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The Gong Farmer: A Career for All Editions of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Updated Feb. 22nd, 2020.
With thanks to the following commenters: Onno Maat and Peter Tracey (WFRP 4th edition group, Facebook); Simon Landry and Ricky (via WordPress); and @RoderiHamilt (Twitter).
Ever since Our Heroes ventured into the sewers of Nuln in “The Oldenhaller Contract” way back in 1986, WFRP has had a certain association with the grimier, less pleasant (and less pleasant-smelling) aspects of life in a medieval fantasy world. Rat Catchers have come to define the anti-heroic ethos of the Old World, but there are greater heroes, as yet unsung: the silent night-time armies of gong farmers and nightsoil men (and women) who nightly move uncounted tons of human waste from those homes which have no sewer access.
A while ago, I posted a version of this career for WFRP 1, 2, and 3. Here is an improved and corrected version, with details for 4th edition added. Enjoy – and leave comments below. I’d love to have your ideas on how this career might be improved.
The gong farmer has the least enviable job in the Old World. In towns and other settlements without a sewer system, the gong farmer gathers up all human waste and deposits it in a communal dump or cesspool outside the walls. Often permitted to work only at night, gong farmers are also known as nightsoil men.
Owing to the nature of their profession, gong farmers are able to remain calm in the face of things that would disgust and even nauseate ordinary folk. They are also well able to resist disease and poison through long exposure to the most noxious of substances.
The job is not without its compensations, but they are few and unreliable. Gong farmers have access – albeit at night and well supervised – to the houses of the great and good and can find themselves privy (pun intended) to household secrets as well as having a unique insight into their state of health. In addition, the by-laws of many communities allow gong farmers to keep any coins, small pieces of jewellery, or other items of value that they may find in the course of their work.
FIRST EDITION PROFILE
Advance Scheme
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Dex | Ld | Int | Cl | WP | Fel |
| +2 | +2 | +10 | +10 |
Skills
Immunity to Disease
Immunity to Poison
Very Resilient
Trappings
Ragged clothing
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
Lantern
Career Exits
Agitator
Beggar
Grave Robber
Labourer
Rat Catcher
Rogue
SECOND EDITION PROFILE
| Main Profile | |||||||
| WS | BS | S | T | Ag | Int | WP | Fel |
| — | — | — | +10% | — | — | +10% | — |
| Secondary Profile | |||||||
| A | W | SB | TB | M | Mag | IP | FP |
| — | +2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Skills: Common Knowledge (local community), Perception
Talents: Night Vision, No Sense of Smell (see above), Resistance to Disease, Resistance to Poison, Strong-Minded
Trappings: Ragged clothing, Shovel, Wheelbarrow, Lantern
Career Entries: Bone Picker, Peasant
Career Exits: Agitator, Bone Picker, Grave Robber, Rat Catcher, Rogue, Sewer Jack (Ashes of Middenheim), Vagabond
THIRD EDITION PROFILE
Basic Career: Human, Halfling
Basic, Menial, Social, Urban
Primary Characteristics: Toughness, Willpower
Career Skills: Athletics, Discipline, Folklore (local area), No Sense of Smell (see box), Observation, Resilience
Talent Slots: Focus, Resilience
Stance Meter: 3 Conservative, 1 Reckless
Advances
| Action | Talent |
| 2 | 1 |
| Skill | Fortune |
| 2 | 1 |
| Conservative | Reckless |
| 2 | 1 |
| Wound | |
| 1 | |
Typical Trappings: Ragged clothing, Shovel, Wheelbarrow, Lantern
Career Ability: Your Resilience checks gain 1 fortune die when resisting disease.
FOURTH EDITION PROFILE
This four-level career is based on an account of the “nightmen” of medieval Leiden in the Netherlands (see “Further Reading” below). The “hole-man” climbed into the cess pit and scooped out the waste, passing it up to two “tub-men” who transferred it to their barge under the supervision of their foreman. The city of Ghent employed an official known as “the King of Dirt” to ensure that all sanitation regulations were followed.
The gong farmer is a Burgher class career. If random generation is being used, a player who rolls a beggar may choose a gong farmer instead if the GM agrees.
Gong Farmer Advance Scheme
| WS | BS | S | T | I | Agi | Dex | Int | WP | Fel |
| ✠ | ✠ | ⚒ | 💀 | ✠ | ⛊ |
Career Path
✠ Hole-Dropper — Brass 1
Skills: Athletics, Climb, Consume Alcohol, Cool, Dodge, Endurance, Melee (Basic), Perception
Talents: Beneath Notice, Night Vision, Resistance (Disease), Very Resilient
Trappings: Bucket, 20ft Rope, Shovel
⚒ Tubber — Brass 3
Skills: Drive or Sail, Gamble, Gossip, Haggle, Stealth, Swim
Talents: Coolheaded, Hardy, Resistance (Poison), Sturdy
Trappings: Leather apron, Barrow, Lantern and Oil
💀 Foreman — Brass 5
Skills: Bribery, Charm, Evaluate, Intuition
Talents: Acute Sense (Sight), Blather, Coolheaded, Dealmaker
Trappings: Gong Farmer Crew, Boat or Cart, Hand weapon (Boat Hook), Leather Jack
⛊ King of Dirt — Silver 2
Skills: Intimidate, Leadership
Talents: Commanding Presence, Etiquette (Guilder), Read/Write, Wealthy
Trappings: Badge and Diploma of Office, Crew of Assistants (Tax Collectors)
No Sense of Smell (Optional Rule)
The character literally has no sense of smell. Their olfactory sense has been completely destroyed by long exposure to foul-smelling substances or through some other circumstance. They automatically fail any dice roll that depends upon smell — but they are also unaffected even by the most nauseating smells they encounter, or by alluring scents that might be used to entrap others. Poisonous gases and drugs in vaporous form affect the character normally.
FURTHER READING
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_farmer
2nd edition version by Colin Chapman: http://www.scribd.com/doc/156852704/Warhammer-Fantasy-2nd-Edition-Gong-Farmer
Archaeology Magazine — “Of Cesspits and Sewers: Exploring the unlikely history of sanitation management in medieval Holland”: https://www.archaeology.org/issues/327-1901/letter-from/7205-letter-from-leiden
Images taken from 18th century nightmen’s cards (Wikimedia Commons).
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and WFRP are trademarks owned by Games Workshop Ltd. This article is a fan work and is not intended to be official or to challenge any trademark or copyright of Games Workshop or any of its licensees.
Graeme Davis 