So what I'd like is to hear ideas on how to effectively sell the setting (WFRP) to new players.

For me one of the selling points of the setting is just how intricate and varied many parts of it are. So I have a tendency to become long-winded and focus on the myriad details that make up the setting. Which just leaves new comers drowning in a sea of details, and it doesn't really paint a very compelling picture for them unless they piece it all together.

So I'd like to get tips from others on what key points or descriptions summarize the awesome that is Warhammer without becoming too verbose.

Lexicanum said:

The Warhammer setting itself is nothing special. It's a fantasy mash-up that borrows from all over the place to provide GMs with a great deal of flexibility. The only really unique thing about the WH setting is Chaos, and WFRP has always been wary of delving too deeply into Chaos-related material that doesn't link directly with WFB.

I'd focus more on selling the genre you're playing. Are you playing a campaign of cult intrigue and terror? If so, then use your 140 words to talk about the Old World's fantasy-horror backdrop of corrupt officials, insidious Chaos taint and darkened alleyways. Are you playing a more combat-focused, wilderness-romping campaign? Then use your 140 words to praise Warhammer's unique usage of skulls and spiky bitz.

Very good point. I think you've really hit the nail on the head with that, thanks.

And it meshes well with what I've experienced, since the setting is so varied it's hard to get people excited about it unless you focus on one area and bring that to life.

Well, the nice thing about the Warhammer setting is that beneath the Alphabet Soup of canon are many well-realized ideas for making the setting elements believable and coherent. For instance, readers with the patience to read through the Undead canon will find that Vampires are truly Evil, but yet their motives always seem believable. This makes for some great moral / ethical ambiguity that can fuel roleplaying. Ditto with Chaos. The problem is that you can't convey this in 140 words without sounding like a WH fanboy. People really need to immerse themselves in the material to appreciate the nuances, and to the casual observer WH doesn't seem nuanced at all; it just looks like generic Dark Fantasy. So my advice is to pick one element (e.g. Vampires) and convey its multitude of RP possibilities in Warhammer.

I find if you say something like "Don't play this game!" and then slap an "Explicit Adventures" label on it you'll generate lot's of purchases. It's like kids in high school being told by their parents not to buy an explicit lyrics CD. Immediately they go out and buy it because it's forbidden to them.

Using the word Extreme or mentioning Grim and or Gritty in the description tends to fixate people on games too. I think that FFG already did this though. It got me to buy it and I'm in my late 30's.

I find that with a good game, simply playing it does the trick. I'm reminded of the countless demos I ran for Battlestations. The game is so good, just playing in one session had people begging to play again. So far, that's been the case with this game. Out of 20 people I've showed it to, only one has turned up his nose at it. He's a guy that's never going to leave 3.5 DnD. Oh well.

Sinister & LeBlanc, good points both. But I guess my main concern is how to briefly sum up the world at the start of a game session, so the players know what they're getting into.

I've a couple of friends who've never tried RPG's but have expressed interest upon seeing the new WFRP box set. So I kinda wanted to give them a brief primer on the setting and get them involved. So playing the game will definitely part of it, but I did want them to be engaged from the start, as much as possible.

How many words are on the back cover of the game. Usually the descriptions on the back cover of a box set is designed to pull in prospective customers. You might try to base your pitch on what's already been written.

I also like to describe it as Tolkien with guns and in a time before the Human Empires of old went into decline.

Chaos equates to the forces of Sauron, while orcs and goblins are still in the setting, they are not united under central leadership like in LotR.

If they don't know Lord of the Rings, then they have no business playing a fantasy game. You should smack them and pull the cards out of their hands.

Lexicanum said:

Hey lex,

Something I did, was show my players the Age of Reckoning trailers. While it was all combat and gore, it did showcase, the gritty nature of the world. You should take a look at the Warhammer trailers.

Sinister said:

Excellent suggestion. I also have the Warhammer Online art book, so I'll probably be using that as inspiration for the campaign anyways.