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‘D20 System’ and the ‘D20 System’ logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the D20 System License version 2.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com.

All game rules and terms are designated Open Game Content for license purposes. So is all of the material in

bordered-style sidebars. The remaining material, including that in

bordered-style sidebars and the presentation of this book as a complete work is designated Product Identity. With the exception of the Open Game Content, reproduction of this work without the written permission of the Copyright Holder is a violation of copyright law and is expressly forbidden.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Avalanche Press Ltd. RO. Box 4775,Virginia Beach,VA 23454 USA I -800-564-9008 www.AvalanchePress.com

Copyright 0 2003 Avalanche Press LTD. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States $America. First Printing, 2003.

ISBN I -93 209 I -08-4

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In 2001, Avalanche Press hired me to edit RAGNAROK! TALES OF THE NORSE GODS. Originally envisioned as a follow-up to the company’s successful GREENLAND SAGA: THE LOST COLONY, “Ragnarok” focused more on the legends of the Viking gods. The book was an instant sensation, selling a t a remarkable pace. Despite being the third RPG book the company published, it was the first to sell out.

In early 2002, a sequel, DOOM OF ODIN, hit store shelves. This book offered expanded rules for a Norse campaign and an epic-length adven- ture. Like its predecessor, “Doom” sold very well and only a few copies of it remain in the APL warehouse.

As we began preparing our 2003 schedule, we were looking for projects that we could give the “CELTIC AGE Treatment.” In other words, we wanted a I gz-page, super-complete mytho-his- torical setting. It didn’t take us long to decide we should return to the world of Norse mythology.

RAGNAROK! TALES OF THE NORSE GODS is the most-often requested out-of-print book from consumers we have. GREENLAND SAGA: THE LOST COLONY is also out of print, and DOOM OF ODIN will be soon. Each of these books was nominated for an Origins Award. Clearly, peo- ple like Vikings.

Hence, VIKING AGE. Here was an opportunity to bring back into print material that people had been requesting for some time. It also gave us an opportunity to truly expand on what we’d done before, giving Vikings the deep historical treatment that had won praise in our other RPG books. Thus, VIKING AGE is, in many ways, “Ragnarok Deluxe Edition.”

If you own those books, though, you’ll quickly realize that this isn’t just a collection of previ-

ously published material. There are many, many changes as a result of treating the Norse and their gods with greater depth. Gone is the fic- tional world of Midgard presented in “Ragnarok.” It is replaced with the real earth and the beliefs of the people who inhabited it in the Ninth and 10th Centuries. While “Doom” featured extensive coverage of Jotunheim and Nidavellir, all of the Worlds of Yggdrasil are treated here.

You’ll also find an historical and cultural study of the Viking Age (officially 793 to 1066 AD). This is an exciting period of history, and there are many opportunities for adventure. VIKING AGE gives you a look a t how Vikings lived, whom and how they fought, and what they val- ued. The legends of their gods are detailed as well as the terrible prophecy of Ragnarok.

As usual, there are numerous new rules designed to accurately recreate the period. VIKING AGE features eight new character classes, a host of new Skills and Feats, and other setting-specific rules. All of the major gods are presented in detail for inclusion in your campaign. Like in RAGNAROK! TALES OF THE NORSE GODS, play- ers can take the roles of both mortals and gods.

The Viking Age is a period rife with adventure, and your party can now cross swords with fell giants in an attempt to stave off the eventual doom of Ragnarok. We’re very pleased to not only have some of this material back in print but to offer a whole new world in which for players to adventure. May your raiding parties find great plunder, and may you have the strength to defeat frost giants and the cunning to outwit Loki.

John R. Phythyon, JK Lawrence, Kansas

June 2003

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