Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition! Goodbye 2nd Edition?
Got any threes? Nope, go slaughter.
I sorta can’t believe it, but it’s real, it’s rewritten the entire system, dice use, game mechanics and style of play! It comes in a box and costs an arm and a leg. As Mr. Horse would …say, “No sir, I don’t like it.” =(
WFRP3 at Fantasy Flight Games
Got any threes? Nope, go slaughter.
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=729
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=93&esem=1
I’m not surprised, after all the conversations that kept going a little too solidly, that a new edition was released. I’m not even super surprised the die mechanics were changed. I am absolutely flabbergasted at the whole cloth rewrite of the entire thing, etc. I honestly didn’t expect anything like what was done, even with a sneak peak quote a month or so ago noting it had cards and was more boardgamey.
I honestly have to say I’m disappointed, but more for myself, and us, stuck in the past, much like when we played first edition long after it was out of print and not supported by anybody – once again we backed a losing horse, mainstream-wise, though I don’t regret the time spent (and that I’m still going to spend) playing WFRP1 or WFRP2 and all the things I’ve written for it and things I’ve downloaded from other fans – it’s a lot of fun! And – it looks like we’re going to continue fan-community stuff for WFRP.
I’m stunned by the $100 pricetag, even Axis and Allies was only $50 when I got it years back, I don’t know about these boxed tabletop wargames nowdays but they’re not even that high are they? They ought to package the World’s Largest Dungeon with WFRP3 and charge $200 for it just to make the betrayal complete
Gotta catch 'em all!
Gotta catch 'em all!
But I do understand the move, as noted, essentially FFG is selling different versions of WFRP to two entirely different fanbases – pretty shrewd. I’m very interested to SEE the new WFRP3 and how it plays and the mechanics, but definitely won’t be buying it – a bit too floomfy and also complicated at the same time – I definitely don’t like the idea of dozens of “pieces”, cards, chits, etc. to scatter and fall in the floor and get lost and have to be gathered up every time, no thanks – thumbs down.
I guess I’m surprised at the format – it’s a giant boxed set, of four four-color, full-sized, glossy hardcover books, character cards, attack cards, item cards, dice with funky symbols on them, etc. The colors are great, don’t get me wrong, but they’ve changed the title logo/font yet again. It does indeed look a lot like a cross between Magic: The Gathering and HeroQuest, and while I liked both just fine and wrote my own stuff for it too – it was most definitely no roleplaying game, but it was, I admit, a good intro to them for new potential players. But still, I mean just look at this box of wrong.
All for only a paltry $100.00 USD
And even better, look at what one of the books looks like…
Deja Vu, Man!
Is it just me, or does this fantasy RPG book cover style look somewhat familiar? I can’t quite place where I’ve seen this type of design before… oh, I’m sure I must be mistaken, they wouldn’t blatantly copy another company’s graphical layout and style of their books – that would be pretty weak.
So we meet again!
It’s like Fantasy Flight Games, the current publisher of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay franchise, decided they needed to do something radically different than their normal approach, and decided that completely reinventing a venerable, time-tested, much beloved game system, into something nearly unrecognizable to players of the first two editions, was the way to go.
They approached us like a waiter in a snooty restaurant, saying, “Good evening, I’ll be destroying your hope for today, if there’s anything else I can pulverize, please be sure to let me know.”
Good luck, Fantasy Flight Games and bastardized $100 dollar Warhammer Fantasy “Roleplay” game – it was nice while it lasted.
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About The Author
Have you even played the game? The system is so innovative its untrue. The dice give you far more scope for role playing. This is what the game is all about, story telling. It has no battle grid… it uses a system called abstract measurement which gives far more options to the player and allows your imagination to take over.
I am still learning the rules, but from what I have played so far the game is brilliant. The only areas it lacks are:
1) The price tag
2) Typos in the books and on some of the cards
3) A lack of advanced career options for Wizards, Slayers, Priests and other careers in general.
4) The books could be indexed slightly better. I am waiting for the GM toolkit to get the screen, but meh.
I have not played it – as I said, I’ve only approached the comments from the standpoint of my outside perspective, and from someone who has played Warhammer up until this point.
I have seen many people give it good recommendation so I have no doubt it is enjoyable to some. I might like it – it is not so much the system, as I said before, it is the fact they didn’t use it in a DIFFERENT game – they gutted a working system in a recognized game, rather than developing a new franchise. Bad move. But thanks for your comments!
I have been looking for an RPG to play with my kids. I have not done much roleplaying at all. I would not have chose Warhammer at all before I saw the new edition. Now I plan on getting it. So this new system has attracted at least one person that would not have been a Warhammer Roleplayer.
I think that’s great, I think you and your kids will probably like it a lot, I hope so, and I thank you for sharing your thoughts. Like I said, the system itself doesn’t look BAD, in fact I wouldn’t mind playing it. I like new or different mechanics, and I do have my gripes with the 1st and 2nd edition mechanics and would prefer something somewhat different for it, but to just gut the whole thing and change the entire concept of the whole style of play altogether.
Not just the dice system, but cards and stunts and party profiles, etc. It’s basically a completely different game with the same system – it’s almost unheard of. It’s like making movie sequels that have nothing to do with the of the movie they bear the name of. Plus all the people that own stuff for the previous systems, which are not BAD systems, and which are still playable and can even be adapted to something else.
As an experieced GM and player in WFRP 1st adn 2nd ed., unfotunately this sounds to much like a mix of a politically correct ‘adventure game’ and the notoriously slow rules of role master. This is not WFRP as in the past,no sir!. The soul of the game is gone – dissapointing. To much cardboard and plastic for my tast and no cult….
Thanks for your thoughts, Carsten, it looks like your comments got cut off a bit there, unfortunately, I would have liked to have seen the entirety of that reply. But no, this is definitely not the Warhammer of the past.
I’ve basically, for myself, given up on WFRP except as the 1st and 2nd edition materials and fan work are concerned – I’d play or get 3rd if it falls into my lap but I have no interest in hunting it down and saving up for it and going through the headache of even looking at trying to convert things between systems.
Hi,
I bought the 3rd ed rules and have played a lot of 2nd. All in all I pefer 3rd ed the die system is very neat and the power crds are a reat idea no more flicking though a book to find a powers details its tey rigth infront of the player. give it a try you will be pleasantly suprized.
That’s a nice, simple summary. Can’t fault that – does make me curious about trying it out, could be a decent system.
I just bought it for $150.00 AUD (Australian). In my opinion it’s very good value for what it is. And I think you are getting very hung up on the fact that it’s obviously very different from previous incarnations. I personally applaud FFG for taking the system in a different direction and the core mechanic is just brilliant. I hope they continue to expand on the system myself.
Not sure about the AUD/USD exchange but that sounds fairly top-dollar, or at least about the same as it cost when it first came out, but I may be wrong – I recall some people saying they bought it for $50 USD but it may have been used on eBay.
Well, like I said, I’d like to try it, it doesn’t sound so bad, overall, but they left a lot of 1st and 2nd Edition fans, which kept the game going for them to be able to pick up the license and make money off it, out in the cold, and redid the whole system, trashing all the previous sourcebooks and supplements and not providing any official conversion charts or tables.
Even though that would have been a lot of work for GMs, it would have been a nod by the company, of appreciation and understanding, and throwing them a bone and a “here, we know you already spent hundreds on the other stuff, so here’s a way to keep using it to make your Warhammer experience even fuller – but do check out our new stuff too!” There’s nothing wrong with being decent to people that are making you money.
nice post JP, OK so i have been curious about this System. out with the old in with the new….I’m cool with that except for a few things. i do believe FFG probably put a lot of work into this system and its true it seems quite inovative. there are some things to be merited here.
my first issues is where did this come from. why the complete reHall? it speaks of a whole Marketing ploy to me. “if we make a new system people will need to re bye all new stuff” $$$. its the way most Roleplaying companies get more money. its a business after all. but when you invest time and money into a system you love its very hard to just through that all away and start fresh.
if you look at the newer version it reminds me so much of Advanced Hero Quest like nothing else. why didn’t they not call it something like that and publish it as a warhammer type game. i guess its a global move to make RPG games more like the Gamming style of WOW even then newer art work is heading towards that style.
You had some awesome original artwork from John Blanche in the v1 which was truly original and really helped create a feel for War hammer as that grim foggy wet and some what oppressive medieval European environment that set it apart from D&D and still does. fantasy art has become so generic and its so sad to see Warhammer v3 head down the same WOW/D&D path.
unfortunately i feel like FFG didn’t really review the old system for any of its merits v1-2 where a fast but detailed system which allowed you alot of freedom. now this new system has headed down the old tabletop cards and dice system its sorta taken the romance out of the game and particularly the artwork on these glossy over charactered colored cards ruins most of it for me sort like eating an over cheesy cheese Pizza.
Ah well its a new game so take it or leave it i guess if your new to the this then jump in FFGs and made some great Tabletop games for good old family fun. but for me sorry FFGs i doubt t I’ll be investing my time in the new system especially as they seem to be company that believes they know best and has no interest in connecting with the established and passionate community. also now there is a clear separation between tabletop battle and Roleplaying which is a dam shame for massive campaigns.
well back to collecting old Warhammers Roleplay stuff woot :)… thanks FFGs for making these gems more collect-able.
rockin it Old school :)
john
Thanks for the reply, I’m going to repost this comment as an article (I’ll remove it if the author objects).
I bought it at an unbelievable discount from my local store & have to say that I’m impressed with the system.
The dice represent a step forward in role playing; the cards are a nice-to-have reference for the GM & player, and a great visual; I like the idea of the cutouts & their representation, although, I think I’m going to replace them with pewter figures as I am able.
I think I paid $59.99 US for mine, plus I bought the Adventurer’s Kit, the GM Kit, & a campaign. I’m looking forward to role playing like I haven’t since I first started as a teenager. FFG hit a home run with this one.