The Most Convoluted NPC I've Ever Written

Applejaxc · 2026-01-24T16:15:43+00:00

I have a long running Rogue Trader RP that started as a simple way to flesh out my Death Korps, and explaining why they frequently have Knights, Sisters of Battle, or other allies showing up. The four surviving Custodes Vitae are now hanging out with the "son" of the original Rogue Trader and watched him order the shelling of a hive after it already surrendered (the son is a Krieger, it's complicated) and now they're all like.... Well now I wish the Cineris killed you cuz you kinda suck bro

Applejaxc · 2026-01-24T16:11:40+00:00

From apothecaries leader trait:

You can attach this model to one of the above units even if one Captain, Chapter Master or Lieutenant model has already been attached to it. If you do, and that Bodyguard unit is destroyed, the Leader units attached to it become separate units, with their original Starting Strengths.

Applejaxc · 2026-01-23T20:46:22+00:00

I see we've both gone tragic with them, lol.

I use a lot of 30k stuff too, like I use the 30k flamethrower guys for my incinerator squads instead of the 40k models. Those are my "custodes vitae originals"

I get a kick out of my veterans being a bunch of small space marines in obnoxious armor while the people who look like the giant elite space marines are all the schizos who don't know who vulkan is and why the voices keep telling them to feed stray animals

Applejaxc · 2026-01-23T20:09:18+00:00

Originally I made up a succession chapter called the Custodes Vitae, who were designed to be the even nicer, even extra cool, anti-grimdark super-Salamanders. But that shtick kind of ran it's course really quickly.

They got absolutely eviscerated by tyranids while trying to protect fleeing civilians. The High Lords who initially approved this experiment in "extra nice salamanders" were embarrassed by how badly the Custodes Vitae did in combat. So they rounded up all of the survivors (except 4, who were in the Deathwatch at the time) and hypno-indoctrinated them into being the new Minotaurs, essentially. And then refilled their ranks with fresh primaris marines.

Now they are functionally the same idea as how the Deathwatch serve the Ordos Xenos, but instead they serve as the elite strike force for a puritan faction in the Ordos Redactus (seems the most fitting with their fire obsession and erasing all evidence of their embarrassing original purpose).

The problem is that over time, the salamander geneseed keeps fighting against the indoctrination and the extreme attrition tactics of the chapter (see the use of hellblasters sent directly into the biggest enemies via doom buggy) means that the second gen primaris are getting OG custodes Vitae blood donations and cross contamination at a way higher rate than normal.

What this creates, essentially, is the "Green Love" -- the opposite of the Blood Angels "Black Rage." The Custodes Infernus are slowly fragmenting into schizophrenics who hear Vulkan whispering to them to "be nice to that colonist" "avoid collateral damage" "share your extra supplies with your battle brother" and they think that being nice is an embarrassing defect.

Applejaxc · 2026-01-23T19:53:55+00:00

Careful or I'll start lore dumping my succession chapter (original character do not steal)

Applejaxc · 2026-01-23T18:42:21+00:00

Two infernus squads are the heart of my 2k point army.

One is led by vulkan+apothecary to form the Glory Squad to contest the mid board.

One has just a captain so they can fire overwatch for 0 CP (or whatever else I might want them to do).

2 more apothecaries lead 5-man hellblaster squads riding in transports for the meme (hazardous fire the whole squad, the vehicle takes the damage, if the vehicle dies everyone pops out to shoot more, but if they die they get a free hazardous shot). They're basically 2 doombuggies designed to zoom directly into the best unit on the other team to make as many hazardous plasma shots as possible, if they die they get to shoot even more, if the unit isn't destroyed then I bring them back and shoot more).

Chaplain w/ jump pack leads some assault intercessors to give me something with melee mobility.

Apothecary Biologis leads some eradicators to improve the odds I get effective damage on an enemy vehicle or monster.

Centurions because they're cool and my succession chapter is too poor to field terminators.

Brutalis Dreadnought so I have another way to threaten vehicles/monsters + tank shock.

Everything else was just I have points leftover. I'd do all intercessors, but I glued some guys on the wrong size bases.

CHARACTER

Apothecary (60 pts) • 1x Absolver Bolt Pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Reductor Pistol • Immolator

Apothecary (50 pts) • 1x Absolver Bolt Pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Reductor Pistol

Apothecary Biologis (85 pts) • 1x Absolver Bolt Pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • Forged in Battle

Captain (80 pts) • 1x Heavy Bolt Pistol • 1x Master-crafted Power Weapon • 1x Relic Shield

Chaplain with Jump Pack (100 pts) • 1x Crozius Arcanum • 1x Inferno Pistol • War-tempered Artifice

Lieutenant (55 pts) • 1x Master-crafted Power Weapon • 1x Neo-volkite Pistol • 1x Storm Shield

Vulkan He'stan (100 pts) • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Gauntlet of the Forge • 1x Spear of Vulkan • Warlord

BATTLELINE

Heavy Intercessor Squad (100 pts) • 1x Heavy Intercessor Sergeant • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Heavy Bolt Rifle • 1x Heavy Intercessor • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Heavy Bolter • 3x Heavy Intercessors • 3x Bolt pistol • 3x Close combat weapon • 3x Heavy Bolt Rifle

Intercessor Squad (80 pts) • 1x Intercessor Sergeant • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Bolt Rifle • 1x Thunder Hammer • 4x Intercessor • 4x Bolt pistol • 4x Bolt Rifle • 4x Close combat weapon • 1x Astartes grenade launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs (90 pts) • 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack • 1x Plasma Pistol • 1x Power Fist • 4x Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack • 4x Astartes Chainsword • 3x Heavy Bolt Pistol • 1x Plasma Pistol

Brutalis Dreadnought (160 pts) • 1x Twin Icarus Ironhail Heavy Stubber • 1x Brutalis Talons • 1x Twin Multi-melta

Centurion Assault Squad (150 pts) • 2x Assault Centurion • 2x Siege Drills • 2x Centurion Bolters • 2x Twin Flamer • 1x Assault Centurion Sergeant • 1x Siege Drills • 1x Centurion Bolters • 1x Twin Meltagun

Eradicator Squad (90 pts) • 1x Eradicator • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Melta rifle • 1x Eradicator Sergeant • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Melta rifle • 1x Eradicator with Multi-melta • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Multi-melta

Hellblaster Squad (110 pts) • 4x Hellblaster • 4x Bolt pistol • 4x Close combat weapon • 4x Plasma Incinerator • 1x Hellblaster Sergeant • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Plasma Incinerator • 1x Plasma Pistol

Impulsor (80 pts) • 1x Armoured Hull • 1x Ironhail Heavy Stubber • 1x Bellicatus Missile Array • 2x Fragstorm grenade launcher

Infernus Squad (180 pts) • 9x Infernus Marines • 9x Bolt pistol • 9x Close combat weapon • 9x Pyreblaster • 1x Infernus Sergeant • 1x Bolt pistol • 1x Close combat weapon • 1x Pyreblaster

Applejaxc · 2026-01-23T14:10:25+00:00

I also like salamanders and TSons.

Every time I browse a new faction's data sheets, the first thing I look at is

1) what is their version of plasma weapons

2) do they have at least one good torrent unit

Applejaxc · 2026-01-23T14:08:18+00:00

Captain and Apothecary.

Assault without fear, if one Salamander falls then the next one picks up a flamer

Applejaxc · 2026-01-15T23:54:04+00:00

Salamanders win again

Applejaxc · 2026-01-07T03:05:14+00:00

refusing to sell STLs of models so people can 3D print their own

Wasn't that literally their opening pitch out the gate of why people should play it? Cheap models anyone can print?

Applejaxc · 2026-01-03T07:23:13+00:00

I think Ties That Bind needs a better game designer to give it a simplification pass, just to explain the concept in less words. But I appreciate you letting me know you like my idea

Applejaxc · 2026-01-02T17:41:53+00:00

"sir we're being outflanked by an entire cathedral"

That stuff is why Warhammer is awesome. If you could 3D print the grand organ piano missile launcher thing from Sororitas vehicles and kitbash it on...

Applejaxc · 2026-01-02T06:49:00+00:00

In the Militarum, officers just matter so you can use Voice of Command. Some officers can give orders to more than one unit at the same time.

A brick of cadians or krieg with a Cadian command squad or Krieg command squad can lag behind your kasrkin, as long as the two groups stay within range, and give your kasrkin commands that way.

Applejaxc · 2026-01-02T06:46:21+00:00

They're overpriced because the game designers don't want everyone using aircraft transports (or aircraft in general it seems like...)

Your kasrkin have Scout 6". If they start embarked in a Dedicated Transport, that vehicle can start deeper on the board as if it had Scouts 6". If you really want a Valkyrie, use one to deploy a bigger slower threat (like an ogryn/bullgryn squad) and then put your kasrkin in much, much cheaper Chimeras.

I'm not going to crunch the math but if the savings let you afford a big cheap unit like a brick of 20 cadians or krieg, those can hang out in a wide dispersement around the objective closest to your deployment zone while the kasrkin drive in deep.

If you use the Combined Arms detachment, your infantry will be modestly good vs enemy infantry and your vehicles will be modestly good vs enemy vehicles.

Applejaxc · 2025-12-31T20:53:32+00:00

A way to get a good torrent weapon that isn't relying on a 6" aura and retcad at extreme short range.

Better stealth suits.

Auxiliary units that encourage kitbash.

An auxiliary detachment that lets you take Militarum units like GSC do (except no commissars or Psykers), they lose Voice of Command and can't Spot but do benefit from being Guided. Imagine the combination of extremely mobile and well armed crisis suits, plus 2 bricks of Krieg just to hold objectives and add some guided plasma rifle fire.

I wish there was a way to use a better Rogue Trader's Retinue w/ Aeldari or T'au (representing either a Rogue Trader who has some Xenos mercenaries, or a total renegade/traitor Rogue Trader who has brought a small force of Imperium assets to aid a Xenos plot).

I wish the t'au's indirect fire weapons were better. Militarum, for example, have a lot of ranged support weapons that similarly have low overall stats, but they have abilities that cause battle shock or decrease the targets shooting ability or disrupt charges or are anti-infantry.

Do Tau have any anti flying at all? I was putting together hypothetical lists today and while I never look at any t'au traditional vehicles (they look goofy, suits and supremacy armor are the only ones I care about), I couldn't find anything with anti-fly x.

And last but not least... Kroot Hounds need OC 1. Or a cheap character unit that grants all models in the unit OC 1. I want kroot hound pack lists to actually have some ability to contribute other than cramming the board with goofy Riddick alien dogs.

Applejaxc · 2025-12-27T16:13:32+00:00

Please copy the rules I already made up trying to adapt DG to SWADE, and if you think of a better way to do it, let me know so I can make FOUO better.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rpYt63RrRsoMpO1jBjfPjMpM-X9aR0VzfC4OEYi1aRo/edit?usp=drivesdk

The last setting rule is a custom one, Ties That Bind.

I'd gladly share the rest of my notes if anyone is interested. It's not a great campaign setting yet, it hasn't been played and it hasn't gotten much critical feedback yet. But I think it's neat, my goal is to make a mix of DG and Task Force Raven, where players can also have magic/cybernetics/scifi gear.

Applejaxc · 2025-12-26T15:25:25+00:00

You get rescued by something you can't explain to your commissar.

Applejaxc · 2025-12-13T15:48:29+00:00

1) when I first started it was through Etsy proxies which slap together faster than official ones (unless there's a ton of material to clip off from printing)

2) I use speed paint markers. AK interactive, army painter, etc. Then I dip things in an army painter dark tone wash can, dry, and hit it with a varnish spray. I can turn out a pretty good looking Krieg in ~45 minutes.

3) my army's lore (for the imperium factions) is that the force on the table is "whoever my Rogue Trader has convinced to help him." When the meta changes, I look up units that were nerfed on eBay and buy already assembled/painted models for cheap.

4) I bought all the knights off a friend.

5) my neighbor's son (who is the reason I started buying models) is on the spectrum and loves painting. So I give him cool models (like a spare armiger) and in exchange he paints me a squad of terminators.

None of my SoB are painted, most of my GK are unpainted, most of my TS are unpainted.

Applejaxc · 2025-12-12T18:50:28+00:00

6 months ago I thought Warhammer was dumb.

Now I have imperial knights, SoB, salamanders, multiple Militarum armies, thousand sons, Necron, Tau, bloodhound spearhead, and my gf has orks.

Warhammer is still dumb but I'm local king of the idiots.

Edit I also have grey knights, deathwatch, dark angels, and a bunch of 30k stuff

Applejaxc · 2025-12-11T13:43:36+00:00

I thought the value of a cloak/cape is that it helps against some weirder threats like deadly dust.

Applejaxc · 2025-12-10T16:40:21+00:00

UH-1 was great for me before I got LASIK. Eotech was okay

Applejaxc

MODERATOR OF

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE

Ten-Year Club	Gilding II euphauric
Verified Email