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Nordlond Bestiary and Enemies Book: A bestiary and enemies book for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG (Powered by GURPS); it reached the 196 page kickstarter stretch goal
This book fills the need for an general official 4e Bestiary.
Due to the nature of the setting this is an excellent supplement to the Classic: Vikings bestiary. Books or creatures that a listing supplements/replaces are in ().
Base contents
- 30 different animal types, including equine variants suitable for mounts
- Dragons, including degenerate ormur and draconic humanoid servants
- Giants
- Nearly two dozen faerie
- Elementals, constructs, and spirits
- Demons and some servants of the Aesir
128 page creature list[]
Due to the nature of the setting this is an excellent supplement to the Classic: Vikings bestiary. Books or creatures that a listing supplements/replaces are in ().
A[]
- Acolyte: A novice cleric or other low-level initiate in holy or scholarly orders.
- Álfar Warrior (Classic: Vikings): A powerful faerie warrior, gifted in martial skills, and no slouch at magic.
- Álfar Wizard (Classic: Vikings): A faerie mage who uses magic as comfortably as humans breathe air.
- Animated Armor: A construct of quality armor protecting a sanctum.
B[]
- Badger (Classic: Bestiary): A woodland creature that is surprisingly fierce.
- Badger, Giant: When it plays with you, you suffer.
- Baenadýrið: “The Beast of Prayer.” Looks like a very large praying mantis, a demon.
- Bandit/Pirate (Classic: Swashbucklers): Arrr, Captain!
- Bandit/Pirate Captain (Classic: Swashbucklers): Arrrr, Mateys!
- Bat (Classic: Bestiary): Not batman.
- Bat, Giant: Maybe batman. No, just a giant sonar-emitting, blood-sucking creature.
- Berserker: Classic enraged warrior. Those not short-lived due to Berserk are probably pretty dangerous.
- Blaðakona: The Queen of Blades. A six-limbed demon, some of which limbs may be horrid grappling tentacles. (A variant of Peshkali, totally not a marilith)
- Blóðughúfa (Fearsome Faeries - Classic: Faerie; Classic: Vikings): Bloody-hat, the Redcap. A wicked winter Álfar who loves cruelty.
- Bölvaðr: While an eldhuð (totally not tiefling) has a soul and is bound to the mortal realm, the bölvaðr is an accursed demon with human form. Their ability to pass as completely human causes no end of trouble.
- Brenglaðr Ormur (GURPS Dragons): Totally not an evil naga. Really.
- Buzzard (Hawk — Dungeon Fantasy 5): Carrion bird; a hawk variant.
C[]
- Cave Lion (Classic: Bestiary): You thought Simba was the Lion King? Heh. Heh heh heh.
- Crow: A small black carrion bird, a variant (in the game) of raven.
- Cult Fanatic: Totally dedicated. A bit whacked out. An enforcer for an evil cult.
- Cult Warlock: Spellcaster, gifted with a demonic ability to cause damage at range. Every turn. And if you can do that, why do anything else? May or may not be playing host to a demonic rider.
- Cultist: Deluded and power hungry, they always come in groups.
D[]
- Death Dog: A two-headed rabid hound that roams through plains and temperate lands. They travel in packs, and may cross-breed with domestic dogs and wolves.
- Deer, Fallow (Deer - Classic: Bestiary): Medium-sized deer native to Nordlond. Tasty.
- Deer, Red (Elk) (Deer - Classic: Bestiary): Very large deer native to Nordlond. Bringing down one of these will feed folks for a while.
- Dire Wolf (Classic: Bestiary): A 500-lb wolf with serious anger management issues.
- Dökktomte: Dark “gnomes,” they are to gnomes what the Álfar are to the faerie and elves.
- Dolphin (Classic: Bestiary): Cunning, friendly, and powerful, dolphins ply the oceans having way too much fun. Occasionally cruel in their sense of humor.
- Draft Horse (Basic Set): A very large working horse, like a shire horse. Can weigh up to 3,000 lbs.
- Dragon (True) (GURPS Dragons): Not just dragons in many sizes, but a “modifier” system that lets you build a drake up to and including an ancient five-headed dragon where each head has its own breath weapon. Not sure what to call it, though. Tamait, maybe?
- Drekitroll: The dragon-troll. A really nasty draconic thing the size and intelligence of an ogre or troll.
E[]
- Eagle (Classic: Bestiary): Magnificent bird of prey, one of the largest. Sharp pointy talons. Can do bad things even to goat-sized or wolf-sized prey.
- Eagle, Giant: Yeah. Now they’re coming for you.
- Earth Elemental (GURPS Magic - Earth Elemental, Small): A creature of earth and stone.
- Eddarcop. Twisted, bipedal, spider-like monstrosity.
- Eðlufolk: Lizard-folk. Humanoid lizards that are servants to greater draconic masters. Territorial and tribal.
- Elder Stóralf: Totally not a hobgoblin with magical abilities.
- Eldingarlaun (GURPS Dragons): A degenerate dragon with six legs. Spits lightning. Big.
- Ettin: A two-headed mutant jotun, left over and twisted over time once the true elder Jotunn were kicked out of Jotunheim in a ragnarok event long past.
F[]
- Falcon (Classic: Bestiary): Agile raptors, really, really fast
- Falleglygi (Classic: Blood Types): The beautiful lie. Succubus, incubus, tempter. While the shortest distance to a human’s willpower might be through their sex drive, not all are best tempted that way. Any betrayal of self can lead to the falleglygi consuming your soul.
- Farm Horse (Basic Set): Standard working horse, popular because of their versatility.
- Fiendling: Small, vicious little demons resembling a cross of a baboon and a thornbush. They throw…what now?
- Fire Elemental (GURPS Magic, Fire Elemental, Small): yeah. Creature of angry, living fire.
- Fire Giant (Giants — Classic: Fantasy Folk; Classic: Vikings); A far cry from the mighty jotunn of ages past, but still dangerous, intelligent, and hateful of all those who live on Midgard. They mostly dwell off The Broken Coast far to the north and east of Akkerisborg…but sometimes they wander into more populated lands.
- Fjallatroll (Fearsome Faeries - Classic: Fantasy Folk): Mountain troll. Much more intelligent than the bestial thurs, these magic-wielding trolls make cunning and dangerous enemies.
- Flying Sword: It’s a sword. That flies. And tries to kill you.
- Frog, Giant Not quite as bad as giant toads, but even so. Some are poisonous, and many can easily swallow a halfling or dwarf whole.
- Frost Giant (Giants — Classic: Fantasy Folk; Classic: Vikings); Descendants of powerful beings who used to control Jotunheim, they now dwell in solitude in their Granite Halls.
- Frostalf (Jack Frost) (Water Faeries - Classic: Faerie): They believe that they oversee the change of seasons from autumn to winter. Maybe they’re right. Small faerie that pack a cold punch.
G[]
- Gangaeðla: Tunnel lizards or walking lizards, they are the diggers and laborers of dragonkind. Totally not kobolds.
- Giant Rat (Classic: Bestiary): Giant. Rat. A rat that is giant. I mean, really. What else?
- Giant Shark: Large than your typical Nordlond shark, these meat-eaters are the size of the basking shark but without the gentle disposition.
- Goshawk (Hawk — Dungeon Fantasy 5): A forest hawk with shorter, broad wings and a long tail. Astoundingly nimble in flight.
- Green hag (Hags - Classic: Faerie): Have you seen Legend? Meg Knucklebones? Yeah. Her.
- Gremlin (TTrickster Faeries — Classic: Faerie): Totally not from the movie. Really. Or am I kidding? Is that necklace made of elf ears?
- Grendelkin (Fearsome Faeries - Classic: Faerie): Another form of troll. Hulking and green, but not in a derived-from-Marvel way. More of a Beowulf way. They are extremely difficult to bring down unless you know the trick.
- Grim (Classic: Faerie): Ominous faerie dogs with haunting howls, they are favored by nordalfs as mounts, and by more powerful Álfar as pets. They can be affectionate and loyal if trained by the right master.
H[]
- Haf Ormur (GURPS Dragons): A sea serpent, another kind of degenerate dragon or ormur. Can get large enough to threaten small boats or swallow people whole.
- Hafiðfólk: (Merfolk - Classic: Fantasy Folk/GURPS Banestorm): Fish-people or merpeople.
- Hákarlmaðr. Shark head! These half-shark, half hominid are all bitey mean and such. A good stand-in for totally not sahuagin.
- Half-Dragon Warrior: The fiercest of the humanoid dragonkin, they are the leaders and special forces of the bipdedal half-breeds set first against the Álfar, and then the humanoids of Nordlond.
- Harrier (Hawk — Dungeon Fantasy 5): A type of hawk seen flying low and slow over plains, moors, bogs, and cultivated fields.
- Hawk (Dungeon Fantasy 5): A generic raptor, found all over the world.
- Hill Giant (Giants — Classic: Fantasy Folk; Classic: Vikings); Some of the smallest of the true giants, they are none too bright, and roughly on par with ogres, some trolls, and drekitrolls for “big brutes with little or no thought to a monster 401K.”
- Hob: Fierce nordalfar born and bred for battle. Not a bugbear, we swear. Not really a rebranded orc, either, (because those are irzhajotunn).
- Hofvarpnir (flying horse) (Classic: Vikings) Some just fly, some actually have wings. So not a pegasus stand-in, really. Nope.
- Horned Man (Sylvan faeries — Classic: Faerie; Classic: Greece): Satyr or faun. Pretty much the worst stereotype of a frat-bruh, but without all the social niceties.
- Hulder (Classic: Faerie): A beautiful faerie that seems almost human, kind to charcoal burners and anyone who treats them with respect. They get really, really angry if you notice that … hey, is that a cow’s tail?
- Hyena (Classic: Bestiary): A barking, really cunning doglike creature, known for their barking laugh. Uncommon in Norðlond.
I[]
- Ice Alf (Water Elemental, Small - GURPS Magic): A small elemental, not an “alf” at all. Found waylaying (meaning killing) travelers along high mountain passes and anywhere the snow and ice linger.
- Iðntomte (Classic: Faerie): Craft gnomes. Very clever, and not nearly as apt to kill you as their dokktomte cousins.
- Irzhajotunn (Giants — Classic: Fantasy Folk): Runt giants. These human-sized creatures are much more common in Morevel, which is totally not Macedonian Greece. The irzhajotunn are totally not orcs,either.
- Ísmargfaetlur: Ice centipede. Totally not a remorhaz.
K, M[]
- Kite (Hawk — Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies): Fast, agile hawks with a forked tail, usually preying on smaller mammals or on large carcasses.
- Kónglax: The king salmon. Very tasty. Found in rivers and streams throughout the Hunted Lands, and a prime target for food during travel through those parts.
- Mage: A cunning wizard. Maybe she’s evil. Maybe she’s helpful. Maybe she’s just out for her own needs, and the party better mind their manners.
- Merrow: Once a colony of merpeople, they were purposefully immersed in the evil emanations from the demon-rifts that were torn in Yggdrasil during the dragon-Álfar wars. Nothing, but nothing, good and wholesome can come of that.
- Mountain Cat {Lion - Classic: Bestiary): Typical mountain lion, cougar, or panther. Ambush predator that will be parried to death by delvers, but might take a pack animal down, and that gets irksome.
- Mule {Classic: Bestiary, Basic Set): A headstrong, healthy, stubbon beast of burden that makes up for those traits with much lower requirements for fodder and water while traveling. Still, “stubborn as a mule” is a phrase for a reason.
- Mylja Ormur: A giant poisonous creature that can burrow through rock and overrun a foe. May or may not be purple. But probably is.
N[]
- Narwhal: The unicorn of the sea.
- Nautamaðr (Bull-man) (Minotaur — GURPS Banestorm, Classic: Greece): Minotaur. But not the Greek kind. No. The totally not Norse kind. Wait, what?
- Neveri Clan Warrior: Horse archers, nomads, and a perpetual thorn in the side of the king of Nordlond, where the plains of Neveri border Nordlond to the southwest.
- Night hag: (Hags - Classic: Faerie; Classic: Vikings) A spectral, insubstantial Álfar, sinking talons into the dreams of sleeping folk, spreading nightmare, pain, and discontent.
- Nisse (Domestic Faeries - Classic: Faerie): Small, hard-working crafters, peasant farmers, and servants to greater faerie. Despite their small size, they have prodigious strength.
- Nix (Water Faeries - Classic: Faerie): A type of water faerie, who lives in and guards a pool or stream. Their native shape is as an attractive humanoid from the waist up with a fish or eel tail below the hips, but they can assume a form with legs if they wish. Enchantingly beautiful voices.
- Norðalf: Small totally-not-goblins. Among the least of the humanoid Álfar.
O[]
- Octopus: Really good drummer. Freakishly alien biology. Almost all poison.
- Octopus, Giant (Classic: Bestiary): As with the smaller cousin, but larger and more dangerous. Maybe more prone to playing the tympani?
- Orca (Classic: Bestiary): Killer whale.
- Óséðmorðingr (GURPS Magic - Air Elemental, Small): Hidden murderer, a type of air elemental brought to Midgard for lethal intent, usually vengeance. If one called it an Invisible Stalker, one would not be wrong.
P[]
- Physeter: Sperm whale.
- Pike: Fast, bony fish. Not as tasty as salmon.
- Pike, Giant: Very large bony fish. Still not as tasty as salmon. They’re bitter about it, in a cold-eyed fishy way.
- Pike, Monstrous: OK, these guys are big. Like “I can eat a rowboat” big. And they eat rowboats. Good thing they require a really, really big body of water to live in.
- Pony: Not just a young or small horse, but more akin to wild horse. The most common mount among the Neveri horse archers.
R[]
- Rat (Basic Set): Yeah. Rat. Swarms and plague. Occasionally have high Cooking skill or are gifted with human-level intelligence.
- Raven: Harbinger. Omen. Messenger. You really can’t have a Norse-based game and not include the raven.
- Riding Horse (Basic Set): Medium sized horse bred for speed, many are trained for war. They make good scouting mounts and racehorses.
- Rokk Eðla (Rock Lizard): Very large lizard, looking a bit like a komodo dragon. But can be 30’ long.
- Roper: A form of evil, sapient cave-dwelling grapple-monster.
S[]
- Scout: Pathfinder and reconnaissance expert, messenger and forward observer. Not necessarily of the scout profession from the Dungeon Fantasy RPG in all cases, but … yeah, most of them.
- Sea Hag (Fearsome Faeries/Water Faeries - Classic: Faerie): The horrible truth behind legends of sirens and other creatures. Disguising themselves as beautiful humans, their true form is horrible to look upon. Can kill you with a glance. Pretty much teenagers.
- Shark: (Shark, Great White/Shark, Med. (Fresh Water) - Classic: Bestiary): Standard toothy menacing predator.
- Sið Shark: Only six feet long, they are nearly invisible (by dint of magic) and kill their prey with a blast of energy resembling purple-blue lightning. Good. Goood!
- Sleipnisfolald: Sleipnir’s Children, the best of all horses.
- Slime Ormur (Slime Worm): Ewwww. Really big, and really, really poisonous. Their reeking secretions are horribly dangerous, and they can poison entire ecosystems by taking up residence.
- Spjothestr: Spear-horse. Unicorn. Very intelligent, teleporting unicorns…they’re Aesir, not faerie. They fix imbalances caused by the Álfar, and are very dangerous fighters.
- Sprite (Water Faeries - Classic: Faerie): Small faerie. Occasionally useful, very absent-minded.
- Spy: There’s nothing to see here. We're a hedge. Move along.
- Steel Serpent: These constructs are massive animated metallic snakes, with armor as thick as heavy plate. Someone really wanted a naga, couldn’t get one, so they conjured their own.
- Stóralf: Totally not hobgoblins.
- Stothtroll: A fjallatroll warped by the dokktomte into something else. Wounds heal before your eyes, and the typical “oh, this works against trolls” is likely to get folks killed.
- Svartadauthi Scalekin: The lizard-men of the grey marshes have been warped and modified by their ancient draconic lord,
- Svartadauði, the black death.
- Sverðtönn Kónglax: Not just a king salmon, but a sabre-toothed king salmon. Because what the world’s oceans and streams need most is a several hundred or several thousand pound carnivorous fish with giant protruding teeth.
- Swamp Eðla (Swamp Lizard): Closely related to rokk eðla, protected by coats of scales, with bony projections. They lurk at the waterside of fens and swamps, or languid rivers.
T-U[]
- Thurs: The most banal form of troll. Big, dumb, and stupid, but can be dangerous if taken lightly.
- Toad, Giant: Will eat ANYTHING they can fit in their mouths. Including humans. They’re that big.
- Toad/Frog (Frog - Classic: Bestiary): They are not that big. Some frogs are deadly poision.
- Uglu-björn: Owlbear. A wizard did it. Shove off.
- Úlfjarl: “Wolf-chief.” Basically a giant wolf, but not twisted and nasty like the dire wolf.
- Undine (Water Faeries - Classic: Faerie/Water Elemental, Small - GURPS Magic): A form of water elemental who prefers to live in Midgard. The lady of the lake? Maybe, maybe.
V[]
- Vaeng Ormur (Winged Worm): A degenerate, very large flying ormur. A sea serpent that flies.
- Valkyrie: Chooser of the slain, warriors of the Aesir. No, you can’t have their gear unless they give it to you. Be nice to your GM.
- Verndarormur: Guardian naga.
- Veteran: A warrior of many campaigns. Skillful fighter, maybe will work for money, maybe for glory.
- Viper: Danger noodle. Snek.
W[]
- Walrus: (Classic: Bestiary) Yeah, a walrus. You could feed a tribe with one of these.
- War Horse (Basic Set): Heavy and trained for battle. These things are the high-end sports cars of the day, their price is frequently measured in pounds of silver. Maybe dozens of pounds. Trained to stand in combat, to kill and fight, and not flinch in the face of danger. The waiting lists for well-trained horses never lack for signers.
- Warrior Sprite: Someone needs to protect the sprites, and these little faerie can be very dangerous when provoked.
- White Shark (Shark, Great White - Classic: Bestiary): A mouth full of jagged teeth, drawn to thrashing water and blood.
- Winter Sprite (Classic: Faerie): These flitting little faerie mostly go about their own thing, always in the coldest part of the year.
- Witch hag (Classic: Faerie): A magical Álfar with cruel tendencies, but a powerful alchemist and sage. Seek her out at your peril, for you might, I dunno, accidentally turn your mother into a bear or something.
- Wolf (Classic: Bestiary): Never domesticated, sometimes friendly. Cunning pack-hunters.
- Wyvern (GURPS Dragons): The most dragonlike of the lindorms, they have strong legs, two wings, but no forearms. They do breathe fire. Technically a mundane wild animal, rather than an intelligent dragon. So close, though
Comments[]
This will fill the need for an official 4e GURPS bestiary (we either have had to convert Classic material or use home-brew bestiaries)
The faerie section could even supliment Classic: Faerie which has only 12 main faerie types and requires some conversion to get to work with 4e. The trait and skill system allows one to built these as characters - something not possible with off the cuff conversions of the Classic bestiaries.