Hi folks. At least I gathered some players to play WFRP again. But this time, the players got themselves the more strange group that I ever seen, and I´m having trouble thinking how to make them a group. The first session is on next saturday, and I´m thinking on use " A shilling short, late night" to explain the basics of the system and give a start.

The First char is a Elf Swordmaster, with a interesting story, but no ideas how his elf would be in the Empire. I thought about using the elven package as his mission, and go on with that. The other is a Ironbreaker that lose his karak and now his life-mission is gather a army to take back his home. I can talk that the roadwarden's father is a long time friend. The third is a reiklander roadwarden, drunk and sad with the loss of his wife and kid for banditis. The final char is gaving me some trouble. He wants to play a male witch, and I cannot foresee a reason that a witch would be in a group and, really, I´m a little worried on "how a witch plays in a warhammer setting". I´m just thinking in the first time he do any magic, his head will be chopped out.

Any ideas to help me unite this group, an what I do with the witch?

I would let them decide, how they fit together. They have to chose a party sheet after all, so this could start the discussion.

Hmm...if it were me, I might set the players down and have them hash out their relationships to one another together rather than doing all the hard work yourself. Give them a time limit, (say, 30 minutes,) and sit and listen to them. Make notes. Veto anything that you think doesn't fit in the spirit of your game, but let them do the legwork of figuring out why the elf and dwarf are working together and why they all put up with magic. Offer up suggestions about the Warhammer world as they talk, and let them peruse your sourcebooks. You can also make sure their answers to these problems aren't too easy. Tell them to think in terms of possible plot twists that you can exploit later in the game.

As far as the magic user, I'd say let him do what he wants, but just remind him that he can't cast openly in public. If he does, punish him. Remind him now that that means that he may not be overly useful many encounters, especially those that take place in town. If he's okay with that, let him carry on; after all, the added challenge of figuring out how to use your magical skills without anyone finding out can be fun for some players. Also, don't forget that a lot of the scenarios that exist have huge numbers of encounters out in the middle of nowhere, so he'll be able to use his magical skills then. If he wants to reroll, let him.

Indeed, make them all read the back of their career cards and their racial entries- aloud to each other. Make it clear - failing to account for that can fall on you as heavily as not bothering to socket talents or ever spend wound advances on the front.

The choice of party sheet is a good focus point for this.

If it was me, "I hope you're all stoked to play what you've chosen in this grim and perilous world. Now you have to figure out the reason why the first session doesn't end with you all killing each other and only one or two walking away because if you were ordinary folk of these backgrounds there's a good chance that would be the story. Of course, you're heroes so the story can be a bit different than ordinary.."

Elf from Ulthuan, why are you here in the Empire?

Dwarf, why would you not tell that elf the entries of the Book of Grudges naming his pasty-faced race as cowards, murderers and worse -? And if you wouldn't insult him and provoke a duel, still why would you keep his company? You do realize you will have no credibility with other dwarfs (trying to retake your karak) if you are seen palling with an elf.

Elf, if the ignorant dirt-gnome ever said such things to you, why wouldn't you kill him? Why would you keep his company?

Witch, are you never going to use your magic openly or admit to having magical sight? Why won't the Roadwarden arrest or kill you on the spot? Why won't the dwarf (given they think even official wizards are a bit chancy)? Why won't the elf (given they think Teclis was running a risk letting any of the monkeys work even dumbed down colour-coded magic). You do realize, by the way, that every College Wizard who walks by you and uses magical sight may realize something is up and they are all pleged to kill you or bring you into College to be "tested" (and probably never seen again).

Roadwarden, why wouldn't you enforce the law where a witch is concerned? You realize that concealing a witch is a crime too, when he burns, you will hang.

What would have you all working together (and beyond a single mission)? It can start with debts of honour, what's the "package", prophecies etc. The Witch is the hardest one since to knowingly accept a witch everyone else in party has to accept they are committing a capital crime in the Empire (time to head for Border Prince territory).

From GM perspective, just do what you need to. If you know you're running Gathering Storm or other adventures, make sure they know their explanation needs to feed into that.

There are plots/stories that can see them together (often involving several of them having to turn backs on their traditions) but why should the GM have to work to make up for odd choices by players? Throw out suggestions only if they work for the adventures you have ready/plan to run.

Thanks for the answers. Really the main trouble is "why the Gm should glue the party" question. I´m feeding them right now with more information about their choices and saturday I´ll do as you all said. They still didnt choose their party sheet, mainly because they dont know what to do, so I´ll use this as "entry point" to talk to them. And Valvorik, thanks for the open questions about them, I´ll print it

Thanks for the help people. My last group was the kind of players that read fluff before creating a char, and didnt let the GM do all the work, and I´m a little rusty with it. If you want to add more hints, You´re welcome.

socratim said:

This is how I've always done it.

GM: "How and why do you get along? How'd you all meet? I'm going to get a snack. Have a story for me when I get back."

[5 min later]

Caller player: "Uhm, we met in a bar and decided to all hang out and look for adventure together."

GM: "Great. Let's play. What's your party sheet?"

See, it's like this in real life (at my place): A computer programmer, white water rafting guide, chiropractor, and homeless student get together to play a game. How'd we all meet? I think I put up a flyer "players wanted." Sometimes this works in game: they all meet up for the same job.

Other things you should be worried about:

* Expect the tanks to be dealing a lot of damage..but let them know that if they still think they can solve every problem with a sword, they're going to be constantly in bandages
* The swordmaster will be pretty potent and see if you can drag some roleplaying aspects into this career. It's about as dry of a character concept as you can get. Here's the dialogue at my old table:
"What do you do?"
"I kill stuff..that's pretty much it."
"Got a dump stat?" "
"Yea, everything but the ones to kill stuff. Pretty much all swordmasters are the same. I'm just an empty killing machine."
"How about the trollslayer?"
"Yea, I'm copying his concept except he gets orange hair..I get a pointy hat. Put two in the same group and you wouldn't know which was which."
GM: "OK, this has to change. How is your character DIFFEREN'T from the iconic swordmaster/trollslayer?"
My PLAYER: "Ok, I've got it. I have purple hair and the swordmaster has a scar on his cheek."
GM: "Grrrr."

jh

Well, reporting back.

We had to adjust our gaming to thurdays nights and the Swordmaster dropped out (work+studies), so I gathered the remaining players to a long talk. They decided that they´ll be a bounty hunter group, and the roadwarden changed his career to bountyhunter, and selected their party sheet as "hunt party". The witch dropped powers that are too flashy (like that flaming-rat thing) to get more subtle powers, and we´ll act like a swindler to hide his abilities. The first session will be today.

Someone is going to have to point out to me where I can find this spell for flaming rats...

Its a Hedge magic spell. The witchs song supplement.

Just tell me it manifests flaming rodents all over the gaff and I'll be happy.

Dragging the conversation back on topic:

Your PC's can either work out why they hang out together... Or not. It's up to them. Mine don't. Some have background, some don't, that's they way it is. That's sort of what makes a party sheet so handy, it at least gives them an idea of why they do what they do.

As for the witch...

Tell them that they are, in essence, playing a slayer career, it is destined to end in a very unpleasent and combustable way. So long as they understand that surviving is not really something they should invest in, everything should be fine!