Sorcerous Society
Grade: 2a
Source: Chris “Miginath” Van Tighem and Tom “Brahm Tazoul” Bell (PDF)
Setting: Mordheim
Even prior to the twin-tailed comet crashing into the city of Mordheim, practitioners of the magical arts were held with suspicion, fear and even hatred. This came to a head in the years between 1982 and 1991 of the Imperial Calendar when the state sanctioned cults of Sigmar and Ulric took to persecuting wizards in what became known as the “Wizard Wars”. As a result many law-abiding wizards were forced to flee or go into hiding. The study of magic continues to be circumspect. To this day Witch Hunters, so called Templars of Sigmar, search the cities, towns and villages of the Empire trying to uproot those that practice “arts most vile”. Secret societies of Sorcerers were formed to protect the teachings and practices brought down through the ages. Some among the societies are sent out to seek out abandoned artifacts, collect materials needed for the continued study of magic, root out evil spell casters and practitioners of vile Necromantic or Chaos Rites and Rituals as well as engage in other perilous task that must be accomplished to ensure the preservation of their art.
Special Rules
Keep it secret, keep it safe!: A Sorcerous Society warband may never have a Hired Sword or Dramatis Personae with the Wizard ability save for the High Elf Mage. Otherwise they may use any other Hired Sword as a Human Mercenary Warband.
The Vagaries of Magic: Members of the Sorcerous Society are using powerful and sometimes little known spells. As a result they are susceptible to the chaotic lure of magic. If a Wizard in the Sorcerous Society Warband rolls a natural 2 (two 1’s) when rolling for a spell than they must roll on the Magical Failure Table. Table used with permission from the Border Town Burning Suppliment.
| 2D6 | Result | | -- | | | 2 | Aaarrgh! The powers of Chaos take over the helpless wizard as he horribly mutates to a Spawn of Chaos. Remove the wizard from your roster. | | 3 | Gglbddlh: The wizard is now stupid. Roll a D6 after the battle: on a score of 2+ the effect ends. | | 4 | Magical Shutdown: The wizard cannot cast any spells for the duration of this battle. | | 5–6 | Uh-oh! The spell has been cast successfully – upon the wizard himself! Any additional decisions are made by the wizard’s left player. | | 7 | Pooh, nothing at all! Except for the spell’s failure there are no further consequences. | | 8–9 | Magical Explosion: The wizard is thrown D6" in a random direction and then lands knocked down. | | 10 – 11 | Magical jam: The wizard cannot cast a spell in his next shooting phase. Missile weapons may be used as normal, of course. | | 12 | Wait, what's that? The uncontrollable powers of Chaos cause the wizard to mutate. After a moment of horror the transmutation ends. You may choose a free Mutation for the wizard chosen from the Possessed's Mutations chart (Mordheim Rulebook page 76). |
Choice of warriors
A Sorcerous Society warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold Crowns to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15.
Heroes
Magus: Each Sorcerous Society warband must have one Magus: no more, no less!
Companion: Your warband may include two Companions.
Mage: Your warband may include up to two Mages.
Henchmen
Untrained: Your warband may include up to five Untrained.
Grunts: Any number of models may be Grunts.
Starting Experience
The Magus starts with 20 experience
Companions start with 8 experience
Mages start with 8 experience
Henchmen start with 0 experience
Sorcerous Society Skill Table
Additional Academic Skills
As found in Town Cryer 7/2002 Annual
Scribe: The warrior is a natural adept at writing and making scrolls. Any warrior with the ability to cast spells or use prayers may take this skill. It allows them to make a scroll before the battle and inscribe a single spell/prayer upon it that they are versed in. The scroll may be used just before they are about to cast the spell/prayer and allows the caster +2 to his difficulty roll.
Mind Focus: The warrior possesses a great strength of mind which allows him to concentrate beyond the levels of most normal men. When using a spell or prayer the warrior with this skill may re-roll one dice roll used in the difficulty roll. Note that this cannot cancel a Miscast.
Magical Aptitude: This skill may only be taken by a warrior capable of casting spells. It may not be used by Sisters of Sigmar or Warrior Priests. The warrior has a keen aptitude for magic and can push himself beyond normal limits to produce a storm of spells. The warrior may attempt to cast two spells each turn as long as he is not in hand-to-hand combat. After attempting the first spell he must take a Toughness test. If he passes he may attempt a second spell that turn or even cast the same spell twice. If he fails, you must roll on the injury table immediately with no saves, treating Out of Action results as Stunned instead.
Sorcerous Society Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Hammer | 3 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Wizard’s Staff | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
| Halberd | 15 gc |
| Double-handed weapon | 15 gc |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bow | 10 gc |
| Crossbow | 25 gc |
| Pistol | 15 gc (30 gc for a Brace) |
| Handgun | 35 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Light Armour | 20 gc |
| Heavy Armour | 20 gc |
| Shield/Buckler | 5 gc |
| Helmet | 10 gc |
Miscellaneous Equipment (Heroes Only)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Familiar | 20 gc |
Special Equipment
Wizard’s Staff
Cost: 10 gold crowns
Availability: Common
Many Wizards find the use of a staff both practical for their long journeys and to defend them when the use of their magical arts will draw suspicion.
Range: Close Combat
Strength: As User
Special Rules: Parry, 2 Handed, Concussion
Parry: A warrior armed with a Wizard’s Staff may attempt to Parry a blow, just as a sword.
2 Handed: A model using a Wizard’s Staff may not use a shield, buckler or additional weapon in close combat. If the model has a shield, it receives a +1 bonus to his armour save versus shooting attacks.
Concussion: When using a Wizard’s Staff, a roll of 2–4 is treated as stunned when rolling on the injury table.
Familiar
Cost: 20 + 2D6 gold crowns
Availability: Rare 9
Familiars are animals that share a special connection with a particular Wizard. Each Wizard may possess only one Familiar. While Familiars are considered equipment they are also living creatures. If one is taken Out Of Action during a battle then they roll for injuries as a Henchman. They do not, however, count towards maximum warband size or towards Rout Tests. If a Wizard’s Familiar dies or leaves then he may search for a replacement using rarity rules.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | 6 | 4 | – | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Cat | 6 | 4 | – | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Raven | 2 | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Viper | 3 | 4 | – | 2/4* | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
Range: n/a
Armor Save: n/a
Special Rules: Small Target
Small Target: Models shooting at a Familiar suffer a -1 to their BS due to the small size of the target.
Dog
Loyal: A Dog Familiar that remains within 6” of its wizard is immune to fear.
Sniff: A Dog has a keen sense of smell and can be used to aid during exploration. The warband may roll one additional dice and may use the result of this dice rather than that of one of the surviving heroes.
Cat
Go for the Eyes!: If both attacks successfully wound in one round then the enemy model is blinded and may not fight back until their next turn. If only one attack wounds then the affected model suffers a -1 to both WS & BS until the beginning of their next turn.
Raven
Fly: May fly up to 12” anywhere on the table.
I see you!: Spells may be cast on models if they are within range of either the Wizard or the Raven. Therefore, a spell with a 12” range may be cast on models within 12” of either model.
Viper
Poison: Should a Viper roll a 6 to hit, the attack automatically wounds with no armour save. Any other successful hit result on a target susceptible to poison will suffer a S4 hit. If the creature is immune to poison then treat the attack as S2.
Coiled and Ready: A Viper is not easily caught unaware. A Viper has Lightning Reflexes.
Proceeding with the Heroes section using <div className="fighter"> blocks and verbatim content:
Heroes
1 Magus
75 gold crowns to hire
There is always one who stands above the rest in a group. Within a Wizarding warband, that one is the Magus. Be it because of superior skill, force of will or charisma, the Magus is the unquestioned leader of the band, and his word carries the weight of absolute power.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: The Magus may be armed with weapons and armour from the Sorcerous Society Equipment List.
SPECIAL RULES
Leader: Any models in the warband within 6” of the Magus may use his Leadership instead of their own.
Wizard: The Magus is a powerful wizard and may randomly generate two spells from any one Elemental list, or from the Lesser Magic list found in the Core Rulebook.
0 – 2 Companions
45 gold crowns to hire
Sometimes a special bond will develop between a wizard and a mundane individual. This could be due to the awe-inspiring power the wizard possesses, or perhaps the mage showed some kindness. These people are referred to as Wizards Companions. Such is the bond between the two that a Companion will often go above and beyond what one person would typically do for another.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: The Companion may be armed with weapons and armour from the Sorcerous Society Equipment List.
SPECIAL RULES
Don’t look at me!: A Companion does not command the respect that a wizard does. As a result the Companion may never become the Leader of a warband and his Leadership may never be used for any Leadership tests except his own. This includes Rout Tests after the Leader has been taken Out of Action.
Body Guard: If the Companion is within 2 inches of a Wizard and not involved in Hand to Hand combat, he will take all missile fire and intercept any charges directed at the Wizard. If this requires that the model be moved, it is done so immediately, even if out of sequence or if it forces the model to move further than usually allowed in one turn. Note that the Companion must have a logical path to accomplish this goal; if he is within 2” of a Wizard but on a lower floor in a building, he will be unable to protect him in this manner.
0 – 2 Mages
35 gold crowns to hire
Mages, Sorcerers, Witches, Hedge Wizards; call them what you will, these are men and women of uncanny power. Self-taught, they definitely posses the spark of magic, and with the proper experience and tutelage, there is no telling the might they may one day command.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: The Hedge Wizards may be armed with weapons and armour from the Sorcerous Society Equipment List.
SPECIAL RULES
Wizard: The Mage is a wizard, and may randomly generate a spell from any one Elemental list, or from the Lesser Magic list found in the Core Rulebook.
Respect your betters: A Mage may never have more spells than the Leader. If a Mage has more spells than the leader he will immediately be challenged to a Wizard’s Duel. Have another player take control of the Leader for this match. The loser of the duel must leave the warband.
Henchmen
0 – 5 Untrained
25 gold crowns to hire
In his travels a Magus may encounter a town or settlement that has a peculiar individual who is shunned or ridiculed for their differences. Oftentimes these individuals are imbued with natural magical talents that are unharnessed and unpredictable. Although life on the road with a Magus and his companions is hard, the promise of someday becoming a powerful wizard is far better than enduring the taunts and tortures of ignorant townsfolk.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: Untrained may be armed with weapons and armour from the Sorcerous Society Equipment List.
SPECIAL RULES
Here, hold this: Untrained may be equipped with special items (like holy relics or lucky charms).
Harnessed: Should an Untrained roll a “Lads Got Talent” roll, they immediately gain the “Wizard” skill. They may choose to either forgo their additional advancement and randomly generate a spell, or may roll as the Hero advancement dictates.
Grunts
25 gold crowns to hire
Somebody has to cook the food and watch the camp while the wizard sleeps. All mundane tasks of day to day living fall to the Grunts. These common folk are invaluable for the protection and services they provide. While some aspire to be like their masters, most are happy to live their life in service to them.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: A Grunt may be armed with weapons and armour from the Sorcerous Society Equipment List.
SPECIAL RULES
Prove that Talent!: If “Lads Got Talent” is rolled the individual Grunt can either become a mundane Hero or may choose to become a “Grunt Untrained” instead. Therefore, a Grunt who rolls two “Lads got Talent” may become a wizard.
Elemental Lore of Water
1 – Geyser
Difficulty: 9 Calling upon the earth, the caster beckons a steaming geyser to erupt. The spell has a range of 10 inches and cannot target elevated targets. The unit suffers a S4 hit and is blown 2 inches in a random direction. Should the model collide with something, both will suffer an additional S2 hit.
2 – Portent of Amul
Difficulty: 6 Divining auspicious signs, the wizard guides the minds of his fellow warriors, allowing them to predict the actions of their foes. This spell affects all of the wizard’s friendly units. During this and their opponents’ Close Combat phase, any 1’s that are cast may be re-rolled. Re-rolled scores of 1 must stand, as you may never re-roll a re-roll.
3 – Premonition
Difficulty: 8 The wizard closes his eyes and seeks to foresee the outcome of the battle. As long as the wizard stands, the warband will gain +1 to its Leadership and the ability to re-roll any failed Rout Tests. The wizard has foretold of their victory, and they are not easily swayed from his Premonition.
4 – Frostbolts
Difficulty: 8 Holding a small icicle aloft, the wizard channels the power of the Winds of Magic into it. Borne upon the arcane winds, the frozen bolts arc through the skies at the wizard’s foe. Frostbolts is a magic missile with a range of 16 inches. If successfully cast, a squall of frozen missiles hit the target and causes D3 S3 hits.
5 – Blindness of the Depths
Difficulty: 7 The caster binds the enemy in the shadows and silence of the deep, rendering him oblivious to the world around him. This spell has a range of 12 inches. The target may make an immediate Initiative test. If passed, the spell has no effect. If the test is failed, the model is Blind and may not fight or shoot any missile weapons, nor cast any spells. Furthermore, the model may not be charged or targeted for ranged fire or spells, as it is completely engulfed in shadow. The model may make an Initiative test during each of its own Recovery Phases. Once passed, the spell fades.
6 – Lifespring
Difficulty: 8 Bearing the gift of life, the wizard wisely taps into the Lifespring and offers its blessing to his friends. Any one friendly model within 4 inches of the wizard instantly regains a wound, and recovers from being Knocked Down or Stunned and may act as normal this turn.
Elemental Lore of Fire
1 – Jorun’s Blast of Brimstone
Difficulty: 9 The Mage casts a small ball of mixed stuffs, mostly ash, sulfur and coal, at his enemies. The results are, to say the least, explosive. Range of the spell equals the caster’s Strength plus 1D6 inches. The caster then throws the small sulfurous rock at any model he has Line of Sight to within that range, and it explodes upon impact. The rock does a S3 hit to that model, and any others within 1.5 inches from it.
2 – Tazoul’s Burning Skull
Difficulty: 9 Throwing one’s own head o'er the battlefield is never recommended, especially when it's aflame. The Wizard known as Tazoul never heeded such warnings. The flaming skull has a range of 8 inches and causes one S5 hit. On a roll of 5+ it will hit the nearest enemy model with a S3 hit. On a further roll of 4+ it will hit the next nearest enemy model with a S2 hit. The spell may not target the same model during one casting.
3 – Hades Heat
Difficulty: 6 The wizard calls upon the sun to intensify its rays o'er a small area. Place a small Blast Template (3 inches) anywhere within 8 inches of the caster. Models that are under or partially under the template suffer -1WS and -1S due to the exhaustion the intense heat causes until the caster’s next turn.
4 – Shield of Flame
Difficulty: 8 The wizard weaves a shield of pure flame, aiding him in his defense. The Shield of Flame hovers between the wizard and his foes. He is free to use his weapons normally as the Shield of Flame moves in conjunction with the Wizard’s attacks. The shield grants the Wizard an Armour Save of 4+ in Close Combat and 5+ to ranged attacks. These do not stack and are unmodifiable.
5 – U’Zhuls Inferno
Difficulty: 9 A pillar of flame erupts from the caster’s hand, engulfing all in its path. The pillar of flame has a range of 12 inches and is 1 inch wide. It hits all models in its path with a S2 hit. The target of the spell suffers the brunt of the attack, receiving a S4 hit. All hits have a -1 AS modifier.
6 – Flesh of the Forge
Difficulty: 6 Surrendering himself to the winds of magic, the alchemist imbues his flesh with the heat of the forge. The Wizard’s skin becomes hot, smoldering with the heat of a thousand coals. All hits against the wizard in Close Combat are at -1 to hit. Roll a D6 during the Wizard’s Recovery phase. On a roll of 1–2, his flesh reverts to its natural form.
Elemental Lore of Earth
1 – Flesh of Clay
Difficulty: 8 Attuning himself to the earth, the wizard’s flesh becomes as dense as clay. The wizard doubles his Toughness, but halves his Movement and Initiative. The spell remains in effect until the caster is Knocked Down, Stunned or taken Out of Action.
2 – Healing Might
Difficulty: 9 Allowing the healing power of the earth to rise up within him, the wizard aids even those with the most grievous wounds around him. All models within 4 inches of the wizard rise from the ground, shrugging off the effects of being Knocked Down or Stunned. Furthermore, any units within 2 inches of the wizard have all of their wounds restored.
3 – Curse of Thorns
Difficulty: 6 The caster curses his foes, calling upon their life-force to transform into a jagged and thorny essence. The target of the spell must be within 18 inches. The model must pass a Toughness test or be wracked with unimaginable pain. The model will remain immobile and will only defend himself if attacked. A Toughness test must be passed before the spell will fade.
4 – Jozun’s Decay
Difficulty: 9 Ashes and dust. The caster calls upon the earth to reclaim what is rightfully hers. This spell has a range of 12 inches. Upon a successful casting, the target must pass a Leadership Test or suffer a one point reduction to its Toughness attribute. Each Recovery phase the model must attempt to pass a Leadership test, reducing its Toughness a further point for each failure. Should a model be reduced to 0 Toughness, it is removed from the game irrespective of how many wounds it has left. Should a Leadership test be passed, the model must play the remainder of the game at its modified Toughness score. A model may not be targeted by Eternal Rot more than once per game.
5 – The Hunter’s Spear
Difficulty: 8 Beseeching Venor the Hunter, the caster conjures a pure manifestation of amber-hued magic in the shape of a mighty hunting spear. The wizard’s weapon takes on an amber-hue and transmutes into a hunting spear. It grants the caster an additional two points to his Strength, and grants him an additional attack. The caster must make a Leadership test during his Recovery phases. The spear fades away if the test is failed.
6 – Shifting Sands
Difficulty: 8 Calling upon the very fibers of the earth, the mage forces the ground to swallow his foes. This spell may be cast on any enemy model within sight of the wizard. The model in question must make a successful Initiative test or be treated as Knocked Down until its next Recovery phase, where it has another chance to pass an Initiative test. Any friendly models within 1 inch of the trapped model reduce the difficulty of the Initiative test by 1, to a minimum of 1.
Elemental Lore of Air
1 – Winter’s Gale
Difficulty: 10 Calling to the northern winds, the wizard brings forth freezing air and biting snow. Place the large blast template (5 inches) over a location within 12 inches of the caster. Any model covered or partially covered will suffer a S4 hit. Undead and Possessed models do not suffer as mortals do from the cold, and thus only suffer a S2 hit instead.
2 – Crow’s Feast
Difficulty: 9 With dark intentions, the caster brings the attentions of Corvos the Crow upon his enemies. Crow’s Feast is a magic missile spell, with a range of 24 inches. If successfully cast, the spell causes D6 S3 hits.
3 – Dust Dervish
Difficulty: 9 Calling upon minor elementals, the caster bids them to seek out and attack his foes. The spell summons D3 Dust Dervishes, who attack a model each who are within 12 inches of the caster. No other targeting restrictions apply, so even a model that is hidden may be sought out by the air elementals. Each Dust Dervish delivers a rapid succession of attacks, delivering D6 S1 hits to its target prior to vanishing back from whence it came.
4 – Howler Wind
Difficulty: 8 The fury of the skies unbound is a force that few can hold at bay. This spell is cast upon the wizard himself. Both he and any models within 8 inches of him gain the protection of the Howler Wind. Anyone targeting these models with mundane ranged weapons suffer a -2 penalty to their Ballistic Skill, however shooting past these models does not affect the missile in any way.
5 – Celestial Shield
Difficulty: 8 The wizard manipulates the magic of the cosmos to create a scintillating blue shield capable of turning aside even the most powerful of projectile or spell. This spell can be cast upon any friendly model within 6 inches of the caster, or the caster himself. The Celestial Shield provides a 4+ save versus all ranged attacks, and a 5+ save versus all hostile spells. Should the recipient of the Shield be the primary target of an area-effect spell and the save be made, no models shall suffer any of the spell’s effects.
6 – Shade Mount
Difficulty: 8 Darkness forms about the caster, carrying him aloft upon wings of shadow. This spell may be cast upon the wizard himself, or a hero within 8 inches of him. Upon a successful casting, the model may immediately fly up to 12 inches. Should this movement bring the model into Base to Base contact with an enemy model, consider it a charge.