The Sisters of Sigmar
Grade: 1a
Source: Mordheim Rulebook (PDF)
Setting: Mordheim
For centuries the nobility of the Empire has sent its wayward or troublesome daughters to the Holy Convent of the Order of Merciful Sisters of Sigmar in Mordheim to be initiated into the only order of priestesses dedicated to the Empire’s patron god. The Sisters of Sigmar, as they are commonly called, have traditionally travelled the Empire administering to the sick and poor, tending to the needs of orphans, curing the diseased and mending broken bodies. As well as the healing arts, which they practise with expert knowledge of herb-lore and prayer, their advice is frequently sought by those about to make an important decision, for the Sisters of Sigmar are famed for their ability to predict the fickle course of fate.
Though once much loved by the common people, the Sisters have seen their popularity wane in recent years. Rabble-rousing Witch Hunters have denounced them as witches and heretics, so that even in the countryside they are attacked and driven away by the very peasants they seek to help. Many of Sigmar’s priests wish to disband the order altogether, claiming that women have no right to teach the holy word of Sigmar. Even the Grand Theogonist, ostensibly the chief authority over the order, has cooled towards the sisterhood, denying the throne to Magritta of Marienburg who was brought up by the Sisters and said to be sympathetic to their cause. These days the Sisters of Sigmar have retreated to their convent situated high on the craggy island of Sigmar’s Rock in the river Stir in Mordheim.
Of all the inhabitants of Mordheim only the Sisters of Sigmar were prepared for its destruction. Seeress Cassandora foretold of the disaster and at their nightly vigil the Maidens of Sigmar heard the voice of Sigmar speaking in their dreaming minds. Thus they knew that they would be safe in their fortress high above the city, raised as it is above the polluted vapours, if only they were prepared to survive the fire of Sigmar’s Fury.
While the rest of Mordheim fell under a spell of madness the Sisters of Sigmar offered prayer after prayer, scourging themselves to drive out all thoughts of sin, fervently accepting a punishing penitential regime to harden their minds against the wantonness running rampant outside their walls. When the blow finally came the Sisters gathered beneath the great temple dome of their convent which, well built and fortified as it was by the prayers of the Sisters, protected them from the fire and heat of their master’s ire.
The Sisters believe they have a holy mission, a task that they have been set by Sigmar himself and to which they must submit themselves body and soul. Their sacred duty is to gather up the shards of wyrdstone and hide it deep beneath Sigmar’s Rock in the vaults of their convent where, shielded by a great depth of solid granite and guarded by the eternal prayers of the sisterhood, it will cause no harm to Sigmar’s people. It is a nigh hopeless task, for there are few Sisters and countless shards of stone. Worse still, there are many who want the stone for themselves, to take it from Mordheim and spread its contagion amongst the cities of the Empire.
The warbands of the sisterhood are led by tough Matriarchs, each accompanied by a body of warrior sisters. The training and harsh discipline of the convent includes mastery of martial as well as ecclesiastic skills, for mastery of the body is but the first step towards the mastery of the soul. Their favoured weapon is the warhammer, the instrument of Sigmar, seen as his holy symbol, alongside the twintailed comet.
Choice of warriors
A Sisters of Sigmar 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.
- Sigmarite Matriarch: Each Sisters of Sigmar warband must have one Matriarch to lead it: no more, no less.
- Sister Superior: Your warband may include up to 3 Sister Superiors.
- Augur: Your warband may include a single Augur.
- Novices: Your warband may include up to 10 Novices.
- Sisters: Any number of models may be Sisters.
Starting experience
- A Matriarch starts with 20 experience.
- Sisters Superior start with 8 experience.
- An Augur starts with 0 experience.
- Henchmen start with 0 experience.
Sisters of Sigmar Skill Table
| Combat | Shooting | Academic | Strength | Speed | Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matriarch | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sister Superior | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Augur | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Special Skills
The Sisters of Sigmar may use the following skill list instead of the standard skill lists.
Sign of Sigmar
The Sister is favoured by the great god Sigmar. Possessed or Undead opponents lose their first attack against the Priestess in the first round of hand-to-hand combat (down to a minimum of 1).
Protection of Sigmar
The Sister has been blessed by the High Matriarch. Any spell which would affect her is nullified on a D6 roll of 4+. Note that if the spell is nullified it will not affect any other models either.
Utter Determination
Only the Matriarch may have this skill, which allows her to re-roll any failed Rout tests.
Righteous Fury
The Sister feels cold fury and utter contempt towards any evil that pollutes the soil of the holy Empire with its presence. The model hates all Skaven, Undead or Possessed warbands and all models in them.
Absolute Faith
The Sister puts her faith in Sigmar, and faces dangers unflinchingly. She may re-roll any fear tests and does not have to test if she is fighting alone against several opponents.
Sisters of Sigmar equipment lists
The following lists are used by Sisters of Sigmar warbands to pick their equipment.
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Mace | 3 gc |
| Hammer | 3 gc |
| Sigmarite warhammer | 15 gc |
| Flail | 15 gc |
| Steel whip | 10 gc |
| Double-handed weapon | 15 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Heavy armour | 50 gc |
| Shield | 5 gc |
| Buckler | 5 gc |
| Helmet | 10 gc |
Miscellaneous Equipment
(Heroines only)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Holy tome | 120 gc |
| Blessed water | 10 gc |
| Holy relic | 15 gc |
heroines
1 Sigmarite matriarch
70 gold crowns (dowry to the temple)
The Sigmarite Matriarchs, of whom there is an inner circle of twelve, are answerable to the High Matriarch of the temple. Each must lead a warband of Sisters in frequent searches of the city in order to purge the ruins. Matriarchs are driven by a zealous devotion to the Cult of Sigmar and a relentless determination to redeem the Sisterhood in His eyes.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: The Sigmarite Matriarch may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Sisters of Sigmar Equipment list.
Special Rules
Leader: Any warband member within 6" of the Sigmarite Matriarch may use her Leadership characteristic when taking any Leadership tests.
Prayers of Sigmar: The Sigmarite Matriarch is a servant of Sigmar and may use the Prayers of Sigmar as detailed in the Magic section and the Sigmarite Matriarchs start with one prays generated at random. In addition the Sigmarite Matriarchs may learn a new Pray instead on a new skill.
0 – 1 Augur
25 gold crowns (dowry to the temple)
The blind Augurs of the Sisterhood are blessed beyond their comrades. By giving up their sight they have gained something far more, second sight – a gift from their patron god. Only a very few are marked this way, and they are greatly revered by the Sisterhood. Unlike the rest of the priestesses, they shave their heads, save for a single long braid.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: The Augurs may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Sisters of Sigmar Equipment list. They never wear armour.
Special Rules
Blessed Sight: An Augur can re-roll any failed characteristic tests (climbing, resisting spells or any other reason), and any rolls to hit in close combat or shooting. You must accept the second result. In addition, an Augur can use her Blessed Sight to help the Sisterhood when they are searching the city for wyrdstone. If the Augur is not put out of action in the battle, you may roll two dice for her in the exploration phase and pick either dice as the result.
0 – 3 Sister superior
35 gold crowns (dowry to the temple)
Each of the Sisters Superior is a long-serving priestess of the Cult of Sigmar, well versed in the rituals of the temple and an example to the younger Sisters and Novices. The Sisters Superior are entrusted with maintaining the faith and fervour of the order. Any peril or foe that may lurk in the ruins of Mordheim is as nothing compared to the wrath of a Sister Superior.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: A Sister Superior may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Sisters of Sigmar Equipment list.
henchwomen
(Bought in groups of 1-5)
Sigmarite Sister
25 gold crowns (dowry to the temple)
Sigmarite Sisters know that their entire order is shamed in the eyes of their Lord Sigmar. Every one of them is sworn upon His altar to pacify the city and thereby redeem themselves. Whatever the perils and horrors that stand in their way, they will be overcome!
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
Weapons/Armour: The Sigmarite Sisters may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Sisters of Sigmar Equipment list.
0 – 10 Novices
15 gold crowns (dowry to the temple)
By tradition, the Sisters draw their recruits only from the most noble houses of the Empire, and families consider it a great honour to have their daughter accepted into the order. Only maidens of noble lineage can be relied upon to have the devotion to duty and innate sense of honour. Few though the recruits may be, they must endure several years as Novices during which time their devotion will be tested to the full. All are eager to prove themselves worthy to be the handmaidens of Sigmar.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: The Novices may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Sisters of Sigmar Equipment list.