Is there a PDF available for this game or a lite version? Something to try the game out without spending $100?

It used to be much cheaper to get into this game but I recommend you try to link up with someone that already plays it. You can get the core set for about $70 on amazon and its the best bang for your buck all around but other than that you can pick up the Players Guide and Gamemaster Guide and Bestiary for about $60 in pdf format on drivethrurpg.com

Honestly though, its something you should try out to see if you like prior to investing. It is a different animal and though I enjoy the system, It has been a heavy investment to complete my collection.

I got my core set on Amazon for $60, which is still pricey, but considering what you get, I think it is a fair deal. I find the game easier to run/play with the bits, and getting the dice from the Core Set will help a ton, since they are currently sold out on the dice packs.

Yes. You can purchase the PDF for the Player's Guide for $25 or something like that.

You can make stickers for your dice if you want.

There are two simple downloads as well:

1. Rules lite character sheet

2. Rules lite basic action sheet

..

Thanks for the replays. I have a set of set. I bought a pack since they looked cool. Would I get a good feel for the system with just the Player's guide?

The Player's Guide (PDF or hardback ) is all the careers (90%). If you're not planning on running it, this is probably the easiest way to go to "get the game." Use the Rules Lite character sheet and Rules Lite basic action sheet, and rules-lite blank action sheet. If you just want some characters, use the pre-generated ones that I made up for EVERY basic career in Liber Fanatica #7.

The GM's guide has conditions, diseases, corruption, mutations. The GM screen at Gitzman's gallery has these for reference as well. This is available on PDF or hardback.

The creature guide (available PDF or hardback) is all the monsters. You can check them out stat-wise here: www.cutlass.be/rpg/wfrp/creatureview.php. I don't think there are all their wierd action cards, but you can just use melee attack and a roleplaying effect rather than all the cards anyways.

The core set is worth getting for $60 really only for the extra dice IMHO and only if you want to buried in the biomass of stacks of cards, counters and sheets. If you don't want to be buried under stacks of cards, skip ALL of the vaults for sale.

If you like the game and intend to run it, then start picking up other stuff, but IMHO, the easiest way to "get it" is just buy a cheap copy of the Player's Guide.

jh

~the dice are going out of print (and what else?), act fast!

Okay, what about this. Outside of the core set what is the most useful supplement.

Okay I took the plunge. I purchased the core set from Miniature Market. They also had a couple sets of dice so I got those too. Then I needed about $19 to get to free shipping so I threw in the Creature guide.

fjw70 said:

Good pull. Especially the extra dice, I hear they are pretty much extinct nowadays (makes me really glad I bought 4 extra sets (5 if you count the GM Vault).

Ok, lets get this party started and teach you this game!!! You've got the core set on the way and extra dice (that will help EVERYONE in your group). Did you get the Player's Guide?

Here's how to learn the game BEFORE you even get the boxed set:

Now, there's a LOT of stuff to this game, so it's best you don't have the box yet. When you get it you'll need to put about half of it aside and get ready to learn it.

Before you get started, You need to print out a couple things that don't come with the core set:

1. Download and print an official INDEX: www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/wfrp/support/FAQ-9-2011/WFRP_Living_Index_9-8-11.pdf

2. Download and print the Day Late, Shilling Short demo (and everything else there): www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp

3. Download and print Court Dimon's GM screen/rule summary: www.gitzmansgallery.com/WFRP3_Resources/Docs/WFRP3/WFRP3%20Reference%20Guide%20-%20Court%20Dimon%206.pdf

4. Download and print the dice symbol reference: www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/wfrp/warhammer-fantasy-role-play-dice-preview/WFRP_DiceSymbols.pdf

LEARN THE GAME RIGHT NOW:

STEP 1. Get some stuff together right now.

Grab 1) DICE SYMBOL REFERENCE (above), 2) Day Late, Shilling Short Demo Print-out, 3) your dice. This is ALL YOU WILL NEED FOR RIGHT NOW.

STEP 2: Grab the character from the back of Day Late, Shilling Short

Look at the characters in the back of DAY LATE, SHILLING SHORT. Grab Birgitta the Roadwarden character. Look at her stats. Notice the characteristics, skills, etc. Note that she has a Wound Threshold (hit points), and a few other abilities listed.

STEP 3: Write some stuff on the character sheet for Birgitta:

1. Write BLUE DICE over her characteristics (strength, toughness, agility, intelligence, willpower, fellowship)

2. Write YELLOW DICE over the checkboxes over BASIC SKILLS

STEP 4. Learn how to use the dice.

Learn how to cancel dice. Look at the DICE REFERENCE SHEET. You've got to learn how to "cancel out dice".

The basic rule of the game is that you succeed in an action as long as there is one remaining HAMMER that hasn't been canceled out.

REMEMBER: Purple and black dice are BAD and all other dice are good.

Here's how the dice cancel each other out (See the Dice Reference Sheet):

* Crossed Swords (challenge=fails) cancel out Hammers (Successes)

* Skulls (bad/bane) cancel out Eagles (good/boon)

* Chaos stars (very bad) are not canceled out.

* Skip the red, green, and yellow dice for now. They have other effects (hour glass, emo tears/Exertion, and comets), that you don't need to learn yet.

AGAIN, The basic rule of the game is that you succeed in an action as long as there is one remaining HAMMER that hasn't been canceled out.

STEP 5: LET'S PLAY!!!!

Let's get you Rolling! Birgitta the Roadwarden's trail is blocked by a fallen tree. Let's have Birgitta the Roadwarden try to lift a fallen tree off the road with an easy Athletics SKILL CHECK:

1. Athletics is a strength skill, so grab blue dice equal to her strength 4 (FOUR).

2. The check is Easy, meaning one bad purple challenge die

3. Roll the dice. Cancel out hammers with crossed swords. IGNORE THE OTHER DICE EFFECTS FOR NOW(skulls, eagles and chaos stars).

4. If you're left with at least one Hammer (success) not canceled out by crossed swords, then she succeeds in moving the fallen tree off the road.

5. PRACTICE making various skill checks about 5 times, and you have essentially learned the basic element of the game.

STEP 6: LET'S FIGHT!!!

Birgitta finishes moving the fallen tree off the road. She is now ambushed by a goblin bent on murder!

FIRST: Both sides roll for Initiative using AGILITY. The number of Hammers/Successes determine when you go (higher is faster). Eagles don't count for anything here except tie breakers.

Roll 4 blue dice for Birgitta (Agility 4). Roll 4 blue dice for the Goblin (Agility 4)

Pretend that Birgitta gets 3 hammers, and the goblin gets 1 hammer. Birgitta goes first because she got more successes. You only roll for initiative ONCE for the ENTIRE encounter. You do NOT re-roll this each turn.

NEXT, ROLL FOR ATTACK:

Here are your steps for each person's turn in combat. NOTE: Just like any other RPG, you roll to hit first. If you hit, then you apply damage.

1. Look at her sheet and find LONGSWORD in her weapons. It's a melee weapon, so it uses WEAPON SKILL. (Her pistol would use Ballistic skill)

2. Look at her WEAPON SKILL (Strength-based). She has a strength of 4, so that means she'll be rolling 4 blue dice.

3. Notice her WEAPON SKILL also has a BONUS checkbox marked. That means she get's a bonus YELLOW die (good). You should have 4 blue and 1 yellow in your hand.

4. ALL COMBATS REQUIRE ONE PURPLE CHALLENGE DIE. Add that to your hand. You should be holding 4 blue, 1 yellow, 1 purple.

5. ROLL YOUR DICE TO HIT. If you succeed (at least one uncanceled hammer), you HIT!

IF YOU HIT THERE IS NO DAMAGE ROLL - DAMAGE IS THE TOTAL OF YOUR WEAPON D.R. plus YOUR STRENGTH (or Agility for ranged weapons):

1. Look at the LONGSWORD DR (damage rating) of the weapon and add that to Birgitta's strength. You should have DR5 plus Strength 4 = 9 = NINE TOTAL DAMAGE.

2. The monster's toughness and armor will soak and reduce part of this damage. Goblin has a Toughness of 3, plus Armor Defense of 1 = 4 FOUR TOTAL SOAK (damage reduction soak).

3. That means Birgitta did 9 damage and the goblin soaked 4……leaving 5 damage that got through. Goblins can take 9 wounds, so he's got 4 left. Another hit and the goblin is done for.

NOW, the goblin attacks the same way depending on what his statistics are. (We won't play that one out, but the goblin has strength 3, weapon DR4 if you want)

Practice attacking in combat 3-4 times and you'll have it down.

YOU'RE NOW READY TO PLAY THE MOST BASIC GAME.

Here are a couple other things you'll want to pick up:

1. Get yourself the list of actions expected of each creature from the creature guide. PRINT IT OUT AND STICK IT IN YOUR CREATURE GUIDE.

* www.gitzmansgallery.com/WFRP3_Resources/Docs/WFRP3/WFRP3%20Creature%20Action%20Cards.pdf

2. Downloadable Character sheet options: Use the official character sheets or download a differen't one.

* Here is a nice, basic one: dl.dropbox.com/u/167876/WFRP3CharSheet%20EASY%20jh%20preferred.pdf

* Here is one with the basic actions on it: www.gitzmansgallery.com/WFRP3_Resources/Docs/WFRP3/Gitzmans%20WFRP3%20Character%20Sheet%20Front.pdf

Now, for the advanced game.

You've learned how to make a skill roll and how to fight a combat. Everything else is just a modifier to that.

Examples of the other things to learn:

1. If you look at the Melee Strike action card (see the sheet download with all the basic actions on it), you can see that other effects can be triggered by the dice beyond hitting or not. For example: two uncancelled eagles will give an additional benefit!

2. Critical wounds can be scored if you get a number of uncancelled eagles equal to the CR of the weapon (example: Longsword has CR3, meaning if you get 3 uncancelled eagles, you get to give the creature a critical wound (see those cards when you get them). You can also score a critical with a COMET on the yellow die.

3. There is a Stance Meter, which allows you to swap out your blue dice for better green or red dice (with other effects).

4. Combat Defenses: Sometimes you or monsters have extra defenses that add extra dice to the pool. For example, a goblin may be carrying a shield which gives you a black penaty die to hit him and may soak an extra point of damage when he get's hit.

5. Advanced Action Cards: Advanced Actions are like basic actions, but with different effects and they may only be used every couple rounds. They'll have a number in the corner that shows how many rounds it takes to recharge them. You can track that with tokens or with a pencil.

6. You'll notice some effects give you fatigue (tiredness) or stress (stress), and if this get's high enough you'll start getting penatly black dice, or even pass out from exhaustion!!!

7. The magic system requires some accounting for spell points.

8. There is a thing called a Party Sheet, which may be used for your players to benefit and play off of each other, and to add a little "frustration" spice if the Elf and the Dwarf start having a little intra-party conflict.

9. There are TALENTS, which are special abilities of each character. There is a rule for TALENT SOCKETING, which means that you can say that the character can only use a couple of his talents at one time.

10. Characters can gain temporary insanities from being too STRESSED and they can become permanent.

Other boxed sets (and the Gamemasters Guide Hardcover) introduce a few new rules as well:

Disease

Corruption and mutation

Permanent wounds

Mounted combat

etc.

When we teach the game at conventions, we generally have players do the same as I did for you: learn the dice, make a skill check and GO! We always have the player write the COLOR of the dice over the characterstic and Bonus for skills. I also have them pre-calculate the TOTAL DAMAGE (Strength + DR for melee and Agility + DR for ranged) as well as their TOTAL SOAK (Toughness plus Soak of the armor)

fjw70 said:

THE PLAYER'S GUIDE. <period>

BTW, here's a picture of the PREGEN that you should use for your example:

jh

Wow, thanks for the tutorial. I appreciate the effort.