How popular is Warhammer in the UK?

[hellbender]

Agree



I disagree. The system was seriously clunky and fell apart pretty soon (around 4000-5000 xp) at higher experience totals. Also the magic system was stupid - mages absolutely sucked. Where a melee type could be pretty potent after just 2000 xp, wizards required 10000 xp to be strong.

I liked the system when we used it, but the fact that there was no 2nd edition WFRP doesn't mean that one wasn't needed.

I didn't think the system was that bad. First system to incorporate advancement like the 3e prestige class system. As for wizards, we homebrewed a magic system, but it was still nothing like post 1e dnd. Magic in the Warhammer world mostly comes from one source, and that is a dangerous path indeed. Our group had more fun playing Chaos Warbands (a sort of spinoff within the Realms of Chaos Books) using the rpg instead of miniatures. Pretty creepy stuff. There is (or was) a rather nice 3e story hour that had a definite Warhammer flavor, I cannot recall whose it is, but it made for a most interesting read.

hellbender

 

[Numion]

I didn't think the system was that bad. First system to incorporate advancement like the 3e prestige class system.

Well, the system did have excellent qualities too. The system really encouraged roleplaying, which is very nice of course. That's why I would've liked very much to see a WFRP 2nd edition ... they could've kept all the good things and fixed all the clunky, inconsistent and unbalanced rules.

How should I put it? It is a good system for year 1986, but hasn't stood the test of time very well, even though people like to argue to the contrary. I DMed it for a 4,5 year campaign, FWIW.

 

[hellbender]

Well, the system did have excellent qualities too. The system really encouraged roleplaying, which is very nice of course. That's why I would've liked very much to see a WFRP 2nd edition ... they could've kept all the good things and fixed all the clunky, inconsistent and unbalanced rules.

How should I put it? It is a good system for year 1986, but hasn't stood the test of time very well, even though people like to argue to the contrary. I DMed it for a 4,5 year campaign, FWIW.

There is always room for improvement, so I won't argue the point. Decent mechanics, easy to homebrew what you need, awesome setting, and if you wanted miniatures for the game, hey, no problem there at all, there is another game just devoted to miniatures battle. I ran WFRP from 86 to 91 myself, and got back into it...just to have it collapse. But there is an rpg shop nearby with most all the books, I might grab a few more, the system is still playable.

hellbender

 

[Red Spire Press]

At the risk of coming off as presumptuous (and hijacking this thread), we're hoping that Dark Legacies will appeal to the WH/ex-WH crowd. Even though its d20 and many folk in the GW camp have a particular loathing for anything d20.

 

[dropshadow]

Yuval,
That setting looks really cool!

I take place on Earth right? But with fantasy races?

 

[Red Spire Press]

Yuval,
That setting looks really cool!

I take place on Earth right? But with fantasy races?

Yep, a whole lot of things changed after the world fell half way into the Abyss. When you read about "the Abyss on the horizon" in our latest web feature, we're not being metaphorical.

 

[hellbender]

Yep, a whole lot of things changed after the world fell half way into the Abyss. When you read about "the Abyss on the horizon" in our latest web feature, we're not being metaphorical.

Thanks for the link, the game looks very nice! Not everyone into Warhammer loathes d20! And Adrian Smith art! His artbook is out next month from the Black Library, it should be amazing!

hellbender

 

[Bagpuss]

I would say that Warhammer FB, and 40K (particularly 40K) are way more popular than D&D or all roleplaying games taken together in the UK. Couldn't put figures on it but for example...

I know of about one RPG shop (okay and a comic shop that sells some RPGs) in 40 miles radius, I can think at least 5 Games Workshops and at least two other model shops that sell GW shops in that distance.

Although there is a lot of cross over with the players most of the people I know who play GW games also RPG and visa versa. Its just GW's format sells better, especially with kids.

Most kids can buy a blister a week with their pocket money, but most can't by and RPG product a week. Also you don't need to buy any RPG books once you've got the core books or even just the PHB (heck with 3 copies at the table the rest of the players don't even need to buy that to play!) But to play a GW you have to have as a minimum about £100 worth of kit.

So 6 friends playing GW games is a minimum of £600 pounds in sales although more likely £2400. It is likely to be considerablely more as most GW players I know have a minimum of 2 armies.

Or 6 friends play D&D is say one complete set £60+ £40 for two more PHBs. Total £100. Perhaps the DM will by a few extra books but its never going to be anywhere near the money spent to play GW games, but most RPG players I know don't own more than the PHB and a lot don't even own that.

Is it any wonder GW can support more shops, and thus promote their hobby more and thus increase sales more.

 

[Graf]

This has been informative. I had no idea the game was so popular. People who play Warhammer are an intense substrate of very dedicated gamers here.

What's a high street? (a few people mentioned stuff being on high streets or not on high streets so I'm assuming it's a term and not a place)

 

[Imperialus]

I used to play in a WHFRP campaign and had a blast. Like Hellbender we ran a campaign useing rules ripped from the Realms Of Chaos sourcebook and ended up bringing the empire to it's knees by the end of it. One of the other players was a sorcerrer of slannesh and he preserved the life of our most recent victim of importance and we would ride into battle with his body nailed to a bannerpole, the only differance being he was still alive and in a lot of pain and would remain so untill we cut him down. I still look back fondly on my character from that campaign... He was a beastman who everyone just called Dog. He was the bannerman and bodyguard to the party leader who became a Chaos King by the end of it... Then our Nurgle allies turned on us and we spent the rest of the campaign fighting to keep our conquests together.