https://therpgacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Reviews-WtWC.mp3
Hello and welcome to The RPG Academy's The Review series. Today The Caleb G (
@TheCalebG) takes a look at When the Wolf Comes by Ian Sharp (
@VikingVerse) in partnership with Schwalb Entertainment.
Howdy cats and kittens! It’s TheCalebG aka Professor Crunch aka the founder of Point Five Past.Today I’m here to review When the Wolf Comes, a Schwalb Entertainment game created by Ian Stuart Sharpe. The book was successfully funded at 458% back in Summer of 2022. At the time of writing this article, the book is available on DriveThruRPG along with many adventure modules, novels, and comics. The publisher was kind enough to send a copy of the game book for the purpose of this review.
Quick Overview
When the Wolf Comes presents the game rules for the Vikingverse, a series of stories set in an alternate timeline where Vikings are the dominant culture on Earth and in space. The game uses the Shadow of the Demon Lord rules.
Book and Resources
The book is massive, at almost 400 pages. About half the book is dedicated to rules and character options for players. There’s about 30 pages of setting details and about 50 pages of game runner guidance. A bestiary takes up another 50ish pages. The remainder of the book includes a sample adventure and two appendices.
Even though the book is large and dense, it’s easy to read and use when playing. The layout is smooth and there’s a very detailed table of contents and index. There is no wasted space in this book. Every inch is packed with information and details.
The star of the book is its gorgeous art, which seems to be a blending of Mike Mignola and Jack Kirby. It’s vibrant and evocative, helping immerse players in the unique style of the Vikingverse.
Beyond this core book, there are a vast amount of resources to help inform players about the Vikingverse and immerse them in this fantastic world. Key among these is the Thought and Memory Saga, a campaign designed to take character from level zero to ten. There’s also Space Vikings, a supplement providing additional character options and rules.
Story
At first glance, the Vikingverse story is simple. All Norse mythology and magic is real. Viking culture became dominant prior to 900 AD and shaped the rest of human development. There is a blend of magic and science as humanity and others explore the cosmos.
But the truth of the fiction goes far deeper. The Vikingverse is actually a divergent timeline driven by Odin altering reality to avoid Ragnarok. But since ultimately Ragnarok can only be delayed, the universe experiences various chaotic events as fate tries to rectify what was done. These events drive the overall plot of the Vikingverse as explored in its source novels and comics.
Mechanics
When the Wolf Comes is built on the Shadow of the Demon Lord framework. The core mechanics are exactly the same. A d20 plus modifier roll resolves everything. There are four attributes along with a few derived characteristics. What would be called a skill check in other systems are called challenges here and are always rolled against a target value of 10. The Boon and Bane system functions the same way but they are instead called Weals and Woes.
There are rules for gaining Trauma when encountering the worst parts of the universe.
