Sorcerers of Khorne

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Here is it, fa/tg/uys and ca/tg/irls, the ultimate heresy.

Khorne does not allow sorcerers to serve him (at least, not when using their sorcery) so the idea of Sorcerers of Khorne is heretical even to Chaos. It's Double Heresy, unholy shit. Yet here we are and here you will RAGE. I guess the writer of this doesn't know about Gore Mages.
Or the Haemorrhage psyker power.
Or the fact that Khorne needs sorcerers to summon his daemons into reality. Khornites summon daemons into reality by spilling Psyker Blood ritualistically. So it's fine.

Incidentally, this story was written by some smarmy 40kfag who knows nothing about Warhammer Fantasy. For one thing, Khornates in Fantasy don't say "maim! kill! burn!", and actual Khornate sorcerers are just Chaos Warriors with premonition and no armour.

HOW THE FUCK DOES SOMEONE MISSPELL REIKSPIEL?!

And how the fuck would a mere Imperial Captain know that much about Chaos?

The Petition

The God of Blood, Progenitor and Inheritor of All Rage, had watched this petitioner for his audience climb the mountain of skulls and best his daemon in honorable combat before prostrating himself before the Skull Throne.

"Speak, warrior," Khorne said, "For you have earned it."

"Uh, yeah," The warrior began, slightly unsure, "I was sort of wondering why we can't have sorcerers is all."

"Because!" Khorne bellowed, "Sorcerers fight from afar like Skaven cowards!"

"Well, okay, so ya know our battle cry of 'Maim, kill, burn'? Yeah, we don't do a lot of burnin' I notice so what if sorcerer could set our weapons or our fists on fire or something so we can burn while we maim. That'd be pretty awesome."

Khorne leaned back against his throne and gave this suggestion due consideration.

"Oh, and they should breathe fire too!"

---

A firing squad lined up outside the town, rifles at ready to defend these citizens of the Empire. Beastmen, mutants and worst charged at them like mad orcs. They knew if they but held the line and kept up the rate of fire this town would be saved.

The captain raised his hand to signal the first volley of fire when he spotted something a little odd. Walking almost calmly amongst the charging horde was a man wearing the lower remains of a tattered robe and an axe with an overly long handle almost like a staff.

What's this, some foul sorcerer of Chaos? The symbol of Khorne was emblazoned on his axe and on his bare muscled chest and Khorne allowed no sorcerers. It was impossible. But foul powers circled around him as he raised his overly long axe like a staff and shouted in plain Riekspiel so all could hear.

"Maim! Kill! BURN!!!"

Without final incantation, the weapons of the enemy were set ablaze with sorcerous fire as red as blood. The captain shouted for them to fire, but the haze of the flame and other foul magics made it so not many shots hit.

Soon the enemy with their weapons of chaos fire was upon them, slaughtering them. The last thing the captain saw was the Sorcerer of Khorne, a ball of red fire emerging from his mouth and the roar of a dragon.

That day the town burned, their flaming skulls piled high in presentation to the Skull Throne. Khorne was pleased.

A Very Different Take

There was a Sorcerer in the World Eaters Warband in Dawn of War: Winter Assault. This is one of the rare breaches that was considered Goto level. Gore Mages and/or a fallen Librarian,FALLEN! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE FALLEN YOU FILTHY HERETIC! The World Eaters killed all their librarians.

If the main Khorne page is to be believed, the Winter Assault Sorcerer isn't that big a fluff breach. As mentioned elsewhere on this wiki, Khorne is fine with the magicks of summoning daemons. To summon daemons, you need sacrifices. To get the sacrifices, the player needs to manually guide the Sorcerer over to an Imperial Guard base, smash up the outer defenses, tie up the Ogryns with regular troops, cast a mind control spell on some Guardsmen, then escort the brainwashed Guardsmen back to the blood pit. Everything except the brainwashing step is done in what Khorne would call a "manual" method, earned with the sweat of your brow, the power of your own body, and the strength of your will. What's more, the Sorcerer isn't doing it from the safety of a distant hilltop, you have to send him into the thick of the fighting where only his wits will keep him alive. It's genuine warfare no matter how you slice it, something Khorne has little choice but to begrudgingly accept.

And, his general derpiness aside, Crull probably saw the wisdom in keeping a psyker around as an advisor and a utility. Considering that he wasn't otherwise in the warband's colors, he was presumably a mercenary sorcerer who was kept on retainer.

Also from a mechanical standpoint, the Bloodthirster was the only Greater Daemon they had designed, so it was the only one they could summon.

In Fantasy/AoS

Yes, Khorne does indeed have SEERS dedicated to him. But there is a catch.

You see, actual Khornate Sorcerers in Fantasy aren't Sorcerers at all, but are in fact Vitkis (the Norscan word for 'shaman') who bear Khorne's mark. In lieu of casting spells, these Vitki; who are known as "Bloodfathers", instead are endowed with GODLIKE MARTIAL PROWESS AND UNMATCHED KNOWLEDGE OF EVERY FIGHTING MOVE AND BATTLE TACTIC EVER. And also the ability to see gruesome visions of hardcore bloodshed, so they know exactly where to go.

A fine example of a Bloodfather would be Alfkaell the Aesling, he kills Kurgan Zars for disrespecting Khorne and gives awesome speeches telling people about the futility of fighting his god and doesn't afraid of anything. He is a supporting antagonist in the aptly named Blood for the Blood God novel by C.L. Werner.

As for Age of Sigmar, Khorne finally took a lawyerly approach to magic. If it's just channeling daemonic power through huge, bloodthirsty avatars of destruction then it ain't sorcery, is it? That's just worship. And so the Khorne Bloodbound have a sort of cleric caste, like the 7-foot tall Slaughterpriests or the modestly 6"6' icon-bearing Bloodsecrators ("Khornesecrators" was probably too on-the-nose in the wrong ways for GW to go through with) alongside the giant altars of chaos.

Homebrew

Discipline of Blood (Warhammer 40K)

The restriction on Chaos Sorcerers being unable to take a Mark of Khorne is removed. The restriction on Daemon Princes of Khorne being unable to take Psyker mastery levels is removed. Heralds of Khorne may take up to two Psychic Mastery Levels for 25 points each. If the player is not using the rules for three variants of Bloodthirster then a Bloodthirster may take up to three Psychic Mastery Levels for 25 points each. A Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, Herald or Bloodthirster Psyker must generate at least one of their spells from the Discipline of Blood (unless from the Chaos Daemons Codex) and may generate up to half of their powers from the Discipline of Blood. Chaos Sorcerers with the Mark of Khorne are added to the list of units that may be taken as the HQ of a Slaughtercult.

• Blood Haste (Primaris): Warp Charge 1. The sorcerer tempts his brothers with the scent of blood, driving them to the battle sooner. Blood Haste is a Blessing that grants the psyker and his unit the Fleet and Hammer of Wrath USRs.

1. Daemonic Steel: Warp Charge 1. The Sorcerer invokes the powers of Khorne's forge to strengthen his weapon, so that it may better spill blood in his name. Daemonic Steel is a Blessing that gives the psyker's Force Weapon the Daemon Weapon (See Codex Chaos Space Marines) special rule.
2. Khorne's Contempt: Warp Charge 1. Khorne shows no favor to those that avoid conflict and will go to any lengths to display it, even if it is through the psyker. Khorne's Contempt is a Malediction that targets a single enemy unit within 24". Whilst the power is in effect, the target unit must make a Leadership Check on a 3d6 each time it tries to overwatch, retreat, or move away from the closest enemy unit. If the unit fails the Leadership check, it suffers one Wound for each point the unit failed by, with no saves of any kind allowed.
3. Maim! Kill! Burn!: Warp Charge 1. The heat of Khorne's forge is so great that the weapons of his followers are set ablaze with it. Maim! Kill! Burn! is a Blessing that targets a single friendly unit within 12". Whilst the power is in effect, all melee weapons in the target unit (save those models get for having no melee weapon and a pistols alternative profile) gain +1 Strength.
4. Boiling Blood: The psyker uses the rage of Khorne to cause the blood of his foes to boil and froth until it bursts in a fiery incineration. Boiling Blood is a focussed witchfire power with a range of 18". The target must take two Toughness tests; for each test that is failed the target loses a single Wound with no saves of any kind allowed. If the target is slain, centre the large blast marker over the target before removing him as a casualty. All other models under the marker suffer a Strength 4 AP5 hit with the Ignores Cover special rule.
5. Forge Fire: Warp Charge 2. The sorcerer opens a small warp rift leading to Khorne's forge, allowing its fire to leap out and burn those before him. Forge Fire is a beam power with the following profile: R12" S8 AP1 Assault 1, Lance
6. Unstoppable Fury: Warp Charge 2. The sorcerer's power is so great that his warriors will constantly fight, even if all their blood has been spilled. Unstoppable Fury is a Blessing that grants a single friendly unit within 18" the Eternal Warrior and Feel No Pain (5+) USRs.

Lore of Khorne (Warhammer Fantasy)

Chaos Sorcerers and Sorcerer Lords may take a Mark of Khorne for 10pts. The restriction on Daemon Princes of Khorne not being able to take wizard levels is removed. A Sorcerer or Daemon Prince with the Mark of Khorne uses spells from either the Lore of Fire or the Lore of Khorne. If the player isn't using the rules for three varieties of Bloodthirster then Bloodthirsters may take up to 4 Wizard levels for 35pts each and a Herald of Khorne may be upgraded to a Wizard (Level 1) for 35pts. Bloodthirsters and Heralds of Khorne use spells from either the Lore of Fire or the Lore of Khorne.

Kill! (Warriors of Chaos Lore Attribute): Khorne is the Embodiment of Anger and he blesses all who kill with his strength and rage. When a spell from the Lore of Khorne is successfully cast, roll a D6, plus one D6 for each model augmented or hexed by the spell (if any). For each result of a 6 rolled, the Wizard's Strength and Attacks are increased by 1 until the start of his next magic phase.

Born of Violence (Daemons of Chaos Lore Attribute): When a Daemon casts a spell from the Lore of Khorne that causes one or more unsaved wounds, choose a unit of Bloodletters or Flesh Hounds within 12" of the caster and roll a D6 for each wound caused. If it is a unit of Bloodletters, add 1 model to the unit for each result of 5 or 6. If it is a unit of Flesh Hounds, add 1 model to the unit for each result of 6. Models are added one at a time to the back rank. If the back rank is full at any point, or the unit has a single rank of at least 5 models, the next model starts a new back rank. Models that cannot be placed (because there isn't enough room, or you do not have sufficient models) are lost. Models created in this way have no upgrades and do not award additional victory points.

Bloodlust (Signature Spell; cast on a 5+): The sorcerer controls the blood of those near him, causing it to boil and froth with rage. Remains in play. Bloodlust is an augment spell cast upon a unit within 6" of the sorcerer. That unit gains the Frenzy special rule. If it already has the Frenzy special rule, then it gains the Hatred special rule. Alternatively the sorcerer may choose to extend the range of this spell to 12". If he does so, the casting value is increased to 7+.

1. Blood Rain (Cast on a 5+): The sorcerer causes the blood from one of the pools nearby to crystallize into spikes and rise into the air before flinging those spikes at the opponent. Blood Rain is a magic missile with a range of 12" and causes 2D6 Strength 3 hits. Alternatively, the sorcerer may increase the number of hits to 3D6; if he does so, the casting value is increased to 10+.
2. Shadow Blood (Cast on a 7+): The Sorcerer opens wounds on his palms and while uttering an ancient incantation, his blood bursts from the wounds. It is a more potent poison than that of any serpent and bursts into flames upon contact with anything. Shadowblood is a magic missile with a range of 24”. When cast, the caster must declare how many wounds he is using to boost the effects of the spell. The spell causes D6 Strength 5 hits with the Flaming Attacks special rule plus an extra D6 for each wound the caster expends. In addition, a unit suffering one or more wounds from this spell must immediately take a Panic test.
3. Blood Rush (Cast on a 7+): The sorcerer tempts his fellow khornates with the scent of blood. Remains in play. Blood Haste is an augment spell cast upon a unit within 6" of the sorcerer. That unit gains the Swiftstride and Devastating Charge special rules. Alternatively the sorcerer may choose to extend the range of this spell to 12". If he does so, the casting value is increased to 9+.
4. The Hounds of Tindalos (Cast on a 8+): Before Karanak was Khorne's favored, Tindalos held its position. Tindalos's end came when it was given an impossible task: take the skulls of 888 warlords within the same number of minutes. Tindalos made the task possible by splitting its essence into thousands of disembodied maws. When the task was done, Tindalos found that it could not pull itself back together. Remains in play. The Hounds of Tindalos is a hex spell cast upon a unit within 12" of the sorcerer. That unit must roll 3D6 when taking Break, Terror and Panic tests and discard the lowest die. In addition, for each point any Break, Terror or Panic test is failed by, the unit suffers a S5 hit. Alternatively all Break, Terror and Panic tests must take a 3D6 roll without discarding the lowest dice. If this is done, the casting value is increased to 12+.
5. Sorcerer's Hypocrisy (Cast on a 10+): Blood flows from the ground back into the bodies of the sorcerer's allies. Khorne will be angered by this and requires that those who have regained their blood pay him back. Sorcerer's Hypocrisy is an augment spell with a range of 24". The target unit instantly recovers D3+1 wounds worth of models slain earlier in the battle (cavalry counts as two models). The wounds in the unit are regained in a strict order: first, the champion is resurrected, then the musician (standard bearers are never resurrected - if the bearer been slain, the banner is gone for good), displacing rank-and-file models as required; rank-and-file models with multiple wounds (including command figures) are healed to their starting value; finally, any remaining wounds resurrect rank and file models (in the case of multiple wound rank and file models, the first resurrected model must be healed fully before the next can be healed, and so on). These models are added to the front rank until it reaches at least five models - additional models can then be added to the front or rear rank. If the unit already has more than one rank, models can only be added to the rear rank. For every wound restored the player controlling the sorcerer loses 10 victory points.
6. Exsanguinate (Cast on a 12+): The sorcerer rips the blood out of an enemy. Exsanguinate is a direct damage spell with a range of 12". A single character in the targeted unit must pass a Toughness test or be slain with no armour saves allowed. If the Toughness test (and Ward Save if applicable) is failed, then make the same test on another model in the target's unit. Keep doing this until one model passes the test or there are no models left to slay. This spell does not work on undead without the Vampiric special rule.

Wrath of Khorne (End Times Spell; Cast on a 25+): The Sorceror calls down a Brass Skull to strike his foes. Wrath of Khorne is a direct damage spell. Place the Large Round template anywhere within 30" of the Sorceror. The template is treated as a Stone Thrower shot that does not scatter.