Vaesen RPG: A Buyer's Guide to the Core Book and Supplements

Quick answer

Buy the Vaesen core book first, then add one supplement that matches the setting your group already wants to play. Accessories come last, and only when a specific table problem needs solving. If you are unsure, start with the core book and a single player-facing extra rather than a stack of books you may not use.

Vaesen sits in a specific corner of tabletop horror: folkloric, investigative, and rooted in a Nordic setting that rewards slow-burn play. That makes the buying decision simpler than for a sprawling RPG line, because the core book does most of the work. The real question is not whether you need the core book, but which extras are worth adding for your group.

This guide walks through what to buy first, how supplements change play, and where accessories like journals and dice sets actually help. It also flags when you should wait, because buying ahead of your table's needs is the most common Vaesen spending mistake.

Start with the core book, not the extras

The Vaesen core book is the only product that gives you the full game: character creation, the setting, the rules, and the tools to run investigations. Everything else in the line assumes you already own it. If you are a new Game Master, buying supplements before you have run even one session usually means reading setting material you cannot yet use.

A practical rule: budget for the core book plus one supplement, and hold the rest until your group finishes a first mystery. That gives you a real sense of whether your table leans into the folklore, the investigation, or the period detail, and it tells you which supplement will actually earn its shelf space.

• If you are the GM, the core book is non-negotiable; if you are a player, borrow or share a copy before buying your own.

How Vaesen supplements change your game

Supplements for Vaesen tend to do one of two jobs: expand the setting into a new region, or deepen the tools you already have. A regional supplement is the bigger commitment because it asks your group to move the campaign, while a tool-focused book slots into whatever you are already running. Read the back cover with that distinction in mind.

If your group has already decided to set a campaign outside the default region, a matching regional supplement is worth buying before any other extra. If your group is happy where it is, a supplement that adds new mysteries, adversaries, or character options will get used far more often.

• Match the supplement to the campaign you are actually running, not the one you might run someday.

Accessories: when they are worth it

Accessories are the easiest part of a Vaesen collection to overbuy. Dice sets, journals, and similar extras do not change the rules, so they only make sense when they solve a real table problem: not enough dice to share, no clean way to track clues, or a group that likes physical props. If none of those apply, skip them.

A useful test is to run three sessions first. If you find yourself wishing for a dedicated place to record investigations, or if players keep borrowing the same dice, then an accessory purchase is justified. Buying them at the same time as the core book is usually premature.

• Buy accessories after the third session, not before the first.

What to buy first if you are new to Vaesen

For a brand-new group, the order is straightforward: core book, then one supplement that matches your intended setting, then accessories only if a specific need appears. Do not buy a full campaign's worth of books before you know whether your group enjoys investigative horror, because Vaesen rewards patient players more than combat-focused ones.

If you are splitting costs across a table, have the GM buy the core book and let players buy their own dice or journals. That keeps the entry cost low and puts the optional spending on the people who will actually use it.

• Run one mystery before buying a second supplement.

Decision rules for Vaesen purchases

• You have not run a session yet: Buy the core book only. Supplements and accessories assume you already know how your group plays, and that knowledge only comes from the table. Checkpoint: one session played before any second purchase.
• Your group wants a new region: Buy the regional supplement that matches the setting you have already chosen, and treat it as the campaign's next chapter rather than a side purchase. Verdict: setting first, tools second.
• Your group is happy with the default setting: Buy a supplement that adds mysteries, adversaries, or character options instead of a new region, because it will be used in every session you already run. Verdict: depth over breadth.
• You are short on dice or note-taking space: Add a dice set or a player journal pack only after the shortage actually shows up in play, not because it looks good on a shelf. Checkpoint: the problem appears twice before you buy.

Related products that fit the same table

• Cohors Cthulhu RPG Pack of 6 Player's Journals: A pack of six 40-page player journals featuring lined, plain and gridded paper for recording your adventures in the Hidden War, complete with a debossed image of the Cohors Cthulhu cross design, sized 120x80mm. If your group already tracks clues and session notes on loose paper, a shared journal pack solves that problem for the whole table at once, and the mixed paper types let each player choose a format.
• Homeworld: Revelations - Dice Set: A dice set tied to Homeworld: Revelations, which lets players view the universe from the perspective of the crew aboard one of the Kushan fleet's ships. A dedicated dice set is the clearest example of an accessory that only earns its place when your table is short on dice or wants a matching set for the game you actually play.

Who this buying path fits

Best for

• Game Masters starting a first Vaesen campaign who want a clear purchase order
• Groups that prefer investigative folk horror over combat-heavy fantasy
• Tables that split costs and want players to buy only what they will personally use

Not for

• Collectors who want every book regardless of whether the table will use it
• Groups looking for a high-action, combat-first RPG system
• Players who want a complete game from a single supplement without the core book

Buy the Vaesen core book, run one mystery, and let that session tell you which supplement to add next. Accessories can wait until a real table problem shows up. That order keeps your spending tied to play instead of to shelf space.