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[[File:World of Warcraft RPG cover.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The cover for ''World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game''.]]
 
The ''Warcraft'' roleplaying games were published by [[White Wolf Publishing]] through its imprints [[Sword & Sorcery]] and [[Arthaus]]. It was initially based off ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3<sup>rd</sup> edition, but it was quickly adapted to 3.5. Blizzard specifically stated that the books are valuable to know the setting:
<blockquote>Want to know more about the lore of World of Warcraft? The game doesn't require any additional reading to play. However, you might enjoy gaining a more detailed knowledge of Warcraft lore. […] Warcraft Role-Playing Games provide a wealth of information about Warcraft lore.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20060315204225/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/index.html History of Warcraft]" (March 2006)</ref></blockquote>
 
Blizzard employees, such as [[wow:Chris Metzen|Chris Metzen]] and [[wow:Bob Fitch|Bob Fitch]], were deeply involved in the making of these books.<ref>Every book lists the involvement of Blizzard employees in the credits. {{sl}} specifically states on its backcover: "Designed with extensive input from the creative minds behind the Warcraft computer games".</ref> The writing of these books was difficult, however, because MMO updates could invalidate portions of the text:
<blockquote>One problem is that, at best, we write a book about 8 months before it hits shelves. Thanks to the fluid nature of video game development, that means that what we wrote down as accurate 8 months ago may no longer be appropriate.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20150501081426/https://www.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/world_of_warcraft_rpg_dark_factions___luke_johnson_qa World of Warcraft RPG: Dark Factions - Luke Johnson Q&A]" (January 2008)</ref></blockquote>
 
Production ended after the expiration of the licensing deal:
<blockquote>The Rights reversed back to Blizzard. We were only under licensing agreement to do x amount of books. You'll have to talk to Blizzard about future WoW RPG releases:)<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20141007204350/https://worldofwarcraft.judgehype.com/news/warcraft-rpg-et-wow-rpg-rien-de-neuf-a-l-horizon-117056/ Warcraft RPG et WoW RPG : Rien de neuf à l'horizon]" (March 2009), translated</ref></blockquote>
 
Blizzard would later claim that the books are not canon<ref>Bashiok during Ask CDev Round 2 (June 2011): <blockquote>The RPG books were created to provide an engaging table-top role-playing experience, which sometimes required diverging from the established video game canon. Blizzard helped generate a great deal of the content within the RPG books, so there will be times when ideas from the RPG will make their way into the game and official lore, but you are much better off considering the RPG books non-canonical unless otherwise stated.</blockquote></ref>, but that is patently false in light of the major support given by them and also outside the [[design choices|scope of this project]].


==Books==
==Books==
{| class="sortable darktable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! TITLE !! Date !! SKU !! ISBN
! Title !! Date !! SKU !! ISBN !! File
|- class="alt"
| '''''[[Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]''''' ||align="center"| 2003 || 17200 || 1-58846-071-1
|-
|-
| ''[[Manual of Monsters]]'' ||align="center"| 2003 || 17201 || 1-58846-070-3
| '''''[[Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]''''' || July 28, 2003 || 17200 || [[isbn:1-58846-071-1|1-58846-071-1]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e Core Rulebook.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Alliance & Horde Compendium]]'' ||align="center"| 2003 || 17202 || 1-58846-063-0
| ''[[Manual of Monsters]]'' || October 2, 2003 || 17201 || [[isbn:1-58846-070-3|1-58846-070-3]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Manual of Monsters.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Magic & Mayhem]]'' ||align="center"| 2004 || 17203 || 1-58846-954-9
| ''[[Alliance & Horde Compendium]]'' || December 15, 2003 || 17202 || [[isbn:1-58846-063-0|1-58846-063-0]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Alliance and Horde Compendium.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Lands of Conflict]]'' ||align="center"| 2004 || 17204 || 1-58846-960-3
| ''[[Magic & Mayhem]]'' || June 7, 2004 || 17203 || [[isbn:1-58846-954-9|1-58846-954-9]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Magic and Mayhem.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Shadows & Light]]'' ||align="center"| 2004 || 17205 || 1-58846-973-5
| ''[[Lands of Conflict]]'' || September 20, 2004 || 17204 || [[isbn:1-58846-960-3|1-58846-960-3]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Lands of Conflict.pdf|File]]
|- class="alt"
| '''''[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]''''' ||align="center"| 2005 || 17210 || 1-58846-781-3
|-
|-
| ''[[More Magic and Mayhem]]'' ||align="center"| 2005 || 17211 || 1-58846-945-X
| ''[[Shadows & Light]]'' || November 29, 2004 || 17205 || [[isbn:1-58846-973-5|1-58846-973-5]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Shadows and Light.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Lands of Mystery]]'' ||align="center"| 2005 || 17206 || 1-58846-784-8
| '''''[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]''''' || June 27, 2005 || 17210 || [[isbn:1-58846-781-3|1-58846-781-3]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e Core Rulebook.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Alliance Player's Guide]]'' ||align="center"| 2006 || 17207 || 1-58846-773-2
| ''[[More Magic and Mayhem]]'' || November 14, 2005 || 17211 || [[isbn:1-58846-945-X|1-58846-945-X]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - More Magic and Mayhem.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'' ||align="center"| 2006 || 17208 || 1-58846-772-4
| ''[[Lands of Mystery]]'' || April 3, 2006 || 17206 || [[isbn:1-58846-784-8|1-58846-784-8]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Lands of Mystery.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Monster Guide]]'' ||align="center"| 2007 || 17212 || 1-58846-936-0
| ''[[Horde Player's Guide]]'' || June 1, 2006 || 17208 || [[isbn:1-58846-772-4|1-58846-772-4]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Horde Player's Guide.pdf|File]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Dark Factions]]'' ||align="center"| 2008 || 17213 || 1-58846-446-6
| ''[[Alliance Player's Guide]]'' || June 28, 2006 || 17207 || [[isbn:1-58846-773-2|1-58846-773-2]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Alliance Player's Guide.pdf|File]]
|-
| ''[[Monster Guide]]'' || February 7, 2007 || 17212 || [[isbn:1-58846-936-0|1-58846-936-0]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Monster Guide.pdf|File]]
|-
| ''[[Dark Factions]]'' || May 14, 2008 || 17213 || [[isbn:1-58846-446-6|1-58846-446-6]] || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Dark Factions.pdf|File]]
|}
|}


==PDF Materials==
==PDF Materials==
*[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game Character Sheet]]
{{Stub-section}}
*[[Media:WorldofWarcraftConversion.pdf|''World of Warcraft RPG Conversion Document'']]
{| class="wikitable"
*[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game Preview]]
|-
*''[[Bones of Ironforge]]''
! Title !! Date !! File
*[[Lands of Mystery Extra Web Bonuses|''Lands of Mystery'' Extra Web Bonuses]]
|-
*[[Lands of Mystery Extra: Blue Dragonspawn Stats|''Lands of Mystery'' Extra: Blue Dragonspawn Stats]]
|''Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game'' character sheet || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Character Sheet.pdf|File]]
*''[[Monster Guide Web Supplement]]''
|-
|''Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game'' character sheet (night elf version) || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Character Sheet - Night Elf.pdf|File]]
|-
|''World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game'' character sheet || December 2005 || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Character Sheet.pdf|File]]
|-
|''World of Warcraft RPG'' conversion document || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG - 1st to 2nd Edition Conversion.pdf|File]]
|-
|[[Bones of Ironforge]] || July 2006 || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Bones of Ironforge.pdf|File]]
|-
|1e Scourge racial class || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Scourge Racial Classes.pdf|File]]
|-
|1e balloonist class || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Web Enhancement - Balloonist.pdf|File]]
|-
|1e spellbreaker class || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Web Enhancement - Spellbreaker.pdf|File]]
|-
|1e spellsniper class || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e - Web Enhancement - Spellsniper.pdf|File]]
|-
|1e unofficial errata || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 1e Unofficial Errata.pdf|File]]
|-
|2e spellbreaker class || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Web Enhancement - Spellbreaker.pdf|File]]
|-
|2e blood elf race || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Blood Elves.pdf|File]]
|-
|2e steamthrone || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Web Enhancement - Steamthrone.pdf|File]]
|-
|2e unofficial tech primer || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Tech Primer.pdf|File]]
|-
|[[Monster Guide Web Supplement|''Monster Guide'' Web Supplement]] || March 2007 || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Monster Guide Web Supplement.pdf|File]]
|-
|''Lands of Mystery'' Extra Web Bonuses || — || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Lands of Mystery - Web Extras.pdf|File]]
|-
|''Lands of Mystery'' Extra: Blue Dragonspawn Stats || 2006 || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Lands of Mystery - Blue Dragonspawn Stats.pdf|File]]
|-
|''[[Even More Magic and Mayhem]]'' || August 1, 2010 || [[Media:Warcraft RPG 2e - Even More Magic and Mayhem.pdf|File]]
|}


==Endnotes==
==Endnotes==
<references />
<references />

Latest revision as of 2:17 PM, September 11, 2026

The cover for World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game.

The Warcraft roleplaying games were published by White Wolf Publishing through its imprints Sword & Sorcery and Arthaus. It was initially based off Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, but it was quickly adapted to 3.5. Blizzard specifically stated that the books are valuable to know the setting:

Want to know more about the lore of World of Warcraft? The game doesn't require any additional reading to play. However, you might enjoy gaining a more detailed knowledge of Warcraft lore. […] Warcraft Role-Playing Games provide a wealth of information about Warcraft lore.[1]

Blizzard employees, such as Chris Metzen and Bob Fitch, were deeply involved in the making of these books.[2] The writing of these books was difficult, however, because MMO updates could invalidate portions of the text:

One problem is that, at best, we write a book about 8 months before it hits shelves. Thanks to the fluid nature of video game development, that means that what we wrote down as accurate 8 months ago may no longer be appropriate.[3]

Production ended after the expiration of the licensing deal:

The Rights reversed back to Blizzard. We were only under licensing agreement to do x amount of books. You'll have to talk to Blizzard about future WoW RPG releases:)[4]

Blizzard would later claim that the books are not canon[5], but that is patently false in light of the major support given by them and also outside the scope of this project.

Books

Title Date SKU ISBN File
Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game July 28, 2003 17200 1-58846-071-1 File
Manual of Monsters October 2, 2003 17201 1-58846-070-3 File
Alliance & Horde Compendium December 15, 2003 17202 1-58846-063-0 File
Magic & Mayhem June 7, 2004 17203 1-58846-954-9 File
Lands of Conflict September 20, 2004 17204 1-58846-960-3 File
Shadows & Light November 29, 2004 17205 1-58846-973-5 File
World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game June 27, 2005 17210 1-58846-781-3 File
More Magic and Mayhem November 14, 2005 17211 1-58846-945-X File
Lands of Mystery April 3, 2006 17206 1-58846-784-8 File
Horde Player's Guide June 1, 2006 17208 1-58846-772-4 File
Alliance Player's Guide June 28, 2006 17207 1-58846-773-2 File
Monster Guide February 7, 2007 17212 1-58846-936-0 File
Dark Factions May 14, 2008 17213 1-58846-446-6 File

PDF Materials

This section is a stub. It has incomplete information and will hopefully be done in the near future.
Title Date File
Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game character sheet — File
Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game character sheet (night elf version) — File
World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game character sheet December 2005 File
World of Warcraft RPG conversion document — File
Bones of Ironforge July 2006 File
1e Scourge racial class — File
1e balloonist class — File
1e spellbreaker class — File
1e spellsniper class — File
1e unofficial errata — File
2e spellbreaker class — File
2e blood elf race — File
2e steamthrone — File
2e unofficial tech primer — File
Monster Guide Web Supplement March 2007 File
Lands of Mystery Extra Web Bonuses — File
Lands of Mystery Extra: Blue Dragonspawn Stats 2006 File
Even More Magic and Mayhem August 1, 2010 File

Endnotes

  1. ↑ "History of Warcraft" (March 2006)
  2. ↑ Every book lists the involvement of Blizzard employees in the credits. Shadows & Light (2004) specifically states on its backcover: "Designed with extensive input from the creative minds behind the Warcraft computer games".
  3. ↑ "World of Warcraft RPG: Dark Factions - Luke Johnson Q&A" (January 2008)
  4. ↑ "Warcraft RPG et WoW RPG : Rien de neuf à l'horizon" (March 2009), translated
  5. ↑ Bashiok during Ask CDev Round 2 (June 2011):

    The RPG books were created to provide an engaging table-top role-playing experience, which sometimes required diverging from the established video game canon. Blizzard helped generate a great deal of the content within the RPG books, so there will be times when ideas from the RPG will make their way into the game and official lore, but you are much better off considering the RPG books non-canonical unless otherwise stated.
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