I was thinking about buying Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. But so far all I've seen of it is a small glance at the classes, and I was wondering if someone could give me some extra information on the game. I've tried looking online, but have had no luck. If you can find a site that give the answers to these questions, please post the link.

The first thing I wanted to know about this game is: Are there any Vampires in the game? I'm a big Vampire fanatic and would want the bad guy to be one. (Failing a Vampire, is there Necromancers?)

Number two is: How does the dice system work? Or is it a card system?

Last is: I like tricky and confusing story lines that you don't actually figure out until the end of the story. Is that part of the game? Like when you think that the guy helping you is on your side, but turns out to be a Cultist? (Also, I'm not a big fan of linier story lines, I like when the PC's get to make their own ending)

If you can answer any of these questions or post a link to a web page that answers them I would be extremly thankful. Thank you for reading!

PS: Sorry for spelling errors my computer has a delay from hitting the key to when it shows the letter.

Count Jerek said:

As to the mechanics I would point you towards the explaining seminar of its lead designer:

That should explain a lot.

Me and my players love the dice system. It is fun, flexible and leads to story creation.

We also love that the actions you can perform are on cards. No page-searching. Everything right at your disposal (correct word? non-native-speaker...).

As to story-lines: Well, it's up to you as a gm, ain't it? Have you played roleplaying games before? If you mean the story of the published adventures: I can't really tell you much, since I only know the introductory adventures, which are of course a bit straightforward. But I have to say, even with Eye For An Eye, the one in the core set, it has many options as to how it ends. Pretty much every possible outcome is mentioned. Warhammer was and still is in this edition a grim world, where the pcs also fail a lot and have to deal with the consequences. Sometimes, just staying alive keeps you from "completing" a story line.

I am in love of this game (after initial scepticism, coming from 2nd. edition)!

I as a gm never had so much fun with a roleplaying game.

Yes you should.

You can check Starter's Guide for WFRP from my BLOG where you can find most of the introducing YouTube videos etc.

If WFRP3 isn't for you WFRP2 had a supplement book for Vampire's called Night's Dark Masters.

Vampires as monsters are included in the Creature Guide supplements (Book/Box) but are not in the core game. As noted, Warhammer's earlier edictions have lots of vampire lore. Vampires as PC's are not appropriate to Warhammer.

Second the FFG videos about game. You could try the reckless dice podcast.

http://www.gitzmansgallery.com/Reckless_Dice_Podcast/

I also second innovative dice system and what you need to know at fingertips most of time not in a book.

That said, the product line is a bit jumbled (initial boxed set, adventurers vault all fine, then hardbacks and additional boxes create confusion for many).

Vampires and Necromancers are in the game, but not in the core product (the big box set). You have to buy supplements to get those.

The dice mechanism is really, really, very, very good! Since dice rolls not only determine whether an action succeeds or fails, but also provides information about circumstantial outcomes of a test, you are, as a GM, continually inspired to create interesting and unispected "test results".

The published adventures surely are published adventures, and by their nature they cannot provide you with an absolute "sandbox". But as far as published adventures go, they are only very slightly "linear". The endings are always extremely open.

And yes, you should definitely buy this game!

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's how vampires work in WFRP: All Warhammer Fantasy Battles (WFB) fluff is the basis for the WFRP stuff. Vampire Counts are in WFB as a book.

Warhammer Fantasy Battles (the miniatures game) has a vampire army book that they put out for the undead armies. The 2001 printing of VAMPIRE COUNTS details the 5 major bloodlines of vampires:von Carstens (traditional), Blood Dragons (blood knights), Necrarchs (egyptian), Strigoi (bestial), Lahmians (beautiful/scheming). This book is a great FLUFF resource and sells used for $6.00. The later editions of the Vampire Counts production do not cover the other bloodlines. They went back to a simplified version of just the von Carstiens.

For Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, your best resource is a 2nd edition book available via PDF called: "Nights Dark Masters." It covers all of these same elements and is VERY portable to 3e. It's like $18 and is a very nice, complete book on the topic. Here's how you convert 2e stuff to 3e games: Find the equivalent "career" in 3e and just say make minor tweaks. For example: Vampire Hunter - Use witch hunter and remove the insanity requirement. Let the player tweak a couple things. As for monsters, they're all pretty much covered in 3e.

3e Vampires: It is NOT worth getting the creature guide or vault for the vampire entry. There is only one ability that they have that isn't the same as every other creature: Beguile (works like "charm person" so just use the charm skill and make something up). For their stats, instead just use any given demon or Sticholm's Skeleton stats from The Gathering storm scenario (etc.). The 3e game is a lot more about fluff anyways and the stats are not game-breakers.

Scenarios: You may wish to check out the scenario in the back of Liber Fanatica #7: Revenant, by yours truly.

If you are thinking about this game, then YES you should buy the CORE SET. Start with that and play the DEMO using the PREGENERATED characters provided. You can download additional pregenerated characters in Liber Fanatica 7 (above).

Some advice about learning the game: Don't even read the section on character creation or advancement. Look at the sample character above and go right on how to roll the dice.

Start by learning how to roll the dice. WFRP3 is a success based system. If there is one NON-cancelled success on the table, then the action was a success. Every other die result is just a modifier to that. Successes are hammers and cancels are crossed swords.

Skill Check Example: Lifting a heavy gate: Frederick (above) has 2 blue dice equal to his strength (athletics skill) plus one purple difficulty die. If there is one success remaining after canceling dice, he lifts the gate.

Melee Attack Example: First, Roll to HIT: 2 blue dice (strength) plus one purple. If there's one remaining success, then he HITS!

Second, Apply Damage and reduce it by the monster's total soak: Hit Damage is strength plus weapon's DR (e.g. dagger DR is 4 so Frederick inflicts 6 wounds). A monster's armor and toughness soak is Total Soak (aka damage reduction). The goblin has a toughess of 3 and an armor soak of 1 so 4 Total Soak. Frederick did 2 wounds to the monster.

Modifiers and all the other stuff: Now, there are all kinds of other crazy modifiers that can get pulled into this and different dice bonuses or penalties, but essentially that's how easy it is to do a skill check and an attack (the crux of every game right???) Below is a sheet of basic actions and all the other wierd die effects. There are also advanced actions (special abilities such as two-weapon strike and Troll-Feller Strike that are similar).

Best to you,
Jay H

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socratim said:

All those things listed are VERY nice to hear. As those are some of the most importent parts of the game for me. Exspecially about it being the funnest RP you've played.

doc_cthulhu said:

Your Blog has come in very useful, thank you for sharing the link.

valvorik said:

Very nice information. Shame about Vampire's not being PC's though. If you read through 'Vampire Wars' you'll find a character named Jerek [Can't remember last name], who ended up saving the Humans from the Vampires.

Podcast has helped me understand much more of the game, thank you.

korknadel said:

That's unfortunate that the Vampire's aren't included.

It's good to know that the dice rolls are detailed. I found that in Dark Heresy (Only other RP I've played) the details for rolls were non-existant unless you failed or succeded by tons. As for creating test results; that will be one of the funnest parts if I play as GM.

Emirikol said:

Shame they took out all those other Vampire factions. Von Carstiens are so basic...

I'll be sure to read over the scenario, and give it a try.

From what you said about dice rolling, it looks much nicer then what my group used for Dark Heresy. And thanks you posting the character sheet and action sheet. They gave me alot of insight into the game.

Thank you everyone that posted. You all helped tons. Thanks!