Combat - The Warhammer Fantasy RPG Guide

The Reality of Old World Violence

Combat in WFRP isn't heroic—it's terrifying. Imagine a bar fight where everyone has swords, some people might explode into daemons, and a single lucky hit can end your promising career as a rat catcher. It's less "epic duel at sunrise" and more "desperate scramble in a muddy alley."

The Combat Round: A Few Seconds of Pure Chaos

graph TD A[Combat Begins!] --> B[Check for Surprise] B --> C[Order by Initiative, highest first] C --> D[Active Character's Turn] D --> F[One Move] D --> E{One Action} E --> G[Attack] E --> I[Cast, Aim, Grab, Other] F --> J[Resolve the Turn] G --> J I --> J J --> K{More Combatants?} K -->|Yes| D K -->|No| L{Combat Over?} L -->|No| N[Next Round, same order] N --> D L -->|Yes| M[Count the Bodies]

Initiative: Who Gets to Die First?

Initiative in WFRP 4e is simple: everyone acts in order of their Initiative characteristic, highest first. No roll needed (some groups use an optional rule and roll for it, but the default is the bare number). It's like calling "shotgun" for a car ride, except the car is on fire and heading off a cliff.

Actions: What Can You Do in Your Last Moments?

Each round, you can perform one Move and one Action. Think of it as your last dance—make it count!

Making an Attack: The Dance of Death

Attacking in WFRP is like trying to hit a piñata, except the piñata hits back and wants to eat your soul. Here's how it works:

Attack Resolution Example

Step 1: Melee: an opposed test, your Melee skill vs the defender's Melee or Dodge; higher SL wins. Ranged: a Ranged (BS-based) test, which the target usually can't oppose

Step 2: If you win, reverse the digits of your roll to find the hit location

Step 3: Damage = weapon Damage (melee weapons add your Strength Bonus) + your winning SL. No damage dice!

Step 4: Subtract the defender's Toughness Bonus and the Armour Points on that location (minimum 1 Wound)

Step 5: The winner gains Advantage; the loser loses all of theirs

Step 6: Check if they're still alive to hit you back

Hit Locations: Where Did That Sword Go?

Critical Hits: When Things Go Horribly Right (or Wrong)

Rolling doubles (11, 22, 33, etc.) on an attack means trouble for somebody! If the attack succeeds, it's a Critical: roll on the Critical Wounds table for the location you hit. If it fails, it's a Fumble: roll on the "Oops!" table, and you might stab yourself, drop your weapon, or worse. (Any hit that takes a target below 0 Wounds also causes a Critical Wound.)

graph LR A[Roll a Double] --> B{Attack succeeded?} B -->|Yes| C[Critical!] B -->|No| D[Fumble!] C --> E[Roll on the Critical Wounds table] E --> F[Bleeding, Stunned or Worse] D --> G[Roll on the Oops! table] G --> H[Drop Weapon] G --> I[Hit Yourself or a Friend] G --> K[Fall Over]

Damage and Wounds: The Mathematics of Pain

Advantage: Momentum in Murder

WFRP uses an Advantage system: winning an opposed test in combat (or charging, ambushing, or landing a Critical) earns you a point of Advantage, and each point adds +10 to your combat tests. Lose an opposed test or take Wounds and all of it vanishes. It's like a combo system in a fighting game, except instead of points, you're accumulating psychological trauma.

Conditions: Status Effects That Ruin Your Day

Common Combat Conditions:

Bleeding: Lose Wounds every round until treated, and it turns deadly once you hit 0 Wounds (bandages are worth their weight in gold)
Stunned: Too dazed to act properly; penalties to just about everything (seeing stars and birdies)
Prone: You're on the floor: you fight badly and enemies find you easy to hit (the ground is not your friend)
Entangled: You can't move, and anything involving movement suffers (wrapped up like a present for monsters)
Unconscious: Helpless; anyone can finish you off with ease (nap time = death time)

Real Combat Example: The Tavern Brawl Gone Wrong

Round 1:

Gottfried (Initiative 33) acts before a Cultist (Initiative 31). Gottfried has only his dagger (+SB+2); the Cultist carries a battered sword (+SB+4). Both have SB 3 and TB 3.

Gottfried: "I swing at his head!" *rolls 19 vs Melee 31: +2 SL*

GM: "He parries..." *rolls 38 vs Melee 35: 0 SL* "...badly. You win by 2. Reverse 19: 91, his right leg."

Gottfried: "Damage is 3 + 2 + 2 = 7!"

GM: "His TB 3 and leather leggings (1 AP) stop 4, so he takes 3 Wounds. He's limping but angry. Take a point of Advantage."

Cultist: *rolls 15 vs Melee 35: +2 SL* Gottfried opposes at 31 + 10 for his Advantage = 41 and *rolls 41: 0 SL*. "Cultist wins by 2. Reverse 15: 51, your body. 3 + 4 + 2 = 9 damage."

Gottfried: "My TB 3 and... no armour. 6 Wounds?! I only have 11! And my Advantage is gone!"

Round 2:

Gottfried: "I'm fleeing! Full retreat!"

GM: "The cultist gets a free attack as you turn..."

Gottfried: "This was a terrible idea!"

Survival Tips: How Not to Die (Immediately)

Armor is Life: Even 1 point of armor can save you. Wear everything you can find.
Numbers Matter: Fighting alone is suicide. Bring friends (or at least meat shields).
Know When to Run: There's no shame in fleeing. Dead heroes tell no tales.
Use the Environment: Tables for cover, chandeliers to swing from, doors to bar.
Fate and Fortune: Spend Fortune points freely on rerolls (they come back each session). Save Fate for when you're about to die: burning a Fate point to cheat death is permanent.

The Critical Wound Tables: Where Dreams Go to Die

When you're down to 0 Wounds and still getting hit (or someone rolls a double on a winning attack), things get really interesting. Critical Wound tables determine if you lose a finger, an eye, or your entire existence. It's like a lottery where all the prizes are horrible.

"I've been in a hundred fights. Lost most of them.
But I'm still here, and that's what counts!"
- Veteran with 3 fingers, 1 eye, and countless scars