How to Build a Character

Introduction

For those of you who don’t know, Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok (which I will abbreviate FotN or similar from now on) is a diceless RPG based in a mythological world where Ragnarok is happening right now. The Sun and the Moon have literally been eaten by giant wolves and the world has been plunged into Fimbulwinter - a 3 year long horrible winter. The characters (dwellers) are mythic Norse figures, along the lines of Sigurd, Beowulf, Erik the Red, and others, doing great deeds that will be told for ages to come. When you die, your deeds are told at your funeral and may even get you into Valhalla (with real in game benefits)!

It’s primary distinction mechanically is that it uses a set of Futhark runes to perform most of the mechanical operations instead of dice. The random element comes from Wyrd, or drawing the runes from the bag.

This set of runes is color coded - ⅓ in red (physical), blue (mental), and green (spiritual) respectively. There is one rune - the Void rune - which is blank, and has a different color (red/green/blue) for each character. This rune has a special purpose - it separates the heroes from the common folk, the Dwellers from the Denizens. Only characters get it.

I’d like to demonstrate how to make a dweller (character) for FotN. Each is influenced by an Archetype in Norse myth. Characters in FotN can be quite complex, and even ones with the same Archetype can be quite different.

Basic Concepts

Before we start, it is important to understand two concepts - Essence and Destiny.

Essence

Essence represents the totality of a character’s capability - it’s his hit points, life force, wisdom, and experience. It is represented by the subset of runes in the player’s bag. This, a character with a 6 essence might have 2 red (physical), 2 blue (mental), and 2 green (spiritual) runes, and be relatively well rounded. Someone like Beowulf, a great and physical hero, might have 7 red runes, 4 blue runes, and 3 green runes.

Destiny

Destiny measures the impact the dweller has on the world around him. It is represented by the number of runes that can be drawn from the player’s bag. A starting hero might have a Destiny of 2, and is only able to pull two rune a turn. A great hero, like our friend Beowulf above, might have a Destiny of 7, able to have a great impact.

These combined represent the level of the dweller - Essence counts for 1 level per point, and Destiny counts for 2. Thus, our starting hero above with an essence of 6 and a Destiny of 2 would have a level of 10 (6x1 + 2x2), and Beowulf (I AM BEOWULF) would have a level of 28 (14x1 + 7x2).

Making A Character

Step 1 - Drawing you runes

Let us start - we take a full bag of runes (24 + the void rune). The Norn (the DM) decided that the level of the game will be a starting game - level 10. We have decided that we will choose a balanced character with 6 Essence and 2 Destiny. We could just as easily pick a character with 4 Essence and 3 Destiny - able to make a large impact, but with relatively little experience, or a character with 8 Essence and 1 Destiny - full of experience and life force, but really hasn’t made an impact yet.

So we draw the runes and get (in order)

The norn has decided we are not doing random Personalities, Motivations, Social Standings, Connections, or Names, so we do not need to consult those tables. If one were to use those, the runes would help determine these aspects of the character. The player decides that he wants to use those for Personality and Motivation anyways.

His first two runes (

) are then looked up on those tables - It looks like our character is a Craftsman who is looking for great accomplishments that will be sung by the skalds for generations to come.

Step 2 - Picking your Archetype

The player then looks at the different archetypes available. From the main book there are

• Galdr - one who has learned to wield the magic of the runes - a sort of gish/buff caster

• Maiden of Ratatosk - named for the squirrel that trades insults between the eagle on top of Yggdrasil and Nidhogg, the maiden could best be described as a dodge and taunt tank.

• Seithkona - A true caster, but one with a price - her spells become more powerful as she opens herself for possession from the spirits.

• Skald - They have been blessed by the Mead of Poetry. They are rogues, spellcasters, and wanderers extrodinaire

• Ulfhednar - Fighters of old, embodying rage and aggression, with the ability to turn into giant wolves. Not actually a berserker (but see below)

And from Denizens of the North

• Berserkir - blessed by Thor with his rage, they are killing machines - fire and steel cannot stop them, and ice cold water turns to steam trying to cool their rage. They can even turn into giant bears.

• Blacksmith - not a sit at home kind of guy, he can summon a forge beast to help him with crafting wherever he goes, and knows best how to use his own creations. With cultural proscriptions against stealing from the dead, he can be your best friend.

• Druid - masters of world-bridging magics and nature, many can change shape into various birds and beasts.

• Fardrengir - travellers and hunters, most of us would think of them as rangers. Many have a silver stag or a golden boar to ride into battle upon.

• Sceadugengan - darkwalkers, those who have been to Svartalfheim and returned - they learned the dark arts of thievery, assassination, and chicanery and practice them in Midgard.

• Stalo - while Berserkirs may be masters of uncontrolled combat, the Stalo are warriors of form and control. They methodically maneuvers himself, and sometimes his allies, to decisive victory.

After browsing all of them, the player decides that he wants to do a Galdr - while a blacksmith fits his notion of craftsmanship, it doesn't feel like great deeds to him.

Step 3 - Picking your Active Powers

His next step is to place the runes onto 3 boards - the Active Powers, Passive Powers, and Skills boards. They are cleverly set up similar to a tafl board.

Let us look at the Active Powers board

When picking powers, one starts at the center and works outward. One can place runes horizontally or vertically, and always in a contiguous line, including the center. One can place the runes in order of drawing if one wants, but I don’t find that it is necessary.

After reading some descriptions, the player picks

• Thundering Blow: An Attack action knocks back an opponent by 2 hexes (10’); the opponent’s Physical rune, if played, negates 1 knockback.

• Aggressive Assault: Perform an Attack action with a +1 damage bonus and knock back your opponent 1 hex (5’); the opponent can play a Physical rune to negate 1 knockback

• Power over Wind: Harness the wind. Touch a combatant to deal 4 Physical damage and push them 4 hexes (20’); opponent can play a Mental rune to reduce the effect of this spell by 1 hex.

• Power over Stone: The stone obeys your command; grants a Protection Factor +1 Physical armour.

• Power over Fire: Turns your torch (or any adjacent fie source) into a fie whip. Touch to deal +4 Physical damage and Immolate: Bestow a +1 intensity to the Degeneration condition.

• Rapid Recovery: Heal yourself or an ally you touch +4 and shift their Initiative position up or down by +1/-1.

This is a nice mix of offensive and defensive powers, and really cements the image of him as a craftsman - of Fire, Wind, Stone, and Thunder. Now, whenever his turn comes up, he can reach into his bag of 6 (his Essence, remember?) runes and pull 2 (his Destiny) and get some of these potential powers.

The resulting board looks like

Step 4 - Picking your Passive Powers

Next he takes a look at the Passive Powers board. These are things that are on all the time and often enhance existing powers. The same rules apply to picking as with the active board - horizontal and vertical, contiguous lines.

He browses over the board and the book and decides he really likes runes. He picks up some and decides where he wants them.

• Explosive Rune: When you attack, weapon deals +1 Physical damage and knocks back the opponent 1 hex (5’), unless defender plays a Physical rune.

• Rune of Reinforcement: Mystical amour, bestows a personal Protection Factor +1 Physical

• Rune of Blood: During Upkeep, apply Heal +3 and Recover +4 on self or adjacent ally

• Rune of Retribution: If the galdr is attacked, the rune immediately deals Damage Factor +1 Physical with Pierce +2 to an adjacent opponent

• Combat Manoeuvrability: When performing an Attack action, if there are no adjacent enemies,you can perform a Weak Move action (half Move rate, round down) {Feat}.

• Rune of Shielding: Mystical amour, bestowing a personal Parry +2 Physical

This leaves him with a Passive board that looks like

Step 5 - Picking your Skills

Note, if you are in Doug's local campaign, please refer to As an assassin... for your skill mechanisms. The section below is the RAW.

Lastly, he picks up some skills. Looking at the skill board he sees several skills he’d like, but none really directly about crafting. However, he figures that knowledge will be just as helpful, since he’s a crafter of magic.

The player decides on

• Lore:Arcana: Recognition of magical items and sources 1

• Lore:Locales: Knowledge about obscure locales and environments 1

• Omens/Portents: Discern eldritch signs and their meanings 2

• Perception: Notice something peculiar or out-of-place 1

• Swim: Swim under extraordinary circumstances 1

and the skill board looks like

Note, he took Omens/Portents twice. That’s totally ok. That just means he’s very good at them. You can try any skill you like, but having a rune on it grants you extra ability in it. Someone like the galdr here, with two runes on Omens/Portents is quite good at reading the signs from the gods

Step 6 - Picking your Subclass

Now the player must decide on what to do with the Void rune. He assigns it a color based on how he envisions his character. Each class gets 3 options - Red (physical), Blue (mental), and Green (spiritual). Each option provides you with an extra Active Power, Passive Power, and Skill that is bound to the rune. For the galdr, the choices are:

• Red - The Enchanter - Enchanter runecasters focus on effects that are persistent. Maintaining magic is a struggle against a very chaotic and strong-willed force; it is a mighty achievement to control runic Essence

• Blue - The Sorcerer - Sorcerer runecasters try to create a perfect storm: “The runic apex flashes as lightning, momentary, beautiful, and striking through us…” They live for the glorious moment when they become the instantaneous conduits of the runic source.

• Green - The Diviner - Diviners wish to tap into the world behind the veil. Runes are the disembodied third eye that leads them through the curtain into the oceans of pure energy; after basking in it, the Diviner returns with wondrous insight!

Since he sees himself as a crafter, he decides that Red is the right fit for his void rune. This gains him:

• the Active power Beckon Yggdrasil which thins the barrier between worlds and causes areas of damage and obscurement

• the passive power Tap the Source, which allows you to control your powerful Aura

• and the skill Rune: Scorn Pole, which lets you curse people by constructing a totem with a dead horse’s head on top!

Step 7 - Getting equipment

Lastly, he purchased some equipment. The Norn has set a starting money value of 600 skatt (the unit of currency) and the player uses it to purchase

• Longbow: Size 5, Damage Factor +2 Physical, Pierce +2, Range 10 hexes (50’) play an additional rune to add +10 hexes to range, Meta: Gore – Apply Degeneration +1 [Counter: Physical] - 260 skatt. The galdr inscribes his explosive rune on this, giving him a handy knockback crossbow

• 2 ceremonial knives: Size 3, Focus +1 bonus to {Spell} effects - 95 skatt each

• Fur armour: Size 3, Protection Factor +1 Physical, Parry +1 - 100 skatt. On this he scribes a runes of blood, retribution, reinforcement, and shielding, giving him strong armor.

• Torch; warm winter furs; rations and mead for 1 day

• Money: 40 skatt

Step 8 - Background and flavor text and stuff

Please refer to the Lifepath tables on p138-145 of the core book, and p364-368 of Denizens of the North. This step is optional, can be pretty fun.