Concept: Huscarls

Within Saxon society (and Viking) there is an elite group of warriors known as Huscarls, they are usually the personal bodyguard of a Thegn or or higher. Unlike most concepts Huscarls require certain attributes, abilities and backgrounds. Therefore they are more similar to a character class than a simple concept. Huscarls can also be featured in early Norman chronicles. The following rules apply to players wishing to be Huscarls.

• A Huscarl must have Physical attributes as primary, melee of 3+, brawl 2+, dodge 2+ and athletics 1+.
• A Huscarl must have a conical helmet, a mail shirt, a sword and scabberd, a saex, a spear, three shields, a horse, a dane axe and a single handed axe*
• They are classed as Gebur for social interaction
• A Huscarl is paid silver pennies equal to his melee rating every day (therefore an excellent Huscarl with melee 5 will be paid a shilling a day).
• Huscarls are NOT always free to wander at their leisure, so it must be clear to whom they are attached (local Thegn, Earl etc) and why they are allowed to roam.

* The total amount for a Huscarls wargear is around 14l 25s, this means that a character wishing to start as a Huscarl basically has two options

• Take resources 4 at character generation, but not actually gain the background (they liquidated the assets to afford the wargear) OR
• Write a very good history of raiding, plundering, inheritance etc which supplied enough treasure for a one-off large payment