pawsplay
Hero
In 2e, neither halflings nor dwarves can be wizards. Halflings have innate chaos resistance which makes them unable to cast spells in that fashion. Dwarves have their own rune magic. Elves have a similar, but parallel, and probably more advanced, tradition of wizardry compared to humans. Some careers you can only start as if you are a member of a race; for instance, only dwarves produce tunnel fighters, although members of other races can take up the career later on.
Instead of classes, Warhammer have "careers," basically packages of skills and possible ability increases. As you finish each one, you can take an exit (for instance, from student to scholar) or move to a related career (student to wizard's apprentice), or even take on an entirely new career. Advanced careers require you to complete a basic career first; for instance, you can't become a racketeer without experience in some other larcenous profession.
A typical campaign goes like this. The players roll up characters and you end up with a halfling baker, a human rat-catcher, and a dwarven soldier. They meet in a rat-infested tavern and see a poster advertising a reward for the capture of an infamous bandit. Gathering up a handful of used weapons, some bedrolls, and the services of an untrustworthy wilderness guide, they go in search of the bandit. After a battle in which they slay several bandit guards, during which the dwarven soldier loses his foot, permanently, they corner the bandit. He turns out to be a demonic cultist and immobilizes the halfling with a spell. Then the rat-catcher hits the cultist in the stomach with an axe-handle, and then beats the helpless cultist to death. They search for treasure. Finding what appears to be a magical amulet and a glowing sword, they bury them under a rock and vow never to speak of them again. They find some pocket change in the cultist's pocket, sever his head, and return to town to collect the reward. The local magistrate rewards them. On the way back to the tavern, a fanatical witch hunter who was also trailing the bandit corners the halfling and tries to extort the reward from him. Later, they set a trap for the witch hunter and kill him. Then they find out he is an initiate of a local religious order and have to flee the town or risk arrest and execution. On the way out of town, bandits surround them. The dwarf mutters, "Do you know who we are?" The bandits don't, and attack. The one-legged dwarf dies. The baker and the rat-catcher use that opportunity to flee and hide.
The baker and rat-catcher earn enough XP for one advance. When they complete their careers, the baker thinks he might like to be an outlaw, while the rat-catcher starts looking at good ways to enter the witch hunter career.
Instead of classes, Warhammer have "careers," basically packages of skills and possible ability increases. As you finish each one, you can take an exit (for instance, from student to scholar) or move to a related career (student to wizard's apprentice), or even take on an entirely new career. Advanced careers require you to complete a basic career first; for instance, you can't become a racketeer without experience in some other larcenous profession.
A typical campaign goes like this. The players roll up characters and you end up with a halfling baker, a human rat-catcher, and a dwarven soldier. They meet in a rat-infested tavern and see a poster advertising a reward for the capture of an infamous bandit. Gathering up a handful of used weapons, some bedrolls, and the services of an untrustworthy wilderness guide, they go in search of the bandit. After a battle in which they slay several bandit guards, during which the dwarven soldier loses his foot, permanently, they corner the bandit. He turns out to be a demonic cultist and immobilizes the halfling with a spell. Then the rat-catcher hits the cultist in the stomach with an axe-handle, and then beats the helpless cultist to death. They search for treasure. Finding what appears to be a magical amulet and a glowing sword, they bury them under a rock and vow never to speak of them again. They find some pocket change in the cultist's pocket, sever his head, and return to town to collect the reward. The local magistrate rewards them. On the way back to the tavern, a fanatical witch hunter who was also trailing the bandit corners the halfling and tries to extort the reward from him. Later, they set a trap for the witch hunter and kill him. Then they find out he is an initiate of a local religious order and have to flee the town or risk arrest and execution. On the way out of town, bandits surround them. The dwarf mutters, "Do you know who we are?" The bandits don't, and attack. The one-legged dwarf dies. The baker and the rat-catcher use that opportunity to flee and hide.
The baker and rat-catcher earn enough XP for one advance. When they complete their careers, the baker thinks he might like to be an outlaw, while the rat-catcher starts looking at good ways to enter the witch hunter career.
(btw, I actually managed to survive with no lasting scars, either physical or mental, and not for the GM's lack of effort.)
