Warhammer Quest: Domain of the Horned Rat
Warhammer Quest: Domain of the Horned Rat Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Skaven in Middenheim
Middenheim, City of the White Wolf, is one of the Empire's principle cities and gateway to the north. It is the capital of the cult of Ulric and plays a major role in the affairs of the Empire. However, even this bastion of humanity isn't safe from the delving Under-Empire of the Skaven. Set atop a mighty pinnacle of rock, Middenheim sits upon a network of ancient tunnels, dug from the bare rock by human, Dwarf and Skaven hands. Nobody truly knows what lurks beneath the city - its history records accounts of Chaos cults, Necromantic cabals and previous Skaven incursions. Of these, it is the threat of the Skaven that is ever-present, sustained as it is by the might of the Council of Thirteen. Numerous times in the past have the Skaven erupted from their tunnels only to be beaten back by the city's defenders.
Recently, a new overlord of the Middenheim lair has been appointed by the Council of Thirteen. Quirrik is a young, ambitious Warlock of Clan Skryre, whose groundbreaking experiments with warpstone have earned him much prestige in the last two years. Now he has been commanded to develop his technology and create an arsenal of weapons with which to destroy the city.
There are many ways a band of brave Warriors may encounter the Skaven, above and below ground. The Skaven frequently send parties of Gutter Runners to seek news from the surface, and they do not always pass undetected. In addition, many of the city buildings have basements and sub-basements that connect to the tunnels beneath Middenheim, and therefore the Under-Empire. A chance discovery can lead to all kinds of adventures and dangers, and the exploits of successful adventurers are likely to reach Quirrik's inquisitive ears at some point, bringing them to his unwelcome attention (and that of his Clan Eshin allies, the Assassins).
The Main Characters
There are three main protagonists the Warriors will face when combating the Skaven of Middenheim. These are Quirrik, the Clan Skryre Warlock in charge, and his monstrous creation, the Rat Golem. These two are carefully watched by the Council of Thirteen's spy, Skreek Deathstrike. The Event cards for these adversaries can be found on this issue's card section and the following gives a short background and the rules for each of these deadly opponents.
Quirrik - Clan Skryre Warlock
Quirrik first came to the Council of Thirteen's attention when he wrested power from his master in the small Skaven lair of Dreadpeak in the Grey Mountains. Using his seemingly innate knowledge of warpstone and his vicious cunning, Quirrik tricked his overlord, Grey Seer Meerlat, into performing an experiment which proved to be fatal (Quirrik had earlier sabotaged the components which led to a somewhat explosive end to Meerlat's research). Having already spent a year in preparation for this event, Quirrik was almost unopposed when he declared himself chieftain. Any opposition was quickly silenced by his personal bodyguard of Rat Ogres and Stormvermin, plus some well-paid Assassins of Clan Eshin.
Seeing much potential in Quirrik, the Council of Thirteen dispatched one of the Lords of Clan Skryre, the dreaded Ikit Claw. As Quirrik quailed before Ikit Claw, believing wrongly that he had somehow affronted the Council with his well timed coup, the Warlock began confessing to the theft of warpstone which he had been using in his own secret experiments. Ikit Claw was well pleased by his ambition and passed on Lord Morskittar's commands to go to Middenheim, to replace the recently deceased leader of that outpost. The previous ruler had died in mysterious circumstances, somehow contriving to strangle himself with his own tail...
With a steadier supply of warpstone for his experiments, Quirrik has already completed one project and is well on his way to completing his next. Beneath Middenheim, in Quirrik's laboratory, is hidden a massive Warpfire generator, much more powerful than any other of its kind. With this, Quirrik hopes to smash the defences of Middenheim and then storm the stunned defenders with an army of his other creation - the Rat Golem.
Special Rules
Placing Quirrik. Quirrik does not feel safe without at least a small army between himself and his enemies. So, when encountered as an Unexpected Event, he is always placed like a Monster armed with a missile weapon: as far from the Warriors as possible! However, if the Warriors meet Quirrik in his Laboratory he should be placed in one of the squares directly in front of the Warpfire generator. He is too close to be affected by its blasts of warpfire as explained in the Warpfire Generator's rules.
Minions. Quirrik is always accompanied by some of his most trusted guards. In the Objective room this is already taken into account on the Monsters' table. If Quirrik is met as an Unexpected Event, draw the next Event card too. If this is an "E" type Event place it back in the Event deck. If the card indicates Monsters, place them on the board as normal. Keep replacing "E" cards until Monsters are drawn.
Warlock. As an accomplished Warlock of Clan Skryre, Quirrik wields powerful magic to defend himself and attack his enemies. At the start of every Monsters' phase, roll a D6 on the Quirrik's Spells table below to see which spell, if any, Quirrik casts that turn.
Quirrik's Spells
| D6 Roll | Spell Cast |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eeek! Quirrik is too unnerved by the Warriors to cast a spell this turn! |
| 2 | Warp Power. Quirrik uses the power of magic to heal his injuries. Add 1D6 Wounds to his current total. This cannot take him above his Starting Wounds total of 10. If Quirrik is on maximum Wounds already, treat this roll as a 3 (Pestilent Breath). |
| 3 | Pestilent Breath. Quirrik's jaw opens wide and a flood of noxious fumes spills out to engulf the Warriors. Each Warrior on the same board section must roll a D6 and add their Toughness. Any Warrior who scores 6 or less suffers 1D3 (roll a D6 1/2=1, 3/4=2, 5/6=3) Wounds with no deductions. |
| 4 | Warp Lightning. Forks of magical lightning leap from Quirrik's fingers, striking down one of the Warriors. Draw a Warrior counter to see who is hit. The Warrior suffers 1D6 Wounds with no deductions for armour. |
| 5 | Wither. A greenish, pallid glow stretches from Quirrik's outstretched paw, sapping the strength of one of the Warriors. [Source prints "Quinik's"; corrected to Quirrik's.] Draw a Warrior counter to see who is affected. The affected Warrior suffers 1D6 Wounds with no deductions for Toughness or armour. |
| 6 | Putrefy. Quirrik casts an illusion about himself, making the Warriors see images of death and decay all around them. Each Warrior must roll a dice, on a roll of 1, 2 or 3 that Warrior may do nothing in the next Warriors' phase. Affected Warriors can defend themselves against attack as normal. |
Skreek Deathstrike - Clan Eshin Assassin
Skreek Deathstrike has only recently arrived in Middenheim, and his presence serves as a constant annoyance to Quirrik. He is quite openly a spy for the Council of Thirteen and has orders to keep track of Ikit Claw's protege. As with all Skaven, subterfuge and backstabbing is part of Quirrik's lifeblood, and Skreek's investigations make the Warlock feel more vulnerable than he would care to be. Indeed, Quirrik strongly suspects that Skreek has been paid by Clan Moulder to sabotage his Rat Golem experiments. This is, in fact, true, as a successful conclusion to Quirrik's project would seriously weaken the beastmasters of Clan Moulder - it is mainly their monopoly on Rat Ogre breeding that keeps them from being toppled by more dynamic clans. Unknown to Quirrik, Skreek also has another task, one which is far more sinister.
The real reason for Skreek's presence in Middenheim is truly horrifying, for he has been sent by the Lords of Clan Pestilens to start another outbreak of plague in the Empire. He carries a small phial of a deadly contagion which, if added to Middenheim's water supply, could kill and cripple thousands, leaving the northern Empire ripe for the Skaven to overrun. Even Quirrik does not know of this, because it potentially makes his presence totally unnecessary (should Skreek succeed in his task, his next mission is to dispose of the ambitious Warlock... ). As always, the Council of Thirteen is trying to cover for every eventuality and in many respects Skreek Deathstrike wields more power in Middenheim than anybody knows (except himself). If the Skaven were ever to truly stop plotting amongst themselves, the Old World may well be doomed!
Special Rules
Ambush. Skreek is an expert at attacking from the shadows, striking down his foes before they even see him. For this reason, Skreek makes his attacks as soon as he is placed on the board, just like Giant Bats. This means that if Skreek appears as an Unexpected Event he will attack before the Warriors phase. If he is revealed in a room, he will attack in the same Monsters' phase as he is placed.
Throwing Stars. One of Skreek's most favoured weapons is the throwing star. Skreek is so skilled in their use that he can throw them even while locked in mortal combat with the enemy! For this reason, Skreek is not placed like missile-armed Monsters, but leaps straight into hand-to-hand combat. However, at the start of the Monsters' phase, before making any hand-to-hand attacks, Skreek may throw a star at one of the Warriors - even if the Assassin is pinned! Draw a Warrior counter to determine who is targeted. Skreek can ricochet the stars off the walls and ceilings, so any Warrior may be hit, even if Skreek doesn't have a direct line of sight to them! The Warrior will be hit on a roll of 4+ on 1D6. A Warrior hit by a throwing star suffers a Strength 4 hit (1D6+4 damage).
Weeping Blades. Skreek's weapons are coated in a highly virulent and corrosive venom mixed with warpstone powder, and are known by the Skaven as Weeping Blades. Because he has two such weapons, Skreek gains an extra attack (giving him 2 attacks in total). In addition, any Warrior who is reduced to zero wounds by Skreek in hand-to-hand combat will suffer more permanent injuries if later healed. Roll a dice for any Warrior who is reduced to zero Wounds by Skreek, on a roll of 1-3 the Warrior loses one point of Toughness permanently, on a roll of 4-6 the Warrior loses a point of Strength. Note that this is slightly changed from the Weeping Blades rules in the Roleplay book to better reflect the more Chaotic nature of the warpstone-based poison.
The Skaven Event Deck
Listed below are our suggestions to make a completely "Skaven" Event deck. Some of these are from the Warhammer Quest box, while the others can be made up using one of the Warhammer Quest blank Event card packs and the Bestiary section of the Roleplay Book. Of course, much of what you can use in your adventures depends upon what models you have available. If you don't have a particular miniature, simply replace the card with one from the box. Well, here's our suggested deck to go with the three Event cards in this issue.
- 2D6 Skaven
- 2D6 Giant Rats
- 1 Rat Ogre (also available in White Dwarf 193)
- 1D6+3 Skaven Stormvermin
- 1D6 Skaven Gutter Runners
- 1D6 Poison Wind Globadiers
- 1D6 Plague Censer Bearers
- 1D6 Skaven and 1D6 Giant Rats
- 1D6+3 Skaven Gutter Runners
- 5 "E" type cards - "Cave-in" is a good one!
The Rat Golem
The Rat Golem is a prototype of a new Skaven creature. It is a mechanically modified Rat Ogre, with chunks of warpstone embedded in parts of its body to provide it with a resistance to magic and the ability to heal itself. However, it is even more stupid than normal Rat Ogres, and frequently needs repairing. It needs no food and instead draws upon the raw power of the warpstone within it to live. This source of energy is somewhat slow and erratic though, and the prototype is still unreliable. Once (if?) Quirrik manages to solve these teething problems, the Rat Golem will become one of the most powerful creatures in Skaven armies, only surpassed by the dreaded Vermin Lords, daemons of the Horned Rat (or so Quirrik claims... )!
Modelling the Rat Golem
As soon as the idea of the Rat Golem came about, everybody started talking about what it should look like. Rather than deciding who (if anybody) was right, here's where we've got to so far...
Special Rules
Warpstone power. The Rat Golem is extremely erratic in its movement and fighting style. Follow this procedure to work out how the Rat Golem moves and attacks each turn.
- Roll 2D6 to see how much energy the Rat Golem can draw from the warpstone this turn and make a note of this on a scrap of paper.
- Draw a Warrior counter to see who the Rat Golem sees as the greatest threat for that turn.
- The Rat Golem is never pinned. Move the Rat Golem towards the Warrior, counting off one energy point for every square moved. If it cannot reach the Warrior, whether due to lack of energy or obstructing models, the Rat Golem moves as far as possible, then stops and does nothing.
- If the Rat Golem moves into a square adjacent to its target, roll 1D6 on the Rat Golem Attack table.
Ignore Blow. Roll a D6 whenever the Rat Golem is wounded, on a roll of 4+ the blow either hits a super-tough component or is immediately healed and the Rat Golem takes no damage.
Magic Resist. Roll 1D6 if a spell is cast at the Rat Golem. On a roll of 4+ the spell has no effect on the Rat Golem.
Rat Golem Attack
| D6 Roll | Attack |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | The Rat Golem makes a number of normal attacks using its Weapon Skill, Strength, etc. It may make one attack for each remaining point of energy it has when it reaches its target. The Rat Golem does 1D6+6 Wounds each time it hits. |
| 3 | The Rat Golem attempts to head butt the Warrior and send him crashing to the ground. Make a normal to hit roll for the Rat Golem, if successful the Warrior takes 1D6+6 Wounds with normal deductions. In addition, the Warrior may not make any attacks in the next Warriors' phase as he picks himself up from the floor. |
| 4 | The Rat Golem picks up the Warrior in a crushing bear hug. The Warrior takes a number of Wounds equal to the remaining number of energy points, with no deductions for Toughness or armour! |
| 5 | The Rat Golem picks up the Warrior in its massive claws and flings him across the room. Refer to the diagram to see in which direction the Warrior is thrown. The Warrior travels a number of squares in a straight line, equal to the Rat Golem's remaining energy. If the Warrior hits a wall or another model before moving the full distance, the Warrior (and any model hit) takes a number of wounds equal to the remaining distance. This is not modified for Toughness or armour. For example, if a Warrior thrown six squares only travels three before hitting another model, both models suffer 3 Wounds each. |
| 6 | Roaring in anger, the Rat Golem lunges forward to take a massive bite out of the Warrior. Make a normal to hit roll for the Rat Golem. If this hits, the Warrior suffers 1D3 (roll a D6 1/2=1, 3/4=2, 5/6=3) Wounds for every remaining point of energy, with normal deductions for Toughness and armour. |
Diagram "To see where a Warrior is thrown" (image, not reproduced): the Warrior's square lies directly in front of the Rat Golem's square. Throws on a roll of 1-2 go up and to the left, 3-4 straight on, and 5-6 up and to the right.
Quirrik's Warpfire Generator
Quirrik's first fiendish creation was his Warpfire Generator. It utilises the same technology as an ordinary Warpfire Thrower, but on a scale thought unattainable before. Although potentially deadly, like any creation using warpstone, the Warpfire Generator has a tendency to go wrong, and may even blow itself up!
Special Rules
Due to its elevated position, the Warpfire Generator can only target certain parts of Quirrik's Laboratory. The diagram below shows where the flames cannot reach, and where a Warrior will therefore be safe from its affects.
Diagram caption (image, not reproduced): The red squares are safe areas and models occupying them cannot be targeted by the Warpfire Generator. However this does not protect them if the Warpfire Generator misfires...
The Warpfire Thrower [sic] uses the following procedure to fire:
- The Warpfire Generator can only fire if there is an unpinned Skaven model standing next to it (not including the Rat Golem or a Rat Ogre). All of Quirrik's minions have been taught the basic principles behind firing it.
- As with ordinary missile fire, draw a Warrior counter to find out who the Warpfire Generator is fired at.
- Draw an imaginary line between the Warpfire Generator and the targeted Warrior. Any Warrior in a square the line passes through, including the original target, may be hit. Monsters are never hit, they know that the Generator makes a high pitched whine before firing and dive out of the way!
- Roll a D6 for each potential victim. On a roll of 6 the model is hit and suffers 3D6 Wounds, with no deductions for armour.
- If a damage roll comes up with a double or triple one, something has gone wrong! Roll another D6 and consult the Misfire Chart below.
Misfire Chart
| D6 Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | The Warpfire Generator blows up, inflicting 2D6 Wounds on every model in the laboratory! The Warpfire Generator can no longer be fired. |
| 4-6 | The Warpfire Generator leaks warpstone fuel everywhere. Any model in an adjacent square (even if on a different level) suffers 2D6 Wounds. The Warpfire Generator can no longer be fired. |
Quirrik's Laboratory
The stench of burning warpstone fills the air; and the ominous hum of powerful machinery shakes the floor. In the darkness you spy the bulky form of the Warpfire Generator.
Multi-Level Rooms
Quirrik's Laboratory is split between two different levels - the floor and the raised walkway. With exception noted below, models can only move between the two levels by moving up and down the stairs. The exception to this rule is Skreek Deathstrike. Skreek's acrobatic abilities allow him to leap easily from one level to the other and so he has no need to use the steps. In addition, a model on one level cannot pin, or attack in hand-to-hand combat, a model on the other level. The walkway also blocks line of sight from one side to the other. For example, a model in a room outside cannot fire a missile weapon at a model standing in one of the two pits on either side of the Warpfire Generator.
"Killing" Quirrik
As Quirrik appears on the table below and on his own Event card, it is possible for the Warriors to "kill" him earlier in the adventure and then meet him again in his laboratory. In this case, it is assumed Quirrik manages to save himself with magic and then plays dead until the Warriors go away. When he later meets them, Quirrik will have had time to prepare and will be a little more afraid than he was before. To represent this, if Quirrik is encountered earlier in the adventure, you should subtract 1 from your dice roll on the Objective Room Monsters table. [Source prints a stray hyphen here ("subtract -1") at a line break; read as "subtract 1".]
Similarly, if the Rat Golem is destroyed and later reappears, you can assume that Quirrik has had time to make enough repairs to get the creature working again. However, it won't be up to scratch for a while and it gains only 2D6-3 energy each turn, instead of 2D6. Note that you gain gold for each time you defeat one of these Monsters, even if you do "kill" them as such.
Quirrik's Laboratory Objective Room Monsters Table
| D6 Roll | Monsters |
|---|---|
| 1 | Quirrik, Rat Golem, 1D6 Stormvermin, 6 Skaven Warriors, 1D6 Gutter Runners |
| 2 | Quirrik, Rat Golem, 6 Stormvermin, 1D6 Gutter Runners. |
| 3 | Quirrik, Rat Golem, 6 Skaven Warriors, 1D6 Gutter Runners. |
| 4 | Quirrik, Rat Golem, 1D6 Stormvermin, 1D6 Giant Rats. |
| 5 | Quirrik, Rat Golem, 1D6 Skaven Warriors, 1D6 Gutter Runners |
| 6 | Quirrik, Rat Golem, 1D6 Skaven Warriors, 1D6 Giant Rats |
Adventures
Below are three adventures to be used in conjunction with Quirrik's Laboratory. You can play each as a separate encounter or work your way through them in sequence to form a mini-campaign.
1-2: A Knife in the Dark
While out carousing one evening, enjoying the sights of Middenheim, your party happens to stop by the Broken Knife tavern. Late that evening, as you enjoy the hospitable atmosphere and share a friendly drink with the locals, you become aware of a disturbance behind the counter. Upon investigation, you find the body of the landlord in the beer cellar, stabbed several times in the back. Clawed footprints in the dank cellar lead you to a secret door, which opens up onto the tunnels beneath the city. Everybody implores you to find the barkeeper's murderer and you decide to follow the trail. However, it doesn't take you long to realise that something much more sinister is going on...
Special Rules
As you may have guessed, your Warriors are in fact tracking Skreek Deathstrike after his first abortive foray to the surface. He is looking for another way to get above ground so that he can follow his orders to poison the population of Middenheim. Your Warriors must catch up with the Skaven Assassin before he can find a more secretive route to Middenheim. To represent this, every time you draw an event card roll a D6. If this roll is a 1, take one of the Warpstone counters. These counters represent Skreek's progress through the tunnels. If the Warriors pick up all six counters, Skreek has reached the surface and will be poisoning the wells! If Skreek is encountered before this happens, the Warriors can return safely to the surface (assuming that they defeat him of course!). There is no need to go to the Objective room, unless the Warriors feel up to it!
Reward
If the Warriors succeed in stopping Skreek they will find the phial of toxin and guess what he planned to do. When the Warriors' heroism is brought to the attention of Elector Count Boris Todbringer, he rewards each of them with 1D6x150 gold and gives them the keys to the city.
If they fail, well it's best that they leave the city as quickly and quietly as possible (and take lots of bottled water with them).
3-4: Sneakin' Around
The recent discovery of a Skaven Assassin has led Boris Todbringer, the Elector Count of Middenland, to organise a hunt through the tunnels beneath Middenheim. As part of this vast military operation, your Warriors have been hired to venture into the Under-Empire to find out what they can of the Skaven.
Special Rules
This adventure uses the Warpstone counters to represent how much information the Warriors can gather. They can exit the dungeon at any time by retracing their steps and moving off the section they started on. However, the more intelligence the Warriors can gather, the greater their rewards when they return.
The Warriors can take a Warpstone counter for each of the following encounters:
- If the Warriors meet Skreek Deathstrike,
- If the Warriors meet the Rat Golem,
- If the Warriors meet Quirrik,
- If the Warriors enter Quirrik's Laboratory and see his monstrous Warpfire Generator,
- If the Warriors meet a Rat Ogre,
- and if the Warriors explore three or more Dungeon rooms.
If the Warriors fight their way through to the Laboratory and then defeat all their adversaries, they find the secret passage behind the Warpfire Generator and can make their escape without backtracking.
Remember, if the Warriors retrace their steps they will only generate Unexpected Events, since the Dungeon rooms they have already passed through will have been cleared of their occupants and any traps.
Reward
When they reach the surface, the Warriors relay all that they have discovered to the authorities, who can use their information to devise a plan of attack. For every Warpstone counter the Warriors possess, the party gains 1D6x100 Gold, split evenly between all the party.
5-6: Fire and Warpstone!
Having assessed the threat posed by the Skaven beneath his city, Boris Todbringer has ordered his troops to sweep through the warren of caverns and corridors that riddle the rock of Middenheim. However, before this attack can begin, the Warpfire Generator must be eliminated, and the Warriors have been given the task. The wizards and scientists of Todbringer's court can only think of one way to do this and ensure it can never be repaired. The Warriors must overload the machine so that it blows itself to smithereens! As you might guess, this is not without risk, but the Warriors have been promised vast sums of gold and treasure if they can pull it off...
The main problem lies in gathering enough warpstone to overcharge the generator. The Warriors will have to scavenge for the lethal substance as they make their way towards Quirrik's Laboratory.
Special Rules
Each time the Warriors successfully complete an Event in a Dungeon room, they may take one of the Warpstone counters. You must decide amongst yourselves which Warrior is carrying the potentially lethal rock.
If a warrior carrying Warpstone is reduced to zero wounds he may suffer more long term effects. Roll a D6 when he is healed to one or more Wounds, on a roll of a 1 he suffers a deduction to his profile as detailed in Skreek's Weeping Blades ability (lose -1 Toughness or Strength). If the Warriors pick up all six Warpstone counters they can find no more, no matter how many Dungeon rooms they search - the Warriors must make their way to Quirrik's Laboratory as quickly as they can.
Alternatively, if all the Skaven are killed before the Warpfire Generator explodes, the Warriors can load the Warpstone at their leisure. Roll 1D6 and add the number of Warpstone counters the Warriors picked up (including any already used). The Warriors can choose to put in less Warpstone if they wish... Look up the result on the Overload chart.
Generate the Monsters in Quirrik's Laboratory as normal. The Warriors must fight off these creatures and attempt to overload the Warpfire Generator. A Warrior must be standing next to the Warpfire Generator in order to throw in a piece of Warpstone. The Warrior cannot attack the same turn, but may defend himself as normal. For every piece of Warpstone loaded into the Warpfire Generator, roll an extra set of 3D6 when it fires if any of the 3D6 rolls comes up with a double or triple 1, the Generator has misfired!
Overload Chart
| D6+Warpstone counters | Result |
|---|---|
| 4 or less | There isn't enough Warpstone to matter, the Warriors cannot destroy the Generator and should make a hasty exit before the Elector Count's forces catch up with them! |
| 5-7 | At the start of each Power phase, roll 3D6 and treat them as damage dice for the Generator - it misfires on a double or triple one. Once the Generator has misfired the Warriors can make their escape (after disposing of any Monsters that appeared while they were waiting). |
| 8-9 | The Generator suffers a meltdown, apply the 4-6 result of the Generator Misfire chart. The Warriors can make their escape (after disposing of any Monsters that appeared while they were waiting). |
| 10+ | The Warpfire Generator explodes as detailed in the 1-3 result of the Generator Misfire chart. Once any surviving Monsters have been eliminated the Warriors can make their escape to the surface. |
Reward
If the Warriors cause the Generator to melt down, they each gain 1D6x100 Gold. If the Warriors can make the Generator explode (or if it happens to explode anyway... ) they are each rewarded with 1D6x100 Gold and an item of Treasure.
If they fail to do either of these, the Generator is turned on the Elector Count's attacking army and incinerates a swathe of them before beating the Imperial soldiers back. You are wanted in Middenheim, with a considerable price on your heads! Best if you leave without making a fuss...
Skaven in the Roleplay Game
As you progress up through the Battle-levels you can come across a massive variety of Skaven adversaries. You will meet Plague Monks and Plague Lords of Clan Pestilens, all types of Warlock including the powerful Grey Seers, and Deathmaster Assassins of Clan Eshin. Of course, there's also the dread Vermin Lords of the Horned Rat. In a future article we hope to present more ideas and rules for using the creatures of the Under-Empire in your adventures, including more brilliant new board sections [credit clause omitted].
As usual, the Monsters and Events detailed in this article are designed for players using the basic Warhammer Quest rules. However, this section will hopefully give you some ideas so that you can use Skreek, Quirrik and the Rat Golem at any level you are playing. Skreek and Quirrik are probably simplest to deal with, since they are variations on an existing Monster type - an Assassin and a Warlock, respectively. Quirrik should rise in level according to what type of Warlock is seen most commonly on his own at the battle-level you are playing. For example, at battle-level 6 Quirrik should be a Warlock Champion (at least!) and by the time you reach Battle levels 9 and 10 he should definitely use a modified version of the Grey Seer rules.
Similarly, you can add Magic Weapons, Armour and Items to Skreek, and later on you should use a variation of the Deathmaster Assassin given in the Roleplay Book. He'll gain more attacks, perhaps get a bit stronger and so on. You can even create a special rule that allows him to appear, attack and then disappear again - those of you with the Catacombs of Terror pack will be familiar with Luthor the hunchback's fighting style!
The Rat Golem is slightly more difficult, because there is no other creature like it. Look through the Monsters' Special Abilities section, perhaps giving him better Magic Resistance and Ignore Blow skills. You may like him to have more energy points each turn, and so on. At battle levels 1-4, the Rat Golem should have a suitable Fear factor, 4+ or 5+ perhaps. Also consider the following abilities as additions to a tougher Rat Golem: Ignore Pain, Plague and perhaps some kind of Magic Armour. And then there's also the option of meeting more than one of these dangerous creatures (Quirrik's going to be very busy).
Adventure Ideas
If you are playing with a gamesmaster and using all the extra rules from the back of the Roleplay book, the Skaven lair beneath Middenheim provides all sorts of adventure plots. For a start, you can flesh out the three adventures given in this article, expanding on the frantic hunt for Skreek and so on. There is great room for involving the Warriors, unwittingly of course, in the schemes and intrigues between Skreek and Quirrik. It's quite possible that Skreek could, through an intermediary, hire the Warriors to destroy the Warpfire Generator so that he will be paid by Clan Moulder. If Skreek fulfils his mission for Clan Pestilens, imagine the desperation of the Warriors as they frantically try to find a cure and get it to the source of the contagion.
Well that's this month's instalment of Domain of the Horned Rat. We hope to bring you more Warhammer Quest Skaven rules in future issues. Cheerio!