I have been working on the stats for my latest character, a with hunter. He has some good abilities and a couple of his stats are quite high but this will be justified in his background. His equipment is also quite basic, apart from the grenades, which both fits with my idea of the character and also, in my opinion, balances the stats.
With regard to his background, I have written it, but its a tad to long at the moment. I am still in the process of cutting it down. Will update this thread with it once its done.
So, let me know what you think!
Witch Hunter Theron Angelis
ws:56 bs:60 s:52 t:54 i:62 wp:71 sg:62 nv:75 ld:59
Equipment:
naval pistol
knuckle dusters
spring brace mounted knife with wither toxin
flak armour on chest, abdomen and groin
shock collar
2 bio-haywire grenades
advanced bionic eyes incorperating psi-tracker
Abilities:
iron will
nerves of steel
Hmmm... Interesting. Definitely gives an impression already of a brawler, a dirty fighter... But, as is standard, I would question Nerves of Steel. He never dives for cover? Hmmm... Iron Will is very fitting for a witch hunter though.
Thats the sort of direction I was going for. He is not a swordsman or fighter, but he has been in his fair share of fights and can give as good as he gets.
I know nerves of steel is questionable, and he is only one of two of my characters (and there are quite a few) who has it. The other has it more due to an invincibility complex. I have given it to Theron to represent his absolute dedication to his mission. He is the sort of person who gets the job done as quickly and in the most simplest way possible. Ducking for cover just to protect his own life would not occur to him, it simply detracts from the mission, if he dies, he dies, dies serving the emperor. For him, there is no more fitting a death.
I wouldn't call his stats high, but without any background then it's impossible to say whether they're high. Also, every group plays at a slightly different level, so it would be helpful if you could put him in context so we can assess him properly - maybe describe the 'power level' of the people you play against or post statlines of some other characters so we can see how he compares.
Now that's a stat line I can get to grips with.
I surmise thought hat he is some sort of bounty hunter or Inquisitorial agent, and not a member of the inquisition himself. I judge this from the low Ld, the Sg that, while not low per se, is below average for an Inquisitor His combat power might be up there with some inquisitors, but mostly not the front lines types.
His kit though, seems mismatched. I wouldn't have expected a simple bounty hunter to be able to get hold of advanced bionics or a psytracker, but if he were an agent of the inquisition I'd have trhought he'd rate for some snazier combat gear, a shotgun perhaps, with a collection of shells for lethal, non lethal and very lethal take downs. Maybe a grenade launcher with bio-haywire shells, besides some frags. Or a lasgun with under barrel webber might suit him. He might get some special ammo for his hand cannon too, or any spare ammo at all.
Sorry for the late response, I did type out a reply this morning but for some reason my session timed out and I lost it. Oh well, I found a few minutes to start again now.
@Kaled
I will give you a brief summary of his background. He was an Ensign aboard a Gothic class cruiser which had been requisitioned by an Inquisitor who was hunting a rogue psyker. Somehow the psyker managed to get on board the cruiser, almost destroyed the ship and killed most of its crew etc. By some miracle Theron managed to kill her, but was heavily wounded and lost both his eyes. Basically, to reward him the inquisitor saved his life and gave him bionic eyes. Theron now dedicates his life to hunting psyers. Over time he has become competent, learning many ways to fight them and gathering equipment to aid him. The stats represent him as he is now, a very capable witch hunter.
We try not to have overly powered stats in my gaming group (if you can call 2 people a group!). Stats in the 50's is quite normal, 60's representing being quite competent at a skill, 70's is way above average, and 80+ is very rare.
When I say the stats may be too high I refer more to the mental stats than the physical ones. The combination of Iron Will and high WP, and likewise with Nerves of Steel and high NV. I think they are justified but just wanted to check.
@Inquisitor Cade
Your summary sounds about right. He is pretty much a bounty hunter, who works both off his own back and for Inquisitors or anyone who wants a psyker taking care of.
His background should explain his bionics, but the rest of the kit is supposed to be basic. He only carries the bare minimum he needs. A gun, a weapon, a shock collar, and a couple of grenades, that's all he needs to do the job.
Hope that helps clear up some of the problems.
Hmmm... I think several steps need to be put between him meeting an Inquisitor and getting eyes as a mark of gratitude. Its a bit sudden.
Dont worry, its not sudden, if I put all the details in then it wouldnt be a summary lol :P
any other comments?
Bio-haywire grenades are a long way off standard - I'd think frag would fit better with the feel of the character anyway. The statline is a good balanced one, and combines with the kit to give the impression of a brawler, as DapperAnarchist observes. Even witchhunters are human though, and I'd reserve nerves of steel for characters that simply don't react in the normal fashion to being shot at.
Bionics aren't that rare for guardsmen, so it would only be a minor favour from an inquisitor to arrange bionic eyes, I think.
You are going to need a good reason for a Ensign to suddenly change jobs. They would normally be patched up by the Imperial Navy and sent back to work (and maybe given a medal).
As other have said Nerves of Steel are normally reserved for things like Servitors. You could make your own version, for example: he never takes a test unless the shot actually hits. This would represent him being fairly fearless, but having enough sense to get out the way when the bullets etc. start hitting home.
He could learn skills, but just go into a bit more depth especially with the Iron Will ability.
Myriad suggests a Frag grenade, but I think for a dedicated psyker hunter a psk-out grenade would be quite cool and very fitting.
Have you got a picture of the model, it might allow people to suggest better ideas.
For his stats I would be tempted to raise his WS slightly, and his S and T (not much however by ~5 only).
Please post up his full background, I like the idea for this character.
Sorry for taking so long, not had much time to work on the background. Its still a WIP as im not happy with it yet, but the main idea is there.
Let me know what you think.
************
Theron Angelis first encountered the Wych aboard the Arjuna, a Gothic class cruiser on which he served as an Ensign. The ship had been requisitioned by Inquisitor Volos to aid in the hunt of the rogue psyker, Taika. As the Inquisitor closed in on his quarry, all signs led to the small hive world of Cartis. Taking a small transport ship, the Inquisitor and his retinue made planet fall.
As soon as the Inquisitors transport was out of communication range Taika made her move. Teleporting directly onto the bridge she took the crew unaware. Before they could draw their weapons a wild tempest surged up around her. Bolts of lightning swirled around her, turning flesh to dust and tearing through bulkheads. As the psychic storm grew in power the very hull of the Arjuna began to twist and groan under the pressure building up inside of her. One by one decks were lost as Taika slowly tore the Arjuna to pieces. As the hull integrity reached critical the remaining crew took up arms against the psyker. They slowly approached the heart of the storm, traversing what was left of the ships corridors.
Taika knew they were there even before they laid eyes on her. She turned her gaze upon crewmen as the storm, answering an unspoken command, intensified around them. Psychic bolts rained down upon them, bringing death to everything they touched. Theron dove into cover as the platform above him collapsed. He dodged the falling debris but was hit by a support him, knocking him to the ground, his naval pistol slipping from his grasp. He dragged himself towards his firearm, blood streaming down his face. As he laid his fingers on the grip of the pistol Taika rose but a finger and a stream of lighting leapt into Theron's eyes. Pain surged around his body as his eyes melted in their sockets. Knowing all was lost he put his faith in the Emperor, with his last ounce of energy he raised his pistol and squeezed the trigger, "Die Wych". The bullet flew effortlessly through the storm and struck Taika directly on her temple. In an instant the maelstrom fell silent as her body slumped to the ground and Theron slipped into unconsciousness.
Over the weeks that followed, Theron was given just enough medical treatment to keep him alive. A voice from the darkness questioned him relentlessly as searing pain was alternated with an uneasy numbness. As the sole survivor of the catastrophe aboard the Arjuna, Inquisitor Volos had great interest in the events leading to Taika's death. Months passed as the Inquisitor used all the methods at his disposal to get to the truth. He eventually accepted what Theron had told him, but how a simple Ensign could take down such a powerful psyker, he did not understand.
Theron woke many days later. As he surveyed his surroundings it took him a few moments to realise he could see, though his vision was somewhat granular. He was chained to a chair in a small, cold cell. He could make out the shape of a figure in the corner of the cell. He strained to make out a face as the shroud of shadows receded and the figure burst in to focus. It was Inquisitor Volos. "It may take some time to adjust to your new eyes. I have a task for you."
Over the next few years Inquisitor Volos had tested him Incessantly. Shaping him into yet another weapon in his arsenal against the psyker. Whether it had been by pure luck, as with Taika, or some innate skill, Theron passed each and every task Volos had set for him. He became a key member of Inquisitor Volos' warband, aiding in the death or capture of many a rogue psyker. He was a highly skilled Wych hunter, and with the equipment the Inquisition gave him access to he was able to track and detain even the most powerful psykers, Theron made himself quite a reputation. This worked to his advantage when Inquisitor Volos was killed by one of his targets.
Since Inquisitor Volos' death, Theron has worked as a bounty hunter, a Wych hunter for hire. Working of his own back, for an Inquistor, or anyone who needs a psyker dealt with.
I would be tempted to add some more anti psyker equipment, look in; Lectures On The Wych – pt2
These would be about right:
Litanies of Spite (Exotic): Any psyker wishing to target a character with Litanies of Spite must re-roll their willpower test to cast the power. (Tattoos, cool for a model and fitting for a witch hunter)
Black Charter (Exotic): Psychic characters treat characters that are bearing a Black Charter as if they had the ability "Fearsome". Inquisitors ignore this effect.
Is going to work for the Black Ships? Does he hate/loath psykers (if so all of them or just unsanctioned ones [does he kill them on sight or capture them for the black ships])? How did he see the rogue psyker when he was blind? Does he have standards for who he works for (e.g. illegal cartels that want a psyker caught)? I'd change his starting position to something like chief security officer (just to give him that bit more psychical military background). The response of the crew to the psyker would be fairly immediate, "she's tearing the ship apart send in the stormtroopers".
The character seems pretty balanced to me.
Again, the only quibble I can think of is with nerves of Steel- that skill (IIRC) represents a character who will never take cover, ever. They could be shelling him with artillary, and he won't get into a trench. IE, a character with no thought of preserving his own life. THe 'dirty fighter' image I'm getting wouldn't do that... perhaps dodge to represent him diving out of the way of bullets might fit better?
Bio-haywire grenades fit the character, but if he can get them he can probably also get psyk-out grenades.
That puts him as answering directly to, and more importantly being sponsored and equipped by and Inquisitor, so I still think that he should have somthing a bit shinyer. I gave some examples above.
If not then at least he would surely carrly some extra ammo for his pistol, potentially even special purpose ammo.
what do you think about giving him a soul net? it would fit in with his witch hunting and could be launched from a net gun which would make for an interesting model. a one shot weapon that could incapacitate his target so he can get close enough to put the shock collar on would be very useful in his line of work.
i agree with either litanies of spite or some other sort of psychic ward to aid him in his hunts.
Sorry about the late reply.
I did look into giving him more equipment such as litanies of spite, black charter, some fancy weapons etc (I didnt look at the soul net but did consider the shock net) but as he was supposed do be a semi-low level character I didnt want to load him out with a load of kit that would over power him. I dont want him to be able to kill any pyker easily, it should be a challenge for him.
@Kasthan: He does hate psykers, all of them, rogue and sanctioned, I do need to emphasize this more in his fluff. He will work for anyone who wants a psyer killing or captured, unless they want them captured to make use of their powers. As to how he saw the psyker, it was pure miraculous luck. I was thinking of giving him some kind of rule to represent this, but I think it will be best to just include it in the way he plays, attempting even the most impossible things. I dont want him to start at a high rank. Like I said, he is not a powerful character, the stormtroopers would have been sent in, but would have been killed, there was no need to mention this as it adds nothing to Theron's background.
@Vladimir: Perhaps I can use a version of nerves of steel which only applies against psyker characters!
@Inquisitor Cade: He will only be answering to an Inquisitor if thats who has hired him. Even so, that doesnt mean he is forced to stock up on overpowered equipment. He will most likely have extra ammo, thats just an oversight on my part. Didnt think about it at the time.
@Radu Lykan: As I said above, I did consider a net of sorts, but didnt want to over power him. But having left him for a while, and coming back to him, I feel he needs another gun, so maybe a net, and some form of close combat weapon. Perhaps dropping the nuckle dusters and giving him some basic sword or something.
I am still not sure on litanies or similar though, Im not sure if this would make him too strong, especially if combined with something like a soul net.
Thanks for the comments :)
i dont think he will be overpowered, it just makes sense that if you are going up against psykers that you have a reliable defence and way of taking them down before they melt your brain.
if you make the net gun a one shot weapon i.e cant be reloaded in game and the soul net needs retrieving each time it is used (imagine you cant pick these up at the local corner shop) and give him wards of some kind he is good to go.
the knuckle dusters give character, too many people have swords in this game! :)
as long as he has a knife, naval pistol (to be used as a club) and knuckle dusters then he comes across as a dirty fighter, it might be fun to make a rule to represent his unorthodox skills, perhaps a bonus to hit the groin? :)
lol he is not quite THAT unorthodox! Will see how he plays in combat, I do like how he is kitted out, hence why I gave him the dusters and knife. Will think on the net/litanies. I think the naval pistol is enough fire power, especially if he has extra ammo or special ammo. A soul net is quite fitting, and out of the other bit litanies does sound the best fit for his character.
What are you're thoughts for the model? I recon the rifle/shotgun in sheath from the bounty hunter model would suit him. A shotgun, a long rifle, a lasgun or even a grenade launcher are readily available to most imperial citizens, although ammo for the latter would be limited. I don't think any of these would over power him (again, assuming he has no more than 3-4 grenades), he would be outmatched by veteran guardsman or any acolyte of the Inquisition.
I think a shotgun might fit the character quite well - shotguns are fairly brutal and low-tech - they fire clusters of bits of metal at people in a burst, have a high recoil and are fairly basic (although of course it depends on the type of shotgun) - overall I would say that sounds pretty brutal to me! A double barrelled shotgun, or even a sawnoff would seem to fit the bill best IMO. Still, this is just a suggestion for if you were going to go down that route - he's your own character, I'm just throwing my opinion in for your consideration.
Still, I like the character, it's a great concept, although I get the sense he'd only really be working with puritans rather than radicals (if with an inquisitor at all), due to what you were saying about him not wanting the psykers to live, hating even sanctioned psykers etc...
I have only thought about the model a little. I looked through both mine and Radu's bits boxes and couldnt really find anyting that I liked for him. I have an image in my head of what I want him to look like, just need to work out how to make it happen.
I dont really want to give him a shotgun. I know it would not over power him but it just doesnt fit my idea of his character. A shotgun is powerful, one shot and the enemy could dead. All his weapons, a pistol, shock collar and the knife with wither, all hints at giving a slow death. I think he would make the psyker suffer a bit before killing him. Shotgun is too easy.
Having thought about it, I think a soul net would be a good idea, and maybe some version of the litanies of spite (maybe a slightly less powerful version). I think I will stick with just the naval pistol though, but may give him some special ammo aswell.
Quote from: horuswaspretty on March 27, 2010, 10:38:50 PMI know it would not over power him but it just doesnt fit my idea of his character. All his weapons hint at giving a slow death. I think he would make the psyker suffer a bit before killing him.
What happens if he encounters a witch who's far too powerful for him to "torture slowly to death" and which has to be killed before it kills him?
Also, psykers can become possessed or serve as gateways for the denizens of the warp (all the more likely if it's a rogue psyker, and that's exactly what he'll chase most of the time) - any Witch-hunter worth his salt would at least know rumours to that effect, and probably even (slightly) more solid facts.
Sure, a twisted Witch-hunter who tortures his foes is a perfectly valid idea, but his Sg implies he's an intelligent and educated guy... he'll know these things. Would he
really be without a contingency plan?
Quote from: MarcoSkoll on March 28, 2010, 02:49:38 AMWhat happens if he encounters a witch who's far too powerful for him to "torture slowly to death" and which has to be killed before it kills him?
Its not about torturing them, just not letting them go easy. There is a big difference between a quick death and torture.
If he encounters a psyker who is that powerful then it is unliely that he will be able to get close enough for a shotgun to be effective. With what he is equipped with can deal with most situations. A powerful psyker = a few shots from the naval pistol, hopefully doing some damage, throw a couple of bio-haywire grenades, reducing the psykers speed and stunning them, then shoot the soul net, removing their powers, then apply shock collar, shock them a few times, game over.
If the psyker is too powerful for that to work, then he should struggle, which is what I wanted. He is not supposed to take on every level of psyker with ease.
Quote from: horuswaspretty on March 28, 2010, 08:08:28 AMIf he encounters a psyker who is that powerful then it is unliely that he will be able to get close enough for a shotgun to be effective.
With slugs, a shotgun can easily be effective out to 100 metres. More if you know what you're doing. But I wasn't necessarily talking about a shotgun - a rifle or carbine would also be appropriate.
I'd at least run with the idea of some special ammunition for his pistol, so he has some form of backup plan. Whether it's explosive ammunition, warded against psykers or whatever, it doesn't really matter, but just some way of increasing his killing power.
QuoteHe is not supposed to take on every level of psyker with ease.
No, he shouldn't be able to, but there's a difference between that and handicapping yourself.
QuotePerhaps dropping the nuckle dusters and giving him some basic sword or something.
Why not have his knucle dusters inscribed with litanies against the dark arts? Could have any effect from doubling damage vs. psychers to having a chance of lighting them on fire (it burns their skin when it touches). Just throwing it out there.
I rather like the character and I think that a soul net would be a great addition. It's both incredibly useful and makes for a good trump card. If he's truly outclassed it gives him that one shot to take down even a more powerful foe but even at that point the weapon is literally hit or miss.
Another thought I'd play with is giving him some kind of special runes that he can place which (when the psycher is in proximity to them) reduces their power. Give them effects similar to a powered down psych-out grenade but their effect only manifests when a psychic power is attempted near them. It's not overly powerful and plays into your character's intelligence (the minnow luring the shark into a trap). There is a certain sadism in having the psycher take themselves out of action by effectively tricking them into giving themselves massive amounts of feedback. Not overly powerful, still takes luck and skill, but would make for interesting and challenging games.
QuoteWhy not have his knucle dusters inscribed with litanies against the dark arts?
I like that idea, consider it seconded.
QuoteA shotgun is powerful, one shot and the enemy could dead.
If I had to be shot I'd rather it was by 12 gaugue buckshot from a shotgun than a .44 magnum or equivalently powerful pistol. The shotgun stereotype of video games is quite misleading. Low power lasguns and light assault rifles are less powerful than the naval pistol too. In practice, in Inquisitor, nothing short of a boltgun is at all likely to grant a mercifully quick death. A shotgun could even be loaded with 'bean bag' rounds to reduce an target to a groaning, and more importantly stunned, enemy.
But if you don't think a basic weapon is in his character then who am I to say different. I'm not saying he has to have one, I just think one would suit him, and so provide an argument counter to your reasoning of why you think it wouldn't.
Quote from: Inquisitor Cade on March 29, 2010, 08:26:43 PMIf I had to be shot I'd rather it was by 12 gauge buckshot from a shotgun than a .44 magnum or equivalently powerful pistol.
I really,
really, really wouldn't.
A 2.75" 12 gauge shell loaded with 00 buckshot can put that shot straight through 16" or more of ballistic gel.
.44 Magnum, depending on the bullet design, can do a bit more as far as penetration is concerned - but that may well translate into over-penetration and lost energy.
But the important difference is that there's only one bullet, not 9 to 12 individual pieces of shot. There's over twice the lead in a 12 gauge round, and it's going near as dammit as fast. What that translates to is that in terms of wound trauma, 12 pellet 00 Buck does about 6 times the damage to tissue that a .44 Magnum round can.
While .44 Magnum is not a round I would want to get shot with (but I could say that about almost all firearms), it does not even close to match up to a shotgun as far as lethality, stopping power and internal damage. Very few people who take a centre-mass hit with buckshot will live to tell the tale.
Where buckshot is disadvantaged versus the .44 Magnum is if armour is involved, or at range - although if you're engaging a target who is armoured or who is outside the effective range of buckshot*, you should really be using a rifle, not a pistol.
*But even so, you could improve your odds with the shotgun by using slugs. They've got good range, and the armour piercing variants can go through the side of an armoured personnel carrier.QuoteThe shotgun stereotype of video games is quite misleading.
Yes, but not in the way you think. The effective range of shotguns in video games is usually ridiculously short compared to the real world version - in reality, buckshot should be effective up to around 70 metres (slugs will give you about twice that). You'd be unlikely to find a game where they were up to the job at half that distance.
~~~~~
Anyway, apologies for unleashing the ballistics nerd - but it was the subject at hand.
I stand corrected.
Quote from: Inquisitor Cade on March 29, 2010, 08:26:43 PMIf I had to be shot I'd rather it was by 12 gaugue buckshot from a shotgun than a .44 magnum or equivalently powerful pistol.
Well I have fired a shotgun and I can tell you, I wouldnt like to be on the receiving end of it.
I have updated Therons equipment. How is he looking now?
Equipment:
Naval pistol, 2 reloads, every 3rd bullet man-stopper
Bolas launcher with soul net
Knuckle dusters
Spring brace mounted knife with wither toxin
Flak armour: chest, abdomen, groin
Shock collar
2 Bio-haywire grenades
Advanced bionic eyes incorporating psi-tracker
Litanies of spite
Abilities:
Iron will
Quote from: horuswaspretty on April 02, 2010, 12:13:06 PM
Well I have fired a shotgun and I can tell you, I wouldnt like to be on the receiving end of it.
lol, i remember that, didnt it blow the target off its hooks? :) combat shotgun ftw!
theron looks fine, the only thing i would change is the way the reloads/ammo are written. rather than 2 reloads with every third bullet manstopper just say 8 regular shells and 4 manstopper. this allows for a bit more flexibility when using them in game. if you are being charged by a genestealer then you might want to load (and then unload) all the manstopper shells in one go. or just run.....
looking forward to the updated fluff.
Well any manstoppers in the gun at the start of the game should be specified (although if the naval pistol is a revolver, which I assume it is but don't know the manstopper can be rotated into next in line in a single action. As naval pistol bullets have to be stored loose it the manstopper shells can be loaded in any order.