It is told that many moons ago the
original population of the earths built intelligent slaves to aid them in their
tasks. As time went on, these slaves became more and more intelligent, until
they were eventually valued almost as high as human beings. Then, one day, all
the humans were killed in a giant war against the devils. Most of the slaves
died, but every once and a while an "ancient" pops up, sometimes
after hiding for years, under the impression that the war is still going on, or
sometimes found, deactivated and buried, by miners.
"Deactivated?" I hear you cry. ˜How were these slaves "built",
and how do they survive so long?" you cry out loud. Let me explain.
Ancients are electronic and robotic. The technology used to create these slaves
was lost during the war, so ancients rarely try to explain what they really are.
Most people do not bother to inquire, anyway, and merely assume that they are
men in rather flashy body armour. Should an ancient join a group of warriors then
he will certainly come in handy, to say the least.
BL | Title | W | M | WS | BS | S | T | I | A | BL | DD | L | WP | PIN |
1 | Old One | 1D6+6 | 3 | 2 | 6+ | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 6+ |
2 | Learned One | 2D6+6 | 3 | 2 | 6+ | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 6+ |
3 | Learned One | 2D6+6 | 3 | 3 | 5+ | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 6+ |
4 | Learned One | 2D6+6 | 3 | 3 | 5+ | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | 6+ |
5 | Wise One | 3D6+6 | 3 | 3 | 5+ | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | - | 6+ |
6 | Wise One | 3D6+6 | 3 | 3 | 4+ | 5 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | - | 6+ |
7 | Wise One | 3D6+6 | 3 | 4 | 4+ | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | - | 6+ |
8 | Wise One | 3D6+6 | 3 | 4 | 4+ | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 0 | - | 6+ |
9 | Aged One | 4D6+6 | 3 | 4 | 4+ | 6 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 0 | - | 6+ |
10 | Aged One | 5D6+6 | 3 | 4 | 4+ | 7 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 0 | - | 6+ |
This item resembles the firebomb and explodes when
cirtain signals are sent to it by the ancient. This
item may be thrown into a 2 by 2 area and should hopefully cause damage to all
the creatures in those squares. It can only be used once.
When detonated roll 1D6 and consult the following table:
1 |
Znnnwww... - The bomb fails and causes no damage. |
2-5 |
Kaboom! - 2D6 damage caused on each creature caught in the blast. |
6 |
Whoop! Whoop! - Overload!! Everyone in the room loses 2D6 wounds. |
When fighting devils (N.B. not deamons, devils) the ancient may not break pinning, but gets +1 attack.
The ancients were never trained in the use of any weapons except the
attachments that their masters gave them. Thus, the ancient cannot use any
weapons from the Warhammer World. Also, being a robot, he has his own armour
plating, and so cannot utilize armour from the Warhammer World.
Also, ancients cannot drink or eat, so they never need to enter the alehouse
(but should one happen to enter, count him as an elf), and the concept of any
god "does not compute" (with the obvious exception of the gods of
"Silicone Heaven"), so they do not enter temples. Additionally,
throwing money away in a gambling house is a big "negative-negative"
(no-no), so neither do ancients do that.
Essentially, ancients cannot really do all that much in the modern world.
They can only really enter the general store.
However, ancients can enter the "Scrap Yard" for spare parts (see
below).
This is where the ancient buys spare parts and spends his time constructing
attachments and researching. It is here where the ancient spends the gold he
earns, and sells the treasure he picks up. Count this as training, so to get to
level 2, spend 2000 gold, to get to level 3, spend 4000 gold, an so forth.
Each time the ancient goes up a level roll once on the following table:
1 |
Sorry. Nothing gained. |
2-3 |
One attribute gained. |
4-5 |
One attachment gained. |
6 |
One attachment and one attribute gained. |
2 |
Electrical Discharge While studying you accidentally touch a live wire and suddenly, you feel as if you have not yet even begun to study. Alas, the time you bought is up, and you may learn no more. The ancient loses one attribute that he previously gained (his choice). If he has no attributes, re-roll. |
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3 |
Circuits Scrambled While playing about with a metal staff that you have found lying around, you accidentally set off a lightning spell, scrambling your circuits. Every time a one is now rolled in the power phase you suffer exactly the same effects as a mindless chaos warrior (see chaos warrior booklet). May only be gained once. |
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4 |
Virus An ancient virus implanted by the devils kicks in, and you are suddenly very unsure of your mission objectives. Once a turn roll 1D6. If you roll a one then roll a further 1D6 and consult the following table:
If this is gained again then roll twice per turn, three times - thrice, etc. |
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5 |
Age You are old, and your stamina is not what it used to be. You are at a further -1 movement. |
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6 |
Faulty One of your attachments has become faulty. Choose one attachment. That attachment has become faulty, and now you must roll 1D6 every turn. On a one, it does not work that turn. If you have no attachments then re-roll. This may be gained once for every attachment. |
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7 |
Grip The minotaur advances on you, but your hand extends and you hold him where he is. One foe is unable to move, and loses half of its attacks (rounding up) if you grip them. Unfortunately, this takes up half of you attacks (always rounding up), unless you have an extra arm (see below) in which case you only lose one attack. This may only be gained once. |
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8 |
Digger You burrow fast, and soon you see the light of day. You may now spend one turn each adventure digging out a collapsed passage or cave-in. This may only be gained once. |
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9 |
Inhanced Reactions Sensing the goblins before the other adventurers, you spring into action. You gain +1 initiative and +1 WS. This may only be gained once. |
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10 |
Recharge You find a button about your person that you did not know of before. Once per adventure you may press your recharge button and switch off for the turn. You may not move or really do anything during this period, but by the end of the Warriors' Phase you will be on full wounds. This may only be gained once. |
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11 |
Great Strength You lift the portcullis and the warriors run through. As well as gaining +1 strength, you can now lift a non-magical portcullis up for one turn, once per adventure. |
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12 |
Fast Adapter You find a sword and you are soon able to use it. You may now use swords of any type. Should you gain this again, then pick a weapon type (axe, bow, etc.). You may now use weapons of that type too. |
2 |
Disrepair
One of your attachments is useless, and may no loner be used. Discard one attachment - it no longer works. This may happen more than once, but if you have no attachments then re-roll. |
3 |
Drill
You find some scrapped swords, warped and twisted, and construct a giant drill. While using the drill you gain +3 DD. It may be used once per combat. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
4 |
Siren
Wheoow! Wheoow! You can now set off a siren once per adventure. This causes terror with a value of your battle-level in everyone in the room you are in, and the rooms adjoining it (yes, this includes the other warriors), unless they have a terror value equal or better than your battle-level. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
5 |
Body Armour
"You appear bigger and tougher" remarks one of your companions. He's right, but the word "appear" could have been replaced with 'are' You gain two points of armour. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
6 |
Flashing Light
Explaining to your companions that you wear a magic gem upon your head, you feel that you can use your light without causing too much trouble among your friends. You can now set off a flashing light once per adventure. This causes fear with a value of your battle-level in every monster in the room you are in, unless they have a fear value equal or better than your battle-level, or a terror value. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
7 |
Bigger Memory Banks
You may now store more knowledge. You gain +1 initiative. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
8 |
Claws
Your fingers are now fitted with metal claws. While using your claws you gain +1 S. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
9 |
Laser
You shoot a beam of light from your eyes, and the snotling yelps. Once per adventure you may fire your laser. It causes normal damage with +1 S and +1 DD, and hits any target you can see against BS. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
10 |
Caterpillar Tracks
You claim to be wearing magical sandles, throwing off the suspicious warriors. You are now movement 4 and pinning 5+. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
11 |
Force Field
An invisible barrier must be broken through before you can be damaged. You gain +1D6 wounds. If you gain this again then re-roll. |
12 |
Extra Arm
Claiming to be warped by some strange magic should excuse your third arm. You gain +1 attack. This may be gained up to four times. |
It is not the ancient that must really worry about role-playing, it is the
inquisitive warriors. Wizards will ask him how he developed his "Light Beam" spell. Chaos warriors will ask if he gained his extra arm from
Khorne.
Engineers will ask him how he constructed his drill. It is very unlikely that
the ancient will try to explain what he is.
As for his personality, he could be like Data from Star Trek, having no emotions
and trying to be logical, or like Zynk from Shining Force II, claiming ˜I
am what I am. That is all that I am. and speaking in riddles, or like
Kryten from Red Dwarf, with quite a large personality. It is up to the player
(as it always should be in my opinion).