Devil's Den #24 - Features of Mordheim

[Ethlorien]

Good Morning Folks,

So, for this Devil's Den, I thought the focus could be on the terrain itself.  What I'd like everyone to do, is come up with a Feature and the rules for it, for use in the City of the Damned.  This could be anything from A Hangman's Tree, a Statue of Sigmar, a Barricade with Spikes fastened to it, A Haunted Signpost...  Anything with a good old Mordheim feel to it (feel free to use those example too!).  Terrain is such a big part of Mordheim, strategically and visually that I wanted something new for the game table.

As always, here's a sample entry:

Signpost of the Damned:

Set-up: Once all buildings and pieces have been set up around the table, but before warband's have chosen sides, players roll a d6 for each signpost they have on the table, starting with the one nearest the centre of the table and working your way out.  The first time a 1 is rolled, that signpost is desinated as a Signpost of the Damned (there is only ever a maximum of 1 such feature per game).  A Signpost of the Damned is filled with chaos energy.  It has been empowered with dark magics for one reason or another: to lead denizens of Mordheim to their deaths, or perhaps to keep hardened veterans from finding the den of an active cult.

Rules: Anytime a warrior comes within 3" of a Signpost of the Damned they must immediately make a Leadership test.  Success means that warrior may finish its movement normally - ignoring the influence of the cursed thing.  Failure, and the warrior must immediately flee 2d6 + any remaining movement they have in a random direction.  Such is the power of persuassion of the Signpost, that any and all warriors must make this test at the start of their turn, if they are within 3" of the Signpost (unless they are locked in combat), and anytime they move within 3" of it normally, even if they have passed the tests on a previous turn.

And that's all I'm after...

So for my example, I came up with something that, while not really game-altering in any way, adds a little something to a small part of the game.  Now, depending on if and where a Signpost of the Damned is rolled, players have the keep in mind that one area of the table now has the random chance to alter their warriors' moves and they have to plan for that.

Seeing as we're Tuesday morning, I figure we'll let this contest run a full week and I'll judge all entires the following Tuesday morning, May 5th.

Good luck and let those entries start rolling in!

A note on multiple entries: feel free to enter as many times as you like, so long as before the end of the comp, you've clearly identified which entry is the 'official' entry.

Have a great day,

Daniel

[StyrofoamKing]

OOOh! I like! My entry:

THE CROW'S CAGE

Hanging above the streets is a rattling iron cage, squeaking and groaning in the noxious winds. It is the resting place of many a condemned criminal, and at the moment, it is loaded down with a ghastly occupant.  The poor soul's frame is pitiful, but it is hard to tell if the figure is moving, or whether it's a trick played upon your tired eyes.

Set the Crow's Cage anywhere on the board, that is not within a player's deployment zone.  If a model ends their Movement within 6" of the Crow's Cage, they may peek inside, and see the condition of the occupant (roll for the results at the end of the Movement Phase).  A model is not REQUIRED to look inside the cage, unless he is moved within 1" (in which case, he can't help but see.)

Roll 1D6:

1 - Rotting Thief - The cage contains a quite dead thief, who is little more than bones.  His captors never found the wyrdstone shard that he had stolen, though, and you can see why- the brave soul swallowed it!  You can attempt to break open the cage and pull it out of the decaying corpse, but you have to break the cage open first. All hits in hand-to-hand automatically hit (shoot at it like normal), and treat the cage as Toughness 5, 1 Wound, and Armor Save 3+.  Once broken, the Cage is removed, and the last non-animal to attack the cage gains the shard.

2 - Deadly Gibbet! - The occupant is dead, but that has not stopped his murderous ways!  Replace the Crow's Cage with a Gibbet Model (see Sartosa- Ghost Pirates for full description.)  He is skeleton that is immune to psych, pain, & poison, causes, fear, and cannot run (stats below).  Move him immediately 2D6" towards the closest model, which counts as a charge.  He is armed with a Sword and Dagger, and counts as having Heavy Armor (due to the cage.)

M WS BS S T W I A LD
4  4  3 3 3 1 3 1 7

Alternatively, any dark magic user (Undead, Chaos, Dark Elf), may attempt to control the Gibbet.  During any of their turns, they may cast the temporarily learned spell 'Gibbet Call', which has a Difficulty 9.  If they succeed, the Gibbet permanently comes under their control (if in combat with your now friendly models, move him 1" away), and is added to your roster (may not trade/sell his Cage-Armor). He gains no experience.

3 - Yup, He's Dead, Alright! - The occupant is definitely dead. If you want to be COMPLETELY depraved, any model in base contact with the cage may steal the Pennies over his eyes, which gives you 2gc.  Alternatively, any Prayercaster in base contact may cast the temporary spell, "Lay at Peace", Difficulty 7, which puts the soul at ease, and gives the Prayercaster +1 Experience. (YOUR WARBAND MAY NOT STEAL THE PENNIES AND LAY AT PEACE, THAT'S JUST WRONG!!)

4- Blathering Fool - The occupant is not dead (though he certainly smells it), but has completely lost his mind. He decides that, in his lunacy, to bother person who discovered him, hurling a mix of gibberish and insults until you're red in the face.  Your Warrior is at -1 WS and -1BS, for as long as he is within 8" from the Crow's Cage.

5- Ungrateful Geezer - You are able to discern an old man in there, pleading for you to get him out.  Any player who ends his movement in contact with the Crow's Cage (and does not shoot or fight that turn), breaks the rusty lock and frees the old man by the end of your turn.  Once free, however, he is slightly less enthusiastic to help.  He has the same stats and rules as a Swabbie (see the Pirate Warband), and quickly finds a spare dagger.  He is permanently added to your warband.  In the postgame, any Undead warband may replace him with a Zombie.

6- Lost Prince! - The cage contains a scrawny young noble, promising you gold and riches if you free him.  You have to break the strong cage to set him free (see the 'Rotting Thief' rules for the cage.)  Once you do, he acts exactly like a Lost Prince, and is bonded to the last non-animal to attack the cage.  After the game, the player who is in control of the Lost Prince rolls 1D6: on a 1-4, the young man isn't quite as rich as he claimed! You may, however, add a Human Warrior henchman to your warband (he's not COMPLETELY ungrateful), and may steal his jeweled sword, jeweled dagger, and Cathayan Silks. On a roll of 5-6, he is indeed a rich prince (roll on the prize chart for the Lost Prince.)  In multi-player games, he was only lying on a D6 roll of 1-2.

[Master]

Drain covers:

If you want to play with these sewer entrance special setting, place d6 + 1 drain covers on the table. Each should be about roughly 25mm in diameter.
Only one warrior can enter the sewers per player turn.

Any non-large non-mounted warrior may attempt to enter the sewers.
Roll 2d6 whenever a warrior enters a drain:
2 Horrors of the deep: The warrior ventures into the deep, but is only re-discovered a few days after, in a nearby river. The warrior counts as being OOA.
3-4 Sickening deep: This tunnel has collapsed, but is full of vermin, the warrior may continue as normal this game (though he lost his movement moving into the sewer and out again), after the game he must pass a toughness test or miss his next game.
5-9 Sewer Tunnel: The warrior has suceeded in finding a tunnel, and if he wishes he may spend an entire turn in the sewers in order to re-appear on any other drain cover on this table.
10-11 Horde of rats: Whenever the warrior attempts to remove the drain cover a horde of rats emerges from the sewer. Roll 1d6+2 this is the number of giant rats (skaven warband) appearing from the sewers. They will enter the board from the drain cover, each charging a random warrior within 12" of the drain cover. From now on these rats get their own turn, which will be just before the player that rolled this encounter, in which they will move as fast as possible towards the nearest visible warrior which is on the same level as them (as they can't climb) charging if possible.
12 A monster! The warrior reappears as per the sewer tunnel, but something has changed. Unless he passes a toughness test Roll a d6 to see what weird mutation he has gotten:
1. Twisted face: The warriors face is twisted and hideous and his voice has an astounding echo. From now on he causes fear. However he deducts one from any rarity roll he makes.
2. Great claw: As per the possessed mutation.
3. Nurgles rot: This warrior has contracted Nurgles Rot, as per the carnival of chaos mutation. (He does not gain the mutation, he gains the disease just as if he was hit by a mutant with the nurgles rot mutation on a natural 6.)
4. Spines: as per the possessed mutation.
5. Tentacle: as per the possessed mutation.
6. Spawn: The warrior has mutated to much and wanders off as a mindless spawn.

---

Authors Notes: It is very dangerous to enter the sewers but it can give a good tactical advantage. Enter at own risk  :devilsmilie:

[Baiken]

Wyrmloch Portals                                 ok, official now

Not all the wyrdstone that fell on mordheim came in chunks and shards... Much of it fell as motes of green dust, settling slowly in the cinders, ash and fog. Often it collected in doorways and awnings and warped reality where it settled thickest, creating moaning, seemingly impossible doors that tempt even the heartiest warrior to step inside. If they are lucky, they will come out the other side where they intended... alive.

Some doors just don't seem to lead where they should. Once per model per turn, when a model goes through a normal door, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1-5, nothing happens. On a 6, the presence of the warrior has stirred up the latent chaotic energies and the dimentions of space become misaligned, creating Wyrmloch Portal. Any warrior within 3" of the Wyrmloch Portal must immediately make a Ld test or be lured through the Portal. Thereafter, any model that ends it's turn within 3" of a Portal, and is not in combat, must make the same Ld test.

     Roll 1d6 for each warrior that goes through a Wyrmloch Portal.

• 1: Bumpy Ride! Roll 1d6, consult below.
  • 1: Whoops! The warrior is teleported to a random Wyrmloch Portal and exits like he was shot from a cannon! Randomize what direction the warrior flies out the Portal, and fly 6" in a straight line directly away from the door. If the warrior hits an obstacle it stops moving and takes a S3 hit and is Stunned. If the warrior hits another model, they both take a S2 hit and are Knocked Down. Lucky enough to hit nothing? Model dusts self off and gets up, a little embarrassed. Treat next movement as though you had just recovered from being Knocked Down
  • 2: Bodily forced through a new breach! The warrior is teleported to the next closest normal doorway. This doorway becomes a Wyrmloch Portal. The warrior takes 1 S3 hit.
  • 3: Spacial distortions! It is almost impossible to gauge your depth perceptions and the warrior falls! The warrior is not teleported and is instead Knocked Down in place.
  • 4: Hmerp! Warrior is teleported 12" in a random direction and is Knocked Down.
  • 5: Dimentional whiplash! The warrior suffers warp-induced muscle cramps. Model is not teleported but movement ends. 1/2 Movement next turn.
  • 6: Effects are dissipating! You are teleported to the nearest Wyrmloch Portal. Upon arrival, the breach seals itself at both ends with a clap of thunder. Treat these entry and exit Portals as a normal doors from now on. If there is no appropriate doorway on the table, treat the result as Spatial Distortions.

• 2-5: Made it! The warrior is teleported to another Wyrmloch Portal of their choice within 24".
• 6: New breach! Active use of the Portal has caused it's effects to spread. The warrior is teleported to a random doorway within 24". This doorway becomes a Wyrmloch Portal.

Mark any Wyrmloch Portal with an appropriate marker. Any interior or exterior doorway is valid. Teleporting through a Wyrmloch Portal ends a models movement when the destination is reached. Place models within 1" of either side of their destination Portal, not in combat with any enemy that may be nearby.[/list]

[Ethlorien]

Okay, so I've made my choice...

While I would easily use any of them in my games of Mordheim - each adding an interesting element / image to my games, I felt that Master's 'Drain Covers' was the winner this time.

I liked the idea of warriors skulking through the streets, greedy for wyrdstone, and diving into any drain they came across.  The rules were interesting and I liked the various results that could come of entering the sewers as well as the tactical aspect it gives a player when they roll a 5-9.  Well done.

Well done all!

[Baiken]

Well done Master! Looking forward to the next challenge

[StyrofoamKing]

Well done, amigo.