Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fifth Edition: Community Q&A
Since we announced that the new Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fifth Edition is coming out in digital soon, we've received plenty of feedback from the community, and more than a few questions. While we can't wait to share more details about the new core rulebook and the systems we've been working on, we thought we'd answer some of the biggest questions first.
Why make a new edition now?
Since 2018, the current ruleset has grown through supplements, optional rules, and alternative mechanics. Many of these additions were well received by the community, but over time, they also made it increasingly difficult to know which rules to use and where to find them.
The new edition gives us the opportunity to bring those lessons together into a single, revised ruleset, keeping the mechanics players enjoyed most while revising or retiring those that didn't quite deliver the experience we wanted.
Backwards Compatibility
Your existing books will remain useful. Backwards compatibility was always in our minds when developing the new core rulebook for Fifth Edition. Whether you move to Fifth Edition right away or stick with the current ruleset for years to come, your existing collection continues to work.
There's also plenty of new material still ahead — further supplements and adventures are already in the works. Thanks to the backwards compatibility, we can focus on bringing you new settings and guides, rather than spending time revisiting ground that's already been covered.
But what if I still don’t want to change editions?
In the same spirit of backwards compatibility, if you want to continue your campaigns on the current ruleset but also enjoy upcoming supplements and adventures, there's no pressure to change anything. All of our recently announced supplements: Temple of Spite, Sylvania: the Cursed County, and Wrecker’s Point will be playable with the rules you already know. We hope this gives players plenty of time to move onwards at their own pace, while continuing to enjoy new adventures and supplements in the current ruleset.
Dice System and Similar Systems
We have kept the percentile (d100) system that has been at the heart of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay since the very beginning. The idea is to keep our fantasy systems independent from each other, so Warhammer: the Old World Roleplaying Game will continue with the d10 pool system. If you're comfortable reading a roll today, that knowledge carries straight over to the next one.
This is a deliberate choice. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer: the Old World Roleplaying Game are two distinct product lines set in two distinct eras of the setting, and we want them to keep feeling distinct at the table. The percentile system and its particular flavour of crunch aren't going anywhere.
If there's another system that offers some insight into our design decisions for Fifth Edition, it's Imperium Maledictum. While there's a family resemblance in places — some shared design instincts that will be familiar to anyone who has played both games — it isn't a one-to-one match. We are not using zones, for example, and much of the underlying system is built specifically around the tone and pace of adventuring in the World of Legend rather than the Warhammer 40,000 setting.
Are you done with Warhammer: the Old World then?
Absolutely not! We will continue both systems, each with its own supplements, adventures, and campaigns. While we are currently finishing up the last details on the new Fifth Edition for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, expect more details on the future of Warhammer: the Old World Roleplaying Game soon!
Rules streamlined
A lot of development time has gone into addressing the areas that tend to slow a session down. Combat has been reworked to flow faster and be easier to track, special-case rules have been trimmed where they weren't earning their keep, and the rulebook has been reorganised to make it easier to find the rule you need in the moment.
On the character side, Talents now apply to specific areas and do that one thing well, rather than stacking bonuses in ways that became fiddly to track. Resilience and Resolve have also been merged into Fate and Fortune, reducing the number of resources to juggle at the table. The aim is a game that feels quicker to run, whether you're playing at a physical table or a virtual one.
Starter Set / Bundles / Foundry VTT Modules
A Starter Set is in our plans, along with bundles similar to what was offered for Warhammer: the Old World Roleplaying Game. These will provide both new players and veterans moving over from the current edition with a clear starting point. We will share details on those soon!
A new core Foundry VTT module is planned for Fifth Edition, and existing Fourth Edition modules will continue to work alongside it, so a virtual tabletop library doesn't also need to start from scratch.
Pre-Orders
We're currently on design and final approvals of the book, and expect pre-orders to open before too long. As soon as dates are confirmed, we'll share them here and across our social channels.
Did we miss a question that's been on your mind? Drop us a message on our social media channels and let us know. We'll be answering more community questions as we share more about Fifth Edition.
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