Battle Monks of Cathay

Grade: 1c
Source: Border Town Burning (PDF)
Setting: Grand Cathay

Lore

The borders of Grand Cathay present a myriad of obstacles to invaders from the known world. In its north, the verdant rice fields are defended by the Great Bastion, a walled fortress that stretches further than the eye can see. The west is shielded by a haunted mountainous stretch, remembered as the Ancient Giant Holds, and the contaminated sands of the Baleful Deserts in the northwest where wyrdstone is said to be found. Upon the slopes towering monasteries were built long ago by monks living in the outskirts of Cathay. In relative solitude, these cowled guardians split their time between meditating, fishing, and crafting, all the while honing extraordinary fighting techniques. The brother’s dedication at arms, not to mention acrobatic defensive strikes, has repelled despoilers from the sacred grounds of each fortified tabernacle.

Innkeepers, swordsmiths, merchants, fishermen, and farmers have all survived in the monk’s proximity, seeking the protection afforded by the monasteries surrounds in these perilous borderlands. Peasant folk risk what little they have by taking shelter here in the wilderness. Tranquillity found within the temple sanctums is a far cry from the warmongering tribes who threaten the Cathayan Empire. From the west loom feral bands of Ogres and men with no honour. Hobgoblin riders roam the steppes to the northwest. From the Wastes to the north come the marauding hordes of Chaos barbarians and creatures of horror that feast upon flesh.

In times of strife frontiers are defended by the community. Local militia comprises the strongest young men, supporting trained soldiers of the Emperor’s Guard. An authorised emissary from Weijin is appointed by Imperial decree to govern each border district. The military view warrior monks as hooded vigilantes, and a menace to law and order. Temple masters themselves only cooperate with the emissary for that is the Emperor’s bidding. So it is that they are united in battle against the enemies of the throne. Officers begrudge the monks meddling in their affairs, yet heroic deeds and the martial arts mastery of these robed advocates is ultimately what keeps raiding parties of hobgoblins, beastmen, marauders and mutants out. The combat skills of a Celestial Dragon Monk surpass anything that Old World scholars have seen – even when using no weapons at all!

Special rules

Strictures: A stringent regime of meditation is used by monks. Their faith is supported by a notion that the skin of one's body is armour in itself. Dragon Monks and Warrior Monks never wear any kind of armour.

Distaste for Poison: The use of poisons and various drugs is a speciality for dishonorable warriors who would stoop to such ends. Dragon Monks and Warrior Monks frown on this and may never use any kind of poison or venom.

Outsiders: Foreigners are generally considered unwelcome by the border guards of Cathay. The Battle Monks warband may never hire any sort of Hired Sword or Dramatis Personae unless specifically stated with the Hired sword/Dramatis Personae.

Choice of warriors

A Battle Monks of Cathay warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold crowns available to spend. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15.

• Emissaries: Each warband must have 1 Emissary: no more, no less!
• Officers: Your warband may include up to 1 Officer.
• Dragon Monks: Your warband may include up to 3 Dragon Monks.
• Soldiers: Your warband may include any number of Soldiers.
• Warrior Monks: Your warband may include up to 5 Warrior Monks.
• Raging Peasants: Your warband may include up to 5 Raging Peasants.

Starting experience

• The Emissary starts with 20 experience.
• The Officer starts with 12 experience.
• Dragon Monks start with 15 experience.
• Henchmen start with 0 experience.

Battle Monks of Cathay Skill Table

	Combat	Shooting	Academic	Strength	Speed	Special
Emissary		✓	✓		✓	✓
Officer	✓	✓		✓	✓
Dragon Monk	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓

Battle Monks of Cathay Special Skills

Battle Monks of Cathay Heroes may use the following Skill table instead of any of the standard Skill tables available to them.

Energy Focus

If fighting unarmed, the Hero may choose to reduce his Attacks by –1 and thus gain +1 Strength in close combat. The monk may sacrifice any number of attacks this way.

Lightning Speed

The monk may triple his Movement whilst running or charging and may run even when there are enemy models within 8”.

Leap of Faith

The Hero cannot be intercepted whilst charging. He may escape from combat (as described on p. 161 in the Mordheim rulebook) by leaping away without having to pass an Ld test and may declare a leaping charge at the same time in the same turn.

Human Shield

If two or more models are engaged in close combat with the monk, he may choose to grab one to use it as a shield instead of his normal attacks. To do this, he must pass an Initiative test after the first model has attacked, but before the second model attacks. On a successful roll, the monk grabs the first model – the second model directs its full attacks on the friendly model. After the combat phase, the model breaks free and the battle goes on as usual. On a failed roll, the monk and the second model use their normal attacks.

Warmonger

The Emissary may make an Ld test before the battle. If the test is successful, D3+1 Raging Peasants join the warband for the next game (this may exceed the maximum number of warriors). Each Raging Peasant in the warband is subject to Hatred for the duration of the battle.

Battle Monks of Cathay equipment lists

Pricing:

Soldier Equipment List

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Spear	10 gc
Sword	10 gc
Dragon Sword	20 gc
Cathayan Longsword	75 gc Emissary only

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Duelling pistol (Duelling Pistol)	30 gc (60 gc for a brace)
Handgun	35 gc
Bow	10 gc
Crossbow	25 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Light Armour	20 gc
Heavy Armour	50 gc
Shield	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Miscellaneous

Item	Cost
Cathayan Silk Clothes	40 gc Emissary only
Riding/Draft Horse	30 gc Emissary only

Monk Equipment List

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Axe	5 gc
Spear	10 gc
Sword	10 gc
Quarter Staff	15 gc
Dragon Sword	20 gc
Chain Sticks	20 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Fish-Hook Shot	10 gc
Throwing Knives/Stars	15 gc

Armour

None.

Special Equipment

Battle Monks of Cathay have access to the following special equipment when purchasing items from the Trading Post, outside their starting list:

Chain Sticks

Cost: 20 gc
Availability: Rare 7

Range: Close Combat
Strength: As user

Special Rules

Flurry: A set of chain sticks allows its wielder to unleash a furious bludgeoning. A warrior armed with chain sticks gets +2 Attacks. This bonus only applies in the first turn of each hand-to-hard combat. Using chain sticks otherwise counts as having two hand weapons.

Two-handed: Requires two hands to wield

Dragon Sword

Cost: 20 gc
Availability: Rare 10

Dragon Swords are great-swords that are typically used by Cathayan soldiers and ronins, and occasionally lifted by monks.

Range: Close Combat
Strength: As user +1

Special Rules

Two-handed: A model armed with a Dragon Sword may not use a shield, buckler or additional weapon in close combat. It gets an additional +1 armour save bonus against ranged attacks if it carries a shield.

Parry: Dragon Swords, despite their great size, can be used for parrying like a sword. When his opponent rolls to hit, the model armed with it may roll a D6. If the score is greater than the highest to hit score of his opponent, the model has parried the blow, and that attack is discarded. A model may not parry attacks made with double or more its own Strength - they are simply too powerful to be stopped.

Katana

In some older material, the Dragon Sword was referred to as "Katana".

Quarter Staff

Cost: 15 gc
Availability: Common

Range: Close Combat
Strength: As user

Special Rules

Balanced: A quarter staff is especially light and easy to wield. A model armed with a fighting staff gets +1 Initiative in close combat.

Parry: Can parry enemy blows

Freestyle: Although a staff does not always require two hands to use, it cannot be combined with another weapon, shield, buckler, etc. However, it can be combined with the Monks bare hand attacks. This means that the Monk is still getting +1 Attack.

Fish-Hook Shot

Cost: 10 gc
Availability: Rare 7

Range: 3"
Strength: 3

Special Rules

Thrown Weapon: Models using a fish-hook shot do not suffer penalties for range or moving as it is designed for short-range use anyway.

Precise: A model using a fish-hook shot is so well-trained in the use of this weapon that he may attack enemy models that are engaged in close combat. However, the hook shot is useless when the monk himself is engaged in close combat.

Caused Fall: The warrior may declare to try and cause an enemy model to fall instead of causing damage. The warrior must roll to hit as normal and then pass a Strength test. If the test is successful, the enemy model counts as knocked down. Apply a +1 modifier to the Strength test against large models. When a mount gets knocked down, the rider falls off (see 3-4 on the Whoa Boy! table).^✏️

Heroes

1 Emissary

60 gold crowns to hire

An official delegate of the Dragon Throne is sent to each border town from Weijin. His orders are to ensure that the Emperor's decrees are being upheld.

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

Weapons/Armour: Emissary may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Soldier Equipment List.

Special Rules

Leader: Any warrior within 6“ of the Emissary may use his Leadership when taking Ld tests.

Ride Horse: The Emissary is trained in riding Horses.

Decree: When the Emissary dies, a new one must be hired as soon as possible. Until you have done so, no other warriors and/or equipment may be bought.^❓ The new Emissary will then reclaim Leadership of the warband.

0 – 1 Officer

40 gold crowns to hire

The Officer is the highest ranking member of his division, a decorated soldier dispatched as custodian to administer Imperial law throughout the district.

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

Weapons/Armour: Officer may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Soldier Equipment List.

0 – 3 Dragon Monks

55 gold crowns to hire

Dragon Monks are close to reaching mental and physical perfection. The most skilled martial artists among each brotherhood have mastered the Way of the Dragon, a fighting style which Cathayan monks are renowned for even far beyond their borders.

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

Weapons/Armour: Dragon Monk may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Monk Equipment List.

Special Rules

Unarmed Combat: Monks suffer no penalties whatsoever for fighting unarmed and they receive +1 Attack when doing so.

Art of Silent Death: Dragon Monks have become masters of the Cathayan art of open-hand fighting. In hand-to-hand combat, if fighting unarmed, they will cause a critical hit on a roll 'to wound' of 5-6 instead of a 6. If the Dragon Monk wields a quarter staff, only the unarmed attacks will cause a critical hit on 5+.

Henchmen

(Bought in groups of 1-5)

Soldiers

25 gold crowns to hire

Comprising trained fighters and local militia, the border guards form a solid patrol to defend the borderlands against invading tribes and other dangers.

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

Weapons/Armour: Soldier may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Soldier Equipment List.

0 – 5 Warrior Monks

35 gold crowns to hire

The Battle Monks from Cathay are experts in fighting unarmed. Brothers combine open-hand tactics with specialist weapons training to create a shrouded force of lethal warriors.

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

Weapons/Armour: Warrior Monk may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Monk Equipment List.

Special Rules

Unarmed Combat: Monks suffer no penalties whatsoever for fighting unarmed, and they receive +1 Attack when doing so.

0 – 5 Raging Peasants

10 gold crowns to hire

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	2	2	3	3	1	3	1	6

Weapons/Armour: A peasant is usually equipped with a pitchfork, torch, or other simple tool. Treat them as fighting unarmed but without any penalties.

Special Rules

Weapons/Armour: A peasant is usually equipped with a pitchfork, torch, or other simple tool. Treat them as fighting unarmed but without any penalties.

Simple folk: Peasants never gain Experience.

Mob: Peasants become threatening in large numbers. A Peasant gets +1 Ld for each other allied Peasant model within 3". Due to their rage, they do not benefit from the leader rule.

Ignored: Peasants that are out of action do not count toward the number of out-of-action models for the purpose of Rout tests.

Downtrodden: When a Peasant is wounded, do not roll for injury. The model is immediately taken out of action.