Survivors of Strigos
Grade: 2a
Source: Written & tested by Brahm Tazoul (PDF)
Setting: Sylvania
The long-ago destruction of Mourkain scattered a people to the wind. These now nomadic people, known as Strigany, travel through the human kingdoms in small caravans and live off the land. Their legends still remember the golden-age when the 'undying king' was reigning over a rich and powerful Strigos, and they prophecise that one day he will return and guide his people to reclaim their ancient land. That undying king was Ushoran, the patriarch of the Strigoi Vampire line. Now a degenerated mass of muscle and fang, Strigoi Vampires feed off the recently dead, often hiding in graveyards to dig out the corpses of the just buried to drink their cold blood. Their physical appearance reflects their miserable condition, as they have turned into hunched and disgusting monstrosities. Ghouls flock to these lonely creatures, forming grotesque courts around them. Grave robbers, those vile men who gather on battlefields to steal from the bodies of the fallen have learned all too well that they must do their deeds before nightfall. With darkness, different kinds of scavengers always fall on these places of death. Swarms of ghouls led by massive, fast and deadly night hunters: Strigoi Vampires.
It is little wonder that the peoples of the Old World refer to the Strigoi as the 'Ghoul Kings'. The same superstitious people accuse the wandering Strigany of being in contact with these dangerous creatures, of worshiping and serving them. Others are sure that the Strigany help the Strigoi vampires to move from town to town in their caravans. These rumors, usually false, have cost the the Strigany dearly, since they are often persecuted and killed for no other reason that this reputation. A few fortunate bands do have a protector, and when the mob approaches to deal their justice to the Strigany, the bloody feast begins...
Special Rules
Undead Leader: The Strigoi Vampire is the only Undead model in the warband. The warband does not disband if the Strigoi is killed, though it may not hire a new one.
Hired Swords: The warband may hire Hired Swords available to Undead warbands.
Choice of warriors
A Survivors of Strigos Warband must include a minimum of 3 models. You have 500 gold crowns which you can use to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 12.
Heroes
Strigoi Vampire: Each Strigany Warband must have one Strigoi Vampire.
Seer: Your Warband may include a single Seer.
Domnu: Your Warband may include up to three Domnu.
Henchmen
Strigany: Your Warband may include up to five Strigany.
Ghouls: Any number of models may be Ghouls.
Giant Bats: Your Warband may include up to two Giant Bats.
Starting Experience
Strigoi Vampire starts with 20 experience.
Seer starts with 12 experience.
Domnu start with 4 experience.
Henchmen start with 0 experience.
Survivors of Strigos Skill Table
Special Skills
Heroes with access to Special Skills may choose from the following lists:
Strigoi Vampire Only
The following skill list may be used by the Strigoi Vampire instead of the standard lists.
Iron Sinews: After death the Vampire's muscles grow far greater than they ever could have in his mortal life. The Strigoi becomes a beast of pure muscular power. Add +1S to the Vampire’s profile.
Great Thirster: Such is the appetite of this beast that he must feed almost constantly. Once the taste of blood has touched his lips, there is little that can stop the Vampire from drinking again. Once the Vampire takes a model Out of Action, treat him as Frenzied. This effect remains until he is Knocked Down, Stunned, or taken Out of Action.
Curse of the Revenant: So strong is the desire for some to continue living that they defy death. Once a Vampire has taken the Great Thirster special skill, he may choose the Curse of the Revenant. This skill allows the Vampire to regenerate lost wounds on a D6 roll of 5+. Only one wound may be recovered in this fashion per turn.
Dark Arts: The Strigoi has retained some of its former magical aptitude. He may choose Arcane Lore as an advance, and immediately roll for a spell on the Dark Arts table below. Subsequent spells may be chosen instead of skills.
Strigany Heroes Only
The following skill list may be used by Strigany Heroes instead of the standard lists. Strigoi Vampires may not use this list.
Light Fingers: Gypsies are apt to find things that others have lost. Should a Hero with this skill take an enemy model Out of Action, they will find an extra piece of Wyrdstone. Only one piece of treasure may be found in this manner per game.
Practiced Arm: Such is the skill with which the Gypsy can launch throwing knives that he can throw two of them per turn. These missiles must be at the same target and gain +1 to their injury rolls to represent the skill with which they were aimed.
Survivors of Strigos Equipment Lists
Hero Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Mace | 3 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
| Halberd | 10 gc |
| Chest Talon | 15 gc |
| Double-handed weapon | 15 gc |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Throwing Knives | 15 gc |
| Bow | 10 gc |
| Short Bow | 5 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Heavy armour | 50 gc |
| Shield | 5 gc |
| Helmet | 10 gc |
Miscellaneous Equipment (Heroes Only)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Black Gold Wristbands | 35 gc |
| Ring of Strigos | 20 gc |
| Unholy Relic | 15 gc |
| Cursed Book | 50 gc |
Henchman Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Mace | 3 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Throwing Knives | 15 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Shield | 5 gc |
Special Equipment
Chest Talon
Cost: 15 gc
Availability: Strigany only
Designed for the Domnu, these pick-like great weapons are ideal for pinning von Carstein blood-thirsters.
Range: Close Combat
Strength: As User +1
Special Rules: Two-Handed, Heart-Pierce
Two-Handed: As the Chest Talon requires two hands to wield, a model equipped with it may not use a shield, buckler or secondary weapon in close combat. If the model has a shield he still gets a +1 bonus to his armor save against shooting.
Heart-Pierce: Such is the destructive design of the weapon that it adds +1 to wound against a blood-thirster.
Black Gold Wristbands
Cost: 35 + 2D6 gc
Availability: Rare 10
Created with dark magic of ages past, the wristbands enable the wearer to better protect himself from missile fire.
Range: n/a
Strength: n/a
Special Rules: Quickened
Quickened: A model wearing Black Gold Wristbands gains a 6+ save against all missile-fire, including magical. This ability will stack with the Dodge skill.
Ring of Strigos
Cost: 20 + D6 gc
Availability: Rare 9
Forged with the blood of Necrarchs, these rings once adorned the fingers of Strigos' nobility.
Range: n/a
Strength: n/a
Special Rules: Arcane Barrier
Arcane Barrier: A model wearing a Ring of Strigos gains a 6+ save versus all spells that they are a target of, or find themselves affect by.
Cursed Book
Cost: 50 + 3D6 gc
Availability: Rare 11
Written by spiteful Seers, the Cursed Book offers its bearer some protection against those that would do him harm.
Range: n/a
Strength: n/a
Special Rules: Cursed Aura
Cursed Aura: A model bearing the Cursed Book causes all enemy models within 2" to suffer a -1 penalty to hit in close combat.
Heroes
1 Strigoi Vampire
115 gold crowns to hire
Insanely jealous of the other blood-lines, a Strigoi Vampire seeks nothing but to sow death and sorrow. Massive brutes, these Hunters of the Night fear nothing, and look to destroy the von Carstein hold over Sylvania as retribution for the persecution they have endured.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: A Strigoi Vampire may not wield any weapons, as it relies upon brute strength, tooth and claw. They do not suffer from any penalties for fighting unarmed.
SPECIAL RULES
Leader: Any models in the warband within 6" of the Strigoi Vampire may use his Leadership instead of their own.
Kindred Hatred: A Strigoi Vampire Hates vampires of other blood-lines.
Cause Fear: Vampires are terrifying Undead creatures and therefore cause Fear.
Immune to Psychology: Vampires are not affected by psychology (such as fear) and never leave combat.
Immune to Poison: Vampires are not affected by any poison.
No Pain: Vampires treat a Stunned result on the Injury chart as Knocked Down.
0 – 1 Seer
40 gold crowns to hire
Seers, Fortune Tellers, Witches. They are known by many names, and yet the Seers of the Strigany have a special aptitude when it comes to dealing with the future. Using various devices, be they cards or crystal balls, the Seers help guide their lost people across vast expanses.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: Seers may be equipped from the Strigany Equipment List.
SPECIAL RULES
Seeker: Due to their premonitions, Seers who partake in a battle, and are not taken Out of Action may modify a single exploration dice by +/- 1.
Wizard: Seers have one spell randomly generated from the Charms & Hexes spell list.
0 – 3 Domnu
30 gold crowns to hire
Children of darkness, the Domnu serve the Strigoi Vampires with absolute loyalty. Guarding him during the day, and bringing sacrifices by night, these damned men live for the death wrought by their master.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: A Domnu may be armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Strigany Equipment list.
SPECIAL RULES
Child of Darkness: Borne of the night, Domnu are steadfast and loyal servants of the Strigoi. They are immune to the Spooky special rule for Sylvania.
Gypsy Ward: Possessing an innate resistance to magic, the Domnu has a special save of 5+ versus magical attacks.
Henchmen
0 – 5 Strigany
25 gold crowns to hire
A nomadic people, the Strigany band together to form their mobile family. With little left in the world for them, they follow their master's quest for vengeance with resigned acceptance.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: A Strigany may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Strigany Equipment list.
Ghouls
40 gold crowns to hire
Ghouls are the descendants of evil and insane men who ate the flesh of the dead. When the lean and hungry times of famine come upon the Old World, the most depraved and destitute took to feasting on corpses to survive.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Weapons/Armour: Ghouls never carry any equipment, apart from a few bones which they use as primitive weapons.
SPECIAL RULES
Cause Fear: Ghouls are twisted and repulsive creatures and therefore cause Fear.
0 – 2 Giant Bats
40 gold crowns to hire
Also known as Vampire Bats, the blood drinking bats of the Old World grow to monstrous proportions. They are nightmarish predators of the dark, silent and deadly. They exist solely on the blood of the living, that of Men being their favorite.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: Jaws and brutality.
SPECIAL RULES
Animals: Giant Bats are animals and thus do not gain experience.
Flying: Giant Bats fly through the night air, and thus do not need to climb or leap over gaps, even if their movement phase ends with them over open air.
Large: Giant Bats are Large creatures.
Sonic: Giant Bats use sonic vibrations to navigate the dark of night. No Line of Sight is needed for a charge.
Magic
Charms & Hexes
1 – Scry
Difficulty: 8
The Seer uses ancient diving crystals to foretell the future and influence the actions of her comrades.
For the duration of the turn, one hero or henchman may re-roll D3 dice rolls and modify the results by +/- 1.
2 – Curse
Difficulty: 8
The Seer bestows a powerful curse on one of her enemies that saps their confidence and resolve.
One enemy model within 12" of the Seer must re-roll all successful dice rolls for the duration of this and their next turn.
3 – Dust of the Blind
Difficulty: 9
Casting a handful of dust into the air, the Seer blows it around her blinding her enemies.
One enemy model within 16" of the Seer is struck instantly blind. They may not shoot, charge, or run, are at half Weapon Skill, and will move in a random direction at the start of their turn. The Blindness lasts until the Seer casts another spell or moves.
4 – Age of Stone
Difficulty: 8
Whispering words of ancient power, the Seer causes an enemy to age rapidly before their very eyes, making them weak and feeble.
One enemy model within 12" of the Seer will be severely debilitated and all of their characteristics are reduced by -1 for the duration of this and their next turn.
5 – Warrior’s Bane
Difficulty: 7
Muttering a dark and malicious incantation, the Seer causes a warrior's grip to loosen, making it almost impossible for them to attack.
One enemy model within 18" of the Seer will be unable to use any of their weapons as they perpetually slip from their grasp. They will be unable to shoot and count as fighting with fists in hand-to-hand combat. The enchantment lasts for the duration of this and their next turn.
6 – Cure of Thorns
Difficulty: 9
A faint aura extends from the Seer's body. All who are touched by it feel its power.
The Seer attempts to aid her comrades by passing their injuries to their enemies. For every Knocked Down or Stunned friendly model within 6", one enemy model within the same area is Knocked Down or Stunned. There must be an even transfer. If no enemy models are in range, the Seer may instead choose to take the injury herself to stand a friendly model up. Models who have just stood up act as such and can only cast spells or shoot, but may not charge or run.
Dark Arts
1 – Fires of Strigos
Difficulty: 7
Borne from the eve of Mourkain's destruction, the Strigoi releases his hatred in a fiery ball of death.
The fireball has a range of 18" and causes one Strength 4 hit. It strikes the first model in its path. Armour saves are taken as normal (i.e. at -1 AS).
2 – Winged Flight
Difficulty: 9
The Strigoi sprouts great wings and takes to the night sky.
The Vampire may immediately move anywhere within 18", including into base contact with an enemy, in which case he counts as charging. If he engages a fleeing enemy in the close combat phase, he will score 1 automatic hit and then his opponent will flee again.
3 – Lifestealer
Difficulty: 10
The Strigoi sucks out the very essence of life from his victim, stealing its vigor for himself.
You may choose a single model within 6". The target suffers a wound (no save allowed), and the Vampire gains an extra Wound for the duration of the battle. This may take the Vampire's Wounds above his original maximum value. This spell will not affect the Possessed. Should the Vampire attempt to cast this spell upon another Vampire, increase the difficulty by 1.