The Conclave

The Ordos Majoris - Hobby, Painting and Modelling => Inquisitor Game Discussion => Topic started by: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 09:41:13 AM

Title: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 09:41:13 AM
Hello Everyone,

I am looking to build a warband based upon Karloth Valois (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Karloth_Valois)

Here are a set of rules I found for him from Necromunda (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2UlYzr-QKsV0x1Ynh4dDU0b3c/view?usp=sharing)

I am looking for your guys advice 1st on the general Zombie rules (there are various examples I have seen but I would like to see what your guys experiences with them are)

And second any rules for Karloth that you would suggest (I see powers that enable him to buff the zombies).

I have seen the following on conclave but further guidance would be great  :)

http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=481.15
http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1278.msg23388#msg23388
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: Cortez on November 09, 2016, 10:01:57 AM
Hmm, the Lachesis affair (http://www.mediafire.com/file/0r2sohn6g55vs0y/The+Lachesis+Affair.zip) had zombies in one of the finales.

The rules were as follows:

Zombies:
Zombies have a statline of 50 and generate 2 actions each turn, acting after all Character models. They will move toward the closest living miniature and will attack them in melee.

Zombies have BIV 5, AV2, Nerves of Steel, Force of Will and are treated as having an improvised weapon.
If a zombie takes two or more injury levels from any hit, it is knocked prone, but they otherwise have no injury chart.
Once they have taken 6 injury levels, they are "dead".

Any time a character takes an injury from a zombie (or a critical hit, regardless of whether it penetrates armour), they must take a T test or gain a level of contamination. A contaminated character takes D3 injury total in the recovery phase for each level of contamination.

In that scenario a Nurgle Daemon was summoning Zombies each turn, which were then acting rather mindlessly.

I'd therefore suggest giving your zombie master some psychic power (maybe a wyrd ability) that allows him to control or direct the zombies to some extent. You could also include another psychic power to summon zombies somehow - I'd suggest adapting Gav's Beastmaster rules for this ability: http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1705.msg23046#msg23046
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: mcjomar on November 09, 2016, 10:08:51 AM
Okay, first off check ebay and google for "Not Yet Dead" and look for 54mm models. There are a number of zombies available that could be used as is or with conversion.

Next up, Karloth:
He'll probably have the Puppet Master, Scan, or Detect, or Mind Scan skills, and maybe one or two other telepathic skills.

RAW He'd probably have both Force of Will and Nerves of Steel (normally unlikely as most 'clavers agree that this is usually reserved for servitors, daemons, and the criminally insane (and sometimes not even that last one)).
He might also gain the 'clave skill Stealthy.

His witch staff seems like a Force Staff, but you could add an extra dice to the melee damage I guess?

The Black Crown would provide a combined Vampirism/Regenerate skill while worn, by my reading.

Stats wise he's have an average WS and BS, nothing too fancy.
Profile like:

WS 51
BS 53
S 58
T 59
I 63
Wp 81
Sg 42 (I may be a little generous here? He is insane!)
Ld 82
Nv 86 (Raging lunatic, will probably ignore a lot)

Autopistol (with laser sight) and a knife, both basic gear.
Mesh armour provides 4 points on every location it is worn on, so assume 4 points on all except head, with the crown providing 2 points (what happens if it is damaged??).


This is just my first pass at fitting him in with the usual power levels of Inquisitor.
I'm not sure if he would get (or even need) any extra psychic powers, but there might be some good chaos ones somewhere to account for the mind control shenanigans.
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 01:13:49 PM
The thing is Karloth Can mind scan humans but not control them but he can control and boost zombies and therefore he's powers should reflect that.
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: mcjomar on November 09, 2016, 01:41:35 PM
Welp, you could just flavour Puppet Master by simply stating "This power, when used by this character, may only be applied to Zombie units/NPCs/Characters, and cannot be applied by this character upon any non-zombie (non-undead) target".
Most players will buy that if it's stated upfront.
I would.
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 01:57:55 PM
Quote from: mcjomar on November 09, 2016, 01:41:35 PM
Welp, you could just flavour Puppet Master by simply stating "This power, when used by this character, may only be applied to Zombie units/NPCs/Characters, and cannot be applied by this character upon any non-zombie (non-undead) target".
Most players will buy that if it's stated upfront.
I would.

Thats sounds like a decent idea, telepath powers that only work on Zombies, possibly with powers to make them stronger (when I say stronger I mean turn from shambling zombie to more world war Z zombie or intelligent zombie)
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 07:09:11 PM
What about he's drain life power, I though a combination of enfeeble and regenerate/warp strength. Any help with that would be great.
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: Lord Borak on November 09, 2016, 07:59:08 PM
I'd probably give him a decent Sg. He might be nuts but he's not stupid. I can't remember if he was just a slummer or a noble and the description doesn't go into his life before he fled into the underhive so you'll just have to choose something appropriate. I'd go for somewhere between the high 50's and low 70's depending on his education prior to 'legging it' to the underhive.

Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: greenstuff_gav on November 09, 2016, 08:55:36 PM
for Lachesis i used "Walking Dead" single peice plastics:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0014XR1YK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

couldn't add much to the rules discussion as i've always used the same rules for my NPCs and Zombies!
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: MarcoSkoll on November 09, 2016, 09:56:14 PM
Quote from: Cortez on November 09, 2016, 10:01:57 AMHmm, the Lachesis affair (http://www.mediafire.com/file/0r2sohn6g55vs0y/The+Lachesis+Affair.zip) had zombies in one of the finales.
Actually, it had zombies in two of the finales. :P

I modified the rules a bit from the version Gav first sent me (for those who weren't there, Greenstuff_Gav and I co-organised the event). Originally, they were somewhat more damage resistant and had nastier contamination rules, but I thought they needed to be a little more expendable given the numbers they could potentially appear in.

Quote from: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 07:09:11 PM
What about he's drain life power, I though a combination of enfeeble and regenerate/warp strength. Any help with that would be great.
A power that has all those effects would call for a massive Difficulty. You may have to go for something a little less dramatic - he's a fairly powerful character in the Necromunda rules, which would be a bit of a balance issue to try and exactly replicate.

I'd probably go with a combination of Vampirism/Regeneration as the rulebook suggests for... well actually more or less this kind of thing.
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: 0604854 on November 10, 2016, 08:30:09 AM
Quote from: MarcoSkoll on November 09, 2016, 09:56:14 PM
Quote from: Cortez on November 09, 2016, 10:01:57 AMHmm, the Lachesis affair (http://www.mediafire.com/file/0r2sohn6g55vs0y/The+Lachesis+Affair.zip) had zombies in one of the finales.
Actually, it had zombies in two of the finales. :P

I modified the rules a bit from the version Gav first sent me (for those who weren't there, Greenstuff_Gav and I co-organised the event). Originally, they were somewhat more damage resistant and had nastier contamination rules, but I thought they needed to be a little more expendable given the numbers they could potentially appear in.

Quote from: 0604854 on November 09, 2016, 07:09:11 PM
What about he's drain life power, I though a combination of enfeeble and regenerate/warp strength. Any help with that would be great.
A power that has all those effects would call for a massive Difficulty. You may have to go for something a little less dramatic - he's a fairly powerful character in the Necromunda rules, which would be a bit of a balance issue to try and exactly replicate.

I'd probably go with a combination of Vampirism/Regeneration as the rulebook suggests for... well actually more or less this kind of thing.

I think that the culexus assassin life drain power could be a decent start for the life drain power, possibly mixed with the enfeeble power (and giving the option to heal or to give a temporary strength boost but not both at the same time)

One of the things he can do according to the background is give the Zombies some of their faculties back and that's something else I am going to ponder.

When I have a draft of the rules I will post them here and everyone can have a look.
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: 0604854 on November 10, 2016, 10:50:30 AM
I have found this which features Karloth's disciple:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2UlYzr-QKsVUpCcllTZUxyRjg/view?usp=sharing

Please not this is in CBR format so you will have to convert or get a comic reader

It would seem from this that an alternative use for soul drain would be raising the dead! I think this could easily be used summon additional zombies or if there is a big giant rat corpse (read the comic), summon it.

Perhaps the soul drain power would give Karloth soul tokens which he could then spend on various effects, some would be more expensive than others (similar to the beastmaster spider tokens).
Title: Re: Karloth Valois - Plague Zombies
Post by: TallulahBelle on November 15, 2016, 02:06:37 AM
How about a psychic power like this, I know its not great because it uses an out of sequence decision but....

'touch of unlife'

Rather than  rolling for actions for his own use Karloth can take a psychic test,if successful he may allocate one or more of his successful actions to 1-2 zombies within LOS. The affected zombies can act outside of their normal restrictions for actions taken this turn. While using this power Karloth carries a 20% awareness penalty for actions occurring around him and may not use actions not allocated to a zombie to aim or shoot.

If the test is failed Karloth loses D3 actions withdrawling his psychic essence from the zombies, in addition for that turn he has a 40% awareness penalty and may not parry the first attack made upon him that turn and may not counter attack at all due to his lack of focus and sluggish reflexes and must not move with his remaining actions.