Engines of War

Definitions
Fire Rate, Absorption, Damage, and C.E.R. are familiar Battlestorm terms. Crew is the number and type of creatures needed to operate the Engine. (Machines may only be crewed by specially trained troops.) Keep in mind all inanimate objects have an Evasion of zero. Range is fairly self explanatory, with short, medium and long ranges, expressed in inches. If a player chooses to shoot an Engine beyond its long range, add 2 to C.E.R. for each extra inch. In addition, any deviations are doubled beyond long range. Misfire is the base chance on the C.E.R. roll that an engine has misfired.

An army may not spend more than 25% of its total Combat Value on engines of war.

Crew, Movement and Fire Rate
An engine may be manhandled by its normal crew complement at their normal Footspeed. For each crew member less than its full complement the Footspeed is halved. Engines of war never sprint. Engines can only be moved over normal ground (including hills, slopes, roads, bridges and fords), unless carried by a creature (or several creatures) who passes a d20+d30 STR check. (If there are multiple creatures, add their STR’s.) The crew may defend the machine if attacked.  The crew are immune to courage tests.

If a machine’s crew falls below its normal complement then its operating efficiency is reduced. For each crew member that is lost increase the reload time by one turn.

Resolving Shots

Direct Fire Resolution
With a direct fire weapon, the trajectory is a straight line from the machine to the target. Roll attacks normally, adding the engine’s C.E.R. and the target’s Evasion. In addition, roll a d12 deviation die. If the d30 roll indicates a hit, resolve damage. However, if the d30 indicates a miss the point of impact is shifted the distance and direction indicated by the deviation die, as modified by the range. Direct Fire always hits the first model (wall, hill, character, etc.) in the trajectory.

Indirect Fire Resolution
Indirect fire arches over obstacles to its target. For indirect fire, the attacking player places a damage template to indicate where he is targeting. The attacking player must roll higher than the machine’s C.E.R., adjusted for range, cover or special situations. Note however that the Evasion of models under the template are not added to the C.E.R. roll. Roll a d30 and a d12 to determine hits and deviations. The defender may save from damage with normal area of effect weapon Dexterity checks.

Template Resolution
Machines like the dwarf flame-thrower are resolved using the area of effect rules for dragon breath and other weapons already detailed in the Battlestorm rulebook. Roll a d30 to check for a misfire, place the template at the mouth of the weapon and resolve damage.

Misfire table:

• 1-4 The machine has flown apart. All models within d6" of the machine are hit by a 3d8 damage blow. The machine is unusable; surviving crew may join another machine.
• 5-8 The machine has been damaged: it loses 6" of range, 1 die of Absorption, is +1 to Misfire and loses a crew member *
• 9-10 The machine has been damaged; it loses 6" of range. *
• 11-12 The machine has been damaged: loses 1 die of Absorption. *
• 13-15 The machine has been damaged: +2 to Misfire.*
• 16-18 The machine has been damaged. Add 5 to C.E.R.*
• 19-21 Two crewmembers got caught in the works. The Crew members are dead.
• 22-24 A crew member got caught in the works. The Crew member is dead.
• 25-27 The machine must be re-cocked to fire. Delay two turns before firing.
• 28-30 The machine has only minor damage. Delay a turn before firing.

* Effects are cumulative.

Dos Boomenburstenmachine "Hare Postmeister"  185 points

The Boomenburstenmachine is a finely crafted dwarven bombard. Unlike his human counterpart, Hare Postmeister delivers Istlur’s regards and sentiments promptly and efficiently, especially on holidays and weekends!  The packages delivered by Hare Postmeister bounce and roll cutting a terrible swath of scorching misery through enemy ranks. The heavy ball causes 4d8 damage in an area one half inch wide and d6" long.

Note that the dwarven player may target either a specific model or a location on the gaming table. If a model is targeted, allow Evasion, but no dodge.  In all other circumstances allow defenders a save using the normal area of effect rules.

* Stats as dwarven engineers. All artillery crews of the Mokk are highly trained, and employ their Engines with the highest regard to protocol. They will therefore never fire their Engines if they are out of command.

Dos Stahlesdrachefeuermachine "Belching Burta"  100 points

The Stahlesdrachefeuermachine is the Mokk’s Secret Weapon Programs answer to the High Command’s demands to create a synthetic dragon. This machine, while somewhat unstable, is nevertheless capable of belching a blast of flaming pitch every other turn. The area of effect is the same as a red dragon’s breath weapon. The crew may attempt to increase the pressure and heat of the flaming pitch, increasing the damage caused by the machine. For each d4 the crew adds to damage, add 1 to the chance of misfire.

* Stats as dwarven engineers.

This weapon may be pushed down a grade with reckless abandon. (The crew leaps on before the machine gets too much momentum.) For each 1" of travel downhill, the machine will move 2d6". The dwarf player must declare attacks against potential targets, unless the targets have already activated. Anyone caught in the path of the rolling machine must roll 2d20 under DEX (d20 for partial) or be run-over. (3d8 of damage.) On each following turn the machine rolls half the number of dice from the previous turn. If the machine leaves the table it is out of the game. Each d6" of movement increases the misfire chance by 1. The machine must check for misfire even if it is not firing. If it ever explodes it does 4d8 of damage in a d8" radius.

Dos Steingeshutzmachine "The Wooden Troll" 125 points

The Steingeshutzmachine is a sturdily built catapult with a normal crew of three highly trained dwarves.

* Stats as dwarven engineers.

The Troll Throwing Tree 35 points

The Troll Throwing Tree is hastily modified young sapling with a normal crew of one troll. The tree is bent and then released like a catapult. The range and accuracy is obviously not as good as more sophisticated devices, but the Troll can maintain a high rate of fire. A troll throwing tree cannot be moved, however the troll can move to any tree on the game table and fashion a new throwing tree in d3 turns. The troll at the tree also has the option of simply throwing his rocks.

*Stats as a Youngblood.

The Ogre Log Hurler (02-165) 85 points

The Ogre Log Hurler is a solidly built ballista on a carriage with a normal crew of two ogres. Ogres prefer to use heavy almost blunt logs instead of bolts as these cause more damage on impact. As Ogres aren’t the best craftsmen, these bolts don’t fly as far or as accurately as other ballistas. The Hurler can also be used to fire large rocks, which are more accurate than the logs.

The projectile shot from the hurler continues in a straight line until something stops it, or it reaches the impact point. The next target in the projectile’s trajectory takes any remaining damage that is not absorbed by the first target. (Buildings, walls, hills, etc. will automatically stop the projectile.) Any "incidental" targets may save against the damage by rolling d30 under their DEX. The maximum number of inches the projectile may "blow through" is equal to the number rolled on the deviation die.

*Stats as Ogre Warriors with Two Handed Sword (Ogre Crews take especial pride in these!)

The Dread Ballista 90 points

The Dread Ballista is a medium ballista on a carriage with a normal crew of three skeletons. Unlike a standard ballista its bolts are imbued with the cold of the grave. Any common creature that is slain by a bolt from the Dread Ballista becomes a zombie on the following turn and may be activated as another undead unit. In the basic rules, a creature or character that has Fate may be killed but not raised by the Dread Ballista.

*Stats as Living Dead skeletons with sword.

Copyright the Ral Partha Publishing Team: Richard Hale, Bob Lippman and Will Nesbitt, 1998