CLAN PESTILENS

by Tommy Punk

Clan Pestilens exist to spread plague and Pestilens through their foul rites and experiments. They have been chosen by the Horned Rat himself as his Disciples of Decay and they are responsible for more deaths than any other Clan, mainly due to the plagues and diseases they have unleashed on the human cities and empires in the Old World. The main strongholds of Clan Pestilens consist of captured Slann temple-cities in the humid jungles of Lustria and a mighty stronghold in the Southlands. They also have their own quarter in Skavenblight, maintaining their position as one of the most powerful clans in the Skaven Under-Empire.

ARMY SELECTION
Characters: 0-50%
Regiments: 25%+
Warmachines: 0-25%
Monsters: 0-15%
Allies: 0-25%

CHARACTERS

The armies of Clan Pestilens are lead by the skilled and frenzied Plaguelord and Plague Priests. They embody the whole concept of Clan Pestilens as strong, fierce and disease-ridden heralds of the Horned Rats immanent ascension on the world.

1 PLAGUE LORD
At a cost of 150 points.

Plague Lords are the oldest and most wicked of Clan Pestilens members and command strongholds and lead the mighty armies of Clan Pestilens to battle. They supervise all Clan Pestilens activity in the area and devote most of their time researching or perfecting diseases. They know the Liturgus Infecticus by heart and are responsible for holding rituals to the Horned Rats honour in their region.

EQUIPMENT: A Plague Lord is equipped with a hand weapon.
WEAPONS/ARMOUR: A Plague Lord may be equipped with any weapons and armour from the equipment list.
MAGIC ITEMS: A Plague Lord is entitled to up to three magic items.
MAY RIDE: A Plague Lord may ride a Plague Throne or a monster.

SPECIAL RULES:
GENERAL: The Plague Lord is the army general and all rules apply.
FRENZY: The Plague Lord is utterly dedicated to the Horned Rat and enters a killing frenzy as he enters combat. He is subject to Frenzy.
CAUSE FEAR: A Lord Patriarch is a frightening sight with rotten flesh hanging from his body and huge fluid filled blisters or open sores that leak pus as he moves. A Plague Lord causes Fear.

0-1 BATTLE STANDARD
At a cost of 85 points.

The Battle Standards of Clan Pestilens are as rotten as the Plague Monks and often the very disease bind terrible spells in the standard, ready to be unleashed on the unfortunate victims of Clan Pestilens expansionist politics.

EQUIPMENT: The Battle Standard Bearer is equipped with a hand weapon.
WEAPONS/ARMOUR: The Battle Standard Bearer may be equipped with any weapons and armour from the equipment list.
MAGIC ITEMS: The Battle Standard Bearer is entitled to a single magic item, which may be a magic banner.

SPECIAL RULES:
FRENZY: The Battle Standard Bearer is utterly dedicated to the Horned Rat and is subject to frenzy.

PLAGUE PRIESTS
The Plague Priests are senior members of Clan Pestilens and command lesser strongholds or lairs and lead the smaller armies to battle. Although Clan Pestilens follow the Cult of the Horned Rat they have some rituals of their own designed to initiate new Plague Monks and to honour the Horned Rat. These rituals also consolidates the intimate bond between Clan Pestilens and the Horned Rat as his chosen disciples of Pestilens and it's the Plague Priests that hold these rituals or assist a Plaguelord if one is present.

See Warhammer Armies Skaven.

PLAGUE CHAMPIONS
At a cost of 36 points.

Plague Censer Bearers are a stage between the rank of Plague Monk and the much-feared Plague Priests and they have studied the Liturgus Infecticus well. The most skilled of the Censer Bearers are set to lead regiments of Plague Monks in combat, where their leadership and oratory abilities are expected to install strength in the Plague Monks around them. They are to lead the way to the enemies of the Horned Rat and Clan Pestilens, be the first to enter in the fray and the last to leave. Besides their duties on the battlefield they assist the Plague Priests in preparing new lethal diseases and hold a vital position in the rituals in honour of the Horned Rat.

EQUIPMENT: A Plague Champion must be armed in the same way as the rank and file members of his regiment.
MAGIC ITEMS: A Plague Champion is entitled a single magic item.

SPECIAL RULES:
FRENZY: The Plague Champion is utterly dedicated to the Horned Rat and is subject to frenzy.

REGIMENTS

Clan Pestilens can field huge armies made up of rank upon rank of disease ridden Plague Monk and Clanrats armed with scavenged weapons.

PLAGUE CENSER BEARERS
A Plague Censer is a hollow spiked metal ball attached to a long chain and is swung as a flail. A plague-infested shard of Warpstone is burning inside the ball so that it emits a foul bubonic vapour as the censer is swung. Flesh exposed to the vapour quickly erupts into sores and fluid-filled blisters and lungs liquify as the poisonous gas is inhaled. Only members of Clan Pestilens that have proven their skill in combat and knowledge of the Liturgus Infecticus are given the honour of wielding a Plague Censer. Smashing the skulls of their enemies or watching them die as their lungs liquify. More often than not the Censer Bearers themselves die from the leathal fumes but they die with a grim smile on their lips as they know they will now meet the Horned Rat, their master.

See Warhammer Armies Skaven.

1+ PLAGUE MONKS
The mainstay of the Clan Pestilens forces are the disease-ridden Plague Monks, they enter battle blind to anything but the destruction of their enemies and they view the battle through a red veil of mad frenzy.

See Warhammer Armies Skaven.

CLANRATS
The armies of Clan Pestilens are not exclusivly made up of Plague Monks as only the most gifted Skaven are allowed to join the ranks of the Plague Monks. The Clanrats fight with scavenged weapons and crude spears. Their shields often bear the mark of Clan Pestilens or the personal mark of the commanding Plague Priest or Plague Lord.

See Warhammer Armies Skaven.

SLAVES
Just as any other Skaven clan Clan Pestilens drive groups of Slaves against the enemy held positions to screen the more valuable Plague Monks and Clanrats from missile casualties.

See Warhammer Armies Skaven.

WARMACHINES

Your army may include up to one warmachine per Plague Monk regiment of at least 15 models that your army includes.

PLAGUE CATAPULT
At a cost of 75 points per Catapult, the Cauldron is crewed by three Plague Monks wearing light armour.

Another one of Clan Pestilens vicous siege weapon is the Plague Catapult that hurl sealed buckets or cauldrons filled with putrid diseases against the enemy. As the buckets or cauldrons hit the ground they split open and releases a noxious mist. A victim that inhales the vapours drown as the lungs are filled with blood when the lungwalls are torn apart by the burning fumes.

Range S W Save
48"   5 1 None

CAULDRON OF PESTILENS
At a cost of 80 points per Cauldron, the Cauldron is crewed by three Plague Monks wearing light armour.

One of Clan Pestilens vicous siege weapon are the Cauldrons of Pestilens, great cauldrons filled with warpstone mixed with bubbling offal and putrescence. The Plague Monks used great bellows to blow noxious, bubonic vapours toward the enemy and when it is caught by the wind it will roll toward the enemy as a noxious green mist. A victim that inhales the vapours drown as the lungs are filled with blood when the lungwalls are torn apart by the burning fumes.

Equipment: The Plague Monks wear light armour and carry two hand weapons.

0-1 PLAGUE THRONE
At a cost of 125 points.

The Plague Throne is used by many Plague Lords as their personal throne. From this elevated position they rule their region and perform rituals and ceremonies in the honour of the Horned Rat. The Plague Throne can be fitted with wheels and pushed into combat where it will inspire the armies of Clan Pestilens to greater deeds.

MONSTERS

Your army may only include Rat Swarms as monsters. If you want to include other monsters they are bought as allies from Clan Moulder, this includes a monster that the Plague Lord can ride. Clan Moulder is the richest clan due to their service of selling and hiring out trained monsters to the other clans. A monster mount for a character is bought as an ally but its cost is considered toward the 50% character limit.

RATSWARMS
Although Clan Pestilens doesn't breed their own monsters there is a use for all the ratswarms that inhabit their strongholds and lairs. The rats can overwhelm even the stoutest dwarf tunnelfighter and buy their larger cousins valuable time to close the distance.

See Warhammer Armies Skaven.

BEASTIARY

Clan Pestilens is an aggresive clan and they often besiege manling castles and have developed a few siege weapons over the years. These are sometimes brought to use on a regular battlefield as well.

PLAGUE CATAPULT
At a cost of 75 points per Catapult, the Cauldron is crewed by three Plague Monks wearing light armour.

Another one of Clan Pestilens vicous siege weapon is the Plague Catapult that that hurl sealed buckets or cauldrons filled with putrid diseases against the enemy. As the buckets or cauldrons hit the ground they split open and releases a noxious mist. A victim that inhales the vapours drown as the lungs are filled with blood when the lungwalls are torn apart by the burning fumes.

Range S W Save
48"   5 1 None

The Plague Catapult follows all rules for a catapult and is fired in the same way. However only the model that lies directly under the hole take a Strength 5 hit. The main damage is not caused by the projectile but the foul vapours and any model that is touching the template must roll equal to or under their Toughness on a D6 or suffer a single wound with no armour saves allowed.

0-1 PLAGUE THRONE
The Plague Throne is used by many Plague Lords as their personal throne. From this elevated position they rule their region and perform rituals and ceremonies in the honour of the Horned Rat. The Plague Throne can be fitted with wheels and pushed into combat where it will inspire the armies of Clan Pestilens to greater deeds.

Movement
The Plague Throne is moved in the same way as a Screaming Bell and inflicts D6+2 S7 hits when it charges. See Screaming Bell for full rules.

Shooting
The Plague Throne follow all the rules for shooting in the same way as a Screaming Bell, with the exception that it doesn't have a Bell and all to hit rolls are at -1 due to the mist. See Screaming Bell for full rules.

Cauldron
A cauldron is placed at the front of the Throne and putrid diseases boil in it. In combat it can be overturned so that its content spill over the enemies. The cauldron can be overturned once per battle, at the start of the hand-to-hand combat. Place a stonethrower template so that the hole is over one of the models in basecontact with the Plague Thrones front. All models touched by the template, friend or foe, must roll equal to or under their Toughness on a D6 or suffer a single wound with no armour save allowed. The Plague Lord and his bodyguard or Battle Standard Bearer are not affected as they are elevated above the ground.

Mist
The swinging censer at the back emitts a foul mist that clouds the regiment from the view of the enemy. All missile attacks against the regiment or the Plague Throne are at -1 to hit. Note that the censer is not a Plague Censer and emits a nonleathal mist.

Bodyguard and Battle Standard
The Plague Lord may be accompanied on the Plague Throne by a single Plague Champion, Plague Priest or Battle Standard Bearer bought at an additional cost.

Building the Plague Throne
Start with a Screaming Bell and position the bell rests at the back of the carriage. Cut of the bell itself and glue a Plague Censer in its place. Take the cauldron from a Cauldron of Blood and place it at the front of the carriage. The Plague Lord should fit in between the Bell rest and cauldron.

CAULDRON OF PESTILENS

One of Clan Pestilens vicous siege weapon are the Cauldrons of Pestilens, great cauldrons filled with warpstone mixed with bubbling offal and putrescence. The Plague Monks used great bellows to blow noxious, bubonic vapours toward the enemy and when it is caught by the wind it will roll toward the enemy as a noxious green mist. A victim that inhales the vapours drown as the lungs are filled with blood when the lungwalls are torn apart by the burning fumes.

Using the Cauldron
The Vapours are represented by a large turn template. When the Vapours are released the first time, turn the nozzle in the direction that you want the Vapours to go. Roll two artillery dices and move the Template the numbers of inches forward. A misfire indicates that the something have gone wrong. If you roll two misfire roll 2D6 to determin the misfire effect.

Misfire table
1-2 The nozzle is clogged so the Vapour may not be unleashed this turn as the nozzle is cleared. May be used normally in the next turn.
3-5 The belches rupture and a great mushroom cloud of Vapour escapes. Any model inside the distance rolled on the artillery dices are hit by the Vapour and takes a wound 4+. The Cauldron may be used normally in the next turn if the crew is still alive.
6+ The Belches are torn apart with the same effect as 3-5, but the Cauldron is useless for the rest of the battle.

Templates in subsequent turns
In subsequent turns the templates moves randomly and will move an artillery dice in inches, a misfire indicates that that Vapour dissipate and the template is removed before it have a chance to affect anyone.

The templates will move in the direction rolled by a scatter dice. On a hit it will continue in the direction it travelled last turn. Make one roll for all Vapour templates, the wind will affect them all. If the scatter dice points backwards you may reroll once but the second dice roll stands, this represents that the Cauldrons are not used when the wind is obviously blowing against the Skaven.

Hits from a Vapour Template
Any model that is at least half under the template will have inhaled enough harmful Vapours on a roll of 4+ to take a single wound, with no armour save possible even for magical armour.

SUMMARY
Using the Cauldron of Pestilens
1. Turn the nozzle in the desired direction
2. Roll two artillery dices and move the Template the numbers of inches forward.
3. If a misfire indicates that the something have gone wrong roll on the Misfire table.
4. Work out damage on all models moved over by the template, a models base must be at least half covered. On a roll of 4+ they sustain one wound with no saving throw, even for magical armour.

Move existing Vapours in the compulsury movement phase
1. Determin the wind direction with a scatter dice, you may reroll the dice once if the arrow should point towards the Skaven deployment zone. The Skaven will not use the belches if the wind blow obviously against them. A hit indicates that the wind direction is the same as last turn.
2. Roll an artillery dice for each Vapour template and move them in the direction of the scatter dice (wind direction). The number on the dice equals the distance in inches. On a roll of misfire the template dissipates without causing further damage.
3. Work out damage on all models moved over by the template, a models base must be at least half covered. On a roll of 4+ they sustain one wound with no saving throw, even for magical armour.

WEAPONS OF CLAN PESTILENS

Clan Pestilens do not use armour and weapon in the same way as the other clans and their favourite weapons differ from the other clan's weapons.

PLAGUE CENSERS
A Plague Censer is a hollow spiked metal ball attached to a long chain and is swung as a flail. A plague-infested shard of warpstone is burning inside the ball so that it emits a foul bubonic vapour as the censer is swung. Flesh exposed to the vapour quickly erupts into sores and fluid-filled blisters and lungs liquify as the poisonous gas is inhaled. Only members of Clan Pestilens that have proven their skill in combat and knowledge of the Liturgus Infecticus are given the honour of wielding a Plague Censer. Smashing the skulls of their enemies or watching them die as their lungs liquify. More often than not the Censer Bearers themselves die from the leathal fumes but they die with a grim smile on their lips as they know they will now meet the Horned Rat, their master.

HAND WEAPONS
Clan Pestilens favour knives and staffs while the higher ranked members carry magical weapons or better and heavier weapons. The knives are long and serrated and are often rusty or smeared in rotten corpses to ensure that the any non leathal wound becomes infected.

ARMOUR
The Clan members do not need to wear armour since their bodies are hardened by the diseases they carry and they feel little pain, they rely on their thick fur to protect them. The robes themselves offer protection equal to soft leather and will be considered as light armour when combined with the scattered pieces of chain mail or plate that some plague monks do wear underneath their putrid robes. Higher ranked members often wear armour of magical nature, both to mark their status and to protect them.

Plaguelord Lepri of Clan Pestilen
Tommy Punk - UIN: 9946419 - Kalmar, Sweden
Please CC private mail to both emails.
tommypunk@telia.com - Home email
tommy.fransson@kommun.kalmar.se - Work Email
http://hem2.passagen.se/angel8/Index.htm - Archive Skaven
http://hem1.passagen.se/pestilen/index.htm - Archive Pestilen

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