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There used to be a couple of ongoing threads on here encouraging people to come up with new and interesting characters for their armies, but they seem to have dried up a fair while ago. With that in mind I thought I'd resurrect the idea and encourage anyone to post rules (and fluff if you want) of your own making.

I'll get us started with an Imperial Knights character of my own.


Captain Maxwell Gresley - 220pts
Known for his lightning-quick wit and equally fast battlefield acumen, Captain Gresley epitomises the speed and manuverability his House is known for. His personal Armiger chassis. the Gauntlet of Light, utilises unique and fearsome weaponry. One arm mounts a tough breacher shield, the other contains a unique Fusion Cutter, adapted from smaller Lascutter technology used in boarding and civilian shipbreaking operations. Witnesses to Gresley's combat expertise report stunning and brutal attacks with the Fusion Cutter, severing joints and vital components of hostiles many times his size.

WS2+ BS3+ S7 T7 W14 A4 Ld9 Sv3+

Wargear
Breacher Shield
Fusion Cutter
Heavy Flamer

Breacher Shield: Maxwell Gresley has a 4+ Invulnerable Save. In addition, any damage suffered is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
Fusion Cutter: When attacking with this weapon, choose one of the following profiles.
- Range 12", S9 Ap-4 D:6, Pistol D3.
- Range -, S9 Ap-4 D:6, Melee.


Special Rules

Explodes: Explodes on roll of 6, D3 wounds to everything within 6"
Armiger Prime: Any Armiger units within 12" of Captain Gresley may re-roll 1's to hit in the Fight Phase.



So there's my contribution, anyone else have any fun and exciting characters to share?

A few questions,

Is the invulnerable save only in the shooting phase like the knight shields or is it across every phase? Does the save go up with rotate iron shields? Does he have a fixed house? Does it cause morta wounds or just wounds on an explosion? Does he bracket? Does he have the standard knight movement?

You might want to consider adjusting the damage down on some of the weapons. Fat 6 damage is usually seen on more expensive or more vulnerable platforms. as it is this model will easily kill more than it's points each game.

I think damage 2d3 might be more fitting for this weapon , flat 6 is too high that's a Reaper chain sword.

I think the Invuln would need to be similar to the Hoplite Shield version ... Their invuln save is 4 up in combat only with a 6 being 1 mortal wound reflected back.

Otherwise just treat it identically to an Armigar warglave.

I'm curious about the brackets since it has two extra wounds and the ability to pick any household makes it almost uniquely good for a named character.

A MT character, just so you can make 2 Battalions in a single army.

Tempestus Scion Drill Master Ermey (0-1) HQ – Special Character. Points: 55 (includes wargear)

Not often seen outside of the Schola Progenum, Drill Master Ermey will only accompany the Scion Troopers on the most important of missions, and direct their fire with uncompromising efficiency. His booming voice can be heard above the din of battle, shouting encouragement and insults in equal measure to get the troopers nearby to redouble their efforts.

M 6” WS 3+ BS 3+ S 3 T 3 W 3 A 3 Ld 8 Sv 4+

Drill Master Ermey is armed with a Hot-shot Laspistol, a Powerfist, Frag and Krak Grenades.

Abilities:

Drill Master
Any Militarum Tempestus Unit within 6” with the Storm Troopers Doctrine, receives +1 on their roll to hit against any target within half the maximum range of their weapon.

Disciplinarian
Any Militarum Tempestus Infantry Unit within 6” may use the Drill Masters Ld value instead of its own for Morale tests, and additionally may reroll failed Morale tests.

Drill Master Ermey may not be chosen as your Warlord.

Aerial Drop (as per standard Militarum Tempestus).

I used to have my own 'special character' leading my Chaos Warband (when I played more in 2e days of yore).

Lord Commander Vorod was a Chaos Space Marine Lord of the Black Legion, used by Abaddon to lead his shock troops into battle.
Unusually, Vorod had accepted the marks of Khorne AND Slaanesh (which you can't do anymore, sob), which reflected his lust for bloody slaughter on the battlefield and deviancy off it.

I would like to bring him back into my army in 8e but you can't give 2 Marks of Chaos anymore and it's harder to personalise a non-warlord character.

I converted him from the old Kharn model, with the horns cut off the sides of his helmet and his helmet painted bone-white so it looked like a screaming skull or a vanilla space marine chaplain gone bad.

Nurgle Deamon, Fast Attack

Plague Spiders- 32pts

Units of 3-9

M8" WS4+ BS4+ S5 T5 W2 A2 LD8 SV5+

Wargear:
Acidic Web
Poison Fangs

Acidic Web: PistolD3 8" S5 AP-1 D1 Add 1 to all hit rolls targeting a unit wounded by this weapon earlier in the phase.

Poison Fangs: Melee S+1 AP-4 D1

Abilities: Disgustingly Resilient, Daemonic, Skittering Mass
Skittering Mass: Plague Spiders can advance and charge in the same turn.

Is it OP? Not good enough? I've just been tossing the idea of quickly moving groups of spiders. The idea behind acidic Web is that enemies hit by it are ensared and therefore easier to hit. Thoughts?

 Kcalehc wrote:
A MT character, just so you can make 2 Battalions in a single army.

Tempestus Scion Drill Master Ermey (0-1) HQ – Special Character. Points: 55 (includes wargear)

Not often seen outside of the Schola Progenum, Drill Master Ermey will only accompany the Scion Troopers on the most important of missions, and direct their fire with uncompromising efficiency. His booming voice can be heard above the din of battle, shouting encouragement and insults in equal measure to get the troopers nearby to redouble their efforts.

M 6” WS 3+ BS 3+ S 3 T 3 W 3 A 3 Ld 8 Sv 4+

Drill Master Ermey is armed with a Hot-shot Laspistol, a Powerfist, Frag and Krak Grenades.

Abilities:

Drill Master
Any Militarum Tempestus Unit within 6” with the Storm Troopers Doctrine, receives +1 on their roll to hit against any target within half the maximum range of their weapon.

Disciplinarian
Any Militarum Tempestus Infantry Unit within 6” may use the Drill Masters Ld value instead of its own for Morale tests, and additionally may reroll failed Morale tests.

Drill Master Ermey may not be chosen as your Warlord.

Aerial Drop (as per standard Militarum Tempestus).

I'm sorry but +1 to hit AND morale shenanigans is just absurd.

Okay this looks like fun
This is a special character i made for our groups heralds of ruin kill team campaign a while back. I shall adjust for 8th as best i

"Sister Superior Clerice" (0-1) Fast Attack. Special character.

A veteran superior of the few remaining seraphim from the Order of the Honoured Matres on Kryner. She has become a vital tool in the pacification of threats against the beleaguered imperial government and the ecclesiarchy. Like many of her surviving order, she carries the scars of Kryners defence against the Tyranid invasion, both within her body and her heart- the deepest of these inflicted at the defence of Saint Hannah's orphanage where her squad of seraphim and a score of children were overwhelmed by ripper swarms. A solitary figure, she has become the avenging angel of Kryner, leaping headlong at the Imperium's enemies.

M12" WS3 BS3 S3 T3 W4 A3 Ld9 Sv3+ (Jump Infantry, adepta sororitas, seraphim, Honoured Matres, imperium, character, fly.) (105PTS)

Wargear: Power Armour; Frag and Krack grenades; Inferno Pistol; Plasma Pistol; Augmetic Optic; Jump Pack.

Inferno Pistol: R6"; S8; AP-4; Dd6 Melta
Plasma pistol (we know what it does, im not writing all that)

Special rules: Shield of Faith; Act of Faith; Angelic Visage; Gun Kata; Avenging Angel.

Augmetic Optic: Clerice augmetic eye grants allows her shooting attacks to ignore cover.

Gun Kata: Trained almost exclusively in pistols, Clerice may fire her pistols in the assault phase as if it were the shooting phase. These attacks can only be made against enemies within 1" of her model.

Avenging Angel: If a friendly Adepta Sororitas or Astra Militarum unit within 6" of Clerice is destroyed: roll a d6. On a 3+, Clerice may perform an act of faith at the end of the current phase. This act of faith may be performed even if she has already performed an act of faith earlier in the battle round. The Avenging Angel ability cannot be used more than once per battle round.

I do this quite a bit and only tend to fall down and make them over powered when I try to invent rules or equipment. If you use existing stuff, like other characters rules or weapons then you are more likely to keep on track.

 Giantwalkingchair wrote:
Okay this looks like fun
This is a special character i made for our groups heralds of ruin kill team campaign a while back. I shall adjust for 8th as best i

"Sister Superior Clerice" (0-1) Fast Attack. Special character.

A veteran superior of the few remaining seraphim from the Order of the Honoured Matres on Kryner. She has become a vital tool in the pacification of threats against the beleaguered imperial government and the ecclesiarchy. Like many of her surviving order, she carries the scars of Kryners defence against the Tyranid invasion, both within her body and her heart- the deepest of these inflicted at the defence of Saint Hannah's orphanage where her squad of seraphim and a score of children were overwhelmed by ripper swarms. A solitary figure, she has become the avenging angel of Kryner, leaping headlong at the Imperium's enemies.

M12" WS3 BS3 S3 T3 W4 A3 Ld9 Sv3+ (Jump Infantry, adepta sororitas, seraphim, Honoured Matres, imperium, character, fly.) (105PTS)

Wargear: Power Armour; Frag and Krack grenades; Inferno Pistol; Plasma Pistol; Augmetic Optic; Jump Pack.

Inferno Pistol: R6"; S8; AP-4; Dd6 Melta
Plasma pistol (we know what it does, im not writing all that)

Special rules: Shield of Faith; Act of Faith; Angelic Visage; Gun Kata; Avenging Angel.

Augmetic Optic: Clerice augmetic eye grants allows her shooting attacks to ignore cover.

Gun Kata: Trained almost exclusively in pistols, Clerice may fire her pistols in the assault phase as if it were the shooting phase. These attacks can only be made against enemies within 1" of her model.

Avenging Angel: If a friendly Adepta Sororitas or Astra Militarum unit within 6" of Clerice is destroyed: roll a d6. On a 3+, Clerice may perform an act of faith at the end of the current phase. This act of faith may be performed even if she has already performed an act of faith earlier in the battle round. The Avenging Angel ability cannot be used more than once per battle round.

Pretty cool but 105 points is a bit much isn't it?

Any custom designed character should always pay a "custom" tax when put into a game like 40K. These characters should be for fun, not for power - and thus should never be a mathematically supported choice.

The only custom character I have thus far is the chapter master of my renegades. Khyrum Saal.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2u76hpmfe3rtem/KhyrumSaalPDF.pdf?dl=0

Haven't run him much at all, and is still up for some modifications/adjustments.

For our local campaign with buddies we've designed a simple custom Warlord system, where a surviving warlord gains a trait when victorious in a game. This is generated randomly from one of four tables. A warlord/character may gain up to five of these advances (adding 10 points to his cost for each upgrade).

Once a model reaches five upgrades, it becomes a named character, and may gain no more. Named characters have additional special rules for perishing in games, etc.

How'd you make that look so nice?

Just some GIMP editing software and a blank datasheet. I still haven't nailed down their proper fonts, etc.

 Valkyrie wrote:

 Giantwalkingchair wrote:
Okay this looks like fun
This is a special character i made for our groups heralds of ruin kill team campaign a while back. I shall adjust for 8th as best i

"Sister Superior Clerice" (0-1) Fast Attack. Special character.

A veteran superior of the few remaining seraphim from the Order of the Honoured Matres on Kryner. She has become a vital tool in the pacification of threats against the beleaguered imperial government and the ecclesiarchy. Like many of her surviving order, she carries the scars of Kryners defence against the Tyranid invasion, both within her body and her heart- the deepest of these inflicted at the defence of Saint Hannah's orphanage where her squad of seraphim and a score of children were overwhelmed by ripper swarms. A solitary figure, she has become the avenging angel of Kryner, leaping headlong at the Imperium's enemies.

M12" WS3 BS3 S3 T3 W4 A3 Ld9 Sv3+ (Jump Infantry, adepta sororitas, seraphim, Honoured Matres, imperium, character, fly.) (105PTS)

Wargear: Power Armour; Frag and Krack grenades; Inferno Pistol; Plasma Pistol; Augmetic Optic; Jump Pack.

Inferno Pistol: R6"; S8; AP-4; Dd6 Melta
Plasma pistol (we know what it does, im not writing all that)

Special rules: Shield of Faith; Act of Faith; Angelic Visage; Gun Kata; Avenging Angel.

Augmetic Optic: Clerice augmetic eye grants allows her shooting attacks to ignore cover.

Gun Kata: Trained almost exclusively in pistols, Clerice may fire her pistols in the assault phase as if it were the shooting phase. These attacks can only be made against enemies within 1" of her model.

Avenging Angel: If a friendly Adepta Sororitas or Astra Militarum unit within 6" of Clerice is destroyed: roll a d6. On a 3+, Clerice may perform an act of faith at the end of the current phase. This act of faith may be performed even if she has already performed an act of faith earlier in the battle round. The Avenging Angel ability cannot be used more than once per battle round.

Pretty cool but 105 points is a bit much isn't it?

Maybe, but i like to overcost things and then work down from there.
My thinking was:

11pts for Seraphim
40pts for extra wounds and the abilities (Avenging Angel ability particularly good if/when it procs)
16pts for weapons.
67pts all up. So extra 38 pts on top is wiggle room.


@Elbows, that is a very nicely done data slate. Noice!

I have to agree with Giant - you always start high with your points cost. The easiest way to create a custom character is to simply combine attributes from other existing characters. Fight the urge to make something super good - that shouldn't be the driving force behind a character, but rathe something unique or characterful.

Even if you copy-pasta some other 40K character to make your own and just swap weapons, etc. you should still toss on a cursory 15-20 points on top of it. The fastest way to never be allowed to run a custom character again? Bring an overpower and undercosted character you designed to a game...

If you're playing in a local group, you need to earn their trust regarding custom units, datasheets, rules, etc. When in doubt consider adding some negatives to your character in addition to the positives.

I find for custom characters you try and compare similar equipment and/or abilities and then you'll know if you should make adjustments.

Aye. There was a guy at flgs who liked to make custom things. Problem was hed go a bit crazy. Rules out the wazoo. 2++ saves. No one liked the concepts and wouldnt let him field his snowflakes.
Sometimes less is more.

I think the reason is simple, as you can see even in this forum section. 95% of proposed rules are to make one's own army better. Not fluffier, not cooler, not less-powerful...it's almost always about more power, more efficiency. It's the default mindset for people who play the game at a more competitive level.

Yeah i hear that. I remember the first special snowflake i made back in the day was a Cannoness decked out in the bells and whistles of the time and when she died she would rise as a living saint. Twas a bit silly.

 Elbows wrote:
I think the reason is simple, as you can see even in this forum section. 95% of proposed rules are to make one's own army better. Not fluffier, not cooler, not less-powerful...it's almost always about more power, more efficiency. It's the default mindset for people who play the game at a more competitive level.

It's usually a combination of both I think, but everyone wants their army as powerful as the top army, yes?

Here's one I made for a Narrative campaign I was in last month, I was pricing him at roughly 110 points for those missions.

What do people think?

This one is my replacement for Uriah Jacobus because i dont like his rules or model. Basically just a priest using Uriahs pts cost and his +1 ld ability.
The model i use is the Papess from Raging Heroes (gorgeous model)

"Papess Ursula Jackoby" (0-1) HQ. Special Character. (100 pts)

M6" WS4+ BS4+ S3 T3 W4 A3 Ld7 Sv6+
(Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Priest, HQ, Infantry, Character.)

Abilities: Zealot, Inspiring Presence, War Hymns.

Inspiring Presence: Friendly Adeptus Ministorum units within 6" increase their Ld value by 1.

Equipment: Rosarius (4++), Rod of Sanctity, frag and krak grenades.

Rod of Sanctity: has the following profiles:

R6" S8 AP-4 Dd6 Melta Pistol.
R- S+2 AP-1 D1

Here's a character from a story I wrote but never got around to finishing. I'm not the type to bring custom characters to games, and obviously an appropriate model for her doesn't even exist, but designing statsheets is fun.

Kyra the Chained
A psyker of immense power but minimal experience, Kyra was discovered and tutored by the Changeling, who used her to perform a great prank that ended in the annihilation by fire of Kyra's home Agri-World. She has since become bound to Tzeentch's desires and whims, sealed away until he decides she would be useful in one conflict or another. Her power comes at great cost as the fleshwarping of her master destroys and remakes her fragile child's body with every spell.

M10" WS5+ BS5+ S3 T3 W4 A1 Ld7 Sv6+

Greater Fires of Tzeentch
Range 24" Assault d6 S5 AP-2 D1 Auto-Hit

Power Overwhelming: Kyra suffers Perils of the Warp when she rolls duplicate numbers of any kind; however, when she does so the power automatically succeeds as if she had rolled a result of 12. If Kyra is reduced to 0 wounds as the result of Perils, roll nine d6, and for every 6 she regains one wound (to a maximum of four). The damage to surrounding units that happens when a psyker is slain by Perils of the Warp occurs as normal.

Slave to Tzeentch: Kyra may be placed into THOUSAND SONS or TZEENTCH DAEMONS detachments without breaking detachment benefits.

Kyra can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny two psychic powers in each enemy Psychic phase. She knows the Smite psychic power and two psychic powers from the Tzeentch discipline.

I don't really know what her points cost should be. Probably a bit more expensive than an Exalted Sorcerer but a little cheaper than Ahriman.

Tempestor Secundus Riley Enoch of the 85th Scion

Commander of the Airborne Assault element of the 85th, he is a specialist when it comes to precision drops of Scions.

M6" WS3+ BS3+ S3 T3 W4 A3 Ld8 Sv4+
Imperium, Astra Militarum, Militarum Tempestus
Character, Infantry, Officer, Temepstor Prime

Abilities: Voice of Command, Aerial Drop, Precise Air Assault

Precise Air Assault: Any Infantry units with the Militarum Tempestus keyword may be deployed more than 7'' from an enemy unit rather than 9'' when arriving via Aerial Drop.


Gear: Prototype Volley-Gun with Grenade Launcher, Storm Knife, Carapace Armor

Prototype Volley-Gun with Grenade Launcher: An early protoype of the current Hotshot Volley-Gun, it doesn't have the rate of fire or the range of the current Volley-Gun, but it packs the same punch while being easier to handle for the user. It has two profile, the gun itself and the grenade launcher. You may fire both in the same shooting phase.

Gun: R:18'' Type: Assault 3 S:3 AP:-2 D:1
Grenade Launcher: As per the normal grenade launcher, may only fire Krak Grenades.

Storm knife: A knife fitted with a power field, the size of the weapon means that its power field isn't as good as true power sword.
R: Melee Type:Melee S: User AP:-2 D:1



That's about it, never been good at assigning point values. He's 58 pts using a Tempestor Prime with Volley-Gun, Grenade Launcher and Power Sword. Not sure how much his drop rule is worth.

When in doubt, add 30-40 pts on top of base cost.

 Bobthehero wrote:
Tempestor Secundus Riley Enoch of the 85th Scion

Commander of the Airborne Assault element of the 85th, he is a specialist when it comes to precision drops of Scions.

M6" WS3+ BS3+ S3 T3 W4 A3 Ld8 Sv4+
Imperium, Astra Militarum, Militarum Tempestus
Character, Infantry, Officer, Temepstor Prime

Abilities: Voice of Command, Aerial Drop, Precise Air Assault

Precise Air Assault: Any Infantry units with the Militarum Tempestus keyword may be deployed more than 7'' from an enemy unit rather than 9'' when arriving via Aerial Drop.


Gear: Prototype Volley-Gun with Grenade Launcher, Storm Knife, Carapace Armor

Prototype Volley-Gun with Grenade Launcher: An early protoype of the current Hotshot Volley-Gun, it doesn't have the rate of fire or the range of the current Volley-Gun, but it packs the same punch while being easier to handle for the user. It has two profile, the gun itself and the grenade launcher. You may fire both in the same shooting phase.

Gun: R:18'' Type: Assault 3 S:3 AP:-2 D:1
Grenade Launcher: As per the normal grenade launcher, may only fire Krak Grenades.

Storm knife: A knife fitted with a power field, the size of the weapon means that its power field isn't as good as true power sword.
R: Melee Type:Melee S: User AP:-2 D:1



That's about it, never been good at assigning point values. He's 58 pts using a Tempestor Prime with Volley-Gun, Grenade Launcher and Power Sword. Not sure how much his drop rule is worth.

He may be worth significantly more than just the base cost, that 7" DS is huge when you think what Scions can do with it. They can use FRFSRF to its full effect, which can proc extra shots with their rule, Flamers are now in range. I'd also add the Combi-weapon rule to his gun, you can fire both profiles at -1 to hit.

Morgar'ak the damned, exalted champion and warband lord of the Khorne warband Wrath, formerly a marine in the World Eaters.

A terminator-armoured bloodthirsty brute, has been around since the Horus Heresy and was involved in the assault on Terra, being one of the marines who carried Kharn's body away.

Known for his astonishing physical strength and surprising ability to maneuver the politics of the Eye of Terror, he was quick to ally his warband to Abaddon's Black Crusade and fights in the vanguard as shock troops.

Special Rule - The Might of Khorne. In close combat, if Morgar'ak makes multiple hits on an opponent he can exchange them all for a single hit resolved at Str +5, AP- 4 and doing D3 damage.

Never used him in a game with the special rule so have no idea what points it'd be worth. Just enjoyed making up the background for him.

 RobS wrote:
Morgar'ak the damned, exalted champion and warband lord of the Khorne warband Wrath, formerly a marine in the World Eaters.

A terminator-armoured bloodthirsty brute, has been around since the Horus Heresy and was involved in the assault on Terra, being one of the marines who carried Kharn's body away.

Known for his astonishing physical strength and surprising ability to maneuver the politics of the Eye of Terror, he was quick to ally his warband to Abaddon's Black Crusade and fights in the vanguard as shock troops.

Special Rule - The Might of Khorne. In close combat, if Morgar'ak makes multiple hits on an opponent he can exchange them all for a single hit resolved at Str +5, AP- 4 and doing D3 damage.

Never used him in a game with the special rule so have no idea what points it'd be worth. Just enjoyed making up the background for him.

Why would one attack with D3 damage be better than 4x Attacks with a Power/Chainfist?

 Valkyrie wrote:

 RobS wrote:
Morgar'ak the damned, exalted champion and warband lord of the Khorne warband Wrath, formerly a marine in the World Eaters.

A terminator-armoured bloodthirsty brute, has been around since the Horus Heresy and was involved in the assault on Terra, being one of the marines who carried Kharn's body away.

Known for his astonishing physical strength and surprising ability to maneuver the politics of the Eye of Terror, he was quick to ally his warband to Abaddon's Black Crusade and fights in the vanguard as shock troops.

Special Rule - The Might of Khorne. In close combat, if Morgar'ak makes multiple hits on an opponent he can exchange them all for a single hit resolved at Str +5, AP- 4 and doing D3 damage.

Never used him in a game with the special rule so have no idea what points it'd be worth. Just enjoyed making up the background for him.

Why would one attack with D3 damage be better than 4x Attacks with a Power/Chainfist?

I don't know that it would be better. Haven't tried it out. I also don't know that it'd work out that different in the game.