Creating an Archaeoxenan...?

[Okona]

Greetings brothers,

I'm returning to my Rogue Trader warband after a bit of an absence, and I'm trying to create some characters that I'm happy with (this being my first warband...). For something a bit different, I rather fancied an Archaeoxenan to accompany them, but I really don't know where to start.... I'm seeking the advice of the Conclavers on stats and equipment, anything you can offer! What sort of character would he be, how would he be equipped? I've started to make a model for him, but it's still very WIP, using Slick's legs and Gruss's torso and head.

Help!

[Kaled]

There's not a lot to go on there - his stats and equipment will depend entirely on what sort of a person he is. You'll probably want to give him some form of scanner and some tools but beyond that I don't really know without knowing more about your plans for the character.

What drew you to the archetype? How do you see the character being played? What is his role in the warband? Is he planned as an action character or the brains of the operation? Why did you give him Gruss's head and Slick's legs? Some idea of why you've made the choices you have would help us make suggestions - like most archetypes there are loads of directuons that you could take the character.

[Macabre]

I'm sure its not just me, but an archaeoxenan just puts me in mind of an Indiana Jones character raiding lost worlds.

[Ulgavitch]

I'm sure its not just me, but an archaeoxenan just puts me in mind of an Indiana Jones character raiding lost worlds.

Funnily enough, it creates a totally difference image for me!

I imagine a very sort of bookish character, festooned with knowledge apparatus and volumes of ancient history. He'd have enhancements of his eyes and his hands to aid the digging efforts. This chap would also have a big hat to protect him from the sun (and 'cause I know the Conclave's view on hats). This being the Imperium, Thus everything being on steroids, he'd probably also wield some sort of staff/drilling device so he can do 'rapid' excavations at the sites he has selected.

He could also have a servitor with a vast array of geo-physical sensors as well, to help probe the ground where he could be digging - something like a pretorian servitor crossed with a fixed radar array. And if he really wants to dig, then this servitor could have a JCB style shovel on the back of it to rapidly create trenches.

Anyway, that's just what it creates in my mind. Plus, love the name of the role - perfect gothic 40K style.

=][=

[Morcus]

Thats intresting because my first thoughts were of Tony Robinson in the 41st millenium, with his trusty servitor, phil.

[Inquisitor Octavian Lars]

I'm sure its not just me, but an archaeoxenan just puts me in mind of an Indiana Jones character raiding lost worlds.

I really want to make a rogue trader based on him after your post and watching the films on BBC3

[Flinty]

I like the sound of this - I think the Indiana Jones comparison is a bit more of a Rogue Trader (did he ever excavate anything in the films - no, he just looted stuff and blatantly ignored every archaeological practice).

I can see a very Blanchian figure covered in probes, auguers, sensors and a small trowel (no paint brushes - they are a sign of someone who was never taught to excavate properly, humph...)   

[MarcoSkoll]

I've already been there and done an Indiana Jones inspired character in Lyra Rhodes - Doctor of Archaeology (prior to becoming an Inquisitor), carries a revolver (but no whip though), has a trademark hat and can hold her own in a punch-up. There's even a room at her Ordo's sector fortress that does a good impression of the artefacts warehouse from the films.

Dd he ever excavate anything in the films - no, he just looted stuff and blatantly ignored every archaeological practice

Quite a lot of it did come down to trying to stop the heretics Nazis* getting their hands on the supernatural artefacts of doom. Obviously, the famous opening to Raiders is outright grave robbery, but when it comes down to trying to find the Ark, the time sensitive nature of it does change the matter slightly.

*Although the question of how the US government knew for certain that the Nazis were bad guys in 1936 does arise. Particularly as the US didn't join the war until 1941.

So I wrote Lyra as a more realistic archaeologist - but her commitments as an Inquisitor do mean she does sometimes just have to find that archaeotech weapon before the heretics do, even at the cost of proper archaeological practice.

Anyway, I'll stop taking over this thread.

[Dolnikan]

I would imagine a sort of criminal unolerated by authorities but always evading them, trying to get his hands on alien artifacts by finding them and selling them on to wealthy collectors.

*Although the question of how the US government knew for certain that the Nazis were bad guys in 1936 does arise. Particularly as the US didn't join the war until 1941.

They might not see them as evil, in fact, they were quite popular at the time over there. However, almost any nation considers it to be in their best interest to keep such powerful tools out of the hands of any other nation, unless they are very, very close allies.

[Inquisitor Octavian Lars]

If anyone as Ideas of making Indy for INQ I probably would have thought an amalgamation of slick, covenant, GS hat and guitar wire for the whip.

[precinctomega]

An archaeoxenan could be anything from Doctor Henry Jones Junior to Doctor Marcus Brody.  He could even be a less academic type: an aristocratic collector with a dangerous compulsive streak; a voidborn scavenger; a renegade tech-priest...

R.

[Okona]

Thanks for the thoughts so far guys, there are a lot of creative juices flowing here, and I'm splashing around in them! In terms of the character and personality, I'm going for something less cliché than Indiana Jones (that cliché already belongs to my Rogue Trader to some degree  ). What I had in mind was more of a scavenger type, with an innate ability to understand how obscure tech works (wyrd: machine empathy probably), and an unhealthy interest in forbidden ancient tech. Whether I should have him focussed exclusively on lost Imperial tech, or whether it should include alien tech too, is still up for debate. It might be better to limit his interests to Imperial (dark age) tech, otherwise it's a bit too broad...