WFRP: Johann Reizing

WFRP: Help wanted (20)

"Are you discrete? A writer or an artist? Have books, need someone capable of copying. No knowledge of languages required, but previous experience with ink and feather critical. Interested parties should ask for Herr Schmitt at the the Black Velvet tavern. Generous compensation."

- Something for those of the academic persuasion. Posted at the University Library.

Yeah, well, this one should make even the most trusting character feel unease. But the compensation is supposed to be generous, and a student of the humanities need to eat. Or drink, as it may well be. The text could be heretical, an insidious Slaanesh tome forbidden to read, or it could be a description of how to find the long lost tomb of a fallen hero, or tracts that are copied and passed out to incite riots.

Taking a cue for sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the job could also be a cover for something else, such as a way to guarantee the character's absence from home while chaos cultists use his abode for nefarious plotting. And also, "Herr Schmitt"? Any character taking a job from a mysterious "Herr Schmitt" needs to keep eyes and ears open for ill doings!

Go here to download the complete iAltdorf map!




/Magnus

WFRP: Charts and Tables (2)

A new table to roll for whenever you need a random city watch encounter! I will go from rolling a d10 to a d6, partly to make it easier for me to write the tables, but also to make the odds of running into the same Watchman in different situations higher. Therefore, some Watchmen in the Universität Bezirk have been transferred from the Niederhafen Bezirk, which means I will be updating that random table later.

Yeah, it's also because I'm lazy. So sue me!

City Watch in Universität Bezirk

If the characters call for the City Watch in the Universität Bezirk, roll a d6 and consult the following table.

1. Altdorf's shortest Watchman, Kleine Hermann, saunters up to the characters, nonchalantly chewing tobacco and gobbing at their feet. Half competent, but needs convincing to engage.

2. Gerke and Otto come running. Curt and effective Watchmen, they are loathe to take any action without first calling in reinforcements (roll another d6, reroll any result of 2).

3. First nothing happens. Then after some time, Uto, Urban and Viktor show up. They are three enthusiastic young Watchmen without any experience or useful skills. They are eager to help, but are more likely to make any situation worse with their efforts.

4. Gottwin, Horst and Holger marches up to the characters. They are dressed in perfect uniforms, their helmets are polished to a shine and they carry out their duties with military precision. If they have any fault it's the fact that they don't really listen to what people are telling them, unless the person in question is a higher ranked individual (professional or social rank).

5. Joshua and Maria turns up, filled with energy and anxiety. They are students at the University and work as Watchmen in their spare time to raise money for the education. Inexperienced but very, very smart. Probably too smart, since they tend to overthink even the smallest crime. Their wild theories are often entertaining, but seldom correct. 

Magnus

WFRP: Reckless dice

A few weeks go I sat down and figured that chatter about WFRP was at its lowest ever! Then, I really started looking at what was happening on the net and realised that I had to stop only going to the usual places looking for WFRP talk, I had to cast my net wider!

So I found Reckless Dice, which is chatter about the current edition of WFRP in podcast format. And there's a lot of chatter going on! The guys behind the podcast are up to the tenth installment (released two days ago) as well as having a play-by-play podcast of them playing Eye for an Eye, the introductory adventure found in the WFRP box and Game Master Guide.

I've now listened to the episodes I found (missing number one and two in iTunes for some reason). It is a lot of talk about rules and how to play, and interlaced with that are comments on the Old World and its denizens.

Well worth a listen!

/Magnus

WFRP: Best of the fans (9)

This spring the A to Z blogging challenge was brought to my attention. I could never ever in my imagination seeing myself contributing to posting one post every day, for a month. So I wrote it off.

Then Tim at Another Caffienated Day showed me how it's done! He stepped up to the plate, and delivered 26 blog posts, from A to Z, about WFRP.

A mighty deed, indeed. Impressive and invigorating. And absolutely worthy of a Best of the Fans mention!

But I have to beat an old drum of mine. Hearing from readers is one of the most fun parts of writing a blog, and if you drop by and read Tim's posts, drop him a "hello" and "well played, good chap" or what passses as a cheer in your part of the world.

For I would very much like him to continue blogging, even if it's not one post a day. So remember Another Caffienated Day when you think about what's the best among WFRP fans. 

/Magnus

WFRP: Cemetary Polka

In my mind, Altdorf is a mad place, a cacaphony of bizarre antics of depraved individuals with warped motivations set against the backdrop of a world insane. And on top of that people are stupid and greedy. And there is no one better to capture that than Tom Waits. An acquired taste, I guarantee you, but to me  nothing says WFRP in Altdorf in music more than the Cemetary Polka.

And now the lyrics, adapted to the Old World

Cemetary Polka, by Thomas Warten

Uncle Werner, uncle Werner, independent as a hog on ice

He's a big shot down there at the slaughterhouse

Plays accordion for old Herr Weiss

Uncle Berthold, uncle Wilhelm

Made a fortune selling halfling pies

But they're tightwads and they're cheapskates

And they'll never give a klank to us 

Auntie Mame has gone insane

She lives in the doorway of an old hostel

And the guests are singing opera

All she ever says is "Go to hell!"

Uncle Violet sailed as a pilot

Never gave the pretty girls a glance

Now he runs a tiny little book shop

They say he never keeps it in his pants

Uncle Schill will never leave a will

And the tumor is as big as an egg

He has a mistress, she is Kislevitan

And I heard she has a wooden leg

Uncle Willi can't live without his pills

He is hard of hearing and he's almost blind

And we must find out where the money is

Get it now before he loses his mind

Uncle Werner, uncle Werner, independent as a hog on ice

He's a big shot down there at the slaughterhouse

He plays accordion for old Herr Weiss

/Magnus

WFRP: Altdorf in Warhammer Online

I haven't tried Warhammer Online, since I haven't had the time or inclination. About the only reason I have any interest is that I want to walk the virtual streets of Altdorf. I found the video below that shows a bit what it's about.

It looks ok to me, but the streets feel too wide and clean, and it's not a very bustling environment. I had hoped for a more busy Altdorf. I realise that there are techincal limitations today, so my dream of a crowded Altdorf might just be a pie in the sky.

Still, it's an interesting look at the streets of Altdorf, albeit not something that entices me to look further at Warhammer Online.

UPDATE: Myrgrim posted a link to another, much more interesting video of Altdorf. So now I'm a little bit confused. Does anyone know if the first video above is from WAR? I believe it is, since the plaza with the statues in it is in there, but Myrgrim's link seems more like the real deal.

/Magnus

WFRP: Help wanted (19)

"Have lost heirloom in River Reik. Dropped from Reiksbrücke. Will pay 100 Gold Crowns for retrieval. Contact Jürgen Vasser at the Hangman's Tavern."

- A difficult job indeed. Notice posted at several inns along the river Reik.

This little job could open up for splendid opportunities for the players to show their ingenuity. Will they try to find a submersible boat? Or invent a diving bell? Or simply dive from a boat? And what is it that's been lost? It might indeed be Herr Vasser's heirloom, but more probably something he has stolen. Maybe from a mage?

So decide what's been lost, toss this note out to the players and things will roll along nicely from there. Don't forget that the Niederhafen Pike should play a part in this adventure!

/Magnus

WFRP: Scenic views of Altdorf

On this page I have gathered all black and white pictures that I have keyed to places in Altdorf. If you are strapped for inspiration when describing the city to your players, just pop into this page and describe what you see in one or more of the pictures.

The North Gate.

View of the Königstrasse, seen from the North Gate.

The University.

Inside the Temple of Sigmar.

Die Volksoper.

Otto Stierne's Observatory.

One of many minor bridges around the Eastender Bridge. These smaller bridges often lead
to equally small islands located in the Reik.

Reiksport Bezirk, as viewed when entering Altdorf from the north.

WFRP: The Reiksport Bezirk

A view over the Reiksport Bezirk, as seen 

entering from the north.

The Reiksport Bezirk, which lies just outside the northeast walls of Altdorf, is the newest part of the city. It has grown from being a humble gathering of sheds and jetties, to become one of the capitals most important defenses against invaders, smugglers and Marien-burgers. The district has benefited greatly from the military prescence of the Imperial Navy, and the fact that the Emperor raised funds to extend the walls of the city to encompass most of Reiksport.

It is a rough and tumble area, and one has to keep a sharp eye out for thugs and cutthroats. The district is made up mostly of docks, warehouses, barracks and living quarters for the navy and those civilians who make their living off servicing the large merchant and army vessels that moor there.

Adolphus Altdorfer

Konistag, Sigmarzeit 2

Go here to download the complete iAltdorf map!

/Magnus

WFRP: New page explodes onto WFRP fan scene!

Yesterday I got a mail from a reader asking about the progress of the iAltdorf map. Sorry to say, any updates will take a while, since I've been away from it all for a while and it's taking some time to pick it all up again. No updates until summer!

But that's not what I really wanted to talk about. The sender of the mail also pointed me to a site chock full of WFRP material. My esteemed reader, whom I presume is the "Charles" part of the "Clo and Charles" dynamic duo hosting the page, is to be heartily commended for taking material from so many years of WFRP and making it available for the rest of us.

Click here to check the site out!

/Magnus

WFRP: Embrace change, or seek solace in familiarity?

Now that WFRPv3 has been going for well over a year, I have come to the time and place to figure out how to take this edition into account when writing for The Altdorf Correspondent. Embrace the new edition whole-heartedly or put on the grognard cape and grouse about the good old times?

Traditionally, I embrace change. I try new things, I look at them to see the old things in a different light. I look to the new to help me avoid a sense of "I've been doing this same thing for 30 years now" and to keep things fresh. I also have had the ambition of supporting the current edition of all the games I write for, be it D&D, WFRP, Kult, Cyberpunk or any other game I feel strongly about.

But I'm not as young as I used to be. I've played so many games, tried so many rules, seen so many plots, that I've grown confused. Rules have never been my forte, and with WFRPv3, I've hit a brick wall. The rules are clearly written, the components are beautiful, everything is top notch. But I can't connect to the rules. When reading them, I don't see stories in my head. I see rules, cards, components. I lose track of what WFRP is to me.

And as you can imagine, that is not where I want to be when sitting down to write about Altdorf and WFRP!

It's not that I think the rules are horrible, it's not that I think FFG are insulting WFRP gamers all over the world, it's not the prices or the boxes or the bits. It's simply the fact that this is very different from what I am used to, and that is enough to throw me.

So what to do? There are two basic aspects I need to consider; rules and setting. And here's the lowdown ...

For rules, I'm staying with WFRPv2. As I look more into WFRPv3, I might start to dual-stat things,if I feel I can get comfortable with the rules. But for the foreseeable future, WFRPv2 is my edition of choice for rules. I will bring in things I like from WFRPv3, and mine WFRPv1 as well. And fan material of course.

As for the setting, it's more difficult. Or maybe more simple ... I don't really know for sure. I will go with WFRPv3 and mix in elements from WFRPv1, WFRPv2 and Warpstone. It seems to me that WFRPv1 and WFRPv3 are closer to each other in tone and atmosphere than they are with WFRPv2. And Warpstone is superb, and has a lot of the grittiness that I enjoy in the setting material published. So I'll roll back to before the Storm of Chaos, and go from there.

This is not a big change for me. As many have noticed I am fairly loose with canon anyways, and the things I don't like are simply toned down (the Emperor riding a griffon, for example). It's easy to just discard a piece of setting I don't agree with, and so the WFRP world I present is a curious mix of canon and heresy. Which is what I'm aiming for; my own take on the Old World, my own interpretation informed by my own tastes and sensibilities.

This is influenced greatly by the writings of others, primarily the official WFRP lines, but to an almost greater extent the writings found in Warpstone and historical records.

So there you have it. I will continue much as I have done so far, which will delight quite a few of my readers, I suspect. But there will still be a place for WFRPv3, mostly in commentaries on the products, and reviews. I want to embrace WFRP as a whole, not get bogged down with fruitless internal debates on the merits of one edition over the other.

Hope you'll stay on and thanks for readin!

/Magnus

WFRP: It's alive!

Yesterday I noticed that my fellow blogger and occasional visitor known only as Another Caffienated Day fired up the blogging tools again. We have a few things in common, for example an interest in Apple and of course Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.

ACD has returned to us to participate in the A to Z April challenge, and has kicked off his posting with a look at Archahcheon ... Archaceon ... Arhcon ... Archaon ... yeah that looks right ... Archaon, the Lord of the End Times.

ACD has promised more posts, and since I think he's insane to join the challenge he's going to need all the support he can get! So get yourselves over there and post some encouraging words.

/Magnus

WFRP: Gossip (19)

"Do you know of a good carpenter? I need new tables for my inn after that dreadful rioting last week! But I can't find a single able-bodied carpenter, and trust me, I've looked everywhere! Not even the carpenter's guild can point to a good carpenter! You know what I've heard? They've all gone to Marienburg, to help build ships for the Merchant Houses there. River barges, military river barges! And what do you think Marienburg would do with a fleet of river barges? Set sail on Altdorf, that's what they'll do. And every carpenter in the Empire have been lured there by the Marienburgers' filthy silver!"

- A frustrated Altdorf inn owner looking for a carpenter in the Werksviertel Bezirk

Go here to download the complete iAltdorf map!

FAL Tip: Realm of Darthon

Today I found this excellent animated short on Jeff Rient's aptly named Jeff's Gameblog. Not a WFRP blog, but still packed with good stuff.

Watch the short here, there or anywhere. Then head over to Mr. Rient's blog and read his excellent Listen up you primitive screwheads, one of my absolute favourite blog posts ever.

But enough about that, get the popcorn and watch the movie!

/Magnus