Believable Special Characters

[Carnage]

another good thing is to add a weapon or unusual piece of wargear (that doesnt make him a god) like having a space marine smoking cigars or a termy commander with an assault cannon...

[Pheonecia]

I find the best way to add "unique wargear" to a character is to simply take one or more existing pieces, rename them to something more appropriate and use the existing rules.

For example:

The Sanguinian Blade
This long bladed weapon has lain in a secret chamber beneath Baal for millenia, only carried in battle by the few Blood Angel's who have ever manifested the Blessing of Sanguinius. Rumoured to have been forged by the Primarch himself for a chosen lieutenant during the Great Crusade, the Sanguinian Blade is a fiery two handed weapon that gives Ionamar +1 A. He may reroll one to hit roll per turn, as well as all rolls to wound. The weapon has an armour penetration of 8+2d6 (and is subject to the normal rules for melta weapons).

This is a combination of twin mastercrafted lightning claws (+1 to hit, reroll 1 to hit, reroll to wound, ignore saves) and melta bombs (armour penetration). The point cost can be worked out by reading your Codex, and the rules are already playtested for you.

Remember that you need to stick to the existing limitations. So no heavy weapons for characters or more than X points of wargear - those rules are in place for game balance reasons, after all...

[Lady Bastet]

Originally posted by Pheonecia@Jan 13 2005, 20:54
I'm not sure there is a top to go over in 40k, but classically, the most interesting heroes (and villains) always have a weakness that might prove their undoing. They must overcome some personal challenge to truly become great.

Ask yourself: what weakness does this character have? This can also be used when considering special rules. Few GW special characters can do everything fantastically well.

For example: Pheonecia Yar, a Thorian at heart, is torn between defending the Imperium and what seeking might or might not be the Emperor Reborn. Perhaps worse yet: she might be tempted to allow a truly penitent heretic "just another chance" - and yet she knows that she cannot alow herself the luxury of mercy. It doesn't come to expression on the table, but it makes her a more realistic character.

[snapback]301907[/snapback]

Well your character is suitable for the game and background, however player made characters have a reputation for being horribly powerful. There are good examples of that on this forum if you look back far enough.

[Pheonecia]

There are good examples of that [going over the top] on this forum if you look back far enough.

I agree completely: I was trying to be droll - after all, in a setting where super-human warrior monks fight battles that go on for months at a time without a let up, it is difficult to imagine something that is too extreme.

But to be serious for a moment: of course, the many "my special char is a librarian dreadnaught made from the primarch of the second chapter" is not particularly game ballanced, but given the setting, and especially if written well enough it could be pulled off.

But, since 40k is essentially a competitive wargame any special character (and especially a home made character) must be ballanced. And since super-uber-librarian-primarch-dreadnaughts are unballanced by default I agree that there is a top - at least as far as game mechanics go.

[Carnage]

its also best not to add a piece of chapter history to your character, as it sounds like your trying to make him too important, and to be honest if someone had a unique piece of chapter history in their possesion, GW would have mentioned them before

[Addoran]

Here's a post I'd like to put forward as an example of what not to do. I'm using particular post not because I'm picking on anybody, just because this user has not been active for months, and so probably won't be bothered/offended. This is not really a believable 'character' example, but a believable 'background' example.

Originally posted by ungrim ironfist@Sep 20 2004, 20:33
THE IRON GUARD
During the horus heresy The Iron guard and many other Chapters, who were most loyal, were assigned to guarding the emperor himself.

The Iron Guard worked with the Novamarines on terra settin a massive fortified defense around the Palace itself to protect the emperor from the enevatable firefight that was going to happen near or inside the palace itself.

Many months passed and the battle raged on outside the Palace. The Iron Guard stood there ground but one cold foggy morning the siege experts (Iron Warriors) Blasted a huge chunk out of the wall of the palace perimeter and thats when Warmaster Horus made his move into the Palace accompaind by his command they battled there way through the Iron Guard company but horus met Salgus Ironhand (primarch of the Iron Guard) and him and horus Struck blows outside the emperors own chamber.

Meanwhile the fight was already won outside the masses of Chaos marines had been chased of the planet those most eager to chase were the Iron Guard who chased the Iron warriors into the eye of terror.

Horus defeated Salgus easily and moved towards his prey........ the emperor........

After the Horus Heresy the Iron Guard were thought lost in action after having chased the Chaos Marines into the Eye. but years later during the rising of Abaddon and the Traitor Legions again. The Iron guard were seen at many of the battles at the Eye of Terror. The Iron Guard seemed to appear whereever the Iron Warrior Traitor legion did. And quite fantastically beet them as well. It was like the Chapter had Adapted to fighting against the siege experts.

but after learning that Cadia had already fallen to the traitors the Iron Guard thought they would be no point in carrying on and pulled out of the confrontation. After the Eye of Terror the Inquisitation thought the Iron Guard had Been Traitorous and had decided to exterminatus the whole chapter. Of course when the Iron Guard heard of this they pleaded to the Inquisitation hoping that they would soon come to there senses. But it didnt happen! the Inqusitation were nearly dispatched but they were stopped before they could leave.

Instead Force Commander Falken Ironhand, son of Salgus was summoned to the emperor himself. The emperor and Falken talked intentavly for a long time about why the chapter had disengaged from the eye of terror. And now the Iron Guard Chapter are on a Quest. A quest to regain the trust of the emperor and they wish that 1 day it will happen.

[snapback]216185[/snapback]

Things to point out.

1/The Adeptus Custodes themselves are the Emperor's bodyguards.
2/It is stated which chapters were on Earth during the Heresy, the Imp Fists, White Scars and the Blood Angels.
3/Novamarines didn't exist till after the Heresy.
4/The assault on Earth didn't last months in that way.
5/Your chapter won the battle on the Heresy and chased the Iron Warrior's away...
6/ The Iron Warrior's are never mentioned in the WD Horus Heresy story and assault in the Emperor's palace.
7/ The Dark Angels and Space Wolves were the ones who stopped the Assault on the Emperor's palace.
8/ Horus never left his battle barge during the Heresy.
9/ Cadia has never fallen (debatable current fluff aside)
10/ The Inquisition forgives your Marines for no reason
11/ Your chapter master is your primarchs son.
12/ Your chapter master has a conversation with Emperor long after the Heresy (when the Emperor is'nt in a talking mood).

The point I'm trying to make is (as previous said) please don't make wild claims, and vastly exagerrated fluff. Research your story, rather than make it heavily contradictory to the background, make it fit in.

[Carnage]

the iron warriors were there at the heresy by the way...they were doing all of the siege work (and i think they destroyed the imperial fists monestary there, for the fun of it)...and no one knows why horus ended the siege by tempting the emperor into single combat...but the dark angels and space wolves arriving is one theory (they were days away when horus died...so who knows)

but other then those trivial points, i agree entirely with what addoran says.

[Addoran]

Hmm, I find reference to the Iron Warriors in the Heresy, but can't find a single one that supports them attacking the palace on Terra.

Also the WD says Horus lowered the shields as he recieved word that the combined Dark Angel Space Wolf fleet was not far away.

[Carnage]

read the index astartes article on the iron warriors...it tells you more about their actions on terra as well as before terra.

It also says in WD that no one knows why horus did what he did...the two other space marine legions were days away when the shields were lowered, and that horus may have done it out of one last scrap of humanity, or out of the desire to kill the emperor with his own hands.

of course the second thing is not proven or definate, so you could obviously be right...im just stating its not quite definate why he did it. Not criticising you in any way

[Lady Bastet]

Glad someone gave an example, it would have looked like moderator bullying had I done that.

Oh and the Iron Warriors did fight at the Siege this is supported by their Index Astartes article the diorama at the GW HQ clearly has Iron Warriors in it.