WFRP 1e & 2e careers: The Footpad & The Gambler

The original footpad in WFRP 1e is a not very interesting career, except perhaps in being one of the "combat-orientated" rogues, but even so, it is pretty inferior unless you really want to have the combination of both Silent Move skills and Strike to Stun.  Not the worst trio of skills but hardly worth it.  The Footpad didn't appear in WFRP 2e.  The Liber Fanatica fanzine felt that the Footpad had been subsumed into the Rogue container career but I think it is much more like the Thug.

FOOTPAD (Original 1e):

M

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Dex

Ld

Int

Cl

WP

Fel

+10

+10

+1

+2

+10

Skills: Silent Move - Rural, Silent Move - Urban, Strike to Stun

THUG (2e):

Skills: Silent Move - Rural, Silent Move - Urban, Strike to Stun

Main Profile
WS	BS	S	T	Ag	Int	WP	Fel
+10		+5	+5			+5	+5
Secondary Profile
A	W	SB	TB	M	Mag	IP	FP
+1	+2

Skills: Consume Alcohol, Dodge Blow, Gamble, Intimidate, Secret Language (Thieves' Tongue)

Talents: Coolheaded or Lightning Reflexes, Disarm, Resistance to Poison or Quick Draw, Strike to Injure or Wrestling, Strike to Stun

The Thug career annoys me a little, because a lot of the automatic skills are skills which can hardly be considered central to being a thug but occupy the space that could be occupied by other characters. In this sense 1e is better, by making these flavour skills into random 'possible' skills. 

FOOTPAD (Modified):

M

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Dex

Ld

Int

Cl

WP

Fel

+10

+10

+1

+1

+2

+10

+1

+10

Skills: Silent Move - Rural, Silent Move - Urban, Strike to Stun, 50% chance of Disarm, 25% chance of Consume Alcohol, 20% chance of Strike to Injure, 10% chance of Gamble, 10% chance of Lightning Reflexes, 10% chance of Wrestling

The 1e Gambler wasn't great either, although at least its three skills were both niche and quite helpful which isn't always the case.  I am not that keen on giving the Gambler a characteristic advance in Ballistic Skill either.

GAMBLER (Original 1e):

M

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Dex

Ld

Int

Cl

WP

Fel

+10

+2

+10

+10

+10

+10

Skills: Gamble, Luck, Palm Object

The Gambler was omitted from 2e initially but re-appeared quite quickly in the Sigmar's Heirs sourcebook.  It was a distinctly more useful character in every way really.  Most of the skills seem sort of possible/reasonable although I suppose it isn't super obvious why Old World gamblers would be more likely to be able to read and write.

 

GAMBLER (2e):

Skills: Silent Move - Rural, Silent Move - Urban, Strike to Stun

Main Profile
WS	BS	S	T	Ag	Int	WP	Fel
+5	+5			+10	+10		+10
Secondary Profile
A	W	SB	TB	M	Mag	IP	FP
	+2

Skills: Blather, Charm, Evaluate, Gamble, Gossip or Secret Language (Thieves' Tongue), Perception, Sleight of Hand, Read/Write or Secret Signs (Thief)

Talents: Etiquette or Streetwise, Flee! or Luck

 

 

GAMBLER (Modified):

M

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Dex

Ld

Int

Cl

WP

Fel

+2

+10

+10

+10

+10

Skills: Gamble, Sleight of Hand, 75% chance of Luck, 50% chance of Blather, 25% chance of Charm, 25% chance of Evaluate, 25% chance of Secret Language (Thieves' Tongue), 25% chance of Secret Signs (Thief), 20% chance of Etiquette, 20% chance of Read/Write, 20% chance of Street Fighting,15% chance of Flee!

I have added a chance of Street Fighting which seems quite reasonable for a professional gambler but taken out the ballistic skill advance and the potential weapon skill advance from 2e.  I think that making a lot of these skills as random options will allow quite a bit of interesting variation in the Old World professional gambling community...