A World of Grim and Perilous...

Magic!

As I continue to re-examine my experiences with Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play (written by the late Richard Halliwell and other GW notables WFRP was first published by Games Workshop in 1986) I find myself leaning into its magic system. As with other aspects of this design, the rules for magic build upon systems I have seen before. Rather than inventing an entirely new take on game magic, Mr. Halliwell seems to have borrowed things that appealed to him from other games, modified the concepts to suit his preferences and assembled the pieces. The resulting synthesis gave the hobby a game that retains a loyal following and has in turn influenced many subsequent designs. 

To begin, we don't just decide we will play a wizard character in WFRP. Chargen in The Old World is a random thing, you see. Much like in real life, fate plays its part in determining how we end up. The player may assign the character an Academic career class, and may even choose the Wizard's Apprentice as their starting career, but the road to becoming a Level 1 Wizard is long and filled with perils. The dice will invariably show us where each particular character fits into the general background of academics (and other career class choices) and our wizard aspirant character may exit their apprenticeship as any of the following:

Career Exits

Bawd

Charlatan

Entertainer - Bunko Artist

Gambler

Grave Robber

Tomb Robber

Wizard, level I

As a wizard's apprentice we gain access to the game's lowest level of spellcraft - that which is termed "petty magics". All spells are cast through expending magic points. The caster must know the spell to be thrown, do nothing but cast during their turn, make the proper hand gestures, speak the necessary incantation words and expend the required spell ingredients/components, all necessary conditions for making magic. 

Once the magic user reached level 1 wizard, battle magic becomes a possibility. The wizard must roll to learn each new spell and a failed die roll may mean that particular spell eludes their ability (at least for the present as they may roll again upon advancement). Wizards may also specialize once they advance choosing to specialize as an illusionist, elementalist or take the more dark and dangerous path of either the necromancer, or the demonologist or may remain a generalist wizard. The practice of the more unspeakable arts will eventually lead the wizard into acquiring disabilities related to their dabbling in things "mortals are not meant to know". Those who dabble with demons risk insanity. The use of necromantic magic invariably leads to taking on a cadaverous appearance others will find repulsive. The use of certain "preparations" may lesson the adverse effects of such disabilities - at least temporarily.  

As I peruse the magic section of this game from 1986, I am surprised at how many of the ideas and concepts I see here have been carried forward in our hobby and have relevant descendants among the games being written today. Dangerous magic can be found in Goodman Game's Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG and Low Fantasy Gaming from Pickpocket Press, just to name two favorite FRPs that immediately come to my mind, and other examples of games taking inspiration from WFRP can be named with little effort.