Pistolier

*"Look what their damned arrows did to my doublet! Right chaps, let’s give ’em a taste of hot lead. Charge!"*

## Advanced

(Core) Pistoliers are the elite light cavalry of the Imperial Army. They specialize in wielding firearms, specifically pistols. Pistoliers have only come into their own recently, as gunpowder weapons have been relatively unstable until now in the Old World. Because of the expense of their weapons and the constant upkeep that pistols and warhorses require, Noblemen dominate the ranks of the Pistoliers. Many young Nobles volunteer for the Pistoliers in search of glory or in the hopes of making a name.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Animal Care, Dodge Blow, Evaluate or Gossip, Perception, Ride, Secret Signs (Scout)

**Talents:** Master Gunner, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Sharpshooter, Specialist Weapon Group (Gunpowder), Strike Mighty Blow, Sure Shot

**Trappings:** Pair of Pistols with Ammunition and Gunpowder for 20 Shots, Best Craftsmenship Clothing, Light Warhorse

### **Career Exits**

Courtier, Duellist, Knight, Sergeant, Veteran

## The Pistolkorps

Pistoliers are skilled at taking the fight to the enemy with hit-and-run attacks against the flanks of opposing armies. They are a magnificent sight in their ostentatious livery and plumed helms as they charge on swift steeds, pistols blazing. It is with great reluctance that most pistoliers who survive their stint in the regiment trade the thrill and the flair of the Pistolkorps for the austerity of a Knightly Order.

Most aspiring pistoliers join the ranks of the Pistolkorps, an Imperial regiment of great distinction. Recruits are put under the wing of veteran pistoliers who sport proudly waxed moustaches as a mark of their status. These veterans are known as Outriders, because they can outride the pistoliers under their command. They have close links with the School of Engineers, allowing them to field new-fangled weapons such as repeater handguns.

## The Charge of Von Kleit’s Brigade

Von Kleit, the youngest of seven noble sons, escaped theological college to form Von Kleit’s Flashpans, a regiment of pistoliers recruited from among his daredevil friends. Vain, extravagant, and renowned for the splendour of their uniforms, their lightning charges against enemy flanks won them many victories.

Marius Leitdorf, Elector Count of Averland, pursued a campaign into the Border Princes in retaliation for cattle raids of the robber baron Heraclius Gasco. Von Kleit’s Flashpans joined the expedition, and Von Kleit promised his men that the first to ‘beard the lion in his own den’ would win the pick of the spoils. Baron Gasco’s luxuriant whiskers were infamous, so, armed with pistols in one hand and barber’s shears in the other, the pistoliers unleashed an attack on the enemy lines.

Cannons roared, and the valley between the armies filled with gunsmoke. The cheers of the pistoliers died in the obscuring fog. As the echoes of cannon fire died away, a single victorious roar rang from the direction of the enemy lines. Von Kleit emerged from the acrid smoke, his uniform in tatters, his horse speeding him towards the stunned baron. With a swift motion, he sheared Gasco’s beard, and with a parting shot, planted a lead ball in the baron’s skull.

With the demise of their leader, the opposition retreated, but not before a marksman shot Von Kleit as he returned to the cheering Imperial lines. He fell clutching his trophy, a smile of triumph still on his face.

## Special Rules

Outriders: The Outriders mentioned here are not the same as the Outrider career class. Instead, they are a specialised type of Veteran. A Pistolier can become an Outrider by becoming a Veteran and choosing the following Talents: Mighty Shot, Rapid Reload, and Specialist Weapon (Engineer). An Outrider is usually armed with an Engineer weapon, such as a Repeater Firearm.