Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Forum Game

[Cynical Cat]

So, watching no one post in any of our forum rpgs and drooling over having acquired Realms of Sorcery, I was wondering if anyone was interested in doing a Warhammer Fantasy RP forum game?

[Pcm979]

As has become my mantra with these games, I have to say that I'd love to, but I lack the sourcebooks.

[Comrade Tortoise]

yeah, that would pretty much be my problem with this as well

[elderdan]

I'm down. I don't have Realms yet, but I expect I'll pick it up fairly soon and in the meantime, the main book is enough to work from.

--The Elder Dan

[Cynical Cat]

I'm not running with much in the way of game mechanics, I'll do a little dice rolling for the uncertain bits.

The game will take place in the Empire, which is a late medieval society loosely based on the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire has just withstood a massive invasion from the Chaos Wastes that plunged through the nation of Kislev (Russia) and besieged the city of Middenheim, one of the greatest fortresses ever built by any race (originally of dwarvish construction, built on a plateau. At great cost and with the aid of the Elves and Dwarves, the Empire triumphed.

Game mechanics will mostly be handled by me. Characters will be modestly experienced (veteran soldiers, skilled bounty hunters, warrior-priests, journeyman mages, etcetera). Gunpowder weaponry is uncommon and expensive, but available. Human, dwarves, elves, and halflings are available as player races and generally conform to standard stereotypes.

Albion: Celtic Britain, remote island.

Norsca: Viking land, close to the chaos wastes. Many of its people are Chaos worshippers.

Bretonnia: Late medieval France. Wealthy nobles with pretentions of chivlary, poor opressed peasants. Also an Athurian grail/lady of the lake cult among the nobility.

Estalia: Spain

Tilea: Italy

Araby: monotheasits on a sourthern continent

Border Princes: A collection of poor princedoms inhabited mostly by exiles and their descendents.

Elves: Large forest enclave in Bretonnia, several hidden ones in the Empire, sea elf enclaves in the independent city of Marienburg. High Elves live in the remote island nation of Ulithan.

Dwarves: About half live in the Empire and half in the remnants of their own empire.

Halflings: Have their own territory (the Moot) inside the Empire and live in the Empire.

[Pcm979]

That's nifty, but I still don't know what to do.

[frigidmagi]

Elves: Large forest enclave in Bretonnia, several hidden ones in the Empire, sea elf enclaves in the independent city of Marienburg. High Elves live in the remote island nation of Ulithan.

*Ahem* That's Island Continent nation of Ulithan.

[Cynical Cat]

Warhammer is a lot like other fantasy rpgs in that you essentially get into trouble and attempt to profit in a dangerous world. Right now I'm seeing if their is enough interest to merit running a game.

What you need to do is (over a period of time) come up with a character idea such as a bored noble, journeyman wizard, wandering priest, former outlaw, unemployed mercenary, dispossessed farmer or whatever (Warhammer isn't based around adventuring classes, but rather professions such as rat catcher or religious flagellant, i.e. things people really do in the society. Adventurers don't spring out of the earth, but develop.

Right now, all I want is for interested people to sound off. Then we'll start grinding the rough spots off character ideas.

[Pcm979]

Well, you've got my vote.

[Cynical Cat]

Also I should mention to my fellow quintessence junkies, the magic system works really well for a forum style game.

[Comrade Tortoise]

How does it function? I might see if I can swing playing, so long as I have an idea of how the system works.

[elderdan]

Game mechanics wise? You have the usual sorts of attributes-- strength and toughness and weapon skill and such-- on a percentile scale. Average unskilled human stats are around 30-- elves trend slightly higher in nimble shit, dwarves in tough shit-- but as characters develop in their careers, attributes can increase by as much as +40 and skills can push that even higher in appropriate circumstances.

The real appeal of WFRP is the career system. Typically, you start out as something very common-as-muck-- Cynical Cat isn't exaggerating about the rat catchers, that's one of the starting careers, as are other charming origins as beggars, grave robbers, ditch-digging laborers, etc. Over time, you have opportunities to leave those lowly careers behind, however, and exit into better ones-- better both from the social standpoint, and in the sense of giving you more attribute advances to take.

The world setting is also big fun; in much the same way that 40K assumes a grim and morally apathetic view of the universe, WFRP is a dirty planet where Chaos is always too too close, death comes quick and cheap, and pretty much nobody is altruistic. At best, they're corrupt schemers; at worst, they're pawns and puppets of the Dark Gods.

--The Elder Dan

[Cynical Cat]

I despise use of game mechanics for a forum game and intend to keep it at a minimum. Characters don't become as superhuman as D&D, although a hard bitten Warhammer veteran will chew up lesser opponents (as one might expect).

While I would prefer you not to think in these terms, here is the lowdown:

Simply put, Warhammer works on a percentage system. Primary Attributes work on percentage system, secondary attributes (Movement, Attacks, Magic, Toughness and Strength Bonus (Primary/10 round down), and wound, are bought in single digits. Careers allow you to buy advances on your attributes 5% for primary, single points for secondary. Since, as elderdan mention, 30 is human average, 10% is a nice improvement.

To do something you test against the appropriate attribute. If you don't have the appropriate skill and you can test against it untrained (like Silent Move) you use half your attribute. Skills can be taken a second or third time to give 10% or 20% bonus.

In addition to profile advances there are skills and talents. Talents are comparable to D&D feats, they give abilities or modify the base profile.


First Link: Black Industries PDF preview page (including some basic careers): http://www.blackindustries.com/default. ... e=previews

Second Lin: Maps http://www.warhammer.net/maps.php

[Cynical Cat]

Magic

Ten thousand years ago the warp gates the Old Ones had built at the poles of the world malfunctioned and exploded. Raw magic has flooded the world ever since and the area around the poles has become the Chaos Wastes.

Halflings have not talent for magic at all. Dwarves are able to concentrate it and bind it in runes through their own secret arts. Humans and elves are somewhat more gifted.

The winds of magic compose eight different colours, each one with different responses to physical and mental properties in the physical world. Humans can only fully attune themselves to one colour, although elves can manage all colours.

Magic in its raw, undivided for is dark, dangerous, and destructive. One can make use of this dark magic or simply grab together a bunch of magic, crush it together and use it to power spells. Using either naturally occuring or self created dark magic is dangerous business as it is extremely mentally and physically corruptive. Necromancy, chaos magic, and daemonology all use dark magic.

Elf Magic

Elves mages practice using one colour of magic until they have the developed and then go on to using all colours in a carefully balanced mix. This is called high magic and it is the most powerful, difficult, and safest form of magic.


Human Magic.

Priests

Just as the dark gods of chaos are derived from the passions of living creatures, so are the patron gods of humanity. Some human priests are able to attune themselves to their gods and use rigid prayers and rituals to perform miracles (cast spells). Priest spells are weaker, safer, and easier to cast in armour (they draw less power and from a safer source). Priests are also less adept casters.


Wizards

Magic is legal in the Imperium due to the for powerful wizards experienced by Magnus the Pious during the great invasion of chaos more than two hundred years ago. Three High Elven Loremasters helped organize and train the first humans in simple colour based battle magic. The Colleges of Magic have grown more powerful, accepted, and knowledgable ever since.

They are:

Bright Magic: The Lore of Fire

Amethyst Magic: The Lore of Death

Amber Magic: The Lore of Beasts

Jade Magic: The Lore of Life

Celestial Magic: The Lore of Heavens

Light Magic: The Lore of Light

Gold Magic: The Lore of Metals

Grey Magic: The Lore of Shadows

[Cynical Cat]

Magic Capabilities



Petty Magic: The simple magic of junior priests and apprentice wizards. Priestly petty magic consists of weak blessings and minor healing. Arcane Petty magic includes things like conjuring lights, firing a short ranged dart of magic, and inducing sleepyness with a touch. In other words, not very powerful, but useful.

Lesser Magic: Only wizards will have this to start. These are the spells common to all Lores and magical practices. Short lived armour of magical force, dispelling magic, a short burst of magical flight or levitation, and magically forcing a lock are all examples. Useful, generalist magic.

Priestly Magic: Not serious impeded by anything short of heavy armour. It follows in the nature of the god. Player priests won't start with it.

Sigmar: Founder of the Empire. Generalist.

Ulric: The god of war, wolves, and winter. Second most popular god in the Empire.

Myrmidia: Goddess of Warfare (think Athena).

Morr: God of Death and Dreams. Lots of beat the snot out of undead spells.

Verena: Goddess of Learning and Justice

Shallya: Goddess of Mercy and Healing

Ranald: Thieves and trickery.

Taal and Rhya: The nature gods of the Old Faith.


Spellcasting in Play:

The more powerful the spell, the longer it usually takes to cast and the more magic is required to power it. The more magic one channels, the higher the chance of side effects (Tzeentch's Curse) and the more severe the side effect will be.

Spells tend to be short lived, lasting minutes at the most except for complicated ritual magics.

Priestly magic is weaker, but safer and less prone to accidents, which are less severe when the occur.

So how will I handle things in play?

Simple: Magical backlash will occur, although not very often. Players who are pushing their powers beyond what they should have are more likely to have something unpleasant happen to them.

Question: Uh, I'm not sure how powerful I should be? How do I do this properly?

Good question. The first way is just to post what you are attempting to do and let me do the results. The second is to ask for some concrete examples of what you can do.

Example: A player (we will call him Julian) is playing a journeyman wizard of the Bright Order. What kind of power is reasonable?

Julian talks with his GM about specifics. His character can, of course, manage petty magic all day without worrying about problems because he's a journeyman wizard. He also wants to know Lesser magic spells of Dispel Magic and Aethyric Armour. That's cool too.

Now, what can he do with the Lore of Fire? Well, he can cast all the weak spells easily, doing things like cauterizing wounds by touch and throwing short range fire bolts. Tougher spells, like throwing two longer range balls of fire at the enemy (not the explosive D&D kind, but the burn a fist sized chunk of unprotected flesh), conjure a sword of magical flame, or inflaming the courage of his companions he can do for a while before exhaustian overcomes him.

[Comrade Tortoise]

I have dibs on being a wizard of the amythest order

[Cynical Cat]

Amethyst wizards tend to wear black and deep purple. They care completely shaved, quiet, and austere. Scythes (definitely not agricultural implements) and bleached bones are common accessories

Amethyst skull, the thorny rose, the scythe, and the hourglass are common symbols.

Amethyst spells within a journeyman's competency include seeing the spirits fo the dead, conjuring a fearsome scythe of amethyst magic, stealing life from a nearby target, removing fear, making yourself appear more fearsome, temporarily deadening a limb, causing unliving objects to decay, and warding off the undead. More difficult spells include speaking with the spirits of the recently departed and stunning a group of enemies with tendrils of amethyst magic.

[Comrade Tortoise]

sounds about my style...

[elderdan]

Bernhard is a 30-year-old human born in Ostermark. As a young lad, he entered the priesthood of Verena and abbeyed in Averland until quite recently, achieving his full ordination before suddenly breaking off his religious devotion to become an academic (i.e. finished Initiate and Priest careers, has just entered Scholar). Bernhard speaks Reikspiel, Classical, Halfling, Magick, and Goblin. He has a sixth sense for danger and a terrific voice for wooing large crowds, and he does quite alright for himself in a melee. He is knowledgeable in the areas of theology, history, and engineering, is familiar with the Empire, the Moot, and Kislev, and can cast petty divine spells.

--The Elder Dan

[Cynical Cat]

Excellent elderdan! I heartily improve.

The Empire being a fantasy version of the Holy Roman Empire, is German.

For the naming impared (like myself) here is a helpful link:

http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/

[Pcm979]

Harald 'Harri' Westmann grew up in the regional backwaters of the Empire, near one of the Elven forests. Fed up with the prospect of living his entire life as a poor farmhand he joined the army at the first opportunity.

Well, the rest is pretty much history.

Several years on, he's older, a little wiser, and much more of an asset in combat (and the looting thereafter). Recently discharged from the army, he finds himself with little in the way of disposable income and pretty much no idea where he is. He hopes to make his fortune and retire young, and to that end is looking for someone in need of a strong swordhand and a taste for adventure.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Cornelius Zylberstein always had a fascination with death, and dying. Not a suicidal interest, but an academic one. What does it mean to die? What processes contribute to the decay of a corpse? These questions led him to wish to control death. To harness the forces of nature. They led him to study magic, which he soon learned to enjoy for it's own sake.

Now, he is considered a journeyman. No longer an apprentice, but not good enough to be a master. Still, that is something he seeks to change.

[Pcm979]

Damn Mages everywhere. When they're not turning to Chaos they're looking down their frail, academic noses at you.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Damn Mages everywhere. When they're not turning to Chaos they're looking down their frail, academic noses at you.

I rarely play anything but... it is a control thing...

"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!!!"

[frigidmagi]

"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!!!"

Itty Bitty Hit Dice.