A Private War - Notes & Queries.pdf - Supplément non-officiels - Dihercen

Timothy Eccles 2000-2005

A Private War Notes and Queries

A Private War: Notes and Queries

This originally appeared in All Quiet in Kislev since the intention was that most buyers

would buy both APW and AQiK . Since GW has stopped me writing and selling anything

else for WFRP , then there are likely to be a large number of APW buyers who cannot

obtain AQiK . From memory, I sold about 550 APW and 250 AQiK . In any event, this

material ought to be with APW , and so I have made it more easily available in this free

pdf download.

I was upset with myself for some of the typos that managed to sneak through into the final

version of A Private War . Because this was purely my own work I had to proof read the

copy myself, which is always a mistake. Whilst errors are inevitable, especially without

the resources to employ an editor, I can only apologise for the mistakes especially as I had

(honest) read the master version through three times. Some of the following are

corrections to these, but most are issues that I have since re-visited, have occurred in my

later games of the campaign or been raised by readers of A Private War (and are

attributed).

I had always intended to evolve the whole campaign with each reprint based on any

feedback. Obviously, this cannot happen, but I did appreciate the time and thought that

GMs put into the game, and in writing back to me with thoughts, queries and stories of

how events had unfolded.

Finally, please remember that this is a first edition WFRP campaign, and all references

are to first edition material.

Any particular reason for the spelling of 'serjeant'? [Øyvind Wiestad]

Simply that it is the 'official' spelling in the Middenheim book.

Page 3: "Whilst this is the standard of service our heroes can generally expect..." -

there is a not missing in there, right? [Arne Dam]

Yes, there is. Our heroes should not expect pleasant treatment further on in the adventure!

You give a fortnight's wages as 112/-. At 8/- per day, that should be 128/-. [Arne

Dam]

Correct. That is an error. The Old World week has eight days, and not seven.

Timothy Eccles 2000-2005

A Private War Notes and Queries

The number of NPCs has raised some issues, one of which is expanded upon below.

The simplest way to deal with the NPCs if you do not like them is to delete them, or cut

down their number. I like the NPCs for a number of reasons, but primarily as it allows me

to feed colour and background material to the PCs. It is also a method of fudging issues

should they miss the obvious or get into difficulties. Finally, the NPCs have a range of

skills that might help the PCs, but attitudes that go with those skills. Negotiating with

these NPCs should be part of the fun of adventuring. NPCs are people too! I was probably

influenced to some extent by the small number of players that I had in each play-test, but

NPCs offer me as GM an additional source of enjoyment.

I could not find the date when Stradovski left Middenheim. It should have gone in

the Guild of Legalists' entry. [Arne Dam]

Perhaps, but dates are only really of relevance once the PCs get to Beeckerhoven. He left

on 3 rd Nachexen.

The profile for the doorman and thugs (page 14) should have been at least one page

later. [Øyvind Wiestad]

This was a printing issue, but one that I should have picked up.

On page 21, it says that the Hanged Highwayman is only 20 miles from

Beeckerhoven. That should be Ulric's Vision. [Arne Dam]

That was caused by the publication of the 'official' Fox and Crown Inn after the work was

written, but before I published. I re-ordered my own inns to conform. I obviously missed

the knock on effect in the text here. You are absolutely correct.

If the PCs go to Salzenmund or otherwise wait for the templars, the adventure

changes quite a bit. Given their fighting might and political clout, PCs will be trying

all they can to stick with them. [Toby Pilling]

No scenario can cover all eventualities, and APW tries to cover most. The situation did

not occur in either playtest. If the PCs fall for the ruse and end up in Salzenmund, then I

think they have been very poor, and deserve all that might happen. What happens in the

Salzenmund ruse is covered in the text, and the general templar timeline is described. PCs

should be chasing the Professor and not waiting for the templars, since time is of the

essence. In any case, GMs should already have generated lots of bad feeling between the

PCs and templars, and the party should be aiming to put one over on them rather than

relying upon them to hold their hands. If the PCs do wait, then again it suggests that the

GM has not been sufficiently unfriendly. Remember that the templars think that the PCs

are scum, and the Sigmarites will probably particularly detest them. Finally, the Verenan

templar is there to prod the PCs onwards, and he and the cart - along with the supplies -

can leave the PCs should all else really fail.

Timothy Eccles 2000-2005

A Private War Notes and Queries

The footnote on page 27 concerning Melmoth's book of Khaine is cut off.

I have no idea what happened here, but happened at the printing stage. I have determined

not to use footnotes in future. They are simply too difficult to set up within the text, and

are also too difficult to read. The full text is as follows:

The introduction deals with the theology of Khaine and his origin, embracing the notion

that the god is the son of Ulric and a demon pretending to be Rhya. Whilst Ulric was

forced to accept paternity and that his bastard son was a staunch enemy of the Chaos, he

forever favoured Mórr and made him guardian of the dead. Growing jealous, Khaine finds

that he is able to steal souls for his own kingdom, a mad, demon-filled place. The second

section deals with poisons (and the Prepare Poison skill) and purports to offer means

of avoiding being poisoned (the Immunity to Poison skill) - the latter is flawed and

dangerous. The main section considers the nature of undeath and the psychology of being

dead. There is also an incomplete essay describing a greater demon called Nagash who

managed to steal souls from Mórr's Peace with foul sorcery. It describes this process and

offers some arguments concerning the relationship of Nagash with Khaine. After the

demon's defeat, the captured souls fled back through the Black Gate to the safety of Mórr.

This provides a basis for the skill Identify Undead and also a Cool test to avoid

developing a phobia about death or the undead. The final section provides details of

ceremonies to the god, and incomplete (and erroneous) notes upon how to attain the status

of mummy, vampire and liche. It offers advice on the hate, fanaticism and power

necessary to attain priesthood. It also describes the casting of ritual spells, with notes upon

components and Arcane Language - Necromancy . GMs should refer to Pour La

Gloire d'Ulric for appropriate spells. Reading the book provides the background for the

Theology (Khaine) skill. However, anyone reading this book must pass a Cool test

or suffer from the minor disorder of Nightmares . GMs should develop the effects of

any disorders as they see fit. Needless to say, possession of this tome is an offence of

heresy, membership of a proscribed cult, murder and necromancy - at least!

According to A Private War, Beeckerhoven has an eastern gate leading to

Salzenmund. Salzenmund is to the west. [Arne Dam]

This is a mistake that I missed in both the play-test and in editing. I will blame my players

for not noticing! Clearly, the gate is on the west and should be a western gate.

Torben Pieknich (page 30) - you a Liverpool fan?! - is not mentioned much in the

text. Is he evil as well? Will he have any information for the players or take part in

this ghoulish business? [Øyvind Wiestad]

I am not a Liverpool fan, but there are a few football (soccer) puns scattered around and

you guessed the source of the name. In fact my team preference will be made clear to

those 'in the know' by examination of the coat of arms of the human Engineers' Guild in a

forthcoming issue of Warpstone. There is a trivia question for you! Torben is (clearly) in

on the situation, though whether through fear or self-interest is a GM call. He will readily

help the ghouls.

Timothy Eccles 2000-2005

A Private War Notes and Queries

The Winter Wolf, page 31, paragraph one, line three ends in 'a'.

Should read "a Kelnore tower". This was another printing issue.

Karl von Kolditz or Klaus von Kolditz (page 38/39)? I assume that this is just a

small oversight, and that it's actually the same person, Klaus? There are at least two

mentions of Karl on page 39. [Øyvind Wiestad]

All should be Klaus.

The road from Ferlangen to Wolfenburg is very straight. Why? Roads in The

Empire are not like Roman roads. [Alfred Nunez]

It is simply a plank road driven through the forest, aiming for the most direct path as

offering the cheapest solution. Since it is aiming directly for the mountains, orientation is

not a problem and it skirts the base for most of its route as well. It might not be literally

straight, but in order to provide the route as cheaply as possible, the straight line was

intended. It is also worth noting that the rest places are further apart on this road, than on

official roads too. Again, simply cost efficiency in that rest places make no money and so

there is no incentive to force travellers to stop at (profit-making) inns regularly. Whether a

traveller can actually make each night stop is not a problem that the roadbuilders worry

about. In play-testing, this was the stretch that had PCs starting the earliest and reaching

the stop the latest. Particularly devious GMs can simply force their PCs to rest by the

roadside - not that they will be much discomforted compared with the official stops.

The description of the Wolfenburg walls seems to contradict Empire in Flames. A

Private War describes modern defences whilst Empire in Flames mentions old and

decrepit ones.

The whole section upon the Battle of Wolfenburg does not make any sense to me. The

military rationale of the position just does not hang together. In addition, we know that

Wolfenburg has been an important bastion for The Empire, and I was a little tired of the

lazy repetitions that anything provincial must be inadequate. Therefore, I was happy to

ignore that section in the needs of my own development of Ostland. However, the Empire

in Flames version can still be seen as valid within its own terms from two perspectives.

Firstly, since Yorri has been wrong about everything else, he can easily be mistaken about

the state of the walls. His distrust of the provincials can be extended to their fortifications,

especially as - to a layman - the squat walls might look undefendable since they are easier

to scale. The people of Wolfenburg might worry about a defeat, but they might worry

even more about a long siege and bombardment. They might be glad to be rid of 'their'

army, especially if Ar-Ulric has managed to get messages to them guaranteeing that a

Timothy Eccles 2000-2005

A Private War Notes and Queries

victorious Ulrican army would not enter the city. Secondly, the PCs approach from the

north and the Ulrican siege, and later battle, is primarily aimed at the southern section of

the city. It is likely that the walls are primarily fortified on the northern side, both as the

likeliest direction of attack and also to defend the citadel first and foremost. It is also true

to say, that despite the positive characteristics mentioned in A Private War , defending

the city is always going to be difficult, given the long lengths of wall and limited

strongpoints (towers). There has been some attempt to utilise overlapping arcs of fire, but

stretches of the wall are very exposed. Perhaps Yorri is correct after all.

What is the story behind the half orcs searching for a Prince of Khypris? [Toby

Pilling] Are half-orcs 'legal'/acceptable in The Empire? [Øyvind Wiestad]

There are many examples of such 'colour' within all three parts without any definitive

explanation. The idea is to offer GMs plot hooks to develop as they wish - or not. Khypris

is in my view sadly neglected. Despite appearing in Plague Daemon there has been no

effort to place it in the Border Princes within other fan material for no reason that I can

deduce and this is a nod to it. With reference to half orcs, I never made it clear that the

three were anything other than humans when playing the game and so they would not be

treated as 'goblinoids'. I have always thought that ghouls and goblinoids are sadly

neglected in WFRP. I developed The Forest Inn to portray the decline of a community

into ghouldom through poverty rather than malice. Goblinoids, it seems to me, are

actually allies in the face of chaos, since they are affected similarly to dwarfs, elves and

humans. Of course, most goblinoids are never likely to realise their long-term interests or

transcend their genetics, nor would dwarfs (in particular) overcome their racial bigotry.

However, if half-goblinoids exist then they might be able to act as intermediaries - or

more likely as manipulators - between the two (or at least with the more pragmatic

humans). All Quiet in Kislev develops the idea of hobgoblins along these lines, and the

three half-orcs mentioned in the plot line within Wolfenburg are simply a nod to the

possibility of an intelligent goblinoid chieftain (or shaman behind the throne) capable of

recognising the true menace in the world. Whilst it is only inferred here, many human

lords in the Colonies to the east, faced by the desertion of their Tsar, have sworn fealty to

the hobgoblins in order to protect them from their enemies - in my current campaign. The

concept of humans as willing vassals of hobgoblins is in my view plausible and

consistent. Alliances with goblinoids are not completely impossible, though are highly

unlikely and need to be kept unique to avoid becoming a cliché. Here, should the GM so

wish, we simply have an orc chieftain who wishes to add legitimacy to his tenure and also

obtain agreements (if not actual alliances) with neighbouring humans for non-aggression

pacts so that they might all put their resources into defending themselves from other

(mutual) enemies. My campaign set in the Wheatland Colonies expands upon human-

hobgoblin relations and the Hegemony.

A Private War - Notes & Queries.pdf

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