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TTRPG fans looking for their first taste of Warhammer’s grimdark fantasy past are about to find an easy way to do it, with Cubicle 7 recently unveiling the new Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game Starter Set.
Designed to be an accessible introduction to the new game system (which features a different time period and ruleset than the long standing Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game), the set includes everything players need to get up and running. The physical copy will be coming out later in the spring of 2026 from Cubicle 7, while the PDF version is available now from DriveThruRPG.
So is this new journey into the Old World worth taking? Below, unpack all the details.
What is Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game?
Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game is a new tabletop RPG from Cubicle 7 that’s set in the world of Games Workshop’s popular Warhammer fantasy franchise. The game was officially released in PDF format in June 2025 with both the Player’s Guide and Gamemaster’s Guide (although the physical copies of both books won’t be available until early 2026).
The game’s default setting centers on Talagaad, a corrupt river port town in the Grand Duchy of Talabec in the heart of the Empire during a period of political instability and false peace. While nobles squabble over imperial succession, ancient enemies quietly rebuild their strength, and characters become entangled in conspiracies, supernatural horrors and local power struggles. The game emphasizes grimdark fantasy, with high lethality and a relatively streamlined set of rules.
How is The Old World RPG different from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay?
While both Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) take place in Games Workshop’s popular universe, they are very different in a few key ways:
- A parallel game system: The Old World RPG is not a new edition of WFRP, nor is it meant to be a replacement for it. Instead, it’s a completely separate game that’s designed to support a different style of play and provide a different entry point into the setting. Cubicle 7 will continue to create and support WFRP (which has been around for over 40 years, with a new WFRP Fifth Edition coming in 2026), with The Old World RPG existing alongside it as a parallel game.
- Different rules mechanics: One of the biggest differences is the rules system. WFRP uses a percentile (d100) system that emphasizes granularity, careers-as-progression and brutal realism. The Old World RPG instead uses a d10 dice pool system, where players roll a number of dice based on a Characteristic and score successes under a Skill rating.
- Different timeline: The games are also set in different periods of the Warhammer world. WFRP takes place during the reign of Emperor Karl-Franz, an era defined by stagnation, corruption and looming apocalypse. The Old World RPG is set roughly 200 years earlier, during a time when the Empire is fractured, politically unstable and falsely confident that the worst threats are behind it.
What’s included in the Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game Starter Set?
The Starter Set is designed to be an all-in-one introduction that provides everything players and Gamemasters need to get started. The physical box includes:
- The Hand That Feeds (Adventure Book): An introductory adventure that begins with a disastrous supernatural incident aboard a floating auction house, leaving one of the characters cursed and the entire group marked for death. The characters must investigate the source of the curse, uncovering a necromantic threat tied to an ancient undead power. Notably, it walks GMs through how to run the scenario, with the rules and advice built directly in.
- Talagaad Town Guide: A comprehensive guide to the notorious port town of Talagaad, the core setting of the game. It describes the town’s history, politics, rival factions, key NPCs and over fifty locations in or near town that could be the focus of future adventures.
- 6 pre-made characters: This includes a Human Hedge Wizard, Wood Elf Waywatcher, Dwarf Engineer, Bretonnian Knight-Exile, Human Soldier and Halfling Merchant. Each character sheet details their Abilities and equipment, along with background information.
- Dice: A set of ten-sided dice (d10s) used when making Tests during play.
- Maps: A double-sided card map depicts the port of Talagaad on one side, and the surrounding territories near Talabheim on the other. The two double-sided folding maps depict four key locations the characters will visit in their adventure, broken up into Zones they can traverse during the battle.
- Reference Sheets: These double-sided reference sheets contains extra rules information for use during the adventure.
- Tokens: These card tokens can be used to track resources like Fate and Coin, as well as the positions of characters and NPCs as they move around a Zone map during combat encounters.
Notably, the PDF version contains everything that the physical version includes, with the exception of the dice.
When will the Warhammer: The Old World RPG Starter Set come out?
The Starter Set is scheduled for a physical release in Q2 2026. We’ll update this page with an exact date as soon it’s made available from Cubicle 7.
How much is the Warhammer: The Old World RPG Starter Set?
The PDF version on DriveThruRPG retails for $19.99 USD, while the physical box set is going for $39.99 USD (not including shipping and handling). This is a pretty solid price point considering comparable starter sets for other games.
Why is the Warhammer: The Old World RPG Starter Set worth picking up?
- A strong introduction to Warhammer: The Starter Set is designed to be an accessible entry point into the grimdark world of Warhammer fantasy.
- Faithful to Old World lore: While the Starter Set is designed for new players, it also draws heavily on the lore, themes and atmosphere longtime Warhammer fans expect from an Old World product.
- Pick up and play mechanics: Pre-generated characters and a guided adventure with the rules baked right in make it easy for both players and GMs to jump right into the game, with minimal prep.
- A clear path forward: The Starter Set is designed to transition smoothly into future Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game books and campaigns.
- A complete box at a reasonable entry price: With rules, adventures, characters, dice and play aids included, it’s a solid deal considering the amount of content you get and the potential for replayability.
Final thoughts
Creating the Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game Starter Set is a smart move on the part of Cubicle 7 as it’s an easy and low cost way for players to jump into this newest take on the Warhammer fantasy universe. And while there are ton of other fantasy RPGs on the market clamoring for players’ attention, there’s something that remains as compelling and unique as ever about Game Workshop’s flagship setting. If you’re looking for your first taste of the Old World, there’s never been a better time to jump in.
You can pre-order the physical copy of the Starter Set from Cubicle 7 or pick up the PDF version now from DriveThruRPG.