WFRP 1e & 2e Careers: The Gamekeeper

The Gamekeeper was one of the better careers in WFRP 1e, particularly for characters who wanted to be proficient with missile weapons. And being proficient with missile weapons is a very sound strategy in WFRP 1e, since hitting the opposition without letting them get close doesn't have many downsides.

GAMEKEEPER (Original 1e):

M

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Dex

Ld

Int

Cl

WP

Fel

+20

+1

+2

+10

Skills: Concealment Rural, Marksmanship, Secret Sign- Poacher (Poachers only), Set Trap, Silent Move Rural, Spot Traps, 50% chance of Secret Language - Ranger (Gamekeepers only), 10% chance of Animal Trainer - Hawk

 

Between the Ballistic Skill advances and the Marksmanship skill, the character is really set up to be an expert at shooting things from a very early point in the game. Plus, one of the Career Exits is Targeteer, so being as good as you can get to be with missile weapons is within very easy reach.  The skills are both useful and a reasonable selection.  The only things I might take issue with is that the career doesn't have an advance available in Initiative:  given that Initiative is the characteristic which controls observation, this seems an omission; and Follow Trail seems like a relevant skill for a Gamekeeper too. If I am being really picky, I am not entirely convinced that the Strength bonus is justified.

 

Of course, this is really a two-for-the-price-of-one career: the Poacher career, being very similar, is embedded within the Gamekeeper career. There isn't much to choose between them - and you can always do both careers if you want to get everything - except that the Targeteer Career Exit is the best on offer, although Scout is fairly reasonable too.

There isn't really an equivalent of the Gamekeeper in WFRP 2e. Liber Fanatica suggested converting Gamekeeper characters to the Peasant career. I can see why it did that in lieu of anything better,, since some of the Peasant skills overlap with those of the Gamekeeper,  but it really isn't a good fit. Conceptually Servant might also have worked, but that isn't very suitable either so this one was genuinely a lost career, which seems a shame.

GAMEKEEPER (2e):

Main Profile
WS	BS	S	T	Ag	Int	WP	Fel
	+20	+5				+10
Secondary Profile
A	W	SB	TB	M	Mag	IP	FP
	+3

Skills: Concealment, Set Trap, Silent Move, Secret Language – Ranger or Animal Trainer - Hawk

Talents: Marksmanship, Rover, Trapfinder

The Liber Fanatica conversion seems fine although a little light on skills: this career has seven-and-a-half skills and 2e careers would typically have eleven. However, we can easily add three of Follow Trail, Perception, Outdoor Survival and/or Search to round out this career nicely.

So for our revised version:

GAMEKEEPER (Revised 1e):

M

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Dex

Ld

Int

Cl

WP

Fel

+20

+2

+10

Skills: Concealment Rural, Marksmanship, Secret Sign- Poacher (Poachers only), Set Trap, Silent Move Rural, Spot Traps, 75% chance of Follow Trail, 50% chance of Secret Language - Ranger (Gamekeepers only), 10% chance of Animal Trainer - Hawk, 10% chance of Fish

I am struggling to persuade myself that a Gamekeeper should get a bonus to Cool, so that has gone too.  Hunter and Trapper can be added to the Career Exits though.