''Draug'' is a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
supernatural horror
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
(RPG).
Contents
''Draug'' (named after a type of fictional Scandinavian undead), is set in a semi-historically accurate Norway of 1801 that features supernatural creatures from Norwegian fairy tales. The game, which uses the ''
FUDGE
Fudge is a type of confection that is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk, heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. In texture, this crystalline cand ...
'' game system,
is designed for 1–5 players and a
gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
.
The players create characters who have ten traits or abilities (two of them great, three of them good, and five of them only fair). The characters are ordinary people who are plagued by supernatural creatures such as
nøkken
The Nixie, Nixy, Nix, Näcken, Nicor, Nøkk, or Nøkken (german: Nixe; nl, nikker, ; da, nøkke; Norwegian nb, nøkk; nn, nykk; sv, näck; fo, nykur; fi, näkki; is, nykur; et, näkk; ang, nicor; eng, neck or ) are humanoid, and ...
,
hulder
A hulder (or huldra) is a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore. Her name derives from a root meaning "covered" or "secret". In Norwegian folklore, she is known as huldra ("the rchetypalhulder", though folklore presupposes ...
,
vetter,
trolls
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
, and
nisser
Nisser is a lake in Nissedal, Norway. It is the 13th-largest lake in the nation by area with a surface area of , the 10th largest by volume at 7.19 km³, and the 13th deepest at . It is located in Nissedal and Kviteseid municipality in Ves ...
. The game focuses on cooperative problem-solving rather than combat.
Publication history
''Draug'' was created by Matthijs Holter in 2004 and was published by Spartacus Forlag
as a 240-page book that is divided into information for players, information for the gamemaster, and several adventures. It was the first RPG to be based on Norwegian history and beliefs.
The following year, Holter followed up with the first supplement, ''Beist og Borgerskap'' ("Beast and Bourgoisie"), a 73-page book of three adventures with three different modes of play:
*"Festligheter på Fladebye" ("Festival at Fladebye") is a murder mystery set in high society.
*"Uren, Luren" ("Up in the Hills") is a
narrativisic adventure inspired by Norwegian folk tales collected by
Asbjørnsen and
Moe
Moe, MOE, MoE or m.o.e. may refer to:
In arts and entertainment Characters
* Moe Szyslak, from the animated television show ''The Simpsons''
* Moe, leader of The Three Stooges, played by Moe Howard
* Moe Higurashi, supporting character in ''Yash ...
.
*"Jern Katja" (Iron Katja") is a horror adventure set in a rural environment with a tragedy in its past.
Reception
In a review for the Norwegian magazine ''VG'', Brynjulf Jung Tjønn liked the game, saying, "With the help of some dice and a book of 240 pages, you can make Norway a free country in the 19th century."
In a review for the Norwegian magazine ''Universitas'', Vegard Den Lokale Uteliggeren complimented the game on its simplicity, saying, "The rules are simple and easy to understand, and you apparently do not need a calculator or nerd skills to play." Uteliggeren did caution that "It is possible that it will only become really interesting if you are interested in history and folklore." Uteliggeren also thought the game occasionally veered too close to mundane, noting that "Some of the environmental descriptions in ''Draug'' are dangerously reminiscent of what one finds in an average school book, but the game is saved by the captivating thought of having to play through Norwegian history where in a dramatic moment the national assembly at Eidsvoll rescues an evil Danish Santa with poisoned porridge." Uteliggeren concluded with a strong recommendation, saying, "
he game
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
requires a little more advance work, and it can be a little stressful at first to pretend to be a crowded outcast or a hard-working Haugian widow, but in the right surroundings - for example cabin trips in the Norwegian mountains - it should quickly become fun. Anyone who can think of a creative alternative to ''Ludo'' or ''Monopoly'' should try ''Draug''.""
Writing for the Norwegian magazine ''Adresseavisen'', Tone Almhjell said, "This is brilliant entertainment. (…) There is so much inspiration here that it should last for years of fun."
Other reviews
* ''RPG Review'' June 2011 (Issue 12)
References
Fantasy role-playing games
Historical role-playing games
Norwegian role-playing games
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