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| changes [2024/03/09 23:09] – [Character Option No-Nos] Ron Helwig | changes [2024/03/10 20:37] (current) – Ron Helwig | ||
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| ===== Padded Armor ===== | ===== Padded Armor ===== | ||
| Padded armor is cheap and ubiquitous. In France during the middle to late medieval period this sort of armor would be called a Gambeson. From what I can find, during the early Viking age it would be called a Kaftan or vápntreyja. | Padded armor is cheap and ubiquitous. In France during the middle to late medieval period this sort of armor would be called a Gambeson. From what I can find, during the early Viking age it would be called a Kaftan or vápntreyja. | ||
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| + | ====== Character Building ====== | ||
| + | Most people during the Viking age were simple farmers. Even those who went on raids typically farmed most of the year and just used the summer to raid. There weren' | ||
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| + | I have created a series of Backgrounds that fit the Viking age better than the standard D&D backgrounds. Unless they have a compelling reason, complete with a reasonable backstory, I expect the players to choose from mine when creating their characters. Most of their starting equipment should be based on their chosen background. | ||
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| + | Most of the standard D&D classes can be at least rationalized into a Viking age campaign, even if many of them don't quite fit. | ||
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| + | In the real world the only playable race is human. In a campaign with adult players I would tell them I expect them to play mostly humans. However, most of my players are kids that are new to D&D so I accept that Elves, Dwarves, Tieflings, Dragonborn, and even Warforged characters can exist. | ||
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| + | So, other than the equipment available, I allow players to use almost any standard D&D character creation options - even though that isn't fully historic. | ||
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| + | ===== Typical Clothing ===== | ||
| + | The typical Scandinavian of this era might wear turnshoes, socks made by nalbinding, loose fitting but not baggy pants, winingas (also known as puttees or leg wraps), a tunic, and one or more thin belts. Their clothing would be made of wool or linen for outer layers and linen for inner layers. They might have a hood for inclement weather and mittens for really cold weather. | ||
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| + | They didn't have buttons and buttonholes, | ||
| ====== Character Option No-Nos ====== | ====== Character Option No-Nos ====== | ||
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| One good example is plate armor. That wasn't invented until long after the Viking age, so that isn't an option in my Viking era campaigns. The same applies to greatswords, | One good example is plate armor. That wasn't invented until long after the Viking age, so that isn't an option in my Viking era campaigns. The same applies to greatswords, | ||
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| + | There is other equipment available than what I allow at character creation, and the players will likely get chances to get them later. For example, while crossbows are not available when starting, they did exist and the Norse would have known about them. But their construction techniques and cost as well as cultural biases meant they were not used often in Scandanavia - however, those traveling would see others use them and be able to trade to get them if they wanted. | ||