Well, that's potentially four people and I wanted at least three, although a couple more wouldn't hurt. Turgy is curious about the gameplay, so I'll try to give some sort of outline...
The basic version of Warhammer Quest uses four warriors, who come with the game. There is actually no DM. The layout of the dungeon is created using a shuffled deck of cards (and the deck gets split when there is a fork). Monsters and other things (traps, encounters, etc.) are generated by another deck, and monsters are placed by the players according to certain rules (normally dividing them evenly amongst the warriors, if possible).
The largest room in the dungeon will be an objective room. In the basic version of Warhammer Quest, it is always in the latter half of the dungeon deck, and the mission, determined by rolling dice on tables in the adventure book, involves the objective room in some way (for example if the objective room happens to be the firechasm, you might have to destroy some evil artifact you brought with you by throwing it into the chasm, or perhaps the goal is to smash the idol if the objective room is the idol chamber). Once the mission is complete, the game ends and the surviving warrior who collected the most gold "wins."
However, the roleplay book, substantially bigger than other books for the game, includes all sorts of optional rules and tables for expanding gameplay, including using warriors for more than one dungeon, traveling, visiting settlements, leveling up, buying and selling items, rules for new monsters that don't come with the basic set, and so on. Finally, the roleplay book introduces rules for having a "game master" (exactly the same thing as a DM). This allows for a lot more customization and it's the variant we'll be doing. The game master designs the adventures and dungeon layouts, controls the monsters, and can allow for actions outside of the basic game, such as rolling to leap over a table or pick a lock.
Dungeons can easily be customized for a higher or lower number of warriors (by increasing or decreasing monsters). The roleplay book includes rules for a dwarf trollslayer, and I seem to have long ago purchased the pack for both him and the pit fighter. Also, through the wonders of the the internet, I have the rules for other official characters. There's a wardancer, a warrior priest, a witch hunter, a Bretonnian knight, an elf ranger, an imperial noble, and a chaos warrior. There are also plenty of custom warriors people have made over the years and if two people really want to play the same warrior, having multiples of one type of warrior isn't really a problem. The four warriors from the basic game do offer a versatile party, though. Here are the rules for them (at level 1).
Barbarian
The land of Norsca lies to the north of the Empire, across the Sea of Claws. It is a bleak realm of frozen fjords and towering snow-capped mountains, scoured by blizzards and freezing winds. This inhospitable expanse of rock and ice is inhabited by the Norse, some of the hardiest and most fearsome men in the Known World.
The Norse are violent barbarians who are feared throughout the civilised world. The harsh conditions of their homeland have made them exceptionally tough and fierce, and they enjoy their drink almost as much as a good fight! To prove their valour the Norse warriors hunt the wolves and bears that prowl the icy wastes, and wear their pelts as protection against the cold.
Norse barbarians are big, muscular, hardy fighters. They make geat Warriors and sea-faring adventurers, and their exploits are famous the world over. Their love of battle makes the Norsemen excellent companions when venturing into danger. They are stalwart allies, unwilling to flee in even the most dangerous of situations.
The Barbarian in Warhammer Quest is a Berserker, feared even by other Norsemen. Berserkers are insanely dangerous warriors who attack their enemies in a raging, uncontrollable frenzy, oblivious to pain and danger. The Barbarian finds himself in the Worlds Edge Mountains, lured partly by the stories of immense treasure hoards, and partly by the opportunity to kill hundreds of orcs, goblins, and other hideous creatures that he knows will be found in the dungeons deep below the earth.
Wounds (hit points): 1D6 + 9 (I'll probably do a house rule of making rolls that affect permanent stats automatically be 6, at least for the first level, since survivability is really hampered if you get unlucky with these).
Move (how many spaces you can move in a turn): 4
Weapon Skill (affects chance to hit or block hits): 3
Ballistic Skill (to hit something with a missile weapon): 5+ (meaning he would need to roll 5 or 6 to hit)
Strength (adds to damage): 4
Toughness (defensive stat that damage has to go through before affecting wounds): 3 (4 due to armor)
Initiative (determines priority for taking turns in combat): 3
Attacks (number of times he can attack each turn): 1
Weapon: sword
Armour: Thick furs give +1 toughness
Pinning (to break away from melee combat and move elsewhere): 6+ (must roll a 6)
Special ability: Each turn, before he fights, there is a chance that the Barbarian may go berserk. Roll a D6 and add +1 to the score for every monster he has killed this combat. If the total is 6 or more, the Barbarian goes berserk until combat is over. While berserk, he get 1 extra attack every turn. However, if he rolls a 1, then regardless of how many monsters he has killed, disaster strikes. The Barbarian is so maddened with bloodlust that all he does this turn is slash wildly about him, causing 1 wound on every adjacent warrior (no modifiers).
Also, the Barbarian is the default "leader" of the party, which matters for some things, but really, this role can go to anyone.
Dwarf
The dwarfs are an ancient race, and have lived in the Old World for thousands of years. They build their cities beneath the ground, tunneling under the rocks and through the mountainsides to create a vast empire under the earth. Through the centuries, the dwarfs' power grew, and as their tunnels delved ever deeper, the mountains yielded up their most precious treasures: gold, silver, jewels and precious stones to swell the coffers of the dwarf kings.
Hundreds of years ago, disaster struck when vast armies of orcs and goblins assaulted the dwarf homeland. City after city fell in desperate battle, and today the dwarfs retain only a tiny fraction of their great kingdom and the power they held in ages past.
The dwarfs are a long-lived people, who bear grudges for many years. They are immensely strong and resilient, but above all else they are proud.
The dwarfs cherish the glorious memories of their past and yearn for the days when their greatest cities will ring again to the sound of dwarf voices, and the orcs and goblins have been driven back to their squallid homes in the Darklands.
The Dwarf has joined the rest of the warriors in the journey back to the lands of his ancestors in search of glory, lost treasures and vengeance. Every orc killed, and every goblin sent fleeing into the darkness, is a step towards the deliverance of his ancient birthright.
Wounds: 1D6 + 8
Move: 4
Weapon Skill: 4
Ballistic Skill: 5+
Strength: 3
Toughness: 4 (5 due to armor)
Initiative: 2
Attacks: 1
Weapon: axe
Armour: chainmail gives +1 toughness
Pinning: 5+
Special ability: When wielding an axe or hammer, the dwarf rolls an extra D6 for damage, and discards the lowest score. He adds his strength as normal. If he rolls double, he adds the dice together, and then adds his strength to the total score. If he rolls double 1, his attack goes horribly wrong and he trips and falls over his beard. He must spend the rest of the turn getting up, and while he's doing so any monsters attacking him add +2 to their to hit rolls.
Also, Spidey seems to have called dibs on the dwarf. If someone else particularly wants to play a dwarf, I do have the character pack for the trollslayer, which is basically a berserker dwarf.
Elf
The dwarfs and elves enjoyed the golden age of their civilisations long before the empires of Man arose, and both are long-lived and noble races. There the similarity ends, however, as where the dwarfs are gruff and serious, elves are joyous, frivolous, haughty and disdainful of other races. It was inevitable that the differences that lie between them should lead to a terrible and bitter war.
Though the war has ended, neither the elves nor the dwarfs will ever truly forgive and forget, and an enduring mistrust now exists between their two races.
Elves are tall, slender, pale-skinned and of a haughty demeanour. Their slender build belies their strength and toughness, for elves are powerful creatures, and deadly in battle. Their weapons and armour are the finest in the Warhammer World, crafted out of exquisite materials, using techniques unknown to Man, and encrusted in precious gems.
Elves generally keep themselves apart from the world of Men. Most of the elves have abandoned the Old World and now make their home in the elf kingdom of Ulthuan.
A few elves still live in the forests of Loren. These Wood Elves are not as far distanced from the realms of humans as their High Elf kin. In times of dire threat to the Empire or the Kingdom of Bretonnia, the Wood Elves will even send mighty armies to fight alongside the human warriors in battle.
Wood Elf adventurers are rare but not unheard of. The elves' passion for bright jewels and gems, and their hatred of evil races such as orcs and goblins can lead even them to undertake the most hazardous of adventures. The elf in Warhammer Quest is just such a warrior: determined to recover lost treasures, experience new realms and rid the world of the hideous monsters who deface its beauty.
Wounds: 1D6 + 7
Move: 4
Weapon Skill: 4
Ballistic Skill 4+
Strength: 3
Toughness: 3
Initiative: 6
Attacks: 1
Weapons: sword and bow (the bow the elf starts with has a strength of 3, so both of his weapons do the same amount of damage)
Armour: none
Pinning: The elf cannot be pinned
Special ability: Whenever an opponent would hit him, the Elf can attempt to dodge the blow, causing it to miss completely. Roll 1D6. On a score of 6, the Elf dodges the incoming blow.
Each turn, the elf may choose to use either his sword or his bow.
Wizard
There is a power in the world that lies beyond the understanding of most mortal men, a power that can level mountains and destroy cities: the raw power of magic.
The great High Elf Sorcerers have studied the lore of magic for thousands of years, and their sorcery goes far beyond the understanding of any other race. Their homeland, Ulthuan, is the most magical part of the Warhammer World, and in the far distant past the Elf mages taught some of their magic to men.
Since that time, the wizards of mankind have established the Colleges of Magic and have been developing their skills. Magic is recognised as a potent force that can be used for good and for evil purposes.
All armies have powerful Battle Wizards who are skilled in spells of warfare and destruction. As men-at-arms clash on the field of battle, and as cannons roar and arrows fly, another battle is fought out between rival spellcasters of the opposing armies. Magical enemies surge and crackle above the battlefield as the enemy wizards strive for supremacy.
The Wizard seeks adventure in the dungeons and caves below the world. Not much is known about the evil creatures the warriors will meet, but it is certain that there will be times when swords are of no use, and only magic will prevail. The Wizard will have to call on all his guile and wisdom to bring the warriors to safety, and for their part the warriors would be well advised to protect him.
Wounds: 1D6 + 6
Move: 4
Weapon Skill: 2
Ballistic Skill: 6+
Strength: 3
Toughness: 3
Initiative: 3
Attacks: 1
Weapon: sword
Armour: none
Pinning: 4+
Special ability: Magic, duh. The Wizard starts with three spells, one offensive, one defensive, and one healing. He also begins each adventure with a store of power that can be expended on providing some more fuel for spells in times of need.
Also, the Wizard's roll for power each turn is tied to whether or not a random event happens (on a roll of 1, an event does happen). This roll can technically happen every turn even if there is no Wizard, but it's recommended to have a spellcaster of some sort anyway, and the Wizard is really the optimal choice for this (the Elf Ranger is another official character who can become proficient in magic, but the Wizard has the most potential for spellcasting).
Another thing I should note about Warhammer Quest is that it doesn't normally use experience points. Monsters drop gold when killed and gold, in addition to all its other uses, can be spent at training camps to level up. It might seem odd that a giant rat is carrying gold coins, but the assumption seems to be that this gold represents gold the warriors find in the dungeon.
There are a couple of ways to handle the distribution of gold and treasure. Normally, in my experience it hasn't been a problem. You guys can either elect to split gold for killing monsters evenly amongst the group, or have each person keep the gold from his kills. Either way is fine with me. Gold and treasure that is found while exploring, I'll assume is divided equitably unless there are some unusual circumstances that complicate things...