Here's a very simplified version of how I would do it (in booklet form..with rules!) (Click on the picture)  

Hey guys,

Well, in the past two days, I tried my hand at creating a concept character folio for a WFRP3 Beginner Box. It is my first time using a Mac and Apple softwares for such work (teaching myself to shift platform), so it's not the slickest but let me know what you think.

I am particularly curious as to whether I should remove some items, and/or add other items that you believe a complete beginner to WFRP3 would need? Obviously, the GM still needs to do his speech about what RPG is, and how to play WFRP3. The character folio is more to have all the basic rules in front of the player eyes as they play their 1st adventure.

Just to clarify, my goal isn't to modify WFRP3 rules, but simply to trim them to teach Beginners. I am retaining Actions and recharge. Why? Because I believe it's a simple mechanism, very board game like, that appeal to new players to the genre. I am also planning to retain Talents, but will only have 1 talent per Character, and always ON. No socketing mechanism in the Beginner's Game, nor any Party Sheet mechanism.

Character Folio Design.pdf (~12mb)

Cheers
Ceodryn

Looks interesting.  I'd add a list of maneuvers, and some how-to's:

how to make a first aid check /heal check

etc.

jh

Sounds like a great idea, we currently play 2nd ed and the thought of this sort of kit sounds ideal way for us to try 3rd ed. 

Still a bit daunted by how much we'd need to buy to play a game, but guess you don't need all the box sets?

the corebox + the adventurers kit will get you rolling. 

Ok, with the holiday done, I am coming back to this project. Plus, I now have the Star Wars EotE Beginner Box, so I can compare what they did.

I decided to use Journey to Black Fire Pass as an intro adventure, since it's so similar to The Hobbit and most new players to RPG will at least know that.

So, my plan is to take all 4 pre-gens and create a character folio for each. Then, I'll add a Halfling and an Apprentice Wizard to the group.  To the character folio, I added a list of manoeuvre, and a quick explanation of actions and talents. I however kept the description of the dice pool general, and not specific to a skill, as I would prefer new players to understand the overall idea of the custom dice. However, I am also planning to create an example of play that would showcase pool results.

Anyway, so here is one character folio pretty much finished, but some graphical issues I need to fix:

Valden the Dwarf Miner

Cheers

Ceodryn

Ceodryn said:

Hey Rem,

Thanks, that sounds good! I have been more focused on the design that the RP content at this stage, as once I have 1 folio design fully done, then I can plug in the RP stuff for each character fast and modify it to match the purpose of a Beginner adventure, as you rigthly did.

I am going to work next on the next 2 pages of the folio, showcasing the advancement of the character.

Thanks for the feedback

Cheers

Ceodryn

First, let me tell you that I think what you are trying to do is very positive for the community. From time to time you find people on this forums asking if it is worth buying the game, too expensive etc. Well, this will help them decide for sure.

Second, and I hope you accept a small criticism from my part. It is regarding the starting player character, where I have to disagree with Remorhaz. In my opinion, the Dwarf Miner is already a bit too shiny for the warhammer world. More over, he has cradted a runic item? why not an Apprentice Runesmith then?

But that is not really my point. What I thry to say is that to catch better the flavour of the warhammer world, I would present starting characters which are a bit more grey. With good and bad things from their past. If they are too conventional in background, then we are moving more towards a formal version fantasy atmosphere like in D&D. I am not suggesting it is bad. It is just that I think that a nice thing from Warhammer, and something that attracts players both young and mature, is the possibility to play with these kind of "non-heroic" characters which are a bit more complex in personality and goals. I understand it is a begginers box, but I think there should be a way to capture this aspect of the warhammer world.

Cheers,

Yepes

Yepesnopes, as an old time fan of WFRP, I agree with you. However, my experience through the past year demo-ing WFRP3 online, and more personally among my family has showed me that new players to the RPG genre don't want to play tarnished chars. They want to play heros. 

It makes sense after all. When those new players are kids, they obviously want to shine, like all kids do. When they are adult, they want to escape into a fantasy world, and feel like heroes. I guess that's why Pathfinder is so successful.

Because my goal is get new players to come back to my table, I want them to feel heroic during this first session. I don't want them to feel the weight of the Old World. However, if they do come back to the table and once they know the game is fun, then yes it's my job as a GM of WFRP to bring in that grim and perilious feel. I think just playing WFRP will do that. The corruption, the diseases, the insanities, the criticals will quickly muddy any clean character.

That being said, I don't think the chars in Journey to BFP are that clean. The miner only helped in crafting the shield… For all what we know, he may just have provided the ore and assisted the runesmith. He is also a selfish dwarf who seems to care more about the shield than the missing dwarf party. The slayer is a drunk, who let his brother down and the hunter is bitter at the slayer for it. The agent is maybe the only one pretty clean, but he'll have to walk a fine line between telling the thruth and lying during the adventure.

I also added two characters, a sister of Sigmar, very Paladin-like, but who doesn't realize when she goes too far, and an halfling ch(thi)ef who wouldn't hesitate appropriating himself what the dwarves seek.

Finally, my overal design of the Beginner character folio can be reused for any kind of Beginner character. The latest version I showcased has changed, and I now have my final design. While I created all the chars from Journey and A Day Late, I won't be able to share them until I visit my family. Uploading those heavy PDFs would be a strain on my 3G connection.

Cheers

Ceodryn

Two words Ceodryn,… Baited Breath !!!!    I am certain it is fantastic work,..  I am hoping to get a game in with ya again soon,.. your cinematic ending as the two characters walked into the sunset was CLASSIC!!   Hope your well, can't wait to see what you've done,..

Ceodryn said:

You are just totally right. You just made me remember my first Warhammer 1 game when I was… very young  We rolled for characters, I wanted to play a wizard (of course), but the dice decided I should play an herbalist! I still remember my first thought -This game sucks!!-

Obviously, time has probed to me that the game does not suck. But indeed, when you are a kid, you want to play heroes. Good insight Ceodyn.

Cheers,

Yepes 

Hi All,

WFRP3 Beginner Box Project

Above is the link to my dropbox folder where I will keep my final files for my WFRP3 Beginner Box project. I have uploaded character folios for A Day Late, A Shilling Short (4 characters) and Journey to Black Fire Pass (6 characters). 

The character folios are meant to be printed on one US Letter Borderless sheet with booklet layout so that page 1 and 2 are together the front, and page 3 and 4 are on the back together. That way, when folded, the folio is the size of ~ a current WFRP3 career card. When opened, the new player (to WFRP3 and RPG) has the information needed for a Beginner session.

The GM will need to provide each players with the appropriate actions, talents and abilities cards, as well as the additional mini-cards (fortune point cards, on which 3 tokens are placed, and race abilities cards).  For the basic actions, I also provided a summary of the basic actions, which I have not created (I am sorry, I do not recall who created this summary card).

This is meant to introduce new players to RPG and WFRP3. After the first session, the player can buy advances with the help of the GM, and continue to use this folio if desired, but I didn't make provision for advances. My hope is to transition the players, after a few sessions, to the excellent Gitzman's character sheet.

Cheers

Ceodryn

Great Great Great!

I have just checked Valden and the Halfing Cook.

Great use of a map, the Warhammer Introtext, and then a quik reference on what to roll and what the effects are.

This is Great work! I really hope that FFG has some manpower for WFRP to make a 30€ Beginners Box.

Journey to Black Fire Pass IS a great intro adventure. The Charakters mentioned, also with their backgrounds ready to read is great stuff. But the full power of all the action cards, plus the condition cards, talents and stuff was a bit overwhelming for my group.

If I'm going to make an intro for Warhammer in my Citys monthly Roleplaything I will definately use your stuff.

Two dwarven thumbs up!

Thanks Glorian.

I agree that using all actions and talents may be too much in the 1st session. Both adventures could actually be played without the talents and special actions, but just the normal actions. At least the 1st session, and then introduce those cards in the next session. I am also not planning to use the party sheet in the 1st session.

Cheers

Ceodryn