Valkyrie racial template

[WholesomeMadScientist]

“Valkyrie 200 points

A Norse psychopomp, appearing as a beautiful warrior-woman riding a flying horse. The Valkyries ("choosers of the slain") served Odin or Frejya. They haunted battlefields to collect the souls of worthy fallen warriors to join the einherjar, who feasted and trained in the halls of Odin's Valhalla or Freyja's Folkvangr, awaiting the time they'd fight for the gods in the final battle of Ragnarok. Occasionally, Valkyries had other adventures, including falling in love with mortals, which raises the possibility of human-Valkyrie bloodline that might linger in today's world even if the gods are gone.
Valkyries always have martial skills, often adding Weapon Master for sword or spear. A modern-day valkyrie may keep with tradition or may update the horse and Dark Age arms and armor to contemporary equipment.
Monster Hunter settings often involve a looming apocalypse, so it's possible that Ragnarok is upon us! If so, when a PC pays 25 points for an Extra Life, a Valkyrie could appear, take him away for a brief recuperation, and then bring the person back in the next session as a soldier in a divine army ...

Attribute Modifiers: ST+2 [20], DX+2 [40], HT+1 [10].
Advantages: Ally (Spectral Steed, p. 25; Built on 75%; Constantly; Summonable, + 100%) [24]; Appearance (Beautiful)
[12]; Fearlessness 3 [6]; Ghost Weapon [14]; Reaper Talent 1 [5]; Regeneration (Slow) [10]; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+8) [15]; Valkyrie Talent* 2 [10]. • 40 points of Reaper abilities other than Ghost Weapon, extra levels of Reaper Talent [5/level], and/or Weapon Master [varies].
Disadvantages: Intolerance (Cowards) [-5].
Quirks: Loves a good fight. [-1]

* Broadsword, Riding (Horse), Shortsword, Spear, and Shield. Reaction bonus: honorable warriors. [5/level]. Valkyries can add up to two additional levels.”

I am particularly fascinated by the Intolerance (Cowards) [-5] disad & Loves a good fight. [-1] quirk. I wish there was more detail on those.

Anyway, to anyone who found this useful, you are welcome.

[Stormcrow]

The new GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits also has the tools to construct a Valkyrie. It's not a single template; TT4 has a multi-step process for building spirits through a series of special templates. One of those template types is a "mantle," and the book has a template, Mantle of the Valkyrie.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

The new GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits also has the tools to construct a Valkyrie. It's not a single template; TT4 has a multi-step process for building spirits through a series of special templates. One of those template types is a "mantle," and the book has a template, Mantle of the Valkyrie.

I'm building a team of Valkyrior in one project (one from each of the Nine Worlds), so this is something to look into when I get the chance.

[WholesomeMadScientist]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

I'm building a team of Valkyrior in one project (one from each of the Nine Worlds), so this is something to look into when I get the chance.

“Mantle of the Valkyrie 92 points

You're a chooser of the slain whose job is to find warriors who died in combat and take the best of them to Valhalla. Though your primary function is to locate them after they have died, you're a capable fighter yourself. Thus, Valkyries typically have above-average combat skills in their base form.
As NPCs, they do not need their mount as an Ally.

Advantages: Detect (Battles; Long-Range 2, Powers, pp. 108-109, +100%; Precise, +100%) [30]; Medium [10]; Social Regard 1 (Respected) [5]; Weapon Master (Viking weapons) [35].
Skills: Riding (Winged Horse) (A) DX [2]; Soldier (A) IQ [2]; Tactics (H) IQ+1 [8];

Psychopomp Talent 5 points/level
You get +1 per level to use any Psychopomp ability, and can use earned points to acquire new abilities.

Psychopomp Abilities
Detect (Same faith or "Worthiness"); Hard to Kill; Indomitable; Jumper (Spirit), with Tunnel (+40%) or Escort (+50%);
Precognition, with Cosmic, Know exact moment of death (+100%); Unfazeable; Warp.

Power Modifier: Psychopomp. The advantage belongs to the Psychopomp power. If the modifier is Devotion (-10%), p. 35, then a particularly relevant disadvantage is Sense of Duty toward the recently dead or specific types of people or deaths, such as Valkyries seeking those slain in battle. This modifier alternatively may be Divine (-10%), Magical (-10%), Moral (-20%), or Shamanic (varies).”

“ SPECTRAL STEED (300 POINTS)
These supernaturally swift horses are the partners of certain reapers, especially dullahan and valkyries. The horses of the valkyrie are descendants of Odin's steed Sleipnir. A spectral steed can see ghosts and even become one, bearing its rider and gear (up to 292 lbs. total) into the astral plane. These are 300-point sidekicks suitable as 75% Allies for a 400-point monster hunter.

ST: 27 [85]*† HP: 27 [0] Speed: 6.00 [0]
DX: 12 [24]† Will: 11 [25] Move: 8/32 [10]
IQ: 6 [-8] Per: 12 [30]
HT: 12 [20] FP: 12 [0] SM: +1
Dodge: 10 Parry: N/A DR: 1 [5]

Bite (14): 1d+2 crushing. Reach C.
Kick (14): 3d+2 crushing. Reach C, 1.
Advantages: Acute Hearing 2 [4]; Claws (Hooves) [3]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Enhanced Move 2 (Ground) [40]; Ghost Walk (Light Encumbrance) (p. 24) [120]; Night Vision 5 [5]; Peripheral Vision
[15]; Reaper Talent 1 [5]; See Invisible (Ghostly) [15]; Special Rapport (With master) [5]; Ultrahearing [5]; Unfazable [15].
• Flying Horse [18]; see below.
Disadvantages: Bestial [-10]; Cannot Speak [-15]; Native Language (Accented/None) [-4]; Restricted Diet (Herbivore) [-10]; Quadruped [-35]; Staid [-1]; Weak Bite [-2]; Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25].
Skills: Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-14; Intimidation (A) Will-1 [2]-11;
Mount (A) DX+2 [8]-14; Running (A) HT+1 [4]-13.

* Cost reduced for Size (-10%).
† Cost reduced for No Fine Manipulators (-40%).

Flying Horse: Add Walk on Air (Costs 1 FP/minute, -10%) [18].”

[pawsplay]

I learned recently that, although Vakyries are often identified as psychopomps, and norns as fates, both terms were originally used generally for goddesses.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by WholesomeMadScientist

“Mantle of the Valkyrie 92 points
Psychopomp Talent 5 points/level
Psychopomp Abilities
Power Modifier: Psychopomp.
“ SPECTRAL STEED (300 POINTS)

You should not be quoting entire templates from GURPS books.

[Astromancer]

Considering that the earlier codes of Christian law in the Nordic lands made being a Valkyrie illegal (in the same sentence that made being a witch, wizard, bearsharker, pirate, medium, or pagan priest, illegal) I wonder if we need a template for Valkyrie as a job?

After all, you don't make being a dragon, fairy, unicorn, or vampire, illegal. This is because those aren't things real people can be (except for Halloween). Valkyrie must have once been a job.

[WholesomeMadScientist]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

You should not be quoting entire templates from GURPS books.

Yes, I see that, but it would not have occurred to me to have “Tactics (H) IQ+1 [8]”, so thank you guys for that.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Considering that the earlier codes of Christian law in the Nordic lands made being a Valkyrie illegal (in the same sentence that made being a witch, wizard, bearsharker, pirate, medium, or pagan priest, illegal) I wonder if we need a template for Valkyrie as a job?

I would chalk that up to Leyenda Negra. I would be very interested in seeing a Valkyrie occupation.

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

I learned recently that, although Vakyries are often identified as psychopomps, and norns as fates, both terms were originally used generally for goddesses.

Deities frequently serve as psychopomps (Hermes, for example, was one of the Twelve Olympian Gods, but he did not consider it beneath his dignity to guide the souls of the dying on their journey to Hades), and there's no reason they can't be fates.

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

I learned recently that, although Vakyries are often identified as psychopomps, and norns as fates, both terms were originally used generally for goddesses.

I don't think your source is correct; Valkyrie means "chooser of the slain" in its roots, and pretty definitely refers to the beings who take the souls of the battlefield dead. It is not clear if they would be classed as minor deities or as some other type of being akin to angels or if that distinction is even meaningful in this context. Sometimes they are described as daughters of Odin, but again that might be metaphorical, as other times they are the daughters of kings (which leads us to Astromancer's remark about Valkyrie being a job that a mortal (or once-mortal) woman might have or take on), and in the Volundsaga are swanmays, identifiable by their feather cloaks that allow them to turn into swans.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Considering that the earlier codes of Christian law in the Nordic lands made being a Valkyrie illegal (in the same sentence that made being a witch, wizard, bearsharker, pirate, medium, or pagan priest, illegal) I wonder if we need a template for Valkyrie as a job?

After all, you don't make being a dragon, fairy, unicorn, or vampire, illegal. This is because those aren't things real people can be (except for Halloween). Valkyrie must have once been a job.

I'd like to see the context of that law, do you have any more information about when it was issued and by whom?