
                            Chapter 3 - Character Conversion
                            ================================

 When the choice was made whether to adopt the tri-dimensional game rules (
with a few changes, such as an increase of PC wounds), or to adapt the 
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rule set, after a lot of game-testing, the second 
option was chosen.  Rather than by the imminent release of the italian 
translation, Martelli da Guerra, this choice was affected by the possibility 
to exploit the available advancement system for characters (the careers), 
that had been already tested by many RPG players.  Actually, no-one wanted 
"to put too much meat on the fire", at the same time retaining some 
coherence with the GW production.

 In spite of this, the work immediately showed itself to be rather large.  The 
list of all the new basic and advanced careers of the 41th millenium, with 
their Advancement Schemes and descriptions, would take some time to work 
out.  Thus a set of rules was formed which allowed you to start playing at 
once, but only using characters based on the Army Lists created for the 
wargame.  Obviously, since both simple soldiers and very powerful characters 
are presented in the Army Lists, and since their cost is virtually useless in 
the RPG, the gamemaster will have to state some criteria to select the 
characters suitable for the scenario you're going to play.

 Let's start to convert a character step by step, drawing it from an Army 
List; the sample character for each section of this article is an ex-Space 
Marine, based on the Codex of the second edition of WH40K.


3.1 The Character Profile
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 As all the players of WH40K know, the profile of each character (i.e., its 
base characteristics, as Strength or Intelligence), be it a commander or a 
soldier, is expressed by mean of its stats, ranging from 0 to 10.  We have 
now to convert such stats into percentage terms, making reference to tables 1 
and 2.

+--------+--------------+--------------+-------------+--------------------+
| Stats  |  WS          |  BS          |  W          |  Ld, Int, Cl, WP   |
+========+==============+==============+=============+====================+
|    1   |  17 (13+d8)  |   9 (6+d6)   |   5 (1+d6)  |   2 (d4)           |
|    2   |  25 (21+d8)  |  17 (13+d8)  |  11 (7+d6)  |   6 (4+d4)         |
|    3   |  33 (29+d8)  |  25 (21+d8)  |  17 (13+d6) |  10 (8+d4)         |
|    4   |  41 (37+d8)  |  34 (30+d8)  |  23 (20+d6) |  14 (12+d4)        |
|    5   |  49 (45+d8)  |  43 (39+d8)  |  29 (26+d6) |  18 (16+d4)        |
|    6   |  57 (53+d8)  |  52 (48+d8)  |  35 (32+d6) |  24 (20+d6)        |
|    7   |  65 (61+d8)  |  62 (57+d10) |  41 (38+d6) |  29 (26+d6)        |
|    8   |  73 (69+d8)  |  72 (67+d10) |  47 (44+d6) |  43 (29+4d6)       |
|    9   |  81 (77+d8)  |  83 (77+d10) |  53 (50+d6) |  66 (49+5d6)       |
|   10   |  90 (5+d8)   |  93 (89+d8)  |  59 (56+d6) |  89 (78+2d10)      |
+--------+--------------+--------------+-------------+--------------------+
                        Table 1: Stats conversion table

 NOTES:
 * The first value is the mean of the characteristics, which can be rolled 
following the method between parenthesis;
 * The Movement, Strength and Toughness remain the same;
 * The Initiative is ten times WH40K I;
 * Attacks (A) remain unchanged.  Remember the Attacks are used only in melee, 
never for ranged attacks.
 * Dex and Fel have no corresponding characteristics in the WH40K rules, and 
will be determined randomly (see below).

 If you want to use characters from the Army List of WH40K, Second Edition, 
you also need to roll some characteristics, fundamental for the RPG, which 
lack in the new edition.  These are: Cl, Int, WP, Dex and Fel.  To 
determine these five characteristics, make reference to table 2.  
Optionally, you can also base yourself on the Ld score and use the previous 
conversion table to generate also these other characteristics.

+-------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|       |           |   Space   |           |           |
|       |  Humans   |  Marines  |   Eldar   |   Squat   |
+=======+===========+===========+===========+===========+
|  Dex  |  2d10+20  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+10  |
|  Int  |  2d10+20  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+40  |  2d10+20  |
|  Cl   |  2d10+20  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+40  |  2d10+40  |
|  WP   |  2d10+20  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+40  |
|  Fel  |  2d10+20  |  2d10+20  |  2d10+30  |  2d10+10  |
+-------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
                 Table 2: New stats generation table

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 EXAMPLE
 Kurt Kruger is an ex-Space Marine, who fought in the ranks of the Blood 
Angels.  He left his company against the will of his captain (he is, in short, 
a deserter), because he was tired of killing Space Orks on all the fronts of 
the galaxy, with the sign of the Chapter printed on his armour.  Now he just 
wanders through the darkest streets of the most corrupt cities of the most 
infamous planets of the galaxy, searching for a purpose for his life, different 
from the blood streaming from the wounds of his enemies.  Kurts' original 
Profile is the following: M:4, WS:4, BS:4, S:4, T:4, W:1, A:1, Ld:8.  After 
rolling the dice according to the previous tables, Kurt new Profile is: 
M:4, WS:43, BS:35, S:4, T:4, W:6, I:40, A:1, Dex:33, Ld:44, Int:38, Cl: 40, 
WP:35, Fel:29.  In this case we didn't use the previously described optional 
rule on the Ld: Int, Cl WP and Fel were rolled.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


3.2 Classes and Skills
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 We divided all the categories of characters in four large classes matching, 
more or less, those of WFRP: the Soldiers, i.e. those who work (or have worked) 
in some army; the Rogue, i.e. those who live on the fringe of the society, 
careless of the laws of their home planet (not people out of the jurisdiction 
of the Empire, otherwise all the Eldar would be Rogues); the Explorers, i.e. 
those who have space voyages, such as the colonizers and the settlers; last, 
the Academics, comprehending beings with psychic powers, the technicians and 
generally the cultured people.

 First of all you have to decide which of these four classes the character you 
want to play belongs to.  Logically speaking, each character taken from an Army 
List should belong to the Soldier class, and serve in an army, but we suggest 
some flexibility: even an Inquisitor, before the Imperium enlisted him, can have 
had a Rogue past on his home planet.  Moreover, he is certainly also an Academic, 
because he has psionic powers.  In practice, he has characteristics from each of 
the three classes.  With a bit of imagination we can suppose, for example, that 
an Imperial Guard, tired of his life as a soldier, deserted and started 
exploring the space with a stolen spaceship: here we have an Explorer born from 
the stats of an Imperial Guard!

 Think of each character as belonging to the class corresponding to his current 
job, but also feel free to create multiclass characters, with more skills and 
trappings at hand.  However, try to not use very powerful characters, usually 
indicated in the Army List as unique pieces, because they quite always have 
remarkable role-playing problems, and troubles in joining a group (think about 
playing the role of an Eldar Avatar, the incarnation of a god!).

 To determine the number of skills available to your character follow the 
procedure on the WFRP manual, once the age of the character has been determined.  
Every Space Marine should have therefore, on average, 3-4 random skills, rolled 
on the Soldier Skills Table.  Each player can also choose for his character 
three more skills, from all the WFRP skills and the ones we describe below.

 The skill table for each career class can be found in Chapter 2, but they here 
repeated here for clarity.  For skill descriptions see the WFRP rulebook, and 
for the new or modified skills, the previous chapter.

                                  --Soldiers--
+---------+----------------------------+---------+----------------------------+
|  D100   |  Skill                     |  D100   |  Skill                     |
+=========+============================+=========+============================+
|  01-06  |  Ambidextrous              |  07-13  |  Specialist Weapon         |
|  14-15  |  Disarm                    |  16-20  |  Luck                      |
|  21-25  |  Drive Motorcycle          |  26-30  |  Spot Ambush               |
|  31-33  |  Read/Write                |  34-39  |  Very Strong               |
|  40-44  |  Very Resilient            |  45-48  |  Silent Move Rural         |
|  49-52  |  Silent Move Urban         |  53-55  |  Fleet Footed              |
|  56-62  |  Pilot                     |  63-68  |  Lightning Reflexes        |
|  69-75  |  Repair (Weapons/Armours)  |  76-80  |  Sixth Sense               |
|  81-85  |  Scale Sheer Surface       |  86-91  |  Marksmanship              |
|  92-96  |  Acute hearing             |  97-00  |  Excellent Vision          |
+---------+----------------------------+---------+----------------------------+

                                  --Explorers--
+---------+----------------------------+---------+----------------------------+
|  D100   |  Skill                     |  D100   |  Skill                     |
+=========+============================+=========+============================+
|  01-04  |  Ambidextrous              |  05-10  |  Heraldry                  |
|  11-16  |  Astronomy                 |  17-22  |  Culture Classification    |
|  23-25  |  Luck                      |  26-28  |  Drive Motorcycle          |
|  29-35  |  Read/Write                |  36-40  |  Operate Complex Vehicles  |
|  41-42  |  Very Resilient            |  43-50  |  Space Navigation          |
|  51-55  |  Warp Navigation           |  56-63  |  Direction Sense           |
|  64-65  |  Fleet Footed              |  66-70  |  Pilot                     |
|  71-72  |  Lightning Reflexes        |  73-77  |  Linguistics               |
|  78-83  |  Repair (Vehicles)         |  84-85  |  Climb Sheer Surface       |
|  86-90  |  Sixth Sense               |  91-94  |  Acute Hearing             |
|  95-00  |  Technology Evaluation     +---------+----------------------------+
+---------+----------------------------+

                                   --Rogues--
+---------+----------------------------+---------+----------------------------+
|  D100   |  Skill                     |  D100   |  Skill                     |
+=========+============================+=========+============================+
|  01-04  |  Ambidextrous              |  05-08  |  Blather                   |
|  09-10  |  Sing                      |  11-15  |  Bribe                     |
|  16-17  |  Dance                     |  18-20  |  Forgery                   |
|  21-25  |  Luck                      |  26-30  |  Flee!                     |
|  31-34  |  Drive Motorcycle          |  35-38  |  Very Strong               |
|  39-42  |  Very Resilient            |  43-48  |  Silent Move Rural         |
|  49-53  |  Silent Move Urban         |  54-57  |  Fleet Footed              |
|  58-65  |  Pilot                     |  66-68  |  Lightning Reflexes        |
|  69-75  |  Street Fighting           |  76-79  |  Scale Sheer Surface       |
|  80-86  |  Dodge Blow                |  87-91  |  Sixth Sense               |
|  92-96  |  Acute Hearing             |  87-00  |  Excellent Vision          |
+---------+----------------------------+---------+----------------------------+

                                  --Academics--
+---------+----------------------------+---------+----------------------------+
|  D100   |  Skill                     |  D100   |  Skill                     |
+=========+============================+=========+============================+
|  01-03  |  Ambidextrous              |  04-08  |  Heraldry                  |
|  09-12  |  Astronomy                 |  13-17  |  Blather                   |
|  18-23  |  Bureaucracy               |  24-25  |  Sing                      |
|  26-30  |  Custom Lore               |  31-35  |  Warp Lore                 |
|  36-40  |  Cryptography              |  41-42  |  Dance                     |
|  43-50  |  Luck                      |  51-53  |  Flee!                     |
|  54-58  |  Super Numerate            |  59-65  |  Read/Write                |
|  66-67  |  Very Strong               |  68-69  |  Very Resilient            |
|  70-72  |  Silent Move Rural         |  73-75  |  Silent Move Urban         |
|  76-80  |  Pilot                     |  81-85  |  Lightning Reflexes        |
|  86-90  |  Scale Sheer Surface       |  91-95  |  Sixth Sense               |
|  96-00  |  Acute Hearing             +---------+----------------------------+
+---------+----------------------------+

 The heroic characters, as described on page 68 of the new Rulebook of WH40K, 
must have, of course, more skills than the common ones, because of their 
longer experience on the field and their superior abilities.  To simulate 
this, each Champion will choose 2 more skills, each Hero 4 more ones and a 
Mighty Hero (an Imperial Assassin, or a Commander, for example) will choose 
6 more skills.  The same is for the Psykers: +2 for the Psyker Champions, +4 
for the Master Psykers and +6 for the Psyker Lords (the Inquisitors!).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 EXAMPLE
 The player, with the GM, decides that Kurt Kruger, as a deserter, belongs to 
the Rogue class.  Rolling 1d4+1 (Kruger is 29 years old) we get a 3, which is 
the number of skills to be randomly determined on the Rogue Table.  So, 
rolling three times the percentage dice we get the following skills: Drive 
Motorcycles (33), Flee! (30), and Very Resilient (41).  Now the player can 
choose three more skills; in our case, they are Repair (weapons and armours), 
Dodge Ranged Weapons and Survival.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


3.3 WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 This is perhaps the most important section for those who want to roleplay a 
warrior of the 41th Millenium.  What would have remained of the brave 
Inquisitor Sabathius, surrounded by ferocious and pitiless Genestealers, if 
he hadn't had by his side a snarling Chainfist and worn his reliable and 
impenetrable Terminator Armour? [[editors note: this is not actually possible, 
by the way.  Only Space Marines can wear Termie armour.]]  This is the moment 
to equip and to arm your character, at least enough to let him survive in the 
hostile recesses of a galaxy haunted from every kind of monstrosity.  Let's 
try to avoid making the WH40K RPG a game exclusively of violent and fruitless 
combats, which, in the long distance, tires in every roleplay game.  Everybody 
would like, at least in a first moment, to be able to transform their 
character in a walking arsenal, but we think it is more correct to equip the 
character following their field experience.  The system here presented 
requires from you a little good sense, because of its flexibility.

 Approximately, you've only to browse the tables in the Wargear chapter 
(chapter 5) and choose the weapons you most like, then you roll to see if your 
character has them.  And here please use your common sense, since, if you want 
to role-play a Space Marine on active service, you should choose a simple 
Bolter.

 You have, for your character, five [[D6?  D4+3?]] choices available that you 
can distribute among the various categories of equipments (Pistols, Armours, 
etc.): this means that a character can also take with him more than one 
equipment piece belonging to the same category.  You've then to roll a 
percentage dice for each choice, consulting the availability column for that 
piece of equipment (taking into account also the character race): in this way 
you can determine whether you obtained what you wanted or not.  If the result 
is negative, you are free to roll for a new object, always remaining in the 
same category.  It can happen also, but it is very improbable, that you try 
all the equipment pieces within one category without succeeding to take even 
one because of unlucky rolls: in this case you have to change category and 
try again all the options, following with the same criterium until you get a 
success, or until you have again to change category.  The character is not 
obliged to get two equal weapons; if this happens, simply re-roll the dice 
choosing another weapon, excluding from the list those already in your hands.

 If the character has been taken from the Army List and is a Champion, Hero, 
or equivalent, you have more options available, as follows:
 * Champion    +2 options
 * Hero        +4 options
 * Mighty Hero +6 options


 NOTES ON CHOOSING EQUIPMENT
 * For the equipment belonging to specific troops, such as the Terminator 
weapons and the Banshee Masks, you have to use a bit of the good sense we told 
you about.  Let's make an example: if your character belongs to a Terminator 
team he will surely own Terminator armour, you only have to determine the 
weaponry.  If you instead want to roleplay a deserter Space Marine, it can be 
fun to randomly determine if he still has with him his Power Armour.  If the 
characters are bandits or mercenaries you can also assume they have had, 
during their career, the possibility to steal a bit of special equipment, and 
so feel free to roll the dice to see if you get into some specially effective 
weapon or armour.  Remember however that the Terminator Weapons can be used 
only if you wear Terminator armour, and to wear Terminator armour you must 
have the right biomechanical implants!
 * There exist many weapons requiring the Specialist Weapon skill to be used, 
so we suggest to GameMasters to allow players, after they have determined 
their actual weapons, to change a skill previously chosen, or rolled with the 
dice, so as to get the wanted specialization.
 * As an optional rule you can suppose that a character can retain a weapon or 
a piece of equipment as heritage of his past experience in an army corps 
(e.g., the Terminator Armour for Terminator Space Marines), at the cost of 1 
Fate Point.  Obviously, following this system, the more powerful characters 
will have to randomly determine all their weaponry, unless the game master 
decides for a different solution.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 EXAMPLE
 For the Fate Points of Kurt Kruger, since he is a Space Marine, we follow 
the procedure of Chapter 2 and roll 1d3-1, for a result of 2.  We decide to 
use the optional rule, which states Kurt can keep his Blood Angels Power 
armour without rolling the dice, at the cost of 1 Fate Point.  So, Kurt 
remains with 1 Fate Point.

 As Kurt has already got his armour, our first choice will be the attempt to 
get a heavy weapon (of course!).  With an incredible 06 at the fourth attempt 
(after having failed the roll for Las Cannon, Multi-Laser and Heavy Plasma 
Gun) he gets an unexpected Multimelta, a weapon of ravaging power, which Kurt 
will, we suppose, hide under the capacious saddle of his four-cylinder 
chopper (if the generous gamemaster allows him to have one, since he has the 
Drive Motorcycle skill!).  Since the Multimelta is a Specialist Weapon, Kurt 
will have to sacrifice one of the skills he has chosen, unless he wants to 
shoot with a poor 10%.  We then waste the Survival, so that Kurt can use the 
heavy weapon at his normal BS.  As base weapon, Kurt gets a Boltgun at the 
first attempt (44 the dice roll).  On the table of the melee weapons, Kurt 
is unlucky and succeeds in getting only a sword at his third attempt.

 Kurt gets also a Bolt Pistol, this one at the first attempt on the pistol 
list.  We exploit the fifth and last choice to obtain for Kurt a Force Field 
as additional defence: with a lucky 25 at the first dice roll we get a 
Refractor Shield.  Finally our pitiless deserter is properly equipped, ready 
to face all the thieves, the assassins and the hate merchants which will 
appear before him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


