My gaming group recently did well, enlisting the Beast House to help them hunt down a halo powered superman who was ripping up tech priests in Volg to recycle their parts. After finally subduing the quarry in a rooftop battle of epic proportions, they parted ways with their Beast House contact, who bid them adieu mockingly and flew off. The cell didn't try and take him down, thinking he was a charmingly magnificent bastard (which he is). They've also said the Beast House is "useful" and should be allowed to remain for the time being to assist with the purging of greater heresy. Thrilled as I am for the cell to be thinking radically (or the start of radicalism, anyway), I do think some ire should fall on them for their criminal inclinations. The next time they work with the beast house, I think that they'll receive a punishment ass kicking from none other than Daredevil, the Man Without Fear, who protects a neighbourhood the beast house is "recruiting" unwilling gladiators from. However, I have no idea how to stat him up fully, though he should be able to incapacitate an entire coterie of acolytes who are rank 5 or so, without killing them. I've decided that, as an interesting twist,the character might fight with two crescent shaped moon blades, which can be found in The Inquisitor's Handbook. However, I might just give him some other much more basic weapon like clubs or shock mauls to stay true to the comicbook character.

Does anyone else steal characters from elsewhere? It's fun making up your own, but every now and then, transplanting or updating characters works well.

Also, if anyone wouldn't mind, has anyone ideas to stat up this beast and/or give him some special rules that might be characterful and help him to work better?

First thing first: groaning and moaning
You really like "extra cheese", do you? A one-man-army bend on defending a "hood" against "evil-doers"...good enough to take down your cell without killing them... and not even intending to kill them... in the GrimDark of WH40K. Oh my...

Okay, back to topic:
While I do not know how to pin down rules for this super hero (my group normally tends t shredd whatever I throw at them as long as it is human) I would like to bring some 40K-ideas to the table.

Your "hero" wears red leather, he masks his face... he seems to be completely into "safe humanity!"... why not making him a follower of the Ludmillan Dictates? Yes, a member of the "Red Redemption" . His "do not kill" might be due to personal schismn with the "red creed". As well as he isn´t using fire "besides the holy flame of the emporers rightous wrath that burns within me!".

Giving him an armored bodysuit (dark red) should do the trick mostly. Shock mauls are an option, and if you want him to break down your cell he should use them! But use smaller and lighter once. You could try for an "Assasine" and giving him XP equal to that of your group in total.

But again that is pure cheese! Do you really-really want to pul lthis one off? And remember... no matter how powerfull one person is... he is only one person! Make sure he has "arms master" or whatever the talent is that "negates" being outnumbered! Otherwise, your pc will put him down!

Gregorius21778 said:

You know, after working this over more and more, I've decided it really needs tweaking, if not being scrapped altogether. Now matter how much I love comic books, oesn't mean that characters will survive the translation to Dark heresy without being unintentionally hilarious. While I like the idea of having some form of backlash against the acolytes for what they're doing, I dislike "scripted" fight scences where the acolytes can't win. the idea, as you said, is rather cheesy. but I do think there's something to it. I do like the encounter of a vigilante/vigilante group looking out for their neighbourhood deciding to rough up people perceived to be working for the Beast House. If the cell are persuasive and clever talkers, they'll earn some extra support. The idea of the defender in question being Daredevil entered my head since he's so focussed on defending one particular area, (Hell's kitchen), and the idea of his acrobatic manouvering getting hm around hab spires was cool. However, as you pointed out, a direct port is a litle cheesy.

What would you make, however, of a red-clad death cult assassin who fights with ritualistic (lathed?) moon blades, fedrid razor discs etc, all coated in holy venom, who takes his sworn duty of protecting the populace very seriously?

Obviously, they'd be blind, have radar sense, acrobatics+20, combat master etc, and be very powerful, but leaving my group able to handle him. thus, the encounter perhaps serves as a warning against being too close to the Beast house (due to their affection for one of my antagonists, and the usefulness of the black market contacts in the house, etc they'vew voiced the opinion of using the house as a tool to assist in locating and purging other groups/individuals), while also allowing them to earn a powerful ally if they play their cards right.

Elements of Daredevil that remain:

A guardian who looks out for the people

red armour

ninja style agility and skills

Blindness

Those being changed:

This version's pretty much a murderer (thinking of making him an arbiter gone rogue as a plot hook)

weaponry adjustments

I know DH isn't a superhero game, but I do think there's some potential in there, with high tech armour and equipment, the champion of a death cult of blind assassins dedicated to protecting one of the most horrible quarters of Volg... That's not as cheesy, errr is it?

What if this 'hero' was a bit of a heretic themselves, using a grav harness to assist their formidable agility? I mean, they're already part of a death cult...

Since he's in a Hive, you might consider upping his technological power. At least an equivalent to Chameleoline Cloak to boost his stealth rolls. You may also want to give him equipment akin to that of a Hive Spyrer, nobles who use advanced (even Xeno!) technology to hunt underhivers for fun, to give him better odds against your group if it comes to that.

Information on Hive Spyrers can be found on Necromunda, you can get the PDF for free at the specialist games website, but you will need to convert the specialized equipment.

To uncheese it just boil it to the essentials.. Why, he's a vigilante protecting his neighborhood, perfectly understandable in the 40K Millenium. Acrobatics? He lives in a hive and with some gadget help that gives him unparalled mobility. Blind, other senses? Mutation, a minor latent psychic power (not enough for a Psy Rating) that's always active or auspex implants in his brain. Non-lethal takedown? He belongs to a cult that defends such, or has his own personal reasons. It can be accomplished with shock weapons, venomed weapons or anything that causes fatigue damage, such as martial arts (maybe a specific exotic weapon of your own creation too). A red-demon motiff? He's actually camouflaged and stealthied, but uses a device that imprints the red visage in visual scanners (while pinpointing the wrong position, thus giving penalties to anyone trying to hit him with the aid of sensors), think like Punisher 2099 who didn't wear a helmet, but cameras always registered a "skull" hologram instead of his face. Also, it provides a psychological edge. Depending on how technologically apt you want your Daredevil to be, this might even provide a Fear Rating, as transmitters send vibrations that stimulate certain parts of the brain, distort vision and generate vertigo.

As for taking down your group. Use clever tactics. Make him use terrain, sneak attacks, psychological taunting. Cause them to act recklessly, divide themselves, make them feel hunted. Even if they win it will be a rewarding encounter. If you just do a comic book "jump on top of them and roll better until they're all down" it will be a most disappointing fight, and he'll likely lose.

To provide another possible 40k origin how about:

To explain the blindness, enhanced abilities and 'daredevils' particular hatred of the beast house why not have him be abducted into becoming a gladiator for the BH where they experiment on him! They dosed him up with combat stims and neural grafts that permanently enhanced his abilities but he became too successful at defeating the creatures they pitted against him, so they blinded him to make it more challenging. Shortly after this point he escapes vowing revenge...

Hes less about defending the populace and more punishing the guilty, particularly the Beast House.

Just a few ideas of how id go about it.

I hadn't thought of Spyrers, or the 2099 series. Perhaps I can find DD 2099 around here somewhere for ideas...

I do like the idea of technology/augmentations pushing him to superhuman levels though. It's suitably 40k.

Hi Loque,

the "Death Cult Assasine" approach might work best, but I would not ad the "save the neighborhood" motiviation. Rather then "defending hell´s kitchen", I would turn it into "Hell´s Kitchen is MY ground. I am the one smoking sinners here!". The Death Cult Assassine (or more then one?) in question might still see themselves as "saviours" of the neighborhood. There point, however, would not be about "saving lives" but to take those of "Sinners". And since the BeastHouse start to act heavy on the Cults ground, they declared them "Target No. One".

Talking about the "dare devil abilities", I would not go as far as making him blind & with sonar senses. To much of a copy! Instead, they are able to see... but absolutly perfect in "blind fighting" and utterly familiar with there hood.
Like the "free mansons" rooted in a certain craft, they could have hidden routes in the Technmat families who take care about the power lines and the lighting systems. Therefore, a little word in micro-bead could cause a "unexpected power failure", providing even better cover for a sudden strike and a view round of angst ridden combat... disappearing in the shadows again before the ligth comes back...

"Alright,...but how do I carry the point across? The MORAL?"
Some sound-distroted lines in the dark come a long way... especially when you are in a fight for your life..

Imagine that:
Your pc do what they do in the hive block. Then, in a not that much frequented side alley (or in frequented street!) suddenly it´s LIGHTS OUT. They check for awareness and barely manage to dodge the first attacks while an artificial, strangely distroted voice sprouts that "You slaver scum will sullen our streets no longer!". After a view more rounds, a pause in combat occurs... and then the lights flash back on again!

Naturally, the pc will start to ask question... and there fore learn about the "Killing Saints", the "Death Angels of Darkness" whom cull the evil in the streets "when darkness falls". The people are AFRAID of the DeathCult, for no-one is without sin. But perhaps some will them that "only those with blood on there hands will die by there hands. Sinners like us are only in fear for limb rather then life!"

You could repeat the attacks.. but not to the point where the pc perpare for it. DeathCultist should not be that stupid, after all!

Gregorius21778 said:

I love it, suitably theatrical, gets the point across to the players, and provides an interesting combat encounter/chance to be diplomatic and win someone over under extreme conditions.... I wonder, if my PC's manage to get him onto their side, will they be dispatched to hunt him down later when he becomes a little too famous? possiblities, possiblities. Of course, we've mutilated the source character almost beyond recognition, but that's fine by me if it leads to a good game. Now that I think about it, Daredevil 2099 used guns...

Happy ot be helpfull.

Further advises

[bLACK OUT]
- ensure that the hive section / "hood" has a history of "light outs" ...otherwise, the "powergrid link" becomes to obvious!
(...of course, a lot of this "power downs" are caused by the technomats for no other reason then "making it look natural")
- ensure to introduce some "power downs" long long before the first assine strike..and in between and later!. Just to make sure they see it
as "something that happens". So, they MIGHT be lulled into the believe that these DeathCultist rather WAIT for the next "black out" to happen..
- make sure that you have some ideas of the buero/seat of the "controlling center" for the power grid of this section... your player
will sooner or later be on that trail....

[Death in the Dark]
- do not arm the assasine with guns. Monoblades will do the trick, me things. Make them at least "good quality". In addition, close combat
talents can be aquierred much earlier for a "pc-style -assasine" (use those first 5 ranks as inspiration what you can stack up!)
- if the pc start to "fire blindly", make sure that YOU have an idea where the other pc are. Allow the "attacking" pc checks for awareness. If they
mess it.. they might have forgotten that their comrade might come in the line of fire if they pull the trigger of that auto pistole.
- do not give the players a combat map... but have one on your own, behind the screen.
- Prepare places for ambush. Remember, you are in a hive. There might be gangways from above to come down from. There might be window
in building on first floor...or little "cellar windows". And waste shuts in the ground. Simply, give the players a 100 and 1 points to look at!

[shifting]
- Change the mode of attack a little bit from attack to attack
- First, it´s just "knives in the dark"
- Second, throw them a flash-bang (DarkSight Lenses, anyone?) before the knives come out
- Third, attack from a gateway from above by throwing shuriken and or knives at them
- Finally, attack them in "brought daylight" with three cult assasins wearing cloaks and posing as sanctionited mutants (whom cover there faces) before they are in a rang for a strike (let the players pass, then attack from the back!)... then, use a black out to cover there escape!!

I introduced two NPC's based on Sam and Dean from the TV show Supernatural. Renegade witch hunters, plus Sam is untouchable. Worked really well, they're not especially powerful, but very clever and resourceful. They proved really popular with my players, really added a lot to the campaign so far.