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OVERVIEW AND PHILOSOPHY and units moving through one another. I have never enjoyed fi ddling with such details and playing “traffi c cop,” although realizing that in real life troops do get in one another’s way THESE RULES seek to provide a fast and fun game of fantasy and that such crowding has sometimes determined victory mass combat. It is the designer’s belief that the best games and defeat, as when Hannibal destroyed the Roman army result from a combination of simple rules mechanics and at Cannae. These rules compromise with realism in favor the opportunity for the players to make many decisions. of speed and ease of play, and hopefully of enjoyment. In PRIDE OF LIONS the role of each player is that of the Players will have plenty of things to worry about without commanding general of the army or warlord of the horde. bothering themselves with the sort of details that the unit Magic, and the courage and skills of individual heroes, can commanders, or their sergeants, should be handling. affect the game, but the outcome of the battle will depend Each turn begins with players issuing orders to eligible mainly on the clash of large units of common fi ghters units by laying inverted movement chits behind each unit. operating under the general’s orders. Maintaining a coherent After a magic phase, which can result in a unit’s orders battle line, (or, better, TWO battle lines, as reserves are very being changed involuntarily or randomly, all orders are useful) is not obligatory but is amply rewarded by the rules. revealed and movement is conducted simultaneously by There is, by deliberate choice, a degree of unhistorical all sides but in a strict sequence, with the most aggressive looseness in the rules, particularly as regards formations movement (charges) coming fi rst and skirmishers going

- 2 - last. Both melee combat and missile fi re are conducted through opposed die rolls, using dice of various sizes from WHAT IS D4s to D24’s, with the difference between the die rolls “THE SPLINTERED LIGHT”? determining the outcome. Factors such as terrain, magic, It is a phrase from JRR Tolkien’s poem MYTHOPOEIA. The special weapons and tactics, and leadership and heroism by most relevant part, for those creating fantasy worlds, reads: characters all affect the game either through the movement chits or the die rolls. The heart of Man is not compound of lies, but draws some wisdom from the only Wise, I assume that players will read the rules through once, and still recalls him. Though now long estranged, and will then refer to them as needed to fi nd necessary Man is not wholly lost nor wholly changed. information in the middle of playing a game. The most Dis-graced he may be, yet is not dethroned, important and generally applicable rules are given in bold. This and keeps the rags of lordship once he owned, enables players to skim quickly to fi nd what they need. his world-dominion by creative act: Examples are in italics. not his to worship the great Artefact, Man, Sub-creator, the refracted light Commentary, both design notes and advice on tactics, through whom is splintered from a single White is boxed. to many hues, and endlessly combined in living shapes that move from mind to mind. Some material is repeated. I have tried to include relevant Though all the crannies of the world we fi lled information everywhere it applies, for ease of reference with Elves and Goblins, though we dared to build during a game. Gods and their houses out of dark and light, and sowed the seed of dragons, ‘twas our right These rules are lengthy, but most of that is provision for (used or misused). The right has not decayed. special weapons, troop types, and forms of magic. If players We make still by the law in which we’re made. are not using air units, there is no need to read or learn that section of the rules. If both sides are using shamanic I will confi rm what astute readers would soon suspect: I am magic, there is no need to read the sections on runemagic a Christian, and like Tolkien hope to describe a world that is or necromancy. And the last third of the book is mainly not our own reality, yet is consistent with what I understand generic army lists, spell lists, and scenarios. of God’s. I am at best an amateur theologian, and if those more knowledgeable of Christianity believe I have missed WHERE DOES THE TITLE the mark somehow, I shall be glad to be instructed. "PRIDE OF LIONS" COME FROM?

My son David McBride owns Splintered Light Miniatures, http://www.splinteredlightminis.com. David’s fi rstSample range of WHATfile HAS THIS TO DO WITH SPLINTERED fantasy miniatures was the leonines. You can see them at LIGHT MINIATURES? http://www.splinteredlightminis.com/leonines.html. We wanted a campaign setting for them, with a cultural background. David and I work closely together, but his focus is on the We also wanted to be able to fi ght battles using the same production and sale of miniatures, while mine is on the rules miniatures on both sides. We developed the idea of rival and the world. Many of the races of the World of Splintered leonine societies, the Sun Pride plains dwellers and the Dark Light are produced in 15mm miniature by David. There Pride forest folk, with the Blood Pride berserkers and the will eventually be a campaign supplement with a full map Moon Pride spooks. I began to write and we began to play and cultural background for many races, for all of the the rules at this time, and the name came naturally. A year miniatures line sold by Splintered Light and many more later I bought a lot of painted 15mm Zulus at a convention besides. The photos throughout this book show a variety of fl ea market, and we had several blisters of old Ral Partha Splintered Light miniatures. wimmicks (lion centaurs) and so the hybrid human-leonine Black Pride was born.

- 3 - WHAT HAS THIS TO DO WITH GANESHA ANYTHING ELSE COMING? GAMES’ SONG OF BLADES AND HEROES? Glad you asked. A campaign rules system for PRIDE is Nothing directly. Andrea Sfi ligoi, founder of Ganesha nearly done, tied to the cultures as described in the army Games and author of SONG OF BLADES is a friend, and books, and a skirmish game using PRIDE-based miniatures we have edited and contributed to each other’s work. I did with a 1:1 scale (line troops based on 40mm squares a supplement for him, SONG OF THE SPLINTERED and commanders and specialists based individually) is LANDS, and he did some of the artwork for PRIDE OF underway. LIONS. SONG OF THE SPLINTERED LANDS is set in my world, and some of its cultural background (particularly the Druid of Wyldewood, the Dwarven King of Mountain Home, and King Shade and the goblins of Moonglade) is CONTACT INFORMATION also to be found in PRIDE OF LIONS. Website: www.splinteredlightminis.com WHY A SECOND EDITION? HOW IS THIS ONE DIFFERENT?

We have a LOT more experience of gaming with these rules now, and 2nd edition refl ects lessons learned. There are numerous tweaks, as well as places where a longer explanation seemed necessary for clarity. There are lots of photos, partly to show off our miniatures but also as examples of play. And there are some substantial changes:

1. The point system is completely revised, with much greater detail, and applies now to characters as well as to units.

2. Dwarven rune magic is much more detailed.

3. Godfearers’ “magic” – prayer and spiritual gifts – is also far more detailed and extensive.

4. Spirits are developed further.

5. There are more and longer generic army lists andSample spell file lists.

6. And the movement sequence of air units is better.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SECTION ON THE LEONINES?

It will re-appear soon as one of the “army books” including cultural background, army and spell lists, photos of our painted units, and more. Other books appearing soon will include Wyldewood’s elves and halfl ings; the dwarves of Mountain Home; the goblinoids of Moonglade; the Godfearers of Logres (fantasy Romano-British); the Odin- worshipping Saex; the necromancers of the Vasty Vault; the dark dwarves of Khamsin; the Entropy-worshipping hyena people, and the plains-dwellers of the Sea of Grass. These will be available as inexpensive pdf downloads.

SAAEXEX CHHAMPIONAMPION

- 4 - TABLE OF CONTENTS AND OUTLINE OF RULES Sequence of Play ...... 18 How Units Move ...... 19 Overview and Philosophy ...... 2 Movement and facing ...... 20 Where the Rules Come From ...... 3-4 Movement and Morale States ...... 20 Moving and Interpenetration ...... 20 Part One: Basic Rules ...... 8 Interpenetrating Shaken or Units ...... 8 Routing Friends ...... 20 Troop Types ...... 8 Multiple Chargers and Defenders ...... 21 Close Order Infantry ...... 8 Terrain and Movement ...... 22 Loose Order Infantry ...... 8 How Units Fight ...... 22-23 Large Battle Beasts ...... 8 Table: Factors Affecting Die Level in Melee 24 Cavalry ...... 8 Defending Against Multiple Attackers ...... 25 Die Levels ...... 9 Combat Results Table (CRT) ...... 25 Morale States ...... 9-10 Applying the CRT ...... 26 Good Order ...... 9 Morale Effects from the CRT ...... 26 Disordered ...... 9 Pushbacks from Melee ...... 26 Shaken ...... 9 Following-Up ...... 28 Routing ...... 9 Exploitation/Breakthrough Move ...... 28 Elated ...... 9 Withdrawing from Combat ...... 28 Table of Morale States and Effects ...... 10 Missile Attacks ...... 29 Morale Tests ...... 11 Vulnerable and Hard to Hit ...... 29 Commanders and Characters ...... 11 Slow Reload ...... 29 Character Roles ...... 11 Optional Shooting Adjustment ...... 29 Command ...... 11 Thrown or Special Weapons ...... 30 Independent commanders ...... 11 Optional Rule for Lances and Subordinate commanders ...... 11 Fatigued Mounts ...... 31 Non-commander characters ...... 11 Optional Dice Rolling Convention ...... 31 Exhort and Rally ...... 11-12 Before the First Turn ...... 31 Table of Exhortations ...... 13 The Environment of the Battle ...... 31 Boost Melee Die Level ...... 13 Daylight and Darkness ...... 31 Rerolls ...... 13 Climate and Weather ...... 31 Bodyguards ...... 13Sample file Environmental Advantage ...... 31 Commanders ...... 13 Local Advantage ...... 32 Champions ...... 13 Terrain ...... 32 Heroes Arising from Ranks ...... 13 Fieldworks and Fortifi cations ...... 33 Character to Character Combat ...... 14 Scouting ...... 33 Orders ...... 15-18 Deployment ...... 34 Charge ...... 15 Blind Deployment and Roar and Charge/FEARSOME ...... 15 Movement Trays ...... 34 Rush ...... 15 Army Reserve ...... 34 Advance ...... 15 Flank Marches and Pickets ...... 34 Sideslip ...... 15 Victory ...... 35 Stand and Shoot ...... 15 Diagrams of Movement and Combat ...... 36-40 Plant Spears/Pikes ...... 15 Shield Wall ...... 16 Skirmish ...... 16 Fall Back ...... 17 Turn Around ...... 17 Run Away ...... 17 Wheel Left or Right ...... 17 Reform ...... 17 Hedgehog ...... 17 Hold ...... 17 March ...... 18

- 5 - Part Two: Magic ...... 41 Godfearers ...... 57-64 What is magic? ...... 41 What is Prayer ...... 57 Sources of Magic ...... 41 Holiness and Prayer ...... 57 Illusions and spirits ...... 41 Standard Prayer List ...... 58 Natural Magic: shamans and runes ...... 41 God’s Sovereignty ...... 59 Shamanic Magic ...... 41-45 Godfearer Gifts ...... 60-64 How Shamans Do Magic ...... 42 Bless ...... 60 Diffi culty Levels for Standard Shamanic Breath of Heaven ...... 61 Spells ...... 43-44 Firewarder ...... 61 Spells to Raise Friendly Morale ...... 43 Lumens ...... 61-62 Spells to Reduce Enemy Morale ...... 43 Caster ...... 63 Spells to Raise Friendly Dice Levels .....44 Stiller ...... 63 Spells to Reduce Enemy Dice Levels .....44 Requiem ...... 63-64 Spells to Change a Unit’s Order...... 44 Guardian Angels ...... 64 Spells to Alter Terrain ...... 44 Witchhunters ...... 64 Spells Directly Attacking a Unit ...... 44 Spirits ...... 64-66 Generalized Weather Spells ...... 44 Illusions ...... 67 Tactics Cards ...... 44-45 Pass ...... 44 Part Three: Special Units and Attacks ...... 68-76 Block ...... 44 Mighty Dragons and Giants ...... 68 Boost ...... 45 Constructions ...... 68 Blast ...... 45 ROLLING DOOM: example of construction .70-71 Ward ...... 45 Invulnerable to Normal Weapons ...... 68 Dwarven Runelore ...... 46-51 Gas Attacks ...... 69 Apprentice Runes ...... 46 Poison ...... 69 Smith Runes ...... 46 Artillery ...... 69, 72 Master Smith Runes ...... 47 Swarms ...... 72 Table of Runes ...... 47 Hordes ...... 73 Rune Weapons ...... 48 Herds ...... 74 Runes on Missiles ...... 48 Enhancements for Characters ...... 75 Unit Standards ...... 48 Alternate Combat System for D20’s Brewmasters ...... 49Sample versus file D20’s ...... 75-76 Runepriests ...... 49 Dwarven Commanders ...... 50 Part Four: Flying Units ...... 76-78 The Dwarven King ...... 50 Movement Runes on Constructions ...... 50 Orders The Golden Spade ...... 50 High Horizontal Bombing (HIGH) ...... 76 The Drums of Doom ...... 51 Horizontal Bombing (BOMB) ...... 76 Supernatural Magic: gods and demons ...... 52 Dive Bombing (DIVE) ...... 76 Pagan and Demonic Magic ...... 52 Air Superiority (AIR) ...... 76 Demonic and Pagan Divine Combat Air Patrol (CAP) ...... 76 Magic Procedure ...... 52 Gliding Ground Attack (GLIDE) ...... 76 Necromancy ...... 53-56 Swooping Ground Attack (SWOOP) ...... 76 Types of Undead ...... 53 Stooping Ground Attack (STOOP) ...... 76 Automata (aka Skeletons) ...... 53 Moving Air Units in the Turn Sequence ...... 77 Self-motivated Undead (aka Zombies) ...53 Some Representative Air Units ...... 78 Greater Undead (Wraiths and Vampires) ...... 53 Part Five: A Point System for Balancing Armies .... 79-82 Necromancers ...... 54 Greater Undead and Demons as Generals ...... 54-56

- 6 - Part Six: Generic Armies and Spell Lists PLAYERS’ REFERENCE SHEETS ...... 115 Guidelines For Choosing Units’ Initial Die QUICK REFERENCE SHEET ...... 116 Levels ...... 83 THE POINT SYSTEM ...... 117 GENERIC ARMY LISTS: DETAILED SEQUENCE OF PLAY Vampire Lord’s Army ...... 85 IF ARMIES INCLUDE FLYERS ...... 119-120 Necromancers Army ...... 86 TEMPLATE FOR ORDER CHITS ...... 121 Wood Elves ...... 87 Orcs and Goblins ...... 88 Dwarves ...... 89 Dark Dwarves ...... 90 “Arthurian” Human (Civilized, Godfearer Church) ...... 91 North European Barbarians, Odin-worshippers ...... 92 Steppe Nomads ...... 93 High or Dark Elves: the Best of Everything ...... 94 Woodland Peoples: Halfl ings, Woodsmen, Centaurs ...... 95 Hyenamen or Other Beastmen ...... 96 GENERIC SPELL LISTS: ...... 97-105 SHAMANIC MAGIC: The Druid’s Roots ...... 97 The Northwind’s Blast ...... 98 The Westwind’s Thunder ...... 99 The Eastwind’s Heat ...... 100 A Roaring in the Wind ...... 101 Entropy’s Decay ...... 102 GODFEARER MAGIC – Gifts and Prayers ...... 103 PAGAN MAGIC – Odin’s Luck ...... 104 NECROMANCY – The Wind from Sample file the Void ...... 105 DEMONIC SPELLS ...... 106 ILLUSIONS – Spells of Seeming...... 107

Part Seven: Scenarios The Bridge (with map) ...... 108 Ambush (with map) ...... 109 Dark and Bloody Ground ...... 111 Raid ...... 111 Massacre ...... 112 Surprise ...... 112 Morning Fog ...... 113

- 7 - PART ONE: BASIC RULES

The rules given in this fi rst section allow for a fast-paced and enjoyable game. Magic is excluded, as are many types of troops and tactics. It is HIGHLY recommended to play through a game or two using only these basic rules. The addition of complexities such as magic and fl iers will proceed much more smoothly if players are already familiar with the rules for orders and movement and combat. Also, these basic rules are suitable for his- torical games with very little added.

UNITS:

Each player should fi eld an army of a dozen or more units. A unit begins the game composed of three stands of fi gures. We use 40x40mm bases, but any basing system with a uniform frontage should work. One good approach, for infantry, is for lights, and all move 12”. Chariots, based one to a to use “half-stands” of 20mm by 40mm bases, one behind stand, are considered cavalry. If a unit is eligible to another, instead of 40mm squares. This allows the rear half- skirmish, it is considered “light cavalry”; this includes stand to be removed when called for by the Combat Results light chariots. Table, while the front rank remains intact. See the photo illustrating this below. Cavalry and other larger models will (Very large beings such as dragons or the largest giants still need the 40mm depth to fi t. are considered a unit by themselves, and occupy bases big enough to accommodate them, either 120mm square A unit, in our games, is therefore a battle line 120mm wide or 120mm wide and 60 or 80mm deep. These types are and 40mm deep. We use four types of troops, represented on discussed separately later in the rules.) the stands as follows: Some units may be designated on their Order of Battle as Drilled; Close order infantry are based 6 to a stand and move 6”; they gain certain movement advantages when in good order.

Loose order infantry are based 4 to a stand and move 8”; The unit moves and fi ghts together. There are no formations as such other than a battle line. Some units may also Large battle beasts such as mammoths are basedSample one to SKIRMISH, file which gives them great freedom of movement, a stand, with stands of loose order infantry to their left but they still remain in the 120mm by 40mm line. and right to make the unit of three stands – these units also move 8’: We recommend that players make movement trays – we use mattboard and balsa wood strips – to hold units. These speed “Cavalry” – anything running on four legs – are based up play, make it easier for units to stand in rough terrain either three to a stand for heavies or two to a stand such as hills, and are useful as blind deployment markers.

- 8 - DIE LEVELS: MORALE STATES:

Each unit is given a die that is rolled whenever it is in melee or is A unit’s starting die level, based on training and morale testing morale. Missile units have a separate die for shooting. and weapons and armor, assumes that the unit is fi ghting in Higher rolls are better; rolls of 1 and 2 are generally bad. A GOOD ORDER. That means that the individual fi ghters unit’s die level may vary from a D4 (a four sided die) up are in their assigned places and orders can be heard and through D6 and D8 and D10 and D12 and D16 to D20 (a understood. A unit may become DISORDERED as a result of twenty sided die), and in certain circumstances to D24. A being pushed back in melee, being shot by missiles, failing unit’s initial die level is assigned based on a combination of a morale test, moving in diffi cult terrain, and so forth. A physical characteristics such as strength, weapons, armor DISORDERED unit’s soldiers are out of position and/or and the like, and also on non-material characteristics such confused, and its leadership is less effective. Orders take as training and morale. A unit’s die level may decrease or longer to be transmitted, and the unit’s standard operating increase as the game progresses. Peasants forced onto a procedures (the sort of things sergeants take care of – “Pick battlefi eld to fi ght with improvised weapons would rate an that up! Get back in line!”) are breaking down. initial D6; elite heavily armored lancers might be an initial D20. It is still possible, though very unlikely in the above Whatever the cause, the state of DISORDER is represented by example, for the elite lancers to roll a 1 and be defeated a white marker on the unit. (We use chenille “pipe cleaners” by the peasants. Melee outcomes are determined by the as markers; they can be purchased at hobby stores in many difference between the die rolls of the opposing units: higher colors and cut to a desired length – we like them about an differentials result in increasingly dire consequences for the inch.) The DISORDERED unit’s die level is reduced one below loser. Morale rolls are done with the unit’s current die and a its starting level. It may still be issued any legal order, but it roll of 1 or 2 has a bad effect. moves at half speed.

D16s and D24s are commercially available but less common. A unit recovers from DISORDER by spending a turn not A D8 and a D12 can be substituted. However, DO NOT roll moving and not in contact with an enemy unit. Its orders two D8’s and add to get D16; the odds are completely different. will probably be Hold or Stand and Shoot, although it could On a D16 there is 1/16 = 6.66% chance of rolling any number play a defensive formation order such as Shield Wall. It may including a 1 or a 16; on two D8s added there is no chance shoot (as disordered) if missile equipped. Enemy missile of a 1 and only 1/64 chance of a 16. Instead, roll the D8 plus attacks do not prevent recovery of good order unless they any other die; if the other die is odd, count the D8 roll as 1 – cause the unit to become SHAKEN or ROUT. At the end 8. If the other die is even, ADD +8 to the D8 roll, making it of the stationary turn the unit regains good order and the 9 – 16. A D12 works the same way to become a D24. white marker is removed.

Players will notice that the higher the die level, the lower Worse than DISORDER is the state of being SHAKEN, the odds of rolling a 1 or 2. A D20 unit’s chanceSample of failing indicated file by a yellow marker. A SHAKEN unit’s individual a morale test is 10%, a D16’s is 12.5%, a D12’s is 16.6%, soldiers are wavering (giving serious consideration to a D10’s is 20%, a D8’s is 25%, a D6’s is 33.3%, and a D4’s running away); its internal cohesion has broken down so is 50%. that orders cannot be transmitted and normal operating procedures are not being followed. A SHAKEN unit is reduced two die levels below its starting point, and it may not voluntarily move closer to the enemy. SHAKEN units may not shoot, and move as disordered. It will normally require a turn not in contact with an enemy and under a REFORM order to recover (to DISORDER). The opposite of SHAKEN is STEADY: a steady unit may be disordered but not SHAKEN or ROUTED.

Worst of all is ROUTING, indicated by a red marker. A ROUTING unit will automatically RUN AWAY, and if contacted in melee it fi ghts down three die levels. (If contacted in rear, as is likely, it would be down two additional die levels for that.) Recovering from ROUTING normally requires that the unit be joined by a commander or other special character, and then pass a morale test raising it to SHAKEN. ROUTING units who fl ee off the table are considered destroyed. A unit that destroys an enemy in melee will gain a green marker, indicating that it is ELATED. Its die level is increased one level. An ELATED marker cancels a DISORDERED

- 9 - marker (remove both) and changes a SHAKEN marker to DISORDERED and a ROUTED marker to SHAKEN. A unit may only have one of these four markers on it at a time.

The table below summarizes the four morale states and their effects:

MORALE STATE Elated Good Order Disordered Shaken Rout (Steady) (Steady) (Steady) MARKER Green (none) White Yellow Red DICE +1 level As assigned -1 level -2 levels -3 levels ORDERS any any any No closer to enemy Run Away No shooting from enemy MOVE normal normal ½ speed ½ speed normal MORALE normal normal Regains good order if no Needs “REFORM” Must pass morale test IMPROVEMENT movement & no enemy order to become with leader to become contact for 1 turn DISORDERED SHAKEN

Sample file

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