Warhammer Quest: The Shaman
by T. Jordan "Greywolf" Peacock
20 AUG 1995
-*-
The following is the seventh installment in an eight-part series of home-
made professions for _Warhammer Quest_ corresponding to the eight Colleges of
Magic in the Warhammer universe, presented in _Advanced HeroQuest_ and hinted
at in _Talisman_. This profession is largely like the regular Wizard, though
he has an altered spell selection, and some special skills (and restrictions).
As with many in this series, this profession (and its particular spell
selection) has not at this writing actually been playtested, though it is based
upon an "Amber Wizard" that I used for games of AHQ. As such, some caution
should be employed before introducing this profession into an established
campaign, as experience might reveal that some spells or abilities are too
powerful, not powerful enough, or that the rules present contradictions or
ambiguities. Hopefully, once I get a chance to try out each of these
professions, I'll be able to get a better feel for play balance, and update
this article with changes that I deem necessary, if any. In the meantime, I
have tried to use common sense and an eye for "game balance" here, so I
sincerely hope that while there may be particular professions that are more
effective (or less so) than others in various situations, that this will be
within a reasonable margin of error for a Warrior on equal footing with the
official ones that come with the game.
-*- THE SHAMAN -*-
Among the Colleges of Altdorf is a crumbling tower standing in an overgrown
courtyard that serves as the totemic center for the College of Amber. The
practitioners of this form of magic, however, are not to be found there.
Theirs is the wildest of the Winds of Magic, which blows strongly only in the
deep forests where beasts thrive, and is a mere breeze in the civilized lands
of men. Shamans of the College of Amber only meet at the tower in the rare
times when the Winds of Magic blow so strongly that their presence is felt even
in the cities -- and at such times creatures of the Warp are sure to be
advancing from the blighted north.
Shamans are not social in the least, and many go for years without so much as
seeing, let alone speaking to, another human being. They keep company with the
beasts of the forests, and dress in skins and furs, adorned with teeth and
claws. They are excellent archers and huntsmen, and a welcome (if rare)
companion when fighting the forces of Chaos.
-*- SHAMAN STATISTICS -*-
The Shaman has statistics based upon those of the Wizard, but has some
modifiers applied due to his different emphases in training, as should be
expected from a spell-caster who deals with others of his kind rarely, and must
learn to survive in the wild. A Shaman has -2 to his BS compared to a normal
Wizard (starting with a 4+ BS rather than 6+), reflecting his greater ability
at archery (even though he does not start with a bow as equipment).
He does not start with the Hand of Death Scroll as the Wizard. Instead, he
starts with Thick Furs (which give him +1 Toughness), and has a spear for a
weapon. The spear inflicts 1D6 damage plus his Strength (3), and allows him to
Attack in Ranks (reach a target two spaces away as opposed to the normal one).
-*- ADDITIONAL RULES -*-
AUGURY
The Shaman can cast auguries to delve into the future to see what fate may have
in store. Once per adventure and once per journey, a single Event or Hazard
may be discarded entirely. (If you are running a moderated game run by a GM,
and are not utilizing Events or Hazards, simply consider this as a vague
ability that gives the GM an excuse to slip the Shaman some cryptic visions as
clues or plot hooks for an adventure. =) )
ASCETIC
The Shaman cares nothing for gold or baubles. When he defeats monsters, he
gains only "experience" instead of gold. Experience points may be spent in the
same manner as gold in order to advance in Battle-Levels, but they can't be
spent on acquiring equipment, etc., nor can they be lost or stolen. When
dividing treasure, the Shaman will give forego his share of any treasure rather
than to take any item which serves him no purpose. (If it's an item which he
cannot use, or has no use other than gold value, he won't take it.) If the
adventure requires that you roll for an Objective Room Treasure for each
Warrior, and the Shaman rolls up a treasure that he can't use, he will simply
give it to someone else.
As this makes it terribly hard for him to buy any replacement equipment, he has
to rely on his own abilities. He may advance in Battle-Level between
adventures with the usual training time, even if the Warriors do not make it to
a Settlement, as he needs no "training grounds". (He just can't train in the
middle of an adventure, however.) If he should lose his thick furs or spear
for whatever reason, he can acquire a replacement during his next journey,
though it will add an additional week per item to his travel time (so he might
encounter more Hazards than the rest of the party).
FOREST-WALKER
The Shaman can greatly aid the Warriors in passing through wilderness areas,
thus deducting 1 week from their travel time. (This bonus is not cumulative
should any other party member, such as the Elf or a Druid, have this same
ability.) Furthermore, during the journey he finds enough materials to make
1D6 salves which each heal a number of Wounds equal to the Shaman's Battle-
Level.
For outdoors settings, the Shaman is not inhibited by movement penalties for
going through a wooded area.
SETTLEMENTS
Shamans and Settlements don't mix. The Shaman may accompany the Warriors to a
Settlement, but he will not go inside. While he waits outside, he need not pay
living expenses, as he is capable of fending for himself.
(If you are running a moderated game where randomized Settlements Events and
the like are not used, there might possibly be some situations where the Shaman
might have reason to enter a Settlement as part of an adventure. In such a
case, keep in mind that the Shaman's spell-casting ability will most likely be
negated while in the Settlement, and he will be greatly out of his element when
dealing with civilized folk -- even more so than the Barbarian!)
CIVILIZED LANDS
The Shaman is greatly weakened when venturing into civilized areas -- even long
abandoned dungeons, as their very existence is artificial. When the Shaman is
in a dungeon, he counts as being one Battle-Level less when determining his
power for the turn and his reserve power for the adventure. A cavernous area,
however, does not count as being "artificial", and therefore does not present
this penalty. (Regular random dungeons in the boxed set aren't "caverns", so
this is a moot point unless you write up your own adventures, or there is an
adventure supplement released that has "cavern" areas.) If the Shaman should
pass between dungeon/cavern areas within the course of the same adventure,
simply remove 1D6 of his power reserve when he enters a dungeon and treat him
as being at -1 Current Power while he is there, and give him back his points
when he leaves the dungeon once more.
If the adventure should take the Shaman into civilized areas that are outside
of a full-fledge Settlement (such as perhaps a wizard's tower, etc.) then the
Shaman is especially vulnerable -- He has no reserve power points, and his
power per turn is only equal to his Battle-Level, without being able to add the
power phase roll to his total. If the adventure should take the Shaman into a
city, he will not have any spell-casting ability whatsoever (though his other
abilities still work as normal).
If the adventure should take the Shaman into a forested or other wilderness
region, his points are determined normally, in the same way as a Wizard of
equal Battle-Level.
EQUIPMENT
The Shaman may use any equipment or magical items usable by the Wizard, with a
few exceptions. If any Treasure Cards are found which contain new spells (such
as a Finger of Doom scroll) listed as usable by the Wizard, the Shaman cannot
utilize them, as they are outside of his area of expertise. The Shaman may
wear Thick Furs as armor protection. He may not, however, utilize any
gunpowder weapons, nor anything involving gunpowder (such as Firebombs).
ACTION MODIFIERS
The action modifiers listed for the Wizard for many special actions in the
Role-play section may not necessarily apply to the Shaman. For one thing, the
Shaman would know little (and care little) about magical items and most
scholarly things, so he would have no bonus on an attempt to identify any
magical items, nor to read runes or understand languages. He should, however,
be given a distinct bonus when making any rolls concerning knowledge of the
forest, animals, and of survival in the wilderness.
INITIAL SPELL SELECTION
The basic spell deck doesn't include any spells which are appropriate for the
Shaman, and he is far too secluded from other Wizards to bother diversifying
his field somewhat for the sake of adventuring. Therefore, for initial spell
selection, roll three dice (3D6) and use these numbers for spell selection as
described on p. 50 of the Roleplay Book, from the following spell list. For
purposes of initial spell selection only, he may re-roll one or more of these
dice, no more than once each, for a better selection.
-*- SHAMAN SPELL LIST -*-
As the Shaman advances in skill, he selects additional spells in the same way
as the Wizard, as described in the Wizards' Training section beginning on p. 50
of the Roleplay Book, except that he selects from the following list of spells.
Some of the spells on this list are identical to those available to the Wizard,
though they might have different Casting Levels due to the Shaman's differing
specialties. New spells added to this list are described immediately following
it.
* indicates a new spell
+ indicates a spell with altered Casting Level or special rules
CASTING 1
ATTACK Sting
Strength+
DEFENSE Coughing
HEALING Create Food
SPECIAL Fleet of Foot
CASTING 2
ATTACK Flesh Worm
Ogre Strength+
DEFENSE Feign Death
Marsh Lights
Nausea
SPECIAL Zone of Silence
CASTING 3
ATTACK Awakening of the Wood*
DEFENSE Hide of the Beast (Glittering Robe)
SPECIAL Master of the Wild*
Speed
CASTING 4
ATTACK The Flock of Doom*
DEFENSE Rebound
The Vengeful Hood*
SPECIAL Dispel
Second Sight
CASTING 5
ATTACK The Curse of Anraheir*
DEFENSE Blur
HEALING Life Force
SPECIAL Invisibility
Sleep
CASTING 6
ATTACK Hellbeast+
The Writhing Worm*
DEFENSE Invulnerability
SPECIAL Cause Animosity
Wings of Power
CASTING 7
ATTACK The Amber Trance*
SPECIAL The Flying Bower*
CASTING 8
ATTACK The Savage Beast of Horros*
SPECIAL Chorus of Valour
Hounds of Grimnair
CASTING 9
ATTACK Hunting Spear*
SPECIAL Hounds of Grimnair
CASTING 10
ATTACK The Tangling Thorn*
CASTING 11
SPECIAL King of Beasts*
CASTING 12
ATTACK Transmute
-*- SPELL NOTES -*-
CASTING LEVEL 1
Strength: changed from Casting Level 2
CASTING LEVEL 2
Ogre Strength: changed from Casting Level 3
CASTING LEVEL 3
Awakening of the Wood
/The Shaman arouses the amber energies of living things, waking the trees
themselves to consciousness. Powerful winds blow through the woods, hurling
a storm of branches and leaves at the enemy. The storm then subsides
immediately, the the trees fall into their usual slumber./
This spell, of course, is of very little use in a dungeon, but useful if the
adventure should ever lead one into a forest! When cast, 2D6 attacks may be
made against one or more enemies within 18 spaces of the edge of a wooded
area (or within one, of course). Each attack inflicts 1D6 Wounds on the
target, hitting automatically.
Target: 2D6 Monsters within 18 spaces of a wooded area
Duration: Immediate
Master of the Wild
/The Shaman plays an enchanted melody which puts simple beasts under his
sway./
Any simple vermin such as giant bats, giant rats, and even giant spiders or
snotlings (who are stupid enough to be considered little more than "animals")
may be pacified with this spell. So long as they are not attacked, they will
not attack the Shaman, nor any Warriors with him, and (in the case of Monster
Events) will immediately scamper away, removed from play. No gold is gained
for "defeating" these creatures.
Target: Any small "beasts" on the same board section as the Shaman
Duration: Immediate
CASTING LEVEL 4
The Flock of Doom
/With an unearthly screeching call the Shaman directs dancing strings of
amber energy over his enemies. The energy distills into thousands of birds
which swoop upon the targets, covering them with a ferocious mass of feather,
beak and claw. Just as suddenly, the Flock fades back into energy, leaving
only a few glowing feathers behind./
All Monsters on the same board section as the Shaman suffer 1D6 Wounds each.
Target: All Monsters on the same board section as the Shaman
Duration: Immediate
The Vengeful Hood
/A cowl of amber-colored light forms around the Shaman./
The Vengeful Hood will negate any Wound suffered by the Shaman on a roll of
4+ on 1D6. In hand-to-hand combat, any Wound saved by means of the Hood is
rebounded against the model that struck it, causing a Wound for each Wound
saved, with no modifiers for anything (Toughness, armor, Ignore Pain, etc.).
Target: The Shaman
Duration: One Turn
CASTING LEVEL 5
The Curse of Anraheir
/The Shaman pronounces a curse upon his enemies. Wispy, ethereal spirits
rise from the ground and start to harass them, scrabbling at their feet and
legs with insubstantial claws./
Any one model within line of sight of the Shaman, within a maximum range of
24 spaces, is affected by the Curse for this Turn. He may only hit his
enemies on a natural roll of 6, and is automatically hit on any roll other
than a natural 1. Furthermore, the model affected can only move half its
normal Move rate (round down).
Target: Any Monster within sight of the Shaman, within 24 spaces
Duration: One Turn
CASTING LEVEL 6
Hellbeast: changed from Casting Level 7
The Writhing Worm
/The Shaman summons a worm of amber energy which drops to the ground and
wriggles toward his enemy. The Worm crawls all over its victim, wrapping it
in a glowing cocoon./
The Shaman may target any Monster in his line of sight within 24 spaces. The
target is effectively Webbed, unable to do anything except to try to break
free in each subsequent turn -- To see whether he breaks free, roll 1D6 and
add it to his Strength. On a roll of 7 or more, it breaks free and may act
normally. Otherwise, the victim cannot move, attack, cast spells or do
anything else. Place a Web marker under the model's base to indicate that it
is cocooned. This spell has no effect against Daemons or against Ethereal
beings.
Target: Any Monster within 24 spaces in the Shaman's line of sight
Duration: Until the victim can break free
CASTING LEVEL 7
The Amber Trance
/The Shaman mesmerizes his enemy, who falls into a rigid trance and turns
slowly into translucent amber./
A single Monster within 18 spaces of the Shaman, within his line, must make a
test of wills or be transformed. Roll 1D6 for the Shaman and another for the
Monster, and add each to the respective model's Willpower. (Since no
Willpower ratings are given for Monsters, substitute Initiative for the
Monster instead.) If the Shaman's total score equals or beats the
defender's, then the victim turns to amber. The victim cannot be harmed or
moved by any means while entranced. This effect lasts for the rest of the
adventure, until it is dispelled, or until the Shaman reduced to 0 Wounds or
chooses to end the spell. A token should be placed under the model's base as
a reminder that it has been turned to amber.
Target: Any Monster within 18 spaces of the Shaman in line of sight
Duration: Until dispelled or the Shaman is reduced to 0 Wounds
The Flying Bower
/The Shaman is swallowed up by a whirlwind of glowing amber energy and
whisked away./
The Shaman may be instantly moved (as if he were a flying creature) to any
unoccupied space in the same board section or any previously-explored board
section in the same dungeon. (Outdoors, he may be moved anywhere on the
table.) This does not count as the Shaman's move, and he may still attack or
move normally if he hasn't done so already this Turn.
Target: The Shaman
Duration: Immediate
CASTING LEVEL 8
The Savage Beast of Horros
/The Shaman's eyes blaze with power and with a bestial roar he takes on the
aspect of a mighty, bear-like creature with rippling muscles and clashing
fangs./
While in this form, the Shaman is immune to all psychological effects, and
causes Fear with a rating equal to his Battle-Level. He cannot use a weapon,
but may inflict +2 Wounds on his damage roll (Strength + 1D6), gains +2
Attacks, and gains +1 on his roll to hit. This spell lasts for as long as
the Shaman desires (or until he is reduced to 0 Wounds), though he may not
cast any further spells while in this form, except for Dispel Magic (if
available).
While this spell is in effect, it might be a good idea to replace the Shaman
model with an appropriate miniature as a reminder of his altered state.
Target: The Shaman
Duration: Until dispelled or until Shaman is reduced to 0 Wounds
CASTING LEVEL 9
Hunting Spear
/The Shaman plucks a glowing spear out of the thin air and hurls it his
enemy. It streaks toward its target, bending and twisting around obstacles
in its path./
Any Monster in line of sight of the Shaman, within a maximum range of 24
spaces, is automatically struck by the spear, suffering 4D6 Wounds, with no
modifiers for armor (unless it is magical). If the target is killed
outright, then the spear may proceed to a Monster immediately behind the
first target, though only three dice are rolled this time for damage. This
may proceed if this target is killed, with one less die for damage at each
successive rank.
Target: Any Monster within 24 spaces in line of sight of the Shaman
Duration: Immediate
CASTING LEVEL 10
The Tangling Thorn
/A mass of dense plant growth erupts from the ground and overwhelms those
trapped within it./
A single model is entrapped by the tangling thorn, and can do nothing (not
even cast spells or attempt to break free) while held. The thorns may be
destroyed by any fire-based attack, treated as having a Toughness of 3 and
Wounds of 1, but any additional Wounds of damage pass on to the model that
was trapped by the thorns.
The thorns last until the Shaman is reduced to 0 Wounds, until dispelled,
until the end of the adventure, or until he chooses to end its effects. A
token should be placed under the base of the affected model (or perhaps a
piece of thread draped over it) as a reminder of its condition.
Target: Any Monster in line of sight of the Shaman within 24 spaces
Duration: Until dispelled or the Shaman is reduced to 0 Wounds
CASTING LEVEL 11
King of Beasts
/The Shaman makes an anguished call that stirs something within all beasts
who hear it./
The Shaman may attempt to mesmerize a single beast (giant rat, giant spider,
giant bat, etc.) or beastman (includign Chaos Beastmen, Minotaurs and Skaven)
in his line of sight. The Shaman and victim each roll 1D6 and add this to
their Willpower scores. (Since no Willpower scores are given for Monsters,
substitute their Initiative instead.) If the Shaman's score is higher, the
victim changes sides and now fights under the Shaman's command for the
remainder of the adventure. It may not be ordered to do anything suicidal,
and will turn against the Shaman if any of the Warriors attack it. No gold
is gained if this creature is slain once being controlled. When the Warriors
leave the dungeon, the bewildered creature will immediately run away and
disappear.
-*- ROLE-PLAYING TIPS -*-
The Shaman should be somewhat "uncivilized", but not stupid by any means,
and certainly not on the "Ugh. Me Gronk. Me smash." level. Shamans spend
their time deep in the forest, dealing little with mankind, and even then they
are probably more likely to associate with others of their College, or else
with primitive peoples. Before the Shaman has joined forces with the Warriors
for whatever reason, it's likely that he has spent several years in the woods
not having dealt with (let alone talked to) another human being. He is likely
to be anything but verbose, and quite likely to put things in plain, blunt and
often unpolite ways -- though not intentionally so.
Shamans, as least judging by the examples given in the WFB "Battle Magic"
book, care very little about their fellow man, which can seem terribly
unheroic. They will likely look out for the other Warriors, but it is only in
the context of completing whatever quest is so important as to stop the forces
of Chaos from overrunning the unblemished wilds. They are unlikely to concern
themselves with freeing prisoners, protecting the innocent, and such.
However, that doesn't mean that one /need/ play a Shaman as such a
heartless, uncaring person. It's just that the archetype has been set, and
this can be a different role to try . . . though I can't say that I've been in
so many games that /haven't/ had a character that fit this description anyway
in regards to caring for one's fellow (non-player-character) man. It could
just as well be that you could play your Shaman with a bit of a soft spot and
just enough of a link with civilization that would justify his adventuring
with the other Warriors in the first place.
-*- REPRESENTING YOUR WARRIOR -*-
The Shaman model from _Talisman_ would be perfect for representing this
character, or else the Amber Wizard model manufactured by Citadel Miniatures.
Otherwise, various miniatures companies manufacture models that would be
appropriate to represent a "Shaman". If nothing else, a wizard model (or
perhaps a barbarian-type without any armor) could be painted up in a scheme
dominated by orange, brown and leathery colors, as well as whatever would be
appropriate for furs and the like.
-*- DISCLAIMERS AND SUCH -*-
_Games Workshop_, _Warhammer Quest_, _Advanced HeroQuest_, _Talisman_,
_Warhammer Fantasy Battle_, _Battle Magic_ and the _Old World_ are trademarks
of Games Workshop, Ltd. Their use here does not constitute a legal challenge
to that status.
This article is copyright 1995 by T. Jordan "Greywolf" Peacock. It may be
freely distributed in unaltered form so long as proper credit is given, and no
fees are charged for its use.
I would certainly appreciate feedback concerning this and other home-made
profession articles -- especially results of actual use of the new Warrior type
in play. I have not had opportunity to fully "playtest" each and every one of
these Warrior types, so any feedback from other WQ players would help greatly.
If you'd like to contact me for whatever reason, you can write to me at:
Jordan Peacock
1610 Parker
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
-*- HAPPY QUESTING! -*-