Nordheimer Sourcebook?

[Auggie]

I don't know if this particular topic has been discussed, but with all the threads I've recently seen concerning sourcebooks, it has led me to ask if a sourcebook on Vanaheim/Asgard is forthcoming.

Quite frankly, I hope all the countries of Hyboria are given their own sourcebooks, but the one I'd anticipate the most would be a Nordheimer one. Can anyone shed light on this?

 

[Damien]

I would assume that if any such book were to be produced, it would be more of a 'terrors of the North' book including Nordheim, Cimmeria and that area, rather than a specific book on either of the two.

But I haven't actually heard whether or not such a book is in the works.

 

[Galt Hagar's Son]

I agree that the interest is there, I think I have opened up at least one discussion thread and have gotten multiple responses on it.

The more I think about it though, the less I think it is needed, I would argue that you can do it with your own imagination eg:

The vast majority of the population will be barbarians, an occasional priest/ sorceror of YMIR, and an occasional borderer type.
The flavor will be Viking-esque, so a good illustrated book on vikings will be available from your library.
The magic wont be too different, you could make your own style of spells eg: cold magic (some type of nature magic), emphasize some curse magic, hypnotism, and necromancy.

Maybe add a few creatures eg TROLLs, some type of Grendel (a la Beowulf) creatures, etc...

Again in Conan, your greatest enemies will be human.

I think a great source of inspiration would be the movie THE 13th WARRIOR.

The more source books there are, the less imagination on your level there is. THis is your game after all.

In any case, best of luck I think several sourcebooks will come out before the Great White North will.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

I believe that a discussion thread was started several weeks/months ago on a Cimmeria sourcebook, but when Vincent Darlage weighed in, he sounded sceptical.

However if the emphasis was instead on Asgard, Vanaheim, and Hyperborea, then a small appendix on Cimmeria would be more reasonable than one complete text on Cimmeria alone.

If the editorial staff at Mongoose were more open minded and willing to take others on as writers (*ahem!*), Vincent would not be as burdened.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

I agree that the interest is there, I think I have opened up at least one discussion thread and have gotten multiple responses on it.

The more I think about it though, the less I think it is needed, I would argue that you can do it with your own imagination eg:

The vast majority of the population will be barbarians, an occasional priest/ sorceror of YMIR, and an occasional borderer type.
The flavor will be Viking-esque, so a good illustrated book on vikings will be available from your library.
The magic wont be too different, you could make your own style of spells eg: cold magic (some type of nature magic), emphasize some curse magic, hypnotism, and necromancy.

Maybe add a few creatures eg TROLLs, some type of Grendel (a la Beowulf) creatures, etc...

Again in Conan, your greatest enemies will be human.

I think a great source of inspiration would be the movie THE 13th WARRIOR.

The more source books there are, the less imagination on your level there is. THis is your game after all.

In any case, best of luck I think several sourcebooks will come out before the Great White North will.

Imagination is the best course. I recommend heavy doses of Icelandic Sagas, Beowulf, the Niebelung Cycle (if you are desperate), Scandinavian Folk-Belief and Legend (by Henning, Sehmsdorf?, U of MN Press, IIRC), the Stith-Thompson Motif Index (available in the reference section of some uni humanities collections).

 

[Mark Dunder]

These guys are so similar to the familiar Scandinavians of our times, that you really can just look them up in any encyclopedia and be pretty much on target.

Cimmerians on the other hand don't exactly fit any particular mold. Somewhat like Kelts, but unique unto themselves. I feel they are more or less directly an REH creation. Like Hobbits are to JRRT. Terrible comparison I know, but I hope you get the idea.

So something more in depth for Cimmerians I think is in order. It would be nice to tell the players a little more about the big slab of beef they're playing than "you're huge, got black hair, one blue eye and one gray eye, and did I tell you you're huge?"

 

[Flecha]

Could be logical to include Hyperborea too in such a book? Ok, they are not nordheimers, but you can say so much of any of them, so only together can fill a fairly thick book...

Since the hyperborea story depicted in the new Dark Horse comics, I'm interested in take my campaign there sometime. And of course, that means encountering lots of nordheimers.

 

[Taharqa]

These guys are so similar to the familiar Scandinavians of our times, that you really can just look them up in any encyclopedia and be pretty much on target.

You mean the nordheimers had lots of oil money, universal medical coverage, and social democratic forms of government?

 

[Evil_Trevor]

These guys are so similar to the familiar Scandinavians of our times, that you really can just look them up in any encyclopedia and be pretty much on target.

You mean the nordheimers had lots of oil money, universal medical coverage, and social democratic forms of government?

Almost, lots of Other peoples money, Khitan Healers and the guy with biggest group of supporters is in charge.....


Things don't really change much