The Mad Gunner

Time for some criticism, guys! Below are some rule ideas for the Mad Gunner, a Mordheim Hired sword (some of the Swedish Forumites might know him as Galne Gunnar, btw). If this kind of character has been done already, point me in that direction, please!

Oh, the reason for the S1 hits - I didn't want the shells to cause critical hits on normal warriors...

(Edited according to toemasss post, still wordy though - but I trust your literacy!)

The Mad Gunner

Always rolling that heavy mortar around, wheels creaking. His clothes smudged, stained, his gaze void of emotion until someone brings up the subject of explosives. He hastily approaches with a toothless, insipid smile.

-Perhaps I might interest you in my services? I’m a gunner, you see. Ready to bring some extra fire power. That brace won’t do you much good ‘gainst a swarm of enemies.

Hire cost/upkeep fee: 30/10 gc

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
4	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	6

Equipment: wheeled mortar, dagger.

Skill lists: Combat, speed, special

Can be hired by: All warbands. He’s crazy enough to accept money from anyone.
Special rules:



Mortar: The mortar is fired in the shooting phase. As you have to guess the range, you fire it first of all in the phase. The maximum range is 24”, minimum is 6. Guess the range. Place a marker at the point. If the point is not visible to the Gunner he won’t fire (not wasting any shells, see?). Roll the artillery and scatter dice. If a misfire is rolled on the artillery die, consult table below. If a hit is rolled on the scatter die, place the large (oh yes, the large one!) blast template centered on the marker. If an arrow is rolled, move the blast template in that direction the number of inches indicated on the artillery die. Every model partly or wholly covered suffers a S1 hit.

Misfire:

1-2: Boom! Something went terribly wrong. Place the large blast template centered over the mortar. Resolve hits as per above. If the Gunner is not OOA, he must spend a whole turn getting the mortar in order to be able to once again fire, which he of course cannot if knocked down or stunned.

3-4: Aim to please. The Gunner is temporarily (?) confused. Randomly select the direction he fires the shell by rolling the scatter die. Move the large blast template the guessed range in that direction and resolve any hits as per above.

5-6: Dud. This shell wasn’t prepared right. It takes a whole movement phase to replace it, after which the mortar can be fired again.

Move or fire: The mortar can only be fired if the Gunner has not moved that turn.

Heavy stuff: The Gunner can move the mortar 4” each movement phase. If a friendly model tries to help him move it, that model has to make a successful leadership test, and then the mortar can be moved 8”. If the ld-test is failed, both the Gunner and other model will spend the rest of their turn squabbling.

Betsy is mine!: The Gunner has made some strange alterations on the mortar. Other models can’t fire it. Also he won’t leave the mortar, for any reason. No horror is great enough for him to leave Betsy! If the warband routs, he routs as well, but somehow manages to bring the mortar.

Special shell: If given 10 extra gc, before next match the Gunner will build a special stronger shell. When using the special shell, roll a die and consult the table below:

1: Nothing special. The shell is nothing extra after all. Resolve as usual.

2-4: The shell causes S3 hits.

5-6: The shell causes S4 hits, and has extra armour penetration for a total of -2.
Gunner special skills:



Master engineer: The Gunner may reroll artillery OR scatter die whenever firing the mortar.

Alchemist: The Gunners alchemical knowledge allows him to prepare a special shell containing a noxious gas. Each shell of this kind costs 10 gc. Each time the mortar is fired, before guessing range, state which kind of shell is used. If a gas shell is chosen resolve as usual, but instead of taking hits, each afflicted model has to take a toughness test. If this is failed roll a die: 1-3 the model is knocked down, 4-6 stunned.

I do like it though its a bit wordy for me. One point, are you wanting to make him a dramatis personae or a hired sword? DPs don't gain experience and thus don't have a skills list while HSs do.

I think that you should limit who he can be hired by. The fact that some warbands cannot get any (or only one or two) hired swords is a major balancing factor between bands. Plus I don't think even a Mad Gunner would be crazy enough to join a Carnival of Chaos warband.

I'd suggest make him equivalent to a Pit Fighter (for example), they can be hired by almost everyone, which fits in with the idea of the gunner, but still keeps the limits on certain warbands.

Sounds interesting, actually. I agree that some limits on who can hire him might be a good idea.