise of the animal form. Transformation takes a traders. A Hero with this Edge can assess both the
full round and no equipment changes when the form number and quality of observed troops and has a
does. (Mythic campaigns only). special +1D bonus on all stealth and observation tests
when operating as a scout for either an army or a small
Seer group.
This Edge gives the Hero visions of possible futures
and pasts. They arrive unpredictably, are vague and Gothi
confusing and are never what will actually happen. The If a Hero has this Edge, they are recognised by both the
Hero may also buy the Visions skill, which people and the Gods themselves as a conduit to Asgard.

Hero creation 21 Chapter three

The Gothi can make full use of the Rituals skill and can Norn Urd - That Which Is
try to influence the Gods with these rituals and an D6 Urd
appropriate sacrifice. See Chapter 7 for more details 1 You are having a very good year.
on rituals. You count as having +1D to Wealth Rating for
starting equipment only.
Runemaster 2 You excel in one area.
The Runes skill allows any Hero to read and write the One Statistic may be 4D+1 maximum.
standard Runic alphabet and even rarer runes, but this 3 You learn fast and well.
Edge allows the Hero to imbue them with power. The Two Skills may be 2D+1 maximum.
Runemaster can apply temporary or permanent Runes 4 A joint venture bears fruit.
to invoke specific effects as described in Chapter 7. You own a small Trading vessel.
5 You saved a fellow raider in battle.
One Warrior has pledged his life to you.
6 Your deeds attract the notice of the worthy.
You have the Jarls favour.

Norn Verdandi - That Which is Becoming

All apply for the first season only.

D6 Urd
1 The Gods will favour you.
Everyone, Hero or otherwise, is tied to a destiny (Urd Gain +2 temporary CP.
or Wyrd) by the three Norns who carve the fate of every 2 You will gain silver and gold.
newborn into the World Tree. To this end, every new Gain an extra +1 Loot Pip per Loot dice acquired.
Hero must determine that which has been, that which 3 Your life will be spared.
is and that which will be. This stage of character You may ignore any one attack, which misses
creation is, and must be, random and these results completely.
cannot be chosen by the player. 4 The Norns watch your future.
You have a bonus of +1D to all Luck tests.
Many of the effects derived from these tables will only 5 The Omens are good.
apply later in this process. Make a note of what you You may re-roll one test.
roll. 6 Great wisdom will be granted to you.
You may ask for GM advice once.
Norn Skuld - That Which Has Been
D6 Urd
1 You have been a fast learner.
You have +1 Skill Pip to spend.
2 You have been prudent and careful in your trade.
Gain +1 Wealth Rating Pip.
3 You have become known through a series of
small but significant deeds.
You start with +1 Renown Pip.
4 You have saved coin and other valuables in a
safe place.
Add +2 Loot Pips.
5 You have faced danger many times and never
been afraid.
Gain +2 Bravery Pips.
6 You have natural talent.
You have +1 Statistic Pip to spend.

Chapter three 22 Hero creation

 KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge covers what a Hero knows, their logical
reasoning and their problem solving skills. This Statistic
Now we are ready to define the physical and mental is essentially a measure of the brainpower of the Hero.
Statistics of the Hero. There are six of these, and they Although raiders are not normally known for
each have a standard Dice Total. These Statistics act prioritising intellect over physical attributes, a crew
as the “base” for any skills, and so the higher the value should ignore this statistic at their peril!
of the statistic, the better the hero will be with all related
skills. These statistics can also be rolled on their own
if the Hero does not have a relevant skill. SEACRAFT
This Statistic represents the natural ability with
Each Statistic has a base value of 2D and another the Sea of the Hero. Sailing and rowing are of
6D can be distributed amongst them. No Statistic course key skills for any raider, but other facets
can be raised above 4D (unless an Edge applies) of Seacraft are also represented including
but the 6D can be applied as individual pips boatbuilding, navigation and even fishing!
rather than whole dice (each 1D becomes +3
pips). URD
This is the fate or destiny of the Hero and
STRENGTH their connection to the power of the
This Statistic is the brute physical natural world and even the Gods of
power of the character. How much Asgard. It applies to the more
they can lift, how far they can throw mystical skills, but also functions as
something, how hard they can hit. a measure of the luck of the Hero.
A Hero with high Strength is not Another use of this statistic is to
necessarily huge and represent the inherent bravery of
musclebound, but may instead the Hero, for after all, a Hero with
have muscles like knotted ropes. a strong destiny should be afraid
This Statistic also includes the of nothing!
general physical health and
resilience of the Hero and is used to
resist damage, disease and privation.

DEXTERITY
This Statistic is the speed, agility
and balance of the character, and
is a measure of their self control
over their own body. It influences
how fast a Hero can act in
combat, how proficient they are
with both ranged weapons and
smaller hand weapons and also
how good they are at getting out of
the way of an incoming blow.

PERCEPTION
A Hero with a high Perception is good at
noticing things, whether or not they are
actually looking for them, as well as the
ability to hide and move quietly. This
Statistic also covers the communication
abilities of the Hero, applying to
bargaining and commanding skills.

Hero creation 23 Chapter three

 DEXTERITY SKILLS

Climbing
Once the Statistic values have been determined, the This skill is used whenever the Hero climbs a tree, ship
Skills possessed by the Hero can be decided upon. mast, rope or ladder against a town wall. This skill can
Skill values are added directly to their appropriate also include balancing on a narrow tree branch etc.
Statistic and then the new dice total rolled to test that
skill. Thus a Strength of 3D+1 and a Swimming of Short Weapons
1D+1 would see the Hero rolling 4D+2. If the same A Hero wielding a Sax, Hatchet or Dagger (or indeed
Hero had a Brawling skill of 1D+2, a total of 5D would any small weapon of this type) in battle uses this skill
be rolled to try and punch an enemy because +3 of pips when making an attack. As a rule of thumb, any weapon
are converted into a full 1D. shorter than a man’s forearm comes under the purview
of this skill.
At the start of the game a Hero has 7D to distribute
amongst all of the skills. As usual, these D can be split Shield
into pips if required. A Maximum of 2D may be applied Most warriors use a Shield in battle, providing crucial
to any one skill. Skills may never be increased to more additional protection. This skill allows a Hero to
than 5D. increase their static and active defences against one
opponent when using a shield.
STRENGTH SKILLS
Bows
Athletics This skill is used whenever the Hero fires a bow at an
The Athletics skill covers such activity as climbing, enemy or hunted prey. Although raiders are not great
running, jumping and so forth. Essentially, any physical archers as a rule, bows can be very useful at times.
exertion requiring muscular strength.
Long Weapons
Brawling A Hero would use this skill to attack in hand to hand
This skill covers punching, kicking, headbutting, combat with swords, axes, spears, clubs and any
wrestling and using improvised weapons such as stools, weapon used in two hands.
large clay jars or even tables.
Dodging
Thrown Weapons This skill is used to determine the static and active
Throwing Axes, Spears and Knives can all be used in Dodge defence values.
battles or against single enemies, and all of them use
this skill. It is also useful for cutting the braids from
wenches in drunken games!

Muscle PERCEPTION SKILLS

This skill is used to lift or break things, and any time
when brute strength is required. It does not normally Bargain
apply in combat, although picking up and throwing a Although raiders spend a good deal of their time raiding
wrestled opponent may well count! coastal and river villages, they are also great traders,
shipping goods of all sorts across most of the sea lanes.
Stamina This skill can be used to get a better price when selling,
Whenever a Hero is challenged by disease, starvation, and a better discount when buying!
exhaustion or other physical privation, they may use the
Stamina skill to try and resist. Command
This skill is used to order anyone subordinate to take
Swimming a particular action. It is not possible to order someone
Most raiders spend a lot of time at sea, and the ability to undertake an obviously suicidal action but almost
to swim well is invaluable to most. anything else is possible with a good enough roll.

Chapter three 24 Hero creation

 Gambling
Dice, bones and other gambling games are a popular
way to pass the long winter nights around the hearth
or the long shipboard journeys to far lands. Of course,
the unskilled usually end these games much poorer
than their gaming opponents.

Awareness
This skill is used actively when searching for something
hidden, and statically when someone else is attempting
stealth on you.

Stealth
Hiding from enemy troops, sneaking past a guard or
hiding treasure from an oncoming army are all uses of
this skill.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS

Cultures
Knowledge of neighbouring and foreign cultures might
well avoid conflict where none is sought and could
prevent serious problems. Of course, if conflict is
required, this skill will also help that to happen...

Languages
For every full 1D in this skill, an additional language is
known to conversational level. The skill can also be
used to try and converse at least at a basic level in
almost any other language.

Survival
Obtaining shelter, food and water when away from
civilisation is essential to raiders in enemy territory or
when on a long land or sea journey. This skill will allow
a Hero to procure all three for themselves, and possibly
also for comrades.
Con
Deception is a vital skill to know. Persuading an enemy
Healing
leader that you have more troops than you actually have,
Wounds and disease are a common occurrence for
convincing a lord that very little treasure was obtained
warriors or everyday folk and anyone capable of healing
from a raid or an enemy that you are actually a poor
cuts, bruises, broken bones and stab wounds is in
fisherman and so should be let into the fortified town
constant demand. Rules for Injury and Healing can be
are all uses for this skill.
found in Chapter 2.

Hero creation 25 Chapter three

Tactics people alive almost indefinitely, although the diet would
Optimal battle tactics can mean the difference between be considered monotonous.
a glorious victory and a terrible defeat, and so at least
one Hero leading a large raiding party should know this Navigation
skill! Travel along a wide river or hugging the coast is fairly
easy navigation, and almost any sailor can find their
Animal Lore route this way, albeit slowly. However, finding the
Horses, cattle and dogs are all utilised for various types quickest and safest route between two ports requires
of work, especially when at home. Knowledge of these real navigation skill, especially if the journey is across
animals and how to work them is always a useful skill, the open ocean, when the sun and stars must also be
especially when it also provides a good knowledge of used.
nature as well.

URD SKILLS
SEACRAFT SKILLS
(See Chapter 7 for more detail on the mystical aspects
(See Chapter 5 for more detail on the mystical aspects of these skills).
of these skills).
Rune Lore
Boatbuilding This skill allows the Hero to read and understand
This skill is used to design, supervise and actually build written and engraved runes, and write them also. If the
boats and ships; anything from a small rowing boat to Hero has the appropriate Edge, they are also able to
a large sea-going Dragonship. Ship construction is make use of the mystical power of these symbols.
covered in more detail in Chapter 5.
Saga Lore
Sailing The great Saga’s are a source of entertainment, learning
Out on the open ocean, when the weather is right, ships and pride to most raiders, and almost everyone will
and smaller craft can be propelled by wind power alone, know at least fragments of these. However, knowing
and quickly at that. However, sailing a ship through all the whole of even one Saga is a great challenge, and
weathers is an exacting task and requires great skill. really understanding the meanings is even trickier.

Rowing Omens
Although almost all craft are fitted with at least one sail, The Gods and natural world provide many pointers to
sometimes it is necessary to move by oar power. Even the future to those who know where to look and how
out at sea, the wind can drop suddenly and not rise to interpret them. This skill helps a Hero to make sense
again for many hours. Travelling close inshore or along of these omens and what they might mean for destiny.
rivers also requires muscle power to move the ship.
Religion
Sealore The Gods are fickle and require constant devotion and
Although many people sail the seas as fishermen or attention; but it must be the right sort of attention.
traders, not everyone can really read the mood of the Sacrifices are good, but the right words must be said
ocean and really understand what is, and what will, at the right time over the right sacrifice. Get those wrong
happen. Strange currents, unusual tides and hidden and the Gods might get very angry indeed! This skill
reefs are all dangers that should be understood by a provides an understanding of the proper ways to placate
good shipmaster, and those always have a good rating the Gods and keep them happy.
in this skill.
Visions
Fishing Dreams, drunken hallucinations and the things seen
This skill covers the harvesting of fish from rivers and when certain plants and mushrooms are eaten can be
the sea, by net, by line or by spear. A really good very strange and hard to understand. This skill helps
fisherman can turn up enough food to keep many

Chapter three 26 Hero creation

a Hero understand what these might mean and whether Awareness
they bode good or ill. Equal to Awareness Skill Dice x3, plus pips
or
Bravery Perception Dice x3, plus pips
A Hero who feels connected to their Urd and knows
that they are marked out for great things has little to Dodge
fear for the world. After all, if the Norns have decreed Equal to Dodge Skill Dice x3, plus pips
that the Hero is to be a great warrior or King, there is
no reason to be afraid of enemy soldiers, even if there Dexterity Dice x3, plus pips
are an awful lot of them!
Parry
Equal to Long or Short weapons (whichever is held)
Skill Dice x3, plus pips

Strength Dice x3, plus pips

Shield
Equal to Shield Skill Dice x3, plus pips, plus Shield
Value

Dexterity Dice x3, plus pips, plus Shield Value

Block
Equal to Brawling Skill Dice x3, plus pips

Strength Dice x3, plus pips

Soak
Equal to Strength Dice x3, plus pips

At this point it is also worth noting down that each Hero

has three Character Points (CP’s), and these should be
noted on the Hero Sheet.

Now that the Statistics and Skills have been assigned,

the Static Defence values for the character can be
worked out. These are the values that an opponent
must equal or exceed in order to land a blow, inflict
damage or sneak past. As described in Chapters 1 and
2, a Hero can always spend an action to roll an active
defence, but if not, these values will be used. These
values are recalculated if either the Statistic or Skill
changes.

If the appropriate Skill is possessed, the Static value is

calculated on the total of Statistic and Skill. A Hero The next stage is to determine what equipment your
with a Dexterity of 3D+2 and a Dodging Skill of 1D+2 Hero has. Vikingr does not count every penny spent
would calculate their static defence on a total Dodging and looted, instead using a Wealth Rating system.
Skill of 5D+1 (for a value of 16). Wealth has a score like a Statistic, measured in Dice
and Pips.

Hero creation 27 Chapter three

When a Hero needs to make a serious purchase, such Scout Edge - A sturdy Pony
as a boat or suit of mail, these dice are rolled to see if Gothi Edge -
the item can be bought as described in Chapter 4. The Religious Robe and Sacrificial Knife
wealth rating also affects how well the Hero lives from Runemaster Edge - Etching and painting tools
year to year, also described in Chapter 4.. The third
effect of a particular Wealth Rating is to determine what
equipment a Hero has available at the start of a new
raiding season, and also at the start of the game.

The Wealth Rating of most Heroes will be 2D at the

start of the game. This value will change up and down
over time, but represents the income a Hero will gain
from their “mundane work” outside the raiding season.

If the Hero has the Noble Edge, the Wealth Rating of

the Hero will be 2D+1, and if the Hero has the Wealthy
Edge, it will be 3D.

It is also possible that the GM will reduce (or increase)

the starting Wealth Rating for all new Heroes,
and so the standard equipment for a range of
Wealth Ratings are given here:

1D A Spear, a Shield and a Dagger

2D A Sword or Longaxe, a Shield, a
Dagger
and Leather Armour
3D A Sword, a Hatchet, a Shield, a
Dagger and Ringmail Armour
4D A Good Sword, a Hatchet, a
Shield, a Dagger and Chainmail
Armour
5D A Good Sword, a Good Hatchet,
A Good Shield, a Dagger and
Good Chainmail Armour.

The starting equipment for the appropriate

Wealth Rating should be recorded on the
character sheet. In addition, certain
Edges will also grant extra equipment:

Noble Edge -
Good Clothing and Jewellry
Wealthy Edge - Good Clothing
Shieldbearer Edge -
A Good Shield
War Leader Edge - A War Horn
Ship Builder Edge -
Woodworking tools

Chapter three 28 Hero creation

A Hero with 2D in any of the following Skills will gain 3-4 1 Geir Helga
the listed item of equipment if they don’t already have 2 Gunnar Helle
it: 3 Hagen Inga
4 Halstein Iona
Long Weapons - A Spear, Sword, Axe or Longaxe 5 Halvdan Kari
Short Weapons - A Sax or Dagger 6 Ivar Ragna
Shield - A Shield 5-6 1 Kettil Signe
Bows - A Hunting Bow 2 Leif Solveig
Thrown Weapons - A Throwing Axe or Spear 3 Olaf Thyra
Boatbuilding - Woodworking tools 4 Sigurd Toril
Fishing - A Line and Hook or Fishing Spear 5 Sven Tove
6 Thorsten Unn

Finally, the player should combine all of the information

worked out in the eight stages into a description.
In addition to the above, the Hero will also have some Height, build, age, hair colour and style, facial hair,
(inexpensive) personal effects and enough tools and clothes, armour and weapons, bearing and more can
equipment to earn a living outside raiding season as all be recorded now. This is actually quite important
determined by their Origin. because the physical description of the Hero is how the
rest of the world, friend or foe, sees them.

Every baby is given a name at birth that usually sticks

with them through their life. This given name can be
selected from the table below, or rolled if preferred. In
addition, many people will have a nickname to
distinguish themselves from the various others with that
given name in their village. This nickname can be quite
easily derived from the two Edges that the Hero has.
So a given name might be Erik, and the nickname Old
Shieldbearer. This Hero would then be known as Erik
the Old Shieldbearer. However, any nickname that the
player feels fits the Hero can be given, or it could even
be determined in play.

1st D6 2nd D6 Male Female

1-2 1 Asmund Alfhild
2 Bjorn Astrid
3 Brynjar Bodil
4 Egil Freya
5 Einar Gunhild
6 Erik Gyda

Hero creation 29 Chapter three

Chapter three 30 Hero creation
Vikingr does not require an accurate record of every in preparation for raiding. A Hero who attempts to
coin and possession the Hero has. Because the circumvent this system by giving away good equipment
adventures usually occur in raiding season, much can to poorer colleagues at the end of a season in the sure
happen between one and the next. Wealth can be knowledge that they will be replaced at the start of the
earned and lost, living expenses must be met and work following season should be first warned, and then have
must be done. So, instead, every Hero has a Wealth their Wealth Rating reduced by 1D to represent the great
Rating. Defined as D and pips like Skills and Statistics, strain this behaviour has placed on their resources.
the Wealth Rating will determine how well that Hero
lives year round and what armour, weapons and other
equipment they can afford to buy.

Each Hero has a Wealth Rating determined at the

character creation stage. Generally this will be 2D, but
a few Heroes will have higher. Over time, it is possible
to increase Wealth Rating, but certain events can also
reduce this rating.

This rating is used in several ways. Firstly it determines

the standard of living of the Hero as described below.
Secondly it determines what equipment the Hero starts
with every raiding season. This is given in Chapter 3,
but is replicated here for convenience:

1D A Spear, a Shield and a Dagger

2D A Hatchet or Longaxe, a Shield, a Dagger and
Leather Armour
3D A Sword, a Hatchet, a Shield, a Dagger and
Ringmail Armour
4D A Good Sword, a Hatchet, a Shield, a Dagger and
Chainmail Armour
5D A Good Sword, a Good Hatchet, a Good Shield, a
Dagger and Good Chainmail Armour.

(With the agreement of the GM weapons and armour

can be swapped for similar or lesser items).

At the start of any raiding season, a Hero will have the

equipment proper to his Wealth Rating. If, at some
point, the Hero has acquired other (or better) equipment
than this, it will replace the standard items on the list.
If however this better equipment ever gets lost or
destroyed, it will be replaced with the standard item at
the start of the next season. This all represents the
Hero saving up wealth and goods to equip themselves

EQUIPMENT 31 CHAPTER FOUR

The Wealth Rating of a Hero can come from land, Assist themselves with the same effect as a normal
farming, trading, hunting or any other honest toil. It Assist. There are three possible outcomes:
does not necessarily need to be carefully defined just
how a Hero is earning a living, but the player can detail The roll is a success (higher than the TN). The Hero
this if they wish. has enough wealth to pay for or trade with to buy the
item in question.

The roll is a failure. The Hero cannot afford that item

this season and must wait at least a month or so to
retry.

A Hero can also use their Wealth Rating to buy other The roll succeeds, but only by between 1 and 10. The
bits of equipment. This can be done during an purchase will exhaust the wealth of the Hero if the
adventure or out of season, and is as simple as making purchase is made and no further purchases may be
a Wealth Rating roll against a TN set by the item to be made until the start of the next season. If another Hero
purchased (TN’s for sample equipment are given later (or Heroes) has assisted with this Wealth Rating roll
in this chapter). If a Hero who is buying equipment for and the success is between 1 and 10, the assisting Hero
themselves also has the Bargain Skill, they are able to is also out of free wealth and may not make rolls
themselves or assist with wealth rolls until the next
raiding season. If the Hero decides not to make the
purchase, further purchase rolls may only be made for
lower TN items until a month has passed or the Hero
visits another settlement.

A Hero may increase their Wealth Rating by investing

loot (see below) or as a reward from a greater lord.
Saving the life of the Jarl’s only son may well earn the
Hero a grant of land and some slaves to work it, and
could be an extra +2 pips or even a whole D added to
Wealth Rating.

A GM may also reduce the Wealth Rating of a Hero if

the home village of a Hero is looted or raided or
following specific events. Trading wealth directly will
also reduce Wealth Rating. A Hero who trades away
their wealth rather than the proceeds gains a +6 bonus
to one purchase roll, but reduces their Wealth Rating
by -1D to represent the loss of assets.

CHAPTER FOUR 32 EQUIPMENT

 2D - Average
A Hero with this Wealth Rating lives in a reasonable
Although a raider will often live off the land (or the farms house that is at least weatherproof. There is little
and produce of the villages they are raiding) during the furniture, and what there is is old and much repaired,
summer months, the rest of the year will be spent at but at least a small fire burns during the winter months.
home, in a house and earning a living one way or Food is plain but there is enough to keep starvation
another. Coins are minted by Jarls and Kings, but most from the door. Clothes will also be plain but will keep
of the coinage circulating in a Northman village or town out the weather. There will be few luxuries to be had.
will be loot from a foreign raid; craftsmen, farmers and
so on all earn these coins by selling their produce, and This is the standard of living of the vast majority of
in turn spend it on tools etc. common folk in the north lands and most of these
people manage from year to year, bringing up a family
Generally a Vikingr campaign won’t go into great detail and surviving. A really bad winter or poor raiding
on the mundane life of a raider at home. They will work, season will, however, stretch this living standard to
raise a family, maintain a home and generally just get breaking point.
on with things. It can be important however to know
just how well they have lived. If an enemy raid on the 3D - Wealthy
town has razed many of the houses to the ground and This Wealth Rating allows the Hero to live in a
killed most of the livestock, and the Hero has been comfortable house with more than one room, all of
reduced to 1D Wealth Rating, the Hero and his family which are warmed by small fires. There is plenty of
will be on the verge of starvation all winter, will have plain but solid furniture and the food will be plentiful
threadbare clothes and will start the new season with and tasty. The Hero and family will all have more than
poor quality equipment. A Hero who has managed to one set of good clothing and any livestock will be well
build up their wealth to 4D or even become Jarl of a fed and healthy. Although luxuries will not be plentiful,
prosperous town with a Wealth Rating of 5D will eat they will at least be regular.
the best foods (and plenty of them), wear fine warm
clothing, have a blazing fire in the hearth all winter long 4D Rich
and will have the best equipment. A Hero with the Rich standard of living will live in a
large well built house with a few slaves to see to their
A Hero with the Noble Edge will be able to live at a needs. Good furniture fills the rooms which are warmed
standard at least +1D to their Wealth Rating (5D by large fires and very good food is on the tables.
maximum). They cannot use this extra D to buy Clothing is of very good quality indeed and small
equipment or influence starting equipment each year, luxuries are to be had daily.
as it represents living in the halls of their family rather
than on their own account. 5D Jarl
At the top of the scale of living standards are the Jarls.
A summary of living standards are given below for each At this living standard, the Hero has a large mead hall
Wealth Rating, although these are rough guidelines and associated buildings, numerous slaves to undertake
rather than absolutes. A wealthy Jarl whose town has chores and plentiful well made furnishings. Food is
been razed at the same time as flooding, famine and plentiful and of the best quality, often with costly
plague will struggle to live well at all, although compared imported ingredients, and clothing is of rich cloth and
to those with a Wealth Rating of 1D, they will be ornamentation. Luxuries are on the table daily.
relatively comfortable.

1D - Poor Living Standard

This Hero lives in little better than a shack. Furniture
is poor or non-existent, a tiny fire splutters through the
winter and there is little food to cook on it. Clothing is
threadbare and much patched and any remaining
livestock will be sickly and unhealthy. There will be no
luxuries of any sort.

EQUIPMENT 33 CHAPTER FOUR

 Loot can be gifted to followers to either gain Loyalty
(see Chapter 6) or to gain Renown. Each D of Loot
Loot is the silver, gold, gems and other valuables stolen expended this way gains a +1 Renown pip.
from rich monasteries, villages, palaces and merchants
on raids, or even from fearsome monsters. It is normally Loot can also be invested to increase Wealth Rating.
in the form of items such as crucifixes, bowls, plates, Spending 2D of Loot permanently increases the Wealth
rods and so forth, but could also be torcs, rings and Rating of the Hero by +1 pip.
other personal effects. Generally this loot is not sold
intact. It is either sold to be melted down or else lumps
are hacked off with a blade and given to someone else
as payment (known as hacksilver). Like Wealth Rating,
the GM does not have to go into great details about
what the Loot exactly is, rather that it is valuable and
worth this many D and this many pips.

Because this loot is a one-time acquisition, it is kept

separate from the Wealth Rating which is the ongoing
income for the Hero, although it is still rated in D and
pips. Thus a raid might seize 2D worth of loot, which
is split six ways between the small crew. Each gains
+1 pip of Loot.

Not all raiders sail simply to raid. Most villages and

towns have a strong tradition of coastal trading, taking
small ships up and down the coastline and trading food,
timber, furs, cloth, pottery, amber and other resources.
Some traders even sail up the wider rivers deep inland
to sell their trade goods to the larger towns there.

The operators of these small vessels, which may only

This Loot must be protected, and can be lost if the ship need a few crew, buy a hold full of goods in their home
carrying the raiders and their loot sinks on the way village at the start of the season and then sail to another
home, is taken by enemies or an unfriendly Jarl port to sell. A lot will depend on whether the buying
impounds it at the village dock. Loot is often buried in port needs the goods or not. Taking timber to a heavily
a secret place in the wilderness over winter to protect forested area to sell to a village known for its
it from thieves. woodcutters is a certain way to make a loss. On the
other hand, taking timber to a village on a windswept
The Loot accumulated by a Hero can be used in several treeless island will be an easy way to make plenty of
ways: profit.

It can be added to a purchase test using Wealth Rating, Buying a cargo requires a 10TN Bargain test to buy
although if the roll is a success and the item bought, the each unit of cargo. Chapter 5 gives the cargo capacity
Loot D and pips committed are forever spent. A Hero of each ship type. If the result is between 10 and 19,
can use some or all of their Loot as they see fit. These the trader will stretch their resources buying this cargo
D and pips add to the Wealth Rating in the normal way. and if the trade goes ahead, the trader will have a -1D
penalty for future buying tests until the cargo is sold. If
Loot Dice or pips can add to Wealth Rating when the buying test is re-attempted here before a month has
determining the starting equipment at the beginning of passed, the same result will apply.
a raiding season. Like a successful purchase roll, once It is not normally necessary to specify exactly what the
used this way the Loot is spent and gone. Loot D and vessel is carrying, although the players can decide this
pips can also be added to Wealth Rating to determine if they wish.
living standards for one year, but is also expended this
way.

CHAPTER FOUR 34 EQUIPMENT

 If the port does Need the goods, a failed test will see
the trader making their money back as above. A
successful Bargain test will produce a profit of +1 Loot
pip per unit of cargo. A success by 10 or more will
produce a profit of +2 Loot pips per unit of cargo.

If the port is Desperate for the goods, a failure on the

Traders working a known trading route, where the Bargain test will still see a profit of +1 Loot pip per unit
produce and requirements of both ports is known make of cargo. A success will make +2 Loot pips per unit and
a reasonable profit on most runs. The sale port is a success by 10 or more will produce +1D Loot per unit.
considered to “Need” the trade goods carried.

Travelling to a port unknown to the shipmaster or crew

introduces an element of uncertainty to the trade. Until
the traders get to the new port, they will not know what
is required there. When the trade ship arrives, the
Shipmaster should make a Luck test against a TN of
10. If the Luck test is a failure, the port is considered
to “Not Need” the goods that the ship is carrying. If the Once the cargo has been sold, the trader may then buy
Luck test is a pass, the port “Needs” the cargo. If the another cargo and head to a port that is known or
Luck test is passed by 10 or more, the port is unknown. The GM will determine how many trading
“Desperate” for the trade goods. stops may be made per season or part
season.

This section lists some of the

Once the ship has docked and a common items of equipment that a
potential buyer found, the trader can Hero may need to buy from a
bargain for a price. The number of units craftsman or trader. Before any rolls
of cargo to be sold should be declared are made to buy something, the
first. An opposed Bargain test should player should first check with the GM
then be made against the buyers that an item is actually available where the
Bargain Skill. An average buyer will Hero is. A tiny coastal village with twenty
have a Bargain total of 5D. inhabitants is unlikely to have several suits
of chainmail and a stock of swords just
If the port does Not Need the goods, a failed laying around waiting to be bought.
Bargain test means that a loss has been
made. The shipmaster/trader will have a Minor items such as combs, plates, dice
penalty of -1D to all Wealth rating tests until and so forth can be bought (within reason)
the start of the next season. A success on if they are available and the Hero is of a
the Bargain test means that the trader makes suitable Wealth Rating. Similarly, a Hero
their money back, but no more. The ship no will be able to feed themselves with
longer has a cargo, but another can be suitable food and drink during an
bought as above. If the test is passed by 10 adventuring season. Essentially, the GM
or more, the Trader will make +1 Loot pip is the arbiter of whether a Wealth Rating
per unit of cargo up for sale. test is needed or not and what the TN might
be. Common sense is invaluable here!

EQUIPMENT 35 CHAPTER FOUR

Good items have a TN that is 10 higher than the Misc TN
standard TN. The effect of a Good item varies, but Rope 4
Good weapons and armour are described in Chapter Grapple 6
2. Tent 8
Thick Blanket 4
Ships are not listed in this Chapter due to the range of
options available. Ships are fully described in Chapter
5. Any other item not listed here can be easily assigned Although most of the few items of equipment listed
a TN based upon the relative value compared to those above are self explanatory, a few may need describing.
items which are listed.
A Longaxe is a single headed axe mounted on a long
and heavy handle, designed to be swung with two hands.
Weapons TN This weapon is too heavy to use single handed.
Spear 5 A Hewing Spear is a heavy spear with a long and wide
Longaxe 12 blade used for both slashing and stabbing. It is
Sword 14 sometimes known as an Atgeir or Mail-Piercer.
Hewing Spear 10 A Hatchet is a fairly small axe with a hooked blade. It’s
Staff 3 short haft allows it to be used in close combat and it
Hatchet 5 can also be thrown a short distance at an opponent.
Sax 7 The Sax is a short, heavy bladed, single edged sword
Dagger 5 used for stabbing and slashing. It is usually worn in a
Knife 3 horizontal sheath across the lower back and often
Club 3 drawn when a shieldwall closes and space is limited.
Bow 10
Ringmail armour consists of a thick leather jerkin with
large rings of metal sewn onto it. These rings rarely
Armour TN interlock, rather they protect the leather underneath
Thick Clothing 4 from slashes and can also prevent stabs.
Leather 8 Shields are made from wood with an iron boss in the
Ringmail 10 centre and a wooden or leather handle to hold. Good
Scale 14 Shields also have iron banding around the rim and
Chain 16 maybe even across the face to try and prevent the shield
Shield 5 falling apart too fast.

Winter clothing is made from furs and thick wool and

Armour TN outer garments are often waterproofed with animal fat.
Normal Clothing 3 Winters in the northlands can be very harsh indeed and
Wealthy Clothing 12 this type of clothing is essential for anyone
Rich Clothing 16 travelling or working outside for any length of
Winter Clothing 5 time.
Travelling Gear 6 Travelling Gear consists of a large
and thick cloak waterproofed with
pig fat that will not only keep the
Animals TN traveller dry but double as a
Dog 3 blanket and bedroll, stout-soled
Horse 15 high leather boots, a
Pony 9 waterproofed hat and a sling
Cart 15 bag of leather to keep
possessions dry.

CHAPTER FOUR 36 EQUIPMENT

The rugged nature of most of the northlands means Seaworthiness
that almost all of the towns, villages and isolated Whereas the Hull Statistic refers to the physical integrity
farmsteads are found on the coast. Most trade and of the ship, Seaworthiness refers to how well it stays
travel is conducted by sea or river, although some afloat and whether or not it leaks. A low value in this
individuals or very small groups may walk or ride Statistic means that the ship will constantly let in trickles
overland. This long history of seafaring led onto the of water, and also means that it will probably sink in a
practice of shiploads of warriors heading off to raid mild swell. A high rating will be watertight and will
distant settlements every summer and return with loot. enable the ship to survive a howling gale with ease.

All of this means that ships are the lifeblood of any town
or village. A Jarl or King will want the biggest and best Speed
ships and poor quality or old ships could lead to the This Statistic reflects how fast the ship moves through
loss of many brave warriors at sea. Even the small and the water. It is used to find out how long a journey takes,
large trading vessels, fishing craft and small personal whether one ship can catch another and also whether
boats need to be sturdily built and well looked after if a ship can be easily beached. In general, the shallower
a settlement is not to fail. the draught of the ship, the faster it is. That is to say
that the deeper a ship sits in the water, the slower it is.
Ships will be essential to any Hero and their followers. Because of this, the Cargo and Speed ratings added
This chapter describes how they work in play, how they together cannot be more than 5 (unless the ship has no
are designed and built and some standard ships of the oars, in which case the maximum total is 6). The fastest
region. ships have no cargo space at all and the heavily laden
cargo ships are slow.

Cargo
This statistic is simply a number between 1 and 5 rather
Ships, whether large or small, have various Statistics than a dice value. This value determines how much in
just like Heroes and other character do, and these can the way of trade goods, passengers, loot or slaves a ship
be tested with dice rolls in exactly the same way. Thus can carry.
a rickety old ship, falling apart at the seams, might have
a Seaworthiness of 2D. If the weather gets up and a Each point of Cargo rating allows for the carrying of:
Seaworthiness test is called for, 2D are rolled and the 1 unit of cargo
total compared to the TN. On a failure, the ship starts 10D of Loot
letting in water, but on a success it just holds together.
These Statistics, which have a maximum of 5D, and the
way they are used, are given below: Crew
Since all vessels require a crew to sail (or row) them
effectively, each has a Crew rating. Unlike the other
Hull Statistics, this one is not determined by how the ship
This statistic is somewhat analogous to the Strength of is built or what has happened to it since; rather the Crew
a Hero. It refers to how tough the hull is, how much rating changes as those on board change. In general
punishment it can take from weather, waves, collisions the Crew rating will be assigned by the GM based upon
and groundings. A high Hull rating means that a ship who is onboard.
will be very, very difficult to break up. Hull is not related
to the size of the vessel. A large ship could be fairly
fragile whilst a small two-man boat is tough; or indeed Urd
vice versa. Just like Heroes, ships also seem to have an innate luck
and destiny. Some ships have problem after problem
before finally sinking on a fine calm day whilst others

Ships and sailing 37 CHAPTER five

seem to go years and years with no issues at all. This It is perfectly possible to sail a ship, even over long
is especially important when off raiding as the resident distances, with a small crew of sailors. However, this
spirits of those far off lands may well look to curse will preclude the use of oars at any point and so the
enemy ships. Many raiders mount a carved Dragon ship may be becalmed or may have problems leaving
Prow on their ship, but only when they approach the or entering a port. Also, the ship will be easy prey to a
enemy shore to help scare off these hostile spirits. fully crewed warship if attacked.

Ships are operated in much the same way as a Hero

or character. A GM can call for a Statistic test to see if
a ship resists damage from being rammed, to see if a
ship can outrun a storm or any other situation.

These tests could be made against a fixed value, if the

situation is stable. Three ships swept onto a rocky Rowing
beach would make Hull tests against a TN of 10 due to
the hardness of the beach. Rowing tests are made when the wind is so light that
the sail provides no motive power. The ship must have
If however the situation could be somewhat different a full complement of crew to row, and again the test is
each time, the TN could be determined by an opposed made against the Crew rating with an Assist from the
roll. Three ships caught in a storm but somewhat Rowing Skill of the Shipmaster or other Hero. When
strung out might make a roll against the storm intensity rowed, a ship can make 1 knot per D of Speed rating,
of 3D. again influenced by the weather conditions.

Obvious cases such as two ships racing to get to a port Rowing requires a full complement of crew to effectively
first would be made as a direct Speed test against each row a ship. For every 10% of rowers missing or injured,
other. reduce the Crew Skill by 1D.

Although approximate speeds have been given, most

journey lengths will be determined more by narrative
Sailing demand than careful calculation.

Sailing tests are used whenever the ship is under sail.

This is made using the Crew Rating, but the Shipmaster
is able to Assist using his own Sailing Skill. As a rule, Navigation
the GM would only ask for a test if the wind is very
strong or very light or if the Shipmaster is trying to When a ship makes a journey, either coastal or on open
maneuver the ship through surface rocks or at speed ocean, the Shipmaster (or someone in the crew acting
into a port. In good conditions, a ship can manage 3 as navigator) must make a Navigation Skill test. Sample
knots per D of Speed rating. Of course, weather TN’s would be as follows:
conditions will have a big impact on speed.

CHAPTER five 38 Ships and sailing

A short coastal journey on a well known route 5 with the Hull of the ship. Sample Damage totals could
A long well known coastal journey or a short be:
unknown coastal journey 10
A long unknown coastal, or a short open Damage Cause Damage Dice
ocean journey 15 Small fire 1D
A long open ocean journey 20 Stony beach 1D
Medium fire 2D
Poor weather, especially rain and heavy cloud, make Pier or jetty 2D
navigation more difficult and could increase the TN by Large fire 3D
5 or more. Stone wall of cliff 3D
Huge fire 4D
A failed Navigation test will increase the time taken to Submerged rocks 4D
make the journey. This could have an impact on food Jagged rocks 5D
supplies, especially if successive Navigation tests are
repeatedly failed, but could also have an effect on the As with personal combat, the Damage total and Hull
outcome of a campaign. Longer journeys total are compared. If the damage total is higher, the
mean less raiding, less trading ship will take damage, depending on how much higher
and other problems! the Damage total is:

Excess Damage Level Effect

1-5 Weakened -1D to all ship tests
6-10 Damaged -2D to all ship tests
11-15 Severely Dam. -3D to all ship tests
16+ Sinking Ship will sink in 1D6
rounds

If an already damaged ship takes further damage of

an equal or lower severity, the current damage
severity is increased by one level.
Damage and Sinking

A ship damaged by
a collision with
another ship
or with rocks,
by enemy
warriors or by
fire will
increase in
Damage
levels Repair
like a
Hero A damaged ship must be hauled out of the
does water to be repaired, and each severity level
requires a week or so to repair, given
when adequate crewmen, materials and tools. A
they take Shipbuilding test will be required from
damage. whoever is leading the repair, although
The damage will have a assistance is possible. A ship damaged to Sinking
D value that is tested severity can still be repaired if the damage is
as an opposed roll incurred on a river or close to shore and the
vessel is recoverable.

Ships and sailing 39 CHAPTER five

The TN for the Shipbuilding test depends on the assigned Luck pips are lost. A Prow reduced to 0 Luck
Damage Severity, but could also be modified further by pips must be ritually burned and a new one
the available resources. Each success reduces the commissioned. A Dragon Prow may not have more
Severity by one grade, unless the total exceeds the TN than 2D of extra Luck and a ship may only have one
by 10 or more, in which case two grades of severity are Dragon Prow at a time.
repaired.

Damage Severity TN
Weakened 5
Damaged 10
Severely Damaged 15
Sinking 20

Ship Luck

A GM can ask for a ship Luck test in the same way as The six Seacraft Skills that a Hero can have are all
they would for a Hero. If a burning sack of oiled straw extremely useful on board ship and should not be
is thrown onto a ship, a Luck test may be called for to neglected. The specific use of each of these is covered
see if the ship itself ignites. A ship sailing under a cliff below.
when a rockfall occurs would also need to make a Luck
test. The effects of failed or passed tests are determined Boatbuilding
by the GM. A Shipmaster can use CP’s to improve these This skill is used primarily to build a new ship (using
rolls, but no other Hero. the rules in the following section) but is also used to
repair damaged ships. This skill can also be used to
assess the structural integrity or quality of another ship
or even sabotage a vessel!

Sailing
Used to control a ship under sail, this skill also covers
all of the ancillary tasks involved such as sail repair,
rigging, steering etc.

Rowing
It is possible for a Shipmaster to fit a carefully carved This skill is used by a Shipmaster to focus the efforts
and dedicated Dragon Prow to their ship to increase of a rowing crew, but is also used by an individual Hero
their Luck tests. This prow is normally only fitted when to row a small boat.
away from the ship’s home port (and in fact will have
no effect if fitted when in sight of home) but when the Sealore
Dragon Prow is fitted to a new ship, it has +1 Luck pip. This is an essential Skill for all Shipmasters due to the
Luck points can be added to any Luck test at the many facets of knowledge required during a voyage.
discretion of the Shipmaster. If the Luck test succeeds, Knowledge of ocean and offshore currents, reefs and
the bonus increases to +2 Luck pips and so forth. sandbars, tides and rivers are all continuously tested.

Like Renown for Heroes, these pips can be split as

desired to be added to tests. If the Luck test fails, the

CHAPTER five 40 Ships and sailing

Fishing one time. Equally, different people may try and pay for
This Skill is used during a long journey to catch fish each stage below to split the cost, and Loot is often used
using trailing lines to help supplement the supplies for this purpose.
carried. The TN for this test will depend on the time of
year, the local fish stocks, the weather and lots of other
factors, but it is entirely possible to keep a small crew
fed for most of a journey with locally caught fish.

Navigation
This Skill is used to plot and maintain a course between
two locations using the sun, the stars, ocean currents
and even the taste of the water! Stage 2 - Build Hull

Of course, many other Skills and Statistics will be useful The Hull of the ship is built first and defines many of
on board a ship, from climbing (going up the mast to the later features. The Shipbuilder must decide what
see further) to Athletics (oar running!) to Omens (is it Hull Statistic rating they want to have, and the person
the right time to sail?). An inventive player will make paying must then make a Wealth Rating test. The base
the most of what their Hero can do. TN depends on the Hull Rating of the Ship, with a
further modifier for the size.

Hull Rating TN
1D 5
2D 10
Although Heroes will often start a campaign as part of 3D 15
the warband of a Jarl and go raiding on the Jarl’s ships, 4D 20
at some point the Heroes will want to build their own 5D 25
ship. This section contains the rules and procedure Per pip +2
that should be followed when a Shipbuilder Hero starts Small +0
construction. Medium +5
Large +10
Remember that a Hero with the Shipbuilder Edge adds
+2 to each of the ship Statistics (not Crew or Cargo) at This stage will normally take at least a couple of
the end of the process. months, during which time the Shipbuilder must be in
constant attendance.

Stage 1 - Planning Next, the Shipbuilder must make a Shipbuilding test to

see if the Hull is constructed properly. The TN for this
Firstly, the Shipbuilder should decide what type and test depends on the Hull rating of the ship, but is
size of ship is to be built. The larger the vessel, the independent of size:
more it will cost to build and the more crew will be
needed. A ship will either be small, medium or large. Hull Rating TN
What the ship is needed for will also be a consideration. 1D 5
Is it a trading ship, powered purely by sail or a light 2D 10
warship, intended for raiding? Is it a small vessel used 3D 15
purely for coastal travel or a huge flagship? The type 4D 20
and size should be noted, as these will influence later 5D 25
stages. Per pip +2

It is important to remember that a ship can be built over If this roll is failed, the ship will never sail, although at
months or even years if necessary. Only the wealthiest this stage the ship can be deconstructed and another
individuals can build a ship straight off, and many attempt made, taking more time but no further Wealth
Shipbuilders will have several hulls on the go at any Rating test.

Ships and sailing 41 CHAPTER five

 Stage 4 - Fit out and Finish Off

Stage 3 - Waterproof The next stage is to fit out the ship and finish off
construction. This stage will determine the Cargo
The next stage in the construction process is to caulk Rating and Speed Rating of the vessel. The Cargo
and otherwise waterproof the ship. This stage Rating does not require a Wealth rating or Shipbuilding
determines the Seaworthiness rating of the vessel and test as it is mainly an allocation of space for cargo along
depends upon the amount of time and money spent, with a few small structural modifications. The
and the skill of the Shipbuilder. maximum cargo rating does however depend on size:

Again, a Wealth Rating test must be made by the Size Max Cargo rating
financial backer, with the TN depending on the Small 1
Seaworthiness rating and the size of the ship: Medium 3
Large 5
Seaworthiness Rating TN
1D 5 Remember that a ship may have a Cargo rating of 0 if
2D 10 desired, although there will only be limited space for
3D 15 Loot and passengers.
4D 20
5D 25
Per pip +2

Small +0
Medium +5 Once the Cargo rating has been allocated, the Speed
Large +10 of the vessel needs to be determined. This is mainly
based upon the shape of the Hull (itself influenced by
Next the Shipbuilder must make a Shipbuilding test to the Cargo rating) but also by how the timbers are treated
determine if this process is carried out properly. If this and finished and will have a maximum equal to 5 minus
test is failed, the final Seaworthiness rating is reduced the Cargo rating. A Wealth rating test is required first,
by 1D for every 5 the test is failed by. To re-waterproof modified by both the Size and whether Oars are to be
the ship, it must be completely dismantled and the fitted:
Stage 2 Shipbuilding test must be repeated before this
stage can be re-tried. Speed Rating TN
1D-2D 5
Seaworthiness Rating TN 3D-4D 10
1D 5 5D 15
2D 10 Per pip +1
3D 15
4D 20 Small-Medium +0
5D 25 Large +5
Per pip +2
Oars +5

CHAPTER five 42 Ships and sailing

Next a Shipbuilding test must be made to finish off the To add a prow requires a Wealth Rating test with a TN
vessel, taking a month or so. There is also a modifier of 15, due to the care and materials that go into the
to this test if the ship is to be fitted with oars. If this preparation and construction. The construction and
test is failed, the Speed is reduced by 1D for every 5 the preliminary carving of a Prow requires a week or two
test is failed by. Note that the Cargo rating is not of work by the Shipbuilder, although a Shipbuilding test
increased if the Speed is reduced by a failed test. This is not required.
test cannot be re-tried.
Once the initial work has been done, the fine carving
Speed Rating TN and painting must be performed by a Hero or other
1D-2D 5 character with the Runelore Skill. The TN for this test
3D-4D 10 is 15, and if successful, imbues the Prow with the +1
5D 15 Luck pip as described above. If the test is failed, the
Per pip +1 Prow must be ritually burned and the process restarted.

If Oars are not fitted, the Cargo rating of the ship is

increased by +1 at this stage, although the maximums
by size still apply.

Lastly, the ship must be commissioned and launched,

which takes a few weeks. The Luck of the ship is
determined at this stage, which defines the Urd rating.
The base Urd of the vessel is based upon the Urd
statistic of the Shipbuilder, although it is modified by a
roll on the following table:

1D6 Urd Modifier

1-2 1D
3-4 As Shipbuilder
5-6 +1D

This D6 roll is modified by +1 if a full dedication ritual

is followed, including a sacrifice of either a person or
at least 3D of Loot. The Ritual must be properly
conducted and successful as described in Chapter 7.

If desired, a Dragon Prow can be fitted now. Not every

ship has one, and they can be fitted at a later stage if
desired, but if one is added, the following process
should be followed.

Ships and sailing 43 CHAPTER five

 Stage 5 - Crew The GM should determine the quality of a new Crew
The last stage, which takes place just before a raid, and and assign a Crew Rating as appropriate. A Wealth
indeed may need to be repeated again, is to crew the rating test is not normally required to recruit a crew of
ship. The minimum number of crew required to sail or raiders as they will take a share of any Loot seized. If
row a ship of a given Size and Speed rating are given the same warband/crew is used over several seasons,
below: the Crew will improve over time as described in Chapter
6.
Size Speed Sailing Crew Rowing Crew
Small 1D-3D 1 4
4D-5D 2 6
Medium 1D-3D 6 60
4D-5D 10 90
Large 1D-3D 16 120
4D-5D 20 150

Of course, a Crew need not be made up of specialist

sailors; a large and fast ship could have 20 sailors on
board as well as 150 warriors there to row as well as
raid.

CHAPTER five 44 Ships and sailing

 Personal transport
Small
Yes
The ship building guide above allows the Heroes to 1
design almost any ship they can imagine (and afford). 4
There are however many ships of a “standard” design
sailing the coasts and open seas. Some of those are 2D
described here for convenience and inspiration. 1D+2
1D+2
The Crew and Urd ratings are typical of what could be 0
encountered by the Heroes, but these can be altered to 2D+2
take into account the builder and differing crews. 2D

A purchase TN is also given for each ship type to enable 20

the Heroes to buy an “off the peg” ship. These numbers
are intentionally high to encourage ship design, even if
the Heroes have to search out an NPC shipbuilder.
Very few ships are sold on the open market, so Skute
availability will also be an issue.
There are many small ships that come under this
description and name, and many different designs.
Sea Raider Ships These small ships are designed to allow travel along
the coast, some small trade, scouting of enemy areas,
All of the Sea Raider ships listed here are built in the fishing and so forth. They are usually quickly and
traditional style. They are all clinkerbuilt, that is to say cheaply built and are normally kept to inshore waters
the planks of the hull overlap the one below. The hull to protect them from the wrath of the sea.
is waterproofed with sheep's wool dipped in tar, and
most have a shallow draught and keel. The rudder is
a long steering oar to one side of the stern, and both
stern and prow are pointed and high. There is only ever
one mast in the centre of the ship, and one rectangular
sail suspended from a yard, None of these ships have
decks or cabins, although waterproof canvas sheets
may be erected to keep out bad weather.

Skipsbat
Coastal transport
These boats are towed behind (or stowed on) larger Small
vessels to allow easy transport between an anchored Yes
ship and the shore, or else used by people living on 2
rivers or the coast to easily cross water. These boats 6
sometimes have a small mast and sail, but they are
rarely strong enough to survive the open seas. 2D
2D
4D
1
2D+2
2D

25

Ships and sailing 45 CHAPTER five

Karfi

This ship is the smallest of the longships, able to carry

up to two warbands at a good speed. They are tough
enough to cross the open sea and can also be loaded
down with a small amount of loot or cargo. This ship
has the long, narrow and shallow shape common to all
longships.

3D
3D
4D
1D
3D
2D

40

Small longship Byrding

Medium
Yes These trading ships are a common sight in every port
6 in the northlands moving wood, furs, food, metals,
60 pottery and indeed just about any cargo. Requiring only
a small crew and able to carry a surprising amount of
3D cargo, these ships are a popular way of making a living.
3D
3D Trader
1 Medium
3D No
2D 6
-
35
2D+2
3D
3D
Drakkar 3
3D+1
The Drakkar, or Dragonship, is the most common type 2D
of longship used on raids. Up to 30m long with the
classic narrow shape, the Drakkar can transport up to 35
three warbands to a raid, and return with a reasonable
amount of loot. These ships almost always have a
Dragon Prow fitted when raiding.

Longship
Size: Medium
Yes
10
90

CHAPTER five 46 Ships and sailing

Skeide Warship
Large
Larger and longer, at up to 40m, than the Drakkar, this Yes
ship can carry up to four warbands and a large amount 20
of Loot. These ships are a sign of status amongst the 150
Jarls, due to the expense of building them and the large
number of raiders needed to crew them. They also 3D+2
cause a significant amount of alarm when sighted by 3D+1
an enemy village! 4D
1
Warship 3D+1
Large 2D+2
Yes
16 55
120

3D
3D Knarr
3D
2 These large trading ships are only half as long as the
3D mighty Busse warships, but are much wider and sit
2D+1 deeper in the water. Able to carry a huge amount of
cargo at a reasonable speed across the open ocean,
47 each Knarr has the potential to make good profits at
every port. Despite the large sailing crew, these ships
feel more spacious than the smaller trading vessels.

Bulk trader
Large
No
16
-

2D
3D+1
Busse 2D
4
The Busse is the largest warship built by the northmen 3D
at up to 50m in length. These enormous ships have a 2D+1
rowing crew of five full warbands, meaning that each
one is carrying a veritable army of warriors on board. 40
The long and narrow design is fast under sail or when
rowed, but at the cost of cargo capacity. Whilst this ship
can carry some loot away, they are often
accompanied by trading ships
purely to remove the loot.

Ships and sailing 47 CHAPTER five

 Non-Sea Raider Ships 2D
2D+1
The sample ships described below are those built and 3D
used by the coastal non-Sea Raider peoples. Their 3
description is intentionally vague to allow them to be 2D+1
Saxon, Celtic, Mediterranean etc. Their appearance 2D
and construction will vary according to their origin.
28

Coastal Boat

These small ships are used to transport people,

messages and small amounts of goods around the
coast and along larger rivers. They can be cramped on
long journeys, but are usually plentiful and easily made.

Non-Viking small ship

Personal transport
Small Warship
Yes
1 The threat posed by the Sea Raiders has led many
4 “target” countries to construct their own warships in the
forlorn hope that they can prevent the raiders even
1D+2 landing ashore. These warships tend to be smaller and
2D slower than their intended prey, but they still carry
3D contingents of soldiers for when they do trap an enemy.
1
2D Warship
2D Large
Yes
25 16
120

3D
2D+1
3D
1
Trader 2D+2
2D+1
These wide ships are used to transport all sorts of trade
goods along the coast and across the open sea. They 45
do not have oars and so rely solely on the wind for
propulsion. There are many hundreds of these ships
criss-crossing the seas in the summer season, with few
shipmasters risking the winter storms.

Trader
Medium
No
2
-

CHAPTER five 48 Ships and sailing

 Attack
Heroes are able to achieve great things by themselves
or as a small group. Sometimes though, you just need This Statistic represents the training and raw ability
more warriors. Whether it is raiding an enemy village, with weapons of the Warband as a whole, and is tested
sacking a town or rowing a longship, having a warband when the Warband attacks an enemy unit with either
or two with you can make life so much easier. If the hand to hand or missile weapons.
Heroes are part of (or lead) one or more Warbands, the
rules in this Chapter can be used to determine how the
inevitable battles turn out!
Defence

When a Warband is attacked by an enemy, individual

warriors will use their shields, parry, dodge and even
block separate attacks. This Statistic represents the
For game purposes, warriors are organised into
overall ability of the Warband to avoid being hit. If the
“Warbands”. Each Warband
Warband is equipped with shields, there is a +2 bonus
comprises around 30 warriors and
to the total of Defence tests.
normally acts as one unit. These
Warbands could be composed of raw
untrained peasants or highly
Soak
skilled and experienced
warriors.
A Warband will take hits and blows in any battle, despite
the best efforts of the warriors to avoid them. Soak,
On the battlefield, each
like with a Hero, is the ability of the Warband to resist
Warband is treated as a
damage. Also like a Hero, the protection value of the
“Character” with it’s own
armour worn is added to this total.
Statistics and attributes
and battles take place
between these
warbands as it would Damage
do between an
individual hero and Although a Warband will normally be equipped with a
their enemies. range of weapons, it will at any one time be assumed
to either be wielding short weapons, long (one handed)
The Warband weapons or two handed weapons. Bows and unarmed
Statistics are are also options. Each of these applies a modifier to
similar to those the Damage Statistic, which is the raw power and
of a Hero, and strength of the warriors therein.
are also
ordinarily
limited to Crew rating
5D. They
represent Raider Warbands are expected to not only fight
the overall enemies, but also to row and sail the longships that get
ability of the them there in the first place. Thus any Warband
w h o l e expected to crew a ship will have a rating in this
Warband Statistic. The use of the Crew rating is fully described
rather than in Chapter 5. If multiple warbands are on board a ship,
individuals, the lowest rating is used to make Crew tests.
and are:

shieldwalls 49 CHAPTER six

Urd Weapon Damage
Short +1D
Heroes have luck and destiny, as do ships and so do Long +2D
Warbands as a whole. This Statistic also represents Two Handed +3D
the bravery of the Warband and in addition, loyalty to Unarmed -
it’s Jarl or warleader. As described below, Armrings Bows +2D
can be given to a Warband to improve Urd. Thrown +1D

Armour

Although the members of a Warband might wear

different armours, the “Armour” of the Warband as a
whole should be the same as the majority of the
members. Like individuals, the Protection value of the
Armour is added to the Soak of the Warband and the
Penalty is deducted from Attack tests.

Armour Protection Penalty

Thick clothing +1 0
Leather +3 -1
Ring +5 -2
Scale +6 -3
Chain +8 -4

Weapons

The exact weapons carried by a Warband need not be

detailed. A Warband equipped with Short Weapons
may well have a mix of Sax’s, Hatchets and Daggers.
The Damage value below is added to the Damage
Statistic of the Warband. A Warband can be equipped
with two different types of weapon, and can use one in
any given Battle round (the choice of which is made by
the leader).

CHAPTER six 50 shieldwalls

When a new Warband is raised, the GM will assign the
Statistics based upon the level of experience and
training the warriors have. Some examples would be:

3D
3D (+4 for shield)
3D (+3 for armour)
2D
2D
2D

Long (+2D) and Short (+1D) Weapons,

Shield
Leather (-1)
A Warband often reforms at the start of each raiding
season (unless utterly destroyed) and so these Statistics
Experienced Raider Crew will be used again. Like a Hero, a Warband can improve
4D from season to season as the members gain in
4D (+4 for shield) experience and training. At the end of each raiding
4D (+8 for armour) season, a surviving Warband that has seen action will
3D receive between 4 and 7 XP. These XP can be used to
4D improve Statistics at the same cost as Skills do for a
3D Hero. That is; to improve a Warband Statistic by +1
pip costs a number of XP equal to the current D rating.
Long (+2D) and Short (+1D) Weapons, So to increase Damage from 3D to 3D+1 costs 3 XP.
Shield A Warband that did not see combat will receive between
Chain (-4) 2 and 3 XP. As usual, a Statistic cannot be improved
past 5D with XP.

Berserker Warband
5D
3D
5D (+3 for armour)
4D
3D
4D

Two Handed (+3D) and

Short (+1D) Weapons
Leather (-1)

Use the following benchmark when establishing

Warband Statistics:

2D Non-combatants: Peasant women,

old men & teenagers
3D Untrained but physically fit adults
4D Veteran fighters
5D Elite soldiers

shieldwalls 51 CHAPTER six

A battle between two or more Warbands is fairly similar
in many ways and in many of the rules to a combat
between characters. These rules can of course be
tweaked to adapt for combat aboard ship or some other Action Declaration
situation as required.
In this phase, the Leader must declare what action the
Leaders Warband wishes to take that round. If the Warband is
to attack, what attack option is to be used, if it is to
Every Warband needs a Leader. If Heroes are move, where to etc. Unlike personal combat, a Warband
accompanying said Warband, one of those could be may only take one action in a round. If the action
designated as Leader, but if not one of the warriors chosen is to Attack, the exact Attack Option should be
assumes command. In the case of a normal warrior declared now as well.
being the Leader, the GM will assign the appropriate
Skill ratings, with 4D being the norm. The Leader can also change the formation of the
Warband. If the action chosen is different to the
The Leader of a Warband issues the Action Declaration previous Battle round, a Command Skill test must be
(below), as well as determining the Initiative and made against a TN of 10. The GM may modify this TN
influencing Morale during the round. This applies in certain situations.
whether the Leader is a Hero or not.

CHAPTER six 52 shieldwalls

Shieldwall formation means that the warriors are fully defeated, the unit receives a bonus of +1D to
closely arranged with each shield overlapping that of Attack, Damage and Morale tests made that round.
their neighbour. This formation provides a special Only one person can grant these Heroic bonuses
bonus of +1D to Defence but also imposes a penalty of to a Warband in any one round. A Hero will not
-1D on attack rolls made with long or two handed take damage if the Warband is damaged.
weapons.
A Hero with the War Leader Edge applies the bonus
Open formation means that the individual warriors are for “winning” the three rounds, irrespective of how
fairly spread out. There is no benefit or drawback to the fight actually goes (as long as the hero actually
this formation. survives at least). If the Hero does indeed win, the
Warband also gains a bonus of +1D to Defence tests
It is entirely possible for an Open Warband to fight as well. The Hero must also be the Leader of the
another that is in Shieldwall order. Warband to make use of this Edge.

If there are several Heroes in the Warband, more than

one can take Heroic actions, in which case multiple
Heroes can fight the enemy, and therefore have an
easier combat, but the bonus is still only applied once.
Likewise, One Hero could do something Heroic, whilst
the others Assist. However, only a single Hero may
Assist a single test on a single round.
Hero Actions

If there are one or more Heroes in a Warband, they can

use this phase to try and do something heroic and
therefore help turn the tide of the battle. A standard
Leader does not count as a Hero for these purposes.
Every Hero within a Warband has two options here:

“Assist” the Warband. This basically means joining

the shieldwall and hacking away at the enemy (or
doing whatever the rest of the warriors are doing)
to set a good example. The Hero may add a +1D
bonus to one Attack, Defence, Initiative or Morale
roll made by the Warband this Battle round. The A Hero can use CP’s, Renown and other similar bonus
Hero may take damage if the Warband does, but it D to affect their own Skill and Statistic tests during a
will never be serious enough to incapacitate or kill battle as normal, but can also use them on Warband
the Hero. The Hero can be assumed to be tests if that Hero is the Leader of the Warband. Normal
coordinating one part of the Warband, leading by rules apply to this useage.
example etc.
Initiative
Do something Heroic. This means trying single
handed to disrupt the enemy shieldwall, fighting an The Initiative of a Warband is rolled in much the same
enemy champion, trying to kill several enemies, way as for a Hero, but the Tactics Skill of the Warband
attacking the enemy leader etc. The GM will Leader is used for the roll rather than Dexterity. Every
determine the exact foe or foes fought by the Hero, Warband in the Battle will act in order of Initiative, from
and three personal combat rounds must be fought. the highest to the lowest.
In a shieldwall Battle, this personal combat will be
Close, imposing a -1D penalty on long weapons; A Hero Leader with the Tactician Edge can, instead of
while in an open battle, the personal combat will taking a usual Hero action, watch the battlefield like a
also be open. If the Hero is deemed by the GM to hawk and decide when to strike. The Warband may act
“win” those three rounds, even if the enemy is not at any stage during the Battle round, although once

shieldwalls 53 CHAPTER six

another Warband has started making Attack tests, they Shields Up [Shieldwall only]
will be completed before the Tactician led unit acts. In When this command is given, the front warriors in the
addition, the Warband can change what option it uses Shieldwall raise and lock their shields together, and the
when it attacks once during the battle round. In this second row lean over to put their shields in a second
case, any penalties to tests from the original option still higher line. This gives a bonus of +1D to all Defence
apply, as do penalties from the new action. The only tests this Battle round, but also reduces Attack tests by
bonuses that apply from now on are those from the new -1D.
action.

All Out Attack [Open only]

A Warband using the all out attack option throws
caution to the wind and rains down a flurry of blows
onto their enemies with little thought to personal
defence and is much beloved of Warbands full of
berserkers! Attack tests are taken at +1D, but all
Attack Roll Defence tests are made at -1D.

A standard attack by a Warband on another is resolved

much like an individual attack. The attacking Warband Fighting Retreat
rolls it’s Attack Statistic and compares it to the Defence Sometimes a Warband needs to retreat slowly and
Statistic roll of the target. Wild dice apply as normal. calmly away from a battle. This option allows the
If the attacking total is higher, the Warband has landed Warband to move backwards (or indeed any direction
significant blows on their enemy and may inflict damage. away from the enemy) whilst still having a normal
Unlike personal combat, exceeding the target number Defence roll. Attack tests are however at a penalty of
does not apply individual effects; rather there is a +1 -1D. If the warband is required to make a Morale test
pip bonus to the damage roll for every 5 the TN is during the same round that Fighting Retreat is used, the
exceeded by. TN for the Morale test will be modified by +5.

Heroic actions will apply their bonuses to these rolls as

described above, but the Leader may also choose how
the Warband fights during that Battle round. The
“default” option is to make a Standard attack. This is
where the individual warriors (whether in a Shieldwall
or open) attack and defend normally.
A Leader may, on each Battle round, choose one of the
following options instead:

Charge
This option allows the Warband to both move and
attack in the same Battle round, something normally
not allowed. However, the Warband becomes Open
during the course of the movement.
Damage Roll

Surge As with personal combat, an Attack test that exceeds

A Warband that suddenly surges forward uses shields the TN allows a Damage test. The attacking Warband
and physical strength to attempt to break a Shieldwall. should roll their Damage Statistic, modified for
If the attack hits, the damage roll will be reduced by a whatever weapons are being used, and compare the
-1D penalty. However, the Leader of the defending total to the Soak test of the defenders. If the Damage
Warband must immediately make a Command test total is higher, injuries and deaths have been inflicted
against the Attack total. On a failure, the defending on the defending unit. The more that the Damage test
Warband immediately becomes Open as the attackers exceeds the Soak total, the worse the injuries will be:
break through.

CHAPTER six 54 shieldwalls

Excess Damage Severity
1-5 Shaken
Some warriors have been injured and the cohesion of the Warband is disturbed. All tests until
the end of the following Battle round are made at a penalty of -1D.
6-10 Blooded
Some warriors are dead and others are injured. The Warband makes all tests at -1D until it has
recovered or been reinforced.
Any Assisting Heroes are given the Stunned damage severity.
11-15 Wounded
Half of the warriors are dead and injured. The Warband has a penalty of -2D to all tests until
recovered.
Any Assisting Heroes are given the Wounded damage severity.
16-20 Broken
Many of the warriors are dead and all are injured to some extent. There is a penalty of -3D to all
tests.
Any Assisting Heroes are given the Wounded damage severity.
21+ Destroyed
Most of the warriors are dead and the rest are badly injured. Very few remain standing. The
Warband is not considered to exist until recovered and reinforced. Heroes may be the only ones
left standing.
Any Assisting Heroes are given the Severely Wounded damage severity.

Like personal combat, a damaged Warband struck Condition TN

again for an existing or lower severity Damage level will Outnumbered 5
instead be increased by one severity. Heroes who are Outnumbered 4:1 or worse 10
already injured who then take lesser severity damage Shaken 5
from the table above will not increase their Damage Blooded 10
severity. Wounded 15
Broken 20

A failed test means that the Warband breaks and flees

as their action on the following round. No attack may
be made and Defence tests are made with a penalty of
-2D. In the Morale phase of subsequent Battle rounds,
the Leader may attempt to regain control by making a
Command Skill test against the same TN as the failed
Morale test.

Morale

A Warband that has taken damage or is outnumbered

by 2:1 or more on the battlefield by enemies should A Hero with the Fearless Edge who is also the Leader
make a Morale test at the end of the round. This test will inspire every warrior in the Warband with their
is made on the Urd Statistic of the Warband, and the bravery. In these circumstances, the Warband never
Leader may assist with their Command Skill. The TN makes a Morale test unless the base TN is 15 or more,
for this test is given below, with only the highest TN and even then the TN will be reduced by 5.
applying:

shieldwalls 55 CHAPTER six

 Recovery and Reinforcement most of the combat options would not apply when
ranged weapons are used.
A Warband with dead and injured warriors in it will fight
at reduced ability until the injured warriors are healed
and any dead warriors replaced. A Warband will reduce Movement
its Damage Severity by one rank after a week as injuries
heal. However, further recovery requires replacement Given the somewhat abstract nature of the rules and
warriors to fill the gaps in the shieldwall left by the dead. combat systems of this game, movement is also fairly
abstract. The GM should set up a battle scene; whether
As a rough rule of thumb, a Warband that has recovered opposing Warbands are close or distant, what
will need seven or so fresh warriors to reduce the movement is required to close and how far a Warband
Damage Severity by one grade. A Destroyed Warband can move in a Battle round. A map, even a crude one,
will not recover, but must be reinforced with at least 25 will help everyone visualise what Warbands are where.
new warriors to become undamaged again. Facing is not really an issue in this game, due to the
small and mobile nature of Warbands.
If the new warriors are of lesser quality than the original
warriors the GM may reduce the Statistics of the
reinforced Warband as appropriate. These losses Terrain
cannot be reversed but must be recovered with XP as
normal. Although many battles will be fought on open land, a
good number will take place in city streets, on bridges,
on a ridge or in woodland. Some may even take place
over the palisade walls of a fortified burgh. This terrain
will mainly affect movement, but may also limit or force
the combat options available. A battle between the
crews of two ships is unlikely to feature a Charge action
due to the limited space, but a Warband in Shieldwall
formation can probably block a bridge and prevent
Other Situations more than one enemy attacking them. A battle in thick
woodland may only have Open formation Warbands
The rules detailed so far will cover the most common due to the lack of open spaces.
battle situations the Heroes will encounter. Sometimes
though, the situation will be a little different and so here A sensible war leader will choose terrain that suits their
you will find some extra guidance. strengths and limits the strengths of the enemy.

Multiple Warbands

It may be the case that two (or even more) Warbands

are attacking a single defender. In this case, the
attackers will know at the Action Declaration stage
which of the two the defender will be attacking and can
choose their combat actions accordingly. The single
defender will need to roll separate Defence rolls for
each attacker.

Ranged Attacks

The use of thrown weapons or bows use the same rules

described above. The Warband can be in a Shieldwall
or Open formation, but neither will offer advantages or
disadvantages whilst Bows are being used. As a rule,

CHAPTER six 56 shieldwalls

The world of the Vikingar is a harsh one, and most Gods and will call on whichever God seems most
people believe strongly in the Gods and in Fate. This relevant to the situation. Many people will wear a
belief then has an impact on a Vikingr game even in a symbol or amulet sacred to the God that has most
purely historical campaign. This Chapter provides the bearing on their life.
rules for the more mystical elements of the game, and This book will not go into deep detail about the Gods
can be included or left out as the GM sees fit. and their legends, but the major deities are:

Odin
Odin is the King of the Gods, and father of many of
them! He is usually described as an old man with
The Gods are omnipresent in the world, and most one eye, riding an eight legged horse named
people believe that not only are they here, they are Sleipnir and accompanied by two ravens. Odin is
walking around looking like an ordinary person and a symbol of war and death but also music, magic
getting involved in earthly events. People do not and the future.
worship a single God; rather they revere all of the

Frigg
The Queen of the Gods and wife of Odin, Frigg is
the Goddess of love and fertility. Frigg is described
as a very beautiful woman dressed in rich clothes.
This Goddess is also associated with wealth and
magic, and some tales suggest that Frigg taught
magic to Odin himself.

Thor
One of the more popular Gods with raiders and
warriors due to his representation of thunder and
healing and also of oak trees, widely used in
shipbuilding. Thor is a muscled man with a magical
hammer, gloves and belt. This hammer, named
Mjolnir, is also the symbol of Thor and widely worn
as an amulet.

Tyr
Tyr is the God of war and glory, and the one who
decides which army is victorious in battle. As such,
all warriors revere Tyr, who is depicted as an armed
man. Tyr also represents justice and law and so is
a popular “favourite” God for Jarls and other leaders.

Loki
This God, known as the Trickster, is a shapeshifter,
troublemaker and divine criminal. Whenever there
is mischief or underhand dealings, there Loki will
be. It is also said that this God is the father of Odin’s
horse and Hel, Goddess of the underworld!

Magic and gods 57 CHAPTER seven

 Hel
The Goddess of the Underworld, Hel is the daughter
of Loki and appears as a gloomy blue-skinned Omens are hints dropped by the world about the future.
woman. She is said to take those souls that don’t Omens could portend that good things are about to
make it to Valhalla, and house them in her limitless happen, or that bad events are on their way. These
mansions in the underworld, also called Hel. omens could be large and grand, such as an earthquake,
lightning storm or comet, or could be very small and
Heimdall local such as three crows sitting in a row on an ash
Heimdall is the Guardian of Asgard, realm of the branch. Because these signs are common and frequent,
Gods, and stands on Bifrost, the rainbow bridge that it comes down to the skill of the omen reader to work
leads to that realm. Heimdall is normally depicted them out and read them.
as a warrior blowing a large horn, and is said to
regularly wander Midgard (the mortal world) in the There are two ways to use the Omens Skill. The first
guise of a human. is when the Hero spots something that could, possibly,
be an omen. A Skill test against a suitable TN (usually
5-15, depending on how obscure the event is) will
As mentioned in Chapter 3, people believe that their determine if the omen bodes ill or well. This usage of
Urd (Wyrd or fate) is decided at birth by the Norns. the Skill has no game effect or cost and can be used
Because this means that what happens in life is by the GM to drop subtle hints about what is heading
predetermined, it may be possible to see the future the way of the Heroes.
through visions or dreams, revealed by Omens or
otherwise determined. Various mystical types use these
skills and clues to try and forewarn Heroes and Jarls
of the future.

Several of the special Skill uses described below inflict The second way to use the Skill is to read the Omens
an Urd Penalty when used. Similar to a Wound Penalty, as a full ritual. This takes a good few minutes to do,
this is deducted from any further Urd Skill uses until requiring peace and quiet, the saying of the appropriate
recovered. Thus a Hero who uses the Visions Skill and charms and maybe even actions. This can be done
suffers an Urd Penalty of -1D will roll 1D less when even if no apparent omen has been mentioned by the
using the Omens Skill later that day or even week. If GM.
that Omens Skill use also applies an Urd Penalty, every
Urd Skill will then have a penalty of -2D until one or The Hero then decides how far ahead they will try to
other penalties are recovered. “see” and what magnitude of events are being looked
This penalty does not however apply to Luck tests made at. This will determine the TN. A TN of 5 indicates a
by that Hero nor would it apply to creating a Dragon fairly short term reading and a 30 indicates events of
Prow for a ship etc. great magnitude.

The Omen reader then makes their Omens Skill test

against their chosen TN. If this test is successful, the
whole group receives a pool of D or pips that can be
spent on any test made before the end of that raiding
season or until the Omens are read again. The exact
number of D is given in the table below. If however the
Skill test fails, then the Omens have been badly

CHAPTER seven 58 Magic and gods

misinterpreted and the GM instead receives the pool of
D to use before the end of that season. However,
reading the Omens again does not remove the GM pool
and may indeed add to it if the test fails again.

TN Omen Dice Pool

5 +1 pip
10 1D
15 2D
20 3D
25 Reader’s Urd rating
30 Reader’s Omen Skill Total

Once the Omens have been read, the reader suffers an

Urd Penalty of -1D which recovers at the rate of 1D per
day. Many people will have visions of one sort or another.
Strange and disturbing dreams, things seen whilst
exhausted or whilst injured and bleeding, smoke or
drug-induced trances. All of these can cause an
ordinary northman to see things that are not
understood. What these dreams and visions mean
is, of course, another matter, which is where a Seer
comes in. These strange and mystical folk interpret
dreams and visions that they themselves experience
or are had by other people.

A normal person has no control over when these

visions appear and what they mean, and it is purely
down to the GM to grant a vision to most Heroes
or NPC’s. As a rule, these “mundane” visions are
generally fairly minor in meaning and scope. A
character with the Visions Skill must still interpret
them for them to make any sense, normally against
a TN of 5 or 10.

A Hero with the Seer Edge is able to induce these

visions almost on demand using the smoke from
strange herbs, by drinking potions of uncertain
origin or by fasting for days. The Seer must then
decide what scale of Vision they are trying to induce.
The longer term and more significant the dream, the
harder the Visions Skill test will be.

Magic and gods 59 CHAPTER seven

Once the proper state has been induced, and the TN
determined, the Seer must make a Visions Skill test (or
Urd test).

Scope TN Keywords
Minor short term (next day or so) 5 1
Minor longer term (next few weeks) 10 2
Minor long term (up to a year) 15 3
Major short term 20 4
Major longer term 25 5
Major long term 30 6

If the Visions Skill test fails, the Seer experiences a

scrambled and disjointed dream and no information is Whether the Visions Skill test was successful or not,
gained. If the test succeeds, the GM will reveal a number the Seer suffers an Urd Penalty of -1D, which takes a
of Keywords to the player. week to recover.

The GM should, if there is a Seer Hero in the group, If the Hero with the Seer Edge does not have the Visions
prepare a list of up to twelve Keywords about the Skill, they can still make an Urd test to see if the Vision
upcoming adventure season. These should relate to means anything, but they will need a Hero with that Skill
what is possibly to happen, significant events and to actually interpret it.
characters and so forth, and should be ranked in order
of importance and occurrence as given in the Scope
column above. These keywords are then revealed to
the Seer upon a successful Visions Skill test.
The GM should be careful not to give too much away
about the adventure, but equally the Keywords should
be of at least some use to the Seer. Runes are both a writing system, used for recording
information and sagas onto bark, parchment or stone
and also a way to manifest the power of Odin to whom
they are sacred.

Any Hero with the Runes Skill can read and write this
alphabet and is considered literate. These Heroes can
also identify the more powerful Runes described below
and will have some idea what effect they have.

A Hero with the Runemaster Edge can also imbue these

Runes with great power when painted or etched onto
items such as weapons, shields, amulets or armour. A
Runemaster Hero will know one Rune for each full D
in the Runes Skill and will learn more as that Skill
increases.

An individual item may only have a single Rune upon

it, whether temporary or permanent.

CHAPTER seven 60 Magic and gods

 C
A Runemaster can, fairly rapidly, paint a Rune onto an Kaun (Ulcer or Fire)
appropriate item to grant an immediate but limited This Rune reflects mortality and pain
amount of power. This process requires paint, charcoal and can make a weapon more
or other marker and will take 1-6 minutes to complete dangerous. It must be inscribed onto a
properly. The Runemaster must then make a Runes weapon of some sort and must be
Skill test with a TN of 10. If successful, the rune is active activated by the wielder. The Rune will
and can be used once within the next week, before the stay active for six rounds, and whilst
power fades and it becomes just a mark. active will cause anyone hit by the
weapon to become Stunned (page 14) until the end of
This creation of a temporary Rune imposes a -1D Urd their next round due to excruciating pain. This pain
penalty that recovers after one day, whether the Skill applies even if the Damage test fails to exceed the Soak
test is successful or not. value and it is possible to apply a second round of Stun
from the damage roll itself.

Eihwaz (Yew)

Y
The Eihwaz Rune represents strength
and stability and can impart these
qualities when inscribed on an amulet,
armring or other similar item. The Rune
must be activated, and thereafter for six
A Runemaster can also, over the autumn and winter, rounds the wearer gains a bonus of +1D
carefully inscribe a Rune onto an item, normally of to all Strength tests and appropriate
metal to ensure durability. This process can only be Skills. This bonus does not apply to
attempted on one item each winter due to the amount Soak however.
of effort and preparation put into it, and has a TN of 20.
If this test is a success, the Rune is engraved

Z
permanently onto the item and can now be used once Yr (Protection)
per day until the item is destroyed. This Rune represents defence and the
avoiding of hurt and can help protect
Attempting to create a permanent Rune imposes a -1D a Hero from harm. Once activated, the
Urd penalty that does not recover until the end of the Rune will add +3 to a static or active
summer raiding season! Thus trying to create one of Shield defence value (if inscribed on
these Runes diminishes the power of the Runemaster the shield itself) or +3 to the Protection
for the whole of the adventuring season, but is value of any armour it is inscribed on.
recovered in time to attempt another permanent Rune The Rune will remain activated for six
the following winter. rounds.

Tyr (The Name of a God)

Representing victory and honour, this

t
Rune must be inscribed or painted
onto a visible surface such as a banner,
Leader’s helmet, shield etc. When
activated in battle, this Rune helps the
Leader of a Warband inspire his
Activating a Rune does not count as an action, nor does warriors. Once activated, and for the
it require a roll or test. following six rounds, the Leader has
an additional bonus +1D each round
There are six different Runes of power that are painted that can be allocated to any battle test
or engraved onto objects, but only a master will know made by that Warband. The Rune
all six. The Runes themselves are described below: remains active for six rounds.

Magic and gods 61 CHAPTER seven

 l
Logr (Chaos or the Ocean) affair. The Gothi will paint their face and wear rich and
The Logr Rune represents uncertainty outlandish robes. There will be burning fires, banging
and open water and can be inscribed on drums and decorations of wood, foliage or bones.
a ship of any size. When activated, the There will often be a large crowd as many of the village
Rune grants a +1 pip bonus to all Ship attend.
Statistics until the following dawn. A
permanent version of this Rune is always Most of these Rituals will take place in a temple, which
active. could be a solid building with roof and walls, but could
equally be a sacred clearing in the forest, a rocky cave,
a secluded beach or a circle of stones. Although Rituals
Daeg (Dawn or Hope) can be held outside of a temple, the Gods are less likely

d
This Rune represents hope and the to listen to the pleas and entreaties of the Gothi.
new day and can oppose fear and
uncertainty. The Daeg Rune must In a Vikingr campaign, a Ritual is most likely to be
be inscribed onto an amulet or conducted in the home village of the Heroes at the very
armring and when activated grants beginning of a raiding season, to try and bring luck and
a +1D bonus to all fear and morale success to wherever the Heroes are headed that year.
tests made by the wearer and any Holding a Ritual has a cost in money, as well as
companions. If the wearer is also requiring one of the Heroes have the Gothi Edge.
the leader of a warband, the bonus A Minor Ritual requires a Wealth test with a TN of 10,
applies to morale tests taken by that a Full Ritual has a Wealth TN of 20 and a Major Ritual
Warband as well. This Rune remains activated until has a TN of 30. The higher the TN, the longer, more
the following dawn. Permanent versions of this Rune elaborate and large scale the Ritual will be, with feasting
are always active. going on long into the night.

Once the successful Wealth test is made, (and the Ritual

roleplayed out if desired) the Gothi Hero must make a
Religion Skill test, against the same TN as the Wealth
test. There are modifiers to this Skill test as follows:

The Gods are an ever present force as far as a Vikingr A Ritual attended by almost the whole village/town
is concerned, and between them they watch over all that etc gains a bonus of +5, but one attended only by
everyone does. It is every warriors ambition to die with the Heroes and a couple of others will have a
a weapon held in their hand so that they might be taken penalty of -5.
by the Valkyries to Valhalla to see out the rest of time
drinking and fighting. The Gods also influence what A Ritual conducted outside a dedicated temple will
happens in the world; from disease to weather, from have a penalty of -5.
crops to trade, from love to war. To this end, the people
of the northlands pay due reverence to the Gods every A Ritual with no sacrifice at all has a penalty of -10.
day by their actions and by small prayers muttered over If an animal of some worth is sacrificed, there is no
a sick child or said at the start of a journey. bonus or penalty.
If an unwilling human sacrifice is made, there is a
bonus of +5.
Rituals The sacrifice of a willing human adds a bonus of
+10.
More potent than these minor pleas to the Gods are full If the sacrificial victim is a close relative or family
Rituals. These are ceremonies, normally conducted by member, there is a +15 bonus.
a Gothi (priest), usually in honour of a specific God and
with one aim in mind. A Ritual could ask for a new If the Religion Skill test succeeds, the Gods have heard
settlement to succeed, a journey to be completed safely, the pleas of the Gothi and will smile on whatever the
a warband to be victorious in battle or for a trade Gothi is asking help for. This should be specified (a
mission to be profitable. A Ritual is normally an ornate journey, a raid, a trade trip etc) and the benefits will

CHAPTER seven 62 Magic and gods

apply until the end of the activity or the start of the next
season.

If the ritual was a Minor one, the group will be able to

call on one Minor Intervention during the timescale. A
Full Ritual grants two Minor Interventions and a Major
Ritual gifts one Major Intervention and two Minor
Interventions.

A Minor Intervention can be invoked by the Gothi Hero

at any time. The GM will then need to alter the current
scene so that events are more in the favour of the
Heroes. The shift should not be huge, but should still
be significant. If three raider Warbands find themselves
outnumbered by six enemy units, the GM could rule that
one of the enemy units deserts on the night before the
battle. A small group of Heroes trying to infiltrate a
town could find themselves apparently mistaken for
mercenaries in the employ of the local leader and
invited in.
Minor Interventions should help tip the balance,
but should certainly not guarantee
success even so.

A Major Intervention will allow the

GM to tip the balance firmly
towards the Heroes in one scene.
An enemy warband might Although many of the other
suddenly change sides, find a “mystical” Skills and Edges can
sheltered cove or island just as a be used in a historical
terrible storm strikes at sea or a campaign (after all, belief in a
dense fog descends as the Heroes mystical power is often
must approach a town unseen. Even enough to produce
a Major Intervention will not apparently mystical effects),
guarantee success, but the odds should be Skinchangers are only really
at least even in that scene! appropriate where mystical powers are
real.

The Ritual Skill and the Gothi A Hero with this Edge can, by donning
Edge a specially prepared wolf or bear skin,
change into that animal. It is a rare
A Hero with the Ritual Skill is able to ability, and one that causes fear and
assist with Rituals, will know about unease even amongst allies, but
the Gods and their mythology and useful nevertheless. A Hero with
will be able to understand this Edge will start with a Skin of
foreign Gods. However, their choice, but another can be
without the Gothi Edge, the prepared over winter. A Hero may
Hero cannot lead a Ritual. only ever have one enchanted skin
at any one time and so during
any given season could change
into a wolf or a bear.

Magic and gods 63 CHAPTER seven

To change shape, the Hero pulls the head of the skin However, improvements to a Hero’s wolf form would
over their own head and concentrates. How long the not apply to the bear form and vice versa.
transformation takes depends upon the TN of an Urd
test: To return to human form requires a full round of action
and an Urd test with a TN of 10. Any wounds carried
TN Transformation time by the animal form appear on the human body (and
5 Ten rounds vice versa). If the Hero is still in animal form at dawn,
10 Five rounds they automatically revert to their human form even if
15 Two rounds unconscious (or dead).
20 One round
25 Instant (no time)

If the test is failed, the transformation does not take

place and no further action may be taken that round.
If the test succeeds, the Skinchanger takes an Urd
penalty of -1D and changes shape into the appropriate
animal. Clothes and armour also change when the
Hero does. This Urd penalty recovers after one day. For convenience, the appropriate animal statistics are
given here:

Wolf

3D Running 6D, Bite 7D, Stamina 5D,

4D
5D Awareness 9D, Stealth 7D
4D Dodging 6D

+2D

18
9 + 2 for Armour (fur)
Once in animal form, the Hero has their own Knowledge 27
and Urd Statistics but uses the Strength, Dexterity and
Perception Statistics of the animal. The Hero has no
Seacraft whilst in animal shape. The Hero cannot
speak but may be able to communicate with close Bear
friends using signs or actions.
6D Running 7D, Bite 7D, Muscle 8D,
The Skinchanger uses the weapons, attacks, defences, Swimming 8D
armour and all other values of the animal and also gains 3D Awareness 5D, Stealth 4D
their senses. Whilst in animal form, the Hero cannot 3D Dodging 4D
use Renown, although they can spend CP’s.
+3D

12
18 + 2 for Armour (fur)
15
A Hero can spend XP to improve their animal form, and
these improvements persist even if a new skin is made.

CHAPTER seven 64 Magic and gods

 The Last Kingdom series
This book by design does not contain a viking setting. Bernard Cornwell is a master of the historical action
This is to allow a GM to use these rules to create novel and his series of novels featuring Uhtred of
whatever sagas and adventures they want. Although Bebbanburg has become an international bestseller.
tying a ruleset to a setting provides a more focused and Danish raids, battles between warbands, sieges,
specific game, it can also make it harder to adapt to individual combats, mysticism and more are all set
another setting. around the time of the Danish invasion of England
and the resistance by Alfred the Great. These books
To that end, this chapter describes some of the different (and the TV adaptation) are fantastic for showing
campaigns that can be run with Vikingr, as well as the conflict from the point of view of both sides.
various bits of advice to the GM that may prove useful A personal connection is that I now live in a tiny
or interesting. village that was used by Bernard Cornwell
as the setting for some major events in
the early books!

Vikings (the History channel)

Vikings are a fairly major influence on (western)
This TV series followed the life
culture, possibly because of the undertones of
and conquests of Ragnar
bravery, adventure and superlative seamanship,
Lothbrok and his extended
but also probably because they reached just
family. The semi-legendary
about everywhere. Scandinavian traders
viking hero and his sons
and raiders reached far into what is now
spend their lives raiding the
Russia, Byzantium, North Africa, the
coast and towns of
Med, Greenland and even North
England and fighting
America. Most people know who the
amongst themselves.
vikings were and at least some of what
This series even took
they did, and this can make it easy to
the Vikings as far as the
run a Viking-themed game. Most of what
mediterranean!
people know may well be common
misunderstanding or half remembered truths,
Rhinegold (novel)
but for an RPG that is not necessarily a bad
This huge (800-odd
thing.
page) novel retells the
story of the Ring of the
Long before writing the game, I had been
Nibelung and follows
influenced by popular media featuring the
the legend of Sigurd
vikings. Some of the major influences have
through the generations.
been:
This story is a truly epic
story set in the very early
Beowulf
viking period and will
This poem was written in Anglo-Saxon
prove a huge inspiration.
nearly a millennium and a half ago and is a
classic “brave heroes slay monsters to save
The Original Norse
the kingdom” story. The tale was set in
Scandinavia and later translated into the Sagas
Danish and has frequent and regular Although most people will
translations and interpretations in both print not be able to read the Old Norse
and screen. original sagas, translations and
retellings are freely available (some
online translations are free) and are
a fantastic read. These heroic poems

campaigns 65 CHAPTER eight

 featured monsters, brave warriors, great battles and Explorers
proud heroes. Sometimes, the original sources can The vikings were not only great warriors and raiders,
be the best inspiration! they were also great explorers. The greatest of these
was Leif Eriksson, who led multiple ships across the
The above sources are by no means the only viking- Atlantic ocean to settle the coast of North America
inspired media out there, and it should not be hard to more than five hundred years before Columbus.
find books, comics, films, tv and computer games that However, many other explorers went east, south and
explore this fantastic genre. even north and the opportunity for adventure
amongst strange people and distant lands is great.

Traders
Although the life of a trader may seem boring and
dull compared with that of a raider or explorer,
there are many opportunities for excitement and
There are many different types of campaign that can adventure in the trading of goods. The constant
easily be run with this ruleset. This list should not be travel and dangerous world can act as a backdrop
considered exhaustive, and nor should the types of to all sorts of excitement.
campaign listed here be considered alone. It would be
very easy to mix and match ideas to create the type of Varangian Guard
game you as GM want to run and your players want to One of the places that many far-travelling vikings
play. ended up was the great city of Byzantium and the
remnants of the eastern Roman empire. There,
Viking-themed many ended up in the Varangian Guard, the
This is probably the most common type pf personal bodyguard to the Emperor. These tall,
campaign; one that ‘feels’ like a viking game. There strong and experienced warriors proved incredibly
is a strong historical element, although not loyal to their employer and featured in many of the
necessarily accurate, mixed in with fantastical greatest events of that great city. The adventures of
elements, monsters and other themes that “feel” like a group of northmen in a far distant and alien city
they belong in a viking game. With this type of game would form the basis of a great campaign.
it is the vibe that is most important, but this type of
game also has the most freedom as the Heroes can Mythic Campaign
do almost anything. Inspired much by the legends such as Beowulf, this
campaign would see the Heroes face and (hopefully)
Raiders defeat monsters and creatures both great and small.
Viking is a term meaning “raiding enemy lands”. From Trolls and Draugr to Dragons and great
Therefore a Raiders game, where the Heroes lead wyrms, this campaign style is usually of a higher
ships and warbands across seas and oceans to raid power level than others and it may be necessary to
enemy villages, towns and religious houses is an increase the capabilities of the Heroes from the start.
obvious choice. Loot, slaves and other valuables Here, awarding more CP per season can also help.
are taken and enemies are slain. This type of game
is action-oriented, and makes great use of the Adventurers
Shieldwall and Ship rules. This style of campaign borrows heavily from many
fantasy roleplaying games and sees the Heroes
Jarls and Kings heading off as a small group into lands near and far
This type of campaign takes the action up a level to to explore tombs and caves, defeat enemies
where the Heroes are the rulers and leaders of one (mundane and mythical maybe?) and gather treasure.
or more settlements. The resources will be greater Warbands and battles will be a rarer element to the
(multiple ships and many warbands) but the enemies campaign with the focus tightly on the Heroes
will also be greater. The Heroes will still need to go themselves.
“adventuring” to lead their warbands, and most of
the campaign will revolve around leading small
armies against the enemy.

CHAPTER eight 66 campaigns

 Mythical Enemies
Enemies of a supernatural and legendary origin can
In a game that is so focused on conflict and battle, the provide a tough (maybe even lethal) challenge even
enemies sent to oppose the Heroes will set the tone to experienced Heroes. A great beast such as a
and style of campaign. There are four main types of Dragon can destroy warbands with ease and a huge
enemies that a GM can make use of, and each will sea serpent can rapidly crush and sink all but the
challenge the Heroes in a different way. largest and toughest ship. Some mythical enemies
do not “live” in the everyday world and only appear
Mundane Enemies at certain times of day or year and others can do
These are the soldiers, miltiamen, guards and even things that no mundane Hero can do. Even in a
heroes of the enemies, whether foreign or northman. fully fantastical campaign though it is advisable to
The challenge these provide can easily be adjusted limit the number and range of these enemies to
by altering the Statistics and Skills the enemies have retain the element of surprise and wonder.
and also their number. The challenge provided by
a large group of weak militia may be less than that Enemy Ships
of a small band of veterans. The Heroes should get Any campaign that ventures out to sea can use
to know the abilities of any particular type of enemy enemy ships as adversaries. Rival raiders could
quite well, as they will fight them repeatedly and in look to sink the Heroes before they reach foreign
many different circumstances. shores or else attack and seize loot taken on a raid.
It is suggested that the minor enemy damage rules Trading ships might be crewed by warriors to
are used for most of these enemies to allow the prevent the Heroes attacking them and enemy
Heroes to fight their way through them at speed to navies will use warships to try and sink and
emphasise the heroism and great power of the discourage raiders. Ships have no weapons
Heroes. themselves, and so most ship vs ship action will
actually involve a clash of weapons between the
armed crews. Personal combat aboard ship is
dangerous and risky with the threat of
drowning added to that of injury.

campaigns 67 CHAPTER eight

 Enemy Warbands
If the Heroes have their own Warband or three, they
will need to be opposed by enemy units. The
reverse is also true in that if the enemy has an army,
so must the Heroes! In many respects, each
GM-controlled Warband should just be treated in
the same way as an individual enemy would be in
a “standard” campaign. Several weak and poorly
trained militia units are no real match for a veteran
raider warband.

Running a game of Vikingr is much the same as any

other RPG, although there are certain areas that benefit
from some specific advice. An individual GM is of
course free to ignore any or all of these words of
(apparent) wisdom, but we offer them nonetheless.

Hero Creation

Because the Hero creation process is fairly well

balanced, most characters created should be fairly even
in terms of utility and impact on an individual adventure.
Of course, a group consisting of focused shipwrights,
Gothi, traders and so forth will really struggle in a
campaign based around raiding and warbands.
Similarly, a campaign of exploration, sailing and trading
may be somewhat difficult for berserkers and warriors.
What this essentially means is that a GM should inform
the players beforehand about the general theme and
direction of the campaign to allow them to make
informed choices about their Heroes.

Allocation of Statistics and Skills is rarely

problematic, although to new players certain Edges
can seem to be 100% certain picks. Although at
first glance this may seem to be the case, almost
all of the Edges can be powerful given the right Edge
combinations and other character creation choices.

Just remember that as with almost anything in the game,

you as GM have the right to ban any Edge that does not
fit in with your specific campaign.

CHAPTER eight 68 campaigns

 Setting TN’s for actions Visions are difficult because they require the GM to
prepare in advance a list of campaign and season
The easiest way to determine a sensible TN is to specific keywords; things that will probably happen at
consider what level of ability is required to pass it on some point. The trick here is to list things that will help
average. Because the average result per dice is 3.5, a guide the Heroes towards their goal (maybe slightly
character with 3D in the Statistic and 1D in the Skill easier ways there) yet not make it too easy. Similarly,
(for a total of 4D) would have an average of 14. With if the Visions are always so vague and useless that they
the slight increase to the average from the wild die, a provide no help at all, the players will soon stop using
reasonable competent person will beat a 15 on average. them and the player of the Hero with the Seer Edge will
rapidly get fed up. The trick with these is to go through
A weak character with only 3D in total would have an the campaign notes for that season and firstly pick out
average of 10.5, so a TN of 10 is generally doable. one or two minor events during the first section, one or
two somewhat more important events and finally one
A veteran or good character with 4D in the Statistic and or two key events from the first part. Then, write down
2D in the Skill has a total of 6D and an average of 21. a single word for each that is slightly cryptic but still
relevant. It is OK for the meaning behind these to only
A seriously good character with 5D in the Statistic and be clear at the time or soon before. Then, do the same
3D in the Skill has an average roll of 28, and so even a for the latter stages of the adventure. This way, you
TN of 30 is not that difficult to achieve. have keywords that you can release that will mean
something but not make it too easy for the Heroes.
Essentially, a TN must challenge the Heroes, but not be
too unlikely or out of reach.
Loot and Wealth

Assigning ship crew & warbands The awarding of Loot to a group of Heroes following a
raid should take two things into account. The first is
Assigning the ratings for a newly raised Ships Crew or that any crews and warbands will also need a share of
warband (and in many cases these will be the same Loot. These warriors and sailors are not paid a wage,
thing) can be tricky. The players will be clamouring for and any warleader that withholds Loot from his Crews
top-notch ratings and trying to demand that their new will struggle to ever raise a Crew again. Thus although
followers are the best around. In general, the a raid may seize 10D of Loot, the portion assigned to
circumstances of the campaign should determine these the Heroes may be only 2D. Because of this, it is
levels at the time the units are raised. If the Heroes are recommended that a GM tells the Heroes only what
going against the wishes of the local Jarl in raising a their share will be, leaving the grand total to assumptions.
crew, the starting ratings should be fairly low as the The second thing to consider is how much to offer.
Crew will consist of whatever leftover men the Jarl did The Wealth rating of a Hero (or even a group of Heroes)
not want for his ships. However, if the Heroes are in is unlikely to be sufficient to build ships or buy serious
virtual control of their own town and are raising a small equipment and so the amount of Loot stockpiled will
Crew for the only raid of the year, they will be able to influence the ongoing tone of the campaign. As a rule,
pick the veterans and best sailors from the whole town a couple of D or so should be sufficient for an average
and the Crew ratings will be much higher. raid, although the danger and difficulty of the raid will
influence how much is awarded.

Visions and Godly Interventions It may be that an enemy cargo ship is seized during the
course of a season. In this case, 1D of Loot can be
Use of Omen Reading and Runes by the Heroes does acquired per unit of cargo. Similarly, selling the
not pose much of a problem for the GM. These both equipment of an enemy Warband should realise 1D per
require a specific Edge and offer certain short-term D the band has in its highest rating. Much of this is
bonuses to the rest of the group. However, Visions and likely to be damaged, or of poor quality.
Interventions offer something of a challenge, especially
to a novice GM. It could also be that a Hero wishes to sell a weapon or
armour seized from (or stolen from) an enemy. In this

campaigns 69 CHAPTER eight

case, and if you as GM allow it, a +1 Loot pip should of these can be fairly easily dropped into a Vikingr game.
be gained for every 5 full TN of the item to buy. A suit There will be some slight differences in rules specifics,
of chainmail is TN 16 to buy and so should realise a but it should not be difficult to tweak things to fit.
full 1D of Loot. A suit of leather armour (TN8) will only
sell for +1 Loot pip. Similarly, it would be entirely possible for a GM to bring
in other historical themes, especially to an Exploration
game, to have the Heroes interact with the civilisations
Seasons of the Middle East or North Africa or even further afield.
If Vikings managed to reach Newfoundland, then almost
The winters in the northlands are harsh and anywhere in the world is accessible by keeping to the
snowbound, the seas dangerous and the land coast and rivers, especially as most longships could be
impassable. Because of this, most Vikingr adventures hauled out of the water and moved short distances
will take place in the late spring to autumn season when across land to change rivers or bypass rapids.
travel is once again less than suicidal. It is of course
possible to run a winter adventure, but new
equipment etc will not be available until the start
of the new raiding season. Awarding XP

This annual window for adventure has two major This is a thorny issue in many RPGs. Granting
implications. The first is the long game time too much means that the Heroes advance at
period between adventures. After finishing a startling rate and are the most
one raid, it may be another six months powerful and skilled people in the
before the next one starts, giving ample world after a few years. Awarding
time for things to change for both the too little can mean that a campaign
raiders and their enemy. A town left feels static and players can get
as a smoking ruin in the September frustrated.
may be rebuilt and re-fortified by the
following April! A good suggestion I have seen
The second implication is the used many times is for the GM
passing of years. A long to create a sample Hero
campaign that carries on for and then apply XP as if
twenty or thirty adventures will it were the GM’s own
see the young Heroes of the start character. Only stop
age significantly by the end. when the desired
Although a GM may apply the ability level is where
effects of ageing in this case, they the GM wants the
should not be enough to Heroes to be at the
debilitate the Hero. In many of end of the Campaign.
the Saga’s, older Heroes are still This is roughly how
as capable and dangerous as much total XP should be
their younger selves. awarded.

Next, work out roughly how

many seasons the full
Non-Viking Themes campaign will take and divide
the XP between those.
This RPG was derived from
the OpenD6 system by West
End Games. There are
numerous books in that
line describing fantasy
settings and rules, and any

CHAPTER eight 70 campaigns

There are many enemies a Hero can face in the course normally prey only upon lone travellers, women and old
of a raid or adventure from a simple militiaman to a folk. Few people care if a Bandit is killed, and many
great and fearsome Dragon. This chapter provides Jarls will offer a small reward for Bandit heads.
sample Statistics and Skills for some of these. They They will be poorly equipped and probably dressed in
should not be considered absolute and unchangeable; rags.
a newly recruited militiaman will be a very different
character to one with years of fighting experience. Feel
free to change any of these characters as desired. Militiaman
2D Brawling 2D+1
3D Awareness 4D
2D Dodging 3D Long Weapons 3D
Enemy soldiers and other people will be common 3D
enemies in almost any Vikingr campaign, whether 2D
mundane or mystical. Most of these will be considered 2D
Minor characters and will be little more than sword- 2D
fodder for a rampaging Hero, but a few may be
important enough to survive a few blows! +2D
(-1 penalty)

Bandit
9
3D Brawling 4D, Stamina 5D, 9
Swimming 4D 9 +4 for Shield
3D Awareness 4D, Stealth 4D 7
3D Dodging 4D 6 +3 for
2D Survival 4D Leather Armour
2D 12
2D
Most of the nations raided by
+1D the Vikingar provide their
rural and urban peasants
with some military training
and rudimentary weapons
12 and armour, and form
9 them into a militia of
9 some sort. These are
12 normally the young, the
9 old and the weak, with
12 all of the decent
physical specimens
Bandits are those unfortunates ending up trained
who have been exiled from a as Soldiers.
town or village and so make a These are
living (of sorts) by hunting, normally the easiest
trapping, foraging and enemies the Heroes
robbing. Bandits, even in will have to fight, although
numbers, will rarely attack a there can often be a lot
well armed group and of them!

enemies 71 CHAPTER nine

 Soldier Monk
3D Brawling 3D+2, Stamina 4D Strength 2D
3D Awareness 4D Perception 3D
3D Dodging 4D, Long Weapons 5D, Dexterity 2D
Shield 5D, Bows 4D, Short Knowledge 5D Languages 6D, Healing 7D,
Weapons 4D Religion 8D
2D Survival 3D 2D
2D 3D
3D

+2D
+2D+1
+2D+2
(-2 penalty) 6
6
6
12 6
15 6
15 +4 for Shield 9
11
9 +5 for Ring The religious houses of the
Armour Christian countries house
12 Monks, men of peace and
religion, who pray and
The strongest and most work on treasures
agile villagers and such as illuminated
townsfolk of the manuscripts.
enemy nations are Unfortunately
given more training for them, they
and better weapons also accumulate
than the Militia and treasures of gold,
are turned out as silver and jewels,
soldiers, called gifts from wealthy
upon whenever patrons. These
there is a battle to ornaments are a
be fought or source of great
raiders to be temptation to the
repelled. These Vikingar, especially as
enemies are the Monks have so
more of a challenge little ability to defend
and braver than the themselves physically!
Militia and provide
a tougher
challenge in
combat.

CHAPTER nine 72 enemies

 Thegn Villager
4D Brawling 5D 2D+2 Brawling 3D, Muscle 3D+2
3D Awareness 4D, Command 4D 3D Awareness 4D
4D Dodging 5D, Long Weapons 7D, 2D+2 Dodging 3D
Shield 7D, Short Weapons 6D 2D Animal Lore 4D
3D Tactics 4D 2D
2D 2D
3D Bravery 4D
+1D
+2D+1 (no penalty)
(-4 penalty)

9
15 8
21 8
21 +4 for Shield 9
15 8 +1 for Thick Clothing
12 +8 for Chain Armour 12
12
When a longship reaches an enemy shore, the most
Thegns are the professional likely people that will need to
warriors of the enemy be fought to seize Loot and
nations, usually of well born slaves are villagers. Not that
stock and trained from a these will usually stand and
very early age with fight unless they have to.
weapons and Most, if they have enough
armour. Tough, fast warning, will flee with
and skilled, they are their families and
more than a match livestock into the
for most standard deep woods or the
raiders and will hills or else
even challenge a b a r r i c a d e
Hero. They are themselves inside
normally the the thick walls of
leaders and their church and
champions wait for the
raiders to leave.

of
enemy
Warbands
but are never
found in large
numbers except
as the bodyguard for
an enemy King.

enemies 73 CHAPTER nine

 Warlord Raider
4D+1 Brawling 6D 3D+1 Brawling 4D, Swimming 4D+1
4D Awareness 6D, Command 7D 3D Awareness 4D
4D+2 Dodging 6D, Long Weapons 8D, 3D+1 Dodging 4D+1, Long Weapons
Shield 8D, Short Weapons 7D 5D+1, Shield 5D+1
3D Tactics 6D 2D
2D 3D+1 Sailing 4D+1, Rowing 4D+1
4D Bravery 6D 3D Bravery 4D

+2D+2 +2D+1
(-3 penalty) (-2 penalty)

18 13
24 16
24 +5 for Shield 16 +4 for Shield
18 12
13 +9 for Ring Armour 10 +5 for Ring Armour
18 12

The Leaders of an enemy Although there is no such thing as a “standard”

army are usually highly raider, this profile can be used for most other
skilled at command and Vikingar the Heroes meet (and fight). Enemy
battle theory, and even Jarls, Kings and warchiefs will all lead their men
more skilled at (and women) against the Heroes, hoping to
wielding a weapon. conquer their homes and take
They can be truly their Loot.
terrible to face in a
one on one battle,
as they are hard
to hit and well
protected by
the best
a r m o u r
money can
buy. They
also tend to
be richly
dressed and
can yield
much Loot if
captured or
defeated.

CHAPTER nine 74 enemies

The forests and wildernesses of the northlands and
enemy shores are full of animals of all sorts. Most are
simply a source of food or simply run away when they
meet a Hero, but a few are potentially dangerous. In
addition, a profile is given for a standard Horse as these
often come in useful when moving swiftly across land.

Boar
5D Bite 7D, Stamina 6D
3D
5D Dodging 6D

+2D

18
15
9

Boars (male wild pigs) are huge, bristly creatures with Bear
large tusks. They are not particularly fast or perceptive,
but they are usually very aggressive. What is more, they 6D Running 7D, Bite/Claws 7D,
seem to have a huge pain threshold, ignoring all Muscle 8D, Swimming 8D
penalties from wounds and will even fight on for a round 3D Awareness 5D, Stealth 4D
after they are killed! 3D Dodging 4D

+3D

12
18 + 2 for Armour (fur)
15

Bears are normally found only in the deep woods and

mountains, and during the winter are never found at all
as they hibernate in a cave or root hollow. They will
normally avoid people, but if cornered or protecting
cubs, they can be ferocious.

The skin of a bear is prized by furriers and is often used

to make an imposing cloak or warm blanket.
Skinchangers also prize bear skins as they can be
enchanted with a particular magic.

enemies 75 CHAPTER nine

 Horse Wolf
5D Running 9D, Kick 6D, Muscle 8D 3D Running 6D, Bite 7D, Stamina
3D Awareness 4D 5D, Swimming 4D
3D 5D Awareness 9D, Stealth 7D
4D Dodging 6D
+2D
+2D

9
15 18
12 9 + 2 for Armour (fur)
27
Horses are used for riding, to allow fast travel across
land and also for carrying goods in panniers or pulling
carts.

Wolves live in large packs in the forests, mountains and

Most Vikingar don’t normally make great use of horses. tundra of the northlands. They will normally avoid
The northlands are difficult and rocky terrain and the villages and towns, but may attack isolated farmsteads
frequent and deep winter snows mean that walking is to try and kill livestock. In a very harsh winter, Wolves
often a better option. In addition, it is difficult to will even enter towns in the dead of night in search of
transport horses on a longship, and so they cannot be food.
taken on raids. Horses are often stolen from enemy
villages and armies to use during the summer, but are Like bears, the pelts of wolves have some significant
either released or butchered for meat before the return value to furriers and wolfskin cloaks (often
journey. incorporating the head and fangs) are popular amongst
warriors.

CHAPTER nine 76 enemies

 Dragon
9D Bite 13D, Athletics 11D
In addition to the mundane people and beasts a Hero 4D Awareness 5D
might encounter, there are also various mythical 5D Dodging 6D
creatures that may appear during some campaigns.
Some of these creatures are very powerful indeed and +2D
will be a challenge even to the most powerful Heroes.

18
27 + 12 for Armour (scales)
Brunnmigi 15

6D Running 9D, Bite 8D The Dragon is probably the most fearsome creature
6D Awareness 8D, Stealth 8D known in the northlands, a huge reptilian beast with
6D Dodging 9D fangs, horns, claws and spines. Dragons tend to live
well away from any towns or villages, instead making
+2D their homes in mountainous caves and valleys.

Although most Dragons do not have wings, some rare

27 individuals can fly and these cause terror to both
18 + 4 for Armour (fur) villages and shipmasters alike.
24
Only the greatest Hero can hope to kill a Dragon in
combat, and even then it is likely to cost the Hero their
life in the process.

This strange creature, said to resemble a huge fox, is

known to lurk near to towns and villages. Although it
is only aggressive if directly attacked, it is rightly feared
by the inhabitants of those places due to the habit of
the Brunnmigi of despoiling water sources. In fact, the
name Brunnmigi means “Pees in a well” and describes
perfectly the favourite activity of this beast.

If the beast is attacked, it will turn ferociously on it’s

tormenters and fight to kill.

enemies 77 CHAPTER nine

 Draugr Dwarf
4D 4D+2
6D Awareness 8D, Stealth 8D 2D Awareness 3D
5D Long Weapons 8D, Parry 8D 3D Dodging 4D+1, Long Weapons
5D+2, Shield 5D+1
+2D+2 5D
4D Bravery 4D, Rune Lore 9D

15 +1D+1
24 (-3 penalty)
12 + 5 for Armour (scraps)
24
13
A Hero seeing a Draugr must make a Fear test 17
or flee if possible. A trapped warrior may fight at a 16 +5 for Good Shield
penalty of -3D. A failed test may be repeated each 14
round until passed. 14 +9 for Good Chain Armour
9
Although the souls of warriors go to Valhalla
upon their death, some unfortunates are bound Also known as Svartalfar (black elves), the Dwarfs are
to their decaying corpses in this world. Whether short and ugly humanoids that dwell underground and
it is an evil life, a death not in battle or being in the earth. They are superlative craftsmen and
drowned, an unreleased soul comes back as runemasters and are capable of creating magical and
a Draugr. enchanted items.

These foul parodies of They are however angry and lustful creatures and
the living haunt should not be dealt with lightly.
tombs and
shipwrecks and
terrorise people at
night on lonely
roads.

CHAPTER nine 78 enemies

 Elf Jotun
3D+1 Athletics 5D+1 6D+2 Brawling 8D+2, Muscle 10D
5D Awareness 7D 3D Awareness 4D
5D+2 Dodging 8D+2, Long Weapons 4D Long Weapons 8D
7D+2 2D
5D 4D Bravery 8D
5D Bravery 7D, Visions 8D
+1D
+2D+1 (-1 penalty)
(-1 penalty)

12
26 24
23 26
10 20 +3 for Leather Armour
10 +3 for Leather Armour 12
21
The Jotun are a supernatural race of Giants, distantly
The Ljosalfar, or Light Elves, are said to live in a related to the Gods of Asgard. They are usually large
separate world known as Alfheimr and are said to be and strong and often incredibly ugly.
as fair as the sun. Noble and graceful
creatures, they are utterly Although rarely seen,
alien to the mind of man. the Jotun are cruel
and vicious and
Elves are rarely delight in causing
encountered in the mortal pain and suffering.
world, but when they are,
the traveller should
beware their motives and
certainly not make a deal
with them.

enemies 79 CHAPTER nine

 Lindworm Marmennill
8D Bite 10D, Stamina 10D 3D Swimming 8D
3D+1 4D Awareness 5D
5D Dodging 7D 4D+1 Dodging 6D+1, Long Weapons
5D+1
+2D 4D
6D+1 Sealore 10D+1
5D Bravery 8D, Visions 10D
21
24 + 6 for Armour (scales) +2D
10

These huge land serpents have two small clawed arms 19

and huge teeth in their mouth. Considered by some to 16
be a type of Dragon, they are cruel predators happy to 9
take livestock and humans alike. 9
12
Lindworms normally inhabit remote and uninhabited
areas, but every so often some unknown impulse drives A Hero picked out by the Marmennill will have
them towards the coast and the villages where they their future told. The GM should roll a D6; on an even
ravage until killed. number the future is good and on an odd number bad.
The hero will receive a pool of D equal to the roll of
another D6 to use that season in a similar way to Omen
dice if the future is good. If bad, the GM receives those
dice to use against the Hero in question.

Inhabiting the deep cold seas of

the north are the Marmennill.
These muscular men have the
tail of a huge fish instead of
legs and are able to breathe
underwater like a real fish.

Although not
necessarily hostile to
sailors and ships, they
are able to predict the
future of those they meet
for good or for ill.

CHAPTER nine 80 enemies

 Sea Serpent Sceadugenga
8D Bite 11D, Swimming 14D 7D+2 Claws 10D+2
2D+1 Awareness 3D+1 3D+1 Awareness 4D+1
7D 5D+2 Dodging 7D+2
2D
+2D 4D Bravery 7D

+3D
21
24 + 5 for Armour (scales)
7 23
23 +3 for Armour (hide)
If a Sea Serpent attacks a ship directly, the 10
attack TN is a 10, and the Damage value is 4D (see p39).
At night, these creatures are very difficult to
A sea-dwelling cousin of the Lindworm, and without the spot due to the shadows they wrap around themselves.
short clawed arms, the Sea Serpent is the major fear On a successful Urd test, the Sceadugenga adds +1 to
of most seafarers due to the incredible destruction that all Static values and tests per 5TN. The TN must be
can be wrought amongst a whole fleet by just one of decided upon before the test is made and the effects
these beasts. last for that round.

A Sea Serpent will also, at times, raid the coastal This foul creature, otherwise known as a Shadow
villages and ports, smashing ships and eating sailors Walker, is the one encountered by Beowulf in the mead
before slipping below the waves again. hall. A huge and strong roughly humanoid creature, its
precise description is impossible to give due to the
shadows and gloom that seem to gather wherever this
creature is found.

Lurking on moors and on caves, in deep dark lakes and

impenetrable forests, the Sceadugenga emerges at night
to wreak havok on a village or town. Few mortal
warriors can even stand against a Shadow Walker, let
alone defeat one.

enemies 81 CHAPTER nine

 Troll Vatnavaettir
5D+1 Brawling 8D+1 3D Swimming 8D
3D 4D Awareness 7D
4D+1 Long Weapons 6D+1, 4D+2 Dodging 8D+2, Short Weapons
Shield 5D+1 5D+2
3D 4D
4D 6D+1 Sealore 11D+1
5D
+1D
(-1 penalty) +2D+1
(-2 penalty)

13
19 13
16 +4 for Shield 16
25 16 +4 for Shield
16 +3 for Leather Armour 12
9 10 +5 for Ring Armour
12
These mansized creatures, also known as huldrefolk,
are usually very ugly and often have cow’s tails under Vatnavaettir can shapechange at will into either
their clothing. They live in remote wilderness areas and a human form or any roughly human-sized water
create small villages there. Although some will farm or dwelling creature such as a large fish, dolphin, seal etc.
hunt, most are content to steal what they need from This requires an Urd test with a TN of 10 and takes a
passing humans, killing and eating them if necessary. full round.
They have however been
known to kidnap women The Vatnavaettir are shapechanging Water Spirits that
and children rather than inhabit the rivers, streams, lakes and coast of the
eat them. northlands.

It is said in the old Although they often look like beautiful women, they are
stories that a Troll able to change their shape at will and use this ability to
exposed to lure in travellers of all kinds for who knows what
daylight turns to peculiar reasons?
stone and
looks almost
exactly like
a boulder,
although
this is not
always an
end to
t h e s e
creatures as
some can
become flesh and blood
again when the sun sets.

CHAPTER nine 82 enemies

Long Weapon Damage Special Very Easy 5
Spear STR+2D Reach, Can be thrown Easy 10
Longaxe STR+3D Two Handed Moderate 15
Sword STR+2D+1 Hard 20
Hewing Spear STR+2D+2 Two Handed, Reach Difficult 25
Staff STR+1D Two Handed Very Difficult 30
Heroic 35
Short Weapon Damage Special Impossible 40
Hatchet STR+1D+1 Can be thrown
Sax STR+1D+2
Dagger STR+1D Armour Protection Penalty
Knife STR+1 Thick cloth +1 0
Leather +3 -1
Brawling Weapon Damage Special Ring +5 -2
Unarmed STR Scale +6 -3
Improvised STR+1 -1D to attack roll Chain +8 -4
Club STR+1D

Thrown Weapon Damage Special

Thrown Spear STR+1D+2 50’ range
Thrown Hatchet STR+1D 30’ range STR Roll Result
Thrown Dagger STR+2 30’ range >4 Worsens by 1 severity
5-8 No change
Ranged Weapon Damage Special 9-19 Improves by 1 severity
Bow STR+2D+2 300’ range 20+ Improves by 2 severities

TN Exceeded: Effect Weapon Damage

5 +3 to Damage Roll or Damage Armour/Shield Short +1D
10 Stun 1 round or Free Attack Long +2D
15 Knock down or Disarm Two Handed +3D
20 Destroy Armour/Shield or Extra wound level Unarmed -
25 Cleave limb or Double damage D Bows +2D
30 Kill opponent Thrown +1D

Excess Wound Effect Excess Wound Effect

1-5 Stunned At -1D until end next round 1-15 Wounded -1D
6-15 Wounded At -1D until healed Dead
6-15 (if wounded) Severely Wounded At -2D until healed (if already wounded)
16-20 Incapacitated 15TN STR roll or unconscious 16+ Dead
At -3D until healed
21-25 Mortally Wounded Unconscious
Must make survival rolls
26+ Dead

appendices 83 appendices
The following pages offer ten characters that can be If the Hero is being used as inspiration, almost anything
used to provide inspiration or used (almost) as they are can be tweaked and changed and so it is probably
presented. easiest to copy the values across onto a blank character
sheet in pencil and change them from there.
If the latter is to be the case, the process is fairly simple.
A player should choose which of the Archetypes they Remember that for most of the Heroes, 4D is the
wish to play and that character sheet should be printed maximum for a Statistic and +2D the maximum for a
out. Skill.

Next the player should roll an origin for their Hero on If Edges are changed, the various implications of that
the table on page 19, which should be written into the change should be applied, and the same goes for a
appropriate place. difference in Wealth or other such values.

The player should also make the three fate rolls on the
Urd tables on page 22 and record the results. If the
results indicate that Statistics or Skills can be higher
than the normal maximum or that there are extra points
to spend, the values given on the sheet can be tweaked
to allow this.

Lastly, a name should be rolled for the Hero on the table

on page 29.

The character is now ready to play!

appendices 84 appendices
 2D
Angry 2
Berserker *(+2 to att, dam and soak)

4D+2
4D+1 4D
4D+1
4D+1
4D+2 5D+2 (+2)*
5D+1

3D+2

Longaxe 7D+1 (+2)* 2H 9

Dagger 5D+1 (+2) 16

Sword 5D +2 (+2) 17

13+4
13
Leather
12 (+2)*
+3
+3
-1
You were raised to battle from childhood, and Longaxe
fighting is all that you know. But, not only did you Sword
show an uncanny skill with weapons, you also Shield
showed a constant and furious anger whenever Dagger
you fought. Harnessing this fury made you an even Leather Armour
better fighter on the training grounds, even if you
did have to be disarmed and restrained by several
burly warriors until the fury passed.

As you grew up, you worked with your family as

everyone else does, but even whilst working on the
farm or in the forge, all you could think about was
fighting and killing. As soon as you were able and
old enough to leave your parent’s home, you joined
a raiding party on a short foray and acquitted
yourself well, even if, due to your rage, you cannot
remember most of it!

You now spend every spare moment practicing

with weapons and are trying to rein in your temper
a little. Valhalla is calling you, but until the
Valkyries do arrive, you intend to take as many
enemies with you as you can.

A raid, a trading mission, unknown lands; these all

offer someone to fight and someone to kill.

You are hung with weapons, covered in tattoos and

care little for any other aspect of your appearance,
although you wear your many scars with pride.
You are personable enough up until the point you
get angry, and then...you are a terror to behold.

“Aaaarrrggghhh….kill, kill, raaargh, yaaarh.”

appendices 86 appendices
 2D
Wise 2
Gothi

4D

4D
4D

4D+2
5D
3D+1 6D

Sword 5D+1 9

Dagger 4D 12
12
Spear 5D
12+4
12
Leather
9 +3
+3
-1
 You are rather an intense person; you know that
Even as a small child you were touched by the the Gods are close to you and feel somewhat
Gods. You spent the winter months sacrificing superior to other, lesser, mortals.
small animals to Thor and to Odin and indeed any
God who would listen. You spent hours and hours
listening to tales of the older days, before people
walked the earth and when the Aesir fought the “By Odin’s eye!”
Jotun. You remember the cold thrill that raced
down your spine at every Temple ritual you
attended (and you attended them all) as if the God
being venerated that night walked by your side. Sword
The Gods always walked by your side. Spear
Shield
You neglected your work to such an extent that Dagger
your family were glad to be rid of you when you Leather Armour
came of age, but also happy that you were to live Religious Robes
at the Temple and help the old Gothi there. Sacrificial Knife

You assisted with every ritual you could and

learned everything you were taught and now, at
long last, you are yourself a Gothi. The Jarls and
great warriors may not now listen enraptured at
every word as they did when you were a child, but
they listen nonetheless and your advice is
important. Few ships leave in the spring without
a ritual led by yourself.

But the Gods have greater things in store for you.

They have put into you a wanderlust to see the
greater world, see what is over the horizon. And
the best way to do that is to board the ship yourself!

In day to day life you wear normal clothes and may

well carry weapons and wear armour. During a
ritual however, you will wear an ornamented robe,
decorate yourself with bones and feathers, blood
and furs. You will also paint your face with various
clays and pigments to give you a startling
appearance.

CHAPTER ONE 88 BASIC RULES

 2D
Lucky 3
Runemaster

4D+2

5D+2 3D+1
4D+2

6D

4D+2

Sword 5D +2 10

Dagger 4D+1 14

Spear 5D +1 17

14+4
10
Leather
10 +3
+3
-1
You were lucky as a child. Your grandfather taught You are dressed in clean and sturdy clothing and
you to read and write the Runes, those mysterious you always have a bag slung across your body with
angular symbols painted onto bark or scratched hammer, chisel, brush and paint close to hand.
into stone. Your friends spent their time fighting Your hands are normally black-fingered due to the
and running, but you knew you had more charcoal you use to scribble mundane writing
interesting things to do. Winter or summer, cold wherever you can!
or warm, you practiced your writing and learned
all you could about the deeper meanings of each You know you have a gift and a secret knowledge
individual symbol. forbidden to most other people. Because of this,
you can find it difficult to get along well with people,
And then, one day, a wandering Runesmith stopped but you do like to talk about Runes!.
for a winter in your village. You can still remember
the first snow beginning to fall outside as the
old man started to talk. And at that moment,
you saw. You had always seen the shapes of “Ah, the Logr Rune. An
the runes, but now you understood them. interesting one that. It portends
uncertainty you know, but many
Those mere scratches and lines had a far years ago I saw an old master paint
deeper meaning than the plain words they that rune on the hide of a great
spelled out. Far deeper. They held bullock and…”
within them the secret of everything!
Over the following months, you started Special:
to learn the real meaning of the One item you own may be
Runes and how to use them. engraved with a permanent Rune that
you know at the start of the campaign.
It has taken many years of practice
and even some travel to the larger towns to
learn from the old masters, but finally you
can call yourself a Runemaster. You, alone Sword
in the village, can unlock the secret power Shield
of the runes and endow that power into a Dagger
weapon, shield or ship. You could make Leather Armour
a fine living staying put and carving runes Etching and Painting Tools
for the Jarl and his men, but you know
that your knowledge would come in useful
on a raid or whilst exploring new lands.
Who knows, you may even find the secret
of a lost rune?

CHAPTER ONE 90 BASIC RULES

 2D
Old 2
Seer

6D

6D+1
5D+1
6D+1

Sword 4D+1 18

Dagger 3D 9
9

9+4
6
Leather
6 +3
+3
-1
That wild and stormy night when you were four You dress in an outlandish fashion, wearing
years old is burned into your memory and your outlandish robes and with multiple pendants of
dreams. You woke screaming and could not be bone and amber. You also carry a gnarled staff
consoled, but you insisted that all of your family carved from the scorched roof post of your family
must go now to the goat shed. Your father was home to show your status.
angry, saying that you could not all go out into such You like to speak in riddles or portentous tones to
a wet and wild night because of the dream of a maintain an air of mystery and power. It would not
small child, but something in your voice convinced do to appear too ordinary!
your mother. Despite the grumbling of the rest of
your family, you donned cloaks and went to the
shack that housed your goats, themselves uneasy
in the storm.

As you reached the shed and your father started

to demand what they should do now, a bolt of
lighting thrown by Thor himself struck the thatched
roof of your house and within moments the whole
building was an inferno. Although your family lost
many things, they all survived and from that day on
you were considered a luck charm.

As you grew up, you learned to better interpret your “I see death and blood, I
dreams and the visions brought on by eating see a raven perched on
certain mushrooms. You learned to work out what a fallen stump, I see
might happen and what the best course of action bones. I cannot see if
might be. You also learned to look at the world they are yours”.
around you and try and use those clues to predict
the future.

You know that your visions and the Sword

omens all around are uncertain and Shield
often unclear, but if anyone can interpret Dagger
them, you can! And you can make best use of these Leather Armour
talents by accompanying a longship on a raid
or into the unknown. That way, it might just
come back…

CHAPTER ONE 92 BASIC RULES

 2D
Fearless 2
Shieldbearer

6D
6D

5D 3D+1
5D

3D
3D

Sword 6D+1 10

Sax 5D+2 15
18
Dagger 5D
18+5 (vs 2 opp)
12
Leather
12 +3
+3
-1
 are single minded and dangerous, although always
It is true that your father and uncles did the raiding calm.
and the fighting whilst your mother and aunts kept
the farm and raised the children. It is true that your
older brothers joined a raid as soon as they were
old enough, even though one of them never “I will show you what a weak woman can
returned. And it is also true that even as a small do, you dog. There. Who is the best warrior
girl you could take on those older brothers with now eh?”
practice swords and win.

Your mother tried to explain that even though

Shieldmaidens were an honoured part of a raid, it Sword
was not for you, it was dangerous and bloody. That Sax
only made you want to become one even more and Good Shield
you would spend every spare moment with that Dagger
practice sword and an old cracked shield. Leather Armour

You fought your brothers and your father, you

fought imaginary enemy soldiers and you fought
invisible dragons and other beasts. And one day,
when you were a woman, you boarded a ship with
your brothers and fought enemies for real.

You laughed in that first battle, to see the

amusement on the enemy faces turn to fear and
then terror as you killed them one by one. You
could feel the approval of your shipmates and the
warleader as you calmly defeated everyone who
faced you. And it was good. You did not exult in
the slaughter like the berserker, but you had a job
to do and you did it. And, you will do it again and
again!

You dress in tough but worn clothing and wear

armour of some sort. Your weapons and shield,
although plain, are well made and well used.
Outside battle you can be as charming as the next
person, making small talk and enjoying life. Once
you heft that shield and face an enemy though, you

CHAPTER ONE 94 BASIC RULES

 2D
Tough 2
Shipbuilder

4D 3D+1
3D+2 4D+1

6D
5D

5D

Sword 5D 10

Hatchet 4D 13
12

10
10
Leather
11 +3
+3
-1
 You are quite a chatty person, as long as the
You love the water and always have done. You love conversation is about ships, woods or shipbuilding.
to sail and swim and fish and just sit and look at If the conversation is about something else, it will
the sunset reflecting from the slowly rolling waves. very soon be about ships!
But you love wood and ships more. The sea may
be powerful, but a really good ship can always
conquer it. There are several other shipbuilders
in your village, but they are mere woodsmen who “Look at the curves on that! She is a beauty! The
stick a few planks together and call it a ship. You way she dances across the waves, it is like she is
wouldn’t trust one of their ships to cross a damp flying. I wonder how her strakes are fixed, and that
lane. No, if you want a really, really good ship, you rigging looks different…”
have to build it yourself.

Building ships is what you have done for as long

as you can remember. You learned the trade from Sword
your father and grandfather, but even as a mere Shield
child you understood shipbuilding better than them. Dagger
Very soon, you were planning the ships and they Leather Armour
were providing the heavy labour to get it built. Woodworking
Tools
And what ships. Small fast ones, longships, wide
traders, you can build them all. They don’t sink
either. Well, most of them don’t…

Your mother thinks you are mad to want to sail on

them as well, on a raid or to unknown lands. But
what if there is a storm and one is damaged? Who
would repair it? What if a new ship needs to be
built from scratch?

In any case, the best way to improve your next ship

is to see how this one sails, and you can’t do that
from a boatyard.

Your clothes are often somewhat tatty and worn

and smell of resin, sawdust and pitch. Your hands
are calloused and you always have multiple tools
tucked into belts or straps.

CHAPTER ONE 96 BASIC RULES

 2D
Fast 2
Survivor

4D+1

4D+2
4D

6D
4D+1
6D

4D+2

Sword 5D+2 9

Dagger 4D+1 14
16

15 +4
12
Leather
10 +3
+3
-1
Sometimes, it seems like you are the only person “Raise the sail one knot, watch those oars there
alive in the whole world. Well, you and ninety you idiots. We are approaching treacherous
sweating oarsmen anyway. You hate the winter, currents and we need everything perfect”.
and cannot wait for the storms to abate and the ice
to melt so that you can be free again, sailing the
seas.
Sword
You always knew that you would become a Shield
shipmaster. From the time you could first walk, Dagger
you were rarely out of the sea or a stream, and even Leather Armour
then you were usually in a boat or on a raft. And
even at that early age, it was obvious you could
make your small boat do things that few other
people could even attempt. It was almost like the
boat was a part of your body.

And so, when the crews were formed last summer,

you were chosen as a Shipmaster for one of the
smaller longships. You guided your ship flawlessly
to a shore you had never seen, and sent the
warbands off to raid the countryside. You never
even left the ship and so you have still never set
foot on an enemy shore. But what is so special
about another bit of dry land? The ship is the thing.

Your clothing is sun faded and salt stained, but

you rarely even notice. Similarly, your face is
tanned and weatherbeaten even at a young
age.

Away from your ship you are friendly and

lively and a pleasure to be around. When
at sea however, you only have one thing
on your mind and that is the safe
passage of your ship and your crew to its
destination.

CHAPTER ONE 98 BASIC RULES

 3D
Wealthy 2
Traveller

6D

3D 4D+1
3D+2

4D

3D+2 4D

3D+2

Sword 4D+2 13

Dagger 3D+1 11
9

8 +4
7
Ringmail
7 +5
+5
-2
As you grew up, all of your friends longed to be “I can get you that...for a price!”
warriors and raiders, wanting to gain glory and loot
on the battlefield and from the longship. You had
different ideas however. You still wanted the gold
and the glory, but you knew of a far easier and safer Sword
way to get both. Hatchet
Shield
Rather that train long hours with weapons and Dagger
shield only to maybe get killed on the first Ringmail Armour
battlefield you fought on, you went into partnership Good Clothing
with someone who owned a small ship as soon as
you were old enough to strike out on your own.
You bought some goods in your home village and
then ran them up the coast to make a profit. It
wasn’t a huge amount to be sure, but it was
something. And, what is more, you managed to
make two more short runs that summer.

The following summer you reinvested those coins

and purchased more goods that you sold and so
on. It didn’t bring you the arm rings and glory of
your raiding brethren, but you made a good
amount for far less effort and vastly less risk. Some
might have called you a coward and too afraid to
fight, but you are certainly no coward. Sailing as
part of a tiny crew into far and distant waters is not
the act of someone who is afraid.

And so, you now look for more opportunities and

new markets in which to make a profit!

You dress as well as you can afford, for a smartly

dressed trader gets better prices than a ragged
wanderer. You are, as a result of your experiences,
a very personable and charming person, able to
talk your way out of (or into ) anything and anywhere.

CHAPTER ONE 100 BASIC RULES

 2D+1
Noble 2
War Leader

5D
4D+1

4D+1
4D+1

5D

Sword 6D 9

Dagger 4D+2 13
13

13 +4
11
Leather
11 +3
+3
-1
You were, as a youngster, just one of the warriors Sword
learning their skills on the training grounds. You Shield
wielded a sword and an axe, blocked with your Dagger
shield and formed a shieldwall. But always, you Leather Armour
seemed to take charge of your fellow trainees in War Horn
every shieldwall and every battle. Good
clothing
In your first real battle, you were just another Jewellery
warrior taking your place and fighting hard, as were
the rest of your warband. But then, with what
turned out to be good Urd for you, the leader
of the warband was cut down by a wild swing
of a sword. Without a second thought you leapt to
the centre of the line and raised your sword high
above your head.

The world seemed to pause for a second as you

issued a rallying call and then, amazingly, the
warriors all around you fought on with renewed
vigor. You have never looked back and are one of
the first choices to lead any warband.

Your weapons and armour may not be the best a

smith can create, and your clothes are not of the
best quality, but you still radiate an aura of
superiority and control. You are usually calm
and collected and are rarely broken from this
exalted state by any event.

“Hold steady, raise shields...wait for it...kill them

all!”

CHAPTER ONE 102 BASIC RULES

 2D
Huge 2
Survivor

6D
5D
5D+1
5D 3D+1
3D+2

3D+1

Sword 7D+1 10

Dagger 6D 13

Spear 7D 17

17 +4
20
Leather
15 +3
+3
-1
As a tiny child you fought your brothers with fists Sword
and feet. As you grew, you fought the other village Shield
children with sticks and other improvised weapons. Dagger
It was only natural that you should pick up a Leather Armour
hatchet or spear as soon as you were big enough
and start training with those, and train you did. As
the sun rose, you were to be found practicing your
combat drills and as the sun set you would be
sparring. All day and every day you practiced and
fought and battled and trained.

And so it was, one spring morning, that you found

yourself on a far distant battlefield facing a large
enemy force. As they surged towards your
warband, the years of training proved their
immeasurable worth and you battled until the
enemy fled in tatters.

Since that day, years before, you have fought and

killed wherever your Jarl has sent you and
wherever the longships beached. You have few
goals in life other than to fight and to kill. Plenty
of loot along the way cannot hurt though!

Even when no battle threatens you are armed

with sword, sax, hatchet and dagger and
probably armoured. You wear the arm rings
you have earned through your service and valour
and have tattoos along your arms and face. You
can laugh, gamble and enjoy as much as the
next villager, but when battle threatens you only
have one thought.

“A sword, a shield and my armour is all I need

to earn my way to Valhalla”.

CHAPTER ONE 104 BASIC RULES

Actions 12 Gods 57-58, 62-63 Renown 8-9, 10, 34
Action Declaration 11 Good Equipment 13, 16 Rituals 62-63
Warband 52-53 Guarded Strike 18 Rowing 38
Active Defences 11, 12-13 Runes 60-62, 69
Block 13
Dodge 13 Hard Strike 17
Parry 13 Healing 18 Sailing 38
Shield 13 Hero Actions 53 Severely Wounded 16
Armour 13 Ships 10, 37-48, 69
Warband 50 Statistics 37-44
Assisting 6 Damage 39
Incapacitated 16
Attacks 14 Repair 39-40
Injuries 18
Warband 54 Shipbuilding 41
Initiative 11, 13
Automatic Successes 10 Skills 5-10, 24-27,
Warband 53-54
40-41
Skinchangers 63-64
Battles 52-56 Soak 16
Kill Opponent 15
Standard of Living 33, 34
Knock Down 14
Static Defences 6, 27
Character Points 7 Awareness 6
Charge 18 Block 13
Leaders 52 Dodge 13
Cleave Limb 15
Loot 34, 69 Parry 13
Close Up 17
Loyalty 34 Shield 13
Combat 11-18
Luck 9 Statistics 5-10, 23, 40
Crew Skill 37-39
Ship 40, 43 Stun 14, 16
Warband 50

Damage 15-17
Warband 54-55 TN (Target Numbers) 5, 69
Morale 7-8 Trading 34-35
Damage Arm/Shd 14
Warband 55 Two Weapons 15, 18
Darting Strike 17
Mortally Wounded 16
Dead 16
Destroy Arm/Shd 15
Dice 5 Urd 22
Disarm 14 Names 29 Penalty 58
Double Damage 15 Navigation 38-39

Visions 59-60, 69
Edges 19-22 Oaths 10
Enemies 71-82 Omens 58-59
Equipment 27-29, 31-36 Opposed Tests 6
Warbands 10, 49-56, 69
Extra Wound Level 15 Origin 19
Statistics 49-50
Wealth 10, 31-32, 69
Weapons 16
Fear 7-8 Pips 5 Warband 50
Feint 17 Push Back 17 Wild Swing 17
Free Attack 14 Wounded 16-17
Full Defence 18

XP 10, 70

appendices 105 appendices

Alan Reid David Csobay Cat Mellette Mike Gillis emacgregor
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Cato Vandrare Josh Rasey Tim Loya Rus Ketcham
William James Dowie Greg Chapin Shane Mclean Jordan Bodewell
Matthew Stark Bruce Turner Michael Kusternig Eric Blair
Jason Connerley Michael Kimber Jonathon Dyer Kurt McMahon

appendices 106 appendices