TEXT: Ancient Warriors
  The Vikings
  Alex Riggs, Joshua Zaback
  
  Ancient Warriors
  The Vikings
  Alex Riggs, Joshua Zaback
  
  Necromancers of the Northwest, LLC
  9111 242nd St SW
  Edmonds, WA, 98026
  www.necromancers-online.com
  Credits
  Designers
  Alex Riggs, Joshua Zaback
  Editor
  Rosa Gibbons
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  Table of Contents
  Introduction................................................................................................................................4
  Who are the Vikings?...........................................................................................................4
   
  Vikings: the Legend...............................................................................................................4
   
  Vikings: the History..............................................................................................................6
  Viking Adventures.................................................................................................................8
  New Archetypes......................................................................................................................8
   
  Viking Berserker (Barbarian)...............................................................................................8
   
  Inspiring Warrior (Bard)....................................................................................................11
   
  Gothar (Druid).....................................................................................................................12
   
  Viking Warrior (Fighter)....................................................................................................13
   
  Tavern Brawler (Monk).....................................................................................................14
   
  Viking Raider (Ranger).......................................................................................................16
   
  Volva (Witch)......................................................................................................................17
  Prestige Classes.......................................................................................................................18
   
  Berserker................................................................................................................................18
   
  Housecarl..............................................................................................................................23
   
  Jomsviking............................................................................................................................28
  
  Introduction
   
  Viking. It’s a powerful word that conjures 
  a very specific and descriptive image of a fierce 
  and powerful warrior. Depending on your 
  exact knowledge of Vikings, it may also imply 
  connotations of uncontrollable rage, a proud and 
  noble warrior culture, terrible hygiene, or half a 
  dozen other things. There is perhaps no single 
  ancient culture that evokes such a strong and 
  specific image as the Vikings, even though the 
  Viking age ended almost 1,000 years ago.
   
  More importantly, Vikings, and Norse 
  mythology and world view in general, have a huge 
  influence on the modern fantasy genre, as it was 
  these source from which Tolkien drew inspiration 
  for his elves and dwarves, among other things. 
  Even the underlying attitude of the average party 
  of adventurers (that is, kick in the door, kill 
  everything that moves, and take everything that 
  isn’t nailed down) has undeniable parallels to 
  Viking raiders, just as deliberately seeking out 
  more and more powerful monsters to kill (just for 
  the fun of it) is reminiscent of the actions of many 
  of the heroes of Viking sagas. That said, it seems 
  only natural to dedicate an entire book to nothing 
  but Vikings.
   
   In this book, you will find a brief 
  examination of the Vikings, from both a historical 
  view and the view of popular culture and opinion, 
  as both the fact and the myth of Vikings can be 
  of use to anyone interested in a fun and engaging 
  Viking game. You will also find some highly-
  detailed archetypes for a variety of classes, 
  designed to give those classes a bit of the Viking 
  magic. Finally, you’ll find three new Viking-
  themed prestige classes: the terrifying berserker, 
  the stalwart housecarl, and the proud jomsviking.  
  Who Are the Vikings?
   
  Vikings are, at the same time, a very well-
  known and also very mysterious people. While 
  most readers will be familiar with the caricature 
  of Vikings that has been handed down to us 
  through the ages and that is now part of our 
  cultural identity—an idea found in books, movies, 
  TV, comics, and even the names of football 
  teams—this image is only a tiny fraction of the 
  full story, and historical records of the Vikings 
  are frustratingly vague, leaving us with mostly 
  guesswork and estimation in order to piece 
  together the actuality of Viking life.
   
  While an academic book devoted to 
  the Vikings would take pains to debunk the 
  various inaccuracies and myths of the modern 
  interpretation of Vikings, in order to allow a 
  better understanding of what real Vikings were 
  actually like, this isn’t an academic book, and, 
  for the purposes of roleplaying and having fun at 
  the game table, the myth is at least as good as the 
  legend, if not better.
   
  For that reason, the following section will 
  examine not only a very brief look at the Vikings 
  as they actually were, but will also include an 
  examination of the way that popular culture and 
  modern myth and lore perceive and portray the 
  Vikings, as both of these viewpoints, the fantastic 
  and the factual, were drawn upon in the creation 
  of this book.
   
  Please note that this is not a history book, 
  and it is sadly far beyond the scope of this book 
  to provide a full examination of Viking history 
  and culture, whether factual or imagined. If you 
  are interested in learning more about Vikings, we 
  strongly recommend that you check your local 
  library, as many excellent books have been written 
  on the subject.
  Vikings: The Legend
   
  Vikings have long held a special place 
  in the hearts and imaginations of the western 
  world. Despite the fact that Vikings haven’t been 
  around for hundreds of years, we remain a strong 
  cultural image of what Vikings are. You don’t 
  need to be particularly interested in history or 
  fantasy to know that the warrior wearing furs 
  and a horned helmet, wielding a huge axe and 
  shouting for the blood of his foes from the prow 
  of a dragon-headed longship is a Viking. There is 
  a certain image of Vikings that has been culturally 
  preserved and handed down to us, through 
  movies, books, comics, and other various media.
   
  To most, Vikings are savage warriors, 
  hardened by the harsh and unforgiving climate 
  of the cold, barren north. They are, to a man, 
  barbaric, with nothing but contempt for 
  civilization and all that it entails. They are dirty, 
  with no concern for even the already low medieval 
  standards of hygiene, and they are ruled primarily 
  by their lusts. While the most famous of these is 
  
  their bloodlust (more on that below), the Vikings 
  of myth are also well-known for their other lusts, 
  both their unquenchable appetite for mead and 
  other alcohol, and their rapacious nature towards 
  women.
   
  The true defi ning characteristic of the 
  mythological Viking is his prowess as a warrior. 
  By far the most famous and iconic image of the 
  Viking is the berserker. These warriors are well 
  known for fl ying into a frenzied, uncontrollable 
  rage in battle, for being unbelievably strong and 
  even more tough—their rage allows them to ignore 
  even deadly wounds, and they keep fi ghting long 
  after lesser men would have collapsed from their 
  wounds. These raging warriors completely lose 
  control, and quickly devolve into savagely attacking 
  anything that moves, even if it happens to be one 
  of his allies. In eff ect, these savage warriors must 
  simply be pointed in the direction of the enemy 
  and “let loose,” with the hope being that they kill 
  more of the foe than each other.
   
  At this point, myths about the Vikings tend 
  to diverge into two diff erent paths: that of the 
  noble savages, on the one hand, and of the unholy 
  scourge, on the other. These two represent the 
  extreme ends of a complex spectrum, and in the 
  tapestry of modern lore and myth about Vikings, 
  the majority of examples will fall somewhere in 
  between, and borrow from both archetypes, but 
  these represent the two major approaches to the 
  way that we perceive Vikings today.
  Vikings as Noble Savages
   
  An increasingly common way of envisioning 
  Vikings, this school of thought depicts Vikings 
  as being technologically primitive, yes, but 
  underplays or even idolizes this simplistic 
  lifestyle, making the Viking life out to be an ideal 
  alternative to the more complicated, less-genuine 
  world of today. In many cases, this primitive 
  lifestyle is a conscious choice, as the Vikings 
  reject more “civilized” cultures in favor of their 
  own proud warrior traditions. These Vikings are 
  known for their honor and pride, and for being 
  valiant and steadfast warriors who value courage, 
  straightforwardness, and manliness in general. 
  They deliberately cultivate and take great pride 
  in their beards and facial hair, and often engage 
  in great tests of strength, courage, fortitude, and 
  other manly pursuits.
   
  Vikings of this sort are generally likeable 
  people, who may enjoy a good party and a few 
  drinks of mead with friends, perhaps accompanied 
  by some good-natured boasting and tall tales of 
  their accomplishments, but that doesn’t mean 
  that they are wild hooligans. Far from it, for their 
  warrior culture values personal honor above all 
  else, and Vikings who are cowardly or dishonorable 
  are the lowest of the low: the word of a Viking is 
  worth far more than the word of less honorable 
  warriors.
   
  Similarly, these Vikings may fi ght for the 
  challenge or the joy of the fi ght, and as such they 
  may seem to enter into battles indiscriminately, but 
  they do not have any true interest in fi ghting the 
  weak or cowardly, and innocent bystanders need 
  not fear being hunted down and slain by attacking 
  Vikings. 
  Vikings as Unholy Scourge
   
  A view that has been slowly decreasing in 
  popularity over the course of the last few hundred 
  years, this interpretation of Vikings portrays them 
  as, quite literally, an unholy scourge sent to punish 
  and destroy the good, peaceful, Christian peoples 
  of medieval Europe.
   
  This portrayal of Vikings leaves it clear that 
  their primary motive in their constant unprovoked 
  attacks and raids on peaceful settlements, above 
  and beyond any wealth or plunder (including 
  Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dclipart
  
  slaves) that they may gain, is to rape, kill, maim, 
  and otherwise inflict horror upon the poor civilians 
  that they terrorize.
   
  To a man, these Vikings are cruel, dumb 
  brutes who live for nothing but the chance to 
  fulfill their sadistic pleasures. Not only do they 
  heartlessly slay women, children, the elderly and 
  the infirm when they go raiding, they regularly 
  perform ritualized human sacrifice, and perform 
  any number of terrible atrocities. When these 
  Vikings set their sights on your town, you must 
  fight them off at all costs, for if you allow the 
  Vikings within your walls, you are inviting your 
  entire town to be slaughtered in the worst possible 
  manner.
   
  Vikings of this sort remain primitive 
  because they are too barbaric to appreciate and 
  make use of any of the trappings of civilization. 
  They have beards—often matted and tangled and 
  caked in the blood of their victims—because they 
  don’t understand or appreciate how to use a razor. 
  The secret of their strength and fighting skill isn’t 
  so much that they are acclimated to it by their 
  environment, but instead, in some cases, that they 
  are truly inhuman monsters (in many cases sent 
  by the Devil himself), who deliberately made them 
  into unstoppable killing machines in order to make 
  them that much more effective at devastating their 
  unsuspecting Christian victims.
  Vikings: the History
   
  In actuality, real-world historical Vikings 
  were a bit different from the way that most people 
  these days perceive them. For one thing, they didn’t 
  wear horned helmets, but there are also many 
  differences that are somewhat more substantial to 
  our view of Vikings. 
  Cultural Identity
   
  In reality, there were no actual “Vikings.” 
  There were, of course, warriors from the north 
  who famously raided Western Europe (and a 
  surprisingly large amount of territory beyond), 
  but they didn’t call themselves “Vikings.” In fact, 
  no one did. They were frequently referred to as 
  Nordmanni, Ascomanni, Rus, Dani, Finngail, 
  and a host of other names, depending on who 
  was doing the referring. More to the point, the 
  people referred to today as “Vikings” actually 
  covered a large deal of territory, including modern 
  Scandanavia, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, 
  among other places, and while their cultures have 
  a number of similarities, they would probably not 
  have considered themselves a single people. 
   
  In actuality, the word “Viking” was originally 
  a nautical term (a measurement of distance, 
  and later a term the Vikings themselves used to 
  describe their long raiding trips), which, over time, 
  eventually came to be associated with the northern 
  raiders due to their exceptional skill and expertise 
  with sailing. Like most Europeans at that time, 
  Vikings were far more likely to think of themselves 
  in terms of their local region and community than 
  anything else, and while, especially towards the 
  end of the Viking age, several charismatic Viking 
  kings began to unify larger territories under their 
  rule, there was never truly a single Viking nation, 
  and even these unification attempts met with 
  limited success.
  Raiding
   
  There’s no point in trying to deny that, 
  historically, Vikings did their fair share of raiding, 
  and there is a reason that this is perhaps the 
  number one thing that Vikings are known for 
  today, raiding was hardly the cornerstone of their 
  culture that modern Viking myths would lead 
  us to believe.  Many of the folk that we would 
  categorize today as “Vikings” were, in fact, farmers, 
  fishermen, and others who never went “a-viking” in 
  their lives. Even those who did regularly go raiding 
  also had homes and families, and in many cases 
  farms or other sources of legitimate livelihood. 
   
  Further, raiding only truly characterized 
  the Vikings’ interactions with other cultures for a 
  very short period of time. Prior to the Viking age, 
  the Vikings were actually known in Europe (as well 
  as elsewhere—Vikings traveled as far south and 
  east as Constantinople, at least, and engaged in 
  trade with Arabs and even far-off China through 
  the silk road, even if they didn’t necessarily reach 
  those lands), but rather than known as an unholy 
  scourge, they were known as traders. While the 
  beginning of the Viking age was characterized by 
  quick raids for treasure and slaves, later on the 
  Vikings began wars of conquest, and actually held 
  large parts of modern day England and Ireland for 
  an extended period of time.
   
  In fact, even when the Vikings were at the 
  height of their raiding, many of their victims would 
  
  simply pay them to go away and not sack their 
  city, which had the unfortunate effect of causing 
  the Vikings to return regularly for more money, 
  essentially making them one of the first peoples 
  to engage in a protection racket. One somewhat 
  more effective method of bribing the Vikings 
  (depending on your viewpoint) was attempted by 
  the French king Charles the Simple, who granted 
  the Viking leader Rollo (later known as Robert of 
  Normandy) a tract of land in northern France that 
  would eventually come to be known as Normandy, 
  after the “Normans” or “north men” that now lived 
  there. 
   
  Surprisingly, this actually gave the Vikings 
  settling in Normandy an incentive not to cause 
  trouble, and eventually they even closed their ports 
  to their fellow Vikings, and stopped sheltering 
  them during the winter. In fact, more or less 
  throughout the Viking age, any Vikings, regardless 
  of where they lived, were very unlikely to go raiding 
  their neighbors—Vikings might raid other Vikings, 
  and they didn’t see anything wrong with this, but 
  only ones that were suitably far enough removed. 
  In essence, the Vikings preferred to do their 
  fighting far away, instead of making enemies close 
  to home.
  Religion
   
  Surprisingly little record is left about Norse 
  religion as far as things like methods of worship 
  are concerned, and much of their religion remains 
  a mystery to us today. The vast majority of what 
  we do have information on is various myths and 
  legends about the actions of the Norse pantheon, 
  and we actually know more about what deities 
  like Thor were supposed to have done, than we do 
  about how they were worshipped.
   
  There is a good deal of evidence that a major 
  aspect of Norse religion involved ancestor worship, 
  where members of a given Viking household would 
  venerate and make offerings to the spirits of their 
  departed ancestors. Similarly, a Viking gained a 
  great deal of pride and respect from the great deeds 
  of his ancestors, and Vikings who could not name 
  a single noteworthy accomplishment from his 
  family’s history would be very ashamed, indeed, 
  while one who added to his family’s legacy with his 
  deeds would have quite a bit to be proud of.
   
  Like many ancient religions, worship of 
  the gods was seen as a sort of pact or bargain: the 
  Viking would worship the god and give offerings 
  (in the form of animal sacrifices, mainly, though 
  in some cases human sacrifices) and prayers, and 
  in exchange the god was expected to intercede 
  on their behalf and offer some kind of benefit. In 
  some cases, a Viking who suffered great misfortune 
  might forsake one or more gods, feeling that the 
  deal had been broken, and this was not something 
  that would attract the ire or concern of his 
  neighbors.
   
  Those with a little bit of familiarity with the 
  Norse pantheon (whether from older roleplaying 
  supplements or popular movies) may be surprised 
  to learn that the deity who was ascribed the most 
  importance, seemingly by quite a bit, was Thor, 
  rather than Odin, who was supposedly the leader 
  of the gods. Thor was the warrior god and the god 
  of strength, however, so it’s natural that a society 
  dominated by conceptions of manliness and war, 
  and who worshipped primarily in order to gain 
  favors, would be more interested in Thor.
  Warrior Culture
   
  One of the most enduring and well-known 
  aspects of Viking culture is the high value that 
  they placed on war and fighting in their society. 
  All able-bodied men were expected to be able 
  and willing to fight, and even farmers, fishermen, 
  and other primarily non-combatant Vikings 
  would be called upon to fight in defense of their 
  homestead. Many Viking men would become full-
  time warriors, either by joining a warrior society 
  (essentially a mercenary camp), or else becoming a 
  housecarl in the service of a local lord.
   
  Those Vikings who were able (usually 
  housecarls, who weren’t too busy with a farm or 
  other duties that required their attention) would 
  join on raids put together by whoever happened 
  to have a boat (usually the local lord). Raiding 
  wasn’t a year-round activity, though, as the weather 
  during the Winter, and some parts of Autumn and 
  Spring, made it too dangerous to sail during those 
  times. As a result, most of the raiding took part 
  during the summer.
   
  There is perhaps no better evidence of the 
  intense warrior-centric culture of the Vikings 
  than the concept of ergi. A Viking word which can 
  loosely be translated to “girliness,” accusing a man 
  of ergi was a challenge that was expected to be met 
  immediately with violence. If the accused did not 
  
  immediately attempt to kill his accuser, then this 
  was taken as proof of the claim, and the accused 
  himself would likely be considered an outlaw, and 
  either killed or driven out.
  Viking Achievements
   
  The Vikings may be best known for their 
  spirited and powerful warriors, but they actually 
  achieved a number of very impressive feats, and 
  demonstrated a surprising degree of cleverness 
  and ingenuity. As previously mentioned, the 
  Vikings had the most advanced naval technology 
  of the time, as their longships were not only 
  swift and seaworthy, but due to their relatively 
  flat bottoms, they were also capable of going up 
  rivers, while most other ships at that time were 
  designed to travel either on the ocean or on rivers, 
  but not both. In addition to being of incredible 
  utility during their raids, and allowing them to 
  strike unsuspecting targets far from the ocean, 
  these ships were also part of the secret of the 
  Vikings’ abilities to travel incredibly far, for their 
  time period, and, again, as mentioned above, the 
  Vikings reached far enough to get Chinese silk 
  from the silk road, and even attempted to raid 
  Constantinople.
   
  More surprising than that, though, Viking 
  explorers are not only responsible for founding 
  both Iceland and Greenland (and, for those who 
  have ever wondered why they seemingly have their 
  names switched, as Greenland is much colder than 
  Iceland, the answer is that the founders of Iceland 
  discovered it during the winter, while the founders 
  of Greenland deliberately named it misleadingly 
  in order to attract more settlers), but there is 
  substantial evidence that the Vikings not only 
  discovered, but actually settled in North America. 
  While the settlement was eventually abandoned 
  or died out (the exact reason why is unclear), there 
  is no doubt that the Vikings were accomplished 
  sailors and explorers.
   
  More surprisingly, Vikings were also a 
  relatively democratic people, handling much of 
  their local governance and legal disputes by vote 
  at a general assembly known as a thing, which was 
  presided over by a lawspeaker, who memorized 
  and recited the laws of the land. These things 
  could wield a large amount of power, and, in 
  fact, at one point, in a democratic triumph more 
  than 500 years before the rise of democracy in 
  Western Europe, one famous lawspeaker, told 
  Olaf Skötkonung, the king of Sweden from 980 – 
  1022, that the people, not the king, held power in 
  Sweden, a stance which proved correct when Olaf 
  eventually capitulated on the issue in question. In 
  the latter parts of the Viking age, when the Vikings 
  began conquering and settling, instead of just 
  raiding, they brought this democratic approach 
  with them where they went.
  Viking Adventures
   
  In many ways, it can actually be very 
  difficult to set apart a “Viking adventure,” with 
  a special focus on Vikings and/or Norse culture 
  and mythology in general, from other fantasy 
  games, due to the fact that Norse mythology and 
  the pop-culture image of the Viking are already 
  fairly well integrated into the modern fantasy 
  genre. That said, there are definitely some ways in 
  which tweaking the standard fantasy formula for a 
  specific focus on Vikings can enhance your game. 
  Some specific suggestions are outlined below.
  Viking Raiders
   
  Perhaps the most obvious ways to make 
  a Viking adventure is to have your group roll up 
  some Viking warriors, give them a boat and a crew, 
  and then set them loose on your unsuspecting 
  campaign setting. While many GMs cringe at the 
  idea of watching your party sack, loot, and destroy 
  your beloved campaign setting, or are wary that, 
  given the Viking reputation and the historical 
  evidence, that this adventure would be little more 
  than the PCs quickly devastating everything in 
  their path (not actually the most fun way a game 
  can go, for either the GM or the players), this can 
  actually make for a very fun campaign.
   
  A key thing to remember about the Vikings 
  is that one of their major sources of success in their 
  raids, at least, was that they didn’t stick around for 
  too long. Despite all the hype and legend, Viking 
  warriors weren’t actually that terribly much more 
  difficult to kill than the people that they preyed 
  upon, and so much of Viking raids involved finding 
  weakly-defended communities, striking fast, and 
  then getting out of the way before a real resistance 
  could be mounted.
   
  In your campaign, the towns the PCs raid 
  could have defenders that are a roughly appropriate 
  challenge for them (and, as they increase in level, 
  this would allow them to more safely raid larger 
  
  and larger settlements). They might also find 
  opposition in the form of pirates, other Vikings 
  who don’t appreciate the competition, paladins 
  and other holy warriors out to put a stop to their 
  raiding ways, and, of course, various sea monsters, 
  trolls, and other fantasy foes.
   
  One concern you will need to address 
  with your players, however, is just how rapacious 
  they are when they do start raiding. Different 
  groups (and different people within groups) will 
  have different comfort levels when it comes to 
  things like killing, looting, and raping, and it’s 
  important to make sure that no one at the table 
  is made uncomfortable. Talk with your players 
  about what they expect to be able to do and what 
  they want to play out at the table, and what they 
  aren’t comfortable with, and find a compromise 
  where everyone is happy. Despite their terrible 
  reputation, the Vikings were people too, and 
  so while playing as Viking raiders may well fall 
  into the category of an “evil” campaign, it should 
  probably be notably lower on the evil scale than 
  most such campaigns tend to.
  Vikings as the Enemy
   
  Surprisingly, one of the most enjoyable 
  ways to make Vikings a central part of your game 
  can be to make sure that all of your players aren’t 
  Vikings. As much fun as can be had playing heroic 
  Viking warriors travelling to places unknown and 
  engaging in acts of manliness and bravery, playing 
  as members of a quiet, unsuspecting European 
  coastal town suddenly under attack by Vikings can 
  be fun as well.
   
  On the surface, this doesn’t appear to be a 
  particularly new or exciting idea, as most fantasy 
  settings already have a Viking analogue of some 
  sort, usually in the form of orcs, and it seems like 
  everyone and their cohort has run a campaign 
  where the orcish hordes suddenly stir into life and 
  start invading nearby kingdoms, a plot that has 
  quite a bit in common with the way that historical 
  Vikings, seemingly out of nowhere, suddenly 
  began looting and pillaging all across the civilized 
  world.
   
  Making the enemies Vikings, instead 
  of demi-humans, can actually do a lot for the 
  premise of the adventure, though. For one thing, 
  the average player is likely to respect and fear a 
  Viking than he is an orc: Vikings, after all, are 
  known for being terrifying and vicious warriors, 
  and few players would bat an eye at the idea of 
  Viking raiders having enough barbarian levels to 
  reach high CRs. While, in theory, the same players 
  understand that orcs can also gain class levels and 
  theoretically reach high CRs, most players consider 
  orcs and similar races to be “low-level” monsters, 
  and will naturally assume that an orc barbarian will 
  cap out at about CR 5 or 6.
   
  Perhaps more importantly, though, Vikings 
  are human, and, as a result, the horrible cruelty 
  and viciousness associated with Viking raids (at 
  least, in the eyes of medieval Europe) can have a 
  much more profound effect on players than the 
  same atrocities committed by orcs, simply because 
  orcs are “always chaotic evil,” and so we expect 
  it from them. In a game where fighting demons 
  isn’t actually that uncommon, the idea of the 
  enemy as a horrible demonic scourge becomes 
  less frightening and more routine, but putting 
  that kind of truly savage ferocity in a place that 
  the party won’t expect it from quite as much can 
  go a long way towards shock and awe. And, if your 
  players aren’t terribly well-informed on Viking 
  culture and history, you can further shock them by 
  giving them an opportunity to see how peaceful 
  and normal the Vikings are when they’re at home, 
  instead of abroad.
  Mythic Quests
   
  Viking mythology and poetry is full of 
  famous and glorified Viking warriors who took 
  it upon themselves to go out and undertake 
  extremely difficult tasks or fighting incredibly 
  deadly enemies, not because it was the right thing 
  to do, or to save their community, or even just for 
  gold and treasure, like so many fantasy adventurers 
  do, but rather just because it was there, and 
  they wanted to test their warrior prowess, and 
  demonstrate just how great they truly were. Many 
  of the myths and legends about the god Thor 
  involve him travelling through Jotunheim fighting 
  giants more or less just for the fun of it.
   
  In many ways, this has a lot in common 
  with your kick-in-the-door game, with the players 
  killing things and basking in glory rather than 
  killing things and taking their stuff (and, let’s not 
  forget, they’ll probably still take the stuff. Vikings 
  are hardly ascetics). That said, if your group is in 
  the right mindset, this sort of Viking “bravado” 
  campaign can be a lot of fun, and not only creates 
  
  easy plot hooks (“there’s a powerful monster in 
  the Forbidden Forest, you say? I shall slay it and 
  wear its head as my new helm!”), but can also lend 
  a bit of a light-hearted air to a campaign without 
  necessarily undercutting its seriousness.
  New Archetypes
   
  The following section presents new 
  archetypes for a variety of classes. For more 
  information on the rules for selecting and applying 
  archetypes for a character, see the Advanced 
  Player’s Guide. The following archetypes are 
  presented alphabetically by the name of the class 
  that they modify.
  New Barbarian Archetype: Viking 
  Berserker
   
  Viking berserkers are known for their 
  complete fearlessness and overwhelming 
  bloodlust. They often wade into battle without 
  armor, for they derive strength and ferocity from 
  any wounds they take.
   
  A viking berserker has the following class 
  features:
  Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: A viking 
  warrior is not profi cient with medium armor.
  Unkillable (Ex): A viking berserker gains 
  Endurance and Diehard as bonus feats at 1st level. 
  This ability replaces the fast movement class 
  feature.
  Battle Fury (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, 
  a Viking berserker channels the rage and pain 
  of his wounds into destructive power. As long 
  as the Viking berserker’s current hit points at 
  the beginning of his turn are less than 1/3 his 
  maximum hit points, he can rage that turn without 
  it counting against the number of rounds per day 
  that he can rage. This applies whether the Viking 
  berserker was already raging or if he begins raging 
  on his turn.
   
  In order to benefi t from this ability, the 
  Viking berserker’s hit points must be less than 
  1/3 his maximum hit points at both the beginning 
  and end of his turn. If the Viking berserker 
  regains enough hit points during his turn so 
  that his current hit points are equal to or greater 
  than 1/3 his maximum hit points, then unless he 
  subsequently takes enough damage to leave him 
  with less than half his maximum before the end of 
  his turn, he will not benefi t from this ability that 
  turn. 
   
  At 10th level, the Viking berserker gains this 
  benefi t as long as his current hit points are less 
  than half his maximum hit points. This ability 
  replaces the Viking berserker’s 2nd-level and 10th-
  level rage powers.
   
  Furious Spirit (Ex): At 2nd level, the 
  Viking berserker’s will to survive makes him fi ght 
  that much harder when he is close to death. As 
  long as his current hit points are less than 1/3 his 
  maximum hit point total, he gains a +4 morale 
  bonus on all saving throws, as well as a +4 dodge 
  bonus to AC. This ability replaces uncanny dodge.
  Extremely Tough (Ex): At 3rd level, a 
  viking berserker gains an additional hit point per 
  barbarian level he possesses. This bonus continues 
  to increase as he continues gaining levels in 
  barbarian. At 9th level the amount of additional 
  hit points increases to twice the viking berserker’s 
  barbarian level, and at 15th level the amount of 
  additional hit points increases to three times the 
  Viking berserker’s barbarian level. This ability 
  replaces trap sense 1, trap sense 3, and trap sense 5.
  Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / bigredlynx
  
   
  Furious Strike (Ex): At 5th level, a Viking 
  berserker can draw on the pain of his wounds to 
  fuel his attacks. As long as the Viking berserker’s 
  current hit points are less than 1/3 his maximum 
  hit point total, he gains a +2 morale bonus on 
  damage rolls. At 14th level, this bonus increases to 
  +3 and he gains it as long as his current hit points 
  are less than half his maximum hit point total. 
  This replaces the improved uncanny dodge and 
  indomitable will class features.
   
  Tough Skin (Ex): At 6th level, a Viking 
  berserker’s skin is so covered in callouses and scar 
  tissue that it becomes extraordinarily tough and 
  durable. As long as the Viking berserker is not 
  wearing any armor, his natural armor bonus to AC 
  is increased by +2 (if he does not have a natural 
  armor bonus from another source, it becomes 
  +2). The Viking berserker can use shields (but not 
  tower shields) and still gain this benefit, but if he 
  wears armor of any kind, he loses all benefits of 
  this class feature until the armor is removed. At 12th 
  level, this bonus increases to +4, and at 18th level, it 
  increases to +6. This ability replaces trap sense 2, 
  trap sense 4, and trap sense 6.
  New Bard Archetype: Inspiring 
  Warrior
   
  While most bards inspire their companions 
  by singing songs, telling tales, or even through 
  things like interpretive dance, inspiring warriors 
  lead their allies to greatness by being great, and 
  leading by example.
   
  An inspiring warrior has the following class 
  features:
   
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency (Ex): 
  An inspiring warrior is proficient with all simple 
  and martial weapons, and with light and medium 
  armor and shields (except for tower shields).
   
  Bardic Performance: An inspiring warrior 
  can use bardic performance for only 2 rounds 
  + his Charisma modifier per day at 1st level, and 
  gains only one additional round per day for each 
  bard level after 1st. Otherwise, this is identical to 
  the bard class feature, except that some of the 
  individual uses of bardic performance are removed, 
  as outlined below.
   
  Inspiring Resilience: At 1st level, whenever 
  an inspiring warrior succeeds on a saving throw, 
  he grants a +2 morale bonus to the saving throw of 
  each ally affected by the same effect he successfully 
  saved against. This bonus applies to any ally who 
  is forced to save against the same effect at the 
  same time (determine the result of the inspiring 
  warrior’s saving throw first, then apply the bonus, 
  if applicable, before determining the saving the 
  result of the saving throw for any allies who might 
  be affected). This ability replaces the countersong 
  bardic performance ability.
   
  Obvious Target: At 1st level, an inspiring 
  warrior can tempt an opponent to attack him, 
  instead of another target. As a move action, the 
  inspiring warrior can force a single creature within 
  60 feet of him to succeed on a Will save (10 + 1/2 
  the inspiring warrior’s bard level + the inspiring 
  warrior’s Charisma modifier) or be unable to 
  attack any creature but the inspiring warrior for a 
  number of rounds equal to the inspiring warrior’s 
  Charisma modifier. If the target is unable to attack 
  the inspiring warrior (he can’t see or hear him, or 
  he is behind a wall of force, or similar), then this 
  restriction does not apply. The inspiring warrior 
  being out of reach does not count as being “unable 
  to attack” him for this purpose: if the target can 
  only make melee attacks, if he is able to reach the 
  inspiring warrior, he must do so if he wants to 
  make any attacks for the duration of the ability. 
  The inspiring warrior can use this ability a number 
  of times per day equal to 1/2 his bard level. This 
  ability replaces the fascinate bardic performance 
  ability.
   
  Accomplished Warrior (Ex): At 5th level, 
  the inspiring warrior gains Weapon Focus and 
  Weapon Specialization as bonus feats. He must 
  meet all the prerequisites for these feats, except 
  for the fighter level requirement of Weapon 
  Specialization (he must still have taken Weapon 
  Focus for whatever weapon he selects for Weapon 
  Specialization). This ability replaces the lore 
  master class feature.
   
  Inspiring Blow (Ex): Beginning at 6th 
  level, whenever the inspiring warrior confirms a 
  critical hit, he may choose to use this ability as a 
  free action. If he does so, each ally within 60 feet 
  gains a +2 morale bonus on attack and damage 
  rolls for a number of rounds equal to the inspiring 
  warrior’s Charisma modifier. The inspiring warrior 
  can use this ability once per day at 6th level, 
  plus an additional time per day at 10th level, and 
  
  every 4 levels thereafter. This ability replaces the 
  suggestion bardic performance ability.
   
  Inspiring Rage (Ex): Beginning at 12th 
  level, the inspiring warrior can enter a rage, as the 
  barbarian class feature, for a number of rounds per 
  day equal to 1/2 his class level (rounded down). 
  As long as he is raging, any ally within 60 feet 
  may choose to rage as well, in which case that 
  ally gains the benefits of the rage spell for as long 
  as the inspiring warrior continues to rage. This 
  ability replaces the soothing performance bardic 
  performance ability.
   
  Battle Frenzy (Ex): Beginning at 18th level, 
  whenever an inspiring warrior slays an opponent, 
  he may choose to use this ability as a free action. 
  If he does, each ally that is within 30 feet of him 
  benefits from this ability, and for the next three 
  rounds, whenever those allies use the full attack 
  action, they can make an extra attack at their 
  highest base attack bonus. This does not stack with 
  haste, or other effects that grant additional attacks 
  (except for Two-Weapon Fighting, Rapid Shot, and 
  similar). The inspiring warrior can use this ability 
  once per day, plus an additional time per day at 
  20th level. This ability replaces the mass suggestion 
  bardic performance ability.
   
  Inspiring Return (Ex): At 20th level, you 
  are so inspiring that you can allow your allies to 
  stave off death. Whenever an ally within 30 feet of 
  you who can see and hear you would be reduced to 
  0 or fewer hit points or slain by a death effect, he 
  is instead reduced to exactly 1 hit point, and alive. 
  Each ally can only benefit from this ability once 
  per day (even if more than one allied inspiring 
  warrior is around: a creature can only benefit from 
  this ability once per day, regardless of the source). 
  This ability replaces the deadly performance bardic 
  performance ability.
  New Druid Archetype: Gothar
   
  Gothars are the shamans and priests of the 
  old ways, and have mastered the art of gaining 
  boons through sacrifice, including grisly rituals of 
  human sacrifice.
   
  A gothar has the following class features:
   
  Norseman (Ex): At 2nd level, a gothar 
  gains a bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge 
  (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival 
  checks equal to 1/2 her druid level in cold or icy 
  terrain, and she cannot be tracked in cold or icy 
  terrain. This ability replaces woodland stride.
   
  Sacrificial Offering (Su): Beginning at 3rd 
  level, a gothar can sacrifice animals she summons 
  with summon nature’s ally spells in order to 
  gain a benefit. This is a full-round action which 
  provokes attacks of opportunity, and requires that 
  the gothar touch the animal. Additionally, if the 
  summoned animal has already acted this round, 
  then the sacrifice has no effect. If the summoned 
  animal was not the only animal summoned by the 
  summon nature’s ally spell that summoned it (for 
  example, using a summon nature’s ally IV spell 
  to summon 1d4+1 dogs), then the sacrifice has no 
  effect unless all of the animals summoned by that 
  spell are sacrificed (this can still be performed with 
  a single full-round action, but the gothar must still 
  touch each creature to be sacrificed).
   
  As soon as the gothar touches the animal, it 
  is immediately consumed by supernatural flames, 
  filling an area within 30 feet with a greasy, hazy 
  smoke that does not obscure vision, but instead 
  grants bonuses to each of the gothar’s allies within 
  this area as they breathe in ths smoke. This smoke 
  dissipates almost immediately, so only allies that 
  are within this range at the time of the sacrifice can 
  benefit from this ability.
   
  The exact nature of the benefits provided 
  by the sacrifice depends on the power of the spell 
  used to summon the sacrificed animal, as outlined 
  on the table below. The sacrifice grants the benefit 
  listed for the appropriate spell level, as well as the 
  benefits of all the lower-level versions of the spell 
  to each allied creature within 30 feet of the animal 
  when it is sacrificed.
   
  Regardless of the type of creature sacrificed 
  or the benefits gained, the benefits of this ability 
  last for as long as the summon nature’s ally spell 
  that summoned the sacrificed creature would 
  have lasted (so if a 12th-level gothar cast summon 
  nature’s ally IV, which has a duration of 1 round/
  level, and then sacrificed the summoned creature 
  on the second round, the benefits would last 
  another 11 rounds. If he instead sacrificed the 
  summoned creature on the 5th round, the benefits 
  would last another 7 rounds, and so on).
   
  The gothar may use this ability once per day 
  at 3rd level. He can use it an additional time per 
  
  day at 11th level and again at 19th level. This ability 
  replaces trackless step.
  Wild Shape (Su): A gothar gains this ability 
  at 6th level, and it functions at her druid level 
  -2. Further, he is never able to use wild shape to 
  transform into an elemental creature (although he 
  still gains the ability to use it to transform into a 
  plant creature).
  Human Sacrifi ce (Su): At 13th level, the 
  gothar can sacrifi ce a willing or helpless humanoid 
  creature in order to gain a benefi t. This ritual 
  sacrifi ce requires a full minute to perform, and 
  the creature to be sacrifi ced must be either willing 
  or helpless for the entire duration of the ritual. 
  While participating in the ritual, the gothar, and 
  anyone else that the gothar allows to take part in 
  the ritual, must spend a full-round action chanting 
  and making ritual gestures, and are treated in all 
  ways as though they were casting a spell (including 
  having to make concentration checks if they are 
  damaged, provoking attacks of opportunity, etc.). 
  If a concentration check is failed by any of the 
  participants, the ritual must start over from the 
  beginning.
   
  At the end of the ritual, the gothar must 
  make a coup de grace action on the sacrifi cial 
  creature. He must continue making this action 
  each round until the sacrifi cial creature dies, or the 
  ability has no eff ect.
   
  Once the ritual is complete and the sacrifi ce 
  is dead, each participant gains a number of 
  luck points equal to 1/2 the sacrifi ced creature’s 
  Hit Dice, or equal to the participant’s Hit Dice, 
  whichever is lower. The participants can spend one 
  or more luck points as a free action to gain a luck 
  bonus equal to the number of luck points spent on 
  a single d20 roll (such as an attack roll, skill check, 
  ability check, or so on). A participant cannot spend 
  more luck points on a single roll than 1/4 his Hit 
  Dice, and he cannot have more luck points than his 
  Hit Dice at any one time. Luck points remain for 
  one week, and if they are not spent before this time 
  they are wasted.
   
  Sacrifi cing an unwilling creature or a 
  creature that has been made willing through 
  deceit or mind-aff ecting eff ects is an overtly evil 
  act, and may cause an immediate alignment shift. 
  Even the act of sacrifi cing a truly willing creature 
  will be seen as evil by some, and is not an action 
  to be taken into lightly by those who consider 
  themselves good.
   
  This ability replaces the a thousand faces 
  class feature. 
  New Fighter Archetype: Viking 
  Warrior
   
  Viking warriors are among the most feared 
  melee combatants in the world. Lightly armored, 
  they have no fear of death, and often fl y into 
  terrible rages. Further, they take perverse delight in 
  slaying their foes, and each opponent they kill only 
  serves to make them fi ercer combatants.
   
  A Viking warrior has the following class 
  features:
  Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: A Viking 
  warrior is profi cient with all simple and martial 
  weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields, 
  but not with heavy armor or tower shields. He is 
  also profi cient with any one exotic weapon of his 
  choice that belongs to the Viking weapon group 
  (see below).
  Viking Weapons: A Viking warrior is well 
  versed in the types of weapons favored by vikings. 
  When selecting a group of weapons for his Weapon 
  Training ability, he can select Viking Weapons as a 
  group.
   
  The Viking Weapons group consists of the 
  bastard sword, battleaxe, dwarven waraxe, glaive, 
  
  greataxe, handaxe, heavy mace, hooked axe, 
  javelin, longsword, short spear, throwing axe, and 
  warhammer.
   
  Killseeker (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a 
  Viking warrior revels in each of his kills, making 
  him a particularly fearsome warrior. Whenever 
  the Viking warrior slays an opponent, he gets a +1 
  morale bonus on attack and damage rolls for one 
  round. At 6th level, and every four levels thereafter, 
  this benefit lasts for one additional round (to a 
  maximum of 5 rounds, at 18th level). Additionally, 
  at 10th level, this bonus increases to +2, and at 18th 
  level, it increases to +3. This ability replaces the 
  bravery class feature.
   
  Warrior’s Rage (Ex): At 3rd level, a Viking 
  warrior gains the rage ability as the barbarian class 
  feature, but his barbarian level is considered to 
  be his fighter level –2. This ability replaces armor 
  training.
   
  Rage Powers: At 8th, 14th, and 20th levels, 
  the Viking warrior gains a rage power for which 
  he meets the prerequisite. His barbarian level is 
  treated as his level -2 for this purpose. This ability 
  replaces the bonus feats gained at 8th, 14th, and 20th 
  levels, respectively.
  New Monk Archetype: Tavern Brawler
   
  Tavern brawlers live for drinking, partying, 
  and fighting, not necessarily in that order. While 
  most monks focus on controlling their emotions 
  and finding inner peace through rigid order, tavern 
  brawlers are just looking for a good time, and their 
  idea of a good time involves a lot of booze, and a 
  lot of bruises.
   
  A tavern brawler has the following class 
  features.
   
  Alignment: A tavern brawler can be of any 
  alignment.
   
  Hit Dice: The tavern brawler uses a d10 Hit 
  Dice.
   
  Skills: The tavern brawler adds Knowledge 
  (local) to his list of class skills, but removes 
  Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (religion). 
  The tavern brawler gains only 2 + Intelligence 
  modifier skill ranks at each level.
   
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The 
  tavern brawler is proficient with all simple 
  weapons, and with light armor, but not with 
  shields. Though the tavern brawler is proficient 
  with light armor, when wearing armor of any kind, 
  using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, 
  a tavern brawler loses his AC bonus and flurry of 
  blows abilities.
   
  Flurry of Blows: The tavern brawler 
  cannot make a flurry of blows with special monk 
  weapons. He may only use this ability with his fists. 
  Otherwise, this functions as the monk class feature 
  flurry of blows.
   
  Ready for a Fight (Ex): At 3rd level, the 
  tavern brawler gains a +4 bonus on initiative 
  checks. At 6th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, 
  this bonus improves by +1. This bonus does not 
  stack with the Improved Initiative feat. This ability 
  replaces fast movement.
   
  Drunken Ki (Su): At 3rd level, a tavern 
  brawler can drink a tankard of ale or strong alcohol 
  and gain one temporary ki point. The act of 
  drinking is a standard action that does not provoke 
  attacks of opportunity. The tavern brawler can have 
  a maximum number of drunken ki points equal 
  to 1 plus one additional point for every two levels 
  thereafter (5th, 7th, and so on). The tavern brawler 
  can gain this temporary ki even before he gains a ki 
  pool at 4th level. These drunken ki points last for 
  1 hour or until spent, whichever is shorter. As long 
  as he has at least 1 drunken ki point, the tavern 
  brawler can spend 1 ki point as a swift action to 
  gain a +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls 
  until the end of his turn. 
   
  This ability replaces the still mind class 
  feature.
   
  Fighting Spirit (Ex): This is identical 
  to the monk class feature ki pool, except that 
  the maximum number of points in the pool is 
  equal to 1/2 the tavern brawler’s class level + his 
  Constitution modifier, and at 10th level, instead of 
  treating his unarmed attacks as though they were 
  lawful weapons, he increases the critical multiplier 
  of his unarmed attacks by 1 whenever he makes a 
  ki strike (typically, this would give them a critical 
  
  multiplier of x3).
   
  Resilient (Ex): At 4th level, a tavern brawler 
  gains Endurance and Diehard as bonus feats. This 
  ability replaces the slow fall class feature.
   
  Athletic (Ex): At 5th level, the tavern 
  brawler can spend 1 point from his ki pool as a 
  swift action to gain a +10 bonus on any Acrobatics, 
  Climb, or Swim check.
   
  Balls of Your Feet (Ex): At 5th level, the 
  tavern brawler is able to move at his full speed 
  whenever he uses Acrobatics to move through 
  a threatened square without provoking attacks 
  of opportunity without increasing the DC of the 
  Acrobatics check. Further, the DC for Acrobatics 
  checks made to avoid attacks of opportunity 
  remains the same regardless of how many 
  opponents are avoided. 
   
  This ability replaces the high jump class 
  feature.
  Drunken Strength (Ex): At 5th level, a 
  tavern brawler can spend 1 point of ki as a swift 
  action to infl ict 1d6 extra points of damage on a 
  single successful melee attack. The tavern brawler 
  can choose to apply the damage after the attack 
  roll is made. At 10th level, the tavern brawler may 
  spend 2 drunken ki points to increase the extra 
  damage to 2d6. At 15th level, the tavern brawler 
  may spend 3 drunken ki points to increase the 
  extra damage to 3d6. At 20th level, the tavern 
  brawler may spend 4 drunken ki points to increase 
  the extra damage to 4d6. The tavern brawler must 
  have at least 1 drunken ki point to use this ability. 
   
  This ability replaces the purity of body class 
  feature.
   
  Drunken Vigor (Ex): At 7th level, a tavern 
  brawler can spend one point of ki as a swift action 
  to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 
  his Hit Dice. After 2d6 rounds, the temporary hit 
  points fade, leaving the tavern brawler nauseated 
  for 1 round. The tavern brawler must have at least 1 
  drunken ki point to use this ability.
   
  This ability replaces the wholeness of body 
  class feature.
   
  Staggering Steps (Ex): Beginning at 12th 
  level, the tavern brawler is able to take advantage 
  of his drunkenness to move erratically and avoid 
  his opponents’ attacks. As long as he has at least 
  three points of drunken ki, the tavern brawler does 
  not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving 
  a threatened square (he still provokes attacks 
  of opportunity for other actions, like drinking a 
  potion standing up from prone).
   
  This ability replaces the abundant step class 
  feature.
  Drunken Will (Ex): Beginning at 13th level, 
  a tavern brawler is able to use the alcohol clouding 
  his mind as a shield against mental intrusion. 
  As long as he has at least fi ve points of drunken 
  ki, the tavern brawler is immune to charm and 
  compulsion eff ects.
  Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dclipart
  
   
  This ability replaces the diamond soul class 
  feature.
   
  Knockout Punch (Ex): Starting at 15th 
  level, a tavern brawler can deliver a devastating 
  blow capable of laying an opponent low with a 
  single punch. As a full-attack action, he may make 
  a single attack with his unarmed strike. If the 
  attack hits, in addition to dealing normal damage, 
  the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 
  + 1/2 the tavern brawler’s monk level + the tavern 
  brawler’s Strength modifier) or immediately take 
  an amount of nonlethal damage equal to their 
  maximum hit points. 
  This nonlethal damage isn’t subject to 
  damage reduction or other effects that would 
  reduce the amount of damage taken, but if the 
  target is immune to nonlethal damage, it has no 
  effect. Creatures that have nonlethal damage in 
  excess of their current hit points immediately fall 
  unconscious.
  The tavern brawler can use this ability three 
  times per day. This ability replaces the quivering 
  palm class feature.
   
  Distraction (Ex): At 19th level, as a swift 
  action, a tavern brawler can spend 3 points from 
  his ki pool to attempt to distract his foe, either with 
  a feint, or by fooling him into turning his attention 
  elsewhere. The tavern brawler makes a Bluff check 
  to feint the opponent (as described under the 
  Bluff skill in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core 
  Rulebook), and adds his monk level to the result of 
  his check (the DC remains the same).
   
  This ability replaces the empty body class 
  feature.
  New Ranger Archetype: Viking Raider
   
  Viking raiders are feared by coastal 
  communities everywhere, not only for their ability 
  to strike swiftly and without warning, but for their 
  brutal efficiency in combat, and their terrifying 
  disregard for the value of human life.
   
  A Viking raider has the following class 
  features:
   
  Favored Terrain (Ex): A Viking raider may 
  only select cold, forest, mountain, and water as 
  favored terrains. This ability otherwise functions as 
  the standard favored terrain ranger class feature.
   
  Bonus Feats (Ex): At 4th level, the Viking 
  raider gains the Weapon Focus feat as a bonus feat 
  for any weapon of his choice that he is proficient 
  with. At 7th level, he gains the Diehard feat as 
  a bonus feat. At 10th level, he gains the Weapon 
  Specialization feat as a bonus feat for any weapon 
  he has Weapon Focus for. At 13th level, he gains 
  the Greater Weapon Focus feat as a bonus feat 
  for any weapon he has the Weapon Focus feat for. 
  Finally, at 17th level, he gains the Greater Weapon 
  Specialization feat as a bonus feat for any weapon 
  he has Weapon Specialization for. The Viking 
  raider may take these feats even if he does not 
  meet the prerequisites, as long as he meets all the 
  conditions outlined as part of this ability.
   
  This ability replaces the ranger’s spells 
  class feature, as well as his hide in plain sight class 
  feature. Viking raiders do not gain any spells or 
  spellcasting ability, do not have a caster level, and 
  cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic 
  items.
   
  Viking Rage (Ex): At 4th level, a Viking 
  raider gains the rage ability as the barbarian class 
  feature, but his barbarian level is considered to be 
  his ranger level –3. This ability replaces hunter’s 
  bond.
   
  Raging Stride (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, 
  as long as he is raging, the Viking raider ignores 
  difficult terrain of all kinds, and can move through 
  it as though it were normal terrain. Other effects 
  that impede movement, but are not specifically 
  treated as difficult terrain (such as a deep or 
  shallow bog, or attempting to exit a trench) affect 
  the viking raider normally. This ability replaces the 
  woodland stride class feature.
   
  Terrifying Scourge (Ex): At 12th level, a 
  Viking raider is so fearsome that a mere glance can 
  practically disable his foes. Whenever the Viking 
  raider makes an Intimidate check to demoralize a 
  favored enemy, if the check is successful, the target 
  suffers twice the normal penalty for being shaken 
  as a result of the check (for a total -4 penalty to 
  attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability 
  checks). Although the penalties are increased, the 
  target is still only considered to be shaken.  This 
  
  ability replaces the camoufl age class feature.
  New Witch Archetype: Volva
   
  These mysterious practitioners of the old 
  ways have powerful divination magic at their 
  disposal, and are widely respected among the 
  Vikings for their ability not only to predict the 
  future, but also to infl uence the battlefi eld from a 
  great distance through subtle fate-weaving magic.
   
  A volva has the following class features. 
   
  Internalized Spellcasting: A volva does 
  not prepare her spells in the same way as a normal 
  witch. She does not rely upon a familiar for her 
  spells, but rather learns the spells in the same way 
  that her familiar normally would. In this way, the 
  vulva learns and prepares spells just like a normal 
  witch, except that she need not commune with her 
  familiar to prepare spells.
   
  Because she has no familiar, she cannot add 
  spells to her familiar. She can learn spells from 
  a scroll in the same way that a witch’s familiar 
  normally would, except that it is the volva who 
  consumers the resulting powder, rather than 
  the familiar. A volva cannot learn spells from a 
  familiar or from another volva in the manner that a 
  witch’s familiar can teach another witch’s familiar, 
  however. Even if the volva gains a familiar from 
  another source, her familiar cannot learn spells like 
  a normal witch’s familiar.
  Patron: A volva must choose her patron 
  from one of the following patron themes: 
  ancestors, animals, death, enchantment, occult, 
  portents, winter, or wisdom.
   
  Wand (Ex): A volva possesses a powerful 
  wand, which aids her in her magic. These wands 
  are often elaborately carved to resemble sewing 
  implements, or, in some cases, are overtly phallic in 
  appearance. Three times per day, while the volva is 
  holding her wand, she can choose to increase the 
  saving throw DC of a spell that she casts by +1. This 
  is a free action made as part of casting the spell, 
  but the volva must declare that she is using this 
  ability before the spell is actually cast.
   
  This ability replaces the familiar class 
  feature.
  Vision of Star and Wind (Su): At 4th 
  level, the volva learns the art of divining the future 
  through a special trance-like state induced by 
  sitting perfectly still, exposed to the elements, for 
  extended periods of time.
   
  In order to use this ability, the volva must 
  spend from dusk until dawn outside and exposed 
  to the elements. She enters a trance-like state 
  wherein she is perfectly aware of the world around 
  her, but if she moves or takes any action during 
  this time, the attempt fails and she gains no benefi t 
  from the time spent out of doors. If she is exposed 
  to adverse weather conditions, she must make 
  concentration checks as though she were casting 
  a spell, but she need only make one such check 
  for each hour she is exposed to the condition. 
  If she takes damage during this time, she must 
  succeed on a concentration check as though 
  she were casting a spell. If she fails any of these 
  concentration checks, the attempt fails and she 
  gains no benefi t from the time spent out of doors.
   
  If the volva successfully completes the 
  ritual, she is aff ected as though by the spell contact 
  other plane, with a few exceptions. First, the volva 
  need never make an Intelligence check to avoid 
  Intelligence or Charisma damage, and never has 
  her ability scores decreased in this way as part of 
  this ability. 
   
  Second, the eff ect is capable of limited 
  prediction of the future. The volva can choose to 
  substitute one of her questions in order to ask 
  the outcome of a specifi c action. If she does, the 
  question is answered with “weal,” “woe,” “weal and 
  woe,” or “nothing,” as described in the spell augury, 
  but everything else about the answer (such as the 
  chance of getting a correct answer, the possibility 
  of a false answer, and so on) still use the rules for 
  contact other plane.
   
  Finally, the volva does not choose what type 
  of plane she contacts. This is instead determined 
  by her level, as indicated on the table below.
  
   
  This replaces the volva’s 4th-level hex. 
   
  Weave Fate (Su): At 12th level, the volva is 
  able to weave her magic into the tapestry of fate, 
  allowing her to affect targets with spells or hexes 
  that she would not normally be able to. Once per 
  day, she may choose to use this ability to cast a 
  spell or use a hex on a target that is not present. 
  Doing so requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted 
  meditation, at the end of which the volva casts the 
  spell or uses the hex in question. 
   
  The spell or hex in question must have one 
  or more targets. If it has more than one target, it 
  only affects a single target when used in this way. 
  For the purposes of this ability, the spell or hex can 
  affect the target regardless of range. If the spell 
  requires an attack roll, the volva must still make 
  the roll, but does not suffer any penalties for the 
  distance nor for being unable to see the target (this 
  applies even to spells with a range of touch). The 
  target is allowed a Will save to resist the effect. This 
  saving throw is subject to all the same bonuses and 
  penalties outlined in the spell scrying. This saving 
  throw is in addition to any saving throw normally 
  offered by the spell.
   
  This replaces the volva’s 12th-level hex.
  Prestige Classes
   
  The following prestige classes provide a 
  variety of options for characters to become elite 
  Viking warriors, embracing everything it means to 
  be a true Viking. They are presented in alphabetical 
  order.
  Berserker
    
  Araagh! 
   
  Fjorn Firetusk, berserker.
  Berserkers are terrifying warriors who 
  can enter a trance like state of uncontrollable 
  fury, which drives them to fight with reckless 
  abandon. Clad in animal skins, berserkers fight 
  their battles in similar fashion to the wild beasts 
  they resemble, killing on instinct and behaving in 
  a fashion unfathomable to most opposing forces. 
  Since berserkers fight completely without concern 
  for their own life, only the very strongest and best 
  of these famed warriors survive large, drawn out 
  battles, but their complete disregard for their own 
  life allows even a single berserker to turn the tide of 
  battle, decimating the enemy ranks and panicking 
  even veteran soldiers, and ensuring that the 
  berserker’s glorious death in battle earns his spirit 
  a place in the famed golden hall of warriors in the 
  next world.
   
  Whether for religious or spiritual matters, 
  a quest for personal glory, or a simple problem 
  controlling one’s temper, men become berserkers 
  for a variety of reasons. Berserkers are often 
  welcome in the hirds (or elite soldiers) of kings and 
  lesser lords, for their value as shock troops and for 
  the prestige that commanding such uncontrollable 
  men can bring. Still other berserkers find work as 
  mercenary warriors, as part of a group or alone, 
  bringing their uncontrollable battle frenzy to the 
  highest bidder. 
  Making a Berserker
   
  Bersekers are warriors at the very core of 
  their being, and emphasize combat prowess above 
  all else. The exact skills of individual berserkers are 
  diverse, and encompass everything from extensive 
  classical combat training to simple brute force.  
  In the end, the only thing one truly needs to be a 
  berserker is an absolute commitment to the fight, 
  without care of the outcome.
  Requirements
   
  To qualify to become a berserker, a character 
  must fulfill all the following criteria.
   
  Base Attack Bonus: +5
   
  Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks
   
  Special: Must single handedly kill either a 
  bear, a boar, or a wolf (or, at the GM’s discretion, a 
  similar creature to one of those three) and take the 
  pelt of that animal, which serves as the berserker’s 
  totem, and affects numerous class abilities.  
   
  Ability Scores: A berserker is an out-of-
  control fighter who places a strong emphasis on 
  physical ability scores. Of chief importance to the 
  berserker is a high Strength score, which allows 
  him to inflict more damage in melee combat and 
  thus slay more of his foes. As unarmored melee 
  fighters, a high Dexterity is important to berserkers 
  who wish to avoid the blows of their opponents 
  and live on to see other battles, however Dexterity 
  becomes less important to powerful berserkers 
  whose berserkergang allows them to shrug off 
  
  more and more lethal wounds. A high Constitution 
  is critical to all berserkers, as it aff ects the power 
  of their berserkergang and allows them to survive 
  their famed rage to live another day.  While mental 
  abilities are less important to berserkers, a high 
  Wisdom can allow berserkers to throw off  the 
  mental magics which could turn them against their 
  friends and companions, while high Intelligence 
  or Charisma scores can increase the value of the 
  berserker outside of his combat role.
  Alignment: Because berserkers are 
  constantly on the border of insane rage, most tend 
  towards generally chaotic personalities. While 
  commonly portrayed as evil, bloodthirsty warriors 
  bent on nothing but slaughter, berserkers can 
  just as often have strict moral codes which govern 
  when and where they choose to fl y into their battle 
  frenzy and when to stop killing, creating a diverse 
  picture of morality, and allowing for berserkers of 
  every alignment type.
   
  Hit Dice: d12
  Class Skills
   
  The berserker’s class skills are Craft (Int), 
  Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Swim (Str) 
  Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Intelligence 
  modifi er
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the 
  Berserker.
  Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: A 
  berserker gains no new profi ciencies with any type 
  of weapons or armor.
  Totem Shirt (Su): Berserkers have an 
  innate connection to a wild and bestial spirit and 
  must be clad in a shirt or robe made from the 
  whole or partial hide of the wild beast which he 
  killed to qualify as a berserker in order to enter 
  the trance-like state known as berserkergang (see 
  below). A berserker cannot wear any armor while 
  wearing his totem shirt, but can wear it along with 
  other clothing normally. If the berserker’s totem 
  shirt is destroyed, he can create a new one, but 
  must fi rst slay a creature of the same sort as the 
  creature he used to qualify for the prestige class.
  Berserkergang (Su): At fi rst level the berserker 
  gains the ability to enter a primal state of pure 
  rage. While in such a state, the berserker gains 
  incredible power, but has only limited control over 
  his actions as he is overcome with an insane animal 
  bloodlust.  A berserker can only enter a state of 
  berserkergang while wearing his totem shirt, and 
  he cannot willingly remove the totem shirt while in 
  a state of berserkergang.
   
  A berserker can enter this state once per 
  day for each berserker level he possesses.  Once 
  a berserker enters a state of berserkergang, the 
  berserkergang lasts indefi nitely until either the 
  berserker ends it, or until there is no one left to 
  fi ght. Entering berserkergang is a swift action 
  which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  
   
  While in a state of berserkergang, the 
  berserker gains a number of temporary hit points 
  equal to 10 x his Constitution modifi er. If his 
  
  Constitution modifier is modified as a result of 
  entering a state of berserkergang (see below), 
  he uses the adjusted modifier when calculating 
  how many temporary hit points he gains. These 
  temporary hit points are lost when the state of 
  berserkergang ends.
   
  While in a state of berserkergang, the 
  berserker must make a melee attack each round. 
  The berserker can take any action that involves 
  making a melee attack, including the charge 
  action, the full attack action, or special actions like 
  those provided by the Vital Strike feat to meet this 
  requirement, but he must make at least one melee 
  attack against a creature each round if there is a 
  creature that he can reach, even if that creature 
  is an ally. The only way to avoid this restriction is 
  to succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + the berserker’s 
  berserker level + the berserker’s Constitution 
  modifier). The berserker can make this save as a 
  free action on his turn, and if he succeeds then he 
  does not need to make a melee attack that round, 
  although the berserkergang ends immediately. 
  If there is no creature to attack (he cannot reach 
  a creature this turn), then the berserkergang 
  automatically ends.
   
  When a state of berserkergang ends, the 
  berserker becomes incredibly drained as the primal 
  fury leaves him. When the berserkergang ends, 
  the berserker must succeed on a Constitution 
  check (DC 5 + the number of rounds spent in the 
  berserkergang) or else take 1 point of Constitution 
  damage for each round he spent in berserkergang. 
  A berserker must wait at least one full minute after 
  ending a berserkergang before he can begin a new 
  one. 
   
  Finally, entering a state of berserkergang 
  bestows a number of other benefits upon the 
  berserker, which improve as he increases in level, 
  and which are based on the creature chosen for his 
  totem shirt, as outlined below.
  Bear
   
  Might of the Bear (Su): When a berserker 
  with the bear totem shirt enters berserkergang, he 
  gains a +4 enhancement bonus to his Constitution 
  score for as long as he remains in a state of 
  berserkergang. At 5th level, this bonus improves 
  to +6, and at 9th level it improves to +8. This 
  increase in Constitution grants the berserker 
  extra hit points as appropriate for his Hit Dice. 
  These extra hit points disappear at the end of 
  the berserkergang, and are not lost first, unlike 
  temporary hit points. 
   
  Turn Blades (Su): At 3rd level, when a 
  berserker with the bear totem shirt enters a state 
  of berserkergang, he gains DR 5/bludgeoning for 
  the duration of the berserkergang. At 7th level, this 
  damage reduction improves to 10/bludgeoning.
   
  Turn Fire (Su):  At 7th level, when a 
  berserker with the bear totem shirt enters a state 
  of berserkergang, he gains energy resistance 10 to 
  a single energy type of his choice. This choice is 
  made each time he enters the berserkergang.
  Boar 
   
  Ferocity of the Boar (Su): When a berserker 
  with the boar totem shirt enters berserkergang, 
  he gains a +4 enhancement bonus to his Strength 
  score for as long as he remains in a state of 
  berserkergang. At 5th level, this bonus improves to 
  +6, and at 9th level it improves to +8.
   
  Boar’s Charge (Ex): Beginning at 3rd 
  level, whenever a berserker with the boar totem 
  shirt uses the charge action while in a state of 
  berserkergang, he may choose to apply any feats 
  he knows that he can use when he uses the attack 
  or full attack actions (such as Vital Strike or 
  Whirlwind Attack), even if he would not normally 
  be able to use those feats as part of a charge action.
   
  Boar’s Fury (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, 
  whenever a berserker with the boar totem uses the 
  charge action while in a state of berserkergang, 
  he may make a full attack as part of that charge, 
  instead of just a single attack. If he chooses to 
  do so, the penalty to AC imposed by charging is 
  increased to -5.
  Wolf
   
  Wolf’s Prowess (Su): Whenever a berserker 
  with the wolf totem shirt enters a state of 
  berserkergang, he gains a +4 enhancement bonus 
  to his Dexterity score for as long as he remains in 
  a state of berserkergang.  At 5th level, this bonus 
  improves to be +6, and at 9th level it improves to 
  +8.
   
  Precision Strike (Ex): At 3rd level, a berserker 
  with the wolf totem shirt adds his Dexterity 
  
  modifier in addition to his Strength modifier to 
  damage with melee and thrown weapons as long as 
  he remains in a state of berserkergang. 
   
  Embody the Pack (Ex): At 7th level, when a 
  berserker with the wolf totem shirt may makes a 
  full attack action while in a state of berserkergang, 
  he may move 5 feet after each attack before making 
  the next attack. This movement does not provoke 
  attacks of opportunity.
   
  Berserker’s Fury (Ex): At 2nd level, the 
  primal rage of a berserker allows him to fight on 
  when others could not. The berserker remains 
  conscious while at negative hit points, and can act 
  normally during that time. He is treated as stable, 
  and does not continue to take damage each round 
  that he acts. He still dies when his negative hit 
  points exceed his Constitution score.
   
  Blood of the Berserker (Ex): The angry 
  blood of the berserker allows him to heal wounds 
  much more quickly than other characters.  
  Beginning at 4th level, the berserker recovers 1 hit 
  point every minute, and 1 point of ability score 
  damage every hour.
   
  Terrifying Presence (Ex): The berserker is 
  one of the most fearsome forces on the battlefield, 
  and starting at 6th level, whenever he enters a state 
  of berserkergang, he can attempt to use intimate 
  to demoralize all living creatures which can see 
  him. This is a free action that functions as normal 
  for the demoralize use of the Intimidate skill, 
  except that he rolls his Intimidate check once and 
  compares the result to the DC of each creature 
  that is able to see him to see if he affects that 
  creature. The berserker cannot choose to exclude 
  certain individuals from this effect, but the DC to 
  demoralize an ally in this way is increased by +4.
   
  Berserker Ferocity (Ex): Truly legendary 
  berserkers are nearly impossible to kill, fighting on 
  long after a normal man would have died.  At 8th 
  level a berserker no longer dies when his negative 
  hit points exceed his Constitution score, but 
  instead dies when his negative hit points exceed 
  twice his Constitution score. Additionally, the 
  berserker gains a +8 bonus on saving throws made 
  to resist death effects.
   
  True Berserker (Ex): Only the truly 
  heroic berserkers live to reach the height of their 
  trade, but those that do become acclimated to 
  living in a state of berserkergang. At 10th level, 
  the berserker no longer suffers any penalty when 
  his berserkergang ends. He must still wait a full 
  minute after ending a berserkergang before he can 
  begin a new one, although he can circumvent even 
  that restriction by spending a full-round action 
  trying to force a berserkergang early. To do so, he 
  must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20). If he 
  succeeds, he enters the state of berserkergang. If 
  the berserker enters the berserkergang in this way, 
  he does not need to make a melee attack this round 
  to maintain the berserkergang (although he must 
  do so in future rounds).
  Playing a Berserker
   
  A berserker is a warrior on the verge of 
  uncontrollable bloodlust. They live for the fight 
  and relish the chance to die in glorious combat. 
  Often serving as special forces or elite troops in 
  military units, berserkers can turn the tide of any 
  battle.
   
  Races: Humans make up the majority of 
  berserkers, with their naturally shorter life spans 
  and reckless natures making them more likely than 
  other races to be attracted to berserking.  After 
  humans, half-orcs are the most likely, as their 
  chaotic blood leads them towards this reckless 
  path. Half-elves sometimes become berserkers, 
  but are somewhat less likely than humans to do 
  so. Berserkers of other races are less common.  
  Elves cherish their long life spans and emphasize 
  elegance and civility, which means that few elves 
  hold the values of the berserker in high regard, and 
  dwarves are often too dour and reserved to become 
  berserkers, and prefer a more cautious style of 
  combat, in any case.
   
  Religion: Berserkers are often religiously 
  motivated, being devoted followers of gods of war 
  and death. Traditionally ulfheðnar (berserkers with 
  a wolf totem shirt) wre considered to be blessed by 
  Odin himself. Some berserkers have primal faiths, 
  believing in the animal spirits which they embody.  
  Other berserkers have no particular faith or are 
  actively atheistic, believing only in themselves and 
  the power of their intense rage.
   
  Other Classes: Berserkers often get along 
  well with barbarians, with whom they share a 
  special kinship. Typically berserkers who spend 
  time serving in military organizations often find 
  that they interact well, at least socially, with other 
  
  martially-inclined characters, though many take 
  the attitude that those warriors less committed 
  to the battle than the berserkers themselves are 
  weak or cowardly. While berserkers rely on clerics 
  and druids for their long term survival, unless 
  the two parties are members of the same faith, 
  the berserker typically fi nds little interest in the 
  company of such individuals. Berserkers often 
  fi nd themselves at odds with rogues and arcane 
  spellcasters, whose emphasis on trickery and 
  planning runs contrary to the berserker’s desire 
  to smash through the enemy, though this needn’t 
  necessarily be the case.  
  Berserkers in the World
   
  We had 500 men clad in mail, and they were 
  down to the ragged dozen dressed in animal skins. 
  We quickly surrounded them; victory was in our 
  grasp. Then, suddenly, they bit their shields and 
  howled like wild beasts. They moved like lightning 
  about our lines, killing men and horses alike with a 
  single blow, and no weapon could harm them! They 
  killed until the ground ran red with blood, and then 
  when the last of my men were dead, they raised 
  their spears to the sky and then suddenly died.  
  ~Lord General Smythin Malkius
   
  Daily Life: The daily life of the berserker 
  varies somewhat based on the individual and his 
  situation, but typically focuses on consuming 
  vast quantities of food and alcohol. Many 
  berserkers travel the land plundering and taking 
  what they want and leaving a trail of destruction 
  in their wake, assured in the knowledge that 
  eventually they will die in glorious battle, but 
  until then they will live as kings. Other berserkers 
  seek a life of isolation away from people they 
  might inadvertently hurt. While there are a 
  few exceptions, most berserkers do not spend 
  any amount of time in formal combat training, 
  preferring a more natural approach to battle, 
  though many fi nd time for a good fi ght as often as 
  possible.
  Notables: While songs and poems 
  of mighty berserkers are fairly common, few 
  berserkers live long enough to be remembered 
  by name, other than by their closest kinsman.  
  Even those berserkers who do achieve notoriety, 
  either for their impressive martial skill or extreme 
  insanity, rarely achieve any kind of recognition 
  until after their death, making notable berserkers 
  something of a rarity. Even so, a few such men do 
  rise from the already extraordinary ranks of the 
  berserker, and pass into legendary status.
   
  Bjorn Byarson, though surely now long 
  dead, is still perhaps the best remembered of all 
  berserkers. His tale began ordinarily enough: as 
  a man obsessed with challenge and possessed 
  of limitless resolve, Bjorn took to wandering the 
  wilds searching for ever greater foes to face. His 
  skill in battle was legendary, and he conquered 
  against odds which would lead even brave men 
  to retreat. His greatest challenge came to him 
  while exploring a vast cavern, in search of the fi re 
  giants who had been threatening the surrounding 
  area. He was confronted by a terrible red dragon 
  of immense stature.  The beast, confi dent in its 
  power, thought to destroy Bjorn with a single blast 
  of its wicked fl ames. Though the fl ames burned 
  hot enough to destroy Bjorn’s axe and mail, the 
  man himself survived relatively unscathed, and 
  naked and unarmed, Bjorn gave a furious scream 
  and charged the monster. The dragon, surprised 
  but undeterred, devoured the charging warrior 
  whole, before he could reach his body. Even then 
  Bjorn did not surrender: rather, in a fi t of pure rage, 
  he tore one of the dragon’s fangs from his mouth 
  before the creature could swallow him. Tumbling 
  down the dragon’s throat, Bjorn lashed out with 
  the dragon’s own fang, slicing a ring in the dragon’s 
  neck, eff ectively beheading the beast to facilitate 
  his escape.  Naked and scorched, Bjorn used the 
  dragons fang to fashion an armored shirt from its 
  hide. 
   
  From that day onward whenever Bjorn 
  entered battle he would fi ght with the strength and 
  Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dclipart
  
  fury of a dragon, and no man or beast could stand 
  against him, and no weapon or magic could harm 
  him. Eventually Bjorn had fought every foe and 
  overcome every challenge in his own land, and he 
  set across the sea to seek his fortune elsewhere. It is 
  unknown if he ever found a new land or if he sunk 
  at sea, but that was the last anyone ever heard from 
  Bjorn.
  Organizations: Berserkers, despite their 
  erratic and chaotic natures, can often form or 
  become part of larger organizations. Berserkers 
  often end up as elite shock troops in large 
  armies fi elded by kings and great jarls. In such 
  organizations, berserkers are aff orded great respect 
  both because battles often hinge on their ability to 
  break the enemies’ ranks, and because lesser men 
  are terrifi ed of what a berserker might do when he 
  is treated poorly. As a result, berserkers tend to be 
  set apart from other troops. 
   
  A more common organizational structure 
  for a berserker is as part of a band of similar 
  berserk warriors. In such cases, the berserkers 
  form close friendships with their fellows and 
  travel together for extended periods. Such groups 
  commonly work as mercenaries when men have 
  need of their services, or as brigands when there 
  isn’t a better off er on the table. These smaller 
  bands tend to have little in the way of formal 
  rules and structures, but rather serve as a sort of 
  adopted family who share in each other’s company, 
  and watch out for one another. In extreme 
  circumstances, or regions where berserkers are 
  plentiful, they sometimes form lodges and similar 
  fraternal societies, where a great emphasis is 
  placed on following a particular code or structure. 
  Such organizations tend to have archaic rules and 
  complex hierarchies based on achievement, age, or 
  skill at arms.
  NPC Reactions:  With the exception of 
  those who employ such men, and those who are 
  supremely confi dent in their own combat abilities, 
  most people are terrifi ed of berserkers.  Usually 
  this fear and suspicion is fairly justifi ed, as angry 
  berserkers tend to kill indiscriminately.  When 
  they have the ability, many NPCs try to isolate 
  berserkers from the rest of the community, sending 
  them into the wild where they are less likely to 
  harm people they care about. In other places, most 
  people treat the berserker much the same as they 
  would visiting frost giant: with panic.  Occasionally 
  local champions and noteworthy warriors will 
  challenge a berserker to combat, either because 
  they fi nd his behavior to be uncouth or because he 
  wants to test his own skill. Few such men live to tell 
  of the experience.
   
  Lore: Characters with ranks in Knowledge 
  (local) can research berserkers to learn more about 
  them. When a character makes this skill check, 
  read or paraphrase the information from the table 
  below, including entries for lower DCs.
  Housecarl
    
  The Jarl is dead, but our loyalty did not die 
  with him. We will slaughter until his enemies are a 
  feast for the ravens, or until we meet him again in 
  Valhalla!
   
  ~Sjorn Skalison, Housecarl to Jarl Hakaan 
  Forkbeard.
  The housecarl serves his lord in many roles, 
  as his steward, his courier, and his bodyguard.  
  The housecarl is the fi ercest and most committed 
  defender of his lord, and he is both his servant 
  and his companion in arms. This loyalty causes 
  housecarls—already chosen for this honor because 
  of their elite warrior abilities—to bring their 
  
  combat ability to new heights.
   
  Unlike similar men in other lands, the 
  housecarl is not a servant in the traditional sense, 
  beholden to his lord as a thrall, but rather is a free 
  man who has chosen to devote his life and talents 
  out of friendship, kinship, or for profit. His actions 
  are his own, and he is beholden only to his honor 
  and to his respect for his lord. For most Viking 
  rulers, housecarls make up the greatest of their 
  forces, as they are the lord’s most skilled and loyal 
  warriors, better trained and equipped than even 
  their brethren, and thus are better respected and 
  honored.    
  Making a Housecarl
   
  While all housecarls choose to serve a 
  lord or crown larger than themselves, each is a 
  freeman capable of and expected to make his own 
  decisions. He gains prestige for his skill at war, and 
  for performing notable deeds, as such successful 
  housecarls spend much of their time honing their 
  martial skills, and, when not directly fighting for 
  their lords, can be found performing valorous 
  deeds which bring fame to themselves, and, by 
  extension, their lord.
  Requirements
   
  To qualify to become a housecarl, a 
  character must fulfill all the following criteria.
   
  Base Attack Bonus: +5
   
  Feats: Weapon Focus (great axe)
   
  Weapon Proficiency: Must be proficient 
  with all martial weapons, and with at least one type 
  of medium or heavy armor.
   
  Special: Must give their solemn oath of 
  service to a lord or patron, and own and maintain a 
  suit of medium or heavy armor, and a masterwork 
  great axe. 
   
  Ability Scores: A housecarl is among his 
  lord’s best fighters, entrusted with protecting his 
  very life, and thus favors a high Strength score, 
  allowing him to more swiftly dispose of those who 
  would harm his lord. A high Constitution score is 
  important to a housecarl, ensuring he can stay in 
  the fight long enough to prove his worth to his lord 
  and the gods before he dies. A high Dexterity is less 
  important to a housecarl than to other fighters, 
  since it is considered by most Viking cultures to be 
  less honorable to kill their foes from a distance (on 
  the other hand, archery is often a required skill in 
  the early stages of sea battles, so housecarls who 
  spend the majority of their fighting time on ships 
  will gain more from a high Dexterity).  Intelligence 
  is important for mastering the administrative skills 
  which often fall to housecarls, but is less important 
  to a man on campaign than in the infrequent times 
  of peace when such duties are called for. Charisma 
  is important for housecarls who find themselves 
  leading other troops in their lord’s service, but 
  is generally considered to be of only minimal 
  important to man who makes his living with his 
  axe.
   
   
  Alignment: Housecarls can come from 
  many backgrounds, though since an oath of service 
  is required, most housecarls tend to have lawful 
  leanings. Most often a housecarl’s alignment 
  closely resembles that of his lord, though this not 
  always the case, especially if his lord’s deeds have 
  managed to earn the housecarl’s respect, perhaps 
  causing him to overlook his general philosophy in 
  order to serve this great figure.
   
  Hit Dice: d10
  Class Skills
   
  The housecarl’s class skills are Craft (Int), 
  Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), and Swim (Str).
   
  Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Intelligence 
  modifier
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the 
  housecarl.
   
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A 
  housecarl gains no new proficiencies with any type 
  of weapons or armor.
   
  Housecarl’s Oath: A housecarl must 
  swear his service to a lord and conduct himself 
  in that lord’s name. The exact specifications of 
  these oaths are unique to each housecarl and his 
  lord, but are typically very loose and informal 
  arrangements, requiring a small blood tribute on 
  behalf of the housecarl and a solemn oath that he 
  will follow his lord into battle, and not murder 
  any other of his lords housecarls or actively betray 
  him, but are rarely much more strict than that. In 
  general should his lord have no need of his service 
  
  in arms or as an administrator, the housecarl is 
  free to do whatever he whishes. As a free man, a 
  housecarl can end this arrangement honorably at 
  any time, but if he does so he may no longer gain 
  any levels in the housecarl class (he still retains any 
  benefi ts he already possessed). Similarly, should 
  the housecarl violate his oaths, or his lord die, 
  he cannot gain any more levels in the housecarl 
  class. An ex-housecarl who convinces another lord 
  to take him as a housecarl, he can resume taking 
  levels in the housecarl class.
   
  Superior Training (Ex): A housecarl is 
  the most skilled of his lord’s fi ghters, and, through 
  constant training in martial techniques, can fi ght 
  with skill only possessed by the greatest champions 
  of lesser warrior cultures. For the purposes of 
  qualifying for feats, a housecarl is treated as a 
  fi ghter of his housecarl level. If he already had 
  levels in fi ghter before becoming a housecarl, then 
  those levels stack for the purposes of qualifying for 
  feats (for example if Sven is a lv 5 fi ghter and a lv 6 
  housecarl, he counts as an 11th level fi ghter for the 
  purposes of qualifying for feats).
   
  Daneaxe Fighting (Ex): Every housecarl 
  is trained in the use of massive axes requiring two 
  hands to wield, and can use such weapons to great 
  eff ect, making them far more dangerous than even 
  men armed with two weapons.  At 2nd level, when 
  the housecarl makes a full attack action while 
  wielding a greataxe, he can choose to suff er a -4 
  penalty to all attack rolls made this round in order 
  to make an additional attack at his highest base 
  attack bonus. At 10th level, his mastery over the 
  daneaxe combat style improves further, allowing 
  him to make a third additional attack at a -10 
  penalty (for a total penalty of -14).
   
  Bonus Feat: A housecarl is an excellent 
  warrior whose deeds are legendary beyond 
  measure. At 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, 
  the housecarl gains a bonus feat, which can be any 
  combat feat for which he qualifi es.
   
  Fight For Your Lord (Ex): At 4th level the 
  housecarls loyalty to his lord makes him a powerful 
  force on the battle fi eld when fi ghting to defend 
  him. As long as the housecarl remains within 30 
  ft. of his lord, he gains a +2 morale bonus to AC 
  and to attack and weapon damage rolls.  At 8th 
  level, this bonus improves to +4. Additionally, 
  three times per day, as a swift action, the housecarl 
  can declare his devotion to his lord to gain these 
  benefi ts for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 his 
  housecarl level (rounded down, minimum 1), even 
  if his lord is not present.
   
  Improved Daneaxe Fighting (Ex): 
  Beginning at 5th level, the housecarl’s mastery 
  of this fi ghting style improves, allowing him to 
  make a second additional attack a -5 penalty (for a 
  total penalty of -9) whenever he uses his daneaxe 
  fi ghting class feature.
   
  Housecarl Armor Training (Ex): A 
  housecarl is required to maintain his own 
  equipment, and after many battles spent living in 
  and caring for his armor, he learns to wear it more 
  eff ectively.  Beginning at 7th level, the housecarl’s 
  moves at his full speed regardless of the type of 
  armor he is wearing.
   
  Morale (Ex): A housecarl is more than 
  just a warrior in his lord’s service: he is a symbol 
  of strength and honor to all who see him. At 8th 
  
  level, a housecarl’s devotion to his lord makes 
  him unshakable and unwavering, granting 
  him immunity to fear effects. Additionally, the 
  housecarl’s example inspires those around him, 
  making them more brave, and effectively granting 
  them a bonus equal to the housecarl’s class level on 
  Will saves made to resist fear effects.
   
  Die For Your Lord (Ex): At 10th level, 
  the housecarl makes a second oath to his lord, 
  swearing to die either protecting his life, or 
  avenging him. For many housecarls this second 
  oath is little more than a formality, but still the 
  housecarl gains power from the oath. So long as 
  he is within 30 ft. of his lord, the housecarl fights 
  with an additional ferocity, allowing him to remain 
  conscious even at 0 or negative hit points (he 
  still dies at his negative constitution score), and 
  allowing him to make an additional attack at his 
  highest base attack bonus whenever he makes a 
  full attack with a melee weapon. If the housecarl’s 
  lord is ever slain, the housecarl still gains these 
  benefits, but only when he is actively fighting to 
  avenge his lord’s death.
   
  Superior Daneaxe Fighting (Ex): At 10th 
  level, the housecarl becomes a true master of 
  daneaxe fighting, allowing him to make a third 
  additional attack at a -10 penalty (for a total penalty 
  of -14) whenever he uses his daneaxe fighting class 
  feature.
  Playing a Housecarl
   
  A housecarl is an important member of his 
  lord’s household, in many cases as close as kin, and 
  his primary interest is in his lord’s wellbeing. Most 
  housecarls are in service to a great king or to an 
  influential jarl, and make up the elite guard of their 
  armies. While housecarls may adopt many duties 
  in their service, skill at arms and battle prowess are 
  the most valued skills of any housecarl, so most 
  housecarls turn their aims towards military ends.
   
  Races: Originally all housecarls were 
  humans, though this is no longer the case. They 
  can originate from a wide variety of cultures, as 
  Viking kings adopt members of other cultures 
  into their armies, as long as they show exceptional 
  skill. Dwarves are as likely as humans to become 
  housecarls, largely in service to clan leaders and 
  other influential community leaders, and many 
  dwarven communities maintain this tradition.  
  Where the elves are called to make war frequently, 
  the complex social structures of elven hierarchy 
  can sometimes devolve into a more traditional 
  feudal system, and in such cases it is not 
  uncommon for elven kings and princes to adopt 
  the most skilled of their people into their homes 
  as guards and administers, though they rarely use 
  the word housecarl itself for this practice. Few 
  other races have the discipline and warrior culture 
  traditionally necessary to support housecarls, 
  though members of other races are sometimes 
  adopted as housecarls by kings of other races. 
   
  Religion: Traditional housecarls adopt 
  whatever religion their lord follows, and not 
  doing so can sometimes be seen a slight upon 
  the housecarl’s lord. In cases where religious 
  controversy is emerging it is not uncommon for the 
  housecarl to publicly adopt their lord’s faith, while 
  secretly keeping their own.  Housecarls whose lord 
  does not follow a particular deity, or for whom 
  religious faith is not an issue, generally favor gods 
  of war and protection.
   
  Other Classes: Housecarls function 
  remarkably well with members of other classes 
  when left to their own devices. Fellow housecarls of 
  course are held in highest regard, though not much 
  more so than other fighting men, particularly 
  the fighter and barbarians which make up the 
  majority Viking armies. Though some housecarls 
  are slow to trust rogues because they believe them 
  to be treacherous or cowardly, most recognize the 
  usefulness of such men on the battlefield and don’t 
  concern themselves with the rogue’s methods, 
  so long as he is stabbing the housecarl’s lord’s 
  enemies in the back, and not the housecarl or 
  his lord.  Like all Vikings, housecarls hold bards 
  (particularly proper skalds) in high regard for both 
  their entertaining stories, and also for their ability 
  to tell tales of the housecarl’s own deeds, so that he 
  might remain immortalized in song. Spellcasters of 
  all sorts tend to receive warm welcomes, as long as 
  they don’t let their magic make them arrogant, and 
  they cast their spells in the housecarl’s favor.
   
  That said, if their lord has particularly 
  strong opinions about one or more classes, such as 
  a distaste for wizards, it is not uncommon to find 
  that the housecarl sharing that same opinion, at 
  least until the offending class proves itself worthy 
  in his eyes. 
  
  Housecarls in the World
   
  Thorvald places this stone for Erik his 
  housecarl who was a great warrior and commander, 
  and who sailed east and when they sat around our 
  hold there he slaughtered until his death to break 
  them.  
  ~runestone placed by king Thorvald outside 
  of Himskir pass.
   
  Daily Life: The average housecarl spends 
  much of his time with the lord in his household, 
  though the tradition varies somewhat from place 
  to place. For some housecarls, being a housecarl 
  is very similar to being kin, sitting at the lords 
  table and eating with him, joking with him and in 
  general living life very much like his brother. For 
  others, its more akin to being a common soldier, 
  separated from lesser troops only by superior 
  weaponry, training, discipline, commitment, and 
  likely a grant of land or gold. For others still, being 
  a housecarl means being his lord’s champion 
  riding on his behalf and acting as his agent in the 
  world. For all when the time for battle comes he is 
  at his lord’s side in the core of the army or in the 
  front ranks, laying his life down for his oath and 
  bringing swift death to his lord’s enemies.
  Notables: Few housecarls aren’t known at 
  least locally, and rune stones carved to the fallen 
  litter the landscape after a major battle. However, 
  with so many local heroes, it becomes diffi  cult to 
  separate hosuecarls of true notoriety.
   
  An exception to this tendency can be found 
  in the story of Bari the Faithful, who is considered 
  by many to have been the greatest of housecarls. 
  When his lord Syorri was betrayed by his brother, 
  and all his other retainers had abandoned him, 
  Bari remained true, and at the entrance to his 
  lord’s hold, he stood against truly impossible odds, 
  killing 400 men before Syorri, sure that defeat was 
  inevitable, took his own life. The shock of such an 
  act gave Bari pause, and a spear found his heart. 
  If rumors are to be believed, his ghost still haunts 
  Syorri’s hold, allowing none to pass the threshold.
  Organizations: Housecarls are generally 
  military men, and serve in the core of their lord’s 
  armies. Depending on their lord’s infl uence, they 
  might belong to a small group of bodyguards, 
  be left to lead hundreds of troops, or be but one 
  of thousands of men in a standing army. The 
  discipline of these units also varies greatly from 
  area to area, with informal armed bands being 
  the most common, but large regimented armies 
  governed by simple codes or even complex laws are 
  not unheard of.
  NPC Reactions: The general reaction 
  towards housecarls tends to relate largely to who is 
  doing the reacting. At home, housecarls are treated 
  with a great deal of respect by carls, landsman, 
  and jarls alike, renowned for their bravery and 
  commitment to their lords. In some places, 
  they are regarded cautiously, as would be any 
  considerable armed force in service to a foreigner. 
  In other places, far from the lands of their lord, 
  in the places where their lord sends them to raid 
  and pillage, they are known to be bloodthirsty 
  killers who commit atrocities so horrendous as to 
  be unmentionable, and are feared and hated more 
  even than demons and dragons.
   
  Lore: Characters with ranks in Knowledge 
  (local) can research housecarls to learn more about 
  them. When a character makes this skill check, 
  read or paraphrase the information from the table 
  below, including entries for lower DCs.
  
  Jomsviking
    
  These men who have been arrayed against 
  us think they know war. They think they know what 
  it means to be a warrior. They are wrong. They have 
  never faced Odin’s sons, they have never faced men 
  of true conviction, and they have never fought the 
  men of Jomsborg! And they will not live to tell of 
  what it is like.
   
  ~Helting the Strong, Jomsviking
  Jomsvikings are perhaps the greatest of 
  fi ghting men. Elite warrior societies, jomsvikings 
  are collections of warriors who come together 
  to form a community devoted to nothing but 
  warfare, in an attempt to recreate the legendary 
  warrior-society of Jomsborg. Together, these great 
  warriors strive to challenge themselves, and each 
  other, into becoming the best possible warriors the 
  world has ever seen, combining constant training 
  with regular campaigning and mercenary work. 
  True jomsvikings, it is said, require only battle 
  for sustenance, for they eat, drink, and sleep war. 
  Combing technical training and skill at arms 
  with natural strength and primal aggression, the 
  jomsviking is martial perfection. Unlike many of 
  their contemporaries, jomsvikings are a disciplined 
  force with a rigid code of conduct, making them 
  more than a mere band of warriors.
   
  Guided by the principles of the old ways, 
  jomsvikings are warriors in service to their 
  ancestral faith, and devoted to preserving those 
  same traditions. Their skill at arms is the stuff  of 
  legends, and poets and where they go men tremble 
  for their presence. Unconcerned with political 
  gains and the ambitions of the weak, jomsvikings 
  lend those legendary skills only to those who truly 
  earn their respect, or at least pay their exceptional 
  fees.
  Making a Jomsviking
   
  Jomsvikings are more than mere warriors, 
  they are the very height of martial craft, 
  emphasizing in equal measure strength, skill, and 
  discipline. To the jomsvikings the measure of a 
  man isn’t what he can do, as much as it is what 
  he actually does, and those who would join their 
  honored ranks must fi rst prove themselves worthy, 
  and it is said that those who have joined already 
  must prove themselves again with every breath.
  Requirements
   
  To qualify to become a jomsviking, a 
  character must fulfi ll all the following criteria.
   
  Base Attack Bonus: +5
  Feats: Weapon Specialization (any melee 
  weapon)
  Class Features: Rage
   
  Special: In order to join the ranks of the 
  jomsviking, one must prove oneself by performing 
  an act of great strength. This typically takes place 
  in the form of a holmgang (honor duel) with an 
  existing jomsviking. As is traditional, the exact 
  rules of these duels are left up to the participants, 
  but are only rarely lethal with “signifi cant 
  bloodying” (or reducing a target to ½ his hit 
  points) being the norm. In addition to proving 
  oneself, other requirements are often laid upon 
  those wishing to join the ranks of the jomsvikings, 
  and vary from stronghold to stronghold.  In the 
  legendary Jomsborg, applicants must be men 
  between the ages of 18-50, and they must have 
  seen combat before. In addition to these basic 
  requirements one is required to swear the oath of 
  the jomsviking (see below) in order to maintain 
  their membership.
  Ability Scores: Jomsvikings are warriors of 
  the highest caliber, and greatly emphasize personal 
  strength. As a result, a high Strength score of 
  critical importance to a successful jomsviking. 
  This is especially true since jomsvikings focus 
  Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dclipart
  
  specifically on melee combat.  Constitution and 
  Dexterity are considered to be equally important 
  to jomsvikings, as the former grants the hit points 
  and fortitude saving throws necessary to stay 
  alive throughout their career, while the latter not 
  only allows access to certain combat feats the 
  jomsviking may find useful, but improves his 
  acrobatic ability, which can become of critical 
  importance, as he will frequently be called 
  upon to balance while fighting on a longship. 
  For the jomsviking, Intelligence is by far the 
  most important mental ability score, as it useful 
  for a number of different combat feats and for 
  understanding complex tactical situations.
   
   
  Alignment: The strict ethical codes 
  required by jomsvikings, as well as their rigid and 
  regimented lifestyle means that the majorty of 
  jomsvikings do not have a chaotic alignment, and 
  since the primal rage which jomsvikings demand 
  of their members typically precludes a lawful 
  alignment, most jomsvikings are neutral. While 
  jomsvikings can be either good or evil, the majority 
  are neither, preferring neutrality instead.  
   
  Hit Dice: d12
  Class Skills
   
  The jomsviking’s class skills are Acrobatics 
  (Dex), Craft (Int), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), 
  Profession (Wis), and Swim (Str).
   
  Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Intelligence 
  modifier
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the 
  jomsviking
   
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A 
  jomsviking gains no new proficiencies with any 
  type of weapons or armor.
   
  Jomsviking’s Oath: In order to join 
  the jomsvikings, one must swear to uphold a 
  strict set of moral conditions by which to live 
  their lives. A typical set of codes is similar to the 
  following: To never harm or speak ill of another 
  of the jomsvikings, to show no fear or doubt, to 
  never forsake the true gods, to never be beyond 
  jomsborg’s walls for more than three days without 
  the permission of the jomsvikings, to hold always 
  the council of the jomsvikings in the highest 
  regard, to never flee from equal or inferior 
  numbers, to never allow a woman in the places 
  where training or combat occur, or where she 
  could interfere with the focus of a soldier, and to 
  distribute all the spoils of battle evenly among all 
  the jomsvikings. Different jomsviking strongholds 
  may have different rules and codes of conduct.
   
  A jomsviking that violates these oaths is 
  punished by his fellows with exile, and in extreme 
  cases with death. Additionally, a character who 
  breaks these oaths cannot gain further levels 
  in the jomsviking class until such a time as the 
  jomsvikings take the offender back into the 
  organization, a feat which will likely require 
  extensive efforts on behalf of the offending 
  character.
   
  Combat Dicipline (Ex): A jomsviking’s 
  rigid discipline and excessive training make him 
  a versatile and nearly undefeatable warrior. A 
  jomsviking has a number of warrior points equal to 
  his jomsviking level. Each round, as a swift action, 
  the jomsviking can allocate these points to gain a 
  number of benefits. The jomsviking never expends 
  these points, and can always reallocate them later 
  with another swift action. All of the benefits gained 
  by this class feature last until the beginning of 
  the jomsviking’s next turn, so in order to continue 
  gaining any benefit, the jomsviking must continue 
  to spend a swift action each round to allocate his 
  warrior points.
   
  At 1st level, the jomsviking can allocate 
  his warrior points to become more resistant to 
  fear, or more resistant to exhaustion. For each 
  warrior point he allocates to be more resistant 
  to exhaustion, he gains a +1 morale bonus on 
  Fortitude saves made to resist the fatigued or 
  exhausted conditions. For each warrior point he 
  allocates to be more resistant to fear, he gains a 
  +1 morale bonus on Will saves made to resist fear 
  effects.
   
  Beginning at 3rd level, the jomsviking may 
  choose to allocate warrior points to resist charm 
  and compulsion effects. For every warrior point he 
  allocates to this end, he gains a +1 morale bonus 
  on Will saves made to resist charm or compulsion 
  effects.
   
  Beginning at 5th level, the jomsviking may 
  choose to allocate warrior points to improve his 
  
  defenses. For every two warrior points he allocates 
  to this end, he gains a +1 morale bonus to AC.
   
  Beginning at 7th level, the jomsviking 
  may choose to allocate warrior points to improve 
  his accuracy. For every three warrior points he 
  allocates to this end, he gains a +1 morale bonus to 
  attack rolls.
   
  Beginning at 9th level, the jomsviking may 
  choose to allocate warrior points in order to deal 
  massive damage. For every three warrior points 
  he allocates to this end, he gains a +2 bonus on 
  weapon damage rolls.
   
  Combat Training (Ex): A jomsviking must 
  be an expert in combat techniques and weaponry. 
  Starting at 1st level, a jomsviking counts as a fi ghter 
  of his level for the purposes of qualifying for 
  feats (for example a character who was a 4th-level 
  fi ghter and 5th-level jomsviking would count as a 
  9th-level fi ghter when determining whether or not he 
  qualifi ed for feats that require a certain number of 
  fi ghter levels).
   
  Controlled Frenzy (Ex): A jomsviking 
  must be able to tap the primal rage of his heritage 
  for power, but must not let that power dampen his 
  combat skills and awareness.  At 1st level, and every 
  level thereafter, the jomsviking gains 2 additional 
  rounds of rage each day.  Additionally, whenever 
  he enters a rage, he retains use of his mental 
  faculties, and can use Dexterity-, Intelligence-, and 
  Charisma-based skills, as well as abilities requiring 
  concentration and focus, while he is raging.
   
  Warrior’s Accuracy (Ex): A jomsviking 
  can draw on his innate primal fury, channeling 
  it towards more disciplined and equally deadly 
  ends. At 2nd level, he can expend 1 round of his rage 
  ability in order to gain a primal insight into striking 
  his target, granting him a +2 morale bonus on 
  the next attack roll he makes this round. He may 
  use this ability as a free action made as part of the 
  attack, but must declare that he is using this ability 
  before the attack roll is made.
   
  Warrior’s Strike (Ex): At 4th level, a 
  jomsviking’s ability to channel his rage improves, 
  allowing him to strike more keenly when he scores 
  a life-threatening blow, eff ectively allowing him to 
  expend 1 round of rage in order to gain a +4 morale 
  bonus on an attack roll made to confi rm a critical 
  hit. This is a free action made as part of the attack 
  roll, but the jomsviking must declare that he is 
  using this ability before the confi rmation roll is 
  made.
   
  Warrior’s Focus (Ex): At 6th level, the 
  jomsviking channel an exceptional fury in order 
  to make an attack which is likely to cause grievous 
  wounds. He can expend 2 rounds of rage in order 
  to double the critical threat range of a weapon he 
  is wielding for his next attack. This is a free action 
  made as part of the attack, but the jomsviking 
  must declare that he is using this ability prior to 
  making the attack roll. This ability does not stack 
  with itself, nor with the Improved Critical feat, the 
  keen weapon, or similar eff ects.
   
  Warrior’s Punishment (Ex): At 8th level, 
  the jomsviking can channel great frustration into 
  his attack. By spending 3 rounds of rage, he can 
  increase the critical multiplier of a weapon he is 
  
  wielding by 1 for the next attack he makes (for 
  instance a battleaxe, with a critical multiplier of 
  x3, would be treated as though it had a x4 critical 
  modifier). The jomsviking can use this ability as 
  a free action as part of making an attack with the 
  weapon, but must declare that he is using this 
  ability before the attack roll is made.
   
  Warrior’s Frenzy (Ex): At 10th level, the 
  jomsviking can truly focus a frenzy into a potent 
  offensive explosion, allowing him to expend 5 
  rounds of rage to make an additional attack at his 
  highest base attack bonus. Activating this ability is 
  free action made as part of an action that involves 
  a melee attack (such as the charge action, the full 
  attack action, or the attack action). The jomsviking 
  can only use this ability once per round.
   
  Fearless (Ex): At 10th level, jomsvikings 
  learn to shake their fear entirely, becoming 
  immune to fear effects.
  Playing a Jomsviking
   
  A jomsviking is a disciplined warrior, 
  committed to serving his brothers in arms and 
  fighting for honor, glory, and gold.
   
  Races: In legendary Jomsborg, only 
  humans were permitted to join the ranks of 
  the jomsviking, with extreme prejudice applied 
  to those not of Viking descent, and those of 
  differing religious beliefs banned entirely. In 
  modern times, the majority of jomsvikings are 
  still humans, but a desire for fame and glory 
  has motivated warriors of all stripes to seek out 
  these legendary warriors. Humanity’s natural 
  organizational skills and military discipline, 
  combined with their racial penchant for religious 
  zealotry make humans exceptional jomsvikings. 
  Apart from humans, dwarves, with their love of 
  discipline and exceptional warrior skills, make 
  excellent jomsvikings. Half-elves often find the 
  adoptive family environment of the jomsvikings a 
  welcome change from the social ostracization that 
  they’re used to.  Half-orcs often join up as a way of 
  proving their merit, and challenging their natural 
  combat skills. Elves, gnomes, and halflings of a 
  warrior nature sometimes join the jomsvikings but 
  generally take better to less rigid environments, 
  and must work harder than the above races 
  in order to earn the acceptance of jomsviking 
  communities.
   
  Religion: The jomsvikings of legendary 
  Jomsborg were staunch pagans, worshiping the 
  Norse pantheon of gods, and actively fought 
  against the encroachment of other gods into their 
  homeland, going to any length to keep their pagan 
  practices alive. Religion played a major role in 
  their day-to-day life, and signs from various Norse 
  gods played a major role in the decisions of the 
  hierarchy. Members of other faiths wishing to join 
  the jomsvikings were either flat out refused, or 
  required to convert. Even today, jomsvikings hold 
  similar strict religious traditions, but may have 
  less archaic beliefs. Jomsvikings of today tend to 
  worship gods of warfare, and local, or ancestral 
  gods, above all others. 
   
  Other Classes: With the exception of 
  clerics and shamans of their faith, jomsvikings 
  have little tolerance for non-martial classes, and 
  even then tend to scorn association with warriors 
  who are not themselves jomsvikings. Of course, 
  as mercenaries, jomsvikings often find themselves 
  working alongside armies composed primarily of 
  non-jomsvikings. In such situations, jomsvikings 
  value fighters for their defensive skills, barbarians 
  for their fearlessness, rangers for their scouting 
  capabilities, and paladins for the morale they 
  bring to battles. They place little interest in arcane 
  magic, believing it to be a poor substitute for real 
  martial skill, and have nothing but contempt for 
  those who sneak about like cowards.
  Jomsvikings in the World
   
  Nothing more than a myth I say! These so 
  called jomsvikings are preposterous. A city full of 
  warriors with no women? Ha! A harbor with 300 
  ships? Laughable.  Warriors even the Vikings fear? 
  Pure jest. I assure you, lord Tallius, we have nothing 
  more to fear of these so-called jomsvikings than we 
  do the great and mighty “mauve dragon.”  
   
  ~Sellius Machiuvus to lord Tallius, 3 days 
  before the sacking of the royal city.
   
   
   
  Daily Life: Jomsvikings live incredibly 
  regimented and structured lives, with an emphasis 
  placed on strict military discipline. No women 
  were allowed within the legendary warrior-city 
  Jomsborg, and while some of the jomsviking 
  citadels of today may be more relaxed in this 
  respect (in fact, at least one such community 
  of jomsvikings is comprised entirely of female 
  warriors, who allow no men beyond their walls), 
  most still forbid their members from taking 
  
  families, and romantic entanglements within 
  the strongholds walls are almost always strictly 
  forbidden. Instead, an emphasis is placed on 
  discipline and training: the men of a jomsviking 
  community literally live for the fight, spending 
  every waking moment preparing for martial 
  struggle, or steeling their courage at the meadhall. 
  When not within their stronghold’s walls, 
  jomsvikings are typically on campaign, fighting in 
  one or more engagements.  Jomsvikings typically 
  fight for the coin of foreign powers, either as high 
  priced mercenaries or as dangerous raiders.
   
  While the majority of jomsvikings remain 
  with their warrior community for constant training 
  and military campaigns, it is not uncommon for 
  modern-day jomsviking communities to grant 
  permission to individual jomsvikings to leave for 
  extended periods of time to pursue great quests 
  and earn glory for themselves, and, by extension, 
  the community as a whole. Most adventurer 
  jomsvikings fall into this category. That said, the 
  leaders of the jomsviking community keep a close 
  eye on the warriors that they grant this freedom 
  to, and such individuals are expected to produce 
  a steady stream of glorious accomplishments and 
  strive to ever-greater heights, and if the other 
  jomsvikings ever suspect that their prodigal 
  companion is going soft, they are quick to bring 
  him back into the fold for rigorous and merciless 
  training.
   
  Notables: The ranks of the jomsvikings 
  are filled with kings and princes, as well as with 
  great heroes all. In legendary Jomsborg, great 
  men such as Harold Bluetooth, Sweyn Forkbeard, 
  Plantoke, and Stybjorn the Strong were all said to 
  have been chieftains. The city itself is said to have 
  been an imposing and unassailable fortress made 
  of pure steel, and each of its thousands of warriors 
  supposedly more fearless, heroic, and fearsome 
  than the last. In all the myths of Jomsborg, it is said 
  that no force could possibly hope to conquer the 
  city, and, in some legends, it is even said that the 
  stronghold’s residents withstood an assault by the 
  armies of the very god of war himself.
   
  Jomsborg, however, vanished long ago, if 
  indeed it ever existed, a matter about which many 
  scholars of today are doubtful. While a handful of 
  modern-day jomsviking strongholds claim to be 
  built on the location of the fabled warrior-city, or 
  to have in their possession certain relics from the 
  original jomsvikings, most such claims are dubious 
  at best (although they are rarely challenged within 
  striking distance of the jomsviking making the 
  claim). Theories abound about the disappearance 
  of the mythical city, with some claiming that it 
  was swallowed by the sea, or that it was melted 
  down in order to make incredible magic armor 
  and weapons. The most popular claim is that a 
  wizard who made himself an enemy of  Jomsborg, 
  knowing he had no hope of defeating its warriors, 
  opened a portal to the abyss beneath the city, 
  which fell through, and remains to this day, with 
  the descendants of the original jomsvikings 
  engaging in constant battle against demonic 
  hordes.
   
  Organizations: All jomsvikings belong to 
  one warrior society or another, a group of warriors 
  which separates itself from the rest of society, 
  usually in a walled stronghold, and devotes all of 
  its efforts to warfare and martial training. These 
  strictly-regimented societies, for the most part, 
  model themselves on the fabled ancient society of 
  Jomsborg, from which modern jomsvikings draw 
  their name. Each jomsviking society is its own 
  distinct entity, however, complete with its own 
  codes of conduct and its own hierarchy, based on 
  skill in combat time in the brotherhood, and the 
  great deeds of one’s ancestors (and, of course, one’s 
  own deeds).
   
  Usually a society of jomsvikings will offer 
  its services as mercenaries, and such warriors are 
  often in high demand and claim even higher prices 
  for their skills. If no mercenary work is available, 
  jomsvikings often turn to raiding or conquest. 
  During the bad months, when neither war nor 
  raiding is a possibility, the jomsvikings spend all 
  their time training and collectively preparing for 
  the next year’s wars.
  NPC Reactions:  The majority of those who 
  have heard of Jomsborg believe it to be nothing 
  more than a legend, with precious little evidence 
  of its existence beyond a few runestones and poetic 
  verse. Few make the mistake of believing that there 
  are no such thing as jomsvikings, however, for a 
  great number of warrior-societies have sprung up 
  to embody and recreate the ideals of that mythical 
  city, and there can be no denying that jomsvikings 
  themselves are real, even if the city that they strive 
  to emulate may be nothing more than a pretty 
  story.
  
  For the most part, jomsvikings are treated 
  as any other group of mercenaries. Those who pay 
  attention to such things will no doubt be aware 
  that jomsvikings have a reputation for excellence 
  among mercenaries, and would likely have a 
  greater respect—and healthier fear—of a band 
  of jomsvikings than of the average mercenary 
  band, but even then most consider them little 
  more than extremely effi  cient and extremely 
  well-disciplined soldiers. Only poets, and those 
  who idolize warrior cultures see the romance of 
  the ideals that the jomsvikings uphold. This can 
  occasionally lead to diffi  culties for those who 
  unwittingly insult the ideals of the jomsvikings, as 
  the warriors themselves are very passionate about 
  their reclusive, almost religious devotion to martial 
  training.
   
  Lore: Characters with ranks in Knowledge 
  (local) can research jomsvikings to learn more 
  about them. When a character makes this skill 
  check, read or paraphrase the information from the 
  table below, including entries for lower DCs.
  Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dclipart
  
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  Alex Riggs, Joshua Zaback
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  A-Viking We Will Go!
  Vikings. These ancient warriors, seafarers, and 
  explorers have left an undisputable mark on the course 
  of western history. Throughout the middle-ages they 
  were feared and hated throughout Europe as an 
  uns
  unstoppable scourge of rabid barbarians. In the East, a 
  group of Vikings formed one of the most elite military 
  units in the Byzantine Empire. They were far ahead of 
  their time in terms of seamanship, and their 
  extensive travels brought them to nearly every corner of 
  the world, long before most of their contemporaries.
  Now you, too, can harness the power of the Viking. This 
  book takes a look at what it means to be a Viking, both 
  from a historical perspective, providing information on 
  Vikings in the way that historical evidence indicates 
  they really were, and from a mythological perspective, 
  providing information on the modern myth of the 
  Viking, and the way that Vikings are seen today by many 
  pe
  people, regardless of whether or not it’s accurate, and 
  also provides some advice and suggestions for running 
  Viking-themed adventures.
   
  Even better, though, Ancient Warriors: The Vikings 
  provides seven brand new and highly expansive and 
  detailed archetypes for a variety of classes, allowing 
  them to bring out their inner berserker. On top of this, 
  the book contains three prestige classes—the berserker, 
  the housecarl, and the jomsviking—each of which not 
  only has new and exciting mechanics that make the class 
  come alive, but also contain detailed background 
  information and tips on roleplaying characters 
  of that class.
   
  If you’re a fan of Vikings, this book is a great tool 
  towards creating a truly memorable Viking experience at 
  the table. If you’re somehow not a fan of Vikings, that’s 
  fine too: by the time you’re done with this book, 
  you will be.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Necromancers of the Northwest/Ancient Warriors - The Vikings.pdf