Definitely switching to a fortnightly update for a while. At least until we get the table set up here and I can get some battle reports going. Hopefully by the next update I'll have the super-secret project done and I can post about it, but until then here are the Horrors, based in a method that I think I'll be sticking with for a while.
They don't rank perfectly, but it looks like they could be worse. I was worried, what with all the arms and such.
In other news, we've got the new 40k pack in the house and were having a very quick game this arvo. So far it seems very easy to pick up, since the hit and wound tables are largely the same as fantasy.
I was bored at work this weeks and came up with some new variants on the game, just to change things up a bit.
The winds of magic move in surges in this region, and
without arcane fulcrums to control them they are wild and dangerous to caster
and target alike.
Each friendly magic phase a player may choose whether to
attempt to restrain or to unleash the full force of the gale. A restrained
magic phase is resolved normally, with the exception that any successful dispel
attempt causes a S3 hit on the dispeller.
A boosted phase uses 4d6 power dice (highest 2 to dispel)
and causes a S3 hit on both successful casts and dispels.
Restraining twice in a row causes a S4 small template to hit
every friendly wizard, with the hole placed over the wizard’s base.
Jetstream of Magic
Each magic phase 2 dice are in the power pool and one in the
dispel pool.
Models which are able to channel may choose to channel up to
5 dice, gaining +1 to channeling for each die over 1 they roll. If more than
one attempt is successful, consult the following chart.
|
Dice Rolled
|
Effect
|
|
2
|
S3 hit on the wizard
|
|
3
|
S4 small template over the wizard
|
|
4
|
S5 small template over the wizard, no armour saves allowed
|
|
5
|
S6 large template over the wizard, no saves of any kind
allowed
|
No upper limit is placed on the power or dispel pools,
although the upper limit on dice to cast a spell remains at 6.
Déjà vu
Every player turn there is an additional phase, announced at
the beginning of the turn. On the roll of a 6, you may choose when this occurs;
otherwise it takes place immediately after the original phase.
The phase and remainder of your turn is treated as if the
first time around never happened, although RiP spells and those which last
until the next friendly phase remain in effect. Spells which cause continuous
damage are only resolved on the first phase.
If you have moved in the first phase and not in the second,
you may fire move or fire weapons and shoot without penalty. A cannon misfiring
and exploding remains destroyed, but other misfires are ignored in a second
shooting phase.
If you have charged into combat, you count as having charged
in both combat phases.
Eternal valley
When moving, units may choose to enhance themselves by
marching at triple the movement speed or by marching normally with the fast
cavalry rules for reforming. Swift reforms allow a normal march and regular
reforms allow basic movement.
All units charge with an extra D6 and swiftstride, totalling
4d6 at the highest 3. Units which normally have swiftstride roll 5d6 and use
the highest 3. This also applies to fleeing and pursuit.
Every charge counts as being downhill.
Bloodrage
All characters and champions must issue or accept challenges
when it is possible, with Lords being required to challenge first, then heroes,
then champions. Any number of challenges can be issued in a combat.
If there is no opponent for a challenger, they fly into a
fury to find an opponent and gain +3 attacks. Any fighter which causes overkill
gains back a number of wounds equal to the overkill (without going over the
wounds on their profile).
Giants!
Every #6 spell is replaced with Alakazam!, which summons a
giant into the front of a unit anywhere within 20” on a 16+. This giant is
worth no victory points and disappears at the start of your next magic phase.
Beware though, because any miscast causes a mighty foe to be
summoned in base contact with your wizard. On a 3+ you face a giant, while a
1-2 causes a Cygor to appear. This disappears at the start of your next magic
phase and the miscast cannot be ignored.
If the wizard is killed the monster disappears at the end of
the phase, before CR is resolved. If the monster cannot be placed in contact
with the wizard it appears attacking the rear of the unit.
Just changing things up a bit. Giants! is largely based on a tournament format that I heard about a while ago. It sounded like fun.
I also came up with a new lore of magic. Mostly based on illusions (inspired by my D&D character). I know that shadow is supposed to be all about deception and such, but it really doesn't have any spells that reflect that. So here goes:
New Lore – Lore of Transience
Lore Attribute – Suspension of Disbelief
Once you’ve accepted one illusion as fact, it’s easy to
accept another. For each active spell (friend or foe) from the Lore of
Transience active on the field, the difficulty of casting for subsequent spells
is reduced by 1.
Signature spell: Fortification of Smoke 5+
Fortification of Smoke is a summoning (illusion) spell with
a range of 48”. A towering wall 2D6” in length is placed entirely within range
of the spell. The wall completely blocks all line of sight and lasts until
either the following friendly magic phase or until it is contacted by a unit
attempting to garrison or an artillery shot hitting it.
Wall of smoke may be boosted to be 4D6” in length, in which
case it is cast on a 10+
- Army of Reflection 4+
Army of Reflection is an augment (illusion) spell with a range of 18”. The
target unit appears to have double its current number of models for the
purposes of combat resolution and steadfast. The illusory reinforcements cannot
attack. The spell lasts until the start of the next friendly magic phase or
until the false models are hit or charged.
- Cloak of Abandonment 10+
Cloak of Abandonment is a hex (illusion) spell which targets
and enemy character within 24”. The target may not confer leadership to its
unit, provide inspiring presence, hold the line, or any visually inspiring
effect until the start of the next friendly magic phase.
- False Colours 13+
False Colours is an augment (illusion) spell with a range of
12”. The target unit appears as a friendly unit to enemy forces for all
purposes until the start of the next friendly magic phase. The illusion falls
if an enemy unit is attacked by or moves within 6” of the target unit.
- Shadow Beast 14+
Shadow Beast is a summoning (illusion) spell with a range of
18”. A non-character monster is summoned as having charged an enemy unit,
resolving terror tests as normal, until the start of the next friendly magic
phase. The monster takes and deals no wounds, but illusory wounds caused to and
against it are counted towards combat resolution. The illusion breaks if the
monster flees.
The caster may choose to summon a real monster instead,
taking and dealing real wounds. In this case, the spell is cast on a 20+.
- Fresnel’s Fleeting
Fortitude 15+
Fresnel’s Fleeting Fortitude is an augment spell with a
range of 12”. The target unit gains +1 wound per model until the start of the
next friendly magic phase.
- Permanence 25+
Permanence has a range of 12” and may target any active
spell with the (illusion) descriptor. The target spell becomes shall remain in
play for the rest of the game. These spells may still be disrupted if it is
possible, but will re-establish itself at the end of the phase that the
disruption stops.
There we go. Back to painting.
"I summon a giant fake dragon."
"A dragon?"
"Yes, a big one. Facing the ogre and those 2 guys."
*Dice are rolled*
"They start running away."
-D&D excerpts
