Character Creation: Yggdrasill

Two Viking-themed games very close together. Not deliberate, just that this game was on my "let's read this and maybe pitch it to the group what needs a new game."

The Game: Yggdrasill
The Publisher: Cubicle 7
Degree of Familiarity: None. I've read it and the system looks pretty intuitive.
Books Required: Just the one.

 

Obviously the lore for this game is pretty similar to Fate of the Norns, but the setting is pretty different, as that game is set during Ragnorak and this one is set during the 4th to 6th centuries (there's some "realism," but the game freely admits it samples ideas from different eras, and then there's the fact that in the game, shit like magic and gods exist, which throws a wrench into any claim of realism. I don't play RPGs for realism anyway).

So! I need to start off with a concept. There are a number of archetypes to choose from, which are basically character classes. I kinda feel like steering away from magic for a change, and I sort of feel like making a professional warrior ignores some of the slice of life that makes this game interesting, so I'ma make a farmer.

(As an aside, this is weird. The book says there are six archetypes, but I only count 5.)

In any case, I think my farmer is a herder. The book talks about herding reindeer, and that sounds interesting, so I'll do that. There's a list of "privileged skills," but I don't see any mechanical effect to those; they're just what's encouraged. (As always, an example of chargen would be helpful folks.) Oh, wait, now I see it - privileged skills cost less. Oy.

Anyway, we'll say my guy is named Sigurd Bardsson. I want to say he's got a homestead situated in the woods, but I want to do a little more with chargen before I make that decision.

Step two is Fate. Every character has three Runes that influence their destiny. I choose the runes randomly: Uruz, Nauthr, and Tiwaz. These each have to be either positive or negative; some of them have only one aspect, while others have both. They also have meanings that I can incorporate into my concept and history.

Well, Uruz, in its positive aspect, means that I don't get sick and have a strong constitution. Appropriate for a guy staying out in the middle of goddamn nowhere. Nauthr has only a negative aspect, and it means poverty, suffering, and torment - at some point in life I'm gonna get the shaft. I think it's tempting to say that Sigurd was banished from his former home. Tiwaz, the last one, is the rune of law. In the positive aspect it means you don't get arbitrarily fucked by the system, while in the negative you pretty much can't help but run afoul of the law. I think I'll take it as a positive, which would indicate that the banishment was righteous.

Step three is Characteristics. I get 19 points to split up between the nine of them, min 1, max 4. Let's see.

Well, I want high Vigor and Tenacity (going along with my iron constitution). Strength probably ought to be decent, too. Intellect, Charisma, and Communication can be lower. If I put 2 in everything, though, that only leaves me one extra point to play with. I'll leave Intellect and Charisma at 1, and put Communication at 2. That gives me 15 more points. I'll put Strength, Agility, Perception, and Instinct at 2, Tenacity at 3, and Vigor at 4. That means my Body is 8, my Mind is 6 and my Souls is 5.

Step four is Gifts & Weaknesses. I get one Gift for free, and I can take another if I take a weakness. I'll take Woodsman as a Gift, and looking at Weaknesses...oh, look, Outlaw. Perfect. I'll take that, which gives me another Gift, so I'll take...hmm, there's a few I like. I think I'll take Mountaineer and really lean into the "man of the land" thing.

Step five has five different sub-steps, but it's really all derived traits, so I do all that math and there we go.

Step 6 is Skills. I get 35 points to throw around, privileged skills are 1 for 1, anything else costs 2 points. Max is 7.

So, let's do this:

Craft (Ropemaking) 4
Drive 5
Knowledge (Agriculture/Herding) 5
Polearms 5

That's 19 of my points into privileged skills, meaning I have 14 left. I'll 6 into Climbing (for a score of 3), and then 2 each into Athletics, Herbalism, Stealth, and Ranged Weapons.

Step seven is "Determine Actions," but like, I get 1 primary action and 3 secondary. Not real sure where to write that, actually.

Step eight is Furor. I get 4 (it's a formula).

Step nine is Feats and Spells. I ain't got no spells, but feats are a thing. I get 12 points, but they have levels, so I need to look at this.

I'll take No Safe Place (lets me shoot an arrow through weak cover); seems appropriate for hunting. I'll take Body Feint for a bit of defense, and I'll take Unseat (knock a motherfucker off his horse). That's all of them, because they cost 3 per level and that's two level 1s and a level 2.

Step 10 is equipment and money. I get a weapon, so I'll take a bow (I'm better with a polearm, but figure that this guy uses the bow more). I'd get some money, too, but eh, you know how I feel about shopping.

Step 11 (jesus) is the "finishing touches" kind of thing. Sigurd was banished from his native land for the crime of murder. The circumstances were murky - he claims he was acting in self defense, but there were no witnesses. In the end, the thing decided that to split the difference between execution and freedom and just banish him, on the understanding that he'll be killed if he returns. Since then, Sigurd has lived in isolation in the woods on the side of a mountain, living off the land and sometimes selling goods from reindeer in town for the things that he can't grow or hunt. What would it take to get him off the mountain? Not much, surprisingly. Sigurd is fastidious in following the law, and if he were asked by a noble or a jarl to do a job, he'd do it, no questions asked.

Sigurd is a big guy, over 6 feet tall and thick. He has dark hair and keeps it braided and as clean as he can. He wears a bow whenever he's out walking, and has an old poleax in his house somewhere.

Sounds good!