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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer fantasy roleplay cover.jpg
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition cover
Designer(s)
(original) Richard Halliwell, Rick Priestley, Graeme Davis, Jim
Bambra, Phil Gallagher (FFG Version) Jay Little, Daniel Lovet Clark, Michael Hur
ley, Tim Uren
Publisher(s)
(current) Fantasy Flight Games
Publication date
1986 (1st edition)
2005 (2nd edition)
2009 (3rd edition [Fantasy Flight Games Version])
Genre(s)
Fantasy
System(s)
Custom
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (abbreviated to WFRP or WHFRP) is a role-playing game
set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a num
ber of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way t
o Games Workshop. The game is currently licensed to Fantasy Flight Games.[1]
The first edition of WFRP spawned a campaign known as The Enemy Within. These fi
ve episodes were bound and collected. The first three episodes generally receive
d the most praise; a rewritten version of the last episode, Empire in Flames, wa
s to be issued by Hogshead Publishing under the title Empire in Chaos but was ne
ver released.
For the second edition, another campaign, entitled Paths of the Damned, was foll
owed by standalone adventures, such as Barony of the Damned and Terror in Talabh
eim, as well as shorter adventures in country sourcebooks and rules supplements,
such as Ill Tidings from the Bretonnia supplement Knights of the Grail and A Br
utal Finish from the arcane magic supplement Realms of Sorcery.
Fantasy Flight Games released a third edition in November 2009. This edition bro
ught a substantial change to the system; few mechanics of the original system we
during which the Empire is inva
re retained. In this edition, the Storm of Chaos
ded is about to happen, rather than having already been repulsed, as in the seco
nd edition. This means it is set a year before the time period of the second edi
tion.
Contents [hide]
1
Setting
2
System
2.1
Careers
2.2
First Edition
2.3
Second Edition
2.4
Third Edition
3
History
4
Awards
5
See also
6
References
7
External links
Setting[edit]
Main article: Warhammer Fantasy (setting)
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay shares the same Germanic, doom-laden background as th
e Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB) wargame from which it originates. Since it is a
game devoted to individual characters rather than to entire armies, WFRP depict
s the setting in much closer detail than its wargame counterpart. This change of
focus also transforms WFRP into a more grim and perilous game than WFB.
The primary setting of WFRP is the Empire, a region of the Old World based loose

ly on the Holy Roman Empire, with a number of baronies, counties and dukedoms fa
shioned after the fiefs of elector counts and dukes. Other prominent regions inc
lude Bretonnia, based on medieval France with strong Arthurian mythology themes;
Kislev, based on medieval Poland and Imperial Russia; and the Wasteland, whose
sole city of Marienburg is based on the Low Countries. Other lands not explored
as thoroughly but still frequently mentioned include the fragmented lands of Est
alia and Tilea, fashioned after Spain and the city-states of Renaissance Italy r
espectively, and Araby, a mixture of Arabic Caliphate and Persia. Other lands wi
th real-life analogies include Cathay (China), Ind (India), Naggaroth (northern
North America), Ulthuan (Atlantis), Lustria (Mesoamerica), Norsca (Scandinavia)
and the island of Albion (British Isles); however, very little official informat
ion has been released for these locales.
While the setting of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay shares traits, such as the exist
ence of elves and goblins, with other popular fantasy settings, it is chronologi
cally set slightly later than that of many fantasy games
close to the early Rena
issance era in terms of technology and society. Firearms are readily available,
though expensive and unreliable, and a growing mercantile middle class challenge
s the supremacy of the nobility.
One of the most identifiable features of the Warhammer setting is Chaos. While t
he forces of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy Battle are depicted primarily in the for
m of marauding dark knights and beastmen, Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is
an insidious force gnawing at the fabric of society. Secret cults abound among
all strata of society, seeking to overthrow the social order or to further their
own power. Mutants lurk in the forests outside the great cities, while the Skav
en (a race of rats) tunnel beneath them.
Magic is widely feared and reviled, and not without reason. Magic is derived fro
m and thus corrupted by
Chaos, and its practitioners tread a fine line between d
eath or corruption and relative safety.
System[edit]
Combat in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay descends from the system used for large-sca
le miniature combat, making it substantially more deadly than the combat feature
d in many other systems. Most human-level creatures and characters can absorb on
ly one or two hits without receiving a serious injury, a "Critical Hit" that may
instantly kill, cripple, or permanently maim a character. There are no regenera
tion or resurrection powers in WFRP and limited healing options. "Fate Points",
which represent a character's fate or destiny, provide a limited number of oppor
tunities to avoid crippling or killing results.
Careers[edit]
A central feature of all published editions of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is the
career system. Characters advance by entering a series of careers that provide
access to a series of new or improved skills and bonuses to attributes (called "
advances"). The selection of careers available to characters reflects the late m
edieval/early Renaissance setting of the Old World. Basic careers might be fille
d by any individual with a modest amount of training or instruction. Advanced ca
reers require greater preparation and training, and, particularly in later editi
ons, tend to be more appropriate to the lifestyle of an active adventurer. The c
areer system gives an idea of what a character might have been doing either befo
re embarking on a career as an adventurer (working as a baker, night watchman, r
at catcher, or farmer) or as an ongoing occupation during and between adventures
(thief, ranger, wizard's apprentice, druid), as well as how the character has c
hanged and developed through their career (becoming a mercenary, explorer, or sh
ip's captain).
First Edition[edit]
The set of numbers describing a character's abilities in first edition Warhammer

Fantasy Roleplay is closely based on early versions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle

. The same basic array of characteristics (Weapon Skill, Strength, Initiative, a
nd more) is employed for both games, although some traits rated 1 10 in WFB are ra
ted 1 100 in WFRP to give more detail and differentiation between characters than
is required in a wargame.
Second Edition[edit]
The second edition hews closely to the first in most cases. In second edition, a
ll primary attributes are ranked 1 100, but the tens digit of these values still c
orresponds to WFB's traits' values. Attributes are tested using percentile dice,
with penalties or bonuses applied to the roll or the target value according to
various favorable and unfavorable circumstances.
One departure from first edition regards magic. Magical abilities (called 'spell
s') mainly affect individuals rather than battlefield units as in first edition.
Characters no longer have 'magic points' - instead use of magic is controlled b
y a (small) risk of manifestations of Chaos that risk branding the character as
a witch. Each school of magic now features its own signature spells, giving diff
erent abilities and strengths to the various spellcasters.
Third Edition[edit]
Fantasy Flight Games implemented a completely new set of rules for third edition
, which uses dice pools rather than the percentile system of previous editions.
The seven types of dice are unique to the game and only available from Fantasy F
light. The new system comes with several tokens and counters, though FFG subsequ
ently made the rulebooks available separately.
A new mechanic focuses on party cohesion. There are multiple "Party Sheets" incl
uded in the core set and supplements. At the beginning of each new game, the pla
yers decide which party sheet they would like to use for their characters. These
party sheets allow characters to share a talent (an ability or power that a cha
racter possesses) with the party, so that anyone in the party can use it. In add
ition to sharing talents, the party sheet provides a specific bonus ability that
the party can use and certain negative effects that the party may suffer.
History[edit]
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay was first published in 1986 by Games Workshop. The pr
oduct was intended as an adjunct to the Warhammer Fantasy Battle tabletop game.
A number of early publications such as the popular Realm of Chaos titles
include
d material for both WFRP and WFB, and a conversion system was published with the
WFRP rules. Following the publication of The Enemy Within and a small number of
additional supplements (including a character pack, GM screen, and the aforemen
tioned Realm of Chaos books), Games Workshop made the decision to refocus its bu
siness. It had found that the miniatures business was much more profitable than
pure publishing; WFRP sold very few miniatures, and adding WFRP material to WFB
and Warhammer 40,000 supplements had done little to boost the sales of those pro
ducts.[citation needed]
Publication of WFRP material was turned over to Flame Publications, a spun off d
ivision of Games Workshop focused exclusively on roleplaying, in 1989. Flame pub
lished a new series of adventures
the Doomstones Campaign, adapted from a set of
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons modules written by a freelancer and published the
first issue of what was intended to become a monthly or quarterly publication,
Warhammer Companion. In 1992, following financial problems, Flame ceased operati
ons.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay remained in limbo for several years. A reported deal
with Steve Jackson Games to buy the WFRP license fell through.[citation needed]
Fan websites continued to publish new material and adaptations of Warhammer Fant
asy Battle materials, but no new official material appeared for several years.

Nexus Editrice, one of the main RPG publishers in Italy, asked for a license fro
m Games Workshop. The game was out of print in English, but Nexus acquired the l
icense and made a new edition
editing the text and including new artwork by reno
wned artists such as Paolo Parente. The game was released in Spring 1994 and won
the Best of Show prize at the Lucca Games show, the main game fair in Italy.[2]
It had several reprints, both hardback and paperback, and it was followed by th
e translation of the Enemy Within campaign, a Warhammer Compendium, a Warhammer
collection of 28 issues in Italian newspaper kiosks with stories, an Encyclopaed
ia Albionica about the world of Warhammer and a Warhammer Adventures original bo
ard game. This success helped bring new licenses soon after, including German an
d Czech ones, which used Nexus's layout and artwork.
In 1995, British publishing house Hogshead Publishing received a license to publ
ish new and reprinted WFRP material. Hogshead published a revised edition of the
main WFRP rulebook, as well as reprints of the Enemy Within campaign. New suppl
ements also appeared, including the Realms of Sorcery magic supplement and a num
ber of new adventures. Hogshead was subject to a number of restrictions in its r
ights regarding the WFRP license; Games Workshop retained extensive editorial co
ntrol over the line, wanting to ensure that new WFRP material did not contradict
the tone and details of the Warhammer Fantasy Battle line. In 1996, Games Works
hop released Warhammer Quest, a game related to Advanced Heroquest, which they h
ad co-produced with Milton Bradley. In addition to its basic ruleset, Warhammer
Quest had a 192-page advanced rule set that included role-playing material, whic
h was further expanded in White Dwarf for the next two years.
In 2002, Hogshead owner James Wallis sold his business and returned the WFRP lic
ense to Games Workshop, leaving the future of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in doub
t. Several Hogshead projects were abandoned, including a Skaven supplement and a
complete rewrite of the final episode of the Enemy Within campaign.
In 2004, Games Workshop announced that the WFRP line would once again be publish
ed. Black Industries, a newly created division of GW's Black Library publishing
arm, would oversee the publishing and distribution of a new second edition of Wa
rhammer Fantasy Roleplay, designed by Green Ronin Publishing. The new edition us
es the same basic system released in 1986, but revises and updates a number of f
eatures of the system replacing the magic system, for instance. The new WFRP als
o brought the Old World setting of WFRP up to date with the developments in back
ground story that had taken place in the Warhammer tabletop game since first edi
tion by setting the events of the game after the Storm of Chaos. The new ruleboo
k appeared in March 2005, and was soon accompanied by an aggressively-published
slate of supplements and sourcebooks, including a new epic campaign (the Paths o
f the Damned series); monster, equipment and setting supplements; and a number o
f stand-alone adventures. Editions of the game have also appeared in German, Fre
nch, Polish, Italian, Spanish, and a Japanese edition was slated for 2007.[citat
ion needed]
Black Industries announced on January 28, 2008 that it would be exiting the role
playing game market.[3] The Thousand Thrones Campaign was their final WFRP publi
cation.
On February 22, 2008, Fantasy Flight Games announced that it had acquired the ex
clusive rights to publish board games, card games and role-playing games based o
n Games Workshop properties, including Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.[1] The Career
Compendium and Shades of Empire were FFG's only publications for second edition
before it announced it would release a new edition of the Warhammer Fantasy Rol
eplay game. As of 2009, the game is packaged as a single box at around $99.
On 12 August 2014, Fantasy Flight Games announced that the third-edition product
line was "complete" and that no further products would be released for this edi

tion.[4]
Awards[edit]
At the 2005 Annual Gen Con EN World RPG Awards, the second edition's core rulebo
ok, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, won Gold in the Best Production Values and Best
Game categories. Old World Bestiary, the second edition's primary adversary publ
ication, also won Gold in the Best Adversary / Monster Product category.[5]
See also[edit]
Bibliography of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay publications
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/PDF/pr-2008-GamesWorkshop-Sa
bertooth.pdf Fantasy Flight Games/Black Industries press release
Jump up ^ Best of Show Awards, Lucca Comics & Games
Jump up ^ "Black Industries News Archives". www.blackindustries.com. Black Indus
tries. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
Jump up ^ "Download the Final Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay FAQ and Errata". www.fa
ntasyflightgames.com. Fantasy Flight Games. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-13.
Jump up ^ "2005 ENnie Awards Archives". www.enworld.org. EN World. Retrieved 200
7-01-23.
External links[edit]
Fantasy Flight Games WFRP Site
the official website and forum
[show] v t e
Warhammer Fantasy
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Games Workshop
Categories: British role-playing gamesDark fantasy role-playing gamesFantasy Fli
ght Games gamesGreen Ronin Publishing gamesWarhammer Fantasy Roleplay