Death Seeker: Difference between revisions
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* The name comes from Death Seekers of the Lion Clan in [[Legend of the Five Rings]]''. |
* The name comes from Death Seekers of the Lion Clan in [[Legend of the Five Rings]]''. |
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** The Damned of the Crab Clan are the 'diseased' variation. They are victims of the corruption they fight, and seek to do more damage to their enemy than they would giving into the Taint. |
** The Damned of the Crab Clan are the 'diseased' variation. They are victims of the corruption they fight, and seek to do more damage to their enemy than they would giving into the Taint. |
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* In ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle |
* In ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Warhammer Fantasy]]'', the rigidity of Dwarven honour codes results in Troll Slayers: entire ''communities'' of Death Seekers. These are unfortunate Dwarves who have failed at some task or are unable to fulfill an oath, for which death is their only solace. ''However'', it's dishonorable for a Dwarf to just off himself, so they dye their hair, cut it into an intimidating shape, and go into battle unarmored against the biggest, meanest opponent they can find. There's nothing like facing down a regiment of orange-mohawked berserkers with death wishes and ''big'' axes to grind (on your skull). |
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** The ''[[Gotrek and Felix]]'' novels, in particular, tell the story of Felix Jaeger, a young poet who finds himself honor bound to accompany a Slayer and record his heroic doom. Unfortunately for Felix, Gotrek Grunnisson just happens to be the worst Slayer in history, on account of him being the most [[Badass]] Dwarf, if not being, on the planet. He has killed everything from incarnations of rage and blood to dragons the length of football fields. Even if anything ''could'' kill Gotrek, Felix has no illusions about the fact that it would kill him soon after. |
** The ''[[Gotrek and Felix]]'' novels, in particular, tell the story of Felix Jaeger, a young poet who finds himself honor bound to accompany a Slayer and record his heroic doom. Unfortunately for Felix, Gotrek Grunnisson just happens to be the worst Slayer in history, on account of him being the most [[Badass]] Dwarf, if not being, on the planet. He has killed everything from incarnations of rage and blood to dragons the length of football fields. Even if anything ''could'' kill Gotrek, Felix has no illusions about the fact that it would kill him soon after. |
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** The next step in a Troll Slayer's career is Demon Slayer, a Troll Slayer who ''couldn't find a big enough and mean enough troll''. |
** The next step in a Troll Slayer's career is Demon Slayer, a Troll Slayer who ''couldn't find a big enough and mean enough troll''. |
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**** The fun thing about that class is that on paper, slayers are combat monsters. They evade [[Game Breaker]] status because anyone playing a slayer is expected to act like one; you are supposed to pick fights even when the odds aren't good, sleep deprivation, mental instability and rampant alcoholism is the best way to spend your downtime, and armour is for people without a death wish (i.e. anyone not you). Your impressive combat prowess is there to make the party want to hang out with you anyway. |
**** The fun thing about that class is that on paper, slayers are combat monsters. They evade [[Game Breaker]] status because anyone playing a slayer is expected to act like one; you are supposed to pick fights even when the odds aren't good, sleep deprivation, mental instability and rampant alcoholism is the best way to spend your downtime, and armour is for people without a death wish (i.e. anyone not you). Your impressive combat prowess is there to make the party want to hang out with you anyway. |
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**** Well, that, and your non-combat abilities are limited to 'resistance to getting drunk' and 'scare people'. Basically, the only thing a Slayer in ''WHFRP'' is good for outside a fight is to start one. |
**** Well, that, and your non-combat abilities are limited to 'resistance to getting drunk' and 'scare people'. Basically, the only thing a Slayer in ''WHFRP'' is good for outside a fight is to start one. |
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* Another example in ''Warhammer Fantasy'': Count Mordred the Damned is a Chaos Champion who is cursed to forever constantly mutate within his armour and forever be brought back from the dead by the Chaos Gods even if he should die. As such, he doesn't have much of a chance of ever finding real rest in death, but it's what he hopes for against all hope. |
** Another example in ''Warhammer Fantasy'': Count Mordred the Damned is a Chaos Champion who is cursed to forever constantly mutate within his armour and forever be brought back from the dead by the Chaos Gods even if he should die. As such, he doesn't have much of a chance of ever finding real rest in death, but it's what he hopes for against all hope. |
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* The Flagellants of the Empire in same setting take it on themselves to die ''in the most painful way possible'' in order to save the world from evil. |
** The Flagellants of the Empire in same setting take it on themselves to die ''in the most painful way possible'' in order to save the world from evil. |
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* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' theology gives prominent places to penance and martyrdom, so the Imperium has various fanatic, penal and technically-not-penal troops not expected to survive who are fine with this. |
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* The Blood Angels chapter of [[Super Soldier|Space Marines]] in |
** The Blood Angels chapter of [[Super Soldier|Space Marines]] in have the [[Genetic Memory]] of their Primarch's death built into their blood, a curse they call the Black Rage. This manifests in occasional outbreaks of [[Unstoppable Rage]], but in its worst form the Space Marine goes almost completely berserk, hallucinating the last moments of their Primarch and forgetting their own identities. Such unfortunates are grouped into the Death Company and thrown into near-hopeless battles in search of death - and since the curse gives them the ability to potentially shrug off fatal wounds and tear stuff apart with their brute strength, they often end up winning. |
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*** Even the Iron Hands have (or used to have) the Immortals — those who are physically or mentally falling are written off, but still being valuable [[Super Soldier]]s, they are augmented [[Up to Eleven|some more]] and used as shock/breach troops. |
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** 40k also gives use the [[Stripperiffic|Sisters Repentia]], Sisters of Battle who are in disgrace can take the oath of redemption, forsaking their armour and normal weapons in favour of rags and a really big chainsaw. They're not expected to survive, but those that do can rejoin the normal squads. |
** 40k also gives use the [[Stripperiffic|Sisters Repentia]], Sisters of Battle who are in disgrace can take the oath of redemption, forsaking their armour and normal weapons in favour of rags and a really big chainsaw. They're not expected to survive, but those that do can rejoin the normal squads. |
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** Lone Wolves from the Space Wolves list. You are actually penalised if they survive to the end, and they have a pretty good statline making it a bit tricky to get them killed (especially since they're immune to the [[Chunky Salsa Rule]]). On the other hand, your opponent can see what a Lone Wolf can do, and will probably try and kill them for you so that they don't dismember half of his battle line. |
** Lone Wolves from the Space Wolves list. You are actually penalised if they survive to the end, and they have a pretty good statline making it a bit tricky to get them killed (especially since they're immune to the [[Chunky Salsa Rule]]). On the other hand, your opponent can see what a Lone Wolf can do, and will probably try and kill them for you so that they don't dismember half of his battle line. |