Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e: Plundered Vaults by Night10194

A Series of Unfortunate Events

posted by Night10194 Original SA post

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e: Plundered Vaults

A Series of Unfortunate Events

So this book is one of the few I have a physical copy of. I got it from a friend's gaming store when he had a bunch of the old WHFRP2e books he couldn't move and decided to sell them for like 70% off. I knew one of my friends liked playing Skaven and said the setting was pretty good, I liked Dark Heresy, and so what the heck, I picked up the bundle.

This book contains a couple adventures that almost convinced me not to bother trying running or playing the game. There's nothing in here as bad as Thousand Thrones (though there are two separate 'unavoidable brutality to women' scenarios!) but something about the smug and triumphal 'oh by the way, all the help you thought you were getting someone? This isn't a fairy tale, they die hideously and everyone is miserable' aside in the end of one of the adventures just immediately turned me off to such a degree that I almost didn't bother with the system, setting, or anything. Considering WHFRP is one of my favorite RPGs, that's quite a shame.

Like with Thousand Thrones, there will be a 'canon party'. This is a series of unrelated one-shot adventures, though, all for characters in their early to mid to late 1st career. This means they're well beneath the Thousand Crowns or Brute Squad, despite the continual suggestions these adventures could be used to 'grind' PCs to higher levels and fill time/take a break during Paths of the Damned and Thousand Thrones. So instead, we'll have a fresh group of five adventurers to take them on.

First up on the team is Karl Schmidt, now age 18 and no longer a magic child. His ending was specifically because I planned to use a depowered Karl for this anyway, and he rolled Initiate for one of his Careers, so hey. Initiate of Shallya Karl.

Karl Schmidt has seen some shit, literally and figuratively. Nine years have passed since the end of the horrific events that revolved around his unwanted powers, nine years of trying to recover from having witnessed hell wombs, insane religious crusades, and feeling deeply responsible for the deaths of dozens of people regardless of what his adoptive parents told him. The repeated kidnappings and being forced to ride in a coffin by Nurglites didn't help, either. Armed with a profound hatred for Nurgle and a strong sense of guilt, Karl has sought shelter in the faith of Shallya, the Goddess of Healing and Mercy. He's grown up into a strong, handsome young man with a surprisingly keen mind and an appetite for learning. He shares his adoptive mother's aptitude for medicine, and like many young male Shallyans, he's been sent out on pilgrimage to be a traveling doctor to try to keep down the number of medical soap operas that happen within Shallyan temples. Karl is a little shy around crowds (with good reason), but friendly and good with people, and he hopes his time on the road will help him save a few lives and quiet the pangs of guilt. He owes it to mercy after how much it was shown to him.

He's not happy to have to explain his chest brand any time someone sees him bare chested, though. Goddamn cultists burning a twin tailed comet into him to make him a false savior, it's made being a Shallyan pretty awkward sometimes.

Karl is a medic and social character. Sadly, these characters won't get far enough for his Divine Lore to come into play, but every team needs someone with Heal and Shallyan Initiates start with Heal+10. Karl's good with people (which might or might not be a surprise) and physically pretty buff, though he won't be wielding a weapon unless it's a total emergency or they're up against Nurgle. He takes his vows seriously. Still, a guy who's good at healing, who can read and write (no-one else in this team can!) and who's a good talker is enough for him to be worthwhile. Karl does his best. Katarine is proud of him.

Next up is Sir Gilbert d'Bastonne, a furious warrior who is exactly who he appears to be.

Gilbert d'Bastonne is a noble, kind-hearted, and brave knight of Bretonnia, 16 summers old and already prepared to show he is the flower of Breton chivalry. A young Errant is the greatest joy any maiden or peasant in danger could ever encounter, for he shall stop at nothing to prove himself an honorable knight! If only he hadn't gotten lost and ended up in the Empire. And then gotten lost again going to Nuln. And somehow ended up in Sylvania, which almost went very badly. Well, it doesn't really matter where he ends up, wherever he goes the world seems in need of a righteous sword arm that will bring the Lady's grace and the protection of a Knight of Bretonnia to the people! He has rather forgotten that his deeds need to be witnessed for them to count towards his eventual enfiefment, but his heart is in the right place. Gilbert is continually annoyed by how Imperials think he's probably a woman, a peasant, a foreigner, or all three. Do they never encounter actual noble sons of Bretonnia in this benighted land!? Or is this merely how they assuage the sting of knowing that their 'knights' will never equal the Lady's champions? Regardless, the young healer boy can read a map fairly well, and the Estalian knows how not to get pickpocketed so often, so...perhaps he will stick with them. Perhaps they will be his boon companions in foreign lands and his fellowship will elevate them by example. For Bretonnia! For the Lady!

Gilbert is a subversion of expectations in that he's a dumb, lucky, good-hearted Bretonnian Knight who can't tell a lie to save his life, who is actually of noble blood, who is actually biologically male. He is a furious dumbass who means well in all things, and he's really good with a sword and started with Sturdy. You could ask for worse in your party. He's completely oblivious to traps, totally non-streetwise, and basically being led along by the nose by his friends, but when the time comes to do deeds, he's ready! He's comic relief, but he's quite dangerous comic relief!

Next up is Elena Santiago, Estlian Bounty Huntress

Elena used to be a Picador, throwing javelins and annoying bulls in Estalia's famous bullfights. She tried to make the transition to a fighter herself, but lacked the flair to be a true entertainer. While she's an excitable and passionate woman, she could never put together a proper persona for the ring. While drinking away her cares from a failed audition, she recognized a wanted man, an illegal duelist who had killed a man outside of all bounds of legitimate vendetta. Needing money, and a little drunk, she figured her bullwhip could do just as good of a job at apprehending a fugitive as it did at annoying bulls. She turned out to be right, and now she's a Bounty Hunter. She also caused a vendetta with the captured man's family, and as things go in Estalia, decided to head up north to see the sights, pick up some work, and avoid the large numbers of highly skilled noble duelists that might try to kill her for shaming their cousin by beating the shit out of him with a bullwhip. Needing friends in the Empire, she's fallen in with a cute Shallyan Initiate and the clueless knight following him around; they'll attract targets, make noise, and hey, they're trustworthy company. What else can you ask for in the bounty hunting business?

Elena is a Bounty Hunter. They're basically ranger-rogues, who are also decent fighters. She can wield a sword and dagger pretty well, but her secret weapon is Entangling. Her bullwhip is quietly awesome as hell; she can whip out and Snare someone with it, and if they fail Agi, they're caught (while taking chip damage of SB-4) and have to spend their turns trying to break the grapple. Meanwhile, all allies get +20% to hit them and they can't Dodge or Parry! It has unlimited ammo, she can use it up close or far away (6m range), just once she's snared someone she has to draw her sword in the other hand, and she could really use Ambidextrous but doesn't have it. Yes, this class goes right into Vampire Hunter; a whip is great for them too. She's also good with a crossbow and okay in the woods or at scaring people.

Next up is Vendrick Roseblossom, Asrai Kithbander

Vendrick is a mighty warrior of the Asrai Glade Guard, a soldier of peerless skill who far surpasses any lumberfoot or mayfly warrior in all ways. As long as nobody gets him in hand to hand. He claims to have spent decades mastering his beautiful heartwood bow, not mentioning it's a mass produced standard issue militia weapon (not that it isn't a heck of a bow). This is technically correct, since Vendrick is 35 years old and has been practicing with his bow since he was 15. Vendrick has been sent out from his Glades on a secret mission, to ascertain the success or failure of the Rite of the Silenced King. If it succeeded, he is to bring the boy Karl back to Queen Ariel for study. Or so his superiors said. They know the human ritual worked, they know the boy is powerless, and they figure this will get the eager-beaver would-be hero of the Glade out of their hair for a decade or so while he follows Karl around to make sure he isn't special. Vendrick is the kind of young soldier who is in it for love of country and queen, who volunteers for every shit duty because he's trying so hard to get ahead. He hates the human world (or so he says), complaining loudly about almost everything, and is a little annoyed he can't seem to get a rise out of the Shallyan. The company accepts him, though; he really is great with a bow, and that same eager attitude means he'll constantly take on dangerous duties as an adventurer. He might be annoying, but he's useful and extremely dedicated.

Man, this team is ranger-heavy. Vendrick is exactly what you expect out out of a Wood Elf. He's awesome with a bow, he falls apart in melee, he starts with the best Longbow which is already the best ranged Prof in the game, he's got a good wide selection of Ranger skills, and good exits. He's kind of annoying and may have listened to Right Wing Tree Talk Radio a little much, but he's earnest as hell. He'd bristle enormously if anyone told him he kind of resembles the Bretonnian.

Next up, Ulrike Steiner, who has the most bullshit stat set I've ever rolled for a WHFRP character ever, the Squire of the White Wolf

Ulrike Steiner is the ideal Squire of the Knights of the White Wolf. She has not yet attained her spurs, but has already slain a minotaur in single combat, rescued numerous citizens of the Empire, and been an example to her fellow Squires. Too much of an example. Frankly, she was making a lot of them look bad. Some of them from very connected families. Her superiors learned of multiple plots to discredit, kill, or otherwise shame her for her exceptional talent and devotion to Ulric, and decided they'd send her into the countryside on 'errantry' to finish proving her spurs. That should keep her from causing problems with unit cohesion. She's taken the assignment in stride, as she does everything; this is actually one of her main failings as an Ulrican, and her superiors are hoping she realizes that she should punch someone in the face and get mad about being screwed over like this once she gets frustrated out there. She is, at times, entirely too 'chill'. She's fallen in with a company of Adventurers, like you do when you're on your own, and she hopes to be an example to them, too. The Bretonnian won't stop sneaking shocked looks at her long, blonde hair and bare head. It's a little weird.

Have you seen Hot Fuzz? With those stat rolls, Ulrike is basically Ulrican Nicholas Angel, sent to the countryside to stop making other people look bad by being such a goddamn awesome Squire. I have never seen a character with those kinds of base stats, which she made up for with minimum Wounds and Fate. Still, she's a crazy good warrior, has pretty good gear (but won't wear helmets. White Wolf), and Knight is a social as well as combat track, which takes advantage of her awesome Fel. They needed a pure straightwoman anyway.

These five will be our heroes for all of Plundered Vaults, and then on to Barony of the Damned once they're early second tier. Get ready for sausage, a highly scripted farce, two (2) instances of unavoidable and horrific brutality specifically to young women, a gothic dungeon crawl, a haunted house, and a lot of wine. Also, flaming screaming skulls! It's related to the wine!

Next Time: The Matter of Wine and Vengeance