WFRP 4e House Rules

Opposed Rolls

Essentially a simplification on the 4e rules.

• If both parties succeed at the skill test, the party with the highest roll wins
• If both parties fail, the party with the lowest roll wins 
• If Success Level is required use the value of the tens die
• If both failed the winner's Success Level = 0

Example

Magdalena is locked in melee combat with Sir Vaksman. She is armed with a sword and has Melee(Basic) 69, Sir Vaksman is not quite so great, also armed with a sword he's got Melee(Basic) 54. Round 1 Magdalena gets a 52 and Sir Vaksman rolls a 17. Both have rolled under their respective skill values, but Magdalena's roll being higher means she wins, and as its a 52 that equals 5 Success Levels, meaning +5 Wounds damage. Brutal. Round 2 she gets a 71 and he a 58, both fail, but as Sir Vaksman's roll is lower he wins the round, though with no Success Levels, so no modifier to damage.

Rationale

Combat in WFRP involves way too much arithmetic for me, I find it can be overwhelming when there's a lot of combatants and slows everything down. This system is functionally the same as the rules as written, but does away with having to subtract dice roll from Skill value to determine Success Levels which then have to be compared before the SL is applied. Simply compare dice rolls, if both succeed the highest roll wins with the tens die being used for the SL. So fast and elegant.

My only reticence with this is that we've been playing percentile game systems for so long that our reactions to low dice rolls are virtually Pavlovian. I changed Criticals from being on doubles to rolls of 01-3 for that reason, and although we're sticking with that we'll just need see how we got on with any dissonance caused by this new change.

I came across this opposed resolution mechanic in an Idle Cartulary review of the Horror game Fear & Panic. I'd been planning to write and post this since making the change, then the other day I was watching Seth Skorkowsky's enticing review of Delta Green and he mentioned that it uses this mechanic too, with the added wrinkle that in the case of fails the lowest wins. This detail somehow feels more satisfying to me than Fear and Panic's highest fail wins. We'll see how it all feels after some proper usage, which hopefully the next few game sessions should provide...  

Melee Combat: Polearms

All Polearm weapons (except for Quarterstaff) can be used at a range of 1, i.e. they can be used to attack an opponent who is 2m (1 square) away and thus not in base-base contact.

Melee Combat: Reloading

Reloading a weapon while adjacent to an opponent automatically grants initiative to the opponent along with 1 point of Advantage should they wish to attack you immediately (which you can only oppose with Dodge). Note the opponent does not gain an extra attack from this, it simply alters the initiative order and gives them advantage.

 

 

The Enemy Within - Session 131

22/12/25

Into the Mountains

The party decide to stay at Dunfurter another day to give Norgrim more time to recover from his broken ribs. Mid morning a wagon, a carriage bearing the Karzburdger coat of arms, 4 mounted soldiers and a messenger arrive at the Castle. Kepler Karzburdger is here with his wife. Magdalena accosts them in the great hall, introducing herself to his wife, Lady Titia. Kepler is mostly cordial, there are no blackmail threats but he doesn't stay chatting for long. 

Farfordda meets with one of the other travelers in the castle garden - Imelda Van Haffner, Green Wizard of the Hochland College of Sorcery, she traveled to Holzbek with Count Von Ludenhof, they had seen though not spoken to her at the reading of the will. Apparently Kepler had brought her here along with the 4 soldiers to collect the hunting dogs bequeathed to the Count. She is eager to hear what Farfordda can tell her, obviously knowing that he and the gang rescued Ada and asks him about Middenheim where she hears they have been. 

Farfordda tells her of the ratmen, and their cult in the city - how they went there to track down their friend Blitzen, but he had been captured by them as was their friend Professor Eunice. The nearby village of Unterfaus was abducted by these ratmen just a few days ago and now the party intend to travel to an old dwarf hold in the mountains occupied by the ratmen to rescue their friends. It is likely the ratmen will threaten Hochland too before long. 

Imelda says she had intended to try employ their skills for her master, to slay Gazrin One-horn, but it sounds like they are busy enough. She can tell Farfordda little of Holzbek save that she knows Lady Eisenhal left and tensions in the town run high. She then inquires more directly after Middenheim having heard queer things about it lately. Farfordda tells her the aristocracy have been thoroughly infiltrated by a chaos cult, that the so called Inquisition is effectively an arm of it and that they murdered both the elfs at court, relating which detail upsets him. Once more in charge of himself he asks Imelda if she will help teach him some magic and she consents, so they spend the remainder of the day at work in the garden (learning Entangle). 

Amos spends his day in the library, vainly scouring books for useful information on the mountains and Norgrim takes it easy, attempting to train his dog in between resting. 

Magdalena seeks out Meyer - he tells her the latest from the town; Lady Eisenhal managed to turn the wealthy against Magistrate Allman, making out that it was her dereliction which endangered the lives of the Holzbeks - these agitators in her town that she had failed to deal with. Lady Eisenhal left for Sohk with Duke Immelscheid and his troops days ago. Von Reiter has managed to capture one of the arsonists - part of some revolutionary group from Middenheim. Tensions in the town are high. Meyer will leave for there as soon as he feels Ada is settled in here. Among those who arrived today is Frau Martinez the Estalian housekeeper of Holzbek Manor, until he can find Ada a tutor he will entrust her with Ada's care. 

Magdalena tells him she and her associates intend to head for the ruins of the Two Fingers, they plan to take on the ratmen who abducted the inhabitants of Unterfraus and seek useful intelligence to that end. Meyer warns her that his lack of knowledge regarding the Two Fingers is a reflection of how deadly it might be. He wishes she would stay and lead forces to help stabilize the region, he needs the Unterfraus mine producing ore again as soon as possible. Perhaps they could destroy the great Orc monument on their journey to the Two Fingers, that would boost the morale of the people? 

She warns him do not try resettle Unterfraus without serious military force, and that destroying a symbol would offer only false hope. They will return here after visiting the Two Fingers before heading for the ratmen stronghold. She asks him to have a note sent to Oberholzbek informing any dwarves who arrive there that Magdalena and her dwarves can be reached here at Dunfurter. As she makes to leave he tells her that he knows she is a wanted fugitive in Middenheim and while others might seek to use that fact against her there is nothing but gratitude and respect for her here in the Barony of Holzbek.

Finally they leave on the cold morning of the 8th Nachgeheim. Magdalena in parting from Ada sets her a task to train Norgrim's dog while she is gone, she expects to return in a week. Then they ride out. They make good time, following the long glen north east up into the mountains, then dismount to turn north west over the rough route that leads up behind what the Oberholzbekers call 'The Shoulder'. It is near dusk when they make camp at the shallow cave their goblin prey camped at a two weeks ago.

Next morning they head on, it is cold and damp and mist gathers thickly, obscuring all. They hope to reach the head of the Kleiflusch valley by dark and camp in the forest a few miles east of the Two Fingers. Mid morning they spy the route which curves off around the Shoulder to the Red Tusk monument, and although they can see neither that or the peaks around them Farfordda and Amos spy clear fresh tracks, coming from the direction of the monument and traveling in the same direction as they. Seven Orcs passed this way an hour or so ago... 

The Enemy Within - Session 130

 13/12/25

Deliberations

 We rewind to Magnus Rest at the start as Karwel got forgotten about last session. Farfordda says his goodbyes to him and they agree to leave messages for each other here at the inn (addressed to Thindra) and Coppershiners in Middenheim, just in case. Before heading on for Dunfurter they also hear from the other travelers present that the Graf's huntsman, the elf Allavandrel, was killed in a hunting accident - some say it wasn't an accident, that really he was a spy for Marrisith the Queen of Laurelorn.

We snap forwards to the morning of the 5th. The party awake at Dunfurter, Magdalena from disturbing dreams that rob her of a restful night. At breakfast Meyer tells them a rider arrived from the inn a short while ago, apparently a hunter arrived at Unterfraus yesterday to find the village empty, there were many signs of struggle but only a few corpses. As the party plan to weather out the next day or two here at the castle, recovering and planning, Meyer sends Ulman the hunstman and a posse of men-at-arms to Unterfraus to investigate, brother Holsenheimer goes with them to perform last rites.

Otherwise the party mostly rest, Magdalena plays with Ada a little and receives some healing (from the housekeeper), Amos studies his book on engineering and has the blacksmith alter a chain-mail hauberk to fit him, Thindra hangs with the blacksmith and Norgrim rests and moves as little as possible to speed recovery of his broken ribs. They weigh up their options, should they head straight up the Taub to try reach Karak Skygg, maybe trying to find Ingrid the hermit near the ford, or make for the ruins of the Two Fingers first? Farfordda consults the Tarot; is Mariposa at the Two Fingers? Maybe. 

The following afternoon Ulman and crew return from Unterfraus with some gruesome details. The body of the Ulrican priest was found tied to the altar, likely tortured to death. In a barn an upturned cart looked like it had been used as some kind of operating table, a gelatinous pile of eyes being found beneath it and 2 dead, eyeless villagers in a corner. 

From the tracks it looked like the villagers had been herded into the mine, then the main tunnel demolished with explosives. A bloodied skaven knife was found in one of the houses. Meyer knows little of the Skaven, to him they're just another brand of Beastmen and Unterfraus is just another problem on his teetering plate of troubles.

Farfordda consults the Tarot again, once more asking if Mariposa is at the Two Fingers. This time he gets what he considers to be a more conclusive answer - no. The party decide they will travel there regardless, perhaps they can find something to aid them with their infiltration of Karak Skygg. 

From the castle Farfordda manages to acquire a bear trap, 2 fighting nets and 3 flasks of oil. Tomorrow, 7th Nachgeheim they will head into the mountains...

The Enemy Within - Session 129

 6/12/25

Back on the Road 

Looking through the bedroom windows, back into the inner courtyard, Farfordda can see the fire is spreading throughout the ground floor. He leaves the room and drops down into the courtyard as one of the Eisenhal guards rushes in - where is sir Vaksman, where is Ada! 

Magdalena takes a sheet from the bed and uses it to lower Ada down to Farfordda. He carries her out into the yard where Lady Eisenhal calls out in apparent relief. Amos is up now and has entered the courtyard with his crossbow - Farfordda tells him look after Ada and goes back for Magdalena. Amos blocks Lady Eisenhal from getting to hug her niece. 

Another Eisenhal guard barks wheres Vaksman at Magdalena as she climbs down into the courtyard - up there she gestures. The building is well ablaze now, some of the dozen horses in the courtyard have panicked and fled. Bells ring out as townsfolk join the fight against the blaze - though shouts of burn the nobles are heard sporadically.

Magdalena tells Lady Eisenhal to go to the Meissen house - then heads to the temple of Verena with Ada and Amos,Von Reiter passes them on his way to the blaze - she gives him a quick summary of what actually happened. Farfordda takes the remaining horses to the stables at the Roaming Pint whilst a bleary eyed Norgrim and Thindra get their possessions out of the burning building.

At the temple of Verena Magdalena relates the story to Meyer, that she dispatched Sir Vaksman after he attempted to murder her and Ada. He says Sir Vaksman would never do anything without Lady Eisenhal's say so, maybe says Magdalena, but Elena seemed distressed on Ada's account. Farfordda arriving at the temple proposes that the key question is whether Vaksman started the fire or merely took advantage of it. Meyer thinks on balance that they should still leave the town first thing in the morning and get Ada to the safety of the castle. He heads out to the fire to find Von Reiter. 

Frau Allman arrives shortly after Meyer leaves - Amos had dropped by to get her on his way back to the fire. Magdalena tells her story of the night for the third time (once more leaving out the details of Farfordda's spellcasting), making no accusations. The implication of Lady Eisenhal's knight attempting to murder Ada could not be more serious. Farfordda asks who else at the meal the other night would have had reason to try murder Ada? Could Vaksman have been in league with another? Everyone at the meal would have backed Middenheim over Hochland. With Meyer and the party leaving in the morning it will all be left to Magistrate to deal with.

Amos returns to the temple with Norgrim, Thindra and their gear. Magdalena receives some first aid and crashes out. Norgrim and Thindra head back into the night to help fight the fire - the building burns to the ground, but the fire does not spread.

Before sleeping Farfordda consults the Tarot. Was Lady Eisenhal involved in the attempted murder? Maybe.

After a couple of hours sleep they are roused by the temple staff. A simple breakfast is laid out and a carriage and wagon have been prepped for the journey. Norgrim's injuries are attended by a temple acolyte while Farfordda drops by the Roamer's pint to speak with Karwel. He tells him about the attempted murder. Karwel is clearly concerned and tells Farfordda that he has learned the murder the other night, of Reinaut Scheffers, was almost certainly performed by a Middenheim spy, likely on orders from Baron Todbringer. Does this change his willingness to go help the Baron? He will still go given the severity of everything that has been relayed to him, but he is less sure and perhaps will not tarry for long. 

Shortly after sunrise the party leave for Dunfurter. Magdalena travels in the carriage with Ada, Meyer and Brother Holsenheimer, the Dwarves ride on the outside, a wagon brings supplies for the castle, 20 mounted men-at-arms accompany them and Farfordda scouts ahead. 

They reach Magnus Rest by late afternoon, the Inn has resupplied since last they were here and having been warned of the imminent arrival of Steward Meyer and Lady Ada's party food and drink await them. Farfordda takes the opportunity to speak with his compatriots in private, telling them what he learned from the Strigany, that something will be coming for him on Grunsnacht. 

The Innkeep accosts them at their table saying he suspected they were all together, so they rescued Lady Ada, eh? You kept that quiet - what happened with young Axel, did you find him? His father's funeral took place yesterday.

Norgrim is reunited with his dog Carnac, Thindra loads up their wagon and they all leave for Dunfurter, making good time they arrive an hour after dark on 4th Nachgeheim, its is cold and windy on the edge of the mountains...