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88. The Recipe

Source: The Fanatic Online Archives
Setting: Mordheim
Author: Mark Havener
Broheim notes: Warbands must attempt to abduct an esteemed pie-maker who is being stoutly defended by his ballistically adept bodyguard. There are also plenty of pies to be purloined as long as the warriors don’t drop them first. Last to rout wins as long as the pie-man has been taken Out Of Action first.

Geefer Lugbottom has stumbled upon an amazing new recipe for Bindleberry pie. It’s rumoured that once a Halfling tastes one of Geefer’s new pies, the poor sod will not be satisfied with pies of any other sort. The other chefs of the region have heard the rumours of this fantastic new recipe, and each has decided to teach Geefer a lesson in sharing. So, while Chef Lugbottom transports a batch of his new pies to market, plans are set in motion…

The game can be played by two or more players. Each warband has been hired by one of Geefer’s rivals to kidnap the pie master and return him for some harmless ‘questioning’. Any pies that are brought back intact earn a lesser reward, as they may be useful in recreating the recipe, even without their creator’s input.

terrain

Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a building, set of hedges or walls, hill, section of forest, section of swamp, river or stream, or similar item or terrain appropriate for Empire in Flames. There should be a road that runs through the centre of the table, to represent the road to market upon which Geefer is travelling.

set-up

All players roll a D6 to see who deploys first, with the player rolling highest choosing a table edge and setting up first. If there are two players, then the next player sets up on the opposite board edge. If there are more than 2 players, the remaining players choose sides and set up their warbands

special rules

Geefer and his six guards are huddled around the chef’s pie cart when the warbands approach. One of the pie cart’s wheels has hit a large rock in the road and the axle has been damaged. The guards are attempting to repair the cart, but it will not be mobile before the end of this encounter.

At the end of each game turn, after all players have acted, Lugbottom and his guards get to take a special turn. The guards will not charge away from the cart, instead preferring to use the vehicle as cover and shoot at the attackers. If any guard is engaged by the enemy, roll a D6: on a 1-3 the nearest guard charges in to help, on a 4-6 the guards all continue to shoot. If Geefer is attacked in close combat, all guards who can legally charge warriors engaged with Geefer will do so.

looting the cart

Instead of attacking Geefer or his guards (or another warband), warriors may attempt to loot the pies in the cart instead. To loot the cart, a warrior must end his move in contact with it, and must do nothing else until his next turn (no shooting, no magic, no close combat, etc). A Henchman may carry one pie, a Hero may carry two; however, note that a model noted as an Animal (Hounds, Squigs, etc, may NOT carry any pies – they’d just eat them).

Any warrior who is attacked while carrying one or more pies must pass a successful Initiative test to not drop them (making them worthless). A warrior carrying pies may not cast spells, shoot ranged weapons, or attack in close combat. If a warrior who is carrying pies is attacked in close combat, he automatically goes last and loses one attack as he gently sets his pies down and prepares for combat (these penalties are ignored if the warrior failed his Initiative test, or chose to drop the pies – which has the same effect as a failed test). A warrior may walk at normal pace while carrying pies, but any warrior who runs must pass an Initiative test to prevent them from being dropped. There are 3D6+6 pies in the cart (roll at the start of the game).

geefer & the guards

halfling guards

ProfileMWSBSSTWIALd
Guard424221317

Equipment: Bow, shortsword (counts as sword), dagger.

special rules

Brave: Bolstered by a fine meal of Geefer’s pies, the guards ignore any Psychology tests they may be called upon to take.

geefer lugbottom

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Geefer423231317

Equipment: Rolling pin (counts as a club), paring knife (counts as a dagger).

special rules

Bold: Geefer knows that the plans his enemies have in store for him are dire indeed, and his fortunes rely on getting his pies safely to market. He will not give up easily. Consequently, he ignores any Psychology tests he may be called upon to take.

Keep Him Alive!: All attacks on Geefer suffer a -1 penalty to hit, as the attacker attempts to incapacitate the chef without seriously damaging him.

At the end of each game turn, after all players have acted, Lugbottom and his guards get to take a special turn. The guards will not charge away from the cart, instead preferring to use the vehicle as cover and shoot at the attackers. If any guard is engaged by the enemy, roll a D6: on a 1-3 the nearest guard charges in to help, on a 4-6 the guards all continue to shoot. If Geefer is attacked in close combat, all guards who can legally charge warriors engaged with Geefer will do so.

starting the game

Players each roll a D6 with the one that rolls highest going first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table (based on where players placed their warbands) from there.

ending the game

The game ends when Geefer and his guards are all taken out of action and all warbands but one have failed their Rout test. Warbands that rout automatically lose. If one of more warbands have allied when the other warbands have all routed, they may choose to share the victory and end the game, or they may continue the game until one warband is victorious. If all warbands have been routed while Geefer or any of his guards are still in play, all warbands are considered to have lost.

In addition to normal Exploration money, the following rewards await the warbands taking part in this scenario:

A winning warband is considered to have captured Geefer (if two or more warbands decide to share the win, they have to decide which one gets to turn him in for a reward). Turning in Geefer is worth 5D6gc.

Any pies that have not been ruined may also be turned in. Any pies held by a warband which routed ARE kept by that warband when they run and may be turned in. Pies turned in are worth 1gc each for a non-winning warband, or half that amount, rounded up to the nearest gc, for a winning warband (they aren’t as important if Geefer is turned in as well). A winning warband gets any pies which are held by its warriors, or still in the cart at the end of the game.

experience

  • +1 Survives. If a Hero or a Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
  • +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
  • +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. A Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action (including harpies).
  • +1 Turns in Pies. Any Hero who turns in one or more pies +1 Experience.