So after digging through the stuff for sale regarding WFRP, I have a rather big question.

Are all the cards and chips or whatever REQUIRED, or just optional?

A players guide and GMs guide will give you ALL of the information required to run the core set, adventurers toolkit, signs of faith, and winds of magic expansions without cards and bits (although the latter two still have some extra rules and fluff not contained in the guides). The gathering storm and edge of night adventures can also run decently without cards and bits. The creatures guide also subsititutes/augments the creatures vault. Everything else is designed with cards and bits in mind and the PDFs are missing them.

So, if I chose to ignore the cards and whatnot, would I be okay, or would that cripple the game? On one hand it sounds possible, but on the other, it also sounds like an engrained game mechanic.

It won't cripple the game. But you need a way to refer to different roll outcomes. You can always only use the basic actions (9) and you can print them all on the sides of a paper. In a way you they are Basic Moves of AWengine games (if you are familiar with them). All other skills are extra. Talents, Reputations etc. can be written on the sheet.

So in essence: You can run the game without the cards. They just actually make it much more simple.

Well to accommodate playing via Skype (as the GM I have all the books and cards) I let my players take any action/describe any action they do then see if there is an appropriate card to suit the situation that isn't melee strike/ranged etc...

The cards help me work out how best to interpret the dice, giving the players info they might need to decide (2 boons universal rule vs card specific)

We use a googlesheet to track wounds/stances/recharges where really necessary

Check out the WFRP LIte rules in the Player's Handbook. (p. 138) Admittedly it's not ideal, but it was what they threw at the community in an attempt to ease the anti-component crowd. It's serviceable, if limited.

Well to accommodate playing via Skype (as the GM I have all the books and cards) I let my players take any action/describe any action they do then see if there is an appropriate card to suit the situation that isn't melee strike/ranged etc...

You do know that Fantasy Grounds has a working add-on that includes everything needed for WFRP3 (at least to some point).

Well to accommodate playing via Skype (as the GM I have all the books and cards) I let my players take any action/describe any action they do then see if there is an appropriate card to suit the situation that isn't melee strike/ranged etc...

You do know that Fantasy Grounds has a working add-on that includes everything needed for WFRP3 (at least to some point).

I watched the tutorial vids, for me, it looked like I had to sink a lot of admin time to get everything set for the players. I'd rather run off a spreadsheet of the stats and talk to the players. Gives me more time to prepare the adventure.

YMMV

This is painful for me to watch someone struggle about this because I did too. Here's how you do it WITHOUT ANY ADMIN TIME WHATSOEVER (and how I run it for sessions):

FIRST: You will be using the program only for three things:

1. To show a map

2. To show where tokens are on the map

3. For a dice roller

FORGET THE FOLLOWING:

1. Entering any stats whatsoever

2. Having to learn to be a computer programmer to play a stupid game online.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

1. Either track your monsters on a spreadsheet at home on paper, or use a spreadsheet

2. Pre-enter some text to COPY+PASTE to the "chat box" - I usually have this for my intro and boxed text, which you can COPY+PASTE directly from the PDF of the scenario itself.

WHAT THE PLAYERS NEED TO DO:

1. Track their character stats themselves, at home

HOW DOES PLAY GO:

1. Via SKYPE: Everything can be done verbally. You can tell players how many wounds they suffered, if they get fatigue, etc.

2. Maptool/Fantasy grounds have CARD DECKS, or you can just use your cards at home and VERBALLY tell the players. They can write it down on their character sheet at home.

WHAT IF YOU WANT MORE COMPLICATED:

1. As you learn how to enter more data, go ahead, but start BASIC. The virtual tabletop and DICE BOX is all you need for starters.

SCREENSHOT OF MAPTOOL:

SCREENSHOT OF ROLL 20 (with the ONLINE DICEBOX):

IF YOU FAIL, YOU CAN PRETEND YOU'RE IN THE WRATH OF KHAN MOVIE:

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