Basic Careers - initial list

Initial list of Basic Careers. Feel free to suggest me something more :) Also, it's very possible that this list will be greatly expanded during making career descriptions and stat blocks.

EDIT: I have a strange feeling that this list will change several times - still nothing is sure.

Apothecary
Apprentice
Beggar
Boatman
Bodyguard
Bounty Hunter
Butcher
Coachman
Cutthroat
Dustman
Entertainer
Fisherman
Gatekeeper
Gladiator
Gravedigger
Grave Robber
Guardsman
Herbalist
Herder
Huntsman
Instigator
Jailer
Laborer
Mercenary
Militiaman
Monk
Mugger
Noble
Outlaw
Pander
Peddler
Raconteur
Rat Catcher
Roadwarden
Runner
Rustler
Sailor
Scribe
Seer
Servant
Smuggler
Soldier
Squire
Student
Tax Collector
Thief
Toll-keeper
Trader
Trapper
Troubadour
Watchman
Woodsman

Skills, careers and traits

Some initial thoughts about these three very important aspects of the game mechanics:

• As in the second edition of the Original Game, skills and traits will be divided into two separate groups. Skills can be tested, traits only affect some aspects of the PC / NPC / monster.
• It doesn't make sense to divide talents (i.e. Very Strong or Ambidextrous) and traits (such as Inhuman stats or some monster abilities) into two separate groups as game mechanics treat these two in the same way. Even mutations are traits (but these will be listed separately, mostly because their impact on the role-playing aspect of the game).
• There will be no career class in the MFRP - now dumb PC can be a healer of wizard, just very bad one :D
• I'm not sure how to make random career determination without career classes, but I'll figure it out. Maybe one big table and three (or more) rolls and picking one result - what do you think about it?
• I want to keep the idea about basic and advanced careers - In my opinion it's very important aspect of the game. And it's absolutely logical.
• I'll use simple method of posting career descriptions: one post - one career.

Sorry for the lack of more creative posts - I'll try to post some career lists later today.

No fate, just luck

I thought a lot about using Fate Points and / or Luck Points in the Morgenstern game. Here are some initial thoughts and ieas about using luck in MFRP:

• PCs may use Luck Points to re-roll any one failed test, such as characteristics check, skill check etc.;
• PCs may use Luck Points to add one degree of success to the result of the test (even after rolling a dice);
• Starting number of Luck Points is equal to one plus one per each stat score ended by number seven;
• Dying PC may "push his luck" to avoid death but must have at least one Luck Point still available. I will make an appropriate table with some effects of such deed (see below);
• I don't know how Luck Points should be restored - in WFRP style, once per game session, or maybe during some extraordinary deeds / purchased with XP. Any help with it will be appreciated :)

I'm still not sure how to handle the role of Luck Points as Fate Points - it's fairly powerful option to not decrease number of LP by one, but if I create the table of "death and avoiding it" correctly, it may be enough. Basic ideas about table entries:

• It wasn't your day - you die anyway (result of 00 on d100);
• Bonus 100xp for surviving near-death experience;
• Additional insanity points;
• Demon or maybe even Chaos God sensing the "disturbance" and centering his attention on the PC;
• Wrath of god?
• Additional critical effect?
• Nasty mutilation?
• Your luck is ending - permanently decrease number of Luck Points by one.

If you have better / additional ideas about it - feel free to drop a comment :)

Why choose Morgenstern, not house rules?

There are several reasons why I started to write Morgenstern ruleset instead of house ruling the Original Game. I think that same reasons may apply to any possible users of MFRP.

• As I mentioned before, there are good ideas in both editions of the Original Game. Carrying that amount of rulebooks and jumping between them is really annoying...
• ...and leads to stat incompatibilities. It's not a problem with most RPGs, but WFRP has tons of professions which stat blocks needs to be rewritten to apply more invasive house rules. Such massive modifications will be very time-consuming so I thought that making a separate rules system should be only little longer and more satisfying task.
• Setting-less rules system may be used with almost any other game.
• Some basic ideas, such as determining hit locations or luck system can be used with almost any other percentile mechanics. Unfortunately I don't believe that Morgenstern FRP will be modular enough to use all of its ideas in other games, but who knows?
• Many people (including myself) finds complete rules systems more attractive than just several pages-long hacks.
• I hope that there will be an awesome artwork in the MFRP rulebook!

Differences between the editions

Click to enlarge

Short explanation of the differences

• Skill advances are now dependant on the selected profession - you can't just buy +10 advance for 100xp like in the 2ed WFRP.
• There are no Fate Points but players may "push their luck" to try avoid death (it will be explained soon).
• There are no mixed scale for the basic stats - all abilities are percentile.
• There are no Magic Points in Morgenstern FRP - all magic spells are based on Hit Points.
• Basic ideas about Hit Points were explained here.
• Corruption track (Taint Points) will have mechanics similar to the Insanity Points (and similar to the corruption rules from Dark Heresy).

Character creation - stats and so on

HUMAN

MC d20+20
RC d20+20
STR d20+20
CON d20+20
DEX d20+20
PER d20+20
INT d20+20
WLP d20+20
FEL d20+20
HP d6+4

DWARF

MC d20+30
RC d20+10
STR d20+25
CON d20+25
DEX d20+15
PER d20+10
INT d20+20
WLP d20+25
FEL d20+15
HP d6+6

ELF

MC d20+20
RC d20+30
STR d20+15
CON d20+15
DEX d20+30
PER d20+30
INT d20+20
WLP d20+20
FEL d20+25
HP d6+3

HALFLING

MC d20+15
RC d20+25
STR d20+10
CON d20+20
DEX d20+25
PER d20+20
INT d20+20
WLP d20+15
FEL d20+25
HP d6+4

Alternate methods of stat determination

There are several additional methods to determine starting stat levels of the PCs. All of them are strictly optional:

• 2d10: "classic" option. Slightly bigger chance for rounded score.
• Roll 3d10, keep two highest numbers: good option for total wimps, afraid of playing crappy PCs.
• 3d6: bigger chance for better scores but without option to hit starting stat of 40 (or 50, or 35, or... whatever).

Hit Points option for wimps

If a player is afraid that his PC will have low HP, he may re-roll "1" scored during determination of Hit Points. But there is a price for being a coward - if six is scored, he (or she, but ladies are often more courageous than males and don't choose such wimpy options) must subtract one point from the result.

Purposes of the Morgenstern FRP

There are several reasons why I started this blog (and writing of the Morgenstern Fantasy Role Play):

• I was extremely dissatisfied by the second edition of WFRP, especially even more broken rules and shitty world changes. Form of the game (tiny and empty rulebook + tons of crappy supplements) was even worse. Third edition is just too different and too expensive for me (imagine how much I must pay with up to seven, eight players!).
• Re-writing the whole system seems to be simpler than adding tons of house rules to the rulebook(s), especially when both editions have good and (very) bad things inside.
• I know that there is a Zweihander (still unreleased tho) but it seems to be more "2.5 edition", while I want to make Morgenstern as more "1.5" edition.
• We really need WFRP OSR and someone need to start it, along with Zweihander and Small But Vicious Dog.