liber fanatica iii

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters Guide

Forewordhis third volume of the Liber Fanaticaconsists of three parts: In the Articlessection you will find

contributions on various aspects of gamesmastering WFRP, with topics ranging from an in-depthlook at designing campaigns to expanded skill rules for WFRP2. The Tool Shedhouses a selection ofhopefully useful tools for designing and running WFRP scenarios. The Appendicesconsists of acollection of material on using the Internet in different ways for playing WFRP: Email, Online Chat andMessage Board.

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Apart from thanking all the writers for their individual contributions, James Walkerdinedeservesspecial recognition for once again stepping forward to do the layout. Jude Hornborghas added newenergy (and a website!) to our ongoing project, and Wim van Gruisenproved yet again to be a candidand constructive commenter. John F Foodyand Robin Lowdid a thorough job with the quality control.Last but not least I would like to extend my gratitude to the persons who have made the Liber Fanaticaavailable from their websites, enabling the success of the first two volumes.

The worldwide WFRP community also deserves recognition for all the encouragement and kind

comments since the release of the first two volumes. In fact, the international nature of this hobbyrepeatedly comes to my mind: the collaborators on this volume come from five different countries, andthe readers of the previous volumes hail from many more. When writing this, the French translationsalone of the first two Liber Fanaticahave each been downloaded well over 1,000 times!

Well, before I add another page I better let you go enjoy this volume. The beers are in the fridge, thetable is set, and the guys are here any minute now. It is going to be another great night of WFRP.

Henrik Grnberg, December 2005Editor Liber Fanatica III The Game Masters Guide


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Table of ContentsArticlesWriting a Campaign.............................................................................3

by Wim van GruisenHandling Horror and Insanity.............................................................12by James WalkerdineConvention Scenarios ..........................................................................16by Alfred Nuez Jr.On the Table........................................................................................19by Jude HornborgWin, Lose or Draw...............................................................................23by Jude Hornborg

Tool ShedCharacter Traits...................................................................................38by Henrik GrnbergSettlements of Sigmar .........................................................................49by Henrik GrnbergChanging Seasons ................................................................................51by Henrik GrnbergInns of the Empire................................................................................53by Henrik GrnbergEx Libris Imperialis .............................................................................57by Henrik GrnbergTales of the Rover ................................................................................66by Henrik Grnberg

AppendicesPlaying WFRP by Email ......................................................................75by David HatchPlaying WFRP Online.........................................................................79by Jude HornborgPlaying WFRP by Message Board........................................................81by Philip Hamilton

CreditsEditor/Layout: Henrik Grnberg, James WalkerdineFeedback and Proofreading:John F Foody, Henrik Grnberg, Wim van Gruisen,David Hatch, Jude Hornborg, Robin Low, Dave Keville, Adrian Maddocks, Martin

Oliver, Dorothy Rachovides.

The Liber Fanatica is a compendium of articles dedicated to the WarhammerFantasy Role-Playing Game. Published December 2005.

The work is offered free of charge to all interested parties and is not to be sold inany form. It may be printed or offered for download if distributed free of charge. Allthe documents comprising the Liber Fanatica, including the cover and contentspage, belong together and are to be kept that way. Individual articles from thiscompendium cannot be published or distributed separate from the other parts ofLiber Fanatica without the explicit permission of the articles author.

All original material is copyright to the respective author.

Email the Liber Fanatica guild at [email protected]

Visit the Liber Fanatica website at http://www.liberfanatica.net

DisclaimerThis compendium iscompletely unofficialand in no way

endorsed by GamesWorkshop Limited.

Chaos, the Chaosdevice, the Chaos logo,Citadel, Citadel Device,Darkblade, theDouble-Headed/Imperial Eagledevice, 'Eavy Metal,Forge World, GamesWorkshop, GamesWorkshop logo, GoldenDemon, Great Unclean

One, GW, the Hammerof Sigmar logo, HornedRat logo, Keeper ofSecrets, Khemri,Khorne, the Khornelogo, Lord of Change,Nurgle, the Nurglelogo, Skaven, theSkaven symboldevices, Slaanesh, theSlaanesh logo, TombKings, Trio of Warriors,

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Copyright GamesWorkshop Ltd 2000-2005, variablyregistered in the UKand other countriesaround the world.Used withoutpermission. Nochallenge to theirstatus intended. AllRights Reserved totheir respectiveowners.

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Articles

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Writing a Campaignby Wim van Gruisen

his article is about creating RPG campaigns.The focus is on Warhammer Fantasy

Roleplay(any edition), but the topic is genericenough to be of value for other RPGs as well. Acampaign is nothing more or less than a series ofadventures, in the same setting and usually withthe same group of characters. A goodcampaign,however, is quite a bit more than that. Thisarticle intends to give you some instruments with

which you can make your campaign better.

WFRP is a good game for running a campaign for one thing, campaigns were, and are,published for the game. The The Enemy Withincampaign for WFRPs first edition is generallyknown as one of the best fantasy campaigns everpublished for a roleplaying game. Othercampaigns were the Doomstones campaign andthe privately published A Private Warby TimEccles. They are out of print now, but with a bitof luck you can find them on Ebay. For the newedition, Black Industries has published TheAshes of Middenheimthe first part of their newPaths of the Damnedcampaign. The sidebarmentions all published WFRP campaigns that theLF team knows of.

We can distinguish between different kinds ofcampaigns. The simplest one is the episodic

campaign, in which the PCs face a differentproblem every session. They fight beastmen onBackerstag, are opposed by mutants on Marktagand discover cultists on Konigstag, all withoutone encounter being related to the other. It is sortof the A-team approach to adventuring; everysession a new adventure, and rarely is onerelated to the other.

The rambling campaign is a bit more structured;this one is characterised by longer story arcs,and different adventures are related to eachother, the ending of one often leading into thenext one. There is no clear end, however, with nosingle goal which the stories lead to. Thiscampaign can go on forever. A comparable TVprogram would be your average soap.

A step above the rambling campaign is thestructured one; here we have a campaign thathas a definite beginning, middle and end.Adventures during the campaign are in theservice of this structure.

Each type of campaign above adds somecomplexity to the previous one. This articleconcentrates on structured campaigns, as theyare the most comprehensive. Simpler types ofcampaigns are automatically covered.

T WFRP CampaignsThe Enemy Within

- The Enemy Within- Shadows over Bogenhafen- Death on the Reik- Power behind the Throne- Something Rotten in Kislev- Empire in Flames

This is the quintessential WFRP campaign,widely recognised as one of the best roleplayingcampaigns ever written. The PCs become deeperand deeper involved in a plot to have the Empiredescend in a civil war, and deal with those Chaos

cults to profit from it.The last volume is both very difficult to get yourhands on, and seen as one of the weakest partsof the campaign. Further, it does not fit with the

world in WFRP2. For all these reasons, AlfredNunez has taken it upon him to write analternative ending, Empire at War.

Doomstones- Crossing the Border (a small introductory

adventure published in Hogswash)- Fire in the Mountains- Blood in Darkness- Death Rock- Dwarf Wars- Heart of Chaos

The Doomstones campaign is rather atypical inthat it is set far from the civilised world. It is alsomore high-powered than the standard WFRPsetting, with the PCs getting their hands on anumber of insanely powerful artefacts, theDoomstones.

A Private War

- A Private War- All Quiet in Kislev- Homeward Bound- Wheatland Colonies: A Pass Too FarNot part of the official canon, this campaign was

published privately by Tim Eccles. The tone ismuch more down to earth, and magic andmonsters are noted by their absence. The stressis much on the evil that men do.

Mini campaigns for WFRP1 can be found in- The Restless Dead- Return of the Lichemaster- Dying of the LightPaths of the Damned- The Ashes of Middenheim- The Spires of Altdorf- The Forges of Nuln

This is the first campaign written for WFRPsecond edition. As this is still being indevelo ment well refrain from discussin it.

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters GuidePhases in a CampaignPreparationA structured campaign needs a continuing plot,or a number of them intertwining. Take sometime to find it. The Warhammer world is a richsetting, and you wont be spoiled for ideas. If

there is a standard WFRP campaign, it would bethe one where the PCs find traces of a secretorganisation threatening the safety of the Empire,follow those traces and end up destroying thatorganisation in a climactic event, just as theorganisation is ready to deliver the coup de grace.But that has been done already, and the worldhas so much more to offer. The threat of Chaos isone of the defining characteristics of theWarhammer world, and good for manyadventures, but the world is rich enough to offermany other campaign themes. Revolution may bebrewing in Bretonnia, or the forests of the Empiremight hide an ancient danger. Overseas we have

the Lustrian colonies, the secrets and fabledtreasures of ancient Khemri and the frozen landsof Norsca.

Inspiration can come from plots in books andfilms as well. The Lord of the Ringshas served asinspiration for many RPG campaigns, but isntthe only book with a stealable plot. Just imaginea group of apprentice wizard PCs in the samecollege who learn that an ancient enemy, longbelieved dead, is gaining power again. Each yearin school that power is getting stronger, and thePCs will have to battle its deranged followers,discovering and foiling their plans, all the while

worrying about classes and exams. The campaignends in a climax at the end of theirapprenticeship, when the enemy finally comes tolife again and engages the PCs in a head-to-headconfrontation. While J.K. Rowling may not like

your running such a campaign, youre pretty safefrom her lawyers as long as you dont use nameslike Harry Potter, Voldemort or Hogwarts.

One final important source of inspiration is yourplayers. Ask yourself (or better, ask them) whatsort of campaign they want to play. With WFRP,

you can also ask what sort of advanced careerthey aspire to. If a player wants to be a seacaptain, and another would like to be a famous

explorer, it seems that your campaign theme isclose to being set.

There are two good ways to begin constructing acampaign. A first one is to take a blank piece ofpaper and making a list about what you wouldlike to do in a campaign, and what elements ofthe setting you want in there. Just writeeverything that you think is cool. Get places,persons, events, and so on; the more the merrier.When youve done, theres the more difficult part

scrapping. Look through your list and markthose ideas that particularly appeal to you. Finda way to combine them in a theme, then run

through the other items in the list to see if theyfit in. If they dont, scrap them. The secondmethod is to start with a theme. Keep this idea in

mind and write down everything that you thinkworks with that idea or belongs in such acampaign.

Once you have the central ideas for yourcampaign you can start building it further. Youcan create more detail for the different episodes

of the campaign. You could create a timeline or aflowchart of events to structure this. Also, designNPCs that the characters will encounter,locations that will come up frequently in thestory, and write down rumours and legends thatthe PCs will need to hear. You can then link themto the timeline or flowchart.

An important part of preparation is charactercreation. Think about your campaign and whattypes of characters would fit. If youve discussedthe general thrust of the campaign with yourplayers (always a good idea), you should alsohave discussed the type of characters they wouldlike to play in the campaign. Consequently, youshouldnt just let players roll on the big careertable in the rulebook. Adapt this table, offer one

with fewer choices, created to fit the campaign, orat least the starting adventure (see below).Alternatively, you could use selectedbackgrounds from Liber Fanatica I for instance,if the game starts in Marienburg, you could limitPC backgrounds to only the urban, waterline,bourgeois and mercantile backgrounds. Or youcould make up your own table. If you asked theplayers before what advanced career they aspireto, make sure there are some starting careers

which lead to those careers.

Characters are more than just a bunch of stats.Have your players flesh out the character byconsidering a backstory, have them think aboutthe goals for the character. The Ten Questionsinthe rulebook help with that, as do the TenQuestionsand Motivationsarticles in LiberFanatica I.

BeginningThe start of a campaign is always important. Youshould spend some time on this. This covers notonly the first session, but the ones that follow as

well. Generally, the beginning of a campaign lastsas long as the first story arc.

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters GuideThis phase has to accomplish a few things. First,it has to introduce the themes of the campaign,the big ideas, what it will all be about. Second, ithas to bring the PCs together, and give them areason to stick with together for the rest of theadventure. Then it has to give a glimpse of thesetting and introduce some of the recurring

elements organisations, characters, rumours,legends, the main villain if you use someone likethat. Last, if some of your players have neverplayed WFRP before, or have never played aroleplaying game at all, the start of the campaign

will have to give them a crash course on the rulesof the game.

The plot of the campaign is what you came upwith in the preparation the adventure that willbe the red line throughout the campaign. Ideally,this comes to the fore in the beginning. This doesnot have to be in an in-your-face kind of way, butthe campaign looks better if things seem to hang

together from the start. The campaign I amGMing now started in a small village, where atravelling entertainer showed his collection offierce beastmen. Now, several adventures later,the PCs are travelling (or rather, running for theirdear lives) through a beastmen-infested forest.

One way to introduce the theme is to present theabsolute opposite. If your campaign will take thecharacters through war and chaos-infestedlands, you could start in a small, peaceful village.

Throughout the adventure, while the PCs arecombating the vile hordes of Chaos, the peace oftheir home village will remind them why they aredoing it. Likewise, if the campaign revolves

around a treasure hunt, you may start the PCs inabject poverty, their friends and family beingoppressed by a local baron who squeezes everylast penny out of them.

The beginning is also the place where the PCsmeet and where they decide to stay togetherthroughout the adventure. There are different

ways of doing this. There is the old, butunsatisfying, you all meet in a inn (with all itsvariants). A more believable way is to have allcharacters be related in some way. Perhaps theyalready know each other and already being agroup. Perhaps they are friends, all living in the

same village, or sharing rooms in the same housein the city. Or they could be working together all for the same patron, or as a group ofmercenaries, or travelling entertainers, or a nobleand his retinue, and so on.

One important element in WFRP is the careersystem. Make use of it. The standard approach tostarting a new campaign (the rulebook approach,at least) is that the PCs have enough of theircareers and will start adventuring. The approachhas its disadvantages however (see Liber FanaticaI, Career Guidance). A better way is to design astarting adventure that takes those careers intoaccount, or to allow players only to play careers

that fit the starting adventure.

Third, the starting adventure should show thesetting or at least those parts of the setting

which are important to the game. Ancient Khemriis part of the Warhammer world, but if thecampaign never gets near that place, dont bothershowing it that much. Instead, introduce somestory elements which will be important later.

Have the PCs meet or at least hear of NPCs whothey will encounter regularly throughout thecampaign. Feed them rumours and let themknow legends which will be important during thestory. If the PCs hear about it now, theirappearance or importance much later, will havemuch more impact than if you only introducethem when they are needed.

MiddleThis phase is usually the most substantial phaseof the story. This is where plots evolve. The plot

that started in the beginning gets morecomplicated here; new plotlines may beintroduced. The setting deepens as charactersfind out there is more in the world, and deepersecrets, than they expected.

The Lord of the Ringsis again a good example.The story starts in the sleepy Shire, in the quiet,parochial Hobbiton. The plot seemsstraightforward; the hobbits are to bring a ring toRivendell, and make sure to keep it out of thehands of the Black Riders. However, the plot getsmore complicated and the setting expandsgreatly, and before they know it, the hobbits areinvolved in full-scale war against the forces of eviland are on first name terms with the mostpowerful people of Middle Earth, while travellingthrough wondrous lands theyve only heard of incampfire stories. And they see oliphaunts.

In this part of the campaign the GM has his workcut out for him. This is the part where everythinggrows. The PCs meet new friends, lose old ones,and accumulate enemies. Meanwhile, the worldevolves with them. Threats of war may growstronger, technology may increase, and newinventions may have an impact on society (aprinting press, perhaps?). New laws are passed.People grow ill or die sometimes those are

important people, like electors or the Emperor.Quite often, these changes will have some to a lotof influence on the story. Ideally, you will havethought about these developments whilepreparing the campaign, and made notes about

what changes occur when.

Show the PCs (and the players) that time passes.For example, have a cathedral being built in acity that is important to the campaign. Everytime they are there, tell them how more parts ofthe cathedral are ready now. Likewise, showchanges in the lives of NPCs. If early in the gamethe PCs became involved in a forbidden romancebetween two NPCs, show later on how thisromance ended have the NPCs marry, and still

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters Guidelater get children, or have them killed by theirfamilies.

Change also occurs to the PCs. The WFRP careerscheme is meant for characters to grow insociety. Their status will change with each careerswitch, and with this, the type of adventure will

have to change as well. A rat catcher will getinvolved in a different kind of adventure than acat burglar, and a crime lord will face still otherchallenges. Another consequence of the careersystem is that the character will need to changecareers from time to time. Since you hand outXPs, the pacing of this is much in your hands. Bythe time that a PC is ready to get into a newcareer, be sure that the story has offered himopportunities to do so; the PC should have metsome prospective employers by now orencountered other opportunities to enter a newcareer.

EndThe end of a campaign is the place where allunresolved plotlines come together and (most ofthem) come to a close in a big climax. Ideally,from the start the campaign has been built withthis ending in sight it should have campaignplots and story elements built in with a clear aimat them being used or resolved in this phase ofthe campaign. If timed well, the end also sees thePCs in the careers they had been aiming for sincethe start (or equivalent ones if they changeddirections somewhere during the campaign) and

when their personal goals are met.Does a campaign need an end? Some do, andsome dont. Certainly with structured campaigns,at a certain moment the story is told, the foeshave been vanquished, the good guys havemarried the beautiful princesses and everyonelives happily ever after. What is more, a wellplanned campaign leads to a climax and a good

wrapping up of plot threads. Once that climax isover, what happens afterward usually does notreach the same heights anymore. The TEWcampaign ends in Empire in Flameswith anEmpire torn apart in civil war, and the PCs sentoff to find a relic of Sigmar in order to repair it. It

is a grandiose spectacle (and if you cannot find it,Alfred Nunez freely downloadable replacementEmpire at Warpromises to be even grander),

which closes off the continuing Purple Hand plotthread and several other ones that ranthroughout the campaign. It would be difficult totop that without making it look artificial.Campaigns sometimes go on after such a finalclimax, and a prime reason for that is ofteninertia. The group is used to the schedule ofmeeting once a week and playing WFRP, players(and sometimes the GM as well) cannot saygoodbye to their characters.

While this problem is specific for structuredcampaigns, another one touches on all WFRPcampaigns. The career mechanics of WFRP are

based on the idea that the characters steadilybecome more powerful and get more influence inthe Warhammer world. Actually, this is one of thegames strengths: seeing characters graduallybecoming important in society; growing fromlowly Rat Catchers to Noble Lords. At a certainmoment that growth comes to an end, however

or at least, the PCs lives are at such high levelsthat their adventures are not gritty and perilousenough anymore to be real Warhammeradventures anymore. A Noble Lord, Guild Master,High Priest or someone in a similar function

wont descend into the sewers to find a runawaygoblin, or go on a quest to find a holy hammer;they have their people for that, or at least themoney and power to hire those people.

Most campaigns benefit from an ending, though.An ending gives closure to the story, a sense ofaccomplishment for the players and it preventsthe campaign from going stale by endless

repetition. The main jobs for the GM at thisphase are:

- Getting the plot lines together and resolvingthem;

- Getting the PCs where their players wantthem to be;

- Gearing things up to a climax.If everything has gone well in the previous stages,these points have been prepared in advance andthis is not as much work as it seems. Inroleplaying campaigns things rarely go asplanned, though.

Bringing together and resolving plot lines is themain function of the ending. In preparation for it,the GM must have an idea what will happenhere, an idea that gets more detailed the closerthe ending comes. Then he can have a look at thestill open plotlines and think how to fit them inthat ending. Another thing that needs to be doneis to check whether the PCs need information,special items or other stuff in order to succeed inthe ending, and provide it to them. Certain plotdevelopments might need to be sped up or sloweddown in order to let everything fall together at theright time.

During the game, PCs have had personal goals,

either defined at character creation or developedthrough the campaign. In WFRP, some goals areset by the career system, while other goals areless system-related. In preparation of the ending,the GM should make a quick check of thosecharacter goals, and more important, playergoals, and make sure that they are fulfilled whenthe campaign ends.

The ending itself should lead up to a climax. Mostpeople take this to mean a gigantic combat oraction scene, but while that is certain apossibility, it is not the only one. In Perry Masonmysteries and movies like A Few Good Mentheclimax of the story is a court scene, which can beas exciting as an action scene. In movies likeAngel Heart, The Usual Suspectsand certainly

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switch the tone every so often; after having runsome horror-based ones, bring somethingcomedic or light. Also, try to vary storylines. Youshould have several; different aspects of the mainplot, side plots, stories which are personal to oneof the PCs try to give attention to each of them

(although they dont all require equal attention).Also keep in mind that not every scenario has tofurther the main plotline. It is nice if they do, buton the other hand it can sometimes be refreshingto make a sidestep to an adventure that is onlyvaguely connected to the main structure. Or suchside stories can have a function in the campaign.A common one is to liven up long stretches wherenothing plot-related happens. Another function isthe introduction of one thing or another; this cango from background elements in the setting tocareer opportunities for PCs who are near theend of their careers. A third possible function isthe management of the adventure; you might

want to slow the adventure down so that youdont have to start the new big story arc rightbefore the holidays, or you might want to give theplayers the chance to earn some XP, so that theycan switch to new careers before the next stage inthe campaign.

ContinuityOne principle that makes a campaign seem morethan just a series of unrelated events, iscontinuity. It is at once simple and hard: theconcept is simple, but applying it takes some

work. This applies to a variety of story elements;characters, places, events, rumours, items, andso on. A story, and likewise a campaign, is muchstronger if these plot elements dont appear out of

thin air, and dont suddenly disappear either. Byforeshadowing those elements, bringing them uprepeatedly, and mentioning their effects long afterthey are dealt with, they become a more naturalpart of the story, and the story feels more real.

Ideas for ScenariosSome unusual types of scenario that can be usedduring a campaign:

The players play the role of NPCsThis works well in cases where the PCs donthave the qualifications or necessary skills toact. They all get assigned a role, together withcharacter motivations and character sheet.Used sparingly, this can add greatly to acampaign.I used it at the end of a session in which thePCs were in prison, waiting to be judged.During the session, the PCs were interrogatedabout certain crimes. I noted down theiranswers and at the end of the session I handedthem to the players and let them take on theroles of prosecutor and defence, in a trial aboutthe fate of the PCs.

Flashback scenariosThese are used to show what happened longago. If (some of the) PCs are involved in the

scenarios, they can be played by their players,but other players take NPC roles. The sametechnique can be used not with flashbacks, but

with a meanwhile, in another part of thecountry kind of story, showing for instance anorc attack that will have consequences monthslater for the PCs and the main plot.

Some story elements are continuous and

unchanging, while others have a life cycle of theirown, with a beginning, middle and end. It helpsto prepare, to think of how to bring theseelements into your story, and at what instant inthe campaign, and when to have them reappearagain. On the other hand, sometimes plotelements just show up and only in playing do youfind out that this NPC you made up on the spurof the moment, is going to be a continuinginfluence.

ForeshadowingThere are different ways to introduce plotelements that will become important later in thestory. Rumours are a favourite one. If the PCs aretravelling toward a town, on their way they canmeet people who are travelling away from thattown and can provide all sorts of news about it. Ifthey are about to meet someone important, theycan hear about that person in advance. They canhear about the theft of a painting from a museumearly in the campaign if that painting is going toplay an important role later on. In the TEWcampaign, the PCs will at some time travel toMiddenheim at the time the Carnival there isabout to begin. The Carnival being an event thatdraws people from all over the Empire, it is notdifficult to have the PCs meet fellow travellers

who are going to Middenheim to participate in the

festivities, and who can tell the PCs all sorts ofstories about it.

Of course, these rumours dont have to be true.Quite often it is much more interesting if they arefalse; that way the introduction of the actual plotelement will still be a surprise for the PCs, whoseexpectations may be very different from theactual situation. Or several rumours maycontradict each other, so that the PCs wontknow what to believe.

Another way of foreshadowing plot elements is toshow them briefly. Have the PCs talk to someone

who will turn out to be their worst enemy later inthe adventure. Or have them stay in a town ontheir way to somewhere else, only to have themfind out later that that town is the hub of a webof cultists.

Foreshadowing makes the players familiar withplot elements when those plot elements becomeimportant. This makes those elements seem morereal, and with them the campaign.

RepetitionOnce plot elements are introduced, try to makethem reappear from time to time. This createsfamiliarity with the setting. It can be as simple ashaving a certain brand of beer appear time andtime again, in different inns. At a certainmoment, the characters wont just order a mug

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters Guideof beer but will ask the innkeeper for A bottle ofGreen Oak Beer, if you have that, sir. Likewise,have minor characters pop up several timesduring the campaign, allowing players to becomefriends with them - or enemies, if desired. If thecampaign takes place in one city, or area, informthe players about some specific places in that

area and the characters that are connected to. Aninn with its staff, the local shop with the twosisters who manage the place, the Guild Hall withits droning, boring civil servant ... Have thecharacters visit those places repeatedly, and they

will get a life of their own. Even if nothinghappens there, those places and those people willbecome anchor points in the campaign.

The repeating of plot elements is also a good wayto show the passage of time. Rumours about theCrown Princes health will change every so often,vaguely mirroring the development of his illness.If the players visit the local shop every so often,

have them witness how the younger sister falls inlove, gets married in a later scenario, and stilllater has children running around in the shop.

Making those plot elements familiar also makesthe players care about them, and you can usethis to give more impact to scenarios. If the PCs

were witness to the lives of the shopkeepersisters, and you start one scenario with thembeing killed during a robbery, it will make moreimpact than if the same had happened with someunknown shopkeepers in another part of town.

AftermathOnce a plot element has run its course, try not tomake it disappear without a trace. Show theaftermath. After the corner shop robbery, showthe effects of the sisters being dead. There will bea grieving widower and some half-orphanslittering the streets. The shop may be closed now,so that the people living there will have to buytheir stuff elsewhere. Or, if it reopens under newmanagement, have people mutter how the serviceand the quality of the goods were much better

when the sisters were still running the shop. Ifthe PCs managed to find the thief, the people will

know this and still compliment the PCs for it formonths after the robbery.

PCs actions reverberate throughout thecampaign in more significant ways than throughtheir reputations alone. In the TEW campaign itis the characters actions which determine

whether Bgenhafen is a thriving market town onthe way from Altdorf to Bretonnia or asulphorous, demon-spouting pit of Chaos. On asmaller scale, if the characters meet people theyhave met before, the reactions of those peoplemay depend on how the characters behaved thefirst time. You can design PCs actions haveconsequences later on; the way that one

encounter is solved can then have a direct effecton a later adventure. For example Power behind

the Thronefor TEW is an adventure where thePCs have to talk to a lot of important people tofind out what a cult is planning, and stoppingthis before its too late. In anticipation of thatadventure, I inserted plot elements in earlierscenarios which, if approached rightly, wouldhelp the PCs to approach these important people.

Planning ahead vs. winging itThere are two extreme styles when it comes toplanning a campaign. One is to plan ahead andlay out every part of the plot in extreme detail,the other is to start an epic campaign withnothing more than half a page of loose notes, andtake everything from there. Both styles have theiradvantages and disadvantages, and in realityGMs take a middle position, having planned thecampaign to some extent but leaving some thingsup to improvisation. Neither will they haveplanned every aspect to the same extent, by for

instance having gone quite specific about themain plot but just having noted down somevague words about NPC stats. Different GMs willdo things differently, according to their style andexperience.

Planning ahead can be lots of work before thecampaign or adventure starts, but allows you tospend less time once the game is afoot. Knowing

what story elements are required in the future,you can already introduce them early in thegame. You can take elements forward whenplayers do something unexpected, for instance,running an encounter some time before you hadthought it would occur. In complicated stories

(like investigative scenarios), a detailed planassures you that you can present a coherent setof clues to the PCs before they take action.

At the same time, planning ahead does mean thatyou sacrifice flexibility. It is not easy toincorporate new ideas into the story, as you haveto check how this new thing affects all the plotsand aspects that are currently running and willbe introduced in the future. Lack of flexibilitybecomes more of a hindrance when somethingserious happens; for instance if the players dontparticularly like the plot that you want to takethem on and ask you to not go further on this

way, or if the player whose PC is the main leadfor an important part of the plot, is not able toattend anymore.

Maintenance will be required. At the end of asession, or of a story arc, record what happenedand think about how it will affect futurescenarios. Sometimes these will have to berewritten to some extent in order to makeeverything fit.

Winging it takes away these problems and allowsyou to do much less work. You stay more flexibleand can deal with major changes. It also allows

you to devote more attention to the players,

giving their PCs more room to do what they likewithout being constrained by what you planned.However, it has disadvantages of its own. Lack of

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters Guideplotting ahead makes it more difficult to runcomplicated scenarios or campaigns, where aparty needs a number of clues presented to themin order to reach certain conclusions which leadthem to the next part of the plot. By winging it

you thus restrict yourself to less complicatedscenarios.

Foreshadowing is a bit more difficult, as youdont know what you should be foreshadowing.However, it can still be done nothing stops youfrom having the party see a glimpse every nowand then of that enigmatic stranger that seems tobe following them, or to have them hear rumoursabout goblin raids in the east country, and onlylater decide how to use those elements in yourgame. Even if you dont have a clear idea wherethe campaign is going to, use foreshadowinganyway. Inform the PCs about some rumours, letthem meet a mysterious character ... and decidelater what those rumours mean, and who that

character actually is. It will seem like youvethought out everything long beforehand

Again, maintenance is important. Good notes ofwhat happened during a session are essential, asthe backlog allows you to combine elementsintroduced in previous sessions and to deduceplot threads from them. If you want to take theplot thread of that enigmatic stranger a bitfurther, then youll have to get back and see whathas happened in earlier encounters with thatstranger, in order to avoid contradictions.

As I said before, most GMs will not take one ofthese extremes but get somewhere in the middle,

planning to a certain extent but allowing for roomto wing it. Planning will generally be tighter forsessions in the near future than for the end ofthe campaign. It is useful to have some ideasabout the main plot structure, though, as itallows you to react to it all the time.

The best laid plans of mice and GMs are notalways followed by the players. Despite all yourclues and careful preparation, the playersactions sometimes manage to throw a campaigncompletely off the rails. You set up a scenario Athat, you assumed, would automatically lead toscenario B, but instead the players chose to go ina different direction. Or they fail to solve theproblem and that means that the way to B isblocked. This is something that you should takeinto account when setting up your campaign. Ateach step, you should wonder what the possibleoutcomes are, and what this means for thecampaign. A good campaign structure offers a lotof redundancy. First by offering several ways toget from one place to another, so that if one isblocked or not chosen, the PCs can still get there,or in a functionally similar place, in another way.Second by offering different ways to getinformation, or items, or whatever. If the PCs failto discover the clue in one place, offer themchances to find it somewhere else. A final type of

redundancy is to make sure that not all clues,

items, or scenarios are necessary to get to theending.

However, as I said, the best laid plans of miceand GMs ... No matter how much you prepare,sometimes the players manage to artfully avoidall the traps that you placed to get them on the

right track. This might be a time to panic. Whichis fine. But after youve finished doing so, take alook at your campaign structure again if thisstructure is solid enough, you will find a solution.Some questions that you may ask yourself are:

- Are there other ways leading to B? Now thatthe PCs missed the path that you had inmind, are there other paths that would leadthem there?

- How important is B? What happens if thatpart of the campaign is skipped? Can youafford to lead the PCs directly to the next partof the plot?

- What was supposed to happen in B? Whatinformation or items would the PCs get thatis important for the rest of the campaign?How will the campaign suffer if they missthat information? Is there another place

where you can offer it?- Is there a way to have B happen later in the

campaign?

Managing the PCsMost RPG rulebooks remind you that you have totreat all PCs equally, that you have to give themall the same opportunities. It is an age-old RPG

wisdom and it is wrong as Nurgles hell. Differentplayers around your table will like differentaspects of the game. Nigel might want a chanceto roleplay his character while Katrina is moreinterested in just having a good fight scene everysession, to allow her to relieve work-relatedtension. Zoe appreciates references to Tolkien inscenarios, as well as romantic sub-plots, and

Jason is just happy to hang around (as long ashe can be near Katrina). The rulebook (on p. 192)

tells you that you should give them all equalscreen time and to make sure that they all get anequal chance at treasure and special items. The

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters Guidepoint, however, is that they are not all interestedin that, not to the same extent anyway. Youshould be fair to your players and keep the gameinteresting to them, but that is different fromtreating them all equally. Rather, spend sometime finding out what each player wants from thegame and make sure to add that in appropriate

amounts. When planning your sessions, yourplots and your story elements, make sure thatthere is something in them for each player. Whenconsidering PC-focused plots, be sure to know

what the player concerned likes and bring that tothe fore.

Different Kinds of CampaignUp to now we have been looking at fairly standardcampaigns, where the PCs follow a more or less pre-

written script. In the thirty years that roleplaying hasexist as a hobby, however, many more forms havebeen tried out. Some of the more successful ideas arepresented here. They can be more or less

successfully combined with the tools and techniquesmentioned before to create some excellentcampaigns.

Troupe-style playThis style is promoted by, and linked to, the ArsMagicaRPG, but there is no reason to use it onlythere. Very succinctly, the idea is that every playercreates a number of characters, and the GM decides

which characters are going to be involved in the plotline, which ones will be playing in a session. In thissystem one can even have the role of GM rotating,

with each GM having his own plotlines and withcharacters having different PCs for each GM.

Having the players create different sets of PCs allowsyou to run stories in different parts of the world, alladvancing to the same ending. For a book and movieexample, look (again) at The Lord of the Rings,especially the second and third volume when thefellowship is split into two or three groups.

Character drivenThe idea here is that the GM doesnt write a scenarioin advance. In doing this, he doesnt force theirplayers to go into directions that they dont want togo. Instead, he listens to what each player wants todo and then at the moment invents what is going tohappen.

Although no scenario is written, many of theelements written before can still be used. They justhave to be more character-focused. The end of a

campaign, for instance, would have to be the partwhere the characters reach (or fail in) their goals.Those goals would not be of the kind we stop the evilnecromancer from conquering the Empire with hisarmy of undead, but much more personal. Mycharacter will be knighted by the Emperor, Mycharacter will become a famous explorer or Mycharacter is going to marry the prettiest girl in thekingdom are the kind of goals that go with acharacter-driven campaign. The WFRP career systemsupports this kind of campaign very well.

Characters are not the main focusSometimes individual PCs are not really the focus ofthe story. In long Ars Magicacampaigns, forexample, PCs may come and go, but the main focus

is the Covenant, a group of mages (where thosemages are played by the PCs) working together tostudy and to become powerful. This combines well

with troupe style play. The covenant will endure evenif individual PCs die and are replaced.

In WFRP this idea could for instance be used in acampaign where the PCs build a settlement inLustria, or rebuild a village after the Storm of Chaos.

The story would then focus on the settlement, ratherthan the individuals who are its parts.

Another example where individual PCs are not themain focus is Pendragon. In this game, wherecampaigns typically span a number of decades, whena player character dies, the player will take his sonas a new character. In this way, players really play a

dynasty instead of individual characters.

A story plot doesnt exist independently ofcharacters goals and motivations (see CharacterMotivationsin LF I). Next to knowing what yourplayers want, it is important to know what theirPCs want in life. Pay attention to that whenpreparing your plots and allow PCs to actaccording to their motivations and to reach, or

come closer to, their goals. Also appreciate thatthose goals and motivations may change for theplayer it is all part of playing a three-dimensionalcharacter. A PC may set out as a greedy andpower-hungry character, but it is the playersintent to have him learn the values of love andunselfishness during the story. Try to see if youcan introduce a plot regarding that in your story.

Character advancement is another part ofmanaging the characters, and in WFRP this isclosely linked to the career system. Be sure toknow what the wishes of the characters are (andthe wishes of their players, which are not alwaysthe same), and see how they fit in the plot, or

how you can manipulate the plot toaccommodate to those wishes. The timing ofcharacter advancement is another part of this. Asthe GM, you hand out XPs and thus determinehow fast PCs advance. In particular, you know

when they have enough XP to switch to othercareers. When that time comes, make sure tooffer them opportunities to enter those newcareers (they can even cause entire side plots inthe campaign see the Career Guidancearticle inLF I).

ConclusionWith its detailed, varied and realistic setting, itspossibilities for career planning and the growthpotential in character attributes, WFRP is a game

well suited for setting up a long campaign. Tomake good use of the games potential in thisregard, though, such a campaign should be wellprepared. This article discussed some tools andtechniques that help the GM in that preparation.

Though it may seem like more work initially, agood campaign foundation will actually save theGM work later on, will allow him to keep thecampaign focused and make it easier to managethe campaigns different aspects. All of which willeventually result in players and GM getting morefun out of their game.

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Handling Horror and Insanityby James Walkerdine

ome players and GMs like their WFRP gamesto have a strong dose of horror. Indeed the

published material seeks to encourage this withthe notion of Sanity points and the long list ofpossible mental disorders. Horror can be fun; itshuman nature to get a kick out of being scared(as long as its not real!) which is why horrorstories and films are always popular. Horror

within roleplaying can bring other dimensions ofenjoyment to a game.

This article discusses ways in which a GM canbring horror into their games, and shows how tohandle one of the side-effects of experiencing

such horror - insanity.

Handling HorrorThe key to successfully presenting horror withina roleplaying game is in building up the rightatmosphere. If the GM manages to pull this offthen the players imaginations will do the rest hearts will pound, brows will sweat and genuinefear will start to develop. Those who have playedgames like Call of Cthulhuwill probably bealready familiar with this style of play. In fact thevarious stories concerning the Cthulhu Mythos1can provide a good source of ideas on how tocreate the right atmosphere as well as offering

ideas for plots and cultists. For those withoutaccess to this material, a number of ideas arepresented here2. Simple examples are provided toillustrate the various points.

It should be noted, however, that GMing horrordoesnt have to be solely based around usingshock and awe techniques, but can be muchmore subtle and long term. Rather than afearsome creature that rips off player characterlimbs for fun, it can equally be as horrific for acharacter to discover that he is slowly mutatingover a couple of months. If anything, combiningor fluctuating between different horror styles is

often the best way to create a more completehorror atmosphere and one that never becomestoo repetitive.

Slow but steady its much more dramatic tobuild up the atmosphere gradually, rather thanhaving the horrific encounter happening all atonce. Start the encounter off slowly and lay thefoundations by providing small descriptions of

what the characters experience around them.

1There are various collections of Lovcrafts stories in

existence, and also collections of Mythos stories writtenby other authors such as Ramsey Campbell and

Stephen King.2Another good reference is "Nightmares of mine", a

book on roleplaying horror RPGs, written by Ken Hite.

These little descriptions help to set the tone,allow the players to jump to conclusions, andmost importantly sow the seeds of fear. Obviouslythere is a fine line on how far you can push this.

Just as an encounter can be ruined by notbuilding up enough atmosphere, the same can betrue if it is stretched out for too long. Keep themomentum going and if it looks like the playersare starting to get complacent or bored, bring theencounter to its peak.

Example: A group of adventurers are on the trackof a fearsome creature that has been terrorisingthe surrounding area. They have managed to

discover its lair and have begun to explore. TheGM wants to make this a scary experience for the

players, so as they explore the lair he providessmall descriptions of the environment around themevery so often.As you approach the corner you can faintly makeout a strange gurgling sound from beyond.You rest your hand against the wall and find thatits cold and clammy, sticky to touch.On closer inspection the corpse looks like it hasbeen mauled but, perhaps more disturbingly, thehole in the head gives the impression thatsomething burst out from within

Exploit the senses characters possess a rangeof perceptions; make sure you feed information toallof them! As well as what they can see,describe what they can hear, smell and touch,senses that often get underused within aroleplaying game. GMs can take this even furtherand exploit a characters dreams. Horrificnightmares that foreshadow events or a locationthe characters are set to visit can act as powerfulmeans for stoking up fear within the players!

Example: The adventurers are making their waydeeper into the lair. The GM is still having funAs you make your way down the passageway

you are all suddenly overcome by the sicklystench that seems to emanate from up ahead.Everyone make Toughness tests, those who fail

find their stomachs go into spasms as they wretchuncontrollably.Okay Jack, you stop to listen it is silent apart

from your own breathing. Slowly you becomeaware of a second breathing sound, close by andmatching your own. As you strain to hear whereexactly its coming from you feel breath cold as thetomb on the back of your neck

S

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters GuideOptional Rule Fear FactorSometimes just being somewhere can sow theinitial seeds of fear; being in a graveyard late atnight, being in an empty house creaking withthe wind, or within a roleplaying game being ina creatures lair. In such situations the fear isalways there, lingering in the back of yourmind, making you jumpy and easier to scare.

Within WFRP one way to represent this is toassign a penalty to all rolls made by characters

who fail a Fear check (WP test). This penaltycontinues until the cause of the fear is nolonger around (i.e. killing the creature orleaving the lair). The level of penalty that isassigned should be dependent on the fear level.Possible suggestions include:

FearFactor

Example Penalty

Low A location where therehas recently been anunnatural killing.

-5

Medium A known disturbedarea (e.g. graveyard,land twisted by

warpstone, hauntedhouse).

-10

High Necromancers abode,fearsome creatures lair.

-15

VeryHigh

In the presence of aChaos god.

-20

Exploit the players imagination (andparanoia!) the biggest weapon in your arsenalis your players imagination. If you provide them

with details of what their characters areexperiencing, then their minds will race to tryand envision what they are about to encounter.Keep descriptions abstract and alien, allowing

their imaginations to interpret what you say,instead of relating them to things they arefamiliar with. You can pretty much guaranteethat each player will be picturing in their headstheir own twisted version of what is to come!Remember, that the fear of the unknown is thegreatest fear of all.

Example: The GM decides its time to introducetheir quarry. As the adventurers turn the corner hedescribes what they can see.In the gloom you think you make out its head. Itseems dark coloured but the texture could meanthick hair? Its head is angular with what seem to

be pointed, almost rodent like features. In theflickering torchlight you think you can see drool (orblood?) dripping from a row of sharp teeth and theglint of its red eyes gives the impression that theirowner possesses an eerie intelligence. It raiseswhat appears to be a claw and then makes a deepgurgling sound

Pervert the familiar people naturally reactwith fear when they find that an environment orperson they are normally comfortable with hasbecome twisted or changed in some manner(especially if it is being caused by something theydont really understand). Notable examples

include people who are being slowly transformedby some alien force (e.g. a mutant who is beingaffected by warpstone), or a once friendly townthat has somehow become much more sinister(e.g. Wittgendorf from The Enemy WithinCampaign). Twisting the norm in this way is agood technique to make players uneasy or evenhorrified, and the outcome can form the basis ofan adventure in its own right. However, it canalso be done on a much smaller scale and stillhave quite a dramatic effect.

Example: The adventurers have just made contactwith the creature and seem to be slightly stunned

by it. The GM decides now would be a good timeto crank up the fearClem, your guide, upon seeing the creaturescreams, crumbles into a heap and starts sobbingwildly. The torch he was carrying falls to the floor,splutters and dies. Suddenly you find yourself intotal darkness. You hear another deep gurglingsound. This time much closerThe GM smiles to himself as he watches his

players panic!

Be ruthless when required obviously, buildingup the atmosphere is a key part to creating goodhorror. However at some point the threat should

either come to a head or be avoided altogether.Sometimes it can be fun to cry wolf with theplayers build up an atmosphere only for them

to discover that there was no threat after all.

However it is best not to over do this as it canresult in a dampening of the atmosphere whenthere really is a horrific encounter to be had.When the culmination does arrive, dont holdback from being ruthless. After all, there needs tobe a reason for the players to be afraid in the firstplace. If one of the players decides to dosomething foolish (heroic they might say!), thendont be afraid to be harsh in return. Not only

would this be a lesson for the player, but it willalso scare the rest of the group witless! On theother hand dont eliminate players just because

you can. It is very frustrating for players if theythink they will die no matter what they do. Try

and keep it fair, and just simply react based onhow the players act and what the situation allowsfor.

Example: One of the players decides that hischaracter can take on this creature on his own.Stay back, he shouts, Ill deal with this. Illadvance towards the sound.The GM raises an eyebrow but continuesOkay, Jack, your character steps towards whereyou last heard the sound. {Roll of dice}. Suddenlyyou hear another gurgling sound, this time muchlouder and from above. You feel a sharp pain onyour left arm and you find yourself being slammed

into the passageway wall. You pass out.Thats it, Im running! says one of the other

players.

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters GuideHorror: A Players PerspectiveBy Dave Keville

The WFRP world is largely about a society indecay. There is a continuing breakdown insimple trust between Humans. As Humans weshare similar goals security, comfort,fulfilment but those serving Chaos dont seekthese anymore and confronting things thatshould be like us but clearly arentshould beunsettling at best and horrifying at worst. Thisis appropriate for Elves and Dwarfs also.

Theres also the horror that severe tragedybrings when Chaos affects the lives ofinnocents:

In a village corrupted by warpstone our groupmet a young woman whod given birth to amutant a cross between a hairy spider andhuman baby (The Enemy Within campaign).Our GM placed equal stress on the physicalhorror of the appearance of the thing and thedesperation of the mother to believe that herbaby will be okay. This forced a debate on

what to do obviously its a Chaos creatureand we should destroy all such things,shouldnt we? But its a baby thats loved andthat might help it overcome its chaotic nature is it not a fundamental human belief that wecan rise above the circumstances of our birth?And what about the mother? Can we in allconscience kill her baby before her eyes? But if

we dont it might grow to kill the mother, thevillagers and many more. Is there acompromise? Can we guard it until we can finda cure if there is one?

Obviously the characters all had differentstances on this and not everyone did see thisas a complex issue but they were carriedalong in the debate with those who did see it assuch. (Which created another dilemma if wecan solve the above issue easily, without anymoral questioning, then are we losing ourhumanity? Have we become as empty as theChaotic servant were pursuing?). This was avery strong session in the campaign in terms ofcharacter development, leaving us with a real

and lasting reason to be fighting against Chaos.

So to my mind there are three strands ofhorror:

1.Tentacles and Pentacles the yuk factor ofthe things well face, strange creatures andthe stranger rituals that call them intobeing.

2. No, not my legs!! when Chaos encroacheson us through wounds, disease, torture(physical and/or mental) and even offersand bargains.

3.The ties that bind when we see the effectsof Chaos on the innocents that we protect;as innocent as we were once.

Bend the rules horror roleplaying ispredominantly about building up atmosphere. Ofcourse sometimes doing everything by the bookcan hinder this if the situation warrants it andit isnt going to be unnecessarily unfair to theplayers, then dont be afraid to bend the rules!Players want to enjoy themselves and they expect

to be scared, and they will also expect their GMto use underhand methods in order to achievethis.

Playing Environment some GMs find thatcreating the right atmosphere out of game canalso help to set the tone within the game.Common techniques for achieving this include:

Atmospheric music this can range frommoody film soundtracks 3through torecordings of Gregorian chants.

Atmospheric lighting possibilities hereinclude dimming the lights, making use ofcandles, etc.

Handling InsanityWhen the horror gets too much, the mind cansnap. Although it may recover over time, apermanent mental scar can remain. WithinWFRP this is represented by Insanity Points (IPs)and mental disorders. Should a character gain 6or more IPs and fail a WP test, they gain amental disorder.

Mental disorders can be fun and bring an extraelement to roleplaying a character. However,some of them can also be quite fatal, oftenrequiring the character to be retired. For acharacter to suddenly pick up a terminal mentaldisorder can be a bit frustrating for the player,especially if the situation was unavoidable.

However, terminal mental disorders dont have tokick in instantly and generally it is more fun ifthey develop over time. When a players characterdevelops a disorder take them aside and discusshow best to handle it. If the player wishes toroleplay the disorder rather than retiring hischaracter, think of a potential timeline over

which the disorder will develop, whilstconsidering aspects such as:

How long will it take for the full effects ofthe disorder to kick in? A period of threemonths is perhaps a good starting point, butlengthen or shorten this as you see fit.

Example: it would be a bit strange for themental disorder The Beast Within (page 202of rulebook) to come into full effect straightaway. It would be more sensible if thecharacters mental deterioration was spreadover, say, a longer period.

3Possible suitable soundtracks include The Exorcist,

Alien, Aliens, Dark Cityand The Abyss

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters Guide What are the stages involved in this

disorder? Break the disorder down into threeor four stages which represent the gradual

worsening of the characters mental state.Within each stage identify the keycharacteristics.

Example: The Beast Within disorder could bebroken down into three stages. In stage 1 (the

first month), the character will occasionallybehave irrationally, but will recognise this if itis pointed out by others. By stage 2 (months 2and 3) the irrational behaviour is almost thenorm, he finds it hard to control and deniesthat there is a problem. By stage 3 (after 3months) the disorder is in full effect.

Think of modifiers that may apply as aresult of the disorder. For each stage thinkabout whether the disorder will impose someform of modifier on the character or require

tests to be made (for example, Willpower). Ifthe disorder is one that will have an effect onthe characters abilities then a good guideline

would be to apply a cumulative -5/-1 penaltyto any relevant characteristic as thecharacter goes through each stage.

Example: In stage 1 of the disorder thecharacter must make a WP test whenever heis in a social or stressful situation. Failureresults in the character performing anirrational action befitting his disorder. In stage2 the WP test is now taken with a -20 penalty.At this stage the character also receives a

permanent -5 penalty to his Fel. By stage 3the full effects of the disorder take place. Thecharacter also receives an additional -5

penalty to his Fel.

By making the development of a mental disordera gradual process, not only can the character stillbe played but it can also be fun for the affectedplayer and GM to watch as the rest group try to

work out why the character is starting to behaveoddly!

Insanity-Inducing SituationsWithin WFRP there are a number of ways in

which a character can gain IPs, with Critical Hitsand failure of Terror rolls being the morecommon. However, characters can also gain IPsfrom experiencing a terrible event (and thenfailing a WP roll). By and large the amount of

points gained is down to GM discretion; howeverthe following table provides some suggestions.

Event IPs

Seeing Chaos imagery 1

Being trapped within a confined spacefor many days

1

Witnessing the violent death of acompanion

2

Witnessing a corpse coming back to life 3

Undergoing severe torture 4

Seeing a person mutate before you 4

Having a prolonged encounter withChaos

3-6

Minor DisordersThe WFRP1 rulebook also included a selection ofminor disorders that could be used. For GMs

who may prefer to occasionally use these, ratherthan the more severe ones provided in WFRP,they are summarised in the table below. One wayto integrate this is to say that when a double isrolled on the Insanities table within the WFRPrulebook (i.e., 33, 88, etc), this means thecharacter has instead developed a minordisorder. A roll should then be made on theminor disorder table. More detailed descriptionsof these disorders can be found on page 86 of the

WFRP1 rulebook.

Roll Name Comments

01-09

Absent-Mindedness

Limited spell / research /planning ability

10-18

Allergy Coughing and sneezing, -D10 to stealth tests

19-27

BitingFingernails

Looking nervous, -5 to Fel(appearance / charismatests)

28-36

Headaches Random. -5 to Int, Feland WP for D100 minutes

37-45

Narcissism Vain, +5 Fel, -5 Int andWP; roleplay it!

46-54

Nightmares Unable to sleep through, -5 S or T

55-63

Shaking Uncontrollable shakes.-5 to BS or Ag

64-72

SkinComplaint

Uncomfortable rash, -5Fel or Ag depending

where it is!

73-81

Stammer -5 to all Fel tests involvingspeech

82-90

Talking toSelf

WP test to stop mutteringfor D10 minutes, -5 to Fel

91-00

Talking inSleep

Subconscious ramblingsgive -5 to WP

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Convention Scenariosby Alfred Nuez Jr.

riting and running convention scenarios ismuch like managing one-off adventures but

with a few additional challenges.

The BasicsDepending upon a GMs depth of understandingof the rules, there are a few basic items needed torun a convention scenario. The first is the GMscreen, which provides a nice summary of therules for the GM who is comfortable that hisknowledge is fairly extensive. If the GM prefers toerr on the side of caution, then he should alsobring the rulebook. In addition, the GM shouldbring paper (to keep his records), pencil, and lotsof dice.

Since it is very unlikely that the GM will knowanything about the players and their experience

with WFRP, the GM should be prepared toexplain the rules and mechanics as needed. Forexample, when combat occurs, the GM shouldinstruct the player to roll percentile dice andcompare the results to the characters WS scoreto determine if a hit was made, reverse the dice todetermine hit location, and so forth.

The PlotFirst, the convention scenario has to have apretty tight plot, which means a rather linear

adventure. This is due to the fact that mostconventions generally put a time limit on thegame slot one gets. At GenCon, these tend to befour-hour slots, which really means one getsabout three and a half hours since players haveto read up on their characters.

This also means that the plot should beconsistent with the rules as written and shouldnot involve house rules. The inclusion of thelatter means that GMs would need to provideadditional material explaining the house rules,

which of course means less time to play.

Now a linear adventure shouldnt be one thatovertly pushes the PCs along from one set-up toanother. Within the overall structure, the plotcan have several different approaches to get to acertain point in the story. Given playerstendency to do whatever a GM has not scripted,its usually best to consider two or threeapproaches to a given situation. For example, ifthe PCs are expected to break up an importantmeeting of cultists, then there should be two orthree different ways for the players to gaininformation about the meeting. In this manner,the GM doesnt have to get bogged down into toomany improvisations. One thing to alwaysconsider is that if the GM does get bogged down

for too long, the distraction might lessen theplayers interest in the game.

Most of my scenarios tend to start off asinvestigations. I do this because such stories aremore likely to bring out the role-player aspect ofthe players. A good convention scenario shouldnot be written with the assumption that theplayers will carry the scenario by role-playing itto the hilt. Sadly, I have had scenarios run tooquickly as players are more keen on solving themystery than role-playing the characters theyget. Theres no good way to overcome this thatdoesnt require a GM to play the heavy. Idrecommend going with the players preference insuch cases.

Theplotshould have elements of confrontation,though not all should be a combat situation.Given the deadliness of WFRP combat, I suggestleaving the big battle as the climax to a scenario.Other confrontations could lead to quickskirmishes, but these should be used withexpendable and unimportant hirelings so their

passing away does not significantly alter theending. In most cases, I have these NPCs flee assoon as possible since they dont get paid if theydie too early.

The climaxof the scenario should be one wherethe PCs do have a real chance of being killed insome fashion or doing something utterlyrepulsive in order to achieve their goal. WFRPthrives on the dark and gritty, so the final sceneshould have these elements as well. I have alsofound this type of ending the most satisfying.

Another element I like using is an epilogue, whichis a nice way to wrap up the scenario in whatever

fashion seems appropriate to the adventure. Itcan also be used as a means to convey the grimand perilous world of Warhammer. One way to

W

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do this is have the text convey the idea that thegreat deed accomplished by the PCs was only atemporary respite in the greater struggle against

evil or Chaos.

If the scenario calls for using maps and handoutsas aids, I would recommend having extra copiesmade beforehand. This would allow these itemsto be handed out when needed without slowingplay. If the GM plans to run the scenario inmultiple slots, then there should be an entire setavailable for each session. This will allow theplayers to make whatever notations they deemnecessary.

Player Character DescriptionsA very critical element of a convention scenario is

the characters the players get to play. Therestrictive time slot prevents players fromcreating their own characters. I would alsorecommend against allowing players to bringtheir own characters as many of these may wellcreate balance problems with the scenario.

For convention play, I believe scenarios shouldinclude six player charactersof whatever mix andcareer level the writer thinks works best for theadventure. I typically use the opportunity toshow the possibilities that exist in WFRP. In mostcases, I make two of the characters female(usually in potentially strong leadershippositions, such as Mercenary Sergeant or Noble)

and the rest male. I normally include one Dwarfsince most of my scenarios take place in theEmpire, but this character might be given acareer that one doesnt traditionally associate

with Dwarfs such as (in WFRPv1) Herdsman. Itend not to have Elven or Halfling characters as Isee the two races as rare in terms of characters.

For ease of play, most scenarios should usecharacters in their first careerswith no more thanonefate point. This makes it easier to introducenew players to WFRP as well as remind veterans

what it was like when they first started out. Thedescriptions of the characters should give two orthree paragraphs of text, briefly describing each

characters history and how they got to thestarting point of the scenario. I tend to write

these descriptions from the point of view of thecharacter, which allows me to imbue thecharacters personality into this without being

overt. As an example, I could mention howCharacter Xs family was dominated by a strongmother who routinely berated her spinelessfather instead of saying that Character Xdisliked her weakling father. In this manner,the player could decide whether her character: (1)disliked her father; (2) pitied her father whileresenting her mother; (3) believed that strong

women should stand up to weak men; or (4)whatever other interpretation the player wishes.The same technique could be used to suggest theshort-term goal of the character (escape from thedreary village.).

If one were inclined to usefortune points, I would

limit such to no more than one per day.

I also recommend that character descriptionsgive the players a short narrativeof what thecharacters think of their fellow PCs. These couldbe simply first impressions if they just met ormore developed opinions if they have known oneanother for some time. Such descriptions can beused to provide further information on acharacters viewpoints and prejudices. What Istay away from is having two PCs with loving andsecret attractions to one another. Ive played inscenarios such as these and cant recall one

where this approach added anything to players

enjoyment.

When writing PC descriptions, the writer shouldtry to have some redundancy in skills. Thereason for this is two-fold. One, it prevents asituation where a character critical for thesuccess of a given situation has an uninvolved (oruncooperative) player in control. Second, andmore common, a game will not get the number ofplayers equal to the number of characters. In thelatter situation, the GM should decidebeforehand which characters are less critical tothe success of the scenario. This will reduce anylast minute scrambling that could eat into thetime allocated for play.

One last thing: Make sure that at least onecharacter has the Healskill.

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Liber Fanatica - Volume III : The Game Masters GuidePlaytestIf there is time before the convention, I stronglyrecommend that the scenario be playtested. Ifpossible, one should use ones own gaming groupto play the pre-generated PCs in order to give thescenario a thorough run. Such effort shouldbring forth any holes in the plot and give the

writer time to address these before conventionplay. If there is no opportunity for such, then Irecommend having another GM read through itand provide some feedback.

ConventionsGetting a scenario a time slot in a convention isthe easy part. If a convention offers pre-registration, then they are also looking for GMs

with games to run. One simply has to fill out theform with a description of the game and all theother requirements (such as number of players,game system, etc.). The description is the mostimportant aspect as one has a limited number of

words that can be used to entice players intoones game. Be creative with the pitch, make it abit mysterious, but dont be misleading.

One of the things I like to do when setting up forthe sessions is to have the players select theircharacters blindly. To accomplish this, Igenerally place all character sheets face downand have the players roll to see who goes first.Highest roll selects the first character (and allchoices are final), and then the next highest goes.Another way would be to list the careers of thecharacters and let the player with the highest rollchoose based on that fact. The goal here is to notlet players trade characters once selected. Who

knows? A character might have a dark secretthat she doesnt want the others to know about.

Once this part is done, I have the players create aname tent so they can have their charactersname in big letters up top with the players namein smaller print on the bottom. In this manner,players will know that heavily bearded Tom isactually playing a character named Gerta.

When running the game, the important thing isfor the GM and players to have fun. If theplayers are having a hard time making their dicerolls, the GM could add some modifiers to help

out. Or, they could ignore having the playersmake a Listen test if the players have alreadydeclared that they are creeping along the forestfloor listening for noises (or lack of same) that areout of place. In other words, the GM should notbe a slave to the text of the scenario if the playersare having an unusually hard time with it. In

essence, the GM should allow good roleplaying totrump crappy dice rolls.

If the GM wishes to improve their skills as eithera writer (assuming he is running his ownscenario) or GM, then it would be valuable tohave some sort of survey prepared ahead of timeto give the players a chance to comment on thescenario or GM skills. These should be short andtake no longer than five minutes to fill out.

ConclusionWriting and running convention scenarios can bevery challenging and rewarding. It gives a GM a

chance to test his skills as both a GM and writerand learn what areas he needs to improve on. Agood portion of feedback comes from how well theplayers enjoy the game (and most will tell a GM

when theyve enjoyed the game). Feedback alsocomes from a GMs reflection of how well hethought the game went. In the heat of running agame, it is natural for GMs to have played someparts less well than they had hoped to do.Perhaps, the GM allowed some parts to draglonger than they should or he didnt rule aparticular PC action as fairly as he would haveliked. Or, it could be that the players found anoverlooked flaw in the plotline that short-circuited the scenario. Basically, theres a

number of lessons a GM could learn fromrunning a game at a convention that they maynot get in a setting with just friends.

The main point is to make sure the writer/GM ishaving as much fun in the entire process as theplayers will have playing it.

For examples of WFRP1 scenarios written forGenCon, one can go to www.MadAlfred.com andclick on the Scenarios link. The scenarios at thatsite range from urban to rural and combinationsin-between.

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On the TablePosition, Terrain and Miniatures in WFRP

by Jude Hornborg

iniatures, floorplans and model terrain canenhance any WFRP scenario, from courtly

intrigues to bloody battles. Here are some tips forusing miniatures in a variety of roleplaysituations. Note that most of the rules containedin this article are useful even without miniatures,but may require positional tracking of some othersort (e.g. paper map, chalkboard). In many cases,only approximate positions need to be recorded.

1. Take your time setting up. When shiftingfrom full narrative to miniatures mode, give

the players a 5 minute washroom/snackbreak while you set up.

2. Describe the scene verbally first. Beforethe players see your terrain setup or NPCmodels, describe them verbally. The mindseye often produces a more vivid image thantoys are capable of, and its useful to registerthat image prior to seeing the model. Think ofit like reading a book before watching themovie adaptation.

3. Keep the action moving. Once youvedescribed the initial scene, the pace shouldbe brisk, and it should remain that way untilswitching back into full narrative mode.

4. Maintain eye contact with the players. Itseasy to become distracted by slick paint jobsand measuring tapes. Remember to continuedescribing the action and playing NPCs asnormal, even when using minis.

5. Mask unexplored areas: To simulate a Fogof War effect, cover unexplored table sections

with black construction paper or cloth. Floorplans can be placed section-by-section,corresponding to what the characters see.You may remove previous sections as theybecome obscured by darkness or line-of-sight.

6. Distinguish between tactical and strategictime: combat scenes use 10 second rounds,while stake-outs or social events might useturns lasting 5 minutes or more (see below).

7. Consider using grid-less floor plans:squares are less accurate than using a ruler,and they feel more boardgamey. Mostmapping software (e.g. Dundjinni) allowsusers to toggle gridlines off.

8. Use substitutes:you dont need to have theperfect miniature for every character, as longas its close.

Structural DamageEvery object has a TB value which reducesdamage (WFRP pg. 129). In addition, both

weapons and materials have a Hardness Value(HV). A weapon must equal or exceed the targetmaterials HV, or else it bounces off harmlessly.For example, you cant use a sword to damage acastle wall.

HardnessValue (HV) Object Weapon

1-2 - Straw, driedmud (e.g. hovel

roof)

- Fist

3 - Softwood (e.g.interior door)

- Staff, arrow

4 - Hardwood (e.g.exterior door)

- Heavy club, sword,torch

5 - Stucco, plaster(e.g. house wall)

- Axe, warhammer,mace, bolt thrower

6-7 - Stone (e.g.castle wall)

- Pickaxe, chisel,sledge hammer

8-9 - Normal metals(e.g. iron, steel)

- Stonethrower,hacksaw, volcanicfire

10 - Special metals(e.g. Gromril,Mithril)

- Diamond-tippedtool, cannon,magical fire

Weapon and armour damage: see OWA pg. 24 &42Battering doors: If the attackers SB equals orexceeds the doors HV, a successful S test willsmash it down unarmed. One re-roll per minute,

with failure by 60+ causing 1d5 Wounds to theattacker (and no further attempts allowed). TheGM may permit a single smash attempt againstdoors that are 1 HV category higher, but withsevere penalties.

Obstacles TB WFurniture (chair, table, desk) 2-3 8-20

Interior door 3 10Exterior door 4 15Hovel wall 5 20Interior house wall 6 30Exterior house wall 8 50Castle wall 9 100

Vehicles (OWA pg. 86-87) TB WRowboat 4 10River Boat 5 70River Barge 8 100Ship 10 150Cart 4 20Wagon 4 30

Coach 5 60

M

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Terrain, Cover and WeatherSurfaces To-hit

PenaltyMovement Hide

BonusOther Effects

Muddy Road - 10 Hampered - Horses and wagons get stuck on a failedRide/Drive test. Roll once and then repeatevery 4 hours spent in mud

Deep Snow - 10 Hampered - -10 to Movement-related tests (e.g. Dodge).Impassable by wheeled wagons. Horses may getstuck on a failed Ride/Drive test, repeatedagain every 4 hours spent in snow

Ice - Special* - *Models moving faster than Hampered musttest vs Agi or fall down

Jagged rocks & Debris - Special* - *Models may move faster than Hampered, but ifso must test vs Agi or fall down, taking 1Wound. Failure by 50+ causes ankle sprain

Stairs - Special* - *Running models must test vs Agi or fall down.Failure by 50+ causes 1d5 Wounds plus tumble

Water (waist deep) - 10 Hampered +/- 10* -10 to Movement-related tests (e.g. Dodge).*Concealment requires submersion and holdingbreath (WFRP pg. 136)

Water (deep) - 30 Swim only +/- 30* -30 to Movement-related tests (e.g. Dodge).*Concealment/cover requires submersion andholding breath (WFRP pg. 136)

Steep slope +10* Special** - *Only high ground model gains to-hit bonus.**Moving uphill is Hampered. Moving downhilladds +1 M

ObstaclesHedge - 1 round to

climb+/- 10 4-5 feet high. Horses may only cross by

jumpingWoods & Trees - Special* +/- 20 *Models Running in woods without Rovertalent

must test vs Agi or fall downWall (low) +10* 1 round to

climb+/- 30 4-5 feet. Horses may only cross by jumping.

*Models standing on a low wall receive +10 highground bonus

Furniture, small(chair, low table)

- Special* - *Each obstructing item reduces M by 2 yards (1square)

Furniture, large(banquet table, organ) +10* 1 round toclimb +/-10 *Models standing on furniture receive +10 highground bonusWeatherSnowfall (heavy) &Rain (normal)

- 10* - - -10 on all Perception tests. *To-hit penalty is formissiles only

Hail & Rain (heavy) - 20* - - -10 Vision tests, -20 Listen tests. *To-hitpenalty is for missiles only

Wind, strong - 10 Special* - *Moving upwind is Hampered. Movingdownwind adds +1 M

Darkness, night sky - 30 Special* - -30 Perception tests. *Running models musttest vs Agi or fall down, unless the surface issmooth

Darkness,underground

Special* Special** - *Attacks are at -30 ifthe target can be heard;auto-miss otherwise. **Models moving fasterthan Hampered must test vs Agi or fall down.

Use Navigation skill to follow noises.

To-hit Penalty: models standing in this terrain may suffer a WS or BS penaltyMovement:Terrain may Hamper movement (WFRP pg. 137) or otherwise affect mobility. This may be mitigated

with sleds, snowshoes, spiked boots, skis etc.Hide Bonus: Models may gain a Concealment bonus or Take Cover from missile attacks (see below) while in thisterrain

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Perception & SearchingYou may wish to modify Perception & Search tests according to the size, direction and distance of theobject being noticed or sought.

Vision BasedSize of Object and Spotting DistanceDifficulty Vision Spotting

DistanceVery Easy+30

House fire, windmill,sailing ship, forestsedge

1 mile

Easy orRoutine+10 or +20

Person or animalmoving, cave entrance,row boat

100 yards

Average+/- 0

Blood stain, trap door,sleight of hand, secretsign

10 yards

Situational ModifiersStarlight or moonlight only: -30

Fog or dusk: -20Rain or snowfall: -10Running, reading, Blather victim: -20

Telescope: +10 to +30 (depending on quality)Elevation: +10Spotting lights at night: +10 to +30 (variable,

OWA pg. 60 for distances)

Directional Modifiers

Hearing BasedLoudness and Distance CarriedDifficulty Hearing Noise

CarriesVery Easy+30

Pistol shot, scream, largewaterfall, pitched battle

500 yards

Easy orRoutine+10 or +20

Standard movement orrunning, conversation,door closing

8 yards

Average+/- 0

Cautious movement,whispering, key turning,heavy breathing

4 yards

Situational ModifiersSleeping: -30

Blather victim: -20Listening through a thin wall: -20Listening through a door: -10Running: -10Heavy Rain or hail: -20Normal Rain: -10

Echoing room or canyon: +10

Directional Modifiers

All modifiers are cumulative. Example: Klaus has a totalPerception modifier of -10 to hear a pistol shot (+30) behindhim (-10) by 700 yards (-10) in heavy rain (-20).

Characters may notice sights and sounds out to doublethe listed distance with a suitable penalty to theirPerception test. Objects at halfthe listed distance and

which arent deliberately concealed may be noticedautomatically under non-stressful ci

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