The Bounty Hunter

By Ben Creighton
Version 2 - March 2000

In the Old World, men are driven to fight against evil for many reasons. Some fight for love of country or their fellow man, while others fight to destroy the enemies of their god. There are those who fight to gain power, and others who simply lust for the thrill of the kill. Then there are those who fight for love of gold. The Bounty Hunter is one such warrior. While there are few adventurers who will refuse a well-earned reward for their heroic deeds, a bounty hunter takes this one step further by becoming a professional mercenary. He cares little for whether the cause is just so long as the pay is good. That said, his cold attitude of ruthlessness and professionalism makes him a valuable ally when faced with the denizens of the deep. A good bounty hunter knows, however, that the way to get premium pay is to foster a dangerous reputation. Thus bounty hunters take pains to develop their own unique style. No two bounty hunters are exactly alike, for it is in their uniqueness that they are given the chance to shine for their prospective employers.

Wounds

1d6+7

Movement

4

Weapon Skill       

4

Ballistic Skill

5+

Strength

3

Toughness

3 (4)

Initiative

3

Attacks

1

Equipment

Rope and Healing Potion (identical to those carried by the Dwarf and Elf, respectively)

Weapons

Varies according to race. (See Special Rules.)

Armour

Furs (+1 Toughness)

Pinning

4+

Special Rules

When the Bounty Hunter is first created, roll 1d6 to determine his race:

1-2 Human
The Bounty Hunter is a human. He gains a permanent bonus of +1 Strength. He also gains the Ambidexterity Skill. (He may wield a weapon in each hand. On a natural To Hit roll of 6, he may make an immediate follow up attack with his off-hand weapon.) He begins play with a Sword (causes 1d6+4 Wounds) and a Dagger (causes 1d6+1 Wounds).
3-4 Dwarf 
The Bounty Hunter is a dwarf. He gains a permanent bonus of +1 Toughness and gains +1 Starting Wounds permanently. He begins play with an Axe (causes 1d6+3 Wounds).
5-6 Elf 
The Bounty Hunter is an elf. He gains the Dodge Skill. (He completely ignores the effects of any attack on a roll of 6 on a 1d6.) He begins play with a Sword (causes 1d6+3 Wounds) and a Short Bow (causes 1d6+1 Wounds).

Bounty Hunters and Treasure

The Bounty Hunter may use any weapon. However, he cannot use armour other than Furs, or any shields or helms unless he gains a Skill, Specialization, or Edge which allows him to do so. (He may still use rings, bracers, etc. that give Toughness bonuses.) He may not use any Wizard-only Treasure.

Advanced Rules
Battle Level Table

Battle Level Gold Wounds Movement Weapon Skill Ballistic Skill Strength  Damage Dice Toughness Initiative Attacks Pinning Will Power Luck Skills
1 0 1d6+7 4 4 5+ 3 1 3 3 1 4+ 3 0 0
2 2000 2d6+7 4 4 5+ 3 1 3 3 1 4+ 3 1 1
3 4000 2d6+7 4 4 5+ 3 1 3 3 2 4+ 3 1 1
4 8000 3d6+7 4 4 5+ 4 1 4 4 2 4+ 4 2 2
5 12000 3d6+7 4 5 5+ 4 2 4 5 3 4+ 4 2 2
6 18000 4d6+7 4 5 4+ 4 2 4 5 3 4+ 4 2 3
7 24000 4d6+7 4 5 4+ 4 2 4 6 3 4+ 5 3 3
8 32000 5d6+7 4 6 4+ 4 2 4 6 3 4+ 5 3 4
9 45000 5d6+7 4 6 4+ 4 3 4 7 4 4+ 6 3 5
10  50,000 6d6+7 4 7 4+ 4 3 4 7 4 4+ 6 3 5

Settlement Rules

When the Warriors arrive at a Settlement, the Bounty Hunter may visit the Alchemist, the Alehouse (2d6), the Gambling House, the Temple, the Armourer, the Weaponsmith, the General Store, and the Animal Trader. If the Bounty Hunter is an elf he may visit the Elf Quarter, and if he is a dwarf he may visit the Dwarf Guildmaster. If the Bounty Hunter has the Magic Edge, he may visit the Wizards' Guild. If any locations have to be found first, then he has to search for them as usual.

He may also visit a new Special Location: the Bounty Hunters' Guildhouse. All the rules for finding a special location in a Settlement apply to the Bounty Hunters' Guildhouse.

Bounty Hunters' Guildhouse

The Bounty Hunters' Guildhouse is the local headquarters of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, the organization to which all true bounty hunters belong. (Bounty hunters who decide against joining the Guild have a bad habit of winding up with no thumbs.) If the Bounty Hunter is able to find a Guildhouse he is required to enter it at least once during his stay at the Settlement. At the Guildhouse the Bounty Hunter can train or seek new bounties to hunt.

When the Bounty Hunter enters the Guildhouse, roll 1d6 on the following table:

1 he Bounty Hunter is behind on his dues and must pay 1d6X50 gold in order to gain admittance. If he is unable to pay he may wait until he has more gold, but he may not enter until he has paid the amount rolled.
2-5 The Bounty Hunter is admitted as normal.
6 The Bounty Hunter's reputation has preceded him, and a young novice agrees to pay him 1d6X50 gold in exchange for some battle tips.

The Bounty Hunter must pay gold according to the Battle Level Table in order to train to go up a Battle Level. He need not pay all of this at once, however. If he wishes, he may pay the Bounty Hunters' Guild part of his training fee in advance, and they will set it aside for him until he is able to pay off the rest. Gold set aside in this manner cannot be used for anything other than training; however, it also cannot be lost due to Hazards and Settlement Events. The Bounty Hunter gains no benefits from training until his training fee is paid in full.

While in the Guildhouse, the Bounty Hunter must seek new bounties to hunt. Roll 2d6 on the following table to determine what bounty he will be hunting during the next adventure (only one roll on this table is permitted per Settlement):

2 No Bounty!
The Bounty Hunter is unable to find any suitable job, and so is hunting no particular bounty during the next adventure.
3 Recover the Magical Sword!
The Bounty Hunter is hired to recover a magical sword stolen from his employer. If the party obtains any magical sword during the next adventure, roll 1d6. On a 1-3 it is the sword that the Bounty Hunter is seeking, and he must return it to his employer at the end of the adventure for twice its listed gold value.
4 Recover the Magical Armour!
The Bounty Hunter is hired to recover a piece of magical armour stolen from his employer. If the party obtains any magical armour (including helms and shields) during the next adventure, roll 1d6. On a 1-3 it is the armour that the Bounty Hunter is seeking, and he must return it to his employer at the end of the adventure for twice its listed gold value.
5 Bounty on Monster Heads!
There is a bounty posted on the heads of a certain type of monster. At the beginning of the next adventure, roll once on the Monster Encounter Chart. The Bounty Hunter collects double gold for each monster of the indicated type(s) he kills.
6 Gladiator!
Rather than hunting a bounty during the next adventure, the Bounty Hunter is hired as a freelance gladiator to entertain the masses. Roll 1d6 to see how he fares in his fight:
1 or 2 The Bounty Hunter is bested, and must forfeit 1d6X50 gold.
3 The fight ends in a draw.
4 The Bounty Hunter is victorious, and the crowd showers him with 1d6X50 gold.
5 The Bounty Hunter destroys his opponent with unmatched flair, and is showered with 1d6X100 gold.
6 The Bounty Hunter's amazing, hard-fought victory catches the eye of the Guildmaster of the local chapter of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, who awards him with a random Treasure Card.
7 Teach the Novice!
The Bounty Hunter is hired on to teach a novice a few new techniques. He is paid 1d6X100 gold for his services.
8 Test the Scroll!
A local wizard has hired the Bounty Hunter to test the effects of his new scroll. At any time during the next adventure, the Bounty Hunter may read the scroll and roll 1d6 to determine the results (roll 1d6+1 if he has the Magic Edge):
1 The scroll explodes in his face, causing 1d6 damage.
2-4 The scroll does not accomplish any notable effect.
5 The scroll heals 1d6 of the Bounty Hunter's Wounds.
6-7 The scroll causes 2d6 damage, unmodified by Toughness or Armour, to any enemy on the same board section as the Bounty Hunter.
The Bounty Hunter is rewarded for this service at the end of the next adventure with one random Treasure Card.
9 Rescue the Maiden! 
 A maiden is being held captive in the Objective Room of the next adventure. If the Warriors successfully defeat the Objective Room monsters, the Bounty Hunter gains 1d6X100 gold.
10 Recover the Key! 
 If the Warriors recieve a portcullis key during the next adventure, the Bounty Hunter must return it to his employer at the end of the adventure for 100 gold.
11 Kill the Masked Monster! 
 Whenever an Unexpected Event results in a monster encounter during the next adventure, roll 1d6. On a score of one, one of the monsters in the room (randomly determined) is the Masked Monster who killed the employer's wife. If the Bounty Hunter defeats it single-handedly, he is rewarded with a random Treasure Card and 1d6X50 gold.
12 Lots of Business! 
 Business is booming at the Bounty Hunters' Guild, and the Bounty Hunter has his pick of jobs. Roll three times on this table and choose the desired result. (Only one result may apply.)

Training

The Bounty Hunter may only train at the Bounty Hunters' Guild (see Settlement Rules above). When the Bounty Hunter trains, roll 1d6 to determine his teacher:

1

Incompetent Novice
The Bounty Hunter's teacher turns out to be below his own skill level. Although his training is finished, he must wait until after the next adventure to gain the higher attributes and other benefits of the next Battle Level.

2-4

Competent Trainer
The Bounty hunter gains a Battle Level as normal.

5

Talented Tutor
The Bounty Hunter's teacher is an accomplished expert in the field. Due to this superior tutelage, the Bounty Hunter gains one extra Starting Wound permanently.

6

Guildmaster!
The Guildmaster of the local Guildhouse decides to train the Bounty Hunter himself. Due to this superior tutelage, the Bounty Hunter gains an extra roll on the Skills Table.

Weapon Specialization

When the Bounty Hunter reaches Battle Level 2, he may roll for a weapon Specialization. The available weapons are swords, axes / hammers, shields, daggers / knives, bows, and unarmed. If he does not wish to Specialize now, he may roll for a Specialization at any time after gaining Battle Level 2, as long as he is in a Settlement with a Bounty Hunters' Guildhouse. If the Bounty Hunter is a dwarf, he may decide to automatically gain the Axes / Hammers Specialization instead of rolling; if he is an elf he may decide to automatically gain the Bows Specialization. When using a weapon of the type in which he is Specialized, he gains bonuses and penalties according to the table which follows. Roll 1d6 on the following table to determine his Specialization:

1

Swords
Bonuses
When using any sword, the Bounty Hunter gains +1 WS.
Penalties
When not using a sword, the Bounty Hunters gets -1 WS.
2 Axes / Hammers
Bonuses
 When using any axe or hammer the Bounty Hunter gets +2 Strength and deals an extra Damage Die on any attack with a natural To Hit roll of 6.
Penalties
 When not using an axe or hammer, the Bounty Hunter deals -2 Damage.
3 Shields
Bonuses
 The Bounty Hunter may now use any shield. When equipped with a shield, the Bounty Hunter may use one of his attacks each turn to make Shield Punch attack. (This uses up one of the Bounty Hunter's attacks: it is NOT an extra attack.) This attack is at +1 To Hit and deals 1d3 + S damage. If the Bounty Hunter has the Ambidexterity skill he may use a Shield Punch attack as a follow up attack as normal.
Penalties
 If the Bounty Hunter has the Ambidexterity skill, he gets -1 To Hit on all follow up attacks except Shield Punches.
4 Daggers / Knives
Bonuses
 When using all daggers and knives the Bounty Hunter ignores Armour and Toughness. If ALL of the Bounty Hunter's attacks in a turn are made with daggers / knives or are unarmed attacks, he gains +1 Attack for that turn.
Penalties
 When not using daggers, knives, or unarmed attacks, the Bounty Hunter gets -1 To Hit.
5 Bows
Bonuses
 The Bounty Hunter gains a permanent +1 bonus to BS and Break Pin. (Ex: BS 4+ would become BS 3+, Break Pin 3+ would become 2+, etc.) When using any bow, the Bounty Hunter gains +1 Attack. The Bounty Hunter may attack as many times as he has Attacks with all bows.
Penalties
 On the Bounty Hunter's second Deathblow per turn he gets -1 To Hit. On his third Deathblow per turn he gets -2 To Hit, and so on.
6 Unarmed
Bonuses
 When making unarmed attacks, the Bounty Hunter ignores Toughness and Armour. If ALL of the Bounty Hunter's attacks in a turn are unarmed, he gains +1 Attacks and +1 WS for that turn. If the Bounty Hunter has the Ambidexterity skill, he may use an unarmed attack as a follow up attack as long as his off hand is free, even if his first attack was with a weapon. (Note: Unarmed attacks deal damage according to normal Damage Dice, unmodified by Strength.) Knuckle duster attacks count as unarmed for the purposes of this Specialization.
Penalties
 When using a weapon other than knuckle dusters, daggers, and knives, the Bounty Hunter gets -1 WS.

Edges

When the Bounty Hunter reaches Battle Level 3, he gains an Edge. An Edge is an extra advantage that gives the Bounty Hunter access to special abilities or enhanced stats. Roll on the following table to determine the Bounty Hunter's Edge. If the Bounty Hunter is a dwarf, roll 1d6-1, an elf, 1d6+1, a human, 1d6.

0

Runemaster
The Bounty Hunter has learned to inscribe runes of power on weapons. In any Settlement containing a Dwarf Guildmaster, the Bounty Hunter may pay 1d6X10 gold for materials in order to inscribe a rune on a weapon. Roll 2d6 to determine the effect of the rune:

2

Failure
 The Bounty Hunter has failed to make a useful rune. He may make another attempt by paying an additional 1d6X10 gold and rolling again on this table at -1 to the dice roll. This penalty is cumulative for each failure. If he chooses not to make another attempt, no further attempts may be made to inscribe a rune on this weapon.

3

Rune of Life Stealing
 On a natural To Hit roll of 6, this weapon deals Damage unmodified for Toughness, Armour, or Strength instead of normal damage and heals that many of the wielder's Wounds.

4

Rune of Protection
 This weapon gives the wielder +2 Toughness for as long as he wields it.

5

Rune of Skill
 This weapon gives the wielder +1 WS for as long as he wields it.

6

Rune of Bravery
 The wielder of this weapon automatically passes all Fear tests, and Terror is treated as if it were Fear.

7

Rune of Sharpness
 This weapon causes +2 Damage.

8

Rune of Absorption
 This weapon negates any spell cast by any monster or Warrior in an adjacent square to the wielder on a roll of 3+ on a 1d6.

9

Rune of Parrying
 This weapon can parry any incoming attack, negating all effects of the attack, on roll of 6 on a 1d6.

10

Rune of Quickness
 This weapon gives the wielder +1 Attacks.

11

Rune of Death
 On a natural To Hit roll of 6, this weapon causes two extra Damage Dice.

12

Great Success
 The Bounty Hunter has inscribed a rune of great power. Roll twice on this table to determine the effects of the rune, ignoring any additional rolls of 12.
The Bounty Hunter cannot inscribe more than one rune on any given weapon with this ability, although more runes can be added from other sources. Only the Bounty Hunter gains the benefits of the runes; the runes will not function when the weapon is in the hands of any other Warrior.

1

Armourmaster
The Bounty Hunter is trained in the use of armour. He may now use all armour and helms. He still may not use shields unless he has the Shields Specialization.

2

Weaponmaster
The Bounty Hunter has undergone advanced training in the use of weapons. He gains a permanent +1 bonus to his WS and BS. For example, at Battle Level 4 his WS is 4 and his BS is 4+. With this Edge, they would be 5 and 3+, respectively.

3

Speed
The Bounty Hunter moves with blinding speed. He gains +2 Initiative and +1 Movement permanently. If he does not already have the Dodge Skill, he gains it at 6+. If he already has the Dodge Skill, it increases by one point. (Dodge 6+ becomes Dodge 5+, etc.)

4

Skill
The Bounty Hunter's intense training is now paying off. He gains three immediate rolls on the Skills Table. In addition, when training from now on he gains +1 on the roll to determine his teacher. (Treat a result of 7 as a 6.)

5

Health
The Bounty Hunter has worked hard to build up his body. He gains a permanent bonus of +1 Strength and Toughness and gains one extra Starting Wound.

6

Magic
The Bounty Hunter, while not nearly as powerful as the Wizard, now has a limited understanding of magic. Draw two spell cards to determine his spells. He may cast these as if he were a Wizard, except that he recieves no Stored Power tokens. In addition, from now on when he gains a Battle Level he may gain new spells in the same manner as a Wizard, except that he rolls three dice LESS than his new Battle Level to determine how many points he may spend on new spells. (He does not begin doing this until he rises to Battle Level 4. Don't do it now!) He still cannot use Wizard-only Treasure., but he can now visit the Wizards' Guild.

7

Agility
The Bounty Hunter fights with incredible agility. He gains +1 Attack and all enemies are at -1 To Hit him.

Skills

When the Bounty Hunter gains a skill, roll 2d6 on the following table:

2

Specialist
The Bounty Hunter gains one skill of his choice from this table. (He may not choose Diligent Student.)

3

Magic
The Bounty Hunter dabbles in magic. Choose a random spell card. The Bounty Hunter may automatically cast this spell once per adventure. If the Bounty Hunter has the Magic Edge, this spell is instead permanently added to his selection.
The Bounty Hunter may gain this Skill more than once, choosing a new spell card each time.

4

Boot to the Head
The Bounty Hunter gains an extra Boot attack each turn which deals 1d6 damage, unmodified for Toughness or Armour. This attack counts as being unarmed for the purposes of the Unarmed and Daggers / Knives Specializations. If the Bounty Hunter gains this Skill more than once he may make an extra attack for each time he has gained it.

5

Reaction Strike
Whenever monsters appear as a result of an Unexpected Event, the Bounty Hunter gains an extra attack before anyone else may go. This skill may be gained more than once, giving an extra reaction attack each time.

6

Hawkeye
The Bounty Hunter may reroll one To Hit roll per adventure. If he gains this skill more than once, he may reroll an additional To Hit roll per adventure for each time he has gained it.

7

Ambidexterity
The Bounty Hunter may wield one weapon in each hand. (He may not use a shield or a two-handed weapon while doing this.) If he scores a natural 6 To Hit, he gains an immediate extra attack with his off hand. If the Bounty Hunter has the Shields Specialization, he may use a shield as an off-hand weapon and make a Shield Punch attack as a follow up attack as normal. If the Bounty Hunter has the Unarmed Specialization, he may use an unarmed attack as a follow up attack as long as his off hand is free.
If the Bounty Hunter gains this skill a second time, he gets a follow up attack on a natural 5+ to hit; a third time, 4+, and so on to a maximum of 2+.

8

Dodge
The Bounty Hunter may dodge any incoming attack on a roll of 6+ on a 1d6. If this skill is gained more than once, he gains +1 to the roll to dodge. (Ex: Dodge 6+ becomes Dodge 5+, etc. to a maximum of 2+.)

9

Regenerate
If the Bounty Hunter has more than zero Wounds at the end of a turn, he gains one Wound. If he gains this skill more than once he gains one Wound for each time he's gained it. (Ex: Regenerate +1 becomes Regenerate +2, etc.) He cannot gain more Wounds in this way than his Starting Wounds.

10

Crushing Blow
Once per adventure the Bounty Hunter may designate a normal attack as a Crushing Blow. This attack automatically hits and is at double Damage Dice and double Strength. If the Bounty Hunter gains this skill more than once, he may make an additional Crushing Blow attack each adventure for each time he has gained it.

11

Armourmaster
The Bounty Hunter may now use all armour and helms usable by the Elf. If the Bounty Hunter rolls this skill again, he may use all armour and helms usable by the Barbarian. The third time the Bounty Hunter rolls this skill, he may use any armour or helms at all. He may still not use a shield unless he has the Shields Specialization. If he gains this skill more than three times, reroll to see which skill he gains.££££If the Bounty Hunter has the Armourmaster Edge, one point of Movement lost because of wearing heavy armour is negated for each time he has gained this skill. This does not actually increase his Movement attribute; it merely negates the penalty for wearing heavy armour.

12

Diligent Student
The Bounty Hunter may roll twice on this table.