The Völva is a powerful spellcaster who serves both the Aesir and Vanir gods; she is a seer, a prophet, and a wise woman. She has learned the secret songs of Odin and uses them, along with other tricks, to ensure that the gods’ will is done.
The gift of the Völva is usually transmitted from mother to daughter in certain families, dedicated by Odin to the glory of the gods. The Völva strive to lead normal lives in their community, but also hear the voices of the Aesir and Vanir. Through their spells, they answer questions for members of the clan or village, although interpreting omens and divining fate is a heavy burden.
Völva are typically female. (If a male character takes this background, they are referred to as a "Seer")
Path of the Völva
A Völva is skilled in the shamanistic style of Old Norse magic, and has a connection with Odin the All-Father.
To emulate a Völva, it is recommended that you create a multi-classed character with the following characteristics:
- Start with three (3) levels of Druid, taking Circle of Dreams as your Druidic Circle;
- Then take 1 or 2 levels of Cleric (Knowledge);
- Continue taking your remaining levels in Druid (Circle of Dreams) with a focus on Divination spells.
Odin's Eye
When the character reaches 10th level, they are considered to truly be a daughter of Odin. They ritualistically remove their right eye and replace it with a polished stone carved with a Valknut. As long as Odin's Eye is kept in the socket of their right eye, they will have truesight out to 120 feet.
The Odin's Eye can’t be removed while the Völva is alive. When she dies, a creature can remove the eye as an action, however it then loses all of it's magical abilities.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: Healer’s kit, herbalism kit, a druidic spell focus, a bag of runes, two doses of mushroom tea, fingerbone dice, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
In the correct conditions, you may have a vision. Sometimes you can summon them, sometimes they come randomly, some are correct, and some are not. Discuss with your DM the frequency and types of visions your Völva will have, and what kind of conditions must be met to see them.
To summon a vision purposefully, describe to the DM what you are trying to see, hear, or feel, then roll an Arcana or Insight check (your choice). The DM will determine your DC, depending on how well you know the target of your prediction, and how far you are trying to see/how far you are physically from your target. While it may be easier to read the fortune of a party member or friend, the challenge will likely be harder if they are far away from you.
If you fail your check, you see nothing.
On a success, the DM will decide what you see, and while the details may be fuzzy or have pieces missing, the information will be mostly accurate. You will see your vision at first, but after an amount of time/detail determined by the DM, you must roll follow-up checks of increasing difficulty to maintain concentration or get more detail.
You can do this once per short or long rest, and must use a druidic focus.
Suggested Characteristics
Völva are defined by their prophetic visions, and their characteristics reflect this life as a clan or village wise woman. Whether the visions granted are considered a blessing or a curse by a Völva, one finds that the visions can still be helpful when the information is applied correctly.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My stubbornness runs deep. For better or worse, I don't give up easily. |
| 2 | I am unafraid to speak my mind, no matter how mighty a person I am talking to. |
| 3 | I may be rough around the edges, but when I care about something or someone, I care deeply. |
| 4 | I appreciate the healing power of a laugh, even if it hardly solves everything. |
| 5 | I have so much to do that I haven't got time for jokes or games. |
| 6 | I'm not content to sit still; even in my downtime I'm forever fidgeting with some craft or other. |
| 7 | I always pay attention to people's intentions and habits in order to understand what makes them tick. |
| 8 | I understand social norms just fine, but there are some about which I simply don't care. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Competence. Anything worth doing is worth doing properly. (Any) |
| 2 | Freedom. What needs doing and what is legal don’t always match. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Tradition. Knowledge of how to keep things well might not be grand, but it needs to be passed down. (Neutral or Lawful) |
| 4 | Equity. Each will get what they need, in order of necessity. (Good) |
| 5 | Responsibility. This place and its people are mine to take care of. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Influence. If people need me, they will have to listen to me. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I belong to my home as much as it belongs to me, and being called away for too long unnerves me. |
| 2 | I have a duty to pass down my craft, just as it was passed down to me. |
| 3 | I am bound to the word and the memory of all Völva before me. I have a task that has been handed down to me, first promised by one of my ancestors. |
| 4 | I know everyone's business back home. |
| 5 | Few people have ever approached me without being intimidated by my craft; I count some of those few among my dear friends. |
| 6 | I've been searching my whole life for the meaning of a particular vision. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm so used to being the sensible one that I sometimes forget that others may have good ideas, too. |
| 2 | My visions make me arrogant in matters I have foreseen. It's not as if the visions can be wrong. |
| 3 | I am often argumentative simply because bickering is how I know to communicate. |
| 4 | I share as little information as possible, preferring to be the sole source of the wisdom I hold. |
| 5 | Once I foresee something, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life. |
| 6 | I chafe at the caution I've always been instructed to employ, and will throw it to the wind if the opportunity to gain more worldly knowledge or power arises. |
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