Shadowspawn

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"With enough Aes Sedai and enough Warders, the Trollocs can be beaten off, though I cannot say how many battles it will take."

- Moraine Sedai to a young Rand al’ Thor

 

 

SHADOWSPAWN

 

The War of the Shadow began as a conflict of men against men. But Lews Therin and his supporters soon discovered that the Dark One was more than willing to use inhuman soldiers to fight his battles. Early in the war those opposing the Shadow found themselves suddenly facing not just men, but hordes of dark horrific creatures out of nightmare, and their numbers increased as the war continued. These Shadowspawn were often vaguely human, but with differences born of the dark that made them far less than men, if more deadly.

     Many of these creatures were created by the Forsaken Aginor, and others, from existing genetic material. They were designed to breed true whenever possible, since natural procreation was a more certain and less costly way to produce large populations than were laboratory vats.

 

TROLLOCS

 

The Dark One’s greatest need was for soldiers. Before the war, his scientists set about combining living human and animal genetic material to create the ultimate warrior, something that was powerful and fierce in battle, fast, hard to kill, and intelligent enough to fight well and take orders. The resulting man-beasts, each with face and characteristics of the particular animal from which he was crafted, were called Trollocs.

     However, as an ultimate fighting machine the creature was initially a failure. Trollocs simply did not have the crucial discipline, or the ability to take orders, that characterizes an efficient soldier. Instead they had the instincts and drives of animals combined with the worst human characteristics and a very limited (by human standards) level of intelligence. 

 

MYRDDRAAL

 

Though initially considered a failed soldier, the advent of the Myrddraal changed all that. Trollocs do not always breed true; instead they sometimes produce throwbacks to either the animal or human side of their genetics. The throwbacks to the human side usually survive, though corrupted by the evil of their original makers, and are called Myrddraal.

     The most chilling difference between humans and the Myrddraal is in their faces. So like a human face but for the complete lack of eyes, these creatures can see like eagles in brightest sunlight or darkest shadow.  Sight without eyes is not their only inhuman ability – Myrddraal can also vanish wherever there are shadows, and travel far distances by stepping into any area of shadow, only to suddenly appear elsewhere, in a shadow far away.

     Perhaps their most potent weapon is their eyeless gaze - the stare from their cold, merciless faces causes paralyzing fear. It was the Myrddraal’s ability to cause fear that helped solve the Trolloc problem. Even Trollocs are terrified of Myrddraal, and the Halfmen were quite capable of taking and following orders. So it was that the Trollocs were salvaged as soldiers, with the Myrddraal as their commanders.

     In time it was discovered that Myrddraal could link with a number of Trollocs, completely overriding their bestial nature and taking control of their minds and wills, to create a deadly, well-disciplined fighting force almost as effective as was originally intended. Unfortunately, the Myrddraal was then the weak link. This control only lasted so long as the Myrddraal lived.

     Their weapons, armour, and fighting style are much more sophisticated than that of their parent Trollocs.  Instead of crude chain mail and leather, they wear black articulated plate designed in multiple overlapping strips over black gambeson and breeches, which gives maximum protection and freedom of movement while enhancing their serpent-like demeanor.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Mental Link: The link between Myrddraal and his Trollocs has a negative side effect.  When a Myrddraal is killed, the Trollocs under his command appear to suffer a form of physical pain.  If the Myrddraal is taken out of action all Trollocs and Trolloc Veterans in the warband must roll equal to or under their toughness characteristics or be immediately knocked down.

 

Gifts of the Dark One: When a Myrddraal or Trolloc Veteran rolls up a skill, they have the option of beseeching the Dark One for a gift. This is a risky business, but the rewards can be great. If a warrior chooses to do this, immediately roll on the Gifts of the Dark One table - you must accept the result whether you like it or not!

 

Choice of Warriors

 

A Shadowspawn 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 15.

 

Myrddraal: Each Shadowspawn warband must have one Myrddraal: no more, no less!

 

Trolloc Veterans: Your warband may include up to three Trolloc Veterans.

 

Gray Man: Your warband may include up to one Gray Man.

 

Trollocs: Your warband may include any number of Trollocs.

 

Darkhounds: Your warband may include up to three Darkhounds.

 

Draghkar: Your warband may include up to one Draghkar.

 

Starting experience

 

A Myrddraal starts with 20 experience.

 

A Gray Man starts with 12 experience.

 

Trolloc Veterans start with 8 experience.

 

Henchmen start with 0 experience.

 

 

 

1 Myrddraal

 

110 gold marks to hire

Also known as Shadowmen, Halfmen, Lurks, Fetches, Fades, Eyeless and Neverborn, the Myrddraal resemble men much more closely than do their Trolloc parents. With tall, muscular, coldly handsome bodies, they move with sinuous grace beyond the capability of any human, and strike with the speed of a serpent. Their faces completely lack eyes, and yet these creatures have no difficulty seeing, day or night.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Myrddraal	5	4	3	4	4	2	6	1	8

 

Weapons/Armour: A Myrddraal may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Myrddraal list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

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

 

Sword Forms: Myrddraal are well known for their prowess with their swords, as well as their speed. A Myrddraal may choose three sword forms when first recruited, and may take additional forms instead of a new skill.

 

Fearsome: The eyeless face of a Myrddraal strikes fear into the bravest heart, and so the Myrddraal count as causing fear.

 

0-1 Gray Man

 

60 gold marks to hire

Gray Men were ordinary living men and women who did not merely pledge their souls to the Shadow, but actually gave them away. For all intents and purposes, although they continue to move and think, they are already dead. These “Soulless” are extremely effective assassins; for their lack in some way makes them so ordinary looking that even the most searching gaze can slide right over them.

 

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

 

Weapons/Armour: A Gray Man may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Gray Man Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Ordinary: In surrendering his soul to the Dark One, a Gray Man becomes so unremarkable in appearance that the casual observer will completely fail to see him, even if looking straight at him. As a result, a Gray Man will always count as hidden, even if standing in the open.

     In addition, enemies charged by a Gray Man will not gain any weapon bonuses (for example, they cannot parry if armed with a sword, and will not strike first if armed with a spear) in the first round of combat - they haven't seen the Gray Man coming!

 

Soulless: The Gray Man has lost his soul to the Dark One, and so feels absolutely nothing anymore. He lives only to complete his tasks. As such, a Gray Man is immune to all psychology.

 

0-3 Trolloc Veterans

 

55 gold marks to hire

The most vicious and cunning of the Trollocs inevitably rise to a position of brutish authority over their peers. Constructed from naturally aggressive animals such as boars, bears, wolves, goats, wildcats, rams, and eagles in combination with human stock, they live only to kill and maim, and their Veterans have developed a singular ability in combat.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Trolloc Veteran	5	4	3	4	4	1	4	1	7

 

Weapons/Armour: Trolloc Veterans may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Trolloc Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Leaders: Trolloc Veterans exert influence over other Trollocs solely based on their strength and skill. To represent this, any Trollocs (and only other Trollocs - Veterans exert no control over Darkhounds or Draghkar) within 4" of a Trolloc Veteran may use its Leadership characteristic when taking Leadership tests.

 

Trollocs

 

35 gold marks to hire

The Trolloc is large and powerful. Standing eight to ten feet in height, with the body of an overlarge, extremely muscular man, they are stronger than either the human or animal part of their heritage and almost as fast as a horse. Vicious by nature, they manifest plenty of ferocity, killing for no other reason than the pure pleasure of it.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Trolloc	5	3	2	4	3	1	3	1	6

 

Weapons/Armour: Trollocs may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Trolloc Equipment list.

 

0-3 Darkhounds

 

60 gold marks to hire

Darkhounds are constructed from canine stock corrupted by the Shadow. Resembling hounds only in their basic shape, they are darker than night and as large as ponies. It has been speculated that they were slightly shifted out of reality in their creation, and they make no mark on even the softest ground, but leave prints in the hardest stone.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Darkhound	6	4	0	4	4	1	3	2	10

 

Weapons/Armour: Fangs and claws. Darkhounds may not be armed with any additional equipment

 

SPECIAL RULES

Fearsome: The gigantic slavering visage of a Darkhound can be truly terrifying, and as such all Darkhounds cause fear.

 

Animals: Darkhounds are animals, and as such cannot gain any experience. In addition, the Leadership characteristic of a Darkhound cannot be used for any rout tests - if only Darkhounds are left standing, the warband automatically routs.

 

Servants of the Dark One: Darkhounds live only to serve the Dark One - they are not truly alive, and so are immune to all psychology.

 

0-1 Draghkar

 

100 gold marks to hire

They Draghkar are dangerous not because of any skill in battle – the creature does not fight well, having very thin frail hands and arms unsuited to weapons – but because it has the ability to summon its prey into its lethal embrace. The Draghkar’s main weapon is its song - a soft, irresistible crooning that compels its victims to approach.  Its touch is not instantly fatal, but survivors are usually far worse than dead.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Draghkar	4	2	0	3	3	1	3	1	10

 

Weapons/Armour: Fangs and claws. Draghkar may not be armed with any additional equipment

 

SPECIAL RULES

Fly: Draghkar can fly instead of walking. When flying, they may move up to 12" in a turn, and ignore any intervening terrain. Draghkar may not fly when inside buildings.

 

Animals: Draghkar are animals, and as such cannot gain any experience. In addition, the Leadership characteristic of a Draghkar cannot be used for any rout tests - if only the Draghkar is left standing, the warband automatically routs.

 

Servant of the Dark One: Draghkar live only to serve the Dark One - they fear nothing, and so are immune to all psychology.

 

Draghkar's Song: Choose a model within 8" of the Draghkar. Take a Leadership test for that model - if it is successful, the warrior is able to avoid the Draghkar's Song. If however the test is unsuccessful, the model may not move, shoot or channel until the Draghkar is slain, or until the Draghkar chooses a new target. If attacked in close combat, the model will be struck automatically.

     The leadership test to avoid the Draghkar's Song can be taken at the start of every one of the trapped player's turns - if he passes the test, he is free to move and act as he chooses, otherwise he is still under the Draghkar's spell.

 

Draghkar's Kiss: The Draghkar may choose to kiss a model that is under the spell of the Draghkar's Song rather than attacking it in close combat (i.e. it must be in base-to-base combat with the affected model). If it chooses to do this, the model being kissed must make roll equal to or under his Toughness on 2D6 or be immediately taken out of action. The Draghkar may not use its kiss in multiple combats.

 

Mutations

 

 

 

GREAT CLAW

Cost: 50 gold marks

 

One of the Trolloc's arms ends it a great, crab-like claw.  He may carry no weapons in this arm, but gains an extra attack in close combat with a +1 Strength bonus for that attack only.

 

TUSKS/HORNS

Cost: 10 gold marks

 

Trollocs wearing helmets who have the tusks/horns mutation may re-roll any failed helmet saves to avoid stunning.

 

BLACKBLOOD

Cost: 30 gold marks

 

If the model loses a wound in close combat, anyone in base contact with the model suffers a strength 3 hit (no critical hits) from the spurting corrosive blood.

 

SPINES

Cost: 35 gold marks

 

Any model in base contact with the mutant suffers an automatic strength 1 hit at the beginning of each close combat phase. Spines will never cause critical hits.

 

SCORPION TAIL

Cost: 40 gold marks

 

The Trolloc has a long barbed tail with an envenomed tip, allowing him to make an extra strength 5 attack in each hand-to-hand combat phase.  Models immune to poison only suffer a strength 3 attack.

 

EXTRA ARM

Cost: 40 gold marks

 

The Trolloc may use any single-handed weapon available to him in the extra arm, giving him +1 attack when fighting in hand-to-hand combat. All the usual weapon special rules apply for the extra weapon.

 

EAGLE BEAK

Cost: 30 gold marks

 

The Trolloc has a viciously sharp eagle's beak in place of his mouth. With it, he gains an additional attack in close combat at its basic strength. There are none of the usual unarmed penalties for this attack.

 

CLOVEN HOOVES

Cost: 40 gold marks

 

The warrior gains +1 Movement.

 

Gifts of the Dark One

 

 

2D6        Result

2                     Wrath of the Dark One: For daring to issue demands to the Dark One, the model is slain!  Remove this warrior immediately from your roster.  All items that this warrior had are lost.

 

3-6                Nothing Happens: The Dark One is not impressed and chooses to ignore your request.

 

7-8                For Trolloc Veterans - Mutation: The warrior develops a severe mutation.  Roll a D6.  On a roll of 1 you lose a single point from one of your warrior's characteristics (chosen by you), due to atrophy, or some such degrading mutation.  On a roll of 2 or more you may choose which one of the mutations listed earlier your warrior has been rewarded with. Note that this is the only exception to the one mutation per Trolloc rule.

 

For Myrddraal - Shadow-blade: Roll a D6.  On the result of a 1, the malicious power of the blade gifted to the Myrddraal is too great, and he loses a single point form one of your warrior's characteristics (chosen by you).  On a roll of 2 or more your warrior is gifted with a Shadow-blade. See the equipment section for rules.

 

9-10             Shayol Ghul Crafted Armour: This mighty armour confers a basic 4+ save, and does not restrict a warrior's movement in any way.

 

11-12       Favoured: The Dark One bestows his favour on the warrior, granting him +1 strength and +1 attack.

 

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