Terrain Rules based upon Warhammer Fantasy 8th edition, with Bonepile Miniatures House Rules.

This is a rules summary meant for Warhammer Fantasy. Most of these rules are taken from the Games Workshop Warhammer Fantasy 8th edition rulebook. However, many house rules have been substituted or added. In cases of confusion or rule conflicts, please defer to the original 8th edition rulebook. Many of the house rules were inspired by the Warhammer Armies Project, and players may also defer to those works, if desired, to work out confusion or rule conflicts. This concise writing format is intended for those familiar with the game. Beginners should study the 8th edition rulebook in tandem with this guide. These house rules are intended for casual play, and this content is only intended to spread ideas among the Warhammer Fantasy community about different ways to play this awesome game. No profit is made from this guide.

This is part of a series of 5 articles with House Rules.

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NOTE: Bonepile Miniatures recommends using Magic Items and their rules, as well as the individual Army Books produced by Warhammer Armies Project.

Terrain Rules

(House Rules are denoted in Red)

Types

Open – Normal movement rules

Dangerous – Marches, Charges, Flees, Overruns, and Pursues into Dangerous Terrain Require a Dangerous Terrain Test. Roll a D6 per model. Fails on a 1 for Moves, Marches and Charges. Fails on a 1 or 2 for Flees, Overruns, and Pursues. No armor saves allowed. Ward Save, yes. A Chariot takes D6 wounds.

Mysterious – Determined when entering.

Option: May roll at the beginning of the game to see which pieces of terrain are ordinary and which are mysterious. On a D6 of 4+ it is Mysterious.

A team may roll to discover the Mysterious terrain within their deployment zone after they deploy but before the first game round.

Impassable – Can only enter when Fleeing. Take a Dangerous Terrain test. Fail on 1-3.

Terrain Generator

Roll a 2D6 on this Chart:

2–Camp of Order

3–Order Structure

4–Sinister Structure

5–Hill

6–Building

7–Forest

8–Obstacle

9–River

10–Mysterious Structure

11–Marsh

12–Camp of Destruction

Or, see the Landscape Generator Supplement.

Terrain Choices

Hills

Open Terrain. Add +1 to Combat Resolution (downhill).

Add +6 inches to General’s Inspiring Presence.

A unit must clearly fit on a hill. Units overhanging cliffs do not fit. 1/2 of the bases of individual models are okay.

Rocky Outcrops — Rocks below the unit’s knees do not impede movement, including Marching. Rocks that confront more than 1 model of a unit above the knee, but below the waist of the models prevent Marching, but not Charging, etc. Rocks above more than 1 model’s waist can only be scaled by Lone models and Skirmishers, but at 1/2 Movement for the turn. Rocks above the waist prevent a unit from scaling together, and prevent Charges, etc. The unit must go around the rocks.

See Supplement with 4D6 list of Mysterious Hill Choices. (Link)

Forests

Chariots, cavalry, and monstrous cavalry take Dangerous Terrain tests for March, Charge, Flee, Pursue and Overrun. Dangerous Terrain rule for models that are using Fly. Provides soft cover, even if behind the forest. No rank bonuses within a forest. Skirmishers are Stubborn.

Alternate Rules: 4 inches of forest obscure targets completely; no shot. 2-4 inches of forest block 1/2 of successful To Hit rolls. <2 inches of forest block 1 successful To Hit roll.

Forest Choices (D6)

1 – Normal Forest

2 – Abyssal Wood: gives unit the Fear rule.

3 – Blood Forest: whenever magic is cast from within or at a unit at least partially within, all models suffer D6 S4 hits. Then move the forest 2D6 in a random direction.

4 – Fungus Forest: Units even partially within gain Stupidity. Goblins also gain Stubborn.

5 – Venom Thicket: All models gain Poisoned Attacks and must take a Dangerous Terrain Test.

6 – Wildwood: Units even partially within roll a D6. On a 4+, take D6 S4 hits.

Or, see Supplement with 4D6 list of Mysterious Forest Choices. (Link)

Brush/Shrubs

See Supplemental Rules for Brush/Shrubs. (Link)

Rivers

No Marching through rivers. No rank bonuses for Combat Resolution. Never Steadfast. Rivers should have at least 1 bridge or fording place.

River Choices (D6)

1 – Standard River

2 – Boiling Flood: Models within take a S4 hit. No armor saves. Ignore if Immune to Flaming Attacks.

3 – Necrotic Ooze: Dangerous Terrain for all models. Gain Poisoned Attacks for 1 turn.

4 – Raging Torrent: Dangerous Terrain. Gain +3 Initiative.

5 – River of Blood: Models gain Fear for 1 turn.

6 – River of Light: Unit becomes target of a random Lore of Light spell. Cannot be dispelled.

Or, see Supplement with 4D6 list of Mysterious River Choices. (Link)

Marshland

-1 Movement. Dangerous Terrain for all except Skirmishers. Cavalry, Monstrous Cavalry, and Chariots fail the test on 1 or 2.

Marshland Choices

Earthblood Mere – units with majority of models inside gain Regeneration (6+).

Khemrian Quicksand – Dangerous Terrain Test. Mo, MC or MI, that fail are removed from the game.

Mist-Wreathed Swamp – An entire unit within gains Hard Cover protection. After each movement phase, unit must take an Initiative Test. If failed, D6 models are destroyed by a swamp monster.

Or, see Supplement with 4D6 list of Mysterious Marshland Choices

Obstacles

Movement: Dangerous Terrain, except for Swarms, Monstrous Cavalry and Monsters. No Marching, Charging over obstacles, and -1 Movement on turns that maneuver with any portion of the unit (except Swams, MoC, and Mo.) Impassable for Chariots and Shrines; they must go around. For each rank that moves over the obstacle, roll a D6. For each 1, a rank suffers 1 Wound. Ward saves allowed.

When Fleeing, Pursuing or Overrunning over an obstacle, use normal rules. Roll a D6 for each rank, but take Wounds on a 1 or 2. No saves allowed.

Shooting: Models that have base contact behind obstacles have cover from shooters. If the models behind it are shooters, they ignore the cover when shooting others. The majority of a unit’s models must be behind the obstacle to benefit from cover.

Shooting Modifiers: Soft Cover (-1); Hard Cover (-2)

Combat: If a unit is behind a barrier, then the barrier is essentially part of the unit when considering distances, etc.

Units charging into a unit with a barrier lose the +1 Charge bonus and any charge bonuses for weapons. Also no Impact Hits. Defended barriers also reduce Fear and Terror effects by 1 level. (Fear is nullified, and Terror becomes Fear.)

Attacking To Hit rolls of 1 are resolved on the Obstacle instead of the defended unit. Optional to put Impact Hits on the Obstacle. See Building Rules Supplement for structure damage guide.

Obstacles Choices

Blazing Barricade: soft cover. If charging this defended barrier, the front model(s) take a S4 Hit.

Blessed Bulwark: hard cover. If this defended barrier is charged, apply a -1 To Hit Modifier. Forces of Destruction half their Initiative.

Ghost Fence: soft cover. Defenders gain Fear.

Mystical Monuments

These are treated like Obstacles. No Marching or Charging through monuments. Follow other House Rules for moving through obstacles. Most should be obvious whether they provide soft or hard cover. If it is not obvious, roll a D6. On a 4+, it is hard cover. Otherwise, it is soft cover. They should also follow rules for combat with obstacles. Decide before the game whether a monument has barriers that may be defendable for shooting or combat purposes.

Monument Choices

Altar of Khaine – Units within 6″ gain Frenzy.

They gain an extra attack if they already had Frenzy.

Arcane Ruins – Wizards within 6″ may roll 4 dice for channeling. But, if 3 or more come up as 6s, they immediately roll on the Miscast Chart.

Bane Stone – Units within 6″ are vexed with a +1 To Wound modifier.

Charnel Pit – Units within 6″ suffer a -1 Leadership penalty. Undead gain Regeneration (6+).

See alternate rules for Charnel or Gore Pits. (Link)

Elven Waystone – Wizards within 6″ gain +1 to their Channeling roll.

Idol of Gork – Units that start within 6″ of it, may re-roll failed Charge rolls.

Magic Circle – Units within 6″ gain Magic Resistance (5+).

Sinister Statue – To start each player’s turn, Roll a D6 for each of their units within 6″ of the statue. On a 1-3, the unit takes D6 S4 hits.

Sorcerous Portal – After channeling, but before player spell, the portal produces one of these spells. Roll a 2D6. Spell targets closest unit, with no dispels allowed, and the lowest power level.

2-4: Soulblight (Lore of Death)

5-6: Wyssan’s Wildform (Lore of Beasts)

7: Plague of Rust (Lore of Metal)

8-9: The Speed of Light (Lore of Light)

10-12: Fireball (Lore of Fire)

Wyrding Well – At the end of its Movement phase (and not in Combat), a unit within 3″ drinks and rolls a D6.

1: Magical Poisoning – Unit cannot perform any other actions until the next turn.

2-4: Ailments Banished – Recovers 2D6 wounds. See Regrowth Spell (Lore of Life)

5-6: Gift of Oblivion – Unit gains Stupidity and Unbreakable for the rest of the game.

Arcane Architecture

Acropolis of Heroes – Garrison gets +1 To Hit in Close Combat. All within 6″ get Stubborn.

Dwarf Brewhouse – Units within 6″ gain Immunity (Psychology) and Stubborn. Dwarfs Unbreakable and must pass -3 Leadership test to move out of range of its effects.

Grail Chapel – All forces of order within 6″ have Regeneration (6+). Bretonnia also Stubborn.

Haunted Mansion – Units inside gain Fear. Units within 6″ take D6 S1 hits at the end of the Shooting Phase. No armor saves. No effect on Undead.

Nehekharan Sphinx – Choose a character within 6″ for an Initiative Test. If failed, lose 1 Wound. If passes, it gains, chosen randomly, Devastating Charge, Heroic Killing Blow, or Loremaster (wizard only).

See alternate Sphinx rules. (Link)

Sigmarite Shrine – Any forces of Destruction within 6″ must re-roll successful Ward saves.

Tower of Blood – Units within 6″ gain Hatred. Forces of Destruction also gain Frenzy.

Wizard Tower – A wizard within 3″ during Magic Phase gains Loremaster for one turn.

Buildings

Impassable Terrain, unless garrisoned inside.

Garrison – by coming into base contact, if the unit did not March or Reform. Only Infantry, Monstrous Infantry, War Beasts, Monstrous Beasts and Swarms may enter. Mark that you are in the building. Only 1 unit inside.

To exit – Position unit 1″ away from the base. A unit cannot Charge out.

Magic – Spells and miscasts affect D6 models. Buildings don’t block spellcasting.

Shooting – shoot with or at 5 models per floor. 360 degree arc. Unit gets Hard Cover bonus. Warmachines can hit up to 1 model per shot.

Templates – They hit D6 models. The building must be in the center for a direct hit.

Combat – No Flee reactions, even for Terror. No Charge bonus. If a unit assaulting a building is charged, the building assault is abandoned; move back 1 inch. Any troop type may assault a building except Chariots. Mounts cannot attack buildings. No weapon bonuses for Charging. No Impact Hits. Combat Resolution based upon casualties. No side or rear flanks. 10 models fight per combat round. Monstrous Infantry, Monstrous Cavalry, and Monstrous Beasts count as 3. Initiative order.

Attacking To Hit rolls of 1 are resolved on the building instead of the garrisoned unit. See Building Rules Supplement.

Break Test – Garrison has Steadfast. Leaves building on the opposite side as attackers. Attackers cannot Pursue, but can enter the building, or withdraw 1 inch. Assaulting units don’t take Break Tests if the lose combat.

Panic – Garrison are subject to Panic Tests like any other units, except for Terror.

See Buildings Supplement for additional rules