Using Warhammer FRP style careers with C&C?

[vivsavage]

I really love the careers systems in WHFRP. I was thinking this morning that it would be fun to develop a similar system for C&C. Here are my ideas:
- every character begins with a mundane career, such as woodsman, rat catcher, farmer, etc. Those careers determine their starting abilities, attributes, and equipment.
- when a character reaches second level, he selects an adventuring career. These would be more specific than the standard C&C careers. The might include careers specific to Airdhe.
- when you achieve new levels, you take a single 'advance' from the career you're in as well as increased hit points and sometimes improved BtH. An advance generally involves gaining a new ability.
- You are expected to change careers every few levels.
- since characters will have more abilities than standard C&C classes, there will be no primes… or at least fewer primes.

Does this sound interesting?

[BLOOD AXE]

The Warhammer Career Compendium is a really cool book. It was rare & expensive at one time, but is now readily available at a reasonable price.
Some careers would work well to give a starting character an interesting background or more flavor.

Why have a Rogue when you can have a Rat Catcher, Grave Robber or Smuggler?
Instead of a Fighter, be a Bodyguard, Pitfighter, or Militiaman.

[vivsavage]

The Warhammer Career Compendium is a really cool book. It was rare & expensive at one time, but is now readily available at a reasonable price.
Some careers would work well to give a starting character an interesting background or more flavor.

Why have a Rogue when you can have a Rat Catcher, Grave Robber or Smuggler?
Instead of a Fighter, be a Bodyguard, Pitfighter, or Militiaman.

I have the career compendium and was thinking how cool it would be to port it over to C&C...

[docdoom77]

If you want to do all that work, it could be cool, but if you LIKE the WFRP system, you should play WFRP. BEST. SETTING. EVER!

Also some great old school adventures floating around in PDF.

[BLOOD AXE]

I have the compendium too, along with a few other books. 1st & 2nd edition I think.

[Omote]

Good game that WFRP, in particular the 2nd ed. I think the career system is intrinsically connected to the WFRP setting. So if I want to roll that way, I'd rather just play WFRP2. But then again, if somebody put the work into it to convert that over to C&C, I wouldn't mind taking a look.

~O

This Omote speaks truly! 2nd ed WFRP is awesome with a side of bayud ayuss!

[vivsavage]

Good game that WFRP, in particular the 2nd ed. I think the career system is intrinsically connected to the WFRP setting. So if I want to roll that way, I'd rather just play WFRP2. But then again, if somebody put the work into it to convert that over to C&C, I wouldn't mind taking a look.

There are other games that use a career system. Burning Wheel comes to mind.

[Buttmonkey]

I really love the careers systems in WHFRP. I was thinking this morning that it would be fun to develop a similar system for C&C. Here are my ideas:
- every character begins with a mundane career, such as woodsman, rat catcher, farmer, etc. Those careers determine their starting abilities, attributes, and equipment.
- when a character reaches second level, he selects an adventuring career. These would be more specific than the standard C&C careers. The might include careers specific to Airdhe.
- when you achieve new levels, you take a single 'advance' from the career you're in as well as increased hit points and sometimes improved BtH. An advance generally involves gaining a new ability.
- You are expected to change careers every few levels.
- since characters will have more abilities than standard C&C classes, there will be no primes… or at least fewer primes.

Does this sound interesting?

No.

At the low end, it sounds a lot like Dungeon Crawls Classics RPG's funnel system for starting 0-level PCs. I'm confused why a PC would continue to progress in a non-adventuring career as the PC levels. Is a 5th level wizard really doing that much rat-catching anymore?

[vivsavage]

At the low end, it sounds a lot like Dungeon Crawls Classics RPG's funnel system for starting 0-level PCs. I'm confused why a PC would continue to progress in a non-adventuring career as the PC levels. Is a 5th level wizard really doing that much rat-catching anymore?

You wouldn't progress in a non-adventuring career. You only start out that way (first level). At second level you choose your adventuring career. It gives you some depth and more variety than the standard C&C classes. I wouldn't liken it to DCC's funnel system. Just curious, are you familiar with WHFRP?

[Omote]

Your starting career (what you were previously to an adventurer) gives you a baseline of skills to form your character. These skills can increase, but in order to continue your advancement you'll need to progress in a new career... like wizard, knight, thief, etc. Though, you could keep dabbling in your starting career path or the paths of the more lowly careers such as lamplighter. Though those careers never get you to the heights of the true adventuring style careers.

~O

[Treebore]

I can see much of the WH career options working as Advantages. The problem is, to fully adapt it you would have to massively increase the number of advantages given, and totally remove BtH as a mechanic in and of itself, but have the weapon type skills of WH award BtH when taken as an advantage.

[Buttmonkey]

At the low end, it sounds a lot like Dungeon Crawls Classics RPG's funnel system for starting 0-level PCs. I'm confused why a PC would continue to progress in a non-adventuring career as the PC levels. Is a 5th level wizard really doing that much rat-catching anymore?

You wouldn't progress in a non-adventuring career. You only start out that way (first level). At second level you choose your adventuring career. It gives you some depth and more variety than the standard C&C classes. I wouldn't liken it to DCC's funnel system. Just curious, are you familiar with WHFRP?

Not very. I dropped out of RPGs from around 1989 until 2007. WHFRP rose and fell during my time away, AFAIK. I think Dark Heresy was released after I came back into gaming, but I haven't had time to look it over. It's hard enough finding players for C&C or D&D. I've got DCCRPG and the new Hackmaster on my shelf waiting to be tried out. I just don't have time for more game systems. Them's the breaks.

[vivsavage]

I can see much of the WH career options working as Advantages. The problem is, to fully adapt it you would have to massively increase the number of advantages given, and totally remove BtH as a mechanic in and of itself, but have the weapon type skills of WH award BtH when taken as an advantage.

I've got ideas about avoiding that problem and retaining BtH.

[BLOOD AXE]

I can see much of the WH career options working as Advantages. The problem is, to fully adapt it you would have to massively increase the number of advantages given, and totally remove BtH as a mechanic in and of itself, but have the weapon type skills of WH award BtH when taken as an advantage.

I've got ideas about avoiding that problem and retaining BtH.

Id like to hear about it.

I think giving the characters prior careers is a good idea for background. It could fit in the game as to why characters might know certain things. A Rat Catcher might know a secret way out of the city through the sewers. A character who was a Peasant might know the local area. They could have contacts from their prior life. They weren't born a Cleric or Fighter.

[docdoom77]

It might be worth your time to look through the background section in the DDN playtest packet too, for ideas.

[vivsavage]

It might be worth your time to look through the background section in the DDN playtest packet too, for ideas.

Good idea.

Does anyone know if there is an SRD for C&C?

[Arduin]

Does anyone know if there is an SRD for C&C?

There is none. But, given that 90% of the material is already in other SRD's why would you need 'em?

[Ancalagon]

WFRP2e was my favorite in-print game before the idiots at FFG turned into a wannabe board game.

I would jump at the chance to play in a WFRP2e game!

[BLOOD AXE]

WFRP2e was my favorite in-print game before the idiots at FFG turned into a wannabe board game.

I would jump at the chance to play in a WFRP2e game!

Same here!

I have some of the books from Hogshead & Black Industries. None of the FFG stuff. (and don't want it)

[Treebore]

Well, when it comes up in my Thursday groups rotation, I'll have to remember to post about it here on the TLG board. I've been trying to get Kayolan to run it for us, so maybe after he plays in my Traveller game, and gets to know everyone else better, hopefully he will run it for us then. So 3 months down the road, you may have the option to play on line.

[docdoom77]

WFRP2e was my favorite in-print game before the idiots at FFG turned into a wannabe board game.

I would jump at the chance to play in a WFRP2e game!

2e is definitely the best. I like how easy it is to convert the 1e adventures, because some of those were just amazing.

[BLOOD AXE]

Not to hijack your thread but Mordheim would be a cool place for adventuring.

Different warbands could be enemies, or even potential allies.
Weird mutated creatures & "regular" mosters could be random encounters.
The different "missions" could be scenario ideas.

What would wyrdstone do though? It would have to be valuable.

[vivsavage]

Not to hijack your thread but Mordheim would be a cool place for adventuring.

Different warbands could be enemies, or even potential allies.
Weird mutated creatures & "regular" mosters could be random encounters.
The different "missions" could be scenario ideas.

What would wyrdstone do though? It would have to be valuable.

It would indeed be very cool. I've always thought of Mordheim as being a quasi-RPG anyways. Adding RPG elements to it would be very simple.

[BLOOD AXE]

Ive jotted down a few ideas. Would work for a low-level campaign, like levels 1-4 or so.

[Omote]

Not to hijack your thread but Mordheim would be a cool place for adventuring.

Different warbands could be enemies, or even potential allies.
Weird mutated creatures & "regular" mosters could be random encounters.
The different "missions" could be scenario ideas.

What would wyrdstone do though? It would have to be valuable.

It would indeed be very cool. I've always thought of Mordheim as being a quasi-RPG anyways. Adding RPG elements to it would be very simple.

Mordheim exists in the WFRP setting, but 500 years in the past. It definitely has many quality RPG nitches. I see Mordheim kind of as a gigantic mega-dungeon sort of setting.

~O