Chapter II: Character Creation

— sTarTIng Career —
E ach character in WFRP has a starting career. This represents what
your character did before becoming an adventurer. To determine
your character’s former occupation, roll percentile dice and consult
bag or a backpack containing a blanket, a wooden tankard, a
wooden cutlery set, a hand weapon (axe, club, sword, etc.) and
a purse holding 2d10 Gold Crowns (gc).
your chosen race’s column on Table 2-5: Starting Career. You may, at
your option, roll on the table a second time and pick between the two For more information on these items and your trappings, see Chapter
rolled careers. 5: Equipment.

Example: It’s time for Nicole to determine the starting career
of her Elf character. She rolls percentile dice and looks under
the Elf column of Table 2-5: Starting Career. Her roll is an 11,
which is the Entertainer career. She’s not sure she wants to have
been an Entertainer, so she opts to roll again. This time she gets
a 50, which is the Outlaw career. She finds this more appealing
so settles on Outlaw for her starting career.
You should also copy down the Advance Scheme. This represents the
ways in which your character can improve with experience and shows
you which Characteristics you can increase in this career. You can read
more about the Advance Scheme in Chapter 3: Careers. Here is a
sample Advance Scheme, from the Outlaw career:
Main Profile

Once you’ve determined your character’s career, go to Chapter 3: WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

Careers and look it up (they are arranged alphabetically), then copy +10% +10% — — +10% +5% — —
down the listed skills and talents on your character sheet. In some Secondary Profile
instances, you may be given the choice of two different skills or
talents. Pick the one you prefer in each case. Sometimes you have the A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
opportunity to gain a skill you already have through your race. You +1 +2 — — — — — —
are allowed to take such skills twice; this provides a +10% bonus when
you use the skill. See the rules for Skill Mastery on page 90 for more Example: Nicole now knows that her character is an Elf
information. Outlaw. She copies over the career’s Advance Scheme, trappings,
skills, and talents. Amongst her skills and talents, she has three
Your career also includes an entry called Trappings; again, copy these choices to make. She can choose between Drive or Ride, Set Trap
onto your character sheet. The listed items are the equipment you start or Swim, and Sharpshooter or Strike to Stun. She looks over her
your adventuring career with. You also get, regardless of career, the choices in Chapter 4: Skills and Talents and decides to choose
following: Ride, Set Trap, and Strike to Stun.
• Common clothing consisting of a shirt, breeches, and worn
boots, a tattered cloak, a dagger tucked in a boot or belt, a sling The free adVanCe
Your character is not an absolute beginner. To represent previous
experience, your character is allowed one free “advance”. An advance
ChoosIng Careers and homelands is either:
1) A 5% increase to a Characteristic on your Main Profile.
Some players, particularly experienced ones, prefer to pick their
starting career, rather than roll for it. Although this isn’t as fast or 2) An increase of 1 to a Characteristic on your Secondary Profile.
easy as the standard method described here, some people find they
Note that you can only take the advance if it’s available on your
have a very particular character in mind, before they even begin
scheme. In the Outlaw career, for example, you could take a +5% on
creating it. As long as you have your GM’s approval, you should feel
your Weapon Skill or a +1 on your Attacks because those advances are
free to use this method if it suits you. Remember, the GM’s word on
built into the scheme. You could not take a +5% on your Fellowship
this is final.
or a +1 to your Movement because those Characteristics can’t be
Some GM’s choose not to let their players use this method, as they improved by the Outlaw’s Advance Scheme.
like the “randomness of birth” that rolling for a career creates. Fate
Once you’ve chosen your free advance, put a check mark next to what
may favour you with Noble birth, or curse you to wade through filth
you picked on the Advance Scheme. This indicates that you’ve taken
as a lowborn Rat Catcher—whatever the case, you have to rise above
an advance. As you gain more experience, you’ll take more advances.
it to survive the perils and puzzles that the GM is about to throw at
you! Example: Nicole looks over her Advance Scheme. There are
many good choices on this Advance Scheme but she opts to
As you may have noticed, the character creation includes several
increase her Attacks by 1. This will help out in combat and
careers of an origin foreign to the Empire (the Kislevite Kossar,
Nicole is sure her Outlaw is going to see a lot of that. Nicole
for example). These represent the small number of outsiders that
puts a checkmark next to the +1 under Attacks on the Advance
can be found adventuring in the Empire. If you don’t happen to
Scheme to indicate that she’s taken that advance. Now Nicole
roll or choose these careers, but would still like a foreign character,
and her Elf Outlaw are ready for action!
ask the GM’s permission. Any of the careers can be modified to
accommodate this, simply replace Common Knowledge (the Empire)
with that of your homeland and add the appropriate Speak Language
skill. The rest of character creation remains the same.
adVenTure awaITs!
If you can’t wait to get started, your character is now ready to play
More information on the Empire’s neighbours can be found in
WFRP. If you’d prefer to detail more about your character, carry on
Chapter 10: The Empire
through the rest of this chapter. Whatever you decide, a grim world of
perilous adventure soon awaits!

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