Help with making Fenris wolfs

By Leogun_91, in Deathwatch

I have a spacewolf librarian in the group (he doesn't like wizards/psykers/anything he assosiates with the former but took the specialisation since his stats where very good for it and not for what he would have prefered), he is intrested in getting a wolf so I thought I should get some help making rules for Fenris wolfs with requisistion and everything (he doesn't have to be able to get it yet, if it is at a level higher then respected it will be waiting for him and be a motivation).

He took wrangling +20 in hope of getting a wolf so I think it's just fair giving him a chance to get one.

Leogun_91 said:

I have a spacewolf librarian in the group (he doesn't like wizards/psykers/anything he assosiates with the former but took the specialisation since his stats where very good for it and not for what he would have prefered), he is intrested in getting a wolf so I thought I should get some help making rules for Fenris wolfs with requisistion and everything (he doesn't have to be able to get it yet, if it is at a level higher then respected it will be waiting for him and be a motivation).

He took wrangling +20 in hope of getting a wolf so I think it's just fair giving him a chance to get one.

Suggestion only:

WS 40

BS -

S 40

T 40

AG 40

INT 15

PER 38

WP 40

FEL -

MOVE 8/16/24/48

WOUNDS 15

SKILLS: Aware+10, SIlent Move+10, Swim, Track+20

TALENTS: Sprint, Heightened Senses(whatever senses you want to, certainly smell), Swift Attack, perhaps also Furious Assault

TRAITS: Bestial, Natural Weapon(Bite), Quadruped, Natural Armour (Bestial Furs, AP 2, all locations)

WEAPONS: Bite (1D10+7 (perhaps even more) R, Primitive) [strength Bonus already included]

Based on DH's Ferocious Creature.

Alex

Based on Ak-73's suggestions, my thoughts on adjustments.

Resistance Cold is a must . I would also seriously consider Unnatural Toughness (x2) as an add on.

I would think about adding pen 2 and Tearing and/or Rending Teeth (What the Genestealers have that Doubles pen with 2 DoS) to the Bite attack.

I would also consider adding the Stealth feature from the Genestealer.

I would consider lowering WP and Increasing Per each by 10 and bumping Int to 20.

Heightened Senses Smell and Hearing

There is a reason, more than just cool factor, that the Space Wolves bring these creatures into battle.

Edit: Mistaken post. Please ignore.

ItsUncertainWho said:

Based on Ak-73's suggestions, my thoughts on adjustments.

Resistance Cold is a must . I would also seriously consider Unnatural Toughness (x2) as an add on.

I would think about adding pen 2 and Tearing and/or Rending Teeth (What the Genestealers have that Doubles pen with 2 DoS) to the Bite attack.

I would also consider adding the Stealth feature from the Genestealer.

I would consider lowering WP and Increasing Per each by 10 and bumping Int to 20.

Heightened Senses Smell and Hearing

There is a reason, more than just cool factor, that the Space Wolves bring these creatures into battle.

Let me just add that I didn't fully think things through. It was just an initial piece of work.

Alex

ak-73 said:

Let me just add that I didn't fully think things through. It was just an initial piece of work.

Alex

I thought you made a good starting point. I was just adding my two thrones to your good start.

You derailed my workday a bit with your initial ideas.

My try, based on the previous...

WS 40

BS -

S 40

T 40 (8)

AG 40 (8)

INT 15

PER 45

WP 40

FEL -

MOVE 10/20/30/60

WOUNDS 25

SKILLS: Awareness+10, Dodge, SIlent Move+10, Swim, Survival +10, Swim, Track+20

TALENTS: Sprint, Heightened Senses (Sight, Smell), Swift Attack, perhaps also Furious Assault

TRAITS: Bestial, Dark Sight, Fear (1), Improved Natural Weapon(Bite), Quadruped, Natural Armour (Bestial Furs, AP 2, all locations), Unnatural Strength/Toughness (x2), Hulking

WEAPONS: Bite (1D10+8, Pen 4, Tearing, Razor Sharp)

Do not forget this creature needs a high strength and toughness bonus to be able to carry the weight of the marine and his power armour...

I very much doubt that it would be a Thunderwolf so I would the Unnatural Strength but otherwise I very much like the stats and will probibly use them for the Fenrisian Wolf one of my players wants to get....eventually.

If the player wants to ride the wolf there is no way to do that without the unnatural stats, of course the Fenris wolf could have unnatural strength/ toughness (x3)

I understand that but there is a difference between Fenrisian Wolves and Thunderwolves. Plus the focus, in my opinion, should be on the character himself not his "mount".

The stats above seem pretty solid, I'll just add my two cents for the following;

p.178 has some req costs for familiars/servitors, so a similar req cost and renown rank would probably be fitting.

I would probably make my players take it with the Signature Wargear talent, as requisitioning your own pet wolf is a bit odd, with the requisition cost being the admin of caring and feeding the wolf as well as setting up the kennel.

@muzzyman: I get your point also that the focus should be on the marines and not their pets, but something like this could actually open up some nice RP opportunities for the SW player. And rpgs are for the players afterall. The whole boy and his dog relationship; what happens when the wolf gets shot / captured, how does having a wounded animal impact the rest of the mission. And for pathos when the SW goes down the image of the wolf protecting the body of the fallen battlebrother is just too good to pass up.

I like the idea and I think the cost for using signature wargear for this should be reduced. Space Wolves get gimped slightly anyway so the Idea of them having cheaper and faster access to something that would give them great flavor and RP potential can only make a space wolf more appealing.

I've been trying to figure out a way to make this chapter something someone would be interested in taking. As of now I have no Space Wolves in the Campaign I'm running. 2 Storm Wardens, 1 Ultramarine, 1 Black Templar and 1 Dark Angel. As a SW tabletop player it makes me sad to see everyone shun the puppies.

maniacmcgoo said:

I've been trying to figure out a way to make this chapter something someone would be interested in taking. As of now I have no Space Wolves in the Campaign I'm running. 2 Storm Wardens, 1 Ultramarine, 1 Black Templar and 1 Dark Angel. As a SW tabletop player it makes me sad to see everyone shun the puppies.

People shun the puppies in my campaign beacouse they don't like the tabletop puppies. The wolf will be given at the normal signature wargear cost, a wolf is very useful and comparing the rules I have been presented I think they will be rougly as useful as a Battle Servitor (cost 20).

I also don't see why you think the spacewolfs lacks intresting things.

  1. Party skills: This reeks of awesomeness and only stormwardens can match it with their casino streaks and even those are lacking.
  2. Useful non-party skills (compare to Bloodangels or Stormwardens with only one skill to increase)
  3. Some OK talents.
  4. Wisdom of the Ancients: A talent I fear to tell my player about, he will use it. The talent has few limits so asking "What would be the easiest way to suceed on this mission?" or "What are my opponents plans?" is perfectly legal, sure you pay 1.500exp but it's worth even more. The only limit is that it has to be used in combat and be about the current situation.
  5. Stat increases AND a talent for starting, pretty useful I'd say. Compare this to Black Templars who gets two stat increases and loses two useful talents/organs. Ultramarines have it better in this regard though.

I don't understand why they can't be apotecaries though.

EDIT: And thank you everyone for your help, this will surely make him happy and should be fairly balanced.

Small correction

Santiago said:

My try, based on the previous...

WS 40

BS -

S 40

T 40 (8)

AG 40 (8)

INT 15

PER 45

WP 40

FEL -

MOVE 10/20/30/60

WOUNDS 25

SKILLS: Awareness+10, Dodge, SIlent Move+10, Swim, Survival +10, Swim, Track+20

TALENTS: Sprint, Heightened Senses ( Hearing , Smell), Swift Attack, perhaps also Furious Assault

TRAITS: Bestial, Dark Sight, Fear (1), Improved Natural Weapon(Bite), Quadruped, Natural Armour (Bestial Furs, AP 2, all locations), Unnatural Strength/Toughness (x2), Hulking

WEAPONS: Bite (1D10+8, Pen 4, Tearing, Razor Sharp)

Do not forget this creature needs a high strength and toughness bonus to be able to carry the weight of the marine and his power armour...

Leogun_91 said:

I don't understand why they can't be apotecaries though.

Because they're a very, very superstitious Chapter. The Wolf Priests don't use narthecium and the likes, they use potions and salves. In the Codex, they don't even use teleporters, because they want to fight 'as Russ intended with both feet on the ground'. Admittedly, I'm not sure why they didn't just list that and have them lose an ability, but then again, a Wolf Priest isn't a full 'Apothecary'. An Elite Advance for Medicae would probably cover that.

Nalerenn said:

Leogun_91 said:

I don't understand why they can't be apotecaries though.

Because they're a very, very superstitious Chapter. The Wolf Priests don't use narthecium and the likes, they use potions and salves. In the Codex, they don't even use teleporters, because they want to fight 'as Russ intended with both feet on the ground'. Admittedly, I'm not sure why they didn't just list that and have them lose an ability, but then again, a Wolf Priest isn't a full 'Apothecary'. An Elite Advance for Medicae would probably cover that.

Ah okay, that explains it. Couldn't find it in the Deathwatch book and I don't know 40k as good as I do fantasy.

Actually the role of Wolf Priests fullfill the roles of both Apothicary AND Chaplain....since they don't have Chaplains in the game yet (and they don't have people who just do medicine stuff) they didn't put it in the game....at least that's my opinion.