Mordheim Homebrew

[Hobo86]

I made a fair bit off 'as yet untested' homebrew if somebody would like to test them or offer feedback:

A more fleshed out ostermark mercenaries warband
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13eDTC3VjHJNxg6dP77kCQ181yts5WA5I0M-3c1vt4zo/edit?usp=sharing,

2 dramatis personnae (pitfighter & eshin)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/...ouid=117334192418620883533&rtpof=true&sd=true,

6 unique assasination scenarios
https://docs.google.com/document/d/...ouid=117334192418620883533&rtpof=true&sd=true,

Additional rules and flavor options for the pitfighter warband
https://docs.google.com/document/d/...ouid=117334192418620883533&rtpof=true&sd=true,

A fix to 3 inconsistencies in the pitfighter ruleset

Mordheim Pitfighter - base fix

WARBAND LOREAll across the Empire there are gladiatorial fighting pits where tough warriors are forced to take up arms against each other in brutal hand-to-hand fighting, often to the death, for the bloodthirsty pleasures of the baying crowd. From the vicious pits of Cutthroat’s Haven to the Bl...

docs.google.com

A list off hired swords (warband specific & more generic)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/...ouid=117334192418620883533&rtpof=true&sd=true,

An older list of the above including a few extra characters that could be used to liven up a campaign
https://docs.google.com/document/d/...ouid=117334192418620883533&rtpof=true&sd=true,

A list of random happenings (not in a fully implemented system but there are a few dozen)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vwld6_ijpxS2pPNT3er_7yoivKtNOsBhoAcyocoBr1g/edit?usp=sharing

 

[Hobo86]

Did your capital get wiped out in a decadent bacchanalia?
Did your government stop doing its job?
Has it been replaced by an immaterial daemonic thing wallowing in a pit of its own making?
Did your tax money disappear?
Did a foreign mercenary steal your domesticated pig?
Are your children angry about it?
Did your wife marry you for the farm?
Is your farm now very, very... gone?
Do you like threshing grain with a flail?
Did your mother always say you'd 'likely' survive your 10 (now deceased) siblings?
Do you like to put your home-made 'Boom' in your boomstick?
Do you like to get wasted on Schnapps with your local priest of Morr and attack vampires?

Then have a read > Ostermark warband homebrew

Mordheim Ostermark warband

Ostermark Warband (Updated)_________________________________________________________________________There was a ruckus next door. He made out the screams of a woman, Old Irma? followed by a gunshot. The smell of burning wood and the clamor of battle wafted through the room.Luther stared i...

docs.google.com

(I finished this one... feedback & playtesting welcome)

 

[Hobo86]

Pitfighter warband update completed:

Was your old job a literal dead-end?
Did you go to work just decked out in a loincloth?
Do you dress up like a not-too-delicate-elf half of the week?
Would your colleagues have been the death of you?
Did you struggle all day long for a simple thumbs up or thumbs down at the end of the day?
Have you been houseruling and working around unfinished warband rules for the last two and a half decades?
Did you finally escape your arena of corporate servitude?
Do you still ache to finally swing two morningstars around?

Then have a look at these completed warband rules, adressing the old inconsistencies >
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iQmMIXGFesmrrr8nUcs2tGYmO2tdN-i34wWFU_UyGHM/edit?usp=sharin]

includes:
-the updated official warband rules
-a homebrew pitfighter dramatis personnae
-(at the end of the document) an analysis of 3 glaring holes in the ruleset (for people wishing to critically review this instead of reading the whole thing)

 

[Hobo86]

Nasticus initial build: pitfighter dramatis personnae

likely inspirations: Shakespeare and Quintin Tarantino

feedback welcome

Mordheim Nasticus - work file

_________________________________________________________________________Nasticus - Pitfighter Dramatis PersonaeEver since the legendary Cutthroat Haven pitfighter rebellion seven years ago, Nasticus grew into a local legend around Mordheim, meant to scare youngbloods or to make even hardene...

docs.google.com

 

[rodtheworm]

Pitfighter warband update completed:

Was your old job a literal dead-end?
Did you go to work just decked out in a loincloth?
Do you dress up like a not-too-delicate-elf half of the week?
Would your colleagues have been the death of you?
Did you struggle all day long for a simple thumbs up or thumbs down at the end of the day?
Have you been houseruling and working around unfinished warband rules for the last two and a half decades?
Did you finally escape your arena of corporate servitude?
Do you still ache to finally swing two morningstars around?

Then have a look at these completed warband rules, adressing the old inconsistencies >
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iQmMIXGFesmrrr8nUcs2tGYmO2tdN-i34wWFU_UyGHM/edit?usp=sharin]

includes:
-the updated official warband rules
-a homebrew pitfighter dramatis personnae
-(at the end of the document) an analysis of 3 glaring holes in the ruleset (for people wishing to critically review this instead of reading the whole thing)

Still processing most of this, and it looks really fun. Two quick pieces of feedback from my initial read:

1) The Bulging Biceps skill isn't entirely reliant on weapon expertise and capturing a morning star as you seem to suggest - they get access to flails in the Chaos style, making it a direct alternative to the Strongman skill (S+2, two handed, normal Initiative) for these warriors alongside opening up the possibility for morning stars when they specialise.

2) In The Pit really doesn't sit easily with me as written. It feels like too easy a way to get a significant amount of experience, gold and possibly equipment with minimal risk or downside, and just... feels unsporting. Are the pit fighters so unsure of their skills that they would consider all ganging up against a single captured fighter rather than proving their superiority? Wouldn't fighters who have probably been on the receiving end of unfair matchups themselves balk at such an unfair fight in same way they refuse to use mancatchers or sell captives to slavers?

I would suggest something like an xp limit (eg. maximum xp limit of pit fighters is no more than 150% that of the captive), which still allows the pit fighters an advantage but not an insurmountable one, and encourages newer fighters to go against fodder while also allowing for multiple/more experienced pit fighters to take on particularly dangerous foes.

 

[Hobo86]

Still processing most of this, and it looks really fun. Two quick pieces of feedback from my initial read:

1) The Bulging Biceps skill isn't entirely reliant on weapon expertise and capturing a morning star as you seem to suggest - they get access to flails in the Chaos style, making it a direct alternative to the Strongman skill (S+2, two handed, normal Initiative) for these warriors alongside opening up the possibility for morning stars when they specialise.

2) In The Pit really doesn't sit easily with me as written. It feels like too easy a way to get a significant amount of experience, gold and possibly equipment with minimal risk or downside, and just... feels unsporting. Are the pit fighters so unsure of their skills that they would consider all ganging up against a single captured fighter rather than proving their superiority? Wouldn't fighters who have probably been on the receiving end of unfair matchups themselves balk at such an unfair fight in same way they refuse to use mancatchers or sell captives to slavers?

I would suggest something like an xp limit (eg. maximum xp limit of pit fighters is no more than 150% that of the captive), which still allows the pit fighters an advantage but not an insurmountable one, and encourages newer fighters to go against fodder while also allowing for multiple/more experienced pit fighters to take on particularly dangerous foes.

Thank you

1) that's indeed the case for bulging biceps, but armsmaster is a skill based on a weapon that was not even in that list
(hence the limited 'signature weapons' solution, it didn't merit a full warband rework to fix 1-2 skills, this allows players (over time) to build a handful of more individualistic heroes in a more rigid warband)

2)this was the original rule... it can be downright oppressive but

-you have a 1 on 36 chance your heroes can get captured after being taken ooa
-other warbands kill or recycle captives (possessed, pirates and undead)
-a lower count of melee heroes means the warband has a more limited economy.
-a profitable, but low chance pitfight mechanic can somewhat counteract this
-so that's why I proposed to use the arena fights as an option and not as a must...
pitfighters can still ransom and they can set up fair matches (if the campaign merited it)

the introduction of a few homebrew weapons did make capturing easier and i nerfed that specific combo

-i considered a few limits... but one can capture vampires, ranged heroes, youngblood or spell casters...
some of the homebrew rules also have ogre heroes, ...
there is also the experience shared by henchmen groups on the pitfighters side
battles can remain unfair if you'd base yourself on warband rating only.

I included this framing in the file now, you're the second person that mentionned it.