Disciple of the Apocalypse

by David Joria *

       The Disciples of the Apocalypse are worshipers of the Dark Gods of Chaos. They use and disgrace the proud Empire magic, but tap energy from the potent Realm of Chaos. They search beneath the caverns and dungeons of the Old World, searching for the long forbidden secrets that bring them closer to venting their wrath upon the world. They believe their Dark Masters will someday wipe the whole world clean of life in fires of justice, and the only ones left will be the loyal and demonic followers of Chaos. Though they may not show it, they hate all of humanity and someday dream of their vengeance. 

Equipment: Hell Fire Scroll

        One target Monster suffers 1D6+6 wounds, and all Monsters adjacent to it suffer 1D6 wounds as well.  There are no modifiers for Toughness, armor, or anything else.  If any of the dice score an unmodified roll of 6, the Monster suffers 1D6 wounds next turn.  If a damage keeps coming up as a 6, the Monster will suffer 1D6 wounds the following turn until you fail to roll a 6.

Weapons: Sword (1D6+3 Wounds)

Armor: None

Pinning: Breaks from Pinning on 4+

Special Rules

Cry to the Gods

Disciples are Spell Casters, and when one enters a dungeon, draw one of each of the spell decks as usual.  However, when determining power, you do not roll 1D6 as normal.  To determine the power, the Disciple Player rolls as many dice as he or she wants, and chooses the highest score of the dice as the power rate.  However, if one or more dice scores a 1, no matter how many dice were rolled, or what the other dice scores were, the power for the turn is 1, and draw/roll for an Unexpected Event.

Advanced Rules

        The Disciple is in many ways like a Wizard.  The Disciple can only buy the same things as the Wizard, and cannot wear any armor, (with the exception of Chaos Armor). He may have magic items that only the Wizard can have, but he also can't have magic weapons that the Wizard can't have, nor magic armor.

                Title

        As the Disciple goes up in magic, he becomes more and more recognized for his power, and gets known for it.

        Level 1               Disciple of the Apocalypse

        Level 2-4           Dark Mage

        Level 5-8           Child of Chaos

        Level 9-10         Warlock

                Magic

        As the Disciple goes up in magic, he gains spells just as listed on page 51 (of the RPB).  The Disciple can chose to learn from the Attack, Defense, and Special spell classes, but he also can learn from a new spell list, Dark Magic.

The following spells have varying casting cost.

        DARK MAGIC SPELLS

          Unholy Strength                 Power 4

Target Warrior or Warriors gets +1 on all rolls to hit in combat and +1 Strength for one turn for every 1 Wound he suffers from the spell. (E.g.. Warrior gets +3 on to hit roll and +3 Strength but loses 3 Wounds)  The target Warrior's Controller must agree to have the spell cast on the Warrior, and the spell cannot take a Warrior below 1 Wound.  The Target may be the caster.

        Target:       Any or all Warriors

        Duration:   One Turn

        Malediction of Nagash          Power 5

Target Monster is unable to move, fire a missile, and gets -2 to hit in close combat.  This turn the model also suffers (1 X Warrior Level) Wounds.  The model also suffers (1 X Warrior Level) Wounds every turn at a magic cost of 6 per turn.  You may only have one Malediction of Nagash  spell on a Monster at a time. 

        Target:      Any Monster on the Board

        Duration:   As long as the Caster pays the magic

        Hand of Dust                     Power 6

Target any Monster in Base Contact with the Disciple.  Roll 2D6 and add the Caster's strength, and roll 1D6 for the target and add the Target's Strength.  If the Disciple's dice score is higher than the target's score, the Target suffers (2 X Warrior's Level) Wounds with no modifiers for anything.

        Target:           Any Monster Next to the Caster

        Duration:        Immediate

        Command to Beyond              Power 7

Upon casting this spell, 1D6 Zombies appear, under the Disciple's control.  They are placed next to the Disciple, but can move about as normal in future phases. The raised Zombies are identical to those on page 115 (of the RPB), except they move and fight in the Warrior's Phase.  If there is ever no Monsters in the room, the Zombies crumble into dust .  If the Disciple is killed, any Zombies raised by him are destroyed. 

        Target:             -

        Duration:        Until all Monsters on the board are killed / Until all Zombies are killed

        Foul Mutation                        Power 8 or more

Choose one Monster that is adjacent to the Disciple and roll 1D6.  If the score is equal to or less than the target's Toughness, nothing happens. If the score is greater than the target's Toughness, it is turned into a Ghoul (see page 115), and is under the Disciple's control.  If the Ghoul is killed by a Monster no one gets the gold of the changed targeted Monster.  If the Ghoul survives until all other Monsters are killed or have fled, than the Ghoul is killed and the Disciple gets the gold of the original Monster.  Also, on the roll to change a Monster to Ghoul, the Disciple gets +1 on the dice score for every 2 power paid beyond the spell cost.

        Target:           Any Monster Next to the Caster

        Duration:        Until all Monsters are dead / Until target is dead

        Arnizipal's Black Horror                Power 9

Roll a D6 for every monster on the board and add their Strength.  If the total is 7 or more than they suffer no effects.  If the total is under 7 than they suffer 1D6 for every Warrior Level of the Caster.  Wounds from this spell have no modifiers for armor.

        Target:           All Monsters on the same Board Section as the Caster

        Duration:        Immediate

Cognitio

        As the Disciple advances in power, it becomes more and more difficult for him to get into Settlements.  When the party enters a Settlement roll for the Disciple and consult the chart.  If you roll any of the numbers indicated, you are not allowed in.  The Disciple may not enter the Settlement while the party stays there, and may do nothing.  He does not pay any living expenses in such a case. 

Also, when the Disciple enters any store or Special Location, (with the exception of the Dark Elf Trader, Chaos Merchant and the Chaos Temple,) roll a D6. On the score of 1, the Disciple is not let in, and the day is wasted.  Unlike getting into the Settlement, he may try again the following day.

        Where may the disciple enter?

The Disciple may enter the Alehouse, the Gambling House, and the Alchemist.  He may not go in the Wizard's Guild or he'd be discovered.  He will not enter the Temple, for he does not believe in the average gods.  When in Alehouse, he rolls 2D6 -2 on the result chart.

                            Special Locations

                     Dark Elf Trader

        The Disciple may enter this store even if a Witch Elf is not in the company, (see Witch Elf.)  Unlike normal people, to see if something is in stock at the Trader, he rolls 1D6+3.  He may not however enter the Dark Elf Assassin Guild, for Khorne would be so angry he would strike the Disciple down.

                    Dark Elf Weapon Master  

                    Dark Elf Trades Master

        All Equipment is identical to that in the RolePlay Book, with the exception of the Cloak of Darkness, (see below).

          Cloak of Darkness  

        The mystical properties of this cloak cause the wearer to blend into the background shadows. During an adventure, the cloak may be used in one of two ways. The first is for the wearer to draw the cloak about himself in the middle of combat either to keep monsters from seeing him while he heals wounds, or enabling him to make an Ambush on his opponents. The cloak may be used once per adventure. 

        The other way to employ this cloak is for the wearer to conceal herself and thus avoid a Hazard which might otherwise cause her harm. The cloak can be used in this fashion once per journey.

         Chaos Special Locations

        The Chaos Merchant and the Chaos Temple are places where evil lurks and darkness gathers, waiting for a victim.  For Evil Warriors, the Chaos Merchant is easily found, and can be located on a roll of 6.  The number of dice rolled to find it is as normal, 1D6 in Villages, 2D6 in Towns, and 3D6 in Cities.  For neutral Warriors (Barbarian, Pit Fighter, etc.), the Chaos Location's are found on a roll of 9 or more.  For a good Warrior, the Locations can only be found on a roll of 12.  The Games Master may wish to make a penalty for good warriors who try to find the locations, (e.g.. loss of Honor Points).  If a Warrior rolls a double 1 when trying to find a Chaos Location, roll on the Mob Disaster Chart. 

                    Chaos Merchant

        This is a Special Location like any other.  The Disciple may try to locate the local merchant in a Town or City, trying to find it as usual with 2D6 or 3D6 as usual.  The Disciple rolls to see if things are in stock on 2/3D6, depending on were he is.  If another warrior is evil, you may be able to roll on 1D6.

                Chaos Merchant Items  

Chaos Armor

This armor gives the wearer +1 Toughness, and is the only armor a Disciple can wear.  This will not affect the Disciple's ability to cast spells.  If the wearer is ever at 0 or below wounds, roll a D6.  On an unmodified roll of 5 or 6, the armor protects its owner and the Warrior is placed on 1 wound.  Once a Warrior has put on the armor, they may not take it off. 

Familiars

The Disciple does not plainly buy a Familiar, but a small magical crystal.  The Disciple may automatically buy the trinket, but it does not always carry a Familiar.  When you are in a dungeon, during the Disciple's turn, he may expose the trinket.  Roll a D6: on a roll of  4, 5, or 6, the token carries the Familiar as normal.  On a roll of 1,  2, or 3, for one reason or another, there is no Familiar, only raw magic.  For the duration of this turn, the Wizard (or Disciple) gets +1D6 Power.  The effects of the crystal differs, so you roll for every adventure.

        Warrior Familiar

Wounds         1D6+7   
Move              4 *    
Weapon skill   5  
Ballistic skill   N/A  
Strength          4  
Toughness      4  
Initiative         6/ as owner  
Willpower      (passes/fails with owner)  
Attacks          2  
Pinning          (breaks with owner)  
Damage:        1D6+4

Warrior Familiars must stay adjacent to their owner.  Whenever Monsters are placed on the board, the first Monster drawn to attack the owner, is placed  to attack the Warrior Familiar instead.  When a Monster is placed next to the Warrior Familiar, the Familiar gets to attack immediately.  The Familiar gets to make more than one attack, but must roll to hit as normal.  If the Monsters have the ability Ambush, he may attack before them.  This does not allow the owner to attack first, just the Familiar.  For fighting, the Warrior Familiar has 6 Initiative, but he moves with the owner.

        Power Familiar

Wounds         1D6+4   
Move              4 *        
Weapon skill   3  
Ballistic skill           5+  
Strength          2  
Toughness      3  
Initiative         4  
Willpower      (passes/fails with owner)  
Attacks          1  
Pinning          (breaks with owner)  
Damage:        1D6+2

A spell caster who has a Power Familiar may store a 1 spell he cast in the Power Familiar.  Stating he is storing a spell, he may cast a spell, but instead of it taking effect, the spell is stored in the Familiar.  Any time if the Power Familiar adjacent to the owner, he may cast the spell without having to pay any power costs for it.  Only one spell may be stored at a time, and once cast, the spell cannot be cast again by the Familiar until it is stored again.  If a Power Familiar is killed while storing a spell, it causes 1D6+4 Wounds on all models adjacent to it.

        Spell Familiar

Wounds         1D6+4  
Move              4 *        
Weapon skill   3  
Ballistic skill           5+  
Strength          2  
Toughness      3  
Initiative         4  
Willpower      (passes/fails with owner)  
Attacks          1  
Pinning          (breaks with owner)  
Damage:        1D6+2

When you purchase a Spell Familiar, draw a Spell Card from any deck. The Spell Caster may cast this extra spell as long as the Familiar is adjacent to him.  You must pay proper power rates as normal. 

        Chaos Familiar

Wounds         1D6+4   
Move              4 *        
Weapon skill   3  
Ballistic skill           5+
Strength          2  
Toughness      3  
Initiative         4  
Willpower      (passes/fails with owner)  
Attacks          1  
Pinning          (breaks with owner)  
Damage:        1D6+2  

As long as the Chaos Familiar is adjacent to the spell caster he may add  to, or subtract 1 from, any one dice roll during each turn, (this includes the Monster's Phase).  The owner must declare that he is expending the bonus before making the dice throw, he cannot roll the dice and decide to add or subtract the bonus afterwards.  This bonus can only be used when rolling dice on behalf of the owner -- for example, rolls to hit, number of wounds, skill tests, etc.  This bonus can be used to modify Power rolls, but it only affects the owner's power, not the dice itself.  For example, if you roll a 1 for Power, your Spell Caster can get 2 Power, but any other spell casters get 1 Power, and you draw/roll for an Unexpected Event as normal.  You cannot use this ability on another Warrior, even if he is adjacent to the Familiar.  This ability only works in dungeons, not any where else.

        Familiar Notes

Familiars can only be bought by Spell Casters.  However, any spell caster may buy a Familiar whether he is good or bad.  The exception is the Chaos Familiar, for as the name might suggest, it can only be bought by followers of Chaos.  Familiars cannot use Weapons, Armor, Equipment, or Magic items.  They may carry Gold or Equipment during the dungeon, but they cannot use it.  If a Familiar kills a Monster, the owner gets the gold.  A Familiar can only be healed by things of magical origin, like spells or potions.  If a Familiar dies, it cannot be resurrected, and the item it came in is useless.  The Games Master should allow a Warrior to have several Familiars, but make sure the person doesn't get carried away.  A Warrior with half a dozen Warrior Familiars and three or four Chaos Familiars would become dangerously hard to control. 

Tome of Darkness

This is a cursed book of power, and can aid the possessor as well as attack with raw magic. When a Disciple gets a Tome of Darkness, it contains 1D6 Magic Tokens.  These may be used at any time the Disciple wishes to help him cast spells.  You can also use the Power Tokens to inflict damage to Monsters.  If you give up one or more power points in the Tome, you may inflict D6 wounds for every Power Token discarded.  This may be done several times in a turn, but it can only be done with Power Tokens in the Tome, not from the Disciple.

There is also a way you can store magic in the Tome.  If you are in a dungeon, if there is a natural score of one when determining Power, instead of casting a spell you may use the 6 Power and store one Power Token in the Tome.  This is done only with a roll of 6, and not with modifiers from Warrior Level.  The Disciple may use Power Tokens to modify the dice roll, but you cannot use just 6 Power.  The Disciple may cast spells the same time as storing Tokens, it is just assumed that he used 6 Power for a spell.  There may not be over 6 Power Tokens stored in the Tome.  A Disciple may only have one Tome of Darkness.

                    Chaos Temple

        At the Temple, the Disciple may make a donation of 50 gold.  If you do, roll 1D6 on this chart.

        1 - For some strange reason, you have a feeling Khorne is laughing at you. Nothing happens, and your Disciple gains nothing.

        2 - The gods are to busy or not concerned enough to answer your pleas.  

        3 - The Gods bestow upon your warrior great power.  Once in the next adventure you may re-roll one dice for power, (perhaps an Unexpected Event).

         4 - For one turn, all rolls to hit your Disciple fail to hit on a roll 1, 2, or 3. 

         5 - Any one blow from the Disciple causes another 1D6 damage.  The blow can be modified as normal. 

         6 - The Disciple may add +1 to any characteristic or dice roll, (Attacks, rolls to hit, etc.)  This effect lasts for one turn.

                    Mark of Chaos

        If you wish, your Warrior may get a Mark of Chaos.  To do so, your Warrior must first make an offering of 1D6 X 100 Gold.  Then, he must choose which Chaos God to follow:

 Nurgle, the Lord of Plague;  Tzeentch, Master of the Arcane; or Slaanesh, the divine Prince of Chaos.  There is no Mark for Khorne, for he despises spell casters with a vengeance.  When you get a mark, you gain the Mark of Chaos and the two spells.  Unlike Dark Spells, you learn the spells immediately.  You may only have a mark for one god.  If you get a Mark of Chaos, you get -1 on all Cognitio rolls to enter a Settlement.

        Tzeentch: Natural Dispel

All spells attacking the Tzeentch Disciple may be dispelled on 4+.  If successful, the spell is not cast.

                    Tzeentch Spells

        Shield of Fire                      Power 8

Whenever an enemy attacks the Caster with the Shield of Fire, the opponent needs to roll 6s to hit regardless of Weapon Skill.  Also, if the opponent attacks with a Magic Weapon, if it rolls a 1 on its roll to hit, the magic weapon is destroyed.  When cast, the spell remains at a cost of 5 power per turn.  If the spell lasts until the end of the dungeon, the spell is automatically dispelled, and can only work next dungeon if cast as normal at 8 power.

        Target:           Caster

        Duration:        Until Caster decides / Until end of Dungeon

        Indecent Assassin                    Power 7

The spell affects any Monster on the same board as the Caster.  Roll 1D6+6 for the caster, and roll 1D6+ the target's Weapon Skill.  If the Caster's score is higher, than the target suffers (Difference of the Dice score X the caster's Warrior Level) Wounds. Toughness modifies as normal, but attacks from the Indecent Assassin ignore up to 3 points of Armor.

        Target:           Any Monster on the board.

        Duration:        Immediate

        Nurgle: Magic Effusion

Whenever a Spell Caster gets within 6 squares of the Disciple, or vise versa, the Nurgle Disciple must test to see if the spell caster can cast spells.  Roll 1D6+ the Warrior's Warrior Level, and roll 1D6 for the other Spell caster and add its Dungeon Level , (Warrior Level if its friendly).  Nurgle Spell Casters do not have to test, as they are immune to the effect.  If the score of the Disciple is higher than the other spell caster, than that model may not cast spells while it is in 6 squares of the Nurgle Disciple.  If the Disciple's score is equal to or less than the other spell casters, than the effect fails.  If there is more than one spell caster within 6 squares, you test for each separately.  Once a model has failed or passed this ability, they only test once.

                    Nurgle Spells

        Pit of Slime                Power (? because of the potency of this spell, OW recommends a power of 8. The original document was missing the number for this power.)

This spell may be cast upon a single model on the same board.  Roll a D6: if you score less than the target's Strength he struggles out of the pit with no further effect and the spell has failed.  If you roll equal to or more than the Target's Strength he is trapped in the pit.  You can use the Slime Pit counter to mark the trapped Monster.  While trapped the model cannot move, shoot, fight, cast spells or do anything at all.  At the start of each following Monster's Phase, the trapped victim must try to escape.  Roll a D6: a score of less than the victim's Strength indicates that he has struggled free and the spell is automatically failed.  A score exceeding the victim's Strength means he is sucked to his doom and slain.  If the score is equal to his Strength indicates the victim remains stuck and must test again next turn.  The Pit of Slime remains until the victim is freed or slain, the caster is slain, or until the caster chooses to end it.

        Target:           Any Monster on the Board

        Duration:        Varies

        Plague Wind             Power 12

Target Monster or Monsters on the board is hit with 3D6 - the Target's Toughness hits.  If their is more than one target with one or more Toughness', than deduct it from the highest. Each hit inflicts wounds equal to the caster's Warrior Level on a D6 roll of 4+.  Also, for every 18 wounds inflicted, place a Plague Bearer under the Caster's control on the board (see page 90).  When all Monsters on the board are dead, the Plague Bearers crumble to dust and are destroyed.

        Target:           Any Monster or Monsters on the Board

        Duration:        Immediate/ Until all Monsters are dead

        Slaanesh: Radiance of Charm

Whenever the Disciple's Warrior Counter is drawn for a target of a Spell or Missile attack, the counter is placed back and drawn again.  If the

counter is drawn a second time, then he is the target.  This does not include all drawings from Warrior Counters like Wild Squig attacks, just the targets for magic or shooting.  If the spell or missile weapon affects more than one Warrior, like Pestilent Breath or Chaos Dwarf Blunderbusses, than the Disciple suffers damage like normal.  This only counts if the opposing Monster is on the same board as the Disciple. 

                Slaanesh Spells

        Pavane of Slaanesh                        Power 6

The Disciple may unleash the Pavane of Slaanesh against one Monster on the same board section as him.  On a D6 roll of 4+ the Monster begins to dance and cavort with uncontrollable joy.  An affected Monster cannot shoot, cast spells, does not cause pinning, is restricted to 1 square of Movement per turn, and will not attack unless it is attacked.  The spell lasts until the target is slain, the caster is slain, or until you choose to end it.  The spell remains without a Power cost, but there can only be one Pavane of Slaanesh spell at one time.

        Target:           Any Monster on the same Board Section

        Duration:        Permanent / Until Slain / Until caster chooses

        Cursed Caress                               Power 7

The Slaanesh Disciple may cast this spell on any Monster adjacent to him.  Roll 1D6: if the dice score if equal or greater than the number of wounds left, than the victim's heart explodes and it is instantly killed.  If the dice score is less than the number of wounds than no wounds are inflicted.

        Target:           Any adjacent Monster

        Duration:        Immediate

                Mob Disaster Chart

        If a Warrior rolls a double 1 when trying to find a Chaos Location, roll a D6 and consult the chart below. 

1 - While looking for the location, you ask a riffraff where the Chaos members are.  He merely groans and keep on looking.  A short time later, a crowd of angry shop keepers chase you with improvised weapons. The last thing you ever see is the riffraff robing the distracted storekeepers' goods.  Your warrior is slain.

2 - A mob roars down the street, with anarchy in its wake.  You are not the mob's target, but you are knocked out in the madness.  You wake up missing 500 gold, and at the beginning of the next dungeon you immediately lose 1D6 wounds.  The wounds cannot be healed until the dungeon.

3 - A mob comes around the corner, and you were at the wrong place at the wrong time! Roll 1D6 and look at the chart below.

                1-2   The mob stones you. You lose D3 wounds next adventure.

                3-4   When running, you drop an item.  Discard a Treasure or Equipment at random.

                5-6   In the chaos, someone takes some of your money. You lose 1D6 x 50 gold.

4 - Several peasants grab you and yell at the top of their lungs.  You can either give them a bribe of 2D6 x 10 gold, or roll again on the chart.  If you cannot pay them, they automatically call the mob.  If you roll multiple 4s, results are normal but you add +1 to every dice you have to re-roll beyond the first.

5 - Mob spot you looking for the Chaos associates.  They are thirsty for your blood, but you have a head start.  You must leave the Settlement and wait for your companions outside. If your Warrior wants to try to enter the same Settlement, roll a D6.  On a roll of 1 or 2 they recognize you and you are instantly slain.

6 - You turn a corner to find a chaos location in flames, and a mob of people dancing in the streets. You are not harmed, but the Chaos Location is burned down and may not be visited by any Warriors for the rest of your stay.
 

                    Role-play Guidelines

        Disciples are a darker, more gothic version of the Wizard.  This is a good role for lovers of the arcane, but more demonic than the average warrior.  The Games Master may note that a group of good warriors with a Disciple may have a little friction.  A Bretonian Knight and an Elven Scout might get a little bothered when their companion grows a third eye!  The Games Master might also wish to use the advantage of the Cry to the Gods.  A Game Master might want a Disciple who rolls five dice in the Power Phase a tint edge of insanity, like he talks to himself, or he gets paranoid.  Remember: The Disciple cannot control the Chaos Gods, but the Chaos Gods can control him!  The Disciple is the type that will run away if the situation is fruitless, but if their is a shred of hope, he will fight with a vengeance.  A Disciple is the perfect for the evil parties packed with savage chaos forces.

                    Character Tests

        As normal, the Disciple learns a Specialist Action when going up in levels on 4+.  He has the same modifiers for Wizards as normal.  However, for the case of actions like Read, Identify, and Understand Speech, the Games Master may be compelled to give positive or negative modifiers depending on the situation.  For example, a Disciple would be more likely to know Orc than a Wizard, but a Disciple might not know how to speech Kislev.  If an object is of pure good or pure evil, the Disciple might recognize it as his goal or as the bane of his existence.

                Suggested Figure

        If a person has the supplies or means, a model collector can easily convert a good model for the Disciple.  However, those of you who don't have the means, I suggest you use the model from a Citadel Necromancer.  If you want, you can always use a Chaos Sorcerer figure, but I wouldn't suggest it.  You don't want an amateur cultist looking like the Supreme Lord of Darkness.

* Throughout this document, the webmaster (Old Warrior) has done some minor editing -- not to change the meaning, but to make grammatical & spelling corrections. Though several corrections have been made, more editing may still need to be done.