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Mordheim TTRPG - (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition)
Mordheim TTRPG - (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition)
The city of Mordheim is one of danger, chaos and terror. Simply put, a
meteor made up of wyrdstone struck the city, killed damn near everyone,
and twisted it’s ruinous remains into a place suited for only the bravest
of adventurers. What remains of the once prosperous merchant city is
continually fought over by roving warbands, and the creatures of Chaos
who dwell within. All sides fight for the right to plunder the highly
prized wyrdstone along with any valuable items.
For many years since it’s release I have tried to devise a way to make a
Mordheim TTRPG appealing to my players. It wasn’t until the launch of
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition (WFRP) that I finally took the
leap into establishing something viable. Since WFRP centers heavily on
the Old World Empire, and Mordheim was a city within (set 519 years
before the End Times), it seemed natural that everything would mesh
well together. You will need a copy of WFRP to run this game, so please
purchase one here.
Setup
Camp Location
Now that you have your warband together, you just need to decide on a
place to set up camp. On the map below there are two options; the
Black Pit settlement (nearest the South Gatehouse) or Cutthroat’s Den
(nearest the West Gatehouse). Depending on where the player’s choose
to operate this will determine how long it will take in travel time to
certain areas of the map. Players must choose one of those options, and
it is permanent!
Additionally, these settlements will provide the players not only a place
of respite, but will grant access to merchants, specialists, and hired
swords:
Hired Swords can become a permanent part of the warband if paid a one
time sum of 3x the outing cost. So a Warrior can be permanently hired
for 90gc. Regardless if they are temporary or permanent, all NPCs
should be controlled by the warband during exploration.
Exploring Mordheim
As noted from the map above there are many locations in Mordheim.
Noble districts, temples, arenas, and a river running down the middle of
the city. When players decide to venture into the city, they should have
a destination in mind. To make things a little more interesting the
warband cannot venture to the same location twice in a row. Mordheim
is ever changing, so no location will ever be the same twice. Here is
how to handle setup:
Choose a Location – The warband will look at the map and choose a
destination to explore. If no one can decide, the players will
automatically choose the nearest destination (if not already explored in
the last outing).
Roll 1D8
• From Black Pit Settlement – +15lbs on the East Side of the River,
+25lbs on the West Side.
• From Cutthroat’s Den – +15lbs on the West Side of the river,
+25lbs on the East Side.
Determine Valuables – The GM will determine any other loot that may
be in this location and use it as a potential lure for exploration. It
doesn’t just have to be standard equipment. It could also be something
like a pricey nobleman’s heirloom (good to trade for gc), or some arcane
wonder. It’s up to the GM.
Roll 1d6
16. Rain – There is a small penalty for ranged attacks (-10
modifier), black powder weapons have a 25% chance to not fire
after a reload.
17. Nothing – Normal conditions
18. Mild Fog – Visibility is reduced by 50%, (-10 Modifier for
ranged combat)
19. Night Time – Warband will require torches and only be able
to see as far as the light source. Roll 1D6, if a 1 or a 6 add a
Daemon of Chaos to the board. It will attack the warband on a 1
or the other threat on a 6.
20. Luminescence – The area is aglow with arcane energy, both
indoors and out. Hiding and sneaking has a -20 modifier. Spotting
anything hidden has a +20 modifier.
21. Chaos Vapor – Pockets of a mysterious glowing vapor have
sprung up in the area. The GM will label them 1 through 6 and
place them randomly throughout on the encounter map (on a grid
map they each take up a 3×3 grid). If a player or NPC enters the
vapor, roll a D6 and they are teleported to just outside the
corresponding (numbered) vapor.
When the warband returns home they must tend to their wounds, count
the money, etc. It is assumed that any grievously injured party member
is carted back to the camp, unless they need to be stabilized on the spot.
This is order of events when returning to camp:
• Determine Critical Wounds (if any) – Roll on the chart (see p.172
for Injuries)
• Seeking Medical Treatment – Have the warband hire a healer or
treat the wounded themselves.
• Determine Corruption – Have every surviving player who went
exploring roll 1d100 (if they returned with wyrdstone) on a 1-3,
the player gains a corruption point.
• Paying the Tithe – If it is the end of the month (GM needs to keep
track of the date), the player needs to hand over the tithe. If they
cannot pay the entire monthly balance, that extra is added to next
month’s tithe. If the failure to pay happens three times, the Patron
will pull the camp and support. Technically the game should be
over at this time, but it could also be the start of something new
(see Endgame).
• Selling the Wyrdstone – It’s always 20gc per pound of wyrdstone.
• Buying/Finding Items – Players will roll for rare items (if
applicable) and/or purchase items.
• Rumors – Players can spend a day trying to hear about any big
scores. They are rewarded with an additional +15lbs of wyrdstone
at the next encounter. Effects cannot stack.
• Hiring Mercenaries – Players can go out looking for hired swords,
or simply rehire the same one from before.
• Leveling Up Mercenaries – If a mercenary survives, the GM will
give them advance in skills, or attributes, as they deem
appropriate.
• Choosing another mission – Once everyone is healed, they can
venture out again.
The primary use of wyrdstone for most is currency, treated with the
same reverence as a precious gem or chunk of gold. However, the uses
of the stone do not end there. This glowing green stone is a raw chunk
of pure chaotic magic and for those connected to arcana this stone can
provide the means to achieve great and terrible things. There is a large
downside, as continual exposure to the stone can cause eventual
psychosis or even mutations. Here are some ideas on in game uses of
wyrdstone:
Once in a while, the warband’s patron will come asking for a favor. This
will often be something very specific and will require the warband to
put their best foot forward. If successful the Patron will reward the
warband with something of use. Here are some ideas for potential
missions (full disclosure, I did take some inspiration from the Mordheim
video game):
The rewards for such endeavors should always be worth the risk, but
unknown to the players. A substantial XP reward is absolutely given in
addition to the monetary rewards. Here are some ideas:
Endgame
From what you can see above a RPG about Mordheim is about
exploration, combat and loot! As the GM, be certain to have the short,
medium, and long game in mind at all times. Here is how I envision a
game of Mordheim:
Example Campaigns
• The Goal – The warband decided early on that they want to obtain
a legendary item in the city. It’s a sword of renown known as The
Leaping Blade. It was rumored to have been used by a famous
gladiator who was rumored to have perished on the day of the
comet.
• Story Mission 1 – The warband decides to venture to the coliseum
on Mordheim’s Eastern Riverside. The mission is of exploration
where they will combat a series of mutated gladiatorial beasts.
They are rewarded with information towards their next objective.
In this case it’s a rumor that a particular merchant (one who used
to supply arms to the city) may know of the sword’s location (this
merchant is in their settlement)
• Story Mission 2 – During their downtime, the warband encounters
the merchant and negotiates a deal. They will clear out a section
of the docks that have been overrun by Skaven in order to free up
a ferry that is loaded with wares. Success grants them a lead on
another location, a large mansion in the Noble District rumored to
be the home of the gladiator’s main Patron.
• Story Mission 3 – The warband makes way to this estate to find
that it is overrun with Beastmen. They battle their way through to
discover proof that the gladiator is alive (Corrupted by Chaos), and
still in possession of the blade. This also leads to the rumor that
this gladiator is controlling his own group of Chaos cultists and
corrupted mercenaries in the ruins of a once famous fortification.
• Story Mission 4 – The warband knows that they cannot take this
on alone, and decide to gather allies (another warband) or enough
mercenaries to make the job easier. Additionally, they must
venture to the location in order to scout it out.
• Finale – The warband must now face the gladiator and his
warband in the ruins of the old fort. They succeed in defeating the
threat and now possess The Leaping Blade.
Other Ideas
Sometimes the player’s may just want to leave the city. This is okay as
well. You do not have to center a campaign around it, but I would
advise that the players at least stay long enough to pay off the debt.
Here are a smattering of ideas in case the players want to leave:
• Didn’t pay off the debt – The warband is disbanded and the group
now ventures out into the Empire. The game could now focus
around the players being hunted by agents of the Patron.
• Did pay off the Debt – The warband is still intact and under their
command. Now the entire camp goes where they go! A new
campaign could focus on the reputation of this established
mercenary company.
•