Creating a Space Wolves Iron Priest Special Character

[Skarvald the Troll-faced]

Hello there, Wolf Brothers! I will keep this one nice and short seeing as how it's friggin late already and I've had more than enough mjolds. So here it goes.

I've been thinking of a way to create a Space Wolves Special Character of my own.. for who knows what, I don't even know. Fun games? Apocalypse? Whatever it doesn't matter.

When you look at it, a lot of the generic HQ/unit types are already represented by a themed-Special Character.. Let's see:

 

Wolf Lord - Logan Grimnar, Ragnar Blackmane

Wolf Guard Battle Leader - Arjac Rockfist

Blood Claws - Lukas the Trickster

Rune Priest - Njal Stormcaller

Wolf Priest - Ulrik the Slayer

Thunderwolf Cavalry/Fenrisian Wolves - Canis Wolfborn

Dreadnought - Bjorn the Fell-handed

 

Leaving the following units without their own Special Character:

Iron Priest, Wolf Scouts Pack, Lone Wolf, Grey Hunters Pack, Swiftclaw Biker Pack, Skyclaw Assault Pack, Long Fangs.

 

Personally, I'd like to create an Iron Priest. Why the hell not? The way I imagine him is like a Fenrisian Vulkan He'stan - a Legendary Smith of some sort. One that maybe creates special weapons or upgrades them.. so what better thing to work on than a way of say.. puting runes on frost blades/axes? Imagine.. Runic Frostblades?

 

The way I imagine him is purely as a support character, that buffs your army and at the same time allows a very different kind of army to be fielded - One that brings out one of the unique aspects of the Space Wolves Codex. I am talking of course about the ability to run 4 HQ's! Now, our HQ's are badass as it is - for their points and with the equipment options available to them they are almost the best when it comes to close combat. Now, imagine a Special Character who makes the rest of your HQ's... even better at what they do. We're talking the epitome of all of those stereotypical Saturday Morning Cartoons - He-Man, Lionel.. How? By "gifting" your HQ's with a weapon upgrade called "Runic Frostblade".

 

I guess the description of the ability could be something like this:

Runesmith: <Insert Name Here> knows how to imbue and create legendary weapons better than anyone on Fenris ever could. Using secret runes he can enchant a warrior's frost blade before battle with words of power, aiding the best members of the Space Wolves with their sagas. Wolf Guard Battle Leaders, Wolf Lords and Lone Wolfs in an army lead by <Insert Name Here> can choose to purchase a Runic Frost Blade for 50 points instead of the close combat weapons listed in their entries. A Runic Frost Blade counts as a two-handed Frost Blade. In addition, every Runic Frost Blade has two runic powers randomly generated from the following list before the army is deployed. If the same result is rolled twice, you can choose the Runic Frost Blade's second runic power:

 

2d6 Runic Power:

_________________________________________

2-3:

4:

5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

10:

11-12:

 

Basically.. this is a slighly buffed version of the Daemonblade that Ordo Malleus Inquisitor from the Grey Knights codex can purchase. Their Daemonblade is 15 pts and starts as a standard two-handed close combat weapon. I am making this 25 points more expensive to factor in the power weapon effect and the +1S from the Frost weapon and an extra 10 points to compensate for the fact that such a powerful weapon is going to be in the hands of an already powerful close combat character. I believe that 50 points for the upgrade is fair? Think about it.. You could have this upgrade 7 times (or 8 if I decide that the special character is also getting one). 7-8 crazy close combat powerhouses swinging crazy two-handers at you enemies. However.. what should the bonuses be?

This is what gets me every time. I don't want to simply copy paste the abilities from the Daemonblade, I want this chart to have a Space Wolf theme. So what should it be, you think?

I was thinking of a few ones..

 

There should be one that adds +1d6 to penetrate vehicles in close combat.. A few that buff the character in some way, but maybe have a minor downside to balance things a little. They need to be powerful and characterful.

 

I'm hoping for some cool ideas, you guys. Don't let me down! Help me flesh this character out and hopefully we'll be able to finish the Runic Frost Blade chart and then proceed with his own equipment, abilities, cost and fluff.

I was thinking that getting two of them could grant the wielder the ability to cast Fury of the Wolf Spirits and Thunderclap. because they are awesome psychic abilities, which are never used and they would work particularly well with a combat-oriented hero, because they are all close range abilities. Imagine a Lone Wolf face-to-face with a bunch of Orkz. He stabs the ground with his frost blade unleashing a powerful earthquake which hits all Boyz and turns them into dust..

 

Another one could be an ability which allows the wielder to hit eveything in a short line, sort of like a mini Jaws of the World Wolf but without the remove from play effect. Basically imagine that the blade extends..

[Wulfebane]

It's late, so I didn't read past the premise (saving it for tomorrow)... but, you may run into some contention with Arjac being an Iron Priest neophyte of sorts.

 

He certainly doesn't contend with an actual Iron Priest, of course.. but just thought I'd point it out.

 

Also, "runic" anything is the Rune Priest's domain, I think.. not just because of the name, but due to runic armour specifically and how Njal's is extra special b/c of his runic mastery which leaves me to think runic items are a RP construction.

 

------

 

I've always loved Iron Priests and find it extremely sad how under-represented they are in C:SW 5E. Not to mention they're sub-par compared to your standard vanilla techmarine and the variation (or lacking) of special rules.

 

Can't wait to see what you end up going with.. and I'll likely help make suggestions tomorrow.

[Skarvald the Troll-faced]

Thank you for the fast reply, Wulfebane.

I knew about Arjac, but he is not an Iron Priest after all. And you are right about the Rune Priest domain-thing but like you said there is already a RP character (Njal) and I suppose anything could be explained with fluff. It's just that runic-imbued frost weapons are incredibly fluffy for Space Wolves and combining the two is just.. delicious.

Maybe he has somehow managed to learn some close-guarded secrets?

Maybe he doesn't actually forge the weapons but he is sort of like a collector/keeper and the Chapter trusts him with his decision on what to do with them. Ultramarines and other chapters might treasure artifact weapons by putting them in museums and relic-chambers, but I don't see the Space Wolves ever doing that. Instead they would treasure their relic by actually using them in battle.

Maybe he surrounds himself with psychik-talented Servitors?

 

Just spit-ballin'.

[Emptyedens]

I love the idea! How about a power that the blade generates fog to cover the unit the blade is with? The enemy would just see this large fog bank approaching them hearing muted sounds but a loud keening wolf wail as the unit approaches. Giving a 5+ or even 4+ cover save, or maybe every unit that tries to shoot at it would have to take a leadership or would get minus 1 or 2 to BS when firing at the covered unit as the fog, shadowy shapes and keening wail unnerves them?

[Skarvald the Troll-faced]

I like the idea, Empyedens. ESPECIALLY the description of it. I personally had an idea involving freezing ice following the character, which could count as dangerous terrain/reduce Initiative in close combat.

 

A cloud of fog could be any of the following things:

- The Stealth USR (Saga of the Hunter provides that for what.. 15 points?)

- Reduces the range of weapons fired at the unit by 6'', like the Dark Eldar Shroud (a 10 pt upgrade for them)

- Leadership to shoot at the unit

- Negative modifier to Initiative in Close Combat

- Negative modifier to BS (-1 or -2)

- Anything else?

 

Additionally it could lower enemy Leadership in an AoE. Just throwing down some mechanics. The option could be any of those (or something completely different) or even a combination. Any ideas or preferences? The more people we have in this discussion - the better.

 

Another idea I had:

Murdermaker - The bite of this blade has severed the threads of many foes previously thought to be immortal or even invulnerable. 6's to wound ignore Invulnerable saves.

- Too good? Lackluster? Could it perhaps use Rending (partially useless against enemies since it already is a power weapon, but potentially useful against vehicles)?

[Wulfebane]

Still haven't read it fully (rushed for class!) but I've read the responses and an idea I just had is regarding the fog.. I would try to think about making sure things feel mechanical but mystical, like people have forgotten how tech works anymore (except IPs).

 

Instead of fog, I like your idea of ice following him, and maybe his tech is centered around liquid nitrogen or something, where he can spread it on the ground, or shoot someone, then subsequently shatter them, etc.. I dunno.

[hendrik]

Instead of fog, I like your idea of ice following him, and maybe his tech is centered around liquid nitrogen or something, where he can spread it on the ground, or shoot someone, then subsequently shatter them, etc.. I dunno.

nitrogen trower-flamer template, works exactly the same as a flamer + any models hit are I1 because of frostbite etc

[the jeske]

bring back 2ed stuff.

1 .frost blade becomes like the plasma knife ,

2 . helm of durfast type of re-roll

3. some sort of zerker sword . not as in khorn zerker , but something that buffs dude but makes him uncontrolable . like all missess are re-rolled but against his own unit weapon str7 power weapon 2d6 on penetration . if alone dude hits himself as he cant control his rage .

4. sword lets unit ignore the night fight rules and all shoting against this unit is at -1[dazzling]

5. sword has build in bubble . user can give his unit +5inv or boost their inv by +1[if they already have one] but then the weapon uses all its power and becomes a normal ccw for that round . on 1+number of saves passed d6 roll power generator stops working and it cant be used [ I see this as 12 or 11].

6. sword has a displace field inv +3 , eafter a saved hit dude gets teleported 2d6" in random direction [stops before hiting impassible other enemy models on 1" etc]

7. spirit of the wolf . on charge [or counter charge ] invoke power spawn d6 spirit wolfs . each turn roll d3 that many wolfs go away . wolfs have fenris wolf stats .

 

 

etc etc etc.