V&V (Vikings and Valkyries): A Nordic Immersion Experience (5e)

Join Norse warriors of old in epic adventures based upon the Viking Sagas!

"Sigurd goes forth before the banners, and has the good sword Gram in his hand, and smites
down both men and horses, and goes through the thickest of the throng with both arms red
with blood to the shoulder; and folk shrank aback before him wheresoever he went, nor
would either helm or byrny hold before him, and no man deemed he had ever seen his like.
So a long while the battle lasted, and many a man was slain, and furious was the onset; till
at last it befell, even as seldom comes to hand, when a land army falls on, that, do what they
might, naught was brought about; but so many men fell of the sons of Hunding that the tale
of them may not be told; and now when as Sigurd was among the foremost, came the sons of
Hunding against him, and Sigurd smote therewith at Lyngi the king, and clave him down,
both helm and head, and mail- clad body, and thereafter he smote Hjorward his brother
atwain, and then slew all the other sons of Hunding who were yet alive, and the more part of
their folk withal."
— Volsunga Saga

Gods and giants, blood and battle, honor and treachery, swords and silver, vengeance and weregeld; these are the driving motivations for sagas and tales of mighty deeds. Will you be an exile fighting his way to freedom in the new lands across the sea? A member of the infamous Varangian Guard in Byzantium? Engage in a war against the evil wizards of the Lapps? Or perhaps cross the Bifrost Bridge to stand beside Thor and protect Asgard against the giants?

There is a mass of land in the northern reaches of Europe that we’ve come to know as Scandinavia. Although the term is little more than a convenience for referring to multiple places and people, it is the land that comprises much of modern-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It has played host to a Germanic culture for thousands of years, including the ethnic groups we refer to as Danes (Danish), Norwegians, and Swedes (Swedish). Often called the Nordic countries (Nordic meaning north), these lands also hosted one of the most ruthless inhabitants in history – the Vikings.
Of course, they weren’t called the Vikings in their day. In fact, no one can truly agree upon where the term “Viking” came from. Some say it’s a Norwegian word for a location from history; others say it’s a Norse word for oversea pirate raids; and there are others who say the word just means pirate (there are likely other meanings beyond these). Regardless of where the term actually came from, it has become a symbolic term for anyone who lived in Scandinavia during the Viking Age (there’s that term again) and were part of the warrior class. After all, the only thing they did was travel across the world attacking others and stealing their stuff. Right?
The thought of Vikings and their pirate ways has become mostly glorified by the thought of action and adventure abroad. But there are always two sides to every story and to recreate the life of a Viking in a proper sense, it’s pertinent to get a clear picture of who they were and how they lived. This way, when you create a Viking D&D Immersion character, he or she is much more than a bulky, red-haired human with a horn-helmet and a giant beard.

D&D Viking Immersion explores the many facets of these Scandinavian people. This chapter will be the only time they are referred to as Vikings in a historical sense (not in a role-playing gaming sense though). Instead, they will be referred to as Norsemen or Scandinavians to signify their heritage as Germanic people and not the stereotypical Vikings that many have painted them to be. Sometimes they will instead be referred to by their associated kingdom; Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish, but only when referring to a specific kingdom.
Keep one fact in mind: the Germanic Norse people did not document their history. Yes, there are runestones and poems out there, but most of what is known about Scandinavians comes from a person who attempted to document their history 300 years later along with what others wrote down secondhand (such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and what archaeologists have found in Scandinavian burials and ruins. Thus, it is a collection of fact and speculation along with the piecing together of what has been written down (regardless if it’s substantiated). This includes folklore and mythology, which were the beliefs of the Norse people, no matter how farfetched they might seem.

Each class will begin with a historical/cultural presentation & discussion about that day's topic (e.g., Viking longboats), followed by an introduction to the adventure module, the remainder of the class will be spent role playing the Viking adventure. 

Each scenario is historically-based, very well researched, and immensely fun. 

Students should do their very best to participate fully in the role play aspect of Viking D&D Immersion, since the essence of "immersion" is to fully embrace the trials and tribulations that their Player Character (PC) are experiencing in the adventure. It might take a few sessions to get used to this manner of engagement, yet through the encouragement of the Dungeon Master (DM) and student examples most will feel very comfortable. 

I do not want to rush the Viking D&D Immersion experience, thus the schedule below is a rough game plan for the course. Students will want to explore, role play, and combat (The Three Pillars of Adventure) at their leisure, so some modules may last longer than expected - and that is perfectly okay. As students move up in level they will gain retainers, build longhouses, and command troops...which takes a while to plan and prepare. I have put the titles of the sessions below without details so as to leave some surprises for the students. 

14 November "Session Zero" - character creation, discussion of rules, sharing ideas and game prep.
December - Session One - Forest of Fury
January - Session Two - Getting your goat
February - Session Three - A Test of Viking virtue
March - Session Four - Viking Hospitality
April- Session Five - As the Wyrm Turns
May - Session Six - The Scourge of the Whale Road
June - Session Seven - Frost Giant Assault
July -Session Eight - Return to the Rune Shrine


Students MUST have a Roll20 account (free) in order to participate in the class. Please do not "roll up" the character before "Session Zero" - we will ALL create our characters at the same time (a valuable experience). Please do share your thoughts as to what you want out of the adventuring experience either during "Session Zero" or by sending a message on the Outschool platform. The more the DM knows how you want your experience, the more likely it will happen.