Nitpicker's Obscura

Hidden, Obscure, Incorrect, or Poorly Understood Rules of WFRP

As a service to the WFRP List readers, I have contacted Alphonse Nitpicker, formerly of Altdorf and a graduate of H.R. Pumpelgroover's School of Law at Talabheim, to come up with a definitive list of obscure but important rules, hints, and "list" rules for distribution to the mailing list.

Herr Nitpicker has accepted this task for a nominal fee, being somewhat aged now and without other employment, but I feel that he brings a great deal of experience and discretion to the task.

Herr Nitpicker has asked that his word not be taken for granted and that if you should notice any holes or errors in his interpretations of the WFRP to please take them up with him.

Abbreviations

• WFRP - the WFRP rulebook
• RD - the (now out of print) Restless Dead
• AN - Apocrypha Now
• OTB - On the Boil articles in White Dwarf

1 Characters

1.1 Changing Careers

Just because a career exit exists does not necessarily mean that it is available to the character. The character must have opportunity, an instructor (usually), and a reasonable expectation of executing his duties in the future career as expected. One cannot, for example, become a Judicial Champion just because it is listed in the Career Exits for your current career; first, a position as a Judicial Champion must be opened or vacated; second, you must prove your worth the noble who would hire you; three, once installed as the noble's champion, it is very likely that your previously "adventuring" activities will change to suit the whims of your employer (RD/AN).

Note, you must have the trappings of a career on hand before entering a career. Some careers (like Mercenary Captain) have implicit trappings (such as a band of actual mercenaries to captain!).

1.2 Innate Skills

Innate skills represent natural abilities rather than learned ones.

The Innate Skills are: Acute Hearing, Excellent Vision, Fleet Footed, Immunity to Disease, Immunity to Poison, Lightning Reflexes, Linguistics, Luck, Night Vision, Sixth Sense, Strongman, Very Resilient, Very Strong.

1.3 Gaining "Percentage" Skills

Many basic careers have skills list with a percentage next to them. This is the chance that a newly created character in the career will gain those particular skills. However, innate percentage skills are only available to beginning characters entering their first career and cannot be purchased by characters entering the career later during the game. (RD/AN)

1.4 Gaining Innate Skills

You may gain innate skills three ways:

1. As one of your background skill rolls,
2. As one of your percentage skills in your first career, or
3. As a non-percentage skill in a subsequent career.

You may not learn an innate skill if:

1. the skill has a percentage next to it (post-character creation), or
2. you must make an Int roll to learn it as a non-career skill.

The Correct Human Profile in the Bestiary

The Comtesse Natascha of Nuln provided the following obscura:

I noticed that in the Bestiary of my Hogshead-Version of the WFRP-Rulebook (softback version (c) 1995) the Basic Profile for Humans is the same as for Halflings. Owning the original Hardcover Edition by Games Workshop I´m able to tell you the correct profile for Humans:

Standard Human Profile

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Dex	Ld	Int	Cl	WP	Fel
4	33	25	3	3	7	30	1	29	29	29	29	29	29

2 Combat

2.1 Initiative Order - The WFRP List Rule

The following rule was popular in past initiative discussions on the list:

Characters attack in I-order, as stated in WFRP. However, each character may only make one attack on his I-rank. Once all characters have made one attack, then characters with second attacks may attack in I-order again. Once all characters with two attacks have attacked, then all characters with three attacks may attack in I-order, ad infinitum.

This rule is more "realistic" than the one given on WFRP and less cumbersome than the Effective Initiative system given in RD/AN.

2.2 Remember! Criticals Make You Crazy

Whenever a character takes a critical wound, he gains 1 insanity point which remains even after the wound is healed. (WFRP). See also Miscellanea.

3 Magic

3.1 Petty Magic Miscellanea

Petty magic spells are simpler and less dangerous than their more potent cousins. First, your chance of learning a petty magic spell is twice your Int (fail 96-100) (WFRP). Second, petty magic spells are exempt from spell failure rolls for low magic points (OTB).

3.2 Spell Failure Rolls

Do Spell Failure Rolls use 2D6 or 1D12? Depends on the source:

1. WFRP: 2D6
2. OTB: 1D12

Herr Nitpicker prefers 1D12.

4 Miscellanea

4.1 Gaining Insanity

You can gain insanity the following ways:

• Take a critical hit (1 insanity point),
• Fail a Terror Test (not a Fear Test) (1 insanity point),
• Consume a delerient (varies), or
• GM discretion (varies).