Game Mechanics in Narratives

 Niklos Kaunitz Tales and the Game Mechanics

The Tail and The Bridge is a narrative crafted from the events of a recent game of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, fourth edition (WFRP4e). Niklos Kaunitz is my player-character, PC for short.

The in-game narrative around Niklos is much more than just this first tale. We've been playing for more than a year.

WFRP is built around a fantasy, pseudo-Germanic, 15th-16th century world populated by Elves, Dwarves, Men, Halflings, Magic, Gods, and a menagerie beasts and humanoids. The game is almost as old as Dungeons and Dragons, but its world is largely a singular narrative cf. D&D's multiverse. The game is billed as A Grim World of Perilous Adventure. It's not low fantasy nor is it high fantasy. It is "mud and blood" to borrow a phrase from my favorite WFRP "actual play" podcast of the same name.

WFRP's character mechanics are built on "careers." It is the stand out difference from many other Roleplaying Games built on archetypes, e.g., Fighter, Magic-User, Cleric, Thief. While WFRP characters align to these archetypes, a career is something that defines the skills, talents, and progression of the character in the game. A character can change careers, though—speaking as a Gamemaster of some experience—I insist on the player crafting that narrative within the milieu to change careers.

Niklos's career was randomly determined—as all good WFRP characters are—and the result: Racketeer, making him a "Rogue" archetype. In the year since rolling Niklos's stats—"rolling a up character"—he's progressed though the career: first Thug and now a Racketeer proper. Gang Boss is next. I jokingly tell my co-players that I'm grooming the group to be my Gang. A Gang Boss after-all needs a Gang. 

I thought I would talk about the game mechanics that led to actions and outcomes of the story. You won't read about the mechanics in the tales, only the narratives. Writing is an exercise I hope to continue this year with Niklos and I hope it's not too cringe for you, the reader.

Injury

WFRP is not "high fantasy." Injuries have consequences and healing is not one magic potion or Wish spell away. While a character's health may improve, all injuries take time to heal. Niklos had been struck by lightning while holding onto a rope and trying to pull himself through a flooded plain to a "dark elven tower" at the other end. The lightning strike had been the unfortunate outcome of a random roll by the Gamemaster. Already wounded, the lightning strike resulted in a critical hit. That further resulted in a major broken bone, which according to Wikipedia is possible (though I think more likely not from the strike itself but from a fall or other consequence of being electrocuted). 

The injury was determined to take 43 days to heal. Niklos, having survived the encounter with cultists, had a comrade splint the arm and in the travel to the City State of Marienburg at the head of the River Reik, the break healed along the way.

Niklos's limp was the result of a mishap, or fumble, in a street fight. This injury is minor and will heal in 23 days. Mechanically this reduces Niklos's movement by half. He was never going to catch the woman tailing him, but he was going to try.

Murder, or a Pulmonary Embolism?

Niklos has really specialized skills as a Racketeer. And I've really poured a lot of advancement into his Brawling and Fighting skills. The large man on the bridge never really got a name, though he's been called "a baker" in table chatter. My "head canon" has been a broad shouldered and barrel chested man of six feet and some, with large hands. The man's muscle and size the result of years of moving barrels and large sacks of grain or flour in a mill. 

The man missed his swing and I poured every skill into Niklos's punch. Niklos possesses the following skills and talents that contribute to his punch killing the man, truly by accident of the dice: Dirty Fighting, Strike Mighty Blow and the Knuckledusters along with the Successes of the opposed roll, if I recall correctly, delivered something north of 13 wounds and a critical hit. The man went down. The Gamemaster ruled sudden death and I created the narrative of the blood clot.

Jumping from the Bridge

Niklos can't Swim, that's an advanced skill. He can't read or write either, but he's a skilled Calligrapher (his father's trade and Niklos may only copy letters; maybe Forger is in his Career path?). He's street smart and can of course navigate the world without reading or writing, most can recognize a word or street name, but long form books and documents, forget it.

Deciding to jump meant having to "stick the landing." In order to do that, I decided to spend Niklos's last Resilience Point with I will not fail. This mechanic lets me choose how successful Niklos will be on his Athletics (Agility) test. Naturally, if one is going to spend the last of a finite mechanical resource for the narrative, it's a going to be dramatic success. Landing in the boat on a bum ankle? It's been done on the gymnast's floor.

Hopefully, you'll read more of Niklos's adventures here. I'm looking forward to recalling them.

More on WFRP mechanics will follow I'm sure. Buckle up.

Resources

Niklos Kaunitz Character Sheet (as of posting)

WFRP 4e Character Booklet—print duplex on 11x17 US Tabloid (from Under a Deadly Moon)