Warhammer Quest: The High Priest
by T. Jordan "Greywolf" Peacock
24 AUG 1995, 3rd Revision
-*-
The following is a home-made profession for _Warhammer Quest_ created by
myself as the second in a line of wizardly types based upon the various Color
Colleges presented in _Advanced HeroQuest_ and hinted at in _Talisman_. This
profession plays in the same way as the basic Wizard, although he has a
slightly altered spell selection, and some special skills (and restrictions).
The same can be said of the other spellcaster professions I intend to define in
other articles in this series.
This variant on the Wizard is rather deficient in general attack spells,
though he is very potent when it comes to healing. As the Wizard is already
indispensible as it is, when it comes to healing powers, one may justifiably
fear that the High Priest could tip the balance of play too far. However, keep
in mind that, while the High Priest may well earn a good deal of experience
from healing Warriors, real progression in this game comes from killing
Monsters. While the High Priest may be able to assist the other Warriors in
this endeavor, he is by no means guaranteed a lion's share of the gold or
experience for his effort -- Therefore, he is likely to progress slowly in
Battle-Levels compared to a Wizard with, say, the "Freeze" spell.
-*- THE HIGH PRIEST -*-
Among the Magic Colleges based in Altdorf is the College of Light, its central
meeting structure a great pyramid patterned after the archetectural wonders of
ancient Araby. The Wizards of this College are not mere spell-casters; they
are also a priesthood dedicated to the powers of healing and to combat against
the forces of Chaos.
The High Priest is a member of this College, but one who has foregone the
extensive training required of Battle Wizards of the Light College, in order to
focus more on healing magic and spells specifically for combatting the Undead
and creatures of the Warp, as well as an assortment of more versatile spells
for use in various situations in the dungeons of the Old World.
-*- HIGH PRIEST STATISTICS -*-
The High Priest has statistics identical to those of the Wizard, both initially
and at subsequent Battle-Levels. The High Priest does not have the Finger of
Doom scroll, but instead starts with a Blessed Sword as special equipment.
-*- BLESSED SWORD -*-
This blade is a sword of fine quality that has been consecrated in holy waters,
so that it is able to affect Undead and Daemon creatures as if it were a
magical blade, allowing the bearer to harm monsters that otherwise would be
impossible to touch. Despite this ability, the sword is not technically
magical.
-*- ADDITIONAL RULES -*-
EQUIPMENT
The High Priest may use any equipment or magical items usable by the Wizard,
with a few exceptions. High Priests do not make use of gunpowder, so they may
not use anything from the Gunsmith's shop. If any Treasure Cards are found
which contain new spells (such as a Finger of Doom scroll) listed as usable by
the Wizard, the High Priest cannot use them, as they fall outside of his area
of expertise.
UNDEAD AND DAEMONS
High Priests specialize in combat against the raw forces of the Warp, and
especially the foul creatures which are composed entirely of magic (Daemons) or
animated by it (the Undead). The High Priest is unaffected by Fear caused by
such creatures, and if faced with such a creature that causes Terror, he need
only take a Fear test (at the appropriate rating) instead.
HIGH PRIESTS AND SETTLEMENTS
The High Priest must maintain high, upright standards, and therefore cannot
visit the Alehouse, the Gambling House or the Alchemist. He does not associate
with general Warrior-Wizards, so he cannot visit the Wizards' Guild.
THE TEMPLE
When the High Priest visits the Temple, he may roll twice when determining the
results after making a sacrifice. If he ends up with duplicate results, it
simply means that he gains that benefit twice in the upcoming adventure rather
than only once. (This same benefit applies should he ever visit the Chapel
during a journey to a Settlement.)
Furthermore, a High Priest may choose to make a sacrifice of gold and/or
treasures at any Temple without expecting any divine blessings for it. This
gold amount is immediately converted into "experience points", which should be
recorded on the character sheet. These "experience points" may only be spent
on advancement in Battle-Levels, in the same way as gold. They have no
physical existence, of course, and therefore cannot be lost (as gold and
equipment can) due to the various Hazards and Events which deprive Warriors of
their material possessions.
THE BLESSED SWORD
If the High Priest for whatever reason should lose his Blessed Sword, he may
have a new, non-magical sword (which he must purchase or obtain elsewhere)
consecrated at the Temple for 100 gold. The High Priest may have no more than
one Blessed Sword at a time, and he may not give away nor sell the Blessed
Sword to others.
THE HOLY STAFF
At the Temple, the High Priest may attempt to locate and purchase a Holy Staff.
When he visits the Temple, roll 1D6. On a score of 4, 5 or 6 there is one for
sale. He may purchase one for 500 gold, but he may only ever have one Holy
Staff at any one time.
This staff is inherently magical, and once per adventure it can be used in
the Power Phase to re-roll the High Priest's Power (and perhaps avoid an
Unexpected Event!).
A High Priest's Staff comes with 1D6 points of Power already stored in it,
which the High Priest can use in the same way as his Power tokens. To recharge
it, he must visit the Altar of Light.
THE ALTAR OF LIGHT
While at the Temple, the High Priest may visit the Altar of Light to recharge
his staff. The total cost of the recharging is 1D6 x 100 gold. For this
amount of money, the staff is charged with 1D6 points of power. These points
of Power are used to augment the High Priest's spellcasting ability as normal.
Once this Power is used up it is gone for good, or at least until such a time
as the High Priest recharges the staff once more.
A High Priest's Staff may never contain more than 6 points of Power at any
one time.
(Note: The Holy Staff and Altar of Light are identical in mechanical respects
to the Wizard's Staff and Font of Power, respectively, described on p. 24 of
the Roleplay Book.)
INITIAL SPELL SELECTION
The High Priest selects his initial spell cards in the same way as the Wizard,
except that he selects only from the Healing and Defense decks. Of these, he
may choose which deck to select each spell from, though he must have at least
one Healing spell. If the Life Force spell is selected, it must be discarded
and another must be picked in its place. All Healing spells selected from the
spell decks are treated as having one Casting Level lower than that printed on
the card. (Exception: Hands of Healing may be cast once per Turn at a cost of
1 power point. Any further castings that Turn are at the normal cost of 2
points per casting.)
At subsequent Battle-Levels, the High Priest may learn additional spells in the
same way as the Wizard, although he selects from a new spell list, provided
below. It is possible that some of his initial spells selected from the card
deck might not be covered in this listing, which is fine.
ALTERNATIVE SPELL SELECTION
If you have the alternative Light spell deck (available in EPS and GIF
formats), you could use these cards to determine the High Priest's spell
selection instead. This deck consists of 16 cards, divided into Healing,
Defense and Special. The "Resurrection" spell (in the guise of "Restore Life")
has been included for the sake of completeness, but if you're using Greywolf's
House Rules, this spell should be left out of the deck. If you choose to leave
Resurrection in the deck, then take the "Remove Venom" spell out of the deck
instead, so there will be 5 in each category.
When using this deck, the High Priest may select one card from each deck.
However, for his draws from the Special and Defense decks, he may choose to
replace either or both of them with draws from the Healing deck instead. He
must, however, have at least one Healing spell. (In other words, he could end
up with 1 Special, 1 Defense and 1 Healing; 1 Special and 2 Healing; 1 Defense
and 2 Healing; or 3 Healing.)
These cards are already adjusted to represent the High Priest's abilities. No
alterations to the casting number should be made, as this has been done
already.
-*- HIGH PRIEST SPELL LIST -*-
As the High Priest advances in skill, he selects additional spells in the same
way as the Wizard, as described in the Wizards' Training section beginning on
p. 50 of the Roleplay Book, except that he selects from the following list of
spells.
Some of the spells on this list are identical to those available to the Wizard,
though they might have different Casting Levels due to the High Priest's
differing specialties. New spells added to this list are described immediately
following it.
As a rough guideline for comparison to the Wizard's selection, the High Priest
casts all Healing spells at one Casting Level lower, though he does not have
any "Healing" spells that involve damage against enemies (Life Force or
Lifestealer). He also does not have any general damage-causing Attack spells
except for the those dealing with light (Spear of Light) or which are
specifically geared for fighting the Undead or Daemons.
* indicates a new spell
+ indicates a spell with altered Casting Level or special rules
CASTING 1
ATTACK Lightblade*
HEALING Create Food
SPECIAL Illuminate*
CASTING 2
ATTACK The Claw of Apek*
DEFENSE Marsh Lights
Aura of Purity*
HEALING Finger of Life+
Hands of Healing+
SPECIAL Tongues
CASTING 3
ATTACK Strength+
DEFENSE Cloak of Protection (Glittering Robe)
Confuse
HEALING Heal Wounds+
SPECIAL Abulla's Snare*
CASTING 4
ATTACK Dagger of Banishment*
Ogre Strength+
DEFENSE Rebound
HEALING Lifebringer+
SPECIAL Dispel Magic
Lamp of Learning (Second Sight)
CASTING 5
DEFENSE Blinding Light*
Shimmering Cloak*
HEALING Restore Life (Resurrection)+
SPECIAL Escape*
Sleep of Ages (Sleep)
CASTING 6
DEFENSE Invulnerability
Shield
HEALING Bloodpulse+
Remove Venom*
SPECIAL Consecrate*
Glory!+
The Hands of Karkora*
CASTING 7
DEFENSE Dome of Power
HEALING Miraculous Healing*
SPECIAL Chorus of Valour+
Mace of Years*
CASTING 8
ATTACK Spear of Light
DEFENSE Halo of Vengeance
CASTING 9
HEALING Heartbeat+
SPECIAL Banish Fear*
Net of Amyntok*
CASTING 10
ATTACK Destroy Enchantment*
HEALING Tissue of Life+
CASTING 11
ATTACK The Dwellers Below*
Exorcise*
CASTING 12
HEALING Power of Life*
SPECIAL Chariot of Light*
-*- SPELL NOTES -*-
CASTING LEVEL 1
Illuminate:
/The tip of the High Priest's staff glows softly, driving away the shadows./
This spell illuminates the current dungeon section and all adjacent sections
in the same way as the Barbarian's Lantern for one turn.
Target: Present board section
Duration: One Turn
Lightblade:
/The High Priest's sword glows with a fierce light, causing the minions of
darkness to howl in anguish./
Roll 1D6 for each Undead Monster adjacent to the Wizard. On a score of 6
that target takes 1 Wound, with no modifiers for Toughness or armor.
This spell may be cast once per turn.
Target: All Undead Monsters adjacent to the High Priest
Duration: Immediate
CASTING LEVEL 2
Aura of Purity:
/A cleansing light issues forth from the High Priest's palm, driving away the
forces of corruption./
The High Priest or a single Warrior in the same dungeon section is immune to
disease or corruption (magical or natural) for the remainder of the current
Turn. This includes immunity to Tomb Rot, a troll's Vomit attack, Stream of
Corruption, Plague, etc.
Target: A single Warrior in the same dungeon section as the High Priest
Duration: One Turn
The Claw of Apek
/A huge silvery talon appears in the air and slashes at the High Priest's
undead foes./
Any model up to 6 spaces away from the High Priest may be targeted. Measure
the distance and roll 1D6. If the roll is less than or equal to the range
the Claw has struck causing 2D6 Wounds to any one Undead target. If the
score is more than the range then the Claw causes no damage. If the High
Priest's target is in base-to-base contact it automatically strikes.
Target: Any Undead model within 6 spaces of the High Priest
Duration: Immediate
Finger of Life: changed from Casting Level 3
Hands of Healing: Once per Turn, the High Priest may cast Hands of Healing at
a Casting Level of 1. Any further castings during the same Turn are at the
normal Casting Level of 2.
CASTING LEVEL 3
Abulla's Snare
/A snare of magical energy leaps from the High Priest's extended hand and
wraps itself around a single enemy. The snare plucks the victim from the
ground and brings him back to the Priest, above whom he is held in the air,
remaining a prisoner./
A single Monster on the same board section as the High Priest may be
ensnared by this spell. Remove the model from play -- While he is ensnared,
he may do nothing, and no models may attack him (unless, that is, there is an
area effect spell that might harm every model in the board section that the
High Priest is occupying). The model remains ensnared until the High Priest
voluntarily frees it, until the spell is dispelled, or until the High Priest
is reduced to 0 Wounds. Once a Monster is freed, it should be placed in any
space adjacent to the High Priest, but it cannot take any action immediately
-- It must wait until the next Turn to recover from the ensnarement, though
it may defend itself normally.
Target: One Monster in the same dungeon section as the High Priest
Duration: Indefinite
Heal Wounds: changed from Casting Level 4
Strength: changed from Casting Level 2
CASTING LEVEL 4
Dagger of Banishment:
/The High Priest hurls a glowing dagger of pure energy at an unliving foe./
A single Undead or Daemon target on the same board section as the High Priest
takes 2D6 Wounds, with no modifiers for anything (Toughness, armour, Ignore
Pain, etc.).
Target: A single Undead or Daemon target on the same board section as the
High Priest
Duration: Immediate
Lifebringer: changed from Casting Level 5
Ogre Strength: changed from Casting Level 3
CASTING LEVEL 5
Blinding Light:
/Rays of pure light shoot out into the eyes of the High Priest's enemies./
All enemy models in the same dungeon section are at -1 on rolls to hit,
though a natural roll of 6 will still hit regardless. This may only be cast
once per turn.
Target: All Monsters in same dungeon section
Duration: One Turn
Escape:
/A sheet of blinding white light springs up between the Warriors and their
enemies, while leaving an open corridor of escape to safety./
The Warriors are not subject to pinning rules for the remainder of the turn,
and may (only) move directly toward an exit indicated by the caster, and they
may bypass interposing models so long as their movement ends at an occupied
space. No attacks may be exchanged between either side, and no further
spells may be cast by either side (including healing) for the remainder of
this Turn.
(Note: Warriors may choose to stay in position instead of moving, but they
won't be able to take any action this turn ... nor can they be attacked.)
Target: All Warriors in the same board section as the High Priest
Duration: One Turn.
Restore Life: identical to Resurrection, changed from Casting Level 6
Shimmering Cloak
/The Shimmering Cloak hangs around the High Priest like frost crystals or
tiny sparkling stars./
For the remainder of this Turn, any hit scored against the High Priest by a
bow, war engine or any other shooting weapon is deflected harmlessly, while
any close combat blow struck against the caster will require a natural roll
of 6 to hit.
Target: The High Priest
Duration: One Turn
CASTING LEVEL 6
Bloodpulse: changed from Casting Level 7
Consecrate:
/The High Priest lays hands on the blade, and issues a sacred blessing over
it in an ancient tongue./
A single non-magical weapon is blessed so that it may affect Undead or Daemon
creatures as if it were magical. The weapon must be in the High Priest's
possession or in the possession of a Warrior adjacent to him. This effect
lasts until all Undead and/or Daemon Monsters currently in play are defeated.
Target: A single weapon
Duration: Current Monster Event
Glory!: changed from Casting Level 7
The Hands of Karkora
/The ground underneath the victim begins to seethe as hundreds of hands claw
their way to the surface and seize the victim's legs, holding him fast./
Any model within line of sight within a maximum range of 24 spaces may be
targetted with this spell. It may attempt to escape by making a Move test
with a target roll of at least 7. If it fails, its legs are caught, holding
it fast. While entrapped, the model cannot move, and its combat skills are
greatly reduced, only hitting in hand-to-hand or with ranged attacks with a
natural roll of 6. This spell cannot be cast again by the High Priest until
the first casting is dispelled.
Target: Any Monster within 24 spaces of the High Priest
Duration: Indefinite
Remove Venom:
/Glowing energies sweep through the room, nullifying all poisons they
encounter./
This spell removes any poisons (including even weapon venoms!) infecting or
in the possession of all the Warriors in the same board section. If any
Warrior is affected (or has been affected) by Poison attacks for this turn,
the damage is only treated as normal damage, and can be healed by normal
means (ignoring the usual rule that Poison damage is only applied after all
spells may take effect). Also, for any Monster group or special character
present, roll 1D6. On a 4+, all poisons on that Monster are negated, so that
the Monster can no longer make poisonous attacks.
Note: In the case of a Monster with a poisonous attack that has been negated
(such as a Giant Spider), the Monster is still capable of making normal
attacks. If the poison would have added to the damage, then that bonus is
negated. If the poison simply allows the attack to bypass defenses (such as
a Giant Spider's bite, doing 1D3 damage with no modifiers) then the Monster
can still inflict the same damage, but this is a normal attack, applied to
armor and Toughness normally. (Hence, this spell renders Giant Spiders
incapable of harming most Warriors, if it succeeds.)
Target: Immediate board section
Duration: One Turn
CASTING LEVEL 7
Chorus of Valour: changed from Casting Level 8
Mace of Years
/A glowing mace materializes in the High Priest's hand, with which he strikes
at his foes. Any struck fall to the ground, age into an ancient husk and
crumble to dust. The dust regathers into a newborn infant which grows into
adulthood, ages, dies and continues to be reborn in this way./
This spell is useless against the Undead, Daemons, or any not-truly-living
creatures (such as animated statues, etc.). It also cannot affect any model
protected by magic armor or a protective spell. All Monsters in base contact
with the High Priest are automatically struck unless they can make an
Initiative test with a target score of 7 to avoid it. (Dodge abilities and
the like may be used normally to have an additional chance to avoid the
blow.) Victims are removed from play -- They cannot do anything, and are
nigh-invulnerable while continually cycling through death and rebirth like
this. If the spell is dispelled, the model should be placed in the same spot
it fell in, or as closely as possible.
Target: All Monsters in base contact with the High Priest
Duration: Indefinite
Miraculous Healing:
/As the Warrior falls, he is bathed in a soft light which closes his wounds
and soothes his injuries./
A single Warrior (or the High Priest himself) is healed of 1D6 Wounds. This
spell may be cast at the very end of a turn, even after Fatal Damage or
Poison damage has been applied, therefore sparing a Warrior from dying from
such attacks.
Target: A single Warrior in the same board section as the High Priest
Duration: Immediate
CASTING LEVEL 9
Banish Fear:
/The room is suffused with pure white light, filling all of the Warriors with
courage./
All Warriors within the same dungeon section are freed of any current effects
of Fear or Terror.
Target: All Warriors on the same board section as the High Priest
Duration: Immediate
Heartbeat: changed from Casting Level 10
Net of Amyntok:
/Strands of incandescent energy stream from the High Priest's outstretched
fingertips and weave themselves into a glowing net that descends upon his
enemies./
The net covers any square area up to 3 squares by 3 squares (i.e. it could be
that size, 2 x 2, or just a single square) designated by the High Priest,
within a maximum range of 12 spaces, within his line of sight. All models
within the area of effect are completely entangled, unable to do anything
until the net is dispelled, until the High Priest is reduced to 0 Wounds, or
until he decides to end the spell. Insubstantial beings (such as Daemons or
Ethereal creatures) are unaffected. While the Net is in effect, the High
Priest cannot cast this spell again. He may dispel it during any Turn he
wishes, though he may not cast it again until the following Turn.
Target: Up to a 3 square by 3 square area within 12 spaces of the High
Priest, within line of sight
Duration Indefinite
CASTING LEVEL 10
Destroy Enchantment:
/The Monster shrieks in disbelief as his richly adorned armor crumbles to
nothing, the particles dispersing into the Warp./
A single Magic Item, Magic Weapon or article of Magic Armor in the possession
of a Monster in the same board section is destroyed. (This applies to
standard Magic Items, etc. listed for regular Monsters, but in the case of
special magical artifacts of great power in moderated games, more involved
methods may be required to destroy them.)
Target: A single Monster's magical item in the same board section as the
High Priest
Duration: Immediate
Tissue of Life: changed from Casting Level 11
CASTING LEVEL 11
The Dwellers Below
/Small hummocks form in the ground surrounding a unit of the High Priest's
enemies, and in each mound a doorway opens. From each doorway pours a horde
of tiny, shrivelled, brown-skinned creatures. They attempt to grab their
victims and pull them into their mounds below the earth./
This spell may only be cast on a "unit" of Monsters -- a group of Monsters
within 24 spaces of the High Priest that consist of at least 5 models total
and are adjacent to each other. Any fewer than this cannot be affected by
this spell. Each target may make a Strength test with a target roll of 7 or
more to avoid being dragged down. The others are not killed (hence, there is
no gaining of gold or experience from this) but are effectively removed from
play. This spell will not work on insubstantial creatures (Daemons, Ethereal
Undead, etc.)
Target: A unit of at least 5 models up to 24 spaces away from the High
Priest
Duration: Indefinite
Exorcise:
/A rift opens in the Warp, as a blistering assault of pure light issues forth
from the High Priest's palm, forcing his unliving foe out of this world./
A single unliving (Undead or Daemon) Monster is banished and removed from
play. The High Priest gains no gold for banishing this Monster, and it takes
any special treasure it had with it. (If the Monster was only part of a
larger Monster Event, any special treasure still goes with it.)
Target: A single Undead or Daemon Monster
Duration: Immediate
CASTING LEVEL 12
Chariot of Light:
/The High Priest summons a shimmering chariot of light to take himself and
his companions away from the dungeon./
This spell allows the High Priest to transport all the Warriors out of the
dungeon to the nearest Settlement (and back) at any time.
Target: All Warriors on the board
Duration: Immediate
Power of Life:
/The High Priest channels his own life energy into the recipient, healing his
wounds entirely./
The High Priest or a single adjacent Warrior is restored to full Wounds.
Unlike normal healing spells, this may be cast even after Fatal Damage or
Poison damage has been inflicted.
Target: A single adjacent Warrior
Duration: Immediate
-*- REPRESENTING YOUR WARRIOR -*-
The High Priest model from _Talisman_ would be perfect for representing
this character, or else the Light Wizard model manufactured by Citadel
Miniatures. Otherwise, various miniatures companies manufacture models that
would be appropriate to represent a priestly type. If nothing else, select
some wizardly model and paint him in a scheme dominated by white (perhaps with
trim of silver or gold). Although it's supposed to be a science fiction
figure, my favorite substitute for a Light Wizard is the "Cardinal" miniature
(from the "Cardinal and Mystic" blister pack) from Heartbreaker Hobbies and
Games. He may not have quite the pseudo-Egyptian look, but BOY does he look
imposing ... yet priestly all the same!
-*- ROLE-PLAYING TIPS -*-
The High Priest is both wizard and priest. He does not necessarily get his
spell-casting abilities directly from a Diety, though his bonuses for praying
at a Temple or Chapel certainly reflect this. A Light Priest should be
suitably upright and stately, as well as hopefully a rather moral character --
even though it is not entirely clear what sort of morals would be appropriate
for a religion whose symbol is a serpent. (We're certainly not talking Judeo-
Christianity here, though I must admit that I generally play Light Wizards this
way in Advanced HeroQuest, avoiding references to Hysh -- the Serpent of
Light.)
-*- DISCLAIMERS AND SUCH -*-
_Games Workshop_, _Warhammer Quest_, _Advanced HeroQuest_, _Warhammer
Fantasy Battle_, _Battle Magic_, _Talisman_ and the _Old World_ are trademarks
of Games Workshop, Ltd. Their use here does not constitute a legal challenge
to that status.
This article is copyright 1995 by T. Jordan "Greywolf" Peacock. It may be
freely distributed in unaltered form so long as proper credit is given and no
fees are charged for its use.
If you'd like to contact me for whatever reason, you can write to me at:
Jordan Peacock
1610 Parker
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
-*- HAPPY QUESTING! -*-