Setting:Heathen Western

Imagine a "Vikings in America" alternate history, but with a fantasy core. The guns, the endless plains, the cardgames, hats, buffalo; all of that is present, but with no trace of Christianity or real historical events. Instead the towns have temples for the Nordic gods. Those skilled in Seidh sorcery wander from town to town, offering their services. The Runesages of the great colleges study and decipher the runic script, using their knowledge to craft enchantments and cast spells. The skalds tell tales of the fastest shooters, and the rugged frontiersmen of their new world.

Which they share with countless native tribes, who worship their ancestors, the land, and their guardian spirits. The Dwarves live in their mysterious keeps beneath the mountains, working away at their masterwork craftsmanship in solitude. The Elves act as guardians of their mythical forests, sharing wisdom and protection to those they deem worthy. Far to the south live the Aztlan, practicing their blood magic and rituals to appease their Pantheon. In the frozen north, the Jötunn frost giants continually raid the inhabited lands below.

Basically, the Heathen Western is a mix between a late 19th century level of technology, and an expansive fantasy realm based on the mythology of the Old Norse and Native Americans.

The System

Character Creation

Character creation in Heathen Western is done through a classless, point buy system. Players start with 300 Build Points which they are free to distribute as they wish. A set of sample character archetypes are provided to help inspire some character concepts, but players are largely free to make whatever they wish.

Ancestry

While all player characters are largely human, many descend from a bloodline which has mixed with the fantastical races of Nyrheim. Players must pick an ancestry for their character; ranging from Human, Dwarven, Elven, and Jötunn. Each provides some statistical and cosmetic differences.

Dilemmas

A key element of Heathen Western is the dilemma system, every character has to take at least one. The represent a core issue of goal your character has, a group has to work together over the course of a campaign to either resolve or simply deal with each others Dilemmas. You can also take an additional Dilemma for +25BP to spend, but of course your character will run into twice as many problems down the line.