vikings campaign

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Campaign Sourcebook

by David “Zeb” Cook

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction. ................. .2 Chapter 8: A Brief Gazetteer ....
Europe, 9th and lo th Centuries.. ..... 46-47
Chapter 2: A Mini-Course of Viking History.5
. . . .Chapter 3: Of Characters and Combat TrelleborgFortress, De nmark. .......... 79
14
Chapter 4: Rune Magic ................. .33 St mg Farmhouse, Iceland. ............. .8

Chapter 5: E..q.AuinpdmMenotnasntedrsTr.e.a.s.u.r.e.............. .43 . . .Trelleborg-styleBarracks. ............................ 8
Chapt er 6: 57 9
. . . . . . . . . .Chapter 7: The Vilung Cultur?. Denmark and Hedeby
Longship Deck Plans .................. .9
69

Creditr: ADVANCED DUNGEONS 6 DRAGONS, A D W FORQOTEN REALMS,
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Editina: Newton Ewe11 ins.
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Typography: Anger*a Lokotz’ m e r s ~ i . x n i a a l m d e m a r k m n e d b y ~ wm, .
Cartography:David C. Sutherland 111
w m TSR inc. Ali Rigms ~ m w e d .rimed in me .S.4

Dmributed m he b m k trade in IhB UnitedStsteg by RBndDm Hw8B inc. and in
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5/21/2018 Introduction

A Few W ro ng Thoughts Vikings wear homed helmets. Sorry, they

Most of us are raised believing a lurid, This sourcebook is more than just a setting
though quite colorful, picture of the fierce Vi- for Vikings in a fantasy campaign; it is a pass-
king. This is primarily thanks to Wagner, port into the real world of the Vikings. With
comics, Hollywood, and Bullfinchs Mythol- the material here, DMs and players have a
ogy. While rooted somewhere in a grain of unique opportunity to try a new iole-playing
truth, ou r popular image of Vikings has be- experience-historical fantasy adventuring.
come little more tha n a cartoon-literally so
Historical fantasy adventuring is just that-
through such strips as Hugar the Horrible,
Prince Valiant, and Bugs Bunny forays into an opportunity for campaigns and adventur-
ers to role-play in the real worlds and lands of
opera. Before going any further, it is best to history. In this sourcebook, players are car-
ried back to tenth century Scandinavia. There
put to rest some of the misconceptions: players can assume roles as Norsemen of vari-
ous stripes-fighting men, explorers, an d
Vikings loot and piZlage. No one can deny the
skalds, or bards. With the Vikings source-
Vikings did loot and pillage, but not every
Norseman was a ravening warrior who lived book, players can adventure in a "real" fanta-
to kill and destroy. The people of Scandinavia sy world-the world as the Vikings
included lungs, earls, farmers, shipwrights, themselves believed it.
poets, smiths, priests, merchants, and artists.
In fact, the word "Viking" only applies to In addition to warriors and skalds, players
those Northmen who made a habit of can become rune-casters, berserkers, or one of
raiding-"to go a-Viking'' was an expression the ominous troll-born. Their encounters will
that described their voyages. For this book, range beyond history to include clever giants,
Viking refers to all the people of Scandinavia. magical dwarves, beautiful valkyries, mur-
derous berserkers, foul sea ogresses, treacher-
Vikings are bloodthirsty pagans. At the start ous sorcerers, and mythic dragons. They can
of the great Vilung age (around A.D. SOO), sail to lands beyond the real world-
Mirkwood, that separates the world of men
there is no question the Vikings were a pagan from the gods; Jotunheim, home of the giants;
people. Before the end of their time, however, or even to the lands of the gods themselves.
the Viking nations had converted to Chris- Wondrous treasures might be theirs for the
taking.
tianity. The pagan ways were repressed or, in
Finally, the Vikings sourcebook can be used
some cases, added to the Christian tradition.
to recreate a Viking setting in other
Bloodthirsty, well. . campaign worlds. Details on placing and
adapting Viking culture and beliefs to the
Vikings are ignorant savages . While those vic- FORGOTTEN REALMSO, GREYHAWK@
and DRAGONLANCE" campaigns is given.
tims of the Viking raids saw them as savage,
the Vikings developed an impressive culture. Instructions on adapting the Vikings source-
Sagas and poems still remind us of their
achievements. They were among the first to book to the DMs personal campaign is also
practice fledgling democracy. Their ships were provided.
built with an eye for beauty and were techno-
logically superior to anything on the seas at 3/106
the time. They founded cities, ruled in foreign
'lands and undertook dangerous sea voyages
few others would dare.

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How to Get Started on these as the campaign grows.
The V i k i n g Campaign Sourcebook and
For those unfamiliar with Viking history
(approximately from A.D. 800 o A.D. 1100), AD&D@ 2nd Edition Rules
a brief overview of the time period, describing
major personalities, events, and trends is This sourcebook is meant to be used with th
AD&D@ 2nd Edition rules. However, th
given in the first chapter, A Mini-Course in AD&D rules reflect the "realities" of a fa ntas
Viking History. Players already familiar with world, not the real world. Therefore
changes, exceptions, and prohibitions exist i
the time period can skip this section if they these rules that do not apply to a normal fan
want. This section is not intended to create ex- tasy campaign. (For example, priests a re no
perts in the Viking age, only provide a general allowed as player characters in this source
background of the period. book.) When playing in a Viking setting, th
rule changes given here should be used. Thes
Before proceeding further, the DM should changes ensure the style and mood of the cam
decide what type of campaign he wishes to
play. The material in this book is written with paign will match the Nordic setting. If ther
a historical fantasy campaign in mind -
campaign set in Scandinavia but filled with are contradictions, the rules found in th
magic, giants, ogres and trolls. If the DM n- sourcebook take precedence.
tends to use the setting in his own campaign
world, he should make notes or changes as Not all campaigns will use the historical se
needed when he reads. ting given here. In this case, certain rules pre
sented in this sourcebook may not apply o
After choosing his campaign, the DM can may need modification.
read through the remaining material. The
chapters can be read in whatever order the 4/106

DM esires. Player character information and
most game rules are in the first part of the
book. Facts and details about the Viking way
of life and their world, both real and legend-
ary, form the second section of the book.
Some players may want to learn about the
character classes immediately; others may
want first to gain more background on the Vi-
king age. Players are encouraged to read the
sections that most interest them in whatever
order they desire.

There is a pull-out map to be used by the

players, showing a stylized (and in places in-
corre ct) Viking view of the world.

Before beginning a Viking campaign, the
DM hould read through all the material pre-
sented here at least once. When he is ready to
begin a campaign, he should use this book as a
resource, just as he would an y other rulebook
or gazetteer. The maps pcovided in the book
provide the campaign base and larger area
maps of the true world. The DM can expand

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I

I

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5/21/2018 A Mi ni Xourse of Viking History

Danes raid Missionaries Da

Danes raid Lothair
I O M , 795
rebels again
hires Da

mercen

789:A nd in (King Beorhtric's)da ys there came ences Players and DMs who want to lea
fo r the first time three ships of No rthm en, more about the Vikings and their times are e
from Horthaland: and tho reeve rode thither
and tried to compel them to go to the royal couraged to pick up some of the books list
manor, for he did no t know what they were,
and they slew him. These were the first ships at the end of this chapter.
of the Danes t o com e to England. Although the Norsemen lived in the roc

Anglmo-Saxon Chronicles and cold lands of Scandinavia for millennia

So came, in blood and violence, the first no- was not until the early 800s that they ma
their presence known to the world. Sudden
Vticiekinofgsa. nDeuwrinfogrctheetoneNxtorththreerencEenutruorpiees-t,htehe as if out of nowhere, raiders in long wood
sailors from Scandinavia would make their
mark raiding, conquering, exploring, and set- ships descended upon the coasts of Englan
tling from as far east as Constantinople to as
far west as Vinland. Scotland, Ireland, and France. Their first n
toriety came from a series of raids, primar
http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book targeting the rich monasteries at Lindisfam
Iona, and Jarrow. Soon they were raiding c
ies all along the coast and well inland.

The raiders came from several northe
lands-Denmark, Norway, and Swed
Though they called themselves Vikings, th
were referred to by the rest of the world
Nordmanni (Frankish), Dene, Dani (b
Anglo-Saxon), Ascommani (Germanic), Fin

gaill, Dubh-gaill, Lochlannach (all Irish),
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Harold Fin
the battle o

Quentoric Bordeaux, \ Arles I \ Charles/ v&g
the Fat (Fr..) bese
P~~~L Xsack/ Nimes, Danes conquer
East Anglia Par
sacked

Paris, Hamburg Paris sacked, Vikings driven Vikings beseiged
sacked Friesland conquered from the at Angers

Loire valley

by Rorik the Dane

Madjus (Arabic), Rus Slavic), Rhos Greek), were too weak individually and too distrust-
and Ruo tsi (Finnish). ful of each other to form an effective defense
against the Viking invaders.
Th e world the Vikings found on their early
Scotland was no better, perhaps even
,aids was a divid ed and weak one. Few lands worse. Divided between a host of chieftains,
had rulers strong enough t o o rganize defenses Scotland's best defense was its own poverty.
against the suddenViking raids. M os t found it With little worth taking, the Vikings headed
easier to suffer through these attacks or pay their ships towa rd mo re profitable shores.
off the Vikings in hopes they would not re-
turn. Such payments seldom worked; they Charlemagne's Frankish Empire (mode rn
had quite the opposite effect, encouraging the France and Germany) at first profited from
the emperor's strong and vigo ro us rule.
Vikings to come back for more "protection
Coastal defenses were built and, under the
money." control of a strong government, were ready to
England was not yet a unified country. The drive away any attackers. With Charle-
magne's death in 814, the Frankish Empire
+and wa s div ide d between the kings of Wes- gradually began to decline. Split between
sex, Merc ia, Northu mbria, and others. Strug- warring sons, the empire turned on itself,
gling against each other for control of all leaving the coastsvulnerableto attack. By 835
England, these feudal lords we re ill-prepared the Danes were raiding cities that only dec-
to face a threat fro m overseas. ades befo re had drive n back their fero cious at-
tacks.
Ireland was even more disorganizedthan its
neighbor. The island, once the center for ~
Christian learning in the north, was divided
between a score of petty kings. These kings To the east, there was no organized
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1
Norse and Scots

._

The Finns and S hough stubborn, were liphates and emirates of the soutn
'ng raiders. Without accents of Viking travelers.

After making their first bloody raids on th

Once the greatest Of the coasts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, t

the lords Of Constantinoaddleost Vikings lapsed into a period of relative qui
that lasted for decades, The Dan
Of

their lands to the qandi ations launched a few attempts on Charlemagne

to the south. Africa and much of the Middle lands, to be defeated and driven bac

East had been lost to the Arabs. Slavs threat-

Byzantium from the north. Efforts were OglcacnadsiaonndalthreaiFdrsanwkeirseh llaaunndcs,hebdutatghaeisnestwEe
small and isolated. Only heland experien
made to regain the Old borders Of the what lay in store when Norse Vikings invad
their lands. The Irish kings were split,
and mercenaries were always needed to fight siding with the invaders, others taking ann
against them. In a short while, however, t
in places like the Italy, and the Per-
N~~~~founded Dublin and proclaimed the
sian borders. The Vikings filled this need quite
ownking.
there were the Arabs. The Then, beginning in the 830s, the situatio

Moslem states stretched from Spain to the changed for the rest of the north. Raiders su

Caucasus, an d were by far one of the most dy- 8/106

namic Of the age. Although separated

by vast gulfs of land and culture, ever A - p =

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King Edward King Offo Ill Iceland converts Danes b-

/ Eirik the Red TrellbOrg Kin; Olaf \ Englis
(Nor,) destr
Harald Bluetooth, discoversGreenland forg/ by tre
Svien Forkbeard,
King of Denmark, King Aethelred Danes win King of Denmark, Viis a
baptized the Unready (Eng.) invades England Native Ame

battle of in Vinlan

Maldon (Eng.)

-

enly startedappearing along the coasts of the ...- iquerorr
north every year. Dorestad, Sheppey, Con-
naught, Kent, Antwerp, Rouen, Pans, Ham- During the last half of the 9th Century, raid-
burg, and a host of other cities and villages
we re pillaged annually. The wo rds o f a Frank- ing was steadily being replaced by conquest.
ish monk, "From the wrath of the Northm en, For the Danes, England was the prime target.
0 Lord, deliver us, became a familiar plea. Northum bria and East An glia remained under
By 860, the Vk in g raiders often wintered ove r Viking rule t o become the Danelaw. (Traces of
at tow ns they had seized fro m their enemies. this conquest, particularly in names, still re-
main in Great Britain today.) The kings of
In 865, the Viking terror entered a new
stage. That year, the Viking warlords Half- Wessex, though slo wl y uniting the rest of En-
gland, w ere unable to drive out the invaders.
Bdaonn,elUesnsi,laannddetdheinintErniggulainngdlyantaEmaesdt IAvnargltihae. Indeed, the Wessex kings were forced to pay
vast sums to the Vikings simply t o keep their
According to legend they came to seek re- ow n lands safe. Th is extortion became kno wn
venge for the death of their father, Ragnar as the Dunegeld, and with each year the price
Lo db rok (Hairy-Breeks), wh o was cast into a grew. The English kings had the choice to p ay
pit of vipers by the king of Northumbria. or suffer. Mo st chose to pay.
Wh ate ver their reason, the three brothers did
more than just raid; after looting the region, England was not the only target of con-
the Vikings captured York and conquered quest, however. Norse Vikings continued
Northumbria and Mercia. The Norsemen
we re there to stay. their claims in Ireland and eve n expanded into
parts of Wales and Scotland. In the Frankish
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between Rome and

Paris and other cities. Gradu ally sia"). The ir ships sailed on the Baltic and
control the lower Seine vdley-

named Gange-Rolf) and Norm andy was and threaten the once-invincible empire o
Byzantium

Meanwhile, in the east, Swedish Vikings The Explorers
we re not just seizing lands, they wer e found-
ing new empires. The first settlements were While some took land through conquest
along the coasts ofFinland and the Baltic, but
other Vikings discovered new lands to

tshheipsadventhteurgorueast rivers Osf oGonardtaurrinkeid(asthtehire North of Scotland, longships beached at the
lands of Russia were called). From Staraja La-
Orhey nd ShetlandIslands.Further out, the

gods (near and passing through a Vikings settled the bleak Faeroes, displacing
the few Irish they found there, Then

series Of rivers and lakes, he reached around 860, the Norse a larg
Novgorod. Here they set themselves up as
island far out in the ocean. Forced to winte
thers down the Dvina' then ov er in this land, one settler named it Iceland

the Rus (from which comes 10/106

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HRE: Holy Roman Empire

- -~ -- so, 1ifi once again grew exciting.

settlement of Iceland began in earnest. It Resurgence
might have been nobles disgruntled with King
Harald Finehair's relentless unification of Nor- It was almost as if the Vikings, having
way. Perhaps it was overcrowded farmers paused to catch their breath, were now re-
searching for new pastures. Whatever the rea- freshed and ready to strike out again. New
sons, ship after ship of settlers from Norway, waves of invaders struggled for control of En-
the Orkneys, Shetland, Scotland and Ireland gland. At the same time, the Irish, under the
sailed to the Icelandic shore, there to create a leadership of the formidable High King Brian
new nation without kings or princes.
NBoorruse, biengvaandetrhse. lAonltghosturguhggthleetogrdiprivofe othuet Vthie-
A Pause kings would be broken at the Battle of Clon-
tarf (1014),he task would not be complete f
Sometime around the middle of the 10th over 100 years.
century, relative peace settled over the north.
The Norsemen seemed satisfied with what In England, the s t r u d e went the ouuosite
they held. The great conquests and fearful way. First Harald Bluetooth, King ;(Den-
raids slackened as the Vikings concentrated mark, then his son Svien Forkbeard secured
on ruling their new lands. New ideas, particu- the Scandinavian grip over the Danelaw. Fi-
larly Christianity, were beginning to take hold nally, Svien's son Cnute seized the ultimate
on the pagan Scandinavian shores. This
peacefulness did not last, however. and in the 11/106

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I the King of England. Shortly thereafter Cnute Viking Targets
added Denmark, then Norway to his list of

possessions. It seemed that all of Scandinavia The Vikings were rapacious raiders wl

and England would be united in a single em- struck throughout the world. The folloi

pire. ing is a partial list of their targets.

I Meanwhile, the hardy Icelanders surged Aix Limerick
outward once more. Banished from Iceland Lindis f arne
f o r three years, Eirik the Red sailed fo r a new A1gec ras
land that a sailor named Gunn-bjorn had
Angers London
found by accident over 60 years before. He Angouleme Luna
”. .named the place Greenland, since
men

would baettmrauctcivhemnoarmeet:e’ mBpytetdhteomgiod there if it AArnltews e r p MMealausntricht
had an 980s set- Armagh Nantes
Bayeux Narbonne
tlers we re arriving on this new shore. Beauvais Nimes
Berda‘a Noirmoutier
It was one of these settlers who made the Blois Orleans
Bonn Oxford
next discovery of a land even further to the Bordeaux Pampalona
Bourges Paris
west. Blown off course, Bjarni Herjolfsson Canterbury Perigueux
Chartes Pisa
sighted a strange shore. Realizing it wasn’t
CChheipspteernham QPouietenrtsoric
Greenland (his true destination), he turned Cirencester Quentoric
Cologne Rochester
away and never went ashore. That task was Constantinople Rouen
Dorestad Roussillon
left to Leif Ericsson, a.k.a. Leif the Lucky. Like Dorset Seville
Evreux Snottingham
his father Eirik before him, Leif assembled a Gloucester Tamworth
Holstein Toulouse
group of settlers and set out for this new Iona Tours
Jarrow Trier
wo rld . There he discovered and may have set-
tled Vinland, battling the Sksaelings (Indians)
for a foothold in the new world.

Collapse

I By this time, though, the Vilung age was
drawing to a close. W ith his death, King Cnu-
te’s Scandinavian empire crumbled, once
again div iding into separate countries. Chris-
tianity was taking hold in the North. Chris-
tian slaughtered Christian in the ruins of the

FVrikaninkgisahnEcemsptriyrea;ntdhedeNnoiermd hanarsbfoorrsaonodkstahfeetiry LLae MRoacnhselle UUtlsretecrht
to the raiders. The colonies of Greenland and Leicester Valence
Vinland proved to be too far, too isolated. Lichfield Wareham
I Th e tinv Vik ine colo nv in Vinland died out. Liege Waterford
York
to the present day.

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throne. Once again Viking invaders landed in any of the various dates given for cities sacke
Northumbria to stake their claim to England. can be turned into a raid the characters pwtic
This time, however, the Saxons were pre- ipate in or defend against. Ibn Fadlan's visit t
Sweden could be an opportunity for travel o
pared. King Harold I1 assembled an army and intrigue involving the player characters.
met his Norwegian counterpart at the littlevil-
The highlighted sections of the timeline in
lage of Stamford Bridge outside York. dicate suggested dates within the Viking ag
for a campaign setting. The long period from
"'KingHarold has already declared how 830 to about 950, for example, was a particu
mu ch o f England he is prepared to grant larly active time, filled with conquest and ex
him (Harald Hardradi): seven feet of ploration. The 30 years that immediatel
ground or as much more as he is taller followed this, on the other hand, were a rela
than other men."' tively quite period of Viking history and
probably less suited to adventuring play.
Or so says Kmg Haral ds Saga.
Suggested Reading
The battle was fought, but did not go as
Harald Hardradi hoped. Arnor the Earl's-Poet Much more can and has been said about th
had this to say: Vikings than these few pages allow space for
Not only are there many well-written and en
It was an evil m oment tertaining histories written by everyone from
W hen Norway's king lay fallen; wargamers to archaeologists, but the descen
Go ld inlaid weapons dants of the Vikings themselves left behind
Brought dea th t o N orway 's leader.
rich collection of work. These are the sagas
APrllefKerinregdHtoardailed'bsewsiadrerihorims ,
Sharing their b rave king's fate entertaining epics filled with heroism, battles
Rather than beg for m ercy. murders, revenge, magic, and even ghosts
Written in a clear, direct style, many of thes
Harald Hardradi had lost and the Vikings sagas have been translated into English and
would threaten England no more. are easily found at specialty book stores.

In a final ironic touch, King Harold of En- Listed here are a few of the many titles to
gland would soon meet his own death on the choose from. Not all are necessarily still in
battlefield at Hastings, brought down by print, but might be found in libraries and use
Duke William of Normandy. With the last of book stores.
the Saxon kings gone, William the Conqueror
a gBoroednt,stPaerttienrg; TphlaecVeikfoinr gthSeaggae;nTehrails breoaodkeri
dweasscepnrodcalnatismoefd tKheingVoikf itnhgesEsnugclcisehe.dTehduws,hehree
the Vikings themselves had failed. detailing the major events and accomplish
ments of the Viking Age.
The Timeline
Graham-Campbell, James; T he Vik in
The timeline given in this chapter provides Wo r ld ; Filled with color pictures, maps
indications for specific events of Viking histo-
ry or the surrounding lands. These events are drawings, and diagrams, this book describe
both those that were important to the Viking the life and times of the Vikings based on ar
age and others that can be used as background chaeological evidence.
for campaigns and adventures. For example,http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook
Heath, Ian; The Viking s;One of the Osprey

Elite Series, this slim book is intended primari
ly for wargamers. It gives a brief in t1r3o/1d06uctio

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5/21/2018

to the history of the period, then focuses on ideas €or adventures. Helpful dwarfs, viciou
the arms, armor, battles, and tactics of the berserkers, troll-born, ghosts, magica
warriors. Useful color plates are the highlight
of the volume. swords, healing salves, and powerful spel

Jones, Gwyn; A History of the Vikin gs; are all found in its pages.

Filled with information, this book is just what King Harald's Saga; Telling the story o
it says, a history of the V k n g age written for
those with a serious, somewhat scholarly in- Harald Hardradi, the last great warrior-kin
terest in the period. of Norway, this saga ranges from his fligh
from Norway through his years as a general i
Pollington, Stephen; The Warrior's Way;
Constantinople and Sicily to the defeat of th
This large and colorful book focuses on a sin- Norse at Stamford Bridge in England.

gle event, the Battle of Maldon, using it as a Njal s Saga; This saga of Iceland describe
springboard to describe life in Viking-age En-
glan d. the course of a 50 year blood-feud to its tragi
end-the burning of Njal and his family
Simpson, Jacqueline; Everyday Life in the
Viking Ag e; This provides a clear, nuts-and- trapped in their house.
bolts account of many of the little details of
Seven Viking Romances; In a change from
Viking life. Topics such as dress, food, daily
work, family, the arts, and society are all cov- historical sagas, these seven short tales ar
ered here.
filled with magic and wonder. Characters lik
The following books are examples of the Arr ow- Odd , Thorstein Mansion-Might
many sagas and tales written by Scandinavian
writers of the Middle Ages, shortly after the Ufkel the Wizard, Stunt-Bosi, and Asmund
close of the Viking age. Some purport to be
family histories, others ar e the tales of heroes. Berserks-Killer adventure as far as Hunland
All those listed are translated into English and Permia, and Giantland.
should be available with a little searching.
The Vinland Sagas; These short sagas tel
Sagas are a worthwhile source of inspira-
tion (even for non-Viking campaigns). While the stories of Eirik the Red and Leif the Luck
generally written in a clear, straight-forward
style, inexperienced readers can become con- and their discoveries and settlements of
fused by the abundance of names and events. Greenland and Vinland in North America.
It is suggested that readers first tackle a gen-
In addition to these titles, there are numer
era1 history of the period before launching in-
OUS other sagas translated into English. Som
Egil's Saga; This is the story of Egil Skalla-
may be easilyfound, others are more difficul

These titles include the Laxdaela Saga

Orkneyinga Saga, The Saga o f the lomsvik

ings, Hrafknel's Saga, Eyrbyggju Saga, and
Grettir's Saga

Finally, those interested in the mythology o

Scandinavia might want to read Gods and

Myths of the VikingAg e or the slim

da of Snorri Sturluson. Prose Ed

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A t the first mention of a Viking campaign, belief allows for many differences betwee
most characters envision bands of unruly, men. Some men and women h ave special ta
barbaric, and savage warriors, setting out on ents that separate them from ordin ary people
bloodthirsty raids to loo t and pillage. V i i s These talents are known as Gifts-a bo on o
are imagined as lewd, crude, and uneducated, curse bestowed by the N o m s (Fates) at th
swilling mead from drinking horns and
pounding the tables with their knives-the moment of birth. For some, the No m s hav
medieval equivalent of outlaw bikers.
wov en a lucky thread in life; others are bo m
Som e of them proba bly were-some but without luck. O nc e these gifts are determined
there is little a man can d o t o change them.
hardly all. The heroes of the V i k i i sagas
wer e a colorful and varied lot. Of course there N o t all gifts are bestowed by the gods, how

were warriors-many of them-but their tem- ever. Some are the result of the deeds of fa
peraments ranged from wild and savage to
wise and educated. There were heroes who thers, grandfathers, even ancestors. A her
wer e m ore than just simple warriors. There ma y inherit a fine piece of land or find
were also wild berserkers, wise runecasters, himse
educated skalds, and the dangerous troll-
the target of a bloo d feud. Unlike the gifts o
born. Each of these types had a place in Vi-
the gods, though, these can be g ained o r los
king legend and can be a player characterrole.
The information in this chapter is divided b y the character's bo ld (o r craven) actions.

into tw sections. T he first part presents infor- If a player chooses for his character to b
mation on old and new character races and
classes. Th e second section has rules fo r creat- human, he can check to see if his character ha

ing special background information pertinent a Gift. The check is made by rolling ld20 an
t o a V i n g cam paign.
findin g the result on Table 1:Character Gifts
Races in a Viking Campaign
No player is required to make this check
Th e historical fantasy wor ld of the i s
was a much different place from a standard Howeve r, once the player makes the die ro
fantasy realm. While the Norsemen had no
doubt that dwarves and elves existed, such he must accept the result, whether it is fo
creatures wer e n ot a part of their daily lives.
Instead, theirs was a world of men, though good or ill. N o t all results are desireable, an
darker creatures lurked around the shadow ed
some players may choose to no t make the ro
fringes. rather than risk an unpleasant result. If th
player refuses to check for a Gift, he canno
For player characters, the Viking world of-
fers a-l&ted selection of races. By far and make the attempt in the future.
away, the majority of characters will be hu-
man. Beyond this, a fe w characters may be one .'
of the trollb om, a mixture of men and mon- Table I : Character Ciw. ;
strous troll. Such men are rare and feared.
Die Roll Gift
Humans 1 Bad Luck
2 Blood feud
Th e bulk of charactersencountered in a Vi- 3 Family Outlawed
lung campaign are human. Howevehttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook
4 Ugly
5-12 No Gift

13 Courage
14 Go od Luck
15 Handsome
16 Inheritance
17 Rune Lore
18 Second Sight
19 Seer

20 Title

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Explanation of Character Gifts: if both sides agree to a settlement or-oneof th
feuding families is wiped out.
1. Bad Luck. The Norns have drawn the skien 3. Outlawed. The player character’s fathe
of the character‘s life and he is destined to be (typically) and all his kin have been declared
unlucky. Neither the character nor the gods outlaws by a local king or earl. The DM
can change this fact. This dioes not mean the should determine what province or land thi
character cannot achieve great deeds. It does applies to. The player character is a con
mean that someday, luck will be against the demned criminal in this land and will be slain
character and he will die. on sight if found by the noble’s men.

In game terms, bad luck causes the player d4i.sUfiggluyr.edThine spolmayeenr octhicaeraabctleerwisayp.aTrthiecuclharalry
character to suffer a 1 penalty on all die acter suffers a -2 on his Charisma and gain
rolls made with a single type of die. The type an uncomplimentary nickname.

of die affected can be a d6, d8, d10, or d20. 5-12.N o Gift.
The penalty comes into effect any time the
character attempts an action using the chosen 13.Courage. The player character is noted fo

die, or anytime the DM uses that die to deter- his pluck. He gains a + 1on all saving throw

mine some random event that affects the ill- vs. fear-based attacks.
fated character only. It does not apply to 14. Good Luck. The player character is fated
THACO and damage rolls made by others by the Norns to be be lucky through all his
when attacking the player character, but does life. The character gains a +1 o all rolls of a
apply to the unlucky character‘sattacks. single die type, chosen by the player. T he af

For example, Jon has chosen a d10 as the die fected die can be a d6, d8, d10, or d20. ust a
for his unlucky character, Asmund Berserks- with bad luck, the modifier is only applied in
Killer. Asmund and his friends encounter a situations that affect the lucky character only
pack of werewolves in the night. The 1 never to group situations.
modifier is not used when rolling for the 15.Handsome. The gods have given the char
group’s surprise or initiative since the out- acter exceptional charm and good looks. The
come affects more than just Asmund. If As- character gains a +1 to his Charisma.
mund encountered the werewolves when 16. Inheritance. The character begins with a
alone, the - 1modifier would be used, reflect- small bequest from his late father. The playe
ing Asmunds bad luck. can either choose to have a small farmstead
(which can be used as a base for adventuring)
In all cases the - 1modifier is considered a a k n a a r (a small merchant ship), or five times

penalty to the unlucky character. In the above the normal starting money allowed his char-
example, the penalty is added to Asmunds acter type.
initiative, since this is a worse result for him. 17. Rune Lore. The character can use one
Even with bad luck, a die roll can never be rune, (DMs choice), regardless of class.
18.Second Sight. The character has the gift of
modified below 1. s e c o n d sight. This power is explained in Chap

2 . Blood Feud. The character’s family is cur- ter 4: Rune Magic.
rently involved in a blood feud with an NPC
family. The DM should provide the name and 19. Seer. The character has the gift of proph-
some background about the NPC family. En- ecy, both a boon and curse granted by the
counters with the feuding NPCs are automati- gods. Once per day the character can attemp
cally hostile (although they may not a prediction just as if he were able to cast a d i v i -
immediately attack). In addition, the NPC nation spell. However, unless the cha1r6a/1c0t6er is a
family may raid or murder the player charac-
ter‘s family. Typical causes of blood feuds in-

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runecaster or sorcerer, the chance of a successful lifestyle,most often living as other men. Som
prediction is never greater than 60 . prefer the isolated surr oundi ngs of dee
20. Title. The character is the son of an earl, woods. Others gain a reputation as king
nobleman or chieftain. (The order of prece- champions. Not a few live on rocky island
dence generally follows king, earl, nobleman, practicing sorcerous arts. No matter whe
chieftain, freeman, farmer, and thrall. All they live, the trollborn tend to be secretiv
other characters are assumed to be the chil- and individualistic, rarely bowing to autho
dren of freemen or farmers. Player characters ity. The fearsome reputation of their kin
never begin as thralls.) During his lifetime, the causes common folk to deal with them r
character can make one claim upon his father spectfully or not at all.
fo r a ship and men to go raiding, assuming the
Due to their blood, trollbom characters ga
scuhaeraanctderquhaalsitnyootfbtrhoekeshniwp iatnhdhtihsefanmumilyb.eTr hofe
men received will depend on the reputation a +1 to Strength, Constitution, and Intel
an d level of the character. A charcter will nev- gence. to Wisdo
er receive less than 10 normal men and a However, they suffer a -1

knaar (a small merchant ship) or more than 60 and a -2 on Charisma. The trollborn can b

normal men and a longship. fighters, rangers, berserkers, runecasters,

The Trollborn sorcerers (15th level maximum in these classes

The trollbom are a feared and respected The trollborn have infravision (60' ange). Th
people. Their blood is half human, half troll.
trollbom are not born with Gifts and cann
e(TnthefrotrmolltshoofsethfeouVnidkiinngthweoMrlodnsatrerofaursdCifofmer--
p end ium ) The trollbom are noted for their roll on the Gifts Table for special powers.

strength and cunning. Some become fearsome Character Classes
wamors, while others excel in sorcery. Ugly,
powerful, and ill-tempered, they are easily Like character races, the classes available
identified from the common human stock.
ainVg ikcihnagrcaacmtepr aciglansasrees b(oatsh admesicxrtiubreedofinextish
The trollbom are not properly a race like
elves, giants, or dwarves. Others consider AD&D@ nd Edition Player's Ha ndb ook) an
them human-or mostly human. Although
trollblood may have been in a family for gen- new character classes described here. Becau
erations, only those of the first generation are of the differences between a standard AD&
campaign and one set in the V h n g world, no
hcounmsaidnesr,edaltthroolulbgohmt.heAirll trootlhlerasncaersetrmy emrealyy all character classes are available to player
taint them in the eyes of others. These additions and exclusions are necessar
to create the appropriate mood for the worl
The trollbom ar e easily identified. They are described in the Norse sagas.
almost universally larger than normal men,
usually much stockier and more muscular. Classes from the P l a y e m Handbook

Some may grow as tall as seven feet in height. In addition to the unique character classe
described in this book, players can als
They are seldom handsome and are often choose from some of the character classe
quite ugly. Their temperaments range from
bad to worse, although they do have their found in the AD&D 2nd Edition Player
good moods and senses of humor. Handbook. However, not all the standar
The trollborn have n o definite tendencies inhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook
character classes are available in a "pure" V
king campaign, and other classes may hav
special restrictions. These changes and restric
tions are listed below, and are also found i
the Player Information section at the end o
the book. Note that these changes only17/106 appl

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legends an d sagas of Scandinavia. These new Table 2: Norse Followers
classes are berserker an d runecaster.
Die
warriors Roll Leader Type
01-05 5th level trollbom sorcerer,
In a historical Viking setting, warriors are
the most commonly encountered group of chain mail, dagger I
characters. In the legends of the Norsemen,
freedmen of all stations were commonly part- 06-15 5th level trollbom runecaster,

stiwmoerdr,asidpeerasr, aanndd ssoomweetirme esskiblloewd. wInithadtdhie- chain mail, sword + I
tion, the sagas tell tales of exceptional war-
riors, men noted for their courage, skills, 16-35 5th level human fighter, chain mai
cunning, and even mystical powers.
36-45 6btahttleleavreel +hu2man berserker, shield
In.a Viking campaign, the Warrior group
includes fighters, rangers, berserkers, and sword, battle axe
runecasters. These last two are unique to the 46-60 6th level human fighter, chain mai
Viking world and should only be used in such
shield I ,spear + I
settings. At the other extreme, paladins are
61-75 6th level trollbom fighter, shield +1
not appropriate to a Viking campaign and
should not be used without special consider-http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook battle are 2
76-85 6th level human runecaster, chain ma

I , pear + I

86-95 7th level human fighter, chain ma
I , hield +I, battle axe 2

96-99 7th level trollbom fighter, ring ma
+ I , cloak of rotection 18/106

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Die Roll Troop Type

01-25 60 infantry w/leather armor, shield, 61-90 5 3rd level trollbom runecasters w
and sword; 20 archers w/leather ar-
mor and shortbow; 20 infantry w/ 91-99 chain mail and halberd
00 2 4th level sorcerers w/longship
chain mail and battle axe DMsoption
26-50 50 infantry w/leather armor and

spear; 50 infantry w/chain mail and Pdadins
battle axe
Although the people of the age certainly be
51-75 40 infantry w/studded leather, shield lieved in the virtues of bravery, honesty, char
ity, and goodness, the character class of th
and sword; 2o infantry w/chah mail
and sword; 10 cavalry w/chain mail paladin is not found in the Viking world. Th
unique blending of ideals and religious fervo
76-95 and spear; 10 archers w/leather so necessary in the paladin class never foun
96-00 and shortbow expression among the agnostic Norsemen. Be
70 nfantry w/studded leather, shield, cause of this, true Viking characters cannot b
and sword; 10 1st level berserkers W ’ palad ins.

battle axe; 10 infantry w/chain mail However, paladins can exist in the game, a
shield, sword and spear beit under exceptionally rare circumstance
DMs option (100men total)

battle axe mai 19/106
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vout Saxon, a peer of Charlemagne's realms, Kveld-Ulf, the count's host, so the king quick
or a knight of Spain. Like all foreigners, pala- ly finds the count guilty of murder. However
dins will encounter difficulties and prejudices because he is a nobleman of great valor, King
when dealing with the people of Scandinavia. Harald only demands a heavy weregeld (a
payment made to compensate for the deaths)
Language. The paladin cannot choose Old
Norse as his native tongue. Instead, his first Rangers ,r
language must be the tongue and dialect of his
homeland. While the character can learn Old The Scandinavians were primarily a rura
Norse (which was spoken by all of Scandina- people, freeborn farmers and sailors. There

via), his speech will always be marked, to a fore, the tracking and woods-lore skills of a
greater or lesser degree, by a noticeable
ranger are known and useful to the people of
accent. the land. However, true rangers, with thei
knowledge of secret powers, are rare. Indeed
Religion Much of Scandinavia was pagan their magical abilities would make rangers
feared by common folk who have little use o
throughout the Viking period. However, ad- love for the dangerous magical arts.

herence to any deity's belief was loose, at best. In the Viking campaign, rangers, like pala
Although they were not religious fanatics,
some people may not care for the faith es- dins, are outsiders. They are Lapps, Kare
poused by the paladin. The paladin may have lians, Kvenir, or other people more skilled in
a difficult time finding a church or follower of the mystical arts. Only rarely are Norsemen
his own religion. rangers, those few taught their secret magica
arts by Lapp wizards.
Land and Property. Foreigners were not al-
lowed to hold land. They were never consid-
ered landholders and so did not get the rights

(or duties) of this class. remInaainVuinkcinhgancgaemdp.aOignnl,ymthoest crlaansgsear baibliitliytieto
Slavery. Since the paladin is a foreigner, he attract followers is different. Instead of using
Table 19: Ranger's Followers in the Player's
can be captured and sold as a slave, should H a n d b o o k . rangers should determine thei

anyone want to try.

Law. A s a foreigner, the paladin is not fully

protected by the customary laws and legal

proceedings of the Vikings. The characters

are, of course, expected to abide by local law

and custom, bu t d o not have the same rights

as Vikings. The amount of rights and protec-

tion a foreigner receives depends on his stat- Constitution 14
Charisma 13
ure, the offense committed, and who among Prime Requisites: Strength, Constitution
Allowed Races: Human, Trollborn
the Vikings ar e his friends and enemies.
One of the character classes unique to a Vi
For example, Count Ercangar, a paladin
king campaign is the berserker. Berserkers are
from the Frankish court (modern-day France), fearsome warriors who, in the heat of battle

is the guest of Kveld-Ulf, a chieftain in Nor- tap powerful but dangerously unpredictabl

way. While traveling, the count is attacked by battle lusts. These wild passions liken them to
savage beasts: indeed, the most powerful ber
retainers of Harek, who has a feud with serkers can actually shapechange into anima

Kveld-Ulf. The count wins the battle, killing 20/106

several men. Harek is naturally unhappy and

takes his case to King Harald Finehair, ruler of

Norwav. Unfortunatelv for Count Ercannar,

King Harald as his reasons o

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Old Icelandic sagas have many mysterious magic. If the save is successful, the charact
reaches the berserk state. If failed, the chara
references to berserkers. The most heroic of ter has not managed to reach the wil d ment
all these was probably Bodva r Biarki, one of state needed to go berserk. He can continu
the great champions of King Hrolf of Den- making attempts for up to ten consecuti
mark. Powerful and fearless, Bodvar Biarki rounds. At the end of the tenth round, th
cou ld become a m agical bear-spirit to fight at character autom atically succeeds. T h e berser
the head of King Hrolf's armies. state has several benefits:

Berserkers are members of the warrior Strength. Th e berserker's Strength increas
group. They share with the fighter, paladin
and ranger the com mon features of the war- b y 2 points to a maximum of 19. O v e r 18, pe
rior group-hit dice, weap ons, armor, and at- centile Strengths increase b y one category fo
tacks per round. They advance in level at the ev er y extra point, thus on ly character's wit
same rate as a palad in or ranger. Th eir princi- an 18 (91) or greater Strength can attain 19

ple attributes are Strength, Constitution and The character gains all bonuses (THACO
Charisma. A berserker can be go od , neutral,
damage, weight allowance, etc.) for his in
or evil, but must be chaotic in alignment. creased Strength.
W hi le they are often loyal, trustworthy, and
noble, berserkers have a w ild and willful na- Hit Points. T h e berserker instantly gain
ture that leaves them alwa ys unpredicatable.
tw o additional hit points fo r eve ry level. Th
A berserker wh o has Strength and Consti- hit points gained do not heal existing wounds
tution of 16 or greater gains a 10% bonus to
all experience points earned. they are simply add ed to the character's cu
rent total. These additional hit points ca
avaAilabbelresetorkherimca(pnrouvsiedeadntyhearimtesmoerxiasrtms oinr cause the character's tota l t o exceed the nor
the setting). Howev er, although he can use
any weapon, he does not begin with as many malArmmaoxrimCulamsst.hTehche abrearcsteerrkiesr'asllobwaseed .armo
weapon proficiencies as a normal warrior. In- class improves b y 1 or e ve ry level o f the cha
stead of 4 initial weapon proficiencies, the
berserker has on ly 2. Thereafter, weapon pro- acter, to a maximum of AC 0. This adjustmen
ficienicies are gained at the norm al rate. Ber-
serkers cannot use proficiency slots fo r pu rely is t o the character's norma l unarmored ratin g
missile weapons. For exam ple, a berserker can A 5th level berserker fighting without armo
be proficient in spear, since it can be used in would have an armor class of 5. This armo
melee, but cannot spend slots to learn short- class adjustment can be co mbin ed with mod
fications for Dexterity, magical items, spells
bow or sling. It is not in their savage natures and shields. This bonus does not ap ply if th
character is wearing armor. In this case, th
to figh t at a distance.
U berserkers have the ability to "go ber- armor's AC i s used, not that created by th

serk," to enter into a wild frenzy that increases berserk fury. A 10th level berserker in chai
their effectiveness in battle. The frenzy is not
autom atic; the character cannot turn it on at mail would still have an AC of 5 when he en
tered into his berserk rage. Note that a ber
will. A berserker must spend one rou nd work- serker is not prevented from wearing armor
either in normal com bat or when berserk, bu
ing himself i nto a frenzy, during which h e can wearing armor negates this benefit.
take n o other action. (Th e sagas describeber-
serkers biting their shields and howling like Charms. W hi le berserk, the character gain
wi ld animals.) A t the end of the round, the a + 2 to all saving throws vs. charms or men
berserker makes a saving throw vs. deathhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook tal-based attacks.

In addition to the benefits, the berserk fur
has several special limitations and conse
quences. Ma n y of these reflect the s2a1v/1a06ge an

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unpredictable nature of berserkers. fore this time, it instantly ceases.
Single-Mindedness. Once a character goes As soon as the character stops being ber

berserk, he must enter melee combat with the serk, he must make another saving throw vs
enemy. Though the berserker can pick and death. If the saving throw is successful, the
choose his targets, he cannot hang back from character is unaffected by his fury. Should he
battle. If he does, the berserk fury leaves him fail the saving throw, the berserker is immedi
within two rounds. ately drained and exhausted. The character's
Strength is reduced by 5 (from its normal non
Once in combat, a berserk character cannot berserk state) and remains reduced until the
change opponents until the current foe is ei- character has time to rest. Strength recovers a
ther slain or flees and cannot be pursued. For the rate of 1point per turn of rest. The charac
example, Agnar the Berserk is at the forefront
ter cannot again attempt to go berserk unti
of the battle, fighting the standard-bearer of his Strength has returned to its normal level.
the Saxons. Suddenly, one of Agnar's com-
panions calls out for aid. Although Agnar is The berserker character also gains othe
close at hand, he cannot break off to help his abilities as he increases in level. It is these abil
friend since all his effort is focused on defeat- ities that truly inspire supernatural dread in
ing the standard-bearer. Agnar's only options simple folk, for they are beyond normal ex
are to quickly defeat his opponent or retreat planation. They are as follows:
from battle (which has its ow n consequences).
The restriction on changing opponents applies A berserker can shapec han ge into a wolf a
only after the berserker has actually entered
into combat. If not actually engaged in melee, fourth level. He can use this power once pe
the character can move and attack whomever week. The berserker's hit points, THACO
number of attacks, and saving throws remain
he chooses. unchanged. However, the berserker gains the
Retreat. Once a berserker has entered his
movement, a rmor class, and damage of a wolf
battle fury he cannot retreat from combat
without breaking the delicate psychological ( M V 18, AC 7, Damage 2-5). The characte

state that generates his power. If the berserk receives no bonuses for Strength and canno
go berserk while in wolf form. Th e character
character withdraws from combat, routs, or is can understand human speech, but canno
forced to retreat, the berserk fury immedi- communicate back without magical means
ately ends. He can understand and speak the language of
wolves while shapechanged. This knowledg
Loss of Powers. As soon as the berserk rage is lost upon transforming back.
ends, all powers gained (increased Strength,
hit points, armor class and charm resistance) The berserker's shape change is not lycan
thropy; it is a power bestowed upon him by a
vanish. All damage suffered is taken from the totem animal. His bite has no special power
he does not heal damage when changing form
temporary hit points first. Only after all these the moon has n o effect and he is vulnerable to
hit points are lost does the character suffer ac- normal weapons. The transformation takes
tual wounds. one round to effect and the berserker's clothe
are gear are not transformed with him.
Exhaustion. Going berserk is a voluntary
action; the player can choose to end it at any The berserker can shapechange into a cave
time. (It can also fail involuntarily shoud the bear at 7th level. The berserker can assume
character fail to enter combat or retreat from bear form (and change back again) once pe
battle.) However, berserking can be physi- week. Like the wolf form, this is a totem abili
cally draining. The character can only remain tv reflecting the berserker's increased Dower
berserk for a number of rounds equal to his no disease is transmitted, the moo9 d o e s no
Constitution. If he has not ended the rage be-
22/106
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force changes, and no special immunities or class is equal to that of the character if he were
healing are gained. While in bear form, the ber-
serker retains his hit points, THACO and saving berserk and unarmored. The spirit form also
throws. In bear form, the berserker moves 12,
shares the berserker's +2 saving throw 'bonus
has an armor class of 6, and can make 3 attacks vs. mental attacks. The berserker sees, heals,
feels, and senses normally through the spirit
per round. These attacks do ld6/ld6/ld8 form. Damage suffered by the spirit form is
points of damage. f either paw hits with a roll
of 18or better, the berserker can hug for an ad- done to the berserker, as are all magical attacks
ditional 2d12 points of damage.
(charms, etc.). The spirit form cannot naturally
Berserkers attract followers upon attaining
9th level. Those willing to serve the berserker communicatewith other humans (or trollborn)

are few, but noteworthy. The berserker will but does understand the speech of similar ani-
attract ld4 +1heroes. Roll on the leaders sec- mals and can speak to them.
tion of Table 2: Norse Followers. These fol-
lowers are fanatically loyal to the berserker, The spirit form can only be created once per
willing to stand by him even to the death. day. The spirit form remains for a number of

The berserker can shape-journey(hamfarir) turns equal to the berserker's wisdom. The
spirit form and the berserker are inexorably
at 12th level. A shape-journey is when the
character sends his spirit out into the world in linked. Any damage taken by the spirit form
the form of an animal, typically a raven, wolf, is transfered to the berserker as soon as the
bear, or bull (but never as a horse). To shape-
journey, the berserker must place himself in a trance ends. If the spirit form is slain, the ber-
deep trance. During the shape-journey he can-
serker dies. The character can voluntarily end
not be disturbed and is not aware of events the trance at any time and it automatically
around him. One turn after entering the ends if the character is shaken, attacked,
trance, the berserker's spirit form appears roughly disturbed.

within 100yards of the character. After this, Creating the spirit form is even more dra

the spirit form can move any distance from ing than berserking. At the end of the trance,
the character. This spirit form is always that the character must make a saving throw vs.
of an animal. Typical spirit forms are listed
below. death with a -4 penalty to his roll. If success-
ful, he has avoided any weakening effects. If
Berserker Hamfadr Summary
failed, the berserker's Strength and Wisdom
Form MV #ATDam. are reduced by half. Lost points are regained

at the rate of 1per hour of rest. Strength is
regained first, then Wisdom. Characters are

not required to rest immediately, but do not
regain any points until they do so.

Berserkersgain experience according to the

Bear 12 3 ld6/ld6/ld8 tghueidwelainrreisogr igvreonuipn. tIhne aPdladyiteior'ns Htoanthdeboeoxkpefroi-r
Bull 15 2 ld8/ld8
Falcon 36 3 1/1/1 ence awards already listed, berserkers can
Raven, huge 18 1 ld4+2
Wolf 18 1 2d4 earn an individual experiencepoint award for

initiating combat. This award is worth 200 ex-

perience points. The berserker character must

The spirit form s an actual physical presence. be the one who leads his side into battle before

The shape created can only be detected as magi- the foes attack. Furthermore, the award is not

cal by those with frue seeing or second sight. given if it was clear from the star t of the en-

The spirit form has the hit points, saving counter that both sides intended to fight.
throws, and THACO of the berserker. Its armor
For example, an evil troll has been terroriz-
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one away. The group, including Kveld-Ulf the normally available to warriors. However
Berserker, spends the night in the hall so that the runecaster never gains any bonus hi
when the monster appears, they can slay it. points normally due for high Constitution
The troll appears at the door and Kveld-Ulf scores.
leads the attack. Since combat was inevitable,
Kveld-Ulf will not gain the experience award Runecasters possess the knowledge o
in this case. runes, magical words that when used properl
generate or release special powers. Althoug
However, if the same group were facing a they seem like spells (because they have magi
company of trolls, things would be different. cal effects), runes are very different. Th
The trolls outnumber Kveld-Ulf's group and source of all runes is the god Odin. Rune
are well-armed. The Viking group leader is must be learned, but are not memorized an

uncertain if they should fight, talk, or retreat. forgotten like spells. There is no limit to th
Fed u p with the indecision, Kveld-Ulf gives a number of times a rune can be used in a singl
bloodthirsty shout and charges the monster day. However, runes are difficult and compl
In this case, Kveld-Ulf would earn the experi- cated. Casting a rune is time-consuming an
ence award. may result in nothing but failure. Lastly,
character's selection of runes is severely lim
ility Requirements: Strength 11 ited. Complete information on runes, how
they are used, and what they do is found i
Intelligence 14 Chapter 4: Rune Magic.
Wisdom 15
In addition to his fighting ability, a firs
me Requisites: Intelligence, Wisdom level runecaster begins the game knowing tw

aces Allowed: Human, trollborn runes. These runes are assigned by the DM
and are never chosen by the player. N o chec
Runecasters are rare and fearsome war-
riors. Although skilled in battle, their formi- is made to see if the character can learn thes
dable power springs from their understanding runes; it is assumed he has mastered that com
of runes, ancient formulae that tap mystical plicated art. Within the limits of rune-castin
powers. This combination of sword and mag- and the runes available, the character can us
ic makes them powerful allies and dangerous his knowledge at any time he feels appropr
foes. ate. Thereafter, each time the character ad
vances in level, he has the opportunity t
Though they are infrequent, warriors with
the power to wr ite magical runes do appear attempt to learn a new rune. Success is not au
in the old Icelandic tales. Perhaps the most
tomatic and a character can only make the a
famous runecaster was Egil Skallagrimsson, tempt when he reaches a new level. Th

hero of Egil's Sag a. Descendant of the famous cahctaenrc'seIntotelleliagrenntchee. Irtuinsethise bsaasmeed aosnththaet ncehead
ed to learn a new spell. If the check
berserker Kveld-Ulf, Egil was a strong and succeeded, the character can add the rune t
hot-tempered man, skilled in runes and poet- his list of those already known. If it is failed
the character can never learn that particula
ry. rune, regardless of how high in level he rises
Although they possess magical abilities,
As with the initial runes, the DM has fin
runecasters a re members of the warr ior say over the knowledge gained. He may allo
grou p. T hey fight and save like warriors. Ex- the player to pick the desired rune or offer th
perience is earned as a warrior and they ad- character a limited selection. Furthermore, th
vance in levels as a ranger or paladin. They
are allowed to use all those magical items DM can either allow the rune to le2a4/1p06unbid

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den into the character's min d with out prior ex- eigners. Those wanting to learn the magica
perience or study; or he can require the char- arts often went to the Lapps, Finns, Scots, o
acter t o find someone wh o w ill teach him the Irish to learn their secrets. Up on return, suc
difficult art of form ing the rune. There are no sorcerors were viewed with suspicion an
books of rune magic to study from fear. Thus, wizards must either come from o
have studied extensively in foreign lands-
As noted before , a character can only learn particularly Finland, Lapland, the Hebrides
a ne w rune when he rises in leve l. Un like spells Miklagard (Constantinople), or Araby. No
(which can be learned anytime the character surprisingly, wizards of all stripes often had
discovers a n ew one), a character cannot try ve ry lo w status.
to 'learn" a rune simply because he has seen it.
Runecasting is a mystical art; it cannot simply Not all types of magic were known, eit

be m emorized b y rote. Even if the character that can appear are listed belo w:
knows o f the rune's existence, he must wait f or Conjurer
a new level befo re attempting to understand Diviner
its intricacies.
For those D M s striving for an "authenti
Because of their more ominous reputations,
runecasters d o no t attract large bodies of fol- NPC, be kept to a minimum. O f the few tha
lowers. Upon attaining 9th level, the reputa-
tion of the runecaster is such that a certain do appear, the majo rity of these should be D i
number of men will follow his banner. Like viners or Necromancers. Specialist mage
the hphter, he determines those wh o stand by should automatically suffer a -2 on all en
him using the Norse Followers Table. Unlike counter reactions with those aware of th
the fighter, he on ly attracts half the number character's repuation.
listed (fractions rounded up). Those wh o d o
attend him are no less loy al f or all this. Furthermore, spells of Alteration, Jnvoc;
tion, and Evocation are almost complete1
Wizard nonexistent. The few wizards that do ap
use subtle methods, not the powerful
Although magic and wondrous events flash y damage-causing spells.
aboun d in the sagas and romances of the Vi-
king age, the style of magic is seldom like that Priests
found in the AD &D @ 2nd Edition rules. Th e Like the wizard, the standard A D & D gam
Vikings operated by different understandings
of magic. Runes and supernatural agencies interpretation of the priest is po or ly suited t
play ed an important part, while the stereotyp- the world o f the Vikings. T he powers wielded
by AD&D game priest characters bear littl
ical robed wizard was seldom seen. Organized resemblance t o those described in Scandinavi
wiza rd colleges, guilds, magical supply shops,
and other conventions sometimes assumed in .~an tales. Therefore, uriest characters (ewe
an A D & D campaign simply did not exist.
Likewise, scrolls, spellbooks, and other such cially Christian priests), though retainin
written material we re not native to Scandina- their spell-casting abilities, must be careful11
via. Runic writing was used for memorial
markers and runecasting, both of which in- 25/106
vo lv ed the invoking of special divine power.

Howev er, a fe w wizards did exist. Like the
paladin, these sorcerors were always for-

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Player-character priests who follow Norse AD&DB game thief chara cters and those
found in the Viking campaign are the abilities
deities must consult the Legends and Lore to open locks and find and remove traps. Vi-
king thieves do not gain these powers because
tome for available spell spheres. the characters would not have had experience
with these items. Locks were rare, and even
Of course, this does not mean there were no those that existed were simple and primitive
affairs. Likewise, the practice of trapping
priests during the Viking age. Historically chests or treasures was unknown, so again
speaking, both followers of pagan beliefs and there was no opportunity to learn the craft.
the expanding Christian influence were found.
Among the Vikmgs, however, religion was of- To compensate for the loss of these abiliti
ten viewed as a personal matter. The gods
were viewed as patron deities, to be dealt with Vbaikrrinegd tdhoieovrses. instead gain the ability t o open
by each man on his own. More often than not, While locks were rare,
b arring
each man was his own priest.
In those cases where a man was given the doors was not . With this ability, the thief can

title of priest, the job was as much political as use a number of tricks and tools (such as thin
religious(if not more so). For example, in Ice-
pieces of wood or a sword blade) to silently
land, the priests (godi or g o d a r ) functioned as
lift or slide the bar out of place-when the
chieftains. They ruled over districts, kept
households of warriors, judged the court cases thief is on the wrong side of the door This is
of those living in their district, and attended
not a Strength-based rating; it is a percentage
the Athing (national assembly), in addition to
chance (that can be improved) like other thief
seeing that the proper rituals were performed
and the sacred grounds protected. The posi- abilities. All Viking thieves begin with a base
tion of godi was not one a character could
simply choose. Instead the godi received his ti- 10% chance of success in this area. A high
tle by right of his bloodline, the respect of his
neighbors, and the wealth he possessed. A Dexterity does not improve this skill, , . ,

poor man claiming to be the godi is as likely as ' 4-
a hobo announcing himself Emperor of the
-Ba_rd.s .
World.
Known to the Vikings as skalds,bards were
Rogues respected and honored members of the com
munity. As stated before, the Vikingswere not
The Vikings were not all heroic warriors all uncouth barbarians. They placed great
and bloodthirsty berserkers. The tales are
filled with accounts of murder a nd theft, store in poets, developing poetry to a fine art

along with more noble descriptions of famed It was common for kings and nobles to sup-
poets accompanying kings into battle. Thus,
both thief a nd bard characbers are perfectly port and protect skalds-and the poets were
acceptable in a Viking campaign. naturally expected to sing their lo rd s praises

Thief Skalds were poets and storytellers. They
As noted above, not every Viking was hon- entertained by reciting verses, often com-
posed on the spot. Without a written language
est and true. Viking thieves, while not com- (runes were not used to write down poetry)
mon, can and did exist-although not without the skalds memorized their work and passed i
modification to reflect the time period. on by reciting it to others. Their poems are
filled with fanciful allusions known as k e n
The greatest difference between standard
nings, a poetic description of a person o
http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book
thing. For example, an axe would be called a
"wood-griever" or "wound-wolf," while a
warrior might be an "enemy of trolls," "paint
er of the wolf's tooth," or "feeder of ravens."
The skalds audience was expected to know

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these kennings, and their complexity and Colorful Kennings
word-play would a dd to the beauty and skill
of the poem. When running skald characters, players and

If proficiencies are used in the campaign, all DMs may want to brighten the characters’
stories with poetic expressions appropriateto
skald characters must reserve one slot for Po-
etry (Slots: l, Relevant Ability: Intelligence; class. The kennings (word-plays)below may
Check Modifier: -2). Whenever the skald at- just what’s needed to add that bardic tou
tempts to entertain, he must make a poetry Arrows-wound-bees
proficiency check to see if he can master the Axe-wound-wolf, wound-griever
difficult kennings. Battle-clash of the valkyrie, gam

Of course, poetry was not the only form of Beesrt-opromol, stoofrmmoaflt,mseetaalof the ho
Blacksmith-pole of iron
entertainment. Musical instruments were Blood-arrow-dew, milk of corp
known, but were not valued as highly as the
spoken word. Harping, in particular, was a swords
popular entertainment. Drinking horn-aurochs spear
Eagle-battle-crane, vulture of bat
Before a Viking skald can gain the use of Earth-fjord of the heather
Farm land-sorrow of oxen
magical spells (as described in the Player’s Fire-terror of the birch
H a n d b o o k ) he must first have the opportunity Generous-hostile to gold
Gold-arm-fire, fire of the wave
to learn this art. This can only be done in a
foreign land (such as Ireland), since the Vi- moon of the sea, river-fire
kings did not have these magical traditions.
New player characters have not yet had the HHeeaadrt-hh-esltmoneet--ctarabgle of fire
opportunity to travel, and so cannot begin Hot iron-gold of the fire
knowing any spells. King-giver of rings, land-demander
Man-Odin’s oak, shield-wood, tree of
Other Details
Poetry--giant’s drink mead of Odin, Odin‘s $
Of course, a race and class are far from all
theft
that define a player character o r NPC. Other Sea-belt of the earth, plain of seals
features-sex, name, age, homeland, and so- Shield-spear-cloud
cial status-are nearly or equally as impor- Ship-sea-king’s horse, sea-king’s ski, sea-stee
tant. Since a Viking campaign is not the Silver-snow
standard fantasy world, the differences and Sky-wind-bowl
effects of all these choices need t o be consid- Snake-thong of the heather, valley-fis
ered.
SSpweoarrd-f-lgylionrgy tohfobrnattle, hilt-wand, war-flam
Sex
Th e first impression most players will have 27/106

concerning Viking characters is that it is a

world of men. Bold Viking men stand at the
prow of their ships, men fight in battles, men

explore the world. Meanwhile, women stay
home to sew, weave, and tend the farm. In-
deed, women are often imagined as virtual
servants of their husbands and fathers.

As with all things, part of this picture is cor-

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rect and part is just fancy. It is true that men hard time accepting terms from a wom an war
d all the things mentioned above. There are rior, and Moorish knights are apt to find th
whole situation intolerable.
ew accounts of women warriors or explor-
bu t in the Viking world these things were In the end, players and DMs should neve
mpossible Aud the Deep-Minded, queen shy from playing a female character-espe-
ublin, moved her entire household to Ice- cially not on the basis of "it's not a woman
role." Instead, they should consider the specia
land after the death of her husband. There she considerations and social obstacles that migh
claimed an d ran an estate large enough to sup- arise as challenges and opportunities to hav
port 80 farmers. In Scandinavia, women had true role-playing encounters.
ar more rights and responsibilities than
Names
eighboring England or the Frankish Empire. Once a character has chosen a particula
Under Viking tradition, women had many
ghts. They could own property and inherit sex, a name can be chosen appropriate to tha
lands. Women were expected to manage sex. Of course, players and DMs can choos
everything in the household, and wives often whatever name they wish, but some of the V
supervised the estates while the husband was king feel will be lost if "Fred the Viking" i
gone. With such a warlike people, there were used. The Viking campaign will be much mor
many widows who kept the family farms and convincing if characters have authentic V
made them prosper. A woman had the right to king-sounding names. To do that, though,
divorce her husb and . (He, of course, also had helps to know how Vikings were named.
the same right.)
Women served as priestesses to pagan gods Scandinavians of the time went by only on

athnedywweerreefnreoqtuaelnlotlwy esdkitlolefdilienlamwasguicit.sTohrotuakgeh rnaarmeley,uasepde. rOsofncaolunrsaem, per.oSbluermnasmareossew;ehroewvderi
part in the thing (the governing assembly), one tell the three Thorolf's of the village apart o
their influence over the men handling such
matters w as great. Many sagas tell of blood- whether someone meant the Thorolf living i
feuds stirred up or sustained by the u r g i n g s of Trondlag or the Thorolf in Hordaland? Th
a woman. A woman might even work deadly problem was solved in several ways.
revenge on the slayer of a kinsman.
The most common was to add a patronym
Still, women warriors were rare, and truly ic-"father's name"-to the end of the name
exceptional. There is no doubt that by cus- Thus, Tho rolf, son of Har ald, becam
tom, women stayed home and saw to the Thorolf Haraldsson. This type of nicknam
households and property. For female player could be made by adding "son" or "sson" t
the father's name. (Women tended not to car
cthhaatratchtoeursghinthaeiVr ipkriensgenccaemapsaaigdnv,enthtuisremrse(aenss-
y their father's name.) On occasion, the per
pecially warriors) is recognized as their right, son was indicated by his home, i.e., Thorol
it might raise more than a few eyebrows. of Trollwood, but place names like this wer
Those more traditionally-minded may view it not as common.
as improper or unseemly, while the broad-
minded are ap t to consider it unusual but not Another popular method of naming was t
necessarily inappropriate. give the person a descriptive nickname based
on some quality or deed. Judging from nick
The female player character is likely to have names, Vikings apparently had quite a sens
of humor. Besides obvious nicknames lik
problems when dealing with NPCs from other "the Short" or "the Tall," less complimentar
ones like "Snake-in-the-Eye" or "the Braggart
lands, where the rights of women are not as
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also appeared. Furthermore, nicknames were acters at such an early age. However, charac-
sometimes ironic, entirely opposite from the ters who leave home after age eighteen have
truth-Thorolf the Short could actually be certainly earned the uncomplimentary nick
quite tall name "Coal-Chewer "

As is true with all nicknames, the person omeland \,

bearing the moniker generally has little choice Another important part of each charac
in what he is called. His friends (he hopes )
and companions give him the nickname that background is where he hails from. Tho
suits him best. Players may also take this ap-
proach, letting their characters earn their all were considered Vikings, there was

Players and DMs can choose whatever age great bond between Danes, Swedes, or any of
they desire for their characters. Traditionally,
a Vikmg youth was considered an adult at the the other Viking nations. Giving each charac
age of twelve, although it was common for
him to remain at home for a few more years. itenrtearahcotimone.province adds to the role-playing
Unless several separate groups a re going to
In The Saga o f t h e Jornsvikings,Vagn Akason
be playing in the same campaign world, the
who had killed three men by the age of nine,
joined the warrior brotherhood (the Jomsvik- DM should probably assume that all charac
ings) at the age of twelve.
Players are not required to begin their char-http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook ters start from the same general region. This i
certainly true with beginning characters. It is

not likely that a group of beginning heroes
happens to include a Dane from Jutland, an
Icelander, two Swedes, and a Rus. Where did
they all meet and how did they get together?
The mixing of nationalities should wait30/106 unti

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Wing Names Hak Hunthjof
Haki Hymling
To assist players and DMs in naming their Hakon Idmund
characters, lists of names (divided by sex) and Halfdan Illugi
nicknames are presented here. The DM can Hamal Imsigull
photocopy these lists for use in his campaign. Hamdir Ingjald
Harald Ivar
Men’s Names Fjolmod Harek Jarnskeggi
Fjolvar Hauk Jokul
Aella Havard Jormunrek
Agdi FFjroarnimar
Freki HHeedidinrek KKejatirl
AAglrne=k Fridleif Heimir Knui
An Frithjof
Angantyr Frodi Helgi Kol
Aran Frosti
hod Fyri Herbjorn Krabbi
Arnfinn Gardar
Gauk Herthjof Kraki
Amgrim Gauti
Asmund Gautrek Hervard Leif
Atli
Auda GGeeiirrmroudnd Hildigrim Melnir
Bard Geirthjof
Gilling Hjalm-Gunnar Neri
BBeairtrii Gjuki
Bild Glammad Hjalmar Odd
Bjarkmar Gothorm
Borgar Granmar Hjalprek Olaf
Bosi Grettir Hjorleif Olvir
Brand Grim
Brynjo Grimhild Hiorolf OOrmkning
Budli Gripir Hiorvard
Bui Hlodvard Otrya
Drott Grundi Hlodver Ottar
Eddval Gudmund Hlothver
Gunnar Hodbrodd Raevil
EE indar Gunnbjorn Hogni Raknar
Gust Hoketil Ref
Eirik Guthorm Holmgeir Rennir
Eitil Hadding Hosvir Rodstaff
Haeming Hraerek Rolf
ET Hafgrim Hrafknel Runolf
Hagal Saemund
Eylimi
Eyolf Hrani Sigmund
Eystein Hreggvid Sigurd
Fafnir Hring Sinfjotli
Finnbo i Hroar Sirnir
Hrodmar Sjolf
Hroi Skuli
Hrolf Skuma
Hrollaug Slagfid
Hrosskel Smid
Hrotti Snaeulf
Hundinz Snaevar

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Women's Names Hrafnhild Nicknames Old
Hrodrdod One-Hand
Alof Ingibjorg Absent-Minded Peaceful
Arnora Ingigerd Arrow-Odd Peacock
Asa Isgerd Bag-Nose Pilgrim
Aslaug Kara Bare-Legs Pin-Leg
Aud Kolfrosta Belly-Shaker Powerful
Bekkhild Kostbera Berserks-Killer Proud
Bera Lofnheid Black Prow-Gleam
Blind Red
Bestla Lofthaena Blood-Axe Serpent-Tongue
Bodvild Lyngheid Showy
Borghild Bold Silk-Beard
Borgny Nauma Brave Skinflint
Brynhild Oddrun Breast Rope Skull-Splitter
Busla Olvor Bull-Bear Sleekstone-Eye
Dagmaer Ragnhild Buttered-Bread Smooth-Tongue
Saereid Crow Snake-in-the-Eye
DaWY Sigrid Southerner
Edda Sigrlinn Deep-M n ded stout
Silksif Stubborn
EhY Sinrjod Dueller Tit-Bit
Eyfura Skjalf Easterner Unruly
Fjotra Svanhvit Fair Wealthy
Freydis Swanhild Feeble Wartooth
Gdumvor Fetter-Hound Whelp
Geirrid Sylgia Finehair White
Gjaflaug Thjodhild Fish-Hook Wry-Mouth
Grimhild Thorgerd Flat-Nose Wry-Neck
Groa Thorunn Flayer Xxx's-Bane
Gudrid Throa Fosterer Xxx's-Killer
Guh Thurid Good Yeoman
Gullrond Tofa Gossip
Halldis Grey-C1 32/106
Hallfrid UM Hairy-Breeks
Hairy-Cheek
Vaetild Hard-Mouth

HHaeklljvaei(gScot) Yrsa HHoort-sHe-eHaedad
Helga Hunter
Herborg Keen-Eyed
Herkja Lean
Hervor Little
WdlgUM Long Leg
Hildirid Lucky
Hjordis Mansion-Might
Hjotra Night-Sun
Hleid Noisv

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the characters reach higher levels when rea- begin as slaves (since this makes adventurin
difficult) and only those who have the appro
sonable explanations can be provided. A
priate Gift are the sons of chieftains, godar,
henchman from the Hebrides (Scotland) may princes.
become a player character (to replace a fallen

anelaw (England, after 865) the AD&D@ ame rules. The following prof
ciencies are not available, for cultural or hi
Iceland (after 870) torical reasons:
Ireland (after 820)
heraldry
riding, airborne
spellcraft
forgery
charioteering

in this general area. For example, the cg~uualtg.uer-eOsldspoNkoersees. sTenhutisa,llfyor tVheikisnagmcehalraan
ters, this serves as the common tongue.
ore, it is reasonable for the initial char- addition, the languages of surrounding land
to hail from Stad, More, Gaulardale, may be useful to the player characters. Cha
d, or other nearby districts. Thereafter acters with the omor tu nit v to learn addition
aracters are assumed to have family and al languages can-(se the skpli fi ed list bel

lthough the bulk of the Vikings were free Gaelic (Ireland)
Saxon (England)
Slavic (Russia)
French (Franks)

Latin (the Church)
Arabic (Moors)
Greek (Byzantium)

As noted, this list is simplified, ignorin

means-neither poo r nor overly ricA (unless essary complication to the experience of rol
the character h as benefited from a Gift duringhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook
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He w h o wou ld read the sacred runes process, since such runes were highly secre
given by the gods, and hard to master. Not everyone could us
that O din set dow n magical runes, only those wh o had taken th
and the sage stained w it h color, time to master this difficult art. This is be
cause magical runes were ancient secrets tha
is well advised to waste no w ords. came from Odin. Even Odin suffered trying t
- ayings o f the High One learn the secret words, as this ancient text in
dicates:
No rdi c magic can be roughly divided into two
different groups. There is the normal type of I know that I hung on a high windy tree f
magic, reflected b y the wizards and spells of nine long nigh ts;

ltehaernAedD f&romP gfoarmeiegnseyrsste. mTh, epsraeccotinceddtybpye oisr I had a spear wound-that was my wo rk-
rune magic, peculiar to the Nordic lands.
Rune magic is vastly different from the nor- struck my self . . .
mal A D & D game system of memorization
and spells. The y brought me no bread, no horn to drin

What Are Runes? from. . .

Runes are an ancient form of writing used Crying aloud, I seized the runes; finally
througho ut Scandinavia. Th e stick-like letters
are easily carved with a knife, a tool every fell

mofawnoaondd, wshoamvaend fclaotmomnoonnlye csaidrer,iecdo.mAmpoienclye Thus I learned the secret lore, prospered an
waxed in wisdom
served as a "tablet." Runes were carved into Sayings of the High On
w o o d and stone, and used fo r things such as
charms, contracts, boundary markers, and 34/106
memorial stones.

Thus the Vikings had their own written lan-
guage and were n ot illiterate. However, runic
script had its limitations. Most important
(and what made the Scandinavians seem illit-
erate) was that onl y short messages could be
written using this method. Paper, parchment,

and hides we re not used, and boards were just
not practical for writing books. Thus, Viking
literature was all oral and not written down
until after the Viking age. Without a collec-
tion o f books, it was easy for later historians
t o assume the Vikings w ere illiterate.

Magic Runes

Wh ile runic script was used f or messages,
the Vikings also believ ed in special runes that
could b e used t o create potent ma gical effectshttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook

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uffering, how could mortals expect the runes explained above.
o come easily to them? First-level runecasters start the campaig

Runes are gained through insight, instruc- knowing two runes. It is assumed the chara
tion, and reward. The character who is taught
how to form a magical rune most probably ter successfully learned these runes and n
learned it from one who already knows, who check is necessary. The initial runes are a
in turn learned it from another, and another
before him, and so on until the beginning of signed by the DM.
time. Sometimes a character, after much con-
templation, suddenly "sees" the pattern need- Using Runes
ed to create a specific rune.The rarest of all is
Once the character learns how to fashion
to acquire a rune as a gift from the gods. A
bird may whisper the secret of the rune to the magical rune, he can attempt to use it. O
character or he may even hear it in the voice
of a waterfall. course, since the character is manipulatin
magic, this is neither a simple nor easy tas
Although runes have magical powers, they Even though the character "knows" how t
are not like standard AD&D game spells. use a given rune, it must be recreated wit
Runes are not memorized daily, to be cast and each use. What the character knows are th
then lost. There is no limit to the number of principles and steps for creating the desire
times runes can be used in a single day. They rune, but each time he uses the rune, it takes
do not have varying verbal, material, and so- different form affected by the factors of th
matic components, nor do thev have castine moment. It could be the time, place, motive
or people involved that alter the rune. Pe
times that modify kiti at i haps the most important oart in usine a rune

earning Runes to deduce the the correc;forrn ~ne~ed..id~. ~....
~ ~~~~~
Like spells, runes must be learned before
they can be used. After a rune has been found This slow process is known as shaping, an

whatever means), the character must is divided into three steps-planning, carvin
ck to see if he can learn it. This check uses and activating. Each attempt to shape a run
begins with a-full turn of contemplation du
the Chance to Learn Spell percentage given for ing which the character must remain undi
e character's Intelligence score. If the check turbed. At the end of that time, the charact
can proceed to the second step.
successful, the character can add that rune
Carving a rune requires only three things-
tu the list of those he already knows. If the the rune as planned out in the character
mind, something to carve it with, and som
eck iIsnfcarielaesdi,ntgheinchleavraecltedroecsannnoott alellaorwn tahna-t thing to carve it on. Magical runes must b

check; however, if the character's Intelli- icnakrvsetdhetoy bheaevfefenctoivpeo; wwerirt.teTnhwe ictharpvaipnegr taono
ence improves, he can make another attempt and surface can be whatever is at hand (a
provided he still has access to the rune though some runes may have restrictions
through an instructor or other method). but must be known during the planning stag
A character cannot plan a rune and then loo
Although runes are a written type of magic, around for the materials to carve it. Ther
must be no delay between the planning an
a character cannot learn how to use a rune just the carving of a rune.

By studying one. There is much more to creat- Typical surfaces for carving runes includ
ing runes than writing them. The character boards, blades, drinking horns, and stone
must have a living example of the rune-
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knife, although any other hard, pointed tool Beast-Rune

can be used. This rune allows the runecaster to undei
stand the speech of a particular animal. Whell
The third step in shaping a rune is activat- shaped, the rune must name the particular an-
imal it is intended to affect. A type of anima
ing it. T his must be done within two rounds of (any bear") is not sufficient; an exact identifi-
the carving f or the rune to be effective. The cation must be pro vided ("the bear that lives
in the big cave at the mouth of Flossi's
activation can be either a poem spoken over stream"). Once the rune is carved, the caster
can converse with that animal as if b y norm a
the runes (to charge them with power) or
esapcehecho,thbeort.h Smpaenakainngd aanniimmaallsunadreersttyapnicdainllgy
anointing the runes with beer or spit. The ex- friendly, even helpful; perhaps the nov elt y of
speaking humans intrigues them.
act method is generally unimportant to the

pla y of the campaign.

All told, the process of shaping a rune takes

15 + ld20 minutes. Upo n completing the last
either
step, the player or the DMmakes a Wis-

dom check for the character. If the Wisdom

check is successful, the rune works as intend-

ed. The player can make checks for those Berserk-Rune

runes where the outcom e is obvious. The DM

should make checks fo r situations where the This rune, carved onto the haft of an axe or

success of the rune cannot be determined im- shaft of a spear, can be used to incite berserk

mediately, such as a rune against poison frenzy. Since the name of the person and the

carved on a d r i i i orn. Af te r the rune has instance of battle must be included in the

served its purpose, it is merely a carved pat- shaping of the rune, the berserk-rune is gener-

tern. Runes cannot b e reused. all y only effective in set-piece battles or duels

where the runecaster has time to ure.oare.
~

Rune Descrlptlons On ce the rune is shaped, the user of the weap-

spellsf magica1 do not have on gains + 2 to his hit points and + 1 to his

levels. M os t can be karned b y any runecaster, damage and THACO (but no other berserke

no matter what his level. However, Some powers). The berserk-rune does not convey

runes can Only be attempted after mastering all the powers allowed the berserker charat

nes. In these cases, the rune Or ter. The state lasts until the character is slair

that must be known are listed in the descrip- uses another weapon, retreats, or is out <
for than rounds,

tion of the particular run

AleRune Catch-Rune

This rune the Pence f poison and This rune must be to oled on to the palms of
a pair of leather gloves. When the rune is
protects against POiS0+, after a fashion. shaped, the wearer, place, and time must be
specified (i.e. "these glove s are fo r Halfdan the
Once the runemust be carved On Seal-Hunter in the battle against the English
the rim Of a Or The two runes must we are about to fight"). The glov es are effec
tive f or one day. When wo rn, the named char
then be touched o each Other. The effectiveness acter can try to catch any weapon thrown at
him-spears, axes, knives, etc.-by making a
Of the rune s not permanent; it is Only u s f u l for

a ession, the may
be refilled many times. If d e his time the
drink contained is poisoned, the cup shatters

when the runecaster touches it. Once

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from that attack. If the attempt fails but the Charm-runes are dangerous to use for a va-
attack succeeds, the character suffers one ex- riety of reasons. First, unlike many other
tra point of damage from the attempt. The runes, a misshapen or poorly carved charm
rune is not effective against arrows or thrown rune is not just ineffective: it gains the power
boulders and the like. to harm, assuming the properties of a disease
rune. Second, unlessnatural instincts overrule
Change-Rune it, the charm-rune is only effective so long a
it remains in place. It is reasonable to assume
This rune allows the runecaster to assume that sooner or later the rune will be discov
the form of a natural animal. When shaping ered. The charmed person (and his or her kin
the rune, the runecaster must specify what is apt to take a dim view of such a magical se

ccarervateudreonhae bwonilel, bfeeactohmere,.orThhiederuofnethaist ctrheean- duction. Finally, unquestioning love may no
ture. Upon completion, the character assumes always be the bliss the character imagined; i
the form of the animal. His clothing and can easily yield to other emotions, particular
equipment do not transform with him. The ly jealousy.
character has the armor class, movement, at-
tacks and damage of the creature but retains Dead-Rune
his own hit points, THACO, and saving
throws. He does not gain any special abilities This dark and potent rune allows the m e
the creature might possesses (poisons, bear caster to converse with those departed. When
hugs, etc.). The change lasts for ld 6 hours or shaping the rune, the runecaster must know
until the character sleeps or goes unconscious, the name of the specific individual he seeks
The rune is then carved on a pole and driven
walitshhoeusg. h the caster can end it earlier if he
itnhteostehae feoarrtthhoosfethuengbruarvieedm. oTuhnedmoor ucnadsttihneton
Charm-Rune opens (or a hall appears in the waters) reveal
ing the dead spirit seated at his hlgh seat. T he
This rune, when correctly shaped, func- runecaster can pose up to three questions to
tions as a powerful love charm. It is, however, the spirit. Although the summoned spirit can
dangerous to use. Each charm rune must be not lie, it typically answers in riddles and po-
shaped with a particular pair of lovers in mind ems (frequently loaded with kennings). The
and then carved onto a plank. The plank must spirit will invite the character to enter, bu
then be placed underneath the mattress of the anyone foolish enough to do so is lost forever
victim. After each night spent sleeping over
the rune, the victim must make a saving throw The dead-rune has a significant risk in tha
vs. petrification. If the saving throw is suc- not all spirits are cooperative or helpless. Each
cessful, the rune has n o effect that day. f the
saving throw is failed, the victim is charmed. time it is used to summon a new spirit, there is
He or she views the runecaster (or whomever a 10% chance the runecaster has contacted
the runecaster has designated) most favor- one of the uneasy dead. The summoning free
ably. Indeed, the victim behaves if in love. such spirits from their mounds and they take
(Note that this does not give the runecaster or on physical form. Spirits released in this man
any other absolute control over the charmed ner are equal in all respects to wights.
person ) The charm effect only remains in ef-
fect so long as the plank with the rune remains Disease-Rune
in place beneath the mattress.
This rune is very similar to the charm-rune
http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book When shaped, the victim must be named and
the rune carved on a plank. This is then placed

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beneath the mattress of the victim. Each has no effect on illness caused by diseus
morning thereafter, the victim must make a runes. Whe n shaped the caster must kn ow th
saving throw vs. death. If successful, the rune name and symptoms of the sufferer. Th e run
has no effect. If failed, the victim weakens, is then carved on a plank and placed under th
losing a point of Constitution per day. This ailing person’s pillow. Each morning the pa
process continues until the victim’s Constitu- tient makes a saving throw vs. death. If suc
tion reaches 0 and the character dies. Consti- cessful, the disease lessens and one of th
tution lost in this fashion cannot be regained symptoms vanishes. (Fevers abate, po x hea
until the rune is discovered and destroyed. aches depart, etc.) When all symptoms ar
gone, the person is cured. T he rune is then in
FoUrsteudneb-yRusneeers, the fortune-rune allows the effective.

caster t o predic t the fate o f others. Each rune Iron-Can’t-Bite-Rune
must be fashioned for a particular person and
carved into wood . It is then typically cast on This potent rune is much valued by war
the floor, burnt, or handled by the seeker. If riors of all types and is frequently used b
the ru ne is shaped successfully, a general indi- raiders and berserkers. Th e rune is shaped fo
cation of the character’s fate in life is given. a particularperson and carved onto a wo ode
amulet. T he charm must be donne d as soon a
Thii can be as broa d o r precise as the DM de- it is carved. (It is not possible to stockpile pre
pared amulets.)This must be wo rn around th
sires. O f course, onc e a prediction is made the neck at all times. Thereafter, the wearer su
DM should make efforts to see that what has fers one point less damage from all attack
been fo reto ld comes true.
made with weapons. A n axe blow that doe
Th e Vikings strongly believed that the fate
of a person was fixed f rom his birth and there six points of damage would o nly cause fi ve t
was little he could do to change it. (Arr ow- a character so protected.) The rune is effectiv
as long as the character wears the amulet o
Odd, wh o was fated t o be killed at home by until the character’s hit po ints are reduced t
the skull of his own horse, killed and buried 0. If the rune is removed for any reason, i
power is broken. C ertain magical devices ma
the animal, then sailed aw ay vo wi ng never to also negate the effectiveness of the rune.
return. Although he lived for three hundred character can on ly use one of these runes at
time.
years, Arrow-Odd finally did meet the fate
Limb-Rune
the seer had described for him.) This useful rune can be used to heal injurie
Fortune-runes are useful in describing the
particularly those suffered in battle. To be e
general l i e of the character, his luck in a com- fective, the rune is shaped with the injure
person‘s name and then carved onto th
dheodthanergelrasrgoef sucnadleeretavkeinntgs.a Tlohnegy branch of a living tree. Blood from th
for determining the outcome of wounded person must be touched to th
tails and events, such as whether a carved letters. If the runecasting is successfu
nster lurks behind the door. Such hazards the injured person heals l d l O p oints of dam
life are left for the characters to face on age.

Help-Rune Altepately, limb-runes can be used
speed the process of natural h d i n p38/106 Th
Th is valuable rune can be fashioned t o cure
diseases, including most of those caused by

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process for shaping the rune is the same as more than one l u c k - r u n e in operation at a si
above, but the rune is carved on the inside of a gle time. All others he might try to carry a
piece of bark stripped from a living tree and instantly negated.
placed against the wounded character's skin.
Thereafter, the character heals at twice his Nis-Rune
normal rate. When used in this fashion, the
rune remains effective until the character has A ni8-rune (pronounced roughly nith) is

made a complete recovery. Only one limb highly charged and emotional rune to us
rune per character can be used at a time. since it is a grave insult to the person named
the rune. (Ni8 implies shaming and disgrac
Lor-Rune and among the Vikings is associated with tra
tors, particularly a man who kills his ow
This is a potent and dangerous rune, great blood-kin. Such criminals are named ni8in
in both its rewards and its risks. It allows the
runecaster to seek the answer to a single ques- and can be killed on sight by any man.) A ni
tion. The runecaster formulates his question
in the form of magical runes and carves these rune delivers a powerful curse.
on a stone. If the rune is successfully shaped, To fashion this rune, the runecaster mu
an answer to the question will come to the
character in a dream in Id6 nights. Like most name a particular person to be affected an
prophetic answers, the vision will be couched fashion with the runes the wrongs that perso
in strange and mysterious terms for the rune- has committed against the runecaster to ju

caster torispkuzczolemoeust.if the rune is fashioned tify the curse. A ni8-rune carved witho
The
good cause automatically fails (with the co
wrong. Then, instead of a prophetic dream, sequencesgivenbelow). T he rune is carved o

the runecaster suffers six visits by a gast (see a pole, set in the ground, and topped with a
animal's skull. The pole must be on the prop
Monsters), appearing once each night. erty of the person being cursed.

Luck-Rune The type of curse delivered depends on th
imagination and desires of the runecaste
This rune, carved on a stick or other wood- Typical curses inflict madness, misfortun
bad luck, illness, Poor harvests, hars
en object, gives a single person luck for one winters, bad hunting: or evil weather. Th
day. The shaping of the rune requires the curse can never directly cause the death of th
victim. For example, the runecaster cann
name particular person to be protected. He will a fatal illness on the victim or cause h
ship to sink in mid-ocean. However, he cou
must then carry the rune with him for siht atopebde, reduce the victim to feeble weakness (makin
effective. If the rune is successfully him easy to kill) or request a terrible stor
(that might sink the ship of anyone foolis
the recipient gains the benefits of Good L u c k enough to sail).

as described in the "Gifts"section of Chapter 2. If the rune is fashioned successfully, the vi
tim is allowed a saving throw vs. death to r
f the rune is badly formed, the Bad Luck e f - sist the effects of the curse. If the save is faile
the curse takes hold. If the save is successfu
fect is instead triggered. The runecaster de- the curse is negated.

cides the type of d i e to be affected at the time There are several risks involved in usin
this spell. First, it is difficult to fash3i9o/1n06, so th
>f shaping the rune.

Good luck remains in effect from sunrise to

sunset, provided the character keeps the rune

on his person all that time. Bad luck has the

same duration, but remains in effect even ifhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook

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he ni8-rune t o have effect it must be placed building o f the ship gains a +5% bonus to lat
where it can be found. Since the runes clearly er seaworthiness checks.
identify the runecaster and his intended vic-
tim, either the victim or his relatives might Once the sea-rune is carved (assuming i
discover the pole and then take vengeance on was successful), the ship has better chances o
the character. A ni8-rune is a grave insult and surviving any storm. In dangerous seas, th
will not be dismissed lightly, unless the target vessel handles as if the win d and waves wer
is a coward. Finally, a po orl y fashioned rune one category less. (Strong winds are treated a
will rebound on the runecaster. If the charac- favorable, storms as strong winds, gales a
ter errs in shaping the rune, the curse (or storms, and the northern equivalent of hurri
something similar to it) effects the runecaster. cane is a gale.) Th e ship gains a +lo% bonu
Lik e the potential victim, the player character to all seaworthiness checks (possibly 1 5 % i
is allowe d a saving throw to a voi d the effect. the rune was fashioned when the ship wa
built). Multip le sets of sea-runes on a singl
Th e curse remains in effect until either the ship are not allowed.
conditions of the curse are fulfilled, the ni8-
rune is negated, or the tw parties arrive at If a sea-rune is negated because of a broken
some kind of reconciliation. This last can be
done by arbitrating a settlement at the local or lost oar, the rune can be repaired by any
thing (a law-assembly, see Chapter 7). runecaster who knows how to shape a sea
rune. H e can examine the runes already o n th
Quench-Rune ship and carve a new one. A check for th
work must still be made. The bonus for th
This rune allows the caster to extinguish initial carving of the rune is lost, however
since the replacement oar was not fashione
an y single fire. Whe n shaped, the name of the
place to be affected must be worked into the wishbenrotkheens,htihpewasseab-uruilnt.eIfisthpeeprrmoawnoernrtluydddee
rune, which can then be carved on any availa- stroyed. T he ship is then considered ill-fated
ble piece of wood. The woo d is thrown into and cannot have another rune placed on it.
the F i e and consumed to activate the rune. If
the rune is shaped successfully, a conflagra- Shield-Rune
tion up to the size of a single building can be
extinguished. Only one fire can be extin- Like the sea-rune, this rune is highly desired
guished per rune. by all warriors. To be used, the rune must b
shaped for a particular warrior and then
Sea-Rune carved on the inside of his shield. Thereafter

moFsotrptrhizeeVdiaknindgpsr,atchteicsaelao-frualnleruins eosn. We oitfhthite, the warrior gains a +1 o all his saving throws
the chances of a safe voyage are improved
greatly, no small thing for sailors of the when carrying the shield. The shield-rune is
stormy northern seas. Since the rune is most only effective for the named warrior; should
effectiv e if shaped and carv ed when the ship is another use his shield, it functions as a norma
built, wise shipwrights seek out the most skill- shield with no special bonus.
ful runecaster they can find. The runecaster
shapes the rune and then carves it on the The shield-rune remains in effect until the
pro w, rudder, and oars of the ship. The rune character is defeated in a duel or runs from a
remains in effect until any of these items are battle. If either event occurs, the rune is imme
broken or lost. A rune shaped during thehttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook diately negated.

Shout-Rune

This peculiar rune can be used to free oth
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ers. It can also open locks. To use, the rune- include the name of the strengthened person
laster names the person to be freed or the item and then carve the rune on a piece of wood o
o be opened and carves the rune on the bonds stone. This is driven into the earth and touch
.hemselves. He then shouts to activate the ed by the named person. Thereafter, for ld
wne. This unties knots, opens locks, breaks hours, that character's Strength is increase
:etters, and undoes any other restraints. by l d3 points (or10% if over 18).The charac
ter receives all appropriate adjustments t
Sight-Rune THACO and damage for his enhanced
Strength.
This rune is carved on a piece of wood and
nust be shaped for a particular individual. Triumph-Rune

3Tnamceedacpteivrsaotendw, tihthe trhuenepcoawsteerrocfasnelcooonkdastigthhet This is a powerful and much desired rune
:seeSecond Sight in this chapter). Because sec- because it improves a warrior's skill in battle
m d sight allows one to see many things hid- The rune must be shaped for a particular war
ie n or from the other world, this rune is often rior and a particular battle or setting. ("Giv
ise d to help predict the fortunes of others. A victory to Sigurd Hairy-Cheek today agains
;ingle sight rune is effective for one reading. the Wends.") It is then scratched onto the war
rior's sword hilt and blade (spear shaft an
Speech-Rune blade, or any other appropriate combina

This rune is shaped for a particular person, tion). The warrior gains a + 1 o his THACO
then carved on an amulet for the person to
and damage rolls. The rune lasts until the war
wteeratrh. eThcearruvninegi.s Defufercintigvetfhoarttwtiemlve,e hthoeurrsuanfe- rior loses the weapon or changes to anothe
prevents enemies of the wearer from speaking
evil of him. Those attempting to defame, deni- woreathpeonb,artteltereeantsdso.rTishederufenaet-ecdarivnetdheblbaadkelei
grate, or spread lies about the protected per- the equivalent of a magical weapon for figh
;on must make a saving throw vs. spell to do ing creatures that can only be hit with
so. Furthermore, the spell prevents others weapons. The triumph-rune cannot be com
bined with other runes that increase th
from casting runes (particularly the ni6-rune THACO or damage rolls of the character, no
can it be applied to magical weapons.
on the protected person unless, again, a sav-
ing throw vs. magic is made. Water-Rune

While it a t first seems inconsequential, this This practical rune is often used by sailo
rune is of great importantance. The honor of
rtounperoistecsthaapgeadinswt itthhethrieskpeofrsdorno'swnnainmge. Tanh
aomneo'sngrepthuetaVtiiokninwgsa.s Aof mnoans'smsatlalnsdiginngificcoaunlcde
easily be destroyed by slander and innuendo, then carved onto a piece of wood. This is s
particularly in the court or at the thing (the as-
adrift on the ocean. Thereafter, the person ha
sembly). The speech-rune, wisely used, could limited protection against drowningin the fo
lowing ways: He can hold his breath for twic
prevent such a downfall. as long as normal. The character is automat
cally considered proficient in swimmin
Strength-Rune When swimming long distances (such as
shore after a shipwreck),the character gains
The strength-rune does just as its name im- +1 to all required Constitution checks. Th
plies: it increases the strength of the recipient. character does not suffer from expo4s2/u10r6e to ic
When shaping the rune, the runecaster must

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waters and suffers -1 point of damage that Second sight can also be used to see event
might be caused by drowning or similar wa- that will occur. For example, in Iceland ther
ter-based attacks (although these are very, was an old wise woman with the sight who
very infrequent in the Viking world). regularly foretold when the merchant ship
would be arriving for the season.
Creating Other Runes
What is seen by second sight will happen
Unlike magical spells, which are formulae no matter what measures are taken to avoi
that can be researched and created by player it. While most things seen by second sigh
characters, runes are secrets with divine come to pass relatively quickly, it is not un
powers. The powers of runes have existed known for the prediction to be fulfilled year
later.
since the beginning of the world. Runecasters
wdohant ohtas always been.thAeyrunecasterdicsacnonvoetr Second sight does have its limitations. At

choose to research a new Of and add tempts to use second sight only succeed 50
it to his collection; this is simply not possible. of the time, and even then may not revea
anything interesting or extraordinary. Mos
This does not mean new runes cannot be
added to the campaign, however. The DM can importantly, this ability cannot be used to pre

create new runes as he desires, perhaps in re- dict the outcome of actions. A character wit
second sight cannot look at a chest and say
sponse to the wishes of the players. He can that opening it would be bad, since this re
quires an action that may or may not happen
then introduce these runes into his game how- (Upon hearing the prediction, nobody open
ever he sees fit. An old hermit in the moun- the chest and thus makes the prediciton un

tains, through hardship and deprivation, may otruutec)o.mCehaorfaactfeirgshctaonrnoat buastetliet, toalfthooreutgehll tthh
seer could say whether one fighter or com
have seen a vision of the new rune. An animal
mander’s luck was good or bad. An event tha
who, since they are part of the earth, are of-
depends on the specific actions of people, par
ten wiser in these than humans) may ticularly player characters, cannot be deter
mined through second sight.
know the secret. Likewise dwarves, whose
knowledge of the old magic is far greater, As a last caution, the DM must remembe

could know the ru that he is in charge whenever a character has

the D M s imaginati vision through second sight. If the DM has n

Second Sight idea what vision would be appropriate, then
none need occur.
Second sight gives people the ability to see
things beyond the ken of normal folk. It mani- Some D M s may object to the gifted charac

fests in two ways. ter’s ability to constantly see invisible objects
Most of the invisible things seen are creature
The first, and simpler, power of second fr om the other world-dwarves, huldre
sight is to see those things that are hidden by tomke, nisse, and an assorted collection o
sprites and fairies. Seeing such invisible crea
supernatural means. A person gifted with sec- tures is no great blessing since they take
greater interest in those who can see them
ond sight can see invisiblethings without diffi- The attentions of spirits are seldom desirable
those with second sight are often mad o
This primarily means the character can touched in the brain by their own power.

see spirits and hidden creatures. 43/106
The second power is the ability to see things

&a t are to be. This prophetic ability of second
sight mostly involves people. With second
sight the seer can see a person‘s luck, and

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From Ym ir's blood fell drops of poison wh ich The second reaction, which com bines with
grew and formed into a giant. the first, is awe. These strange creatures are
otherworldly. They know more about the
All our kinsmen were so created and that's workings of the earth and the gods than nor
w h y we're far too fierce. mal men. Therefore, their appearance among
Th e Lay of Vathrudnir the world of men always has significance
Worse still, interference with such creature
Th e lands of Vikings were home to more than can bring down greater woes, even the ire o
just human beings. M an y people are familiar the gods, whose w ay s are unfathomable.
with tales of giants, trolls, ogres, dwarves,
elves, even dragons; but how many kno w of Only the greatest of heroes (or fools) can
the nisse, kabbelgatt, skogsr3, fossegrim, treat supernatural creatures with casual disre
sjor3, o r a horde o f other creatures, goo d and gard. For all others, the news that a linnorm
has been seen at the ferry or that a spoke is
ill, that lurked in the dark comers of the terrorizing the neighbors is a matter of mea
and serious imp
world? These creatures and many more
form ed part of the Viking world. Existing Cre

The Role of Monsters The A D & D game system, with its plethor
of monsters, has tapped the rich veins o f Scan
Before throwing dragons, trolls, giants, and dinavian folk lor e more than once in its searc
whatever left and right at player characters, for new foes. A fe w creatures appear unde
take a little time and consider the place of the guise of a different name (more common
monsters in the Viking campaign. The view
the Vikings had of the wo rld is much different in English). Rather than create a new b atch o
monsters who differ only from creatures al
fro m that found in the typical AD& - cam- ready described in some minor detail (an AC
paign. A carefully built campaign should re- of 6 instead of 5), it is simpler to gi ve thes
flect these differences. creatures an appropriate name change (if any
and note any modifications to their appear
Although the Vikings believed in the crea- ance or behavior. This approach is not pract
tures described here, monsters were not a cal for all monsters, however. In some cases
common part of everyday life. The world is the Scandinavianname f or a creaturehas bee
human-based and human-centered. Even the borrowed, but the description of the monste
trollbo rn are part human in nature, difficult to is vastly different from Scandinavian legend
smgle out b y appearance alone. There are no This is most obvious in the cases of giants
dwarven citadels or elven villages. Halflings,
gnomes, dwarves, and elves do not roam the dwarves, elves, and trolls.
streets of town s and cities. Humans, humans Th e "unchanged monsters are listed in th
and more humans make up the fabric of daily
lie. section, organized alphabetically according t
their Scandinavian name. The standar
Because strange and nonhuman creatures A D & D ga me creature is identified in paren
are rarely ever y seen, humans have two domi- theses after the Viking name. For conven
nant reactions. The first is fear. It does not ience, those creatures that can be use
matter ho w ben eficial or helpful the creature unchanged from the Monstrous .Compend
might be, it will be vie we d with suspicion and ums are listed on page 44 under Existing Mon
terror. Such beings have pow ers beyo nd nor- sters.
mal men and temperaments that are difficult
to uredict. The wisest wav to deal with such 44/106
creaturesis to avo i

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ants, dwarves, and trolls. These creatures, so its affairs. However, in its appearance and
central to Viking myth, require special treat- abilities, it is more like a zombie and has the
ment and are dealt with individuallv. same statistics as these. The ge ng hg er is not
overly horrid in appearance, although it's
Existing Monsters body reflects the means by which it died.
Drowned men appear dripping wet and those
' Badger Owl, giant who die in battle often sport fresh wounds.
Raven The gengsnger is not necessarily malevolent
Bear Roc or evil; it's behavior is influenced by what re-
Boar, wild Snake
Dog, war Squid, giant mains undone. A genginger may appear
Dog, wild Squid, kraken
Dolphin briefly to announce its own death, deliver a
Swanmay
Eagle, giant Turtle, giant sea message, see that its property is divided prop-
Eagle, wild Vulture, common erly, or even take revenge on a slayer. The
Fish, g. pike Vulture, giant genginger can speak and often arrives as a
Hawk, small Weasel, wild guest at a banquet.
Hawk, large Whales
Korred* Wolves The most important feat ure of the
Leprechaun' Wolverine, normal genginger is that it cannot be destroyed by
Owl, common
normal means. A genggnger can be defeated
*Found in British Isles only
and its body destroyed, but this only delays
Cast (Spectre) the creature. By the next night, the body will
have reformed and it will return. The
strTo uh se Cgaosmt p(neontdtiou mbegchoansft)uissead with the Mon- genginger can only be permanently laid to
fearful undead rest when its mission is completed or if it is
been put down by the proper rituals. These
being that lurks in the wilderness. Unlike rituals include holding a "door court," an in-
formal trial that banishes the spirit, o r an ex-
many other undead, the gast is the spirit of a n orcism (if those haunted are Christian in
belief).
unknown person now forced to haunt the
Hamhleypa (Werewoll
world. It is similar to the spectre, except that it
Hamhleypa (literally "shape-leaper") are
can take o n solid form and can become invisi- werewolves and werebears, the only types of
lvcanthropes encountered in Scandinavian
ble at will. When solid, the gast can make its realms. TAese creatures have the same abilites

body incredibly heavy, more than a man can ManodnssttartoisutsicCsoams ptheenldyicuamn.tHhroowpeevselri,stiendthine Vthie-

lift. O n e of its common tricks is to invisibly sit king world lycanthropy is not a disease. All
lycanthropes encountered are "tme'' lycan-
itself on the back of a horse or wazon. slowine thropes. Those attacked by a hamhleypa are

movement to a cra - "not subject to lycanthropy.
Furthermore, the method of changing form
CengSnger ( Z o is different. The Viking lycanthrope cannot

Kjartan went straight into the living-room
and saw ThoTodd and the other dead People
sifting b y the fire as usual.
Eyrbygg ja Saga

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done, the lycanthrope assumes his animal tend to be found only in non-Viking lands
form. Once donned, the skin cannot be re- particularly England and the Empire of the
moved until the next sunrise or sunset. If this Franks.
skin is lost or destroyed, the lycanthrope can
no onger change its shape. Because of the vul- The linnorm more often encountered (as of
nerability of this change, lycanthropes try to ten as these very rare creatures can be found
keep their identities a well-hidden secret. in Viking lands is literally a giant serpent
These creatures are nearly identical to red
Havmand (Merman) dragons in power. They have the same statis

The havmand is found in the ocean, usually tics as red dragons described in the Monstrous
rocky coasts where sailing is particularly Compendium. However, such linnorm are no
herous. The havmand has the same abili-
restricted to the color red and have no wings
ties as the merman, and is generally the same
in appearance, although the havmand is typi- although they are excellent swimmers. They
cally bearded. T he havmand is a neutral good often appear in shimmering rainbow hues o
creature. It seldom causes harm to humans. gleaming scales. They can swim at speeds up
Those blessedwith good fortune o r respect for to 24 and commonly live at the bottom of
the sea may be rewarded by the havmand, ei- lakes, rivers, and fjords, although they can be
ther by seeing that the fishermen's nets are al- encountered nearly anywhere. (There are no
ways full or, less frequently, appearing to reports of linnorm in Iceland.) Like othe
sailors to warn them of auoroachine storms. dragons, these linnorm guard fabulous trea
sures.
~~
No matter what type or color, all linnorm
Like all creatures of the si;, the haimand is and dragons are evil. These creatures are no
and never have been friends to man or virtu
able to predict wea ther at wil
Llnnorm (Dragon) ally any other creature. It is sometime
thought that a dwarf or giant, through greed
ir went up on to Gnita Heath a and miserliness, can be changed into a drag
self into a drag on and on. Indeed, this was the case with Fafnir.

ath snake") is a term Nokk (Nixie)
kinds of dragons, both
The most famous of these are The nokk is a water spirit similar to the nix
certainly Fafnir, slain by the great hero Si- ie. It has the same statistics as the nixie, but it
rssormr (Midgard Serpent), behavior and powers ar e different. The nokk
0's body encircles the entire is a solitary being, there seldom being more
rld ocean (Uthaf);and Nishoggr ("Corpse- than one to a body of water or stretch of river
ents the bodies of the dead.
er, these three are the truly exceptional vEiaccthiminsd, iavltihdouualgphotshseesvsitchteimpoiswaelrlotowcehdaarmsaivt
kind, and have attained a sort of mon- ing throw vs. spell with a +2 to the roll. Th
nokk also possesses the power to shapechang
Other, less tremendous dragons did exist. into a horse and will often use this form to lure
Red and black dragons can be used from the the unwary onto its back. Once mounted the
nokk attempts to carry its victim below th
AD&D@ Mo ns tr o us Co mp end iums . Both waters, there to drown or enslavethe unfortu
nate person.
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Another significant power of the nokk is it
fine musical skill. The nokk is an expert with

46/106

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instruments. It is said that many a skilled bard easily as their rural cousins.
learned at the feet of a nokk, after presenting There are no nisse in Iceland.
the proper gift to the creature. So talented is
the nokk in music that it can cast a charm with Pukje (Goblin)
it's playing. Those who fail to save vs. paraly-
zation are drawn into uncontrollable dancing The pukje is a small, malicious creature
which must be sustained until the music stops the deep woods. Although seldom seen, he i
playing. identical in appearance and abilities to th

The nokk is also known by other names, A D & P Monstrous Compendium goblin. Al
depending on where it lives. The fossegrim
(waterfall goblin) dwells behind the roaring pukje are capable with magic, however, abl
to cast spells as if they were 4th level wizards
fSatlrlosmsokacrolmismaonnaimn ethfeormtohuonsteainnookuks fcoouunndtryin. The pukje seldom bands together and then on
rivers. Those who favor the horse form are ly in small parties of his kind. These groups
known as backahast. live in homes dug into mountainsides and
cleverly disguised with magic. Traveler
Those nokk encountered are always male. sometimes spy the lights of these homes when
Unlike nixies, nokk tend to be true neutral in the pukje forget to close the door.
nature. They do not stray far from their wa-
ters. Pukje and dverge are often mistaken fo
each other and the two may have a common
Nisse (Brownie) ancestry. Unlike dwarves and goblins, there is
no overt hatred between the pukje and the
This creature is known as a nisse or some- dverge. Indeed, pukje treasure often include
a few items made by the cunni
htiims reesdactaopm. tWe .iHseefcaarmn eurssulaelalyvebtehiidselnitttilfeiecdrebay-
Sending (Revenant)
ture alone, hoping that he will bring the
homestead good luck. The nisse possesses one The sending is a powerful type of undead
invoked by certain evil wizards. These wiz-
power. If pleased or offended, the nisse can ards dispatch their sendmgs out into the world
change a man's luck. He can bestow good or to carry out their wicked commands. Send
bad luck (explained under Gifts in Chapter 3) ings have the same abilities and powers as re-
venants. However, where the revenant seeks
or he can take these away. Nisse seldom make revenge on its killer, the sending's target is
physical attacks, the threat of bad luck usu- whomever its evil master commands it to at-
ally being sufficient to protect them. So long tack. Thus the sending's paralytic power is ef
as he is treated well and respected, the nisse fective against whomever tries to oppose it,
improves the fortunes of the farmer and his not just a single person (as is the case with a
revenant).
fnaimssielyw. ilfl shiamrapslsyeldeaovrebtohtehfearremd ,taofotemr huechh,aas
caused some mischief. The process of creating a sending is an evi
and dark secret. Those wizards capable of this
Some nisse do not attach themselves to a deed have independently researched the nec-
farm but are instead found on ships. Thesenisse essary spell or spellsto perform the task. Play-
are known as kabbelgatt. Others are found in er characters will never find this spell written
in spellbooks or on scrolls.
villages where their influence is limited to the
49/106
house only, not the farm. These are known as
gardwor. All serve the same function as farm
nisse, bringing good fortune to their charge and
seeinn to little details. Thev can be offended as

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SkogsrP (Nymph) and can warn sailors to shore. Like the
skogsri, the sjo ri can grant sailors success a
The skogsri is a wild and dangerous, yet fishing, guaranteeing they will have a good
potentially helpful, type of nymph. In appear- catch whenever they cast their nets in the
ance, it is similar to other nymphs, taking the sjor2s waters.
form of a beautiful maiden. The skogsri lives
in the deep forest where hunters sometimes The spoke is a type of undead similar to the
travel. Unlike the nymph, the skogsri does poltergeist. Like that spirit, it causes distur
not have the power to blind or kill. Instead, it bances and harrasses those who dwell within
can charm males if it so desires. Those so en- its haunts. The spoke is normally invisible
chanted are led into the deepest parts of the but can assume a physical form-a ghost-like,
forest and are seldom seen again. Fortunately, intangible outline of the person it was in life
The spoke is distinguished from other undead
the skogsri reserves this punishment for those by its activity (going bump in the night) and
who displease her. because it is the spirit of a person known to
the household. The spoke's hauntings ar e not
The skogsri can also polymorph herself to random; often it returns to right a wrong, fin
appear as a man's wife or lover. She takes ish something left undone, deliver a message,
great interest in men and sometimes even vis- or harrass those whom it hated in life.
its hunters in their own domain for her plea-
sure. If not displeased, she can bestow the gift coTunhtiesrteydpienoIfceulnadneda. dItiissmsiomstilafrretqoutehnet lgyhoens
in abilities and powers. Unlike most ghosts
of hunting skill on her paramour. As long as whose identities are known, the svipa is a
mysterious undead, unknown to those who
he remains silent, the hunter will always have live in the region it haunts. The svipa lurks in
success in the hunt. He will always come lonely regions, particularly at crossroads (a
across game and enjoys a + 1 o his THACO common place to bury potentially dangerou
when hunting. (This does not apply to com- dead). The svipa is only active at night and
bat.) Should a man foolishly boast of his for- seeks to cause harm to those who wander
tune or reveal his tryst, he will be cursed with within its range.

bad luck. Little game will he ever find and he Not every creature of Scandinavian legend

will suffer a - 1on his THACO when hunting. has an equivalent in the A D & W Monstrou
Compen diu m. The following creatures
Skogsri are neutral and even sometimes
evil. While they may reward those they like, it though occasionally sharing the names of
is dangerous to seek these creatures out. Few
can say what pleases such creatures. They can standard AD&D game creatures, have no
be angered by the slightest thing, so much so parellel in the Monstrous Compendiums
that only a fool or a hero would welcome the
attentions of their Now, you get to see what they're really like

Sjors (Merman) 50/106

The sjor i are a type of merfolk, although
those encountered are almost always female.
Unlike mermaids, sjori can be found in al-
most any body of water, fresh or salt. Sjori
choose to have little traffic with humans, but
on occasion make their presence known.
Those sailors and fishermen who treat them
with kindness and respect are apt to be re-

warded. A sjori knnws of impending storms

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