Homemade Warband - Mori`Taur

[RJackel]

Ok guys Im back from being away from Mordheim for several years. Luckly there hasnt changed much hehe!

The idea here is that Ive made a warband which is made up of tree folk. I will be making terrain that will have a treetop village theme so I figured I could also make a native warband. Hopefully Ill get to the scenery this or the next year :P First Ill need to make a Mordheim sewer using some Hirts Arts stuff because Ive been walking around with that idea for a long time now. As for the treetop village there arent many pictures out there but it would be in the lines of:

http://forums.3dtotal.com/showthread.php?t=54009

My idea was to use real wooden logs and cut them into 40cm long pieces and then cut those into 2 pieces each of 20cm. I would make wooden houses and bridges etc. around the logs with staircases going up and down. Then I would make sure that 2 pieces of 20cm could connect with eachother. Since 20cm is enough for 2 levels and 40cm would be 4 levels. And the pieces could be used seperatly or on top of eachother.

Now the actual people that would be living in such treetop village(s) are the Mori`taur. I was either going with very agile humans(but still humans) or something in the form of half elves(so agile but not the other bonuses). Since there arent any official elf warbands I figured it would be easier to go down the line of agile humans instead of making up my own rules and trying to balance it out. Anyway the humans have to be agile because they live way high in the treetops of a huge forest. Also the forest itself is completely dark since the leafes cover the entire roof of the forest. So these people worship a light/sun goddess which for now Ive called Sarula. This hole light/sun goddess thing also comes together with my scenery where the centerpiece will be a sun temple. That suntemple will be sitting on a very big tree at the point where it splits in 3 big branches. And the idea is that the branches split and that sunlight reaches right down the middle and into the temple. So from the perspective of the people there is light coming out of the doors and cracks(wooden structure) of the temple and shines right trough the village. Its like a beacon of light(and hope) and the village is build around it.

For food the villages have hunters which hunt wild life at the bottom of the forest or birds way up high in the leaf cover. Water could be gained from catching whatever rainwater comes down from the leafroof or by going down to the bottom to some small lake. But going to the bottom is very dangerous hence the idea that these people need to live way up high.

Ok so on to the characters of this warband. I havent written any small pieces of tekst for each character yet so Ill explain them here a bit more and perhaps a bit more about the society of the Mori`taur. Some things I dont explain further untill I get to a next character.

The Vaellmar
The story is that "Vaellmar" is actually a title meaning "Protector". The Vaellmars are mostly minor nobles who are very experienced and are then honored with the job of protecting their society. Each Vaellmar has his own small warband with a core of warriors which he uses to forfill given tasks such as hunting, gathering, scouting etc. Apart from his core of warriors he can get extra warriors from a big pool of warriors which isnt assigned to a given Vaellmar and unless chosen for their party remain in the village and protect it. Obvieusly there is some kind of council or higher command which decides which Vaellmar can get extra warriors for a given task/mission. The core of warriors that a Vaellmar has expands when a warrior asks a certain Vaellmar if he can join his warband which of course happens during a ceremony. I imagine there would be plenty of occasions during a year where this could be performed. Of course the warrior has to undergo some trials which could also vary with each Vaellmar. So the higher a status of a Vaellmar the more "core" warriors he would have I imagine.

The Gondall
This is ofcourse the trusty sergeant and 2nd in command. A proven warrior which most likely has fought with the Vaellmar for many years and is part of his core of warriors. The way I see these guys is that they are more action and muscle then brains. They lead by example and are not afraid to get their hands(or weapons!) dirty.

The Neuma
These are the expert hunters and trappers. Also I think these guys would be the warbands main trackers and scouts. Years of setting traps and lurking from afar have improved their ballistic skill but since they havent fought much hand to hand their weapon skill is worse then that from the average warrior.

The Light Mage
In my opinion excellent character to be played as a female (ohw my kinky mind has already several half naked females in mind...) Not a very exciting profile and you can only field one if you drop the Gondall or a Neuma. The spell list this mage uses is actually the Lesser Magic spell list but with different names and such. I did think about making my own spell list but making it balanced is hard. This warband isnt a bad one and giving it magic would be pushing it in my opinion. So giving it a weak magic list isnt that shocking. Not to mention you have to give up one other hero which in my opinion are strong. The swapping a hero for a wizard thing I got from some other warband I saw which did the same with a Priets of Taal if I remember correctly?...

Youngblood
Ah! The fresh meat! What would a warband be without a nice young boy which current knowledge about swords is "point sharp end away from user". I always love those weak heros which in campains tend to become small monsters rather quickly. The idea of the Youngblood in this warband is that he just got accepted into the Vaellmars warband after undergoing a hard trial but completing it against terrible odds. So he is taken under the wing of the Vaellmar instead of being put with the rest of the squad(hence he being a hero). But another pitch could be that the Vaellmar is going on a hard mission and has asked for extra warrior. This boy is one of those so called "warriors" and is rather and insult to the Vaellmar. Perhaps the son of a minor noble which has 2 left hands? But then the boy ends up rather surprising the Vaellmar.. Like I said I can imagine several good story lines with these fellows

Warriors
The rank and file soldiers of the Mori`taur. Mostly protecting the village or escorting others down to the bottom where their hand to hand skills(and equipment) come in hand. I could also see them as acting like law enforcement. A part of these warriors could also be in the "core" of a Vaellmars warband.

Hunters
The food gatherers of the village. Killing from afar before anybody knows whats going. Same as the warriors these hunters could also be in the "core" of a Vaellmars warband.

Tree Spirits
Ohw Ive got some great modeling ideas for these guys... Basically in my eyes they are a smaller version of the dryads and then crossed with spiders or something. So they move around like aliens. Always on 4 legs and running around on the walls, ceilings etc. Perfect for getting around the tree tops of the forest! So definetly not humans but rather allies. Trading with eachother etc. Their services as scouts for the Moir`taurs weapons or other crafting skills. Profile is that of halflings btw. with the added scale sheer surfaces(and price).

Giant Spider
Ohw I can already picture this. Naturally humans always tend to mount stuff(hehe). So what better mount for a treetop folk then a spider? Fits right into the fluff and the spider isnt really an overpowered thing. Also I was thinking about combining the spider further into the fluff as in for example a Vaellmar has to undergo a test before he recieves the title. And thats to find and tame a Spider? Or steal the eggs(not exactly dragon eggs but spiders also have eggs). Perhaps any ideas from you guys on this matter?

So thats the character explenation. As for the warband on paper you will notice that it kinda mirrors the Averland Warband in many ways. I figured it would be best to mirror an official warband since it lessens the chance of creating an overpowered or underpowered warband. Thinking up rules for half elves with M5, own special skills, special magic list etc. would simply be to hard to make it right. I added some things like the mage, elven bows, and the spiders. But then again I toke out all the gunpowders weapons, crossbows and the mountainguard(so only ws 3 henchmen). Also the Initiative of most of the characters is increased since I dont see I3 working on these people. I5 again is way to high and to close in elf territory. For the Vaellmar I figured it could pass since he is an exceptional(agile) warrior. To compensate for the increased iniative I also upped the cost by 5 gc. Hopefully its pretty balanced but then again bare in mind that this is the first rough scetch. Any ideas or comments are more then welcome

Also just before I show how the warband looks on paper I want to add that I want to make this warband balanced for a Mordheim setting because I want to make a campain with the sewers, a city, the tree top villages and much more Untill such a time you might ask what these guys would be doing in a setting like Mordheim? My god Im such a creative person I could think of thousand of stories. A few examples are:
1. An oracle(from the light temple) being kidnapped and they need to get her back
2. The warband being taken captive while on a scouting mission and they broke free and dont know how to get home
3. They are in Mordheim because they saw the meteor and think that their sun goddess has fallen in a mortal form
4. A precieus artifact has been stolen and they were send to retrieve it
5. Their people are sick and they are desperatly looking for a cure
and so on, and so on....


Tree Top Folk - Mori`taur

Choice of Warriors:

A Mori´taur warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold crowns available to spend. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15.

Starting Experience:

The Vaellmar starts with 20 experience.
The Gondall starts with 8 experience.
Neumas start with 4 experience.
The Light Mage starts with 8 experience.
The Youngblood starts with 0 experience.

Maximum Characteristics:

Mori`taur – human

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...6....6.4.4..3.6.4..9

Tree Spirit - (same as halfling)

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...5....7.3.3..3.9.4..10


Mori`taur Skill Tables:

Vaellmar may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Academic, Strength or Speed.
Gondall may choose from the Combat, Strength or Speed.
Neumas may choose from the Shooting or Speed.
Light Mages may choose from the Academic or Speed.
Youngblood may choose from the Combat, Shooting or Speed.


Special Equipment:

Giant Spider 100 gc

M WS BS ..S.. T W I A Ld
7...3....0.3(4).3..1.4.1..4

Poisoned Attack: Giant Spider attacks are poisoned. Attacks are considered as Strength 4, but this will not modify any armour saves.

Wall Walk: Giant Spiders (and their riders) may walk up and down walls without making Initiative tests. They may only jump up to 2" across or down, but this does count as a diving charge. When a spider jumps, its rider must make an Initiative test; if this test is failed, something has gone wrong – roll on the Whoa Boy! Table. Note even if the rider has the Running Dismount skill, the maximum diving charge is only 2"


Mori`taur hero equipment list

Hand to Hand Weapons
Dagger 1st free/ 2 gc
Hammer/Mace 3 gc
Axe 5 gc
Sword 10 gc
Spear 10 gc
Double Handed Weapon 15 gc

Missile Weapons
Bow 10 gc
Longbow 15 gc
Elven Bow(not Mage) 35 gc

Armour
Light Armor 20 gc
Shield 5 gc
Buckler 5 gc
Helmet 10 gc


Mori`taur hunter equipment list

Hand to Hand Weapons
Dagger 1st free/ 2 gc
Hammer/Mace 3 gc
Axe 5 gc
Spear 10 gc

Missile Weapons
Javelin 10 gc
Blowpipe(Tree Spirit only) 25 gc
Bow 10 gc
Longbow(not Tree Spirits) 15 gc
Elven Bow (Neuma only) 35 gc
Throwing Axes 15 gc

Armour
Light Armor 20 gc
Shield 5 gc
Helmet 10 gc

Miscellaneous
Hunting Arrows (Neuma only) 35 gc


Mori`taur warrior equipment list

Hand to Hand Weapons
Dagger 1st free/ 2 gc
Hammer/Mace 3 gc
Axe 5 gc
Sword 10 gc
Spear 10 gc

Missile Weapons
Short Bow 5 gc

Armour
Light Armor 20 gc
Shield 5 gc
Buckler 5 gc
Helmet 10 gc



Heroes

1 Vaellmar 65 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...4....4.3.3..1.5.1..8

Weapons/Armor: A Vaellmar may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur hero equipment list

Leader: Any warrior within 6" of the Leader may use his Leadership characteristic when taking Leadership test.


0-1 Gondall 40 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...4....3.3.3..1.4.1..7

Weapons/Armor: A Gondall may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur hero equipment list


0-2 Neuma 40 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...2....4.3.3..1.4.1..7

Weapons/Armor: Neumas may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Hunter equipment list

Set Traps: Neumas are expert trappers and these skills can be put to great use in the ruins of Mordheim. A Neuma may set a trap if he spends a turn doing nothing else (he may not set traps if he’s just recovered from being Knocked Down). Place a marker in base contact with the Neuma. When a model, friend or foe, moves within 2" of the marker he risks setting off the trap – roll a D6. On a score of 3+ he has triggered the trap and suffers a S4 hit (note that the Neuma won’t trigger his own traps). If the trap did not wound the model or it didn’t trigger, the ‘victim’ may finish his move otherwise he is placed knocked Down or Stunned 2" from the marker. Regardless whether the trap was triggered or not, the marker is removed.


0-1 Light Mage 40 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...2....3.3.3..1.4.1..7

Weapons/Armor: A Light Mage may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur hero equipment list. The Light Mage can not wear armor and cast spells.

Rarity: A Light Mage can only be taken instead of a Gondall or Neuma

Wizard: The Light Mage begins with one spell randomly chosen from the Light Magic Spell list.


0-1 Youngblood 20 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...2....2.3.3..1.4.1..6

Weapons/Armor: A Youngblood may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur warrior equipment list



Henchmen

0+ Warriors of the Mori`taur 25 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...3....3.3.3..1.4.1..7

Weapons/Armor: A Warrior may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur warrior equipment list

0+ Hunters of the Mori`taur 25 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...3....3.3.3..1.4.1..7

Weapons/Armor: A Hunter may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur hunter equipment list

0-3 Tree Spirits 25 gc

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4...2....4.2.2..1.4.1..8

Weapons/Armor: A Tree Spirit may be equipped with weapons and armor chosen from the Mori`taur hunter equipment list

Tree Creatures: All Tree Spirits have the Scale Sheer Surfaces skill.

Physically Weak: A Tree Spirit that is promoted to hero through the “The lad’s got talent” advance may not choose Strength skills as one of his two skill lists.




Sarula, Goddess of Light Magic


1 Cleansing Light Difficulty 7
The mage shoots a ray of intense light from his hand at his enemies which burns on contact.

The ray 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., with -1 modifier).

2 Broken Spectrum Difficulty 7
The light spectrum is broken en reshaped so it appears the mage is teleported from one spot to another.

The mage may immediately move anywhere within 12", 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 (if he survives).

3 Terrifying Illusion Difficulty 7
The mage summons an illusion which inspires fear into the hearts of even the bravest of men.

A single model within 12" of the mage must pass a Leadership test or flee 2D6" directly away from him. If he flees, he must test at the start of each of his own movement phases and will continue to flee until he passes a test. Note that this spell does not affect Undead or any model immune to fear.

4 Rainbow Orbs Difficulty 7
Colorfull orbs of light appear from thin air and circle around the mage, shooting out to strike his foes.

Unlike other spells, this cannot be cast whilst in hand-to-hand combat. The spell summons D6+2 light orbs which the mage can use to shoot against one enemy model. The orbs have a range of 24". Use the mages own Ballistic Skill to determine whether he hits or not, but ignore movement, range and cover penalties. The orbs cause one S3 hit each.

5 Guiding Light of Sarula Difficulty 6
Sarula lights up the true path for the mage as time itself seems to slow down

The mage may re-roll all his failed dice rolls, though the second results stand. The effect lasts until the beginning of his own next turn.

6 Sarula’s Wrath Difficulty 8
A sword of pure light appears in the hand of the mage with which he can bring justice and death to the enemies of Sarula!

The sword gives the wizard +1 Attack, +2 Strength and +2 Weapon Skill. Take a Leadership test at the beginning of each of the wizard’s own turns. If the test fails, the sword disappears.