Just curious as to the thinking on this one. Why this particular skill set?

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3906

Well, the career is about sitting around in a graveyard all night, watching for grave robbers, and shooting them.

Seems appropriate to me. Anything in particular stand out as wrong? Maybe the Devoted trait, but it seems like they work with the cult of Morr.

Yeah the devoted trait seems wrong, especially when paired with rogue (perhaps if this where a Ranald career…). I guess they are trying to fill out devoted which, if I remember correctly, is only found in one other basic career: zealot. Also I don't see why ranged would be favored over melee. For what it's worth here is a write up I did for the Grave Warden a while back. I wanted to put in Folklore but that would put me over the standard 5 skills for basic careers and the others seemed too important to drop any one of them. I never got around to coming up with a good career ability though.

Grave Warden

Basic, Combat, Menial, Religious

Basic

Human

Stance

Conservative x3/Reckless x1

Characteristics

Toughness, Willpower

Skills

Discipline, Intimidation, Observation, Resilience, Weapon Skill

Talents

Reputation x1/Tactic x1

Advances

Action 2

Talent 2

Skill 3

Fortune 1

Conservative 1

Reckless 0

Wound 1

Along the same lines why does Grave Robber have Coordination, it seems Athletics would be a better fit?

Also when I wrote this I thought that perhaps they gave Grave Warden the rogue trait to make Grave Robber a natural career exit, or vice versa. Stick with what you know, right?

Was surprised by the BS, checking Nights Dark Masters you can see why some of the choices were made but then again from my study of some of the followers of Morr, they tend to like using ranged weapons.

The traits seem appropriate to me. Some Grave Wardens are those who feel compelled to serve Morr in some fashion. Others are less honourable types, who can't get a better job or who actually intend to rob the graves. So devoted and rogue both fit.

EDIT: As for the BS, ranged weapons (especially crossbows) are popular amongst those who have to go up against the indead in Warhammer. I suppose because of fear - you don't want to get any closer to them than you have to!

The traits and skills make sense. A "devoted" "menial" is sort of nice to see and makes it a nice step between menial and devoted careers.

Ballistic is the only skill not obviously useful but then again as a menial sort confronting graverobbers and ghouls, particularly with the ghouls, you don't want to get close. Let Raven Knights in armour get in among the undead wrecking havoc, the Grave Warden shoots/throws and runs for help. Metagame, the ballistic skill comes in handy.

Doc, the Weasel said:

I have to agree with all this. Everything seems fine to me, even the Devoted. I do suppose that BS is a little 'surprising', but think it makes more sense than WS. I wouldn't have minded having something else instead of BS, maybe Tradecraft or something related to working. So, of the two combat skills, I think BS is the better choice. Personally, I see the Grave Warden as more of a caretaker/handiman than an actual guard/sentry.