This is a less ink-intensive and more practical character sheet than the one provided in the book, though it does hav a bit less "character".

This is a wonderful collection of characters, organizations, events, and items that serve as perfect story seeds for your occult or magic-focused modern game. There are a lot of mentions of soul jars and other terms that feel like it may have originally been written for a particular game. But that doesn't detract from its usability for any system. Each entry includes a story hook idea, easily adjustable for use in your own campaign.

The only complaint I have is that the bookmarks are a mess - all collected under one letter, some missing, some in the wrong places. But that's a minor editing issue. The content itself is great! Thank you!

This has got to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite supplement that I have read for quite some time. It's brilliant in the way that although it doesn't have a massive amount of info it has all the right kind of info and tables as well. It's not loaded with fluff or nonsense (well really fun and useful nonsense it does have) and it really gives you an excellent look into the main location focus of the book , Grim Biskerstaf not to mention ever bit of the mentioned lore and past/current events are all basically campaign/adventure hooks. If you are someone like myself who does a lot of co-op solo play with my sons using things like Mythic GM Emulator a supplement like this is a real treat given you enjoy the gritty grimdark style setting. Long story short I love this book and Warlock! has become my go to system and I can see us playing in this setting for the foreseeable future. Well done!

Really excited about this book. The illustrations are imaginative, and it’s a really nice take on an Arabian setting without being typical. If you’re not familiar with the tradition of Jinn, this book gives you everything you need to know, from the tables to make Jinn to spells to locations. I hope to see more from this author.

Excellent system, excellent feeling: rule lite, quick character creation, dangerous magic, deadly combats... WOAW, exactly what I seek in a medieval-rpg! GET IT!

Only critic with this new edition: the paper is thinner than the first edition of Warlock!. It's a little bit disappointing.

But otherwise, just awesome book!

Warlock! is a fantastic game, easy to learn, easy to run, easy to play. I'm pretty sure I've already reviewed it in the original edition so for more thoughts definitely go check out the reviews there.

This Traitor's Edition then is a considerable facelift from the original with all updated layout, art, and design. As much as I like the look and feel of the original I get that it wouldn't appeal to all audiences which I think this edition largely addresses. So to all those that are wondering if they have the original and are unsure about whether to get this version as well, I say... why not!? It's a great game in whatever style and more copies is just more books you can hand out on game night when someone wants to check what are the skills of the rat catcher career. The only caveat I might offer is that there are a couple minor errors that might not be fixed in the print on demand physical copy but that Fire Ruby Designs is quick to correct and update in the pdf.

I love this system. Its almost as if there was B/X version of WFRP, I mean that in the best way possible. Having limited experience with "British style" rpgs, I can't say how well it captures the same feel but on its own merits it a worthy system. I haven't tried to see how difficult it is to convert WFRP adventures to be compatible with Warlock!

The rules for the most part are clear and simple but there are a few areas that can be better worded at some points (or an example included) but careful re-readings generally will clear things up. The additional supplements are definitely worth it.

My first encounter with this game was references by people looking for the WFRP tone, but with simpler, easier rules. That made me curious.¶

So I bought it in PDF. This is a pre-play review - I've read the rules, but not yet played nor run it. Yet. That said...¶

• Simpler? Absolutely.
• Grimdark tone? Yes
• Ratcatchers with a small but vicious dog? Yep, but worded differently.
• Dangerous Magic? Yep
• Characters going insane from combat wounds? Nope.
• Characters suffering mutations from magic? only minor ones.
• Characters suffering mutations from exposure to evil beasts? Not really.
• No lasting damage until all HP are gone? Yes, but they're called Stamina here.¶

The core mechanic is a 1d20+Skill Rating >=20 succeeds. Modifiers may be applied by the GM. There are two attributes, and 32 skills, all of which have a rating. The attributes don't interact with the skills; one's "Stamina" - used as magic points and as hit points (a nice grimdark touch), the other is luck, whcih is a saving throw mechanic, but has limited uses. Advances are earned at GM determined milestones; each is a skill & stamina improvement; only skills in your current career can be raised. Very simple.¶

Given that any attack results in someone taking damage, and armor can only reduce damage to 1 point, not none, it's got a significant amount of "dangerous combat". The magic system has a high rate of mishaps - 1 in 20 castings. Combat overall is very clear, but not all in the same spot; only 4 actions are specified: Move, Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, and (in a different section) Cast a spell. ¶

One of the more novel elements: costs are randomized. There's a nice and short list of what to roll for the costs of various things.¶

Armor is very vague; only three mechanical categories. They're sensible, too. ¶

I like the skill driven mechanic, and that all skills have a score, and so a chance to be used.¶

Career Skills are a great idea, too. while in a given career, you gain a skill with the name of the career at the level of the lowest of the career's skills; when you exit that career, the score is fixed. So, anything that is within scope for a career, but not for its skills, has a default. ¶

Ok, so why only 4/5? I mean, it's clear that I like what I'm seeing... but...

• This, despite being a revised edition, has some clarity issues. EG: It took me a bit of time to grasp that there is zero starting skill increase from career, only allowance for future advances.
• Only 4 combat actions (and 1 of them not in the combat chapter)
• Only one (combined) list of spells; a distinction between priestly and sorcerous magic is made, but the spells are interchangeable as written - steal a priest's scroll, and your wizard can cast it.
• No Orks? WTF? (Especially since it has Goblins)
• No direct rules for traits, despite requireing 3 of them per PC.
• No sanity system. Grimdark is well served by sanity systems.¶

Those are all pretty minor. I do plan to bring this to table. I wonder how many of my negatives are fixed in the compendia...

Beautiful artwork, great game system, and the whole "vibe" is amazing. Fantastic game, highly recommended!

This review will contain two parts. First part is about Warlock! itself and the other part will be for the differences and upgrade from the normal version of the Game.

Part 1 Warlock! itself: I love this game I picked it up about 1~ year ago and me and my grouped played it for that period every weekend. It has its roots which are pretty clear in a world where there is only war and it fullfills that niche with ease. This game feels gritty and dark fantasy but keeps a bit of humor that lightens it up well enough. It excells at ease of play making a character evolving it and using this system will come naturally to you by the first session as it is very easy to grasp. Its the game I would have liked to design as I am currently in the process of writing my own game but halted that as I have Warlock! now yes it is that good.

Positives:

• Easy to understand rules
• Evokes the feelings of its roots perfectly
• Awesome community that brings the game to life
• Flexible enough for your Fantasysettings and Worlds
• Easy to adjust and homerule

Negatives:

• Rules can feel barebones if you do not want to make rulings on the spot
• Base game can feel a bit barren but this is fixed with the multiple expansions

Part 2 Update from normal version to Traitor Edition:

If you dont have the other Warlock! base game dont read any further you want this. The visuals of this version are enhanced by a lot and it is a joy to read. The normal version by no means was bad or terrible but It had that indie band charm and I think that is no bad thing. This looks a lot nicer and makes it even easier to recommend this game as the old visuals was a turnoff for some people. While I will cherish my old copy of the base game as it has that oldschool feel I will recommend all people to use and buy this one in the future as it is just a straight up upgrade.

If you allready have the basegame like I do I think you should still pick up the new look if you can afford it as it just oozes the feeling of the game from every page.

Final Notes: Great Job to EvilDoctor from Fire Ruby Designs I think update will bring even more people to this game. If you are in the market for a muddy bloody fantasy game you should check out Warlock! :)

The grand sultan lies ill while his eldest daughter and younger brother vie for the control of Far Hissain's first and greatest city...

PROS:

+setting. Rich and evocative pre-Islamic fantasy setting with a diverse cast of characters, from fickle djinn and power-hungry sorcerers to jostling street vendors and Bedouin warriors. I'll call out one of my favourite scenes described in the book, a small pond of silver fish in the Al-Nimri Forest. Take a fish out of the pond, and it'll turn into a silver coin. Put the coin back, and it'll become fish again. Keep the coin out of the pond for a few days and it'll start smelling of rotten fish. This stuff is great, and the book's full of moments like this one.

+bestiary. This books has over 30 new entries for the Warlock! bestiary, and they are on point. The dog-headed hinn — a corrupted community of djinn — are a personal favourite.

+careers. 12 new basic and 7 advanced careers (including one each for elves, dwarves and haflings).

CONS:

-lack of adventure modules. The book offers plenty of hooks but no adventure modules. I'd have loved to see one included. Fingers crossed the author will publish more material for this setting

Overall, Far Hissain is a fantastic setting book. Props to Imad and Greg for creating a place with such a distinct feel, and one I badly want to play in.

Warhammer (1e) + Fighting Fanatsy + d20 = Warlock!

As a fan of all of the above, I really enjoy this game. Fast and light but still has depth. The additional books all add some nice extra choices as well. Highly recommend Warlock!

The only things keeping this from being a 5 star title for me is the interior art and font used. I would prefer this with no art vs. what's inside currently. Also a font change would be good as the current one seems a little flat or lifeless.

(Matter of tatse, I know.)

If Warlock! gets a revised edition in the future, I'd like to suggest getting Zhu Bajiee (Zhu Industries) to do all the art.

If that happens, I burn all of my other books and only play Warlock! Lol...

A dark and gritty Euro style game that does so many things right. I was a little disappoined by the short spell list but since it's so simple adding my own spells, which I did, was exceptionally easy. I've already purchased all of the supplemental material that's been released, which is a rarity for me, and I plan to get anything else that has to do with this little gem. If you like the old version of Warhammer Fantasy then this is certainly going to be your taste in gaming. If you're looking to get away from overly done epic style systems, then I recommend this one, too. It's been a while since I've come across a game that's this well done and sperked my curiosity as this one has but I'm definitely glad that I did. Go and buy it, it's just that good.

Awesome book for introducing military adventures into Warpstar. The overall structure of the Nova guard makes for some great story potential. the nova guard careers are amazing and all compliment each other very well to make for an interesting party of player characters where everyone has their own role in the group. The arsenal of weapons, armor ans vehicles are all brutal and interesting. you also get a giant table of mission hooks to keep you busy for a long time, as well as a sandbox adventure and setting in the back of the book.

overall this book is fantastic for anyone who wants to incorporate space marine/old school 40k/starship troopers/doom elements into their warpstar game.

I've been using Compendium 2 as much as the Core Rulebook for the past two months. It has all the modular rules you need to bring base Warlock! to a Renaissance dark-er game, and a very cool alternative carrer advancement system!