Character Creation Introduction

[Marullus]

Here's an overview to familiarize and guide the character creation process for this custom setting...

Campaign Number 1000 (for the dice roller).

Roll Attributes: I encourage you to use the roll 4d6 drop 1 method in the die roller. You may assign your rolls in your order of preference.

Backgrounds: Backgrounds can be taken from any official 5E suppliment as long as you can fit it appropriately within the Norse setting. The book provides four additional backgrounds for consideration: Destined, Reverend, Karl, and Thrall.

Races: All races must be chosen from the Svilland setting.

Demi-humans: Two races are demihumans and thus bear special mention.

• Dvergr, the dwarves or 'dark elves' of Svartalfheim who came this world, and can only be returned home by the god Balder when there task is complete, but Balder remains trapped in Hel.
• Half-Jotunn, outcasts to both their peoples, these half-giants come in two types: Frost Half-Jotunn and Mountain Half-Jotunn.

Variant Humans: The other races are variant humans, representing the distinct cultures of the Svilland setting. These include the Austri, Kunig, Mithal, and Vestri.

Classes: Classes are significantly modified, with sub-classes largely being unique to this setting. Magic is derived from either the gods of Asgard directly or from the influence of Runes.

The Wizard class is wholly replaced by the the Runewalker Class from the Svilland setting, which replaces it with appropriate flavor.

The Druid class is wholly replaced by the Seidr Class from the Sveilland setting. Almost always of or tied to the Kunig people, they have shamanistic spirit magic either from the spirits of nature or ancestors, and also the Dream Realm.

The Paladin is rescripted as the Alle (it is the standard class, but the sub-classes are from this setting). The Alle are the Gods' warriors. They take an Oath to a specific Norse diety - Freya, Hel, Odin, Thor, or Tyr.

Yet, there are important differences: Alles are not the resemblance
of good but rather their deity. They need to have
an alignment that suits their deity in order to follow their
oath. This means that they are not necessarily heroes to the
folks of Svilland, they can even be dreadful horrors or ruthless
murderers because of their oath.

The Barbarian also is the standard class with new sub-classes for the setting. They don't learn to fight from formal training, but learn from spirits to fight as a predator of nature. Because of this, societies find their ways sacred. They focus (in sub-classes) on a specific predator to emulate - Bear, Boar, or Wolf.

The Bard also is the standard class with new sub-classes for the setting. They can be traditional tale-tellers, battle-chanters, or in tune with nature.

The Fighter also is the standard class with new sub-classes for the setting. They can be Rune warriors, Shieldmaidens/Shieldmen, or Vikingr (raiders).

Clerics are rescripted as the Gothi. Domains must be chosen from this book and relate to specific Norse dieties (but there's a lot and they have a lot of flavor).

The Ranger also is the standard class with new sub-classes for the setting.

Sorcerers are described as 'rune-touched' at birth, and the magic of a specific rune infuses them. They choose a rune as their sorcerous orgin.

Rogues exist, but are rare... no setting options are given for them. Choices from other books must fit the theme.

There are no Monks at all. Warlocks are not a PC class.

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Armors:
Armors are crossreferenced between pp. 147-8 in the Svilland guide and pp. 144-5 of the Players Handbook.

The available armors in the setting are:
None:
Unarmored. Normal clothing.
No cost. AC: 10+Dex Modifier. No disadvantage to stealth. No Weight.

Light Armor:
Gambeson. This is the most common light armor in Svilland. It
is simply heavy clothing. It has layers of hardened wool that
reduce penetration greatly.
5gp. AC: 11+Dex Modifier. Disadvantage to stealth. 8 lbs.

Leather. The breastplate and shoulder protectors of
this armor are made of leather that has been stiffened
by being boiled in oil. The rest of the armor is made of
softer and more flexible materials.
10 gp. AC: 11+Dex Modifier. No disadvantage to stealth. 10 lbs.

Studded Leather. Made from tough but flexible
leather, studded leather is reinforced with close-set
rivets or spikes.
45 gp. AC: 12+Dex Modifier. No disadvantage to stealth. 13 lbs.

Medium Armor:
Light Hide. This armor is made from thin hides, such as
hares' and foxes'. It is is as flexible as leather which make it
wearable without any penalties for mobility and stealth.
20 gp. AC: 12+Dex Modifier (max 2). No disadvantage to stealth. 17 lbs.

Medium Hide. This armor is made from hides such as
wolves’. It is the most common type of hide armor and provides
decent protection.
40 gp. AC: 13+Dex Modifier (max 2). No disadvantage to stealth. 17 lbs.

Heavy Hide. This medium armor is made from thick hides, such
as grizzly or black bear hide. It provides great protection but
is quite clumsy compared to its counterparts. Some rural Jarls
and warlords perceive this armor as a symbol of status, as they
usually make it from the hides of the bears they hunt down
themselves.
60 gp. AC: 14+Dex Modifier (max 2). Disadvantage to stealth. 17 lbs.

Plated Leather. This armor has leather breast armor worn over
the studded leather and gambeson. The piece has thin plates sewn into
its layers. It provides good protection and also is mobile and silent as the
plates don't touch each other.
400 gp. AC: 14+Dex Modifier (max 2). No disadvantage to stealth. 18 lbs.

Lamellar. This medium armor is made of pieces of thin, square,
or rectangular pieces of metal connected to each other with
leather laces that are also sewn onto a leather base. They are
tightly fit, which doesn’t leave any gaps or openings.
750 gp. AC: 15+Dex Modifier (max 2). Disadvantage to stealth. 20 lbs.

Heavy Armor:
Ring Mail. This armor is leather armor with heavy
rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor
against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is
inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those
who can't afford better armor.
30 gp. AC: 14. Disadvantage to stealth. 25 lbs.

Chain Hauberk. Hauberk is a lighter version of chain mail.
Its sleeves come in short and do not cover the whole arms,
it also does not have leggings. It is a simple and versatile
armor that can be worn as a single piece without any straps
or leather lines.
75 gp. AC: 16. (Min STR 13.) Disadvantage to stealth. 22 lbs.

Svilland Chain Mail. Svilland chain mail is more protective
than other chain mail thanks to its structure, which is much more
tightly woven.* Made of interlocking metal rings, chain
mail includes a layer of quilted fabric worn underneath
the mail to prevent chafing and to cushion the impact of
blows. The suit includes gauntlets.
200 gp. AC: 17. (Min STR 15.) Disadvantage to stealth. 33 lbs.

Square Plates. Instead of thin pieces as with the lamellar,* this
armor has thick, square plates that were molten and sewn into each
other. Its pieces are closely fitted, so there are no gaps in the front
of the armor. The only possible way of piercing this armor is to hit it
with very heavy bows or targeting non-plated areas such as armpits
and joints that still have chain mail for mobility.
1500 gp. AC: 18. (Min STR 15.) Disadvantage to stealth. 45 lbs.


* This is included in the print copy of the final book, but not in the PDF version I have.

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The Seidr Spell List

In addition to the Druid spells from the Player's Handbook and the Seidr spells from this setting, they will have access to the additional Druid spells added to the class in the Tasha's Cauldron of Everything errata.

1st Level: Protection from Evil and Good
2nd Level: Augury, Continual Flame, Enlarge/Reduce, Summon Beast*
3rd Level: Aura of Vitality, Elemental Weapon, Revivify
4th Level: Divination, Fire Shield

Summon Beast (from TCoE)
2nd level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You call forth a bestial spirit. It manifests out of the shadows, vegetation, or natural material in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. This corporial form uses the stat block from the TCoE book. It is an ally to the Seidr who summoned it and acts after the Seidr on the Seidr's initiative turn, following their verbal commands without requiring an action.

Bestial Spirit
AC: 11 + level of the spell
Hit Points: 20 (air) or 30 (Land/Water) +5 per spell level above 2nd
Speed: 30ft, climb 30ft (land), fly 60ft (air), swim 30ft (water)
STR: +4, Con +3, Int -3, Wis +2, Cha -3
Darkvision 60ft, passive perception 12, proficiency bonus of caster
Flyby, Pack Tactics, or Water breathing.

Actions:
Multiattack. # of attacks equal to half the spell level rounded down.
Maul: Spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5ft, one target. 1d8+4+spell level piercing damage.

Coloring your Magic

While the effects of spells and abilities are the same, all players are encouraged to color their effects appropriately to this as a low(er) magic setting. Magical effects come from divine beings, the codified power of Runes, or from the spirits of the unseen world(s). Overt effects should be described appropriately from those sources. Less overt effects may appear coincidental, or manifested by your will. It is also encouraged to describe your effects more coincidentally when it is appropriate to do so (a healing spell is enhancement of the herbs you are crushing into their wound, etc).

The hermetic model of magic, relying on invoking with specific gestures, words, and components, is the base of D&D assumptions but not applicable here in the Norse setting. Power is wielded by the effort of your will, either invoking a divine source of magic directly or compelling a spirit or entity to your aid. The designation of V, S, M will be ignored here. A caster isn't identified by his waving of arms and chanting sylables, but by his obvious intensity in exerting his will over the powers of creation.

• For a Gothi, divine magic can be invoked by prayer (i.e. verbal) but it isn't scripted and you can/should incorporate it into your roleplay as actually praying for direct intervention.
• An Alle is a direct manifestation of an actual God - they might pray, but more likely just manifest the power by divine will.
• A Seidr's power comes from the unseen spirits around them, and is invoked in ways that the spirits can perform on your behalf.
• Anyone who branches into Rune Magic will usually require the actual cutting, tracing, or marking of the actual rune in the evocation/casting.
• The Dvergr Gothi of Smithing is a special case, as they are technically semi-divine beings in their own right, but they manifest it in craftsmanship. I am fine with coloring it more like the Artificer class (which is otherwise not allowed here), where the Dvergr has incidental items crafted by their own hand that allow the temporary effect that the spell causes (a smithed bronze flagon that sometimes manifests the water for the Create Water spell) or as a direct manifestation of their own divine nature through understanding of materials (a cure spell causing the mending of the flesh by their will).

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Tasha's Cauldron of Everything changes to base classes. The following changes are authorized for the characters here.

Alle (Paladin)
Additional Paladin Spells
2nd Level - Gentle Repose, Prayer of Healing, Warding Bond

Additional Fighting Styles:
You can choose one these or the ones listed in the PHB.
Blind Fighting
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can "see" an invisble creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Svilland has long, dark winters where the sun seldom rises, and learning to act in the pitch dark of moonless night is a skill.

Interception
When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10+your proficiency bonus (to a mimimum of 0). You must be wielding a shield, simple weapon, or martial weapon to use this reaction.

Harness Divine Power
3rd level paladin feature
Expend a use of your Channel Divinty, spend a bonus action, and regain an expended spell slot of a level up to one-half your proficiency bonus. You can do this once per long rest at 2nd level, twice at 6th level.


Barbarian
These are extra abilities added to the PHB class (not substituted)
Primal Knowledge
3rd level barbarian feature
When you reach 3rd level and again at 10th level, you gain proficiency in one skill of your choice from the list of skills available to barbarians at 1st level.

Instinctive Pounce
7th level barbarian feature
As part of the bonus action you take to enter your rage, you can move up to half your speed.

Gothi (Cleric)

Harness Divine Power
2nd level cleric feature
Expend a use of your Channel Divinty, spend a bonus action, and regain an expended spell slot of a level up to one-half your proficiency bonus. You can do this once per long rest at 2nd level, twice at 6th level.

Additional Cleric Spells
3rd Level - Aura of Vitality
4th Level - Aura of Life, Aura of Purity

Ranger
Deft Explorer and Favored Foe are to change rangers to non-wilderness types, which doesn't fit this setting and will be skipped.

Additional Ranger Spells:
2nd level - Aid, Enhance Ability

Additional Fighting Styles:
You can choose one these or the ones listed in the PHB (archery, Defense, Deuling, Two-weapon Fighting).
Blind Fighting
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can "see" an invisble creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Svilland has long, dark winters where the sun seldom rises, and learning to act in the pitch dark of moonless night is a skill.

Thrown Weapon Fighting:
You can draw a weapon that has a thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Javelins, axes, and hammers are common thrown option.

Rogue

Steady Aim
3rd level rogue feature
As a bonus action, you give yourself advantage on your next attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven't moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.

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Setting an expectation...

In the name of gritty realism, we ARE using the Encumberance rules. I gave you all an Inventory thread in your private forums to track your decisions regarding this and to keep track of your carried weight.

You'll note that pretty much any of the stocked adventurer's packs that come with character creation include a full backpack that will almost certainly bump you into the Encumbered category (especially considering your arms and armor) and will reduce your movement 10'. If you are the type of character that travels fast and light instead of well-stocked, you may sell back your items of initial gear at 50% of their book value and start with coin instead and by doing so lower your carried weight to your desired level. (The coin helps this deprevation hurt less.) Note: you will not normally be able to sell used gear in-play for coin, particularly not at small villages, so this is basically only for game-start.

Also... repeating the section below for emphasis. Note that by standard rules it takes TWO waterskins per day to avoid making saves for deprevation. If you're expecting to be in a place without access to regular fresh water springs, streams, or wells, that's a factor. (Or, if it is winter and they're frozen over.)

Rations and Resting

• Rations
  While not a house rule per se, I am pointing these rules out because they're often neglected -- and they're something I plan to at least loosely track of in this game:
  
  • Food (Rations = 1 full day's worth.)
    A character needs one pound of food per day and can make food last longer by subsisting on half rations. Eating half a pound of food in a day counts as half a day without food.
    
    A character can go without food for a number of days equal to 3 + his or her Constitution modifier (minimum 1). At the end of each day beyond that limit, a character automatically suffers one level of exhaustion.
    
    A normal day of eating resets the count of days without food to zero.
  • Water (Note: A waterskin holds 4 pints. One gallon = 8 pints.)
    A character needs one gallon of water per day, or two gallons per day if the weather is hot. A character who drinks only half that much water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion at the end of the day. A character with access to even less water automatically suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of the day.
    
    If the character already has one or more levels of exhaustion, the character takes two levels in either case.
• Resting
  In order to gain full benefits from taking a Long Rest, a day of rations must be consumed. The DM will determine what happens when a Long Rest is taken when rations are not available.

I will clarify that, for game start, you're all hoping to participate in the Day of the Hunt rituals - you expect to be out overnight for this, but not for extended camping. Your level of preparedness is a personal choice when play begins.

In 5e, the Outlander background, the Ranger class, and certain spells all help mitigate the man-vs-environment challenges for a party. The survival skill can also be used to find food, water, or shelter.

When you're adventuring in a Scandanavian setting in winter, I expect these challenges to be real.

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The publishers dropped a new suppliment today, which adds character archytypes associated with the Freya's Tears game module. (I don't want you guys buying and reading the module. ) If you're interested in these let me know and I'll share more info. Otherwise, they're just happy additions to the canon.

Gothi
Warrior of Freyja
Although most Svillanders think of Freyja as peaceful,
protective, and nourishing, she is aware that one may
need to take up arms and be violent for those they wish
to protect. The Warriors of Freyja focus on this ideal
and train to become talented warriors as they fulfill
their duties as gothis.

Rogue
Morbid Blooded
You fell unconscious, you might have even died. The
soil accepted you, worms penetrated your body, and
your soul was taken by Hel, the Goddess of Death. She
deemed you worthy of another path, a path dedicated
to her, a path led by her commandments. You have
been revived with Hel’s blessings; you are not a draugr
but you look like one. Your body is pale as the dead, and
rotten in some places. You are a vessel for worms and
centipedes, and have insects literally crawling under
your skin. Your appearance is intimidating and striking
and others obviously notice you, so you find yourself
constantly trying to hide from the followers of non-evil
gods and goddesses.
However, with such a hard life comes certain benefits;
you are held sacred amongst the followers of Hel and
can find shelter or equipment anytime when you visit
cults and organizations dedicated to your goddess. You
can embark upon a killing spree in her name and be
awarded for doing so.

Runewalker
Runedefıer
When measured, the importance of a finite life or
an infinite battle weighs lesser than an infinite
undisturbed rest deep beneath the soil, for some.
Among these people, there are runewalkers known as
Runedefiers.
Runedefiers see themselves as servants of Hel and
they try to act in accordance with her plans even
though the majority of them have never encountered
the actual servants of Hel. Most of them utilize
necromancy, ironically, when their goal is to be left
undisturbed after death.

Seidr
Chanter of the lady
Upon the retreat of the Vanir, Freyja abandoned her
kin to join her new family, the Aesir, and by doing so,
she left the land that she once called home. However,
even after thousands of years, the spirits of Svilland still
recall her kindness and beauty, and many of them have
taken oaths to never forget. When you ask the aid of
such spirits, they answer if the deed is just and worthy
in the eyes of their Lady.