Vikings or Celts

[Turanil]

Suppose you are going to play in a historical-Europe-inspired setting (dark ages, medieval, etc.). It has the typical medieval stuff (knights, etc.) plus a "barbarian" culture. You have to choose between Norse / Vikings and Celts for the barbarian culture: which one do you prefer ?

 

[Sledge]

Generally speaking the norse culture alone has everything you would, from civilized to barbaric. Besides, they are much more intimidating to other cultures.

 

[Crothian]

Celts so I can go Slaine!!

 

[Krieg]

Uncouth unlettered pagan barbarians...Scourge of Europe...no agriculture...wicked giant axes....horned helmets.....cannibals.....on motorcycles...Vikings all the way!!!

Umm why is everyone looking at me like that?

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Celts, dude. I'm not saying that vikings aren't intimidating, but I've yet to find something more threatening than a bunch of rabid, berserking, woad-covered naked warriors charging into combat. Plus there's a lot more rules material to choose from with Celts (Slaine, Celtic Age, my own Bardic Lore line, plus older sources like AD&D Celts, or GURPS Celts).

 

[kenobi65]

Celts. I hate the Vikings. Those dorky purple uniforms, and that dang horn they play whenever they get a first down.

(Sorry...for Turanil's benefit, since he probably has no clue what I'm talking about...the Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team, named such because the state of Minnesota has a high concentration of people of Scandinavian descent. And, the Vikings are archrivals to my hometown team, the Packers.)

At any rate, I concur with Hal about the crazy naked warriors.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Given my family tree I have to go with the Celts.

The Auld Grump

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

The only answer possible is "yes."

Failing that, Celts.

 

[devilbat]

Although my appreciation of the Minnesota Vikings knows no limits, I voted Celts.

 

[Akrasia]

I like both equally.

However, if you're going with a 'Dark Ages' setting that closely resembles our own history, I'd go with the Vikings for 'barbarians', as the Celts were pretty much christianized and 'civilized' by the 8th century.