The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion Review
There’s only one way in which Green Ronin and Black Industries could have improved on The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion: they could have used a different title. You see, if the title of the book had been “The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2006 Annual,” then there’s a very good chance that by this time I would have three of these books to enjoy. As it is, I’m stuck with just a single volume.
(Actually, there is a second way in which the book could have been improved: hardcover. It’s disappointing that the line started off as a series of hardcovers and then switched over to softcovers; I would have happily paid more to have every release in the line in hardcover. But I’m willing to admit that I’m not the average consumer, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, and that the change must have been made for financial reasons and not just to frustrate me. Still, hardcover would have been nice.)
Subtitled “A Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Miscellany,” this 128-page B&W book is a grab bag of articles by several of different authors. A total of 13 chapters, plus an overview of the world of Warhammer, provides GMs and players with information on subjects ranging from carnivals to star signs to a selection of new monsters. It’s this “grab bag” nature of the product that makes me love it so much; pretend this is the annual collection for a nonexistent Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay magazine and you’ll immediately understand why I want more.
Chapter by Chapter
Chapter 1: Freaks, Thieves and Travelling Folk, by Andrew Peregrine. In this 8-page chapter, author Andrew Peregrine immediately sets the tone for the book, letting us know that no topic is too bizarre for The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion. Addressing the people behind carnivals, as well as attractions, this chapter does an excellent job of blending the idea of real world carnivals with the Warhammer setting. “The only thing any two groups have in common is that they are equal parts truth and fraud. The fortune-teller just tells you what she thinks you want to hear, and the freaks are just normal people under clever makeup. But maybe the seer really does know the future, it’s just not profitable to tell it, and the carnival’s roustabouts all have mutations, just not the kind that draws crowds.” Think of it as a melding of The Lord of the Rings and HBO’s Carnivale. The chapter closes with descriptions of four specific carnivals.
Chapter 2: Life and Death on the Reik, by Andrew Law. 9-pages on the most important river in the Empire, this chapter covers those who use the river (for both legal and illegal purposes) and presents for new careers (three basic and one advanced), all related to the river. The “Death in the Reik” part of the chapter covers hazards of the river: Swimming in its fast-flowing currents is difficult and those who survive run the risk of catching a foul disease. A good chapter, but not one of my favorites in the book.
Chapter 3: Advanced Trade and Commerce, by Jude Hornborg and Dan White. In my review of the Old World Armoury I suggested that those players with a deep interest in economics in their games should take a look at this chapter. Well, I wasn’t kidding. This 17-page chapter is broken down into eight subsections which cover:
While there’s not enough here to write a detailed article on real world trade in ancient times, there’s plenty here (when combined with the information in the Old World Armoury) for a GM to take a serious stab at running a mercantile campaign. While not exactly the sort of thing I would ever seriously consider, I do appreciate the effort put into the chapter and consider it to be one of the highlights of an already fantastic book.
Chapter 4: Star Signs and Their Meanings, by Kevin Hamilton and Robert J. Schwalb. In the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rulebook, on p. 25, there’s one short table that is titled “Star Sign.” A purely flavor element, designed to give characters some individuality, Star Signs were a “take it or leave it” aspect of character creation . . . until now. In this 7-page chapter, each of the 20 different entries in the table are expanded from one line to several descriptive paragraphs including information on “Drinks in a Tavern” - what the character is like when he’s out for a drink with the boys - “Horrible Encounter” - what the character might do when he runs into a mutant - and “Secret Mutation” - how a character might react if he winds up with a mutation. For example, under the Gnuthus the Ox description, the Secret Mutation text reads: “The Ox character considers the yellow pustules that throb on the surface of her flesh. They itch like mad, but they don’t hurt her. She supposes she can live with them . . . So long as they don’t burst.”
This chapter is an excellent example of why I’m frequently tempted to call this book my favorite release in the line and why I wish there were more “Companions” for the game. It’s completely unnecessary, adds nothing of significant value to a campaign, but it’s cool and fun and can help both players with roleplaying their characters and GMs with giving personalities to NPCs (just roll for the Star Sign of an NPC and go with it).
Chapter 5: Medicine in the Empire, by Steve Darlington. Though it is not exactly “my sort of thing,” Darlington deserves praise for this detailed, well-written 8-page chapter covering the history of medicine in the Empire as well as rules for visiting a doctor (including costs and descriptions of what to expect based on the quality of the doctor), treating wounds, specific types of treatments (including the always popular “bleeding”), and a sample doctor. A list of references at the end directs readers to - no doubt - more detailed information on medicine. (The listed website, though, is no longer available.)
Chapter 6: Social Conflict and Advanced Criminal Trials, by Jude Hornborg. I must admit that I have not read this 10-page chapter, primarily because it includes many tables and the subject matter doesn’t interest me. For those of you who are curious as to the contents of this chapter, the section opens with: “This chapter contains options for adventurers who survive by wits and words over sweat and steel.” I know that’s not exactly as useful as if I had bothered to read the chapter and then wrote out my thoughts but, for now, it’s the best I can do for you.
Chapter 7: Sartosa, City of Pirates, by Eric Cagle. Now this chapter I had no difficulty “getting into.” Detailing a pirate city (as you could no doubt already tell by the chapter’s title), this 7-page chapter describes the people of the city and its geographical specifications (it should come as no surprise that the city is on an island) and closes with a brief list of adventure seeds. While the chapter does not include a map of the city - which is unfortunate but survivable - Cagle does a good enough job of describing the city (as well as a handful of specific streets and locations) that GMs should have little difficulty in dropping the players into Sartosa.
Chapter 8: Tobaro, City of Sirens, City of Fools, by Andrew Kenrick. A second city description, this one in another isolated location, Kenrick does a lot in 8-pages, giving an account of the city’s history, an overview of the major locations, and even dropping in a new career - the Deepwatcher, a tunnel-dwelling adventurer on the. Hunt for Skaven (the city was once invaded by the Skaven and now they’re very careful to kill all rats and rat-like things before anything terrible happens).
Chapter 9: The Cult of Illumination, by Brian Clements. Where would a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign be without an evil cult to disrupt the players’ happy time? As with all cults, these evil-doers: “The Cult works for clear purposes: power, money, and fame.” The fact that they use the arts to mask their operations helps to make the organization more interesting, but overall I didn’t enjoy this chapter as much as I thought I would after reading the chapter’s opening paragraph.
Chapter 10: Pub Crawling, by Jody Macgregor. Where the Game Master’s Toolkit ( reviewed here) used 3-pages for a table of 20 different “Inns of the Empire,” each one of which was described in one paragraph, this chapter takes 6-page to detail four different inns and taverns, each one with game statistics for the major players and enough information for the GM to drop the location right into his game - the only element missing that would have made this chapter perfect are the maps for each location. The four locations are:
Chapter 11: Bring Up the Guns! The Imperial Gunnery School of Nuln, by Bill Bodden. If you’re looking for detailed information on a very specialized school, including descriptions of a handful of people found at the school and an overview of daily activities at the school, then you’re in luck because this chapter has got all of that and more. This chapter’s 7-pages go into a little more detail than I’m interested in - I would have rather seen a page or two ripped out of this section and given to Chapter 10, so that there could have been a few more specific pubs described - but it’s well written and even includes a new career, so it’s an appropriate length for what it covers.
Chapter 12: Gugnir’s Blackpowder Shop, by Eric Cagle. This 4-page chapter describes the shop - complete with a keyed map - as well as its owner and his assistants (including game statistics). A short selection of adventure seeds helps the GM incorporate the location into his campaign. It’s an interesting place, but good for only one use.
Chapter 13: Perilous Beasts, by Andrew Law and Jody Macgregor. Following the format established in the Old World Bestiary ( reviewed here), this 17-page chapter describes 16 different creatures, including sea creatures, plant creatures, and the necromantic monstrosities known as Patchwork Men. As in the Old World Bestiary, this chapter is divided into two sections - one that presents only flavor and one that gives the necessary game statistics - so if you’re at all familiar with the Old World Bestiary then you know what to expect from this chapter. One flaw, in my opinion, is that fact that while the monsters in this chapter use the “Slaughter Margin,” the rule is not explained. Anyone attempting to use this supplement with only the core rulebook may be slightly confused; if you’re one of those poor souls, feel safe in ignoring the Slaughter Margin entry for each monster.
Closing the Book
So there it is, 13 chapters of fun devoted to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Combine the eclectic mix of well-written, (mostly) fun articles with the (expected) high quality of the art and presentation and you end up with a great book that leaves the reader (me, at least, and maybe you) wanting more. If I was forced to rank this book I’d be hard pressed to find a book that I like more in the line and, at the very least, I would place this in the top 5 books in the line.
The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion is one book that I have no reservations in recommending to GMs and would even go so far as to say that if you only have the money for a single supplement to the corebook then this is the one to grab.
(Actually, there is a second way in which the book could have been improved: hardcover. It’s disappointing that the line started off as a series of hardcovers and then switched over to softcovers; I would have happily paid more to have every release in the line in hardcover. But I’m willing to admit that I’m not the average consumer, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, and that the change must have been made for financial reasons and not just to frustrate me. Still, hardcover would have been nice.)
Subtitled “A Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Miscellany,” this 128-page B&W book is a grab bag of articles by several of different authors. A total of 13 chapters, plus an overview of the world of Warhammer, provides GMs and players with information on subjects ranging from carnivals to star signs to a selection of new monsters. It’s this “grab bag” nature of the product that makes me love it so much; pretend this is the annual collection for a nonexistent Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay magazine and you’ll immediately understand why I want more.
Chapter by Chapter
Chapter 1: Freaks, Thieves and Travelling Folk, by Andrew Peregrine. In this 8-page chapter, author Andrew Peregrine immediately sets the tone for the book, letting us know that no topic is too bizarre for The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion. Addressing the people behind carnivals, as well as attractions, this chapter does an excellent job of blending the idea of real world carnivals with the Warhammer setting. “The only thing any two groups have in common is that they are equal parts truth and fraud. The fortune-teller just tells you what she thinks you want to hear, and the freaks are just normal people under clever makeup. But maybe the seer really does know the future, it’s just not profitable to tell it, and the carnival’s roustabouts all have mutations, just not the kind that draws crowds.” Think of it as a melding of The Lord of the Rings and HBO’s Carnivale. The chapter closes with descriptions of four specific carnivals.
Chapter 2: Life and Death on the Reik, by Andrew Law. 9-pages on the most important river in the Empire, this chapter covers those who use the river (for both legal and illegal purposes) and presents for new careers (three basic and one advanced), all related to the river. The “Death in the Reik” part of the chapter covers hazards of the river: Swimming in its fast-flowing currents is difficult and those who survive run the risk of catching a foul disease. A good chapter, but not one of my favorites in the book.
Chapter 3: Advanced Trade and Commerce, by Jude Hornborg and Dan White. In my review of the Old World Armoury I suggested that those players with a deep interest in economics in their games should take a look at this chapter. Well, I wasn’t kidding. This 17-page chapter is broken down into eight subsections which cover:
- The Merchants’ Guild: Described as “one of the most identifiable and enduring institutions of the Empire” this subsection tells you everything that you need to join the guild and take part in guild politics.
- Other Institutions: As in, organizations other than the guild. A very short section, this provides basic information - but no specifics - on trading companies, agents and brokers, and money lenders (though the information on money lenders is barely any longer than that found in Blood on the Reik).
- Religion and Magic: This page provides information on gods worshipped by merchants, and a single secret society.
- Trade Zones of the Empire: Two pages, including a map, shows the trade routes across the Empire, though one problem is that the text refers to colored routes when the entire book is printed in B&W. A minor - but annoying - mistake that renders the information almost useless (as long as you can identify the waterways on the map then you’ll be fine). Hopefully, Fantasy Flight will post a color version of this map to their website.
- Trading Rules: If you’re going to run a campaign centered on trading then you’re going to need rules, and this section is heavy on rules for supply, demand, market conditions, haggling, bartering, and the hazards of trading (including what happens when the players fail to find a buyer).
- Mercantile Trade Goods: A listing, including value and availability, of goods that are commonly traded. Includes several tables that take broad categories - such as Exotics - and breaks them down into specific goods - chillies, tea, coffee, tobacco, saffron, and paprika, in the case of the exotics category.
- Smuggling and Tax Evasion: Suggestions and rules for breaking the law (and keeping more coin in your pocket).
- Local Trade: A single page of information for those who wish to run a small scale operation.
While there’s not enough here to write a detailed article on real world trade in ancient times, there’s plenty here (when combined with the information in the Old World Armoury) for a GM to take a serious stab at running a mercantile campaign. While not exactly the sort of thing I would ever seriously consider, I do appreciate the effort put into the chapter and consider it to be one of the highlights of an already fantastic book.
Chapter 4: Star Signs and Their Meanings, by Kevin Hamilton and Robert J. Schwalb. In the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rulebook, on p. 25, there’s one short table that is titled “Star Sign.” A purely flavor element, designed to give characters some individuality, Star Signs were a “take it or leave it” aspect of character creation . . . until now. In this 7-page chapter, each of the 20 different entries in the table are expanded from one line to several descriptive paragraphs including information on “Drinks in a Tavern” - what the character is like when he’s out for a drink with the boys - “Horrible Encounter” - what the character might do when he runs into a mutant - and “Secret Mutation” - how a character might react if he winds up with a mutation. For example, under the Gnuthus the Ox description, the Secret Mutation text reads: “The Ox character considers the yellow pustules that throb on the surface of her flesh. They itch like mad, but they don’t hurt her. She supposes she can live with them . . . So long as they don’t burst.”
This chapter is an excellent example of why I’m frequently tempted to call this book my favorite release in the line and why I wish there were more “Companions” for the game. It’s completely unnecessary, adds nothing of significant value to a campaign, but it’s cool and fun and can help both players with roleplaying their characters and GMs with giving personalities to NPCs (just roll for the Star Sign of an NPC and go with it).
Chapter 5: Medicine in the Empire, by Steve Darlington. Though it is not exactly “my sort of thing,” Darlington deserves praise for this detailed, well-written 8-page chapter covering the history of medicine in the Empire as well as rules for visiting a doctor (including costs and descriptions of what to expect based on the quality of the doctor), treating wounds, specific types of treatments (including the always popular “bleeding”), and a sample doctor. A list of references at the end directs readers to - no doubt - more detailed information on medicine. (The listed website, though, is no longer available.)
Chapter 6: Social Conflict and Advanced Criminal Trials, by Jude Hornborg. I must admit that I have not read this 10-page chapter, primarily because it includes many tables and the subject matter doesn’t interest me. For those of you who are curious as to the contents of this chapter, the section opens with: “This chapter contains options for adventurers who survive by wits and words over sweat and steel.” I know that’s not exactly as useful as if I had bothered to read the chapter and then wrote out my thoughts but, for now, it’s the best I can do for you.
Chapter 7: Sartosa, City of Pirates, by Eric Cagle. Now this chapter I had no difficulty “getting into.” Detailing a pirate city (as you could no doubt already tell by the chapter’s title), this 7-page chapter describes the people of the city and its geographical specifications (it should come as no surprise that the city is on an island) and closes with a brief list of adventure seeds. While the chapter does not include a map of the city - which is unfortunate but survivable - Cagle does a good enough job of describing the city (as well as a handful of specific streets and locations) that GMs should have little difficulty in dropping the players into Sartosa.
Chapter 8: Tobaro, City of Sirens, City of Fools, by Andrew Kenrick. A second city description, this one in another isolated location, Kenrick does a lot in 8-pages, giving an account of the city’s history, an overview of the major locations, and even dropping in a new career - the Deepwatcher, a tunnel-dwelling adventurer on the. Hunt for Skaven (the city was once invaded by the Skaven and now they’re very careful to kill all rats and rat-like things before anything terrible happens).
Chapter 9: The Cult of Illumination, by Brian Clements. Where would a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign be without an evil cult to disrupt the players’ happy time? As with all cults, these evil-doers: “The Cult works for clear purposes: power, money, and fame.” The fact that they use the arts to mask their operations helps to make the organization more interesting, but overall I didn’t enjoy this chapter as much as I thought I would after reading the chapter’s opening paragraph.
Chapter 10: Pub Crawling, by Jody Macgregor. Where the Game Master’s Toolkit ( reviewed here) used 3-pages for a table of 20 different “Inns of the Empire,” each one of which was described in one paragraph, this chapter takes 6-page to detail four different inns and taverns, each one with game statistics for the major players and enough information for the GM to drop the location right into his game - the only element missing that would have made this chapter perfect are the maps for each location. The four locations are:
- The Arena Inn. Once a fighting pit, now a tavern, this location could be used as the scene for a fight when disgruntled ex-pit fighters (they’re upset that they lost their arena) decide to cause some trouble for Hargin, the owner of the place.
- The Crow and Cat. A secret gambling pub, you’ve got to know the secret sign to gain admittance to the gambling hall, this location can be used when the player characters have a little too much coin on hand. Brother Rueban, the tavern’s operator, is an ex-gambler who “found religion” when he prayed to Ranald (the “God of Tricksters,” described on p. 177 of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rulebook) and won.
- The Cock and Bucket. A Halfling-run inn, where the player characters can take part in a friendly game of “Ringing the Cockatrice” - the game’s rules are described, this is a place the player characters can go for information.
- The Flying Bat. The last location described, The Flying Bat is a “flying inn” - a location that moves from week to week - and its constantly-changing position means that only “those in the know” ever enter its doors. If you’re looking to buy questionable concoctions, The Flying Bat is the place to go.
Chapter 11: Bring Up the Guns! The Imperial Gunnery School of Nuln, by Bill Bodden. If you’re looking for detailed information on a very specialized school, including descriptions of a handful of people found at the school and an overview of daily activities at the school, then you’re in luck because this chapter has got all of that and more. This chapter’s 7-pages go into a little more detail than I’m interested in - I would have rather seen a page or two ripped out of this section and given to Chapter 10, so that there could have been a few more specific pubs described - but it’s well written and even includes a new career, so it’s an appropriate length for what it covers.
Chapter 12: Gugnir’s Blackpowder Shop, by Eric Cagle. This 4-page chapter describes the shop - complete with a keyed map - as well as its owner and his assistants (including game statistics). A short selection of adventure seeds helps the GM incorporate the location into his campaign. It’s an interesting place, but good for only one use.
Chapter 13: Perilous Beasts, by Andrew Law and Jody Macgregor. Following the format established in the Old World Bestiary ( reviewed here), this 17-page chapter describes 16 different creatures, including sea creatures, plant creatures, and the necromantic monstrosities known as Patchwork Men. As in the Old World Bestiary, this chapter is divided into two sections - one that presents only flavor and one that gives the necessary game statistics - so if you’re at all familiar with the Old World Bestiary then you know what to expect from this chapter. One flaw, in my opinion, is that fact that while the monsters in this chapter use the “Slaughter Margin,” the rule is not explained. Anyone attempting to use this supplement with only the core rulebook may be slightly confused; if you’re one of those poor souls, feel safe in ignoring the Slaughter Margin entry for each monster.
Closing the Book
So there it is, 13 chapters of fun devoted to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Combine the eclectic mix of well-written, (mostly) fun articles with the (expected) high quality of the art and presentation and you end up with a great book that leaves the reader (me, at least, and maybe you) wanting more. If I was forced to rank this book I’d be hard pressed to find a book that I like more in the line and, at the very least, I would place this in the top 5 books in the line.
The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion is one book that I have no reservations in recommending to GMs and would even go so far as to say that if you only have the money for a single supplement to the corebook then this is the one to grab.