By Jason Durall and Brian Holland
Age of Vikings: The Roleplaying Game is the latest game from Chaosium. Using the famous Basic Roleplaying (BRP) roll-low D100 System, the mechanics of
Age of Vikings will feel familiar to fans of
Call of Cthulhu and
RuneQuest.
But just what is
Age of Vikings? Perhaps you’ve watched Ragnar Lothbrok lay siege to Paris in
Vikings, or maybe stormed the shores of Britain and Ireland as Eivor in
Assassin’s Creed. So does
Age of Vikings plant you firmly in the shoes of yet another viking?
Actually no—"Viking" is the term for sea-voyages that combine trade and raiding, as in your hero might "go Viking" with others. When your hero is on such a voyage, they are regarded as "a Viking", but when they're not Viking—they're just a hero.
In
Age of Vikings, your hero is a land-owner in Iceland, a farmer or fisher with a small plot of land. You are Norse, worship the Norse gods, and have grown up as the continent of Iceland is being settled. Your dream is prosperity and fame, perhaps like those great heroes in the sagas. You might even know some magic!
So what do you do when you’re not going Viking? Like so many others of the time, you're trying to survive, prosper, and earn renown and fortune. The game shares similarity with
Pendragon in that your social standing is important, and your reputation and honor are represented mechanically. Play follows time and season after season you determine how your farm does, and how your fame is spreading.
While there have been a number of historic fantasy games over the years,
Age of Vikings stands apart. The core game has a specific focus, in that you're humans in Iceland in a specific time period with an undercurrent of myth and magic.
Like
RuneQuest, character creation involves some grounding in the setting. A lot of the things we associate with fantasy games don't apply to Iceland. They had a largely democratic society, with many rights for women. No royalty. Their legal system was complex and fair. The emphasis on the farm and home aspects make it less about a wandering band of rootless adventurers and more a group of local heroes trying to defend what's theirs against their rivals and the forces of the supernatural.
Mechanically,
Age of Vikings is build on Chaosium’s tried and true BRP system, but it’s not without unique mechanics. The game adds a dedication point system to Devotions; your character has a spirit animal that they associate with; new skills like Go Under the Cloak, Prophecy, and Spirit Sight; two new magic systems; Viking-style ship combat; rules for running a Viking raid; drinking contest rules; rules for Status; guidance for legal battles; and more!
So what are you waiting for?
Age of Vikings: The Roleplaying Game is available to pre-order right now, and when you do you receive the PDF immediately!
The game will be available in wide release from May 21st.
www.chaosium.com
