From the front page annoucement…

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3775

So, what does everyone think about the new PC backgrounds mechanic/option that's included with the game?

I personally think it's a great idea, and is the most elaborate narrative/roleplay focused idea I've seen for a WFRP3 product yet.

I'm thinking that half of my players will probably continue to play their current characters for this new campaign, but the other half are gonna love the ability to tie their new character's backgrounds so closely to the plot.

The preview's art misses the mak for me a bit, but I really like the mechanics presented.  This is easily the kind of thing I'd expand for future characters beyond the campaign.

Hi,

Liking it alot.

One of the issues i have had with pre gen pcs is that despite the attatchment to the story it can leave players underwhelmed with the character they are given. This option gives all the goodness of a story motivated backround and relative freedom to generate a character that they are inspired to play.

Now to continue with the painful waiting bit….

I agree that some of the art while really good does not feel like warhammer.  I like the backgrounds!  They have a lot of potential.  I love how this game continues to add additonal roleplaying elemements.  

This isn't a bad start and should help players who need a little help in the originality department come up with more ideas, but it looks like a direct ripoff of the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons playtest and there's not enough "Warhammer" fluff indicated in connection to make the cruch serve any purpose other than just more stat modification for the sake of stat modification.

Without knowing more about this "connection to the NPCs of Averheim," it's appears as just another layer of accounting mechanics added to the game.  Would a Warhammer fan such as Mr. Davis really add these statistics without any connection to "the world?".  We'll see if it can be expanded on or if it's just another leftover from their boardgame department.  It had better not be just lame character power-escalation with 3 sentences of text on the other side, or I'm likely to throw a temper tantrum and stomp my feet on the ground ;)

jh

Emirikol said:

There seems to be plenty of "Warhammer fluff" on the background cards. Look at the example below:

There's clear names of various noble families and locations that are all directly tied to the campaigns people and places. Try reading through the other examples again….seems as if you just skimmed over them.

That's what I was hoping for.

We'll have to see what we can do with the mechanic to make it portable to other campaigns as well.

jh

This looks rather brilliant actually.

The stat side gives you enough of a benefit so it is valuable but not massive. Something to urge people to spend some time to consider thier characters background a bit more. The fluffy back side is really nice though as it throws some names, places and questions at the player to get them thinking a bit about their character and the greater city and its inhabitance around them.

Seems pretty good to me. Would be neat to see more, but I think GMs will have to fill in the fluffy sides themselves.

I like anything to try and "trick" players into thinking about character backgrounds, personalities and their place in the greater game world. Probably because I play with too many people who don't, so maybe others have no need.

The background options are nice, the mechanics that come with them are totally unnecessary. An option could be to use the fluff without the mechanic component.

These cards look very good but with one major negative. They give bonuses to characters who use them, but there is no negative side apart from a limitation on which character classes can use them.

I may use these these in my Grunburg fan supplement, but the fluff on the back will be the negative to the front sides positive. Rather than aerie-fairy possibilities, there will be actual ties to one or more of the towns inhabitants which will place the PC under certain obligations while they are in town.

Nice idea though, but not thought through completely.

I think having associations and connections that tie the player to major NPCs and ropes them in to pursue the adventure may turn out punishment enough ;). 

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The bonus is only at character creation and once per session, doesnt sound too game breaking. People will have to calculate whether to use it or save it.

Am trying to work my head around a dwarven Bureacrat/Noble Gently born having a relation propose to a human.  It could happen, I have a good idea for that.

Funny thing would be the outcast being family member who became a troll slayer due to the last bit, You've heard rumours that the Outcast…… 

Does anyone remeber that the Dwarf Agent from "Journey to Blackfire Pass" was actually serving an Averland house which have fallen into ruin?

Also in the Box about the Dwarfs there are some sentences about Averland in turmoil of the absent Elector Count. So all in all with each and every new adventure and box the metaplot of the 3rd Edition comes clearer and clearer.

It starts with Reikdorf/Übersreik and then goes to Edge of Night where the Orks around the Grey mountains are mentioned and that they are gathering, then this culminates into Heros Call with the Waaagh.

If someday my PCs will finish 3rd Edition and TEW 2.0 then the 2nd Edition after the Storm will follow absolutely naturally.

So I'm quite excited if Forgeworld will release its supplement if we will see some actors who will have a reapearance in TEW as the Battle for Blackfire Pass has happened zwo years earlier.

Daedalum said:

+1

I hope that Connections & Motivations will be used in the adventure's plot also in a bad way for Players just to raise the tension in a group :)

Hi,

I've got to say the bonuses on the backround cards with no negative mechanics arent too much of an issue to me. Its way more important that the fluffy stuff on the back be relevant to the plot. If these details improve the fun and flow of the adventure then its still a win, I only hope its not left to us GMs to do everything to involve these pc/npcs plot threads.

In terms of having extra mechanics to track, the players should be able to track the extras for their characters pretty easily. And hey if its not working for your group, ditch them…

I like the idea immensely and it's getting me stoked.

My last non-WFRP campaign used character creation process that saw each Player have to create two sorts of connections/linked interests with other PC's and then two to NPC's.  That sort of "common/conflicting" interests web can drive a campaign right there never mind any other plot.  It can provide grist for situations meriting fortune and misfortune dice too.

I will be interested to see what other rules exist around these features (e.g., are they a permanent bump up at start or is there a balance).  It doesn't look like too much of a bump up, and starting characters really don't need one in my view.  I would make it all be roleplayed in any case.  The gently born doesn't get to swap out those dice without roleplaying how their background accomplishes it.

Rob