Sunday, 15 April 2007
Warhammer Character generation, evolved
I am now in possession of a Java command line tool that generates rich, fully detailed characters for Warhammer FRP. Be they NPCs or pre-fab PCs, this tool is awesome.
The author is a co-worker of mine and he has poured over source books, fan-work, and more. Skaven and Orge race types can be generated even (though I don't tend to allow playing of these types, skaven and orges do not wander the streets and roads of the Empire freely). Every thing about this is randomized. The tool also works at the component level, so you can generate a list of Empire names, 00–99, and roll against it, double-blind randomization!
Here’s a sample:
% java RaceEngine
Skorbin Kazlikson
Male Dwarf
Runebearer
**********************************
71 years old. Born in Karak Izor in the Vaults.
5'4", 179 lbs. with a tall build.
Eye Color: grey blue
Hair color: grey
Distinguishing Features: beard, bronze skin, beady eyes
Birthday: Born on the 4th of Erntezeit, 2451 years since the
founding of the Empire by Lord Sigmar.
Astrology: You were born under the sign of the Gloaming, the
sign of illusion and mystery.
Dooming: Under the bridge lies thine doom.
Religion: You were raised to worship Valaya.
Family: Father infirm and 1 sibling(s). Parents divorced,
step family: Your parents have legally divorced or
otherwise annulled, and you have one or more step families.
Friends: Wealthy patron! You are on good terms with someone
who is generous with their money. This could be a relative,
employer, mentor, or some organization important to your
character. For whatever reason, you can turn to them for
funding. These funds should be available only for expenses
incurred during approved activities.
If your patron is a local temple, they might pay for an
excursion to locate an icon or scroll important to their
faith. If your patron is a business partner, they might
give you money to spend on shop supplies. Roll once on the
Purse Contents table for the typical weekly allowance
provided by this patron. This is not an extremely strong
relationship, and if you fail to produce results
(or profits) you’re likely to lose this support entirely.
Enemies: Cruel tormentor! You frequently find yourself in close
proximity with someone who gleefully preys on your
weaknesses. Or, you might be the instigator of the torment,
bullying someone weaker than you on a regular basis. This
bullying has taken its toll and both parties have become
bitter enemies. When the two of you meet in the same place,
there is sure to be a fight. Perhaps the only way to end
the rivalry is to prove that you are stronger, which may
require beating your opponent to a pulp or sending them to
the bottom of the river.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Main Profile |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|WS |BS |S |T |Ag |Int |WP |Fel |
| 40% | 31% | 29% | 43% | 23% | 37% | 40% | 26% |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|+10% |+0% |+5% |+5% |+10% |+5% |+5% |+0% |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Secondary Profile |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|A |W |SB |TB |M |Mag |IP |FP |
| 1 |11 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|+0 |+2 | 0 | 0 |+1 |+0 | 0 | 0 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Racial Skills:
Common Knowledge (Dwarfs),
Speak Language (Khazalid/Dwarf),
Speak
Language (Reikspiel/Empire),
One of Trade (Miner) or Trade (Smith) or Trade (Stoneworker)
Racial Talents:
Dwarfcraft,
Grudge Born Fury,
Night Vision,
Resistance to Magic,
Stout Hearted,
Sturdy
Career Skills:
Dodge Blow,
Navigation,
Outdoor Survival,
Secret Signs (Scout),
Perception,
Swim
Career Talents:
Flee!,
One of Fleet Footed or Sixth Sense,
Orientation,
Rapid Reload,
One of Very Resilient or Very Strong
Background Skills:
Background Talents:
Mimic,
Acute Hearing
My coworker and I are designing a WFRP PC XML schema and will integrate an open source PDF engine next. It is possible that that this tool will be “open-sourced” in short order and made available as a web application for public use.
Now that would be awesome.
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My coworker has some reservations about a general release right now, some of the information is, well, probably copyrighted by Green Ronin or Black Industries.
If we can make it a web service, you'll read it here first.
AAAARGH !!! why oh why isn't this availible yet. AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh (he says as he's lost his sourcebook with all the players sheets and just needs to roll a few chars for a single session Sob. Sob. Sob)