GM Tool: Steve (of the Red Fez's) Pre-Gen Demo Characters

By Steve (of the Red Fez), in WFRP Gamemasters

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Since I'm making so much of my demo work available, I thought I'd also let you guys have a look at the demo characters I had created (including their backstory).

I had created four core characters: Leopold Fiegler (the scribe), Kazgan (the Dwarven Troll-Slayer), Gothard Meyer (the smuggler), and Adred Liess (the commoner). Except for Kazgan, they were all human and they all had fully written backgrounds for any players who were interested.

All of the characters bring something of value to the table. As for skills, they've got everything covered except for Charm, Coordination, First Aid and Ride. For advanced skills, there is a character who can read and write, and another who can deal with animals.

A frequent question I get at this point is, "Why isn't there any magic"?

The answer is simple. If you're running a demo game, adding magic means asking a player to learn a whole separate system of rules in addition to the rules that everyone is already focused on learning. Furthermore, in this game a priest or wizard must sacrifice action cards for their spells. Since the action cards are a huge part of the fun and variety of the character it makes it less interesting when you're left out because you needed to focus on spells.

Mind you, there is a spell caster available, but I'll get to that shortly.

All of these characters were built using seven career advances. This makes for a strong, but not overwhelming character.

The sharp-eyed among you will find that some characters have trained in skills that they shouldn't have. This is because I don't believe an advanced skill should be "untrained" when you've taken it during character generation. This would lead to scribes not really knowing how to read and write or burghers not actually knowing Tradecraft (i.e. the reason they're a burgher in the first place). As a result, any advanced skills that were taken during character creation are marked as trained. Once character generation is over, we go back to the normal rules.

Some GMs are bothered by this, but consider this: is a newly minted character really going to throw your game out of balance with his or her awesome education skill?

The character sheets are designed to be extremely easy to read and to give the player all of the information they need in one place. This includes their racial abilities and equipment. It also folds down to the size of the career cards.

At the bottom right of the page you'll find a small inventory list of all cards required for this character to be used. Feel free to change it if you don't own all of the sets from which these cards came from.

So who are these characters? Each of them has a strong back story for players to read, though they don't have to. They all tie together very well and have a reason to adventure together. This can be important for some groups, but isn't critical. I include the backstory in the character packet just in case a player wants some context for why their character is involved.

There are several extra characters available as well. They aren't my core characters and I've never written back stories for them, but just in case I have too many players, I've got them in my back pocket ready to go. They are Galadwen of House Mithaleil (a High Elven envoy of Ulthuan), Griswold Fleischer (a soldier from Wissenland), and Jonas Tabbeck (an Initiate of Sigmar who suffers from the Omens of Doom insanity).

Jonas is specifically for any player who has played often enough to know the game well and who wants to experience magic. He isn't a regularly available character for the reasons I mentioned above.

So now I'll post each of the core characters for your enjoyment. Let me know if you've got any thoughts or questions.

Sincerely,
Steve (of the Red Fez)
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Leopold Fiegler, The Scribe

DemoCharacterSheet-LeopoldFieglerScribe.

The Tale of Leopold Fiegler
DemoCharacter-LeopoldFieglerScribe-1.png
Ignorant men believe the Empire is founded on blood of its legendary heroes. You do not. You know that "heroes" are fables. No, what the Empire is founded on is men and women who do whatever is needed no matter the cost. People who do not compromise when it comes to what is right and wrong. People who can make the hard choices when it matters most.
You grew up the fifth son of Otto Fiegler, a nobleman of some worth. Being the youngest you had little value and were left to your own devices. You spent much time reading fables and legendary tales all while watching your family manipulate one another and scheme against each other. When you grew older you began to study history and read books on politics. Meanwhile, your brothers all wasted time plotting and planning in an endless endeavor to jockey for position with your father. It did not take long before you saw in them the corruption and greed that has kept the Empire from achieving its former greatness.
Eventually, the call went out for men to be provided for one of the Empire's interminable wars. However, instead of providing what was needed your family schemed to make a profit. They let innocents die so that they could line their pockets. They held back supplies for their own gain. They lied, cheated, stole... killed. That was when you realized that people of worth... of true worth... are those that can see with vision that has not been clouded by greed, lust, or ego.
As the scholar, Alphaestius, once wrote, "Intelligent men decide the fate of nations; uncompromising men can ensure those decisions are felt for a thousand years."
It wasn't long after that when you realized that there was nothing more for your family to teach you; you requested to be sent to the Imperial College in the great city of Nuln. Your father was happy to be rid of you and your brothers were pleased to have another would-be rival out of the way.
After four years of study you chose to stay on and become a scribe, thereby gaining access to some of the rarest books filled with unflinching fact. This has given you insight into all aspects of the Empire and has solidified your beliefs. Your superiors soon came to regard you as an incredibly intelligent man, but it is your absolute uncompromising nature that has gained you both friends and enemies. Those who know you see you as a potentially powerful, logic-driven leader, and many others in the college have come to appreciate your ability to take charge of a crisis.
Four weeks ago such a crisis presented itself. A book was stolen from the private collection of the esteemed Professor Engel Albrecht. He was unharmed, but the thief managed to escape through the sewers with a wooden box within which lies a rare tome of history, dating to the time of Magnus the Pious and sealed with his personal signet.
Watchmen pursued the thief, but quickly lost the trail. By morning there was a manhunt throughout the city and the surrounding countryside. This ended when the thief was found murdered outside the city, along with an unknown man and a boy.
Though inquisitors were brought in to handle the investigation, Professor Albrecht came to you and asked if you could find a way to recover the book. He emphasized its value and made it clear that he felt anyone else might well be tempted to sell the book if it were found.
You accepted his request and went to question those people the Inquisitors had captured. One man--Gothard Meyer, brother to the murdered man who was found with the thief and uncle to the murdered boy--stood out. He was clearly a broken man, his heart taken from him. He was also full of rage. When he offered to help in exchange for being present when the guilty parties were found you agreed. This is the kind of man you can work with... the kind of man who has lost everything but his spirit.
For additional help you have also hired a tough looking dwarf named Kazgan to be your bodyguard. He is an odd one, but you have heard he only cares for danger and asks few questions.
Finally, a local commoner, a mere 15 year old boy named Adred Liess, has been following you in an attempt to help out. You have given him the honor of tending to your party, for you see the value in having someone to handle the day-to-day affairs of camp and food.
Thus have you set off on the trail of this book.
Ah, the book. You had asked the professor why this ancient book was worth killing over? All he would say is that it tells an old, evil tale of lust and debauchery, of depravity and judgment. It tells the tale of place where only the lost and the damned dare to tread. It tells the tale... of Mordheim .
Edited by Steve (of the Red Fez)
Posted at

Kazgan, The Troll Slayer

DemoCharacterSheet-KazganTrollSlayer.jpg

The Tale of Kazgan
DemoCharacter-KazganTrollSlayer.png
You are filth. The lowest of the low. This is the truth, regardless of all else.
You were once Kazgan, son of Droktin, next in line of succession to a proud and noble house. You had friends aplenty, women as you wished, drink, wealth, refinement, and more. Now you have nothing but this axe and the approaching end of your sickening tale. You pray it comes soon.
Aye! You had friends, but none as great and valuable as Valarin, son of Thuragor! No mere friend, he was better than a brother to you. In times of peace he gave you wise council. It times of trouble, he gave you shelter no matter the cost to himself. In times of war he stood by your side. No more stalwart a dwarf has there ever been. Valarin! Let his name be known and yours forgotten.
Ah, and he had a wife--Balgana, daughter of Elagrina. She was fairest of all, and possessed of an intellect that could cut through steel, grace that could shame a dancer, charm that made even the grim old men smile... and she was beyond your reach.
Despite the fact that Valarin was your friend, you wanted her. Needed her. It became your passion... your madness, and she felt the same. As time passed, your affair grew and took new life. As embers can ignite a great conflagration, so did this burn everything in its path.
You are not sure when you began to think of murdering Valarin. Was it your idea of Balgana's? Who can say? Yet, when the time came for you and Valarin to stand together in battle against a greenskin horde, all you could think of was taking Balgana from your friend. You could see it as though she were an object that could only be wrested from his cold, dead hands.
As the greenskins beat against your warhost, Valarin stood by your side, deflecting blow after blow. You did not return the favor, but fate was too ashamed to help you in your bloody task. Despite overwhelming odds, Valarin survived each and every wave. Desperate, you allowed the greenskins to overwhelm him and drag him down, and yet he climbed back from the precipice of death. Ah! What a glorious site he was! Wielding his axe and hammer like a hero of old, he smashed his way back to your line, slaughtering everything in his path until, at the last moment, he was by your side and you could take no more. Lifting your silver and gold chased gromril axe, and with madness gleaming in your eyes, you swung.
In that last instant before Valarin's head left his body, you could see the shock and sadness writ clear upon his face. The confusion. The disappointment. If only there had been anger. If only, even at that last instant, he could have hated you then perhaps you could feel...
What? What could you, a lowly kinslayer, a stain on the history of your forefathers, what could you feel that would justify the monstrous act you had committed?
Balgana was pleased by the outcome. She played the grieving widow well and many mourned the loss of Valarin for many months, but none mourned him greater than you. You mourned him not in sadness, but in anger and self-hatred. In bitterness and drink. You raged against the world. You brutally beat your kin when your ire was raised. You became something foul.
You are no longer sure when you left your people. You left with nothing but a simple two-handed axe and a few coins. You do not even recall leaving Balgana. Did she eventually mean so little to you? Was Valarin's life so cheaply sold?
In the months and years that followed you descended into drink and various drugs to dull your senses. Your keen intellect and powerful will were soon sapped away and your quick smile and handsome countenance were transformed into something ugly.
When did you take the oath to become a Troll Slayer and seek your death? You think it was long ago, but everything is a blur. Days often blend together. Sometimes seasons would change and you wouldn't even notice.
All that mattered... all that still matters is your death... a good death, a painful death... a death that can make Valarin feel that justice has been done.
More recently, a manling scribe has hired you as a bodyguard. You think his name is Leopold Fiegler, but you can't be sure. You stopped listening until you heard the words, "...could be very dangerous".
He had better not be lying.
Edited by Steve (of the Red Fez)
Posted at

Gothard Meyer, The Smuggler

DemoCharacterSheet-GothardMeyerSmuggler.

The Tale of Gothard Meyer
DemoCharacter-GothardMeyerSmuggler.png
You were hired to smuggle an item out of Altdorf. This is what you do, so there was little reason to question the job. You were hired by a typical go-between; it was someone you knew and whom you had worked with before. There was nothing odd about this business so you didn't question it.
You've been working these jobs with your brother and, more recently, with his son. You had been creating a real 'family business'. The boy was excited. He was only eleven but he had a vivid imagination and constantly dreamed about the excitement and mystery of what you did, as though you were heroes from some old legend. Your brother was nervous as usual, but ready to do what was asked of him.
On that night, the three of you went to the designated rendezvous point near a sewer culvert from the city. There, in the dark, a thief appeared carrying a shallow, heavy box. It was very similar to the kind of box fancy books were carried in. The thief looked desperate and terrified, as though he had seen something awful, but there was no time to contemplate any of that. You could already hear the sounds of guards and see lamp lights from within the sewer tunnel.
Your job was to distract any pursuit. It was the dangerous part of the job, but you've done it many times before and this night will be no different. This was the only way that your brother and his son would be safe while they led the thief to the pre-arranged getaway spot. A small boat will be waiting nearby. There they would provide the thief with forged river papers for travel, collect the money, and return home. But they never arrived.
Before sunrise you went to the getaway spot to find them. They were there... dead, as well as the thief. They had been stabbed and the boy strangled.
Soon after, the city guard found you and locked you up, not that you cared. Still in shock, you told them what you knew. They questioned the go-between and tortured him until he was dead, yet discovered nothing. They tortured you for a while too, but nothing was worse than when they brought in your brother's wife for questioning. The look on her face... the hatred she had for you... and her words: "You killed my husband. You killed my son!" Then she dropped a small, toy horse in front of you. It was one your brother had carved for the boy. It was his favorite.
She was right. You killed them. They weren't smugglers or thieves, but you were. You introduced them to the life. You convinced your brother to work with you. You convinced him to bring his son along when he was old enough. The boy was only eleven.
A little while later, a man came to see you. He said he was a scribe for the imperial college. He said he needed help getting back what was stolen. You didn't care worth a **** about what was stolen, but you agreed to help. You told him you could help find it. You could help get it back, but only if you could be there when you found the bastard who destroyed your life... the bastard who killed them.
You were surprised when the scribe agreed.
Yes, you'll find them. Sigmar as your witness, you'll find them and you will make sure that they pay. If they send you to the gallows afterward you'll go with a smile! Your brother and his son can rest easy. At the very least, your brother's wife will have justice. It'll be the only good deed you ever did.
Either way, you figure you'll see them again soon.
Edited by Steve (of the Red Fez)
Posted at

Adred Liess, The Commoner

DemoCharacterSheet-AdredLiessCommoner.jp

The Tale of Adred Liess
DemoCharacter-AdredLiessCommoner.png
You have always believed in heroes.
The people in town used to laugh at you, but it's true. You believe that heroes exist and that they greater than anyone has ever dared to imagine. You also believe your father, a simple laborer, was such a hero.
He's dead now. He died two years ago, but you believe he died a hero. Sometimes you would lie awake at night and imagine how he died. You could imagine how he had faced down the hordes of evil with only his shortbow and his determination, like from the tales of old.
People say he was probably ambushed by bandits or beastmen and never knew what hit him, but they're wrong. They don't understand what happened, but you do. You remember that cold autumn night well, when old Reinolt Bacher came to your home. He lived two doors down in your little village, but with his bad leg it seemed as though he must've run a mile. He came and told your 'da that his son had seen signs of beastmen up near Gunnar's Mill.
Your 'da came and explained to you that, without the mill, the two of you would have no work and might starve. He grabbed his short bow and made to set off. Before he left he said to you, "Don' worry none. It'll take the better part of the very hordes a' hell ta' keep me from comin' back 'ere!" And with that he was gone, leaving you all alone.
The next day a party went to see what was going on at the mill, as old man Bacher's son had told his tale to any as would listen. When they arrived they found the mill deserted but intact. They also found your father's shortbow lying on the floor of the mill with an arrow, which must've been nocked when he was... well, when whatever happened.
You know only reason the mill is still in one piece is because of your 'da. He's a hero. Someday, you'll be a hero too.
With nothing to keep you in your village, and with your father's bow on your back, you set out for the great city of Nuln. Once there, amid all of the wonders that city held, you had the good fortune to meet a real hero. He didn't look like most heroes you had heard of, but he was smart and well respected. When he spoke, people listened. Even the captain of the guard stepped aside when he spoke!
You followed him for a while as this man went about his hurried duties. He was clearly in the midst of something important. When he dropped a sheaf of paper in the street, you ran forward to pick them up. You scrambled across the pavement to get them all before the papers blew away. The man said nothing, but you still followed.
This continued for the better part of the day. Whenever the man might need something, you were there to help. You even waited for him outside of the prison, where he emerged with a sad-looking scoundrel in tow.
That night you waited outside of his quarters, sleeping in an alley. In the morning the man set out to a local tavern where he met with a drunken, solemn dwarf who looked as though he could tear you in two. More errands followed until, by the end of the day, the man looked you right in the eye and said, "My name is Leopold. We leave in the morning."
That was all there was to it! The man seemed to know that you wanted to follow him and help. And just like that you're on your way to becoming a hero. Your 'da would be proud.
Edited by Steve (of the Red Fez)
Posted at

Galadwen of House Mithaleil (High Elven Envoy of Ulthuan)

DemoCharacterSheet-GaladwenEnvoy.jpg

The Tale of Galadwen

Galadwen was one of my backup characters. I never wrote a back story for her, but one wonderful fact about her was that she proved to me how good the character creation system is in Warhammer 3E. In no other game I have ever played have I been able to make such a specific type of non-combat character who is still of great use in the party. Even better, her actions and abilities really make you feel like she IS an envoy.

Posted at

This is great writing- now I want to hear the story of the theft. The way it's "personal" is great and the potential for it to weave into "personal stuff later" also fun.

I agree spell casters are a complexity not to trouble those learning system with - each has their own subsystem to master.

If not contradicting the plot of the adventure they go on (would love to see that if you have it written up) the high elf could have lost a travelling companion when they were murdered the same night as the theft. Did they see something, were they part of it, etc. etc.

Posted at

Thanks! It was important for all of the characters to have a reason to work together and have a place within the party. It was also important to have a sense of personal drama for those who want it, otherwise the characters seem far less intriguing.

The envoy might never get a story, but in the demo game she fit pretty well. It'd be a long tale to tell, but the adventure took place in Nuln (with a whole new set of my clue cards!) and she fit well within the first part of that story. The party was dealing with lots of red tape and intrigue along with the presence of an ancient tomb located beneath an orphanage, a skaven insurgency, an evil as old as time itself, a corrupt temple of Shallya, and more. And that was before they even left the city for Mordheim!

Once the party left for Mordheim there was little use for the envoy (again, she was there for table overflow). However, Mordheim was where Jonas Tabbeck, the insane Sigmarite initiate, came into the story.