Five Tips From KVAD for Your Roleplaying Game

In the summer of 2023, KVAD turns two years old. After hundreds of hours of adventures in Nordveien, I want to highlight some points I particularly like. Maybe you'll want to use some of these techniques in your own game?

Kunst: Anders Kvåle Rue

After five years of development, and a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2021, KVAD finally saw the light of day. During development you build in game mechanics that look good on paper. But only practice and play over time reveal whether they actually work. Here are five techniques I feel have worked especially well.

1. Wyrd - Age Matters

Suddenly your character's age carries real weight. Humans have an allotted lifespan in this game (about 60 years), and the character's wyrd (the thread of life) tells you when they will die. In KVAD you can burn future years of life to increase your chance of success in the moment. That gives you as a player an exciting choice; how much is this action worth? Will you sacrifice years of your future to succeed now? This technique was inspired by Luke Crane's Miseries and Misfortunes.

2. Write a Kvad - a Poetic Recap

Composing a poem about what you have just played through is possibly the most original technique in the game. It reinforces the saga theme, which is precisely about immortalizing the deeds of the past. This is both a creative exercise and ensures the play group will remember what they did, in the form of a poetic recap. Here I built on the small game Egil, which I wrote for R.I.S.K in 2019.

3. Rewards - Points for Character Descriptions

Reward systems highlight behavior. In some roleplaying games you get points for things like killing monsters, collecting gold coins, or discovering new places. In KVAD you are rewarded for highlighting your character's distinctive traits, such as personality, background, or appearance. When you describe how the saga hero's traits come through in an action roll, you get points. This mindset is inspired by Burning Wheel.

4. Scene Obstacles - the Journey Is the Goal

This concept has been a great success. You give a challenge - for example a journey - a target value, much like traditional hit points (HP). Just as you reduce an opponent's HP in combat, you reduce the journey's target value with various actions. When the value hits 0 you win, and the goal is reached. This technique can be exciting when the drama unfolding on the journey is what you want to focus on. Inspired by ICRPG and D&D 4th edition.

5. Hamingje - the Luck Die

As the skald (game master), I actively use questions as part of the conversation. And with them, the luck die. "Are there predators in this forest? Have there been uninvited guests at your farm while you were away?" Try your luck, and see whether the answer to the roll is yes or no. The one asking the question, or the player the answer concerns, rolls the die. The really cool part is that the players themselves upgrade their character's hamingje - the probability that the answer goes in the character's favor. And to do that, they must forgo upgrading other traits and skills during character development. The agony of choice. Many games use variations of a luck roll, but I feel that in KVAD the rule is clearly visible and an active contributor to the development of the story. Thematically, it also weaves in the goddesses of fate (the Norns) in a good way.

Bonus. Hevnvisa - the Starter Adventure

This is the starter module included with the book, with the stated purpose of teaching the players the rules. The module contains pre-written characters and a gradual introduction of the rules. I have run the adventure countless times now and am very pleased with it. After a session, the players always have a good understanding of the rules, and Sigurd Jarl has usually paid the price. I think one of the success criteria is a very clear premise - Sigurd Jarl has partially destroyed the village, and it is time for revenge. This unites the group immediately, and there is no doubt about what they are to do. Still, there are always variations in how the group reaches the jarl and how they carry out their revenge. The players usually allow themselves to be a little nasty for a while, and it is great fun. There is always plenty of energy around the table when discussing how their common enemy the jarl is to be taken down.

I hope this was useful.

Good luck with your own game.

-KO