So far I have mixed feelings about the game - my mood is like a cosinus curve about the new WFRP. The system itself is brilliant and innovative, and this is one of those few dice pool systems, that I like for some reason (the other two are Earthdawn and Tunells & Trolls). The most disturbing elements of the new game for me are the tools. I really hope FFG will release a slim version of WFRP, with only the books and the cards, and will sell the tools seperate- I know they won't, but I still hope. Cards are OK and handy but I already hate those puzzle pieces, and the tokens. They are small, easy to loose, and easily scattered by a sneezing or couching player. Thank god there is already a great alternative tool used by roleplayers since the beginning: the dice. A few examples:

-Instead of bulding a line from puzzle pieces for your stance, take two d6-es of different colour (let's say green and red). One of them should be agressive, the other conservative. The number shown on the dice and it's colour will tell you your current stance. Even better: keep a number of your own stance dice before you, based on your current stance - of course, for this one you'll need to buy those dice.
-Recharge tokens? Put a dice on the card, and every time when you would remove a recharge token turn it to a lower number.

What about you? Will you use any tools instead of tokens, puzzle pieces, or anything? Share your ideas!

Ravenheart87 said:

I think turning a die over to find the correct face each time the recharge number changes is going to take longer than simply removing a token. For the stance, which die was in front of you last turn again? I though you were red two? Now you're showing green two? That shouldn't be possible. I could more readily see your ideas if the components were not already included and we were forced to find some means of tracking this stuff, but I don't see the need to look for alternate methods when the tools are right there in the box.

Those are certainly ways to utilize the functionality, without using the tools. I agree with mac40k that I don't think it adds anything, per se. Although, I can see the point of wanting to avoid fiddling with the little bits, for example.

One thing I was considering doing was scanning the stance pieces (or hand-drawing), and then in Photoshop arranging the pieces according to each PC. This way the player doesn't have to hook the pieces up each time they play they just pull out the cardstock printout. Stances will only change from initial when someone spends XP to add a piece (or changes careers?), so it won't be a big deal. This will also allow me to accommodate additional players (since I think there are probably only enough puzzle pieces for 3 players).

The die on the card instead of tokens isn't a bad idea, but it's possible there are instances where the recharge is greater than 6. You also need to keep track that the die is for the recharge, and don't accidentally pick it up or knock it off. I think it will work, if you don't want to use the tokens.

I also liked the idea from the other thread about using those plastic card holder sheets that go in folders as a way to hold cards (depending on the number of cards characters get).

I'm also working on trying to make a more 3-d version of the combat system. Miniatures (which my group likes to use) do slow things down. The 3e system seems a bit too free-form to me, so I wanted a mix of the two. A best of both worlds, where there's some tactical movement, but still more abstract than each figure being in its own square. I've got some ideas. but haven't made a final decision yet.

I'll likely try to do everything by the books for the first few sessions. I need a baseline to see what I like and what I don't. If I feel something needs to be changed, I'll slowly integrate house rules until everyone is smiling.

I did, however, make a post for people that had a problem with the tools as presented. This might help some of the people that have 'bitzphobia'.

www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp

-For the stance, which die was in front of you last turn again? I though you were red two? Now you're showing green two? That shouldn't be possible

The same stands for that little bit you put on the stance meter. Even a gust of wind could move it away, just like a cheting player.

-The die on the card instead of tokens isn't a bad idea, but it's possible there are instances where the recharge is greater than 6.

Then use a d8. Or d10. Or d12 - the coolest dice of all.

By the way, the stance sheet is a nice idea, I like it.

mac40k said:

Why not go back to good old pen and paper here, It's only a big coffee accident that can destroy your written current value, where as a sneeze or an uncontrolled movement of your arms, the table, a draft or other players will make yur tokens or dice fly all over the place. It's would certainly be difficult to recreate the situation af such an incident...

I use some template schematics to manage current value of different stuff during game play, the method was simply to write the new value of somthing and cross the old out as we went along. For example monster status like wounds and characteristics...

And after all I think Jay owes us a session demo video

One second edition rulebook, 2 d10's and a pen, maybe some paper

Should be good to go