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Review of Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok - Denizens of the North
OK to start the whole interior is plastered in full color art. Most of it is formatted as a 2 page spread making this a visual orgasm. None of the artwork repeats throughout the book, so you just want to keep flipping through the pages to see more. *Every* magic item, monster and player archetype gets a unique piece of art. It's crazy clear that the amount of love and dedication that went into producing this book was sky high.
The layout and font size for the text is really nice and easy to read as well. It's laid out like old parchment or story book, so text runs organically across the page without any sterile columns to constrain it or break the antique feel of the book.
Getting past the appearance, what does the book contain? It's the first lore book and it clocks in at a hefty 424 pages dedicated to the realm of Midgard. It contains everything (and much more that you'd expect) about the people, lands and life of Midgard (the central realm of mankind).
I will go through each section as it appears in the book. Well the books is called "Denizens of the North" and without appology it starts off listing all of the heroes and villains of Midgard.
DENIZENS
Well they all come off as shades of grey rather than extreme caricatures of good and evil (paladins and demons) which makes them believable. They range from your basic adventurer who has a checkered past to some kings and queens that hold vast power in Midgard. The section also covers mythic creatures from adjoining mythologies that range from the likes of the witch Baba Yaga to the hero of Kalevala named Vainamoinen.
HIGHER POWERS
The next tiny section covers two quasi-divine powers: Nidhogg the cosmic tree devouring serpent and Dreki the great land Vaettir. And I suspect it's intentionally tiny because more of the mythic content looks to be scheduled for the next book titled “Lords of the Ash”. I think the reason these two make an appearance is because they play a role in the saga that is included at the end of the book. I still would have expected Jormungard to make an appearance in this book.
LOCALES
We're at page 100 and the book moves onto the locales of Midgard. There are some pretty uber maps here of both Yggdrassil and Midgard. The Midgard map gets zoomed whenever the text explores a detailed region. No stone is left unturned, the land of the Vikings is thoroughly explored as are the lands of the crusaders to the south and the Blatic tribes to the east. I must admit that most of my previous gaming has been high fantasy, but the last 2 Ragnarok books have really changed my mind about historical fantasy. Not only is the stuff thoroughly researched but it's also presented in a fun and readable manner (no stuffy academic language). The second age of Raganrok unfolds in about 930 to 940 AD, and the whole of Europe is represented faithfully for that snapshot in time.
[spoiler]
The locales section also touches upon some pretty spectacular and mystical places like the shrine at Uppsala which has been violently vandalized by a very angry populace who blame the gods for not helping during Ragnarok. There is another section about a king's barrow which has become a pilgrimage hot-stop due to the miracles “he” performs. But not everything is as it seems because with one hand he giveth and with the other he smasheth down!
[/spoiler]
SECRET SOCIETIES
The next section is dedicated to the secret societies within Midgard. It covers an organization dedicated to the liberation of Loki and it ties into the leader's bio which is found in chapter 1. It covers the Varangian legion of Vikings who travel the Volga to get to Constantinople. It covers various orders of the crusaders as well, including one clandestine order that uses “pagan” magic. Oddly the Blotskadi don't show up in this chapter. It's an elite mercenary guild that is alluded to in chapter 1, but never makes it into this chapter... I found that strange.
MAGIC ITEMS
Then we hit magical items. This section is huge and every magic item is exceptionally detailed, with history, appearance, powers and legacy. Oh and did I mention each item is illustrated as well? The chapter covers everything from animated puppets to a legendary sampo that can cure famine.... bro, it's Ragnarok, this item will cause wars!
MONSTERS
Now we're at the monsters section. Each is illustrated and is described over 4 pages. One of the things I absolutely love Fate of the Norns for is that the monsters are highly customizable, almost to the level of a PC. This makes every encounter fresh and surprising, high marks once again! You get some more mundane creatures like magical stags and giant spiders (in case you want to run a more historical and less fantasy game), all the way up to magical banshees and wyrms (oh yeeaahhh)!
My personal favorite was the Wight Sovereign. This thing is a lost soul (a soul that never makes it up to Valhalla due to some curse or unfinished business) that makes the most of it and becomes undead of bad-assery proportions. They feast on the souls of the recently deceased, possibly killing a player's chances to make it into Valhalla. Remember, Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok has afterlife mechanics where YOU as a PLAYER level up (your character levels up as well just like any good RPG).
VIKING LIFE
The next section covers the life of the Vikings, from economy, to laws and entertainment (and much much more). I must say I learned quite a few things reading this chapter, and it will help a ton when we run our next RPG campaign.
SKRAELINGS
There is a mini chapter dedicated to the Skraelings (aka Inuit, North American Indians, Natives, etc). This chapter covers the people but also touches upon their “gods” (more like spirits) and culture. Really nice and all too short at a meager 5 pages. I for one would love to see more about them. I was never really interested until I read this chapter, and now I want to know more. The nice thing with Fate of the Norns is that it's rooted in historical and mythological accuracy, meaning, you want to know more, then it's as easy as going to get a library book.
PLAYER ARCHETYPES
Ahhh the chapter everyone has been waiting for. The Core Rulebook introduced us to the: Skald, Seithkona, Ulfhednar, Galdr and Maiden of Ratatosk.... but like a tease, hinted at a bunch more awesome player archetypes that populate the world of Midgard. Well Denizens of the North introduces 6 new ones: Berserkir, Blacksmith, Druid, Fardrengir, Sceadugengan (did I type that right?) and Stalo. This lore book more than doubles the player options and each archetype has 3 specializations for a total of 18 more choices. These archetypes add 1 more magic system and the very much awaited crafting system. So to summarize your choices after the release of the book: Skald: awesome fighter and practitioner of spell songs Seithkona: a witch that harnesses the power of lost souls (seith magic) Ulfhednar: a raging warrior that can shapechange into a wolf Galdr: awesome fighter and practitioner of rune magic Maiden of Ratatosk: a nimble warrior and trouble maker Berserkir: iconic raging warrior Blacksmith: awesome fighter and creator of all things awesomesauce (oh and can summon forge beasts! You know, for then you need to craft on the go) Druid: a master of the wilderness and practitioner of Verwandlung magic Fardrengir: closest thing to a ranger, a wanderer that can have a mount and excels in range weapons and traps Sceadugengan: (did I type that right?) a rogue, thief or assassin. The shadows are their friend. Stalo: a protector and master warrior of controlled maneuvers (the opposite of a berserkir).
I think the Fate of the Norns universe has 4 more listed: Angel of Death, Godi, Orlog and Missionary. I'd assume they will appear in the next book “Lords of the Ash”. I know they have been held back because they have stronger ties to the gods and giants, but they are also “advanced” player archetypes.
NEW GAME CONCEPTS
Denizens of the North expands and works to clarify the Runic Game System (RGS). You see Ragnarok doesn't use dice, but instead uses the *perfect* prop for a Viking game: Futhark runes. The runes handle all mechanics and they really feel like a resource management game within the game. Denizens of the North adds more cool bits to RGS that make the new archetypes come alive like never before. Each has their own cool way that the runes are used making RGS even more engaging.
This chapter covers new active and passive powers as well as new skills. Some of the new skills are really amazing and cover several pages. Crafting is huge, but you can also use realm ores (molten stone from Muspelheim anyone?), dwarven engineering as well as infusing the souls of the dead.
NORN RULES
Being a first time GM (Norn) for Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok can feel daunting. Someone may feel like the first DM's did back in the early '70s. Well there is a chapter dedicated to smoothing out the process. A lot of helpful info can be found in this chapter, from accurately gauging how much life someone has, to hints on how to best hand out magical loot.
For veteran Norns (GMs) this section is also very useful. I for one loved the two sections on longships... building longships and handling naval longship battles using RGS. I especially loved the section on running your own town or outpost. In the post-apocalyptic world of Ragnarok, players will undoubtedly want to create their own bastions of hope.
For those who hate minis and hexgrids for combat, there is a simulationist conversion mechanism that maps RGS to STRGS (simplified tactics runic game system). It's only 2 pages because it's a very simple coversion.
LIFEPATH
The Core Rulebook had a very light lifepath system, and everyone I know used some portions of it, wanting more. Well Denizens of the North provides more, LOTS more.
FAFNIR'S TREASURE ADDENDUM
A few things were hinted at in Fafnir's Treasure (the quickstart adventure book) but never fully explained. Well Denizens of the North plugs in those holes with more story and one awesomly wickeddd magical artifact!!!
SAGA
What Fate of the Norns book is complete without an adventure? The one included in Denizens of the North is a really interesting one. The story goes back to Evingard, the gloomy deathtrap introduced in Fafnir's Treasure. The saga details why this area of Midgard is so very important and why everyone wants to control it. Without dropping any spoilers, this saga is the darkest and most unsettling one yet... picture Cthulhu meets Dark Souls.
STARTER ADVENTURE VIGNETTES
I was on the beta and watched this book progress from infancy to pre-release gold. The last chapter added was this one and it happily surprised and shocked every beta member, myself included. I think many regard this chapter as the cherry on top of the proverbial mead soaked longship. Each starter vignette, and there are 9 of them (symbolic number?) gives enough information for a Norn to run an adventure that ties into the overarching world-bending events in the first years of Ragnarok. Each vignette consists of a plot seed / quest summary, geographical location, time period, background info / context, main denizens involved, a plot summary, a plot twist and some possible quest endings and ensuing repercussions. Each vignette is dense, tying into various people and places outlined in the book. What's wicked astounding is just how Andrew (the author/designer) manages to pack so much interesting lore into 9 saga vignettes. This chapter is a must for any Norn who wants to have their play group follow the main story arcs which unfold throughout Ragnarok.
MISC
Then there's a misc section with printable materials, pregenrated player characters, etc etc etc
*** tldr: My conclusion is that this book is a *must* for anyone playing Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok. There is just TOO much core lore and game rules evolution to pass up. And as a mother effin' bonus, it's the most gorgeous book you will ever own.
Conclusion and Rating: I've reviewed previous Pendelhaven books, and when they fall short I call them out on it. But over the last few years the production value from these guys has been increasing at a crazy rate, and for this book I'd give: 6 out of 5 stars if I could!
