Inquisitive Child - your dreams and wishes

[daniello_s]

As the Inquisitive Child was snatched by Outcasts I wonder what would you wish this Child to be? What kind of abilities or actions would be nice if she got?

Let's the wishlist begins!

[Gnomezilla]

Right now she's by fluff tightly bound to Leveticus only. What if we could loosen that restriction, change his playstyle with a limited upgrade, and tidy up one of the hints of Crossroads all in one move?

Give him a limited upgrade which switches out the hollow waifs to instead tether to a single other nominated model on the board, be it Rusty Alyce, or the inquisitive child, or [insert Outcast general nuisance here]. Or eliminate [Outcast general nuisance] as a possibility by specifying the target model must have Unmade as a defensive trigger [waifs, Rusty Alyce, abominations...inquisitive child?]. No more shepherding three delicate anchored waifs, instead having a single tankier point of return.

[Parker Barrows]

Two different things as I believe there's about a 60% chance of the Divergent Path characters being Henchman  and 40% being a Master. I don't see them being Enforcer or less.

Henchman

Fluff: She's become a member of Levi's messed up family. While a part of her is "missing," she's still herself. Her Teddy is her constant companion protecting her from Alyce and Levi's enemies. She's just trying to grow up in this messed up world.

Mechanics: An Ability that would cause her to take damage that can be reduced or prevented to pop out Levi. Her attacks would all basically be the Teddy. She would have a bigger than 30 mm base, possibly a Ht 1, 50 mm model. Limited summoning (Wicked Dolls or cheap Constructs).

Master

Fluff: She's become an ascended Waif in the way Molly became an ascended Belle. Levi could technically use her as a Waif, but chooses not to because she's, you know, still a person. She's still part of the Levi family, but has her own things going with her Tiny Teddy and Friends. She could do her own thing for her own motives (like find out what happened to her parents) or being moved by the forces of entropy. Or both. Alyce still makes her life miserable though.

Mechanics: Her powers with Entropy become a major source of her attacks. The Tiny Teddy becomes a either a Henchman or a Totem. Possibly both. Her Wicked Dolls could be her minions (likely altered into a new model which would have the Puppet characteristic which would let the Collodi take them which is kinda nice considering Neverborn won her twice and shaped her early story). She could have a sort of reverse Levi effect. I'm not sure how it would be balanced.

[Freman]

The Teddy sounds awesome, and it would be interesting if it basically acted like a totem. You hire her as a henchman, then you can hire this mini-Teddy who brings a bunch of mini-Teddy-like abilities.

Given how she's been tied to Leveticus in fluff, having her be able to act as a waif, at a wounds cost but without requiring an anchor, for Leveticus's resurrection seems appropriate. She should have the typical tome Unmade defensive trigger on Df/Wp like Alyce and the waifs do. A tome+crow (crow built in) melee ability to summon Abominations like Leveticus does would seem appropriate too. I think she should be a little cheaper than Alyce too, maybe 8 stones.

Front of card.

Henchman, Living, Rare 1
Df 5 Wp 6 Wd 8 Wk 5 Cg 7 Ht 2 Cost 8 Cache 3

Wp/Df () Unmade: After this model succeeds, the attacking model immediately suffers 1 damage which may not be prevented using Soulstones

Shackles: At the end of the Turn, if a friendly Leveticus is buried, it may choose to be unburied into base contact with this model. Then this model suffers 4 wounds which may not be reduced or negated.

Mini-Teddy: If a friendly Mini-Teddy is in play, when this model activates the Mini-Teddy may be placed into base contact with this model

Back of card

Attack Actions

(1) Death Touch (Ml 6 / Rst: Df / Rg: 1): Target suffers 1/3/8 damage.

 Face of Death: When damaging this model may discard up to three cards to gain  to the damage flip for each card discarded

 Desolate Warping: After reducing an enemy model to 0 wounds, summon an Abomination into base contact with it before removing it. The target does not drop Corpse or Scrap Markers.

Tactical Actions

(0) Mini-Teddy Attack (Ca 5 / TN 15): Target friendly Mini-Teddy gains the Reactivate condition

(1) Scrounger (Ca 5 / TN 12): Place a Scrap Marker in base contact with this model

(1) I Can Mend That (Ca 5 / TN 12 / Rg 6) Target friendly Mini-Teddy heals 1/2/3 damage

30mm base

 

Mini-Teddy

Front of Card

Minion, Construct, Rare 1

Df 4 Wp 4 Wd 4 Wk 4 Ch 5 Ht 1 Cost 4

I'm Hers: Mini-Teddy can only be hired in crews that include the Trickster

Hard to Wound +1: Damage flips against this model suffer 

Terrifying (All) 11: Enemy models must pass a TN 11 Horror Duel if they end a Walk Action within this model's engagement range or target this model with an Action

I Must Protect Her: Whenever a friendly Trickster model within 3" takes damage from an enemy action, up to half the damage taken may be transferred to Mini-Teddy. Mini-Teddy may not take enough damage to reduce it below 1 wound from this

Back of Card

Attack Actions

(1) Mini-Hug (Ml 5  / Rst Df / Rg 1) Target suffers 2/3/5 damage

 Mini-Peekaboo!: After damaging, push the target 2" in any direction, then push this model into base contact with the target

Tactical Actions

(2) Flurry: This model may discard a card. If it does, this model may make 3 Ml Attack Actions with an AP cost of 1 against a single target

30mm base

 

Well those were my thoughts anyway

[EnternalVoid]

Honestly I am seeing them being glorified enforcers.  They are not leaders but they are not minions.  So higher end enforcers.  I am guessing the Kid is going to be on a single base with her teddy, I do not see it being a separate model onto itself.  Her attack will be something like "Teddy Guardian" or  "Get Them Teddy!" which will represent the mini teddy defending her and attack her enemies.  It is likely going to get some sort of special trigger or ability on the attack that represents its ability to damage souls as well as physical damage.  Perhaps two rules like a built in ability to the attack plus a trigger to ignore incorporeal. 

The wicked dolls will either be represented by A) her being able to hire or summon them or B ) some ability on the front of her card which suggest they are running about doing stuff for her or C) An action on the back of her card that is her ordering them to do something.

She is either going to end up with an unmaking type range attack or the Unmade df/wp trigger.  She is also going to get something that ties her to the whole waif them.  Personally really hoping it does not let her count as a waif for Levi or give him any sort of bonus in that regard.  That is a very difficult area to balance and it might make her not worth it with other masters or or make her very expensive point wise.  I would rather it give her a trigger like "Something is Missing" to represent her new unnatural state.  This makes her more of a stand alone model for Outcasts rather than some sort of match onto the Levi theme.

I do not see them getting personal upgrades myself though I will agree with Gnomezilla it would be interesting if they had several and they let you enforce a piece of their travel.  Maybe the wicked dolls are a (0) action on her card but she has limited personal upgrade that lets her summon them.  Then has another personal upgrade that ups her Unmaking attack or gives her Levi's channel *the new one that gives Focus +1*.  Or one that gives additional triggers to her Teddy attack.  Basically let you shift a bit between them and what you want to be their increased focus.

Fluffwise, I wish she had gotten away from Levi but that is not going to happen.  To that regard I hope the fluff has her occasionally going with Levi on stuff but at the same time her trying to sneak off on her own and work with other masters as well.  Maybe have her trying to fix what happened to her and getting money/resources/aid from the other Outcast masters by doing so knowing that Levi is likely not going to fix the problem himself *he fixed the problem of her dying*.  Being a merc in fluff among the outcast masters rather than have the merc characteristic. 

[SoylentRobot]

I'm hoping she'll be useful for other Outcast masters rather than being "new model for Levi"

Maybe she'll have some kind of Puppet summoning ability.

[Jafar]

If she will summon models, (some not master can summon- Toshiro, Mech Rider) she will bring a lot to every Outcast master.
I want to see some nice 7-8 ss model that acts as support with strong defense in form of Teddy(after every ML attacks attacker takes dmg). Her support should be focused on constructs / undead (mechromancer art), maybe some pushes, heal, give flips to DF?

Thanks to that Levi will love her (with his pariah upgrades) and other masters can use her because many pure outcast models may use her support (Lazarus, A&D, Dead Outlaw, undead Jack Daw stuff, Killjoy etc).

[daniello_s]

1 hour ago, Jafar said:

If she will summon models, (some not master can summon- Toshiro, Mech Rider) she will bring a lot to every Outcast master.

This ^ x1000 

[Nukemouse]

Perhaps im odd, but i don't want her to summon models... i want her to give out Levi's trick. Let her be a "waif" to another model, giving it a Bete Noire style ability! There are several ways to represent this in the form of upgrades or conditions, but also i guess she could just be linked to her "teddy" that way.

[Cedar]

1 hour ago, Nukemouse said:

Perhaps im odd, but i don't want her to summon models... i want her to give out Levi's trick. Let her be a "waif" to another model, giving it a Bete Noire style ability! There are several ways to represent this in the form of upgrades or conditions, but also i guess she could just be linked to her "teddy" that way.

It sounds a bit like Bandersnatch, plus her ability to make dolls was established after divergent paths weeks 3+4 (I know that Wyrd can change models regardless of results of encounters, but still i'm thinking that Outcast will get some summoning enforcer/henchmen)

[Gnomezilla]

@EnternalVoid I meant an upgrade to Leveticus not to the child, but your idea of giving limited upgrades to the Divergent Paths characters is MUCH better! It solves any problems which may occur with trying to give so many disparate abilities to the same model. 

One idea that @Nukemouse almost had, what if the child herself buries and unburies in imitation of Leveticus, with a tiny Teddy anchor sending its komainu-soul after her own soul and dragging it back to life? (And as amalgamations cannot be buried, it would be a safeguard to prove that she is not one of those which must be destroyed.)

[EnternalVoid]

So for a little jot as snow falls and I don't feel like going out or doing much else I decide to give it a shot and write up some rules for the kid just for the fun of it.  I really like the idea of limited upgrades for the DPath characters that really promote certain aspects of their journey.  

Inquisitive Child (7ss)
Enforcer, Living (40mm)
Df6, Wp5, Wd7, Wk5, Cg6, Ht1
Abilities:
Wp/Df () Unmade: After this model succeeds, the Attacking model immediately suffers 1 damage which may not be prevented using Soulstones.

Put it Over There: When taking an interact action to place a scheme marker rather than in base to base this model may place the scheme marker up to 3" away in LOS.

Inquisitive Curiousity: When this model activates it may discard a card to push 4" towards target Marker within 10" and LoS.

Been through Alot: When this model passes a Wp Duel it may push 3" in any direction.

Attack Actions
Protective Tiny Teddy: Ml6, Rst Df, Rg 2.  2/3/5 damage ignoring Incorporeal.
Triggers: Wall of Steel (): After Succeeding, target is pushed until it is 3" away from this model.

Unmaking: Ca5, TN 10, Rf Wp, Rg 12 . 2/3/4 damage which cannot be reduced and ignores hard to kill and hard to wound.
Triggers: Power Leach (): This damage may not be prevented using Soulstones.

Tactical Actions:
(0) To the Aether Returns: This model may discard a card to gain the following condition till end of turn. "Aetheric Surge: This model may adds + to all its final duel totals."

Limited Upgrades
Hollow Inside (1ss)
This model gains the following Ability
Hurt: At the end of this model's Activation, this model may suffer 1 damage to draw a card.

Unmaking attack action gains these trigger:
Surge (): After Succeeding, Draw one card.
Aetheric Breakdown (): After damaging, the target gains Slow.

This model gains the following Tactical Action
(1) Lost Child: Ca5, Tn12: This model gains the Harmless Child condition till its Next Activation.  "Harmless Child: When an enemy model targets this model with an Attack Action, the enemy model must pass a TN 12 Wp duel or the action immediately fails."
Trigger: Something Missing Inside (): Till this model's next activation any time an enemy model fails the Wp duel for the Harmless Child condition it immediately suffers 1 damage which may not be prevented using Soulstones.

Tiny Terror (1ss)
This model gains the following Ability
Enraged Defender: This model gains Positive to attack and damage on the On Protective Tiny Teddy attack action when it has 4 or less wounds.  This model may not be targeted by charge actions when it has 4 or less wounds.

The Protective Tiny Teddy attack action gains these triggers:
Cut to the Soul (): When damaging this model ignores Armor.
Ah! It Bites too! (): After damaging, target model takes an additional 1/1/3 damage flip.

Loved One (1ss)
This model gains the following Ability
Weaver's blessing: This model gains to Df duels while a friendly construct is within 2".

This model gains the following Tactical Action
(0) My Little Protectors: Ca5, TN12 : Discard target scrap marker within 6" and LoS to summon a Wicked Doll into base to base with this model.
Trigger: Protect the Loved One (): If this model is damaged, summoned Wicked Doll does not suffer from Slow for being summoned this turn.

[Jafar]

8 hours ago, EnternalVoid said:

Loved One (1ss)
This model gains the following Ability
Weaver's blessing: This model gains to Df duels while a friendly construct is within 2".

This model gains the following Tactical Action
(0) My Little Protectors: Ca5, TN12 : Discard target scrap marker within 6" and LoS to summon a Wicked Doll into base to base with this model.
Trigger: Protect the Loved One (): If this model is damaged, summoned Wicked Doll does not suffer from Slow for being summoned this turn.

Really love your job. But I think in most cases I would take summoning upgrade + Rusty Alyce to drop scrap markers. Fo 20 ss i can get new model every turn for two "7" from my hand

[Gnomezilla]

I'm so glad you all care enough about the little mechromancer to speculate like this. The other characters were won and done. No great sense of accomplishment and no sense of a cherished prize.

Now that you point out the summon takes a 7, I think that was a point too low: summon TNs are generally 4+cost and a regular wicked doll is 4. Maybe she will have different dolls at 3ss instead of having the card requirement rise to an 8+? Although regular wicked dolls are weak enough that they won't unbalance anything (Guild isn't eager to use Captain Dashel even with his new summon of weak guild guard), I like the idea of a different, Outcast puppet consolation prize for Collodi/Weaver crews.

And while in principle I don't mind tiny Teddy only being worded as a trigger, in model-selling practice it's GOT to be a separate neat model!

Do you have a name in mind for her?

[Seadhna]

Oh I know, she could have an ability like "can't hire this model if Alyce is also hired"

[SoylentRobot]

26 minutes ago, Seadhna said:

Oh I know, she could have an ability like "can't hire this model if Alyce is also hired"

Or something similar to Doc Mitchell, Alyce taking pot-shots at the Child if Levi can't see them.

Probably too wordy for such a fluffy ability though.

[EnternalVoid]

16 hours ago, Jafar said:

Really love your job. But I think in most cases I would take summoning upgrade + Rusty Alyce to drop scrap markers. Fo 20 ss i can get new model every turn for two "7" from my hand

 

5 hours ago, Gnomezilla said:

I'm so glad you all care enough about the little mechromancer to speculate like this. The other characters were won and done. No great sense of accomplishment and no sense of a cherished prize.

Now that you point out the summon takes a 7, I think that was a point too low: summon TNs are generally 4+cost and a regular wicked doll is 4. Maybe she will have different dolls at 3ss instead of having the card requirement rise to an 8+? Although regular wicked dolls are weak enough that they won't unbalance anything (Guild isn't eager to use Captain Dashel even with his new summon of weak guild guard), I like the idea of a different, Outcast puppet consolation prize for Collodi/Weaver crews.

And while in principle I don't mind tiny Teddy only being worded as a trigger, in model-selling practice it's GOT to be a separate neat model!

Do you have a name in mind for her?

Actually that is the same summon that the Widow weaver has on her Handbag upgrade for summoning wicked dolls, which is where I took it from save the Child's version is a (0) and has a trigger.  The biggest thing to realize about the summon is that it is not a 7+ you need but a 7+ of as the child is an enforcer and not a henchmen.  That means you only have 9 cards out of 54 that can work.  That is roughly a 1 in 6 chance.  But 4 of those are moderates, 4 are severes, and one is the RJ.  You are going to need a pretty strong insenitive to drop the 11+ that could be used to help models kill enemy models over a summon.  I imagine most people will only use the higher cards if it is safe, they really need one more model, or they get the 7-9 of .  So while two sevens can summon a model in this case, it would require one of them being a to pull it off.

Personally I would have Teddy be a separate piece on the model, have it all being intimdating while the kid kind of hides behind it.  That way if people really want the tiny teddy model it is not attached in any way to the girl's model so they can split them up and use them for different things *like TTB*.

I did not come up with a name though I imagine I would have to look through some history or older stories and twist a name a bit to fit.

[daniello_s]

Child's final story is up.  She is basically dead but not quite

Small teddy is guarding her and Alyce is sweet as usual. 

Now we will wait (long time) for more details to emerge...

[Tris]

Don`t forget that Alyce says Leve could use the Child as waif now?

I hope she doesn`t die though if he does that ....

[EnternalVoid]

True but Alyce also made it clear that Waifs blow up for the most part when used.

[Tris]

36 minutes ago, EnternalVoid said:

True but Alyce also made it clear that Waifs blow up for the most part when used.

"the most part"

[Gnomezilla]

There's still narrative room for her to get yelled at that it isn't going to happen that way this time, he didn't go to all that trouble patching the child up for a disposable anchor. Alyce will mind her less now, now that she's been lowered to waif status she's less of a threat. But still, it's all horrible.

[daniello_s]

3 minutes ago, Gnomezilla said:

 But still, it's all horrible.

Nah

[Freman]

 

[Seadhna]

inb4 the Child gets the ability to use Levi himself as an extra life, making him explode