Role-playing Rants: My favorite player characters: Part Three

Gotta say, I really enjoy these trips down the memory lane. There is something incredibl pleasant about remembering the coolest, most interesting player characters that one had a chance to encounter, during his years as a game master.

Today we continue our journey through time and space, visiting yet another batch of my favorite Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay heroes. This time we take a look at the original characters created by my Roll20 group, and how they've managed to leave a lasting impression in my mind.

1. Lukas Kohler, a hardcore survivalist from Talabecland (played by Andy)

Lukas Kohler (artwork by Jason Brisken)

If there ever was a "hero" who defied death time and time again, laughing in its ghastly face, it was Lukas Kohler. A syphilitic charcoal burner from the rural province of Talabecland, Lukas decided to leave his small hovel to pursue adventure and gather riches. What he found was death and danger at every corner. From rescuing a little girl from the clutches of greenskins to infiltrating cultist parties in Nuln, to finally helping free the capital of his home province from the claws of the mythical ratmen, Lukas was always in the thick of things.

Despite his low-born heritage he was a voice of reason in the party, and he helped calm things down, when they were getting out of hand. His skill with the hatchet and spear were legendary, as he famously slew a rampaging Rat Ogre in the streets of Talabheim's God's Row with a single thrust from his weapon!

Sadly the long months of fighting against monsters of all kind, took its toll on Lukas' mind. He became cold and cruel, treating his fellow men in a disdainful manner. Eventually he caught the supernatural Neiglish Rot, after being "treated" by a phisician in the thrall to the Plague Father, and mutated. His features twisted into those of a different man. By this point he was so disfigured that the rest of the party didn't even noticed that.

Eventually Lukas Kohler met his end on the premises of the Grand Cathedral of Sigmar in Altdrof, being hacked to pieces by the vile servants of a Lahmian vampire. As with the rest of the original party who partook in the defence of Talabheim, his statue stands in the temple of Myrmidia, in the Eye of the Forest itself.

2. Salvatore "Sally Balls" Sabatino, a "made" halfling with big dreams (played by Bryan)

Salvatore "Sally Balls" Sabatino & Genaro Vesuvio (artwork by Jason Brisken)

A resourceful and cunning halfling from Tilea, Sally always knew that he was destined for greatness. Travelling from the "Old Country" to the Empire, together with Genaro Vesuvio, his simple but brave human nephew, he encountered Lukas Kohler in Talabecland, and the rest was history. Joined by Vincent Deriosh and Leopold Boselmann in Nuln, the five heroes took part in adventures undreamt of. Sally had always big plans for himself and his nephew, wanting to establish a powerful crime organisation. To this end he started making various contacts from Nuln to Marienburg.

Alas, the life of an adventurer is not an easy one, and he never quite managed to pull off a successful operation. The closes he ever got to achieving his dreams, was to enlist the help of Jorn, a convicted murder from Talabheim, in the smuggling of precious paintings, which previously belonged to countess Elise Krieglitz, to Marienburg.

Sally had a soft spot for kids, and he generally disliked unnecessary violence. He invented the "war chest", a sort of common party fund, used to purchase all the important things, like medicine, food and weapons. He always tried to make new contacts and generally remain on the good side of others, never knowing when their help might be needed.

Gaining paranoia and having his right arm chopped off by a corrupted Knight Panther, Sally died in the middle of the Drakwald forest, defending an abandoned coaching inn alongside his comrades and a bunch of desperate mutants. Having been forced to kill Genaro, who mutated heavily (on top of becoming an alcoholic, I might add), a few weeks earlier, he became embittered and grim, losing his signature mirth and optimism. He died alone, disemboweled by an ungor's spear, cursing his friends for forcing him to fight alongside changed men and women, while previously encouraging him to kill his own, mutated nephew.

3. Vincent Deriosh, servant of the Raven God, puppet of fate (played by Jason)

Vincent Deriosh (artwork by Jason Brisken)

If there ever was a tale of a good man, who fell to darkness, then Vincent Deriosh would be its hero. Born a commoner, Vincent worked as a servant in Wissenland. Eventually he travelled to Nuln, where a certain man introduced him to a certain halfling, as well as a certain charcoal burner. Vincent, being the only one who could read and write (at least before the party encountered Leopold Boselmann) became a valuable asset to the team. His knowledge about Empire's high born citizens also proved to be quite a boon, especially when dealing with aristocracy and other noble members of society.

Vincent took part in a daring infiltration of Nuln's Imperial Gunnery School, from which he stole the blueprints of an experimental, shoulder-mounted rocket battery. This act earned him the eternal enmity of Master Engineer Jubal Falk himself, as well as the infamous title of "Accusred Deriosh".

Vincent became quite an accomplished fighter in his own right, battling a vile creature of the Aether in the accursed house of a fallen wizard Ludovicus Hanicke, as well as taking on the skaven during the grim and bloody occupation of Talabheim by these inhuman monsters. He heard the call of Morr and wanted to become a Knight of the Raven, even joining the ranks of Dreamwalkers, those who recieve visions from their god. He defeated Christoph Baumer, the undead champion of doctor Gugula Skell, a vile necromancer, and took his prized, exotic sword "Masamune" for himself.

Unfortunately the fate had other plans for Vincent, and as he gained more skill and power, following the path that Morr chose for him, another power began to influence his destiny. Tzeentch himself coveted Vincent, envisioning his future as a great slayer of the undead, and deciding that this can not come to pass. Eventually he appeared before the young Deriosh in a vision, which took place in a burning palace, in the far-off Nippon. There the Great Conspirator challenged the spirit of ancient Daimyo, which existed within the "Masamune", to a battle of wits and deception, in which Vincent's soul was the ultimate prize. Tzeentch knows all and sees all, and so he won, making sure that the "Accursed Deriosh" would really live up to his title.

Eventually Vincent, sick with Neiglish Rot and heavily mutated, met his end alongside his old comrade, Lukas Kohler, them being the last two members of the old party. The anonymous, black-clad villains serving the Lahmian vampiress, bisected him in two with a sword. A few months earlier Vincent's skills with his katana would probably see him emerge unscathed from the fight, but ever since taking the offer of the Lord of Change, the sword felt heavy and cumbersome in his hands. The spirit of Vincent watched his dead body from a distance, when suddendly a presence appeard behind him, promising to fulfill its end of the deal, and make him mighty and immortal... after teaching him humility and the nature of suffering.

Thus Vincent Deriosh's soul was dragged into the depths of the Impossible Fortress, where it spent the next 999 times 9 years, being tortured by tzeentchian daemons, before finally emerging into reality as something twisted, changed and terrifying...

Just as planned.

4. Leopold Boselmann, the pious miser from Wissenland (played by Sean)

Leopold Boselmann (artwork Jason Brisken)

Another survivalist and a true Wissenlander, Leopold was friggin' hardcore. For a long time he was the only member of the party with a Strength Bonus of 2, which made him even weaker than Sally the halfling. Despite this, and his stubborn refusal to use a shield (or any other weapon in his off-hand, for that matter), he was one of the most eager and agressive fighters in the whole party. Despite being a low-born grave robber, Leopold was a staunch Sigmarite, and often invoked Heldenhammer during his battle with darkness. He faced the Terror, a malign creature inhabiting the cursed home of Ludovicus Hanike, as well as beastmen, skaven, plague-ridden zombies and daemons. He overcame all of these threat, and more, by his cunning, the strength of his arm and the sharpness of his wit.

His tactical insight and sharp wit were of immense help to the rest of the party, and more than once managed to save the day. His weapon of choice was a simple club, which he stubbornly replaced every time he lost the previous one. When the party failed to make any progress in their adventures, it was usually Leopold who urged them to carry one and continue with whatever quest they were currently on.

It should also be said that there never was a bigger miser than Leopold Boselmann. He never paid for his own drinks and food, and he enthusiasticaly supported the idea of the party-funded "war chest", even though he himself never contributed even a single penny.

Leopold, just like Vincent and Lukas, contracted the Eternal Rot of the Grandfather Nurgle, while also suffering from debilitating wounds to the hip, which almost made him unable to walk. He survived the battle at the coaching inn, which claimed the life of Sally, but later fell to the claws of a corpse-eater, his entire ribcage wrenched by the vile creature and devoured in front of his dying eyes. Despite all the adversity he remained resolute and loyal to the very end, a real Wissenlander and a true son of Sigmar.

I can't stress enough how much I appreciate these characters and, more importantly, the fantastic people who RP'ed them. When I've almost lost my interest in WFRP, these guys swooped in and helped me rekindle it, as well as showing me that it is possible to run a stable, long lasting Roll20 group. So here's to you, Bryan, Andy, Sean and Jason - thank you.

Oh, and also there was this one time where the entire party performed in front of Sultan Jaffar, ruler of Araby, during a Black Lotus-induced dream. Now that was something!

The Party prepares for their grand performance before the Sultan himself! (artwork by Jason Brisken)

Until next time!

Xathrodox86