X-Men 40,000

[Kaled]

Evening all,

I've had this idea for a warband knocking around in the back of my head for a while now - the high-level concept is based around the idea of a 41st millenium version of the X-Men drawn by John Blanche.  Don't read too much into that - I'm not going for a straight port of the X-Men with Wolverine, Cyclops et al complete with spandex outfits and so on.  Instead the idea is for an Inquisitor who believes that mutation is key to humanity's future and who has gathered a band of useful mutants around her.

The Inquisitor will be a sort of female cross between Professor Xavier and Davros - a physically crippled psyker with burned out eyes (from the soul-binding) sat in some sort of 'chair' (I quite fancy making it a quadruped walker, or I have some old Zoid legs so it may end up being rather insectoid instead).

Anyway, the question for the forums is what mutants should I include?  I have a few ideas, mostly based around models I want to use, but they're far from being properly fleshed out.

The first is the one for which I have the most solid vision.  He'll be based on the crouching Pizarro vampire model and will probably be a mutant abhuman from a nightworld (so, pale skin and big eyes).  I plan for him to have the Wyrd-Teleportation power (which he can only use on himself), however he'll probably have a rule so after teleporting he may be traumatised by his hop through the warp and curl up into a cowering ball or become frenzied...

The second is going to be a physically powerful mutant based on a LotR troll.  So far I have no idea whether he'll have any other mutations or what his personality might be, but I quite fancy giving him a Scarecrow-style mask made from an old sack.

The third is going to be based on Quovandius (as I have one in my bits box), but beyond that I'm stuck for inspiration so again any ideas would be appreciated.

Or if anyone has any ideas for other mutants (either concepts, rules or models), I'd love to hear those too...

- Dave

[DapperAnarchist]

From the X-Men, some interesting ones could be -

Caliban, who in Ultimates, IIRC, is a moronic mutant who becomes stronger the more emotional energy thats going on around him - so in a Zen Monastery, he's about normal, but in a desperate fight, he can rip a car in half (tricky for rules though)

Whither is like a darker version of Rogue. He doesn't absorb stuff from people, he just kills them, by draining out their life energy, leaving them a pile of dust.

Marrow has a mutation that leads to extreme bone growth, causing sharp spikes of bone to come out through her skin - in the comics, this just gives her a limitless supply of knives. For Inquisitor, you could make things a bit more twisted...

[Vladimir]

hm. A mutant who regenerates, but not perfectly. Sure, her hand will heal... but it won't heal right. She can chose to take the damage, or to shrug it off at the cost of a little bit of humanity.

[Myriad]

Like the idea. 

Venom is always good, since you can never have too much hallucinogen toxin.  Quovandius I guess would have advantages other than the physical. 

[greenstuff_gav]

as Quavandious suits The Morlocks rather well, something like Leech maybe? a Machine Empathy shutdown with AoE Psychic blank? can be useful but a curse as well (oh no! the doors stopped working with him nearby!) 

for a hilariously-bad conversion in a similar theme, i used Quovandious to make a Mutant after i rolled for mutations on the Rogue Trader Page 53 Mutations Chart.
i rolled Thin Skin, Prehensile Tail and Timeline Slip (teleportation) which suited Nightcrawler very well

[Shannow]

This is a brilliant idea, I think an explosives mad gambit style power could be interesting, x actions of concentration to blow up a building but risky action means he might pass out from exertion...

Also I like your conversion Gav! My first thought was one of those creepy voodoo masks, if you know what I mean? Not exactly kurt but still very cool and creepy...

Rob

[Kaled]

Some good ideas there, I especially like the regeneration gone awry and the machine shutdown field (although that might not be practical given the amount of bionics the Inquisitor will have). The most important thing is that the mutants should fit the idea of mutation and wyrds in 40k rather than being actual superpowers...  That said, the warband won't have many actual weapons and they still need to be viable in the game so I'm not averse to them having good offensive capabilities.

[Dust King]

I've had some recent thoughts on this topic:

-A mercenary skilled in both close combat and gun-play, has regeneration as his mutation. Also has some psychological disorders, a very unstable personality and acts mainly on whim. (deadpool)

-A great leader and thinker, has the ability to motivate his follows to extraordinary deeds, is also a monstrous telekinetic. Believes the imperium must be overthrown because of it's abuse of mutants and psykers. (magneto)

-Someone possessed by a early primal demon, she has control over her powers most of the time, however once she is pushed over consciousness it takes control of her (phoenix)

-the troll could take some inspiration from beast (intelligent, acrobatic, compassionate)

Anyway that's the stuff from the top of my head.

[Macabre]

Hmmm, not all mutants are as extreme visually, both the X-men and 40k universe make reference to a mutation spectrum based upon geneological degeneration. All mutants in the 40k verse are a degeneration of pure blooded humans. I think it would be more in keeping to have the Inquisitor believing in the psychic future of mankind, and 'collects' the strongest (and most 'stable') specimines (whether some of them are hideously mutated is by the by).

[Vladimir]

Hm.
How exactly would an inquisitor arive at the conclusion that mutants were somehow desirable? Apart from a few rabid Xanthanites, I can't see many taking this view.

[InquisitorHeidfeld]

First things first...

I would suggest that you avoid psykers for a start and work within what could be termed the "single miracle exception" rule. To whit, all of the characters involved are entirely normal, except that in a single aspect of their existance they are not only exceptional but beyond that.

I'm aware that X-Men itself doesn't follow that rule (Wolverine has claws, agility and then his healing factor... The adamantium skeletal reinforcement and the adamantium sheaths which surround his claws is not in itself a miracle exception, it is a consequence of the healing factor).

However, single miracle exceptions tend to make for better characters.

[MarcoSkoll]

How exactly would an inquisitor arive at the conclusion that mutants were somehow desirable?

I suggest you look at "Fan14_Warbandconcepts". One of the concepts set out there is a Radical Thorian who has got the idea that mutants are the next stage in human evolution - a heretical view, to be sure.

But when you look at some of the mutations that can manifest, then you can certainly imagine why some Inquisitors would get the idea that it's the future of humanity - a new, stronger race.

... or perhaps it's more pragmatic view - they might not like these mutants, but if they're going to happen anyway, they might as well be put to use.

[greenstuff_gav]

... or perhaps it's more pragmatic view - they might not like these mutants, but if they're going to happen anyway, they might as well be put to use.

Adept Stein took the view isn't it better to make the Controlled Xenos kill the Xenos?
less of the Faithful to be sacrificed and if the controlled Xenos succeed, it's easier to put 'em down afterwards!

[DapperAnarchist]

Though, remember  - Summon up not that which cannot be put down.

[Kaled]

How exactly would an inquisitor arive at the conclusion that mutants were somehow desirable? Apart from a few rabid Xanthanites, I can't see many taking this view.

Well, there only needs to be one - mine...

I have a few thoughts in this direction - maybe she believes that the many threats facing humanity have caused a period of increased mutation as the human race attempts to evolve and survive in an increasingly hostile universe.  She is then attempting to guide the process in order to ensure the future of the Imperium.  Or maybe she believes that the mutation of humanity is inevitable and she investigating (and maybe attempting to accelerate the process) in order to ensure the survival of the eventual mutated human form.  She's gathering a band of mutants in the belief that their mutations may be of benefit to whatever form humanity is mutating into.