Every now and then a child is born who has
more than the usual number of portents and omens. Such children show early
promise, and as a result are often sent to a religious or educational
institution to ensure that the talent doesn’t mature into anything dangerous
to the ruling classes. Sometimes these children have magical powers, and if they
survive to adulthood enrol in a College of Magic. Sometimes they are imaginative
and ingenious, and if this virtue is not crushed out of them, they can become
great engineers, philosophers, generals or theologists.
Sometimes a child is born to be a prophet. Prophetesses are
rare, running the risk of being shut away or burnt at the stake, or just leading
an unhappy, repressed life. Yet some become known, with their gift maturing away
from persecution often sheltered in a nunnery. As adults, they hear the words of
the divine, and often receive vital warnings or portents. The great prophetess
Cassandora spoke words that resounded across the Old World. Likewise, Jeanette
l’arc was destined to lead a Sigmarite rebellion against a nobility corrupted
by foul Slaanesh cult, saving the area at the cost of her own life.
A Prophetess will travel, compelled by visions and
visitations, and may well take matters into her own hands, choosing companions
and taking up a weapon to stop the horrors ever lurking in the shadows…
| Wounds | 1D6+5 |
| Move | 4 |
| Weapon Skill | 2 |
| Ballistic Skill | 6+ |
| Strength | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 (4) |
| Initiative | 4 |
| Attacks | 1 |
| Pinning Roll | 4+ |
Prophet’s Staff
Does normal damage, and counts as a magical weapon. When used as a weapon, it
does not cause deathblows. The staff carries 1D6+1 Power Points, which the
Prophetess may use to supplement her Blessings. Roll at the start of each
adventure to see the total.
Armour
Nothing but her Prophet’s Mantle, giving her +1 Toughness.
Equipment
Holy Symbol
The prophetess can choose to spend her turn praying with the Holy Symbol. When
she does so, at the end of the warrior phase she may choose one of two effects.
Either every adjacent warrior regains +1D3 wounds (including herself) or every
adjacent monster loses 1D3 unmodified wounds.
Book of Prophesies
The book contains both her prophecies and those of certain other luminaries of
the past. It contains a single Blessing, rolled from the Warrior Priest’s
table. She may try to use this once per turn, using the same rules as normal, as
long as she is not using her Holy Symbol on the same turn, or doing anything
else that would stop her. If her attempt is insufficient, she may give up Power
Tokens from her Prophet’s Staff to supply the deficit.
Rules for Treasure and Equipment
The Prophetess will never use another weapon than her Staff, and any knives and daggers. She will never wear any armour excepting her Mantle and any shield that doesn’t restrict her. She will happily wear magical boots, gloves, cloaks, rings, and so on. Generally speaking, she may carry and use anything that a normal human can (i.e. can be used by both Barbarian and Wizard). She will use spellcasting treasure to increase her chance of succeeding at a blessing, in the same way as a Warrior Priest (including the limitations). Because of the small range of treasure she can use, she has the same ability to swap treasure as the Priest, making a Willpower test of 7+.
The Prophet’s Staff contains 1D6+BL Power Points at the start of each
adventure.
The Holy Symbol becomes more powerful at higher levels. At levels 5-8 it
causes/heals 2D3 wounds and at level 9-10 it is 3D6.
The Prophetess is an odd companion at the best of times, but in Settlements she becomes practically weird. She will spend her days making strange proclamations, usually of doom, and will stop at nothing until people pay attention to her. When she enters a settlement, roll 1D6 on the following table, +1 for a village, to see how she is treated.
| 1 | Shunned The Prophetess is looked down upon, and distrusted by the majority of citizens. She will not be admitted to any Trader or Location unless she can roll a 4+ on 1D6. In addition, she doesn’t have Uneventful Days (see below for table) |
| 2-3 | Laughed at The Prophetess is scorned and laughed at, and she doesn’t have Uneventful Days (see below for table) |
| 4-5 | Ignored The Prophetess is generally ignored, and may go about her business as usual. |
| 6+ | Heeded! The people actually listen to her, and offer her support in her quest. She need not pay Living Expenses in this Settlement, and all stock rolls are at +2 for her. |
The Prophetess may enter all of the Traders, as well as the Temple and Alchemist’s Laboratory. She may choose to spend the day Prophesying or Fasting.
The Prophetess can wander the streets, giving vent to the words that she
hears all around her, trying to warn the people against complacency and
foolishness. This action is not usually appreciated by merchants and lawkeepers,
who like people to be calm and willing to buy. Nevertheless, sometimes the
prophecy won’t stay quiet for a reason, and it will strike a chord in
someone’s mind. If the Prophetess chooses to Prophesy, she may not visit a
location, doesn’t pay Living Expenses, and must roll on the following table
instead of rolling for an Event.
She subtracts –1 from her roll if she is ‘Shunned’ and adds +1 to her roll
if she is ‘Heeded’.
| 0 | The Prophetess has upset some important folk, and is chased out of town by a mob shouting ‘Burn the witch’. The other warriors must also leave. |
| 1 | The Prophetess is spat on and generally reviled, and she decides that the civilians have had fair warning. She leaves the settlement and waits outside for the other warriors, or fire and brimstone, whichever comes first. |
| 2-3 | The Prophetess is ignored, as she takes to the streets in all her wailing glory. |
| 4-5 | The prophecy today tells the villagers to live good lives, and not accept evil in any form. Some of them even listen to it, and the Priestess now counts as being Heeded if she isn’t already. |
| 6 | Some of the people listen to the message, which is as much as a Prophetess can ever expect. She gains +1 point of Luck in the next adventure. |
| 7 | The Prophetess gives an uncharacteristically cheerful message, saying that one day a champion will arise from this village. She is thanked and given 1D6x20 gold to help her on her way. She also gains +1 Luck in the next adventure. |
| 0-1 | The people do not like her stories of doom and gloom, and the Prophetess is thrown out, as are her companions. |
| 2 | She is ignored and laughed at the entire day. Finally, towards noon, she attracts the attention of a nobleman. Unfortunately, he orders her thrown out. Shame, really. |
| 3 | The Prophetess is ignored, no matter what she does to try and alert the locals to the dangers of evil living. |
| 4-5 | A nobleman riding through is horrified to her a tale of his villa being sacked by angry peasants. Realising that there must be something in what she says, he resolves to lower taxes a bit. The Prophetess has done a little bit of good here, and gains +1 Luck in the next adventure. |
| 6 | One of the local merchants hears what she says and realises that it applies to him. He offers her a gift of 1D6x50 gold to try and appease the divine and avoid retribution. |
| 7 | The Prophetess is invited for an audience with an important priest, who questions her and concludes that she is speaking the truth. She gains +1 Luck in the next adventure, and is given a piece of treasure to aid her. |
| 0-1 | The local witch-hunters swiftly chase her out of town. |
| 2-3 | The message is one of oncoming doom towards this city, and the people don’t like it. For the rest of her visit, the Prophetess counts as being ‘Shunned’, if she isn’t already. |
| 4 | Although she is mostly ignored, some seem to hear her message, and take note. The Prophetess has had at least some impact here. She gains +1 Luck in the next adventure. |
| 5 | Someone listens to her proclamations, and actually heeds them. The Prophetess is given a donation of 1D6x50 gold to support her on her mission. |
| 6+ | The Prophetess comes to the attention of the city burgomaster. She is given an audience, and her words cause a great stir. A witch-hunter thanks her for alerting the people to the schemes of Chaos, and offers her a piece of treasure. |
Note that when rolling for treasure; continue to roll until she has something
that she can use.
The Prophetess can spend 1D6 days outside of the settlement, fasting and writing in her Book of Prophesies. During this time she doesn’t generate events and doesn’t pay Living Expenses. At the end, roll 2D6 on the following table.
| 2-4 | You receive no special insight or power. |
| 5 | In the next adventure you have +1 point of Power stored in your staff. |
| 6 | You receive an insight, roll 2D6 on the Consultation Table (Wizard’s Guild) |
| 7 | Your staff gains +2 points of Power in the next adventure |
| 8 | You gain +1D6 Power in the next adventure |
| 9 | You receive special insight. Roll for a blessing. You may use this once in the next adventure automatically. |
| 10 | Roll three times on the Consultation Table (Wizard’s Guild), rerolling duplicate results. |
| 11-12 | It seems you have been selected for a mighty reward. Roll on the table below. |
Roll 1D6 to see what special power you have received.
| 1 | Holy Symbol When she uses her Holy Symbol, it is at +1 to its effect (either causing or healing +1 extra Wound) |
| 2 | Prophet’s Mantle It now conveys the power of Magic Resistance 6+ |
| 3 | Prophet’s Mantle This receives +1 Toughness to its bonus. It also counts as magical. |
| 4 | Prophet’s Staff This now does an extra 1D6 wounds on a to hit roll of 6. |
| 5 | Prophet’s Staff The Prophet’s Staff contains an extra 1D6 Power at the beginning of each adventure. |
| 6 | Prophet’s Staff The Prophetess may now make +1 Attack each turn. |
The following events are resolved differently.
| Event No . | Difference |
| 24 | She counts this as an Uneventful Day (but must still roll on the Uneventful Days table if she is ‘Shunned’ or ‘Laughed At’. |
| 21 | Make a Willpower test (7+). If she succeeds, the Heiress can choose to ignore this event, losing 1D6x50 gold to the trader but not confronting him. If she fails, resolve the event as normal. |
| 26 | For various reasons, the Prophetess is immune to this event. Roll for another event. |
| 43 | The Prophetess is not the sort of person who the Watch want to have… Roll for another event. |
| 64 | Any result on this table counts as 1-3 unless she rolls a 6. |
If the Prophetess is ‘Shunned’ or ‘Laughed At’, she is far less
likely to have time to herself, without the bother of ignorant peasants. When
the Roleplay Book table claims that she has an Uneventful Day, she must roll on
the following table to see what has happened to her.
Roll 1D6
| 1 | The Prophetess is thrown out of town, annoyingly. | ||||
| 2 | While busy prophesying doom on a noble’s home, she is
confronted by a local priest who… (roll 1D6)
|
||||
| 3 | The Prophetess feels that she has a message of vital importance to deliver to the town council. Roll 1D6+Willpower. If she scores 7+ she succeeds, and gains +1 point of Luck in the next adventure. | ||||
| 4 | The Prophetess gives out a powerful message of vital importance to the locals, and they listen to her. She counts as being ‘Heeded’ for the rest of this settlement. In addition, she is given donations valuing 1D6x50 gold. | ||||
| 5-6 | It really is an Uneventful Day! |
The Prophetess trains in the same way as normal, spending her money and taking a week to train. When she receives a new skill, roll a D66 on the following table.
| 11-12 | Hypnosis See Elf |
| 13-14 | Endure See Dwarf |
| 15-16 | Reaction Strike See Barbarian |
| 21-22 | Leap See Elf |
| 23-24 | Retort See Imperial Noble |
| 25-26 | Hell Hath No Fury The Prophetess can declare that she Hates any one group of Monsters in each combat. She suffers this Psychology until the end of the combat. |
| 31-32 | Dodge Dodge 6+ at Novice and Champion levels. Dodge 5+ at Hero and Lord. |
| 33-34 | The Calling of Fate Once in each adventure, the Prophetess can roll twice for each action she undertakes in one turn, choosing the better of the two. She may not use Luck or any other additional method of changing a result in this round. |
| 35-36 | Dirty Blow See Witch Hunter |
| 41-66 | The Prophetess gains a new Blessing. Roll it as normal. |
The Prophetess is driven by a vision, and probably counts as an ascetic. She
may well have been raised or sheltered by an association like the Sisters of
Sigmar, and you could probably use these rules to play an Augur character. A
player could emphasise her weirdness, and have her constantly spouting odd
phrases and predicting the demise of everyone she comes across, but it is more
likely that the Prophetess would be, most of the time, the same as everyone
else. If she acts oddly, it is only because she knows something that others
don’t, and is acting on other instructions.
There is plenty of scope for development, even in how a ‘Prophetess’ is
interpreted. You could downplay the religious element and have her as someone
tormented by visions of the future, or make her some type of megalomaniac who
has a plan and intends to see it through.
The Prophetess is a good way for GM’s to introduce hints into the game, but
with the added worry of whether the heroes are interpreting these visions
properly. She can also be a bit handy when it comes to healing with her Holy
Symbol!
THE PROPHETESS BATTLE-LEVEL TABLE
| BL | Gold | Title | M | WS | BS | S | DD | T | W | I | A | L | WP | Pin | Skills |
| 1 | 0 | Novice | 4 | 2 | 6+ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1D6+5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4+ | 0 |
| 2 | 2000 | Champion | 4 | 3 | 6+ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2D6+5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4+ | 1 |
| 3 | 4000 | Champion | 4 | 3 | 6+ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2D6+5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4+ | 2 |
| 4* | 8000 | Champion | 4 | 4 | 6+ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3D6+5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4+ | 3 |
| 5 | 12000 | Hero | 4 | 4 | 5+ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3D6+6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3+ | 4 |
| 6 | 18000 | Hero | 4 | 4 | 5+ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4D6+6 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3+ | 5 |
| 7 | 24000 | Hero | 4 | 5 | 5+ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4D6+7 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3+ | 6 |
| 8* | 32000 | Hero | 4 | 5 | 5+ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5D6+7 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3+ | 7 |
| 9 | 45000 | Lord | 4 | 6 | 5+ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5D6+7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3+ | 8 |
| 10 | 50000 | Lord | 4 | 6 | 5+ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6D6+7 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3+ | 9 |
*At levels 4 and 8 the Prophetess gains the ability to use an extra Blessing in the turn. This means that at 1-3 she may use 1 per turn, at 4-7 she may use 2 per turn, and at 8-10 she may use three.
Thecustodian
21st December 2003
“Bigger Tables! Better Choices! More Rules!”