Elf Scout

By Robin Rains

I have been playing Warhammer Quest for a long time now, but their comes a time in every battle level 10 Elven Lord's life when he wants a little danger with this thought in mind I set about writing the rules to a new warrior pack: The Wood Elf Scout!!!

Scouts are Elves who have given up everything just to be able to explore the underground systems of the old world with their trusty bow and dagger. Because of this erg to explore they spend all of their life in athletic training, this makes them a lot faster than average elf but much weaker in hand to hand combat.

Below are the rules to the Wood Elf Scout, the rules for this new warrior are split into three sections: The Basic Rules, The Advanced Rules and the Role-play Rules.

The Basic Rules

The profile of the scout is as follows:

Wounds 1D6+5 Toughness 3

Move 5 Initiative 4

Weapon Skill 4 Attacks 1

Ballistic Skill 3+ Escape from pinning Auto

Strength 2

Equipment - Camouflaged cloak. Using his camouflage the scout can ignore one blow that hits him once a quest unless it was from a magical weapon or the monster rolled a 6 to hit.

Weapons - Elven Bow and Daggers

Elven Bow: 1D6 + Strength 4, as many shots as attacks.

Daggers: 1D6 + Scout's Strength 2.

Armour & weapons - The Scout can only wear armour if it clearly states that it is of Elven origin as only it grants totally free movement, however this applies to Armour only and not weapons, he can not carry weapons that are carried in two hands as they are too heavy. Apart from this he counts as an Elf

Special Rules - When a monster hits the Scout, on a 5+ the blow is dodged.

Also the Scout can see in the dark, this allows him to explore and move around just as if he had the lantern even if there are monsters around. No one may follow him unless the leader comes to.

The Advanced Rules

Scouts & gold - A scout can only keep up to their level times 300 gold, this is because the scout is only interested with adventuring and is not too bothered about how rich he is, this does not mean that he can not learn skills as he keeps a separate score as the troll slayer does in the role-play book with a few differences which are explained below.

Scouts & travel - Because of their speed Scouts reduce the time that the party they are with spends travelling by 1D3 days.

Scouts in settlements - when a scout goes to a settlement he can only stay their for his battle level times 1D6 days as after that he gets bored, this is rolled for when he gets there, however for each of these days he must roll twice on the settlement event table as he gets around far more than other warriors. The scout may never visit an Elf Quarter as the elves who live there consider is just too rural. When he is in a shop he counts as an elf, just a very skinny fast one. Also the scout can visit a wood elf troop just as if he was a Wardancer except he may not go on a wild hunt or by any object only available to a Wardancer and may attempt to join the Waywatch.

Scouts & the Waywatch - while in a wood elf troop the scout may attempt to join the way watch. To do so he must first of all make a donation to the troop's elders of 2D6 times his battle level gold, after this is done he must roll 1D6 on the following table:

1 The Scout's donations are not large enough and he is thrown out of the troop.

2-3 The scout is refused entry into the Waywatch although the elders graciously accept his donation.

4-5 The scout is accepted into the Waywatch for 1D3 days during this time he may do nothing except pay his living expenses, make 1 role on the way watcher table below to see what he gets.

6 The scout is accepted into the way watch for 1D6 days during this time he may do nothing except pay his living expenses, make 2 roles on the way watcher table below to see what he gets.

once in the way watch the Elf Scout is given a magical quiver to keep his arrows in as soon as he joins, this may be kept by the scout but may never be sold, every arrow put into it counts as being magical. In addition to this their is the risk of an invasion from the wood elf's enemies to represent this the Way watcher table is used:

Waywatcher table - Role 1D6 on the bellow table

1-3 nobody invades

4 The legions of the undead attack, during the battle the scout is attacked by a unit of skeletons, he manages to shoot down 1D6 + his battle level of them, if this is 7 or more then he survives and is rewarded with 2D6 Arrows of Oak, if he rolls under 7 then he is captured and has his wound score reduced by 1D6. Arrows of Oak ignore all of the opponent creature armour but the scout is at -1 to hit when he fires them.

5 An army of Scaven tunnel up from beneath the ground and the scout is forced to fight in hand to hand against a clan eshin assasin, the scout inflicts 1D6 + strength wounds on the Scaven, if this is 7 or more then the assasin is dead and the scout is rewarded with 2D6 Arrows of Willow, if he roles under 7 the scout has his strength and toughness reduced to 2 for the next 1D3 adventures by the poisoned daggers of the Scaven. Arrows of Willow splits into many branches which each inflict a strength 4 attack on all models in base contact with the model which has been hit by the arrow.

6 A Chaos war band attack and during the battle the scout is attacked by 1D6 centaurs, the scout should role a number of dice equal to his battle level, for every one that manages to hit regarding his ballistic skill will kill one of them. If the scout killed them all he is rewarded with 2D6 Arrows of Yew, if some survive then they charge the scout and in the battle the elf losses one bow, if he has more than one he may pick one as well as having his starting wounds halved. If the Arrows of Yews hit on a natural role of a 6 then the target creature is automatically reduced to 1 wound or he is killed if he was already on one wound.

Scouts & levels - this is achieved by as soon as the amount of money for the next level is gained (as explained earlier) the scout may go up a level, he then has to roll on the skills table and complete the task stated, if he fails he gets no battle level, if he does this extra level is gained after the quest(Skills are rolled for but not gained ). He gets a skill at every level

1-3 the Scout gains one movement skill if for the rest of the adventure he always moves his full speed, role on the movement table below.

4-5 the Scout gains one combat skill if by the end of the quest they have killed what ever monster had the highest gold value in the whole quest if their was more than one he must have killed one of them.

6 the scout gains a special skill if by the end of the quest they have earned the highest gold value of all the warriors just in this quest, role on the special skill table below.

Movement Skills: role 1D6, that is the skill he learns.

1 Charge

This skill gives the scout +1 Strength if in the previous turn he moved at least 4 squares.

2 dexterity

This skill gives the scout +1 on his dodge role if his attacker had a lower initiative than himself.

3 Barge

This skill may be used once a turn, if the scout's strength is higher than the monster he is attacking then his opponent is pushed into the square behind him if it is empty, if it is not empty then this skill has no effect.

4 Lightning speed

This skill gives the scout +1D6 movement once an adventure.

5 Run

this ability doubles the movement of the scout if before moving he roles his battle level or less on 2D6

6 Reaction move

Once an adventure the scout can ignore the damage of one blow by moving into an empty square next to the scout.

Combat skills: role 1D6, that is the skill he learns.

1 Inferno

When using fire arrows all monsters and players in the 8 surrounding squares of the target creature take 1D6 wounds from the flames which can not be modified for any thing.

2 Leaping blow

Once an adventure the scout can attack one monster with -1 to hit but +1 strength, if this kills them then the scout leaps onto the square they were on originally.

3 Bow master

When using an Elven bow the scout can choose to shoot with +1 strength, -1 to hit or -1 strength, +1 to hit.

4 Powerful shot

If the scout uses this ability then he may only make one shot with his bow but this shot does an additional number of wounds equal to the scouts battle level, also, as long as the shot hits it will do a minimum of 1 wound even if the blow is dodged or absorbed by toughness and armour.

5 Weapon mastery - Dagger

The scout now gets +1 to hit with his dagger and ignores 1 point of armour. Or instead he may throw it at any monster like an ordinary missile weapon which has the strength of the scout but has -1 to hit.

6 Weapon mastery - Bow

The scout now gets +1 to hit with his bow and ignores 1 point of armour for every attack he has that he does not use to fire an arrow, this ability can only be used with an Elven bow.

Special Skills: role 1D6, that is the skill he learns

1 Alchemistry - Healing Potion

May make 1 healing potion for every week spent in travel to a settlement, each of these heal the scouts battle level wounds to a single character.

2 Alchemistry - Blade Venom

May make 1 Dose of Blade venom for every week spent in travel to a settlement, each of these inflict 1D3 extra wounds of fatal damage, also no armour can be applied, in the same week a scout can not make a healing potion and a dose of blade venom.

3 Streetwise

When rolling on the settlement event table the scout may add or take away 1 from the amount rolled as long as their is a paragraph with this number e.g. a role of 26 couldn't become 31.

4 Bargain Hunter

When buying something the scout may attempt to get money off the price, this is done by the scout rolling as many D6 as they want, this is the amount knocked off. However for every 1 that is rolled the scout must pay 200 gold extra, after rolling the scout can in no way change his mind and if he can not pay he is chucked out of the settlement.

5 Wanderer

If at the start of the turn the board section the scout is on is empty then he is healed one wound and gets +1 movement until the end of the turn, however if there is someone else on the board section then he is at -1 movement.

6 Gold Prospector

Once on every board section the scout may search for gold, to find out how much he will find role as many D6 as he likes and times the result by the battle level of the party but if he roles any doubles or 1's an unexpected event occurs.

The Role-play Rules

Elven scouts are very inquisitive and are distracted easily, their mind wanders almost as much as they do, they will always try to sneak past a fight so that they can fire a few arrows at the monsters rather than hitting them with daggers. Like all Wood elves they do not trust other all though less than other wood elves because they have travelled more and so met more different people.

Basically Scouts are Elves who are much more agile and have better accuracy but are terrible at hand to hand combat.

* +1 dam dice with a missile weapon only