Age of Sigmar: Soulbound - Daemonslayers, not Ratcatchers!

Welcome to #MortalRealmsMonday! We are delighted to hear so many of you are enjoying Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound and we were excited to recently release Blood Tide - the first adventure in the Shadows in the Mist campaign. If you missed that announcement, you can find out more here. Today, we have an article from Cubicle 7 editor Chris Walz. Chris discusses some Soulbound questions that have come from the community!

With the release of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound, the first RPG in the Age of Sigmar setting, the team has been listening to the community on Facebook, Discord, and across other platforms. We’ve noticed a good number of folks who’ve said Soulbound is one of their first tabletop roleplaying experiences, and we’re happy to introduce them to this great hobby. Lots of folks have played popular fantasy roleplaying games, and with that comes a lot of questions and, sometimes, expectations for how other fantasy games might work. While Soulbound shares a broad genre with other popular fantasy RPGs, it also has its own unique differences. I wanted to take a look at that today and address a few of the questions.

You’re Already a Hero

Many fantasy RPGs take you ‘from zero to hero’, the archetypical farmhand-turned-dragon-hunter. This is often represented by ever-increasing character levels and obvious tiers of abilities, spells, and magic items. In Soulbound, your character begins the game as a hero, one of the most prized warriors in the Mortal Realms’ fight against Death, Chaos, and a myriad other enemies. Using the popular 1 to 20 leveling system of other fantasy RPGs, a Soulbound character could be considered in the top quarter of that ladder.

This consideration is really at the core of the game and might be the source of a lot of questions around Soulbound. Everything your characters deal with is influenced by the fact they are divinely charged heroes, from the scope of an adventure to how NPCs might react to a Binding.

Will That Fit in This Pack?

Sometimes other games have rules for day-to-day struggles like eating and drinking, making sure you aren’t carrying too much, and caring for your arms and armour. Soulbound does not have rules for most of these concerns, and that’s by design. While rules like this are a part of some of my favourite games, a Binding’s life is made difficult by the horde of Tzaangors breathing down their necks, not whether or not that sword from the Age of Myth weighs too much.

How Many Spells Can I Cast?

The history of fantasy RPGs has lots of diverse magic systems, many of which are based around a spellcaster having to make tough decisions about which spells to bring along or when to use their precious spell power. Those are great for representing a world where the characters are not already steeped in magic. A Soulbound party has been touched by the Pantheon of Order, their souls protected against the Undying King’s cold touch. That’s all to say that they’re really, really magical.

Wizards and divine spellcasters can sling spells and work Miracles all day long in Soulbound. But don’t worry, we think you’ll find those armed with ‘just’ a sword make just as impressive a display as they call on their Mettle to cut a swathe out of the enemy ranks. (Yep, that Witch Aelf can just keep spending Mettle to attack again and again.)

That Thing is Huge! It’s Gotta Be Worth a Ton of XP…

While war is always looming in the Age of Sigmar (it is Warhammer, after all), simply defeating the biggest thing around won’t always lead to new abilities in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound. The game uses a system of personal and party Goals that, once achieved, dole out coveted Experience Points (XP). While the Mortal Realms are in a seemingly never-ending war, Soulbound is still a game about your characters and the stories they live while the wars wage around them.

Of course that’s not to say your Goal couldn’t be to find the biggest Magmadroth around…

If you are ever unsure of a rule, be sure to check the Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound rulebook. If it feels like there isn’t a rule that addresses your question, always err on the side of ‘epically heroic’. I have often said that Soulbound feels a lot like Marvel’s Avengers in some ways. Black Widow has never worried if her enemies were 5 or 10 metres away, and Captain America doesn’t make a big deal out of readying his shield. If you aim to create similar experiences in the perilous Age of Sigmar, your players are sure to leave the session wanting more.

Chris Walz

Have a question? Join the community on Facebook or Discord and be sure to check out the Soulbound FAQ.

Check our our Youtube channel to watch some video updates from Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound producer Emmet Byrne here.

Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. © Games Workshop 2020