Snakemen

lenihan

Moderator
On facebook, someone just raised the question of what the rules were for snakemen in 3rd ed. The response was, basically, that there are none. This seems bizarre, but also very exciting.

So what's the deal? Do they have rules in WHFRP? In 2nd or 1st ed? And what's their background - are there any 'official' sources on that?

Or do we really have free rein to completely do it for ourselves? (Which is exciting!)
 

Protist

Member
Part of the joy, for me, is DIY rules - for everything! The army lists n' stats tables are just a guide really, no reason you can't write up your own troop table. As long as the opponent is happy with those rules, and understands them ;)
 

Jeff McC

Member
I've always mixed the few I have in with my Chaos warriors, assuming they were just more mutated than most...
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
There are rules for "Serpent Crawlers", which are Snake Men in 1st Edition:



Warhammer 1st Edition":23q98976 said:
 MWSBSSTWIALdIntClWPPV
Serpent Crawler33323242777718

The origins of this half human, half serpent, are obscure - they have magical associations and are most commonly found singly as the guardians of treasure or religious temples. The Serpent Crawler is unusual in that it is immune to Fear and Poison no matter what the cause. They never test for Psychological or Morale reaction at all. They are also allowed a saving throw as if wearing Full Plate armour as their skins are magically toughened and iron scaled. Fire damage has only normal effect against them, acid no effect at all

They're probably based on the Yuan-Ti from AD&D (first appearance 1981) but don't have my books to hand to double check if the special rules tally up.

Yuan-ti.JPG


Of course you're free to ignore all of that and create whatever you want :grin:
 

phreedh

Member
ardyer":28iwhhgr said:
"May be altered for convenience?" You made this whole thing up, didn't you?
Bloody lawyers see right through you Crooksie. :)

Thanks for sorting all that out!
 
phreedh":21afqfvw said:
ardyer":21afqfvw said:
"May be altered for convenience?" You made this whole thing up, didn't you?
Bloody lawyers see right through you Crooksie. :)

Thanks for sorting all that out!

Look over there everyone! *runs*


Actually in the end very little was altered - it's just that the only punctuation mark Chaz will use is the -hyphen- ;)
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Captain Crooks":122k4w1n said:
Actually in the end very little was altered - it's just that the only punctuation mark Chaz will use is the -hyphen- ;)

*ahem* em-dash

Yeah, it's a good read, funny and informative. I like where Chaz was going with it - cold and north of Lustria puts them in Naggaroth territory - which makes them allies and enemies of the Dark Elves.

Then, Slann + Snake People + Warpgates + Dark Elves =

99800112013_SslythNEW_01.jpg


So it's not like Chaz idea was totally abandoned ;)

Would be interesssssted to know whether they started out as fleshing out the original WFB1 Serpent Crawlers, or if Chaz had independently concluded that the Warhammer World needed Snake Men.
 

lenihan

Moderator
Zhu Bajie":2r310bmf said:
Yeah, it's a good read, funny and informative. I like where Chaz was going with it - cold and north of Lustria puts them in Naggaroth territory - which makes them allies and enemies of the Dark Elves.

Fantastic read. But while I do 'get' that backstory, to me snakemen seem more naturally something for the southlands, or araby. Probably I'm thinking about the background in Titan: a desert city rather than subterranean creatures.

I was thinking about them as allies for Pan Tangs, Big Hat Chaos dwarves, and other middle/near eastern things, wherever one wants to place that in the WW.

Oh, and what is that figure in the pic above?
 

Fimm McCool

Member
It's Slith I believe, from the 5th (?) ed 40K Dark Eldar Range.

Are you thinking of AD&D Naga by any chance...

I am. Loved Darksun Wake of the Ravager... must find download...!
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Fimm McCool":2x6vwxmd said:
It's Slith I believe, from the 5th (?) ed 40K Dark Eldar Range.

That model from the current range, and yours for a tenner. http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Dark-Eldar-Sslyth

Edit: No it isn't it says "out of stock" ! Silly me.

lenihan":2x6vwxmd said:
Zhu Bajie":2x6vwxmd said:
Yeah, it's a good read, funny and informative. I like where Chaz was going with it - cold and north of Lustria puts them in Naggaroth territory - which makes them allies and enemies of the Dark Elves.

Fantastic read. But while I do 'get' that backstory, to me snakemen seem more naturally something for the southlands, or araby.

Defo - which is why they originally came from Lustria (as most good things do, for some reason), then migrated northwards - and perhaps eastwards too! Nothing like a good mercenary crew of snakemen for your Araby army.

What are the Serpent Men in Howards King Kull stories. More like the Qol from Tekumel tho.

tumblr_ma8i80gEje1qlffvn.jpg


and the FF book Temple of Terror has a southlands feel :)

ff14.jpg
 
Zhu Bajie":1a0gsry0 said:
Would be interesssssted to know whether they started out as fleshing out the original WFB1 Serpent Crawlers, or if Chaz had independently concluded that the Warhammer World needed Snake Men.

I asked him your question and he said it was his own initiative. Also thank you for teaching me about the em-dash :grin:
 
lenihan":6g5lx7yk said:
Fantastic read. But while I do 'get' that backstory, to me snakemen seem more naturally something for the southlands, or araby.

Probably thanks to Conan, but I had them pegged as Araby/Middle Eastern desert dudes too.
 

Erny

Member
That and the fact that even the European Adder, the most cold adapted Snake hibernates through the winter, though it can be found North of the Arctic circle.
Even with a fantasy race I expect cold blooded creatures to live in hot countries. The colder it gets the more sluggish a reptile is. Then again add in some magic and who knows..

Oh and I'm also with Zhu on Howard's serpent men. Particularly because they end up living in a cave under North America. I think Chaz may have been being influenced a bit even if he didn't know it.
 

Goblinlee

Member
I read the article on Snakemen with great interest.

I have always loved the models and wanted to make use of them. With my Snakemen I used them as a stand-in for a Fimir Ally Contingent so I could use them with my Dark Elven army. I had always pictured them living in the cave systems of Naggaroth with all sort of other monsters. Looks like I guessed right ;)

On a wider point, I love it when the miniature/games designers contribute to the Oldhammer discussions and fill in the gaps of knowlage, background, or just additional details. :)
 
Back
Top