These troops are led to battle by Grey Seers, who sometimes bring Screaming Bells, giant magical bells pushed forward by the Skaven horde, and by Skaven Warlords who are the most powerful fighters in the Skaven army. These leaders have many different types of weapons and troops at their disposal and must coordinate them in well timed attacks. Though the Skaven are numerous and almost always outnumber their foes in battle, they are, by and large, weak and undisciplined. Only when they have sufficient numbers do they have the nerve to enter into protracted combats, and only when they can bring their huge numbers to bear can they bring down the enemy. However, as many a commander who has watched his men fall to the teeming numbers of the Skaven horde can attest, the rat-men are formidable foes and can destroy even the most battle-hardened veterans by sheer weight of numbers.
Skaven, Typical
ST 9
DX 12
IQ 9
HT 12
Move/Dodge: 6/6
Parry/Block: 6/6
PD/DR: 2 (or 4 shield)/2
Damage shortsword (cut 2d, imp 1d-2), Short Bow (Imp 1d-1)
Armor heavy leather (PD 2/DR 2), small shield (PD 2)
Skaven as Player Characters
ST -1 (-10 points)
DX +2 (+20 points)
IQ -1 (-10 points)
HT +2 (+20 points)
Racial Advantages
Cast Iron Stomach (15 points)
Dark Vision (25 points)
Immunity to Disease (10 points)
Racial Disadvantages
Appearance, Ugly -2 (-10 points)
Gluttony (-5 points)
Intolerance (-10 points)
Racial Repetutation -2 (as untrustworthy, plague bearing vermin, -10 points)
Weak Will -2 (-16 points)
Racally Learned Skills:
Bow at DX -2 (P/H - 1 point)
Broadsword at Dx+1 (P/A - 4 points)
Knife at DX (P/E - 1 point)
Posions at IQ +2 (M/H - 8 points)
Scrounging at IQ +1 (M/E 2 points)
Stealth at DX (P/A - 2 points)
Shield at DX (P/E - 1 point)
Survival, Underground at IQ (M/A - 2 point)
Racial Quirks:
Never bath nor clean equipment, always appearing dirty and greasy. (-1 point)
Consider their culture and race to be superior. (-1 point)
Height and weight are determined normally. Sleven appear as biped rats, their eyes are large and the whole eye is completely black, their bodies are covered in fur that can range from white to black with reddish or sandt blond being rare, while greys and dark browns being most common. Their fingers and toes are long and while claw-like, do not have true claws. They do not bath, nor clean their equipment and so have an unpleasent musky odor and often appear as dirty and greasy. Most believe their race and lifestyle is superior, scrounging what they need from other races whenever possible.
Common Skaven disadvantages such as Bully, Cowardly, Fat, Greedy, laziness and Sadism are all extremely likely. In combat encounters, most Skaven will consider their own survival their most important objective as they all prefer to live to fight another day and will retreat if things start going badly for their own side (or if cut off from retreat, skaven will surrender and beg shamelessly for mercy, and then will attempt to escape at the first chance presented leaving a posioned dagger in the ribs of their guard if possible). They are taught very young that their sworn word may be freely broken when given to non-skaven, and that to betray a non-skaven is the highest act that they can perform (although it has been noted that a great many skaven are just as quick to break their sworn word or betray a Skaven if its in the individual's best interest to do so), and so other races that have knowledge of the skaven will view them and their motives with grave suspiction.
The Skaven Gray Seers
The Gray Seers must spend at least 30 points on IQ (i.e., be IQ 12 or higher) and at least 1 level of Magery (15 points) and status (5 points). Most are Fanantics about their race and/or faith (-15 points), but many are not. Some say the whole Horned Rat faith is just an attempt by the Gray Seers to gain better control their lesser Skaven kinsmen, while others are true believers. The Gray Seers appear to be bent upon world conquest for the glory of their Horned Rat God if they could only get their Skaven lackeys to follow orders and to continue the fight when things start getting dangerous....