Chris V sent this via our Facebook page and I thought this deserved a more public answer seeing as how it could benefit more groups. A few things to consider:Hey guys, I really want to run fate of the norns with my weekly group. They’re more into the storytelling/role playing aspect of games than the combat/tactics. That said, I love your game and I’d like to convince them to play it. Could you do a post about the role playing elements of the game and how players can get more in tune with their characters?
1) Fafnir's Treasure and Egil's Saga are very good places to start your game. Both adventures have complex characters with contrasting agendas. This is a gold mine for role-playing your characters during the dangers of Fimbulwinter. Both adventures also give you the tone of the game world.
2) Combat should be handled on the "white" track (on the playmat), which grants dwellers and denizens only 3 hit-points per rune. This makes combat ultra dangerous and it resolves very quickly. This will set the tone that combat should be a risky proposition, allowing for more role-play in order to avoid such confrontations. If you get into a combat, one side will win rather quickly.
3) When in combat, encourage players using runes for generic/cinematic actions. This will allow their imaginations to guide the conflict, rather than a pre-defined set of powers.
4) Remember to have the players write down the out-of-combat effects from their Active Powers. These allow for abilities during RP-portions of the game.
5) Fate of the Norns Ragnarok is all about moral ambiguity. You won't find alignments in the game, and denizens up to no good usually have a very good reason why they're doing what they're doing. Perhaps the nefarious deeds are to put food on the table for their starving clan.
Edit:
6) there's a lifepath system for dwellers in the core rulebook (expanded in Denizens of the North). Players and the Norn should work those into the game for added immersion.
Let us know how it goes!
