Hello everyone! I just recently ordered my copy of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, along with the adventurers toolkit, and I've already begun doing research into the world and cultures of Warhammer, because I just can't wait for this thing to arrive. In doing research, I came up with a couple of questions that I hope you fine folks can help me answer.

1. The first is a sort-of technical question, how well does WFRP incorporate into Descent? meaning, can I use the props/dungeon tiles that are included with Descent to further enhance WFRP? how about the miniatures?

2. What is the difference between Wood Elves and High Elves? I was thinking of being "an elf" but now I don't know which one.

3. How much lore-wise is explained in the rulebooks? Everything I'll need to know or am I going to be stuck looking for extras online?

4. I've roleplayed in MMO's, but I've never tried being a GM, any tips?

Thanks in advance!

1. The first is a sort-of technical question, how well does WFRP incorporate into Descent? meaning, can I use the props/dungeon tiles that are included with Descent to further enhance WFRP? how about the miniatures?

I'm not to familiar with descent but WFRP is not really designed to be a miniatures based game, though i can easily seeing it being adapted to do so. It also does not rely heavily on maps for encounters as some other rpgs do, it uses a more high level approach to keeps things moving along and not getting into unnecessary detail that could bog down the experience (which i have found is a good thing, i was apprehensive at first).

2. What is the difference between Wood Elves and High Elves? I was thinking of being "an elf" but now I don't know which one.

To grossly generalize it, all warhammer elves were at one point High Elves, and at different times in the history stuff happened to seperate some of them, forming the dark elves (bad guys) and the wood elves (good guys/neutral). Wood elves live in the woods of the empire and in their own lands to the west of the empire, they dig trees, spirits and bows. High elves live on a huge island off to the far west in the middle ocean and are a little more your typical magical, sensative, codle their bow elves with tall pointy helmets and blonde hair. (though they will still kick your ass)

3. How much lore-wise is explained in the rulebooks? Everything I'll need to know or am I going to be stuck looking for extras online?

The books that come with the set provide a respectable amount of information from the persepctive of the empire and its history however it does not even scratch the surface of the amount of content that is available to pull from if you want to look. Cruise the internet for the topics/races you want and there will be LOADS! Use the books information to get you started, once you have a handle on that, move on to other content on the web.

Game on,

Gitzman

An easy way to get some general information about the setting is to also visit the various Warhammer online wikis out there. It's not 100% matching with the RPG setting (or the minis game setting), but its enough to get you a healthy feel for what's going on while you make sense of the setting for yourself.

Thanks for the replies guys! Any really good fansites that I should know about?

Caesura said:

I like this one: 74.53.20.230/hammerzeit/

Another option to find out more about the Empire is to purchase Sigmar's Heirs. It's a 2nd Edition RPG sourcebook that details the Empire at the macro level while providing some micro level detail for each province of the empire. Since there is not a lot of stats provided in the book (Mostly fluff) it's a perfect addition to your game. It's available from various download sites in .pdf format. FFG released it electronically not too long ago.

Knights of the Grail is a similar sourcebook based on Bretonnia.

Realm of the Ice Queen is a sourcebook for Kislev.

There is also a soucrebook for the Skaven and the Border Princes as well. All provide great history, stories and fluff for their respective areas of the Old World.

Great purchases if your game is taking place in the Empire or in it's neighboring realms.

1. The first is a sort-of technical question, how well does WFRP incorporate into Descent? meaning, can I use the props/dungeon tiles that are included with Descent to further enhance WFRP? how about the miniatures?

All the bits of Descent fit perfectly for D&D 4e, but the tiles and props would not provide any functional benefit in WFRP3 because of the abstract nature of encounter distances. They might be used to add an atmospheric visual aid. The miniatures from Descent could replace the cardboard stand-ups that come with the WFRP3, and in fact, many of the Descent monster minis (such as Beastmen) would align nicely with the bestiary in WFRP3.

I just got the game in the mail yesterday, and haven't really had much chance to really dig deep into it or anything, but at first glance everything looks really great! I especially like the Tomes of Magic and Religion that flesh out those topics without becoming overly verbose.

Any chance on FFG releasing packs of new characters or individual source books (like the Tome of Magic)?

Agreeed on religions and the colleges. I thought it was nicely concise and complete for the core set. I wish they'd have done that with a couple other organizations for the other careers (like the other 98% that didn't get their own books).

Shades of Empire had rudimentary work-ups..I thought the Career Compendium did a really nice job coming up with concrete crunchy bits for every career out there..probably have to dig that out again.

jh

LeBlanc13 said:

Actually, avoid the Border Princes book. It was WFRP 2E's worst book. Utterly crapy. No realy background information or data or fluff, just endless random charts to design your own realms. BTW its official title is Renegade Crowns.

Peacekeeper_b said:

Well, I disagree totally with -that-: the whole point of Renegade Crowns was to design a part of the Border Princes where Warhammer canon didn't matter, but you could still play WFRP in. So it doesn't matter how close cities are, or the pre-existing relationships between Empire cities - you create an area of the Old World and work out what you can do with it plot-wise.

That may not be to your taste, but it's better than, say, Thousand Thrones or the Talabheim book.