Inconceivable! Óhugsandi!
over 2 years ago – Fri, Aug 12, 2022 at 10:56:13 AM

Hello!

At the start of this campaign, I worried that quoting "there will seem too few when the wolf comes" would seem devastatingly ironic by the end. Turns out Óðinn has a fighting chance after all!

I am truly overwhelmed by the flood-tide that arrived over the course of the campaign, especially in the past few days. Not so overwhelmed that I am lost for words, mind you. This Kickstarter acceptance speech might go on a bit - feel free to strike up the lurs and drums to remind me to wind up. 

There are an awful lot of people to thank, and hope I catch everyone!

Schoolboy chums, who backed this 35 years after I DMed our last game. Former colleagues who came out of Facebook retirement even after I dressed them up as a barbarian on live TV. Strangers from across the seas who spent time and effort helping hone this campaign out of sheer kindness. Social media followers who endured 30 days of advertising. Authors, gamers, journalists, streamers, podcasters and bloggers who provided vital validation, with a special mention for Paco @gmsmagazine who is a perpetual motion engine (you can stop now!) and Joshua Gillingham, the best merkismaðr in the business. The Shadow cultists who leapt to help with Discord. My publisher Jeremy and his Outland team for always being first in the shield wall. The team at Roll20 for supporting a game in its infancy. Darren Pearce, who has the eyes of Heimdallr and can hear grass grow. Ger and Paul, who have earned the comparisons with Kirby with their amazing interpretation of the Vikingverse. My own three Norns - my mother, who backs every campaign; my wife, who supports me in all things with her weaving; and my daughter, who epitomizes drive and determination. The 625 backers (!) - some new friends, some veterans of many campaigns, whose comments were the Mead of Poetry. And, of course, to Rob Schwalb, for his resilience and genius. 

You are all stjǫrnudupt.

But top of the list is the gang of kids who rekindled my love of RPGs. Just about every week for 3 years, rain or shine, pandemic or plague, my son and his friends have delivered laughter, critical fails and feats of imagination worthy of the gods. Without their enthusiasm, energy, excitement and rules lawyering, When the Wolf Comes would simply not exist.

This one is dedicated to them.

I shall be in touch in the next few days with more details and answers to questions!

Again, many thanks for your support.

Best,

ISS

Do it for Jon
over 2 years ago – Thu, Aug 11, 2022 at 12:07:33 AM

Hello!

Tonight, as we enter the last twelve hours of the campaign, I am going to cede the floor to Jon.  

I don't know Jon personally - or at all, in fact - although given his level of enthusiasm in the campaign comments, I wish I did. 

As far as I am concerned, he is right up there with  Sigvat the Skald, the court poet to King Olaf II of Norway, Canute the Great, Magnus the Good and Anund Jacob.

Here he is:

Let's make Jon proud!

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed...

Best,

ISS

For Honour - the last 36 hours
over 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 05:48:59 AM

Hello!

Wow! What a day! Technically, we haven't quite hit that Roll20 Stretch Goal, but not even the Norns would be that cruel. Thanks to all of you who are out there spreading the word and supporting our campaign - the response has been so fantastic, I have been inspired to write all about the new Honour & Shame rules. 

But first, just to be clear - those FREE Roll20 Compendium keys only go out to $50 CAD backers (Mánagarmr) and above. That's still a large majority of backers, but I didn't want there to be any confusion or disappointment. By upgrading from a lower tier, you might conceivably help everyone get their hands on new adventures as the next stretch goal!

The Old Norse poem, Hávamál, advises its listeners:

Wealth will pass,
Men will pass,
You too, likewise, will pass.
One thing alone
Will never pass:
The fame of one who has earned it.

A Norse hero was ultimately defined by his or her social position and deeds. The range of behaviours in Norse society ran the gamut from drengskapr to níðr. The first is usually translated as "honour" and the second as "shame". To reflect the effect of social status in When the Wolf Comes, Player Characters have Honour and Shame scores that track the deeds they commit. A virtuous character will earn fame and admiration that will ensure his name will live on. Conversely, the more shameful a character becomes, the more of a social pariah they become, until they are beyond redemption. Honour and Shame are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Most characters begin with Social Status of 0 and slide up and/or down the axis according to their actions. For those of you who play SotDL, this replaces the Corruption mechanic (well, if you want it to. You could always be shameful AND corrupted. You just might not live every long).

Honour (Drengskapr)

In Norse society, success was judged not as “following one’s passion” or “fulfilling one’s dreams,” but as earning fame. The state of drengskapr was admired, and the actions of a drengr would be emulated and praised.

Gaining Honour

Your Social Status might increase during the game, usually as a result of performing an act heroism, as determined by the GM or the rules. Examples include:

• Fighting bravely against all odds
• Showing respect for others
• Maintaining law and order
• Giving to charity
• Serving the community
• Backing Kickstarters
• Persuading others to back Kickstarters

As your Social Status increases, you accumulate increasingly helpful benefits. You retain the benefits of your previous status.

Shame (Níðr)

At the other end of the spectrum, the state of níðr was despised, and the actions of a níðingr were to be avoided and reviled. A níðingr was the object of hate and scorn. He was an outcast.

Gaining Shame

Your Social Status score might decrease during the game, usually as a result of performing an act of níðingsverk (the work of a níðingr), as determined by the GM or the rules. Examples include:

• Murder
• Cowardice
• Eating Iðunn’s Apples
• Stealing for personal gain
• Learning excess crafts
• Breaking an oath

As your Social Status score decreases, you accumulate increasingly adverse effects. You retain the hindrances of your previous status.

Feel free to tell your GM - when the time comes - that you have earnt your first honour point. If we pull off something spectacular in the next 36 hours, I'll personally contact them and give you three more! 

May the Force be with you.
Megi fjǫlkynngin fylgia yðr

ISS

Another one bites the dust!/ Stóð hann vel til hǫggsins!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Aug 09, 2022 at 04:50:47 AM

Hello!

First of all, thanks for the many birthday wishes yesterday. 

I'd been saving The Northman for a special occasion - it's not exactly family movie night fare - and was genuinely impressed. Double-checking the historicity afterwards, I came across this statement from the director, Robert Eggers: “We [worked] with archaeologists and historians, trying to recreate the minutiae of the physical world, while also attempting to capture, without judgment, the inner world of the Viking mind: their beliefs, mythology and ritual life,” says Eggers  “That would mean the supernatural would be as realistic as the ordinary in this film—for so it was for them.”

The quote resonated with me - that is exactly what we are trying to do with the Vikingverse. It might look like sci-fi but it is also rooted in the spiritual, as befits a pagan timeline.

And so, we come to this next update, on the occasion of breaking through another stretch goal. I'll confess, that last one was something of a struggle (my advice, don't run a Kickstarter over your birthday or risk missing the movie looking at notifications). Update continues after the gratuitous shield wall image.

But first, I want to thank all the new backers who have joined our ranks in the past 24 hours, to the industry alumni who have helped spread the word, and to the loyal stalwarts who regularly send me encouragement, suggestions and edits. 

You are all the stuff of sagas. 

Today, we'll explore a new mechanic: 

Gifts of Nature

Gifts of Nature set out to capture the spiritual side of the Vikingverse setting.

In our own modern era, we tend to think of the self as having three parts: a body, a mind, and, in most religions, a soul. For the Norse, the sjálfr was slightly more complicated. The most important and commonly mentioned parts of the self in Old Norse literature are the hamr (“shape”), the hugr (“thought”), the fylgja (“follower”) and the hamingja (“luck”). I added the minni (“memory”) to this list, mainly as it works well with our machine friends. 

A Gift is the term used for a supernatural virtue, linked to the manipulation of a character’s essence or inner self. Any character able can learn to harness the aspects of this composite “soul” although typically, thesenáttúra choose to reveal their gifts only to great heroes and seers.

Shape (Hamr)

Your hamr (pronounced like the English word “hammer”) is your physical shell and appearance. Old Norse literature is rich in stories of shape changing, tales that inspired a rash of geneticists to devise new and brutal guises for mannkind. A high Shape means you can add augment your character with powerful new splices, improving your physical abilities and fighting prowess.

Thought (Hugr)

Your hugr comprises your emotions, personality, and desires. The hugr is the “inner self” or essence, the breath of life that suffuses every being. A strong hugr allows a disciplined psychic to detach mind and body and use their thoughts as a weapon.

Follower (Fylgja)

Your fylgja is an animal alter-ego which follows you like a shadow, visible only to the second-sighted. It isn’t just a familiar, conjured spirit, or animal companion – it is a part of you, accompanying you from the day you are born. If the hero has a "tame nature", their fylgja might be an ox or goat. A noble might have a bear fylgja, a savage warrior, a wolf, or a gluttonous person, a pig. Followers will initially appear to their owner in dreams, offering portents of events to come. With practice, they might be persuaded to send a message, deliver a warning or scout ahead. Those who are truly strong in fylgja can even direct their self in spiritual warfare.

Luck (Hamingja)

Your hamingja (pronounced “HAHM-ing-ya”) is a protective spirit, tied to your individual honour and that of your lineage - it is both the cause and the expression of the success, wealth, and power of your family. A hamingja will usually appear as a pretty young woman or an old hag— or if it belongs to the ancestral line (a “kin-fetch”) it will take a form that represents the family. A strong hamingja lets you create wards and protections for yourself and others. It can also be lent to others to assist them in particularly perilous missions. Similarly, damaging a person’s hamingja can leave them unlucky at an inopportune time.

Memory (Minni)

Your Minni is your history and experience. More than just individual recollection – it is a vast archive of ancestral wisdom, rooted in the Worlds Tree. Machines often rely on Memory and constant communication with MIM, but the álfar also kindle deep connectivity with myth and remembrance.

Wolfish Projects We Love

Before I sign off, I would also like to mention a few other loosely lupine Kickstarter projects.

Firstly, the haunting Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland.

Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland is a semi-psychedelic imaginary Mesolithic setting, placing your stories in Forgotten Doggerland – the land that lies drowned beneath the North Sea.

At the end of the last ice age, after tides rose as the earth warmed, what we now call Doggerland was subject to an unimaginably vast tidal wave, and was lost forever. We know precious little about this place, and as such it makes a marvelous location to set weird tales of the now-forgotten witches.

Written by Jon Hodgson, this setting book will be lavishly illustrated, and Jon has created hundreds of weird art pieces, with this supplement doubling as a coffee table art book for the setting. Jon has been nothing but helpful with suggestions for my own this Kickstarter, and this is just the latest in a long line of enthralling settings from his company.

Sign up here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonhodgsonmaptiles2/maskwitches-of-forgotten-doggerland

I also want to mentionthe Call of the Moon metal dice set. Perhaps it was the Norns that caused the creator, Anthony Christou, to release these dice at the same time as When the Wolf Comes. If you scroll down his campaign page, you'll see familiar mythological names, with the Fenrisúlfr dice almost unlocked!

Sign up here if you want to run with Anthony's pack: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/luminousages/call-of-the-moon-metal-dice-set

And lastly, take a look at Never Too Late to Save the World from my Outland stablemates. In this new anthology, nineteen authors explore what would happen if the Chosen One were called midlife - as opposed to all these teenage saviors. Alana edited all my novels and you can be sure she's selected some great stories. You can back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1330509990/never-too-old-to-save-the-world-an-anthology

When the Wolf Comes...to blow out your candles.
over 2 years ago – Sun, Aug 07, 2022 at 06:50:20 AM

Hello!

It just so happens that today is my birthday. As a small gift back to all you wonderful backers, I've excerpted some of the rules around legacy, lineage and cheating death. On this most auspicious* of days, it seemed apropos! 

Creating A Lineage

Some religions believe in an afterlife, imagining it as a reward or punishment for moral behaviour during their time on Jörð. The Norse, however, regard the ideas of “salvation” and “damnation” as entirely alien (while there are references to eternal punishment after death in the sagas - such as Náströnd, the “shore of corpses” – they are only trotted out when the elite find it convenient). In fact, when a Player Character dies, the various parts of the self - the hamr, hugr, fylgja, minni and the hamingja - split apart. These náttúra can be reincarnated in one of his or her ancestors, particularly if the child is given the name of the original owner. In game terms:

· If your next character is the descendant in question, he or she starts with an extra gift, one for each previous career cut short. In this way, great and powerful lineages emerge over time.

· This ancestral good fortune only passes from the honourable dead. If your previous character had any Shame at the moment his or her death, the supernatural virtues cannot be inherited and the náttúra is lost.

Cheating Death

Some Player Characters might find ways to overcome fatal wounds or escape the ravages of old age. Cheating death generally requires the assistance of the entire party, or NPCs able and willing to intercede on a fallen Player Characters behalf. For example:

· Biological beings can extend their lifespan with Iðunn’s Apples, the highly coveted anti-aging enzyme. In extremis, related drugs can even resurrect the dead.

· Álfar consciousness is preserved in Yggdrasil, allowing a new physical body to be grown if the Worlds Tree has good reason.

· Departing dökkálfar spirits instinctively possess the nearest inanimate objects, creating a temporary shell that serves until a new body is forged.

· Dvergar source code is normally refactored into new, improved models but backups can be found by determined hackers.

· The Sons of Ivaldi can provide an immaculate and immediate replacement clone to those wealthy enough to afford it.

· Some Player Characters might even find ways to improve their lifespan in the darkest depths of the Ginnungagap.

None Outlive the Night When the Norns Have Spoken

Despite appearances to the contrary, much of what happens in When the Wolf Comes doesn’t just occur because of random dice rolls or even the conscious actions of the Player Characters. It occurs because it was fated to happen. All beings are subject to fate – even the gods themselves. Those who practice spácraft can sometimes see what fate has in store, but fate and its creators – the Norns - are utterly implacable. If a Player Character does decide to cheat death, they take a -1 penalty on subsequent d6 rolls to decide their fate while incapacitated. The second time they escape their fated demise, the penalty increases to 2 – and so on. Honour and Shame modifiers also apply. After a handful of such escapes, even an exalted hero will quickly die without medical aid. Eventually, the Norns catch up to everyone - whether man, machine, or spirit – and restore the pattern of reality.

* a word derived from the Latin auspex "interpreter of omens given by birds". Huginn and Muninn would be proud.

Best,

ISS