KARAK AZGAL – RULES

SKIRMISHES

Dwarf strongholds are like icebergs. The part which shows above ground is small compared with the vast network of tunnels, chambers and halls underground. Some of the tunnels are just large enough for a dwarf to walk upright but most of them are major roadways where armies can pass. The tunnels delve deep into the mountain and in the lower reaches they are infested with Skaven and Goblins. Deeper still the levels are stalked by creatures woken from the sleep of ages by the Dwarfs in their greedy delving for gold and jewels. It is in the middle and upper levels where warbands meet. All searching for the treasures they believe to be hidden nearby.

TERRAIN

The skirmishes may be fought in any part of the stronghold. Unless a scenario states otherwise you can choose between tunnels & rooms or open chambers. Tunnels and rooms can be laid out using Warhammer Quest style floor tiles or you can make your own. It is best to aim for a complex grid like plan as that will allow the most interesting battles. You may also like to try the Tile Generator from Town Cryer 12 (see the Rivers of Blood article).

Alternatively the chambers are vast spaces which can contain whole armies. Some of them are even big enough for a gyrocopter to fly! That space can be filled in a variety of ways. Some chambers are like giant rooms full of furniture whilst others contain whole buildings like a small town. This can be replicated on the gaming table by declaring one or more table edges to be walls and hence impassable, and filling the rest of the table with ruined buildings – just like Mordheim. It would be interesting to mark a number of doorways onto the table edges and insist that warbands enter and leave by them. Use these ideas to come up with your own scenarios. If you come up with any interesting ones the Town Crier would be interested to hear of them.

Many of the old tunnels and chambers are in a ruinous state or partly flooded. Before commencing a game you should agree with your opponent any terrain which is difficult ground or impassable. When using floor tiles to represent tunnels remember that corners will cut off lines of sight. Be sure to agree whether the corner of a tile is the printed area or the margin. Unless otherwise specified tunnels of nominally 2" wide are tall enough for large creatures such as trolls and ogres. Horses may not be used as they will not go underground. The Dwarfs used a type of pit pony, which was trained to work in the tunnels and mines.

FIGHTING IN TUNNELS

For the most part fighting skirmished in the confined tunnels of a Dwarf stronghold follows the normal rules for fighting in city streets. There are however a few additional restrictions on movement:

Large Creatures. Large creatures (Ogres, Trolls or Grungni forbid - mounted models) can move and run normally in rooms and halls but cannot run in tunnels as they have to stoop. If they charge in a tunnel they are limited to normal speed.

Flying. Flyers may fly only in rooms and caverns where there is more height. In tunnels they must walk or if there is no normal move characteristic corresponding to walking then half speed.

WARBANDS

There are several new warbands written for this setting. History tells us that Dwarfs, Skaven and Goblins will be predominant but the lure of treasure has brought adventurers from all over the Old World. It is also likely that other warbands will have wandered in or are searching for things more sinister.

You may use the new warbands written specifically for Karak Azgal and all of the Mordheim warbands except Sisters of Sigmar and any Elves.

The warbands may hire any Hired Swords and Dramatis Personae written specially for Karak Azgal and all of the Hired Swords from Mordheim except the Elf Ranger. Dramatis Personae from Mordheim may not be used as they would have died nearly 500 years ago!

EQUIPMENT

The warbands may purchase equipment in accordance with the Mordheim rulebook. All of the equipment available in Mordheim is also available here along with the following additional items:

*****Equipment is all to be confirmed with the warbands. **************

Jezzail
175GC Rare 11, Skaven Clan Skryre only

Range 36", Strength 5 Armour save modifier –3

The warplock jezzail is a fiendish invention of the Skaven Clan Skryre. It is a huge and long ranged firearm, more like a small cannon than an ordinary gun. It fires a special missile made of warpstone, the unstable magic rock which gives Skaven their power.

SPECIAL RULES
Move or fire: You may not move and fire a jezzail in the same turn, other than to pivot on the spot to face your target or to stand up from knocked down.
Prepare shot: A jezzail takes a complete turn to reload, so you may only fire it every other turn.
Pick target: A model armed with a jezzail can target any enemy model in sight, not just the closest one.
Save modifier: Jezzails are even better at penetrating armour than their strength 5 suggests. A warrior wounded by a jezzail must make his armour save with a –3 modifier.
Assistant: A jezzail normally requires a crew of 2 to operate. Any Skaven model may act as the firer’s assistant providing he stays in base contact. In the absence of an assistant the remaining model can only carry the jezzail at half speed and suffers a –1 penalty to hit. Also if the pair is shot at the assistant will always be hit first.

Pavise: If the jezzail team has an assistant they may purchase a pavise as described in Town Crier 7. The assistant must carry the pavise even if he is a henchman, but the team as a whole will move at half the speed of the slower team member.

Karak Azgal Map
10+4D6 gc Rare 9

The Dwarf engineers who built Karak Azgal would have kept meticulous records and maps but they are long lost. Some have attempted to make new maps of the stronghold but the results are variable to say the least. Use the rules for the Mordheim Map from the Mordheim rulebook.

Fire Bomb
10 GC, Common for dwarves, rare 6 for others.

After Kargan took control of Karak Azgul, many other dwarves came to settle there with him, and began the long task of restoring parts of the stronghold. One group of engineers took over a section of caverns that had once housed the Engineer's Guild Hall. In the process of rebuilding, they also had to seal off several tunnels that Skaven and Goblins had created in the area.

In one of these tunnels, the engineers found an oily liquid seeping from a crack in the wall. This would pool on the floor there. Being engineers, they proceeded to collect some of the liquid in small jars to experiment with. After an accident where an apprentice engineer dropped a jar of the liquid next to a fireplace, it was found that the liquid was flamible and made a nice bomb. (It was also found that the engineer in charge there needed a new apprentice.)

The engineers have collected a quantity of this oily liquid in small jars and made some reasonable fire bombs with it that they have provided to Kargan as part of his arsonal. Kargan makes a limited supply of these availible (for a price) to warbands who seek to explore the ruins in search of treasure and trouble.

Fire bomb
Thrown weapon. May only be used once.
Cost: 10 GC
Rarirty: Common for dwarves, rare 6 for others.
Range: 2 times strenght of hero throwing it. (Cannot be used by henchmen.)
Damage: target takes D3 S3 hits, and everyone within 2 inches must roll a 4+ on a D6 to avoid taking an S3 hit.

Special Rules:

Failed Hit: If the thrower of a bomb fails his "to hit" throw, then the bomb will not go off. He must then roll a D6 to see what happens.
1-4 - It’s a Dud! - The bomb breaks open but does not ignite.
5-6 - Ooops! - The bomb does not go off or break open. It rolls D3 inches beyond the target (stopping if it hits a wall or such). Any hero may pick it up by ending their movement in contact with it. They must wait for their NEXT turn to use it. (Yes, the guy you threw it at can now use it against you!) If the bomb goes off the board, it is lost.

Limited supply: Each warband may purchase at most D6 of these bombs each game. While they may be saved from game to game if not used, any one warband may only posses at most 6 bombs (Kargan just won’t sell you more if you have that many).

Fire: All hits caused are fire hits. In addition to damage done, an area of fire 2 inches in diameter is created that burns for d3 additional turns. Anyone passing through that area will suffer an S3 hit. Anyone stopping in the fire will suffer an S4 hit each turn the fire burns. Optional fire rules may also be applied if used.

Dangerous: These bombs may be easily set off by any kind of fire. If the model carrying a bomb suffers any kind of fire hit, he must roll a D6. On a 4+, his bomb(s) will explode. Play as if a bomb had been successfully thrown at him.

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SCENARIOS

Use the scenario tables on page 126 of the Mordheim rulebook for single player games and that in ‘Chaos on the Streets’ from Town Crier 5 or Best of Town Crier. Instead of Scenario 4: ‘The Wizards Mansion’ use ‘The Engineers Workshop’ scenario here.

Whenever a scenario refers to ‘Wyrdstone’ just read that as ‘Treasure’ instead. All of the scenarios can be played in open caverns as if they were cities but some would also suit smaller tunnels and chambers. You can decide which to use with your opponent.

SERIOUS INJURY CHART

Use the Serious Injury chart on page 119 of the Mordheim rulebook. As there are no Fighting Pits in a Dwarf stronghold treat ‘Sold to the Pits’ as Hermit's Lair below.

Hermit's Lair

The Hero has been found by a strange old creature who lives deep within the stronghold. Some say that he is a human and others that he is an Orc. Either way he demands tat his victims do single combat with him before they leave.

Use the profile and equipment for the Pit Fighter hired sword. Roll to decide who charges and resolve combat normally.

If the Hero loses, roll to see if he is dead or injured (on a roll of 11 to 35 on a D66). If he is not dead then he is thrown out of the lair without his weapons and armour and can re-join his warband.

If he defeats the Hermit he gains +2 Experience and can take 50 gc worth of loot from his lair. He can rejoin his warband with all of his armour and equipment.

INCOME

Use the rules on page 134 of the Mordheim rulebook for exploration and income. Treat any references to ‘wyrdstone’ as ‘treasure’. If you roll doubles, triples etc, then refer to the Karak Azgal exploration chart.