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Contents Determination Marks ........................................................ 94 Creating New Marks of Distinction................................ 96 Example Distinctions ........................................................ 96 Advanced Specialities .......................................................... 99 Using Advanced Specialities............................................. 99 Deathwatch Black Shield................................................ 100 Deathwatch Champion ................................................... 104 Deathwatch Chaplain ...................................................... 106 Deathwatch Dreadnought .............................................. 110 Becoming a Dreadnought ............................................ 112 Deathwatch Epistolary .................................................... 114 Deathwatch Forge Master ............................................... 118 Deathwatch Keeper ......................................................... 120 Deathwatch Kill-marine ................................................ 123 Deathwatch Watch Captain ............................................ 126 First Company Veteran ................................................... 130 Chapter III: Expanded Wargear 134 Ranged Weapons................................................................ 134 Bolt Weapons ................................................................... 134 Plasma Weapons .............................................................. 135 Melta Weapons................................................................. 135 Flame Weapons ................................................................ 135 Solid Projectile Weapons ................................................ 136 Grenades, and Explosives .................................................. 136 Launchers ............................................................................ 137 Exotic Weapons .................................................................. 137 Melee Weapons .................................................................. 139 Special Issue Ammunition ................................................. 140 Armour ................................................................................ 142 Force Fields ......................................................................... 143 Weapon Upgrades .............................................................. 144 Tools and Equipment......................................................... 144 Cybernetics ......................................................................... 146 Psyber Familiars ............................................................... 146 Power Armour .................................................................... 149 Choosing Your Power Armour....................................... 152 Going Without a Helmet ................................................ 152 Power Armour History.................................................... 153 Relics ................................................................................... 156 Chapter Relics .................................................................. 156 Deathwatch Relics ........................................................... 159 Chapter IV: Vehicles 164 Vehicle Classifications ....................................................... 164 Driving and Flying ............................................................ 165 Vehicle Combat .................................................................. 166 Aerial Combat ................................................................... 167 Shooting Vehicle Weapons ............................................. 169 Chaos Vehicles.................................................................... 189 Tau Vehicles ........................................................................ 193 Chapter 5: Honour or Death 200 Renown ............................................................................... 200 Earning Renown .............................................................. 201 Losing Renown ................................................................ 201 Using Renown as Influence ............................................ 202 Honours............................................................................... 204 What are Honours? ......................................................... 204 Bestowing Honours......................................................... 204 Codex Astartes Honours ................................................ 205 Chapter Specific Honours............................................... 211 Requisition .......................................................................... 212 Missions and Assigning Requisition ............................. 212 Boosting Requisition....................................................... 212 Reserve Requisition ......................................................... 213 Imperial Assets.................................................................... 214 Imperial Naval Assets ...................................................... 214 Imperial Guard Assets ..................................................... 217 Inquisitorial Assets........................................................... 219 Adeptus Astartes Assets ................................................... 221 Divided Loyalties ............................................................... 224 Advanced Solo and Squad Mode ..................................... 225 Solo Mode Abilities ......................................................... 225 Squad Mode Abilities ...................................................... 225 Chapter VI: Watch Fortress Erioch 228 Origins ................................................................................ 228 Inhabitants of Erioch ........................................................ 234 Adventure Seeds............................................................... 234 Battle-Brother Richter .................................................... 234 Watch Captain Brand ..................................................... 234 Deathwatch Chaplain Titus Strome............................... 235 Goremann the Elder ........................................................ 235 Watch Captain Rames .................................................... 236 Deathwatch Apothecary Septimus ................................. 236 Watch Captain Prascus .................................................... 237 Deathwatch Champion Attalus Fellhand ...................... 237 Inquistor Horosa Barnabas, Ordo Xenos ...................... 238 Deathwatch Forge Master Mac Zi Ven ......................... 238 Inquisitor Vils Andarion, Ordo Xenos .......................... 239 Inquisitor Ezu Ghraile, Ordo Xenos ............................. 239 Prisoners of the Deathwatch ............................................ 239 Aun’La Tsua’Malor Viorla ............................................... 240 Larathyn Ki Tajell: Eldar Renegade .............................. 240 Subject #696: Unknown Xenos Type .......................... 241 Silicate entity: “Oathkeeper” .......................................... 242 Verian-Holms DeLacre: Ex-Governor of Kaggeran..... 242 Unknown Xenos Organism: Devil Leech Colony ....... 243 Tyranid Vanguard Organism: Mahir Leaper................. 243 Tyranid Organism: Unknown Genus ............................ 243 Erioch Operations .............................................................. 244 Watch Duty....................................................................... 244 Investigation ..................................................................... 244 Cleansing .......................................................................... 245 Retrieval ............................................................................ 245 Extermination ................................................................... 246 Exceptional Circumstances ............................................. 246 Artefacts of The Omega Vault .......................................... 248 GM Guidance: Using the Omega Vault in campaigns 248 Beyond Erioch: Regions of the Jericho Reach ............... 250 Dakinor ............................................................................. 250 Execution Eternal............................................................. 250 Warzone Epsilon .............................................................. 251 The Deserter’s Coil .......................................................... 252 4 Sample file
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Contents

Determination Marks ........................................................ 94 Creating New Marks of Distinction ................................ 96 Example Distinctions ........................................................ 96Advanced Specialities .......................................................... 99 Using Advanced Specialities ............................................. 99 Deathwatch Black Shield ................................................100 Deathwatch Champion ...................................................104 Deathwatch Chaplain ......................................................106 Deathwatch Dreadnought ..............................................110 Becoming a Dreadnought ............................................112 Deathwatch Epistolary ....................................................114 Deathwatch Forge Master ...............................................118 Deathwatch Keeper .........................................................120 Deathwatch Kill-marine ................................................123 Deathwatch Watch Captain ............................................126 First Company Veteran ...................................................130

Chapter III: Expanded Wargear 134Ranged Weapons ................................................................134 Bolt Weapons ...................................................................134 Plasma Weapons ..............................................................135 Melta Weapons .................................................................135 Flame Weapons ................................................................135 Solid Projectile Weapons ................................................136Grenades, and Explosives ..................................................136Launchers ............................................................................137Exotic Weapons ..................................................................137Melee Weapons ..................................................................139Special Issue Ammunition .................................................140Armour ................................................................................142Force Fields .........................................................................143Weapon Upgrades ..............................................................144Tools and Equipment .........................................................144Cybernetics .........................................................................146 Psyber Familiars ...............................................................146Power Armour ....................................................................149 Choosing Your Power Armour .......................................152 Going Without a Helmet ................................................152 Power Armour History ....................................................153Relics ...................................................................................156 Chapter Relics .......................................................... ........156 Deathwatch Relics ...........................................................159

Chapter IV: Vehicles 164Vehicle Classifi cations .......................................................164Driving and Flying ............................................................165Vehicle Combat ..................................................................166Aerial Combat ...................................................................167 Shooting Vehicle Weapons .............................................169Chaos Vehicles....................................................................189Tau Vehicles ........................................................................193

Chapter 5: Honour or Death 200Renown ...............................................................................200 Earning Renown ..............................................................201 Losing Renown ................................................................201 Using Renown as Infl uence ............................................202Honours ...............................................................................204 What are Honours? .........................................................204

Bestowing Honours .........................................................204 Codex Astartes Honours ................................................205 Chapter Specifi c Honours...............................................211Requisition ..........................................................................212 Missions and Assigning Requisition .............................212 Boosting Requisition .......................................................212 Reserve Requisition .........................................................213Imperial Assets ....................................................................214 Imperial Naval Assets ......................................................214 Imperial Guard Assets .....................................................217 Inquisitorial Assets ...........................................................219 Adeptus Astartes Assets ...................................................221Divided Loyalties ...............................................................224Advanced Solo and Squad Mode .....................................225 Solo Mode Abilities .........................................................225 Squad Mode Abilities ......................................................225

Chapter VI: Watch Fortress Erioch 228Origins ................................................................................228Inhabitants of Erioch ........................................................234 Adventure Seeds ...............................................................234 Battle-Brother Richter ....................................................234 Watch Captain Brand .....................................................234 Deathwatch Chaplain Titus Strome ...............................235 Goremann the Elder ........................................................235 Watch Captain Rames ....................................................236 Deathwatch Apothecary Septimus .................................236 Watch Captain Prascus ....................................................237 Deathwatch Champion Attalus Fellhand ......................237 Inquistor Horosa Barnabas, Ordo Xenos ......................238 Deathwatch Forge Master Mac Zi Ven .........................238 Inquisitor Vils Andarion, Ordo Xenos ..........................239 Inquisitor Ezu Ghraile, Ordo Xenos .............................239Prisoners of the Deathwatch ............................................239 Aun’La Tsua’Malor Viorla ...............................................240 Larathyn Ki Tajell: Eldar Renegade ..............................240 Subject #696: Unknown Xenos Type ..........................241 Silicate entity: “Oathkeeper” ..........................................242 Verian-Holms DeLacre: Ex-Governor of Kaggeran .....242 Unknown Xenos Organism: Devil Leech Colony .......243 Tyranid Vanguard Organism: Mahir Leaper.................243 Tyranid Organism: Unknown Genus ............................243Erioch Operations ..............................................................244 Watch Duty.......................................................................244 Investigation .....................................................................244 Cleansing ..........................................................................245 Retrieval ............................................................................245 Extermination ...................................................................246 Exceptional Circumstances .............................................246Artefacts of The Omega Vault ..........................................248 GM Guidance: Using the Omega Vault in campaigns 248Beyond Erioch: Regions of the Jericho Reach ...............250 Dakinor .............................................................................250 Execution Eternal .............................................................250 Warzone Epsilon ..............................................................251 The Deserter’s Coil ..........................................................252

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Contents

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Introductio

n

Introduction

The Deathwatch stands vigil over some of the most dangerous regions in the galaxy, sentinels against the vile forces of hostile alien races and ancient tombs best

left undisturbed. The Imperium has endured for ten thousand years thanks in no small part to the secret victories of the Deathwatch over the foes that would see the Emperor’s realm cast down and destroyed.

The Space Marines of the Deathwatch cherish each such hard-won victory, for the galaxy is a vast and dangerous place, with numerous aliens, heretics, and daemons clamouring to take the place of each defeated enemy. To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Deathwatch is to hold back serried tides of inhuman foes time and again, struggling to survive against the galaxy’s most deadly of threats. It is an honour that each and every Deathwatch Space Marine bears with pride.

WHAT’S IN THIS BOOK?RITES OF BATTLE provides a host of additional options for players and GM’s alike. This book expands on many of the ideas, themes, and systems present in the DEATHWATCH Rulebook and offers many means to enrich and add detail to the adventures of a Kill-team in the Jericho Reach.

CHAPTER I: DEATHWATCH ORIGINS

Chapter I begins with a section detailing the various trials an Aspirant goes through before he is accepted as a Neophyte into a Space Marine Chapter. There is also an extensive and thorough section discussing how to create your own, unique Chapter of Space Marines. The Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter is presented next, followed by a number of Successor Chapters to provide additional options for a Deathwatch Space Marine’s origin.

CHAPTER II: THE CALL OF WAR

Chapter II describes Deeds—events or accomplishments in a Space Marine’s past that have defi ned his character. Distinctions are another kind of achievement that lends a Space Marine a special status within his Chapter and the Deathwatch. Lastly, this Chapter also describes a number of Advanced Specialities that give DEATHWATCH characters the options to take on the roles of importance and honour within the Deathwatch, such as Chaplain, Watch Captain, or even as a mighty Dreadnought.

CHAPTER III: EXPANDED WARGEAR

Chapter III contains a wealth of additional weapons and tools found within the armouries of Watch Fortress Erioch. Details on additional marks of power armour and expanded power armour histories are located within, as are more sacred relics gifted to the Deathwatch from various Space Marine Chapters across the galaxy.

CHAPTER IV: VEHICLES

Chapter IV presents a comprehensive set of vehicle rules and in-game statistics for a wide variety of vehicles used by the Space Marines and their enemies.

CHAPTER V: HONOUR OR DEATH

Chapter V reveals guidelines and mechanics for awarding specifi c honours to a Space Marine who has earned such a distinction. Additional rules for using and acquiring Requisition are also included, along with a number of Imperial Assets that a Kill-team may requisition during their missions for the Deathwatch. Lastly, a set of clarifi cations and expanded rules for Squad and Solo Mode abilities are presented.

CHAPTER VI: WATCH FORTRESS ERIOCH

Chapter VI focuses on the mighty star-keep known as Watch Fortress Erioch, a solid bastion of the Deathwatch’s presence in the Jericho Reach. The origins of this base and the secrets that its walls contain are described in this chapter, along with a discussion of the various personalities, prisoners, and relics that call Watch Fortress Erioch home. Lastly, this chapter provides a glimpse at some of the areas of the Jericho Reach beyond Watch Fortress Erioch; dark places amongst the stars where the Deathwatch keeps vigil.

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TRIALS OF THE ASPIRANT

•CREATING YOUR OWN CHAPTER

•THE IMPERIAL

FISTS

•SUCCESSOR CHAPTERS

•JOINT OPERATIONS

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Chapter I:

Deathwatch

Origins“Your future lies with the Chapter. The past is dust. Build upon that foundation and you shall stand tall amongst your Battle-Brothers.”

–Chaplain Gotthold of the Black Templars

The origin of a character is amongst the most signifi cant elements a player should understand. Once a Space Marine leaves his home Chapter and is seconded to

the Deathwatch, his future is fi lled with mysteries and secrets. His only certainties are those that lie in his past; the trials he faced and overcame as an Aspirant, and the beliefs, traditions, and ideology of his home Chapter.

In this part of RITES OF BATTLE, much of what makes up the heart of the Space Marine is examined in detail, from his trials as an Aspirant to the rules and guidelines you can use to create your own Space Marine Chapter. Later, the Imperial Fists Chapter is closely examined, as are the various Successor Chapters that add onto the information presented in the DEATHWATCH Rulebook.

Trials of the

Aspirant“Your future life shall be a series of trials, one after the other, until you attain the glory that is your due at the side of the Emperor. You shall face the hardest fi rst, so that we know we are not wasting our time.”

–Chaplain Sighelm of the Celestial Lions

This Chapter describes the many and varied trials that Aspirants are expected to overcome before being accepted into the ranks of a Chapter’s Neophytes.

Though he will undergo continuous testing throughout his period as a Neophyte, and often beyond, the fi rst trial the Aspirant must pass to be accepted as a potential Space Marine is by far the most signifi cant. The events he experiences during that trial will live on in his heart and mind for the rest of his life. Such experiences shape him, in both positive and negative ways, lending a further level of detail to your character’s background

Each of the Trials presented in the following section consist of four elements.

Description: The nature of the trial, and the sort of experience the Aspirant underwent during it. The Trials are all very open and subject to plenty of variation depending on the Chapter and the world in question. Players and GMs are encouraged to draw inspiration from the description and fi ll in the blanks according to their own tastes.

Demeanour Modifi cation: No two Space Marines are identical, even those drawn from the same Chapter. The nature of the trial may have long-lasting effects on the character’s essential nature, resulting in some additional details being added to his Demeanour. This provides players with an additional way of defi ning the character, and GMs with another way of rewarding good roleplaying.

Adventure Seed: Events from the Battle-Brother’s past may have ramifi cations on his later career. Each Trial provides ideas for both players and the GM about the ways that the events of the Trial can be used to add fl avour to adventures. Players should make a note of this guidance, and invoke it carefully when the time comes. If, for example, the Adventure Seed suggests a skill roll bonus in a particular situation, it is the responsibility of the player to look out for such a circumstance and make his case to the GM as to why he deserves such a bonus. The GM’s word is always fi nal, and players should not expect these bonuses more than once per gaming session, or even once per mission.

Chapter: Many of the Trials are more appropriate to particular Chapters, and less so to others. Each entry provides some advice as to which Chapters might employ the trial. Keep in mind, however, that Chapters use a great many techniques to select potential recruits, so this is guidance only and good ideas should always take precedence.

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Trials come into play during the character creation process. The player simply chooses, with the GM’s approval, which of the trials his Battle-Brother underwent as an Aspirant, noting it on his character sheet. Keep in mind that while Aspirants might face several such Trials before being accepted in a Chapter (and still more Trials after they become Neophytes), this section is intended to present the single, defi nitive Trial of the Battle-Brother’s career—the one that lead to his acceptance as a potential Space Marine. Players are encouraged to think about the exact nature of the Trial their character underwent, and the way in which they overcame it. Players are encouraged to use their imagination here, as the details they come up with can be used by the GM to add fl avour to future adventures. In some cases, the Trial may have resulted in the Aspirant being wounded almost unto death, so the player is encouraged to imagine what effect this might have had on the character and how that might manifest itself in his later life. Does the Battle-Brother bear scars, both physical and mental, which refuse to heal, or was he made stronger by that which failed to kill him?

RITES OF SELECTIONEvery Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes uses some form of Trial to ascertain whether Aspirants are worthy of beginning the often-fatal process of becoming fully-fl edged Battle-Brothers. The nature of this Trial varies hugely from Chapter to Chapter and world to world. In some cases, a culture’s traditional festivals and rites of passage are in fact well-disguised Trials, established generations ago and watched over in secret by Chaplains or senior Chapter Serfs. In such cases, the Aspirants believe they are participating in tribal rituals and coming-of-age challenges, and are entirely unaware that the most promising of their number will be selected to become Space Marines (if they even know what Space Marines are!). In other cultures, the Aspirants fi ght for the honour to be judged worthy, knowing that a great reward awaits the victors. Again, they may not know the exact nature of that reward, but to be chosen is the greatest of honours a young man can aspire to.

Some Trials are watched over closely by the servants of the Chapter, who judge the Aspirant every step of the way. Others have no interest in the actual process, only the outcome. Some Trials are so arduous that the simple fact of an Aspirant’s surviving it is suffi cient to pronounce his victory. In other cases, the manner in which the Aspirant approaches the challenge is judged of more importance than whether or not he completes it—in some cases, the Trial is deliberately impossible to complete, and the Aspirant’s willingness to undertake it regardless all that matters.

The vast majority of Aspirants fail their Trials, and many of these die in the process—though a failed Aspirant who lives through the Trial often garners much honour within his culture, his mere survival rendering him a hero and a potential future leader of his people.

At the Trial’s completion, a successful Aspirant will be taken away to join the Chapter. Sometimes he will fi nd a Space Marine waiting for him at the conclusion of his challenge, and be led into a waiting transport to leave his former life

forever. Sometimes he will be afforded the adulation of his people before leaving, enjoying one last night with kith and kin. Many simply awaken in an induction-cell, with no knowledge of how they got there or what awaits them.

BLOOD DUEL

One of the most common Trials takes the form of a duel between Aspirants, often to the death. The type of duel varies enormously, and every culture from which the Space Marines recruit has its own well-established practices. On different worlds, different weapons will be used, or sometimes none at all as the combatants are expected to pummel, gouge and throttle one another bloody. Feral world tribes might use fl int-tipped spears or the sharpened, serrated fangs of wild beasts. Worlds with a medieval level of technology might use highly-ritualised forms of swordplay, while the most advanced worlds would have access to all manner of lethal weaponry.

Commonly, a Blood Duel Trial is fought in rounds, with Aspirants fi ghting foe after foe until only a small number remain. If the Chapter conducting the Trial has need of a large number of recruits, the Trial may be ended when a set number of Aspirants are left. When the Chapter has less need of new material, the Trials may continue until only one battered and bloody challenger remains, the corpses of his enemies carpeting the ground before him.

Not all Blood Duels are to the death, and some have highly ritualistic and specifi c victory conditions. Sometimes the duel is fought to fi rst of blood, other times to the very point of death. The Space Marine Apothecaries are capable of rebuilding a crippled body should the Aspirant be deemed worthy of acceptance, so most blood duels are brutal, no-holds-barred affairs.

Character Notes: Blood Duel Trial

Demeanour Modifi cation:• Characters that underwent a Blood Duel Trial before being accepted into the ranks of their Chapter’s Neophytes have reason to be supremely confi dent in their ability to accept any challenge and face any foe. In surviving the Blood Duel, the Battle-Brother was truly gifted by fate, for dozens fell on the bloody fi eld so that he might take his place as a Neophyte. He will undoubtedly still bear the scars of the duel, and by them others will know of his ferocity and skill.Adventure Seed:• Whilst engaged in combat against a powerful foe (in particular a Master-level Adversary), memories of his Blood Duel come fl ooding back. If other Battle-Brothers are involved in the combat, the character may feel the overwhelming desire to shoulder them aside so that he and he alone can strike the foe down. Chapters:• The Blood Duel Trial is especially suited to characters recruited from the Blood Angels Chapter, but plenty of other Chapters make use of similar methods of choosing their recruits, including the Dark Angels, Imperial Fists, Storm Wardens, and Space Wolves.

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HUNTING THE HUNTER

Many of the cultures from which the Adeptus Astartes recruits exist in hellishly dangerous environments populated by all manner of predatory beings. In most cases, the predators in question are autochthonic beasts native to the world, but sometimes they have been deliberately introduced, in order to retard the culture’s development, ensuring that their every moment is a fi ght for survival and cultivating the most promising recruits possible. In many cases, the predators are human, such as the gelt-scalpers that prey on the outcasts of hive societies, culling the unwanted for monetary reward. Frontier worlds are often plagued by alien raiders, ranging from the dreaded and lethal Dark Eldar to the barbarous Orks.

This Trial requires the Aspirant to track down and slay, or sometimes capture, such a predator, turning the tables on those who prey upon his people and prove his worthiness to become a Neophyte. The hunt is a test of cunning and determination as much as raw martial prowess, often requiring the Aspirant to track his prey in its own territory. The hunt may last days, weeks, or even longer according to the conditions of the Trial, and the weapons the Aspirant can either fi nd or fashion for himself. Taking the target alive is perhaps the hardest of Trials, for the Aspirant must keep the foe restrained on a return journey that might prove every bit as arduous as the hunt itself.

A variation of the hunt requires a number of Aspirants to hunt a single target, though only one may claim victory. Some of these Aspirants strike out on their own, even turning on their fellows when the opportunity arises. Others set aside their rivalry and work together until the end. Those Aspirants who survive must eventually fi ght one another for the honour of claiming victory. Whichever path the Aspirants take, the Chapter learns much about their potential recruits.

At the conclusion of a Trial in which a prisoner is taken, it is common for the Aspirant to be required to slay his captive, often before his people in a highly ritualised deed akin to a ceremonial sacrifi ce. Thus, the blood offering is made, and the victor led away to join the ranks of the sky warriors.

Character Notes: Hunting the Hunter Trial

Demeanour Modifi cation: • Characters that underwent a Hunting the Hunter Trial before being accepted in the ranks of their Chapter’s Neophytes are utterly relentless when hunting their foes, and will continue a hunt long after others might give up on ever locating its target. They can often be quite competitive, especially if they perceive that another might reach the objective before them.

Adventure Seed: • Whilst engaged on a mission involving a hunt for a specifi c target, memories of the Battle-Brother’s Trial come fl ooding back, lending him skill and insight above even those of the Deathwatch. Chapter: • The Space Wolves are known to use the Hunting the Hunter Trial, requiring the Aspirant to track and face a fearsome Fenrisian Wolf or a Snow Troll. The Dark Angels have a similar tradition drawn from the knightly orders of their lost home world and often require Aspirants to track and kill fearsome beasts mutated by the powers of Chaos.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

It is said that in the dark future of the 41st Millennium, there is only war. No world is untouched by bloodshed and death, and for many societies war is a permanent state of existence. Many of the worlds from which Space Marine Chapters recruit are not home to a single, unifi ed society, but rather a host of small tribes

010100010111110101010101001011101

LEGENDS OF THE SKY-WARRIORSThe worlds that the Space Marines recruit from often have a wide range of legends regarding the Adeptus Astartes. As many of the communities in question are primitive or barbaric, the people regard the Space Marines as otherworldly gures, “angels of death” who arrive once in a generation to test them and carry away their strongest sons. On more advanced worlds, the people will have more of an understanding of who and what the Adeptus Astartes are, and regard the success of an Aspirant as an honour to the entire community. On some worlds, the knowledge that a distant ancestor was recruited into the Space Marines is as good as a patent of nobility; portraits of the legendary hero adorn the walls and prayers are said to him in times of need.

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constantly at war with one another. In such societies, Trials are all but unnecessary, and instead of staging formal tests and challenges the Space Marines simply watch these wars from afar, witness the deeds of the greatest heroes and select the victors as Aspirants.

Hive worlds often fall into this category, especially the lawless underhives and the polluted wastes between cities. Gangs of savage psychopaths battle one another ceaselessly for power and infl uence, and the greatest of gang leaders sometimes attracts the attentions of the servants of the Chapter.

In most cases, the Space Marines need do little more than watch the wars, but in some instances they actively take a hand in fomenting confl ict and strife. By limiting the technology levels of a society, curtailing its access to natural resources, infi ltrating it with Chapter Serfs who spread hate, lies, and paranoia, and occasionally even introducing psychosis-inducing substances into the food chain, the Adeptus Astartes can ensure there is no break in the constant state of war.

Character Notes: Survival of the Fittest Trial

Demeanour Modifi cation:• Characters that underwent a Survival of the Fittest Trial before being accepted in the ranks of the Chapter’s Neophytes are often possessed of a heroic air, for they proved themselves the greatest warriors of their home world in passing the Trial. They can look out across an ocean of seething alien monstrosities and not experience a single moment’s doubt, for they have faced such odds before, and emerged victorious.Adventure Seed: • Should the Kill-team fi nd itself faced with an especially large Horde, the GM might consider awarding the Battle-Brother some bonus as memories of his Trial come fl ooding back to him. Chapters:• The Chapters best-known for practicing this type of Trial are the Space Wolves, who watch from afar as entire Fenrisian tribes wipe one another out in bloody internecine war. Many other Chapters use similar methods as well, including the Dark Angels and their Successors.

EXPOSURE TRIAL

Few worlds of the Imperium are free of adversity, and these rare exceptions are either the holdings of wealthy mercantile combines or pleasure retreats for retired, high-level servants, and are entirely inaccessible to the vast bulk of humanity. Most of the Emperor’s subjects live on worlds that are dangerous in some manner. Long-settled worlds are riven by pollution, the toxic waste of thousands years of industry seeping into the very rock and raining from the skies in a constant downpour. Other planets are heavily irradiated, by the processes of industry or by the effects of celestial phenomena. Younger worlds, where Mankind’s dominion is not yet fully established, are often host to all manner of hostile life, including predatory beasts, carnivorous plants and virulent microbes. Plenty of worlds feature environments that are inimical to life, yet due to some natural resource or the world’s strategic value, humans eke out an existence there nonetheless. Such environments range from sub-zero snow wastes, impenetrable swamps and arid deserts to exotic death world jungles, methane sumps and hydrocarbon oceans.

In an Exposure Trial, the Aspirant must go out into such an environment, and simply survive for a set period of time. If he is a native of such a hellish place, the Aspirant will have some knowledge of how to survive, yet is shorn of all aid and divested of all but the most basic of survival equipment. Communities living in the midst of a death world jungle, for example, rely on total and constant cooperation just to go on existing another day, and none are ever out of the sight of another. An Exposure Trial in such a place would force the Aspirant to go out into the jungle alone and face the terrors of the wild with only himself to rely on.

Some Exposure Trials tests the Aspirant’s fortitude in a specifi c environment. Such Trials carried out in a snowy waste could involve the Aspirant travelling from one point to another, with countless hundreds of kilometres of trackless ice-blasted plains separating the two. Other Aspirants might have to cross an entire continent of irradiated ash dunes, traverse an impassable mountain range, swim a predator-infested ocean or a hundred other such challenges.

One particularly inventive variation of the Exposure Trial is one in which the Aspirant is taken from his own environment and transplanted into an entirely unfamiliar one. A Feral world savage might be deposited in a hive city, for example, or a Hive worlder in a predator-infested jungle.

Many Exposure Trials are impossible to complete, entailing the Aspirant simply staying alive as long as possible. Those who face the impossible without faltering and who survive long past the point they should have perished are recovered by the Chapter’s Apothecaries, often having succumbed but not yet died, and revived, having been judged worthy of becoming a Neophyte.

Character Notes: Exposure Trial

Demeanour Modifi cation:• Characters that underwent an Exposure Trial before being accepted in the ranks of the Chapter’s Neophytes are often stoic and dour in the face of discomfort and adversity, uncaring of environmental ills that others would fi nd insurmountable. They are unmoved by the challenge of crossing mountains, wading through sucking swamps, plunging into snow storms and many other such environmental hazards. Some even seek out such challenges, seeming to prefer life in the wild to that in the Watch-Fortress.Adventure Seed: • At his discretion, the GM might decide to award the player character a bonus in situations similar to those in which he underwent his Trial. This should only be done when a mission’s success or failure is at stake, the Battle-Brother drawing on his inner reserves and the lessons learned during his trial to overcome the last hurdle before attaining the objective. Chapters:• Amongst other types of trial, the Ultramarines make extensive use of the Exposure Challenge. In fact, some of the warrior elite of Ultramar are known to cast newborn infants into the wilderness in order to test their resilience. The Space Wolves use similar methods, as do many other Chapters.

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KNOWLEDGE OF SELF

The horrors that a Space Marine will witness during his service to his Chapter are suffi cient to blast the sanity from a normal man, and those witnessed by the Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch even more horrifying still. Many Chapters consider the Aspirant’s spiritual and mental capabilities every bit as important as his physical characteristics, and impose Trials not of the body, but of the mind.

There are hundreds—if not thousands—of ways in which a Chapter can test an Aspirant’s inner strength. One method is a vision, imposed by way of psychic intrusion by one of the Chapter’s Librarians. The Aspirant may be plunged into a trance-like state during which he is subjected to all manner of horrifi c visions or irresistible temptations. He faces creatures dredged from his own nightmares and phantoms seeded in his mind by the Librarian, who presides over the Trial and judges the Aspirant’s very soul.

Some Trials are far cruder; the Aspirant is simply administered some powerful psychoactive concoction, often distilled from the venom of local predators or the sap of rare plants. Under the infl uence of such drugs, the Aspirant must face the very worst his own psyche can produce, terrors often far worse than a Librarian could implant. Many die under the sheer stress and trauma placed on their hearts during the process, and those that survive will be utterly changed—physically as well as mentally.

Another common variation of this Trial is exposure to pain. There are a myriad of different ways in which pain can be applied, some primitive, others fi endishly inventive. Some torments leave the Aspirant scarred for life, though the scars are proudly born as evidence of his mental strength. Others, such as the infamous pain-glove used by the Imperial Fists Chapter, leave no marks, interfacing directly with the Aspirant’s nervous system and keeping him conscious long past the point he would otherwise have passed out.

Character Notes: Knowledge of Self Trial

Demeanour Modifi cation: • Characters that underwent a Knowledge of Self Trial before being accepted in the ranks of the Chapter’s Neophytes have faced the very worst terrors their own psyches can conjure, against which the horrors of the universe appear shallow and wan. They are often blessed of a calm self-assurance in the face of adversity. But such warriors often hold a darker secret which they keep locked deep inside, their nightmares haunted by the things they faced so long ago. Some things no man wishes to learn about himself.Adventure Seed: • Often during this type of Trial the Aspirant experiences some sudden and inexplicable insight that makes no sense at the time, but which may come into play many years later. At the GM’s discretion, this could result in a bonus awarded at an especially relevant moment.Chapters: • Though the Imperial Fists are the best-known practitioners of this type of Trial, many other Chapters use it too, especially those that recruit from feral societies with strong shamanic tendencies. The Black Templars

use similar methods but eschew the use of drugs, instead requiring Aspirants to fast and pray for days on end until a similar effect is achieved.

CHALLENGE

A Trial used by a smaller number of Chapters, the Challenge requires the Aspirant to fi ght a duel or compete in some other manner against a fully-fl edged Battle-Brother. In truth, none expect the Aspirant to better the Battle-Brother, and his success is more often measured in degrees of failure. Very occasionally, an Aspirant does manage to beat the Battle-Brother, and when this happens it is not uncommon for the individual to go on to become a legendary hero of the Chapter.

Many Challenge Trials involve a test of martial skill, with the Aspirant fi ghting an armed duel against the Battle-Brother. It is usual for the Aspirant to be armed and the Battle-Brother to fi ght with his bare hands, and probably without his power armour, yet still the Aspirant has virtually no chance of victory. Most Challenge Duels end in the death of the Aspirant, for even an unarmed, un-armoured Battle-Brother is a giant compared to the young challenger and well able to slay him with a single blow, intentionally or not.

Other Challenge Trials involve contests of strength, stamina, speed, skill or mental strength. The Trial might range from the lifting of impossibly heavy loads to the imbibing of poisonous substances. As with a duel, this type of Challenge Trial can often prove deadly. In both cases, however, an Aspirant that has failed the Trial—yet performed to the Chapter’s satisfaction—is rescued from the jaws of death by the Chapter’s Apothecaries and judged worthy of progressing to the rank of Neophyte.

Character Notes: Challenge Trial

Demeanour Modifi cation:• Characters that underwent a Challenge Trial before being accepted in the ranks of the Chapter’s Neophytes are often possessed of a highly developed sense of their own superiority. Instead of superiors, they often regard the offi cers of their Chapter and the Deathwatch as equals, especially those rare few who actually bettered the brother they challenged. This rarely manifests itself as outright insubordination, but it can occasionally cause tension. Even the psycho-conditioning every Neophyte endures cannot totally erase the notion that the Battle-Brother is equal in skill, if not rank, to his superiors and he is never afraid to question their orders if he feels they are ill-judged.Adventure Seed: • The Battle-Brother that the character fought his Challenge against appears in the game as a senior NPC, perhaps a Watch Captain or a senior member of another Kill-team. Is there any lingering resentment between the two, or did the Trial actually result in them having a supreme trust and respect for one another? Perhaps the only way to fi nd out for sure is in the fi eld, when the life of one is in the hands of the other.Chapters:• Several Chapters are known to make use of the Challenge Trial, including the Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, Storm Wardens, and Iron Snakes.

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BIRTH OF A

CHAPTER “Such is the woe cast upon the Domains of the God-Emperor of Mankind in these times that in their wisdom and benefi cence, the High Lords of Terra have this day issued this decree: Let there be a Founding of the Adeptus Astartes, and let the foes of the Emperor know that this galaxy belongs to Him, now, and forever.”

–High Lord Tagus, Convenor of the 349th Congress.

This chapter presents a detailed system for designing a Space Marine Chapter of your own invention, from which your Player Character can be drawn. By

examining many facets of a Chapter’s history and nature, the Deathwatch Space Marines drawn from it will be imbued with a rich background story that feeds into the entire roleplaying experience. All Space Marines are products of the Chapter that produced them, and that Chapter is itself a unique combination of the societies from which the Chapter recruits, its home world, the traditions it has evolved, its victories as well as its defeats, and a whole range of other factors.

This system is designed for those players who really like to get “under the hood” of their characters. It addresses all manner of questions, from the stability of the parent Chapter’s gene-seed to the environment of its home world. The system presents a number of topics, such as Home World and Beliefs, and a range of choices within each topic in order to fl esh out the Chapter more fully. A Chapter that recruits from amongst the feral tribes of an ice world might be different in character and doctrine from one that draws its aspirants from the warrior-nobility of a medieval world. A Chapter whose gene-seed has become unstable might embrace its genetic heritage, or do everything in its power to overcome it, while a Chapter that has suffered catastrophic battle losses might dwell on that tragedy, or focus on rebuilding its numbers to exact revenge upon its foes.

The system is intended to be used in two ways, depending on the player’s own tastes. Players are free

to choose from multiple options in each category, such as the predominant terrain of their Chapter’s home world or the current status of the force. However, there are plenty of players who simply enjoy seeing what the dice gods bestow upon them, and for these individuals, there are plenty of tables to roll on so the entire process can be randomised. It is highly recommended that players give both options a try, as sometimes the most unlikely combinations can give rise to ideas they would never otherwise consider!

Aside from endowing your character with a rich background, this system is also relevant within the game itself. Players should utilise the details of the Chapter they have designed as a deep well of roleplaying opportunity. No matter how effective a Chapter’s psycho-conditioning, the Aspirant’s core cultural identity is never entirely removed—indeed, it often provides the foundation of what makes the Chapter what it is. A Chapter that recruits its brethren from amongst the hyper-violent street gangs of a hive city does so because it values the independence, resourcefulness and toughness of the recruits. A Chapter that draws its Battle-Brothers from the tribes of a Death world does so because its members are supremely attuned to peril having grown up in an environment that actively tries to kill them every minute of the day. All of these ideas feed into the way a Space Marine Player Character can be roleplayed, meaning there really is no reason any two Battle-Brothers should be exactly unlike

or react the same way to any given situation.

THE

FOUNDINGSSpace Marine Chapters are not

created piecemeal, but rather in groupings known as “foundings.”

The process by which a new founding’s creation is approved is mysterious and

arcane indeed, and subject to decades or even centuries of planning. It is only by

edict of the High Lords of Terra that such a great undertaking as the creation of new

Chapters can be instigated, for it requires the cooperation and mobilisation of countless divisions within the Imperium’s monolithic

whole. Establishing Chapters on an individual basis is nigh impossible—the mobilisation of

such vast resources is beyond the ability of any single segment of the Imperium.

The Adeptus Mechanicus plays an essential role in the process, for its highest echelons are tasked with creating, testing and developing

the gene-seed samples that will provide the basis of the new Chapters.

Entire forge worlds may be turned over to the manufacture of the mighty arsenal of weaponry, ammunition, armour, vehicles and war ships that any such force will require.

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There are a myriad of other concerns too. A suitable home world must be identifi ed, which in all likelihood will provide not only a secure and defensible base of operations for the new Chapter, but a source of new recruits too. Such worlds might have been reported by itinerant rogue traders, and earmarked centuries before as potential Space Marine home worlds. A degree of environmental engineering might be required, and the natives (if they are to form the basis of the Chapter’s recruitment) must be studied and tested for many generations to ensure they are free of any stain of mutation that might later affect the Chapter itself. The construction of a Chapter’s fortress-monastery may be one of the greatest undertakings of all, drawing on the genius of the Imperium’s most accomplished military architects.

Existing Space Marine Chapters might also have a hand in this process, though to what degree varies greatly. Many First Founding Chapters maintain close links with Chapters created using their own gene-seed stocks, and the Chapter Masters might have a hand in planning future foundings. It is said that the Disciples of Caliban, a Dark Angels Successor, were created following the direct appeal of the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels.

In the ten thousand years and more that have passed since the momentous First Founding, there have been twenty-fi ve subsequent foundings of new Space Marine Chapters, the most recent, the twenty-sixth, in the year 738 of the forty-fi rst millennium. Even before a new founding is announced, entire generations of Imperial servants may have toiled in preparation. Even once the process is underway, it is likely to be at least a century before the new Chapters are ready to take to the fi eld. In times of dire need, faster development has been attempted, but this has often resulted in disaster. Gene-seed cultured in haste is wont to degrade or mutate, and a myriad of other factors might lead to the entire process going awry.

CREATING

YOUR OWN

CHAPTER“To Thine Own Self Be True.”

–Ancient Terran Proverb

In order to create a new Chapter, simply work through the topics presented over the following pages, selecting the details that most appeal. Alternately, roll on the many

tables provided if leaving the whole process to the vagaries of fate appeals more! Each of the topics opens with a simple question, and then proceeds to offer several potential answers. By answering these questions, the new Chapter is born.

Some players might start this process with a specifi c end product in mind, and that is fi ne. It is a simple matter to steer the results in any given direction. Conversely, players might just as well take each topic as it comes, selecting the result that appeals the most before continuing on.

This system has been designed to cover a great many topics, but of course some players may not need to cover every single one, or they might even want to add yet more detail. Either is fi ne, as one player may not care about how the natives of his Chapter are governed, while another might want to know exactly what tributes the villages offer before the gates of the Keep of the Sky-Warriors every midsummer. If the system throws up more detail than is needed, players should feel free to simply bypass the relevant section, and if it does not offer enough, they are encouraged to add more.

ORIGINS

“Know thy duty, and discharge it above all else.”

–Codex Astartes, Chapter IV, Verse I

Why and when was the chapter created? Chapters are established at the order of the High Lords of Terra, but the process by which the order comes about is a subject discussed only within the sealed chambers of the Senatorum Imperialis. It is likely that many Chapters have been created with a specifi c role in mind, whilst others have been founded due to a general increase in the activities of the Emperor’s numerous enemies.

WHY WAS THE CHAPTER FOUNDED?To determine the original reason that your Chapter was created, choose or randomise between Strategic Prognostication, Counter, Standing Force, and Crusade. Of course, you can just as easily decide that the Chapter’s origins are lost to antiquity, and leave this part of its history obscured by the dust of time, lost to its present members.

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