Source: Nemesis Crown Supplement · Setting: Nemesis Crown · Author: Mordheim Nemesis Crown Development Team
There is a traditional school of thought amongst many Dwarfs that ‘the old ways are best’, that new-fangled contraptions dreamt up by younger dwarves, especially those in the Engineering Guild, are weakening them by straying from time-honoured tactics and the ways of the Ancestors.
These Dwarfs tend to be older and as such travel together to prove this simple fact, appeasing the Ancestors by only using traditional weapons and tactics, retrieving lost treasures and artefacts and making every effort to cleanse fallen and lost Holds of the scum that have ‘temporarily’ taken them.
The newest Runesmiths, seen as the keepers of tradition, tend to be the leaders of these groups, gathering together a large number of like-minded individuals to undertake these expeditions. Their remit is simple — show the young whippersnappers that the Old Ways are the best way forward for the survival of the Dwarf race.
Special Rules
Don’t Trust ‘Em: While Ranger Warbands are free to ally with other Dwarf warbands in multi-player games, their point of view is so different that they do not trust them fully. Members of a Dwarf Rangers warband are never considered friendly models to other Dwarfs and vice versa. This means that members of one warband will stop members of the other from Marching, they won’t keep each other from taking All Alone tests, and so on. They don’t count as enemy models and may split any treasure found at the end of the game as normal, but the two bands are not friends.
Hard to Kill: Dwarfs are tough, resilient individuals who can only be taken out of action on a roll of 6 instead of 5–6 when rolling on the Injury chart. Treat a roll of 1–2 as knocked down, 3–5 as stunned, and 6 as out of action.
Hard Head: Dwarfs ignore the special rules for maces, clubs and similar weapons. They are not easy to knock out.
Armour: Dwarfs never suffer movement penalties for wearing armour.
Hate Orcs and Goblins: All Dwarfs hate Orcs and Goblins. See the Psychology section of the Mordheim rules for details on the effects of Hatred.
Grudgebearers: Dwarfs hold an ancient grudge against Elves from the days when the two races fought for supremacy in the Old World. A Dwarf Rangers warband may never include any kind of Elven Hired Sword or Dramatis Personae.
Incomparable Miners: Dwarfs spend much of their lives underground searching for precious minerals. In the city of Mordheim they apply similar skills to the search for wyrdstone. When checking for wyrdstone at the end of a game, add +1 to the number of pieces found for a Dwarf warband.
Choice of Warriors
A Dwarf Rangers warband must include a minimum of 3 models. You have 500 Gold Crowns with which you can recruit and equip your warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband is 12.
Runesmith: Each Dwarf Rangers warband must have one Runesmith: no more, no less!
Apprentice Runesmith: Your warband may include up to one Apprentice Runesmith.
Troll Slayers: Your warband may include up to two Troll Slayers.
Dwarf Longbeards: Your warband may include up to five Dwarf Longbeards.
Dwarf Clansmen: Your warband may include any number of Dwarf Clansmen.
Dwarf Crossbowmen: Your warband may include up to five Dwarf Crossbowmen.
Beardlings: Your warband may include any number of Beardlings.
Starting Experience
Runesmith starts with 20 Experience.
Apprentice Runesmith starts with 0 Experience.
Troll Slayers start with 8 Experience.
All Henchmen start with 0 Experience.
Skill Table
| Combat | Shooting | Academic | Strength | Speed | Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runesmith | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Apprentice Runesmith | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Troll Slayer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Note: Dwarfs may never take the Arcane Lore skill. It is not possible for a Dwarf to learn to cast spells.
Dwarf Warrior Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free / 2 gc |
| Mace | 3 gc |
| Hammer | 3 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
| Halberd | 10 gc |
| Dwarf Axe | 15 gc |
| Double-handed weapon | 15 gc |
| Gromril weapon | 3× base cost* |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pistol | 15 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Shield | 5 gc |
| Helmet | 10 gc |
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Heavy armour | 50 gc |
| Gromril armour | 75 gc** |
*Any weapon a Dwarf may normally purchase may be bought as a Gromril weapon by multiplying its cost by 3. This starting price represents Dwarfs outfitting themselves at their own stronghold. Later purchases of Gromril weapons use the standard Trading Post price.
**The starting price of Gromril armour is reduced to represent the relative ease with which Dwarfs can find such items in their own stronghold. Later purchases must use the normal Trading Post price.
Crossbowmen Equipment List
(Used by Dwarf Crossbowmen only)
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free / 2 gc |
| Mace | 3 gc |
| Hammer | 3 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Crossbow | 25 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Shield | 5 gc |
| Helmet | 10 gc |
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Heavy armour | 50 gc |
Heroes
1 Runesmith
85 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
Dwarf Runesmiths are champions of the old ways. ‘If it was good enough for my ancestors, it’s good enough for me!’ is a popular saying. Fresh out of their decades-long apprenticeships, these Runesmiths are normally on a quest to prove this saying and so will gather together a party of like-minded individuals to seek out lost treasures of their ancestors to confirm this adherence to the traditional ways.
Weapons/Armour: A Dwarf Runesmith may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Dwarf Warrior Equipment list.
Special Rules
Leader: Any models in the warband within 6” of the Dwarf Runesmith may use his Leadership instead of their own.
Inscribe Runes: A Runesmith knows one minor rune (see Dwarf Runes below), determined randomly when the warband is first created. He may inscribe the rune on an item carried by one of the warriors of his warband, and if successful the item gains a bonus from the rune for that game. When a Runesmith advances and rolls a skill on the Hero Advance table, he may choose to learn a new rune instead of learning a skill, exactly like a spellcaster learning a new spell.
0–1 Apprentice Runesmith
40 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
An Apprentice Runesmith follows his master wherever he goes and is normally just as anxious to prove that the old ways are best. For if they aren’t, he is wasting a good portion of his life…
Weapons/Armour: An Apprentice Runesmith may be armed with weapons chosen from the Dwarf Warrior Equipment list.
Special Rules
Extra Set of Hands: An Apprentice Runesmith helps his master fashion runic items, doing all the boring grunge-work that makes his master more efficient. An Apprentice Runesmith in the warband allows a Master Runesmith to inscribe on two items before each game, instead of only one.
0–2 Dwarf Troll Slayers
50 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
While it may seem that Troll Slayers shouldn’t fit in with the rest of a Runic Ranger warband, make no mistake — they are strict adherents to tradition and the old ways! Indeed they usually find it easier to get along with the more traditional-minded Dwarfs than with others, who Slayers feel lack determination and the insight to see what the true problems are with their race.
Weapons/Armour: Troll Slayers may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Dwarf Warrior Equipment list. Slayers may never carry or use missile weapons or any form of armour.
Special Rules
Deathwish: Troll Slayers seek an honourable death in combat. They are completely immune to all psychology and never need to test if fighting alone.
Henchmen
(Bought in groups of 1–5)
0–5 Dwarf Longbeards
50 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
Tested Dwarf veterans who’ve fought in hundreds of battles over their long lives, Longbeards are typically more than willing to support an expedition to prove what they’ve said all along — the old ways are best!
Weapons/Armour: Dwarf Longbeards may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Dwarf Warrior Equipment list.
Special Rules
Stubborn: Dwarf Longbeards have seen just about everything in their long careers. They are used to fighting by themselves against impossible odds and are generally more set in their ways than other Dwarfs. A Dwarf Longbeard may re-roll any failed Leadership test he is required to take. The result of this second roll must always be accepted.
Dwarf Clansmen
40 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
There are many Dwarfs who see the wisdom in reliance on the old ways. Most of these Dwarf warriors venerate Runesmiths and are honoured to be chosen as part of an expedition including one.
Weapons/Armour: Dwarf Clansmen may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Dwarf Warrior Equipment list.
0–5 Dwarf Crossbowmen
40 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
More Dwarfs who see the old ways as best use the crossbow instead of the newer and very unreliable handgun. If their ancestors had wanted them to use black powder weapons, they would have developed them generations ago.
Weapons/Armour: Crossbowmen may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Dwarf Crossbowmen Equipment list.
Beardlings
25 gold crowns to hire
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Many of the proponents of the old ways are older members of the Dwarf community. However there are still youngsters who believe and they often accompany a Runic warband to lend a hand. More spry than their fellows, they are often used as scouts, roaming ahead of the rest to spy the land and observe enemy activity.
Weapons/Armour: Beardlings may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Dwarf Warrior Equipment list.
Dwarf Special Skills
Dwarf Heroes may use the following skill list instead of any of the standard skill lists available to them.
Combat Master: This Dwarf’s martial skills surpass those of a normal warrior. When using a weapon with a Parry special rule, this Hero parries successfully if he beats or matches his opponent’s highest to hit roll, not just if he beats it. In addition, if this warrior uses two weapons with the Parry special rule, he may parry two attacks instead of the normal maximum of one.
Extra Tough: This Dwarf is notorious for walking away from wounds that would kill a lesser being. When rolling on the Heroes Serious Injury chart after a game in which this Hero has been taken out of action, the dice may be re-rolled once. The result of this second roll must be accepted, even if worse.
Resource Hunter: This Dwarf is especially good at locating valuable resources. When rolling on the Exploration chart at the end of a game, the Hero may modify one dice roll by +1 or –1.
True Grit: Dwarfs are hardy individuals and this Hero is hardy even for a Dwarf. When rolling on the Injury table for this Hero, a roll of 1–3 is treated as knocked down, 4–5 as stunned, and 6 as out of action.
Thick Skull: The Hero has a thick skull, even for a Dwarf. He has a 3+ save on a D6 to avoid being stunned. If the save is made, treat a stunned result as knocked down instead. If the Dwarf also wears a helmet, this save is 2+ instead of 3+, which replaces the normal Helmet special rule.
Slayer Special Skills
Troll Slayers only.
Ferocious Charge: The Slayer may double his attacks on the turn in which he charges, but suffers a –1 to hit penalty on that turn.
Monster Slayer: The Slayer always wounds any opponent on a roll of 4+, regardless of Toughness, unless his own Strength with weapon modifiers would already require a lower roll.
Berserker: The Slayer may add +1 to his to hit rolls during the turn in which he charges.
Special Equipment
Dwarf Axe
Cost: 15 gc · Availability: Rare 8
Dwarf axes are smaller-hafted weapons made of lighter but stronger materials than normal axes. Dwarf Warriors are specially trained in their use and are able to use them as deftly as a Human warrior might wield a sword.
Range: Close Combat · Strength: As user
Special Rules
Cutting Edge: Dwarf axes have an extra save modifier of –1, so a model with Strength 4 using a Dwarf axe has a –2 save modifier in close combat.
Parry: A model armed with a Dwarf axe may parry blows. When his opponent rolls to hit, the model may roll a D6 — if the score is greater than the highest to hit score of his opponent, the blow is parried and that attack is discarded. A model may not parry attacks made with double or more its own Strength. A model may not parry more than one attack per Close Combat phase; a model armed with two Dwarf axes (or a Dwarf axe and a sword) does not get to parry two attacks but may instead re-roll a failed parry.
Dwarf Runes
Runesmiths harness the magic of the Warhammer world by inscribing magical runes on items, imbuing them with a variety of wondrous abilities. When a Runesmith graduates from his long apprenticeship he knows one or two minor runes taught to him by his master. These runes can only utilise magic for a short time. As the Runesmith practices and studies on his own, he gains the knowledge required to inscribe more powerful permanent runes on items.
Before each game, the Runesmith may attempt to inscribe the rune on an item one of the warriors in his warband is carrying. He must roll 2D6 — if he rolls a number equal to or greater than the Difficulty Level of the rune, the item gains the appropriate bonus for that game. If he rolls a 2, he has fumbled the inscription and the item is destroyed and must be removed from the warrior’s equipment (it may be replaced before the game if the warband has sufficient gold crowns). Any other failure simply means the Runesmith failed to inscribe the rune correctly and no bonus is gained.
The Runesmith starts with one of the following minor runes, determined randomly:
- Rune of Stone: +1 to Armour Save. Difficulty 8.
- Rune of Sharpness: –1 Armour Save modifier to weapon. Difficulty 6.
- Rune of Speed: Initiative doubled on weapon. Difficulty 7.
- Rune of Warding: Special 4+ save vs. spells affecting target (placed on belt, armband, etc; cost to replace: 1 gc). Difficulty 8.
- Rune of Accuracy: +1 to hit on weapon. Difficulty 9.
- Rune of Striding: +1 Movement (placed on boots, belt, etc; cost to replace: 1 gc). Difficulty 8.
The Jealousy of Runes: Bonuses from Runes are not cumulative with magical bonuses from other items. A warrior may not combine a Rune of Stone on his shield and a Rune of Warding for a total +2 bonus to his Armour Save, nor combine a Rune with a magic item that adds the same bonus.