Chapter I: Introduction
w elCome !
W elcome to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (abbreviated WFRP throughout this book). As the name indicates, WFRP is a roleplaying game (RPG). If you are new to this type of game, take a few moments to read the “ What Is Roleplaying? ” section on this page; that should make things more clear. If you’re an old hand, welcome back to WFRP , the RPG that lets you experience a grim world of perilous adventure. The book you hold in your hands is the first in a series that will explore the Old World setting and bring new dimensions to the Warhammer World. You may already be familiar with the setting through the Warhammer Fantasy Battle game or the Warhammer novels and comics of the Black Library. If this is your first taste of the setting, you’re in for a treat. The Warhammer World is a rich one, a place of R oleplaying games are games of creativity and imagination. They have been described in many different ways over the years, but fundamentally RPGs answer the following question: wouldn’t it be fun to be the hero of a book or a movie? We’ve all read novels and seen movies and, fun as they are, they are passive forms of entertainment. Roleplaying games let you both be the entertainer and be entertained at the same time. How do they do that? Glad you asked. In an RPG, you get to take on the role of a character. You create an alter ego, a fictional character like the heroes you’ve read about or seen in movies. You and your friends take your characters and play through their adventures. Rather than read the story, you tell the story. Rather than watch the action, you make the action. In concept, this all seems rather chaotic. How is the story told? How do you decide what happens? What do you do if you and your friend disagree? That’s where this book comes in. Roleplaying is only half of the story; the other half is the game. WFRP presents you with the rules of play. This book explains how to make your character, how to resolve actions, how to achieve your goals, and, most importantly, how to have fun doing it.
chaos and war, of intrigue and politics, of desperation and heroism, and of gods and daemons. WFRP is your chance to live in this world, to make a name for yourself or to die unknown and unmourned like so many before you. a n oTe on “y ou ” Much of this book is written in the second person. Sometimes “you” refers to the player or Game Master and sometimes the character. Which “you” is being addressed should be clear from the context. The talent Stout-hearted, for example says, “You are exceptionally brave.” While you the reader may indeed be brave, this is clearly about a character with the Stout-hearted talent. Before you can begin, you and your friends have to make an important decision: who is going to be the Game Master (GM)? The GM is the referee and the lead storyteller, the person in charge of running the game. The GM presents the stories and situations, describes the Warhammer World and its denizens, and adjudicates the rules. The GM is the most important member of your group, so choose wisely. The GM ought to fair-minded, well spoken, and imaginative. An eye for detail is also helpful. If you are the GM, you need to know the rules of this book quite well. You can learn more about your job in Chapter 9: the Game Master . If you are a player, your first stop should be Chapter 2: Character Creation . You can pick up most rules in play, but you need a character to start the game. Once you’ve finished reading this chapter, move onto the next chapter and follow the instructions there for character creation. In less than half an hour, you can be ready to play. If you are still not clear on what roleplaying is, be sure to read the example of play on page 11. That concretely illustrates what a game is like.
— w haT Is r oleplayIng ? —
r eadIng The d ICe All dice rolls within WFRP use a standard ten sided die (d10). These dice usually have the numbers 1 to 9 on their sides with a 0 to represent the 10 result. These dice are used in two different ways. Sometimes, you will be asked to generate a number between 1 and 10. To do this, simply roll one die and read the result. When you roll a d10 this way, try to roll as high as possible. Occasionally you will be asked to add or subtract a number from this result. Your GM will tell you when you need to do this. The other type of dice roll in WFRP is called a percentile roll. A percentile roll uses two d10 to create a number between 1 and 100. To do this take 2d10 and decide which one will create the “tens” and which one will create the “units”. It’s important that you don’t mix them up. The best way to do this is to have dice that are of two different colours. Once you’ve decided, roll the dice and read the result as a two digit number. So, if your “tens” die rolled a 7 and your “units” die rolled a 3, the result of your percentile roll would be 73. If you rolled a 4 and a 9 your result would be 49. If you rolled 0 and 0 your result would be 100. You roll percentile dice when you have a percentage chance to do something. When you roll percentile dice, try to roll as low as possible. For example, if you have 34% chance of hitting a Goblin, the result of your percentile roll needs to be 34 or less for you to succeed in striking the filthy greenskin. During play you will be asked to add or subtract from your percentage chance to do something. Your GM will tell you when you need to do this.
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