Halfling hotpot trial rules - comments please!

Us Luncheimers of Flame On are having a great time in Sartosa at the moment, not least my halfling warband. So it seemed like a good time to start throwing food...

Your thoughts on the provisional rules below would be much appreciated before I unleash... dinner!

Quote :

HENCHMEN

0-2 Sous chefs
15 Gold Crowns to hire.
A halfling warband is never without its catering team who assist the cook in his art. Sometimes these sous chefs can feel a bit left out and will grab whatever kitchen implements they can find to join in the fighting. One traditional but highly controversial weapon is the 'Halfling Hotpot', an improvised catapult which hurls cauldrons of stew at the enemy. Halflings are not in the hobbit of throwing food away, but sometimes desperate times can call for desperate measures!

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

Weapons/Armour: Halfling hotpot catapult. Sous Chefs may be equipped with weapons and armour available to Cooks. If promoted, they make take skills available to cooks.

SPECIAL RULES
Halfling hotpot catapult
- The hotpot catapult is a missile weapon with a range of 24" which must be fired by two models, either sous chefs or the cook (use the highest BS).
- The team must pass a Ld test to fire the catapult (halflings don't like wasting food!) - use the highest Ld among the team.
- If crewed by two halflings, the hotpot can only be fired every other turn, and cannot move and fire either. If three models are involved in firing the catapult, it may be fired every turn but still cannot move and fire.
- Because the 'weapon' is cobbled together from cooking equipment the halflings carry around with them anyway, it is the contents of the pot which have the financial impact on the warband: Every time the hotpot is fired, it will cost the halflings 5gc. This money must be available in the treasury when the shot is fired.
- If the shot is on target, the model hit receives a S6 hit from the cauldron itself. In addition, all models within D3" (friend or foe!) receive a S3 hit from the cauldron's contents.
- If the shot only misses by 1, then the target model receives a S3 hit as the contents still splash over him.
- Whether wounded or not, any model hit by the hotpot or its contents must take a Ld test as per the 'All Alone' rules. (This is for various reasons depending on the race of the enemy: the members of more civilized warbands are appalled by the wastage of such glorious cuisine; greenskins and other uncouth races are disgusted by tastes their unsophisticated pallets cannot comprehend; undead are repulsed by the quantity of garlic in the stew; others may be scalded or burned by chilli. But all warbands alike cannot help but be disturbed by the thought that if the halflings are prepared to throw their food at them, they'll clearly stop at nothing...!)
- If the hotpot causes casualties, a cook (or promoted sous chef) may gain experience if he helped fire the shot. If two heroes are firing the hotpot, only 1 point can be gained per casualty, allocated to either of them.

Just so you know, I'm trying to avoid overcomplication as I know I'll just forget stuff otherwise!

I believe there is something out there already in a citadel journal.

Let me try to dig up.

Sounds like it'll be a ton of fun! It does look a bit underpowered to me, but that's a lot better than it being overpowered.


P.S. You didn't include a price

Actually, it's funny you mention that. I made up a Halfling Chef warband and, rather than a Hot Pot, I gave them a Pressure Cooker.

Rules: The exact same as the Pirate Swivel Gun!
Ballshot= Rump Roast
Grapeshot=Oyster Stew
Chain Shot= Split Pea Soup

The exception is that they had an additional ammo: Oxtail Soup for 2gc. It worked the exact same as Grape Shot, but hit only FRIENDLY models. It deals no damage, but any Halfling hit counts as having the strength skill 'Resilient' until your next turn.

Identity wrote:

Sounds like it'll be a ton of fun! It does look a bit underpowered to me, but that's a lot better than it being overpowered.


P.S. You didn't include a price

The price is 5gc every time you fire it. Underpowered is good (well, a lot better than overpowered given the circumstances in our current campaign!)

Da Bank wrote:

I believe there is something out there already in a citadel journal.

Let me try to dig up.

Ooooh, thanks Da Bank... :)

Never mind. The halfing warband is CJ36 but no pot.

zelophahad wrote:

The price is 5gc every time you fire it.

Ah, I thought that would be in addition to the purchase price, but that makes sense the way you have it. It's a great idea.

I love the fact they have to pass a Ld check to fire it - to waste food like that must be heart-wrenching for the little gitz.