WarhammerQuest

An advanced tabletop Fantasy Role Playing Game

In 1993 I wrote to the Editor of White Dwarf and told him about how I had been bought the game HeroQuest from MB in 1990 as a present, and that I had then bought the expansion sets for that game. When GamesWorkshop then released "Advanced HeroQuest" a year later, I bought it, as well as it's expansion set: "Terror in the Dark". It was basicly a random generation dungeon building system complete with rooms, doors, furniture, monsters, heros and magic. After playing this game system for about a year, I wrote to the editor again and explained that even after buying the rulebook: "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay", I had great difficulty understanding how the game should be properly played, and how there were too many charts to look up and too many different sided dice to throw to run the game smoothly. I suggested several features that would improve the game but most importantly I wanted a game system that would allow the characters to leave the confines of the dungeon and adventure out and about in the world of Warhammer. I named this, as yet undeveloped, game: "WarhammerQuest" and he and his production team liked the idea so much they brought it out in 1995 just the way I had described, but using the much better card based generation system. But the rulebook for WarhammerQuest was perfect for beginners to enter the Fantasy World of Warhammer.

I then expanded the game to include the rest of the world of Warhammer by buying the tabletop war game system simply called Warhammer and it's expansion set: "Warhammer Battle Magic", all of the Warhammer Armies rulebooks and every issue of White Dwarf that featured an Advanced HeroQuest or WarhammerQuest article. I also added the Special Characters packs and treasure decks released to expand the basic WarhammerQuest game. I had also spent years scouring the shops of Dublin for any generic Fantasy Role Playing books, models and magazines to further expand the game. I was also lucky enough to be given the fantasy models and rulebooks belonging to a friend of my wife's who had been a RuneQuest GM. Now all of this material needed to be properly organised and when my wife at the time brought me home two old Bisely cabinets as a present from the markets in 1996, I knew they would be ideal. Using the covers of the game boxes to cover one cabinet to contain the dungeon building system, and a fantasy poster to cover the other, containing all the monsters; I created the GamesMaster's System you see in the photo above.

The "Advanced HeroQuest" portion of the game provides basic corridors and rooms. Spells from four different colleges of magic are included in the Bright Wizard's spell book, The Amythist Wizard's spell book, The Light Wizard's spell book and the Jade Wizard's spell book. A typical adventure begins with four heros, a Wizard, a Knight, a Dwarf and a Barbarian entering a dungeon filled with monsters, with three Henchmen hired as retainers. The WarhammerQuest dungeon set comprises much more elaborate and colourful rooms. I covered a discarded baker's tray from a bread-van with green beize to make the playing area. It's raised edges stop dice rolling off the table when playing a game. Usally an adventure needs four warriors to play the game properly. Firstly and most importantly you'll need a Wizard, because if you don't got no Wizard you aint got no magic. Then you'll need someone to play the part of a Barbarian, an Elf and a Dwarf. One could also play the role of a more specialised character such as a Pit Fighter, a Knight or even a Choas Warrior. You could if you wish even include a second Bright Wizard.

Back in '96, when I used to write to WhiteDrarf, one of the things I suggested to the editor was that there should be some female characters included in the game, as up until then I think every single model that came out of GamesWorkshop was male. I found it tricky to find female models but I felt it important to include them in the game. Now a player could play the roles of, for example, a maiden, a druidess, a female elven warrior , a wizard's apprentice or a dancer..

A typical adventure will more than likely begin in a pub, in this example: welcome to the Green Griffen. As luck would have it the first person you run into is God. Well at least he thinks he is, and he seems to have some pretty powerful magic to back it up. Perhaps you explain that you're looking for a party of adventurers to join you in your quest but he doesn't seem to be interested. You seem to have encountered a group of wizards gathered together. One of them walks up to you, introduces himself as one Alister and explains that they're all rather busy exchanging news from their different colleges of magic and that they'd be happy to help you it's just that they won't be ready to go anywhere for quite some time.

The landlord of this establishment interrupts asking you if you wouldn't mind sitting down somewhere and explains he'd only be too happy to bring you a mug of grog or gutrot; whichever you'd prefer. As you thank him and say that you don't really mind and look around to see where you should sit, the door bursts open and two characters enter the pub looking as though they'd come through just one door too many. A wizard from the Jade College pays them no heed as he reads a rather long letter. One of them, a tall elven warrior approaches you and speaks to you in a strange tongue. You reply that you don't speak elvish and he turns and examines the table behind him. His companion approaches you. He seems to be a young wizard and he demands to know who you are. As he seems to be brandishing a square dagger you decide you'd better tell him.

So who are you ? An Enchantress perhaps ? An Amythist Wizard and his apprentice ? Or a stranger from a foreign land named Baltazar ? In WarhammerQuest you get to choose. As luck would have it strangers begin turning up at the Green Griffen all night. You realise soon enough that if you fail to find volunteers to accompany you, you could always bring someone with you as you travel through Warhammer World; if you have enough gold to pay a mercenary his wage. Or for a little extra gold; a vetern like Lucky Pete might be persuaded to join you for protection where you're headed in the morning.

"Why wait ?" an athletic looking elf smilingly inquires. "I can always smell a good adventure before it happens, and would love to go with you. They call me Guynan, Dragon Slayer and these are my brothers with me." You realise her brothers are Elven Wardancers and a smile broadens on your face. Perhaps with a bit of luck and someone like these elves on your side you just might succeed in your quest.

It isn't long before morning and, in this example, Baltazar leads his group of adventurers into the catacombs that have recently been discovered beneath the ruins of a temple. A "Dungeon" could be pre-prepared like this one; to divide the adventurers up and have each of them meet his or her own fate or doom. Baltazar should have listened to Guynan the previous evening, for a team from the Dark Side have reached the temple before them and are already inside. Things look bright and cheerful outside in the morning light, but beneath the ground in dark tunnels are a Chaos Sorceror, a Chaos Lord, a Champion of Chaos ( or Ninja as he'd prefer to be known ) and an Enchantress.

Upon entering the passageway discovered beneath the temple, Baltazar and his friends the wardancers arrive at a doorway. They have probably all sworn to stick together and never to do anything stupid like split up or go off on their own to rescue the cat. More than likely they form a plan of attack in case there's anything 'unpleasant' behind the door. They're rather pleased to see the Enchantress they'd met the previous evening. She smiles at them and asks if they're any good with magic circles ?" Before you have time to reply she continues: "You see I keep doing this" and you see a complex magical circle glow and revolve on the floor in front of you. "And this keeps happening" With those words spoken, the air behind her explodes in front of another door to the right of a long room. The Game has begun.

If Baltazar does figure out the workings of the circle he will discover that it reveals a hidden doorway leading into a narrow passageway filled with rats and bats. If the group decides to persuade the Enchantress to leave the circle alone at least long enough for them to bid her farewell they have the chance to proceed onwards into the circular room. Here they discover, as soon as someone steps into the room, it quickly revolves and leaves the occupant facing either Door Number 1 and a trapped Chaos Sorceror trying to escape from an active volcano by smashing his way through the stone walls with Lightning Blasts, or through Door Number 2 and a Chaos Lord and a Chaos Champion who have just finished 'questioning' someone, or through Door Number 3 that leads to another pub with some interesting mushrooms and fungus growing among the flagstones of the floor. And if they search for it; a trapdoor leading to the next level of the dungeon, where things get really dangerous.

This sample dungeon illustrates a group of adventurers decending into level 2. The group is lead by a sorceroress who's accompanied by a Witch Hunter, a Jade Wizard, a Warrior Priest, and a Druid. They quickly encounter a wraith in the tunnel. In a nearby cavernous room filled with gold is a young dragon and four frozen warriors from a time long ago. Opposite is a Tomb Room where the dead are rising from their graves. Further down the tunnel a zombie dragon approaches their position. Nearby is a guard room filled with skeleton warriors and a prison cell guarded by a troll. But who is the prisioner and why does another troll guard the top of a steep stairway decending to an even lower level. Further away in another room a Necromancer is responsible for the raising of the dead in these tombs under the temple. At the back of the dungeon a coldone knight waits while his mount feeds. But I guess what everyone is wondering is where's the dwarf ?

A group consisting of a Knight in chain-mail, an Elven Wardancer, a Dwarf Troll Slayer, some dubious Henchmen as bodygaurds and a Wizard; who has decided to stay in the first room there is so much magic there for him to learn. He has divined that the only foes that they'll have to face are some Orcs, a spider and a duck. So without a wizard and without magic, the group descend into Level 3 of the dungeon. The first Wandering Monster they meet is a Goblin Shaman riding a giant spider. Beyond lies the Crypt Room gaurded by some really big Orcs. Farther on down the tunnel is a cavern and base camp for a war party of regular Orcs. A secret door leads from the magic room to a smithy where a non-player character Dwarf is forging a magic weapon. This room discovered allows for another player to join the group as the Dwarf. In the last room is enough supplies for the group to camp out and recouperate and rest, a huge treasure hoard and a duck named Howard. If the group rescue the duck, they will have completed their Quest. Should be simple ! :-)

The game WarhammerQuest allows adventurers to leave the confines of the dungeon and travel throughout the Warhammer world. While travelling characters are likely to encounter anyone including a party of Goblin Wolf Riders, a few good knights or a few bad ones. They are also likely to come accross some large monsters and powerful enemies. You might decide to bring your horse and dog as you travel. But what if you encountered a giant and some ogres ? Or a cavalry unit of skeleton warriors ? An Empire patrol would certainly help. You might just be one lone Dwarf, or you might have brought your friends, and their friends as back-up. With a bit of help from some High Elf archers and lancers or Wood Elves, even Wardancers, you'd have nothing to worry about. You mightn't need the big guns. ( Unless a few Minotaurs were on the loose. )

All the trouble seems caused by Mordor the Dark Lord plotting some evil. It might take a fearless Dragon Rider sent by the Elven Queen to defeat him. Some enemies are simply creations of the chaos forces such as the Beastmen, but some are just pure evil while others fortell doom. Chaos creatures and Orc Shamans aren't encountered in every adventure, but with a little bending of the rules you could be playing the part of an Ogre and just bash them. Danger is everywhere, sometimes swooping out of the sky above. But with a bit of luck and a good GamesMaster you'll soon get to enjoy the chaos and mayhem of Warhammer World and come home a hero.

The game also includes a briefcase to bring models with you and a fully equipted paint box to paint to figurines. To help you get started a Painting Guide is included.

To think this all evolved from the release of the game HeroQuest...but then that was the idea.

To begin a game a person first chooses a character for the game. I usually offer the choice of race first. You choose whether you want to be a Human, an Elf or a Dwarf. If you choose Human or Elf you can also select whether you'd like to have a character as male or female. Then based on your choice you get to choose which of the following roles you'd like to play in the game.

Race	Role
Human	Barbarian	Males1 Males2 3
	Wizard	Female
	Noble	Females Male
	Knight	Females Male
	Chaos Warrior
	Gladiator
	Warrior Priest	Males 2
	Footballer
	Witch Hunter	Male
Elf	Wood Elf	Male
	War Dancer	Female1 2 Male
	Elf Ranger	Male
Dwarf	Warrior	Male1 2 3
	Troll Slayer	Male

 

Dungeon Builders can obtain all the background material they require about Warhammer World in the series of Armies books on each race: Chaos, Undead, Orcs, High Elves, Dark Elves, Skaven, Wood Elves, Dwarfs and Human. Other suggested reading material is the WarhammerQuest supplement 'Deathblow', the Citadel Journal issues 23 & 25, the Sorcery Spell Book by Steve Jackson, Role Playing Mastery by Gary Gygax, Volume 1 of the Campaign Book, and the Warhammer Fantasy Supplement 'Apocrypha Now', Dicing with Dragons by Ian Livingstone, Plague Daemon, Catalogues, Price Lists, Tips on modeling, Workshop projects, Golden Demon award winners, Heavy Metal, and other articles of Magic and Lore

Additional fantasy material might be magazines and supplements from other FRPGs such as RuneQuest. These supplements from RuneQuest might stretch your imagination a little but I'm told they were good fun to play. Last Province, Arcane, The Grenadier Bulletin and books such as the Chaosium/Pendragon publication 'Pagan Shore' provide wonderful additional material.. Although some of the earlier material strays a little from the fantasy genre. The best place to begin the hobby would be a book like 'Heros for Wargames' by Stewart Parkinson.

I hope to auction the entire game on ebay soon but it seems I've to arrange postage and packageing.
( That's going to be a little difficult...let me work on it.)
The full list of contents is approximately as follows:

50 Empire + 11 mounted troops + 1 cannon
84 Assorted Heros and Wizards
30 Dwarves
77 Elves
65 Orcs + 2 mounted Orcs
117 Goblins + 6 mounted Goblins
12 Snotlings
12 Rats
12 Bats
12 Spiders
80 Undead + 2 Large Undead + 10 mounted Undead
97 Chaos + 23 Large Chaos + 7 mounted Chaos
10 Dark Elves
51 Skaven
2 Dragons

Total 772 models ( approx. )