Vaesen is a tabletop roleplaying game from Free League. It is intended to be a “nordic horror” setting– but what sold me (as it usually does) is the mythical Britain and Ireland expansion.
One of the things that specifically stands out to me about Vaesen is that it is not about killing the monsters you face, like in Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, or most other TTRPGs. Vaesen is often about placating mythical creatures or discovering a secret to recapture them; if there is fighting going on, it’s more likely the distraction for the creature while the other members of the team are doing what’s actually important.
(This is as good a time as any to say that Dungeons and Dragons is my baseline touchpoint for comparison.)
The introduction to the setting reads like this:
Throughout history, supernatural vaesen have lived side by side with the people of Scandinavia. But these creatures are not perceptible to human senses– unless they choose to be. Invisible, they have helped out on farms, assisted in calving, made sure that stray ewes find their way home, and kept people safe during harsh winters or wildfires, in exchange for some of the farms’ milk and grain. Vaesen have filled the fields with flowers, shown the way to ponds where people can see their future reflected on the surface, and whispered dreams into the ears of the sleeping.
Vaesen
This setting takes our world (specifically around the early 1800s) and creates a mythos: the vaesen are here and always have been. Usually, there is nothing to fear– but this game is a “horror” game. Things have to have gone wrong in order for you and your friends to be there; much of these problems come from the nature of the time period: change and industrialization.
The game centers on “mysteries” which are intended to be 3-shot story lines (3 sessions of 3-6 hours each).
The Players
So, what role do the players have in this world? They are not, like in D&D, some heroes (bordering often on being mercenaries). In the case of Vaesen, the players are characters with The Sight, which allows them to see the Vaesen, likely developing the supernatural ability after a moment of trauma. You are part of resurrecting “The Society,” which has fallen apart, dedicated to protect humanity from the vaesen.
An important part of this game that is explicit (instead of D&D where it is somewhat implicit): without your fellow teammates, you will die. The only way to survive is to work together.
The Dice
In any TTRPG, there’s always a dice mechanic in which the dice rolled decide whether a player action succeeds or fails. While D&D uses 1d20 (with modifiers), Vaesen has a fairly unique system:
- You take the numbers in your skill and connected ability and add them together.
- You roll that many d6s.
- 6s are “successess.” You must get one 6 in order to succeed; sometimes you might need more than one (but that’s for particularly difficult tasks).
- If competing against another human or vaesen with your roll, they also roll d6s; you must roll more than they do.
Additionally, there are times when the game might call for a d66 roll:
- Take two d6s (ideally different colors). Choose one to be the tens spot.
- Roll both die (roll the tens first if using the same color)
- If you roll a 3 and a 4, the result is 34.
Dungeons and Dragons Takeaways
Something I can’t help but do as I play other TTRPGs is compare against my home-game of D&D. Something to consider from Vaesen so far is if a check needs multiple successes to be successful. The common example is trying to convince a king to relinquish their kingdom to the bard or rogue. Have the player roll three persuasion checks in a row, without adding any extra dialogue. All checks would be a DC 20 persuasion check:
- One success determines if there’s going to be an out and out fight. The guards hold their weapons in two hands or draw swords. If the checks are all failures, the adventurers are about to be attacked (if not killed); at least one success means the king raises his hand and the guards fall back cautiously.(It’s also important to note that the king would be removed if there were a serious threat to his life, especially if he took ANY damage).
- If the first roll is a success, a guard asks, “My lord?” Shackles are in his hand. A second success from the three checks means the king says, “No.” If the other two rolls are failures, the guards will attempt to arrest the adventurer(s) for treason and sedition; the adventurers might still choose to fight to avoid this, but become outlaws.
- Whether or not there are three successes decides whether the adventurers are personas-non-grata or people the king finds funny/enjoys the company of. (Notice: there is never a chance, short of powerful magic, that a king would just give up his throne, even on a natural 20.) If the player rolled three successes, the king laughs and is still positively or neutrally disposed to them– they are bold and hilarious to even think that would work! He wouldn’t kill his mercenary jesters. If they only rolled two, the king is displeased; they are not welcome in his court. If they must interact with the crown, they interact with his steward from there on.
- Natural 1s should not only be one failure, but TWO, taking away from a success. Natural 20s should not only be one success, but two, adding a success where there wasn’t one.
- What if there are more than three successes (because at least one natural 20 is rolled)? The adventurers have an even better outcome. They might get a higher payout than arranged. They might be invited to a dinner or ball that evening, allowing them interactions with higher ranking officials. They might be knighted (if they weren’t already earning that outcome). So on and so forth.
Thank you for reading!
I am preparing to run my first Vaesen game and I am excited to try this new system! As I prepare, I’m planning on having several posts devoted to the ins and outs of the game, including a final review after I run a mystery of my own. Next on this list is how to create a Vaesen character.
None of this is partnered content, nor do I have an affiliate link, but if you are also interested in playing Vaesen, you can pick it up from Amazon here.
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