An older piece for Games Workshop’s original Mighty Empires rules.
Instead of having a character join a banner, you can also have them wander the world on their own, unburdened by armies and baggage trains.
Characters who are not assigned to a banner are not available during the campaign season. Instead, use the following tables to determine their fate, rolling separately for each character.
Return Table
roll once during winter retreat
| 1 | The hero perishes on his journey homeward, his deeds forever unknown. |
| 2 | Tales of the hero’s adventures along with treasures and trophies are carried home by friendly merchants and travelling minstrels. Roll for the hero’s adventures and collect the rewards. The hero himself continues adventuring during the next campaign season. |
| 3 | The hero arrives home after a last adventure twisting the machinations of the empire’s enemies. Roll for the hero’s adventures and collect the rewards, receive one free Agent. The hero may then join a banner stationed at the capital or can be sent out on another adventure. |
| 4 | The hero arrives home wreaking havoc amongst the empire’s foes along the road. Roll for the hero’s adventures and collect the rewards, receive one free operative (1-2: Assassin, 3-4: Spy, 4-6: Saboteur). The hero may then join a banner stationed at the capital or can be sent out on another adventure. |
| 5 | The hero arrives home, ready to lead the empire’s forces into glorious battle. Roll for the hero’s adventures and collect the rewards. The hero can be assigned normally to lead a unit or banner, or can be sent out adventuring once more. |
| 6 | The hero arrives home in time to serve as an ambassador and goes on to lead the empire’s hosts in the upcoming campaign. Roll for the hero’s adventures and collect the rewards, receive one free diplomatic mission. The hero can be assigned normally to lead a unit or banner, or can be sent out adventuring once more. |
Adventure Table
roll once for every campaign turn of the previous year
| 2 | Ale and Whores. The hero spends all treasure and items gained in his travels in the taverns and brothels along the road. Lose any items and crowns gained from previous rolls on this table. |
| 3 | Homesickness. Struck with an ache for the company of his countrymen and the lands of his birth, the hero truns his back on the wide world and begins on his long road home. Do not make any further rolls on this table. |
| 4 | Thief. Learning of the fabulous riches in the grand temples of heathen gods, the hero plans to sneak in and rob them of their gilded idols. If the roll is a double 2, then the blasphemous priests and their worshippers surprise and overpower the hero, planning to sacrifice him to their bloodthirsty deities – roll on the execution table, otherwise the hero escapes with 1d6 crowns worth of temple treasures. |
| 5 | Arena champion. Fighting in gladitorial matches and as a duellist for hire has given the hero ample opportunity to turn his skill at arms into coin, gaining 1 crown. |
| 6 | Dungeoneer. Hearing of ancient tombs and hidden vaults beneath forbidding foreign ruins, the hero prepares to delve down into their unplunged depths. If the roll is a double 3, then the hero meets an untimely end at the hand of treacherous traps or dangerous denizens of the subterranean world, otherwise he unearths a random magical item and gains a level in the process. |
| 7 | Wandering. The hero spends his time on the road, crisscrossing the countryside on the search for adventure, but coming up empty aside from petty brawls. |
| 8 | Mercenary. Coming across a sizeable band of unemployed mercenaries, the hero decides to try and join their ranks. On a roll of double 4, the mercenaries decide to make a quick coin by robbing the hero, taking all his treasures and items before driving him naked from their camp to raucous laughter, otherwise the hero manages to impress them with his fighting prowess – in subsequent battles he gains a level and control of one random mercenary unit whose leader he becomes. |
| 9 | Old Master. Following rumours of a strange hermit possessed of incredible martial skill, the hero seeks him out to partake in his wisdom. The hermit imparts some of his knowledge to the hero, who gains one random skill in addition to those possessed due to his levels. |
| 10 | Suitor. The hero woos the daughter of a local lord. Select any one fortress belonging to another empire or which is currently independent. On a roll of double 5, the father along with other suitors take a dim view of the hero’s advances, successfully capturing and imprisoning him, otherwise the hero wins favour with the heiress and her family and the fortress changes allegiance during winter. |
| 11 | Explorer. Following rumours of hidden cities and their riches, the hero sets out to discover far away lands and claim them for the empire. Roll to scout one unknown tile anywhere on the map. |
| 12 | Dragonslayer. The hero goes forth to rid the country of one of the ancient beasts. Roll a d6, 1: The hero slays the dragon, gaining 1 level and looting 1d6 crowns and 1 random magical item, 2: The hero manages to wound the beast before making good his escape, 3-4: Baringly escaping with his life from the terrible battle, the hero cannot prevent the dragon from venting his wounded rage and frustration on the country in a winter dragon rage, 5-6: After the hero perishes in battle, the angered dragons boil out of their mountain lairs to wreak their revenge in a winter dragon rage. |