Design notes on creating Realm of Chaos for Games Workshop Warhammer universe. Presentation given at Ropecon 2016

1. CREATING CHAOS

2. IN THE BEGINNING• It all sarted when Rick said:
Tuomas, you are doing new Realm of Chaos. It
is the most important thing in the Warhammer
universe, so…
DON’T SCREW
IT UP!

3. I GOT this• Not like I had no legacy to live up to….

4. No pressure• Not like the Warhammer fans are fanatical or anything…
• Chaos in Warhammer
means a LOT to a lot of
passionate people

5. • Michael Moorcock was a huge
inspiration
• But Warhammer Chaos is
different
• In Eternal Champion, Chaos and
Law are in balance
• If there is no equilibrium, heroes
restore the balance
• In Warhammer Chaos is created
by sentient beings
Warhammer Chaos did not just appear from thin air
THE ORIGINS

6. In mythology
The Greeks did it
• The very first thing in the universe was goddess Khaos,
later Eris and Discordia
• Beginning of everything
• Both a place and a god

7. Second law of thermodynamics
Chaos wins. Full stop.
• The world is doomed
• EVERYTHING originates from Chaos
• Undead are the opposite of Chaos

8. Realm of chaos
The Hell and Heaven of Warhammer world
• Gates to the Warp built by the Old Ones
• Every planet a variant of the same world
• Collapse of the Warp Gates opened a rift
into our world

9. • Though innumerable,
four great gods dominate
• Created by human
psyche
• The paradox –more you
struggle, the stronger
they become
CHAOS GODS
The Four Great Gods resonate with the players the most

10. khorne
KILL! MAIM! BURN!
• Always the most popular of Chaos gods
• Easiest to write
• Hardest to bring depth to: martial pride and honor

11. TZEENTCH
I am Tzeentch and you are the puppet that dances to my tune
• Evolution, change
• Contradiction, double-think
• Prefers female followers

12. NURGLE
Come to papa.
• Entropy and rebirth
• Hope and despair
• Decay and disease

13. SLAANESH
Sex, drugs & rock n’ roll
• Not just sexuality
• Hedonism, indulgence, hubris, pleasure
• Arts of all kinds, inspiration, music, bane of Elves

14. CULTURE OF CHAOS
Order in Chaos
• As written, Chaos was not internally consistent
• Where did the Chaos Warriors come from?
• Beastmen and Daemons exisited uncomfortably with them

15. Three rules
How japAnse shonen does it
• All Shonen manga/anime/games have the same pitch
• “Friendship, Effort Victory”
• Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Bleach…

16. Rule of three
• Temptation
• Rebellion
• Revenge
THREE RULES OF CHAOS

17. By far the hardest part of the whole process
• Completely new way of choosing armies
• Triple the testing effort needed
• Established outside playtesting
THREE ARMIES IN ONE

18. First time on their own
• Most iconic of Chaos followers
• For the first time I asked:
• “Who really is behind the armor?”
Chaos warriors

19. Northern barbarian tribes
• Yes, they are (highy-fictionalized) Finns
• Needed a source of Chaos Warriors
CHAOS MARAUDERS

20. First time they had their own voice
beastmen
• Needed clear separation
from Orcs&Goblins
• Wanted to justify their
hatred on Man on some
level
• Became staple and
popular part of the
Warhammer mythos

21. • Focused on stressing how alien they are
• Daemons should not be understood by humans
• Trued to make the as different from all other forces as possible.
DAEMONS

22. WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH
Warhammer has always been a visual franchise
• I can’t do this alone…
• The task seemed overwhelming: I was late, over budget,
and lost
• Luckily for me, there were giants in the earth those days

23. BRING ON THE BIG GUNS
They don’t come any bigger than John Blanche
• No-one on earth can turn the concept of Chaos into
imagery like John Blanche.

24. I AM ENGLAND!
Wayne England
• Wayne was a force of
nature when creating
Chaos

26. Personification of Chaos
• I was unhappy with the characters I inherited
• Simply stat sticks
• Using “closed doors” method, made each character to be
in middle of a story
FALLEN HEROES

27. KHAZRAK ONE-EYE
Rival of Count Boris
• Both the Count and the Beastman lost an eye each to
another
• Instantly created a rivalry and story

28. • What do you get when you mix
Alexander the Great, Ghengis
Khan and Napoleon with Chaos?
ARCHAON
Top this

29. • Without loss of humanity, there is
no emotional connection
• Without internal struggle, there is
no drama
• Quest: Six treasures of Chaos
ARCHAON
But that is not why people remember him

30. CULTURAL IMPACT OF chaos
As Moorcock inspired us, so we did others
• China Mievelle’s books, Warcraft
• Lord of the Rings movies
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Event Horizon

31. Chaos affects everything
• Force player to make choices
• Integrate Chaos into the game mechanics
• Fighting might be necessary, but it empowers Khorne
USING CHAOS IN YOUR GAMES

32. • They are Iconic, but not very subtle
• When you absolutely, positively need to kill everyone,
accept no substitutes
The armoured warrior hordes are part of Chaos
THE ENEMY WITHOUT

33. THE ENEMY WITHIN
The real danger
• Chaos works from
within human society
• As long as people
desire change, they will
turn to Chaos
• Force players make
hard choices

34. You, a Templar of Sigmar, find a purse of gold on the road,
with a latter inside that proves that the money belongs to
ruthless and immeasurably rich Elector Count of Middenheim.
As you travel to take the purse back, you encounter a starving
pilgrim, begging for alms. Will you:
Deliver the gold to the Elector Count, for while the sum
is trivial to him, it rightfully belongs to him?
Give some of the coins in the purse to the holy beggar,
as no-one will ever miss the money?
TEST OF CHAOS

35. You are a Bounty Hunter, and have been on the trail of a thief
for many years. You finally corner the rogue in a distant village
deep in Drakwald forest, only to find out he has repented and
now runs an orphanage funded by his loot as a thief. Do you:
Deliver him to the authorities for his punishment as
the law and your wovs compell you?
Return to your masters without reporitng what you
found?
TEST OF CHAOS

36. A comrade of yours lies dying, cursed by a Necromancer to
return to life after death as a powerful, unholy Vampire far
beyond your ability to defeat. You have a moment to slay him
with a stake to ensure he will not raise from the dead. Will you:
Kill him with a stake in order to save the world from
the plague of a Vampire?
Be true to the principle of never taking a life?
TEST OF CHAOS

37. You are the ruler of the province of Hochland. Your lands are
ravaged by black plague, with thousands dying. In your
dungeons lies a Slaaneshi Chaos Sorcerer convicted to death
for human sacrifices. But his magic can cure the disease. He
will cure the sickness in exchange for pardon. Will you:
Judge them by the letter of the law: the punishment
for agents of Chaos is death by burning.
Set him free and save your people.
TEST OF CHAOS

38. Chaos Beastmen are besieging your village. As all the adults fight
the brutes at barricades, but are exhausted, and running out of
drinking water and arrows to shoot. You have been entrusted with
decision what to do with the children of the village. Will you:
Send them to the forest via gate, hoping that Beastmen will
not find them after they finish killing the defenders?
Make the children carry water and ammunition for the
adults defending the village, putting them in danger but
making the adults fight even harder?
TEST OF CHAOS

39. A kind-hearted, but incompetent merchant lady, chosen by the
people in free vote has led the city of Marienburg to civil unrest and
lawlessness due her poor judgement and leadership. A rebellion led
by ambitious but extremely competent man is making a move to
violently overthrow her. Do you:
Join the rebellion and restore law and order, saving the
future of the City?
Defend the rightful ruler knowing that your city will plunge
into further misery under her rule?
TEST OF CHAOS

40. Your dedrest friend married a gambler, a charismatic cheat and a
drunkard. You, a famed healer, find their carriage overturned in the
forest and them both lying wounded. Your friend’s wound is most
likely fatal, while the gambler can be almost certainly saved if you
act quickly. Will you:
Try to save your friend, though she is unlikely to
recover?
Save the Gambler, as he is by far most likely to survive
and your duty is save lives, though your friend will perish?
TEST OF CHAOS

41. MARK OF CHAOS, IT TAINTS ALL OF US
There is no escape
• Chaos is the dark mirror of humanity
• As long as people desire change, they
will turn to Chaos
• The tine of mortals has come to an end

42. Thank you for your time
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