Trifletraxor Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 A fantasy earth Vikings setting is on its way for Basic Roleplaying. It will be based on the Icelandic Sagas, the Eddas, and the fairy tales of Iceland. The magical and mythical aspects from the Eddas and the Sagas will be incorporated into the setting, and much attention will be given to the elves, using the legends of the huldufólk. The author is Pedro Ziviani, a historian living on Iceland, who have worked on the project for many months now. The first partial draft of the book is to be delivered to Chaosium this month (October). I'm really looking forward to this one! :-) Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 What is the time setting? A Viking supplement was needed, indeed! The last one is very, very out of print! Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enpeze Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 sounds very interesting. Hopefully there will be some premade adventures for it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enpeze Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 As one Viking Age Iceland setting for BRP will probably be enough, my planned Islandia setting announced earlier, have now been cancelled. Triff. Before cancelling this promising project I would wait and see how good the new Iceland setting really is and if it is published. At which stage was your islandia setting? Early stage or already fleshed out? I would love to learn more about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trifletraxor Posted October 8, 2007 Author Share Posted October 8, 2007 Before cancelling this promising project I would wait and see how good the new Iceland setting really is and if it is published. At which stage was your islandia setting? Early stage or already fleshed out? I would love to learn more about it. My Islandia project was in the very early start of planning. I had gotten hold of all the background research I needed and had some clear plans of where to take it, but had done little actual writing. Pedro has been working on the Mythic Iceland setting for several months now, and have gotten pretty far with it. It at least sound very good. So, I'll just let him do the work, and then enjoy the setting when it's published. That way I can concentrate more on improving BRP Central (a gallery is next I think). SGL. Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Why not hold off and see what Pedro does, then add flavour/background to areas where it is missing? Or were you thinking of doing something and charging for it? I wonder how far the setting could be stretched. Could you use it, for instance, for Anglo-Saxon-style rules, in which case could you use it at the end of the Roman period, thus linking in with Pax Romana? Or, perhaps, stretch it the other way and use it with Stupor Mundi? Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trifletraxor Posted October 8, 2007 Author Share Posted October 8, 2007 Why not hold off and see what Pedro does, then add flavour/background to areas where it is missing? Or were you thinking of doing something and charging for it? No, I was planning to release it free on this site. It's at least on a hold for now, maybe I'll use some of the ideas for another setting later, or some stuff that can be put in the fanzine. I wonder how far the setting could be stretched. Could you use it, for instance, for Anglo-Saxon-style rules, in which case could you use it at the end of the Roman period, thus linking in with Pax Romana? Or, perhaps, stretch it the other way and use it with Stupor Mundi? I just e-mailed the author, hopefully we can get him over here to answer some questions himself. SGL. Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Paul Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Trifletraxor- If Mr. Ziviani's work only covers Iceland there may be quite a bit of room for Norwegian/Swedish/Danish settings and adventures. There was a product put out by Columbia Games, Lionheart, on England in the time of Richard the Lionheart. Very detailed wtih a chronology, essays on what life was like and the political situations. All in all a great primer for a campaign in that time period. I think that people would be interested in seeing such for BRP. My thoughts on this: Include stats for major and minor historical characters. Includes things from the legends and folktales. Discuss how magic is thought to work in a particular time period. Maps! Chronologies/lineages. Essays on the culture and daily living. With this the GM can set up what he wants to do with the setting. Go very historical, low magic, high magic, or trick it out as a fantasy option. For instance a nitty gritty Roman setting, an option with limited magic (and no one is sure that it actually works!), an option with major magicians aiding or countering the Pax Romana, or one in which it was the Elves that ambushed the legions in the Teutoburgerwald. Give adventures, maybe a half dozen large multi session ones, some smaller one shots, and lots of adventure hooks. The idea being that I would certainly want to get a lot of value out of a particular setting. Crossing over into other settings could be interesting also. This could be done with just adventure hooks that require PCs to travel to distant lands- Beowulf anyone? Another thought is to produce campaign packs for historical cultures and produce supplements to cover what happens when those cultures clash. For instance an Anglo-Saxon setting and a Viking setting are interesting by themselves but a supplement that covers the Viking invasions and the Danelaw would be really neat also. Just a thought. Joseph Paul Quote __________________ Joseph Paul "Nothing partys like a rental" explains the enduring popularity of prostitution.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 I'm looking forward to seeing this if it goes back to the original source material and gets away from the re-warmed-over-twice-distilled Tolkien-via-D&D that pollutes the fantasy game (and literature) market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 I don't know. I can see some here are interested, but I have delved into the Icelandic sagas and histories, and from what I can remember it seems it would be a little bland. What sort of adventures would you have, other than raiding and feuding and fighting the occasional troll?:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Paul Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 I don't know. I can see some here are interested, but I have delved into the Icelandic sagas and histories, and from what I can remember it seems it would be a little bland. What sort of adventures would you have, other than raiding and feuding and fighting the occasional troll?:confused: Well how is that not enough? You could look at it as a Pendragon style time line. One or two adventures a year, a rest and refit time, and then new adventures. This staggers things out enough for the PCs to invest their wealth, get married, start a new generation and become embroiled in Icelandic politics. There should be plenty of material for traveling. Trading with Norway, going to Greenland, Vinland, fetching brides/ more family etc. Having to secure something as a dowery item. It is held by someone else or is in some remote location. Fantasy Iceland? Heroquest with the Aesir! Deal with the conversion to Christianity! Are there not other creatures besides trolls in the mythology? Interact with them. Get off the Island! You can't stand it any more. You need to get off this rock and go see the Big City-Hedeby! Now to get a boat... Play politics. There should be some interesting interaction with the Norwegian Crown. You might actually have to go there. In a fantasy campaign you may need to deal with a native popluation of humans (or an undead native population!). Placating all of the spirits in the land- heck just finding out about all of them could be interesting. Joseph Paul Go fishing or hunting narwhales and walrus. Quote __________________ Joseph Paul "Nothing partys like a rental" explains the enduring popularity of prostitution.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 I dunno, it just doesn't appeal for some reason...oh, well. You guys enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sorloc Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I'm looking forward to seeing this if it goes back to the original source material and gets away from the re-warmed-over-twice-distilled Tolkien-via-D&D that pollutes the fantasy game (and literature) market. Aaah, urinate on Tolkien. You'd think he invented the pencil, for Pete's sake. I've read the books, I've seen the movies. Repeatedly. I like Feist's Riftwar Saga MUCH better. I like anything by James Clavell better (political intrigue). I like Robin Hobb's Farseer books better. I even like C. S. Lewis better, even if his allegory gets a trifle thick at times. Tolkien is so overrated. Quote The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done." George Carlin (1937 - 2008) _____________ (92/420) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Howard, Leiber, Roland Green, Michael Shea, David Drake, Poul Anderson, Brian Daley, Jack Vance, and many others too. When I was 'discovering' fantasy (and science fiction) it was about the time LOTR was becoming known, and I remember putting the Ace edition of 'Fellowship' back on the shelf after trying to get into it and failing. That was in the early sixties. There was just so much brilliant fantasy and science fiction for alternatives then it was hard to get into Tolkien's prose and style. And other writers of the time had much better interpretations of fantasy (to me), so much more colorful, evocative, and exciting...and exotic...and just plain readable. So I too have to say Tolkien is over rated, especially for the time it was published. LOTR did help make fantasy slightly more 'acceptable' and a broader genre than childrens' literature and pulp fiction, though. I have always found it a better choice than most of the other so-called 'serious' fantasy such as Gormenghast or Thomas Covenant, though. Or Tolkien's contemporary, C. S. Lewis, even though none of them were ever very enjoyable for me. I like the movies much, much more than the books (LOTR). Maybe I just got bad taste. Maybe I don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I loved LOTR when I first read it as a kid... but even then it didn't mean that I wanted the next 50 books I read to be EXACTLY the same. There was this huge 'Tolkienesque' ghetto to wade through as I tried to find new fantasy books to read. Eventually I found my way to Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard and Lord Dunsany and Lovecraft... and all was well. Back on topic... I can definitely imagine a gritty game of Icelandic fantasy... a kind of spaghetti-western-fantasy... epic but doomed heroes... man against the elements... enchantments and curses... and trolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I don't know. I can see some here are interested, but I have delved into the Icelandic sagas and histories, and from what I can remember it seems it would be a little bland. What sort of adventures would you have, other than raiding and feuding and fighting the occasional troll?:confused: Roman Empire? What's there to do apart from conquering new lands, buying slaves and a bit of trading? SuperHero Games? Running around in lycra saving the world. Medieval Europe? Avoiding the plague, trying not to be invaded or drafted in an army, fighting foreign wars. Every setting has the potential of many different scenarios. A Fantasy Iceland setting can acyually double as a Fantasy Scandinavian setting and can cover lands as diverse as Iceland, Greenland, Vinland (as has been mentioned), Ireland, Northern and Western Scotland, Northern and Eastern England, Northern France and Russia. Trading and travelling would be key as would kinstrife, blood feuds, monster fighting, settling new lands, fighting, raiding, taking slaves and exploring. There's the clash between cultures, the clash between religions, the clash between the old ways of raiding and the new ways of settling. A Viking character could quite easily find himself on the Black Sea or American coast as the North Sea or Atlantic Ocean. Stories such as Pathfinder, both the original and the new one, would fit such a setting hands down. Also, used together with other Fantasy Europe settings, it could form part of a larger set of scenarios/campaigns. So, you can find adventure in any setting. Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badcat Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Whatever. I just don't care for the flavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golden wheel dancer Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I specialised in "vikings in the west" so I'm happy to see this! Tossed in their clinker-built warships on the immense foggy oceans, with sea monsters frothing foam from their barrel-sized nostrils. Trifle's Tractor you could do a supplement about the Greenland settlements or something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aycorn Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I loved LOTR when I first read it as a kid... but even then it didn't mean that I wanted the next 50 books I read to be EXACTLY the same. There was this huge 'Tolkienesque' ghetto to wade through as I tried to find new fantasy books to read. Eventually I found my way to Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard and Lord Dunsany and Lovecraft... and all was well. Re: Tolkein - I like the movies better than the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enpeze Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Re: Tolkein - I like the movies better than the books. I too. (only the hobbit kitsch at the end of the 3rd part was really bad) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aycorn Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I too. (only the hobbit kitsch at the end of the 3rd part was really bad)That was a little weak. I liked the scene of them sitting alone at the pub, though. It said everything about how they'd changed. I was already a big fan of Peter Jackson long before these ("Heavenly Creatures" baby!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rurik Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Logolas 'shieldboarding' down stairs while firing off two arrows at a time was a low point for me. Quote Help kill a Trollkin here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sorloc Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 How pathetic is Gimli? I actually started to feel sorry for him. He got upstaged by Legolas at every turn... Quote The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done." George Carlin (1937 - 2008) _____________ (92/420) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triff Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 To revert the thread back to its original topic again, Gimli, Gandalf and lots of the LOTR names are taken directly from the old viking sagas. Gandalf was a dwarf actually. Sverre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneLigon Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Really looking forward to this; I've just about worn out the Ivinia and RQ Vikings books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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