Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Chapter II: Character Creation

political crusade? Are you out to get vengeance on those who ruined or murdered your family? Are you nothing more than a thrill seeker or gold chaser? h ow r elIgIous are y ou ? The folk of the Empire worship many Gods, and are seldom foolish enough to worship one to the exclusion of all others. Before getting onboard a ship, even a priest of Sigmar will offer a prayer to Manann, God of the Seas. Those praying for a sick relative beseech Shallya, Goddess of Healing. Hunters offer a piece of each kill to Taal, God of Nature. That said, some folk are more pious than others. Are you particularly religious? If so, is there a God you favour? A sell sword may honour Myrmidia, Goddess of War, above other Gods, because battle is so much a part of the mercenary life. Initiates and Priests, of course, must make this decision early on. w ho are y our b esT f rIends and w orsT e nemIes ? The other player characters may well be your best friends, but this isn’t necessarily the case. You may not even know each other when play begins. So what friends do you have and where do they live? Are you on good terms or have you had a falling out? Similarly, do you have any enemies? If so, how did it happen? This is good information to talk over with the Game Master, because a good GM can weave details like this and help give the world more realism. Friends can help you out in a pinch or turn into your most bitter enemies. GMs looking to make an adventure more personal can involve one of your personal enemies. w haT are y our p rIzed p ossessIons ? Do you have any items of sentimental value? These need not be items of monetary value, but they should have special meaning for you. Is the rusty sword you wield the only thing your father ever gave you? Is the copper ring you wear a remembrance of your slain husband? Is the aging steed you ride the first horse you ever broke? You might also discuss with the GM important things from your life that you’ve already lost and would do anything to get back. w ho are y ou l oyal To ? Real loners are rare in the Old World. It is too dangerous a place to get by without allies. Are there any people or organizations that you are loyal to? Maybe the mayor of your town saved your sister from the plague and you’d do anything to help him. Perhaps your master rescued you from a life of poverty so you are not only personally loyal to him but to your guild as well. You might also be a loyal servant of a church. w ho do y ou l oVe /h aTe ? Love and hate are the strongest of emotions. What place do they have in your life? Are you in love with someone? Is it a passing crush, a case of unrequited love, or is there really a deep bond between you? On the flipside, who do you hate and why? Vengeance is a strong motivation and often linked to hatred. You may hate individuals (such as your enemies) or whole classes of people or creatures. If your wife was slain by Beastmen, for example, you might hate them above all other foes. Perhaps an unscrupulous lawyer caused your family to lose its home and now you are convinced that all lawyers are crooks and scoundrels.

farmers, fishermen, or labourers? Did they perhaps pull themselves out the peasantry and become a respectable burgher family? Is your noble family destitute and on the verge of ruin? w haT d Id y ou d o b efore y ou b eCame an a dVenTurer ? This is an important question. Your career provides a basic b e The s Teel Alaric stared in wonder at the scene before him. The boy had watched the village toughs descend on the lone traveller. They had beaten and robbed many such men, using numbers and stout cudgels to bring down their prey. This traveller was different; Alaric could see that right away. There was no fear in his eyes when the thugs surrounded him. He said nothing, for nothing needed to be said. He simply stood his ground, sheathed sword held in both hands. When the toughs attacked, he sidestepped their blows. He used the sword’s pommel and the flat of the blade to beat the thugs senseless. In less than a minute, all four of them lay in the mud moaning. Blood dripped from broken noses and fearful lacerations. Bones had been broken, as had reputations. And the traveller had never even unsheathed his blade. Alaric mustered up his courage and approached the man. “Excuse me, sir,” he stammered. “If you need a meal and a place to sleep, my mother’s hut is nearby.” The traveller sized the boy up with cold grey eyes. He nodded once and said, “Show me.” The boy led the way and the man followed, glancing about him in search of hidden foes. Alaric said, “If you don’t mind me asking, sir, where did you learn to fight like that? You must be from one of the big cities, like Altdorf or Nuln.” The man stifled a laugh. “I grew up in a village just like this one, boy, milking cows and planting seed.” “But...but how can that be?” asked the astonished Alaric. “The world is dark and cruel,” said the traveller. “If you are lucky, it tempers you like steel. If not”—he motioned to the bleeding thugs—“it breaks you.” “Take my advice, boy,” he said, features softening just a touch. “Be the steel.”

answer, but you refine this further. Many careers are rather broad and encompass a variety of related professions. You should narrow this down and try to figure out exactly what you did before you became an adventurer. The details you’ve already worked out and the skills you chose during character creation can help you make some decisions. Let’s say you were a Soldier from Hochland. You might decide that you served in the army of the Elector Count as an arquebusier, which would support your choice of the Specialist Weapon (firearms) talent. w hy d Id y ou b eCome an a dVenTurer ?

An adventurer’s life is dangerous. For one thing, adventurers travel and that is fraught with peril in the Empire. There’s a reason most peasants never go further than a few miles from the village they were born in. Bandits, Beastmen, and Goblins all menace the roads and pirates on the rivers are no better. So what was it that made you choose this life of peril? Are you on a personal or

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