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Frequently
Asked Questions
Overview
World and Setting
Gaming System Information
More Information
Why should I play Valherjar: The Chosen Slain?
The simple, and shortest, answer is
because it gives you a fantastic world of modern conflict, political
intrigue, magic, and monsters…but that's just the tip of the proverbial
iceberg.
Valherjar also allows
you to use any style of roleplaying you want as the focus of your
gaming. It can be rich with political intrigue, subtle social manipulation,
and high powered bargaining. It can be packed with soul shattering
combat full of Vikings, Samurai, knights, Rangers, SEALs, or any
other warrior you can imagine, all wielding shotguns, axes, machine
guns, broadswords, bows, and sniper rifles side by side. Or it can
be a balance of the two, producing a game that is full of both fighting
and intrigue. But that's only the beginning.
More than just "another roleplaying
game," Valherjar: The Chosen Slain brings a number
of uniquely entertaining aspects to the genre. First and foremost
is our fresh and original take on one of the most classic mythologies
of all time. In Valherjar, players take the roll of
fallen mortals, resurrected by the gods, returned to Earth to try
and change the balance of fate and avoid Ragnarok, the apocalypse.
Included with this is a re-imagining of the Norse gods, a full mythology
incorporating not only the Valherjar, but also their nemeses, the
Jotnar, and exciting interpretations of traditional Rune Magic.
Next there is the clash of a modern
setting with historical warriors, which is totally unique among
roleplaying games. Valherjar not only allows you to
play literally any character from throughout history, but also lets
you roleplay the dynamic of that character being reintroduced into
a modern day world. Or, if your character is only recently dead,
lets you roleplay the drama of being returned to a world your character
will never truly be a part of again.
Finally, Valherjar brings
a depth and quality of story that is rarely seen in today's gaming
market. Built on a pre-developed story arc, most of the events and
developments of the Valherjar world have been designed
to flow smoothly while advancing the story, and will all be told
through a Real-Time arc -- which means that each year in real life
is a year in game. This will allow players to experience a fast
paced and ever changing adventure while following the actual progression
towards the apocalypse.
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Is this a Pen and Paper or Video Game?
Valherjar is a Pen and
Paper, or Table Top, roleplaying game…though we hope to someday
have video games and other forms of entertainment based on the property.
This means that it is played socially, with two to six players sitting
around a table, resolving most of the actions and conflict through
narration by the players, using dice to add an element of chance.
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What will I need to play Valherjar?
All you'll need to get started playing
Valherjar is a copy of the Core Rulebook, a handful
of six-sided dice (the kind you find in just about any board game
you happen to have lying around the house), and a couple of good
friends to experience the adventure with.
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What is Valherjar's Setting?
Valherjar is set in
a nefarious mirror of our own modern world, and so the vast majority
of the setting is a very conventional modern world. What separates
it from our reality, however, is the even more dire series of recent
events they have suffered. The United Nations is no more, having
been torn asunder by greed, corruption, and strife. NATO has banded
together as an anti-terror police force and is now the single largest
entity across the globe for resolving points of conflict. South
America, France, Indonesia, and the Middle East have all erupted
into varying forms of chaos, and the United States has become the
focal point for attacks against the free world.
Within this descending spiral, the
forces of both the Aesir, the gods, and the Jotnar, their monstrous
nemeses, engage in a covert struggle for the future of the universe.
Fighting in clandestine conflicts, carefully hidden from the eyes
of mortal men, the two forces desperately seek to gain an advantage
that will allow them to either avert, or overcome, the apocalypse
destined to engulf all of creation.
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What is a Real-Time Story Arc?
A Real-Time story arc is one that
progresses the in-game setting at the same pace as events occur
in real life. This means that year by year the background for Valherjar
will be constantly evolving and illustrating the actual decent towards
Ragnarok.
Primarily this is done through "Year
Books," annual sourcebooks that illustrate the major changes for
the year and give players an overview of changes in political power,
updates in major events, and an opportunity to potentially implement
real-life events in-game. In addition, it will also allow us, the
developers, to incorporate actual gamer generated influence through
an exciting international tournament system -- which means your
personal characters may have a chance to influence the entire Valherjar
world.
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What is included in the Valherjar Core
Rulebook?
Included within the Valherjar
Core Rulebook is almost everything you need to have hundreds of
hours of fun within our game. It includes base setting information,
backgrounds and history on the gods and the Valherjar, over eighty
different spells based on traditional schools of Runic Magic, more
than fifty different types of modern and historical weapons and
armor, dozens of antagonist templates for the Jotnar, the nemeses
of the gods, and information for creating infinite varieties of
your own devise, and story and campaign ideas enough to fill years
of gaming fun.
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What roleplaying system does Valherjar
use? Is it D20/OGL or proprietary?
Valherjar is dual statted,
so the short answer is both.
The majority of the book is written
and presented in the context of Game Monkeys' own proprietary AOR
Gaming System, a fast paced and easy to learn "one-throw" system.
But the books also include a full D20 appendix for Open Gaming License
play. The reason for this, simply enough, is that we wanted to give
gamers a choice as to how exactly they wanted to play Valherjar.
Those looking for an exciting new gaming system will love the quick
action resolution and unique feel of the AOR System, while D20 fans
will find an invigorating rules set for incorporating the Valherjar
mythos into both new and existing campaigns.
For more information please choose
either: AOR System | D20/OGL
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What is the AOR Gaming System?
Designed to combine realism and fluidity
of play, the AOR System gives players a revolutionary amount of
player control while only requiring a single roll of three six-sided
dice to resolve every aspect of an action. Using an attribute, plus
skill, plus dice roll vs. target number mechanic, at the heart of
the AOR System is the Action Opportunity Roll, an innovative concept
that allows the player to decide where they want to put the emphasis
for their character's action; balancing their dice between effectiveness
of performance and speed of completion.
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What is included in the Valherjar D20/OGL
appendix?
D20 players looking for intriguing
new story elements will love that Valherjar not only
introduces an exciting and original mythology, but also includes
rules for bringing any existing D20 character into the Valherjar
world, or for incorporating the Valherjar world into
any existing D20 campaign. Since the Valherjar are created from
the ranks of the dead, we felt there was a beautiful opportunity
available within the open aspect of D20 play. So rather than forcing
you to discontinue playing your beloved veteran hero, we instead
designed Valherjar to be universally applicable to
other OGL campaigns -- by introducing the Valherjar as a character
template and Prestige Class that endows your archon with the gifts
and magics of the Valherjar in exchange for the lone prerequisite:
that they die first. Thus you can take any existing character, kill
them, and resurrect them imbued with new and exciting powers --
and then either return them to their existing campaign invigorated
with a new and exciting secret or start a fresh story as avatars
of the gods.
In addition to this marvelous character
enhancement, Valherjar: The Chosen Slain also includes
six new Prestige Classes, a dozen original Feats, more than fifty
types of modern arms and armor, and over eighty exciting new spell-like
abilities to give your character an edge. All designed as tools
to help you build an exciting new Valherjar campaign
or integrate these great new assets into your existing game.
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How can I ask a rules question?
First, please check the Rules
and Errata section of our site to see if your question is answered
there. If not, submit it to our Rules Monkey.
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How can I get further involved in Valherjar:
The Chosen Slain? Is there a demo team I can join?
There are two great ways for you to
get further involved with Valherjar: The Chosen Slain.
The first is by running a Sponsored Gaming Group,
and the other is by becoming a Demo Monkey.
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What is a Valherjar: The Chosen Slain
Sponsored Gaming Group?
A Sponsored Gaming Group is a group
of gamers who gather at their local gaming and hobby shop and run
a regular campaign for Valherjar: The Chosen Slain.
As a Sponsored Group you gain access to a number of cool bonuses
and benefits including; Prize Support for tournaments, National
Recognition for both your group and the store hosting you, input
into Valherjar: The Chosen Slain story lines, and
much, much, more. To get a Sponsored Group started please visit
the Monkey Minions page.
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What is a Demo Monkey?
A Demo Monkey is a player that goes
from store to store, and convention to convention, spreading the
Monkey lovin' by teaching other people how to play our games and
getting groups started. As a Demo Monkey you get all kinds of neat
and exciting goodies for your hard work, from product, to limited
edition swag, to trips to gaming conventions on us! For more information
see the Monkey Minions page.
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My question isn't answered in the FAQ. How
can I get more answers?
If you still can't find an answer
email webmonkey@gamemonkeys.com
with your question.
Emails may only be sent in compliance
with Game Monkey Press' Terms and Conditions.
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