I know, I know. I'm way too late. But, seriously, I just couldn't hold my thoughts any longer. My copy of WFRP and the Adventurer's Toolkit arrived last week and I just finished reading it all.

I'm really impressed with the way the authors wrote the Tome of Adventures. It's the first GM Book which really manages to care about how the players are feeling, and how the GM can deal with that. That should be bread and butter to an activity in which we implicate so much emotions. I just think my english words cannot describe so well my good opinion about this book. It also deals with pratical and obvious things, like players don't showing... Very, very good. And there's a whole set of mechanics aimed at the GM, which really helps imagining the adventures, and I'm guessing really improve the GMing experience and fun... The progress trackers show so much potential for creativity! An applause to every "counter" (mechanic, acutaully) that is quality based, in opposition of being based on quantity.

Another thing that impressed me so well is how all the rules seems were created to make the mechanics interact with the narrative. I was very afraid that the 3rd edition would focus so much on game mechanics that the narrative would be forgotten. Instead of entangling the narrative in the mechanics, the 3rd ed seemingly turns the mechanics into narrative... It is an absolutely fantastic movement, one that probably is going to change the way I view RPG for good. And I've been playing RPG for 15 years now...

So, I'm eager to try the game.

On the down side, I miss the availability to play with virtually any character the Empire has to offer on the core books. I liked the treatment the 3ed gave to each race (and the separation of High and Wood Elves in different mechanics ignited my curiosity) and to a specific region of the Empire, but I miss the possibility to play with characters coming from any part of the Empire. And I also miss the Halflings.

I know the idea must be release all of that in a future expansion, as the other Magical Orders and Faiths. That is another downside: how much it all is going to cost, or, rather, the perspective of WFRP being planned in a way to separate the information as much as it gets to take as much money as possible out of it. But, I confess, if future releases expanding the scenario mechanics are at the same level as the core, I'll gladly buy them all.

Of course, a restriction of the number of players because of a limited number of cards is something that strikes me as very odd and upsets me a little. That could change with a Added Player release, with basic cards plus some other important ones, but, anyway... it goes again with the money-sucker feeling.

Another thing is the lack of maps in the adventure that is given in ToA. Just the second floor map appears. I liked the adventure a lot, but this kind of information is vital to me in a pre-set adventure.

Last of all, I didn't think the rules were so much disorganized. What I think is the books don't give you the idea of how is it to play the game as whole. It is a difficult thing to do, actually, to show the whole picture of a thing as abstract as an RPG. As I do have an abstact mind, I got used to don't having to get the whole picture, so I'm kinda relaxed about it all.

So... That's what I'm remembering to say. And thanks for sharing it!