Chaos Beastman

Originating in the Northern Chaos Wastelands, these foul creatures have the forms of men, perverted into animal shapes and endowed with unnatural attributes. They are the minions and servants of the Chaos Gods, who bestow their forms upon them - as well as other unnatural gifts. If Beastmen ever had Human blood in their veins, it is now very dilute indeed, and they have become established as a race in their own right. They are despised by every other living creature and live in small bands, dominated by Beastmen Champions, deep in the forests of the Old World, emerging to plunder farms and poorly-protected villages. They will often ally themselves with Warriors or Champions of Chaos, joining their warbands and fighting in their battles for the glory of the Chaos Gods. They have a natural empathy for Chaos, being born out of its dark energies, and this empathy overcomes any natural antipathy Beastmen have for other races, so that they are willing to serve all manner of Chaos Champions, no matter what race they are.

Beastmen speak a language called the Dark Tongue.

Types Of Beastmen[]

To the fearful eyes of the outside world, all Beastmen appear the same - an unruly mass of flesh, fur, and teeth. In their ignorance, they can discern no distinguishing characteristics that mark the different physical and social types, nor any kind of social hierarchy, apart from the simple supremacy of the strongest. This is a mistake often made by Humans, whose judgment of Beastmen is overwhelmed by the brutal power and savagery of these creatures. In fact, Beastmen society is very precise and ordered, and there are several distinct levels of class and rank.

Gors[]

The most common type of Beastmen are called Gors, who can be readily distinguished from more lowly breeds by their horns. The number of horns is not important, though it is preferable that they should be on the creature's head. Gors take great pride in their horns and often polish, paint, or decorate them to enhance their natural lustre or shape.

Lowly breeds look to the Gors for guidance and leadership, praising them endlessly in victory and grumbling behind their backs when things are not going so well. Most Beastmen battle-leaders and the top warriors will be Gors. The Gors are divided into two main types and a lesser third type. The two main types are the goat-horned Caprigors and the bull-horned Bovigors. The third variety is known as Ungors, a Beastman phrase which means something like 'not quite right Gors' or 'other Gors'.

Caprigors are more common than other Gors. They have curling or straight horns on their head like a goat or sheep. A Caprigor may have the entire head of a goat and often the goat's legs as well. A Beastman with these mutations but no others is called a Truegor, a title also shared by some other kinds of Gor. A Caprigor Truegor is said to be bigger, braver, and even more clever than other Caprigors.

Bovigors are not quite so numerous as Caprigors. A Bovigor bears cattle horns on his head and may have the entire head of a bull or ox. If he has a bull's head and either human or goat legs, he can be qualified as a Truegor. Bovigors are very competitive and like to think they are superior to other Gors. Most Bovigors believe that brawn is better than brains, many possessing a great deal of the former and very little of the latter.

Ungors have horns, but not necessarily on their heads. They may have one horn or many, but they won't be recognisably those of goats or cattle. Ungors are therefore very varied in appearance and include Beastmen with all sorts of mutations. An Ungor with a particularly spectacular array of horns or with a single fine horn is the subject of considerable envy. However, most Ungors have only scabby little horns or peculiar, misshapen versions, much to their annoyance and the amusement of more lowly Beastmen.

Bray[]

The majority of Beastmen who are not Gors are called Bray. The name refers to the braying, whinnying, whooping cacophany that Beastmen make when they band together to fight or feast. Apart from lacking horns, there is very little consistency in appearance that distinguishes a Bray from a Gor. A very brave, cunning, and unusually lucky Bray can rise to become a leader, but this is not very common. Gors do not like Brays giving them orders and a Bray who fails to show a Gor the proper respect is asking for trouble.

Spawn[]

The dividing line between a mutant and Chaos Spawn is a narrow one, and amongst Beastmen it is a line often crossed. As with all the followers of Chaos, fresh mutation can turn them into Chaos Spawn: mindless and unrecognisable things divested of their intellect and form. Sometimes Spawn are killed or driven away if they are dangerous or useless, though Spawn who are helpful, perhaps because they are still worthwhile fighters, are kept out of respect for the mighty warriors they once were.

Turnskins[]

A Turnskin is a Beastman who was born human. The continual seepage from the broken warp gates causes mutation among all the creatures of the Known World. Human mutants are not tolerated in their own societies and most them are killed when their mutations manifest themselves or are driven from their homes to die lonely deaths. The toughest and most cunning manage to survive their physical and psychical rejection and come to join up with bands of Beastmen. Regardless of his physical appearance, a Turnskin is always a Turnskin rather than a 'pure' Beastman, which means he is the lowest of the low, as far as the Beastmen are concerned. If a Turnskin has horns, they are sawn off before he can be accepted by other Beastmen, otherwise he could be mistaken for a Gor.

Gaves[]

Throughout the lands of the Empire and northwards, it is not uncommon that healthy, sound, human parents produce a mutant child. While some mothers try to conceal their babe's deformities, the majority feel such shame that they give them up to the forests or rivers. Left lying in a bed of fallen leaves or set afloat upon a raft of reeds, the newborn mutants are abandoned to die of exposure and hunger. They rarely die, however, for the ears of Beastmen are keen and they are always alert to the cries of their own kind. Such foundlings are adopted and reared in the forests in the deepest and most permanent camps of the Beastmen. They are called Gaves or Gave Children.

Beastmen regard Gaves as a gift of Chaos and welcome them amongst their ranks. They grow into Beastmen and become Gors, Brays, or the other types described, depending on their appearance. Beastmen place no stigma on Gaves and sometimes add 'gave' to their name, if they are adopted foundlings of this kind. Horngave, Gorgave, Shadowgave, and Nightgave are typical Gave names.

Shamans[]

Shamans are a very special kind of Beastmen because they have magical powers, though this is only part of what makes them special. Shamans are the intermediaries between the Beastmen and the Realm of Chaos itself. They can spirit-walk in the Realm of Chaos and talk with the very Daemons of the Chaos Powers. Shamans never lead other Beastmen, but the Beastmen's strongest leaders rely on them for all kinds of advice, as well as help in battle.

Beastmen And Chaos Powers[]

Beastmen revere the four Great Chaos Powers, Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, and Tzeentch, as well as many of the lesser powers that slumber in the Realm of Chaos. A warband which follows one of the Chaos Powers will naturally acquire mutations and powers appropriate to that Power. As the warband is granted fresh rewards by their Patron, they gradually mutate into the form of Beastmen of Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, or Tzeentch.

Khorngor - Beastmen Of Khorne[]

The signature of Khorne is writ clearly upon the form of his Beastmen. They have canine heads or faces, fierce, snapping jaws, and teeth which drip with rank saliva. Their skin or fur is usually red and their eyes are all white with red pupils. Heroes often have fur which is especially impressive, either bright red, black with red flecks, or a strange metallic brassy colour.

If the Beastman has horns, these may be twisted into the shape of Khorne's skull rune. The same rune is often painted or burned onto their skin or fur and can be tattooed onto their exposed foreheads. Beastmen of Khorne always fight in their own units, although they can be led by a Beastman Hero, so long as he does not follow any other Power.

Beastmen of Khorne have a higher WP score, reflecting their master's hatred of magic, allowing them to resist it more easily.

Beastmen of Khorne hate mortal followers of Slaanesh and enemy wizards.

A Shaman of Khorne has the power to cast spells, but, out of respect for his Patron, does not do so. In return, Khorne grants him a special power. This is the ability to nullify a spell cast by another wizard. If a wizard casts a spell within 48 yards of the Shaman, he can automatically nullify it by expending magic points equal to those used to cast it. The Shaman can nullify any number of spells this way, as long as he has enough magic points to do so.

Pestigor - Beastmen Of Nurgle[]

The Beastmen of Nurgle have blistered and broken skins, often red with cracked flesh and sores which have been given to them by a generous master. Their fur is matted and coarse and their bodies are riddled with all kinds of disease. Yet they retain the morbid vigour that characterises their master, so their afflictions in no way mar their battle-worthiness.

The sign of Nurgle is carved into their armour, daubed upon their clothes, and sometimes etched on their skin by the path of disfiguring disease.

A Beastman of Nurgle has a 50% chance of carrying Nurgle's Rot, although, thanks to his loyalty to Nurgle, the disease will not affect him. Nurgle's Rot can be transmitted to opponents in hand-to-hand combat.

A Beastman Shaman of Nurgle always has the spells of Nurgle appropriate to his level. Remaining spells are generated as normal.

Beastmen of Nurgle hate all enemies who are mortal followers of Tzeentch.

Slaangors - Beastmen Of Slaanesh[]

Beastmen of the Chaos Power Slaanesh have white or near-white fur and pale or pastel skins. Their eyes are green and are sometimes saucer-like in a similar way to those of Daemonettes. The rune of Slaanesh appears somewhere on them, painted onto their hides or carved into armour, a bracelet, or neck collar. Many of Slaanesh's Beastmen have the head or horns of a bull (they are Bovigors, in fact) just like the Greater Daemons of their master.

A Beastman Shaman of Slaanesh always has the spells of Slaanesh appropriate to his level. Remaining spells are generated as normal.

Beastmen of Slaanesh hate all mortal followers of Khorne.

Tzaangors - Beastmen Of Tzeentch[]

True to the Changer of the Ways, Beastmen of Tzeentch are spectacularly variable. They always have at least one outstanding feature, either brightly-coloured or exotically-patterned fur or very impressively coloured or shaped horns. Other mutations are usual; whereas other Beastmen may have no mutations, Beastmen of Tzeentch always have at least one.

A Beastman Shaman of Tzeentch always has the spells of Tzeentch appropriate to his level. Remaining spells are generated as normal.

Beastmen of Tzeentch hate all mortal followers of Nurgle.

Beastman Society[]

The basic social unit of Beastmen is the warband, which consists of a Chaos Champion and his followers. Beastmen warbands are usually larger than those of Human Champions and they mostly consist of Beastmen. The warband rarely has a permanent base, but lives in a series of temporary camps deep in the woods or in some hidden part of the wilderness. Caves make good sites for camps, so long as they are near running water and have a good view over the surrounding forests. Once a warband has hunted the surrounding forests and raided any settlements nearby, it moves to another camp some distance away. In this way, they are constantly on the move, sometimes clashing with other warbands over a particular territory.

Warbands can lose their Champion for several reasons: through his death in battle, turning into a Chaos Spawn, or he can achieve daemonhood and enter the Realm of Chaos. When this happens, the warband will usually continue with one of its other members as its new Champion. Sometimes when a Champion is killed, his warband splits up into smaller separate warbands, each with a new Champion of its own. Because warbands are continually dividing when their Champions are slain, it is quite common for drifting or unled Beastmen to seek out and join up with other warbands.

A warband only ever has one Shaman and the Shaman is never a Champion.

Physique[]

Beastmen vary greatly in appearance, as detailed above, but the most common types resemble Humans with beasts' heads and legs, although others may have animal heads only, like Minotaurs.

Alignment[]

Chaotic.

Special Rules[]

Chaos Beastmen are so variable that individuals are bound to have speical powers or disadvantageous mutations. Any given individual will have mutations, which may be determined from the Chaos Attributes table. Base Beastmen have a 50% chance of D3 attributes.

Other Beastmen will have characteristics modified as detailed in the Bestiary for Champions and Heroes.

Beastmen Champions have a 65% chance of D4 mutations. Minor Heroes have a 85% chance of D6; Major Heroes have D6+1.

Beastmen Shamans have an 85% chance of D4. Shaman Champions have D6. Shaman Minor Heroes have D6+1 and Major Heroes have D6+2.

Beastmen Shamans' characteristics are modified from the basic profile as follows:

Beastman Shaman
M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Dex	Ld	Int	Cl	WP	Fel
	+10		+1							+10	+20	+10

Beastman Shaman Champion
M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Dex	Ld	Int	Cl	WP	Fel
	+10		+1		+D6	+10			+10	+20	+30	+20

Beastman Shaman Minor Hero
M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Dex	Ld	Int	Cl	WP	Fel
	+20		+1	+1	+D6	+20		+10	+20	+30	+40	+30

Beastman Shaman Major Hero
M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Dex	Ld	Int	Cl	WP	Fel
	+20	+10	+1	+1	+2D6	+30		+20	+30	+40	+50	+40

The Shaman is a level 1 magican, the Champion is level 2, and the Minor and Major Hero are levels 3 and 4, respectively, drawing spells from teh Battle Magic, Daemonic, and Necromantic spell lists.