If used in a beardy way, the training could
become a major unbalancing factor, but I put it in mainly as a way to give the
player something else to help with the characterisation. It's a lot like the Pit
Fighter in that respect; it enables you to come up with a more individual
character, but try not to do it in a way that would unbalance the game (in the
past, we have ended up with a Pit Fighter with a base Toughness and strength of
7 or 8, which was ridicules).
The character's two special locations will appear later, but here's a summery
for now; the Masquerade Ball will be an Alehouse type location which only
Vampires and Imperial Nobles can visit. I will have a chance of being a Vampire
ball (thanks Vince). The Forbidden Library will obviously have something to do
with magic, though I haven't worked out what yet. If nothing else, he will have
to find one to train as a Wizard.
So, let me know what you think. Oh, just one more thing, if your wondering why I
called him a Sylvanian Noble instead of a Von Carstein Vampire, its because it's
shorter and sounds better.
Of all the Vampires that have ever been known to man, the cursed bloodline of the von Carsteins is the most infamous. Handsome, arrogant, charismatic and proud, the von Carsteins are the true aristocracy of the night. It was Vlad von Carstein, the first of their line, who brought vampirism to the unhappy land of Sylvania. He inflicted the dread curse on all the greatest and most powerful nobles in the land, bound them to his will, and became the undisputed ruler and master of an Undead kingdom at the very heart of the Empire. Vlad's reign of terror has now passed, but the von Carsteins are still a formidable force.
Wounds |
1D6+6 |
Move |
4 |
WS |
4 |
BS |
6+ |
S |
4 |
T |
4 |
A |
1 |
I |
5 |
WP |
2 |
Luck |
0 |
Pinning |
4+ |
Weapon
The Noble starts with a Sword that does D6+4 damage.
Armour
None.
Equipment
None.
Power Phase
In the Power Phase, the Blood Dragon rolls for Power in exactly the same way as the Wizard. Of course, this only serves a purpose if and when he gains spells.
As a Vampire, the following rules apply to the Noble:
Vampires are creatures of the night and do not need the lantern. They may explore separately from the leader if they wish. A vampire is never lost in the dark.
The Sylvanian Noble is unaffected by fear and terror.
After a battle against living opponents (this excludes daemons as well as
undead), the Vampire may spend a turn drinking the blood of one of his
victims. This action heals D6 wounds. If he drinks the blood of a Dragon,
then he is healed back up to his starting wounds and gains another 1
Permanent Wound.
If he drinks* when other warriors are on the same
board section, then his
secret is revealed to them. Any Witch Hunters, Warrior Priests, Bretonnian
Knights or Troll Slayers in the party must attack him immediately. It is
left to the other warriors' discretion as to how they react.
*Drinking phials of blood when other warriors can
see him is fine. It's the
actual biting of the neck that gives the game away. Warriors drink strange
coloured potions all the time, so they aren't likely to think much of a
knight drinking one which is red.
The Noble may only be healed by drinking blood and by spells.
A Warrior Priest's blessings and Ring of Jade
will have the reverse effect
on the Vampire. He will never carry holy artefacts etc. Any blessings which
have no obvious negative effect cause 1D6 unmodified wounds instead.
Remember that the Noble's identity is kept secret from the other Warriors,
so any Warrior Priests should treat him like he would anyone else, meaning
he will try to heal and bless the Vampire.
Additionally, horses can sense when something is
unholy and the Vampire may
not ride them. Nor may he ride in a cart pulled by one.
As he must travel by night, the Noble must travel separately from the other warriors. For each week spent travelling, roll one event for the rest of the party and resolve it. Then roll another event for the Noble which he must deal with alone. The Noble is not involved in the first event.
The Vampire may never use any holy items (especially holy water) or items specifically designed to ward off Undead. He may only use bladed weapons (such as swords and axes). Nor may he use missile weapons of any sort (preferring to be in close for the kill). He may never wear more than three points of armour, as this would impede his sense style and grace. For the same reason, he may not use a shield. The only magical equipment he may use are items of jewellery (rings, amulets etc.), swords and armour. He may never own a living animal.
In settlements, the Sylvanian Noble may visit the Alehouse, the Alchemist and the Gambling House. He may visit any trader except the Animal Trader. He may also visit two new locations; the Masquerade Ball and the Forbidden Library. His Alehouse roll is 2D6.
A Vampire only has to pay half the amount for living expenses (rounding fractions up), as he has no need for food.
It is inadvisable for the Vampire to go out by day and if he does, he loses 1 wound from his starting wounds score for each day.
Instead of going out during the day (a risky business if your a vampire), the Sylvanian Noble, or any other hero, may go out by night. Going out at night is often a dangerous business for anyone who is not quite accustomed to it, to represent this, any warrior other than the vampire who goes out by night must roll twice on the settlement events table.
The following locations are doing business as usual by night and anyone who can usually visit them by day, may visit them by night instead; the Alehouse, the Gambling Den, all of the Temples, Shrines etc, all of the locations generated by the 'Grail Quest' and the Witch Hunter's Guild.
Whenever you roll an uneventful day
(or night) in the Settlement Events
table, roll 1D6:
1 |
Exposed! |
||||||
2 |
Blessed |
||||||
3 |
Uneventful Night |
||||||
4 |
Werewolf While walking through a moonlit park, you hear rustling coming from some bushes. You immediately draw your blade and investigate. Suddenly, a creature, half man, half wolf, pounces on you. Roll 1D6:
|
||||||
5 |
Mugged Walking |
||||||
6 |
Outcast from Society |
The Vampire can train in any Settlement if he has enough gold just like any other warrior.
Of all the vampire Blood Lines, the Von Carsteins are the most diverse. The Blood Dragons are consummate warriors. The Lahmian's are temptresses, using their guile, wit and beauty to overcome their enemies. The Strigoi are bestial and savage and the Necrarchs devote their unlives to the black arts. The lords of Sylvania, however, combine all of these aspects.
Nowhere is the diversity of the line more apparent then in the infamous Counts Konrad and Mannfred von Carstein. Konrad was often seen in a bloodied frenzy in the middle of the battlefield. A crazed warrior to the pits of his cursed heart, he was possibly more like a Blood Dragon or even a Strigoi than a Von Carstein.
Mannfred, on the other hand, was (and is rumoured to still be) an extraordinarily handsome and cunning man. While the other Von Carsteins were fighting amongst them selves after Vlad's death, Mannfred was studying the black art of Necromancy. In this way he was more like a Necrarch, but he could use his charms in much the same way as a Lahmian.
To represent this diversity, when he trains, the Von Carstein has two options; he can either train as normal, increasing stats and gaining skills as per the Advanced Profile Table. Alternatively, he may study the Black Arts. If he chooses this second option, then his stats and skills do not increase. Instead, he gains spells and power as the Wizard does.
Additionally, as he trains in magic, he gains the ability to use treasure cards that he could not before. The first time he trains as a wizard, he may use Scrolls. The third time, he may use staffs and wands. The fifth time, he may use any item the wizard may use, with the exception of potions and holy items.
The Noble may choose either path every time he trains.
EXAMPLE
When training to Battle Level 7, the
Vampire decides to train as a Wizard
for the second time, gaining 7 spell Dice, 1D6 internal power and the
ability to use scrolls. Later, when training to level 8, he trains as
normal, gaining +1D6 Wounds and 1 Will Power.
NOTE - Much like the Pit Fighter, this rule does require the player to be sensible and not try a create a 'Super Warrior'. Remember, the game can rapidly loose it's appeal if nothing is a challenge anymore.
If you roll Spellcasting when rolling for skills, then instead of a skill, you gain spells like the wizard and 1D6 Internal Power like the wizard except you only roll 3 dice for spell selection and he should use necromancy spells if possible. However, he may only cast spells if he is not wearing armour (unless the armour states otherwise, or he has the Strength of Steel skill).
Whenever the Advanced Profile indicates that you gain a Skill, roll 2D6 on the following table.
2-3 | Spellcasting |
4 |
Summon Bats The vampire produces a loud spine-chilling wail that pierces the darkness and calls for help from the creatures of the night. These beasts are slaves to the implacable will of the Carstein blood. The Vampire can use this power at the start of his turn to summon Giant Bats or Fell Bats. It does, however cost 7 power, though it is not a spell. The number of bats summoned depends on your battle level; Thrall 1D6 Giant Bats or 1 Fell Bat. Count 2D6 Giant Bats or 2 Fell Bats. Lord 3D6 Giant Bats or 3 Fell Bats. |
5-6 |
Call Mists Many vampires can call dark mists to blot out the sun. The Vampire may now travel with the other warriors. |
7-8 | Spellcasting |
9 |
Summon Wolves The Vampire produces a bestial howl that awakens dark creatures and beckons them to his aid. The Vampire can use this power at the start of his turn to summon Dire Wolves. It does, however cost 7 power, though it is not a spell. The number of wolves summoned depends on your battle level; Thrall 1D3 Dire Wolves. Count 1D6 Dire Wolves. Lord 1D6+3 Dire Wolves and 1 Doom Wolf. |
10 |
Wolf Form The vampire can change his form into that of a wolf. You may choose to change form at any time during the Warriors' phase and the effects last until you choose to change back. While in the wolf form, your statistics are modified as follows: M: +3, WS: -2, T: -2, A: +1, Pin: 2+. You may not use any equipment, spells or skills while in this form. |
11 |
Mist Form Some vampires can change their shape to that of a wolf, a great bat or a whirl of mist. In doing so, they gain all the advantages of the new form. During the Power Phase, the Vampire may elect to dissolve his body into a mist. While in this form, he can only be harmed by spells and other magical attacks. However, he may do nothing other than move (breaking from pinning automatically) and absorb blood. This works in exactly the same way as drinking blood, except it may be done without the other warriors noticing. He may change back at the start of the next Power Phase, though he does not have to. |
12 |
Aura of Dark Majesty |
BL | GOLD | TITLE | M | WS | BS | S | DD | T | W | I | A | Lk | WP | SK | Pin |
1 | 0 | Child | 4 | 4 | 6+ | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1D6+6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4+ |
2 | 2,000 | Thrall | 4 | 4 | 5+ | 4 | 1 | 4 | +D6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4+ |
3 | 4,000 | Thrall | 5 | 5 | 5+ | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3+ | |
4 | 8,000 | Thrall | 5 | 6 | 5+ | 5 | 1 | 4 | +D6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3+ |
5 | 12,000 | Count | 5 | 6 | 4+ | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3+ | |
6 | 18,000 | Count | 6 | 6 | 4+ | 5 | 2 | 5 | +D6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3+ |
7 | 24,000 | Count | 6 | 7 | 3+ | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3+ | |
8 | 32,000 | Count | 6 | 7 | 3+ | 5 | 2 | 5 | +D6 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2+ |
9 | 45,000 | Lord | 6 | 8 | 3+ | 5 | 3 | 5 | +D6 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2+ |
10 | 50,000 | Lord | 6 | 8 | 2+ | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2+ |