When Fantasy Flight Games announced the 3rd edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP), I was a little surprised. The second edition had only been around for 5 years and was a superb game, so it seemed a tad strange to develop a new edition.

My initial thoughts on the previews was a mix of good and bad. Mostly, I didn't know what to make of it at all. The RPG is being packaged in a box, and many of its rules and mechanics are represented through cards and tokens. Being known for its board games, many feared FFG were taking out roleplaying elements of the system and changing its basic nature.

Having seen more of the previews and read bits and pieces from people who have play-test copies, I am a bit more confident now. There are certainly some innovative and interesting elements to the RPG, and I look forward to trying out the following:

• Dice pool, with different types of dice to represent different elements affecting a task
• The party sheet, which is a mechanical representation of the interaction of the characters
• The Magic system, which we have yet to hear much about but should prove interesting
• Creatures. The system used looks flexible and I look forward to designing various NPCs using it
• The careers system. One of the unique flavours of WFRP, if they get this right then that will help immensely

There are a few things missing, such as Halflings and random character generation, but I'm sure supplements and house rules can deal with these if needed.