Vaesen Starter Set

Something is stirring in the old castle. The Vaesen Starter Set is the easiest way into Free League’s award-winning gothic horror RPG. It has everything you need for your first night in the Mythic North in one box, without reading the full core rulebook first.

Vaesen takes place in a 19th-century Scandinavia where folklore is real. Out in the dark forests and lonely villages, trolls, water spirits and restless dead live alongside people who can’t see them. Your characters can. Born with the Sight, they’re called to investigate the strange and the uncanny, and to decide how to deal with the vaesen they find.

The included mystery, The Haunting of Castle Gyllencreutz, sends your group to the Society’s crumbling headquarters, an old castle in the university town of Upsala. Something there is very much not at rest. Five illustrated, pre-generated characters mean you can start playing as soon as the box is open. The condensed rules teach the essentials of skill tests, combat, damage and fear as you go, using an adapted version of Free League’s Year Zero Engine. The Codex Occultum, the Society’s journal of vaesen, gives players their own guide to the creatures they might meet.

It’s beautifully presented, with full-colour maps, atmospheric handouts and a set of custom engraved dice. It’s ideal for groups new to roleplaying, GMs trying out the system before committing to the core book, or anyone looking for a spooky gift for fans of folk horror and Nordic mythology.

What’s in the box:

• Condensed rules covering skill tests, combat, damage and fear
• The Haunting of Castle Gyllencreutz, an introductory mystery
• Five pre-generated, illustrated player characters with character sheets
• Codex Occultum, the Society’s journal of vaesen, for players
• Large full-colour map of the Mythic North and the town of Upsala
• Map of Castle Gyllencreutz
• Three handout sheets
• Five rules reference cards
• Ten initiative cards
• Ten engraved custom dice

Specifications:

• Publisher: Free League Publishing
• Format: Boxed starter set
• Box size: approx. 9 × 11.5 × 2 in (22.9 × 29.2 × 5.1 cm)
• Players: 1 GM plus up to 5 players
• System: Year Zero Engine
• Language: English
• Published: 2025
• EAN: 9789189765726