New Soldiers

[ElOrso]

Hi All,

As we have a topic already for new/custom scenario's.

Is there also already one for new soldiers?

We think if games progress the current list would be a bit limiting. So we are mainly looking for more expensive troops.

I've ordered the Thaw of the Lich Lord book and understood there are a few ones in there but feel it won't be bad to brainstorm a few new ones.

Maybe if we're lucky some of what we come up can be included in a future book? 

[Philhelm]

Just off the top of my head:

Hedge Wizard

Move: 6 / Fight: 0 / Shoot: -2 / Armor: 10 / Will: +2 / Health: 10

Equipment:  Staff
*May choose one known spell from any school of magic; -2 penalty to casting.

Witch Hunter

Move: 6 / Fight: +2 / Shoot: +2 / Armor: 11 / Will: +3 / Health: 12

Equipment: Sword, Crossbow, Leather Armor
*Attacks from Sword and Crossbow always count as magical.
*No slot for magical items.

Paladin

Move: 5 / Fight: +2 / Shoot: 0 / Armor: 13 / Will: +3 / Health: 12

Equipment: Sword, Shield, Mail Armor
*May choose one Thaumaturge spell (except for Raise Dead). -2 penalty to casting.

[Timeshadow]

It's a great idea to make some new soldiers but I am leary of soldiers with built in spells espushly if they can pick them.
This would lead to warband full of Hedge wizards with Bone dart instead of archers, Paladin with Heal instead of Apothecary, Why wouldn't you get a Hedge wizard or a paladin  for any really useful spell like leap or push. This would break the game.

Which hunter looks good but I would keep the majority of spellcasting to your wiz and apprentice.


That being said a soldier that could use the equivalent to a certain spell might be good like:

Paladin:
Move:5 / Fight: +2 / Shoot: 0 Armor: 13 / Will: +4 / Health: 14
Ability: permanent circle of prot.

[Froggy the Great]

I'd give them a -6 to cast too - even the Wizard suffers that penalty for opposed schools and he's spent years studying the matter.

[Philhelm]

It's a great idea to make some new soldiers but I am leary of soldiers with built in spells espushly if they can pick them.
This would lead to warband full of Hedge wizards with Bone dart instead of archers, Paladin with Heal instead of Apothecary, Why wouldn't you get a Hedge wizard or a paladin  for any really useful spell like leap or push. This would break the game.

I have considered that, but these were just ideas from off the top of my head, more for fun rather than actual implementation.  I think that minor spell casting could potentially be okay if it were tweaked.  In the case of the Hedge Wizard, the casting penalty could be altered and/or perhaps he wouldn't be able to empower a spell (thereby further risking both spell failure and damage).  Another possibility would be to have a restricted list of spells in order to filter out the game breaking spells, or have soldiers with a specific spell only (A Druid with, say, Control Animal probably wouldn't be game breaking, for instance).

A Paladin with Heal would be somewhat limited by the fact that it is a slow, heavily armored soldier with a 50% chance of casting the spell.  His spell casting would also be negated if he is engaged in combat.  Certainly better than the Apothecary, but not necessarily game breaking if the casting roll is appropriate.  If the casting roll were 20, then the Paladin wouldn't be worth taking over a regular Knight, so there should be a point at which the casting roll would make the decision a toss-up.

I also like your idea for the Paladin as well.

[Kommando_J]

For hedge wizards I'd just have a chart of some spells and they have to roll randomly for their spell, and maybe have a limit of one hedge wizard to a warband.

As for other types, some sort of berserker?

Perhaps for some sort of slaver with a net for capturing enemy warriors or monsters.

[tyrionhalfman]

Some interesting ideas. I like the slaver, maybe being able to carry off a captive like a treasure, which can be kept as a new warband member post game or sold back to the other player for say half their original GC cost? Thanks for sharing

[Philhelm]

Berserker

Move: 6 / Fight: +4 / Shoot: +0 / Armor: 10 / Will: +3 / Health: 14

Equipment:  Sword, Axe
*If a Berserker wins a melee combat, he may Empower the total damage roll by sacrificing two points of health for each point of additional damage.  The Berserker may not reduce his Health below 1.

Bounty Hunter

Move: 6 / Fight: +2 / Shoot: +2 / Armor: 11 / Will: +0 / Health: 12

Equipment:  Sword and Dagger, Sword and Shield, Great Weapon, Crossbow, Bow, Leather Armor
*A Bounty Hunter is prepared for all situations.  As such, at the beginning of each activation, the Bounty Hunter may choose which weapon combination he is currently using.
**If using Sword and Dagger, add +1 to Fight.  If using Sword and Shield, add +1 to Armor.

[Digitarii]

Interesting idea, but they definitely need playtesting and balancing. The Bounty Hunter would have too many weapons to deal with, swapping from one to the next would make it too difficult to really develop tactics for him. I would say the Bounty Hunter should select one Melee set and one Missile set and swap between them as a non-Move action.

[ElOrso]

Nice,

I really like the berserker idea, i would give him less armor & maybe even health.

I received the thaw of the lich lord book and a few new soldiers were already included. Bit keen to test these out.

[Mr Vampire]

More of a variation than an completely new character.

Rat Master
Just a variation on the crow master. Either with a single big fat rat, or a small swarm that effectively has the same in game stats.
The rat(s) can't fly but assume they are agile enough to ignore rough terrain and can climb at normal movement.
Needs a rat den upgrade for the base much like the crows.
Lots of potential model variety here, could be a crusty old guy, a pied piper, a rat-man etc.

[Philhelm]

Nice,

I really like the berserker idea, i would give him less armor & maybe even health.

I received the thaw of the lich lord book and a few new soldiers were already included. Bit keen to test these out.

My rationale is that the default for having no armor is 10.  Regarding the Health, I wanted him to have the same stats as the Barbarian, but I didn't have the rulebook with me and overestimated.  I've reduced some of the stats.

[Timeshadow]

How about this:

Swashbuckler Cost 200GC
Move: 6 / Fight: 5 / Shoot: 0 / Armor: 10 / Will: +2 / Health: 12 / Weapons: Sword & Dagger
Up the rigging: Swashbuckler does not half his movement for climbing
Remember that cost does not scale so if we make a soldier better than the 100gc current ones it should be ridiculously expensive.

[Philhelm]

Cavalier

Move: 8 / Fight: +4 / Shoot: +0 / Armor: 14 / Will: +1 / Health: 12

Equipment:  Hand Weapon, Shield, Mail Armor, Barded Steed
*Barded Steed: +1 Armor (bonus already included); may not climb; may not carry treasure.
*Control Animal Spell:  Mounted soldiers may be affected by the Control Animal Spell; however, the effects of the spell are identical to the Mind Control spell (including a Will save after each activation, as the rider attempts to regain control of his steed), with the exception that the controlled mounted soldier cannot attack while the spell is activated.

Relic Bearer

Move: 6 / Fight: -2 / Shoot: +0 / Armor: 10 / Will: +2 / Health: 10

Equipment:  Unarmed, Relic
*Relic Bearers usually carry a holy relic of some sort, perhaps a standard with a holy icon or a reliquary containing the remains of a saint; alternatively, the relic may simply be an arcane contraption of the Wizard's artifice.  Regardless of the source of the relic's power, the following rules apply:  Any soldier in the same warband as a Relic Bearer gains a +1 to Armor while he is within 6” and line-of-sight of the Relic Bearer. This bonus can only be gained once, no matter how many Relic Bearers are in a warband. Relic Bearers do receive this bonus to their own Armor value, but they cannot receive this bonus from another Relic Bearer.

Monk

Move: 7 / Fight: +3 / Shoot: +0 / Armor: 10 / Will: +2 / Health: 12

Equipment:  Unarmed
*Chi: The Monk's unarmed attacks count as magical attacks.
*Combat Master:  While the Monk's choice of "weapon" in the deadly, frozen ruins of Felstad seems questionable, to say the least, the Monk is a master of unarmed combat.  If the Monk is engaged in a multiple combat, opposing models may never gain a supporting bonus when attacking the Monk, no matter how many models outnumber the Monk.

[ElOrso]

Wow, i like it.

Swashbuckler: Love the climbing special rule. Not overpowered and useful in some situations. I would give him a regular fight 2 or 3 though. Else he might be too good. :-)

Cavalier: I was also pondering about a mounted soldier. Maybe even 2 kinds. A swift one with little armor. And a fully plated one lacking maneuverability.

Monk: Great special rule to negate support. Maybe extend it to the whole combat he is involved in and not attacks made on him?

Prices are another matter of course. But i don't think we need to debate it here.