WFRP - the Grim Hack - My issues with WFRP

Beware the sign of the Hidden!

 

 

My issues with WFRP primarily stem from the fact that (I know, it's an unthinkable blasphemy), I do not use the Old World in my campaigns.

 

Well, I did with the first, but not with the other three. I developed my gaming world along with a comic book I made back in the late '90s called Korvus. Please don't look it up. Artistically, not by best work by far (cut too many corners to try and go fast), and I tried to tell a long over - arching story without telling episodic stories each issue that the medium really requires. Ugh.

 

Anyway, I digress (a lot).

 

Here's the issue, my world of Anglypur exists in the far future as a quarantined planet within Corporately controlled Space. So adding the occasional Sci-Fi piece of equipment, alien, or renegade robot wasn't an issue. But if I wanted the boys to escape in the long run, or, if they found a Sci-Fi enclave and wished to either make a new character from there or join a career from there, I had to make new careers. And as I love these base WFRP rules, what if I decided to run a campaign purely in Corporate Space? Note: this was long before the FFG's 40k games were published, in fact before FFG even existed, so I didn't have anything to turn to other than my loved and read to rags Rogue Trader.

 

So in my two-inch stack (plus) of gaming notes and stuff, you bet I have a pages and pages of modern and Sci-Fi careers converted over from first edition WFRP. Not a one 100% completed. Hmmm...

 

My longest running of the older campaigns I learned that I both loved and hated the career idea. As a background to where your character came from it was awesome. As a vehicle for role playing hooks, I always had something to throw at the characters. I still remember Dale's brothel, "Charlotte's Harlots," with both a smile and a shudder.

 

However, where things start sticking in my craw is that the players really aren't Engineers, Pharmacists, Judicial Champions, etc. damn it.

 

They were adventurers.

 

I would hand wave off-time back in town with "You all continue with your careers, but your character, Dave, has found something strange on your patrol with the city watch." So it did help to add hooks, but other than the particular stat advances, one skill out of ten, or the career exit they wanted, their career was something else entirely. What their current career was, was certainly something that didn't pay the bills, earn them fame, or exercise the abilities they actually wanted/needed/used.

 

So began my experimentation with house rules that lasted for years, and ended up with something I've decided to call the Grim Hack.

 

These rules will theoretically be in the next post...

 

PS: For those of you still playing D&D based rules, be sure to check out the Black Hack by Gold Piece Publications. Their advancement mechanics are pretty damn close to what I finally decided on, plus, it looks fun as hell.