WFRP FAQ #2

#WARHAMMERWEDNESDAY

Welcome all! It’s the 13th blog for WFRP already! How time flies! All praise the Horned Rat! So, since last week was so popular, let’s hand over to Ben who will tackle some more frequently asked questions!

Hi All, The FAQ series of blog posts tackles the questions we’ve received from you. We explore the question, give a definitive answer, and give page references where relevant. If there are any questions you’re dying to ask, please hop over to our Facebook page, and comment away! We’ll get to them as they come in with future blog posts. As we write these posts several weeks ahead, there may be some wait before we get to your questions, but we will get there eventually! Also, unlike my normal posts, this FAQ involves all of the WFRP team, and isn’t just written by me.

Does the Perfect Pitch Talent mean I’m able to cast Spells without Testing Language (Magick)? 

No! The Perfect Pitch Talent on WFRP page 142 does not allow a Character to automatically pass Language (Magick) Tests. The Talent allows you to always sing a perfect note, or hear a tone and identify it, without making a Test. It also adds the Sing Skill to your Career if not there already, and if Sing is there, it gives an XP discount for buying the Skill.

Does the Off-Hand Penalty affect attacking and defending? 

Yes. The –20 penalty (WFRP, page 163) to using a weapon in a Character’s off-hand applies to all Tests made with that weapon, including attacking and parrying — even with Shields. However, if a Shield or other Defensive weapon is used to parry with the Melee (Parry) Skill, it forgoes this penalty (WFRP, page 296)!

Whilst anyone can use a Shield, it’s still a wooden board strapped to your less dexterous arm. It’s cumbersome, and clumsy. However, if you are trained to use a Shield properly, these issues dissolve.

Gunnar: ‘If you tell me I have a –20 to drinking with my off-hand, I’ll introduce you to what’s in my on-hand!

Which Melee Skill can I use to defend with Parry and Defensive Weapons?

Weapons in the Parry Weapon Group require the Melee (Parry) Skill to use them. However, weapons with the Defensive Quality may be used with the Melee (Parry) Skill instead of their normal Skill. Doing so negates the –20 penalty applied to using a weapon in the off-hand. This means, if you use a Shield in your off-hand, you have the choice between using the Melee (Basic) Skill at a –20 penalty, or the Melee (Parry) Skill without the penalty.

Can I attack an opponent, be granted Advantage, and then immediately use that Advantage to Disengage?

Not only can you, but this is an ideal tactic! A Character can choose to Disengage as part of their Move after successfully Attacking an opponent to gain Advantage. The rules for using Advantage in this way are on WFRP page 165.

Clever combinations of the Advantage rules are a sure-fire way to get more out of Combat. Both GMs and Players alike should be looking carefully at these rules, and the Talents and Traits of their Characters and Creatures to see how best to use them.

Do I modify Wounds from Critical Wounds by my Toughness Bonus and Armour Points? 

No. Wounds suffered due to Critical Wounds (WFRP, page 174) are in addition to other Damage caused. These Wounds are not modified by Toughness Bonus or Armour Points, are applied after the Critical Wound has been given, and cannot cause a further Critical Wound. Additionally, these Wounds are suffered even if the Critical Wound is negated (WFRP, page 299).

Combat is always dangerous. No amount of armour or physical prowess ever makes Combat safe

Can I Deflect a Critical Wound with my Shield?

Yes! Shields can be used to deflect Critical Wounds as per the rules on WFRP page 299. The Shield is damaged in the same way, losing 1 Rating from its Shield Quality. If the Shield Quality drops to 0, the shield is rendered useless just like any other piece of Armour (and can, therefore, be fixed in the same way).

It’s worth noting that Shields are also susceptible to Weapon Damage (WFRP, page 296), if they are used to attack. This means that, potentially, Shields can break in two different ways, and both types of damage dealt to them need to be fixed if they break entirely using both.

Can I wear layered Quick Armour?

Yes. Quick Armour (WFRP, page 301) can be layered using the normal rules. This means, because both Light and Medium Armour have the Flexible Quality, either can go under Heavy Armour, for 4 APs or 5 APs as a maximum. However, Light cannot go under Medium for a cheap 3 AP option because of the Flexible Quality (WFRP, page 300); Medium Armour is assumed to include Light Armour already.

Do I gain the bonuses of a Weapon Quality or Flaw even when I’m not actively using the Weapon? 

It depends on what you mean by ‘actively using’. If you mean: ‘It’s in a scabbard’, then no, you’re not gaining any benefits from that! If you mean, ‘it's in my hand’, then yes, that weapon may be in use, for example, if you hit someone with it, or someone tries to hit you. So, this means simply wielding a Shield activates the Defensive Quality, granting +1 SL to defend against attacks, even if you parry with a weapon in the other hand.

What? So, if I’m a Mutant with 5 arms, I can wield 4 Bucklers and a weapon to attack with (and defend) and gain +4 SL to all my all my defensive rolls in combat?

If that was how your GM determined that an Extra Arm Mutation worked, then sure. But the ruling depends solely on how the extra arms are handled by the GM.

When a Career lists a Grouped Skill but does not designate a specialisation — for example, Melee (Any) — could a Character revisit the Skill and pick up a different Specialisation?

No. You have to choose 1 Specialisation when Advancing a Skill where you have a choice (page 118), and that choice remains in place until you leave that Career level.

So, could I leave a Career Level, and re-enter the same Career Level?

Yes. Though there are few reasons to do so other than to reset the Career Specialisations chosen, and that’s rarely reason enough to do so.

Is it the intention that each time you purchase the Hardy Talent it will add the Character’s Toughness Bonus in Wounds? So, if you purchase it 3 times and your Character’s Toughness Bonus was 4, your Character gains +12 extra wounds?

Yes. WFRP is not just a game of down-in-the-gutter Characters, it also allows for heroic Characters much like you may read about in Gotrek & Felix, or play with in Warhammer Quest or Warhammer. Of course, all those extra Wounds don’t help much if your opponent scores a Critical… Further, many games of WFRP don’t involve much combat, meaning all those extra Wounds are not of much use and cost a lot of XP.

Buy WFRP Core Rulebook here

Until Next Time

If you have any other questions burning in your mind, please post them under the Facebook post for this blog so we can keep track.  We shall try to answer as many as we can over the next few weeks!

We’ll be back soon with more FAQ!

Ben Scerri, WFRP Assistant Producer

Artwork shown in this article is by Sam Manley and Ralph Horsley.