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by Markus Salo

A solo dice game of Viking Raids of the Ninth Century

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NORSE ODYSSEY by Markus Salo (msalo71@yahoo.com) INTRODUCTION A solo dice game of Viking Raids of the Ninth Century. Summer of 869... You and your 10 Kinsmen from Olafursdal, Norway, build the most beautiful dragon ship ever constructed on the Heimdalsfjord and set sail to trade and loot the riches of Europe. It's early April and you have 32 weeks (turns) before you have to be back home when the winter comes. The Ship: Basic Ship has Speed 1, Rigging Strength 5, Hull Strength 5, Navigation equipment 1; to get additional properties roll d6 five times on the Ship Property Table. You can also buy extra properties costing 10 golds each when in Olafursdal. 1d6 Extra Properties 1 +2 Speed on Oars (Rivers, Calm Seas) 2 +2 Speed on Sail (Sea) 3 +2 Hull Strength 4 +2 Rigging Strength 5 +2 Navigation equipment 6 Pick any The Vikings: Roll d6 on the Viking Skill Table: you have three properties, your Kinsmen two. You, the Earl of Olafursdal 1 Gudmundur Gudmundsson 2 Jonmundur Gudmundsson 3 Eirik Thorfinnsson 4 Leifur Thorfinnsson 5 Einar Thorfinnsson 6 Knut Havardsson 7 Baldur Havardsson 8 Thorfinnur Eigilsson 9 Snorri Eigilsson 10 Gestur Eigilsson Viking Skill Table: 1d10 Skill 1 Navigation +1 2 Sailing (Sailing Speed +1) 3 Rowing (Speed on Oars +1) 4 Boat Building (Repair 1 ship damage per turn) 5 Fighting +1 6 Pick Any 1-5 7 Negotiating +1 8 Trading +1 9 Charisma +1 10 Pick any 7-9

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The Map The Map consists of North Western Europe and following bodies of water and countries. Seas Countries North Sea Germany North Atlantic France Bay of Biscay England Sea of Ireland Scotland English Channel Ireland Helgoland Spain Norway (Home) When sailing on the sea, roll on the specific Sea Table for sea events. When landed, roll on the River/Land Event Table. To successfully pass the Challenge, roll 2d6 as the Challenge roll. Then roll 1d10 as the Skill Roll and add the number of required skills to it. If the Challenge roll is lower that Skill Roll plus number of required skills, you pass the Challenge successfully. North Sea Table: To cross the north sea takes 3 turns, so roll three times on events 1d10 Challenge Skills Notes 1-2 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Rigging Strength -1 3 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 4 Calm Sea Rowing if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 5 Fog Navigation if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 6-10 Great Sailing - - North Atlantic Table: To cross the North Atlantic takes 4 turns, so roll two times on events. 1d10 Challenge Skills Notes 1-2 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Rigging Strength -1 3-4 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 5 Calm Sea Rowing if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 6 Fog Navigation if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 7 Pirates - see Pirates 8-10 Great Sailing - - English Channel Table: To cross the English Channel takes 2 turns, so roll two times on events. 1d10 Challenge Skills Notes 1 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Rigging Strength -1 2-3 Rocks Navigation if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 4-5 Calm Sea Rowing if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 6-7 Fog Navigation if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 8 Pirates - see Pirates 9-10 Great Sailing - - The Irish Sea Table: To cross the Irish Sea takes 2 turns, so roll two times on events. 1d10 Challenge Skills Notes 1 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Rigging Strength -1 2-3 Rocks Navigation if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 4 Calm Sea Rowing if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 5-6 Fog Navigation if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 7-8 Pirates - see Pirates 9-10 Great Sailing - -

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The Bay of Biscay Table: To cross the Bay of Biscay takes 3 turns, so roll three times on events. 1d10 Challenge Skills Notes 1-2 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Rigging Strength -1 3-5 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 6 Calm Sea Rowing if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 7-8 Fog Navigation if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 9 Pirates - see Pirates 10 Great Sailing - - The Helgoland Table: To cross Helgoland takes 2 turns, so roll two times on events. 1d10 Challenges Skills Notes 1 Storm Sailing if unsuccessful, Rigging Strength -1 2-3 Sand Banks Navigation if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 4-5 Calm Sea Rowing if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 6-7 Fog Navigation if unsuccessful, Spend one more turn on Sea 8 Pirates see Pirates 9-10 Great Sailing - - If Rigging Strength is 0, the Boat cannot be sailed. If you can't repair the boat, you float on open seas until you and your crew die of thirst. If Hull Strength is 0, the boat sinks with all hands. The Pirates You face a Pirate Ship with 1d6 Sailing and 1d6 Rowing Speed, 1d6 of Hull Strength, 1d6 of Rigging Strength. First roll weather roll with 1d6. If weather roll is 1-2, there is no wind and the battle is fought rowing. If weather roll is 3-6, the battle is fought sailing. You may evade the Pirates. Roll 1d10 and add your ship speed and the sailing skills (rowing skills if the weather is calm) and navigation skills of your crew. The total sum is your evade value. Then roll 2d6 and add the Pirate Ship speed. If your evade value is higher, you evade the Pirates. If it is lower or equal, the Pirates are able to board your ship. You may also attack the Pirates and board their ship. In a case of boarding battle, you roll 1d10 and add the Fighting Skills to the total. Then roll 2d6 for the Pirates and add 1d6 Pirate Fighting Skills. If your total is higher, you win and destroy the Pirates, if your total is lower or equal, the Pirates win, kill your crew and take your ship. The Land/River Table. Roll once on every land turn. 1d10 Event Skills Notes 1 Rapids Rowing if unsuccessful, Hull Strength -1 2-3 Meeting Engagement - roll on Meeting Table 4-5 Settlement - roll on Settlement Table 6-10 Move further inland - takes one extra turn to return to sea

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The Meeting Table: 1d10 Result 1 Warband 2 Traveling Knight 3 Traders 4 Monks 5 Armed Monks 6 Army 7 Peasants 8 Vikings 9-10 Reroll 1. Warband: A Warband is a group of armed men raiding and looting. It has Battle Strength 1d10. To win the battle, roll 1d10 + the Fighting Skills of Your Group. If your roll is higher, you win the battle, if equal or lower, you lose the battle and lose one random group member. If you win the battle, a random group member gets one Fighting Skill. 2. Traveling Knight: A Traveling Knight will join you and add one Fighting Skill to your Group if your roll of (1d10 + number of Negotiating and Charisma Skills) is higher than 2d6. If not, he wishes you the best. 3. Traders: Traders will Trade with you. If your roll of (1d10 + number of your Trading Skills) is higher than 2d6, you get 20 gold pieces of profit, otherwise you get screwed and lose 10 golds. If you get profit, a random group member get one Trading Skill. 4. Monks: Monks will try to convert you. If your roll of (1d10 + number of your Charisma Skills) is lower than 2d6 a random group member joins the Monks. 5. Armed Monks: Armed Monks will attack you. They have Battle Strength 2d6.To win the battle, roll 1d10 + the Fighting Skills of Your Group. If your roll is higher, you win the battle, if equal or lower, you lose the battle and lose one random group member. If you win the battle, two random group members get one Fighting Skill. 6. Army: The local king has collected an Army to deal with the Viking threat. The Army has a Battle Strength of 3d6. To evade the army, roll 1d10 + the Fighting Skills of your Group. If your roll is higher, you evade the army, if equal or lower, you have to fight and lose three random group members. If you evade the army, two random group members get one Fighting Skill. 7. Peasants: Peasants will Trade with you. If your roll of (1d10 + number of your Trading Skills) is higher than 2d6, you get 10 gold pieces for profit, otherwise you get screwed and lose 5 golds. 8. Vikings: You meet 1d6 fellow Norsemen. They will join your Group if your roll of (1d10 +number of Negotiating and Charisma Skills) is higher than 2d6. Then create 1d6 new Vikings. If not, they wish you the best. The Settlement When you come to a settlement, you can Evade, Attack and loot or Trade with it. Evade: If you evade, nothing happens. Trade: If you trade, you roll 1d10 and add the Trading Skills of your group. If the result is higher than 2d6, you get the gold, if equal or lower, you get screwed and lose half of the amount. Attack: If you attack the settlement, determine first the number of defenders. Then multiple the number by the battle strength of the unit. That's the defender’s value. Your attacking value is the number of your men + Fighting Skills + 1d10. If your attacking value is higher than the defender value, you conquer the settlement and collect the loot; if equal or lower, you lose 1d6 random group members. If you win the battle, all you and five of your men get one Fighting Skill.

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The Settlement Table 1d6 Defenders Loot Trade 1 Manor House 1d10 Peasants 20 golds 10 golds 2 Monastery 2d10 Armed Monks 40 golds - 3 Church 1d10 Armed Monks 30 golds - 4 Town 1d10 Peasants, 1 Knight 30 golds 20 golds 5 Castle 2d10 Soldiers, 1d6 Knights 100 golds - 6 Village 2d10 Peasants 20 golds 5 golds Defender Table Type Battle Strength Peasant 1 Armed Monks 3 Soldiers 4 Knights 5 VICTORY Keep book of the turns. If you don't get to Norway before turn 32 is over, you perish in the cold Northern European Winter. If you get to Norway, you can continue the next spring. With multiple players, the richest player is the winner on turn 32.

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Turn Log 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Crew Log

Name Rank Skill Skill Skill Extra Skill Extra Skill Extra Skill Extra Skill Extra Skill

Earl

1. Kinsman -

2. Kinsman -

3. Kinsman -

4. Kinsman -

5. Kinsman -

6. Kinsman -

7. Kinsman -

8. Kinsman -

9. Kinsman -

10. Kinsman -

11. Kinsman -

12. Kinsman -

13. Kinsman -

14. Kinsman -

15. Kinsman -

Crew Skills Log

Boat Building (Repair 1 ship damage per turn) Charisma Fighting Navigation Negotiating Rowing (Oars Speed +1) Sailing (Sail Speed +1) Trading

Gold

Ship Log At Start Actual

Hull Strength (0=Dead)

Navigation Equipment

Oars Speed

Rigging Strength (0=Dead)

Sail Speed

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