VikingsVikings primarily hail from Norway, Denmark and Sweden and were active circa 820-1030 CE. As the Vikings were explorers and conquerors, they also established colonies in places such as the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, the Faroe Islands, Iceland (after 870), Greenland (after 986), Vinland (present-day New Foundland in Canada, after 1000), and carved out new territories in Ireland (after 820), England (the Danelaw after 865), Russia (after 870) and France (Normandy after 911).
Races: Predominantly human. A few nonhuman races have become stranded on Earth through Shadow incursions (see d20 Modern core rulebook) and formed communities in Viking lands.
Dwarves are known as Dverge and typically lived in remote places such as Permia, Karelia and Gardariki (all in modern-day Russia). Dverge are known for their magical craftsmanship and dwarven-made magic items are legendary. Another race of dwarves, known as Maahiset, live in Finland and Russia and tend to be barbarians or wizards specializing in elemental earth magic.
Elves are known by a variety of names: Huldre, Huldufolk, Alfar, Vattar, Hidden People, Underground Folk, or People of the Mounds. They are aloof towards humanity and tend to be NG or CG. Huldre live on the fringes of Viking society in mounds and barrows near farmsteads. Huldre are fascinated with humans of the opposite sex and will sometimes trick humans into becoming their paramours.
Drow are known as dock-alfar and usually live in remote regions of Norway and Sweden. They tend to be NE in alignment and have little in common culturally with drow of typical D&D worlds; they live in undeground communities organized much like normal human communities.
Typical Viking Classes: Fighters are the most common Viking class, followed by rogues. Viking bards, known as skalds, are well-known, though they tend towards poetry than song. Clerics are uncommon and rarely adventure; those that do must worship one of the
Norse gods. Barbarians typically live on the fringe of Viking society. Wizards are rare, as Viking runes do not suit standard wizard magic (runes have their own magical rules), so those wishing to learn arcane magic must travel to other lands such as Finland, Scotland, or Ireland. Upon their return home, these wizards were often treated with suspicion and fear by their fellow Vikings. Sorcerers are slightly more common than wizards, but no less feared. Monks, paladins, druids, and rangers are not found in Viking culture.
Languages: Primary - Old Norse; Secondary - Gaelic (Ireland), Saxon (England), Slavic (Russia), French (Franks), Latin (the Church), Arabic (Moors), Greek (Byzantium).
Recommended Skills: Discipline, Antagonize, Parry, Spot
Recommended Feats: Alertness, Armor Proficiency (all), Blind-Fight, Bullheaded, Called Shot, Dirty Fighting, Disarm, Great Fortitude, Luck of Heroes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword, longsword, battleaxe, greataxe, halberd, spear, shortbow, dart).
Viking Names: Vikings only went by one name, a personal name. Surnames were very rarely used. To differentiate, most would add patronymic --"father's name"--to the end of the name. Thus, Thorolf, son of Harald, became Thorolf Haraldson. Women tended not to carry their father's name. On occasion, the person was indicated by his home, i.e. Thorolf of Trollwood, but this was not as common. Another popular method was to give the person a descriptive nickname based on some quality or deed. Judging from nicknames, Vikings apparently had quite a sense of humor. Nicknames were also sometimes ironic, entirely opposite from the truth. As is true with all nicknames, the person bearing the nickname generally has little choice in what he is called.
Men's Names:Aella, Agdi, Agnar, Alrek, An, Angantyr, Aran, Armod, Arnfinn, Arngrim, Asmund, Atli, Auda, Bard, Barri, Beiti, Bild, Bjarkmar, Borgar, Bosi, Brand, Brynjolf, Budli, Bui, Drott, Eddval, Egil, Einar, Eirik, Eitil, Erp, Eylimi, Eyolf, Eystein, Fafnir, Finnbogi, Fjolmod, Fjolvar, Fjori, Franmar, Freki, Fridleif, Frithjof, Frodi, Frosti, Fyri, Gardar, Gauk, Gauti, Gautrek, Geirmund, Geirrod, Geirthjof, Gilling, Gjuki, Glammad, Gothorm, Granmar, Grettir, Grim, Grimhild, Gripir, Grundi, Gudmund, Gunnar, Gunnbjorn, Gust, Guthorm, Hadding, Haeming, Hafgrim, Hagal, Hak, Haki, Hakon, Halfdan, Hamal, Hamdir, Harald, Harek, Hauk, Havard, Hedin, Heidrek, Heimir, Helgi, Herbjorn, Herthjof, Herverd, Hildigrim, Hjalm-Gunnar, Hjalmar, Hjalprek, Hjorleif, Hjorvard, Hlodvard, Hlodver, Hlothver, Hodbrodd, Hogni, Hoketil, Holmgeir, Hosvir, Hraerek, Hrafknel, Hrani, Hreggvid, Hring, Hroar, Hrodmar, Hroi, Hrolf, Hrollaug, Hrosskel, Hrotti, Hunding, Hunthjof, Hymling, Idmund, Illugi, Imsigull, Ingjald, Ivar, Jarnskeggi, Jokul, Jormunrek, Ketil, Kjar, Knui, Kol, Krabbi, Kraki, Leif, Melnir, Neri, Odd, Olaf, Olvir, Orkning, Orr, Otrygg, Ottar, Reavil, Raknar, Ref, Rennir, Rodstaff, Rolf, Runolf, Saemund, Sigmund, Sigurd, Sinfjotli, Sirnir, Sjolf, Skuli, Skuma, Slagfid, Smid, Snaeulf, Snaevar, Snidil, Snorri, Sorkvir, Sorli, Soti, Sorkvir, Sorli, Soti, Starkad, Steinthor, Storvirk, Styr, Svafnir, Svafrlami, Svart, Svidi, Svip, Thjodrek, Thord, Thorfinn, Thorgeir, Thorir, Thormod, Thorstein, Thrand, Thvari, Tind, Toki, Tryfing, Ulf, Ulfhedin, Vidgrip, Vignir, Vikar, Visin, Voland Yngvi
Women's Names:Aesa, Alfhild, Alof, Arnora, Asa, Aslaug, Aud, Bekkhild, Bera, Bestla, Bodvild, Borghild, Borgny, Brynhild, Busla, Dagmaer, Dagny, Edda, Edny, Eyfura, Fjotra, Freydis, Galumvor, Geirrid, Gjaflaug, Grimhild, Groa, Gudrid, Gudrun, Gullrond, Halldis, Hallfrid, Hallveig, Hekja, Helga, Herborg, Herkja, Hervor, Hildigunn, Hildirid, Hjordis, Hjotra, Hleid, Hrafnhild, Hrodrglod, Ingibjorg, Ingigerd, Isgerd, Kara, Kolfrosta, Kostbera, Lofnheid, Lofthaena, Lyngheid, Nauma, Oddrun, Olvor, Ragnhild, Saereid, Sigrid, Sigrlinn, Silksif, Sinrjod, Skjalf, Svanhvit, Swanhild, Sylgja, Thjodhild, Thorgerd, Thorunn, Throa, Thurid, Tofa, Unn, Vaetild, Yrsa
Nicknames:Absent-Minded, Arrow-Odd, Bag-Nose, Bare-Legs, Belly-Shaker, Berserks-Killer, Black, Blind, Blood-Axe, Bold, Brave, Breast Rope, Bull-Bear, Buttered-Bread, Crow, Deep-Minded, Dueller, Easterner, Fair, Feeble, Fetter-Hound, Finehair, Fish-Hook, Flat-Nose, Flayer, Fosterer, Good, Gossip, Grey-Cloak, Hairy-Breeks, Hairy-Cheek, Hard-Mouth, Hot-Head, Hunter, Keen-Eyed, Lean, Little, Long-Leg, Lucky, Mansion-Might, Night-Sun, Noisy, Old, One-Hand, Peaceful, Peacock, Pilgrim, Pin-Leg, Powerful, Proud, Prow-Gleam, Red, Serpent-Tongue, Showy, Silk-Beard, Skinflint, Skull-Splitter, Sleekstone-Eye, Smooth-Tongue, Snake-in-the-Eye, Southerner, Stout, Stubborn, Tit-Bit, Unruly, Wealthy, Wartooth, Whelp, White, Wry-Mouth, Wry-Neck, Xxx's-Bane, Xxx's-Killer, Yeoman
Gender Roles: In Viking society, men were expected to be warriors and explorers, while women were expected to stay at home and manage the property. Because of this, women warriors and adventurers are rare in Viking society. This isn't to say Vikings felt women weren't capable of being effective warriors, just that they weren't
supposed to in their society. Truly exceptional female warriors usually became compared to valkyries and are viewed by many Viking men with superstitious awe. More common female adventurers in Viking society are priestesses and wizards.
Under Viking tradition, women had many rights. They could own property and inherit lands. Women were expected to manage everything in the household, and wives often supervised the estates while the husband was gone. With such a warlike people, there were many widows, who kept the family farms and made the prosper. A woman had the right to divorce her husband (he, of course, also had the same right).
Social Rankings: At the bottom rung of the social ladder was the
thrall or slave. The Vikings did practice slavery, although not to its cruelest extremes. Thralls did much of the heavy farm work. They were not without some rights, though these were few. Thralls' lives were counted as no more than those of cattle under Viking law. Thrallry was not inescapable; the thrall's master could grant the thrall freedom, another person could buy the thrall's freedom from his master, or the thrall himself could buy his own freedom (thralls were allowed to own a little property and livestock and engage in business).
The largest social class in Viking society are the free farmers, the
karlykn or freemen. Unlike most of Europe, the farmers of Scandinavia were truly free. Their farmland was owned outright. Earls and kings had no claim on a man's land. A freeman enjoyed full protection under the law, although lawsuits at the time depended on power and alliance. Most freemen were farmers. Others were retainers, smiths, warriors, merchants, shipwrights, skalds, woodcarvers, and any number of other trades.
Above the freemen were the men of authority -- local chieftens and earls. These were the men who kept retainers (freemen house-carls or
huskarlar). They were the commanders in battles, had influence on the selection of the local lawspeakers, collected tribute, tended the king's estates, and enforced the king's decrees.
Warriors in Viking Society: The warrior was the central part of the Viking culture. One of the ways a man earned respect was through his sword. Combat was not the only way, but it was perhaps the easiest. It did not require special study, inborn talents, or even a heavy investment for equipment. Anyone with a club could become a brave warrior. Most, though, preferred a stout shield and good sword. A warrior could follow his occupation in a variety of different ways: as a duelist, a house-carl or member of a warrior socitey.
Law: For all their warlike behavior, the Vikings were a very legal-minded people. Although they had a king and nobles, the people founded semi-democratic assemblies virtually everywhere they went. These assemblies existed to hear disputes between men and to pass laws concerning the governing of the district. An assembly was known as a
thing. Things were composed of freemen; the nobility were barred from participating. The things existed to hear lawsuits.
Trade: Raiding and warfare were not the sole occupations of Vikings. Indeed as time passed, prime raiding targets became places for settlement and trade. Trade was vital for the Vikings because their homeland was poor in many necessary goods and skills. Trade was conducted for both useful and luxury goods. Although poor in some things, Scandinavians had many desirable resources to trade: thralls, iron, horn, furs, walrus ivory, honey, ropes, fish and timber. What they wanted in exchange were silver, glassware, swords, wool, salt, spices, silk, and wine.
Religion: Few men worshipped only a single god. People worshipped a variety of gods depending on the need and situation. There were few proper temples ot the gods in Scandinavia. However, there were many sacred sites out-of-doors. These included mountains, islands, groves, fields, rocks and trees. Ceremonies would sometimes be conducted at these sites and other times at a farmhouse that also doubled as a local temple.
There were generally three main ceremonies each year: one in the spring, one at mid-summer, and one in the fall. These ceremonies were marked by sacrifices of animals (and sometimes humans) and ritual feasting. All were intended to ensure fertility for the farm. Sometimes the summer festival included prayers for victory in war and raiding. Oracles were consulted and offerings to the gods were made.
Not all Vikings were a fiercely devout group. Worship was something like a bargain. In exchange for devotions, the gods were supposed to give something in return. If they did not, the pact was broken. The Norsemen did not create religious institutions like the Church or the temples of Rome. In general, each man was responsible for his own faith in the gods.
Source:
HR1 Vikings by David "Zeb" Cook. TSR, 1991.