Edmund Blackadder in the 41st Millennium - Conversion ideas

[Beaky Brigade]

I've spent a too much time recently listening to the audio version of the old BBC TV series 'Blackadder' and it reminded of me of a long abandoned conversion idea of bringing Blackadder into the 41st millennium. It should be noted that this thread is unrelated to the excellent scratch builder on this forum of the same name.

The conceit of the series is that every era in history has a different but similar person called Blackadder who are all ancestors, which would presumably continue into the grim dark future. This is even hinted at in the Christmas episode where Blackadder finds his descendant could be grand admiral of a galactic empire if he keeps up the tradition of being a bit evil.

40k arguably has a clear Blackadder already: Commissar Ciaphas Cain and Jurgen borrow from the Blackadder and Baldrick relationship to some extent, but I'm thinking a more literal adaptation of the characters with the familiar cast from the 4 series and specials of the TV show.


I'm looking for miniature casting and conversion suggestions for his role and the other characters.

I would say that he should be Imperial, but Imperial Guard officer is too similar to Blackadder goes forth and the already mentioned Commissar Cain, Rogue Trader might be too obvious, but any other ideas should be on the table. In terms of the lore feel free to be a bit tongue in cheek.


For example I was thinking of making him an captain of the 11th company Ultramarines (silver trim and PR/ and recruiting department?). It should be noted that Blackadder has not yet worked his way to the top, so he needs a position where he has some power but also has an all powerful unstable boss who can ruin his day.

If he is a Space Marine, what chapter and why?

Should Baldrick be some sort of Abhuman mutant or servitor type creation? What of George etc?

I would love to hear some ideas.



 

[Brother Tyler]

The transhuman Adeptus Astartes don't fit my vision of Blackadder. Neither, for that matter, do the Adeptus Custodes. Part of the gag was the relationship between different versions of the character, so the transhumans who, as far as we know, don't father children don't fit.

 

There is so much to be done with aristocratic dynasties in the Imperium, allowing scions of that line to become Rogue Traders, Inquisitors (!Inquisitor Blackadder!), Astra Militarum officers, Imperial Navy officers, etc. By sticking to a distinguished noble line, you allow for subsequent incarnations to have the potential to fulfill any number of distinguished roles.

 

I could even see the scions of the Blackadder line becoming a powerful Imperial Knight Household or Navigator House, though this would then limit the descendants to the same basic role, diminishing the potential for later incarnations to be distinct.

 

The key, to me, is maintaining the [basically] human aspect of the character (so I would rule out the Adeptus Mechanicus, too).

[Jings]

 

There is so much to be done with aristocratic dynasties in the Imperium

 

 

This is the spiciest take. Blackadder the IIIrd except he's an Imperial noble would rock so hard and could conceivably be done in such a way that it's actually compatible with the lore. 

[Rik Lightstar]

A reluctant minor Ordo Inquisitor would be incredible.

 

Seconded as an Acolyte from a noble house for some obscure bit of knowledge, then a month later the Inquisitor dies leaving Blackadder to pick up the seal and generally try to weasel his way back to luxury whilst to surreptitiously use the authority of the Inquisition to do it.

 

Every time he tries to pull rank though, local authorities find a bunch of things that really need his investigation.

 

Rik

[Xin Ceithan]

Well, there’s a cunning plan if there was one ;)

 

Black Adder has to be one of my all time favorite shows and I think it would translate rather well to 40K.

I also think that the character types probably work best away from the Astartes /  Custodians - unless you go for the renegade / choosy side of things, which might just work. Brian Blessed makes an excellent Champion of Khorne and Edmund just reeks of being either foolish enough to dabble in things man wasn’t meant to know or pompous enough to believe himse smart enough to outwit the Changer of Ways. Baldric  might just be the Changeling, for all we know. Or an overgrown nurgling...

 

Of course, there are also Lord Commander Flashheart and Hugh Laurie’s Prince of Whales, who both make rather excellent Emperor’s Children in any case.

 

Personally, I think the idea of a Black Adder Rogue Trader dynasty would probably capture the spirit of the show best, since you could capture the characters  in different iterations across the history of the Imperium as the fortunes of the Blackadders vex and vane...

 

Or, for a real curveball, maybe make them a Drukhari cabal ...

[MARK0SIAN]

I’d go with a slight variation on the inquisitor theme. Make Blackadder an interrogator. He can work for an unstable boss who is the inquisitor. That way he still has power but it’s severely curved and subject to the whims of his boss.

 

George can be a fellow interrogator, Baldrick can be an inquisitorial agent/henchmen of some sort. Flashheart can either be some famous adventurous inquisitor who drops by from time to time or the bragging captain of a deathwatch kill team who Blackadder sometimes has to work with. Bob could be a Calidus assassin using polymorphene to disguise her gender and there’s even scope for a Darling type character at the local inquisitorial fortress.

[Xenith]

Posting from our other discussion, I don't see Blackadder as a Space Marine - the general physical prowess needed isn't really his forte, as well as the whole self-sacrificing thing. A Rogue trader, a chancer, would probably be more fitting. I can see George, as the physically powerful but brainwashed space marine in service to Black Adder, and Baldrick as a servo skull.  Should be a fun discussion!

 

What if he was an influential rogue trader that convinced the HLoT that he needed a new SM chapter to be founded to fight the Xenos on his side of the galaxy, and he got one - The Black Adders Chapter, who he then uses as his own personal army?

[Doctor Perils]

I’d go with a slight variation on the inquisitor theme. Make Blackadder an interrogator. He can work for an unstable boss who is the inquisitor. That way he still has power but it’s severely curved and subject to the whims of his boss.

 

George can be a fellow interrogator, Baldrick can be an inquisitorial agent/henchmen of some sort. Flashheart can either be some famous adventurous inquisitor who drops by from time to time or the bragging captain of a deathwatch kill team who Blackadder sometimes has to work with. Bob could be a Calidus assassin using polymorphene to disguise her gender and there’s even scope for a Darling type character at the local inquisitorial fortress.

I like this idea best - should the inquisitor be Lisbeth Primus, or Melchius Melchiutt?

 

Alternatively, you could imagine an ambitious priest on the Ecclesiarchy?

[Doghouse]

I think Inquisition would be good but also like the idea of the Ecclesiarchy. Imperial Guard would also work but not as interesting, I think Inquisition rules being proxied to represent any department he may be part of would be the best way to go. Actually proxying a Rogue Trader might be fun.

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I see him more as the cunning interrogator to a particularly idiotic Inquisitor. Baldrick as the galaxy's worst Savant. 

[Halandaar]

Baldrick would have to be a lobotomised Servitor, no? 

[Marshal Loss]

Baldrick would have to be a lobotomised Servitor, no? 

Leaving him as an unmodified human would allow for countless gags about a lobotomy/servitor conversion potentially increasing his intellect though :P

[Gamiel]

Maybe have Baldrick as a very short and weak orgyn?

 

 

Regarding Blackadder do he work best if he is under somebody, I can see Rogue Trader but then one who is in the pocket of the bombastic (and possibly not all there) Inquisitor Melchett

[The Yncarne]

Isn't Uriel Ventris medieval Blackadder but with more hair? 

Edited April 14, 2021 by The Blood Raven

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I have this idea of him constantly trying to escape to a Slaanesh worshipping pleasure cult, but forever being thwarted...

[LameBeard]

I like the ideas above but maybe Necromunda is a possible abode for Blackadder in 41st millennium. He’s pretty high up, say, in one of the Industrial Houses but still has to put up with Nobles (queenie), Ecclesiarchy/religious House (Melchett), Administratum bureaucrats (Darling) and surprisingly his underhive assistant (Baldrick). There is a lot of double-dealing, fixing, back-stabbing and trying to keep your head attached to your shoulders that goes in in Necromunda, and that’s just the politics.

 

For any of the ideas, I think it’s George who’s hardest to cast. I guy who unfortunately believes all the propaganda but who basically has his heart in the right place. That doesn’t sound like the 41st millennium, where there are no good guys. Maybe have to do the foppish Prince of III rather than the lieutenant of “goes forth”.

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I think the George is more difficult than the Melchett, or the Flashheart. 

Perhaps George is the radical inquisitor who wants to be a puritan, and thinks he is. He's only seen as radical because he accidentally makes all of the wrong decisions which divert him from the puritanical route.

[Beaky Brigade]

Thanks for the great responses. I think the consensus that he shouldn't Astartes or transhuman is probably right. To retain his character the only Space Marine traits he'd have left is the physiology and the power armour. The Physiology would solve too many of his typical problems, and mortals can don suits of power armour if they have enough wealth or connections to obtain a suit, so gene seed is not required.

I do like the idea of the Blackadder II or Blackadder the Third situation where he hasn't got much direct authority but is the scheming hand behind the idiotic person in charge. A position in an Inquisitor's warband, Rogue Trader dynasty or Knight House does seem more tempting as long as he wasn't actually officially in charge.



Perhaps a slightly grim dark take on George would be a bodyguard or loyal retainer who received a brain injury in the line of duty and changed into the familiar simple character after botched neurosurgery?

Then again he could just have a certain position without any logical explanation. The only time it really made sense in the series was when he was a mad Georgian prince.


 

[Wulf Vengis]

High Lord Blackadder... Regent of Terra.

 

Or perhaps he works under Huron Blackheart.

Edited April 14, 2021 by Wulf Vengis

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Wait, thinking about it. Wasn't he just Draken Vangorich?

[Firedrake Cordova]

Baldrick would have to be a lobotomised Servitor, no? 

Can servitors have (allegedly) "cunning plans", though, that's the question :)

[Blood Angel Scout]

Could be a way to develop all the variations of the character via setting them in Necromunda I.e family has been around the mid-upper noble families though losing position over time and the Blackadder's are trying to gain it back via all sorts of schemes or roles:

 

Upper Council access would play in with 2nd and 3rd series with a gang-lead or PDF/Arbites commander being in the front line as per goes forth?

[MARK0SIAN]

I did have another take that might be interesting but a bit out there.

 

You could set it on a human world recently conquered by the Tau and Blackadder is a human noble (Gue vessa, I know I haven’t spelled that right so apologies) who has volunteered to liaise with the new ruler in the hope of furthering his own fortune. George could then take on the role of a naive Tau ruler who doesn’t understand humans very well and how they can be cunning (like in Blackadder III). Baldrick can just be Blackadder’s servant from before the invasion, Melchit could be a more suspicious tau official (kind of like his role in Blackadder II) and flashheart could be the leader of the human resistance on the planet.

[Beaky Brigade]

Some very interesting suggestions. I was looking for one definitive answer but given the scope of the 41st millennium there's certainly options for a whole dynasty of Blackadders in different situations. The Tau one does sound interesting as it's one of the situations that would have more subtle politics, and I can imagine Blackadder collaborating before the ink was dry on the surrender documents.

I was thinking of using Canis Rex as a basis because he has the Blackadder II beard, and then I spotted this rather pleasant coincidence...

Apologies for not bothering to crop Baldric out on this one.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Beaky Brigade

[Sky Potato]

Apologies for not bothering to crop Baldric out on this one.

Don’t be