r/WarhammerOldWorldRPG • u/obaobaboss • 27d ago
Thoughts after the first session
Yesterday I had my first session with TOWR. We played the starter scenario from WFRP 3rd Edition (A Day Late, A Shilling Short) online using Foundry VTT.
Player characters were: High Elf Scholar, Dwarf Sharpshooter, Human Bounty Hunter.
All of them were good ranged fighters.
Combat
I really liked the combat system.
At first, I was not sure about zones, but it worked very well, and the fight was very dynamic. It became more than just subtracting hit points while locked in the same place. With stagger, giving ground, and the free movement (without attacks of opportunity), there was a lot happening.
The bookkeeping was much easier than in WFRP 4th Edition, without advantage and all the other calculations.
I didn’t use many combat actions other than Attack/Charge, but in hindsight, it would have been a good idea to try more. Small enemies are likely just to stagger or force you to give ground, but with the Help-action, they may be more likely to wound the players.
Fights against weak minions are quite fast. Still, if the dice decide otherwise, it can go south quickly for the players.
Tougher enemies are a joy. I used a Bestigor, and the players had to fight him to the ground. He died prone and staggered. Sadly, his offensive checks were bad — a glorious roll of 4d/4 didn’t achieve a single success.
Ranged attacks are good because you are not staggered if you miss. Also, there aren’t too many bad modifiers. For little grunts like Ungor, range attacks are very effective, and with good weapons (like handguns), they can also kill bigger enemies like Gors quickly. Reloading is quite difficult, though.
I liked Fate; the players used it well. It offers enough useful options.
I also liked the initiative order in combat; it makes the game flow faster. It may be a little less thrilling, but it encourages more teamwork and avoids players simply waiting for their turn.
I enjoyed the special rules for different enemies — it gives them character.
Other Stuff
The money system is fast, which I like. But my players like to buy stuff, so I would like to see more trappings in the rules.
After I said they would always start with three “coins” every session (without using special endeavors), they wanted to spend all their money at the end of the adventure.
The dice system is very fast and simple. I didn’t use complications, because often the players were lucky to get even one success. Maybe next time. I don’t think they had three successes outside of combat.
The Assets and Contacts played a role in the game, which I’m very happy with. It gives players something to work with. Same with many of the lores—they provided knowledge or let players auto-succeed with skills. Most of the talents were also used.
Things We Played Wrong
Our first session, of course, had many mistakes. Here’s a list of some of them so you may avoid them (and so I can review before playing next time):
- No stagger on failing attacks if you are already staggered. It seemed strange to charge while staggered and give ground in the same NPC turn.
- Forgot sometimes to check for bonus dice granted by lores.
- Your contacts may give you bonus dice for Endeavors.
- Endeavor “Test Might” is opposed.
- Ignoring a wound burns a fate point rather than spending it.
- A character may take a "reasonable amount" of other incidental actions; I only allowed one.
- Testing for Infection for wounds should be done at the end of the day (not immediately).
All in all, we had fun, and my players enjoyed it. I think I will be able to run another session in two weeks or so.
