Storm of Chaos

By Serimus Bodikan, in WFRP Gamemasters

Hi everybody, as of late I've been looking at running a WFRP campaign. The major problem is, I've been looking at doing it set during the very beginning of Storm of Chaos. With things picking up just post the fall of Erengrad, my big problems are predominantly that sadly I don't know as much 'bout the Storm of Chaos Campaign as I should. As this is my first WFRP campaign, it's a little overwhelming at this idea, and the only way I can think of doing anything is running it from the small-scale aspect and watch the effects that the players have work with the story.

Other than that, anyone have any really good ideas to help me out here?

Start with googling and checking Black Industries book for WFRP2 (as it was for campaign after SoC). If you can get it try to get your hands on Darkness Rising by Black Library (tells the story of SoC). There was a scenario that (I think) took second place in a competition - it happened in the middle of SoC. Can't remember the name though...

There is also a magazine called Warpstone. If you can get a few of the lastest issues as the discussed the Storm of Chaos and events that lead to it. I with them when I say you should run a few session pre-Storm so your players would really get the feel of apocalyptic war and end of days when it hits them.

I don't know much about the SoC, but when the Chaos invasion actually begins, I think one could use quite a lot of material from the D&D adventure "The Red Hand of Doom". I think it might be easily converted to Warhammer.

Well the ultimate goal for Archaon was to snuff out the flame of Ulric in Middenheim to usher in the end times. As such the chaos host led by Surtha Lenk hit Wolfenburg early on (as mentioned here and there in the 3rd editon fluff) and then began to simply ravage the entire province of Ostland. Then the main force of chaos including Archaon swept through Kislev on through Ostland and into Hochland. The Hochlanders put up a lot of hit-n-run resistance but eventually (at least in the 2nd edition timeline) Hochland is quite devastated. Then the main host marched on Middenheim. This happens while a lot of ill-timed politicking occurred down south and elsewhere in the Empire (good work Tzeench). Eventually some comet-birthmarked bumpkin named Valten is decided to be the reincarnation of Sigmar (or just really really handsome no one really knows) and becomes the rallying point for the hosts of elfs, dwarfs, the rest of the Empire and others to steamroll up toward Middenheim (which has been besieged and holding strong because Boris Todbringer is a badass). As they make their way north they face heavy resistance from uprisings of beastmen and other chaos forces within the empire but eventually show up just in time to lay into the massive hosts of chaos. Valten is wounded fighting Archaon and then suddenly as if by teleportation the greenskins show up and so does Manfred Von Carstein with his undead army. The leader of the Greenskins shows Archaon that his pimp hand is strong and sends Archaon wimpering up into the Middle Mountains to plot and scheme like a James Bond villain stroking a khorne dog. The greenskins set up shop to kick some arse as the chaos army begins to lose morale. Then Manfred's undead legions like totally mop up...and then just turn around and head back home to Sylvania...blink blink...yeah. Oh and also Valten is shivved by a Skaven assassin just to make it all seem very DC comic universe crossover bad.

Luckily in 3rd edition we have a setting that allows GM's to change a lot of how the original SoC occured (and to keep us from having to swallow the last bitter cheese-coated pill). I usually like running my Warhammer at 10-to-midnight (ie it's all gonna go horribly wrong any minute so do your best to stave off the inevitable for as long as you can) so I don't know if I'll get all jumpy and excited if FFG decides to roll forward with a Storm of Chaos campaign. BUT I don't besmirch anyone's desire to run headlong into the apocolyptic storyline of the SoC. For a customized romp in the SoC...Even with all that exciting military action, I think the most mileage one could choke out of the SoC is to let the major battles be major battles and instead deal with significant events that most likely occurred just "off camera." Chaos cult uprisings in major cities, plots to sabotage X for Y effect, manuevering refugees, fighting Surtha Lenk, engaging in politics to mobilize the Empire's provinces, being the saviors of a town from chaos forces elsewhere in the empire...etc. But, just like running Star Wars it can feel cheap to be the big heroes no one ever knows about because NPC's are handling the major stuff.