Thought I’ll try something new. From now on, in the coming months, I will be writing about my favorite WFRP fan sites.
This week it’s all about that freaky Chaos Moon with the “Ill Met by Morrslieb” blog. Created by Zekiel, it’s main focus lies in reviews, focusing mostly on the 4th edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. The author also covers some older material, from the bygone eras of 1st and 2nd editions of the game. He has written his opinions on titles such as the new “Enemy Within”, the classic “Restless Dead”, “Altdorf – Crown of the Empire”, “The Cluster-Eye Tribe” and more.
One of the best WFRP-focused sites on the web!
He also other TTRPGs, like “Warlock!”. However my favorite section of his blog (all right, the SECOND favorite section) is the one containing his interviews! There are only two so far, but both of them are super interesting. Zekiel had a chance to speak with legendary Alfred Nuñez Jr as well as Simon Wileman, one of the writers for WFRP 4e. I’m a huge interview buff, especially if they are about one of my favorite role-playing games of all time!
Oh and there’s also a very handy index containing lots of 4th editions’ info on the Empire of Man, the de facto “main setting” of the game. The author focused on lore with this one, and he did a stellar job describing every Cubicle 7’s title containing specific information regarding Empire’s provinces, cities, faith and more. This is a very useful index for everyone playing the game, especially the newcomers.
Finally there is also a section, with lots of links to various, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay-related websites, forums and blogs. Yes, “It Always Rains in Nuln” is also mentioned there and I am very humbled to be included on Zekiel’s “cool WFRP places to visit” list.
I urge you to visit “Ill Met by Morsslieb” and check out all of the goodies that it has to offer. Zekiel updates his blog regularly, and I am sure that he’ll gives us lots of excellent content in the years to come. Some of other WFRP enthusiasts that I’ve known for years are also reading his work, so even if you don’t believe me, know that there are quite a few others who appreciate and enjoy his efforts.
You can find “Ill Met by Morsslieb” HERE. You can also find him on TWITTER (or “X” as it is currently known) where he also regularly shares his thoughts on WFRP. He is one of the nicest people that I ever had the pleasure to converse with.
Found out about this gem of a scenario relatively lately. Already GMed it and so I decided to share my opinions about it with y’all.
Originally written by the late Carl Sargent, one of the legends of Warhammer, this advenutre was updated for the second edition of the game by Alexander J Bateman. You might remember him from my reviews of “Three Gentlemen of Pavona” and “Burn After Printing”, both excellent scenarios and highly recommended. So how well did Mr. Bateman managed to update a 1st edition WFRP classic?
OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD!
As if the cover itself is not a one, huge spoiler!
The adventure starts in a remote mining village of Karstenberg, small and unimportant. It is located in the Grey Mountains and, lately, has fallen on hard times. The small silver mine, the village’s only source of income, had to be abandoned due to mysterious dissapearances of local residents. Tales of vile magicians and huge monsters are more than enough to persuade the rest of Karstenberg’s populace to keep away from the mines. The only hope for the small village lies in a ragtag group of wandering adventurers…
I’m not gonna lie, “Terror in the Darkness” won’t rock your socks off. It’s not the next best thing when it comes to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. It is, however, a very cool, short and servicable scenario. It’s even described as a “compleate encounter”, a sort of short interlude between larger and longer adventures. Sargent was wise enough to not turn it into something unnecessary lengthy and complicated. There are no huge, cataclysmic conspiracies centred around heretical cults, nor are there devious plans concocted by the vile Skaven (remember, they don’t exist!). Instead we have two missing people, a closed mine and a some 30-40 poor souls who won’t survive unless our heroes will decide to help them. Easy, uncomplicated and fun – what else could we ask for?
As for the difficulty level… this is kinda tricky. You see, except for some environmental hazards, there is only one combat encounter in the entire scenario. That said the Ambull (I warned you about the spoilers!) is one tough bastard to deal with. Toughness bonus of 5, 3 points of natural armor and some very nasty attack options – he’s a scary opponent and no mistake. My party got really trashed by this gribbler, with one of theme even losing his only Fate Point to the creature’s claws. They did managed to kill him but it was a close call. A really close call. My suggestion is to either make sure that the PCs are on the appropriate combat levels or to make the Ambull slightly weaker. You can also do what I did and rely heavily on his stupidity factor – I constantly randomised his attacks and actions, which gave my players a fighting chance, while still retaining an appropriate level of challenge.
“Terror in the Darkness” is a lovely little adventure, perfect for a quick starter before a larger campaign or as interlude between its chapters. Sargent made a few nice nods to the Warhammer 40,000 universe with this one (Ambull and the name of a certain scholar – Luther MacIntyre the ninthe) and it’s clear that he had a lot of fun with writing “Terror in the Darkness”. As I mentioned before – it’s not a revolutionary work, but it’s hella cool to read through and GMing it was a very fun experience.
You can find it here. Additionaly there’s a post by the legendary Graeme Davis, written on his very own blog, regarding this scenario.
Download it, read it and, ideally, run it. I’m sure that you’ll have as much fun as I did.
It’s been a while since I did another one of my Roll20 “Araby or Bust!” recaps. Decided that I should probably do something about that!
Last time the mercenary company suffered a slight blow to its collective morale. Being strangers in a strange land, far away from home they felt out of place and the sudden and mysterious dissapearances of their own men and other fellow Imperials didn’t helped at all.
Fortunately the potential upcoming jobs for the Sultan, well paid but dangerous, help them focus on the future. Not only that but Ripertus, the resident company scoundrel, decided that it’s a good idea to buy a mascot – a mighty and graceful Arabyan Panther! What will the rest of his companions think about this decision?
During a morning walk near the Imperial embassy, father Ulrich was accompanied by lieutenant Wilburg, one of the guards and a dependable man. Wilburg told the holy man that he saw a mysterious figure in a long cloak following them. When Ulrich checked his surrounding there was nothing there… However further observation by other guards indicate that the building is indeed watched by someone in a dark, obscuring cloak. The identity of that person is, for now, unknown. Luther suspects Bretonnians (did they also kidnapped Anna?), but are the servants of the Lady really to blame here?
Completely unrelated artwork of a conversation between Orfeo the Minstrel and Alkadi Nasreen in Arjijil, from the book “Zaragoz” by Brian Craig
Abbas discovered the truth about the mysterious purple powder – it is a grounded Mandrake Root, a sinister and dangerous substance which dulls the mind and makes people warm and sleepy. It can also be found only in the Old World. However used it on the embassy grounds, brought it from the Empire. The plot thickens…
While taking his pet for a walk, Ripertus found something strange. A series of scratches on the exterior wall of, almost like rat claw marks. They lead inside, through one of the open windows on the bottom floor and… they ended at the door leading to Ambassador’s personal quarters!
More and more mysterious situations occur in Lashiek. Our heroes seem to be caught in the middle of them all, but will they be able to triumph over the myriad obsatcles placed in their path? Hopefully we’ll find out soon.
Apologies for a shorter post but I really wanted to do another Araby recap. Also if you find it confusing, remember that this is part 11 of the series. Read the other 10 to know what exactly is happening!
Next time it’ll be another WFRP scenario review. Stay tuned and prepapre yourselves to delve deep into the bowels of the Old World, where dreaded monsters lurk for unwary travelers.
I wanted to review this WFRP 2nd edition scenario for a long time. It’s definitely one of the better fan-made ones out there.
Written by Sami Uusitalo, a veteran of the game and a very talented Warhammer content creator, it takes place on the titular river in the heart of the Empire. The PCs are traveling on a boat, passing the Weissbruck canal and up the Bögen itself. Perhaps their final destination is the famous city of Bögenhafen itself, one of the main locations in the legendary “The Enemy Within” campaign. Along the way they will meet various interesting people who will tell them about their encounters with the mythical Beast of Bögen. It is a boogeyman-like creature, said to be haunting these parts of the Empire for many years. But what exactly is the Beast, and is it even real or just a river sailors’ drunken fantasy?
The cover art is wonderfully Lovecraftian (author: Pasi Juhola)
Oh andSPOILERS AHEAD!Duh…
Uusitalo once again proves that he’s a master of suspense and atmosphere building when it comes to WFRP scenarios. The various versions of the tale regarding the creature are all unique and full of atmosphere. They can be told in any way the GM wishes them to be, and the general non-linearity of the adventure is one of its biggest strengths.
Sami even encourages the Gamemasters to, at certain points in the story, allow the players to take the reigns of narration. While I like this idea as we seldom see this kind of approach in Warhammer scenrios, I probably wouldn’t feel confident enough to allow my anti-heroes that much freedom. However this is by no means the adventures’ fault – it’s simply my approach to GMing and keeping everything under the control of a single person at the table. Still, the fact that the author imagined something like that is a very cool concept.
Of course the “Five Truths about the Beast of Bögen” is not all about campfire tales about a ravenous river monster. The Adventurers will encounter a plethora of interesting characters during their travels along Bögen. Unscrupulous Cathayans, choleric noble men and cultists of Stromfels – all of them make for some very interesting encounters. The potential combat encounters before the finale are not especially difficult. The author purposefully left the “best” for last. The final battle with the Beast will be a challenging one and can be done in a couple of ways. The GM has the option to combine multiple traits from the various tales about the creature, creating a truly memorable and horrifying opponent for the party to face off against. Once again there’s an option for the players to “take control”, in a manner of speaking, and mix and match various traits and characteristic fo the monster, allowing them to craft their own, unique nemesis. As I said before – I personally would not allow for this sort of thing at my table, but it’s a cool idea from Sami and I am glad that he included it in his work.
“Five Truths about the Beast of Bögen” is a short and sweet adventure, perfect as a side-plot in a larger campaign (again, “The Enemy Within” comes to mind here…) or as a standalone scenario. It can also work well as a short, in between-type of experience, perfect for when a breather is needed before the start of a new, large campaign. It is suitable for characters of any level, although I would advise caution cause the final encounter with the Beast can be very challenging.
It’s also worth noting that the actual place where the adventure takes place can be easily switched to any river in the Old World. Uusitalo even gives the option to allow the PCs travel over land, with some suggestions when and how they can encounter the Beast. After all the roads can be closed and the only way to move forward is by boarding a barge…
Oh and the new rumors table that he includes at the beggining of the scenario is just pure gold. It’s worth reading the “Five Truths about the Beast of Bögen” just for this table, trust me on that.
I strongly advise everyone to check this adventure out and give it a go. It’s fun, well written and doesn’t overstay its welcome. A perfect campaign filler or a single evening experience, “Five Truths about the Beast of Bögen” won’t dissapoint. You can grab it from here and here.
You can read my other reviews of Sami Uusitalo’s work here and here.
Time for another Warhammer Fantasy novel review. Today I am finishing the Schwarzhelm/Helborg duology written by one of my favorite Black Library writers.
Chris Wraight gets Warhammer. He can really bring both Fantasy and 40K to life, and his books are some of the best fiction I ever read. From the “Wrath of Iron” to “Warhawk”, all of his works tend to stay with me for a long time. Back in 2019 I reviewed “Sword of Justice”, a book about the grim and resolute Emperor’s Champion – Ludwig Schwarzhelm. Now, almost 5 years later, I am sharing my opinions on “Sword of Justice”, the second book in this duology which mainly focuses on Kurt Helborg, the Reiksmarshal of the Empire.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you… the best moustache in the whole Empire of Man!
SPOILERS AHEAD. As if it wasn’t obvious enough. Oh and before diving into this tome, you should REALLY read the previous book. Otherwise you’ll certainly feel lost, going through “Sword of Vengeance”.
Released as part of the “Warhammer Heroes” series, this book takes place directly after the finale of “Sword of Justice”. Schwarzhelm dealt a grevious wound to Helborg, the province of Averland has a new Elector Count, and the sinister cult leader is still plotting her nefarious plans. The Emperor doesn’t suspect that the newly appointed leader of one of his richest provinces could be up to no good, and soon it’s going to cost him… a lot!
Meanwhile Schwarzhelm discovered that he got duped. His old mentor was in league with the forces of Chaos, forces that, even now, threaten the entirety of southern Empire. He decided to act agains the orders given to him by Karl Franz himself, and seek out justice on his own terms. Meanwhile the few remaining Reiksguard Knights try to take their master to safety, while being constantly hounded by the search parties of the new Elector of Averland. The time is running out and if the two greatest heroes of the Empire won’t join forces soon, Chaos will triumph and all will be lost.
This book is a decent finale to the short series about Kurt and Ludwig. That said it’s not without its flaws. That said let me start with the good stuff. “Sword of Vengeance” has some great descriptions of how truly horrifying Chaos can be. It’s no exaggeration if I say that this book gave me a creeps more than once, when describing the various, disgusting (yet alluring!) practices of Slaaneshi cultists. This isn’t the first time that Wright wrote this particular Chaos God just perfectly. In the “Wrath of Iron” novel for Warhammer 40,000, he describes the true horror of the Lord of Excess in a fascinating, disturbing way. Here he tops even that book. The rituals, the mindest of a soon-to-be Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (as well as its transformation), the sheer depravity and madness – all of this and more made truly appreciate the autocratic and gloomy reality of the Empire. As bad as it is, the alternative is much, much worse.
The various battle scenes are also described really well. Chris Wraight knows his stuff when it comes to military matters, and the many clashes presented in “Sword of Vengeance” are detailed, visceral and evocative. They showcase the merciless nature of the Warhammer Fantasy universe, where heroes mostly end up dead, and there is no glory to be found on the field of battle. Hectic, chaotic and excellently paced – Chris Wraight knows how to write his combat engagements.
Many characters make a comeback from the “Sword of Justice”, including Schwarzhelm, Pieter Verstohlen (Ludwig’s master spy), Bloch (a noble halberdeir captain), Heinz-Mark Grosslich (the corrupted Elector Count of Averland), Rufus Leitdorf (son of the late Marius Leitdorf) and his corrupted wife Natassja (the big bad of the whole duology). One of the new, big names to hit the pages of the second book is none other than Volkmar the Grim, Grand Theogonist of Sigmar himself! Freshly returned from the war in the North (and his miraculous ressurection), he is a man teetering on the edge of sanity and reason. Volkmar, to put it franky, is extremely pissed off throughout the entire story. His experiences with Be’lakor left him a broken, angry man, not thinking clearly and rushing towards every problem and encounter, without any hesitation. I liked his story arc a lot. Here was a deeply flawed, broken man, who was still willing to do whatever it takes, in order to secure victory for Sigmar and the Empire.
All right, we covered the good stuff. Now it’s time for some criticism.
The time skipping in this book is all over the place. Wraight clearly intends for the story to be told over the course of couple of months, but he never exactly gives us precise dates, time skips etc. A good example is when the corrupted Count of Averland recruits some Tileans for his growing cultist army. The book treats it almost like those boys were in the nearest village, just chilling. In reality a trip from Tilea to the southern parts of the Empire would take a very long time. I have to admit, it kinda was jarring at times, seeing how fast people were covering vast distances between cities or even provinces. If I’d had to mention my main complaint about “Sword of Vengeance”, it would definitely be the one I just described.
Other than that there are a few minor nitpicks, like the Knights Panther suddendly worshipping Myrmidia (they are a secular order) or Schwarzhelm, an oaf of a man, apparently being so stealthy that he can infiltrate the Imperial Palace all by himself. Oh and apparently it is possible to corrupt an actual Runefang, one of the most powerful artifacts in the entire world, only for it to return to normal once its vile master kicks the bucket. Those swords were forged by Alaric the Mad, the greatest dwarven Runesmith of all time, and they almost had a sentience of their own. They could greatly amplify the skill and power of their wielders, and are considered the absolute pinnacle of dwarven runesmithing. The fact that some washed up, chaosified Elector Count could corrupt one of those blades is just… wrong.
Oh and I need to mention one more thing – the character of Kurt Helborg. I had a feeling that through most of this tome, his very own book, he was kinda siedlined. “Sword of Vengeance”, at times, felt more like a Ludwig Schwarzhelm story, which was kinda strange. Now I like Ludwig, I really do, but I was hoping for a much better description of the Reiksmarshal, who is not only marginalised, but also feels less like a main character. Schwarzhelm does some very impressive stuff in the second part of their shared story, while Kurt mostly lays in bed, then gets his ass kicked by a glorified mutant, only to regain his mojo at the very end of the book. Sure the last few chapters brought back the old Reiksmarshal that we know and love, but I felt it was kinda strange for the author to practically make him a side character in his own story.
However those are all small nitpicks, not really having any major impact on the main story… and the main story is good. It’s actually really friggin’ cool, engaging to the very end, interesting and perfectly showcasing the dangers and lethality of the Warhammer world. Make no mistake, this is no light-hearted pulpy novel, like the “Blackhearts” trilogy. It’s not Gotrek & Felix where you knew exactly that the duo will triumph in the end, and that everything will be fine. “Sword of Vengeance” almost reads like a horror story at times, and its ending is, well, extremely grim and downright depressing. It is also very fitting and does what many people often wished from both Warhammer universes – it advances the timeline, in a way. There are repercusions to the Empire at the finale of this duology. Nothing will ever be the same, especially for Averlanders and their rich province. Chaos always leaves a mark on the world, once mortals accepted it into their hearts and souls. There is no escaping its malefic influence. As the narrator from the excellent “Mark of Chaos” trailer said: “There is no escape from Chaos… it marks us all.”.
This game was waaaay ahead of its time…
I can safely recommend “Sword of Vengeance” to anyone who loves the deep, rich and dark world of Warhammer Fantasy. It is a satisfying conclusion to the Schwarzhelm/Helborg duology, a masterclass in showcasing the horrors of the Four, and a damn good fantasy book. I finished it practically in a single sitting and it made me reach for more Warhammer Fantasy novels. Currently going through the first Thanquol book and I’m absolutely loving it. Hmmm, maybe I should write a praise-review for it? Yes-yes, a very good-splendid idea!
Do yourselves a favor and check out both books. “Swords of the Emperor” (as the duology is officialy known) is a great read. Fun and engaging to the very end. Truly worth a read and a clear proof that Chris Wraight is one of Black Library’s best authors. His blog is worth checking out. You’ll find it here.
I also dedicate this post to Viluir who left a very nice comment under my “Sword of Justice” review, all the way back in June of 2019. Damn, I was still a Blogger man back then. How time flies… Anyway you can find her blog here.
Until nex time!
Xathrodox86
P.S. To those who read “Sword of Vengeance”: did you managed to decipher Chris’s message at the end of the book? I was too dumb to do that. Then again I am notoriously bad at riddles, cyphers and code breaking. I know that the author left a guide on how to do that. It can be found here.
The title says it all – let’s all hop on the art train and enjoy some awesome, visual representations of the world of Warhammer Fantasy!
First of all let me drop a hard, universal truth – there are waaaay too many cool Warhammer art pieces. Choosing only three… it’s not enough and I do realise that. In the future I will add more compilations like this one, but for now a top 3 list it is. Enjoy!
3. Valten, Chosen of Sigmar, clashes with Archaon, Everchosen of Chaos, during the Siege of Middenheim (by Alex Boyd)
One of the most iconic Warhammer Fantasy Battle pieces of all time!
The first one was a no-brainer for me. I love the classic Storm of Chaos campaign and everything that is connected with it. This artwork defines the SoC era for me. It’s suitably epic, grandoise in scale and also retains that old, now almost gone, realism of Warhammer Fantasy. This is no Age of Sigmar, no absurdly muscular golden demigods duking it out against equally muscular warriors of the Dark Gods. We have normal, honest folk of the Empire clashing against a literal tide of darkness and madness. In the background there are also High Elves and Dwarfs, taking their part in the battle to decide the fate of the entire Warhammer World.
I love it. This artwork is one that I’d do anything to have on my wall, framed in wood and glass.
2. Cover art for “Ashes of Middenheim” for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition (by Christer Sveen)
The best thing is that it showcases an actual encounter from the book!
Ah the memories… “Ashes of Middenheim”, part one of the “Paths of the Damned” campaign, was the first, big adventure that I GMed, all the way back in 2009. I always had a soft spot for this module, despite its many flaws, and the cover art for “Ashes…” remains one of my favorite WFRP drawings of all time.
Again note the realistic, grim style that was so prevalent during the times of WFRP 2e and WFB 6e. The heroes are portrayed in a suitably heroic, albeit down-to-earth, manner. This style fits Warhammer Fantasy exceptionally well and I am very sad to see it completely gone in the newest (4th) iteration of the role-playing game set in this fascianting and grim world. Oh well, at least there are always older editions to return to…
1. Empire Militia Box cover art (by Karl Kopinski)
Always enjoyed the sideways-style of handling a flintlock pistol. So badass!
Here it is. The best (in my humble opinion) Warhammer Fantasy art piece of all time. Karl Kopinski is one of those artists whose work is synonymous with a certain genre or brand. In his case he will always be one of my beloved WFB/WFRP authors of all time. His art style, very realistic, gritty and grim, fits the setting perfectly. Just look at those men. They’re your ordinary Old Worlders – civil militia, cutthroats, scum and adventurers (who are usually also scum themselves!). They are irregular troops, have almost no armour at all, their weapons are mismatched and in a generally poor shape…
…and yet they are charging into the fray to defend their homes, their land, their families. The looks on their faces says it all – most of them don’t expect to survive this battle. To return to their loved ones. And yet they are doing their duty to the Empire and the Emperor. Only Kopinski can truly capture that. Only he has the talent to convey this sense of doomed, reckless heroism. For that he will always be my favorite Warhammer Fantasy artist of all time, and this piece will be my most beloved of all his many works of art.
I wanted to write a post like that for quite some time now. Warhammer, both Fantasy and 40K, is defined by its many drawings, paintings and pieces of art in general. In this article I only showcased my top 3 favorite ones, but there are many, many more. Just as I mentioned at the beginning – I will be sharing quite a few others in the future. You can count on that.
The newest battle game from Games Workshop just dropped and it looks like we’ll be getting a proper role-playing version as well!
Ok so before I’ll continue here’s the official info from Cubicle 7:
This was taken from their official Facebook account
Now that we have that out of the way, let me answer my very own question: do we really need a TOW RPG?
No, no we do not.
Warhammer: The Old World started out strong, is already super popular with fans, both old and new, and is generally doing fine. Cubicle 7, who are the current custodians of the WFRP franchise, announced that they will be making an official role-playing, tie-in game. You know, exploring that unique era of the Old World, thrusting heroes into a completely new setting and surroundings…
Oh wait, yeah. That’s not the case is it now? TOW takes place roughly 200 years before the “modern times” of Warhammer Fantasy. Sure the Empire is still fractured, Archaons hasn’t yet started doing his whacky, evil shenanigans and, apparently, lots of factions are just sitting with thumbs up their asses, doing nothing, but… it’s still the classic setting of the venerable Old World. Sure the Colleges of Magic haven’t yet been established and Magnus the Pious is but a young lad, but still – this is practically the same setting as the one we have in WFRP. From the broader perspective, there are incredibly few, major changes to the Warhammer World as a whole.
Why am I mentioning this? Because I can’t, for the life of me, imagine how exactly will the TOW RPG differ from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, theme-wise. I just can’t. People are suggesting that, given it’s based solely on the new hip battle game, it’ll be more “heroic”. More over the top. I am sorry but WFRP 4th edition is already filling that niche rather nicely. It’s the most heroic and bombastic edition of the game, where the PCs are practically unkillable murder machines, given the skills, combos as well as the sheer ammount of rerolls at their disposal. Plus the relative “safety” of the era in which 4e is set, makes a much better setting for this style of gameplay. Warhammer: The Old World is set during a hard time for the Empire, as well as other countries. Internal fractures, the unease concerning Chaos, Skaven and the Undead – all of those are factors which bring a sense of unease into mind. Sure the world might feel fine right now, but underneath something bad is going on and everything hangs by a thread.
Sure, you can say that in the times of 4e the feel of the world is exactly the same. However, maybe because of the overal presentation of this edition, I always thought that the Empire and surrounding regions were relatively calm, peaceful and even prosperous. Coincidentally this feeling worked well with the general style of 4e. Light, uncomplicated for the PCs, almost jolly at times. A perfect backdrop for some heroic style-gameplay. But the Old World circa 2276? Nah, don’t really think that it’s not a right setting for any sort of high fantasy approach to role-playing.
This picture perfectly sums up the entire 4th edition of WFRP (art by Sam Manley)
But for me the biggest gripe comes from the fact that C7 announces yet another game, while the current iteration of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is in such a poor state. Not only are the rules simply bad – clunky, placed across mutliple books and PDFs, but also the content itself leaves a lot to be desired. There’s no info about any new major campaign. Now that yet another version of the abused “The Enemy Within” is mercifully finished, we don’t even know if there’ll be another, big adventuring module in the near-ish future. There are no book about Chaos, the Undead or the Skaven (no, the few pages in TEW don’t count). We need more city sourcebooks - where’s Nuln? Sure, Altdorf and Middenheim are covered but… that’s not enough. Oh and don’t even get me started on other nations and lands. There’s Lustria, sure. But what about Ulthuan (supposedly in the works), Naggaroth, Albion, not to mention the more familiar places like Tilea, Estalia and Kislev.
WFRP 4th editions has been out for almost 6 years and it lacks a lot of essential content. It’s clear that Cubicle 7 simply don’t have the manpower to work on so many titles and consistently produce regular updates. Now they want to add another game to their roster while telling us that it won’t affect WFRP. I have no reason to believe that. In fact I would be very surprised if what C7 claims will turn out to be true.
There are also the enigmatic reasons as to why they’ve decided on this course of action. Did Games Workshop forced them to develop a TTRPG as a support product to their, newly released, tabletop strategy game? Maybe they wanted to jump on the bandwagon and capitalise on the huge popularity of TOW? But if that’s the case then this doesn’t really make much sense, does it? Before they’ll give us anyting, Warhammer: The Old World won’t be “new” anymore. Hell, it might go the Horus Heresy 2e way and become a sad, stale game with broken rules and few real updates (but gorgeous minis). There are so many questions here and I can’t really guess any of the correct answers to them. Nor why Cubicle 7 decided on that move in the first place. One of the more interesting theories that I read, stated that it’s because of the actual sales. Apparently, when it comes to role-playing games, only the core books sell well. Everything that comes after them doesn’t really generate any reliable profit. I never heard met with that theory before, but I must say that it’s really interesting and does make sense, in my opinion.
As for the game itself… If it’s going to be decent I may give it a shot. Hell I will probably buy the core rulebook anyway, just because it’ll still have that sweet, sweet Warhammer Fantasy label attached to it. Ok, the “Old World” label, but you know what I mean. I have no idea what kind of system it’ll use, whether the classic D100 or maybe something else. I can’t say if it’ll be more akin to the WH40K RPGs that C7 are also producing – Wrath & Glory and Imperium Maledictum. Hell, if they want to go the “heroic” rout, then why not make it like their Age of Sigmar TTRPG - “Soulbound”? There are so many questions here. All I can say is that I think this move is a mistake, even if the final product will turn out fine. We don’t need another RPG set in the world of Warhammer Fantasy, especially if it’s “so close to home”, if you get my meaning. Maybe if Cubicle 7 decided to make a game about the actual founding of the Empire, or the Sundering, or the fall of dwarven realms – maybe then I would be more thrilled about actually getting something new, fresh and innovative. As for Warhammer: The Old World TTRPG… I didn’t ask for this. No one did.
Hey, at least I get to use one of my favorite memes of all time!
So the newest, hottest title from Games Workshop just dropped. The Old World is here. Also the End Times happened, did you know that?
Am I excited for it? Yeah, kinda. I am a huge fan of Warhammer Fantasy and even though my enthusiasm for it is not as strong as it used to be, this fascinating world is still near and dear to my heart. I was genuinely sad to see it go with the End Times, and I was ecstatic when Creative Assembly revealed that they’ll be making a trillogy of Total War games based around this setting. For some reason I was hoping that CA’s initiative might culimante with GW actually bringing back Warhammer Fantasy.
And it did, kinda.
Oh hell yeah!
The Old World, at least according to certain rumors, happened because lots of people fell in love with the setting after playing the Total War: Warhammer trillogy, as well as Vermintide games by Fatshark. They were all like: “where can I get some sweet, sweet High Elves minis and rules to use them on a table?”. Imagine their surprise when they discovered that the game on which the wildly popular TW:W franchise was based is no longer here, replaced by Age of Sigmar. Suddendly Games Workshop realised their mistake – there are people, aside from the “old guard”, who are massively interested in a dead franchise. They want to experience it. They want to play it, but there’s no way for them to enjoy it “officialy”. The only way for their wishes to happen was eBay hunting and paying attrocious prices for 2nd or 3rd-hand models, drowned in thick paint and with probably a few important bits missing.
So Games Workshop, being the company that it is, decided that they want to capitalise on the huge attention that the Warhammer Fantasy world was getting. Cue the “Old World”, a brand new WFB experience… except that we’re not calling it “Warhammer Fantasy Battle” anymore. No, no – it’s a completely different thing. Set a few hundred years before the End Times (which happened by the way, in case you missed it) and offering a plethora of brand new models, as well as some timeless classics, it tells the tale of eternal fight of good vs evil…
Wait, what? Good vs evil? In my Warhammer? What the hell?
This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you miss a friggin’ point…
Yeah the Old World… it’s not Warhammer Fantasy. And yes, I am aware that I’m repeating myself here. But it’s really not. First of all there’s the clear divide on “good vs evil” which was always a rather alien thing when it comes to this setting. There was simply no good guys/bad guys division here. Everything had different shades of gray. Sure, the Empire and Bretonnia were bastions of civilisation and progress (at least the Empire was!), but they were also xenophobic, racist, militaristic to the extreme and treating the majority of their citiznes like shit. The Warriors of Chaos, Kurgans, Hung, the Norse and other tribes, were bloodthirsty and savage marauders, no doubt about that. However they were also closer to the “natural powers” of the world, often had a strange sense of honor (Lord Mortkin anyone?) and sometimes, just sometimes, could even be seen as those who are right in a given situation. Really, the only truly vile factions were the Druchii and Skaven, and even then only by a slight margin. The Dark Elves fought for their “birthright”, while the rat-men acted like, well, gian rats! Multiply, devour everything in your path, conquer, move on. Yeah they were a right bunch of furry bastards, but they acted according to their nature.
Now we have the Tomb Kings on the side of evil. Tomb Kings. Yeah, let that sink in. The “true neutrals” of Warhammer Fantasy, the guys who just want to be left the hell alone, who only act violently when their borders are threatened or their relics get stolen. They’re “evil” now.
Fuck right off. Seriously. I understand that it’s easier from the marketing standpoint (same with the new, “improved” Bretonnian colors), but it’s completely at odds with the lore, spirit and the general idea of this given faction. Naturally the Old World had to introduce a couple of lore changes – it takes place a few hundred years before the “current” era (and the End Times, which happened by the way), but I don’t think this was the right deicison. Same with classifying Orcs and Goblins as “evil”. Likewise I would never dare call “Bretonnians” with their horrible way of treating their lower class as “good”, but what the hell do I know, right? I’m just a consumer.
Ok but what about the models? Are the new sculpts nice? Is it a good idea to bring back a bunch of 10+ years minis for people to buy in this day and age? After all there are so many great, and free, 3D sculpts nowadays, readily available for practically anyone. Personally I don’t mind Games Workshop cleaning out their warehouses from old stuff. Sure, some of those models look really dated but they also have this unique charm to them. I look at the old Men-at-Arms and Yeomen minis and can’t help but smile. Same with the classic Tomb Kings Ushabti. They’re great! As for the new stuff – it rocks. I’m 100% serious, there’s no irony here, just my genuine feelings. New Warhammer: The Old World models are friggin’ gorgeous. Bretonnian Foot Knights and Tomb Kings Necrolith Bone Dragon are probably two of my favorite new sets for now, at least before the Empire will enter the fray!
Those models are certified sexy!
Unfortunately this is GW we’re talking about here: you know, two steps forward, one step back and all that jazz. The fact that there are so many factions that will not only get no new models, they will also not recieve a rerelease of their old stuff! What armies I am talking about. Oh, you know, just some minor ones like SKAVEN AND VAMPIRE COUNTS, to name just two. There are more, of course. Ogre Kingdoms, Lizardmen of Lustria and Dark Elves are also getting the shaft here. Not only that but they will also recieve the “legacy rules”, similar to certain models and factions in the Horus Heresy. As a long-time HH player I can tell you one thing with 100% confidence – these kind of rules suck ass, major time. They’re poorly tested, lazily written, weak and nonsensical. They make models and even whole armies borderline unplayable. I have no doubt that introducing them in the Old World will make the armies using them A-tier trash. Oh and Games Workshop will almost certainly not update them over time, and at least try making them of similar quality to the “official” ones. To add insult to injury the lore reasons why those armies are not included properly in the main game are just dumb. Like Vampire Counts are sleeping, apparently. They got tired, you see, the poor little things. And I guess the Dark Elves of Naggaroth randomly decided to stop raiding other civilised lands? Yeah, right. I call big fat bullshit on that one.
Really this last thing is probably the biggest red flag for me. I don’t mind different bases too much (3D-printed converters exist) as well as the fact that, just like with the Heresy, the books needed to play the game are huge, cumbersome and hard to carry (not everyone likes digital prodcuts or has a tablet to use them). I don’t even mind the incredibly childish, juvenile and pathetic reminding us that, yes, the End Times happened and Warhammer Fantasy Battle is not returning. We’re getting the Old World and then, if we want more fantasy-themed goodies, it’s Age of Sigmar time. Nah, it’s the fact that so many cool, awesome and interesting armies got sidelined, that is just bizzare to me. It’s also really hurtful. I own a very large Empire army, which I plan to use in Old World. That said I also recently started a Vampire Counts force, and now it’s… well, a 2nd-category citizen of sorts. Feels bad man. Feels disrespectful.
Even Abohrash feel dissapointed and you really DON’T want to dissapoint that guy!
That and the fact that sometimes when reading the Old World articles on Warhammer Community, I have a feeling as if Games Workshop… doesn’t really want this game. That its creators didn’t wanted to get involved with it in the first place. Like their hearts are not really in it, not 100%. Which is a shame because the premise, despite all the End Times nagging, is interesting. Especially for a Empire player, with the fact that during this period Sigmar’s realm was divided into multiple smaller principalities, all ruled by a different “Emperor” or “Empress”.
At this point all I can say is this: I wish Warhammer: The Old World all the best. I hope that it’ll prove to be a huge success and that it’ll bring the fascinating world of Warhammer Fantasy to the fore once again. I can’t wait for the future Empire releases, both new and old ones. I will certainly purchase all of the books even if only for their lore sections. That said the official Old World art is sweet as well, and there’s a brand new, tie-in novella by Graham McNeill titled “Lords of the Lance”. It tells a story of a Bretonnian coalition mounting a dire expedition into the Land of the Dead itself – the terrifying Nehekhara!
So let’s rise our glasses to the success of this game. As I mentioned in the title, I am cautiously optimistic. Come on Old World – prove me right. Prove to me that you are a worthy successor of one of the best tabletop games of all time. Sigmar willing, it shall be so.
Do it for him!
Until next time!
Xathrodox86
P.S. Whine time again, but I have to: fuck me, but some of those old models are pricey! I understand that there are lots of people willing to buy them, myself included, but those prices are… insane. Simply insane.
P.SS. I nearly forgot to mention the fact that the End Times happened. Did you knew that?
Here we are. The last post of 2023 and the one in which I’ll be concluding my personal list of nastiest gribblers for the 2nd edition of WFRP.
First of all – I wanted to wish you all a safe and happy end of the year. I hope that 2024 will be better than 2023 and… stay safe, stay healthy and stay happy!
Now, without further ado, it’s time to finish this competition. Here are the two most dangerous and deadly enemies that any Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e party can encounter during their adventures.
9. Stormvermin (TiT)
You do not mess with the Stormvermin. I am serious – they are better fighters than Warriors of Chaos. Yes, you read that correctly – a huge, bipedal rat is more dangerous than a Norscan or Kurgan, Dark Gods’ gifts be damned.
Tell that whole “the skaven don’t exist” bullshit to his face. I dare you. (art by GrimKinght-89)
The Stormvermin have a whopping WS of 65%! Couple that with Traits like “Warrior Born”, “Very Resilient” and “Strike Mighty Blow” and you have a real close combat monsters. They’re devilishly fast (Ag of 45%) as all Skaven are and have the “Dodge Blow” Skill. They’ll need it, since the Stormvermin are fighting with a double-handed glaive with which they’re deadly proficient. Finally they’re armored reasonably well, sporting a Mail Shirt, Leather Jack and Leather Skullcap.
Trust me when I’ll say this – even a single Stormvermin can be a challenging opponent to an entire 1st-level party. A whole squad of those black-furred bastards can spell certain death for almost any foe. As I said before – THEY FIGHT BETTER THAN THE GODDAMN CHAOS WARRIORS.
I mean… how? And why? I love WFRP 2e but I always thought that this creative decision was perhaps a slight mistake.
Ok, not that slight to be completely honest. It’s just a major screw up is what it is. I still love the Stormvermin. They’re super cool, super deadly and, most importantly, super entertaining.
10. Ghoul Brutes (TTT)
Aaaaaand the winners are… Ghoul Brutes! The humble Ghoul is already one of the most dangerous opponent to be found in WFRP 2nd edition. He has a poisoned attack that deals additional damage unless a Toughness test is passed, and it causes “Fear”! What’s not to love?
All right, maybe that face. This is a face that only a mother could love…
While this snazzy corpse-eater is at a top of his class, there’s always a room of improvement. Enter Ghoul Brutes! They’re just hench Ghouls. I know, crazy right? Who would’ve thought. Anyway, these terrifyingly strong and implacable killers will pursue their prey across any obstacle. They have a WS of 52% which is insane for a Ghoul! Couple that with Ag of 49%, the always useful “Dodge Blow” Skill and the fact that they’re dealing a 1D10+6 damage, and you can see why sending a pack of those bad boys against even a well-prepared party, can mean a TPK.
Oh and did I mentioned that they also have the “Strike to Injure” Trait? Yeah, those Critical Hits just got a whole lotta nastier! A minimum of 7 damage per hit means that almos any basic or mid-level character will suffer at leas a single Wound. Getting just scratched by one of those bastards requires a Challenging (-10) Toughness test. If it’s failed then the victim instantly loses 2 Wounds. Scary?
Yes. Especially if you take into account that a Ghoul Brute has 3 attacks!
Yeah, this is the scariest enemy in the entire Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition. In my opinion of course. Even two of those bastards can spell doom for almost anyone on the other end of their poisonous talons. I can’t emphasize this enough – be very careful when using those enemies against your players. They will fuck them up in six different ways. You have been warned.
So… this is it. My TOP 10 favorite (and nastiest!) WFRP 2e gribblers list is done. Also this marks the end of the, first ever, Grimcember event! Next post will arrive on this blog at the beginning of next year. Once again I wanted to wish you all the best. Everyone who visits my blog, reads it, leaves a comment or even just a like – you guys and gals are the best. I am so grateful and so humbled to have such great and awesome readers as you.
We’re getting closer to the end of 2023, and there are still four entries left in my newest TOP 10 list. Let’s get on with it, shall we?
Aside from the fact that I accidentally just created the “Grimcember” event (given the fact that November ended almost two weeks ago!), the list is slowly coming to an end. Sadly with all the IRL stuff going on right now, today’s article will also have only two critters included. In two weeks I will present the final duo. The best duo!
For now I wanted to introduce y’all to:
7. Stone Trolls (OWB)
Aaah, the humble Stone Troll. Tough, strong, dumb as hell and with a nasty acid vomit to boot! Oh and this one has some nice buffs against magic, given that they’re made from stone and all that.
That and they east stones as well!
In game terms, Stone Trolls get a +30% WP bonus against any spells and magical effects. Handy! Coupled with an unparryable vomit attack which hits the enemy automatically, and ignores any armour that they’re wearing, is just nasty.
Stone Trolls also have lots of Wounds (30), have a Speed of 6″, cause “Fear” anmd can regnerate lost wounds, as long as they haven’t been dealt by fire-based attacks. They are “Stupid”, though. This means that any time the creature gets distracted by whatever reason, it needs to make a standard Intelligence test. If the Troll passes the test it can act normally. If not then it has to focus its attention completely on the source of the distraction. It is worth mentioning that this creature has an Int of 18, which is… not ideal. It does have a bonus to this if it’s locked in combat, but even then it’s hard for it to accomplish this feat.
I like Stone Trolls. Tough, hardy, fast and with a plethora of nasty special abilities (except for the “Stupid” trait). They will present a challenge to any party, especially if the heroes are unprepared to fight a monster that can regenerate its wounds. Trolls are using double handed weapons, meaning that they’re always rolling with two dice for damage and choosing the higher result. They have a base Strength of 5. Yeah, they are nasty. Use them with caution, as even a single Stone Troll can deliver a TPK to an unprepared party. Even those heroes that know what to expect will have a hard time taking down this monstrosity.
8. Wights (Rulebook, OWB)
Animated remains of legendary heroes brought back to a cursed unlife, Wights were might warriors back when they were still breathing, and are still mighty, even though they are alive no longer.
They do look awesome, though. Even in death you can have mad drip!
These super-skeletons are no joke. First of all they have fairly decent WS of 40%. Their Agility of 30% also makes them better than your usual skellington, meaning that they’ll act faster during combat. Of course we need to remember that they are wearing Medium Armour, granting them 3 points of protection on every location, but also giving them slight Ag penalty (I’m always ignoring that, since they’re undead and all). However, coupled with their shield, this makes them very tough to bring down quick in combat.
Wights’ two biggest strenghts are, of course, being scary (they cause “Fear”) and having a really nasty sword to swing at their enemies. Their Wight Blades are magical, grant a +2 bonus to their Strength and when they struck someone critically, the GM rolls two times on the Critical Hits table and chooses the better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) result!
Daaaamn, talk about deadly swords! These swords are still not as good as their tabletop battle game versions, which were able to drop even the strongest of heroes with a single, unsaved wound, but they’re still nasty. Oh and if your heroes think about picking one up and using them themselves, good luck. In any non-Wight hands they’re just normal, one-handed weapons. Bummer.
All right, another two WFRP 2e gribblers have been described by yours truly, and I do hope that they’ll be useful during your games of Grim & Perilous adventures. In two weeks I’ll be writing my last post of 2023 and concluding this Top 10 list. Stay tuned. I saved the best for last.
Or, if we’re talking from the PCs perspective, the WORST for last!
It always rains in Nuln 