Vaesen Starter Set
Vaesen Starter Set is a quick-start boxed set for the Vaesen Nordic Horror Roleplaying game, written by Nils Hintze and Tomas Härenstam and published by Free League Publishing.
By Aaron T. Huss
Learn more about Vaesen Starter Set here
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The Vaesen Starter Set provides everything a group needs to establish the foundations for a Vaesen campaign. It includes an abridged rulebook with everything needed to utilize the included pregenerated characters, but not the mechanics for creating your own, an abridged creature guide that provides the information the PCs are allowed to know, a map of their future headquarters, some accessories (including a handy quick reference card), and the starting adventure he Haunting of Castle Gyllencreutz, which after being cleared of its threats can become the new headquarters. It also establishes conflicts that utilize the most prominent mechanics of the game and gives everyone a feel for what Vaesen is all about. If everyone enjoys it, moving into the full core rulebook and available supplements is easy enough now that the foundation has been established.
In terms of the usefulness and value of this starter set, there’s nothing missing and it contains everything you need to get started and drive forward with many memorable gaming sessions. The GM will need to pick-up the core rulebook to expand on the conflicts being run, but unless players want to create new characters, the included pregens are perfectly created. The only issue I have is that the adventure is a little predictable and is too obvious in its backstory. It’s also very convenient that this is a place to serve as the group’s headquarters for all future gaming sessions. It’s convenient for the players, but there’s no struggle involved in being handed an entire castle to drive the rest of your campaign. The nice part is that the adventure for inquiring this castle is completely disconnected from any possible storyline other than the headquarters. So the sky’s the limit in the hands of the GM.
Possibly one of the most valuable tools in this set meant for the players is the “Codex Occultum”. This is the PC-friendly bestiary that outlines what the PCs should know or have easy access to in terms of what might be haunting the lands. It kind of sets a nice precedence whereas you don’t need to hide the full bestiary from your players and instead say – “This is what your characters reasonably know without spoiling the games.” Many RPGs hide all those details from the players and they have to learn as they go, wait for a GM reveal, or tap into some meta knowledge.
I personally really like how horror is handled in Vaesen; this is my style of psychological fear. It’s not in your face and it’s not out to enslave everyone across the land. For anyone trying to test the waters, this is really the best place to start. You will get a great feel for the game, its mechanics, and how the setting comes to life. I love how the artwork has a steampunk, Victorian feel but without the steampunk aesthetic. And if you already play Vaesen and need a new headquarters, the one therein is perfect!
