Hämäränkävijät - Finnish mythological tabletop RPG for families
nce upon a time, in another world altogether, one that still resembled the ancient times of Finland, there was a thrilling and vast enchanted forest called Hämärä. In Hämärä’s depths lived all magical beings, the hämäräiset, from tiny goblins to mysterious spirits of forest and water, fierce näkki and giants, as well as the divine beings who ruled all of Hämärä, such as Ahti, Tapio, and Louhi.
Hämäränkävijät is an adventure roleplaying game for the whole family from ages 3 and up, where players resolve conflicts between humans and creatures from Finnish folklore and mythology.
The game is set in a Finnish fantasy world inspired by Kalevala, where the players can choose to play heroes such as gentle wanderers, calm witches, clever sages, skilled smiths, or strong protectors.
Hämäränkävijät is designed for players of all ages and levels of experience with roleplaying games. In the game, players roll one to five dice depending on their hero's abilities. Heroes can also use Luck, Courage, and special Abilities to shape the story.
Hämäränkävijät was designed by Roosa Melkko and illustrated by Ruuti Kotkanoja.
What is roleplaying?
Roleplaying games stand between games and play where the participants build a shared story. The goal is not to defeat the other players, but to describe what the hero each player controls does in the world. One participant is the Narrator who presents the world, plays all the creatures the heroes meet, and sets interesting challenges for the heroes to solve.
Background
Hämäränkävijät grew out of Roosa Melkko’s roleplaying experiences with her then three-year-old child. Roleplaying games on the market, including those aimed at children, are still largely spiritual heirs to the giant of the field, Dungeons & Dragons.
Roosa observed that when her child was between ages 3 and 6, the child never wanted to defeat the beings they encountered, but to befriend them and resolve conflicts peacefully. This inspired the idea of a roleplaying game designed from the very beginning to enable gentle interaction.
Roosa’s dream is that Hämäränkävijät would make roleplaying possible for all families, clubs, and educational institutions, regardless of whether they have prior roleplaying experience.
World
Long ago, in another world that still resembled the ancient times of Finland, there was a vast and wondrous enchanted forest called Hämärä. Since time immemorial, humans had lived outside it, cultivating fields, fishing, and building villages and towns.
The beings who lived in Hämärä, the hämäräiset, ranged from tiny goblins to mysterious spirits of forest and water, fierce näkki and giants, and even divine beings who ruled all of Hämärä, such as Ahti, Tapio, and Louhi. In the beginning of ages, the hämäräiset taught humans the secrets of magic. That legacy still lives on in the sages' rune-chants, the healers' magical remedies, and the smiths' ability to forge enchanted items.
A hundred years ago, humans and the hämäräiset fell into conflict, and the hämäräiset drove humans out of Hämärä. Yet people have begun to dream of settling Hämärä once more, because in human lands, fields and fish no longer provide enough food for everyone. Many have also heard tales of mountains of gold and gems guarded by the hämäräiset, and of their powerful radiant runes.
For this reason, the Guild of Hämäränkävijät was founded for those humans whose knowledge and skills gave them the ability to mediate disputes between humans and hämäräiset: clever Sages, strong Protectors, deft Smiths, calm Healers, and gentle Wanderers. Their task is to travel through the forests of Hämärä, solve problems, and help humans and hämäräiset live in harmony.
Educators
Hämäränkävijät is designed to support children's social and emotional development through play and storytelling. A central part of the game is the growth of emotional and friendship skills by making emotional awareness and emotional influence core tools for resolving in-game conflicts peacefully.
If you are interested in trying Hämäränkävijät with your group, classroom, or club, contact roosa.melkko [at] iki [dot] fi.
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Download all the material needed to play in Finnish (Google Drive)