Nordic Monsters: A Bestiary of Scandinavian Legends

Late July update!
2 months ago – Thu, Jul 30, 2026 at 04:41:29 PM

Hi all,

A quick status update for everyone:

1. The D&D 5.5E version has gone through several proofing cycles but I'm pretty sure we're ready to go final, so we should be able to send those PDFs out tomorrow! 
2. With that version ready to go, we'll be pivoting to Pathfinder 2E next and then Tales of the Valiant. All of the manuscripts are in; we're just waiting on the layout cycle to get them up and out the door. 
3. Once the 5.5E version is final, it'll also go over to our Roll20 people to start working on the VTT module. 
4. We had some requests to send out the existing Pathfinder 1E version by DrivethruRPG, so those of you who ordered that one check your downloads and you can get it there! We'll be sending out the 5.5E version there as well. 
5. For Pathfinder 2E fans who ordered some of the extra books for the project, we received a ship-back of books from our distributor, so we're sending those out now. These backers are receiving a partial shipment, since of course the Nordic Bestiary (PF2) isn't finished yet. Your remaining books will ship together with those. Backers McCutcheon, Schatz, Harter, DIffley, Hunter, Lefholz, Standon, Fracchiolla, Moscatollo, Bindert, and Downey, you've got books incoming! 
6. The Pathfinder 1E print version on Amazon has been looping through an endless glitch cycle. We've had two different layout people work on it and even tried creating two separate print products on the back end and it looks terminally stuck. Amazon publisher services is no help, as usual. We've got one or two more things we can try, but if those don't work, we'll proceed with sending out the final batch of PF1 shipments (for people getting just that book and nothing else) via Drivethru: we had been hoping to send through Amazon, as their print service is faster and cheaper for single books.
7. Last but not least, once the 5.5E version is finalized, we'll be sending it to our print partners in Hong Kong to do a full print run of those books. We're excited to get them in your hands as soon as they arrive to us!

Thanks so much for your support of Nordic Monsters, and we hope you'll sign up for launch notification on our new ULTIMATE HORROR Kickstarter for D&D 5E, Pathfinder 1E, and Pathfinder 2E, which was originally set to launch this week but a variety of Real Life has resulted in moving it to launch next week instead! It's gonna be so good it'll make you SCREAM! 

First wave of print orders submitted! And Ultimate Horror launches soon!
3 months ago – Thu, Jul 16, 2026 at 12:14:30 AM

Hi all,

With the PF1 version of Nordic Monsters passing clearance with the printer, we've submitted the first big wave of books to the printer. These shipments typically take 2-3 weeks between when we submit them and when they arrive, but that might be a little longer because we are on the threshold of GenCon and lots of people are trying to get last-minute books printed before the con. Regardless, backers Kammer, Kuijlman, St. Laurent, Kochanowski, M. Nelson, Holin, McKelvey, Pearce, Browne, Penrose, Boschee, Boerboom, Hall-Cuccia, Ott, Barrett, Pavlicek, Bersten, Jankovic, Koboldsong, Hinojosa, Dorfler, Stevenson, Hill, Tinnin-Timm, Johnson, Dombek, and Tettelbach can look forward to your books arriving in early August! 

Layout is underway now on the D&D 5.5E version, and I've gotten back the final parts of the manuscripts for both the PF2 version and the Tales of the Valiant version, so those will be ready to start rolling through layout as soon as the D&D version is done! A couple of quick notes:

• None of the VTTs are available yet, as the VTT folks tell me that pulling from PDFs is actually the easiest way for them to manage the process. As they get done, they'll get put in the VTT queue.
• Winter Heroes does not have a print version on DrivethruRPG, so those books will be coming separately from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon is usually faster to ship than Drivethru, so you may get that book first, but don't be confused if you get a partial order. The rest of the items are on the way!

While we rocket the Nordic Monsters project to the close, we also wanted to invite you to check out our upcoming ULTIMATE HORROR Kickstarter, featuring an expansive collection of all things truly horrible! You'll find amazing player and GM options, including expanded rules for cults, curses, mad scientists, mutation, sinister spellbooks, subclasses and archetypes, macabre magic items, plus multiple complete adventures, dozens of monsters, an NPC gallery, and SO MUCH MORE! Sign up now at this link to get notified on launch and get ready to Make Your Horror Game Legendary! 

Nordic Monsters PF1 is Up! And first print orders sent!
3 months ago – Thu, Jul 09, 2026 at 11:11:55 PM

Hi all,

Just wanted to pass on the exciting news that the first version of Nordic Monsters is now ready for download in your Backerkit account for backers on the Pathfinder First Edition version! We're prepping the print files now, and once those are ready we'll be ready to start sending out PF1 print orders! 

BUT WAIT, our first print orders have already been sent! How, you might ask? Well, it turns out that a couple of backers ordered print books that did not include Nordic Monsters, so backers Norris and Valenzuela, your books are on the way! Sure, that's only two backers, but that's still worthy of celebration! 

The D&D 5.5E version is now starting layout, and I just today got in the final monster for the Pathfinder Second Edition version. We'll give you a special sneak peek at that final monster below! Meanwhile, we are excited to get the next stage of fulfullment underway!

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Randalín (“shield goddess”) are the mightiest of valkyries, potent intermediaries with the divine powers that guide their hands on whom of the dead to claim, whether to deliver to their eternal rest or to bestow the honor of coming into immortality as divine soldiers, the einherjar. They may lead operate alone to care for particularly important souls, such as those anointed as einherji valföðr, or to bring news or aid to mighty heroes. These powerful beings take a keen interest in mortal lives, some even becoming patrons of avengers in seeking justice for kith, kin, or king. A rare few have become enchanted with a mighty mortal they sought to spare from the death that their destiny has waiting for them, some from a sense of justice and others for love, but all too often that doom came upon both in the end.

Some among them specialize as commanders of valkyrie hosts, adopting the title of geirskögul ("spear-shaker"). In battle, they are almost always accompanied by a squad of their valkyrie sisters or even a valkyrie tempest (Prey for Death). These aerial armies strike terror in the hearts of enemies who see the choosers of the slain not waiting for another’s killing stroke but instead choosing them to be the next to fall to their own spears. 

Proofing complete on Nordic Monsters PF1!
3 months ago – Mon, Jun 29, 2026 at 06:03:05 PM

HI all,

I'm happy to report that the first version of Nordic Monsters is nearly ready to go out to all of you for Pathfinder First Edition! The PDF proof came in over the weekend, currently sitting at 110 pages, and we went through to cross-check formats, bolds, italics, and any places where we needed to move or trim or resize text or artwork, but this one should be in your frosty little mittens before the week is out! 

The D&D 5.5E manuscript is with the layout artist already, so as soon as we finalize this version we'll be pivoting to that one. I had to reassign some of the PF2 monsters to a new freelancer, as the previous person kinda disappeared, but that happens. Those are the last ones we're waiting for, though, so it'll be ready to slide into the production chute next, with ToV after that.

Thanks again for making this project a great success and we hope you love these monsters when they arrive! 

Layout continues on PF1, 5.5E is in the queue, and... a PRONUNCIATION GUIDE!
3 months ago – Tue, Jun 23, 2026 at 10:31:40 PM

Hi all,

Just wanted to give you a quick update on our project!

• Nordic Monsters PF1: The Pathfinder First Edition version of Nordic Monsters is rolling along in layout. I just got the first 20-page galley from the layout artist so we could review formats and layout structure, so that version is continuing apace and if all goes well, we'll have it ready to send out next week! Once we've got print versions approved, we can start sending out print orders for PF1 books!
• Nordic Monsters 5.5E: I completed assembly and development on the D&D 5.5E version of Nordic Monsters and that one is now up and ready in layout to start work as soon as PF1 is done! 
• Printing: I've run the numbers and talked with our partners at Asia Pacific who have done many of our books before with terrific quality, and we are going to do a full offset print run of the 5.5E version, which should arrive at LG central this fall. 
• Nordic Monsters PF2: Next up will be the PF2 version. I have almost all of the monsters in, except for one batch where a freelancer has gone radio silent. I'm reaching out to them and hopefully they are good to go; if not, we'll reassign and get them done.
• Nordic Monsters ToV: This version will be the last of the four in the layout cycle, and we'll keep you up to date when layout starts on it!

And last but not least, one of the stretch goals that I had planned but we didn't reach that funding goal was for a pronunciation guide, like we did with Latin American Monsters. The more I thought about it, though, I decided I was just going to do one for this book anyway! I completed a 1200-word appendix yesterday, including pronunciation guidance for Old Norse as well as for modern Nordic languages. This is not an academic treatise that will have you speaking like a native, but it should hopefully be a handy reference to some of the quirks of the monster names you'll find in this book! 

Thanks again for supporting this terrific project, including the 16 Late Pledge backers who have jumped on board since the project ended! We are excited to get your books heading your way! 

P.S. Our latest QUICK-starter is almost over with Valiant Monster World featuring all of our incredible bestiary books PLUS the magnificent Legendary Planet Adventure Path for Tales of the Valiant and more! Check it out before it ends this Thursday night!