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What does everything think of the idea of having Palanquins as an option for Sorceror Lords? These are the creme of the crop, and as such, many are probably already pretty far into the fossilization process. Being carried into battle on a Palanquin by a retinue of slaves is very flavorful. Just think of Lord Kroak and the mummified Slaan. A similar idea, however, the option should be there to take Sorceror Lords on foot.

The question is, what bonus should the Palanquin give the Lord in exchange for extra points and becoming a large target? Extra Dispel Dice ala the Lammasu to not only represent their greater magical apptitude but also their stony skin (think Stone Trolls, regular dwarfs, etc...)

Thoughts?

Here are the rules I've worked on:

Palanquin:  100 points

Many sorcerers choose to ride to war upon a Palanquin.  These ancient battle platforms are carved with patterns and runic symbols so intricate they are truly masterful works of art.   Carried by his Acolytes, a Sorcerer can be freed from his limited mobility and bring more destructive magical force down upon his enemies.  

A High Sorcerer on Palanquin with 4 Acolytes fights as a single model with Unit Strength 5 (even in challenges).  They are mounted on a 40mm square base, counting as 4 models in a unit.  When in a unit the Palanquin is not considered larger than the other unit members.

The Acolytes provide 1 Strength 4, WS 4, Initiative 3 close combat attacks each.  These attacks do not benefit from any weapon (magic or not) the sorcerer has.  They carry the Palanquin at M3.  The Palanquin provides +1 power dice to the rider, adds +2 to the Sorcerer’s Armour Save (to a maximum of 1+), and Magic Resistance (1) to the Sorcerer and Acolytes.

Note that I've not made the Palanquin a large target.

I like it might want to up the point cost though, it looks a little too low compared to other similar units

My version, although similar, is more just a bigger version of Shieldbearers.

Palanquin – 40 Point Mount Choice for Sorcerers and High Sorcerers
A Sorcerer with a Palanquin consists of a Sorcerer on a platform carried by four Chaos Dwarf Bearers. A Sorcerer with a Palanquin has a Movement value of 3. A Sorcerer and his Bearers fight as a single model with a Unit Strength of 4 (even in challenges). They are mounted on a 40mm wide by 40mm deep base. The Palanquin adds 1 to the Armour Save of the Sorcerer mounted on the Palanquin in the same way as any other mount. The Bearers give the General two extra WS5 Strength 4 Initiative 3 close combat attacks, but these attacks do not benefit from any weapon carried by the General.
If a Sorcerer with a Palanquin fights with a unit, he counts as two normal models (in each rank) for the purposes of working out if there is a complete rank of five models. Note that when in a unit, a Sorcerer and his Bearers may still use the 'Look out, Sir!' rule.

I would say the sorcerer can overview the battlefield and attack any unit he likes, even those, hidden behind other units... no additional dice, no additional magic... ofcourse the additional melee-damage and the movement stays

OR this could be the only mount, a stoned mage can buy:
the stoned mage cant move and the only chance to take him in an army is a palaquin... the mage should be allways lvl 4 and cheaper then the normal mage, but the palaquin-costs should be balanced

I like Grimstonefire's rules the most. As a matter of fact i like them.

I also like Grimestonefires a lot, though Im not sure he should get any kind of save from it. Wizards should as a general rule not be able to get an armour save unless mounted on a steed or through some special (magic) armour. Another thing is that I dont think it should be accolytes that carry him. It should much rather be his most trusted warriors (maybe even some Immortals) The reason for this is that it would seem a bit out of the place for Sorceror Acolytes to have such (realtively) good stats as WS 4 S4 and I 3 when considering they are probably quite young since they are only acolytes. Those stats would fit better with a personal retinue of Immortals or somesuch.

- Tallhat

If it's going to be on a 40x40 base then the two guys at the rear shouldn't be able to fight, since they are effectively in the second rank.

Personally, I think being elevated above the unit for the whole world to see seems kind of risky for a Chaos Dwarf Sorceror, but it would certainly be a cool conversion.

It sounds like you're applying logic to the rules, that's not how it's played in the GW games. Think of Thorgrim, the dwarf king - he's carried in a one heck of a bathtub by only (!) 4 dwarfs and all of them get to strike! How's that possible eludes me.
Another example - shieldbearers. The current model has two dwarfs holding the shield with both hands, but still they get one attack each. I'm not trying to think how much the fully kitted dwarf lord must weight.

I don't know how Lord Kroak and other Slaan priests palanquins looks like (i.e. they levitate or are carried?) but I'm pretty sure that if they're carried then all the carriers get the attacks.

So yeah, I think that if the sorcerer will be carried on a palanquin thing then, by the rules, all the carriers could attack. Doesn't matter if it makes sense or not, it's consistent with the current rules.

The reason why all can fight is that when applying a bit of imagination to the battle it is clear that fighting between Regiments is not as static as it looks. A good reference for how it would actually look and feel would be the various Total War games where regiments collide and intermingle when fighting. They dont just stand in front of each other in a line hacking at each other. So imagine the regiment with in this case Thorgrim being charged by a unit. A lot of the troops who charge would run into and past the first line thus letting the warriors (all 4) that are carrying Thorgrim fight.

- Tallhat

You're right, it is consistent with the current rules.
Funny how a Stunty Lord can balance precariously on a shield in the middle of battle but they don't seem to be able to ride a horse

Not sure about the whole abstraction of combat thing, as far as ranks go.  The rules make it pretty clear that units fight like Roman or Napoleonic line infantry with clearly delineated ranks (at least as far as game mechanics go).  That is why spears and pikes are able to fight from the rear ranks.
The kind of non-ranked style of fighting used by Celtic and middle eastern warbands is represented in Warhammer by Skirmishers and Fast Cav.
You're 100% correct that abstraction in Warhammer is par for the course, but I think that for the most part Medium and Heavy Infantry in Warhammer operates more or less with intact ranks for the whole battle.  If they didn't then it wouldn't be possible to negate them by a flank or rear attack (although again I concede that that reflects as much the panic of being attacked in the side or rear as it does actual disruption of the line formation).

Mind you, I could be entirely wrong

*laughs* You sure could. Or we could. Or the whole world could be!

- Tallhat

I find it hard to believe that wargamers could be wrong.  We're never wrong, we just have divergent opinions.

It's the rest of the world (i.e. the non-wargamers) who are wrong, strange, and watch reality TV.

Like Paradise Hotel... Guuuurgh... I want to sacrifice the inventor of that show to Hashut in the most painful way.

- Tallhat

Which is a valid though. Its just not the way I imagine the battles to go. But we all have our own idea of how it works

- Tallhat

It could be made from Obsidian. That way it would make sense that youd get MR from sitting on it. Oh and thanks for the slave Duktu Cheers to you

- Tallhat

How about it glows white hot and causes fear in flammable creatures?
The sorceror probably has stone feet anyway, so the heat wouldn't bother him, and the poor sods carrying it could just wear flame retardant gloves or something (whatever it is they use when working in the forges).

Other alternatives:  

- The palanquin is infused with the power of Hashut.  Any Dwarf (i.e. normal non-Chaotic Dwarf) army will HATE the sorceror any any unit he joins and the sorceror and any unit he joins will HATE all enemies.

- The palanquin exudes a palpable aura of menace.  The sorceror riding it will cause fear against any opponent, except other Chaos Dwarfs.

- The palanquin was built to the original design of the engineer, Snakebeard.  Any enemy unit within 6" of the shield (and in normal line of sight restrictions) will have dozens of tiny darts fired at it by the palanquin.  The unit is automatically hit and takes 2D6 strength 1 hits with no armour save allowed.  This can be used as a stand and shoot reaction.

- The palanquin has an enslaved Daemon bound within it.  Every magic phase the Wizard can use the power of the enraged Daemon to fuel his spell casting.  Every magic phase the sorceror may automatically cast one spell that he already knows, with a power level the equivalent of the Sorceror's level.

- Over time the palanquin, like the sorceror himself, will turn to stone.  This process is irreversible and results in the sorceror becoming melded to the palanquin, and carried into battle as a living symbol of the power of Hashut.  The Sorceror cannot flee as a charge reaction, nor (due to the sheer weight of the palanquin) can he march.  The sorceror and any unit he joins are unbreakable.  The magic of the Palanquin will give the sorceror a 4+ ward save.  Any unit within 12" of the sorceror may re-roll their break test exactly as if the Sorceror were an army banner.  If the sorceror is killed he counts for double the normal victory points (in other words if he is your general, then he will be worth 100 points (assuming he is in fact the general), 100 for being the army banner, plus whatever points the character himself is worth.  This amount is then doubled).

- Blessed by Hashut:  The Sorceror may use the power of Hashut to enhance his own powers.  At the start of every turn the Sorceror may increase any of his stats by 1.  This must be nominated at the start of his own turn before any other actions are taken.  If he forgets to do so, then Hashut has forsaken him and he may not increase any stats for the rest of the game.

hats of to Wallacer. Great ideas

- Tallhat

In my country the sacrificial pit is what we call the Inland Revenue department.
Seriously though, a psyc reroll sounds fine.  I'm not really insistent on what I typed above, I just made up some stuff on the fly, since you asked for it (that'll learn ya).  Modify whatever you want, psyc rerolls or otherwise.

I think only things on 50mm bases or chariot bases should be large targets.  If the Dwarf Lord on shield bearers isn't a large target then neither should the Palanquin be.
My only gripe is that palanquin bearers shouldn't be able to attack, but as GW lets the Dwarf shieldbearers attack it seems that is the way they want that sort of thing to play.

I'm not really a fan of big hats, so it pleases me to see you removing yours.  I shall consider this a victory for all fans of the 1980's Perry Dwarfs.

Verdammt! I have been bested! *quickly puts Hat back on* Btw Duktu you have indeed blocked my PMs

- Tallhat