Altdorf: Crown of the Empire (2021)

From publisher blurb:

Altdorf is the capital city of the Empire and the birthplace of Sigmar Heldenhammer. It is the most populous city in the Old World, and the site of several famous and majestic landmarks. The Imperial Palace and the Grand Cathedral of Sigmar are monumental edifices, larger than whole districts of smaller cities. The Colleges of Magic tower over the banks of fog that blow in off the Reik, venting gouts of sorcerous fire and fume. Altdorf has another side to it, in the teeming rookeries of the East End and the bustling Dockland to the north, gangland intimidation and revolutionary fervour are felt more keenly than the word of Sigmar’s priests, or the rule of the Emperor’s laws.

Altdorf: Crown of the Empire is a fascinating and entertaining 224-page guidebook to the capital. Standing on the confluence of two of the greatest rivers in the Empire, Altdorf is a nexus of power: government, religion, magic and military. Each district is carefully detailed with a wide variety of locations, plot hooks, and NPCs. A beautifully illustrated map, provided with both GM and Player versions, shows off the expansive city in exquisite detail. Whether Players wish to explore the Street of a Hundred Taverns, involve themselves in intrigues at the Imperial Palace, seek to topple the established order alongside Altdorf’s revolutionary factions, or dominate the city’s underworld as part of the warring dockland gangs, the book has all you need.

Altdorf: Crown of the Empire is extensively researched; combining details derived from over 30 years, including stories, sourcebooks, and roleplaying scenarios, with new material to create the ultimate sourcebook for thrilling adventures in the capital. Old favourites such as ‘Filthy’ Harald Kleindeinst and Rosanna Ophuls are updated to be used in the fourth edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Characters from Warhammer Fantasy Battle with links to Altdorf, such as Reiksmarshal Kurt Helborg and Supreme Patriarch Thyrus Gormann, are described in detail. A host of new NPCs have been added to illustrate the vast diversity of folk who call the capital their home.

Whilst Altdorf: Crown of the Empire contains enough plot hooks and interesting locations to be the site of hundreds of adventures, it is also a perfect complement to the Enemy Within campaign. The Characters may turn the fleeting visits to Altdorf described in Enemy in Shadows, Death on the Reik and Power Behind the Throne into detailed explorations. The capital will also play a pivotal role in the forthcoming fifth part of the campaign, Empire in Ruins.

Altdorf: Crown of the Empire includes:

• A History of Altdorf: A timeline of events leading up to the present day, detailing the city’s past as the centre of Unberogen power in the Reikland and the centre of Sigmar’s Empire. Myths and legends associated with the area and the great men and women who have contributed to Altdorf’s cultural pre-eminence, past and present.

• How Altdorf is Ruled: A detailed examination of both secular and religious power in Altdorf, and the checks nobles from other provinces attempt to place upon them. The major knightly orders that call the city home are described. On the streets of the East End and Dockland the power of the gangs has as much impact as the edicts of the House of the Third Wilhelm, and their organisations and methods are the subject of numerous articles and adventure hooks.

• A Visitors Guide: The city is divided into three great quarters, each comprised of several distinct districts. There is the wealthy South Bank, centre of religious and political power, the City North, a buzzing commercial hub and home of the Colleges of Magic, and the East End, a maze of decaying rookeries and noisome industrial sprawl.

• Altdorfers: Over 45 NPCs are examined in detail, providing a broad selection of the great city’s citizens and denizens. From penniless revolutionaries and forlorn mutants to the worthies of Altdorf’s court. The peculiarities of what life is like for Altdorf’s Elves, Dwarfs, and Halflings is examined, and lurking in the city’s dark are Skaven agents, and the followers of Chaos gods.

• Beneath the Streets and Beyond the Walls: Altdorf extends down into the mud and beyond its walls. Visitors arriving on foot from Nuln are treated to the booming and flashing of the Artillery Fields, whilst those from Marienburg are assailed by the magnificent sight (and ammonium stench) of Altdorf’s Demigryph pens. Beneath the city, the Dwarfs labour to prevent the flooding of their ancient subterranean district, whilst monsters and cultists stalk through the catacombs.

• And more: The cultural life of Altdorf has options for rich, poor and middle class; the skill of psychometry can be learned by those with the talent for it; vision-inducing Dreamwine can be purchased from some of the venues of the Street of a Hundred Taverns.

Altdorf: Crown of the Empire is an excellent and entertaining addition to any gaming table. Packed with esoteric lore, suspicious NPCs, distinctive locations, and intriguing adventure hooks, it is the perfect guide with which to add additional depth and detail to your games of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay!