Vaesen: Nordic Horror Roleplaying

Welcome to the mysterious north! – Vaesen is set in 19th century Northern Europe, but not as you know it from history books. This is a land where myths and legends are real. In Scandinavia's dark forests, up in its mountains, or even in the midst of its cities, creatures lurk, hidden from the sight of ordinary citizens. But you can see them, and it is now your responsibility to stop them from terrorizing your fellow humans.

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Vaesen is a role-playing game produced by Free League focusing on Nordic and Gothic horror. The game takes place in an alternative version of 19th century Northern Europe, where mythical creatures exist hidden from society. Only a few individuals with "The Sight" can see these creatures, and are also the only ones who can intervene when a creature takes a dislike to a village. The game is written by Nils Hintze and based on the work of Swedish illustrator and author Johan Egerkrans.

In Vaesen, players take on the roles of members of "The Society." A group of individuals who all have The Sight – the ability to see creatures. Here they work from their headquarters and try to solve occult mysteries in the surrounding small towns. These mysteries are often caused by a creature, and it is the players' task to figure out what type of creature it is and how to get rid of it.

The game proceeds as a kind of verbally improvised drama, where players in collaboration with the Game Master create a story with the players' characters in the leading roles. It is the Game Master's role to control the rest of the people and monsters the players meet, as well as to create and deepen the towns and locations the players visit. It is important to keep in mind that the player and Game Master are not against each other even though the Game Master controls the game's monsters. Tabletop role-playing games like Vaesen Nordic Horror are primarily about creating an exciting narrative together.

An important part of Vaesen is the players' headquarters. This is the place they return to when they have completed missions and rest before they go out to face new dangers. The headquarters can be upgraded during the game, which gives players access to new abilities and bonuses when they go on missions. Another exciting element of the game is of course the creatures themselves. Most have a range of unique behavioral patterns that determine how the creature behaves towards the players and which change as the players interact with it. This helps create dynamic and nerve-wracking situations, as players can never quite know how a creature will react

Vaesen products

• Core Rulebook: This book contains everything you need to know to get started playing Vaesen. Here is information to create your own character, the basic rules of the game, stat blocks for all the creatures, and a pre-written story that you can jump right into.
  
  
• A Wicked Secret & Other Mysteries: This book contains four scenarios that lead investigators around different parts of Sweden. Here they come face to face with creatures from Nordic mythology and folk tales.
  
  
• Vaesen GM Screen: This package includes a beautiful Game Master screen with relevant tables on the inside. Also included is a map of the Nordic countries and Uppsala.

Free League

Free League, or Fria Ligan, is a Swedish board game producer. They have produced a number of well-known role-playing games, several of which have won prestigious awards. They focus on science fiction and fantasy themes, often set in an alternative version of our world. They are behind titles such as: ALIEN The Roleplaying Game, The One Ring, Mörk Borg, Tales from the Loop, and Forbidden Lands.