Asha’man

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"An Asha'man was a man who defended truth and justice and right for everyone. A guardian who would not yield even when hope was gone."

- Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn

 

 

MALE CHANNELERS

 

"I understand that the women feel a warmth of enveloping emotion. It is not like that for me. If anything, touching the source is like a retreat from all emotion, completely still and calm while at the same time aware of everything at once. The Power is not something that comes to you easily. Rather you must fight for it, struggle to grasp it and hold it, knowing that it will devour you if you lose that struggle. It is not unlike trying to balance upon the fury of a rushing avalanche: if you slip it will pull you under and crush you without mercy, but if you can maintain that precarious balance, there is nothing you cannot do.

     And of course there is the taint, covering saidin like a poisonous slick on the surface of an otherwise fine wine. It is impossible to touch the source without feeling the poison, but it doesn't matter, the Power is all-important…"

 

The True Source consists of two complementary parts - saidin and saidar. Saidin is known as the male half, since only men can utilise it. During the Age of Legends, men freely used this power, often in combination with women wielding saidar, to complete great works. Now, however, everything has changed.

     During the battle in which Lews Therin and his Hundred Companions sealed the Bore, the Dark One's counter-stroke tainted the male half of the source. An evil slick over the surface of saidin, the taint has caused every male channeler since that time to go slowly, but irrevocably mad. As the madness sets in, the channeler will begin to lash out with the horrible power at his disposal, often destroying everything and everyone around him.

 

THE RED AJAH

 

The Red Ajah of the Aes Sedai have dedicated themselves to searching out male channelers wherever they may hide. They capture such men and take them to the White Tower to be gentled (the word used by the Aes Sedai to describe the act of stilling a man) before they can go mad and wreak terrible havoc on the world.    

     The efforts of the Red Ajah have forced male channelers into hiding. Hated by all, and ruthlessly hunted, no man can ever feel comfortable wielding his power. Unlike women with the spark, men who are capable of learning how to channel are never taught for fear of unleashing a monster on the world.

 

THE BLACK TOWER

 

The coming of the Dragon Reborn is changing all of this. As Lews Therin reborn, Rand al'Thor is himself a male channeler. Fated to fight the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don (the Last Battle), al'Thor has begun to gather male channelers to assist him in that battle. They are trained at the Black Tower - the male answer to the White Tower of the Aes Sedai.

     Trainees at the Black Tower begin as 'Soldiers' because each is there as a soldier to fight the Shadow, as well as any who oppose justice or oppress the weak. At a certain skill level they are raised to become 'Dedicated', and are given a collar pin in the shape of a small silver sword. Those who progress far enough in their training will be raised to be 'Asha'man'. Each Asha'man is given a gold-and-red dragon pin to wear.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Channelers: All members of an Asha'man warband are channelers, and use the rules for casting weaves. Soldiers, Dedicated and Asha'man begin with different weaves, as indicated in their individual special rules. When a member of an Asha'man warband gains an advance, he may choose to take a weave from any weave table currently available to him instead of a skill or stat increase.

 

Promotion: Once a Soldier gains all the weaves on the Soldier Weaves table he will be promoted to Dedicated, and may then take weaves from the Dedicated Weaves table. Similarly, once a Dedicated has all the weaves on the Dedicated Weaves table, he will be promoted to Asha'man and may now take weaves from the Asha'man Weaves table.

 

Black Tower Support: Asha'man are supported by the Black Tower, which provides them with assistance gaining resources they may need to complete their goals. To represent this, an Asha'man warband gains an extra 3D6 gm after each battle, in addition to whatever they locate by the usual method.

 

Madness: The male half of the True Source, saidin, was tainted by the Dark One. The result of this is that any man who channels will eventually go mad. To represent this, after each battle in which an Asha'man, Dedicated or Soldier took part they each gain 1 Insanity Point (see rules on Insanity).

Choice of Warriors

 

An Asha’man warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold marks to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 6.

 

Asha’man: Each Asha’man warband must have one Asha’man: no more, no less!

 

Dedicated: Your warband may include up to two Dedicated.

 

Soldiers: Your warband may include up to three Soldiers.

 

Starting experience

 

An Asha’man starts with 20 experience

 

Dedicated start with 12 experience

 

Soldiers start with 0 experience

 

 

 

 

1 Asha’man

 

120 gold marks to hire

An Asha’man is the most highly trained of the male users of saidin. While strength in the power can vary wildly from one warrior to another, the Asha’man have shown themselves able to wield the amount of power they can control effectively, using it as a weapon in the pursuit of the goals of the Dragon Reborn.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Asha’man	4	4	4	3	3	1	4	1	8

 

Weapons/Armour: An Asha’man may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Asha’man Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Leader: Any warrior within 6” of the Asha’man may use his Leadership characteristic when taking Leadership tests.

 

Channeler: An Asha’man has been training in the use of the One Power for some time, and hence is treated as a channeler with 3D6 channeling points, determined when he is first recruited. Re-roll the dice until a result of 10 or greater is obtained - it takes skill with the One Power to reach the rank of Asha'man.

 

Weaves: An Asha'man has access to one Special Weave (randomly determined) and four weaves from the Asha'man Weaves table (chosen by the controlling player) when first recruited. In addition, he has access to all the weaves on the Soldier and Dedicated Weaves tables.

 

Sword Forms: Part of an Asha'man's training involves the art of swordplay. As a result, an Asha'man may choose three sword forms when first recruited, and may take additional forms instead of a new skill.

 

0-2 Dedicated

 

80 gold marks to hire

Dedicated have proven their abilities to utilise the One Power. Though not yet as highly skilled as the Asha’man, Dedicated have never the less perfected a number of weaves, and know how to use them to their best advantage. They act as the right hands of the Asha’man, undertaking many tasks for the betterment of the warband.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Dedicated	4	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	7

 

Weapons/Armour: A Dedicated may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Asha’man Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Channeler: Though not as well trained as an Asha’man, Dedicated are still more than capable of wielding the One Power. They are treated as channelers with 3D6 channeling points, determined when they are first recruited. Re-roll the dice until a result of 7 or higher is obtained, since a channeler must have some strength in the One Power to become a Dedicated.

 

Weaves: Dedicated have access to one Special Weave (randomly determined) and four weaves from the Dedicated Weaves table (chosen by the controlling player when the Dedicated is recruited). In addition, Dedicated have access to all the weaves on the Soldier Weaves table.

 

Sword Forms: Like Asha'man, Dedicated are beginning to learn the ways of the sword. They may choose two sword forms when first recruited, and may take additional forms instead of a new skill.

 

0-3 Soldiers

 

40 gold marks to hire

Soldiers are who have come to the Black Tower to be taught how to channel. They have the spark that allows them to weave saidin, but have not yet had the training that will help them to exercise their full potential. Until such time as they have proven themselves, they are watched over by the Asha’man closely.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Soldier	4	2	2	3	3	1	3	1	7

 

Weapons/Armour: Soldiers may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Asha’man Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Channeler: Soldiers too can wield the One Power, but as their training is not complete they have not yet reached their full potential. They are treated as channelers with 2D6 channeling points, determined when they are first recruited.

 

Weaves: Soldiers have access to four weaves chosen from the Soldier Weaves table when first recruited.

 

Inexperienced: Soldiers are growing in power all the time. Once they have reached 12 experience points, they will gain an extra D6 channeling points and may randomly generate a Special Weave instead of taking a skill or stat increase next time they gain an advance.

 

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