"The only justifiable risk is one that can do more harm to the enemy than it can to you. All risks must be calculated in your favour. Otherwise you are fighting for the enemy!"
Tactica Imperium

Subplots for Warhammer 40,000 games

Did you always want to employ subplots? Do your games lack a little spice? Do you love random acts of senseless violence? Did it always bore you that the only things happening are the things you do?
Try this: Roll a D20 before the battle and apply the result:

1. One of the players' models has mysteriously contracted a dose of MACS (Mysteriously Acquired Crazy Syndrome). The disease takes hold instantly and without warning, causing the victim to act in a totally uncontrolled, murderous and unpredictably dangerous manner until slain. MACS may be mysteroiusly transmitted through any sort of protective clothing, walls, armour plating, etc. Any model of the same race has a 1 in 6 chance of contracting the disease if it comes within 2" of the victim. Roll a dice for each model with MACS at the start of every turn; on a 6 they move 2d6" randomly for the rest of the game, firing their most dangerous weapon at the closest target or charging if they can.
   
   
2. A unit is unhappy with it's leader, who is brutal, dishonest, stupid, incompetent or otherwise subject to some personality defect which makes him extremely unpopular. Any model drawing a line of fire within 2" of this person will 'accidentally' shoot at him instead. If the shot hits, a firefight starts between the two models (assuming the target isn't killed).
   
   
3. A random vehicle is subject to some unknown mechanical problem. Every turn, on a roll of 6 on a D6, it will break down and become immobile, only starting up again if a 6 is rolled in any subsequent turn. The machine breaks down this way all game.
   
   
4. Unknown to either side, unexploded mines litter the battlefield. Oops. Every time a model moves, roll 2d6: on a double, the model sets of a mine with the same effect as a Frag grenade, centred on the activating model.
   
   
5. One of the characters taking part in the battle is the subject of a personal vendetta- perhaps he is blamed for causing somebody elses death, perhaps he is an unconvicted drug dealer, or has fled owing money. Whatever the reason, on the D6 roll of 6 at the start of any turn one random unit from the opposing side reveals itself as bounty hunters and immediatley attempts to shoot the character to death.
   
   
6. One of the characters on either side suddenly meets someone from his/ her past: old girlfriend, spouse, relative, fellow conspirator, enemy, long-lost pet cat, etc. All shooting rolls the character makes are at -1 to hit, as his mind isn't really on the battle.
   
   
7. The scene of the battle has been unexpectedly chosen by a criminal gang as a place to conduct a secret deal of some sort- meet fellow smugglers, exchange hostages, swap money, drugs, weapons, etc. Two units of any race appear on the battlefield, moving and firing randomly at anything in sight.
   
   
8. One character bears a previously unexplained grudge against another (on either side). Roll a D6 at the start of every turn- on a 6 the character becomes obsessed with killing his enemy, and must move his full movement toward him every turn, shooting or charging if he can.
   
   
9. Act of God(s): A natural disaster hits the battlefield. For example, an earthquake, flood, volcanic eruption, starship crash, meteor strike, etc. Roll a dice for every model, on a 1 they take D3 S6 hits. Each piece of terrain moves 2d6" in a random direction, carrying models along with it.
   
   
10. Creatures or plants the armies were previously unaware of appear, making trouble for both sides. Roll a D6 every time a model tries to do something- move, shoot, strike blows in hand-to-hand combat, etc. On a 1 they are prevented from doing so by an animal or plant that has recently revealed itself and is making trouble.
    
    
11. While the players battle it out a third force enters on a random table edge at the start of the 'D4'th turn. This force comprises 500 points of whatever models are to hand.
    
    
12. One or more random characters is daemonically possessed. Roll a D6 at the start of each of his turns, on a 6 he moves and shoots randomly for the rest of the battle.
    
    
13. One random squad has been supplied with a bad batch of weapons. Every time a member of the squad rolls a 1 to hit, the weapon breaks and is rendered useless.
    
    
14. Any buildings are artifacts of an ancient civilisation. Models entering them are suffused with a feeling of deep peace and calm, and may not do anything else until they pass a Ld test at the beginning of their turn.
    
    
15. Refugees are taking cover in the middle of the battlefield. Every time any model moves into cover that is within 12" of the centre of the table, he / she takes D3-1 S3 hits from the refugees weapons.
    
    
16. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, the area was visited by Dr Gostellos' Amazing Intergalactic Psycho-Circus. The circus has got caught up in the fight; any model not in cover suffers D6-3 S'D4' hits every turn from the dangerous creatures, weird aliens, frightening mutants and psychic clowns.
    
    
17. The battlefield is riddled with tunnels. Every turn, roll a D6 for anything that rests on the ground (e.g., not Eldar anti-grav platforms) and is bigger than a normal model (e.g., Terminators, Dreadnoughts, Vehicles). On a 6 it falls into the tunnels and is useless for the rest of the battle unless it has legs, in which case it can make an I test every turn to climb out.
    
    
18. Unknown to either side, a random character is an experimental android. If reduced to 0 wounds the android starts moving randomly and gets +1 to all characteristics; if it blunders into anything it fights it in hand-to-hand combat. When destroyed (for a second time, the +1 applies to wounds as well) it explodes with the same effect as a Plasma grenade.
    
    
19. One random building on the table houses bizarre alien equipment- any model going in can make a Ld test to work out how to use it, and emerges with a random heavy weapon.
    
    
20. A camera crew belonging to a local media company has managed to get onto the battlefield and is wandering around, trying to interview troops and generally distracting people. All troops within 4" suffer -1 on all dice rolls. Only characters and unit leaders can shoot the camera crew, anyone else is reluctant to do so.

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Scenarios (WD135)
You are bored by the same missions over and over? You want to try something new? Why not play a scenario? You get a special setup, special deployment, special points etc (some of the scenarios may be known to 3rd ed. players as GW employed some in the newest release of 40k).

For now, all scenarios include the use of one distinct piece of terrain. This is referred to as "the target". It may be a firebase, in Imperial bastion, an Orky village, a dark Eldar slave mine or whatever.

• No man´s land: The target must be captured be either side. The players must try to take and hold the target for one whole turn (beginning a turn inside and finishing it still holding it). The game lasts until one side is wiped out or the task complete.
• Infiltrate: One player is the defender. The target is placed just outside his deployment zone. All defending models start the game within the target (or near). The attacker must move his force nearer to the defender´s table edge than the target. The defenders move only move out of the target once the attackers have been spotted.
• Beachhead: The target is the beachhead for an important planetary assault. It just isn´t complete yet. The defender must prevent the attacker from getting into the target for a preset number of turns. The attacker must get inside to do some damage. The defenders themselves are not allowed to move into the target.
• Assassination: One player takes the target as command centre. He may not leave as he is coordinating an attack. The enemy force is hell-bent on killing or capturing this character. As the defender´s commander cannot take part in the battle he should get some sort of bonus (extra strategy card, points or the like)
• Virus: The defender takes the target and must deploy all troops in or near it. They are all infected by a deadly virus. While the defender must try to escape the battlefield, the attacker must do his best to destroy all opposing units to prevent the virus from spreading.
• Governor: A high-ranking officer is coming to visit the target because of some reason or other. But the target has been captured by the enemy! They will assassinate him if they are not stopped.
• Ambush: One side lies in ambush along both sides of a road leading to the target. They must prevent the enemy from reaching the target.
• Supplies: One player takes a small force of defenders to hold off a superior force of attackers long enough for some unit of fast attack/support (landspeeders, cult of speed, jetbikes etc) to be refitted, refueled. The attacker must either capture the target or pick-off the defending models doing the refuelleing, rearming or whatever
• The thing: Aliens attack the target. The start in hiding surrounding the target which is placed in the middle of the table. The defenders must come out and destroy whatever horrible creature is hidden in the bushes.

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