Shinobi of Nippon

By Thomas McCurdy

Far to the east of the Old World, between the fabled lands of Cathay and the Far Sea, lies the
island nation of Nippon. Like any other nation of the Old World, Nippon rarely enjoys times of peace
– from the east come the raids of the sadistic Druchii, from the north comes the violent assaults of the
tribes of Chaos, from the west comes the predations of the Nagas, and even conflicts with the provinces
of Grand Cathay arise, not to mention the enemies from within – prowling Beastmen and
quarrelling Shoguns. It is no wonder that such endless warfare has led to the nation’s extreme self-
imposed isolation, with only minor trade agreements established with the few adherents of Order left
in the world. Safeguarding the land requires the vigilance of the Samurai, the ruling warrior class,
and the often fragile cooperation of their provinces and territories.

One such enemy, however, has been the bane of Nippon for Special rules
centuries. In roughly -1450 IC, a Skaven clan had travelled Masters of Stealth
to the east under the command of their mortally wounded
The most important skill that a Shinobi must learn is
Warlord in order to establish a colony there – and in time,
how to remain unseen at all times – especially when
they established not one but many colonies throughout
dealing with the heightened senses and paranoia of a
Cathay, Nippon and Ind, spending their time silently
Skaven! As a result, all Shinobi schools train their
observing the ways of war in these lands.
Naturally, this led to the Skaven – specifically, those later to
students to move with the silence of the grave. Therefore,
be known as Clan Eshin – learning the hidden arts of these any model attempt to detect a hidden model from this
hands, no less the skills in subterfuge and assassination warband (excluding hired swords) must subtract 1 from
honed by the Shinobi clans of Nippon. Inevitably, conflict their Initiative when testing.
and warfare arose, and the Skaven soon brought with them Footsteady
the intricate weaponry and twisted biomancy of their
brother-clans. The lands of Nippon suffered a heavy toll from Ninja frequently operate on high and perilous ground.
the wrath of warp-infused lightnings, monstrous juggernauts Models in this warband (excluding hired swords) may re-
and magick-riddled poisons, and only through perseverance roll tests to keep their footing if hit near a ledge.
and cooperation was the Skaven terror driven back. The Anti-Skaven Operations
Shogunate decreed an eternal vigilance against the Skaven
threat, and entire schools of Ninja were trained and devoted The goal of the Shinobi is to foil the schemes of their
to identifying and eliminating the schemes that threatened hated foes. In any scenario where this warband wins and
to unravel the fabric of Nipponese society. a Skaven warband loses, the Leader gets an additional +1
Occasionally, this entails the dispatching of a covert squad EXP.
to the Old World, to track and detail Skaven operations
Covert
more clearly. Recently, one name has begun to crop up more
frequently in intercepted correspondence – that of a The Shinobi only hire those they can trust. They may not
location, a place named “Mordheim”… use any hired swords except for the Imperial Assassin,
Ninja, and Shadow Warrior. They may also hire Grand
Master Ippan Shu if available. However, due to their
desire to remain unseen, they suffer -1 to Rarity rolls
when searching for items.
Choice of warriors Ogre Ninja: Your warband may include a single
Ogre Ninja.
A Shinobi warband must include three models Ninja Gnoblar: Your warband may include a single
minimum. You have 500 gold crowns to spend Ninja Gnoblar.
to create this warband. The maximum model
size for this warband is 12.

Chūnin: Each Shinobi warband must include Starting experience

one Chūnin – no more, no less!
The Chūnin starts with 20 Experience.
Shinobi Elite: Your warband may include up
Shinobi Elites start with 8 Experience.
to three Shinobi Elite.
A Face starts with 8 Experience.
Face: Your warband may include one Face.
Henchmen start with 0 Experience.
Shinobi Scouts: Your warband may include
any number of Shinobi Scouts.

Shinobi skill tables

Combat Shooting Academic Strength Speed Special
Chūnin    
Shinobi Elite     
Face  

Shinobi equipment list

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons Armour
Dagger……………..…… 1st free/2 gc Toughened Leathers……………….… 5 gc
Club……………………………….. 3 gc Light armour……………………….… 15 gc
Axe……………………………….… 5 gc Heavy armour*……………………..… 30 gc
Sword……………………….…… 10 gc Shield*…………………………………… 5 gc
Morning star…………….…...… 15 gc
Fighting claws…………….…… 20 gc Special Equipment
Flail………….…………….…..… 20 gc Rope and Hook…………….……….….. 5 gc
Grappling Gun…………….………..… 20 gc
Missile Weapons
Black Lotus………………….…………… 5 gc
Throwing stars……………..…… 5 gc
Blowpipe…………………...…… 10 gc Dark Venom…………………………… 15 gc

Concealed pistol………………. 20 gc Beads of Warding…..………………… 20 gc

Crossbow*………………….…… 15 gc Smoke bomb...….……………..…….… 10 gc
Crossbow pistol……………..… 35 gc Owl-sake.............……………..…….… 10 gc
*May only be taken by the Face
 Shinobi special equipment

concealed pistol grappling gun

25 gold crowns 30 gold crowns

Availability: Rare 8, Shinobi only Availability: Rare 10, Shinobi only

The concealed pistol is a conventional pistol This unusual device allows for the rapid firing and
carefully redesigned to fit in the bearer’s sleeve. A rappelling of its bearer, enabling them to travel quick
special trigger mechanism means it can be fired and easily across high ground.
with a flick of the wrist, catching attackers
An unemcumbered, unengaged model with this may use
unawares.
it at the start of their movement phase. Nominate a
Range Strength Save Modifier Special rules ledge or accessible window within 10” of the bearer and
in line of sight. The model must pass a Ballistic Skill test
8” 4 -2 Prepare shot,
and an Initiative test. If they succeed on both, they are
s Hand-to-hand,
then placed at the nominated location, after which they
s Strike first
may move 1”. If an enemy model was visible to them
beads of warding beforehand, they may use this 1” to move into base to
base with them, counting it as a diving charge. Mounted
30 gold crowns models may use this, but doing so causes them to be
dismounted (and leaves the mount behind!). This item
Availability: Rare 9, Shinobi only
will benefit from the Eagle Eye skill.
To better move unhindered, Shinobi often employ
powerful prayer beads of warding to suppress Owl-sake
enemy magicks that might otherwise detect them
15 gold crowns
before the opposing sorcerer is quietly removed…
Availability: Rare 9, Shinobi only, one use only
A model attempting to cast a spell or prayer must
add +2 to the casting difficulty attempt whilst This liquor is distilled with the tears of the coastal
within 12” of a model carrying this item. This is not weeping owl, a strange, eternally-weeping nocturnal
cumulative with other models carrying this item, bird often used as a lookout along the eastern shores of
however. Daemons, Ethereal models and the Nippon against the ever-present threat of Druchii
Possessed suffer -1 to hit a model carrying these in raiders.
close combat, as the warding affects their unnatural
A model who drinks this before the start of a battle
energies.
completely ignores the effects of darkness of any kind,
and adds 3” to the range of any Missile weapon
(including the Grappling Gun). This lasts for the
duration of the battle.

“They’re an interesting lot, but honestly I’ve stabbed enough

Skaven to know when a shadow’s not a shadow. Still, you only
need to see an Ogre sneaking across a rooftop once to know it’s
probably not worth getting involved…”
 Shinobi Heroes
1 Chunin 0-3 Shinobi Elite
60 gold crowns to hire 40 gold crowns to hire
The Chūnin’s role is to oversee his squad, and The Shinobi elite are trained for their roles
ensure that the Shogunate’s will is carried out extensively, and excel at lone missions where a
efficiently and quietly…. lesser acolyte would require assistance.

Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld

4 4 4 3 3 1 5 1 8 4 4 4 3 3 1 4 1 7

Weapons/armour: This model may be armed Weapons/armour: This model may be armed
with weapons, armour and equipment chosen with weapons, armour and equipment chosen
from the Shinobi equipment list. from the Shinobi equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES
0-1 Face
Leader: Any models in the warband within 6”
35 gold crowns to hire
of this model may use his leadership instead of
their own. A Face is a public figure, hired to arrange
dealings and procure equipment for their
Immune to Psychology: A Chūnin has trained
Shinobi clan. These figures are familiar with
their mind extensively, to the point that they
the local areas, often hailing from them
are unaffected by psychology.
themselves, and it’s not an uncommon
occurrence for bandits to descend upon a lone
Imperial soldier or Bretonnian merchant, only
to find that they were not the ones doing the
surrounding….
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld

4 3 4 3 3 1 4 1 7

Weapons/armour: This model may be armed

with weapons, armour and equipment chosen
from the Shinobi equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES
Local connections: This model does not
suffer the -1 to Rarity rolls penalty from the
Covert warband rule. In addition, it has +1 to
any rarity rolls made

Specialist: This model has trained with the

necessary weaponry required to blend in. They
begin the campaign with either the Weapons
Training or Weapons Expert skills from the
core rulebook.
 Shinobi Henchmen
Weapons/armour: All henchmen may be armed Slow-witted: Even the most well-trained Ogre
with weapons, armour and equipment chosen can be a bit slow on the uptake, and despite their
from the Shinobi equipment list. improved statline the Ogre Ninja accrues
experience at half the rate (i.e. they must accrue
Shinobi Scouts two experience to get an advance).

30 gold crowns to hire 0-1 Ninja Gnoblar

Shinobi squads always contain a number of scouts, 20 gold crowns to hire
for reconnaissance, infiltration, and good old- One of the few blessings Nippon enjoys is a
fashioned combat. curious climate that prevents Greenskins from
properly thriving – as a result, they rarely if ever
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
suffer from the predations of Orcs and Goblins.
4 3 3 3 3 1 4 1 7 Ironically, Gnoblars are slightly more resistant to
this environment, and a small contingent of them
0-1 Ogre Ninja migrated over at one point, leading to a small
permanent population. Seeking out protection,
170 gold crowns to hire
many moved alongside human population centres,
Ogres are one of the few non-humans who enjoy a providing labour and menial tasks once they
modicum of freedom in Nippon, due to the timely realised they didn’t have the numbers in Nippon
arrival of a curious Maneater company at the apex to irritate the locals! Shinobi clans soon found
of the first Skaven war. However, the strict rules their diminutive size and skulking nature useful…
regarding Nipponese etiquette combined with the Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
availability of more fruitful employment available
in Cathay and Ind means that few Ogres stay long. 4 3 3 2 3 1 3 1 5
Those that do tend towards the more disciplined
SPECIAL RULES
(for an Ogre), and some even display a proclivity
Irritant: An enemy model in combat with a
for subterfuge…
Ninja Gnoblar suffers -1 to hit any other
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld model in the same combat.
6 3 3 4 4 1 3 2 7 Not that inspiring: A Ninja Gnoblar who
SPECIAL RULES becomes a Hero as a result of The Lad’s Got
Talent can never be the warband leader.
Fear: Ogres are large and intimidating, and as
such cause fear. Skills: A Ninja Gnoblar who becomes a Hero
as a result of The Lad’s Got Talent may choose
Large: Being rather big has its drawbacks too.
from the Shooting, Speed and Special skills.
Any model may shoot at an Ogre Ninja, even if
it is not the closest target. A Ninja Gnoblar’s Maximum Characteristics
are as follows:
Skills: An Ogre Ninja who becomes a Hero as
a result of The Lad’s Got Talent may choose Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
from the Combat, Strength and Special skills. 4 4 5 3 4 3 5 3 7
 Shinobi special skills

Art of Silent Death Infiltration

Many Shinobi are trained in the deadly martial It’d be a poor Shinobi who could not learn to
arts of the warrior monks of the lands of the east, sneak! A model with this skill is always placed on
so as to be never caught truly unarmed. In hand- the battlefield after the opposing warband and
to-hand combat, this model can fight with his bare can be placed anywhere on the table as long as it is
hands without any penalties and counts as having out of sight of the opposing warband and more
two weapons (ie, +1 attack). In addition, a Hero than 12" away from any enemy model.
with this skill will cause a critical hit on a To
If both players have models which infiltrate, roll a
Wound roll of 5-6 instead of just 6. This skill may
D6 for each, and the lowest roll sets up first.
be used in conjunction with the Fighting Claws
(+2 Attacks instead of +1).
Quicksilver
Unseen A Shinobi with this skill is as fast as an elf, and
often deadlier. The model always strikes first in
To operate practically invisibly is the goal of the combat, even when charged, unless the enemy has
true Shinobi, though few have achieved this (and if Lightning Reflexes or also strikes first from a spear
they have, no-one can tell!). Enemy models must or similar special rule, in which case combat
pass an initiative test to try and spot this model if between them is resolved via Initiative order.
it is hiding, in addition to trying to see it or get
within initiative range. In addition, all non-
blackpowder ranged weapons count as having the
Disengage
Stealthy special rule when used by this model (see Shinobi recognise that discretion is the better
the blowpipe rules for details). part of valour. A model with this skill may
attempt to leave combat at the start of the
combat phase by passing an initiative test – on
Trail of fear a successful roll, they may move their full
movement to a location outside of base-to-
This Shinobi has learned to sow terror in their base contact with an enemy (but
wake. The model causes fear, and in addition cannot run, though they may
enemy models must test for fear if they view this climb, or Leap if they have the
model take another model out of action. Models requisite skill).
that also cause fear or who are immune to Alternatively, they may
psychology are unaffected. use a grappling gun to
escape from a
Tools of the trade combat.
Instead of searching for rare items, a model with
this skill may instead choose to produce some
material for the warband to use. They may produce
either D3-1 doses of Black Lotus, D3-1 Smoke
Bombs, or roll a 2+ on a D6 for a single dose of
Dark Venom.