All,

I am amazed that a post on my local meetup gaming group yielded me 8 players willing to try WFRP. I will be dividing them into 2 groups of 4 players. We are doing char creation, both groups together, tomorrow, and truly, it will be my first time doing char creation as a group for WFRP. I plan to do random race & careers, and have a few items I'd love comments from experienced GMs:

1) Overall Mini-Campaign Concept:

My plan is to run a distinct mini-campaign with each group, but everything taking place in the Ubersreik-Bogenhafen area. It would allow me to easily build the world around them (and they can hear about each other exploits) and should too many players drop from one group or another, I can merge the groups in universe.

2) Careers Balance:

My main concern is what basic careers do I allow. Should I remove Ironbreaker, Waywatcher, Sword Master from the pool? Any other career that is too overpowered at the basic level?

I am considering letting the 3 careers above in the pool, but if drawn (and assuming race matches), explain to the player that he will not receive the full benefits (items) until completion of the career.

My second concern is whether I force distinct careers across both groups or only within a group. The challenge obviously is the limited number of career paths and actions should two players end-up with similar career.

3) Tips on how to do random races with 'acceptable' chance of ogre/elves/halfling in the mix?

I was thinking of two ways:

A) Random Race but Choose Region

Roll 4 white dices:

1 success -> Human only (Can choose region)

2 successes -> Human or Dwarf (Can choose region)

3 successes -> + Halfling

4 Successes -> + Elves/Ogres

# Success - Probability

1 -> 39.5%

2 -> 29.6%

3 -> 9.9%

4 -> 1.2%

This pretty much ensure I won't get Elves/Ogres, as I am not a fan of those races as playable in WFRP but still want to give a very small chance for coolness. Wonder whether I should allow them on 3 successes to get a little more racial mix

B) Random Race & Region

Roll 1d20

HUMAN: 1 - Averlander, 2 - Hochlander, 3 - Middenlander, 4 - Nordlander, 5 - Ostermarker, 6 - Ostlander, 7-8-9 - Reiklander, 10 - Stirlander, 11 - Talabeclander, 12 - Wissenlander,

DWARF: 12 - Barak Var, 13-14-15 - Karaz Azgaraz, 16 - Karaz-a-Karak, 17 - Zhufbar

OTHER: 18-19 - Hafling Moot, 20 - Ogre/Elves

Chances are higher for Ogre/Elves than above, but it makes up for not choosing regions.

Thoughts anyone?

Cheers

Ceodryn

Great news Ceodryn with the new players. Long may they remain players.

I like your idea of running them alongside each other in the same game world, it will take a lot of juggling but could have memorable moments for both groups. You could even have players from one party 'guest-spotting' in the other game, if some can't make it for a few weeks.

As for your predicament, I am in two minds, I understand what you are saying and it is better to have a predominantly human party, with dwarves as the extras. But I wouldn't want to put any of your new players off by not allowing them to play a race they fancy. So I would recommend you don't limit their choice of races.

Careers are a different matter, as not allowing some of them as a starting career, does not prevent them from transitioning into one as a second or third career. So I would agree with you and change Ironbreaker and Swordmaster from Basic and put them as Advanced (probably Intermediate). I don't think Waywatcher, or Wardancer, need changing because neither have a powerful, free item, like the other two and so don't really break the game.

One thing on option 3 A) what happens if they roll no successes? Which happens more often than not, especially when drinking a healing draught!

Hope this helps a little, and I hope you all have fun with the games.

Gazery

Oh, and make sure you let us know how they go.

I feel like if you don't want them to play Elves/Ogres, you should just tell them so. If lots of people want to play an Elf, and then one person lucks out to get one and everyone else has to "settle" for another race - as well as another career - it won't be a fun mix for you. I think it would go better if you pick a bunch of careers you would want to have in the game and then your players just pick whichever appeals to them, and picks a race from that card (with you potentially vetoing some). I did the career-first approach with my WFRP group and it worked very well. In general, stay away from "random" character creation unless a player wants to propose a truly random start, in which case you can propose these rules.

Regarding careers to remove, things like Swordmaster or Waywatcher aren't so much overpowered, as they are restrictive. You get a bunch of things that apply to that career, and the implication is that you'r egoing to continue down that path for awhile. You don't take a "dip" into Swordmaster, it influences your entire character backstory, and limits how they should be playing their characters - unless you want to play it a different way, but it sounds like you don't.

In terms of unbalanced careers I think you have them though I agree Waywatcher is not especially overpowered having had one in play (now I did rule things like a Chaos Star on Rapid Fire meant you damaged your bow over-pulling it and was careful to have encounters where there was no "back of the party to shoot from safely" etc.). The issue is more explaining why the Waywatcher is with the group etc. (I had Naeith have a vision that sent him to join the group).

I had a Swordmaster in a campaign and he got way too nasty in fights as he went along. Yes he had weaknesses in non-combat stuff but it was still unbalancing. Minimally make such things an advanced career not starting one.

I suggest also removing the Ranged Attack Immobilizing Shot (nerfs foes that need to engage to fight) and Melee Attack Reckless Cleave (over powered).

I ruled in my starting group that no more than 50% of the group could be non-human. I was clear that this is roleplaying, not dungeoneering, and picking something that sticks out, is remembered etc. would have ramifications. You're not sneaking around with an ogre and everyone in the bar remembers an elf was here asking about such and such when someone is on your trail. Ogre is really the only race that it's hard to explain - fit him in the coach in Enemy Within or explain him at the ball in Edge of Night? Now if your style goes to broad humour etc. that can work but if a bit more grim and gritty not so much.

As to rolling to choose, I wouldn't. It makes a lottery out of something fairly fundamental to player concept of character etc. I would let them pick and just randomly settle if more than the acceptable number want to be something - I would also be ruthless that they have to explain how they are a "group" (the Enemy Within has a good start on that). You can let someone who "loses the roll off to play the one elf allowed" have an extra draw for their starting careers pool if you like to compensate.

You're the GM and you invest lots of time, you should respect players but they should also respect you and what you need for your fun as well.

Rob

Thanks all for the replies. Ok I think I'll drop the random race selection but will take a long moment to explain the history of the Empire, and why majority of the group should be human.

I'll think further today whether I do random career or pick your own from a limited list, but I agree that t is going to be crucial the group is coherent in why they are together

I'll let you know how it goes and what end ups being.

You know if you stick them in a prison cell to get executed for the same crime it's all the character bonding you'll ever need.

Alright, so we spent entire session creating characters while I told them about the Old World history, geography and social strata. Everyone had good fun and they are looking forward to start (Aug 13 & 20).

Races were chosen, careers were semi-random. Some had fun drawing, some were dead intent on choosing.

The two groups are:

- Group A - "Servants of Justice": Bounty Hunter Sigmarite, Initiate of Verena (The Word of Justice), Revenge Seeking Way-watcher + One Player TBD, likely to be a mystic or apprentice wizard

-> I am thinking to create coherence of the group to run "With a Little Help" as a flash back with the following plot: A small boy is hold in ransom, he happens to be the nephew of the initiate, one of her favorite. Her family is seeking help to rescue him, and turn to the bounty hunter to get the bag guy holding him. Unbeknownst to them, that bag guy is already being stalked in the shadows of the town by a revenge seeking wood elf who has been tracking the murder and disappearance of some of his kin, which led him to the tilean stronghouse

Then, I would run Eye for an Eye -> A Filler Adventure -> Edge of Night -> Horror at Hugeldal -> Harrower of Thane

Group B - "The Infamous": Human Smuggler, Apprentice Grey Wizard + One Player TBD

-> For this group, I am considering going straight into The Gathering Storm. The smuggler is linked to the disappearing merchant, and the grey wizard is sent by his master in Ubersreik to investigate a mater of utmost importance - the missing delivery of ale. Both decided to start knowing each other, having grown up on the dock neighborhood of Ubersreik

After TGS, I would run Winds of Change -> Witch's Song (if I find a plot link which I don't see right now)

Sounds good, lots of Old Worldiness being played out. I admire your energy running two groups with separate adventures!

[Placeholder for links to Recording]

Ok, so we finally started playing last month, after the character creation session. We play once a month only, thus two sessions a month for me. The recordings are for personal use, but the players are ok to share. They are complete beginner to WFRP3, and most are beginners to the WFRP universe as well, thus I am doing a lot of explaining. As for my French accent, not much I can do, after 15 years in the U.S. I am an hopeless case (I will try to speak slower though moving forward).

The Game Room Picture

Group A - Servants of Justice

Session 1 - With a Little Help from my Friends

Group B - Brash Young Fools

Session 1 - The Oldenhaller Contract