Alessandro Rocchi
In this preview we discover Futhark – Souls from Valhalla, a roleplaying game based on Norse mythology and runes.
The game is developed and produced by Herne Fun Hunters. If you are interested in the project, we invite you to follow them on their Facebook page and Instagram page.
Preview of the World of Futhark
In the Futhark quickstart we find a preview of the world in which the PCs will live their adventures.
The setting of Futhark is our contemporary world as we know it, with the same countries, geopolitical relationships and everything else. However, creatures from ancient Norse myths and supernatural beings are appearing.
In this game the PCs will be Einherjar, ancient heroes of the Poetic Edda (Norse epic poem) who are reincarnated as simple humans. This leads to the presence of an underworld formed by these ancient heroes who gather in clans and groups.
This setting, as simple as it is, is interesting because thanks to the Norse myths we will have to try to fight and stop the dark forces.
Characters and Internal Balance
The quickstart quickly introduces the character creation system and anatomy.
The choice falls on a very fast and narrative process, so as to allow you to have a character ready to face mythical challenges on the fly. In my opinion the most interesting parts are the creation of the Einherjar’s past and the modeling of the host body.
In fact, the Einherjar is created through a series of questions to determine who they were and what skills they had. Instead, the host body is generated using a table; this duality of the character is the protagonist of one of the most interesting mechanics in the game: Inner Balance .
During the various adventures, our PC will be shaken by the internal conflict between the spirit of the Einherjar and that of the host body. This conflict must be managed well because, if you give in too much to the Einherjar, then you will become a Berserker. Otherwise, if you indulge in the desires of the host body, the Einherjar will be expelled and will have to look for another body.
The Runes
Runes are the heart of the Futhark TTRPG.
In fact, each character will be linked to multiple runes that they can use to unleash immense powers. The interesting thing is that the rune, to be activated, will have to be traced by the player in some way; for example, it could be drawn in the air with a pen or on the sand or in many other ways.
In the quickstart we find all the runes, both in their normal and inverted version, with their Fundamental level powers, that is the basic one. In the complete manual we can instead find all three degrees of power of the runes: Fundamental, Intermediate and Advanced; obviously the higher the degree, the greater the power released.
Among the most interesting runes we find Fehu, which allows us to create a wooden shield, and Reversed Thurisaz, which allows us to detect and exploit the opponent’s weak points.
Futhark System Preview
In Futhark we find an innovative and particular game system. The core of everything is, of course, the runes and thanks to their extraction we try to overcome the various challenges. In fact, each rune has a value that goes from 1 to 20 and this will be essential to pass the tests.
When the character is performing an action with an uncertain outcome, a test will be required. During a test, the first step is understanding which Characteristics and/or Skills are brought into play. After doing this, the Skald (the narrator in Futhark) will communicate the Difficulty Level, which is a number that indicates how difficult the test is from 5 to 20.
Then the player will move on to the Extraction; in this process they will draw as many runes as the value of the Characteristic and/or Skill used (if both are inserted then the sum will be kept). That number indicates how many times the runes can be extracted from the bag. The goal is to obtain a rune that equals or exceeds the Difficulty Level.
Conclusion of the Futhark Preview
In conclusion, Futhark It seems a project with solid roots and an interesting starting point. The fact of wanting to give maximum importance to the runes is very particular and helps to give a precise identity to the game. Surely the system of solving the tests can be something new and particular even for veterans of roleplaying games.
In addition to all this, we find an excellent graphic section that makes us hope for a manual with an even more intriguing aesthetic and illustrations. So be ready, Einherjar: the world is waiting only for you!
