Quelli Santificati

[GAZKUL]

After a lot of tought i eventually settled on doing a warband of Savlar Chem Dogs,  they have always been my favourite guard regiment and it was an obvious choice. in a game only 3 or 4 would be used at a time naturally. Tell me wht you think please. i will post a couple of pics of the one currently in progress when he is finnished, sorry that there's a lot of stuff.

Savlar Chem Dog squad "Quelli Santificati"  (The Sanctified Ones)

Lieutenant Skozia Nord

Age: 30ish

History: Born into the towering hives of Armageddon Skozia  never knew his family as they perished at the hands of Orks deep in the underhive, pulling himself out of the gutter Skozia proved that he could command immense reserves of courage and endurance. His burning hatred of the greenskins knew no bounds and was adopted by the unit of Chem Dogs  tasked with removing the orks from below, he was scrawny and ill from years of exposure to the denizens of the underhive but there was a gleam of courage in his eyes and soon proved himself to them as a skilled shot with an autogun. The penal legionaries took to him immediately as they respected the savage ferocity with which he killed the greenskins without mercy or pity. On their return to the Dead Dog Moons the system overlooked him and he worked in the mines with his comrades until they were called to war once more. The convicts and scum who worked beside him taught him how to fight and to survive in the toxic mines of their adopted homeworld. He adopted the name and identity of one of the workers who fell to his death deep below in the Black Sands Thyrius mine so when they marched to war the authorites didn't check well enough to uncover the truth and he was accepted without question as the dead man. It was during the fighting on Vrakkus XII he won his freedom  by saving the life of Colonel Van Obervald and like the few who had come before him Joined the Ranks of The Quelli Santificati, the free Chem Dogs.

Appearance: slight of build Skozia is sometimes laughed at by the others who consider him weak. Like the others he is bald with the arrow tattoo of the Savlar over his head, he wears the simple grey fatigues concealing a flack jacket with the white ribbon of the Santificati tied on his arm . He also wears a necklace of Ork teeth around his neck, a souvenir of his first campaign, as with the other Quelli Santificati he has the tattoo of their haloed skull symbol on his right shoulder.

Personality: A proud and aloof man who considers himself better than the other Santificati for being the only one who has never committed a crime but when the bullets start flying he embraces the fires of combat with a vigour equal to the others as he knows for sure that the reason for his existence is to destroy utterly any opposition to them. Like most of the Santificati he has little loyalty to the Emperor but accepts that he is the one who pays them, however his early life in the underhive has left him certain in the belief that humanity must prosper or be destroyed. Off duty he is found brooding about mankind's destiny to rule the Galaxy, rarely talking he usually speaks only to Glaudio as he considers the Captain the only one who is equal to him. His code of honour is unique among the Santificati as he refuses to lower himself to the level of the others.

WS      BS     S       T       I      wp        nv             sg         ld   
40      71      45    52     51    56         55             68        55

Special: Deadeye shot

Wargear: Flack armour on chest and abdomen, Autogun, low Magnum revolver, Chem Inhaler/Rebreather , knife.

-

Captain Glaudio Tauren

Age: Unknown

History:  The first of the Quelli Santificati Glaudio was born on the backwater plant of Solidarus close to Terra which survived by serving as a stop off point for pilgrims heading for Terra, his parents were the owners of a small stall selling food and clothing. On the side they sold illegal stimulants and drugs and his father did occasional runs with the light cargo vessel "Minerva's Wrath" running guns and drugs from Solidarus to the pirate bases in the nearby Thorgrimm asteroid belt. Just after Glaudio turned 18 they were caught and sentenced to hang but the judge took pity on the young man who stood before him and sent him to the mines of Savlar instead for his part in the crimes.  His tough upbringing had prepared him well but the unimaginably harsh environment of the Dead Dog Moons made him wish he had been hung too, however he coped better than others and became noticed by their Arbites overseers. Quickly conscripted into the ranks of the 31st Savlar Regiment he proved his worth across battlefields throughout the sector, on Icarus II he lead his squad into the breach in the wall of the rebel stronghold and the follow up units had to merely execute the wounded rebels left in their wake. In light of his Heroism in the face of insurmountable odds they were granted their freedoms by the higher ups.  Having nowhere else to go they chose to remain in the Chem Dogs as regular Guard rather than Penal Legionaries thus the Quelli Santificati came into being. Glaudio is the only survivor of the original Santificati but he continues to fight for humanity leading his elite team into the most lethal of situations to repent for their sins. Any Chem Dog who chooses to stay in the Guard after being freed usually joins their ranks and they have developed a reputation for being one of the finest infiltration units in the galaxy. While their morals my be different to those of other more honourable units they remain firm in their loyalty to their cause, while other men fight in the name of the Emperor the Santificati fight for Humanity as a race as they have long since lost their faith in the Emperor in the chem. Mines of Savlar. Their uniform differs from that of the Penal Legion only in the addition of a white ribbon to represent the fact that they have been forgiven for their sins, Glaudio himself disapproves of this practice as he believes that there is no such thing as forgiveness, he drills his squad without mercy and then leads them into the gates of hell for humanity. Many inquisitors recognise their abilities and they frequently undertake work for various members of the Inquisition, going to the most nightmarish of Deathworlds on missions which would be considered suicide by anyone but the Astartes and walk away with no casualties taken, the strongholds of the enemy burning in their wake.

Appearance: A man of medium build and indeterminate age Glaudio is not the most imposing figure but his steely glint to his eye show that he is more than capable of keeping even the most rowdy of troopers in line when the bullets start flying. Part of his face is a mess of scar tissue and like his comrades he has the arrow shaped tattoo on his head though in white rather than black as his skin was burned dark by the noxious fumes in the mines many years ago. His Grey fatigues are ripped and insignia less as he chooses to keep his rank secret in order to avoid being an obvious target for enemy snipers. Unlike the other Santificati he dousn't wear the white ribbon due to his pessimistic belief however he douse wear the bulky Savlar Pattern Rebreather which he claims is far superior to the more compact variants of other regiments.

Personality: A pessimist but a brave one, both feared and loved by his subordinates, they know that in spite of his grim outlook their best shot in life is by his side. When not on the battlefield he cleans and maintains his weapons with care rarely seen outside of the Mechanicus, he has a special bond with Skozia who he appreciates for his philosophical mind and the good influence he has over the more rowdy elements of the unit.

WS       BS       S      T      I        wp          nv            sg           ld     
60        56      50      65    51     71           72           60            75

Wargear: Chainsword, High Magnum Revolver with cutter rounds, Flack armour on chest, abdomen, arms, Chem Inhaler/Rebreather.

Special Abilities: Leader
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Corporal Malavita Aumento

Age: late twenties

History: Malavita was a common worker from Mordia, conscripted into the Iron Guard at the age of fifteen he was unexceptional in every way, he was of average strength, not the bravest of men and a bad shot. He was there simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, when his squad was thrown into the Sabbat Worlds Crusade he didn't have a choice. In the fires of war the most unlikely of people are capable of the most extraordinary things but for Malavita this was not the case, while others thrived or died he hid from danger and was eventually sent to Savlar for his cowardice to be introduced to the meaning of the word "suffering". The mines changed him forever. He developed huge slabs of muscle, perhaps due to the affects of the chemicals or maybe down to another factor but whatever happened he became everything he dreamed of becoming. When the Arbites went looking for volunteers for the   Chem Dogs the huge man caught their eyes immediately and he was promptly drafted into the 544th Savlar Regiment. It was during his time that the Savlar Lance began to appear in large quantities on the battlefield, the high velocity rifle instantly appealed to Malavita and after a large amount of begging he managed to get hold of one which he wielded deftly and with skill which far surpassed many of the best in his unit. He began to enjoy life as a soldier and the commanders were quick to spot his skill and it was decided that it could be put to better use behind enemy lines. So it was that Malavita Aumento joined the ranks of the Santificati, since then his record has been exceptional and his skill with a Savlar Lance is second to none.

Appearance: He chooses to wear very little armour as it reminds him of his past in the Iron Guard, the White Ribbon proudly flutters tied to his arm over his scarred and tattooed body. As with the others he wears the heavy Savlar Pattern Rebreather.

Personality: while still not the bravest of the Santificati he is most defiantly braver than he was all those years ago. Frequently on the receiving end of jokes as he is the only one of the Santificati not  to have been recruited following an act of insane heroism Glaudio in particular dislikes him for that and in turn Malavita despises the captain. However he has developed friendships with a number of other troopers who are highly grateful for his covering fire on missions. When not on the battlefront he enjoys playing cards and drinking with the other Santificati who are becoming to accept him as one of them as he is the most recent addition to the unit and has had trouble settling in.

WS       BS      S        T          I         wp           nv         sg          ld
40        73      70      70        40         46            44           54       40

Wargear: Flack armour on arms, Savlar Lance, low magnum revolver, knife, and Rebreather/Chem inhaler.

Special Abilities: deadeye shot

Savlar Lance:  this weapon was developed during the fighting on Vulkan XII when the higher ups realised that the penal legions were lacking a cheap and readily available way of killing heavily armoured foes. The Savlar Lance was the solution, basically a basic bolt action sniper rifle scaled up to fire a devastating large calibre round over an extremely long range. Initially disliked due to its high recoil and weight it was quickly adopted by the penal legions as a cheap and effective alternative to a squad heavy weapon. Rarely seen outside the penal legions due to its low rate of fire it is a huge hit with the Savlar in particular and was named after their harsh adopted homeworld.

Savlar Lance
Range    Acc     Type       Damage     Weight   Shot     Rld   Notes
H            -       Heavy      2D10+4       65            1          1      High Recoil (see complete armoury)

Private First Class Kantaa Harka

Age: twenties

History:  Born on the Feral world of Volkanis Kantaa was the youngest son of a tribal chief known for his love of violence and aggression, during a bloody war between their tribe and another the conflict escalated to such a level that the "civilised" cities on the coast were threatened and an Imperial Guard regiment was founded to quell the uprising. Kantaa saw a great opportunity for a better life and disguising himself as one of the civilised people he appeared at the recruiting office. Presenting a false name to the bored drill sergeant on hand he was accepted without question as they needed all the men they could get. During the Volkanis civil war a young private called Sergai Volgrus was awarded multiple medals for bravery and skill on the battlefield, during the final assault on the stronghold of Targur Harka he fought a final duel against his father. They fought for many hours the end result of which Kantaa pinned his father's lifeless corpse to the floor with his sword and roared a prayer to the Emperor for his success. During the aftermath however his true identity came to light but instead of being executed he was sent to Savlar due to his record during the war. Kantaa quickly adapted to the rugged life of a mine worker and began to feel at home but he missed the violence and constant warfare of his previous life. Luck seemed to favour Kantaa as his wish was soon granted by their Arbites overseers and he was recruited into the 45th Savlar Regiment, it was during the fighting on Gykonis XXIV that he gain recognition as he lead the charge alongside the Space Marines of the Marines Malevolent and was awarded his freedom in recognition of his bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. On leaving the Penal legion he was headhunted by Glaudio and joined the ranks of the Santificati. He hasn't looked back and considers joining them the best decision he ever made.

Appearance: he wears the grey uniform and Rebreather of the other Chem dogs but with a slightly barbaric look to him, his face is covered in injuries from the Volkanis civil warm and his time in the mines. The only thing which makes him different to the other Santificati is his choice of weapons, preferring close range combat to the mid range firefights most of the others enjoy.

Personality: An opportunist, his dirty tactics would be frowned upon in any other regiment but in the Savlar he is nothing unique as almost everyone else does it as honour tends to take a backseat to staying alive when the bullets start flying. In person he comes across as quite a nice person but on the battlefield he is a callus and bloodthirsty individual with a short fuse. When not in the fight he plays cards and drinks with the others, happily uncaring about where they go just as long as there is plenty of violence when they get there.

WS        BS        S        T           I           wp     nv       sg         ld 
75         30       55       65         51          56      54     26         46

Wargear:  Flack armour on chest, abdomen, arms and groin, heavy duty stubber, sword, Chem inhaler/Rebreather

Special Abilities: Furious Assault
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Private Karl Soldi

Age: 50s

History: An experienced and grizzled veteran guardsman from the Cadian 144th regiment Karl was the son of a soldier who was killed fighting the Eldar in the ill fated assault on the Beil Tan craftworld. Karl never met him but like many before him he was adopted by the Whiteshields and proved himself it the bloody campaigns which followed. Eventually rising to the rank of Colonel before his "addiction" was discovered, his career lasted for nearly thirty years before his unhealthy love of combat was brought to light, normally this would be seen as a good thing had not Karl been driven to fighting his allies and taking part in illegal prize fights to satisfy his urge to kill. Due to his rank he was spared the gallows and sent to Savlar to serve in the penal legion and to ensure that his skills were not totally wasted. He quickly adapted to the nightmarish life of a penal legion trooper and it became obvious that rank clearly meant nothing to him, just as long as he could kill. His skill and lust for blood became infamous but it was his calm nature which made him the most feared, in spite of the horrific deeds he douse he never shows anger, only a cold hatred which even the enemy can sense. He was recruited into the Santificati after he slew an ork warboss in close combat on Tersis III, turning the tide of battle in favour of the Savlar. Only Glaudio knows about his past and uses him to instil fear into the enemy and keep the more truculent troopers in line.

Appearance: Karl is a medium sized man who wears the uniform of the Santificati, though he cares little about formalities like uniform he is of a practical mind and sees it merely as a way to avoid friendly fire. His white ribbon is bloodstained and ragged from constant combat and for he most part he ignores any battle damage his uniform receives giving him a distinctly ragged appearance.

Personality: Karl's personality can be summed up in one phrase: not a nice person. He treats his comrades with cold distain and distrust, between conflicts he is found training for battle or sleeping as he believes in recovering as much strength as possible between missions in order to be as efficient as possible on the battlefield. He is not particular about his methods of killing but he prefers the short ranged firefight and close combat to long range firefights favoured by other units.



WS      BS       S     T      I        wp    nv        sg       ld 
68       51       55   65    51      36     68        40       50

Wargear Flack armour on chest, abdomen and groin, Pump action shotgun with solid shot rounds, sword, knife, Rebreather/ Chem inhaler.

Special Abilities: fearsome 

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Private Giacomo Del Aria

Age: 40s

History: A Terran by birth, Giacomo was a street urchin in the litter strewn streets of the lower levels, with not talents for pick pocketing or any of the other  life skills which you need to stay alive in that kind of environment. The shopkeepers often saw the thin and starving boy wandering through the streets in search of food or anything which could be fashioned into clothing to keep out the piercing wind but they had other matters to worry about so they ignored him. By some miracle he managed to survive and begin to gain strength, soon he was fighting with the other homeless for the best sleeping spots and food. He was driven onward by an obsession to win and he challenged the best for what he believed was rightly his, his refusal to accept defeat made him pick himself up and keep fighting no matter how many times he was knocked down and left for dead by his peers. Due to his massive reserves of inner strength he survived childhood and managed to scrounge and steal enough money to buy a small run down shack on the edge of one of the slums where he ran an illegal fighting ring, pitting the best of the local fighters against each other in bloody combat. He frequently rigged the fights and stole money from the various patrons who visited his establishment and it was during a brawl over stolen money he stabbed to death the son of a wealthy mob baron who used his influence to have Giacomo imprisoned to await execution. However the mob baron had underestimated the cunning of Giacomo who gave the judge a bribe to give him a more lenient sentence and he was sent to Savlar instead. He survived the toxic environments of the mines with unnerving skill, quick to learn the techniques required to survive as he had already mastered similar skills back on Terra. His fortitude impressed the Arbites in charge of his work gang and he was quickly offered a place in the 671st Regiment where he served with distinction for over thirty years before he was offered his freedom. Where most men would have taken the first shuttle out in search of a peaceful world to settle down on Giacomo was determined to not be seen as a coward and joined the ranks of the Quelli Santificati to continue to fight.

Appearance: Giacomo wears the uniform of the Santificati but he also carries a umber of lucky charms and amulets which he believes will bring him good luck on the battlefield, his gear is immaculately turned out and his weapons sparkle which causes him to be the most respected by superior officers and the others use him as the units "representative" to the higher ranks.

Personality: An obsessive with competition and one of the best all round fighters in the unit  due to his desire to be better than the best at everything he does, he competes with Kantaa and the other close combat specialists as well as with Malavita and the other ranged specialists. He is fairly unpopular because of his frivolous and petty nature, Glaudio in particular is annoyed by his habits and has often threatened  to discharge him but never has because in spite of his personality he is useful to the unit because of his fighting abilities and his knack for dealing with officers.

WS         BS          S          T           I          wp           nv           sg        ld
60           60         54         65        51        54            52            40       54

Wargear: flack armour on chest, abdomen and groin, Autogun, Sword, low magnum revolver, Rebreather/ Chem inhaler.

-

Private Sangue "Slash" Mutilaire

Age: Unknown

History: A brutal and psychotic killer from the streets of Faukai, the largest hive on the polluted and desolate world of New Dawn on the western edges of the Imperium. An illegitimate son of a local cleric and a prostitute, not knowing who his father was Sangue lived in the slums of the underhive for many years, killing and stealing to stay alive. From his earliest days he had an unhealthy love of blood and his early years were marked by a large number of gory killings, these went unnoticed for years as the goings on in the underhive are rarely noticed by those of high authority. Forever hunting for his father Sangue wandered for years searching for the man who brought him into the world until his violent exploits finally caught up with him. After murdering a preacher with a meat cleaver and leaving the corpse in a bin he turned round to find an enforcer pointing a shotgun at him. Sangue was brought to trial for murder, however luck was on his side and he was only charged with single murder due to insufficient evidence and he was quickly shipped off world for Savlar where he disappeared to live an extraordinarily long life in the mines during which a large number of fellow inmates disappeared but no investigations were carried out. Sangue joined the Chem Dogs by choice as he could kill more people in the Guard than he ever could in the mines, making a small amount of fame for himself for his brutal and mindless aggression displayed towards allies and enemies alike. When Glaudio heard of a blood soaked demon in the ranks of the 56th he quickly persuaded the high command to grant Sangue his freedom and he was recruited into the Santificati.

Appearance: Sangue wears the uniform of the Santificati like his comrades, however it is covered in the dried blood of his foes which he never bothered to clean off. He has pronounced canine teeth which combine with the blood to give him a somewhat demonic appearance.

Personality: Sangue is a classic example of the psychopaths bred by a society like the Imperium, caring little for who he kills just as long as there is plenty of blood. Glaudio knows that he cared little about gaining his freedom but he is a useful member of the squad despite his "little problem". Sangue has a wonderful singing voice which is at odds with his personality and is rarely used as he hardly ever speaks. Sangue is constantly searching for his father and his desire to find him has led the Santificati into a number of embarrassing situations involving the clergy.

WS           BS           S         T          I           wp       nv       sg      ld
81           20            63       65        56         46        65        30     36

Wargear: Flack armour on chest, abdomen, arms and groin, Chem inhaler/ Rebreather, cut throat razor(knife), chainsword, sword.

Special Abilities: Frenzy, ambidextrous

-

Private First Class Toro Martello

Age:  30s

History:  A common street thug from Necromunda, Toro was born to a family which supplied guns to the forces of House Goliath and it was only natural that Toro should become a ganger as well but during a raid on the local Arbites precinct he was wounded and captured, his story would have ended there if it wasn't for his sheer physical endurance. Surviving the wound he was shipped to Savlar along with the other dregs captured in recent weeks, on arriving he was met by the sight of the freshly dug graves of the day's casualties from the mines. Put to work in the infamous Pyre Reach mines he became accustomed to the labour with a speed which surprised his overseers, his already muscly arms bulged as he gained the extra strength required in a matter of days. Due to contamination his face became scarred by the chemicals which seeped into his Rebreather, ever since his vision has been sharper in the dark but weaker in the light of day. This was quickly seen as a great skill to have for night fighting and he was drafted into the 55th Savlar Regiment where he served until he was spotted after his unit managed to infiltrate an enemy artillery position and create enough havoc to allow the rest of the regiment to reach enemy lines virtually intact. In light of this he was granted his freedom and was recruited by the Quelli Santificati.


Appearance: Toro is a large and well built man who towers over his comrades, his grey uniform reasonably well turned out and his heavy Savlar Pattern Mask slung over his shoulders. His eyes are a bright yellow, contrasting against his dark skin.

Personality:  Quite a nice guy overall, he is a little callous at times but other than that he is a friendly and popular member of the squad. Glaudio in particular knows what a usefull asset he is to the unit as his eyes have saved their lives on a number of occasions, one of the few comrades who Glaudio actually likes and Toro can often be seen talking to Glaudio and Skozia when not in combat.

WS       BS         S            T              I             wp            nv        sg        ld
54       52         71          72            51           42              54        48       47

Wargear: Flack armour on chest, legs and arms, Rebreather/ Chem inhaler, Autogun, standard stubber, knife

Special abilities: Vision

Vision- in night fights he counts as wearing night vision goggles however in daylight he is at an additional-30 to all vision based tests




Privates Salazi and Salazus Brakkus

Ages: late 20s

History: Two brothers from the far eastern fringe of Imperial space they were abandoned by their parents at an early age when they claimed to be able to see ghosts, this was thoroughly investigated by local law enforcement before it was decided that it was nothing, and indeed it was however they never mentioned it again. When the Tau began to raid their world most of the men were called away to fight the aliens leaving the two of them behind to their own devices, living ferally in the hills above the settlement they grew up not knowing of love until they were adopted by a local baron. They lived happily for a time in his mansion until it was discovered that he had been the organiser of a large number of lootings of buildings abandoned by the militia as they moved out to fight the Tau and was promptly sent to Savlar leaving them behind. In a cruel twist of fate they were also caught and received the same penalty for the same crime as their adopted father. The mines of Savlar had broken better men and women but they managed to retain their sanity where the ex baron died in a pool of toxic sludge. It was not long after arrival they a new regiment was raised to be sent to the still embattled world of Armageddon, they were among the first to enlist, and desperate to escape the horror of the mines it was an easy choice. Their deeds on the blood soaked plains of the hellish war zone eventually earned them their freedoms after they were the sole survivors of their company who were ambushed by orks, the two brothers managed to hack their way clear and provided intelligence which eventually led to the destruction of an ork warband. Glaudio was among the officers who saw them come in and was instrumental in gaining them their freedoms on the condition that they join the Quelli Santificati.

Appearance: Despite being twins their code of dress is dramatically different, one is neat and tidy while the others uniform is ragged and bloodstained. Neither of them like the Savlar pattern gas mask and both of them have found replacements for theirs from other regiments. Uniquely among the Santificati neither of them use combat drugs to enhance their performance on the battlefield. They are both of medium build and with pale complexions, before they went bald due to the chemicals of the mine they both had long golden hair.


Personalities: Two brothers with contrasting personalities, where Salazi is quiet and thoughtful preferring to kill from a range, Salazus is raucous and barbaric preferring the bloody frenzy of close range fighting. Salazi hates gambling and refuses to drink, he is usually found reading philosophy between fights while his brother is often found playing cards with the others.

Salazi

WS         BS         S        T         I        wp        nv        sg         ld   
45           65       52        54      51       65         52       70          51

Wargear: Rebreather, Bolt action rifle, standard stubber, flack armour on chest and abdomen, knife

Salazus

WS           BS          S          T         I         wp          nv        sg         ld 
65           45          54          52       56       65           65        57        55
Wargear: Flack armour on chest and arms, standard stubber, Rebreather, sword, pump action shotgun with solid slug rounds.

[Flinty]

Wow, you do like the Chem Dogs, thats an impressive number of backgrounds and a suitably variable number of characer types. Couple of very minor quibbles with the backgrounds, not quite sure how Karl Soldi gets to reach the rank of Colonel while being an undetected, part-time serial killer, I'm struggling to believe that one. I'm also not sure how a 40 ish Giacomo Del Aria could manage to put in 30 years of military service after a past as a sucessful fight promter, with toddlers and a play pen maybe  

Without knowing the power level of your gaming group, its dificult to comment on the stats, some of those BS and WS skills are going to make them pretty lethal on the table. Possibly difficult to do but they do all seem to have virtually identical strength and toughness - I appreciate they all train and are members of the same unit, but a little more variation to reflect thier characters maybe?

For example the 50 something old Soldi has identical S and T to Harka who's in his early twenties. Incidentally, I do normally dislike high Sg in combat characters, but Harka's SG of 26 must surely make it difficult for him to tie his shoe laces or recognise which end of the stubber is pointed at who...

Looking forward to seeing any models.

Edit: Ah, forgot that you also mentioned the majority of the unit use combat drugs - are these just generic ''marching powders'' or prescribed medication from the Regimental Surgeon, or more specific stat changing, addictive and possibly illegal?

[GAZKUL]

I used the "conclave standard charcter" to get most of the stats, Harka's low sg was based on the classification of "feral worlder". i've modified some of the numbers according to your suggestions. Karls previous rank has benn reduced to captian, his age was used to indicate that he gained the rank through a long career of exeptional service.

The similar strength and toughness was based on the fact that they have all undergone the hell of the chem mines and have similar social backgrounds.

on the combat drugs issue, they will be a veriety of substaces usually slaught, spur or reflex which can be added to the air mix of the rebreathers as is standard practice among the Savlar to "boost" the fighting abilities of the units.  still working on that part as i am not too sure of how they'd work.

Thanks for the feedback, any more advice would be much appriciated

[MarcoSkoll]

I've only really skim read it, but I have a few things to say...

~~~~

Karl:

Fearsome should only be applied when their opponents can tell from a distance that charging this target is a near suicidal act. Given that this is a universe where scarred, battered or perhaps even self mutilated characters are commonplace, it takes something very special to make you visibly "bad news". (For example, being a Space Marine or Pit Fighter would work.)

Karl is described as a fairly normal looking human and wearing a raggedy looking uniform is hardly fear inspiring, and is practically commonplace amongst the Savlar Chemdogs. He might be a total psychopath who'd as soon kill his allies as his enemies, but only his allies would really know that - his enemies would just see another Chemdog.

In his case, I'd drop fearsome (which is very hard to justify for most human characters), increase his stats, but then have him cause Distrust (see Dark Magenta, Issue 1, page 11) in most of his allies - as it's more likely to be his allies who are scared of him than the enemy!

That would make him quite nicely lethal, but the distrust would be a counter to that, reducing the effectiveness of his allies.

~~~~~

"Slash"

Frenzy... A character who is compelled to charge any opponent they see, regardless of the circumstances, can quite easily mess up whole scenarios, and not in the fun "zany antics" kind of way.
While Frenzy has its uses, it should NEVER be used as a basic ability. It's too much trouble as an "always on" kind of thing. It should be triggered (or cancellable) somehow - for example, in the case of arcoflagellants, they have the pacifier helm that brings them under control.

You never want a character who is always affected by it. And to be honest, I often see Frenzy used when roleplay would be a far better choice. In this case, I think you'd be better roleplaying the frothing maniac.

~~~~~

Statswise, I think you're cheating yourself on the Initiative front. Were they my characters, I'd probably add about 10 points to most of those guys.

~~~~~

Also, no bionics? Not that you have to of course, but in a list of 10 soldier type characters, I'd expect at least a couple to have some repairs (but as they're Chemdogs, probably not GOOD bionics). This is 40k, after all.

[GAZKUL]

will take your advice on Karl, you have a point about the appearence.

on the issue of Slash, i really want somebody who i don't have much controll over, the unpredicatability of frenzy makes it very fun to watch. maybe it's something to do with feilding orks for too long but having people like him always adds another level of tactics to the game.

stats wise based on the average initiative of most of my oppoments they arn't that slow, initiative 51 gives them 4 actions which sin't too shabby at all

Damn!!! i forgot about bionics, though they might gain them during a campaign to represent wounds suffered in previous games.

[MarcoSkoll]

i really want somebody who i don't have much controll over, the unpredicatability of frenzy makes it very fun to watch.

A GM might not find it so amusing. I've used frenzied characters before, even ones with an element of control to them, and it's damn near wrecked a few scenarios (and in some cases, only didn't because the GM stepped in and intervened).
And it doesn't do anything that roleplay can't - well, it would probably give some immunity to attempts to reason with the character, but that can be covered with another rule.

I'd really recommend roleplay as a first resort for that kind of character (as just leaving them entirely to frenzy breaks what I call the "Mindless rule" - characters who you don't - or can't - roleplay should generally be avoided as Inquisitor characters).

Alternatively, a fun one is "GM has control of character, and who should act like a total lunatic". (Yeah, it's the character who should be off their rocker, not the GM). GMs are FAR more unpredictable!
And even if you're a GM/Player, then you're no worse of than the above option.

Final alternative: If you really want him pretty uncontrollable...
Go with something more like an arcoflagellant's rules, so there is at least some control over him (perhaps his superior has him hooked up to some kind of suppression/sedation rig, with some form of remote control thing), then add Simeon 38X's Gathalamor syndrome rules, so there's a chance his suppression/sedation equipment doesn't work properly.
(Or combine GM control and the "Galthalamor" rules. When "crazy", the GM has control. When sedated, the player has command, if of a doped up fool. The player's attempts to retake control might not work though...)

stats wise based on the average initiative of most of my oppoments they arn't that slow, initiative 51 gives them 4 actions which sin't too shabby at all

Spd 4 isn't bad, but it's a very slow Spd 4.

Anybody who counts as an experienced combatant in my collection usually starts at about 60 and up. Low 50s is where I put my "low end" fighters, those with more limited experience or training.
(In my mind, Spd 3 down is the realm of those who aren't expected to fight - savants, untrained NPCs, etc - or those which are slow to react for some reason- servitors for example)

Many of these guys are supposed to be ranking officers (or at least formerly ranking officers), they shouldn't be lumbered with sub-60 Initiative values.

[GAZKUL]

i suppose, i will definately up gun some of them speed wise. on the issue of Slash i'll ditch frenzy and just roleplay in a thuroughly deranged manner with him. is there any rules people have written to represent characters of that frame of mind?

[GAZKUL]

Got inspired to do another one after reading Senior Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis De Bernieres  and struck on the idea of a leper like character.

Name:  Private Lazaro Varn
Age: 30ish

History:  Born on the planet of Anikus V, a planet blessed with large reserves of gold and diamonds and one of the richest planets in the galaxy sitting in contrast to its neibouring system of Savlar. Anikus seems to the outsider like heaven in a war torn galaxy but it hides a vast underclass of poor living in the filthy catacombs beneath its gold plated towers and spires, these are home to the illegitimate children, insurgents, and mutants bred by a society where wealth is everything and blood is nothing. Lazaro was a product of this opulent and heartless planet, the son of a miner who lost his job during the mechanisation of the mines. Driven to living in the catacombs and stealing to stay alive, they didn't last long before they died of starvation. Lazaro survived by eating rats and rubbish which sustained him enough to survive and learn the skills of the thief. Stealing from those better off than him was how he lived until he was caught and swiftly sent to Savlar for his crimes.
On the Dead Dog Moons Lazaro became infected by a disease known as Ungoth Rot which was rife in the mines as a result of inadequate protective clothing, twisting and warping his body into something which was only loosely human Lazaro looked a pitiful sight, hiding his body with a monk style cowl he was feared by the other miners as the disease had previously had a 100% mortality rate. Rumours swiftly grew that he was protected by the Emperor or by something far more sinister, this interested the arbites and after rigorous mental and physical testing for corruption he was deemed pure. It was Judge Kaminski who saw his usefulness to the penal legions and he was drafted into their ranks, where despite expectations he survived and earned his freedom after he saved the life of Inquisitor Rammerstein The Bloodthirsty during the fighting for The Gates of Yellanth, turning down an offer to join the Inquisitor's retinue he joined the ranks of the Quelli Santificati.

Appearance:  Lazaro is a tall man who wears a monk style cloak in the grey of the Chem Dogs which conceals his deformed and twisted body. His hands have metal fingers grafted onto them to allow him to hold weapons and he wears some home made body armour strapped to his cloak. Like Glaudio he doesn't wear the white ribbon of the Santificati and has adopted a modified gas mask which takes into account his deformities. He carries a chain axe and a handgun taken from the corpse of an ork pirate as he is unable to grip more delicate weapons because of his hands.

Personality:  A bit strange in more ways than one, he is distrusted by everyone except Skozia who had served under Inquisitor Rammerstein in the past and trusts the Inquisitor to the hilt. Like all of the Santificati he is hopelessly addicted to violence but uniquely he worships the Emperor as a god and protector of humanity. He is prone to unnatural twitching when he is feeling emotion or pain, in spite of his grotesque appearance he is actually quite caring and hates to leave dead comrades behind which mark him as special among the emotionless killers of the Santificati. He has little input into decisions unless Skozia is leading the mission  due to the universal distrust of mutants.

WS     BS      S       T        I        wp          nv         sg           ld   
61      42      60     70      51       33           60         38          60

Wargear: Heavy Cloak, Chain Axe, Stupidly Big Revolver, Rebreather/Chem inhaler.
Special abilities: True Grit, Fearsome. Twisted

Twisted: due to his impediment Lazaro may not sneak or sprint in addition he may not use anything which may be seen as delicate.

Note on other characters, to take into account the experience of some of the others extra abilities have been added to the more veteran troopers.

Glaudio, Slash : Nerves of Steel
Soldi, Skozia: True Grit.

[MarcoSkoll]

Note on other characters, to take into account the experience of some of the others extra abilities have been added to the more veteran troopers.

Glaudio, Slash : Nerves of Steel
Soldi, Skozia: True Grit.

Not sure I agree. Unless there's a good reason, I normally try and avoid duplicate skills within a group, or characters can seem samey.

And the other thing is, both of those skills are ones that are all too easily misused and frequently overused. True Grit should be used sparingly because it's varying degrees of annoying for an opponent, and Nerves of Steel implies a character with no sense of self preservation.

However, I could see Slash with Nerves of Steel, depending on quite how much of a psychopathic looney you envision him as.
As far as True Grit, as you've already given it to Lazaro, I wouldn't replicate it on other characters.

I know that the characters I have with True Grit can be quite a bit of work for my opponents, as they have to be "eliminated" by way of massed location injuries (or death), given that neither System Shock or Consciousness total will take them out. In the interests of fair gameplay, it's best not to have multiple people like that in a warband.

[GAZKUL]

decided to re do the advancements for the other members with slash gaining Nerves of Steel and Soldi gaining force of will to convey the fact that he is a commissar like figure. do you know any other ways to represent the fact that Glaudio has seen more fighting than most?   

did the 20 questions for Glaudio ages ago.

Name: Captain Glaudio Tauren of the Quelli Santificati

•   Where is your character from? Be specific, not just a planet or a city.
-A  Small and insignificant settlement on the backwater planet of Solidarus
•   Does your character have a family? Give details; who are they?
- Both parents were hung for running guns and drugs for pirates, both were shopkeepers from poor families, Due to the high mortality rate on Solidarus Glaudio lost both of his brothers to disease when they were babies.
•   What does your character look like? Not numbers or clothing but style, looks, et cetera
-   A demonic appearance as a result of the chem mines and bold white tattoes. He might once have been good looking but the scars and burns obscure what looks remain.
•   How does your character dress? Does their wardrobe contain twenty identical outfits or do they have dress-up/dress-down clothes? Go mad, look in your own wardrobe for ideas.
-  He wears whatever there is to hand, frequently taking items of clothing from dead opponents and allies alike. He tries to retain their grey uniform the best he can but with large numbers of non standard pieces of equipment and clothing such as his Valhallan boots and a number of jewels taken from the corpses of elder raiders.
•   Does your character have physical quirks, ticks or habits? Does he sweat profusely when nervous? does he scratch himself in unflattering places or chew his fingernails? has his nose been broken and never set properly?
- A smoker when they are available, he uses many different tobacco substitutes as he rarely has access to good cigarettes.  The scars on his face twitch unnaturally due to severed nerves.
•   Where did your character learn their skills? Where did they first shoot a gun, wield a sword et cetera?
- In the 21st penal legion and in the fires of combat
•   What else does your character know, stuff that doesn't come into the combats like a passion for Terran Wines for example. Where did he learn it? How did it develop?
- he can make substitute tobacco out of just about anything and he has a great and diverse knowledge of philosophy which he picked up after his squad raided the compound of a corrupt planetary governor. Glaudio saved a data slate from the library of his mansion before they burnt it to the ground and was fascinated by the many philosophies of great thinkers from times forgotten before the dark age of technology. He is also a competent pilot with reasonable mechanical knowledge, a relic from his days running guns to the pirate bases, whenever there is the opportunity to fly Glaudio always relishes the feeling and has been behind the controls of many different planes and ships.
•   Where did he get his goodies?
- largely looted from the battlefield as well as stolen from other units and purchased from black market traders.
•   Where does your character live? Again, be specific.
Wherever they happen to be stationed but as they spend the bulk of their time behind enemy lines usually rough in barns and hedges.
•   Who does your character know? Some of these may be warband members, others not. Detail them, do the twenty questions for them if you have time.
-  He has known every member of the Santificati and acknowledges that the current unit is the best so far. Recently he has had a number of run ins with Inquisitor Lycanson whom they were seconded to during the successful operation on Galapagos IV, though since then a high level of distrust has bred a rift between the two factions with many of the Santificati questioning the Inquisitor's allegiances. They have a level of trust with members of the Valhallan Navy who they respect for their courage and resourcefulness.   
•   Who are your character's enemies? Does he have any? Or are enemies something that will only come in here? If so, What are your character's primary threat. Tyranids? Eldar? Mutants? Psykers?
- for the most part Glaudio hates anyone who hasn't proved themselves to him but he has a particular dislike of psychers who he sees as unnatural and at a level below heretics and aliens.
•   What are your character's likes and dislikes? Is he nervous of space travel? Does he hate cabbage? Does he love to drive ground cars at ludicrous speeds?
- Glaudio loves to smoke and drink various noxious liquors. He dislikes cowardice and arrogant people who sneer at his unorthodox methods. But the thing which drives him forward is an addiction to war.
•   What is your character's Moral Code? Where does he draw the line? Where does radicallism or puritanism become Heresy?
- There is no moral line for Glaudio, he will succeed in his missions using any means necessary, if it borders on heresy then so be it. He is not opposed to using enemy equipment  or executing prisoners and civilians to get the job done.
•   Does your character have goals? Is he a point and shoot weapon for the heirachy or is the vaguest hint of Ork stink going to have him running off to find Orkimedes?
- As the leader of one of the best infiltration units in the galaxy they are frequently used by various high ranking members of the inquisition and the imperial guard for vital missions. Glaudio cares little either way but only that his missions benefit humanity.
•   Does your character have personal beliefs? Does he follow the Imperial creed to the letter? Is he a Thorian et cetera?
- Glaudio like the other Santificati has come to the conclusion that the emperor is not a god but he continues to fight for the sake of humanity as a species rather than for the Imperium.
•   Does your character have any personality quirks? Is he Arrogant? Humble? Laid back? Stressed out? Opinionated? Superstitious? Paranoid?
-Glaudio is fairly quiet and withdrawn when not in combat, choosing to discuss philosophy with Skozia, in combat he is savage and ruthless with little regard for the lives of his allies and is gripped with the desire to instantly crush all enemies.
•   How did your character become an <Inquisitor/Rogue Trader/Arbite/Whatever>?
- He was Convicted and conscipted
•   How does he see his role? Is he a crusading knight? A subtle schemer? A Diplomat?
- As a champion of humanity but he accepts that because of his past nobody will ever recognise the actions of the Santificati, It is a lifelong dream to make a pilgrimage to the emperor's palace and add one of their white ribbons to the relics adorning the approach to the Imperial palace in recognition of the unsung heroes of the Penal Legions who die forgotten on a thousand worlds across the galaxy.
-

[MarcoSkoll]

Do you know any other ways to represent the fact that Glaudio has seen more fighting than most?

Sometimes, that doesn't need a skill - sometimes skills are used when a higher stat might have been better. Often, when people use Nerves of Steel, a high Nv value would have been a better representation.

However, if you can see him as an action hero who regularly comes up with plans on the fly and will give things a go no matter the odds, then Heroic might be an option.

[GAZKUL]

decided to simply boost his nerve a bit. I see him as a Schaeffer like figure, ruthless but fiercly loyal to the Imperium.

[GAZKUL]

a couple of minor ajustments, Lazaro gained Compassion (Nord) and Soldi gained Distrust

new peice of gear, Savlar Pattern Rebreather

An old and heavy pattern which is reliable and durable  if vastly havier than newer models

Enc= 15
Resistance= 50%, includes "guts"inhalor, gives 2 points of armour to head.

guts= a common drug used by the Chem Dogs to improve thier staying power in a fight, however it causes a lack of mental strengh.

reduces wp by 1/3, adds amout lost to nv.

[Darksinger]

Love the Rebreather.

Will you be feilding all of your guys in the campaign? if you aren't (which i hope you aren't) then how many will you be fielding?

[Alta]

I think all of them are going in the campaign, but only 3-4 appear in each scenario.

Rebreather looks good.

What do you mean about 'gained distrust', is that something that's meant to be added to the personality?