CREATURE ABILITIES

On this page you can find some all-new creature Abilities that add to the pile of existing ones found in US White Dwarf 291. Also, there's a whole new group of Abilities that only apply to killer plants and other harmful florae found in the 40K universe. Note that these new rules and the existing rules have been compiled into a downloadable PDF file here. Points costs are shown next to each Ability title based on the size of the monster in the format of "Small/Medium/Large."

That's one poor infiltration choice, buddy.

New Locomotion Type

Rooted Creature: -2 / -4 / -6
The model is stationary, Fearless, and counts as Flora. Bear in mind that a creature's cost can never be reduced below 1 point by any means. No freebies!

If you choose a creature with the Rooted form of Locomotion, reduce the cost of all non-"Flora Only" Abilities by 50%, rounding up, to reflect the disadvantage of their immobility.

Small and Medium Florae may take up to 10 points of discounted or "Flora Only" Abilities. Large Florae may spend no more than 20 points on discounted or "Flora Only" abilities. Florae may not take the Hit & Run, Horns/Spiky, Dodge, or Rushing Attack abilities.

Flora Only Abilities

Agile Flora: 3 / 3 / 3
Flora only. The plant may hop or crawl D3" each turn. This Ability will also allow it to Assault D3" each turn.

Extended Attack: 3 / 3/ 3
Flora only. Works the same as Whip-like Appendage Ability, but the attack range is extended to 6". In assaults the kill zone is extended to 12".

No Pain: 2 / 2 / 2
Flora only. The creature fights on despite the most grievous of wounds and therefore benefits from a 4+ Invulnerable Save.

A Physokerme waits patiently.

Spine Burst 3 / 3 / 3
Flora only. Instead of making a shooting attack, place the small blast template so it is centred on the Flora. All models touched by the template suffer an S4 AP5 hit. The spine burst may be used if the Flora is engaged in hand-to-hand combat instead of attacking normally.

Spore Cloud 2 / 2 / 2
Flora only. Instead of making a shooting attack, place the ordnance template so it is centred on the creature. All models touched by the template suffer an S3 AP6 hit. The spore cloud may be used if the Flora is engaged in hand-to-hand combat instead of attacking normally.

New Abilities

Disorienting Attack - / 4 / 4
Medium and Large Creatures/Florae only. This attack may be made in the Shooting phase instead of making any other shooting attack. Place an ordnance template centred on an enemy model within 12" of the Creature/Flora and roll 2D6. If the number rolled is equal to or higher than the number of models under the template, they become disoriented. Disoriented models move D6" in a random direction (determined by a Scatter dice) instead of their normal movement in their turn. Normal squad coherency rules still apply to disoriented models. Models may shoot and assault as normal but must pass a Leadership test in order to do so.

These Grots are too dim to realize they are being stalked.

Duplicating Attack: * / * / *
* The cost for Duplicating Attack is 1/10th of the cost of the Creature and all of its other Abilities.

Medium and Large Creatures/Florae only. The Creature's attacks infect the target with a mutagenic virus that warps the victim's genetic material so it resembles the Creature/Flora. If the Creature/Flora causes at least two casualties (after Armour and Invulnerable Saves) in close combat in a single round, roll a D6. On the roll of a 5 or 6, place one exact duplicate of the Creature/Flora that caused the wounds within 2" of the combat. This duplicate may be placed in hand-to-hand combat but does not count as charging. The duplicate has all of the same characteristics as the original Creature/Flora except it has a single Wound and does not have the Duplicating Attack Ability (sorry, no chain reactions).

Fission: - / 3 / 6
Medium and Large Creatures/Florae only. If the Creature/Flora is reduced to 0 Wounds, then the model splits into lesser offspring. The offspring have the profile of a Small Creature. All Abilities of the parent creature are lost except for the mode of Locomotion. If the parent Creature is killed in close combat, place the offspring in base-to-base contact with an enemy model that is within 2" of where the parent Creature was killed. When Medium Creatures/Florae are reduced to 0 Wounds, they produce two offspring, and Large Creatures/Florae produce three offspring.

Gaping Maw - / - / 4
Large Creatures/Florae only. Any rolls of a 6 to Wound in close combat mean that an enemy model may be swallowed whole. The controller and the victim both roll a D6. If the Creature/Flora's dice roll is greater than the victim's roll, the victim is swallowed whole without recourse or saves. This ability can only be used on creatures that are roughly man sized or modelled on a 40-mm or 25-mm base. Larger creatures like Tau Battlesuits or Hive Tyrants cannot be affected by this ability.

A Silkava Gar is distracted as a hunter sneaks up on its flank.

Mind Control: 5 / 5 / 5
The Creature/Flora exhibits powerful mind-control abilities. To use this Ability, the Creature/Flora may not move, shoot, assault, or make attacks in close combat during its turn. Choose an enemy model within 12". That model must pass a Leadership test. If the model fails, the Creature/Flora may immediately force the controlled model to attack its unit or another unit nearby. Resolve either a shooting or mêlée attack against the controlled model's unit as normal. If the Controlled model is on its own, it may shoot at or assault a friendly unit if there is one within range. At the end of the turn, the creature relinquishes control over the model, and it can be controlled as normal during the owner's turn. This Ability has no effect on models that are Fearless or that pass Leadership-based tests automatically.

Vampirism: 4 / 4 / 6
For each unsaved wound the Creature/Flora inflicts, have it make a Strength test by rolling equal to or under its Strength characteristic. The roll of a 6 always fails. If the test is passed, the creature gains +1 Wound. This may not increase the Wounds value of the creature to above twice its starting number of Wounds. If the test is failed, the Creature/Flora loses 1 Wound.