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Inquisitor Drake Kaled, Ordo Hereticus

Started by Kaled, March 03, 2010, 05:50:46 PM

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Kaled

Evening all,

I don't tend to post my characters for reasons I've stated in the past, but since Marco has come in for a lot of flak regarding his characters and mine are very similar, I thought I'd post a couple and see what kind of reception they get - I wonder if I too am making characters that the 'Clave in general would consider to be too powerful.  As most of you know, I don't really do much in the way of written background (and even when I do, it often makes little mention of a character's prowess) - so if you're looking for background that will 'justify' every stat, skill and unusual piece of equipment then you'll probably be disappointed.

That said, the first character I'm going to post is my namesake, Inquisitor Kaled.  His background is fairly 'standard' in it's format and content - I seem to remember that I used the 'Twenty Questions' as a guide and threw in mentions on things that relate to stats.  Quite a few of you will have already seen his profile - either during a game, or when I entered him in the first Conclave Hobby Competition, but his profile has been tweaked a few times since the original so might not be how you remember it.




+++ Inquisitor Drake Kaled +++


Click to view

Drake Kaled was born the son of a Navy Captain amongst the wealthy and privileged citizens of Teluga Prime. At a young age he resolved to follow in his father's footsteps, and after attending the Schola Progenium and the Naval Academy he was assigned to the battleship 'Spear of Light'. One of his first duties was as Junior Naval Liaison to Inquisitor Corticelli during the Barrass Heresy.

His previously latent psychic abilities were discovered when he instinctively threw up a psychic shield to protect himself when the kill-team he was accompanying were ambushed by cultists. At first he was distraught when he was told that as a psyker he would be forced to resign his commission, but fortunately for him Corticelli had seen his potential and recommended him for training within the shadowy Inquisition. Kaled soon came to realise that he would now be able to serve the Navy in ways he had never dreamed of before.

Inquisitor Kaled is now well into his third century, and is fairly conventional as inquisitors go. He's a pragmatic man who steers clear of the political infighting within the Ordos and strongly believes that the Imperial Navy is the foremost instrument of the Emperor's will. He usually works in the open weeding out traitors, heretics and mutants from the officers and crew of starships. Like all Inquisitors he is feared, but he is also respected for his fairness. He's unlikely to have a massive witch-hunt and execute the entire crew of a ship, but he won't hesitate to throw any heretics he does find out the nearest airlock.

He is a very private individual and is seen as cold and unemotional. He is known for rarely flinching at danger; while leading his warband from the front he uses his powers to protect himself from harm. When aboard ship he stands beside the Captain, barely reacting to the immense impacts of space combat.

His features are craggy with deep set eyes, and he is always smartly dressed. While aboard ship he almost always wears a a uniform reminiscent of naval officer. Few people know what he does off-duty; it would probably surprise them to know that he has a love of poetry and sculpture, although much of his time is spent reading up on naval tactics.

In battle his psychic powers give him a heightened awareness of his surroundings and the ability to project a psychic shield; however he has never developed any talents that can be used offensively.

Over the years Kaled has undergone juvenant treatment on a couple of occasions, and various parts of his body have been replaced due to illness and injury; however where possible he prefers vat-grown cloned implants rather than mechanical ones. He works hard to stay in shape, often training alongside Navy personnel. He has had extensive firearms training and is a more than competant swordsman.

In battle he usually carries an ornate Bolt Pistol, which was presented to him by Brother Asriel of the Mentor Legion, and a long bladed force sword which he inherited from his former master. His favourite weapons however are a matched set of powerful customised Naval-issue stub pistols, a gift from his acolyte Morena Goodchild.

Recently Kaled was one of the Inquisitors drawn to the mysterious Dark Fortress on Hastor, one of the earliest strongholds of the fledgling Inquisition. He and his team made their way to centre of the labyrinth underneath the fortress seeking the mysterious Hastor Stones, powerful artifacts capable of curing any injury. Minutes after his arrival a number of other warbands turned up and he was gunned down by a rival and left for dead. One of his operatives revived him using one of the Stones and together they escaped carrying a second Stone. Kaled's encounter with the stone has left him strengthened in mind and body. He is currently engaged in hunting down the remaining stones before they can be used for ill purposes.

Drake Kaled is right handed.

STATS: WS=69 BS=75 S=62 T=65 I=71 Wp=79 Sg=80 Nv=88 Ld=89
SKILLS: Gunfighter, Leader
POWERS: Psychic Ward, Detection
EQUIPMENT: Bolt Pistol + reload, Force Sword, Naval Issue Stub Pistol + two reloads, Flak armour on all locations except head, Psi-tracker, 2 Frag Grenades, 2 Photon Flash Grenades, Injector implant with 8 doses of Detox.
OR
EQUIPMENT: Two Naval Issue Stub Pistols + four reloads, Knife, Heavy Coat, Light Flak vest, Injector implant with 8 doses of Detox.

Naval Issue Stub Pistols - Type: Pistol, Range: F, Mode: Single/Semi(2) Acc:-, Dam:2D6+4, Shots: 13, Rld: 2, Weight:20




If I was building him now, I think I'd give him a stubber instead of the bolt pistol (like I did with the 28mm version) - there've been a couple of times where I've shot someone with it and taken them out of the game with one hit, but the game would probably have been better if that character had been around for longer...

I'll let people debate this one for a while before posting another.  If anyone has any preferences about whose stats they'd like to see, then let me know - particularly if you think it's a character who may be over/under-powered; I'd rather post one that people find contraversial rather than one that everyone is fairly happy with.

- Dave
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

Shard

OMG! HEEZ 2 GOOD!!11one!!

:P

Sorry, I'm rather happy with him, he's not stupidly powerful and has a good backstory. I'd be happy to face him in either guise, and I'm sure it would be a good fun game regardless. Also, don't be worried about the bolt pistol, sometimes people in action films do go 'down in one'!

Ferran

#2
Looks good to me, not something I'd think of as being OP, especially for the primary character in a warband. Some of his subordinates are undoubtably stronger in specific areas, but I imagine this guy is the most "powerful" all rounder when he takes to the field? Yes I imagine the bolt pistol can do some damage, but also the fact that he has a stubber means that he doesn't have to put fist-sized holes in everything that catches his eye (the reason I gave my own Acolyte a bolt pistol - since he's heavily dependant on ranged power and keeping enemies at arm's length with artillery and psychic power, I imagined him to be using the stubber whenever he feels like shooting something, but on the occasions he has a frenzied arcoflaggelant bearing down on him he is forced to spend action points drawing his BP to make that life-saving shot).

I like the way you've given him that paragraph about vat-grown mods. As usual I read the profile first then went back to the fluff, and seeing him as 300+ years I breifly thought "He's done well to be in one piece after so long in the field", until I reached that bit. I also like the way that he has that underlying purpose to his activities, not something that I have thought about for my own characters, I suppose as a consequence of them all being new.

One thing I don't like is the fact that he's had the bolt pistol gifted to him by a marine. He already reminds me of Eisenhorn - kind of hard to avoid given the head / body combo (I know his body is significantly different to the stock Eisenhorn, but still close enough when compared to the Tyrus body for example) and some of his background is similar too - a loyal, pragmatic veteran, etc etc. So I think that bit about the pistol is a bit too similar when viewed in conjunction with the other features.

/oh yeah great model too, still I think one of your best despite the age. The blue bias on the black hilights is especially nice given his backstory.

MarcoSkoll

Quote from: Ferran on March 03, 2010, 06:56:07 PM... and seeing him as 300+ years...
"Into his third century" doesn't make someone 300+ years old. I'm in my first century, but only 21.

~~~~~

As far as my own opinions, it's hardly surprising that I find him reasonable enough. Yeah, he can handle himself in combat, but what else is to be expected from an Inquisitor?

Reasonable profile, justifiable skills, interesting backstory... I'd have absolutely no problems on the table. Sure, I wouldn't particularly want one of my characters to cop a bolt pistol round, but given as far as I know, the "Battle" Kaled is only really broken out when it's time to smack some heretics upside the head, I can't complain against the logic behind it. Powerful weapons exist because there are times to use them.

Unlike Ferran, I don't see much in the way of Eisenhorn similarity (obviously it's Eisenhorn's head, but you have to allow for the limited parts in the Inqusitor model range) - his backstory doesn't really make me think of Eisenhorn at all. While he might have a Space Marine bequeathed Bolt Pistol, that does not Eisenhorn make.

Also, on a completely unrelated note, I've been listening to War of the Worlds recently, and now I've just got a vision of a Techpriest who wanders around going "Ulla!" - after all, they do come from Mars...
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Kaled

Quote from: Ferran on March 03, 2010, 06:56:07 PM
One thing I don't like is the fact that he's had the bolt pistol gifted to him by a marine.
The only reason I added that is the bolt pistol is a bit too big IMHO - hence I figured maybe it once belonged to a marine...
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

Daxam

#5
Always liked the look of Kaled's two models (three if you choose to include his 28mm incarnation), and his statline reflects him pretty well from his background. Definitely a good character. What kit did that boltgun come from, though, and where did you get the formal wear stuff from?

.EDIT: Removed superfluous text.
I seek a perfection. I won't attain it. But it is a lofty enough goal for my ego.

Kaled

#6
Quote from: Daxam on March 03, 2010, 09:34:08 PM
Always liked the look of Kaled's two models (three if you choose to include his 28mm incarnation), and his statline reflects him pretty well from his background. Definitely a good character. What kit did that boltgun come from, though, and where did you get the formal wear stuff from?
Thanks.  The bolt pistol was from the OOP Bolt Weapon Booster Pack, and the version of Kaled in a long coat is based on a model of Wyatt Earp by Andrea Miniatures.

As a favour to me, lets leave the Ferran-Marco feud out of this thread please...

EDIT: In case anyone is confused reading this thread - I asked Ferran to remove his response to Marco (which he has kindly done) to avoid derailing the thread, hence Daxam's reply is now something of an orphan.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

Flinty

Humm, just to prove Im not picking on Marco  ;) I'll comment here. Nice background, I like the advanced age and the avoidance of bionics, nice touch and reflected in the excellent model. For someone who's at least 200 and some years old, his stats make sense to me, although I personally might lower strength and raise toughness by a couple of points, but pffffttttt, I quibble over nothing.

Psychic powers...okay, nice that its not offensive or else I would have expected an increasingly dramatic event in his past when it manifested. Kit seems balanced, I see the point about a bolt pistol being a game shortner on occasions, but it sounds as though he isnt constantly waving the thing around, so fair do's - although I too find the idea of a marine dishing out momentos to his chums a little odd.

A neat and tidy character with a neat and tidy set up. 
Neanderthal and Proud!

Myriad

He is all round badass but then, experienced inquisitors are.  I do have a few reservations about the mental stats - all around 80.  Nice model and all round character though.

The combination of force sword and bolt pistol is pretty potent, since bolt pistols aren't alot less nasty than bolters themselves.  The initiative of 71 ties into my thoughts on initiative and speed - he's the kind of character I would place at speed 4 normally.  I was going to comment that a bolt pistol gifted by a marine would be of gigantic proportions, but you seem to have covered that.
I had better point out, that some of the clubs I represent are of a military bent.

You know what you are?  A plywood shark!

Kaled

Quote from: Myriad on March 04, 2010, 12:47:05 AM
The initiative of 71 ties into my thoughts on initiative and speed - he's the kind of character I would place at speed 4 normally.
Interesting, why do you say that?  Personally I think Speed 5 feels right for someone like an Inquisitor, someone who is decisive and quick-witted.  Speed 6 is generally where I'd put exceptionally quick individuals - trained assassins and the like.  For me, Speed 4 is 'right' for your typical henchmen types - people who are well trained and good at what they do and who aren't going to freeze in a crisis.  Speed 3 I'd generally only give to servitors or other fairly slow thinking characters.  Speeds 1 & 2 I'd probably never bother with for gameplay reasons, those characters often never get the chance to actually do anything.  These are just vague generalisations though and of course there are exceptions and some characters will demand a higher or lower Speed.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

Myriad

Well there's a couple of reasons I suppose.  Firstly, these are simply my musings and I have no particular problem with Kaled's initiative.

Speed 5 corresponds to an initiative of 70, which in any other stat would be considered very high.  I'm not certain that inquisitors would have especially fast reflexes by default - it's not a primary selection criteria (although I acknowledge it links into prowess in combat).  It also seems to me that while it would improve with training and experience, it isn't as susceptible to such as, say, weaponskill and strength.  They would develop an abillity to put what actions they had to better use, but I'm not convinced this translates to speed 5.

From a metagame perspective I feel that speed four works best for the default value, with speed 5 characters often taking alot of actions uninterrupted and breaking up the flow of the game.  This can be especially noticable once they're in combat, or firing a boltgun multiple times.  I think probably there should be more speed 3 characters, but the gradient between speeds is pretty steep (in my opinion too much so, but that leads to a seperate rules debate).
I had better point out, that some of the clubs I represent are of a military bent.

You know what you are?  A plywood shark!

Molotov

#11
My group seems to tacitly agree that Speed 4 works for the default value, and that at most there should be only one Speed 5 character in each retinue. Interestingly, that isn't always the Inquitor. In one of my circle's retinues, Inquisitor Balthier is speed 4, whilst his gunfighting henchman has been speed 5 (at times, depending on the profile.)


We gave Balthier a rule called "Man of Action" which covered him nicely. It's worth noting he doesn't have heroic, but we thought "Man of Action" covered him well:

QuoteMAN OF ACTION: Balthier rolls an extra action dice. This does not allow him to perform more actions, but merely provides him with a greater chance of successfully carrying out his actions - or triggering a risky action!
INQ28 Thread | INQ28 Blog
INQ28, done properly, is at least the equal of its big brother - and Mol is one of the expert proponents of "done properly".
- precinctomega

Kaled

Quote from: Myriad on March 04, 2010, 09:56:22 PM
I'm not certain that inquisitors would have especially fast reflexes by default
I guess this is the difference in how we regard Speed - you seem to be looking at it from the perspective of reflexes, whereas I look at Initiative as representing reflexes and Speed as decisiveness - i.e. how quickly a character is going to decide on a course of action and then act on it.  Of course this is made difficult by the fact that Speed is based on Initiative and the fact that Initiative also covers things like awareness so it's no where near as cut-and-dried as that.  But at least by making that distinction I can have two fairly equally decisive characters with differing reflexes by giving them the same speed but initiatives at different ends of the range.  Of course that does mean that characters with good reflexes are also decisive (and have good eyesight and hearing!), and ones with slow reflexes also take forever to decide what to do (and are about as observant as a short-sighted rock!) - but that's the price we pay for Initiative being a multi-purpose stat.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

MarcoSkoll

Quote from: Kaled on March 04, 2010, 10:51:07 PMBut that's the price we pay for Initiative being a multi-purpose stat.
I have been trying an alternative where Initiative is broken down into both Reflexes and Awareness. Speed is then defined as a stat in its own right, with no bearing on either of these two.

As you'd expect, there are no real problems, and indeed, it's not even incompatible with the normal game. It would take a moment to explain at the table, but all you'd do is test on the appropriate form of initiative when you needed to take a test. People are of course already familiar with Awareness penalties and bonuses.

It doesn't seem to cause any real problems. The only thing that I've found that took some sorting was play order, and that can be done easily enough by either just sorting by Reflexes, or sorting by speed, then sorting by Reflexes.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Alyster Wick

Really nice character, and I've always loved the two Kaled models (in addition to the striking 28mm one).  A Kaled for every occasion it seems...

As far as the bolt pistol goes it may be difficult to find reasons not to use it (if Kaled often finds himself in situations where he is very open about his status as an Inquisitor), but at the end of the day I generally abide by the philosophy of "you do what you gotta to make the game fun" in which case some suspension of disbelief in weapons selection makes sense (hopefully that sentence makes sense to others reading it).

I will close on this note (which is hopefully on topic since it addresses your "inspiration" for the post), I think you've helped change my mind of making suggestions on stats.  Originally (and for some time) I've been a crusader for creating categories of gaming to make it easier/more productive to critique stats and characters, but comparing your post with Marco's and my gut instinct on each character shows that my quest for finding a "useful" basis on which to critique stats is probably futile.  In the end I was harsher on Marco's stats than I was on yours.  Taking a step back there is no objective reason for for my feelings, as you've said Kaled, stats are generally best left to the GMs discretion.

That is not to say that I don't think characters should be posted.  Indeed, I think it's a great way to share new abilities and get feedback on how to represent new abilities in the game (see Marco's namesake and his Mass Awareness ability).  However, it does make me think about the air I've wasted nit picking 5 points over the stats of characters who I will never play against.  It really isn't a productive exercise.

Rant over, hope that wasn't too off topic, Kaled is a great character with great model(s)!