Border Princes Campaign 6: Scenario Charts for Terrain Tiles

OK, so I have developed scenario charts for battles occurring in each 'standard' terrain section (plains, roads, rivers, forests, mountains and swamps).  The general idea is that the combination of the terrain type of the territory in which a battle takes place and the scenario rolled on the table below will result in unique battles which will suggest exciting ways of setting up the battlefield and weaving a narrative through the campaign.  For example, if a battle takes place in a mountain terrain section, and the 'last stand' scenario is rolled, the players might decide that a portion of one players' army has become separated and isolated from the main force and is now vulnerable to attack by its enemies.

I have used the 2d6 dice mechanic, such that results of 7 will come up most frequently, then 6 and 8, then 5 and 9, then three and 10 and finally 2 and 12 (which will be very infrequent).  I did my very best to include a range of scenarios to keep things interesting, but also to try to ensure that they make sense.  Comments are welcome, however!

Plains:

Plains (2d6)
2	Ambush (6th Ed BRB)
3	Rear Guard (6th Ed BRB)
4	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)
5	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)
6	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)
7	Battle Line (8th Ed BRB)
8	Flank Attack (7th Ed BRB)
9	Dawn Attack (8th Ed BRB)
10	Watchtower/Capture (8th Ed BRB/6th Ed BRB)
11	Loot and Pillage (8th Ed BRB)
12	Ruination of Glumhof (8th Ed BRB)

The plains sections are made up of fields and rolling hills which represent the 'classic' Warhammer battlefield: plenty of space and visibility for mighty armies to clash in battles which are minimally impacted (but still impacted!) by terrain.  As such the scenario chart emphasises pitched battles with lots of free movement (e.g. battleline, blood and glory,  flank attack) and certain battles never occur (no 'defend the pass' because there are no large stretches of impassable terrain like mountains, etc.).  Ambushes/surprise attacks are possible but unlikely given the open terrain, and while it is possible to come across isolated small farming settlements (e.g. Loot and Pillage, Ruination of Glumhof) these are few and far between beyond the roads in the Border Princes.


Roads:

Roads (2d6)
2	Dawn Attack (8th Ed BRB)*
3	Watchtower/Capture (8th Ed BRB/6th Ed BRB)*
4	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)*
5	Ruination of Glumhof (8th Ed BRB)*
6	Loot and Pillage (8th Ed BRB)*
7	Battle Line (8th Ed BRB)*
8	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)*
9	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)*
10	Flank Attack (7th Ed BRB)*
11	Rear Guard (6th Ed BRB)*
12	Ambush (6th Ed BRB)*

*These scenarios should involve a 'road' or 'path' - a clearway from one table edge to another which is (relatively) straight and clear.  Battles fought in these sections would be greatly thematically enhanced by a road terrain placement.  The road has no effect on the game (other than presumably following a fairly clear path which is unobstructed.

The roads sections are similar to the plains in that manouverability and visibility are optimal, and as such pitched battles (battleline, blood and glory) are common.  However, the main roads in the Border Princes are the regions most likely to be populated, and as such battles involving human settlements (e.g. Loot and Pillage, Ruination of Glumhof) are also more common.  I rounded it out with more narrative style battles which could occur along a road: it would be difficult (but not impossible) to ambush an army marching along a road with another army before being detected, and we would also see attempts to 'break through' armies holding the road or fight rearguard actions to protect supply lines, etc.

Forest:

Forest
2	Battleline (8th Ed BRB)
3	Rear Guard (6th Ed BRB)
4	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)
5	Surprise Encounter (8th Ed BRB)
6	Break out of the forest (General's Compendium)
7	In the dark woods (General's Compendium)
8	Woodland ambush (Wood Elves Handbook)
9	Dawn Attack (8th Ed BRB)
10	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)
11	Ambush (6th Ed BRB)
12	Flank Attack (7th Ed BRB)

Ok, now things really change around a bit.  The most common types of battles in forests are going to be dominated by the restricted movement of the trees (in the dark woods) and often involve ambush or desperate attempts to break out of guerilla style traps (woodland ambush, break out of the forest) as well as situations where lost armies stumble around in the gloom, making precise tactical deployment/movement difficult (surprise encounter, meeting engagement, dawn attack).  Pitched battles will be far less common.

Mountains:

Mountains
2	Battle Line (8th Ed BRB)
3	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)
4	Last Stand  (6th Ed BRB)
5	Ambush (6th Ed BRB)
6	Hold The High Ground (8th Ed BRB)
7	Defend the Pass (8th Ed BRB)
8	Watch Tower/Capture (8th Ed BRB/6th Ed BRB)
9	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)
10	Rear Guard (6th Ed BRB)
11	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)
12	Dawn Attack (8th Ed BRB)

Wars fought in the mountains are won and loss by taking and holding strategic passes which either block the enemy or trap them/split their forces between valleys or divide them from their supply lines etc.  To reflect this, the most common scenarios will be defend the pass, hold the high ground and watchtower.  Also prevalent will be attempts to 'breakthrough' a trapped position, to 'ambush' an army from the slopes flanking a valley, fighting a desperate 'rearguard' through a mountain pass, or a 'last stand' when a portion of your army has become lost and isolated in a valley (300 Spartans anyone?).  Valleys big enough in which to fight pitched battles exist, but are rare.

Swamp:

Swamp
2	Rear Guard (6th Ed BRB)*
3	Battleline (8th Ed BRB)*
4	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)*
5	Woodland ambush (Wood Elves Handbook)**
6	Surprise Encounter (8th Ed BRB)*
7	Dawn Attack (8th Ed BRB)*
8	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)*
9	Ambush (6th Ed BRB)*
10	Break out of the Woods (General's Compendium)**
11	Defend the Pass (8th Ed BRB)***
12	Flank Attack (7th Ed BRB)*

* Swamp Rules (see Below)

** Swamp Rules.  In addition, swamp terrain sections replace trees as much as possible, though trees may also be included to represent drowning trees/swamp flora.

***  Swamp Rules.  In addition, the impassable long edges of the table in this scenario represent impenetrable swamp.

Swamp Rules:
Scenarios fought with Swamp Rules are subject to the following effects:

Swamp Mists (adapted from the Dark Shadows - Albion Campaign)

The Bloodriver Bogs are almost permanently wreathed in swirling mists and fog!

Roll an ARTILLERY DICE at the beginning of EVERY GAME  TURN (ie., every time you mark off another turn as having been played)

If the result is a MISFIRE, then the mists have dissipated and the sunlight has broken through, and there are no other effects.

If ANY OTHER RESULT is rolled, multiply the ARTILLERY ROLL by 3, and the result is the maximum distance into the mists which models can see.  You cannot charge, shoot or target spells requiring line of sight at models you cannot see.  Furthermore, ALL shooting attacks are made at -1 to hit.

Noxious Clouds (see the General's Compendium, pg. 104) - Often the Blood River Bogs will produce great clouds of noxious fumes which may burst forth from the swampy earth and drift across the battlefield.

Number the table quarters 1-4.  At the start of each PLAYER'S TURN, that player rolls a dice.  On a roll of 1, then a poison gas cloud (a 5 inch template) has appeared, and the player rolls on the table below:

1-4: A noxious cloud (5 inch template) appears in the table quarter corresponding to the number rolled.  To determine its starting location, place the noxious cloud in the centre of the table quarter and then scatter the cloud 2d6.
5: Give the cloud template to your foe.  She/he may place the noxious cloud wherever he/she chooses, but it will scatter 2d6.
6: The player whose turn it is may place the cloud wherever she/he chooses, but it will scatter 2d6 inches.

Models touched by a noxious cloud take a S3 hit with no armour saves allowed.  Noxious clouds remain on the table and move 2d6 inches in random direction at the start of each GAME turn.

Swampy Terrain - Swamps of all types may be found in the Blood River Bogs - the following table replaces the Mysterious Swamp Table in the 8th Ed BRB.


Swamp Terrain Pieces (D6)
1 – Suffocating – counts as Khemrian quicksand
2 – Septic – counts as necrotic ooze
3 – Bubbling – counts as a boiling flood
4 – Fumy – counts as a mist wreathed swamp
5 – Macabre – counts as a charnel pit
6 – Enchanted – counts as an earthblood mere


The swamp is similar to forests in that movement and vision are restricted, but while battles in the forest are hampered by the dense foliage, those in the swamp are characterised by getting lost and losing visability, leading to chaotic, unplanned battles being most prevalent (dawn attack, surprise encounter and meeting engagement).  Portions of the swamp MAY have bridged sections of rivers (race for the bridge, river of death) and while the swamp does not involve mountains, certain narrow portions of the swamp may be flanked by impenetrable morass in which units would be lost, leading to 'defend the pass' battles.

River:

River (2d6)
2	Watchtower (8th Ed BRB)
3	Loot and Pillage (8th Ed BRB)
4	Dawn Attack(8th Ed BRB)
5	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)
6	Race for the Bridge (Circle of Blood)
7	River of Death(8th Ed BRB)
8	Battleline (8th Ed BRB)
9	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)
10	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)
11	Ruination of Glumhof (8th Ed BRB)
12	Rearguard (6th Ed BRB)

River (2d6)

2	Ambush (6th Ed BRB)*
3	Rear Guard (6th Ed BRB)*
4	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)*
5	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)*
6	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)*
7	Battle Line (8th Ed BRB)*
8	Flank Attack (7th Ed BRB)*
9	Dawn Attack (8th Ed BRB)*
10	Watchtower/Capture (8th Ed BRB/6th Ed BRB)*
11	Loot and Pillage (8th Ed BRB)*
12	Ruination of Glumhof (8th Ed BRB)*

*As Plains, but ALL Scenarios Should Have a River Added Which Enters and Leaves the Board from a Table Edge.  Note that the river need not bisect the board and may only influence a table quarter - player judgement/rule of cool required here!  There should NOT be any safe crossing points like BRIDGES or FORDS (these are reserved for the BRIDGE section)

Battles in river sections involve relatively flat terrain (flood plains) for pitched battles (battleline, etc.) around the river.  Also, there may be human settlements along the river banks (ruin of Glomhof, loot and pillage).

Bridge:

Bridge (1d6)
1 to 3	Roll on Road Chart
4 to 6	Roll on River Chart

At this stage the bridge battles are rolled on either the road chart (suggesting that the battle itself occurs just down the road from the river) or on the river chart (suggesting that the battle occurs at the river itself).  However, I am now starting to rethink this idea and think that I might make a separate 'bridge' table, which focusses on the 'race for the bridge' and 'river of death' scenarios as well as human settlements (ruin of glomhof, loot and pillage) which would likely spring up around bridges (intersections of road and river trade).  If I did this, I would change the river table so that it was far less likely to involve crossing points, reflecting the fact that there are few bridges suitable for armies in the Border Princes map.  In other words, scenarios fought in bridge sections would have a high likelihood of 'river of death' and 'race for the bridge' scenarios, while river sections would have a low frequency of bridge scenarios and instead have more pitched battles complicated by river terrain.  Thoughts?

Bridges (2d6)
2	Ruination of Glumhof (8th Ed BRB)*
3	Loot and Pillage (8th Ed BRB)*
4	Dawn Attack(8th Ed BRB)*
5	Blood and Glory (8th Ed BRB)*
6	Race for the Bridge (Circle of Blood)
7	River of Death(8th Ed BRB)
8	Watchtower/Capture (8th Ed/6th Ed BRB)**
9	Battleline (8th Ed BRB)*
10	Breakthrough (6th Ed BRB)*
11	Meeting Engagement (8th Ed BRB)*
12	Rearguard (6th Ed BRB)*

* All these scenarios AUTOMATICALLY have a RIVER added which enters and leaves the board from a table edge.  The river need not bisect the board.  There may be crossing points (BRIDGES or FORDS) for the river.  There should probably be no more than 2 crossing points for dominating rivers (those which bisect the board) and no more than one crossing point for rivers which only impact a table quarter.  Players' judgment required here! 
** For Watchtower/Capture Scenario, a BRIDGE or FORD at least 5 inches wide marking a crossing of the river takes the place of the Watchtower.  The river should bisect the board and there should be NO other crossing points.