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NOTE: Some rudimentary knowledge of the
HERO System
rules is necessary to understand this conversion
document. |
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The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game was
released in 1986 by Games Workshop, the
UK based game company responsible for the
Warhammer line of Table-top miniature games.
Unlike other fantasy RPGs of its time it
was not based on a linear progression thru
a handful of limited and restricted classes. |
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CAREER MIGRATION |
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Instead it was based on a wide range
of professions within several broad groups.
Thus instead of starting play as a Fighter
and progressing in a linear fashion by stages,
a character would begin as, for example,
an Outrider, or a Bounty Hunter. With nearly
80 Starting Careers ranging from Beggar
to Noble, Laborer to Artisan, and Agitator
to Raconteur and another 40+ Advanced Careers,
the range of character types was extraordinary.
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Additionally, characters were able to selectively
choose and buy career advances with experience
points, which included statistic raises
and new skills. Finally, every career had
Career Exits which a character could attempt
to pursue by looking for employment in that
profession, thereby gaining access to new
and/or different Career Advances and Career
Exits. |
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For example, a Bounty Hunter could attempt
to change careers, applying his skills to
a new profession; his list of Career Exits
was: Assassin, Footpad, Mercenary, Protagonist,
Slaver, and Targeteer. Thus a character
who had been around a little while would
have selectively gained new skills and improved
statistics as they followed a career path
uniquely their own. |
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DARK FANTASY |
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Finally, perhaps the most interesting thing
about Warhammer FRPG was its dark and gritty
alternate Europe setting, which is still
as interesting today as it ever was. With
poor peasants, effete nobles, dark evils,
dangerous magics, and crude technology such
as cannon and muskets it is a very rich
and challenging campaign setting.
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TIMES TOLL |
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The Warhammer FRPG License was allowed to
sit and collect dust by Games Workshop in
the early 90s despite its popularity amongst
gamers due to a change in company focus
and a lack of sales in the U.S., but the
License was later renewed by a new publisher
called Hogshead Games who reprinted some
of the main supplements and added some new
content as well. Hogshead allowed the License
to lapse later, and more recently the game
has been reprised by Chris Pramas of Green
Ronin and material is being printed again,
in glossy color this time.
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UPDATE: here is a complete conversion
for
The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game,
Second Edition |
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CONVERSION TO HERO |
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However, all things are made better by the
HERO System, so I took it upon myself to
convert the Warhammer Fantasy Role Playing
Game into the HERO System |
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The intention of this Conversion Document
is to allow the easy conversion of Warhammer
FRPG characters into the HERO System. |
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CONVERT EXISTING CHARACTERS |
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The most direct use of this document is
to convert existing Characters from Warhammer
FRPG into the HERO System. An 8 Step procedure
is detailed below on how to do this.
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CREATE NEW CHARACTERS |
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Alternately, some of the material provided
material, such as Package deals and the
HERO System versions of abilities could
be used to create new characters but still
instill in them a certain Warhammer-esque
flavor. |
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FLEXIBILITY |
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In the pursuit of bringing characters from
Warhammer FRPG into the more open-ended
and flexible
HERO System the focus of the Class
Conversion Documents (below) is on options
rather than didactic "hard" mappings
between the two Game Systems. |
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COST CONSIDERATIONS |
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Remember that one of the key concepts behind
any point based role playing game is that
each cost paid also has an opportunity cost
associated with it. If you spend too much
on ability A, you might not have enough
points to get ability B. Exercise frugality
when buying Character abilities and remember
that in a point based system it is generally
better to start off mediocre at a broad
range of things than it is to start off
a past-master at one thing but be otherwise
useless due to Character Point shortfalls. |
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TOTAL CHARACTER POINTS |
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The following conversion document assumes
a 50 point Base, with a maximum of 50 points
of Disadvantages. |
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NEW CHARACTERS |
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If creating a new character in the HERO
System but using the material herein as
part of a "Hammer HERO" campaign,
so to speak, then assume that this is in
effect unless the GM indicates that the
Base or maximum Disadvantages are other
than 50+50, or awards extra starting Experience
to start the characters off more seasoned. |
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CONVERTING CHARACTERS |
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If converting an existing character into
the HERO System, then just buy all the characteristics
and abilities that the character has in
Warhammer, and whatever they add up to be
is the character's point total; any point
cost beyond what is covered by the Base
and Disadvantages is treated as Experience. |
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Converting
Characteristics |
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When converting a Warhammer FRPG Character
into the HERO System compare each Warhammer
FRPG Statistic to the adjoining chart to
determine which Warhammer FRPG Statistic
maps to which HERO System Characteristic,
including any math necessary. |
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M+2 |
Running |
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WS/15 |
Extra HtH Combat Levels |
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BS/15 |
Extra Ranged Combat Levels |
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Sx5 |
STR |
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Tx5 |
CON |
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W+6 |
BODY |
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(I+DX)/5 |
DEX |
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A-1 |
Extra SPD |
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(LD+FEL)/5 |
PRE |
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(INT/5)+5 |
INT |
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(COOL+WP)/5 |
EGO |
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(Discretionary) |
COM |
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(Derive Normally) |
Figured |
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For Comeliness just assign a value appropriate
to the character's general appearance.
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For the Extra Combat Levels generated by
WS and BS, round off in the character's
favor, and combine the HtH and Ranged Levels
into All Combat Levels where possible. Thus
if a character had 42 WS and 25 BS, convert
them as having two All Combat Levels and
one HtH Combat Level. |
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EXAMPLE: A character that has M5
WS30 BS40 S4 T4 W5 I44 A2 DEX37 LD33 INT40
CL33 WP42 FEL33 in the Warhammer FRPG would
have STR 20 CON 20 BODY 11 DEX 16 INT 13
EGO 15 PRE 13, Run 7", 2 All Combat
Levels, and 1 Ranged Combat Level n the
HERO System. Calculate Figureds from Primaries
and decide on a COM value, and the character
is done. |
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ADJUSTING FIGURED CHARACTERISTICS |
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You may feel the urge to adjust a few Figured
Characteristics at this point, but you should
wait until after you have added a Race Package
and any Profession Packages to the character. |
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FIXED CHARACTERISTICS |
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It is left to GM's discretion whether an
exact conversion of Statistics to Characteristic
is required without variance or if the resulting
HERO System Characteristics can be tweaked. |
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START FRESH OPTION |
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Another option available with GM permission
is to flush a character's Warhammer FRPG
stats altogether, and start the character
at the normal HERO System "Base 10"
for all Base Characteristics. Many of the
Profession Packages (detailed below) give
Characteristic bonuses appropriate to that
particular profession. By not spending points
on Characteristics now you will have more
points to spend on these Profession Packages
later, many of which will give the character
Characteristic increases. |
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CALCULATE COST |
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When you are finished, calculate the Total
Characteristics Cost in the HERO System
and move on to the next step. |
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Select Race
Package Deal |
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Warhammer
Race Package Deals |
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Each character must have one (and only one)
Race Package Deal, which may or may not
modify the character's Characteristic Maxima,
and contains any race-specific benefits
that all members of a certain race enjoy.
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Some of the Race Package Deals have Option
lists of skills or talents or similar. You
may extend your character's Race Package
with selections from the Options list; each
ability may only be taken once unless marked
with an asterix (*). A Race Package cannot
be modified directly; all abilities listed
in the Package must be taken unless an Option
is explicitly given to exclude them. No
Race Package may cost less than 0 points. |
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If your character was a member of an non-standard
Race that is not provided for
here, ask your GM to provide you
with an appropriate Race Package. |
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PACKAGE COST |
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Race Package Deals are treated as a closed
purchase at the listed Total Cost. The Disadvantages,
if any, within the Package are not counted
as part of the character's Disadvantage
Total, they are subtracted directly from
the cost of the Package Deal.
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Another way to think of this is that a character's
maximum Disadvantage points are increased
by the total value of the Disadvantages
in their Race Package Deal. This means that
some Races effectively have more character
points than others assuming the same Base
points and Experience, but at the cost of
inflexibility and a larger load of Disadvantages
that can't be gotten rid of or altered. |
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NOTE: This is a specific variation from
the HERO System rules. If your GM is uncomfortable
with this exception he will let you know
how to handle the discrepancy. |
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EXAMPLE: A Race Package Deal with
30 points of abilities and 25 points of
Disadvantages costs a Character 5 Character
Points rather than 30, and the 25 points
of Disadvantages do not count as part of
the Character's Maximum of 50 points.
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CHARACTERISTIC MODIFIERS |
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Normal Characteristic Maxima is included
in each Race Package, but Characteristic
modifiers from the Race Package Deal do
not count against Normal Characteristic
Maxima. Many Race Packages grant Characteristic
modifiers and in all cases these modifiers,
both bonuses and penalties, are added or
subtracted from a character after Normal
Characteristics Maxima is determined.
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EXAMPLE: Halflings have a +1 Speed,
+2 DEX, -3 STR, -5 PRE as part of their
Race Package Deal. If a Halfling character
purchases +10 DEX and +10 STR outside of
their Package they do not encounter Characteristic
Maxima having neither DEX or STR above 20.
Then the Race Characteristic modifiers are
applied, resulting in an adjusted DEX of
22 and an adjusted STR of 17 If the
Halfling wanted a final adjusted STR of
20 after the Race Penalty is applied, the
Halfling must buy his base STR up to 23
paying the doubling penalty for 21 to 23
strength; after the -3 STR adjustment from
the Halfling Race Package Deal is applied
the Halfling has an adjusted STR of 20. |
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After selecting the appropriate Race Package,
add the Package Cost to the character's
Point Total and move on to the next step.
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Translate
Character Abilities |
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Warhammer
Skills Conversions |
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Warhammer Magic
Conversions |
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Warhammer Characters moved through various
Careers as they progressed, and the Careers
each gave access to various character abilities
that were bought with Experience Points.
The Careers have no real relevance in the
HERO System but the following section will
help you to convert the character abilities
your Warhammer character has collected into
equivalent abilities in the HERO System. |
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WARHAMMER SKILLS |
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Skills were the primary ability set in Warhammer.
However, unlike in the HERO System these
skills did not have an associated roll.
Instead they functioned more like Talents
in the HERO System by granting a set ability,
effect, or bonus to the character that possessed
it. |
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Once a Skill has been converted into the
HERO System equivalent, if that equivalent
is a Skill then figure the skill roll normally
for a HERO System Skill.
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For example, Demon Lore is an Intelligence
based Skill, and maps to a Knowledge Skill
in the HERO System. If a Warhammer character
had this Skill and had an Int 50, in the
HERO System that character would have INT
15 and KS: Demon Lore 12-, as the
skill is INT based. |
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Determining what kind of ability in the
HERO System best parallels a Warhammer Skill
can be tricky, since the same solution doesn't
work for all situations. To facilitate this
process a series of tables categorizing
Warhammer Skills into groups based upon
what kind of ability they map to in the
HERO System are provided in the
Warhammer Skills Conversion document.
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WARHAMMER MAGIC
USE |
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The Warhammer FRPG had a relatively low
magic level when compared to other fantasy
RPGs. It was much more difficult for a Spellcasting
character to advance and the available spells
had much less effect than in some other
games of the time, such as AD&D. However
due to the grittier feel and higher mortality
rate this scarcity of magic was contextually
balanced and added to the feel of the game.
While less powerful than magic users of
other systems, Spellcasters were still extremely
dangerous within the confines of the setting.
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Only four levels of spells plus a catch
all category called "Petty Magic"
were available across seven major groups
based upon specialty. Characters had to
buy every spell separately with experience
points, and had to learn an applicable spell
for each level of advancement in each group
of spells in order to advance, but could
cast all of their spells at will as long
as they had the requisite spell points and
components available..
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This basic model actually maps into the
HERO System much easier than many other
more complex FRPG magic systems, and the
means to do so is detailed in the
Warhammer Magic Conversion document. |
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After mapping Warhammer Skills and any Magical
Spells into abilities in the HERO System,
add the abilities and their costs to the
character's Point Total and move on to the
next step.
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Character Trappings |
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Some Warhammer FRPG Characters collected
a few Magic Items in their careers, while
most make do with mundane swag. Converting
either into the HERO System is fairly simple.
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MAGIC ITEMS |
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For magic items simply build an Independent
Power Construct in a Universal Focus that
does whatever the Magic Item does in Warhammer.
Keep in mind that Warhammer was generally
low magic when making items, however. |
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Example: Boots of Leaping grant their
wearer the ability to make prodigious leaps.
In the HERO System that might be written
up as Boots of Leaping: Leaping +8"
(Accurate), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2)
(19 Active Points); Independent (-2), IIF
(Magic Boots; -1/4); Real Cost: 6 points. |
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Magic items cost Character Points to make,
but not to acquire. |
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EQUIPMENT |
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If converting a character from Warhammer
FRPG, just match their Trappings list up
with equivalent items in the HERO System.
Find entries for your mundane weapons and
armor on whatever weapons and armor list
your GM is using for Fantasy HERO and you
are done.
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Normal Equipment can also be bought with
money, to include mundane weapons and armor.
The Fantasy HERO Price list, the Warhammer
FRPG Price list, a custom list, or an arbitrary
economy determined by the GM are all valid
means of determining how much things cost.
You should check with you GM to determine
what kind of economy they intend to use,
what Price list, and what weapons &
armor chart they intend to use.
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Mundane Equipment does not cost Character
Points; it is bought and sold with in-game
currency. |
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When finished, add any Costs to the Character's
total and move on to the next step. |
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Select
Personal Disadvantages |
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Character Disadvantages are a concept not
found in Warhammer FRPG and therefore appropriate
Disadvantages must be approximated from
aspects of characters that are left mechanically
undefined in Warhammer FRPG.
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The primary purpose of Disadvantages in
the HERO System is to add flavor and context
to a character, and to give the GM story
hooks with which to involve a character
with the setting. In many cases it's a character's
quirks and flaws that make them stand out
rather than their capacity to kill things,
manipulate a fictional magical system, or
use arbitrarily determined skills and abilities.
Have fun with your character's Disadvantages
rather than rotely taking them just to get
more Character Points. |
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PERSONAL DISADVANTAGES |
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The Maximum points from Personal Disadvantages
is 50 points; if the full 50 points is not
taken then the Character has fewer Character
Points with which to buy abilities. Thus
if a starting Character only takes 50 points
of Personal Disadvantages, then that Character
only has 100 Character Points available
to him initially (50 Base + 50 Disadvantages). |
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In this context "Personal Disadvantage"
refers to any Disadvantage which does not
stem from a Character's Race Package Deal.
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Note: this is a specific exception to the
HERO System rules, wherein Disadvantages
from Package Deals DO count towards a Character's
Disadvantage limit. If your GM is uncomfortable
with this exception he will let you know
how to handle the discrepancy. |
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ALIGNMENT AND DISADVANTAGES |
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In Warhammer FRPG the closest thing to a
mechanical representation of a Characters
behavior is the Alignment system. Depending
on how the GM intends to handle the concept
of Alignment in the HERO System, Characters
with particularly strong Alignment orientations
may choose to model the codes of behavior
associated with that Alignment in Warhammer
FRPG as Psychological Limitations and Distinctive
Features in the HERO System.
Alignment is addressed in the Campaign
Guidelines for a GM's consideration, but
as a player consult with your GM prior to
converting the Character to discover how
they intend to handle Alignment in their
own campaign.. |
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BACKGROUND |
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Consider your character's background, history,
and events that have occurred in game play
as potential sources of Disadvantages. |
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When finished, tally the Disadvantage Total
and move on to the next step. |
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Final
Tweaking and Math Check |
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By this step you should have an almost finished
character. Go back and review the character
and make sure you have covered everything.
Once you are happy with the character make
sure that it tallies correctly, meeting
the Character's Point Limit and that any
Power constructs are calculated correctly.
Finally, make sure that the character is
not only mathematically correct, but also
well balanced and apparently fun to play. |
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CONVERTED CHARACTERS |
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It's up to the GM whether or not a character
can be modified beyond just mapping their
characteristics and abilities directly as
part of a Conversion. However as a general
rule of thumb a GM might allow a dispensation
of 5% of the character's total point cost
in discretionary points to adjust the converted
character with, with any particular tweak
subject to veto. |
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Thus if a character totaled up to 183 points
after all their abilities and characteristics
were directly converted, the GM might allow
that character 9 extra character points
to personalize the character with. |
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ADJUSTING FIGURED CHARACTERISTICS |
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Figured Characteristics are very important
in the HERO System; they are a very active
part of a character. PD and ED help a character
resist damage, SPD controls how many actions
a character gets, REC determines how fast
a character can "bounce back",
END correlates to how long a character can
keep going, and STUN is how much damage
the character can take before getting knocked
out. |
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At this point you may have a few points
left over. A good place to spend them is
in adjusting your character's Figured Characteristics.
For example, you may want to round off your
character's SPEED, bump up Recovery, fatten
up Endurance, etc. However, try to avoid
tweaking your character's Base Characteristics
to take advantage of point recursions. If
this practice is commonplace, all Fantasy
HERO characters tend to polarize on a few
"sweet spot" increments in various
Characteristics, which robs characters of
a lot of their flavor. |
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CONVERTED CHARACTERS |
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As mentioned above, a GM might allow converted
characters some number of discretionary
points; an excellent place to spend some
or all of them is on Figured Characteristics. |
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When you are satisfied, move on to the next
step. |
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Game Master Approval |
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Simply turn the character over to your GM
for final approval. If the GM has any issues
with the character, address them and make
any requested corrections. Once the GM is
happy with the character, you are finished
with Character Creation and are ready for
play. |
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