Is there a prestige or regular class of vikings or is it just a barbarian with special weapons and such that lives in the cold? If any one could help me find this I would love it, just post the place of retreval.
I always thought of the Barbarian as being pretty much the Viking take on the genre. In my Homebrew I had to house rule two new barbarians as the one in the Players Handbook is not very good for representing Amerinds or Iniute which are the two kinds of Barbarians available to my players (though they can get the standard version if they take Half-Orc or Half Giant).
I always felt that Vikings were a culture and not a class. Any of the classes would fit - just roleplay them in that particular culture.
I think the closest thing would be some sort of dread pirate. the vikings were kind of barbarian pirate types; rapin' and pillagin'. I checked Frostburn, there is nothing in there for 'Viking'.
Just remember when you play a Viking, its rape, pillage THEN burn. (Old SCA joke, sorry.)
Barbarian-beserker types I would save for higher level character. Remember, the etymology of "beserker" comes from "bearskin" which Nordic warriors used to wear. They whipped themselves into a frenzy - rage, raaahrrrr! The prestige that would come with a position like that I would reserve for a higher level character, or one with a higher societal position. Maybe the actual Bear Warrior prestige class later on.
To create a Viking-feeling character, I would take max ranks in Profession (sailor), ranks in Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (religion) (maybe one or two, as they were religous folk), Perform (oratory), Knowledge (nature) (for weather/seasons), Swim, Intimidate, and Balance. For Craft skills, weaponsmithing, blacksmithing, woodcarving; for Profession, maybe fishing and farming.
For equipment: handaxe or longsword, spear(s), chain shirt, probably a dagger for backup.
And don't forget, Deities and Demigods has a 3.0 PrC for the Berserk, literally the norse berserker type warrior. But in all honesty, rangers, fighters, rogues, and bards all work as viking type characters.
If you get the chance you should see if you can snag a copy of the 2nd Edition Vikings Historical Reference book.
Here is the link to the PDF here on the Paizo store:
http://paizo.com/store/downloads/wizardsOfTheCoast/aDAndD2/rulebooks/v5748b tpy7mqx
Actually vikings were not all about rape, pilage, and burning the local fishing villages, though that did happen. Most were only equipped with a handaxe. Though the thaynes could afford steel and thus had swords and shields and chain shirts. As well, their great axes were more like a splitting mauls or a woodsmans axe. (i went to a viking settlement)(Stupid information floating in my head:))
Anyways, viking characters would be alot of fun to play, You could have a whole campaign of vikings, A cleric of a Storm god would be great for vikings, then You could have a Barbarian/fighter. You could have a skald [someone has to sing about their exploits in the mead hall], and also a ranger character would be great too.
I think I have my next adventure arc! Thanks everyone!
Stupid information floating in my head:)) ...
It's not stupid...it just hasn't been used yet. :-D
If you get the chance you should see if you can snag a copy of the 2nd Edition Vikings Historical Reference book.
I love the historical campaign books! I still have my copies of Viking and Charlemagne...They were good books, and I think they really addressed a lot of the issues related to those time periods.
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Vikings would be a culture
and not a Class, if you are
going for the whole Viking
feel I think most of the
appropriate classes have been
mentioned...
Adept would also make a good
choice for a Skald.
and please for the love of God
leave out the horned helms, unless
they have been raiding Celtic lands
successfully, as Ireland is where the
ideal of the horned helm came from, in
honor of the stag god.
game on
Or at least have any non-viking cleric try to convert them a'la St. Olaf or the Christian in Erik the Viking - LOVE that movie.
I love the historical campaign books! I still have my copies of Viking and Charlemagne...They were good books, and I think they really addressed a lot of the issues related to those time periods.
If you get the chance you should see if you can snag a copy of the 2nd Edition Vikings Historical Reference book.
I agree - A Mighty Fortess really influenced my current homebrew. Funny the other two I owned happened to be Vikings and Charlemagne.
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I'd go with Barbarian or Fighter, but you can also go Bard depending on the type of Viking you'd like to be.
You should be Ulfen in regards to race.
Assuming you are going the combat route, choose skills like Swimming, craft (woodworking or weaponsmithing), Intimidate and Survival.
For feats go with Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Endurance, Intimidating Prowess, Athletic
http://wickedthought.livejournal.com/925690.html
I'm still working on it, but the above gives some good info that others have posted as well.
Fighter will be a part of it definitely, Barbarian is also a possibility. I should have mentioned that this campaign is in the Pathfinder/Greyhawk world.
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/dnd/archives/vikingCh aracter
I always felt that Vikings were a culture and not a class. Any of the classes would fit - just roleplay them in that particular culture.
Just remember when you play a Viking, its rape, pillage THEN burn. (Old SCA joke, sorry.)
Barbarian-beserker types I would save for higher level character. Remember, the etymology of "beserker" comes from "bearskin" which Nordic warriors used to wear. They whipped themselves into a frenzy - rage, raaahrrrr! The prestige that would come with a position like that I would reserve for a higher level character, or one with a higher societal position. Maybe the actual Bear Warrior prestige class later on.
To create a Viking-feeling character, I would take max ranks in Profession (sailor), ranks in Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (religion) (maybe one or two, as they were religous folk), Perform (oratory), Knowledge (nature) (for weather/seasons), Swim, Intimidate, and Balance. For Craft skills, weaponsmithing, blacksmithing, woodcarving; for Profession, maybe fishing and farming.
For equipment: handaxe or longsword, spear(s), chain shirt, probably a dagger for backup.
I was thinking a Fighter lvl 5/Cleric lvl 6 - Air Domain (For a Storm God) as a possibility in Pathfinder that would be Gozreh. I'd want a massive Trident/BattleAxe or something.. Viking-ish.
My DM is an archaeologist who specializes in 10th century Norse sites in Northern England.
So of course, I play a ninja and a Hindu-flavored dragon shaman! :-P
Vikings are one of the reasons I think there should be Starting Backgrounds (like d20 Modern) that give out a couple bonus class skills and maybe a bonus feat to flesh out your character. They really need access to Profession sailing and Knowledge geology.