Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition: Enemy in Shadows Companion

Enemy in Shadows is the first volume of the Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) 4th edition by Cubicle 7.

A Bit Of History

The first time this adventure was released was back in 1986, back when Warhammer Roleplaying was in its first edition. The second part of the adventure itself, “Shadows over Bogenhafen” was published in 1987. They have been combined into a single module now, with more than 20 years of feedback added. This Director’s Cut version includes new artwork, expanded content, and an improved layout, making it an ideal starting point for new players and a worthwhile investment for veteran fans. The adventure is good for newcomers to Warhammer, old players, and even groups that may have already played this famous campaign before. With the inclusion of special “Grognards” text boxes, the writers give old players and game masters new ideas on how to develop the story.

The Start Of The Plot

The campaign takes place in the grim and perilous world of Warhammer Fantasy, a world full of danger, magic, and dark forces. The players take on the roles of adventurers who are drawn into a web of political intrigue, dark secrets, and dangerous enemies. The campaign is designed for characters of rank 1-4 and can be played individually or as part of the larger “Enemy Within” campaign. This particular adventure is good for starting characters or characters in the first career. It is very easy to connect to another adventure you may be playing since it only requires all the characters to be in the same inn/tavern at the same time.

The introduction chapter provides a very good starting point not only for this adventure, but also for the whole campaign. It explains the plot at a very high level, gives a foundation for the Warahmmer world, establishes the tone for the campaign as well as the enemies.

The Schaffenfest

The adventure itself involves travelling through Altdorf using the Empire’s canals to reach Bögenhafen for the Schaffen Fest, a yearly festival where the plot develops. In the way there the characters will be confused with someone else, creating an interesting thread of intrigue.

During the festival they will get involved in deeper issues that will take them underneath the city, to the sewers to try to solve the mystery. This will in turn surface a cult, a ritual, and ultimately lead to the grand finale where they need to stop a demon summoning which could destroy the whole city, or even a bigger part of the empire.

The dynamics in Enemy in Shadows are mainly investigative, but there are multiple places for battle, minor fights, and entertainment for all kinds of characters.
It also includes an appendix with a Guide to Bogenhafen, some new rules important to the adventure, a handout of the imperial calendar as well as multiple handouts to provide to your players while the mystery unfolds.

It is a complex plot, but in general the adventure is quite linear. Besides the festival, which can be a bit more difficult to control, a new Game Master may struggle a little bit but it is possible to handle it. An experienced Game Master should have no issues with it.