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So I had a thought recently when I was making some lists... Should we have a "create your own character" expansion like the burning skies and such?

we could have an hq or HQ options for all the codex's, and from a certain point we can add special rules to the Commander. Make some available and some not depending on the circumstances and wargear. Have separate pages for each codex to give some more flavor to the units?

Stupid idea?

We already have that. It's called "make a generic chapter master/shas'o/etc from the HQ choices in your codex and give it a name". There's no need for a special expansion.

Stop giving GW ideas for $50 books to publish hahahahahaha

It's a cool idea, and certainly one people would use, but it doesn't need a full book for it. Most people can do it just fine already by using generic HQ's with special names, or making their own characters (we have a, what, 80 something page thread JUST on home made special characters).

 washout77 wrote:
Stop giving GW ideas for $50 books to publish hahahahahaha

It's a cool idea, and certainly one people would use, but it doesn't need a full book for it. Most people can do it just fine already by using generic HQ's with special names, or making their own characters (we have a, what, 80 something page thread JUST on home made special characters).

well, I can get that, but I kinda long for something like the Siege master in FW10. the extra "re-roll reserves, give a unit either tank hunter or furious charge" thing his pretty cool, and I like how there is something different from another Generic HQ while still being a non-named HQ.

I'm all for it. I love generating characters... don't know if I'll play... but I'll generate away!

I don't think it should be a whole separate expansion, but I do think it should exist as an army building mechanic. I have been wanting a way to customize HQs more since 2nd edition. I personally just like having my own fluffy HQ much more than picking a named character, but I would love to get access to some of that special rules goodness. It would be great if you could say "pay x points to get x rule" (like makes 1 elite choice troops or something). I am happy that the last couple of codexes are going in the right direction with chaos artifacts and chapter relics, which allow you to give your HQ a bit more flavor with unique wargear.

Its a cool idea for sure.. I mean I still think the 4th edition SM and IG books were the coolest ones they've ever had.

The problem comes in when you try to put point costs to things. To keep the system from getting too cumbersome you can just slap a flat pointccost on options but then you run into situations where certain combinations are uber cheese and break the game for the same point cost as a combination of unrelated options that suck.. Your solution to this problem is to either intentionally over price things, which only exacerbates the latter issue, or create a 100 page rulebook about the different combinations with varying point costs based on whatever other options you take.

Again I really like the idea. I just wish that there was an easy way to implement it in a balanced way.

combine it with a new improved vehicle design rules and I would scoop it up.

suddenly Front Armor 15 side and rear AV9

although different formations based on units used would be really cool. like granting kroot fearless when they have firewarriors right behind them

Im down with this concept it could add a nice role playing element to the game. Comming from years of dnd id be behind this if an expansion was published

Peregrine wrote:We already have that. It's called "make a generic chapter master/shas'o/etc from the HQ choices in your codex and give it a name". There's no need for a special expansion.

Considering the current range of options available to my army ... yes, yes I think I could use such an expansion.

Come to think about it - anyone remember GW's "design your own vehicle" rules?

yup VDR was alot of fun,easily exploited by TFG types, but just for fun it was awesome.

I'd love it. I'd also love to see a supplement that is nothing but chapter tactics special characters like the ones from the Space Marine codex, allowing you to use the dozens of lesser Space Marine chapters. You could also have characters for the less represented craftworlds, septs, clans, cabals, dynasties, or what have you. Call it Commanders. I'd buy it.

 Lynata wrote:
Come to think about it - anyone remember GW's "design your own vehicle" rules?

Oh WOW! I had totally forgotten about the 40k vehicle design rules! That takes me waaay back. I used to tinker around with those on an online calculator, and show up to games with my friends with awesome scratchbuilt ork monstrosities. I should go rummaging through some old boxes looking for those. It never occured to me to exploit those rules at the time, it makes me sad to think that something so cool would get abused.

 Jimsolo wrote:
I'd love it. I'd also love to see a supplement that is nothing but chapter tactics special characters like the ones from the Space Marine codex, allowing you to use the dozens of lesser Space Marine chapters. You could also have characters for the less represented craftworlds, septs, clans, cabals, dynasties, or what have you. Call it Commanders. I'd buy it.

This is exactly why we need to be able to make our own characters. You should be able to play specific sub-faction (Chapter, Craftworld, etc.) without always bringing that same stock special character.

We need a Space Marine Chapter Tactics book. There isn't enough variety in the different Space Marines books. This needs to be GW's #1 Priority!

4th edition space marine's had it best. You basically built your own captain, but then could give them flaw's and buff's to your army. Like, you could create a character that made your whole army stubborn, at the cost of having rage (Which used to be charge the closest enemy)

That way is much better in my mind, Rather than paying points, which everyone would just do for good abilities, and everyone would be the same, make it so that you can take the best army-wide abilities, at the cost of taking specific army-wide flaws

A HQ that gives your army +1 strength when shooting any gun, but reduces all ballistic skills by one, would be a great way to make a unique army, that isn't strictly overpowered. Then you can just write the fluff that these marines in particular, employ sheer brute force, over poncy thing's such as aiming

Glad to see more people agreeing I juts kinda think it is also silly for one character to show up to every battle ever.

We already have the option to field our own special characters, providing our opponents agree to them. Hell, you can field whatever you want as long as your opponent agrees to it first, that's the beauty of house rules.
I myself have played several games where I've fielded a character I've made up myself, with his own set of rules etc. As long as your opponent doesn't feel it'll break the game then he'll generally allow it in a friendly game.

Tournaments, as ever, have their own rules set out by the tournament organiser, and will likely never allow such a thing without an official expansion release and another £20 book for us moan about. Any expansion of this kind though will definitely limit your options with rules and upgrades, staying within chapter ethos and fluff parameters... what's the fun in that?

I'd certainly be intrigued as the concept if it was well carried off though.

I'm thinking of a legal expansion.

 Peregrine wrote:
We already have that. It's called "make a generic chapter master/shas'o/etc from the HQ choices in your codex and give it a name". There's no need for a special expansion.

Indeed, there is also nothing wrong with using the rules for existing named characters and renaming them either (not that I have the imagination for that ).

 Krellnus wrote:

Indeed, there is also nothing wrong with using the rules for existing named characters and renaming them either (not that I have the imagination for that ).

Yes, everyone does that. Special characters with army changing special rules are absolutely required for certain types of armies. But it would be much better if we could just buy those special rules separately.

Overly powerful characters encourages Herohammer and typically poor list building. 40k is not an RPG.

An expansion could also create the potential for game breaking synergy between certain combinations of special rules, wargear, and psyker powers.

Isn't this what RPG's are for?

40k is not a hero-centric skirmish game. I don't get the appeal of this.

But the universe is so large that the possibility of having a commander however you make them is probable and generally as long as its not broken there can be some very interesting rules or powers that then can be thought up and some interesting modeling.

Now this may be a bad example of free reign of design but Spore had some of the most well designed creatures that I've ever seen and even the game designers were impressed, albeit this was because of Sporn but still. It allows the game to evolve better, as long as they restrict it at tournaments it should be fine

WOW!!! I posted this very subject about 3 years ago and got an overwhelming "No" response! I created rules and data sheets and everything! Here you can have them! They are all based on 5th edition and havent even looked at 6th edition yet but maybe they are compatible. Let me know what you think.
BTW, I also included an example of one that I created

 lowmanjason wrote:
WOW!!! I posted this very subject about 3 years ago and got an overwhelming "No" response! I created rules and data sheets and everything! Here you can have them! They are all based on 5th edition and havent even looked at 6th edition yet but maybe they are compatible. Let me know what you think.
BTW, I also included an example of one that I created

Would you be offended if I printed these out and gave a couple of copies to the local players?

 lowmanjason wrote:
WOW!!! I posted this very subject about 3 years ago and got an overwhelming "No" response! I created rules and data sheets and everything! Here you can have them! They are all based on 5th edition and havent even looked at 6th edition yet but maybe they are compatible. Let me know what you think.
BTW, I also included an example of one that I created

Very cool, I will be using these

 mad_eddy_13 wrote:

Would you be offended if I printed these out and gave a couple of copies to the local players?

Not at all, anybody who wants to use them- go ahead! I am just amazed at the change of direction people have taken with this subject.

 lowmanjason wrote:

 mad_eddy_13 wrote:

Would you be offended if I printed these out and gave a couple of copies to the local players?

Not at all, anybody who wants to use them- go ahead! I am just amazed at the change of direction people have taken with this subject.

Its because people have started noticing all the characters are in the Ultra Smurfs... Besides even if you run into a custom hero who wipes you (and your 2000+ point army) out, no biggy, its not like every army has one. Besides this way my Chapter can get a dreadnaught Chapter Master (worth more than some armys no doubt )