At the first mention of a Viking campaign, most characters envision bands of unruly, barbaric, and savage warriors, setting out on bloodthirsty raids to loot and pillage. Vikings are imagined as lewd, crude, and uneducated, swilling mead from drinking horns and pounding the tables with their knives—the medieval equivalent of outlaw bikers.
Some of them probably were—some but hardly all. The heroes of the Viking sagas were a colorful and varied lot. Of course there were warriors—many of them—but their temperaments ranged from wild and savage to wise and educated. There were heroes who were more than just simple warriors. There were also wild berserkers, wise runecasters, educated skalds, and the dangerous trollborn. Each of these types had a place in Viking legend and can be a player character role.
The information in this chapter is divided into two sections. The first part presents information on old and new character races and classes. The second section has rules for creating special background information pertinent to a Viking campaign.
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