In 1973 cartoonist Dik Browne introduced the world to a Viking who would become as well known as Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky put together. Today Chris Browne, the son of the original cartoonist, continues Hagar's saga in comics pages published in over a dozen languages and distributed around the world in lands even the far ranging Norse explorers of yore never dreamed existed. Hagar the Horrible ostensibly lives in Oslo, Norway, some time during the "Viking Age" but his world is an ahistorical generic "medieval" world in which he can fight Atilla the Hun one week, and meet Robin Hood or King Arthur the next. Hagar is a comic strip Viking. When considering what he may do in any situation, a foremost consideration is what would be funny, or what would be most likely to have the most humorous outcome. If he must choose for example between attacking a castle or raiding a wizard's tower, he's off to seige the wizard - since Hagar and his hapless band interacting with unpredictable magical defenses and curses is more likely to provide laughs than a straightforward assault on a castle. If he must choose between looting a storehouse of food and wine or rustling a herd of sheep, he'll remember hearing a rumor that sheep are in demand in Helgeland - because a herd of sheep aboard a longship is bound to be good for a few laughs. He'll conform to Viking stereotype when it's funny (such as wearing the historically inaccurate horned helmet - all the time - and so does his wife, kids, dog, duck....) and subvert the stereotype when THAT is what's funny. As you journey through life take a minute every now and then to give a thought for the other fellow. He could be plotting something. Although not the hero of song and saga he wishes to be, nor as bloodthirsty as his reputation suggests, Hagar does know how to use a sword. He even knows enough tactics to know that one should pillage THEN burn - it's just that in the heat of the moment he may forget. Hagar has a longship and crew, which have not been statted out in this write up. Built on 75 pts plus 75 Disads, Hagar could be a player character in a Fantasy Hero game that is much less serious than most, or comic relief in a more serious but still fantastic type of game. Or by simply changing the Disadvantages Hagar can be made into a perfectly serious and straightforward barbarian leader. Overweight, red haired and red bearded Viking, complete with horned helm. Hagar the Horrible created by Dik Browne. Character sheet created by Lucius Alexander Copyright palindromedary Enterprises