Norwegian Metal Campaign

Mythic Norway

While wasting time reading about Black Metal bands on Wikipedia, I couldn't help noticing what great stage names some of these guys have. Building a Norwegian Black Metal band lineup looks sort of like an adventuring party, doesn't it?

• Fafnir- vocalist
• Shagrath- guitarist/vocalist
• Silenoz- guitar/songwriter
• ICS Vortex- bass guitar
• Winter- keyboard
• Hellhammer- drums

"Hellhammer" is a great name for a metal drummer, isn't it? This really makes me want to run a campaign where where the party are a Dark Metal band questing through mythic Norway. What might that look like?

Soundtrack

This is easy. Play some Black Metal music from youtube to set the tone. Burzum, Emperor, and Darkthrone are a good place to start.

The Hook

A strange cultic symbol

The adventure hook is simple. The party is a black metal band. Their last gig got a little too intense. It was a show in the old Cathedral of Nidarosdomen in Trondheim. Suddenly, in the middle of the show, there was a dark flash and some sort of gateway or portal opened up and sucked you in! But to where? It looks like the Norwegian countryside, but, somehow...darker. And there is a strange cultic symbol nearby.

Game System

Pick an old school DnD of your choice.

Character Creation

This should be fun. The party is a band. Have the players create their character,

1. Pick a really metal name
2. choose musical specialty
3. Starting level 3 is good
1. Since there are no starting weapons, PCs will need to be a bit resilient...
4. Alignment: choose between Pure Black Evil and Nihilistic Neutral
5. Choose a class. Some of you may soon discover you've gained strange cultic ability. Choose between Viking, Anti-Cleric, and Witch/Wizard)
1. Regarding spells, I need to go through the list and find the most metal spell list possible...
2. DCC Spellburn and Ritual rules would be a good fit
6. Equipment

1. your instruments(not too helpful since Mythic Norway doesn't have electricity)
2. your clothes(probably count as leather, studded, or padded armor?)

Adventure

As DM, you really want to sell the mystery of where they are and how they might get back. Point out how bummed they must feel unable to play their instruments. Have them run into places/people they know, but that are different. Tease them with hints at a way back to the normal world.

As for setting, have strange, run-down castles, haunted forests, bleak snow-covered peaks.

Encounters can include:

• Huge dumb Trolls
• Rowdy Vikings
• Cattle-riding Huldra
• Pale alluring Nattmara Werewolves
• Depressive, man-eating Mermaids
• Ship devouring Krakens
• Cryptic Witches
• Hungry Fossegrimen
• Black-Metal Nøkken
• Plague-ridden Pesta
• Forlorn Draugen
• Cattle-tending Wights
• Greedy Svartálfar and Female Elves
• Fanden- the devil himself