an agon hack by jeff russell

available from
Blessings of the Dice Gods Games
http://dicegods.wordpress.com

Introduction
a note about accuracy
As with the original game, accuracy is not really the goal here.
Ragonarok is a hack for John Harper's RPG Agon that lets you Certainly not historical accuracy, and even the myths have been played
play Norse adventurers instead of mythic Greek heroes. This is not a somewhat fast and loose to give the players more to do and some room
complete game! In writing it, I've assumed that you're familiar with the to maneuver. One of the most notable examples is the expanded
base rules of Agon, so if this seems intriguing but you don't know number of gods offered worship by heroes in the game, whereas in real
what's going on, give the original game a read through, it's great. This life it was mostly just Odin, Thor, and Freyr by the time Christianity
is mostly a cosmetic adaptation, as the rules are so tight and balanced showed up. If your group is a bunch of hardcore Norse mythologists,
for competitive play that I didn't want to muck them up. Also, very then by all means change things up to be more accurate, but the game
little needed changing, as suggested in the conversion notes at the end works fine with cheesy Viking stereotypes and some more modern
of the rulebook. As such, I'm only going to describe the changes - fantasy tropes thrown in for kicks. Don't worry about it too much, kill
anything not mentioned works exactly the same as normal. So grab some monsters, and boast about it in the mead hall.
your horned helmet and axe and go berserk!

what you'll need to play:

A copy of Agon by John Harper The Changes
This Hack and the sheets that come with it
All the stuff you’d need to play Agon hero creation
stuff that might come in handy: your name
The reference sheets included with this hack You'll find a nice list of names at the end of this hack, courtesy
Some tokens to represent heroes, npcs, monsters, et cetera on of the Story Games Name Project. Pick one that seems cool, then pick
the range track the name of your father or mother. If your parent is one of the gods,
Snacks and drinks. Mead and ale are entirely optional but your name die will be a d8 to begin with, and you begin the game with
strongly recommended a fate of 8.
The Poetic and Prose Eddas, Beowulf, The Volunga Saga, other Under 'lineage' of your hero sheet, put your parents name and
tasty Norse mythic material attach
-sson if your hero is a man and -dottir if your hero is a woman. Freyja
Goddess of Beauty and Plenty
heroic trait The beautiful sister to Freyr, goddess of love and
The heroic traits function the same as in normal Agon, but have beautiful things.
different names. If you come up with a more specific description of what Symbols: Necklace, Cats
your character is good at, feel free to pick a new name and use the same Abilities: Cunning, Grace, Aim
abilities.
Beast Master: The Hunter Thor
Clever-Eyed: The Crafty God of Lightning
Far-Reaching: The Reaver The mighty champion of the gods, he wields his
Far-Seeing: The Keen hammer Mjollnir
Fleet-Footed: The Swift against the giants and is simple and direct.
Great-Spirited: The Proud Symbols: Thunder, Hammer
Man-Killer: The Red Handed Abilities: Might, Wrestle, Spear
Monster-Slayer: Monsterbane
Strong-Limbed: The Strong Frigg
Wise-Eyed: The Wise Queen of the gods
Odin's wife and the goddess of foreknowledge and
your god prophecy
There is a list of Norse gods provided below. As mentioned before, this Symbols: Distaff
list is a little more extensive than the historical worship of the gods by Abilities: Insight, Heal, Aim
the ancient Norse, but all are drawn from the Norse myths and had
stories told about them. Baldr
God of Light
Odin The beloved son of Odin and Frigg, shining and
The All-father, king of the gods handsome
King of the gods and master of magical knowledge and Symbols: Springs,
secrets Abilities: Grace, Athletics, Aim
He is the patron of warriors and mystic alike, but is fickle
and occasionally treacherous. Heimdall
Symbols: Ravens, Spear God of Wisdom
Abilities: Insight, Lore, Spear Beautiful and wise, he keeps his wisdom to himself
Symbols: Horn, Rams
Abilities: Spirit, Hunt, Spear
 Weyland
Hel God of Smiths
Goddess of Death The once mortal master of smiths, he provides arms to
The terrible goddess of the underworld, keeper of dark the gods and heroes alike
secrets Symbols: Hammer, Anvil
Symbols: Shroud Abilities: Lore, Spirit, Shield
Abilities: Lore, Might, Sword
weapons
Bragi Your hero can carry one missile weapon:
God of Poetry Bow
The patron of skalds and other poets Throwing Axe, Javelin, or other thrown weapon
Symbols: Harp, Mead Your hero can carry three melee weapons:
Abilities: Spirit, Skald, Sword Shield (max 1)
Spear (max 1)
Freyr Sword, axe, mace or other hand weapon (max 2)
God of Fertility
The creator of plenty, entreated to bless crops and families armor
Symbols: Wagon, Horses Your hero may wear any or all of the following armor:
Abilities: Athletics, Hunt, Aim Helmet (-1 to missile attack rolls)
Mail (-1 to melee attack rolls)
Tyr Greaves (-1 to position rolls)
God of War
An ancient god honored by warriors seeking victory
Symbols: Sword, Fetters
Contests
Berserk: the 'hubris' ability is called "going berserk", even
Abilities: Might, Heal, Sword
when applied to non-physical contests.
Loki
God of Mischief
A terrible trickster, changer of shapes and fickle ally and
Battle
Battle works exactly the same as usual, except for the follow-
enemy of the gods ing optional rules for ship to ship combat.
Symbols: Fire, Snakes
Abilities: Cunning, Boast, Sword ship to ship battle
The ship to ship battle rules are untested and entirely
optional: you can resolve any maneuvering of ships as simple con-
tests that grant advantages in the upcoming battle as usual. If you want non-combat battles
the closing of the ships to actually be a part of the battle however, you Non-combat battles work as described in the Agon rules, but
can use these rules. They take away an element of competition within poetry competitions, drinking competitions, and contests of boasting all
battle by not allowing as much jockeying for positioning, but they also make excellent battles in this setting.
make the positioning rolls more crucial.
First, determine the number of ships involved. Make a note
which heroes and NPCs are on which ships (usually the heroes will all Fate and Legend
be on the same ship. If each is in command of his own ship, use the In Ragonarok, Fate is 'Doom', and Legend is 'Saga'. Otherwise they
normal battle rules). Whichever character rolls the highest positioning work exactly the same.
roll aboard a ship gets to act for that ship, moving either it or one
opposing ship one space.
Resolve combat between characters on ships as normal, just Running the Game
remember that everyone aboard a ship occupies the same range. You will run the game in almost the exact same way as with a
normal game of Agon. You still provide adversity to the heroes, spend
naval special maneuvers strife to create NPCs and contests, and provide color. The main differ-
All of the normal special maneuvers can be used in ship to ship ence is that you're providing Norse flavor instead of Greek. See the
battle, as well as the following: recommended reading section for some good sources for that color, but
if you use the modified Land Creation rules and think 'Viking', you
ramming should have a pretty good time.
Whichever character rolled highest on the positioning roll for
the ship can opt to replace his attack roll with a ramming roll. He picks color
a ship to ram, and rolls his Name + Spirit vs the Name + Spirit of the Norse mythology, like Greek mythology, is centered around
character who rolled highest on the position roll for that ship. Every exceptional people doing exceptional things, but frequently being
victory you win gives a -2 penalty to the next roll by everyone aboard doomed anyway. It is very fatalistic, and there is a sense of doom hang-
the ship. If you fail, your ability is impaired by one level. ing over all things: men, gods, even creation itself. It is bloody, sexy, and
frequently clever and funny. Everything is a little darker, a little grittier,
boarding and a little rougher around the edges than Greek mythology. But the
Whenever two ships are within 2 range or less of each other, core concept that a man is judged by his deeds and how he faces adver-
your character can attempt a boarding action. He rolls his Name + sity and danger remains constant.
Might against the Name + Might of whoever rolled highest on the As a final note, all of this color applies pretty well to Anglo-Saxon
enemy's ship for positioning. If you win at least 1 victory, the ships are and other Germanic cultures as well. Heck, "Beowulf" is about Scandina-
entangled and all characters aboard both ships now position and fight vians. All you'll really need for that is appropriate names and maybe to
as normal for the remainder of the battle. If you fail, your ability is change up some of the names of the gods (like Wodan for Odin).
impaired by one level. Attempting to board replaces your attack action
for the exchange.
land creation communities
As the antagonist, you'll create the lands the heroes visit, and 1. A prosperous town with a hall of learning and a council
make sure they are chock full of adversity and conflict waiting to 2. Savage Cultists of some ancient god-thing
happen. Most of the changes here are cosmetic, to give a more northern 3. Small fishing village
European feel to the places visited, but if you want your heroes to be 4. Hall of a warrior king with brutal martial traditions
farther ranging, feel free to use the original Agon Island Creation rules. 5. Prosperous trading port, with wonders from afar
Not every land the heroes visit is an island by default, but the same sense 6. Nomadic band of proud hunters
of an isolated, self-contained place remains. As with the standard rules, 7. Devout worshippers with ancient temples and
you can roll 1d12 or choose from these lists to come up with the situa- shrines
tion for the heroes. 8. Desperate bands of brigands
9. Close-knit farming community
terrain 10. Bizarre village dedicated to strange practice (prophecy,
1. Rocky, volcanic hills and twisted black trees communing with the shades of the dead, et cetera)
2. Tall, snow-capped mountains, clear streams, and lakes 11. A collection of feuding factions (bloodlines religious, etc)
3. Pebbly beaches and rolling golden fields 12. A crumbling hall on the brink of desolation
4. Huge, ancient forests and winding, dark rivers
5. Sheer cliffs, sea caves, and fjords events
6. Sun-dappled forests and lush green grasslands 1. Feats of strength and skill
7. Freezing snows and blue ice canyons 2. Harvest festival
8. Mist-shrouded swamps and storm-lashed hills 3. Preparations for war with another land
9. High, green mountain vales, connected by passes 4. Marriage celebration
10. Scrub-brush plains and dusty steppes 5. Occupied by army from another land
11. Deep, winding valleys and rocky bluffs 6. Plagued by an angry god (disease, aberrant weather, etc)
12. A massive jagged rock, pitted with caves and twisting 7. Recovering from natural disaster
passages 8. Funeral for great hero or king
9. Bizarre condition (always night, fiery rain, wildlife gone
mad, water turned to blood, the dead rising, etc)
10. Holy pilgrimage from shrine to shrine
11. Construction of a great monument or temple
12. Peace agreement between warring groups
the gods artifacts
1. Odin 1. Enchanted Water or drink
2. Freyja 2. Magical horns/fangs/tusks/claws
3. Thor 3. Divine Weapons or armor
4. Frigg 4. Ancient Stone
5. Baldr 5. Sacred Garments
6. Heimdall 6. Ring or amulet
7. Hel 7. Statue or carving
8. Bragi 8. Crown and/or scepter
9. Freyr 9. Rare animal hide/fur
10. Tyr 10. Ship, cart, or other conveyance
11. Loki 11. Special jar/barrel/bowl
12. Weyland 12. Sacred fire/torch/spit

gods' desires beasts

1. Destroy (something must be broken, torn down, unmade) 1. Golden Boar
2. Restore (something must be fixed, made whole again) 2. Silver Horse
3. Slay (a living thing - or many- must be killed) 3. Oaken Badger
4. Defend (a life must be spared or protected) 4. Fiery Stag
5. Seek (something that was lost must be found) 5. Copper Ram
6. Hide (something must be hidden away from mortal and/or 6. Snowy Bear
immortal eyes) 7. Iron Serpent
7. Release (something must be set free) 8. Shadow Wolf
8. Confine (conflict must be created) 9. Thunder Eagle
9. Incite (conflict must be created) 10. Stone Lion
10. Calm (conflict must be ended) 11. Pine Owl
11. Steal (something must be taken) 12. Bronze Bull
12. Secure (something must not be taken)
men
1. The People of the Black Circle (a secret society)
2. Daughters of Fury (women warrior tribe)
3. The Peaceful Brotherhood (an isolated community
of scholars)
4. The Shadow Walkers (a cult of assassins)
5. Serpent Men (devotees of the Midgard Serpent)
6. The Hundred Swords (a ruthless mercenary army)
7. The Disciples of the Frost Father (Worshippers of the Frost
Giant Ymir and Sacrificers of Humans)
8. The Scourge (cannibalistic bandits)
9. Spider people (master poisoners)
10. Vikings of the Red Banner (fierce but honorable pirates)
11. The Children of the Wood (live in harmony with nature)
12. The Wolf Tribe (humans living among wolf packs)

monsters
1. Troll
2. Sea Serpent
3. Beastmen
4. Dwarves
5. Goblins
6. Werewolves
7. Ogres
8. Dragon
9. Shades
10. Living Statue
11. Kraken
12. Giants
Name Lists
The following names are taken from the Story Games Name Project. Eth and thorn characters (ð, Ð, þ, Þ) are two versions of what we write 'th' in
English. Eth (ð) is pronounced like the th in "that", whereas thorn (þ) is pronounced like the 'th' in "thorn" (go figure). If you keep "th" in mind,
though, it doesn't really matter if you mix em up, they still look cool.
male names Dúi Kormákur Halla Unna a
b
Aðalbjörn Eðvald Þór Gauthildur Brigitta c
Arnar Gunnar Örvar Hjálmrún Dís d
e
Lárus Hafni Astrid Æsa f
female names
Magni Fróði Ingdis Ölrún g
Rúnar Galdur Aðalfríður Jódís Guðfríður h
i
Skúli Njáll Yrsa Lára j
Ásmundur Snorri Þura Mirra k
l
Barði Ormur Árdís Njála n
Geir Óli Bára Gunnhildur o
p
Júrek Páll Úlfrún Hafþóra q
Knút Rafnar Valdís Greta r
s
Gísli Þorsteinn Fríða Oddrún
Berg Reynar Dóra Ormhildur u
w
Eymundur Gnúpur Auðrún Árlaug x
Falur Vörður Freydís Lífdís y
a
Rúrik Þengill Drífa Mardís b
Skíði Grettir Júnía Rúna c
d
Valberg Halldór Kára Selka e
Skjöldur Guðlaugur Einhildur Hlédís f
g
Brimi Sturla Pála Hlíf h
Róshildur
Colophon:
Böðvar Týr Iða
Drengur Unnar Úlfdís Snædís
Sören Hjálmar Rut Sóla This document was created using Adobe Illustrator CS4.
Ægir Ísar Fjóla Ásla The fonts are Runy Tunes Revisited NF, RUNEnglish 2, and Footlight
Ögri Kolgrímur Glódís Sólveig MT Light.
Tindur Alfreð Ardís Eyþóra All images are original work of the author, except the knot-animals,
Úlfur Úlfkell Hilda Finna which are traced from a brooch from Sutton Hoo.
Tór Þeyr Fura Svala The guy above is Oðin.
Gauja
DOOm quests
name die name heroic trait lineage god

8
heroic trait bonus favored abilities
sport
athletics cunning hunt wrestle insight grace
Heart
might spirit
10

oaths divine favor costs

1: open end die

battle craft
1: +1d6 for one roll
2:re-roll 1 die
2: attack again
12 2: move hero 1 range
aim shield spear sword heal lore skald boast 2: no dmg pen for 1 ex
3: +1d8 for 1 roll
4: re-roll any/all dice
5: divine weapon

bow dice shield dice spear dice sword dice

range armor die range range

-1 to next
wounds
roll 1
earning doom

1: avoid wounds from

1 attack
1: remove 4 impair levels
-1 to next roll 2

advantage dice
thrown dice special items 1: completed a quest
helmet -2 to next roll 3 1: defeated
(-1 missle) 1: challenge a god
-1 to all rolls 4
mail
range (-1 melee)
-2 to all rolls 5
greaves -4 to all rolls 6
(-1 position) (defeated)

rewards
completed quest: highest hero roll:
1 divine favor 1-7 glory
win contest: defeat a minion:
1 glory 1 glory
defeat npc:
glory = highest wound done

advances (unspent)

glory divine favor

left right
hand hand
ragonarok saga sheet hero
advances
 most damage most beasts most men
highest ability roll
done in 1 attack defeated defeated
ragonarok great deeds

most monsters most minions most damage most valuable

defeated defeated taken in 1 attack player
ragonarok great deeds
 strife strife strife

insight grace insight grace insight grace wounds

wounds wounds

1 1 1

might spirit might spirit might spirit

2 2 2

heal lore heal lore heal lore

3 3 3

skald boast skald boast skald boast

4 4 4
ragonarok npc sheet

5 5 5
athletics cunning athletics cunning athletics cunning

hunt wrestle 6 hunt wrestle 6 hunt wrestle 6

armor die armor die armor die

aim shield aim shield aim shield

divine favor divine favor divine favor

spear sword spear sword spear sword

weapons weapons weapons

powers powers powers

 strife strife strife

heart craft master heart craft master heart craft master

sport battle master's name sport battle master's name sport battle master's name
ragonarok minion sheet

weapons weapons weapons

powers powers powers

strife strife strife

heart craft master heart craft master heart craft master

sport battle master's name sport battle master's name sport battle master's name

weapons weapons weapons

powers powers powers