Norsca

• NORSCA •

If the Warriors feel that they have cleared out every dungeon this side of Bretonnia, they might need more of a challenge. Norsca provides this challenge! With it's vast ice caverns and endless icy plains, Norsca is home to many fierce beasts. But with these beasts also comes treasure! Rumours tell of hordes of treasure in the northern regions of the land, but whether this is true or not is up to the Warriors to decide.

VOYAGE

To get to Norsca on foot takes a long time. The route is extremely perilous, journeying through the Forest of Shadows and skirting the edges of the Northern Wastes. The trip takes 1D6+10 weeks. If an Uneventful Week is rolled on the Hazards Table then roll again - the journey is definitely not uneventful! This is the reason that most adventurers choose to travel to Norsca by boat. The route by sea takes considerably less time, travelling in a relatively straight line from the northern edge of the Old World, across the Sea of Claws, to the southernmost coast of Norsca.

To find passage to Norsca, the Warriors must travel to a Seaport. Once there follow all the rules for Seaports as found in White Dwarf 196 and 197.

Captains in a Seaport are always travelling to Norsca and back and therefore it is of no difficulty finding one to transport the Warriors. Anytime during his turn, a Warrior may go in search of a Captain. Roll 1D6. If a 1-4 is rolled then a general Captain is available. Otherwise if a 5 or 6 is rolled the Warriors are in luck. A special Captain happens to be in town today and offers to give the Warriors voyage to Norsca. Roll 1D8 on the Captain's Table to see which Captain offers to take the Warriors across. If the Warriors decide not to accept the offer of a Captain, then the Captain is insulted and instructs all other Captains to refuse the Warriors voyage until their next adventure.

The cost of the voyage to Norsca is (1D8+2)x100 Gold. This must be divided by the number of Warriors seeking travel to determine the amount of Gold each Warrior must pay. Once the cost of the voyage has been established, roll 1D6 for the number of days before the boat sets sail. The Warriors can spend this time preparing themselves for the sea voyage. If something happens which means the Warriors cannot make the departure time (ie. The Warrior is in jail) then the Captain will arrange through his contacts in the Seaport for the deadline to be met. If a Warrior is in training when the ship departs then the Captain will not wait - the Warriors may seek out a new Captain.

SEA OF CLAWS

The journey to Norsca is relatively short as travel is not over a vast expanse of ocean - rather, just across a small sea - the Sea of Claws. The entire voyage takes 1D6+4 weeks, not months.

As the journey to Norsca is not long, Captains are forever transporting groups of adventurers back and forth, for a certain fee of course, to sample the superior Norse wares. With so many Warriors, the Captains can become a good judge of character. Often in the middle of a raging storm, a Captain will throw a rowdy Warrior overboard for disrupting his crew. Because of this, certain events require a Warrior to take note of Dislike Points. During the voyage, the Captain might voice his opinion of the Warriors. If so, the Warriors must roll on the Dislike Table. Each Warrior must roll separately.

NORSE SEAPORT

Once the Warriors arrive in Norsca they will be in a Norse Seaport. They may visit locations immediately, before setting off on an adventure. Treat a Norse Seaport exactly the same as a normal Seaport for purposes of rolling for Special Locations, Stock availability, etc.

There are three new locations in a Norse Seaport - Norse Wares, the Norse Blacksmith and the Tattoo Parlour. A Warrior does not need to search for these new locations with the exception of the Tattoo Parlour - treat them as the General Store, Weaponsmith, etc. Refer over the page for the items they have for sale.

All items in the Norse Wares and the Norse Blacksmith can be haggled for. The Norse constantly overprice their items, knowing full well that the equipment they offer is better than any Empire-made products. If the Warrior decides to haggle for an item he buys, roll 1D6:

1 The Warrior's skill in haggling leaves a lot to be desired and he is conned into another 50% of the items original cost. Sucker!

2 The Warrior is conned into another 25% on top of the items value.

3-4 The shopkeeper won't budge on the cost of the item.

5 The shopkeeper gives in and sells the item for 25% off.

6 The shopkeeper is overwhelmed by the ferocity of the Warrior's bargaining and sells the item for half price.

ADVENTURING

Once at Norsca, the Warriors will surely seek out some ice caverns and go adventuring. Ice Caverns are treated the same as normal dungeons apart from the following new rules:

If the Warriors find Gold after a battle, each Warrior can ignore the first '1' that he rolls. If there is more than one '1' then he receives nothing. This is due to the fact that Ice Caverns are largely unexplored and gold is likely to be plentiful!
If you are not using the Norse Monster tables then the maximum amount of Monsters will be present. eg. If the Warriors encounter 2D6 Goblins then there will be 12 of them.
All the normal Settlements are in Norsca apart from a Seaport. Norse Seaports replace the normal Seaport.

NORSE WARES

EQUIPMENT	B	D	E	W	STOCK	(BUY)	(SELL)	SPECIAL RULES
Thick Furs	•	•	•	-	5	250	50	+2 Toughness. When hit, roll 1D6. On a roll of a 1, the furs are torn to tatters and are now useless. May be worn in addition to leather, chainmail or light armour in which case the Warrior is at -1 Movement and -1 To Hit.
1D6 Hard Rations	•	•	•	•	7	70	10	These rations heal 4 Wounds. Unlike normal bandages, they do not spoil at the end of an adventure.
1D3 Torches	•	•	•	•	4	50 Each	-	Acts the same as the lantern. Each turn roll 1D6. If a 1 is rolled the torch goes out. If a Warrior with a torch is too far from the lantern when it extinguishes, he must roll on the Escaping Table in the back of the Adventure Book.
1D6 Flasks of Oil	•	•	•	•	5	100 Each	50 Each	When thrown on a Monster, the Monster can be set alight with a torch. The Warrior holding the torch must be adjacent to the Monster. The Monster takes 1D4 damage (with no modifiers for Toughness or Armour) at the end of every turn for 1D4-1 turns.
Compass	•	•	•	•	7	250	30	The Warriors can use the compass in the wilderness to get a bearing on their destination. Subtract 1D4 weeks from outdoor travel. If a 4 is rolled, the compass malfunctions and leads the Warriors astray - add 1D4 weeks to travel.
1D6 Bottles of Grog	•	•	•	•	4	50 Each	30 Each	Grog is good payment when it comes to ocean travel. Any Captain will accept 1D6 bottles of Grog instead of Gold as payment for one Warrior.
Animal Roll 1D4 to see which Animal the Warrior buys: 1 Seagull 2 Parrot 3 Squirrel 4 Marmoset	•	•	•	•	9	200	-	Only 1 of each Animal may be kept by a Warrior. After each adventure, when the Warriors emerge from the dungeon, roll 1D6. On a roll of 1, the Animal flies/runs off. No special rules When Monsters are placed which have the Ambush ability roll 1D6. On a roll of 6, the Monsters lose their Ambush ability. Known as the "luckiest of animals". The Warrior gets +1 Luck per adventure. Once per combat roll 1D6. If a 5 or 6 is rolled the Marmoset can steal a Monsters Magic Weapon, Magic Item or anything else within reason (Magic Rings of Toughness etc). These cannot be kept by the Warriors.

NORSE BLACKSMITH

EQUIPMENT	B	D	E	W	STOCK	COST (BUY)	COST (SELL)	SPECIAL RULES
Norse Axe	•	•	-	-	8	600	50	+1D4 Strength. Because the Norse Axe is much larger than a normal Axe, if a 1 is rolled, the Warrior has fumbled and must subtract -2 from the total damage caused.
Norse Throwing Axe	•	•	-	-	7	400	40	1D6 damage with no modifiers for Armour. Missile or hand weapon. Because of its great size, any Warrior wielding it is at -1 To Hit and -1 Initiative. If thrown (at -1 Ballistic Skill), may be collected after all the Monsters in the room are dead.
Metal Helmet	•	•	•	-	6	500	200	+1 Toughness
Norse Helmet	•	•	-	-	8	1400	500	+2 Toughness. The large horns on the helmet give the Warrior an extra attack per turn at -1 To Hit and +1 Strength.
Chain Mail Gloves	•	•	-	-	7	200	40	Can use once per adventure to ignore any one slicing attack made with a bladed weapon.
Arm Greaves	•	•	-	-	6	200	70	+1 Toughness. Cannot be used with a full suit of metal armour.
Metal Shin Guards	•	•	-	-	7	250	100	+1 Toughness. -1 Movement.
Great Scale Armour	-	•	-	-	8	6000	1500	+3 Toughness. -1 Movement. May ignore one attack per adventure.

TATTOO PARLOUR

A large burly Norse gruffly asks what sort of tattoo the Warrior wants. There are two different varieties. For 1D6 x 100 Gold, the Warrior can choose his own inscription. A Warrior can have a maximum of three tattoos - once applied they can never be removed. A tattoo gives the impression that the Warrior is a battle-hardened adventurer. It gives the Warrior +1 to all rolls on any Norse Sea Events marked with an asterisk (*). An alternative to such an expensive tattoo is a ready-made tattoo. These cost 50 Gold each and each Warrior may have one per Battle Level. The reason that they are so cheap is that the inscriptions have already been prepared, although they leave a lot to be desired. Each ready-made tattoo can be used once only to give the Warrior +1 to any Norse Sea Event marked with an asterisk (*) before the tattoo is revealed to be a fake and rubs off. No more than one ready-made tattoo can be used at a time. Roll on the following tables in sequence to find out which tattoo the Warrior is given.

1	I Love	1	Happy	1	(Random Name)
2	My Friends are	2	Nice	2	Mum
3	Happy	3	Scurvy	3	Barbers
4	Long Live all	4	Villainous	4	Yetis
5	I Hate	5	Dead	5	Ruffians
6	Death to all	6	Evil	6	Monsters

NORSE CAPTAIN'S TABLE

1 Blog-de-Blog Ach Ve Dunster

WS	3
Tou	5
Wounds	20

Yes, Blog-de-Blog has a ship but whether he is a Captain is debatable. When the Warriors are ready to sail roll 1D6:

1 The Captain meets the Warriors at the docks and gives them the bad news that (1D4) :

1 The ships base has taken considerable damage and needs repairs. He insists that each Warrior pays an extra 1d4x100 for repairs.

2 The mast has snapped in a recent storm. The characters must share the repair cost of 1d8 x100 Gold.

3 The Main sail has taken a large tear from a cannon ball accidentally fired in the port. It will cost each Warrior 1d4x 50 Gold each for repairs.

4 Some of the crew are demanding more money. The Warriors must each pay another 100 Gold.

2 Due to low crew the trip will take an extra 1D6 weeks.

3 Because of a better offer, the Warriors must each pay another 50 Gold to keep the Captain interested.

4-5 Everything is running according to plan.

6 The Captain reports to have found a faster route to the destination, cut 2 weeks from the travel.

2 Sven

WS	3
Tou	5 (6)
Wounds	25

Sven, although not being the greatest Captain, is reasonably trustworthy and gets the Warriors where they are going in an acceptable time. When arriving to depart roll 1d6 :

1 Bandits have slashed the boats sails and to repair them needs 100 Gold from each Warrior. If the Warriors decide not to pay they have lost this ride.

2 The boat has a leak. 50 Gold from each Warrior is needed to repair it, plus an extra 2 days in the dock.

3-4 Sven reports that all is ready.

5 Sven reports good sailing weather. Subtract 1 week from travel.

6 Sven reports a quicker route. Subtract 1D4 weeks from travel.

3 Olas

WS	4
Tou	5 (6)
Wounds	27

Olas is an average Captain with a reasonable crew. Roll 1D6 on this table at the time of departure:

1 Olas is sorry to report that his galleys figurehead has been damaged, and it is important for it to be fixed for the crews morale. He insists that each Warrior gives him 50 Gold as a token of good will. Otherwise add 1D6 weeks to travel.

2 Olas regrets to say that there are rumours of pirates raiding ships along the path that leads to the Warriors destination. To avoid pillaging and plundering, Olas say he will skirt around this area adding 1D4 weeks to the trip.

3-4 Olas informs the warriors that the galley is ready to cast off.

5 Olas informs the Warriors that ten extra oars have been added to his boat cutting the travel down by 1D4 weeks.

6 Olas is in high spirits today and give each warrior 1D2 bottles of grog. A celebration is had as the great galley casts off from the dock.

4 Eric

WS	5
Tou	5 (7)
Wounds	30

Eric is above average when it comes navigation, and is a fair Captain. Roll 1D6 when the Warriors are ready to go:

1 The Warriors meet Eric walking up and down the pier. Upon inquiry the Warriors find that Eric's wife is going to give birth any day now and he is unsure about embarking before, Feeling he should wait until after the event. If the Warriors (one at a time) wish to try and talk him into going before, roll 1D4:

1 All the Warriors pleas are for naught, for Eric make up his mind to stay.

2-3 Eric is still unsure.

4 Eric finally comes to his senses, realising that the child would be born whether he was present or not. The ship casts off as planned.

If Eric is still unsure after all the warriors have tried then he decides to stay. Therefore this add another 1D6 days before the ship leave. No need to roll on this table again.

2 Eric tells the Warriors that there is a storm coming and they won't be leaving for 2 days. No need to reroll on this table.

3-4 Eric reports that everything is running to schedule. The Warriors leave immediately.

5 Eric says that there will be calm seas. Subtract 2 weeks from travel.

6 Eric is in a fine mood when the Warriors arrive claiming that he has just found a treasure horde. He says he is feeling generous, subtracting half from the payment of each Warrior.

5 Vorak

WS	5
Tou	6 (8)
Wounds	35

Vorak is a good Captain with stern leadership. Roll 1D6 when the Warriors are ready to depart:

1 The Captain looks angrily at the Warriors as they approch. When they arrive he yells at them saying they are late and have cost the ship a good wind. He then demands compensation of 60 Gold each.

2 Vorak looks up at the Warriors and states that his ship was crashed into by drunken fishermen the night before and will be repaired within the next two days. The Warriors must spend an extra 2 days in the port before departure. No need to roll again on this table.

3-5 Vorak waves the Warriors aboard and then sets sail.

6 Vorak explains he has just hired a brand new crew - young and strong. This will cut 1D3 weeks from the travel.

6 Condra

WS	6
Tou	6 (8)
Wounds	35

This Captain has fought many a battle and keeps hard order over his crew. When the Warriors head down to the ship to leave roll 1D6 and look on this table:

1 When the Warriors reach the ship they discover that Captain Condra is still recovering from a recent battle, and won't be able to leave for another 2 days.

2-4 Condra shakes the Warriors hands mightily and welcomes them aboard.

5 The Captain welcomes the Warriors, saying that he has overstocked the ship's supplies. The Warriors may each buy 1D6 bandages and 1D6 provisions for half price.

6 Captain Condra is talking to his first mate when the Warriors board the ship. He turns to them with a big grin, just visible under his black beard, and tells them they are in luck. The last ship he plundered was loaded with so much treasure that he insists that they don't pay him anything and to be his guest.

7 Steg Olafson

WS	6
Tou	6 (8)
Wounds	38

Steg is as Norse as they come. With his strong accent the Warriors find it difficult to understand him, especially since his mouth is covered with a large bushy beard. Fortunately, he is a good Captain. When it's time to leave roll 1D6:

1 Unfortunately, Steg has died during the night and the voyage is off. Apparently he suffocated on his beard! The Warriors may look for another Captain, subtracting 1 from the dice roll.

2 Steg has been in town celebrating all night, and when the Warriors see him he is not looking too good. He postpones the voyage for another day while he recovers.

3-4 As the Warriors board the ship, Steg calls out "Aaaaar aaaaaargh aaaaaargh………… Arrrrrrrrrgh, me hearties."

5 Steg greets the Warriors warmly, adding he is pleased that he was able to hire a cleaning crew - now the Warriors need not swab the decks. Each week, each Warrior may regain 1 lost Wound due to rest.

6 Steg has been informed by fishermen in the Sea of Claws about enemy ships nearby. If the Warriors roll a battle on the Norse Sea Events Table, then reroll the event, as Steg has guided the ships safely away from the enemy.

8 Captain Silver

WS	7
Tou	6 (9)
Wounds	40

Captain Silver is renown in these parts for being the best Captain and having the swiftest galley around. When the time comes to board his ship roll 1D6.

1 Captain Silver looks up when he sees the warriors approach, and explains there has been a delay with the merchandise he is taking on the trip. He apologises again saying to halve the payment of the trip.

2-4 Captain Silver nods to the Warriors as they board his mighty galley.

5 Captain Silver seems in high spirits as the Warriors approach, and tells them he has discovered a faster route taking 1D6 weeks off the trip.

6 Silver takes the payment and tells the Warriors that he has just loaded a variety of fine food for the journey. Each Warrior can add 1D4 Wounds each week.

Norsca by Ben Head.