When the Dark Elves were banished by the Elders of Ulthuan for their worship of the Dark Gods, they retreated to Naggaroth and built their own kingdoms. There they stayed for countless years, secluded, chewing on their grudge against all other Elves, and worshipping their deities of evil. When finally they emerged to once again mix with the rest of the Old World, they were a bitter race. The Witch King trains his more skilled warriors to be assassins and kill some more prominent and influential members of High Elf society. The Dark Elf Assassin is just such a warrior. Rather than staying in Naggaroth for the totality of his training, though, Assassins travel throughout the Old World to get a more broad range of experience. The Assassin roams from city to city, not caring much for small villages or even towns. He feels quite at home in the bustling marketplaces of the larger cities, where many races are found mixed together and the usually hated Dark Elves may blend in better.
In Warhammer Quest, the Assassin can be played in one of two ways. Firstly, he may join a party of adventurers just for a new experience, to learn the strengths (and more importantly the weaknesses) of different races. He will help the other warrior’s out while in the dungeon, but only because he wants them to help him when he needs it. Secondly, the warriors may hire the Assassin in a city to help them along for an adventure or two. The second choice is only recommended for parties of warriors who have lost a member and are trying to temporarily fill the gap in their party while searching for a new adventurer. Another possibility would be the warriors are on an adventure where they know an Assassin would be useful, such as one where they need to sneak around or disguise themselves, things an Assassin is skilled at.
The profile of a Dark Elf Assassin is as follows:
Level | 1 |
Title | Outlaw |
Move | 4 |
WS | 4 |
BS | 4 |
Str. | 3 |
Dam. | 1D6 |
Tough. | 3 |
Wounds | 1D6+7 |
Init. | 3 |
Att. | 1 |
Luck | 0 |
WP | 3 |
The Dark Elf Assassin carries a vial of Black Venom, a special poison from Naggaroth.
The Assassin starts out with a knife, causing 1D6+1 wounds. It can be hidden in his boot.
The Dark Elf does not begin the game with any armor.
The Assassin can never be pinned.
This thick, dark-colored liquid is used to coat the blades of Naggaroth’s death-dealers. It causes 1D3 wounds of Fatal Damage (resolved after the Monster’s Phase) on a successful hit by a coated blade. The Assassin’s vial carries enough poison to coat his knife for 1 adventure.
Much like the skill listed in the Bestiary of the Roleplay book, this skill allows the Dark Elf to ignore armor when attacking a monster with hand-to-hand weapons. On a natural hit roll of 6+, toughness is also ignored. Any magical weapons (such as the Darting Steel Daggers) which hit automatically in hand-to-hand combat are treated as if the hit roll were a natural 6.
The Assassin will obviously not use treasure intended for spellcasters. He may not use swords, or anything larger (like an axe) or heavier (like a mace). The Dark Elf cannot wear any magical armor or helmets, and will not carry any shield.
In the advanced game of Warhammer, the Dark Elf Assassin will gain special skills and attributes as he progresses from battle-level 1 to 10. The following section shows how the Dark Elf Assassin goes through the battle-levels and details a new place to visit - the city Marketplace.
If the Warriors choose to hire an Assassin, it will cost them 3D3 x (Assassin’s battle-level) x 100 gold to do so.
The Dark Elf’s Assassinate skill increases with his battle-levels. It is treated like the Assassinate skill listed in the Bestiary. At the Outlaw and Cutthroat levels he ignores Toughness on a 6. At the Assassin level he gains Assassinate 5+, and at the Deathlord level he has Assassinate 4+.
The Assassin will never wear any armor other than Furs, as it would be too much of an encumbrance for his fast-paced style of fighting. He will not wear any kind of helmet or carry any kind of shield, either. He will, however, look for small magical items that increase his defense, such as rings of protection.
The Dark Elf Assassin is quite limited in the weapons he is allowed to use. He only uses small weapons, as larger weapons would impede his movement and fighting style. He will never use any swords, or anything similar in size or larger. (eg. at the Weaponsmith, he may buy only Daggers, Knives, Throwing Axes, Throwing Stars, and Knuckle Dusters.) The Assassin, unlike other warriors, can attack with projectile weapons as many times as his Attacks attribute will allow. He also attacks uniquely with Throwing Stars. Rather than throwing one at a time, he tosses a handful at a time towards his foes. When attacking, instead of adding the strength of 1 to his damage dice, roll 1D6 and add the result to represent the number of stars that have hit the enemy (each having a strength of 1).
Assassins generally use weak and small weapons such as knives and daggers, so the only way to increase their attack power is through poisons and magic, namely runes. Any knife or dagger may only ever have two runes inscribed upon it, but the Assassin also has another option. He may choose to inscribe one rune on two small blades, one half on each blade. This gives each blade the effects of the rune, but only if they are used at the same time (if the Assassin has the Ambidextrous skill or is using the Darting Steel Daggers).
If an event occurs that causes the Dark Elf Assassin to fight other Dark Elves, he will not shy away from the fight, but act normally. Dark Elves, although strong in unity on the battlefield, care nothing for each other’s personal well-being and will gladly kill each other for a few gold pieces.
Dark Elves in general are not looked too kindly upon by most other races; besides Naggaroth, the only other place they truly find themselves at home is on the busy streets of the more over-populated cities of the Old World. These are places where all races are mixed together, and one particular person would not even be singled out, regardless of their race. Although Dark Elves are tolerated in the larger cities, they are still not well liked. Every time an Assassin enters a settlement, roll 1D6. On a 1, he is refused entry into the city by the guards. On a 6, he not only gets into the city, but he finds another Dark Elf within the city who may know of other Assassins in the area. This gives him a chance to train (refer to “Assassins and Training” section).
The Dark Elf will only visit cities, never villages or even towns. He may visit the Alchemist, the Alehouse (2D6-2), the Gambling House, the Armorer (Furs only), the Fletcher (no Longbow), the Weaponsmith, the Animal Trader, and the General Store. He has no desire to visit the Temple. He may buy only items and weapons allowed to the Elf (within the above stated limits), with two exceptions - he may buy a Crossbow and a Throwing Axe. Besides these locations, the Assassin may visit a new location - the city Marketplace.
Each time the Dark Elf enters a city, he may go to the Marketplace. Roll 1D6 to see how many merchants he may visit altogether (only one per day), then roll 1D6 on the table below to see what race the merchant is. Each day spent in the Marketplace triggers a Marketplace Event, and rather than making a roll on the normal Settlement Events table, roll on the Marketplace Events table found below. Every Merchant sells the items from the General Store that are available to their own race, besides some additional goods (you may buy these; roll on race tables below in the “Other Warriors” section as a “Human”). All of the “black market” items may only be used by the Assassin, as the other warriors find them distasteful (even the Witch Hunter).
Merchants
Roll | # |
1 | 1 |
2 | 2 |
3-5 | 3 |
6 | 4 |
Race Table
1 | Wood Elf |
2 | Dwarf |
3 | Chaos Dwarf |
4,5 | Human |
6 | Dark Elf |
As you approach the tent, you see the unsightly banner of Orion, king of the Wood Elves. It’s the only tent nearby, though, so you go in anyway. Upon entering, the Elf, dressed an gaudy green and red, silently asks his hired bodyguard to politely escort you out of the tent. When you regain consciousness, you thankfully realize that nothing was stolen, but will definitely think twice about entering the Elf Quarter in the next city you visit! You were so injured that you may do nothing the rest of the day. You do not need to roll for a Marketplace Event.
The stout little Dwarf eyes you cautiously as you peruse through his merchandise. This guy looks honest, he won’t have anything special you’re looking for. You had better buy something, though, because he’ll think you’re a spy otherwise.
You know that the gruff Chaos Dwarf is not here to sell those silly door spikes laying out on his cart. You walk over to him with a knowing look in your eye, and he nods slightly. “Come in and see the new steel spikes, they don’t rust like the iron ones,” he says too loudly. You follow him into his tent, and he shows you the real goods. His selection is displayed on the following table.
Item | Stock | Price |
---|---|---|
1D6 Firebombs | 8 | 100 |
1D3 Dragon Bombs | 10 | 400 |
Throwing Hammer | 9 | 400 |
Chamber Quarrels | 8 | 160 |
Firebombs
See the Dwarf Guildmaster in the Roleplay Book.
Dragon Bombs
These look like Firebombs but are engraved with powerful fire-runes. A Dragon Bomb causes
2D6 wounds to each monster in a 2x2 square, OR 4D6 wounds to any one Large Monster (see
Beastiary).
Damage caused by a Dragon Bomb is completely unmodified for anything.
Throwing Hammer
Slightly smaller than the Warhammer, this weapon has a thick leather strap attached to the
bottom of its handle, allowing it to be swung and thrown as a sling. It can be used in hand-to-
hand combat and causes damage as Mace (see Weaponsmith). If thrown, it requires successful BS
roll, ignores all but magic armor when resolving damage and is a strength 1D6 weapon.
Chamber Quarrels
These appear to be normal quarrels for a crossbow, but a closer inspection reveals a small
compartment wherein poison can be held. There are enough quarrels per purchase to last one
adventure. They can be filled with Black Venom. One dipping (enough to last on 1 blade for 1
adventure) fills all the quarrels used in 1 adventure.
Walking casually by the huge tent of the traveling Merchant, you quickly sneak into the back of his temporary shop and see what he has in stock from the underground.
Item | Stock | Price |
---|---|---|
BootBlades | 7 | 200 |
2D6 Dirks | 6 | 150 |
Bola | 9 | 300 |
Healing Herbs from Loren | 10 | 500 |
Disguise Kit | 10 | 700 |
Charm | 10 | 1,800 |
Boot Blades
These grant an extra +1 strength attack at -1 to hit.
Dirks
Dagger-like weapons, they are used like Throwing Stars. They have a strength of 2 and are thrown
at +1BS.
Bola
This is a rope attached to 3 steel spheres that is thrown to wrap around an enemy’s legs, rendering
them helpless. It requires a successful BS roll to hit, and counts as 1 attack. Monsters that are
caught in the bola are automatically hit. An enemy may attempt to break free from the bola in the
Monster’s Phase. Roll a dice and add the enemy’s strength. If the result is 8 or over, they break out.
If the roll was a natural 6, the bola is broken. The monster cannot do anything else that Monster’s
Phase, as he has used all his time breaking free. If he fails, he remains caught until the next
Monster’s Phase. If not broken, the bola may be retrieved when all the monsters in the room are dead.
The bola has no effect on Large Monsters (see Beastiary).
Healing Herbs from Loren
Hey, what’s a human merchant doing with Wood Elven Herbs? No wonder that Wood Elf Merchant in the
Elf Quarter was ranting and raving. Anyway, these herbs will make 1D3 Healing Potions, each healing 1D6
wounds.
Disguise Kit
This kit will aid the Dark Elf in impersonating any race while in Settlements. He may attempt to
disguise himself as another race to enter the Marketplace. The Dark Elf must decide which race he takes
on the appearance of (Elf, Human, or Dwarf) before he goes to a merchant. Roll for the race as normal,
but the reactions of the merchants, depending on your disguise, will be as if you were another warrior
visiting the Marketplace (see race tables in “Other Warriors” section). Before leaving the city, you must
discard the used kit.
Charm
Stolen directly from the Wood Elf Troupes that surround nearly every major city, these talismans give
you +1 luck permanently.
What a relief to finally see another Dark Elf’s face in the midst of these fumbling humans and gnarled midget dwarves. The merchant feels the same way, and before you get down to business, you both feel compelled to sit down and discuss the dealings of the Old World, Naggaroth, Ulthuan, and even the cities of the Empire. Neither of you particularly enjoy each other’s company, but there’s no one else willing to discuss the advantages of water torture over the rack. Inevitably this conversation will turn to fighting and battles. The Dark Elf Merchant will tell his new customer if there is any chance he can train up to his next battle-level (see “Assassins and Training” section). This is what the Dark Elf Merchant has to offer for sale.
Item | Stock | Price |
---|---|---|
Flask of Black Venom | 7 | 400 |
Repeater Crossbow | 7 | 2,500 |
Chamber Arrows | 9 | 120 |
1D6 Razor Arrows | 10 | 100 |
Hooknives (2) | 8 | 600 |
Black Venom
This deadly poison is only manufactured in the heart of dark Naggaroth. It is a fast-working toxin that
begins to deteriorate the heart mere minutes after injection. A Flask of Black Venom carries enough to dip
a blade into it 1D6 times. Each coating lasts for one whole adventure. Upon being hit with a blade covered
in Black Venom, an enemy suffers (Outlaw - 1D3, Cutthroat - 2D3, Assassin - 3D3, Deathlord - 4D3) wounds of
Fatal Damage, resolved after the Monster’s Phase, with no modifiers whatsoever. The increasing severity of
the poison reflects the fact that higher concentrations of Black Venom will only be sold to more seasoned
warriors, who respect its potency and will be more careful with it, by the veteran merchants who offer it for
sale.
Repeater Crossbow
The specialized missile weapon invented by Dark Elves, this weapon allows several shots to be fired before
needing to be relaoded. The Repeater Crossbow allows 5 shots per turn. Roll BS for each shot. If a 1 is
rolled, the Crossbow jams and may not fire any more shots this turn. It takes 1 turn to reload, and any jams
are automatically fixed in the process.
Chamber Arrows
Same as Chamber Quarrels, but for use with bows.
Razor Arrows
The especially narrow heads of these arrows are serrated as a miniature saw. If attacking an enemy with
armor, the armor is ignored when resolving damage. If attacking an enemy without armor, Razor Arrows cause
an extra 1D3 points of damage. Razor Arrows have no effect on magical armor, and no special rules apply when
attacking such monsters.
Hooknives
Preferred weapons of Naggaroth’s crazed Witch Elves, each knife has a nasty hook on the end. These can only
be weilded if the Assassin has the Ambidextrous skill - if they aren’t used simultaneously, they have no bonuses
and attack as regular knives. If he does have the skill, the Hooknives cause an extra D6 wounds on a hit roll
of 5+.
Any warrior may visit the Marketplace. If another warrior besides the Dark Elf Assassin wishes to do so, they can visit a total of 1D3 merchants (one per day), roll for the merchant’s race, and roll on the Marketplace Events table as normal. Use the following race tables to see what is available to your warrior.
WOOD ELF MERCHANT | |
---|---|
Race of customer | Goods offered |
Dwarf | General Store & Fletcher |
Human | General Store |
Elf | General Store, Fletcher, & Elf Quarter |
DWARF MERCHANT | |
---|---|
Race of customer | Goods offered |
Dwarf | General Store, Gunsmith, & Dwarf Guildmaster |
Human | General Store & Gunsmith |
Elf | General Store |
HUMAN MERCHANT | |
---|---|
Race of customer | Goods offered |
Dwarf | General Store & Weaponsmith* |
Human | General Store & Weaponsmith* |
Elf | General Store & Weaponsmith* |
CHAOS DWARF | |
---|---|
Race of customer | Goods offered |
Dwarf | General Store & Gunsmith* |
Human | General Store & Gunsmith* |
Elf | General Store & Gunsmith* |
Blunderbuss
Fired at -1 BS, range 6 squares. All models in a 2x2 square suffer a strength 4 hit unmodified for
armor. On a hit roll of 1 the Blunderbuss misfires and the user and every adjacent model suffers a strength
4 hit unmodified for armor. Uses powder and shot bought at the Gunsmith, each is good for 6 shots. Takes
1D3 turns to reload.
DARK ELF MERCHANT | |
---|---|
Race of customer | Goods offered |
Dwarf | General Store & Fletcher |
Human | General Store & Fletcher |
Elf | General Store & Fletcher |
2 |
FIRE
|
3 |
ACCOSTED
|
4 |
THUNDERSTORM
|
5 |
FESTIVAL
|
6 |
PICKPOCKET
|
7 |
FIGHT
|
8 |
SIDE SHOW
|
9 |
RIOT
|
10-11 | ROLL ON SETTLEMENT EVENTS TABLE |
12 | UNEVENTFUL DAY |
There are 2 main ways through which the Dark Elf can go up battle-levels. Both involve finding a Dark Elf Deathlord in or near the particular city you are in. Firstly, whenever an Assassin enters a Settlement and finds a Dark Elf to put him up for his stay, he will immediately inform you whether or not there is a Deathlord around the area. Roll 1D6 on the following table.
1-3 | The Elf doesn’t know of any Deathlord anywhere in the area. |
4 | A high-level Assassin left here a short while ago, and can be reached in 1D6 weeks of travel.* |
5 | A Deathlord just left, and is about 1D3 weeks away.* |
6 | An old Dark Elf is actually living in this city, and can be visited tomorrow. |
*Roll for Hazards as normal. Once the Dark Elf has found the Deathlord and trained, he may not return to the Settlement, but will meet up with the other warriors at the start of the next dungeon.
Secondly, whenever the Assassin visits a Dark Elf Merchant, there is a chance that he will tell him of other Deathlords in the area, or even offer to train you himself. Roll 1D6 on this table.
1 | The merchant does not know of any Deathlords in the area. | ||||||||||||||||
2 | A high-level Assassin left here a short while ago, and can be reached in 1D6 weeks of travel.* | ||||||||||||||||
3 | A Deathlord just left, and is about 1D3 weeks away.* | ||||||||||||||||
4 | There happens to be one in the very Settlement you’re in right now. | ||||||||||||||||
5 | There is one in this city, and he knows of another nearby. The next time you wish to train, you do not need to roll on any tables, as the Deathlord is already waiting for you when you arrive. | ||||||||||||||||
6 | The Dark Elf Merchant is actually a retired Assassin himself, and he will train you to the next
battle-level. In addition to your training, he also sells you a special weapon or magical item to aid
you in your battles for 1D6 x (Assassin’s new battle-level) x 50 gold. Roll 1D6+1D3.
|
Ring of Black Magic
This magical ring works just like the Spell Ring (Item 21 in the Magic Items sub-table of the Dungeon Room
Treasure table in the Roleplay book), only it casts Dark Elf Magic. Before each adventure, rather than taking
a spell card, the Assassin rolls on the Dark Elf Magic table (page 96 in the Roleplay book) to see which spell
is held in the ring. If he rolls a Failure, no spell is stored on the ring this adventure, and he must wait
until the next dungeon to try again.
Thunder Rune
This rune burns itself into the blade of any weapon it comes in contact with and immediately crumbles into
dust. It causes the weapon to be magic and adds 1D6 wounds when rolling for damage if the hit roll is a
natural 6.
Dark Amulet
This black medallion grants the Dark Elf increases to his attributes each turn. In the Power Phase, he
chooses one of the following - Movement, Strength, Toughness, Attacks, Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Initiative,
or Willpower - and adds +1 for the next turn.
All training, of course, must be paid for, and the payment for training up to each battle-level is found on the Assassin’s Battle-level Table.
2 |
HANDS OF DEATH
|
3 |
DIRTY FIGHTER
|
4 |
DEADEYE
|
5 |
REACTION STRIKE
|
6 |
RAPID FIRE
|
7 |
VITAL STRIKE
|
8 |
AMBIDEXTROUS
|
9 |
DEATHLEAP
|
10 |
POWER ARM
|
11 |
DODGE
|
12 |
PRINCE OF DEATH
|
Level | Gold | Title | Move | WS | BS | Str. | Dam. | Tough. | Wounds | Init. | Att. | Luck | WP | Skills |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | Outlaw | 4 | 4 | 4+ | 3 | 1D6 | 3 | 1D6+7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1* |
2 | 2,000 | Cutthroat | 4 | 4 | 3+ | 3 | 1D6 | 3 | 2D6+7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
3 | 4,000 | Cutthroat | 4 | 5 | 3+ | 3 | 1D6 | 3 | 2D6+7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
4 | 8,000 | Cutthroat | 4 | 5 | 3+ | 3 | 1D6 | 4 | 3D6+7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
5 | 12,000 | Assassin | 5 | 6 | 3+ | 3 | 2D6 | 4 | 3D6+7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
6 | 18,000 | Assassin | 5 | 6 | 2+ | 4 | 2D6 | 4 | 4D6+7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
7 | 24,000 | Assassin | 5 | 6 | 2+ | 4 | 2D6 | 4 | 4D6+7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
8 | 32,000 | Assassin | 5 | 7 | 2+ | 4 | 2D6 | 4 | 5D6+7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
9 | 40,000 | Deathlord | 5 | 7 | 1+ | 4 | 3D6 | 4 | 5D6+7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
10 | 50,000 | Deathlord | 5 | 8 | 1+ | 4 | 3D6 | 4 | 5D6+7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 |