"Beat the boredom!" Episode 3: "Pretty Things" by Alfred Nuñez Jr.
For this week's "Beat the boredom!" episode I'll be writing about a favorite classic of mine - the WFRP 2nd edition starter adventure, called "Pretty Things"!
It was included in the GM's Pack, which was sold with the GM's screen. I still have both of these products, even though they're quite battered. After all, I've been using them for almost 12 years now. Anyway, this scenario was written by Alfred Nuñez Jr., who's one of the WFRP veterans and is still active in the fandom. You can find his website here, and it is definitely worth checking out! As for the adventure itself - it's a perfect introduction to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, as it details the PCs quest to reunite a small, frightened girl with her father. On a lonely, Talabecland road, our heroes encounter a scene of utter carnage and promise a dying woman to rescue Bianka von Radische, a little girl kidnapped by vile bandits. Little do they know, that these hoodlums will be the least of their worries...
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| Pictured: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in a nutshell! |
This scenario is divided into 7 short acts, starting with out heroes visiting a roadside inn, lewdly named the "Strutting Cock", which sits on the southern end of Talabecland, not far from the border with Stirland. From there, the PCs venture west, until they happen upon some shady pilgrims, a bloody battlefield, and finally - a greenskin camp, set deep in the gloomy forest. If they'll manage to rescue young Bianka, they still need to bring her to Hermsdorf, to her esteemed father's estate. However much has changed, since the little von Radische girl left the town, and our hapless heroes will be faced with a difficult dilema of what to do next...
Alfred Nuñez Jr. wrote a quick and engaging story, which basically just tells itself and never leaves room for boredom. Most of the NPCs are interesting and have their own motivations and goals, and they're perfect examples of your typical Old Worlders. The few combat encounters included in this scenario can be a bit tough for a first level party, but hey - it is Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and those Fate Points are there for a reason, right? When I was GM'ing "Pretty Things" for a third time, one of the PCs met his end, right before then finale of the story. Look, what I'm saying is that this can be a brutal adventure, ok? You have been warned.
"Pretty Things" connects to "Through the Drakwald", the introductory scenario from the 2nd edition's rulebook, which in turn is a prologue to the "Path of the Damned", the first written campaign for this system. I kinda like that all of these adventures are linked, as it builds a sense of progress and continuation of a story, something that I was always big on, when it comes to fiction. Oh, and a fun little fact - "Through the Drakwald" is referenced in "The Thousand Thrones", the last campaign ever made for the 2nd edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (the official one, that is). The more you know, eh?
If you're looking for a quick, single session scenario, then I recommend "Pretty Things". It's fun, engaging and it started my whole advenutre as a Game Master. I will always have a soft spot for this short adventure, and I hope that you'll like it as well.
Stay safe out there, and... until next time!
Xathrodox86
Comment by Andreas (who still can't fix his issue w Blogger ;) )
ReplyDelete"See? There is the difference between a fanmade adventure with a few good ideas and some useful setup, and a professional adventure that is actually excellent!
Note also that - while the setting certainly shows a grim world, as it should - not all people are disgusting scum; and the PCs can actually make a few friends, and even bring the story to a relatively good end.
This is an awesome early adventure for a WFRP PC group, and also a great guide on how to design one's own scenarios, but for the very first session - especially if not all players already know how to roleplay - I still favor the original corebook introductory adventure from 1e, The Oldenhaller Contract."