Lahmian Warband
by Roger Latham

Alterations: changes to warband limit - max 5 heroes and 0-5 Blood Slaves; amended rule on warbands without vampires; amended habituation rule; amended Beloved equipment list; amended special skills - swift, seduction; amended Lahmia local knowledge; amend Blood Sister transformation rule; amend Thrall transformation; Black hounds recosted.

Long ago, the nobles of Lahmia stole the secret of the elixir of eternal life from the Great Necromancer, Nagash, during the war in which he was expelled from the land of Nehekhara. Over time, corrupted by the secret they had stolen, they became the first true vampires and were themselves driven out. Banished from their ancestral home, the Lahmians became mistresses of seduction and cunning, indulging their hedonistic appetites through manipulation of lesser wills. Of all the great vampire bloodlines, the Lahmians above all have become most adept at exploiting that great weakness of humanity, the desire for love, power and an escape from death. Their poor, deluded followers do their bidding by night and protect them by day. Their interest in humanity (if interest is the right word to use of what are, after all, merely instruments and playthings) has made them strong. Now, centuries after they were dispossessed, Nehekhara is once again a land of the dead, and the Lahmian vampires have returned from the Northlands to reclaim their own. In the North, they have learned how to bend humans to their will. In their ancestral home they have older, more faithful servants who, dormant through the centuries, have awaited their return.

Choice of Warriors

A Lahmian warband must consist of at least three models. You have 500gc to recruit and equip your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15. The warband may contain no more than 5 heroes at any time.

Lahmian warbands can begin as one of two types. As Lahmias return from their foreign exile they bring with them warriors and equipment from the realms beyond Khemri. Once in Khemri, however, these warriors and equipment cannot be replaced. You may choose to begin your warband as either a newly returned ‘foreign’ warband or a native Khemrian warband. Foreign Lahmia warbands may choose from the Foreign list for initial setup only. After that, as warriors and equipment are lost they can only be replaced according to the Khemrian list. Thus, over time, foreign warbands will eventually become more Khemrian in character.

Of course, if you are using a Lahmian warband anywhere other than Khemri then you should use the Foreign list for everything, including recruitment and re-equipping.

FOREIGN						KHEMRIAN

Heroes (max. of 5)					Heroes (max. of 5)
1 Lahmia Vampire (no more, no less!)		1 Lahmia Vampire
0-1 Necromancer					0-1 Necromancer
0-1 Beloved						0-1 Beloved
0-1 Blood Sisters					0-1 Blood Sister
0-2 Thralls						0-2 Thralls

Henchmen						Henchmen
Any number of skeletons				Any number of skeletons
0-5 Blood Slaves					0-5 Wights
0-5 Black Hounds					Any number of jackals

Experience
Vampires and Beloved start with 20 experience
Necromancers start with 8 experience
Blood Sisters and Thralls start with 0 experience

Vampire warbands without vampires

Unlike the Vampire warband in the MH rulebook, Lahmia warbands may not recruit a new vampire if the warband contains a Blood Sister. Instead, if the Lahmia is slain then the Blood Sister may transform into a Vampire during the post-battle experience phase. Until that happens the surviving human henchmen with highest leadership (or, in the case of a tie, the most experience) will assume leadership of the warband until the Blood Sister transforms. If the warband does not contain a Blood Sister then leadership is allocated as above and a new vampire may be recruited after the next battle. If during the post-battle phase the warband contains neither a vampire nor a necromancer either because they have been killed or never recruited, then any skeletons and wight henchmen in the warband are lost as the magic which sustains them is dispelled.

Habituation
Vampires’ human servants rapidly have to become accustomed to the uncanny nature of their mistresses and their undead minions. Human members of a Lahmia warband are immune to fear caused by types of undead in their own warband, i.e: skeletons, wights and vampires. Other types of undead cause fear as normal.

Equipment
Necromancers, Thralls and Henchmen use the Undead list below.
Foreign Beloved use the Mercenary list from the Mordheim rulebook for initial setup only, thereafter the Undead list. Khemrian Beloved use the Arabyan Nomad list for initial setup only.
Vampires and Blood Sisters use the Undead list, plus the following special weapon:

Serpent Whip		Cost:25gc	Availabilty: Rare 8 Vampires and Blood Sisters only
Range: 4"
Strength: As User
Special: cannot be parried - the flexibility of the whip renders it impossible to be parried by swords or bucklers; reach - user can attack enemies up to 4" away and such enemies cannot strike back, provided no other enemy is in base contact; poisoned - treat as coated with black lotus.

Undead Equipment and Weapons
(NB: Khemrian warbands use Khemrian equivalents when available)

Hand to Hand Combat Weapons			Missile Weapons
Dagger		1st free/2gc			Bow		10gc
Mace			3gc				Short Bow	5gc
Hammer		3gc
Axe			5gc
Sword			10gc
Double-handed weapon	15gc
Spear			10gc
Halberd		10gc

Armour

Light armour		20gc
Heavy armour		50gc
Shield			5gc
Helmet		10gc

Skills

Vampires may choose skills from the combat, academic, strength, speed and special lists.
Necromancers may choose from the academic and speed lists.
Beloved may choose from the combat, shooting, strength and speed lists.
Blood Sisters may choose from the combat, academic, strength and speed lists.
Thralls use the combat, strength and speed lists.

Lahmia Special Skills

Swift: when moving the vampire may run but counts as having moved normally for all purposes.

Transfix: at the start of the combat phase, one enemy model in base contact must test against Leadership. If the test is failed, the model may not attack that turn and all attacks against it gain an additional +1 to hit. Ineffective against models immune to psychology.

Quickblood: the vampire’s lightning reflexes give it an unmodifiable 6+ save against all wounds. This save is in addition to and taken before normal armour saves. Note that in the case of critical hits this save is taken before rolling to see if multiple wounds are taken. If the vampire acquires Dodge or Step Aside, those skills supercede this one and cannot be combined to produce a 4+ save. Hence, a vampire with Quickblood and Dodge has a 5+ save against missiles and 6+ against close combat.

Innocence Lost: the vampire’s ability to appear virginal and innocent temporarily disarms her opponent. The vampire always attacks first in close combat. If an enemy model also has the ability to attack first, then decide in order of initiative. In case of equal initiative, the highest score on 1d6 goes first. This skill is ineffective against models immune to psychology.

Seduction: The vampire must test against Leadership at the start of the combat phase. If successful, one enemy model in base contact must also save against Leadership. If failed, the model is controlled by the vampire player. The model’s original owner may attempt to regain control in each subsequent turn by testing again in his recovery phase. If the vampire chooses to attack the controlled model, control is lost immediately. If the model ends the game under vampire control, they count as out of action. A maximum of  one model may be so controlled. Ineffective against models immune to psychology.

Night Creature: the vampire blends effortlessly into the background. Models wishing to charge, shoot or cast spells at the vampire must roll 4+ to do so, or choose another target. This skill is only effective if the vampire did not move in its previous movement phase.

General Rules For Undead

Cause Fear: Undead creatures are terrifying by nature (or supernature) and therefore cause fear.

Immune to Psychology: Undead are not affected by psychology (such as fear) and never leave combat.

Immune to Poison: Undead are not affected by any poison.

No Pain: being already dead, Undead treat a ‘stunned’ result as ‘knocked down’.

Heroes

1	Lahmia Vampire	110gc

Beautiful yet deadly, these seductive mistresses of undeath stalk the halls of their long-lost homes, searching for who knows what? Perhaps some far-off recollection of their long-vanished years walking in the sunlight and the joy of life...

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD
6	4	4	4	4	2	5	2	8

Weapons/Armour: from the Undead list.

Special Rules: Leader; Undead; Local Knowledge (Khemrian vampires only) - Lahmias have long memories of their ancestral homeland. A Khemrian Lahmia warband which contains a vampire may reroll one dice in the exploration phase. NB: this only applies in the Khemri setting.

0-1	Necromancer		35gc
These peddlers of undeath are not greatly liked by the hedonistic Lahmians - they are ugly and morbid - but they have their uses...

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

Weapons/Armour: from the Undead list.

Special Rules: Wizard. The Necromancer may use spells from the Necromantic spell list.

0-1	Beloved	60gc

Lahmians are attracted to mortals of strong will and strong body. Their seduction gives the vampires a special pleasure, and their martial skills are evermore devoted to the will of their dark mistress. Until, that is, she grows tired of them or finds a more interesting lover...

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD
4	4	4	3	3	1	4	1	8

Weapons/Armour: Foreign - from the Mercenaries list; Khemrian - from the Arabyan lists.

Special Rules: Devoted: the beloved is completely enraptured by the Lahmia. If she is knocked down in close combat (i.e: rolls a stunned or knocked down result on the injuries chart) the Beloved will become frenzied and immediately take the most direct route to her aid, attacking any model within 2" either side of a direct line to the Lahmia. If the vampire is taken out of action, the Beloved will immediately hate the model who did the damage and attempt to kill them at the earliest opportunity. The beloved will remain frenzied until the hated enemy is slain.

0-1	Blood Sisters	40gc

Lahmian vampires are solitary creatures, but the preservation of the bloodline is a priority for them. Young maidens are carefully selected by Lahmians to receive the gift of eternal youth and trained in the ways of the Lahmia, ready to take their mistress’ place if she should be destroyed. These girls stand on the boundary of life and death. Not fully undead, but no longer wholly human...

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

Weapons/Armour: from the Undead list.

Special: Hardened - Blood Sisters are accustomed to the ways of undeath. Hence they are immune to fear and never test for being all alone.

Demi-Vampires: if the warband’s Lahmia is killed, the Blood Sister may take her place. At her next advance she will become a vampire on a roll of 4+ on a d6. This counts instead of the advance. The blood Sister retains her existing skills and experience but the usual rules for undead apply immediately and her maximum stats become those of a vampire. If the Blood Sister fails to transform, roll again at her next and all subsequent advances. Once a Blood Sister has become a vampire a new Blood Sister may be recruited into the warband after the next game.

Thralls	20gc

Lahmian vampires are nobility, and all nobility require servants. Fanatically loyal, these humans are blindly in love with their dark mistress...

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

Equipment: from the Undead list.

Special: Devoted - see Beloved; Favoured - if the Lahmia’s Beloved is killed, she may choose one of her Thralls to replace him by granting him the Blood Kiss at his next advance. If this option is taken the Thralls’ leadership is increased to 8 if not already so and he takes the place of the Beloved in the warband’s roster. The Thrall’s elevation to Beloved counts instead of any advance he may be entitled to. A new Thrall may be recruited after the warband’s next battle.

Henchmen (bought in groups of 1-5)

Skeletons	15gc

Unsubtle, uncomplicated, unattractive. But sometimes useful, and prettier than zombies. Those Carsteins and Blood Dragons, no aesthetic sense at all...

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD
4	2	2	3	3	1	2	1	5

Weapons/Armour: from the Undead list.

Special: Undead - usual rules apply; Slow - may not run, charge as normal; No Brain - do not gain experience.

0-5 Blood Slaves	25gc

Many mortals have fallen under the spell of the Lahmia. All have their uses. Some are tasty...

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

Weapons/Armour: from the Undead list.

0-5	Black Hounds	20gc

These dogs, graceful of form and black as night but with terrifiying glowing eyes, stand guard over their mistress while she sleeps, and sometimes catch her breakfast as well...

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD
7	3	0	3	3	1	4	1	5

Weapons/Armour: None. Teeth and claws are all they need!

Special: Cause Fear; Animals - never gain experience.

0-5 	Wights	35gc

Long-dead retainers of the Lahmians, the wights have remained dormant through the centuries, awaiting their mistresses’ return. Now, at their calling, they rise from their tombs to once again do their bidding...

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD
4	3	0	3	4	1	3	1	8

Weapons/Armour: from the Undead list.

Special: Wights follow all the usual rules for Undead. Although dead, they retain some kind of sentience, and can therefore gain experience.

Wight weapons: Wights maintain their own existence by draining the energy of the living, and their weapons are enchanted to achieve this. When rolling to wound a wight will cause a critical hit on 5+.

Jackals	25gc

In the Northlands Lahmians have learned to appreciate dogs, but they love the Jackals of their homeland better. Cunning, like the vampires themselves...

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	LD
6	3	0	3	3	1	2	1	4

Weapons/Armour: None, they don’t need them!

Special: Pack Attack - a lone Jackal is not particularly dangerous, but a pack can be deadly. If two or more jackals attack the same model then all jackals attacking that model gain an extra attack.

“So, effendi, you have seen him? A lone rider against the moon on top of the dunes? That would be Abdul ben Rashid. He lived in the same village as my wife’s cousin (who makes wonderful carpets if effendi is interested - no? Another time, perhaps). Anyway, Abdul returned one day from the desert with a distant look in his eye and a strange tale. He had seen, he said, a woman in the desert where no living thing should be, a woman of such surpassing beauty that he would willingly have walked into the jaws of Nagash himself for her love. Of course, he was a fool - there are no beautiful women in the desert (am I not the husband of six wives?). But from that moment on he took to riding into the sand sea in search of his mirage. One day he failed to return. Of course, the strange thing about it is that you should have seen him. My wife’s cousin - you really would like his carpets, effendi - and his father before him have lived in the house Abdul left for the last time nearly a hundred years ago...”