The historical fantasy world of the Vikings was a much different place from a standard fantasy realm. While the Norsemen had no doubt that dwarves and elves existed, such creatures were not a part of their daily lives. Instead, theirs was a world of men, though darker creatures lurked around the shadowed fringes.
For player characters, the Viking world offers a limited selection of races. By far and away, the majority of characters will be human. Beyond this, a few characters may be one of the trollborn, a mixture of men and monstrous troll. Such men are rare and feared.
Humans[]
The bulk of characters encountered in a Viking campaign are human. However, Norse belief allows for many differences between men. Some men and women have special talents that separate them from ordinary people. These talents are known as Gifts—a boon or curse bestowed by the Noms (Fates) at the moment of birth. For some, the Norns have woven a lucky thread in life; others are born without luck. Once these gifts are determined, there is little a man can do to change them.
Not all gifts are bestowed by the gods, however. Some are the result of the deeds of fathers, grandfathers, even ancestors. A hero may inherit a fine piece of land or find himself the target of a blood feud. Unlike the gifts of the gods, though, these can be gained or lost by the character's bold (or craven) actions.
If a player chooses for his character to be human, he can check to see if his character has a Gift. The check is made by rolling 1d20 and finding the result on Table 1: Character Gifts. No player is required to make this check. However, once the player makes the die roll he must accept the result, whether it is for good or ill. Not all results are desireable, and some players may choose to not make the roll rather than risk an unpleasant result. If the player refuses to check for a Gift, he cannot make the attempt in the future.
Character Gift[]
| Die Roll | Gift |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Luck |
| 2 | Blood feud |
| 3 | Family Outlawed |
| 4 | Ugly |
| 5-12 | No Gift |
| 13 | Courage |
| 14 | Good Luck |
| 15 | Handsome |
| 16 | Inheritance |
| 17 | Rune Lore |
| 18 | Second Sight |
| 19 | Seer |
| 20 | Title |
Explanation of Character Gifts[]
1. Bad Luck. The Norns have drawn the skien of the character's life and he is destined to be unlucky. Neither the character nor the gods can change this fact. This does not mean the character cannot achieve great deeds. It does mean that someday, luck will be against the character and he will die.
In game terms, bad luck causes the player character to suffer a —1 penalty on all die rolls made with a single type of die. The type of die affected can be a d6, d8, dlO, or d20. The penalty comes into effect any time the character attempts an action using the chosen die, or anytime the DM uses that die to determine some random event that affects the illfated character only. It does not apply to THAC0 and damage rolls made by others when attacking the player character, but does apply to the unlucky character's attacks.
For example, Jon has chosen a dlO as the die for his unlucky character, Asmund Berserks- Killer. Asmund and his friends encounter a pack of werewolves in the night. The — 1 modifier is not used when rolling for the group's surprise or initiative since the outcome affects more than just Asmund. If Asmund encountered the werewolves when alone, the -1 modifier would be used, reflecting Asmund's bad luck.
In all cases the -1 modifier is considered a penalty to the unlucky character. In the above example, the penalty is added to Asmund's initiative, since this is a worse result for him. Even with bad luck, a die roll can never be modified below 1.
2. Blood Feud. The character's family is currently involved in a blood feud with an NPC family. The DM should provide the name and some background about the NPC family. Encounters with the feuding NPCs are automatically hostile (although they may not immediately attack). In addition, the NPC family may raid or murder the player character's family. Typical causes of blood feuds include revenge for the murder of a kinsman, revenge for the theft of property, or avenging an old insult. A blood feud can only be ended if both sides agree to a settlement or one of the feuding families is wiped out.
3. Outlawed. The player character's father (typically) and all his kin have been declared outlaws by a local king or earl. The DM should determine what province or land this applies to. The player character is automatically considered a condemned criminal in this land and will be slain on sight if found by the noble's men.
4. Ugly. The player character is particularly disfigured in some noticeable way. The character suffers a — 2 on his Charisma and gains an uncomplimentary nickname.
5-12. No Gift.
13. Courage. The player character is noted for his pluck. He gains a +1 on all saving throws vs. fear-based attacks.
14. Good Luck. The player character is fated by the Norns to be be lucky through all his life. The character gains a +1 to all rolls of a single die type, chosen by the player. The affected die can be a d6, d8, dlO, or d20. Just as with bad luck, the modifier is only applied in situations that affect the lucky character only, never to group situations.
15. Handsome. The gods have given the character exceptional charm and good looks. The character automatically gains a +1 to his Charisma.
16. Inheritance. The character begins with a small bequest from his late father. The player can either choose to have a small farmstead (which can be used as a base for adventuring), a knaar (a small merchant ship), or five times the normal starting money allowed his character type.
18. Second Sight. The character has the gift of second sight. This power is explained in Chapter 4: Rune Magic.
19. Seer. The character has the gift of prophecy, both a boon and curse granted by the gods. Once per day the character can attempt a prediction just as if he were able to cast a divination spell. However, unless the character is a runecaster or sorcerer, the chance of a successful prediction is never greater than 60%.
20. Title. The character is the son of an earl, nobleman or chieftain. (The order of precedence generally follows king, earl, nobleman, chieftain, freeman, farmer, and thrall. All other characters are assumed to be the children of freemen or farmers. Player characters never begin as thralls.) During his lifetime, the character can make one claim upon his father for a ship and men to go raiding, assuming the character has not broken with his family. The size and quality of the ship and the number of men received will depend on the reputation and level of the character. A charcter will never receive less than 10 normal men and a knaar (a small merchant ship) or more than 60 normal men and a longship.
The Trollborn[]
The trollborn are a feared and respected people. Their blood is half human, half troll. (The trolls of the Viking world are far different from those found in the Monstrous Compendium])
The trollborn are noted for their strength and cunning. Some become fearsome warriors, while others excel in sorcery. Ugly, powerful, and ill-tempered, they are easily identified from the common human stock.
The trollborn are not properly a race like elves, giants, or dwarves. Others consider them human—or mostly human. Although trollblood may have been in a family for generations, only those of the first generation are considered trollborn. All others are merely humans, although their troll ancestry may taint them in the eyes of others.
The trollborn are easily identified. They are almost universally larger than normal men, usually much stockier and more muscular. Some may grow as tall as seven feet in height. They are seldom handsome and are often quite ugly. Their temperaments range from bad to worse, although they do have their good moods and senses of humor.
The trollborn have no definite tendencies in lifestyle, most often living as other men. Some prefer the isolated surroundings of deep woods. Others gain a reputation as kings' champions. Not a few live on rocky islands, practicing sorcerous arts. No matter where they live, the trollborn tend to be secretive and individualistic, rarely bowing to authority. The fearsome reputation of their kind causes common folk to deal with them respectfully or not at all.
Due to their blood, trollborn characters gain a +1 to Strength, Constitution, and Intelligence. However, they suffer a -1 to Wisdom and a -2 on Charisma. The trollborn can be fighters, rangers, berserkers, runecasters, or sorcerers (15th level maximum in these classes).
The trollborn have infravision (60' range). The trollborn are not born with Gifts and cannot roll on the Gifts Table for special powers.
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