Chapter IX: The Game Master
T he h andmaIdens Said to be the souls of burned witches, the fearsome Handmaidens can be seen only by their victim. Arising from doorways, windows and other portals, these feathered, blind shades sniff out their quarries fear, nearly drunk on the scent, and attack without mercy. Black iron nails are sometimes found in their victim’s flesh once they are done. The sound of wings and the tapping of their claws are their harbingers. Also Known As: The Scarred Maidens, The Wyrdwomen Attracted by: Gold magic, Celestial magic, spells of transmutation and fortune. T he r oTwyrms An erring Wizard may call forth the Rotwyrms from any chunk of dead flesh that happens to lie near him. Unthinking and unerring, these bloated, fleshy maggots wriggle towards their victim with terrifying speed. Unconstrained by mortal matter, they can pass through any substance in search of their goal—the flesh of the Spell caster. The stench of decay and the buzzing of flies are their harbingers. Also Known As: Flesheaters, Wizard Worms Attracted by: Jade magic, Amethyst magic, spells of the flesh T he d ramaTIC m eThod This method of awarding experience points is based on the structure of many plays, books, and movies. To use it properly, you should examine the adventure you are running and see if you can divide it into “acts”. The traditional model has three acts. The first introduces the plot and embroils the characters in it. In the second complications arise and the characters must deal with a variety of foes and problems as they learn more about the unfolding story. In the third and final act, the story is resolved and the characters are victorious or defeated. With this structure, you award experience points after each act. A typical award ranges from 50-100 xp, depending on the length of the act and the success of the characters’ actions. You may award as much as 150 xp for the third act, since it also represents the end of the adventure. Since the dramatic method is based on the story and not the length of your sessions, you may find you finish an act in mid- game. This is fine. You simply need to take a short break, hand out xp, and let your players take any advances they like. Then reconvene and begin the next act.
lore. After a few uses of them, you should aim to have your PCs twitch at the first mention of their harbingers. T he d ark h ounds These invisible hunters are said to be soot-black Wolfhounds, with flanks of brass and fangs of iron. Using flame as their portal into this world, they search out their prey, their scorching breath withering everything in their path as they close upon their quarry. The smell of broiling flesh, soot and hot iron are their harbingers. Also Known As: The Dark Ones, Fury’s Hounds, the Forge Dogs Attracted by: Bright magic, destructive spells T he a ll -k nowIng s erpenT Fevered artists and insane geniuses have attempted to describe the beauty of the Serpent’s scales, its ivory thorns or the depths of its terrible eye. None have been successful. The Great White Worm enters this world through mirrors and pools of still water, slithering after its victim with unnatural speed and grace. Those who have called its attentions sometimes glimpse the serpent’s reflection, just before it enfolds them. The shattering of mirrors and the skittering sound of its thorned scales are harbingers of the Serpent. Also Known As: Wisdom’s Asp, The Tempter, The Thorned One Attracted by: Light magic, Amber magic, Shadow magic, illusory spells
— r ewards —
W arhammer characters must deal with fear, terror, madness, and death on a daily basis. One might reasonably ask why they do it? What makes such experiences worth the pain and horror? This section describes the rewards that PCs can receive in WFRP and
gives some advice on how to hand them out. e XperIenCe p oInTs
Experience points (xp) are the most common reward in WFRP . Characters use them to buy advances, skills, talents, and career changes and this overall process represents the way they become more adept over time. As the GM you are responsible for awarding experience points. You want to give out enough to ensure that characters are progressing but not so much that they blow through careers too quickly. There are several different approaches to handing
out experience points; descriptions of these follow. T he a bsTraCT m eThod
This is the easiest way to hand out experience points and the one recommended for beginners. It has one simple guideline: give each player 100 xp for each 4 hours of play time. This represents the length of the average session, so this method ensures that after each game a player can take an advance or a new skill or talent. While other methods are success-oriented, the abstract method is predicated on the notion that all experience is valuable. In fact, failing is often more instructive than succeeding, so what matters is simple survival. If characters can endure everything the Old World can throw at them, they deserve a reward. The 4 hour mark is a guideline and it’s meant to be flexible. If your group spends a lot of time joking around, taking snack breaks, and so on, you may decide 6 hours is more appropriate. If your sessions average 3 hours but they are packed with adventure, that can work too.
T able 9-5: e nCounTer d IffICulTy Difficulty XP Award Very Easy 5 Easy 10 Routine 15 Average 20 Challenging 30 Hard 40 Very Hard 50
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