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.
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.
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!
The finale for this years’ Grimvember has arrived. I’ll share another two of my favorite enemies from the 2nd edition of WFRP.
We’re nearing the end of November and so it’s time to finally finish my list of nasty creatures from the 2nd iteration of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay… At least that’s what I said last week. Unfortunately my time is currently limited, and so I need to postopone the finale of this series of articles, hopefully only for one more week.
Anyway, as usual, I hope that this post will be of use to you, dear readers, whether you are GMing or just trying to get by in the grim world of perilous adventure.
6. Nurglings (ToC, TTT)
Ahhh, Nurglings. Gotta love those tiny, diminutive daemons of the Jolly Grandfather. You might think that they’re weak and non-threatening. That they’re more of a meme than a real danger.
Well, you’d be wrong. Dead wrong.
The whole squad looking “fresh”!
Nurglings in 2e are nothing to scoff at. Firs of all they’re “Small”. Now here’s funny thing. This trait… doesn’t have any description. I presume that it was supposed to incur a penalty to hit, given the small size (duh). That’s how I always interpreted it in my games. So if you decide to use my logical approach, if I may say so, fighting a bunch of tiny dameons that are hard to hit is… yeah, it’s tough. Really tough.
Why did I wrote “bunch”? Well, Nurglings seldomly appear solo. They’re social creatures, likely to be found with others of their accursed kind. You won’t be fighting a single Nurgling. You will probably need to face a dozen of the damn things. Maybe a bit less.
Add to this fact their high Dexterity (60%) and the “Dodge Blow” Skill, as well as being “Unsettling” (test WP or have a harder time hitting them), and you get a surprisingly tiny, yet tough, fighters… who can infect you with just a scratch, just like their larger Plaguebearer cousins.
Seriously, don’t fuck with Nurglings. You’ll be sorry. They may hit with Strength-2. They may lack any magic. Doesn’t matter. A dozen of them will pose a real threat to even a leveled up, seasoned party. Trust me on that. I’ve seen it at my own table, more than once.
5. Chaos Warhounds (ToC, TTT)
The goodest of boys are here! Big, fluffy and full of deadly bone spikes. If you want to make your players sweat, sick a pack of these chaos-aligned mutts at them. Weapon Skill of 44% is nice. “Silent Move” Skill helps them get closer to their chosen targets, and it works even better if they’re in a forest, granting them additional +10% bonus to surprising their prey. As with Nurglings, they also posses the “Unsettling” trait, making hitting them in combat that much harder.
Just look at this fluffy murder machine. I don’t know if I want to cuddle it, or to run away from it, screaming at the top of my lungs!
Finally they can “Frenzy”, granting them nice bonuses to wound and Will Power, in exchange for being unable to dodge or parry (as well as minor penalties to Intelligence and WS). The thing is… they don’t have the “Dodge” skill, nor can they parry (natural weapons and all that jazz), so no problems here. Just remember that any PC or NPC that wants to enter “Frenzy” needs to spend an entire turn pumping themselves up. Still, for enemies like these I think it’s 100% worth it.
Now according to the “Tome of Corruption”, Warhounds only have 25% chance of actually having spikes portruding from their bodies. I say that it’s bullshit and any gamemaster worth his salt should give them a full set of those bad boys. How do they work exactly? Well, every time their opponents try to strike them, they need to make an Agility test or suffer an automatic Strength 1 hit.
Every. Time.
For me this is one of the best mutations in 2nd edition. You essentialy get a free attack every time that you’re attacked. It’s crazy! Add to that the fact that there’s a 10% chance of spikes carrying a deadly poison (pass a -10% Toughness test or die in a number of rounds equal to your TB), and you get a nasty, furry, ravenous, and potentially poisonous package, that is ready to really spoil someone’s day. Ouch!
Just a quick note of warning: Chaos Warhounds found within the pages of “The Thousand Thrones” campaign are slightly different than the ones from “Tome of Corruption”. They don’t have their awesome spikes and only posses the “Blood lust” mutation (which they have by default). This is strange, given that in their description in this book the spikes are clearly mentioned! They also lost their forest-stalking special rule, but that’s not really a huge loss.
So… that’s it for now. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I really wanted to end it today but the real life right now is… tough. Really tough. I am not stopping, though. Not now, not ever.
Hopefully I’ll be able to conclude this TOP 10 list in the next post. Keep your fingers crossed. The Grimvember event will return next year!
We return to Grimvember with the second part of my top 10 beloved monsters from the 2nd edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
Last time we had Beast-kin and the foul denizens of the Aethyr. This time it’s time for something a bit more on the spooky side – the undead deserve some love too, after all!
8. Grave Grass (NDM)
Here’s a cover of the excellent “Night’s Dark Masters”, since I couldn’t find a suitably creepy picture of grass… (artist unknown)
Your ass is grass… literally, if you walk over a patch of Grave Grass! These Dhar-infused weeds take no prisoners and if you’re unlucky to NOT spot something fishy about the ground udner your feet, you recieve four attacks during a single action! Four! Plus, according to “Night’s Dark Masters” (quick shout-out to Steve Darlington!), they’re all “spear” attacks, which means that dodging and parrying them is a bit harder than usual (-10% to Ag and WS for the victim). Oh, and they’re all surprise attacks which means that the Grave Grass gains a tasty +30% to strike, meaning that it hits on a total of 60% WS. That’s bloody insane!
Sure, there are also some drawbacks when it comes to this nasty critter. It’s mindless and Immobile, meaning that it takes additional damage when struck in combat. Also if the four spear attacks miss, the Grass can’t attack for the next 24 hours. If a character passes a Hard (-20%) “Perception” test, he or she can spot that something about this specific patch of grass is kiiiinda fishy… Then they can react accordingly, which, most likely, will result in them avoiding the Grave Grass altogether. Still, for the surprise lethality factor, I think that this enemy is a really cool, clever and unexpected danger that can take an entire party by surprise!
Oh, just one more thing to mention: Grave Grass is not a undead creature. This means that it doesn’t cause fear, nor is it vulnerable to your standard, Warhammer anti-undead deterrents. Just FYI.
7. Unholy Blades (NDM)
Not only can it fly, but it also fights better than your average, hapless Old Worlder! (artist unknown)
What’s cooler than a gnarly, unholy blade? A gnarly, unholy blade that’s semi-sentient AND can posses people! Unholy Blades belonged to warriors who died a violent (duh) death, and their spirits inhabited their weapons, hell-bent on wreaking as much havoc as possible.
Not only do they have bitchin’ stats (56% WS? Yes, please!), but they also have the “Lightning Parry”, “Disarm” and “Strike to Injure” talents, making them really dangerous opponents, even for skilled duellists. To top it off, Unholy Blades are very… perceptive. Yeah, they have the “Perception” skill at +10%. It’s funny that a non-living piece of flying metal can potentially spot things easier, than a seasoned adventurer. Oh well…
The best thing about these animated swords (according to lore, ONLY swords can become Unholy Blades), they have a special trait called “Dominate”. Every time they’re grabbed by someone, that person has to make a Hard (-20%) Will Power test, or they immediately become possessed by the sinister weapon. While under its thrall, the wielder commits bloody murder, and all sorts of other attrocities, on any living creature in sight, friend or foe. If there are no living beings nearby, the hapless victim of the cursed sword will travel far and wide to find a suitable victim… or a dozen of them.
The only way to stop the sword’s rampage is to remove it from its wielder’s/host’s hand, either by stunning or killing him, or using the “Disarm” talent. If the opponent decideds to remove the weapon with his bare hands, he also needs to make an Easy (+10%) Agility check, or They touch the hilt and, well, risk becoming Dominated!
Oh, and did I mentioned that the Unholy Blades have the Trait “Wight Blade”? That means harsher rolls on the Critical Hits tables. Ouch!
These things are nasty! Very solid WS, high Toughness (60%), a plethora of useful and deadly Skill and Traits, including the downright insane “Dominate” – Unholy Blades can prove to be a real challenge even to a fairly advanced and experienced party. Try them out during your spooky games. You won’t be dissapointed.
Oh, and as with the Grave Grass, these things are not Undead – meaning all of the fancy holy magics, prayers and items don’t work on them. Nasty indeed!
That’s it for today. Next week this year’s Grimvember will end with the final entry in my top 10 favorite WFRP 2e creatures’ list. I reserved the best for last, so stay tuned for something really cool and, well, deadly!
During my 14+ years of GMing Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay I threw almost every enemy at my players. Here are some of my favorites.
A good monster can make or break the game. Doesn’t matter if it’s a one made for a quick encounter on the road, or the final BBEG itself – the art of using the right creature at the right time is invaluable for any game master, no matter which system he or she prefers.
A quick disclaimer before we jump into the rank’o’meter itself: this will be a list of your “standard” enemies which can be found in the Old World (and beyond). That means no Dragons, Greater Daemons, Trytons, beefed-up Vampires etc. We’re going with basics, baby! Footsloggers, workhorses of the Dark Gods and vile Necromancers, your standard mooks, but with a deadly twist! Remember – “basic” doesn’t always mean “easy” or “non-threatening”.
All of the enemies presented below (and in the future articles) are from the various 2e publications, such as “Old World Bestiary”, “Tome of Corruption” and, of course, the venerable main rulebook itself. Really in almost every 2nd edition publication you can find some interesting, dangerous and challenging enemy, with which to make your players sweat extensively. I will add abbreviations in brackets, right next to the creatures’ names. You can probably guess the full titles, based on them alone.
I will start from bottom to top, i.e. the best, most deadly antagonist will be at the bottom of this article. So, without further ado, here’s the first part of my “Top 10 most dangerous creatures in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition” selection.
10. Bestigors (Rulebook, OWB, ToC)
Look at those magnificent horns!
Tough, with a decent WS and good speed, Bestigors are perfect “sergeants” for lesser beast-kin, such as Ungors. They have a SB and TB of 4, which, combined with a medium armour, makes them really tough to drop fast. They only have a single attack, but with a double handed weapon and the “Strike Mighty Blow” talent, they really need only one hit to make some poor adventurer’s day that much worse. Every time when I was using them, my players had to really give their all to emerge victorious!
Oh and remember that in “Tome of Corruption” you have a full section about the Beastmen, including how to make your own herd as well as individual monsters. With this book, Bestigors can become even more scary!
9. Plaguebearers of Nurgle (Rulebook, OWB, ToC)
“Cher-holera, tie-eye-phoid, cern-sum’shun, hally-toze-iss! Black plague, white plague, bloody red ‘n’ brarn plague! Can-ker, way-ster, foot-an’-marf, fester!“
Daemons in 2nd edition are kinda iffy. They usually need strengthening up a bit, given that their basic stats are… lacking. Looking especially at you, Bloodletters of Khorne! That said the Plaguebearers are really great. They have a really high Toughness of 4 which is increased to 6 if they’re attacked with mundane weapons. Sure, they’re not wearing any armour, but a TB of 6 is more than enough for the daemon to last a good couple of rounds… as long as there’s no wizard present! Or, you know, someone with a funky, magical weapon.
Other than that they have two very cool traits. The first one is the “Cloud of Flies” mutation which makes hitting them much harder than normally. A penalty of -10% to Weapon Skill is no joke. The second thing is, naturally, the “Plague” thay they’re caring. After combat, whether the heroes won or lost, any character who recieved even a scrath from these daemons, must immediately make a Toughness check or contract a disease of GM’s choice. This can be incredibly nasty, with “fun” illnesses such as Green Pox and Neiglish Rot being possible options for the players’ to “enjoy”.
Oh and finally there’s the “Stream of Corruption”, a ranged, template-based attack, wich the footsoldiers of Nurgle can use every two turns. It deals 1D10+3 Strength hit that can’t be parried (but can be dodged). If the character takes any damage from it, he must make an immediate Toughness test or, you guessed it, catch a disease of the GM’s choice.
Trust me when I say, that there’s a strong chance that even a relatively tough party will walk from any engagement with the Plaguebeares, with a couple of nasty illnesses!
As you can see the first part of this list belongs to the servants of Chaos! Next time, however, there will be some less-than-alive entries present as well. After all it’s not all about the Lovecraftian, sanity-blasting, reality-rending monstrosities, right?
It always rains in Nuln 