WFRP - the Grim Hack - the Rules

What my Warhammer games can look like.

 

 

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay – the Grim Hack

 

This rules “hack” offers an alternative to the career advancement rules for Warhammer Roleplay first edition. I realize these rules may not be appropriate for all campaigns, but if you give them a try, please let me know.

 

Base rules as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay first edition.

 

Character creation:

Role characteristics as normal except S, T and W. S and T are rolled 2d10 +20, the ‘tens’ space is used for the standard S and T values (ala second edition rules), while the full result is used for advancement. Ex: a roll of 35 for the S characteristic, 3 is the standard strength, while the 35 is used to roll against when trying to increase the attribute. W is rolled 3d10+40 and the ‘tens’ digit used as above.

 

Roll for starting career as normal, take your skills, trappings, and the free advance. Ignore the rest of the advance scheme and the career exits. This is now your background before you became an adventurer.

 

Character advancement:

While adventuring, make note of any meaningful successes (i.e. rolls that actually have negative repercussions if they are failed) made from rolls off of characteristics, only a single success counts for any particular statistic. Multiple successes only count for one advancement attempt. At the end of the session or adventure, roll d100 for each of these noted characteristics. If the roll is higher than the characteristic’s current value, add d6 points to it, up to the max value allowed as given below. Note: Initiative is used frequently for searching, hiding, surprise, etc., so the GM has to be judicious in deciding what a ‘meaningful roll’ entails.

 

Max 80% for all characteristics except S, T, which are 6. When rolling to advance these last two, the GM may require a re-roll for results above 70% to avoid these from being raised too fast. However, Strength tests may not come up much in a campaign, and depending how common poisons and diseases are used against players, there may not be many chances for these to go up at any rate.

 

W advancement occurs when a character gets knocked down to zero wounds and survives the encounter. The maximum value for Wounds is 10 (100).

 

No additional attacks gained with these rules. Merely additional attacks granted following this formula: second attacks in a round are at -25% of base WS, third attack at -50% of base WS.

 

Magic points are gained when Cast Spells: n Magic level x skills are gained, only counting at the first level power level they are received. So Cast Spells: Battle Magic level 1, 4d4 MPs are gained, but when a character later gets Demonology level 1, they do not receive any more MPs until the first time they reach a second level tier of spellcasting. On face value, it may look like spellcasters will advance in power/spells more rapidly, it is dependent on whomever is teaching them these skills, whether they will teach them or not. Good reason for earning favor with people.

 

2d4 MPs when learning the Petty Magic skill, and 4d4 MPs each when learning levels 1-4.

 

Acquiring new skills, find someone willing to train that skill and pay them. Usually cash is hard to come by in my campaigns, so 100gp seems a good base rate, modified by Faction standing and favors done or owed.