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Casting Runes instead of Rolling Dice?

Started by MadCarthos, February 25, 2022, 03:39:31 AM

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Panjumanju

I'll just poke my head in here to speak about Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok a little bit. I've written a few books for Pendelhaven and was one of the designers, and the project manager, for the new Celtic Children of Eriu that just finished its Kickstarter fulfillment.

So, FotN and CoE use Elder Furthark runes to resolve conflict in a way that really captures the spirit of the 9-10th Century AD where the game is set. In a lot of ways it comes off feeling more like a narrative-based resource mechanic like a twisted RPG version of Magic: The Gathering than it does a dice game, since your runes are your resources and signify special things your character can do. Other than the individual powers your runes represent, your character is defined by two numbers: how many runes they have in their bag, and how many runes they can draw. So, at it's core it's pretty simple, but a lot can be built on to that, to taste.

Compose Dream Games was saying that FotN is the more trad game and Vanagard is the more story game, and that's kind of true. Vanagard is a world-building storygame. But FotN provides a huge depth of field to play how you want. If you want crunchy, it does crunchy - you just keep adding new powers to your character every time you get another rune and then you have a slew of them, you use a hex grid and you go to town. If you're more like me, and don't want to be bothered with maps and minis or even the kinds of powers that would lend you down those routes, you then you can stick to things that give you passive bonus' and narrative bents.

We're running some games online at the upcoming Garrycon if anyone is interested: https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xiv. If you want a looser more narrative Viking experience, sign up for one of my games. If you want a crunchier, hex-grid min-maxy (not knocking it, people love it) Viking mayhem experience, sign up for basically any of the other FotN GM's games. Ed Greenwood is also running one based on his new box set for the line, and his games are kind of both.

I'm here if anyone has any questions about how it works. I lived inside those rules for two years getting Children of Eriu to print; I think they're burned in there, now.

//James Kerr
"What strength!! But don't forget there are many guys like you all over the world."
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Now on Crowdfundr: "SOLO MARTIAL BLUES" is a single-player martial arts TTRPG at https://fnd.us/solo-martial-blues?ref=sh_dCLT6b