Warlock! from Fire Ruby Designs

Overview

1. D20 + Skill, Target # of 20. A variant of D100, similar to Rolemaster’s core mechanic.
2. Recreating an old-school, 1980s British RPG experience (Warhammer Fantasy RPG)

Pros

1. Easy system, the players grasped the design and limitations right away. After a quick bit of mental math, all the players understood how to roll skill checks, and that failure was more likely than success.
2. Memorable setting since I was running Warlock! using the Warhammer Empire. I placed the PCs in the Reikland, a decent-sized city. Even the player who was the most critical of the system enjoyed the setting.

Cons

1. The group got really frustrated mid-way, and that frustration grew. By the time we hit combat at the end, there was some palpable tension with bad/unfortunate dice rolls.
2. Warlock!, much like Warhammer and some other d100 systems, is unforgiving. You’re playing a borderline incompetent peasant to start.

Final Impression

1. Warlock! is grim. It’s less crunchy than Warhammer 4E, maybe a notch less lethal, but still along that grim and perilous ethos.
2. Not everyone’s cup of tea. You have to relish the taste of defeat to enjoy Warlock! I suspect it’s more a GM preference than a player one – GMs are gluttons for punishment. While I enjoyed GMing it, my players said they wouldn’t play it again.