There is something special about starting a new campaign, the opening of possibilities, the nearly limitless directions it can go, and the chance to try something new. Unfortunately, I have had far too many campaign starts in recent years. Part of this is because of GM ADD, part just the way things play out. I am a tough GM who doesn't shirk from killing a PC, or a whole party if that's how it falls out. Still, I have seen lots of campaigns come crashing down, and its time to have at least one keep going.
One way to break this chain is to learn to focus, not just in what campaigns I run, but what I purchase. Partially it’s a problem with being in the RPG industry, I get exposed to so many new games, and I want to play them all. There are games I have to buy and read for work, there are ones I am sent for review, and there are ones I hear about because I need to keep my ear to the ground and look for trends in the industry. This is a lot of exposure, and it should be no wonder that I dream up at least the seed of a new campaign about every two to three days. On top of this, when I have spare cash, or it’s a gift receiving event (like my upcoming birthday), those who are close to me know I want games.
I have tried a variety of techniques to push myself to focus, ranging from trying to stick to one system to choosing campaigns that can branch across multiple genres (usually through world hopping). In the end, none of them have worked. The next game book shows up and I'm off on a new campaign. Really, it's just a matter of willpower, of telling myself to keep on task. The real hard part is I feel like I have disappointed my players by pulling the rug out form under them. It should be no wonder that many of those who regularly play with me have stopped putting a lot of effort into creating well-rounded PCs with back-stories and plot hooks. Why should they when the campaign will only last a few sessions?
To aid in keeping things on the straight and narrow, and building a long-term campaign, I am focusing this year on one setting, the Forgotten Realms. It is a huge setting, one of the largest in the hobby, with plenty of room to run several campaigns in. Plus, it spans several editions of Dungeons and Dragons, and between that and my general disregard for system, there is plenty of options available. I could use BRP, Barbarians of Lemuria, Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, Swords and Wizardry, or even XDM.
Weekly Pathfinder is now going to be set in the Realms a few years after the Time of Troubles. We are going to be joining a caravan running from the Dales to Waterdeep, and passing through Sembia, Cormyr, the Western Heartlands, and up the Sword Coast. Lots of adventure there, and the PCs may drop out of the caravan at anytime (though this may cause some problems with the caravan master). My monthly game is already in the Realms, and the PCs are oWoD splats trapped in the Literary Realm of the Umbra. All they have to do to get out is finish the story, which considering they are in the AD&D 2e version of the Realms means they need to do the whole adventurer to ruler path. Encounters this season is also based in the Realms, though it’s the 4e iteration, which I know little about (I may pick up the books, but I doubt it, 2e is the Realms for me and frankly, I have a hard time with settings changing).
In addition to the various FR game books, I have two other outlets for my year of the Realms. First, there are a ton of FR novels, some at the library, some on my bookshelf, and more that I can cheaply purchase at used bookstores. I don’t often read fiction, but when I get the urge I can go Realms, which is good because fiction tends to strongly color my gaming choices. Finally, FR ties in with Spelljammer, so there is always that to add in. Unless I want them to wander into Ravenloft.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
What is Your Favorite Edition of D&D?
With a new edition of Dungeons and Dragons coming, a lot of talk has been floating around about people's favorite edition of the world's most popular fantasy role-playing game. My answer is unequivocally AD&D 2nd Edition, for a lot of reasons. First of all, I feel it had the best presentation and artwork of any editions. I am sorry, but the art for 3rd era, Pathfinder, and especially 4e doesn’t do it for me. I look at the illustrations and I don’t feel the urge to play out the scene depicted, it doesn’t tell me a story, and frankly the proportions of the bodies, both male and female, are completely unrealistic. They don’t say 'fantasy' to me as much as anime, but WotC's target audience has never been old grognards like me.
Barring the rather subjective issue of artwork (or maybe not, someone explain to my why dragonborn and wildlings have breasts), What really sits 2e apart in my mind is the strength of the system and the richness of the settings. This is a system that could take a lot of beating and still produce a fun game, and wow did TSR beat it apart. Unlike AD&D 1e or even the old Basic Set, 2e was more flexible, possessed the concept of optional rules right in the Player's Handbook, and provided a varied game play. When you consider all the options added by the Complete Handbooks series and the Player's Options series, you have a system that even the designers were willing to admit didn't suit everyone's purpose, but could be altered to taste.
Not to say the system is perfect, there were glaring issues that were fixed in later editions. Racial level limits always seemed silly to me, and I never enforced them in games I ran. The proficiency system needed some paring down and rationalization, I am sorry but fire building is part of basic survival and doesn’t need to be a separate expenditure of those rare non-proficiency slots. A lot of people did not like THACO, but for them all I have to say is learn some basic math you slacker.
One of the things about 2e that really resonated with me was the kits. I think this was possibly the best idea to come out of the edition, and I wish they had made it into 3e (4e has its themes, which are close, but are often too over the top for the types of games I normally enjoy). Instead of playing a fighter, you could be a swashbuckler, myrmidon, or even peasant hero. Here was a game mechanic that aided in the creation of character back story and personality, you know, role-playing, as well as granting a small mechanical bonus. For the most part the kits were well balanced, though some of the racial books got a little too far beyond what I would consider fantasy and entered the realm of super-heroics.
The settings, this is where 2e shines, and the best part is these can always be used with any edition. Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Planescape, Birthright, Council of Wyrms, and especially Spelljammer, if you want to see me nerdgasm get a Spelljammer game going! The sheer amount of source material in these is amazing, and far better than what happened with setting material in 3e and 4e. As D&D became more mechanic driven, the fluff started to disappear (or worse, became horribly dry), giving way to new feats, new prestige classes, and new spells.
Balance and character optimization were not design features, and this was good. There was little you could do to 'optimize' your character, other than choosing a race. Class, kit combo, but even then your basic ability scores needed to be good enough to qualify for these. Some things were unbalanced, and that was fine, we didn’t expect them to be. There was also no formula for a balanced encounter, like you see in 4e and Pathfinder. GM skill was important, just as important as player skill.
This brings us to one of the big pluses of older editions of Dungeons and Dragons. There was less of an emphasis on character power and more on player skill, as well as a different power dynamic between the DM and the rules. It began in character creation, even with a kit, you had to develop your character's personality based off of only a handful of numerical sources, this encouraged role-playing in a way that I have rarely seen in games that feature a lot of mechanical character personality and background options. Once play began, you were a fragile little adventurer on his way up in the world, but one who would only survive through good decision making, not the use of powers and feats, or other special abilities. You were encouraged as a player to innovate, use strategy and tactics, and to not make every fight one to the death; running for it was a reasonable option.
So much of the rules of older editions were left to DM discretion, whereas today there is a rule and stat line for everything, including how to design adventures. This takes the power, and a lot of the fun, out of the DM's hands and places them in the rules. I think this development over the past decade is what has led to the growth (in fringe parts of the hobby at least) of GM-less games. When you take away a lot of what makes a DM special, of course you find out you don’t need him. Go right ahead if that's your thing, I won’t tell you how to have fun, but for me that's akin to decaffeinated coffee, missing the whole point.
All this is not to say that I don't like Pathfinder or 4e, I do. I run a weekly Pathfinder game and write for Frog God Games in their Pathfinder adventure series (Northlands Saga for those of you unfamiliar with my work). Golarion is like a throwback to the great settings of 2e, lots of fluff, imaginative settings, and well written. 4e falls short on the setting department, but does give two great settings, the updated Dark Sun (which I love) and the Points of Light/ Nentir Vale mini-setting. I also greatly enjoy the planes in 4e, and I may be the only grognard who never liked the Great Wheel cosmology. Of course having spelljammers in it helped. I also like the Feywild and Shadowfell, in fact I will be playing in a 4e Feywild game that starts in March, and my only concern is what class for my pixie PC.
Barring the rather subjective issue of artwork (or maybe not, someone explain to my why dragonborn and wildlings have breasts), What really sits 2e apart in my mind is the strength of the system and the richness of the settings. This is a system that could take a lot of beating and still produce a fun game, and wow did TSR beat it apart. Unlike AD&D 1e or even the old Basic Set, 2e was more flexible, possessed the concept of optional rules right in the Player's Handbook, and provided a varied game play. When you consider all the options added by the Complete Handbooks series and the Player's Options series, you have a system that even the designers were willing to admit didn't suit everyone's purpose, but could be altered to taste.
Not to say the system is perfect, there were glaring issues that were fixed in later editions. Racial level limits always seemed silly to me, and I never enforced them in games I ran. The proficiency system needed some paring down and rationalization, I am sorry but fire building is part of basic survival and doesn’t need to be a separate expenditure of those rare non-proficiency slots. A lot of people did not like THACO, but for them all I have to say is learn some basic math you slacker.
One of the things about 2e that really resonated with me was the kits. I think this was possibly the best idea to come out of the edition, and I wish they had made it into 3e (4e has its themes, which are close, but are often too over the top for the types of games I normally enjoy). Instead of playing a fighter, you could be a swashbuckler, myrmidon, or even peasant hero. Here was a game mechanic that aided in the creation of character back story and personality, you know, role-playing, as well as granting a small mechanical bonus. For the most part the kits were well balanced, though some of the racial books got a little too far beyond what I would consider fantasy and entered the realm of super-heroics.
The settings, this is where 2e shines, and the best part is these can always be used with any edition. Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Planescape, Birthright, Council of Wyrms, and especially Spelljammer, if you want to see me nerdgasm get a Spelljammer game going! The sheer amount of source material in these is amazing, and far better than what happened with setting material in 3e and 4e. As D&D became more mechanic driven, the fluff started to disappear (or worse, became horribly dry), giving way to new feats, new prestige classes, and new spells.
Balance and character optimization were not design features, and this was good. There was little you could do to 'optimize' your character, other than choosing a race. Class, kit combo, but even then your basic ability scores needed to be good enough to qualify for these. Some things were unbalanced, and that was fine, we didn’t expect them to be. There was also no formula for a balanced encounter, like you see in 4e and Pathfinder. GM skill was important, just as important as player skill.
This brings us to one of the big pluses of older editions of Dungeons and Dragons. There was less of an emphasis on character power and more on player skill, as well as a different power dynamic between the DM and the rules. It began in character creation, even with a kit, you had to develop your character's personality based off of only a handful of numerical sources, this encouraged role-playing in a way that I have rarely seen in games that feature a lot of mechanical character personality and background options. Once play began, you were a fragile little adventurer on his way up in the world, but one who would only survive through good decision making, not the use of powers and feats, or other special abilities. You were encouraged as a player to innovate, use strategy and tactics, and to not make every fight one to the death; running for it was a reasonable option.
So much of the rules of older editions were left to DM discretion, whereas today there is a rule and stat line for everything, including how to design adventures. This takes the power, and a lot of the fun, out of the DM's hands and places them in the rules. I think this development over the past decade is what has led to the growth (in fringe parts of the hobby at least) of GM-less games. When you take away a lot of what makes a DM special, of course you find out you don’t need him. Go right ahead if that's your thing, I won’t tell you how to have fun, but for me that's akin to decaffeinated coffee, missing the whole point.
All this is not to say that I don't like Pathfinder or 4e, I do. I run a weekly Pathfinder game and write for Frog God Games in their Pathfinder adventure series (Northlands Saga for those of you unfamiliar with my work). Golarion is like a throwback to the great settings of 2e, lots of fluff, imaginative settings, and well written. 4e falls short on the setting department, but does give two great settings, the updated Dark Sun (which I love) and the Points of Light/ Nentir Vale mini-setting. I also greatly enjoy the planes in 4e, and I may be the only grognard who never liked the Great Wheel cosmology. Of course having spelljammers in it helped. I also like the Feywild and Shadowfell, in fact I will be playing in a 4e Feywild game that starts in March, and my only concern is what class for my pixie PC.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
DM Boot Camp 1: D&D 4e Encounters
DM Boot Camp: Running D&D 4e Combat Encounters
What is an Encounter?
• Think of an encounter as a scene in a movie or play.
• Every encounter is a story in and of itself, with a beginning, middle, and an end.
• Encounters are the building blocks of adventures; string them together to create a larger story line.
• Each encounter should have a problem the PCs need to resolve.
Types of Encounters
• Combat encounters use violence to solve the problem.
• Skill Challenges use PCs' skills to solve the problem, they can stand alone or be part of combat or role-playing encounters
• Role-playing encounters require the players to act in character to resolve the problem. Like skill challenges they can be combined with other types of encounters.
Combat Encounters
• By far the easiest to build and run, but can be boring if all you have is combat.
• First, imagine the story the encounter is trying to tell, who are the villains, who are the heroes, and who are the victims?
• Before you get into designing the encounter, picture the scene, what is the terrain like, what special features will be present, and don’t forget to add the fantasy!
• Step 1: Set the level for the encounter (no more than APL -1 to APL +3)
• Step 2: Calculate the xp budget for the encounter (encounter level multiplier X the number of characters)
• Step 3: Spend your budget on monsters, hazards, and traps. It is OK to go over or under a little, not more than +/- 10%. DO not choose monsters more than three levels above the APL, or two levels below it. Also, beware of minion and lower level monster swarms.
• Step 4: Place the monsters, traps, hazards, and features on your battle grid.
• Step 5: Tell the story, at least in your mind, paying close attention to what you can expect the PCs to do.
• Combat can be challenging, but by adding description to the die rolls, it can also be a lot of fun.
Terrain
• Terrain makes the combat more exciting.
• Difficult and blocking terrain can be restrictive, use it sparingly.
• Decide the effects of any terrain on your grid.
• Provide terrain that the PCs and the monsters can use to their advantage, and make sure to use the terrain against the party.
• Good ideas: trees, walls, water, mud, and special effects.
• Special effects do not cause damage directly, but can be used to shift the flow of battle or be triggered to inflict conditions.
Hazards
• Hazards are terrain features that cause direct damage to anyone who interacts with them.
• Hazards should give a risk and reward, they are easier to perceive than traps but harder to defuse.
• Be sparing in the use of hazards, they are in effect hindering terrain that can cause the PCs and the monsters a lot of trouble.
Traps
• Traps are features that cause direct damage to those who trigger them.
• Traps yield no reward, and often the monsters know about them in advance and can trigger them.
• Traps are harder to perceive than hazards, but easier to defuse.
• Limit yourself to only a handful of traps in a combat, more than two is too many (unless it’s a room full of traps).
Choosing Monsters
• Use some reason in choosing your monsters, think about whom they are, their motivations, and their goals.
• Try to stick to a theme when choosing monsters, such a goblinoids, an orc warband, or a group of bandits, do not randomly mix monsters.
• Each monster has a role, and the monsters should have a broad mix of roles. Not every role needs to be present, but the greater diversity the greater the challenge and the fun.
• Controllers affect the space of the battle, creating zones and area effect powers. Use them sparingly or they become moving blockages to the flow of combat.
• Lurkers should stay hidden from the PCs until they act or attack, do not place them on the grid until then.
• Soldiers are skilled warriors and can deal a moderate amount of damage; most of your monsters should be soldiers.
• Brutes are the big baddies that can lay out the hurt, but are generally fragile. One or two is enough.
• Skirmishers are light and fast, be wary of using too many as they often can evade attacks, and this can be very frustrating for the players.
• Artillery can really lay on the hurt, and often in a large area and at great range. Like controllers. One or two is a good idea.
• Minions can be a lot of fun, but don’t tell the players which monsters are minions. Also, don’t over use minions, five is a good number, too many and the PCs can be swarmed.
Running the Combat
• Never, ever, just let the dice roll and not give a description.
• Each attack should include some sort of descriptive result; the foe is staggered and falling backwards, knocked to the ground, bleeding form a cut, etc…
• Keep the combat flowing; do not be afraid to skip a player if they are taking too long in deciding their actions. Hesitation is the bane of combatants.
• Remember that the monsters are not cardstock counters; they have feelings and motivations as well. Allow them to act irrationally, selfishly, and realistically.
• Do not give the players an even break, but also do not get too bloodthirsty.
What is an Encounter?
• Think of an encounter as a scene in a movie or play.
• Every encounter is a story in and of itself, with a beginning, middle, and an end.
• Encounters are the building blocks of adventures; string them together to create a larger story line.
• Each encounter should have a problem the PCs need to resolve.
Types of Encounters
• Combat encounters use violence to solve the problem.
• Skill Challenges use PCs' skills to solve the problem, they can stand alone or be part of combat or role-playing encounters
• Role-playing encounters require the players to act in character to resolve the problem. Like skill challenges they can be combined with other types of encounters.
Combat Encounters
• By far the easiest to build and run, but can be boring if all you have is combat.
• First, imagine the story the encounter is trying to tell, who are the villains, who are the heroes, and who are the victims?
• Before you get into designing the encounter, picture the scene, what is the terrain like, what special features will be present, and don’t forget to add the fantasy!
• Step 1: Set the level for the encounter (no more than APL -1 to APL +3)
• Step 2: Calculate the xp budget for the encounter (encounter level multiplier X the number of characters)
• Step 3: Spend your budget on monsters, hazards, and traps. It is OK to go over or under a little, not more than +/- 10%. DO not choose monsters more than three levels above the APL, or two levels below it. Also, beware of minion and lower level monster swarms.
• Step 4: Place the monsters, traps, hazards, and features on your battle grid.
• Step 5: Tell the story, at least in your mind, paying close attention to what you can expect the PCs to do.
• Combat can be challenging, but by adding description to the die rolls, it can also be a lot of fun.
Terrain
• Terrain makes the combat more exciting.
• Difficult and blocking terrain can be restrictive, use it sparingly.
• Decide the effects of any terrain on your grid.
• Provide terrain that the PCs and the monsters can use to their advantage, and make sure to use the terrain against the party.
• Good ideas: trees, walls, water, mud, and special effects.
• Special effects do not cause damage directly, but can be used to shift the flow of battle or be triggered to inflict conditions.
Hazards
• Hazards are terrain features that cause direct damage to anyone who interacts with them.
• Hazards should give a risk and reward, they are easier to perceive than traps but harder to defuse.
• Be sparing in the use of hazards, they are in effect hindering terrain that can cause the PCs and the monsters a lot of trouble.
Traps
• Traps are features that cause direct damage to those who trigger them.
• Traps yield no reward, and often the monsters know about them in advance and can trigger them.
• Traps are harder to perceive than hazards, but easier to defuse.
• Limit yourself to only a handful of traps in a combat, more than two is too many (unless it’s a room full of traps).
Choosing Monsters
• Use some reason in choosing your monsters, think about whom they are, their motivations, and their goals.
• Try to stick to a theme when choosing monsters, such a goblinoids, an orc warband, or a group of bandits, do not randomly mix monsters.
• Each monster has a role, and the monsters should have a broad mix of roles. Not every role needs to be present, but the greater diversity the greater the challenge and the fun.
• Controllers affect the space of the battle, creating zones and area effect powers. Use them sparingly or they become moving blockages to the flow of combat.
• Lurkers should stay hidden from the PCs until they act or attack, do not place them on the grid until then.
• Soldiers are skilled warriors and can deal a moderate amount of damage; most of your monsters should be soldiers.
• Brutes are the big baddies that can lay out the hurt, but are generally fragile. One or two is enough.
• Skirmishers are light and fast, be wary of using too many as they often can evade attacks, and this can be very frustrating for the players.
• Artillery can really lay on the hurt, and often in a large area and at great range. Like controllers. One or two is a good idea.
• Minions can be a lot of fun, but don’t tell the players which monsters are minions. Also, don’t over use minions, five is a good number, too many and the PCs can be swarmed.
Running the Combat
• Never, ever, just let the dice roll and not give a description.
• Each attack should include some sort of descriptive result; the foe is staggered and falling backwards, knocked to the ground, bleeding form a cut, etc…
• Keep the combat flowing; do not be afraid to skip a player if they are taking too long in deciding their actions. Hesitation is the bane of combatants.
• Remember that the monsters are not cardstock counters; they have feelings and motivations as well. Allow them to act irrationally, selfishly, and realistically.
• Do not give the players an even break, but also do not get too bloodthirsty.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Kaltan
Behold, for to the Seven Shining Cities of the South there came a band of reavers, warriors, thieves, and sorcerers. They wandered the Eastern Lands of the Sea of Gold, from the Gates of Mordt to the Iscini Hills in the tree-covered north. These brave foolhardy adventurers thrust themselves into the haunted ruins of Old Iosia, coming forth with gold, jewels, wondrous magics, and forgotten tomes. Grave were the dangers they faced, and great were their foes, for in the course of their delvings they awoke the wrath of the cults of the Old Ones, challenged necromancers and sorcerers, and brought the villainous low.
From Lystraka the Beautiful in the north to Makeen the Debauched above the Gates of Mordt they tread the Seven Cities, carrying their sharp swords and eager hands into danger and death. Their many deeds are tales of mighty heroics, but it all began one dark and storm wracked night along the Old Imperial Road north of Lystraka but still far south of Fort Recall in the Iscini Hills. The night was cool for early autumn, and the rains had come in harsh sheets as lightning broke the sky. Lo! In the distance some shelter, a ruin of a watchtower of long dead Iosia, respite from the wind and rain, and protection from the raging Keltos, God of Storms. Let us join our heroes there as they meet for the first time and forge their long remembered brotherhood…
From Lystraka the Beautiful in the north to Makeen the Debauched above the Gates of Mordt they tread the Seven Cities, carrying their sharp swords and eager hands into danger and death. Their many deeds are tales of mighty heroics, but it all began one dark and storm wracked night along the Old Imperial Road north of Lystraka but still far south of Fort Recall in the Iscini Hills. The night was cool for early autumn, and the rains had come in harsh sheets as lightning broke the sky. Lo! In the distance some shelter, a ruin of a watchtower of long dead Iosia, respite from the wind and rain, and protection from the raging Keltos, God of Storms. Let us join our heroes there as they meet for the first time and forge their long remembered brotherhood…
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Northlands Saga Preview
The Northlands
The Northlands are divided into petty kingdoms and city-states ruled more by the hereditary nobility than by the various monarchies. The people are largely human, though a fair number of dwarves have found their way into Northlander society. The land itself is mostly wild and untamed swamps and forests, broken by mountains in the north and east. The summers are cool and wet, and the winters are long, cold, and see heavy snowfalls.
Northlanders themselves as an independent people who often see need to rebel against their lords and kings. Part of this independence is the Thing, a combination of legislative and judicial body that passes laws and rules in criminal cases affecting a specific locality. The Thing has no power to enforce these laws, and leaves that up to the individuals affected, especially the nobility. However, the law binds all, from the lowliest thrall (serf) to the mightiest jarl (baron). This has resulted in a constant state of near lawlessness, as much of the duty of keeping society together falls to society as a whole. The upside is that the Northlanders take contracts and oaths very seriously, as well as loyalty and friendship.
The Northlanders themselves are tall, big-boned, and fair-skinned people, with hair ranging from platinum blond to dark brown, and eye color tending towards blue or hazel. In many ways they are like the people of the southern lands, though the harsh winters and short summers of the Northlands have bred a hardy and independent people. Warfare and raiding is endemic in the nearly lawless north, as are generational blood feuds between clans. Hard work and honesty are held in high regard, as are courage and honor.
Trade and raiding are the most famous of activities that the Northlanders engage in, and these two are sure routes to fame and fortune. It is these two activities that often bring the Northlanders to foreign lands, and the difference between a trading and raiding expedition is usually one of opportunity. A jarl or other wealthy personage owns the ships, and the crews are often his most loyal followers. It is considered proper for a ship's captain to be generous with his crew, and the appellation of 'ring-giver' — a giver of valuable gifts — is one sought by all honorable men of means. However, the majority of Northlanders are farmers, craftsmen, and townsfolk who live prosaic lives of toil and common joys.
The inspirations for the Northlands Saga come from a variety of sources. Naturally, the sagas are a flowing fount of information and ideas. Other historical sources include primary and secondary sources on the Viking Age, as well as the myths and legends of the Celtic and Germanic peoples. The works of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber have also inspired parts of the adventure series and the setting. Drawing from historical fiction, the Saxons series by Bernard Cornwell has provided the imagery for many a battle scene. In the end, the Northlands are not a traditional fantasy setting, but instead a blend of history and sword and sorcery fiction, with a little bit of the standard fantasy RPG tropes.
There are five lands in the Northlands proper, and three that lay just beyond but whose stories are tightly bound to that of the Northlands Saga. The heart of the Northlands is the Stormstøm Vale, a rich and prosperous land along the mighty Stormstøm River. The Vale lacks a king, and is divided into many smaller jarldoms that constantly feud and bicker. The largest city in the Northlands, Trotheim, sits at the mouth of the river. To the west of the Vale lies the land of Hordaland, a place of peat bogs and forest that is heavily settled along its coasts. The Køenig of Hordaland has recently died, and his six year old son sits the throne. The jarls are gaining independence here, and civil war looms. The second city of the Northlands, Halfstead, sits at the end of the Hord Peninsula, and is the most metropolitan of Northlands cities. To the east of the Vale is Hrolfland, ruled by the powerful Hrolf clan, one of the two great clans of the Northlands. Hrolfland sits closest to the decadent and advanced Southlands, and has adopted many of their ways. In the far west are the lands of Gatland and Vastavikland. Gatland is home of the very traditional Gat clan, famed for its warriors and longships. Vastavikland is a rugged land of mountains and volcanoes and breeds tough, fearless, and crazed warriors. The Bear-Sarker and Ulfhander cults are very popular here, and the Vastaviklanders have a reputation for savagery. Estenfird is the youngest and most northerly of the Northlands, and is an untamed land of deep forests and unexplored mountains. The Estenfirders have no kings or jarls, and are fanatically independent.
North of Estenfird is Nukland, the home of the Mysterious elf-like Nuklanders, a reindeer herding people who live isolated on the vast tundra. Further north is the Far North, an unexplored region of primitive peoples and strange beasts. Between Hordaland and Vastavikland lay Seagestreland and the Dnipir River. The Seagestrelanders are not Northlanders, but a different breed of human, and for centuries the Northlanders have traded for amber or gold, and raided the area for thralls and pillaging. The Dnipir River runs south through the Sea of Grass, and only a few brave Northlanders have journeyed far down it, some even portaging their longships across to another watershed and sailing as far as the Southern Sea and the distant Caliphate. Southeast of Hrolfland is the Duchy of Monrovia, north most of the Southlands. The Southlanders are advanced in technology and magic, cladding their warriors in suits of solid steel and calling fire from the sky. They are also a decadent and soft people, and a common target of Northlander Vikings.
The Northlands are divided into petty kingdoms and city-states ruled more by the hereditary nobility than by the various monarchies. The people are largely human, though a fair number of dwarves have found their way into Northlander society. The land itself is mostly wild and untamed swamps and forests, broken by mountains in the north and east. The summers are cool and wet, and the winters are long, cold, and see heavy snowfalls.
Northlanders themselves as an independent people who often see need to rebel against their lords and kings. Part of this independence is the Thing, a combination of legislative and judicial body that passes laws and rules in criminal cases affecting a specific locality. The Thing has no power to enforce these laws, and leaves that up to the individuals affected, especially the nobility. However, the law binds all, from the lowliest thrall (serf) to the mightiest jarl (baron). This has resulted in a constant state of near lawlessness, as much of the duty of keeping society together falls to society as a whole. The upside is that the Northlanders take contracts and oaths very seriously, as well as loyalty and friendship.
The Northlanders themselves are tall, big-boned, and fair-skinned people, with hair ranging from platinum blond to dark brown, and eye color tending towards blue or hazel. In many ways they are like the people of the southern lands, though the harsh winters and short summers of the Northlands have bred a hardy and independent people. Warfare and raiding is endemic in the nearly lawless north, as are generational blood feuds between clans. Hard work and honesty are held in high regard, as are courage and honor.
Trade and raiding are the most famous of activities that the Northlanders engage in, and these two are sure routes to fame and fortune. It is these two activities that often bring the Northlanders to foreign lands, and the difference between a trading and raiding expedition is usually one of opportunity. A jarl or other wealthy personage owns the ships, and the crews are often his most loyal followers. It is considered proper for a ship's captain to be generous with his crew, and the appellation of 'ring-giver' — a giver of valuable gifts — is one sought by all honorable men of means. However, the majority of Northlanders are farmers, craftsmen, and townsfolk who live prosaic lives of toil and common joys.
The inspirations for the Northlands Saga come from a variety of sources. Naturally, the sagas are a flowing fount of information and ideas. Other historical sources include primary and secondary sources on the Viking Age, as well as the myths and legends of the Celtic and Germanic peoples. The works of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber have also inspired parts of the adventure series and the setting. Drawing from historical fiction, the Saxons series by Bernard Cornwell has provided the imagery for many a battle scene. In the end, the Northlands are not a traditional fantasy setting, but instead a blend of history and sword and sorcery fiction, with a little bit of the standard fantasy RPG tropes.
There are five lands in the Northlands proper, and three that lay just beyond but whose stories are tightly bound to that of the Northlands Saga. The heart of the Northlands is the Stormstøm Vale, a rich and prosperous land along the mighty Stormstøm River. The Vale lacks a king, and is divided into many smaller jarldoms that constantly feud and bicker. The largest city in the Northlands, Trotheim, sits at the mouth of the river. To the west of the Vale lies the land of Hordaland, a place of peat bogs and forest that is heavily settled along its coasts. The Køenig of Hordaland has recently died, and his six year old son sits the throne. The jarls are gaining independence here, and civil war looms. The second city of the Northlands, Halfstead, sits at the end of the Hord Peninsula, and is the most metropolitan of Northlands cities. To the east of the Vale is Hrolfland, ruled by the powerful Hrolf clan, one of the two great clans of the Northlands. Hrolfland sits closest to the decadent and advanced Southlands, and has adopted many of their ways. In the far west are the lands of Gatland and Vastavikland. Gatland is home of the very traditional Gat clan, famed for its warriors and longships. Vastavikland is a rugged land of mountains and volcanoes and breeds tough, fearless, and crazed warriors. The Bear-Sarker and Ulfhander cults are very popular here, and the Vastaviklanders have a reputation for savagery. Estenfird is the youngest and most northerly of the Northlands, and is an untamed land of deep forests and unexplored mountains. The Estenfirders have no kings or jarls, and are fanatically independent.
North of Estenfird is Nukland, the home of the Mysterious elf-like Nuklanders, a reindeer herding people who live isolated on the vast tundra. Further north is the Far North, an unexplored region of primitive peoples and strange beasts. Between Hordaland and Vastavikland lay Seagestreland and the Dnipir River. The Seagestrelanders are not Northlanders, but a different breed of human, and for centuries the Northlanders have traded for amber or gold, and raided the area for thralls and pillaging. The Dnipir River runs south through the Sea of Grass, and only a few brave Northlanders have journeyed far down it, some even portaging their longships across to another watershed and sailing as far as the Southern Sea and the distant Caliphate. Southeast of Hrolfland is the Duchy of Monrovia, north most of the Southlands. The Southlanders are advanced in technology and magic, cladding their warriors in suits of solid steel and calling fire from the sky. They are also a decadent and soft people, and a common target of Northlander Vikings.
Northlands Saga PCs: Osvid
Osvid, Male Human (Northlander)
Description: Osvid is a tall man, even for a Northlander, broad shouldered and muscular, with long red hair worn in thick braids that reach past his shoulders. His beard is likewise braided, and is a magnificent sight to behold. As a godi, a priest of the Northlanders, he keeps himself clean and well dressed, though since like most godi his religious duties are only part time, he is often covered in sawdust from working on the jarl's ships.
Quote: "There is a time for peace and goodwill, now is not that time, for it is the time of the storm and fury."
Personality: Always open with a story, an opinion, or with a hand to help, Osvid is well liked and well thought of. He is friendly, gregarious, and more than a bit intrusive into other's lives, something he sees as part of his duty to tend to his people.
Background: Like his father before him, Osvif is a shipwright and a first class sailor. However, at an early age he discovered a talent for story telling, singing, music, and drinking. As he grew older, Osvid perfected these skills, becoming one of Jarl Skaps Rangarsson most trusted advisors and favorite skald. Over the years He has picked up a range of useful skills, from fighting to magic, as well as bits of legend and lore from throughout the Northlands and the lands beyond. Although Osvid still spends time building ships with his brothers, he prefers to spend his nights swapping tall tales, feasting, drinking, and chasing milkmaids.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: A good woman, and like her father, an honor to serve.
Fast Tallin: Steel clad in silk, a fine musician, and a good friend to drink with.
Gest Arison: Too quiet, too much like the deep woods he haunts.
Knut Shield Bitter: A roaring good companion, but a bit on the wild side. His story will end in glorious battle, I am sure of it.
Mad Kadlin: What wounds does she suffer, and how do I tell her story if I can’t see what she sees? Pretty one, though, such a waste.
Description: Osvid is a tall man, even for a Northlander, broad shouldered and muscular, with long red hair worn in thick braids that reach past his shoulders. His beard is likewise braided, and is a magnificent sight to behold. As a godi, a priest of the Northlanders, he keeps himself clean and well dressed, though since like most godi his religious duties are only part time, he is often covered in sawdust from working on the jarl's ships.
Quote: "There is a time for peace and goodwill, now is not that time, for it is the time of the storm and fury."
Personality: Always open with a story, an opinion, or with a hand to help, Osvid is well liked and well thought of. He is friendly, gregarious, and more than a bit intrusive into other's lives, something he sees as part of his duty to tend to his people.
Background: Like his father before him, Osvif is a shipwright and a first class sailor. However, at an early age he discovered a talent for story telling, singing, music, and drinking. As he grew older, Osvid perfected these skills, becoming one of Jarl Skaps Rangarsson most trusted advisors and favorite skald. Over the years He has picked up a range of useful skills, from fighting to magic, as well as bits of legend and lore from throughout the Northlands and the lands beyond. Although Osvid still spends time building ships with his brothers, he prefers to spend his nights swapping tall tales, feasting, drinking, and chasing milkmaids.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: A good woman, and like her father, an honor to serve.
Fast Tallin: Steel clad in silk, a fine musician, and a good friend to drink with.
Gest Arison: Too quiet, too much like the deep woods he haunts.
Knut Shield Bitter: A roaring good companion, but a bit on the wild side. His story will end in glorious battle, I am sure of it.
Mad Kadlin: What wounds does she suffer, and how do I tell her story if I can’t see what she sees? Pretty one, though, such a waste.
Northlands PCs: Mad Kadlin
Mad Kadlin, Female Human (Northlander)
Description: Kadlin in tall, pretty, and always well dressed. Her long blond hair is kept well combed, and her blue eyes sparkle with mirth and warmth. At home she is well cared for by her maid servants, but on adventure she gradually loses her so well put together appearance, becoming bedraggled. Her hair gets stringy, her eyes sink into her face and become drawn and haggard, and her clothes need mending and cleaning.
Quote: "I see, I see them, don’t you?"
Personality: Kadlin has a distinct duality in her personality, At home amongst familiar surroundings she is bright, extroverted, and the ever dutiful daughter and sister, a credit to her family. When out of the care of her maids or away from familiar lands, she slowly draws in to herself, spending more time speaking with the spirits of the land and other things best left undescribed. She turns dark, morose, and cranky, eventually turning her kind words to cruel jests and sharp retorts.
Background: As the youngest daughter of Jarl Skaps Ragnarson, Kadlin has enjoyed the finest in life, but sadly that enjoyment is darkly tarnished. While still a young girl, she wandered away from her father's hall and into the woods. For five days and nights her father and his household searched for her, eventually finding her nailed by one hand to an oak tree, naked and raving. Only the firm and gentle care of her family and her friends brought her back to sanity, but ever since she has exhibited strange and fell powers and an ability to see and communicate with things unknown to other mortals.
Although it is a great hardship for her and all who accompany her when she leaves home, nonetheless her strange knowledge and powers are often needed. Frequently Kadlin has accompanied her sister and her sister's companions on adventures, always returning half mad into the arms of her old friends now her maid servants. Every time, her father orders that she not go out again, but when Asvid sails, Kadlin will be with her either invited or as a stowaway.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: She could be normal if she just wore a dress, hehehehe normal like me, like me, like us.
Fast Tallin: He is a stranger, no, don’t say he is handsome, you take the handsome ones, you always do, and then they are not handsome anymore, are they?
Gest Arison: Just say something nice, yes, nice, you found me, you know, you know, don’t say, never say, be quiet, be still.
Knut Shield Bitter: He is why some traditions should not be, no, I am sorry, that is blasphemy, must think of something else to say, hmmmm, toad.
Mad Kadlin: She is such a poor, boor, we should teach her, wait, her she comes, quiet, quiet.
Osivd : He is so kind to me, more's the pity, for I have seen his fate. I threw up a little.
Description: Kadlin in tall, pretty, and always well dressed. Her long blond hair is kept well combed, and her blue eyes sparkle with mirth and warmth. At home she is well cared for by her maid servants, but on adventure she gradually loses her so well put together appearance, becoming bedraggled. Her hair gets stringy, her eyes sink into her face and become drawn and haggard, and her clothes need mending and cleaning.
Quote: "I see, I see them, don’t you?"
Personality: Kadlin has a distinct duality in her personality, At home amongst familiar surroundings she is bright, extroverted, and the ever dutiful daughter and sister, a credit to her family. When out of the care of her maids or away from familiar lands, she slowly draws in to herself, spending more time speaking with the spirits of the land and other things best left undescribed. She turns dark, morose, and cranky, eventually turning her kind words to cruel jests and sharp retorts.
Background: As the youngest daughter of Jarl Skaps Ragnarson, Kadlin has enjoyed the finest in life, but sadly that enjoyment is darkly tarnished. While still a young girl, she wandered away from her father's hall and into the woods. For five days and nights her father and his household searched for her, eventually finding her nailed by one hand to an oak tree, naked and raving. Only the firm and gentle care of her family and her friends brought her back to sanity, but ever since she has exhibited strange and fell powers and an ability to see and communicate with things unknown to other mortals.
Although it is a great hardship for her and all who accompany her when she leaves home, nonetheless her strange knowledge and powers are often needed. Frequently Kadlin has accompanied her sister and her sister's companions on adventures, always returning half mad into the arms of her old friends now her maid servants. Every time, her father orders that she not go out again, but when Asvid sails, Kadlin will be with her either invited or as a stowaway.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: She could be normal if she just wore a dress, hehehehe normal like me, like me, like us.
Fast Tallin: He is a stranger, no, don’t say he is handsome, you take the handsome ones, you always do, and then they are not handsome anymore, are they?
Gest Arison: Just say something nice, yes, nice, you found me, you know, you know, don’t say, never say, be quiet, be still.
Knut Shield Bitter: He is why some traditions should not be, no, I am sorry, that is blasphemy, must think of something else to say, hmmmm, toad.
Mad Kadlin: She is such a poor, boor, we should teach her, wait, her she comes, quiet, quiet.
Osivd : He is so kind to me, more's the pity, for I have seen his fate. I threw up a little.
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