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Full disclosure: This product was sent to us by Cubicle 7 for an honest and objective review. No promises were made of financial remuneration, free gifts or holidays in the sunny Bahamas…….sadly.
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I’ve been a fan of Warhammer fantasy literature for many, many years devouring the likes of Gotrek & Felix, Age of Sigmar, The Adventures of Florin & Lorenzo and my particular passion, The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade. Not only that, but I have now my ’lair of the nerd’ room at the top of my house (‘its for privacy and peace’ as my wife refers to it…… though I tend to think it’s more a case of her being able to hide away out of plain sight her husband’s embarrassment of geeky pastimes). In this sanctuary is my Warhammer fantasy figures work station where I’m currently (and very slowly) assembling and painting a fortified manor.
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So when the good people at Cubicle 7 kindly confirmed that they would send our eager way a mouth-watering selection of Warhammer and other assorted pdf goodies, well, to say our reaction was ‘ecstatic’ would be something of an understatement. That doesn’t mean however that this review of the game will be a run of the mill flowery review in how this collection may well not only be the future of all RPG formats, but may also exterminate COVID and solve the current military escalation in the Ukraine. No, it will be an honest and balanced review – after all, my already overworked 5D Pop Culture legal team have enough on their hands after my nuanced assertion that NFT’s, crypto currency and digital blockchains (they may be all the same thing, I have no idea!) are nothing more than an ‘Emperors new cloths’ con for the gullible masses. And as for what I said about that Musk guy……..
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This led to the first problem – just where to begin first from this delicious bundle?
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound Starter set
Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory (Revised Edition)
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Starter Set (4th Edition)
Warhammer Core Rule Book (4th Edition)
Doctor Who: The Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)
So in the time-honoured tradition that’s served me (relatively) well for most of my life I simply closed my eyes, picked something at random and esentially hoped for the best.
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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) takes you back to the Old World. Get the gang together, create your (anti) heroes, and set off to make your way through the vile corruption, scheming plotters and terrifying creatures intent on destruction. Prepare yourself for the struggle of the gutter, to fight for your survival, and to face corruption on all sides. Prepare yourself for danger, as lethal threats are everywhere, and you can’t face them alone. And, most of all, prepare yourself for the grim and perilous adventure of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay!
The fourth edition of the original dark fantasy roleplaying game, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay takes you back to the world where Chaos never sleeps. Drawing inspiration from the legendary early publications of the grimdark RPG, WFRP brings innovative twists to build on the beloved classic.
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The Setting
“The Empire of Karl Franz stretches from the Sea of Claws in the north to the Black Mountains in the south, and beyond that perilous range, the wild and untamed lands of the Border Princes. It is a beacon of civilisation in an untamed world. Sigmar, its founder, is now a god, his influence still shepherding his chosen peoples. From mighty Altdorf, all are fairly ruled, from the poorest citizen to the most luminous noble, each a proud heir to Sigmar’s glorious destiny.
That, at least, is what the child and the sycophant claim. The truth of life in the Empire is rarely glorious, often short, and never without peril. If you wish to climb out of the gutter, you better have the coin to pay for the privilege, or failing that, a blade to cut your way free. The Empire itself is a fractious mess, a handful of Great Provinces vying for power and always with a keen eye toward snatching any advantage from a neighbour. The nobility are witless hedonists, or scheming misanthropes, heedless of the suffering left in their wake.
This cankerous state cannot go on, and indeed revolutionaries whisper of a better world. Some preach that ancient and terrible gods, the ruinous powers of Chaos, offer the only hope of change. They whisper sweet succour and velvet promises, embracing the witch, the mutant, and the heretic. Their secret plots and unseen deeds suffuse the Old World, and patiently they await that prophesied day when they will arise from their secret places and throw down the works of Man, and Elf, and Dwarf, to usher in a terrible age of Chaos.
From this tangle of political machinations, hidden cults, and foul ambition, a scant handful dare to hope for something more. Ordinary folk who refuse to accept their lot in life, who dare to hope for a better life. Whether by sword or by flame, by hidden betrayal or by tremulous sin, they mean to claim it. Most will perish, and a few will wish they had. The rest? Well…
There are no heroes here — only those with the mettle to survive and prosper. How will you fare in the Grim and Perilous Fantasy world of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay !”
Well if that doesn’t get your fantasy blood pumping then nothing will…..
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The Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Starter Set
Cubicle 7 promised that the WFRP Starter Set contains everything needed to bring the grim and perilous world of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay to life. Whether roleplaying for the first time or preparing for your next epic campaign, this box is for you, they boldly promise..
And do you know what? They may well be onto something here…. There are in excess of a hundred pages of adventures, rules, and setting, as well as maps, handouts, Advantage tokens, rules references, ready-made Characters, a simple GM Screen, and more. It does seem that the boxed set is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in WFRP.
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THE ADVENTURE BOOK
The Adventure Book invites players of all experience levels into the rich, roleplaying playground of Ubersreik. For beginners, the starter adventure, Making the Rounds, introduces the harsh realities of life in the troubled fortress-town and takes you step-by-step through the rules. For more experienced hands, there are 10 scenarios aimed to expand your WFRP games, offering new locations, new characters, and new horrors to uncover. Coming in at 40 pages, The Adventure Book is the ideal launching point for any new campaign, and can keep your WFRP group busy for several months.
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The writers explicitly state that easiest way to learn any game is to play it – and I couldn’t agree more. make the introduction to any RPG world as easy as possible I say. This book guides you through your first game of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP), explaining what to do at every step.
The first adventure in this book, Making the Rounds, contains everything you need to know to make your game as fun for everyone as it can be. Not only does it take you step-by-step through what you need to do, it also presents all of the rules in easily understood segments. But this isn’t just a Starter Set for beginners to WFRP.This book also offers ten extra, quick scenarios for more experienced WFRP players to use as they see fit.
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There may be some players, both experienced and inexperienced, who may be disappointed that the starter set doesn’t present you with a comprehensive set of rules. As mentioned, the expectation is that you dive straight on in with the adventure which starts during one of Ubersriek’s major market day festivals. Essentially one learns the mechanics via a combination of tests and simple scenarios while exploring the market and then get to expand their expertise as things inevitably get more complex.
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I know that many RPG aficionado’s enjoy creating and crafting their own characters – believe me I’m no exception. In fact I have been known to simply do no more some weeks than just sit with a pile of blank D&D character sheets and while away the hours designing character after a character (often a variation on a Drow. I like Drows. Hence my aformentioned obsession with a certain Chronicles of Malus Darkblade. It’s an obsession alright, completing Drow character sheets complete with an elaborately detailed back story.
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In the case of the starter kit here, eight pre-generated character sheets are included as a nice way of an immediate and uncomplicated taste of this new experience, something particularly helpful for newbies to the genre. Of course, accessing the Core Rule Book if and when you get a copy will offer the chance of obsessive individuals like myself to immerse oneself in creating endlessly ever more personalised Warhammer fantasy characters to our hearts content.
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So while I like this approach of simply moving along with just playing, I would have also preferred the option of also having access to more detailed and layered reference sources for rules as one becomes more proficient at gameplay. In terms of , character creation this facility is just as important.. That the Adventure book doesn’t include an index creates a further frustration.
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Overall It has to be said that the adventure book is a beautifully crafted collection which includes absolutely everything that ordinary people (the players) and DM’s (the important people in charge, like me) need in order to get things started. The book is clearly and lovingly laid out in a fashion that is both informative and entertaining combing the fabulous artwork and written detail.
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The Guide to Ubersreik
” Ubersreik is one of the brightest jewels in the Reikland’s crown. The striking fortress-town’s magnificent bridge is both a spectacular feat of engineering, and an enduring symbol of our alliance with the dwarfs. it connects the threading roads, rivers, and canals to the vast tapestry of trade and commerce in which our empire is wrapped, forming an unrivalled mercantile centre. from a distance, Ubersreik may appear serene, but up close many signs reveal its tumultuous and violent history. sadly, this great fortress-town has suffered under the calamitous misrule of the Jungfreuds. for too long that
foul family has oppressed the people and stifled free trade, looking outwards with greedy eyes to helpless neighbours.
For centuries the good folk of Ubersreik have cried out in sorrow and desperation, praying for deliverance. Praise be to sigmar that his imperial majesty, emperor karl-franz i answered those prayers and liberated the beleaguered town, and now, under his firm, guiding hand, Ubersreik will rise once again!
Ubersreik’s streets run red with the blood of Reikland. Corpses of good, stout-hearted folk hang from the walls for no crime but obedience to their liege-lords. The Cult of Sigmar demands all honour their noble lords and masters, but the only reward for such loyalty in Ubersreik is a short drop and early passage to Morr’s Realm. None can understand why Altdorf State Soldiers arrived to remove Graf Sigismund von Jung freud from power.
The Emperor claimed the old graf was preparing for war with the Duchy of Wallenstein to the north, that he had marshalled soldiers by the thousand in secret and was ready to strike. But few believe such elaborate claims, for the graf was a fair, strong ruler and beloved of the people. So, nobles and commoners alike gossip like fish-wives from the halls of power to the cheapest tavern. What could cause the Emperor to do this?”
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The 64-page A Guide to Ubersreik highlights the bloody history and recent invasion of Ubersreik, examines more than 70 locations in the troubled town, details the surrounding fiefdoms, and introduces a wide array of antagonist cults at large in the area. In addition, each entry comes with two adventure hooks, meaning every location, character, and political pitfall the book presents has examples of how to use them on your games of WFRP.
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I found this a richly textured and enjoyable read which enabled me to immerse myself in the town’s bloody history and complex political intrigue that has permeated throughout. I could also envisage it providing a bank of plot & narrative inspirations for future adventure campaigns that any GM worth their salt wouldn’t hesitate to utilise. Once again, as with the adventure book, it is beautifully laid out in terms of text and art. Simply stunning.
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So, what’s the final verdict?
The WFRP Starter Set is, apart from a few aforementioned considerations, pretty much a flawless example in how to introduce new and past players into a game’s world. The level of thought, work and talent that has gone into this product is as high as any that I’ve recently come into contact with, with only Free League’s recent starter set for the updated ‘The One Ring’ coming as close for quality.
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The rules contained are easy to understand and are not simply a ‘copy and paste’ from the original core rule book – real effort has been taken by the creators of the set to gather new players under its wing and provide an authentic taste of what the game has to offer.
If the aim was to use the starter set to enthral, entice and envelope new players to the world of Ubersreik and the wider Warhammer fantasy universe, then in my case they have succeeded…… and you know what? It only took me years to find that out.
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All in all, the Starter Set is an excellent resource and well worth the cost. It is the perfect place to begin for those new to the game, providing a bounty of background material and information of the narrative and locations. Yes, some of the detail may be lacking in places, but this is no doubt intentional for this starting point for dipping ones toes into this incredible fantasy world. You may like me decide that the next step is to get the main rulebook – which thanks to the good people at Cubicle 7, is amongst the range of PDF goodies sent my eager way. But that’s a review for another time.
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About Cubicle 7
Dom (C7 Founder, CEO and game designer) is a passionate gamer. He loves all forms of games, but tabletop RPGs are his true love. He joined forces with others who shared his passion and started creating games in 2006. Now with an ever growing team of designers, writers, artists, and gamers, he is thrilled to be making the social, creative, and clever roleplaying games he loves — and you do too.
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Cubicle 7 is the multi award winning team behind Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound, Warhammer 40,000 Wrath and Glory revised edition, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition, Doctor Who: The Roleplaying Game Second Edition, The One Ring™ Roleplaying Game first edition, Adventures in Middle-earth™, The Lone Wolf Adventure Game™ and Victoriana™. And much much more to come.
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