KMANT - Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Rulebook

Product Name
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Rulebook
Rating out of 10
9.6 / 10
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Product Blurb

The Classic role playing game is back in a brand new edition!

Explore the grim fantasy world of Warhammer first hand with the awesome new edition of the classic role playing game. The core rulebook contains all you need to play- sections on character generation, careers, combat, magic – both divine and sorcerous, and religion as well extensive background information on the dark world of Warhammer. Full details on how to run a game, as well as a complete introductory adventure are also included.

Packed with artwork from the likes of Geoff Taylor, Jon Hodgson, Adrian Smith and Carl Frank, the WFRP rule book also includes brand new character sheets and maps for use in play. Other contributors include such Warhammer starlwarts as Rick Priestley, Graeme Davis, Gav Thorpe and Dan Abnett, making WFRP second edition a unique blend of the old and the new!

From The Black Industries website, which can be found at: www.blackindustries.com

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Rulebook Review - By Jon Simpson

What’s It About: Be a good fellow and enlighten me as to the fibre of this fabric?

It’s here. The wait is over. The patient have been rewarded. What we thought may be gone forever has returned. One of the greatest RPG’s of all time is back.

When Hogshead had a minor hiccup and briefly closed its doors, the rights to produce Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) were returned to Games Workshop. It was uncertain if this would spell the end for the game (as GW has had nothing to do with RPG’s for many years now) or whether it would be just what the game needed (with GW having the cash, license and ability to really make something of it).

Games Workshop, under their new RPG wing, Black Industries, teamed up with Green Ronin and began to redevelop the WFRP line. From the very beginning they seemed to be trying to refresh the game, while also stay true to spirit of Warhammer itself.

The setting is one of grim medieval fantasy. The background is primarily focused on the lands of the Old World, a dangerous realm filled with all manner of things to keep adventurous sorts busy. Humans, Elves, Dwarfs and Halflings make up the playable races of good, or at least not-evil, this is grim fantasy after all. A lot of the stereotypes are present, Dwarfs live in the mountains and so on, but there is a deeper history and background to each race as well, which gives players a lot of scope to develop interesting characters rather than just playing the norm.

Players certainly have their work cut out for them as well. Alongside the common dangers of the Old World, like bandits and wild beasts, there is the ever present taint of darkness to contend with. Tribes of Orcs and Goblins continue to thrive and are a relentless danger on the frontiers of civilisation. Packs of Beastmen and other monstrous creatures raid villages and settlements. Foul Skaven Ratmen scheme and plot in the sewers and tunnels, spreading disease wherever they tread.

Not to be forgotten, we have the greatest threat of all… Chaos. Dark Cults work secretly within the towns and cities, corrupting the weak minded and spreading dissent among the people. While in the wastelands to the north the dark gods are rumbling and the warriors of Chaos are always preparing for the next opportunity to strike.

Times are harsh and the world is a grim place. Welcome to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.

The Look: Does this book make me look fat?

This book scores two thumbs way up high on the looking good front. It’s hardback (as all rulebooks should be) and has a great picture on the cover of five adventuring heroes battling a Beastmen horde, a fitting image for the games feel. These heroes aren’t your bronzed, good looking types either, they’re a grim looking bunch who are just trying to get the job done, hard gritty and despite the obvious fantasy – real.

The books interior reminded me a little of the wargame Warhammer Rulebook (the one with the miniatures). It has similar border art throughout and they have done a good job tying the whole game world together. All 254 pages are full colour and the artwork is all of a good standard with some truly exceptional pieces (the Bretonnian Peasants on page 126 are a personal favourite). The character careers have each got their own individual sketch, much like the first edition and once again they help to give you a good feel each job and the world they inhabit.

The Content: Between the sheets is where the real action takes place.

I loved the first edition of this game and I didn’t really think there was much that could’ve been done to improve it. Well Warhammer is back and it’s wearing an impressive new coat (…probably made of chain mail).

The new system is really good. It’s not a million miles from the old one and the game is still just as harsh and brutal as it was before, with combat proving dangerous and very easily lethal if you don’t watch your step. While on the subject of combat I really like the new actions breakdown. Each turn you have your action as usual, but they have added a whole range of specific combat related uses for your action that allow you to have a greater degree of control during the fight.

The character creation system is very similar to the original game as well. You pick your race, roll your stats and then roll your career. Although I prefer to let my group choose their own careers. Players tend to like to do what they want and I see no reason to force people to play something they might not be happy with. There are a huge variety of careers, with everything from the familiar Bounty Hunter, Mercenary and Apprentice Wizard to the more game specific Troll Slayer, Kithband Warrior and Kislevite Kossar.

They have also left the Career progression intact as well. When you have worked your way through your current Career or decide you want a change you can look at the exits for your current Career and decide what you want to go for next (or pay some Experience Points and move to another Basic Career). For instance the Noble Career has Courtier, Pistolier, Politician, Rogue, Squire and Student as possible exits. To make the move to any of these new professions they would need to pay the cost in Experience Points and amass the new professions trappings (the equipment that allows you to do that job, like books or a wagon or whatever).

The Advanced Careers are what most players will be working their way towards. This is where all the truly fitting jobs are for any heroic souls. When you have worked your way through a Basic Career or two you may find you have the option to take one of the Advanced Careers. These are things like Witch Hunter, Sea Captain and Wizard Lord, but the trappings for some of these jobs will require some tough roleplaying on your part to be a Guild Master you will need a Guild and to be a Crime Lord you’ll need to get your Soprano’s DVD’s out, because you’re going to need a Criminal Organisation.

Magic is far more user friendly in this new edition. Basically you have a Magic stat and Careers like Wizard allow you to buy a point in this. Each point is worth 1D10 when it comes to casting a spell (you can get more points in it as you progress to more advanced magical Careers) and each spell has a casting number. To cast the spell you declare the number of D10’s you are going to roll and if you get over the number you cast the spell.

So wouldn’t I just always roll as many as I can? The problem you could face with rolling several dice is – if you get a double, triple or quadruple on your dice roll you’ve caught the attention of Tzeentch (one of the four Chaos gods) and bad things could potentially be on the cards.

I think that a major criticism levelled at the first edition by many, was the lack of background material in the rulebook. A lot of players ended up getting most of their information from the wargames army books and other sources. This issue has been addressed with a vengeance and there is now a really good series of stories and history to flesh out the Old World and its denizens.

There is also a chapter for the GM’s among you. It covers the standard points about running a game, but also gives some sound advice on ways to go about making your game more ‘Warhammer’ which even veterans may find handy. The adventure provided is set after the recent Storm of Chaos war, with the bulk of the Chaos army in retreat… but that’s not to say things are all quiet on the home front.

The only very minor grievance I have with the WFRP book is with the layout. Some of the desktop publishing errors are silly, with one word slipping on to a new column or page and the text sometimes reading awkwardly. Obviously this is not a major concern but it’s the only thing I can find to complain about and being a critic I have to find something, right?

Final Thoughts: Last words are for fools who haven't said enough… so here goes.

Overall, this book has proved a real winner in my eyes. I was really pleased to hear the game had gone back to Games Workshop as I have been collecting their stuff since I was 11 years old and now have about a ton of plastic and lead in my loft with numerous armies for Warhammer and 40k. GW wargames are what got me into roleplaying, with the wargaming hobby leading me to WFRP.

I really like the company (longstanding dream job would be with GW) and I like their friendly approach to the hobby, not dingy backrooms with hostile older gamers who don’t want to know you, but happy inviting sorts who are willing to teach you how to play and game. Does this make my review a little biased? Well kind of I suppose. But then I have never been one to just declare undying love for something – if it abuses my trust I am the first to point out its flaws. But this new edition of the game does exactly what I wanted it to. It provides me with an updated version of my favourite RPG of all time and it does it with style.

So once again, don your armour, pick up your sword and venture forth. There may be Orcs, Beastmen, Skaven and worse out there, but there is gold and glory for the taking as well… May Sigmar be with you!

Reviewed By Jon Simpson