One of the things I learned in the process was that while my Orky conversion of Dark Heresy and WFRP could work well for a long-term campaign, it was still too complicated and fiddly for a one-shot. To illustrate that point, I'll include the partial character sheet text for the the beginning stages of the characters. Each of them had over 3,000 xp already, and they hadn't grown beyond the introductory 32 classes I'd posted here yet. Since those 32 careers don't include Painboy, which the Jack ork needs to be, clearly I still had a lot of work to do. These are all very rough-drafty:
Jack - Painboy Nob Bad Moons
(Bad Moons Clanboy, Syringe Boy, 3200 xp)
Flashback - You were working on Da Big Boss, and you accidentally made all his brains spill out. You pretended to be scared for 5 seconds, so he'd die.
WS BS Str Tuff Agi Int Will Fell Perc Wnds Psi
15 5 15 10 5 0 5 10 5 2 Nil
Skills: Common Lore (Bad Moons Clan), Barter, Swim, Carouse, Intimidate, Dodge, Evaluate, Squig Use, Scrutiny, Awareness
Talents: Pistol Training (SP), Basic Weapon Training (Prim), Melee Weapon Training (Prim), Light Sleeper, Takedown, Resistance (Drugs)
Trappings: Axe or AutoPistol, Autogun or Pump-Action Shotgun, hairsquig or 1d6 eatin’ squigs, squigpet or 1d10 eatin’ squigs, brightly colored Flak Jacket, backplate with yellow and black moon symbol, 2d6 teef, Mallet or club, bonesaw, 1d6+1 small Syringesquigs, 3d6 teef
Kate - Goff Skarboy Renegade - Used to ride a black boar
(Goff Clanboy, Skarboy, 3200 xp)
Flashback - You killed a Nob, and 'ad to go on da run. You were in shackles when the ship crashed. There's a wounded Flash Gitz on da ground, who'd been chasing ya.
WS BS Str Tuff Agi Int Will Fell Perc Wnds Psi
20 5 20 15 5 0 5 0 0 3 Nil
Skills: Common Lore (Goff Clan), Survival, Climb, Carouse, Command, Intimidate, Dodge, Acrobatics,
Talents: Pistol Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Prim), Ambidextrous, Melee Weapon Training (Chain) or Pistol Weapon Training (Bolt), Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee), Nerves of Steel, Arms Master
Trappings: Axe, Stub Automatic or Hand Cannon, Knife, black Flak Jacket (though it can have a contrasting trim or checkerboard pattern), poor-quality Flak helmet with horns, backplate with a bull’s head logo, hairsquig or squigpet or 1d6 eatin’ squigs, 1d10 teef, Chainsword or Bolt Pistol, Knife or Sword or Axe, Carapace Helmet with Horns, 2d6 teef
Locke - Oddboy, Stormboy, Yeller, Evil Sunz
(Evil Sunz clanboy, Oddboy, 3100 xp)
Flashback - You used to be a Cybork. Your Boss 'ad thrown you out an airlock, and only your head survived. But when the ship crashed here, you woke up and found your body had grown back.
WS BS Str Tuff Agi Int Will Fell Perc Wnds Psi
10 10 5 10 10 0 10 5 10 2 Nil
Skills: Common Lore (Evil Sunz Clan), Drive (Ground), Climb, Carouse, Intimidate, Dodge, Tracking, Blather, Scrutiny, Awareness
Talents: Pistol Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Prim), Chicken Playa or Eadlong Leap, Leap Up, Talented (Any one Agility, Intelligence, Willpower or Perception-based skill), Meditation
Trappings: Knife, Autopistol, red Heavy Leathers, Flak helmet, backplate with grinning face in a sunburst, fuelsquig, oilsquig, eatin’ squig, 1d10 teef, 1d6 eatin’ squigs, tool or spyglass or toolsquig, knife, 1d10 teef
Sawyer - Sneaky Git Lootah Deathskullz
(Deathskullz, Lootah, 3700 xp)
Flashback - You're a sneaky git. You're not really named Sawyer, you took that name off a dead ork dat 'caused you lots a grief.
WS BS Str Tuff Agi Int Will Fell Perc Wnds Psi
5 10 10 10 15 5 10 0 20 2 Nil
Skills: Common Lore (Deathskullz Clan), Survival, Evaluate, Climb, Carouse, Search, Dodge, Awareness, Evaluate, Search, Tracking, Sleight of Hand ,
Talents: Pistol Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Prim), Paranoia, Hieghtened Senses (your choice), Nerves of Steel, Weapon Training (one weapon of your choice, can be pistol/basic/melee/exotic/heavy)
Trappings: Axe, Hunting Rifle or Autopistol or Shotgun, Knife, 1d6 clips (each for a different weapon), 1d6 charms, flak helmet (probably blue), flak vest, flak gauntlets, Backplate with a blue and white skull symbol, hairsquig or squigpet or 1d6 eatin’ squigs, 1d10 teef, 1d6 clips (all from different weapons), poor-quality but unusual weapon (choose any weapon whose normal value is 50 teef or less), 1d6 charms and trinkets, 3d6 teef
Sayid - Mekaniak, Blood Axe
(Blood Axe Boy, Spanner, 3400 xp)
Flashback - You used to serve a different Warboss. Also, while you're not skilled to be a painboy, you kinda like ripping people apart.
WS BS Str Tuff Agi Int Will Fell Perc Wnds Psi
10 10 10 5 10 10 5 5 10 2 Nil
Skills: Common Lore (Blood Axe Clan), Evaluate, Survival, Carouse, Decieve, Dodge, Silent Move, Tech Use, Evaluate, Security
Talents: Pistol Training (Las), Melee Weapon Training (Prim), Basic Weapon Training (Las), Disturbing Voice, Buggymate or Technical Knock, Pistol or Basic Weapon Training (SP), Wrecka
Trappings: Axe or Laspistol, Lasgun or Laspistol, Flak Helmet, Flak Vest, Backplate with Blood Axe symbol, camoflauged poncho, hairsquig or squigpet or 1d6 eatin’ squigs, 1d6 teef, 2d10 Imperial Throne Gelt, Imperial Charm, Backpack, Spanner (a big wrench), handcannon or autopistol or shotgun, oilsquig or fuelsquig, 4d6 teef
Michael - Runtherd, Grotherd, Snakebite
(Snakebitez Clanboy, Slaver, 3400xp)
Flashback - Your best Runt, Wart, is a Weirdgretch. His brain makes crazy bad stuff happen.
WS BS Str Tuff Agi Int Will Fell Perc Wnds Psi
15 5 5 10 15 5 5 0 10 2 Nil
Skills: Common Lore (Snakebitez Clan), Survival, Climb, Swim, Carouse, Dodge, Wrangling, Common Lore (Runts), Acrobatics, Shadowing, Trade (Slaving), Intimidate
Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Prim), Resistance (Poison), Sprint, Lightning Reflexes, Takedown
Trappings: Axe or Spear, Hunting Rifle, Knife, Grox hides or heavy leathers, backplate with a snake symbol, hairsquig or squigpet or faceeatersquig or mildly venomous snake or 1d6 eatin’ squigs, 1d10 teef, Spear or staff, club, backpack, sack, 2d6 meters of rope, 1d6 squigs or 1d6 snotlings, 3d6 teef
Obviously, that wasn't going to work. I was going to have very dense character sheets, packed with explanations of how various Talents work. And since part of how the careers were balanced involved the "Trappings" I was either going to have balance issues or completely fail to get the feeling that they were stranded on an island with minimal resources. So, back to the drawing board.
I am going to streamline the heck out of the system. It will be abstract and simple when I'm done, and may not end up feeling much at all like the original. But for a one-shot (where I may not even know the players in advance) that's just perfect. That will allow me to focus on tone and flavor, not the accuracy of every little mechanical detail.
No comments:
Post a Comment