I was recently comparing the content of the Tome of Adventure, the Creature Guide, and the Creature Vault and noticed that a number of creatures assigned actions in the core set do not have slots for them on the creature cards. A very simple example of this would be that in the Tome of Adventure all beastmen have Savage Strike, including ungors, but on the creature cards ungors and gors cannot have action cards (besides the basic cards). Now I am aware that as a GM if I want them to have special actions for the sake of the game they can, but I am curious if anyone has insight into why this change was made. It seems the design direction intentionally went from all creatures will have special actions, to only powerful creatures will have special actions. Thoughts from the community?
Creature Action Differences Between Core Set and Creature Vault
I think it would be a smart move for FFG to simplify the mook monsters to do this. IMHO, if their main attack is just going to be the same as Basic Melee Attack, there's not much point in just duplicating that effect with a differently named card. It would have been nice if these things were made more clear however.
Isn't it just that the monsters' attacks are no longer mentioned specifically on the card? i.e., it is assumed that the gors and ungors both still get their special attack, but the card only says how many unique (i.e. GM discretion) action cards they get. As they are both just average bods, they don't get anything special - but they do still have their beastman attack (whatever that was called)...
The problem with that idea is that if a gm used the Creature Guide/Vault instead of the Core Set as their entry into the game, there is no mention of actions like Savage Strike being used by all beastmen. All you get is the text on the action card itself which simply has the beastmen trait, the lack of symbols on lower rung creature cards, and the creature's entry in the Creature Guide which makes no mention of actions. I am thinking it is more likely a decision to streamline the rank and file monsters. It just might have been better if the language had been added, stating that if an encounter needs spicing up (something early like a surprise attack by say ungors and a gor) throw a couple of action cards on the big bad.
It is confusiong and difficult to work out what creatures have which cards. For a discussion already going about this issue see here: fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp
This includes a response (reply #15) from FFG about this.
AnotherHorrorFan said:
I was recently comparing the content of the Tome of Adventure, the Creature Guide, and the Creature Vault and noticed that a number of creatures assigned actions in the core set do not have slots for them on the creature cards. A very simple example of this would be that in the Tome of Adventure all beastmen have Savage Strike, including ungors, but on the creature cards ungors and gors cannot have action cards (besides the basic cards). Now I am aware that as a GM if I want them to have special actions for the sake of the game they can, but I am curious if anyone has insight into why this change was made. It seems the design direction intentionally went from all creatures will have special actions, to only powerful creatures will have special actions. Thoughts from the community?
I believe you are misinterpreting the "extra actions" listed on creature cards. Those are for additional action cards, beyond the standard compliment. Gors and Ungors get the same actions they did pre-Creature Vault.
It is confusing, though, if you only have the Creature Vault to go by. They could have done a much better job matching actions with creatures.
Doc, the Weasel said:
They sure could have done a better job... However, Amketch and Valvorik have done most of the work for you - download the "WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLPELAY 3rd EDITION - STANDARD CREATURE ACTION CARDS" PDF from Gitzman's Gallery: www.gitzmansgallery.com/WFRP3_Resources/index.html
This lists the cards for each creature for most supplements (doesn't include Blackfire Pass and Omens of War). The creatures should have these actions as standard - plus any additional indicated by the icons on the creature card. And any you just want to throw in there anyway... 
AnotherHorrorFan said:
I was recently comparing the content of the Tome of Adventure, the Creature Guide, and the Creature Vault and noticed that a number of creatures assigned actions in the core set do not have slots for them on the creature cards. A very simple example of this would be that in the Tome of Adventure all beastmen have Savage Strike, including ungors, but on the creature cards ungors and gors cannot have action cards (besides the basic cards). Now I am aware that as a GM if I want them to have special actions for the sake of the game they can, but I am curious if anyone has insight into why this change was made. It seems the design direction intentionally went from all creatures will have special actions, to only powerful creatures will have special actions. Thoughts from the community?
Actually there isn't that much of a change, because what you call "slots" on the action card for additional actions was already introduced in Winds of Magic and/or Signs of Faith. Theses supplements have the two-page monster descriptions from the core rules. Under the stats block there are the special creature actions, but some creatures/NPCs also have those "slot" symbols in the fluff text on the left page. And it is explained as follows: Creatures have all the actions on the right page (if the fullfil the requirement) and additionally the GM can chosse a number of "normal" action cards (from the PC-actions, because at the time those supplements were released, there were no creature actions on cards, they were only in the book) according to the symbols. And that's exactly what the symbols mean on the creature cards. They have their creatures actions, but if there is an according symbol the GM can equip the beast with say a Troll Feller Strike, too.