Quick Note: Northlands Campaign Concept

Had an idea while reading about the Northlands of Midgard and looking into the Raider's Guide to Valika. Vikings make a cool campaign concept, and the Northlands are an intriguing setting. The raiding rules found in the Valikan Clans book also make an interesting mechanical vehicle. The setting would be a remote and independent village. The village chief is a jarl, but small time and the clan doesn't travel and hasn't raided a great deal in many years. 

Unless you’re a GM you should probably leave now…

The campaign would extend into the upper tiers, but probably not beyond level 15 or 16. Characters would be restricted to options found in the Midgard Heroes Handbook, Tome of Heroes, Player’s Handbook, and potentially the Raider's Guide to Valika. The campaign would drawn upon material from the aforementioned books, the Midgard Worldbook, Rime of the Frostmaiden, and the Warlock Grimoires.

Campaign Outline

Levels 1-5: Local monster hunts, diplomacy and trade missions to other villages and the larger kingdoms of the Northlands in Midgard. Play would be episodic, with months or years or downtime in between sessions. Eventually raids against other villages or the lands to the South could occur. Players would have the option to use activities from A Life Well Lived to slowly build a feasting hall or have a family. If enough time passes I wouldn't mind characters having children and possibly switching characters to those children so their early characters are the clan elders or leaders.

Levels 5-10: Major raids against Dornig, Bemmea, into Krakovar, and Neimheim. Conquering territory from surrounding kingdoms to create a greater jarldom or a petty kingdom. Quests to prevent activities of Ragnarok cultists. Episodic play with emphasis on raids and domain-level actions and warfare. Elements of Against the Giants can be worked in with Jotunheim. There are some great adventure hooks for the various kingdoms in the Worldbook.

Levels 11-16: Continued kingdom expansion. Years pass between sessions and winters become slowly longer until one year spring does not come at all. Snow, ice, and fast moving glaciers encroach upon all settlements in the North. The crops cannot be planted, and the longships cannot sail out to raid because of the ice. Divinations and sacrifices reveal that Boreas is bringing an eternal winter down upon all lands. The characters must make an expedition to the Far North through the Bleak Expanse to confront Boreas and drive back the eternal winter brought down by the North Wind. They encounter monsters on their journey and the Boiling Tower, along with intrigue in the city of Geskleithron at the base of Boreas' Black Tower.

This would conclude the campaign, with the characters enshrined as heroes of the epic sagas, sung of in lays forever by the skalds of the North.

I may do more quick notes of campaign ideas like this or to flesh out other ones I create in the future.

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This article contains unofficial Fan Content for Kobold Press’ Midgard setting. Not approved/endorsed by Kobold Press or Open Design LLC. Portions of the materials used are property of Open Design LLC.