Hello all,

I used to play WFRPv1 up till around 4-5 years ago, then dropped it due to some real life things. I am a large fan of the Warhammer setting in general, having my Warhammer Quest set still, multiple warhammer armies, ect. In fact I have been playing Warhammer for ~22 years now in some form or another.

Anyhow, I was curious as to how well are the dungeon rules for the new version of WFRP are done. Does it have a pretty decent dungeon ruleset (movement, LOS, exploring, ect), or would I end up making some form of hybrid WFRP/WHQ for those circumstances? So far I have seen the standard inns, taverns, ect, but not yet seen anything like abandoned dwarf holds, Skaventunnels, buried Elven ruins, ect thus why I was curious.

No, the rules for dungeon delving are not really the focus of this game. I'ts one of the more narrativist game on the market (not meaning that it's a freeform, rulelight game, but that the rules ara more invested in description, improv, and atmosphere than in simulation, board-gamish dungeon-delving, like DnD4, for example.)

You could do it, but for now (maybe a later product will cover this) it would take some work. You could adapt the dice pool and combat system to Warhammer Quest whithout too much difficulty if you own the product, I guess...

There's no reason you couldn't. There are location cards like Abandoned Ruins and so on. But it's not set up for the approach of entering one room, knocking it down, scraping it clean, then moving on to the next room.

If you can draw a map you can dungeon delve, no reason at all you can't. And no reason at all IMO to think the game caters for one location/setting more than another

jfmongrain said:

Yeah, I normally run highly narrative campaigns, but theres always those times when the group finds themselves in sewers, Dwarven holds, whatever, and dungeon rules tend to become slight more important for any combat encounters that would take place at those particular circumstances due to the enclosed space.

I haven't went out and purchased WFRPv3 yet, simply due to cost, but have the spare money. Just wanted to see if I would be needing some form of dungeon rules or not. Once I get the core set, I'll see what WHQ rules (or even Descent rules) would be valid to carry over. If I recall properly, WFRPv1 was pretty easy to transfer characters between the two systems (although that was years ago), so will see what will need to be done here.

You'd just have to figure out how much exploration counts as an Act, if you use the Encounter/Act/Rally Step formula.

GravitysAngel said:

I'd forgotten about this to be fair.

What is the point of this E/A/R step formula anyway? Is it a rule incorporated to aid roleplay enjoyment or a rule implemented to make all the other recharge rules feasible? I really hope you can create underground (I.e. sewers, crypts, mausoleums, dungeons, etc) scenarios.

Please, anyone like to comment?

Could the rally rule be implemented in a dungeon crawl?

The Rally step is a pause in the action, that allows you to gather your thoughts and pull yourself together a bit. In a simple one Act sort of encounter, it doesn't come into play, because as soon as you get pause, the encounter is over. In a more complex encounter, they're good for punctuating the events and giving respite, by say, gettting back some Fatigue, or re-rolling an initiative. They're not vital to the fatigue/stress/damage system by any means, but they're a good way to signal small achievements and changes of state during a long action scene.

As such, I would say, they are very useful for a dungeon crawl type game. The GM can give them out, playing by ear, when it feels right, and that would work. But also, when planning the dungeon, I think it would work well to lay out positions and goals that the PCs might reach which will offer either Rally Steps or complete encounter refreshes. This would make fatigue-stress budgeting a very tactical element of the game, if that's the sort of thing you like.

monkeylite said:

When you put it like that it looks like it will add another interesting element to dungeon crawling. I'm reminded of the days when I'd create a boring old empty room for just this situation. Wherein the characters can recuperate by barricade themselves in using their trusty hammer and iron spikes

jfmongrain said:

Descent is a good dungeon crawling game where you don't even have to roleplay... It may interest some people.

There is no reason not to use your imagination and a rough map for a dungeon crawl.

The fact it's in different rooms makes the Rally mechanic easy and you can zoom in to abstractly focus on combat within a room - using the longer ranges to represent baddies that have heard the commotion and are coming to investigate.

There are many dungeons and ruins in the old world, so its not unfeasible that your journey would go there.

Just because the game is not represented in little squares , it gives you leeway for more description and rough mapping as a guide - the focus is not on number crunching and book-keeping its on narrative and adventure!

Zagor said:

I come from a Swords and Wizardry background so squares aren't an issue. But the rally phase seems to be a rule geared toward outdoor environments and not indoor ones. Mainly because you rarely get the opportunity to sit back and take a nap in a dungeon.

They suggest in the GM book the few moments in between encountering 'the evil wizard' and battle ensuing is a good dramatic pause for a rally step.

I don't think there necessarily needs to be time to bandage wounds etc (although this would certainly apply to a rally step back further in the dungeon after clearing out a room of goons) but the momentary pause is enough to get your breath back and steel yourself for the fight (regain stress or fatigue, change weapons etc).

The natural breaks caused by compartmentalisation of a dungeon certainly do not prohibit rally steps as they are defined and suggested, and there are specific examples where a rally step could be as little as a few seconds in game time - i would prohibit certain rally step actions at these points but allow others.

Zagor said:

Good points!