WFRP 4e - how should it look?

By Beren Eoath, in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

As a sidethought/afterthought... D&D xp can now be optionally rewarded at story milestones instead of monster xp. I plan on experimenting with this pretty heavily. Kill all the dungeon critters you want, but know that the xp is actually tied to the story and not the individual kills. I'm intrigued. For urban/social adventures like Murder in Baldur's Gate that's a fairly big deal, at least in terms of what we've all come to expect from that franchise. I'm going to defy The Grognard Creed and approach it with an open mind.

Edited by GMmL

Pretty sure there's a 4th edition from FFG coming. All you have to do is look at their "Upcoming" page and see there's a couple of titles listed.

I hope it is mostly compatible with 3rd, with a few changes to streamline the play, like in Star Wars.

Making skill cards, injury/madness/corruption cards and some of the components optional.

Whatever they do I hope they make a proper starter box for around $30.

More titles listed on the Upcoming page?

Cheers

Sparrow

Pretty sure there's a 4th edition from FFG coming. All you have to do is look at their "Upcoming" page and see there's a couple of titles listed.

I hope it is mostly compatible with 3rd, with a few changes to streamline the play, like in Star Wars.

Making skill cards, injury/madness/corruption cards and some of the components optional.

Whatever they do I hope they make a proper starter box for around $30.

I looked and never saw anything beyond reprints. (dated last year)

Can you provide a link or more information?

Same stuff that's been there since fall of 2013.

@sepayne7l

Can i have the stuff you are smoking?

Cause nobody knows wtf you are talking about...

Edited by Himmelweiss

Looking at the upcomming I would say they will keep the licence - now reprinting other titles set in the Old World like Chaos In The Old World or Blood Bowl . So there is a chance for them to make WFRP 4e but You can't be sure of it. One of the reasons why they stopped the 3e line could be changes in timeline made by GW and the fact GW now is releasing a whole new line called "The End Times" starting with Nagash. On GW page You can rad that Nagash is the first tome that will bring changes to the Old World and for Empire. Based on that FFG could release 4e but with new content and changes made by GW like now every wizard Nagash has released a howling gale of death magic that is sweeping across the Warhammer World. Now every wizard, mage and sorcerer can wield the fell magic from the Lore of Undeath. For example in timeline and events:

"Nagash is reborn in a new and monstorous form. He sets the scene for things to come, explaining where everything stands in the Warhammer World. Things are looking bad. Choas drums are comming from North, Kislev is gone, Bretonnia is in rebellion, the Elves are fighting each other, the Empire stands defiantly between the vast hordes of Chaos still marching south and the darkness that consumes Sylvania. Vald Vor Carstein has been resurrectes and is gathering armies of undead. Nagash in conquering Khemri and he wants to unite all Undead under his banner but is it his only plan ? Nagash has released a howling gale of death magic that is sweeping across the Warhammer World. Now every wizard, mage and sorcerer can wield the fell magic from the Lore of Undeath.The world is in turmoil. It’s dying. And this is why Nagash has returned. . Is he an unlikely hero, a champion to stand against the forces of Chaos, or merely another form of evil?"

So based on this FFG could release a new WFRP and expand it but with a different feeling then 3e had. 4e would have to focus on some aspects of Old World maybe even broken into more then one line. It would be even better if it would be expanded with ever GW release of a new The End Times book.

Let's just hope that if WFRP 4e by FFG they will handle it like they handle SW RPG lines with Beginners Box or even breaking the WFRP into more then one line whre every line is focus on something different.

When could we see it? Hmm, I would like to see it soon maybe even this year but more likely if it commes it will be next year. Becouse next year will be focus on WFB for GW with a new edition as rumours say. But the best reason for me is becouse The End Times series will have more then just a Nagash book.

I bought 3e but it did not fit my players and they did not wanted to play it. But I will buy 4e if FFG will make it. :) Especialy if they will made it with optional card and more like SW RPG. ;) Why? Becouse I just love the setting. :P

cheers

PS. Still playing Warhammer Fantasy but using different mechanic and house rules for example Descent for short sessions or campaigns.

Edited by Beren Eoath

Beren,

The problem from what you are saying is that the whole Old World is changing. Both GW and FFG are going to have to completely rethink WFRP and the relationships within it. Are wizards all butchered on sight as they have all become necromancers? Are Witchhunters now burning all wizards on sight? The changes you are suggesting will take a lot of thinking about before a 4th edition could be produced, otherwise it will bomb as the OLd World will have changed beyond what people will be able cope with. Also the setting sounds like it could turn into one long fight, and we do not want to go down the route of 4th edition DnD.

My guess is that we will not see a Beta edition before late 2015 at the earliest, more likely 2016. That is assuming that FFG have any desire to produce a 4th edition?

Edited by ragnar63

Agreed with ragnar63. From the sounds of it, End Times will easily include enough meta-level changes to fill a 296-page book purely with "army book alphabet soup" and illustrations. I'll be surprised if there's much WFRP-relevant background published initially. Will FFG receive IP support to flesh out the RPG-relevant setting bits? That's a ton of proofing and approvals work for GW. Or will GW give FFG freedom to develop the (post?) End Times RPG setting independently? Doubtful IMO.

The only way we'll see a 4e anytime soon is if GW already sent FFG early drafts like 2 years ago and gave them a head-start on hashing out the setting.

Agreed with ragnar63. From the sounds of it, End Times will easily include enough meta-level changes to fill a 296-page book purely with "army book alphabet soup" and illustrations. I'll be surprised if there's much WFRP-relevant background published initially. Will FFG receive IP support to flesh out the RPG-relevant setting bits? That's a ton of proofing and approvals work for GW. Or will GW give FFG freedom to develop the (post?) End Times RPG setting independently? Doubtful IMO.

The only way we'll see a 4e anytime soon is if GW already sent FFG early drafts like 2 years ago and gave them a head-start on hashing out the setting.

It will be interesting to see whether GW have even decided how the "End times" will end. Until that happens FFG will have no way of starting on the fluff elements to a 4th edition or how various careers have changed or whether they are even relevant now. I cannot see GW allowing FFG free rein on creating a new post "End Times" setting so FFG are potentially hamstrung for a few years, particularly after talking with a number of freelance writers for 3rd edition.

Agreed with ragnar63. From the sounds of it, End Times will easily include enough meta-level changes to fill a 296-page book purely with "army book alphabet soup" and illustrations. I'll be surprised if there's much WFRP-relevant background published initially. Will FFG receive IP support to flesh out the RPG-relevant setting bits? That's a ton of proofing and approvals work for GW. Or will GW give FFG freedom to develop the (post?) End Times RPG setting independently? Doubtful IMO.

The only way we'll see a 4e anytime soon is if GW already sent FFG early drafts like 2 years ago and gave them a head-start on hashing out the setting.

It will be interesting to see whether GW have even decided how the "End times" will end. Until that happens FFG will have no way of starting on the fluff elements to a 4th edition or how various careers have changed or whether they are even relevant now. I cannot see GW allowing FFG free rein on creating a new post "End Times" setting so FFG are potentially hamstrung for a few years, particularly after talking with a number of freelance writers for 3rd edition.

That's a big question mark for sure. Even if GW already knows how the campaign will end, their version will most assuredly be geared towards WFB with every army remaining in conflict with every other. That's one of the reasons why GW hated post-SoC; there wasn't enough army-level conflict. Ideally GW will present this campaign as being open-ended, so that companies like FFG will have freedom to tailor the ending for a more RP-friendly environment.

Edited by Herr Arnulfe

Ideally GW will present this campaign as being open-ended, so that companies like FFG will have freedom to tailor the ending for a more RP-friendly environment.

Not a hope, I suspect, Jude! From the experience of freelancers who wrote for 3rd edition, GW are incredibly hot on anything to do with their IP and anything that may become canon from WFRP which could cause them problems with WFB in the future. GW have no interest in WFRP and so have no interest in making the "End Times" WFRP friendly. The only way that FFG can do a 4th edition any time soon will be if they make it even more fluff and setting light than they did with 3rd edition. And I mean virtually no fluff at all!!!

Ideally GW will present this campaign as being open-ended, so that companies like FFG will have freedom to tailor the ending for a more RP-friendly environment.

Not a hope, I suspect, Jude! From the experience of freelancers who wrote for 3rd edition, GW are incredibly hot on anything to do with their IP and anything that may become canon from WFRP which could cause them problems with WFB in the future. GW have no interest in WFRP and so have no interest in making the "End Times" WFRP friendly. The only way that FFG can do a 4th edition any time soon will be if they make it even more fluff and setting light than they did with 3rd edition. And I mean virtually no fluff at all!!!

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Keeping the campaign's conclusion open-ended would also offer advantages from a WFB perspective IMO. It's also possible that GW watched the crash-and-burn of the railroady Warhammer Online MMORPG and learned a few lessons about roleplayers.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Keeping the campaign's conclusion open-ended would also offer advantages from a WFB perspective IMO. It's also possible that GW watched the crash-and-burn of the railroady Warhammer Online MMORPG and learned a few lessons about roleplayers.

That is assuming of course that GW gives a toss about roleplayers, or more importantly WFRP roleplayers.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Keeping the campaign's conclusion open-ended would also offer advantages from a WFB perspective IMO. It's also possible that GW watched the crash-and-burn of the railroady Warhammer Online MMORPG and learned a few lessons about roleplayers.

That is assuming of course that GW gives a toss about roleplayers, or more importantly WFRP roleplayers.

You have to think they're still stinging from Warhammer Online's failure. That was supposed to be GW's answer to World of Warcraft (which basically used GW imagery without the rigid wargame structure to print money).

GW already knows how they want "The End Times" to look and how will they end or be open ended. They where working on it for more then a year as far as I know. So based on that there is a chance that FFG is working already on WFRP 4e becouse they could have news from GW.

The End Times are giong to be published in comming 6 months into 4 book. First is Nagash, in October/November tome II - Chaos willl be published, in January tome III - Skaven, in March 2015 tome IV - still a secret but there re rumours that it will be a book taht will put together all puzzle pieces and shows the real scale of End Times and the impact it has on all other races. So GW has a plan and they will be publishing succufuly it.

The way I see it FFG can have all the news they need to form 4e from GW but are not let to share it. Based on the GW release plan I can assume that WFRP 4e could be comming Spring/Summer 2015. But that just my speculation without any official prof.

cheers

I really wonder where you guys get the GW hates roleplayers stuff?

Over the years since they stopped publishing WFRP they have provided us with Liber Chaotica, Liber Necris, The Life of Sigmar, The Loathsome Ratmen and their Vile Kin, The Witch Hunters Handbook, Darkness Rising, .....

All excellent books for RPG background.

I really wonder where you guys get the GW hates roleplayers stuff?

Over the years since they stopped publishing WFRP they have provided us with Liber Chaotica, Liber Necris, The Life of Sigmar, The Loathsome Ratmen and their Vile Kin, The Witch Hunters Handbook, Darkness Rising, .....

All excellent books for RPG background.

Its not a question of us thinking that GW hate roleplayers, far from it. It is just that we do not figure into their calculations. As their CEO said in his preamble to the annual report, "they are a figure maufacturer", period. Roleplaying is never going to feed that market. Even Paizo only produces cardboard stand ups for their games not 3D figures.

Edited by ragnar63

It's possible that GW's attitude towards roleplaying might have shifted since the time when Black Library was making background books. Especially considering the authors of said books were fired around the same time as the timeline retcon and licence transfer from Black Industries to FFG. It's all speculation based on little tidbits of info. Personally I want to believe that GW likes roleplaying and has been working behind the scenes on awesome stuff for us these past few years.

I'd like something along the lines of The One Ring. In fact, I wouldn't mind if C7 got the license and used TOR as a starting point.

The way I'm looking at it, after I saw Nagash and the changes that come with 1st volume of The End Times, I can see this a WFRP evolving into more cinematic and heroic style. The End Times turn someting upside down and I like it. It still is grim and dark but with a epic/heroic feeling. Base on those changes WFRP could be split into more lines, it could go into SW RPG direction and the best part of it many things will be new.

If you would like to know more about how the Old World is changing read "Nagash".

FFG I will still have my fingers crossed to see a new WFRP made by you.

I'd like something along the lines of The One Ring. In fact, I wouldn't mind if C7 got the license and used TOR as a starting point.

Man, Lastly, I have been thinking the same, it must be something in the air...

FFG just annouced a new RPG - The End of The World. And i would not mention this but i like the idea of one line with sublines. It will have 4 core rulebooks - every with a different things in but all using the same mechanics. In case of SW RPG there are 3 line but here is just 1. I can see this as a direction that can be taken when it will come to WFRP 4e. The question then will be - one line or more?

I'd like something along the lines of The One Ring. In fact, I wouldn't mind if C7 got the license and used TOR as a starting point.

Man, Lastly, I have been thinking the same, it must be something in the air...

I didn't discover and read TOR until recently, but man it's an amazing book. The mechanics are so elegant, easy and quick. The rules for social encounters, travel and combat cover all bases needed for a RPG. The way everything fits together is amazing and even though it's made for Middle Earth and the mechanics support that very much, it would be fairly easy to make a thematic change to The Old World. Only issue would be magic - you'd need to create that system from scratch as there's no high magic in TOR.

But it is without a doubt one of the best designed RPG I've read. Even if you have no interrest in playing Legolas, the book is certainly worth getting if you need a good system for any low fantasy setting.

The main problem with doing WFRP4 would be that they would start in the empire again as that is the core of the Warhammer world. Whatever the system they'll be using, most of the fluff will have been covered by now, so who will want to buy it again? There would be interest in new fluff on areas not covered by previous editions, but as discussed most rpgs (aside form pathfinder) earn their money with the core books and not the fluff books.

I don't see FFG investing in a new edition as things stand now.