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Disorganised Harlequin related thread for dumping of ideas and such.

Started by Wargamer, November 16, 2014, 01:54:53 AM

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Wargamer

Let's get the ball rolling with flavour text!

Avatars:
As part of their performances, the Harlequins don masques; psionic imprints of characters whose parts they play. In so doing, they temporarily become that person, and live as a decadent pre-Fall Eldar, or a Daemon, or some other part. Some Harlequins excel in this role, and are entrusted with more important, but also more dangerous parts. The Harlequins known as Avatars play the parts of the Eldar Gods, and as such the masques they wear are heavy and potent things.

In battle, the Avatars can use these masques to terrible effect, spurring themselves and their comrades to ever greater feats of acrobatic skill and martial prowess. To witness the Avatars on the battlefield is to see the Eldar Gods walk the worlds once more, yet an Avatar must be forever cautious, lest they lose themselves to the masque and suffer the same fate as the deity whose persona they have adopted...

High Avatar:
As the Avatars play the Eldar Gods, the Great Harlequin plays the role of the Laughing God. To play this part is the greatest honour a Harlequin can receive, yet it is not without peril. Sometimes, a Great Harlequin's will is not enough to keep the masque of Cegorach in check, and they are consumed by it. They become a High Avatar - a permanent embodiment of the Harlequin's patron God. This link bestows great power to the High Avatar, but it also robs them of all that they were. Some remain with their troupes, while others set off alone into the Webway, appearing to aid their fellow Harlequins before vanishing from whence they came. In battle, they are a symbol of the might and glory of Cegorach and his chosen warriors, yet for the other Harlequins their presence is equal parts inspiring and agonising. Their movements are graceful, their sword-strikes perfect and deadly, yet the price for their excellence is too high in the eyes of many.
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Narric

I love these snippets of fluff, WG :D

Will you include here what you've posted to FB?

Wargamer

Yeah. I'll try to compile and improve as I go.

A few notions I've had... assorted armaments! Bear in mind I don't remember some of the special rules, or even if specific special rules existed, so if I'm unsure I'll provide a long-hand rule and you can let me know if that's already covered, or just not properly worded. :P

Domino Field:
The Domino Field is a rare enhancement of the traditional Harlequin Holofield. It distorts the wearer's image into even more complex and disorientating patterns, making it almost impossible to discern anything of the wearer that they do not wish discerned.

A model equipped with a Domino Field is immune to snap fire - the shots automatically miss! Domino Fields cease to function on characters who have joined units until the character has left the unit once more.

Grim Scythe:
The Grim Scythe is a weapon typically fixed to the weapon of a Death Jester. Grim Scythes consist of one or more curving power blades fixed to one or both ends of a heavy weapon. While cumbersome in the hands of an ordinary warrior, in the hands of a Harlequin, especially a Death Jester, the Grim Scythe transforms their ranged weapon into a fearsome instrument of close-quarter death.

   RngSApNotes
Grim Scythe-user +13Melee, two handed.

Harlequin's Kiss:
The Harlequin's kiss is a long, hollow, wraithbone tube that contains hundreds of monofilament wires. When the Harlequin's Kiss pierces a victim these wires are fired out, lashing around inside the target to liquefy their insides. This gruesome tool of death is the iconic weapon of the Harlequins; a source of inspiration to their allies, and mortal dread to their foes.

   RngSApNotes
Harlequin's Kiss-user-Melee, Fleshbane

Shrieker Weapons:
Favoured by Death Jesters and Hellequins alike, Shrieker weapons fire projectiles coated in a bio-explosive that causes their victims to swell up alarmingly, before detonating in a spray of bone, armour and acidic ichor. The slightest scratch from these weapons is not only fatal, but terrifyingly so.

   RngSApNotes
Shrieker Pistol12"(1)5Pistol, Fleshbane, Pinning
Shrieker Riflel24"(1)5Assault 2, Fleshbane, Pinning
Shrieker Cannon36"(1)5Assault 3, Fleshbane, Pinning, Rending

Song Cage:
The Song Cage is a psionic amplifier; a device used by the Harlequins to project a psychic field over their audience and make them suitably receptive to the performances of the Troupe. This tool also has value on the battlefield, sowing terror and discord and allowing the Harlequins to hunt down and slaughter their foes with a minimum of hindrance.

All enemy units within 12" of a Song Cage suffer a -1 Ld modifier to all Leadership tests they are required to take, and are unable to make Snap Shots.
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Narric

Some of your table coding is a little off. Looks like you're useing YD instead of TD.

I love the Domino field. For any Harly character that loves assault it definately going to make its points back :)

A note on Melee weapons, is that they don't have anything in the Range column beyond a quick "-". They already have the Melee Type/special rule. Beyond that the Grim Scythe is certainly a decent Power Weapon.

Official statline for Harlequins Kiss is Rending instead of Fleshbane. Considering Fleshbane is 2+ against anything with a Toughness value, are you sure thats better then the chance for AP2?

Shrieker Weapons are going to be difficult to justify, as a fully armoured space marine (by fluff) should be unaffected compared to a rank and file guardsmen. I'm not sure hopw you could change it though. Perhaps using Poisoned (3+/4+) may be better, as that falls in-line with the splinter rifles of the Dark Eldar, and by fluff they actually alter their weapons before every raid to account for enemy armour and resistances.

Is the Song cage a vehicle system, or something carried around like a Battle Sister Simulacrum?


Wargamer

Tables fixed.

My intent with the Kiss was to take it back toward its 3rd Edition rules - there it always wounded on 2+ and caused insta-death on a successful wound roll of 6 (after saves). The background of the weapon means that if it gets through your armour you're pretty much dead, whereas that's not reflected so well by Rending (which is more about cracking open armour - something the Kiss is not meant for!).

I don't see the issue with justifying Shrieker weapons. If a Guardsmen gets scratched by one he blows up. If a Space Marine gets scratched by one he blows up even harder and leaves chunks of burning ceramite in people's faces.

3rd Ed Shrieker Cannon worked something like this: if you killed a model with it, they blew up. Centre the small blast over the victim and resolve the attack at Str = victim's toughness, and AP = Victim's Saving Throw. Being bigger and tougher didn't help against the bio-explosive.

The Song Cage is my concept for the Mockingbird's default 'weapon'.
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

BigToof

Great to see that these are back!
I always loved your fluff and lore Wargamer, and I'm glad to see that they are still coming.
I do lament the loss of the Tau lexicon though.  That was a great resource...

Best,
-BT
BigToof Points:

Cammerz: 8
Waaaghpower: 1
The Man They Call Jayne: 3
Mabbz: 6
Archon Sharrek: 3

Wargamer

Yeah, Tau Lexicon was fun. Maybe I can dig up some of the old resources and have another go...

Anyways, more stuffs!

War Masques:
At the start of each Harlequin turn, the Avatars must declare which Masque they are using. All Avatars in a unit must use the same Masque, and no unit can use the same Masque two turns in a row.

Masque of Khaine: Unit gains the Rage special rule.
Masque of Kurnous: Unit gains the Preferred Enemy special rule.
Masque of Vaul: Unit gains a 3+ Armour Save.
Masque of Isha: Unit gains the Feel No Pain (5+) Special Rule.
Masque of Ynnead: All melee attacks made by the unit have the Rending special rule.

Masque of Cegorach:
The Masque of Cegorach grants the High Avatar the Hatred (Chaos) and Preferred Enemy (Chaos) special rules. This Masque is always active; the High Avatar cannot benefit from any other Masques, and does not bestow this Masque to any Avatar unit he joins.

Magician's Box:
The Magician's Box is a dark relic of the Black Library - a container that folds space and contains within some ancient power that the Eldar of old deemed too dangerous for anyone to possess. The idea of employing such a device is abhorrent to most Harlequins, yet from time to time a Dark Hellequin will be permitted to enter the Black Library and return with such a device. What resides within is unknown even to the bearer, for there is no way to look inside without unleashing the horror within. Why the Solitaires allow this to occur is unclear, but it is said that when a Solitaire witnesses the opening of a Magician's box, for one brief moment, they crack a smile.
The Magician's Box may be opened in any Harlequin shooting phase. At least one enemy model must be within 12" of the Dark Hellequin carrying the Magician's Box for it to be opened. When opened, roll 1D6 and consult the table below:
1. The Borrowed Sky of Sorrow: A thick, black smoke billows from the box, forming a sphere that, from the outside, appears to be an impregnable fog. Inside, the bearer is presented a wondrous display; a clear night's sky, as witnessed from some long dead Eldar world.
Until the start of the next Harlequin shooting phase, the Box Bearer and his unit gain the Stealth and Shrouded Special Rules.
2. The Journey Unbidden: The box appears to grow without apparently changing size, and suddenly the bearer and his companions find themselves walking upon an old stone road. They walk for minutes, or perhaps centuries, and emerge somewhere not quite where they expected...
The Box Bearer and his unit are removed from play, and then immediately returned to play using the Deep Strike special rule.
3. The Carnival of Silent Music: Although the box appears empty, emitting neither light nor sound, those close by seem compelled to dance, and one by one they are surrounded by a shimmering, silver light. As this light is drawn back into the box, their bodies fall to the ground, cold and limp.
The player controlling the target unit rolls 3D6 and deducts the unit's Leadership value (use the highest if multiple Ld values are present). The result is the number of wounds inflicted on the unit, distributed as shooting attacks. Invulnerable Saves and "Look Out, Sir!" rolls may be made as normal. A unit that suffers one or more wounds from this attack must take a Pinning Test.

4-6 remain undecided...


Mime Troupe:
Harlequins in training, Mime Troupes journey the length and breadth of the galaxy at the behest of their instructors, the Master Mimes, seeking out Harlequin Troupes from whom they learn their performances. They stand in the wings during performances, but when battle is joined the Mimes takes to the field, laying down covering fire for their more experienced allies. Although they have not yet completed the rituals that make them true servants of Cegorach, they are protected and augmented by the signature costumes of the Harlequins, and they remain more than a match for the professional soldiers of lesser races.

   CostWsBsStwIALdSv
Mime**44331518-/5++
Mimic+**54331629-/5++




Composition:
  • 4-12 Mimes
Unit Type:
  • Infantry
  • Mimics are Infantry (Character)
Special Rules:

  • Fleet
Options:

  • Any model may replace their shuriken catapult with a lasblaster at no cost.
  • Up to two Mimes may replace their shuriken catapults with one of the following: flamer at +5pts; fusion gun at +10pts.
  • One Mime may be upgraded to a Mimic.
  • The Mimic may replace his shuriken catapult and/or shuriken pistol with the following:
    • Hand flamer at +5pts.
    • Eldar plasma pistol or fusion pistol at +10pts
    • Harlequin's Kiss, power sword, power axe or power mace at +10pts.
    • The Mimic may take Haywire Grenades at +5pts
Wargear:

  • Shuriken catapult
  • Shuriken pistol
  • Holo Suit
  • Flip Belt
  • Mask of Fear
  • Hallucinogen Grenades
Dedicated Transport:

  • A Mime Troupe that numbers six models or less may purchase a Harlequin Venom at +xxpts
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Wargamer

The Dance Without End:
Harlequins are warrior-bards of the Eldar people, and in this role they journey the length and breadth of the galaxy, performing for Eldar and non-Eldar alike. Every dance, from the simplest of displays to the grand epics that take many days to complete, is a facet of Eldar history and mythology, and every troupe of Harlequins has a different tale to tell. The theatrical tales vary in scope depending on the number of Harlequins present, and the larger and more varied the troupe, the more nuanced the performance.

Yet there is one dance that is revered above all others; the rarest and most awe-inspiring of all the Harlequin Dances. It is the Dance Without End, and it can be performed only with the assistance of a Solitaire, for no other Harlequin can perform the role of Slaneesh without losing their minds.

The Dance Without End tells of the birth of Slaneesh and the fall of the Eldar. More than any other performance, it draws upon every facet of the Harlequins' to execute the spectacle. The troupers play the role of the Eldar people; the Avatars, their Gods. Mimes cavort as Daemons, while Columbina fly across the stage, enacting the retreat of the Exodites and the Craftworlders. The Hellequins writhe and wail, assuming the role of those poor, wretched souls who were dragged, still living, back into the Eye, and the Death Jesters drag the fallen about the stage, grim harvesters of the souls of the dead. And in their midst, the main event plays out as the Great Harlequin and Solitaire duel as Cegorach and Slaneesh.

Yet this is a dance with no conclusion, for it is a living dance; a tale not only of the past, but of the present. Every year, the final duel is played out a few moments longer, but it always ends the same way. Without warning, the Holosuits deactivate, the stage lights fail, and the Shadowseers dispel the psychic auras with which they manipulate the emotions of the crowd. The Harlequins depart without so much as a bow, and the audience is left in stunned silence at what they have witnessed.
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Mabbz

Great fluff, and great rules. Now I want to collect Harlequins myself (curse my lack of money and painting skill). I like the majority of what you have here, but I do have a few issues:

1) The Harlequin's kiss. I can't help but think it unlikely that even the graceful Eldar would find it difficult to kill multiple enemy in quick succession with it. In a way, I think of it as being like the hidden blade from assassins creed; good for an insta-kill or two, but if you want to kill a large group quickly then you'd be better off with something more conventional. As such, I'd suggest making it a specialist weapon or even saying that only one of the model's attacks can use the kiss' rules, and then give it the Instant Death rule. Then it becomes a great character killer, but makes it less useful for slaughtering a horde of guardsmen.

2) Not really an issue, but something I thought I'd bring up any way. Being immune to snap shots doesn't protect you at all against template weapons' wall of death rule in overwatch.

Quote from: BigToof on November 17, 2014, 02:42:07 AM
I do lament the loss of the Tau lexicon though.  That was a great resource...
Quote from: Wargamer on November 17, 2014, 10:55:54 AM
Yeah, Tau Lexicon was fun. Maybe I can dig up some of the old resources and have another go...
Wasn't that Genmotty's? In any case, I still have a copy of it saved. I'll post it up.

Narric

I love the fluff :D

The War Masques seem pretty awesome, but I do wonder how just wearing a Mask can improve the model/units armour save to the equivalent of full body Power Armour. The Mask of Rending I guess could be explained as the Harly gaining knowledge of the best places to strike a foe to inflict max damage.

The Laughing God Mask is pretty interesting. Could potentially need lcarification meaning it covers any unit fro Codex Daemons and Codex CSM and any supplements thereof. You don't want to leave any loopholes these days :P

I wouldn't want to comment on the Mage Box until its finished :P I look forward to when you'll include the "go to ground or take a shitload of damage" result ;)

I'd roughly estimate that the Mimes should be 14pts per model, with the character being the standard 15pts upgrade. This is roughly going by Harlyquins and Guardian Defenders both being 90pts, with the Harlies having half the number of models. Also taking into account the extra gear they have, they qould be more than the standard Guardian.
I'm not sure if you're going to be including Ancient Doom and/or Battle Focus. As they're Eldar I'd reconmend including Battle Focus, but Ancient Doom doesn't seem to really fit Harlyquins, in my opinion.
Considering the update to Shuriken weaponry, I think it may be better to have Lasblasters as standard, with Shurikens as a 1pt/model upgrade.
There isn't much need to define Power Weapons. They go by description, and for some reason all Power Weapons are the same price, despite the change in power they have. In addition, I do wonder its the Harlyquins' kiss should bemore expensive than the standard Power Weapon.

Wargamer

The Masques aren't physical masks, they are psychic personae. The Harlequin becomes the character in the same way a Guardian becomes a soldier by donning a warrior aura.
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Narric

In my mind that kinda stretches the Armour modification even further. How does becoming more like a god in mind affect how durable your armour is? Is it in line with Ork mentallity of the more people believe it, the more likely it will be the case?

Wargamer

Quote from: Narric on November 23, 2014, 05:58:18 PM
In my mind that kinda stretches the Armour modification even further. How does becoming more like a god in mind affect how durable your armour is? Is it in line with Ork mentallity of the more people believe it, the more likely it will be the case?
We're talking about a universe where Psykers can rip tanks apart with their minds, boil your blood, turn their flesh to iron or, in extreme cases, hurl entire starships into Hell.

We're also talking about the most psychically active race in said universe.

Do that math.  :P
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Narric

The "turn flesh to iron" part sways me :P
So basically it puts the equivalent of Hull Integrity of Space craft into the armour via Psychic power?that works in my mind. I guess just the flat "Person "wears" masque, and their armour becomes better" is just too basic for me. I'm sure as/when you write up the fluff for the wargear/rule you'll actually give a touch of explanaition into how the Masques work :)

Wargamer

Quote from: Narric on November 23, 2014, 07:57:24 PM
The "turn flesh to iron" part sways me :P
So basically it puts the equivalent of Hull Integrity of Space craft into the armour via Psychic power?that works in my mind. I guess just the flat "Person "wears" masque, and their armour becomes better" is just too basic for me. I'm sure as/when you write up the fluff for the wargear/rule you'll actually give a touch of explanaition into how the Masques work :)
There has to be some degree of mechanical extrapolation. I didn't want it to be Invulnerable because between that and FNP I can see people just using the Masques as a way to tank damage all day long. The Masques should make you stronger, but not invincible.
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system