Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Spotlight Tuesday: Warhammer Roleplay

(Cover of Flight Fantasy Game's Fantasy Roleplay Rule Book)
The Warhammer universe has been used to cover many forms of entertainment throughout the years. Beyond the tabletop game for the Fantasy setting, which was the first installment of the Warhammer universe, there was the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game.

This was Games Workshop’s attempt to compete with the ever popular Dungeons and Dragons. Upon release, it was meet with critical acclaim and was a viewed to have surpassed D&D in the United Kingdom.

My own experience was for the 40k Roleplaying game titled “Dark Heresy”, which has recently come out with a new edition with updated rules and other changes. I haven’t gotten my hands on it, as I don’t play Roleplaying games of its caliber anymore, but the memories brought about by its existence has always left a smile on my face when looking back.

In the very same year that I had started my life as a college student, my brothers managed to persuade me into playing a game of Dark Heresy with their friends at a nearby Fantasy Games store. I was skeptical at first, not really sure what to expect, but once we got to playing I was hooked.


(Cover of Flight Fantasy Game's Dark Heresy Rule Book)
The Game Master, or GM for short, managed the game and dictated how the game would play out and what we would face. Unfortunately for my companions and me, the GM loved to screw us over with ridiculous odds. But through thick and thin, we humorously used the rules to make equally ridiculous actions to counter the advances of our enemies. 

Looking back, I’m a little sad that I haven’t the time anymore for Roleplaying but I am glad to have experienced it at least once. Many others haven’t had the luxury or the care to participate in such games, which is sad considering the social fun to be had from playing with friends.

That said, I’m left to wonder if Roleplaying around the table is still a medium that can survive the digital age. Is there a place for the real thing, or is it best suited to the video game market? Make sure to share, comment, and follow if you like what you see!