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Recommendations for a good Viking RPG?

Started by aztecman, April 12, 2022, 02:37:30 AM

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aztecman

April 12, 2022, 02:37:30 AM
Howdy Folks -

So my current gaming group is in the mood for a new rpg and a few members suggested trying a Viking theme. Can anyone recommend a good Norse themed RPG?

So far we've got:

Ygdrassil
Rune
Fate of the Norns
HR1 Vikings Campaign Sourcebook (2e)
GURPS - Vikings

If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks -

migo

#1
April 12, 2022, 04:01:27 AM
Wolves of God isn't explicitly designed for vikings, but it looks like it could be one of the best systems for it. Or if not to use, as inspiration for theme and atmosphere.

Ruprecht

#2
April 12, 2022, 11:33:56 AM
RuneQuest had a pretty good Viking Campaign and Mongoose updated it at some point.
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. ~Robert E. Howard

jhkim

#3
April 12, 2022, 08:51:34 PM
Quote from: Ruprecht on April 12, 2022, 11:33:56 AM
RuneQuest had a pretty good Viking Campaign and Mongoose updated it at some point.

I would second the recommendation for RuneQuest. I would add a particular plug about why I chose RuneQuest for my viking campaign. Compared to something like Lord of the Rings, in a viking campaign the characters are highly overlapping. Almost everyone is a fighter of some sort, but some have distinctive other skills like scouting, smithing, oratory, etc. I feel that this worked better in RQ than in many other games.

This is more for more historical vikings. Rune is quite different being based on a video game.

Philotomy Jurament

#4
April 12, 2022, 11:01:15 PM
Yeah, Runequest or BRP would be my go-to for this. There's the original Vikings supplement for RQ, the Mongoose Vikings supplement for MRQII, and Mythic Iceland for BRP. Also, while being "Britons and Saxons" instead of "vikings" and a little earlier in the "dark ages" period, there's Mythic Britain, Mythic Logres, and the Waterlands campaign for Mythic Britain (all those are from The Design Mechanism).

While RQ/BRP would be my first choice, I'll add that the HR1 Vikings supplement for AD&D is actually pretty good. It's one of the few 2e AD&D products that I actually found worthwhile.
The problem is not that power corrupts, but that the corruptible are irresistibly drawn to the pursuit of power. Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.

rhialto

#5
April 13, 2022, 06:17:34 AM
RQ would be my first choice too (either the old Avalon Hill supplement for RQ3, or the MRQII Vikings supplement), but if D&D-style is more to your liking there's the free Vikings & Valkyries.

Rob Necronomicon

#6
April 13, 2022, 09:51:51 AM
If you're looking for a ORS type then I'd highly recommend Skaldic Sagas.

It really emulated the old Viking vibes really well.

Thondor

#7
April 13, 2022, 12:46:05 PM
I've played with the designer of Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok at a convention and carry his books on my marketplace.

If you want a game steeped in Norse/Viking Mythology this is definitely it. Andrew Valkauskas translated all the eddas and published them with some "middleware" in the Illuminated Eddas.

The game uses a really neat engine involving drawing runes out of a bag rather than dice. If you are looking for a quick-start with adventure that would be Fafnir's Treasure.

Standard game concept for FotN:R is usually the players are Einjahar (sp?) in Valhalla (dead, powerful warriors) going on quests for the Aesir gods (Odin, Thor, Heimdall etc) in the lead up to Ragnarok.

I'm quite keen to play in a campaign of this :)

aztecman

#8
April 13, 2022, 04:36:57 PM
@Thondor -

Concerning Fate of the Norns, we had considered this, but it seems confusing as a system. How well does it play? Does each player need to have a set of the runes (could be expensive) or can you just get one set and the group can use them together?

Naburimannu

#9
April 13, 2022, 04:45:31 PM
If you're up for anything 5e-adjacent, there's both Iskloft and Svilland; PDFs are $20-25, but I'd been in little enough rush that I've been holding off for a physical book, so can't speak to content. There are a bunch of reviews of each online, however.

Trond

#10
April 13, 2022, 06:00:24 PM
Of course, there's also D20, if you like lingerie pinup "vikings"   ;D

Mishihari

#11
April 13, 2022, 06:49:09 PM
Y'all go me curious.  What should be in a viking RPG that isn't going to already be in the more general games?

zend0g

#12
April 13, 2022, 08:01:05 PM
Trudvang might also fit.
If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest person, I will find something in them to be offended.

Trond

#13
April 13, 2022, 08:08:59 PM
Quote from: Mishihari on April 13, 2022, 06:49:09 PM
Y'all go me curious.  What should be in a viking RPG that isn't going to already be in the more general games?

Most of these are just a system, with viking info thrown in and made to fit. Having said that, a specialized rules set including oaths, blood feuds, and maybe some inbaked mythology could be cool. Maybe it's out there?

Omega

#14
April 13, 2022, 08:10:13 PM
HR1 Vikings for 2e D&D is not a bad one to have. Gives lots of details and presents a fairly consistent take on how to approach playing it.

Overall the whole HR series was pretty good. Esoecially if you want a human-centric or humans only setting.
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