An RPG set in the Doom of Ragnarök, utilizing Robert J. Schwalb's Shadow of the Demon Lord rules and based in Ian Sharpe's Vikingverse.
Hello!
A quick reminder to check your Spam folders for messages from Schwalb Entertainment or DriveThruRPG. I have had a few backers unable to find messages but in all cases so far, they were hiding in a dim and distant spam folder.
Hello!
So here is the first snap of the printed book, weighing in at*:
Now, I have to go útiseta and make sure it is all correct with the ancestors, and then press the button on the rest. More details on shipments and shipping to be calculated and sent soon! In the meantime, sveinn, sel mér mjǫð minn en engar refjur!
* Assuming my kitchen scales work.
** Viking purists can simply divide yards by two. That'll show 'em.
Hello!
Just a quick heads up that Rob unleashed the latest, corrected, compressed file this morning. You are looking for v5 as per the image below over at DriveThruRPG.
As you scroll down the page, you'll note that WtWC is part of the Black Friday sale. Rest assured I have written to DriveThruRPG to point out Fenrir doesn't "gobble". He devours, gorges on or engulfs discounts.
While you are on the page, click the button and leave a review! Or throw some stars at Space Vikings. My favourite one of recent weeks has been from a backer who wrote: "Ian has the imagination the size of the Ginnungagap". At least, I assume this is a compliment, and not just saying I have a Yawning Void for headspace.
More about the print versions from China as soon as I have it!
Hello!
In the grand tradition of Blakkr Frjádagr, we are delighted to unveil the Space Vikings rules supplement. Not only but also, we have also released the Scar on the Sky adventure, continuing the Thought and Memory Saga.
Space Vikings was stuff that I wanted to get into the rules, but there was already waaaay too much as we approached 400 pages. Of course, every Viking needs a ship to steer. The trick was to create a set of space combat rules that felt like the Viking ship battles of old, emphasizing boarding actions and manoeuvering. They fold in nicely into the campaign, but hopefully provide a launchpad for your own adventures too. The new paths, too, are anchored around Viking vessels, and make for some fun choices!
Here is the blurb:
The Ginnungagap of When the Wolf Comes is sacred space, a primordial darkness lighted only by sparks and glowing masses of dying suns. The Space Vikings sourcebook takes you on a Viking voyage into this Yawning Void, where only master mariners and desperate outlaws steer their ships.
This book contains:
Hello!
Just this weekend, you will have received with DriveThruRPG what is the final update to the digital rules (well, almost - there is one more iteration coming with some art and compression fixes).
TL;DR The printers now have the everything and have started the presses.
Again, a little insight might be helpful:
The files first went to the printer in China in early October. Usually, they send back some proofs, we sign off and the ink starts to flow.
Except...
We made a couple of fixes to the page design, but it was like pulling at a loose thread, and I saw lots of other things I wanted to fix. We have one chance to get the print books completely correct, so I hunkered down and sorted through a laundry list of errors that had been bothering me. Turns out, that across the 400 pages, there were still a frightening number of glitches and I had to make a Will challenge roll.
In the latest version, there is:
More art: In some places, artwork we'd commissioned didn't make it into the rulebook, stuff that got lost in the publisher handover. So, I went back and added it.
Fewer Viking motifs: I love Jelling style ornamentation as much as anyone, but we relied on it too much to fill space. So I replaced it with actual rules text, or at least varied it to include some Ringerike motifs...
Better information hierarchy: For the rules to work, they must be easy to read, simple to use, and instantly understandable. In some sections, we had an odd amalgam of styles and formatting that I found confusing, so I tidied them up. Again, legacy issues that the new Schwalb team got stuck with. Don't get me started on the differences between Palatino and Palatino Linotype, or I might go berserk.
Extra rules: We've added more detail where it was lacking and tweaked rules as a result of the latest playtesting. Because the origins are so important, I tried to add as much clarity as possible.
New Old Norse: The original proof reading missed a heap of Old Norse errors—which is perfectly understandable as it's a mostly defunct language. Lower case ðs instead of upper case Ðs, for example. I imagine not many people would care or notice, but it kept me up at night.
Dashes: did you know that US English uses the —with no spaces—where British English uses the - with spaces either side? I do now, but Loki is clearly behind that. Even in this one update, I use them interchangeably.
And so, thanks for bearing with me. With Rob's team fully focused on the magnificent Weird Wizard, it has been a little more of a grind that usual.
And with the intense twelfth hour editing out the way, there will be more news coming for the end of Norsevember, with the release of Adventure 7: the Scar on the Sky as well as the Space Vikings rules for ship battles in the Ginnungagap.
Best,
ISS