A R C H I V E S O F T H E E M P I R E : VO L U M E I I

WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

CREDITS
Writing: Dave Allen, Michael Duxbury, Jude Hornborg, Robin Low, Pádraig Murphy,
Clive Oldfield, Samuel Poots, Simon Wileman

Illustration: Benoît Blary, Alessandro Boer, Anthony Boursier, Ralph Horsely, Dániel Kovács, Josef Kucera, Andy Law,
Sam Manley, Luca Moos, JG O’Donoghue, Ruxandra Onita, Scott Purdy, Pedro Sena, Erin H Rea

Cover: Sam Manley

Development and Production: Dave Allen, Pádraig Murphy

Layout: Muireann Brady

Editor: Brian Johnson

Proofreader: Nicolas A Montelongo

Cubicle 7 Business Support: Tracey Bourke, Elaine Connolly, Jennifer Crispin, Matthew Freeman,
Paula Graham, Fiona Kelly, Neil McGouran, Kieran Murphy, Cian Whelan

Cubicle 7 Creative Team: Dave Allen, Emmet Byrne, Alex Cahill, David F Chapman, Walt Ciechanowski,
Christopher Colston, Josh Corcoran, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Runesael Flynn, Andy Law, Elaine Lithgow, TS Luikart,
Dominic McDowall, Sam Manley, Pádraig Murphy, Ceíre O’Donoghue, JG O’Donoghue, Laura Jane Phelan, and Sam Taylor

Creative Director: Emmet Byrne

Publisher: Dominic McDowall

Special thanks to the Games Workshop Team

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Last Updated: 7th December, 2022

2
 A R C H I V E S O F T H E E M P I R E : VO L U M E I I I

CONTENTS

ENTERPRISES I
LEGITIMATE BUSINESS
IV
MINOR GODS, FOLK WORSHIP &
HEDGECRAFT VII
ALTDORF — A WORLD TO ITSELF

Starting an Enterprise............................. 6
Creditors.................................................. 8
Expansion................................................ 9
Enterprise Events.................................... 9
Courier Service...................................... 12
Crafting Workshop............................... 13
Criminal Gang...................................... 15
South Bankers....................................... 83
Human religion..................................... 48 Eastenders............................................. 83
The Old Faith ....................................... 49 The City North...................................... 84
Hearth and Home................................. 50
Minor Gods........................................... 50
The Cult of Khaine................................ 50
Penances ............................................... 51
Strictures............................................... 51
VIII
ALTERNATIVE CHANNELLING

Holy Temple.......................................... 17
Knightly Order...................................... 19
Tavern.................................................... 21
Market Parlour...................................... 23
Noble Estate.......................................... 25
Performance Troupe ............................. 27
Publishing House.................................. 29
Example Creditor.................................. 30
Three Unusual Shops............................. 31
The Cult of Solkan................................ 52
Penances ............................................... 53
Strictures............................................... 53
Priest of Solkan..................................... 54
Miracles of Solkan................................. 55
Cult of the Old Faith............................ 56
Albion and the Truthsayers................... 57
The Dwindling of the Old Faith........... 58
Penances ............................................... 58
Strictures............................................... 58
Channelling Test................................... 85
Casting with Channelled Power............ 86
Cants..................................................... 86
The Lore of Beasts................................. 87
The Lore of Death................................. 87
The Lore of Fire.................................... 87
The Lore of Heavens............................. 87
The Lore of Metal................................. 88
The Lore of Life.................................... 88
The Lore of Light.................................. 88
The Lore of Shadows............................. 88

II
SUITS OF STEEL
Priests of the Old Faith......................... 58
Living at the Hedge.............................. 59
Armour Damage................................... 34
Repairing Armour................................. 35
Magic and Knowledge........................... 60
The Lore of Hedgecraft ........................ 62
IX
LORD ADALBERT KNOPP-INZEL

Armour Rules........................................ 36
Armour.................................................. 37
Helmet Designs..................................... 38
V
Encountering Adalbert.......................... 89
THE CULT Lord Adalbert........................................ 90
OF RHYA The Knight’s Retinue............................. 92
Brother Samhel, Priest of Morr............. 92

III
THE CULT OF HANDRICH

Foundation of the Cult.......................... 40

Foundation of the Cult.......................... 66
Aspects of the Goddess......................... 67
Mitterfruhl — ‘Spring Growth’............. 70
Sonnstill................................................ 70
Ella Terenz, Con Artist......................... 93
Ridrek Blackhelm, Dwarf Fool.............. 94
Leonard, Squire..................................... 94
Handrich in the Empire........................ 40
Mittherbst — ‘Less Growth’.................. 70
Beliefs.................................................... 42
Priestess of Rhya.................................... 72
Worshippers.......................................... 44
Miracles of Rhya................................... 74
Priest of Handrich................................. 46
Miracles of Handrich............................ 47

VI
ANIMAL FAMILIARS

Magical Traditions................................. 75
NPC Animal Familiars.......................... 76
Animal Familiar Generation................. 78
Finding a Gifted Animal....................... 79
Bonding With Animal Familiars........... 80
New Talents & Creature Traits.............. 81
Animal Familiar Career......................... 82

3
 My erstwhile correspondent. Twice now we have exchanged substantial
missives, and twice I have gone without remittance, recompense, or even
a response for all my troubles. Have I not made it clear in my tellings
that I am in need of aid? That I am dissatisfied? Have my writings
meant nothing to you, nor my compilations and careful research
brought you gain? Your silence remains the harshest of the many knives
that pierce my heart, though it vies for prominence against devilish
competition.
Oh, I have tried to make this place bearable, even to engage in
conversation with my jailors and thereby improve upon my circumstances, but it is all for naught.
Their latest ruse is to claim that my ‘patron’ has withdrawn their support for my stay here, and
reduced my funding to a pittance. As though my brother, the Emperor Karl-Franz himself, should
have any issue in finding funds to support his own sister! I must assume the Shallyans here
have abandoned their principles entirely and decided to use the funds for their own purposes, for I
cannot bring myself to believe that my own brother would abandon me. Perhaps I am naive. Or at
least, I was.
I have decided to make good my escape from this place. Not least of all because my previous
accommodations, spartan as they were, have of late fallen completely into ruin. They tell me that
it is my own fault, that in fits and moments of madness I speak of unutterable things, tear the
carpets from the walls and smash the furniture to splinters. I am sure they merely steal these
things while I sleep, hocking them for their own gain or furnishing their own quarters. Still, I have
safely hidden away my writing kit and a great deal of parchments and correspondence — these
they will never have from me!
So, with my mind set on escape, and with all former support upon which I might have relied
— even your own! — denied to me, I must consider other options. I will need money, and have
pondered long and hard on how I might come about it. Though commerce is a grubby business,
there are several mercantile enterprises I might pursue, and I have gathered some writings on how
to go about this. Anyone intending to undertake such ventures would do well to have the favour of
Handrich, for it is said that the god of merchants balances all books in the end. Equally I consider
older gods: Rhya who might preserve me should I find myself lost in the wilderness, and even half-
forgotten Solkan, who might bring me the justice I increasingly crave. We shall see.
In all this I may require a champion, someone whose skill at arms and unwavering heart might
help preserve me where my own flesh and blood will not. I have heard of someone, a kindred
spirit perhaps, who may be of some use in this respect. He calls himself a knight, though he is
certainly no Reiksguard, nor of any other vaunted chapter I have heard of. He styles himself Lord
Adalbert Knopp-Inzel, though lord of what I cannot say. Currently he seems preoccupied with the
Jungfreuds of Ubersreik, but I hope he can be convinced of the rightness of my own cause. I include
a folio on him and his known followers as well — gratefully I still have some contacts in the
Reikland with whom I may correspond in expectation of reply.
It would be foolish in the extreme for me to explain in detail my own plans for escape, though I will
be in touch with a forwarding address as soon as I am established elsewhere. Despite your long
silence, I remain hopeful that you may reply. I trust you remain in good health, and that your
many duties have not overwhelmed you. I must confess, I have imagined all sorts of disasters
that might have befallen you, each quite terrible. Though I hold you no malice, every fate I saw for
you was preferable to a crueller alternative — that you as well have simply abandoned me.
Writing of fate and imaginings, I must share a recent vision with you. It came to me only lately,
preceding the start of the exodus of all items of comfort from my chambers. I saw Altdorf, and the
sky above it opening up in a wreath of blues and purples. Beyond the skies I saw a realm of chaos
and change, and terrible forms descending from it. I think perhaps it was an expression of my own
abiding regret, for I do not wish to ponder that anything so terrible could truly exist. I did not leave
Altdorf so much as I was cast aside by it, as you know, and so it does not seem strange to me that
my mind might conjure up such horrors.
Still, I have not been able to shake the vision, nor the image of the great feathered thing in the
midst of it. I think I addressed it, for it seemed familiar somehow. It noticed me, to its own
amusement, and to my horror I heard it speak. I have forgotten what it said, if it truly answered
me at all, though I am left with the feeling that some curse upon me has been renewed. I am not
sure what I hoped to gain by questioning such a hallucination. Surely horrific, enterprising evil
rarely answers regretted enquiries truthfully, revered uncle?
It was after this vision that my circumstances turned so foul. It has been months, and I feel more
forgotten than ever. I do not refer only to yourself. It seems to me that even the nuns sometimes
forget I exist, and appear surprised to find my room occupied at all when I inquire after forgotten
meals they should have brought me. One even neglected to lock the door of my cell yesterday,
and I was able to sneak out and acquire my own copy of the key, for I was not yet ready to depart
entirely. I will spend some time gathering what I will, and have steeled myself to the purpose.
When next we correspond, dear uncle, I shall be in better circumstances I am sure.
With a noble heart,
Princess Isabella von Holswig-Schleistein,
Sister to Emperor Karl-Franz I,
16 Brauzeit, 2513 IC
I
• LEGITIMATE BUSINESS •
ENTERPRISES
Precious few citizens of the Old World ever choose to make a
living from adventure. Most that do still prefer to supplement
their income with more stable work. Even adventurers fortunate
enough to stumble upon the odd treasure hoard know these
opportunities are fleeting, and having a side hustle to fall back
on is essential if they intend to live longer than their heroic
campaigns.
Every Career has an Earning Skill (WFRP pages 51–52) and
a Status that determines their Income (WFRP page 198), both
comparatively risk-free ways for Characters to earn money after
a week’s work. But for most Careers, these gains are modest.
Ambitious Players may prefer to invest their earnings for a
greater payoff later, which could unlock access to Trappings
they could never usually afford. Even Banking (WFRP page
196) may not return sufficient interest to satisfy covetous
adventurers.
Enterprises are ways for GMs to fulfil this niche. They are
business ventures the Characters can nurture over the course of
weeks, months, or even years, by investing their own (or, even
better, other people’s) money to stimulate growth. Though they
require more consideration, patience, and effort than living off
Banking interest, they also reduce the risk of misfortune stealing
their money away. Usually, only a Character’s negligence will
cause their Enterprise to fail, which GMs can exploit to create
new adventures that imperil the Enterprise unless attended to.
Players can gain additional benefits from Enterprises, besides
the eventual promise of increased Earnings. Enterprises have
their own Earning Skills, which the Players may be more
interested in developing for their Characters than the Earning
Skill dictated by their Career. Enterprises have their own special
rules, which expand Player options, and may unlock access
to social situations that are barred to less accomplished folk.
Finally, Enterprises can be worked on by multiple Characters
at once, improving the links of teamwork within a party. All
contributing Characters profit when an Enterprise performs
well. Should it perform badly, at least they have their business
partners with whom to share the blame!
6
STARTING AN ENTERPRISE
Characters interested in owning an Enterprise begin by
choosing one of the ten Enterprise templates listed in this
supplement as the basis of their company.
Each template is quite broadly defined to fit a variety of
different business types — the examples listed may provide the
spark of inspiration, but Players are encouraged to invent their
own money-making schemes, and adapt them to the template
that suits best! These are:
0 Courier Service
0 Crafting Workshop
0 Criminal Gang
0 Holy Temple
0 Knightly Order
0 Tavern
0 Market Parlour
0 Noble Estate
0 Performance Troupe
0 Publishing House
Characters may choose to start with an Enterprise in the Step 5:
Trappings stage of character creation after calculating starting
wealth (WFRP page 37), spend an Endeavour to acquire one
during a period of downtime (WFRP page 195), or even have
an opportunity to create or take over an Enterprise during an
adventure, if the circumstances are appropriate.
Though each Enterprise template includes a list of Suggested
Careers, there is no limitation on which Careers can select
specific templates. If multiple Characters choose Enterprises,
they may either set up their own separate Enterprises, or
partner up with another Character to share an Enterprise. No
Character can manage more than one Enterprise at once —
such a demand on their time would necessitate abandoning
their adventuring life entirely!
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S I
In order to acquire an Enterprise, Characters must pay its Start- an Enterprise — which is not unlikely, especially for starting
Up Costs, which are listed in the Enterprise template. This Characters — they may approach a Creditor to loan them the
covers the expense of business premises, establishing supply, rest of the capital they need. At a minimum, Character must pay
recruiting and training necessary personnel, and marketing to 10% of an Enterprise’s Start-Up Costs when they first acquire
a reliable customer base. If a Character, or group of Characters it, or they are unable to attract Creditors and cannot afford to
paying collectively, cannot afford the full Start-Up Costs for set up the business.

ENTERPRISE FORMAT
Each of the Enterprise templates uses a consistent layout. The key below can help to find the relevant information in an Enterprise template,
or serve as a guideline for GMs or Players who want to create new Enterprise templates.

Examples: Specific ideas for business types that would suit the general Enterprise template. This list is intended to be inspirational rather
than exhaustive. GMs and players may have their own ideas.

Suggested Careers: Careers, or Classes, most likely to consider setting up this kind of Enterprise. Again, this is intended as a guideline,
not a restrictive list.

Start-Up Costs: How much money Characters must pay to set up the Enterprise. In the event Characters cannot afford this cost themselves,
and must depend on Creditors for funding, the minimum 10% Characters must pay to attract Creditors is also included.

Interest Payments: How much money the Characters invested in an Enterprise must pay between each adventure, in order to satisfy their
Creditors. If the Enterprise is no longer in Debt, these payments are not required.

Creditors: A suggested list of individuals who might consider helping the Characters purchase the Enterprise, in return for an ongoing fee.

Sources of Income: Possible ways for the business to make its money. For each Source of Income, a suggested Earning Skill is provided
for Characters using the Enterprise during an adventure (WFRP pages 51–52), but other Skills may be accepted at the GM’s discretion.
Each of these income sources also lists a Status, which Characters may temporarily substitute for their own when working out how much
money they make whilst Earning or using the Income Endeavour. Note that a Source of Income can only be used if the Enterprise has
the corresponding Trappings.

Trappings: Premises, vehicles, tools, animals, and hirelings the Characters gain access to so long as the Enterprise remains operational.
Characters may find these Trappings useful whilst adventuring, but Enterprises that regularly lose Trappings to their owners’ shenanigans
may reduce the Status of their income sources, at the GM’s discretion.

Special Rules: Advantages or restrictions which apply to all Characters who have invested in the Enterprise, or any way that the template
does not abide by the usual Enterprise rules.

Expansion: Three additional levels of development the Enterprise can progress through, one step at a time. Each level lists the cost to
expand (including the minimum 10% cost if depending on Creditors), the new cost of Interest Payments, adjustments to the Enterprise’s
Status for purposes of Earning or gaining Income, and any additional Trappings or Special Rules acquired.

Alternate Events: Events that are specific to this kind of Enterprise, which should normally be substituted for results 55–57 and 58–60
on the Enterprise Events Table.

Adventure Hooks: Two ideas of how a Character’s investment in an Enterprise can lead to adventures in their own right, rather than just
being a concern for downtime.

For Sale: A fully worked example of an Enterprise fitting the template, available for Characters to buy if they pay the usual Start-Up Costs.
GMs can offer these Enterprises to Players to simplify the decision-making process of working out a new Enterprise’s details from scratch.
Alternatively, these examples may inspire Players to come up with their own ideas.

7
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
CREDITORS
Creditors are NPCs who help Characters to pay Enterprise
Start-Up Costs they might otherwise not afford. They do
so not out of kindness, but out of greed, for as long as the
Characters remain in Debt, their Creditors continue to collect
income in the form of Interest Payments. Creditors may be
guild financiers, entrepreneurial investors, wealthy relatives, or
predatory loan sharks. The sort of personage a Character can
convince to bankroll their business depends greatly on the sort
of Enterprise being financed.
When a Character approaches a Creditor to help pay Start-
Up Costs, GMs should provide a name, profession, and
general demeanour for that NPC, so the Player has a chance
to understand what sort of profiteering viper their Character
has climbed into bed with. Suggested Creditors are included
with each Enterprise template, and Players may also have their
own ideas.
As a rule, Creditors are avaricious, unsympathetic, and
remorseless in extracting money from the people indebted to
them. Because they inevitably make enemies, they invariably
employ their own personal security, and set up arrangements
with other Creditors who are empowered to collect outstanding
Debts in the event of their demise. Many are deeply embedded in
governing local communities, religious or legal establishments,
or organised criminal gangs, and do not hesitate to lean on their
contacts if they are cheated out of money.
Repaying Debt
When Characters ask Creditors to cover Start-Up Costs, they
should make a note of all remaining costs not paid by the
Characters themselves. This is how much money the Enterprise
now owes the Creditor as Debt.
As an Endeavour (WFRP page 195), Characters may seek
out their Creditor to pay off some, or all, of their Enterprise’s
outstanding Debt. There is no time limit for repaying Debt, but
whilst an Enterprise remains in Debt, it cannot Expand, though
Characters must continue to make Interest Payments.
Interest Payments
Whenever Characters have a period of downtime between
adventures, they must pay their Creditor the amount listed in
the Enterprise template’s Interest Payments section. This occurs
after Events and Endeavours, but before the Characters lose any
outstanding cash. Interest Payments do not reduce the Debt
owed to a Creditor. Unlike repaying Debt, Interest Payments
do not cost an Endeavour (many Creditors deliberately make
themselves less available to those trying to break free of the
debt cycle).
8
Missing Interest Payments
If Characters are unable to afford an Interest Payment in full,
or choose not to pay it, they draw the immediate displeasure
of their Creditor. This escalates in severity, depending on how
many Interest Payments have been missed.
Rules for Favours can be found on WFRP page 198.
0 The first time a Character misses an Interest Payment, it
warrants A Conversation. The Creditor themself, or one
of their representatives, visits the Character to demand an
explanation for their failure. If the Character is sufficiently
penitent, the Creditor may agree to let them off this once
— but the next Interest Payment must be triple its normal
value, in apology. Alternatively, the Creditor may decide
that the Character owes them a Minor Favour.
0 The second time a Character misses an Interest Payment,
the Creditor sends A Warning. Depending on the
Creditor’s sphere of influence, they may send debt
collectors to take the Character or Enterprise’s most
valuable Trappings, lean on local politicians to obstruct
adventuring activities, or hire a squad of brutes to break
the Character’s legs. This could occur immediately, or
during the next adventure. Alternatively, the Creditor
may decide that the Character owes them a Major Favour.
0 The third time a Character misses an Interest Payment, or
if a Character indicates they have no intention of repaying
a Creditor ever again, the Creditor makes An Example of
them, to deter other debtors from doing likewise. They
may have the Character arrested and taken to a debtor’s
prison (such as Mundsen Keep in Altdorf ), force them
into a living as a fugitive, or send a hit-squad to kill
them publicly. In any event, the Enterprise is invariably
seized by the Creditor, or simply burned to the ground.
Alternatively, the Creditor may decide that the Character
owes them a Significant Favour.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
EXPANSION
If a Character is fortunate enough to pay off their Creditors,
they may start to consider expanding their Enterprise.
Expansion unlocks new useful special abilities, improved Status
whilst Earning or gaining Income, and access to additional
Trappings. However, the increasing costs of operating at a larger
scale also require an infusion of cash, exactly like the Start-Up
Costs of first acquiring the Enterprise, and usually put the
Character straight back into Debt again. Expansion also costs
an Endeavour for the Character taking the lead in Expanding
the Enterprise.
Each Enterprise template has four levels. The Expansion section
lists the Cost of Expanding to the next level, and the advantages
it provides. As with Start-Up Costs, Characters may approach
a Creditor to help them pay for Expansion, but must provide at
least 10% of the cost themselves.
ENTERPRISE EVENTS TABLE
01–02: Looming Bankruptcy
Poor investments, the ravages of war, or simple ill-fortune bring the
Character’s Enterprise to the brink of failure. If the Enterprise has
Expanded, it loses all advantages from its most recent Expansion,
but retains the increased Debt and Interest Payments. Only repaying
all Debt can restore the lost Expansion benefits. If the Enterprise
has not Expanded, the business must close, lay off all staff, and
sell its Trappings to cover costs. All outstanding Debts remain. At
the GM’s discretion, the Characters may attempt one last desperate
scheme to save their Enterprise, as the subject of the next adventure.
03–05: Recession
Financial disaster strikes the local economy, and the best the
Character can do is keep their Enterprise’s doors open. No
Character can use the Enterprise for Earning or Income Endeavours
until the end of the next adventure.
06–08: Shoplifter Strikes
One of the Enterprise’s Trappings, whatever is most valuable and
portable, is stolen. The Character may attempt to reclaim it in the
next adventure, or accept its loss as the cost of doing business.
09–10: Interest Inflation
The Enterprise’s Creditor grows jealous of their success, and
invokes an obscure clause in their contract to demand additional
payment. The Enterprise’s Interest Payments are now doubled, until
all outstanding Debt is paid off.
9
I
The Interest Payments for this new Debt will invariably
increase, as detailed in the template, but otherwise the rules for
Repaying Debt and managing Interest Payments remain the
same. Characters may not Expand an Enterprise until they have
paid off all their outstanding Debt.
ENTERPRISE EVENTS
Characters roll on the Events Table (WFRP page 193) between
adventures, before they select their Endeavours. If a Character
has invested in an Enterprise, they may choose to instead roll
on the Enterprise Events Table, which is tailored to how recent
happenings have impacted on the Character’s Enterprise, rather
than on their personal or adventuring life. If more than one
Character is invested in the same Enterprise, only one Character
can make this substitute — a single Enterprise cannot be
affected by more than one Event in the same downtime phase.
11–13: Trapping Degrades
One of the Enterprise’s Trappings deteriorates in quality. It may
acquire a Flaw (if it is an item), lose a Trained Skill (if it is
a Trained animal), or gain a Condition (if it is an employee).
Severe afflictions are usually temporary, whilst milder problems
usually persist, and already degraded items may be lost or destroyed
entirely. The GM should determine the exact mechanical effects.
14–16: New Competition
A rival business, providing a similar service to the Character’s
Enterprise, starts muscling in on their territory. To keep up, the
Character must undertake at least one Income Endeavour with the
Enterprise during this batch of Endeavours, but receives only 50%
of the usual income. The rival business remains an ongoing threat,
and may even interfere with the Character’s adventures.
17–20: Forced to Diversify
The GM chooses ones of the Enterprise’s Sources of Income
(whichever is most commonly used). The Source of Income is
not available for Income Endeavours during this coming set of
Endeavours, due to a drop in supply or demand. Other Sources of
Income can be used as normal.
21–23: The Dreaded Auditors
Auditors from the treasury demand to see the Enterprise’s books.
The Character must spend an Endeavour assisting the investigation,
or pay 10% of the Enterprise’s most recent Start-Up Costs or
Expansion Costs (whichever is higher) in non-compliance fees.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
24–26: Gimme a Discount
A customer demands a substantial discount on the Enterprise’s
services. If the Character refuses, the customer begins to slander
the business publicly, threatening its reputation. If the Character
acquiesces, other customers follow suit, and the Enterprise’s Income
Statuses may reduce. The Character should decide now how to
respond, and deal with the consequences next adventure.
27–30: I Need a Holiday
The Character experiences severe burnout, and discovers the necessity
of taking time off. They cannot choose the Income Endeavour in
the next round of Endeavours. Other Characters invested in the
Enterprise can use it for Income Endeavours as normal.
31–33: Conservative Investments
Hand-wringing bean counters regard the current economic climate
with dismay, betting only on sure prospects. No Characters may
acquire a Creditor to help Expand an Enterprise during the next
round of Endeavours.
34–36: The Grind
The Character spends their next week trapped in a non-stop cycle of
work and sleep, as exhausting as it is profitable. They must choose
an Income Endeavour before the next adventure, if possible, but
otherwise no special effects apply.
37–39: I Quit!
An NPC member of staff (if one exists) leaves the Enterprise’s
employ, due to dissatisfaction, ambition, or untimely death. The
employee is replaced by the start of the next adventure — this could
be an opportunity for the Character to work more closely with an
established NPC contact.
40–41: New Creditor
The Enterprise’s Creditor sells the Character’s Debt onto someone
else. Depending on how well the Character got on with the old
Creditor, this could be considered a cause for celebration, at least
until the new Creditor is revealed to be just as much of a bastard
as the old one.
42–44: Closed for Refurbishment
The Enterprise updates its storefront, offices, or other Trappings
that correspond to business accommodation. It cannot be used to
collect Income in the next batch of Endeavours, but afterwards the
accommodation enjoys a practical and cosmetic uplift, which may
provide Skill Test bonuses at the GM’s discretion.
10
45–48: Creditor Visits
The Creditor starts poking around the Enterprise and demanding
updates. Whilst annoying, it does provide an opportunity to repay
Debts without jumping through the usual hoops. Before the next
adventure starts, the Character may repay Debt (see page 8) without
using an Endeavour.
49–51: New Hire
The Enterprise is profitable enough to recruit an NPC to help
with its day-to-day business. Unfortunately, the Enterprise is not
profitable enough to hire a particularly qualified, competent, or
scrupulous employee, and they will need plenty of training and
supervision over the coming adventures and periods of downtime.
52–54: Breakup Opportunity
An investor, or even one of the Enterprise’s employees, offers to
purchase a less-profitable fraction of the business, in hopes of
turning it around. If the Enterprise has Expanded, the Character
may accept the offer to lose all Trappings and other benefits from
their most recent Expansion, but also pay off all outstanding Debt.
Characters invested in the Enterprise may choose to Expand the
Enterprise again at a later date, if their fortunes improve.
55–57: Alternate Event 1
Refer to the corresponding Enterprise template for the specific
enterprise type to determine this Event’s effects.
58–60: Alternate Event 2
Refer to the corresponding Enterprise template for the specific
enterprise type to determine this Event’s effects.
61–63: Business as Usual
The Character stays busy with taking stock, networking events, and
keeping their customers happy — all the routine activities you would
expect whilst running an Enterprise, with no special effects.
64–66: Co-Ownership
An investor, or even one of the Enterprise’s employees, offers to buy
in to the Enterprise as a co-owner. If the Character accepts, the co-
owner pays off half of the Enterprise’s outstanding Debt, but insists
on some ‘interesting’ ideas for developing the Enterprise which the
Character is now obliged to accommodate.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
67–69: Upgraded Trapping
The Enterprise is profitable enough to improve one of its Trappings.
It may acquire a Quality (if it is an item), gain a Trained Skill (if
it is a Trained animal), or gain a new Skill (if it is an employee).
Alternatively, a Trapping may lose a Flaw or Condition it is currently
afflicted by, if appropriate. The GM should determine the exact
mechanical effects.
70–72: Merger Opportunity
Another business owner in an adjacent industry offers to join forces
with the Character. The Character and their co-investors may choose
to immediately Expand their Enterprise. Expansion Costs must be
paid as normal, but Expansion does not cost an Endeavour, and
may be undertaken even if the Enterprise is still in Debt. Expansion
Costs paid by a Creditor are added to the Enterprise’s current
Debt. Until all Debt is repaid, Interest Payments are made at the
new Expanded rate.
73-75: Desperate Customer
A customer has urgent need of the Enterprise’s services, and is
willing to pay a premium for it. The Character chooses one of
the Enterprise’s Sources of Income. Until the start of the next
adventure, the numerical value of the Income Source’s effective
Status is increased by 1.
76–78: In the Black
The Enterprise is making a tidy profit — nothing spectacular, but
good enough to put everyone at ease. No additional effects apply.
79–81: Temporary Expansion
The Character loans larger accommodations, extra equipment, and
temporary staff to take advantage of a brief, but valuable, surge in
demand. Until the end of the next adventure, the Enterprise enjoys
all the benefits of having Expanded to the next level. The Character
pays no Expansion Costs for this temporary boon, and Interest
Payments remain unchanged.
82–85: Taking Care of Itself
The Character’s Enterprise is sufficiently established to keep ticking
along with minimal supervision. The Character may immediately
use the Enterprise to undertake an Income Endeavour. This does
not count towards the Character’s maximum number of Endeavours
before the next adventure.
11
I
86–88: Innovation
Thanks to the Character’s ingenuity, the Enterprise gains a new
Source of Income. Players and GMs should work out together what
the new Source of Income is, what Trappings are required to gain
Income from it, and what the exact mechanical effects are. Generally,
the effective Status should be equal to the second-highest existing
Source of Income, whilst the Earning Skill should be different from
any other Earning Skill currently used.
89–91: Rolling Profits
Business is booming! The Character reinvests those profits into
improving the Enterprise’s capacity to make money in the future.
They choose one of the Enterprise’s Sources of Income, and increase
the numeric value of its effective Status by 1, on an ongoing basis.
92–94: New Trapping
The Character spends the Enterprise’s profits on acquiring a new
Trapping. This may be a duplicate of a Trapping the Enterprise
already owns. Alternatively, it may be a new Trapping, with a value
equal to or less than the Enterprise’s Start-Up Costs or most recent
Expansion Costs (whichever is higher).
95–97: Unexpected Generosity
Thanks to holiday cheer, their daughter’s wedding, or the death of a
wealthy relative, the Character’s Creditor is in an uncharacteristically
good mood. The Enterprise does not have to make an Interest
Payment during this period of downtime.
98–100: Offer to Buy-Out
A wealthy entrepreneur is impressed with what the Character has
built, and offers to purchase it wholesale. If the Character and their
co-investors accept, they lose any benefits provided by the Enterprise,
pay off all outstanding Debt, and gain wealth between them equal
to double the Enterprise’s Start-Up Costs or double the most
recent Expansion Costs (whichever is greater). The Character may
start a new Enterprise, stay on as a consultant, dedicate themself to
adventuring full-time, or enjoy an early retirement!
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
COURIER SERVICE
Examples: Postal service; river ferry; express deliveries;
coaching house; bakery or dairy deliveries; news-sheet deliveries;
contraband smuggling.
Suggested Careers: Scout; Coachman; Messenger; Pedlar;
Road Warden; Boatman; Huffer; Seaman; Smuggler; Bawd.
Start-Up Costs: 20 silver shillings (minimum 2 silver shillings)
Interest Payments: 1 silver shilling per downtime period.
Creditors: Heilwig Foxe, postmaster general and Imperial spy;
Odina Faerberg, toll collector and traffic regulator for the River
Reik; Lady Griselda, society gossip addict; Aldwin the Spider,
criminal mastermind.
Sources of Income: Deliveries on foot (Endurance, Brass 4);
deliveries on horseback (Ride (Horse), Silver 1); deliveries by
wagon (Drive, Silver 2); deliveries by rowboat (Row, Silver 2);
deliveries by riverboat (Sail, Silver 3).
12
Unless the Enterprise has multiple Horses, Wagons, Rowboats,
or Riverboats, only one Character may Earn or collect Income
using that method of transport during a week.
Trappings: Storage depot with byzantine filing system; ‘Sorry
we missed you!’ calling cards; other people’s letters and parcels
you absolutely shouldn’t open (that would be wrong). Any one
of the following: a Riding Horse; a Rowboat; a Draught Horse
and an old Wagon with the Unreliable Flaw; a leaky Riverboat
with the Unreliable Flaw.
Special Rules: Couriers know the region in which they traffic
extremely well. When a Character uses a Courier Service for
the Income Endeavour between adventures, for the duration of
the following adventure they gain +20 on any Tests to travel
or navigate the territory their Enterprise operates in (which
is typically the size of a province). If the Enterprise’s patch
is relatively small, like a single city or handful of villages, this
bonus increases to +40.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Courier Service, you
improve its means of transporting goods. Choose ONE of
the following: a Riding Horse for every Character invested
in the Enterprise; a Rowboat for every Character invested in
the Enterprise; a Draught Horse and Wagon; a Riverboat. You
also hire a couple of runners to help with local deliveries. The
Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and
the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The second time you Expand a Courier Service, its storage
facilities grow larger and more secure, allowing you to deliver
more packages along a single route. Choose a Source of Income
to gain an effective Status of Silver 5. The depot also gains
facilities to stable horses, repair wagons, or moor boats on-site,
and recruits a couple of employees to organise or protect the
site. The Characters are more likely to be trusted with deliveries
of sensitive goods, which could link to new adventures. The
Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin).
Interest Payments remain at 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Courier Service, you recruit enough
couriers to expand the size of your territory. The maximum size
is a grand province — Characters gain +20 on travel Tests within
the area during adventures, so long as they used the Courier
Service to gain Income during the previous batch of Endeavours.
This bonus increases to +40 if the Enterprise remains focused
on a single province, or +60 if it is only centred on a single city
or handful of villages. In addition, your storage depot contains
a large, customer-facing storefront, selling packaging supplies,
general goods, and temporary storage space, counting as
another Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 1). Lastly, you gain an
additional Wagon or Riverboat. The Expansion Cost is 30 gold
coins (minimum 3 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments
are 1 gold coin and 10 silver shillings.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
One of the Character’s deliveries is intercepted by bandits,
and an important package is lost. The cost to compensate the
dissatisfied customer is triple the Enterprise’s current Interest
Payment (in addition to the Enterprise’s usual Creditor
payment). Alternatively, the Characters may attempt to recover
the package in the next adventure, boosting the Enterprise’s
reputation if they succeed.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
The Imperial State Army enters the province on campaign,
and rapid delivery of intelligence and materiel has never been
more in demand. Until the start of the next adventure, any
Character using the Courier Service for an Income Endeavour
gains +50% to money earned. During the next adventure, the
enemy’s infiltrators target the Character, believing that they are
harbouring military secrets.
Adventure Hooks: A customer approaches the Courier Service
with a bizarre request — he wants this very important package
to be delivered to himself, tonight, at midnight precisely. When
the Characters make the delivery, they find the customer dead,
surrounded by ritual paraphernalia. Were they hired to witness
a murder? Or is this an elaborate frame job? Either way, the
Characters were some of the last people to see the victim alive,
so they’re at risk of being incriminated if they can’t discover the
truth and convince the customer’s friends that they are innocent.
Whilst loading up the vehicle for another round of deliveries,
one of the packages started… ticking. Opening the package
could compromise the Enterprise’s reputation, as their
customers depend on discretion. But delivering an explosive
device to the nobleman it’s addressed to could implicate the
Characters in treason. How will the Characters dispose of the
bomb, without anyone learning it entered their possession?
For Sale: Feiläufer Ferries once was a respected operation,
taking packages, letters, and the occasional traveller up and
down the Reik between Carroburg and Altdorf. Since the
loss of its main barge to River Trolls, its fortunes have steadily
plummeted, and the owner is eager to sell.
Captain Rudolph of the Reikland State Army knows well
the importance of retaining this line of communication, and
is willing to float the cash to prospective business owners.
But Rudolph’s main focus is military, not commercial, and
Characters who fall behind on Interest Payments are liable to
find their boats requisitioned for attacks against the very same
River Trolls who doomed the ferry service’s previous iteration.
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I
CRAFTING WORKSHOP
Examples: Artist studio; blacksmith’s forge; bowyers and
fletchers; alchemist’s laboratory; fine tailors; engineering
workshop (e.g. siege weapons, clocktowers, experimental
firearms); shipwright’s yard; jewel crafters; forger’s workshop;
armourer’s smithy; specialist carpentry, glassblowing,
stoneworking, tannery, masonry; magical artificers.
Suggested Careers: Apothecary; Engineer; Wizard; Artisan;
Artist; Seaman; Charlatan.
Start-Up Costs: 30 silver shillings (minimum 3 silver shillings)
Interest Payments: 1 silver shilling and 6 brass pennies per
downtime period.
Creditors: Dunstan Färberg, ‘generous’ patron of the arts;
Guildmaster de Groot, trade matriarch of Ubersreik; Grimneth
the Maverick, outcast of the Karak Kadrin Engineering Guild;
Eike Glitterstep, Wizard of the Gold College.
Sources of Income: Mass production of common goods, sold to
a retailer (Trade (Any), Brass 5); commission of a unique item
(Art (Any) or Trade (Any), Silver 2).
Trappings: Tools and a small Workshop relevant to a specific
Trade (WFRP page 305); a steady supply of raw materials;
guild licence (real or forged); technical books and other training
materials; a distinctive signature.
Special Rules: Characters employed at a Crafting Workshop
are extremely inventive at finding a use for their Enterprise’s
wasted by-products. Choose an Art or Trade Skill Specialisation
(WFRP page 118) — any Tests of that Skill within the Crafting
Workshop gain an additional +20 modifier. In addition, if a
Trade Skill is chosen, and a Character uses that Trade Skill as
part of a Crafting Endeavour (WFRP page 197), the Character
does not have to pay to acquire raw materials. This benefit
does not apply when Inventing, which requires more specific
materials.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Crafting Workshop,
you take on apprentices, one for every Character invested in
the Enterprise. These apprentices provide Assistance (WFRP
page 155) on Trade Tests, make personal deliveries to valued
customers, and watch the workshop whilst you’re away on
adventures. Apprentices are an investment — eventually they
will mature into skilled craftworkers, but in the meantime,
they need constant supervision and use up twice as many tools.
The Expansion Cost is 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver
shilling). Interest Payments remain at 1 silver shilling and 6
brass pennies.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
The second time you Expand a Crafting Workshop, your
apprentices complete their training. Their Assistance on Trade
Tests now provides a +20 bonus, instead of +10. In addition,
you increase the size of your Workshop, and gain one of the
following additional Sources of Income: rented workspace to
other craftworkers (Haggle, Silver 1); Workshop for a new
Trade (as per existing Source of Income, also extends the benefit
of the Enterprise’s Special Rules to the new Trade Skill); a
dedicated storefront (increase the effective Status of mass
producing common goods to Silver 2); fine tools for producing
specialist items (increase the effective Status of commissioning
unique items to Silver 4). NPCs will travel from neighbouring
provinces, or even further abroad, to purchase your higher
quality goods. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1
gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Crafting Workshop, choose
another Source of Income from the second Expansion above.
Your large Workshop also constitutes a Guildhall, specialising
in your chosen Trade. As well as expanding your influence
in local politics, it provides an additional Source of Income:
collecting guild dues (Leadership, Gold 1). The Expansion Cost
is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coins), and the new Interest
Payments are 1 gold coin.
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
Supply of a precious resource essential to your craft (e.g. coal,
diamond, iron, silk, or gromril) runs dry. Your Enterprise
cannot gain Income in the upcoming round of Endeavours. If
you discover a new source of supply in the next adventure, any
Income Endeavours following that adventure provide double
the usual wealth, as you’ll be one step ahead of the competition.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): A
demanding customer asks for a complicated item to be produced
in a short space of time. To complete the order, the Character
must use all their Endeavours before the next adventure on
Income Endeavours. If the order is complete, the Character
receives a bonus, equivalent to an additional free Income
Endeavour. If the Character is unwilling or unable to use all
their Endeavours on Income (if they are an Elf, for example),
the Event has no effect.
Example Expansion Table
Level Cost Interest New Trappings
Apprentices provide +10 to Trade Tests, run deliveries for you, and mind
2 10/- 1/6 Two Apprentices
Former Apprentices
Artisans provide +20 on Trade Tests, and the Enterprise gains one of
become Artisans, plus
the following new Sources of Income: Rented Workspace (Haggle, Silver
3 10 GC 10/- either Rented Workspace
1), a New Workshop (Any other Trade Skill of your choice), Dedicated
or another Source of
Income.
Guildhall, many
4 20 GC 1GC
Apprentices, etc.
Adventure Hooks: An item produced to order by the Characters
is claimed to be cursed, haunted, or possessed by a daemon. The
allegations may even be true, if it has been misused since leaving
the Workshop. Either way, the Characters must answer to the
accusations, cleansing their creation or proving the claims are
untrue. Their professional reputation depends on it!
Jan Vanterhass commissioned a very expensive item from the
Characters’ Workshop, and was very pleased with the results!
However, Jan has now returned to the Characters screaming
that the thing is cursed! True or not, such an accusation could
easily bring down the wrath of a Witch Hunter. Is Jan trying
to shake down the Characters for a refund, or could it have
something to do with the wizard that took lodgings above the
Workshop last month?
A valuable item, produced under a veil of utmost secrecy, is
stolen from the Workshop the night before it can be delivered
to the customer. The Characters must interrogate the field of
suspects to recover their masterwork. Who is responsible? The
customer themselves, attempting to dodge the fee? One of their
political enemies, seeking an advantage in their constant game
of one-upmanship and recrimination? Or one of the Characters’
own apprentices, looking for a shortcut to the improved salary
of a master craftworker?
For Sale: Giselmund’s Arsenal, a smithy specialising in
production of handguns, long rifles, and other blackpowder
weaponry, has never been quite the same since Giselmund
himself was killed in the same explosion which blew up half
his lab. His widow advises that the Imperial Engineers School
of Altdorf has offered significant research grants to any
gunsmiths bold enough to continue Giselmund’s production of
experimental weaponry — so long as the School continues to
reap the benefits. Giselmund’s old neighbours in Auerswald are
hardly keen for his forges to restart, for fear their houses burn
down once again, and enemies of the Empire keep a wary eye on
this centre of emerging military technologies. Anyone resolved
to craft guns at the Arsenal should be prepared to use them in
the workshop’s defence.
Effects
things while you are away.
Storefront (Status becomes Silver 2), etc
Choose another Source of Income, and your Workshop becomes a
Guildhall
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 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
CRIMINAL GANG
Examples: Heist crew; protection racket; gang of pickpockets;
spy ring; band of merry outlaws who rob from the rich; black
market traders; revolutionary cell; secret cult; pirate crew;
witch-traffickers; underground fight club; paid killers.
Suggested Careers: Apothecary; Lawyer; Agitator; Merchant;
Watchman; Spy; Herbalist; Coachman; Smuggler; Stevedore;
Wrecker; Pit Fighter; Protagonist; the entire Rogue Class.
Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 0 — see Special
Rules below)
Interest Payments: 2 silver shillings per downtime period.
Creditors: Woder Intz, street-born thug turned city-wide
kingpin; Matthias Reinhardt, corrupt magistrate; The Estalian,
anonymous unseen mastermind of an Empire-spanning crime
syndicate; Magister Xemo, cultist of Tzeentch, eroding the rule
of law within the Empire.
Sources of Income: Theft (Stealth (Any), Brass 4); trafficking
of witches or other outlaws (Stealth (Any), Brass 4); extortion
or debt collection (Intimidate, Brass 5); sale of contraband or
fraudulent items (Charm, Brass 5); murder-for-hire (Melee
(Any), Brass 5).
Trappings: A hidden loft, soundproof cellar, forest hideout,
abandoned sewer, or other lair to plot in; a handful of streets,
small village, or a patch of road or river considered to be your
turf; scars, tattoos, sigils, or other symbols to mark the initiated.
Special Rules: A life of crime beckons to those with nothing
left to lose. Local ‘creditors’ exploit the desperation of new
prospects, establishing even more exploitative systems of
tribute. Characters do not need to contribute any of their own
money towards the Start-Up Costs of starting a Criminal
Gang, and can borrow all of the Start-Up Costs from a Creditor
(unfortunately, the Interest Payments are proportionately much
higher). In addition, any Character who invests at least 1 silver
shilling in a Criminal Gang (as Start-Up Costs, Expansion
Costs, Debt Repayments or Interest Payments) may choose
to gain the Criminal Talent for free (WFRP page 135). A
Character may only benefit from this free Talent once.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Criminal Gang, you
gain a dozen or so gang prospects, young toughs looking to you
for leadership. Your prospects generally aren’t worth relying
upon — they may even rat you out to the law or rival gangs
— but you have a private language of code-phrases you can
use to communicate with them secretly, and they may provide
Assistance (WFRP page 155) if the circumstances are right.
15
I
In addition, you double the size of your turf, and choose one
of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to
Silver 2. The Expansion Cost is 1 gold coin (minimum 2 silver
shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 4 silver shillings.
The second time you Expand a Criminal Gang, your surviving
prospects mature into fully-fledged gang members, tough and
dependable (mostly). From this point on, you enjoy a steady
influx of new gang prospects to replace those who betray you,
get arrested, become rival gang members, or die. The size of your
turf doubles again, and choose one of your Sources of Income to
increase its effective Status to Silver 4.
Lastly, choose one of the following upgrades for your lair: a
constantly changing location, as proof against discovery or
infiltration; a secure vault to store your ill-gotten gains, reducing
the risk of others discovering your stash when Banking to 1 on
the 1d100 (WFRP page 196); a legitimate storefront, useful
for money laundering and providing its own Source of Income
(Haggle, Silver 1); a well-stocked armoury and a pair of guards,
who can defend the lair in your absence. The Expansion Cost
is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest
Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Criminal Gang, you buy your way
into high society. Any Character can immediately purchase
the Kingpin Talent for free (WFRP page 140). You gain an
additional lair upgrade from the second Expansion, above, and
your turf now encompasses an entire rural province or major
city — no-one will dare undertake criminal activity in your turf,
without treating with you first.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Your Gang is now so large you delegate day-to-day operations to
subordinate gang bosses, and whilst those ambitious underlings
are amongst your greatest threats, your network of informants
keeps you apprised of their schemes. Lastly, you can collect
tribute from other gangs (Intimidate, Gold 1) as a new Source
of Income. The Expansion Cost is 40 gold coins (minimum 4
gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2 gold coins.
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
Another gang encroaches onto your Gang’s territory. If you
back down, no Characters can use the Enterprise for Income
during this round of Endeavours, which is how long it takes for
the local crime boss to put things right. If you fight back, it’s
gruelling — your Character begins the next adventure with the
Fatigued Condition (WFRP page 169), but gains a +20 bonus
to interact with local criminals, who respect the ferocity of your
defence.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
Your latest score is such a major coup, it draws heat from law
enforcement. It would be best to lay low for a while. If you
use the Income Endeavour before the next adventure, you gain
+50% on your earnings. However, you can only use the Income
Endeavour once in this round of Endeavours, and cannot use it
at all in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure.
Adventure Hooks: The political appointment of a new
magistrate is due to be decided by a council of electors. The
frontrunner candidate, Goderburt Feldt, has promised to
crack down hard on crime, and could make your life extremely
difficult. Dig up, or fabricate, evidence you can use to blackmail
him into seeing your point of view. Alternatively, rig the election
so a more malleable candidate inherits the position instead.
A crime boss, one step up in the pecking order from yourselves,
passes away in suspicious circumstances. The resulting power
vacuum is an opportunity to inherit their holdings — or for
your rivals to gain strength they will use to destroy you. Seize
power in a night of explosive conspiracy, where new alliances
might be struck and broken in a matter of minutes. If you can
prove yourself the rightful, worthy successor to the departed
crime boss, so much the better.
For Sale: The southern roads out of Kemperbad were renowned
for decades as a haunt of brigands and outlaws, until the bribes
of the local merchants convinced the town’s council to enact a
purge of the surrounding woodlands. Now the traders reckon
the route to be safe, and travel aboard stagecoaches loaded
with ever more plunder. The last vagabond of Kemperbad has
recently surfaced in town, offering to sell a map to his gang’s old
hideout, which could serve as a headquarters for raids against
the complacent merchant princes. The most amoral traders may
even sponsor such attacks themselves, to destroy the fortunes of
their business competitors.
16
TURF WARS
Competition in business occasionally turns nasty. In the cities
of the Empire, it is not unknown for one market trader to
defame another’s wares in the hope that it benefits their own
trade, or for a noble estate to partake in a private war against
its neighbour.
However, the business of organised crime is often literally
cut-throat.
When determining Events for a criminal enterprise the following
events do not take place: A Visit from the Auditors, I Need a
Holiday, Merger Opportunity, and Offer to Buy Out.
Instead, such events trigger the onset of a conflict with a rival
criminal enterprise.
There are two ways to approach this. The first is to use the
details of Alternative Event 1 to resolve the issue without
impacting too greatly on subsequent adventures.
However, if the GM has the time and is willing to do so,
they could detail the disposition and character of the rival gang
and introduce the turf war as a major theme of subsequent
adventures.
The GM should also give consideration to the fact that
many large cities already play host to established criminal
organisations, and that they are unlikely to take kindly to the
Characters setting up their own operation in territories they
control.
In Altdorf racketeering and smuggling are carried out by the
Hooks and the Fish, in Middenheim the Low Kings already
vie with one another for control of the proceeds of crime
throughout the poorer parts of the city, in Marienburg the
League of Gentlemen Entrepreneurs monopolise organised
crime, in Salzenmund the movement of contraband is controlled
by agents of the Smuggler Queen.
Those who seek to compete with such criminal masterminds
run a constant risk of discovery and extermination. Criminals
setting up their own business in these areas must either
take extreme care to do so surreptitiously, come to some
arrangement with established gangs (which usually involves
handing over large portions of their profits), or find themselves
at the receiving end of a vicious turf war against an enemy with
significant resources, and which is willing to sink to the most
vicious of tactics in order to win victory.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
HOLY TEMPLE
Examples: Local shrine; monastery or nunnery; cemetery;
ritual stone circle; sacred pool; consecrated forge; religious
school; religious hospital; religious orphanage.
Suggested Careers: Nun; Physician; Priest; Scholar; Hedge
Witch; Herbalist; Mystic; Flagellant; Witch Hunter;
Riverwoman; Charlatan; Guard; Warrior Priest.
Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling)
Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period.
Creditors: Gerde Diefenbach, craftswoman charged with
upkeep of religious buildings; Zachaeus Kantor, Imperial
tithe collector; Rolanda Essen, lector of your cult; Sir Rufus
Adhemar, warrior templar and determined crusader.
Sources of Income: Donations of the faithful (Charm, Brass 3);
ceremonial duties, such as officiating weddings or funerals (Lore
(Theology), Silver 1); academic services, such as translations of
holy texts (Language (Any) or Lore (Any), Silver 1).
I
Finally, choose a Blessing from your cult’s Divine Lore — any
Characters may enact that Blessing within the borders of the
Temple, unless they have the Blessings or Miracles of a different
god. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold
coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Holy Temple, it becomes a place
of pilgrimage for devotees across the Empire and beyond. For
smaller faiths, it may even become the cult’s new Seat of Power
— either way, you now have a voice in the cult’s senior leadership
and its doctrines. Your place of worship increases to the size of a
cathedral, with all the architectural marvels that implies, and the
donations of the faithful providing an effective Status of Gold 2.
A small army of zealous believers pass through the Temple each
day, and can be counted on to defend the Temple from attack
in your absence. Finally, choose a Miracle of your god — any
Characters may invoke that Miracle within the borders of the
Temple, unless they have the Blessings or Miralces of a different
god. The Expansion Cost is 40 gold coins (minimum 4 gold
coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2 gold coins.

Trappings: Modest-sized place of worship; large religious

symbol; wardrobe of religious vestments; holy texts.

Special Rules: Temples act as focal points for their patron

deity’s divine favour. Choose a god to consecrate the Holy
Temple to when you first acquire it. Characters entreating that
deity within the Temple’s grounds gain a +20 bonus on any
Pray Tests, and may treat Pray as a Basic Skill. In addition, all
Characters who invest in the Holy Temple can use the Holy
Visions Talent (WFRP page 138) whilst within the Temple’s
grounds.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Holy Temple, it

becomes a fully-fledged place of worship, attracting a larger
flock. Donations of the faithful now have an effective Status of
Silver 1. Your cult awards the Temple a Religious Relic, which
you are sworn to protect with your lives. The Expansion Cost
is 20 silver shillings (minimum 2 silver shillings), and the new
Interest Payments are 1 silver shilling.

The second time you Expand a Holy Temple, it becomes

the provincial centre of your cult, and increases in size and
importance accordingly. A handful of subordinate priests now
attend the Temple in your absence, and donations have an
effective Status of Silver 3. You may choose for your Temple
to gain one of the following: a library of religious texts; a
workshop (choose the Trade it services); fortifications to defend
the Temple from attack.

17
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): One
of your flock (an NPC chosen by the GM) violates a stricture
of your god within the Temple grounds. You may choose: invite
your god to smite the NPC, inflicting a harsh or possibly fatal
punishment; or accept the trespass as your own failing, and gain
1 Sin point. If you choose the latter, you gain a +20 bonus on all
social Tests targeting the grateful lay-person for the duration of
the next adventure.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
You devote yourself to supplication before your god, and are
rewarded for your show of piety. For the duration of the next
adventure, you count the Pray Skill as a Basic Skill (WFRP
page 117), and gain the Bless Talent (WFRP page 134), with
a Divine Lore matching the god venerated by the Temple. If
you already have the Bless Talent for the corresponding Divine
Lore, you instead gain access to a Miracle of your god, for the
duration of the next adventure. If you already have the Bless
Talent for a different Divine Lore, you gain no benefit from
this Event.
Adventure Hooks: One of your flock appears to manifest a
great miracle on the Temple site. Awestruck onlookers believe
they may have what it takes to become a venerated soul, and
the news has reached the head of your cult. Your instructions
are to interrogate the alleged miracle worker and investigate
their activities, to discover if they are genuine, or a fraud
channelling the Ruinous Powers. Religious investigators from
cult headquarters are en route to verify your findings.
18
Worshippers of a rival cult are intent on defiling your Temple.
The omens of your deity are dark indeed, and harbingers of the
opposing creed have been sighted on the borders of the parish.
You have a week to prepare for their assault, enough time, you
hope, to fortify the site, pray for guidance, entreat your flock
to take up arms, and discover what unholy ritual the heretics
intend for the day of bloodshed.
For Sale: The Shrine of the Blue Stag in Bloodpine Woods was
officially lost to Spiderclaw Forest Goblins this past season, but
for years beforehand it had been neglected and slowly consumed
by the wilds. Now the hierarch of Taal is keen to correct this
oversight. He’s willing to finance the expedition to recover the
nature god’s sanctuary, but expects to be repaid in donations and
other offerings he can use to expand the cult’s influence abroad.
It will take blood, sweat, and tears to clear Bloodpine Woods
of Greenskins, a necessary undertaking if pilgrims are to feel
safe revisiting the site. But if Taal’s faithful show appropriate
deference to the wilderness around them, many birds and beasts
may assist their campaign against the befouling Forest Goblins.
RELIGIOUS ALTERNATIVES
As it explains in the special rules, characters investing in a holy
temple may benefit from the Holy Visions Talent whilst they are
on the temple grounds. In addition, followers of the gods from
the major Old World pantheon may benefit from other Talents
whilst on the grounds of the temple they have invested in.
0 Manann: Master and Commander (see Sea of Claws
page 63)
0 Morr: Fearless (Undead)
0 Myrmidia: War Leader
0 Ranald: Cardsharp
0 Rhya: Animal Affinity (regarding domestic aminals only)
0 Shallya: Surgery
0 Sigmar: Iron Will
0 Taal: Animal Affinity (regarding wild animals only)
0 Ulric: Furious Assault
0 Verena: Tower of Memories
If the character has the Talent already, they count as having an
additional level of the Talent (if appropriate) when in the temple.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
KNIGHTLY ORDER
Examples: Fortified shrine; border watchtower; hospital; bank
and treasure vault; noble fraternity or sorority; crumbling keep.
Suggested Careers: Lawyer; Physician; Priest; Merchant;
Advisor; Duellist; Envoy; Noble; Warden; Road Warden;
Witch Hunter; River Warden; Cavalryman; Guard; Knight;
Soldier; Warrior Priest.
Start-Up Costs: 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings)
Interest Payments: 5 silver shillings per downtime period.
Creditors: Kirste, Custode del Portale, head of the cult of
Morr; Jarl De Vend, disgraced knight of the Reiksguard;
Baroness Ludgera, a distant cousin of the Emperor Karl-Franz;
Francesco of Miragliano, heavy cavalry mercenary commander.
Sources of Income: Financial services, including managing the
estates of campaigning knights (Evaluate, Silver 5); charitable
donations from the Imperial State Army, religious leaders, or
political figures (Charm, Silver 4); plunder won on campaign
(Melee, Silver 4).
Trappings: Chapterhouse with assembly hall, chapel, armoury,
fortified entrance, and stable for horses; founding charter,
detailing expected code of conduct; battle standard of the
Order; treasure vault (empty but for a few ancestral weapons
and exotic curios).
Special Rules: Knightly Orders of the Empire are renowned
as the chivalric elite of humanity, and any who wear their
heraldry are used to commanding respect. Any Character who
has invested at least 1 gold coin into a Knightly Order (as Start
Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments, or Interest
Payments) gains +20 to all Leadership Tests targeting loyal
citizens of the Empire.
In addition, choose whether your Knightly Order is a secular
order or a templar order (if the latter, choose a god they worship).
Any character who has invested at least 1 gold coin into a
secular order adds the Warrior Born Talent to their Career’s list
of available Talents. Any character who has invested at least 1
gold coin into a templar order adds the Holy Visions Talent to
their Career’s list of available Talents.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Knightly Order, three
NPC knights join the Order, and bring their retainers and
Trappings with them. Your knights seldom meet in person,
typically tending their estates and fighting their own campaigns,
but they may muster at the chapterhouse on special occasions
(feasts, grand campaigns, defence of the Order).
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You gain the collection of membership dues as an additional
Source of Income (Leadership, Silver 5), and a pair of Destriers
with Saddle, Tack, and Barding as additional Trappings. The
Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and
the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The second time you Expand a Knightly Order, half a dozen
NPC knights join the Order, along with their retainers and
Trappings. At least one knight now protects the chapterhouse
at all times, and can be depended upon to provide Assistance
(WFRP page 155). Choose one of your Sources of Income
to increase its effective Status to Gold 2. Finally, choose one
of the following upgrades for your chapterhouse: a Library; a
Workshop (choose a relevant Trade); improved defences (e.g.
a rampart or gatehouse); a platoon of men-at-arms to guard it.
The Expansion Cost is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins),
and the new Interest Payments are increased to 1 gold coin and
10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Knightly Order, another dozen
knights commit their estates to the Order. One of these knights
contributes a magic item to the Order’s treasure vaults — a
weapon, talisman, standard, or suit of armour. The first knights
to join the Order, if they are still alive, gain the title Knights of
the Inner Circle. Furthermore, choose one of your Sources of
Income to increase its effective Status to Gold 4. Finally, your
chapterhouse is upgraded with a perimeter layer of defence — a
fortified wall, secondary keep, or moat. The Expansion Cost is
40 gold coins (minimum 4 gold coins), and the new Interest
Payments are 2 gold coins.
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
One of the Order’s knights is called to crusade beyond the
borders of the Empire, and vacates the chapterhouse. They may
never return, but if the Character keeps track of their foreign
exploits, they may be able to leverage the knight’s adventures
to promote the Order. If no NPCs have joined the Order, this
Event has no effect.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
The Order is invited to partake in a jousting tournament,
hosted by another Imperial Knightly Order, or their rivals in
Bretonnia. The tournament is a splendid opportunity to earn
valour and renown, not to mention prizes. Until the end of the
next adventure, the tournament provides an additional Source
of Income (Melee (Cavalry), Gold 2).
Adventure Hooks: Brother Helmn, Knight of the White Wolf,
is alleged to have slandered the good name of your Order.
The honour of your chapter demands this insult cannot go
unanswered, but the warrior templars of Ulric are renowned
as formidable soldiers, and many disputes between Knightly
Orders have been known to escalate into full-blown conflict
when martial pride is on the line.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
How will you respond to this challenge — assuming the
allegations are even true, and not manufactured by enemies
plotting your downfall?
Count von Schtaff battles to preserve his dominion from the
assault of a necromancer and her undead hordes. Though he
has petitioned your Order for aid, the decision to ride to war
belongs to the Order’s grand master alone. Many grand masters
choose to battle only if they are granted full command of the
army they ride alongside, a solemn duty not undertaken lightly.
Will you refuse the count, fight under his banner, or negotiate
with him for the position of general, or some other favour?
For Sale: The tower of Ironcast was abandoned centuries
ago, a border fort that served no purpose when the provincial
borders were redrawn several leagues north of its hilltop. Now,
Sir Baluin of Bretonnia has generously offered to pay for its
refurbishment, if a brotherhood of worthy warriors will take up
its post. Baluin is architect of a nascent Bretonnian-Imperial
alliance he intends to lead on crusade to the southern continent.
He will expect the new Knightly Order to eventually join that
war effort, or at least help to finance the expedition.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR
SPECIFIC ORDERS
Those who have connections with an existing knightly order,
and who set up an enterprise that seeks to establish a new
chapter of that order, may experience certain benefits and
limitations. On one hand they could benefit from the backing
of several influential and wealthy creditors in the form of
celebrated knights of the order, but they would also need to
extol the virtues and behaviour expected of a knight of the order
and may also be expected to support the order on the next
occasion that it takes part in a military effort.
As it explains in the special rules, characters investing in a
secular order may benefit from access to the Warrior Born
Talent, whilst those who invest in a templar order may benefit
from the Holy Visions Talent. Existing orders may instead
facilitate access to other Talents. Three examples are given here:
ORDER OF THE BLAZING SUN
Benefits: Close ties to the Cult of Myrmidia
Limitations: Knights are expected to be learned and follow the
strictures of the cult of Myrmidia
Talent: War Leader
ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS GRIFFON
Benefits: Close ties to the Cult of Sigmar
Limitations: Knights are expected to be learned and follow the
strictures of the cult of Myrmidia
Talent: Animal Affinity (Demigryphs and Horses only)
ORDER OF THE WHITE WOLVES
Benefits: Close ties to the Cult of Ulric
Limitations: Knights may be seconded to serve as guards to
the High Temple in Middenheim, to follow the strictures of
the cult of Ulric
Talent: Furious Assault
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
TAVERN
Examples: Village pub; roadside inn; town hostel; restaurant;
embassy; gentlemen’s club; professional hosting service; house
of ill-repute.
Suggested Careers: Agitator; Merchant; Townsman; Envoy;
Spy; Villager; Riverwoman; Bawd; Racketeer; Guard.
Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling)
Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period.
Creditors: Irmalinda Bek, stern village matriarch; Randall
Wurterkunst, exploitative franchise landlord; Marcus Fairburne,
route master for Castle Rock Coaches; Roving Hartung, free
company captain.
Sources of Income: Serving food and drink (Trade (Cook),
Brass 4); servicing rental accommodation (Endurance, Brass 4);
buying and selling local gossip and secrets (Gossip, Brass 4).
Trappings: A reliable supply of food and cheap ale; bar and
stools; tables and chairs; kitchen and cellar; boarding rooms
with beds, dressers, and other basic amenities.
Special Rules: Whilst drinking your own source of income is
not the most commercially prudent choice, most pub landlords
become well acquainted with their own supply. Any Character
who considers themself a regular at a local Tavern may add the
Consume Alcohol Skill to those available for their Career. In
addition, any Character who begins an adventure at a Tavern
may choose to begin the adventure Stinking Drunk. Roll
1d10 and consult WFRP page 121 for the effects. Characters
who begin the adventure Stinking Drunk gain a free point
of Fortune, which can even take them above their starting
maximum, though their Fortune resets to its usual maximum at
the start of the next session.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Tavern, you recruit
a pair of bar staff, and a bouncer to keep an eye on rowdy
patrons. You may optionally choose to upgrade the quality of
your Trappings, increasing the effective Status of one Source
of Income (your choice) to Silver 1, but pricing out most of
your existing customers in favour of newer ones with more
disposable income. Finally, the Tavern gains a small stable to
house customers’ coaches and horses, and an ostler to take care
of them. You gain your own Riding Horse and Saddle to store
here too. The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10
silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are increased
to 5 silver shillings.
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The second time you Expand a Tavern, you may choose one of
your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver
3. In addition, you invest in barricades, secure locks, and other
defences that can be used to fortify the establishment. In times
of crisis, you can secure yourself inside the Tavern with a decent
supply of consumables, and wait for everything to blow over.
Lastly, you gain a Blunderbuss, stashed above or behind the bar.
The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin),
and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Tavern, it becomes the social
centre of your community, frequented by local celebrities and
travelling entertainers. Your bar staff now double as effective
informants, keeping you well apprised of current affairs. Event
accommodation becomes a new Source of Income (Haggle,
Silver 4). Finally, your stable now houses a Coach, with a driver
on hand to transport yourself or very important guests. The
Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coin), and
the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
Your regular supplier of ale raises their prices, and you are
forced to water down drinks to maintain your profit margin.
Your grumbling patrons tolerate the change until the end of the
next adventure. If you haven’t found a more affordable supplier
by the end of that adventure, the effective Status of serving food
and drink at the Tavern decreases.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): A
local festival or other celebration sees an increase in demand
for both out-of-town accommodation and alcohol. Characters
using the Tavern for the Income Endeavour increase their
earnings by +50% until the start of the next adventure. If no
Characters use the Income Endeavour, another establishment
picks up the custom instead. The GM should provide details of
this competing establishment, and introduce them as a rival in
future adventures.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Adventure Hooks: A local sub-culture of patrons (watchmen,
sailors, Elves, or another of the GM’s choice) adopt the Tavern
as their venue of choice. The clique provides good enough
custom, but they alienate your regulars with their insularity, and
provoke the animosity of a rival sub-culture already patronising
the Tavern (gang members, dockworkers, Dwarfs, etc). If the
situation is not resolved soon, it could escalate into a full brawl,
and cause serious property damage. Find a way to settle the
matter without someone setting fire to the Tavern!
A wealthy stranger arrives at the Tavern with a full retinue
of soldiers. She buys out every room for the night, bribing all
existing patrons to make themselves scarce, and posting sentries
on every entrance and exit. Though the stranger tips well, it is
clear she is bracing for trouble, and you are hardly surprised
when a mysterious force begins picking off her guards one-by-
one. Who is this stranger? Why would someone with the wealth
22
to hire so many soldiers, and pay off the Tavern’s customers,
choose to stay in a venue like this? And how will you avoid
being caught in the crossfire between her and her pursuer?
For Sale: The Cups Inn, just outside the Marketplatz of
Helmgart, was once quite popular with Bretonnian merchants
at the end of their journey through Axe Bite Pass. Unfortunately,
its resident con artists and their ‘true stories’ regarding the
location of the Holy Grail incurred the vengeful wrath of
Bretonnian Questing Knights three years ago, who burned
the tavern to the ground. It’s difficult to say if restoring the
accommodation for beleaguered merchants will be gratefully
received by the Empire’s western neighbour, or if it will provoke
them to violence once again. Brandt Kolter, and his fellow
partners in finance, are willing to take on a share of risk, if the
Characters are prepared to do the same.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
MARKET PARLOUR
Examples: General goods store; butcher; bakery; chandler
(candle shop); cobbler (shoe shop); tailor; cattle market; potter;
barber-surgery (grooming and dentistry); engraver; winery;
cooper (cask and barrel shop); trade tools shop for fishing,
mining, art supplies; apothecary.
Suggested Careers: Apothecary; Physician; Artisan; Merchant;
Townsman; Hedge Witch; Herbalist; Hunter; Mystic; Villager;
Pedlar; Riverwoman; Bawd; Fence.
Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling)
Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period.
Creditors: Johann Neuberg, exploitative franchise owner;
Sinner Sigritte, crime boss desiring a legitimate front for
illegitimate dealings; Burgomeister Raina Brandtdfurt, mistress
of the marketplatz; Sassa Beutelg, desperate investor.
Sources of Income: Sale of general goods (Haggle, Brass 5);
sale of specialist goods, ordered from a contact out of town or
made-to-order (Haggle, Brass 5).
Trappings: Covered stall with canvas tarpaulin, mobile and
collapsible on non-market days; a steady supply of saleable
goods; abacus and secure moneybox; guild licence (if applicable).
Special Rules: Market traders are well-versed in the fine art
of bartering, not just with customers, but with each other.
Exchanges of trade goods, credit, and promises of future
assistance are as common to shopkeepers as conventional
payment in coin. Characters who spend an Endeavour gaining
Income from sale of general goods gain +20 to Haggle Tests
until the end of the next adventure. GMs may alternately allow
Characters to automatically succeed on Haggle Tests in the
next adventure by offering a Favour instead (WFRP page 198),
usually repaid by spending Endeavours in the next period of
downtime. In addition, Characters who spend an Endeavour
gaining Income from sale of specialist goods can often arrange
for their own special deliveries at the same time, gaining +20 to
Availability Tests (WFRP page 290) until the end of the next
adventure.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Market Parlour, you
employ a couple of shopkeepers to help you operate the business.
You also exchange your collapsible stall for a permanent
shopfront. Your new accommodation is open for business on
any day you choose, not just on market day, allowing you to
choose one Source of Income and increase its effective Status
to Silver 1.
23
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You may choose to move into the room above or behind your
shop as a new convenient residence — it contains all the
Trappings you would expect of a modest home. Alternately, you
may rent the room out as an alternate Source of Income (Haggle,
Silver 1). The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10
silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 5 silver
shillings.
The second time you Expand a Market Parlour, you expand
the size of your store and its back rooms. Choose one of the
following to upgrade your store: a Workshop, where you can
manufacture items and sell them directly (choose a relevant
Trade); a Draught Horse and Wagon, and space to stable them,
for special deliveries; a large Warehouse, for purchasing items
in bulk, and a guard to defend it from thieves. You also employ
another handful of shopkeepers, with a working rota that
permits you to take as much time off as you like. Finally, choose
a Source of Income, and increase its effective Status to Silver 3.
The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin),
and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Market Parlour, it transforms into
the centre of its own marketplace. You invite other retailers
to set up stalls within your sale space, in return for a cut of
their profits, which provides its own Source of Income (Haggle,
Silver 5). Your shopkeepers now double as effective informants,
keeping you apprised of what other retailers are up to, and
potential business opportunities. You gain an additional store
upgrade from the second Expansion, above. Finally, because your
Enterprise is now a target for rioters and looters, you employ a
dedicated team of security guards, and invest in barricades and
other defences you can use to reinforce the Parlour if necessary.
The Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coin),
and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
The local council closes market day for the month, to mark a
tragedy, religious holiday, or other special event. No Character
may use a Market Parlour to earn Income until the start of the
next adventure. In the period of downtime following the next
adventure, all Income from Market Parlour is increased by 50%
to represent the built-up demand from your customers.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
Your business interests and the needs of your stakeholders
conveniently align, allowing you to pay off an outstanding debt
with spare goods and no additional inconvenience. Choose a
Favour owed by you or the Enterprise (WFRP page 198), and
downgrade it one level — a Significant Favour becomes a Major
Favour, a Major Favour becomes a Minor Favour, or a Minor
Favour is repaid entirely.
Adventure Hooks: One of your customers accuses you of selling
stolen goods. Depending on how well you know your supplier,
the accusations may be true, or the customer may just be looking
for a bribe. Either way, the watch is taking an interest, and your
regular customers are nervous of being implicated in handling
stolen goods themselves.
24
Discover the truth, adjust your supply chain as necessary, and
make sure all troublemakers are either paid off or otherwise
convinced it is in their interest to stay silent.
A gang of shoplifters targets not just your store, but the parlours
of other shopkeepers. The watch, as always, is too corrupt or
incompetent to stop them. Form a posse of disgruntled shop
owners, track down the perpetrators, and enact some vigilante
justice — ideally before the stolen goods are fenced out-of-
town.
For Sale: After a lifetime crafting and selling ingenious toys,
Harald Tinkerfinger is ready to close down the House of
Clockwork Delights, and return to his family in the World’s
Edge Mountains. To avoid traumatising the children of Altdorf,
who have come to cherish his designs, he is willing to sell his
remaining inventory to another entrepreneur, and even provide
a little start-up capital to keep the shop open. The toy inventor’s
remaining clansmen, however, expect this money to be repaid
on schedule. If they are disappointed, the Characters may be
surprised to learn just how seriously some people take the
business of fun.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
NOBLE ESTATE
Examples: Manor house; public gardens; aristocrat’s country
home; hunting lodge; vineyard; farming serfdom; ancestral
castle; wizard’s tower. Characters only run a small part of the
Estate, until the Enterprise Expands.
Suggested Careers: Wizard; Merchant; Rat Catcher; Bailiff;
Hunter; Villager; Coachman; Charlatan; Guard; Knight; the
entire Courtier Class.
Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling)
Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period.
Creditors: Alastar the Younger, High Elf of Chrace; Baroness
Amalia, mistress of the Reikland Botanical Gardens; Governor
Kurtz, regent-lord of Penzkirchen; Duchess Salica, Tilean lady
in exile.
Sources of Income: Domestic labour (Endurance, Brass 4); field
labour (Endurance, Brass 3).
Trappings: A single farm, garden, lodge, guesthouse, wing of a
mansion, or other small part of the Estate, along with all Trade
tools relevant to your position.
Special Rules: Characters raised on a Noble Estate are acutely
aware of their position in the social pecking order. The divides
between farming serfs, supervising agents, and feudal masters
are stark and unyielding. Any Character who has invested at
least 6 brass pennies into a Noble Estate (as Start-Up Costs,
Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments or Interest Payments)
doubles the bonuses and penalties of Status on any Skill Tests
they undertake (WFRP pages 50–51).
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Noble Estate, you are
trusted with oversight of neighbouring sections of the Estate,
as well as your own. These administrative duties, such as tax
collection, inventory registration, and informing, provide their
own Source of Income (Perception, Silver 2).
Your neighbours are expected to provide you Assistance
(WFRP page 155) when you ask for it, though their help may
be begrudging. Finally, you gain access to a Riding Horse with
Saddle and Harness, from the Estate’s stable. The Expansion
Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new
Interest Payments are 5 silver shillings.
The second time you Expand a Noble Estate, you take over the
whole Estate, as its feudal master or regent lord.
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The Estate incorporates the labour of two hundred peasants, and
any three of the following Trappings: a Library; a Workshop
(choose a relevant Trade); an extravagant wardrobe, with a
personal tailor at your beck and call; a stable of half a dozen
Riding Horses, with Saddles and Harnesses; a garage with a
pair of Coaches, Horses to pull them, and valets to drive them;
a boathouse with pleasure yacht; a barracks and regiment of
men-at-arms, with a captain to lead them. You are now entitled
to raise tax revenue from the surrounding districts, which
provides its own Source of Income (Leadership, Gold 3). You
are also expected to provide soldiers, when required, to support
your elector count’s military campaigns. The Expansion Cost
is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins), and the new Interest
Payments are 1 gold coin and 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Noble Estate, you extend your
dominion beyond its inheritance, perhaps by subsuming the
territories of less fortunate lords. Choose two additional
Trappings from the second Expansion, above, or suggest a
new unfeasibly extravagant Trapping to your GM instead (e.g.
a monster zoo). The effective Status of raising tax revenue is
increased to Gold 5. You are now a major political figure in your
grand province, and are expected to involve yourself in high
society events accordingly. The Expansion Cost is 50 gold coins
(minimum 5 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2
gold coins and 10 silver shillings.
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
The Estate’s poorest workers fall upon hard times, and beg for
charity that will help them to survive the upcoming season. You
may choose to rescue them by paying an amount equal to your
current Interest Payments. If you donate, your show of mercy
defies the expectations of your social class. You may choose to
ignore any penalties on Skill Tests due to your Status until the
end of the next adventure.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
Your master is travelling abroad, and places additional
responsibility on your shoulders. Excel, and you shall be richly
rewarded. Until the start of the next adventure, you may use a
Source of Income from the next higher level of Expansion. If
you have already Expanded the Estate three times, this Event
has no additional effect.
Adventure Hooks: For generations, your Estate has been in
competition with the neighbouring Upton Manor, the vendetta
between lords as hostile as the rivalry between menials. Now,
the Estate is hosting the Baron and Baroness von Kalegan for an
annual festivity, along with other landed aristocrats. Every part
of the Estate must be decorated and elevated to an impeccable
standard, the better to rub it in the noses of those tasteless von
Kalegan snobs. Unfortunately, it is expected the nobles will hire
saboteurs, specifically to embarrass the Estate in front of their
high society contacts.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Chilling news of walking dead assaulting vulnerable manor
houses has spooked the Estate into erecting fortifications, and
bracing for a siege. The defenceless have been sent away, but
the remaining militia are poorly trained, and barely prepared to
withstand necromantic attack. Drill the militia as best you can,
and devise a plan to triumph over the oncoming zombie horde.
For Sale: The grounds of Mankroft House have been overtaken
by nature since the passing of Lady Mankroft just last year.
Thanks to an unexpected inheritance, and the generous loans
of her trustee Gisbert Franc, you have received a small part of
the Estate to manage. The local villagers seem reluctant to help,
disturbed by stories of unquiet spirits haunting the House, the
late Lady Mankroft amongst them. The Characters must labour
hard, both to turn a profit on the Estate, and avoid joining its
chorus of ghostly inhabitants.

THE REALITY OF NOBLE ESTATES

As written, these rules suggest that just about anyone could jump into establishing a noble estate with a small investment. We have
included noble estates as part of the legitimate business enterprises chapter because for Characters of the right persuasion and background
they could feasibly work in such a way. However, most aristocrats in the Old World would find it distasteful to be thought of as mired
in the world of business, instead placing high import in the notion that their lineage grants them the right to rule. There are Barons and
Grafs in the Empire who have bought their lands and titles, but such practices are seen as regrettable necessities at best, and at worst a
dangerous precedent that undermines what it is to be truly noble.

In provinces of the Old World where land is held securely, and a respect for aristocratic tradition is strong, there is no chance for an
adventurer to be granted the opportunity to set up an estate of their own. A Character either must have the Noble Blood Talent, or to
have won the appreciation of very important people and have been granted tenure of an estate in recognition of such services.

For example, the Barony of Böhrn (WFRP page 278) shows how, in places like the Reikland, every village and tract of forest falls under
the governance of several noble families, paying vassalage to an overlord. In this instance Baroness Agetta has granted non-hereditary tenure
to Warden Fabian, Warden Luethold, and Castellan Fronika. In the case of the death or disgrace of such individuals she may be inclined
to pass the running of their estates to another likely candidate, though she may as easily decide her own household can manage them.

To the north and east of the Empire there are stretches of marcher territory, where those with the will and means to carve out an estate
find fewer obstacles in their way, though the legalities of how to become a recognised landholder in the Empire vary from place to place
and are written with an eye to supporting the aristocracy. Further afield the issue becomes even less certain, in Bretonnia for example no
commoner claiming ownership of land would be tolerated, whilst in the Border Princes it is said that anyone with the means and will to
do so can carve out their own fief.

26
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
PERFORMANCE TROUPE
Examples: Circus; dance act; band of bards; travelling fair;
professional orchestra; comedy act; marionette show; theatre
company; gladiatorial combat.
Suggested Careers: Engineer; Lawyer; Scholar; Agitator;
Beggar; Artist; Spy; Mystic; Entertainer; Bawd; Charlatan;
Thief; Witch; Pit Fighter.
Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling)
Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period.
Creditors: Dunstan Färberg, ‘generous’ patron of the arts;
Grulessa, Asrai, wardancer of Loec; Asphodel Bridgefoot,
retired Halfling ringmaster; Wolfgang Berger, wealthy writer
and propagandist.
Sources of Income: Donations following public performances
(Entertain (Any) or Perform (Any) or Play (Any), Brass 4);
bookings for private events (Entertain (Any) or Perform (Any)
or Play (Any), Silver 1); sale of merchandise (Haggle, Brass 5).
Trappings: A Draught Horse and Wagon; an eclectic mix
of costumes, props, instruments, and scripts, mostly in poor
condition.
Special Rules: The members of a Performance Troupe perfect
their skills through repetition of a shared routine — though
mixing it up every now and again is recommended, to prevent
their material growing stale. Any Character who has invested
at least 6 brass pennies into a Performance Troupe (as Start-
Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments, or Interest
Payments) can choose to either treat all Perform and Play
Skills as Basic Skills (WFRP page 117), or select a single
Entertain, Perform, or Play Skill Specialisation and add it to
the Skills available for their Career. In addition, any Character
working for a Performance Troupe may spend an Endeavour to
produce new material for their Troupe. The next three Income
Endeavours undertaken using the Performance Troupe and the
new routine increase earnings by +50%.
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Performance Troupe,
you are joined by five additional performers, who can usually
be relied upon to provide Assistance (WFRP page 155). The
growth of your Troupe allows you to stage larger productions,
perform in two locations at once, or call up an understudy if a
performer is ill, drunk, or murdered.
27
I
Choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective
Status to Silver 3. Finally, you adapt your Wagon so it can fold
out into its own improvised Stage. The Expansion Cost is 5
gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new Interest
Payments are 5 silver shillings.
The second time you Expand a Performance Troupe, you gain a
permanent entertainment venue of your own, such as a theatre,
concert hall, or fighting arena. When you aren’t using the venue,
you can rent the space out to other performers, which provides
its own Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 3). Backstage, the venue
has a much greater selection of costumes, props, instruments,
and scripts, mostly in decent condition. Finally, each performer
in the Troupe now has their own dedicated understudy. The
Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coins), and
the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.
The third time you Expand a Performance Troupe, your venue
expands to become a popular hangout for the community’s
social elites and travelling VIPs. Choose one upgrade for your
venue: a spectacular stage, with state-of-the-art special effects
made possible by engineering marvels or magic; an expanded
backstage, with a huge selection of costumes, props, instruments,
and scripts, mostly in superb condition; a Workshop for
producing your own props (choose a relevant Trade); a stable
of three Trained animals. Lastly, you are occasionally courted
by celebrities of your art form, who wish to perform with your
Troupe. This provides its own Source of Income (Entertain
(Any) or Perform (Any) or Play (Any), Gold 2), but can only
be chosen in alternating phases of Endeavours — if you derive
Income from this Source after an adventure, you cannot use
it in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure.
The Expansion Cost is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins),
and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin and 10 silver
shillings.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): In
response to a personal tragedy, a local lord outlaws dance and
other frivolities, until their mood improves. If any Characters
choose to Earn or gain Income with the Performance Troupe,
they are flouting the ban or performing in secret venues.
This may result in unpleasant ramifications during the next
adventure.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): A
wealthy individual reveals themself a fan of the Troupe’s work,
though their patronage is not without complications. Roll 1d10
after all future rolls on the Enterprise Event Table. On an 8–10,
the Troupe gains double the wealth from Sources of Income
until the end of the next adventure, but the patron demands
the Troupe make adjustments to their material, undertake a
private performance, or provide some other favour. On a 1–2,
the Troupe loses the fleeting attention of their benefactor, and
this Event has no further effect.
Adventure Hooks: An Imperial Noble hires the Troupe to
perform for an aristocratic rival, inserting his own modifications
into the Troupe’s routine. The new material is intended to
provoke a reaction from the rival Noble, alluding to a crime they
are alleged to have committed. Unfortunately, this subtext can
be easily misinterpreted. When these cultured patrons escalate
to cold-blooded murder, the Troupe must tread carefully in
order to avoid being killed in the crossfire, and retain their
professional reputation.
An NPC member of the Troupe suffers an unplanned death
mid-performance, to the shock and horror of the audience. The
plot thickens when the Characters discover their death was a
result of deliberate sabotage — weakening of stage supports, fake
locks replaced with real ones, or a prop weapon exchanged for a
murder weapon. How did the killer gain access to the Troupe’s
backstage? Is one of their fellow performers responsible? The
Characters must discover the truth, before they are framed for
the crime themselves.
For Sale: The touring show Wenger’s Warrior Entertainment
was a revered spectacle of strongmen, wrestlers, and stage
combat performers… at least until all their best performers were
conscripted for the grand prince of Reikland’s free companies.
Now Wenger is ready to get out of the game, but his show still
has brand name recognition, and he is willing to loan it out in
return for a cut of the profits. Few people sign up to be beaten
by outrageously-dressed bodybuilders for the entertainment
of a bloodthirsty crowd, but compared to the usual dangers of
adventuring in Reikland, the job sounds positively tranquil.
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
PUBLISHING HOUSE
Examples: Newspapers; fiction authorship; script production;
foreign or historic translations; hagiography; pamphleteering;
record keeping; academic journaling; educational materials;
blueprint reproduction; tomes of magic.
Suggested Careers: Agitator; Investigator; Townsman;
Advisor; Artist; Envoy; Spy; Entertainer; Charlatan; Warrior
Priest; the entire Academic Class.
Start-Up Costs: 20 silver shillings (minimum 2 silver shillings)
Interest Payments: 1 silver shilling per downtime period.
Creditors: Filibert Pewte, professor of Imperial History at the
University of Altdorf; Morvaria, exile from the Tower of Hoeth;
Percival Curmoch, tyrannical media mogul; Quolos, hierophant
of the College of Light Magic.
Sources of Income: Mass-printing of popular items (Trade
(Printer), Brass 4); limited editions, hand produced or printed-
to-order (Trade (Printer), Brass 5); paid advertisements or
advertorials (Haggle, Brass 4).
Trappings: Printing press, paper, type pieces, and moulds; office
containing desks, chairs, books, and writing kits; small library of
records, reference materials, and prior publications.
Special Rules: Purveyors of the written word are invariably
more literate than the average Imperial citizen. The first time
a Character undertakes the Income Endeavour at a Publishing
House, they gain the Read/Write Talent (WFRP page 142) for
free. If a Character already has the Read/Write Talent, they gain
the Speedreader Talent instead (WFRP page 145). In addition,
Characters who have invested at least 1 silver shilling into a
Publishing House (as Start-Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt
Repayments or Interest Payments) gain +20 to all Tests made as
part of the Research Lore Endeavour (WFRP page 201).
Expansion: The first time you Expand a Publishing House, you
employ a staff of three clerks to help operate the printing press,
produce content, and help to market the Enterprise. You can
instruct them to research specialist topics on your behalf, or
provide Assistance (WFRP page 155) whilst you do so. Choose
a Source of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 2;
all other Sources of Income increase their effective Status to
Silver 1. Finally, you gain a Riding Horse with Saddle and Tack,
so you can make special deliveries of made-to-order items. The
Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings),
and the new Interest Payments are 5 silver shillings.
29
I
The second time you Expand a Publishing House, you employ
a reliable network of informants, to help you find subjects of
interest you can turn into new texts or stories. The Publishing
House is now considered one of the pre-eminent sources of
knowledge regarding your subject of expertise, and patrons
may commission you to investigate specialist subjects on their
behalf, which provides its own Source of Income (Perception
or Research, Silver 4). Lastly, you gain a Draught Horse and
Wagon, for mass deliveries of items to retailers (or direct to your
customers). The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1
gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.
The third time you Expand a Publishing House, you employ
another dozen writers. Your Publishing House is now
considered a prestige imprint, and celebrity writers within your
field will occasionally produce content for you. This provides
its own Source of Income (Art (Writing), Gold 2), but can
only be chosen in alternating phases of Endeavours — if you
derive Income from this Source after an adventure, you cannot
use it in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure.
Finally, you may choose a Source of Income to increase its
effective Status to Silver 5. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins
(minimum 1 gold coin). Interest Payments remain at 10 silver
shillings.
Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table):
An advertisement you print from a controversial figure, or
one selling a dubious product or service, draws the ire of your
regular readers. You can choose to pull the ad, halving any
Income you gain from paid advertisements until the start of
the next adventure, or let it run, and halve any Income gained
from all Sources of Income besides advertisements. Whichever
you choose, this may have consequences in the next adventure.
Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table):
One of your releases is unexpectedly popular, quickly selling
out. Before the next adventure, you may spend an Endeavour
fast-tracking the second printing of the text. If you do, you
double the earnings from Income Endeavours in the round of
Endeavours following the next adventure.
Adventure Hooks: A recent release from your Publishing
House has been interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as containing
a subversive political message. Activists on either side of the
debate rush to champion or condemn the text. Embracing the
attention exposes you to hostility from whichever side you come
out against, whilst refusing to take a position draws the derision
of both factions. If the Characters find the courage to assume
a progressive stance, they can use their new platform to enact
lasting, positive change.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
A disgruntled priest has accused your Publishing House of
smuggling heretical dogma into its texts, and has called for
a mass book-burning. Even regular customers are starting to
cancel orders, fearing the mob will turn on them next. Find a
way to battle the rising hysteria, and expose the true agenda
behind it, before the Witch Hunters climb onto the bandwagon.
For Sale: The maverick preacher Sindri Frynd has commissioned
the production of a printing press — now he just needs a
collection of worthy souls to operate it. Frynd envisions the
press will be used to produce holy literature in line with the
new revolutionary creed of the Warrior Priest Luthor Huss, but
so long as the press is making a profit to support the breakaway
sect’s crusade, he will be satisfied. Unfortunately, Frynd’s
zealotry has also attracted the suspicion of the established
Sigmarite orthodoxy. Whatever the press is used to produce,
the Lectors will doubtless find an excuse to level accusations
of heresy.
30
EXAMPLE CREDITOR
Grafina Griselda, society gossip
Grafina Griselda von Wallenstein has long held an interest in
financing worthy enterprises, having noted with some alarm
the great power that wealth could bring to the nouveau riche
merchants and burghers of Altdorf. Certain that, if some lowborn
cobbler could turn themself into an influential merchant, then
it should prove no problem for her, Grafina Griselda began to
sink a not-insubstantial amount of her family’s wealth into a
wild assortment of enterprises. So far, none have returned much
of anything and if the Characters were to help break her losing
streak they would soon earn her admiration.
A Conversation
Grafina Griselda will not make much of a fuss at all the first
time a payment is missed, so long as the Characters present a
reasonable-sounding explanation.
A Warning
Grafina Griselda will insist that the missed payment is no
problem, but privately she will blacklist the Characters to all of
her high-society friends.
An Example
Frustrated by his sister’s spendthrift ways, Grafina Griselda’s
brother bribes a state troop regiment to press-gang the
Characters into an expedition to intercept a growing Waaagh!
in the World’s Edge Mountains.
GRAFINA GRISELDA — HUMAN MAGNATE
GOLD 5
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 41 28 28 26 53 30 51 60 55 57 11
Traits: Weapon (Dagger) +4
Skills: Animal Care 63, Bribery 77, Charm 82, Consume
Alcohol 41, Cool 60, Evaluate 65, Gamble 80, Gossip
82, Haggle 62, Intimidate 43, Intuition 73, Language
(Bretonnian 63, Classical 70), Leadership 77, Lore
(Heraldry 80, Politics 80, Reikland 63), Melee (Fencing)
46, Play (Lute) 56, Ride (Horse) 45
Talents: Attractive, Carouser, Coolheaded, Doomed,
Etiquette (Nobles), Luck, Noble Blood, Read/Write,
Savvy, Suave
Trappings: Courtly Garb, Dagger, Hand Mirror,
Jewellery worth 200 GC, Pouch containing Writing Kit
and 10 sheets of Parchment and 200 GC, Townhouses in
Altdorf and Auerswald, Riding Horse with Saddle and
Harness
 L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S
THREE UNUSUAL SHOPS
Almost anything is available to buy on the streets of the Empire,
if you know where to look.
Most food in the Empire is purchased at markets and fairs, so
shops are often the entrances to artisan’s workshops or small
showrooms for specialised trades. They range from just a counter
opening onto the street, through stores with piles of goods, to
the most exclusive boutiques with multiple rooms. Some even
have glass windows.
The following shops all harbour secrets and opportunities for
adventure. As a GM you can keep them in the Reikland or stick
them on a bustling street wherever your party is staying.
The Salzenmund Export Company
Trade from the whole Empire flows down the Reik, and
merchants from across the land see Altdorf as a lucrative market
for their goods. But you can’t sell anything without a deal.
The Salzenmund Export Company isn’t on the best street in the
Grandmarkt and it’s not especially noticeable or impressive —
a testament perhaps to Nordland’s relatively peripheral status
in the affairs of the Empire. On entering the blue-and-yellow
painted door, a visitor will find an innocuous clerk, Jens, working
at a small desk piled high with papers. Behind him is a display
of wares from Nordland — barrels of salt, many furs, samples of
Laurelorn timber, ship’s fittings and even a sealed crate packed
with ice, kept frozen with a simple spell.
Although the Nordland goods are for sale, the main purpose of
the Export Company is to secure deals with Reikland importers
to buy wholesale from Salzenmund merchants. Anyone
inquiring about a trade deal will meet Ulf Knutsson, a large
man with a red plaited beard who bursts from his office and
overwhelms the potential trading partner with bluff, charm, and
jokes. Knutsson is a member of the Salzenmund Merchants’
Guild, and licensed to sign trade documents on behalf of its
members.
The Secret
The Salzenmund Export Company is a front. Little real business
is conducted here — anyone interested in importing goods from
Nordland would work through personal contacts in the various
guilds rather than walk into a shop on the street. It plays host
to a few meetings and sells a little from its limited stock of
Nordland goods, but nothing more.
The Salzenmund Export Company was set up by the
Middenheim spy Nastassia Hess as a safehouse, and place to
brief and meet her agents in Altdorf.
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I
Hess works for Baron Heinrich Todbringer, the Graf of
Middenheim’s firstborn, but illegitimate, son. Heinrich is
politically astute and takes great pains to stay aware of what
happens amongst the powerful in Altdorf and the Cult of
Sigmar.
Hess runs her Altdorf network with great care, and the ‘Export
Company’ building has several entrances — into the cellars via
a coal chute, from the roof and into a concealed window in the
rear court. Jens and Ulf are employed to run the front business,
and to admit anyone who can offer the correct passphrase
of the week. (This week: ‘I hear the razorbills are flocking in
Dietershafen this month’.) Both can handle themselves in a
fight. Jens is particularly ferocious, as years of tolerating Ulf ’s
awful jokes have driven him close to berserker status.
Acutis of Miragliano, Glassmaker
Down a dusty cul de sac in Altdorf ’s Zwillingsgrab district there
is a row of artisans’ workshops. Wedged between a permanently
closed pottery and a bookbindery run by a hopeless drunk,
you’ll find Acutis the Glassmaker. Behind the glass front door
is a small room lined with shelves holding bottles, goblets, and
simple glass containers of all shapes, sizes, and colours. These
are serviceable goods, but nothing remarkable. Ilaria Acutis
does not waste her skills on such commonplace items.
Acutis is a native of Miragliano, a city famous for its glassmakers.
She arrived in Altdorf just five years ago, and soon established
a reputation for crafting exquisite glass. Her glass, which she
makes from quartz pebbles imported from her homeland,
stands out for its clarity and purity of colour. For several years
Acutis held a commission to supply the Cathedral of Sigmar
with coloured panes for their stained-glass windows, but that
association ended abruptly last year when some priests objected
to the use of non-Sigmarite labour.
I WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Beyond the entrance room is Acutis’ yard and workshop, with a
furnace and glassblower’s tools. The workshop is always stiflingly
hot, as the two apprentices scurry back and forth tending to
their craft. Behind the workshop is another door. Beyond
this is a small, silent chamber lined from floor to ceiling with
black damask and lit only by lanterns. Here you find Acutis’
true passion — her mirrors. Each one is a work of art with
almost perfect reflection, mounted in a beautiful gilt frame. In
Miragliano the art of mirror-making is seen as a semi-mystical
act, and Acutis treats her creations with an almost religious
reverence. Only the most privileged can afford to own one of
these sublime mirrors.
The Secret
Acutis left Miragliano under a cloud. She became obsessed with
creating the perfect mirrored surface, always striving for greater
clarity in the glass and more flawless silvering on the reverse.
She began to experiment with exotic additions to the quartz,
which led to her securing a small quantity of warpstone stolen
from Skavenblight. The resulting mirror was unparalleled in its
reflective qualities, but the images it revealed to the viewer were
altered to reflect their soul more than their physical appearance.
Rumours of her perfect mirror spread through Miragliano
society, until the prince himself inquired whether he might buy
it. Acutis was reluctant, but the ruler insisted. When the prince
saw how the mirror reflected him, he ordered her death and she
fled to Altdorf. The mirror was later stolen by a curious Skaven
Warlock Engineer, who recognised its power. The Warlock
Engineer now seeks the maker to enslave her and command her
to use her crafts to forge a great mirror as a weapon.
32
Gert’s
If you’re hungry in Grissenwald and down near the wharves,
you can pick up a decent meal from Gert’s. The food sold by
Gert is popular with rivermen and even the wealthier burghers,
who live and work at that end of town. At mealtimes there are
often queues at his counter in the wall.
Gert runs a cookshop which sells freshly-made hot food. He
takes great pride in serving customers himself from the counter.
He enjoys an audience and will make a show of barking at the
kitchen boys and cooks, who toil behind him in the cramped
kitchen, turning the spit on the fish or meat fire and stirring the
huge cauldron in the third fireplace. Gert grew up in kitchens,
and keeps a close eye on everything that’s cooking — especially
his famous river eels and cabbage. This is not fine food, but it’s
cheap, tasty, and filling.
Nobody knows Gert’s surname, but everyone in Grissenwald
knows his distinctive look and bellowing voice. A Nulner
stevedore once compared him to ‘a turnip that’s been marinating
in a bog since Magnus was on the throne. But uglier.’ Gert is a
great gossip and there is often a small crowd around his counter,
talking about river business, local events, and the comings-and-
goings in Grissenwald and beyond.
The Secret
Gert has a cellar where he keeps the meat and vegetables for his
trade. In the corner is a barrel full of live eels, which he tops up
with fresh deliveries every few days.
Last month he added a fine specimen covered in lustrous gold
scales. He’s been reluctant to pull it from the barrel for cooking,
and it’s grown very quickly in the intervening weeks. Two days
ago as he fished out eels for the day’s cooking, the golden eel
pushed its head out of the water and spoke with the voice of
Gert’s dead mother. It told him that he had been chosen by
Grandfather Reik for a great destiny, but first he must find a
human sacrifice to throw into the river…
L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S I

33
II

• SUITS OF STEEL •

Armour is a vital part of the toolkit most Characters will Suitable Fit
acquire in order to protect themselves during the course of The armour is a good fit for the looting Character and may be
the adventures. The rules for armour presented in this chapter worn as if it were made for them.
provide more options and detail to those given in WFRP pages
299 to 300. Poor Fit
The armour is outsized and uncomfortable. It counts as imposing
Looting Armour its full ENC even when worn. The armour could be adjusted as
During the course of their adventures Characters are more per the rules for repairing armour. In order to do this it would
likely to come across armour on the bodies of fallen foes need to be comprehensively refitted — this can be done using
and companions rather than commissioning a fitted suit for the rules for repairing armour, just as if their piece in question
themselves. This is a great way to save money, but it does mean had been reduced to 0 AP in all locations.
that many Characters will be wearing armour that was not
made for them, and that will therefore be rather poorly fitted. Won’t Fit
The armour is much too large or too small to be worn by the
Whenever a piece of armour is acquired by a Character for Character at all.
whom it was not made, the GM may decide that any given
piece of armour will or will not fit (if it was made for a different If any particular Character does not find a set of armour
Species, or a person with a much larger or smaller frame, for suitable, the GM may decide that other Characters could roll
example). If it is uncertain whether or not a particular piece on the chart to see how well the armour might fit them.
might suit a Character, roll on the following table:
Armour Damage
As blows rain down on your armour it can be damaged, possibly
permanently. Whenever you are instructed to damage a piece of
Leather Brigandine
armour, the APs in the location are reduced by 1.
D10 Roll & Soft and Plate
Kit Chainmail
If this lowers the APs to 0 in that location, the armour there is
Suitable rendered useless.
1-2 Suitable Fit Suitable Fit
Fit
Suitable Armour is generally damaged in one of two ways.
3-4 Suitable Fit Poor Fit
Fit
1. A special ability triggers, such as a Spell or
Suitable Talent, damaging a piece of armour.
5-6 Poor Fit Poor Fit
Fit
7-8 Poor Fit Poor Fit Won't Fit 2. A Critical Wound is deflected.

9-10
Won't
Won't Fit Won't Fit Armour and Stealth Tests
Fit Wearing any Chainmail or Plate imposes a penalty of –10 to
any Stealth Tests.

34
 SUITS OF STEEL II

Critical Deflection Repairing Armour as an Endeavour

If a Character suffers a Critical Wound from an incoming attack
on a location protected by armour, they can choose to let their
armour be damaged by 1 AP to ignore the Critical Wound.
They still suffer all normal Wounds (and given their APs are now
1 point lower, they probably suffer an additional Wound), but
they avoid the Critical Wound effects as the blow is absorbed by
their now destroyed armour.
A Character who does not have time or expertise to repair their
armour during the course of an adventure could try to do so as
an Endeavour during downtime. In order to do so they must
have access to suitable tools (and a forge or workshop if working
with plate).
The Character may then take a single Average (+20) Trade Test
— repairing 1 AP of armour for every SL they score on the Test.

When it comes to Critical Wounds caused by reducing your
Wounds to below zero, sacrificing armour in this way only has
an effect if it prevents Wounds being reduced to below zero.
Repairing Armour
When it comes to damaged armour, there are two ways to
approach repairing it. A Character may use the Trade Skill to
repair their own armour, or that of their companions, if they
have the appropriate Trade Skill, Trade Tools and, for plate
armour, a Workshop. Alternatively, damaged armour may be
left with an NPC artisan who possesses the Skill to repair it.
Asking an NPC to Repair Armour
If a suitable NPC smith is asked to repair armour it costs 10%
of the armour’s base price per AP lost to repair it. So, if you
had a Sleeved Chainmail Coat with 1 AP of damage on the
Body, and 1 AP of damage on the Arms, it will cost 20% of
the armour’s base cost to fix it, in this case 12/–. If a section of
your armour is completely broken, it will cost you 30% of the
armour's base cost to fix, and you’ll likely be waiting some time
before it is completed.

Repairing Armour With the Trade Skill

A Character may attempt to repair a piece of armour if they
have the appropriate Skill and meet other criteria depending on
the piece of armour.

Type of Armour Trade Skill Used for Repairs

Leather Armour Trade (Tailor) — Trade Tools

or Brigandine needed
Trade (Smith) — Trade Tools
Chainmail
needed
Trade (Smith) — Trade Tools
Plate
and Forge or Workshop needed

They must then carry out an Extended Challenging (+0) Trade

Test in order to repair the armour. The Test can be carried out
once every hour, and the number of SLs required in order to
repair a piece of armour depends on the type of armour being
repaired. This represents the amount of time it takes to restore
1 AP to one location.

SL Needed to
Type of Armour
Repair 1 AP
Leather 5
Brigandine 7
Chainmail or Reinforced Soft Kit 10
Plate 15

35
II WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
ARMOUR RULES
Armour is listed in the following format:
0 Armour Type: Each armour is listed according to the
material it is constructed from, in order of its protective
effectiveness.
0 Price: The price to buy an average piece of the armour.
0 Enc: The Encumbrance of the armour.
0 Availability: The Availability of the armour.
0 Penalty: Any penalty for wearing the specific piece of
armour in addition to Encumbrance. Note: Some armour
brings a penalty if any part of it is worn, such as wearing
any chain imposing a penalty of –10 to any Stealth Tests.
0 Locations: The Hit Locations the armour protects.
0 APs: The number of Armour Points the armour provides
to the protected Hit Locations.
0 Qualities and Flaws: Any Qualities or Flaws that the
armour may possess.
Armour Qualities
Armour can possess the following Armour Qualities.
Impenetrable
The armour is especially resilient, most attacks simply cannot
penetrate it. All Critical Wounds caused by attacks scoring an
odd number to hit you, such as an 11 or 33, are ignored.
Overcoat
Certain types of armour can be worn on top of other types.
Brigandine pieces and Plate Breastplates can be worn on top of
either Leather or Mail armour. However, a Breastplate worn in
this way could not be combined with a Soft Kit.
Reinforced
Some Soft Kits are designed with sections of mail placed to
compensate for chinks in a full suit of plate armour. If a kit like
this is worn under plate armour, that plate armour loses the
Weakpoints Flaw.
Visor
Some helmets come with a visor that can be raised to provide a
wider field of vision. If the visor is closed the helmet performs
as described. If the visor is opened the helmet loses any special
abilities associated with its design and gains the Partial Flaw.
Perception Tests are made with a –10% penalty when visors are
open. It takes an Action to open or close a visor.
36
Armour Flaws
Some armours have a point of weakness, as described by
Armour Flaws.
Partial
The armour does not cover the entire Hit Location. An
opponent who rolls an even number to determine hit location,
or a Critical Hit, ignores the partial armour’s APs.
Requires Kit
Armour with this flaw can only be worn if a Soft Kit is worn
underneath it.
Weakpoints
The armour has small weakpoints where a blade can slip through.
If your opponent has a weapon with the Impale Quality and
scores a Critical, any APs of your armour are ignored.
Combining Armour
Different grades of armour may be worn on different parts of
the body, but the notion that different grades of armour may be
layered on top of one another is a misconception. Often suits of
plate are finished with areas of mail or leather to cover gaps and
points of articulation.
Soft kits are woollen doublets and hose designed to be worn
under armour. They provide padding needed to prevent chafing
and laces and holes to attach pieces of armour to. They can be
worn under any armour and must be worn under certain pieces
of plate.
Boiled leather is constructed from thick pieces of hide. It is
rigid and tough and cannot be worn under mail or the more
complicated pieces of plate. Brigandine armour or a plate
breastplate could be worn over boiled leather.
Chainmail is made from thousands of interlocking iron rings.
It is heavy and requires regular cleaning and oiling to prevent
corrosion. Brigandine armour or a plate breastplate could be
worn over chainmail.
Brigandine consists of padded leather or fabric into which many
small metal strips, or lames, have been riveted. Brigandine pieces
are bulky and cannot be worn under other forms of armour.
Lamellar armour, or scale mail, may look rather different to
brigandine, but has the same qualities.
Plate armour is painstakingly crafted from sheets of iron or
steel. It is tailor made and close-fitting, so may not normally
be worn over other types of armour. Breastplates may be an
exception to this general rule, as many of them are designed to
be worn over padding or chainmail.
 SUITS OF STEEL II

Armour
Armour Price Enc Availability Penalty Locations APs Qualities & Flaws

SOFT KITS
Soft Kit 18/- 1 Scarce - Arms, Body, Legs - -
Reinforced
2GC 1 Scarce - Arms, Body, Legs 1 Partial, Reinforced
Soft Kit

BOILED LEATHER
Leather Jack 12/- 1 Common - Arms, Body 1 -
Leather
10/- 1 Common - Body 1 -
Jerkin
Leather
14/- 1 Common - Legs 1 -
Leggings
Leather
8/- 0 Common - Head 1 -
Skullcap

CHAINMAIL
Chainmail
2GC 3 Scarce - Legs 2 -
Chausses
Chainmail
3GC 4 Common - Arms, Body 2 -
Coat
Chainmail -10%
1GC 2 Scarce Head 2 Partial
Coif Perception
Chainmail
2GC 3 Scarce - Body 2 -
Shirt

BRIGANDINE
Brigandine
3GC 3 Scarce - Arms, Body 2 Overcoat
Jack
Brigandine
2GC 2 Scarce - Body 2 Overcoat
Jerkin

PLATE
Impenetrable, Requires
Bracers 8GC 3 Rare - Arms 3
Kit, Weakpoints
Impenetrable, Overcoat,
Breastplate 10GC 3 Scarce - Body 3
Weakpoints
-10%
Open Helm 2GC 1 Common Head 3 Partial
Perception
Plate Impenetrable, Requires
10GC 3 Rare - Legs 3
Leggings Kit, Weakpoints
-20% Impenetrable,
Great Helm 2GC 2 Rare Head 3
Perception Weakpoints
–20% Impenetrable, Visor,
Bascinet 3GC 2 Rare Head 3
Perception Weakpoints
–20% Impenetrable, Visor,
Armet 3GC 2 Rare Head 3
Perception Weakpoints
–20% Impenetrable, Visor,
Sallet 4GC 2 Rare Head 3
Perception Weakpoints

37
II WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Helmet Designs The exacting design of the Armet means that it can withstand
There are a great many designs of helmet used in conjunction blows that might damage other helmets. Every time the helmet
with plate armour, and Tilean, Bretonnian, and Imperial might lose a point of AP, roll on the Armet Damage table.
armourers all have their preferred designs. There is little
practical difference between these designs, they are all strong,
fully enclosed helms with visors which weigh much the same
and provide the same sort of protection. However, in some
ARMET DAMAGE
circumstances particular designs may afford extra protection.
D10 Roll Effect
Great Helm 1-5 The helmet is damaged as normal.
The Great Helm is the archetypal form of a fully enclosed
6-9 The helmet is not damaged.
metal helmet. They are considered old fashioned in Tilea and
the Empire but are still common in Bretonnia. Early examples The helmet is not damaged, but the
of these helmets had a square top. Later designs tend to have a mechanism for opening the helmet is
conical top which lessens the impact of hammers and swords. jammed. The wearer cannot remove
10 the helmet and must eat and drink
Bascinet through a straw until it is either broken
The Bascinet typically incorporates a conical visor, leading it to open, or fixed by a Hard (–20) Trade
be known as a ‘pigs-snout’ helmet by many soldiers. This design (Blacksmith) Test.
provides additional protection against missile fire, as slingshots
and arrows are deflected by the conical visor.

If missile fire strikes the wearer of a Bascinet, and originates Sallet

from in front of the wearer, then the helmet provides 4 APs
rather than 3.
Armet
The Armet is a Tilean design which fits closely on the head,
being narrower around the neck. To facilitate the snug fit the
helmet has an integral mechanism that must be worked to open
and close it.
The Sallet is typified by having heavy plates projecting over
the neck to the back, and being combined with separate pieces,
either a gorget or bevor, to provide protection to the throat,
chin, and face.
A wearer of a Sallet who takes a Critical Hit to the head will
take 1 less Wound from the Critical Hit than they otherwise
would.

38
 III

• THE CULT OF •
HANDRICH

Though they do not amount to a large cult, the followers of

Handrich claim purview over any place where commerce
thrives. Whenever people clasp hands to seal a deal, wherever THE HANDRICHAN FAITH
coins are minted and counted, there the god of trade and Seat of Power: The Counting House, high temple of
wealth is present. His worshippers include merchants, pedlars, Haendryk in Marienburg
financiers, and caravan guards, anyone concerned with making
money through honest trade. Head of the Cult: Arch-Priest Simon Goudenkruin,
Haendryk’s Greatest Worldly Profit
Nowhere is he more prevalent than Marienburg. Here,
Haendryk, as the Wastelanders know him, stands second only Major Festivals: None, though Marktag is seen as a sacred
to the sea god in the citizens’ regard. The cult’s doctrine teaches day
pursuit of wealth to be the ultimate good in life. Prosperity
for one brings prosperity to everyone. The poor, however, view Popular Holy Books: Die Kunst der Gier, All Those Which
Handrich as an embodiment of all those forces which keep them Gleam
in poverty. As the cult grows so does the anger and resentment
it faces, often egged on by nobles sharp enough to spy a threat Holy Symbols: A coin without insignia, clasped hands, a
in the merchants’ growing power. But, in the cut-throat world warehouse with open doors
of business, there is no shortage of people happy to have a god
help them make a profit.
III WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
FOUNDATION OF THE CULT
Stories regarding Handrich’s origins are many and conflicting.
Some scholars state he originates in Estalia and Tilea, making
his way to the Old World alongside Myrmidia. He enjoys a
strong following there, especially in Tilea where mercenary
armies make a god of coin a popular figure. Others place him
within the Old World’s established pantheon as either the
son of Manann, or the less flamboyant brother of Ranald who
eschewed his sibling’s dishonest quest for godhood, instead
presenting the gods with an offer they could not refuse.
Legends of the Wasteland
Marienburgers contest all of these, and as this city acts as his
cult’s main seat, their telling has become the most prevalent.
According to Wastelander lore, Haendryk was once a mortal
man and citizen of Marienburg. The son of a trader, he
accompanied his mother on many great expeditions, and found
the world of commerce opening before him like a flower. The
mortal Haendryk proved himself a financial genius and many
stories are told of his great skill as a trader, selling stone to
Dwarf miners or inventing whole systems of banking.
Wealth poured into Haendryk’s coffers and with this he elevated
Marienburg, turning it into the bustling trade hub it is today. At
last, his skill in mercantile matters transcended mortal ability.
The gods allowed Haendryk into their ranks, naming him the
god of coin and commerce.
Indentification with Haendryk
Marienburgers cling to Haendryk’s ascension with fierce pride.
Many of the city’s most well-respected merchant families
claim descent from him, backing this up with (very expensive)
family trees and genealogical records. The story gained further
popularity after the Wasteland’s secession, granting the
burgeoning nation a much-needed sense of legitimacy.
His cult capitalised on this, ascribing their foundation to those
merchants Haendryk taught as a mortal. Marienburg became
the centre of his cult, his followers carrying his strictures with
them along the various trade routes. Their god’s story, and their
city’s story, show the transformational powers of trade and
wealth, something which they argue anyone can achieve should
they only put in the effort.
40
HANDRICH IN THE EMPIRE
Handrich fell out of favour in the Empire after the Wasteland
seceded. To a certain sort of mind, his worship was an affront to
the Empire’s bruised dignity and during that time he was often
paid little more than lip-service. Instead, worship of Ranald
filled the void, worshippers turning to the trickster god in his
persona as the Dealer.
Though many might consider the two gods diametrically
opposed, some people still follow both in equal measure, viewing
them as two sides of the same (possibly fraudulent) coin. This
has even led to speculation Handrich may simply be Ranald
playing the long con, something hotly denied by his priests.
The Cult Prospers Anew
In recent years, the Cult of Handrich has been gaining support
and popularity in the Empire. Many traders see the success of
the cult in Marienburg as a sign and seek to emulate Handrich’s
worship in their own business practices. The priesthood have
also shown themselves invaluable to anyone conducting matters
of business. They offer their services as both financial advisers
and overseers, acting as a third party whenever an agreement
requires witnessing. This has allowed the cult to gain a great deal
of influence, and they are well compensated for their efforts.
As the desire for Marienburg’s coin overcomes patriotic pride,
more shrines and temples to Handrich can be found across
the Empire’s bustling trade routes, though only the largest
cities boast dedicated temples. Instead, places of worship are
combined with established guild meeting houses or banks, with
guild leaders carrying out religious duties when no ordained
priest is present.
Growth Potential
Yet the cult remains relatively small due in part to opposition
from the Empire’s nobility. Handrich’s cult teaches a path of
upward mobility through wealth, and in this the merchants
disrupt the status quo which keeps the nobles in power. Many
go out of their way to undermine the cult’s efforts to establish
itself, though most address their ire towards the merchants who
worship Handrich, rather than the god himself.
 T H E C U LT O F H A N D R I C H
Personalities of the Cult
Wavemaster Sullandiel ‘Fartrader’
(–3224 IC – –1861 IC)
An Elf merchant-poet from before the War of the Beard.
He served as ambassador to Karaz Bryn and was granted the
epithet ‘Fartrader’ as recognition of his exploits. During this
time he penned All Those Which Gleam, a collection praising the
craftsmanship and affluence of the Elves’ then-allies. The work
is considered a classic, lauded for rich use of language, imagery,
and metaphor.
Handrichans adopted the collection as an important work,
showing the validity of their pursuit of profit. Sullandiel’s
lengthy praise for the Dwarfs’ mastery of gold smithing,
they say, reveals the transcendental beauty which lies behind
appreciation of wealth.
Several passages touching upon the bonds of friendship between
Dwarf and Elf at the time are also quoted by Handrich’s
priesthood as showing how honest trade truly unites all people.
For their part, most Elves feel Sullandiel’s satirical bite is muted
by translation.
Armanda de Pantaleon (1768 IC – 1831 IC)
A Tilean trader and devotee of Handrich who, inspired by
stories from the famed Tilean explorer Marco Columbo,
introduced paper money to the western nations.
Paper money had been used in Cathay for generations, allowing
merchants flexibility in their transactions. Armanda attempted
to replicate this but was forced to abandon her efforts when
they narrowly escaped the ire of a local princeling, who did not
understand the finer points of financial theories.
Despite Armanda’s failure, her essays and correspondence have
since attracted much interest from Economicks scholars within
the cult. There has even been talk of introducing the concept
to Marienburg, although some priests believe removing coins,
Handrich’s own holy symbol, would be blasphemy. Nonetheless,
the temple’s famous lines of credit and notes of mark are often
held as proof of concept.
Armanda is also venerated by Ranaldans for persuading people
to hand over their gold in return for bits of paper.
NEW CAREERS
There are a few new carrers in Archives of the Empire
Volume 3. Three of these are versions of the priest career,
the Priest of Handrich, Priest of Solkan, and Priestess of
Rhya. They may be adopted by players who roll Priest as
their starting career. The Animal Familiar career is peculiar
to those who play Animal Familiars.
41
III
Katja de Teuling (2135 IC – 2182 IC)
Founder of the Defenders of Capital, the closest Handrich’s
cult has to a knightly order. Katja served as a caravan guard,
investing her fees into her own mercenary company. This she
dedicated to protecting Handrich’s servants as they kept the
arteries of trade open. For a price.
Though a skilled warrior, De Teuling was first and foremost a
businesswoman, and saw in Handrich’s tenets of honesty the
secret to success. No warrior under Katja’s command would dare
steal from the caravans which hired them, and the Defenders
gained a trusted reputation.
Now, many years after her death, De Teuling is treated by
travelling merchants as a patron saint. Her sword and coin icon
is pressed onto cash boxes for protection on long journeys. The
Defenders of Capital, meanwhile, were bought out by the high
temple not long after their founder’s demise, and continue to
serve as effective trade guards for hire. Their purview has since
expanded to bringing any who deal dishonestly to justice,
sending investigators to hunt down con-artists, providing their
fees are met.
High Priest Simon Goudenkruin (2459 IC – Present)
Jokingly nicknamed ‘Haendryk’s Profit’, Marienburg’s current
high priest (and de facto head of the cult) Simon Goudenkruin is
a controversial figure under whose leadership the cult has grown
in power and influence. As a young apprentice in his father’s
shipping enterprise, stories of the god’s mortal life inspired
Goudenkruin and he spent the often-lengthy trade excursions
discussing Haendryk with other traders. It wasn’t long before
he was inducted into the priesthood, where his insights into
the limitations and freedoms of the faith’s strictures, along with
financial assistance from his father, saw him rise rapidly.
As high priest, Simon’s teachings revolutionised the cult. He
places particular importance upon Haendryk’s tenet that wealth
signifies a worthy character. Anyone can improve their station
if they put in the effort. Therefore, Simon argues, anyone who
lives in poverty is choosing poverty. Under his direction, the
rites of initiation have been loosened, allowing in those who can
prove they already hold Haendryk’s favour. Many Marienburger
merchant families secured positions for their scions thanks to
Simon’s changes.
Such practices have not gone without criticism. Some view
Simon as eroding Haendryk’s tenet that all deals must be
carried out without mercy, replacing the sacred act of haggling
with a network of cronyism. However, their voices are drowned
out by the clink of coin, a sound sacred to Haendryk.
III WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
BELIEFS
For Handrich’s followers, wealth is the ultimate signifier of
a life well-lived. However, money earned through trickery or
toil is not enough, it must be gained through their patron’s
most prized traits: wit, honesty, intelligence, and ruthlessness.
Handrich expects his followers to pursue profit with all their
guile and cunning, while staying within the strictures of honest
business.
Handrichans believe their god is present wherever negotiations
take place. The give and take of commerce, the quick wit of
its practitioners, these bring a person closer to Handrich, and
haggling is as much an act of worship as prayer. However,
his followers never expect his assistance. Handrich demands
independence, but he is happy to reward those who please him.
A particularly successful transaction is considered a sign he
enjoyed a worshipper’s performance.
42
For negotiations to have meaning, both parties must be
speaking truth. Conning someone makes a mockery of the
whole affair, and Handrich’s worshippers shun anyone found
dealing in falsehoods. Yet, while Handrich expects honesty,
he also demands no quarter be given. Only one’s own wealth
matters, and acting in any way not for your own ultimate good,
such as giving someone a generous rate due to family ties, is
frowned upon. Exploiting those same ties to get a better deal,
however, is encouraged.
Finally, Handrichan tenets justify pursuit of individual wealth
as the means by which all society is elevated. Riches mark
intelligence and the right to hold office. If someone had the
strength of mind to accumulate such wealth, this is proof they
are best equipped to distribute it. Commissioning art, funding
military expeditions, even charitable concerns: through these,
Handrich’s favour trickles down to all people. Losing wealth,
though, is a sign Handrich has forsaken you, so his followers are
exacting in their savings.
Strictures of Handrich
Handrich’s worshippers are encouraged to interpret his
strictures as they will, keeping to their letter while working to
exploit their loopholes. This, they say, encourages the flexibility
of thought one needs to succeed. The cult’s critics consider
it trickery in the open, dishonesty masquerading as a lawful
contract.
No Day Without Profit
A follower of Handrich must ensure the day is profitable. Coin
is preferred, but profit can mean many things depending on the
person. The important thing is the worshipper should act for
their own net gain, whether this be closing an important trade
deal, or getting one’s fellows to buy the next round of drinks.
It is understood that the greater a person’s station, the more
Handrich demands of this stricture.
Deal in Truth
The Cult of Handrich forbids false dealing, as trickery erodes
the trust all trade is based upon. Followers cannot obscure the
value of their wares, nor sell something they have no right to.
While they must deal truthfully, this is not the same as dealing
honestly. Followers are free to exaggerate benefits, neglect to
mention complications, or use information at their disposal
to get the upper hand. Lying to gain an advantage would be
in violation of this stricture, but using insider knowledge of a
competitor’s financial situation would not.
Help Those Who Help Themselves
Handrich earned his godhood and looks down on anyone not
willing to do the same. While Handrich’s followers are called to
share their earnings to benefit society, it must not be in a way
which Handrich views as encouraging laziness.
 T H E C U LT O F H A N D R I C H
A priest of Handrich would never give a beggar money for
shelter, for example. Instead, they might direct them to a
workhouse to earn their keep and contribute to the running of
the institution.
Some in the cult interpret this as a condemnation of taxation,
which they view as governments taking money not rightfully
theirs. They fulfil this stricture by lobbying political figures to
enact tax cuts, allowing them to distribute their money as they
see fit.
Always Get the Best Deal
Trading is a holy act, a pure competition of wits with only one
victor. Therefore, a follower of Handrich must always get the
best possible deal, regardless of circumstances. If a person is
looking to buy grain, they must pay for it. The fact that their
village is starving should not warrant merciful treatment.
However, the best deal does not always mean the most
profitable. After all, if you take everything a person has, then
who will trade with you next time? Sometimes, the best deal
is one which builds relationships and leaves everyone happy, so
that more profit can be extracted in the future.
Relationship With Other Cults
Handrich’s cult has positive relationships with worshippers from
other cults, and Handrichans often serve as their financiers.
Amidst the grand iconography of many churches can be found
inscriptions honouring the god of coin’s contributions.
The cult holds particularly strong ties with the Cult of Manann,
especially in Marienburg where priests of both deities bless
voyages to ensure crew and cargo’s safety. Priests of Manann
visit Handrich’s high temple to make use of the cult’s collection
of up-to-date trade gazetteers, while Handrich’s priests study
the charts in Manann’s temple, ensuring they can advise their
clients of trade routes and risks.
The cults of Rhya and Myrmidia have rather odd relationships
with that of Handrich. Arguments between Rhya’s and
Handrich’s priests are not uncommon, given the latter’s dismissal
of the ‘simple’ labour of farmers. However, they come together
on market days, and small shrines to both stand in such places.
Handrich’s followers feel a certain kinship with Myrmidia’s
cult. They argue battlefield tactics can be implemented in
matters of business, and financing military engagements is
an acceptable form of charity within Handrich’s strictures.
Followers of Myrmidia, for their part, are happy to associate
with Handrichans, but many find their constant assurances of
fellowship aggravating.
43
III
Handrich and Ranald
A strained relationship exists between Handrich’s and Ranald’s
followers. This is a surprise to those peasants who consider
them the same being with different names, except one expects
you to shake his hand and thank him for fleecing you. But to
Handrichans, Ranald’s dishonesty cannot be tolerated.
Many merchants still choose to honour Ranald alongside
Handrich. While they may follow Handrich’s strictures,
sometimes one needs a few extra tricks. Some worshippers,
upset with the cult’s current direction, have begun turning to
Ranald in his aspect as the Dealer, a persona which Handrich’s
high priest calls a mask the trickster god uses to con people
away from the true artistry of trade.
THE BROTHERHOOD
The Brotherhood are a secretive order dedicated to Ranald.
Little is known about them, including whether they are an
actual organisation or just a loose association. On ocasion
they use the practice of business to bring down pompous
individuals. Most are honest merchants who call upon
Ranald for bounty and improved commerce, although there
is a seedier side. The Brotherhood teaches the tenets of
cooperation and competition — help your brother when he
needs it — but through competition, the best elements rise
to the top.
Mischievious elements of the Brotherhood enjoy targeting
followers of Handrich. Impersonating the god of coin’s priests
is a favoured tactic, allowing them to get closer to their prey
and eroding trust in the cult. The Defenders of Capital go to
great pains hunting down any of the Brotherhood they hear
about for this reason.
FOLLOW
THE MONEY
Three merchants arrive at a Handrichan meeting house and
begin haranguing the clerk behind the counter. They each claim
the other two owe them a shipment of fine fabrics, which they
have not received, and which each one of them is adamant the
others are holding. They were introduced to one another by a
priest from this meeting house.
In truth, a priest of Ranald has been manipulating them into
buying and selling the same non-existent shipment for almost
two months, posing as an itinerant Handrichan priest. This
devotee of Ranald has made a tidy profit off the confusion and
will soon leave, after they finish covering their tracks in the
financial ledgers.
III WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
WORSHIPPERS
Handrich’s cult attracts anyone concerned with trade and coin.
Merchants are his primary supplicants, but those who work
with gold, such as jewellers, also honour him, while caravan
guards pray to him to protect their charges.
Minting houses, banks, and well-established shops have shrines
to Handrich kept on a shelf. The first coin made each day is
considered Handrich’s, and is placed on the altar in the belief
that what is given to the god will be returned twice over.
It is rare to find followers among the lower classes. Instead, the
cult recruits from established mercant families or guilds. Many
such families seek positions for their young scions to secure
favourable treatment, and the cult accepts anyone for a fee.
Initiation Rites
The cult’s initiation rites have been undergoing changes. Since
its inception, prospective initiates presented an offering to a
local priest. The priest then set a mathematical examination to
ensure they would be able to better themselves (some speculate
the difficulty of this depended upon the offering). Once the
priest was satisfied, the initiate was instructed in Handrich’s
tenets, before being placed in a trade caravan to experience
commerce for themself.
Once they finished this period of travel, the initiate returned to
the temple and presented the priest with a greater offering. They
then faced one final test. Usually, they completed a difficult
business deal, such as selling fish to fishermen, or persuading
a priest of Sigmar to sell their hammer. This earned them a full
place within the order, just as Handrich earned his godhood.
High Priest Simon Goudenkruin recently introduced ‘The
Pyramid of Gold’. Those who hold great wealth, he argues,
already have Haendryk’s favour, and it is hubris to set such
blessed people further tests. Therefore, in return for a far larger
offering, a person may join the cult and become a full priest
without undergoing the trials. Should they wish to advance,
however, they need to introduce others to the cult, who must
also buy their way in. This has tripled the temple’s profits,
and families even outside Marienburg are sending children to
secure advantageous positions. Some worry such practices are
unsustainable, but so far it has proven a great success.
Sacred Sites
There are very few dedicated temples to Handrich, save in the
largest cities and trading ports. Those which do exist serve a
dual function as both site of worship and bank or meeting
place, and follow the same basic layout: a central hall with
semi-circular apses where donations can be displayed or private
meetings held.
44
Empire temples tend towards frugality, their finery deliberately
understated to convey financial sensibility. The Wasteland
temples, however, prefer to keep their wealth on display in
imitation of the high temple in Marienburg.
The Counting House
The High Temple of Haendryk, known locally as the Counting
House, shows what wealth can accomplish when unbound
by frugal practicalities or, some say, good taste. In structure,
it follows a similar footprint to other Handrichan temples,
but once inside, worshippers are assaulted with an array of
decorations in gold and silver.
Exquisite paintings cover the walls, while stained glass windows
tell stories from Haendryk’s life in Marienburg (often featuring
discreet signs explaining which mercantile family sponsored
their creation). Watery light pours down from the central dome,
its own glass depicting the tragedies which might befall one at
sea. Most suspect this to be a nod to the cult’s relationship with
Manaan’s, but in truth it was donated by an insurance company.
All through the day, the temple is filled with the quiet murmur
of commerce, punctuated by the discreet clink of coin. Sermons
are rarely held in the central meeting hall, save on festival
days, instead being relegated to side-chapels. The main space is
given over to desks, each with their attendant priest. For a fee,
supplicants may seek either financial advice or a loan from the
temple. All clergy members see it as their duty to help in such
matters, and for a large enough sum one can even secure an
appointment with the high priest himself.
Relics
It is said that, upon Handrich’s ascension, every coin he touched
in his lifetime took on his finger print. These coins — almost
invariably gold, though lower-value ones have been reported
too — are much prized by the cult and are kept in ornately
jewelled reliquaries, or worked into talismans worn by high-
ranking priests. The standing rule is that any cult member who
finds one must return it to the high temple in Marienburg, but
there are more than a few distant chapels which find possessing
one a good draw for pilgrims.
The Imperial practice of honouring the skulls of saints did not
at first find much favour among Handrich’s followers, given
that theirs is a god entirely devoted to the material life. Such
relics have since begun to grow in popularity as a means of
showing off the wealth achieved over the course of one’s life.
Many merchants leave vast sums to have their skulls prepared
with silver and set in dedicated ossuaries, where anyone who
sees them will know here lies someone who truly followed
Handrich’s example.
 T H E C U LT O F H A N D R I C H
Even merchants who don’t request this treatment may find
themselves decorating a chapel shelf, their families realising it
is useful to be seen as influential and wealthy enough to afford
such an honoured place for the dearly departed.
DIE KUNST DER GIER
Handrich’s cult recognises very few religious texts, but follows
the science of Economicks closely. Die Kunst der Gier, by
the Altdorfian philosopher Anja Rosenbaum, recently caused
quite the stir, calling for trade free from oversight and in
service entirely to one’s self. Many Handrichans now keep a
copy of this text, citing it in taxation disputes.
Holy Days
Handrich teaches success is possible for everyone, providing
they have the drive and intelligence to seize it. Despite this, the
common folk rarely have much to do with the god of commerce
and, should someone of lesser means enter a Handrichan
temple, they usually find themself under suspicion. Marktag is
the exception.
This day celebrates Handrich’s ascension and sees the temple
doors, if not flung open, then at least left ajar to allow traders of
all ilks to sell their wares. These festivals differ from traditional
market days in that produce and livestock are rarely sold.
Instead, jewellery or clothing are favoured. Marktag is a lively
event, and some commoners save up to purchase small luxuries
here, it being considered good fortune to carry such an item
until the next Marktag.
Priests keep a careful eye over the proceedings, offering blessings
and spreading Handrich’s message of improving one’s station.
Meanwhile, favoured merchants are invited into private chapels,
where larger auctions and negotiations are held.
BACK-ROOM
DEALS
As the temple fills with the hustle and bustle of Marktag, the
heads of Marienburg’s most influential merchant families make
their way, one by one, to a private chapel watched over by
attendant priests. Rumour has it that this meeting will set the
course of trade in Marienburg for the coming year and only the
very favoured are allowed to attend.
Constance Der Ruyling, merchant venturer, is not one of these
favoured. However, she doesn’t plan to let that stop her. If
someone could gain access to the meeting and inform her of
what is discussed she would pay them handsomely.
45
III
THE PHILOSOPHIES
OF COMMERCE
The Cult of Handrich is not large enough to sustain the orders
that other cults divide themselves into. However, there are
various schools of thought which followers gravitate towards.
The School of Coin
Favoured by bankers and money lenders, the School of
Coin believes the path to knowing Handrich comes through
accumulating wealth. The more coin one holds, the closer one
comes to Handrich’s blessed ascension. Those who follow this
school tend towards thriftiness, keeping careful track of every
coin spent and received. The popular caricature of the miserly
Haendrykian in Wastelander satirical dramas originates from
this school.
The School of Commerce
The School of Commerce teaches that trade is how societies
become civilised. Just as Handrich elevated Marienburg through
his patronage, these students elevate all society through buying
and selling. The school attracts traders and caravan guards,
though there is an emerging argument that physical goods
are not required to ensure trade continues. Priests have begun
experimenting with speculative markets, trading in the promise
of goods such as flowers which have yet to be grown.
The School of the Hand
Favoured by skilled craftsmen and jewellers, the School of
the Hand argues that money is only good for what it can
accomplish. Money is a worthless dream, a mass hallucination,
important only for the beauty it brings to the world, and
followers believe it was with this realisation Handrich achieved
ascension. Patronage of artists is held as a grand ideal, as is
providing funds to civic concerns. There is talk of the school’s
followers separating from the Marienburg cult, something High
Priest Simon Goudenkruin wishes stamped out.
 om
by
ves
e to III WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
e in
lan,
not
ogs,
PRIEST OF HANDRICH ‘They made us a deal we couldn’t refuse.’
– Otto, Altdorf Beggar
aid Human
‘Learn to read the flow of coin and you may be
You follow the ways of Handrich, always looking for the best deal in able to read the mind of the world.’
the transcendental pursuit of profit. – Father Van Der Putt, Economicks Lecturer

Though not as common as other cults, Handrichan priests are ‘Not all that gleams is gold, but whatever that
sought after for their financial sense and discretion. Many do priest is wearing sure shimmers like it.’
preach sermons, teaching Handrich’s tenets of self-reliance – Hetta Gronsdottir, Thief
and the glories of material wealth, but they more often serve in
private capacities, overseeing transactions to ensure honesty or
offering financial advice. Most tend to temples found in large
trading centres, or join caravans and trade expeditions as part of
their service to Handrich.

PRIEST OF HANDRICH ADVANCE SCHEME

WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel
h h h

Career Path
h Clerk — Brass 5
Skills: Bribery, Charm, Consume Alcohol,
Evaluate, Gamble, Gossip, Haggle,
Lore (Theology), Pray, Research
Talents: Bless (Handrich), Embezzle,
Numismatics, Read/Write
Trappings: Abacus and Slate,
Handrichan Icon, Brown Robes

Circuit Trader — Silver 4

Skills: Animal Training, Cool, Intuition,
Language (Any), Lore (Politics), Perception
Talents: Briber, Carouser, Dealmaker,
Invoke (Handrich)
Trappings: Gazetteer, Lock Box, Well-tailored Robes

Officiant — Gold 2
Skills: Intimidate, Leadership, Lore
(Any), Secret Signs (Guilder)
Talents: Bookish, Cat-tongued,
Robust, Super Numerate
Trappings: Handrich-touched Coin,
Subordinate Clerks, Temple

Profit — Gold 4
Skills: Entertain (Speeches), Lore (Any)
Talents: Public Speaker, Schemer,
Strong-minded, Wealthy
Trappings: Subordinate Officiants, Warehouse

46
 T H E C U LT O F H A N D R I C H
MIRACLES OF HANDRICH
Below are six Handrich Miracles which follow the usual rules on
WFRP page 222. Handrich helps those who help themselves —
he earned his own godhood after all — and so his Miracles tend
to reward the already-successful. As such, they can be invoked
after a successful Test to improve its results. Handrich isn’t one
for selflessness, and failing to profit from a Handrich Miracle
you have invoked will cause you to gain +1 Sin point. You are
free to define ‘profit’ as you will, but the GM has final say.
HANDRICH’S BLESSINGS
Priests of Handrich can access the following Blessings as per
WFRP page 221:
Charisma, Fortune, Hardiness, Protection, Wisdom, Wit
A Deal’s a Deal
Range: You
Target: You
Duration: Instant
Upon a successful Haggle Test, you may say a word of thanks
to Handrich before shaking hands on the matter. This adds +2
SL to the Haggle check, which rises by 1 per +2 SL gained on
the Pray Test invoking the Miracle. In addition, the person with
whom you are haggling is left with a good impression of you.
Carry My Burdens
Range: 1 yard
Target: One non-monstrous creature (as determined by the
GM)
Duration: Until the journey’s completion
You have the goods and the deal is set. Now trust in Handrich
to provide the means of delivery. If you succeed on an Animal
Training Test, the target creature will serve as your pack animal,
no matter how wild or aggressive it was. It will not attack
or follow orders, save for carrying anything you wish as you
travel. Upon completing the journey, the creature reverts to
its previously wild state. This Miracle can only be used on one
creature at a time.
Shake On It
Range: Touch
Target: 1
Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
You ask Handrich to witness this deal, and seal it with a
handshake. The target cannot act in opposition to this deal for
at least Fellowship Bonus Rounds. If they do wish to contest
some part of it, they must make an Average (+20) Cool Test
contesting your SL. If successful, they can refuse to take an
action dictated by the deal. For every additional 2 SL they
achieve, they may take one action in opposition to the deal. You
will know if they break the deal. You suffer +1 Sin point if you
break the terms of the deal while this Miracle is in effect.
47
III
Supply and Demand
Range: Fellowship yards
Target: One batch of trade goods in line of sight
Duration: 1 hour
Having successfully identified a place looking to sell or buy
certain goods through a Difficult (–10) Gossip Test, you may
invoke Handrich to make the amount available appear to
increase or decrease. This does not affect any goods in your own
possession. For example, a merchant looking to buy grain will
suddenly find rats have got into their existing supplies, while
someone selling rare linens discovers extra stock tucked away in
a back room. You may change an item’s Availability by one level
(Common becomes Scarce, Exotic becomes Rare, etc.) to affect
its Bartering Ratio, as per WFRP page 291.
Trickle Down
Range: Fellowship yards
Target: Fellowship Bonus people
Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
Through the gift of a gold coin and the promise of increased
wealth to come, you introduce those you wish to befriend
to Handrich’s beneficence. A successful Charm Test while
speaking to people of lower Status gains +1 SL for every SL of
the Pray Test to invoke this Miracle.
Twist of Fortune
Range: Fellowship yards
Target: 1
Duration: Instant
Handrich examines the fortunes of all and suggests a deal could
be reached. You may spend 1 point of the target’s Fortune as
though it were your own. However, they may choose to contest
this by making a Challenging (+0) Fellowship Test against
your SL. If they beat this, they keep their Fortune point. If they
beat your SL by +4 SL, then they may choose to spend a point
of your Fortune as their own.
The lost Fortune must be spent by the end of the session in
which it is lost. When the next session begins, the lost Fortune
is restored to its original owner.
FROZEN
ASSETS
Marienburg wishes to capitalise on trade with the Bjornlings,
and to this end a diplomatic delegation is being sent to Skjold
in order to establish a trade outpost. Naturally, the Temple
of Haendryk needs to send representatives to negotiate the
best deal from the Norscans for their plentiful supplies of
precious furs. Even more naturally, very few want the job. The
high priest is calling for volunteers, as well as eying up some
political rivals who he thinks might be perfect envoys.
IV
MINOR GODS, FOLK
• WORSHIP & HEDGECRAFT •
Life in the Old World is heavy with religion. In every aspect of
life, everywhere you travel, there are inescapable reminders of
the gods, from the major pantheons to the more obscure deities
and spirits.
Outside temples, people find their own ways to respect the
mystical forces who shape their lives. This folk worship is not
unique to Humanity, as the Dwarfs, Halflings, and Elves have
their own pantheons and peculiar relationships with the divine.
HUMAN RELIGION
‘From long-dead, barely remembered ancestors, to capricious spirits,
minor deities, and the most powerful gods; they all have this single
thing in common. They do not necessarily impart power to mortals,
though of course they could do this. No: they depend on our worship.
They must therefore be our servants, not we, theirs.’
– Reichardt D’Auckignes, deceased
(struck by lightning) IC 2508
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T
Roots in Antiquity
The Old World has been inhabited by superstitious and god-
fearing Humans for thousands of years. New ideas and new gods
have appeared over time, gradually changing the way Humanity
thinks and behaves, just as older gods recede into nothing more
than folk memory. Emerging beliefs and the relics of countless
old practices survive to this day in every corner of the Empire.
THE OLD FAITH
Long before Sigmar, long even before the other gods, the people
of the Old World were united in the worship of Ishernos, the
god-and-goddess of nature, and a wide but mostly forgotten
pantheon of minor gods and spirits.
They were drawn to the stone circles that they found arrayed
across the land, and a class of shaman known as ‘druids’ emerged
to teach and record the folklore of these ancients. These
traditions are still upheld in rural pockets of the Empire, in
half-forgotten hamlets and remote valleys. They seem primitive
and are occasionally mistaken for Chaos worship, but present
day followers of the Old Faith feel their ancient connection to
the land and an inheritance that goes back to its first people.
Ancient Spirits
Ancient spirits have long been worshipped across the Old
World and beyond. They manifest in a certain location and
are shaped by mortals’ perceptions of the area. A recognisable
terrain feature such as a copse, a rocky crag, or a river, will often
have an associated spirit. Spirits are not restricted to natural
phenomena. An old house, ruin, or castle can also have its own
ancient spirit.
Spirits can be contacted and summoned by mortals in a similar
way to daemons or ghosts. They appear in forms sympathetic
to their environment or shaped by their temperament — from
unusual Human forms to beings made from plant, rock, or
mist. They are peerlessly knowledgeable about their local area
and so their wisdom is much sought after. They have myriad
personalities and dispositions, often sly and elusive or capricious
and belligerent — some taking pleasure in the misfortune or
even death of mortals. Any mortal who wishes to learn from or
attempt to get the better of the spirits should keep their wits
about them, and will be expected to placate them with offerings.
Despite official discouragement, the worship of spirits is still
prevalent, even the norm, from the deserts of Araby to the
steppes of Kislev. There is little to distinguish between ancient
spirits and gods, other than their scope and power. Perhaps they
are of the same essential stuff.
49
IV
SAMPLE SPIRIT:
‘Lord’ Bärenbaum — Deep in the wooded foothills of the
Hagercrybs is the tiny village of Duderfurt, where the residents
live in fear of a local spirit they call ‘Lord Bärenbaum’. Only
ever seen out of the corner of one’s eye, the spirit emerges
from the woods at twilight, whispering demands for fresh
milk, cat flesh, and blood. Those who glimpse him describe a
hulking, bear-like figure covered in lichen, with cold blue eyes
glowing in the half-light.
Bärenbaum is never satisfied and he has taken the life of several
villagers who refused his requests.
Ancestors and Venerated Souls
Human ancestor worship is an ancient practice, sometimes
linked to the Old Faith, whereby a family honours its known (or
imagined) ancestors, to give thanks and to seek their protection
from beyond the grave. Some witch hunters, Sigmarites, and
priests of Morr consider talking to the dead perilously close to
necromancy.
This form of worship is common amongst rural and illiterate
people, so peasant families who uphold this tradition memorise
their ancestors as best they can. Weddings often involve reciting
the list of the in-laws’ ancestors. The nobility undertake ancestor
worship of a different kind, less concerned with veneration than
celebrating the importance of their forebears to elevate the
status of their own noble family. They often employ scholars to
make their family tree as illustrious as possible.
Venerated souls are individuals who have achieved official
recognition from a major cult. It is not unusual to find a holy
site or temple specifically dedicated to a venerated soul — a
follower who epitomised the relevant god’s values. Some
achieved their status unofficially, by provoking such widespread
devotion independent of cult approval, perhaps inspiring a cult
of its own. Some of these grass-roots phenomena are co-opted
by official cults in order to control or benefit from the devotion
they inspire — witness the hysteria surrounding the recent rise
in the cult of Valten, a young man who is said by some to be the
Chosen of Sigmar.
SAMPLE VENERATED SOUL:
Dieter the Just — A Verenan priest from the mid-25th century,
Dieter was elevated as a venerated soul after his daring efforts
to expose and destroy the Huyderman crime ring in Nuln.
He was murdered in his chambers, his tongue pulled out and
nailed to the top of his head. The cult recognised him twenty
years later and now he is venerated for his unflinching quest
for justice.
IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
HEARTH AND HOME
Many of the great buildings of the Empire are temples, and
many of the most spectacular events are religious festivals.
Worship can be a great social occasion and much of it is done
publicly, such as the immense open air rites of Taal at the
spring equinox in Talabheim or Nuln’s ‘Righteous Procession’
dedicated to Verena. Devotion is also a private affair, with small
services conducted among extended families, or simple solitary
reflection in one’s own home.
Most homes have a small area devoted to the household’s
private worship: perhaps just a section of wall where they light
candles to show their respect, or a table with simple sculptures
or charms, where the family place offerings.
These areas will often be decorated with images and symbols of
the household’s most favoured gods, ancestors, and venerated
souls. These vary, depending on the household’s disposition and
role in society, but in the Empire it is generally expected that a
small space is set aside for Sigmar.
MINOR GODS
The Empire is home to countless minor gods. Some are minor
because they have a limited domain, and therefore will only ever
attract a few adherents, some because they are associated with
a local setting, some because they are inherently unattractive to
most Humans, and some because they are merely unfashionable.
Minor gods are more specific in their purview than the major
deities, and some are subservient to them, such as river gods
who are considered the children of Manann. Others represent
local interests only. For example, in the Silver Hills of Nordland,
the god Gnistre is believed to move through the rock, leaving
behind the veins of silver which bring wealth to Salzenmund
and the surrounding region.
The Powers That Be
As the official pantheon of the Empire became more established,
vested interests grew less tolerant of the greyer areas of theology.
It would be convenient for the Empire’s rulers if there were only
a handful of cults, which all supported their rule.
The worship of spirits, ancestors, and to an extent the minor
gods, is usually low key and localised. This is easy to tolerate.
However, occasionally a cult will grow up and threaten the status
quo, or a local god’s more fanatical followers will destabilise an
entire region.
In these cases, the official cults are quick to act and put down
upstart cults or steer them in a more conventional direction. The
Sigmarites are especially egregious in this regard.
50
THE CULT OF KHAINE
Seat of Power: None
Head of the Cult: None, but a semi-legendary ‘Slayer in the
Dark’ is said to preside over all cults in the Old World
Primary Orders: Order of the Bloodied Hand, the Four Arms
of Khaine
Major Festivals: Hexensnacht (Death Night)
Popular Holy Books: Tenebris Geheimnis, The Lafayif Alea’qarab
(‘Scrolls of the Scorpion’)
Common Holy Symbols: Scorpion, Serpentine Dagger
To Humans, Khaine is the patron of murder, a bloodthirsty god
who craves the souls of those killed in his name. Although
he is a recognised member of the Old World pantheon, most
folk shun him and his worship is proscribed in all but the most
degraded communities. Khaine vies with his brother Morr for
the souls of the dead, but his claim extends only to the victims
of murder.
Khaine’s worshippers have no central authority, so depictions
of their god vary. In the northern Old World he is a cloaked
figure with a tall red helm, dripping blood from his left hand.
Across the south and east he is depicted as a squat, grotesque
figure with a leering, fanged mouth and four arms — holding
a serpentine dagger, a scorpion, a beating heart, and the fourth
dripping blood.
Some confuse Khaine with Khorne, but whilst the two hunger
for blood, Khaine is a patient deity who prizes artful murder
over rage and violence. The Khainite philosopher Melmoch
justified murder in his name as a means to channel the killing
urge inherent to Humanity, which would otherwise emerge as
mindless violence and feed the gods of Chaos.
SAMPLE MINOR GODS:
Haleth — Lady of the Hunt. Possibly an aspect of Rhya, Haleth
is an athletic woman armed with a bow. She is worshipped by
hunters in the Northern Empire, who pray to her to find their
quarry and guide their arrows and spears.
Borchband — God of Rhetoric. A god venerated by two distinct
sets of worshippers. Politicians and lawyers entreat him to give
them the power to inspire others to do their bidding. Agitators
worship him for the same reason, typically at odds with the
former group.
Bogenauer — God of the River Bogen. The townsfolk of
Bogenhafen pay dues to Bogenauer in thanks for the trade and
livelihood that he brings to the town. Bogenauer was originally
the principal deity of a small tribe of Unberogens who settled
in the area.
.
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T IV

Worshippers
Khaine’s followers typically come from those who have killing
as a profession. Cut-throats, assassins, pit fighters, and even
soldiers start out taking life as a necessity, but when it becomes
a source of pride or imparts a feeling of power, the insidious
whisper of Khaine drives them on to greater acts of murder.
Some join secret cults, which exist in the shadows, hidden
from the attention of the law and the respected religions. These
groups plot to murder victims through guile and stealth —
preferring strangulation, slashed throats, and a furtive blade to
open combat. These cults vary in their ceremonies, structure,
and their preferred methods of murder but share consistent
themes — rituals are conducted in black robes trimmed in red,
victims are killed regularly and usually carved with symbols
of Khaine such as the scorpion. Beyond this they follow their
own practices. Some conduct sacrifices in subterranean shrines,
while others fight one another to kill the weakest among them.
Strictures
0 All death is sacred, but only murder is sacred to Khaine
0 Murder is an act of devotion, do not rush it
0 Murder is its own reward
0 Do not let an opportunity to kill pass you by — each
such moment is a blessing given by Khaine
0 Do not betray the cult, even in death
0 Do not conceal the work of Khaine, even if it leads to
your discovery
THE ARTISANS OF DEMISE
The Artisans are a select group of aristocrats who strive to
perfect the art of murder. Each member competes to perpetrate
the most aesthetically satisfying assassination, which should
take place in public, reflect something unique about the
victim’s character, and have absolutely no motive beyond the
pursuit of artistic excellence and the veneration of Khaine.

Other Khainites are solitary — the reclusive assassin, the
itinerant loner, or the hidden serial killer. A small number of
necromancers revere Khaine for his opposition to Morr and the
belief that he is more willing to release murder victims for their
vile magicks.
Each ‘piece’ is given a title and may take months to plan and
execute. The society meet once a year in a different Old World
city and often plan their artistry to coincide with this occasion.
There is an understanding amongst the Artisans that each of
them is a legitimate potential victim.

Holy Sites
Cultists of Khaine can be found throughout the Old World,
but there are no significant centres of worship for such a
fragmented religion. Towns, cities, and ports with shifting
populations tend to harbour more cultists, as victims are easier
to find and discovery less likely. Temples and shrines depend
on cult membership — from a richly-appointed chamber in
an assassins’ guild to a stinking oubliette beneath the butchers’
quarter.

Beneath Wurtbad is a large bowl-shaped temple known as the

‘Cradle of Blades’ where cult leaders from across the Empire
meet each year, but they are too disparate and headstrong to
coordinate real alliances. On the Middenheim-Erengrad Road
is ‘The Forest Inn’, a coaching house which has become a secret
temple to Khaine, preying on unwary travellers.

Penances
Those who defy Khaine’s strictures usually make recompense by
becoming the next victim. Cunning followers can restore favour
by conducting an act of spectacular murder, such as slaughtering
a priest of Morr in broad daylight or butchering an entire room
of guildsmen.

51
IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
THE CULT OF SOLKAN
Seat of Power: None, but the most notable temple is in Remas
Head of the Cult: Dominus Ultor
Primary Orders: Order of the Shattered Amulet, Order of
Light and Law
Major Festivals: Summer Solstice, Geheimisnacht (Night of
Vigilance)
Popular Holy Books: Liber Flamma Purgatio
Common Holy Symbols: Flaming Sword, Golden Mask or
Clenched Fist
Solkan is the unyielding god of righteous vengeance. He is the
most prominent of the Gods of Law, obscure deities almost
forgotten in the Old World. Solkan embodies the need to
avenge wrongs and eradicate corruption. He is portrayed as a
tall man in Classical robes, wearing a gold mask sculpted with
an immaculate beard and an expression of resolute fury. Around
his head is a blazing nimbus, representing his role as a sun god.
Solkan and his followers see the world in black and white — he
hates chaos, change, and ambiguity. Only through eradicating
corruption and restoring order can he rule over an unending
realm of stability.
History
In the distant, mythic past, the Gods of Law fought a war
against the Gods of Chaos. Solkan was the most martial of the
pantheon, so he met with Khorne and his servants in battle.
While the Avenger’s blazing sword won many victories, his
fellow gods were captured or forced to retreat. The Gods of Law
lost the war and disappeared into obscurity. Only Solkan clings
to power, much diminished, albeit with a renewed fury against
the Ruinous Powers.
Ruined temples suggest the oldest Human cult originated in
Tilea around ancient Remas. Solkan had a place in the myths of
the southern Old World, the unsmiling judge in the pantheon of
Classical gods. Roostmaster Gregor of the Verenan monastery
of Eyrie claims Solkan’s cult is older — that he is a primaeval
sun deity originating from Ancient Nehekhara, or even a pre-
Human entity from the ranks of the mysterious Old Ones.
Elsewhere in the Empire and Bretonnia are primitive cave
paintings of a solar figure with a flaming sword. The sun god
Söll is a northern incarnation of Solkan, the patron of the
Menogoth tribe. Worship declined with the ascendance of the
cults of Sigmar and the Lady — today, northern Solkanites in
the Empire are influenced by the modern Tilean cult rather
than their own ancestral heritage.
52
Worship Today
In the Empire, Solkan worship is the preserve of eccentrics
and extremists. Solkan’s rigid, inflexible morality appeals to
those drawn to absolutes, who burn to impose order on the
unpredictability of real life. Although the cult is not proscribed,
it is unpopular, especially amongst the cults of Verena, Ranald,
Sigmar, and Shallya. There are few shrines to Solkan and most
are found in private residences — usually a whitewashed room
with an altar bearing a golden sword and a window facing the
rising sun.
A small number of Witch Hunters revere Solkan as the only
patron unbending enough to quell the forces of Chaos and
change. Covert Solkanites have infiltrated the Order of Sigmar
and seek to eliminate the perceived failings of the Empire’s
patron god.
Söll still has followers in Wissenland, in the former province
of Solland. It is no coincidence that the Solland Runefang was
named ‘Grudge Settler’ and the provincial symbol is a golden
sun. Worshippers in Solland believe their god will avenge and
restore their sovereignty, by wiping out the Orc successors of
Gorbad Ironclaw. There is a part-ruined temple to Söll just
outside Steingart, with faded wall frescoes of Söll vanquishing
a horde of Bloodletters.
Solkan is a relatively mainstream god in Tilea — a strict but
benign force of stability and rectitude. Most Tileans invoke his
name when they have been wronged, feel entitled to revenge,
or when a situation has become overly complex. He is a patron
of the vendetta, a particularly Tilean feuding tradition with
particularly stringent rules.
Tilea’s Solkanite inquisitors investigate and torture those
suspected of spiritual corruption. Their seat of power is Solkan’s
most significant temple in the Old World, in Remas. This
imposing structure of unblemished white limestone towers
above the city, its 200-foot spire topped with a golden sword
that turns upon a pivot to point towards the sun. From this
temple the Dominus Ultor directs his inquisitors and priests
to never rest in a quest to seek out the unclean for retribution.
Beliefs
Followers of Solkan insist the world was once perfect, as the
Gods of Law ruled all. But the Ruinous Powers tore a hole at
the top of the world and disorder permeated the mortal realm.
Worshippers believe Solkan demands they enact retribution
against everything tainted. He is the purifying fire, the light of
the brightest sun. One day Solkan will leave his celestial palace
to burn away Old Night and restore order — until then, no man
or woman can escape his scrutiny.
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T
Righteous anger is the only pure emotion for Solkanites.
Other strong feelings feed the Ruinous Powers and must be
controlled. Compassion and moderation are signs of weak
resolve which give Chaos a foothold in the world. Solkanites
have special enmity for those who use magic or prophecy —
powers which draw on Chaotic forces. The cult is disdainful of
other Old World gods — although they have learned to keep
these views discreet. They believe the ‘soft’ gods accommodate
Human failings and allow the pervasive advance of Chaos.
Such uncompromising followers frequently see deviation and
lack of purity in one another — especially when pragmatism
overrides dogma. The cult has many splinter orders, ranging
from secretive mystery cults in the Empire to powerful
organisations in Tilea.
The Order of Light and Law — An order of inquisitors,
powerful in Remas and influential elsewhere in Tilea and
Estalia. In 1586 IC, the priesthood was slaughtered by the
Daemon Prince Be'lakor as they tortured the oracle Necrodomo.
They have lost face in recent years since they failed to protect
Remans from a summoned daemon known as the Mardagg. In
the Empire, witch hunters who follow Solkan typically align
themselves with the Order of Light and Law.
IV
Strictures
0 Revere the sun’s cleansing light each day
0 Suffer nothing tainted by the Ruinous Powers — seek
it out and obliterate it completely without pause or
negotiation
0 Suppress all emotions, other than righteous fury
0 Do not tolerate signs of impurity such as flirtation,
music, dancing, or frivolity of any kind
0 Never compromise
PLAYING A PRIEST OF SOLKAN
Solkanites are zealots, more extreme and inflexible than even
the most fanatical Sigmarite — and they don’t play well with
others. Character Solkanite priests could quickly become
insufferable for your group, overwhelming social situations and
refusing to accept nuance or compromise.
As such, priests of Solkan work best as antagonists or NPCs.
If you have a very skilled player, who is willing to keep
their faith restrained, accumulate Sin points, and play out
the tensions as they inevitably break strictures, it may work
well. Alternatively, you could run a whole party of Solkanites,
constantly accusing one another of backsliding…

Order of the Shattered Amulet — A peculiar fellowship

of itinerant priests who seek the four fragments of Solkan’s
amulet, shattered by a daemon of Khorne. This circular amulet
was decorated with an unknown inscription and four serpents,
consuming one another in a circle. Recent discoveries suggest
the shards have been uncovered by Skaven.

Cult of the Vengeful Blaze — A secretive cult in Altdorf, the

Cult of the Vengeful Blaze have infiltrated the government and
military of the Empire’s capital. For more details, see Altdorf:
Crown of the Empire.

Knights of Purity — The Brotherhood of Purity is a charitable

organisation in Marienburg, which is a front for the Knights of
Purity, xenophobic fanatics dedicated to eradicating the smallest
hint of Chaos wherever they see it. The Sword of Solkan is their
agent, a mysterious vigilante who hunts and executes mutants
in the port city.

Söll’s Faithful — A localised folk religion in ‘Auld Solland’, the

priests of vengeful Söll agitate for Solland’s independence and
against the earthy rites of Rhya.

Penances
Penances from Solkan are tests of resolve and purity. Typical
tasks involve avenging a great wrong or utterly destroying
the tainted, especially when they require the penitent to burn
something they hold dear. Solkan is never satisfied — penance
is common amongst his cult.

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IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

PRIEST OF SOLKAN ‘ You think the Order of Sigmar are fanatics?

Human
You live to enact the divine will of Solkan, restoring pure order to a
world hopelessly corrupted.
Priests of Solkan are austere, humourless individuals. During
rituals, they wear white and gold robes in the style of ancient
Tilea. Many don a golden mask in imitation of their god, with
a stylised countenance of implacable fury.
Wait until you meet a Solkanite — they can glean
corruption from any innocent word or action'
— Antal Buchen, Talabecland Road Warden
‘They’re unhinged and totally sincere. I suspect we could
discern some ancient wisdom if we managed to see past their
deranged rants and attempts to burn the whole College.’
— Hierophant Lotta Hohensehf

Certain priests revere the whole pantheon of Law, fighting

a losing battle to reassert their influence in the Old World.
Nevertheless, it is the Divine Avenger that dominates their
thoughts and actions.

PRIEST OF SOLKAN ADVANCE SCHEME

WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel
h h h

Career Path
hAcolyte — Brass 2
Skills: Athletics, Cool, Endurance, Intimidate,
Intuition, Lore (Theology), Outdoor
Survival, Perception, Pray, Research
Talents: Bless (Solkan), Holy Visions,
Read/Write, Strong Minded
Trappings: Hand Weapon, Symbol
of Solkan, Wooden Mask

Priest — Silver 1
Skills: Art (Writing), Gossip, Language (Classical),
Leadership, Lore (Politics), Melee (Basic),
Talents: Etiquette (Cultists), Hatred (Chaos),
Impassioned Zeal, Invoke (Solkan)
Trappings: Ceremonial Robes, Gold-
plated Mask, Staff of Law or Sundial

Inquisitor — Silver 3
Skills: Language (Estalian or Tilean), Lore
(Chaos), Lore (Torture), Ride (Horse)
Talents: Acute Sense (Any), Holy
Hatred, Menacing, Strong-minded
Trappings: Black Inqusitor’s Attire, Entourage of
Acolytes, Instruments of Torture, Riding Horse

Grand Inquisitor — Silver 5

Skills: Charm, Entertain (Speeches)
Talents: Fearless (Magic Users), Iron
Will, Pure Soul, Resistance (Any)
Trappings: High Quality Robes, Replica
of Solkan’s Amulet, Temple

54
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T IV

MIRACLES OF SOLKAN Light of Stasis

Range: 4 yards
Below are six Solkanite Miracles. See WFRP page 222 but note, Target: 3
Solkan will not allow a priest with any Sin Points or Corruption Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
Points to work a Blessing or Miracle in his name. You utter a terse prayer to the Gods of Law requesting respite
from change. The scene around you is bathed in pale light and all
within is trapped in temporary stasis — frozen and unchanging
SOLKAN'S BLESSINGS for the duration of the Miracle. All targets cannot act or move
Priests of Solkan can access the following Blessings as per in any way — anything affected by the passing of time (falling
WFRP page 221: objects, missiles, injuries, Conditions, etc.) will pause until the
end of the Duration.
Battle, Conscience, Courage, Hardiness, Might, Tenacity
Still the Winds
Range: Fellowship Bonus yards
Absolute Purity Target: Area of Effect (Fellowship Bonus yards)
Range: You Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
Target: Area of Effect (Fellowship Bonus yards) You beseech the Gods of Law to calm the Winds of Magic. For
Duration: Instant the duration of the spell, within Fellowship Bonus yards, all
With a cry to Solkan, you inflict the Avenger’s wrath on the magic is dispelled, magic items temporarily lose their magical
impure. A wave of cleansing flame washes Fellowship Bonus qualities, and Channelling and Casting Tests automatically fail.
yards from your person, inflicting agony on all that Solkan Second Sight reveals the Winds are inert within the area of effect.
abhors. Anything in the area with Undead, Daemon, or Spellcaster
Traits, any Sin or Corruption points, or any Arcane Magic, Chaos
Magic, or Petty Magic Talent receives 1d10 Wounds, ignoring THE GODS OF LAW
Toughness and APs — this includes you and any allies or The Gods of Law are a spe
nt force. Theologians and
invoke their names or hunt mystics may
bystanders. for lore in ancient tomes,
deities are too otherworldly but these
and absolute for the moder
Fist of Vengeance full pantheon remains un n world. The
fathomable — each god rep
Range: Fellowship Bonus yards aspect of purity, largely inc res ents an
ompatible with Human psy
Target: 1 Perhaps only a cold-blooded cho logy.
, reptilian intelligence cou
Duration: Instant comprehend their complexit ld ever truly
You call on Solkan to smite those who defy his will. An almighty y.
Solkan is the only god wh
concussive blast hits your target, inflicting 1d10+WP Bonus ose role adapted to Human
the restoration of order an perspectives —
Damage, ignoring AP. d purity translates readil
for revenge. y int o the need
Alluminas — The embodim
Flaming Blade ent of pure stasis, a god of
everlasting,
Range: You
immobilising light. Hierop
hants of the Light Order occ
invoke Alluminas during asionally
Target: You their rituals and several Lig
Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds are actively researching the ht Wizards
Gods of Law.
Solkan grants your weapon the power of his pitiless fury. If Astasis — Also known as
Arianka, a deity that rep
you are wielding a sword, it is wreathed in white hot flames. It of form. During the war wit resents purity
h the Ruinous Powers, Ar
becomes a Magical weapon with +6 Damage. Anyone struck by imprisoned by Tzeentch. ianka was
Rumours of her earthly loc
the blade gains +1 Ablaze Condition. the folklore of the eastern ati on live on in
Old World. It is said that
keys can free her from her a set of crystal
Fury of the Righteous Sun coffin.
Daora — A representation
Range: Fellowship Bonus yards of pure, total knowledge. Sc
Daora is an ancient aspect holars believe
Target: Area of Effect (Fellowship Bonus yards) of Verena.
Unnamed Craft Deity —
Duration: Instant There are hints of an unkn
fragmented scroll found own god in a
You implore your god for total illumination. A blinding light in Magritta. This entity
creation, the imposition of embodied pure
pours from the sun, making it impossible to see. All within order on crude matter.
Fellowship Bonus yards receive a number of Blinded Conditions The pantheon is symbolis
ed by a sundial, which rep
fixed point around which resents a
equal to your Fellowship Bonus. The searing light also acts as a the light of the sun procee
magic missile with Damage of +2 on all it hits. revolution. ds in orderly

55
IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
CULT OF THE OLD FAITH
Seat of Power: None
Head of the Cult: None
Primary Orders: The Hunt, the Truthseekers
Major Festivals: The Summer and Winter Solstices, the Spring
and Autumn Equinoxes
Popular Holy Books: None
Common Holy Symbols: Sigils of the Old Gods, Circles,
Triskeles, and Spirals
Worshippers
Seen as the most backwards and bucolic of the Empire’s folk,
worshippers of the Old Faith forsake the new gods and live
by the ancient traditions. The Old Faith was once ubiquitous
throughout the lands that now comprise the Empire, and far
beyond. Now it is consigned to the margins and the wilderness,
closer to the nature which it reveres and away from the
persecution which suppressed the Old Faith over the centuries.
There is not any one true Old Faith, it is a collection of beliefs
and traditions that date back to the time before the gods as they
are currently understood were worshipped.
Adherents of the Old Faith are organised around the family,
with long lineages closely associated with Ishernos, the god-
and-goddess figure seen as governing nature and fertility. The
most exalted are the Druidic Families, who see themselves as
descendants of Belthani shamans.
There are rare individuals in towns and cities who revere the
Old Faith, usually from a philosophical standpoint. The Jade
Order of wizards was founded by Teclis and took inspiration
from the druids’ natural affinity for the wind of Ghyran. There
remain members of the Order who hold sympathy with the Old
Faith, even studying it to see how its trappings and practices
might be of benefit to their own magical workings.
Holy Sites
The holy sites of the Old Faith are the stone circles, dolmens,
and cromlechs which stand across the Old World. Followers
believe these places of power have belonged to Ishernos since
the creation of the world, but they are mistaken. The first
Humans to settle the Old World stumbled upon the waystones
of the Asur and other older civilisations, sensed their power, and
worshipped there. These places remain sacred, even as Asur have
explained to select Old Worlders why the stones were erected.
Many stone temples have been desecrated over time, whether
by Humans, Beastmen, or other creatures. More subtle places
of worship go largely undetected. Ponds, grottos, glades, copses
and the like serve as hidden sacred sites for the cult. They are
only given away by the pooling of power and their circular shape.
56
Dark Druids
Ancient tribes that migrated north into the Empire practised
many types of spirit-magic, including mortuary rituals that
would later influence necromancy. The oldest druidic circles
often consist of waystones repurposed into animal totems in the
likeness of old southern gods. Mounds and dolmens housing
the remains of barrow kings are sometimes guarded by these
statues. Over the centuries, witch hunters and Jade Wizards
have driven Old Faith druids into obscurity by claiming that
their nature gods are truly Chaos daemons.
THE NAMES OF LOST GODS
These deities are sometimes worshipped by surviving followers
of the Old Faith, though it is a dangerous practice to make
mention of them too openly. On one hand the Witch Hunters
of the Order of the Silver Hammer do not take kindly to
openly uttering names of gods from pantheons they believe best
forgotten, but a worse fate may be to fall into the hands of a
necromancer, who seeks knowledge of the traditions of old gods
to better commune with spirits who inhabit ancient barrows.
Goederan, the Mother of the Gods. Goederan is not conceived
of as an earthly force, but a cosmic one who gave rise to the
gods. She is seen as a rather distant and unrelatable figure, who
journeys the skies in her silver chariot.
Medhe, the Stormlord. Medhe was a very important figure to the
folk who settled in the ancient Vorbergland, and many barrows
are decorated with his sigil. At one time he may have been a
significant god of magic, for many enchanted artefacts, including
swords and cauldrons, are said to have been blessed by the
Stormlord. He was perhaps the most invoked of the powers of
the Old Faith, seen as a more reliably interventionist force than
his divine mother.
Naiedhe, the Trickster Goddess. Naiedhe is seen as a goddess
associated with many petty charms and conjurations. Legends
are told of her ability to use magic to confound enemy sorcerers
and weave enchantments of her own.
Cailledh, the Goddess of Rage. A battle goddess. Small statues
of a warrior woman are occasionally found in barrows and other
ancient sites. Scholars suppose that Cailledh may have been a
precedent for Myrmidia
The God of Death. The nameless deity who rules the watery
otherworld where the spirits of living beings are said to pass
after death. Little is known of this deity, and it has no formal
name or official title, being thought unknowable by those who
have not passed on.
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T
Albion and the Truthsayers
The island of Albion lies in the Great Ocean to the west of
the Old World. It is a mysterious place, shrouded in fog and
swathed in wide stretches of stinking peat mire. Little is known
of the island, and much of what is said about it is rooted in
legend rather than fact. Whilst the sea journey to the island
from the Old World is not necessarily long, the mists and
squalls that rise up around Albion serve to mislead and confuse
all but the most skillful of navigators.
Albion is the home of a druidic tradition that bears a degree of
similarity, in terms of its aesthetics and rites, to the Old Faith as
practiced in certain rural areas of the Old World. However, the
tradition underlying the role of Truthsayer is distinct from that
of other ancient practices in the Old World.
The Coming of Chaos
To hear the Truthsayers tell it, once the isle of Albion was a
bright and sunny island, where crops grew and the forefathers
of Elves, Dwarfs, Humans, and Giants received tutelage from
godlike beings on the manner of enlightenment and plans for
the development of the world. However, before such lessons
could be properly imparted, a great disaster befell the world.
Hordes of daemons and other chaotic creatures emanated from
the polar wastes of the world and sought to overrun it.
The Truthsayers claim that their own founding members
instructed the Giants of Albion to construct the Ogham
monuments, rings of standing stones possessed of the mystical
properties that helped stem the flow of Chaos and spared the
world from the depredations of the daemons.
57
IV
However, something about the stones also attracted mists and
rain, and over a short period of time the fertile land of Albion
became a boggy region where few crops grew.
The Truthsayers were isolated. They preferred the safety of their
remote Isle to the danger of the outside world and became
introverted and reclusive. The Giants of Albion also suffered
from their imposed isolation. Centuries of inbreeding dulled
their minds. When the danger of Chaos vanished, they became
bored and restless and resorted to mindless displays of strength
in order to pass away the time. The tribes of men on the island
also suffered a similar fate, they degenerated into a race of
warring tribesmen and primitive cave dwellers.
During all this time the Truthsayers continued to teach a chosen
few of each successive generation their secret magic, waiting
for the day when their masters would return. Each Truthsayer
would be taught in minute detail the ritual ceremonies that
were needed to maintain the mists that enveloped the land.
They would each learn of the nature of the stones and the
offerings that were made so that the magical power of these
stones never waned. Over time though the ancient laws were
forgotten and although the Truthsayers still practise their art,
it is but a shadow compared to the powers that used to be at
their command. Some practises still survive, and on nights
when Mannslieb is full, the Truthsayers gather and perform
ceremonies in order that the mystical energies stay bound to
the stones.
Whilst the practices of the Old Faith may resemble those of
the Truthsayers, and work to similar ends, most followers of the
Old faith believe in their own pantheons of gods rather than the
mysterious architects of Albion.
IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
The Dwindling of the Old Faith
The Old Faith struggles to survive. The gods and powers
associated with the traditions of the Old Faith are long passed
out of memory of all but a few stalwarts, and no longer seem to
grant miracles or blessings even to their most faithful followers.
The practice of Hedgecraft is assumed by many folk to be an
extension of the Old Faith. In fact it is not, but a tradition of
spellcraft that has roots of a similar vintage. Hedge Witches
may bear a certain aesthetic resemblance to druids, but this is
because they prefer rustic clothing and ritual trappings that
share an archaic and folksy design. Hedge Witches may well
seek out followers of the Old Faith to share in their folklore and
ritual practices, but Hedge Witches do regard the followers of
the Old Faith as rather reactionary and unwilling to recognise
that their gods and goddesses have been superseded.
The followers of Taal and Rhya have some sympathies with the
followers of the Old Faith. These deities are almost as ancient
as the beliefs of the Old Faith, and many theologians suspect
that Ishernos, the god-and-goddess of the Belthani, gave rise
to Taal and Rhya. The domains of wild nature, and domesticity
and agriculture are important aspects of Ishernos that have been
split up and embodied in Taal and Rhya. Followers of the other
old gods, Manann and Ulric, are ambivalent towards the Old
Faith, bearing it no particular enmity, but seeing it as very much
a spent force.
The followers of more recently established cults, such as those
of Morr, Shallya, Verena, Myrmidia, and Ranald, are also
ambivalent towards the Old Faith, but do regard its practice with
more patronising amusement. These are gods and goddesses of
civilization and cities, and they have little in common with the
folksy rites of Old Faith druids.
The followers of Sigmar are also inclined to aim mockery and
superstition towards followers of the Old Faith. This is usually
harmless, if condescending, behaviour, but on occasion followers
of the Old Faith have been persecuted as witches by particularly
zealous Sigmarite Witch Hunters.
A tradition of druidic practice is also common to the religious
caste of the island of Albion, though this is distinct again from
the Old Faith. The Truthsayers of Albion are heirs to a tradition
of following the great plan set down when the Old Ones walked
the earth. Their practices may resemble the rites of the Old
Faith in appearance, but they are far more potent and practical,
and have not dwindled with time.
58
Penances
The most common penance for Old Faith worshippers is to
spend time in the wilderness, alone. This is often welcomed
as an opportunity to refresh and reflect rather than seen as a
punishment.
The most common punitive penance is to be exiled from one’s
home, permanently. This is seen as the painful severing of ties
with one's very nature.
Strictures
0 Respect all that is natural
0 Never harm an animal except in self-defence or for food
0 Do not disturb the places of power
0 Care for our holy sites, repair them when they are
damaged, honour them when they are disrespected
0 Keep the traditions of the Old Faith and see that they
do not die
PRIESTS OF THE OLD FAITH
The following Careers could be taken by Characters who
venerate the Old Faith:
0 Nun
0 Priest
0 Warrior Priest
However, because the gods of the Old Faith are largely faded
and forgotten, the powers available to a follower of the Old
Faith are less potent than those available to the followers of
other gods. They are more varied in their application, however,
as a follower of the Old Faith can appeal to their distant
pantheon, rather than to a single jealous deity.
When a follower of the Old Faith gains the Bless (Old Faith)
Talent, they are not given six Blessings as the followers of other
gods, but may choose whichever six Blessings they like.
However, when the Character acquires the Invoke (Old Faith)
Talent, they do not learn any Miracles. Instead they may learn
an additional Blessing, and may purchase additional Blessings
for the same XP cost that a Character with the Invoke Talent
would normally spend on extra Miracles.
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T
LIVING AT THE HEDGE
Hedge witches are defined by three words: community,
responsibility, and survival. What these words mean to each
hedge witch can differ, but they are all important. Hedge
witches are often confused with members of the Old Faith,
but whilst the two traditions may share much in common, the
dividing line is that the Old Faith is the practice of ancient
(and increasingly obsolecent) religion, hedges witches practice
ancient (and not so obsolescent) magic.
Most hedge witches bond themselves to groups of people,
typically small rural settlements and dispersed farmsteads. Even
loners in mountainside hermitages are usually within a day’s
travel of a community. Hedge witches on the road tend to their
fellow travellers, innkeeps and their patrons, and the coachmen
who dare to live a life on the road.
59
IV
Hedge witches accept responsibility for the well-being of
their neck of the woods; this includes the land as well as the
people, for often the two are tightly linked. They are healers,
counsellors, and often historians of the little things scholars
ignore — names for small springs, local family lineages, and
which sow produces the healthiest piglets. When their land
and their people call, they are there. Hedge witches survive
by the protection and support of their communities, to which
they have proven their bond by upholding their responsibilities.
If they have to run, their skills keep them safe and fed in the
wilderness. Knowing when to run is often a matter of being
informed sooner, not later, whether by their communities, or
through personal observation and wisdom.
THE HUNT
The Hunt is a loose network of Old Faith followers of the
eastern margins of the Empire, especially Talabecland and
Ostermark. Knowledge of fellow members is limited to those
who live close by, and with such a dispersed membership,
communication throughout the Hunt is deathly slow.
When sacred sites or cult members are threatened, the Hunt
comes together belligerently, to help or exact revenge. Violence
is not inherent to the Old Faith, but the Hunt believe that it
is the only way to protect against the onslaught of the modern
gods.
When the Hunt strikes, it does so surgically, then members
disappear into the countryside.
IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
MAGIC AND KNOWLEDGE
There are no formal schools for the Lore of Hedgecraft. It is a
magical tradition passed from teacher to pupil, shared between
friends, and traded with trusted acquaintances. Often, a hedge
witch comes from a long line of hedge witches, with knowledge
handed down, parent to child, generation after generation.
Hedge witches without heirs look to siblings’ children or
trustworthy and capable offspring from well-liked local families.
Inevitably, exceptions exist: the hedge witch who saw and
understood the Winds of Magic from childhood; one befriended
and taught by a spirit of the fields; another who badgered their
local wise woman and proved themself worthy.
Effective hedge witches never stop learning. When paths
cross, and if they recognise a kindred spirit, they learn from
each other, taking the opportunity to share local information
and knowledge, both mundane and magical. Hedge witches
are wary and careful, but also practical, grasping lucky chances
when they appear.
Mundane knowledge and lore are as important to hedge witches
as any spell, frequently more so. People visit hedge witches —
and, importantly, trust them — for practical wisdom and advice
on many matters, such as farming, herb lore, and child and
animal care. They’re often the local historian for events going
back generations; they know where the forgotten graveyard
is, who was the product of an affair two generations back, and
why the old mill was closed down seventy-four summers ago.
They enthusiastically grasp any opportunity to learn more
about where they live and anything their communities might be
exposed to. Imperial wizards often proclaim that knowledge is
power; hedge witches know that knowledge is survival.
Hedge witches are often first to speak to pedlars and travellers,
seeking to know who’s visiting and what news they’re bringing.
They are the last to speak to visitors when they leave, keeping
up with what everyone has said and bought. They always
buy something from vendors, cultivating friendly, trusting
relationships, and thereby learning things folk wouldn’t tell
just anyone. Consequently, hedge witches often know all
about nearby towns, the state of the roads, and noteworthy
or infamous folk. (It also means their homes are often full of
small items they don’t need and are happy to sell.) However, a
good hedge witch seeks to distinguish truth, exaggeration, and
outright nonsense in all of their dealings.
Keeping an eye and ear open means hedge witches quickly learn
of trouble heading for their community. A dishonest trader, a
company of greedy soldiers, or an incognito Imperial wizard
and entourage searching for potential apprentices: all bring
problems with them and are better known of before they arrive.
60
History of the Hedge Witches
When the Belthani, the early tribes, first arrived in the lands that
would become the Empire, there were hedge witches among the
people. Such folk practised their arts openly, brewing potions,
crafting charms, and advising tribal chiefs. As the tribes settled
in different regions, distinct traditions evolved. In Averland,
hedge witches are thought to arise from the rites practised
by Brigundian priest-kings; in Nordland and Ostland, there
is evidence to suggest that the worship of a nearly forgotten
goddess, Halétha the Guardian, gave rise to the customs local
hedge witches follow; in nearby Middenland, a divine ‘Chieftain
of Cats’, presumed by many to be an antecedent of Ranald, is
credited as a divine progenitor; and in Wissenland, folk have
come to believe that hedge witches were inspired by Verena,
who blessed them with a gift of wisdom and arcane knowledge.
The common threads explain the belief among many hedge
witches that they are the beneficiaries of divine favour, carrying
down through the centuries a blessing bestowed on them by a
deity. They therefore tend to regard themselves as being more
like priests than witches.
The cults of Ulric, Taal, and, later, Sigmar, always viewed hedge
witches with suspicion. The Taluten tribe of Talabecland were
evangelical about their devotion to Taal, and tended to regard
hedge witches as rivals. Many practitioners of Hedgecraft
claimed that the wilds were full of dangers only they could
confront, which deepened the divisions between hedge witches
and the devotees of Taal. The Teutogens of Middenland
worshipped Ulric, God of Wolves, Battle, and Winter. The
values of the warrior god clashed with those who resorted to
the tricksy ways of the Chieftain of Cats. They too came to
distrust the hedge witches.
But it was when the worship of Sigmar spread throughout the
Empire that hedge witches began to suffer true persecution.
There are hedge witches who claim the trouble grew out of
a form of professional jealousy, that Sigmarites were envious
of the reputation hedge witches had earned for themselves as
guardians of communities. Sigmarites, for their part, simply
claim that hedge witches are true witches, twisted by Chaos,
and that the wages of Witchcraft are to be burned at the
stake. The genuine affection that many rural communities held
towards practitioners of Hedgecraft stalled their persecution,
but by the Age of Three Emperors in 1547 IC, hedge witches
were regularly executed in areas of the Empire where Sigmar or
Ulric held sway.
By the time of the Great War Against Chaos, witch hunters
drew scant distinction between hedge witches and any other
sorcerer. Even in Middenheim, where other wizards enjoyed a
degree of freedom, hedge witches were persecuted, and across
the Empire, Hedgecraft had degenerated into a forbidden,
furtive practice.
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T IV

IN THE CITY, ON THE ROAD

While the word ‘hedge’ suggests countryside, hedge witches are not limited to villages and forest hermitages. Plenty travel the roads
and waterways, working the inns and safe harbours. They become pedlars selling herbs and charms. They travel with carnivals, regaling
audiences with tales from folklore. They tend the Reik’s sailors with healing and bone-setting. This is a good and often safe life for
a hedge witch. While it exposes them to people who regard them as outsiders, it also keeps them moving, one step ahead of anyone
following them.

Others establish themselves in towns, even cities, where their skills are just as valuable. With poor sanitation and crowded streets,
there are many more sick people than in the fresh air of the countryside. There are plenty of horses that need doctoring, too. City
hedge witches know which houses are growing useful herbs in their guttering and which wells are unsafe to drink from. They know
the layout of the streets and alleys, the history of the local gangs, and who’s on the rise in the Teamsters’ Guild. Even the Cult of
Shallya calls on them. The witch hunter threat remains, but the Physicians’ Guild can be a bigger problem; at least they threaten
fines rather than fire.

Those few remaining hedge witches who followed their
traditions did themselves no favours in 2304 IC, when Magnus
the Pious, at the urging of Teclis, announced amnesties for
‘hedge wizards’ who would be willing to abide by Teclis’s
program of tuition. Many hedge witches regarded the broad
term, lumping them in together with a motley assortment of
seers, illusionists, and conjurors, as an insult, and the imposition
of an Elven understanding of magic as unjust. Many opf them
rejected Teclis’s offer, and as a result they have remained targets
of fear and oppression.
Avoiding Persecution
Magic taught outside the Imperial Colleges is outlawed. Even
easy-going communities can be turned against a well-liked
hedge witch when the crops fail again, or by charismatic,
manipulative figures out to cause trouble. For this reason, hedge
witches are very cautious when using spellcraft. Instead, they
prefer to work magic in the least obvious manner possible. The
key to this is their mundane skills: lore, healing, and herbalism.
Petty magic can be disguised as honest knowledge and
experience: Purify Water can be seemingly accomplished by
the addition of herbs; Spring by dowsing or professed local
knowledge and application of a shovel; Animal Friend is down
to your likeable nature; Careful Step is simply being comfortable
in the wilds; Bearings comes through knowing where the sun
rose this morning. Hedge witches are always wise to be ready
with a natural explanation for anything they do.
A hedge witch is rarely called a ‘hedge witch’, because hedge
witches get burnt. Even ‘wise woman’ or ‘cunning man’ are risky
prospects, though often ignored even by witch hunters. Instead,
they are known as the herbalist, midwife, or horse-doctor.
This is not just local folk being discreet to avoid accusations
of harbouring a witch. Sometimes they are honestly unaware
magic is at work.
A sensible hedge witch is more than happy with that, as long
as their skills are trusted, respected, and called upon. However,
common folk who are entirely in the dark are more likely to
turn on a hedge witch should the truth emerge. It’s often better
that local folk know the truth, but be able to easily brush it
aside. A supportive village is better than any secret society.
While some hedge witches live outside their communities, in
nearby caves and forests, most hide in plain sight. They are
farmers, working the land, tending their animals. They may
only have a small field or a handful of goats, or just work the
baron’s land, but they fit in. Their other skills, while important,
are secondary to who they officially are: just another peasant.
Alternatively, they could marry a well-established or important
figure, usually someone respected and trusted, such as the
blacksmith or a farmer known for their honesty and fairness;
the pairing combines skills, local usefulness, and popularity,
offering greater protection. Practical hedge witches agree that
marrying for love is very nice, but mutual fondness and respect
are far more valuable in every way.
HEDGE MOOTS
Hedge witches isolate themselves from one another to avoid
attention, but it was not always so. Upon a time, hedge witches
scattered around a region gathered at seasonal hedge moots
under a full Mannslieb to share knowledge, gossip, cake, and a
few jugs of cider. They celebrated the season and paid respect to
local gods and spirits. Moots often took place at sites connected
to the Old Faith: stone circles, dolmens, and barrows. Rarely
known to outsiders even in the past, such gatherings are unheard
of nowadays. There are many hedge witches who seek a way to
safely reinstate the tradition.

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IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
THE LORE OF HEDGECRAFT
Hedgecraft has been practised for uncounted centuries in the
Old World. During this time, several distinct traditions have
formed. Arguably the most famous are the so-called ‘cunning
folk’ or ‘wise ones’, practitioners of folk magic known for their
skills at warding against any evil, be it disease, mischievous
spirits, or the influence of other witches.
ALTERNATIVE SKILLS AND TALENTS
The Hedge Witch Career emphasises herbalism. You could
also consider a Hedge Witch to be an animal doctor. Players
who want to demonstrate this can swap Lore (Herbs) for
Animal Care, Trade (Herbalist) for Animal Training, Trade
(Charms) for Charm Animal, Craftsman for Hardy, and
Master Craftsman (Herbalist) for Robust.
A first tier Hedge Witch should have Secret Signs (Hedge
Witch) and Language (Belthani) along with other Skills. This
enables a travelling hedge witch to spot local ones and vice
versa, impart warnings of dangers, and share information such
as where useful herbs grow and where dangers might lurk.
62
Other Hedgefolk are expert craftsmen, able to fashion elaborate
charms and talismans for various purposes. Lastly, the relatively
unknown hedge walkers are masters of the spirit world, known
for their ability to ‘walk the hedge’, the boundary between the
physical and the immaterial.
Dagger of the Art
CN: 4
Range: You
Target: You
Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds
You grasp a stick no longer than eight inches in length and
transform it into a magical weapon. This counts as a dagger
that possesses the Magical Quality. The Dagger of the Art is
particularly potent when wielded against enemies with the
Ethereal or Corrupted Creature Traits. It inflicts Damage of SB
+ 8 to these foes. You can retain the Dagger of the Art after the
duration ends by passing a Challenging (+0) Channelling Test
each round thereafter.
Fellstave
CN: 9
Range: See text
Target: See text
Duration: 1 month
When you first learn the Fellstave spell, choose a target creature
type from the following list: Beastmen (including Minotaurs
and Centigors, but not Skaven), Daemons, Orcs and Goblins,
Ogres, Fimir, Trolls, or Undead.
GMs are encouraged to add other creatures to this list as they
see fit. You may learn this spell multiple times for the same XP
cost as any other new spell, choosing a new target creature type
each time.
In order to cast this spell you must whittle a Fellstave, a post
of wood no shorter than three feet in length and four inches in
diameter. Carving warding symbols into the wood and chanting
ancient words of power, you demand that all foulness flee your
righteous spell. The Fellstave is driven into the ground and then
the spell is cast.
If the spell succeeds, for the following month, the Fellstave acts
as a ward against the chosen creature. If any creature matching
your chosen type draws within 100 yards, they must make a
Challenging (+0) Cool Test or receive a Broken Condition.
Creatures who recover from Broken Conditions must make a
Challenging (+0) Intuition Test. If they fail, they realise that
the Fellstave caused them to experience a magically induced
panic, which may mean they avoid it in future, or seek to have
it destroyed.
 M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T IV
Goodwill You may also return to your body and touch it to end the spell.
CN: 0 If your body is killed while you are walking the Hedge, your
Range: You spirit wanders aimlessly for eternity.
Target: AoE (Fellowship Bonus yards)
Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds Nepenthe
You create an atmosphere conducive to friendliness and good CN: 0
spirits. All Fellowship Tests within the Area of Effect receive Range: Touch
a bonus of +10, and Animosity and Hatred Psychologies have Target: Special
no effect. Duration: The drink lasts Willpower Bonus hours, its effects
are permanent
Invigorate You must have a cup or other drinking vessel at hand to cast this
CN: 2 spell. As you chant the incantations, a thick mist issues from
Range: Touch your mouth and coalesces in the cup as a thick silver liquid. If a
Target: 1 person drinks the liquid, they immediately forget all they know
Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds of a given individual of their choice.
Your spell invigorates your target’s body. The target ignores all
Fatigued Conditions for the duration. Nostrum
CN: 0
Lovelock Range: Touch
CN: 10 Target: Special
Range: Touch Duration: Willpower Bonus hours
Target: See text You incant a spell over a prepared draught, imbuing it with
Duration: Until midnight magical power. If drunk while the spell is in effect, the target
You must have a cup or other drinking vessel at hand to cast immediately heals your Willpower Bonus in Wounds and is
this spell. You utter the secret words of Hedgecraft, and as you cured of one disease of the spellcaster’s choice. For every +2 SL
do so, honey drips from your lips, which you catch in the cup. on your Casting Test, the draught cures an extra disease.
If someone drinks the philtre, it causes them to fall in love with
the first person they would find romantically appealing, if any Part the Branches
at all. CN: 0
Range: You
Mirkride Target: You
CN: 0 Duration: Willpower minutes
Range: You Your pupils dilate as you complete your incantation, allowing
Target: You you to see into the spirit world. This allows you to perceive
Duration: Willpower Bonus minutes invisible creatures, spirits, and Daemons.
Speaking ancient words of magic, your spirit leaves your body,
stepping into the Hedge, the dark space between the material Protection Pouch
world and the spirit realm. For the duration, you stand apart CN: 5
from the world, able to witness it visibly, but not affected in any Range: Touch
way. Physical barriers are no impediment to you, and you may Target: See text
walk through non-magical obstacles. Duration: 1 week + 1 week per SL
In order to cast this spell you must possess a small pouch,
Your spirit form possesses all the Characteristics, Skills, and crafted from the body of a small animal such as a bat or shrew.
Talents you had as a physical being, but you are completely As you incant the words of the spell, a small crop of strange
invisible and silent to anyone on the physical plane. You are purple herbs grows at your feet. You can harvest these herbs and
immune to non-magical damage. You may not interact with place them into the pouch.
physical objects but may cast spells which do. The following
creatures are visible to you, and you may interact with them: If a person wears the herb-filled pouch around their neck,
invisible creatures, spirits, ethereal creatures, and Daemons. they benefit from +1 SL to any Cool Tests they make to
resist supernatural effects, including Fear and Terror caused
Your body remains in place, immobile and insensate, suffering by Undead creatures and Daemons. They also benefit from +1
from the Prone Condition. At the end of the spell, you are SL to Endurance Tests made to resist contracting diseases or
pulled suddenly back to your body. suffering from Poisoned Conditions.

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IV WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Protective Charm Sightstep

CN: 0 CN: 7
Range: Touch Range: You
Target: Special Target: You
Duration: Willpower Bonus days Duration: Willpower Bonus minutes
You imbue a charm such as a small piece of jewellery or pocket- This useful spell has saved the lives of many hedge witches. You
sized trinket with a spell of protection. Those bearing the charm incant a short invocation which dampens your own magical
gain the Magic Resistance Talent. If they already have that nature, obscuring yourself from those able to sense the Winds.
Talent, the charm does nothing. Those with the Magical Sight Talent notice nothing strange
about you, and you gain a bonus of +2 SL to any Stealth Tests
you make to hide from Daemons, spirits, and ethereal creatures.
You may not cast magic yourself while the spell is in effect, and
may not dispel or channel.

Silvertide
CN: 4
Range: You
Target: You
Duration: 1d10 hours
You proclaim a charm that provides you with the luck to find
lost coins. Over the course of the duration, you find pennies
on the ground, at the bottom of forgotten pockets and hems,
behind ears, under cushions, and so on. By the time the spell is
finished you will have discovered 1d10 pennies.

The Ousting
CN: 8
Range: Willpower Bonus yards
Target: 1
Duration: 1d10 years
You incant words of banishment, demanding that a creature
from beyond the Hedge return to its place of origin. One
creature with the Ethereal or Daemonic Trait within range must
pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or suffer a number of
Wounds equal to your Willpower Bonus. If this reduces them
to 0 Wounds or fewer, they are immediately banished from the
physical world, unable to return for the duration.

Wyrd Ward
CN: 4
Range: Touch
Target: 1
Duration: Willpower Bonus hours
Hedge witches are no friends of those who work with Dhar, and
witches and warlocks are amongst their oldest foes. A hedge
witch can grasp a witch and declare this quick curse, depriving
them of their connection to corrupt magical energy.

After casting the spell, you must succeed on an Opposed

Willpower Test with the target. If you win, the target suffers
–2 SL to any Language (Magick) or Channelling Tests made
to cast spells from the Lores of Witchcraft, Necromancy,
Daemonology, or any Chaos Lore for the duration.

64

THE CULT
• OF RHYA
Humans have always needed sustenance from the earth, and
love and healthy offspring in the home. As goddess of summer,
fertility, and the harvest, Rhya protects people and their families
from starvation and keeps them together through times of strife.
Followers thank Rhya for every healthy birth, every harmonious
union, and every bounteous harvest.
She is a god of plenty, but never excess. Properly honoured, Rhya
brings sustenance but does not reward greed. She blesses lovers
with romantic intimacy rather than compulsion or domination.
Rhya’s opposition to the Dark Prince Slaanesh is rooted in the
distinction between bounty and indulgence.
Each year, Rhya’s followers herald the coming of summer and
the passing of Ulric’s winter rule. Later, as the nights draw in,
Rhya relinquishes the land to the Wolf God, as she knows life
must rest to be renewed in the spring.
65
V
•
Depictions of Rhya represent her as a tall, gracious woman,
often heavy with child and wearing a crown of barley and
wheat. Artists often show her accompanied by handmaidens,
spirits of nature and minor goddesses who serve her on earth.
While Rhya is kind, she is not merciful like Shallya. Those who
harm youngsters, neglect the land, or forget to sacrifice to Rhya
should expect cold anger.
Rhya is the consort and equal of Taal, King of Nature. Their
relationship is harmonious, although neither is monogamous
and both have children with other gods. Mortals see a tension
between Rhya’s domestication of crops and livestock and Taal’s
dominion over the wild. Devotion to Rhya is greatest where
her beneficence is most needed, in the countryside, amongst
the fields and farms. Ancient stone circles and oghams are her
temples, some dating to a time before Humans even came to
the Old World.
V WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
FOUNDATION OF THE CULT
Rhya’s devotees have always been simple folk who live from the
land, so written histories of the cult are rare and unreliable. Oral
traditions are little better, as they evolve and change to suit the
listener rather than present literal truth.
The most primitive Humans that first migrated to the Old World
needed to stave off hunger and to find shelter from predators
and the cold. They venerated a god known as Ishernos, who
represented respect and fear of nature and provided protection
from the harsh world. Theologians posit that this god later split
into Taal and Rhya, with the latter bestowing the blessings of
spring and summer — new life and food foraged and hunted
from the land.
As the tribes gave up their nomadic lives to settle, they revered
her as the Earth Mother, who is said to have brought the secret
of agriculture. The Belthani, as the earliest Human tribes are
called, believed that Rhya gave them the gift of domesticated
grain, tamed animals, and the secrets of farming. In gratitude,
the Belthani venerated Rhya at the mysterious stone circles they
discovered across the land. A rudimentary priesthood developed
from the women who guarded the secrets given by Rhya.
Some scholars think Rhya is a modern incarnation of the
goddess venerated by the Old Faith. Others consider her
the first civilising god, bringing settlement and order to the
capriciousness of nature.
As more tribes settled, those who depended most on farming
favoured Rhya over the other primal gods. The Asoborns,
Bretonni, the Brigundians and the Menogoths gave the goddess
special reverence. The Taleuten tribe gave Taal a dominant role,
but worshipped Rhya as his divine consort.
Even the fiercest warrior king saw the need to stave off famine
and ensure healthy births. When Sigmar established his Empire,
the worship of Rhya remained important, but increasingly
removed from urban centres of power. The cult never formalised,
and while priests of Ulric, Taal, and later Sigmar wrestled with
the politics of the new Empire, Rhya’s cult remained pragmatic
and focused on the eternal earthbound concerns that had always
been her dominion.
When Gilles le Breton united Bretonnia, Rhya’s cult was
displaced by the Lady amongst the ruling classes. But peasants
stayed loyal to the fertility goddess and several Empire scholars
have scoffed that the ‘Lady’ is clearly a misinterpretation of
Rhya by people who eat too much cheese
66
MYTHS OF RHYA
Bringer of Life
The earth was once barren of life and cold underfoot. The
maiden Rhya was so beautiful that the Lord of the Sun gave her
a gift of warmth and light. Where she walked on the ground,
the soil gave forth grasses, flowers, trees and fruit. As she sang,
the animals climbed from the soil. When men and women
came, she promised that they and the soil would be fruitful if
they showed her due respect.
The Taming of Nature
It was a time of famine. The berries and roots had withered
and the creatures of Taal eluded even the most skilled hunter’s
spear. Every stomach was empty and men, women, and children
grew weak and died. Rhya sent her handmaidens Rigga and
Vidagg to the women of the tribe. They brought sheaves of
wheat and docile aurochs, and whispered secrets of taming the
wild. But they kept their voices low so that King Taal would
not hear.
Fruit of the Goddess
When the world was young, Rhya and Taal fell in love. They
were joined beneath the bowers of a great oak tree. From their
union came stormy Manann and countless spirits of forest,
meadow, and valley. Neither Taal nor Rhya constrained the
other, and the goddess gave birth to many offspring with other
gods. It is said that the first of the Menogoth tribe were the
children of Rhya with a mortal man.
Nature and Nurture
A woman, heavy with child, was lost in the woods. Ulric
claimed her fate was his to decide, for she was in the domain
of his pack. His brother Taal declared that the wild must be
free to do as it will. Only Rhya stood in defiance of her consort
and his brother. She showed them the she-wolf defending its
cubs. She showed them the eagle feeding eaglets in the nest.
She showed them that even the serpent warms its new-hatched
young. Ulric and Taal softened, bowed to Rhya, and she guided
the mother back to her hearth.
 T H E C U LT O F R H YA
THE CULT IN THE EMPIRE
Rhya is well-loved by the people of the Empire, although those
in towns and cities give the goddess little thought until they
need her blessing — to ease childbirth, fill the granaries and
markets, or bring an end to a harsh winter. Priestesses visit
larger settlements to attend to expectant mothers, but they are
reluctant to spend long hemmed in by walls and stone.
Rhya’s true heartlands are the villages and farmsteads of the
Empire’s countryside, where her beneficence is essential to
survival and prosperity. Rustic life is said to be ‘under Rhya’s care’
for good reason. If you live in the countryside, she accompanies
you from birth, as you grow, find love, marry and bear children
of your own. Even at death she hands your soul to Morr and, in
some traditions, expects your body to be buried to sustain future
life from the soil.
The most exalted priestesses are known as Hierarchs or Green
Watchers. These women have risen to prominence for their
devotion to Rhya and the deeds they do in her name. They travel
with an entourage of subservient priestesses who have chosen
to learn from them.
The Cult of Rhya does not build grand temples, but there are
a handful of abbeys scattered across the land. Older priestesses
preside here as prioresses, surrounded by Rhyan nuns and
acolytes who tend to their livestock and herb gardens.
Across the Land
In the southern Empire, Rhya is treated with the utmost respect,
particularly in rural Stirland. The other breadbasket provinces,
Averland and Wissenland, draw much of their prosperity and
influence from fruitful orchards and dairy farms. The southern
nobility respect the priestesses and holy sites of Rhya more
than any others in the Empire — the memory of failed harvests
hangs heavy over even the most uncaring ruler.
In the eastern Empire, Rhya’s worship is associated with and
subsumed into the cult of Taal. The people of Talabecland,
Ostermark, and Ostland relegate her to a role subservient to
her consort’s more politically-influential cult. Priestesses within
the eastern Cult of Taal and Rhya sometimes bristle at their
position and have occasionally retreated into older, more primal
religious practices, away from the eyes of the priests of Taal.
The provinces of the populous west treat Rhya as a rustic goddess,
revered in her place. In the Suden Vorbergland, she is given
special regard because the locals believe the region’s flourishing
population have been blessed by Rhya. In the Reikland she is
associated with Dyrath, a goddess from the Hägercrybs. Dyrath
may be an aspect of Rhya, one of her handmaidens, or another
fertility goddess entirely.
67
V
Worship of Rhya is more rarefied in the cold provinces of the
north, where it is harder to eke life from the land. Nordlanders
who live close to the Laurelorn Forest practice an archaic
form of worship, which they believe is closer to how the Earth
Mother was revered by the first people in the Empire. In the
forests of the north, Rhya is occasionally venerated as Haleth, a
patron of hunting.
Aspects of the Goddess
The Cult of Rhya does not have sects or orders like the Empire’s
other cults. However, there are tendencies and informal bands
of priestesses who favour specific aspects of the goddess:
The Bringers of Bounty — The most prevalent Rhyan practice
is that of the Bringers of Bounty. These priestesses perform
rituals of fecundity for crops and livestock, and lead festivals
and public rites at the equinoxes, usually in partnership with
Taal’s priests. These are spiritual leaders of their communities
and dispensers of down-to-earth advice on matters of farming,
the heart, and the family.
The Daughters of Rhya — An eminently practical tendency in
the cult, these priestesses and nuns are the guardians of Rhya’s
Wisdom, an oral tradition related to childbirth. All have given
birth at least once in their lives and dedicate themselves as
midwives and counsellors for mothers-to-be. In private, they
advise women on how to avoid unwanted pregnancy and how
to deal with abusive partners. Rhya supposedly whispers in her
Daughters’ ears when a birth of great importance is imminent.
The Corn Mothers — This is a clandestine coven within the
cult, who meet in secret to preserve Rhya’s greatest mysteries,
those which are not shared outside her priesthood. When they
convene, the Corn Mothers don masks woven from wheat stalks
to hide their identities.
V WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Beyond the Empire
In Tilea, Rhya is known as Ishea and is shown in the garb
of an ancient Tilean woman of high birth. Priestesses have
more mystique than their Empire counterparts and their rites
are more secretive. In northern Tilea, Rhya is a determined
protector of granaries against the attentions of rats.
In Bretonnia, peasants typically favour Rhya over Taal and every
village has a shrine to the goddess. The ruling classes dismiss her
followers as primitive rustics. The priests of Shallya sometimes
ally with Rhyans to protect children from being taken by the
Fay. Such practice is outlawed and punished by Damsels of the
Lady if discovered.
Explorers have returned from Lustria telling of ruins carved
with a tall female figure wearing an elaborate headdress, quite
unlike the reptilian creatures that rule the jungles. They have
called this figure Rhya, but her true identity is obscure.
PERSONALITIES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE CULT
The Green Watcher
The original Green Watcher is a shadowy historical figure,
perhaps a number of women rather than one individual. The
tribes united by Sigmar all had traditions of a very tall woman
who travelled the land, bringing them seeds, taming beasts,
and clearing stone circles for Rhya’s worship. She gave tribal
chieftains artefacts that promoted harmony and good fortune
for their people.
Mother Frasach
Commencing in 1623 IC, a terrible famine afflicted the land
divided by the Age of Three Emperors. In deepest Stirland,
Mother Frasach led a month-long ritual to banish the blight
affecting the crops, to feed the land and restore life throughout
the southern Empire. Many were saved by Frasach’s actions. The
ritual involved certain unsavoury practices, but none questioned
such a miraculous event.
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The Blessed Phoebe
A historical priestess immortalised in the Divine Dialogues — a
rare example of Rhyan doctrine in text which was first published
in 1782 IC. In the book, Phoebe debates with the Morrite priest
Ortus Szich on the matter of life and death. They disagree over
whether the rebirth of crops from the soil is akin to necromancy.
Phoebe comes across as a quick-witted and erudite peasant to
Szich’s dry rhetorician.
Baron Harvan von Heine
Born in 2219 IC, this Averlander noble favoured Rhya above all
other gods and grew powerful on the abundant yields from his
holdings. He welcomed priestesses to his estates near Pfunzig.
Von Heine had many children and his descendents still venerate
Rhya and provide mercenaries to defend her temples.
Mother Jeska Schopf
Schopf is the current Green Watcher of the Reikland, based
in the temple in Altdorf. She represents the goddess on the
Emperor’s Grand Conclave, although she has an aversion to
politics. If she hears of possible famine or unnatural births in
the Reikland, she calls on priestesses and itinerant bands of
adventurers to investigate. For more on the Temple of Rhya in
the capital, see Altdorf: Crown of Empire.
Katrinelya, Hierarch of Rhya
Hierarch of the cult in western Talabecland and companion of
Niev, hierarch of Taal, Katrinelya is influential amongst locals, as
she is a compelling speaker and closely allied with the political
power of her husband’s cult. Although both appear old, they are
nimble and graceful in their movement. In recent times, their
gods have appeared to them in dreams, drawing them west to
the southern Reikwald Forest for an unknown divine purpose.
STRICTURES AND BELIEFS
Rhya’s strictures (WFRP page 209) are sacrosanct for all
priestesses and devout followers of the goddess. The welfare
of families, children, crops, and livestock are paramount, as is
the sanctity of life and love. The core of this belief is passed
down by oral tradition and practical worship, so priestesses and
worshippers learn prayers and religious practice by observation
and imitation. While the strictures are consistent, there are
localised variations in beliefs and rites, as traditions are passed
down by venerable priestesses.
Her followers believe that Rhya is ever-present between
Mitterfruhl and Mittherbst. When the breeze moves across a
field of wheat or barley, they believe that she is moving across
the land. In Wissenland and the Vorbergland they say that
statues of Rhya come to life before dawn and breathe on the
soil to invigorate it. If one sees Rhya walking abroad, they will
find new love before the next summer solstice.
 T H E C U LT O F R H YA
All rural communities believe that they must put something
back into the earth to repay Rhya for her generosity. This
sacrifice could be the first reaping from the fields, the first fruit
to ripen, or the firstborn to the village livestock. In secluded
locations, sacrifice may be more sinister. Persistent rumours
abound of blood and even human life given in exchange for
Rhya’s blessings. Sacrifices must be something which can
provide sustenance to growing life — Rhya has no interest
in gold or material wealth. Fish and wild animals are also
forbidden, as they belong to Manann and Taal respectively.
Rhyans believe that all love is sacred when it brings fulfilment
to those involved. They protect lovers from disapproval by
others, providing the partners treat one another with respect.
Priestesses officiate at rural weddings and sometimes in larger
towns. The marriage ceremony is the symbolic joining of
two people. The rites vary across the Old World. In the most
common, the priestess binds the wrists of both parties with
mistletoe, while they make pledges of faith and dedication.
WHEN THE CROPS FAIL
Rhya is one of the more benevolent gods, but when livestock
are stricken with illness or the crops wither through drought
or disease, worshippers find themselves at her mercy. Sacrifices
become more desperate. Villages have starved to death after
overzealous worshippers burned all their stocks of food to win
Rhya’s favour. Peasants seek to blame one another for bringing
down Rhya’s curse, and violence or murder can easily follow.
The Corn Mothers protect secret beliefs which are unknown
outside their covens. The practice of bringing new life into
the world is rife with mystery and they have a sophisticated
understanding of reproduction and inheritance beyond that of
most Human scholars. They also have insight into truths about
the gods which would bring the Witch Hunters should they
become known.
Rhyans are strident in opposing the Prince of Excess, who
corrupts what the goddess protects. Slaanesh takes love and
simple bodily pleasures and twists them into cruel mockeries
of Rhya’s sacred purview. There is a fine balance between Rhya’s
provision of abundance and Slaanesh’s craving for excess.
Priestesses learn how to temper the appetites of their followers
to keep them from corruption.
Rhyans are rarely zealots, but there are extremes of faith. The
Celebrants are cultists who worship Taal and Rhya and seek
to live close to nature, worshipping through consumption of
strange herbs and intoxicants to help them commune with
their gods. The Celebrants reject civilisation; their appearance
becomes savage and many die from exposure or the attentions
of wild creatures.
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WORSHIP
Most people who work on the land worship Rhya. Farmers,
herbalists, midwives, traders in foodstuffs, lovers, hedge witches
— all desire the blessings of the goddess of fertility, life, and
summer. Her worship is woven into the fabric of rural life
and her presence is constant. People attend formal rituals at
specific times in the season, but it is normal to mutter prayers,
invocations, and thanks to Rhya throughout the day.
As a goddess of the summer and fertility, worship of Rhya is
inherently seasonal, like the waxing and waning of life. During
winter, rites tend to be quiet and solitary, chiefly concerned
with childbirth and the family. There are invocations to Rhya to
intercede with Ulric to relinquish the land when spring comes.
In Wissenland, followers believe that Rhya descends into the
soil in winter, to nurture dormant life while her handmaidens
warm livestock in their barns.
From spring to autumn, rites are conducted in the open.
Wheatfields, ancient oghams, and stone circles play host to
timeworn, familiar, and joyful rituals. Singing is common, with
dances and laughter following prayer. Children and young folk
often play a key role in the rites, embodying new life.
Flowers and fruit are draped from wooden statues of the
goddess. There are countless regional variations; for example, the
Rite of the Hare in Averland is louder and more spontaneous
than in Ostland, where villagers practice their songs for many
weeks in advance.
In towns and cities, prayers to Rhya are limited mainly to
those wishing for harmony in romance or healthy children —
although Shallya often supplants Rhya for the latter. Stirland is
different, as Rhyan festivities and ceremonies are part of urban
life in Wurtbad, Hornau, and the other towns in the province.
During times of famine (including the hungry months of the
summer, before harvest time) even the most sophisticated
burgher offers a small sacrifice or prayer to Rhya.
Rhya is sometimes worshipped in ceremonies paired with
other gods, celebrations of Taal and Rhya being by far the most
common. In some regions, priests of Morr and Rhya conduct
joint services to commemorate the passing and revival of life.
In the north, priests of Rhya and Ulric exchange gifts at the
equinoxes to symbolise the passing of summer and winter.
V WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
MAJOR FESTIVALS
Mitterfruhl — ‘Spring Growth’
The spring equinox is the beginning of Rhya’s time in the year.
Winter is over, green shoots emerge from the soil, and animals
start the mating season. The goddess shares this day with her
consort Taal and her son Manann, all of whom expect sacrifice.
The Mitterfruhl rites to Rhya take place in the fields, where
the priestess and gathered worshippers sing songs to implore
their goddess for a fruitful year. A portion of food left over
from winter stores is ploughed back into the earth and fed to
livestock as a sacrifice. That night, those who hope that this year
will bring them new love or children lay gifts for Rhya at her
shrines and stone circles. These are personal to the petitioner,
but woven garments, loaves of bread, and figures carved from
fruit are common offerings.
Sonnstill
The summer solstice is Rhya’s holiest day and the longest day
of the year, when the goddess is at her most radiant, summer is
at its height, and the sun appears to hang in the sky. In villages
across the Old World, peasants enjoy a festival of celebration
and fertility. They bedeck their cottages with flowers, erect a
maypole on the green and spend the day dancing, singing, and
praising Rhya.
Each village has its own traditions for celebrating Sonnstill,
which may be alarming or bizarre to outsiders. For example, in
Nordland’s Rol valley, worshippers flatten spiral paths in fields
of growing maize. A sacrificial goat is led through the spiral to
the centre, where it is killed, its blood drained into the soil and
the body roasted and eaten. In southern Stirland, a she-goat
plays a more illustrious role as it is crowned ‘Queen of the Farm’
and encouraged to join the dancing. At sunset, as the light fades,
festivities take a more sombre tone. Lovers sneak off for privacy
and a priestess leads revellers in songs tinged with apprehension
that Rhya may abandon them before the harvest.
Mittherbst — ‘Less Growth’
At the autumn equinox, Rhya relinquishes the year to Ulric.
Worshippers build bonfires, on which they burn some of the
year’s harvest in gratitude to Rhya and to ask that stocks last the
winter. In Wissenland, a man dresses head-to-toe in an outfit
made from stalks and fruit tree twigs. This character parades
through the village and past farms, its purpose lost to history.
At sundown, the women of the village take the last remnants
of the harvest and weave them into a small humanoid effigy, a
symbolic vessel for the spirits of the crops to shelter in during
winter. This effigy is brought into a farmhouse until spring,
when it is buried back in the earth.
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RELATIONS WITH OTHERS
Taal — As King and Queen of the northern gods, Taal and
Rhya’s cults have a strong mutual alliance and usually present a
united front. There are tensions, where Taalites tend to dominate
the Cult of Rhya rather than treat it as an equal.
On a spiritual level there can be conflict between the two cults
wherever domesticated animals are predated by wild beasts.
However, as both cults tend to sympathise with one another
this rarely proliferates beyond genial banter.
Manann — Rhyans respect followers of the goddess’s son
Mannan and they recognise one another’s domains of land
and sea as separate but interdependent. That said, like any
disappointed mother, Rhyan priestesses quietly disapprove of
Manann’s moods and indifference to suffering.
Ulric — Taal’s brother is close to Rhya and the two have a
familial bond, deeply significant to her followers. Priests have
solemn respect for the turning of seasons, as Rhya hands the
land to Ulric at the autumn equinox and he returns it to her at
the beginning of spring.
Sigmar — the Empire’s cult pays its respect to Rhya more in
theory than practice. They know the old gods were important to
the ancient Unberogens, but see the modern cult as backward
and potentially a dubious influence on the simple folk of the
Empire. Rhyans occasionally step up to defend rustic folk being
persecuted by zealous Sigmarites.
Shallya — The two goddesses have a relationship of mutual
support, as Shallyans often adopt traditionally Rhyan roles
in towns and cities — overseeing childbirth and protecting
mothers and children. They unite in opposition to Nurgle, who
can infect crops and livestock just as he does Humanity.
Isha — Rhyans do not understand the Elves’ relationship
with their goddess of nature, fertility, and life, but those who
know of Isha see her as kin to Rhya. The Asur, Eonir, and Asrai
recognise Rhya as an imperfect Human interpretation of Isha
and, uncharacteristically for the elder folk, they treat this with
respect rather than condescension.
Esmerelda, Hyacinth, and Josias — Halflings don’t treat their
gods with the solemnity that Humans do, but they recognise a
decent goddess in Rhya. Likewise, the Cult of Rhya see some
of the prominent Halfling gods as reflections of aspects of their
goddess, and therefore to be treated with esteem — even in
Stirland, where Halflings can be particularly irritating.
 T H E C U LT O F R H YA
The Old Faith — Rhyans have a complex relationship with the
Old Faith practised in the most remote corners of the Empire.
Adherents of the Old Faith treat Rhya as the Earth Mother and
therefore central to their own beliefs. More hostile druids see
her as a betrayal of nature, tethering it to the needs of Humans
and therefore disrespecting the earth.
Ahalt the Drinker — a primitive fertility god that predates
Sigmar’s coming, bloodthirsty Ahalt’s cult has recently re-
emerged in the south. His priests burn prisoners in wicker men
at Mittherbst and revel in feeding their dark god, who demands
Human sacrifice. Ahalt loathes Taal and Rhya for usurping his
rule — if their priests and priestesses are captured, they make
particularly pleasing sacrifices for Ahalt. The priestesses of
Rhya want to suppress the cult of Ahalt — it is anathema. Even
worse, some of the cult’s rituals can be mistaken for Rhyan rites.
SACRED SITES AND RELICS
Holy sites dedicated to Rhya are typically ancient. Many were
erected by Asur colonists or the Old Faith for mysterious
purposes lost to time.
The Ring of the Maiden — Ten miles north of Wolfsbach in
Stirland, surrounded by miles of fields rich with grain, there is a
low circular rise ringed with standing stones. A spiral labyrinth
is cut into the turf, ascending to the crest, where a stone slab is
surmounted with a wooden statue of Rhya.
This is one of Rhya’s most sacred sites in the Empire. Priestesses
travel from many miles to make offerings and commune with
the goddess. Even passing Elves pay tribute to the site, although
they keep their reasons to themselves.
Sacred Pool of the Mother — East of Wolfenburg is a shallow
basin fringed with fruit trees and a round pool with clear
green water. Submerged in the centre of the pool is an ogham,
swathed in pond weed. The priests of Taal and Rhya in Ostland
conduct Mitterfruhl rites standing in the shallows. The hierarch
of Ostland, Ludmilla Giesling presides here.
Karlsbaum Monastery — Deep in the Reikwald, near
Grunwald, is an abandoned monastery amongst the trees. The
gnarled trees are apple, pear, and plum trees grown wild. The
undergrowth consists of root vegetables, herbs, and plants from
more exotic climes. The monastery itself is fashioned from living
flora which thrives in the uncanny warmth and persistent bright
sun of this spot. While the monastery is deserted, the spirit of
Rhya pervades the land and priestesses visit to pray in seclusion.
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The Röten Gorge — A shallow gorge carves a path through the
hills between Eigenhof and Rötenbach in Wissenland. From
spring to autumn, the slopes are a sea of flowers of all hues.
These provide nectar to the many beehives lining the slopes.
Rhyan nuns tend to the bees and collect the sweet red-tinged
honey.
Biberhof — the village of Biberhof in Stirland is enclosed
within a broad circle of oghams, with two more concentric rings
running around the village green and through the grassy lanes
between cottages. The whole village is a site sacred to Rhya.
Each Sonstill, a colossal leafy likeness of the goddess is driven
through the streets on a cart and erected at the heart of the
village. A small barracks on the outskirts houses a company of
the White Swords, a warrior society who swear to protect Taal
and Rhya’s holy sites, with no official recognition by the cults.
Most priestesses of Rhya come from humble stock, drawn to her
priesthood by a natural affinity with animals, ‘green fingers’ with
plants, or a powerful drive to care for the young and expectant
mothers. They are part of their communities, marrying, bearing
and raising children, and helping with the daily tasks of rural
life. They usually have large families and many a Rhyan priestess
has inherited their calling from their parent.
The Cult of Rhya has no formal hierarchy. It is a community
of priestesses spread across the land, respected for their close
and personal relationship with the goddess. Initiates are chosen
by priestesses from their flock, typically once they have passed
through puberty. They learn prayers, rites, and stories from
their guardian priestess, helping with the physical and spiritual
demands of life in the faith. When the initiate is ready for
priesthood, their guardian declares this to the local community.
V WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

PRIESTESS OF RHYA
Human
You are a vessel for the Earth Mother’s wishes and blessings amongst
the mortals who depend on her beneficence for comfort and survival.
Priestesses of Rhya live amongst the common folk. They wander
between farms, villages, and sacred sites, talking with people,
offering blessings, and keeping a close eye on the land and the
pastoral care of their flock. People depend on them to stave off
famine, bring new life into the world, and give practical advice
on love and matters of the family.
‘Mother Hanna looks out for us, she does. My youngest wouldn’t be
here today if it wasn’t for her. She gave my other half the courage
to propose, then she wed us by the standing stone. She made sure
the village didn’t go hungry and then she brought the little beast
into the world, screaming his lungs out fit to burst. I guess Rhya
must have wanted me to have all eight… more’s the pity.'
— Heldira Klempf, Stirlander Matriarch
‘I’ll be honest, she scares me a bit. Doesn’t suffer fools
and I worry that if the crops fail again she’ll resort to
more drastic measures than killing a few sheep.'
— Rolf Thaler, Headman of Hochloff

PRIESTESS OF RHYA ADVANCE SCHEME

WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel
h h h

Career Path
h Initiate — Brass 2
Skills: Animal Care, Charm Animal, Endurance, Gossip,
Intuition, Lore (Local), Lore (Theology), Outdoor
Survival, Perception, Pray
Talents: Bless (Rhya), Holy Visions, Orientation, Suave
Trappings: Practical Tunic and Robes, Symbol of Rhya
(wheatsheaf or spiral)
Priestess — Silver 1
Skills: Charm, Cool, Entertain (Singing), Heal,
Intimidate, Lore (Herbs),
Talents: Etiquette (Cultists), Gregarious,
Invoke (Rhya), Read/Write
Trappings: Carved Staff, Healing Poultice, Trade Tools
(Herbalist)
High Priestess — Silver 3
Skills: Entertain (Storytelling), Leadership, Lore
(Spirits), Stealth (Rural)
Talents: Coolheaded, Impassioned Zeal, Pure Soul,
Strong-minded
Trappings: Entourage of Priestesses and/or Initiates,
Quality Robes, Sacred Site
Green Watcher — Silver 5
Skills: Lore (Medicine), Navigation
Talents: Commanding Presence, Field Dressing, Public
Speaker, Tenacious
Trappings: Entourage of Nuns and Priestesses, Riding
Horse

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 T H E C U LT O F R H YA
A procession accompanies them to a sacred site for the
ordination ceremony and the initiate is bestowed with a girdle
woven from flowers. The congregants are invited to feast with
celebration and dancing — a popular event for locals.
Priestesses progress in the cult by learning from older priestesses,
who share their wisdom and affinity with Rhya. Sometimes the
priestesses’ calling takes them away from their communities to
follow mysterious paths ordained by Rhya. They usually fall in
with other travellers and adventurers, seeking to bring their
goddess’s blessings to new regions. There are no Warrior Priests
or Witch Hunters of Rhya.
Priestesses rise at dawn with the sun, wash in rainwater, and
begin their ministrations as the land wakes. They provide
practical advice and fulfil their responsibilities with the
regularity of rural life, varying only with the seasons. They
tend to the oghams and shrines which form Rhya’s temples,
holding ceremonies and rites there several times a week. They
are vigilant for threats to land and life, especially famine and
blights. They use their understanding of people and psychology
to identify and limit strife or unhealthy changes in their flock.
Rhyan priestesses tend to be sympathetic. They are honest and
direct, but temper their messages and advice with understanding.
Priestesses can be strict and unyielding with those who betray
their lover, take more than their fair share, or slack off during
the harvest.
Vestments are chosen by the individual priestess — there are
no strictures regarding garb. Green and brown fabrics are
preferred, woven from coarse fibres or flax linen and decorated
with embroidery of flowers or fruit. In cold weather, they wear
sheepskins for warmth. Priestesses may carry a staff as a badge
of office, often carved to resemble a head of wheat.
During ceremonies, priestesses may wear a crown of barley in
imitation of their goddess, while others insist that they must
greet their goddess skyclad and find any excuse to strip naked.
MALE PRIESTS OF RHYA
Male Priests of Rhya are the exception in her priesthood,
but they do exist in the Empire and beyond — Corrobreth
in Unterbaum is an example (Death On The Reik, page
57). Townsfolk often mistake them for druids or even hedge
witches, but rural folk accept them as long as they can bring
plenty to their farms and harmony to their relationships.
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SPIRITS OF THE LAND
Priestesses can tame and command spirits of nature that
embody domesticated wilderness — the plants, animals, and
places where the wild has been tamed by Rhya in service of
Humanity.
GMs are encouraged to invent their own domesticated spirits.
They should be eccentric, proud, and not subservient — each
has their own will. Here are some examples:
Polevik — The Grainfathers are bloodthirsty spirits of grain
found in Kislev and the eastern Empire. They appear as
hundreds of stalks with tiny faces, arms, and legs. Polevik are
impatient for blood sacrifice to feed the soil.
Frau Roggen — A spirit of hemp, who dwells in fields where
the crop is grown. It resembles a small, hairy old woman who
fusses over everything. Frau Roggen can possess scarecrows to
see off trespassers and unwanted animals.
The Herdlord — A gestalt spirit that inhabits a flock of sheep
or herd of goats. It has no physical form, but speaks through
the mouths of the animals. It is arrogant but fearful when
challenged by a forceful personality.
STRANGE
ERUPTIONS
0 Last year, Siegenhausen suffered a drought. The villagers
and farmers were destitute as the harvest was little more
than dust. This year could not be more different. Huge
cabbages, turnips, apples, and strawberries are ripening
early, while hogs and cattle grow fat on excess feed.
Priestess Karin is seldom seen outside the village, but
when she met the Green Watcher Adelina, the older
priestess was perturbed — Karin was vague and deterred
Adelina from coming to witness Rhya’s miracle. Now
the Green Watcher wants someone to investigate exactly
what the priestess of Siegenhausen is doing.
V WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
CARRY ON KISSING
0 A priest of Ranald has stolen a powerful love philtre
from the priestess Ethild and poured it into the wells.
Now the townsfolk are getting frisky and even the least
‘conventionally attractive’ members of the Characters’
party are getting attention. Ethild has realised the cause
and needs help. She isn’t happy in an urban setting
and would rather keep the whole thing discreet — she’s
already had problems with a powerful and prudish
Witch Hunter.
MIRACLES
Rhya’s Abundance
Range: Touch
Target: You
Duration: 1 Round
You sing of the summer and the radiance of Rhya, to bring
forth a bounty and expel all foulness. Stored food and uncooked
ingredients slowly swell and divide in two, doubling everything
you touch. Mould, vermin, insects, and other sources of spoilage
disappear and old food becomes fresh once again. You can touch
one barrel, crate, or basket of food per round.
Rhya’s Demand
Range: You
Target: Area of Effect
Duration: Instant
You sing subtle harmonies, drawing together melodious strands
of resentment from deep within the earth — demanding
recompense from those who have not shown Rhya gratitude.
All humanoid creatures within Fellowship Bonus Yards who
have not made a sacrifice to Rhya (or another diety of nature
or powerful nature spirit to whom the cult of Rhya are well
disposed, such as Isha or Taal) since the last spring equinox lose
1 Wound (+1 for every SL) and gain a Fatigued Condition.
If five or more individuals are so affected then the ground within
Fellowship Yards becomes infertile and nothing will grow there
for d10 years from now.
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Rhya’s Dominion
Range: 4 yards
Target: 1
Duration: Until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes sooner
You cry an invocation for Rhya to summon a nature spirit and
command its obedience. You must focus on a natural feature
where a spirit could reside — such as a field of crops, a pool,
or a clump of brambles. If the Miracle is successful, the spirit
appears and will complete one task in the name of Rhya. Spirits
tend to be over-literal in how they interpret demands, and no
request can break the strictures of Rhya. Tasks could include
watching others on the priestess’s behalf, harassing those who
trespass in the spirit’s domain, or finding something lost nearby.
Rhya’s Flock
Range: Fellowship yards
Target: Special
Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
You whisper deep secrets from the time when Rhya walked the
earth taming the wild. A flock, herd, or pack of domesticated
animals submits to your will, answering ancient commands
heard by their ancestors. You can sense the mood of the animals
and see through their eyes. By reaching out to the beasts’ minds,
you can calm or agitate them. You can make them stampede, fall
asleep, attack, or simply become your eyes and ears (and sense
of smell, taste, and touch) — they can do anything within the
creatures’ natural behavioural range.
Rhya’s Taming
Range: Touch
Target: 1
Duration: Until the next sunset
You reach out a gentle hand to a creature of the wild and hum
soothing melodies to calm and tame. Take an Average (+20)
Charm Animal Test to domesticate any uncorrupted, wild
animal of Large Size or smaller. If successful, it will become
docile towards Humans, Elves who honour Isha, and similar
allies. For every Success Level it becomes increasingly tame and
pliable, although it will not willingly leave its natural territory.
Rhya’s Rage
Range: You
Target: You
Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
As you intone a chant of quiet resolve, you feel Rhya’s power
surge through your being, ready to defend those who need
protection. This Miracle can be cast only when you are defending
children or a home or farmstead occupied by its inhabitants.
You gain the Immunity to Psychology and Painless Traits, and +2
SL to Melee, Strength, and Toughness Tests.
 A N I M A L FA M I L I A R S
• ANIMAL FAMILIARS •
A small percentage of wild animals are naturally gifted with
Aethyric sensitivity. Spellcasters of the Witchcraft, Hedgecraft,
and Arcane Elven traditions use magically gifted animals as
Power Familiars to enhance their own spells. Animal familiars
differ from the exotic ‘homunculus’ familiars constructed by
wizards at the Colleges of Magic. Unlike homunculi, which
absorb a portion of the wizard’s soul-energy during creation,
gifted animals are spirit-bonded without any initial sacrifice.
However, the eventual death of an animal familiar is traumatic
to its patron spellcaster.
Glyphs depicting druidic animals are found upon ancient, pre-
Imperial tablets such as the famous Talastein Carvings. Until
the founding of the Colleges, animals were by far the most
common type of Power Familiar. Magical constructs during
the pre-College period were usually simple domestic servants
or carnival novelties. However, Archmage Teclis cautioned
Humans that animal spirit-bonding could lead to Chaos
corruption, and thus over time, more sophisticated homunculi
began replacing animals as wizard familiars.
HOMUNCULUS CONSTRUCTS
At the Colleges of Magic, the term ‘homunculus’ refers broadly
to any magically animated familiars. Homunculus technically
means ‘little person’; however, College wizards have expanded
the definition to include such curiosities as winged grimoires,
talking candlesticks, and mechanical animals. Rules for Combat,
Spell, and Power Familiars of the constructed variety can be
found in Winds of Magic. Power Familiar constructs may use the
Career provided at the end of this chapter, instead of the sidebar
option on Winds of Magic page 185.
Animal familiars are commonly associated with witchcraft in
the Empire today. As a result, witches take measures to pass
their familiars off as normal pets. The few College wizards who
keep animal familiars follow naturalistic traditions such as Life
or Beast magic. Elves may be accused of fay sorcery with or
without a familiar, though Elves are in fact less vulnerable than
Humans to the perils of spirit-bonding.
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VI
Animals can be condemned to burn as mutants or daemonic
servants. Witch Hunters have even put animals on trial,
charged with aiding sorcery. Of course, witchcraft trials are
inherently biased against defendants who cannot testify. Those
rare animals which can talk are usually presumed guilty of
daemonic possession. Witches aren’t allowed to testify on their
own familiars’ behalf, therefore Amber wizards or priests of Taal
sometimes act as interpreters in high-profile witch trials.
MAGICAL TRADITIONS
Animals can only be Power Familiars (never Combat or Spell
Familiars) and they follow the same rules regardless of magical
tradition. Animals are reluctant to bond with evil wizards,
though exceptions can sometimes be found amongst Beastmen
and Dark Elves. Details such as temperament, social status, and
caster relationship vary by magical tradition.
Hedge Witches
Hedge Witches believe animal familiars are sacred creatures,
bestowed with divine spirits. Gifted animals are therefore
treated as equals or even revered as superior beings. Animal
familiars are rarely given tasks that would demean them or
jeopardise their safety. Hedge Witches do not necessarily
worship familiars, but instead see them as spirit-avatars. If a
familiar is killed or corrupted by Chaos, the hedgewise takes
responsibility and makes a personal sacrifice to the god-spirits.
The role of animals in Hedgecraft traces its origins to pre-
Imperial druids. Culturally advanced nomads migrated from
the south and introduced Old Faith religions to the northern
barbarians. Stone obelisks resembling stylized animals can still
be found across the Empire, however most of them have eroded
or been desecrated over time. Hedge Witches strive to preserve
these ancient totems. Mysterious ‘shadow druids’ are rumoured
to be capable of animating statues with the spirits of old gods.
VI WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Witches
Solitary witches keep animals for both companionship and
magical assistance. Typically, witches have just one familiar, but
their cottage might be home to multiple animals. The kindly
witches even leave food outside for wildlife. Animals being
kept for spell ingredients or charms might be confined in cages
against their will. A familiar is often tasked with overseeing the
witch’s menagerie. Animal familiars can also help witches to
forage, and warn of approaching predators or Witch Hunters.
Witchcraft spells require raw, uncontrolled magic, increasing
the risk of corruption for both caster and familiar. Heavily
mutated familiars are often euthanized before they can undergo
transformation into a Chaos Spawn. Animal familiars are
sometimes possessed by daemonic entities. Witches can usually
deduce when a familiar has been possessed, because it often
develops a taste for Human blood.
College Wizards
The Lores of Life and Beasts are animistic traditions that
benefit from their casters being spiritually connected to the
wilderness. Therefore, animal familiars are kept by a significant
number of Amber and Jade wizards. Outside of those two
Colleges, however, animal familiars are rare. Itinerant Grey
wizards sometimes employ animal familiars for subterfuge, and
a handful of Celestial wizards use bird familiars. In Altdorf,
animal familiars are regarded as quaint, inferior alternatives to
homunculus constructs.
Despite the stigma against animal familiars, College wizards
have built constructs in the likeness of animals for a variety
of reasons. Hierophants of the Light College adopt animal
iconography originating from old ceremonial customs, and
certain animal forms are known to sympathetically attract
particular Winds of Magic. Though many wizards enjoy
showing off their strange homunculus constructs, others prefer
more innocuous looking animal constructs to assuage people’s
fears (or assuage them to some degree, at least).
Abilities & Limitations
Animal familiars provide benefits in addition to the standard
Power Familiar spellcasting assistance. The spirit-bond also
enhances a caster’s abilities according to the familiar’s species.
For example, badger familiars improve the spellcaster’s
resilience, foxes aid subterfuge, and so on. These shared abilities
are called Companion Traits (see page 81). Animal familiars
can only confer Companion Traits and magical assistance when
positioned close to the caster (within 4 yards).
Animal familiars possess useful Creature Traits and are less
conspicuous than homunculus familiars. Unlike homunculi,
however, animal familiars are not customisable, and their
capacity for learning new Skills and Talents is lower.
76
The Spirit-Bonding ritual on page 80 replaces the Create
Familiar ritual used for homunculus constructs.
Animals aren’t as capable of following detailed instructions and
communicating abstract concepts as homunculi. Combined
with their lack of hands and limited language skills, this means
that animal familiars cannot be relied upon to run errands or
conduct research. Druids and Hedge Witches would argue,
however, that animal intelligence is merely different from
homunculus intelligence. Animal familiars are in fact more
attuned to nature, weather, and the seasons than the average
College wizard.
Perhaps the most significant drawbacks of animal familiars are
their requirements for food, sleep, and air, and their vulnerability
to damage. Small-sized animals might be able to withstand a
single attack, but Little animals cannot survive even one blow
from a sword. Fortunately, animals have strong survival instincts
to keep them out of danger. However, the timidness of animal
familiars can sometimes leave spellcasters without magical aid
in critical situations.
NPC ANIMAL FAMILIARS
These NPC profiles are for a selection of commonly used gifted
animals, advanced to tier 2 of the Animal Familiar Career (page
82). New Creature Traits and Talents described later in this
chapter are indicated with italics. NPC witches can be assigned
the animal most befitting their personality.
Badger
Badger familiars are especially suitable for Amber wizards
who don’t shy away from fighting. Badger-bonded spellcasters
share the animal’s ferocity and toughness. However, a badger’s
stubbornness can sometimes lead to disagreements. Halflings
are very fond of badgers. Humans respect them and covet tufts
of badger hair for making charms against witchcraft.
BADGER
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 35 - 15 25 35 30 - 15 15 15 5
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Armour 1 (3),
Belligerent, Bestial, Companion Trait (Resilience), Hardy,
Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Trained (Broken,
Magic), Weapon+4
Optional: Arboreal, Messenger, Size (Small), Territorial
Skills: Cool 25, Dodge 35, Endurance 30, Entertain
(Any) 20, Intuition 40, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor
Survival 45, Perception 40, Stealth (Rural) 35, Swim 33
Talents: Acute Sense (Smell), Animal Assistant, Sixth
Sense
 A N I M A L FA M I L I A R S
Cat
Cat familiars are popular choices for witches because they’re
easily disguised as pets. The stealth gained from cat-bonding is
also useful for escaping angry mobs. Cats are proud, independent
creatures with a tendency toward vanity. It’s commonly believed
that cats bestow the luck of Ranald and can see into the spirit-
world.
CAT
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
5 35 - 15 15 40 45 - 15 20 20 3
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion
Trait (Stealth), Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish,
Stealthy, Stride, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3
Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Territorial
Skills: Athletics 48, Climb 50, Cool 25, Dodge 50,
Entertain (Any) 25, Intuition 45, Language (Wilds) 20,
Outdoor Survival 45, Perception 48, Stealth (Rural and
Urban) 50
Talents: Animal Assistant, Luck, Scale Sheer Surface
Crow
Crow familiars are favoured by witches and Grey wizards
who travel incognito. Crow-bonded spellcasters can avoid
recognition when venturing into towns. The crow’s strange
intelligence, scolding call, and mobbing behaviours are
unsettling to Humans. Crows might be unfairly accused of
stealing food, spreading diseases, or even being agents of the
Plague Lord.
CROW
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
2 30 - 10 10 35 30 - 20 25 15 3 M WS BS S
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion
Trait (Transformation), Flight 80, Size (Little), Skittish,
Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2
Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Territorial
Skills: Cool 30, Gossip 20, Entertain (Any) 20, Intuition
45, Language (Barnyard) 23, Language (Wilds) 25,
Navigation 40, Outdoor Survival 38, Perception 40,
Stealth (Rural) 35
Talents: Animal Assistant, Magical Sense, Super
Numerate
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VI
Fox
Fox familiars are typically used by travelling Jade wizards, Elves,
and hunted witches. Fox-bonded spellcasters excel at outwitting
adversaries. Though foxes prefer to avoid large crowds or battles,
they make ideal wilderness guides. Farmers vigilantly guard
their livestock against fox raids. City folks might associate foxes
with Wood Elves or fay trickery.
FOX
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
5 35 - 15 20 40 35 - 20 20 20 4
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion
Trait (Deception), Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish,
Stride, Tracker, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3
Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Size (Small),
Territorial
Skills: Cool 25, Dodge 40, Entertain (Any) 25, Intuition
45, Language (Wilds) 25, Navigation 45, Outdoor
Survival 45, Perception 45, Stealth (Rural) 40, Stealth
(Urban) 38, Swim 38, Track 45
Talents: Animal Assistant, Magical Sense, Orientation
Owl
Owl familiars are favoured by hedge wizards, Elves, and some
Celestial wizards. The premonitions experienced by owl-bonded
spellcasters are often described as spirit-visions. Owls like to
survey their surroundings from perches, and they’re usually
silent. The hoot of an owl can be interpreted either as an ill
omen or a sign from Verena.
OWL
T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
2 35 - 10 15 35 30 - 15 25 15 3
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion
Trait (Divination), Night Vision, Flight 60, Size (Little),
Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3
Optional: Arboreal, Messenger, Territorial
Skills: Cool 30, Dodge 35, Entertain (Any) 20, Intuition
43, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor Survival 40,
Perception 45, Stealth (Rural) 38, Track 40
Talents: Acute Sense (Sight), Animal Assistant, Luck
VI WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Stoat Animal Familiar Generation

Stoat familiars are common amongst Hedge Witches and
wizards who subsist on hunting and forage. The stalking ability
obtained from stoat-bonding is also useful for espionage
and murder. Stoats are challenging familiars that bite when
they’re hungry, and sometimes nest in clothing or backpacks.
Their reputation as crafty, cold-blooded killers isn’t entirely
undeserved.
Animal Familiars are generated as Characters after spirit-
bonding has been completed (page 82). The bonded Character’s
Player usually keeps their familiar’s character sheet and makes
XP spending decisions. Personalities and behaviours are
determined collaboratively between Player and GM. Animal
Familiar generation follows the standard process, with a few
exceptions:

STOAT 0 In addition to Skills and Talents, Animal Familiars also

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int Wp Fel W
6 40 - 10 10 45 40 - 15 15 15
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Bite+2,
Companion Trait (Perception), Night Vision, Size (Little),
Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2
Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Territorial
Skills: Climb 45, Cool 20, Dodge 45, Entertain 20,
Intuition 50, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor Survival 53,
Perception 53, Stealth (Rural) 45, Swim 45
Talents: Animal Assistant, Second Sight, Rover
have Creature Traits.
0 Animal familiars don’t have Ballistic Skill or Dexterity
2 scores, and they begin with fewer Skills and Talents than
regular Characters do.
0 Size (Little) gifted animals add WPB to their Wounds.
This is an exception to the Size rules on WFRP page 341.
0 Animal Familiars have access to special Talents and
Creature Traits, described on page 79. They cannot use
homunculus Familiar Talents from Winds of Magic.
Spellcaster Characters can give a portion of any XP they earn
to their Animal Familiars. At GM discretion, Animal Familiars
may also receive XP for game sessions in which they played a
significant role. The maximum familiar XP award is generally
25–50% of the amount earned by a Character.

Animal Familiar Characteristics

Badger Cat Crow Fox Owl Stoat

Weapon Skill 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 20 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 30

Ballistic Skill - - - - - -
Strength D10 + 10 D10 + 10 D10 + 5 D10 + 10 D10 + 5 D10 + 5
Toughness D10 + 15 D10 + 10 D10 + 5 D10 + 10 D10 + 10 D10 + 5
Initiative 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 30 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 30 2D10 + 20 2D10 + 35
Agility 2D10 + 25 2D10 + 35 2D10 + 20 2D10 + 30 2D10 + 20 2D10 + 30
Dexterity - - - - - -
Intelligence D10 + 5 D10 + 5 D10 + 10 D10 + 10 D10 + 5 D10 + 5
Willpower D10 + 5 D10 + 10 D10 + 15 D10 + 10 D10 + 15 D10 + 5
Fellowship D10 + 5 D10 + 10 D10 + 5 D10 + 10 D10 + 5 D10 + 5
Wounds TB + WPB TB + WPB TB + WPB TB + WPB TB + WPB TB + WPB
Fate 1 2 1 2 2 2
Resilience 2 1 2 1 1 1
Extra Points - - - - - -
Movement 4 5 2 5 2 6

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 A N I M A L FA M I L I A R S
OPTION: ANIMAL FAMILIAR SIZE
VARIATIONS
The animal species in this chapter are Size (Little) by default.
Badgers and foxes may instead be Size (Small) to represent
bigger varieties. The Wounds score for these larger familiars is
(2 x TB) + WPB. Size (Small) wild animals generally elicit
more attention than Size (Little) ones do, making them less
popular with witches.
Mootland badgers can even grow to Size (Average) and be
ridden by Halflings as mounts. Familiars of that size are rare,
however, because of the danger they’d pose if corrupted by
Chaos. Some witches prefer Size (Tiny) familiars such as rats,
bats, and toads, which only have 1 Wound but can be easily
hidden in a pocket. Very young animals may be treated as a Size
class smaller until they mature.
Starting Skills, Talents, and Traits
You may choose 2 Skills to gain 5 Advances each, and 2 Skills
to gain 3 Advances each. You may select 2 Talents from the 3
choices listed. You begin with all the listed Creature Traits.
Badger
Skills: Cool, Endurance, Intuition, Outdoor Survival,
Perception, Swim
Talents: Acute Sense (Smell), Second Sight, Sixth Sense
Creature Traits: Armour 1, Belligerent, Bestial, Hardy, Night
Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Trained (Broken, Magic),
Weapon+4
Cat
Skills: Athletics, Climb, Dodge, Outdoor Survival, Perception,
Stealth (Rural or Urban)
Talents: Luck, Scale Sheer Surface, Second Sight
Creature Traits: Bestial, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish,
Stealthy, Stride, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3
Crow
Skills: Gossip, Intuition, Perception, Language (Barnyard or
Wild), Navigation, Outdoor Survival
Talents: Magical Sense, Sixth Sense, Super Numerate
Creature Traits: Bestial, Flight 80, Size (Little), Skittish,
Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2
Fox
Skills: Navigation, Perception, Outdoor Survival, Stealth
(Rural), Swim, Track
Talents: Luck, Magical Sense, Orientation
Creature Traits: Bestial, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish,
Stride, Tracker, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3
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VI
Owl
Skills: Dodge, Intuition, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Stealth
(Rural), Track
Talents: Acute Sense (Sight), Luck, Sixth Sense
Creature Traits: Bestial, Flight 60, Night Vision, Size (Little),
Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3
Stoat
Skills: Climb, Dodge, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Stealth
(Rural), Swim
Talents: Magical Sense, Rover, Second Sight
Creature Traits: Bestial, Bite+2, Night Vision, Size (Little),
Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2
ANIMAL SKILLS & PARENT
CHARACTERISTICS
Physical differences between animals and Humans change the
Characteristics used for certain Skills. Animals have natural
instincts enabling them to survive in the rugged wilderness
where claws, beaks, and keen senses can substitute admirably for
hands. Furthermore, animal musculature and bone structures are
better suited to activities like climbing and swimming.
0 Outdoor Survival: Substitute Initiative for Intelligence.
0 Climb and Swim: Substitute Agility for Strength.
FINDING A GIFTED ANIMAL
Gifted animals can be spotted in the wilderness using Second
Sight or Magical Sense. Except for crows, the animals in this
chapter are nocturnal, meaning they leave their lairs at night.
Each night the caster spends searching for a potential familiar,
roll a Hard (–20) Perception Test to determine whether a gifted
animal was spotted. Roll randomly for the species of animals
spotted by this method (75% are mature; 25% are young).
Young animals are more adaptable as familiars than mature
ones, but they are usually found at the den or nest. An animal
lair can be located with a Challenging (+0) Outdoor Survival
or Average (+20) Track Test. The caster may choose the species
being sought. Each lair has a 50% chance of containing a gifted
young animal. Note that wild animals defending their lairs
usually gain the optional Territorial Creature Trait, and Charm
Animal Tests made at lairs are Very Hard (–30).
Alternatively, casters with the Aethyric Attunement Talent
can meditate in the woods to summon a familiar. Each night
of meditation, roll a Difficult (–10) Channelling Test to
determine if the caster’s spirit-call was answered.
VI WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
The Game Master can choose an animal species befitting the
caster’s personality (50% are young, 50% are mature). Gifted
animals summoned by this method approach within 1 yard of
the caster, however they must still be captured or befriended
(see Bonding With Animal Familiars below).
The final option for acquiring a gifted animal is to purchase
it from a specialty merchant. Gifted animals count as Exotic
Availability, meaning procurement requires the Commission
Endeavour (WFRP page 197). The standard cost for a gifted
young animal before Haggling is 200 GC (100 GC for a mature
animal). The caster may choose the species. Animals purchased
by this method have already been tamed. Merchants who
capture and sell gifted animals are hated by Wood Elves.
Bonding With Animal Familiars
Before a spirit-bonding ritual can be performed, the gifted
animal must either be broken or befriended. Both approaches
use the Animal Training Endeavour (WFRP page 196).
Befriending is resolved using the Charm Animal Skill instead
of Animal Training (the Animal Affinity Talent grants auto-
success for befriending). Mature wild animals are harder to train;
reduce Animal Training or Charm Animal Tests to Difficult
(–10). Tamed and befriended animals gain the Trained (Broken)
Creature Trait, which negates their Bestial Creature Trait.
After the Animal Training Endeavour has been completed, the
caster and animal must spend at least a week becoming attuned
to each other’s spirits. This requires constant physical proximity
(generally within 2–4 yards) except when the caster is sleeping.
No die roll is needed, only time and togetherness. Upon
completion of attunement, the gifted animal gains the Trained
(Magic) Creature Trait, which negates their Skittish Creature
Trait. Spirit-bonding can now be performed.
Spirit-Bonding Ritual
CN: 30 Type: Any Lore
Learning XP: 150
Ingredients: You must have a magically gifted animal to
become your Power Familiar.
Conditions: The animal familiar must already have been broken
or befriended (an Animal Training Endeavour) and attuned to
your spirit (at least 1 week).
Sacrifices: Animal familiars do not require a sacrifice during
spirit-bonding. However, you might suffer trauma if your
familiar is killed (see Corruption & Death, page 81).
Consequences: The ritual fails, and the animal loses its Trained
(Magic) Creature Trait. The ritual can only be attempted again
after a week of re-attunement.
More than One?
A spellcaster can attempt to bond with several animals, though
the CN of the spirit-bonding ritual is doubled for every existing
animal familiar the spellcaster has.
80
Animal Familiar Behaviours
Once animal familiars have spirit-bonded, they instinctively
follow the caster everywhere. Most familiars are happy to perch
on a shoulder or ride in an open pack. Circumstances such as
Psychology or Conditions might physically separate casters
from their familiars. If the separation distance is greater than 4
yards, the caster can no longer benefit from either Companion
Traits or the Animal Assistant Talent. Spellcasters can dispatch
their familiars beyond 4 yards by making an Average (+20)
Charm Animal Test.
Animal familiars cannot follow complex instructions more than
4 yards from their caster. Simple delivery or scouting missions
are understood, but anything more complex might require an
Intelligence Test by the animal. Spirit-bonded animals aren’t
mindless servants — they retain a capacity for independent
thought. Should the caster attempt to bring a familiar into a
burning building or similarly hostile environment, the familiar
can refuse if it succeeds an opposed Cool Test against the caster.
If they do so they may instead wait safely outside.
Animal Communication
Casters cannot communicate easily with Newly Bonded, tier 1
Animal Familiars. The Charm Animal Skill conveys only basic
messages (e.g. stay, calm, run away), otherwise a familiar simply
follows its caster around by default. Certain spells such as Beast
Tongue (WFRP page 245) enable more nuanced conversation.
Communication isn’t required for casters to benefit from
Companion Traits or the Animal Assistant Talent.
A tier 2 Animal Familiar can learn the Animal Telepathy Talent.
NPC animal familiars are assumed to be tier 2 unless otherwise
specified. A more complex relationship develops at this stage
because the animal can express emotions and abstract concepts.
Spellcasters can also explain plots or situations to their familiar
via telepathy.
At tier 3 (Spirit Companion), Animal Familiars can learn to
speak the caster’s native language. Though verbal communication
is coarser and more simplistic than telepathy, the ability to
speak with a spellcaster’s friends enables the familiar to become
an active party member.
Animals can always communicate with other animals of their
own species. Gifted animals can also communicate with different
animal species using the Language (Barnyard or Wilds) Skill.
The animals included in this chapter generally speak Wilds; only
cats, foxes, and crows are likely to speak Barnyard. Wild animal
familiars are useful intermediaries with forest creatures, whereas
urban familiars can converse with the party’s horses, dogs, and
mules.
 A N I M A L FA M I L I A R S VI
The caster can suppress these behaviours during an encounter
Language (Barnyard or Wilds) by making an Average (+20) Cool Test. Corruption Side-effects
These Language Skill specialisations can only be learned by are more extreme behaviours that tend to worsen progressively
gifted animals, and a select few Beastman bray-shamans and with every Physical or Mental Mutation gained by the soul-
Wood Elf shapeshifters. The creature can speak with either wild bonded caster.
or domesticated animals by making strange noises that only
beasts can understand. Most animal familiars can learn only one Deception (Fox)
of these dialects, but Crows can learn both. Talents: Blather, Schemer

Corruption & Death
Spirit-bonding increases the vulnerability of both spellcasters
and their animal familiars to corruption and trauma. Whenever
animal familiars are exposed to Corrupting Influences (WFRP
page 182) the caster must also test for Corruption, and vice
versa. If both caster and familiar are exposed to the same
Corruption source, just roll once for each of them. Familiars
tend to mutate more quickly than witches and wizards, because
their Skills and Characteristics are usually lower.
The premature death of a spirit-bonded companion is traumatic.
If the familiar dies, the caster must make a Hard (–20) Cool
Test or suffer 2d10 Wounds ignoring TB and Armour (Elven
wizards can roll at Challenging (+0) Difficulty instead).
Additionally, the caster gains a Trauma Psychology (WFRP
page 191) appropriate to the situation. Death by natural causes
does not cause trauma. Animal Familiars suffer the same fate
if their caster dies, though those that survive and spend a Fate
Point may live on as minor elementals or nature spirits.
New Talents & Creature Traits
The Talents and Creature Traits in this chapter are only available
to Animal Familiars. New Creature Traits can be purchased by
Animal Familiar Characters at a cost of 100 XP each.
New Talent: Animal Assistant
Max: 1
This Talent is specifically for Power Familiar (Animal)
Characters. For the Power Familiar (Homunculus) version, see
the Winds of Magic sourcebook, page 186. The Animal Familiar
may assist a soul-bonded spellcaster with any Channelling or
Language (Magick) Tests they make. The familiar can also
assist Outdoor Survival Tests, and Perception Tests that are
magical in nature. Each assistant provides the normal +10
bonus (WFRP page 155) whether it knows the Skill or not.
Behavioural Effects: Caster’s eyes gleam with cunning; speaks
in riddles and metaphors; nagging desire to roam about for no
apparent reason.
Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes paranoid and reclusive.
Divination (Owl)
Talents: Holy Visions, Sixth Sense
Behavioural Effects: Caster is surrounded by faint magic aura;
has a desire to initiate random philosophical discussions; is
often deep in contemplation.
Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes obsessed with minor
facts and details.
Perception (Stoat)
Talents: Hunter’s Eye, Shadowing
Behavioural Effects: Caster’s body movements are jerky; lies
and exaggerates for personal gain; constantly looking for new
opportunities.
Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes territorial and
misanthropic.
Resilience (Badger)
Talents: Robust, Tenacious
Behavioural Effects: Caster’s breathing makes a snuffling
sound; temptation to be insensitive when giving opinions;
focuses single-mindedly on the task at hand.
Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes argumentative and
aggressive.

Companion Traits (New) Stealth (Cat)

Each Animal Familiar species confers a different Companion
Trait to its spirit-bonded spellcaster when positioned within 4
yards of them. Companion Traits give the caster access to two
Talents. If the listed Talents are already known, add +1 SL.
Traits of multiple familiars can be used simultaneously.
Talents: Alley Cat, Rover
Behavioural Effects: Caster’s footsteps are completely noiseless;
vacillates between friendly and cold; frequent insomnia and
napping.

Companion Traits also cause Behavioural Effects that might be Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes aloof and
considered unnatural by those who notice. condescending.

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VI WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Transformation (Crow)
Talents: Nose for Trouble, Master of Disguise
Behavioural Effects: Caster’s voice sounds dry and creaky;
interrogates suspected cheaters or liars; fascinated by mysteries
and puzzles.
POWER FAMILIAR
Gifted Animal
Animal familiars lend both mystical and primal abilities to spirit-
bonded witches and wizards. The ritual linking familiar to spellcaster
creates an Aethyric conduit between their souls.

Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes judgmental and

mocking of others.

New Creature Trait: Animal Telepathy

The Animal Familiar can communicate silently with its spirit-
bonded spellcaster. Communication is non-verbal and therefore
may be as complex as needed (bearing in mind the animal’s
Intelligence score). The caster may also initiate communication
with the familiar. The maximum range of Animal Telepathy is 4
yards.

New Creature Trait: Messenger

The Animal Familiar can deliver messages up to its Intelligence
miles in distance. No Intelligence Test is needed by the familiar
to follow complex instruictions when more than 4 yards from
its spellcaster. Messages being delivered through unexplored
terrain might be delayed or expose the familiar to danger.
Messages can be written on letters tied to the animal or spoken
by familiars with a relevant Language Skill.

New Creature Trait: Sensory Sharing POWER FAMILIAR ADVANCE SCHEME

The spellcaster can see, hear, and smell through the senses of its WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel
spirit-bonded familiar. Spells cannot be cast from the familiar’s
h h h
body, nor can Animal Telepathy be used for communication
beyond 4 yards. The maximum Sensory Sharing range (in miles) Career Path
is the lower value of either the caster’s or familiar’s Willpower h Newly Bonded
scores. Skills: Cool, Dodge, Entertain, Intuition,
Language (Barnyard or Wilds), Outdoor
New Creature Trait: Invisibility Survival, Perception, Stealth (Rural or Urban)
Once per day, the Animal Familiar’s body can become fully Talents: Animal Assistant, Coolheaded,
translucent with a barely perceptible outline. Perception Tests Savvy, Second Sight
to notice the familiar are Very Hard (–30). When hiding, the Creature Traits: Companion Trait (Species)
familiar can only be spotted by characters with the Magical
Sense Talent. Invisibility lasts the familiar’s Willpower score in Animal Familiar
hours and cannot be deactivated prematurely. Skills: Charm Animal, Navigation
Talents: Sixth Sense
Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Messenger

Spirit Companion
Skills: Language (Caster’s), Lore (Magic)
Talents: Animal Affinity
Creature Traits: Sensory Sharing

Witchling
Skills: Charm, Leadership
Talents: Flee!
Creature Traits: Invisibility

82
 • ALTDORF — A WORLD •
TO ITSELF

Altdorf is a cosmopolitan place, home to communities with Dwarfs (Altdorfer)

distinct characters of class, origin, and even Species. When
creating a Character from a large city such as Altdorf, the basic
Reikland character from the WFRP core rulebook does serve
as a template for the average townsperson, with no strong ties
to any particular demographic. However, within Altdorf there
are those whose background does have a more marked effect on
their Skills and Talents. Unlike Middenheim, where a notion
of a single archetypal citizen might apply, in Altdorf, different
Characters may be associated with different districts, or even
different streets.
Skills: Consume Alcohol, Cool, Endurance, Evaluate,
Intimidate, Intuition, Language (Khazalid), Lore (Dwarfs),
Lore (Geology), Lore (Metallurgy), Melee (Basic), Trade (any
one)
Talents: Craftsman (Any) or Resolute, Magic Resistance, Night
Vision, Read/Write or Relentless, Sturdy

South Bankers
Folk from the South Bank tend to be well educated, and used
to mixing with high society. Even servants and tradesmen of
Mauerblumchen and Zwillingsgrab will be used to the airs and
graces of the nobility and priestly caste.

Humans (Altdorfer — South Banker)

Skills: Animal Care, Charm, Cool, Gossip, Language (Any),
Leadership, Lore (Any), Melee (Basic), Melee (Fencing),
Ranged (Blackpowder), Ranged (Bow), Ride

Talents: Doomed, Etiquette (Any), Noble Blood or Pure Soul,

Read/Write or Supportive, Savvy or Suave

Eastenders
Altdorf ’s East End is a teeming rookery where criminality,
disease, and insurrectionist fervour run riot. It is home to
Altdorf ’s Dwarf community, whose honour, integrity, and
conscientiousness juxtapose with the wiles of their Human
neighbours. The Imperial School of Engineers is also here, so a
minority of the inhabitants are educated and eccentric.

Humans (Altdorfer — Eastender)

Skills: Cool, Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle, Intimidate, Intuition,
Language (Battle or Thieves’ Tongue), Lore (Reikland), Melee
(Brawling), Ranged (Blackpowder), Sleight of Hand, Stealth

Talents: Argumentative or Flee!, Criminal or 1 Random Talent,

Doomed, Nimble Fingered or Read/Write, Savvy or Suave
VII WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
The City North
Altdorf 's City North is home to a number of distinct
communities. The largest district in the city is there, the
Hexxerbezrik, however it is not a bustling area of residences
and marketplaces, but a strange and haunted swathe of the city,
housing the eldritch Colleges of Magic and their many ritual
sites, arcane devices, and experimental edifices. Many people
aside from wizards do live there, but they are not untouched by
the experience.
Further east is the Docklands area, where the hard labour
fuelling Altdorf ’s thriving commercial life is done. Those who
love Altdorf salute the Docklands for its boisterousness and
diversity, as ships from all over the world arrive to load and
unload cargos before their crews take time to relax in the nearby
Street of a Hundred Taverns.
84
Those who are not so enamoured of it point out that it is a
haven for smugglers, racketeers, corrupt officials, and worse.
Humans (Altdorfer — Hexxerbezrik)
Skills: Cool, Evaluate, Gossip, Intimidate, Intuition, Language
(Classical), Lore (Reikland), Lore (Magic), Melee (Basic),
Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
Talents: Doomed, Beneath Notice or Read/Write, Savvy or
Suave, Second Sight or Sixth Sense, 1 Random Talent
Humans (Altdorfer — Docklands)
Skills: Consume Alcohol, Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle, Intimidate,
Intuition, Language (Thieves’ Tongue), Lore (Reikland), Melee
(Brawling), Row, Sail, Sleight of Hand
Talents: Criminal or Etiquette (Merchants), Dealmaker or
Menacing, Doomed, Savvy or Suave, 1 Random Talent
 VIII
ALTERNATIVE
• CHANNELLING •

‘The finest carpenter in Altdorf can’t make so much as a stool without

some wood, nor can the best handgunner strike their target if they
lack dry powder. It’s the same for us, only our materials are a bit
more useful than wood, and a damn sight more explosive than
gunpowder.’
— Albrecht Wint, Magister of the Bright College
While the rules presented for Channelling in WFRP (page
237) allow wizards the flexibility to cast powerful spells, they
can also require spellcasters to spend quite a bit of time in
combat taking no action other than Channelling.
While this is fine, and does help to keep powerful spells from
being cast too often, it can also be frustrating for some Players.
If you feel your game can withstand some more active magic
users, the following optional rules may be substituted for those
found in the rulebook.
KEY DIFFERENCES
The updated rules on Channelling are the same as those found
on page 22 of Winds of Magic, and are repeated here for those
who don’t have access to that book. These rules are optional,
but you are encouraged to use them, especially for parties that
are blessed (or burdened!) with more than one magic user. The
main differences are as follows:
0 You no longer need to declare which spell you are
trying to cast when you begin Channelling, allowing
for more flexibility with magic. You do need to declare
which Wind you are gathering, though this should not
be an issue for most Human magic-users.
0 Critical Channelling no longer instantly achieves enough
SL to cast the spell on the following Round. Instead it
grants you additional bonus SL to your ongoing Test.

Channelling Test
Some magical spells require more magic than can normally be
found ambiently flowing through the world. To power such
spells, a wizard can draw the Winds of Magic to themself.
This is called Channelling. To channel magic for a spell, select
the Wind which you wish to gather to yourself, and for which
you have the appropriate Talent and Skill. Then, as an Action,
make a Simple Challenging (+0) Channelling Test to draw the
Wind to you. You need not specify which spell you intend to use
this power to cast.

If you are successful, you gather a number of SL equal to

your Willpower Bonus. These SL can be added to any future
successful Casting Test made to cast a spell of the appropriate
Wind. You can channel additional power if you wish, though
attempting to hold more SL than your Willpower Bonus can
be hazardous.

While holding such channelled power, you may continue to

act as normal. Any turn in which you don’t spend an Action
Channelling, however, you lose one SL of your gathered power.

85
VIII WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Critical Channelling
If you roll a Critical when Channelling, you gather a number
of SL equal to your Willpower Bonus plus the SL of the
Channelling Test.
Fumble
If you roll a Fumble when Channelling, note the number of SL
of magic power you are already holding. All these are then lost.
If the amount of SL lost in this way is equal to or less than your
Willpower Bonus, roll a Minor Miscast. If it is greater than
your Willpower Bonus, roll a Major Miscast instead.
Interruptions
Any time you take damage while holding the power of a Wind,
make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test. If you fail, lose an
SL of gathered power for each Wound you lost.
The Price of Power
Holding on to the Winds of Magic in this way is relatively safe
for short amounts of time, but outside of carefully prepared
ritual spaces, it can quickly become dangerous. Attempting to
hold on to such power for longer than a minute results in a
Minor Miscast every Round thereafter, or a Major Miscast if
you are holding more power than your Willpower Bonus — see
Fumble above.
Death and Unconsciousness
If your Character should lose consciousness or die while holding
such power, you should treat this as though they just rolled a
Fumble and apply the rules for such above.
Casting with Channelled Power
When you attempt to cast a spell while holding power you have
already gathered, declare which spell you are attempting and
make a Casting Test in the usual way. If you succeed, and have
gathered power of the Wind corresponding to the spell you are
attempting, you may add these SL to the SL from your Casting
Test. This is typically done to cast spells of a high CN, or to gain
the benefits of Overcasting (WFPR page 238).
86
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
These rules intentionally place no upper limit on the amount
of power that a wizard can channel. Eventually, after a minute
or so, this power will start to leak from them catastrophically,
which should prevent magic-wielding Characters from claiming
that their Character is always in possession of several ‘standby
SL’, ready to unleash at a moment’s notice.
If you do find that Characters have begun stockpiling this power
before a fight, you may wish to cap the amount of SL which
can be gathered in this way at a number equal to 3 × Willpower
Bonus, which should help to keep things under control.
CANTS
Cants are another use for channelled power. These are semi-
informal practices taught in hushed whispers in the Colleges,
as no one is quite sure if their use is sanctioned. Most wizards
who know of these abilities, however, make good use of them.
In addition to using channelled power to cast difficult or
particularly spectacular spells, practised wizards can carefully
shape small motes of this power to achieve minor though not
insignificant effects. With power gathered from Channelling,
a spellcaster with the appropriate Lore Talent may learn to use
any of the Cants listed below. If they expend at least 1 SL of
gathered power using a Cant, they do not lose the SL they
normally would for spending a Round without Channelling.
These effects are varied, and in most cases do not require an
Action to make use of except where explicitly stated. Even if a
Cant does not require an Action, a magic-user may make use of
no more than one each Round.
Learning Cants
Cants are taught only informally, and are often discovered and
rediscovered in parallel with learning more codified techniques.
A Character may learn one Cant for free when they learn their
first spell of that Lore.
They master a second Cant when they learn their third spell,
and a third Cant when they learn their sixth spell. For example,
as soon as they learn any one spell from the Lore of Beasts, a
Character may choose a Cant such as Faces of the Wild (below)
and may use that effect as they wish. On learning a third spell
of the Lore of Beasts, a Character could learn either Talons of
Ghur or Thick Hide.
 A LT E R N AT I V E C H A N N E L L I N G
The Lore of Beasts
Face of the Wild
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you sprout fangs, fur,
claws, or other intimidating features. You gain the Fear (1)
Creature Trait until your next turn.
Talons of Ghur
You may expend a number of SL of gathered power, up to a
maximum of your Willpower Bonus, to add +1 Damage for
each to any unarmed attack you make until your next turn. You
may decide to apply this effect after you have made your Melee
Test, but before the GM has described the results.
Thick Hide
By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you increase the AP of
all leather armour you are wearing by 1 until your next turn.
The Lore of Death
Eyes of Death
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you are granted a vision
of another creature's death. You may ask how close a creature
you can see is to death. The GM must describe, in relative terms,
how many Wounds that creature has remaining.
Whispers of Doom
By expending 2 SL of gathered power, you can learn the
Dooming of any creature you inflicted at least 1 Wound on
during the previous Willpower Bonus minutes.
Death’s Visage
By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you can take on the
aspect of the grave. For this round, you no longer need to
breathe, and can ignore the effects of Fatigued, disease, and
Poisoned. Creatures with the Undead Trait will ignore you unless
you attack them directly, or if they are intelligent enough to see
through your ruse.
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VIII
The Lore of Fire
Brighten Blaze
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, any non-magical fire
you can see within Willpower yards grows in intensity. A
candle flame burns as violently as a torch, a torch as brightly
as a campfire, and so on. This both increases the illumination
provided, and may cause nearby creatures to gain an Ablaze
Condition if the GM rules they were standing close enough to
be caught in the enlarged fire.
Set Alight
Any time you strike an opponent with a Melee attack, you may
expend 2 SL of gathered power to inflict one Ablaze Condition
upon them.
Fervent Bellow
By shouting your encouragement and expending 3 SL of
gathered power, one ally who can hear your voice loses one
Broken Condition.
The Lore of Heavens
Visions of Trauma
You may expend 1 SL of gathered power to gain +1 SL on any
Dodge or Melee Test you make to avoid or parry an attack.
Crackling Blade
You may expend a number of SL of gathered power, up to a
maximum of your Willpower Bonus, to add +1 Damage for
each to any Melee attack you make with a metal weapon. You
may decide to apply this effect after you have made your Melee
Test, but before the GM has described the results.
Visions of Fortune
By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you peer into what is
to come and shout a warning or advice to an ally who can hear
your voice. They receive a +2 SL bonus to use on any one Test
during their next turn. You may not use this cant on yourself.
VIII WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
The Lore of Metal
Reinforcement
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, all metal armour you
are wearing provides 1 additional AP of protection until your
next turn.
Heart of Iron
In response to receiving a Critical Wound, you may choose to
expend 2 SL of gathered power. The struck location toughens
unnaturally, resisting a potentially mortal blow. Your attacker
must roll twice on the appropriate Critical Wound chart,
choosing the least harmful result.
Quicksilver Blade
By expending 3 SL of gathered power, one metal weapon you
are holding begins to flow like water. Melee attacks you make
this Round count as spells of Chamon and enjoy the benefits
listed for spells of the Lore of Metal described on WFRP
page 249 — ignoring the AP of metal armour, and inflicting
additional Damage equal to the AP of metal armour worn on
that Hit Location.
The Lore of Life
Staunch
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you remove all Fatigued
and Bleeding Conditions from yourself.
Invigorate
As an Action, you may expend 2 SL of gathered power and
touch another creature. Until your next turn, that creature gains
+1 SL to all Tests involving their Strength or Toughness, and
automatically passes any Test to resist the effects of disease or
poison.
Regenerate
At the start of your turn, you may expend 3 SL of gathered
power to immediately gain the Regenerate Creature Trait
(WFRP page 341) until the start of the next Round.
The Lore of Light
Brighteyes
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, your eyes begin to give off
a faint light. You gain the Dark Vision Creature Trait until the
beginning of your next turn. Additionally, you become immune
to the Blinded Condition while the effect persists. Blinded
Conditions you already have are ignored for the duration of this
effect but return once it ends.
88
Purging Light
By expending 2 SL of gathered power, a melee weapon you are
holding or a single piece of ammunition begins to glow with
furious light. Until your next turn, targets struck by a weapon or
piece of ammunition under the effects of this Cant must make a
Challenging (+0) Endurance Test or gain a Blinded Condition.
If the target has the Daemonic Trait, they take an additional +3
Damage from the attack as well.
Perfection of the Self
By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you are engulfed in a
cleansing light. Until your next turn, you may ignore the effects
of any Diseases, Poisons, Critical Wounds, or Mutations that
afflict you. Even severed limbs are temporarily replaced by airy
constructions of pure Hysh.
The Lore of Shadows
Ulgu’s Touch
By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you cloak yourself in
raw Ulgu. You may add a number of SL up to your Willpower
Bonus to any Stealth Tests you make this Round, adding them
after the dice have been rolled but before the GM has described
the result.
Not Your Problem
By expending 2 SL of gathered power you become less of a
threat in the eyes of others. If there is at least one other viable
target which a hostile enemy can attack on their next turn, they
will attack that target instead.
A Passing Shadow
By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you become impossible
to restrain. You may slip free of any existing bonds, and all
attempts to grab, hold, or otherwise prevent your movement
fail. You may pass through difficult terrain without hindrance,
and your almost insubstantial form may even slip past barred
windows and through other tight spaces.

LORD ADALBERT
• KNOPP-INZEL •
‘Were you in the Marktplatz yesterday? Some crazy old knight called
Lord Knopp-Inzel picked a fight with the head of the Watch. He got
himself a good hiding and then got chucked in the river. It's a shame
really, he seemed harmless.’
— Werner Stoll, Weissbruck Scribe
‘Someone told me Knopp-Inzel is about again, trying to get the
Jungfreuds back in Ubersreik. He’s losing his mind, but he was sharp
as a pin in the old days. Knew everyone who mattered in Altdorf.’
— Lady Kisaiya von Bruner, Ubersreik Dowager
Lord Knopp-Inzel is old, his mind is failing, and people dismiss
him as a reckless eccentric. But this elderly knight is on a quest
to restore the Jungfreuds to Ubersreik. Riding through the
Reikland with his trusty retinue, he duels with blackguards, tries
to rally the peasantry, and fights injustice as a true veteran of the
Reiksguard should. Admittedly, this usually ends in injury and
humiliation, but what’s a few hundred laughing villagers when
honour and the integrity of the Empire are at stake?
This article provides a profile of Lord Knopp-Inzel and his
entourage of ne'er-do-wells. They can act as a comic diversion
or play a greater role in your campaign. Before old age clouded
his mind, Lord Adalbert worked as a spy, seeking out cults and
covert treason — which sometimes involved Reikland’s most
powerful. Between episodes of dementia and delusion, the old
knight’s memories return and he hints at knowledge which
many would rather remain secret.
ENCOUNTERING ADALBERT
It should be easy to integrate Lord Knopp-Inzel into any
campaign, as a brief interlude, a precursor to a new adventure,
or part of an ongoing scenario. The retinue can cross paths
with the PCs on the road, or turn up in any village or town in
the Reikland — other than Ubersreik, where Lord Adalbert’s
agitating won’t be tolerated.
89
IX
0 Lord Knopp-Inzel and his entourage are staying in the
same inn as the party. They occupy a table in the taproom,
where the knight is having a good-natured dispute
with Brother Samhel. They disagree on the role of the
Reiksguard in the Fourth Siege of Altdorf. They invite
members of the party to adjudicate between their cases,
offering a round of drinks in return.
0 The party are in a village when they hear excited children
running down the lane. Lord Knopp-Inzel and his retinue
ride into the village, Leonard blowing his bugle while
the knight demands support from the village to restore
Ubersreik to the Jungfreuds.
0 The party are in a town. They see Lord Knopp-Inzel
sat on his horse outside the Town Hall, calling out the
burgomeister for a duel. He has heard that the Town
Council declared in favour of Karl-Franz’s seizure of
Ubersreik.
0 On the road, the party happen across a small group of
bandits who wait patiently while Lord Knopp-Inzel and
his retinue prepare to bring them to justice.
0 Choose the PC who looks most suited to a fight. They
feel a tap on the shoulder and turn around to find an old
man in armour challenging them to a duel. He thinks he
just heard them say something questioning the honour of
Reiklanders.
The GM is best placed to decide how to use Knopp-Inzel and
his retinue. They can provide a short comedic interlude with
the delusional old knight making a fool of himself. Alternately,
you can play on the tragedy of his encroaching dementia and
his loss of self.
Adalbert can be a useful distraction or a source of old secrets
you may want to introduce to your campaign. Several adventure
hooks at the end of the article illustrate how this could work.
IX WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Lord Adalbert
‘I beg to differ, sir. You may state your case most eloquently, but I’m
afraid that you have made a grievous error. No man of the Reikland
could stand aside while you slander the good name of the late Rodolf
von Sigismund. Therefore, it pains me greatly, but I feel I must offer
you the opportunity to erase the stain on your character through
honourable combat.’

‘I’m awfully sorry, but I seem to forget so many things these days.
Have we met? I can’t be sure. Were you in Salzenmund during the
Oaken Mask business? I think you worked for the count? Your face
is familiar. I’m so terribly sorry, but I can’t recall… I’m really not
myself today. What were we talking about?’

Lord Knopp-Inzel’s grandfather was a founding Reiksguard

knight and his son followed him into the Order, so Adalbert
was destined to join their ranks himself. Proud to be part of
such an august institution, he acquitted himself admirably
in combat many times. He had a reputation for eagerness,
sweeping forward at the head of the charge to meet his foe.
This was tempered by a fine strategic mind, which did not go
unnoticed. By the time he reached his thirties, Adalbert was
being groomed for leadership. He served for a time in the
Emperor’s personal guard where he met Luitpold III.

During a ferocious battle with an Orc band, Lord Adalbert lost

his right hand and lower leg to a furious downsweep from a
Savage Orc axe. He was saved by Graf Roldolf von Jungfreud,
father of the current duke. Now sporting a brass hand and
wooden leg, he renounced frontline combat.
Lord Adalbert’s service to the Reiksguard was not over. He
joined the Untersuchung, a clandestine branch of the knightly
order dedicated to hunting down treasonous and blasphemous
threats to the Empire. He was a spy in the Imperial Court,
Couronne, Remas, and Salzenmund. He controlled several
networks of agents, taking responsibility for neutralising many
treasonous plots and illegal cults. For several years he worked
closely with the Altdorf Black Chamber, the principality’s spy
network, where he got to know (but not trust) Graf Liepmund
Holzkrug, now High Lord Ambassador of the Reikland.
After many years in service, Lord Adalbert retired in 2508
IC to the family estate outside Oberwald, with his long-
suffering squire Leonard in attendance. Over the years he grew
increasingly eccentric and confused, his keen intellect dulled
by encroaching dementia. The old knight was outraged when
he heard about Emperor Karl-Franz’s edict to take Ubersreik
from the Jungfreuds. His sense of honour was offended and
he decided to come out of retirement to right a great wrong.
Calling for Leonard to bring his armour out of storage, he
saddled up his old steed and rode forth on a misguided quest to
restore justice and propriety to the Reikland.
LORD ADALBERT KNOPP-INZEL — HUMAN FIRST
KNIGHT (AND SPY)
GOLD 2
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
3 60 33 40 25 45 39 30 30 45 45 10
Traits: Armour 4 (6), Easily Confused, Weapon (Lance)
+10 (When charging on horseback), Weapon (Sword) +8
Skills: Animal Care 45, Athletics 49, Bribery 50,
Charm 55, Charm Animal 55, Consume Alcohol 35,
Cool 55, Dodge 49*, Endurance 40, Gamble 40, Gossip
55, Haggle 50, Heal 40, Intimidate 50, Intuition 55,
Leadership 55, Lore (Battle 50, Heraldry 50, Politics 45,
Warfare 45), Melee (Basic 80, Cavalry 80), Perception
60, Ride (Horse) 54, Secret Signs (Untersuchung)
45, Stealth (Rural) 49, Trade (Farrier) 45
Talents: Blather, Carouser, Doomed, Etiquette (Nobles),
Gregarious, Read/Write, Rough Rider, Shieldsman,
Strike Mighty Blow, Suave, War Leader, Warrior Born
Trappings: Charcoal Stick, Destrier with Barding,
Hooded Cloak, Lance, Plate Armour, Pouch containing
12 Gold Crowns and 10 Shillings, Reinforced Soft Kit
and Great Helm, Saddle and Tack, Sword
* Adalbert is still getting used to his prosthetic
leg, and may not Dodge until he does so.

90
 L O R D A DA L B E R T K N O P P- I N Z E L
Easily Confused
This is a new Creature Trait to represent creatures and characters
who are dithering and uncertain, but not so much as to be
considered Stupid.
Characters with the Easily Confused Trait should make an
Easy (+40) Intelligence Test whenever their immediate
circumstances undergo a change, surprising information is
brought to light, or a new encounter begins. If the character
fails the Test they receive a Stunned Condition.
The character retains the Stunned Condition, but may make
an Easy (+40) Intelligence Test at the start of every following
turn, recovering from the Condition if they succeed.
Points of Resolve may also be spent on recovering from Stunned
as normal.
Appearance
Lord Knopp-Inzel is a thin, elderly man with an impressive
white moustache and beard, styled in a fashion that was popular
in the Reikland cavalry forty years ago. When outdoors, he
wears a careworn suit of steel plate and carries a short lance
in his brass hand. He rides an elderly warhorse weighed down
with heavy barding. When not arrayed for battle, he wears
moth-eaten courtly garb and several medals earned during his
service in the Reiksguard.
Character
Most of the time, Lord Knopp-Inzel is in fine spirits. He has
a strong sense of purpose and treats friends and enemies alike
with good humour, providing they appear as loyal Imperial
subjects. If he hears anyone denounce the Jungfreuds, the
position of Emperor, the Reikland, or any other Imperial
institution, he courteously challenges them to a duel. He
treats such obligations seriously and shows resolve rather
than anger. When the inevitable crowd gathers, he is fond of
making proclamations about the importance of justice and how
‘Karl-Franz’s father would never have allowed all this.’ He is
completely fearless.
Confusion sets in during periods of calm or after an inevitable
defeat. Adalbert forgets what he’s done, repeats himself and
apologises to all who might listen for his failing memory. He
becomes uncertain of himself, and mutters cryptically about old
conspiracies, long-dead agents, and adversaries. This confusion
sometimes gives way to a moment of clarity, when he speaks
with authority and shrewd judgement for a few moments before
his mind fogs over again.
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IX
Beliefs
0 The Empire is a sacred institution birthed by Sigmar
and it is the solemn duty of all its subjects to uphold its
strength and integrity.
0 Karl-Franz has behaved in a way unfitting for an Emperor
and Prince of the Reikland. This shall not stand.
0 A knight is bound to fulfil his duty to his order, to death
if necessary. This includes adherence to a strict code of
honour — to have truth in his words, duty in his heart,
and a sword in his hand. There is an obligation to speak
out against traitors and correct the misguided.
0 No real knight would travel without a retinue of sturdy
compatriots, bold and true!
Why Isn’t He Dead?
Lord Knopp-Inzel puts himself in grave danger every time he
challenges someone to a duel or makes a public proclamation
against the Emperor in support of the Jungfreuds. So why is
he still alive?
Despite the harsh life of many in the Reikland, few would take
pleasure in killing a charming, deluded veteran of the Reiksguard.
Most of his duels end with a beating and humiliation, but very
few opponents want him dead. If death or serious maiming
looks like a risk, Brother Samhel or one of the other retainers
will intervene — to pay off the adversary or use one of their own
talents to rescue the knight.
On a few occasions, a shadowy figure has intervened to protect
Lord Knopp-Inzel. He attributes this to a blessing from Sigmar,
but the reality is more prosaic. Like several other powerful
people, High Lord Holzkrug is acutely aware of Adalbert’s past
and would prefer he lives as long as possible. It’s well known
that when he was with the Untersuchung, Knopp-Inzel wrote
a detailed account of every individual, cult, and conspiracy he
encountered and secured it ready for release should he die.
He placed copies of his dossier in the House Fooger vault
in Marienburg, the Temple of Verena in Wolfenburg, and
the Untersuchung archive in Altdorf. If someone kills Lord
Adalbert, at least one of these institutions will release his dossier
to the Cult of Sigmar, the Witch Hunters, and various other
authorities. Nobody knows exactly what the dossier contains,
but few powerful people in the Reikland are willing to risk it
becoming public.
IX WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Exactly what Lord Knopp-Inzel knows is up to the GM —
he should be a good source of intrigue, scandal, and historical
intelligence. Some suggestions:
0 Emperor Luitpold III had an intimate relationship with
a lady-in-waiting who was in fact a Lahmian vampire.
The Untersuchung discovered this and acted quickly to
neutralise the problem.
0 15 years ago, a cult of Slaanesh called the Shimmering
Caress thrived in the upper echelons of Kemperbad,
Grissenwald, and Auerswald society.
0 Certain senior wizards in the Colleges of Magic knew of
Egrimm van Horstmann’s corruption and took no action
before it was fully revealed.
0 The previous High Lord Treasurer was passing state
secrets to the Council of Ten in Marienburg. He was
quietly removed but remains alive and influential.
THE KNIGHT’S RETINUE
When Lord Knopp-Inzel rode out from his estate, he took
Leonard as his squire, and his friend, Brother Samhel. On his
journeys around the Reikland he has picked up the dubious
Oda Terenz and hired a Dwarf fool, Ridrek Blackhelm. They
accompany him on the road, some taking payment and others
earning their way in each place they visit. Together they look
like a strange crew and they draw attention wherever they go.
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BROTHER SAMHEL — HUMAN PRIEST OF MORR
SILVER 1
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 27 29 32 43 28 35 25 42 38 52 14
Traits: Weapon (Mace) +7
Skills: Athletics 45, Charm 67, Cool 48, Endurance
53, Entertain (Storytelling) 57, Gossip 62, Heal
52, Intuition 38, Lore (Theology) 57, Melee
(Basic) 37, Perception 38, Pray 67, Research 57
Talents: Bless (Morr), Doomed, Invoke
(Morr), Read/Write, Savvy, Suave
Miracles: Dooming, Last Rites, Portal’s Threshold
Trappings: Book, Clothing, Hand Weapon (Mace),
Pouch containing 19 Shillings, Religious Symbol, Robes
Brother Samhel, Priest of Morr
‘Do you really think this is wise, Adalbert? After all, there are
twelve of them, they’re rather burly, and I still have half a goblet of
this passable Pritzstock red left.’
Lord Knopp-Inzel believes that every knight should be
accompanied by a man of faith to tend to his spiritual needs.
He’d prefer a Sigmarite, but his old friend Samhel is perhaps
more fitting given his recklessness. The two are of a similar
age and have known one another for almost twenty years since
Samhel took over as priest of Morr at the temple in Oberwald.
 L O R D A DA L B E R T K N O P P- I N Z E L
Appearance
Brother Samhel is tall and dignified in his years, with patrician
good looks and a slight smile which suggests the world is faintly
amusing to him. He wears the plain black robes of the Order of
the Shroud and carries a staff topped with an hourglass.
Character
Samhel is generally cheerful and well-spoken. He has a dry
wit which he deploys when someone around him is being
vainglorious. Samhel’s main flaw is laziness — he usually prefers
the path of least resistance.
What He Wants
0 Brother Samhel joined Lord Adalbert because of their
firm friendship. He cares for the knight and wants to stay
close as his condition worsens. He suspects he’ll be giving
his old friend the last rites before long.
0 Despite choosing to accompany Lord Adalbert, Samhel
prefers a quiet life and a good wine. When drunk, he
becomes sentimental.
0 Samhel performs his religious duties with solemn
diligence. He will ensure the dead receive their rites and
go peacefully into Morr’s realm.
Ella Terenz, Con Artist
‘Oh, hard luck. I would have sworn you were going to win that one.
No, no, no, I didn’t say Lord Adalbert has an enchanted sword. You
must have misheard me. What was it? Five gold? Let’s call it four as
you’ve been such a good sport.’
Ella met Lord Adalbert after he picked an argument with a
gang of stevedores in Fielbach and ended up head-down in a
barrel of pickles. She originally planned to con some gold from
him, but then saw a good opportunity to make more by joining
his retinue. She uses the crowds he attracts to run bets on his
duels and con gullible locals into believing he is blessed by the
gods and requires donations.
ECHOES OF
SCANDAL
0 The party are approached by an agent of the Oldenhaller
family in Nuln, who will pay them handsomely for
leverage against the authorities in Schilderheim. There
have been rumours over the years that the von Uhland
family was implicated in some sort of scandal around
2502 IC, thwarted thanks to the actions of Lord
Knopp-Inzel. The Oldenhallers want the party to join
the old knight on his travels, earn his trust, and uncover
the von Uhland secret.
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IX
ELLA TERENZ — HUMAN CON ARTIST
SILVER 2
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 28 29 27 29 53 42 54 42 47 59 10
Traits: Weapon (Dagger) +4
Skills: Bribery 79, Charm 74, Consume Alcohol
44, Entertain (Acting 79, Storytelling 74),
Evaluate 62, Gamble 67, Gossip 79, Haggle
74, Intuition 63, Language (Thieves’ Tongue)
57, Perception 68, Sleight of Hand 69
Talents: Blather, Cardsharp, Diceman, Doomed,
Etiquette (Criminals, Nobles), Fast Hands,
Luck, Savvy, Secret Identity, Suave
Trappings: Backpack, Dagger, Deck of Cards,
Dice, Expensive Town Clothes, Hood, Poor
Town Clothes, Purse with 22 Shillings
Appearance
Ella wears fashionable town clothes that Brother Samhel deems
a little flash. She has shoulder length dark brown hair worn
under a velvet hat adorned with a large red feather. A capable
actress, one can never be sure whether her expressions or even
her age are genuine.
Character
Ella has been living on her wits for twenty years and she has
almost lost track of her real personality, under the many masks
she’s worn. She can switch from upper-class charm to concerned
devotee to coarse Altdorf eastender as she needs.
What She Wants
0 Ella wants to make money from the locals wherever she
goes. She uses many scams, but her preference is to accept
crooked bets on Adalbert’s chance of survival.
0 She really needs Lord Adalbert to survive, as he’s proving
lucrative. But Ella has developed a soft spot for the old fool
and will protect him, even when profit isn’t threatened.
0 Ella wants to feel smarter than the people she meets,
regardless of rank or standing. Even a small con or artful
lie confirms to her that she’s a little quicker off the mark
than other people. She really wants to trick an Elf.
IX WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY
Ridrek Blackhelm, Dwarf Fool
‘…and so the faithful hen died, and although the farmer’s wife was
upset, she was glad that it had laid one final egg. The next day, she
waited patiently and the egg hatched… but it was full of grey dust
which simply blew away.’
Every good knight should have a fool, to speak truth to power
and make it funny. Lord Adalbert hired Ridrek during a trip to
Grissenwald, but the Dwarf hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.
Ever the optimist, the elderly knight waits patiently, hoping
that Ridrek is just about to unleash the side-splitting zinger to
end all zingers.
RIDREK BLACKHELM — DWARF ENTERTAINER
(AND SPY)
BRASS 5
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
3 42 27 30 43 22 33 56 32 57 20 16
Traits: Weapon (Dagger) +5
Skills: Athletics 43, Bribery 30, Charm 30, Cool
67, Entertain (Acting 33, Comedy 23), Gamble 42,
Gossip 35, Haggle 30, Language (Khazalid) 42,
Melee (Basic) 52, Perception 42, Perform ( Juggling)
38, Play (Tin Whistle) 66, Stealth (Urban) 48
Talents: Magic Resistance, Mimic, Night Vision,
Public Speaking, Read/Write, Strong-minded, Sturdy
Trappings: Backpack, Blanket, Brightly Coloured
Clothing, Dagger, Hooded Cloak, Juggling
Balls, Pouch, Tin Whistle, Tinderbox
Appearance
Ridrek Blackhelm looks like he’s just received the worst news
a Dwarf ever heard. His relentlessly dour expression contrasts
with his amusingly-waxed beard, bright-coloured breeches, and
gaudy hose.
Character
To Ridrek, the whole world is a constant disappointment. He is
pessimistic and morose. Given that his jokes fall flat, he prefers
to tell depressing stories which invariably end on a downer.
What He Wants
0 Ridrek is never satisfied with the world around him and
would like to sit quietly alone, brooding about all the
awful things which are just about to happen.
0 There is a reason Blackhelm is a bad fool — he’s actually
a spy for Gjur Farlson, Karak Azgaraz’s ambassador in
Ubersreik. The hold seeks intelligence on the political
situation in the Reikland, so they took advantage of Lord
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Adalbert’s job vacancy. Ambassador Farlson has an acute
sense of humour and doesn’t like Ridrek, so he relished
the chance to give him a humiliating mission. Blackhelm
occasionally shuffles off to dispatch a coded runic report
to Ubersreik.
0 Ridrek needs to stick with Lord Adalbert because he’s the
perfect cover. This may mean protecting the brain-addled
manling if he’s about to get killed.
Leonard, Squire
‘Shall I fetch the bandages, my Lord? Very good, my Lord.’
Leonard is Lord Adalbert’s long-suffering squire. He has served
the knight since his Reiksguard days and despite being many
years past his fortieth birthday, Adalbert still calls him ‘the
boy’. It is Leonard who picks up his master after a beating and
patches him up to continue his quest.
LEONARD — HUMAN SQUIRE
SILVER 3
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 36 31 42 32 45 45 31 35 30 32 13
Traits: Armour 2 (5), Weapon (Sword) +8
Skills: Animal Care 55, Athletics 65, Charm Animal 50,
Heal 55, Lore (Heraldry) 55, Melee (Basic 36, Cavalry
51), Play (Bugle) 36, Ride (Horse) 65, Trade (Farrier) 51
Talents: Doomed, Etiquette (Nobles),
Roughrider, Savvy, Sturdy, Warrior Born
Trappings: Bugle, Cloak, Clothing, Mail Shirt,
Purse with 18 Shillings, Riding Horse with Saddle
and Tack, Shield, Sword, Trade Tools (Farrier)
Appearance
Leonard wears his black hair in an unflattering ‘pudding bowl’
style. He dresses in the livery of the Knopp-Inzels, a red and
yellow check tabard with a blue goat rampant. He carries a
bugle which he uses to herald Lord Adalbert’s arrivals, retreats,
and proclamations.
Character
Leonard lives to serve. He anticipates and responds to Lord
Adalbert’s every need and mishap, barely speaking other than
to ask his master for instruction. Leonard is the model of an
uncomplaining dogsbody.
What He Wants
0 Leonard wants Lord Adalbert Knopp-Inzel to die
honourably, as soon as possible.
 A R C H I V E S O F T H E E M P I R E : VO L U M E I

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