Homebrew Rules Thread - 3rd Edition, 2022 GHB

[JackOfBlades]

As the previous homebrew thread was, this is a gathering place to avoid derailing the main thread.

My impetus for doing this was when i sat and ruminated over the lack of balance between the Keeper of Secret's equipment options on one hand, noting for example that the ritual knife is so bad that you could never justify taking it, and on the other hand comparing the keeper externally to things like the Alarith mountain spirit, spirit of Durthu, Fyreslayer on Magmadroth, etcetra. Im writing these rules to prove that a more satisfying battletome can be created; the equipment options feel meaningful and thematic, the spell lores arent afterthoughts, each currently floundering unit gets a narratively satisfying role, items (breathtaker) and units (fiends) arent left crippled by rules that were never updated, our army both having and doing more with Bravery debuffs, and so on. At the same time i want to keep the rule changes simple and intuitive enough for someone to actually use them if they think something looks fun (which is why i want to avoid changing point costs, changing the rules is enough).

I plan to go over the battle traits, subfactions, command traits, artefacts and warscrolls, as writing rules was quite fun. Deciding which "template" to use for creating the subfactions will probably be the hardest. At the time of writing ive only completed the below:
 

Battle Traits

Locus of Diversion
Activates on a 3+ for all HEDONITE DAEMON HEROES. GREATER DAEMONS no longer receive +1 to their roll.


Command Traits

Arch Tempter
This daemon's terrible beguilement can enrapture the very being that accedes to it, as its victims in their horrified dread and blissful fulfillment discover too late...

KEEPER OF SECRETS only. Once per battle before this model uses Dark Temptations, you may declare it is using this command trait. If that instance of Dark Temptations is refused, the target suffers 3 mortal wounds instead of D3. If it is accepted, and that instance of Dark Temptations slays its target, and this model has been slain, you may return this model to life with 6 wounds remaining. Set this model up immediately after the target is slain, wholly within 6’’ of the slain model’s last position, and activate this model in that phase as normal. If it is not possible to set it up that way, you may instead set it up wholly within 12’’ of a SLAANESH HERO or Fane of Slaanesh and more than 9’’ away from all enemy units.
 

Warscrolls – Leaders, Behemoth

Keeper of Secrets
Living Whip
According to the variations of their personalities, Keepers of Secrets experience different compulsions for wielding a living whip. Some in their magnanimence desire to gift the despondent with the joy of pain and its excruciating prolonging. Others merely take their own pleasure at beholding their helpless foe squirming, begging, crawling. Yet more appreciate the pleasing aesthetics that they can carve into the enemy’s flesh when they need not dispose of them so quickly. All such eccentricities, the living whip facilitates through its entangling of weapon and flensing of flesh.

Weapon profile

Range	Attacks	To Hit	To Wound	Rend	Damage
6’’	6	3+	3+	-1	1

At the beginning of the combat phase, you can roll a D6. On a 2+, you can target 1 enemy HERO or MONSTER within 6’’ of this model and choose one of its weapon profiles. Until the end of that phase, that weapon suffers -1 to hit and -1 to wound if the target attacks after this model does or -1 attack (to a minimum of 1), -1 to hit and -1 to wound if the target attacks before this model does.

Ritual Knife
Flavor Text Here

Weapon profile

Range	Attacks	To Hit	To Wound	Rend	Damage
1’’	1	2+	2+	-2	D3

When this model uses Dark Temptations on a target, and it elects to attack that target with its Ritual Knife, it may postpone declaring targets for the rest of its attacks and abilities in that phase until its Ritual Knife attack(s) have been resolved. When a HERO suffers a wound from this weapon, immediately apply one of the following effects. If it has accepted Dark Temptations earlier in that combat phase, roll a D6. On a 6, it is slain. If it has refused Dark Temptations earlier in that combat phase, it suffers D3 mortal wounds.

Shining Aegis
Those Keepers of Secrets who must be the performance rather than merely a part of it may well take to a shining aegis, for this enchanted buckler has dual employments. Even as it deflects the unworthy attempts of the enemy, that they may not sully its bearer’s high countenance, its radiance also attracts the enemy’s champions through folly or bravery. They become the supporting cast to the Keeper of Secret’s solo, fulfilling its wish of the spotlight remaining on itself as it masterfully carves and dismembers their body parts.

This model has a 6+ ward against damage caused by HERO models, and a 5+ ward against damage caused by non-HERO models. Once per battle at the start of the hero phase, you may declare that this model is in its solo. If you do so, increase these wards by 1 until the start of the next hero phase and use the top row on the model’s damage chart. For each HERO this model slays, you may declare 1 more solo per battle.

Sinistrous Hand
With its taloned fingers the Keeper of Secrets reaches out to rip the heart from a dying foe, exalting in victory before consuming the still beating organ. A malign unease fills those with the misfortune of beholding the spectacle, their spirits quailing at the daemon's demonstration which they cannot stand but cannot look away from.

Weapon profile

Range	Attacks	To Hit	To Wound	Rend	Damage
1’’	1	2+	3+	-1	1

At the end of a combat phase in which this model slew any models, apply the following effects: Heal D3 wounds allocated to this model, and apply -1 Bravery to enemy units within 6’’ until the end of the coming battleshock phase. If any of the slain models was a HERO, heal 2D3 instead of D3 wounds and apply -2 Bravery instead of -1.


Warscrolls – Leaders

Viceleader Herald
Troupe Leader
In the combat phase when you pick this unit to fight for the first time, you can pick 1 friendly DAEMONETTE unit that has not yet fought in that phase. This unit and that unit can fight one after the other in the order of your choice. If they do so, hit rolls against this unit and that unit suffer -1 when made by a unit affected by this model's Locus of Diversion in that turn.

Acquiescence (warscroll spell)
Add +1 to the roll for this model's Locus of Diversion. The Troupe Leader ability causes both hit and wound rolls to suffer -1 when attacks are made as described in that ability. These effects last until the end of this turn.

 

Warscrolls – Units

Fiends
Coherency: You can treat this unit’s coherency rule requirement as if it had a unit size of 1-5 rather than 6+.

Edited July 26, 2022 by JackOfBlades