Halfling Chef
If there is one thing that the Halflings are
known for, it is cooking. The Moot abounds with restaurants and in most cities
in the Old World there will be several Halfling establishments, often located
near each other so that they can co-operate if one Chef runs out of one
ingredient or if another is short-staffed and needs a dishwasher. Halflings
returning from a hard day’s work (or whatever they like to call it) are
guaranteed to find entertainment in this bustling corner of the city, and
usually members of other races are welcome.
What with the Moot having a less-than-impressive military reputation (entirely
undeserved, as many Halflings will expound), culinary achievement is usually the
main contribution a Halfling makes to the great wars and fierce battles which
rage across the continent at times. It goes without saying that the
contributions of the (successful) Halfling spies and assassins are unrecorded.
This does not mean that all Halflings are devoted only to subterfuge and
seasoning. Some take up arms and attempt to make their way in the wider world
outside the Moot and the cities, having learnt how their skills will assist
Warriors. Occasionally, for one reason or another, a Halfling Chef will leave
his hearth and home, polish off the bow hanging above the door, and head out
looking for adventure. A strange sight with his small form covered in pots and
pans, he is a welcome sight to badly-fed Warriors everywhere.
STARTING AS A HALFLING CHEF
|
Wounds |
2D6 |
|
Move |
4 |
|
Weapon Skill |
2 |
|
Ballistic Skill |
4+ |
|
Strength |
2 |
|
Toughness |
2 (3) |
|
Initiative |
3 |
|
Attacks |
1 |
|
Pinning Roll |
4+ |
EQUIPMENT
The Chef never leaves a settlement without
stocks of food, primarily, expecting to have to feed hungry mouths every
evening, regardless of whether or not he’s in company at the time.
At the beginning of each adventure he will have 2D6 Provisions. These will
expire at the end of the dungeon as normal, but he will always have 2D6 more at
the beginning of the next, in addition to any he buys.
A Chef also follows the tradition of roving Halflings and carries a lunchbox.
Once per turn he may delve around in his Lunch Box for a suitable snack. Roll
1D6 at any time during the turn. On a roll of 4, 5 or 6 he finds something tasty
and heals 1 Wound. The Lunch Box is rather large so there is no limit to the
number of times he can do this. He can do this even when he is on zero Wounds.
WEAPONS
Halfling Chefs carry a Short Bow to help them
deal with any trouble that might arise, as well as to bag a few rabbits for the
pot if the occasion arises. It causes 1D6+1 damage.
For hand-to-hand combat, a Chef will use the first utensil or bit of cooking
apparatus that comes to hand. This might be a rolling pin, saucepan, vegetable
knife or full-blown cleaver. Whatever they use does 1D6+2 damage on a successful
hit.
ARMOUR
No Halfling Chef will willingly leave his
kitchen for any extended period without making sure his pots and pans are safe,
and the best way to do that is to carry them. Without an apprentice or mule, a
Chef will tie his pots, utensils and containers of ingredients onto strings and
festoon his small body with them, sometimes to the extent of making him appear
like a walking heap of iron. As well as their normal cooking dishes, most
Halfling Chefs have a great respect for their cooking pot, and the apprentice
who inherits the crock of the master will usually take over running the kitchen.
Perhaps this is why roving Chefs, tend to wear it as a makeshift helmet. As well
as this, the quantities of ironwork hanging from their pack in utensils,
saucepans and secondary pots make a physical blow less likely to hit Halfling
flesh (although it might dent an antique pan, which is in some ways worse!)
The pots and pans, especially the one worn as a helmet, give the Chef +1
Toughness.
SKILL – Field Kitchen
It goes without saying that a Chef is good at
cooking, and is sometimes able to craft meals out of the oddest things. As they
travel through the Old World they are constantly collecting ingredients from
whatever fields, pastures and occasionally pantries they pass through, with
little regard for ownership. This is partly an unconscious action, which makes
it hard to keep track of what ingredients a Chef carries at any one time, as he
also discards any that go rotten as he travels. Generally he will have a rough
idea but on occasion a Chef has had to make do with nothing more than a sackful
of onions after he’s promised to cook a meal.
At any point, the Chef may choose to prepare something to eat. He will whip out
a pot and start adding ingredients, building a fire if appropriate and whistling
a merry tune. Whenever there are no monsters on the board, the Chef may forego
movement to cook. He will do this for the whole turn. If he wishes, he may serve
up the meal then. His companions declare whether they wish to partake or not and
he rolls 1D6 and adds the Power Dice, looking up the result on the table below.
The Power Phase determines the random quantity of ingredients. There is nothing
magical about this process (despite what some Chefs might hint!), but the Power
Dice represents the vague idea of how much food the individual Chef is carrying.
If he is not ready, he may continue cooking. If he does so, the entire of the
next turn is taken up with food preparation, and again at the end of the turn he
must decide if the meal if ready. If it is, those who are going to eat must
declare so. He then rolls 2D6 and adds the Power Dice of the first turn, but not
the second.
He may continue to take more time for as long as he likes. For each additional
turn he may roll 1 more dice, but only ever add the Power Dice from the first
phase. In addition, the longer he spends, the more time that something goes
wrong. If ANY of the dice he rolls comes up as a 1, the entire meal counts as
Food Poisoning.
Field Kitchen Table
| (1D6+Power Dice) | Meal Cooked | Effect |
| 1 | Food Poisoning! | Each partaker loses 1 wound unmodified. |
| 2-3 | Sparse fare | Each partaker recovers 1 wound if they roll 4-6 on 1D6. |
| 4 | A modest offering | Anyone eating regains 1 wound. |
| 5-6 | A sound meal | Anyone eating regains 1D3 wounds. |
| 7 | Well-seasoned | Anyone eating regains 1D6 wound. |
| 8-9 | A fine feast | Those eating recover 1D3+3 wounds. |
| 10-11 | A culinary triumph | Partakers regain 1D6+5 wounds each. |
| 12+ | A meal fit for a king | Anyone eating is restored to full wounds. |
If the Chef is interrupted by a Monster Attack while he cooks, the meal is
wasted as the Warriors scramble to defend themselves.
If the Chef or another Warrior wishes, they may improve the stock of ingredients
by yielding up Provisions. Each Provision adds +1 to the eventual result. In the
event of Food Poisoning or of a Monster Attack, these Provisions are wasted.
Note also that although Warriors have the opportunity to refuse to join in the
meal (for example if they are on full Wounds or do not want to risk Food
Poisoning), other Halflings must roll a 4+ on 1D6 to refuse; otherwise their
stomachs decide it’s time to eat.
If the Chef so wishes, he may charge a fee of 5 gold per wound healed by his
food. Warriors who contribute ingredients in the form of Provisions need not pay
this. IF the Chef does NOT charge, then he gains +5 exp per wound healed. Most
Halfling Chefs do not charge unless they are cooking for a special occasion or
to paying customers. If they are preparing food for friends and allies it is
considered that the reward the Chef receives is the enjoyment of the cooking
process and of a meal with friends.
Finally, if there should be two (or more!) Chefs working together, they may not
contribute to each other’s cooking. ‘Two Many Cooks Spoil the Broth’ as
the ancient adage goes, and Halfling Labour Laws as well as natural pride mean
that while Chefs might compete, or serve a more advanced Master, they seldom
cooperate.
HALFLING CHEFS & TREASURE
The Chef has the same item restrictions as the Halfling Thief.
Halflings and Food
A Halfling will never give food
to anybody unless he considers he has enough left for an adequate meal. Whenever
you want to heal another Warrior with provisions from your store you must first
roll ID6. If the total is under the number of provisions you have left you may
heal the other Warrior as normal. If the result is equal to or more than the
number of Provisions you have left the Halfling hides his food and claims he has
only a 'few crumbs' left.
Once the Halfling has decided he is down to the minimum he may not give up any
provisions for the rest of the adventure.
A Halfling may always eat; it is an instinctive reaction that sets his hand
reaching into his bag to grab some food. This means a Halfling may attempt to
heal himself with any kind of food, even if he is at zero Wounds. He must still
roll a 4+ to be successful in his attempt, just as if another Warrior was trying
to heal him.
HALFLING CHEF BATTLE-LEVEL TABLE
(Advanced Rules yet to come)
|
Battle- Level |
Gold |
Title (?) |
MOVE |
WS |
BS |
Str |
Damage Dice |
T |
Wounds |
I |
A |
Luck |
WP |
Skills |
Pin |
|
1 |
0 |
Novice |
4 |
2 |
4+ |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2D6 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
3 (?) |
1* |
4+ |
|
2 |
2000 |
Champion |
4 |
1 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
3 |
4000 |
Champion |
4 |
1 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
4 |
8000 |
Champion |
4 |
1 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
5 |
12000 |
Hero |
4 |
2 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
6 |
18000 |
Hero |
4 |
2 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
7 |
24000 |
Hero |
4 |
2 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
8 |
32000 |
Hero |
4 |
2 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
9 |
45000 |
Lord |
4 |
3 |
?D6 |
||||||||||
|
10 |
50000 |
Lord |
4 |
3 |
?D6 |
* Note: The Halfling Chef begins with the Field Kitchen skill.
Thecustodian
25th June 2006
“Bigger Tables! Better Choices! More Rules!”