Impressions & Overview of Games Workshop's Stormbringer rpg

 The Stormbringer RPG is one of the most celebrated titles from the "Golden Age" of tabletop gaming. First released by Chaosium in 1981, it brought Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné stories to life using a streamlined version of the Basic Role-Playing (BRP) system—the same engine behind Call of Cthulhu. This blog entry picks right up from 

Cracking The Spine - Quick Impressions of Games Workshop's Stormbringer rpg & The OSR

It is famous for being "gloriously unfair," dark, and dripping with atmosphere. Here is a breakdown of what makes the classic game (specifically the 1st through 4th editions) unique.

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1. The Setting: The Young Kingdoms

The game is set in the Young Kingdoms, a world caught in a cosmic tug-of-war between Law (order, stagnation, and eventually sterility) and Chaos (change, entropy, and madness).

• The Melniboneans: You can play as the ancient, decadent, and cruel "Bright Empire" of Melniboné, though they are a fading race.

• No "Standard" Fantasy: There are no Hobbits or Dwarves here. The world is human-centric but filled with ancient ruins, bizarre cults, and alien entities.

2. The Mechanics: Gritty and Lethal

The system uses d100 (percentile) dice for almost everything. If your Broadsword skill is 65%, you need to roll a 65 or lower to hit.

• The Luck of the Roll: Character creation is notoriously random. One player might roll up a beggar from Nadsokor with no skills and a missing foot, while another rolls a Melnibonéan Noble with world-shattering stats and a demon-bound suit of armor.

• Combat: It is fast and deadly. Armor doesn't make you harder to hit; it reduces the damage you take. A single lucky strike can (and will) end a legendary hero.

3. Magic: Summoning, Not Spellcasting

In the classic editions, there are no "fireballs" or "magic missiles." Magic is about pacts and summoning.

• Demon Binding: Sorcerers summon demons and elementals, then bargain with or command them to inhabit items. A "magic sword" in Stormbringer is usually just a regular sword with a demon bound inside it to provide extra damage or accuracy.

• High Risk: Summoning is dangerous. If you fail your rolls, the demon might decide to eat you instead of following orders.

4. The Editions

Edition	Year	Key Note
1st - 3rd	1981–87	The "Classic" era. 3rd Edition (published with Games Workshop) is often considered the peak of the original ruleset.
4th	1990	Updated the magic system and consolidated the rules into a single book.
Elric! / 5th	1993+	A major mechanical overhaul. It became more balanced and added more traditional "spells," though some purists felt it lost the "chaotic" flavor of the originals.

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Why People Still Play It

• The "Anti-D&D": It rejects the idea of "zero to hero." You start as who you are, and you deal with the consequences of a world that is fundamentally doomed.

• The Aesthetic: The art (especially by Frank Brunner and Michael Whelan) and the nihilistic tone give it a "Heavy Metal" magazine vibe that few modern games replicate.

• The Narrative Stakes: You aren't just fighting for gold; you are navigating the end of the world.

Fun Fact: The game’s influence was massive; the creators of Warhammer Fantasy have openly stated that their "Chaos" system was heavily inspired by the mechanics and lore found in Stormbringer.

Buckle up, because character creation in classic Stormbringer is a wild ride where "balance" is a concept the dice gods find hilarious. In this system, your social standing and birthplace are often more important than your actual attributes.

Here is how you would roll up a character in the classic 1st–3rd editions:

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1. The Attributes (The Standard Six)

You roll 3d6 for your primary characteristics. There are no "point buys" here; you get what the universe gives you.

• STR (Strength)

• CON (Constitution)

• SIZ (Size)

• INT (Intelligence)

• POW (Power) — Crucial for sorcery/luck.

• DEX (Dexterity)

• CHA (Charisma)

2. National Origin (The "Great Filter")

This is where the game gets "gloriously unfair." You roll a d100 to determine where you were born. This table is weighted by the population of the Young Kingdoms, but the power discrepancy is massive.

• The "Lower" Tier (Common): You’ll likely roll a Puarite or a Vilmirian. You get basic skills and maybe a rusty spear.

• The "Middle" Tier: You might get Dharijor or Jharkor—sturdy warriors with decent starting gear.

• The "God" Tier (Rare): If you roll a 99 or 100, you are a Melnibonéan. You get massive bonuses to INT and POW, access to world-class sorcery, and probably start the game with a demon-bound item that could level a village.

3. Social Class

Once your nation is set, you roll for your profession. Again, this is a d100 roll.

• You might roll "Beggar" (Start with 1 copper piece and a bowl).

• You might roll "Noble" (Start with fine plate armor, a horse, and a small fortune).

• The Catch: Your profession determines your starting skills. A Hunter will be great with a bow, but a Priest might start with the ability to summon a minor Chaos god.

4. The "Sorcery" Check

Not everyone can use magic. In fact, unless you are from a specific high-magic culture (like Melniboné or Pan Tang), you usually need a POW of 16 or higher just to have a chance at being a sorcerer.

If you qualify, you don't just "know" spells—you know how to bargain with extra-planar entities.

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A Typical "Balanced" Starting Party

To give you an idea of the chaos, a starting party often looks like this:

Player	Origin	Class	Notable Stat/Gear
Player A	Melniboné	Sorcerer	POW 21; owns a ring containing a Fire Elemental.
Player B	Llowri	Peasant	STR 9; owns a very sturdy goat.
Player C	Tarkesh	Sailor	DEX 17; high skill in "Climb" and "Dagger."

5. Final Touches: Derived Stats

• Hit Points: Calculated by $(STR + SIZ) / 2$.

• Damage Bonus: Based on your STR and SIZ. If you're a big guy, you hit harder.

• Luck Points: Equal to your POW. These are your "don't die yet" points.

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The Philosophy of the Roll

The game explicitly tells the Game Master that if one player rolls a demigod and another rolls a pauper, they shouldn't try to fix it. The pauper's goal is to survive by their wits (and by hiding behind the Melnibonéan), while the Melnibonéan has to deal with the fact that everyone in the world hates and fears them.

Blood, Thunder, and Chaos - Setting Up A Borderlands Campaign Using The Castles & Crusades Kickstarter, Maxinum Mayhem's #0: Village on the Borderland , the Borderlands , B2 The Keep on The Borderlands & The Spectre of War

 Let's pick it right up from here on the blog & speak about Chaos in Castles & Crusades. When it comes to arming our monsters of Chaos  the the latest Castles & Crusades rpg kickstarter and the Monsterous Armory book has us covered. And for the Borderlands campaign this is going to be a major adventure plot point. There are several reasons for this and one is the classic B2 Keep on the Borderlands. This module has the forces of Chaos aligning with the Caves of Chaos. 

As we discussed in the other day's Maximum Mayhem Dungeon commentary this is something that goes hand in hand with the classic adventures such as B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Because the gods of Chaos are leaning into the conflict and being reborn on Earth again. This is something that we see time and again. Adventurer,Conqueror, King's The Sinister Stone of Sakkara which is a low level module and a tribute to B2. And one that could easily be used with Maxinum Mayhem's #0: Village on the Borderland is simply another venue in the events of the Borderland War. Then the Sinister Stone of Sakkara is another front in such a war. 

A generational war that is bubbling just below the surface of an OSR campaign. And the perfect campaign venue is ACKs's Capital of the Borderlands (revised edition) where the Chaos is just bubbling right under the capital itself in Secrets of the Nethercity. 
And Chaos's influence continues to play up across the Borderlands in Maxinum Mayhem's #0: Village on the Borderland. The familar becomes alien as humanoid tribes come under the influence of Chaos. 

And the weapons of war especially come into play as the neglected keep which is now a trade point becomes a fortress of war once again. Chaos already has it's agents working from within in the keep. 

The humans & demi human tribes are going to need the weapons of war fast. And this is one of the places that the Adventurer's Armory is going to come in very handy. 

Not only are the PC's going to have to set themselves up in the keep then they may have to divide thier forces to grab weaponry and guard a caravan to come into the borderlands. If we look deeper still into  Maxinum Mayhem's #0: Village on the Borderland then we see that the orge raids are another sign of the corruption infecting the borderlands themselves. 

The PC's are going to be fighting a war on three or more sides and this has the makings of an epic campaign. Given the fact that the Borderlands is both a bastion to Chaos and corruption this sort of C&C campaign could take years to play out! 

Barbarian Warlords of Greyhawk Part 9 Lords of Discord & Plague OSR Commentary Lands of Greyhawk

 This blog entry is going to pick it up from the other day's right here. 

If we're talking about the Elemental Evil cult within T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil by Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer. Then we're speaking of a rising cult of evil that prevades Hommlet from the inside out. This same cult could well be the cult within the Caves of Chaos within B2 The Keep on the Borderlands. Why? Because the entire Borderlands region of Greyhawk is up for grabs. And  reading through Greyhawk's Slaver  series of adventures -  A1: Slave Pits of the Undercity, A2: Secret of the Slavers Stockade, A3: Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords, and A4: In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords. One has to wonder about the minds behind the demonic aspects of the action. What in the Sam Hill are we talking about?!  We talking about the rise of Chaos within Greyhawk. Ultimately this could involve the plague family of demonic entities including Juiblex,Zuggtmoy , & Bubonica

So the slavers are taking full advantage of Greyhawk's Borderland region & this sets events up within the capital of  Cyfaraun to be sacked by the barbarian hordes from the Barbarian states. These armies come in from  the nations of the Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians, as well as the nation of Stonehold. Why though?!? 

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Because if the events within  T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil by Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer have awakened Zuggtmoy. Then it means that Chaos is on the rise & the influence of Luz is also on the rebound! His cultists & armies could turn against the ancient Elven worshippers of Chaos in an effort to cut the head of the serpent off before it becomes too powerful! 

Player's PC's are going to need to scale the long laddar up the levels in order to command the forces they need to tackle this threat! Luz is no one to be trifled with. He's one Greyhawk's most active big bads & highly dangerous to any forces that cross his path. 
Luz's cult is going to be major player in the moves across the chess board of Greyhawk.Luz will act seemingly rashly but he's often played the long game before. 

Luz is going to wear down any of the Borderlands states remaining armies if he can with expendable orcs, and the multivaried humanoid Chaos forces. These he will spawn himself as well as use the semi divine call at his command. 
Why?! Because Luz & his relatives Juiblex,Zuggtmoy , & Bubonica are going to use plagues & disease to 'soften' up all of the forces & states of the Borderlands! 

Barbarian Warlords of Greyhawk Part 8 Behind the Scenes of The Borderland's Hellish Powers OSR Commentary Lands of Greyhawk

Here we're going to pick right up from where we left off on the blog last blog entry here So let's talk about Villains of the Undercity from Dark Wizard games & good old Wendel for a moment. And yes I know Villains of the Undercity is a homage to White Plume Mountain. Just go with me for a moment. The lizard men of B2 Keep on the Borderlands is actually another adventure element of the rising tide of Chaos. In Los Farport the same thing is happening & there's a reason for this. The tide of Chaos is increasing & someone is profitting from it. 

Wendel  the little halfling horror from  Villains of the Undercity from Dark Wizard games isn't as gonzo as he first appears instead he's a part of a network whose been supplying the chaos worshippers all along. 
You see our villain in this model has had help this whole time setting up his network of villainy. Wendel is a part of the Slavers network. The Slavers finianced, gave resources, etc for Wendel to return to Lost Farport. 

Why?! Because the Chaos worshippers  below the streets of Cyfaraun are paying very well for those slaves cum sacrifices. Wendel isn't eaxtly a push over either. Even though he's in the revenge game. The halfling is a threat within his own right! 
Los Farport offers an ACK crew a ton of opportunities! 

 AX3: The Capital of the Borderlands connects directly into those classic modules of the Eighties. The Slavers will double cross the Chaos worshippers at a critical point.Why?! Because the slavers have interests with the Barbarian states of Greyhawk. And these states have representives within the Borderlands region;" A cold, mountainous land, this region is best known for being the home of the nations of the Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians, as well as the nation of Stonehold. Collectively, the lands of the Frost, Ice, and Snow barbarians are known as the Barbarian States."
However the Chaos worshippers have seen this especially the Elves of AX-2 Secrets of the Nethercity. After all what's a few paltry human cultists to the chaos of all out war in Los Farport & the borderland regions! 

Barbarian Warlords of Greyhawk Part 7 Deeper Into The Borderland's Hellish Powers OSR Commentary Lands of Greyhawk

 Let's pick it right up from here with the fact that the Temple of Elemental Evil has literally spread it's tendrils through out Greyhawk & is partly powered by the Hellfurnaces; "Some of the most infamous Underdark regions in the World of Greyhawk exist beneath the Hellfurnaces, including the Vault of the Drow, the Sunless Sea, the realm of the Lerara, the White Kingdom, and Dra-Mur-Shou. Aboleths, kuo-toans, svirfneblin, illithids, drow, cloakers, and duergar all war beneath the depths.

The legendary Passage of Slerotin connects the Sea of Dust to the Yeomanry through the Underdark."  This means all of the action happening within   AX3: The Capital of the Borderlands connects directly into those classic modules of the Eighties. 

AX-2 Secrets of the Nethercity fits into this as both as  side quest & fitted resource for this ACK's powered campaign. As we said last time & this ties into the little tid bits dropped in Gary Gygax's Keep on the Borderlands. The Chaos worshipers are on the rise again & AX-2 bares this out! 

These Chaos worshipers are deeply connected with elemental darkness within the Hell Furnaces themselves! The darker powers such as those monsters seen in the Fiend Folio reside there; "On the surface, volcanoes and heat-loving monsters dominate, including fire giants with their hell hound pets, and red dragons with their firenewt servants. Manticores are common in the lower altitudes. Other races found in the Hellfurnaces include bugbears, cave-dwelling humans, firedrakes, fire toads, storm giants, goblins, orcs, ogres, pyrolisks, and trolls" 

Human sacrifices taken from the coast from  the small city of Los Farport. This is the perfect point to introduce  Villains of the Undercity from Dark Wizard games again. Why?! Because the villain of Villains of The Undercity hits both the gonzo & the old school vibe in such a way that it can go either way. Taken seriously the adventure plugs into the vibe of dark desparation of AX2's world view as the elemental evil spreads back into the Village of Hommlet like a dark rising tide! 

Because of the fact that the horrors & dark forces behind the Chaos gods altars below the streets of Cyfaraun are churning with the eldritch energies of old. How & why this connects deeply into Greyhawk we will see next time!