Warhammer novels, and short stories

[satakuua]

Just finishing Zaragoz. I’d say it is okay at best, but not much ”Warhammer” in it.

I’ve read some others in the past (C. L. Werner’s Witch Hunter, and Honour of the Grave by Robin D. laws). I think they were about as good (i.e. nothing special), but at least they had more in common with the setting.

Are there any proper good ones? All is subjective, yes, but still.

[Knight of the Lady]

From my, very, limited experience the "Gotrek and Felix" is pretty good. But from what little I've seen Warhammer fiction tend to not be overtly good. I mean I'm trying to read the "War of Vengeance" omnibus but its so funny with how bizarre the plot is, that is hard to make progress.

[Totsuzenheni Yukimi]

Games Workshop have just re-released Drachenfel's, which i liked and remember being well liked generally. I remember liking the much maligned Konrad novels too. I think i liked all the 1980s stuff, except Zaragoz in fact.

[satakuua]

Oh yeah, Drachenfels was one. I remember the characters from White Dwarf, the story did interest me.

[Karanthir]

Drachenfels and the follow-up stories by 'Jack Yeovil' are all great, even if the setting has changed a lot since they were written. The Gotrek and Felix novels (at least the ones by William King) are all varying degrees of good, with the first two being my personal favourites. The plot of Vampireslayer even reads like an RPG campaign, not something I usually like, but somehow it worked. I seem to remember The Ambassador by Graham McNeill being decent too. It's on my list to re-read to see if it holds up. These are all novels that are more WFRP than WFB though, if that makes sense. I think that's the key to finding the 'good' Warhammer novels.

[satakuua]

I’ve been under the impression Gotrek and Felix were more Battle than WFRP. Could well be because I first saw them in an army book.

[Orin J.]

I’ve been under the impression Gotrek and Felix were more Battle than WFRP. Could well be because I first saw them in an army book.

actually they first showed up in the doomstones campaign (they turn up in whatever the one where they deal with the library/temple thing set in the cliffs is, i forget) and eventually were made proper tabletop heroes! it's an interesting little diversion, although it's very clear that adventure is no longer canon to the characters.

[satakuua]

Did not know that. (Never read Doomstones properly.)

[Knight of the Lady]

I’ve been under the impression Gotrek and Felix were more Battle than WFRP. Could well be because I first saw them in an army book.

actually they first showed up in the doomstones campaign (they turn up in whatever the one where they deal with the library/temple thing set in the cliffs is, i forget) and eventually were made proper tabletop heroes! it's an interesting little diversion, although it's very clear that adventure is no longer canon to the characters.

I haven't read the campaign, but only played it, and in our game Gotrek drank five humans under the table before beating down half the tavern in a tavern brawl, while Felix was seduced by one of the PCs. A pretty memorable scene with the best/worst slayer in the Old World.

Don't know how much of this is in the campaign but that's how it went down in our game.

[skerrigan]

I'm not sure Gotrek and Felix are in Doomstones. They're definitely more WFB than WFRP as the two tend to be more pulp untouchable heroes. They're slaying avatars of gods and are gifted immortality and useful magical items over and over.

I always recommend James Wallis's Mark of Heresy and Mark of Damnation series - very WFRP. The main characters is a mutant fighting to keep his humanity and the Purple Hand show up in the 2nd one. Originally it was meant to be 4 books (1 standalone that became popular enough they commissioned a trilogy) with 3-4 being set during the Storm of Chaos and the Siege of Middenheim but James only completed the first of the trilogy due to real-life issues that saw him leave Black Library's stable of writers.

The two books do stand on their own - especially the first one. I'm not sure why they're not higher regarded, some of the 2E sourcebooks have in-character quotes relating to the hero, who gains the name Chaos Hunter.

[Totsuzenheni Yukimi]

I just took a look at the Hogshead and Flame versions of Doomstones and Gotrek isn't there. I think you may be thinking of Rogni Grimsson, a PC.

[Knight of the Lady]

I'm not sure Gotrek and Felix are in Doomstones. They're definitely more WFB than WFRP as the two tend to be more pulp untouchable heroes. They're slaying avatars of gods and are gifted immortality and useful magical items over and over.

I always recommend James Wallis's Mark of Heresy and Mark of Damnation series - very WFRP. The main characters is a mutant fighting to keep his humanity and the Purple Hand show up in the 2nd one. Originally it was meant to be 4 books (1 standalone that became popular enough they commissioned a trilogy) with 3-4 being set during the Storm of Chaos and the Siege of Middenheim but James only completed the first of the trilogy due to real-life issues that saw him leave Black Library's stable of writers.

The two books do stand on their own - especially the first one. I'm not sure why they're not higher regarded, some of the 2E sourcebooks have in-character quotes relating to the hero, who gains the name Chaos Hunter.

They do sound interest, but the problem is of course that they are out of print since a long time. What I would recommend is that people could take a look at the "Warhammer Chronicles" series with material that's essentially, to my understanding, republished in recent printings. So that you don't have to spend hours hunting down obscure volumes on the net for obscene prices.

[skerrigan]

You can get Mark of Damnation for £3 on Amazon ATM. Most Warhammer Fantasy novels are available there for a reasonable price.

I agree with the Warhammer Chronicles thing though - it's a shame they're not doing more WF stories as their new horror range would be perfect for the Old World. It's a lot scarier to be facing undead in Neheraka than the Plane of Death (or wherever) knowing a bunch of golden dudes can fly in and save your bacon.

[Knight of the Lady]

You can get Mark of Damnation for £3 on Amazon ATM. Most Warhammer Fantasy novels are available there for a reasonable price.

I agree with the Warhammer Chronicles thing though - it's a shame they're not doing more WF stories as their new horror range would be perfect for the Old World. It's a lot scarier to be facing undead in Neheraka than the Plane of Death (or wherever) knowing a bunch of golden dudes can fly in and save your bacon.

Well I suppose I was wrong about obscene prices, but I still think that Warhammer Chronicles would be best to essentially start with for those interested in getting into the Old World.

[satakuua]

I'm not sure Gotrek and Felix are in Doomstones. They're definitely more WFB than WFRP as the two tend to be more pulp untouchable heroes. They're slaying avatars of gods and are gifted immortality and useful magical items over and over.

The Settingslayer is in Doomstones, at least in the version I have.

Are there other editions, could it be Gotrek and Felix were removed from one?

[Totsuzenheni Yukimi]

I do remember that now. I was looking in the profiles at the back. I wonder why 'Gotrek' didn't come up in a search of the PDF.

[skerrigan]

In the Hogshead I think this appeared in the Apocrypha book. They don't actually show up in the module though, so your GM did some good improv there.

[Pan_Carlo]

All of the Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman) stories are well worth reading. He breathes life into the Old World setting (particularly Altdorf in Beasts in Velvet), the characters are well-developed and there is a lot of horror and black humour. Another series I read some years ago is the von Carstein trilogy by Steven Savile, a must read if you like Undead. Others I remember are the Konrad trilogy, which were action-packed but with uninteresting characters and inconclusive finale, and the Orfeo trilogy by Brian Craig, including Zaragoz, which were okay, but by no means essential reading.

[satakuua]

It seems I have Beasts in Velvet, so after I finish Zaragoz (and Lovecraft Country) I’ll read about dangerous animals in finery.

[Totsuzenheni Yukimi]

Beasts in Velvet contains a host of characters from other novels and short stories. It's not essential but i'd find and read them first. I don't know what they are offhand, but as i recall Drachenfels and at least one short story from a collection.