D&D 5E (2014) M:TG Kaldheim = Viking campaign book?

[SkidAce]

I always thought Innistrad was supposed to be their idea of a Lovecraftian-style setting. Never really equated it with Ravenloft; and every Magic set has had vampires.

I thought Inni "Strad" gave it away.

 

[Haldrik]

I supposed that if you squint a little, there was some stuff with the Vanir that would at least be nature-worship, and would justify druids (albeit probably a pretty rough bunch of "Midsommer" weirdos).

Actually, that Strixhaven sounds pretty hip, too.

I think the bard class can be used for different kinds of builds. Some specialize in charm, some specialize in animals, and so on. Lore Bard is perfect for a skald, who often serves as the legal judge for a parliament.

Psions would be great if available.

The druid affinity for both plant-animal magic and elemental magic seems great for the giants.

Paladin can work great, because the Vikings care deeply about oaths, and clan-appropriate conduct, and some individual warriors can exibit superhuman feats at times.

Bookish wizards and religious organizations would be foreigners.

Sorcerers seem fine.

Warlock pact might have a particular giant who is a magical mentor.

 

[Haldrik]

Yes Blot involved a feast but the word literally means Blood Sacrifice, the Gothar would host a feast in which the blood of sacrificed pigs, cattle, horses and enemy prisoners was sprinkled on the images of the gods, the walls of the blothus and on the revellers. The sacrificial heads would be put on display, the meat boiled and then the revellers would share mead and broth.

These people are slaying animals for strength and virility, not trying to befriend ‘nature’

The word "sacrifice" is incredibly ethnocentric and fails to apply, to an animistic worldview.

The word "offering" might be fair enough, but it is more like letting the birthday kid blow out the candles of a cake.

For example, an animistic household elsewhere might give an "offering" to an ants nest as a kind of goodwill gesture for the ants to stay away from inside the familys house.

Regarding vikings, there was no organized religion. Each person or family does their own thing.

 

[Parmandur]

The word "sacrifice" is incredibly ethnocentric and fails to apply, to an animistic worldview.

The word "offering" might be fair enough, but it is more like letting the birthday kid blow out the candles of a cake.

For example, an animistic household elsewhere might give an "offering" to an ants nest as a kind of goodwill gesture for the ants to stay away from inside the familys house.

Regarding vikings, there was no organized religion. Each person or family does their own thing.

That's how sacrifice works in any religion, though.

I wouldn't expect deep anthropological accuracy from Kaldheim: The Mighty Thor level stuff, probably.

 

[Haldrik]

As a rule, as long as magic allows one to personally enter battle up close and personal, then it is "manly" enough. It is harming people from miles away that calls ones machismo into question.

I mean vikings do fight from a distance wielding bow and arrows, but they dont seem to brag about this?

Maybe for a viking Paladin, ranged combat is unseemly. Running away might be a smart tactical move, but attacking from a distance might be a no-no.

 

[Haldrik]

That's how sacrifice works in any religion, though.

I wouldn't expect deep anthropological accuracy from Kaldheim: The Mighty Thor level stuff, probably.

As long as the humans arent being craven, servile, slavish and disgusting.

Vikings dont ask the sky spirits to help during times of danger.

Vikings are intensely selfreliant. Selfreliance and surviving by ones own abilities is an important ethic. When they do magic, it is their own personal magic power on display. Even when a human learns how to do magic from a giant, the human is doing magic by the same methods of personal innate magic that the giant is.

Generally, mages and warriors seem to be about equal in power, so in a conflict either one of them might come out the winner. So D&D is good for this balance of power.


I mention selfreliance. Families are tight, and help each other out. But a family expects each member to be a person.

 

[Tonguez]

Generally, mages and warriors seem to be about equal in power, so in a conflict either one of them might come out the winner. So D&D is good for this balance of power.

Only if theres a rule that all Mages are women. In the Viking era using magic was considered Ergi (Unmanly) and was a term used as a scolding to accuse someone of being effeminate and submissive (PG 13 Censor tag ) - the term was enough to trigger a blood duel

 

[Marandahir]

Only if theres a rule that all Mages are women. In the Viking era using magic was considered Ergi (Unmanly) and was a term used as a scolding to accuse someone of being effeminate and submissive (PG 13 Censor tag ) - the term was enough to trigger a blood duel

Except that the Norse gods all used magic too (that said, there are stories about O∂inn and Loki assuming female shapes in order to weave their spells).
Remember also that the Norse Seeres is called a völva, or "Wand-Bearer" - very clearly a Magic Wand/Staff using Wizard type character, but also by way of cultural diffusion, by the time of interaction with the Roman Empire, took on a NSFW meaning (and NSFW imagery associated with the translation), despite the two words having completely different roots and meanings.

I doubt we'd get a Kaldheim book so soon after Icewind Dale. Instead, I'm guessing Kaldheim is an attempt to cash in on excitement about Skyrim-esque settings in WotC products. Mine ideas from the Kaldheim set for your Icewind Dale game, or vice versa.

Are folks really thinking Tarkir would be used rather than Kamigawa if WotC wanted to do a M:tG based "Oriental Adventures"? Would they really use EITHER of them when they could make a new setting from scratch that's actually written by East Asians? (For example, they could buy the rights to a fan-setting like Storm Edge from Tribality, and let Yo Frank do the heavy lifting like Matt Mercer did for Explorer's Guide to Wildemount). Do I even want to open up that can of worms?

 

[Rikka66]

Are folks really thinking Tarkir would be used rather than Kamigawa if WotC wanted to do a M:tG based "Oriental Adventures"?

Kamigawa is seen as a niche failure set by wizards. Tarkir is not.

 

[Marandahir]

Kamigawa is seen as a niche failure set by wizards. Tarkir is not.

Huh. News to me, but I'm not closely attuned to M:tG news & statistics. In either case, my point was more that WotC is in hot-water about East Asian cultural depictions, are VERY unlikely to adapt any setting created & written by white dude bros, even if they own the rights to it, for their stand-in for "Oriental Adventures."

I'm willing to bet we get EVERY MtG plane BUT these in their own sourcebooks before we get either of them.

Having thought about Wakanda far too much the past couple of days, I still think that an Afrocentric D&D campaign setting should be a priority. I don't know M:TG enough to know if it has a setting along those lines.

THIS CANNOT BE STATED ENOUGH.

And WotC, please do not buy the rights to "Nyambe: African Adventures." That would be missing the point.