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So I'm making custom models for several of the local players, and coming up with some special rules for them for when they're playing more casual games. (I'll append pictures of the models once I'm finished)
I'd post them in the big special character thread, but I don't see much feedback there, and really want to get them balanced properly and such, so instead I'm posting individual threads for them, spaced by a few days so I don't end up assaulting the forum with a dozen threads all at once.
They're meant to be somewhat powerful, but nothing beyond the sort of characters we see already in the various codices.


First up is Proteus (a working name, since the owner will be able to choose the final name himself of course), a character representing the various aspects of Tzeentch.
Notes of things I'm considering changing are in green.


(HQ choice in a Codex: Chaos Daemons army, using the rules for Heralds)
185 points

Proteus The Everchanging
WS3 BS4 S3 T4 W3 I4 A3 Ld10 Sv5++

Jump Infantry
Daemon of Tzeentch
Eternal Warrior
Independent character
Daemonic Instability
Deep Strike
Daemonic Gaze (24" S5 AP3 Assault 3)
Metamorphic Aspect
Warlord Trait: Lord of Unreality


Metamorphic Aspect - Proteus represents the myriad aspects of Tzeentch. At the beginning of each of your turns that Proteus is on the table (or when deploying him), before doing anything else, roll a d6; on a 2-6, choose one of his aspects to assume until your next turn begins. On a 1, determine one randomly.


1) Tentacled Horror
Flailing Assault - Proteus's Attack profile is changed to 2d6, and his strength for these attacks is equal to how many of the attacks hit, to a max of 10. Furthermore, he rerolls misses in close combat.
Binding Tentacles - Enemies in base contact with Proteus have 1 fewer attacks, to a minimum of 1.
No Escape - Enemies breaking from CC with Proteus have -2 Initiative for the purposes of Sweeping Advances.
Assault Grenades (not throwable)


2) Fiery Conflagration
All Is Kindling And Slag - Proteus's shooting and close combat attacks against non-vehicles have Soul Blaze, his Soul Blaze deals d6 hits instead of d3 (overriding Soul Blaze markers from any other source), and his shooting attacks have Melta.
Engulfed in Flame - Proteus has Feel No Pain against any Flamer or Melta weapon, and any weapon with Flame or Fire in its name, and once per turn, if Proteus makes his Feel No Pain against one or more such wounds from an opponent, he heals a wound suffered earlier in the battle. Proteus' unit may not receive Soul Blaze markers.
Fiery Wreath - After a unit resolves its close combat attacks against Proteus's unit, after all blows have been struck that round, it suffers a number of S2 AP- hits equal to how many hits it inflicted on the unit. These wounds do not count for combat resolution. This ability does not function for the unit while Proteus is in a challenge, but it will still work for himself and the hits will be S4.
Flames of Tzeentch x 2; Proteus may fire both in the same turn, and may target different units with these, but place both Templates before working out wounds.


3) Warper of Reality
Touch of Unmaking - Proteus's shooting and close combat hits against vehicles will each permanently reduce the AV of all facings of that vehicle by 1 (a vehicle with 0 AV on any side is Wrecked) on a 4+, and his close combat attacks against non-vehicles are made with the effect of a Mutating Warpblade.
Fluid Plane - Enemies treat all ground within 6" of Proteus as Difficult and Dangerous terrain.
Shielded from Realspace - Each time a shooting attack hits Proteus or his unit, roll a d6; on a 1, the attack is nullified.
Recrafted Reality - Once per phase, when a d6 roll (NOT part of a 2d6, 3d6, etc) is made within 6" of Proteus, by either player, you may force the die to be rerolled. (this may not be used to reroll what result is obtained from a randomized Metamorphic Aspect)


4) Muse of Insanity
Doubt - Enemy units within 8" of Proteus take all Ld tests on 3d6, dropping the lowest die.
They're All Against Me! - Each roll of 1 to hit Proteus or his unit in close combat strikes the attacker's unit instead of Proteus's.
Inspire Madness - As a shooting attack, Proteus may target a unit within 18"; the unit must make either a Pinning or Morale check, Proteus's controller's choice.
Uncertain Image - Units wishing to assault Proteus's unit must make a Ld check or they may not charge. Overwatch may not be used if the charging unit does not succeed on the check.


5) Nexus of Sorcery
Source of Magic - Proteus can Deny The Witch against powers targeting his unit or a friendly unit within 6" on a 4+, and if he successfully does so, he may immediately use the Denied power on the casting unit if it was a Witchfire, Focused Witchfire, or Malediction power (without expending Warp Charges or taking a psychic test); this 'bounced' power may be Denied as usual.
Gaze of Tzeentch - Proteus's Daemonic Gaze becomes Salvo 3/6.
Sorcerous Expertise - Proteus may forgo his usual shooting to choose a Warpcharge 1 psychic power from the Change, Pyromancy, or Telekinesis disciplines and use it; it does not count as the use of a psychic power, does not require expending Warp Charges or taking a psychic test, and may not be Denied or stopped with any other ability or wargear that specifically protects against only psychic powers.
Hit And Run


6) Scion of Secrets
War Table of the Foe - You may force opponents to reroll Reserve rolls and rolls to determine Outflank side. Once a Reserve roll's reroll results in a failure to enter from Reserves, this ability may not influence further Reserve rolls that turn.
Expected - When an enemy unit Deep Strikes within 12" of Proteus's unit, any one friendly unit within 12" of Proteus's (including Proteus' itself) may immediately make a shooting attack on it.
Ready and Waiting - At the start of the opponent's Shooting phase, choose a friendly unit; until the end of the turn it gains Counter-attack and may use its full BS for Overwatch.
Knowledge of the Field - If Proteus's unit triggers Mysterious Terrain, a Mysterious Objective, an Archaeotech Artefact, or any other table feature that is determined randomly upon a unit triggering it, you may reroll the result when determining its nature. You may add or subtract 1 from the result of your Warp Storm roll each turn. If playing a mission using Tactical Objectives, you may, once each turn, discard one of your Objectives and immediately redraw.


Clearly being able to tailor him to the desired task is powerful, but tempered by the fact that he's stuck that way until your next turn starts; so if he's in a CC 'mode', he's prepared for charges but he's not doing much standing around; if he's in a shooty mode or mode to screw with the opponent, he may get slaughtered if the opponent charges him.
As such, when figuring out if he's balanced, take into account more whether each 'form' is balanced, rather than "OMG its a character that can do everything, borken!"

Anything jump out as too powerful? Any forms seem just not useful, or even useful enough that you think there's no reason to ever switch out of a particular one?
Thoughts on points cost? I would've started with the cost of a Herald as a baseline, but even then I bumped up his stats a bit from a Herald's starting and then he has a slew of abilities, so unsure where to go from there. I'm thinking 250ish or so.

Edit: pictures here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-30294-29489_Proteus%20The%20Everchanging.html
Here's one of his fire aspect:


And an mid-progress version of his Tentacled Horror aspect:


And his Scion of Secrets aspect:


And what I think, but am not positive, is the final draft of his Nexus of Sorcery aspect:


His Warper of Reality aspect: (note that he's not covered in goo, he's melting; more apparent once the victim is painted)

If you're going to use him within a closed local gaming group then you can do almost what you want.
If you turned up agaist an oppoent who has not seen this chap before I don't think it is fair to play with the characted mainly because you can't say he's like "Insert Well Known Character's Name" but is fearless as well.

Points wise, with all the abilities and options to choose abilities it has to be straight up there at 275 pts. His abilities could be pivotal in larger games (2000+) and unplayable against in smaller games (<1000).

The basic stats line suggests that he's a bit of a wuss and the Wounds it has appear too high, possibly 2 is better than 3 but keep the eternal warrior skill.

That's what I reckon. I would be interested to see the model when it is finished.

Jasper wrote:
If you're going to use him within a closed local gaming group then you can do almost what you want.
If you turned up agaist an oppoent who has not seen this chap before I don't think it is fair to play with the character mainly because you can't say he's like "Insert Well Known Character's Name" but is fearless as well.

Points wise, with all the abilities and options to choose abilities it has to be straight up there at 275 pts. His abilities could be pivotal in larger games (2000+) and unplayable against in smaller games (<1000).

The basic stats line suggests that he's a bit of a wuss and the Wounds it has appear too high, possibly 2 is better than 3 but keep the eternal warrior skill.

That's what I reckon. I would be interested to see the model when it is finished.

Yeah, closed local gaming group, and likely not legal for tournaments, just something fun for the locals to play when they're throwing down in friendly games.

I gave him an extra wound just so the player wouldn't feel like his 'signiture' character is always dying, and I feel like if he's in a situation where he's taking 2 wounds, it isn't too much tougher to inflict that third one. His basic statline I took from a Herald of Tzeentch and then adjusted a couple of things so he's not always getting swirlied and wedgied by the other characters; I figure Tzeentch characters should be more about abilities than numbers, but at the same time he's not straight-up magic-blasty like most Tzeentch heralds.

Thanks for the insight. Was thinking around there, maybe 250.

The models I'm using as a base should be coming in next week, so I'll post some pictures once I get something done on thim.

Yep about 250 is about right.

How about having a basic set of abilities so that if your playing a friendly against some one who does not know this character they can quickly have a read through what he can do and is more likely to agree to use him.

Thnking 4 powers doing one basic thing each.

"Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo?"

I like it, and I agree that it needs to be 275 or so and definitely as an HQ choice because it will break smaller, skirmish style games.

Although, having said that, I think it would be fun to play a scenario and have small force hunt him down...

Any one of those abilities completely randomized would be enough. 3-4 at a time chosen by you is completely over the top.

I considered making it completely random, but thought that would be relying waaaay too much on the dice for him to be effective, less fun and more random chance.