RUNES
RUNES INTRODUCTION: Some Norse receive visions of runes when they are young. If he seeks knowledge of the rune's meaning he may, if he is wise enough, unlock its potentials. The secret of the runes is the cause for many a saga among the Norse, rumoured to be able to move mountains and more. Although many know of the runes, and even what they look like, not many can unlock their secrets and invoke them. Those fortunate few to be blessed by such knowledge by the gods are called Runepriest, although only the Gošis are actual priests. They have the power to make temporary runes, magic items and can cast spells by invoking Power runes.
The secret of the runes can not be taught and will only be revealed trough understanding, but guidance can help. They are split into many categories but only three are used in war. The Runepriest can inscribe some of the Runes on some talisman to give to others. When this is done the rune is attuned to the wearer and will not work for anyone else.
COMMON RUNES: Simple Runes to help the wearer in combat. Can be worn by all.
ARCANE RUNES: Complex Runes that can greatly enhance the wearer. Can only be worn by regiments as the Runepriests refuse to give them to anyone else. The Runepriests refuse to give these Runes to Characters because they must fight without them in order to prove their worthiness to enter Valhalla. The only exceptions are Leaders, who must have the same combination of Runes as the rest of the regiment they are part of.
POWER RUNES: By invoking these Runes a Runepriests can cast spells. As these are the spells of the Runepriests he himself may not have any other Runes, as they would interfere with their invocation.
NUMBER: How many Runes, if any, a model may wear will be indicated in the army list but no model, except for Goši (4 Power Runes), may have more than 3 Runes.
RUNECOST: Each Rune's cost in points is indicated along with its description but it is harder to inscribe the same rune two or three times. Therefore: If you buy the same Rune two or three times on the same model you must pay double for it the second and the third time. Every model must pay for the Runes it wears individually.
REGIMENTS: If you buy Runes for a regiment each model in the regiment must buy the same combination of Runes and each model must pay the cost for buying the Runes. This does not include character models associated with the regiment who must follow the normal restrictions for characters when choosing runes. For example: 10 Vikings each buy three identical Runes with base cost of 8 points. Each one must pay in total 8+16+16=40 points just for the runes, making the Viking regiment superb, but at a 400 point cost just for the Runes!
SPECIAL NOTE: These runes are magical and are to be treated as such in every way but all the runes on a model only count as a 1 magic item. Runes do not count towards a characters maximum magic item number. The Common and Arcane Runes can never raise any of the wearer's characteristics above 10 or lower them below 1.
COMMON RUNES:
RUNE OF PROTECTION ... 3 POINTS
This rune hardens the skin of the model so it may gain the hardness of stone without restricting the model's movements giving the model +1 to its armour save.
RUNE OF GLORY ... 6 POINTS
The model wearing this rune will become a better fighter. The model gains +1 to its Weapon Skill characteristic.
RUNE OF SWIFTNESS ... 3 POINTS
The model becomes a little faster than normal and is able to strike quicker than before giving the model +1 to its initiative characteristic.
RUNE OF SPEED ... 4 POINTS
The model feels light as a feather and will be able to run faster and giving the model +1 to its movement characteristic.
RUNE OF COURAGE ... 3 POINTS
The model steels himself so that he may face his fear in the eye without blinking making the model immune to fear and counting terror as fear.
RUNE OF COMMAND ... 2 POINTS
The model will hear the Generals commands from anywhere on the battlefield making them able to use his leadership exactly as if they where within 12" as is described in the section about Generals in the Warhammer Rulebook. But if the General is killed the loss of his leadership will affect it stronger than others and it will suffer a -1 penelty to the panic test all are called upon to take.
RUNE OF COURAGE ... 2 POINTS
A model with this rune will automatically pass the first Leadership based test that it will be called upon to make. After the first test all future tests are taken normally.
RUNE OF HUNTING ... 2 POINTS
The model will become a better hunter and will gaining a +1 to his Ballistic skill.
ARCANE RUNES:
RUNE OF STONE ... 8 POINTS
The model becomes tougher and may become as tough as stone. The model gains +1 to its toughness and -1 to initiative characteristics.
RUNE OF STRENGHT ... 8 POINTS
This rune boosts the model's strength so it may feel as it could throw its enemies as far as he can see. The model gains +1 to its strength characteristic.
RUNE OF BRAVERY ... 3 POINTS
This rune renews a models confidence when its nerves start to fail. The model may reroll its first failed leadership test once. This reroll is made after all other rerolls have been taken and failed.
RUNE OF MIGHT ... 5 POINTS
This rune makes the model mightier by manipulating the strands of fate. The model gains a +1 modifier to its roll to hit in hand to hand combat.
RUNE OF FEAR ... 3 POINTS
This rune creates an illusion of a fearsome creature around the affected model so each model causes fear in his enemies as described in the Warhammer Rulebook. Note that this does not make the model immune to fear itself as this is just an illusion.
RUNE OF TERROR ... 6 POINTS
This rune creates the illusion around the affected model of a terrifying creature striking terror into the hearts of their enemies. However the illusion does not make the model immune to terror or fear as this is just an illusion.
RUNE OF BATTLE ... 8 POINTS
This rune makes model able to strike faster in combat. The model gains +1 to its attack characteristic.
RUNE OF LIFE ... 8 POINTS
This rune enhances the model's life strand so that it can withstand more beating in battle. The model gains a +1 to its wound characteristic and if wounded this is the wound or wounds it looses first.
RUNE OF REGENERATION ... 8 POINTS
This rune grants the affected model the ability to regenerate any wounds that it may suffer. At the end of the phase the model suffers one or more wound in roll a D6. On a score of 5+ the wound regenerates itself but if the roll is 1-4 the wound stays. It is only possible to buy this rune once for each model and may not be bought for model that alredy have some kind of regeneration.
RUNE OF MADNESS ... 4 POINTS
This Rune enables the model it affects to become insanely brave, but at a high cost. The model will fight with more determination than any human should, laughing in fte face of impossible odds but may pay for it with its life. The unit will automatically pass the first break test it will be called upon to take, regardless of the combat result, but this insane disregard for their lives gives the enemy great oppertunity for harming them more so the unit will suffer 1 wound for each point that they lost the combat by with no saving throws allowed. Future break tests will then be worked out as normal. It is only possible to buy this rune once for each model.
POWER RUNES:
ALTER FATE
POWER 2
The Runepriest tries to manipulate fate in favour of his side in battle.
The Runepriest may, until the beginning of the next magic phase, cause D6+1 dice rolled made by any models on the battlefield to be rerolled, no matter if it was successful or not. It does not matter if the model is a friend or an enemy, all models and all dice rolls may be affected by this spell. Once the reroll has been made it will stand and may not be caused to be rerolled a second time by this spell.
BIRDS“S SKIN
POWER 1
REMAINS IN PLAY
RANGE 6"
The Runepriest conjures up a magical skin of a bird and the person who puts it on will be able to fly over the battlefield.
This spell can affect any friendly model within range. The affected model will be transformed into a little bird, along with all equipment and magic items it may have been carrying and it can fly. The model may not be charged at or be targeted by missiles or spells because of its small size, and may fly into base to base contact with any model within range ending the spell and returning him to normal. Otherwise the spell will last until is dispelled or the caster decides to end the spell by taking it back in a following magic phase.
BLIZZARD
POWER 1
REMAINS IN PLAY
RANGE 12"
The Runepriest conjures up a blizzard to stop his enemies.
The Runepriest must select one unit as the target of this spell. The affected models may not move or shoot and all rolls to hit in hand to hand combat will get a -1 modifier. If this spell is cast at a model or unit engaged in hand to hand combat is will affect all the models fighting, both the target and every unit in base to base contact with it. The Blizzard will also protect the affected models from ranged attack from missile weapons and war machines, deflecting or negating them completly with no futher effect. If a unit or model affected by this spell is broken in hand to hand combat it will not flee but will be destroyed on the spot, including flying creatures who will be grounded and not driven off. The Blizzard will last until the start of the next magic phase, allowing your opponent to cast spells at the affected model in his magic phase.
BLOOD FRENZY
POWER 2
RAMAINS IN PLAY
RANGE 18"
The Runepriest chooses one model within range and brings fourth in him a bloodlust stronger than he has ever known.
This spell will affect one model within range. While affected by this spell its target will enter a frenzy unlike any before. The model must charge the closest model, friend or foe and will be subject to frenzy as described in the Warhammer Rulebook. If there are two models equally distant, friend and foe, then he may choose between them. The target may take a leadership test at -2 to avoid fighting models friendly to it in hand to hand combat. The target of this spell will suffer 1 wound at the start each magic phase, due to over exertion, with no saving throws allowed. The spell will last until it is dispelled or the target is dead.
RED HAZE
POWER 2
RANGE 24"
The Runepriest points at a regiment of Beserkers and goads them to push their berserking to before unattainable heights.
The spell will affect one Doombringer unit within range. The target may double their movement characteristic when they move and may add +1 to their attack characteristic. This spell puts an extra strain on the Doombringers body so when the spell stops affecting them roll a D6 for each Doombringer affected and on the roll of 6 he will suffer 1 wound with no saving throws allowed. The spell will last until the beginning of the Norse players next magic phase.
HELLFROST
POWER 1-3
REMAINS IN PLAY
RANGE 24"
The Runepriest opens a gate to the Norse Gods nether realm. It is a very cold and inhospitable place, and from the portal will come forth tendrils that will try to pull every living thing it can reach inside.
The Runepriest must select one unit within range as the target of his spell. The portal will inflict D6 hits on the target for each power card spent, each causing a single wound on a D6 roll of 4+. No armour saves are allowed except for magic armour, which saves as normal.
If any wounds are caused by this spell the target must take an immediate panic test or flee. The portal will continue to wilt away at its target at the end of every following magic phase until it is dispelled or all its targets are consumed.
HELP
POWER 1
REMAINS IN PLAY
The Runepriest calls on his Gods to help him in the struggle against his foes. The Gods reply is visible as a Rune will appear somewhere on the Runepriest“s body.
Roll a D6 and the Rune will have the following effect:
1- +1 to Ballistic Skill
2- +1 to Weapon Skill
3- +1 to Initiative
4- +1 to Movement
5- +1 to Toughness
6- +1 Strength
This spell can be cast in each magic phase, so it is possible For a Runepriest to gain many Runes, even many identical. The runes cannot raise a characteristic above 10. The Runes can be dispelled, as normal, in a following magic phase but each Rune must be dispelled separately and the enemy can choose which active Rune he tries to dispell.
NIŠ
POWER 3
LINE OF SIGHT
RANGE 24"
The Runepriest calls down on his enemies the greatest curse he can, letting their lives wither away.
The spell will affect one model within range. The caster nominates one of the characteristics on the models prifile, other than movement, and it will instantly be permenently lowered by half, rounding fractions down. If a characteristic is reduced to 0 by this spell the model is considdered dead and removed as casualty.
RESILIENCE OF STONE
POWER 3
REMAINS IN PLAY
RANGE 18"
The Runepriest causes the skin of those affected to become so hard that most weapons will have a hard time harming them.
The spell will affect one model or unit within range. The model affected will gain +2 to its toughness characteristic for the duration of the spell. The spell will last until it is dispelled, until the Runepriest decides to end the spell by taking it back in a following magic phase or all the affected models are slain.
A SENDING
POWER 1
LINE OF SIGHT/REMAINS IN PLAY
RANGE 18"
The Runepriest calls forth the ghost of someone horribly slain and sends him to harry his foes.
The spirit will go forth in a direction nominated by the caster and plague the first model in its path. The model will be unable to function normally as the spirit will force it to experience its own death in great detail and the model must take an immediate panic test or flee. If the model fails its panic test it will flee, but even if it succeeds it will suffer -1 to iths Weapon Skill, Initiative and Leadership characteristics. The spell will last until it is dispelled, the caster decides to end the spell by taking it back in a following magic phase. This spell cannot affect undead models.
SEER SIGHT
POWER 2
LINE OF SIGHT
RANGE 12"
The Goši will gain the sight of a seer so that he may see what is hidden.
The Goši can scry one model within range. This spell will make known to him all spells and magic items posessed by the target of the spell and the owning player must show them to the casting player at once.
GOŠI ONLY
FORM OF THE DRAGON
POWER 3
REMAINS IN PLAY
The greatest form a Runepriest can take is that of a large and majestic dragon. Only a Goši ever reaches the understanding of Runes needed to take this form.
The spell will enable the Goši to take on the form of a Great Dragon, healing all his wounds in the process. The Goši“s characteristics will change to that of a Great Dragon and while in this form he will be unable to use any magic items that he might possess but can still cast spells as normal. The Goši will change back at the end of the Goši players next turn. Only Goši, and no other models, can ever be affected by this spell.
GOŠI ONLY
HARM
POWER 1
LINE OF SIGHT
RANGE 12"
The Goši points at a single model within range, singles out his lifestrand and tries to end his life or damage him by cutting the lifestrand.
The affected model will sustain 1 wound with no saving throws allowed.
GOŠI ONLY