This section introduces Hirelings into the WoT Skirmish Game. Hirelings are individuals who do not belong to any particular warband or retinue, but instead hire out their services to the highest bidder or aid your warband for some other reason only known to them.
A player can recruit Hirelings when he creates his warband, or during the campaign phase after a game.
Hirelings don’t belong to the warband they fight with and usually don’t help the warband except by fighting. This means that they do not count towards the maximum number of warriors or Heroes in the warband and don’t affect your income for selling any goods whatsoever. A player cannot buy extra weapons or equipment for a Hireling, and he cannot sell the Hireling’s weapons or equipment. To reflect their rarity, you can only have one of each type of Hireling in your warband. You may not use the Leadership of any of the Hirelings for Rout tests.
When a warband recruits a
Hireling, you must pay his hire fee.
Subsequently, after each battle he fights, including the first, you must
pay his upkeep fee if you want him to remain with the warband. If the Hireling is killed, or you no longer
require his services, you don’t have to pay any upkeep! These costs are indicated in the entries for
each Hireling.
The money paid to Hirelings comes from the warband’s treasury
in the same way as buying new weapons or recruiting more warriors. If you don’t have enough gold to pay for the
Hireling, or you want to spend it on other things, he leaves the warband. Any experience he has gained will be lost,
even if you hire a new Hireling of the same type.
If a Hireling goes out of
action during the game, roll for his injuries as you would roll for a
Henchman after a battle (i.e. 1-2 = Lost; 3-6 = Survives).
Hirelings gain experience in
exactly the same way as Henchmen. Write
the name and profile of a Hireling on your roster sheet in one of the Henchman
group slots. Once the Hireling gains
enough experience for an advance, roll on the Heroes Advancement table (as
opposed to Henchmen) to determine which advance he gains. Skills available to the Hirelings are listed
under their entries.
Gleeman
25 gold marks to hire + 10 gold marks upkeep
“You want stories? I have
stories, and I will give them to you. I will make them come alive before your
eyes.”
- Thom Merrilin, Gleeman
Gleemen are the entertainers of the
Westlands. They may be court
performers, or they may perform in Inns in small trading villages. In general, they have a mastery of singing,
chanting, storytelling, juggling, and at least one instrument. They are generally unaligned, serving only
themselves, though some have been known to be sympathetic to certain causes. As a trademark, all Gleemen wear long, thick
cloaks made up of a mass of sewn together, multi-coloured patches. Average folk would not expect a joyful
Gleeman to carry any weapons about his person, but as Gleemen know only too
well the roads between cities, towns and villages can be treacherous, with
dangers including bears, wolves and bandits.
Gleemen are therefore not only great entertainers, but some can be quite
skilled fighters.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Asha’man, Aiel, Seanchan and Dragonsworn may hire a Gleeman.
Rating: A Gleeman increases
the warband’s rating by +15 points, plus 1 point for each experience point he
has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Gleeman |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
7 |
Equipment: Two daggers,
throwing knives and toughened leathers.
SPECIAL RULES
Entertainer: Gleemen are excellent entertainers. They are masters of storytelling, singing and juggling. The Gleeman adds +2D6 gm to the income of the warband from telling stories (such as the Thousand Tales of Anla the Wise Counselor, Jaem the Giant-Slayer, and How Goodwife Karil Cured Her Husband of Snoring) and by singing songs (such as Rose of the Morning, the Dancing Lass, and the Old Grey Goose) in the local taverns and Inns.
Skills: A Gleeman may
choose from the Strength, Academic and Speed skill lists when he gains new
skills.
Cairhienin Assassin
40 gold marks to hire + 20 gold marks upkeep
Politics is a dangerous game, in
Cairhien especially, and not all dangers are found on the battlefield. The Cairhienin Assassin is the most skilled
of his profession in the known world, removing ‘obstacles’ with complete
discretion. He will hire himself out to the highest bidder and satisfaction is
guaranteed. The Assassin calmly dispatches his rather distasteful duties with
fastidiousness and finesse. In between
jobs, such a man will often join a warband in order to hone his skills;
assassination is not a profession for the slow or dull-witted!
May Be Hired: Only Friends of
the Dark, National Forces and Nobles’ Armsmen warbands may hire a Cairhienin
Assassin.
Rating: A Cairhienin
Assassin increases the warband’s rating by +23 points, plus 1 point for each
experience point he has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Assassin |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
Equipment: Sword, dagger and
throwing knives.
SPECIAL RULES
Weapons Master: The Assassin is a master of weapons and may use any weapon he finds. You may purchase weapons for the Assassin just as you would for any other member of your warband. However, unlike other members of your warband, any weapon you give to an Assassin is his to keep – he will not give it to another warband member later.
Poisoner: Assassins
specialize in the use of poisons. All attacks made by the Cairhienin
Assassin count as being poisoned. This
means that when you roll a six when rolling to wound, the enemy model is
allowed no armour save. This cancels
out the rule for daggers giving the opponent an armour save, provided that a
six is rolled. The smallest scratch can
be fatal.
Skills: An Assassin may
choose from Combat, Speed, Shooting skills or Unstoppable Charge from the
Strength skills list when he gains a new skill. He may also choose from the special Assassin skills below.
Backstabber: The Assassin
specializes in attacking his target when their back is turned. The Assassin may charge an opponent he
cannot see (he knows your there!) as long as the target model is within his
charge reach. If he does this, he
surprises his opponent and receives a +1 to hit him with all attacks and any
rolls on the Serious Injuries chart are at +1.
This bonus lasts for the first round of combat only, as his opponent
will swiftly recover his wits if he survives the initial assault.
Hide in Shadows: The Assassin can blend into the shadows so that his
opponents will not see him. As long as
he is within 1” of a wall or other linear obstacle (hedge, fence, well, etc),
opposing models must pass an Initiative test in order to charge or shoot at
him.
Hunter of the Horn
30 gold marks to hire + 15 gold
marks upkeep
Hunters of the Horn come from
every possible background. The thrill
of adventures and battle call their names as they seek to uncover the mysteries
of the ages. The Great Hunt has called their
names and they will not rest until they hear the sound of the Horn of Valere
ringing in their ears and the Last Battle is waged in their midst. They bow to no king or man, and the war they
wage is their own. The fighting they do
is for them alone and the goals in which they wish to achieve. Hunters have been known to fight for king
and peasant alike if they feel the cause is just. Theirs is a long road and strange path, but strange trails
are that which they seek. Their means
may not always be just, but the Hunters of the Horn will see the Shadow
overtaken and destroyed in the Last Battle.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Atha’an Miere, Seanchan and Aiel may hire a Hunter of the Horn.
Rating: A Hunter of the
Horn increases the warband’s rating by +17 points, plus 1 point for each
experience point he/she has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Hunter |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
Equipment: Two swords,
dagger, light armour and helmet.
SPECIAL RULES
Tales of the Hunt: Most if not all Hunters of the Horn know parts of the Tales of the Great Hunt, a bardic cycle that takes several days to tell in its entirety describing past heroes’ search for the Horn of Valere.
Hunters never pass off an opportunity to speak these legends, and some tell it in a way that only Gleemen could better, inspiring all who listen. A warband that hires a Hunter of the Horn may re-roll one failed Rout test once as long as the Hunter stays with that warband to represent their inspiration to fight on for their cause, just like the brave heroes of the legends did.
Skills: A Hunter of the
Horn may choose from the Combat, Strength and Speed skill lists when he/she
gains new skills.
Deathwatch Guard
40 gold marks to hire + 20 gold marks
upkeep
The most skilled and devoted Seanchan warriors become members of the elite Deathwatch Guard. It is this formation that is charged with guarding the Seanchan Empress and the Imperial family, and its members are renowned for their willingness to kill or die to achieve their missions. In point of fact, all members of the Deathwatch Guard are actually owned by the Empress herself. Though the most elite circles of the Deathwatch Guard protect the Imperial Personage, the remainder are often loaned out as a sign of Imperial favour. Immediately recognisable by their black-tasseled spears and black- lacquered shields, their very presence in a warband can stir it to greater and greater heights in the service of the Imperial Throne.
May Be Hired: Only Seanchan
warbands may hire a Deathwatch Guard.
Rating: A Deathwatch Guard
increases the warband’s rating by +23 points, plus 1 point for each experience
point he has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Dw Guard |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
Equipment: Spear, shield and
heavy armour (even though not mounted, but does confer a -1 Movement penalty to
the Deathwatch Guard’s Movement of 4).
SPECIAL RULES
Favour of the Empress: The Deathwatch are often loaned out to others to show Imperial favour - a position that must be earned, and can easily be lost. A Seanchan warband must have won its three previous games to 'hire' a Deathwatch Guard (the gold mark cost represents time and money spent working the right connections), and if it looses more than one game in a row the Deathwatch Guard will leave the warband. The controlling player has no choice in this.
Inspiring: The obvious support
of the Empress that a member of the Deathwatch Guard represents acts as an
inspiring influence for a Seanchan warband - they will work hard to maintain
their position. As long as a Seanchan warband includes a Deathwatch Guard, they
may re-roll their first failed Rout test.
Devoted: Deathwatch Guard are the elite fighting forces of the Seanchan Empire. They have seen many battles, and serve their Empress with the utmost loyalty. They are immune to all psychology and never take All Alone tests.
Skills: A Deathwatch Guard may choose from Combat, Strength and Speed skills when he gains a new skill.
Servant
15 gold marks to hire + 5 gold
marks upkeep
Servants may be hired to wait on
the warband hand and foot. They carry
out jobs such as cleaning, cooking, and organizing the chores of everyday
life. They follow the warband wherever they
go as their services are usually required at all times. Though not the most skilled of fighters,
they are willing to defend themselves and their employers when under attack.
May Be Hired: Only Friends of
the Dark, Seanchan, Noble’s Armsmen and Aes Sedai warbands may hire a Servant.
Rating: A Servant
increases the warband’s rating by +7 points, plus 1 point for each experience
point he/she has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Servant |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
Equipment: Cleaning
apparatus, kitchen utensil etc. All
count as being equipped with a club.
Paid To Serve: Servants cook, clean, carry equipment and provide care and attention to their employer warbands. Such luxuries attract many warriors to these warbands. Hiring a Servant allows you to increase your maximum warband size by 1.
Wealthy: Everyone knows that only the rich can afford Servants, especially Merchants. If you hire a Servant, this means that your warband gains +1 to finding each item they search for, as there is a heightened chance of getting what you want with more merchants in the area.
Skills: A Servant may
choose from the Speed skills when he/she gains a new skill.
Scout
25 gold marks to hire + 10 gold
marks upkeep
Scouts are men who are experts in
moving around silently, using every small scrap of cover to their full
advantage so that they may get closer to their target without being seen or
heard. They are usually brought up in
country areas, and may have been farmers or hunters previously but have turned
to hiring out their services for a more profitable income. All sensible leaders
like to know where their enemy is and what their enemy is planning, so many
leaders hire a Scout to find out as much information as possible before a
battle.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Seanchan and Aiel may hire a Scout.
Rating: A Scout increases
the warband’s rating by +15 points, plus 1 point for each experience point he
has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Scout |
4 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
7 |
Equipment: Bow and dagger.
Infiltrator: Scouts are able to creep forward before battles begin to gain an edge on their enemies. A Scout may move an additional 4" in any direction after all deployment is complete, but before the first movement phase.
Scout:
By
scouting out the terrain beforehand, the Scout is better able to assist his
employer in predicting the movements of the enemy. A warband containing a Scout
who wasn't taken out of action in the previous battle may modify the dice roll
for scenario by –1.
Skills: A Scout may choose
from the Shooting and Speed skill lists when he gains new skills. He may also choose from the special Scout
skills below.
Sharp
Eye
The Scout may automatically
spot hidden enemy models at twice his Initiative in inches, rather than the
usual Initiative distance.
Move
Silently
The Scout has mastered the
art of moving silently through all sorts of rough terrain, concealing himself
from sight. Enemy models half their initiative distance when attempting to spot
him (rounding fractions down).
Healer
50 gold marks to hire
Healers are part of every
culture; the need to heal the sick and injured is the same wherever you go.
They have different names depending on where they come from, although they
mostly practice the same methods of healing.
Such names include Wise Woman, Wisdom, and Hedgedoctor.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Asha’man, Aes Sedai and Aiel may hire a Healer. Healers may only be hired after a battle,
with the gold marks removed from the warband’s treasury at the same time as
buying new equipment. You cannot pay an
upkeep fee for Healers; their loyalties are not to your warband, but to the
sick and injured in general. 50gm hires the Healer once, and if you want to use them again you must rehire and
spend another 50gm.
Rating: Your warband
rating is not affected when hiring a Healer, as his/her services are only
required occasionally between battles.
Equipment: Herbal remedies,
ointments, bandages etc.
SPECIAL RULES
Unaligned: Healers will not align themselves with any particular warband; they will stay in their cities, towns and villages where they are needed most. Warbands will most likely not even use the same Healer more than once, and only require their help when it is absolutely needed. This is why Healers have no profile statistics; they will not join or fight for your warband. Healers do not gain any experience.
Heal Injured: When hired,
Healers may attempt to heal one warrior with the following injuries from the
Heroes’ Serious Injury Chart; Leg Wound, Arm Wound, Smashed Leg, Chest Wound,
Old Battle Wound, Hand Injury and Deep Wound.
Only wounds caused during the most recent battle can be healed, not older
wounds from previous battles. The
Healer will attempt to heal all new wounds, so only roll on this table once if
the warrior has multiple injuries. To see what the Healer does, roll a D6:
|
D6 Roll |
Effect |
|
1 |
The patient got to the Healer too late. All injuries remain and cannot be healed. |
|
2-4 |
The Healer doesn’t have the experience or knowledge to treat the wounds correctly. All injuries remain. Roll a D3. The results of this roll are as follows: 1. The Healer gives the patient a mixed tea of rannel and sheepstongue root. This perks the patient up slightly, but it tastes revolting. Once drunk, the patient gains +1 to their Initiative value to represent their heightened state of awareness. 2. The Healer gives the patient an ointment of ground ivy, five-finger and sunburst root. This helps stop bruises forming on the warriors body. Once used, the patient gains a Toughness increase of +1. 3. The Healer gives the patient a flask of flatwort and andilay root tea. This tea treats fatigue, clears the head, and dims the burn in sore muscles, strengthening the patient’s body. Once drunk, the patient gains a +1 Strength bonus. These effects only last for the duration of the next battle the patient takes part in. |
|
5-6 |
The Healer mixes a lotion of corenroot and dogwort, helping to make blood and heal the wounds. The patient makes a full recovery; all new injuries have been healed. |
Thief
20 gold marks to hire + 10 gold
marks upkeep
Thieves are everywhere, in every
culture, in every part of the world. A
few daring individuals may hire their skills to warbands. They may do this because they look to earn or
acquire more gold than they currently get, or their services may be required to
carry out a certain task that only a thief could perform.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Seanchan, Asha’man, Aes Sedai, Atha’an Miere, Aiel and Children of
the Light may hire a Thief.
Rating: A Thief increases
the warband’s rating by +13 points, plus 1 point for each experience point he
has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Thief |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
6 |
Equipment: Short bow, dagger
and rope and hook.
Loot: If an opposing model is out of action, place some sort of marker or counter where the body lies. When a Thief comes upon this model (i.e. is in base contact or touching the model) he may loot him on a roll of 3+ on a D6. If successful, the thief will steal D6 gold marks, the gold being removed from the opponent’s treasury. If there is not enough gold in the treasury, no more gold than what is there may be stolen. The warband employing the Thief gains nothing from this as the Thief keeps any gold he finds.
Acquire Goods: When trying to
find gear, send your heroes out as normal.
If one of your heroes finds an item, you don’t have to purchase it. Instead, you may send your Thief out to
steal it. Note that you may only send
the Thief out once per game. The Thief
can use this skill before you decide whether or not to keep him hired for your
next game. Roll a D6 and consult the
following table:
|
D6 Roll |
Effect |
|
1-2 |
The Thief was caught and killed. Remove him from your roster. |
|
3-4 |
The Thief returns empty-handed. |
|
5-6 |
The Thief is successful, and returns with the goods. Add the stolen goods to your roster. |
If the Rarity of the item being stolen is 11 or greater, then subtract 1 from the result of the D6 roll when consulting the above table. If the Rarity is 9 or less, then add 1 to the result of the D6 roll.
Skills: A Thief may choose from Speed skills when he gains a new skill.
Borderlander
50 gold marks to hire + 20 gold marks upkeep
Sometimes
warriors from the Borderlands leave their ancestral homes and take up the life
of a mercenary. Perhaps they have grown tired of the constant war with the
Shadow, or maybe they simply wanted to see some of the world that they have
spent their lives protecting.
Occasionally, a quest will call them away, and they may never return.
Inevitably, these warriors fall back on the skills they have learned in the
harsh Borderlands - they fight to earn their bread and ale.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Whitecloaks, Aiel and Seanchan may hire a Borderlander.
Rating: A Borderlander
increases the warband’s rating by +23 points, plus 1 point for each experience
point he has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
B-lander Warhorse |
4 8 |
4 3 |
3 0 |
4 3 |
3 3 |
1 1 |
4 3 |
1 1 |
7 5 |
Equipment: Shienaran: Heavy armour, lance, sword and warhorse.
Saldaean: Bow, sword and warhorse.
Arafellin: Two swords and toughened
leathers.
Regional Skills: Each region of the Borderlands emphasises different skills. When you recruit a Borderlander, you must choose which region he is from: Shienar, which produces some of the greatest heavy cavalry in the world; Saldaea, noted for its fine light horsemen; or Arafel, known for its highly skilled swordsmen.
Shienaran: A Shienaran may choose from Combat and Strength skills when he gains a new skill.
Saldaean: A Saldaean may choose
from Combat and Riding skills when he gains a new skill.
Arafellin: An Arafellin may
choose from Combat, Speed and Sword Forms when he gains a new skill.
Thief-catcher
40 gold marks to hire + 20 gold
marks upkeep
Thief-catchers (also known as Thief-takers)
are people who are hired to find stolen or missing articles, as well as to
track down criminals. However, on capturing these criminals the Thief-catchers
will not kill them but instead will take them to the nearest authority to be
punished, or to the person that hired them in the first place. Thief-catchers
are also skilled in combat, favouring quarterstaffs and sword-breakers to
disarm their opponents rather than killing them.
May Be Hired: Any warband except
Shadowspawn, Asha’man, Aiel and Dragonsworn may hire a Thief-catcher.
Rating: A Thief-catcher
increases the warband’s rating by +23 points, plus 1 point for each experience
point he has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Thief-catcher |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
7 |
Equipment: Toughened
leathers, quarterstaff, dagger and sword breaker.
Catch Thieves: If your opponent
in your last game hired a Thief, and if that Thief looted any model in your warband,
then the Thief-catcher may attempt to catch the Thief by tracking him down and
getting back what he stole. Note that
the Thief-catcher can use this skill before you decide whether or not to keep
him hired for your next game, and the player may decide to send the
Thief-catcher out after the Thief has made an attempt to Acquire Goods.
Additionally if your opponent has decided not to keep his Thief for his next
game you may still use this skill first.
Roll a D6 and consult the table below to see how successful your
Thief-catcher is in hunting down the Thief:
|
D6 Roll |
Effect |
|
1-2 |
The Thief-catcher followed a false trail, and didn’t catch the Thief. |
|
3-4 |
The Thief-catcher is successful and catches the Thief, but has suffered severe wounding in return. All of the rules for a result of 5-6 apply. However, due to his injuries the Thief-catcher is forced to miss the next game and the resultant campaign phase. You may sack the Thief-catcher at this stage, but if you don’t you will still need to pay his upkeep fee to help him in his recovery. |
|
5-6 |
The Thief-catcher is successful and catches the Thief. Any gold marks stolen by the Thief in the previous game are now restored to your treasury, plus any item the Thief had stolen using his Acquire Goods skill (in this campaign phase only) is also added to your inventory. |
After a Thief is captured, they will be taken to the nearest prison. The warband that hired the Thief will not be able to make use of him for the rest of the campaign, but can still hire a new Thief if they wish for the next game. All experience, skills and equipment that the Thief had are lost.
Skills: A Thief-catcher may choose from Combat and Speed skills when he gains a
new skill.
Tar Valon Guard
25 gold marks to hire +10 gold
marks upkeep
Tar Valon Guards are
recruited to defend Tar Valon and the Aes Sedai within the city from enemy
attacks. They are skilled soldiers;
trained by the best Tar Valon can offer.
They wear flat, rimmed
helmets with steel bars covering their faces, and wear steel gauntlets
on their hands. All Guardsmen wear the
White Flame of Tar Valon on their breastplates.
May Be Hired: Only Aes Sedai
warbands may hire a Tar Valon Guard.
Rating: A Tar Valon Guard
increases the warband’s rating by +15 points, plus 1 point for each experience
point he has.
|
Profile |
M
|
WS |
BS |
S |
T |
W |
I |
A |
Ld |
|
Tar Valon Guard |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
Equipment: Light armour,
sword, dagger and helmet.
SPECIAL RULES
Availability: Tar Valon Guards are a bit different than other Hirelings. Firstly, only Aes Sedai warbands may hire
them. Secondly, instead of only hiring
one Guard you may hire up to a maximum of three (contrary to the normal rules
for Hirelings). This is mainly because
Tar Valon Guards aren’t very rare sights in Aes Sedai forces. They are recruited to defend Tar Valon and
the Aes Sedai within the city from enemy attacks. You may therefore ask, why are Guards not included as Henchmen
for the Aes Sedai warband list? This is
because the Tar Valon Guards usually stay defending Tar Valon when small groups
of Aes Sedai are out on campaigns or sent on missions to other nations. They are not usually needed as most Aes
Sedai have the protection of Warders if any protection is needed. Guards would only usually leave the city if
they are going to war or when accompanying large parties of Aes Sedai, but as
this is a small skirmish game this is not the case. This is why there needs to be an upkeep fee for the Guards - the
longer the Aes Sedai keep the Guards from their work at Tar Valon, the more it
will cost them in time and money convincing their superiors that their need is
great enough to have the Guards accompanying them.
Skills: A Tar Valon Guard
may choose from the Combat, Strength and Speed skill lists when he gains a new
skill.