The Warband of Inquisitor Hans Grummond

[Hum_Con]

Greetings one and all. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Having dragged my feet over this for years, I finally got around to pulling my warband together. I'll post the rules details here and the pictures Painting and Modelling section.

Inquisitor Hans Grummond

Hans Grummond was recruited from the shrine world of Ophelia VIII, apprenticed to the influential Amalathian Inquisitor Sanctus, he rose quickly to the rank of Inquisitor. Something of a youthful firebrand, by Inquisitorial standards, he made a name for himself as a dedicated and devout foe of heretical cults and revolutionaries. In contrast to the often rigid and conservative members of the Amalathian sects, Grummond was highly charismatic, speaking with the fervour of a true devotee to the Emperor, the Imperium and to Mankind.

Grummond was heavily involved in the destruction of numerous heretical cults and chaos worshippers, including the Brotherhood of the Night Sword, the Hypocrite Swarm and the children of the Cold Eye. But it was the confrontation with Zillich Ysthanius, the Arch Heretic of Kurnigul. Zillich and his followers had occupied the former Fortress Monastery of the Crypt Stalkers Space Marine chapter, now renegade. Grummond, with four fellow Inquisitors and two full squads of Grey Knights assaulted the Fortress. After two hours all contact was lost, then after three days, the fortress was destroyed in a great cataclysm. Only Grummond survived, his body pulled from the wreckage, his legs crushed and his left arm severed at the elbow.

His experience on Kurnigul changed Grummond. His physical recovery was surprisingly swift, his arm replaced with bionics, his legs reinforced. Grummond gave his report of the incident which was quickly sealed, available only to the most high ranking of Inquisitors. Then Grummond returned to his work. However, were once he had been charismatic and energetic, now he was dour and taciturn. He worked mostly alone, forming short term alliances with a variety of contacts, many of them outside the Inquisition. Some of his colleagues questioned whether he had been corrupted, but in spite of numerous investigations no suggestion of heresy could be found. Grummond's methods had not changed, only his attitudes.

The truth was that, although he never spoke of it, Grummond's experiences on Kurnigul had shaken his faith in the Imperium. He now saw it as rigid, irrational and prejudiced, hardly any better than the cults he was dedicated to destroying. He doubted whether the Imperium could or should be saved and yet saw no possible alternative that wasn't even worse. Grummond had lost hope, but with nothing else he threw himself into his work with the grim determination of a man who has nothing else.

Although slowed with age and the after effects of his injuries, Grummond is incredibly tough and all but impervious to pain. After the horror he has experienced, there is very little that can phase him.

Still a highly effective investigator and an expert on heretical cults, Grummond travels from world to world moving amongst traitors and heretics exposing and destroying them. But for all his success, he has little belief in his work. Consequently, he seeks out more and more dangerous heretics in the hope of finding release in a glorious death.

WS BS S     T    I   Wp Sg  Nv Ld
68  44 67* 72 42 82   81 87 68

*45 is the strength of his bionic left hand and 22 his normal right for a total of 67

Right Handed

Equipment: Great Hammer, Pump action combat shotgun with 20 scatter shells and 10 Inferno shells, Laspistol, Average Bionic Arm (Strength 45, +1 Armour)

Armour: Carapace (6) on Chest and Abdomen, bionics on left arm (3), heavy coat/robes (2) everywhere else except head.

Talents: Heroic, True Grit

My thinking with Grummond is that he has been seriously damaged, physically and mentally by his experience on Kurnigul. WIth that in mind I kept his WS high, but not too high for an Inquisitor and his BS comparatively low, because that's not where his speciality lies. His strength is enhanced by his bionics and his toughness and true grit skill recognises his very high pain threshold. He has already experienced the worst that the Universe can throw at him. His Initiative is comparatively low, largely because he can't move very fast. I kept his personal characteristics high, as befits in Inquisitor, but his leadership slightly lower because he essentially keeps to himself. The equipment is largely reflective of the model, though I gave him Inferno shells because I thought it would be fun.

Feedback is very welcome.

[Kaled]

Welcome to the Conclave

His Initiative is comparatively low, largely because he can't move very fast.

The problem here is that Initiative is used to determine a lot of things from physical reactions and dexterity to decisiveness (as represented by Speed) and observational ability. Therefore if you want a character who can't move very fast then you're better off giving him a penalty to his movement rates or just never having him move faster than a walk.

[Dolnikan]

He seems like an interesting character. I think that the assault is a bit too 40k-like, it would probably fit better to leave out the other inquisitors(they mostly work alone after all) and perhaps some supporting storm troopers(who get mind wiped or killed afterwards of course)

[Draco Ferox]

I like the assault, it reminds us that not all inquisitors spend their lives fighting cultists in dimly-lit backstreets and bars, and that some go and participate in larger battles. I would, however, include a few storm troopers as well, as it's rare to see the grey knights working totally unsupported (barring the Khornate knights incident, but speak no evil and all that). Also, you could have him there at the request of another inquisitor (more friendship = tragedy when they die) so that he has a reason to be skulking around fighting the invisible war for most of the time.

You could just give him an I of 62 (for a direct +1 speed increase), and a -1 to all movement rates faster than a walk, so he won't be left behind during any part where his warband needs to walk down a corridor in perfect formation for that oh-so-cinematic feel.

[Hum_Con]

I take the point about the multiple Inquisitors, it does seem like overkill. I wanted to convey that the team should have been capable of dealing with the situation and something went very badly wrong. Probably one squad of Grey Knights and two squads of Storm Troopers would have been enough.

That said, the assault is an important part of Grummond's background. In his youth he was a faily bombastic figure, the sort who would have gotten involved in larger scale battles. Essentially the kind of Inquisitor who is now part of the Grey Knight army. He started working quietly behind the scenes after Kurnigul.

You could just give him an I of 62 (for a direct +1 speed increase), and a -1 to all movement rates faster than a walk, so he won't be left behind during any part where his warband needs to walk down a corridor in perfect formation for that oh-so-cinematic feel.

I like this idea I think I will go with it.

[Hum_Con]

This is character 2. I've posted a unpainted picture in the Painting and Modelling section.

Acolyte Cerina Barius

Cerina Barius was born on the Hive World of Baruchel. The youngest of seven children, when her parents were killed by gangers she and siblings were raised on the streets by her eldest brother and sister. Although they struggled in the environment of the hive city Cerina was raised with a strong sense of justice and a deep faith in the Imperial cult. When she was old enough she joined the planetary Enforcers, hoping to bring justice to the dark environment of the undercity. Her illusions were quickly shattered.

The Baruchel Enforcers were hopelessly corrupt and worse by far than the gangers. Cerina wasn't willing to sit by and watch and so, with a small group of allies, she set out to tackle the corruption. It got her friends killed and Cerina was beaten almost to death and nearly lost an eye. She would have died if not for the unexpected intervetion of Inquisitor Grummond who stumbled on her attackers about to dump her in a chemical pit.

Grummond was on Baruchel because of rumours that the planetary governor had joined an heretical cult. He had no reason to get involved in local squabbles, but something about Cerina's sense of justice intrigued him. After her recovery, Cerina worked with Grummond, her local knowledge proved invaluable, as did the extra firepower.

What happened next surprised both of them. Grummond asked her to come with him. She wuld obviously be an asset, having considerable combat skills, high intelligence,  investigative skills and great courage. She had the makings of a Inquisitor. But Grummond had not worked with a permanent acolyte for more than a century. The truth was that something in her nature interested Grummond, a sense of purpose even hope,  that he had once had but now lacked. Working with her had rekindled something in him that had been long lost.

Serina for her part, saw working with the Inquisitor as the perfect opportunity to serve the will of the Emperor. She couldn't possibly refuse.

WS BS S   T    I   Wp Sg Nv Ld
47  64 52 47 65 55   68 56 66

Right handed

Equipment: Combat Shotgun with 10 Executioner shells, Combat knife, Average bionic eye

Armour: Flak (4) on all areas except head.

Talents: Lightning Reflexes

I don't think there's anything too controversial in Cerina's profile. Her BS is higher than her WS because she normally works with fire arms. I kept her initiative quite high and gave her lightning reflexes because I saw her as very quick witted and ale to make decisions fast. She's intelligent, but not particularly educated and still inexperienced outside of her home world. Her equipment is very much a legacy of her time as an enforcer, hence the flak armour and executioner shells.

[Kaled]

Which version of Lightning Reflexes do you use? The one in the rulebook is generally not used as it's seen as too open to abuse. Two 'official' replacements were suggested;

Lightning Reflexes A: A character with lightning reflexes thinks on his feet with outstanding speed, able to assess a combat situation and come up with the best course of action in moments. A character with lightning reflexes may carry out their actions at any time during the turn, even going before characters with higher Speed values. Additionally, if more than one character has an equal Speed value then the one with lightning reflexes may go first, (if both have lightning reflexes then use Initiative as normal).

Lightning Reflexes B: A character with lightning reflexes thinks on his feet with outstanding speed, able to assess a combat situation and come up with the best course of action in moments. If a Character with lightning reflexes needs to Change his Actions as described on page 26 of the Rulebook then he does not have to make an Initiative test to re-declare his actions. He does this automatically because he is such a quick thinker!

There are also two replacements in the rules for the Grand Tournament - Lightning Reflexes and Lightning Wits;

Lightning Reflexes. The character has astoundingly quick reflexes and can react to circumstances with blinding speed.

The character may, once per round and at any point during the round, react to an event or Action to attempt an extra Action. This must be a 'reflex' action, reacting to something another character has done or to an event that has occurred – it may not simply be to run an extra 6 yards, make another attack in combat, or fire an extra shot.

Examples might include jumping aside as you see a gunman rear up from behind some crates, lunging instinctively with your sword as the enemy charges in at you, or diving to catch a valuable object that has just been dropped. As ever, the GM is the final arbitrator over what can and cannot be done.

The player declares the Action and rolls a D6. If the result is equal to or less than the character's Speed, the Action is achieved (a roll of 1 always fails).

Once the Action has been resolved the round continues as normal and the character whose turn it was finished his turn.

Lightning Wits. The character thinks on his feet with outstanding speed, able to assess a combat situation and come up with the best course of action in moments. If a character with Lightning Wits needs to Change his Actions as described on page 26 of the Rulebook, then he does not have to make an Initiative test to re-declare his actions. He does this automatically because he is such a quick thinker! Furthermore, he is not required to spend one of his remaining actions pausing for breath, he receives a free pause for breath action, once again because he is so quickly able to process what is going on around him and react accordingly.

Alternatively, if the character is in close combat and the close combat ends while he still has actions left, he does not need to spend one of his remaining actions to pause for breath. He receives this pause for breath action free due to Lightning Wits.

Note that a character can never receive more than one free pause for breath action per turn from Lightning Wits.

[Dolnikan]

She seems like a good character, someone who still has ideals and will probably start to lose some of them as the years go by.

Perhaps she should be given some normal shells, executioners are rare and expensive after all, most planetary enforcers will not have access to them. As a servant of the inquisition she would be capable of getting a few but it is likely that she would prefer to use normal ones on most occasions. This also allows her to remain in the fight a bit longer, ten shells go away awfully quickly with a combat shotgun.

[Hum_Con]

I'm going to go with Lightning wits, it's the one that fits best with my idea of the character.

Perhaps she should be given some normal shells, executioners are rare and expensive after all, most planetary enforcers will not have access to them. As a servant of the inquisition she would be capable of getting a few but it is likely that she would prefer to use normal ones on most occasions. This also allows her to remain in the fight a bit longer, ten shells go away awfully quickly with a combat shotgun.

I'm quite keen on the Executioner shells as a contrast to Grummonds scatter and inferno shells. Maybe I'll cut down to 5 executioner shells and give her 10 scatter shells.

[Hum_Con]

Character Number 3, again the model is in the Painting and Modelling section

Lady Marika Emeraldas – Rogue Trader

The only child of Voltan Emeraldas, Rogue Trader and former Imperial Lord General, Marika was raised in space travelling from world to world on the fringes of the Imperium. A child profigy, Marika was given an extensive education and was horribly spoiled by her doting father. Although, a skilled swords-woman from an early age, Marika was considered something of a spoiled princess and on her father's sudden, and somewhat suspicious, she was not expected to survive long.

In fact Marika rose to the challenge, disposing of enemies and several of her father's friends. She displayed a natural aptitude for business, an ability to get the most out of her subordinates and a near total ruthlessness. Marika quickly grew her father's substantial trading fleet and almost doubled his considerable wealth.

Despite her success, Marika prefers to keep a hands on approach to business. Adventure loving and with a taste for the exotic, Marika often disappears for months at a time with her flagship the Night's Fire, only to reappear with some rare and valuable artefact. Marika has a reputation with a number of Inquisitors as a person to trust if they need to obtain something extra-legal.

Marika has worked for and with Inquisitor Grummond on a number of occasions. He is a highly useful contact with a tendency to turn a blind eye to some of slightly extra-legal activities, and she provides an excellent means of travelling surreptitiously. The arrange is professional, but has been beneficial for both parties.


WS BS S   T   I   Wp Sg Nv Ld
77  38 45 47 71 53  75 58 72

Right Handed

Equipment: Sword, Auto-pistol, Photon flash grenade, Digital Weapon (Hand flamer)

Armour: None

Talents: Feint, First strike

Marika's stats and equipment are very much a product of the model.  I decided to make her a swordswoman, so the high WS and talents seemed to fit. I gave her a high Sagacity, which fits with the idea of her being a child prodigy and a high leadership which comes from having lead a trading company. Her Nv and WP are less high which befits her sense of self-preservation. Her relationship with Grummond is essentially business.

I wanted to give her some exotic equipment to reflect her background. I don't think either should be too unbalancing, but could get her out of a tight spot.

[MarcoSkoll]

She looks pretty good (although I've made a suggestion in the P&M thread you might want to consider), but one thing:

on her father's sudden, and somewhat suspicious, she was not expected to survive long.

I assume a word like "death" or "disappearance" is missing somewhere from this passage?

[Hum_Con]

I assume a word like "death" or "disappearance" is missing somewhere from this passage?

Yes that should have been "sudden death" the perils of rapid typing.

[Hum_Con]

Character Four. I suspect that this will be the controversial one. I struggled for a long time to come up with a decent idea for a fourth character. I was thinking about a tech priest, but couldn't think of a character concept I liked. Then I was poking around in the old Rogue Trader book and had some inspiration.

Cornelius – Jokaero

Lady Marika Emeraldas expeditions often turn up rare and unusual items, but nothing as unusual as Cornelius. While exploring an otherwise unremarkable moon, Lady Marissa came across a baby Jokaero. Whether his tribe had been killed or had abandoned him was unclear, but Marika quickly recognised the value of her discovery.

Taking him back to the Night's Fire, Marika nursed him back to health and named him Cornelius. The young Jokaero grew quickly and developed a close bond with Marika, Jokaero society, such as it is, is matriarchal and Cornelius seemed to regard Marika as the leader of her family.

Since that time Cornelius and Marika have developed a strange relationship. Marika gives Cornelius free reign on her ship to follow his natural instincts to construct new devices. Some of these items are apparently useless, but many more have proven invaluable, including the digital weapon that Marika wears. Cornelius often chooses to follow Marika, and she has never discouraged him. Some foolish individuals have suggested that Marika has grown sentimental, but surrounded by potential enemies Cornelius is truly trustworthy and, arguably, her only friend.

Cornelius is passive most of the time. Amusing himself and becoming excited when confronted with new technology. He is, however, highly protective of Marika and will become enraged if she is threatened or harmed.


WS BS S   T   I   Wp Sg         Nv Ld
22  39 34 44 45 51  12/90* 55 10

*Although of only animal intelligence in most respects, Cornelius is highly gifted when it comes to technology. His second sagacity value is used for any tests involving technology, such as operating devices, opening mechanical doors or hacking. His first Sagacity value is used for all other tests.

Ambidextrous

Equipment: Digital Weapons (Inferno Pistol, Hand Flamer, Laspistol), Goggles with inbuilt Infrascope , Auspex

Armour: Refractor field

I worked out the profile by comparing the 40K Jokaero profile (which is pretty much the same in 1st and 5th edition) to the 40K profile and adjusting, operating on the basis that the standard human 40K profile is for an Imperial Guard and would, therefore, have some training. His equipment potentially makes him very powerful, but his profile moderates that some extent.

The trick is going to be playing him properly. He has to behave like a smart animal, not a human. He will either follow Marika around acting as her protector, or go wandering off looking at some piece of technology.

The model is in the painting and modelling section.

[RobSkib]

I would suggest that perhaps he have an above-average S and/or T, as primates in the real world possess far more strength than humans of equal size.

[Dolnikan]

I would suggest removing the digi-inferno pistol, Cornelius has a low BS, but when he hits it will do a lot of damage, I think that it would be a bit too random. But the most imortant part is going to be roleplaying him, that could be hard, after all, Jakaero are quite strange but I think that you will manage fine based on the description you have given of how you plan it to be.