Down by the River - A Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Death on the Reik Review

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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Death on the Reik 

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Developed by Phil Gallagher, Jim Bambra, and Graeme Davis

Playing through Death on the Reik, it's easy to see how The Enemy Within made a name for itself. The first and second books of this seminal Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign were fun, gothic romps but this third installment easily elevates the entire publication line to legendary status. After saving Bogenhafen - or perhaps failing to do so - the adventurers find themselves traveling the largest river of the Empire in search of the sorceress Etelka Herzen. It takes them to some of the most blighted, dark corners of the Old World, until their quest to defeat Chaos leads them to the nightmarish Castle Wittgenstein.

It may very well be the greatest adventure module ever published. At 127 pages it feels like an entire multi-book campaign shoved into a single volume with everything it covers. That came at a price, as Death on the Reik might very well be one of the most poorly edited RPG publications I've picked up. But that's more than worth it, as you get everything you could want from an adventure module: strong atmosphere, an engaging plot, an interesting cast, and memorable locales.

Troubled Waters

With so many plot threads and destinations, it's up to the adventurers' boat to hold Death on the Reik together. Both literally and figuratively. Unsurprisingly, the weakest part of the campaign doesn't involve the boat. The story opens with a messy intro, several vignettes designed to get the premade characters into their Advanced Careers. It takes some writing around if you didn't make your players use the pregens.

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Once the players find their ship, left adrift on the River Reik after mutants killed the crew, the campaign changes dramatically. As often remarked by fans, the boat is one of the most genius plot devices in any published adventure. The original printing contained a separate booklet, River Life in the Empire, providing a wide range of rules and encounters for boat travel, including an optional Nosferatu inspired sub plot. It's useful beyond the adventure, adding a new dimension to WFRP campaigns and the option to become intrepid, water borne traders.

But what really makes the boat work is how useful it is for guiding the player's where they need to go. All of the campaign's major locales are accessible by river, though some sub-exploration is needed. It meshes perfectly with the race against time component of the first half of Death on the Reik, as the players hope to stop Etelka's dastardly cult plot after previously witnessing her indirect handiwork.

It also gives the campaign an adventurous, open feel that few modules can manage. Players aren't boxed in, instead given an authentic feel of exploration countless published adventures have tried and failed to emulate.