Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

[Fabio Andrea Rossi]

I am intrigued in WFRPG, but I have one question.

The one thing I like most about DD4E is the possibility to play a wide range of classes, each with its own quirk and some mechanical peculiarities, most of which play very differently from a tactical standpoint.

I do understand that mechanical diversity is not WFRPG main horse and that careers work very differently respect to classes, but what I'd like to know is if the careers have some differences between them.

I mean: is the only different a bunch of different skills and access to skills and talents or are there different "powers" (or talent or whatever) making for instance a troll slayer different from a witch hunter?

Back then I liked a lor Warhammer quest, in that boardgame the characters were very different.

Is some of this aspect reflected in this game?

100 careers seem like a lot to leave space to really different abilities.

Some wisdom from you guys would prove invaluable in making the hard choiche whether to try this fascinating setting

 

[Obryn]

Professions are packages of ability score increases, skills, and talents (basically feats). They aren't mechanically unique in such a way that you'd necessarily know what Profession someone is by how they perform in play, but the packages are quite different, IMO.

They're different enough that different PCs will be fairly distinct by the end of their first careers. Some talents are fairly rare, too, and only available in one or two advanced careers.

Also, the careers are divided into Basic and Advanced. Advanced careers require you to complete an earlier career in the path first. Basic careers can be hopped into for an expenditure of XP, no matter where you're starting from.

-O

 

[Emirikol]

a couple thoughts

A couple thoughts on the comments so far:
* Economy. I have a couple rules that keep things under control:
1. All crap found on opponents is considered "poor" quality unless otherwise specified.
2. Poor equipment may not be sold, but may be kept (if you really want to)
3. Listed equipment may be sold at 30% +5% per degree of haggle success.

Character diversity:
After playing D&D for 28 years, I've switched to WFRP. I'm very pleased with the fact that the game allows you to define your character under the rules. You're not told what you do. You're not told what your combat actions are. You define them when you play.

If you're interested in the COMPLETE character career list with notable entries and exits they are here:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/wfrp/media/WFRP_CComp_WebEnhance.pdf

I've been running WFRP on Maptool. If you're interested, you can download the house rules and base campaign here: RPTools.net Forums • View topic - WFRP Macro Set (in campaign file) for your enjoyment

Attached is a screenshot from our MAPTOOL (rptools.net) game.


Jay H


..

 

[wolff96]

I've been running what I laughingly refer to as a "Heroic" version of WFRPG for a while now with my current group. I call it that because I hand out money and experience a bit more freely than suggested in the default rules. I mean, the Priest of Sigmar can almost afford a suit of plate mail!

So far, most of the group is intact; the wannabe-Witch Hunter is nearly out of Fate points, but almost all of the 'really epic' stories center around his character.

The players found a riverboat recently, sold the cargo, and promptly lost a huge chunk of their newfound wealth paying off a crime lord to stop framing two members of the party. (He was a bit annoyed with them for killing one of his men..)

The dice were favorable to the players back at the start -- we've got a Dwarven (Giant)Slayer, an Elven (Journeyman) Wizard, a human priest of Sigmar about to go into Warrior Priest, and a Protagonist who is working his way up to Witch Hunter. There's one other member of the party and he's probably my favorite -- he started as a Burgher. Since no one else in the party could talk to save their own lives, he started working towards 'face' skills.

Despite having roughly the combat skills of an old mule, he's saved the party on numerous occasions, handles all their trading and buying, manages the group's destinations, and is currently learning to sail their new boat. Unlike the other players, who all have destinations in mind, he wanders from career to career organically, taking whatever seems appropriate at the time. It makes for a GREAT character. As long as he stays out of the line of fire, anyway.

I love the system. I love the grit. And I love the fact that I don't need maps, grid-paper, or anything else to run it. Just a couple of character sheets and my imagination. I had trouble doing that in 3E, let alone 4E!

 

[vonmolkew]

The original adventures GW put out might have been the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on.....
Seriously, it is fast-paced, a little scary, a lot crazy and affords you a TON of role-playing chances. You can learn to play in about 10 minutes and make a character in about 20. And for anyone who hasn't played a dwarf scholar with no dexterity to speak of and an affinity for bombs and blunderbusses, you haven't lived!

 

[kitsune9]

I've been running what I laughingly refer to as a "Heroic" version of WFRPG for a while now with my current group. I call it that because I hand out money and experience a bit more freely than suggested in the default rules. I mean, the Priest of Sigmar can almost afford a suit of plate mail!

So far, most of the group is intact; the wannabe-Witch Hunter is nearly out of Fate points, but almost all of the 'really epic' stories center around his character.

The players found a riverboat recently, sold the cargo, and promptly lost a huge chunk of their newfound wealth paying off a crime lord to stop framing two members of the party. (He was a bit annoyed with them for killing one of his men..)

The dice were favorable to the players back at the start -- we've got a Dwarven (Giant)Slayer, an Elven (Journeyman) Wizard, a human priest of Sigmar about to go into Warrior Priest, and a Protagonist who is working his way up to Witch Hunter. There's one other member of the party and he's probably my favorite -- he started as a Burgher. Since no one else in the party could talk to save their own lives, he started working towards 'face' skills.

Despite having roughly the combat skills of an old mule, he's saved the party on numerous occasions, handles all their trading and buying, manages the group's destinations, and is currently learning to sail their new boat. Unlike the other players, who all have destinations in mind, he wanders from career to career organically, taking whatever seems appropriate at the time. It makes for a GREAT character. As long as he stays out of the line of fire, anyway.

I love the system. I love the grit. And I love the fact that I don't need maps, grid-paper, or anything else to run it. Just a couple of character sheets and my imagination. I had trouble doing that in 3E, let alone 4E!

I was thinking a different version of "Heroic" WFRP in more staying power for the PC's such as just doubling their starting wounds. I would keep everything else though such as madness, disease, and all the other crunchy goodness that makes WFRP such an awesome game.

I know that economy is mentioned here as being a problem, probably would have to look at that as well.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

I was thinking a different version of "Heroic" WFRP in more staying power for the PC's such as just doubling their starting wounds. I would keep everything else though such as madness, disease, and all the other crunchy goodness that makes WFRP such an awesome game.

Well, PC survivability is helped immensely when your GM can't make attack rolls for crap 90& of the time. And the few times he does hit, it's either a pitiful damage roll or the target manages to dodge or parry the attack.

GM: "The lead Orc scores a mighty hit..."
Elf PC: "Finally hit something other than air."
GM: "Shush you. He bellows fiercely as his choppa crashes into your side for... 6 points of damage."
Me: "So between my Toughness bonus and my armor, I take... no damage, right?"
GM: "Blasted Bretonnians and their gorram armor."
Dwarf PC: "Hey, at least Sir Clanksalot couldn't parry or dodge this one."
GM: "Oh shut up and just kill the pathetic blighter already!"

The above is from one of our last few game sessions before the GM's work schedule changed to prevent him from being able to game with us on a regular basis. Which is a shame because the campaign he was running was quite a lot of fun, as he was willing to step out of the "GrimDark" mindset and allow some of the PCs to be a bit happier than what the norm might suggest.

Wolff96,
I can agree whole-heartedly on the "face" of the party being a vital component of a group. Ours was an Entertainer, and I think she transitioned into Rogue. While she wasn't much of a combatant (was a very good knife thrower as well as superb dancer), she proved a great boon on helping us to avoid quite a few scrapes by virtue of her silver tongue, even with some members of the Imperial nobility. Of course, she was quite happy to let the Knight Errant and Troll Slayer take center stage when butts needed to be whupped. And she certainly did keep things lively with a few of her antics.

 

[Sanzuo]

The one thing I like most about DD4E is the possibility to play a wide range of classes, each with its own quirk and some mechanical peculiarities, most of which play very differently from a tactical standpoint.

I do understand that mechanical diversity is not WFRPG main horse and that careers work very differently respect to classes, but what I'd like to know is if the careers have some differences between them.

I mean: is the only different a bunch of different skills and access to skills and talents or are there different "powers" (or talent or whatever) making for instance a troll slayer different from a witch hunter?

...

Some wisdom from you guys would prove invaluable in making the hard choiche whether to try this fascinating setting

The best way I can answer your question is that this is not D&D4e. The latest version of D&D is very "gameist" and puts a LOT of focus on the mechanical aspects of the game - which is fine! Super tactical highly magical battles is a part of that system and I certainly have fun playing it.

WFRP in its current state is not a "gameist" system in my opinion. The focus is on the setting and the atmosphere. The combat rules are very simple and fast - but you shouldn't be having frequent sessions that are nothing but combat, either!

But if you're looking for distinct roles than you could say that WFRP has many more roles than D&D. With so many careers you can end up with a lot of unique combinations!

Much like D&D4e has four basic roles - Striker, Defender, Controller, Leader - You can think of WFRP as having roles as well, they're just not all centered around fighting: Face (Negotiator), Healer (Physician or Divine), Fighter (Person who fights), Sneak (Sneaky person), Spellcaster, Ect!

If you made a party in WFRP full of nothing but people who fight then you're going to have a very boring game of nothing but battle after battle. When it actually gets to the point that you need to talk to someone or you run into a superior force (because you've been fighting all the time, your enemies aren't going to "balance" your encounters for you) then you're going to be in trouble.

 

[CapnZapp]

I am intrigued in WFRPG, but I have one question.

The one thing I like most about DD4E is the possibility to play a wide range of classes, each with its own quirk and some mechanical peculiarities, most of which play very differently from a tactical standpoint.

Then honestly WFRP is not the game for you.

WFRP is much more a traditional rpg, where the thought goes if you want to enter combat, you should play a warrior of some sort (mercenary, soldier, etc)

All other kinds of people really don't want to enter combat, or so is the expectation.

WFRP is still a game about unlikely heroes, so beggars and servants and burgomeisters still need to fight greenskins and mutants. But they have neither the training nor the equipment to do it. This is supposed to be a good thing.

4th Edition D&D is very much a different game. It's completely something else. Its basic assumption is game equals combat, and it is served well by following this assumtion to its logical end, i.e. making all classes equally combat-capable.

A graverobber or courtier in WFRP does not have any hidden combat capabilities, they do not get any compensation for not knowing which end of the stick to point at the enemy. Simply put, a Watchman or Trollslayer is strictly superior to have around when the swords are drawn - just like in real life. Their "role" is to handle enemies; to keep their friends from dying.

With experience, most WFRP characters will probably move to lessen this discrepancy, of course, but that is another discussion.

 

[Emirikol]

Wfrp

CZ has some points. The beauty of having a WORLD and not just mechanics is that the players have it easy when they look at THEME, not just mechanics (although you could do that too). When you look at the picture and read the description of a career, that's what gives YOU, THE PLAYER, the inspiration to do whatever it is that you do.

Sure, there are skills and talents that vary as well as particular characteristic benefits to each one, but that's based on the main rules.

WFRP is not a game of exceptions. It has rules that you can count on. Then it's up to the PLAYERS on how to be creative within those guidelines.

Also, since the game isn't a "miniatures wargame" it's about the players solving problems using whatever means necessary. You get xp for meeting goals, not for counting up how many goblins you killed. If you need to rescue the princess, you get the same x.p. whether you burned the building down to kill the monsters and ran out with her hair on fire or if you snuck in and not a shot was fired.

...and there are firearms. They're not a major highlight, but it definately feels very midieval that way

jh




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