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240 views130 pagesCorrupting Influence
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/ 130
THE BEST OF WARPSTONE:
VOLUME ONE
Corrupting Influence
Editor Joha Foody
‘Associate Editor: Martin Oliver
Cover: Joha Keane
twee LER a Ao om
Eric Fesard’s pictues were originally published in Le Grimoire issue 18 wwwcegrimoireset
‘Warpstone Team, issues one to nine
Editors: Joha Foody 6 John Keine
Associate Editors: Martin Olives. Steven Punter & Mel Tudoo Jones
‘Warpstone has been made possible by the hard work and dedication ofall those who have submitted artwork or an stile of tken
the time to comment. To all these people. thank you. Specil thanks to Tim Eccles, Alfred Nuser Jr. No Arse Dam, Anthony
Ragan, Junes Walls Bill Tallowia, Scbastca Boudaud. Roderic Oswald, Anthony Caroll. Per Hustington 6 Adim Januszewski
Printed in Canada CONTENTS
REPORTS FROM THE HEART OF CORRUPTION
ren Daou
‘Welcome to Corrupting Influence, the best of Warpstone issues
‘one to nine, Well, not al of the bes bits, of course; we simply
couldnt fit all of it in. A couple of articles from issue nine have
been lft out purely for reasons of space - something we hope to
set 10 rights before too long,
Warpstone is a magazine dedicated to Warhammer Fanta
Roleplay, and i's published three times a year, The magazine is
distributed worldwide by Hogshead Publishing, but is
completely independent, and all material is unofficial. It
provides a place where the best in WFRP writing and opinions
‘cam be brought together. Warpstone tres to build on the greatest
strength of WPRP: the background. We don't publish pages of
‘new rule, careers and skills, just for the sake of it. Instead, we
concentrate on developing and expanding the world. (We do
sometimes include rules or careers when the background
‘warrant them, but these are kept firmly in the WFRP context.)
\Warpstone also Keeps readers informed of the latest Warhammer
and gaming news, as well as reviewing all the rlevant material
critically and honestly. Artwork has always been an important
part of Wachammer, and we have a dedicated team of artists
producing atmospheric illustrations perfectly reflecting the
favour ofthe world (as you will see here).
This book came about for the very simple reason that readers
have demanded it. rior to Hogshead Publishing taking over the
distribution of Warpstone, we printed much smaller quantities of
ich issue. Thus many of our current readers never had the
cchance to see these earlier gems. Indeed, we gather that
‘occasional collections of Warpstone have been selling for vastly
inflated prices! We always intended that the articles in
Warpstone would be made 2s widely availabe as possible; those
that are not currently in print can be found on our website.
‘When putting together Corrupting Influence, we used the
‘opportunity to revisit some ofthe articles and illustrations that
had promise, but which we werent completely happy with. A
fw changes were only to be expected. given how far Warpstone
has come inthe last five years, Those brave few who replied 10 a
classified in the now defunct Arcane magazine ended up with an
{AS size booklet, much ofthe art coming from a clipart
collection, rant against Games Workshop, some sketchy
reviews and a group of articles that seemed to find favour with
readers. Only one
but we remain intensely proud of it, and of every one since! (Of
course, we also look back and groan occasionally, but hey! We
were only human... tthe time...)
Siting down to think about what should go into these pages,
‘we decided to include some areas that you might not expect to
see, We looked at Corrupting Influence as 2 way of giving you,
the reader, a flavour of what those early issues of Warpstone
were like - hence the inclusion of discussion articles and fiction
amongst the background articles and scenarios
hope you enjoy Corrupting Influence. Don't forget re
doses of Warpstone may be obtained over the counter of any
good games shop.
cle from issue one reaches this collection
Warpstone discusses WERP and, 10 lesser degree sleplyiog as a
‘whole An example of this approach is to he found in the first three
ticles. We attcnpt to make people ook at WFRP and ite world
from new angles The fourth article. Secrets of the Wishammer
Artists, shows 1 lighter side to the game. We look at the history snd
evelopment of the gume with approaches ranging from looking 21
the in-okes to interviewing the key
Fighting Chaos: Why Bothe 5
“Tame to give up and let the tide of Chior flood over you? It will
be uoless there is Balance
Pee
‘One huadsed snd ose ways for PCs to get out of
situation Many involving fisticuffs.
Sonnac
Warhammer RPG tends 10 be low magic game for many. bat
here are 2 couple of arguemats for using magic weipors
Scercts of the WH Artists 10
Te jokes and the like from one of WERP's
desigoers.
TSEN: 1-899749.34.9 PRODUCT CODE: HOG 220
Power Hened he Hrore Manerbang Sold Doanthe River Apeersptt os, Anacr al
Jermain. Wapune cogs he suns an oerhipo al cpyigh ae aca
{ndrepnerd names tt ay be neem an beef ie soem wis
act onned ieeaed or approved by Cates Werlbop Lis r Hopsead Publsting Lid
‘Waspune i usd a tard workdwide y Hogsbnd Rising La 8-2]
Brae'sRondsLamien SW40DG, UR), Al engi ans copyiga beeps
‘Wane is produced tae ems yo: Coniat Warps t 11 Edge Gee
RAL Aiton Reyoon MKT SIE.
AmscurBokie GW) CameeWeritop
BaliicSal 1 Inne W Wounds
‘ccivesuengh MP MagiePuins WP WillFover
Felmtip NPC. Narpineraancier WS Weapon Sill
rout Coneting infarc ila tone wher ps hve toa
Teoh
Toogess
SS 76543 The dissed Templar crept up behind the one-legged Witch Hunter
ow the road to Macicabarg. There, I think that cones everything
No? Ham. ets try agin.
‘The Old World, where much of WFRP takes place, is among the
arevtest of campuiga setings Warpstone atemps to bring it ever
tore alive by Jooking at intersting ideas in dei. Here we briag
you some in-depth examinitions of vasiogs religious military orders. 1
ook at diseases (ind 2 history of medicine inthe Old Worl), and
ven hints for your players in case one of the dissses rots a leg off
The Guide to Marienburg was designed to accompany the Hogphesd
book Marienburg: Sold Down the River. and gives players 2 flzvour
of the city
ry Hearts, White Wolves, ‘Order of the Shield
smplirs of Manian 6 more
Esra es n
"The Old World. A
Lee MA suet ood
Ts that saiffle scold or something much, much worse
‘A sales version of the ovigizal article.
Peake ett BD
Designed to introduce players to Markcaburg Was otigially
designed as + pullout but we couldn't do that here. Thee the cover
Prosthetics in The Old World BJ
‘AIL those nasty criticals thot ceslt in limb depurtare nceded
sstion
Mankind’s Last Best Chance 63
‘A defence of Witch-hunters snd why they arent all ad. Includes
dels of their organisation
Stas.)
Short tries ae regular par of Wupsone Sometines they serve
sean introdsction to the world sometimes they give 3 228
perspective upon it Although somizally being fansy ition (ad the
sory here i probably the mort fantasy tat weve piste). many of
the stories look atthe word of WERP, not its berocs
Cy aC ated
[Choe Coulis, mousing adventurers and » dying Jerr.
T dont think thre is such 4 thing a8 a verge’ Wipstone scenaia
We hive deliberately steed away (though aot ctrl) from sing
Choe The Old Word fas far more to offer stan jasthuxt-the
cabits plots. For reasons of space, Coroping Influence docs
tentin the sceario Once Upon + Time in Mrienburg fom ise
ioe Probably the sensi Id consider to be among the best from
these issues, snd I hape we can inclade it in 3 fate eles. The one
Hike lest ~ Ove Hout (to) Moe ~ is exe, though, Why? Because
it came top in on riders poll Which just goes to show how much
1 exon!
Hundred Years of Trade iB
"The Hoftauer-Bodels
merchants are bud
“Trading Company. Just t0 show not all
The Greys
‘Some Brief excounters or scenstio hooks. esenial for GMs
caught o1 the hop, 20 10 epztk.
Ue rere! 82)
Dark things that go bump in the sight. Anew terror hiunts the
One Hour (to) Morr EY
Darke things that go buap in the aight [L Only an hour
to sive thee precious
BUC LC e tL 97
Creed, ambition and violence. With the PCs in the middle of
Sr OCT Marg 105)
‘Somcthing stange i going on in the villge of Regensdorl
A Buried Past
‘Can you leave your past be
Miscellany
No autier how many scctions we hid, there would alays be
something tht just woulda’ fit esly into any of the categories
This is where we've pot ll those awkward bot esscotal bits. Included
here are phyer husdovts, and an index to. Warpstone articles
THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLEPLAY CHAPTER ONE
PLAYING THE GAME I
FIGHTING CHAOS: WHY BOTHER?
by Timothy Eccles
‘The purpose of the article isto question the rationale behind what T_magic resistance, strength +3 (yes, THREE), sword kills spelicaster
have always taken as the fundamental concept of Warhammer. In automatically on a bit (and he hits 60% of the time), 446 damage
WERP, the aim for PCs is o save the world from the insidious spread from the sword and its poison. Our entire party, having completed
‘of Chaos — this is an idea that the rulebook states and published the (then) entire campaign, had fewer items than Granax and his,
scenarios develop. More specifically, PCs are to fight the insidious band,
infiltration of chaos within The Empire and other nations of the Old But this perfectly illustrates the problem. Granax, in my view is
‘World, In doing this, WFRP is clearly different from the mass battle not what Chaos is about. Granax should be the ultimate in Chaos
rules also set in the Warhammer World. In the battle rules, chaos enemies, not the first of a string. Yet demons are increasingly
armies are simply another set of figures to collect, another army to common in WERP material, perhaps influenced by Warhammer
command, Chaos has an equal chance as any other force, assuming Fantasy Battle or high fantasy tendencies. If Granax and his kind
the game is balanced right. In WFRP, it is clear which side players were common, or atleast as frequent as his sighting in Something
are on, and so they should have a better than average chance if the Rotten in Kislev would imply, then why would Chaos need servants
game is to be playable. And yet, in WFRP, neither the PCs, nor the inside The Empire? Who within The Empire could stop even one
forces ranged against Chaos - those of Law, and of civilisation from such a warband, never mind a dozen, or 50, or 100? The
generally - stand a chance. Chaos is simply an invincible presence problem is thus twofold: the numbers of Chaos creatures, and their
ng the bastions of society, so powerful that it could simply power. If Chaos is run as in Realm of Chaos, it gets its many bons
its way across the world, regardless of servants working as and items on top of ordinary skills (yes, they also get dodge blow.
2 fifth column within those nations. strike mighty blow etc), that there really is no chance forthe Forces
of ‘Good’
‘The Strength of Chaos Butit gets worse. PCs cannot use chaotic magical items. Even if
Now, do not get me wrong; I love the chaos-infested Old World. My PCs manage to overcome some of their enemies, they are unable to
point is that the WFRP environment is all about secret corruption turn their armaments against them -a problem not shared by those
and the enemy within. Chaos should be a murky unknown, a chaotics who capture maj
nightmare of the dark or a huddled tale told overa very bright fire in And still there is more. Chaos itself is so easy to ‘catch’ - @
hhushed tones. Too often this does not happen. The forces of Chaos disease, a questioning attiuce, a desire for enjoyment - that the Old
are perfect examples of power gaming gone mad. The most blatant World cannot survive. We all become chaotics. Catch a cold, and
example of this in my games was when my party, having completed you have been Nurgle'd, Believe in a different set of (economic!
all the published adventures (and many others), went off to Kislev politicalreligious) views and you have been Treentch’d. Enjoy sex
toencounter Something Rotten In Kisley. There we met Granax and and you have been Slaanesh’d. Yes, [ exaggerate, but not by much.
his Bloodietter of Khome, who was armed with a hellblade doing The entire concept of the world is out of balance. It is now worse
36 damage. Three years of role-play were demolished in 5 minutes. than ADD, where atleast (say) the Forgotten Realms books read
Both GM and players were experienced, but weren't ready for such as a passable fantasy world (until you realise that even the whores
high fantasy in WFRP. Noone was to blame for playing this scenario have to be level three fighters). The justification of continued survival
as was printed; it isclearly a problem with the game, not the players. — all those excuses about the Chaos forces being too busy fighting
realise that Kislev is meant to be om the border of the Wastes and is themselves to bother the mortals - just doesn't make sense.
not forthe weak, but mean -chaos armour(2.AP;no encumbrance), What's more, facing this invincible juggernaut is divided and
scattered opposition. The forces of “Good” are divided over religious,
political and economic differences, to name but a few. Within @
WERPesque “enemy within’, this works perfectly - but when faced
by the ravening hordes, it simply sets the seal on the doom that
awaits...
The Solution
Tam not sure that there is one. admit that I am from the old schoo!
‘of wargaming. By that mean that [have been brought up on Aragom
‘and Gandalf tiumphing in Lord of she Rings, Lavful(Chaotic Good
ADD patties versus Chaotic Evil baddics, and playing Runequest
2, where the Lunars were portrayed as evil, rather than Runequest 3,
‘where they are merely another culture with different gods and values.
like my games to have the beleaguered forces of good overcome
evi. In WERP, they are just beleaguered. That is not to say I don't
like “grey areas’; Tove WERP for that. Some of the merchants in
Shadows Over Bogenhafen were stupid and greedy rather than ev
‘and the scenario was much more credible for it.
Fundamentally think that the mass battle rules (WFB) that sre
Corrupting Influence - Page 5 inevitably linked to WERP's setting have led the game astray. Chaos,
armies became popular, and thus were given inereasingly more items,
skillsand power. Rather than being an abstract enemy, Chaos became
a focus in itself. The only real way to restore game balance is to
junk the WFB/Games Workshop setting and produce a second edition
of WFRP with balance - and a stress on the ‘enemy within’ - in
mind.
Until then, the only alternatives are to weaken Chaos, or
strengthen Law. The first I think is difficult, because the game's
ethos seems to have changed. The ad-hoc removal of hellblades ete
‘would not work on its own, and demands more work by the individual
GM in rewriting what is supposedly a consistent worldview.
However, downgrading the powers of Chaos and making it harder
tobecome tainted would be a good start. The newer Realms of Chaos,
describing beastmen as the most numerous creatures in the world,
is the perfect example of material to be avoided - but even the
supposedly classic version is far more powerful than ordinary WFRP
‘material
The second option would need to be done carefully and
consistently, and so would also need a new edition. I do think that
the gods of Law need strengthening (and returning to ‘Good, new
“chaos-hunter’ type career classes need to be created, specialist skills
should be introduced and that Malal should be reintroduced as a
‘g0d for those innocents unfairly infected and seeking revenge. In
‘my game, I also have relics of the ‘Good’ gods (like Sigmar's
‘hammer) that are focused upon the destruction of Chaos, but are
otherwise weak (and thus don’t unbalance the game). And now we
have anew Emperor, perhaps we could even have some social justice
{to remove the need for the masses 1o seek solace in Chaos?
ne point that has not occurred to me until recently is that this
‘ight be precisely the point of some games. The world is doomed,
regardless of the PCs’ actions. This is, of course, perfectly valid,
bbut it wasn’t how Tunderstand WFRP, and itis not o my taste, [like
iy fantasy to have some hope of salvation (however remote) If I
‘wanted to revel is existential angst and morbidity I could just carry
on living in the real world.
Conclusion
WFRP is a brilliant system, although twenty years on, many of the
rules do need tweaking. However, in my opinion, Chas relative
dominance over the Old World isa weakness ofthe system. Chaos
isliteraly everywhere, both inside and out of the “civilised” rations.
Killone group and there ae two more. They are in goverment, in
the forests, in the slums, in the guilds and on the rivers. Chaos is
justo strong. and PCs might as well not bother trying odo anything
about it
TO FIGHT, OR NOT TO FIGHT?
That is the Questio1
How many times have you, 2s PCs, found yourselves in a situation
‘where it seems that you have no options available to you except the
ood old trusty (or possibly rusty) sword? It doesn’t sound familiar?
‘Well, you're either very licky, have an extremely short term memory,
or you're the GM. If you happen to be the latter then show us some
merey, please!
Teimust be said that this situation doesn’t necessarily come from
sadistic GMing, It often crops up as part of a pre-written “official”
publication. One recent occurrences of this was as follows. We, the
PCs, were desperately trying to save the wortd (again!), and had
tunwisely (in retrospect) deemed to stop at an Inn before the onset of
the rapidly approaching night. We thought it would be safer to be
inside in the warmth and hospitality of this small town Inn, than
outside in the beastman-infested woods. In reality it was about as
safe as inviting a Troll to your birthday party and then running out
of cake. It should be noted at this juncture we had in our possession
tan artefact that didn’t strictly belong to us — bot it was imperative
for the completion ofthe mission and had been given to us willingly
‘and without duress by its rightful owner.
‘Upon entering the establishment and obtaining a room and some
strawberry comestibles, we set ourselves down at @ table near a
worklly looking stranger. We soon discovered that he was in fact
the Captain of the Watch for the town and an ex-sdventurer. We
chatted away with him quite happily in the sublime knowledge that
‘we were not "wanted" men/women this precise time in our careers,
{As the night continued the aforementioned artefact disastrously came
into the possession of the Captain (through no fault ofthe PCs, and
thas the honest truth) and at tis point our dilemma reared its ugly
Inca (as did the rest ofthe Watch).'The Captain accused us of stealing
.. by John Keane
the artefact and threatened to arrest us. What should we do? The
fate of the world rested on our possession of that artefact.
T'msure that this situation, in different guises, can be recognised
by all. So, what do youdo? Are there any alternatives to the wholesale
‘butchering of these poor, honest folk who are just trying their best
{0 uphold law and order?
I's Good to Talk
‘The truth is out there: And it will probably sound like it- way out
there! The truth is good, the truth is honest, but lt’ face it, the truth
sucks. Just imagine if a group of odd-looking people told you they
‘were mankind's only hope against the resurrection of some long
forgotten evil. You'd probably lock them up in a padded cell and
throw away the key. This is exactly what the Watch will do. First
they'd lock you up for a night or two and then it'd be a one-way
ticket to the Nut House. The only possible good point is that you
‘may have a chance to escape from jail or whilst in transit. However,
this will delay your mission and may result in the loss of equipment.
The lying game: Make up some wild story like, “we're mankind's
only hope against the resurrection of some long forgotten evil..."
bbut remember not to go too over the top. Making up a convincing
story on the spot is an essential art for most role-players, but no
‘matter how convincing itis they probably won't believe you. Even
if they do, chances are they'll still want to detain you until they can
verify it, Either way you're screwed.
Call my bluff: This needs to be done without flinching and with
plenty of bravado. Like the lying game, the story is a complete
fabrication and can easily be exposed. If you try the old “you're
Corrupting Influence - Page 6 completely surrounded!” routine, be prepared to have them check
out the story and arrest you anyway. A good one to try (or maybe
‘not is convincing them that they've confiscated a powerful chaos
item that, if handled incorrectly (which it currently is), infects the
individual. This in itself can develop into an interesting situation
here you get arrested and executed as chaos worshippers, or the
rest of the Watch/townsfolk turn against their Watch Captain,
convinced by your argument, Unfortunately this may have
repercussions later in your campaign when a Witch Hunter tracks
you down and dispatches his usual brand of summary justice...
Ws a Fair Cop
Mercy be thy name: Throw yourself onto the mercy of the Watch
and beg for forgiveness. You never know, it might work! However,
this is the most likely one to fail unless you have an extremely
generous GM. (If you do have such a GM, though, you probably
‘won't be in such a situation in the first place...) If you try this one,
be prepared to be incarcerated for quite some time (if you're lucky).
The 5* Amendment: Say nothing. If you don’t say anything then it
can'tbe used against you at some later stage, such as your trial. This
will give you some time to concoct areal whopper ofa story or, may
give you the chance ofa jail break. Who knows - maybe you' leven
be thrown a future plot ine whilst in the midst ofthe legal process.
(One thing is cerain, though: your mission will suffer delays.
Run Avay. Roa Away!
The Goodyear Blimp: The idea here is to distract everyone long,
‘enough for you to make a hasty retreat. Most often used when any
‘oral of the above ploys have failed. Distractions may be verbal,
such as, “by the light of Shallya what's that big uely monster outsi
the window which is fascinating to look at!” oritcould be physica,
such as, “whoops, I've dropped my lantern onto a keg of
unpowder!” The verbal approach usually gives a much shorter
‘window of opportunity to escape unless you have confused them so
‘much that they no longer understand the difference between standing,
still and running away at break-neck speed. The physical Blimp can
sive more time, but if you've burt down the town’s favourite/only
tavern and then get caught, you may be invited to a lynching (and
no, that’s not the meal between breakfast and dinner).
Sacrifice a Pawn: (Or preferably a raving mad Troll Slayer.) If you
decide on this rther extreme solution you'll need to take afew things,
ito consideration. Is the candidate willing? Irhe/she is a Dwarven
Troll Slayer, suffering from Heroic Idiocy or some such, then the
answer is probably “Yes’. Will the candidate survive long enough to
cover your escape? With a Dwarf you're probably allright, but maybe
you should think twice if it's a Halfling. Do they have anything on
‘hem that you want? The most important thing to consider (other
than ‘Do they have any magic items or gold?) is that if they're
‘aught they might talk. There's not much point escaping if your ex-
‘companion tells them where to find you!
‘Once More into the Breach Dear Friends
Passive Combat: Just because you're forced into a position where
you have to fight, it doesn’t mean that you have to kill anyone. To
lisobey the law is one thing but to kill itis quite another. If you
fight using stunning and knock-out tactics and are arrested it will be
significantly easier for you than if anyone was killed. This tactic is
harder to achieve than the straight Hack’n’Slay option below as not
‘everyone may be acquainted with the Strike to Stun skill, and even
if they are, it’s not that easy to knock out an opponent, Another
version of this is a defensive retreat where you try and parry your
way to freedom.
Hack'n’Slay: Sadly, this has got to be the most widely used of all
the options. Whether you've tried any ofthe passive options or not
makes no difference — once you' ve started, someone's likely to die.
‘The sad thing is, although this can be a last resort —to be tried when.
‘one or more of the above options have failed — it’s more often used
as the default. Ifcaptured, the full weight ofthe law will be brought
to bear on you. If there was minimal oss of lie the sentence may be
a lifetime's incarceration, but if the death count was high, execution
is probably on the cards. Evading capture or jail break will only
prolong the inevitable as your descriptions are circulated throughout,
the Empire and the vulture-like Bounty Hunters hunt you down like
the dogs you probably are.
‘The final option sceks to redress this problem, and if carried out
carefully will leave no threat of retribution.
Genocide: This is the ultimate form of hypocrisy, where the
perpetrators will probably cite the immortal words, “The needs of
the many outweigh the needs of the few!” just before they begin
carving the inhabitants of the pub/inn/town into little bite sized bts.
‘The idea behind this tactic is if you're going 10 save the world, a
few people have to die along the way. (Natural selection, or
something!) Another consideration is that in case the world needs
saving again some day, you'd better destroy any possible evidence/
‘witnesses 80 that you're still around to save it! This tactic is often
chosen automatically after developing Post Dramatic Stress Disorder.
‘The warning signs are clear: An unnatural affinity with your dice,
inability to keep a readable Character Sheet and finally a total lack
of comprehensible speech, other than “kill!”, “maim”, or “how about
nice ore complex!” If this is the category where your group has
found its niche, then all I can say is: “Sorry GM, give “em hell. They
deserve it!”
Corrupting Influence - Page 7 VOLATILE MAGICK
By Paul Slevin
Many opinions have been voiced that suggest you shouldn ruse magic
‘weapons in your games, but there are times when they are a good
thing. Magic weapons can be a godsend to a group of PCs facing.
incalculable (unless you have supermumerate!) cds, or if you are up
against Undead or Demons. But they can also be not just a thom but
4 spear, in the GM's side. Ideally, the players should only be able to
use a magic weapon when they really need to. But that’s not going 10
happen, is it...”
The solution is to give the PCs one or two magical weapons with
nasty side effects. Just think Eric, and you get the idea. These weapons
‘may get them out of a jam, but at great risk ~ and there's always a
price to pay. The magic sword I gave my players has ended up being
absolutely feared for it side effects, ut has saved their lives on many
‘occasions. Here are a few ideas for the sor of things you could use
in your campaigns
‘Swords of Thousand Men
‘To put one's faith in Magic is to put one’s faith
in Chaos"
Solkan Priest
(Chaos Sword
‘This sword isin fact possessed! Whenever a player holds
it, they must make a Willpower test. If they fal, they are
temporarily controlled by whatever it is that is lurking in
the sword, Let them continue to act as normal, but at the
GM's behest they must artack other PCs or NPCs ~ and
they will always attack anyone who tries to take the sword
from them. If the holder is separated from the sword by
more than 5f, then the control is broken, but they gain an
insanity point and lose 2D6 from Willpower (permanently)
asaside effect. In addition, the sword contains Warpstone,
and if a Witch-Hunter sees it...
‘The sword could have several abilities (try some of those
from Realms of Chaos) and should be moderately powerful
used the Animated power for sucha swordinmy campaign, /
‘hich allows it to move and attack on its own,
Charged Sword
‘This type of sword requires something to charge itto make it magical
‘When it is charged, it remains magical for a set time, Ideally this
should be around ten minutes - enough time for a fight. Whatever
chargesit shouldbe either hard to come by orelse costly othe players
This could include a permanent loss in Strength, Toughness or
‘Movement, or temporary loss of Wounds or Magic Points. Hard to
come by items could include a freshly killed Elf compse, a piece of
‘magic armour, othe like.
Cursed Sword
‘Swords like this are very dangerous to all involved. They may have
‘moderate power, such as giving +20 WS, +2 damage, or the like. The
problem is that whoever wields it will be unable to use any other
‘weapon, or let anyone else use it. There will also be some nasty side
effects, such as mental disorders or physical deformities (whether
cosmetic with Fel modifiers or disabling). These swords also make
J
© Paul White
the players paranoid about picking up any new sword, since it t00
‘could have horrendous side effects
Hopefully, these ideas will redress the magical balance. Is it really
worth risking mind and body, or should the PCs just run away? You've
lost your weapon and just found a new one, bat should you pick itup,
risking being cursed, or sould you put up with the small disadvantage
of being unarmed? Try putting a few cursed swords in, with an easy
‘means of ridding your players of them (which they will be unable 10
replicate), and then start watching them sweat atthe sight of every
‘magical sword to come their way!
‘And it needn't just be weapons; other magic items can be made
like this oo. Imagine a ring of Toughess+ 1, which gives you Strength-
2while youuse it. Or what about “Boots of Speed”, which
‘quarter your Inirative through fatigue. Just remember,
‘magic may be powerful, but it isn't necessarily safe.
‘A Double-Edged Sword
Crumbling 10 the floor from exhaustion, with blood
from a vicious head wound streaking across his sweat-
the fight, Manfred could just make out the prone figure
¥ ‘still muggy from the countless blows he'd
at pp sword the warrior used; that was one
Lo resvoving txmshuous bate with « Carpion
Zz ‘and minions of Khorne, the PCs are confronted with
See rrenen toes
campaign will depend on your players’ reactions. If they fail to see
nightmares of growing frequency and intensity, a gradual erosion of
‘sanity and a loss of humanity, perhaps even temporary loss of control
Corrupting Influence ~ Page 8 ‘own, This would only happen
in the latter stages, though, asthe sword becomes an integrated part of|
their body and psyche ~ by which point, it will be very hatd for them to
sive it up. Ultimately, they will be confronted by a vision of Khome in
all his glory and forced to battle for their sorry soul
Of course, any player with an ounce of sense would dump the cursed
biade after the first couple of nightmares, so you need to give them a
few compelling reasons for wanting to keep it. Make the dreams
ambiguous wo begin with, pethapse-living previous bait in gory detail,
or being stalked by a faceless shadow. Increased strength and combat
abilities are always welcomed by bloodthirsty PCs, and in the latter
stages you could even throw in an appropriate chaos gift or two. such
as Blood Rage or grafting ofthe weapoa onto the PC's arm itself! And
if you time the nightmares and visitations well, they probably won't
even realise they are connected with their possession of the sword —
‘unl i too late! To further complicate the issue, you might like the
followers of Khorne to take an active interest in the party, both while
they have the weapon and even afterthey get rid of it. Somehow Idoubt
the Blood God likes his ‘gifts’ being refused
‘The purpose of this storyline isto get the players thinking about the
nature of the power they wield, and force them to question their own
motivations in acquiring powerful magic. It also underlines the
dangers of exposing yourself to the subtie workings of chaos, where
everything has its price
Of course, this sort of thing should not be seen as an everyday
‘occurrence, even in the Warhammer world, And it should develop
‘gradually; each nightmare, each subtle change in psychology or
physique, separated by days or even weeks of game time, to enhance
the effect and also disguise the rue source of the nightmares. Run
this sub-plot alongside your main campaign storyline, returning (0
it whenever the player starts to get overconfident or boastful about
their new-found power. Reveal the weapon's hidden powers one by
fone, and remember that whenever you give with one hand, you
should take away in larger quantities withthe other. Make the player
increasingly aware of the sacrifices they are having to make to gain
their power, and let them slowly come to realise the fact that they
are losing control over their character. And if, afterall that, they
still want io keep the weapon, you have a ready-made Champion of
Khorne with which to plague the rest ofthe party for many sessions
tocome.
“What, you didn ¥ honestly think I'd let you keep the thing, did you?”
THE SECRETS OF THE
WARHAMMER ARTISTS
by Graeme Dav
Humour is as much a part of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay as horror,
and although in retrospect this may seem like a truly inspired design
decision, [ can now reveal that it was mostly the inevitable result of
patting together a group of people who were all highly creative but
‘who possessed appalling senses of humour. Many readers, I'm sure,
will have noticed the bound collection of Playboy on the alchemist's
bookshelf, but there's alot more you don’t know. So here, just for fun,
's a quick guide to the hidden gags you'll find in WFRP artwork. At
Jeast 0 all the ones I know about - there could well be more.
By the way, you'll notice that I avoid using page numbers for the
‘most part. This is because there have been quite a few re-printings and
compilations, especially of the early Enemy Within adventures, and 1
didn’t want o cause confusion. Besides, you woulda’t want me to make
things too easy for you, now, would you?
‘THE WFRP RULEBOOK
GW Noubles
Suarting with Jon Sibbick’s cover illustration, the warrior in black
armour has the face of Bryan Ansell, who owned GW until afew years
ago. The magician looks a litle like him, 1o0. On the back cover, the
head impaled upon the goblin’s banner isa self-portrait of John Sibbick
himself
The career illustrations, by Tony Ackland, feature the likenesses of
several Games Workshop notables, not always in the most flattering
light! The Bawd is a portrait of Richard Halliwell, who was known for
hisspectacularly messy private life. The sign overthe door in this picture
reads “Ye Olde Den of Iniguity”.
The Beggar has the face of John Blanche. There was occasional
ftietion between John and Tony, since they had pretty much an opposite
approach to ar, life and everything else, The illustration for the
megalomania disorder also beats a certain resemblance to John,
probably because of some piece of office politics atthe time.
‘The seribe is Rick Priestley, who wrote the first draft of WERP,
as well as doing done most of the writing on the Warhammer
‘miniatures games, Inscribed on the side of his desk: “Rank Xerox”,
‘hich was the brand of typesetter GW used atthe time.
‘The Charlatan is Bryan Ansell again. The paper he is holding is
“The All-Purpose Unsolicited Testimonial” - obviously from a
satisfied customer!
‘The Cleric is Richard Ellard, who was the manager of the GW
Design Studio, and is now in charge of GW US. The holy symbol
hanging on his chest incorporates the Volkswagen logo in ibute to
his beloved (and far too fast) car ofthe time.
‘The Illusionist in the magic chapter is based on Steve Jackson,
who co-founded Games Workshop and co-wrote the Fighting
Fantasy gamebook series.
‘There are a couple of other hidden celebrities, t00. The Bounty
Hunter looks a little like Clint Eastwood's “Man With No Name”
‘character from the Sergio Leone westerns, and the Tomb Robber
(ho also appears in the illustration forthe Spot Traps skill) looks
something like Indiana Jones. And if you have the original GW
hardbound edition, take a look at the colour plate opposite page
241 - “Evil Races” by Bob Naismith. You'll find the ghoul bears a
distinct resemblance to Margaret Thatcher, Well, despite her many
‘years in office, she was the most unpopular Prime Minister in British
History.
Arcane Writings
‘Whenever you see a book, a scroll or an
Corrupting Influcace - Page 9 illustration, pause for a moment and take a good look. It's amazing
‘what you'll find, The character being shadowed by the Bogartesque
deiective in the skill section is going through a doorway marked
“House of Ill Repute”.
‘The alchemist in the advanced careers section has a number of
interesting books on his shelf, beside the bound collection of Playboy
‘already mentioned: “The Electron Microscope”, “A Quick Guide to
Quantum Physics”, “Do-it-Yourself Nuclear Fission”, “Organic
Polymer Chemistry”, and “How to Blow Up...” (we'll never know
‘what, since his head is in the way). The lawyer in the same section
hhas a book under his arm that will no doubt prove invaluable ~ its
called "101 Easy Ways to Pervert Justice”.
‘The books for the wizards in the advanced careers section are
somewhat more basic - “Magics” and “Book of Base Metals”
However, the wizard at the start of the Magic chapter has a more
advanced library, including the “Necronomicon” and the “Book of
Eibon”. No wonder WFRP is often compared to Call of Ctbullu!
Dave Andrews’ magician in the section on grimoires also has some
fairly standard-looking magical books: “1001 Spells", the “Book of
Base Metal” again, “Arcane Magic, Vol III”, and the ever-popular
“Total Mayhem and Destruction”. But look closer - you can just make
‘out the first couple of lines of the parchment at the bottom right ofthe
picture: “Once upon a time, there were three bears
‘WFRP SUPPLEMENTS
‘Death on the Reik
Martin McKenna is ancter anit who likes to put familia faces nto
hisilhstrtions, and you ean tell e's fan of old movies. For example,
te eatists pictured alongside the generic culist stats atthe start of
the adventure are clearly Peter Lome and Vincent Price, and the
determined-looking lady holding the later inthe section about the
Dwarf town is none other than Greta Garbo, inher role as Queen
Christina
The rackoteer Luigi Belladonna has a passing resemblance to
Marlon Brando in“Tne Godfather”, to0. Especially about the cheeks.
CCorrobreth the druid isa litle more modem - he's based on fan
“MeShane,bestnown these days astheroguish antique dealer Lovejoy
on British TV,
Herbert Marcuse the Innkeeper looks suspiciously like Stanley
Holloway, who played Eliza Doolitl’s father inthe film, *My Fait
Lady”.
Kurt Kutzmann is based on Stove “Bil” Sedgewick, who was a
sraphic designer at GW at the time, and is also the ear of the
Gobblebigook cartoon strip, which ran for several years in White
Dwarf
and Kurt von Wittgenstein is Charles “Char” Eliot, who was
also4 graphic designer at Games Workshop at tha time, andis now a
‘ery senior member of Wizards of the Coast UK. Which either says
something about Chaz. or something about Wizards of the Coast.
No prizes for guessing who Graf Orlok in River Life of the Empire
is based on!
‘Warhammer City
‘Martin MeKenna strikes again. n the encounters section, the Bunko
Arist is Paul Daniels, a popular stage magician on British TV at the
time, an the Racketeer is based on Gareth Hale, half ofthe TV comedy
dduo Hale and Pace who were renowned for their tuxedo-clad thug
characters Ron and Ron
But Tony Ackland isnot to be outdone. The cultists ofthe Jade
‘Sceptre include Rick Priestley and Sid, who was a Citadel figure painter
atthe time. Sid, an outlaw biker through and through, was not too
pleased with, shall we say, the ambiguity of this portrait,
Martin MeKenna’s picture of Gotthard Gocbbels (also in Power
Behind the Throne) was based on Paul Cockburn, one-time editor of
White Dwarf.
‘Something Rotten in Kislev
Another Martin McKenna quip, but this time at the behest of Ken
Rolston: the characters of Krogar and Dolgan Jim are based,
respectively, on White Dwarf comic character Thrud the Barbarian
and the strip’ creator, Carl Critchlow.
Chancter Pack 2nd Edition: The Graf Manfred
‘This contains an obscure one from Toay. In the group scene of the
‘street brats, there's a piece of graffiti on the wall atthe lower right of
the picture. Iteads,“Katzen-jammer who?" areference tothe vintage
‘American comie stip, “The Katzenjammer Kids”
Lichemaster
‘The picture on page 40 is re-used from the WFRP rulebook, but is not
‘0 closely cropped, so a litte more is showing: enough to read the
inscription “Nuelear-Free Zone" on the bottom of the tombstone at
the lower left ofthe picture
‘The character of Cecil de Vere Cholmondely is based on English,
character actor Terry Thomas, who was well known for playing upper-
class cads, bounders and con-men in the 1950s and 1960s.
Doomstones: Fire in the Mountsias
This doesn’t really count as a joke, I suppose, but take a look at the
picture of the Elves inthe section “The Twisted Lands” and see how
‘many rabbits and squirrels you ean Find
Doomstones: Dwarf Wars
Another obscure one from Tony. The Dwarfen robot is based on one
from the old Republic Pictures adventure serials. If you look at its
chest very closely, you may be able to make out the figure ofan eagle
the symbol of Republic Pictures) and the words “Republic Pictures”
in runes.
Death's Dark Shadow
‘The streetscene (by Steve Tappin, I think, although he's not credited)
is reproduced from Warhammer City, and like the graveyard scene in
Lichemaster a litle more is visible here - for instance, the tavern sign
al the far right, reading “Wuthering Heights”.
‘Wishammer Companion
Ina picture by I think) Kevin Walker in the adventure With a Little
Help from my Friends, te kidnapped childs holding asofttoy which
looks remarkably ike Snoopy, fom the “Peanuts” cartoon strip.
In“180",the Tony Ackland picture from Fire in the Moungains
is reprinted. It's alittle darker, so you may have more luck spotting
the wildlife
‘So there you are. I hope you found at least a couple of things that
‘youhacin’t seen before, and were amused in the process. Ifyou enjoyed
this, look out for the “Scerets of the Warhammer Writers” which
appeared in Warpstone 14 & 15. It explains some of the gaps hidden
in the ridiculous German names, and a few NPCs and plot elements
thattell you more than you need to know about life at Games Workshop
inthe late 80s!
Corruptiog Influence ~ Page 10 3 a
CHAPTER TWO
THE OLD WORLD HOLY KNIGHTS, PAGAN DAYS
Knights Templar in The Old World
Fiery Heart, White Wolves & Myrmidian Orders by Peter Huntington with Addit
Material by John Foody, Templars of Manann by Anthony Ragan, Other Cults by Tim
Eccles & John Foody, New Skills by Tim Eccles
“Most WERP players ha
of what a Templaris, ever
shortcut to a neat set
Freemason” (or any other secret
society you care to mention), In this
of articles we are going to
tuy and explain what a Templar
really w
gt
nplars were (and are in WERP)
the avenging sword-arm of a
= and if that doesn’t make
for some blood’n’guts fun, nothing
will.
Much of the Real World
‘history’ about Templars is, in
‘could argue about what
true until the cows come
THE REAL
TEMPLARS
‘The Founding of the Templars
strength permitted, they should
keep the roads and highways safe
protection of pilgrims.
the name, “The Order of The Po
Knights of Christ and The Temp!
Corrupting Influence ~ Page 12 ‘of Solomon”, andin spite of the daunting sizeof this self-imposed task,
they recruited no help fornine years
‘When the nine returned to Europe in 1127, their fame and
reputation had spread far and wide, The Pope officially recognised
the order, and for the next two decades they expanded on an
extraordinary scale. Younger sons of noble families flocked from
across Europe to ental, bringing with them huge donations
‘Upon joining, knights took a vow of poverty, handing over their
property and wealth o the order. This, coupled with the fact the order
never refused gifts, meant it was soon richer than mest nations, and
better equipped 100; it had its own navy, surgeons and priests, No
European monarch would even consider going on a crusade without
their support. However the Templars answered to no monarch, only
the Pope,
Crusader!
In the Holy Land, the order gained a fearsome reputation, becoming
the archetypal crusader. Upon entry into the order, a knight noc only
took a vow of poverty, but also of chastity and obedience, shaving
their heads and growing beards. They were seen as fierce, fanatical
warrior monks; knight mystics distinctively clad in a white mantle or
‘surcoat with a splayed red eross over their hearts, They were the storm
troopers of the Holy Land. They fought to the death, never retreated
unless outnumbered at least three to one, never asked mercy if captured,
and knew that none - up to and including the Grandmasters - would
‘ever be ransomed by the order.
‘Over the next one hundred and eighty years the Templars"
flourished and the order grew wealthier and more powerful, although
they did make a few mistakes as they went. In 1153, as a Christian
army was laying siege to Ascalon, the Templars forced a breach inthe
city walls. Through this the Grandmaster of the Order entered with a
party of forty knights. He ordered his remaining knights to defend the
breach in the wall against the other Christian soldiers who would try
to enter, intending that the capture of Ascalon would be a victory
purely forthe Order. At first, the Muslim defenders fell back, daunted
by the Templars’ reputations -but when they realised there were only
forty men, they made short work of them.
This story shows the sort of mentality it took to make a Templar.
Supremely disciplined, yet prone to incredible arrogance, they are
prepared to fight and dic (and slaughter as many heathens as possible)
inthe name of their religion,
The Fall
Forte Templars, though, the end was near. In 1306, Philippe TV of
France, jealous and afraid, decided to rd is lands of the Templars
and seize their wealth. To do this, Philippe had to enlist the help of a
Pope (there were three at this time), as only a Pope could onder their
dissolution. Between 1303 and 1305, Philippe had one or possibly
two Pops killed, and one ofhis own candidates elected tote positon.
‘The new Pope, Clement V. was greatly indebted to Philippe and could
tardy refuse his demands, including the suppression ofthe Templars.
Philippe planned his moves with asecrecy any secret service would
have been proud of. Sealed orders were dispatched across the country,
to be opened and acted upon at exactly the same time. At dawn on
Friday, October 13° 1307, all Templars were wo be arrested and their
wealth seized by the king's men, However, despite his best effors,
‘word seemed to reach the Templars, who were able to hide their wealth
‘where Philippe would never find i Many Knights were captured and
charged with crimes against the Church, including Heresy and the
‘wonhip of idols. Those that didnot confess and repent were tortured
and executed.
Although Philippe tried to get other monarehs to join his eause,
‘matched his zeal. In France atleast, the Templars fate was sealed —
Philippe harried and persecuted them without merey. In 1312, bowing to
pressure from Philippe, the Pope officially dissolved the order, and in 1314,
the last official Grandmaster ofthe order, Jacques de Molay, was burned
atthe stake
‘Considering the large number of Knights that escaped arrest, both
in France and abroad, the order did not cease to exist. It went
underground, only to surface in legend and rumour time and again
‘throughout the coming centuries. Some maintain that it still exists
PLAYING A TEMPLAR IN WFRP
How can you realistically play @ character like this? And will they
survive more than ten minutes?
A player wanting to become a Templar ought t be able to justify
this choice, be it as penance for some crime or as a “divin calling’
‘They should be familiar with the religion (rather than the advance
scheme) ~ the GM could even insist on them serving as an initiate
first. Acceptance ito the order will involve the character swearing to
serve the god fora fixed period, usually unt they die. From then on,
the characters firs oyalty must be to the order, to their new brothers
and their religion. They will be expected to hand over all worily
possessions, o obey cult strictures, and often to complete some task
or tral set by the Grandmaster or clerics.
‘All this will makeit necessary 1 have large stock of plot devices
if the player wants to continue ‘adventuring’. More appropriate are
adventures involving obligations such as ceremonial rites, acting as
fan honour guard, or joining military campaigns. Since Templa
detachments are highly regarded for their professionalism, every
warring Prince or Baron will seek to win their support with a suitably
Sized donation to the orders coffer.
Rivalry between ordersislegendary, withthe Sizmaritsand Ulrican