The Conclave

Inquisitor Ollanius Sabbat Sebastian Vale, Ordo Hereticus (Amalathian)

Born: 691.M41, Alpha Calixtine (aged 392).
Background still worked upon. Filling four centuries of life is difficult!

WS   BS   S   T   I   Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld   Spd
55   37   35   65   20   90   95   90   90   2

WS: That of a 'competent human' (40-60) slightly improved by long years of fights.
BS: That of a 'competent human' (30-40), ditto.
S: Finally settled on less than a fit man, trying to balance augmetics and age.
T: Quite high – more than a 'normal human' to allow for the augmetics.
I: Very low. An old man heavily augmeticised will not move fast.
Wp: V. high. An Inquisitor venerable, respected and intensely devout. A formidable mind.
Sg: A learned man with an excellent memory who has spent four centuries working and studying.
Ld: Three hundred and sixty years an Inquisitor will produce an iron will and command.
Nv: V. high on account of long years of service in the Inquisition, few horrors can shake him.

Talents:
Force of Will
Leader

Weapons:
Power Sword
Bolt Pistol

Armour:
Robes (Armour Value of 2) on chest, abdomen, groin, right leg and left arm.
Robes (AV of 2) + advanced bionic leg (+2) on left leg. [omit movement increase to indicate age] = 4 *
Robes (AV of 2) + advanced bionic arm (+2) on right arm. [Strength 60 right arm, lowered because of age] = 4 *
1x Advanced Bionic Lung (as Average Bionic Lungs)
Rosarius*

* These are not true bionics given in one piece, but rather augmetics built up to a degree that the limb is now almost entirely mechanical.

Rules for Rosarius (homebrewed)
3D6 protection against all types of hits.
Whenever hit, its reaction is equivalent to a photon flash flare going off, centred on the character (to the effects of which he is immune).

No one really seems to get things right the first time, but at least you haven't made all of the same mistakes as most new players.

Firstly, I think most people would rather that you called the thread something else, potentially the name of the character, as 'First character', is somewhat dull and it becomes hard to distinguish between these sorts of topics.

It is rather difficult to properly evaluate a character without background, but you have managed to give me some feeling of who the character is with what little you have given us so far, so well done in that regard.

As for the profile, the mental stats really tend rather to the high side, where as the physical stats are extremely low. Stats in the 90s should be used extremely sparingly, but you have four on the one character. You could probably stand to lose 10 points from each of your mental stats and still paint the image you want to. Physically however, he's a wreck. His WS is acceptable for less fighty Inquisitor with more of a focus on mental, and is actually two points higher than my namesake, and his T is fine. BS is really low and makes me wonder where you have got the description of 'a competent human' from, as it doesn't match with the LRB or the introduction to this site. A BS of 37 really suggests someone who barely knows how to use gun (i've never fired a gun in my life, and I reckon I would still warrant a BS in the mid-30s). For an Inquisitor whose almost 400, a value 20-30 points higher would be more appropriate, although the later is starting to get more into marksman territory. Strength I will leave, as you haven't made it clear if that is his overall natural strength or the strength of his remaining non-bionic arm. I is extremely low, and the general consensus is that most Inquisitors have to be quick thinking enough to warrant speed 5, with some at speed 4. Anyone below speed 4 is going to struggle to find any use in the Inquisition in any role other than bound to a desk, and certainly shouldn't make Inquisitor, even if he has slowed down with age.

Force of will should only be used for someone to stupid or suicidal to feel any sense of self preservation, and mere bravery is better represented by a high NV, which you already have.

This seems to be a fairly subtle man, but a power sword and bolt pistol are not subtle weapons. They both scream 'extremely rich/important person here' and would make undercover work nigh-on impossible, and are both capable of taking a character out of the game in one hit. The might be fine for a major end-of-campaign battle, but please pick something else for general use. Finally a rosarius simply contains a conversion field, so there was no real need to upgrade it, when it is potent enough already.

All in all, better than the normal monsters created by new players, but please follow my advice, and I look forward to seeing the background.

The stats seem a little off. The physical stats seem a little low whilst the mental stats seem a touch to high.

WS: This is fine, bit hard to say not knowing is back ground but it's average for a decently trained human - Which he is.

BS: This is low. Like Civilian low. That's the sort of BS I'm going to use for my NPCs. A Guardsman is going to be around 40-50 with a Veteran being 50-60 so you should really look at upping him to around these levels (he's had a long time to practise his aim).

Str: Again, this is pretty low, but fair enough. I think that a well conected and respected Inquisitor like your man would have sorted out some bionics/juvenants to offset his age. Vale is going to have to hold his Bolt Pistol two handed or he is going to fall over with the first shot/break his wrist.

T: Probably a bit high. I usually leave this level of toughness for my 'fighty' characters like pit fighters and Guard Veterans. If Vale is mostly bionic you could just give him a blanket AV2 on all locations and T50.

I: Just from a gaming perspective, Vale isn't going to be achieving anything and this will make for a boring character. His advanced bionics should atleast get him somewhere back to normal human levels which is spd3-4.

Nv: He might have 'seen it all' but he also must realise he's not the pillar of fortitude he once was. If Plasma Bolts start flying around he's not going to just stand around and wait to get hit (his advanced age proves that he's not that stupid). Make his Nv high, maybe 70-80 but maybe make him immune to fearsome and treat terrifying things as fearsome. The 'Force of Will' ability is more for completely mindless things like Archoflagellants and Black Templars.

The others have already addressed many of my points (I will re-stress that this is a good first start, and clearly shows good intentions), and it is hard to evaluate a character profile without a background to use as a point of reference, but I'll run through stuff anyway.

If I may, my treatise on character creation is here (http://s3.zetaboards.com/The_Ammobunker/single/?p=8341044&t=7759266), under the spoiler bar (although I will at some point tidy it up and put it on the Carthax Wiki).

(I'm assuming rounding to fives is just for the early draft, but if not, consider a bit more variety. It is a D100 system, after all... :P)

- WS: Okay if you want him to be competent.
- BS: 37 is more towards mediocre than competent.
- S: If he's fading, this is okay for a base strength. However, I'd tone back his bionic's strength somewhat more, as the original stats for them were really rather overgenerous.
- T: Whether it's appropriate depends on quite how augmented he is these days, but a toughness of 65 is perhaps a bit more than "quite high"

- I: Although Vale is nearly four centuries old, he is still going out on field operations (rather than having retired to an administrative role and working through agents), so he's unlikely to be quite that doddering in his old age. (Indeed, his WS of 55 suggests he's still relatively limber).
Given that Initiative represents things other than just physical agility (like perceptiveness and decisiveness), I'd boost his Initiative to least the 40s.
If necessary, reduce his movement rates instead (-1 to most movement speeds and can't sprint or something like that).

- Mental statistics: As Raghnall says, he could lose 10 points of each of those and still give the effect of a determined, well reasoned, brave and charismatic individual. (Although I'd perhaps argue for him to choose at least one area which isn't quite such a strength).

- Force of Will: I prefer to use skills like this not for bravery, but instead for a character who doesn't feel fear at all - and to be honest, a character who doesn't feel fear when faced down by a daemon prince is a total lunatic.  ::)
I sometimes use "Strong Will" (unofficial skill, ignoring fearsome, treating terrifying as fearsome by one level) for moderately sane characters, but generally backed up by enough melee prowess that the character could actually feel reasonably confident if they got in a scrap with an Ork or Arcoflagellant.

- Other talents: He doesn't necessarily need more, but my personal taste is to help use special rules to help build a character's unique traits and skill set. Most of my characters have at least one custom skill, in order to distinguish them from the trillions of other people in the galaxy.

- Weapons: A bolt pistol and power sword don't really fit with his otherwise scholarly and subtle character. In my mind, I'm seeing things more like digital weapons, a shock-cane that doubles as an aid for his tired legs or a robust but powerful laspistol (much easier on old arms than the weight and recoil of a bolter).

Changes are in red.

Inquisitor Ollanius Sabbat Sebastian Vale, Ordo Hereticus (Amalathian)

Born: 621.M41, Alpha Calixtine (aged 392). 


WS   BS   S   T   I    Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld   Spd
55    57   35  60 60 80   85     70   80     4

Clarification: S 35 denotes the strength of his relatively unaugmented left arm. His heavily augmented right arm has strength 50

WS: That of a 'competent human' (40-60) slightly improved by long years of fights.
BS: A competent gunman, though not a marksman.
S: Finally settled on less than a fit man, trying to balance augmetics and age.
T: Quite high – more than a 'normal human' to allow for the augmetics.
I: Very low. An old man heavily augmeticised will not move fast.
Wp: V. high. An Inquisitor venerable, respected and intensely devout. A formidable mind.
Sg: A learned man with an excellent memory who has spent four centuries working and studying.
Ld: Three hundred and sixty years an Inquisitor will produce an iron will and command.
Nv: V. high on account of long years of service in the Inquisition, few horrors can shake him.

Talents:
Leader

Special Rules:

Advanced Age
Despite bracing by augmetics and drugs, Inquisitor Vale is an aged man. He cannot sprint and suffers the following movement penalties:

Sneaking: -1 yard
Crawling: -1 yard
Walking: -1 yard
Evading: -2 yards
Running: -2 yards

Strong Will
Inquisitor Vale has served the God-Emperor for over three centuries and seen many horrors. He will meet them now with righteous wrath. He is not subject to the limitations imposed by the trait ''Fearsome''. Characters possessing the trait ''Terrifying'' affect him as if they possessed the trait ''Fearsome''.

Weapons:
Las-pistol

In the event of it being his sole weapon, I am considering elaborating on the idea of a powerful laspistol to mean some sort of ancient, perhaps archaeotech weapon given to him somewhere on his long career, perhaps as a mark of esteem. An inferno pistol is a possibility as he is a Witch-Hunter and could administer the cleansng flame of He-on-Terra's wrath to all foes he meets.

Something like this (an intended improvement on the laspistol following this:http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Archeotech_Laspistol)

Archaeotech Laspistol
Type: Pistol   
Range: C   
Acc: –      
Damage: 2D6 1D3    
Shots: 35
Rld: 2
Wt: 15

Unwilling to use digital weaponry as it is of Xenos origin and so anathema. Interested to receive other suggestions, particularly how to implement cane ideas.

Robes (Armour Value of 2) on chest, abdomen, groin, right leg and left arm.
Robes (AV of 2) + advanced bionic leg (+2) on left leg. [omit movement increase to indicate age] = 4 *
Robes (AV of 2) + advanced bionic arm (+2) on right arm. [Strength 50 right arm, lowered because of age] = 4 *
1x Advanced Bionic Lung (as Average Bionic Lungs)
Refractor Shield (2D6)

* These are not true bionics given in one piece, but rather augmetics built up to a degree that the limb is now almost entirely mechanical. 

Background to follow.

As Marco has already noted, all of your stats except from BS are multiples of 5, which is a little boring given that we use a base 10 numerical system, so there are ten different ways for any number to end. Just tweak them a tiny bit to give some more variety. It could even be as simple as adding d6 to and then subtracting another d6 from each stat. Other than that, the profile looks good, and the advanced age rules are certainly much better than an absurdly low speed.

Regarding weapons, the laspistol is alright, but consider taking a look at Marco's Revised Inquisitor Armoury (which can be found as a link in Marco's signature). It contains 60 different types of stub/auto weapons, 16 shotguns, 14 bolt weapons, 2 assault cannons, 6 plasma weapons, 5 melta weapons, 5 flamer weapons, 5 grenade launchers, 3 rocket launchers, many other bizarre and exotic weapons, new types of specialist ammunition, sights and grenades, and rules to create custom lasweapons with literally thousands of possible combinations (11250 possible laspistols and 10000 possible lasguns, not including sights/suspensors/master-crafting/etc). Far more comprehensive than the LRB armoury, and solves the issue present in the rulebook where lasweapons are generally outclassed by their solid-shot counterparts. Unfortunately there is no such resource for melee weapons, but there are still all sorts of interesting things you could do with a cane, if you have the resources of an Inquisitor. Fit it with a shock generator, and then depending on the length it could use the same rules as a shock maul, function as a shock maul with reach 3, or even a staff with the special rules of a shock weapon. You could take inspiration from rogue trader in the form of the concealed-bolter cane, which can function as a single-shot bolter or bolt pistol* and this could plausibly be combined with the shock generator in the other end. If it was custom made for the Inquisitor, the I would recommend something like the shock weapon and concealed-bolted cane, maybe with a built in auspex. For an older object, the explorator article suggests that you can represent archaeotech using psychic powers, and gives rules for doing so; a cane would perhaps be most appropriate with an offensive power such as fireball, firestorm, storm of lightning, psychic impel, etc or maybe sanctuary. Finally, you could resort to the old witch hunter classic, and use a null rod. I'm not quite sure how to represent that rules-wise, but I would start with an ordinary staff, make it resistant to power weapons, and then confer the wielder a toned-down version of the untouchable rules from the Revised Inquisitor Psychic Powers Archive, and finally add on bonus damage against psykers and daemons.

Hopefully thats given you some more ideas, and hasn't overwhelmed you.

*They can be reloaded, but it takes too long to do so in game.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on December 27, 2015, 12:48:44 AM
power sword don't really fit with his otherwise scholarly and subtle character

i like the idea he's got an ornate powersword left over from his more active days, because he carrys it, doesn't mean he's willing to use it!

Many grateful thanks to you all. I shall look at the extended rulebook and all of your suggestions in the morning.
God bless, as ever,
][ O.S.V.

Quote from: greenstuff_gav on December 27, 2015, 08:42:44 PM
because he carrys it, doesn't mean he's willing to use it!

Fair point Gav, and if he doesn't activate the power field, then it isn't really any more obvious than a normal sword.

i could see it like my Ultramarine (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=352.msg9130#msg9130); displays it with honour, more of an icon than a pigsticker!

Minor, more or less random revision of statistics.

WS   BS   S   T   I    Wp  Sg   Nv   Ld   Spd
55    57   35  61 62 82    84    73  81     4

Quote from: Inquisitor Vale on December 27, 2015, 06:39:21 PMUnwilling to use digital weaponry as it is of Xenos origin and so anathema.

That would make him more hardline than your previous discussion has suggested. The Imperium's xenophobia is mostly focused on dangerous or intelligent species; Being a non-sapient species (with little sign of intelligence beyond being technosavants), a Jokaero is normally considered about as much of an enemy as a Grox.

For an Imperial citizen, owning such technology is normally a status symbol, not an invitation to get investigated by the Arbites or Inquisition for xenotech.

QuoteAdvanced Age

I'd probably lose the penalties to sneaking and crawling - those actions are tediously slow anyway - and penalise running only one yard, because giving him a maximum speed of 4 yards an action is likely to be a nuisance in game, both for you and GMs.

Quote from: Raghnall on December 27, 2015, 08:07:07 PMUnfortunately there is no such resource for melee weapons

Actually, Helst and Charax put together a pretty good system, which is part of the reason the RIA doesn't cover melee weapons (the other part is that I know guns better than swords). The website for it is gone these days, but I have the pages saved to my computer somewhere. I'll see if I can dig them out.

Quote from: greenstuff_gav on December 27, 2015, 08:42:44 PMi like the idea he's got an ornate powersword left over from his more active days, because he carrys it, doesn't mean he's willing to use it!

Well, it's possible, but the question is then whether he was that way when he was younger.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on December 28, 2015, 12:51:38 PM
That would make him more hardline than your previous discussion has suggested. The Imperium's xenophobia is mostly focused on dangerous or intelligent species; Being a non-sapient species (with little sign of intelligence beyond being technosavants), a Jokaero is normally considered about as much of an enemy as a Grox.

I agree*, but it does bring this image to mind.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSbjsjxZ7zw/TqtuDl8iQzI/AAAAAAAAAZs/zvh59-rDWLY/s1600/jokaero+suffer+not+the+alien+to+live+oh+wait.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSbjsjxZ7zw/TqtuDl8iQzI/AAAAAAAAAZs/zvh59-rDWLY/s1600/jokaero+suffer+not+the+alien+to+live+oh+wait.jpg)

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on December 28, 2015, 12:51:38 PM
Actually, Helst and Charax put together a pretty good system, which is part of the reason the RIA doesn't cover melee weapons (the other part is that I know guns better than swords). The website for it is gone these days, but I have the pages saved to my computer somewhere. I'll see if I can dig them out.

I have actually used Charax and Heist's rules before**, but after the website went down, I thought it was no longer available. Should've known you would save it.

Quote from: greenstuff_gav on December 27, 2015, 10:44:23 PM
i could see it like my Ultramarine (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=352.msg9130#msg9130); displays it with honour, more of an icon than a pigsticker!

A ceremonial weapon can be rather nice, but when something so powerful is seldom drawn, it raises questions***, however once you answer those, it could add a lot more depth to the character.

Quote from: Inquisitor Vale on December 28, 2015, 10:19:42 AM
Minor, more or less random revision of statistics.

WS   BS   S   T   I    Wp  Sg   Nv   Ld   Spd
55    57   35  61 62 82    84    73  81     4

That's exactly what we mean by varied digits. I think you've got the stats right now.

*There are probably a few human-made digital weapons still around from the DAoT, so he might be able to get away with a digi-weapon even if he was that xenophobic, but I imagine they are substantially rarer than the Jokaero version.
**I rather liked how freeform and customisable it was, although iirc it did mean you had to exercise common sense. A reach 1 staff or falchion is just silly.
***Especially in the hands of a space marine. The Astartes could go into battle armed with nought but a butter knife, and they still wouldn't be subtle. Still, it isn't unprecedented; just look at Cypher for example.

Some thoughts on your revisions:

WS 55: This seems a bit low for someone of his long experience. It's also somewhat low from a gameplay perspective, as he's liable to get minced whenever he come up against any sort of close combat specialist and is only slightly higher than the average npc (usually WS 50). I think the lower strength is a better way to reflect his age and frailty than a reduced stat here, you may also want to consider a special rule if you don't want him dodging about like an acrobat (maybe only give him +10 to dodge but a WS in the low 60's)

I like the suggestion some one made of a cane as this would definitely fit the character of an aged Inquisitor. Although I'd suggest a sword cane of some type, which could be fencing/rapier style weapon e.g something like this: Reach 3, D10 damage, 0% parry penalty. In order to make the weapon a bit more special you could give it a low level power field (maybe 2d10 or 3d6 damage -5% pp, so not as powerful and heavy as a standard power sword). Alternatively you could coat it in poison, have it inscribed with pentagrammic/hexagrammic runes, make it a shock weapon or come up with something unique to make it more interesting than just a sword.

I'd be interested to see what other crew members you're intending to accompany him with. A bodyguard type character (with special rules to represent his specific training to protect his master), would probably be advisable and would offset his weaker combat stats.

Quote from: Cortez on December 28, 2015, 02:19:44 PMWS 55: This seems a bit low for someone of his long experience.

As much experience as he may have, if I were writing a character to this kind of brief, mid-50s is where I'd be capping stats like WS & I if I wanted to show he's not as agile and spritely as he once was. A low strength alone wouldn't really convey the whole story of his age.

No, he won't have a good day against a serious melee fighter, but the Inquisition's equivalent of an octogenarian should be rather outclassed in such a case.

Hello,
Thanks once again. I have revised the Inquisitor again:

Inquisitor Ollanius Sabbat Sebastian Vale, Ordo Hereticus (Amalathian)

Born: 621.M41, Alpha Calixtine (aged 392).

WS   BS   S   T   I    Wp  Sg   Nv   Ld   Spd
55    57   35  61 62 82    84    73  81     4

Clarification: S 35 denotes the strength of his relatively unaugmented left arm. His heavily augmented right arm has strength 50

Talents:
Leader

Special Rules:
Advanced Age
Despite bracing by augmetics and drugs, Inquisitor Vale is an aged man. He cannot sprint and suffers the following movement penalties:

Walking: -1 yard
Evading: -2 yards
Running: -1 yards

Strong Will
Inquisitor Vale has served the God-Emperor for over three centuries and seen many horrors. He will meet them now with righteous wrath. He is not subject to the limitations imposed by the trait ''Fearsome''. Characters possessing the trait ''Terrifying'' affect him as if they possessed the trait ''Fearsome''.

Weapons:

Archaeotech Laspistol
Type: Pistol   
Range: C   
Acc: –     
Damage: 2D6 1D3   
Shots: 35
Rld: 2
Wt: 15

Null Rod with Shock Generator (Criticism Welcome)
[Square brackets denote part of the Untouchable rules about which I am unsure -- do they apply to Null Rods?]

Reach: 2
Damage: D6 + 3, against psykers and daemons 2D10
Parry Penalty -25%

The Null Rod is not liable to be broken when parrying power-weapons.

The Null Rod renders its bearer completely immune to psychic powers, the effects of Psychic Phenomena, and all forms of Warp energy – such things simply fail to affect him.

[In addition, Daemonic characters, and characters using Warp Sight, suffer a -30 penalty to Awareness tests
made to detect the bearer by sight. Furthermore, the bearer may not be detected by means of
the Detection, Psi-Track or Warp Perception powers.]

An Null Rod  additionally projects an "aura" extending 3 yards out from its bearer. This has the
following effects:

• Psykers using their powers within this aura, or using them on anyone within the aura, suffer a
penalty to their Psychic test; this is a -50 penalty, modified by +5 for every full yard between the
bearer and either the psyker or the target (if both are within the aura, measure to whoever is
closer to the bearer).

• The above modifier also applies to Willpower tests made to sustain persistent powers if the psyker or
target is within the aura.

• The aura also robs force weapons and daemon weapons of their special properties, and Daemonic
characters lose all of their Daemonic attributes (with the sole exception of This Form Is Fragile).


Armour
Robes (Armour Value of 2) on chest, abdomen, groin, right leg and left arm.
Robes (AV of 2) + advanced bionic leg (+2) on left leg. [omit movement increase to indicate age] = 4 *
Robes (AV of 2) + advanced bionic arm (+2) on right arm. [Strength 50 right arm, lowered because of age] = 4 *
1x Advanced Bionic Lung (as Average Bionic Lungs)
Refractor Shield (2D6)

Quotedo they apply to Null Rods?

A variation of them probably would, but toned down a bit. Yes, that's a smaller bubble, but he's pretty much packing the same anti-psychic firepower as a full blown Untouchable.

Surprisingly, it's also an easy fix, just change the Psychic test penalty on the aura from -50 to -30 and you're good. The effect of a null rod is primarily a personal one anyway, with a bit of anti-psychic *thwack* for good measure.

Rather than 2D10 damage against psykers and daemons, I'd make it 2D6+3 (so just one more base damage die) and give it the Shock Weapon rules. It's supposed to be nasty in a completely different manner to "I just made your arm explode lol".

Hello,
Thanks. I was thinking I had overegged it while I was mopping the floor at work last night!

Null Rod with Shock Generator (Criticism Welcome)

Reach: 2
Damage: D6 + 3, against psykers and daemons 2D6+3
Parry Penalty -25%

The Null Rod counts as a Shock Weapon (query -- should it have an incressed effect against psykers, daemons)

The Null Rod has a 10% chance of being broken when it parries a weapon (it is apparently made of obsidian and so is not a dedicated weapon).

The Null Rod is not liable to the greater chance of being broken when parrying power-weapons.

Effects

The Null Rod renders its bearer completely immune to psychic powers, the effects of Psychic Phenomena, and all forms of Warp energy – such things simply fail to affect him.

In addition, Daemonic characters, and characters using Warp Sight, suffer a -10 penalty to Awareness tests
made to detect the bearer by sight. Furthermore, the bearer may not be detected by means of
the Detection, Psi-Track or Warp Perception powers.

An Null Rod  additionally projects an "aura" extending 3 yards out from its bearer. This has the
following effects:

• Psykers using their powers within this aura, or using them on anyone within the aura, suffer a
penalty to their Psychic test; this is a -30 penalty, modified by +5 for every full yard between the
bearer and either the psyker or the target (if both are within the aura, measure to whoever is
closer to the bearer).

• The above modifier also applies to Willpower tests made to sustain persistent powers if the psyker or
target is within the aura.

• The aura also robs force weapons and daemon weapons of their special properties, and Daemonic
characters lose all of their Daemonic attributes (with the sole exception of This Form Is Fragile).

Psykers [and Daemons?] treat the bearer of a Null Rod as fearsome (to indicate the disruption to their thoughts caused by the field, see the shattering rule to offset it)

Personally, I'd say that holding a null rod is rather less effective than being an untouchable or even being around one; The Inquisition goes to quite some lengths to find those one-in-a-billion individuals (whose mutation is hard to detect and actually makes them less likely to be found) which sort of implies they can't be replaced quite so effectively by a warded obsidian stave. Okay, null rods are hardly common, but the fact they can be manufactured must make them considerably less bother to acquire.

With that in mind, I personally wouldn't have them confer complete immunity to their owner, particularly if I were skipping some of the additional drawbacks I'd normally give to an untouchable that powerful. (Normally, I'd give them the Emnity rule from whichever Dark Magenta article it was, giving any allies within their area of effect -1 Speed, because their aura just generates mistrust).

I'd need to think on exactly what I'd do though, as just handing out Wp penalties is a problem too, as the psychic power rules are just a mess.
(I wrote my two minor null characters rules where the penalties are ignored when calculating the chances of psychic feedback, because I can't imagine that there'd be more psychic feedback when someone who earths psychic energy is involved).

Quoteit is apparently made of obsidian and so is not a dedicated weapon.

This is a bit of a tangent, but that's not entirely true. Various Mesoamerican cultures used the macuahuitl, an obsidian edged sword.

Obsidian fractures very cleanly, meaning that cultures from the stone age onwards have been about to knap it and produce blades with an edge of about 3 nanometres - roughly ten atoms across. Obsidian scalpels are still used for certain surgical procedures, as they make any steel blade look blunt in comparison (although, yes, they are far less durable and hard-wearing).

Anyway, more on topic, given the rarity and value of a null rod, I'd say they'd be fairly generously reinforced and possibly even protected by miniature field generators (partly because if they do shatter, you really don't want to be covered in atomically sharp fragments). I don't imagine they're all that fragile.

Hello,
Thanks. The shattering was introduced to balance the null rod's considerable power. I am slightly flummoxed about how to proceed -- advice welcome, especially if you would be willing 'to think on it'.

Been following this thread since it's beginning, just haven't gotten a chance to comment :)

So I totally agree with Marco re: the null rod. The current rules make it far too powerful relative to untouchables. Also, were it that powerful, one would think that it would have dire effects on the wielder. Untouchables are despised and distrusted by those around them due to their unnatural nature. An object that mirrors their effects would be torture for the person using the object. Given the current rules, I'm thinking that Vale would be suffering from a number of ill effects mentally. In that case, there are a number of articles to provide you with inspiration on that front in terms of rules for battered sanity. Oddly, the Warp Malignancy rules from "The Fickle Warp" article would fit well (check Marco's post in the Inquisitor PDFs sticky in this section of the conclave for the article). I say "oddly" because the source of the insanity there is supposed to be over exposure to the warp, but I think some of the effects could be tweaked to make them serve your purposes.

If you check out FO58, the Lectures on the Wych - Part 2 has some great null-ish objects for inspiration (check out the Warp Disruptor rules). Again, this article can be found in Marco's post in the aforementioned sticky.

To give more direct feedback, just forget about giving the rod a chance to break. It has a shock field and it's a super special weapon. Giving it a 10% chance to break seems silly and like you're intentionally nerfing yourself. If it breaks during a campaign you'll have to bend over backwards to explain how he gets another (I'm assuming he doesn't have a stockpile of them) and then you're entire character and how they play will be effected. Don't get me wrong, I really dig that you're trying to be mindful of your character's power level, but there are better ways to do it (see the idea re: giving him a warp-malignancy type condition due to sleeping with his null rod under his pillow for a couple centuries).   

To be a little more helpful, I'd say give a -30 modifier to any power targeting the wielder or anyone w/in 3 inches of the wielder. Allied psychers treat the wielder w/ Enmity (as Marco described above) and possibly make Vale paranoid (he has to pass a Leadership test each turn or he's a -1 speed) due to over exposure to the Null Rod (this is a permanent condition at this point, no longer due to proximity to the rod). You could expand Enmity to include non-psychers within 3 or 10 inches depending on your tastes, but I'm not sure if its necessary. Nice, simple, and direct. Relatively easy to remember and not too cumbersome to implement.

Anyway, happy hobbying! Hope that's helpful.

Thank you very much (A happy New Year, by the way -- good grief, 2016). I have added several penalties I find characterful. They have been taken from an unofficial Dark Reign supplement.

QuoteNull Rod with Shock Generator (Criticism Welcome)

Reach: 2
Damage: D6 + 3, against psykers and daemons 2D6+3
Parry Penalty -25%

The Null Rod counts as a Shock Weapon. It is not liable to the greater chance of being broken when parrying power-weapons.

A Null Rod crackles with antipsychic energy, projecting a dampening aura for three yards around the bearer. Any psyker wishing to use a psychic power against the bearer, or anyone within the aura, takes the psychic test at -30 willpower. Allied psykers treat the bearer of a Rod with Enmity.

Despite being a potent anti-psychic weapon, a Null Rod is an extremely dangerous thing to wield. The scholars of the Ordo Malleus believe that psychic ability resides in the electro-chemistry of the brain -- psykers have especially bright brains, as they do bright souls, crackling with mental energy. The dampening of mental energy associated with a Null Rod takes its toll on the sanity of the wielder, more or less depending on his strength of mind, eventually causing dementia, blackouts and death.

Mental Decline
Inquisitor Vale has wielded a null rod for centuries. Bolstered by neural implants granted by the skill of the Mechanicum, his formidable memory and scholarship have declined extremely slowly, but more and more noticeably.

After each game, the player must roll 4D6 and subtract the results from his Sagacity, Willpower, Leadership and Nerve in that order. He plays the next game with these lesser statistics and may never augment them.

Blackouts
Once Willpower and Leadership have fallen below sixty he has a 5% chance of a blackout (equivalent to being stunned) at the start of a turn.

Paranoia
He has grown paranoid, apt to see threats everywhere. He must pass a leadership test at the start of each turn or suffer a -1 speed penalty.

Palsied Hand
His remaining living hand (his left) has started to tremble with palsy, so that he finds delicate work more and more difficult. A He must pass another Action Roll to perform any action which the Gamesmaster deems delicate (e.g. rewiring a cogitator console, picking a lock).

I confess that several of these were added for fluff reasons -- they add a whole new element to his character, a great scholar steadily declining and leaning more and more on savants, servitors and interrogators, concealing his decline and accepting it with Amalathian resignation to the Emperor's will.

QuoteAny psyker wishing to use a psychic power against the bearer, or anyone within the aura, takes the psychic test at -35 willpower

That's roughly the same as the rulebook's Pentagrammic Wards (which halve the psyker's Wp, which is going to be equivalent to around -30 to -40 for most psykers).
Penalties like that aren't too unreasonable if you house rule the psychic overload rules down a few notches; by default, something like that can quite easily make a psyker fail a test by a huge margin and lose a huge fraction of their Wp in one go, as well as the problem that the power just doesn't work.

I suspect this is the main reason I don't see a lot of dedicated psykers on the table; most psykers I recall meeting can be pretty competent without using their powers. I have a couple, but they're piled with special rules to stop their brains melting by turn three.
Koval's Revised Powers are a good approach, as they ditch the Wp loss on failure (although not on a Risky Action).

My inclination might even be to make a null rod a bit more powerful than wards, but a flat penalty as high as -50 would have the issue that it can penalise lower Wp psykers to almost impossibility. (Compare the chances with a -50 penalty for a Wp 60 or Wp 80 psyker). Again, a little thought needed.

For food for thought, here's the relevant rules that go with Giovanna Ciris, one of my two low-power nulls. She's an Arbitrator whose resistance landed her in an anti-witch squad (where her natural defences got somewhat supplemented by specialised training and gear).
She's only partially resistant and sometimes gets into trouble as a result (being psionically blind, she usually misses the "gut instincts" that'd warn others to get out of there), but the upside for her is that puts her several notches above the point where she'd inspire revulsion in everyone (although she's not exactly great at forming relationships).

QuoteUpsilon: Gia treats all psychic effects as if reduced by two degrees of success; this can negate their effect on her. Creatures with warp sight are at -20 to detect her by sight.

In her case, her resistance most strongly manifests as a very low mental connection to and perception of the warp, leading to a particular resistance to telepathy, something which has been further augmented by extensive anti-psychic training.
She may/must "nullify" any psychic effect that would affect her perceptions, emotions or mind (taken each time/turn it would affect her, as appropriate) - this is automatic if the power is indirect and hasn't/can't nominate her as a specific target for the power (e.g. an aura around another character or an illusion cast at a point on the table).

In all cases, this trait only affects a power's effects on her only (not others) and is ignored when considering psychic overload.

Inscribed Armour:Any psychic power targeting a character wearing inscribed armour is treated as ranged. If already ranged, it doubles the penalty.

QuoteAfter each game, the player must roll 4D6 and subtract the results from his Sagacity, Willpower, Leadership and Nerve in that order. He plays the next game with these lesser statistics and may never augment them.

I'm assuming that's not cumulative (else he's going to be a drooling imbecile around game 5), so what about doing it the other way around?

Randomise his stats as X+2D10 at the start of the game, where X is a few points less than their current value. About 10 if you want him to have moments of brilliant lucidity, or maybe 15-20 points if you want him to seem like a shadow of a once brilliant mind.

There's not really much functional difference doing it at the start of the game, but it's going to be easier on the bookkeeping than trying to keep around notes between games.

QuoteHis remaining living hand (his left) has started to tremble with palsy, so that he finds delicate work more and more difficult. A He must pass another Action Roll to perform any action which the Gamesmaster deems delicate (e.g. rewiring a cogitator console, picking a lock).

I'm not sure quite what you mean by another action roll (those actions need two successful rolls?), so I'd probably just make it a -20 penalty to any delicate work that needs his left hand.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on January 01, 2016, 06:29:22 PM

QuoteAny psyker wishing to use a psychic power against the bearer, or anyone within the aura, takes the psychic test at -35 willpower

That's roughly the same as the rulebook's Pentagrammic Wards (which halve the psyker's Wp, which is going to be equivalent to around -30 to -40 for most psykers).
Penalties like that aren't too unreasonable if you house rule the psychic overload rules down a few notches; by default, something like that can quite easily make a psyker fail a test by a huge margin and lose a huge fraction of their Wp in one go, as well as the problem that the power just doesn't work.

The fact that the rules at the top of the page are pretty much a lift from RIPPA (the reference to This Form Is Fragile gave it away) says to me that we're already looking at house-ruling the overload rules down. I don't think the null rod rules as he has them are that nasty anyway.

Koval: I am very sorry. I should have put that it wasn't my own work, merely changed figures, done swiftly and lazily for the sake of getting something together quickly -- I was recommended to use a toned down version of the untouchable rules from the RIPPI. I see that it's bad conduct and I'll make sure it won't happen again. I'm ill inclined to introduce house rules as the house presently consists of me!

You can see that it has been deleted thoroughly in the most recent revision.

While I remember, I should add that much of the text  of the revision is fashioned from a Dark Reign supplement.

Will think over it in the morning.

Quote from: Inquisitor Vale on January 01, 2016, 09:30:17 PM
Koval: I am very sorry. I should have put that it wasn't my own work, merely changed figures, done swiftly and lazily for the sake of getting something together quickly -- I was recommended to use a toned down version of the untouchable rules from the RIPPI. I see that it's bad conduct and I'll make sure it won't happen again. I'm ill inclined to introduce house rules as the house presently consists of me!

You can see that it has been deleted thoroughly in the most recent revision.

Mate, that wasn't what I was getting at. I wouldn't have made RIPPA if I didn't want people to use it. What I was saying was that it looks like the house rules in RIPPA are already in play if you're using the (otherwise very nasty) Untouchable rules, which is fine.

If they're not, then of course the null rod will need to be toned down further, but at the moment it just depends on how you handle psychic powers failing.

Oops! Hope no harm done -- got it drummed into me by my aunt (a pre-publication book reviewer) not to copy other people's work as half her work seemed to involve rooting it out in other folk.

Edited: to remove the word 'drubbed' and replace with 'drummed' as it seemed rather insulting to my dear aunt, God rest her, the kindest of women.

QuoteINQUISITOR VALE REVISED – RIPPA not used.

Inquisitor Ollanius Sabbat Sebastian Vale, Ordo Hereticus (Amalathian)

Born: 621.M41, Alpha Calixtine (aged 392).

WS   BS   S   T   I    Wp  Sg   Nv   Ld   Spd
55    57   35  61 62  82    84    73  81     4

These show his innate mental capacities. The special rule Mental Decline produces the following results:
Wp 71 Sg 73 Nv 62 Ld 70

Clarification: S 35 denotes the strength of his relatively unaugmented left arm. His heavily augmented right arm has strength 50

Talents:
Leader

Special Rules:

Advanced Age
Despite bracing by augmetics and drugs, Inquisitor Vale is an aged man. He cannot sprint and suffers the following movement penalties:

Walking: -1 yard
Evading: -2 yards
Running: -1 yards

Strong Will
Inquisitor Vale has served the God-Emperor for over three centuries and seen many horrors. He will meet them now with righteous wrath. He is not subject to the limitations imposed by the trait ''Fearsome''. Characters possessing the trait ''Terrifying'' affect him as if they possessed the trait ''Fearsome''.

Weapons:

Archaeotech Laspistol
Type: Pistol   
Range: C   
Acc: –     
Damage: 2D6 1D3   
Shots: 35
Rld: 2
Wt: 15

Null Rod with Shock Generator
Reach: 2
Damage: D6 + 3, against psykers and daemons 2D6+3
Parry Penalty -25%

The Null Rod counts as a Shock Weapon. It is not liable to the greater chance of being broken when parrying power-weapons.

A Null Rod crackles with antipsychic energy, projecting a dampening aura for three yards around the bearer. Any psyker wishing to use a psychic power against the bearer, or anyone within the aura, takes the psychic test at -40 willpower. Allied psykers treat the bearer of a Rod with Enmity.

Psykers and sorcerors regard the bearer of a Null Rod as Fearsome.

Despite being a potent anti-psychic weapon, a Null Rod is an extremely dangerous thing to wield. The scholars of the Ordo Malleus believe that psychic ability resides in the electro-chemistry of the brain -- psykers have especially bright brains, as they do bright souls, crackling with mental energy. The dampening of mental energy associated with a Null Rod takes its toll on the sanity of the wielder, more or less depending on his strength of mind, eventually causing dementia, blackouts and death.

It causes the following Special Rules to take effect:

Mental Decline
Inquisitor Vale has wielded a null rod for centuries. Bolstered by neural implants granted by the skill of the Mechanicum, his formidable memory and scholarship have declined extremely slowly, but more and more noticeably.

His innate mental capacities are all rated -15 at the start of every game.

In order to determine his capacities at a given time, the player must roll 1D10 four times at the start of each game and add the results to his Sagacity, Willpower, Leadership and Nerve in that order. [I've dropped the penalty to -11 to indicate that he is a formidable but declining mind, not already a lost one.]

Blackouts
As a result of long wielding a Null Rod, Inquisitor Vale has a 10% chance of a blackout (equivalent to being stunned) at the start of a turn.

Paranoia
He has grown paranoid, apt to see threats everywhere. He must pass a leadership test at the start of each turn or suffer a -1 speed penalty.

Palsied Hand

Clarification: The reference to a second Action Roll was because I forgot there was a Sagacity test to pick a lock etc. I meant that, should a sufficient number of Action Rolls be passed to encompass the lock-picking, he would have to roll another D6 and pass it to see if he managed to pick the lock – effectively imitating the Sagacity test.

His remaining living hand (his left) has started to tremble with palsy, so that he finds delicate work more and more difficult. He suffers a -20 penalty to the Sagacity test required to perform any action which the Gamesmaster deems delicate (e.g. rewiring a cogitator console, picking a lock) involving his left hand.

Discussion
As I understand it the great difficulty with psychic modifiers lies in this rule:

If a psyker fails a test, there is a chance that he will suffer mental damage from the powers unleashed in his mind. For every full 10% that a psyker fails a Psychic test by, he loses D10 from his Willpower characteristic.

Let us allow a psyker of Willpower 80, without concentration, to attempt to cast ''Storm of Lightning'' on Inquisitor Vale, standing ten yards away.

The innate difficulty of the power is 5, and the difficulty increases by 1 per cent for every yard betweem the psyker and his target.

Thus, the unmodified roll is 80 -15% of 80, i.e. 80-12 = 69 => our psyker must roll 69 or less to use the power.

But, modified by the Null Rod, our psyker must roll 69-30 or 39 or less to use the power. This is, to my mind, all very well. However, for every 10% of 39 our psyker fails there test by (e.g. for every four points over 39 he rolls) he loses D10 from his willpower. It's quite conceivable to imagine rolling five, six, seven D10. This could rapidly become crippling.

If RIPPA is used the permanent willpower hit only comes into play, not when a psychic roll is failed, but if the risky action roll now associated with psychic powers is failed. I could, then, cheerfully increase the willpower hit of the Null Rod to -35 or -40 to indicate it is stronger than wards without being painfully unfair (or adopt some of the Untouchable rules again, such as the Warp Sight penalty and the weakening of Daemons and their weapons). I would use RIPPA myself, but the only other person whose reasonably local is Van Helser and I'm inclined to follow whatever he uses.

Is this correct?

I haven't a chance to check out your full post at this exact moment, you updated it while I was writing, but a couple of quick points:

QuoteHope no harm done -- got it drubbed into me by my aunt (a pre-publication book reviewer) not to copy other people's work as half her work seemed to involve rooting it out in other folk.

Nah, we're much more casual than that about rules. It's courteous to tip the hat when you're first borrowing (partly because it helps others if they want to look things up), but when people can use the same rules, it's tidier (and easier) than them all having to come up with their own set. I'd even say rather complimentary to have other people think your rules are good enough to borrow.

QuoteIs this correct?

Not quite. As far as the fact that it's the penalty on a failed psychic test that's the problem, yes, but not for the maths.

Inquisitor only rarely uses true percentage modifiers, even if it normally says things like -15% (and when it does use modifiers that are a fraction of the stat, they're usually states as things like "a fifth"). Almost always, they're using percentage points, so -15% just means -15.
Personally, I just write all my modifiers without the old % convention, because it avoids any such confusion.

As a more minor point, the Storm of Lightning power doesn't actually use the Ranged penalty, it has to be specified in the power's description.

Thanks -- I've just remembered something I was going to ask you re. digital weapons. That the Jokaero were not considered Xenos was something of a surprise -- am I correct in thinking that non-intelligent life other than Man (and the Jokaero are mere parrot-like mimics) are not deemed Xenos?

i always seen it that useful aliens / mutants were kept around; the Jokaero, Squats Ratlings and Ogryn... too useful to purge but that maybe the cynic in me!

The insert quote button isn't working, so this'll have to do.

Inquisitor Vale: "Thanks -- I've just remembered something I was going to ask you re. digital weapons. That the Jokaero were not considered Xenos was something of a surprise -- am I correct in thinking that non-intelligent life other than Man (and the Jokaero are mere parrot-like mimics) are not deemed Xenos?"

It isn't that Jokaero wouldn't be considered Xenos, it's that (if you stop and think about it) there are tons of Xenos used by the Imperium that aren't considered evil/a threat due to their lack of intellect. Each inhabited planet will have its own "space cows", if you will, who would not be thought of in the same way as Eldar or Tau. In that regard, there are Xenos all over the place, and if you look at a lot of the writing on Jokaero, they're pretty similar to our present day apes, they just have a savant-like ability to craft crazy technology (though not enough cognitive capacity/scale of civiliation to use it in a way that would threaten the imperium any more than a grox stampede).

So I'd say it's more a question of semantics in terms of what is or is not Xenos. Broadly you can break any Xenos down into the camp of threat versus non-threat. Now there will be some gray in there (non-space capable races with primitive tech but enough brain power to resist, for instance) but I'd say the consensus is that using a Joekaro ring is more like eating grox meat than using a gauss flayer. The idea of an Inquisitor so hard line that they wouldn't use Joekaro tech is actually pretty interesting (and definitely an idea worth pursuing), but it just doesn't sound like that's who Vale is.

All that said, now I kind of want to start up an Ordos Vegan who will police the eating habits of Imperial population. No space cow for you!

I think Alyster has covered most of what I was going to say about xenos pretty well, so I'll keep that brief.

The jokaero are of course xenos (given they're of non-terrestrial origin), but the Imperium's response to xenos varies wildly. While species like tyranids or lacrymole are "exterminate on sight", the eldar or tau often fall into the category where they're not worth fighting, and there are many examples of the Imperium using xenos as livestock (grox), pets/familiars (gyrinx), riding beasts (mukaali) and the like.

I'm sure you could find sufficiently hard-line individuals who do reject everything alien (although, as Alyster points out, that could present interesting dietary/survival concerns), but the jokaero aren't generally the subject of the Imperium's ire.

QuoteBlackouts
As a result of long wielding a Null Rod, Inquisitor Vale has a 10% chance of a blackout (equivalent to being stunned) at the start of a turn.

While it's characterful, I think that would become pretty disruptive to gameplay. (Particularly as he's already got his paranoia rule that's somewhat similar). There might be another way to implement blackouts, but again, I'll have to think on it.

I think this belongs here as I'm inquiring about a concept not a specific model
Most interesting. thanks. Many grateful thanks for all the time and care you're all taking -- I shall think long and hard about it too.

If I can stick in an unrelated question (I might as well rename this thread 'Vale's Warband'), I have been advised at least once to include a 'fighty' character to offset the aging Vale. Unfortunately simply dropping in an Ogryn or a gunslinger ruins the ''subtle...scholarly'' feel I've blundered upon (no credit to me, he started off as a very bland young Inquisitor, then careened off on his own accord), which actually makes him an interesting character. He's definitely not a monodominant now, far from it, an Amalathian.

The band looks like:
Vale + 3 cherubs (who must get rules)
Some sort of autosavant.
Assorted servo-skulls.
and another.

I've been combing the margins of paintings (if there was an inspiring artist I'd say John Blanche) to try and find a suitable archetype that would fit in with a man who is usually found in archives or amongst the Adeptus Terra and Ecclesiarchy.

There is an article with rules for Cherubim in the Skoll archive (On Angel's Wings), which I have considered using myself, but I've yet to make a character that would be appropriate for.

As for a more martial character, I think there are several appropriate options, but I agree you shouldn't just add in a random fighter for the sake of it. A drill abbot, crusader or sister of battle would be appropriate for the Ordo Hereticus feel and are appropriately devout, but might not be sufficiently scholarly to fit the warband. A banisher on the other hand would fit the scholarly feel, though that is more Ordo Malleus. Still, they could certainly be of plenty use to a Witch Hunter. You never know when a psyker or heretic will summon a daemon or spontaneously be possessed.

Thank you very much -- I wonder if some suggest 'monodominant' too much to most folk (I don't agree!). What about a Sister Dialogous? They apparently do have military training.

Here is the background for my inquisitor -- please criticise! Is it characterful? Well-written? (or at least not like wading through treacle) -- and so on.

In the words of Canoness Flavia of the Order of the Lexicon, a friend and spiritual counsellor in whose convent Vale often stays, both for research and as a retreat.

Inquisitor Ollanius Vale is an old man, even by the standards of the Emperor's Inquisition. Born almost four centuries ago, the hand that slew Magus Iscariot and lit the pyres of the foul witch-covens of Akelarre now trembles with palsy. Yet he was never a great crusading warrior, a Coteaz or a Lord Hector Rex, reverence them deeply as he does.  His retinue always contained more scholars than swordsmen. Long hours in the Librarium on Sulla's Vigil, or poring over the records of the Ecclesiarchy, bleached his skin as they sharpened his mind. The triumph of his career, the discovery of the Cult of the Marble God, a Chaos cult infesting the corrupt and lax hierarchs of the Ecclesiarchy in twelve systems, sprang from his noticing irregularities in the presentation of candidates to minor benefices spanning two hundred years.

The most striking thing about him, more so even than the formidable intellect or the thin, dry voice, always in High Gothic with his few confidants (a habit, he said, learnt under his old master and kept up to sustain his command of the language and to prevent idle talk) , is his piety. It has a depth and simplicity untouched by arrogance or the doubt which cankers in so many brilliant, pride-sodden minds.  It is a touching sight to see the venerable man stoop to kiss the feet of the assembled dignitaries and even the servitors and lesser clergy in the church or lie on the cold floor in floods of tears at his sins.

His long years of Inquisitorial work have ravaged his body, which is bolstered heavily by augmetics.  Every year, at the time of the Emperor's Ascension, he comes to the convent if he can, and I can see his health is failing. When he comes to stay with us of late, a medicae-servitor has joined his usual scribe -- for his aging frame, and for another reason. He is now always seen wrapped in heavy furs and velvets to keep out the cold, gripping his cane firmly. His associates know that the cane is a Null Rod. Though the scholars of the Ordo Malleus are well aware of the baleful effects of these weapons; and Vale adopted the cane halfway through his second century,  his mental capacities seem to most as sharp as ever and his eye still gleams with a pale light when hot on a trail.

It takes a closer knowledge to see that the decline has been staved off slowly and with much pain. Needless to say, he knows full well the effects of the Null Rod on his mind – learnt long ago in the library of old Inquisitor Cajetan and accepted with Amalathian resignation -- and has planned for them. The back of Vale's head is gone now, a mass of augmetic tubes, his prodigious memory and learning committed long in advance to cogitators which are then periodically implanted back into his brain when they start to fail. Privately, I may say that there is little more that can be safely done, even with the help of the Mechanicum and his old friend, if I may use the word, Magos Athenagoras* , ever willing to argue with his peers to allow Vale the use of some piece of technology normally reserved for the initiated.

Even with all of these precautions,  I notice ''Old Vale'', as the novices call him,  is apt to wander slightly in conversation, his one remaining hand to shake terribly. He sees foes everywhere and has dreadful nightmares, but all accepted, should the night-sister run to the retreatants' rooms because of the screams, with a gentle smile and his constant saying ''A little more for thee, dear Emperor''.

* Vale always has had an affection for the Mechanicum that goes beyond intellectual curiosity, seeing their replacement of the flesh with metal as having much the same goal as the cold baths, hair shirts and flagellations, the means of mortification of the Ecclesiarchy, he makes use of.

I do not think one can say that the Magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus have friends. Athenagoras, on his part,  appreciates  a fellow-scholar's mind and especially Vale's taste, not for prideful and dangerous speculations, but ordered facts. He sees him, perhaps, as a man as devoted to the Quest for Knowledge as anyone can be outside the Priesthood of Mars, and sees also, perhaps, the unchanging perfection of a machine in the unchanging Imperium that Vale desires.

I have to disagree that any character added has to be "scholarly" (although that's not to say that they can't be), as that disregards the role of the foil in literature. A character who contrasted Vale's intelligence and learning could throw such traits into relief, making Vale seem more scholarly in comparison.

Beyond that, the purpose of any given agent is very often to provide skills that the Inquisitor himself does not himself possess. I don't imagine Vale would necessarily be picking bodyguards for their brains; while Inquisitors can afford to be pretty picky, given the billions of individuals from which they can choose their agents, education is probably not the primary criterion he'd be using.

As far as the new background, it looks good to me!

I'll check the background out later, but re: the discussion on Vale's minion, you shouldn't feel bad picking a more combat focused character. I whole heartedly agree w/ Marco on this one. There's no reason Vale would only surround himself w/ scholars, and given the fact that he's likely heading into fights (if he's participating in scenarios it means he's probably deliberately putting himself in situations where he knows there's a risk of a fight) then he'll definitely want someone who is handy with a/many weapon(s).

There are definitely interesting Imperial archetypes you could pick (or invent!) but you could always go for the tried and true ex-IG storm trooper or something like that. An Inquisitor of Vale's learning would have the resources to find someone like that and it might actually be a boon for him to have a non-ambitious guardian who doesn't care to look at whatever tomes Vale is studying up on. Having a purely military-minded warband member means that not only will Vale be physically protected, but he'll know that the knowledge he digs up won't fall into the wrong hands because his body guard doesn't even have to knowledge base to understand what it is they're looking for. Plus I love introducing odd-couple dynamics into warbands.

Anyway, you can do whatever you'd like, but as it's your first time you should know not to feel bad including a combat-y character. Some folks who look at the strong reaction that purely martial/over powered warbands get when posted on the Conclave decide to go in the complete opposite direction and end up feeling bad if they have any characters that are competent in a fight. So again, don't feel bad including a character that is competent in a fight. It's logical, go for it!

Hello,
Many grateful thanks for all your advice. I've actually retained the character I had here before for use with rewritten fluff.

This is the promised combat specialist. I eventually settled on a crusader (chosen because a common private soldier, even if seconded to the Inquisition, could not follow Inquisitor Vale wherever he goes. A robed figure, however, is common in the retinues of great officials in the Imperium). The Blanche drawings are beautiful.  I'm worried he's too strong, though I'm delighted with the character himself. The character is drawn wholesale from the illustration in the lower corner of this sheet. I'm inclined to tone down the weapons. The more lightly armed and armoured crusader with the shield might be more suitable. In fairness, however, the is the only intended combat specialist in the warband.

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu263/WBKurgan/Fifty_Fiff_Bad_Redz/Inquisitor_Orks/john_blanche_warriorpriests_zps89d85dff.jpg


Brother Sabas of the Golden Throne (Golesh Kalaman)

Brother Sabas is a quiet, taciturn, morose-seeming man. He was born in 915.M41, the second son of a hereditary lay-sacristan on the Shrine-World of Ultima Andreae. He lost his parents to cardiac consumption in 925.M41 and was inducted into the Schola Progenium. His sturdy piety and considerable strength were both obvious and he seemed a natural warrior.

In 931.M41 he declined, almost uniquely to my knowledge, the headmaster's desire to dismiss him to be trained as a storm-trooper. When ordered to explain, he said that he could not keep up the life of prayer he had been used to, both at home and in the Schola, on the field and feared that he should be corrupted by the loose examples he might meet. Faced with such humble honesty, the headmaster , after the flogging required by the rule, told him that it would not be counted a dishonour to choose a state of greater perfection. He ordered him to enter the Crusader House on the planet, a small filiation of the Sons of the Apocalypse.

This little I was told by the Master of the Schola when I came to the small Inquisitorial fortress on Ultima Andreae for the first time  in 943.M41, having lost an eye and been badly tried by the Cult of the Marble God. My intention was to spend the remainder of the year in retreat. Though I recovered well, I knew I was failing and badly felt the need of a guard who could accompany me at all times, so I applied to the crusader house. Brother Sabas, having spent twelve years in silence, prayer and practice, was chosen to accompany me.

He has been at my side for seventy-one years, silent, devout and dependable. His regularity and piety are humbling, a warrior-saint of the Crusade walking again in our times,  almost reminding me of a lesser version of the god-warriors of the Astartes. He talks little still, even to me, loyal to his vows of forgetting all but the glory of the Emperor and His Inquisition,  but I value his silent prayers and steady hand more than any familiarities.


WS  BS  St  T    I     Wp  Sg  Nv  Ld
72   67  75  64  66   60   53  72   68

Augmentation
One average bionic eye [possibly to be removed to avoid too many bionic eyes].

Wargear
1x Close-Combat Servo-Skull
1x Medicae Servo-Skull

Weapons
Power Falchion (Rules as for Frost Blade double-handed – I would only rarely use this weapon)
Bolt Pistol
MIU Laspistol? Psycannon? [unsure what picture shows -- inclined to use psycannon as it makes sense]
Short sword.
2 Krak grenades.

Armour
Carapace armour on chest.
Robes on head, arms, groin and legs.

Special Rules
These are a point of difficulty. I should like to include ''Bodyguard'' but I can't find the article (Seeing the Warp) in which it is detailed. A prominent part of Mr Blanche's drawing is the heavy book he carries (I imagine it as the Breviary of his crusader order –  i.e. the daily prayers he must recite) and I wondered if some benefit could be conferred from holy chanting from this book as an action.

Here is a link to the Skoll archive. Look under 'Specialist games site files: individual files' and the bodyguard rules are in the file titled 'Navigators'.
http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=34.0 (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=34.0)

There is another file, in the 'Dark Magenta Articles' folder, 'The autoquill is mightier than the sword', which contains rules for certain books. Perhaps one of the mandates would be appropriate. The stats look good for the most part, with the exception of his BS, which while absolutely fine in and of itself, seems improbably high for a crusader, which is normally very much a close combat archetype. Maybe others will correct me, and maybe Brother Sabas is a rather well rounded combatant, but for a traditional Crusader, I would advise you to reduce the BS by a little, and possibly add on a close combat skill. Not bad at all though, and I would still be perfectly willing to play you with stats as they are.

On the other hand, you are right to think the weapons need toning down. A bolt pistol, psycannon or power weapon can all conceivably put a character out of the game in one hit, and three such weapons on one character are definitely too many. Don't feel that you can't have a character based on that image, but I would advise you to replace the weapons with slightly less powerful substitutes. I would recommend a laspistol for the MIU weapon, some sort of fancy autopistol (antique duelling pistol?) in place of the bolt pistol, and either an Eviscerator or some sort of holy weapon instead of the Power Falchion. We don't really seem to see all that many chain weapons.

Many grateful thanks.  I've incorporated all but one of your suggestions and would be grateful for advice on Close Combat rules. I'm going to be slightly difficult and retain the power-sword until such time as I get a second opinion that it has to go (I hope you don't mind) as it is such an important part of the image of a Crusader.

The chief restriction I mean to put on it is a personal one. I trust myself -- I hope -- enough to remember to play according to the story and not for advantage. I would use it only in dire straits with tacit permission. I don't know if players would regard this (''a gentleman's word is his bond'' (!) ) as sufficient. I have slightly reduced its power (i.e. it is now merely a two-handed Power Sword with a slight +2 damage advantage, not a full blown Frost Blade) but I suspect this will make little difference as they're all very powerful.


Brother Sabas of the Golden Throne (Golesh Kalaman)

Brother Sabas is a quiet, taciturn, morose-seeming man. He was born in 915.M41, the second son of a hereditary lay-sacristan on the Shrine-World of Ultima Andreae. He lost his parents to cardiac consumption in 925.M41 and was inducted into the Schola Progenium. His sturdy piety and considerable strength were both obvious and he seemed a natural warrior.

In 931.M41 he declined, almost uniquely to my knowledge, the headmaster's desire to dismiss him to be trained as a storm-trooper. When ordered to explain, he said that he could not keep up the life of prayer he had been used to, both at home and in the Schola, on the field and feared that he should be corrupted by the loose examples he might meet. Faced with such humble honesty, the headmaster , after the flogging required by the rule, told him that it would not be counted a dishonour to choose a state of greater perfection. He ordered him to enter the Crusader House on the planet, a small filiation of the Sons of the Apocalypse.

This little I was told by the Master of the Schola when I came to the small Inquisitorial fortress on Ultima Andreae for the first time  in 943.M41, having lost an eye and been badly tried by the Cult of the Marble God. My intention was to spend the remainder of the year in retreat. Though I recovered well, I knew I was failing and badly felt the need of a guard who could accompany me at all times, so I applied to the crusader house. Brother Sabas, having spent twelve years in silence, prayer and practice, was chosen to accompany me.

He has been at my side for seventy-one years, silent, devout and dependable. His regularity and piety are humbling, a warrior-saint of the Crusade walking again in our times,  almost reminding me of a lesser version of the god-warriors of the Astartes. He talks little still, even to me, loyal to his vows of forgetting all but the glory of the Emperor and His Inquisition,  but I value his silent prayers and steady hand more than any familiarities.


WS  BS  St  T    I     Wp  Sg  Nv  Ld
72   54  75  64  66   60   53  72   68

Augmentation
One average bionic eye [possibly to be removed to avoid too many bionic eyes].

Wargear
1x Close-Combat Servo-Skull
1x Medicae Servo-Skull

Weapons
Crusader's Sword
Reach: 3, Damage: 3D10+2, Parry Penalty -20
The Crusader's Sword is a two-handed power weapon.
Duelling pistol
MIU Laspistol
Short sword.
2 Krak grenades.

Armour
Carapace armour on chest.
Robes on head, arms, groin and legs.

Special Rules
Bodyguard
Feint – ?
First Strike (NB this ability cannot be used with the Power Falchion – it is too bulky and is slung across his back) –??

A prominent part of Mr Blanche's drawing is the heavy book he carries (I imagine it as the Breviary of his crusader order –  i.e. the daily prayers he must recite) and I wondered if some benefit could be conferred from holy chanting from this book as an action.

Sons of the Apocalypse?
i only ask as was my first custom marine chapter :lol:

Nope! Border of the Blanche painting -- the caption is ''Son of the Apocalypse'' -- quite a good name.

Quote from: Inquisitor Vale on January 12, 2016, 07:44:24 PMI should like to include ''Bodyguard'' but I can't find the article (Seeing the Warp) in which it is detailed.

I don't like that particular skill, as it breaks my "No ruleplay" principle (by mandating that the bodyguard must stay within 6 yards of his master). Special rules should certainly encourage a character to act a certain way, but characters should only be forced to do things if they really cannot act otherwise (e.g. if they're being compelled by psychic powers, drugs, mental conditioning, etc; Vows, however sacred, do not count, as the character could choose to break them, even if they don't.).

A skill that offers a bodyguard a bonus (like the being able to dive into the path of bullets while going "Noooooo!") for closely shadowing their charge works rather better - in a lot of situations, it makes far more sense for a bodyguard to buy his master time to escape. (Bonus points for yelling "YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!").

The version I use is essentially a tweaked version of Dodge skill.

A bodyguard may take an initiative test to dive in the way of any attack targeting a model within 6 yards. If this test is passed, the bodyguard is moved into the path of the attack, and the margin of success is applied as a penalty to the attack's hit roll. Any shot/blow that misses due to this margin hits the bodyguard instead.

(I allow this to be used more than once a turn, unlike the Dodge skill - it's not as good as Dodge, as the bodyguard is taking the hits rather than entirely negating them and tends to get stunned if he tries it too much).

~~~~~

Weapon wise... I don't think it's too unreasonable for him to have a power sword of some variety (considering that Vale himself isn't exactly much of a combatant), but I'd definitely agree against the Psycannon. An Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus might be able to get hold of some of those staggeringly rare rounds, but they're not going to be falling into the hands of lower ranking Hereticus agents in any great quantity.

As an aside about naming, this is a Falchion...
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Falchion.jpg)
... so Covenant's sword was rather badly named, as the design is obviously influenced by Zweihanders (it's got Parierhaken).

I like the character, would be interested to hear a bit more about the Sons of the Apocalypse and what he was doing before that 12 years of prayer. His stats are high, but I imagine he spent a lot of time fighting. To Raghnall's point, while a traditional crusader may be a bit more close combat focused there's still nothing wrong with having a higher BS on Sabas if that's in his character. Also, while I generally consider it poor taste to tweak warbands just for the sake of "filling holes" there is also the matter of this being a skirmish game at its heart and if Sabas is your best warrior with a BS of 54 that is something to consider. Again, I wouldn't tell you to increase it just to increase it, but if you're only dropping it to abide by a loose archetype then I'd personally move it back up.

Also, if you want to stick with the frost blade rules go for it. The guy is dangerous but he was recruited to be dangerous. Test play a few games with him and if it turns out he's slicing everyone in half and making games not-fun then tone him down. The way he's described it sounds as though he will be reluctant to use the blade unless it is needed. Sabas seems like a quiet and pious man who was cursed with a physique and talent for combat. If you're RPing him as described I think it'll take care of itself.

As far as guns, you should check out Marco's revised armory and pick some guns from there. What you selected on your second go around is totally fine, but you may find something you fall in love with in the revised armory. Plus the make-your-own-las-weapon section will allow you to build something that fits Sabas's character.

Great stuff! Looking forward to seeing more.

Reading it back, I think I came across as overly harsh. I stand by the statement that the original psycannon, bolt pistol, power falchion was a little much, but I really don't want to stop you having the weapon most appropriate for your character! The power sword alone should be fine, and I trust you to use appropriate restraint. Its nasty, but the weapons in the rulebook are there to be used, and this is probably the right character to use that sort of weapon.

BS was maybe dropped a little too low. While the new value is the same as my Crusader's, the other characters in the same warband do cover different areas of combat. If Brother Sabas is the only one with any real talent, then he should be a reasonable shot as well.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on January 13, 2016, 12:29:19 AM

As an aside about naming, this is a Falchion...
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Falchion.jpg)
... so Covenant's sword was rather badly named, as the design is obviously influenced by Zweihanders (it's got Parierhaken).

Marco, you should really have given up on correcting the LRB by now. Falchions are misnamed*, pyromancy is misnamed**, biomancy is misnamed, daemonology is questionable, but not as bad***. Meh.

*You're correct, it should be called a Zweihander or Biddenhander. A flammenschwert is close enough, and immensely awesome.
**Although I am currently in the early stages of designing a genuine pyromancer character, who will be getting his own thread soon.
***I haven't seen you pick up on that last one before, but technically daemonology should be the systematic study of daemons rather than interaction with them, while summoning them should be evocation, and most of the other effects, should be Thaumaturgy.

Many grateful thanks for your help -- all of you. I looked up the names of swords a while ago and yes, they botched it! I shall attempt to answer the fluff questions in the morning and study the RIA. This is a very minor update.

QuoteBrother Sabas of the Golden Throne (Golesh Kalaman)

Brother Sabas is a quiet, taciturn, morose-seeming man. He was born in 915.M41, the second son of a hereditary lay-sacristan on the Shrine-World of Ultima Andreae. He lost his parents to cardiac consumption in 925.M41 and was inducted into the Schola Progenium. His sturdy piety and considerable strength were both obvious and he seemed a natural warrior.

In 931.M41 he declined, almost uniquely to my knowledge, the headmaster's desire to dismiss him to be trained as a storm-trooper. When ordered to explain, he said that he could not keep up the life of prayer he had been used to, both at home and in the Schola, on the field and feared that he should be corrupted by the loose examples he might meet. Faced with such humble honesty, the headmaster , after the flogging required by the rule, told him that it would not be counted a dishonour to choose a state of greater perfection. He ordered him to enter the Crusader House on the planet, a small filiation of the Sons of the Apocalypse.

This little I was told by the Master of the Schola when I came to the small Inquisitorial fortress on Ultima Andreae for the first time  in 943.M41, having lost an eye and been badly tried by the Cult of the Marble God. My intention was to spend the remainder of the year in retreat. Though I recovered well, I knew I was failing and badly felt the need of a guard who could accompany me at all times, so I applied to the crusader house. Brother Sabas, having spent twelve years in silence, prayer and practice, was chosen to accompany me.

He has been at my side for seventy-one years, silent, devout and dependable. His regularity and piety are humbling, a warrior-saint of the Crusade walking again in our times,  almost reminding me of a lesser version of the god-warriors of the Astartes. He talks little still, even to me, loyal to his vows of forgetting all but the glory of the Emperor and His Inquisition,  but I value his silent prayers and steady hand more than any familiarities.


WS  BS  St  T    I     Wp  Sg  Nv  Ld
72   62  75  64  66   60   53  72   68

Augmentation
One average bionic eye [possibly to be removed to avoid too many bionic eyes].

Wargear
1x Close-Combat Servo-Skull
1x Medicae Servo-Skull

Weapons
Crusader's Sword
Reach: 3, Damage: 3D10+2, Parry Penalty -20
The Crusader's Sword is a two-handed power weapon.
Duelling pistol
MIU Laspistol
Short sword.
2 Krak grenades.

Armour
Carapace armour on chest.
Robes on head, arms, groin and legs.

Special Rules

''Crusader's Vow''
Many Crusaders are sworn to the protection of a particular Inquisitor. He may take an Initiative test to dive to intercept any attack made on his master provided he is within six yards of him. The margin by which the Initiative test is passed is applied as a modifier to the assailant's hit roll. Should the assailant then fail to hit his target on account of this modifier (i.e. one makes the unmodified hit roll, then subtracts the modifier and sees if it is a fail) then he suffers the shot or wound.

Feint

He looks great! The rules seem to flow nicely with his character. I can see Sabas Feinting with his first blow, then grunting, "do you really want to do this?" as his opponent stands off balance looking at a raised power sword. In my opinion you can call it a day on this guy once you've found some small arms you're happy with. Honestly there's nothing wrong with what you have now, but the RIA may have something that really pops out at you.

Anyway, good luck and happy gaming! Hope to see some models soon :)

Hello,
Thank you. My Inquisitor is being very kindly sculpted for me and I have an idea for the Crusader, so I hope you will soon. I shall practice on some inexpensive goons and am reading a good deal about it.