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Hochland Bandits

Grade: 1b
Source: Nemesis Crown Supplement (PDF)
Setting: Nemesis Crown
Author: Mordheim Nemesis Crown Development Team

The biggest fallout of the Storm of Chaos was the influx of refugees from across the border. Though many from Ostermark and Ostland have returned, either to push back whatever forces remain in the areas they once called home or to start anew elsewhere in the Empire, a large population of Hochland have not and this has raised tensions throughout Talabecland. In and around Talabheim it is felt that they should cross the River Talabec, separating the two Provinces, and make efforts to rebuild.

Talabheim has had great difficulty with refugees and Talagaad, the port on the banks of the Talabec that sees most of the trade that flows along that great waterway, has had riots at the docks and in the area of the district known as ‘Little Kislev’ where longstanding Kislev migrants have clashed in the streets with the Hochland invaders. This bad blood is brewing a deep vintage and the winter has helped none.

It was a bad winter, food was short and even the aristocracy was having to make do as best they could. The harvest had been bad leading up to the Storm and the loss of so many men folk to the fighting and the return of many broken by it did not help. What excess grain and meat there was given charitably (or sold to the highest bidder) in those lands that had suffered worse. The trading that passed through Talagaad was slight and poor, for it drew from the realms that had been hardest hit by the war – Ostland, Ostermark and distant Kislev, and the mercantile routes along the Stir that passed through Krugenheim were equally poor, for it passed through Sylvania and that has nothing that few would wish to trade in. With trade weakened employment became scarce and men have been driven to take desperate measures in order to survive.

Rumours have spread of a treasure hidden deep in the Great Forest. Adventurous gangs of petty crooks led by villainous individuals now prowl the wilderness. Men and women have started disappearing. There is much which stands between them and success yet these men are opportunists who seek a prize for their own selfish gain.

special rules​

Hired Swords: Bandits have no compunction about hiring mercenaries, and may hire any Hired Swords allowed to a Human Mercenary warband.

Powder's Expensive! Bandits are often too poor to purchase or upkeep expensive equipment like gunpowder weapons. The exception to this is Bandit heroes, who often see such extravagances as pistols as symbols of their status and higher wealth. The higher costs for black powder weapons in the equipment chart, and the fact that henchmen can't purchase them at all, reflect the extreme rarity of these types of weapons for Bandit warbands.

Foragers. Bandits are used to lean times, and know how to make their gold stretch. Because of this, they usually have fewer expenses between adventures. When determining Income for a Bandit warband, always use the next lower warband size category (a warband with 1-3 members still uses the first column however!). For example, a warband with 15 members finds 4 Treasures in the Exploration Phase. When they sell these Treasures, they use the 10-12 members column instead of the 13-15 members column, resulting in a gain of 5 gold pieces for the warband.

Know Who To Sell To. Bandits are used to getting rid of stolen goods, and have built up contacts for doing so. When a Bandit warband sells equipment, they get half of any random element of the equipment cost, in addition to the normal half of the item's basic cost.

Choice of warriors​

A Bandit 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 is 12.

Bandit Prince: Each Bandit warband must have one Bandit Prince: no more, no less!

Footpads: Your warband may include up to 2 Footpads.

Huckster: Your warband may include a single Huckster.

Duelist: Your warband may include a single Duelist.

Thugs: Any number of models may be Thugs.

Blackhearts: Your warband may include up to 2 Blackhearts.

Looters: Your warband may include up to 4 Looters.

Gutterscum: Your warband may include any number of Gutterscum.

Poachers: You warband may include up to 2 Poachers.

Starting experience​

A Bandit Prince starts with 20 experience.

Footpads start with 8 experience.

Duelists start with 12 experience.

Hucksters start with 8 experience.

All Henchmen start with 0 experience.

Bandit Skill Table​

CombatShootingAcademicStrengthSpeedSpecial
Bandit Prince✓✓✓✓✓
Footpad✓✓✓✓
Huckster✓✓✓
Duelist✓✓✓✓

Bandit Special Skills​

banditry​

Between missions, the bandit goes off and robs travelers or other innocent victims. Instead of searching for Rare equipment, the hero may engage in banditry - roll a D6, on a result of 2-6, the banditry is successful and the hero adds D6+1 gold to the warband's stash. However, on a result of 1, the attempted robbery has somehow gone wrong - roll on the Serious Injury table for the bandit, as if he had been taken Out of Action in the last game. If several heroes have this skill, it is quite possible that some are successful and some not in their Banditry attempt between games...that is the nature of theives' honor - if a man falls behind, he is usually on his own! This skill may not be combined with the Huckster's Slick Operator special ability.

hide in shadows​

The Bandit has become an expert at concealing himself from his enemies (and potential victims!). An enemy warrior attempting to detect this warrior when he is Hidden must halve his Initiative (round up) before measuring the distance.

jump back​

This warrior is an expert at getting himself out of sticky situations. If the warrior is in close combat with an enemy warrior (and not Knocked Down or Stunned) at the start of his Movement Phase, he may attempt to jump out of combat. To attempt to do so, the warrior must make an Initiative test. If he fails the test, the warrior will automatically strike last in that round of combat. However, if he passes, immediately move him 1" away from the enemy warrior (this does not count against his movement for that Movement Phase); he may then move and otherwise act normally for the test of that that turn (even charging back into combat if he chooses!).

sniper​

The bandit is an expert at shooting his victims from the comfort of cover. When Hiding, the warrior may cast spells or shoot and still remain Hidden. Note that the bandit may not use this skill if he is shooting a Blackpowder weapon!

throw voice​

This rogue has mastered the art of misdirecting enemies who get too close by making them hear noises or voices some distance from his location. If an Enemy warrior is attempting to detect the bandit While he is Hidden, roll a D6 - on a result of 4 or better, the bandit is undetected and remains Hidden.

Bandit equipment lists​

The following lists are used by Bandit warbands to pick their weapons:

Bandit equipment list​

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons​

ItemCost
Dagger1st free/2 gc
Hammer3 gc
Axe5 gc
Sword10 gc
Spear10 gc
Double-handed weapon15 gc

Missile Weapons​

ItemCost
Throwing Axe15 gc

Armour​

ItemCost
Light armour20 gc
Shield5 gc
Helmet10 gc

Duelist equipment list​

ItemCost
Dagger1st free/2 gc
Rapier15 gc
Main Gauche7 gc
Sword10 gc
Spear10 gc

Missile Weapons​

ItemCost
Pistol20 gc (40 for a brace)
Duelling Pistol30 gc (6 for a brace)

Armour​

ItemCost
Shield5 gc
Buckler10 gc

Coward equipment list​

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons​

ItemCost
Dagger1st free/2 gc
Spear10 gc

Missile Weapons​

ItemCost
Sling2 gc

Armour​

None.

Poacher equipment list​

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons​

ItemCost
Dagger1st free/2 gc
Spear10 gc

Missile Weapons​

ItemCost
Short Bow5 gc
Bow10 gc
Long bow15 gc
Crossbow25 gc

Armour​

ItemCost
Helmet10 gc

heroes​

1 Bandit Prince​

60 gold crowns to hire

Many young men of meager means and wild imaginations dream of forging their own empire out of the wilderness. Some actually take steps to make their dreams reality, and gather a group of men together to seek their fortunes. Unfortunately reality often overtakes these small adventuring bands, and instead of forging ahead through hard times, many settle for claiming a small stretch of highway or forest as their 'domain', imposing 'taxes' or 'tolls' on any travelers unlucky enough to be traveling by. The leaders of such bands are sometimes bitter, hardened men who have seen their dreams trampled in the dust, but just as often they are carefree spirits who have found they actually prefer a more open forum for their 'court'. Many a romantic tale is spun about this latter sort, and often young ladies of noble birth find themselves falling in love with the ideal of the 'daring scoundrel'. Most are often disappointed (and slightly poorer) when they meet the real item in the flesh however.

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Weapons/Armour: A Bandit Prince may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Bandit Heroes Equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES​

Leader: Any models in the warband within 12” of the Senior Gunnery Officer may use his Leadership value when using Leadership tests.

0 – 2 Footpads​

45 gold crowns to hire

Footpads specialize in sneaking behind their target (or ‘mark’) and taking him while he is unaware of their presence (preferably from behind…in the dark). While out in the open a Footpad fights no better than any other warrior, if given the opportunity to surprise his enemy, a Footpad can often be a dangerous opponent indeed.

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Weapons/Armour: Footpads may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Bandit Equipment list.

Special Rules​

Concealment: Enemy warriors often find it difficult to detect a Footpad until he strikes. If an enemy warrior wishes to charge a Footpad that he cannot see (but was not declared as Hidden), he must subtract 1 from his Initiative before making his Initiative test. Note that a roll of ‘6’ always fails when rolling to charge a Footpad that the warrior cannot see. Also, models halve their Initiative when checking the range to see if they can detect a Footpad who has been declared as Hiding.

0 – 1 Duelist​

45 gold crowns to hire

It is inevitable that sometimes heated arguments just cannot be settled peacefully. On such occasions an injured party may decide that his honor cannot be restored with anything less than his enemy’s blood, and challenges his opponent to a duel. Among the rich and powerful in the cities of the Empire, life is often considered more important than personal honour, and a third party is hired to stand in for the challenged. A professional warrior who specializes in standing in on these occasions is known as a Duelist. Being a Duelist can prove quite a lucrative, if somewhat short, career. Many families take offense to a trained fighter cutting their kin down in the street, and will hire killers of their own to exact revenge. A situation such as this will often result in a Duelist joining a party of wandering brigands for a time, taking a short ‘vacation’ from life in the city until things cool down a bit…

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Weapons/Armour: A Duelist may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Duelist equipment list.

Special Rules​

Swordmaster: In order to remain alive, a Duelist picks up swordfighting techniques that few others master. The Duelist successfully parries an enemy blow on a roll equal to or over the roll to hit, not just over the roll as with normal parries. Obviously a Duelist must first be armed with a weapon or armour that allows him to Parry in order to use this rule.

Weapon Knowledge: A Duelist must be prepared to fight an opponent with any weapon at any time, so a working knowledge of even exotic weapons is critical for his survival. The weapons in the Bandit equipment chart merely represent the weapons a Duelist may start with. A Duelist may use any close combat or missile weapon that the warband members can get hold of.

0 – 1 Huckster​

40 gold crowns to hire

Among the cities of the humans there are those who find that they have a natural gift for convincing others to help them in their endeavors. Typically very intelligent and possessing a silver tongue, a huckster can convince a man that the stones in his hand are really magical beans, or that ownership of a nearby bridge is the answer to his dreams. Often quite well-todo until their victims track them down, hucksters often find a Bandit warband offers them considerably more security than life alone.

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Weapons/Armour: A Huckster may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Coward Equipment list.

Special Rules​

Convincing Manner: Hucksters specialize in convincing strangers of their benevolent intentions. When an enemy warrior attempts to charge a member of the huckster’s warband within 12” of the huckster, the enemy must first pass a successful Leadership test. If the warrior fails the test he may not charge and remains stationary for the turn (treat as a failed charge), exactly as if he had failed a test to charge a Fear-causing enemy. Note that individuals subject to stupidity and animals are immune to this effect (they are too stupid to understand what the huckster is saying).

Slick Operator: In between games the player may choose to have the huckster run a con on the local inhabitants of the region. Roll a D6: On a result of 2-6, the con is successful and the warband gains 2D6 gold (the huckster keeps the rest). However, on a result of 1 the huckster’s con has backfired and he is on the run (he misses the next game and no gold is received by the warband).

henchmen​

(Bought in groups of 1-5)

Thugs​

30 gold crowns to hire

Brawn without brains. Those stronger than their fellows are often drawn to a life of banditry, as it is an easy way for them to earn a living. Many a town bully has found that he has been, quite by accident, training himself for a life of crime.

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Weapons/Armour: Thugs may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Bandit Equipment list.

0 – 4 Looters​

25 gold crowns to hire

Not all members of a Bandit warband find close-up fighting enjoyable. Many are cowards who make their living off of shooting a victim from afar and then stripping the body for anything that can be sold.

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Weapons/Armour: Looters may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Coward Equipment list.

Special Rules​

Looting the Dead: Normally when a warrior is killed or his wounds cause him to leave the warband and he is taken off the warband’s roster, all of his equipment is lost. However, some unscrupulous individuals will stoop to robbing a dead or incapacitated warrior, thereby gaining his equipment for themselves. When rolling for warriors who were taken Out of Action at the end of a battle, the Bandit player may roll a D6 for any warriors who are to be removed from their warband’s roster. On a roll of 4+ the looter has taken all of the warrior’s equipment — it is the Bandit player’s to keep. Failure indicates that the Looter either didn’t notice the warrior going down, or he didn’t get the opportunity to rob the body. Obviously any warrior can only be looted once, but multiple Looters allow the Bandit player multiple chances that his warband members got the equipment off of each downed warrior. Note also that warriors to be looted can be from any warband participating in the game, including the Bandit warband — Bandits are certainly not above looting their own dead!

0 – 2 Blackhearts​

35 gold crowns to hire

Rapists and killers, Blackhearts are truly soulless individuals who represent the worst elements of any society. Such cruel and evil beings have usually seen the worst life has to offer and revel in it. Most Blackhearts have severely anti-social tendencies, so a Bandit warband will never be found with more than one or two of these depraved creatures.

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Weapons/Armour: Blackhearts may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Bandit Equipment list.

Special Rules​

Hardened: Blackhearts are not as put off by the evils of the world when they come across them… in fact persons of this nature are often more uncomfortable around situations where warmth and love are in abundance! Blackhearts are immune to Fear, and never have to take All-Alone tests (they prefer to work alone anyway…).

0 – 2 Poachers​

35 gold crowns to hire

While most members of a Bandit warband are hardened criminals, some are just individuals who were down on their luck for one reason or another, and were forced to resort to poaching the local lord’s game. While these individuals may not have the same temperment or lack of morals as the rest of the warband, they are usually hunted just as relentlessly. While they often find most of their fellows distasteful (to say the least!) poachers are so useful to the warband that they are usually given more slack than anyone else. After all, a band of outlaws needs places to hide and food to eat, and Poachers know where the best of both are to be found…

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Weapons/Armour: Poachers may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Poacher Equipment list.

Special Rules​

Trailblazers: Poachers are experts at finding new game or safe campsites for the warband. In the game this is represented by allowing the warband to reroll one D6 for each Poacher in the Exploration phase. Poachers are not as good as Elf Rangers for scouting, but they are often darned close!

Gutterscum​

10 gold crowns to hire

Gutterscum are the lowest of the low — those whose laziness or other vices have driven them to a life they are utterly unsuited for. They often make up the bulk of a Bandit Warband, as the slums of most cities are filled with those desperate enough to view a life of preying on their fellow man and fleeing from the authorities as an opportunity to improve their lot.

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Weapons/Armour: Gutterscum may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Coward Equipment list.

Special Rules​

Utterly Inept: Gutterscum have turned to a life of crime because they lack the ability to fit into normal society. They lack both the ambition and the capacity for self-improvement. Gutterscum do not gain experience.

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