It always rains in Nuln

Yeah, I know that I was supposed to review "Ironclad", but stuff happened and y'all get something else. Almost five years ago I've managed to finish the first "Warhammer Quest" on the PC, and now I'll tell you all that you need to know about its sequel! Let's not beat around the bush here - this title takes place during the End Times, the final death troes of the venerable Warhammer Fantasy. Now, as most people I consider the finale of WFB to be some of the worst written fiction of all time. Fun fact, I haven't read a single positive comment about it! Really, not even one. There were a few people who liked the army lists they've prepared in the ET books, but I haven't met a single person who said: "Yes, the End Times were fantastically written. Can I have some more, please?" That said there were a few good things about them, mainly the "Vermintide" games. "Vermintide" 1 & 2 are seriously some of the coole...

The "Beat the boredom!" series is slowly coming to an end. I've enjoyed it immensely, but it's time to return to my usual writing schedule. Plus I want to write about other things than scenarios! That said, today I will review another WFRP adventure - "Blood Is Thicker"! Written by two authors, it takes place in a small village of Neubühl, which normally isn't even present on any map. Yup, it's that small. Just a tiny hamlet, somewhere in one of the deep forests of the Empire. Lately there's been something going on with the villagers living within its premises. They've begun to act strangely and hostile. Once Neubühl was a welcoming site to any traveler, but now it's full of unpleasant people who don't like strangers and are generally unwelcome to almost everyone. That's not all, however, as more and more citizens of this village go missing, and there is talk of rampant mutations amongst the populace of the town... The PCs find a ...

You know what I really love? Cheese. Hard, soft, blue, cottage - doesn't matter. I am a dairy man through and through, and so when I've stumbled upon the "Strange Harvests" scenario, I knew that I had to GM it! Professor Eggburger, the author of "Strange Harvests", tells a very interesting tale with with this adventure. It takes place in the south of the Empire, where the sun is always worm, the fields are always green, and the rich, healthy climate allows for the people living there to experience a modicum of joy and peace. No wonder that no one likes Averlanders, eh? They just have it too easy! Anyway, the party visits the idyllic and rich city of Edelpilzen, where a trial is taking place. A beloved noblewoman has been murdered in the most brutal way imaginable, and the two suspects are awaiting the final verdict of the judges - all of whom are the ruling members of the town, as well as masters of the Cheese Makers guild. The party can partake in the trial...

Gotta say, I really enjoy these trips down the memory lane. There is something incredibl pleasant about remembering the coolest, most interesting player characters that one had a chance to encounter, during his years as a game master. Today we continue our journey through time and space, visiting yet another batch of my favorite Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay heroes. This time we take a look at the original characters created by my Roll20 group, and how they've managed to leave a lasting impression in my mind. 1. Lukas Kohler, a hardcore survivalist from Talabecland (played by Andy) Lukas Kohler (artwork by Jason Brisken) If there ever was a "hero" who defied death time and time again, laughing in its ghastly face, it was Lukas Kohler. A syphilitic charcoal burner from the rural province of Talabecland, Lukas decided to leave his small hovel to pursue adventure and gather riches. What he found was death and danger at every corner. From rescuing a little girl fr...

What better way to end this year's Grimvember, than to review one of the best, one-shot scenarios for 2nd edition WFRP? "Burn After Printing" by Alexander J Bateman is a textbook example of a intrigue done right. Taking place in Altdorf, it throws the PC's against the machinations of a necromancer, a chaos coven, and even some stevedores! Employed by wealthy and beautiful Michaela von Jänke, our heroes need to destroy a cache of, supposedely, pronographic pamphlets, which besmirch the good name of their employer. It soon turns out that there's more to to this task, than meets the eye, and our intrepid adventurers will have to travel the winding and ever-shifting streets of Altdorf, and even the sewers below, to find out the ultimate truth. This being a WFRP scenario, the truth in question is more than horrifying... This fair city hides many a dark secret... Separated into four parts, "Burn After Printing" takes place during a relatively short ...

It's that time of the year again! The fourth edition of Grimvember is here, and so, throughout the whole month, I will be reviewing some of my favorite WFRP modules, both official and fan-made. This year we're starting strong, with one of my favorite adventures of all time - "Everybody's Talking at Me"! Penned by Georgios Panagiotidis, this scenario takes place in a small, sleepy village of Nordfels, that had just been shaken up by a brutal murder of a certain halfling entertainer. With this unfortunate's grisly demise, the town became a boiling point of resentment, paranoia and suspicion. The heroes are offered a job of Schlichters, arbitrators whose job is to settle various arguments between the memebers of Nordfels' community, and to difuse the tense atmosphere, before the village tears itself apart. It's not as peaceful, as it looks! WARNING! Minor spoilers ahead. Panagiotidis' short scenario is a perfect example of how well can ...

Chris Wraight is one of my all-time favorite Black Library writers. I've enjoyed all of his books so far, and I consider his "Swords of the Emperor" duology to be one of the best stories, set in the grim world of Warhammer Fantasy. Of these, the "Sword of Justice" is the first part. Being a part of the "Warhammer Heroes" line, and centering around the dour and uncompromising Ludwig Schwarzhelm, the Emperor's Champion, it presents a tale of corruption, ambition and misguided pride - all of which can lead to the downfall of even the mightiest of heroes. Even Ludwig Schwarzhelm... Of all Karl Franz's servants, none is more staunchly loyal and steadfast in his duty as Ludwig Schwarzhelm. Born a common man, through the might of his arm, and the strength of his will he became one of the most powerful people in Sigmar's Holy Empire. Supposedly never having smiled once in his life, Schwarzhelm is a perfect representation of the Emperor...

It's time to end this year's Grimvember and I've decided to do so with a review of one of my favorite short scenarios - "Sing For Your Supper" by Nathan Greavey. I've GM'ed it only once, many years ago when I was still a fresh Gamemaster, learing the necessary ropes and niuances of this fine hobby. I've decided to run it right after the finale to the "Paths of the Damned" campaign (which actually references the "Sing For Your Supper") and was not dissapointed. My players also liked it a lot. They've liked it almost as much as this little fella enjoys getting grinded into a sausage! The premise is rather simple. The PC's have been hired by a rich man from Nuln to find his missing daughter. Along the way they will meet all sorts of unique and colorful characters, visit the Great Elm Deutz, eat a ton of sausages and uncover a truly nefarious plot, which could threaten the entire city. "Sing For Your Supper...

Slowly we're getting to the end of this year's Grimvember. However, we still have some ways to go and monsters to slay, and every monster hunter from the Old World should posses a copy of the "Old World Bestiary" on his shelf! Before I'll start reviewing (or rather talking in length) this sourcebook, I'd like to dedicate this article to the memory of Carl Sargent, who sadly passed away a few days ago. He wrote some of the most iconic modules for WFRP, including the "Power Behind the Throne" for the classic "The Enemy Within" campaign, as well as the venerable "Lichemaster", which I personally adore. Rest in peace Mr. Sargent, you will be missed. I always loved bestiaries in RPG's. Reading the various entries about horrible monsters felt like delving into a lake of forbidden knowledge, and I still remember the fantastically written Monstrous Manual for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, and the impact that it had on me a...

There are a few official WFRP scenarios that I really like. Most of them have been written for the 1st edition of the game, and "Eureka!" by Paul Hargreaves is no exception. It first appeared in the 93rd issue of White Dwarf and was later included in "The Restless Dead" anthology. It's a favorite adventure of mine, as it's simple, tense and has that classic WFRP humor which really distinguished the very first edition of the game. Welcome to the 80's. Enjoy your stay The premise is simple. A band of unemployed adventurers, satying for a time in Nuln, have been hired by an eccentric inventor, one Wolfgang Kugelschreiber (I see what you did there Paul). Together with his plumpy assistant Fatboy Smallnose (sic!) he's being blackmailed by a band of thugs, who want to extort money from him and will not settle for empty threats. During their time as bodyguards for the inventor, the PC's will have a chance to examine some of his fantastic ...

Welcome to the third edition of Grimvember, where I review my favorite WFRP modules - both official and fan-made. Let's kick this year's grim & dark event with a look at "Chaos in the Rye" by Jeff Mason. I've GM'ed this adventure at the beginning of this year. It was sort of a prelude to the "Thousand Thrones" campaign that we're currently playing. Well, a prelude is perhaps too big a word. Simply put, I wanted a short scenario between "Terror in Talabheim" and the "TTT". Did "Chaos in the Rye" managed to satisfy my snobbish taste? I really dig that climactic art. It simply fits the tone of this scenario Yes. Yes it did. Jeff Mason managed to craft a really nice, cheeky horror-like scenario with this one. It has everything: cultists, chaos, daemons, beastmen and rye, which is the main antagonist of this adventure. Sadly, beside the title, Jeff's work has nothing to do with J.D. Salinger's excel...

Welcome to the final part of my review of the 4th edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Today we'll take a look at the final core mechanics of the game. That picture is so fucking metal First there's Corruption which can make even the noblest of warriors fall to the whim of the Dark Gods. It's a bit different to the 2nd edition's mutation mechanics. Simply put if you'll stare long enough into the abyss, it will give you a lot of shit, as well as some tasty Corruption points. Witness a Greater Daemon in all its malefic glory, chug a warpstone brew or stand in a place suffused with Dhar and its Endurance rolling time. Fail that and gain a shiny, new mutation. If you'll get too many of these then your character becomes one of the lost and the damned and you'll need to create a new hero. Nasty, climactic and very grim. What can I say? I love this system! Did I mentioned that you can take Corruption points to re-roll a failed test? Talk about making d...

It's time to take a look at the last DLC for "Vermintide", a game that took a lot from "Left 4 Dead" and mixed it with good, old Warhammer Fantasy sauce. The end result is more than excellent. However I'm not going to talk about how much I love this game (100+ hours clocked in already). Instead I want to take a look at the last DLC released for the first part of "Vermintide". A few months ago Fatshark has released "Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide 2" and yes, I will review it at some point in the future. I finally have the rig to do that, so you know - good things are coming. As for now, let's take a look at "Death on the Reik". I had a lot of expectation towards this one. The title itself is a big deal, being a clear reference to the original "The Enemy Within". In fact "DotR" is my second favorite part of this campaign, right after "Shadows over Bogenhafen". The makers of this DLC ev...

Those pesky Beastmen, they're so adorable, aren't they? Funny goat-men who sometimes try to ruin the adventurer's day by jumping out of the forest, screaming "oogah boogah boogah!" At least that is how they're usually portrayed: as a bunch of inbred dumbasses, who are only threatening to level 1 characters, and only on a very bad day. It doesn't matter if we are talking about official or fan-made publications - the Beastmen always get the shaft. What if I'd told you that it is possible to make them a formidable, scary and unique threat to your players? Is it even possible? Yes, yes it is. For that we'll have to reach out to our boy, H.P. Lovecraft himself and steal a bit of his ideas and, more importantly, the atmosphere of primeval horror, which he was able to include in his works with unparalleled skill. You see, the Beastmen are not men with hooves. They're not men with animal heads, wearing shit-stained loincloths and brandis...