Topic: Shadows over Bogenhafen RPG (out of character thread)

[rufus sparkfire]

I'm going to run this warhammer roleplay adventure on the forum:




More info later!

[Finlay]

That drawing is amazing!

[rufus sparkfire]

Yes, it is!

So, this adventure is for 1st edition warhammer roleplay (WFRP), so it's fairly old. Even so, I think there are a fair number of people who will have played or read it: if you have, then you can't play this time. Sorry! No point if you already know what happens.

Obviously it would take only moments to look up the story on the internet, but don't if you are going to play. Where would be the fun in that?

The game is set in 2512, which is ten or so years in the warhammer past. The fluff is somewhat different to what Empire players may be used to, especially in terms of which provinces exist and which ones have Electors. But it makes no difference to this adventure.

Also, there's no colour magic. The spells are like the ones in 3rd edition warhammer. This also doesn't matter, since no one will be casting them. Almost no one.

Shadow over Bogenhafen is set entirely in the Reikland town of that name. The adventurers arrive in town to visit the Sheep Fair, but soon discover that something sinister is going on. It's not a combat-heavy adventure: more an investigative one.

So, I would like four or five players. I may have already asked two or three people!

There's no need to know the rules, by the way. It's pretty simple. I'll explain how to make characters.

Oh, and also no one will be playing an elf. They are so much better than humans, dwarfs and halflings that it isn't remotely amusing.


So, is anyone interested in playing?

[Fandir Nightshade]

Sign me up as Klaus Metzger, coward with a gambling problem out there to become rich and famous. (being broke is not much fun).

[commandant]

If there is a space I would be interested

[rufus sparkfire]

Sign me up as Klaus Metzger, coward with a gambling problem out there to become rich and famous. (being broke is not much fun).

Great.

Gambler is a career choice by the way!

If there is a space I would be interested

There is!


OK, that makes three players now. I think I need four minimum, really.


Anyway, I'll start posting character creation rules soon. The first step is to roll your stats.

[Fandir Nightshade]

Gambler it is for me.....roll with what kind of dice and how often?

[commandant]

As far as I remember WHFB is a d10 system   

I think in the warhammer world you should use bone dice    

[Cannonofdoom]

ME! Mememememememememe! Me Me Me!


Me? 

[rufus sparkfire]

Cannon is in. That makes 4 players! Unless someone else desperately wants to play, we'll leave it there.


Making a character

This needs to be done in stages, since you (presumably) don't have the rulebook. First thing is to choose a race: human, dwarf or halfling. It's better if most of the group are human, since this adventure is set entirely in a human town. But if anyone really wants to be a dwarf or halfling, that's fine.

You'll need a dice roller program that does funny dice. Lots of those on the internet.

The stats are like the warhammer ones, except:
- there are some extra ones
- most of them are on a percentage scale


So:
                                      human                   dwarf                            halfling
movement                     d3+2                       D2+2                           D2+2
weapon skill                  2d10+20                 2d10+30                     2d10+10
ballistic skill                   2d10+20                 2d10+10                      2d10+30
strength                        d3+1                       d3+1                            d3
toughness                     d3+1                       d3+2                            d3
wounds                         d3+4                       d3+5                            d3+3
initiative                        2d10+20                  2d10+10                      2d10+40
attacks                           1                                1                                     1
dexterity                       2d10+20                  2d10+10                      2d10+30
leadership                    2d10+20                    2d10+40                      2d10+10 
intelligence                   2d10+20                  2d10+20                     2d10+20 
cool                              2d10+20                  2d10+40                        2d10+10 
willpower                     2d10+20                  2d10+40                       2d10+10 
fellowship                   2d10+20                   2d10+10                    2d10+30 

fate points                        d3+1                       d3                                 d4
number of starting skills    d4                          d4                                 d4

I also need to know your character's age at this point, since it affects the number of skills you get. Next thing is to roll for skills and choose a character class. After that, you choose your starting career!


So, please go ahead and roll! Then post the results.

[Fandir Nightshade]

Klaus Metzger
Age: 28
Ash blonde hair and pale blue eyes
5,5" around 150 pounds

Career Class Rogue, Career choice Gambler

I used this programm
http://www.roll-dice-online.com/

                               human               
movement                     3                     
weapon skill                  36             
ballistic skill                   35               
strength                        3                       
toughness                     2                       
wounds                         6                       
initiative                        33                 
attacks                           1                                                                   
dexterity                       29               
leadership                    25                                       
intelligence                   47 (37+10)                                     
cool                              34                                         
willpower                     34                                     
fellowship                   36                                     

fate points                        2                                               
number of starting skills   4 (3+1)

starting skills:

silent move urban
bribery
lightning reflexes
street fighting

advance scheme:
BS+10
W+2
I+10
Dex+10
Fel+10

skills:
gamble
luck
palm object

career exits:
charlatan

equipment:
hand weapon
leather jacket
pack of cards (with spare aces)
pair of dice
pair of loaded dice (always roll 6s)


Plus the basic rogue equipment:
clothes!
knife
9 gold crowns
                                                     

[rufus sparkfire]

That looks fine, Fandir!

Everyone has to choose a career class. This determines which careers are open to them. The choices are:

Warrior
Ranger
Rogue
Academic

But you'll need to know which career you want before you choose a class.

You then roll on your career classes table to see which starting skills you get. This is modified by age like so:

Humans get +1 skill if 21 or over, or +2 skills if 31 or over. Back to +1 if 41 or over, and downhill from there!
Dwarfs get +1 skill if 41+, +2 if 71+.
Halflings get +1 if 31+.

I'm not going to type out the skill tables, so just make an appropriate number of (d100) rolls and tell me what you get!
Dwarfs and halflings have some skills preset: dwarfs always have mining, and their second skill has to be smithing or metallurgy.
Halflings always have cook, and their second skill is herb lore or silent move-rural or specialist weapon-sling. Other skills are random.

So, now you decide on a basic career. This is what you were before you became an adventurer. You will get skills and equipment from the career, and also an advance scheme (more on that later). It also determines which career you move on to as you gain experience.

You can decide your career randomly, but I think it's more fun to choose. Here we go:

warrior careers
bodyguard
laborer
marine
mercenary
militiaman
noble
outlaw
pit fighter
protagonist (sort of a professional bully)
seaman
servant
soldier
squire
troll slayer (dwarf only)
tunnel fighter (dwarf only)
watchman


ranger careers
boatman
bounty hunter
coachman
fisherman
gamekeeper/poacher
herdsman
hunter
muleskinner (guy who runs a mule train)
outrider (not like the warhammer ones!)
pilot
prospector
rat catcher
roadwarden
runner (dwarf only)
toll keeper
trapper
woodsman

rogue careers
agitator
bawd (I think this is a pimp!)
beggar
entertainer (various subtypes for this one)
footpad
gambler
grave robber
jailer
pedlar
raconteur
rustler
smuggler
thief (subtypes again)
tomb robber


academic careers
alchemist's apprentice
artizan's apprentice (subtypes)
druid
engineer (dwarf only!)
exciseman
herbalist
hypnotist
initiate (to a cult - choose a god)
pharmacist
physician's student
scribe
seer
student
trader
wizard's apprentice


It's better if everyone has a different career, but it shouldn't matter too much what you choose. The adventure should be equally playable for any group.

Only the wizard's apprentice casts spells, but they are bad spells and he's bad at it. Being a wizard kind of sucks in WFRP.

[rufus sparkfire]

Fandir: you need to make 4 d100 rolls to see what your starting skills are (3 +1 for your age).

[Fandir Nightshade]

Skill rolls

80 - 17 - 53 - 95

[rufus sparkfire]

advance schemes

Each career has an advance scheme, which is basically a set of +10/+1s to your stats that you buy with experience points. For example, as a Gambler Fandir gets this scheme:

BS+10
W+2
I+10
Dex+10
Fel+10

You get one advance free for your first starting character, but each one after that costs 100 experience points. Notice the W+2: this is actually two advances - you can add one wound twice.

Each career has a different set of advances. However, you can only ever take a +10/+1 once in any stat. To increase it further, you need a career with +20/+2, and so on. They go up to +40/+4 at most.

Once you've spent enough experience to buy every advance in your current career, you can then change to a new one. Each career has specified career exits: for example, Gambler has one exit: Charlatan (an advanced career). But, it will be a while before anyone can change career, so we'll leave that for now.

[rufus sparkfire]

Skill rolls

80 - 17 - 53 - 95

Right, that gives you these skills:

silent move urban
bribery
lightning reflexes
street fighting


Here's what you get as a Gambler:

advance scheme:
BS+10
W+2
I+10
Dex+10
Fel+10

skills:
gamble
luck
palm object

career exits:
charlatan

equipment:
hand weapon
leather jacket
pack of cards (with spare aces)
pair of dice
pair of loaded dice (always roll 6s)


Plus the basic rogue equipment:
clothes!
knife
3d6 gold crowns (these are coins, of course!)


You just need to pick your free advance from the advance scheme, then you are done!

I'll explain what your skills do later.

[Fandir Nightshade]

I will update my character post with all the info....

so I got this right I could with my free advance for example add +10 to intelligence....once. If I want to add for example a wound I need 100 xp I could not advance my weapon skill.

(I would go for intelligence...I guess 47 is not too bad).

[Cannonofdoom]

Heinrich Kanone des Untergangs
Age: 31 (my actual age)
Brown hair and eyes, short cropped beard
5'10" 195 lbs (heroic scale!)


Career Class Ranger, Career Choice Bounty Hunter

I used this programm
http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20dicebag/

                               Human               
movement                  3                       
weapon skill               33               
ballistic skill                38               
strength                     3                       
toughness                  4                       
wounds                      7                       
initiative                     34                 
attacks                       1                                                               
dexterity                     28               
leadership                  35                                       
intelligence                 29                                     
cool                             30                                         
willpower                    39                                     
fellowship                   30                                   

fate points                  4                                                     
number of starting skills 3 1(+2)   

Skill rolls 8 - 91 - 13

[Finlay]

Dwarf! (bogenhafen's civil engineer. If this doesn't work I'll be a scribe.)
Julian Stonebridge
Age: 60
black/grey curly hair, plaited beard
not sure on height/weight for a dwarf.

Class: Academic. Career: Engineer.

movement: 3
weapon skill: 47
ballistic skill: 13
strength: 2
Toughness: 5
wounds: 8
initiative: 26
attacks 1
dexterity: 18
leadership: 58
intelligence: 30
cool: 55
willpower: 55
fellowship:28

fate points: 2
number of starting skills: 3

skill rolls. (2 right? 3+1 age bonus -2 pre set)

81 and 25

[commandant]

Mortus Basanduine - Human female- 17

Academic - Wizard's apprentice

Mortus is a bubbly talkitive young woman.   She has striking narrow features, a boney face and long boney fingers.   She has some magical abilty, but it is one of the few subjects that she will not discuss openly.   It is possible that she fears the witch hunters
                                                   
movement                     3                     
weapon skill                  33
ballistic skill                   25
Strength                        4                   
toughness                     4                     
wounds                         4                   
initiative                        35                 
attacks                           1                               
dexterity                       29                 
leadership                    25
intelligence                   33 (+10)   
cool                              31
willpower                     36
fellowship                     26 

fate points                        3
number of starting skills    4 (+1) (34,53,29,30,95)

I'm not sure what to do for equipment and stuff

[rufus sparkfire]

Wow, everyone's done already. Speedy!

so I got this right I could with my free advance for example add +10 to intelligence....once. If I want to add for example a wound I need 100 xp I could not advance my weapon skill.

(I would go for intelligence...I guess 47 is not too bad).

Yes, you can pick a +10/+1 in one of the stats you are allowed to increase. Future increases cost 100 exp. To increase other stats (like WS in your case) you need a new career!

It's a funny system!


So, on to Cannon's character:

Heinrich Kanone des Untergangs
Age: 31 (my actual age)
Brown hair and eyes, short cropped beard
5'10" 195 lbs (heroic scale!)


Career Class Ranger, Career Choice Bounty Hunter

I used this programm
http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20dicebag/

                               Human               
movement                  3                       
weapon skill               33               
ballistic skill                38               
strength                     3                       
toughness                  4                       
wounds                      7                       
initiative                     34                 
attacks                       1                                                               
dexterity                     28               
leadership                  35                                       
intelligence                 29                                     
cool                             30                                         
willpower                    39                                     
fellowship                   30                                   

fate points                  4                                                     
number of starting skills 3 1(+2)   

Skill rolls 8 - 91 - 13

Your free skills are:

Ambidextrous
Very resiliant
Astronomy (!)

Standard ranger equipment:
Clothes (outdoor stuff)
rucksack with blankets, cooking pots, cutlery, tinderbox, water flask
hand weapon (sword, axe, mace, whatever)
knife
3d6 gold crowns

Bounty Hunter advance scheme:
WS+10
BS+10
S+1
W+2
I+10
Cl+10

(so pick a +10 or +1 for free)


Skills:

Follow trail
shadowing
silent move rural
silent move urban
specialist weapon lasso!
specialist weapon net
strike mighty blow
50% chance of having marksmanship (roll please!)

Equipment:
bow OR crossbow and ammunition (24 bolts or arrows)
mail shirt
rope
net
d4 pairs of manacles!

Career exists:
assassin
footpad
mercenary
protagonist
slaver
targeteer



No time to do the other two now. Back later!

[patsy02]

That drawing is amazing!

I like how his demon reflection is facing the wrong way.

[rufus sparkfire]

That drawing is amazing!

I like how his demon reflection is facing the wrong way.

It's not a reflection, Mr. Clever!

[rufus sparkfire]

Moving on.

It's fine to be a dwarf civil engineer, but I'd rather you weren't from Bogenhafen since it would complicate the plot!

Also, dwarf height = 4'4" + d10". Not sure about weight, but it will never matter.

Dwarf! (bogenhafen's civil engineer. If this doesn't work I'll be a scribe.)
Julian Stonebridge
Age: 60
black/grey curly hair, plaited beard
not sure on height/weight for a dwarf.

Class: Academic. Career: Engineer.

movement: 3
weapon skill: 47
ballistic skill: 13
strength: 2
Toughness: 5
wounds: 8
initiative: 26
attacks 1
dexterity: 18
leadership: 58
intelligence: 30
cool: 55
willpower: 55
fellowship:28

fate points: 2
number of starting skills: 3

skill rolls. (2 right? 3+1 age bonus -2 pre set)

81 and 25

Academic basic equipment:
clothes
knife
3d6 gold crowns

Starting skills:
mining
metallurgy
very resilient (!)
dance (!!)


Engineer advance scheme:
WS+10
BS+10
W+2
Dex+10
Int+10

(pick a free advance please)

Career exits:
alchemist's apprentice
artillerist
artisan
gunner
sapper
tunnel fighter

Skills:
carpentry
drive cart
engineering
read/write
secret signs: dwarf engineer's guild
set trap
smithing
spot trap
[also your mining skill is upgraded to give +20% on relevant tests]


Equipment:
hand weapon (any kind)
leather jacket
tool bag
hammers and nails
chisels
pick
saw
iron spikes
tongs
pliers
10 yards of heavy wire
hand axe
ring with concealed guild symbol

[rufus sparkfire]

Somewhat more complicated! You need to pick spells.

Mortus Basanduine - Human female- 17

Academic - Wizard's apprentice

Mortus is a bubbly talkitive young woman.   She has striking narrow features, a boney face and long boney fingers.   She has some magical abilty, but it is one of the few subjects that she will not discuss openly.   It is possible that she fears the witch hunters
                                                   
movement                     3                     
weapon skill                  33
ballistic skill                   25
Strength                        4                   
toughness                     4                     
wounds                         4                   
initiative                        35                 
attacks                           1                               
dexterity                       29                 
leadership                    25
intelligence                   33 (+10)   
cool                              31
willpower                     36
fellowship                     26 

fate points                        3
number of starting skills    4 (+1) (34,53,29,30,95)

I'm not sure what to do for equipment and stuff

Academic basic equipment:
clothes
knife
3d6 gold crowns

Starting skills:
Drive cart
Heraldry
Dance
Cryptography
Very resilient (again!)

Wizard's Apprentice advance scheme
W+1
Dex+10
Int+10
WP+10

(choose one free advance from those)

Extra equipment:
none!

Career exits:
bawd
charlatan
entertainer
gambler
grave robber
tomb robber
wizard, level one

Skills:
arcane language: magic
cast spells - petty magic
read/write
secret language: classical
50% chance of having scroll lore (roll please!)

Also!

Magic points: 2d4  (roll this too)

And you get to choose two petty magic spells. The choices are:
curse (give someone bad breath or a rash, or something like that)
gift of tongues (understand any language. Short duration!)
glowing light (makes a light that lasts some hours)
magic alarm (as it sounds)
magic flame (makes a flame in your hand. not a weapon)
magic lock (as it sounds)
marsh lights (floating lights that you can direct)
open (opens!)
produce small creature (pull a rabbit out of your hat)
protection from rain (keeps you dry!)
reinforce door (as it sounds)
remove curse (as it sounds)
sleep (the only combat spell! One target only, and you have to touch them)
sounds (makes a noise)
zone of cold (makes it cold around you)
zone of silence (makes it quiet around you)
zone of warmth (makes it warm around you)

A couple of those even sound useful! I'll provide full descriptions for the two you select.