The Conclave

The Ordos Majoris - Hobby, Painting and Modelling => Inquisitor Game Discussion => Topic started by: duffybear1988 on January 05, 2017, 02:27:32 PM

Title: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: duffybear1988 on January 05, 2017, 02:27:32 PM
Hello, I'm back after a 5 year hiatus and would like some general feedback on stats and equipment etc.  It's been quite a while since I last made a new character and would appreciate some help to ensure I don't make some uber monster that'll be horrible to play against.  I'm still working on names and back story but here's a rough idea.


Female Ordo Sicarius Inquisitor
Equipment: needle rifle with motion predictor scope and bloodfire toxin rounds, 2 bloodfire toxin reloads, rebreather, micro bead, shock maul, psychon inhaler with 3 doses.
Abilities: leader, stealthy, dodge.
Psychic Powers: telepathy, mind scan, distraction, embolden.
Right handed.

WS   BS  S     T    I   Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld
61   69  48  59  77  73    69   72   70

About: Raised on Tanith as the illegitimate daughter of a local noble's son and a court musician, she grew up away from court life, spending her early years in the sprawling country estate of her grandmother who doted on her. Knowing that she could never inherit, her time was spent reading in the vast library and accompanying her grandmother's militia as they patrolled and hunted criminals and beasts in the wild woods and farmlands to the east, learning to hunt, shoot and command.  In these early years as a teenager it was clear that if she continued along this path then she was destined to one day be captain of the militia, there was even talk of a commission in the Imperial Navy or the Guard, should another regiment be formed.

These plans were cut short when a few months after her 17th birthday, her family's estate was assaulted by a killer who slashed her way through the guardsmen on duty and made short work of the servants who tried to intervene.  Finally invading the bed chamber of the noblewoman the assassin struck once and ended the old dears' life and attempted to escape.  In a rage the girl led her remaining men into the woods, driven by hatred and a scratching inside her skull which somehow led her on towards her prey.  When they finally caught up to the assassin the battle had already taken place and an Inquisitor stood victorious over the unnaturally decomposing corpse of the dead Callidus.  She was quickly overcome by a psychic attack and passed out and the men with her were killed by other agents of the Throne that they had missed in their pursuit of the assassin.

When she awoke it was explained that her entire family were dead at the hands of a rogue cell of assassins working for the enemy of mankind and she had been 'rescued' by the Inquisition to live on in service to the Throne.  Thus she began years of training as an operative and later Inquisitor for the Ordo Sicarius. 

As an Inquisitor she prefers to remain in the shadows dealing death with her needle rifle or playing mind games and tricks on her enemies, forcing them to reveal their hands too early.  She's a keen interrogator and can rip the information she needs from the minds of captives, caring little if they are killed or injured in the process.  Her most recent mission has been the investigation and recovery of stolen assassins equipment and artifacts from the temple shrine of the Eversor on the deathworld LV767.88.


Agent/Rogue Trader
Equipment: 2 duelling pistols, 12 extra rounds, power sword, carapace armour, on chest, abdomen, groin and legs, flak armour on arms, average bionic eye, average bionic ear with built in micro bead, flashlight.
Abilities: gunfighter, first strike, heroic.
Right handed.

WS  BS  S    T     I    Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld
66  65  56  63  61   60    57   65   62

About: Used to work aboard an armed freighter hauling goods and materials between worlds. He was a junior officer and not particularly well liked by the men as he tended to shoot his mouth off and cheat at cards.  This led to an altercation which saw him beaten and dumped by the crew, who also accidentally killed the captain when he intervened.  He was arrested for the crime and was in the process of being sentenced by the local Arbites judge when a bomb went off, killing security officers and giving him a means of escape.  Whilst running away he encountered a battle between two different groups of enforcers and a third party who were only attacking one of the security forces.  He got caught up in the fighting and ended up alongside the third party who identified themselves as the Inquisition.  Realising that to run was instant death he assisted them with fighting the rogue Arbites, who were later revealed to be members of a Chaos cult.

He was recruited by the Inquisitor and has remained with her ever since. His loud and proud rogue trader act has become a useful tool for negotiating and hiding their real agenda.


Agent/Techpriest
Equipment: 2 average bionic legs, 2 average bionic arms, bionic head (2 points of armour), heavy robes on all locations (2 points of armour), 2 advanced bionic eyes with range finders, MIU linked shoulder mounted stubber loaded with man stopper rounds, armoured gauntlet with built in digi-hand flamer, micro bead, rebreather, mechadendrites, hook and chain (counts as a bolas with range A that can also be used as a flail in combat).
Abilities: rock steady aim, mechanically minded.
Ambidextrous.

WS   BS   S     T     I   Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld
57   64  100  59  56  55   78   59   57

About: A reclaimer who was recruited after he tried to sell them ancient recovered artifacts as part of a sting operation that they were undertaking to catch a magos biologis who had been experimenting with combat drugs.  He's shady and knows how to source rare equipment.  In reality he has no choice but to serve as the truth about his black market trading would see him as scrap metal if ever reported to his superiors on Mars.  The Inquisitor turns a blind eye to much of his work, seeing it as a necessary evil to ensure that they are well supplied and that information keeps coming their way.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: realitybytes16 on January 05, 2017, 03:04:12 PM
Since I have only the most rudimentary knowledge of rules and have never actually had the chance to play Inquisitor, I can't comment much on the stats, but the background certainly seems cool. I like the idea of a rogue cell of the Assassinorum (some interesting story threads to be tugged there), and it's really interesting how you've juxtaposed the methods of the Inquisitrix an the Rogue Trader (she works in the shadows, and he's a loud mouthy bugger ^^).

Cool stuff man, any chance you know what models you plan to use to bring these guys to life?
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: duffybear1988 on January 05, 2017, 04:02:56 PM
Thanks.

The techpriest is based on Delphan Gruss with some weapon swaps and a bit of converting.

The rogue trader uses the arbites judge body, eldar ranger bare head and arms with sword.  The pistols are warhammer empire pistolier pistols in holsters.

The inquisitor will be based on one of the death cult assassins with the eldar ranger hooded head, arms and sniper rifle.  I plan to sculpt a sort of small camo jacket so that the hooded head, sleeved arms and the tight body suit don't look so out of place together.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: Lord Borak on January 05, 2017, 11:33:39 PM
They all look fairly standard and I'd have no issues playing against them. You may find the tech priest is very boring to use though. Speed 3 means for a slow character who doesn't add much to the game. I only really use speed 3 for NPCs or hulking mutants before the combat drugs kick in.

One question though, why was she spared by the Inquisition? There must have been a pretty good reason.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: mcjomar on January 06, 2017, 08:52:14 AM
I'm guessing this character is for use early/mid 41st millennium (or before) or is fantastically old - being from Tanith, which was destroyed early/mid 41st, given that Heldane (from Eisenhorn) turns up in book 1 of the Ghosts novels (the git).
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: duffybear1988 on January 06, 2017, 08:57:11 AM
Thanks, I have upped the initiative a bit.

The rogue assassin that attacked her family wasn't really working for the archenemy. Her handler was accepting contracts on the side for money and power and as far as the Callidus knew she was carrying out a regular mission.  The Inquisition had received word of this and had been tracking assassinations on Tanith for weeks, inserting agents acting as household staff in many of the great households across the planet.  It turned out that one of the noble houses had paid the Callidus to assassinate the leaders of one of the political factions so that they could seize control of the grox trade unopposed.

The agent who had been placed at the old matriarchs summer house was a favoured member of the Inquisitor's team acting as an old servant.  The old man had been there when she fought against the assassin and had watched her strike a blow against the trained warrior, something that few others her age would have been able to do.  She had even managed to survive the return blow, only being knocked unconscious for a few minutes.

When she set off to hunt down the assassin her fledgling psychic powers were coming to the fore. Unable to control them and unaware that she was doing it, she was projecting her rage to the nearby militia and it was this which drove them on during the hunt.  By now the agent had notified the Inquisitor that they were in pursuit and that she was psychically active.  The tug that the girl felt which guided her onward was in fact the inquisitor manipulating her to the final meeting place.  Even if he couldn't recruit her he still couldn't let a rogue psyker live unchecked.  When they eventually met he planned to have them all killed, preferring to deal with her psychically whilst his team dealt with the soldiers.  He stripped her mind bare but could find no taint, only a desire for justice and to prove herself.  With the testimony of the old agent and his own psychically attained information he decided that she could prove herself by serving the Ordo as an operative.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: duffybear1988 on January 06, 2017, 08:59:26 AM
Quote from: mcjomar on January 06, 2017, 08:52:14 AM
I'm guessing this character is for use early/mid 41st millennium (or before) or is fantastically old - being from Tanith, which was destroyed early/mid 41st, given that Heldane (from Eisenhorn) turns up in book 1 of the Ghosts novels (the git).

Yes, she's old and for use in the early period.  Tanith is destroyed about 5 years after she is recruited.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: realitybytes16 on January 06, 2017, 11:59:59 AM
QuoteI'm guessing this character is for use early/mid 41st millennium (or before) or is fantastically old - being from Tanith, which was destroyed early/mid 41st, given that Heldane (from Eisenhorn) turns up in book 1 of the Ghosts novels (the git)

Heldane turns up in Ghosts? I hated that guy! In the best way possible! Man I need to read those books... There's actually a converted 54mm Gaunt's Ghosts warband for sale on Ebay, but I think the person selling it was slightly optimistic in asking for £200 for five models, even if they do look cool.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: mcjomar on January 06, 2017, 06:08:44 PM
Yeah, I saw that squad.
And yes, he appears in the very first Ghosts novel - I won't say more than that though.  ;D
Get the thick omnibus type books if possible for the best deal on the stories.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: duffybear1988 on January 08, 2017, 10:47:50 PM
Yes I saw those on eBay as well.

I'm thinking of giving the techpriest a familiar/servitor. I've got the old familiar somewhere and he's a little more teched up than the original one. I was thinking about making him some sort of walking auspex with a built in shield projector for use when deals go south or cover is blown. I remember reading about a shield generator that drained life force in an old article so that could be one possibility.
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: realitybytes16 on January 08, 2017, 11:55:48 PM
That sounds cool!

Are you going to convert the familiar further to accommodate the auspex/shield?
Title: Re: Help with my new warband - Ordo Sicarius
Post by: MarcoSkoll on January 09, 2017, 06:34:30 PM
Inquisitor
If I'm honest, the concept feels a bit contrived.

Putting aside my opinion that statistically very few characters should hail from the more famous worlds in the Imperium, she's a fairly powerful psyker who accidentally runs into both a temple assassin and an Inquisitor (at the same time, no less). Each of these three things on their own is a fairly long shot (probably all in the vicinity of a million to one or more). Now, while the Callidus and Inquisition are linked and thus make reasonable sense in combination, her being a psyker too...

... that doesn't feel much like it ties into the rest of it. It doesn't seem to be particular importance to the background - the Inquisitor could quite reasonably have decided to subdue her for reasons other than her being a psyker (for example, he might have wanted to interrogate a potential witness as part of his investigation), and the guardsmen could easily simply have been driven on by more mundane means - their own dedication to the grandmother, the desire to keep their job after such a colossal security foul-up, etc.

A decent rule of thumb is that normally a character should only have one central conceit, one underlying assumption that requires the audience to suspend their disbelief. To me, this character feels like she's got two.

It is possible to include all the various elements, but I'd have them happen a different way around. Her psychic powers emerge first, she's taken by the Adeptus Astra Telepathica's Black Ships, is recruited from the AAT into the Inquisition (her above average education and martial skill would make her something of a natural candidate)... and then while she's an apprentice, the assassination happens. Either her Inquisitor investigates, or she petitions to be transferred to the Inquisitor who is investigating (some acolytes do change masters), and that sets her up for joining the Sicarius down the line.

That avoids having quite the same three coincidence pile-up, by having each event play some part in setting up the later stages.

Rogue Trader
Similarly to above, his recruitment seems to be very accidental, and I feel that's got to be fairly rare for the Inquisition. Yes, it can and does happen, but the Inquisition have mandate to recruit anyone, and picking a bloke you ran into on the street is hardly the best way to get good agents.

If an Inquisitor needs a soldier, they can pull out the sector's military records, recruit twenty highly decorated soldiers with sterling records, throw them all into low ranking agent cells, see which of them really have what it takes, then pick only the very best for their personal retinue.
Alternatively, they might second a local arbitrator for their knowledge of the area, then over the course of the investigation find the Arbitrator has particularly proven themselves and keep them on.

In such a case, the Inquisitor is deliberately picking and testing their agents before taking them on permanently. Comparatively, "bump whoops you're hired" is a very illogical approach, and I feel such cases need a lot more explanation about why the Inquisitor was so immediately impressed (ideally without resorting to the clichés like "rescued the Inquisitor just in the nick of time", which appeared in so many early Inquisitor backgrounds that you could set your watch to it).

So, what is it that meant that this uncouth gambler suddenly impressed an Inquisitor (and remember, Inquisitors have seen a lot in their lives)?

Profile-wise, the Heroic ability seems a bit off for a character whose background involves losing a gambling brawl, running away when he thinks he can get away with it, and then only sticking around when he realises he can't get away with legging it.

Techpriest
At least as it is here phrased, it feels like another rather "accidental" recruitment. I wonder if it could be reframed such that the Inquisitor had specifically targeted him as a possible "in" for her investigation - someone she knew she could get leverage on and therefore use.

Equipment-wise, I would avoid including bionic arms in the character's base strength - things like the character's knockback value and jumping distances won't use the strength of their arms.
Other than that, the MIU stubber feels a little odd - a bizarrely low tech weapon for the system it's connected to. A laspistol or lascarbine would feel more appropriate (and your hearing won't suffer in quite the same way as firing a stub-gun next to your ear).