The monograph series of adventures from Chaosium are some of the most unusual (and creative) material published for their flagship Call of Cthulhu (CoC) game. These monographs while not as polished in layout and art from Chaosium's standard books, provide for some truly different and interesting CoC sessions.
The Ravenar Sagas is a set of three linked adventures spanning the adventuring career of six Norse crewmen of the titular ship The Ravenar. Unlike the typical Call of Cthulhu "investigators" these player characters are men of their time and place in history (Scandanavia, 989 AD - 1002 AD), warriors and men of action who fear only the "Straw Death" of dying in beds without their bloodied swords in hand. While there are some aspects of investigation and social encounters, these Viking adventures will revolve around resolving problems with shield walls and swords. The player characters are going to be running towards the mythos creatures shouting battle cries instead of fleeing from them. If you have a group of CoC players who might enjoy 'going Viking' for a change of pace, they are going to have a lot fun with these adventures.
The first adventure "The Unsung Saga" sees the crew of the newly launched Ravenar embark on its maiden voyage and first adventure. The next part, "The Second Saga" takes place 3 years after the first, and the now-seasoned crew of the Ravenar are thrown into their second encounter with creatures of the mythos. The last part "The Vinland Saga" sees the former crewmen - now lords of their own right, with retainers and ships - reunite for an epic adventure at the edge of the known world.
Conclusion: The adventures are well written and there are tactical problems in each of the three parts that need to be resolved with smarts and not simply by hacking and slashing.
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