Where are you starting the PCs in the 4e Enemy Within?

The enemy lurks in shadows
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NickM
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So the Empire in Shadows book suggested that the PCs start on the road from Delbren to Altdorf or 'anywhere about two days from Altdorf'.

My PCs will likely be starting in Ubersreik which is nowhere near Delbren (not that I exactly know where Delbren is). I assume hand waving the travel until 2 days out, but it would be good to say where that is! I'm struggling a little with the lack of detailed maps in 4e...

Where have people been starting the campaign? And does anyone have a solid map?
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Orin J.
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i'm pretty sure the point of delbren is that it's not on a map so it can be "two days from altdorf" without anyone being able to check and say it's not two days away, hence it being some pissant little hamlet that's not terribly important, which is why i wasn't on the map inside the covers of the rulebook.

that said, the map on the inside covers of the rulebook i think is sold seperately as a PDF on drivethrough RPG, no idea if the physical one is still around...
NickM
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Yeah, fair point.

I have to say, while I think the inside cover book is pretty, I find it very hard to use.
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Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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Here is the fullest, and probably most definitive answer i've seen to the question: Where is Delbren? : http://lawhammer.blogspot.com/2020/07/d ... z-wtf.html
NickM
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totsuzenheni wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:16 pm Here is the fullest, and probably most definitive answer i've seen to the question: Where is Delbren? : http://lawhammer.blogspot.com/2020/07/d ... z-wtf.html
I've read that before and didn't find it that helpful. That said, I've just reread and assuming the PCs are coming from Ubersreik, I think they can catch a barge to Grünburg and then the road to Altdorf. I'll hand wave why they aren't continuing on the barge to Altdorf and the Coach and Horses can be on the Grünburg-Altdorf road...

Image

That way they still go to Altdorf before they head south to Bögenhafen - heading off road into the Reikwald would be crazy!
yoroba
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I actually started my players in Nuln, way to the south.
This way I got to run a tiny, action packed "tutorial"-scenario (Oldenhaller Contract) and a lore- heavy sailing trip up the Reik before arriving at the Coach and Horses Inn close to Altdorf. This way I got the players introduced to the rules, the lore and everyday life of the Old World before starting the campaign in earnest. It took a long time extra of course, but all the better. It was fun and I got to put a lot of my own ideas into it (I still do), before starting on the Evemy Within books.
NickM
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yoroba wrote: Tue Feb 16, 2021 3:21 am I actually started my players in Nuln, way to the south.
This way I got to run a tiny, action packed "tutorial"-scenario (Oldenhaller Contract) and a lore- heavy sailing trip up the Reik before arriving at the Coach and Horses Inn close to Altdorf. This way I got the players introduced to the rules, the lore and everyday life of the Old World before starting the campaign in earnest. It took a long time extra of course, but all the better. It was fun and I got to put a lot of my own ideas into it (I still do), before starting on the Evemy Within books.
That sounds a lot of fun!
FasterThanJesus
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Orin J. wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 9:06 pm that said, the map on the inside covers of the rulebook i think is sold seperately as a PDF on drivethrough RPG, no idea if the physical one is still around...
The large map (A1?) is still available from Cubicle 7.
FasterThanJesus
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NickM wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:32 pm So the Empire in Shadows book suggested that the PCs start on the road from Delbren to Altdorf or 'anywhere about two days from Altdorf'.

My PCs will likely be starting in Ubersreik which is nowhere near Delbren (not that I exactly know where Delbren is). I assume hand waving the travel until 2 days out, but it would be good to say where that is! I'm struggling a little with the lack of detailed maps in 4e...

Where have people been starting the campaign? And does anyone have a solid map?
If you're starting from Ubersreik, does that mean that you've completed some of the starter set adventures? If so, Guilty Party, provides a possible means of transitioning from those adventures to TEW. Although I wouldn't say it's concrete, it does leave an extra motive to go to Altdorf and you're already on the road.
NickM
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FasterThanJesus wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:21 am If you're starting from Ubersreik, does that mean that you've completed some of the starter set adventures? If so, Guilty Party, provides a possible means of transitioning from those adventures to TEW. Although I wouldn't say it's concrete, it does leave an extra motive to go to Altdorf and you're already on the road.
Not exactly - I like some of the set up if the starter set but think it's a little railroady for my very experienced roleplayers. It's more that I've been doing some online games with one of the players and set it all in Ubersriek because I had the setting info. When the new PCs join, I want them to be on the same road as each other... That said, I will check that out. I may be able to spring an introductory adventure for the new players out of it.
Capitaneus Fractus
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This is how I might see an introduction to The Enemy Within Campaign :
Start in Bakersdorf, a very small village of the Talabecland in the countryside of the city of Volgen, near the Northern Barren Hills. Players are young Talabeclanders, who probably worship with about as much devotion Ulric and Sigmar, but know the main god of the pantheon is Taal. So they'll not start with prejudices on the conflict, albeit they might can to get some as their adventures will advance.

Introduction scenarii:
  • Tristan LHOMME's "Luisa pleure de se voir si laide en son miroir" ["Luisa weeps to see how ugly she looks in her mirror"] in Casus Belli #78, December 1993
    which is available translated in English by Morten Krog under the title of Curse here: https://web.archive.org/web/20051114193 ... &advid=209
    Spoiler
    Bakersdorf is set in the countryside of Volgen, in Talabecland. Luisa's Curse would introduce Hieronymus Blitzen instead of the hermit, and Josef Quartjin, the latter through Guilty Party's "A Trader in Trouble". The player of Wanda Weltschmertz might take the scenario's role of the normally NPC Luisa.
  • The Late Pierre LEJOYEUX's "Une histoire de fesses" ["A Daliaunce"] in Casus Belli #65, September 1991; combined with Lewis PAGE's "The Affair of the Hidden Jewel" in White Dwarf #101, May 1988; The Restless Dead, January 1989; Apocryphia Two: Chart of Darkness, August 2000 or The Enemy in Shadows Companion, October 2019.
    Une histoire de fesses can be translated by Google's artificial intelligence from here: https://translate.google.com/translate? ... es-95.html
    Spoiler
    The Prince of Thieves is the Black Arrow, the Handsome Darald is Rolf Hurtis, count Loeskhan is count von Drakensberg and nobody knows anything about the Black Arrows, including she is a woman.
    Google do not translate proper name, and the proper names of this scenario sound anyway a bit too weird for Warhammer's Empire.
    Nitouche might be translated as Holle Herzentho to keeps the reference.
    maître Anthrax might be translated as meister Karfunkel (Anthrax is a false friend)
  • Tristan LHOMME's "Des bébés en veux-tu en voilà" ["Babies... Thou want some? We've got some!"] in Casus Belli #69, May 1992
    which is available translated in English under the title of Conspiracy! here: https://web.archive.org/web/20051114032 ... &advid=162
    Spoiler
    This adventure happens while characters take the road to join the prince of Ostland in Altdorf. It is the first time they'll meet mutant... an abandoned mutant newborn. Guilty Party's "Suspicious Look" happen during this adventure
  • Jim BAMBRA & Phil GALLAGHER's "Mistaken Identity" in The Enemy Within, December 1986; Warhammer Campaign, August 1988; Warhammer Adventure, 1991; Shadows Over Bögenhafen, 1995 or Enemy in Shadows, October 2019 .
    Spoiler
    The classical introduction to the campaign. It is the first time they'll meet mutants opponents... All the previous scenarii are extremely low fantasy, allowing a progressive rise toward Mistaken Identity. The mutant attack, at the beginning of the scenario, should be a chock for player who do not know much the universe[/i]
Graeme DAVIS's "On The Road" meetings might happen during the travels of this introduction.
Last edited by Capitaneus Fractus on Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:49 am, edited 7 times in total.
Veniam, Duelli Malleum, phantasticum ludum personae uidebo, in fera terra periculosorum aduenturorum ludebam.
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Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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Do you know where the English versions of those Casus Belli scenarios you mention can be downloaded Capitaneus Fractus?
Capitaneus Fractus
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[previous message have been edited with links]

About the solid map, more than one decade ago, I did made this unfinished map:
Spoiler
Image
(The scale is 5 miles to a hex. The image can be zoomed somewhat.)

Most of it is too empty (and probably not much up to date) but the needed area to play Enemy in Shadows and Death on the Reik is quite complete.
Here is the gazetter (in French).

Maybe I'll complete it later, when the whole new edition of The Enemy Within will be published.
Last edited by Capitaneus Fractus on Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:42 am, edited 2 times in total.
Veniam, Duelli Malleum, phantasticum ludum personae uidebo, in fera terra periculosorum aduenturorum ludebam.
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Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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Much appreciated Capitaneus Fractus. I take it that these weren' originally designed for The Enemy Within campaign and that you've added them in. I'm interested to look at them.
Capitaneus Fractus
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You are right. They weren't originally designed for The Enemy Within campaign. I add them as an introduction scenario, in order to more progressively let adventurers see that things go weirdly at the beginning and in order to introduce earlier the non player characters that are intended by "The Mistaken Identity" to be "close old friends"...
Veniam, Duelli Malleum, phantasticum ludum personae uidebo, in fera terra periculosorum aduenturorum ludebam.
NickM
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FasterThanJesus wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:21 am If you're starting from Ubersreik, does that mean that you've completed some of the starter set adventures? If so, Guilty Party, provides a possible means of transitioning from those adventures to TEW. Although I wouldn't say it's concrete, it does leave an extra motive to go to Altdorf and you're already on the road.
Thank you so much for suggesting this - it's working really, really well.
sx dwarf
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What is more important than where to start the campaign is why the PC are travelling on foot to Altdorf and not by coach or barge and why they stop by the Coach & Horses Inn, especially if they are poor, and why they decide suddenly to take a coach in middle of nowhere. If your players are not appeal by the "Wanted! Bold Adventurers!" tract, you must prepare to have a good backup plan.
yoroba
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I just started GMing a solo campaign with a friend where he plays a High Elf wizard fresh off the ship from Ulthuan.
I put a lot of work into making sure he was "alien in most aspects", giving his character minus to fellowship towards humans of Silver and Bronze tiers (leading to numerous hilarious misunderstandings). The awkwardness of my friend's HE character has already resulted in an almost- lynching, a witch hunter tracking him and the HE being kicked out of the Pandemonium Carnival (on which he fled Altdorf, with the Witch hunter on tail) for almost killing Magnus Bugman in a fight the HE character instigated himself (after failing his Animosity test).
He has just escaped Fielbach, where he was wanted for the "attempted murder most foul" of Magnus Bugman. The Watch almost caught him, but the HE put a Sleep spell on a blacksmith, hid in his depot and used Petty Magic sound spells to lure the chasing Watchmen away.

I love the non-heroism of WFRP!
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