[Recruitment] Warlock!

Harrigan's Short-Form OSR Series

So there are a bunch of OSR / Neo OSR games I've been wanting to run on Gamers Plane. Cairn, Mork Borg, Into the Odd, Electric Bastionland, Knave 2.0, Mausritter, 17th Century Minimalist, Troika!, Warlock!, Return of the Woodland Warriors, Black Sword Hack, by this Axe I Hack, DCC -- the list goes on and on, and is ever-growing. (And this is just for fantasy, not even including things like Rad-Hack, Wasted, Extinction, Out of Time, Barbarians of the Aftermath, etc.)

As a result, I'm planning to run a series of short games, about the 'size' of the Knave game I ran last year, which was based on a one-page dungeon. We lost some players and had some pacing issues in that game, so it took a little longer than I'd have liked to finish, but in the end it was about 450 IC posts / 23 pages -- pretty trim. I'll be shooting for that size or smaller for most of these, and hope to run them for 4-6 months.


And so what's up first?




The Premise

Harrigan runs a one-shot of Warlock!, Greg Saunders's "rules-light roleplaying game that aims to emulate the feeling of old-school British tabletop games of wondrous and fantastical adventure. Warlock looks to reproduce the play style of its illustrious predecessors but in a light, quick and simple manner, with a consistent rules set that is easily hackable and adaptable as desired."

Basically, Saunders created Warlock! to be able to run early Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay adventures (such as The Enemy Within) with a much lighter and leaner system. There are careers, there are nasty critical hit tables, there's the expected grim humor, there are goblins and ratmen, there are small but vicious dogs, and there's a setting called The Kingdom which is very reminiscent of the 1e and 2e WFRP setting.

Character generation is random and fast, life is cheap and the world is harsh. Who's up for some mud and blood, die-in-a-ditch British OSR? If you are, then...


Apply Within

I'll be taking on 3-5 players, and selection won't be first-come first serve. One spot is currently spoken for.


More About the Game

Concept: Covered above, but this will be a rules-light OSR romp where the world is dangerous, combat is deadly, magic is rare and mysterious, demons are real, the wilds outside the cities are only for the brave to tread, and your only friends might be your dagger and pot helm.
Aim: To run some down and dirty, character-driven Warhammeresque OSR stories. We may or may not use published adventures from Warlock! or WFRP -- the composition of the PCs in the group will drive the 'mission' or adventure. I'm intending to run a single adventure, but if everyone loves it we might pull this off the shelf from time to time for more episodic play.
Tone: Mud and blood fantasy. Miserabilist OSR. Most people have few teeth, no manners, and terrible accents. Keep your hand on your purse.
Subject Matter: Loads of profanity, fantasy violence and gore. Horror elements could include body horror, vermin / creepy crawlies, and poor fashion choices. There may be backstabbing, thieving, murdering, strangling, mugging, gambling and all the rest of the back-alley stuff that happens in Guy Ritchie movies. Rate this one R / Mature.

Touchstones: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Zweihander, Dark Medieval Fantasy generally
Expected Posting Rate: Daily
Inclusivity: This game is explicitly friendly to the LGBT community, people of color and any other minorities or marginalized groups.
Safety Tools: X-Card, Lines & Veils
Feedback Process: Stars & Wishes

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If you have questions or are interested, post below or PM me!

Highly recommend Harrigan as a GM. He will be prepared and great for the lucky players who get in!

I'd like to throw my grimy leather skullcap in the ring!

British fantasy RPGs are in my blood. I enjoyed playing the Advanced Fighting Fantasy system in my youth (which I understand has some some influence on Warlock! but maybe just tangentially) I had no money for the shiny D&D books, but my local library had the Fighting Fantasy choose your own adventures and (probably accidentally) also had the Advanced system. So, that's what 12-year-old Len would run. So fond was I of these games that, once the Internet came around, my first ever online purchase was a used copy of Dungeoneer, the AFF core book.I have less experience with the Warhammer Fantasy RPG, but I do enjoy the "mud and blood" style that Old World oozes. I think I can make a good showing at roleplaying in the right spirit.

I am currently in a transition period of moving out of 5e and moving into the OSR for my fantasy gaming. So, I really appreciate the idea behind your short-form OSR series!

And hey, look at that, the Warlock! Traitor's Edition Core rules ars on sale right now at DriveThruRPG! Good timing.

I'm in if you'll have me. I don't have the book, but I can get it if need be :)

Love me some OSR!

I know nothing about any of this. But, "short-form... random and fast,... mud and blood, die-in-a-ditch... poor fashion choices..."— all these things really appeal to me!

Harrigan, this sounds really fun. Also, I would love to start and finish a game with you... Having you as the GM means we might just get though one. :) Oh, and my favorite thing about rot grubs is the constant source of snacks.

I've been seeing the rulebook at my new local game store, and have been interested in an excuse to try out the game! I love OSR and WFRP, and can bring a lot of roleplaying energy to the game.

I've played in a few WFRP games on various PbP sites, the most recent being "A Rough Night at the Three Feathers.". I'd love the opportunity to get outside of a single building and see what the city has to offer, for better or for worse.

Its Happening!

Looks like you're getting a lot of interest. I would like to apply, but understand if you've filled the game already. I played Warlock! that one time with Mirko, but would love to play some more. At some point, I'm going to run the Enemy Within campaign and I'm considering using Warlock! as the ruleset. I just need more time with it.

Thanks for the interest, folks. I'll let recruiting open another day or two, then make selections and we'll get a move on. Apologies in advance I can't take all of you!

I'd love to be a part of this project! I quite enjoyed the aforementioned Knave game, and I'm a big fan of OSR games and the OSR style of play. I don't own Warlock!, but I know of it and would be happy to pick it up.

Same, my man. Dungeoneer, Blacksand and Allansia were my first RPGs, modified and homebrewed with second-hand accounts of AD&D. I still have those wonderful, tatty paperback novel sized books on my shelf.

Looking at Warlock, I'm definitely seeing some AFF and WHFRPG bones. Love both of those, so I'll offer my small but vicious dog to the fight too!

Hoping to make decisions tonight on this. Struggling against the idea of running two groups so everyone can at least see what the character generation and mechanics are like…

Alright. Not going to run two groups at the same time -- down that crooked path lies madness. But I do think I might keep the game short and then run a second group if they are still keen... I hate leaving people out in the cold. My least favorite part of starting a new PbP game.

So @Len, @KCC, @Jabes.plays.RPG, @cowleyc, @Ciriaco, you're in -- be on the lookout for invites.

Naatkinson, Esidrix, McButterpants, Dirigible and a couple of folks who PMed me -- if you're still interested after I run the first group through their paces, or perhaps after I just get them off and safely running, I'll see about firing up a second group of beggars and rat catchers. Cool?

Thanks for the interest, everyone, honestly. Game is here.

@Harrigan,

Absolutely, as your scheduled permits I'd love a shot at playing with a team of rats and beggar catchers...

So, after eight months, 755 in-character posts, and 38 pages of text, we finished our "short-from" Warlock! game. Was awesome fun, and I want to thank everyone who played, but especially @Len, @Ciriaco, and @KCC for seeing things through to the bitter end. I highly recommend the system and 'Kingdom' setting, especially if you're looking for a lean and mean way to play WFRP adventures and the like. Solid British OSR, it is. Die in a dirty ditch, scoundrels!

(Not everyone died! There may even be a second chapter at some point!)

As someone who read along for the full game without playing, I can confirm it was a great game. Memorable characters, an interesting story and some lovely character growth. Also an adorable little flesh-creature 🤍

Congrats on the successful game, Harrigan et all!

Did you ever track down that dang dragon-worshipping dwarf?!

Congrats Everyone!