Warhammer is one of those systems for varying reasons I never got into. I've been playing Vermintide II - and it's awesome. I'm considering checking out Warhammer FRP for the first time. The question is: Where to start? and WHY there?

Since Vermintide most likely deals with Skaven, I was going to suggest to go light and start with the Loathsome Ratmen And All Their Vile Kin, which is an all-fluff background book, but apparently there are no digital editions, and for a softcover published in 2004-5 the prices are crazy... There's a scribd version though.

Therefore, the best start IMHO would be the following trilogy, all 2nd edition:
The Tome of Salvation. THE best setting book for the Empire, it has oodles of atmosphere and ideas.
The Children of the Horned Rat. LRAATVK + stats, everything you need for Skaven antagonists and their motivations can be found here.
WFRP Main Rulebook, 2nd. ed. So that the two books above would make sense.

I like both first and second edition so I would get whichever core book is cheaper tbh.

There's also a whole host of free stuff on the web for both those editions available here: http://grognard.org.uk/ -Obviously it's of varying quality, but it should help get your feet wet.

Cost is not an issue for me. But I don't want to buy something I won't really need.

And also - the fact I'm playing Vermintide shouldn't be what I want exactly from the game. I want the best edition that will allow me to explore the totality of the Warhammer Fantasy world(s).

Quote from: tenbones;1030439Cost is not an issue for me. But I don't want to buy something I won't really need.

And also - the fact I'm playing Vermintide shouldn't be what I want exactly from the game. I want the best edition that will allow me to explore the totality of the Warhammer Fantasy world(s).

Ok, the 1st edition core-book is very complete, of a magnitude you do not really see today. But its an older version of the setting, for example Colour Magic is missing, the god Sigmar is missing, and the tone is different to later books. Most first edition supplements are scenarios.

2nd edition uses a more up-to-date setting that it shares with Vermintide (basically the last true Warhammer Fantasy setting before they blew it up and ... actually that's not important right now). But it does not cover the world in detail, you will need various supplements for that. But a lot of the first edition stuff was converted over pretty much wholesale and is available for free.

3rd edition is really, really incomplete and lacks even basic information in the core box-set, you need a supplement to get horses for fucks sake. Also, custom dice and character cards.

4th edition should be out this year... maybe... fuck knows.

Well, I'd say that the first edition has overall better adventures, but second edition improves the system on every level. For me, the game has always worked best as a sort of CoC / Crapsack Fantasy -hybrid, of which Shadows Over Bögenhafen is a brilliant example - and a good introductory adventure. And the best part is, if your players really make a mess of it, you'll have a ruined city with a chaos gate at your disposal!

In addition to my previous list, I'd add Sigmar's Heirs for geography, and Old World Bestiary for more iconic monsters than in the main rulebook. Maybe Tome of Corruption for the Full Chaos Experience.

So...

I should pick up 2e and its supplementary material to really "get into" the world? And system-wise stick with 2e until 4e comes out and then judge accordingly?

I'd wait for 4E. Apparently it is heavily inspired by 1E and 2E.

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Quote from: Nerzenjäger;1030446I'd wait for 4E. Apparently it is heavily inspired by 1E and 2E.

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If you can get 1e in PDF for cheap now, I'd do that, get a feel for the gamestyle / worldstyle while you are waiting for 4e to arrive, use that to run your campaign.

1e holds up pretty well overall, but it has plenty of sharp edges and holes that a 4e could fix.

More to consider. Now I'm eyeballing ZWEIHANDER too....

Quote from: tenbones;1030458More to consider. Now I'm eyeballing ZWEIHANDER too....

Nah, it's just WHFRP with the serial numbers filed off. Get the real thing. Buy the 2E PDF on the cheap and wait for 4E.

Quote from: Nerzenjäger;1030466Nah, it's just WHFRP with the serial numbers filed off. Get the real thing. Buy the 2E PDF on the cheap and wait for 4E.

Do the German puns work in German? (One of the modules features a demon called Zahnartz. )

Quote from: Motorskills;1030472Do the German puns work in German? (One of the modules features a demon called Zahnartz. )

I would argue they work even better.

Quote from: Nerzenjäger;1030473I would argue they work even better.

Nice.

Regardless of whether you're waiting for 4e, get Zweihänder, splurge on 2e or hack Rifts, you go pick up a copy of 1e, in print or pdf, right now.