THE INDEPENDENT MAG. ISSUE 15 2000/2001 9 Hri46sEDITORIAL By John Foo ‘Welcome to another issue of Warpstone. For those af you followingthe saga the Keane family isnow one member bigger, with the birth ofa healthy Joseph John Keane. Mother, baby and Warpstone editor areall doing well. Hearty congratulations fromusall! ‘Youray well ave noticed Warptone's cove price increase. This took effect from ast ssue, butit wasn’t mentioned in the editorial as it was avery lst minute decision ‘We were asked to make this bythe distributors due to rising cost and the strength ofthe pound; rest assured, there's no profiteering at this end. (Chance would bea fine thing!) Subscription ates remain the same, as do prices in the USA. However, we're pleased to say that you are getting more foryourmoney. Weare having no difficulty filling the extra cightpages, nd once again you'llsee that wehave relly shochomed some articles in. Word for word, we arent that far offte sizeof some supplements! We ave made a conscious effort to use these new pages to broaden the kind of material ‘we can bringto you. Everything wil remain very much WERP- centric, but you might find one or two suprises. There willbe pieces that aren't exactly what you might expect fom ‘Warpstone. We won't give the game away, though; just ook out forsuch articles in the coming issues This issue we publish follow-up to issue foureen’s The ‘Warriors’ Grimoire, which suggested revisions tothe combat system based around numberof new skills. The feedback on this (some of which you wil find on our letters page) hasbeen very mixed. This sno suprise. Warhammer is seen by most as beinga ‘ules lite” game, and Warpstone has deliberately stayed ‘away from articles that have revised the basic rules. In this case, though, we felt The Warriors’ Grimoire would appeal to players who wanted to adda litle something to their combat syslem, The feedback suggests that fora large number of readersitdid just this. However, we ren’tignoring those of you who argued against the article; whether ornot we agree, it is simply a matter of different styles ~ and you jst can’t please allofthe people all of the time! Thisissuc, we bring you a comprehensive background for the Church of Sigmar. Tis follows on fom the Cult of Shallya piece in issue ten, Fora litle while, we dd pu off publishing articles onthe main cultsas we waited for Realm of Divine Magick, te follow up o Realn of Sorcery. Although the later should be with us soon, the former is certainly some distance ‘One problem is that new soureebooks sometimes trample cover what has gone before. In writing and edtingatces, we attempt to keep true othe history and consistency of The Old World, Itisnotalvays an easy task, Many of Warpstone's articles refer to earlier articles in passing. Tisisn'ta ploy so thatthe magazine i only useful to long ime readers is simply away of making the Old World aconsistent and logical place, We do try to ensure, however, that any reference is clearly explained. What his meansis that any published article ‘becomes part of the background, as faras we're concemed, and isthere to be used as reference material by future writers. This ao should not put writers off submitting. If the idea is good, itis Chanpioe athe esd Tc mon wan as for onl he champion eid ie te ‘004, We wll help you illin holes or point you inthe right Speed acai yess dcuel ses ar om Ha ha fe direction fyou wanto expand topic. Don'tbearaid to run senenbet eis: wt el wh Sti oe Mey cise varpstoneabigfootcom ios: ob Fody & Joka Keane ‘Asociote Editors: Marin Olver, Seven Punter & Me} Tuo Jones Cover Steven Pants Mustrations: Joba | Richard Rah “a mcetivdon Keane matin BY Horstey “Tenpe on page 24 tase original by Pll B Sorensen. Thanks “Tinsley Eases, Graeme Divi Nase Chrbok Leif Uc trade, Man ‘op, Rober Cla Are Dam, Spe Cue, Gare Leper, Outbeos, Mite, Mare Tere Roderic Ora lamer Wali, Adam, Aion & Pie SUBMISSIONS ov ‘Wasson app orecee sbmison fbn writen work and a We wil uae rep to bmi fom ini god ne pase dop saline oreiods Falters singly aston ofthe cao rae ‘ofthe Wirptne orion I you take thine wih subain,we wl ke the ine fo epond How? \Wearehappytorecrssubrisionsbypostoresal Arles shuld ein RTF (Rich Text Forma or MS Wt Format. Dike shoold be 3 format fo PC and marked with your name andl mes. ‘Art Sobseions ‘Weare way looking frais. You mut have an understanding of the “Warhammer ye” hic cone ‘broudrage sen esourcuen ainsi es) owe ebay look aall Kags work, whee your sei is maps creates, ports o anyhng elses end us cure you chink shoud be ‘originals, bu ony copes Atte Submissions ‘Warpsone es not insude aries thee gameruesorarintemscvesleshery Inte sae i we are ot looking fr pew mont, crews gods ee (That i iyo ave something good seni In) Weare loting frances hat orp te word of Wartammer ling inthe papi prevent Me aso lek chow he game is lye discussing ses relevant al gamers Ifyouave am aicebt yore not sre whether i's sua, send ur an ouig, Wo wl tel you are inerested in seeing developed. Ifyou oul cde a ample of some oer werk Youve completed a "he same ine, hr wou be uel (bat not ena) ‘oon: Wewileview WERP mati yu wishtowterevewon ary ober reese(WFB ee) hen ple hos wih ws fist to make ue moan ls wring Shoal be 600" words. emi: es ng i et rou i of vo pe Sconce Ful gi detsled adventures Weare epcily reese in coraior at dono eae bat crests tf nao lous Chae cuts, When tht ae nloed hy sould bean pt pro ‘hes. Ab of goblins ith“ send all ond wl prove he eth teers dpe she ‘fan the sword Shot tren Se fil in he Waar Wo, Sane gists a Scerarion, i Li Following onthe tat he momen (Caress As mestond in ise 10 Not new ones, bt Heshed ou cures and background forthe cure ti ideas pst uso feedback But aso don't ogethat we're] er we eo a a happy foetal that deliberately ignore bs of eee ee ee ey backeround or give anallemativeakeona topic=justsolong | min mn tn nt Sy ar‘ eo asthe writer understands what they have chosen to ignore! {> bimslf ashe srbled sun.“ he colicin,” he 18 igs That's it for now. See you next time. fa ete Heche mrt ato, Mo te Gt ae enIssuc 15 ‘The atest acm from Hogshead and round-up 1 Ren cd ‘A Took at the sole of adventurers in the WFRP y "I ¢ seeking to adventure, and not role-play pig 7 haw Graeme Davis, joined by Phil Gallagher. shares his insights into the creation of Wathammer sod the jokes within. Part Two of Two “| thought there was also a Pissdorf, but it looks like cooter counsels prevailed there.” PU Te ar aces I ‘An cxamization of the Colt. its ais and a organisation. bo “The Empire simply cannot be played without an understanding of this cult" OO) PUES REPORTS FROM THE HEART OF CORRUPTION Arca PALE ere ees yy Giving the religions of the Old World some ae Kitry sod omen ree ror them the ighnng iron er roe 31 A fresh look at rangers and some new skills 10 gf? he wild > eo being the bowman faz BK help them survive A Lover Lost 35 ‘A fost romsotic involves PCs in dark deeds io the heart of Nala iv our latest sceoario, “Common talk ook a ranger is often rel ‘oF the group" outsiders as ‘ran opportunity to jack the price of goods and serviees up.a notch.” a aes Tinds our bero uacoverig « plot ‘quickly turning to frost nnd Ulric had mbered it was time to rule aver his kingdom, He had shaken the sleep from his eyes to descend upon the lands of Men.” The Forum ci ‘The latest ettcrs. Issue 1's The Wariore Grimoire proved to be + talking point “This is munchkinism a its worst, and the justification for these needed tricks is laughable. " Tiormen Payer Crate Tass Gow Tages Nounde Sst La WS _ Nesp Sil romney pace ee. tadREVIEWS ON-LINE RESOURCES Monastic Orders by Natascha Chrobok Under the Sails by Leif Ulrich Schrader Norsca by Morten Krog Reviewed by Joha Foody While we haven’ heen inundated with new WERP releases inthe las fe years, there has been steady supply of fre, publicly available new material forthe same. It would be nie to believe that Warpstone is at the foreffont of hs, but What we can publish pales into insignificance (in terms of quantity, atleast!) compared to what i available on the Internet. A host of websites (led by the excellent Warhammer Archives) provide material for every facet ofthe game and ‘he world. will fan-based material, the quality ofthe material is extremely ‘variable = while many ofthe ideas are good, the execution canbe es 0 From timeto time aflly-fledged min-sourcebook spins up. Such manuscripts seo to tackle their chosen topic whether it be Monasteries, Norscao Salling “ullyand comprehensively, Thee very form shows that they have been written and compiled with enthusiasm and dedication This review will look at the best of these releases (we have also looked at The Book ofthe Rat & Da Book of Goblins inthe pas) to see whether they ar essential additions othe colletion of every WFRP player. Before | begin to examine each ofthese ‘projet individually, its worth stating that cach is a work-in-progress. Even es | compiled this review, 1 was kept informed ‘of ongoing changes, some of which were the sult of comments made by others on- Tine, The versions readll could have done with varying degrees of thorough proof feading or improved layout, but these are something tat will doubles be ioned in time, and which should not Stop anyone ‘rom using them, But isthe material hat sweare here to lok a, o let me begin ‘Natasha Chrobok’s Monastic Ordersin the Old World is a good looking work, ilustrated by photos and pictures of monastery buildings, maps and sal characee poralts. With these, Natascha Sets the feel and tone of the| ‘manuscript nicely. The firs part ives a general overview ofthe workings and life of & monastery, or convent, and its inabitants. She has placed this background na firly historia (and, as might be expected, Roman Catholic) content, which makes for interesting feadng i ise This is followed by alist of careesthat canbe followed in sich astting, including numberof new ones. These ae generally well balanced, but most will only be use for NPCS. “The chapler looking a the Monastic Orders themselves covers fou in eit anda further four more ify, Those looked at closely ae the cls ‘of Sigma, Taal, Shallya and Veena, Natascha examines thei history an gives some idea of thee place in the Old World. Each of these contains ‘some intresting points, but don't fel there is enough deta on how they ‘an be incorporated int the ame, “The Final part gives us an idea of what atypical monastery might be lke Dedicated 10 Sigmar, the monastery is covered in some detail, with layout, inhabitants and secre flly detailed. Some adventute hooks ae also given for puting tis background to good use. The central conceit at the heart of the ‘monastery and the diy interactions are well handled, and it would be easy 10 slip his imo campaign Theres anced for more plot hooks tnd ideas throughout the ext. and | would have liked to have flr Scenario included. The background sstong, but could provide mote opportunites fo integrating his material into the Old Word ite ‘Overall, Monastic Orders provides good, slid background for GMs looking ‘include a monastery of players wanting 1 cn amonk PC. Wit jus litle more ‘work this would be an essential manoscrpt for every WER GM's shal 2 fap Batnns - Biss Ma Ast ca fe pe ne Ren ‘A somewhat bigger text is Under the Sails by Leif Ulrich Schrader Here, the author has takon on the impressive task of looking at naval life in the Warhammer World, There are a number of illustrations throughout the text “which provide good examples ofthe material covered, from types of ships 10 ‘weapons, Leif begins with history ofsea-travel, in which he introduces a previously ‘unknown civilisation, This sky gambit doesnt fall on is face, asitkept vague ‘enough tobe interpreted in merous ways, A brief overview af naval culture follows, but this could have expanded upon, forming mote ofa cental focus than it does. Later on, the various imperiant harbours ofthe Old World are Aiseused in more det The bulk of Under the Seils examine the deals of ships and those that work ‘pn them: Life om board ship examined, looking at superstons,poishments, religion and the dangers ofthe sea. The different classes of ships, how they are ‘made, navigated andthe variousmembersf the crew ar al looked at in etal Thisis greatly based i historical esearch and proves interesting, although as Wit Monastic Orders it could do with more bias towards adapting it fo the Old ‘World. dike the Sky Map that appears her, containing the constellations of Sigmar’s Hammers and Mor's Raven, amongst others. “The section on ship combats comprehensive butseems ike too much effort to use, taking anyway from the roleplaying potential of such Situations, However, think i wil Bil need Fr those who want 19 undertake this kind of combat. The final part of the main text gives ideas for campaigns at sea. This inclads some very sketchy adventore hooks that wil need alt of work to develop Finally, there area number of appendices, mostly consisting of charts iving profiles of ships, tists of prices and various combat related information. gazetea lists details of the pors ofthe Old World, although the garrison strengths sem alte high. This is followed by ‘ew carers and skills, the great majority ofthese being well though ‘outandelevanttothemain text. The inal appendix is Bloody Murder’ ‘simple and effective sea-bound scenario, ‘Under the Sails does provide an interesting ead, and is a good stepping ‘offpointio runing a campaign There is curently too much focuson the dtl, however, whilst more could be {incorporated on sailing inthe Old World fel Nonetheless, if you are heading seaward, this wil give youplentyof good {ideas about life on the seas of ‘Warhammer Taking our review ship North, we alight ypon the shores of Norsea as chronicled by Morten Krog, Here the author has alempted to detail a whole ‘county. The Norscan culture isan old and Violent one, only now becoming, more “civilised” like its neighbour, The Empire. It is a cold and hostile place, Famous foe snow and aders ‘The history and geography ofthe countty is briefly but solidly outlined, introducing the beginnings ofa conflict, ‘vith the Elves, something sich i not ‘expanded on elsewhere, The social sractur ofthe county is looked atin some eli, intcoducing the varius levels of nobility, government and obligation (Glavery& fiefdom). This gives the reader a good idea of how the county is ‘un, This section is fllowed by information onthe state of relationships and trade with other counties. The Norse alphabet, known as The Futhark, is also Introduced. “The section on religion is perhaps the mos detalled inthe book. Many ofthe Gods of he Norse are simi to the Imperial Gods. As he dows elsewhere, ‘Masten brings myth and legend int the mix, making the text come alive. This kindof details elcome, ast missing fom much ofthe WERP background. “The monsters of Norsca are also examined, and this chapter isthe strongest the book, with the ideas fully fleshed out Giants, Toll, and mutants are Tooked at, but cach s given a Norscan slant the giants particularly are made 19 Monastic Orders in the Old Iorld Warpstone - Issue Fifteenfeel a real part ofthe country. The sameis tue of the Ulfverenay, which are (10 ‘agraat extent) werewolves, Lam notoverly keen onsomeothe Troll subspecies, but they are credible enough, ew careers introduced here come firmly from the text itself, However. it to simplify Norse society intoa much simpler stricture dan should be. Two Non-Player Characters ae given, bur they ae 100 brief tobe of much ‘se, The same isto be said ofthe adventure haok, Much moe than the otha two manuserpt, Noresa sms incomplete, Some ofthe chapters ae litle more than noes. Morten gives the bare bones of the ovniry and that in most exses these are srong enough to work with, Nort fs given form and fel that makes it stand far beyond the worst Viking clichés. It ‘does come across sone uniform culture, but hat could easily be built upon. AS it stands the text would at 35a good intrduction for players wanting to play NNorscan characters. It could easily be nterpreted as being what they krom, without torch seret background and the like ‘Although three ofthese manuscripts, to preaer or lesser dear, are works inpeogress, each generally accomplishes the task thatthe authors have se ¢ TIM EWA RP Castle Drachenfels Published by Games Workshop Reviewed by Robert Clark ‘Written by Carl Sargent in 1992, Castle Drachenfels was the last |WFRP supplement tobe released by Gaunes Workshop before the line was dropped. As you'd expect, the book. is based on the novel “Drachenfels' by Jack Yoevil (AKA Kim Newman), and attempts to describe the denizens of the castle, There ate @ number of possible plot tie-ins to get your party fo enter the castle, but the castle fs more ‘fa location to be investigated than an adventure in itself. For those ‘of. you who haven't read the novel, be warned that this review contains some spoilers. I recommend ‘you read the book firs, iP'you can find i My major gripe with tis book ~ and there are a few is the whole idea of adventuring in Castle Deachenfels itself. [think the novel isa very good! story, a gripping tale that gives a great feel of the ‘Warhammer mythos. At the end of the nove, the castle i destroyed once and forall, yet the soureebook states thatthe castle stil exists Obviously there would be litle use fora sourcebook iit didn't, but surely this weakens the story and thus the game. The sourcebook also. suggests that the castle regenerates overtime, and that ithas the ability to bring Drachenfels back. In the novel it took Drachenfels centuries to slowly. ‘rau back to life after he was defeated by Sigmar, and to me this owed more o his personal powers than to those of his castle ‘The castle itselP's rather uninspired, 1 say the least. The layouts ‘are prety standard throughout, and contain a whole plethora of Undead o throw at your party I’m not the most experienced role- player, but even I'm aware that this makes for extremely boring, ‘dungeon-bashing, Nearly every room, creature and encounter is @ conflict situation. tsa case of kill the monsters, search the room for useful items, then move on. This isnt really WFRP is i? It makes ‘some of the worst seetions of Doomstones look mild, especially since there you actually have a definite goal to achieve. Whilst it might be argued that presenting Castle Drachenfels asa location to be adapted for GMs’ use means greater lenibility | found that this meant almost any exeuse to go tothe castle was used. Even the examples given in the book are hall-baked, usually revolving around recovering a magi item or something equally unoriginal. bine sera) CASTLE DRACHENFELS themselves, None of hom, present istrong enough hat you would expect 0 see them nan oficial sourcebook. Hosrever cach suceods m detling erent part of The Old World, making them part ofthe greater whole aad the author. Considering these were written forthe love of the game, they are to be congratulated for thereon, Each is certainly wort the effort to search out especially asthey are fee! Mossstic Orders vere geocitiescom/ArcSI/Labyrnth/8869/euheamerht ade the Sails eils_domaintrpodcom /olehy/orshia Norsca (ot the Warhassmer archives) sewworsthammeraet REVIE W However, i's not all bad. Some of the encounters ae or ‘athe interesting ~ for example, the rather surreal encounter with the ‘Chaos bed, ofthe Chaos Cuckoo, Aftera while though, it does tend to boil down to, “Watch out, the Chaos toilet! ete. ee.”, but taken in isolation there area few good ideas here. In this Sense, the book could be useful asa source of ideas that you could throw into an adventure, but if used ‘as is, i becomes humdrum and predictable, It is questionable as to whether the sourcebook remains trie to its source, since much of the magic that was encountered related to the Great Enchanter, ance dead, the castle was litle more than an empty shell. The sourcebook suggests otherwise, and because ofthis you sometiines feel that the seting is related to Drachenfels in namie only. “Take away the names and it could be any generic dungeon. ‘One ofthe greatest things about the novel is its atmosphere; dark, even macabre in places. The sourcebook is Sadly lacking in tis. The Undead minions and lost souls that inhabit the castle seem tobe everywhere, and whilst at first this may be ‘evocative ofthe atrocities Drachenfels has ‘committed, it just becomes monotonous. There arconly so many times you can walk into @ room {ey be encountered by the wailing dead and be “uffeted by it. This is its greatest fault. Even “without good reason for going here, players ‘might forgive a scenario if't i enjoyable and exciting, This is plodding and hackneyed, The Inclusion af the ‘Drachenfels lives!” adventare fea could make ita race against time, but again, the very dea of Drachenfels coming back from the dead so recently after he died isa sell-out of some of the strong material from the novel. ‘Would you want this book? It really depends on how much of ‘completist you are. Since Hogshead have mentioned that its “atthe bottom of the ple for reprinis (no doubt dueto the points raised above), if you really want i, get it whilst you can picked up my copy for £10, and since it appears to be fairly common in second- hhand games shops, I doubt it would be priced any higher— not ifthe seller wanted to get rd oft, anyway. Sadly, I cannot recommend Castle Drachenfels at all. Hopefolly Hogshead might consider rewriting it at some point, perhaps sticking. ina proper themed adventure or toning down the proliferation of nasties, As it stands, there are few redeeming features. The selling is over-powered, lacking a true connection with the novel, and is basically a hackfest Warpstone - Issue FifteenWARPSTONE FRAGMENTS BRIEF REVIEWS AND NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WARHAMMER ‘The Shelf Breaketh ‘As RPG Magazine rovndop GAMES MAGAZINES: THE RAW FACTS RPG Magan, Js ke bss, Wat for age Fr one hen al ove rp thrgh eal box atone. Thee deseo bes “The Hobbit tte Games Garete ‘valatonon he gues sophia mati of profrsonaland | Feqieney Thess Ties Frequency only tor fle at rhe yoo you ek, adie oe Curent tise Cures tue (17 ‘eleome eps G Gamer Gaza inci inom sete | Cover Pie 53.50 (Cover ce AS Ilene ofa ew oon of Carl. Eee Rober Rees estred | Subsrpion:SIDUSA.S20Forcian Subsripon (6 ise) UK £10 IWHRP enmumerouoccsonr ihe past ue IS oft AS,ptun | In Games hops: No Im Games Shap? Inthe UK, Yes, {rad norman bolt eno xcepton On top ofereviow of Adres 2105 Maple Soe ‘es Chi ays 67 Myo se ‘Warton 2 rami attr Recommended Faaine’-Shusas) | Caen 1.42009 (Chapt Nor, don se, SS1556 ‘ere sto WFR scearoe Oe sth iht-earded Tales of [AL yoo oli. the olde amor gues Syvonisby Mikal Anderson oqgasisbleonthe web) ante | Wage ‘evo agate, Reviews ofthe le Second n nereting ety Raber asl He doeacaimThe Secret | Freqeeny: Quarely tes, Ge, compte bnrdare nd ‘ot Phils Far font WERP ation ile Ono ofthe at | Comet eae 20 Styne ht ulin reves ond commer anise. There alto an aril by Tim Eeser which acest companion | Cover Pree 3.505750 pie tis iste'sConesponde: (pone 3 Susp: (Sses)UK C1600, Games Games Games (G3) ‘Boxncing on te arts tke Areca Games Unplage Fell Eivpe 2150 Rest Worl £2350 Frequny: Monthy elo nd inden ith ver ts inprstive hl Seng BA | \s Gomes Shop? Waely stable. 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The rgiliesies te lager good anda ltoghthe new NPC section stare ot | (5) *SSAE fr back es (Cover rice: US $399, 3.00 UK Foor, Th crows esi he ween arty fr wil The baka he magi, te Feats | T8Oaes Shops No, Subscription None est fd Senos se variable ay mine bch ARghithar some way to gnyetHoibrie | Ads R- Res, Top Floor Fi. 22 In Games Shops Ye. ‘Senso niing mov ofa prsealybanithns hed presiosy Theres ie eoinerea te | Va Sqr Cllr, Bris BSEAES_Aaess:PO Box 21, ake Geneve WL ‘WERP gamer, your ieee sped fre en gv ita loo, ewe 20% mare ikaw Q orwgrcies com's S34, USA woganeunpogae coy Appeals tne groster gree a tee re for but sg ete 8 ay pat recy poke ise tee of Sr "Pardy" RPG mapiinePubsbedbyagoupot OTHER NEWS tends they scep sibs) whether oui edependsen yur sense unoarathough —_Hslqun Milt sno or. They have ben bough ou by Iba Mitre * there ae eros” pices ‘aD ed Edo release oie rcp a Geneon eling 100 copes ‘On nda acne ror Mie Pepsin hash it diabton ken ove by Ase * Gren Knight publsbers of edge lesa The Book of Kgs. min ‘ann the publanr ofr iced wha Mt aap dor now work fo) The veron ofr this great yame* Sconpn sean be waking an RPC “Halt Hotes ddsted Tmel dT, se Tre binging mtr of ls iting ind eve with GURPS weampank nd the recomended Forge Fre» 1 Sex ies Pblished by ocesonlWansonecomibuor nest. Stipman jou mea Tame on De Otsatdng Achievemet in Role Paying Dsinatthe Orgs averds® Lot Tal fin ten eck ‘Uncrn mer tb Bong oy Mia of he Ca * Swing Boye Suing! ‘Hogshead News ‘well received and Hogshead are reprinting partly due to delay’s with upcoming, Apocrypha 2: Chae of Darkness finaly ot, being __ supplements and because they want fo get mothers out in 2000, ) realised to great sceestat Geneon, Wealso hee spars Duomstones 3 al “antins to e eusod” but ales inert 2001 J sha: togshead vital sold ou of all merchandise at scoms likely. Real a orery i al with Gans Workshop foe approval ‘Gamss Day 2000. Speaking of Apoonpiha 2, if anyone's who dose tobe taking hee ime on i. Also the pipe fin for 2001 sronderng why ies hiner than the rt volume inthe (dean hat sie jut Keg coming no your head), ithe Dar and serie. thier pape, Hopshead say tnt the pape the pines were Skavensoureebooks, nd mayb, js mays” Real of Spree. anes asked fo us! “Anwell” Hogshead were heard osay.-Areview next sve, Walls fe ls hoping to wie some more tuff frase hen wel Tho moet WERP clea wll ba repent of Dra: Dark Shadow, the Others, they've appointed Carol Jonson 8 Production Eaitor and lan Fame bacharound- and adventrepack sc inthe shadow othe Vaults Sturrock as ales & Marketing Manage, to ope the recenly departed Clare ‘mounais, There wll be some mine changes othe bok, sos the Steps and Mace Tay. ‘They've al got Key of Deliroad wad Conroct Femoval oF six pages of NPCs fo the long-ovtoFprint Games Workshop Kilrs Dino coming ou or Scares sory, and the release of the novels and a nw cover, bu bascally Ws the same Book, twas evr that second ein othe Nobis RP cary in 200 ST 4 Warpstone - Issue FifteenTHE CORRESPONDENT The Place of Player Characters within the Old World by Tim Eccles ‘The aim of this article is to examine the motivations for Ps, and deserbe the nature of normality’ in the Old World. Exactly what ae the differences between a PC and the typical imperial citizen? In order todo this, of course, itis frst necessary to recognise that the PC i fundamentally different from the ordinary citizen. The latter ate average stereotypes, fated to follow well- defined routes laid dovn for them at bit, and buffeted by the whims of fate «from natural disaster to economic eycle. The PCs, however, are independent figures, often radically diferent tothe stereotype of thei fellow beings Te is quite obvious that the normal citizen flows the standard stereotype ofthe normal person in Wester Europe for most of pre-industrial history ‘Weenvisage the subordinate and oppressed status of the peasant andthe sef, 83 well a the lowly staus of women, a5 the norm. I think there are (wo aspects to recognise, however, when applying such history to WERP. Firstly, the average Old Worlder lives in @ fantasy world of magic and divine itervention. Whilst WERP might be a low fantasy game, such elements are still there. He or she also suffers terrible hardships, particularly fom the prevalence of chaos, but also uncaring nobles and general poverty. Some of this might be true of our own history, but some isnot. Secondly, because we are concerned with PCS, we are interested in the decidedly unaverage person, We are seeking to adventure, and not role-play pg farming or catle herding, The typicel male ofthe Middle Ages was a set ound tothe land who almost never ventured much beyond the borders ofthe manor, and then only with permission of his lord. Even the freeman, whether a cural yeoman or 8 townsman, rarely ventured more than 10 miles fom his biethplace. Our PCs are fated 0 save the world ~or ce trying. They are tougher or more intelligent than the typical person is, and they’are enmeshed in plots that allow them to transcend nosmal social rules with (atleast) the permission of their social superiors, Characters in FRP ae, by definition, exceptional and unusual people who venture far past the typical limits of normal life Normality “The basic idea of noma for atypical Old Worker is going to be diffiult roexplan,becase the Od Worlds so diferent from our own madern culture ‘Our view of any figure must be based upon some idealised standard of ‘what is normal within the Old World milieu, One of our major problems immediately the concept ofthe indvidval: our own society pays eat epard (atleast nominally) to the individual, and the power of the individual. The idea of elFdentty is much less develope inthe Olé World. Imperial tzens Tack mach ofthe awareness of selfthat arse fom the concepts of individuality and individual worth, which have only arisen in recent centuries. The view Wwe have of ourselves, our individual worth and our identity, is radically diferent than tat ofan Old Worlder. Much of their dent is communal in nature, and the ation of privacy is very limited, For example, most Old ‘Worlders will not even have their own bedroom; large families will share a single oom for their etre lives. This wll clearly affect how they act on a ily basis, sine an individual will have no spce fr privacy and very litle ability to keep any of one’s afer or feelings oneself, or a few chosen by oneselt ‘Therefore, communality would likely ereate introspective and careful individuals, wary of showing thei rue thoughis. This is also true ofthe nobility Inthe ease ‘oF manor, there is litle privacy ‘even for the Lord and Lady. Servants are sknost omnipresent on virally every ‘ccason; they know when theit Lord is in Warpstone - Issue Fifteen ‘bed (and with whom), when he is on the jacks, when he is il, Servants, ‘guardsmen, vassal knights in attendance, Chaplain, scribe - the Lord is dependent upon all these and many others to carty out his order(s) oF to suis this oF that need. In other words, image and public face are very important to the average O16 Worler. Unlike PCs, they cannot simply move ‘on if they make fools of themselves in ther current location Because images important, word of honour isto be taken seriously for ‘once itis broken, one will never be trusted agin. Ever. This affects everyone fiom the lowliest peasant to the richest merchant, All eed tobe trusted, This isalso uve ofthe nobility clergy and various police groups. They need trust in theie words. Even Witeh-hunters need trust; the Salem witch hunts did ‘more to set back Christianity than if there actually had been witches, forthe ‘people los uth in thei leaders and clerics as patently innocent people were ‘burned Similarly, 1 believe thet the patemalistic ideals of feudal obligation and the more specific rules ofthe likes ofthe Chvalric Code are likely to be tolerably well adhered 0, for this very reason, Some will obviously ignore such rules but they are the villains the woe, The point is that without a| normal level of behaviour by most lords, knights or priests, how would trust in such institations arise? Without trust, no Chivalrie Code can exist. “The concept of normal” within the Empire is probably an entire subject In itself, but | hope that you will concur withthe characteristics described so far: generally poor, geographically limited, close-knit communal tes, with limited concept of self but well-developed idea ofthe worth of one's word ‘None of these apply to the PCS - with the possible exception of being poor! Why Are PCs Not Normal? The PCs stand out fom the crowd of typical Olé Worlders because the hands of fate touch them; they have fate point. They are, in some form, the representatives ofthe Olé World deities in their diy battle to throw back the hordes of chaos. More mundanely, they are unhappy in the daily routine of normality and, when fete offers them a chance to take up a more “exiting” ‘arect, they jump ait, They ste different, s they have different aspirations. In social terms, PCs stand out because they are adventurers, and this profession transcends the normal social rules of etiquete. Desperate people rievous need hire adventurer, and the world teats them withthe respect {feat generate by tis dirty job. As PCs become more powerfol,it becomes increasingly difficult for “ordinary” citizens to control them, even if they so wished. By their very natures, they are clearly different and will always be ‘weated like tis. Only in the most cosmopolitan of areas are they likely to receive anything other than stranger satus. ‘Why Do PCs Adventure? ‘The simple, possibly naive, response to this question is because they are Iheres. PCs are unusual in WFRP, in that they have Fate Points. These reflect the importance of thei roles in the unfolding drama of the future of the ‘Warhammer World, and th fact that they have in some way been selected by the gods opposed tthe forces of chaos to fight the insidious incursions into thee world. WFRP (p13) states, “Yate isthe essential difference that marks the characteras an adventurer eather than an ordinary run-of-the-mill citizen ‘Adventurer characiers have a destiny mission, a definite goa in life the ‘character is marked out by the gods todo it", Personally, think tha its valid to expect the PCs to act as heroes, even within the dark gothic fantasy that is WFRP. I hink that the interesting part of playing ® WERP hero is that they are much more warts and all heroes than those Found in typical high fantasy games. Our heroes ail (sometimes), they run away (frequent), they are insecure, have vices and foibles, and typically act very diferent fom a ‘bunch of Lawful Good do-gooders. But they are heroes, and should be ‘expected fo act as such - that s their normal (or average) behavioural ti. Adventurers as NPCs “The extent to which PCs are seen as not being normal, and the degree to 5which they can break rules, cerainly depends upon their own efficacy and ability to eaforce themselves upon their environment. Put simply, PCs who hhave Saved the Empire, or can wipe ou the local law enforcement, abviously hhavean ability t operate outside normal modes of behaviour. The extent that they abuse this power will determine responses towards them. Even grateful ‘emperors can grow tired of bothersome ois taking them fora ride, whilst, despite its fragmented nature, most regions can expect Imperial aid where serious oulawry is occurring ‘More important, however, isthe place of NPC adventurers within the (Old Word. [FCs are simply part ofa social phenomenon resulting from the rise of chaos and the fragmentation of the Empire (ora least the eplacement ofits social tes with contactual ones), then there are presumably (many) ‘other groups of adventurers wandering about. Whilst attitudes towards PCs ‘might then be influenced by the behaviour ofthe previous group in town, ‘more generally t suggests that adventurers area mote normal pan ofthe Old Worlds social and cultura fabric. Indeed, one might go further and suggest that adventuring almost becomes a career in itself In this case, the Empire authorities wil seek to try and control adventurers in much the same way as they will ty and contr Witch-hunters, bounty hunters and the Fike, Their suceess in such contol is likey tobe limited, butt offers GMs some level of| influence depending whether warrant are issued by those needing tasks don ‘ean be purchased, or (of course) forged. Normality and PCs: Some Examples Carrying Weapons: Inthe Old Word here i tle doubt ha its rulers vwanta peaceful and stable society or atthe very east a malleable one. This means tht they ae likely fo lok upon welarmed individuals wandering around thei lands and ities with distinely unfavourable eye. On the other hand, the celity ofthe Old Word is fr from peacefl, and even ordinary pope wil ear some protection. So, how do the autores deal with the 8? Midenbeim, according to Warhammer iy, makes visitors “check- their weapons and heavy armour on entering the ity Tie might well be notmal. According to the WERP rulebook, most Imperial vilages have fortieaions, and most farmstead are fortified to some extent. Those approaching sucha place well armed ate ely tobe dealt with suspiciously, and prevented or rested in their en, unless known in the rea. ‘The question then evolves around definitions of ‘armed’ tis likely chat snot Old Worlds wil have acces to same form af hand weapon, and this follows mediaeval history where daggers and short swots or axes wete not uncommon. tis where individuals wear metal amour carry serious weapons ofwar particularly rears, crossbows and wo-handed weapors) or are on barded war horses that problems wil aise and the authorities will at. There are two base exceptions to tis al, although even here overanning will ause questioning and suspicion Fis the Empire asa bureaucrats society ‘willsel pets to appropriate persons eperatng in appropriate areas. Devious {GMscan always sel thelr PCs fake permis. Devious payers can always buy fake permits whieh wil ely convince mest iiterat individuals Second, ceriin individuals will automatically be permitted use by their sation or past Wearing the iver of nobles or local iid mechan, being accompanied by ther representatives othose af an oficial cult, pts one above commones Silay solders, militiamen, watchmen, guardsmen, coadwvardens, With: hunters, templar, coachnen and similar public sevants at alowed to cary farms as part of their jobs. Those in similar positions, but operating 38 frelances, ae nt automatically excluded rom this pivilege tisalo worth stressing the intense xenophobia ofthe Old Weld People fiom diferent regions, an this might mean fom as litle asa few miles aay, willbe partoulaly dsirsted. Aral, they are probably pies fom Bretomia, Ostland, the Cut of Sigma othe nephew ofthe rating Lord. IP these people carry weapons the they ae even more likely to be spies. This love of iss ls extends fo non-humans. Whilst Dwarfs and Hallings might be respected and ignored, respectively, Elves ae rare and wondrous creatures whose very presence i fighting. So, om entering ity, PCs shoul have permit ep items well packed, ‘or hand them over to an official. And, as a GM, have said officals {cecasonally) commit fraud or sufer a rhe. I is worth nating that sventurers should be encouraged to carey a hfe with them for general Purpose cutng eating thet food and (of course) prtetion. This is quite 1nd will be allowed everywhere. fn general, though, PCs entering a city had best keep thie weapons packed asta. or else they wil prove t be the Fist suspect in cases of murder, het, sedition, and any ater plot device '8GM can think up. GMs need simply put themselves inthe position of some oor guard o¢roadwarden, who suddenly encounters a group of PCs. What ‘would you think if you rounded the comer, and standing inthe steet wore haifa dozen fully armed shady characters? In general, then, PCs fae similar restitions to most Old Worlders, but PCs have the advantage of seeking temporary employment that allows them to cary weapons. Or they have the money 0 “obtain” permits, Or the skill, to forge them. Because PCs are individuals, run by players, they are quite able to create ingenious methods to circumvent this most sensible and basic ‘of ules - and give themselves a serious advantage in doing so ‘Social Etiquette: PCs meet characters from higher echelons of society ona regular basis, And, whilst they might have to bow occasionally, they are very ‘arely simply beaten up forthe hell of i, expected to shut up and put up,