Power in the Stones

Source: Town Cryer #15

"Of course there's magic in those stones... but it is dark magic, and only the desperate or the foolish would seek to use it. Woe to us that our times are rich in both desperation and fools." -Fabergus Reinhardt, Witch Hunter

The value of the wyrdstone shards is not simply the coin that nobles and merchants are willing to pay for them. It is a well-known fact that the stones are rich in magic, and they are said to grant a variety of powers to those that learn to use them. Tales are told among the common folk of stones that caused a certain farmer's harvest to double, or of the stone that made old Herr Grutenbauer's dog speak like a man. True or not, these tales hint at the powerful and chaotic forces at work in the stones. The most common use for the stones' magic has to do with the discovery of the famed alchemist van Hoffman of Reikland. It was he who first observed that Wyrdstone can serve as a catalyst in the transmutation of base metals into gold. This usage of the stones has come to be the primary obsession of those who seek it, for many are willing to pay princely sums for stones that will make them an even larger fortune. Yet there are those who continue to seek the stones for their more arcane uses, and even mercenaries have been known to keep a stone or two that was thought to bring luck, healing or other magical benefits.

Yet the stones are ultimately the work of Chaos, and those who seek to use them often learn to fear their magic rather than harness it. For every tale of a harvest that doubled, there are two about the harvests that rotted in the field when exposed to the strange glow of the stones; and for every tale of a dog that learned to speak like a man there are darker tales of animals that turned into a gruesome parody of a man-beast. The tales of magical healings are mixed with many of mutation and death brought on by exposure to the stones. Yet greed is the downfall of many in the City of the Damned, and the greed for power is perhaps the greatest of all...

Note: Witch Hunters, Sisters of Sigmar, Bretonnians, High Elf Shadow Warriors and Dwarfs are all too aware of the corrupting power of the stones, and will not make use of them under any circumstances.

Evaluating stones

Instead of selling or storing all of a warband's wyrdstone shards, a player may choose to have one or more of their stones evaluated by an alchemist for useful magical properties. This is done during the trading phase of the post-battle sequence (consequently, this means if a stone is chosen to be evaluated and yields no special power, it cannot subsequently be sold until after the next battle). Instead of searching for a rare item, a hero may take one shard of the warband's wyrdstone to an alchemist. Numerous alchemists have flocked to Mordheim to study the stones, and they ply their trade from tents and wagons in the encampments around the city. Alchemists are known for their greed, however, and they do not provide their services for free; for each stone evaluated, the warband must pay 20 gold crowns. When the stone is evaluated, roll 2D6 on the chart below:

2D6	Result
2	Spell Stone. Any model who carries this stone into battle may cast one randomly determined spell for the duration of the battle, using the normal rules for spell casting. The spell should be determined at random from the Lesser Magic spell list, and a different spell should be generated before each game in which the stone is used. This means the stone will be more useful in certain battles than others, depending on which spell it happens to provide for that game.
3	Stone of Regeneration. Any model who caries this stone into battle will regenerate lost wounds at a rate of one Wound regained each recovery phase. A model carrying this stone treats all stunned results it suffers on the Injury Chart as knocked down.
4	Stone of Might. A model wbo carries this stone into battle will have one characteristic increased for the duration of the battle. Roll a D6 to see which characteristic is affected before each battle: 1 +1 Initiative 2 +l Movement 3 +1 Strength 4 +1 Toughness 5 +1 Attacks 6 +1 Wounds Note that this temporary boost may take a characteristic above normal racial maximums.
5	Stone of Warding. A model who carries this stone will not be affected by hostile magic spells on a D6 roll of 4+.
6-8	No beneficial powers.
9	Stone of Luck. A model who carries this stone may re-roll any dice roll he makes once per game. The second roll must be taken. This power may not be combined with other 'luck enhancements' like the spell Luck of Shemtek to yield re-rolls on top of re-roJls, though it may be used to give a model affected by these enhancements one additional re-roll during the battle as normal.
10	Stone of Skill. A model who carries this stone into battle will have one characteristic increased for the duration of the battle. Roll a D6 to see which characteristic is affected before each battle: 1-2 +1 Weapon Skill 3-4 +1 Ballistic Skill 5-6 +1 Leadership Note that this temporary boost may take a characteristic above normal racial maximums.
11	Stone of Healing. A model who carries this stone may heal one model within 2" of him (including himself) during each recovery phase. The warrior regains one lost Wound. Note that this healing is only benefidal to models who have more than one Wound on their profile.
12	Stone of Protection. A model who carries this stone has their armour save improved by one point (i.e. a 5+ save becomes a 4+ save). Note that no model may ever have a save better than l+. If the model has no armour, the stone gives him a 6+ armour save.

Using stones

Stones may only be used by heroes, just like other equipment. No hero may ever carry more than one stone at a time (the combined Chaotic magic would instantly turn them into Chaos Spawn).

Using a wyrdstone's power is always a dangerous undertaking and to represent this, after every battle, each hero who carried a stone must make a check to see if they have been adversely affected by their usage of the stone's power.

Make the check by rolling 2D6 for each hero: a roll of 2, 3, 11 or 12 indicates that they have been affected.

Skaven, having a natural tolerance for warpstone, are only affected on the roll of 2 or 12. Roll a D6 on the following chart to see what has happened to affected models.

D6	Result
1	Spawn! The model has succumbed to the raw mutating force of Chaos, and becomes a terrible Chaos Spawn. See 'Becoming a Chaos Spawn' below.
2	Weakened. The model has lost some of its life force to the stone. One of the model's characteristics is permanently reduced by one. Roll 2D6 to see which characteristic suffers: 2D6 Result 1-2 Movement 3 Weapon Skill 4 Ballistic Skill 5-6 Strength 7-8 Toughness 9-10 Initiative 11-12 Leadership If any characteristic is reduced to 0 as a result of the weakening, the model becomes a Chaos Spawn. See 'Becoming a Chaos Spawn' below.
3-4	Sickened. Exposure to the stone's magic has made the warrior physically ill. He must miss the next battle while he recovers.
5-6	Mutation! The corrupting power of Chaos has caused the model to gain a mutation. Roll on the Random Mutation Table (see below).

Becoming a Chaos Spawn

Chaos Spawn are the wretched remains of one who has tasted the power of Chaos and proved unable to withstand its mutating touch. Wracked with waves of mutation and change, a warrior is reduced to a monstrous beast of fangs, tentacles, eyeballs, and other horrific growths. Their mind is forever shattered, and they become a gibbering and mindless servant of Chaos. Typically, when a being meets this fate, his former comrades will put him out of his misery with a swift death... unless that seems like too dangerous a task to attempt, in which case they will simply herd the beast away down one of Mordheim's winding alleys or into the sewers. There are, however, some who have a desire for and affinity with Chaos Spawn that allows them to keep their mutated friends among their ranks as a weapon and pet to use against their enemies.

If one of your heroes becomes a Chaos Spawn, he is considered to be lost to the warband, unless your warband is from the Cult of the Possessed or Skaven. Followers of Chaos have a sort of semi-reverence for these mindless beasts, and the Skaven have long been adept at training and using the products of wyrdstone-induced mutation.

When the hero 'spawns', any armour they were wearing is lost in the storm of violent mutation that overtakes the unfortunate warrior. Weapons and equipment are abandoned by the creature, however, and may be reclaimed by the warband. The new Spawn retains its previous characteristics profile and any existing mutations, and immediately gains an additional D6 mutations which should be generated on the Random Mutation Table. If the hero was previously a spell caster, all spell casting ability is lost. If the model became a Spawn as the result of a characteristic being taken down to zero, that characteristic becomes a 1 on the Spawn's profile. The Spawn's Movement characteristic may be deleted, as the Spawn is now subject to a special rule that governs its movement on the table top. The Spawn is now subject to the following special rules:

Fear: The Spawn now causes fear.

Psychology: The Spawn is immune to all psychology rules.

Movement: Instead of normal movement, each movement phase, the Spawn moves 2D6" towards any enemy model. The Spawn must move straight towards an enemy, though this need not be the nearest enemy, and may be an enemy the Spawn cannot even see (Spawn have a plethora of senses, magical and otherwise that tell them where their foes are). If this movement brings the Spawn into contact with any model, friend or foe, the Spawn immediately attacks it, and will continue to fight in following rounds until the other model has been taken out of action or fled. Spawn may move up ladders and stairs, and may even attempt to climb walls subject to the normal climbing rules.

The Spawn will not gain any experience points from future battles; it is far too mindless to learn from its actions.

The Spawn should be represented by an appropriate model. While this could be one of the Chaos Spawn models from the Warhammer line, it's probably more satisfying and fun to make your own. Spawn are the ultimate you-can-do-no-wrong conversion project, where you can throw together all sorts of stray bits to make a really unique model.

Random Mutation Table

Mordheim is a city under the sway of Chaos, and with Chaos comes mutation and change. There are numerous ways by which a warrior can be afflicted with mutation, and there are some who actually seek out mutation as a 'reward' of the Chaos Powers. While mutations are not always harmful, and indeed can often be helpful, they are a mark of Chaos, and as such those who bear them are feared, shunned and persecuted throughout the Empire.

The following is a table used to generate the colourful, exotic, and sometimes debilitating mutations that will be visited upon certain warriors at certain times (i.e. as a result of exposure to Wyrdstone, for example). The table may also prove useful to Gamemasters who want to quickly generate some interesting mutants for a special scenario. The table uses a D66 roll, just like the Heroes Serious Injuries table in the rulebook. If the mutant rolls a mutation that it already possesses, re-roll it until a new mutation is generated.

Note: The great danger of mutation is that it will ultimately overwhelm the victim with the corrupting power of Chaos, reducing them to a monstrous and mindless Chaos Spawn. To represent this danger, if a warrior ever has a characteristic reduced to zero as the result of a mutation, they immediately degenerate into a loathsome Chaos Spawn (see the full rules for Chaos Spawn above).

Any member of a human, mercenary warband (this includes both Ostlanders and Averlanders) that receives a mutation marked with * is immediately drummed out of the warband by his suspicious peers. Remove the hero from the roster, his equipment is lost.

D66	Result
11	Acid Spray*. The mutant can spit acid at its foes. The acid spray uses the mutant's Ballistic Skill to hit, just as if the mutant were firing a missile weapon. The spray has a range of 8", and a Strength of 4. The mutant does not suffer any penalty for spraying a target at long range, nor does the mutant suffer any penalty for moving and spraying in the same turn.
12	Atrophy. A part of the mutant's body has become shrivelled and atrophied. Roll a D6: 1 head. The mutant is now subject to stupidity. 2-4 arm. The mutant loses the usage of one arm. The mutant may only use a single one-handed weapon from now on. If both arms are lost the mutant must be retired from the wacband unless it possesses a tail or bite attack of some kind. 5-6 leg. The mutant loses the usage of one leg. Divide the mutant's Movement in half, rounding up. If both legs are lost, the mutant must be retired from the warband.
13	Beaked*. The mutant has a beak like that of a bird or octopus, though its other facial fearures remain unchanged. Unless the mutant already possesses a bite attack, the mutant may make an additional attack in each hand-to-hand combat phase due to its vicious bite.
14	Beweaponed Extremities*. The mutant's hands are turned into weapons! The mutant may no longer use other weapons or equipment that would require the usage of hands. On the plus side, it no longer has to worry about being caught without a weapon! The mutant will gain the normal extra attack in hand-to-hand for using an additional hand weapon, and the weapon extremities follow the normal rules for weapons of their type (i.e. sword extremities may be used to parry). Roll a D6 for each arm to see what it becomes: 1-2 sword, 3-4 mace, 5-6 axe. If the mutant grows two sword extremities, it may re-roll failed parries just as if it had a sword and a buckler.
15	Blackblood. If the model loses a wound in close combat, anyone in base contact with the model suffers a Strength 3 hit (no critical hits) from the spurting corrosive blood.
16	Brightly Patterned Skin*. The mutant's skin becomes brightly coloured with contrasting stripes, spots, or other patterns. No effect on play, but a great excuse to paint an interesting new model!
21	Burning Body*. The mutant's body is constantly burning with flickering tongues of hellish flame and burns with unnatural light. The warrior may not carry any weapons or armour unless they are magical, or forged from Gromril or Ithilmar. The mutant does not suffer the usual penalties for fighting with his fists (no -1 to the mutant's Strength, enemies do not add +l to armour saves). The mutant always counts as having a lantern. Any model in base contact with the mutant suffers an automatic Strength 2 hit at the beginning of each close combat phase. The flames cannot cause critical hits.
22	Cloud of Flies. The mutant is permanently surrounded by a great swirling mass of flies. Opponents in close combat with the mutant are at -1 on all to hit rolls, as the flies buzz into eyes, noses, and mouths.
23	Cloven Hooves*. The warrior gains +1 Movement.
24	Crystalline Body*. The mutant's body becomes living crystal, which is tough, but easily shattered. The mutant's Toughness becomes 6, while its Wounds become 1. Neither of these attributes can subsequently be altered by experience or mutation. If an experience advance indicates a change in one of these characteristics, re-roll the advance until a different characteristic advance is obtained.
25	Elastic Limbs*. The mutant's arms can stretch out, allowing the mutant to attack from a distance. If the mutant is not in base contact with an enemy model at the beginning of the hand-to-hand combat phase, it may make one hand-to-hand attack against a single visible enemy within 6" of the mutant. The enemy does not get a chance to fight back.
26	Enormously Fat. The mutant becomes enormously fat and bloated. Divide its Movement in half, rounding up; add +1 to its Toughness; and reduce its Initiative by 1.
31	Extra Arm*. The mutant may use any single-handed weapon in the extra arm, giving him +1 attack when fighting in hand-to-hand combat. Alternatively, he may carry a shield or buckler in the extra arm. If a mutant who is unable to use weaponry (i.e. Possessed, Chaos Spawn, etc.) gains this mutation, they simply gain an extra attack; they are still not permitted to use weapons.
32	Extremely Thin. The mutant becomes a matchstick figure, sickly thin and bony. Divide its Toughness in half: rounding up.
33	Eyestalks*. The mutant has stalked eyes, similar to a crab. The mutant now causes fear.
34	Fangs*. _The mutant grows huge fangs, giving it an extra bite attack (unless it already has one) in each hand-to-hand combat phase. The bite attack uses the mutant's normal Strength.
35	Furry*. _The mutant grows a covering of long, dense fur._ The mutation changes the mutant's appearance only; and has no effect on its profile.
36	Great Claw*. One of the mutant's arms ends in a great, crab-like claw. He may carry no weapons in this arm, but gains an extra attack in hand-to-hand combat with a +1 Strength bonus.
41	Hideous. The mutant causes fear, and is seldom invited to parties.
42	Horns*. The mutant's head grows horns, and it gains an extra gore attack in hand-to-hand combat at the mutant's normal Strength. The mutant may no longer wear a helmet.
43	Iron Hard Skin*. _The mutant's skin is covered in iron and steel scales._ The mutant's armour save is improved by +1 (i.e. a 5+ save becomes a 4+). Note that a warrior's armour save may never improve to better than a 1+ save. If the mutant has no armour, their skin alone gives them a 6+ armour save.
44	Mace Tail*. The mutant grows a flexible tail with a mace-like bony tip. Unless it already has a tail, the mutant gains an extra tail attack in each hand-to-hand combat phase at the mutant's Strength +1. If the mutant already has a tail, it will have to decide at the beginning of each hand-to-hand phase which tail it wishes to use.
45	Moronic. The mutant's mind shrinks. The mutant is now subject to stupidity.
46	Plague Bearer*. The mutant carries a hideous, Chaos-tainted disease. The mutant's limbs are covered in open sores, and the mutant is dramatically weakened by its condition. Reduce the mutant's Movement and Initiative by -1. Any time the mutant hits an enemy in hand-to-hand combat, there is a chance they have infected their foe with this debilitating disease: the enemy model must roll equal to or less than its Toughness on a D6 to avoid contracting the sickness. If the roll is higher than the model's Toughness, they suffer the -1 to Movement and Initiative penalty for the rest of the battle, (after which it is assumed they get immediate herbal remedies and plenty of rest to keep the disease from setting in permanently!). The Plague Bearer may not infect the same model more than once in a single battle. In addition, the Plague Bearer's ghastly appearance means it now causes fear.
51	Poisonous Bite. The mutant grows small fangs which can secrete a potent poison. Unless the warrior already has a bite attack, it gains an extra attack in each hand-to-hand combat phase due to its deadly bite. The poisonous bite is a Strength 5 attack, but is reduced to Strength 2 if the target of the bite is immune to poison. If the mutant already possesses a bite attack, it is simply upgraded to include the poisonous effect described above.
52	Prehensile Tail*. The mutant grows a prehensile tail. Unless the mutant already has a tail attack, he gains an additional attack with this tail in each hand-to-hand combat phase. The mutant may hold and use any singlehanded weapon in the tail, or alternatively; he may carry and use a shield or buckler with it. If a mutant with other tail attacks does use an equipped prehensile tail in a hand-to-hand combat phase, he may not use any of his other tail attacks during that phase; a single tail must be selected for use at the beginning of each hand-to-hand phase. If a mutant unable to use weaponry (i.e. Possessed, Chaos Spawn, etc.) gains this mutation, they simply gain an extra attack (unless they already possess a tail attack); they remain unable to use weapons.
53	Regeneration. The mutant can often heal instantly from wounds it suffers in battle. When the mutant suffers one or more Wounds, it may try to regenerate the damage. Roll a D6: on the roll of a 4+, the mutant has instantly healed itself back to full Wounds. If less than a 4 is rolled, the mutant's regenerative powers have been temporarily exhausted, and it may not attempt further regenerations for the remainder of the battle.
54	Resilient. _The mutant's skin thickens, or becomes scaly, or otherwise increases its resilience to damage. Increase the mutant's Toughness by +1.
55	Scorpion Tail*. _The mutant has a long barbed tail with an envenomed tip, allowing him to make an extra Strength 5 attack in each hand-to-hand combat phase (unless the mutant already has a tail attack, in which case it will have to select a single one of its available tail attacks in each hand-to-hand phase). If the model hit by the tail is immune to poison, the Strength of the hit is reduced to 2.
56	Skull Face*. _The flesh of the mutant's face dissolves, leaving a skull. The mutant now causes _fear.
61	Spines*. Any model in base contact with the mutant suffers an automatic Strength 1 hit at the beginning of each close combat phase. Spines will never cause critical hits.
62	Stunted. The mutant's body becomes hunchbacked and stiffened. Reduce the mutant's Movement and Initiative by -1.
63	Suckers*. The mutant's limbs are covered in adhesive suckers. The mutant automatically passes Initiative tests when climbing.
64	Tentacle*. One of the mutant's arms ends in a tentacle. He may grapple his opponent in close combat to reduce his attacks by -1, down to a minimum of 1. The mutant may decide which attack his opponent loses.
65	Warts. The mutant is covered in repellent warts. The mutant's profile is unaffected.
66	Wings*. The mutant grows a pair of feathered or bat-like wings. The wings are not strong enough to allow the mutant to fly in the proper sense, but they do allow the mutant to glide down from an elevated position. If the mutant is above the table-top surface (on a roof, walkway, etc.) it may glide down at a rate of 2" horizontally for each inch of downward vertical movement.